Ingredient of the Week . . . Cheddar Cheese

I will admit that this is kinda a lame IotW since I really just used cheese as a topping in both of these dishes but oh well. It is getting colder and casseroles are easy to make and always taste better with cheese.

First up is a dish that made it's debut in the Good Household this week: Cheesy Chicken, Rice and Broccoli Casserole. The Good Husband hates rice. The only thing he will eat it in is Porcupine Meatballs. But a lot of casserole recipes call for rice. The trick, I have found to get TGH to eat something he doesn't like, is to cover it with cheese. He loves chicken and he loves broccoli and cheese, so why not add some rice in there as well?

I must admit that while I don't see this staring in a reoccurring weekly role in the Good Household, it is definitely a "make again" dish.

Ingredients:
3 cups chicken broth
1 1/2 cups of uncooked, long grain white rice
2 cups of cooked chicken breast, cubed
2 cups of broccoli florets, cooked or one package of frozen broccoli
2 tablespoons of butter
2 tablespoons of flour
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 1/2 cup of milk
2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese

Directions:
~Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

~In a medium saucepan, bring the 3 cups of chicken broth to a boil. Mix in the rice, cover and simmer for 15 minuets.

~In another sauce pan over medium, melt the butter with the flour to form a roux. Slowly add the 1/2 cup chicken broth and the milk, whisking to break up any lumps. Continue to whisk, in a figure eight pattern, until the sauce is thick and bubbly. Add the cheese and whisk to combine.

~Once the rice is cooked, add the chicken and the broccoli and stir to combine. Pour the cheese sauce over the rice, chicken and broccoli mixture and stir to combine. Pour the mixture into a 9x13 baking dish.

~Bake, covered, for 30 to 35 minutes or until heated through. Remove the foil and top with additional cheese and bake for 10 minutes more, if desired.

recipe by: The Good Wife


The next casserole of the week is a star in the Good Household: The Original Tater Top Casserole.

This dish first made it's debut on the blog under the Ingredient of the Week . . . Ground Beef, in the "sloppy" version. But this is the original, and as TGH would argue, best version of the dish.

The Original Tater Tot Casserole
Ingredients:
1 lb ground beef
1 lb ground turkey
Salt, pepper and grill seasoning to taste
1 15-ounce can cream of mushroom or cream of celery soup
1 can cut green beans
1 medium bag tater tots
2 cups shredded cheese

Directions:
~Brown meat in a large skillet over medium high heat. Drain off fat and season with salt, pepper and grill seasoning.

~Add the cream of mushroom or celery soup. Drain and add the can of green beans.

~Pour mixture in the bottom of a 13x9 casserole dish. Layer the tater tots on top.

~Bake uncovered for 35 minutes at 425 degrees. Remove from oven, top with the cheese and bake for another 10 minutes.

recipe by: The Good Grandma

Ingredient of the Week . . . Bread

Since I had two loaves of freshly made white bread, I decided to make two dishes that utilized all this bread I had. The first dish I decided to make was Chicken Parmesan.

I normally do a modified version of this for dinner, dredging the chicken in flour, eggs and milk and then breadcrumbs and Parmesan cheese, fried to a golden brown. But that's it. I stop at the yummy breading and leave the sauce and extra cheese off. But I decided to do the full recipe this week since we haven't had any pasta in a while.

This dish relies on the bread crumb mixture as much as the Parmesan cheese. To make the homemade bread crumbs, I cubed one loaf of the white sandwich bread I made earlier in the week. I allowed the bread to sit, overnight, on a cookie sheet uncovered. This allowed the bread to get nice and stale. Then I allowed the bread to dry more by toasting it in the oven for 15 minutes on 300 degrees. I then placed the cubes in a plastic bag and whacked at it until it was nice and fine. I then added a handful of parsley, some oregano and basil and voila, I had homemade Italian breadcrumbs.

Ingredients:
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/2 cup flour
1 egg
2 tablespoons milk
1/2 cup Italian seasoned breadcrumbs
1/2 Parmesan cheese
4 tablespoons canola or extra virgin olive oil
8 oz dried spaghetti
1 jar of your favorite pasta sauce
1/2 cup mozzarella cheese

Directions:
~To bread the chicken, form an assembly line of three large, shallow bowls. In the first bowl add the flour. In the second bowl combine the egg and milk and beat until combined. In the third bowl, add the breadcrumbs and Parmesan cheese and mix until combined.

~Add one chicken breast to the flour, turning to coat and then shaking off any excess flour. Next, dip the flour in the egg wash and allow any extra to fall back into the bowl. Finally add the chicken to the breadcrumbs and turn to coat evenly, pressing the breadcrumbs into the chicken.

~In a large skillet over medium high heat, add the oil and the chicken and allow the chicken to brown, about 4 minutes on each side. When the chicken has browned, removed from the skillet and place on a baking sheet. Transfer the chicken to a preheated 350 degree oven and bake for 20 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.

~Top the chicken with the mozzarella cheese and bake for 5 minutes more.

~Meanwhile cook the spaghetti according to the directions. Drain and add back into the pot. Add the pasta sauce and toss to combine.

~To serve, plate a large spoonful of spaghetti and then top with the chicken breast. Sprinkle with additional Parmesan cheese.

recipe by: The Good Wife

The second dish I made this week is stuffing. Stuffing is one of my all time favorite dishes at Thanksgiving. I like my stuffing baked in the oven so that the top is nice and crunchy. I hate soggy, goopy stuffing. I served this with a nice thick pork chop and peas.

Ingredients:
1 loaf white bread, cubed, see above
2 tablespoons butter
1 onion, diced
2 celery stalks, diced
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves
1/2 teaspoon dried sage, rubbed between fingers
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1 large egg

Directions:
~Spread bread cubes in a single layer on a cookie sheet and let dry overnight. Heat oven to 300 degrees. Bake bread until golden, 12 to 15 minutes.

~Saute onion and celery in butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat until soft, 8 to 10 minutes. In a large bowl, mix bread, vegetables and remaining ingredients.

~Add mixture to a greased 3-quart baking dish. Cover with foil and bake 30 minutes at 350 degrees. Remove foil; bake 15 minutes more.

recipe by: The Good Wife

Ingredient of the Week

There isn't one this week.

I suck.

I am hoping this killer case of heartburn/acid reflux will go away soon and I can start posting again. Besides, my cookies are so damn pretty, they can stay near the top for a while.

Ingredient of the Week . . . Spinach

The ingredient I choose for this week is something I normally don't work with a lot. Like most kids I was never a big fan of spinach and that has translated into my adult life as well. I have only ever had spinach in two forms - leaf and canned.

I remember the first time I ever had spinach. I was in first grade and my school was having a lunch with your parents day. My mom took time off work to come and eat lunch with me. Already having to deal with sitting at a little table and chair, my mom was then also faced with the daunting task of finding something in the school cafeteria she could eat. Somehow she managed to find a salad that had leaf spinach in it. She gave me a bite and told me what it was. And it was good.

Flash forward two weeks and I was over at my paternal grandmother's house. They were getting ready to fix dinner and asked me what vegetable I wanted. I asked if they had any spinach and my grandmother seemed very happy that I liked spinach. That is until I was presented with a plate of green leafy snot. I stood there confused with a look of horrid disgust on my face.

"What is that?" I asked.

"Spinach," I was told.

"That's not spinach," I replied, trying to clam my gap reflex.

"Yes it is."

"No it is not! Spinach is leaves! That is not spinach!" I started to cry.

"Leaves? Leaves?! What are you talking about? Leaves? This is spinach and since you wanted it, you have to eat it"

Crying. "No."

And that was the last time I remember having dinner at my paternal grandmothers. I never did eat that damn spinach and I am sure my grandmother was pissed about the 89 cents I wasted, but I was convinced they were trying to feed me something other than spinach and were lying about it.

But I have discovered, even if I don't particularly like the taste of cooked spinach, nothing improves on flavor like butter, cream and garlic. Thus, I present: Spinach Gratin.

Ingredients:
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 cups chopped yellow onions, I used 4 large shallots, though since TGH is not a big onion fan
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg
1 cup heavy cream
2 cups milk
3 pounds frozen chopped spinach, defrosted (5 (10-ounce) packages)
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup grated Gruyere cheese, I used Swiss instead

Directions:
~Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

~Melt the butter in a heavy-bottomed saute pan over medium heat. Add the onions (or shallots) and garlic and saute until translucent, about 15 minutes. Add the flour and nutmeg and cook, stirring, for 2 more minutes. Add the cream and milk and cook until thickened. Squeeze as much liquid as possible from the spinach (to do this I use a clean kitchen towel. I place the spinach in the middle and bring all four corners of the towel together and ring the water out of the spinach) and add the spinach to the sauce. Add 1/2 cup of the Parmesan cheese and mix well. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper.

~Transfer the spinach to a baking dish and sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup Parmesan and the Gruyere on top. Bake for 20 minutes until hot and bubbly. Serve hot.

recipe by: Ina Garten

The next dish I used spinach in was a nice simple salad, since leaf spinach is still my favorite. When I worked at a grocery store, one of the perks was getting to read all the magazines when it was slow. I planned most of my wedding that way. Thank you Martha Stewart! Aside from all the gossip I was able to catch up on, I loved all the little recipe books. I have a ton of recipes I wrote on sales receipts that are now stored in my recipe binder. This salad I remember seeing in a magazine but I didn't write it down, since I thought it was simple enough.

Needless to say I think I have modified it beyond the original version. So I just call this salad Harvest Apple Salad.

Ingredients:
1 large sweet apple, chopped, I use Pink Lady apples since I think they are the best ever
8 oz blue cheese crumbles
1 cup walnut halves
2 cups of leaf spinach
1 1-2 cups honey mustard citrus vinaigrette (recipe to follow)

Directions:
~Combine all the ingredients and toss with dressing. Serve as 4 side salads or 2 entree salads.

Honey Mustard Citrus Vinaigrette

Ingredients:
1/2 cup white vinegar
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon prepared Dijon-style mustard
1 tablespoon orange juice
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 cup vegetable oil

Directions:
~Whisk together all the ingredients in a small bowl and pour over desired salad.

recipe by: The Good Wife

Ingredient of the Week . . . Beef Roast

Now that the days are getting chillier, soups and stews are on the menu. In last week's Ingredient of the Week, I highlighted ground beef and made Chili. That ushered in the beginning of fall menu at The Good Wife's house. This week's ingredient is beef roast, namely Boneless Beef Chuck Roast. The easiest and most tasty soup I make with BBCR is Vegetable Beef Soup.

Again this is one of those dishes I had at The Good Grandma's. It was full of veggies that I normally don't eat and don't really like that much (I mean, Lima Beans anyone?) but with everything else in the soup, it was super tasty and I didn't mind the beans that much.

A tip before you start: The recipe that follows makes almost 3 gallons of soup. I have a large stock pot that will hold that much soup but if you don't you can easily cut the recipe in half.

Vegetable Beef Soup
Ingredients:
3 pounds boneless beef chuck roast, trimmed and cubed
6 cans of beef broth
2 cans of stewed tomatoes
2 medium turnips, peeled and cubed
2 pounds small red potatoes, scrubbed and cubed
4 stalks of celery, diced (leaves too)
4 carrots, peeled and diced
1 small head of cabbage, shredded
2 cans of corn (I use one can of golden corn kernels and one can of white corn kernels)
2 cans of green beans
2 cans of peas
1 can of Lima beans ('cos, really, who likes Lima Beans?)
2 tablespoons dried basil
2 tablespoons dried oregano
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon garlic powder

Directions:
~Cook the beef in a slow cooker over low heat for 4 to 5 hours.

~Add the meat, juices and all, to the stock pot and add the beef broth and tomatoes. Bring the mixture to a boil and then lower to a shimmer. Add the potatoes, turnips, celery and carrots. Cook for ten minutes.

~Add all of the remaining ingredients and simmer, covered, for 20 minutes.

recipe by: The Good Wife

This Ingredient of the Week should really be about the cooking tools as much as it is about the food. Both of the dishes were made, at least partly, with the slow cooker.

I don't use my slow cooker that much. I kind of forget I have it tucked away in my small kitchen, hiding behind my mixing bowls. But when I use it, I remember how great it is and use it twice the week I remember I have it.

Italian Beef was one of the plate choices we had at our wedding, so it will always have a special place in my heart. It is super to make as well, slow cooker notwithstanding.

Italian Beef
Ingredients:
2 pounds boneless beef chuck roast
1 package of dry Italian Dressing Mix
1/2 cup Italian dressing
1/2 cup banana peppers, juice and peppers (optional) - The Good Husband can't eat anything spicy, so we hold the peppers
1 package of Kaiser Rolls

Directions:
~Pour 1/2 cup of Italian dressing in the bottom of the slow cooker. Place the beef roast in the cooker, turning to coat all sides. Sprinkle the Italian Dressing over the beef, making sure all of the roast is covered. Top with the peppers.

~Cook on low for 6 to 8 hours. Before serving, shred the meat with two forks and stir to combine the juices.

~Serve on Kaiser Rolls with a side of oven fries (recipe to follow).

I like to top my Italian beef with banana peppers (I do like all things spicy), Pepper Jack cheese and horseradish. TGH likes his with ketchup and pickles.

recipe by: The Good Wife

Ingreident of the Week . . . Ground Beef

This week's ingredient is a basic staple in most kitchens, I would assume, save for my favorite veggie Annie. Ground beef is usually cheap if you get the full fat mix. We try to get lean ground beef so it is slightly healthier.

But what can you do with ground beef besides hamburgers and meatloaf? Well thanks to some uber-Christian, homeschooling, procreation friendly Southern family, the world has been introduced to Tater Tot Casserole (TTC). But in The Good Wife's house, we knew of this culinary delight long before the Duggars popped out number 1.

See, The Good Husband was raised by The Good Grandma. TGG is in her 80s and was raised during the Great Depression. So she knew how to eat on the cheap (as well as live on the cheap. You should hear her tell the story about how her Dad only made one dollar a week and because the fee for licence plates was .25, they had to drive on back roads and only go to town at night because they couldn't afford to pay the quarter). She also had 8 kids and had to feed a family on the cheap. Out of necessity TTC was born.

TTC, along with a collection of family recipes, was given to me when I got married. This version is "Sloppy TTC" since instead of using cream of mushroom soup with the ground beef, I used sloppy joe sauce.

"Sloppy" Tater Tot Casserole
Ingredients:
1 lb ground beef
1 lb ground turkey
Salt, pepper and grill seasoning to taste
1 15-ounce can tomato sauce
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1 can corn kernels
1 can cut green beans
1 medium bag tater tots
2 cups shredded cheese

Directions:
~Brown meat in a large skillet over medium high heat. Drain off fat and season with salt, pepper and grill seasoning.

~Add the tomato sauce, brown sugar, onion powder, garlic powder, chili powder and Worcestershire sauce. Cook until bubbly and thickened. Drain and add the can of corn and green beans.

~Pour mixture in the bottom of a 13x9 casserole dish. Layer the tater tots on top.

~Bake uncovered for 35 minutes at 425 degrees. Remove from oven, top with the cheese and bake for another 10 minutes.

recipe modified from: The Good Grandma

Now that the days are getting shorter and cooler, a big bowl of chili really hits the spot. For every person that cooks there is a different chili recipe. This is actually one TGH taught me and it never fails. It is simple and easy to make.

Chili
Ingredients:
2 lbs ground beef
1 tablespoon onion powder
1/2 tablespoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon dried oregano, crushed
1 teaspoon ground cumin
3 teaspoons chili powder
1 46 oz can V8 juice
1 can light red kidney beans
1 can dark red chili beans
1 small can mushrooms, sliced

Directions:
~Brown the beef in a large, deep stock pot. Drain off fat.

~Add all of the following ingredients. Do not drain the liquid off the beans or the mushrooms. Bring to a boil and simmer uncovered for 20 minutes.

~Serve with oyster crackers, cheese and/or sour cream.

recipe by: The Good Husband

Ingredient of the Week . . . Chicken

I know I took a break from the Ingredient of the Week but I promise that I am back on track! This week's ingredient is chicken.

One of my goals with this blog is to build on my cooking skills. Right now I am average, slightly above. I lack a lot of creative thinking in the kitchen and I am not that comfortable with anything above simple cooking. I hope that as this blog grows, so will my creativity in the kitchen. I hope to one day look back at these simple dishes and beam with pride with how much I have accomplished.

So I like to think of this early part of the blog as the foundation of my skills. These dishes are the ones I know how to make now and make with confidence. I hope they will provide for a great launching pad as I continue my experiments in the kitchen.

And now on to two simple chicken dishes.

We eat chicken at least once a week and if there is anything that can become boring and bland over time it is chicken. It is such a same too since I love chicken. I would raise chickens if I could, but those little bastards are mean when they are alive so I prefer to deal with them on my cutting board only.

Simple Chicken Pot Pie
Ingredients:
1 can refrigerated biscuits (yes, don't judge. The Good Husband hasn't been broken from his pre-made biscuit addiction)
1 large onion, chopped (I use onion powder, about 3 teaspoons)
3 stalks celery (leaves too), chopped
3 large carrots, chopped
2 large potatoes, cubed (I didn't have any potatoes this time and I was a little sad about that)
1 cup frozen corn
1 cup frozen green beans
1 cup frozen peas
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 cup milk
2 1/2 cups chopped, cooked chicken

Directions:
~In a large saucepan cook onion (if using fresh), celery, carrots and potatoes in butter over medium heat for 4 to 5 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Stir in the flour, poultry seasoning, salt, and pepper, turning to coat the veggies. Now is the time to add the onion powder if you are using it. Add the chicken broth and the milk all at once. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Stir in chicken, peas, green beans and peas. Pour into a 2-quart rectangular baking dish.

~Arrange biscuits over the top of the dish.

~Bake, uncovered, in a 400 degree F oven for 30 to 35 minutes or until crust is golden brown.

~Let stand for 20 minutes before serving.

This chicken pot pie recipe is loaded with veggies so it makes for a hearty meal. I also like to add a bit more flour to the sauce so that it will thicken up nicely. I hate watery gravies and sauces.

recipe modified from: Better Homes and Gardens




Popcorn Chicken
Ingredients:
2-3 cups flour
1 egg plus 1 egg yolk
1/2 cup milk
2 lbs chicken breasts (I use boneless, skinless for this)
salt
pepper
seasoned salt
canola oil

Directions:
~Cut chicken into bite size pieces. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and seasoned salt to taste. You can also add other seasonings such as rosemary, thyme or poultry seasoning.

~Combine the whole egg and egg yolk with the milk and mix to combine. Add the chicken and allow it to soak for 10-15 minutes.

~Shake off excess liquid and add the chicken, in small batches, to the flour, tossing to coat. (I use 2 large bowls for this).

~Drop chicken into hot (375 degree oil) and fry for 6 minutes per small batch. I like to use my deep fryer for this since I am scared to death to actually use a big pot of hot oil on the stove.

~Serve with honey mustard, hot sauce, blue cheese dressing, ranch dressing, BBQ sauce or ketchup.

recipe by: The Good Wife

Ingredient of the Week . . . Corn

The ingredient I choose this week is corn. I love corn. I think I could eat it everyday. But regular old corn can get boring. So the two dishes I made this week were Grilled Corn and Scalloped Corn.

Grilled Corn
Grilled corn is really simple. Just take an ear of fresh corn on the cob and drizzle it with oil or butter, salt, pepper and then grill until charred. Leave the husk on the corn when you grill it. Just peel back the husk, remove the silk and then spread with oil or butter.

The great thing about grilled corn is that you can season it a ton of different ways. You can rub some crushed garlic and cumin on it, grill it and then top with lime juice and Parmesan cheese. Or you could use some rosemary, thyme, garlic and lemon juice.

recipe by: The Good Wife

Scalloped Corn
Ingredients:
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 tablespoons butter
1 package frozen whole kernel corn, thawed
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1 can cream-style corn
1 cup milk
3/4 cup coarsely crushed rich round crackers (about 20 crackers)
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Directions:
~In a medium saucepan cook onion in butter until tender. Add in thawed corn and salt. Remove from heat.

~In a large bowl stir together the eggs, cream-style corn, milk, and crushed crackers. Stir in the corn and onion mixture. Transfer to an greased 2-quart baking dish.

~Bake, uncovered, in a 325 degree F oven for 35 to 40 minutes or until center appears set. Top with cheese. Let stand for about 15 minutes before serving.

recipe modified from: better homes and gardens

Ingredient of the Week . . . Tomatoes

I thought I would start a new feature and highlight a certain ingredient each week, using it in two different ways. This week tomatoes are the highlight.

This is a nice salad for summer since there is no cooking. You can also add sliced cucumbers as well, but I didn't. This recipe makes enough for me to take to lunch for 2 days.

Panzanella (Bread Salad)

Ingredients:
1 loaf of good white bread, I used a sourdough bread bowl, cubed
1 large tomato, diced
1/2 large red onion, diced
1 80z fresh mozzarella, cubed
1 handful Thai basil, chopped
Zest of one lemon

Directions:

~Toast the bread if you wish. Combine all the ingredients, through the lemon zest and toss to combine.

~Top with lemon zest. You can also top the salad with any olive and vinegar dressing.

My mom used to make these when I was a kid, but she never really had a good track record of not giving me food poisoning, so I didn't like them then. I remember them being really really tart. But these were nice and mild and not tart at all. Overall, they were really good.

Fried Green Tomatoes

Ingredients:
2 medium green tomatoes
1/4 cup flour
Salt and Pepper

Directions:

~Slice the tomatoes into 4 or 5 slices each.

~Sprinkle with salt and let sit for 2 minutes.

~Combine flour and 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper

~Coat the tomatoes in the flour and transfer with a cast iron skillet with 1 inch of canola oil, over medium high heat.

~Fry the tomatoes 2 to 3 minutes on each side until golden. Drain them on a paper plate and serve hot.

recipes by: The Good Wife

**UPDATE** Joelen of Joelen's Culinary Adventures suggested I submit these recipes to her August Adventures Tomato blogging event. Thanks for the suggestion Joelen!