Thanksgiving 2010 - Sweet Potato Casserole Time

I had a helper in the kitchen when I was cooking my Thanksgiving feast.



Stanley loves to follow me around the kitchen while I cook. I thought he was looking for handouts, but I never gave in as to keep from encouraging it. However, I realized the other day that he follows me around the house in the kitchen or out. If I am working on the computer in the bedroom, he stands there next to me. He was not looking for handouts in the kitchen (I was making vegetables at the time, not exactly tasty to him), he just wanted to be with me. Nothing made my Elmyra side happier than this revelation. I knew he could never resist a cushy spot on the ground as long as it was in the same room so I put his bed in the doorway of the kitchen so we could hang out together, but he would not be in the way of my every step. I know he was happy to be there with me, but it made me really happy too to have the company. Such a sweet boy.



I did make something sweet for the Thanksgiving table this year, and I am not talking about the dessert. Sweet potato casserole has been one of my specialties growing up. From the time I was in college (and felt the need to contribute something of my own to the family feast), I would make a sweet potato casserole, garlic cheese biscuits and some sort of dessert. In the past, I have used canned sweet potato chunks for the base of this "recipe". I say "recipe" because I have never really followed any sort of instructions to make this. This year, I decided to keep with my make-from-scratch theme and bake the potatoes. Sweet potatoes are so creamy and delicious, I could have eaten them right out of the oven just the way they are. The natural sugar gives the skin a caramelized taste. I added a couple new things to my "recipe" this year that I think worked really well including bits of the skin (bonus fiber and some nice texture) and ground almonds for a nice smooth nutty flavor.



Stanley Is Sweet Potato Casserole

(Serves 6)

4 sweet potatoes
1 tbsp brown sugar
1/4 C half and half
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
1/4 ground almonds (plus a little to sprinkle for the topping)
1/2 C pecan pieces
1 C mini marshmallows

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Individually wrap each potato in foil, and bake for about an hour (until completely fork tender).
Turn oven down to 350 degrees F.
Scoop out flesh of baked sweet potatoes, and mash with a potato masher (you can use a fork if you like them to be chunkier)
Chop up the skin of one of the potatoes into small pieces and sprinkle into the mashed potatoes.
Add half and half, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and ground almonds and mix together until combined.
Fold in pecan pieces.
Transfer mixture to a square 8" casserole dish; spread evenly into the dish.
Sprinkle some ground almond on top of the mixture, and evenly sprinkle marshmallows on top (you can also sprinkle a pinch of cinnamon on top of the marshmallows).
Put the casserole back in the oven for about 20 minutes (or until the marshmallows start to toast.

It's Getting Chili Out There

Cold weather means warm food tastes better.



Now, I realize that having to put on a light jacket for the evening dog walk does not qualify as "cold weather" to most of you, but here is Southern California the temperature is about to dip, making me verrrrryyyy uncomfortable.



I am sorry to say goodbye to summer. You might even call me "in denial" as I sit here today in all white from head to toe...white dress...white shoes...breaking all the "after labor day rules." This past summer was really nice. We somehow were spared the June Gloom (or overcast gray skies) which usually lasts about 5 weeks during the early part of the summer. We were also spared the long intense heat waves in late July/early August (not that we didn't get hit with some heat, but it is usually unbearable for a couple weeks) - global warming taking a break this year?.

Nothing welcomes the fall like a piping hot bowl of meaty chili. I am still in love with the chili I made for one of my very first posts, but I thought this one from my Food Network Magazine looked interesting. It is a Texas Chili which I take to mean "no beans." I certainly like beans in my chili, but this all-meat version sounded like a delicious alternative as well (especially considering I still had about 2 pounds of a beef tenderloin left over from the night before). Just a fair warning: this is spicy! It is slightly sweet as well, and the presence of the two conflicting tastes was a welcome surprise. You can scale back the heat a little bit if you prefer by adding less chopped green chilies or leaving out the green hot sauce...that sort of thing.



Now, this is chili two ways (as promised): Texas Chili and then Chili Corn Casserole. My magazine suggested making a delicious casserole with the leftover chili to mix everything up a bit. I have to say, it was a complete success. It made me feel like I got the most out of the chunk of meat I bought (even though you do NOT have to use the usually expensive beef tenderloin when making the chili...the slow cooker will make cheap beef taste like a million bucks!).



Texas Chili

(recipe from Food Network Magazine)



2 1/2 pounds beef chuck, cut into 2-inch cubes
2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
Kosher salt
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
5 cloves garlic, smashed
2 4.5-ounce cans chopped green chiles, drained
1 tablespoon ground cumin
3/4 cup chili powder
1 14-ounce can diced tomatoes with chiles
1 to 2 tablespoons green hot sauce
Sliced scallions, fresh cilantro and/or sour cream, for topping
Tortilla chips, for serving (optional)
Corn tortillas (optional)

Toss the beef with 1 tablespoon each brown sugar and salt in a large bowl. Heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the beef in batches until browned on all sides, 4 to 5 minutes (do not crowd the pan). Transfer to a 5-to-6-quart slow cooker.

Reduce the heat to medium, add the onion to the skillet and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic, chiles, cumin and chili powder and cook 3 minutes. Add 1 1/2 cups water and the tomatoes and simmer, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom, about 3 minutes. Transfer to the slow cooker, cover and cook on low, 7 hours.

Add the remaining 1 tablespoon brown sugar and the hot sauce to the chili. Serve with scallions, cilantro and/or sour cream for topping, and chips, if desired. Another idea is to serve it in a corn tortilla bowl: simply place a corn tortilla in the serving bowl before spooning in the chili. (Reserve 3 to 4 cups for Chili-Corn Casserole.).

*NOTE FROM ME: This is completely optional, but I really prefer refrigerating and reheating before eating it. I am not sure why, but I always think it tastes better when it has been completely cooled and then reheated the day after!


Chili Corn Casserole

(recipe from Food Network Magazine - serves 4)



2 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 ears corn, kernels cut off
Kosher salt
6 scallions, chopped
3 to 4 cups leftover chili
1 1/2 cups shredded pepper jack or monterey jack cheese (about 6 ounces)
1 18-ounce tube precooked polenta, cut into 12 rounds
(Use leftover Slow-Cooker Texas Chili.)

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Melt the butter in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the corn and 1/2 teaspoon salt and cook until tender, 5 to 6 minutes. Add the scallions and cook until soft, about 1 minute.

Spread the chili in an 8-inch-square baking dish. Top with half of the cheese followed by half of the corn mixture. Lay the polenta rounds on top, then sprinkle with the remaining corn and cheese.

Bake until the casserole is heated through and the top is golden, about 20 minutes. Let stand 5 to 10 minutes before serving.

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

Quick, Easy. Cheesy.



I usually keep my work life out of this blog. I have always looked at this blog as something I can keep constant no matter what was going on with work. Wether work is going perfectly or poorly, writing about food and cooking is an outlet to something completely unrelated. I like this system, and I intend to keep it place. I just feel the need to mention all this (including the following) to explain the possible influx of idiot-proof, all-too-easy recipes about to invade this page.

Work has been busy to say the least. January through April is the busiest time of year in the entertainment industry and is known as "pilot season." It is the time of year all the new programs that will appear on the networks' fall schedule start casting. Casting offices have to fill series regular roles on the pilot (or first) episode of a television show that will either:

A) go on to air for years and years as a popular and successful series (e.g. "CSI", "Friends", "The Office" or last year's "Glee")

B) get picked up for a season, and start airing in the fall, only to be canceled after the first season (e.g. "Studio 60", "Freaks and Geeks", or last year's: "The Unusuals", "Three Rivers")

C) not even get picked up by a network which essentially means the pilot is the only episode ever shot, and the series never gets a chance (this is what happens most of the time).

Agents scramble to scoop up series regular roles on pilots for their actor clients because if the pilot gets picked up as a series, and is successful, it can be a solid paycheck for years to come. Casting directors carefully choose the cast which can make or break a pilot, auditioning hundreds of actors before making a decision on each role. Since the main characters in a pilot are can potentially be with the show for years, it is important to find really strong actors to fill these slots. Sometimes an actor can even be cast in a pilot, only to be replaced by another actor when the show gets picked up for series. An example of this is Full House. The role of 'Danny Tanner' (played by Bob Saget) was originally played by another actor named John Posey.



The producers had wanted Bob Saget, but he was not available when they shot the pilot because he was already set to shoot another show. By the time Full House was picked up and ready to shoot the series, Saget was available. The producers ended up firing John Posey and replacing him with Bob Saget. They re-shot the scenes from the pilot episode in which the 'Danny Tanner' character appeared, and the rest is history. If you don't believe me, watch the entire original pilot episode for yourself.

All this is to say a lot goes into pilots this time of year, and I am busy at work. I am not willing to completely give up cooking during this time because it is something that relaxes me and keeps me healthy. However, I need recipes I can whip out quickly, and this is certainly one of them. It is wildly adapted from my Cooking Light Cookbook (I definitely took the "light" out of it so click here for the original, lighter recipe), which was a gift from my brother and sister-in-law two Christmases ago. I call it Mexican Chicken Lasagna. It involves a simple chicken mixture as the filling, corn tortillas as the layers, plenty of cheese and taco sauce as the sauce. The original recipe is without the chicken so feel free to simply leave it out for a vegetarian option. On a different note, I imagine ground beef could be an interesting substitution for the chicken.



Pilot Season Mexican Lasagna

(makes 4 servings)

1 1/2 C extra-sharp cheddar cheese (I used some white cheddar some yellow...white cheddar is amazing for some reason)
1 large tomato, chopped
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast (cooked and chopped into small cubes or shredded)
1 cup cottage cheese (can use reduced fat)
1 C chopped onion
2 teaspoons chili powder
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 C golden corn
1 tsp hot sauce (optional)
9 (6-inch) corn tortillas
Cooking spray
1 Cup taco sauce
1/2 C extra sharp Cheddar Cheese or Monterey Jack Cheese for sprinkling over the top


Preheat oven to 375°.
Combine first 9 ingredients in a large bowl.
Coat the bottom of an 9x9 casserole dish (or 11x7) with cooking spray.
Arrange 3 tortillas in bottom of the dish (I tore one in half to make them more evenly cover the bottom of the dish).
Spread half of chicken/cheese mixture over the tortillas.
Repeat procedure with 3 tortillas and remaining cheese mixture; top with remaining tortillas.
Pour taco sauce over tortillas; sprinkle with the 1/2 C of Monterey Jack or sharp cheddar cheese.
Bake at 375° for 20 minutes or until cheese melts.

You can prepare the chicken/cheese mixture ahead of time to make this simple recipe even quicker when it comes time to cook it.

The Spin Zone

The spin starts here...



...followed by the artichoke, and the cream cheese, and the Parmesan.

Now, I don't want to alienate any potential blog readers. I just have a strong feeling I won't by saying Bill O'Reilly is an ass. I hope you will notice that this is the first slightly-inappropriate-however-more-and-more-generally-accepted-term I have used during my blogging experience, but I need it for emphasis. I challenge you to find a better word. "The No-Spin Zone" is the term O'Reilly uses to describe his program. Ironically, I would describe him as the least principle-based "news" personality on television. Others in close competition include Keith "anyone-who-disagrees-with-me-is-wrong-just-check-out-my-hip-frames-and-snarky-glances-into-the-camera" Olberman and Sean "I-count-all-my-invalid-points-out-on-my-fingers-to-make-them-seem-more-credible-I-also-whine-like-a-small-child" Hannity. Fox News and MSNBC seem to be competing constantly to see who can get away with the most bias while keeping a straight face.

If nothing else, these shows (The O'Reilly Fcator, Countdown and Hannity's America) are entertaining in an infuriating way. And if there is one thing they all have in common, it is SPIN. So in honor of these fine gentlemen and their spinning tendencies (no matter how far they go to deny it), let's see about another spinach casserole recipe.

This was perfectly prepared by my sister-in-law, Katie, for Christmas dinner this year. Since this girl has joined the family, she has brought nothing but wonderful things: true love for my brother, amazing friendship for me, one adorable little daughter, followed by another and finally this casserole. It was definitely a welcome dish at the table as the dish was wiped practically clean by the end of the meal. In fact, it was the only dish that was spared from becoming "leftovers". This would be a great addition to any holiday meal or potluck dinner. The recipe comes from my brother and sister-in-law's friend, Krista (who is married to one of my brother's best friends). After trying this dish, I would be anxious to see what other recipes Krista has up her oven mitt.

Spinach Artichoke Casserole

(Recipe from Krista Dearolf's family)

2 packs frozen chopped spinach, thawed
8 oz cream cheese at room temp (Reduced Fat if you want)
1 14 oz can of artichoke hearts
2 tablespoons milk
4 tablespoons butter at room temp (sometimes I leave this out for less fat)
1/2 cup (or more if you want!) real grated parmesan + extra for topping

Squeeze all liquid from the chokes and put on bottom of small to medium casserole dish.



Drain thawed spinach by squeezing all water out with hands or towel and place on top of artichokes.
Mix cheese, butter, and milk with mixer.



Spread this mixture as the third layer.
If desired, sprinkle more parmesan as fourth layer.
Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes covered with foil. Take off foil, and bake for 10 more minutes until golden and yummy looking. Let sit for 10 minutes before serving.

I Yam What I Yam

Cartoonist Elzie Crisler Segar created a comic strip called "Popeye the Sailor" in 1929.



This not-so-handsome-but-still-charming-in-his-own-way comic hero went on to star in his own television show and films. Popeye was a gritty sailor who gathered his superhuman strength from spinach. Move over all you protein-pumping, meat-eating machos. Popeye's forearms grew 10 times bigger when he would down a can of the green stuff.

Segar's choice of spinach for the character's source of strength was due to the high iron content found in spinach in a 1870 German study. The research concluded that spinach contained just as much iron as red meat. Popeye brought popularity to the geen stuff for almost 10 years through the comic strip before it was discovered that the German study had made a mistake. The decimal point in the number for the iron content in spinach had been placed between the wrong two numbers making it appear to have 10 times the amount of iron than it really did. In reality, spinach had no more iron content than any other leafy greens. This was not realized until 1937 when the comic strip was well underway, and Popeye had no intentions of changing what was already working for him. Although I imagine if Popeye was created after 1937, he would be downing cans of sardines instead.

Of course, spinach still has plenty of wonderful vitamins that make it very good for you. I eat my fair share of fresh spinach in salads. I am not going to pretend that this casserole should be categorized as a health food. It is loaded with creamy, crunchy stuff that makes it something you really want to eat in moderation. I chose to make spinach casserole for Thanksgiving this year simply because Zach does not go for green beans so much. I am really happy with the way it turned out. I made it very small (about half of the recipe) since it was just the two of us, and I really don't imagine this keeping that well as leftovers.



Popeye's Spinach Casserole:

(Recipe adapted from All Recipes - serves 6)

20 oz frozen chopped spinach (thawed)
6 oz cream cheese (softened)*
1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup*
6 oz french-fried onions (1 can)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Squeeze thawed spinach over a colander in the sink to ring out any excess water.
Separate the spinach so it is not clumpy in a large mixing bowl.
Mix in cream cheese, mushroom soup and 1/2 of the french-fried onions into the spinach.
Transfer the mixture into a small (2 qt) casserole dish, and sprinkle the remaining onions on top.
Bake for 20 minutes, uncovered.

* The recipe calls for the whole can of soup and 8 oz of cream cheese. I think this is too much. I used the equivalent of 6 oz cream cheese and about 2/3rds of the can of mushroom soup so that the casserole would keep more of the spinach flavor. You can use more or less depending on what you prefer.

You can see how it fits right in there on the right side of the plate.

These Are a Few of My Favorite Things

I did not grow up in a household of people who liked to cook. I can imagine I will be elaborating on that in a later post (sorry mom!) so I will not say much more on that for now. I bring this up because I would like to mention there were a couple exceptions to our home's no-cooking tendencies. My dad liked to make steamed broccoli. He would steam an entire package of chopped fresh broccoli and put about a cup or two of shredded cheddar cheese on top and let it melt all over. I would eat so much broccoli. I would pile it up on my plate, sometimes eating the whole thing. When I would go to other people's houses for dinner, I noticed most people only ate a couple little trees each. Weird.

I also like chicken. Who doesn't (besides you vegetarians)? It was at a friend's house sometime around the 9th grade that I first learned of a casserole that was essentially a mix of what had become my favorite thing to eat for dinner: chicken, cheese and broccoli (along with some other delicious ingredients that only made it better). This classic casserole is called chicken divan. This is one of the first recipes I ever asked someone for after devouring it for dinner. I made it, I liked it, and I made it again. It was a pleasant surprise to me that I could simply follow a recipe and make something delicious. It was at that point I realized cooking is not hard; it simply takes patience. This recipe is so easy. I like to serve it over brown rice, but if you eat it by itself, it is another dish that you can eat on a low-carb diet. I think there are several variations of this recipe floating around, but this one is pretty much the most basic one you can make.

Why Change a Good Thing Chicken Divan:



Makes a 9" x 13" casserole dish

2 10oz packages of frozen or fresh broccoli (chopped and steamed)
4 or 5 large boneless skinless chicken breasts (cooked and shredded - about 6 or 7 C)
2 10oz cans cream of mushroom soup (condensed)
2 1/2 C shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1/2 C bread crumbs (not seasoned)
2 tbsp lemon juice
1/3 C mayonnaise
1 tsp curry powder (optional)

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F

In a large mixing bowl, combine the soup, lemon juice, 1 1/2 C shredded cheese, mayo, and curry powder (optional). Mix well.



Spread chopped broccoli down as the bottom layer in the glass casserole dish.
Next, layer the chicken on top of the broccoli.



Pour the soup mixture over the top of the two layers.
Sprinkle the remaining cheese and the breadcrumbs over the top.

Cover the dish with foil, and bake in the oven at 350 degrees F for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for an additional 5 minutes (or until cheese starts to bubble.