Chile Relleno Casserole

We adore Chile Rellenos but they are an absolute pain in the bottom to stuff and fry,  so we enjoy them as a once in a while treat when we happen to go to a Mexican restaurant…which trust me, isn’t all that often. 

This though is an easy casserole and it has all the wonderful flavor of the real thing, without all the work and also without any of the gluten that is used for the typical fry coating.  There are many recipes for similar casseroles on the internet, but this version, of no recipe in particular, is our favorite.  It’s not overly spicy hot, just tingly so.  The balance of flavors is spot on and the casserole reheats perfectly, who could ask for more?  Make and enjoy!

Chile Relleno Casserole

• 4 large fresh poblanos
• 1 TBS. olive oil 
• 1/4 medium onion, diced
• 1 lb.  ground beef (or ground turkey or chicken)
• 1 1/2 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese
• 3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp. cumin
• 1/2 tsp. Himalayan salt
• 1/2 tsp. fresh ground pepper

Preheat oven to 375F.  Char the skin of the peppers, either on an outdoor grill, over the burner of a gas stove or under the broiler.  Once the skin is charred on all sides, put the peppers in a bag to allow them to sweat.  While the peppers are sweating, heat the olive oil in a skillet and sauté the onions until golden.  Add the beef to the onions and brown until fully cooked. Once the peppers have cooled enough to be handled, remove the stem and seeds and the skin.  Grease an 8x10-inch pan with olive oil and arrange three of the peppers to cover the bottom of the pan.  Cover the peppers with the beef & onion mix.  Spread the cheese on top of the beef.  Lice the remaining poblano into strips and arrange over the cheese.  In a bowl, whisk together the heavy whipping cream, eggs, cumin, salt & pepper.  Pour the cream mixture over the cheese.  Bake for 35-40 minutes uncovered, until golden and bubbly.  Serve hot, room temperature or cold, all ways are delicious.  Top with sour cream if desired.  To reheat, place desired portion on a plate and heat in microwave.

Enjoy!!

Baked Reuben Casserole

I don’t remember where I first saw a recipe for this casserole but as soon as I did, I knew that I had to make it for Eammon as he adores Reuben sandwiches so I thought this would be perfect for him.  I know that once I decided to make this Reuben Casserole I searched the internet and found numerous variations and put together this recipe.

The casserole was simple to put together and Eammon (and my Dad who also enjoyed some) said that it tasted just like a delicious Reuben sandwich.  I have never tried a Reuben sandwich as I don’t care for rye bread, corned beef, sauerkraut or Thousand Island salad dressing so I’m totally taking their word on how this casserole tasted but with the amount that they both ate…well it had to be good.

Baked Reuben Casserole

• 5 slices seeded Jewish rye bread (or rye bread of your choice)
• 3/4 lb. very thinly sliced, almost shaved, corned beef
• 1 14.5 oz can sauerkraut, well drained
• 1 teaspoon caraway seeds
• 3/4 lb. Swiss cheese, shredded
• 3 eggs
• 1/2 c. milk (I used skimmed)
• 1/4 c. heavy cream
• 1 c. Thousand Island salad dressing
• 1/3 c. prepared yellow mustard
• 1 tsp. fresh ground pepper 

Preheat oven to 350F.  Coat an 8x8-inch casserole dish with cooking spray.  Cut three pieces of the bread into 1-inch cubes and line the bottom of the dish with them.  Place half of the corned beef over the cubed bread and lightly press down the layers as you go.  Spread the sauerkraut evenly over the corned beef and then top with half of the shredded cheese.  Evenly sprinkle the cheese with the caraway seeds.  Evenly spread the remaining corned beef over the previous layers and finish with the remaining cheese.  

In a small bowl whisk the eggs, milk, cream, Thousand Island dressing, mustard & ground pepper until fully mixed.  Pour the egg mixture over the casserole and allow it to sit and sink in for 10 minutes. 

Finely dice the remaining two slices of bread and spread it over the casserole.  Bake for 60 minutes, until the top is golden brown and the casserole is set in the middle.  Check the casserole after 45 minutes and if the bread crumbs are beginning to get too dark, lightly tent the casserole with aluminum foil during the last 15 minutes of cooking.  Once the casserole is fully cooked, remove from the oven and allow it to rest for 15 minutes before cutting and serving. 

Enjoy!

Favorite Fall Recipe - Savory Corn Crumble

Weather wise I am truly a summer person, always telling people that the happiest day of my life was the day I sold my snow blower and moved from Boston to Georgia, thus leaving the snow and super cold weather behind.  Fall though is my favorite time of year when it comes to cooking because I enjoy heating up the house making delicious smelling recipes which warm both the body and soul.  Soups, curries and casseroles are my favorites to make as they generally take little work, feed us for days and are the perfect comfort foods. 

On my Moments with Maisie blog I have spoken numerous times about our garden and though we don’t plant a fall garden it’s late in the summer season is when we get our butternut squash harvest and some years it’s crazy huge so we’re always looking for delicious ways to enjoy the squash like in my Roasted & Curried Veggie Soup.  Ever since I was a little girl I have loved butternut squash so when I was asked by Foodie Blogroll to participate in their Favorite Fall Recipe promotion*** and that it was Savory Corn Crumble with Butternut Squash, Spinach and Feta from Ivy of Kopiaste, well I just had to join in.  I hope that you’ll check out Ivy’s recipe, my easy Roasted & Curried Veggie Soup and though it doesn’t contain butternut squash, one of our favorite comfort food casseroles…just click on the casserole picture at the bottom of the post.  Oh and with our large butternut squash harvest, I’d love if you’d share some of your favorite butternut squash recipes, leave your recipe and or link in the comments. 

 

Savory Corn Crumble with Butternut Squash, Spinach and Feta, recipe by Ivy Liacopoulou of Kopiaste…to Greek Hospitality

Preparation time: 30 minutes

Baking time: 1 hour

Serves: 1 baking dish (about 12 pieces)

Ingredients:

Filling:

• 2 lbs butternut Squash, grated
• 1 lbs spinach, squeezed
• ½ cup olive oil
• 2 eggs
• 1 lbs feta, crumbled
• ½ cup parsley, finely chopped
• ½ cup fennel fronds, finely chopped
• Salt (with caution) and freshly grated black pepper
• A pinch of cumin

Crumble:

• 1.5 lbs corn meal
• 1 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 200 ml Greek yogurt 2%
• 4 eggs
• 1 tbsp salt

Additional ingredients:

• 3 tbsp margarine divided (to grease the baking tin and to add on top)

Directions:

1. Grate the pumpkin and mix all the filling ingredients.
2. In a large bowl add the crumble ingredients and mix using your hand until the ingredients are well blended to form the crumble. If you still see corn meal, add more olive oil, if necessary.
3. Grease a 35 x 25 cm baking tin with 2 tbsp margarine. Add half of the crumble on the baking tin.
4. Add the filling on top and sprinkle the remaining crumble on top of the filling.
5. Add the remaining margarine in small pieces scattered all over the baking tin.
6. Preheat oven to 180o C / 350o F and bake for about 1 hour or until the crumble is golden on top.

Serve as a main dish, a side dish or a snack.

Below is one of our favorite fall comfort foods though it doesn’t contain butternut squash it’s totally delicious!  Loaded Potato & Buffalo Chicken Casserole, click on the picture to be taken to the recipe.

 

***This sponsorship is brought to you by GLAM Media who we have partnered with for this promotion.

Enjoy!

Slimmed Down Loaded Potato & Buffalo Chicken Casserole

My friend Lisa recently had surgery and while she recovered I wanted to make dinner for her and her family.  Lisa has been on Weight Watchers and she really liked the sound of my Loaded Potato & Buffalo Chicken Casserole so I set out to make a healthier version for her and her family. 

I cut way back on the oil that I used in the recipe and it made for a thicker coating on the potatoes which I really liked.

I used less potatoes, creating only a single layer in the pan.

Because I used less oil I had less leftover oil/hot sauce left in the bowl to use for marinating the chicken.

Though there was enough to coat the chicken, I think that next time I will just add a few dashes of extra hot sauce to the chicken.

The potatoes roasted up beautifully with the reduced oil and I loved the thicker coating of the hot sauce mixture.

Raw marinated chicken placed on top of the roasted potatoes,

In place of the regular bacon I used turkey bacon and for the cheese I used Weight Watchers Reduced-fat shredded Mexican-style cheese.

Ready for the oven.

The casserole baked up the nicely though not quite as gooey melty as when I use other cheese.  The reviews, well Lisa and her family loved the casserole and finished off the entire pan and if asked to make a slimmed down version again I wouldn’t hesitate to make this exactly as written below.  Also, after making this slimmed down version and seeing how it worked out, I think that in the future I will only use the reduced amount of olive oil and if needed I’ll add a bit of extra hot sauce to help marinate the chicken. As far as the bacon and cheese, just because of my personal taste preferences I’ll most likely continue using real bacon and regular cheese.  So in the future our family will enjoy a less slimmed down version but I guess cutting any bit of fat out of a recipe is good for the diet. 

Slimmed Down Loaded Potato & Buffalo Chicken Casserole

• 24 oz. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 30 oz. potatoes, cut into 1/2-inch cubes  (I leave the skin on)
• 2 TBS. olive oil 
• 1 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 TBS. freshly ground pepper
• 1 TBS. paprika 
• 2 TBS. garlic powder 
• 6 TBS. hot sauce 

Topping:

• 8 oz. Weight Watchers Reduced-fat shredded Mexican-style cheese
• 6 oz. turkey bacon, diced and pan fried until crispy
• 1 c diced green onion

Preheat oven to 500F.  In a large bowl mix together the olive oil, salt, pepper, paprika, garlic powder & hot sauce.  Add the cubed potatoes and stir to coat.  Carefully scoop the potatoes into a cooking spray coated 9 x 13 inch baking dish, leaving behind as much of the olive oil/hot sauce mix as possible.  Bake the potatoes for 45-50 minutes, stirring every 10-15 minutes, until cooked through and crispy & browned on the outside.  While the potatoes are cooking, add the cubed chicken to the bowl with the leftover olive oil/hot sauce mix and stir to coat.  Once the potatoes are fully cooked, remove from the oven and lower the oven temperature to 400F.  Top the cooked potatoes with the raw marinated chicken.  In a bowl mix together the cheese, cooked turkey bacon & green onion and top the raw chicken with the cheese mix.  Return the casserole to the oven and bake for 15 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and the topping is bubbly delicious.  Serve with extra hot sauce and/or ranch dressing.

Enjoy!

Loaded Potato & Buffalo Chicken Casserole

This is my sixth month participating in the Improv Cooking Challenge which is hosted by Kristen of Frugal Antics of a Harried Homemaker.  As always I looked forward to participating and finding or coming up with a great recipe which included the two theme ingredients.  This month the participating bloggers were asked to make any recipe of their choosing using the two given ingredients of potatoes & cheese.  I knew immediately what I was going to make as this recipe has been a favorite in our home for a few years and as I haven’t made it in ages nor have I ever posted the recipe to my blog, well it was time to make it.  Back the end of 2006 when we first brought Maisie home, not only was I very sick but she wanted no part of me putting her down or leaving her so that I could cook.  Because we still needed to eat, I started going one night every month or so to one of those kitchens where in two hours you partially prepared twelve meals and then you brought them home to your freezer.  When dinner time would roll around all I would have to do was take my prepared items and quickly cook them.  It was nice because we were eating real food that I had previously prepped, but at home I had virtually no clean-up and my time in the kitchen was mere minutes. This recipe was inspired by one of the meals I once prepared in that kitchen but through the years I’ve changed and adapted the recipe to suite our tastes and this is the version I have been making for a few years.

NOTE:  A reduced fat & lower calorie version can be found here:  Slimmed Down Loaded Potato & Buffalo Chicken Casserole 

My previous Improv Cooking Challenge entries:
February 2012  Ginger & Carrots:  Shrimp & Avocado Salad with Carrot Ginger Dressing
January 2012 Lemon & Sour Cream:  Ponderosa Lemon & Sour Cream Tart 
December 2011 Eggnog & Cranberries:  Eggnog Popovers with Cranberry Butter 
November 2011 Pumpkin & Cream Cheese:  Praline Pumpkin Cheesecake 
October 2011 Caramel & Apples:  Caramel Stuffed Apple Cider Cookies 

In a large bowl mix together the olive oil, hot sauce, salt, pepper, garlic powder & paprika.

Add the potatoes and stir to coat.

Add the potatoes to a greased baking dish.

 When scooping the potatoes into the baking dish, leave behind any extra olive oil/hot sauce mix.

Add the diced chicken to the “left behind” olive oil/hot sauce mix and stir to coat all the chicken.  Allow to marinate as the potatoes bake.

Roast the potatoes for 45-50 minutes, stirring every 10-15 minutes, until cooked through and nice and crispy on the outside.

Once the potatoes are fully cooked add the marinated chicken.

In a large bowl mix all the topping ingredients together.

Top the raw chicken with the topping.

Bake until the chicken is cooked through and the topping is melted and bubbly delicious.

 
Loaded Potato & Buffalo Chicken Casserole 

• 2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 8-10 medium potatoes, cut into 1/2-inch cubes  (I leave the skin on)
• 1/3 cup olive oil 
• 1 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 TBS. freshly ground pepper
• 1 TBS. paprika 
• 2 TBS. garlic powder 
• 6 TBS. hot sauce 

Topping:

• 2 c. Fiesta Blend Cheese or a mix of Cheddar & Monterey Jack
• 1 c. crumbled bacon 
• 1 c diced green onion

Preheat oven to 500F (This is NOT a typo, 500F is correct!)  In a large bowl mix together the olive oil, salt, pepper, paprika, garlic powder & hot sauce.  Add the cubed potatoes and stir to coat.  Carefully scoop the potatoes into a cooking spray coated 9 x 13 inch baking dish, leaving behind as much of the olive oil/hot sauce mix as possible.  Bake the potatoes for 45-50 minutes, stirring every 10-15 minutes, until cooked through and crispy & browned on the outside.  While the potatoes are cooking, add the cubed chicken to the bowl with the leftover olive oil/hot sauce mix and stir to coat.  Once the potatoes are fully cooked, remove from the oven and lower the oven temperature to 400F.  Top the cooked potatoes with the raw marinated chicken.  In a bowl mix together the cheese, bacon & green onion and top the raw chicken with the cheese mix.  Return the casserole to the oven and bake for 15 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and the topping is bubbly delicious.  Serve with extra hot sauce and/or ranch dressing.

Enjoy!

Potato Crusted Garden Quiche

This morning we went over to our friend's Trixie & Roger's home for brunch and I was asked to bring along a quiche so I decided to experiment a little and made up my recipe from what I had and as I went along. From our garden I had a number of yellow squash as well as a good bunch of long beans so I thought that if I roasted them, they would be delicious. I also thought that if I added a head of roasted garlic, it would give the quiche a great flavor too. I'm also not a big fan of pie crusts and as a rule I don't make them and I didn't have any frozen ones in the house so, to change it up a little I chose to make a potato crust and it was a hit with everyone. I love that quiche is so versatile, so easy to switch up the cheese, veggies and/or meats to suite any taste. This combination was a great success and I would definitely make it again.

Potato Crusted Garden Quiche

For the filling:
A good handful of long beans, cut into 2-inch pieces
A couple of yellow squash, quartered lengthwise and then cut into finger width pieces.
One medium onion, diced
One head of garlic, cut to expose the cloves
olive oil
2 cups shredded Jarlsberg
12 slices crispy bacon, cut in pieces I use the pre-cooked and just microwave it to crisp it up.
6 large eggs
2 cups light cream
3/4 teaspoon nutmeg 
Salt & Pepper to taste

For the Crust:
6 Tablespoons butter
1 medium onion, shredded
6 cups shredded potato, could also use frozen shredded hash brown potatoes, thawed and squeezed dry
Salt & Pepper to taste

Pre-heat oven to 400F. On a foil lined baking sheet toss beans with a little olive oil, salt and pepper and spread on one side of the baking pan. On the other side of the pan toss together the yellow squash & diced onion also drizzled with a little olive oil and some salt & pepper. On a separate piece of foil put garlic head drizzled with olive oil, season with salt & pepper and seal foil around the garlic. Roast the veggies and garlic for about 25 minutes. I kept the beans and squash separate in case I needed to pull the beans before the squash but in the end they all roasted the same amount of time. Once tender and a little golden, remove from oven, allow garlic to continue roasting another 20-25 minutes or while the crust bakes.

While the veggies are roasting, shred onion and peeled potatoes. Squeeze potatoes and onions dry. In a 9x13-inch baking pan melt 6 Tablespoons of butter in the oven and then swirl pan to grease bottom and sides. Add the dried onions & potatoes to the buttered pan along with some salt & pepper and toss to coat with the butter. Press potato mixture to cover the bottom and up the sides of the pan. Bake at 400F for 25 minutes or until golden. At this point you can pull from the oven and add the filling or you can allow the crust to cool and then chill until ready to make and bake the quiche.

Lower oven temp to 350F

To make the custard, squeeze the roasted garlic bulbs into a bowl and mash. Add one of the eggs to the garlic and whisk together. Add the remaining 5 eggs, cream, nutmeg and season with salt & pepper, whisk together.

Into the cooked potato crust layer first the roasted beans & yellow squash topped with the shredded cheese and then top with the bacon. Pour the custard mix in and then bake for 35 minutes until top is golden and quiche is set.

Let rest for at least 30 minutes or allow to cool to room temp before serving.

Enjoy!

Corn Soufflé

Not a fabulous picture but this this Corn Soufflé is absolutely delightful and it makes an appearance on our table each Thanksgiving, Christmas and any other time I want a special corn dish.  What I love about this dish is that the taste is light, creamy and just a bit sweet, like the best fresh picked corn of the summer.  I also love that I can mix everything up a day or two ahead and just pour it into my prepared dish and bake it when needed.  Even better, it reheats beautifully so make this dish, you and your guests will be delighted.

Corn Soufflé

• 5 lg. eggs
• 2 c. frozen white baby corn kernels, thawed & well drained
• 1 (15-oz.) can cream style corn
• 1 1/4 c. whole milk
• 1 1/4 c. heavy whipping cream
• 1/3 c. all-purpose flour
• 1 Tbs. sugar
• 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp sea salt 

Preheat oven to 375F. Position rack in the center of the oven. Butter an 8"x8"x2" glass baking dish. In a large bowl, whisk eggs then add remaining ingredients mixing until well blended. Pour into prepared dish. Bake until top is golden brown and knife inserted into the center comes out clean, about 70 minutes.

Enjoy!