Week 15: Cheesy Root Veggie Bake

Source: I have no idea :-) I didn't make it up, but I wrote it down from somewhere without documenting the source

Overall Impression: Wow!
It was ... so easy, slice and ignore while it bakes and YUMMY!

Cheesy Root Veggie Bake
Time = 1 hr 30 min
Servings = 8

Ingredients:

olive oil

2 turnips, peeled

4 golden potatoes

1 large sweet potato, peeled

2 parsnips, peeled

2 carrots, peeled
1/2 onion

1 teaspoon dried rosemary, divided

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

salt and pepper

I didn't snap a picture until it was half gone

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 F.  Slice all veggies to 1/4" thick, except slice the onion as thin as you can.  Grease the inside of a large casserole dish with olive oil.  Layer half the veggies in the casserole dish.  Sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon rosemary and some salt and pepper.  Layer half the cheese over.  Repeat - veggies, rosemary, salt/pepper and cheese.  Bake, covered, for 50 minutes.  Check the middle with a knife to see if it's tender enough.  Bake 15 more minutes if necessary.  Uncover in the last 15 minutes if you like the top to get browned.

Notes:

Any root veggies will work.  You can use leeks instead of onions.  Some garlic heads would be good too.

Week 14: Easy Potato Bread

Source: The Bread Machine Cookbook, V (Rathmell German)

Overall Impression: Excellent Bread
It was ... a family favorite with chili, soup, roast or maybe Thanksgiving dinner (wink, wink). 

Easy Potato Bread
Time =  15 min active, 4 hours total (includes cooling time)
Servings = 12

Ingredients:

1 cup warm water
1/4 cup milk
3 Tablespoons butter, melted
2 Tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
3 Tablespoons potato flakes
3 cups bread flour
1 1/2 teaspoons rapid-rise yeast
1 teaspoon dried rosemary*

Directions:

This recipe is for a 1 1/2 lb loaf made in a bread machine.** Put the ingredients in the bread machine tin in the order listed.  Set machine on sweet and medium.  Allow to cool for at least one hour before cutting. 

Notes:

* I love to use rosemary.  But for Thanksgiving dinner I'd suggest 1/2 teaspoon thyme and/or 1/2 teaspoon sage.  Fresh cracked pepper would also be tasty. 
** If you don't have a bread machine you can still make this bread. It just takes more work.  First, mix the dry ingredients together and then work into the liquid.  Knead until smooth and elastic, adding flour as needed.  Place in a greased bread pan, cover with a damp towel and let rise in a warm place for about an hour.  Punch down.  Let rise again for about an hour (or until doubled in size).  Then bake at 375 F until golden brown on top.

Week 13: Vegetable Stuffing Bake

Source: Taste of Home, 5 Star Recipes (Sept. 2010)*

Overall Impression: Comfort
It was ... a good side dish for chicken or a good standalone vegetarian dish, maybe for meatless-Monday. 

Vegetable Stuffing Bake
Time =  1 hour
Servings = 8

Ingredients:

1 small onion, chopped
2 Tablespoons olive oil

1/4 cup all purpose flour
2 cups 1% or 2% milk**
4 oz shredded sharp cheddar cheese
salt and pepper
1 box bread stuffing
1 stick butter, halved
1 small head broccoli, florets
1 small head cauliflower, florets***
1/4 cup chicken broth (or vegetable broth)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 F.

In a large skillet over medium-high, heat olive oil.  Saute onions until softened.  Stir in flour until moist then add milk, stirring continually.  Add cheese and stir until melted.  Season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring, until thickened.  Remove from heat.

In a large casserole dish, layer half the stuffing.  Melt half a stick of butter and pour over the stuffing.  Layer the broccoli and cauliflower florets.  Pour the cheese sauce over the vegetables.  

In a small bowl, mix the rest of the stuffing with the rest of the melted butter and the chicken broth.  If it seems too dry, add a bit more broth.  Sprinkle over the casserole.

Bake, covered for 40 minutes.  Remove the lid and bake 5 more minutes or until the top is golden.

Notes:

* The original recipe used highly processed stuff like cream of mushroom soup and "cheese sauce."  Instead I made a sauce using oil, onions, flour, milk and cheese.  It takes a bit longer but is so much better for you.
** Don't use skim milk.  There needs to be good fats or the sauce won't thicken.  If you want really creamy sauce use whole milk.
*** The original recipe called for broccoli, cauliflower and Brussels sprouts. I love Brussels sprouts but only pan fried, not baked.  So I used more broccoli.

 I used Mrs. Cubbison's Classic Dressing

 The vegetables with homemade cheesy sauce poured over.

 All baked up golden brown!

Week 6: Butternut Mac-n-Cheese

Source: Cooking Light, September 2011

Overall Impression: Healthy but too much work
It was ... not really mac-n-cheese.  If you didn't know that is what it was suppose to be, then it'd be good - rich and creamy with a distinct butternut flavor.  But it was a lot of work and Jordan didn't like it, so I don't think I'll make it again.

Butternut Mac-n-Cheese
Time = 1 hr 20 min
Servings = 8

Ingredients: 

1 lb butternut squash

2 garlic cloves, peeled

1 pint chicken broth (or vegetable broth)

1 1/2 c 1% milk

1/2 c plain Greek yogurt

1 lb whole wheat macaroni noodles

1 cup grated Gruyere cheese

1 cup grated Romano cheese

1 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper

olive oil in a spray bottle

1/4 cup fresh snipped chives

Directions

Peel butternut squash and remove the seeds (see picture below).  Cut into 1" cubes.  In a large pot, pour in chicken broth and milk.  Add butternut and garlic.  Bring to boil, stirring occasionally.  Reduce to medium and simmer for 20-25 min or until squash is soft.

When there is about 10 minutes left on the squash, bring a large pot of salted water to boil.  Add macaroni noodles.  Boil for 7-9 minutes or until noodles are done.

Preheat oven to 375 F.

While the noodles cook, make the sauce.  The original directions say to place butternut sauce in a blender.  But that was very messy (see picture below). I suggest using an immersion blender to make a nice smooth sauce.  While the sauce is still hot, stir in yogurt, all cheeses, salt and pepper.  Keep stirring until cheese is melted.

Spray a 9x13" glass baking dish with olive oil.  Drain the noodles and pour into the baking dish.  Add cheese sauce.  Mix thoroughly.  It will seem soupy, but it thickens up in the oven.

Place in oven and bake for 10 minutes.  (The original directions added some bread crumbs before baking.  I skipped this because the noodles are enough wheat for me.)

Sprinkle with chives right before serving.

Butternut peeled and seeded

Messy, messy

Week 4: Basil Bowties

Jordan came home from a trip to the lake with her grandparents toting a binder of recipes.  She was so excite to show them all to me and decide which we would make first.  As she read them out loud, she came to "Bazee Bow-tee's."  I said "What!?" and looked over to read the page upside down, "That would be Basil Bowties."  Cute!

Source: Adapted from Rachael Ray
Overall Impression: So fast! Yummy!
It was ... surprisingly full-flavored for a dish with so few ingredients.  Took just a few minutes to make and the whole family loved it.  But the basil leaves discolored, so it wasn't very pretty on day two.

Basil Bowties
Time = 20 min
Servings = 10 (side dish)

Ingredients
1 lb mini bowtie pasta
3/4 c pine nuts
spray olive oil
sea salt
1/4 cup olive oil
1 1/2 cup cottage cheese
1/4 cup fresh basil leaves
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
sea salt and fresh cracked pepper, to tast
Parmesan cheese, grated for sprinkling

Directions
Bring a large pot of water to boil, add pasta and simmer until al dente.  Drain.

Spread the pine nuts on a cookie sheet.  Spray with olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt.  Toast by putting in oven with the broiler on.  When they start to brown (about 5 minutes), shake around and toast until most are brown.  Set to side to cool.

In a large serving bowl, mix cooked pasta, 1/4 cup olive oil, cottage cheese, basil leaves, cherry tomatoes and salt/pepper.  Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Note - I suggest serving with grilled chicken.  Start the chicken at the same time as the pasta and it should be done about the same time.