baked

Cottage Tot Pie

Let me start with saying I love a good traditional Cottage Pie. I love Shepherd’s Pie. I love meat and mashed potatoes and gravy… which is kind of what shepherd’s pie is, but constructed and upside down. I am all for whipping up mashed potatoes to top a pie… I’ve done it and I’ll do it again. But I am a busy mom! And if I’m honest about it, most nights of the week if I’m going to whip up some potatoes, it’s because it’s a side dish- not an extra step toward accomplishing dinner. I’m also a child of the frozen food era. And I am not too proud to admit that a tater tot baked and salted to crispy perfection is delicious. Of course, in this case I can also boast (like I really care), that it’s baked not fried. However, if I wanted to get really honest, a deep fried tater tot is sublime. If I could figure out a way to deep fry this whole dish I probably would. But if I had time to shred the potatoes for an awesome crust that I stuffed with this seasoned beef filling to deep fry, then surely I would have had the time to whip up a mashed potato topper. Right? So, when you want all the taste without the extra steps… this is the bomb. #momwin

As organic as possible:

1 Tbsp Olive Oil

1 Onion, diced

1 Celery stalk, diced small

1 lb ground Beef (or Lamb, but then you need to call it Shepherd Tot Pie)

1 tsp Salt, to taste

1/2 tsp Pepper, to taste

1 Tbsp Butter

2 Tbsp Flour

1½ Tbsp Worcestershire sauce

1 cup Peas, frozen or fresh

1 cup Corn, frozen or fresh

1-1½ cups Beef stock

2lbs or 24 oz. (approx) Seasoned Tater Tots, frozen (I like Alexa)

Heat the over medium high until hot. Add the diced onion and celery. (And if you’d like a little diced carrot to make it a true trinity… but if your kids are like mine, leave the orange vegetable out.) I only like to cook it for a minute before I add the ground beef, because it’s going to get baked and I like to try and have some texture.

Add the beef, salt and pepper. Cook until just browned. (And if it’s just slightly pink, it’s ok. It will continue to cook and better that it’s not overdone.) Strain all but about a tablespoon of the fat into a safe hot fat catching container. Add the tablespoon of butter.

When it’s melted, give it a little swirl around the pan and add the 2 tablespoons of flour.

Let the flour cook in the meat, onion and celery mixture for a couple minutes. Add the Worcestershire sauce and 1 cup beef stock. Let cook for a few minutes, until sauce starts to thicken, if too thick add remaining 1/2 cup of stock. Add the peas and corn. Give the whole mix a stir and take it off of the heat.

I have a 1¾ quart dish that is perfect for this recipe, however a 2 qt dish will do. Pour the meat and veggie mixture into the dish in an even layer. Then lovingly place the tater tots in calculated rows (or completely abstract) in a single layer on top of the meat mix.

Bake for 30-35 minutes until the tots are golden brown and crisp.

Let stand a couple minutes to cool After gravy stops bubbling, serve warm… and with ketchup if you’d like, because it’s tasty.

 

 

 

 

SaveSave

SaveSave

SaveSave

SaveSave

SaveSave

SaveSave

SaveSave

SaveSave

Hot Potato

Po-tay-to, Po-tah-to…

Did you know how healthy potatoes are? I’m not talking about diced, shredded and fried (although undeniably Delicious). I’m referring to the low-cal (about 110 calories in 1 medium) naturally gluten-free vegetable with more potassium than a banana, 45% of your daily intake of vitamin C, 10% of vitamin B6, zero fat, zero cholesterol that contains essential minerals like magnesium and zinc to mention a few. We all know the story: eat your potato while drinking a glass of milk and live forever! Or at least avoid scurvy. But seriously, with necessary blood aids like iron and much needed digestive assistance from fiber (of which sadly our diets are greatly deprived), it just might be what the doctor ordered. That is of course baked- to maintain the most nutrients. (Save the sticks of butter and cups of cream for special occasions 😉 ) And if I may, please make sure you buy organic- not crazy hi-bred weird GMO who knows what they are potatoes, because I can’t vouch for those.

Serves 4-6

2 1/2 pounds -about 10-12 medium Potatoes (Russet, Idaho, Golden, Red…)

1/4 cup Olive Oil

1-2 Tbsp Course Kosher salt

Preheat the oven to 375°. Wash, scrub and rinse the potatoes. Remove any eyes or blemishes that you don’t want to eat. Dry the potatoes completely with a towel. Brush on the olive oil (a little goes a long way) or get messy and use your hands to cover the skins. Generously sprinkle the potatoes with the course salt. (Do not be afraid of this- the Kosher course salt is not as “salty” as fine salt. If you are using regular table salt, go easier obviously… I trust your judgement.)

Place potatoes on a baking sheet. I like to cover the sheet with Silpat or parchment paper for easier clean-up. Bake for an hour (sometimes 15-20 minutes more if using large potatoes) until skin is crispy and inside of potato is tender. Eat just like this, or with a pat of butter and a little salt and pepper, or with a dollop of sour cream (or plain yogurt if you’re eating clean) or crumbled bacon if you’re feeling wild. I’ll stop. You know what you like.

For more information on the healthiness of potatoes along with recipe ideas check out potatogoodness.com or an interesting article on the health benefits at livescience.com.

Erica’s Apple Baked Brie

A friend of mine made this, so I feel at ease to boast and say, “Look at this gorgeous presentation!” I am a long-time fan of baked brie. If you are not familiar with the cheese, it is a soft French cow’s milk cheese, most often encased in an edible covering of white mold. Depending on the process it can range from very mild to a strong musky flavor. (I am not one to shy away from a pungent cheese). Usually I do mine wrapped in a puff pastry, but I love that Erica used a croissant pastry dough! It made for such a lovely crust! Of course the rustically sliced apples were beautiful too… and then the taste! Sweet apples and brown sugar with warm creamy brie on slices of fresh bread, grainy crackers, and ripe fruit. La vie en rose!

1 – 16 oz round Brie

2 cans Pillsbury Crescent Rolls

1 apple (plus 1/2 for decoration, optional)

4 Tbsp (1/2 stick) Butter

2 Tbsp Brown Sugar

1 Egg

 

Preheat oven to 350°.

Melt butter in a sauté pan over medium heat. Thinly slice or dice (your preference) the apple and sauté it in the butter. Add the brown sugar to the butter and apple mixture, and gently stir until sugar is dissolved and mixture has slightly thickened. Place the beautiful apple syrup on top of the Brie and wrap it in the crescent rolls. Whisk the egg and brush it top of the dough. Optionally, cut a few slices of apple for decoration and position them on top in a circular pattern. Bake for about 30-40 minutes, until crust is golden brown and cheese is warmed through. Allow to set for a few minutes before serving. You want the cheese to be warm and spreadable, but not to ooze. Serve with slice rounds of bread, apple slices, and or crackers.

IMG_5396

Easy Oven-Baked Chicken Parm

Sometimes you get a craving and nothing else but a cheesy, salty, crusted piece of moist chicken will do. (Clearly I’m not a vegetarian.) This chicken is coated with a mix of Parmesan and Asiago, for maximum tantalizing flavor. It’s got a crispy outside and is moist on the inside, and it’s baked not fried. So basically it’s guilt-free. It’s great on it’s own, but I love it with my favorite marinara and pasta to make an easy Italian classic, Chicken Parmesan. Yum!

As organic as possible:

4 Chicken breast cut into strips (2-3 per breast lengthwise)

3/4 cup Mayonnaise (you can substitute with light mayo)

1/4 cup Italian seasoned dry bread crumbs

1/2 tsp Salt

1/4 tsp Black pepper

1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan, plus more for serving

2-3 Tbsp (rounded) freshly grated Asiago

Preheat oven to 425°. Place mayo in a small bowl, set aside. In a shallow baking dish mix bread crumbs, salt, pepper and cheeses. Dredge each piece of chicken in the mayo, so that it has a nice even coating, removing excess. (You’re going to get your hands messy, but it’s worth it.) Then roll coated chicken around in bread crumb mixture until completely covered. Place covered chicken strips on a baking sheet (or two). Place in oven and bake for 20 minutes, until chicken is cooked through, and crust is browned and crispy.

While chicken is cooking, prepare noodles and warm your favorite marinara sauce for serving. (It hardly gets easier for a weeknight meal than that!) Top with more freshly grated Parmesan… Enjoy!