Chicken Potpie Casserole

I love “chicken” pot-pie. It’s comfort food, you know? Usually I make it in a pre-made pie crust. This recipe looked kind of interesting, so I thought I would give it a whirl. Toby took one bite of this and said “Oh man, this is GOOD!” I again used the Morningstar Farms fake chicken strips for this (I cut them into little pieces). The only thing I did differently (besides the fake chicken) is at the very end, where it calls for plain olive oil to be brushed onto the bread slices. Our grocery store, Wegmans, has this stuff called Basting Oil. We used it alot this summer when we grilled veggies outside. It’s basically olive oil with some herbs in it, and maybe a little crack, too, because it’s SO DANG GOOD. Anyway, so I brushed that onto the bread instead. This was really good, and a nice change from the typical pot pie.

rating: 9

Chicken Potpie Casserole
(from www.rachaelraymag.com)

Ingredients:

* 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing
* 1 small onion, finely chopped
* 2 stalks celery, halved lengthwise and cut into 1/4-inch pieces
* 1 large carrot, peeled, quartered lengthwise and cut into 1/4-inch pieces
* Salt and pepper
* One 8-ounce container sliced mushrooms
* 2 tablespoons flour
* 3/4 cup heavy cream
* 1 store-bought rotisserie chicken, meat torn into 1/2-inch pieces (about 4 cups)- I used Morningstar Farms Chick’n Strips
* 2 tablespoons finely chopped flat-leaf parsley, plus more for sprinkling (I used dried)
* 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese, plus 2 tablespoons for sprinkling
* Six to eight 1/2-inch-thick slices Italian bread

Directions:

1. Arrange a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat to 400°.
2. In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion, celery, carrots, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and cook until crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. Increase the heat to medium-high. Add the mushrooms and cook until tender, about 6 minutes. Sprinkle the flour on top; stir for 1 minute. Stir in the cream and simmer, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened, about 3 minutes. Stir in the chicken, parsley and parmesan; season with salt and pepper.
3. Transfer the chicken mixture to an 8-inch-by-10-inch baking dish. Trim the bread slices to fit on top of the chicken mixture in an even layer. Brush with olive oil and sprinkle parsley and the remaining parmesan on top. Bake until crispy, about 15 minutes.

Tomato Alphabet Soup with Parmesan Crisps

First of all, let me say right off the bat that I could NOT find alphabet pasta. I instead used “o’s”, or as they are officially called, “rings”. This soup seemed almost TOO easy. Once it was done, it sat on the stove for a little bit while Toby made us a salad, and it got a little bit thicker than a soup. I think Toby summed it up perfectly: it’s an “adult version of spaghetti-o’s!” This was REALLY good. REALLY good. The parmesan crisp kind of melts in the soup and gets it all cheesy and good. Liam loved this and asked for seconds and thirds, and then we ate it again the next day for lunch. You would think that all pasta shapes taste the same, but there is something about these o’s…I will keep looking for the alphabet pasta, because I think that would be fun for Liam (considering that he says his ABC’s about a million times a day). I can’t wait to make this one again!

rating: 9.5

Tomato Alphabet Soup with Parmesan Crisps
(from www.rachaelraymag.com)

Ingredients:

* 2 cups shredded parmesan cheese (4 ounces)
* 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
* 1/2 onion, chopped
* 1 carrot, chopped
* One 32-ounce container (4 cups) vegetable broth
* One 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
* 4 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
* 1/2 pound alphabet pasta
* Salt and pepper

Directions:

1.Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350°. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or a silicone baking liner. Sprinkle four 1/4-cup mounds of parmesan about 2 inches apart onto each prepared baking sheet; slightly flatten with a spoon. Bake until golden-brown, 6 to 8 minutes. Let cool for 30 seconds. Using a thin metal spatula, drape the crisps over a rolling pin until hardened into shape, about 3 minutes.
2.In a soup pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and carrot and cook, stirring, until softened, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the vegetable broth and tomatoes, cover, and bring to a boil.
3.Using a blender, puree the soup with the butter. In the soup pot, stir the pasta into the soup,and cook until al dente, Stir in 1 to 2 cups water, if desired. Season with salt and pepper.
4.Ladle the soup into 4 mugs and top each with 2 parmesan crisps. The parmesan crisps can be kept in an airtight container for up to 2 days.

Penne with Chard & Pine Nuts

Last night I did not get home until 5:30pm. I had a dentist appt. and then several errands to run, and I thought about picking up dinner on the way home. Instead, I made this. This didn’t take long at all to prepare, and much to my surprise, was really pretty good! When pasta doesn’t have your typical “sauce”, I never have high hopes for it. You know what makes this recipe? The pine nuts. Totally. And don’t skip the step of toasting them. I did not use the chard stems (Toby barely likes chard as it is, and I think the stems would be a deal-breaker). I also used veggie chicken broth for the real thing. I had the leftovers today for lunch. With this we had some garlic bread.

rating: 8

Penne with Chard & Pine Nuts
(from www.womansday.com)

INGREDIENTS

3 tsp olive oil
1/3 cup pine nuts (pignoli)
1 lb penne pasta
3 large cloves garlic, slivered
1 1/4 lb red Swiss chard (or a mix of white-yellow- and red-stemmed chards), stems cut in 1-in. pieces; leaves stacked and cut crosswise in ribbons
1 cup chicken broth (I used veggie chicken broth)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup oil-marinated sun-dried tomatoes, drained, cut in narrow strips
1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar

PREPARATION

1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a rapid boil.2. Heat 1 tsp oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add pine nuts; sauté 2 to 3 minutes until toasted. Remove to a small bowl.3. Stir penne into boiling water. Boil, stirring occasionally, 7 to 9 minutes until firm-tender.4. Meanwhile heat remaining 2 tsp oil in same skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic; sauté 1 minute or until fragrant. Add chard stems, broth and salt. Cover and cook 1 to 2 minutes until crisp-tender. Add chard leaves, cover and, stirring once, cook 4 to 5 minutes until wilted.5. Drain pasta and return to pot; toss with chard, pine nuts, tomatoes and vinegar. Pour into serving bowl. Sprinkle servings with cheese.Serve with: shredded Parmesan cheese

Beef, Cheddar and Potato Pie (veggie version)

I love puff pastry. Last time I cooked with it, I didn’t let it thaw out enough. This time, it was TOO thawed out. But I still love it. For this dish I used the Quorn Grounds instead of the ground beef. I also used shredded carrots instead of the called for “cubes”, and I left out the beer (I will NOT cook with beer ever again). Instead of the beer, I used some veggie stock and some cooking Sherry thrown in. Truthfully, I didn’t have too much hope for this dish. I was having problems with the puff pastry, and I was trying to come up with Plan B in my head. But this was great! Everything was perfectly cooked and was really tasty! Toby had two big servings! With this we had a nice green salad.

rating: 8.5

Beef, Cheddar and Potato Pie
(from www.rachaelraymag.com)

Ingredients:

* 2 pounds ground beef (I used 2 bags of Quorn Grounds)
* 2 carrots, cut into 1/4-inch cubes (I used shredded carrots)
* 1 large onion, cut into 1/4-inch cubes
* 2 stalks celery, cut into 1/4-inch cubes
* 1 large clove garlic, finely chopped
* 1 large baking potato, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch cubes
* 1/2 cup dark beer (I used veggie stock with some cooking sherry)
* 8 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
* Salt and pepper
* 2 sheets frozen puff pastry, thawed but cold
* 1 large egg yolk, beaten with 1 tablespoon water

Directions:

1.Preheat the oven to 375°. In a skillet, combine the beef, carrots, onion, celery, garlic and potato and cook, breaking up the meat, over medium-high heat until the beef is cooked through and some liquid has evaporated, about 15 minutes. Lower the heat to medium, add the beer and cook for 10 minutes. Add the cheese, 2 teaspoons salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Let cool.
2.On a floured surface, roll 1 puff pastry sheet into a 12-inch round. Place in a 10-inch skillet or deep pie dish. Roll the remaining puff pastry sheet into an 11-inch round. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the meat mixture to the skillet. Lightly brush the edge of the crust with some of the egg wash, then place the second sheet on top. Press the edges to seal, then trim to a 1/2-inch edge.
3.Place the pie on a baking sheet. Brush the top with more of the egg wash and cut an “X” into the pastry. Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Bake for 45 minutes, tenting with foil if the crust darkens too quickly. Transfer to a rack to cool for 15 minutes.

Scrambled Eggs in Potato Nests

I love “breakfast food” for dinner. I think I just love breakfast food all the time! It’s my favorite meal! Toby had a soccer game last night, so I decided to make this light meal for dinner. The recipe serves 12, so I halved it (hey, we like to eat here). I DID use the whole bag of refrigerated potatoes, though, and I only made 8 “nests” instead of the 12. I used some Monterey Jack cheese on half and then on the other half I used some shredded mild Cheddar. These were really good. Toby said that they were something like his mother would make up, and that they were very hearty and homey. ? I think this means they were good. With these we had a green salad.

rating: 9

Scrambled Eggs in Potato Nests
(from www.bhg.com)

Ingredients

* 1  20-oz. pkg. refrigerated shredded hash brown potatoes
* 2  eggs, beaten
* 1  Tbsp. snipped fresh chives (I used dried parsley instead)
* 1/2  tsp. salt
* 12  eggs (I used 6 eggs)
* 2/3  cup milk (I used half this amount, and used Silk soy milk)
* 1/4  tsp. salt
* 1/4  tsp. ground black pepper
* 2  Tbsp. butter or margarine
* 1-1/2  cups shredded American cheese (6 ounces) -I used shredded Monterey Jack on half and shredded mild cheddar on the other half)
*   Fresh chives (optional)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Grease a large baking sheet; set aside. In a large bowl, stir together potatoes, the 2 beaten eggs, chives, and the 1/2 teaspoon salt. Shape mixture into 12 mounds (about 1/3 cup each) on prepared baking sheet. Press the back of a tablespoon into each mound, making a nest. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until lightly browned and set.

2. Meanwhile, beat together the 12 eggs, milk, the 1/4 teaspoon salt, and pepper with a rotary beater. In a 12-inch skillet, melt butter over medium heat; pour in egg mixture. Cook over medium heat without stirring until mixture begins to set on the bottom and around edge.

3. With a spatula, lift and fold the partially cooked egg mxiture so that the uncooked portion flows underneath. Continue cooking over medium heat for 4 to 5 minutes or until egg mixture is cooked through but is still glossy and moist. Remove from heat.

4. Spoon about 1/3 cup of egg mixture into each potato nest. Sprinkle cheese over eggs. Return to oven; bake about 2 minutes or until cheese melts. If desired, garnish with chives. Makes: 12 servings

Mushroom Soup

We had this soup earlier this week, and it was the PERFECT night for it. It was cold and rainy and windy. Soup weather! This soup was really good, and it made the whole house smell yummy! Once again I got to use my much-loved immersion blender on this one. This was pretty easy to throw together, and even though Toby added hot sauce to his, I thought it was great. With this we had some cheesy foccacia rolls. Oh- Liam hates mushrooms, but ate two bowls of this. A 3 year old ate 2 bowls of soup!

rating: 8.8

Mushroom Soup
(from www.BHG.com)

Ingredients

* 1/4  cup butter
* 1  medium white onion, chopped
* 4  cloves garlic, minced
* 2  bay leaves
* 2  tsp. fresh snipped rosemary
* 1-1/2  lb. button mushrooms, coarsely chopped
* 2  14-oz. cans chicken or vegetable broth (I used veggie broth)
* 2  cups whipping cream
* 1  cup bottled roasted red peppers, drained (I omitted)
* 2  Tbsp. olive oil (I omitted)

Directions

1. In large saucepan melt butter. Add onion, garlic, bay leaves, and rosemary; cook over medium heat 5 minutes or until onion is tender. Add mushrooms; cook and stir 5 minutes. Add broth; bring to boiling. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, 5 to 10 minutes more or until mushrooms are tender. Remove bay leaves. Cool slightly.

2. In processor or blender, a third at a time, blend soup until almost smooth. Repeat with remaining soup. Return to the pan; season with salt and pepper. Bring to boiling. Whisk in cream; heat through.

3. Mash peppers; stir in oil. To serve, ladle soup in bowls, top with mashed peppers, sprinkle snipped rosemary. Serves 12.

Pasta with Brie, mushrooms, and arugula

I think Brie makes just about anything taste better.  This recipe was pretty darn easy to make, and I wasn’t sure if it would be flavorful enough, but it was! Toby’s comment was “I am not sure I like arugula.” Well, I think the arugula MADE this dish. Something about a forkful of the pasta, the cheese, mushrooms, and then the peppery arugula. MMMM. I suppose you could sub spinach. Really good. Serve this with some warm crusty bread.

rating: 8.5

Pasta with Brie, mushrooms, and arugula

(from the Nov. 09 issue of Real Simple magazine)

Serves 4 Hands-On Time: 20m Total Time: 20m

Ingredients

• 12 ounces penne (3/4 box)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 pound button mushrooms, quartered
• 1 small red onion, sliced
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• kosher salt and black pepper
• 8 ounces Brie, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 4 cups baby arugula

Directions

1. Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Reserve ½ cup of the pasta water, drain the pasta, and return it to the pot.
2. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and onion and cook, tossing occasionally, until the mushrooms begin to release their juices, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the wine, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper and cook until the mushrooms begin to brown, 5 to 6 minutes.
3. Toss the pasta with the Brie and reserved pasta water until the pasta is coated. Stir in the mushroom mixture and arugula.

Quick Mushroom-Barley Soup

I don’t think I have ever cooked with barley before. Barley is….very chewy. Not sure if I love it or not. Anywho, this soup was ok. I didn’t love it. I told Toby it didn’t knock my socks off. I used matchstick carrots instead of rounds, and I used vegetarian “chicken” broth.  With this we had a salad and some bread. Eh.

rating: 5
Quick Mushroom-Barley Soup
(from www.allyou.com)

Ingredients

• 2  tablespoons  vegetable oil
• 1  onion, finely chopped
• 2  carrots, cut into 1/4-inch-thick rounds (I used matchstick carrots)
• 10  ounce  white or cremini mushrooms, sliced
• 1  cup  pearl barley
• 1/2  teaspoon  dried oregano
• 1/2  teaspoon  dried thyme
• 3  cups  low-sodium chicken broth (I used veggie chicken broth)
• Salt and pepper

Preparation

1. Warm oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and carrots and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 8 minutes. Add mushrooms and sauté until they release their liquid, about 5 minutes. Add barley, oregano and thyme and stir 1 minute.

2. Add chicken broth and 3 cups water and bring to a boil. Lower heat, cover and simmer until barley is tender, about 30 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and serve.

 

Mushroom Pies with Pear Salad

Well, the Food Network magazine has done it again. This was AWESOME. Toby said several times how great it was, and then he said “This is in your top 10 of best meals EVER.” Ever! I had my doubts about this. I wondered how in the world the portobello cap was going to cook in 25 minutes, all wrapped up in that dough?! I thought it might be a little undercooked. Nope. The crust was so flaky and good, and the mushroom was perfectly tender inside. We felt a little decadent, cutting into this cute little pie! And the salad was good as well! I told Toby that this would be a good dish to have when we have friends over for dinner, and he agreed, and said we should also have this salad, too, since they go so well together. I put my puff pastry in the fridge to thaw all day, but when I got it out at dinner-time, it was still a little frozen. It wouldn’t roll out much, and instead of just using the one sheet, I ended up using both. Oh well. I had alot of the cheese/bread crumb mixture left over as well. I would say next time to use maybe 1.5 cups of cheese instead of 2. Again, this was SO good. Top 10, people! Top 10!

rating: 9.7

Mushroom Pies with Pear Salad
(from the Nov. 2009 issue of the Food Network magazine)

* Cooking spray
* All-purpose flour, for dusting
* 1 sheet frozen puff pastry (half of a 17.3-ounce package), thawed
* 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
* Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
* 4 large portobello mushroom caps
* 1/3 cup breadcrumbs
* 2 cups shredded cheddar and/or muenster cheese
* 1 large egg, beaten
* 1 shallot, thinly sliced
* 1 1/2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
* 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
* 6 ounces mache or other salad greens (about 6 cups)
* 1 pear, thinly sliced

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and mist with cooking spray.

On a lightly floured surface, roll the puff pastry into a 14-inch square and cut into four 7-inch squares. Brush the center of each with mustard and season with salt and pepper. Place the mushrooms gill-side up on the pastry and season with salt and pepper.

Toss the breadcrumbs and cheese in a bowl and sprinkle over the mushrooms. Fold in the pastry edges, pleating to fully cover the mushrooms; press to seal. Brush both sides of the pastry with the beaten egg. Place seam-side down on the baking sheet, make slits in the top and bake until golden and crisp, 25 minutes. Let cool slightly.

Meanwhile, combine the shallot, vinegar, and salt and pepper to taste in a bowl, then whisk in the olive oil. Toss the dressing with the salad greens and pear. Serve the salad with the mushroom pies.

Guy Fieri’s Holy Haluski

We love watching Diners, Drive-In’s and Dives on tv. I get alot of good ideas from this show! Mostly it just makes me hungry. We saw this episode where this woman made this dish, and the host (Guy) tasted it and said that he loved it and that HE was going to make it at home. This is that dish. It was in the Food Network magazine that I get, and I knew I had to give it a try. I, of course, left out the pancetta, and was just going to omit it, but then at the last minute decided to fry up 3 strips of vegetarian bacon and use those instead. I also got frustrated while cutting up my head of cabbage and only used about 3/4 of it. This has alot of flavor! At first Toby said he didn’t think that he liked it, but he kept eating it and even got seconds! He said that he thinks it’s the texture that turns him off (the onions and cabbage being “slimy”), but the more he ate it, the more he liked it. He said next time less cabbage and more capers. I really think that egg noodles in a dish makes anything taste good, but I really liked this one. I ate some for lunch too! This is just a nice combination of unique flavors. Try it!

rating: 8

Guy Fieri’s Holy Haluski
(from The Food Network magazine)

• Kosher salt
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter
• 1/2 pound thinly sliced pancetta, diced (I used Morningstar Farms fake bacon)
• 2 large onions, sliced 1/4 inch thick
• 1 medium head green cabbage, cored and sliced 1/2 inch thick
• 1 cup carrots, cut in 1/4-inch julienne
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme (I used dried thyme)
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
• 8 ounces wide egg noodles
• 3 tablespoons minced garlic
• 3 tablespoons capers, rinsed and drained
• 1 cup green peas, preferably fresh, shelled, but can substitute frozen
• 1/4 cup white wine
• 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves (I omitted)

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil for the noodles.

2. In a large Dutch oven, melt 1 tablespoon of the butter over medium heat and add the pancetta. Cook, stirring, until crisp, 12 to 14 minutes. Remove the pancetta to a paper-towel-lined plate to drain. Reserve.

3. Strain the fat from the pancetta into a bowl and wipe the pot clean. Add back in 2 tablespoons of the pancetta fat and melt the remaining 3 tablespoons butter in the pot. Reserve the remaining pancetta fat for another use or discard.

4. Add the onions, cabbage, carrots and thyme. Season with 1 teaspoon salt and half the pepper. Stir to coat the vegetables with the butter. Cover and cook until the cabbage is wilted and almost tender, about 10 minutes. Uncover and simmer until the cabbage is very tender, about 10 more minutes.

5. While the cabbage cooks, add the noodles to the boiling water and cook according to the package directions.

6. Increase the heat to high and cook, stirring, until the cabbage and onions are golden, 10 to 12 minutes. Add in the garlic and capers and cook for 1 minute. Add the peas, deglaze the pan with the white wine and add the lemon juice. Add in three-quarters of the pancetta, combine well and remove from heat.

7. Drain the noodles and add to the pot with the cabbage. Toss well to coat the noodles with the cabbage and onion mixture. Sprinkle with the parsley, remaining pancetta and the remaining pepper.

Serve immediately.