I have to admit, this is a little new for me. There are a number of meals that go on the menu at our house regularly that aren't from a recipe, and how I make them depends on what's in the house and how I feel that day. But every once in a while, the meal surpasses the usual results and turns out to be amazing. I always think I should write them down before I forget how I got there, and then get distracted and it's gone. But this time, I'm not forgetting.
Chipotle Beef Enchiladas
What's in them:
For the beef
3-4 lb beef roast
1 thinly sliced onion
2 chipotles in adobo, roughly chopped
2 tsp cumin
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground pepper
12 oz beer
For the enchilada sauce
1 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbsp chili powder
1 Tbsp cumin
1 tsp dried oregano
15 oz can tomato sauce
1/4 -1/2 c water
salt and pepper to taste
For the enchiladas
2 tsp olive oil
1 bell pepper, diced (I used a mix of red, yellow and orange)
1/2 onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 12-15 oz can diced tomatoes (I used Rotel), drained
2-3 c chipotle beef
2 c enchilada sauce, divided
2 Tbsp sour cream
1 c shredded cheese (cheddar, monterey jack, Mexican blend), divided
8 10" tortillas
How to make them:
For the beef (Note: I had originally made the beef for burrito bowls, and had portioned it out into freezer bags to use for sandwiches, tacos, or these enchiladas. If you're making it for the enchiladas, cook the beef the day before you need it.)
Combine all ingredients in a slow cooker, and cook for 8-10 hours on low. Remove beef from the slow cooker and shred. Add some of the liquid from the slow cooker to prevent drying. Use for enchiladas, sandwiches or anything else you want.
For the enchilada sauce
Heat olive oil in a medium saucepan until shimmering. Add onions and cook until soft, then add garlic. When garlic becomes fragrant, add the spices, and stir to combine. Pour in the tomato sauce, and thin with water to desired consistency. Check for seasonings, and simmer for about 15 minutes.
For the enchiladas (FINALLY!)
Preheat oven to 350.
Heat olive oil in a sautee pan and add the peppers, onions and garlic. While they cook, combine the beef, 3/4 cup of the enchilada sauce, sour cream and 1/2 cup of the cheese. When the vegetables have just started to brown, add the drained tomatoes. Cool slightly, then add to the beef mixture.
Spread about 1/2 cup of the sauce in a 9x13" baking dish. Divide the beef mixture equally between the tortillas, rolling each as you fill them and lining them up in the baking dish. Spread the remaining sauce on top, and sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake for 25 minutes, until bubbling and beginning to brown on top.
I’m terrible at following recipes. I often start with every intention of following the recipe without changes in methods or making ingredient substitutions, but somehow end up veering off that well-defined path. I really did plan to make this Orechiette with Sausage, Beans and Mascarpone.
But by mid-week, I had accumulated some odds and ends in the fridge, and noticed that I hadn’t remembered to buy mascarpone. And so wonton wrappers leftover from tuna tartare made ravioli seem like an easy alternative to homemade orechiette, and gorgonzola and spinach from Cobb salads and half and half from another pasta dish became a rich sauce to bake them in. I’m sure the original recipe would have been delicious, but I think this was just as good!
Baked Sausage and Bean Ravioli with Spinach Gorgonzola Sauce What’s in it:
2 Tbsp olive oil, divided
½ lb turkey sausage, casing removed
1 small onion, chopped
1 (15-oz) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano leaves
½ tsp salt
½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 c shredded parmesan, divided
36 3½” wonton wrappers
1 egg
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups fresh spinach, roughly chopped
¼ c white wine
1 c fat free half & half
3 oz crumbled gorgonzola cheese
How to make it:
In a large, heavy skillet warm 1 tablespoon of the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and onions. Using a wooden spoon, break up the sausage into small pieces as it browns. Continue cooking until the sausage is golden and the onions are tender. Add the beans and oregano cook for 2 more minutes, lightly mashing beans. Stir in ½ cup of the parmesan cheese and season with salt and pepper.
Preheat the oven to 350. Whisk the egg with a little water to make an egg wash. Lay half the wonton wrappers on a clean surface, and spoon a scant tablespoon of the sausage-bean mixture into the middle of each, slightly flattening the scoop. Brush all four edges of each pasta square with the egg wash, and lay another wrapper on top, pressing to remove air and seal edges.
Wipe out the pan used to make the ravioli filling. Heat the remaining tablespoon of olive oil in the pan, then add garlic and spinach, sautéing until the garlic is fragrant and the spinach is wilted, about 1-2 minutes. Pour wine into the pan, scraping up any brown bits. Add the half & half, whisking to combine. Let simmer until slightly thickened, stir in gorgonzola, and set aside to keep warm.
Lightly coat a 9x13” baking dish with olive oil or cooking spray. Layer the ravioli in it, overlapping the edges. Pour the spinach-gorgonzola sauce evenly over the ravioli, top with the remaining parmesan, and bake until browned and bubbly, about 20-25 minutes.
I first started making this casserole several years ago when Vince was working in Norfolk during the week and coming home on the weekends. During the week, I would cook for myself, making meals that could be divided. When Vince headed back on Monday mornings, I would pack up the meals for him to take back, frozen so that they would stay cold for the trip.
This is now a favorite of mine to take to new parents as well. The level of spice can be adjusted, and it can be stuck in the freezer until needed. All that needs to be done is pop it in the oven. And just recently, I had the chance to make this for friends who just had a beautiful baby girl! Served with a tomato, avocado and spinach salad, I hope this keeps the new mom and dad going through some long days.
Fajita Chicken and Rice Bake
What's in it:
2 Tbsp. olive oil, divided
1-2 bell peppers, any colors, diced
1 small onion, diced
1-2 garlic cloves, minced
Juice of one lime
3 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
2 Tbsp. taco seasoning (this is my favorite recipe)
1-2 cans fire-roasted diced tomatoes or Rotel
4 oz. cream cheese (I usually use Neufchatel)
4 cups cooked rice, brown or white, or a mix
2 Tbsp. chopped cilantro
1/2 cup shredded cheese, cheddar, monterey jack or pepper jack, or, again, a mix
1/2 cup crushed tortilla chips
How to make it:
Heat 1 Tbsp. of the oil over medium high heat. Sautee peppers and onions, until they start to brown at the edges, seasoning with salt and pepper to taste. Add garlic, cook for about a minute, until garlic is fragrant, then add lime juice, scraping up any brown bits in the pan. Move pepper mixture into a bowl.
Mix chicken and taco seasoning. Heat the rest of the oil in the same pan, and add chicken. Sautee until nearly cooked through, stirring as needed for even cooking. Add tomatoes to the pan, and then the cream cheese. Stir to combine as the cream cheese melts, then stir in the cilantro.
Spray an 8x8 or 9x9 in baking dish with oil or cooking spray. Spread the rice in the bottom of the pan, then layer pepper mixture, then chicken on top. Pour any remaining tomato-cream sauce over the layers. Top with cheese and crushed tortilla chips. Bake, refrigerate, or freeze.
When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350. Bake until casserole is heated through and cheese is browned and bubbly.
Homesick Texan posted this recipe about six months ago, and despite the fact that I had never had hominy, it sounded pretty irresistable, baked with chorizo, sour cream, cheese, and chiles. Always game to try something new, I put it on the menu, and added the ingredients to the grocery list. But when I got to the store, I could not find hominy anywhere. I wandered up and down aisles and asked employees when that failed, but no good.
But this weekend, while I was headed up the beans and rice aisle, I finally found it, hiding behind some black beans on the top shelf. A quick search on my phone got me the rest of the ingredient list, and we were in business. And as it turns out, we love hominy. Where has this been all my life? I can't wait to see what else I can do with it!
This casserole has the perfect amount of heat, balanced by the tanginess of the sour cream. It was fantastic topped with slices of avocado and dollops of salsa. I halved the recipe for two servings, but really wish I hadn't, so the full recipe is here.
Green Chile Hominy Casserole with Chorizo
What's in it:
2 poblano chiles
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
1/2 pound Mexican chorizo, removed from casing and crumbled
1/2 medium yellow onion, diced
2 jalapeños, seeds and stems removed, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 15-ounce cans of hominy, drained
8 ounces sour cream
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
2 teaspoons lime juice
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
Salt and black pepper to taste
1 avocado, sliced and 1/2 cup salsa, for serving.
How to make it:
Roast the poblano chiles under the broiler until blackened, about 5 minutes per side. Place chiles in a paper sack or plastic food-storage bag, close it tight and let the chile steam for 20 minutes. Take the chile out of the bag and rub off the skin. Remove stem and seeds and cut dice chiles.
Preheat the oven to 350.
On medium-low heat, heat the vegetable oil and then cook the crumbled chorizo while occasionally stirring in a 10-inch cast-iron skillet until brown, about 8-10 minutes. With a slotted spatula, remove the chorizo and drain any excess grease from the skillet, leaving 1 teaspoon. Add to the skillet the diced onions and jalapeños while occasionally stirring, cook on medium-low heat until onions are translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 30 more seconds.
Remove the skillet from the heat and add the diced poblano chile, chorizo, hominy, sour cream, cumin, chili powder, lime juice and half of the cheddar cheese. Stir until well combined, taste and add salt and black pepper and adjust seasonings. Top with remaining the cheddar cheese and bake uncovered for 30 minutes or until brown and bubbling.
Top with avocado slices and salsa, if desired.
I always feel pulled in two directions when planning meals this time of year. On one hand, I'm still trying to stay on track with balanced, reasonably healthy meals after all of the indulgence of the holidays. But on the other, it's winter, and I want something hearty, filling, and, if at all possible, cheesy. So when I saw this beautiful vegetable lasagna with butternut bechamel that won The Kitchn's best healthy casserole contest, it looked like I could have it both ways!
As the original recipe suggested, I added ground bison for more protein. It's a very lean red meat, and paired very well with the earthiness of the mushrooms and butternut squash. I also used spinach instead of chard, as the chard at the grocery store was looking a little off that day.
The squash made the sauce so rich and creamy that we didn't miss the usual quantity of cheese, and the veggies pack a great nutritional punch as well as adding a ton of flavor.
Vegetable Lasagna with Butternut Béchamel
What's in it:
1/2 pound (about 8) lasagna noodles
1 to 1 1/2 pound butternut squash (or 1 pounds chopped squash)
Olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 pound ground bison
1/2 pound cremini mushrooms, washed and sliced
3 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 large bag spinach
1/4 cup water or white wine
3/4 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 cup shredded Parmesan and mozzarella cheese mix
How to make it:
Heat the oven to 375°F. Lightly grease an 8x8-inch baking dish with olive oil. Bring a large pot of salted water to boil over high heat. Add the lasagna noodles and cook as directed on the package. When cooked, drain and lay out on clean kitchen towels to dry.
While the pasta is cooking, peel and seed the squash. Cut into 1-inch cubes and toss with 1 tablespoon olive oil and a generous amount of salt and pepper. Spread on a baking sheet and roast for 40 minutes or until extremely soft.
Heat a thin drizzle of oil oil in a medium sauté pan. Turn the heat to medium-high and crumble bison into the pan. Brown the meat, and remove to a plate. Add more oil to the pan if necessary, and add the mushrooms. Cook without stirring until quite brown — about 5 to 7 minutes. Flip them over and cook for an additional 3 minutes. Turn the heat down to medium, and add the garlic to the pan. Cook, stirring frequently, until the garlic is fragrant — about another minute. Add the spinach and 1/4 cup water or white wine and cook until the leaves are tender and wilted. Turn off the heat and season the vegetables lightly with salt and pepper.
At this point the butternut squash should be very soft. Remove from the oven and let cool slightly. Scrape all the squash into a bowl and add 1/2 cup milk, the nutmeg and thyme. Use an immersion blender to puree the mixture, adding the remaining milk as you go (this can also be done in a traditional blender). Add extra milk if necessary to make the sauce smooth and creamy, but not too thin. (Think thin fruit smoothie.) Add salt and pepper to taste.
To assemble the lasagna, spoon about 1/4 of the butternut sauce into the bottom of the prepared baking pan and spread to thinly coat the bottom. Place 1/4 of the noodles on top and then spread 1/3 of remaining sauce on noodles. Top with 1/2 of the cooked vegetables, and 1/3 cup of cheese. Add another layer of noodles, then sauce, then the rest of the vegetables, and 1/3 cup of cheese. Place the final layer of noodles over the vegetables and spread the last 1/3 of the sauce over top. Sprinkle evenly with the remaining cheese and a pinch of thyme.
Cover the lasagna with foil and bake at 375°F for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and continue to bake for 10 to 15 minutes or until the top is golden and the cheese is gooey. Remove from the oven and let stand uncovered for 5 to 10 minutes before slicing.
