Freezer Friday! Video: Twice Baked Potatoes 4 Different Ways

Episode 4, Season 2 Cooking with Chef Tess

Twice Baked Potatoes 4 Ways

Baking the Potatoes and Gathering the Variations

12 medium baking potatoes, scrubbed, baked 1 hour and cooled (microwave 3 potatoes ,5-7 minutes works too.)
1/2 cup chopped green onions
8 oz tub low fat cottage cheese
1 cup sharp cheddar cheese (I used Jack)
2 T garlic powder

2T Organic Grains white chia seed
fresh chopped parsley
Chef Tess AP Seasoning

Directions:
Cut potatoes in half, lengthwise and remove pulp leaving ¼ inch in shell, put potato pulp and all remaining ingredients in a large bowl and mix until well blended.

Open 6 halves into 4 freezer safe dishes. 3 potatoes each.

Gathering the Flavors

Buffalo chicken

1 cup cooked diced chicken

Buffalo sauce

Ham and Cheese

Diced Ham

Cheddar Cheese

Dill

Fajita Chicken

Grilled chicken

Bell peppers

Onion

Cheese

Chili Cheese

Prepared Turkey Chili

Cheese

Episode 3, Season 2 Cooking with Chef Tess

 How to Freeze
When frozen, transfer individual potatoes into gallon size freezer bags. Label with date and these directions “ 2-3 minutes in the microwave for 2 single servings, or bake 400° on a sheet pan 25-30 minutes until golden brown.

Heating and Serving. Wrap-up

2-3 minutes in the microwave for 2 single servings, or bake 400° on a sheet pan 25-30 minutes until golden brown.

Chef Tess Bistro 3 ingredient "Cheating" Sweet-Hot Pickles

Cheating is only okay if nobody knows about it. 
Wait.
 That doesn't sound right. 
Let me clarify this. 

Cheating at making pickles is only okay if they don't taste like kerosene cucumbers (enters Aunt Bea from the Andy Griffith Show). Do you remember the pickle episode?  I laugh just thinking about Barney Fife and those pickles. 

These aren't those pickles. 

These are something awesome. I have been asked for years what my secret is to my bistro-style sweet-hot pickles and I'm going to share this one because I don't run a restaurant anymore (and this isn't the recipe that they are still using at the bistro after I left). This however, is a better version. It's easy! Anyone can make them and they are killer! Claim them as your own! I don't mind!

Chef Tess Bistro 3 Ingredient "Cheating" Sweet-Hot Pickles

• 1 quart Vlasic Bread and Butter Pickles spears or chips* , drained
• Frank's Red Hot Buffalo-Wing Sauce
• 1 1/2 tsp Chef Tess All Purpose Seasoning

Directions: Combine the drained pickle spears with the hot sauce. Place in a quart-sized
sized covered container and keep under refrigeration for 5 days. Good up to 2 weeks.

* The Vlasic Sugar-free bread and butter pickles are by and far my favorite low carb way to really enjoy these guys!

Always My Very Best,
Your Friend Chef Tess

Lemon and herb Roasted Turkey with Cheddar and Citrus Cranberry Sauce Grilled Cheese

Our next grilled cheese of glory for grown-up people who don't just want cheese and bread is this freakishly delicious concoction. It is basically a Thanksgiving feast between two slices of sweet potato bread from the Fall Sweet Potato Bread Tutorial. It really is a bread to keep on hand for the next several months.


Let's start with the relish. I think it is probably one of my all-time favorite recipes for Thanksgiving and we love it!

Teapot Cranberry Relish Photo from Taste of Home

The citrus cranberry relish is one that I adapted from a Taste of Home recipe found Here. I use orange juice concentrate, balsamic vinegar glaze and zest from orange and lemon to give it added flavor contrasts. I also love the addition of a hint of fennel seed. It gives the sauce a remarkable depth. If you make it for Thanksgiving, it is good in the fridge up to a month! Use it on Turkey sammiches yes, but it is also amazing in oatmeal (really?!), as an addition to muffins and cookies or as a relish for pot roasts and chicken.






Tess' Citrus Balsamic Cranberry Sauce
Ingredients:

• 1 package (16 oz) fresh or  frozen cranberries
• 2 cups brown sugar
• 1/2 cup orange juice concentrate
• 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar glaze  here
• 2 cups dried cherries or apricots
• 1 tsp grated orange zest
• 1 tsp grated lemon zest
• 1 tsp fennel seed, optional

Directions:   In a large saucepan, cook the cranberries, sugar, juice and balsamic glaze over medium heat until the berries pop, about 15-20 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients and simmer uncovered for 10 minutes. Cool slightly and transfer to quart jar and cover with a lid.  Good in the fridge up to 1 month.  

Let's talk Turkey. Seriously. This has to be right.

Ina Gartner's Herb Roasted Turkey photo from Food Network.com

I don't mess with perfection on the turkey and my go-to the last few years has been the tutorial posted by Ina Gartner in 2008. Always perfect. Always flavorful. Would we expect anything less from Ina? She's one of my all-time favorite chefs.  Get her Printable Recipe  and you can also watch the full tutorial here. 

For the Grown-up grilled cheese...

Place 1-2 slices of warm turkey breast (above) on a slice of sweet potato bread. Top with 2 slices of sharp cheddar cheese. Add 1-2 Tablespoons of the citrus cranberry sauce.  Grill in a skillet  with a few tablespoons of olive oil or butter over medium heat until cheese is melted and bread is golden brown.  Server warm.

There you go darlings! A wicked delicious sandwich for fall! Use both the recipes for the components for your Thanksgiving dinner too! 

Always My Very Best,

Your Friend Chef Tess

Homemade Chicken and Wild Rice Mix

It's whole grain Wednesday and today I'm focusing on one of my all time favorites! 

I received an e-mail a month or so ago from a gal wanting to know if I had ever had the chicken and wild rice side dish boxed mix using the parboiled rice. I'm not going to say the name-brand but most people in America know what it is. Well, I had seen it but never really tried it.  She wanted to know if it could be made from scratch and if that would save money using bulk rice instead of buying the pre-made mix.   If you already have rice, this is a great way to save money. This is also a great way to control the ingredients and sodium of the dish. 

I'm of course adding this to my already very popular money-saving better-for-you mix section we call Make a Mix ! 

My friends at North Bay Trading Company sent me this beautiful bag of Canadian Organic Wild Rice and asked if I'd try it out. 

 I'm not going to lie, I love wild rice. I love the excellent Glycemic Index and Nutritional Information for wild rice. If you find it with the nutritious black outer hull it is optimal for good health. North Bay has proven to me that theirs is fantastic! I loved everything about their harvesting methods and certifications as well! Here are the details from their website:

 Canadian Organic Wild Rice— naturally grown and wild harvested in Canada's pristine northern lakes.

• A premium quality wild rice with a jumbo grain that is 1/2 to 3/4 of an inch or more in length.
• Wild rice, an aquatic grass seed, is high in protein when compared to other white rice and grains.
• GMO-free, gluten-free.
• Certified Kosher by United Mehadrin Kosher.
• Click on our photo slides for more insight on this wild rice.
• Harvesting Info: We ensure perfection in flavor, preservation of nutrition, and prevention of molding. We do not harvest early, as this results in a collection of immature, pale wild rice. We preserve the nutritious black outer hull. (Some processors remove the black hull to obtain a shorter cook time.) Also, we dry the rice properly, which prevents the moldy aroma sometimes found with other wild rice.

Organic wild rice certification: Certified organic by MCIA 

Common wild rice uses: Makes a great side dish as well as a base for entrees and salads. Also often used as a major ingredient in soups, stews, and casseroles.

Packaging: Bagged selections are in resealable poly bags. Bulk box orders use sealed plastic bag inside sturdy cardboard box.

GMO-free: This wild wild rice is not genetically modified.

One cup of cooked wild rice has:

 166 calories, 35 carbs, 5 grams of fiber and is a low Glycemic index of 16. 

In this recipe, I'm combining the wild rice with parboiled rice. This rice is nutritionally very similar to brown rice but without the fiber intact. From what I've studied about it, the parboiling process is supposed to force the nutrients into the starch. I just know that my family loves it and the nutritional information for parboiled rice gives it a great low glycemic index of 22. 

 Each one cup mix can be stored in a half-pint mason jar up to 2 years if kept in a cool dry place. If you use an food-grade oxygen absorber in the jars, the shelf life will be greatly extended.  I haven't tested the shelf-life of good wild rice yet so I can't give anyone a real definitive answer. From what I've read, because it is a cereal grain like wheat, it has a pretty long shelf-life (wild rice shelf life information).  

Chef Tess Homemade Chicken and Wild Rice Mix
In a baggie or half-pint mason jar combine:

1/3 cup Canadian Organic Wild Rice
2/3 cup parboiled rice
1-2 tsp low sodium (no MSG) chicken bouillon
2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp turmeric

Directions: Bring 2 1/4 cups water to a boil. Add rice mixture and cover. Reduce heat to very low and simmer 30 minutes. Turn off heat after 30 minutes and allow to steam an additional 10 minutes if needed. 
*Chef note: the cooking time on this is different from the quick boxed mix because of the use of real high-quality wild rice.

 There you go! Make some delicious homemade chicken and wild rice!

Always My Very Best,
Your Friend Chef Tess

Thanksgiving Side Dishes From Food Storage Class Notes and Recipes

Thanksgiving is an amazing holiday and the food should be amazing! What if it could be made with food storage and nobody could tell?! Would that be insane? Well. I'm here to show you some incredibly crazy stuff. All food storage ingredients. Yes. Cooking for a holiday can even be done with food storage in such a way that folks will ask for your recipe! I'm sharing some of my recipes today and I hope to give you some great ammo for the upcoming holidays. This is my personal stash of some great side dishes. I've made a few new twists on some classics and so far, nobody has complained!

Chef Tess Southern Style Creamed Corn and Sausage

Ingredients:

•¼ cup Honeyville dehydrated green onion

•¼ cup Honeyville powdered butter

•½ tsp Real Salt

•3 cups Honeyville freeze dried corn

•¼ cup Honeyville freeze dried sausage or TVP sausage

•½ tsp Chef Tess Romantic Italian Seasoning

•1 tablespoon Honeyville powdered honey

•2 tablespoons Honeyville corn masa (or cornmeal works)

•½ cup Honeyville sour cream powder

•2T Honeyville Freeze Dried green onions

•Fresh ground black pepper

Directions: Combine all ingredients in a medium heavy pot. Add 4 cups hot water and stir over medium heat until cooked through and tender, about 20 minutes. This can be made as a food storage long term by placing all ingredients in a quart size mason jar with an oxygen absorber packet. Shelf stable 5-7 years.

Chef Tess Southwest Sweet Potato Gratin

Ingredients: Cheese sauce: 2T Honeyville dehydrated butter, 1tsp chicken bullion (no MSG low sodium), ¼ cup Honeyville dehydrated green onion. 1/3 cup Honeyville Cheese Sauce Powder, 1T Chef Tess Southwest seasoning, 1 tsp ancho chile powder, ¾ cup sour cream powder, 1/8 tsp pepper.

• 3 cups Honeyville Freeze Dried Sweet Potatoes, hydrated according to package directions.

• 3/4 cup Honeyville Freeze Dried Cheddar Cheese, hydrated with a mist of cold water.

Directions:In a medium pot, combine sauce ingredients with 1 ½ cup water on the stove and whisk well over low heat 4-5 minutes until smooth. In a lightly oiled casserole, place half of the hydrated sweet potato. Cover with 1/2 the sauce and 1/2 the cheese. Repeat layers. Cover with foil and bake in your solar oven or regular oven 325 degrees 25-30 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to sit for 5 minutes before serving.

Chef Tess' Classic Pea Salad (in a Jar)

Yields 4 cups of pea salad

Note: Need 3/4 cup mayonnaise or ½ cup olive oil

Ingredients:

3 cups Honeyville Freeze Dried peas

In a baggie on top of the peas:

½ cup Honeyville Freeze Dried cheddar cheese

¼ cup Honeyville Freeze Dried Green onion

¼ cup Honeyville Freeze Dried Bell Pepper Trio (crushed)

½ tsp fresh cracked black pepper

¼ tsp dill, garlic, salt and pepper

1T lemonade powder

Directions: Hydrate Peas with 3 cups warm water 10-15 minutes until revived. Drain peas well. Add contents of the baggie to the peas along with mayonnaise or oil. Stir and refrigerate 1 hour. Serve well chilled.

Chef Tess' Cranberry Carrot Cake 

With Lemon Cream Sauce

2 cups (5.5 oz) Honeyville Dehydrated Carrots

1 cup (4.45 oz) Honeyville Dried Cranberries

2 cups boiling water

½ cup (1.65 oz) Honeyville whole egg powder

1 cup (6.8 oz) sugar

1 cup (3 oz) Honeyville Powdered Butter

2 tsp vanilla bean paste or double strength vanilla

1 tsp rum extract

1 cup cool water

2 cups (9 oz) cake flour

1T Chef Tess Bakeresse Wise Woman of the East Spice Blend

2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp real salt

Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a quart size bowl, combine carrots, cranberries and boiling water. Allow to hydrate 20 minutes. Pulse in a food processor a few times to break up the berries and carrots if desired. In a medium sized separate bowl, combine the egg powder, sugar, butter powder, vanilla and rum flavor with the water. Whisk until smooth. Combine the flour, cinnamon, baking soda and salt in a separate bowl. Add the carrot mixture to the egg mixture and stir well. Add the flour mixture to the carrot-egg mixture and stir by hand 100 turns. Pour into two greased 9 inch cake pans and bake 30-35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean. (9 by 13 inch oblong cake pan takes 40-45 minutes). Solar oven about 1 hour.

Lemon Cream Sauce

3T Honeyville Lemonade powder

1T Honeyville butter powder

¼ cup Honeyville sour cream powder

3T Ultra gel

In a bowl with a two cup capacity, combine the lemon sauce ingredients. Slowly add 1 cup of warm

water while whisking ingredients. Whisk until creamy smooth (about 2 minutes).

Chef Tess Berry Farm Buttermilk Biscuits

2 c. Honeyville All Purpose Flour

2 Tbsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. baking soda

1 c. + 2 tbsp. buttermilk (Or 1 cup prepared dry milk plus 2T vinegar in a cup for 10 minutes to curdle slightly)

1/2 c. Olive Oil

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 500 degrees Fahrenheit . Do it! That high temperature is amazing for biscuits.

2. Mix flour, baking powder and salt into a mixing bowl.

3. Add soda to buttermilk, then add to flour mixture.

4. Blend thoroughly, just until moist. Do not overmix!

5. Place dough on floured surface and sprinkle with additional flour. Do not over- work dough. Roll out 1/2 inch thick; cut with a 2 inch biscuit cutter. Dip biscuits in Olive oil to cover all sides. Place immediately on oiled baking sheet with all biscuits touching. I use a baking stoneware pan that I preheat in the oven while I mix the biscuits. I just like how it works.

Bake at 500 degrees for 8-10 minutes or until browned.

Other Side Dishes:

Tess' Homemade Stove-cook Stuffing

6 cups cubed bread (make sure the pieces are pretty small, 'cause stove top is...)

1 tablespoon dry parsley flakes

1T chicken bouillon (I like the no MSG or low sodium variety)

1/4 cup Honeyville dehydrated green onion

1/2 cup Honeyville dehydrated celery (freeze dried is even better)

1 T Chef Tess All Purpose Seasoning

2 tsp garlic powder

2 tsp ground pepper

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Bake bread 8 to 10 minutes on a sheet pan--It may take longer depending on the size of the cubes of bread (it should be dry!). In large bowl toss bread with remaining ingredients till evenly coated. Store in a air tight container. Will keep for 1 to 4 months or 12 months frozen. Cook just like you would for the prepackaged mix.

To prepare:

for 4, (1/2 cup servings)

Combine 2 cups stuffing mix with 1/2 cup water and 2 tablespoons melted butter.

Full batch for 7 cups stuffing total,

Combine 1 and 1/2 cups water and 1/3 cup butter.

Microwave 3-5 minutes, or stove top added to boiling water/butter.

Chef Tess' Rice-y-roni

I keep the rice and noodles in sandwich size ziplock bags):

1 cup long grain rice

1/2 cup fideo noodles (or angel hair spaghetti, broken small)

Seasoning(in a "snack bag separate from the rice/noodle, but in the same zip lock bag):

1T bullion (low sodium no MSG)

2 tsp Chef Tess All Purpose Seasoning

At service you need:

2T butter or oil

2 cups water (or broth if you didn't use bullion)

*optional may add 1 cup cubed chicken, pork or beef

Preparations: In a 1 quart covered pan (one with a cover) brown the rice and noodles in the oil until noodles are a nice deep brown, but not

burned. Add the water and contents of the seasoning bag. Bring to a boil then cover and reduce heat to low for 20-25 minutes.

Chef Tess' Cranberry Mixed Berry sauce

2 cups Honeyville dried cranberries

1 cup Honeyville dried cherries

½ cup Honeyville freeze dried raspberries

2T ultra gel

2T Honeyville lemonade powder

1T dehydrated orange zest (or 2T fresh orange zest)

¼ tsp Chef Tess Wise Woman of the East Spice Blend

3 cups water

Simmer all ingredients over medium high heat, stirring occasionally 7-10 minutes until berries absorb water and sauce becomes slightly thick. Turn off heat and allow to sit 10 minutes more. Transfer sauce to a dish an put in the fridge. Allow to set 3-4 hours or overnight. Serve well chilled.

Chef Tess Basic Gravy Mix

½ cup all purpose flour OR ¼ cup cornstarch or ultra gel. 3T beef or chicken stock granules, MSG free (optional...you can prepare with real stock)2T onion powder1T garlic powder (not granules or it will be too strong)1/2 tsp ground celery seed1/2 tsp black pepper1 tsp ground thyme1 bay leaf

Mix Directions: Place all ingredients in a half pint seal able jar. Repeat as needed however many mixes you want to make.

Please note, this mix makes 8 cups of gravy. To prepare:Whisk mix with 2 cups milk or water (broth or stock if you omit the bullion), when smooth add 6 more cups of milk, water or stock. Simmer over medium heat stir occasionally 10-15 minutes.Smaller batches? 1/4 cup mix yields 2 cups gravy. Divide between 4 snack size baggies and provide 1 bay leaf per bag.

Chef Tess Cream of Mushroom Soup Replacement

1/4 c flour (or gluten free: 2 T cornstarch or Ultra Gel) 1T chicken bullion granules (also available in low sodium and MSG free variety) 1T dry onion flakes 1 bay leaf 1 tsp Chef Tess All purpose seasoning 1/3 cup instant dry milk (optional)

For cream of mushroom, add 2T crushed.freeze dried mushroom

To prepare: Combine mix with 2 c milk OR sodium free broth whisking over medium heat. Heat until thick, about 10-15 minutes. For an extra rich creamy base, add 1/4 c cream cheese at the end of cooking. Use one mix to replace one can of soup. You may cook several batches at once and then freeze them in 2 c measurements to replace a can of soup in most recipes. Cool well. If you use pint size freezer bags, they are perfect. Lay them flat when you freeze them and then they can stack very nicely. They will "curdle" a little when defrosted, but once boiled will return to that creamy.

Chef Tess' Instant Cheesy Broccoli Rice

2 Cups instant rice

1 cup Honeyville Broccoli Cheese Soup Mix

1/2 cup Honeyville cheese sauce mix

2 tsp onion powder

¼ tsp black pepper

Combine dry ingredients. Bring 4 cups water to a boil in a half gallon pan with a tightly fitting lid. Add The dry ingredients and whisk well. Stir about 2 minutes, returning to a boil. Cover. Turn off heat. Allow to sit 10 minutes.

There you go.
Get the printable class notes Here

Always My Very Best,
Your Friend Chef Tess

Here's are the winning recipes for Our Thanksgiving Side Dish Contest!

As I'm preparing for my class this Saturday teaching how to use food storage for side dishes for Thanksgiving, I decided to have a cool recipe contest/giveaway. As anyone can see from Monday's Post...however, I was  planning on actually testing all the recipes that came in. That's a crazy idea. There were too many to test them all!  It's been outstandingly amazing seeing what people have in their arsenals as far as the "go to" recipe for Thanksgiving side dishes. In fact, it's been so amazing that I've had a seriously hard time deciding who to give the goodies too. Ya know...the 5 winners! Yikes. Why do I do this? So...I decided.  I'll share the ones that stuck out as super great. A few of these use cream of mushroom soup in the recipes. I've shared my recipe in the past for how to make the cream soup replacement from scratch using food storage at a fraction of the cost.  But...I'll share it again. Updated.

 Chef Tess Cream of Condensed Soup Replacement

1/4 c flour (or gluten free: 2 T cornstarch or Ultra Gel)      1T chicken bullion granules (also available in low sodium and MSG free variety)      1T dry onion flakes      1 bay leaf      1 tsp Chef Tess All purpose seasoning  1/3 cup instant dry milk (optional)    For cream of mushroom, add 2T crushed.freeze dried mushroom

To prepare: Combine mix with 2 c milk OR sodium free broth whisking over medium heat. Heat until thick, about 10-15 minutes. For an extra rich creamy base, add 1/4 c cream cheese at the end of cooking. Use one mix to replace one can of soup.  You may cook several batches at once and then freeze them in 2 c measurements to replace a can of soup in most recipes. Cool well. If you use pint size freezer bags, they are perfect. Lay them flat when you freeze them and then they can stack very nicely. They will "curdle" a little when defrosted, but once boiled will return to that creamy texture (so it's fine to use them in recipes for casseroles and so forth.) 

Here are the winners. In random order. All were awesome!

Carrie and Brandon Heitz shared this original recipe! Carrie said, "This takes the cake over green bean casserole for my family!" 


I was intrigued but tried it! Crazy! How can so many onions taste so good?! We were shocked in a pleasant way as well! Ace ate a ton...until I told him what was in it. It threw him for a loop big time! Thank you! This was an amazing recipe! Shockingly amazing! I love that it's also so low cost, lower carbohydrate and a great melting of flavors.

Onion Casserole

4-5 small onions peeled and sliced thinly (Plain yellow onions work well, but you could use any variety)

1 can of cream of mushroom, celery, or chicken soup (1/2 amount called for of the milk or water added) (*)

1 cup of ritz (or similar) crackers crushed

1 cup of grated cheese, what ever you have on hand, I use cheddar or swiss

mix the onion soup and cheese (reserving a hand full for the top) together in a bowl season with pepper and 

add 1/3 of the onion mix then sprinkle a layer of crackers

add another layer of onion, then cracker, ending with a layer of crackers.

Bake at 350 for about 25 minutes, and then top with reserved cheese and bake until cheese is bubbly and golden.

I used Havarti Cheese...and merciful heavens. I'm in love with this casserole!

* Chef Tess note: I used my cream of mushroom soup replacement in this recipe.

Next from Renee Burton. I loved how simple this one was to make and how it used such basic ingredients...yet tasted so beautiful! The taste of the fresh carrots really shined. Thank you Renee!

She wrote, "This is a family favorite no matter when and I’m not sure where the recipe came from..."

Carrots Lyonnais

1 lb carrots cut in julienne strips

1 chicken bouillon cube (* I used 1 tsp no msg bullion powder)

½ cup boiling water

¼ cup butter

1 med. Onion sliced

1 Tablespoon flour

¼ tsp salt

¾ c water

Pinch of sugar

Pare and cut into julienne strips the 1 lb of carrots.  Cook carrots covered 10 minutes in the 1 chicken bouillon cube dissolved in ½ cup boiling water.Melt in a sauce pan ¼ c butter.  Add 1 med onion and cook covered 15 minutes.  Stir into the butter mixture 1 T flour ¼ tsp salt and ¾ c water.

Add carrots and stock and simmer uncovered for 10 minutes.  Add pinch of sugar. 

Next A Mushroom Strata from Carol N. Of Kanasas, who appealed to my need to have a vegetarian entree on hand for Ace:  "Steph, this is one marvelous vegetarian dish made especially for my four veg-family members .  The response to having most all dishes but the turkey, of course, being vegetarian friendly was "Now this is more like it!"

Enjoy- Carol

Sort-of Mushroom Sandwich

Source: Nancy Silverton’s Sandwich Book, 2005

Preheat oven: 350 degrees F   Baking time 55 min total

Preparation time: Allow 30 min soaking time for dried mushrooms prior to preparing dish; 10 minutes total bread absorption time during prep

1/2 oz dried porchini mushrooms

4 slices white or whole-wheat sourdough bread

3 garlic cloves, peeled

1 lg leek, root end trimmed, dark-green section cut off and discarded

4 oz shiitake mushrooms, fresh, wiped clean, stems removed & discarded

8 oz Cremini mushrooms, wiped clean, stems removed and discarded

1/4 c Extra-virgin olive oil

1 1/2 tsp kosher salt

Black pepper, freshly cracked, to taste

2 sprigs Thyme, fresh, 3 inch

5 bay leaves

1 1/2 c vegetable stock, low-sodium

1 1/2 c heavy cream

4 lg eggs

1-2 Tbsp unsalted butter

In bowl, combine the dried porcini mushrooms with 1/2 c warm water and allow them to sit for 30 min

Adjust oven rack to the middle position and preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Place the slices of bread on a baking sheet and toast them in the oven until lightly browned about 10-15 min.  Rub one side of each piece of bread with one of the garlic cloves and finely chop the remaining 2 cloves

Cut the leek in half lengthwise and slice it crosswise in to 1/2 inch thick pieces.  Rinse them under cold water, drain and pat dry with a towel.

Cut off the tips of the stems of the shiitake and the Cremini mushrooms, and discard  Slice mushrooms into 1/8 inch thick slices.  Set aside 

In a large skillet over med heat, warm 2 Tbsp of olive oil.  Add leeks, chopped garlic, salt and pepper and cook until the leeks are softened, about 8-10 minutes, being careful not to brown the garlic or leeks.  

Strain the porcini mushrooms, reserving the soaking liquid.  Add all the mushrooms, thyme and one bay leaf and the remaining oil and cook for another 5-7 minutes til the mushrooms are soft, stirring occasionally.

Add stock and the reserved porcini liquid, taking care not to pour any of the grit that may have collected on the bottom.  Add the cream and simmer for about 5 minutes to develop the flavor.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Strain the mixture reserving the liquid.  Remove the bay leaf and thyme sprigs and discard them.

Crack the eggs into a lg mixing bow and beat lightly.  Gradually- pour the stock/mushroom liquid into the eggs and combine.

Butter the sides and bottom of a 9x9 inch baking dish.  Place 2 of the slices of bread in the baking dish. ( **It is important that the slices of bread fit snugly in the dish in order to cook properly.) Pour half of the liquid over the bread and allow to sit about 5 minutes, so the bread absorbs the liquid.  Spoon the mushroom-leek mixture over the bread and place the remaining bread slices over.

Pour the remaining liquid over the bread and place the bay leaves on the four corners.  cover the baking dish tightly with plastic wrap and then foil, and lit sit for about 5 minutes to allow the bread to soak up the liquid.

Place the baking dish in a large roasting pan, and fill the roasting pan with 1 inch of water.  Transfer to the oven and bake for 45 minutes.  Remove the foil, puncture the plastic  to allow the steam to escape, then remove the plastic  Return the dish to the oven for about 10 minutes til the top of the bread is lightly browned.
 

I just have to say...I was really pretty. I adored the flavors and the way it just melted in my mouth. Thank you Carol!

Next Laurie Hill. She sent over this Green Rice recipe. Here's what she said, "I have really enjoyed this recipe and you got me thinking I need to make this.  I would love to see if this could be made from food storage items (milk, cheese, soup, broccoli) and still taste really good. Laurie Hill"  Well Laurie...I did convert it to food storage...and my kids horked it down!

Green Rice

1/2 small box of minute rice (instant rice) about 2 cups

2 cups of milk

1 (16 oz) bottle cheese whiz

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1 small bag frozen broccoli

Combine the cheese, soup, and milk.  Place rice in a 9 x 13 pan, top with the cheese mixture and then stir in the broccoli.  Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 1 hour or until lightly browned on top.

Here's my Food Storage version. It used less broccoli and was more of a cheesy rice with broccoli, but here's my recipe (pictured above)

Chef Tess' Instant Cheesy Broccoli Rice

2 Cups instant rice

1 cup Honeyville Broccoli Cheese Soup Mix

1/2 cup Honeyville cheese sauce mix

2 tsp onion powder

Combine dry ingredients. Bring 4 cups water to a boil in a half gallon pan with a tightly fitting lid. Add The dry ingredients and whisk well. Stir about 2 minutes, returning to a boil. Cover. Turn off heat. Allow to sit 10 minutes. 

Finally: Kelly McNamara who wrote:" This has been a GREAT addition to our Thanksgiving dinners...not everyone likes brussels sprouts, but this may be the recipe that changes their opinions!

one bag frozen Brussels Sprouts (easiest way, and they are the freshest!)

drizzle with olive oil

Sprinkle with coarse ground sea salt and pepper

Roast at 475 until they are starting to brown and get all yummy and roasted tasting! (30-40 minutes?)  I just roast them till some of the edges are good and browned!

That's it!

My dad loves these.

This is the ONLY way that I make brussels sprouts anymore!"

Thank you Kelly! Yes...this is the only way to eat Brussels sprouts!

Thank you to all the amazing people who wrote in with recipes! It was so hard to decide! If you're a winner, be sure to send me your address  via my email stephanie@cheftessbakeresse.com


Get the printable PDF here

Always My Very Best,

Your Friend Chef Tess