Chicken Noodle Casserole

I'm a sucker for a good casserole, so I figured I'd try a chicken casserole with noodles instead of rice.  I ended up just dumping a bunch of stuff that I thought would taste good into the pan, and it ended up pretty darn tasty.  Tinker with the flavors as you wish.

Chicken Noodle Casserole

3 stalks celery, chopped
½ large onion, chopped
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can cream of celery soup
½ cup whole milk
½ cup sour cream
1 teaspoon kosher salt

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon dried thyme
¾ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon paprika
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper

4 ounces shredded Cheddar cheese

1 (16-ounce) package egg noodles, cooked according to package instructions
1 rotisserie chicken, meat pulled and cut into bite-size pieces, skin and bones discarded
1 small packet Ritz crackers (about 15 crackers), crumbled

Preheat oven to 350°F.

In a large pan over medium-high heat, cook celery and onion in the butter until softened.  Add next 11 ingredients (through Cheddar cheese) and stir well to combine.  Fold in cooked noodles and chicken.  Pour mixture into a greased casserole dish.  Sprinkle the top with the cracker crumbs.   Bake for 25 minutes, or until top is golden brown.

Makes 6 to 8 servings

Woman's Day: Chocolate-Orange Tart

I remember when someone online (Facebook? Reddit?) mentioned this tart.  They were searching for the original recipe because theirs seemed wrong somehow.  And the more I thought about it, the more I remembered how much I love orange marmalade, and the more this tart sounded delicious.  So of course I found my way to the original recipe so that I could also partake.  And it's definitely worth it.

Note: I opted not to make candied orange peel this time around, so I can't vouch for that part of the recipe.  Mine came in a bag from Amazon.

Chocolate-Orange Tart
From Woman's Day magazine, September 2003

1¾ cups chocolate graham cracker crumbs (13 to 14 whole crackers)
½ cup sliced almonds, toasted, cooled and finely chopped
⅓ cup granulated sugar
7 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2 cups (12 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips
1½ cups heavy cream, divided use
4 tablespoons orange-flavored liqueur, such as Grand Marnier, divided use
⅔ cup sweet orange marmalade
2 tablespoons powdered sugar
Candied Orange Peel

Heat oven to 350°F. Have ready a 9-inch tart pan with removable bottom.

Mix graham cracker crumbs, chopped almonds, sugar, and melted butter in a bowl until moistened. Press over bottom and up pan sides. Bake 15minutes or until lightly browned around edges.

Heat chocolate chips and 1 cup cream in a saucepan over low heat, stirring until chocolate melts and mixture is smooth. Remove from heat, stir in 3 tablespoons of the liqueur and let stand 15 minutes.

Meanwhile spread marmalade over bottom of crust. Pour on chocolate mixture; refrigerate 4 hours or until firm.

Shortly before serving, remove pan sides. Beat remaining 1⁄2 cup cream and 1 tablespoon liqueur and the powdered sugar until stiff peaks form. Spoon into a pastry bag; pipe around edge of tart. Garnish with candied orange peel.

Candied Orange Peel

Using a vegetable peeler, remove orange part of peel from 1 orange in 2-inch lengths. Cut in long, narrow strips. Cook in boiling water 1 minute, drain, then cook in light corn syrup to cover about 2 minutes until translucent. Lift peel from syrup with a fork; roll in sugar and place on oiled wax paper to dry. To curl strips, twist them around wooden skewers before drying.

Food Network Kitchen: Copycat Zuppa Toscana

I've been on a bit of a soup kick lately.  Not sure exactly why since the sun is still intently cooking us here in Texas.  Maybe I'm subconsciously wishing for cooler weather.  Whatever it is, I figured I should try to make one of the most recognized soups there is - Olive Garden's Zuppa Toscana.  It's been a while since I've had the original, but this version is perfectly delicious and satisfying.

Note: Original recipe called for 6 cups chicken broth and 2½ pounds of potatoes, but it wasn't enough broth and was too much potato, so I've adjusted below.  It also called for sweet Italian sausage, but hot is better.  I also added about 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt.  I know the white wine vinegar sounds weird, but you can't taste it, it just makes the soup better in a vague way.

Copycat Zuppa Toscana
Adapted from Food Network Kitchen

4 strips thick-cut bacon, cut into ½-inch pieces

1 pound hot Italian sausage, casings removed
4 large russet potatoes (about 2 pounds), unpeeled and cut into ¼-inch slices

3 cloves garlic, minced
1 large white onion, diced
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
8 cups chicken broth
6 cups curly kale, stems removed and leaves roughly chopped
¾ cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon white wine vinegar

Cook the bacon in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until crisp, about 6 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate with a slotted spoon; set aside to drain. Add the Italian sausage to the drippings and cook, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, until browned and no longer pink, about 6 minutes. Transfer to the paper towel-lined plate to drain.

Add the potatoes, garlic, and onion to the drippings and cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly softened, 6 to 8 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add the chicken broth, increase the heat to high and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until the potatoes are tender and cooked through, 12 to 15 minutes.

 
Add the kale, heavy cream, bacon and sausage and cook over medium heat until the kale is tender, another 5 minutes. Stir in the vinegar just before serving.

Makes 12 cups

Butternut Bakery: Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

Every once in a while I get a craving for some warm banana bread.  Straight out of the oven.  Ideally with pockets of melted chocolate.  And I keep trying new recipes to see what different ingredients do for the bread as a whole.  Looking for the perfect banana bread.  But if I'm really honest, they're all perfectly delicious, especially slathered in butter.

Note: The original recipe did not have pecans, but I added them because yum.

Chocolate Chip Banana Bread
Adapted from Butternut Bakery blog

1½ cups ripe and mashed banana (around 3 to 4 medium bananas)

½ cup packed light brown sugar
½ cup granulated sugar
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
½ cup Greek yogurt or sour cream
1⅓ cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
¾ cup mini chocolate chips + a handful more for sprinkling on top

½ cup chopped pecans

Preheat your oven to 325°F and grease and line a 9x5-inch loaf pan with parchment paper.  In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

In a separate bowl, mix together the melted butter and sugars until you reach a paste-like consistency. This may take some vigorous whisking for a minute or two. You can either use a whisk or an electric mixer with the paddle attachment.  Add in your mashed bananas followed by the eggs, yogurt, and vanilla.

Once all of your wet ingredients are mixed together, fold in the dry ingredients. Then, fold in the chocolate chips and pecans.  Pour the batter into your prepared loaf pan and spread it even. Sprinkle extra chocolate chips on top if you like.

Bake for 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes or until a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs. Let it cool completely before removing from the pan. Store at room temperature in an air-tight container.

Fine Cooking: Rack of Lamb with Ancho-Honey Glaze

For some reason I was just feeling like lamb, so I went cruising through my Fine Cooking archive to see if anything grabbed me.  And this recipe sounded awesome.  It's supposedly based on Moroccan honey-spiced lamb, which I'm sure is even more fantastic.  And it honestly wasn't that difficult to make.  A little juggling towards the end as you're reducing the sauce while basting the lamb, but not too bad.

Note: When I went to go obtain a rack of lamb, I almost passed out when I saw the price, so I ended up only purchasing four chops.  I basted each one separately, and I cooked them for about 10 minutes total, basting after 4 and 8 minutes.  They honestly could have probably come out at the 8 or 9 minute mark to make them medium rare, but they were still delicious.

Rack of Lamb with Ancho-Honey Glaze
From Fine Cooking magazine, December 2007

2 racks of lamb (each 1¼ to 1½ pounds with 7 to 8 ribs), trimmed or frenched
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
⅓ cup honey
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1½ teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon ancho chile powder
½ cup orange juice
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon freshly chopped mint, parsley, basil, or cilantro (optional)

Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 425°F.  Line a small roasting pan or rimmed baking sheet with foil (to make it easier to clean the glaze from the pan).

If necessary, trim the lamb so that only a thin layer of fat remains, being careful not to remove all the fat.  Arrange the lamb bone side down in the roasting pan, interlocking the bone ends if necessary to make them fit.  Season each rack generously with salt and pepper.

In a small bowl, combine the honey, vinegar, cumin, ancho chile powder, and a pinch each of salt and pepper.  Brush the surface of the meat with about half (¼ cup) of the glaze.

Roast, brushing the lamb after 10 minutes and then again every 5 minutes with the glaze that has begun to caramelize on the roasting pan, until an instant-read thermometer inserted close to but not touching the bones reads 125°F for rare or 130°F to 135°F for medium rare, about 20 minutes for rare and 25 minutes for medium rare.

Meanwhile, pour the remaining glaze into a small saucepan, add the orange juice and garlic, and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat.  Simmer until reduced to a slightly syrupy glaze, about 7 minutes.  Add the herbs, if using.

Let the lamb rest for about 5 minutes.  Cut between the bones to carve the racks into chops and drizzle each chop with a little of the glaze before serving.

Makes 6 servings

Chicken and Rice Casserole

I needed something simple for dinner, and even though I've made a similar casserole in the past, I wanted something a little creamier than the original version.  This one has more cream soups and some sour cream, which gave it that lift I thought it needed.

Chicken and Rice Casserole

1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can cream of celery soup
1 envelope Lipton onion soup mix
½ cup sour cream
3½ cups low sodium chicken stock
1½ cups long grain white rice

1½ pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Combine first six ingredients (through rice) and pour into a greased 13x9-inch baking dish.  Place chicken thighs on the top of the rice mixture.  Season chicken as desired with salt and pepper, or even additional spices.  Cover the dish with foil and bake for 1½ hours.

Makes 6 to 8 servings, depending on number of thighs

Cuisinart: Peanut Butter Cup Ice Cream

For some reason I can't seem to get enough of making fabulous ice creams, so when I saw mini peanut butter cups at the store, I decided this had to happen.  I'm not normally a huge peanut butter person, but I think this ice cream hits the right balance of flavors.  I would definitely make this again.

Peanut Butter Cup Ice Cream
From Cuisinart

1 cup good-quality peanut butter
⅔ cup granulated sugar
Pinch of kosher salt
1 cup whole milk
2 cups heavy cream
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup mini peanut butter cups

In a medium mixing bowl, use a hand mixer on low speed to combine the peanut butter, sugar, and salt until smooth. Add the milk and mix on low speed until the sugar is dissolved, about 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in the heavy cream and vanilla. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours, or overnight. Whisk mixture together again before pouring into the ice cream maker.

Pour the mixture into the mixing bowl of the ice cream maker.  Turn unit on and let mix until thickened.  Five minutes before mixing is complete, add the candy and let mix in completely.  The ice cream will have a soft, creamy texture.  Serve or store in airtight container in the freezer.

Makes 5 cups

Chef John Mitzewich: State Fair Lemonade

I have always wanted a good lemonade recipe, but no matter what I tried or how I searched, none of them ever tasted as good as the "fresh squeezed" lemonade you can get in a few places if you're very lucky.  However, this recipe has changed everything.  This lemonade actually tastes like lemonade.  Not too sour, not too sweet.  And on a hot summer day, this is everything.

Note: Since you're using the peel, it's probably not a bad idea to try and get some organic lemons to use.

State Fair Lemonade
From Chef John Mitzewich

6 lemons
1¼ cups granulated sugar
5 cups cold water

Wash lemons and peel off all the zest using a vegetable peeler; set peeled lemons aside. Add lemon zest to a bowl and cover with sugar; toss to combine. Cover and let sit for a minimum of 2 hours, or up to overnight.

Bring water to a boil in a pot over high heat; turn off heat and pour in lemon-sugar mixture. Stir and let sit until sugar is completely dissolved, about 5 minutes.

Pour through a mesh strainer back into the same bowl and discard the zest. Let cool to room temperature, 20 to 30 minutes.

Cut lemons in half and squeeze juice into the bowl. Pour lemonade into a serving pitcher; cover and chill thoroughly before serving over ice, at least 2 hours.

Makes 1½ quarts

Marmiton: Sauce au Comté et aux Morilles (Comté and Morel Sauce)

If you've looked through this blog with any regularity, you'll know that whenever I see fresh morels at the store, I must purchase a bag of them.  Not a ton, but enough to make something delicious with.  I didn't want to go my usual route and make them with chicken again (although that's absolutely delicious), so I went googling, and I came up with this recipe on a French website.  How's that for authentic?  Served over rice, it's a nice meatless meal.

Sauce aux Comté et aux Morilles (Comté and Morel Sauce)

Adapted from Marmiton.org

1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 shallot, sliced thinly
5 ounces fresh morel mushrooms
2 cups heavy cream
1 small bay leaf
Pinch ground nutmeg
5 ounces Comté cheese, shredded

Melt butter, add shallot and morels, sweat morels until they release some liquid, add cream, bay leaf, and nutmeg.  Take off heat and let sit for 30 minutes.  Put back on heat, add the cheese, and stir until melted.

Cuisinart: S'mores Ice Cream

I seem to be on a bit of an ice cream kick lately.  I guess that's what happens when it's over 100F outside, and you just splurged on an expensive ice cream maker with an internal compressor.  Because when ice cream calls, it doesn't like to wait for the bowl to chill overnight.  This was one of the recipes included with the instructions, so I figured it was a good place to start.  And besides the marshmallow cream getting everywhere, I would absolutely make this again.

Note: Instead of melting the chocolate chips, I just poured some mini chips into the ice cream mixture.

S'mores Ice Cream

From Cuisinart

½ cup cocoa powder, sifted
⅓ cup granulated sugar
¼ cup packed dark or light brown sugar
1 pinch kosher salt
⅔ cup whole milk
1½ cups heavy cream
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
¾ cup marshmallow cream or fluff
2 full graham cracker sheets, crushed
2 ounces milk chocolate (⅓ cup chips), melted and reserved at room temperature

In a medium bowl, whisk together the cocoa, sugars and salt. Add the milk and, using a hand mixer on low speed or a whisk, beat to combine until the cocoa and sugars are dissolved. Stir in the heavy cream and vanilla. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours, or overnight.

Pour the mixture into the mixing bowl of the ice cream maker. Let mix until thickened, about 40 minutes. Five minutes before mixing is completed, gradually add the marshmallow cream, one spoonful at a time. Once mixed, add the crushed graham crackers and melted chocolate, one at a time, through the mix-in opening and let mix in completely. The ice cream will have a soft, creamy texture. If a firmer consistency is desired, transfer to an airtight container and place in freezer for about 2 hours. Remove from freezer about 15 minutes before serving.

Tip: If marshmallow cream is too stiff, warm slightly in microwave before adding to freezer bowl.

Makes about 6 cups