Minnesota Morning Egg Bake

AKA:  Aurora's Baked Eggs

10 eggs
1/2 c. flour
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 cups cottage cheese
4 cups cojack cheese
1 bag of broccoli or chopped spinach (thaw and squeeze all moisture from spinach)
2 medium tomatoes, sliced
1/2 c. grated parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 350.  Spray 9x13 baking dish with non-stick spray.
In large bowl, beat eggs; add flour, salt, pepper and baking powder.  Mix well. 
Fold in cottage cheese, grated cojack and broccoli.  Pour into prepared baking dish. 
Place sliced tomatoes on top of egg mixture and sprinkle with parmesan cheese. 
Bake until eggs are set.  45-50 minutes. 

**can be made the night before.  put tomatoes and parmesan on top before going into oven in the morning.  Bring to room temp before baking. 

Birthday Party Chicken Divan

We had a few people over to celebrate Emily’s 15th birthday.  I asked my friend, Elizabeth, for ideas on the menu. She said special birthdays at her home growing up always includes Chicken Divan.  Not just any, Tricia Nixon’s Chicken Divan.  

I made three batches and it was all gone! 

1 bag frozen broccoli florets

1/2 rotisserie chicken, meat pulled from bones and shredded/cut to bite size pieces

3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1 can cream of chicken soup (or homemade version here)

1/2 cup mayonnaise 

1/2-1 tsp curry powder

Splash of lemon juice

1 tube Ritz crackers

1/2 stick butter, melted

Add broccoli to shallow casserole dish.  Top with chicken.  Sprinkle cheddar cheese evenly over chicken.  Combine soup, mayo, curry and lemon juice.  Spread evenly oven cheese.  

Add crackers to food processor.  Pulse 4-5 times, until larger crumbs.  Continue pulsing and pour melted butter they feed tube.  Distribute evenly over sauce.  

Bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes.  

Serve over wild rice.  

Granny Conrad's Turkey Soup

Better than Dragon King Beef and Broccoli

SERVES 6 to 8
COOKING TIME: 5 hours

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup low-sodium beef broth
• 1/2 cup low-sodium soy sauce
• 1/2 cup oyster sauce
• 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 pounds flank or sirloin steak, thinly sliced across the grain and cut into 3-inch pieces (Used sliced for stir-fry sirloin and it was tender in 3 hours)
• 3 medium carrots, peeled and cut crosswise into 1/4 inch thick coins
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 2 large heads broccoli, cut into 1-inch pieces (about 1 pound chopped florets)
• 6 cups hot cooked rice, for serving

INSTRUCTIONS
Make the sauce and preheat the slow cooker. Combine the broth, soy sauce, oyster sauce, brown sugar, sesame oil, and garlic in the crock of a 6-quart or larger slow cooker. Stir to dissolve the sugar and set the slow cooker to the HIGH setting.

Add the beef and carrots, cover, and cook on high for 4 to 5 hours. Add the sliced beef and carrots and use tongs to coat with the soy mixture. Cover and cook until the beef is cooked through and tender, 3 1/2 to 5 hours on the HIGH setting. Start checking at 3 1/2 to 4 hours, as flank steak tends to cook faster and may be tender at 4 hours.

Add the slurry and broccoli and cook for 30 minutes more. Whisk the water and cornstarch in a small bowl until smooth (this is your "slurry"). Add to the slow cooker and stir to combine. Add the chopped broccoli and stir to coat the broccoli in the sauce. Cover and cook until the sauce is thickened and the broccoli is tender, about 30 minutes more.

Serve the finished beef and broccoli over hot cooked rice.

Shepherd's Pie

Prep time: 20 MINUTES  cook time: 40 MINUTES  total time: 60 MINUTES  yield: 12 SERVINGS 1X

PIE INGREDIENTS 

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 1/4 pounds ground beef

1 medium white onion, peeled and diced

8 ounces baby bella or white button mushrooms, finely diced

2 medium carrots, finely diced

2 stalks celery, finely diced

4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced

 1/4 cup all-purpose flour

 1/2 cup dry red wine (or you can sub in more beef stock instead)

2 cups beef stock (or vegetable or chicken stock)

2 tablespoons tomato paste

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

2 bay leaves

2 sprigs each fresh rosemary and thyme (or whatever herbs you love)

 1/2 cup frozen peas

sea salt and freshly-cracked black pepper

1 batch mashed potatoes (see below)

MASHED POTATO INGREDIENTS:

2 1/2 pounds potatoes (either Russets, Yukon golds, or a mix of the two)

 1/4 cup butter

 1/2 cup whole milk, or more as needed

2 ounces cream cheese (or 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt)

sea salt and freshly-cracked black pepper

INSTRUCTIONS

Cook the mashed potatoes.  Follow the instructions here to prepare a half batch of this mashed potatoes recipe.  Once they are ready to go, remove from heat and set aside until ready to use.

Brown the beef (or lamb).  Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat.  Add the ground beef (or lamb) and cook until browned, crumbling it with a wooden spoon as it cooks.  Transfer the cooked beef to a separate plate with a wooden spoon and set aside, reserving any grease in the sauté pan that it has left behind.  (Or if there is no leftover grease, add an extra tablespoon of oil to the pan.)

Sauté the veggies.  Add the onion and sauté for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Add the carrots, celery, mushrooms, garlic and sauté for 5-7 more minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened.

Add in the flour and wine.  Stir the flour in with the veggie mixture until evenly combined, then continue to sauté for 1 minute more, stirring frequently.  Stir in the wine, then use a wooden spoon to scrape up any browned bits that are stuck to the bottom of the pan.

Add the remaining sauce ingredients.  Immediately stir in the stock, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, bay leaf, herb sprigs and frozen peas until combined.  Continue cooking until the mixture reaches a simmer.  Then reduce heat to medium-low to maintain a low simmer, and continue cooking for 5 more minutes, stirring occasionally.  Remove and discard the bay leaves and herb sprigs.  Stir in the cooked meat  Taste and season the mixture with salt and pepper as needed.

Layer it all up.  Transfer the filling mixture to a 9 x 13-inch baking dish and spread it out in an even layer.  Spoon the mashed potatoes on top and carefully spread them out in an even layer as well.

Bake.  Bake uncovered at 400°F for about 20 minutes, or until the potatoes are lightly golden and the filling has started to bubble up around the edges.  (If you would like the potatoes to be a bit more browned, you can turn on the broiler for 1 or 2 extra minutes, keeping a close eye on the potatoes so that they do not burn.)

Garnish and serve.  Remove the baking dish from the oven, sprinkle a few extra herbs on top if you would like, then dish up your servings while the shepherd’s pie is still nice and warm.  Or store the pie in sealed containers in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, or freeze for up to 3 months.

Petterino's Tomato Bisque

We visited Chicago this past summer and our hotel, the Cambria Suites, located in the Loop was across the street from Petterino's.  We ran in there for lunch the after we checked into our room and were setting off on an afternoon and evening of sightseeing.....
Petterino's was amazing!  The Monday lunch special is a Toasted cheese and bacon sandwich with tomato bisque.  We all agreed, the tomato bisque was delicious and the highlight of our lunch.
Here's the recipe that I was able to find online: 

Creamy Tomato Bisque

3 large onions, sliced

3 ounces olive oil

2 ounces fresh garlic, minced

1/2 cup red wine vinegar

5 ounces dry sherry wine

4 tablespoons chicken base

5 ounces brown sugar

2-1/2 quarts heavy cream

1-1/2 quarts water

2 (22-ounce) cans stewed tomatoes

3 ounces unsalted butter

Salt and pepper to taste

1 tablespoon basil chiffonade

Chopped parsley and croutons for garnish

* In a stainless steel pot, sauté onions in olive oil until they are soft. Add garlic and sauté an additional 2 to 3 minutes.

* Add red wine vinegar, sherry, chicken base and brown sugar and cook until the liquid is almost gone.

* Add the rest of the ingredients and simmer for 30 minutes.

* Use a hand mixer and blend the soup until smooth. Check seasonings for taste.

* Add basil and serve, garnished with parsley and croutons.

* Makes 2 gallons soup.