Sausage and cheese stuffed acorn squash

Winter squashes are the bomb and I love them just baked with a little butter and maple syrup, but today I wanted them stuffed. And creamy. Imagine if biscuits and gravy, Thanksgiving stuffing and fondue had a love child. This would be it. This is serious comfort food and will make you forget all about that boy/girl who dumped you at the 7^th grade dance. I promise.

Yum

Ingredients:

3 acorn squash, cut in half through the stem and seeded (I’ve got Golden Acorn and Gold Nugget)

4 cups crusty bread, torn into half inch pieces (like French or Italian)

8 ounces pork sausage (half of a roll—use either mild or spicy)

½ of a medium onion, diced

1 stalk of celery, diced

2 Tablespoons of flour

2 cups milk

1 to 1 ½ cups shredded cheese (your call—I’m using sharp cheddar, but gruyere, jack or harvati would be great)

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon black pepper

½ teaspoon dried sage

1 teaspoon dried thyme

Fresh sage and thyme to garnish

Directions: Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Place the squash, cut side down, on a microwave safe plate and microwave on high for 10 minutes. Place them cut side up in a large baking dish and set aside.

Place the torn bread on a baking sheet and bake for 8 minutes. Put the toasted bread into a largish mixing bowl and set aside.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large, deep skillet over medium heat, crumble and cook the sausage until no longer pink. Add in the onion and celery and cook for 2 minutes more. Sprinkle the flour over the sausage and veg and stir. Slowly whisk in the milk. Cook, stirring often for about 5 minutes or until the mixture starts to thicken. Add in the cheese and stir until combined. Season with salt, pepper, sage and thyme.

Pour the sausage/cheese mixture over the bread and stir to combine. Stuff the squash halves full and then place a bit of water in the bottom of the baking dish.

Bake, uncovered, for 20 minutes or until the top of the stuffing starts to turn golden.

Swiss Ham and Vegetable Bake

Vegetable casseroles used to be huge in the 1960s and this one does the genre proud. Creamy, flavorful and filling, this makes a great main dish or side dish. Vegetarians can certainly leave the ham out and maybe swap in some slivered almonds.

Ingredients:

For the cheese sauce:

1 Tablespoon butter

1 Tablespoon flour

1½ cups milk

4 ounces (1/2 of an 8 ounce package) cream cheese

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon ground black pepper

1 teaspoon bouquet garni or herb blend of your choice

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1 cup shredded or grated Swiss cheese

For the ham and veggies:

1 cup diced ham

1 ½  cups frozen broccoli, thawed

1 cup frozen cauliflower, thawed

1 cup frozen leeks, thawed (or sub out ½ cup chopped onion)

1 cup sliced mushrooms

½ cup diced red pepper

1 cup sliced carrots

For the topping:

1 cup panko bread crumbs

2 Tablespoons butter, melted

Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 2 ½ quart baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.

In a saucepan over medium heat, melt 1 Tablespoon of butter. Whisk in the 1 Tablespoon of flour and cook, stirring for one minute. Slowly whisk in the milk and then cream cheese, salt, pepper, bouquet garni, mustard and Worcestershire. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and add the Swiss cheese. Cook, stirring often until the cheese are melted. Remove from heat.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the ham and all the veggies. Pour the cheese sauce over and mix thoroughly. Pour into the prepared baking dish.

Make the topping by stirring together the bread crumbs and 2 Tablespoons melted butter. Sprinkle over the top of the casserole.

Bake, uncovered, for 45 minutes or until the top is golden and the sides are bubbling.

Let cool slightly before serving.

Andouille, Chicken and Shrimp Gumbo

Here's a beauty of a dish to serve to a crowd. This might look like a lot of work, but it really goes together easily. This gumbo is rich and deeply flavored owing to that beautiful roux. This is just mildly spicy, so feel free to ramp up the creole seasoning or add some cayenne if you wish. 

Ingredients (serves 8):

1 Tablespoon olive oil

1 pound skinless, boneless chicken thighs

1 pound fully cooked andouille sausage, sliced into coins

1 ½ cups dry white wine, divided

½ cup canola oil

½ cup all-purpose flour

1 medium onion, diced

3 stalks of celery, diced

1 large green bell pepper, diced

2 cloves of garlic, minced

1 (15 ounce) can diced tomatoes, with the juice

3-4 cups vegetable broth

2-4 teaspoons creole seasoning (like Tony Chachere’s®)

½ teaspoon dried thyme

1 teaspoon file gumbo (in the spice aisle of the supermarket)

1 bay leaf

1 pound raw shrimp, peeled and deveined

Salt and pepper to taste

Cooked white rice for serving

Fresh parsley and sliced green onions for garnish

Directions: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Heat the oil on medium heat in a large Dutch oven or other heavy bottomed pot.

Season the chicken thighs with a little salt and cook in the oil until browned on all sides. Remove the chicken and place on a baking sheet. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until done throughout. Remove the chicken from the oven, dice it into one inch chunks and set aside. PS-you can turn off the oven now—you won’t need it anymore.

Add a splash of wine to the Dutch oven and scrape up all the brown bits. Add the sliced andouille sausage and cook for about 5 minutes, or until they are brown. Remove the sausage to a plate and add another splash of wine and again scrape up any brown bits.

Add the ½ cup of canola oil to the pot and then slowly whisk in the flour. Cook, stirring constantly until this roux gets just a bit more tan than peanut butter (about 10 minutes).

Toss the onion, celery and green pepper into the pot and cook, stirring, for another 5 minutes or until the veggies are soft. Note: the roux will become darker during this stage.

Add in the garlic and just stir for a minute. Stir in the tomatoes, broth, creole seasoning, file gumbo, remaining wine and bay leaf.

Return the chopped chicken and sausage to the pot and bring to a boil. The mixture should thicken nicely at this point.

Reduce the heat to a simmer, cover and cook for one hour. Taste and adjust the seasonings.

Stir in the shrimp and cook just a few more minutes, or until the shrimp is opaque. Ladle into bowls over scoops of white rice and garnish.

Creamy Cabbage, Leek and Swiss Casserole

Oh my goodness. Please try this recipe the next time you have some cabbage that you don’t know what to do with. The cabbage is cooked long and slow, allowing it to become a sweet, tender, gently flavored vegetable. I am watching what I eat, so I was hesitant to include bacon, but then I realized that 3 strips of ‘ready bacon’ only has 80 calories and 5 g of fat. That chance really paid off. This casserole is tender, creamy, luscious and simply wonderful. Plus, CARAWAY!  One of my favorite flavors that I don’t get often enough.

Ingredients:

1 teaspoon canola oil

3 slices pre-cooked bacon slices, chopped

4 cups shredded cabbage

1 cup sliced leeks (or onions)

2 teaspoons caraway seeds

2 teaspoons Dijon or stone ground mustard

2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar

2 teaspoons granulated sugar

1 cup fat free half and half

1 Tablespoon all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

Black pepper to taste

1 cup shredded low fat Swiss cheese

1 Tablespoon grated parmesan cheese

Directions: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 1.5 quart casserole dish with cooking spray and set aside.

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat and add the chopped bacon. Cook until the bacon just starts to crisp. Add cabbage, leeks and caraway seeds. Cook, stirring often,  for 10 minutes or until the cabbage starts to wilt and the leeks begin to turn transparent. Remove from heat and let cool for 5 minutes.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the mustard, vinegar and sugar. Gradually whisk in the half and half, flour, salt and pepper. Stir in the Swiss cheese.

Add the cabbage mixture to the cheese mixture and toss thoroughly. Pour into the prepared casserole dish and top with the parmesan cheese.

Bake, uncovered, for 40 minutes or until the parmesan is golden brown and the sides of the casserole are bubbly.

Savory Bacon, Sausage, Cheese and Egg Breakfast Biscuits

There is nothing better than a good breakfast, and these biscuits have it all. If you want a hearty ‘heat-and-eat’ breakfast, skip the eggs in these biscuits from heaven and just stash them in the fridge or freezer. I think these would make a fabulous Father’s Day breakfast.

Ingredients (makes 6):

3 cups biscuit mix (like Bisquick®)

½ teaspoon garlic salt

1 cup buttermilk

1-2 Tablespoons regular milk

4 green onions, diced

6 slices of bacon, cooked crisp and crumbled (if you use the microwave ready kind, you don’t have to clean a skillet)

8 fully cooked breakfast sausage links, diced (any kind will do, I’m using turkey)

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided

6 eggs

Directions: Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the biscuit milk and garlic salt. Stir in the butter milk and just enough regular milk to make thick dough.

Stir in the green onions, bacon, sausage and 1 cup of the cheddar. Dump out onto a floured work surface and form into a rectangle about 1 inch thick. Cut into six squares.

Place the biscuits on the lined baking sheet and make an indentation large enough for an egg in the center of each one. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese and bake for 8 minutes.

Pull the biscuits out and push down the indentations one more time (the back of a spoon is great  for this) to make sure they are deep enough to hold an egg. Crack one egg into the center of each biscuit. Return to the oven for 10-12 more minutes or until the egg whites are set and opaque. 

St. Louis Baked Mostaccioli

If you have ever attended any family event in St. Louis, I bet you’ve seen the big dish of Mostaccioli on the buffet. We have it at weddings and reunions. We take it to someone’s home when they are ill. Why? Because it’s such a lovely comfort food, is hearty and filling and makes for terrific leftovers.

Ingredients (serves 8 easily):

1 pound ground beef

1 pound Italian sausage (I like mild or sweet, but feel free to use hot if you prefer)

1 medium onion, diced

2 cloves of garlic, minced

1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes

1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce

1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon dried basil

1 teaspoon dried thyme

Salt and pepper to taste

1 teaspoon sugar (optional, but it helps cut the acidity of the tomatoes)

½ cup red wine, like chianti, or water

1 (one pound) box mostaccioli noodles, cooked according to package directions until they are just shy of al dente

1 ½  cups shredded mozzarella

½ cup grated parmesan

Directions: Brown the ground beef and Italian sausage in a large Dutch oven over medium heat, breaking up any large pieces. Drain off the fat and add in the onions and garlic. Cook about 5 minutes or until the garlic and onions are soft and fragrant, but not browned.

Add in the crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato paste, oregano, basil, thyme, salt, pepper and wine or water. Reduce the heat to a simmer. Cover and let cook for 30 minutes to 1 hour, stirring often and tasting-adjust the seasonings as you go.

Preheat oven to 350. Remove the Dutch oven from heat. Add the cooked pasta into the sauce  and gently combine. Pour the mixture out into a 2 ½ or 3 quart baking dish. Top with the mozzarella and then the parmesan. Bake for 25 minutes or until the cheese is bubbly and golden. Let rest for 10 minutes before serving.

Bacon and Cheddar Mashed Potato Patties

I’ve probably mentioned this before, but my Mom often made us kids a simple supper of mashed potato pancakes. It certainly stretched the food budget, but it was also the best comfort food—crispy outsides and creamy insides. I think Mom would love the addition of green onions, bacon and sharp cheddar.

Ingredients (makes about 15-18):

3 cups leftover Parslied New Potatoes

2 eggs

1/3 cup chopped green onions

4 slices of bacon, cooked and crumbled

3/4 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

3-4 Tablespoons canola oil, divided

1 cup dry, seasoned breadcrumbs

Directions: Place the mashed potatoes in a large mixing bowl and add the eggs. Use an electric mixer to blend them smooth. Add in the green onions, bacon and cheese. If the mixture is really sticky, add some instant potato flakes or a little flour. You want cakes that hold together.

Form the mashed potato mixture into balls a little bigger than golf balls, using damp hands.  Spread the bread crumbs in a shallow bowl and coat each cake in the bread crumbs (don’t discard the leftover bread crumbs yet). Place on a plate and flatten slightly with you palm. Let rest in the fridge 30 minutes.

Heat 2 Tbs. of oil in a large skillet on medium. Then, put the cakes back in the bread crumbs, shaking off any excess and add the pancakes in batches to the skillet. Cook for about 5 or so minutes per side or until nicely golden. Tip: Do a test patty first—it will let you know if you need to adjust the heat and/or time.

Add more oil as you need it. Note: you may want to clean out your skillet and add more oil between batches, especially if you have lots of browned crumbs in the pan.

Keep the first batch on a baking sheet in a warm oven until you are finished.

Killer Calzones (Bacon, Sausage and Four Cheeses)

Bacon, sausage and four (count ‘em 4!) ooey, gooey CHEESES! These beauties may spoil you for delivered pizza. If you have any leftover, wrap tightly in foil and then store in a zip top bag in your freezer. The perfect antidote to “I’ve had a really long day and I’m not cooking!”

Ingredients (serves 8):

6 strips of bacon

1 pound sweet Italian sausage

¾ cup chopped onion

2 cloves garlic

1 cup chopped mushrooms

5 cups chopped fresh spinach, kale or Swiss chard

1 (15 ounce) container ricotta cheese

1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese

½ cup fresh mozzarella, diced

½ cup provel cheese, diced (if you don’t have it, just use more mozzarella)

2 teaspoons garlic salt

Extra salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste

3 small balls of prepared pizza dough (sorry, the package doesn’t say how much they weigh; I’d guess about 6 ounces each)

A few Tablespoons milk for brushing the tops of the calzones

Extra grated parmesan for sprinkling over the tops of the calzones

Prepared pizza sauce for serving

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Heat a large skillet over medium heat and cook the bacon until crisp. Remove from the pan and drain on paper towels. Set aside. Add the sausage to the skillet and cook until brown. Drain off any excess fat.

Toss the onions, garlic, mushrooms and leafy greens into the pan. Cook until the veggies are soft and fragrant, but not brown (about 5 minutes). Remove the skillet from the heat and let cool for 15 minutes.

Add the ricotta, parmesan, mozzarella, provel and garlic salt to the pan and mix thoroughly. Crumble the bacon and add it to the mixture. Taste the filling (my favorite part) and add salt and pepper to your liking.

Knead the three pizza dough balls together slightly and then divide it into 8 portions and roll each out into a circle (however thick or thin you want) on a floured surface. Don’t stress about the shape or if they are all the same size. This is home cooking. Divide the sausage mixture between the dough circles putting it on one side only, leaving about a 1 inch border around the edge. Fold the dough over and fold up the edges of the half circles to completely seal the filling in the dough. Place on 2 parchment lined baking sheets and brush the tops with milk. Sprinkle on a little grated parmesan. Cut a few vent holes in the tops of the calzones and bake for 50-60 minutes or until golden brown.

Remove from the oven and serve with pizza sauce. 

Cheesy Hash Brown Casserole

There are only a few things that can cause me to melt. One is a brown eyed man (George Clooney, take note) and another is a cheesy, creamy casserole.

Here’s a simple to put together, whole-meal casserole that would be perfect for a brunch buffet, a meal on a cool night or a fabulous pot-luck dish. I minimized the fat damage by using 98% fat free soups, 2% cheese, 1% milk and 96% fat free ham. Heck, you could even use egg substitute instead of eggs. Note: this might make more than your average 13 by 9 pan can handle, so you may want to have another, smaller baking dish standing by.

Ingredients (serves 8-10 easily):

1 can (10.5 ounces) cream of celery soup (low fat is great)

1 can (10.5 ounces) cream of mushroom soup (again, low fat is fine)

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1 soup can of milk

1 teaspoon garlic salt

1 (30 or 32 ounce) package shredded hash browns, thawed

1 (10 ounce) package frozen broccoli, thawed (optional, or you can change the veggie)

1 ½ cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese

1 cup diced ham

½ cup chopped green onions

½ cup sliced mushrooms

½ cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 13 by 9 baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the soups, eggs, milk and garlic salt. Stir in the hash browns, broccoli, cheddar cheese, ham, green onions and mushrooms. Pour into your prepared dish. Sprinkle the Parmesan over the top and cover with foil. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and continue baking for another 45 to 60 minutes or until the sides are bubbly and the top is starting to brown. Let cool and cut into squares. 

Cider Brined Roast Pork Tenderloin

Roast pork for the beginning of autumn. How wonderful.

Ingredients:

Brine:

3 cups apple cider

2 cups water

1/4 cup kosher salt (a small handful)

1/4 cup brown sugar (a small handful)

2 teaspoons dried sage

4 or 5 whole black peppercorns

Pork:

1 (1.5 pound) pork tenderloin

1 Tablespoon butter

1 cup water

Sauce:

1 Tablespoon chopped shallot

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 cup apple cider

½ cup vegetable broth

2 Tablespoons corn starch dissolved in ¼ cup water

1 Tablespoon butter

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Brine: Bring all the brine ingredients to a boil in a saucepan. Boil for about 5 minutes or until the sugar and salt dissolve. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature.

Pork: Place the tenderloin in a large zip top bag and pour the brine over it. Seal and allow to marinate 4 hours or overnight.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Remove the pork from the brine, discarding the brine. Pat the pork dry with paper towels and place in a roasting dish. Coat all sides with butter and place the 1 cup of water in the bottom of the baking dish. Bake for about 35-45 minutes. Check for an internal temperature of 155 in the thickest part of the tenderloin. Remove from the oven, place the tenderloin on a plate, cover with foil and let rest for 10-15 minutes while you make the sauce.

Sauce: Put the roasting pan on top of the stove (after you have removed the tenderloin) and add the shallots to the pan juices. If there aren’t enough pan juices, you may want to add a Tablespoon or 2 of the broth here.  Cook and stir for about 3 minutes until the shallot is softened and then add the mustard, cider and the remaining broth. Bring to a boil and stir in the cornstarch mixture. Cook for a few minutes until the sauce is thickened. Stir in the Tablespoon of butter. Remove the sauce from heat. Let cool slightly and then taste and adjust seasonings by adding salt and/or pepper.

Slice the pork into ½ inch thick slices and serve with the sauce.

Ham and Cheese Macaroni Salad

This is like a great ham and cheese sandwich in a bowl.  You can even make this the day before—just keep the macaroni, dressing, veggies and ham/cheese separate until the day you are serving.

Ingredients:

Dressing:

1/3 cup low-fat sour cream
2/3 cup light mayonnaise
2 tablespoons sweet pickle relish
1 tablespoon spicy brown mustard
1/4 teaspoon white pepper (or black pepper, your call)

1-2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar

¼ cup milk or water

Macaroni:

4 cups cooked elbow macaroni (about 8 ounces uncooked pasta)

Add-ins:

½ cup sliced green onions
1 cup frozen green peas, thawed (optional, but won’t you give peas a chance?)
3/4 cup diced reduced-fat sharp cheddar cheese (or swiss, or a combo of the two)
1/2 cup diced green bell pepper
1/2 cup sliced celery
1/2 cup diced lean ham

Directions:

Combine first 6 ingredients in a large bowl; stir well. Add macaroni and remaining ingredients; toss well to coat. Cover and chill at least 3 hours before serving.

Ham, Bean and Green Chile Soup

Here’s a quick and hearty soup that is ready to serve in no time and uses mostly pantry staples (well, for me, onions, beans, chilies and broth are staples). Personally, I like the two different colors of beans, but you can use three cans of any beans you like. This is just the thing for a chilly night. Bonus: if you are serving vegetarian family/friends, you can just use veggie broth and leave the ham out or serve it in a bowl alongside and let those who want it, add it to the soup.

Ingredients:

2 teaspoons olive oil

½ cup chopped yellow (or white) onion

2 (15 ounce) cans Cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

1 (15.5 ounce) can kidney beans, drained and rinsed

2 cups diced ham

1 jar (16 ounces) salsa Verde

1 (4 ounce) can diced green chiles

4 cups chicken broth (or veggie broth)

Salt and pepper to taste

Possible Garnishes (Use none, some or all—they are totally optional):

Sour cream

Tortilla chips

Cilantro or parsley

Lime wedges

Sliced green onions

Shredded Monterey Jack cheese

Crumbled Cojito cheese

Avocado slices

Directions: Heat the oil in a large sauce pan. Add the onion and cook on medium low until the onion is translucent, but not browned (about 5 minutes). Add in the beans, ham, salsa Verde, green chiles and broth. Bring the pot up to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Cover and cook for 20 minutes (hey, if you can simmer it for an hour, it’s even better). Taste and adjust the seasoning by adding salt and pepper to your liking. (For me, I simmered the soup for 40 minutes and didn't need additional salt or pepper). Serve in big bowls with lots of garnish choices.

Colcannon

Colcannon is a magical blend of creamy, buttery mashed potatoes traditionally made with kale. I’ve ramped mine up to work either as a main dish or a side dish by adding bacon, cabbage, fresh spinach, fresh parsley and leeks. A big bowl of this is serious comfort food.

Ingredients (serves 6-8):

8 to 10 large red potatoes peeled and cut into 2 inch chunks (amount depends on how big the potatoes are and what ratio of potatoes to greens you want)

2 Tablespoons kosher salt

6 slices of bacon

1 cup thinly sliced leeks (white and light green parts only)

4 cups thinly sliced green cabbage

1½ cups milk

5 Tablespoons butter

Salt and pepper to taste

2 cups chopped fresh spinach leaves

¼ cup chopped fresh parsley

Directions: Toss the potato chunks into a very large pot and cover with water. Add the salt and bring to a low boil on medium high heat. Cook until fork tender, about 15-20 minutes (start timing after it gets to a low boil).

Meanwhile, cook the bacon in a skillet on medium heat until crispy and remove to a paper towel, reserving the drippings in the skillet. Add the leeks and cabbage to the bacon drippings and cook until wilted, but not brown, about 10 minutes.

Add the milk and butter to a sauce pan and cook on medium low until the butter melts. Lower the heat and keep warm.

Turn off the heat under the potatoes. Drain the potatoes and put them back in the pot on the warm burner for a minute or so to remove excess moisture. Add the milk/butter mixture slowly and mash with the potatoes until you have the consistency you like. Stir in the leeks and cabbage, then the bacon, spinach and parsley. Taste and adjust seasonings. 

Barbecued Pork Burgers with Sriracha Slaw

Sometimes you need a change of pace from a traditional burger. Here the porky goodness meets the tangy-sweet barbecue sauce, gooey cheese and a creamy, spicy Cole slaw.

Ingredients (makes 4, with extra slaw for serving):

Burgers:

1 pound ground pork

2 teaspoons grill seasoning (I like Montreal steak seasoning)

½ cup prepared barbecue sauce

4 slices provolone cheese

4 buns

Slaw:

½ cup mayonnaise

2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar

2 teaspoons sugar

½ teaspoon celery salt

½ teaspoon dry mustard

Pinch salt

½ teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper

2 teaspoons Sriracha sauce

4 cups finely shredded cabbage

¼ cup finely sliced red onion

Directions: Make the slaw first so it has time to rest. Start by mixing the mayo, vinegar, sugar, celery salt, dry mustard, salt, pepper and Sriracha in a bowl. Stir in the cabbage and onion. Chill until ready to use.

To make the burgers, mix the pork and grill seasoning together and form into four patties. Coat a large skillet with cooking spray and preheat it on medium heat. Add the burgers, cooking about 10 minutes per side, until golden on each side. Turn the heat to low, baste with the barbecue sauce and cook another 3-4 minutes. Flip and coat the other side with sauce. Test for doneness by cutting into a burger slightly. There should be very little pink and any juices should be clear. Lay a slice of provolone on each burger, turn off the heat (but leave the skillet on the burner) and cover with foil until the cheese melts. Serve on buns with slaw piled on top.

Pan Fried Corn Meal Mush (Polenta before it was cool)

Polenta wasn’t always the darling that it is now and that you pay $18 per bowl for. Corn meal was a cheap and filling foodstuff. And it is delicious! Try this version for your next Sunday brunch.

  

Ingredients (makes 18 sticks, enough for 4 good eaters):

2 3/4 cups water

1 cup cornmeal

½ teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons sugar

1 cup cold water

½ pound of bacon

Syrup

Directions:

Prep an 8x8 baking dish by lining it with foil and spraying it generously with cooking spray. Bring 2 3/4 cups water to a boil in saucepan. Whisk the corn meal, salt, sugar and 1 cup of cold water together in a bowl. Gradually add cornmeal mixture to the boiling water, stirring constantly. Cook until the mixture thickens, stirring frequently. When thickened, turn heat to very low, and cook for 20 minutes, stirring often. Pour into your prepped baking dish. Cool then chill overnight.

Turn the cornmeal mush out by placing a plate on top and flipping it over.  Cut into slices about 3 inches long by 1 inch thick. Cook the bacon on medium heat in a large skillet until done to your liking and remove to a paper towel lined plate. Cook the cornmeal fingers in the bacon grease until golden brown on all sides (about 5 minutes per side). Place on plates; serve with syrup poured lavishly over the top and bacon on the side. Some fresh fruit on the side is fabulous!

Potted Devilled Ham

This is an excellent spread to serve with crusty bread, crackers, some pickles and some cheese—a perfect lunch. You can also turn this in a sandwich spread by adding some mayonnaise and maybe a little chopped celery and/or onion.

Ingredients (makes about 3 cups):

A little more than ½ cup cold water

1 to 2 teaspoons dry mustard (like Coleman’s®), depending on your taste

½ teaspoon turmeric

Pinch of ground nutmeg

3 cups coarsely chopped ham

½ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper

1 Tablespoon capers (optional)

¼ cup butter, melted (for creating a seal over the ham)

Directions: In a mixing bowl, combine half of the cold water, dry mustard, turmeric and cloves. Toss the chopped ham in this mixture and then pulse in a food processor about 15 times until all ingredients are very finely chopped (almost like a pate). Add additional water, a little at a time, until the spread holds together to your liking. Stir in the pepper and capers, if using. Pack tightly into clean jars and then cover with about ¼ inch of melted butter. Chill until the butter hardens and then store in the fridge for a week or so. Once you break through the butter seal, use within a few days. If you prefer, you can just pack it into clean containers without the butter and use within a few days.

Swedish Meatballs

This recipe is loosely adapted from the Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook® circa 1981. That recipe is fabulous, but I wanted to change some things up for my own version.

Ingredients (makes 30 to 35 meatballs):

3 slices of soft white bread, torn into pieces

¾ cup half and half

½ pound ground beef

½ pound ground pork

½ pound ground veal (you can use 1 ½ pounds of ground meat for meatloaf instead of these meats,     or even just 1 ½ pounds of ground beef)

½ cup white onion, minced fine

1 egg, lightly beaten

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper

¼ teaspoon fresh ground nutmeg

Pinch of allspice

1 Tablespoon canola oil

2 Tablespoons flour

1 teaspoon powdered beef bouillon

1 teaspoon instant espresso powder

1 ½ cups water

Directions: In a large mixing bowl, combine the bread with the half and half. Let soak together for about 5 minutes. Add the meats, onion, egg, and spices. Mush it all up well with very clean hands. You want a homogeneous mixture here—almost like a pate. Form into small meatballs, about 1 inch in diameter. Heat a skillet with the canola oil over medium heat and brown the meatballs in batches, which should take about 7-10 minutes per batch. I like to use two spoons to turn the meatballs over when browning so I get all sides browned. Remove each batch of meatballs with a slotted spoon to a plate, leaving the drippings in the skillet.

Whisk the flour, beef bouillon and espresso powder to the skillet drippings and continue whisking over medium heat. Add in the water and bring to a boil. Whisk until the sauce becomes thick and then add the meatballs back in. Cover (I just use a piece of foil) and let cook about 20 minutes more.

Black Eyed Peas and Collard Greens (my take on Hoppin’ John)

I love Hoppin’ John and I love collard greens.  A few years ago, I started just putting my greens and rice right into the pot with the black eyed peas and ham hock. I also started doing it the easy way-using canned, seasoned black eyed peas. A bowl of this with a thick slice of butter-slathered cornbread and I am in heaven.

Ingredients (serves 6-8 and makes wonderful leftovers):

2 teaspoons canola oil

1 small onion, chopped (about 1 cup)

1 rib of celery, diced (about ½ cup)

3 (15 ounce) cans of seasoned black eyed peas (I like Glory® brand), with liquid

4 cups of water

1 ham hock (or 1 ½ cups of chopped ham, or a smoked turkey leg)

1 bunch of collard greens, chopped (about 5 tightly packed cups after chopping) See note * below

2 cups cooked rice

Salt and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste

A few dashes of hot sauce, if you want

Directions: Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven and add the onion and celery. Cook a few minutes until just tender and fragrant. Add in the black eyed peas, water and ham hock. Stir well and cook for about 15 minutes on medium low. Add the collard greens and bring to a boil, while stirring the greens deep into the pot (they wilt down a lot!). Reduce the heat to simmer and cover the pot. Simmer on low for about 2 hours and remove the ham hock to a plate. Let cool until you can handle it and then separate the meat from the hock and add the meat back to the pot, discarding the rest of the hock. Add the rice. Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper if needed. Cook, uncovered for 10 more minutes and spoon into great big bowls.

*Note on collard greens: if you've never used fresh collard greens before, they are really easy to prep. Just take each leaf and bend it in half with the darker sides facing each other. That will make the tough rib stand up. Then, holding the leaves in one hand, pull the rib away and discard it. Then, all you have to do is tear or chop the greens and wash and dry them thoroughly. For an even easier route, most grocery stores sell bags of frozen collards and you can just a bag or two of them. You could also use spinach or Swiss chard. 

Spanish Style Bacon Wrapped Dates

I love these little babies. You get the salty goodness of bacon and then the sweet from the dates, a creamy bit from the melted, gooey cheese and then the crunch of the almonds. Note: you won’t need the whole half pound of cheese, but it is so good for snacking on that you will want it.

Ingredients:

22-24 Medjool dates, pitted

12 slices of bacon, cooked halfway through

½ pound Manchego cheese, cut into little pieces (about as long as the dates)

25 or so smoked almonds

Toothpicks

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with foil and spray liberally with cooking spray.

Cut the partially cooked bacon slices in half. Stuff each date with a piece of cheese, 1 or 2 smoked almonds (depends on how big the dates are) and push gently to close. Wrap each date in ½ slice of bacon and skewer with a toothpick. Lay the stuffed dates on the baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes, turning them over after 10 minutes. Pour yourself a lovely glass of sherry (I like Oloroso, and Amontillado is also very nice—“For the love of God, Montressor!”) and feel swanky.

A tip or two: put the almonds near the top of the date and then place the bacon over the top like you are placing a blanket over it—center of the bacon strip over the top middle of the date. This makes it easy to skewer the toothpick near the bottom and catch both sides of the bacon, while not being stopped by the hard almond.

Smoked Pork and Salsa Verde Soup

Here’s a four ingredient, quick and easy soup that is a nice break from traditional chili. If you have leftover smoked pork tenderloin, roast or pork chops this is a terrific way to create a new dish using up any extras. Non-smoked pork is good, too but I love the flavor of smoke here. You can buy smoked pork chops right in the store and cook extra one night to have some leftover for this soup.

Ingredients (makes 4 servings):

Soup:
1 (16 ounces) Salsa Verde
4 cups chicken or vegetable stock
3 cups cooked, smoked pork, chopped  
1 cup frozen corn-no need to thaw

Garnish (any or all-completely optional):

Sour cream
Crumbled Cotija cheese
Crumbled tortilla chips
Diced red and yellow peppers

Directions: Pour the Salsa Verde, stock, pork and corn into a large saucepan. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer for 45 minutes. Serve in bowls with choices for garnish. Done!