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Fast & Easy Dinner: Potato "Lasagna"

partysugar — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 10:30:49 -0800

Although this hearty dish is called a "lasagna," it's somewhere between the classic potato gratin and the old-school casserole. Layers of thinly sliced potatoes are topped with canned tomatoes and a bacon-spinach mixture. Grated cheese finishes off the one-pan meal that pairs perfectly with a simple green salad.

While it needs 45 minutes in the oven, the prep time is minimal. To learn how to make this crowd-pleasing, innovative dish, read more.

Potato "Lasagna"
From Real Simple

Ingredients

1/4 pound bacon (about 5 slices), cut into 1/4-inch pieces
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
1 10-ounce package frozen spinach, defrosted and squeezed dry
1 1/2 cups milk
1 egg
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
4 pounds Idaho potatoes (about 4 large potatoes), peeled and cut into 1/8-inch slices
1 28-ounce can whole tomatoes, drained and roughly chopped
4 ounces Swiss, Cheddar, or mozzarella, shredded

Directions

Heat oven to 450° F.
In a large skillet over medium heat, combine the bacon and onion. Cook until the onion is caramelized and golden brown, 9 to 10 minutes. Remove from heat, mix in the spinach, and set aside.
Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together the milk, egg, salt, and oregano. Set aside.
Coat a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with vegetable spray. Arrange 1 layer of potatoes, overlapping slightly. Spread the tomatoes evenly on top of the potatoes. Pour 1/3 of the milk mixture over the tomatoes.
Add another layer of potatoes and then the bacon-spinach mixture, spreading evenly. Top with another third of the milk mixture. Finish with the last layer of potatoes and sprinkle on the shredded cheese. Drizzle the remaining milk mixture over the dish.
Cover with foil and bake for 45 minutes. Remove the foil and bake another 10 minutes or until the cheese is golden brown. Remove from oven and let rest, covered, for 10 minutes before serving.

Serves 6.

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6 Delicious Egg Breakfasts Perfect For Christmas Morning

partysugar — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 03:00:56 -0800

Wouldn't it be lovely to wake up on Christmas morning and find a pile of fabulous presents and an effortless homemade breakfast? While I can't guarantee that Santa will be generous, I can help you in the breakfast department. Instead of slaving over the stove in the morning, assemble one of these savory egg dishes on Christmas Eve. Refrigerate overnight and bake off Christmas morning while you open presents. Voila - scrumptious, uncomplicated Christmas brunch!

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Must Read: The Best Casserole Cookbook Ever

partysugar — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 07:45:08 -0800

Due to the difficult economic climate, in the past couple of months, the casserole - a one-pot dish that feeds a crowd and often consists of budget-friendly ingredients - has made a strong comeback. To fully embrace the trend, I recently obtained a copy of The Best Casserole Cookbook Ever ($24.95) by Beatrice Ojakangas. It's filled with over 500 casserole recipes, and to find out what I thought of this cookbook, read more.

Pros:

The book takes a healthy approach to casseroles by encouraging home cooks to make their own sauces to replace the "cream of" soups.
There's a loose interpretation of the word "casserole." According to the author, casserole can "refer either to the dish that the food is cooked in or to the food itself." So, while there are plenty of classic casserole recipes, there are also tons of recipes for one-pot, baked dishes.
The book covers every type of cuisine and cooking procedure, from classic breakfast dishes to Moroccan-influenced dinners to casseroles for two.

Cons:

Some of the recipes lack important details. For example, step two in the chili con queso recipe says to "melt butter in a small skillet and add the green onions and poblano peppers. Saute for 5 minutes." The recipe fails to mention the temperature of the stove.
The ingredient lists have too many options, leaving it up to the home cook to decide what to include in the casserole. A recipe will say "heavy cream or sour cream" "4 slices of bacon or 1/2 cup cooked ham." Surely the casserole tastes different depending on which ingredient is used. I prefer for the cookbook author to tell me which one tastes better.
There are virtually no color photographs. In fact, there are almost no photos at all.

Recipes: The focus of this book is clearly the recipes and there is definitely something for everyone. Here are the casserole recipes I would like to make:

All of the hot cheese slather spreads in the appetizer section
Cheese and sausage breakfast pie
Chicken Marengo
Chicken, polenta, and morel casserole
Beer-baked Irish beef
Fiesta casserole
Casserole-braised lamb shanks
Crab melt casserole
Corn and chive pudding
Peaches and cream dessert casserole

Imagery: There are about 16 color photographs in the entire book. Although these images are mouthwatering and professional, some seem a little too stylized.

Overall Rating: If you love casseroles or use the oven to do most of your cooking, you will love this book. The insane quantity of recipes guarantees that you'll be using it in the years to come.

Trend Alert: The Casserole's Back

YumSugar — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 08:00:55 -0800

Casserole has long had a bad rap, but after many years, it appears to be shedding its negative image and staging a comeback.

These hot entrées hit their pinnacle of popularity in the 1960s, when housewives relied on the easy formula to put dinner on the table. Over the years, however, people grew to associate the word casserole with unappetizing mixtures of mystery meats and canned soups, and casseroles went the way of the tape player. Enter the current economic crisis, and casserole dishes have been reappearing everywhere. To see why, read more.

On Nov. 10, one passionate casserole chef, Emily Farris, will organize her fourth annual casserole party, a showdown between the best casserole dishes. She's also just released a much-discussed cookbook, Casserole Crazy, with non-traditional recipes from star chefs like Paula Deen and Donatella Arpaia.

Today Kraft Foods announced a casserole competition, challenging five bloggers to create an original casserole recipe using its Velveeta cheese product that costs under $10 and feeds a family of four for two meals. And Campbell's even has an entire site dedicated to the creation of casseroles.

One thing's for sure: Casserole's not going away anytime soon, regardless of your feelings for it. Are you excited to see more of it?

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Off to Market Recap: Casserole Dish

partysugar — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 06:45:52 -0800

When I made lasagna, I was horrified to realize I don't own a large casserole dish. I ended up having to make the lasagna in two pie dishes. To avoid this situation in the future, I asked you to help me find a casserole dish. You headed off to market in search of a large, oven- and dishwasher-safe serving vessel that can hold everything from potato gratin to white chocolate brownies. You saved the dishes in the Yum Market on TeamSugar with the keyword tag, Casserole Dish.

I'm madly in love with this Le Creuset casserole set in Caribbean blue. Aimeeb discovered this two-piece set that comes with 12-inch rectangular and 9-inch square baking dishes. It's on sale, which means I'll be able to afford it! Browse all the baking dishes you bookmarked below.

Geeksugar has put together an article that explains how to bookmark on TeamSugar. Check it out for more details!

Off to Market: Casserole Dish

partysugar — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 06:45:08 -0800

Last week I decided to make lasagna. My sausage tomato sauce was done, the cheese was grated, and the pasta ready, when I realized I don't own a large casserole dish! I ended up having to make the lasagna in two pie dishes. To avoid this situation in the future, I need to invest in a casserole dish. Let's head off to market in search of large, oven- and dishwasher-safe serving vessels that can hold everything from potato gratin to white chocolate brownies. Bookmark the dishes in the Yum Market on TeamSugar with the keyword tag Casserole Dish. I appreciate your help!

GeekSugar has put together a post that explains how to bookmark. Check it out for more details! Not sure where to start looking? Be inspired by some of my favorite online stores when you read more

Bed Bath & Beyond
CB2
Cooking.com
Crate & Barrel
Ikea
Linens and Things
NapaStyle
Pier 1
Plum Party
Pottery Barn
Sur La Table
Target
Restoration Hardware
Williams Sonoma
Wishing Fish
World Market

Reader Recipe: Doritos Chicken Casserole

YumSugar — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 15:28:31 -0800

This week's reader recipe comes from TeamSugar member LaylaCams. The recipe was actually submitted by LisaK and is a twist on a regular chicken casserole. The twist? A layer of crushed Doritos. That's right, Doritos. I really don't think I need to say much more! To get the recipe, read more.

Doritos Chicken Casserole
Submitted by TeamSugar member LaylaCams

I made LisaK's Chicken Casserole for dinner tonight.

1 whole chicken (lv) or 1 package of boneless skinless breasts or chicken tenders (sv) I usually buy a 3 pack of breasts.
1 can of Rotel
1 or 2 cans of Cream of Chicken Mushroom soup (I used 2, hers called for 1)
1 small onion
1 bell pepper
1 32-oz. carton of Swanson Natural Goodness 33 percent lower sodium chicken broth (only needed for the sv) or 3-4 cups of chicken broth from where you boiled the whole chicken (lv)
1 bag of Doritos - the corn flavor in the yellow bag
1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese (or more depending on how cheesy you want it)

*I used the Nacho Cheese Doritos*

Boil your chicken until done. If your using a whole chicken, season water with celery, carrots, salt, etc to make a broth.
Set chicken aside and let cool. Chop up bell pepper and onion and saute in a pan for about 5 minutes.

Add chicken broth, soup and rotel and heat until soup is melted.

In a 9-x-13 baking dish, spray with nonstick coating. Pour half the bag of Doritos into the pan and crush. Depending on how thick you want the crust, you can add more or less.
I used my love Pampered Chef casserole dish, not a 19-x-13 in.

Tear up chicken and cover the Doritos. Pour sauce over mixture, cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove foil and cover with grated cheese. Bake for 10 more minutes.

If you are using the can broth, always use the lower sodium otherwise it is too salty.

The soup and chicken broth mixture is going to be VERY thin. Don't fret, once you bake it, it will thicken up and the Doritos will absorb some of it

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Today's Special: Tuna Casserole

partysugar — Wed, 07 Mar 2007 08:54:18 -0800

Lately my dad has been into making old school classics for dinner. Dishes that he used to make thirty years ago that were delicious then and still are today. It's important to make these comforting dishes every once in a while because they bring a sense of nostalgia to the meal and so that the recipes and flavors are not lost forever. I enjoy making my father's old recipes from 1977 and updating them to suite the needs of 2007. Tuna casserole is a dish my grandma used to make when he was a kid and is wonderful now when made with fresh mushrooms and higher quality tuna steaks. To make this old fashioned favorite, read more

Tuna Casserole
From Rachael Ray

1/2 loaf day-old crusty bread or 2 crusty day-old rolls
1 to 1 1/4 pounds tuna steaks, 1-inch thick -- 2 big steaks
1 cup white wine
Water
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon peppercorns
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
4 tablespoons butter, divided
2 large shallots, chopped
16 small button mushrooms, thinly sliced
Salt and pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons ground thyme or poultry seasoning
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups chicken stock
1/2 cup heavy cream or half-and-half
1 cup baby frozen peas
1 pound extra-wide egg noodles, cooked to al dente or 12 ounces, 1 box, egg fettuccini
Chopped fresh parsley leaves, to garnish

Place bread in warm oven, 250 degrees F, to dry and toast, 20 minutes.
Place tuna in a skillet and add wine, then water -- just enough to cover fish. Add bay leaf and peppercorns. Bring liquids to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer and cover skillet. Poach fish for 12 minutes.
Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add oil and 2 tablespoons butter--reserve remaining 2 tablespoons butter. Add shallots and mushrooms and season with salt and pepper. Saute gently for 5 minutes.
Sprinkle in ground thyme or poultry seasoning and flour and cook flour 1 minute, stirring with whisk.
Whisk in stock, then cream. Adjust seasonings. Add peas.
Remove cooked, poached tuna to a bowl and flake fish with a fork.
Add cooked noodles and tuna to sauce. Remove sauce from heat and transfer mixture to a casserole or serving dish.
Use the widest cutting edge on a box grater to grate the bread into large crumbs. Melt remaining 2 tablespoons butter in a small cup in microwave and pour melted butter over bread.
Scatter buttery bread crumbs and parsley over the top of the casserole. Serve immediately.

Serves 6.

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Sweet Potato Casserole Two Ways - Beginner and Expert

YumSugar — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 05:30:20 -0800

For Thanksgiving, sweet potato casserole is a surefire winner: those who don't eat vegetables and kids who won't eat yams will happily sink their forks into this delicious casserole. While the toppings vary based on the recipe, the concept is the same: creamy, puréed, sugar-tinged sweet potatoes with nuts, glaze, or marshmallows on top. These two variations are similar, but the expert version, with its nutty topping, requires an extra step and a food processor. To see both recipes, read more.

Beginner Sweet Potato Casserole
From Taste of Home

Ingredients

Casserole:
2-1/4 to 2-1/2 pounds (about 4 cups) sweet potatoes, cooked, peeled and mashed
1/3 cup butter, melted
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup sugar
Topping:
1/2 cup chopped nuts
1/2 cup flaked coconut
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
3 tablespoons butter, melted

Directions

In a large mixing bowl, combine mashed potatoes, butter, eggs, milk, vanilla extract and sugar.
Spread into a greased 1-1/2-qt. casserole.
For topping, combine all ingredients and sprinkle over potatoes.
Bake at 375°F for 25 minutes or until heated through.

Serves 6 to 8.

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Expert Sweet Potato Casserole
From Saveur

Ingredients

4 lbs. sweet potatoes
1⁄2 cup evaporated milk
1⁄2 cup sugar
6 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1⁄2 tsp. kosher salt
1⁄2 tsp. ground allspice
2 eggs, beaten
3⁄4 cup roasted salted cashews
1⁄2 cup light brown sugar
3 tbsp. flour
2 cups mini marshmallows

Directions

Heat oven to 400°F. Place sweet potatoes on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet; bake until soft, about 1 1⁄2 hours. Let cool.
Reduce oven temperature to 350°. Peel potatoes; pass them through a food mill into a bowl.
Whisk in evaporated milk, sugar, 4 tablespoons of the butter, vanilla extract, salt, allspice, and eggs. Transfer to a 2-quart oval baking dish.
In a food processor, pulse together cashews, brown sugar, flour, and remaining 2 tbsp. of butter until coarsely ground.
Crumble cashew mixture over half of casserole; top other half with marshmallows.
Bake until marshmallows are golden brown, about 30 minutes.

Serves 8 to 10.

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Green Bean Casserole Two Ways - Beginner and Expert

YumSugar — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 06:45:52 -0800

I mentioned last week that I've noticed casseroles making a comeback. What better time to bring them back than during the holidays? If you've got a lot to plan this Thanksgiving, stick with a no-muss, no-fuss recipe that'll be ready in around half an hour. If you're feeling a bit more ambitious, however, we've got just the expert green bean casserole for you, complete with homemade fried leek chips on top. To scope out both recipes, read more.

Beginner Green Bean Casserole
From Campbell's Casserole Kitchen

Ingredients

1 can (10 3/4 oz.) Campbell's Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup (Regular, 98% Fat Free or 25% Less Sodium)
1/2 cup milk
1 tsp. soy sauce
Dash ground black pepper
4 cups cooked cut green beans
1 1/3 cups French's® French Fried Onions

Directions

Mix soup, milk, soy, black pepper, beans and 2/3 cup onions in 1 1/2-qt. casserole.
Bake at 350°F for 25 min. or until hot.
Stir. Sprinkle with remaining onions. Bake 5 min.

Serves 6.

Nutritional info using Campbell's Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup: Calories 161, Total Fat 9g, Saturated Fat 3g, Cholesterol 4mg, Sodium 529mg, Total Carbohydrate 17g, Dietary Fiber 3g, Protein 3g, Vitamin A 12%DV, Vitamin C 14%DV, Calcium 6%DV, Iron 3%DV

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Expert Green Bean Casserole
From The Hearty Boys

Ingredients

6 tablespoons butter
2 shallots, finely chopped (about 3 tablespoons)
8 ounces portobello mushrooms, sliced
8 ounces white mushrooms, sliced
2 sprigs fresh thyme
1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage leaves, or 1 teaspoon dried sage
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3/4 cup sherry
3/4 cup heavy cream
2 pounds fresh green beans, trimmed
Frizzled leeks:
Vegetable oil, for deep frying
1 leek
Superfine flour, for dredging (recommended: Wondra Flour)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Make sauce: Melt 4 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the shallots and saute until translucent, about 3 minutes.
Add the mushrooms, thyme and sage and saute until most of the liquid has evaporated, about 10 minutes.
Stir in the flour and cook 5 more minutes.
Next add the sherry and stir until thickened.
Add the cream and simmer an additional 5 minutes. Set sauce aside. (Recipe can be made to this point up to 2 days before, refrigerated.)
Make frizzled leeks: Heat a couple inches of oil to 350 degrees F in a large, heavy pot. To check the oil temperature, drop a bread cube into it. If the cube browns within 30 seconds the oil is hot enough. Trim leek, slice in half lengthwise, and wash well under running water. Cut the root end off the leek and then cut each half lengthwise into long, thin strips. Season flour with salt and pepper. Dredge leek strips in flour. Fry leeks for 1 to 2 minutes, or until crisp and golden. Drain on paper towels.
Melt the remaining butter in a large skillet over high heat. Add the beans, toss to coat with the butter and saute until bright green, about 7 minutes. They'll still be crispy. Season with salt and pepper and place on a platter.
Bring the sauce to a simmer and spoon over the beans. Top with the frizzled leeks.

Serves 8 to 10.

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