South of the Border Squash Casserole

My sweet and gracious friend Carolyn at "A Southerner's Notebook" shares such wonderful recipes, and this is one of them.  The main ingredient is yellow crookneck squash, (I think zucchini might also be good in this recipe) and the good news is no canned soup as many squash casseroles call for. 
As Carolyn notes many times we think of squash casseroles in connection with winter holiday dinners, but I agree with her that this goes fabulously well  in the summertime. I think it is an exceptional accompaniment to grilled meats or chicken, etc. 
It makes a wonderful meatless entree as well ~ I served it with sliced tomatoes from the garden doused with a light vinaigrette for dinner and it was very satisfying. 



I halved the recipe and baked it in a 10-inch pie pan, it worked out perfectly ~ which served 4 very generously.
The recipe calls for canned Ortega chilies which I am sure would be delicious, however I had some roasted New Mexico Hatch Chilies on hand in the refrigerator so I used those.  It made the casserole a bit spicier (I was a little apprehensive to use them as someone at our table cannot tolerate very spicy food, but the casserole was enjoyed by all.) However if you are cooking for children or people who don't like a little heat, I would recommend making the recipe just the way it is written.  

This received solid thumbs up at my house, and I look forward to making it again.
Thank you Carolyn for sharing another delicious recipe!
You can click on over to Carolyn's blog for the details.
If you give this one a try I hope you enjoy it as much as we did.  Thank you for stopping by.
xo~m.

A Twist on Moussaka ~ Greece Meets France!

Greece meets France in this twist I devised as a shortcut for the Greek dish Moussaka, using what I had on hand  (most noticeably not enough eggplant to make the traditional Greek version!)
Instead, with some odds and ends of fresh vegetables from the  late harvest I made a batch of oven roasted Ratatouille, then proceeded with an adaptation of Moussaka.

Ratatouille ~ deliciously French!
I don't really use an exact recipe for ratatouille and that's just  what I love about dishes like this ~the option of adapting it to  suit ones own taste (or according to what combinations  of vegetables you happen to have.)

You see in the photo from back to front: Red and Green Bell Peppers, Onion, whole garlic cloves and Zucchini, Slender purple eggplant and ripe tomato chunks.

That being said, I prepare oven roasted Ratatouille  much like this as found on about.com/French Food.
It's wonderful to have a bowl of this savory treat in the fridge; good on toasted baguette slices, as a topping  or base for scrambled or fried eggs, as a side dish with fowl or meats, or main dish with grains, rice, or pasta.
 If it's not served warm, it's really best at room temperature so take it out of the refrigerator about 45 minutes to an hour before serving.

Moussaka ~ Delightfully Greek!
This time when making moussaka, instead of the usual eggplant  (or combination of eggplant and potatoes) as the vegetable layers  I used the ratatouille as the base layer, then a layer of spiced, sauteed minced lamb (you can use ground beef, or a mix of lamb and beef). I've seen versions omitting the meat altogether.


Right out of the oven.  (It serves more neatly if allowed to cool for 20 to 30 minutes.)

Over the meat another layer of the ratatouille,  and finally topped with a layer Bechamel sauce  ( medium-thick white sauce) and a dusting of grated  Parmesan cheese. The Parmesan cheese sprinkle on the  Bechamel sauce develops an appetizing golden brown while baking.
Keeper!! This can be assembled ahead and refrigerated until baking time; and it reheats well, too.
Using the ratatouille for the veggie(s) may not be "real" moussaka, but it is very, very good!

If you would like a recipe for authentic Greek Moussaka, this one is a favorite.  (I'm not sure I'll go back though!)

Thank you for stopping by today!
Blessings ~ m. xo

Tamale Pie ~ Beef, Chicken, Turkey or Veggie

Maybe your mom or grandma made this for you when you were growing up?








Mine did.

And my mom added a secret ingredient which made her Tamale Pie stand out from the rest. I'll tell you about it below.

Usually using ground beef as the filling ~ but there is no reason you cannot use chicken, turkey (either ground, or cooked and shredded) or vegetables if you prefer.

This time I made it with lean ground beef and lean ground pork. But you might keep this in mind because it's a great way to utilize some of that leftover cooked turkey from Thanksgiving.

The other ingredients are diced yellow/brown onions, corn (I use frozen), tomatoes - canned diced or stewed (older versions of the recipe just call for tomato sauce but I like the chunks), fresh minced garlic, chili powder, oregano and cumin. Bell pepper (or diced, canned Ortega chilis), and Salt & Pepper.

Add chili flakes if you like, but I like this recipe mildly flavored.

My mom's secret ingredient?

A teaspoon or just a little more of cider or white vinegar stirred into the filling during the last few moments of simmering. It piques the flavors beautifully.

Some incorporate beans into the filling; kidney, black beans or even chili beans work well.

Oh, and I forgot to mention black olives. Nothing fancy, just good old California black olives from the can; they are mild and don't compete with the other ingredients.

Some versions sandwich the filling between the cooked cornmeal, but my mom always placed the prepared filling in a deep casserole then topped with the cooked cornmeal with no bottom layer of cornmeal, and that's the way I prefer it. I used finely ground Italian polenta this time and made individual size servings.

Then baked until hot and bubbling, you can sprinkle with grated cheese during the last few minutes if you like. Serve additional grated cheese, and sour cream at the table if you like.

Can be made a few hours ahead and refrigerated until time to bake.

My favorite tips for Tamale Pie~

• Make it as mild or as spicy as you like.
• Don't be locked into the ground beef version; you can use ground chicken or turkey.
• You can also use leftovers ~ shredded beef, pork, chicken or turkey, or make it all vegetable.
• Add beans if you like
• And most importantly; you'll probably want to ramp up the seasonings for todays tastes.
• Don't forget the cumin! :)
  
• Mom's Secret Ingredient?
• Stir in about a teaspoon (or a smidge more) of white or apple cider vinegar to the filling ingredients at the end of simmer time.

It is one of those casseroles that once you make it, you truly don't need a recipe ~ but here are a couple of links to recipes just in case you've never made this before. I always increase the seasonings because we prefer this casserole to be very flavorful.

Tamale Pie recipes:

Cooks.com

About.com

Simply Recipes

Tuna Noodle Casserole ~ A Retro Updated

No apologies, this has been a comfort food in our families for years. I don't make many casseroles anymore ~ but once in a while I crave one like this.

My Foodie Friday choice for our sweet host

Designs by Gollum

Fair warning... If you're not a child of the 50's or 60's you may not appreciate this simple casserole. :)

I do it a little differently than our (my and dh's) mother's did while we were growing up (I skip the Campbell's Soup) and make a simple white sauce (flavored with sauteed minced onion and lots of finely sliced celery) instead.

Everything else is about the same. I use best quality albacore, solid pack tuna, packed in oil (I drain the oil), or if Italian canned tuna is reasonably priced, I'll use that.

Good quality tuna makes all the difference; and I always double or triple the amount of tuna.

Wide Egg Noodles ~ cooked al dente...

I add more veggies (any that you like) ~ I like mine with even more celery.

If you want to take another short-cut you can use mixed-frozen vegetables instead of prepping & sauteing your own.

I add some diced fresh red bell pepper, and always stir some petite frozen peas in mine, too ~

but add or omit whatever you please.

I like to bake mine in a low, wide baking dish until hot and bubbly.

Secret ingredient.... I also add some Best Foods/Hellman's mayo to the mix before putting in into the baking dish (check the consistency and thin with milk or table cream /half & half if you like.)

And yes! I top with a generous sprinkle of crushed potato chips, just like the old-fashioned original. Baked in a 350-degree oven (F) until heated through.

p>

Some like a spot of tomato ketchup drizzled over, or as a side on the serving plate, for a flavor contrast

(and nostalgia's sake!) :)

Leftovers are terrific, even cold... right from the fridge.

(No need to ask me how I know!)

*grin*

Thanks for taking this walk down memory lane with me. Many of our mothers, of a certain age, are smiling, I know. :)

Happy Halloween! Macaroni and Cheese ~ (It's Martha Stewart's Version)

Am I the last one to try Martha Stewart's Macaroni & Cheese recipe? Rich and creamy, with no odd ingredients to get in the way of the delicious cheesy flavor.

I don't know why I waited so long!

Here it is ready for the bread crumb topping. In the sauce, and for the cheese finish I used a combination of Tillamook Sharp Cheddar cheese, imported Jarlsberg and Pecorino Romano.

I only made two changes; I used Panko crumbs tossed in melted butter for the topping, and added a teaspoon of dry mustard powder to the cheese sauce.

Piping hot, right out of the oven...

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But WAIT!

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It looks rather plain.

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and it IS

HALLOWEEN ~

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I'm not sure Martha would approve ~

but it was fun, and the Macaroni & Cheese recipe is excellent!

It's very rich, and best served with something rather light in calories, and flavor ~ I served steamed broccoli florets, along with vinaigrette dressed Angel Hair cabbage slaw.

Martha Stewart's Macaroni and Cheese

Serves 12

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, plus more for casserole

6 slices white bread, crusts removed, torn into 1/4- to l/2-inch pieces (I used 1 cup of large size Panko crumbs tossed in 2 Tablespoons of melted butter.)

5 1/2 cups milk

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons coarse salt, plus more for water

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

4 1/2 cups (about 18 ounces) grated sharp white cheddar cheese

2 cups (about 8 ounces) grated Gruyère or

1 1/4 cups (about 5 ounces) grated Pecorino Romano cheese

(I used a combination of each)

I added 1 teaspoon of dry mustard powder when adding the other seasonings

1 pound elbow macaroni

Preheat oven to 375° F, rack in center position.

Butter a 3-quart casserole dish; set aside.

Bring the water to a boil for the pasta:

Set a very large pot of water ,covered, over high heat.

In the meantime proceed with the recipe~

Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a small saucepan over medium heat, when melted, toss with bread in a medium size bowl. Set aside.

~OR~

Melt butter in a medium size frying pan, when butter is melted add Panko crumbs and toss until crumbs are thoroughly coated. Remove pan from heat and set aside.

Warm the milk in a medium saucepan over medium heat (or in Pyrex measuring cup in the microwave)

Melt the remaining 6 tablespoons butter in a large pot over medium heat. When the butter bubbles, add the flour. Cook, stirring, 1 minute.

Slowly pour in the hot milk a bit at a time to avoid lumps. Continue cooking, whisking constantly, until the mixture bubbles and becomes thick, 10 to 12 minutes.

Remove the pan from the heat. Stir in salt, nutmeg, black pepper, cayenne pepper, 3 cups cheddar cheese, and 1 1/2 cups Gruyère (or 1 cup Pecorino Romano); set the cheese sauce aside.

When the large pot of water has come to a boil, salt it generously and stir in the macaroni and cook until al dente (or until almost done. Pour macaroni into a colander placed in the sink, rinse quickly under cold running water, and drain well.

Add the macaroni into the cheese sauce and mix gently but well until the sauce covers all of the macaroni evenly.

Transfer the mixture into the prepared casserole dish. Sprinkle the remaining cheese, then with the breadcrumbs over the top. Bake until golden brown, about 30 minutes.

Time will vary a bit depending upon the size and depth of your baking vessel.

Allow the casserole to cool on a wire rack for about 5 minutes, then serve.

Proclaimed delicious!

~Happy Halloween~

From My House,

to Yours!