Ingredients

• ▢ 2 pounds frozen diced or frozen shredded potatoes,, thawed
• ▢ 3 cups cheddar cheese, grated
• ▢ 1 1/2 cups cream of chicken soup, or 1 (10-ounce) can, storebought
• ▢ 2 cups sour cream (or 1 cup sour cream and 8 oz. cream cheese, softened)
• ▢ 6 tablespoons butter, melted
• ▢ 1 bunch green onions, sliced
• ▢ 1 1/2 teaspoons salt

Topping

▢ 4 T melted butter

▢ 1 C Panko

Method

• Preheat the oven to 350º F. Lightly butter a 9×13 baking dish or spray with nonstick cooking spray.
• In a large icing bowl, stir together the thawed diced or shredded potatoes, cheddar cheese, cream of chicken soup, sour cream/cream cheese, and salt. In a microwave save bowl, mix the butter and onion and microwave for 1 minute or until the onion is soft. Add the onions and butter to the potato mixture and stir. Spread into the prepared baking dish.
• Bake until the potatoes are fork tender, about 30 minutes or until the Panko is golden brown.

Ingredients

2 Tablespoons butter
1 clove garlic minced
1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into cubes*
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1/2 tsp salt or to taste
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 cup sun dried tomato drained and chopped
3 cups baby spinach**
8 oz penne pasta uncooked***
1 jar Alfredo sauce 150z
2 cups boiling water or chicken broth
1 ½ cups mozzarella cheese
Basil or parsley for garnish optional

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°F.

In an oven proof dutch oven, melt butter then add chicken and cook for 7-8 minutes until done. Next, add the garlic, Italian seasonings, oregano, salt and pepper and cook for 1-2 minutes, until the spices are fragrant.
Next, add the remaining ingredients except for the mozzarella cheese and mix well. Cover the casserole and cook for 30 minutes.

Remove from oven and test the pasta to be sure it is done. Once the past is done to your taste, sprinkle mozzarella cheese on top and bake for another 5-10 minutes or until the cheese melts and gets bubbly.

Serve with a side salad. Serves 6.

* you can use any left over chicken. I generally precook the chicken so I have broth to use instead of boiling water. Gives the dish more flavor!
** a box or bag of frozen spinach works well. Before adding to the dish, thaw the spinach and squeeze it until it is dry. Instead of spinach, you can also use a container of mushrooms (fresh, sliced or a can of mushrooms). Or you can add both!
*** Any pasta will be fine here. I have used penne, rotini, cavatappi, and elbows.

Ingredients

For the potatoes:
3 cups cooked and mashed sweet potatoes*
1 cup white sugar
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs well beaten
1/2 cup butter melted

For the topping:1 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup chopped pecans
1/3 cup butter melted

Method
Preheat oven to 350.

Put the baked sweet potatoes into the bowl of a stand mixer and, using the paddle attachment, stir on low speed until the potatoes are mashed. (If you are using sweet potatoes, this step is a must so that you remove the stringy bits. If you use yams, there will be few to no strings.). Once the potatoes are smooth, add the sugar, salt and vanilla and stir for about a minute. Next, add the room temperature eggs and melted butter to the bowl and stir slowly until the ingredients are combined. Once the mixture is thoroughly combined, beat for about 3-4 minutes to increase the fluffiness of the sweet potato mixture. Tip the mixture into a 2 to 3 quart backing dish, depending on how thin or thick you want it.

Using the same mixing bowl, add the sugar, chopped nuts, and flour. Place the bowl back onto the stand mixer and stir these ingredients until they are combined. Add the melted butter while the mixer is on low speed. Continue stirring slowly until the mixture is crumbly but not overly mixed.

Spoon the crumble topping onto the potatoes being sure to cover the potatoes to the rim of the baking dish.

Cook at 350 for 30-35 minutes.

* The taste of the potatoes improves significantly if you bake the a day or two ahead of time. The natural sugars in the potatoes will caramelize and thicken some if the potatoes are cooked and cooled. You may use yams or sweet potatoes, tho I prefer sweet potatoes for this recipe.

Note: you can prepare the potato mixture ahead of time and refrigerate it until you’re ready to use it. You can also prepare the entire casserole ahead of time and keep it refrigerated until you are ready to bake it. If you put the cool or cold casserole into the oven, it will take around 45 minutes to cook so that the potatoes are thoroughly hot.

Ingredients

Cornbread

▢ 1 cup plain cornmeal
▢ 1/2 cup plain flour
▢ 1 tsp backing powder
▢ 1/4 tsp baking soda
▢ 1/2 tsp salt
▢ 3/4 cup buttermilk
▢ 2 eggs
▢ 2 tablespoons Vegetable oil

Cornbread Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Make the cornbread first, preferably a day or two in advance. To make the cornbread, mix cornmeal, flour, backing powder, soda and salt in a bowl and mix well. Add the eggs and milk and stir until a soft batter forms. Add the oil and stir gently to avoid interrupting the leavening. Pour into a lightly greased 9-inch cast iron pan or a 9-inch baking pan. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown. Turn the cornbread out immediately onto a cooling rack so the top of the bread doesn’t become soggy.

Dressing

▢ 8 tablespoons butter (1 stick)
▢ 3 medium onion, chopped
▢ 4 stalks celery, chopped
▢ 1 1/2 teaspoons dried sage
▢ 1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
▢ 3/4 teaspoon salt
▢ 1/2 teaspoon pepper
▢ 3 pieces toast, crumbled (I use brioche bread)
▢ 1/2 cup milk

▢ 3 eggs, lightly beaten
▢ 2 to 2 1/2 cups chicken stock or broth
▢ 2 tablespoons butter

In a large skillet, heat butter over medium heat. Add celery and onion and cook until soft making sure the onions do not brown. Add sage, poultry seasoning, salt, and pepper to onion mixture and heat until the sage is fragrant. While the onions and celery are softening, crumble the corn great and toast in a large bowl.
Whisk together milk and eggs and add to bowl. Stir in 2 cups of chicken broth.
Stir in onion mixture. Mixture should be very moist. Add more broth if necessary.
Transfer to a greased baking dish. Cut butter into small slivers and scatter on top of dressing.
Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes, or until it turns light brown

Ingredients

3 cups fresh broccoli florets (or 1 (12.6 ounce) package frozen baby broccoli florets)
1 tablespoon butter
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 stalk celery, finely chopped
1 Package Pepperidge Farms Herb Stuffing mix, plus the additional ingredients called for on the package (water and butter). (You can substitute 1 (6 ounce) package Stove Top Stuffing mix
2 to 3 cups cooked, diced chicken
1 (10.5 ounce) can condensed cream of chicken soup, NOT diluted
1/2 cup sour cream

Instructions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Spray a 2-quart baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.
Steam the broccoli florets in the microwave just until crisp-tender; drain and set aside.
In a large skillet, melt butter over medium-high heat. Add onion and celery; sauté just until tender (about 8-10 minutes).
Meanwhile, prepare stuffing according to package instructions. Use a fork to gently combine stuffing with onion and celery mixture. Set aside.
In the prepared dish, stir together chicken, condensed soup, sour cream and broccoli. Top with stuffing mixture.
Bake (uncovered) for 20-25 minutes, or until casserole is heated through.

Ingredients

• 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 1 small yellow onion diced
• 4 cups diced tomatoes in juice
• 1 tbsp chipotle peppers in adobo pureed
• ½ cup water
• 1 cup jasmine rice uncooked (regular long grain rice or basmati rice can also be used)
• ½ lime, juiced
• 2 tsp sale
• ½ tsp pepper
• 2 tbsp butter
• 1 can black beans drained & rinsed

Method

Combine chicken, onion, tomatoes with juice, peppers, water, lime juice, rice, salt, pepper and butter in the Instant Pot.

Cook under pressure for 6 minutes, following with quick depressurization.

Once depressurized, open and add black beans. Stir to combine, season with additional salt & pepper, to taste.

Serve with a garnish of shredded cheese, chopped cilantro, sour cream and guacamole!

Note on the pasta sauce:  you can use your favorite jarred sauce for this recipe.  If you wish, you can also make your own.  The recipe I use for pasta sauce is identical to the recipe I use to make the tomato base for Shrimp and Grits (here) but instead of using cajun seasoning I use either an Italian seasoning mix or an equivalent amount of dry oregano or basil.  For either of these tomato sauces, you can also easily add meat.  About 1 lb of ground beef or your favorite sausage can be browned and added to the sauce and simmered for about 25 minutes on very low heat before using for lasagna.

Ingredients

• 30 oz pasta sauce*
• 2 cups ricotta or cottage cheese
• 2 eggs
• 12 oz. grated mozzarella cheese
• 1 box Jovial brand gluten-free lasagna noodles

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 375ºF.  Line two 8×8 pans or one 9×13 pan with foil.
2. Beat the two eggs lightly then mix with the ricotta/cottage cheese.  Set aside.
3. Cover the bottom of the pan with a small amount of the pasta sauce, no more than ½ cup, so the noodles don’t stick to the foil.  Line the pan with dry pasta, keeping the pasta as flat as possible.  Cover the pasta with about ⅓ of the egg/cheese mix. Next, add about ⅓ of the pasta sauce, being sure that the dry pasta is covered with the cheese and pasta sauce so it doesn’t burn or remain dry.  Next, add about ⅓ of the grated mozzarella.
4. Repeat the above step two more times, being sure that no dry pasta is exposed.
5. Cover the pan tightly with foil and bake for about 45 minutes.
6. Remove the pan from the oven, remove the foil and press the top of the lasagna down firmly to ensure the pasta is immersed in the liquid.
7. Put the uncovered pan back in the oven for 10-15 minutes so the top browns and the cheese is bubbly.

Serves 6. Note:  this recipe can easily be halved.

• 3½ tablespoons olive oil
• 3 pounds lean stewing beef, cut into 1-inch cubes
• 1 carrot, diced
• 1 onion, diced
• Salt and pepper
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 2 cups red wine, young and full-bodied (like Beaujolais, Côtes du Rhone, Bordeaux, or Burgundy)
• 2 to 3 cups brown beef stock
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 2 cloves mashed garlic
• ½ teaspoon thyme
• A crumbled bay leaf

Optional

• 18 to 24 white onions, small
• 3½ tablespoons butter
• 1 pound mushrooms, fresh and quartered

Cooking Directions

Preheat oven to 350ºF.

Dry beef in paper towels; it will not brown if it is damp. Heat olive (or corn) oil in large casserole until almost smoking. Add beef, a few pieces at a time, and sauté until nicely browned on all sides.

Once all the beef has been browned, add the sliced vegetables to the hot pan and brown for about 7-8 minutes until tender.

Add the tomato paste to the vegetables, stirring constantly until it is browned. (You will know when it is ready because they tomato paste is not bright red but brown, almost like light chocolate.)

Once the tomato paste is browned, add the garlic stirring continuously so the garlic doesn’t burn. Next, sprinkle on the flour and toss until the vegetables are coated. Add the beef to the pot and stir so the flour/vegetable mixture coats the beef.

Stir in wine and enough stock so that the meat is barely covered. Bring to a simmer on top of the stove.

Cover casserole and set in lower third of oven. Regulate heat so that liquid simmers very slowly for 3 hours. The meat is done when a fork pierces it easily. Test the meat to see if it is tender. If not, cook for another 30 minutes or so.

Optional

Onions and mushrooms are traditional ingredients in beef burgundy. They are cooked separately from the beef and added 2 hours into the cooking.

Mushrooms. You can use any mushrooms you choose but white or porcini mushrooms are traditional. Once the beef is in the oven, clean and slice the mushrooms into ¼ inch slides. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil until it sizzles, and then add the mushrooms. Sauté the mushrooms until they have rendered their moisture and are tender. Take the mushrooms off the heat and hold. They should be added into the beef after it has been in the oven for 2 hours.

Onions. Pearl onions are the traditional ones used in beef burgundy. Buy a 1 lb. bag of frozen pearl onions for this recipe. Before you begin cooking the beef, thaw the onions and bring them to room temperature. I always put them in a colander so they drain; you will want the thawed onions to be very dry when you start preparing them. Once the beef is in the oven, dry the onions with paper towels. Add 3 tablespoons of olive oil to a sauté pan and heat until the oil is very hot. Add the pearl onions, stirring them to ensure they brown on all sides. That should take about 8-10 minutes. Once the onions are brown, remove from heat and hold. The onions can be added after the beef has been in the oven for about 2 hours.

Beef Burgundy can be served with mashed potatoes or flat noodles. Green beans, Brussels sprouts, or other green vegetables can be served as a side. Apple/pear compote can also be served. To make the apple pear compote, use 6 granny smith apples and 4 pears. Wash, halve and core the apples. Toss them in 3 tablespoons of melted butter. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of white sugar, 1 tablespoon of brown sugar, and 1 teaspoon of cinnamon on the apples. Bake in the oven at 350ºF for about 34 minutes. When they are soft, remove from the oven and let them cool. Use a potato masher to roughly mash the apples and pears before serving them.

1 lb ground beef
1 15oz can diced tomatoes
1 package taco seasoning mix
1 cup shredded cheddar
1 cup milk
1 can cheddar cheese soup (Campbells)

Make rice according to package directions
brown meet and add taco seasoning
Stir in tomatoes (undrained)
bring to simmer

Put meat in bottom of casserole dish and cover with the rice. Sprinkle with cheddar cheese. Combine soup and milk….pour over casserole.

Bake at 350 for about 30 minutes (can cover loosely with foil if necessary)

• 1½-2 lbs haddock or other firm white fish
• 8-10 large scallops
• 12-15 medium/large shrimp
• 1 cup milk
• 2 Tablespoon butter
• 2 Tablespoon canola/vegetable oil (not olive oil)
• 1 cup cider  (you can replace the cider with 1 cup white wine or 1/3 cup sherry or calvados and 2/3 cup water)
• ¼ cup flour
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon pepper
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 cup sour cream or creme fraiche
• 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• A dash of nutmeg

For the topping:

• 3 lbs potatoes
• ½ cup sour cream
• 2 Tablespoons of butter
• 2 egg yolks

Directions

1. For the potatoes: boil and mash the potatoes, adding the sour cream and butter but not the yolks just yet. Add the yolks just before you top the pie with the potatoes.
2. For the pie: Place the haddock in a large pan. Add milk, bay leaf, salt and pepper.  Bring to a  and simmer.  Cover and cook on a low heat for 4 minutes. Let the fish cool enough to handle. Strain the milk into a bowl and reserve. Flake the fish coarsely, discarding the skin.
3. Wash the scallops and remove any gristle. Slice each scallop into 2 discs. Peel and devein the shrimp. Set the scallops and shrimp aside. Melt the butter in a pan, add the flour and let it cook for a minute or until lightly browned. Work in the cider until the mixture is smooth. Next, add the strained milk, sour cream and mustard. Bring to the boil, stirring, and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring.  Remove the mixture from the heat.  Gently fold in the fish, scallops, and shrimp. Turn into a shallow dish and spoon the mashed potatoes on the top. Bake at 350º for 40 minutes until golden.