Baked Mashed Potatoes with Parmesan Cheese and Bread Crumbs

This is a great dish for company OR a simple weeknight meal. Start cooking the potatoes while you are getting your other dishes ready and then the mashing and addition of other ingredients takes no time at all. I have prepared this in advance before as well (all the way up to right before baking) and it works fabulously.

And you will not be disappointed! I use either white round potatoes (not Idaho) or Yukon golds and leave the skin on; partially because I am a little lazy, and partially because I like the texture it gives to the final product. The creamy cheeses and crusty breadcrumbs all combine with the potatoes to make a great dish! Also, use buttermilk if you have it in place of the whole milk, even creamier!

I originally found this recipes in Giada's Family Dinners cookbook, but it's also online, so I have linked you to that below. And when I make this for just Chuck and myself, I halve everything and bake in a 1 1/2 quart baking dish.

Baked Mashed Potatoes with Parmesan Cheese and Bread Crumbs
from Giada DeLaurentiis
Makes 4-6 servings

1 tablespoon butter
4 pounds russet potatoes, peeled, cut into 1-inch pieces (I use Yukon gold or white round)
1 cup whole milk (buttermilk)
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted
1 1/2 cups grated mozzarella
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons plain dry bread crumbs

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Coat a 13 by 9 by 2-inch baking dish with 1 tablespoon of butter and set aside.

Cook the potatoes in a large pot of boiling salted water until they are very tender, about 15 minutes. Drain; return the potatoes to the same pot and mash well. Mix in the milk and melted butter. Mix in the mozzarella and 3/4 cup of the Parmesan. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper.

Transfer the potatoes to the prepared baking dish. Stir the bread crumbs and remaining 1/4 cup of Parmesan in a small bowl to blend. Sprinkle the bread crumb mixture over the mashed potatoes. Recipe can be prepared up to this point 6 hours ahead of time; cover and chill.

Bake, uncovered, until the topping is golden brown, about 20 minutes.

Mom's Meatloaf

Oh, meatloaf. Everyone makes fun of you and cracks jokes about you. And really, all you are in a big hunk of meat molded together. But you are called comfort food for a reason - because deep down I think everyone really likes you - that is, if you are made well.

How many horror stories have we heard about dry, tasteless hunks of ground meat that you could basically use to injure someone else? I have to say that THIS meatloaf is GREAT. We ate it all the time growing up in my house made with ground beef; and now that I make it with ground turkey at my own little abode, Chuck really likes it and even wants to take the leftovers to work! Although he makes fun of me for putting ketchup on it!

I am crediting this to my mom because she is the only one I ever remember making it :)

Mom's Meatloaf
from Jo's Kitchen
Makes one loaf

1 pound ground beef or 1.3 pound package of ground turkey
1 egg, beaten
8 ounce can of tomato sauce
1/2 cup bread crumbs
salt and pepper
garlic powder

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Mix all ingredients in large bowl (works best with your hands!). Form into loaf shape and place into baking dish with sides. Bake for 50 minutes or until cooked through.

Nothing says love like a well-shaped loaf of raw meat.

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins

I would like to start this post with welcoming back one of my favorite blog readers, Rita. I missed you and I am glad you are back to cooking and feeling better, slowly but surely!!

This muffins are fantastic, seriously. The moist pumpkin taste (which, obviously I love according to all the pumpkin posts) with the crumbly, buttery streusel topping, and the surprise of the sweet cream cheese in the middle all add up to a muffin you will want to taste again and again. I sent these in with Chuck to share at work and apparently they all went fast!

Note: The cream cheese and powdered sugar "log" definitely did not freeze within two hours. When I took it out of the freezer, I was basically able to divide it into 24 sections with a very sharp knife, but even then I was not successful at cutting out the disks. I recommend just taking a spoon and scooping out enough filling for each muffin.

Your friend, the pastry blender.

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins
from Annie's Eats
Makes 24 muffins

For the muffins:
3 cups flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground cloves (optional)
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
4 eggs
1 ¼ cups vegetable oil
2 cups sugar
2 cups pumpkin puree

For the filling:
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 cup powdered sugar

For the streusel topping:
½ cup sugar
¼ cup plus 1 teaspoon flour
4 tablespoons butter, cubed
1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon

To prepare the filling, combine the cream cheese and powdered sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer and whip until smooth. Form into a log on plastic wrap or foil, making sure that the diameter is small enough to fit into the well of a muffin pan. Wrap the log up tightly and freeze until slightly hardened, 1-2 hours.

To make the muffins, combine the flour, spices, salt and baking soda in a medium bowl. Mix well and set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the eggs, vegetable oil, sugar and pumpkin puree. Mix until well combined. Add in the dry ingredients and mix on low speed until just combined.

To make the streusel topping, combine all ingredients in a small bowl. Mix together with a pastry blender or two forks until crumbly.

Preheat the oven to 350°. Line two muffin pans with paper liners. To assemble the muffins, fill each muffin well halfway with batter. Remove the cream cheese log from the freezer and slice into 24 equal slices. Place a slice in each muffin well. Divide the remaining muffin batter evenly among the muffin cups, on top of the cream cheese. Sprinkle the streusel topping over the top of the batter. Bake for 20-25 minutes. Let cool completely before serving.

Rotini with Chicken and Mushroom Ragu

I made a guest chef appearance at Sunday Dinner this week at my parents' house since I had this recipe starred from Erin's blog and wanted to try it out before too long! I will suggest that you refer back to Erin's pictures since mine are taking on that low-light quality that comes with the darkening autumn evenings. (Don't worry, I am looking at other camera options!)

My mom and I made a few changes to the original recipe. She could not find pappardelle at the store and instead bought a tri-shape rotini mix, which I liked since the sauce really held onto the ridges and curves in the pasta! We opted out of the arugula since we were serving salad with it, but next time I make this I will add it back in. Also, we used an entire pound of pasta and there was STILL sauce left over.

Some advice about the mushrooms - the recipe says to finely chop them in the food processor,

but if you chop them TOO finely, they will virtually disappear in the sauce. So I would go with a coarser chop to begin with and then they will stand out more in the finished dish. Enjoy the nice, hearty sauce with delicious chicken thighs and serve with a green salad and some crusty bread on the side! My changes in italics.

Rotini with Chicken and Mushroom Ragu

from Epicurious via Cooking and Eating in the Windy City

Makes 4-6 servings

6 ounces cremini mushrooms (8 ounces baby bellas)
3 garlic cloves
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/4 pounds skinless boneless chicken thighs, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 small onion, chopped
3/4 teaspoon chopped rosemary
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 (28-ounce) can whole tomatoes in juice
1/2 pound dried pappardelle (one pound rotini)
5 ounces baby arugula (about 8 cups) (omitted)

Pulse mushrooms and garlic in a food processor until finely (coarsely) chopped.

Heat oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Season chicken with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until just golden, about 3 minutes. Transfer with a slotted spoon to a bowl.

Reduce heat to medium and cook onion, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 3 minutes.
Add mushroom mixture, rosemary, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and cook, stirring constantly, until beginning to brown, about 4 minutes.

Add vinegar and cook until evaporated. Add chicken and tomatoes (with juice), then simmer, breaking up tomatoes with a spoon and stirring occasionally, until sauce is just thickened, about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook pappardelle in a pasta pot of boiling salted water (2 tablespoons salt for 6 quarts water) until al dente.

Add arugula to sauce and stir until wilted. Stir in drained pasta and cook 1 minute.

Slow Cooker Chicken Taco Soup

This is one of my favorite "lunch soups". It is soooo easy to make - you open a few cans, pour in some beer, and you don't even have to brown the chicken before you add it to the slow cooker.

Gotta love Yuengling in a measuring cup!

It is delicious with a sprinkle of cheddar cheese and a dollop of sour cream on top - and make sure you pack some tortilla chips to accompany it!

Slow Cooker Chicken Taco Soup
adapted slightly from AllRecipes.com
Makes 6-8 servings

1 onion, chopped
2 (15 ounce) cans black beans, drained and rinsed
1 (15 ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained
1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
1 (12 fluid ounce) can or bottle beer (anything but light beer!)
2 (10 ounce) cans diced tomatoes with green chilies, undrained (Rotel brand)
1 (1.25 ounce) package taco seasoning
2 whole skinless, boneless chicken breasts, each cut in half

Place the onion, black beans, corn, tomato sauce, beer, and diced tomatoes in a slow cooker. Add taco seasoning, and stir to blend. Lay chicken breasts on top of the mixture, pressing down slightly until just covered by the other ingredients. Set slow cooker for low heat, cover, and cook for 5 hours.

Remove chicken breasts from the soup, and allow to cool long enough to be handled. Stir the shredded chicken back into the soup, and continue cooking for 1-2 hours on low.

Apple-Cheddar Pie

Oh boy, here it is. The crowning glory of our Farm-Fresh Autumn Dinner. All week I was worried about making our own pie crust and I think I got Krista anxious about it as well! I will give Krista all the credit for the crust - I just happened to be busy with other things when it was time to roll it out so she was stuck with it. ;)

I think Krista will tell you as well that it was not as bad as I envisioned it. Honestly, the hardest part was deciding how much water to add to the ingredients so that it had the proper texture. Once we acheived that, the rest was just refrigerating and waiting to roll it out!

Make sure you leave enough time to make this - with all the refrigerating in between and the long baking time, the pie probably took us about 4 hours from start to finish. But it was well worth it - homemade crust cannot compare to the ready-made crusts from the supermarket.

One thing we were not as happy with at the end was that we couldn't really taste the cheddar IN the crust. We actually sprinkled some cheese over the top of the crust right at the end to get some more cheese flavor! But the apple filling was the definition of "autumn", and vanilla ice cream finished it off perfectly. Chuck and Evan were duly impressed!

Apple-Cheddar Pie
from Williams-Sonoma
Makes 8 to 12 servings

For the dough:
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon sugar
6 ounces white cheddar cheese, finely grated, plus more for the top
16 tablespoons (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1/3 to 1/2 cup ice water

For the filling:
2 pounds Braeburn apples, peeled, cored and cut into slices 1/4 inch thick
1 1/2 pounds Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and cut into slices 1/4 inch thick
3/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
3 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons heavy cream

To make the dough, in a bowl, combine the flour, salt, sugar and cheese, breaking apart any large clumps of cheese. Put the butter in a separate bowl. Place both bowls in the freezer for 10 minutes.

In a food processor, pulse the flour mixture until the ingredients are combined, about 5 pulses. Add the butter and process until the mixture resembles coarse meal, 15 to 20 pulses. Add 1/3 cup of the ice water and pulse twice. The dough should hold together when squeezed with your fingers but should not be sticky. If it is crumbly, add more water 1 Tbs. at a time, pulsing twice after each addition. Turn the dough out onto a work surface, divide in half and shape each half into a disk. Wrap the disks separately in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.

To make the filling, in a large bowl, combine the apples, sugar, lemon juice, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt and stir to combine. Let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes to 1 hour.

Meanwhile, remove 1 of the dough disks from the refrigerator and let stand for 5 minutes. Place the dough between 2 sheets of lightly floured waxed paper and roll out into a 12-inch round about 3/16 inch thick. Brush off the excess flour. Transfer to a pie dish and press the dough into the dish. Trim the edges, leaving a 1/2-inch overhang. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Preheat an oven to 400°F.

Pour the apples into a sieve set over a small saucepan, then transfer the apples to a large bowl. Set the saucepan with the juices over medium-high heat, add the butter and cook until reduced to 1/3 cup, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from the heat. Sprinkle the cornstarch over the apples and toss to combine, then stir in the reduced juices. Transfer the apples to the pie shell.

Roll out the remaining dough disk into a 12-inch round about 3/16 inch thick. Drape the dough over the apples and press gently to eliminate any air pockets. Trim the dough flush with the rim of the dish. Fold the bottom crust over the top crust and crimp to form a decorative edge. Cut 4 slits in the top of the crust to allow steam to escape. Brush the top of the crust with the cream.

Bake for 20 minutes. Cover the edges and top with aluminum foil if they begin to get too dark. Reduce the oven temperature to 350°F and continue to bake until the apples are easily pierced with a knife, 65 to 70 minutes more. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool for at least 1 1/2 hours before serving.

Garlic-Studded Pork Tenderloin with Apple Cider and Onions

I am so sad I didn't get more pictures of this dish once it was served, because it was so pretty AND so delicious. Krista and I made some significant changes from the original recipe for several reasons. We wanted to use the oven rather than the crock pot and we didn't need all of the extra vegetables it called for on the side. Plus, I wanted to use pork tenderloin, my new favorite cut of meat. It's so versatile and comes out moist and tender every time as long as you pay attention to the internal temperature.

Fresh herbs are a must for this particular recipe, since they are basically the only thing besides the garlic that is used to season the meat. I seared the meat in my Dutch oven, but it can also be done in a large saucepan or deep saute pan if that is all you have.

The flavors that Krista and I decided on for this really complimented the rest of the meal well - the apple cider and onion sauce really adds a nice, sweet element to the garlicky pork.

Garlic-Studded Pork Tenderloin with Apple Cider and Onions
adapted from Williams-Sonoma
Makes 4-6 servings

2 1-pound pork tenderloins
10 garlic cloves, sliced 1/4 inch thick
kosher salt and coarse ground pepper, to taste
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh thyme
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary
5 tablespoons finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 medium sweet onion, cut into wedges
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup white wine
12 ounces apple cider

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cut 1 inch slits all over the tenderloin. Insert garlic slices into slits and generously season with salt and pepper. In a small bowl, combine the thyme, rosemary, and 4 tablespoons of the parsley with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Rub the mixture evenly onto the pork.

Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the pork (may need to be one at a time depending on the size of your oven) and brown on all sides, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a roasting pan and arrange the onions around and on top of the pork.

Add the wine and apple cider to the Dutch oven, bring to a boil, and simmer for 2 minutes. Pour the sauce over the pork and onions. Cook in the preheated oven for 1 hour or until internal temperature registers 170 degrees and inside is no longer pink.

Remove pork from pan and place on a cutting board to rest, covering with foil. Pour remaining sauce and onions into a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Turn heat to low and continue to simmer, uncovered, until slightly thickened, about 10-15 minutes. The longer you simmer this, the thicker the sauce will be.

Cut the pork into 1/4 inch thick slices and arrange on a serving platter. Top with remaining 1 tablespoon of parsley. Serve the thickened sauce alongside.

Prepped and ready to be browned...

Simmering the wine and apple cider - plus some garlic and herbs.