Showing posts with label casserole. Show all posts
Showing posts with label casserole. Show all posts

Saturday, January 27, 2024

French Onion Chicken and Pasta

 


The Weather Outside Is Frightful

I live in the United States—you'll find me in the upper left-hand corner of the map, the Pacific Northwest, specifically Washington. Washington, the "Evergreen State." Evergreen because, as you've heard, it rains here ... a lot.

As I write it's the dead of winter. The sun goes down at 4:00 p.m. and sunrise isn't until about 8:00 in the morning. I'm beginning to forget what the sun looks like, and we are all desperately in need of comfort food. Soups and stews are on the menu rotation along with this dish I created for dinner last night—French onion chicken and pasta.


Ingredients

  • 4 skinless, bone-in chicken thighs, medium size
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
  • 3 cups yellow onions, sliced vertically (see note)
  • 1/4 cup dry sherry
  • 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
  • 4 cups beef stock
  • 8 ounces dry pasta, orecchiette or other shell-shaped pasta
  • 1/2 cup Gruyere cheese, shredded, for garnish

Instructions

  1. Heat olive oil in a large saute pan over medium heat. Pat the chicken thighs dry with paper towels and then season both sides with salt and pepper. Reduce the heat to low and slowly saute the thighs until richly browned on one side, about 10 minutes.
  2. Flip the chicken thighs over and cook on the other side until brown, about 10 minutes more. This low and slow cooking makes the thighs meltingly fork tender and creates fond in the bottom of the pan (I'll explain that in Step 3). Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside.
  3. The bottom of the pan contains yummy bits from cooking that chicken; this is called "fond" and is an important part of the success of this dish. Fond equals flavor.
  4. Increase the heat to medium; add the butter to the pan and once it melts add all of the onions. Yes, it looks like a lot of onions, but keep in mind that onions are about 89 percent water. As soon as you hear the onions begin to sizzle, turn the heat back down to low. Cook the onions, stirring occasionally, until they are a luscious golden brown. This will take at least 30 minutes. You might be tempted to increase the heat to hurry the process; please don't. If cooked with higher heat the onions will burn and become bitter tasting. Your patience will be rewarded. (By the way, slicing the onions pole to pole means that you cut them from stem end to bottom, not horizontally.)
  5. When the onions are golden increase the heat to high. Add the sherry and stir until the sherry evaporates. Add the flour and stir to coat the onions. Add the broth and stir to mix everything together.
  6. When the mixture is boiling add the pasta all at once. Stir to combine and then turn the heat down so that the mixture just barely simmers. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is tender (the orecchiette I used took about 15 minutes to cook.) Several things happen in this step; the pasta absorbs the flavors in the broth, the broth reduces slightly, and the pasta releases its starch into the broth to help thicken and create a sauce.
  7. While the pasta is cooking, remove the cooked chicken meat from the bone. You can omit this step if you wish, but deboning the chicken makes this dish a little easier to eat. When the pasta is tender, nestle the cooked chicken back into the pan and toss to coat with the sauce. Serve, and garnish with cheese. I served this meal with sauteed kale.

Photo Guide

Richly browned chicken thighs
Richly browned chicken thighs
Source: Linda Lum
Butter and fond in the saute pan
Butter and fond in the saute pan
Source: Linda Lum
3 cups of onions sliced pole to pole
3 cups of onions sliced pole to pole
Source: Linda Lum
Golden brown cooked onions
Golden brown cooked onions
Source: Linda Lum
Beef broth added to the pan
Beef broth added to the pan
Source: Linda Lum

Pasta is cooked and the chicken is nestled back into the pan, ready to serve
Pasta is cooked and the chicken is nestled back into the pan, ready to serve

Monday, March 6, 2023

Tomato Macaroni and Cheese






This is not the prettiest plate of food I've ever prepared, but it certainly delivered on flavor. In my quest to always pack more veggies into every meal, I've attacked even our beloved macaroni and cheese. By under-cooking the pasta, draining, and then adding a can of diced tomatoes (juice and all) to the pot, the pasta not only finishes cooking but it gains a ton of flavor from the tomatoes. Here's the recipe.

Ingredients
  • 3 cups dry (uncooked) elbow macaroni
  • 1 14-ounce can petite diced canned tomatoes
  • 1/4 cup butter
  • 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 1/2 cups milk (I used non-fat)
  • 1 14-ounce can cheddar cheese soup
  • 2 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese (not pre-shredded)
  • 1 teaspoon dry mustard powder
  • 1 teaspoon powdered onion (not onion salt)
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil or melted butter
  • 2 tablespoons panko bread crumbs
Instructions
  1. Preheat your oven to 425 degrees F.
  2. Bring a large pot of water to boil over high heat. Add 2 teaspoons of table salt and then stir in the elbow macaroni. Stir frequently so that the pasta doesn't clump together. Cook for 5 minutes.
  3. Drain the pasta, reserving 1 cup of the pasta water. Set the pasta water aside.
  4. Add the pasta back into the pot; stir in the diced canned tomatoes and then cover and set the pot aside for 5 minutes. Note--the pan is no longer on the heat. After your 5-minute wait, the pasta should be al dente. Set aside.
  5. Add the flour to a large saucepan or saute pan. I used a large oven-safe saute pan so that I could create the sauce and bake the macaroni in the same pot (saving a dish is never a bad thing). Heat over medium until melted; stir in the flour and cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. You want the flour to cook but not brown.
  6. Stir in the milk all at once; stir constantly with a wire whisk until the mixture thickens and is smooth. Add the soup and seasonings. 
  7. If you have used a large, oven-safe saute pan simply fold the cooked elbow macaroni into the sauce. If you used a saucepan, pour your cheese sauce over the cooked macaroni and then spread in a greased oven-safe casserole dish.
  8. Combine the olive oil and bread crumbs and sprinkle over the macaroni.
  9. Bake the casserole for 18-20 minutes or until bubbling around the edges. Let sit for 10 minutes before serving.


Saturday, October 31, 2020

Jack-O-Peppers

Isn't he cute?

Today is Halloween—in our circle of friends, we focus more on the Reformation than on ghosts and goblins, but it's still fun to carve pumpkins and dress up in silly costumes. This year I'm showing up as a mom who doesn't get enough sleep. (I'll bet that's most of you too!).

This morning my older daughter said she wanted to prepare a Halloween-themed meal for dinner. She tossed out a few ideas (make spaghetti and pretend that the pasta is worms and the sauce is blood), but that REALLY didn't sound like something I'd want on my table. But we like stuffed peppers, so I suggested that perhaps we could carve faces in orange bell peppers, and so the idea of "Jack-O-Peppers" was born.


Carb Diva's Jack-O-Peppers (makes 4)

Ingredients
  • 1/2 cup orzo (rice-shaped pasta)
  • 1/2 pound sweet Italian turkey sausage
  • 1 cup jarred marinara sauce
  • 4 orange bell peppers
  • grated Parmesan cheese (for garnish)

Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
  2. Cook the orzo according to package directions. Drain, rinse, and set aside. 
  3. Cook the turkey sausage over medium heat in a large saute pan, breaking it up as it cooks, until crumbled and no more pink remains—about 10 minutes. Stir in the cooked orzo and marinara sauce.
  4. If you want to go with the Halloween theme, carve "jack-o-lantern" faces in your orange peppers. Next gently cut and remove the tops and shake out the seeds. Stuff the peppers with the sausage/orzo mixture.
  5. Place the stuffed peppers in a baking dish. Pour water into the dish to about 1/2 inch up the sides of the peppers. Place the peppers in the preheated oven and bake for about 1 hour. Garnish the top of each pepper with parmesan cheese.

Saturday, October 3, 2020

Pumpkin Risotto




Today the sky is gray and dreary and I'm in need of some comfort food. There's a package of Aidell's chicken/apple sausages in the freezer. I'll saute those with some Granny Smith apples from a friend's orchard. That's a good start, but I need something more--something toothsome and creamy.

I bought a sugar pumpkin a few days ago at the produce stand, there is a sack of arborio rice in the pantry, and I still have some fresh sage in the garden. So, all I need is about 45 minutes at the stove and we can have a wonderful dinner of sausages, apples, and risotto.

Risotto is a rice dish common in the northern region of Italy. The type of rice used is very important. Don't run to your cupboard and grab the box of Minute Rice, or even Uncle Ben's. It won't work. You need a short-grain arborio rice. Arborio rice has a higher starch content and remains firm (al dente) when cooked--that is exactly what you want and need for a proper risotto. Risotto is creamy, but not mushy. The grains remain gently "toothy" but are enveloped in a creamy cloak which results from the mixing of the starch with the liquids in which the rice simmers.

Pumpkin Risotto (serves 6)

Ingredients
  • 1 small sugar pumpkin (or any other hard winter squash such as acorn), about 1.5 lbs
  • 6 cups chicken stock or vegetable broth, brought to a simmer
  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 medium onion, diced (about 1/2 cup)
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1 1/2 cups arborio rice
  • 1/2 cup white wine (not too dry—a Riesling is nice)
  • 1 teaspoon finely shredded fresh sage
  • 4 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1/4 cup Gorgonzola (or other bleu cheese of your liking, optional)

Instructions
  1. To begin, cut the pumpkin in half, scoop out the seeds and then peel. Cut the flesh into small (about 1/2-inch) dice. Saute the pumpkin in the butter on low heat until it begins to caramelize and softens. (You want it to "give" when pierced with a knife--think texture--done but still slightly firm,  not soft and squishy). Remove the pumpkin to a bowl and set aside.
  2. In a large saucepan saute the onion over medium heat in the 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Cook, stirring occasionally until it begins to brown, about 10 minutes. Add the minced garlic and the rice; stir until the rice is coated with oil.
  3. Add the white wine and then about 1 cup of the stock, stir and let simmer over medium-low heat until almost all of the liquid is absorbed. Repeat this process, ladling in stock, stirring, and simmering until all the stock is used and the rice is cooked through. This will take about 20 minutes.
  4. Stir in the pumpkin and then the parmesan and fresh sage. Stir until the cheese is blended in and the mixture appears creamy. If desired, crumble a bit of Gorgonzola on top of each serving.

Photo courtesy https://cookieandkate.com/roasted-butternut-squash-risotto/


Saturday, August 22, 2020

All Day Cassoulet



My dad was a very frugal shopper; he loved finding a bargain and could calculate the unit cost of an item in his head long before any of us could have produced the answer with a calculator (if we had had pocket calculators back then). He died before the advent of warehouse clubs, so I've taken his place, scouring the aisles for the best deals in town.

I don't feel like shopping today--I don't need to. I know I already have enough stored in my pantry to last through just about anything (even a pandemic). Let's see, there are 20 pounds of chicken tenders in the freezer, 10 pounds of onions, a dozen cans of diced tomatoes, several pounds of chicken sausage, and an untold amount of dry beans. Mmmm sounds like cassoulet.

Cassoulet is a rich, slow-cooked bean stew or casserole originating in the south of France, containing meat and white beans. The dish is named after its traditional cooking vessel, the cassole, a deep, round,  earthenware pot.
Cassoulet (Photo courtesy CreativeCommons)

All Day Cassoulet

Ingredients
  • 2 cups Great Northern or dried navy beans (see Note below)
  • cheesecloth
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 sprig rosemary
  • 3 sprigs of fresh thyme
  • 2 whole cloves
  • 1 medium onion
  • 1 celery stalk
  • 1 medium carrot
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 1/2 pounds chicken tenders
  • 1 1/2 pounds chicken sausage (I like Aidell's), sliced
  • 2 large onions, diced
  • 2 cloves garlic, sliced thin
  • 1 14-ounce can of diced tomatoes
  • 1 cup of dry white wine
  • 4 cups coarsely torn fresh bread (preferably from a crusty, rustic loaf)
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

NOTE: There are two ways to prepare dried beans. The first, and the one you are probably most familiar with, is to sort them (there COULD be rocks hiding in there), place them in a pot, cover them with water and let soak overnight. I don't know about you, but I don't often (ever?) plan that far ahead. If cooking beans means that I need to prepare the night before, cooked beans will not happen in my house. There's another method—an easier method, and it works just as well. Sort the beans, place them in a cooking pot (with a lid) and cover them with water. You want the water to go about 2 inches over the top of the beans. Bring to a full boil over high heat and boil for one minute. Turn off the heat, put on the lid, and let them sit for one hour. No peaking! OK, now you're ready to proceed with the rest of the recipe.

Instructions

First, prepare the beans:
  1. Cut a square of cheesecloth, about 6-8 inches. Place the bay leaf, rosemary, and thyme in the middle of the square and tie them up with string/kitchen twine. You want the herbs to flavor the beans, but you don't want them (especially the rosemary leaves) to get lost in the broth. This little bundle is referred to as a bouquet garni (yes, it's French!). 
  2. Push the cloves into the onion; place the onion, celery stalk, and carrot in the pot. Add enough cold water to cover to about one inch above. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer gently until beans are tender throughout but not falling apart, 40 to 50 minutes. Discard the onion, celery, carrot, and bouquet garni. Set the beans aside—DON'T drain!

Next, the meats and vegetables:

  1. While the beans are simmering prepare the meats. Heat one tablespoon of oil in a large saute pan over medium heat. Cook the chicken tenders for about 5 minutes, or until browned on all sides. Don't overcrowd the pan or the chicken will steam and not brown. It's best to cook in small batches. Remove the browned chicken pieces to a plate and set aside.
  2. To the same pan add the sausage and cook for about 5 minutes or just until it begins to brown and caramelize. Remove to the same plate as the chicken.
  3. Now add the diced onion to the pan and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion becomes translucent and begins to color. Toss in the garlic slices and cook for an additional minute. Add the wine and bring to a boil, scraping up any browned bits on the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon.

Now, get ready to assemble the casserole:

  1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.
  2. Using a skimmer, remove half of the beans from their pot and place in the bottom of a dutch oven. The next layer is one-half of the tomatoes.
  3. Next, the chicken, sausage, and onions followed by the remaining tomatoes and the remaining beans. Add enough cooking liquid so the beans are almost, but not quite, submerged. Reserve the remaining liquid.
  4. Bake s-l-o-w-l-y:
  5. Transfer pot to oven and cook, uncovered, for 2 hours. Check the liquid every 30 minutes to make sure it is no more than 1/2 inch below the beans, and add liquid or water as necessary. Do not stir.
  6. After the cassoulet has cooked for 2 hours, toss bread and butter in a bowl. Sprinkle over cassoulet, and return to oven until beans are tender and bread is golden 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
  7.  Before serving, let the cassoulet stand at room temperature for 20 minutes to cool and allow the beans to absorb some of the liquid.

Wednesday, March 11, 2020

Comfort Food - Easy Chicken and Gravy



If you're anything like me, when the weather is cold and dreary or when disappointment knocks on your door, you seek comfort. 

Sometimes that comfort comes in the form of a good book and warm slippers by a cozy fireplace. Perhaps the beauty of music soothes your soul. For others, writing or painting are a welcome escape from woes and worries.


And sometimes, we need something rich and satisfying to comfort us inside as well as out. That's when a recipe like this one comes to the rescue.


The card on which this recipe is written is worn and stained (it's been called upon a lot). I'm not even sure where the original recipe comes from—perhaps the back label of a can of evaporated milk. I will be the first to caution that this is not diet food—sodium and fat levels are probably way off-scale, but there are some days that I simply DON'T CARE! 


This is one of those days, and I'm going to make my baked chicken, which makes its own amazing gravy right in the baking pan.


Baked Chicken and Gravy

Ingredients
  • 3 to 3 1/2 pounds chicken thighs, bone-in
  • 1/4 cup flour
  • 1/4 cup melted butter
  • 1/4 cup sliced mushrooms
  • 1 large yellow onion, diced
  • 2/3 cup evaporated milk
  • 1 can (10.5 ounces) cream of mushroom soup
  • 1 cup grated American cheese (not imitation)
  • 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
  2. Coat the chicken with flour, shaking off excess. 
  3. Drizzle melted butter into a 13x9-inch baking pan; arrange the chicken in the pan in a single layer.
  4. Bake, uncovered, for 30 minutes.
  5. Turn chicken pieces over, and bake 15 to 20 minutes more or until tender and browned. Remove from the oven.
  6. Reduce heat to 325 degrees F. 
  7. Pour off excess fat from the pan.
  8. Stir together mushrooms, onions, milk, soup, and cheese. Pour over the chicken. 
  9. Cover with foil; bake for 15 to 20 minutes. Serve over mashed potatoes, rice, or noodles.

Saturday, February 29, 2020

St. Patrick's Day Cottage Pie



My Irish Heritage


Next week we leap to the month of  March, and in just 16 days everyone will be "a little bit Irish".

I'm more than a "bit" Irish (and one glimpse at my reddish-blonde hair, green eyes, and leprechaun-like stature will attest to that!)
My paternal grandmother, Elizabeth Guiney, was born in 1875 to English-Irish parents. At the age of 16, she became a member of the Salvation Army; she was an officer before the age of 20 and one of the first missionaries to travel to Canada.
I am in awe of Elizabeth's dedication to pursuing what she believed in, her passion to do what was needed, and the courage she displayed in moving away from friends and family at such a young age. Unfortunately, I never really knew her. She died when I was just 6 months old. If not for her determination, she would not have journeyed to this continentshe would not have met the man who would become my grandfather, and I would not exist.
I love my grandmother, and in March, I dedicate my thoughts and my cooking to her memory.
"Mary had a little lamb...and peas and
carrots and potatoes and called it shepherd pie." --Carb Diva

What (you might ask) is Shepherd's pie? Shepherd's pie is, simply put, leftovers—reinvented with a bit of necessity and a healthy measure of frugality.
The English tradition of meat pies dates back to the Middle Ages. Game and mutton pies were popular and served in pastry "coffyns." They were cooked for hours in a slow oven and topped with rich aspic jelly and other sweet spices. The eating of "hote [meat] pies" is mentioned in Piers Plowman, an English poem written in the 14th Century.
One key ingredient that separates shepherd's pie from the Middle Ages "hot coffyn" is the use of potatoes. Potatoes are a new world food and were first introduced to Europe in 1520 by the Spanish. Shepherd's Pie, a dish of minced meat topped with mashed potatoes, was probably invented sometime in the 18th Century by frugal peasant housewives looking for creative ways to serve leftover meat to their families.
Sunday dinner centered around a roast. On Monday, you ate roast again, but cold this time. Tuesday the leftovers were chopped/minced finely and reinvented as "pie". (And after that, dinners for the remainder of the week went decidedly downhill).
Shepherd's pie was so named because the meat used was lamb (or probably mutton). However, today many cooks make it with beef.
Remove the lamb and your Shepherd's Pie becomes Cottage Pie.

St. Patrick's Day Cottage Pie
Ingredients
  • 4 cups leftover mashed potatoes
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 4 cups ground beef or turkey*
  • 1 cup carrot, chopped
  • 1 cup sliced celery
  • 2 tablespoons flour
  • 2 cups beef or chicken stock
  • 1/2 cup frozen peas
  • 2 cups mushrooms, sliced
Instructions
  1. Heat oven to 400 F. In a saucepan, gently heat mashed potatoes and milk, stirring occasionally, until well combined. Remove from heat and stir in butter. Set aside.
  2. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add ground meat and cook, breaking up with a spoon, until browned, 5 to 7 minutes. (If using leftover meatloaf, you don't need to cook and brown for 5-7 minutes. Just a minute or two to heat is sufficient).
  3. Add carrot and celery and cook for 5 minutes. Sprinkle in flour, stir, then add chicken broth. Simmer for 3 minutes and remove from heat. Add peas and mushrooms. Spoon into an oven-proof casserole and top with the mashed potatoes. Bake until the top is golden, about 40 minutes.
  4. *In place of ground meat you can substitute 4 cups of chopped leftover roast or meatloaf

Wednesday, January 15, 2020

Quiche with Tater Tot Crust


Of all the "carb diva" foods I make in my kitchen, quiche has to be in the top 10 of my favorites.
  • It's so versatile. You can serve it for breakfast, brunch, lunch, dinner or even as an appetizer. 
  • You can adapt the basic recipe to just about whatever ingredients you have in your refrigerator. Change the cheese, change the protein.
  • It's a tasty way to get your family to eat more veggies.
There is one downside, however. The pastry crust. I'm pretty darned good at making pie dough, but depending on the humidity it can be a tad fussy. Sometimes I'm just not in the mood for fuss. Yesterday was that kind of day, so I made a quiche with a potato crust.

I took a few photos during the process but didn't have a recipe (I'm making this up as I go). Here's what I did.

Quiche With Tater Tot Crust


Equipment and Ingredients
  • a tart pan with removable bottom
  • parchment paper
  • straight-sided drinking glass or measuring cup
  • measuring cups
  • wire whisk
  • frozen tater tots (about 4 cups)
  • 1 cup cooked chicken Italian sausage (see other suggestions below)
  • 1/2 cup diced red bell pepper
  • 1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
  • 4 large eggs
  • 1/2 cup milk
Instructions
(1) Preheat oven to 200 degrees F.

(2) Line a tart pan with a sheet of parchment paper. Here's the first Carb Diva trick for you. My parchment is notoriously uncooperative. It's stiff and doesn't like to nestle into the bottom of a pan. Simply take that sheet of paper and wad it up into a ball. Don't be gentle. Then unwrap; it will now submit to your will and line the bottom and sides of your tart pan.

(3) Fill the tart pan with tater tots—be generous but don't crowd them in.
Place in the preheated oven and "bake" for 5 minutes, just enough to thaw the tots.
Remove from the oven and allow to sit for a few minutes to cool.

(4) Grab that drinking glass (or measuring cup) and use it to squish the no longer solid tater tots over the bottom of the pan and up the sides. Be sure to completely cover the bottom of the pan.



(5) Increase the oven temperature to 350 degrees F.

(6) Bake the tater tot crust for 15 minutes, or until golden and crisp on the edges. Remove from the oven.


(7) Layer on the meat. I used chicken Italian sausage, but you can use your imagination here. 

(8) Next, add the veggies, and then the cheese.


(9) Whisk the 4 eggs with the milk until well-blended. Pour over the cheese layer. Bake the quiche for 30 minutes or until the eggs are set



Meat Suggestions
  • cooked ground beef, turkey, or chicken
  • vegetarian crumbles (faux ground beef)
  • pulled pork
  • diced cooked ham
  • crisp-cooked crumbled bacon
Cheese Suggestions
  • Cheddar
  • Swiss
  • Mozzarella
  • Parmesan
  • Colby
  • Cheddar jack
  • Provolone
Veggie Suggestions
  • diced bell pepper
  • diced onion
  • chopped tomato, seeds removed
  • broccoli florets
  • asparagus tips
  • black olives


Wednesday, January 1, 2020

Cassoulet - A New Twist on an Old Favorite




I know that some of you are wondering "what is cassoulet"? Does the name sound French? Well, there's a good reason for that—it is. Cassoulet is an all-day-simmered casserole of beans and meats. A Google search of recipes will give you numerous variations made with sausage, veal, venison, and even duck confit. It seems that cassoulet is French for "clean out the refrigerator."

But I digress. Many people traditionally begin the New Year with cassoulet. I don't like veal or venison, don't get me started on duck, and I don't have all day. So here is a Readers' Digest version of cassoulet. To a few this might be sacrilege. To me, it's just good-tasting, nourishing, savory food that doesn't take all day to cook and doesn't break the bank.


This is the recipe I created and posted on my blog at HubPages.

Photo Credit: Nibelle et Baudouin

Wednesday, October 2, 2019

Recipe - Butternut Squash Lasagna with Fennel and Gorgonzola



Serendipity

I pity my cat.
Every day he eats the same chicken kibble--crunch, crunch, chew, chew. Day in and day out he always knows that breakfast, lunch, and dinner will be served at precisely the same time....and he will receive precisely the same thing, day after day after day.
Despite the obvious luxuries of sleeping 20 hours a day, not paying rent, and "owning" the entire universe, I could not be a cat.
I love diversity. I love surprise.
And when cooking, I love to create contrasts in the foods I serve to my friends and family. Pairing creamy with crunchy, or sweet with savory is what makes food interesting and enjoyable. Even the lowly scoop of vanilla ice cream is elevated (no pun intended) when placed atop a crisp waffle cone.

Last evening I experimented for my family and found a serendipitous combination of sweet and savory that they raved about.

Butternut Squash Lasagna with Fennel and Gorgonzola

Cook Time

Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 20 min
Ready in: 50 min
Yields: 4 servings
Equipment You Will Need
  • Large pot for boiling water to prepare pasta sheets
  • Large (10- or 12-inch) sauté pan
  • Large-rimmed baking sheet
  • Parchment paper
  • Sharp knife and cutting board or mandolin for slicing
  • Four 8-ounce ramekins
Ingredients
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
  • 2 cups (1 large bulb) fennel, thinly sliced (reserve green fronds for another use)
  • 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
  • 2 cups butternut squash, peeled, seeds scooped out, and thinly sliced
  • 1/2 pound cremini mushrooms, sliced
  • 1/2 pound chanterelle oyster mushrooms, wiped clean and sliced
  • 2 tsp. garlic, finely minced
  • 2 tsp. fresh rosemary, finely minced
  • 1 jar Alfredo sauce
  • 1 package of no-boil lasagna noodles, (see note below for specific instructions on how to prepare for this recipe)
  • 1 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded
  • 1/4 cup Gorgonzola cheese, crumbled
  1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with a sheet of parchment paper.
  2. Place the sliced squash in a single layer on the baking sheet. Bake for about 10 minutes or until tender and the squash begins to brown. Remove from oven and set aside.
  3. While the squash is baking, heat the sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add 2 tablespoons of the butter; when the butter has melted and begins to foam add fennel and onion. Sauté until fennel and onions are softened and begin to brown. Remove the fennel and onion to a bowl and set aside. Return sauté pan to heat.
  4. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter to the pan. When melted add the mushrooms, garlic, and rosemary; stir until the mushrooms release their moisture and begin to brown. Remove from heat.
  5. Now begin to assemble the ramekins. Place the ingredients in each ramekin as listed below:
  6. 1 tablespoon of Alfredo sauce in the bottom of each ramekin, then 1 lasagna square.
  7. 1/4th of the squash mixture is followed by 1 tablespoon of sauce and 2 tablespoons of Parmesan cheese.
  8. Another lasagna square, followed by 1/4 of the fennel/onion mixture. Top with 1 tablespoon of sauce and 2 tablespoons of Parmesan cheese.
  9. Another lasagna square, followed by 1/4th of the mushroom mixture. Top with 1 tablespoon of sauce.
  10. One last lasagna squared followed by 3 tablespoons of the Alfredo sauce and 1 tablespoon of the Gorgonzola.
  11. Place in oven and bake 20 minutes or until bubbling. Remove from oven. Allow it to sit for 5 minutes before serving.

About "cooking" those no-boil lasagna noodles

Yes, I know--no-boil lasagna noodles are promoted as "no cook". However, if you want to use them in individual-serving dishes (as we do in this recipe), you need to be able to cut them into smaller pieces. Here is how you do it:
  • Bring a large pot of water to boil
  • When the water is boiling, turn off the heat
  • Drop the lasagna sheets into the pot of hot water.
  • Set your timer for 10 minutes.
  • After 10 minutes your pasta sheets will be pliable--al dente--ready to cut to size for your individual-serve ramekins.

A Few Words about Blue Cheese

Blue cheese has a distinctive, pungent taste, but not all blue cheeses are created equal. The most popular blue cheeses are Cambozola, Gorgonzola, Maytag Blue, Roquefort, and Stilton.
  1. Cambozola is a German cheese. Unlike other blues, it is creamy and has a much milder flavor. If you are a blue cheese newbie, this might be a good one for you to start with.
  2. Gorgonzola is the blue cheese of Italy. Italian-made Gorgonzolas (Gorgonzola dolce) are creamy and mild; domestic versions made in the United States are sharper and more crumbly.
  3. Maytag Blue is an American blue cheese--it is quite crumbly and pungent.
  4. Roquefort is a French sheep's-milk cheese and is considered to be one of the finest of the blue cheeses.
  5. Stilton is made in England. It's firmer and milder than Roquefort or Gorgonzola.

A Few Suggestions

  • I have a friend who does not like squash. The amount of mushrooms and/or fennel could be increased, or one could substitute carrots for the squash. Slice them thinly on the diagonal and cook for 2 minutes in boiling water before roasting in the oven.
  • Want to add a bit of crunch? After the lasagna is baked, top each serving with some toasted hazelnuts or pecans.
  • Gotta have meat? Crisp cooked crumbled bacon can be added to each serving after removing from the oven.

Photo Credit: Image by DonMarciano from Pixabay 

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