Creamed Potato Casserole

Cooler weather calls for “stick-to-your-ribs” comfort food. When I ran across this recipe, I knew I had to try it. With a little tweaking and putting my spin on it, I am sharing my Creamed Potato Casserole (recipe follows).

I am a huge fan of creamed, not mashed, potatoes anyway. I shared how I make my creamed potatoes. Please note: if this particular step is replaced with instant potatoes or mashed potatoes, the results will be very different and not as—well—creamy.

Back to the point at hand, this particular dish just hit the spot with me. When you add cheese to creamed potatoes, well what can I say other than “Bring them babies on”. Another thing I especially enjoy about this dish is that it can be assembled, but not cooked, one day prior. Just be sure to allow casserole to come to room temperature before baking.

For those of you concerned about the calories or trying to cut back on casein in your diet, you might want to use low-fat milk or vegetable based milk. The taste, however, will not be the same.

Here are my recipes & how I put these together:

Creamed Potatoes:

4 large red potatoes peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes

2 cups water or enough to cover cubes potatoes

2 tablespoons butter (no substitutes)

1/4 cup heavy (whipping) cream, at room temperature

1. Place pealed, cubed potatoes in large sauce pan. Cover with water, about  2 to 3 cups. Add butter. Turn heat to medium high; bring to a boil and reduce heat to medium-low.

2. Boil for 25 to 35 minutes or until potatoes are very soft. Remove from heat and drain. Add room temperature heavy cream; using an electric hand mixer, whip potatoes until creamed.

Casserole:

2 cups creamed potatoes

1/2 cup sour cream at room temperature

4 ounces cream cheese, cut into 1/2-inch cubes, softened to room temperature

1 teaspoon dried chives

1/4 teaspoon garlic salt, with parsley

1/4 cup gluten free bread crumbs

1 tablespoon butter, melted

1/3 cup four cheese blend, room temperature

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Spray a1-quart casserole with gluten free non-stick cooking spray; set aside.

2. Place creamed potatoes, sour cream, cream cheese, chives, and garlic salt in a large mixing bowl. Use a wooden spoon to combine. Spoon into prepared casserole dish.

3. Combine butter and bread crumbs; sprinkle over creamed potato mixture.

4. Place uncooked casserole on aluminum baking sheet; place in preheated oven. Bake 50 to 60 minutes.

5. Remove from oven. Reposition rack to the top and turn oven temperature to broil. Sprinkle with four cheese blend; broil 3 to 5 minutes or until cheese begins to melt and brown lightly. Remove and serve immediately.

Servings: 6

Author’s Note: I keep bread crumbs that I made in my freezer at all times. Just bake a couple of loaves of your favorite bread, place in your food processor and about 30 of seconds later, you will have plenty of bread crumbs on hand for use when you need them. If you are short on time, a loaf of store bought certified gluten free bread will also work—just more expensive.

Oven Temperature: 350°F

Preparation Time: 30 minutes

Cooking Time: 1 hour and 20 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour and 50 minutes

Nutrition (per serving): 406 calories, 216 calories from fat, 24.6 g total fat, 64.5 mg cholesterol, 354 mg sodium, 926.6 mg potassium, 41 g carbohydrates, 2.9 g fiber, 2.8 g sugar, 7.4 g protein.

  

Author: Dr. Jacquelyn P. Horne

Copyright: 2013

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Sausage and Sour Cream Breakfast Casserole

Sometimes traditional breakfast foods simply do not hit the spot, especially when serving overnight guests. My Sausage and Sour Cream Breakfast Casserole is often my weapon of choice when entertaining during a morning venue. I made this often before my sweet hubby was diagnosed as Celiac. With a little experimentation and tweaking, here is my gluten free version.

When I am using this dish for a group of people, I make one large casserole rather than two smaller ones. People always seem to enjoy, seldom leaving any. The poppy seeds add just a nice tad of crunch. This casserole also makes a superb brunch dish.

The one thing I like most about this particular recipe in addition to being quick to prepare, if you have any left, one serving reheats perfectly in the microwave. Just set the timer for about 35 to 40 seconds per individual serving.

Crustless Spinach and Mushroom Quiche

One of the foods that always gave my solace after a long day in the library when I was pounding out my doctorate was quiches of all kinds, so I drug out an old recipe, omitted the crust for Rick, added a couple of things and my Crustless Spinach and Mushroom Quiche (recipe follows) was born. Not only did this one bring back memories of long hours of research and studying, but this week it just plain old hit the spot. 

Naked Spinach and Muenster Quiche

Yummy, comfort food at its finest. The little white chunks of melted cream cheese is what puts this particular quiche into a category of all its own,. 

Here is my recipe:
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/2 cup onions, finely chopped
1 12-ounce package frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
5 medium eggs , lightly beaten
2 1/2 cups Muenster cheese, finely grated
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup cream cheese, cut into 1/4-inch cubes

Ham and Shredded Potato Casserole

All of us cook way too much food for whatever the occasion, especially during the holiday season. This is a recipe to help you salvage your leftover meat. In this particular version, I am using some ham I had left, but you can substitute hamburger, turkey or beef. And as for the creamed soup, use whatever type you have on hand or like best. This particular recipe is intended to be used as a guide, not as an absolute. The beauty of this recipe is that it freezes perfectly, giving you an option for meals a little farther down the road when you may be just a tad bit busy to cook.

Now, let's talk turkey about the creamed soup. Every few months, I take a couple of days to make all sorts of creamed soups so that when I run across a yummy recipe, I can simply make it. I have been freezing them in 12 ounce portions which is about the size of a traditional can of soup. About 2 to 3 months is the shelf life in the freezer, so I try not to get too far ahead. The next round I make I am planning to can them in a water bath. I will let you know how that little experiment works out!

Don't get turned off by the high numbers for fat, sodium and cholesterol; yes, they are high than what I particularly need in those areas, but look at all the good things that fill this recipe. By changing to a leaned type of meat, such as turkey or chicken, the sodium and cholesterol counts should lower. 

Here is my recipe:
1/4 cup fresh parmesan cheese, finely grated
1 cup cheddar cheese, finely grated
3 cups potato, shredded
2 1/2 cups ham, cooked and cubed
1 can cream of celery soup (Click here for my gluten free version of cream of celery soup)
1/8 teaspoon paprika

Here is how I made this: 
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Spray an 11 by 7 inch baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.

2. Place both cheeses in a medium sized mixing bowl; mix and set aside.

3. Shred potatoes; squeeze out excess moisture. In medium mixing bowl, place shredded potatoes, ham and soup. Stir to combine thoroughly. Spoon into prepared baking dish. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until bubbly throughout and the edges are crisp and brown.

4. Sprinkle cheese evenly over the top. Return to the oven and bake another 6 to 8 minutes or until cheese is completely melted.

5. To garnish, sprinkle with a few dashes of paprika.

Servings: 8

Oven Temperature: 400°F

Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 40 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes

Dietary Analysis:

·                     Items highlighted in yellow should be taken into careful consideration when looking at total food intake for the day.

·                     Items highlighted in green are indicate a low value when considering total food intake for the day.

Percent daily values based on the Reference Daily Intake (RDI) for a 2000 calorie diet. Nutrition information calculated from recipe ingredients.

Calories per serving: 340.42
Calories From Fat (31%) 107.05

% Daily Value
Total Fat 12.1g 19%
Saturated Fat 5.84g 29%
Cholesterol 78.38mg 26%
Sodium 1139.78mg 47%
Potassium 1032.12mg 29%
Total Carbohydrates 35.9g 12%
Fiber 4.12g 16%
Sugar 2.45g
Protein 22.28g 45%
Fiber 4.12g 16%
Copper 0.42mg 21%
Energy 1424.35
Glucose 0.57g
Iron 3.33mg 19%
Lactose 0.04g
Lysine 1.81g
Magnesium 66.69mg 17%
Manganese 0.36mg 18%
Net Carbohydrates 31.78g
Phosphorus 446.4mg 45%
Riboflavin 0.3mg 18%
Selenium 27.28mcg 39%
Thiamin 0.18mg 12%
Vitamin A 347.35IU 7%
Vitamin B12 0.5mcg 8%
Vitamin B6 0.68mg 34%
Vitamin C 40.27mg 67%
Vitamin D 5.46IU 1%
Vitamin E 0.53mg 5%
Vitamin K 3.72mcg 5%
Zinc 2.95mg 20%

Author: Dr. Jacquelyn P. Horne
Copyright: 2012

Summer Medley Casserole

One of Rick’s all time favorites, this is a terrific recipe that takes advantage of those tidbits of veggies that might be hanging around your refrigerator and summer's bounty. 

I often find myself with too many raw veggies to throw away, but not enough for a meal by themselves. The strength of this casserole is that the veggies retain their crunchy texture through the cooking process. 

Here is my recipe:
1 cup carrots, julienned
1 1/2 cups Ener-g bread crumbs, toasted
4 tablespoons butter
2 cups cauliflower florets
1 cup broccoli florets
1/2 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons heavy cream
3/4 cup queso (Mexican crumbling) cheese, grated
1 teaspoon salt  to taste

Easy Cheesy Squash Casserole

Thinking forward to the fall when cooler weather calls for comfort foods, I perfected this little recipe for you. 

Who can resist this creamy goodness?

 Although this baby takes advantage of summer's bounty, these veggies are easy to find all year. And, you want to know the good news? If you happen to be a backyard farmer like us, you just may have more on your hands than you can use. In that case, simply make up a few of these, but DO NOT COOK.  Label each with the date and the cooking instructions including the temperature and the time.  

When you want some comfort food when the days are short and the temperature outside is cold, just thaw one of these comforting culinary treasures and within 30 minutes, you will have a yummy side dish to sink your teeth into.

Here is my recipe:
2 tablespoons canola oil
4 tablespoon butter
1 1/2 cups Ener-G gluten free bread crumbs
3-4 medium yellow squash, thinly sliced
1/2 medium sweet red onion, thinly sliced
1/4 cup fresh Parmesan cheese, finely grated
1/2 cup four cheese blend, softened to room temperature
1/2 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon salt  to taste

Hearty Baked Beans

These are so good--smoky with an extraordinarily rich flavor and lots of meat--they could easily take the place of the entree! Just look how gorgeous these are with just a tad of garnishment.

Here is my recipe:
1 cup bacon, fried crisp & finely crumbled
1/2 pound lean ground beef
1/2  cup bell pepper, finely chopped
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup firmly-packed brown sugar
1/2 cup barbecue sauce
1/4 cup Heinz ketchup
1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
1/2  teaspoon White pepper to taste
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon chili pepper
1/4 cup molasses
2 teaspoons spicy brown mustard
1 can kidney beans, drained & rinsed
16 ounces Bush's Original pork and beans
Parsley for garnish


Here is how I did this:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.


2. In a large skillet, cook bacon, drain and crumble;  measure after crumbling and set aside. Place ground beef in same skillet. Break into small clumps with fork. Brown until the meat turns gray; remove from skillet and drain, reserving drippings. Sauté onion and bell pepper in drippings from ground  beef; drain.


3. Lightly greased or spray with non-stick cooking spray a 2½-quart baking dish; set aside.


4. Combine remaining ingredients; add crumbled bacon, ground beef, onion and bell pepper. Add remaining ingredients; mix thoroughly. Spoon entire mixture into prepared baking dish.


5. Place baking dish on baking sheet and place in preheated oven. Baked uncovered for 1 hour at 350º. Garnish parsley sprigs, if desired.


Servings: 10


Calories Per Serving: 274.85


Author's Note:
For smaller families, divide mixture among three 1 quarts baking dishes, cover and freeze until ready to use. To thaw, place in refrigerator overnight. Reduce baking time by one-half for smaller quantities.


Author: Dr. Jacquelyn P. Horne
Copyright: 2012

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