January 2012 - Tidewater Kitchen

One-Dish Meals

by

Pamela Meredith-Doyle

Delicious one-dish meals can save you a lot of time at the end of your busy day. They are also perfect for a cozy fireside supper, bridge luncheon, club gathering, or neighborhood buffet. When you cook things ahead of time dinner is ready when you get home...just add salad!

ITALIAN SAUSAGE and CHEESE CASSEROLE
1/2 lb. bulk Italian sausage
2 T. butter
6 oz. fresh mushrooms, sliced
2 T. chopped green pepper
2 t. finely chopped garlic
1 bunch green onions, white and light green parts only
6 eggs
1/3 cup milk
2 T. all-purpose flour
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1/4 t. crushed red pepper
2 T. chopped fresh parsley
1-1/2 cups grated cheddar or Fontina cheese (whichever is your favorite)
In a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook the sausage, breaking up the large pieces with a fork, until well browned, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain well and set aside.
In the same skillet melt the butter and add the mushrooms and bell pepper. Cook until golden brown, about 6 minutes. Add the garlic and green onions and cook for another minute. Combine the sausage and spread in the bottom of a 9-inch baking dish.
In a small bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, flour, salt and pepper, crushed red pepper and parsley. Stir in the cheese and pour over the sausage. Stir lightly to combine. Refrigerate, covered for 2 hours, or up to 8 hours.
Preheat oven to 350°.
Top the mixture with the remaining cheese and bake for 20 to 30 minutes or until puffed, golden and just set in the middle. The eggs will continue to cook a bit after removing them from the oven, so do not overbake them.
Remove from the oven and cool for 5 minutes before cutting into 3-inch squares.

LOBSTER MAC and CHEESE
Serves 8
1 8-oz. pkg. elbow macaroni, cooked
3 cups (12 oz.) shredded cheddar cheese, divided
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1-1/2 cups cooked lobster, pulled apart in bite-size pieces
3/4 t. salt
1/2 t. freshly ground pepper

Layer one-third of the macaroni in a lightly greased 2-quart casserole, sprinkle with 1 cup cheese and 3/4 cups lobster. Repeat, ending with macaroni and reserve 1 cup of cheese. Combine the eggs, milk, salt and pepper, whisk well and pour over the macaroni. Cover and bake at 350° for 45 minutes, until thoroughly heated. Uncover and sprinkle with remaining cheese. Cover and let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

SOUTHWESTERN CHICKEN
6-8 boneless chicken breasts
2 cans black beans, drained
1 16-oz. jar mild salsa
1 12-oz. bag grated Mexican cheese

Layer chicken in the bottom of a 9” x 13” glass dish. Cover chicken with black beans and salsa. Sprinkle all the cheese over the salsa. Bake for 45 minutes at 325°.
You can also make this in a 9” x 9” glass dish with just 4 chicken breasts. All the rest of the instructions are the same.

BAKED ZITI
Serves 8 to 10
2 T. butter
1 onion, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 jar spaghetti sauce
1 cup small curd cottage cheese
1 T. fresh chives
3 T. fresh parsley or 2 T. dried parsley
1 lb. ricotta cheese
1/8 t. black pepper
2 eggs, beaten
1 lb. cooked ziti, drained
1 lb. mozzarella cheese, grated

Melt butter in a skillet and add the onion, green pepper and garlic and cook until tender. Stir in the spaghetti sauce and simmer for 10 minutes.
Combine the cottage cheese, parsley, ricotta, pepper and eggs in a large casserole. Add the cooked ziti and mozzarella cheese. Add half of the spaghetti sauce mixture and blend. Top with the rest of the sauce and bake at 350° for 20 minutes.

CHICKEN FANTASTIC
Our dear friend, Joan Snyder from Oxford, gave us this recipe. She served it to her family often, and so did my mom.

2-1/2 lbs. cooked chicken (bite-sized pieces)
1 box Uncle Ben’s Long Grain and Wild Rice Original, cooked
1 small jar sliced pimentos, drained
1 small can sliced water chestnuts, drained
1 can celery soup
1/2 can water
1 cup mayonnaise
1 medium onion, chopped
Topping: Shredded cheddar cheese and breadcrumbs.

Mix all the ingredients, except the cheese and breadcrumbs, together and place in a large baking dish (9” x 12”). Sprinkle the cheese and breadcrumbs on top. Bake at 350° for 30 to 40 minutes or until hot and bubbly.
This is great served with salad and hot bread and makes enough to serve 6 to 8 people.

CHICKEN ENCHILADAS
Sauce and Filling:
1-1/2 T. vegetable or corn oil
1 medium onion, chopped fine
3 garlic cloves, minced
3 T. chili powder
2 t. ground coriander
2 t. ground cumin
1/2 t. salt
2 t. sugar
12 oz. boneless, skinless chicken thighs (about 4 thighs) cut into 1/4-inch wide strips
2 cans (8 oz. each) tomato sauce
1/2 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro leaves
1 can (4 oz.) pickled jalapeños, drained and chopped (about 1/4 cup)
8 oz. sharp cheddar cheese, grated (2 cups) - I usually use cheddar-jack
Tortillas and Toppings:
10 6-inch corn tortillas
Vegetable or corn oil cooking spray
3 oz. grated sharp cheddar cheese (3/4 cup)
3/4 cup sour cream
1 avocado, diced medium
5 romaine lettuce leaves, washed, dried and shredded
2 limes, quartered

For the sauce and filling you need to heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat until hot and simmering, but not smoking, about 2 minutes. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and beginning to brown, about 5 minutes.
Add the garlic, chili powder, coriander, cumin, salt and sugar; stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
Add chicken and cook, stirring constantly, until coated with spices, about 30 seconds. Add tomato sauce and 3/4 cup water; stir to separate chicken pieces.
Bring to a simmer, then reduce heat to medium-low; simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally, until chicken is cooked through and flavors have melded, about 8 minutes.
Pour the mixture through a medium-mesh strainer into a medium bowl, pressing on chicken and onions to extract as much sauce as possible. Set the sauce aside.
Transfer the chicken mixture to a large plate; freeze for 10 minutes to cool, then combine with cilantro, jalapeños and cheese in a medium bowl and set aside.
Adjust your oven racks to upper- and lower-middle positions and heat oven to 300°.
Assemble:
Smear entire bottom of a 9” x 13” baking dish with 3/4 cup of the sauce.
Place tortillas on two baking sheets. Spray both sides lightly with cooking spray. Bake until tortillas are soft and pliable, about 4 minutes. If you don’t do this step the tortillas will break apart.
Place warm tortillas on countertop. Increase oven temperature to 400°. Place 1/3 cup filling down the center of each tortilla.
Roll each tortilla tightly by hand and place in the baking dish, side-by-side, seam-side down. I do eight down one long side of the pan, then two and two on the open side.
Pour the remaining sauce over the enchiladas. Use the back of a spoon to spread the sauce so it coats the top of each tortilla.
Sprinkle 3/4 cup grated cheese down the center of the enchiladas.
Cover the baking dish with foil. Bake enchiladas on the lower-middle rack of the oven until heated through and the cheese is melted, 20 to 25 minutes. Uncover and serve immediately, passing around the sour cream, avocado, lettuce and lime wedges separately.

ARTICHOKE HERBED CHICKEN
I buy Costco’s 1/2 gallon jar of artichokes, so I always have them on hand. They are good with so many things! You need 12 oz. for this recipe, which equals 1-1/2 cups.

2 t. oil
6 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (6-10)
1 t. salt
1/2 t. freshly ground black pepper
2 6-oz. jars marinated artichoke hearts, drained and sliced in half
1 can water-packed artichokes, or 1 pkg. frozen
1 can Campbell’s condensed cream of chicken soup
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
1 cup grated Swiss cheese

Preheat oven to 350°.
Heat the oil in a 12” sauté pan over medium-high heat. Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper, then brown on both sides (about 3 minutes per side). Place the browned chicken breasts in a 13” x 9” baking dish. Cover the chicken with the artichoke hearts.
In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the soup, sour cream and mustard. Pour the sauce over the chicken and cover with the grated cheese. At this point the dish can be refrigerated overnight. Bring the casserole to room temperature before cooking it.
Bake the casserole until the sauce is bubbling and the cheese is melted, about 30 minutes.

PEPPERONI PIZZA CASSEROLE
Makes 6 to 8 Servings
1 lb. lean ground beef
1 large onion, chopped
1 medium-sized green bell pepper, chopped
8 oz. sliced mushrooms
1 14-oz. jar pizza sauce
1/2 t. garlic salt
1 t. basil
1 t. oregano
8 oz. macaroni, cooked and drained
1-1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1 3-1/2-oz. pkg. sliced pepperoni

Combine the first 4 ingredients in a large skillet over medium heat.
Cook, stirring until meat crumbles and browns; drain well. Stir in pizza sauce, garlic salt, basil, oregano, macaroni and 1 cup cheese.
Spoon mixture into a lightly greased 11” x 7” x 1-1/2” baking dish; arrange pepperoni on top. Cover and bake at 350° for 25 to 30 minutes or until thoroughly heated; sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup of cheese and bake an additional 5 minutes.

MACARONI with lots of CHEESE
1-1/2 cup cheddar cheese
1 cup mozzarella cheese
4 T. unsalted butter
1 T. all-purpose flour
1-1/2 cups evaporated milk
1 t. salt
1/4 t. Worcestershire sauce
8 cups water
2 cups uncooked macaroni

Shred enough cheddar cheese to fill 1-1/2 cups. Shred enough mozzarella cheese to fill 1 cup. Set the shredded cheeses aside.
Put the butter in a large saucepan on medium heat. When the butter is melted, add the flour and, using a whisk, stir until the mixture is smooth and you no longer see any white flour. Slowly stir in the evaporated milk until the mixture is smooth with no lumps. Cook, stirring often, until the mixture comes to a boil and thickens slightly, about 4 minutes.
Turn the heat off. Add the shredded cheeses, salt and Worcestershire sauce. Stir until the cheeses melt. Set the mixture aside.
Put the 8 cups of water in a large pot on high heat. Bring the water to a full rolling boil. Cook the macaroni uncovered for about 8 minutes.
Drain the macaroni and add to the cheese sauce and serve immediately. Use additional salt and pepper if desired.

CHILI and CORN CHIP PIE
1/2 cup chopped onion
3 cups corn chips
1 15-oz. can chili
1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
taco sauce
sour cream (optional)

Preheat oven to 375°. Chop onion and set aside.
Layer 2 cups of corn chips into an ungreased casserole dish. Add chili and spread evenly over the chips. Sprinkle the onion and cheese over the chip/chili mixture. Top with the remaining cup of corn chips.
Bake in the oven for about 20 minutes or until the mixture is bubbly. Remove the casserole from the oven and let stand for 5 minutes before serving.
Serve hot and garnish with taco sauce and sour cream if you wish.

PEACH CRUMBLE
1/2 cup flour, plus additional flour for dusting
1/4 cup oatmeal
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 t. nutmeg
1 t. cinnamon
1/4 t. ground cloves
pinch of salt
2 16-oz. cans of peach halves, drained and sliced
4 T. butter

Butter a 1-quart baking dish and dust it with sugar.
In a separate bowl, stir together all the dry ingredients, cut in the butter and mix with your fingers until you have fine crumbs. Place the peach slices in the baking dish and cover with the crumble.
Bake at 450° for 20 minutes and serve with ice cream. This can be prepared ahead of time and baked while eating dinner. You can also use any of your favorite fruit – fresh or canned.

MY FAVORITE COBBLER
(Ann Meredith)
Serves 8
9” square pan
1 cup self-rising flour
1 cup milk
1 cup sugar
1/2 stick margarine or butter
2 cups fruit or berries or apples

Preheat oven to 350°. Place butter in a pan and place in the oven. Mix all ingredients together in a bowl and add the melted butter from the pan. Put fresh sliced fruit or berries on top. Bake for 40 minutes on the 2nd shelf. Serve with ice cream or whipped cream.

A native Eastern Shore girl, Pamela Meredith Doyle, formerly Denver’s NBC Channel 9 Children’s Chef, is now teaching both adult and children’s cooking classes on the south shore of Massachusetts, where she lives with her husband and son.