Category: VEGETABLE

BRUSSELS SPROUTS CASSEROLE

Fortunately I was watching a Molly Yeh episode of Girl Meets Farm recently and it just happened to be on sides for Thanksgiving. She made the most amazing Brussels Sprouts Casserole, an absolutely wonderful alternative to the tired old Green Bean Casserole and better yet it is ALL from scratch, well except the French’s Crispy Fried Onions 😀 – no canned goods involved!

I only made a couple changes – like trading shallots for the leeks and adding in some crunchy bacon, but nothing that really affected the outcome. I altered her directions to my liking also.

BRUSSELS SPROUT CASSEROLE
2 teaspoons avocado oil
1/2 pound bacon, diced
2 shallots, sliced thin
FRESH ground sea salt and black pepper
2 pounds Brussels Sprouts, trimmed, halved or quartered as necessary
4 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoons FRESH thyme leaves, chopped
3 cloves garlic, FINELY minced
3 tablespoons WONDRA flour
2 cups homemade chicken broth
1 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup QUALITY Parmesan cheese
ZEST from 1 Meyer lemon
2 cups crispy onions

  • Preheat oven to 400°.
  • Cook bacon pieces crisp in large saute pan.
  • Remove bacon to drain on paper toweling with a slotted spoon.
  • Add avocado oil to saute pan.
  • Add shallots, sauteing 2-3 minutes until beginning to caramelize.
  • Add garlic and Brussels sprouts, sauteing 6-7 minutes until edges of Brussels sprouts are brown.
  • Season generously with FRESH ground sea salt and black pepper.
  • Add thyme, and saute a bit longer until fragrant.
  • In a separate sauce pan melt butter.
  • Whisk in flour, cooking until golden.
  • Alternately add chicken broth and cream, stirring constantly until begins to thicken.
  • Add cheese and lemon zest.
  • Adjust seasoning.
  • Fold together the sauce and Brussels sprouts.
  • Top with crispy onions.
  • Bake 20-25 minutes until bubbly.

ARTICHOKE PARMESAN SQUARES

ARTICHOKE PARMESAN SQUARES
1/2 package MRS. GRASS vegetable soup mix (save the other half for next time)
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup sour cream
1 package Pillsbury Crescent GRAND size
5 ounces frozen spinach, thawed and drained WELL
12-14 ounces artichoke hearts, drained and chopped small
8 ounce can water chestnuts, chopped
3 ounces Monterey jack cheese, shredded
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

  • Preheat oven to 375°.
  • Whisk together the mayonnaise, sour cream and soup mix. Set Aside.
  • Lightly spray 9×13 baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.
  • Roll out and arrange crescent rolls in baking dish, sealing perforations and pushing rolls slightly up the sides.
  • Bake 10-12 minutes until golden.
  • Add spinach. artichokes, water chestnuts, garlic and Jack cheese to the soup mixture, blending well.
  • Spread on top of the crescent rolls.
  • Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.
  • Bake another 10-12 minutes until heated through and turning golden.
  • Cut into 2 inch squares and serve.

BUTTERNUT SQUASH, BACON and APPLE HOT DISH

This is a Molly Yeh recipe from Girl Meets Farm. I normally love her recipes and experimenting with new things, but this one needed some serious tweaking to make it right.

BUTTERNUT SQUASH, BACON and APPLE HOT DISH
FILLING
3/4 pound thick-cut bacon
2 large purple onions, chunky thin wedges
2 pounds 1 small butternut squash, seeded, peeled and chopped into small 1/2-inch cubes
6 sprigs fresh thyme, stems removed
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Crushed red pepper flakes
1/8 cup white wine
1/2 cup vegetable broth
2 3 large Honey Crisp Granny Smith apples, chopped into 1/2-inch cubes

  • In a LARGE cast iron skillet cook bacon until crisp. Remove to paper toweling for draining.
  • Drain half the bacon grease from the skillet, leaving just enough to coat the skillet.
  • Add the onions and turn the heat to medium-high. Saute until soft, about 10 minutes.
  • Add the squash, thyme, some salt, a few turns of pepper and a few pinches of crushed red pepper, stirring occasionally, about 8-10 more minutes.
  • Add the wine and broth.
  • Roughly chop the bacon and add it to the skillet along with the apples.
  • Bring the mixture to a SLOW boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 10-15 minutes, while you make the biscuits.

BISCUITS
2 cups all-purpose flour, plus additional for dusting
2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
14 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold and cubed
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 large egg, lightly beaten
FRESHLY ground black pepper

  • Preheat the oven to 425°.
  • Whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl.
  • Add the butter and, using a food processor, pastry cutter or your hands, incorporate the butter until the mixture is the consistency of raw oatmeal.
  • Mix in the cream until the mixture comes together to form a dough.
  • Turn it out onto a floured work surface, pat it out to 3/4-inch thick and then cut out round biscuits, re-rolling scraps as needed.
  • Turn off the heat before dotting the top of the skillet with the biscuits.
  • Brush the biscuits with the beaten egg and top with black pepper.
  • Bake until the biscuits are golden brown, cooked through and flaky, about 25 minutes.
  • Remove from oven and serve right from the skillet!

NOTE: 

  • NEXT TIME I will change the apples to Granny Smiths and add an extra apple and decrease the squash.  Hubby wants me to trade the squash altogether for potatoes or Brussels sprouts.
  • This recipe also works well with “cheater” biscuits from the dairy case 😀