Team Catserole: Hooray!

When my friend Andrew asked if I would collaborate with him on a casserole cook-off, I was reticent. My culinary skills are best served in a cake pan or with frosting. I relented because it was, after all, casserole and I'll do just about anything for cheese.

The guidelines were simple. A casserole was defined as anything consisting of at least two ingredients, one being a starch, and baked in a casserole-type pan. Because I'd never really thought about it before, my brain started reeling with the possibilities. What kind of starch? If I were to develop a casserole recipe from scratch, a dream-casserole, what would it taste like? What textures would be most pleasing?

Andrew had his mother's King Ranch Chicken in mind. Growing up in Wisco means that I wouldn't have considered using chiles for flavor or corn tortillas for starch. We hosted a tasting party to perfect the recipe; the alterations appear in Italics below.

Andrew's Mom's Recipe for King Ranch Chicken

1 boiled, boned, chicken: cut into bite size pieces (we used boneless chicken thighs and 2 boneless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size chunks)

Cumin and Chili powder

1 dozen corn tortillas, cut into bite size pieces

2 large yellow onions, chopped fine

1-2 bell peppers: we used red, orange, and green for additional color

2 cups grated cheese (cheddar and pepperjack)

Sauce:
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can Ro-Tel tomatoes with chiles
1 can chicken broth (or that reserved from boiling chicken)

Instructions:
Preheat oven - 350. We prepped everything in advance so assembly would be easy. To enhance the flavor, after chicken had been cut into bite-size pieces we coated it with a dusting of cumin and chili powder.

Saute onion and pepper with a clove or two of garlic.

Mix sauce ingredients in glass bowl. Like most other delicious things, it starts out looking pretty gross:



Grease casserole dish, put layer of chicken, tortillas, cheese, and sauteed pepper and onion. Mix tortillas into sauce and pour on sauce. We deviated from the original recipe in that we assembled the casserole like a lasagna, layering sauce between tortillas and cheese. We topped the casserole with crushed Fritos, blue and yellow tortilla chips, roasted jalapenos, and finely shredded cheese. Bake for 35 minutes or until hot and cheese is melted.

We didn't win, but we were one of few casseroles that included any amount of spice or heat. We lost to a casserole with duck confit, which had you tasted it, would make sense. The rich duck fat melted on your tongue.

Also, I made us team-aprons, for awesome:

Pants-less Pizza with Penny

Where I'm from, you feed people to feel people. Some foods say I'm sorry (savory); some foods say I love you (sweets).

Homemade pizza means many things:
*Thank you for accommodating our houseguests.
*I'm sorry they stayed so long, used up all our toilet paper, and drank all our booze.
*I enjoy eating late-night snacks and giggling with you, once the day's stress (and pants) have been removed.


My Kitchen Aid is yellow because it makes everything taste like sunshine. The pizza dough recipe comes from a cookbook and my maternal grandfather, who ran a bowling alley/restaurant. Whenever I make bread, I think of him; I can hear his chuckle over the whir of the dough hook. Sometimes, I make it just to touch: soft like skin, but more yielding.

Mix 1 cup of flour with 1 pkg yeast, 1 c warm water (120-150 degrees) and 1/4 teas salt. Mix on medium for 30 seconds, then on med-high for 3 minutes. Add remaining 2 cups of flour and mix on low til incorporated. Then mix on medium for 6-8 minutes (instead of kneading). Cover and let rest for 10 minutes.

While resting, I start the sauce:


Mom taught us to cook with whatever was in the cupboard in whatever proportions seem right. This sauce is canned tomatoes, tomato sauce, red pepper flakes, fresh basil, dash of sugar, oregano, and a pinch of asiago cheese. Let simmer for at least 30 minutes.

While the sauce simmers, divide the dough in half; it makes enough for 2. Roll each out on a floured surface until about 13" in diameter. Place on greased (and cornmeal-dusted) pizza pan. For thin crust, bake at 425 for 12 minutes. While baking, get the toppings ready, usually about a cup of each.




When lightly browned, pull the crust out of the oven. Smooth sauce over each, then top. Cause I was really sorry, our pizza was overflowing with yumminess: Italian sausage, artichoke hearts, tomatoes, basil, red pepper, red onion, mushrooms, and 4 kinds of cheese: smoked gouda (great on meatless pizzas for a smoky/meaty flavor), asiago, parmesan, and fresh mozz. Bake at 425 for another 10-15 minutes. Wait a few minutes for sauce to cool slightly, remove pants, and enjoy.