Thanksgiving, Part III: Squash Casserole

Okay, I'll be honest: I didn't make the squash casserole for Thanksgiving this year. My sister did.  She did last year too. But, I have made it before and all of us in my family (mom, dad, sister, me) make it the same. So I'm not really cheating by posting this.

(please forgive the horrible photo: it was Thanksgiving and people were hungry)

Squash casserole

(Don't know where Mom got the recipe, and this isalmost exactly as she gave it to my sister and me)

• 2 c. yellow squash
• 2 eggs, beaten
• ¾ c. mayonnaise (I use a little less, about ½ cup)
• 1 c. grated cheddar cheese
• 10 green onions (I usually use regular onion)
• ½ stick butter or margarine
• 1 t. salt
• 1 t. pepper
• ½ c. cracker crumbs (don’t fight over who gets to crush them)*

In a large pot, with a little water, cook the squash until it  is tender.  Drain. 

Saute onions in butter until tender.   Combine all ingredients except cracker crumbs and put in a buttered casserole dish.  Top with cracker crumbs and bake at 400 for 25 to 30 minutes.

* My mom put this note because my sister and I literally fought over who got to make the cracker crumbs.  My mom had this cool device (probably a nut chopper of sorts) that was a glass jar with a plastic funnel that screwed on top.  at the bottom of the funnel were some awesome teeth and there was a handle you would  turn to crunch up the crackers.  My sister and I would each get to crush half a pack of Ritz crackers.  Were someone to crush more than her share, chaos would ensue. 

Chiles Rellenos Recipe

This is the second recipe I tried from the Better Homes and Gardens cookbook hubby's granny gave me, it being the second recipe that caught my eye.  One of my favorite meals ever is at a local place, Agave.  It is a seafood filled poblano pepper with a light, creamy sauce.  I adore the poblano; fresh, slightly sweet, slightly smokey with the perfect amount of heat.  Mmmmmm.  So when I saw this recipe,  I imagined heaven.  The tastiness of chiles rellenos without having to bread and fry? I'm in.

Now the recipe is for a side dish; it's poblano, sprinkled with cheese, topped with a light, eggy batter.  I wanted to thicken it up a bit and make it the main coarse, so I added shredded chicken and a few other things.  It was a great start to a dish I foresee being very versatile. 

Chiles Rellenos Casserole
(modified from Better Homes and Gardens: Our Best Recipes, pg 60)

• 3 large poblano peppers, halved
• 2 cups cooked, shredded chicken
• 3/4  cup Oaxaca cheese, diced (a semi-soft Mexican cheese used in queso)
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp Chacheres or Seasoned Salt
• 1 cup shredded Mexican-blend cheese
• 3 eggs
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1/4 tsp cayenne
• 1/8 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 450.  Grease a baking dish just large enough to fit your peppers side by side.  

Bring a large pot of water to a boil;  add the peppers and boil for 3 minutes, attempting to keep the peppers completely submerged.  After 3 minutes, remove from water and place cut side down to drain.
 
In a mixing bowl, combine chicken, Oaxac, 1/2 tsp cumin, and Chacheres.  

Place the peppers in prepared pan, keeping them as close together as possible, alternating tip to end if needed.  Try to leave no extra empty space. 

Fill the peppers with the chicken/cheese mixture, making sure to fill them completely before spreading any remaining mixture across the top.  Sprinkle shredded cheese evenly on top.

In the bowl, whisk together the milk and eggs until well combined.  In a small, separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder, cumin, salt, and pepper.  Whisk into wet ingredients.  Pour over the chicken and cheese filled poblanos.

Bake for 15 minutes.  Let sit 5 minutes before serving.  It should be easy enough to differentiate where one pepper ends and the other begins.

 Goes deliciously with sour cream on top!

Shepherd's Pie

Mmmm delicious shepherd's pie. I remember eating - and loving - this when I was really little, but then my family never ate it again until the night before I left for college. A month or so ago, I decided I would try my hand at making it. I looked at a bunch of recipes online, then came up with my own.

Ingredients
3 cups mashed potatoes (make sure they are flavorful, as if you would serve them alone. I actually use a bit more milk and butter than normal to make them extra creamy)
1 pound ground beef
1 onion, chopped
4ish garlic cloves, finely chopped
3 sprigs of rosemary, chopped (optional)
1-2 tsp sage (I used ground because I didn't have fresh)
Salt, Pepper, and Chachere's/Seasoned Salt to taste
1/2 cup beef broth
1 tbsp flour
1 can sweet peas (use fresh if you want, I just don't have any)
1/4 - 3/4 cup grated cheese (I used 1/4 cup sharp cheddar because it was ALL that I had)
You can also add carrots if you want, but make sure they're cooked and soft before you add them..

Prepare the mashed potatoes. I used about 4 big potatoes and had a bit too much after I mashed them and all, but who am I to say no to extra potatoes?

Brown the ground beef. Add the onions and garlic, until the onions are soft. Add the rosemary and sage. Salt, pepper, and add Chachere's to taste. If you want to use carrots, you can add them at this point. As Alice Water advises, taste at every step. No portion of the dish should not be seasoned to taste good on its own. Let the seasoned meat mixture cook for a minute or two. While it simmers, mix the tbsp of flour into the 1/2 cup of broth to create a gravy of sorts. Add this to the meat mixture, and let it simmer for another minute or two. Make sure this is tasty before spooning it into a baking dish.


Make sure the meat is evenly distributed across the dish.


Drain most of the liquid out of the peas before adding them; if you don't, your meat will be too runny.


Sprinkle the cheese on top..Like I said, I only had a 1/4 cup of cheddar, but you could try many different types of cheese. I advise adding more than this - Hubby loves cheese - but then not all people love cheese like we do.


Now, spoon the mashed potatoes on top. You might not be able to easily spread them; don't worry if some cheese or peas get mixed up with the potatoes. Make peaks on the top - they'll brown and be delicious. Bake on 350F for about 25 minutes, or until warm and some peaks have become a nice golden shade.


I could have let it bake a little longer, but we were both hungry and the green beans were finished. As everything is already cooked, there's no worry of things not... well ... being cooked. It's just a matter of warming it all up together and getting a nice top layer to the potatoes.


And this is the final result; it might not be pretty, but it's pretty damn delicious.


A gratuitous photo of the green beans. I boiled them with Chachere's and 3 strips of bacon for about 25 minutes. YUM.