Broccoli-Cheddar Hash-Brown Casserole

Serves 8

Recipe from Martha Stewart

Husband-Tested in Marimar’s Kitchen

(Alice’s Daughter-in-Law)

On our last visit to Mexico to see our family, our daughter-in-law made this delectable, decadent dish.  Because it’s so sinfully wonderful, make this for a special occasion breakfast or brunch. This casserole is a riff on a Swiss rosti.  It tastes like a loaded baked potato and has the crispness of hash browns.

4 medium russet potatoes (about 2 ½ pounds total)

Kosher salt

Freshly ground pepper

2 ½ cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese (8 oz.)

4 teaspoons Dijon mustard

½ cup Greek yogurt, plus more for serving

½ cup sliced scallions (about 4) plus more for serving

4 cups broccoli florets, cut into bite-sized pieces

5 large eggs, lightly beaten

8 oz. bacon (about 8 slices)

2 Tablespoons unsalted butter

In a medium pot, bring potatoes, to a boil unsalted water; cook 10 minutes.  Drain; let cool completely.  Combine cheese, Dijon, yogurt, and scallions in a large bowl.

Peel the potatoes; grate into large shreds (about 6 cups). Fold potatoes, broccoli, eggs, 2 teaspoons slat and ½ teaspoon pepper into the cheese mixture. Cover with plastic; refrigerate at least 2 hours and up to 1 day.

Preheat the oven to 400F with a rack in the top third of the oven.  In a large ovenproof skillet, cook the bacon over medium-high until crisp, about 8 minutes; transfer to paper towels to drain.  Add butter to the skillet; when it foams, add the potato mixture.  Press to form an even layer and cook, scraping sides with a spatula to prevent burning, until it starts to set, about 8 minutes.  Transfer to the oven; bake until golden, 22-25 minutes.  Let it cool slightly.  Crumble the bacon on top and serve with sliced scallions and yogurt.

-->

Grilled Cheese with Apples and Bacon

Makes 4 servings (½ sandwich each)

Husband-Tested in Marimar’s kitchen (Alice’s daughter-in-law)

While visiting our family in Mexico, our daughter-in-law made this delectable sandwich served along with a fresh, crisp, green salad for lunch.  Delish!!

2 Tablespoons unsalted butter

4 slices whole-wheat bread

4 slices cheese (cheddar, Havarti or Monterey Jack), about 1 oz. each

4 slices cooked bacon, broken in half to make 8 pieces

½ unpeeled green apple, cut into ¼-inch-thick slices (pears would be a good substitute)

1 Tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese (optional)

Melt 1 Tablespoon of the butter in a large sauté pan over medium heat.  Carefully run one side of each slice of bread in the melted butter to coat and then set aside.  Turn off the heat.

Assemble the sandwiches by starting with a single slice of bread, butter side down, then topping it with 1 cheese slice, half of the bacon, half of the apple, and another slice of cheese.  Top with another slice of bread (butter side up this time.)  Repeat with the remaining ingredients.

Melt the rest of the butter in the same pan over medium-low heat.  Add the assembled sandwiches tot he pan and cook until the bottoms are lightly toasted, 3-4 minutes.

Flip over and, if using, evenly sprinkle with the Parmesan over the tops of the two sandwiches.  When the bottoms are lightly toasted, flip again and cook for a minute or so, just long enough for the Parmesan to melt into the bread. Be careful not to burn the Parmesan.  Sprinkle the remaining Parmesan on top of the other side and repeat.  Cut the sandwiches in half and serve warm.

Tyler's Ultimate Roast Chicken

Serves 4-6

Recipe by Tyler Florence

Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen

This was wonderful!  I roasted two chickens (doubled the recipe.) The ingredients I couldn’t fit in the cavity, I put around the chickens.  I used tongs to squeeze the orange wedges into the drippings.

1 (5½ pound) free-range chicken
½ bunch each fresh oregano, thyme, and parsley
¼ pound unsalted butter, softened
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 orange, halved
½ head garlic
1 medium white onion, halved, plus 1 onion
6 strips smoked bacon
2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
1½ cups chicken broth
¼ cup dry sherry

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
Rinse the chicken with cool water, inside and out. Pat it dry with paper towels. Divide the herbs, keeping 1/2 of them whole. Finely chop the other half. In a small bowl, mash the softened butter with the chopped herbs, until combined. Rub the herbed butter under the skin, as well as all over the outside of the chicken. Season the bird all over with salt and pepper. Stuff the cavity with the orange, garlic, 1 onion, and the remaining herbs. Tie the legs together with kitchen twine to help hold its shape. Place the chicken, breast-side up, in a roasting pan. Put the remaining onion into the pan, which will help color and flavor the sauce. Lay the strips of bacon across the breast of the chicken and roast for 25 minutes.
Remove the bacon and baste the chicken with the drippings and cook for another 25 minutes to brown the skin. The chicken is done when an instant-read thermometer reads 165 degrees F when inserted into the thickest part of the thigh (the legs of the chicken should wiggle easily from the sockets too.) Remove the chicken to a platter and let stand for 10 minutes, so the juices settle back into the meat before carving.
Meanwhile, remove the softened onion from the roasting pan. Tilt the pan so the drippings collect in 1 corner, skimming off as much fat as possible, and leaving the drippings. Place the roasting pan on top of the stove over medium heat and take a wooden spoon to scrape up the flavor from the bottom of the pan. Stir the flour into the drippings to make a roux-like paste. Pour in the chicken broth in stages; continue to stir to dissolve the flour evenly to prevent lumps. Stir in the sherry and season with salt and pepper.
To serve, carve the chicken tableside and squeeze the oranges from the cavity over the meat.

Salmon Vegetable Chowder

Serves 4-6

Recipe from Food Network Magazine

Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen

Preparing this tasty chowder took a bit of prep, but my husband said, “I could eat this every day” and so I would say it was worth the effort.  Make it on a weekend and have it for lunch during the work week or make this delicious (and pretty) chowder for a casual dinner party for friends.

4 slices bacon, chopped

6 shallots, peeled and chopped

1/3 cup chopped fresh dill, divided (I used 1 heaping Tablespoon of dried dill since fresh wasn’t in season.)

3 medium Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and diced

6 medium carrots, peeled and diced

4-5 cups water

Kosher salt, to taste

10 oz. sliced mushrooms

10 oz. Brussels sprouts, halved (or quartered if large)

2 large egg yolks

1 cup half-and-half

3 Tablespoons dry white wine or fresh lemon juice

¾ pound skinless, deboned* salmon fillet, cut into bite-sized pieces

Freshly ground pepper, to taste

Cook the bacon in a soup pot over medium heat until crisp, about 5 minutes.  Stir in the shallots and half the dill and cook until the shallots are soft, about 3 minutes. 

Add the potatoes, carrots, and 1 teaspoon salt.  (You can add 1 cup more water if the soup seems too thick at this point.)  Cook until the potatoes and carrots are almost tender, about 6 minutes. 

Add the mushrooms and Brussels sprouts and cook until all of the vegetables are tender, about 6 more minutes.

Meanwhile, whisk the egg yolks, half-and-half, and the wine in a small bowl.

Reduce the heat to medium-low, add the salmon and cook until opaque, about 2-3 minutes.  Gently stir in the egg mixture and cook until the soup thickens just slightly, 1-2 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper.

Divide the soup among bowls and top with the remaining dill.

Nutritional Info per Serving:  567 calories; 23 g fat (9 g saturated fat); 184 mg cholesterol; 58 g carbohydrates; 8 g fiber; 33 g protein

*I keep a pair of tweezers in my kitchen gadget drawer just for this purpose.  Run your finger along the salmon fillet and you’ll feel the bones.  Grasp a bone with the tweezers and pull.  The bone will slide right out.