Make Ahead Orange Pecan French Toast Casserole, Perfect for Easter Brunch

Easter is just a little over a week away and I'm starting to think about my menu.  Here is a great idea for those of you who do brunch on Easter, or who need a good idea for a make ahead breakfast. When you serve it, you flip it over, so the bottom is at the top, and it makes its own syrupy, nutty topping.  Yum!

1 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup melted butter, additional butter for pan (or use cooking spray)
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1/3 cup chopped pecans or walnuts

1 teaspoon grated orange rind
1 cup orange juice
1/2 cup milk
3 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
5 large eggs
1 loaf of French bread cut into 12 one inch slices

Butter the bottom and sides of a 9 X 13 inch pan.  Combine brown sugar, melted butter, and maple syrup and spread over the bottom of the pan.  Coat evenly with the chopped nuts. Place bread slices in an even layer over the nuts. 

Now combine remaining ingredients and pour over the bread slices, making sure all the bread is covered.  Turn over the slices, if you are not sure they are fully coated.  Cover with plastic wrap and store overnight in the refrigerator.  When you are ready to bake, take the pan out and let sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 350F. Bake for 35 minutes, or until lightly browned.  To serve, cut into slices. As you slide the slices out of the pan, flip them over onto the plate so the bottom is on the top and you get all the nutty goodness of the topping.  Serve with additional syrup and whipped cream if you wish.  Enjoy!

Happy Cooking!
Carol
a.k.a.Nonnie

Lemony orzo tuna salad with artichoke hearts.

Good morning everyone, as you can see, I'm on a roll.  I'm trying to make up for lost time since I didn't post too many recipes in February or the beginning of March.  So now I'm making it up to you.

Here is another recipe for a salad that I just love.  It would make a great meal on a warm summer evening, (wishful thinking!) but I usually just eat it for lunch.  It's quick and easy.  The original recipe came from a magazine called Cook Fresh.  It's published by Fine Cooking, the people who do Moveable Feast.  I love their magazines; they only come out quarterly, but the recipes are always great and use fresh, seasonal ingredients.  This one was from the Spring of 2014 issue. Of course, I made a few changes, because that's who I am!

Orzo is a little pasta that looks like rice.  I often put it in soups, but it works great in this salad.  As you have heard me say before, I believe in having a well stocked pantry.  I can make this recipe at any time because I always have the ingredients on hand.  I love artichoke hearts and always have a few cans in the pantry.  I always use the ones packed in water, but for this recipe, you could use the ones marinated in oil that come in a jar.  I also always keep a jar of oil packed sun dried tomatoes in my refrigerator.  They keep forever as long as they are covered in oil. It's best to use fresh basil in this recipe.  In the summer, I have it growing in my yard, but you can find it in the supermarket all year; it's just a little pricier in the winter. You could easily substitute fresh parsley.  I always use the Italian flat leaf parsley.  It has so much more flavor. The original recipe says to serve this warm, but I prefer it cold as a salad.  Ready?  Here we go!

1 1/2 cups dried orzo
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1 small yellow onion finely diced
1/3 cup dry white wine (you can substitute chicken broth)
1 14 ounce can of artichoke hearts drained and quartered
1/2 cup oil packed sun dried tomatoes, finely diced
1 can of tuna - I always use the water packed - well drained
3 tablespoons sour cream
3 tablespoons lemon juice
3 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped into ribbons.

Begin by boiling the orzo according to package directions and drain well.  While the orzo is cooking, heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat and sauté the onion with salt and pepper until it is golden brown, about six to seven minutes. Add the white wine and scrape up any bits on the bottom of the pan.  Now add the sun dried tomatoes and artichokes to the pan and cook for about two minutes.  Remove from the heat and gently fold in the well drained tuna. Transfer the orzo to a large bowl and toss with the sour cream and lemon juice.  Add the tuna mixture and basil.  Taste to see if you would like to add more salt and pepper.  Serve warm, or chill and serve on a bed of lettuce or spring greens.  Enjoy!

Happy Cooking!
Carol
a.k.a. Nonnie

Gnocchi With Brown Butter, Sage, and Garlic

                                                                       
Gnocchi are little dumpling like pillows of dough made with potatoes, flour and egg. I remember my grandmother making gnocchi.  She would make what seemed like millions of them, spread clean sheets over the beds and lay them out to dry.  I don't think she ever dried them so they were hard, but just until she was ready to cook them.

I love to make pasta.  There is no comparison between the taste of homemade pasta and store bought pasta.  It doesn't even taste like the same food!  Well kind of, but given the choice, I will always pick homemade.  Is it difficult to make?  No!  A little time consuming, not something you would make on a weeknight, after a long day at work, but there is an amazing sense of accomplishment when you make your own pasta.  You feel really talented, and boy, is your family impressed!

I use a pasta machine to make regular pasta. Regular pasta dough is very stretchy and hard to roll out by hand.  My first machine was purchased over 40 years ago when I lived in Germany.  It was a hand crank model and it made sheets for lasagna or ravioli, fettuccine, and thin spaghetti.  I passed my hand crank machine down to a dear friend when I got an electric one that attaches to my KitchenAid stand mixer.  It is much easier to use. Then a few years ago, for my birthday, my daughter gave me another attachment for my stand mixer that makes fusilli (corkscrew shapes), rigatoni, ziti, and buccatelli (long spaghetti with a hole in it).  What fun I can have!

So the great thing about gnocchi is that it doesn't require a pasta machine or any fancy equipment, you can use a potato ricer or food mill if you have one, but a colander with large holes works well too.

                                                                   

                                                                   
I find it easier to prepare the sauce before I start to make the gnocchi, because once you start cooking them, things move very quickly. 

I have lots of pictures to hopefully explain things as I go along, so here is the recipe.

Gnocchi With Brown Butter, Sage and Garlic

Sauce:
1 stick of butter
6 cloves of garlic
1 bunch fresh sage leaves - about 1/4 cup chopped

Gnocchi

3 large potatoes - about 2 1/2 pounds
1 1/2 to 2 cups of flour
1 egg

Begin by scrubbing the potatoes and piercing several times with a fork.  Bake in a 425 degree oven for about an hour.  While the potatoes are baking, chop the garlic and sage leaves and melt the butter over high heat until it turns slightly brown.  Lower the heat to medium low and add garlic and sage.  Be very careful not to burn the garlic or it will taste bitter. When garlic begins to soften, turn off the heat.  Set aside.  Also, set a large pot of water on the stove, turn the heat to high.  If it boils while you are still forming your gnocchi, turn it down and turn it back up when you are almost finished.  Don't forget to salt the water; pasta water should be about as salty as sea water.  I also set out a large cookie sheet lined with parchment paper to put the completed gnocchi on.  No sheets on the bed for me!!

When the potatoes are done, remove from the oven and when they are cool enough to handle, remove the skins and break into large chunks.  I use a large wooden cutting board to work on, but you could also use a very large bowl.  Force the potato through the colander or potato ricer. Try not to make one huge pile because you want them to stay fluffy, not clump up. It should look like this:
                                                                       

                                                                             
Next, sprinkle 1 1/2 cups of flour over the potato, make a well in the center and add the egg.  Using a fork stab the egg to break the yolk and begin to work the egg into the flour and potato.  Work from the outside in. At some point, you will see that you need to start working with your hands.  Continue mixing until a soft dough forms.  Add more flour as needed. Don't add more than a total of two cups or your dough will become too heavy. It is a very soft dough, not like regular pasta dough or bread dough.  Bread off pieces of the dough and roll into snakes about 3/4 inch in diameter.
                                                                             

 



 

Now use a knife and cut into one inch pieces.  You can leave them like this, or add ridges using a fork or ridged paddle.  My paddle part of a se for ma that was actually used for making fancy butter pats. You can find gnocchi boards online and they are less than $10.00.  You can also use the back of a fork. The purpose of the ridges is to hold the sauce, but they are not necessary.  I remember that my grandmother used to make a little dent in each one with her thumb.  See how they look like little pillows?

 

                                                                             

 

Here are some photos of the process of putting in the ridges, using both the paddle and a fork

                                          

 

 

                                           

Here are my completed gnocchi ready to go into the pot of boiling water.

                             

                                                                     

 

Do not dump all the gnocchi into the water at once or you will have a sticky, gooey inedible mess.  I do small batches at a time.  Maybe one quarter of the total batch each time.  They cook VERY quickly as soon as they rise to the top of the pot they are done. Gnocchi have a very different texture than regular pasta. No al dente here, they are very soft and light in your mouth.  Remove with a slotted spoon or spider and transfer to a bowl with the sauce.  Continue working quickly until they are all cooked.  Garnish with fresh grated Parmesan cheese and serve. 

                                                                             

                                                                           

 

Gnocchi can also be served with tomato sauce, pesto or any other type of pasta sauce. We just love the flavor of the sage and garlic.

 

I know this is not a quick recipe, but well worth the work if you are willing to take on the challenge. Relax and have fun with it!

 

Happy Cooking!

 

Carol

a.k.a. Nonnie

Healthy Quinoa Spring Salad

                                                                    

Quinoa (pronounced keen' wa) is a super food. It's use dates back to 3000 B.C. and originated in the Andes Mountains of South America.  It's actually a seed, but often considered a grain. It is a complete protein, is very high in fiber, antioxidants, minerals and healthy fats, and it's considered gluten free. It is a meal in itself. Quinoa comes in red or white.  It is advisable to rinse it in a colander until the water runs clear to get rid of any bitterness.  It is prepared like rice.  Use one part quinoa to two parts liquid, bring to a boil, reduce heat and cover.  Simmer for about 15 minutes.  It can be mixed with honey, raisins, and nuts and eaten as a breakfast cereal, served as a side dish with a little garlic and olive oil, instead of rice or potatoes, or as I have prepared it here as a salad.  I got the idea from taboule another favorite dish of mine.

You can add or leave out ingredients to your liking.  Maybe add black olives, leave out the shallots, add green or red peppers, or anything else you like.  What about black beans, lime juice instead of lemon, maybe some fresh grilled corn, and a few shakes of cumin instead of the mint for a southwestern flair. 

This was very easy to prepare, and I made this for lunch today.  Here is the recipe. 

1 cup quinoa rinsed
2 cups water, vegetable or chicken broth
2 Roma tomatoes diced
1 cucumber peeled and diced
1 shallot finely diced or 1/4 cup red onion diced
1 tablespoon dried parsley
1 teaspoon dried mint (I grow mint in the summer and dry it for tea; I just used some of this)
2 - 3 tablespoons olive oil
juice of 1/4 lemon
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper

Cook quinoa according to package directions.  Usually it's one part quinoa to two parts liquid.  Bring to a boil, lower heat to simmer and cover.  Cook for 15 minutes.  While the quinoa is cooking dice tomatoes, cucumber, and shallot.  When the quinoa is done, transfer to a bowl, add vegetables, seasonings, oil and lemon juice.  Mix well.  You can serve it slightly warm or chill.  This is a super healthy and very filling lunch or serve as a side salad with dinner.  Enjoy!

Feel free to leave comments in the comment section below this post.  I would love to know what other ingredients you choose to add!

Happy Cooking!

Carol
a.k.a.
Nonnie

St. Joseph's Pastries

                                            

I know, St. Joseph's Day was yesterday, but I am posting this today.  Lots of silly reasons why, but I'm not getting into it now. For those of you who don't know, I am Italian.  All four of my grandparents came here from Italy. While I never knew my father's parents because they both died before I was born, I was very close to my mother's parents.  Some of my roots go back to Sicily, and St. Joseph's day is a big deal Sicilian holiday. However, for some strange reason, I don't remember ever celebrating it as a child, which is funny, since my mother's name was Josephine.  My first recollection of St. Joseph's day was years ago, when a co-worker of mine, whose name was Joe, used to bring St. Joseph's pastries into school to share with our students on St. Joseph's day.  (Those were the good 'ole days; I'm sure that would never be allowed today, what with allergies, nutrition guidelines and so forth--how sad.)

I kind of forgot all about this feast day until this year when my church had a St. Joseph's pot luck feast complete with the little altar thingy and statue of St. Joseph. (Google it.) We always had a very Irish priest and did lots to celebrate St. Patrick's Day, but for the past few years we have a very Italian priest who decided we needed to celebrate St. Joseph's day as well. So I began my Internet search of all things St. Joseph.  I decided that we should have a little family St. Joseph celebration to honor St. Joseph and my mother.  And so I decided to try the pastries.

I was a little intimidated.  I always thought cream puff pastry was some difficult mysterious thing.  Not so!  I can't believe how easy they were! I will try as best I can to describe the steps in detail.  Feel free to e-mail or comment with any questions, and I will get back to you as soon as possible. There were many filling recipes, some just had whipped cream, some custard, and some cannoli cream.  Some also had sour cherries mixed into the filling.  Since cannoli are my all time favorite dessert, cannoli cream it was!

St. Joseph's Pastries with Cannoli filling.

Dough:
1 cup water
1 stick butter
1 cup flour - sifted
1 tablespoon sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
4 eggs at room temperature

Filling:
1 lb. ricotta cheese (if your cheese seems to have a lot of liquid, drain in  a strainer over a bowl in the fridge overnight.)
3/4 to 1 cup confectioner's sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1/4 teaspoon allspice (optional)

Maraschino cherries for garnish

I found it easier to have everything prepared before I began.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Place a sheet of parchment paper on a large cookie sheet and lightly butter it. Break the eggs into a bowl. Drain cherries in a colander.   I also got my pastry bag ready before I started.  I used a  #4a Wilton star tip.  This is not necessary, you can just use a disposable pastry bag or even a zip-loc bag with the corner cut the tip off so you have an opening that is about 1/2 inch in diameter.

To make the dough: put water and butter into a sauce pan and turn the heat to high.  Sift the sugar and salt with the flour.  When the water boils and the butter is completely melted, add the flour all at once. Reduce heat to medium and beat mixture with a wooden spoon.  In a minute or two, the dough will pull away from the sides of the pan and become smooth.  Remove from the heat and spread the dough onto a board. Let the dough cool for about three minutes and return to pan. You are done with the heat and you could use a bowl, but why dirty another item?  Add the eggs one at a time. Just tip the bowl, grab a yolk and some of the white with the wooden spoon and dump into the pot. This is not rocket science. Beat each egg into the dough mixture one at a time.  This takes a little elbow grease but it's not impossible.  Next time, I will try to use my mixer.

When all the eggs are thoroughly mixed into the dough, transfer the dough to a pastry bag.  If it doesn't all fit, that's fine, do it in steps.  Now squeeze a circle about three inches in diameter onto the parchment and fill it in working from the outside to the center, building it up as you work so there are two layers of pastry in the center.  Continue making circles about two inches apart.  Transfer to 400 degree oven.  After 15 minutes, reduce the heat to 350 degrees and cook about 20 minutes more, or until they look golden brown.  Like this:
                                                                 
                                                                

Remove from oven and with a sharp knife, make a slit in the side of each cream puff to let out any steam.  When they are just cool enough to handle, cut the top off one of them, if the inside is moist, cut the top off each one and put them back into the oven which is now turned off, but still warm for about ten minutes, to dry out the insides.

To make the filling, combine the drained ricotta with the other ingredients and beat well.  I used my food processor to make it really smooth.

I waited until just before these were ready to serve to fill them. The filling will cause the cream puffs to become soggy.  Use a pastry bag or zip-log bag to fill.  Replace the top and add a dollop of filling to the top.  Sprinkle powdered sugar over the pastries and then add a cherry to the top of each one.  Be sure to drain the cherries well and perhaps give them a squeeze and pat dry with a paper towel.  Mine were a little too wet and some of them slid off the top while I was driving them to my sister's.  Enjoy!
                                                                        

I must add, that I was so impressed at how easy the cream puff pastry was, that when I have time, I am going to play around with it and make some appetizers.  I will post when I have it all figured out!

As always, enjoy your pastries and it doesn't have to be St. Joseph's day to make them.  Please leave any comments or questions in the comment section below this post.  I can't wait to her how yours turned out!

Happy Cooking!

Carol. a.k.a. Nonnie

Chicken and Pasta with Artichokes and Sun Dried Tomatoes



I hope those of you who live in the Northeast are surviving the brutally cold weather we are having.  I am staying warm by spending time in my kitchen.  This is a recipe that I have been meaning to post for a while, but didn't have measurements for, so I made this the other night and measured everything.

There used to be an Italian restaurant here in town called Johnny Carinno's.  I believe it may have been a chain.  They were an Olive Garden type of restaurant, but with a less extensive menu.  Sadly, they closed, but this is a dish I often ordered when I went there.  I liked it so much that I decided to try to make it on my own.  After a few attempts, I think I came fairly close to their recipe and have been making this for several years.

Except for the accompanying pasta, this dish is all made in one large skillet.  It's fairly quick and easy, and very tasty. I find if I do all the chopping before I begin, the process goes more smoothly. One of those choppers like the one Pampered Chef sells is very helpful.  I don't usually take out my food processor for chopping unless I have a really large quantity to chop.  I usually chop everything and have it ready on a separate cutting board, then I can add each ingredient as it's needed, rather than stopping mid recipe to chop something. The whole chopping process, takes me about ten minutes.  Including prep and cooking time, this recipe should take about 40 minutes to prepare.

You may think there are some unusual ingredients in this dish.  I have talked to you before about having a well stocked pantry.  These ingredients are all things I use often and always have on hand, but you may need to make a trip to the store for some of these.  Capers, which are the unopened flower buds of the Capparis shrub, come in a small jar and are usually found where the olives and pickles are in your grocery store. It's a fairly small jar, but you only need two tablespoons.  They come packed in a briny liquid, and if you don't drain this off, they will keep for months in the refrigerator. You can certainly omit the capers, but I find that their briny, pungent taste is a nice surprise when you bite into them.

 The next unusual item is sun dried tomatoes. They are usually found in the produce section.  You can buy them dry in a package or in a jar packed in oil.  I use the ones packed in oil.  If you buy the dried ones, you must first soak them in oil to reconstitute them, and this takes a bit of time. As with the capers, if you don't drain off the oil, they will keep indefinitely in your refrigerator.  I use them in salads, add them to fresh pasta sauces, homemade bread and all kinds of other dishes.  They have a strong flavor and add to any dish you put them in. The easiest way to chop them up is to stack several on top of each other, cut them into thin strips lengthwise and then chop across the strips.

  This dish also calls for artichoke hearts.  I always have a few cans on hand.  Use the ones packed in water rather than marinated in oil.  You purchase them whole, halved or quartered.  Any kind is fine as long as they are packed in water.  You will be using the liquid as well as the artichokes, so don't dump it down the sink when you drain them. These are also great in a salad as a nice addition to regular greens.

Shallots are found in the produce section near the onions and garlic.  The skin looks like a yellow onion, but when you cut them up they look more line a red onion. They are kind of like a cross between garlic and onion.  If you don't have shallots, or don't wish to purchase them, you can certainly substitute a medium onion.

 Pitted black olives are a fairly common staple to have on hand.  I buy them whole and slice or chop them them up, but they sell cans of black olives already chopped, and these are certainly a timesaver.  Now that you have all that information, we are ready to begin.

Chicken and Pasta with Artichokes and Sun Dried Tomatoes

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
3 shallots finely chopped
4 cloves of garlic finely chopped or run through a garlic press
1 can artichoke hearts packed in water drain, but reserve the liquid
5 sun dried tomatoes chopped
1 small can chopped black olives
2-3 Tablespoons olive oil
2 Tablespoons flour
1/2 cup white wine (optional, you can just increase the amount of chicken stock by 1/2 cup)
About 1 and 1/2 cups of chicken broth
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons flat leaf Italian parsley finely chopped
about 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese for serving
1 lb long thin pasta like linguini, angel hair or spaghetti.  If you have a small family, you can use less pasta

Place a large pot of water on high heat for the pasta.  Pat the chicken breasts dry and season with the salt and pepper. In a large skillet, heat the oil over high heat.  When the oil is shimmering, reduce the heat to medium high and add the chicken breasts.  This next step is VERY important. DO NOT touch the chicken once you have put it in the pan.  Cook it for about 2 - 3 minutes.  When it is ready to turn, it will move easily.  If you fuss with it, or try to turn it too soon, it will stick to the pan and you will end up ripping it apart. You are trying to get a nice brown sear on the chicken.  Usually, if you give the pan a shake, you will see the chicken move freely, and know it is ready to turn.  Cook on the other side for another 2 -3 minutes.  Turn the chicken again, lower the heat to medium, cover and cook for another five minutes. Remove chicken from pan and set on a cutting board. The chicken will not be fully cooked at this point. 

Now add shallots, garlic and sun dried tomatoes, and capers to the pan, turn the heat to medium high and cook for about five minutes, stirring occasionally. When the water boils, add a few tablespoons of salt (One of my favorite chefs, Mario Batali, says pasta water should be as salty as sea water.) and add the pasta. Cook according to package directions.  When the pasta is finished, reserve about one cup of the pasta liquid, before you drain the pasta.

While the pasta and shallots are cooking, slice the chicken across the grain into one inch pieces.  If these seem to large, cut them in half, so you have chunks that are about one inch. When the shallots and garlic are soft and translucent, add the flour, stir well and cook about two minutes until all the flour is incorporated.

 Now add the wine and scrape up any bits that have stuck to the bottom of the pan.  Next, add the reserved liquid from the artichokes and about one cup of the stock.  Sauce should begin to thicken.  Return the chicken to the pan and cook for about 5 minutes longer, or until the chicken is no longer pink.  If sauce becomes too thick, and the remaining stock.  Finally, add the olives and artichokes to the pan.  Heat through.

 If your pan is large enough, add the pasta to the pan along with 1 cup of the cooking liquid. Stir through. The starchy pasta water, helps the sauce adhere to the pasta. If your pan isn't big enough, add the pasta water to the sauce and stir well.  Transfer everything to a big serving bowl and top with the parsley.  You can add the cheese here, or each person can add their own cheese. 

You can serve this with broccoli florets as a side dish, or add the cooked broccoli right to the dish as you serve it and mix it all together.  This is a healthy and delicious meal that I'm sure you will enjoy.

Of course, I welcome questions and comments.  Just leave them in the comments section below this post.  As always, feel free to share with your friends!  Enjoy!

 

 



Happy Cooking,

Carol
a.k.a. Nonnie

A Hearty Meal for a Blustery Night--with make ahead possibilities

As I write this the wind is howling.  We had a rain storm this morning, a snow squall this afternoon and a sudden drop in temperature.  I learned a new meteorological term today--flash freeze.  I thought that was something they did to food, but now I  know, it happens to our streets and roads. Not a nice evening.  Glad I am home safe and sound with a cozy fire in the fireplace.  I decided I needed something hearty for dinner and something that allowed me to turn the oven on.  This is a meal I have experimented with for a while, and I think I have finally gotten it the way I want it. 

One of the things I am learning about cooking and meal planning is that you don't always have to make a whole meal ahead of time.  Sometimes you can prep just part of it, and finish it off when you get home from work.  This is a perfect example of that kind of meal. I'm going to take you through the steps and tell you at what point you can stop and refrigerate or freeze to finish up another night.  It begins with leftover cooked chicken.  When I make chicken soup, I put some of the chicken into the soup, but the rest I freeze for a meal like this.  If you don't have left over chicken, you can buy one of those rotisserie chickens and pick the meat off the bone. 

This is basically a kind of chicken pot pie, but with biscuits instead of a crust.  You can add any vegetables you have on hand. Mine started out looking like this.

 

 

I must tell you that I love to chop.  I would have been a great sous chef, because I love all the prep work that goes along with cooking.  What you see here is one medium onion, one medium potato, three ribs of celery, and three carrots.  Here is the recipe.

 

Chicken Pot Pie With Biscuit Topping

 

2-3 cups of cooked chicken, diced

1 medium onion finely chopped

one potato diced into half inch pieces

3 ribs of celery, finely chopped

3 medium carrots, quartered lengthwise and chopped

three cloves garlic minced

1/3 cup flour

2 tablespoons olive or vegetable oil

1/2 cup white wine

2 cups chicken broth

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

1 teaspoon dried rosemary

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

1/4 cup finely chopped flat leaf parsley

Bisquick or canned refrigerated biscuits

 

Heat oil over medium high heat in a large skillet.  Add potatoes, onion, celery, carrots and garlic, salt, and pepper Lower heat to medium and cook for eight minutes.  Add flour and cook another three to five minutes.  Add wine and one cup of chicken broth.  Raise heat to medium high until mixture begins to thicken.  Add thyme, rosemary, Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce and chicken.  Lower heat to medium.  Add remaining broth 1/2 cup at a time.  Mixture should be like a thick gravy. 

 

At this point, you can stop cooking, cool and refrigerate or freeze.  I actually made this earlier in the morning and set it in the fridge until dinner.

 

About 30 minutes before you are ready to serve, preheat oven to 425 degrees and prepare a baking pan with non stick spray. Reheat chicken vegetable mixture.  If it becomes too thick add more chicken broth 1/2 cup at a time.  Add chopped parsley, remove from heat and add parmesan.  Pour mixture into baking pan and top with biscuits.  I used Bisquick to make biscuits, but the refrigerated ones will work just as well. Place the biscuits so they are almost touching.  You can sprinkle with a little more parmesan cheese if you like.  Bake for 15 minutes, or until biscuits are done.  If you are using refrigerated biscuits, follow the package directions for time and temperature.  I made mine in individual casseroles, and you can certainly do that, but I am assuming most of you don't have a set of individual casseroles.  Mine are the ones I use for onion soup and are kind of fun to use. 

 

 

 

This is a recipe you can make your own changes to.  You can add frozen peas, green beans or corn.  You can also add chopped peppers to the mixture you sauté at the start.  You can leave out the potatoes, but I find they help as a thickener. 

 

Give this a try and let me know how it turns out!  Remember the plan ahead part!  If you do, and use refrigerated biscuits, this meal will take less than 30 minutes to prepare!  Perfect for a weeknight meal.  Don't forget, if you are chopping vegetables for a recipe, chop extra and store in the fridge.  That will make prep even easier.  Have fun and enjoy!

 

Happy Cooking!

 

Carol

a.k.a. Nonnie