Everyday-Is-Thanksgiving Casserole

Somewhere in my memory, I remember eating such a delicious and savory casserole as this. It was like Thanksgiving in a pan. Just prior to this recipe, one week, to be exact, I thought I had found it. I was so excited that I got too carried away and made all of what you see below. Unfortunately, it was in vain. The ingredients were certainly there. Countless brushes and tubes of paint, like ingredients, does not a great artist, or cook, make. 

Boring. Bland. Not much taste.

After some thought, I re-interpreted what I thought were the mistakes of the recipe and added different-but-similar ingredients. Voila! I created this recipe. I loved it. Add a bit of cranberry "anything" on the side, a bit of sweet potato or mashed, and it's Thanksgiving any time of the month. And without all the fuss. I can't imagine anyone turning his nose at this simple, everyday feast.

As casseroles go, this certainly fits the definition. Comforting. Easy. All-in-one. Generally inexpensive. Little cleanup. If, however, you are one not inclined to be limited by definitions and, say, verge on the side of complexity, even a tad, you are still in luck. Feel free to include simple ingredients, such as some chopped onion and celery in a bit of butter with pork sausage to add to the stuffing mixture. Trust me, it's worth cleaning that extra pan. And don't forget this recipe around Thanksgiving. Leftover turkey will work quite well. Oh, and it is kid-friendly!

I love Bell's--if only for the box! Seriously,
I can't imagine a better poultry seasoning.

Some do's and don'ts: Do not crisp the stuffing mixture. You want it moist, so keep a loose sheet of foil on top. Do not over-dilute the Alfredo sauce. Do not skip the extra Parmesan cheese, even if it's out of that famed "no-no" green can. Do strive to keep an even ratio between the chicken layer and the stuffing layer. Too much chicken and you lose the great flavors of the stuffing. Of course, one could be bad and just double the stuffing layer. And, yes, I have thought about it. Decisions such as those, on a casserole level, are usually decided by one's budget.

This is more of a process than a recipe. It results in a 11 x 7 pan of cozy deliciousness. Oh, and it freezes well, so you may want to make two.

• 3 cups chopped/chunked rotisserie chicken (save the skin and finely chop)
• 1, 15-ounce jar mushroom Alfredo sauce (I use Bertolli)
• 2 tablespoons sour cream (use at least two but no more than four)
• 2 tablespoons milk or cream
• Bell's Seasoning (my personal favorite) or poultry seasoning
• Dried, whole thyme 
• Parmesan cheese (I use shaved)
• 1 box chicken stuffing mix (I use Stove Top)

Lightly grease an 11 x 7-inch pan or dish. In a medium bowl, toss the chicken with a bit of the Bell's or poultry seasoning. Add about a tablespoon or so of the Parmesan. Spread in the bottom of your casserole dish.

I sprinkled on some shavings of Parmesan cheese.

In the same now-empty bowl, combine the Alfredo sauce, sour cream and milk or cream. Mix. You still want it a bit thick, but not too liquid -like. It should be a bit thinner that mushroom soup from a can. Spread on top of the chicken. You could also add more Parmesan cheese -- or cheddar or whatever you have on hand to use up.

Keep the sauce a bit thick, not too thin.

Wipe out sauce bowl. Empty contents of stuffing mix into the bowl. Add some Parmesan to your taste. I like to add a bit more Bell's and dried thyme flakes. Add wet ingredients. Cover and allow to sit several minutes to thicken.

Spread by tablespoons on top of the chicken/sauce mixture.

I sprinkled on a bit of whole dried thyme. Thyme and chicken are great partners. Always use less, not more.

Bake in a 350-degree oven for about 30 minutes. Tent loosely with tin foil. Remember, all the ingredients are basically already cooked. You just want to warm everything through until bubbly.

Cool ten minutes before serving. Makes great leftovers--if there are any.


Note: Stove Top Stuffing mix and jarred Alfredo sauces are often on sale or BOGO. That's when I stock up.

March in North Carolina. My cat, Boo,
is concentrating on a mole's progress ...

Cherry Cobbler

A great dessert to chase away the winter blahs.

The most difficult part of this recipe is finding the cherries. The next most difficult part is paying for them. They will not be cheap. A simple fifteen-ounce can of tart cherries will set you back at least five bucks! I have seen them as high as seven! But, for a dessert with multiple servings, five bucks is, after all, pretty economical.

A specialty or up-scale grocery store should stock tart cherries.

This recipe is based on my peach cobbler; except, I use cherries. It is important not to make this too sweet. The first time I made it, I used a bit of cinnamon and allspice. It is best to just leave it alone and let the cherries do the talking. But, do add a few drops of almond flavoring. The topping of slivered almonds looks nice but is not at all necessary.

As you can see from the picture, this is not a "true" cobbler in the all-encompassing fruitness of cobbler definitions. It borders more on the unfortunately-named "dump-cake."  But it is easy to prepare and the buttery cake-like interior pillows the tart cherries beautifully.

Don't even be tempted to use canned pie filling.

• For the cherries:
• 1, 14.5-ounce can red tart cherries
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 heaping tablespoon cornstarch
• A few drops almond extract
• 
  
• For the batter:
• 1 cup sugar (reserve two tablespoons)
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup whole milk
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup or one stick butter

Preheat oven to 400 F. Have your batter ingredients measured and ready to go.

Drain cherries but reserve the juice.

Place cherry juice, sugar, and cornstarch in a small pan and bring to a slow boil over medium heat. Cook until juices thicken to a kind of syrup. Remove from heat. Add the cherries and almond extract.

Place butter in an 11 x 7-inch baking dish and place in the oven to melt. You want the dish hot, so don't skip this step.

Prepare the batter. Mix all ingredients in a medium bowl whisking until smooth.

Remove dish from oven and immediately pour in the batter. The melted butter will be displaced and seek the edges. Don't worry. Now, using a spoon, strategically place the hot cherries and syrup evenly over the batter. 

Sprinkle with the reserved two tablespoons of sugar. If desired, sprinkle with slivered almonds. Return to oven and bake for 25 minutes.

Remove. Allow to somewhat cool before serving.

Champagne Cocktails for the New Year

I love the You Tube channel "Preppy Kitchen." Mostly, it is about cakes. Incredible cakes. But it is all about John's journey. Once a middle-school math teacher, his full-time career is now You Tube and food. He, his partner, and twin boys recently moved (leapt) from LA to Connecticut to begin a brand new life. His mom, Rita, was often a guest on the LA channel. It was great to see her reunited with her son. Smiles say it all!

I don't know about you, but these champagne recipes are certainly ones I am more than willing to try and to keep for upcoming holidays. What will be your favorite?




Happy New Year!

Pulled Pork Butt with Sauerkraut and Potatoes in the Instant Pot

The only thing missing was a smidge of sour cream.

If you don't already own an Instant Pot, I hope it is on your Christmas list. Now that colder weather has arrived, I love my IP to prepare meals such as this. Slow cooked or oven cooked, a cheap cut of meat this size would normally take hours. In the Instant Pot, it took 45 minutes! It was delectable!

This certainly isn't the prettiest dish to photograph; but, what it lacks in visual appeal, it more than compensates in taste appeal.  This was delicious. Throw in a cold, dreary wet winter day to make it even more enjoyable. Warm. Friendly. Comforting. A frosty glass of beer ...

How good was it? Well, I'm making it again tomorrow. But I will throw in some carrots for color.

Oh, I already hear the naysayers who think they do not like sauerkraut. Trust me, you will enjoy this. The secret is simple. Drain the kraut, wash well under cold water. Add brown sugar. You will still get some "tang," but it will not be sour or overpowering. Instead, it is a happy marriage of tastes that play off each other. The sweet with the sour. Just a tad bit of heat. And don't skip the caraway seed!

I avoid so-called "fresh" sauerkraut sold in plastic bags. America's Test Kitchen showed that those plastic bags had to use many "artificial" ingredients just to keep their product fresh. Canned did not. If you can find it, Libby "Bavarian" brand is my choice. 

I was lucky enough to snag a close-dated, two-pound pork butt for $3.40. It's a cheap cut of meat. Usually on the fatty side, seek one that does not have humongous clumps of white fat. And only use pork butt. Anything else will simply be dry and unpalatable.

I prefer lots of onion with this dish, so use a big one! If you forgo the potato and prefer mashed (my personal favorite), do use more onion since it makes for a killer gravy. For this recipe, I used 1 large russet simply because it was on hand. I would have preferred baby potatoes or fingerlings. Just be sure not to cut them too small. You do not want them falling apart too much under pressure. 

Use bread to sop up the lovely gravy. This particular piece of bread is a stale heel piece. I save
lucky pieces like this for their amazing "sopping" quality. The butter, of course. doesn't hurt.

• 1, 2-3pound pork butt with the bone
• 1, 15-ounce can sauerkraut (I highly recommend Libby brand, Bavarian style)
• 1, 14.5-ounce can chicken broth, reduced sodium
• 1 large onion, (the bigger the better) sliced in half, then sliced into thin half moons
• 1-2 russet potatoes, peeled and cut into large chunks
• 1-3 average garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 1 good pinch red-pepper flakes (less is better than more) and do not omit. Personally, I prefer Aleppos pepper
• 1/2 - 3/4 teaspoon caraway seed, slightly crushed
• 1-3 teaspoons light brown sugar
• 2-3 "pats" butter (optional)
• Salt and Pepper
• Optional dry seasonings using only "pinches": smoked paprika, flaked thyme leaves, savory or marjoram

Wash and pat dry your pork butt. Why? Meats with an attached bone are sawn. They can have bits of "bonedust" and usually the bone bleeds once it is cut. You just want to clean all that up. Pour chicken broth into pot.

Season the meat well on both sides with salt and pepper. Place in the Instant Pot. If you wish, use the rack and place it on top--it's your call. Scatter sliced garlic on top of pork and dust with other seasonings you may be using.

Drain your sauerkraut into a small bowl. Squeeze it dry. Save the juice.

Run sauerkraut under cold water and squeeze dry again. Place it in a small bowl. Mix in the brown sugar a little at a time along with the caraway and red-pepper flakes. Taste. If too sweet, add a bit of the sauerkraut juice. If too sour, add a bit more brown sugar. 

Blanket the sauerkraut mixture over the pork.

Scatter onions over sauerkraut. Scatter potatoes on top.

Dot with a bit of butter. You don't need much. It just kind of "mellow' and emulsifies with the juices.

Place lid on IP. Be sure the valve is on "sealing" mode. Process for 45-60 minutes (less time for a smaller butt, longer for a larger). Allow a natural release. 

Remove the meat. Remove any bones and shred. Add meat back to IP to coat/absorb juices. Stir. Serve. Enjoy.