Recipes

Campanile Tuna Noodle Casserole

Ingredients

For the sauce

  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 3 tablespoons flour
  • 1⁄4 cup minced onion or shallot
  • a pinch of red pepper flakes
  • 1 small bay leaf
  • Kosher salt
  • 2 1⁄2 cups whole milk

For the casserole

  • 1⁄2 pound elbow macaroni
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil from tuna
  • Two (6-ounce) cans imported tuna packed in olive oil, oil drained and reserved
  • 4 ounces Gruyere cheese, grated
  • 3 tablespoons fresh parsley, minced
  • 1 1⁄2 cups fresh bread crumbs (process fresh bread in food processor)
  • 1 1⁄2 ounces Parmesan cheese, freshly grated

Instructions

  1. Melt butter in medium saucepan over medium heat.  Stir in flour and continue cooking until roux starts to turn golden, about 5 minutes.  Add onion or shallot, red pepper flakes, and bay leaf.  Continue cooking, stirring, until onion softens.  Add 1⁄2 teaspoon salt and continue cooking, stirring, 2 to 3 minutes.  
  2. Slowly add milk, stirring continuously until sauce thickens.  Reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, 15 minutes.  Remove from heat and strain.  
  3. Heat oven to 350*F.  Spray casserole dish with cooking spray.  
  4. Bring large pot of salted water to boil and cook past 1 minute less than directed by packaging.  Remove and reserve 1 cup of cooking water before draining pasta.  Transfer pasta to large bowl and toss with 1 tablespoon oil from tuna can.
  5. Crumble tuna into bowl with pasta and toss together.  Stir in sauce, gruyere, and 2 tablespoons parsley.  Thin sauce with reserved cooking water if necessary.  Spoon mixture into casserole dish.  
  6. Combine bread crumbs, parmesan, remaining parsley, and 1 tablespoon tuna oil in small bowl.  Sprinkle over top of casserole in even layer.  
  7. Cover casserole with foil and bake 30 minutes.  Remove foil and bake 15 minutes longer, or until top has browned and casserole is bubbling and hot all the way through.  

Comments

This recipe is from Food Gal and it’s a nice upscale take on tuna casserole.  I think it might have been better with frozen peas, but I’m sure it was quite tasty.

Gnocchi Topped Cottage Pie

Ingredients

  • 2 teaspoons olive oil, plus extra to toss
  • 1 small onion, chopped
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1⁄2 tablespoon tomato paste
  • 1⁄2 tablespoon flour
  • 1 pound ground beef
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 teaspoon thyme
  • 1⁄2 cup frozen peas
  • 1 cup beef broth
  • Salt and pepper, to taste
  • 1 pound gnocchi
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1⁄4 cup parmesan cheese

Instructions

  1. Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat.  Add onion and sauté until translucent.  Reduce heat to low and add garlic, tomato paste, and flour.  Cook, stirring, 1 minute.  Add ground beef and cook, stirring, until browned and cooked through.  Add bay leaf, thyme, peas, and beef broth.  Increase heat to high and bring to boil.  Reduce heat to low and simmer 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  
  2. Bring large pot of water to boil and cook gnocchi as instructed by packaging.  Drain well.  Add butter to now-empty pot and melt over medium heat.  Return gnocchi to pot and cook, stirring often, until browned and starting to crisp.  
  3. Heat oven to 375*F.  Transfer beef mixture to casserole dish.  Top with gnocchi then sprinkle with cheese.  Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until cheese is melted and beginning to brown.  

Comments

This recipe is from Fuss Free Cooking and I think topping cottage pie with gnocchi is the most brilliant thing ever.  I did opt to brown the gnocchi since it’s just better that way.  I love crispy gnocchi.

Slow Cooker Pesto Ranch Chicken

Ingredients

  • 3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
  • 6 ounces prepared pesto
  • 1 package ranch dressing seasoning mix
  • 1⁄2 cup chicken broth

Instructions

  1. Place all ingredients in slow cooker and stir to combine.  Cover and cook on HIGH for 3 to 4 hours or LOW for 6 to 8.  

Comments

This recipe is from Picky Palate and it’s another one that I don’t remember.  Which is sad because slow cooker recipes can be so variable.

Crusted Lemon Chicken Breasts

Ingredients

  • 3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
  • 2 egg whites
  • 2 tablespoons cornstarch
  • 1 lemon, zested and juiced
  • 1 cup dry bread crumbs
  • 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1⁄4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil

Ingredients

  1. Heat oven to 450*F.  
  2. In shallow dish, combine egg whites, cornstarch, and lemon juice
  3. In a second wide dish, mix together bread crumbs, parsley, salt, pepper, and lemon zest.  
  4. Pound chicken breasts to obtain equal thickness for each.  
  5. Coat chicken in egg white mixture, then bread crumb mixture.  Place on a plate or serving platter and rest, refrigerated, for 20 minutes. 
  6. Spray 9 by 12-inch baking dish with cooking spray.  
  7. Heat oil in large skillet and brown chicken on both sides, about 3 to 5 minutes per side.  Transfer chicken to baking dish and bake 10 to 20 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.  An instant read thermometer should read 165*F in the thickest part of the chicken.   

Comments

This recipe is from Cully’s Kitchen and I don’t remember it at all.  But it sure does look and sound tasty!

Leeks with Lemon Dijon Vinaigrette

Ingredients

  • 3 leeks
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 1⁄2 cup chicken broth
  • 1⁄2 cup water
  • 1 1⁄2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
  • 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Instructions

  1. Trim roots of leeks if overly long, but leave enough to keep bases intact.  Trim most of the green tops.  Slice leeks in half lengthwise and rise under running water, gently fanning the layers to rinse away any trapped grit.  
  2. Heat oil and butter in large skillet over medium heat.  Place leeks in skillet, cut side down, and sauté, turning occasionally with tongs or spatula, until lightly browned, about 5 minutes.  
  3. Add broth, water, and 1 tablespoon parsley.  Bring to simmer, reduce heat, and cover pan, cooking until leeks are tender, about 10 minutes.  
  4. Arrange leeks on plate, cut side up.  
  5. Add lemon juice and mustard to pan, stirring to combine.  Season vinaigrette with salt and pepper.  Pour vinaigrette over leeks and top with remaining parsley.  

Comments

This recipe is from Blue Kitchen and I thought it would be a great way to prepare the leeks I got from the farmers market.  (Leeks!  At the farmers market!  That was a new one for me.)  The dish was very tasty, but I think it could use some improvement for next time.  Since the leeks were mostly whole, they were very fibrous and difficult to cut.  If I make this again, I’ll cut the leeks into bite-size slices and then proceed with the recipe as written.

Slow Cooker Brown Butter Marinara Sauce

Ingredients

  • 2 (28 ounces each) cans whole, peeled, san marzano tomatoes
  • 3⁄4 cup oil-packed sundered tomatoes, oil drained
  • 1 sweet onion, chopped
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 teaspoons dried basil
  • 2 teaspoons dried parsley
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1⁄2 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1⁄2 teaspoon crushed red pepper, or to taste
  • 1⁄4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
  • 6 tablespoons butter
  • 4 tablespoons parmesan cheese, freshly grated
  • 6-10 leaves fresh basil, thinly sliced

Instructions

  1. Add tomatoes, onions, garlic, basil, parsley, oregano, thyme, red pepper, salt, pepper, and 1 tablespoon butter to slow cooker.  Cover and cook on LOW for 7 to 8 hours, or on HIGH for 3 to 4 hours, stirring once or twice if possible.  
  2. After 8 hours use back of spoon or a potato masher to break down tomatoes, or blend with immersion blender.  Leave sauce in slow cooker insert and remove lid.  
  3. Melt remaining butter in small saucepan over medium heat until just browned.  Transfer butter and any browned bits from pan into slow cooker.  Stir in parmesan cheese and basil, then season with extra salt and pepper to taste.  

Comments

This recipe is from Half Baked Harvest.  While I did make it quite a while ago, I do remember that it was delicious.  I always loved pasta with butter as a kid and the buttery element in this sauce is fantastic.  It would also make a great topping for any sort of appropriate meat, like a chicken breast or some meatballs.  Lots of delicious flavors going on here and cooking it in the slow cooker really helps when you’re using a bunch of dried herbs.

Green Rice with Grapes and Pecans

Ingredients

  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 6 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon maple syrup
  • 1 teaspoon salt, or more if needed
  • 1⁄4 cup olive oil
  • 6 green onions, cut into 2-inch lengths
  • 1⁄2 (packed) cup fresh parsley
  • 2 cups rice, cooked (So you should have 2 cups of rice before cooking.)  
  • 2 cups red seedless grapes, halved
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 cup chopped pecans, lightly toasted

Instructions

  1. Blend garlic, lemon juice, maple syrup, salt, oil, green onions, and parsley together with an immersion blender until smooth.  
  2. Toss dressing, rice, grapes, and pepper together in large bowl.  
  3. Cover tightly and chill well before serving.  Stir in pecans immediately before serving.  

Comments

If desired, feel free to add lemon zest, lemon juice, fresh mint, or chopped apples.  

This recipe is from Serious Eats and comes from Mollie Katzen’s newest cookbook.  I love Katzen - one of my very first cookbooks as an adult was her Still Life with Menu and I’ve acquired the rest of her books over the years.  Although I don’t have this one yet since I’m trying to cut back on buying cookbooks that don’t fit my foodstyle.  

It was awesome.  The grapes were amazing bursts of flavor and the pecans were nice and crunchy.  Lots of fantastic and contrasting textures and flavors that all magically worked well together.  However, I think the guys didn’t love this as much as I did.  Their loss!

Shredded Potato Casserole

Ingredients

  • 1⁄2 cup panko
  • 3 tablespoon parmesan cheese, freshly grated
  • 2 pound potatoes, shredded
  • 1⁄2 medium onion, shredded
  • 1 1⁄2 cup grated cheese such as cheddar, gouda, or whatever makes you happy
  • 5 tablespoons sour cream
  • 1 can cream of chicken soup 
  • 1 1⁄2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1⁄2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1⁄2 teaspoon sweet paprika powder
  • pinch of dried parsley
  • pinch of dried chili flakes

Instructions

  1. Heat oven to 350*F.  
  2. Mix panko and parmesan cheese in small bowl.  
  3. Combine remaining ingredients in large bowl.  Transfer potato mixture into 9 by 12-inch baking dish.  Top with panko mixture and bake for 40 to 45 minutes or until cheese is melty and potatoes are cooked through.  

Comments

This recipe is from Kayotic Kitchen, one of my favorite blogs, and I wish I could remember it since it sure looks and sounds delicious!

Slow Cooker Basic Pork Roast

Ingredients

  • 3-5 pound pork shoulder roast
  • 8-10 dashes Worcestershire sauce
  • 3-5 tablespoons dry rub of your choice

Instructions

  1. Place meat in slow cooker.  Add Worcestershire to top of meat then sprinkle with dry rub.  Cover and cook on LOW for 8 to 10 hours.  Leave on WARM for 4 more hours or until meat easily shreds.  
  2. Remove pork from slow cooker and rest 5 to 10 minutes.  Slice or shred for serving.  Serve with juice from slow cooker if desired.  

Comments

This recipe is from Add a Pinch and I don’t remember making it at all.  However, due to it’s location in my bookmarks, I’m pretty sure that I used a mexican-type spice rub and then used the meat to make Pork Enchiladas.  At least that’s what I assume I did.  This is the problem with being so far behind in my blogging.  You can use any flavor profile of spice rub and use the meat for anything you’d like.

Shredded Pork Enchiladas

Ingredients

For the pork

For the sauce

  • 5 tablespoons butter
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 5 tablespoons flour
  • 2 cups chicken broth
  • 1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce
  • 1 tablespoon chili powder
  • 2 teaspoons cumin, ground
  • 2-3 fresh sage leaves, minced, or 1⁄2 teaspoon dried sage
  • 1⁄2 cup sour cream

For serving 

  • 10 to 12 corn or flour tortillas, or as many as you need
  • 2 cups Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
  • Fresh cilantro, chopped

Instructions

  1. Heat butter in small saucepan over medium heat.  Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.  Stir in flour until garlic is coated.  Slowly add broth and continue stirring until smooth.  Stir in tomato sauce, chili powder, cumin, and sage.  Increase heat to high and bring to boil, stirring frequently, until sauce thickens.  Remove from heat and stir in sour cream.  
  2. Heat oven to 350*F.  Add 1⁄2 cup sauce to 9 by 12-inch baking dish.  Heat tortillas in microwave for 15 to 30 seconds or until pliable.  Divide pork evenly between tortillas, top with a sprinkle of cheese and cilantro.  Roll and place seam-side down in baking dish.  Cover with remaining sauce and cheese.  Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbling.  
  3. Heat broiler and broil for 3 to 5 minutes or until cheese has browned on top.  

Comments

This recipe is from a few different sources.  The idea is from Eat Cake For Dinner, the pork chile verde and enchilada sauce are from other blog posts.  This is a great way to use leftover shredded pork that has the appropriate flavor profile.  You can use any shredded pork that matches, not just the one I’ve linked.  I love enchiladas and it was really nice to have ones with a different protein than normal!  

Sorry this recipe isn’t great with precise measurements.  This is what happens when you’re cooking with leftovers.  If you want exact numbers, check out the original recipe instead.