Showing posts with label comfort food. Show all posts
Showing posts with label comfort food. Show all posts

11/18/13

Fried Corn, Sage and Bacon Stuffing





If you have a bacon lover coming to Thanksgiving dinner, you need to make this dish. They'll love the combo of fried bacon, corn, onions and sage. I'm not saying abandon your favorite traditional stuffing, just add this one to the list of dishes you are making.  BTW, Are you getting your list together, checking it twice?
Want to know how to enjoy Thanksgiving day and not totally go bonkers while preparing and serving the ultimate feast?
Two words.
I know what you're thinking.
"Go out"  See how well I know you??
The words are: PLAN AHEAD.
I'm totally into make-ahead for Thanksgiving. You can make and bake a day or two ahead and simply heat up just before serving dinner (see tips below for keeping dishes hot with a cooler or  box). Making stuffing ahead is always in my game plan.
Need some ideas for the big day? I'll be posting almost every day this week.  A crock pot dish, a new twist on Cranberry Sauce, a beautiful and simple salad and a step-by-step to a perfect pie.  If you want to see my favorites, you can also check out my Pinterest board: Thanksgiving, the most wonderful time of the year.
Get ready. Time to get your Thanksgiving on.






Fried Corn, Sage and Bacon Stuffing
A Bountiful Kitchen
print recipe

1/2 lb of bacon, chopped into one inch pieces
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
1 cup corn, fresh, frozen or drained from a can
8-10 fresh sage leaves, chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped
8-10 cups french bread cubes, dried, or boxed bread cubes for stuffing*
4 tablespoons butter, melted
2 teaspoons poultry seasoning
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1- 14.5 oz can chicken broth
1 cup fresh parsley, chopped and divided in half
additional olive oil for drizzling on top of stuffing

Fry bacon in a pan until crispy. Drain off grease and set bacon aside on a paper towel to drain. Wipe out pan with paper towel. Using same pan, heat to medium high and add olive oil, onion and corn. Fry until onion is soft and corn begins to turn a golden color, about 5 minutes.
Lower heat to medium.  Add chopped sage and garlic, cook for about 1-2 minutes more. Remove from heat.
Place 8 cups of dried bread in large bowl. Add fried ingredients. Toss in melted butter, poultry seasoning, salt and pepper, chicken broth and 1/2 cup of chopped parsley.
*If the stuffing is too wet (very sticky and bread seems soggy instead of moistened with liquid, add the additional two cups of bread cubes.
Place all ingredients into  9x13 or other baking pan. Drizzle with additional olive oil (about 2-3 tablespoons). Cover with foil and bake on middle rack at 375 for about 30-40 minutes total or until warmed through and golden on top. Remove foil for last 15 minutes of baking.

Tips and how to make your own warming oven:
-If you would like to prepare this for make ahead, assemble, cover with foil and place in refrigerator. One hour before baking, remove and set on counter. Preheat oven to 375. Bake for about 40 minutes,  on middle rack in oven. If the dish is a bit dry, add about 1/2 cup of chicken broth by drizzling on top of casserole before baking. Re-seal foil and bake. Remove foil for last 15 minutes of baking.

-If you need to keep multiple dishes such as yams, stuffing, or mashed potatoes warm and you are short on oven space, or you want to transport dishes and keep them warm, make your own warming oven. You will need a regular cooler or a cardboard box.  Line the box or cooler with newspaper. If you are using a cooler, make sure to use a thick enough layer so when you place the hot dish inside of the cooler, it won't melt the plastic.  Cook the dish according to recipe. Remove from oven. Place a layer of foil on top of the dish. Seal edges.
Lay the pan flat in the bottom of a cooler, box or tub. Place a cookie sheet on top of the pan if you need to stack dishes. Try to lay newspaper in between as well, to make an insulted layer. Layer some more newspaper on top of the dish. I have sometimes loosely wrapped the dish in newspaper to add extra insulation if I am transporting and not serving the dish for a while.  Close the lid and don't peek. This will keep dishes hot for about 2-3 hours after baking. The key is to place the dish into the box immediately after removing from oven, and to refrain from opening the box after placing the dishes inside, until ready to serve. Make sure to secure the dishes if you are transporting (stuff the box with extra wadded up newspaper to make sure the dishes do not move around, and don't leave the box outside in the cold.


11/8/13

Grandma's Corn Pudding



Corn. So ordinary.
How to dress it up for the holiday? Make it yours.
For years I've wanted to help the corn, make it feel a little less naked at Thanksgiving. But it's always an afterthought. Throw the corn into a pot and cook while we ask a blessing on the feast.
It always seems a little out of place to me. The plain yellow kernels sitting in the bowl, while every other dish was given so much care and preparation. This year I'm dispensing with the bowl and serving corn pudding. It's a little sweet. A little salty. A smooth bit of cream-corn goodness in a beautiful little circle on your plate. Yes, you can bake and serve it straight from the dish. I opted for cutting into circle shapes, which dressed it up a bit more.
And, you know, we all want the corn to feel dressed at the table.


Grandma's Corn Pudding
Adapted slightly from Allrecipes.com
print recipe

1/2 cup milk
4 tablespoons cornstarch
5 eggs
1/3 cup butter, melted
2 tablespoons white sugar
2 cups frozen corn or 1 (15.25 ounce) can whole kernel corn
2 (14.75 ounce) cans cream-style corn
1 teaspoon salt
garnish with chopped green onions

Preheat oven to 400 Degrees. Grease a 2 quart casserole dish.
In a large bowl, whisk cornstarch into cold milk until smooth and no lumps appear.
Add eggs and beat until eggs are incorporated. Add melted butter and sugar, stir in corn, creamed corn and salt. Blend well. Pour mixture into prepared casserole dish.
Bake for 1 hour or until golden on top and set. Garnish as desired.
Serves 8-10

Tips:
-I baked in a 9x13 glass pan, then waited for the dish to cool a bit (about 10 minutes). After cooling a few minutes, I cut the pudding into circles using a biscuit cutter. I cut the circles as close together as possible to eliminate any waste. If you want, you can just serve it in the dish. Or bake it in ramekins or custard cups, greased and filled about 1-1 1/2 inch full. Place the ramekins on a cookie sheet and check after about 40-45 minutes. 
-If using frozen corn, do not thaw before adding to dish.
-This dish may be made ahead and re-heated. 

10/23/13

Favorite Apple Crisp





I was digging through a folder of dessert recipes the other day and found an article on the closing of the Red Apple, an old SLC institution. It was housed in the basement of a building in the middle of the block on 100 South between State and Main, across from what is now the City Creek Center. They made great sandwiches and one of my favorites, Apple Crisp. The Red Apple was one of the only places I knew of where you could order house made apple crisp any time of the year, whether it was October or  April . After years of being in business, they closed the doors and moved on to other adventures.
I realized after looking at the article, I've never posted our favorite version of apple crisp. You probably have your own family favorite take on this classic dessert. Ours comes from years of testing out different recipes and then coming up with a recipe that is sweet, salty, caramely and heavy on the crisp.  I like a good amount of topping on my crisp, not a thin layer that leaves you wanting more to eat with the apple filling. I also like the bit of crunch the oats add, instead of using all flour. If you don't already have a version you love give this one a try. It may become your new favorite!
Hope you're enjoying the beautiful Fall weather .




























Favorite Apple Crisp
A Bountiful Kitchen
print recipe

4 lbs of apples, preferably Granny Smith, peeled and sliced
1 tablespoon vanilla
3/4 cup dark brown sugar*
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
dash of salt

Topping:
1 1/4  cup old fashioned oats
3/4 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup brown sugar, dark or regular
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter (not margarine) , cubed


Place rack in center of oven and preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Lightly grease a 9x13 pan or two-9 inch pie plates.
Place apples into a large bowl. Sprinkle the apples with one tablespoon of vanilla. Top with brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and dash of salt. Pour apple mixture into prepared pan(s).
In same bowl, Place all dry topping ingredients.  Using fingers or a pastry cutter, cut butter into dry ingredients. Spread/sprinkle topping onto top of apple mixture.
Bake for about 45 minutes or until apples are bubbly and topping is golden brown.
Remove and let sit for 15 minutes. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.

Tips:
-*you may use regular brown sugar, dark will produce a more caramelized filling.
-Apple Crisp is best served immediately after baking. If you need to make this ahead, you may put the dish together and bake the dessert for about 30 minutes. Remove, but do not cover or topping will get soggy. Let sit on counter to cool.
Before serving, preheat oven to 425 and finish baking dessert on top third of oven for about 15-20 minutes, or until heated through and bubbly.


10/8/13

Cream Biscuits


Biscuit experts say that using a sharp biscuit cutter and not twisting the cutter is one of the secrets to a perfect biscuit.  Here's my little graduated biscuit/cookie cutter set. 
  

If you've never tried a biscuit made with cream, you're in for a treat. The next time you have a bit of leftover cream in your fridge, give these a try. This biscuit has a slight crunch on the outside, and a pillowy-soft center. The cream gives them a melt-in-your-mouth quality.
Butter and jam?
Not optional.



Cream Biscuits
A Bountiful Kitchen, adapted from Diary of a Glad Housewife
print recipe

2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 cup shortening ( I like butter flavor shortening)
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/3 to 1/2 cup cold water

Place the flour, salt and baking powder in a medium size bowl. Cut the shortening into the dry ingredients.  Stir in the heavy cream and enough water for the dough to pull together when stirring, about 1/3 to 1/2 cup of water. Let the dough rest for about 5-10 minutes.  If the dough is sticking to your hands, before cutting, sprinkle with a little flour. Turn the dough in the bowl until the dough is no longer sticky. You may need to add up to 1/4 cup of flour in this process.
Gently pat out the dough 3/4 inch thick on a floured surface. Cut the biscuits with sharp cutter, pressing straight down, not twisting the cutter.  Place the biscuits on parchment paper and bake at 425 degrees for approximately 12-15 minutes, until golden brown on top.
Serve immediately with butter and jam. 

9/27/13

Butternut Squash Soup with Bacon




Fall = temperatures dropping, leaves turning, FOOTBALL. Oh, that game last weekend. GO UTES!! 
And then there's soup. There's something therapeutic about simmering soup on a cool day. Does the fact that I made soup twice in the past week mean I need therapy? I'll have to think about that...
I found this recipe for Butternut Squash soup in Martha Stewart Magazine's October Issue.




It's a simple dish to make, and if you pair it with a good roll and salad and you've got a filling meal for a cool evening. Are you thinking, that's great for me. But how will I get the husband/kids/males in my house to eat it?  One word.
Bacon.



The recipe calls for cooking a slice of bacon and laying it across the cup or bowl before serving. Brilliant.
Bacon has magical powers. I cooked a few slices and they almost all disappeared before I served dinner.  Throw bacon on anything, and guys will love it.
Bacon makes everything better.







Butternut Squash Soup
Martha Stewart Magazine, Oct 2013
print recipe

6 slices bacon, cut in half crosswise
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 sweet onion, such as Vidalia or Walla Walla, coarsely chopped (about 3 cups)
2 1⁄2 pounds butternut squash, peeled, halved, seeded, and cut into 1-inch pieces (about 6 cups)
3 sprigs thyme
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
1 3⁄4 cups chicken broth
1 3⁄4 cups water

Cook bacon over medium heat in large pot, flipping once, until brown and crisp, about 15 minutes. Drain on paper towels; discard fat from pot but do not wipe clean.
Melt butter in pot over medium heat. Cook onion, stirring occasionally, until softened and golden, about 15 minutes. Add squash, thyme, 1 tablespoon salt, broth, and water; increase heat to high and bring
to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer until squash is tender, 12 to 15 minutes. Discard thyme.
Working in batches, purée soup in a blender until very smooth. Return soup to pot and season with salt and pepper; cover to keep warm or reheat if necessary. Divide among heatproof glasses and garnish each glass with bacon. I opted to lay the bacon right on top of the soup with a few seeds I toasted and salted from the squash.
Bacon and soup can be made up to 3 days ahead, cooled completely, and stored in refrigerator in separate containers. Recrisp bacon on a baking sheet in a pre- heated 300 ̊ oven, about 10 minutes, while reheating soup over low heat.
Serves 10-12

Tips:
-I used my immersion blender and pureed the soup right in the pot. One pot cooking, hooray!





7/2/13

Baked Ziti (new and improved) and Girl's Camp 2013





Last week I joined 300+ young women and their leaders in the mountains above Heber City. Depending on the day, we had between 330-350 girls and leaders in attendance.
With a crew of 7 joyful, hardworking women, we planned, cooked, and served about 3300 meals in 5 days. Did you just go back and re read that? Me too. Our meals included some ABK favorites: Teriyaki Spinach Pasta Salad,  Southwest Salad with Cilantro Honey Lime Dressing, Sweet Baked Beans (click on links for recipes) , and our favorite pasta- Baked Ziti. Ziti for camp? You know how they say food always tastes better when you're camping? I never fell for that line, but it's true if you are eating Baked Ziti.
We also made some new favorites I'll post in the next few weeks:  Kash's Black Cherry Chocolate Dutch Oven Cobbler, Janis' Hot Fudge Sauce, Slow Cooked Roast for French Dip and Cooler Corn for 350.  
Here are a few pics of our adventures in the mountains  kitchen...
The kitchen crew: Janis,Jenny,Brenda, me, Michelle, Mims, Stephanie, Kash.
Amazing women. 

Remember when I first posted Cook's Illustrated Baked Ziti  back in 2009? After making the Cook's recipe several times, I decided it needed a little tweaking. The biggest issues I had with their recipe were:
1. It was a bit on the dry side, especially when heating up for leftovers. 
2.There were too many steps (dishes to pour in and out of and other unnecessary complications). The recipe needed to be streamlined. 
I set out to make a dish with more sauce and easy to create in about 30 minutes. 
The result-we love this dish. 
The girls loved this dish. 
All 300 of them. 





Baked Ziti
A Bountiful Kitchen, adapted from Cook's Illustrated

1 pound Ziti or other short, tubular pasta (it is usually easier for me to find Rigatoni)
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 medium garlic cloves , minced
2-15 oz can tomato sauce
1-8 oz can tomato sauce
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 teaspoon dried oregano
salt and pepper, about 1 teaspoon each
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil leaves, divided
1 teaspoon sugar
Ground black pepper
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1 cup heavy cream
1 pound whole milk cottage cheese or low fat  cottage cheese
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
3 ounces grated Parmesan cheese (about 1 1/2 cups)
8 ounces low-moisture whole-milk mozzarella cheese , cut into 1/4-inch pieces (about 1 1/2 cups)

Cook pasta for about 9 minutes. Drain and set aside. 
Place oil and garlic in large pan and sauté over medium heat just until fragrant. Add all of the tomato sauce, chopped tomatoes, sugar, oregano, salt and pepper and cook for about 10 minutes until thickened a bit. Turn off heat and add 1/2 cup of chopped basil. 
Pour heavy cream into a second large saucepan. While cream is cold, whisk in 1 teaspoon of cornstarch.  Simmer over medium heat for about 3-5 minutes. Remove from heat and add 1lb of cottage cheese, 2 beaten eggs, 1 cup of the tomato sauce mixture, and half of the Parmesan and cubed mozzarella (reserving the remaining Parmesan and mozzarella for top of dish). Stir until combined (this mixture will now be a light red/pinkish color). 
Add the cooked pasta to the cream mixture. Stir until all of the pasta is coated. 
Pour into a greased 9x13 pan. Pour remaining tomato mixture over the top and sprinkle the remaining cubed mozzarella and Parmesan cheese on top of the pasta in dish. Top dish with remaining chopped fresh basil ( I like to save a few leaves for after baking as well for color). 
Cover dish tightly with foil. Bake at 350 degrees on middle rack of oven for 30 minutes with foil, then remove foil for last 30 minutes. Let sit for about 10 minutes before serving. 

Tips (longer than the recipe):
-We made 17x this recipe for the girls and divided it into 8 large (20 3/4 x 12 3/4x 3 inches deep-disposable foil steam table pans) The pans served about 35-40 each.
-We prepared the Ziti and covered each pan with foil until baking. The dish was prepared Saturday morning, and was baked Monday late afternoon. It was as good as if it were prepared on the same day.
-This dish may also be frozen after ingredients are poured into the pan.  About two hours before baking, remove from freezer and set on counter. When ready to bake, place in oven at 325 for 1 1/2 hours on middle rack.  After 1 1/2 hours, turn oven to 375, remove foil,  and bake an additional 15 minutes. Allow more time if multiple pans are being baked in the same oven (about 15  minutes per pan, while covered).
-If you don't have a basil plant, or enough basil to make this dish, I suggest a trip to Trader Joes, where you can buy (the biggest basil plant you have ever seen in your life) for $2.99 . That's right $2.99.  We used three trees plants to make 17 times this recipe, it was more than enough fresh basil for our Ziti-a-thon.
-When I first started making this dish as a child (jk) , I thought fresh mozzarella was always the best choice when following a recipe that called for mozzarella. Not so. It has way too much moisture for this dish. A firm mozzarella, that can easily be cut into cubes works best. It melts into the pasta dish without leaving water in the bottom of the dish.
-If you are making this recipe in large quantity, I found that the #10 cans found at Costco and other restaurant suppliers will cover 3x this recipe for the tomato sauce. So instead of: 2-15 oz cans and 1-8 oz can of tomato sauce for every three times this recipe, I used 1 #10 can of tomato sauce (approx 96 oz), and one additional 15 oz can of tomato sauce. If you 6x the recipe, use 2 #10 cans of tomato sauce and one #10 can of diced tomatoes.




11/26/12

Day After Thanksgiving Sandwich




Back when Grant was a student and I was a working girl, I had a job at an office building in downtown Portland. On the ground floor of the building, there was a sandwich shop called Freddie Brown's. Their specialty was a roasted turkey sandwich with cranberry sauce.  As I walked past Freddie's every morning,  the aroma of roasting turkey filled the air and I plotted ways to get together enough money to go down for lunch and grab a sandwich. It was a simple sandwich: fresh white bread, mayo on one side, butter on the other, hot carved turkey, white or dark meat (I usually chose a combo), cranberry sauce, salt and pepper. This sandwich usually put me in a bit of a turkey coma, which would lead to a short nap in my cubicle after lunch.
I love the day after Thanksgiving. I'm not much of a Black Friday shopper. Just like to hang out and eat a great sandwich and plan how Christmas is going to happen. The sandwich is made just like Freddie Brown's- except I pile on a layer of dressing as well.
Cheers to the turkey coma.
And a little nap.


Day After Thanksgiving Sandwich
A Bountiful Kitchen 
print recipe

fresh sliced bread, any type
Best Foods or Hellmann's mayo
butter
Sausage and Apple stuffing, heated recipe here
fresh cranberry sauce recipe here
Turkey, white or dark meat, heated just a bit
s&p

Spread the bread with butter on one side and mayo on the other. Don't be stingy.
Layer: warm dressing, cranberry sauce and warmed turkey.
Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper.
Eat right away.


10/24/12

Boy Scout Stew


Some days are made for stew. Yesterday was one of those days. It was the first snow here. Yikes. October 23. While I'm not a huge fan of eating stew, I do like to make it. Something about chopping, mixing and having the aroma slowly fill your house on a cold day.

This is a recipe I've had for years. I've tweaked it countless times, and it's pretty close to perfection.  I named it Boy Scout Stew because it seems like the Scouts always make (translation, the wife of the Scout Master makes) a variation of this to eat on their camp outs. Did I tell you Jake received his Eagle Scout award a few months back?



Hooray and thank you to leaders who have mentored, served and loved my kid.
You gave your time to countless campouts, hikes, bike rides, merit badge clinics, build snow caves (and then sleep in them) and fish among other activities. I can only imagine how the tents/cabins smell after the boys live in them for a week at scout camp- without a shower, brushing their teeth, or changing their underwear. Your patience and the lessons you have taught my kid will never be forgotten.
You're the best.





Boy Scout Stew
A Bountiful Kitchen
print recipe


3 lbs beef brisket or chuck,  cut into 2 inch cubes
2 teaspoon dried thyme or oregano
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 cup flour
3-4 tablespoons vegetable or olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
3-4 tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce
6 cups v-8 vegetable juice cocktail
2 cups water
2 Knorr beef homestyle stock cups (4.6 oz each), or 2-3 bullion cubes
3 cups celery, cut into 1 inch pieces
3 cups carrots, cut into 1-1/2 inch pieces or baby carrots, whole
4 medium potatoes, scrubbed clean and cut into one inch cubes

Place meat in a medium bowl, season with thyme, salt and pepper. Toss with 1/2 cup flour.
Place the oil in a large stock pot or dutch oven. Heat to medium high.
Working in about three batches, cook the meat until it is browned on all sides, when the batch is browned, remove and set aside on plate. If there is flour left in the bowl, sprinkle it over the last batch of meat browning in the pan. Remove any remaining meat from pan, set aside.
Keeping heat on medium high, add a little more oil if needed. Place the onions and garlic into the pan on stove, cooking and stirring occasionally, until the onions are softened, about 5 minutes.
Return the meat to the pan with the onions and garlic. Add Worcestershire sauce. Cook for about 1 minute.  Add all remaining ingredients.
Cover and simmer for 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally.
Serves 8-10

Tips:
-Knorr Homestyle Stock cups are sold in the soup section of most grocery stores. They come in a package with 4 cups enclosed. I like the flavor of the Knorr brand. You may use Swanson brand liquid flavoring, regular bullion cubes, or other types of stock flavoring if desired.
-Only purchase beef that is a lower quality cut, such as brisket or chuck. This will produce the best result when slow cooking.

10/7/12

Funeral Potatoes 101 or What Mitt Ate Last Night (part two)




Did you see the debate last week? I'm not a big fan of politics in general. In fact, every time we see a politician make a speech, see a campaign commercial, or watch a debate, the conversation usually goes like this:

me: sheesh, I would never want to be a politician.
grant: you could not pay me enough to be a politician.
me: being the wife of a politician would be the worst.
grant: that job would stink.
me: you know, people say the same about lawyers.
grant: no they don't.
me: yes they do.

So.
That said, newsflash- we are Republicans.
I know, you're shocked. Mormons and Republicans.
And we like Mitt.  Mittens, as we affectionately call him. Not that we know him, but you know how that goes. We talk like we do.
Anyway.  Remember when I posted that JELLO recipe several months ago? I titled it "What Mitt Ate Last Night". This is the second recipe in the installment of "What Mitt Ate Last Night".
Classic Mormon food.
This will either make you :
a) feel warm and fuzzy inside, and run to the nearest grocery to buy some Cream of Chicken Soup.
or
b) stop subscribing to this blog.

Everyone needs a recipe for this dish in their files. Guaranteed to comfort and clog the arteries. This is my favorite version of Funeral Potatoes. Been making it for 30 years. Funerals, family parties, neighbor dinners, you name it, this dish goes with it.
Bon Appetite :)





Funeral Potatoes
A Bountiful Kitchen
print recipe

12 large Russett potatoes, boiled, then peeled and grated or
1 large  24-32oz package frozen hash brown potatoes, thawed
2 cans cream of chicken soup
2 cups sour cream
2 1/2 cups cheddar cheese, divided
1/4 cup  melted butter
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper, each
Topping options:
1 cup Panko Crumbs or 2 cups crushed Corn Flakes + 2 tablespoons melted butter (optional)
or
1/2 cup grated cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place rack in middle of oven.
Place butter, chopped onions, salt and pepper in a sauce pan over medium heat. Cook just until onions are softened. Place soup, sour cream, 2 cups of the grated cheese in a large bowl. 
Pour the cooked onion/butter mixture over the soup mixture in the bowl. Mix well. 
Add grated potatoes.  Fold ingredients together. 
Pour the mixture into a 9x13 greased pan. 
If using topping, spread the Panko or cornflake mixture or additional 1/2 cup of cheese over the top of the casserole and bake uncovered for 30-40 minutes or until the casserole is bubbly and golden on top. 
Let sit for about 10 minutes before serving.
About 16  side dish servings.

Tips:

-This recipe has oodles of variations, here are a few:
  • You may cut ham into cubes and place in the casserole. 
  • I have used low fat sour cream and low fat soup with good results. It is better with regular  soup and sour cream, but is fine with low fat. 
  • Some people use part cream cheese, cut into cubes, and cut some of the sour cream and or cheese.
  • The onions may be substituted with green onions.   
  • You may use flavored cheeses such as Smoked Gouda or Pepper Jack in place of the cheddar cheese.
-Almost everyone makes this recipe with frozen hash browns. That's fine in a pinch, or if you are making it for the masses. Make sure if you use frozen potatoes to thaw them before using.
Funeral potatoes taste best when you take just a little more time and cook your own potatoes. Scrub the russets, boil them until tender. Peel the potatoes and grate them before folding in the soup mixture. Make sure to always boil the potatoes with the skins on, to avoid watery tasting potatoes.

-I like to use Russets when making funeral potatoes. Never use Yukon Golds, the texture is too waxy.

-This recipe freezes well. Follow the recipe and cover with foil or saran wrap. To cook, place in oven at 325 for about 1 hour. You may take it directly from the freezer and bake. You may need a bit more or less time depending on your oven. Sometimes I put it in my oven at 275 for 2-3 hours.  When I bake a frozen dish, I cover it tightly with foil until it's done so it does not dry out. I remove the foil the last 15 minutes of baking or broil for a couple of minutes to get a golden top. 

8/15/12

Sour Cream Biscuits




Are you still making biscuits with a mix or (gag) eating biscuits out of a can?
STOP IT.
Biscuits are one of the easiest recipes to experiment with if you are feeling uncertain about trying your hand at baking. Here's the scoop- these are absolutely melt in your mouth delicious. And simple. What more could you ask for?
Oh, Strawberry Jam. Get some.




Sour Cream Biscuits
adapted from Allrecipes.com

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons water

Mix together flour, salt, baking soda, and baking powder in medium bowl. Add sour cream and mix to a soft dough. Add additional water if necessary.
Turn dough out onto floured surface. Pat dough to about one inch thick. Cut with biscuit cutter or glass about 3 inches in diameter.
Bake at 450 degrees F (230 degrees C) for 12 minutes.

Tips:
-a review on Allrecipes said the tester used fat free sour cream and loved the result.

3/5/12

Sheri's Creamy Southern Mac and Cheese




Mac and cheese. What comes to mind when you hear those words? If it's a pan filled with an unnatural yellow/orange color sauce coating macaroni, your world is about to change.
In a good way.
My SIL,  Sheri, is famous for making huge pans of luscious, creamy mac and cheese. She perfected the art of making an amazing pan of one of my favorite dishes when she lived in the South.
I love it when we have a family dinner that includes a pan of her mac and cheese. Love it for days after too. This dish re-heats beautifully.  Sheri's version includes lots of sauce,  coating the pasta generously,  so it doesn't become a thick, gluey mess when heated up for leftovers. This is mac and cheese heaven.
You're gonna love it.






Creamy Southern Macaroni and Cheese
print recipe

½ cup butter
3-4 tablespoons grated or crushed onion
1 cup flour
6 cups skim milk
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 ½ teaspoon dried mustard
1 teaspoon salt
1-2 teaspoons pepper
5 cups sharp or combination of sharp and extra sharp cheese
1 ½ cups fresh grated Parmesan
1 pound macaroni

Boil macaroni until al dente. Set aside.
Melt butter. Sauté onion in butter until onion is translucent not brown. Add flour and cook for about two minutes. Add milk and stir with wire whisk. Cook until thickened. Add nutmeg, dried mustard, salt, and pepper. Turn off heat. Add 3 ½ - 4 c. sharp cheddar and 1 cup fresh grated Parmesan. Put in greased 9x13 pan and cover with 1 c. sharp cheddar and ½ c. Parmesan. Bake at 350˚ for 30 minutes until lightly browned.

Tips:
-You may add any of the following in the recipe above: sautéed mushrooms, diced tomatoes, diced jalapenos, chopped spinach, chopped broccoli, smoked chicken.
-Also, you may substitute Gouda, smoked Gouda, smoked Cheddar, Swiss, or any other type of cheese you like as part of the cheese. Mild cheddar is not recommended, as the flavor is too bland.
-This is also great as a make ahead dish. Prepare as directed, refrigerate and bake within two days.
-This dish also freezes well. To cook, remove from freezer and keep covered with foil. Bake at 325 for  about 1 hour. Remove foil during last 15 minutes of baking.
 

1/26/12

Chicken Pot Pie Class






Yesterday, I taught a "Chicken Pot Pie" class at The Fork . Chicken Pot Pie is one of our family favorites I posted a few years ago.  I updated the photos and tweaked the recipe a bit. Here's the link  to the recipe if you are looking for something to cook up on a cold winter day...

11/17/11

Make Ahead Mashed Potato Casserole





If you are into planning ahead, and want to get some of the cooking out of the way before the big day, you may want to try out this recipe. It's simple and really yummy. The great thing about this recipe is all of the work is done before your holiday meal is in the final stages of preparation; leaving you free to worry about other items like where to place Aunt Edna's Porkbelly and Egg Aspic.



Make Ahead Mashed Potatoes
print recipe

8 large potatoes, I like Russets
8 ounces sour cream, at room temperature
8 ounces cream cheese, at room temp- low fat or regular (I used regular)
1/2 cup milk, warmed
6 tablespoons butter, softened
1-2 teaspoon salt

Place potatoes in large pot, cover with water, and bring to a boil.
Reduce heat, cover, and cook for 45-50 minutes or until potatoes are tender and skins split.
Drain potatoes, peel and place in large bowl. Mash with sour cream, cream cheese, warmed milk, salt, and butter, stirring until butter and cream cheese have melted.
Spread potatoes into greased 13 x 9 baking dish.
Dot top of casserole with butter if desired.
Cover with foil and refrigerate until ready to use.
Let refrigerated potatoes sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before baking.
Bake covered dish at 350 degrees for 40-50 minutes.

Tips:
-If you like mix-ins with your potatoes, add some crushed garlic, bacon, cheese, and or chives before baking.
-You may prepare these up to 5 days before serving. 

11/15/11

Sheri's Southern Cornbread Dressing



Yesterday at "The Fork" as my kids affectionately call it, Sheri taught an amazing class on Southern Side Dishes for the Holidays. She made Southern Cornbread Dressing, Broccoli Casserole, Sweet Potatoes with Brown Sugared Pecans, and Peanut Butter Pie. It was a little bit of (Southern) heaven on earth, and a delish preview to what we are having next week for the best holiday of the year, Thanksgiving!
We always have this dressing along with our regular Apple and Sausage Stuffing. I love the combination of flavors and the texture of this dressing, vs the traditional bread stuffing. The fresh herbs and white cornbread in this stuffing really set it apart from most recipes.
Y'all are gonna love it !

Sheri's Southern Cornbread Dressing
print recipe

 For the Cornbread:
3 cups white cornmeal
4 tablespoons baking powder
2 teaspoons salt
1 cup flour
2 tablespoons sugar
3 cups buttermilk
3 large eggs
½ cup butter, melted

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Stir  together white cornmeal, baking powder, salt, flour, and sugar in a large bowl.
Whisk in buttermilk, eggs, lightly beaten; and melted butter.
Pour batter into a lightly greased 9x13 inch pan.
Bake 30 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven, cool completely; then crumble the cornbread.

For the Dressing:
·       1 cup butter
·       3 cups diced celery
·       2 cups diced sweet onions (Vidalia, Walla Walla, etc.)
·       2 cups  skinned, chopped apple
½ 1/2 cup finely chopped fresh sage
·       1 package fresh poultry herb blend* (found in the produce section)
     cornbread crumbles
·       3 cups dried breadcrumbs
·       8 large eggs, lightly beaten
·       6 ½ cups chicken broth
·       1 can cream of chicken soup
·       ½ cup orange juice
·       1 tablespoon freshly ground pepper
·       2 teaspoons salt

Preheat oven to 400º. Melt butter into large skillet over medium-high heat; add celery, onions, and apples, and saute 5 to 6 minutes or until onions are tender. Stir in sage and fresh poultry seasonings and saute 1 minute.
Stir together cornbread crumbles and breadcrumbs in a large bowl. Stir in eggs, rest of ingredients, and celery mixture, stirring until blended. Divide cornbread mixture between 1 lightly greased 13×9 inch baking dish and 1 lightly greased 8 inch square baking dish.
Bake  45 to 55 minutes or until set and golden brown.

Tips:
-Make ahead: This recipe can be made ahead and frozen until ready to use. Bake the dressing for about 35-40 minutes or just until set and remove from oven, let cool, wrap and freeze. When ready to use, let thaw and bake for about 10-15 minutes until heated through. 
-* A Poultry Herb Blend is a packet of fresh herbs, found in the produce section of the grocery store usually containing sage, thyme and rosemary. 

9/7/11

Smoked Gouda Mac and Cheese with Sun Dried Tomatoes and Spinach



A few weeks ago, I received an email asking if I wanted to join a group of bloggers (about 50) to post mac and cheese recipes they find on the Internet. Same day, same time, random recipes. The only rule: the recipe had to be found on a blog.

Remember when I told you there were approx 40 THOUSAND food blogs out there?  I think almost every single one of those blogs has a mac and cheese post. How to find a special recipe? One worthy of a mac and cheese challenge? I turned to my cheese drawer, and my good friend Google. In the fridge,  I found some Baby Gouda (still in the wax) that Brookie brought me back from Henri Willig while in Amsterdam.  Also, some white cheddar,  yellow cheddar, and about 7 other types of cheese. Cause you never want to be without at least 10 varieties of cheese in your fridge, right? Just in case. Anyway.  I had eaten some of this special Gouda months ago, but was saving this round for a special occasion. Btw, if you are thinking whaaa? Didn't Brooke go to Europe last year? Answer, yes. But hard, low moisture cheese wrapped in wax stays good indefinitely, so no worries.  I googled Gouda Mac and Cheese and came up with a great little recipe from A Cozy Kitchen .
Result: move over children, this mac and cheese is for grownups.




Smoked Gouda Mac and Cheese with Sun Dried Tomatoes and Spinach
adapted from Chase Livengood, a Cozy Kitchen
print recipe


1 lb package short pasta (penne, elbow macaroni, etc) I used large macaroni
4 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons all-purpose flour, sifted
5 cups milk
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
8-oz block sharp or regular white cheddar cheese, grated and divided (about 2 cups)
8-oz block smoked Gouda cheese, grated and divided (about 2 cups)
4-oz  medium cheddar cheese, grated and divided ( about 1 cup)
4 oz  regular Gouda cheese, grated and divided (about 1 cup)
2 cups fresh spinach, washed
1/2 cup sun dried tomatoes, drained


Cook the pasta about 7-8 minutes in boiling salted water, remove when pasta is al dente.  Set aside.

Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium-low heat; whisk in flour until smooth. Continue whisking and cook for 2 minutes. Gradually whisk in milk. Whisking constantly, cook for 5 minutes or until thickened. Reduce heat to low and stir in salt, black pepper and most of the cheese, reserving about two cups of cheese. Stir in the fresh spinach and sun dried tomatoes. Remove from heat.

Pour the pasta in a lightly greased 9 x 13 baking dish. Spoon the cheese sauce over the pasta. 
Using a large spoon, evenly distribute the sauce without stirring. 
Sprinkle the top with the remaining cup of assorted cheeses.

Bake at 400° for 20 minutes or until bubbly. Remove from oven, let sit for about 5-10 minutes before serving.



Tips:

- This recipe is easy to half. I halved this recipe, and baked it in a 8 inch casserole. Perfect!
-You may use any combo of cheeses in this recipe, I would not suggest using more than 2 cups of smoked Gouda, the flavor is very distinct, and 2 cups of smoked Gouda goes a long way :)

linked to:






Photobucket



11/21/10

Giving Thanks Menu



Instead of posting another recipe, I'm going to give you a roundup of some of my Thanksgiving fave's from ABK .
And tell you this. If you've been with me for a while you know this is my all time favorite holiday. This year, double bonus. It's my bd and my fave holiday. All on one day. People ask, do you cook on Thanksgiving when it falls on your birthday?? YES. And I love it. Food, family, friends. A pause from everyday rush-rush to eat and give thanks.
I'm thankful for: (the short list)
My family. I am blessed to be a daughter, wife, mom, sister and aunt. Know what I aspired to be when I was young? A mother. I know it sounds trite, but I love being a mom and wife.
Grant. 28 years and counting. We are truly blessed.
My friends. I have been blessed with the best girlfriends. Ever.
Good Health.
Freedom. The opportunity to live in the land of the free and home of the brave. So thankful to Service men and women who are giving up being with their own families to protect mine.
Happy Thanksgiving.
love,
Si

Click on the text for link to the blog post/recipe.


Perfect appetizer for the big day...



You want simple? This is it.


























Happy Cooking!