Monthly Archives: November 2024

Breakfast Casserole

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This breakfast casserole is an homage to one Julia Child dreamed up, and known as Râpée Morvandelle. Which means a gratin of grated cheese and potatoes. And other things. There are a million recipes for this, but here’s mine with all the changes I made.

If you are cooking this for our ward Christmas Party, please make it that morning, and bring it — covered in foil — HOT to the church by about 9:30 a.m.

We will provide the cubed ham, the butter, and a chunk of cheese. The other ingredients you will need to provide. Below are some photos from food prep. The recipe begins below them.

  • Bought at Stater’s 30 ounces
  • Dump into big bowl.
  • onion!
  • A small diced size
  • A bit more than a half, but that’s okay.
  • Mince garlic, set aside
  • Butter and Olive Oil
  • Low heat to keep from browning. Add garlic at end.
  • Beat eggs.
  • Add cream.
  • Add salt and pepper.
  • Don’t use pre-grated cheese!
  • Most will go in the bowl; hold back a handful or two.
  • Set glass pan with butter into oven to get hot. Don’t let it burn.
  • Cut remaining butter into small bits.
  • Mix grated cheese and potatoes
  • Mix in onions/garlic.
  • Mix in eggs/cream.
Pour mixture into glass pan, and smooth out.
Distribute cubes of ham, then bits of butter.
Last, spread remaining grated cheese over the top and bake.

Ingredients

1 small yellow onion, small dice (about 1/2 to 2/3 cup)
2 cloves garlic, grated or minced–but not crushed 
2 Tbs. extra virgin olive oil
6 Tbs. butter, divided into three parts of 2 Tbs each
4 eggs
1/2 cup heavy cream 
8 ounces grated mild Cheddar cheese, divided 
1/2 teaspoon ground pepper 
2 tsp Kosher salt [NOTE: if you are using table salt, cut back slightly on the amount, say 1 3/4 teaspoons.]
1 30-ounce bag frozen shredded hash brown potatoes 
8 ounces cubed good-quality ham

Directions

  1. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees while you get everything else prepped up.
  2. Sauté the onion in 2 Tbsp. olive oil and 2 Tbsp butter, over medium heat for about 5 minutes, until tender but not browned.  Remove from heat and add the grated/minced garlic.  Stir it and allow it to sit in the warm pan with the onion. Set aside.
  3. Whisk together the egg, cream, salt, and pepper.
  4. Place your baking dish in the oven with 2 Tbsp of butter and let the butter melt and the pan get hot while you combine everything. Keep an eye on the butter so it doesn’t burn.
  5. In a large bowl add the potato shreds and 6 ounces of the grated cheddar cheese and toss.
  6. Add in the onion and garlic mixture and toss it again. 
  7. Pour the cream and egg mixture over the potato mixture, and toss well to coat every potato shred.
  8. Place the potato mixture into your hot baking dish and top with the cubes of ham. 
  9. Cut 2 Tbs. butter into small bits, then dot the casserole with butter. 
  10. Over the top of everything, add the remaining grated cheese (a couple of handfuls, or roughly 2 ounces).
  11. Bake for 35 minutes or until lightly browned in places.

Cover with foil and BRING TO CHURCH AT 9:30 A.M. while it’s HOT!

NOTE: It is not recommended to make this ahead, as the cook time will need to be adjusted (maybe even doubled) for a cold pan.  However all ingredients can be prepped in advance.  The casserole takes only about 10-15 minutes to throw together if ingredients are prepped.  Putting it in the hot pan with melted butter will yield a more satisfying crust on the bottom.

Creamy Tortellini Soup

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This soup, originally by Dan Pelosi, was first seen in the cooking section of the New York Times. I read through the ingredients, mentally checking them off, and thought — I have everything. I don’t have to go the grocery store. This was a hit–loved it. I made a few changes (as always), and they are reflected in the recipe below.

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 pound loose sweet Italian sausage or sausage links, casings removed
  • 1 medium white or yellow onion, finely diced
  • 6 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • ½ teaspoon dried fennel seeds
  • Salt and black pepper
  • Crushed red pepper
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste (I use the kind from the tube)
  • 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes (Cento is my favorite, but the puréed version of other brands can be used)
  • 8 cups (64 ounces) vegetable or chicken stock
  • 1 (20-ounce) package refrigerated tortellini, any variety (but I went with a sausage tortelloni to echo the flavors)
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • 1 bunch Tuscan (lacinato) kale, leaves stripped and chopped (I have used the regular curly kale, and it works fine)
  • ½ cup roughly chopped fresh basil
  • 1 lemon, juiced

Grated Parmesan, for serving

PREPARATION

  1. If using the sausage, heat the olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high. Add the sausage in bite sized pieces and cook, breaking it up with a spoon as you go, until it is browned, 5 to 9 minutes. Push the sausage to one side of the pot and spoon out any excess grease, leaving about 2 tablespoons behind.
  2. If necessary, adjust heat to medium, then add onion, garlic, paprika, fennel, 1½ teaspoons each salt and black pepper, and a pinch of crushed red pepper, and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes, until the onion is just softened and everything is fragrant. Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring, until it darkens, 2 to 3 minutes. Adjust heat to high, stir in crushed tomatoes and stock, cover the pot and bring to a gentle boil.
  3. Add the tortellini and cook until tender, 4-5 minutes.
  4. Add the heavy cream, kale and basil, and cook, stirring, until warmed through and the kale and basil are just wilted, 2 minutes more. Remove from heat and add the lemon juice. Stir to incorporate, then taste and season with salt and pepper as needed.
  5. Serve warm topped with grated Parmesan. Soup can be refrigerated for up to 5 days or frozen for up to 3 months.