Happenings of our lives

Emily made a good potato casserole like four days ago that was really good and fairly cheap to make looking at all the ingredients.  We modified the recipe that we had to include the mushrooms, garlic, cream of mushroom soup (to make it easier, although two cans might be a bit too much), and green beans.

6 medium russet potatoes
1 tablespoon butter
½ medium onion
½ tablespoon garlic
2 cans cream of mushroom soup
1 can of french style green beans
1 can of mushrooms
1 c Parmesan cheese
8 oz mozzarella cheese
salt
pepper
preheat the oven to 375. Cook the potatoes (either keep them whole or cut them in half but no smaller) in boiling water. Meanwhile, melt butter in a saucepan and add the onions then garlic. add the mushrooms and then add the cream of mushroom soup and seasonings you want (we added Montreal steak seasoning). when the soup is warm, add the green beans. When the potatoes are cooked cut them into thin slices (an egg slice works well) and lay 1/3 of them in the bottom of a 2 quart casserole dish. Layer the sauce and then 1/3 of the cheese. Add the remainder of the layers and end with mozzarella . Bake for 40 minutes and enjoy.

We made this recipe last week and will definitely make it again.  For the potatoes, we just used some hashbrowns that we boiled for a couple of minutes in water.

• 2 T butter
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 2 T flour
• 1 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 2 cups cheese
• 1 T parsley
• 1/2 t salt
• 1/2 t paprika
• 2 or 3 drops Tabasco sauce
• Freshly ground pepper to taste
• 5 cups sliced cooked potatos
• 1 cup cubed cooked ham
• 2 hard-cooked eggs, sliced
• 2 tomatoes thinly sliced

Preheat oven to 350F. In a saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. Add onion
And saute until tender, about 5 minutes. Add flour and stir until bubbly. Add
Milk and stir until thickened, about 2 minutes. Add sour cream, 1 cup cheese, parsley,
Salt, paprika, Tabasco, and pepper and mix well.
In a 2 1/2 quart casserole lightly coated with coated with cooking spray or oil, place
Potatoes and ham. Add cheese cause and mix. Top with egg and tomato slices. Sprinkle
With remaining cheese. Bake uncovered, until bubbly, about 40 minutes.

This recipe is from foodnetwork.  I made it during Christmas break and it was really good.

Ingredients
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 1/2 pounds sweet Italian sausage, removed from casings and crumbled
• 1 cup chopped onions
• 1 cup chopped green bell peppers
• 1/2 cup chopped red bell peppers
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1 1/2 teaspoons Emeril’s Italian Essence, or other Italian seasoning blend
• 2 cups canned whole tomatoes with their juice, crushed
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• Salt, depending on saltiness of sausage
• Creamy Polenta, recipe follows
• 2 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan

Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over high heat. Add the sausage and cook until browned, breaking up clumps with a wooden spoon, about 5 minutes.
Transfer the sausage to a paper towel-lined plate.
Add the onions and bell peppers to the pan and cook until they begin to soften, about 2 minutes. Add the garlic and Italian Essence and cook for another 2 minutes.
Return the sausage to the pan, stir to mix, and cook for another minute. Add the tomatoes and stir to mix. Cook until most of liquid has evaporated, about 7 minutes. Season with the black pepper and salt.
Pour the sausage mixture into a 9 by 13-inch baking dish, distributing it evenly. Pour the polenta on top, spreading it evenly with a rubber spatula.
Top the polenta with the butter and Parmesan. Bake until golden brown and bubbly, about 30 minutes.

Creamy Polenta:
• 4 cups milk
• 2 cups chicken stock, or canned low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon plus a pinch of mace
• 1 3/4 cups polenta or fine yellow cornmeal
• 1 cup grated Parmesan
• 3 large eggs
• 2 large egg yolks

Combine the milk, chicken stock, salt, white pepper, and mace in a large pot over high heat. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Whisk in the polenta. Once the mixture begins to thicken, reduce the heat to medium-low. Cook until the polenta is tender, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon and scraping down the sides of the pot, about 10 minutes. Add the Parmesan and stir to blend. Remove from the heat and stir to cool for 3 minutes.
Meanwhile, combine the eggs and egg yolks in a medium bowl and whisk until frothy.
Add 1/2 cup of the polenta to the eggs (to temper) and whisk to blend. Gradually add the egg mixture to the rest of the polenta (in about 3 additions), stirring constantly. Continue to stir vigorously for another 2 minutes. Reserve for the casserole.