Cheesy Ham and Veggie Bake
The split pea soup was delicious, but unfortunately it wasn't enough to rid the fridge of all the excess ham. Another solution had to be concocted. I've said before that I'm a fan of one-dish meals and this certainly foots the bill on a chilly New Years Eve Eve. This was easy to throw together and helped purge the fridge of those pesky post-Christmas leftovers. I can add this to my ever-growing list of mac and cheese recipes. Definitely not vegetarian-friendly, but delicious nonetheless.
Ingredients
- 2 c. diced cooked ham
- 1 lb. mixed bag of broccoli and cauliflower, cut into bit-sized pieces
- 1 lb. corkscrew pasta
- 1 large shallot, peeled and minced
- 2 c. heavy cream
- 1-2 c. milk
- 2 c. grated extra sharp white cheddar cheese
- 2 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
- t tsp. fresh thyme
- 1 c. breadcrumbs
- 4 Tbsp. butter
- 1/4 c. flour
- salt and pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 350˚F and butter a 9x13" baking dish. Set aside.
Melt butter in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add shallot and cook until softened, about 3 minutes. Add flour and whisk together with butter for 1 minute. Slowly add cream and milk, about a half cup at a time, allowing the mixture to thicken over medium-low heat. Add cheese, thyme, and mustard to mixture and stir over medium-low heat, allowing cheese to melt. Remove Dutch oven from stove and add ham, broccoli, and cauliflower, and season with salt and pepper to taste.
Meanwhile, boil pasta according to package directions to al dente, about 9 minutes. Drain and add to ham and cheese mixture. Mix ingredients thoroughly then spread evenly into prepared baking dish. Sprinkle with an even layer of breadcrumbs and bake 35-40 minutes until sauce starts to bubble and breadcrumbs become golden brown. Remove from oven and allow 5 minutes to cool before serving. Yum.
Split Pea and Ham Soup for a Cold December Night
Ham from Christmas dinner? There's nothing wrong with that. I glazed an eight pound ham with an orange juice, brown sugar, and honey mixture to create a sweet-and-salty-meaty masterpiece. As delicious as it was, there's only so much ham four people can eat. Thus the creation of a savory cold-weather solution to an abundance of ham became necessary. I love split pea soup. It's simple to throw to together and perfect for post-Christmas dinner . . . a good respite from holiday over-indulgence.
Ingredients
- 2 qts. chicken broth
- 2 c. dried split peas
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
- 1 meaty leftover ham bone
- 2 Tbsp. olive oil
- 3 sprigs fresh thyme
- salt and pepper
- 3 stalks celery, trimmed and diced
- 2 c. diced leftover ham
Heat olive oil over medium and cook onions and garlic until softened and translucent. Season with salt and pepper. Add celery and cook until softened, about 3 minutes longer. Add chicken broth, thyme sprigs, ham bone, and split peas. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to medium low. Cover and simmer for about an hour until peas are softened. Remove Dutch oven from stove and remove ham bone and thyme sprigs. With an immersion blender, blend soup until smooth and thick. Cut excess meat from bone into bite-sized chunks and add to soup with additional diced ham. Discard bone and season soup with salt and pepper to taste. Eat with bread.
Super Potato Latkes
It was a Hanukkah miracle when the vocally atheistic Jordan became nostalgic for traditional holiday fare. On our monthly outing to Costco he asked if we could stop by the grocery store to pick up some Matzo on the way back so he could make a pot of Matzo ball soup. He then asked if I would be making the delicious latkes I always bragged so much about. Yep. It's true, I make the best latkes ever. I said sure, why not? It's the perfect night for them, right? So cheese grater in hand, I went to work frying up these delicious potato pancakes. This is an incredibly simple recipe and SO good. Traditionally served at Hanukkah, they are really great any time of year for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Try them with the traditional condiments of sour cream or applesauce, or my father's favorite (and slightly sacrilegious) topping, ketchup.
Ingredients
- 6-7 large russet potatoes
- 2 small sweet yellow onions
- 2 eggs
- 2 tsp. salt
- 1 tsp. pepper
- 1 c. flour
- vegetable oil for frying (lots of it)
Wash, peel, and grate potatoes with a large cheese grater. Peel and grate onions. In a large bowl, mix grated potatoes, onions, eggs, salt, pepper, and a little flour at a time until well combined. Heat 1/4" on vegetable oil in a large non-stick pan over medium-high heat. Spoon about 1/4 c. of mixture into hot oil to create individual latkes. Fry on both sides until golden brown. Remove from oil, and let drain on paper towels. While cooking mixture in batches keep finished latkes warm in a low oven. Serve with sour cream or apple sauce!
Tasty Turkey Nachos to Put In Your Face
I am getting to the end of my Thanksgiving leftovers. There were definitely a fair few sandwiches put in the mix, by the way. With just enough turkey remaining for a final meal, I wanted to go back to one of my favorite things to put in my face: nachos. I ask this question frequently, but what's NOT to like? Nachos may, in fact, be the perfect food protein, dairy, fiber, etc. It's spicy, delicious, filling, and the ingredient permutations are endless. So . . . here's to Thanksgiving! Let's give thanks to the end of leftovers.
Ingredients
- 1 large bag, 8 c. or so of sturdy corn chips
- 3 c. of turkey meat, shredded with a fork into bite-sized pieces
- 2 tsp. of hot sauce, such as Cholula
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- salt and pepper to taste
- 3 c. grated pepper jack cheese
- 1/2 c. pickled jalapeno peppers, drained
- 1/2 c. sliced black olives
- sour cream
- guacamole
- salsa
Preheat the oven to 400˚F. While oven is heating put shredded turkey meat into a medium bowl and toss with cumin, hot sauce, and salt and pepper to taste. Set aside. Sprinkle a layer of corn chips in a 9x13" baking dish. Layer with olives, jalapenos, and season turkey meat. Sprinkle an even layer of cheese on top. Bake for about 20 minutes until the cheese is melted and bubbly and the layers are heated through. Garnish with a dollop of sour cream and guacamole and serve with salsa and extra chips. That's it! Fast and easy.
Stuffing and Sweet Potato Bread Pudding
Once again, I surveyed the storage containers in the fridge for some inspiration. So what about all of those leftover rolls? The delicious stuffing? Any extra sweet potatoes? Bread puddings are a great and savory way to make use of . . . well . . . bread. It's also a great item for a family brunch- a spin on those leftovers to feed straggling house guests something new and delicious. It's easy to whip up and (as the "Leftover Makeover" theme indicates) a great use of a variety of Thanksgiving leftovers. Enjoy!
Ingredients
- 4 dinner rolls, torn into small pieces
- 2 lbs. sweet potatoes, cubed into 1 1/2" pieces
- 2 c. leftover stuffing
- 2 bunches rainbow chard, stems removed, torn into small pieces
- 2 large shallots, peeled and minced
- 2 c. half and half
- 2 Tbsp. turkey gravy
- 7 eggs
- 1 c. sherry
- salt and pepper
- olive oil
- 2 c. grated gruyere cheese
Preheat oven to 400˚F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil and toss the cubed sweet potatoes with a couple of tablespoons of olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Make sure cubes are completely covered. Roast sweet potatoes for about 20-25 minutes until they become soft and brown slightly.
While sweet potatoes are roasting, whisk together half and half, eggs, gravy, and sherry. Add torn bread pieces and stuffing. Mix together and season with salt and pepper. Let rest for about 15-20 minutes so the egg mixture can soak into the bread.
Heat 1 Tbsp. of olive oil in a medium skillet over medium. Add shallots and saute until they begin to soften and turn translucent. Add torn chard pieces and mix together. Season with salt and pepper and cook until chard begins to wilt and turns brights green. Remove from heat.
Turn oven down to 375˚ F. Spray a 13x9" baking pan with a cooking spray. Using a slotted spoon, cover the bottom of the pan with a layer of egg-soaked bread pieces using half the mixture. Cover mixture with half the cooked chard and sweet potatoes. Sprinkle with half the cheese. Make a second layer of bread, potatoes, chard, and cheese. Pour remaining egg mixture over everything and cover baking sheet with foil. Bake in oven for about 25-30 minutes until mixture becomes springy and egg is cooked through. Remove foil and cook an additional 5-10 minutes for that cheese on top is brown and bubbly.
Cranberry Sauce Cheesecake Tart
The "holiday season" is here and now we look forward to a month and a half of rich dinners, decadent desserts, ugly sweater parties, and food food food. The wonderful thing about holiday cooking is bringing family and friends together to share meals and memories. It's all very warm and fuzzy. The problem, however, is that cooking for large numbers often leads to day after day of turkey sandwiches or cookies for breakfast. The next three blogs will focus on reinventing the leftovers into something new. First things first: cranberries. You can't have a Thanksgiving meal without a gleaming bowl of jewel colored cranberries- the relish of choice over a slice of roast poultry. Year after year, however, no matter how many Thanksgiving turkey sandwiches I make, I always seem to dump a good portion of excess cranberry sauce down the garbage disposal. The solution seemed simple- some sort of dessert. This one also makes use of the leftover gingersnaps I had from my pumpkin pie crust. Enjoy after a plateful of reheated turkey and potatoes!
Ingredients
- 1 c. crushed ginger snaps
- 3/4 c. flour, divided
- 1/2 c. sugar, divided
- 1/3 c. melted butter
- 1 c. cranberry sauce
- 1 tsp. vanilla
- 8 oz. cream cheese
- 1 egg
Preheat oven to 350˚ F. In a medium bowl, combine ginger snaps, melted butter, 1/4 c. sugar, and 1/4 c. flour. Mix ingredients together gently until well combined. Press mixture into the bottom of a 9" fluted tart pan using fingers. make sure mixture is spread evenly on the bottom of the pan. Place pan in the oven and bake about 10 minutes to set crust. Remove from oven and allow to cool before filling.
Turn oven down to 325˚ F. In a medium bowel combine 1/4 c. sugar and cream cheese and whip together with an electric hand mixer. Add vanilla and egg, blend until well combined. Add cranberries and flour and blend until well incorporated. Pour cranberry mixture into pre-baked crust. Do not overfill. Bake in oven for 30-35 minutes until filling is set. Remove from oven and allow to cool for about 15 minutes. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 1-2 hours before serving. Enjoy!
Roasted Butternut Squash and Hazelnut Ravioli for Kevin
Last Saturday I went out for drinks with Kevin to catch up. I hadn't seen him since the closing of Macbeth and was in the mood for a evening of cocktails and nachos. Kevin, it so happens, is super supportive of my cooking obsession. While discussing something . . . probably food . . . he challenged me to go to the farmers market and make up a meal based on what I could purchase there. The rules were basically that I could use my own flour, olive oil, salt and pepper, and stuff, but the main ingredients had to come from what I could purchase from the stalls. I had no idea what I would find, but was pleased at all the lovely produce and (even better) farm-fresh cheese. Homemade ravioli take a little time and effort, but I promise . . . it's worth it. Homemade pasta is actually really easy to make and the taste is worth the time. Challenge accepted, Kevin! And it was a tasty challenge indeed.
Ingredients
- 1 2 lb. butternut squash, sliced crosswise into 1" rounds
- 1 c. chopped hazelnuts
- 2 c. grated Pecorino Romano cheese, plus extra
- salt and pepper
- Italian parsley
- dried herbs d' Provence
- 1 head of garlic, top sliced off
- olive oil
- 2 c. flour
- 4 eggs
ROASTED BUTTERNUT SQUASH FILLING
Preheat oven to 400˚F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil and arrange squash rounds in a single layer. Drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper, and herbs d' Provence. Take head of garlic, place in a square of foil, sprinkle with salt and drizzle with oil, wrap foil around it into a little packet and place on baking sheet with squash. Roast in oven for about 30-40 minutes until squash softens and begins to brown. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely. Peel outer layer from squash and scrape orange middle into a large bowl, mix in 1/2 c. chopped hazelnuts, 2 c. grated cheese, and season with salt and pepper to taste.
PASTA DOUGH
In the food processor pulse together 2 c. flour with eggs and 1 tsp. salt until dough collects on the blade. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate until ready to use. When ready, cut dough into four equal portions, one at a time, dust with flour and then roll thin with a rolling pin or pasta machine. Use flour liberally! Dust a little flour on both sides of dough sheets with each pass through the pasta roller- I rolled it out to #5 thinness. Place one sheet on work surface, or inside ravioli mold, and fill center of each square with about 1 tsp. of butternut squash filling. Top with a second sheet of dough and cut into individual raviolis.
Allow raviolis to dry out on a wire rack until ready to boil. Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil and then drop raviolis into water. They will boil up quickly, 1-2 minutes and puff up. Drain water and then place raviolis in a serving bowl. Toss with a drizzle of olive oil, extra cheese, hazelnuts, and chopped Italian parsley. Season with extra salt and pepper if desired. Eat! Yum!
Cheesy Ham and Veggie Bake
Preheat oven to 350˚F and butter a 9x13" baking dish. Set aside.
Meanwhile, boil pasta according to package directions to al dente, about 9 minutes. Drain and add to ham and cheese mixture. Mix ingredients thoroughly then spread evenly into prepared baking dish. Sprinkle with an even layer of breadcrumbs and bake 35-40 minutes until sauce starts to bubble and breadcrumbs become golden brown. Remove from oven and allow 5 minutes to cool before serving. Yum.
