Modified from TaylorMade Market Truthfully, I have not been much of a spaghetti squash fan when people have touted it as an alternative to spaghetti noodles. It always turned to mush for me and seemed kind of bland. I noticed this appealing recipe on Pinterest and decided to give spaghetti squash another try. As usual,… Continue reading Cheesy Spaghetti Squash Bake
Adapted from America’s Test Kitchen Have you ever made a cheesy potato dish that you love, only to have it curdle or end up topped with an unappetizing pool of grease? There’s a lot of variables at play – the amount of starch in the potato, the proteins in the cream and cheese, how well… Continue reading Potatoes Au Gratin
Adapted from and Inspired by Bakeaholic Mama I recognize that I use every excuse in the book to eat anything dripping with cheese and/or bacon….but this time I really needed some comfort food. If any of you have ever had a pinched nerve in your back, you know what I’m saying. Ouch! Although I was… Continue reading Smoky Macaroni and Cheese with Bacon Topping
Modified from Daniel Boulud’s Chicken Lasagna I have to warn you straight up about this recipe – it is incredibly rich. Not rich as in “I always fly first class.” Not rich as in “We fly our own plane and have a time-share ski cabin in Aspen.” It’s rich like “Please have the pilot ready… Continue reading Chicken Lasagna with Mushrooms and Fontina Cheese
When we are in Santa Fe, I like to attempt at least one Southwestern-inspired dish, and with that, hopefully add an ingredient that is new to me. This recipe for Chicken Tamales sounded interesting and included tomatillos – a tart little tomato-like fruit that I have not cooked with before. However, I didn’t want to… Continue reading Chicken Tamale Casserole (with Roasted Tomatillo, Cilantro and Green Chile Sauce)
Summer is finally starting to wind down, and thank goodness for that! I have to apologize for neglecting the blog for so long. For the most part, cooking this summer has been mostly repeats of favorites, coupled with a lack of enthusiasm for standing in a hot kitchen. Even grilling has gone by the wayside,… Continue reading Sunny Summer Squash Casserole
Our good-gardener, neighbor Mike brought us some beautiful pattypan squash from his garden, and also a package of heirloom tomatoes that he had sun-dried and put up from another year’s bounty. I’m so glad I live near a generous person with a green thumb! Mike suggested cooking the squash in a tomato sauce with some… Continue reading Summer Squash Casserole with Tomatoes and Mozzarella
A good casserole is one of the best comfort foods. You just can’t beat a one-dish meal for convenience – just pop it in the oven and relax – or for the great way the ingredients play off each other. This Latin-style lasagna is both sweet and savory, with cumin-spiced ground beef, layers of plantains,… Continue reading Latin Lasagna with Beef and Plantains
A gratin is a dish typically prepared using ingredients of thinly sliced and layered potatoes and cream cooked in a buttered dish. Well….yum! This preparation method originated in France (of course); the name gratin dauphinois refers to the Dauphiné region of France, where this method of preparing potatoes is a specialty (according to Wikipedia). Here’s… Continue reading Curried Sweet Potato Gratin
Sources: Flavors of Moroccoby Ghillie Basan and “A Classic” at 64 Sq Ft Kitchen James commented to me other day that I think about food like he thinks about music, and it’s true. My idle thoughts are often reliving a scrumptious meal from the past, or leaping ahead to plan what morsels will next pass… Continue reading Chicken Tagine with Lemons, Olives, and Thyme
Macaroni and cheese, done right, is one of the best comfort foods in the world. Some days you just gotta have a little extra comfort, so it has been hard giving up this dish. After a difficult day worrying over a sick kitty, going back and forth to the vet, and dealing with too much… Continue reading Cauli’ & Cheese
Adapted from Santa Fe Kitchens (The Museum of New Mexico Foundation) I made this recipe a few weeks ago as a casserole for a breakfast gathering, but thought it would also make good muffins. I was right! Each little muffin was a buttery, cheesy mouthful…not too egg-y…and the crust around the edges gives it more… Continue reading Chile Cheese Muffins
I’m not sure what to call this…it is based on moussaka, but is also similar to lasagna sans the noodles. Instead of topping the casserole with a cheesy cream sauce, to avoid the use of flour I decided to include a Parmesan-ricotta layer between the eggplant layers. Also in my version, the eggplant slices are… Continue reading Eggplant Casserole
she cooks...he cleans 