Hash Brown Potato Casserole AKA Funeral Potatoes

I've mentioned before my brother-in-law is a chef.  He has worked in some award winning restaurants in both the Denver and New Orleans area.  He is very talented and never ceases to amaze us with his cooking knowledge and abilities.  When he came home for Thanksgiving dinner, Mr. Devilish Dish was all excited to have a professional in the kitchen to help out, because he wanted to make Robuchon Potatoes.  A signature dish of the highly acclaimed French chef Joel Robuchon.  This decadent recipe is sometimes called 50/50 potatoes as in all potato and butter.  It requires some technique and Mr. Devilish Dish was  fired up to make it when my brother-in-law declared, "I just want Mom's Hash Brown Potato Casserole." Which tells you that it's darned good when the chef chooses it over a Michelin star recipe.  It's so good and this recipe has been around so long I can't believe I'm just now sharing it with you.  It features frozen hash browns and cheesy goodness baked into a delicious, comforting casserole.  Of all of the incredible food we had for our Thanksgiving meal, these potatoes were the most memorable.  There were no leftovers.  In fact I had to make them again just to take pictures for you.  The best part is some recipes, especially family recipes still taste the best of all, no matter how acclaimed you are in the kitchen.

A family favorite, of regular cooks 
and chefs alike!

Just a handful of ingredients
for this comforting casserole dish.

To crush the cornflake cereal:
Place the cereal in a plastic bag
and crush with a meat mallet or 
rolling pin.

Place your hash brown ingredients
in a greased, oven-safe baking dish.

Combine the crushed cornflake cereal
with melted butter.

Top the hash brown mixture
 with the cornflake mixture and bake.

It will come out golden brown, cheesy 
and bubbly delicious.

Such a tasty side dish.  Perfect with any meal.
Not only at the holidays, but we love it in
the summer with barbecue too.

Fun Fact: This casserole is sometimes
known as Funeral Potatoes because
it is a hearty, crowd-pleasing dish
historically seen at post-funeral
gatherings and church pot lucks.

HASH BROWN POTATO CASSEROLE 

32 ounces frozen hash brown potatoes, thawed
1 can cream of chicken soup
8 ounces sour cream
8 ounces American or Cheddar cheese, shredded
1 stick unsalted butter, melted
1 medium onion, diced
salt and pepper to taste

TOPPING:

2 cups corn flake cereal, crushed
1/2 stick unsalted butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish and set aside.  In a large bowl, stir together the hash browns, cream of chicken soup, sour cream, shredded cheese, melted butter, and diced onion.  Season with salt and pepper.  Spread mixture into prepared dish.  

In a small bowl combine the crushed cornflake cereal with melted butter.  Sprinkle this evenly over the hash brown mixture and bake for 45 minutes until golden brown.

BBQ Gift for Boys

Is it just me or are boys hard to shop for?  And by boys I mean my grown up husband.  It doesn't help that he's very particular about his things and he's also been known to treat himself.  I wouldn't dream of buying him clothes or golf stuff.  And he owns every possibly fishing lure known to man.  He does love grilling and smoking and barbecuing, although again he owns every grilling gadget and seasoning known to man.  A while back he asked if I would pick him up some towels for the patio.  I asked, "What kind of towels?" and his reply was, "You know, some towels that match our stuff, but you don't mind me using and getting dirty when I'm out here grilling."  Obviously after 30+ years I have trained him well.  He knows not to take the good towels outside.  Or mop up spaghetti sauce with them.  He has one hilarious towel I got him that hangs on his BBQ Cart and he said, "I don't want to use that one, it's too funny."  So when his birthday rolled around I could not think of anything to get him and then I remembered the towel request.  I decided surely I could build a gift around a few towels for the patio.  Perusing Bass Pro, I found this cool cast-iron casserole dish.  He loves to put things in the smoker.  Crab legs, Queso, Rice Krispie Treats, Pizza Rolls.  You name it, he's put it in the smoker.  I don't mind, except I DO MIND when he puts my beautiful bright red Le Creuset Dutch Oven in there.  That prized trophy needs to stay in the kitchen.  Once I stumbled upon the cast-iron dish and towels I just grabbed a few things to fill it up.  Sticking with the theme I added the silicone handles for said cast-iron pan, a brush to clean it and a very cool silicone pad to rest his tongs and spatulas on when he is cooking outdoors.  And I grabbed a container of the ONLY seasoning he does not own.  One created especially for game meats.  Little Devil's BF keeps us supplied with venison so that will be of great use.  Finally I added a magnet to add to our collection on our BBQ Storage cabinet.  I used a ponytail holder to form the towels into a big bow.  Because his gift might be boring barbecue and grilling stuff, but by gosh I will "Cute anything up!"

Proof I can "cute up" any ol gift, even
a boring BBQ boy gift.

Here it is before the "bow"
I scooted everything toward the
top because I knew the towels
would take up most of the space.

I used a new pony-tail holder to fold
the towels and create a bow shape.
I was too lazy to find a clear one or
one that matched the red color-scheme.
But he's a boy and did not care or 
notice.

This turned out pretty cute.  He was not aware
there was a cast-iron casserole dish available.
Thanks Lodge!  Now my fancy Le Creuset
gets to stay in the kitchen where it belongs.

Here's his "funny" towel he doesn't want to use
and get dirty.  Have fun having these lyrics
stuck in your head all day lol.

Easy 4-Ingredient Beef Enchiladas

I know I don't even have to mention how much 2020 sucked and how much we missed.  I try hard to keep my posts here at The DD positive because I know folks love to visit cooking blogs for recipes and fun stories.  Not to be reminded of the negativity of everything that has been going on in the world.  So I tell you this because my story of something negative grew into something very positive and has a happy ending.  For the bad news first we didn't celebrate Thanksgiving with our families like we usually do.  The Devilish Nephew and his sweet wife were stuck in Houston.  Not only because of Covid but their sweet golden retriever had to have surgery.  We opted not to have the big traditional turkey day meal with our parents.  My brother has a birthday at the end of November so in lieu of the holiday meal we had a very small get together as a birthday celebration.  I'm not a big fan of the traditional Thanksgiving meal and neither is my brother so here's where the story starts the upturn.  I decided to make Mexican food, because that's always a hit with my family.  I knew there would be no complaints!  I made a big batch of Gluten-Free Sour Cream Chicken Enchiladas because Mr. DD loves those.  But not everyone on my side of the family is a fan of chicken in Mexican food.  I decided we needed a beef option and I was almost embarrassed I made such a simple recipe for a birthday meal.  I also made a big pot of Cowboy Beans and a batch of Restaurant Style Mexican Relish.  I also made a batch of our newest favorite salsa.  We found Simple Salsa Mix at the boat show in Little Rock last year.  (Remember we went crazy and bought a boat!) It is THE BEST salsa.  It's a dry mix you simply mix a scoop with a can of diced or crushed tomatoes.  Perfect for camping and RVs.  Also perfect for people in quarantine who did nothing but go fishing and eat chips and salsa.  We love this mix in the cute little can so much we gave everyone a can for Christmas!  The salsa was a hit at the meal, it was hard to keep it a secret that everyone at the table had some under the Christmas tree.  And if you thought the salsa was a huge hit, the Easy Beef Enchiladas were the absolute star of the evening.  No one touched the chicken enchiladas. And they are excellent! The beef enchiladas casserole dish was wiped out.  I lost count of how many helpings my brother ate.  He thanked me a million times and even texted me later in the evening after he got home.  The next day he called and thanked me again and told me for the millionth time how much he loved the beef enchiladas and asked for the recipe.  He called Mom and told her a million times how much he loved the enchiladas.  At Christmas a month later he was still talking about the enchiladas.  They are so embarrassingly easy, but a definite crowd pleaser.  Amid all the chaos and negativity I'm happy to report our family has a new standby recipe that requires almost no effort. Here's hoping we can all enjoy meals like this with our families soon! 

Baked Feta Pasta: The Internet Sensation

When it comes to technology I'm always a day late.  I would probably still have a flip phone if it were up to me.  I still prefer turning an actual book page to an e-reader (although I do enjoy my Kindle on vacation, no longer having to haul tons of books in a suitcase...) And aside from sharing recipes, I'm not one to spend tons of time on social media platforms.  (I'd rather be fishing.) I'm not even on TikTok where a video of this recipe went viral.  From what I've read it's been viral for a while.  So I apologize if you heard about this a while ago, because it was all new to me.  The funny thing is the same week I made this recipe I had two friends tell me about it and saw countless variations of the recipe allover the internet, so it is still going strong and rightfully so, because it is tasty and super simple to prepare. From what I read this recipe went so crazy it may have been responsible for a temporary feta cheese shortage!  Olive oil, fresh tomatoes, tangy feta cheese.  One bowl preparation.  What's not to love?  No wonder it is literally the recipe that broke the internet (and the feta factory.)  Even the most novice cook can feel like a gourmet with this recipe.  Make sure and use a quality delicious tasting olive oil (we love this one) and we also love a French feta cheese.  There are several varieties out there but if you can get your hands on the French, it's the creamiest in texture.  I think it works better in this recipe than a drier, crumblier feta.  Definitely look for feta in block form instead of crumbles.  It makes for a better presentation too.  I even read that if your tomatoes are very ripe and starting to wrinkle that means they are at their sweetest, making the perfect compliment to the tangy feta cheese.  I used gluten-free penne pasta too, but feel free to use bow ties, orecchiette (little ears) or even radiatore (little radiators).  Whatever you choose will be delicious and if you want to get even fancier add some mushrooms, fresh herbs, or prosciutto.  Next time I will add some grilled chicken for a heartier meal.  

Hot, bubbly, cheesy goodness.
No wonder it took over the internet!

Place the olive oil and tomatoes
 in a baking dish.  Toss with olive oil.

Add feta cheese. (Maybe not this much)
Drizzle the cheese a little more with 
olive oil and season with cracked pepper.

Bake until hot and bubbly and the cheese starts 
to brown.  The tomatoes will start to burst and 
create the most delicious sauce.

Add fresh garlic and red pepper flakes.
Toss with pasta and fresh basil

Serve with garlic bread.  Next time
I'm going to add some sliced grilled chicken. 

BAKED FETA PASTA

2 Containers cherry or grape tomatoes
1/2 cup olive oil, plus more for finishing
8 ounce block of feta (I used two blocks and I think it was a little too much)
Kosher salt and fresh cracked black pepper
1 pound pasta cooked according to package directions
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4-1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
handful fresh basil leaves, cut into chiffonade

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  Add 1/2 cup of olive oil into an oven proof baking dish.  Add whole cherry tomatoes, season with salt and pepper and toss to coat.  Use the smallest dish possible to accommodate the tomatoes and cheese so the are close together.  Add the block of feta to the middle of the dish and drizzle with more olive oil and season with fresh pepper.  Bake for approximately 30 minutes.  Prepare the pasta according to package directions and drain.  After 30 minutes, increase the oven temperature to 450 degrees F and bake for another 5-10 minutes to make sure the feta is starting to brown and the tomatoes are starting to burst.  Remove the baking dish from the oven and stir in the minced garlic and red pepper flakes.  Toss this mixture with the cooked pasta and add the fresh basil.  Taste and season with more olive oil, salt and pepper if necessary.

Quick & Easy Enchilada Casserole

So Mr. Devilish Dish and I did a thing this Spring.  We bought a bass boat.  Now that Little Devil has left the nest and we're empty nesters we decided we needed a fun "social distancing" type hobby we can enjoy together.  I grew up on Oklahoma lakes, so I was completely on board with the idea.  We've had a really fun spring and summer so far.  The only downside (and it isn't much of a downside) is we sometimes come home after dinner time.  Again, this isn't a bad thing since we're empty nesters and don't have anyone waiting to be fed but ourselves, but now I'm on the hunt for recipes that come together quickly and easily after day on the lake.  This Quick & Easy Enchilada Casserole totally fits the bill.  Only 5 ingredients and about 25 minutes in the oven to a hearty Mexican feast!  The time saver is the tortilla chips.  No tortillas to soften and roll up, just a short cut with the chips!  You can even use store bought taco seasoning, to speed things up.  I happened to have some of my Homemade Taco Seasoning on hand, which is gluten-free so I used that.  Canned enchilada sauce and pre-shredded cheese make it even easier.  Just brown your ground beef and onions and layer the ingredients together. While it bakes, throw together a simple lettuce and tomato salad and you'll have a comforting, filling meal that comes together in minutes.  The perfect ending to a day enjoying your favorite hobby!

Only 5 ingredients to a quick & easy meal!

Layer crushed tortilla chips in prepared dish.

Brown ground beef and diced onion.

Season with taco seasoning.

Combine ground beef mixture with
enchilada sauce and half of the cheese.
Pour over the crushed chips.

Top with remaining cheese.
Bake 25-30 minutes until hot and bubbly.

Enjoy!

Serve with a simple
lettuce and tomato salad for a hearty meal. 
Perfect after a day of boating!

Monte Cristo Bread Pudding #LeftoversChallenge

We're big fans of Binging With Babish here at The Devilish Dish.  His videos are informative and entertaining and hilarious at the same time.  He's also a big supporter of the restaurant industry and so are we!  My brother-in-law just took a chef gig at a restaurant in New Orleans.  But of course sadly, he along with so many others in the industry aren't working right now.   In his latest Binging with Babish video, Andrew Rea (aka Oliver Babish) along with other chefs, encourages viewers to support their local restaurants by ordering take out and to show support:  create a recipe using the hashtag #LeftoversChallenge.  We had just enjoyed an Easter Feast from our favorite local Italian restaurant, Benvenuti's.  We had ham, scalloped potatoes, carrots, snap peas, salad, Italian mac and cheese, carrot cake and lots of homemade rolls with butter.  By the time the family feasted for a couple of days all we really had leftover was ham and rolls and after watching the #LeftoversChallenge Episode, my quarantine creative wheels started turning.  Leftover ham and rolls have lots of potential.  Ham sandwiches, Ham Salad sandwiches, Ham and cheese sandwiches.  Never one to go with the obvious I thought about a variation on Eggs Benedict.  Which got me thinking about my Benedict Strata breakfast casserole.  Which then got me thinking about Monte Cristo Sandwiches,  and I decided I would blend the two ideas and Monte Cristo Bread Pudding was born.  We had everything on hand for a traditional Monte Cristo Sandwich (which consists of ham, turkey, Swiss cheese and Dijon mustard, on bread, then dipped and griddled in a slightly sweet French Toast-like batter and served with powdered sugar and jam for dipping.) We were lacking the turkey and Swiss cheese so I improvised with A LOT of ham, and a combination of grated Cheddar, Mozzarella and a little Gruyere.  Hey it's quarantine, get creative with what you have!  I also tried to be fancy ala Babish and make mine in large souffle-style dishes. In hindsight I should have baked it in a shallow baking dish or smaller ramekins to allow the bread cubes to get extra toasty, but I was going for a fancy presentation.  It actually turned out quite lovely, and we had a brand new jar of raspberry jam in our pantry that we warmed up to pour on top.  A terrific brunch treat.  I encourage you to support your local restaurants during this time.  Grab some carry out and cocktails and if you happen to have leftovers, get creative and share your ideas in the comments! #LeftoversChallenge.

We took the Binging with Babish #LeftoversChallenge!
Monte Cristo Bread Pudding 

Everything you need for a Monte Cristo
(with a little quarantine creativity)
Ham and Rolls from Benvenuti's. 

We didn't have turkey or the traditional Swiss cheese
on hand so we used our quarantine creativity.
Cheddar, mozzarella and a little Gruyere.

It's not a Monte Cristo without
Dijon mustard, and a little sweetness from
vanilla and raspberry jam.

Combine the custard mixture, cubed leftover rolls,
chopped leftover ham and cheeses.  Allow to rest
on the counter for 15-20 minutes before baking.

Garnish with powdered sugar and serve with
warmed raspberry jam.
Just like a traditional Monte Cristo Sandwich.

Bake until the mixture is puffed,
the custard has set and you have a lovely
golden brown top.

Monte Cristo Bread Pudding
Quarantine Creativity
#LeftoversChallenge

Serve with warmed raspberry jam.
Support your local restaurants!
(Tip Generously)

Gran Gran's Chicken Spaghetti

I've told you before about my dear Great Aunt Nona and her famous Apricot Nectar Cake.  Chicken Spaghetti was probably her second most famous recipe.  As kids, my cousins and I thought it was also her most over-made recipe and moaned every time it was on the table.  As an adult, I've made this recipe more times than I can count.  I now know why this was a go-to recipe for her.  It's quick, easily made ahead, and a true crowd pleaser.  I recently signed up for a Meal Train for a sweet friend and knew almost immediately I would make Gran Gran's Chicken Spaghetti.  I also wound up making Nona's third most famous recipe: Red Jello Salad.  In fact the only thing I didn't make was the cake.  I made a batch of Simple From Scratch Brownies instead.  I even texted my cousins and said, "It's official.  I've turned into Gran Gran.  I just made Chicken Spaghetti and Red Jello Salad." This can be made ahead and frozen and then baked, or baked and frozen.  Or made the night before and baked when you're ready to serve.  It reheats well and it's loved by everyone.  Perfect for potlucks, new babies, funerals or weeknight dinners, and especially meal trains...

A TRUE family favorite.  This dish is
made by everyone in my family for every occasion!

Easily prepared ahead, frozen, and as you can see:
transported in a foil pan for sharing.

I took this meal to a dear friend for a meal train.
I prepared exactly what Aunt Nona would have made.
Chicken Spaghetti, Red Jello Salad, and Garlic Toast.
The only thing missing: Apricot Nectar Cake!

Homemade Gluten-Free Cream of Chicken Condensed Soup

Since the gluten-free debacle I've avoided casseroles like the plague.  Mostly because they call for canned "cream of" soups.  Yes you can buy GF condensed soup, but where I live it requires a trip to a specialty store and they are a little pricey.  So until recently I've given up on a lot of convenience meals that use these ingredients.  Then I discovered I could quickly, easily make my own gluten-free condensed soup at home with ingredients I always have on hand.  I'm really pleased with the results and bonus: I control what is in there.  From the seasonings to the sodium I'm in charge.  Simply use one jar of this in place of recipes calling for a can of regular "cream of" soup.  I'm excited because a whole other world of recipes are available to me again.  This whips up quickly, but make a few on the weekend and store them in your fridge for use during the week, AND...Stay Tuned for lots a new recipes using this basic ingredient!

I'm so excited about this.
Look forward to lots of new recipes now that
I've found another gluten-free staple!

Whisk the butter and flour together to create a light roux,
then add the stock, milk and seasonings.

Make a few batches and store them in
your fridge for easy weeknight use.

[Gluten-Free] Sour Cream Chicken Enchiladas

As I've said previously, the hardest thing about switching to a strictly gluten-free lifestyle is giving up convenience.  We've been out to eat a couple of times and thankfully several restaurants offer many gluten-free options.  Fortunately for me I'm not a huge Italian fan, so giving up pasta hasn't been that difficult.  My weakness as you all know is Mexican food.  For the most part that has been adaptable, especially cooking at home.  Gluten-free corn tortillas are readily available, and we are very careful to prepare our salsas and dressings from scratch.  My husband and the Little Devil have been very accommodating as guinea pigs on my gluten-free journey.  They've suffered through the failure of gluten-free won ton wrappers and gluten-free crust for chicken pot pie.  When Mr. DD suggested we have Sour Cream Chicken Enchiladas, I reminded him that most sauce recipes require flour.  He reminded me that we could almost certainly come up with a gluten-free version.  And I'm happy to say he did.  We used the Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free 1 to 1 Baking Flour to thicken the sauce, and it made a beautiful roux and thickened beautifully.  He and Little Devil could taste no difference and there was no notable difference in texture.  It was a thick, creamy, flavorful sauce, perfect atop chicken enchiladas.  I hope this is one of many gluten-free recipes (especially Mexican ones!) that I get to share on this journey with you as well.  

You'll never notice they are gluten-free...

A thick, creamy rich sour cream sauce...

Cover the chicken enchiladas with sour cream sauce,
cheese and chopped green onions.

Bake until hot and bubbly

You CAN have your gluten free Mexican food,
and eat it too!

[Gluten-Free] Sour Cream Chicken Enchiladas

12 gluten-free corn tortillas
1 pound chicken breasts, cooked and shredded (I poached mine in salted water for 20 minutes)
1 tablespoon gluten-free taco seasoning
2 cups shredded Monterrey-Jack cheese, divided
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 tablespoons Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free 1 to 1 Baking Flour
2 cups gluten free chicken broth
1 cup sour cream
1 (4 ounce) can diced green chiles
3-4 green onions, chopped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish and set aside.  In a bowl, combine shredded chicken, taco seasoning and 1 cup of cheese.  Heat tortillas in microwave in a tortilla warmer or between two damp towels until they are pliable.  Roll chicken mixture up inside tortillas and place in baking dish.  In a medium saucepan, melt butter over medium-high heat.  Stir in flour and whisk for 1 minutes.  Add broth, whisking until smooth.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and stir constantly until thickened.  Remove pan from heat (so the sour cream does not curdle) and stir in sour cream and green chiles.  Pour mixture over tortillas.  Top with remaining 1 cup of cheese and sprinkle with chopped green onions.  Cover with foil and bake 20-25 minutes or until hot and bubbly, and cheese is melted.

Prep Time:  Approximately 15 minutes     Cook Time:  Approximately 25 minutes