Corn Chowdah Mac 'n' Cheese

Yuuuuuuuuuuum. Yum.

Corn Chowdah Mac 'n' Cheese
Courtesy of Rachael Ray



Salt and black pepper
1 pound mezzi rigatoni, penne rigate or cavatappi pasta
4 ears corn, husked
Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
1/4 pound bacon, chopped into 1/2-inch pieces
1 baking potato, peeled and diced into 1/4- to 1/2-inch pieces
1/2 tablespoon Old Bay Seasoning (half a palmful)
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 red chile pepper, such as fresno, seeded and chopped
1 small red bell pepper, chopped into 1/4-inch cubes
1 small red onion, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
A few sprigs thyme, chopped
3 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
2 cups whole milk
1 teaspoon dry mustard
About 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Few grates fresh nutmeg
1 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
1 1/2 cups shredded sharp yellow cheddar cheese

Bring a large pot of water to a boil, salt it, add the pasta and cook to al dente. Drain and return to the pot.

While the pasta is working, position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat the broiler. Place a small bowl upside down in a large bowl. Stand each ear of corn on the small bowl and scrape down the kernels.

Heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Add a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil and the bacon and cook until crisp. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the bacon to a paper-towel-lined plate.

Add the corn, potato and Old Bay to the bacon drippings in the skillet and brown for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the celery, chile pepper, bell pepper, onion and garlic; season with the thyme, salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 8 to 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the flour, then the milk; season with the mustard, cayenne, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Cook until the sauce coats a spoon thickly; lower the heat to low. Stir in the Parmigiano-Reggiano.

Add the corn-potato mixture and the white sauce to the pasta in the pot and stir together. Transfer to a casserole or serving dish, top with the cheddar and bacon and broil until brown and bubbly, 3 to 5 minutes. Serve immediately.

Chicken Normande with Mashed Apples and Potatoes

Meh. Not terrific. It smelled great, but it didn't taste like much. Oh well.

Chicken Normande with Mashed Apples and Potatoes
Courtesy of Bon Appétit



3 cups canned low-salt chicken broth
1 cup apple cider or apple juice
8 ounces parsnips, peeled, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 3/4 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
3/4 pound Golden Delicious apples (about 2 large), peeled, cored, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
5 tablespoons butter
8 skinless boneless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch pieces
6 teaspoons minced fresh thyme
2 tablespoons all purpose flour
1 cup frozen peas, thawed
1/3 cup brandy
1/3 cup whipping cream

Combine first 3 ingredients in heavy large pot and bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium, cover and simmer until parsnips are tender, about 5 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer parsnips to small bowl. Add potatoes and apples to same pot. Cover; simmer until very tender, about 20 minutes. Remove from heat. Using slotted spoon, transfer potatoes and apples to large bowl; add 3 tablespoons butter. Mash until almost smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Pour broth mixture from pot into medium bowl; reserve pot.

Sprinkle chicken with salt, pepper and 4 teaspoons thyme; dust with flour. Melt remaining 2 tablespoons butter in reserved pot over medium-high heat. Add half of chicken. Sauté until brown and cooked through, turning with tongs, about 5 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer sautéed chicken to 11x7x2-inch glass baking dish. Repeat with remaining chicken. Top with parsnips, remaining 2 teaspoons thyme and peas. Return broth mixture to same pot; add brandy and whipping cream. Boil over medium-high heat until sauce is reduced to 1 1/4 cups, scraping up browned bits, about 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Spoon over chicken. Cover with potato-apple mixture. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Refrigerate until cold, then cover and keep refrigerated.)

Preheat oven to 350°F. Bake casserole uncovered until potato topping is crusty and chicken filling is heated through, about 35 minutes (about 45 minutes if refrigerated).

Autumn Sausage Casserole

This is a recipe that was originally meant to be cooked on the stovetop and then in the oven. And then it was turned into a crockpot meal because Stephanie O'Dea decided to cook in her crockpot every day for an entire year. But really, it should be cooked in the original way. It just doesn't really work in the crockpot. It was sticking so much to the crockpot insert that I stopped cooking it halfway into the cook time (which was fine because pretty much everything was cooked already, the crockpot time was really only meant to soften up the fruit and veggies). I'll make it again, but probably as a side dish next time. It's so reminiscent of stuffing/dressing that I'm not sure it would fly again as a main course (the husband isn't a giant fan of casseroles as it is... maybe I'll make it when he's away on business...).

Autumn Sausage Casserole
A variation on this recipe from Taste of Home



1 pound bulk pork sausage
1 medium apple, peeled and chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup chopped carrot
3 cups cooked long grain rice
1/2 cup raisins
1/3 cup minced fresh parsley (or 1 tablespoon dried parsley)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon pepper

In a large skillet, cook the sausage, apple, onion and celery over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Stir in the remaining ingredients.

Transfer to a greased 2-qt. baking dish. Cover and bake at 350°F for 25-30 minutes or until heated through.

Tomato, Broccoli & Mozzarella Pasta Casserole

This was okay. Nothing super crazy awesome, but a good option if you're going to a potluck and want to make sure you have an option that will appeal to a broad audience.

Tomato, Broccoli & Mozzarella Pasta Casserole
Courtesy of the kitchn



12 ounces farfalle pasta (also known as bowtie)
1 pound broccoli florets, frozen or fresh
3 large ripe tomatoes, divided
3/4 pound onion, diced
4 garlic cloves, very finely minced
One 15-ounce can chickpeas, drained
3/4 cup chopped basil leaves, divided
1/2 pound fresh full-fat mozzarella, divided
3 large eggs
1 cup cottage cheese (4% milkfat or greater)
1 lemon, juiced
3/4 cup grated Parmesan, divided
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon black pepper

Heat the oven to 375°F and lightly grease a 9x13-inch casserole dish with olive oil. Heat a large pot of water to boiling and salt generously. Add the farfalle and cook for 11 minutes or until barely al dente. Drain and return to the pot.

Steam the broccoli in the microwave or in a steamer basket on the stovetop, just until tender. Drain thoroughly and chop roughly into bite-sized florets. Toss with the cooked pasta. Chop two of the tomatoes into rough pieces, and add them to the pasta. Stir in the chopped onion and minced garlic, along with the drained chickpeas, and 1/2 cup of the chopped basil. Tear about 2/3 of the fresh mozzarella into thumbnail-sized chunks and fold this into the pasta mixture.

Whisk the eggs with the cottage cheese and lemon juice. Stir in 1/2 cup of Parmesan. Stir this liquid into the pasta mixture until well combined. Stir in the salt and pepper.

Spread the pasta in the prepared baking dish. Slice the remaining tomato into half-moons and arrange on top of the pasta. Tear the rest of the mozarella into bits and scatter between the rows of tomato slices. Sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup of Parmesan cheese on top, and drizzle with olive oil.

Bake for 35 minutes or until the cheese on top has melted and the casserole is bubbling. Remove from the oven and immediately sprinkle the remaining chopped basil over top. Let stand for a few more minutes before serving.

Tex-Mex Barley Bake

I'm pleasantly surprised by this dish. While I was making it, I just wasn't sure I'd like it. But really, it's just like eating tasty innards of a burrito, topped with crunchy, cheesy nachos. There ain't nothing wrong with that.

Tex-Mex Barley Bake
Courtesy of Rachael Ray



2/3 cup pearled barley
4 tablespoons butter
2 cups sugar snap peas
1 bunch scallions, thinly sliced
2 cups frozen corn, thawed
One 15-ounce can black beans, rinsed
1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
2 tablespoons flour
2 1/4 cups milk, warmed
3 cups shredded pepper jack cheese (about 12 ounces)
Salt and pepper
2 cups crushed tortilla chips

In a small saucepan, bring 3 cups water to a boil; add the barley, lower the heat and simmer for 40 minutes. Drain, transfer to a bowl and let cool. Reserve the saucepan.

Meanwhile, position a rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat to 425°. In a large skillet, melt 1 tablespoon butter over medium-high heat; add the sugar snap peas, scallions and 1/2 cup water. Boil to evaporate the water. Stir into the barley with the corn, black beans and tomatoes.

Using the same saucepan, melt the remaining 3 tablespoons butter over medium heat. Whisk in the flour for 1 minute; slowly whisk in the warmed milk and bring to a simmer, then cook for 1 minute more. Stir in 2 cups cheese, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Stir this into the barley mixture; transfer to a shallow 3-quart baking dish.

Cover with foil and bake for 18 minutes. Sprinkle the chips and remaining 1 cup cheese on top. Bake, uncovered, until the cheese is melted and the chips are toasted, 10 to 15 minutes.

Best Ever Green Bean Casserole

Alton Brown isn't exaggerating. This is the best ever green casserole.

Best Ever Green Bean Casserole
Courtesy of Alton Brown




For the topping:
2 medium onions, thinly sliced
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons panko bread crumbs
1 teaspoon kosher salt
Nonstick cooking spray

For beans and sauce:
2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
1 pound fresh green beans, rinsed, trimmed and halved
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
12 ounces mushrooms, trimmed and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup chicken broth
1 cup half-and-half

Preheat the oven to 475°F.

Combine the onions, flour, panko and salt in a large mixing bowl and toss to combine. Coat a sheet pan with nonstick cooking spray and evenly spread the onions on the pan. Place the pan on the middle rack of the oven and bake until golden brown, approximately 30 minutes. Toss the onions 2 to 3 times during cooking. Once done, remove from the oven and set aside until ready to use. Turn the oven down to 400°F.

While the onions are cooking, prepare the beans. Bring a gallon of water and 2 tablespoons of salt to a boil in an 8-quart saucepan. Add the beans and blanch for 5 minutes. Drain in a colander and immediately plunge the beans into a large bowl of ice water to stop the cooking. Drain and set aside.

Melt the butter in a 12-inch cast iron skillet set over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms, 1 teaspoon salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms begin to give up some of their liquid, approximately 4 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic and nutmeg and continue to cook for another 1 to 2 minutes. Sprinkle the flour over the mixture and stir to combine. Cook for 1 minute. Add the broth and simmer for 1 minute. Decrease the heat to medium-low and add the half-and-half. Cook until the mixture thickens, stirring occasionally, approximately 6 to 8 minutes.

Remove from the heat and stir in 1/4 of the onions and all of the green beans. Top with the remaining onions. Place into the oven and bake until bubbly, approximately 15 minutes. Remove and serve immediately.

Chicken Tetrazzini

This dish is so nostalgic. And quite tasty. And this particular recipe actually makes it so that you have one pan of it now and one to freeze, so that's an added bonus.

I also have to admit... I've done nothing over the last couple of days since deciding to make this dish but refer to this clip from The Soup. Who knew this dish was such an aphrodisiac?

Chicken Tetrazzini
A variation on this recipe from Cooking Light



1 tablespoon butter
Cooking spray
1 cup finely chopped onion
2/3 cup finely chopped celery
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3/4 teaspoon salt
3 (8-ounce) packages presliced mushrooms
1/2 cup dry sherry
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
3 (14.5-ounce) cans fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
2 1/4 cups (9 ounces) grated fresh Parmesan cheese, divided
1/2 cup (4 ounces) 1/3-less-fat cream cheese
7 cups hot cooked vermicelli (about 1 pound uncooked pasta)
4 cups chopped cooked chicken breast (about 1 1/2 pounds)
1 1/2 cups frozen peas
1 (1-ounce) slice white bread

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Melt butter in large stockpot coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Add onion, celery, pepper, salt, and mushrooms; sauté 4 minutes or until mushrooms are tender. Add sherry; cook 1 minute.

Lightly spoon flour into a measuring cup; level with a knife. Gradually add flour to pan; cook 3 minutes, stirring constantly (mixture will be thick) with a whisk. Gradually add broth, stirring constantly. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from heat.

Add 1 3/4 cups Parmesan cheese and cream cheese, stirring with a whisk until cream cheese melts. Add the pasta, chicken and peas, and stir until blended. Divide the pasta mixture between 2 (8-inch-square) baking dishes coated with cooking spray.

Place bread in food processor; pulse 10 times or until coarse crumbs form. Combine breadcrumbs and 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese; sprinkle evenly over pasta mixture.

Bake at 350°F for 30 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove casserole from oven; let stand 15 minutes.

To freeze unbaked casserole: Prepare through Step 5. Cool completely in refrigerator. Cover with plastic wrap, pressing to remove as much air as possible. Wrap with heavy-duty foil. Store in freezer for up to 2 months.

To prepare frozen unbaked casserole: Thaw casserole completely in refrigerator (about 24 hours). Preheat oven to 350°F. Remove foil; reserve foil. Remove plastic wrap; discard wrap. Cover casserole with reserved foil; bake at 350ºF for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 1 hour or until golden and bubbly. Let stand 15 minutes.

Uptown Tuna Casserole

A Rachael Ray recipe with flavor! It's been a long time since I've found one... But this one is tasty. The tarragon and Gruyere cheese give this tried-and-true recipe a really lovely tasty twist.

The only thing I did differently was omit the white wine, but that was only because I didn't have any and didn't have time to go out and get any. I think it would have made the dish even tastier though, so definitely use it.

Uptown Tuna Casserole
Courtesy of Rachael Ray



1/2 pound extra-wide egg noodles (I used 12 ounces, and it worked out well)
Salt
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons butter
1/4 pound button mushrooms, thinly sliced
2 leeks, thinly sliced, washed and dried
3 to 4 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
3 tablespoons flour
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 1/2 to 2 cups whole milk or half n half or cream
1 rounded tablespoon Dijon mustard
Black pepper
1/2 cup frozen baby peas
1/4 cup fresh tarragon leaves, loosely packed, chopped
3 cans good quality tuna in olive oil, drained and flaked (I used the kind packed in water, and it worked out well)
6 ounces Gruyere cheese, shredded, about 1 1/2 cups
2 tablespoons finely chopped chives or parsley

Bring a large pot of water to a boil for noodles. Salt boiling water and cook noodles to al dente.

While water comes to a boil, place oven rack in center of oven and turn on broiler. Heat a large skillet over medium heat with oil, a turn of the pan, and butter. When butter melts into oil, add mushrooms and sauté 5 minutes. Then add leeks and garlic and allow leeks to wilt, 5-6 minutes. Sprinkle flour over leeks and mushrooms and stir 1 minute. Then whisk in wine for half a minute, then whisk in milk and half and half or cream and simmer a couple of minute to thicken and reduce sauce. Then stir in Dijon mustard and season sauce with salt and pepper, to taste. Stir in peas, tarragon and tuna, then return sauce to bubble and turn off heat. Add cooked noodles to sauce, transfer to a casserole and top with Gruyere cheese. Pop casserole in oven and broil until bubbly and brown, 3-4 minutes. Garnish with chives or parsley and serve immediately.

Tuna Noodle Casserole

I think I have some sort of tuna noodle casserole addiction... I keep trying different recipes. But this addiction is paying off. Because this was awesome. Seriously, crazy yum. It was totally worth the 30-minute tantrum Benjamin threw about us making him try some. Especially when, after all that fuss, the little punk ended up liking it. Enjoy.

Edited to add: Try to eat this all the first day you have it. The leftovers are a little overwhelming because when the sauce reheats, it gets runny and somehow even creamier.

Tuna Noodle Casserole
Courtesy of Cooking Light



8 ounces wide egg noodles
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup chopped yellow onion
1/3 cup chopped carrot
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 3/4 cups fat-free milk
1/2 cup (4 ounces) 1/3-less-fat cream cheese, softened
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup frozen peas, thawed
1/2 cup (2 ounces) grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, divided
2 (5-ounce) cans albacore tuna in water, drained and flaked
Cooking spray

Preheat broiler.

Cook noodles according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add onion and carrot; cook 6 minutes or until carrot is almost tender, stirring occasionally. Sprinkle with flour; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Gradually stir in milk; cook 5 minutes, stirring constantly with a whisk until slightly thick. Stir in cream cheese, mustard, salt, and pepper; cook 2 minutes, stirring constantly.

Remove pan from heat. Stir in noodles, peas, 1/4 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, and tuna. Spoon mixture into a shallow broiler-safe 2-quart baking dish coated with cooking spray; top with remaining 1/4 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese. Broil 3 minutes or until golden and bubbly. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Layered Enchilada Bake

We have a few very busy weekends coming up, so I'm cooking during the week. *GASP!* It's a bit harder since the kids are running around while I'm trying to do something productive (a near-impossible feat, indeed), so I'm going with easier meals... Such as this really yummy one.

I've made this several times before and am switching things up a bit. I've always substituted ground turkey for the ground beef since we're not big beef-eaters. I tried it before with homemade Italian dressing, and it was good (I'm using store-bought this time). And I used to put the sour cream in, like the original recipe calls for, but it made it kind of goopy. So, upon my husband's request, I'm just going to use the sour cream as garnish.

This is also really good to make ahead of time. Once assembled, you can freeze it for up to 3 months. When you're ready to eat it, you just bake it at 400ºF, covered, for 1 hour. Then, remove foil, and bake for an additional 15 to 20 minutes, or until heated through and cheese is melted.

Layered Enchilada Bake
A variation on this recipe from Kraft Foods

1 lb. lean ground beef
1 large onion, chopped
2 cups salsa
1 can (15 ounces) black beans, drained, rinsed
1/4 cup Zesty Italian Dressing
2 tablespoons taco seasoning mix
6 flour tortillas (8-inch)
1 cup sour cream
1 package (8 ounces) Mexican-style finely shredded cheese

Heat oven to 400ºF. Brown meat with onions in large skillet on medium-high heat; drain. Add salsa, beans, dressing and seasoning mix; mix well.

Arrange 3 tortillas in single layer on bottom of 13x9-inch baking dish; cover with layers of 1/2 each of the meat mixture and cheese. Repeat all layers. Cover with foil.

Bake, covered, 30 minutes. Remove foil. Bake an additional 10 minutes or until casserole is heated through and cheese is melted. Let stand 5 minutes before cutting to serve.

Smoky Turkey Shepherd's Pie

Comfort food. No doubt about it.

Edited to add: Make sure that you bring the turkey mixture to a boil before you set it to simmer. The picture I've added was when I didn't do that, and you can see that the result is very soupy. I've done it before when I let the mixture thicken a bit, and it's much more solid and, in my opinion, pleasant to eat.

Smoky Turkey Shepherd's Pie
Courtesy of Rachael Ray



3 large Idaho potatoes, peeled and cubed
Coarse salt
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 pound smoky bacon or turkey bacon, chopped
1 1/3 pounds ground turkey breast
1 tablespoon smoked paprika, available in small cans on spice aisle of market (You may substitute 1 1/2 teaspoons each sweet paprika and cumin combined)
Coarse black pepper
2 tablespoons, 5 or 6 sprigs, fresh thyme leaves
1 medium onion, chopped
2 carrots, peeled and diced
3 ribs celery from the heart, chopped
1 small red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
2 cups frozen peas
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups chicken broth
1 cup sour cream, divided
3 tablespoons butter
1 large egg, beaten
10 to 12 blades fresh chives, chopped or snipped

Bring a medium pot of water to a boil, salt it, and cook the potatoes until tender, 12 to 15 minutes.

Heat a deep, large skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil to the skillet. Add bacon and brown it up, then add ground turkey to the pan and break it up. Season the turkey with smoked paprika, salt and pepper, and thyme. When turkey browns up, add onions, carrots, celery. Season the veggies with salt and pepper. Cook 5 minutes, then add red pepper and peas; cook another 2 minutes. Stir in flour and cook for 2 minutes. Whisk in broth and combine. Add 1/2 cup of sour cream and combine. Simmer mixture over low heat.

Preheat your broiler to high.

When potatoes are tender, add a ladle of cooking water to the egg. Drain potatoes and return to the warm pot to dry them out a little. Add remaining 1/2 cup sour cream, butter, half of the chives, and salt and pepper. Smash and mash the potatoes, mashing in the beaten, tempered egg. If the potatoes are too tight, mix in a splash of milk.

Pour turkey mixture into a medium casserole dish. Top turkey with an even layer of smashed potatoes and place casserole 5 inches from hot broiler. Broil the potatoes until golden at edges and remove the casserole from the oven. Garnish the casserole with the remaining chives and a sprinkle of smoked paprika.