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Broccoli and cheese recipe goes a-rye

Welp, I finally did it. It only took a month. I was finally too ambitious for my small skillet.

It was, admittedly, sketchy to begin with. Even though the recipe called for a 9-inch dish, it did specify that it should be square and deep, so I was already cutting it close.

But I figured I’d give this broccoli and cheese casserole with toasted rye a shot anyway, because it sounded so good, and everything else had worked so far, right?

Broccoli and cheese casserole with rye ingredients.

Well, it turned out that making the cheese sauce nearly filled my skillet to the brim. That made it pretty hard to fit in lots of broccoli, let alone top it with anything.

I nearly decided to scrap it as a blog post entirely since it went so far off the rails. But as I thought about it, I realized it all actually worked out and showed the importance of adapting in cooking.

Sure the recipe said some things, but as I read the signs of what was happening my braiser, I knew I needed to change. And so often when I actually fail at making something it’s because I ignore the signs. Something isn’t working early on but I press on anyway.

This time, I saw how much cheese sauce I had and not only was it too much for my braiser, but it was also too much for the amount of broccoli I had. So, thankfully, I had and added a head (the recipe called for 3, and I had 4). I also saw that the slices of bread weren’t enough, so I doubled that as well.

I didn’t even attempt to fit it in my skillet; I just found a casserole dish that was more than large enough.

And, honestly, it ended up working out well. I had to adapt, sure, and it was frustrating at times to realize my recipe wasn’t working as expected, but I’m infinitely happier for recognizing where things were going a-rye (sorry, I had to), and making changes.

Braiser in the back, casserole in the front.

So, here’s what I did, using my little skillet for the sauce only:

Ingredients

  • 4 large broccoli heads, roughly chopped, stems discarded
  • 1 ½ stick (12 T.) butter, divided
  • 1 small onion, finely chopped
  • ⅔ c. all-purpose flour
  • 1 (12 oz.) can/bottle of beer
  • 1 c. half and half
  • 12 oz. sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
  • 1 t. Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 t. dry mustard
  • ~4 slices rye bread, torn or cut into about ½ in. pieces
  • Salt and pepper, to taste
  • Cooking spray

Directions

Heat oven to 425 degrees.

Lightly coat an 8-inch by 11-inch casserole or larger with the cooking spray.

Meanwhile, add water to a large pot and bring to a boil on the stove, with enough water to cover the broccoli pieces. Add some salt, and then cook the broccoli until just tender, about 3 to 5 minutes. Drain and then let stand in ice water for about 5 minutes or until the sauce is prepared.

Meanwhile, melt 1 stick (8 T.) in a skillet or braiser on the stove top over medium heat. Add the onion, and cook until softened, about 8 minutes. Whisk in flour gradually and stir until incorporated and lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Whisk in beer and half and half. Cook until sauce thickens and begins to bubble, about 3 minutes. Add the cheese, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, and salt and pepper, and stir until smooth, adding cheese in batches as appropriate. Remove sauce from heat.

Meanwhile, melt the remaining half stick (4 T.) butter in a medium bowl, and add the rye slices, mixing until butter coats the bread.

To bring it all together, add the broccoli to the prepared casserole dish, pour on the cheese sauce, and then finally add the coated bread slices on top. Bake the mixture, uncovered, until the bread is golden brown and the cheese is bubbly, about 15 to 20 minutes, and enjoy!

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Have your pudding, and eat your meat too

This recipe was recommended to me, and as soon as I saw it, I had to move it to the top of the queue. And not just because I was too lazy to come up with anything else on my own.

Mostly, the breakfast Yorkshire pudding recipe won me over with bacon, a limited ingredient list, and, of course, a specific skillet size. Like last week, it did say 10 inches, but I was hoping that 9 inches would work Spoiler: It was fine.

Yorkshire pudding with eggs ingredients.

Aside from the skillet size, I pretty much obediently followed the recipe from Serious Eats. Since I was using a slightly smaller dish, I did start checking the oven a little sooner, but unlike last week, the change in size didn’t seem to affect the cooking time.

Overall, I frickin’ loved this recipe.

I am glad I read it the night before I planned to make the Yorkshire pudding, because the batter should be made the night before (and up to three nights before). It was really quick, so it wasn’t a problem, but it would have been had I checked it Saturday morning.

My only two notes for the next time (or, more importantly, for readers):

  • The recipe recommends cooking the bacon for about 8 minutes before adding the batter. It didn’t look quite done so I did it for a minute or two longer … but I didn’t realize that much of the bacon would continue to cook slightly in the oven, so it was quite well done and this is coming from someone who likes her bacon extra crunchy. Next time, let it cook for 8 minutes (or until mostly done) and call it good enough.
  • Honestly, and this is just a taste thing for me, I would skip making the fried eggs to serve on top, and instead use the optional Hollandaise sauce that I skipped. I enjoy a fried egg just fine, but it’s nothing special to me (unless served on top of fried potatoes with hot sauce), and I also frickin’ love Hollandaise. I should have included it, but it was optional and I was lazy. But for my tastes, I’d rather enjoy this bread-y treat with an eggy sauce than with just eggs.

The only other thing I know for next time is that there will be a next time.

Eggy pudding with 2 eggs. So good, but so lacking in Hollandaise.

Here’s what I did:

Ingredients 

  • 3 large eggs (plus 4 more for serving, if desired)
  • ~¾ c. flour
  • ~½ c. plus 1 T. whole milk
  • ~1 ½ T. water
  • ½ t. salt
  • 8 oz. bacon, diced (I used kitchen shears)
  • 2 oz. grated Parmesan (optional, but not for me)
  • Hollandaise sauce (optional, but not for me in the future)

Directions

Combine (3) eggs, flour, milk, water, and a half teaspoon of salt in a medium bowl, and whisk until a smooth batter is formed. Refrigerate overnight (and up to three days). Remove from refrigerator during preparation.

Heat oven to 450 degrees.

Meanwhile, heat the 9- to 10-inch skillet on the stovetop. Once warmed, add the diced bacon. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until crisp and mostly browned, about 8 minutes (don’t overcook; it will continue to cook a bit in the oven).

Pour prepared batter into the skillet once bacon is ready and immediately transfer to oven.

Bake until the batter is puffed, and deep brown and crispy, about 20 to 25 minutes (I started checking at 15 minutes for my 9-inch braiser; it was fine but best to err on the side of caution and check earlier if using 9-inch skillet).

About 5 minutes before pudding is ready, sprinkle on the Parmesan (if using). At about the same time, begin to prepare the (4) fried eggs to your liking (if using) and/or the Hollandaise sauce (if using). Enjoy!

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Bless you, bing bread

As I scoured for recipes that may work in my little Le Creuset, I was so grateful to come across the first one that I noticed that specified an exact size for a skillet. Now, sure, it said 10 inches, but 9 inches is close enough for comfort.

So, I tried my hand at bing bread.

Bing bread ingredients.

In addition to its specified size, it is bread (good) stuffed with potatoes (good), scallions (good), bacon (amazing), and cheese (amazing), and then slightly fried and also baked. It was also supposed to incorporate sesame oil, which I love, but I forgot to put it in the rolled-up dough, and stupidly thought it’d be OK to add it with the frying oil. Don’t do that. It didn’t ruin it, but it didn’t help any either.

If I make it again, and I will make it again, I will be remembering to brush the dough with sesame oil and skimping on the frying oil. Also, I need to remember that a smaller pan is going to reduce cooking time.

Since this makes two bread rounds, I was lazy and made one in my Le Creuset and the other in the 10-inch Lodge skillet, and (I am loathe to admit) the larger pan definitely worked better. However, I think it’s mainly because I failed to account for the fact that smaller pans could cook faster.

While the fried side of both definitely looked a bit charred, they both ended up tasting just fine. I think the extra oil mostly made the edges a little chewier, but it didn’t taste burnt at all. Proof that presentation isn’t everything, especially when you have bacon and can top it with sour cream butter.

Deliciously decadent. And not too burnt.

Here’s what I did, following the thankfully specific Bon Appetit recipe:

Ingredients

  • 2 ¼ t. active dry yeast (1 package)
  • 2 T. plus 2 t. honey, divided
  • 2 ½ t. salt, divided
  • 2 c. plus 2 T. warm water, divided
  • 4 c. all-purpose flour, plus more for coating
  • 1 large potato, baked and diced
  • 3 T. vegetable oil, divided
  • 1 lb. bacon, cooked (I baked mine on a grate) and diced
  • 2 T. toasted sesame oil, divided (sort of optional since I mostly forgot, but it is delicious)
  • 8 oz. white cheddar, grated (about 2 c.)
  • 1 bunch scallions, thinly sliced
  • 1 T. soy sauce
  • 2 T. sesame seeds, divided

For sour cream butter (not strictly necessary but recommended)

  • 1 stick butter, room temperature
  • 2 T. sour cream
  • Scant 1 t. salt

Directions

Combine the yeast with the 2 T. honey, 2 t. salt, and 2 c. warm water in a large bowl, and whisk to dissolve the honey. Let sit until the yeast activates and becomes foamy, 5 to 10 minutes. Add 3 c. of water and mix with a wooden spoon until a dough begins to form, adding flour (up to about another cup) until a shaggy ball begins to form. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 50 to 70 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare the bacon and potatoes if you haven’t already (I did mine early and just chopped while I waited). Also, while waiting, whisk together the soy sauce, 2 t. honey, and 2 T. water in a small bowl until the honey is dissolved.

Heat oven to 400 degrees.

Once dough has doubled in size, gently push it down and transfer to a floured surface, kneading and adding flour as necessary until a sticky, smooth dough is formed. Divide the dough in half, and cover one half in plastic wrap so it doesn’t dry out while you prepare the first.

Roll out the half of a dough into about a 13-inch round that’s about ¼ inch thick. Brush with 1 T. sesame oil (don’t forget!), and then sprinkle on the round half the potato, bacon, cheese, and scallions. Roll dough up like a jelly roll, and then pinch ends and seams together to seal. Then, squeeze and press from the center toward the ends to elongate the roll slightly and even out the thickness. Then, starting from one end, coil like a rope to form a large spiral. Flatten the spiral to form a 9-inch round.

Cover the round and repeat with the remaining dough, using up the rest of the sesame oil, potato, bacon, cheese, and scallion.

Heat a 9- to 10-inch cast iron skillet over medium heat. Add 1 T. vegetable oil, swirling to coat. Carefully place one spiral in the hot skillet, and brush with the soy glaze. Cover with lid (or aluminum foil) and cook until the underside is golden brown between 5 and 10 minutes. Uncover and carefully flip bread over. Brush the browned top with soy glaze and sprinkle with 1 T. sesame seeds. Transfer to oven and cook, uncovered, until underside is also golden brown, about 15 minutes. Remove to wire rack and let cool 15 minutes.

Repeat with second round (or use 2 9- to 10-inch skillets), and don’t forget the glaze and seeds. Once cooled, cut into wedges and serve with sour cream butter, which can be made ahead, and enjoy! To make butter, whisk 1 stick room temperature butter, 2 T. sour cream, and scant 1 t. salt.

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Mustard mashup with smashed potatoes

Week two brings another test of what my little Le Creuset can hold.

And once again, I turned to Jamie Oliver’s wonderful “5 Ingredients” cookbook. So, I know, I know, I keep going on about it, but this week especially demonstrates how versatile and useful it is. Because, scandal, I used way more than 5 ingredients in this list. In fact, I mashed up two recipes, and then still added more. I’m calling it a mustard chicken mashup.

Mustard chicken mashup ingredients.

In doing so, I also tested the limits of the 9-inch braiser.

Tl; dr, I might have gone a tad overboard, but it all still worked out.

If you have a 10-inch skillet, this will be fine; if you are using a 9-incher, perhaps do scant amounts or stir very carefully.

As its name suggests, this recipe has some mustard and chicken. It also has some veggies, some cream, and Worcestershire. I stole the carrots and Worcestershire sauce from a 5-ingredient beef recipe that also called for mustard, but the chicken recipe sounded easier, and creamier.

And aside from some careful stirring, it all worked out really well. My only regret, actually, is that the stone ground mustard was rather mild and I had hoped for it to be stronger. If you love mustard like we do, I recommend getting a stronger mustard or mixing stone ground and Dijon mustards. I liked the way the stone ground looked mixed with heavy cream, but I wanted more of a kick.

Other than that, it was a perfectly wonderful and quick two- to three-serving dinner, especially when served with the smashed potatoes my sweetie made in our new Instant Pot. I also thought about serving it with rice, but potatoes were perfect; plus, then I get to have a mashup and smashed potatoes.

Easy as pie, but tastes like creamy mustard. Noms.

Here’s what I did:

Ingredients

  • 1 lb. chicken, sliced into thin strips
  • 1 carrot, thinly chopped
  • 1 onion, thinly sliced
  • 6 oz. Brussels sprouts
  • ⅔ c. heavy cream
  • ½ c. water
  • 1 T. Worcestershire sauce
  • 2 T. stone ground mustard (or to taste)
  • Pepper, to taste
  • Olive oil

Directions

Add some oil to your Le Creuset (or 9- to 10-inch skillet), and stir in the carrot, onion, and Brussels sprouts. Cook over medium heat about 3 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, to slightly soften. Add the chicken slices, and cook another 3 to 5 minutes until the chicken is mostly cooked through.

Then, add the mustard, cream, water, and Worcestershire. Add pepper to taste.

Bring to a boil, and then simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the liquid thickens slightly into a sauce and the chicken is cooked through.

Season with additional pepper or mustard as desired. Serve with smashed potatoes or rice, or on its own, and enjoy!

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Testing one, two, beans

My mom got me a great gift for Christmas a couple years ago. All this silly chef could ask for, really. A Le Creuset. With a beautiful lilac finish. That I just love.

The problem? There isn’t one at all. Except that for years and years I’ve been thinking too big, most recently with sheet pans and Dutch ovens, and my little pseudo-skillet hasn’t gotten nearly as much love as it deserves. So, this year, I’m thinking small.

While I’ll be using my specialty equipment (sold as a braiser, apparently), the recipes I’ll be making this year will work in a 9- or 10-inch skillet, though a lid (or some aluminum foil) will be useful this week, and likely throughout the year.

I’ve done some minor research on recipes to ensure that I’ll have plenty to work with, but it’s not super easy to find recipes that say the exact size of the pan, pot, or otherwise that should be used for each recipe.

My vague memory is that pies were a rare exception among the hundreds of recipes I’ve looked at since recording my foodie adventures that specify the size of the equipment I should be using. So aside from thinking small, the challenge this year will be kind of a more literal version of “if it fits, I cooks.”

Mexican breakfast ingredients that fits so I cooks.

Mercifully, as I was thinking small, I remembered that one of my favorite cookbooks (another Christmas gift, this one from my brother) has recipes that uses just 5 ingredients. Now, this doesn’t have to mean small, but there are options. And even better, the author Jamie Oliver does occasionally list the size skillet. None were my 22 cm small, but several were close enough. I hoped.

With my fingers crossed, I tried my first recipe and prayed that a can of beans plus 4 other ingredients would fit. If it didn’t, I may have been reassessing my choice. I breathed a heavy, happy sigh of relief when my first test of Mexican breakfast was a success. I still overcooked the eggs.

I’m still working out some kinks in becoming an expert but I hope you, dear readers, will be patient and stick with me through the ride. Welcome to small skillet 2020!

Perfect Saturday breakfast for two, and maybe kinda healthy too.

Here’s what I did:

Ingredients 

  • 1 can (14 oz.) black beans
  • 4 eggs
  • ½ jalapeno, diced, divided
  • 1 avocado, peeled and sliced
  • Juice from 1 lime
  • Olive oil

Directions

Add the olive oil to your small (9- to 10-inch) skillet over medium heat. Add about half the diced peppers. Once they start to sizzle, crack in the eggs, and then immediately spoon in the black beans, including about half the juice from the tin. Cover and simmer the eggs to your liking, probably around 4 to 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare the avocado slices by squeezing on some lime juice.

Once the eggs are ready, remove from heat, top the mixture with the avocado around the pan, and then add the remaining peppers, and enjoy!

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Just ducky end to Dutch oven year

With my final Dutch oven post, there could be really only one option. A recipe perfect for the season, for doing something special while also simple, and for something a little different.

I’ve wanted to make this duck rice recipe ever since returning from Portugal. There were, however, a couple of hangups. Mostly, that duck isn’t super easy to find in the US.

Duck rice ingredients.

The delay also helped me get a preferred recipe from one of our guides and also recoup from the trip, which in hindsight took a lot longer than expected.

Duck rice, I don’t think, was supposed to be one of our best meals, just given its simplicity but it thrilled our family. Only the seafood outshined it. It is, as its name suggests, duck in rice. It also has some Spanish chorizo, ham, port, a couple veggies, but really it’s very much rice and duck forward.

The duck I ordered from D’artagnan. If you really can’t find it or don’t want to spend the money, I think chicken thighs would do in a pinch. (Don’t tell the traditional version I said so!)

Everything turned out dandy and the work wasn’t too bad. My only regret is that I dared to make it a one-pot meal. I think the first two steps work well in one pot but to get the required crispy crunch on the edges, it needs a new and newly coated casserole dish. If you’ve got two Dutch ovens, that’s just ducky. For everyone else, I’d revise this one to cook the duck and rice separately in the Dutch oven and bring it all together in a duck fat or butter coated 9 x 13 casserole dish.

Deee-licious duck rice.

Here’s what I did, following a translated recipe as best I could:

Ingredients 

For meats and broth

  • 4 duck breasts (or ½ duck cut into pieces, or 6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs)
  • 1 large onion, chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 carrot, chopped
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 12 oz. Spanish chorizo, sliced
  • 1 ham steak (about 100 g), cubed
  • ½ c. port wine
  • Pepper, to taste

For rice

  • 2 c. dry rice
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 4 c. duck broth (from the cooking above, with some additional water or broth, as needed)
  • Duck fat, to taste (or butter)
  • Salt, to taste

Directions

For meats and broth

In a large Dutch oven, add the duck meat, chorizo, and ham. Add carrots, onions, garlic, and bay leaf. Over medium heat, slightly brown the duck. Add the port, and water to cover the meats (I added about 2 c. total and then used homemade broth for the rest in the rice, but if you prefer, add about 3 ½ c. to get the amount you need for broth for the rice.). Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer the meats in liquids, covered, for about 45 minutes until the duck is cooked through.

Once the meat is finished, remove the Dutch oven from heat, and then use tongs or a slotted spoon to remove the duck, chorizo, and ham (along with any vegetables). Reserve the broth in a separate bowl or large measuring cup.

Once the duck is cool enough to handle, shred it or cut it into cubes, removing any fat or skin as appropriate.

For the rice

In the same Dutch oven, or separately, heat the duck fat over medium heat. Add the onion and saute for about 5 minutes. Add the rice in and fry slightly. Add in the broth, seasoning with salt, and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat, and cover. Cook to package instructions, or between 15 to 20 minutes, until the rice is cooked through.

To finish

Heat oven to 425 degrees.

Once rice is finished, you can stir the meats back into the rice, cover the Dutch oven, and bake the mixture for about 20 minutes uncovered to let the flavors combine.

Or, for more crunch, (but dirtying another dish), you can (and dare I say, should) coat a large casserole dish or second Dutch oven in additional duck fat and then pour in about half the rice, mix in the duck, top with the remaining rice, and then top with chorizo and ham pieces, before baking for about 20 to 25 minutes uncovered.

Either way, I do hope you enjoy this treat, and have a Happy New Year! I’ll be back in 2020 with something completely different.

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Chicken soup for the solstice

As we wind down the year, I have to admit 2019 has not been the best. There have been some highs for sure but, man, the daily slog of life has taken its toll this year.

But as we approach the shortest day of the year, and then the day after when the sun shines a little more each day, I’m reminded to be grateful for all the little things that add up to big stuff.

This week that meant taking a mental break from the news. My podcasts were mostly pop culture and holiday themed. My television viewing mostly consisted of Rifftrax and MST3K. The little bit of news that did seep through included the fact that we finally impeached the motherfucker.

One other thing that helped keep my mind off of it all was the days-long process to make the most epic of comfort foods, chicken noodle soup.

Chicken noodle soup ingredients.

Don’t let the “days-long” scare you. The first day was making a broth, which was about 5 minutes of effort and an hour of down time, and can be done in advance (I often make it and freeze for future use). The second day was baking a whole chicken, which was about 10 minutes of effort (including deglazing) and 1 ½ hours of down time, which can also be done in advance.

The last day was a little more labor intensive (I watched most of the Grumpy Cat Christmas movie while I cooked), but that included some cleaning, my required blogging pictures, and some dawdling. Still, picking apart a whole chicken takes time and so does chopping the extra vegetables that make my ideal chicken noodle soup.

The recipe is based off of a very fancy Saveur recipe that I’ve made before but I added some things to make it fit my ideal of the dish. Including the fact that it is mostly a chicken noodle stew by the time I’m finished. I still kept their parts, just also added some of my own.

There’s a little bit of broth poking through. Right?

Here’s what I did:

Ingredients

  • 1 whole chicken, about 3-4 lbs.
  • 2 T. olive oil, plus more for sauteing
  • Salt and pepper, to taste
  • 12 c. chicken stock, divided
  • 1 large onion, chopped
  • 3 stalks celery, chopped
  • 2 carrots, chopped
  • 3 c. frozen corn kernels
  • 1 t. crushed saffron threads
  • 12 oz. egg noodles (I had a 14 oz. package and threw in the whole thing plus an additional cup of broth)
  • Crusty bread, for serving (optional)

Directions

Heat oven to 400 degrees. In a 9 x 13 inch dish (a Dutch oven would probably work, but a casserole dish is what I used), rub the chicken with the olive oil and then season well with salt and pepper. Bake the chicken until golden brown and tender, about 1 hour and 15 minutes. Carefully transfer the chicken to a cutting board and reserve the oil, etc, in the baking dish.

Once dish is slightly cooled, pour 2 c. of the stock into the baking dish and scrape with a wooden spoon to deglaze the bottom. (I waited until both broth and dish were pretty cool, and still had no problems, and then poured it into a separate container than the rest of the broth before bringing the whole dish together the next day.)

Once chicken is cool enough to handle or the next day, pick meat from the chicken and tear or chop into bite-sized pieces. You can discard the skin and bones, or freeze them, like I do, for a future chicken stock.

When ready to complete the soup, saute the onions, celery, and carrots in a little bit of oil for about 5 minutes in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Then, pour in the remaining 10 cups of stock and add in the 2 c. from the deglaze (which will look like gravy if you’ve refrigerated it overnight, like I did) as well as the chicken pieces. Add the corn and saffron to the broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to maintain a simmer and continue to cook, uncovered, for about 15 minutes until the stock is slightly reduced.

Add the egg noodles and cook for an additional 10 to 12 minutes, until cooked through. Season the soup with more salt and pepper, if desired. Enjoy, and happy holidays, dear readers!

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She’s got to have gumbo

With this post, I have only two more weeks with the Dutch oven, and I’ve had those last two recipes planned for a little while now.

The only question was what to do for my third to last post of the year. And as I searched through my list, and knowing that I had a recent shipment of Cajun meats, there really could only be one answer: Gumbo.

Gumbo ingredients.

Ever since I first tried this stew/soup, this Midwestern gal has loved every bit of it. The meat, the vegetables, the fat, the roux, the way the flavors combine, and the way it all comes together in a beautiful presentation.

I’ve made it several different ways over the years, one time cheekily making it vegetarian by using fake chicken meat and sausage. My typical method, though, involves actual chicken and andouille sausage.

But this time I’d ordered some tasso ham (and, of course, some andouille sausage) from my favorite D’artagnan along with some other meat I need for my last Dutch oven meal of the year. And I happened to have about a pound of shrimp in my freezer. I’d never made it with seafood or ham but gumbo is nothing if not adaptable.

Readers, I think it was my finest attempt yet. Of course, I probably say that every time (OK, the vegetarian one was not the best). It’s just amazing.

It doesn’t look delicious, but trust me, this is some of the best tasting food in the world. And I have leftovers.

Here’s what I did:

Ingredients

  • ½ c. oil/fat (lard or butter are my preferences)
  • ½ c. flour
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 1 ½ bell pepper, chopped
  • 2-3 stalks celery, chopped
  • 10 oz. okra, chopped
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 quarts chicken stock (preferably homemade, and most stocks would work … maybe not beef)
  • ½ T. paprika (I like a combo of smoked and hot)
  • Cayenne pepper, to taste
  • 2 t. garlic powder
  • 2 t. oregano
  • 1 t. celery seeds (optional)
  • 1 t. dried thyme
  • Salt and pepper, to taste
  • 1 lb. peeled and deveined shrimp
  • 1 lb. andouille sausage, sliced
  • ~1 lb. tasso ham, chopped (or other ham)
  • 1 bunch scallions, sliced, for serving
  • Chopped parsley, to taste, for serving
  • Cooked white rice, for about 6 servings

Note: The spices can be substituted with creole seasoning if preferred.

Directions

Brown the sausage and ham in your Dutch oven. Then remove the meat but keep as much schmutz as possible.

Add the oil/butter/lard to the Dutch oven and melt or warm (I’m partial to a mix of bacon fat and butter). Slowly add the flour and whisk to form a roux.

Cook the mixture until it’s somewhere between golden brown to coffee brown, depending on desired thickness and flavor profile. (This link provides a good explainer on how to make a roux and the pros and cons of cooking shorter or longer.)

Add the bell pepper, onion, and celery, and cook for about 5 minutes until slightly softened, stirring often. Add the garlic and cook for another minute, continuing to stir.

Add the okra, herbs, spices, salt and pepper, and then slowly add the stock, stirring frequently. Add back in the sausage and ham. Bring to a boil, then cover, and simmer for about an hour.

Prepare the rice while the soup cooks. Just before serving, add the shrimp, and cook for about another 5 minutes. Meanwhile, slice the scallions and chop the parsley. Spoon rice into a bowl and then ladle on the soup. Top with scallions and parsley and enjoy!

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Lose the canned soup, keep the potato chips

A week later and I’m still stuffed from a long Thanksgiving weekend with my family.

Mom made all of my must-haves, and added a wonderful appetizer spread a little before dinnertime. Throughout the weekend, Mom also offered leftover potato dumplings (a family favorite) and we ate take-out when we were tired of leftovers.

It’s enough that I’m not sure how I’ve continued to eat so much after getting home.

And yet, there’s blogs to write.

I was trying to find something simple and also different from traditional Thanksgiving fare for this week’s recipe, and also something different. Instead, as I was talking about my next recipe with Mom and Grandma, I came up with something that met the first two requirements but was one of my favorites. After talking about it, though, I had a hankering.

Tuna noodle casserole ingredients.

I first made this Epicurious tuna noodle casserole during my year of casseroles, and loved it so much I’ve been making it–even without writing about it–for years now. It tastes a lot like the classic casserole (with potato chips on top!!), but instead of canned cream-of-something soup, there’s a wonderful homemade leek sauce that makes it even better.

While I more or less followed my previous recipe, which altered the original slightly, it was interesting to see how it turned out in a Dutch oven versus a casserole dish.

The original recipe calls for mixing the sauce on top of noodles, and it calls for buttering a separate casserole dish after the mixture is prepared, but that sounded like a lot of dishes when the Dutch oven could do it all. (Full disclosure: In the interest of saving time, I did cook the noodles in a separate pot while I prepared the sauce, but they can be made in the same Dutch oven or prepared in it in advance.)

I wasn’t sure if not being able to butter a separate dish would make the casserole stick, so I upped the butter (even though I’m sure there’s more than enough fat). Some of the edges did end up sticking a bit but I liked the browning that the Dutch oven gave to the casserole. So, all in all, I’d say the Dutch oven works great, and tuna noodle casserole is even more amazing now that I know it tastes great and is adaptable.

Mmmm. Potato chips.

Here’s what I did:

Ingredients 

  • 6 T. butter
  • 2-3 leeks, sliced
  • 1 t. celery seeds
  • ¼ c. all-purpose flour
  • 2 c. whole milk
  • ½ c. half and half
  • 1 t. lemon juice
  • 12 oz. egg noodles
  • 1 c. Gruyere cheese, grated
  • 2 T. fresh dill, chopped (I used more, but adjust for your love of dill)
  • 2 cans (5 to 6 oz.) tuna, drained, broken into chunks
  • 2 c. potato chips, coarsely crushed (my sweetie and I prefer Ruffles)
  • Salt and pepper

Directions

Cook the egg noodles according to package instructions. This can be done in the Dutch oven, separately, or in advance. Once ready, drain the noodles BUT reserve about ¾ c. of the cooking liquid.

Heat the oven to 375 degrees.

Meanwhile, on the stove top, melt the butter in the Dutch oven, and then add the leeks and celery seeds, seasoning with salt if desired. Cover the Dutch oven and saute the leeks until tender, about 8 minutes, stirring often.

Gradually add the flour, and stir for 1 minute.

Gradually add the milk and half and half. Simmer until the mixture thickens, stirring often, for about 5 minutes. Stir in lemon juice and season the sauce with salt and pepper to taste. Remove from heat and set aside.

Once the noodles are ready, add them to the leek sauce in the Dutch oven, and stir to combine. Add in the cheese and dill, and stir to combine. Add the reserved noodle liquid by tablespoons until the mixture is creamy (you likely won’t use it all, but it’s better to have more than less; I added about ¼ c. in total but add to your desired creaminess).

Finally, fold in the tuna.

Cover the Dutch oven and bake for about 20 minutes until heated through. Remove from oven, remove lid, and add the crushed potato chips on top of the casserole. Bake uncovered another 10 to 15 minutes until the chips are golden brown and the filling is bubbling. Let cool slightly and enjoy!

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Christinia’s Test Kitchen: Putting the scotch in butterscotch this Thanksgiving

As I’m starting to think about what vessel to use for next year’s cooking adventures, I realized that I haven’t always used my wonderful Dutch oven to its full potential. That is, I’ve often made the types of things you *expect* to be made in a Dutch oven but not those things that you don’t.

This week presented the perfect opportunity to remind myself that it can do just about anything.

Now, traditionally I make my pudding (or custard) in a tall, skinny saucepan, but honestly, there’s no reason that it can’t be made in Dutch oven. In fact, the wider surface area helped with getting the mixture to boil and bubble better and cause less trouble.

So, I gave it a shot with this fantastic sounding butterscotch pudding recipe in Food & Wine’s Thanksgiving edition.

Butterscotch pudding ingredients.

I mentioned last week, I’m a traditionalist when it comes to Thanksgiving, so my typically dessert consists of bourbon pecan pie and either pumpkin pie or some similar variation (basically, anything that calls for pumpkin spice–even though I mix my own–whether it’s a pumpkin souffle or sometimes a sweet potato pie). Sure, there’s no harm in extra dessert, but I wasn’t expecting I’d make this if it weren’t for the excuse presented by this year’s travel plans.

What I learned is, uh, the scotch you use matters, even if the vessel didn’t so much.

I am (now) a big scotch person, after my sweetie and I took our highlands honeymoon. So, when the recipe called for actual scotch (rum as a substitute, but it’s not called butter*rum* pudding), I looked at my vast collection of decent scotches, picked the cheapest (still a nice one), and one of the strongest, and then learned that scotch is pretty much the only flavoring agent so the peaty-ness stuck.

Of course, because I like that scotch (a Laphroaig), I still enjoyed it, but I was not expecting its exact flavor to permeate through all the cream, egg, and butter. It did. If you are a scotch nerd like me, this translates to recommending that you probably don’t use an Islay or islands whisky and instead stick to a safe Speyside. If you’re not a scotch nerd, just consider if you actually like that scotch (or rum) flavor and want to taste a lot of it.

It’s also mixed with a sour cream-based whipped cream and gingersnaps so there’s a lot of flavors to mix and the scotch did not overwhelm all the other flavors; still, it was present. We honestly did enjoy it quite a bit, even with its stronger flavor, but for those who don’t love scotch, be sure to pick one you *do* like, or I guess, go with rum.

Happy Thanksgiving from me to you, and enjoy!

Here’s what I did, sticking to the recipe (which thankfully I have the print version of, as the online version is missing a key ingredient. Side note: Employ and Pay copy editors!!):

Ingredients

For the pudding

  • 1 ½ c. heavy cream
  • 2 c. whole milk, divided
  • 1 c. packed brown sugar (it calls for dark, I believe we had light)
  • 1 ¼ t. salt
  • 4 large egg yolks
  • ¼ c. cornstarch
  • 2 T. dark rum or scotch (again, consider it is going to flavor the pudding so pick something you like)
  • 2 t. vanilla extract
  • 1 stick (½ c.) unsalted butter, cold and cut into pieces

For the whipped cream

  • 1 c. heavy cream
  • ½ c. sour cream (or creme fraiche, but sour cream is cheaper and easier to find)
  • 3 T. powdered sugar
  • ½ t. vanilla extract

For serving

  • 2 c. gingersnaps, crushed

Directions

For the pudding

In a large Dutch oven, stir together the heavy cream, 1 ½ c. milk, brown sugar, and salt in a Large Dutch oven. Bring mixture to a simmer over medium heat, whisking often to dissolve the sugar.

Meanwhile, in a large heat-proof bowl, mix together the egg yolks, cornstarch, scotch/rum, vanilla, and remaining ½ c. milk, and stir until combined. Once the mixture in the Dutch oven is at a simmer, add about half of the hot mixture to the egg yolk mixture, and whisk to combine, before scraping the entire mixture back into the Dutch oven.

Continue to cook the pudding mixture over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture becomes bubbly and thickens, about 2 to 3 minutes once bubbling starts.

Pour mixture into a clean heat-proof bowl, and gradually add the butter pieces, whisking or stirring to combine after each addition. Press wax paper or plastic wrap directly on the pudding mixture once all the butter is incorporated, and refrigerate for at least 6 hours and up to overnight (or up to 3 days).

Before serving, combine all the ingredients for the whipped cream (cream, sour cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla) in a bowl for a stand mixer with whisk attachment or in a medium bowl with a hand mixer and whisk on medium speed until soft peaks form, about 2 minutes. Then, crush the gingersnaps.

To serve, add about ½ c. pudding to a bowl or glass, top with about 3 T. crushed gingersnaps (I didn’t measure), about ⅓ c. whipped cream, and then sprinkle another small handful of gingersnaps on top. Repeat with remaining bowls or glasses, either all at once, or as serving, and enjoy with some scotch perhaps, or more importantly with the friends and/or family that make you thankful. Happy Thanksgiving, dear readers!