Grandma's Green Bean Casserole

This Thanksgiving marks the seventh year I've spent the holiday away from home and I remember the first year like it was yesterday. I was studying abroad in England and my "feast" included a frozen turkey meal, an apple turnover, and potato wedges. I watched "Alias" on my laptop and dreamed of eating all the delicious food I knew my family was consuming back at home. 

Flash forward to two years later. I was dating a man (who would become my husband) and I spent Thanksgiving with him and his friends in Georgia (away from my family again). I needed something to take to the shin-dig and I was already craving it, so I asked my grandma for her lip-smacking Green Bean Casserole recipe. It was a big hit and every bite—down to the last bacon bit—was gone by the time we left. 

Little did I know then, but I haven't spent a Thanksgiving at home since I met my husband. Luckily, I've been able to incorporate all of my favorite turkey-day comfort foods into our holiday meal each year, and this casserole always tops the list. Then again, anything that's creamy, cheesy, bacony (it's a word), has a salty crunch mixed into it, and is disguised as vegetables has to be great!

Now that we're living in Italy, making this has been a little trickier. My mom has to ship me one of the ingredients (thanks, mom!), and the store on base typically runs out of fried onion pieces, so you have to plan accordingly and get them in advance. This casserole is worth it, though, and so easy to throw together.

The recipe below serves around 8-10, but I typically double it when I'm serving it for a large group. Leftovers are the best part of Thanksgiving, so these days I don't get hurt if people aren't licking the pan at the end of the night—it just means more for me to eat on Black Friday and over the weekend! 

Grandma's Green Bean Casserole

by The Tale of Two Kitchens

Ingredients: 

• 32 oz. package of frozen French-style green beans
• 1 (10.5 oz) can of cream of mushroom soup
• 8 ounces fresh mushrooms, diced
• 1/2 Tbs. butter
• 1 (5 oz) jar of Kraft Old English Cheese Spread (usually next to Velveeta) 
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• 1 (3.5 oz) container of French's Fried Onion pieces (or more...more is always better)
• 1 (2 oz) real bacon bit pieces (I've made it with "real" bacon and it tastes better with the jarred bacon bits)

Directions: 

Cook green beans by directions on package and set aside in a colander; let drain for at least 30 minutes—try to get as much liquid out as you can. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  

Combine soup and cheese spread in a large, microwaveable bowl; heat in the microwave until both stir together easily.  

Heat butter in a pan on medium; add mushrooms. Season with salt and pepper to taste; keep stirring. Mushrooms will eventually produce their own liquid; when this happens, turn up the heat a little bit so the liquid can cook off.  

Once mushrooms are cooked, add to the soup and cheese mixture. Add salt, pepper, and garlic; stir to combine. Toss green beans into the mixture along with some onion pieces and bacon bits; stir. 

Spray a casserole dish with cooking spray; place mixture in dish*. Top with the rest of the bacon and onions. Bake for 30 minutes. Enjoy :)

*If you have a small, oven-proof dish, make your own little portion to enjoy while you wait for guests to arrive!  

Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas

I grew up on my tias' green chile chicken enchilada casserole, but I never bothered to ask how they made it; I mean, why learn how to cook it when they'll make it for you? Actually, that's not true. I think I did ask—several times—but their recipe included "some" of this, "a little" of that, followed by a dash, a pinch, and a sprinkling of "those." They all swore it was "really easy to make," which is why they didn't have an actual recipe.

I'm the type of person who needs clear-cut directions. Spell it out for me in detail so I can check, double check, and then have someone else make sure I got it all right, otherwise you'll end up with salt cookies instead of sugar cookies. So a few weeks before I moved from New Mexico to Georgia, my mom and I practiced making green chile chicken enchiladas. It turns out making the casserole really is pretty freaking easy.

I've been making this now for more than two years and I'm proud to say I don't use a recipe for it anymore, which is why it's probably taken me so long to share this with you. I have the basics down, but sometimes I'll throw in a little something extra (it's great with an additional 1 cup of sauteed mushrooms) or play around with ingredients (sometimes I use whatever cheese I have on hand, and I love using leftover Thanksgiving turkey in place of the chicken). The recipe also works great cut in half, which is something I like to do when it's just me at home.

Like most casseroles, this tastes better after it's been out of the oven for a few hours and even better the next day. All the flavors have time to sit, mingle, and get to know each other, resulting in a party in your mouth later. If you do make it ahead of time, just pop it back into the oven for a bit to warm it back up. Serve with Spanish rice, calabacitas (coming this week!), and homemade tortillas!

Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas

by The Tale of Two Kitchens

Ingredients:
1 pound chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
2 (10 oz) cans cream of mushroom soup
1 batch green chile sauce (or 1-2 cups green chile, pealed and chopped)
1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp garlic
8 corn tortillas, quartered
1/4 cup your favorite salsa
12 oz shredded cheese (cheddar or Colby/Monterrey Jack blend)
1/2 onion, chopped (optional, but only if you absolutely, positively HATE onions)

Directions: 
Preheat oven to 350F (180c). Lightly spray a 9x13 casserole dish with non-stick spray.

In a medium-sized pot on medium-high heat, combine soup, chile, and (cooked) chicken. Add ground pepper, cumin and garlic; mix to combine. Once the mixture starts to boil thickly, take off heat, stir, and set aside.

Submerge quartered tortilla pieces in salsa one at a time and place along the bottom of the casserole dish so the whole thing is covered (it takes around three and a half whole tortillas per layer—it's okay if there are some spaces or if they lay on top of each other). Spread half of chicken mixture over tortillas. Sprinkle half the onions over chicken mixture, then add around a 1/4 of the cheese over the onions. Repeat layers with remaining ingredients ending with the cheese.

Bake, covered with foil, for 30 minutes. Remove foil and continue baking for an additional 15 minutes or until the cheese is bubbly. Let cool, slice, and serve! (It's often not very set when we eat it straight out of the oven, but it still tastes great and will firm up for leftovers!)

Shepherd's Pie

Last week my husband and I ate a lot of pie in celebration of Pi Day, or Pi(e) Week in our case. Most of the recipes we made were followed to the "T," but I changed this one so much that I decided I need to share it with you. 

I know what you're probably thinking, "Really, Jess? You just showed us a delicious pie and today you're giving us meat and potatoes? Not just that, but a British version of meat and potatoes? Not to rain on your parade or anything, but that's not exactly what I had in mind when you said, 'Pie Week.'" 

Well, well, well. I see how you doubt me. What if I told you this is the best meat and potatoes meal you'll ever eat, and the fact that it has "pie" in its name is just a sweet coincidence. Oh, and it also has veggies in it! Seriously, this is amazing and so incredibly flavorful that my husband and I both licked the plate clean. 

I first tried this in Britain when some friends made it for me; I loved it then and made it a couple times when I came home. I don't know why we don't eat this more often, because it's also really simple to make (don't let the lengthy directions fool you; it's easy, I promise). I hope I'm talking this up enough, because the picture you're about to see doesn't do it a single smidgen of justice. I snapped it as quickly as I could, because all I wanted to do was eat the darn thing! 

Pie week rocks, my friends. It rocks my socks off. 

Shepherd's Pie 

(really, Cottage Pie since it's made with ground beef and not lamb)

adapted from Alton Brown
9 Weight Watchers points+; serves 6

Ingredients: 

for the potatoes:

• 1 1/2 pounds russet potatoes
• 1/4 cup half-and-half or sour cream (fat free is fine)
• 2 ounces unsalted butter (I used Brummel and Brown. LOVE)
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• season salt (to taste)
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 egg yolk
• 1/2 cup cheddar cheese, shredded (reserve) 

for the meat filling:

• 1 tablespoons oil 
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 cup mushrooms, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 1/2 pounds ground beef
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4-1/2 cup diced green chile (optional but so, so, so fantastic in it)
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons tomato paste or ketchup
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 2 teaspoons freshly chopped rosemary leaves (or 1 tsp dried)
• 1/2 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels (buy the bag that has all three!)
• 1/2 cup fresh or frozen carrots, diced
• 1/2 cup fresh or frozen English peas

Directions:
Peel potatoes and dice into 1/2-inch pieces. Place in a medium saucepan and cover with cold water. Set over high heat, cover and bring to a boil. Once boiling, uncover, decrease heat to maintain a simmer; cook until tender and easily crushed with tongs, approximately 10 to 15 minutes.

Place half-and-half (or sour cream) and butter in a microwave-safe container; heat in the microwave until warmed through, about 35 seconds. Drain potatoes and return to saucepan. Mash potatoes; add half and half, butter, salt(s) and pepper; continue mashing until smooth. Stir in the yolk until well combined.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

While potatoes are cooking, prepare the filling. Place oil in a 12-inch saute pan and set over medium high heat. Once the oil shimmers, add onion and mushrooms; saute just until they begin to take on color, approximately 3 to 4 minutes. Add garlic; stir to combine. Add beef, salt and pepper; cook until browned and cooked through, approximately 3 minutes. Sprinkle meat with flour; toss to coat, cooking for another minute. Add tomato paste (or ketchup), chicken broth, Worcestershire, rosemary, and green chile (optional); stir to combine. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover and simmer slowly 10 to 12 minutes or until the sauce is thickened slightly.

Add corn, carrots, and peas to the beef mixture and spread evenly into an 11 by 7-inch glass baking dish. Top with the mashed potatoes, starting around the edges to create a seal to prevent the mixture from bubbling up and smooth with a rubber spatula. Sprinkle cheese over mashed potatoes. Place dish on a baking sheet on the middle rack of the oven; bake for 25 minutes or just until the potatoes begin to brown and cheese starts bubbling. Remove from oven and cool for at least 15 minutes before serving.

Egg Florentine

As a military wife, I have to learn to cook for one when my husband deploys or goes on business trips, which is much easier said than done. Lonilness usually kicks in around meal time and it's so simple and tempting to pick up a bag of chips or snack on cookies rather than eat a wholesome meal. After he leaves I try to make "bulk" meals like soup, spaghetti, or casseroles, basically anything I can keep in the fridge and easily reheat for later.

I saw Pioneer Woman's Eggs Floreninte Casserole and wanted to try it out, but I knew I'd get bored eating the whole thing day after day, so I cut the recipe in half and changed a few things here and there. The end result was tasty and substantial—I didn't get hungry again for several hours, which is always a good thing.

Consider the recipe below as a base to add other veggies or swapping out different meats—sausage would be fantastic with this, but I was concerned with keeping the WW points low. Next time I may add some mushrooms and green peppers to bulk it up even more. If you're making this for a larger group, just double the recipe or check out  PW's original version. And if making your own hash browns is too intimidating, skip the hassle and just use frozen hash browns!

Eggs Florentine Casserole

adapted from Pioneer Woman

Ingredients:
1 russet potato, shredded (about 1-2 cups)
½ onion chopped
1 ounce diced green chile (or jalapenos)
6 strips bacon, crumbled
2 teaspoons oil
salt and pepper (to taste)
8 eggs (or two cups of egg beaters)
1 cup cheese
1 ½–2 cups of spinach

Directions:
Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees; lightly grease a small baking dish with cooking spray. Cook bacon until crisp; set aside on paper towel. Shred/julienne potatoes (you’re going for hash browns here, folks!) Heat butter and oil in skillet; add potatoes; season with salt and pepper. Leave in skillet for about five minutes or until crispy; flip. When both sides are cooked, add onion; mix until onions are translucent. Transfer potatoes mixture to baking dish; layer crumbled bacon and green chile or jalapenos. In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together eggs and ½ cup cheese; add spinach and mix together more. Pour egg and spinach mixture over casserole. Bake for 20 minutes or until eggs are set. Once eggs are cooked, sprinkle remaining cheese; bake for an additional 10 minutes or until cheese is melted.