Lime-Marinated Grilled Salmon (Recipe 130 of 125)

Photo from All Recipes

I like to have salmon every now and then and often over cook it. Today Alexa helped me by letting me ask her for a timer so I wouldn't forget the fish in the oven. I shall not discuss with you the Great Halibut Jerky incident. 

Ahem.

I'm a purest with salmon. I rarely do anything special with it. Just a little salt and some lemon pepper. Easy. I thought this recipe was a small step away from my typical salmon, so gave it a try. 

I'm not sure I got a lot of lime flavor out of it. Marinated it for an hour. Not sure I got a lot of the flavors out of it in fact. I am glad I tried it, but will go back to my old stand by.

Lime-Marinated Grilled Salmon

Recipe from All Recipes

Serves 4

• ¼ c fresh lime juice
• 1 T olive oil
• 2 tsp Dijon mustard
• ¼ tsp ground ginger
• ¼ tsp garlic powder
• ¼ tsp cayenne pepper
• ⅛ tsp black pepper
• 4 salmon steaks

Whisk together the lime juice, olive oil, mustard, ginger, garlic, cayenne pepper, and black pepper in a bowl, and pour into a resealable plastic bag. Add the salmon steaks, coat with the marinade, squeeze out excess air, and seal the bag. Marinate in the refrigerator for 1 hour.

Preheat an outdoor grill for medium heat, and lightly oil grate. Remove the salmon from marinade, and shake off excess. Discard remaining marinade.

Grill until the fish flakes easily with a fork, 5 to 10 minutes per side depending on thickness.

Buttered Steak & Mushroom Bites (Recipe 129 of 125)

Photo from 12Tomatoes

There wasn't much to this recipe per se. It's got a few ingredients ... all of which I love. Together they are delicious. And one can never have enough garlic. 

I didn't use skirt steak. Instead I had some tritip on hand so used that. Can never go wrong with tritip either. 

This was a good and fast recipe. Most folks have all these ingredients handy. It'd be a good, quick week day recipe. 

Buttered Steak & Mushroom Bites
Recipe from 12 Tomatoes

Serves 4

• 1 1/2 lbs skirt steak
• 4 T butter, divided
• 6 oz small mushrooms such as cremini or button, sliced in half
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Cut steak into bite-sized pieces, about 1/2-inch to 3/4-inch. Season liberally with salt and pepper.

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add 1 tablespoon of the butter. Swirl to coat pan and add a third of the meat.

Cook for 1 minute, then flip steak. Cook 1 minute more. Remove to a plate and repeat with remaining steak in two batches. Tent cooked steak lightly with foil.

Add remaining 2 tablespoons butter to skillet and add mushrooms. Season with a bit of salt and let mushrooms cook without stirring for 2-3 minutes. Stir and continue cooking until soft. Add garlic and cook 1 minute more.

Add mushrooms and any buttery drippings to steak and stir to combine. Serve and enjoy!

French Onion Hamburger Steaks with Potatoes and Gravy (Recipe 128 of 125)

Photo from Cook's Country

I love French Onion soup. I rarely order it but I do love it. It's usually too salty for me, but it's so damn
good. 

I took a pretty big departure from this recipe.  To try to keep it "more" lower in carbs, I chose to not make the gravy. I think that was a mistake, but it was ok. 

The potatoes I mead were not these, but rather the Lipton Onion Soup potatoes. Friend Kathy got me addicted to these when she made it for book club. If you're looking for an uber delicious and easy potato recipe, this is it.

Ok. Other departures...I didn't pan fry the burgers. I am horrible with pan frying, so I grilled the burgers instead. What I didn't plan on is the torrential downpour that would be going on as I was trying to grill. Dad taught me rain or shine, so I stepped out into the rain and grilled. 

Because I wasn't doing the gravy, all I did was sauté the mushrooms in olive oil. I missed the gravy, but not that much. 

Overall, this was a good recipe. If I made it again, I'd do the gravy. I think that would have tied it all together. 

French Onion Hamburger Steaks with Potatoes and Gravy

Recipe from Cook's Country

Serves 4

1 1/2 lb small Yukon gold potatoes, unpeeled and halved

1 T unsalted butter, melted, plus 3 T unsalted butter not melted

Salt and Pepper

1 1/2 lbs 85 % lean ground beef

1/2 c panko bread crumbs

2 T Lipton Onion Soup and Dip mix

8 oz cremini mushrooms, trimmed and sliced thin

1 T flour

1 c beef broth

2 T minced fresh chives

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 450F. Toss potatoes, melted butter, salt and pepper together on rimmed baking sheet and flip potatoes cut side down. Roast until potatoes are tender and well browned, about 30 minutes. 

Meanwhile, combine beef, panko and soup mix in bowl. Form mixture into 4 4-inch patties, about 1/2 inch thick. Melt 1 T butter in 12 inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Cook patties until well browned and meat registers 130 degrees, about 4 minutes per side. Transfer to platter and tent with foil. 

Add mushrooms to now empty skillet and cook over medium-high heat until well browned, 5-7 minutes. Stir in flour and cook for 1 minutes. Stir in broth, bring to boil, and cook until thickened, about 1 minutes. Off heat, stir in remaining 2 T butter. Spoon sauce over steaks and sprinkle with chives. Serve with potatoes. 

Easy Thai Chicken (Recipe 127 of 125)

 Photo from Damn Delicious

I don't know how to actual define "Thai" chicken. I have so many recipes that are titled "Thai chicken" and each have the same basic combination of flavors. 

This one was a bit different in that it had the sweet chili sauce. That stuff must have crack in it. It's so good and not spicy at all. 

I didn't put this back in the broiler when I was done with the first step. Mostly because I was too hungry and second mostly was because I'm too lazy. I sautéed the chicken breast (I'm not a dark meat person) and then tossed it with the sauce and let it simmer away for a bit. It was tasty!

As I mentioned, I have several "Thai" chicken recipes and while this one is good, I feel like I have some others that I'd prefer to make over. 

Easy Thai Chicken
Recipe from Damn Delicious

• 2 T unsalted butter
• 8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
• 1/4 c peanuts, chopped
• 2 T chopped fresh cilantro leaves

FOR THE SAUCE:

• 1/2 c sweet chili sauce
• 2 T reduced sodium soy sauce
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 T fish sauce
• 1 T freshly grated ginger
• Juice of 1 lime
• 1 tsp Sriracha, or more, to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

To make the sauce, whisk together chili sauce, soy sauce, garlic, fish sauce, ginger, lime juice and Sriracha in a small bowl; set aside.

Melt butter in a large oven-proof skillet over medium high heat. Add chicken, skin-side down, and sear both sides until golden brown, about 2-3 minutes per side. Stir in chili sauce mixture.

Place into oven and roast until completely cooked through, reaching an internal temperature of 165 degrees F, about 25-30 minutes. Then broil for 2-3 minutes, or until caramelized and slightly charred.

Serve immediately, garnished with peanuts and cilantro, if desired.

Grilled Balsamic and Soy Marinated Flank Steak (Recipe 126 of 125)

 This marinade needed more time marinating. I didn't plan well enough and only allowed for 45 minutes. It really needed more to really get into the meat. 

It's a quick, solid marinade. I have a similar one I use all the time that I prefer. 

Grilled Balsamic and Soy Marinated Flank Steak

Recipe from All Recipes

Serves 4

• ½ onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• ¼ c olive oil
• ¼ c balsamic vinegar
• ¼ c soy sauce
• 1 T Dijon mustard
• 1 T rosemary
• 1 tsp salt
• ½ tsp ground black pepper
• 1 ½ pounds flank steak

Whisk onion, garlic, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, soy sauce, Dijon mustard, rosemary, salt, and pepper together in a mixing bowl.

Put the flank steak in a large resealable plastic bag. Pour marinade into the bag and coat steak with the marinade. Squeeze excess air from the bag and seal. Marinate in the refrigerator at least 30 minutes, up to 2 days.

Preheat an outdoor grill for medium-high heat and lightly oil the grate.

Remove the flank steak from the marinade and shake to remove excess liquid. Reserve marinade.

Cook steak until firm, hot in the center, and just turning from pink to grey, 6 to 8 minutes per side, brushing occasionally with reserved marinade. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read 150 degrees F (65 degrees C). Remove steak to a cutting board and rest meat 5 minutes before slicing thinly across the grain.

Pumpkin Bread (Recipe 125 of 125)

Photo from Smitten Kitchen

That's it! I hit my goal of 125 new recipes this year. I have a whole 3 months to get even more. I'm going to shift my goal to 150. 

My dinner tonight was lacking so I'm not going to count it as a recipe at all. But THIS recipe I would count over and over. I love me some pumpkin bread. And honestly, almost all the recipes I've ever tried were about the same. Something just hit me right with this one. So it's #125!

Pumpkin Bread

Recipe from Smitten Kitchen

Serves 8

• 1 15-ounce can pumpkin puree
• 1/2 c vegetable or another neutral cooking oil or melted butter
• 3 large eggs
• 1 2/3 c granulated sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 3/4 tsp baking soda
• 3/4 tsp fine sea or table salt
• 3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
• Heaped 1/4 tsp fresh grated nutmeg
• Heaped 1/4 tsp ground ginger
• Two pinches of ground cloves
• 2 1/4 c all-purpose flour

Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 6-cup loaf pan or coat it with nonstick spray.

In a large bowl, whisk together pumpkin, oil, eggs and sugar until smooth. Sprinkle baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and cloves over batter and whisk until well-combined. Add flour and stir with a spoon, just until mixed. Scrape into prepared pan and smooth the top. In a small dish, or empty measuring cup, stir sugar and cinnamon together. Sprinkle over top of batter.

Bake bread for 65 to 75 minutes until a tester poked into all parts of cake (both the top and center will want to hide pockets of uncooked batter) come out batter-free, turning the cake once during the baking time for even coloring.

Cake keeps at room temperature as long as you can hide it. I like to keep mine in the tin with a piece of foil or plastic just over the cut end and the top exposed to best keep the lid crisp as long as possible.

Loaded Hash Brown Casserole (Recipe 124 of 125)

Photo from Everyday
Shortcuts

Last night was Sunday dinner. We did a breakfast theme and it seemed only right to have hash browns for breakfast. But I couldn't do just regular hash browns. Oh no. I had to have special hash browns. 

Hash browns are good and all, but these...oh lord - these put hash browns on the map. Such an easy recipe to make. And oh so good. And today, as leftovers, even better! 

This recipe did not disappoint.

Loaded Hash Brown Casserole

Everyday Shortcuts

Serves 12

• 32 oz sour cream
• Half large onion, chopped
• 2 c shredded cheddar cheese
• 10 pieces cooked bacon, crumbled
• 2 packages Ranch dressing mix
• 1 26 oz bag frozen shredded hash brown potatoes

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly spray a 9x13 inch pan with cooking spray.

In a large bowl, add sour cream, bacon, shredded cheddar cheese, onions and packets of ranch dressing mix and mix together. Stir in frozen hash browns and mix well. Spread an even layer into the 9x13 inch pan.

Bake uncovered for 60 minutes until golden brown. Serve immediately and enjoy!

Store leftovers in the fridge in an airtight container for 2-3 days or freezer up to one month.

One Pot Spicy Taco and Rice Skillet Dinner (Recipe 123 of 125)

Photo from SweetCDesigns

My least favorite recipe are the ones that sound like I should like them. And they're good recipes, but
they just don't do it for me. This is one of those recipes. It's a good recipe. Just not for me. 

I think I'll just continue to eat my tacos like normal tacos. And also, it's not spicy at all. It needed some more spice for me. 

One Pot Spicy Taco and Rice Skillet Dinner

Recipe from Sweet C Designs

Serves 4

• 1 lb ground beef
• 1 large onion, diced
• 2 bell peppers, diced
• 1 can diced tomatoes with green chilis
• 1 c salsa
• 1 c long grain white rice, NOT minute rice
• 1 c water
• 1 c beef stock
• 2 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 c shredded cheddar or jack cheese
• green onions, to garnish

In a large pan, brown beef. When beef is lightly browned, add diced onions and peppers. Cook until beef is fully cooked, onions and peppers are soft.

Add can of tomatoes with green chili- no need to drain.

Add salsa, rice, water and stock. Stir well to combine.

Add in spices and mix, cover.

Let simmer on low until rice is soft and liquid has cooked off.

Top with cheese, stir in until it melts.

Slow Cooker Tri-Tip Sandwiches

Ok, another recipe I'm not counting a "new". The new part of this is that it never crossed my mind to use a tritip to make sandwiches. I am converting this recipe a bit to make it a French dip instead of a BBQ type sandwich. 

I had a tritip in the freezer courtesy of Butch Box. It was a small roast so figured why not just use it and make French dip sandwiches and leftovers for lunch this week (sorry Pantry Goat).

I seasoned the tritip with salt and pepper and seared all sides of the roast before plopping it in the slow cooker. 5 hours on low seemed to do the trick. 

I made packet au jous on the side. In hindsight I could have used the liquid in the slow cooker as the au jous. 

Slow Cooker Tri-Tip Sandwiches
Recipe from Bakingmischief.com

Serves 4

• Seasoning salt 
• 1 trimmed tri-tip 
• 1 c water, beef, or chicken broth
• 5 french rolls sliced open
• 5 T mayonnaise
• Packet of Au jous (Optional)

Sprinkle seasoning salt over the entire tri-tip. 

Place tri-tip and water or broth in the slow cooker and cook on high for 3 to 4 hours or low 6 to 8. The meat is done when you can easily pull it apart with a fork. Use two forks to shred the meat in the slow cooker. JW note: I didn't shred it. I just made thin slices for a French dip sandwich.

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Spread mayonnaise over the inside of the rolls and top with the shredded tri-tip. Bake for 5 to 6 minutes until bread is toasted.

Easy Chicken Tacos

Photo from DamnDelicious

 Easy is right. In fact, it was so easy I'm not even counting this as a "new" recipe. I could have done this on my own, and have somewhat. 

The best part of this recipe is really the seasoning for the chicken. And I cut my chicken into very small pieces and THEN cooked it. That causes to have crispy sides all over the place and that texture is golden. 

I also made my own pica de gallo. Its not hard to make and really is much better than store bought. Store bought is always soo liquidy. 

Easy Chicken Tacos
Recipe from Damndelicious.net

Serves 4

• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 12 mini flour tortillas, warmed
• 1 cup pico de gallo, homemade or store-bought
• Homemade: chop tomatoes, jalapeno, cilantro, red onion. Mix together. Add some salt to taste. Juice of one lime. Let it sit for a little before serving.
• 1 avocado, halved, peeled, seeded and diced
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
• 1 lime, cut into wedges

In a small bowl, combine chili powder, cumin, paprika, oregano, garlic powder, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Season chicken with chili powder mixture.

Heat canola oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Working in batches, add chicken to the skillet in a single layer and cook until golden brown and cooked through, reaching an internal temperature of 165 degrees F, about 4-5 minutes per side. Let cool before dicing into bite-size pieces.

Serve chicken in tortillas, topped with pico de gallo, avocado, cilantro and lime.

V8 Beef and Vegetable Soup (Recipe 122 of 125)

This soup was fantastic. Though I gotta say, I think I made up a whole new recipe since I didn't follow almost half of this one. 

Photo from 12 Tomatoes

First I didn't realize it was a slow cooker meal until 5:30pm as I started dinner. Oops. No matter. Soups can simmer for a bit on the stove and be just fine. I simmered this bad boy for about 30 minutes. 

Second, I used 1 can mixed vegetables (gotta love VegAll), then added a small can of green beans and a small can or corn. No reason. It's just what I had on hand. 

Lastly, I didn't use beef bouillon cubes. Those are my least favorite things to cook with. I just used beef stock and added about 3 cups. 

Oh wait, there was one more switch. I used the V8 Spicy Hot mix. First - it's not very spicy and second it's not very spicy. I had to add a dash of Cholula hot sauce. 

Bottom line, this was a simple and delicious soup. It'll be in the rotation for this fall for sure. 

V8 Beef and Vegetable Soup (Beware this is a slow cooker recipe)

Recipe from 12 Tomatoes

Serves 4

24 oz V8 juice

24 oz ounce water (JW Note: Or 3 cups beef stock)

1 cans mixed vegetables, undrained (or equivalent of desired veggies)

1 pounds ground beef

1 onion, chopped

1 cubes beef bouillon

Salt and pepper to taste

JWNote: This recipe is a slow cooker recipe. I don't think it needs to be, and I completely missed that note when I made this. I did the whole thing on the stove. Browned the beef and onions, then added everything else. Let it simmer for 30 minutes and voila... soup.

Here are the real instructions: 

Brown ground beef and onions in a saucepan over medium-high heat and set aside once cooked.

In slow cooker combine beef mixture, V8, water, bouillon, and vegetables. 

Set slow cooker to low and cook for 6 hours or set to high for 3 hours.

Add salt and pepper to taste and serve piping hot.

Grilled Sirloin Tips with Coffee-Bourbon BBQ Sauce (Recipe 121 of 125)

Today's a good day to grill. And what better to grill than some sirloin tips? 

This BBQ sauce ranks up there pretty high for me; at least it sounded good. The flavor profile of the coffee and the bourbon is spot on. Not overwhelming in either case, just hints of it.

But as it cooked down, it lost some of it's flavor. It was good, but not great. I definitely did not put enough salt in it - and that really could have made all the difference honestly.  

You do need to plan ahead for this recipe because you have to allow time for the sauce to cook before you marinade the tips in it. 

Grilled Sirloin Tips with Coffee-Bourbon BBQ Sauce
Recipe from Justcook.butcherbox.com

• 4 cloves garlic minced
• 1 small onion small dice
• ¼ c blackstrap molasses
• ½ c brown sugar
• ½ c sherry vinegar
• ¼ c brewed coffee
• ¼ c bourbon
• 1 c tomato sauce
• 2 tsp olive oil
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• ½ tsp ground black pepper
• Garnish
• 1 bunch green onions thinly sliced

Soak skewers in water for 30 minutes before cooking.

In small saucepan, add olive oil. Once oil is hot, add garlic and onions, and sauté on medium heat until translucent.

Add brown sugar and molasses and stir until melting. Add sherry vinegar, coffee, bourbon kosher salt and ground black pepper, then reduce by half.

Add tomato sauce and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Cool sauce completely.

Marinate steak tips in sauce for 5 minutes.

Place tips on skewers. Remove any excess marinade.

Preheat grill. If using open flame, wait for flames to die down. Right before grilling, make sure grill surface is extremely hot, then rub it down with an oil-soaked rag – we advise using tongs to hold the rolled-up rag.

For medium, place Sirloin Steak Tips at 45° angle across hottest part of the grill grates, then grill for 5 minutes per side, while rotating 90° every 2 ½ minutes. Keep your meat moving to ensure that it cooks evenly. Remove from grill when meat thermometer inserted into thickest part reads 130°F.

Rest for at least 8 minutes.

Bacon Ranch Garlic Parmesan Pasta (Recipe 120 of 125)

Oh boy was this a good dish. I didn't follow the recipe exactly. I mostly did it by the recipe, but I didn't cook the pasta in the pot as a one pot. It never turns out. 

So I modified this every so slightly. I cooked the pastas separate. The rest I mostly followed, but just realized I used a full ranch packet instead of 1 T of ranch. Really made the ranchy flavor stand out. 

Bacon Ranch Garlic Parmesan Pasta

Recipe from Thesaltymarshmallow.com

Serves 4

• 6 Slices Bacon, Diced
• 1 T Olive Oil
• 1 T Butter
• 3 Cloves Garlic, Minced
• 2 c Chicken Broth
• 1 ¼ c Milk
• 8 Ounces Spaghetti
• ½ tsp Pepper
• ½ c Shredded Parmesan Cheese
• ¼ c Sour Cream
• 1 T Ranch Seasoning Mix
• Parsley for serving

Cook the diced bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until crisp.

Remove the bacon to a paper towel lined plate. Wipe excess grease from skillet.

Add the olive oil and butter to the skillet.

Add the garlic and cook 1-2 minutes, until fragrant, stirring frequently.

Stir in the chicken broth, milk, spaghetti, and pepper.

Bring to a boil.

Reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally until pasta is cooked through.

Stir in the reserved bacon, parmesan, sour cream, and ranch seasoning.

Top with parsley as desired.

Madeira-Roasted Mushrooms & Shallots (Recipe 119 of 125)

Photo from Eating Well

 Y'all...this recipe! OMG. If you don't like mushrooms, then move on. 

I am a big fan of sautéed mushrooms...in any form. I frequently put a splash of balsamic at the end and I love that. Then this recipe crossed my path. 

Whoa. The flavor of the madeira wine is off the chart good. I didn't, and wouldn't change a thing.

Madeira-Roasted Mushrooms & Shallots
Recipe from Eating Well

Serves 4

• 1 pound mixed mushrooms, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 2 c thickly sliced shallots
• 2 T extra-virgin olive oil
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil 16.9 Fl Oz
• 1 T chopped fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried
• ¼ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp ground pepper
• ⅓ c Madeira

Place a large rimmed baking sheet on the center rack and preheat oven to 450°F.

Toss mushrooms and shallots in a large bowl with oil, thyme, salt and pepper. Spread on the hot baking sheet. Roast for 15 minutes.

Stir in Madeira and continue roasting until the vegetables are browned and the Madeira has evaporated, about 5 minutes more.

Baked Popcorn Chicken (Recipe 118 of 125)

This was a decently delicious dish. I couldn't find the Kettle chips so I used Tim's Cascade Sour Cream and Chive chips. 

I tried crunching the chips in two different ways. The first was chips in a plastic bag and me with a meat mallet. It crunched them but not overly crunched. I think the key is definitely getting the chip crumbs as small as possible and yet maintain texture. 

The second way is I put them in a food processor and pulsed them a little. Same situation. Crumb like but with some texture. 

In both cases I had a hard time getting the chips to adhere to the chicken. Her photos it appears they are stuck on well and fully cover the chicken. 

The marinade really helps add flavor to the chicken and tenderizes it at the same time. 

Baked Popcorn Chicken
Recipe from Damn Delicious

Serves 4

• 3/4 lb pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch chunks
• 1 cups low-fat buttermilk
• 1 1/2 cloves garlic, smashed
• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper, optional
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 1 1/2 cups crushed Sour Cream and Onion Kettle Brand® Potato Chips
• 1/8 cup unsalted butter, melted
• 1 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Coat a cooling rack with nonstick spray and place on a baking sheet; set aside.

In a large bowl, combine chicken, buttermilk, garlic, basil, oregano, thyme, cayenne pepper, salt and pepper, to taste; marinate for at least 30 minutes. Drain well.

Working in batches, dredge chicken in crushed potato chips, pressing to coat. Place onto the prepared baking sheet; drizzle with butter.

Place into oven and bake, turning pieces halfway through, until crisp and cooked through, about 20-25 minutes.

Serve immediately, garnished with parsley, if desired.

Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole (Recipe 117 of 125)

I've had this recipe waiting patiently for the right time, and the right amount of people. Tonight was the night. Book Club! The ladies came over and we ate a nice, comfort meal. 

With a gluten free lady I had to make it a bit different. I did two type of pastas and then separated them by foil in the 9X13 pan. It worked perfectly. The only problem is the gluten free lady complained it was saucy enough.

The other problem with this casserole was the maker, not the casserole. I forgot to put the cheese into the mixture. And I only realized it AFTER I put the crispy onion toping on (which it doesn't call for but I had them so I used them.) And so I improvised and put the cheese on the top. It made an interesting crust with the crispy onion topping. I think I would have preferred the cheese in the actual mixture, but it turned out fine. 

Overall, this was a good, wholesome, comforting casserole. 

Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole

Recipe from Cuisine at Home Oct 2020

Serves 8

8 oz farfalle pasta

3 T unsalted butter

2 T minced shallot

1 T minced garlic

1/2 c dry white wine

3 T flour

2 c whole milk

1/2 c mayo

1 T dijon mustard

1/8 tsp freshly grated nutmeg

Salt and Pepper to taste

2 c shredded cooked chicken

1 c diced cooked ham

1 1/2 c shredded Gruyere

1 c frozen peas

1 jar diced pimientos

1/3 c fresh bread crumbs

1/4 c grated Parmesan

2 T melted butter

2 T chopped parsley

Preheat the oven to 375F. Coat a 2 qt baking dish with nonstick spray.

Cook pasta in a pot of boiling salted water according to package directions; drain.

Melt 3 T butter in a saucepan over high heat until foamy. Add shallots and garlic; satue until shallots begin to soften, about 2 minutes. Add wine; cook until reduced by half, about 3 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-high; whisk in flour and cook 1 minute. Slowly whish in milk; stir and cook until thickened, 8-10 minutes. 

Off heat, whisk in mayo, Dijon and nutmeg. Season to taste. 

Toss chicken, ham and Gruyere, peas and pimientos with pasta and sauce; transfer to prepared dish. 

Combine bread crumbs, Parmesan, 2 T melted butter and parsley. Season with Salt and pepper. Top casserole with bread crumb mixture and bake until golden brown, 25-30 minutes.