Merry Christmas!

That's my girl, Sadie, sitting on the lap of the REAL SANTA CLAUS.  He visited Sacramento last Sunday.  He did!

Happy Festivus, Georgie

Wishing you a 'Festivus for the rest of us!'

Nana Recipe Wednesday---Chicken Tortilla Casserole

Yep, a casserole.

Look at the cute little family.  This is Nana and Boppa with my dad Mike, age 4, (in front of Boppa) and my uncle Bill, age 2, (in front of Nana).  The back of the picture says "The Doctor out There" and is dated September of 1947.  My dad says they were living in San Angelo, Texas at this time, but I'm not sure if this is where the photo was taken.  If any of you family members know, please comment!

Anyway, back to the casserole.  From Campbell's:

"Learn how to use Campbell's Soups in your casserole dishes. Discover what zestful flavor they give--what quick and easy substituted for cream sauce some of them are--the precious minutes they save you in preparation--they make meals so attractive! "

Casseroles were also easy for busy moms and using new convenience foods was the new modern way to cook.  Using canned soups also gained popularity because of their ability to stretch a meal and their low prices during the Depression.

I'm not showing you the grocery list yet.

BUT--first, cook some chicken and either shred it or cut it into bite-sized pieces.  I used a big package of chicken thighs.  More economical than breasts and they don't dry out.

You'll also need to make the sauce and set it aside, grate some cheese, and chop some corn tortillas into small pieces.

You can make two smaller casseroles, like I did, or just use a 9x13" Pyrex pan.  For the larger Pyrex, divide the tortillas in half and layer half in the bottom of the pan.  For two pans, divide into 4 parts.

 

Do the same with the chicken.  Layer it over the top of the tortillas.

 

Divide the sauce the same way.  Pour it over the chicken layer, then sprinkle some cheese over.

 

Lather, rinse, repeat.  You know, rather like a lasagna.

Finish with a top layer of cheese, then pour on some green salsa.

 

Side view of casserole.

 

Bake at 350* for one hour.

 

Until bubbly and browned on the edges.

 

Pair with a nice salad and your'e good to go.

 

Alright, are you ready for the soup?

 

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Nana's Chicken Tortilla Casserole

4 whole chicken breasts or 1 whole chicken plus another whole breast--Cooked and shredded, or cut into bite-sized pieces.

(I used a large package of boneless, skinless thighs--about 10)

1 pkg. corn tortillas (I had a giant package--I used approximately 15-20), cut into 2-inch pieces

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1 can evaporated milk

1 jar green salsa (I used Herdez)--reserve 1/3 of jar

3/4 lb cheddar cheese, grated

1 small onion, chopped (and sauteed)

Preheat oven to 350*.

Mix soups, evaporated milk, 2/3 jar of salsa, and sauteed onion in a bowl and set aside.

Begin layering the casserole, similar to a lasagne.

Layer 1:  Half of the tortillas

Layer 2:  Half of the chicken

Layer 3:  Half of the sauce

Layer 4:  Half of the cheese

Repeat another layer of all, ending with cheese.  Top with remaining salsa.

Bake at 350* for one hour.  Let sit for 15 minutes before cutting.

Cold Weather = Soup Weather

Sorry, just one photo.  This time of year keeps me terribly busy.  I'm delivering presents to my clients, shopping for the kiddies and trying to figure out time to see all the family and friends who are visiting from out of town.  It's practically impossible to do it all.  I haven't even begun my holiday baking, which means I'm REALLY in the weeds.  Therefore, the blog must suffer.  I know you readers are probably equally busy so I'm sure you understand and will forgive me....right?

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Undercover Pea Soup


2 Tbsp olive oil
1 yellow onion, chopped
2 ribs celery, chopped
5-6 carrots, sliced
3 potatoes, diced
1 bag split peas (about 2 cups, washed)
3 bay leaves
1 chicken bouillon cube
1 ham bone or ham hock
2 cups diced ham
curry powder to taste (approx 1-2 tsp)
salt and pepper to taste
5 qts water

In a Dutch oven, saute onion, celery and carrot in oil until soft.  Add ham bone, water, bay leaves, bouillon, curry and split peas.  Bring to al boil.  Reduce heat to medium-low.  Partially cover the pot, and simmer for a half-hour.  Add the potatoes and simmer until vegetables and peas are soft and the peas are starting to fall apart, about another half-hour.

Remove ham bone.  Using a stick blender, partially blend the soup.  Return to the heat.  Add the diced ham.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Finally I Cooked Something

I shook off my funk and got back into the kitchen this evening.  To make polenta.  Why?  I don't know.  I was craving polenta.  Is there some kind of nutrient in polenta that I can be deficient in?

Anyway, this is what you need.  Those jars on the left are home-canned tomato sauce and tomatoes that I did last summer.  You can use sauce that you make, or buy, or just use a big can of tomatoes that you get at the store.  TJ's has some Italian herb whole tomatoes in a can that would probably work pretty well.  All together I used about 3 cups of sauce and a cup or so of the canned tomato.

Don't pay attention to the saucepan I'm using here.  I was in a hurry and not thinking things through.  In a Dutch oven, brown the Italian sausage until it's mostly cooked through.  I used one package mild and one package hot.

When the sausage is done, set aside on a plate and pour off the fat.

In the same pan, saute the onion, garlic and carrot in olive oil until soft.

Add the peppers.  Season with salt and pepper.

When the peppers are cooked through, add the tomato sauce and tomatoes...or whatever you decide to use.

Add the sausage back to the Dutch oven and simmer over low heat.

Meanwhile, in a saucepan or on a griddle, cook the rounds of polenta in a hot pan.

Arrange them, slightly overlapping, in an oven-proof dish.

Ladle over some of the sauce, about 2 cups.

Next, add a layer of sliced fresh mozzarella.

Then, another layer of sauce, some Parmesan cheese and a little parsley.

Bake in a 350* oven for about a half-hour.

When it's done, it'll look like this.

When the polenta is in the oven, you can make this side dish, if you wish.

Undercover Easy Greens

1)  Slice half an onion thinly.

2)  Saute the onion until golden.

3)  Dump in a big bag of "country greens"--a mix of collards, mustard and turnip greens.

4)  Saute for about 5 minutes, until cooked down.

5)  Add a Tbsp of Bariani (or some other high quality) balsamic vinegar.

6)  Add a pinch of red pepper flakes.

7)  Turn heat to low and let continue to cook for about 10 minutes, or until cooked to your desired doneness.

Voila!  Dinner is served.

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Undercover Polenta, Sausage and Pepper Bake

2 tubes prepared polenta, sliced into 1/2 inch rounds.

1-28 oz can of tomatoes or prepared tomato sauce.  You may use prepared marinara if you wish.

2 packages raw Italian sausage, removed from casings.  I used one hot and one mild.

1 large onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 carrots, chopped

2 peppers, sliced.  I used one red and one green.

1 ball of fresh mozzarella, sliced into 1/2 inch rounds.

Parmesan cheese

salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350*.

Brown sausage in a Dutch oven until nearly cooked through.  Remove from pan and set aside.  Drain fat.  Add a Tbsp olive oil back to the Dutch oven and saute the onion, garlic and carrot until soft.  Add the sliced peppers and saute until they are soft.  Season the vegetables with salt and pepper.  Return the sausage to the pot.  Add the tomatoes or sauce (or both) and simmer on low.

In a saucepan over medium-high heat, fry the polenta rounds in a little bit of olive oil.

As they are cooked, layer them in an ovenproof dish, such as a Pyrex, slightly overlapping until all polenta rounds are cooked.  Ladle over the sauce, about 1-1/2 to 2 cups.

Next, place a layer of sliced mozzarella on top of the sauce.

Ladle on some more sauce, then sprinkle on some Parmesan.  If you like greenery like I do, sprinkle on some chopped parsley.

Bake for about 30 minutes, until cheese is melted and sauce is bubbling.