Friday, June 27, 2014

Cookbook Contest Ends Tonight at 6 p.m. CST!


Very easy to enter the contest.  Just do these three things:

1.  Be a friend of Fleur de Lolly on Facebook
2.  Like the contest link.
3.  Share the contest link on Facebook on your Facebook page


Good Luck!

Spanish Frittata with Potatoes and Onions



I am beginning to believe I should change "Tapas Thursdays" into "Tapas Everyday!" These small plate dishes are absolutely perfect for summer dinners. With no cheese, this frittata was light and satisfying and, on top of that, just beautiful to plate. We eat with our eyes first, you know!

These frittatas are found in almost every tapas bar in Spain. They cut them into 8 or 12 serving pieces. Use your own judgment for your family!

1 pound potatoes, peeled and sliced into thin slices (I used the food processor)
1 onion, medium size, sliced into thin slices
4 eggs,
dash of heavy cream
3 T. olive oil for cooking potatoes and onions
1 T. olive oil for cooking frittata
1/4 t. salt
freshly ground black pepper
1/4 t. Spanish paprika (plus a little more for garnishing)
Chopped Chives for garnish

In a medium skillet, heat 3 T. olive oil and softly saute the potato, onion, salt and pepper for approximately 12 - 15 minutes until the potatoes are just done. Keep stirring the mixture regularly so that the potatoes and onions are golden, but not browned.


Remove from heat and carefully put the mix into a colander set over a bowl and let them cool until lukewarm.

Whisk the eggs and add the cream and paprika and a little salt and pepper.

Gently add the potatoes and onions to the egg mixture and carefully stir until you are sure that all the potatoes are covered by the egg mixture. Leave it to rest for a minute or so.

Heat the remaining olive oil in a 8 - 10 inch skillet over low heat.

Slide the egg and potato mix into the skillet. Use the backside of a spoon or spatula to press any pieces of potato protruding from the mix back down making sure everything is covered by egg.


Do not stir. Bake the frittata for a few minutes until the bottom and edges begin to set. Lower heat to the lowest setting. It may take 5 - 6 minutes for the eggs to cook through.  


When it is almost finished cooking, put under broiler for a few minutes to brown the top.

Place on serving plate and sprinkle with paprika and chives.




adapted from www.tapasbonitas.com

Tapas Green Beans with Tomatoes and Garlic


The green beans from the garden are supplying a wonderful bounty this year. There is nothing better than being able to enjoy freshly picked vegetables this time of year.

1 lb. green beans, washed and ends trimmed
1 T. olive oil
2 cups halved cherry tomatoes
1 T. chopped garlic
kosher salt

Steam the green beans until tender. While the green beans are steaming, heat olive oil in a medium skillet over medium high heat.

Add tomatoes and, stirring occasionally, let them cook for a few minutes until they begin to soften and break down. Lower heat to low.

Add steamed green beans to tomatoes in skillet, and using tongs, toss them together. Add garlic and toss that in as well. Let the tomatoes, beans and garlic cook for about a minute. Add salt and serve immediately.

Thursday, June 26, 2014

Italian Macaroni Salad with Ham and Vegetables


Some nights are more hectic than others.  Some nights you're more exhausted than others.  Here's a great solution for those nights.  Especially if those nights are in the middle of summertime.

While the pasta cooks, you can prep the veggies and ham.  An added bonus is you can simply start with a boxed pasta mix.  I used the Homestyle version.


Prepare the pasta as directed on the package and rinse well under cool water. Let drain.  Listed below are the ingredients I added.  You could certainly used cubed, cooked chicken instead of ham and adjust the amount and/or types of vegetables you like.

1/4 cup green peas 
1/4 shredded matchstick carrots
1 medium green bell pepper, diced
1/2 cup chopped ham
10 grape tomatoes, quartered
1/4 t. red pepper flakes
2 T. chopped fresh basil
1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese


Wednesday, June 25, 2014

Dulce de Monkey



This is a decadent dessert, one of those "special occasion" treats.  But it is sublime.  I was very pleased with this recipe. 

8 oz. package cream cheese, softened
1 can (13.4 oz) dulce de leche*
5 or 6 ripe bananas, sliced
6 egg whites
12 T. sugar

In a medium sized bowl, mix the cream cheese and the dulce de leche until it's all incorporated.  Arrange on the bottom of a 10 inch ovenproof dish.

Place the sliced bananas over the cream cheese and dulce de leche mix.

Preheat the oven to 275 degrees.

Beat the egg whites until firm, then slowly add the sugar, constantly beating until it doubles in volume and it looks fluffy.  Gently spread on top of the bananas.
 
Bake for 10 - 15 minutes or until is nice and golden and the bananas start to caramelize.

Place in refrigerator for 3 to 4 hours or overnight.  Serve with vanilla ice cream on the side, if desired.

*You can find the dulce de leche at the Latin section of your grocery store or next to the condensed milk.  If you'd like to make it at home, place a can of condensed milk in a large saucepan and cover with water.  Bring to a boil, turn heat down to medium and cook for about two hours.  Make sure to cool it completely before opening the can to avoid any burns.

From www.cynthiapresser.com


Grilled Green Beans seasoned with ground coriander



Fresh green beans from the garden.  So many ways to prepare them.  But for our Brazilian themed meal, I carried the flavor profile over into the seasoning and these were grilled just until they were slightly charred and still had crunch.

1 lb. green beans, ends trimmed
olive oil
1 t. ground coriander
kosher salt

Toss green beans and olive oil until beans are well coated.  

Place green beans in a grill basket and cooked over medium high heat on a gas grill.  Toss with tongs so they will cook evenly. When they soften slightly and began to char, remove from heat and season with coriander and salt. Serve immediately.

Tuesday, June 24, 2014

Cracked Potatoes with Garlic and Citrus



These potatoes are boiled, then mashed, then fried!  But they are SO worth the time and effort.  They stay creamy on the inside like mashed potatoes and crunchy on the outside like a french fry.  The beautiful golden color comes from the achiote powder.  Achiote powder is made by grinding annatto seeds.  It's a natural food dye used in butter or cheese.  You can find it in Latin or Spanish markets, but I found it at the local Publix grocery.

1 1/2 lb. new potatoes (about 12) try to get them in as close in size as possible
6 T. olive oil
3/4 t. achiote powder
3 cloves garlic, smashed, skin left intact
3 strips of lemon zest
2 strips of orange zest
kosher salt to taste

Cook potatoes in a pot of boiling salted water until tender, about 15 minutes.  Drain and chill until cold, 2 hours or more.

Lightly flatten potatoes with the palm of your hand.

Whisk together oil and achiote powder, then heat with garlic and zests in a large cast iron skillet over medium until the oil shimmers.

Add the potatoes and fry until golden and crisp on both side, 18-20 minutes total; season with salt.

Monday, June 23, 2014

Grilled Achiote Shrimp



Seafood is a staple along the coast of Brazil.  Shrimp are one of the most familiar and quickest to cook for home cooks.  These shrimp are marinated in an intensely flavored marinade of oil infused with garlic, citrus zest and Achiote powder.  Cook them quickly so they don't become tough and rubbery.

Heat:
1/4 cup olive oil
2 T. chopped fresh garlic
1/2 t. achiote powder
minced zest each 1/2 a lemon and orange

Whisk:
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 T. each fresh lemon juice and orange juice
1 t. each kosher salt and black pepper
12 jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined, tails left on

Transfer marinade to a resealable plastic bag.  Add shrimp and marinate in the refrigerator no more than 45 minutes.  Thread three shrimp onto four skewers.

Preheat grill to medium.  Brush grill grate with oil.

Grill shrimp until opaque and cooked through, with grill marks on both sides, about 1 1/2 minutes per side.

From Cuisine at Home Issue 106 July/August 2014

Coriander Beef Tenderloin Medallions with Onion Cilantro Relish

 


If you've ever eaten at a Brazilian restaurant, you know they are well know for grilling large cuts of beef over an open flame.  This recipe makes it simple and easy to get that great flavor with individual steaks and your gas or charcoal grill.

The coriander gives a great pop of citrus flavor and then when you top the steaks with the intensely flavored onion-cilantro relish which is bursting with freshness, the flavor is taken to an entirely different level.  (Just a note....the relish is even better the next day!  And it's absolutely perfect with tortilla chips as well.)

Let's make the relish first.

2 cups finely diced onions
1/2 cup finely diced jalapenos
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
2 t. chopped orange zest (minced zest is to fine for the relish; zest strips and then finely chop)
2 T. olive oil
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
salt and pepper to taste

Combine onions, jalapenos, vinegar and zest.  Let sit 5 minutes then stir in oil.  Mix in cilantro just before serving.  Season with salt and pepper.

For the beef:
2 t. ground coriander
1 1/2 t. kosher salt
4 been tenderloin medallions, 3/4 - 1 inch thick (4 oz. each)

Preheat the grill to medium.  Brush grill grate with oil.  

Season steaks with coriander and salt.  Grill medallions, covered, until medium-rare, 4 minutes per side; transfer to a plate, tent with foil, let rest 5 minutes.

Top with relish when serving.


From Cuisine at Home Issue 106 July/August 2014

Brazilian Food!


Starting top center going clockwise:

Not Brazilian, but I just wanted some of my onions, cucumber and vinegar salad!

Grilled Achiote Shrimp
Cracked Potatoes with Garlic and Citrus
Grilled Green Beans with Ground Coriander
Grilled Coriander Beef Tenderloin Medallions with onion-cilantro relish


Individual recipes will follow soon!

Pineapple Caipirinha


Brazil's national cocktail is the Caipirinha.  It's made with cachaca, Brazil's most popular liquor.  If you don't have access to that liquor, you can substitute vodka or light rum, which is what we did.

It's a truly refreshing drink for hot summer days and evenings.

1 1/2 cups pureed fresh pineapple (2 cups diced)
1 cup cachaca, light rum or vodka
1/2 cup fresh lime juice
1/2 cup superfine sugar
crushed ice
lime wheel
pineapple wedge

In a blender, add diced pineapple chunks and puree until smooth.

Add liquor, lime juice and sugar and blend until completely combined.

Divide among four glasses filled with crushed ice.  Garnish with lime wheels and pineapple wedges.

From Cuisine at Home Issue 106 July/August 2014

Sunday, June 22, 2014

World Cup Soccer - Brazilian Food Menu




Not a huge fan of soccer, but how could I NOT have a Brazilian food themed meal while the World Cup games are being played?

Table cloth from Kohl's, plate chargers and table runner from Hobby Lobby.  The table runner is simply a piece of material cut and folded to the desired width.

Plates are white Fiestaware.

The serving tower in the middle of the table is from Bed, Bath and Beyond.

Menu:

Pineapple Caipirinha
Coriander Beef Tenderloin Medallions
Grilled Achiote Shrimp
Cracked potatoes with garlic and citrus
Grilled green beans with ground coriander
Cucumber, onion salad in white wine vinegar

Dessert:  Dulce de Monkey

Brioche French Toast


Yesterday I was privileged to visit Artisanal Baked Goods.  As soon as I walked through the doorway we were warmly greeted by the owners, brothers Martin and Teddy Paudrups.  They offered samples of the brioche and several house made spreads to go along with the rich buttery bread.  Unfortunately, we had arrived very near to closing time and (good for them!) selections of the cookies and pastries were limited.

I knew as soon as I spied the brioche, it would be breakfast french toast this morning.  Upon my request, they sliced the loaf within seconds and I really enjoyed meeting and chatting with them.  

5 eggs, beaten
5 T. whole milk
1/4 t. vanilla
1/8 t. ground cinnamon
1 T. light brown sugar
6 thick cut slices of brioche loaf

2 T. butter
1 T. canola oil

syrup and/or powdered sugar for topping


Put eggs, milk, vanilla, cinnamon and sugar in a wide bowl and whisk together until well combined.

Dip the brioche, one slice at a time, into the egg mixture and transfer to a plate and let rest for a few minutes to soak up the mixture.

Heat half the butter and oil on a griddle pan or large skillet over medium heat.  

Add the bread slices, a few at a time, and let cook for a few minutes on each side.


When both sides are browned to your liking, serve immediately with syrup and/or powdered sugar.

Friday, June 20, 2014

Sweet Vidalia Onion Bisque



Vidalia onions are only grown in one particular area of Georgia and are only available for a very brief time.  I search for as many different ways to enjoy them during those few short weeks.  Sweet and perfect for onion rings, they reach an almost unbelievable point of sweetness when allowed to cook down over the lowest heat on your stovetop for as long as 5 hours as in this recipe.

Garden and Gun is one of my MOST favorite magazines. This recipe is thanks to it and here is their introduction to this great bisque.

There are all kinds of ways to use them, of course, from a seasonal salad to homemade onion rings. But it’s hard to beat a classic sweet onion bisque, and nobody does it better than Chef Tyler Brown of the Capitol Grille in Nashville’s historic Hermitage Hotel. Silky smooth and more than a little decadent, the bisque has been served at the hotel in one variation or another since it opened in 1910 and remains one of the restaurant’s signature dishes.

4 sweet onions, diced in large chunks
5 tbsp. whole butter
1/2 cup heavy cream
salt and white pepper, to taste
As desired:
smoked bacon
chives
Brie grilled cheese sandwich

Simmer onions in butter over very low heat for at least five hours (yes, five hours). Add to a blender, and puree until smooth; add heavy cream to taste. Season with salt and white pepper.

If desired, garnish bowl with smoked bacon, chives, and triangles of Brie grilled cheese sandwich.

I made grilled cheese sandwiches with extra sharp cheddar on Italian Bread instead.  

Here are the pictures of the onions as they cooked.







Vidalia Onion, Cucumbers and Jalapenos in Roasted Garlic Vinegar


This is one of those things which was always in the refrigerator and then on the supper table during the Summer when I was growing up.

Not really a recipe and I never remember my mother having hot peppers in hers, but I like the kick of a few jalapenos.

She used plain white vinegar and occasionally apple cider vinegar.  But for this batch I used Roasted Garlic Rice Vinegar.

2 small Vidalia onions, peeled and thinly sliced 
3 small cucumbers, peeled and sliced
1 small jalapeno, stemmed, seeded and chopped
1 T. finely minced garlic
1/2 t. salt
a few grinds of black pepper
3/4 cup water
3/4 cup of your favorite vinegar

Place everything in a medium sized bowl and place in refrigerator for a few hours before serving.

This is a great side dish during the summer.  Crunchy, vinegary, and tangy.  Yum.

Thursday, June 19, 2014

Cookbook Giveaway on Fleur de Lolly's Facebook Page!

Cookbook Giveaway coming as soon as we reach 600 friends. We only need a few more. Let's do this!

Here' are the rules:
1. You must be a friend of Fleur de Lolly on Facebook.
2. You need to share this post on your Facebook wall.
3. You need to leave a comment on my giveaway post on my Facebook wall.

This giveaway the winner will have a choice of either of these cookbooks.


Wednesday, June 18, 2014

Vidalia Onion and Italian Sausage Pizza


It's Vidalia onion season!  Vidalias have a sweet, mellow flavor that's found in no other onion on the planet.

I wanted them to take center stage on the pizza and they were perfect.

I used a Martha White Pizza Crust Mix and prepared it according to the package directions.

You can either use your trusty pizza pan or pizza stone.  Let it preheat while your oven preheats.

My pizza sauce of choice is Ragu Homestyle.

Let the crust cook for about 5 minutes and remove from oven.  Spoon sauce onto the crust and spread evenly.

Sprinkle one cup of shredded Italian blend cheese over the sauce.  

Brown 1 pound of Italian sausage and drain well.  Spread it even over the cheese.  

Now you get to pick your favorite toppings.  Here's what I used:

1 small Vidalia onion, thinly sliced
1 jalapeno, stemmed, seeded and diced
8 cherry tomatoes, quartered
2 T. finely chopped fresh basil
1 T. finely chopped fresh oregano

Then finish topping with an additional cup of Italian blend cheese and some finely grated Parmesan cheese.  

Bake for 10-12 minutes until hot and bubbly.  Let rest a few minutes before slicing.

Monday, June 16, 2014

Beef and Broccoli


In not much longer than it would take to order take out or delivery, you could have these delicious beef and broccoli stir fry on your dinner table. The best part? You control the ingredients, you know exactly what veggies and seasoning you like. You can add a little more ginger or none at all.  

3/4 lb. boneless beef (chuck, flank, round or sirloin) steak, thinly sliced against the grain
2 T. soy sauce
3/4 cup water
2 T. oil
1 lb. broccoli florets
1 cup matchstick cut carrots
1 large onion, halved and thinly sliced
1 can sliced water chestnuts, drained 
1/2 t. ground ginger
Sesame seeds

Blend seasoning mix, soy sauce and water. Set aside

In a large skillet or wok, heat oil over high heat. Add beef and stir fry until browned.

Add broccoli, carrots, onions and water chestnuts.  Stir fry until veggies slightly soften, about 3 - 4 minutes.  Add ground ginger.

Add seasoning mixture, stir fry 1 minute or until thickened.

Serve over steamed rice, fried rice or soba noodles.  Top with sesame seeds if desired.



Fried Rice


Fried rice is like a blank canvas.  Of course, it is delicious as is, but imagine the possibilities of ingredients which can be included:  shrimp, chicken, pork, beef, any number of additional vegetables.  

Tonight I cooked beef and broccoli stir fry to serve along with the fried rice.  

2 T. oil
3 cups cooked, cooled rice
1 half yellow onion, diced
2 t. soy sauce
1/2 cup matchstick cut carrots
1 cup green peas, cooked
2 eggs, beaten

In a large skillet, heat oil and stir fry rice and onions until onions are softened.

Add seasoning packet and soy sauce and stir fry for one minute.

Push rice to the side, pour in eggs and scramble eggs.  Stir into rice.

Add peas and protein if using.  Serve immediately with a sprinkle of sesame seeds on top.

Adapted from Sun Bird Fried Rice Seasoning Mix.

Sunday, June 15, 2014

Father's Day Breakfast - Italiano Scrambled Eggs & Parmesan Home Fries


Yuuuum.  Creamy cheesy scrambled eggs and Parmesan topped home fries with sourdough toast.  Add in a gorgeous June morning and you have the makings of a perfect Father's Day breakfast.

For the potatoes:
4 medium russet potatoes, peeled and cubed
2 T. canola or peanut oil
salt
shredded Parmesan cheese
dried oregano

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium high heat.  Add potatoes, and stirring occasionally, let the potatoes cook until crunchy and golden brown.  Salt to taste and sprinkle Parmesan cheese and dried oregano immediately before serving.

For the eggs:
4 large eggs, whisked together and 1 t. water added
salt
freshly ground black pepper
2 T. butter
1/4 cup shredded Mozzarella cheese
1 t. grated Parmesan cheese
1 T. finely chopped fresh basil (divided)

Heat butter over medium heat in a medium skillet.  Add salt and pepper to whisked eggs.  When butter sizzles, add eggs and immediately turn heat to low.

Gently stir eggs from the bottom over and over until soft curds begin to form.  Add mozzarella and Parmesan and continue to gently mix until cheese is melted.

Place serving on plate and sprinkle basil over individual servings.  Serve immediately.

Thursday, June 12, 2014

Tapas Thursdays - Mini Chilled Gazpacho



Cool, refreshing and with such a fresh taste. Imagine walking out onto a summer deck to be met with a large platter filled with these great little shot glasses filled with all the great tastes of summer.

I want to have a party just to serve these!

1 (14 oz.) can plum tomatoes with juice
1 cucumber, cut in half
1 small green bell pepper, deseeded, rough chopped
1/2 white onion, peeled, rough chopped
2 T. white wine vinegar
1 t. minced garlic
1/3 cup olive oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper

In a food processor, add half of the cucumber, cut in chunks, bell pepper and onion. Blend until mixture is smooth.

Add vinegar, salt/pepper and garlic. Pulse about 5 - 6 times.

Add the olive oil to the mixture while the food processor is blending on low speed. Taste and add more vinegar if needed.

Chill for at least two hours.

Cut the remaining half of the cucumber into thin slivers.

Serve in mini-glasses with a stick of cucumber.

From www.food.com 

Tapas Thursdays - Roasted Cherry Tomato and Parmesan Dip



Oh this will become a favorite of you and your family/friends.  This would be a perfect summertime party appetizer.

Ready in literally 40 minutes and that includes the time to roast the tomatoes!

1 pint cherry tomatoes
2 t. olive oil
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 T. finely chopped fresh basil
1/4 - 1/2 t. dried red pepper flakes
1 loaf sourdough bread, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, halved

Preheat oven to 425 degrees (400 degrees for convection oven).

Combine tomatoes and olive oil on rimmed baking sheet.  Roast, uncovered, about 15 minutes or until tomatoes skins split.  Cool 10 minutes.

Combine tomatoes, sour cream, cheese, basil and pepper flakes in a medium bowl.

Toast bread and rub garlic onto toasts and serve with the dip.

From Tapas - Tantalizing Small Plates from the Mediterranean

Wednesday, June 11, 2014

Father's Day Menu Ideas!

If your Father, Dad, Daddy, Pop, Husband, Boyfriend, Significant Other, Big Brother, Cousin or what have you is a meat and potatoes fan, follow this link to Fleur de Lolly's Facebook page and scroll the pictures in the album. 

All of the pictures have links back here to the blog to the recipe!



Monday, June 9, 2014

Sauteed Italian Styled Zucchini with Parmesan


Tonight I cooked the first two zucchini from this year's garden.  I'm always searching for new ways to cook zucchini.  This one is a winner.  From start to finish, this side dish was on the plate in 10 minutes.  You can't beat that for a weeknight!

2 medium zucchini, ends trimmed and diced into 1/2 inch bits
2 T. olive oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 T. Italian bread crumbs
3 T. shredded Parmesan cheese

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat.  Add diced zucchini and salt and pepper. 

Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 - 7 minutes until zucchini is fork tender.

Slowly sprinkle bread crumbs over zucchini and stir to coat.  Continue stirring and let the bread crumbs toast a little until they're a nice golden brown.

Plate and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.  Serve immediately.

Family Reunion Chicken and Dressing


I always say don't mess with perfection. But for my husband's family reunion this weekend, I changed things up a little with my chicken and dressing recipe.  I was very pleased.

I cooked four large chicken breasts in the crock pot over night with some homemade chicken stock from the freezer. I thawed the chicken stock and added it to the crock pot on high and put in the chicken breasts. After about 2 hours, I turned the crock pot to low and went to bed!

The next morning the chicken was perfectly cooked and the stock was a beautiful golden color. When you make dressing, a rich stock is essential.

I also changed my cornbread recipe a little. I'm still in shock that I did that, but this time I made three pans of cornbread and used equal parts white and yellow self-rising cornmeal. You will need to make the cornbread the day before to allow it dry out so it can absorb all that delicious stock.

1 cup self-rising white cornmeal
1 cup self-rising yellow cornmeal
2 cups buttermilk
2 T. bacon grease

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  

In a medium mixing bowl, add cornmeal and then slowly stir in buttermilk until it's well blended.  

Put the bacon grease in a cast iron skillet and heat it over medium heat until a drop of the batter sizzles.

Pour the batter into the skillet and bake until golden brown about 20 - 25 minutes. Remove from oven and let rest in skillet for a few minutes before turning out onto a serving plate.

I made three skillets for this pan of dressing.

When cornbread has cooled (overnight is best) crumble cornbread in a very large (!) bowl.

Dressing ingredients:
2 large onions, chopped
4 ribs of celery, chopped
3 T. butter
3 T. bacon drippings
12 - 14 cups chicken stock
1 T. poultry seasoning
2 t. white pepper
2 t. dried sage
5 eggs, lightly beaten

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large skillet, melt butter and bacon drippings over medium heat. Add onions and celery and sprinkle with salt. Stirring occasionally, let vegetables cook until softened 5 - 7 minutes. Remove from heat and add to the cornbread crumbles.

Now begin to add the chicken stock slowly two cups at a time. You want to stir after each addition of stock to allow the cornbread to absorb it slowly.

Add seasonings and taste. Adjust accordingly. You may need some additional salt. Get the seasoning just like you want it before adding the raw eggs.

Slowly mix in the beaten eggs. Shred the cooked chicken and add to the dressing mixture.

Lightly spray with non-stick spray a large aluminum pan or divide up into several 9 x 13 casserole dishes. Cover with foil and let cook for approximately an hour if you're using one large pan. If you're using smaller casserole dishes, begin to check for done-ness at the 45 minute mark. Remove the foil and let dressing brown on top.

Remember everything in the dressing is already cooked except for the eggs. You only want to cook the dressing until it has firmed up and the eggs are done. Be careful not to dry it out too much.




Family Reunion Broccoli Casserole


I love this version of broccoli casserole. It's very simple to mix together and pop in the oven, but big on flavor. Yes, it contains a can of cream of mushroom soup. Sometimes, I just have to have my comfort food. This was taken to a family reunion recently and I returned home with an empty casserole dish. Talk about a tried and true recipe!

1 large can cream of mushroom soup
16 oz. sour cream
4 - 6 cups of broccoli florets, light steamed (Frozen broccoli florets can be used as well. Just pop them in the microwave and thaw.)
3 eggs, lightly beaten
freshly ground black pepper
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 sleeve buttery flavor crackers, crushed (I used Ritz)
half stick of butter melted

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl, combine soup and sour cream and blend well. Mix in broccoli, eggs, pepper and cheese.

Pour into lightly greased 11 x 15 baking dish. Cover with foil and bake for 45 minutes.

Remove from oven and remove foil. Return to oven to 10 more minutes.  

Top with cracker crumbs and slowly drizzle butter over crackers.

Return to oven for another 5 - 10 minutes until crackers are browned.