SWEET POTATOE CASSEROLE

Hello, and welcome back to "Let's Cook".

NOTE: A complete Index of all of our posts is available HERE. 

It's that time of the month again.

No, I mean it's time for another Master Gardeners Monthly Luncheon.

And today it's Sweet Potato casserole time.

But first, a back story.

I have never been a fan of these things. Taters should be White not Orange. Geez, the humanity.

However, the older I get, the more open I am to new tastes. 

This past Christmas we were invited to dinner with Ina Anderson and Bobbie Overall Robets and their daughter Angela. Ina is also a master gardener and they have been our dear friends for many many years. But I digress.

Angela made this Sweet Potato dish, and let me tell you, it was off the wall!!! I positively loved it and decided I had to make it for the next Master Gardeners Luncheon.

FULL DISCLOSURE: I am NOT a Master Gardener. I have enough hobbies in my retirement. But Penny is a Master Gardener and is in charge to the kitchen, and I just go along to assist the boss.

"You're digressing again, get back on topic."

OK, OK. It is my belief that any recipe I make for these fine folks MUST be tested and tried BEFORE I take them to a luncheon, so let's get to work.

This recipe happens to come from Cleanfoodcruch.com

They have a huge library of recipes, and you should check them out. I know I will.

Here is the list of goodies.

2 lbs. Sweet Potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced using a mandoline (tip: choose potatoes that are very similar in size/shape)

BE CAREFUL with the Mandoline. Those blades are SHARP. Don't find out the hard way. (Like Angela did)

1 tsp Olive Oil

1 Medium onion finely chopped (3/4 cup-1 Cup) 

3 fresh garlic cloves minced or pressed.

1 CUP organic unsweetened canned coconut milk (shake well before opening)

1 tsp paprika

2 tsp gluten free flour (I used gluten free flour because we have a few people who have issues. )

Sea salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste

1 TBL fresh ground parsley

1 TBL sliced chives as a garnish.

Now we can get to work. I decided to add a few White Potatoes just to compare tastes. (Don't bother, they sucked)

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees

Heat the oil in the skillet over medium heat. 

Add the onions. 

Sauté until it softens.(about 3 minutes) Add the garlic and sauté for another minute or two.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together the coconut milk, paprika, and the flour.

Pour the mixture over the onions and garlic (in the pan) then whisk to combine.

Lower the heat to a simmer and cook, stirring frequently, until the sauce begins to thicken (about two to three minutes.)

Pour the Coconut Sause in the bottom of your baking dish, (8x8") then layer the taters in the dish.

Salt and pepper.

Cover with foil and bake for 60 minutes in your preheated oven.

Then, uncover the dish, bake for an additional 12-15 minutes, until the potatoes are fork tender and golden-crispy-browned on top.

Garnish with fresh chopped parsley and chives and serve.

It went very well with Penny's Pork Chops.

What I learned. 

I need to slice the potatoes a bit thinner.

When I cut the taters, I did it early then placed them in water for about an hour. "Bad move, Fresh". 

The potato's curled up like our cat on a cold winter night.

Next time, cut them just before you need them. 

Also, the white potatoes had NO taste.

Other than that, they were delicious.

Now we can do a repeat just for the luncheon. Here are some pictures.

Looks great!

Let's compare with the online version. 

Not bad.

Unfortunately, by the time Ina got to the serving line, they were GONE.

"Next time make more you dummy."

I keep hearing voices.

I almost forgot; I also made some 'pickled' deviled eggs.

The Sweet Potatoes were a big hit, and no leftovers!

I'll take the win.

That's all for this week. Come back again for our next episode.

See you then.

God Speed Mother Nature

TACO CASSEROLE

Welcome to 2024!!

NOTE: A complete Index of all of our posts is available HERE

Today on Let's Cook, we have a delicious TACO CASSEROLE. 

Over the last couple of years, I have tried to broaden my cooking horizons to include more ethnic offerings.

The boss and I have been trying to eat more out of our freezer and pantry this month, so let's see what we have.

I decided I wanted to try some TACO's. 

I am not a huge fan of "finger food." (The exception being Chicken Wings.) I find Tacos to be a bit messy, so I prefer to make a taco I can eat with a fork.

I don't have a firm recipe on paper, just in my head, so let's go grab some "stuff".

My brother and sister-in-law gifted us some GREAT ground beef for Christmas, so we will start with a package from the freezer.

Let's see what other ingredients we can try.

How 'bout 1/2 cup of Onions?

You can't go wrong with these. (Notice the perfectly centered picture!)

We had Pizza Bits the other night and had 1/2 can of sauce in the fridge. We added a small jar of our homemade sauce and a bit of water.

Damn right we add some chopped Garlic.

I put mushrooms in almost everything that I cook.

Chili Powder and cheese of your choice.

And of course, the Tacos.

So, let's decide how to make this conglomeration. I thought about Taco Burritos but nixed that idea. Let's keep it simple.

Start by preheating the oven to 350.

Put some EVOO in a pan and set the heat to medium, high.

When the oil gets good and hot, throw in the onions.

Sauté the Onions until they start t soften, then add in the Chiles.

 Keep stirring.

When the Onions and Chiles and nice and soft, add in 2 or 4 cloves of chopped Garlic.

Stir for a minute to combine, then you can add the beef.

Right here.  Keep your shirt on.

Chop up the beef and sauté until it is brown. Then add the mushrooms.

Now we can add all the spices. I did not measure anything here. Add to your own taste. (Don't forget a good dash of salt & pepper)

Now add the sauce. If too thick, just add some water. Stir until good and hot.

In a baking dish sprayed with oil, put a bit of sauce on the bottom of the dish.

Line the bottom of the dish with 2 tacos, some sauce and a layer of cheese.

Add 2 more Tacos, sauce and more Cheese.

Cover with foil and throw this puppy in the oven.

Bake for 10 minutes, then remove the foil and bake for 10 more minutes.

Doesn't that look AMAZING??

Let cool for 5-10 minutes, then cut and serve.

I had mine with a nice, chopped salad and my usual adult beverage.

RESULTS:

Winner, winner, Taco dinner!!!

This might be the best casserole I have made to date. Even though it looks like the Blob that ate Cincinnati.

Maybe some parsley on the top would help?

It had a bit of "kick" but not excessive.

I used Mozzarella since it is my favorite cheese, but Cheddar might be good as well.

All in all, a great dish. And you can make this in about an hour. (cooking time included)

The president is ready for a taste.

P.O.T.U.S. 22 & 24 Grover Cleveland

That's all for this time. I hope you get in the kitchen and CREATE!

See you next time.

God Speed Mother Nature.