Chicken, Broccoli and Wild Rice Casserole with Homemade Sauce
Servings: 6 to 8

For the casserole

• 4 cups cooked wild rice blend
• 3 cups cooked chicken, chopped or shredded
• 3 cups broccoli florets, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 8 ounces cremini mushrooms, sliced
• ½ cup finely chopped yellow onion (or ½ cup thinly sliced leek, white and light green parts only)
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves or ½ teaspoon dried thyme
• Salt and black pepper, to taste

For the homemade sauce

• 4 tablespoons butter
• ¼ cup all-purpose flour
• 1½ cups chicken stock
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• ½ teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
• 1 cup shredded Gruyère cheese

For the almond breadcrumb topping

• ¾ cup panko breadcrumbs
• ⅓ cup sliced almonds
• 2 tablespoons melted butter
• ¼ cup shredded Gruyère
• ½ teaspoon lemon zest
• Pinch of salt

Directions (summarized)
Casserole: Oven to 375°F; grease a 9×13 dish. Blanch broccoli 1–2 min, shock in ice water, drain. In 2 Tbsp butter over medium-high, brown mushrooms, then add onion/leek and thyme for 3–4 min. Season lightly.

Sauce: Melt 4 Tbsp butter over medium, whisk in flour for 1 min. Slowly whisk in stock and milk, then Dijon, garlic powder, salt, pepper. Cook 4–6 min, stirring, until thick. Off heat, stir in 1 cup Gruyère.

Assemble: Mix sauce with rice, chicken, broccoli and mushrooms; spread in dish. Combine topping ingredients and sprinkle over. Bake uncovered 25–30 min until bubbly and golden. Rest 5–10 min.

Chef’s note: Use fully cooked rice and keep broccoli slightly firm. If too thick, add ¼–½ cup more stock. Swiss can replace Gruyère.

• • 1 LB cooked Cavatapi pasta (screws)
    • set aside
  • 1 stick butter in hot skillet
  • 1/2 C AP flour
    • Cook together until it starts to brown
      • This is called a Roux
  • Put 6 C milk into a measuring cup
    • Add 1/2 C to the flour
    • Add another 1/2 C to the flour
    • Add the remainder of the milk and whisk together
      • This is called Bechemel Sauce
    • Add 4 oz Mozzarella, 4 oz Swiss and 4 oz Colby
      • This is called Mourney Sauce
    • Add 1/2 C Parmesan and 1 tsp Colorante
    • Cook together until it starts to thicken
      • Pour into slightly greased casserole
    • Top with a mixture of 1 C Panko, 1/4 Parmesan,
      1/2 tsp granulated garlic, and 1 TBL EVOO
  • Bake 25 minutes at 325º

 

• 1/2 LB ground beef or turkey – browned
• 1 small onion – sliced thin
• 1 tsp minced garlic
• taco seasoning
  • 1 tsp cumin, 1/2 tsp paprika, 1/2 tsp garlic powder, 1/4 tsp dried oregano, 1/4 tsp chili powder, salt and pepper to taste
• 1/2 can sliced black olives – drained
• 1/2 can diced green chilies
• 1/2 C chicken broth
• 1 can diced tomatoes – drained
• 6-8 oz taco sauce
• 1 can refried beans
• 8-10  small corn tortillas – halved
• 8 oz shredded cheese
• Optional:  Enchilada sauce for the topping

1. Preheat the oven to 350º
2. Brown meat with onion
3. Add garlic and taco seasoning and stir for 30 seconds
4. Add chicken broth and stir to dissolve all seasonings
5. Mix in olives, chilies, tomatoes, and taco sauce
6. Reduce heat and simmer 15-20 minutes
   • ASSEMBLY
7. Spread a thin layer of beans on the bottom of a casserole
8. Cover with a layer of tortillas – flat side to the side of the pan
   • overlap if necessary
9. Cover with sauce, more meat, black olives, cheese, more tortillas and so forth until all ingredients are used up
10. Finish with a layer of sauce, then cheese, then black olives
11. Bake 20-30 minutes or until cheese is browned

 

This recipe is good for two as a meal, or four as a side.

• Brown 1/3 ground sirloin
• Add 1 small onion – chopped
• Add 1 Anaheim pepper – chopped
• Add 3 cloves chopped garlic and cook 15 seconds, then remove from heat
  • Set aside
• Blanche 3 tomatoes and remove skins
• Crush tomatoes
• Add 2 TBL tomato paste
• Add 1/2 C chicken stock or broth (not bullion)
• Add a splash or two of apple cider vinegar
• Add 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• Add salt and pepper to taste
  • Bring to a boil
• Add meat back into the pot
• Reduce heat to a high simmer
• Add 2/3 C elbow macaroni
  • Optional:  Use about eight baby potatoes
    – pieced – instead of macaroni
• Cover and simmer for 30 minutes
• Serve with bread and butter

 

• 1 whole onion (diced)
• 1 jalapeno (de seeded and deveined)
• Start cooking above ingredients over medium high heat in 1 TBL EVOO
• 2 chicken breasts (cooked) or 3 thighs
  • Shred chicken
• Add chicken to onions
• Add 3/4 C chicken stock
• Add 1/2 C heavy cream
• Turn heat up to high
• Add salt, pepper and paprika
• Add 2 roasted poblano peppers (skins blackened and removed – not rinsed – seeds and veins removed) rough chopped
• Create a white sauce in a large pan
  • 1/4 C butter
  • 1/4 C flour
  • Cook above to create a roux – cook till browned
  • Add 3/4 C chicken stock and whisk
  • Cook until thickened
  • Add 1/2 C cream, salt, pepper, and paprika
  • Add 2 TBL sour cream
  • Whisk together
  • Add 1.5 grated Monterey Jack cheese
  • Add 1 small can diced green chiles
  • Stir all to bring together, then remove from heat
• Heat corn tortillas in microwave
• Assemble:  Add chicken and cheese inside – roll tightly
• Put into a 1/8 size sheet pan (or glass)
• Pour sauce over top
• Top with more cheese
• Bake @ 350º for 15-20 minuets
• Plate a portion and top with a dollop of sour cream

Alternate:  Halve the tortillas.  Place 1/2 C sauce on bottom of pan, layer tortillas, then chicken, then more sauce, again with tortilla, chicken, and sauce, and then top with cheese.  Finish cooking and serve as a casserole.

Simple Fondue

• 3 oz Emmenthaler – grated
• 2 oz gruyere – grated
• 1 oz gouda – grated
• 2 tsp cornstarch
• scant white pepper

Use any 40% semi-firm cheese.  Other choices include asiago, young gouda, taleggio, fontina, gruyere, Emmenthaler, or Comté.  Good melting cheeses will have high moisture, high protein, low age (max 150 days) and low fat

Making Cheese

• Enzyme is added to dairy to curdle
• Curd is cut and whey removed
• Put into presses which compress and remove more whey
• Loose cheese is cut into blocks – put into round molds
• Cheese is pressed into rounds
• Turned out and placed on aging racks
• Gruyere is aged months to years and is produced here in the US
• Older cheeses are generally harder
• Scrub and add salt and bacteria during aging process

Step by Step

• Cast iron fondue pot or double boiler
• Rub with garlic, add wine, brandy and lemon
• 1 C white sauvignon blanc – high acid
  • 2 TBL fruit brandy
  • 1 TBL fresh lemon juice
  • 12 tsp  prepared horseradish
  • 1/2 cloves garlic
• Bring heat to 135º
• At 135º add cheeses – melt between handfulls
• Heat until 150º
• Important
  • #1 high acid
  • #2 corn starch
• Final addition
• Whisk until smooth
• Add horseradish to smooth sauce
• Dipping choices
  • bread
  • chilled veggies – broccoli, cauliflower
  • cooked sausage – kielbasa, bratwurst

From a cooking class aboard a Holland America Cruise we took in 2003.

Ingredients

• 2 C dry white wine or beer
• 1 med clove garlic, peeled and bruised with the flat of your knife
• 1 LB Dutch Gouda cheese, coarsely grated (about 4 C)
• 1 TBL cornstarch or arrowroot
• 2 TBL Kirsch liqueur
• 1/2 tsp. nutmeg
• 2 pinches of salt
• 1 Large loaf French or Italian bread, cut into 1″ cubes (including crust)
• Fresh ground pepper

1. Pour the wine or beer into a 2-quart fondue dish or any 2 qt flameproof enameled casserole
2. Drop in the garlic and bring to a boil over high heat
3. Let wine boil briskly for 1 to 2 minutes
4. Remove garlic with a slotted spoon and discard
5. Lower heat so wine barely simmers.
6. Stirring constantly with a table fork, add cheese mixture, a handful at a time, letting each handful melt before adding another.
7. When the fondue is creamy and smooth, stir in the Kirsch and taste.
8. Add seasoning.

To serve, place the fondue dish over an alcohol or gas table burner in the center of the dining table, regulating the heat so the fondue barely simmers.  Place a basket of the bread cubes alongside the fondue.  Traditionally, each diner spears a cube of bread on a fork (preferably a long-handled fondue fork) swirls the bread in the mixture until it is thoroughly coated, then eats it immediately.

1. Cut the top off a bell pepper, and set aside.
2. Remove the veins and seeds from the body of the bell pepper.
3. Brown 1/2 LB 80/20 hamburger and 1/2 LB ground pork.
4. Add onions when meat has browned.
5. Add 1/2 tsp cumin, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp cinnamon, 2 cloves garlic (minced) or garlic powder, and 1 tsp dried oregano.
6. Stir to combine, then add 1 C chicken stock.
7. Add 1 can crushed tomato (drained).
8. Add 2 TBL golden raisins and 8 black olives (crushed).
9. Bring ingredients back to a simmer.
10. Place bell peppers in a baking dish, and fill the bell peppers equally with the mix.  Put the top back on the peppers.
11. Add 2 C of water to the bottom of the baking dish.
12. Bake at 375º for 45 minutes.
13. Garnish with a sprig of cilantro and serve with toasted English Muffins.

 

Ingredients

• 1 TBP safflower oil
• 1 white onion, diced
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 1 green bell pepper, diced
• 1 Campbells condensed cream of mushroom soup
• 1 Campbells condensed cream of chicken soup
• 1 can  diced tomatoes
• 1 small can green chile peppers
• 1 C chicken broth
• 2 TBP sour cream
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp ancho chile powder
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 1/4 tsp chipotle chile powder
• 1 cooked chicken, torn into shreds or cut into chunks
• 8 ounces shredded Cheddar cheese

Step by Step

1. Preheat oven to 350º.
2. Heat oil in a large skillet over high heat.
3. Saute onion, red bell pepper, and green bell pepper in hot oil until warmed through, about 2 minutes.
4. Combine onion-pepper mixture, cream of mushroom soup, cream of chicken soup, diced tomatoes, chicken broth, sour cream, cumin, ancho chile powder, oregano, and chipotle chile powder together in a large bowl and stir until sauce is well-combined.
5. Spread a few tablespoons of the sauce in the bottom of a 9×13-inch baking dish.
6. Spread 1/2 the chicken over the sauce.
7. Spread about half the sauce over the chicken and top with 1/3 the cheese.
8. Spread a layer of tortillas over the cheese.
9. Spread remaining 1/2 the chicken over the tortillas, and top with almost all of the remaining sauce, reserving 1/2 cup sauce. Top with 1/3 the cheese, remaining tortillas, the reserved 1/2 cup sauce, and remaining 1/3 cheese.
10. Bake casserole in the preheated oven until bubbling, about 40 minutes.
11. Increase the oven temperature to broil.
12. Broil the casserole until top is golden, 2 to 3 minutes more.

I have two recipes for Skillet Pizzas here.  One is a Stuffed Crust, the other is a cast iron Sourdough Skillet Pizza.

Stuffed Crust

1. 1. Heat cast iron skillet to 425º in oven
   2. Flatten prepared pizza dough on counter top so that it is about 4 inches wider than the diameter of the skillet; then roll dough around a rolling pin for transportation to the skillet
   3. Add 1 TBL EVOO and 1 TBL butter to bottom of hot skillet
   4. Lay flattened dough carefully into hot skillet, 1-2” up the side – even spilling out over the edge
   5. Lay small sticks of mozzarella around the base of the pan, and fold the dough down over the cheese creating a “stuffed crust”
   6. Put a layer of sauce and shredded mozzarella on the bottom of the pizza
   7. Add cooked sausage, sauteed mushrooms, sauteed onion, olives, etc onto the cheese layer
      • NOTE:  If you use fresh onions, they should be on the top exposed to the direct heat
   8. Pour tomato sauce over toppings
   9. Sprinkle a bit more mozzarella on top
   10. Add pepperoni on the top if desired
   11. Bake at 450º for 20 minutes
   12. Top with fresh basil and grated Parmesan, and drizzle with EVOO

Sourdough Skillet Pizza

Start with making your Sourdough Starter.

Find it online: https://www.theperfectloaf.com/cornmeal-skillet-sourdough-pizza/

Cornmeal Skillet Sourdough Pizza

• Author: Jennifer Latham
• Prep Time: 5 hours
• Cook Time: 30 minutes
• Total Time: 5 hours 30 minutes
• Yield: 2 pizzas
• Category: Lunch, Dinner
• Cuisine: Italian, American