Creamed Spinach

My mother-in-law, Carolyn, made this amazing creamed spinach for Thanksgiving. It was hard to not stand over the stove and eat it straight out of the skillet!

Creamed Spinach

Serves: 6-8
Prep. Time: 0:35

5 Tbls. butter OR margarine - divided
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1 dash ground nutmeg
1 cup half and half cream
4 oz. cream cheese - low-fat okay
1 sm. onion - minced
3 cloves garlic - minced
(2) 10 oz. pkgs. frozen chopped spinach - thawed
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese


-In a 2-quart saucepan over medium-low heat, melt 3 Tbls. butter; stir in flour, salt, pepper, and nutmeg; slowly whisk in cream; stir in cream cheese.
-Increase heat to medium; whisk mixture constantly until thick and smooth; remove from heat and set aside.
-In a skillet over medium-high heat, cook onions and garlic in remaining 2 Tbls. butter until transparent; stir spinach and water into pan.
-Reduce heat to medium-low; cover; simmer, stirring occasionally, for 8 minutes.
-Stir spinach mixture into creamy mixture; return to medium heat; heat, stirring often, until warmed throughout.
-Remove from heat; fold in Parmesan.

Baked Asparagus

From GoTexan.org



Ingredients:
2 bunches asparagus, washed
2 T. Texas olive oil
2 T. Worcestershire sauce
Coarse grained salt and cracked black pepper


Directions:
Preheat oven to 400° F.

Place the asparagus in a single layer on a cookie sheet. Drizzle olive oil and Worcestershire sauce over the asparagus. Season with salt and pepper. Bake until tender or crunchy depending upon your preference, about 12 to 20 minutes.

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Hearts of Palm Salad with Olives and Ham

from epicurious.com

Notes: I used 6oz of prosciutto in place of the ham and only used about 3-4 tbls of olive oil

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
6 tablespoons olive oil
2 14-ounce cans hearts of palm, drained, rinsed
6 ounces ham, cut into matchstick-size strips (about 1 1/2 cups)
1 cup assorted olives, pitted, sliced
Lettuce leaves

Combine first 4 ingredients in small bowl. Gradually whisk in oil. Season dressing to taste with salt and pepper.
Cut hearts of palm on diagonal into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Place in large bowl. Add ham and olives. Toss with enough dressing to coat generously.
Arrange lettuce leaves on plates. Spoon salad atop lettuce and serve.


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Spiced Caramelized Cauliflower Florets

from foodandwine.com

1 large head cauliflower (about 3 pounds), cut into florets
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/2 teaspoon sweet paprika
1/2 teaspoon hot paprika
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
Coarse salt, for sprinkling

Preheat the oven to 500°. In a large bowl, toss the cauliflower with the butter. In a small bowl, combine the sugar, salt, pepper, sweet and hot paprika and the cinnamon. Toss the spices with the cauliflower until evenly coated. Spread the cauliflower on a baking sheet in a single layer. Roast for 20 minutes, stirring once or twice, until the florets are crisp-tender and caramelized. Mound the florets on a serving platter or in a colorful glass bowl and sprinkle with coarse salt. Serve hot or warm, with toothpicks.


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Roasted Potato and Mushroom Salad with Mascarpone

from finecooking.com

6 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
2 lb. Yukon gold potatoes (about 6 medium), halved and cut into 3/4-inch wedges
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
3/4 lb. small to medium cremini or white mushrooms, quartered
1/2 cup mascarpone
1/4 cup fresh orange juice
1-1/2 tsp. red wine vinegar
1/3 cup thinly sliced scallions, white and green parts (about 4 small)

Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 450°F. Coat a large rimmed baking sheet with 1 Tbs. of the oil.
In a large bowl, toss the potatoes, 2 Tbs. of the oil, 1 tsp. salt, and 1/2 tsp. pepper. Arrange in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet. Roast until barely tender, about 20 minutes, gently tossing with a spatula halfway through.
Meanwhile, toss the mushrooms, 1 Tbs. of the oil, 1/2 tsp. salt, and 1/4 tsp. pepper in the bowl.
Gently toss the potatoes again, scatter the mushrooms evenly over the potatoes, and continue to roast until both the potatoes and mushrooms are tender and golden brown in spots, 10 to 15 minutes more.
Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk the mascarpone, orange juice, vinegar, 1 tsp. salt, and 1/8 tsp. pepper. Drizzle in the remaining 2 Tbs. oil while whisking constantly; set aside.
Return the potatoes and mushrooms to the large bowl and add the mascarpone dressing. Toss gently to coat, season to taste with salt and pepper, and transfer to a large serving bowl. Garnish with the scallions and serve.


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“Mystery Rolls”

from The Pioneer Woman

2 cans flaky biscuits
4-6 ounces crumbled blue cheese
2 sticks butter

Begin by crumbling 4 to 6 ounces of blue cheese, depending on how deeply cheesy you want the rolls to be.
Next, place two sticks of butter (regular, salted) on a baking sheet.
Throw the crumbled blue cheese over the top.
Place the baking pan into a 350 degree oven for a couple of minutes, or until the butter and cheese have just melted.
Cut the biscuits into fourths.
Now pull your pan from the oven. It’s nice and melted now. Stir it around if the cheese is all clumped together.
Now just dump all the cute little biscuit pieces onto the pan.
Stir them around and get them thoroughly coated.
Now pop ‘em into a 350-degree oven and bake until golden brown, about 8-12 minutes. Be sure to watch them so they won’t burn.

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Baked Green Bean Casserole Recipe

Recipe courtesy of: CDKitchen

3 packages (9-oz. size) frozen French-style green beans
1 tablespoon butter or margarine
1 small onion, chopped
1 package (8-oz. size) sliced mushrooms
1 can (10 3/4-oz. size) cream of mushroom soup
1 can (8-oz. size) sliced water chestnuts, drained
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
1 can (6-oz. size) French-fried onions

Cook green beans in microwave according to package directions. Place in large bowl; set aside.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Heat butter in large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and mushrooms, stirring about 5 minutes or until tender; add to green beans. Stir in mushroom soup and next 3 ingredients, mixing well.

Spoon half of green bean mixture into lightly greased 1 3/4-quart casserole; top with 1/2 of French-fried onions. Add remaining half of green bean mixture and top with remaining French-fried onions. Bake uncovered 20 minutes.

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Julia Child’s Gratin Dauphinois

From "Mastering the Art of French Cooking"

Ingredients:

2 pounds starchy potatoes
1/2 clove unpeeled garlic
4 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1 cup (4 ounces) grated Swiss cheese
1 cup boiling milk or cream

Method:

1) Preheat oven to 425F. Peel the potatoes and slice them 1/8 inch thick. Place in cold water. Drain when ready to use.

2) Rub the baking dish with cut garlic. Smear the dish with 1 tablespoon of the butter.

3) Drain the potatoes and dry them in a towel. Spread half of them in the bottom of the dish. Divide over them half the salt, pepper, cheese, and butter.

4) Arrange the remaining potatoes over the first layer and season. Spread on the rest of the cheese and divide the butter over it. Pour on the boiling milk.

5) Set the baking dish in upper third of preheated oven. Bake for 20-30 minutes, until the potatoes are tender, the milk is absorbed, and the top is a golden brown.

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Broccoli Salad

One bag of pre-washed broccoli (like Broccoli Wockly), or one small head of broccoli
1/3 c of Green Goddess dressing
1-2 T sunflower seeds
½ c shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 c bacon pieces

Wash and chop broccoli (if not using pre-washed). Toss in the dressing to coat (use more to taste if desired). Stir in remaining ingredients and refrigerate for an hour before serving.

Sausage and Sweet Potato Stuffing

from allrecipes.com

1/2 pound bulk pork sausage
1 (16 ounce) can whole sweet potatoes in
syrup, undrained
1 cup water
3 cups STOVE TOP Cornbread Stuffing Mix in
the Canister

1. Brown sausage in large skillet on medium-high heat. Meanwhile, drain sweet potatoes, reserving syrup. Slice sweet potatoes. Add water and reserved syrup to skillet; bring to boil. Stir in stuffing mix and sweet potatoes just to moisten.
2. Spoon into 1-1/2-quart casserole; cover.
3. Bake at 350 degrees F for 20 minutes or until thoroughly heated.

French Onion Green Beans

This is modified from a recipe I found in Quick Fixes from Brand Name Mixes. Super easy and super tasty!

1 can (14 oz) French-cut green beans
1 package dry onion soup mix
1 cup water
1/2 cup red wine vinegar (or another 1/2 cup water if you prefer)
black pepper to taste

Place green beans in a skillet and season with black pepper. Combine water, red wine vinegar and soup mix in a bowl and add to the green beans. Let them cook for about 15 minutes until the liquid almost evaporates.

Note: I also added some dried mixed mushrooms I had to the soup mixture. Next time I plan on trying Tarragon vinegar instead of the red wine vinegar. I'd also like to try adding some diced prosciutto or bacon.

Sarafina's Creamed Spinach

I've tried several recipes for Creamed Spinach, and none of them "did it for me". So, tonight I took the best of all of those recipes and voilà - spinach perfection!

2 T olive oil
1 small shallot, finely chopped
1 box (10 oz) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
salt & pepper to taste
1 t nutmeg
1 t red pepper flakes (or to taste)
4 oz cream cheese, cubed
Asiago or Parmesan cheese, to taste
Cream or half & half

Sauté the shallot in olive oil until translucent. Meanwhile, defrost spinach in the microwave according to directions on the box. Add thawed and drained spinach to the pan with shallots, heating through. Add salt, pepper, nutmeg, and red pepper flakes, sauté 1-2 minutes more. Add cream cheese and allow to melt. Add enough cream or half&half to thin the sauce to the consistency you want. Sprinkle with Asiago or Parmesan, mixing to combine. Enjoy!

Campbell's® Green Bean Casserole

It's a holiday favorite, but the version of this recipe currently found on French's® Fried Onions is slightly different than the original. The one below is from A Campbell Cookbook: Cooking With Soup circa 1964. I have found this one to be better than the newer version. The newer version does not call for the soy sauce and it calls for milk to thin out the soup, which I personally do not like.
My image of this recipe, 2008


Campbell's® Green Bean Casserole

1 can (10 1/2 ounces) condensed cream of mushroom soup
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1 can (3 1/2 ounces) French fried onions
3 cups cooked French style green beans (or two 10-ounce packages frozen, or two 1-pound cans), drained
Dash pepper

In 1-quart casserole, stir soup and soy sauce until smooth; mix in 1/2 can onions, beans, and pepper. Bake in a 350° oven 20 minutes or until bubbling. Top with remaining onions. Bake 5 minutes more. 6 servings.

My Beautiful Wickedness Broccoli "Thing"

from Cooking in Oz

Note: This recipe is from Phyllis Diller, who played the Wicked Witch of the West in a 1991 Oz stage musical.

2/3 cup margarine
2 10-ounce packages frozen chopped broccoli, thawed and drained
4 green onions, chopped
4 ribs celery, chopped
2 3-ounce cans sliced mushrooms
2 10 3/4-ounce cans cream of mushroom soup
1 6-ounce roll garlic cheese
Worcestershire sauce
Tabasco sauce
Salt and pepper
Breadcrumbs

In a skillet melt the margarine over medium-high heat and sauté the broccoli, onions and celery for 10 to 15 minutes. Add the mushrooms, soup, cheese, and seasonings, and stir until the cheese melts. Pour into a 2-quart casserole. Top with breadcrumbs. Bake at 350 for about 30 minutes. May be frozen before baking. Makes 6 servings

"I'll Bide My" Thyme Noodles

from Cooking in Oz

Note: I used fresh thyme.

1/4 cup butter or margarine, softened
2 tablespoons snipped parsley
1 teaspoon crushed dried thyme (or 1 tablespoon fresh)
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup boiling water
8 ounces fettuccine or medium noodles
3/4 cup shredded Romano or Parmesan cheese, divided

In a saucepan combine the butter or margarine, parsley, thyme, and pepper. Blend in the cream cheese; stir in the boiling water. Blend well. Keep warm.

Cook noodles in large amount of boiling salted water till tender; drain. Turn into mixing bowl. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup of the cheese; toss well. Place noodles in serving dish and top with hot herbed cheese sauce. Serve with remaining cheese. Makes 6 servings.

Comforting Broccoli Casserole

From: Taste of Home, October/Novemeber 2006 issue

Notes: I used all chopped broccoli instead of using any broccoli cuts.

2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 can (10-3/4 ounces) condensed cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
1 medium onion, chopped
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded swiss cheese
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 package (16 ounces) frozen broccoli cuts, thawed
1 package (10 ounces) frozen chopped broccoli, thawed
1/4 cup dry bread crumbs

In a large bowl, combine the first seven ingredients; fold in broccoli. Transfer to a greased 1-1/2 qt. baking dish. Sprinkle with bread crumbs. Cover and bake at 400 for 30-35 minutes or until heated through. Yield: 8 servings. Editor's Note: Reduced-fat or fat-free mayonnaise is not recommended for this recipe.

Creole Cabbage

From Threadgill's - The Cookbook

Notes: I used my husband's homemade Canadian bacon instead of regular bacon and canned tomatoes instead of fresh to save time. I also omitted the Tabasco sauce and had it sitting out on the table since not everyone in our family likes spicy food.

6 slices bacon, diced
2 cups yellow onion, diced
4 cups tomatoes, diced
1 head green cabbage, cut into 1 1/4-inch squares
4 cups tomato sauce
1 cup water
1/2 teaspoon Tabasco sauce
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Sauté diced bacon, add onion, anc continue cooking. Add all other ingredients and bring to a boil, stirring to avoid scorching. Turn down to a simmer and stew until cabbage is done, about 1 hour. Makes 10 big servings.

San Antonio Squash Casserole

From Threadgill's - The Cookbook

Notes: I only used 3 lbs. of squash and my 9x13 dish was almost overflowing with squash. If you have a bigger baking dish, go ahead and use the entire 4 lbs. that it calls for. I also used the whole can of cream of celery - I didn't measure out 1 cup.

2 tablespoons butter or margarine
2 cups yellow onion, diced
4 pounds yellow squash, sliced 3/8-inch thick
8 ounces Velveeta, cut into 3/4-inch cubes
1 cup cream of celery soup (undiluted)
1 cup green chillies, diced
1/2 cup bread crumbs
Parsley for garnish

Preheat oven to 350. In a 14-inch pan, sauté onion in butter. Add squash and cook until slightly softened. Squash will release a lot of water, which must be drained. Mix squash and onion with cheese, soup, and green chillies and place in oiled casserole dish. Cover with bread crumbs and bake about 30 minutes or until hot throughout. Garnish with parsley and serve. Makes 10 big servings.

Sweet Relish Slaw Salad

Sweet Relish Slaw Salad

from Rachael Ray

1 cup sweet pickle relish
1/4 cup cider vinegar, eyeball it
3 tablespoons vegetable oil, eyeball it
2 large cloves garlic, crushed
2 bay leaves, dried
3 whole cloves
1 pound shredded cabbage salad (slaw salad mix with carrots and red cabbage, available in produce department marked "Cole Slaw Mix" in 1 pound packages)
Salt and pepper
4 scallions, sliced

In the bottom of a medium, shallow bowl combine relish, vinegar, oil, garlic, bay and cloves. Let stand 5 minutes then fish out the garlic, bay and cloves. Add cabbage salad and toss, let stand 10 to 20 minutes in the refrigerator. Season salad with salt and pepper, toss in the scallions then serve.

Yield: 4 servings
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: none
Ease of preparation: easy

Mediterranean Orzo Salad

Mediterranean Orzo Salad
from: Quick Fixes from Brand Name Mixes

Salad
1 c orzo pasta
1 c diced red bell pepper
1/2 c crumbled feta cheese
1 can (2 1/4 oz) sliced ripe olives, rinsed and drained
1/4 c chopped fresh basil or 1/2 t dried basil
Fresh basil leaves or parsley sprigs, for garnish (optional)

Dressing
1 packet (1 oz) Ranch salad dressing & seasoning mix
3 T olive oil
3 T red wine vinegar
1 t sugar

Cook orzo according to package directions, omitting salt. Rinse with cold water and drain well. Mix orzo, bell pepper, cheese, olives, and chopped fresh basil in a large bowl. (If using dried basil, add to dressing.) Whisk together salad dressing & seasoning mix, oil, vinegar, and sugar. Stir dressing into orzo mixture. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours. Garnish with basil leaves before serving, if desired.