Maple Pecan Squash Casserole

Thanksgiving is upon us, and I don't know about you but it seemed to me to pop up out of nowhere this year! Wasn't it just summer? Not that I'm complaining mind you, I could eat turkey and stuffing and pie every day of the year!

Our friends Devin and Laurie had our family over for dinner last fall and Laurie made this amazing squash dish that had me going for thirds and fourths. The sweet, smooth squash is topped with a crunchy sweet crust packed with pecans that will make your toes curl it's so good! I made it for dinner last Thanksgiving and made a few batches for the freezer to pull out whenever I had a craving! As soon as I noticed Thanksgiving was coming up I ran out for more butternut squash to make another batch since my freezer was all out.

 I changed her recipe (which I understand she got from her mom who found it on the internet a few years ago) slightly to incorporate maple syrup which just hits this dish out of the park! Try this for your Thanksgiving dinner this year, you'll be thanking Laurie!

 

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Maple Pecan Squash Casserole

1 butternut squash, cooked and mashed (about 3 cups)
3 tbsp butter
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla

topping
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup flour
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/4 cup butter

1. Cut the squash in half and scoop out the seeds and innards. Place cut side down in a casserole dish with 1/4" of water and bake at 350˚F for about 40 minutes or until the squash is cooked and soft.
2. Allow to cool for 15 minutes and then scoop out the cooked squash and add to a blender or food processor.
3. Add the butter, eggs, maple syrup and vanilla and blend until smooth.
4. Spread the squash mixture into a casserole dish.
5. In a small bowl mix together the brown sugar, flour, pecans and butter until the mixture is crumbly.
6. Sprinkle topping mixture over squash and bake at 350˚F for 45 minutes.

Hashbrown Bake

Sometimes you just need a big ol' bowl of comfort food. That time was this week for us. My kids were sick and my husband and I were on call 24/7 for days and days. We were tired, drained and needed some TLC for ourselves. I pulled out my trusty recipe cards (I know, so retro) and stopped flipping when I came to this recipe.


Originally called "Hashbrown Casserole"(a very popular recipe as I discovered upon googling it), I changed the name to Bake cause I've been told the mention of the word "casserole" can incite riots at the dinner table. This (shhh!) casserole is creamy and cheesy and fills you up with warm, gooey, yumminess. I usually serve it alongside Honey Baked Ham (a tradition in my Husband's family), but it would be great with steak or chicken, or as an addition to your brunch table as my sister is fond of doing.


It's quick and easy to assemble, and is always met with smiles at dinnertime. Give it a try and see what your family thinks!

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Hashbrown Bake recipe from my lovely sister-in-law Cindy Friolet

1 bag frozen country style hashbrowns (I use McCain)
1 can condensed cream of chicken soup, undiluted
1 c. light sour cream (a small container)
1 med. onion, diced
1 c. shredded cheese (I use marble cause it's what I always have on hand)
1 tsp. sea salt
1 tsp. crushed black pepper
1 stick (1/2 c. ) butter, melted
1 c. seasoned bread crumbs (You can also use cornflake crumbs)

Instructions:

1. Combine the soup, sour cream, onion, salt and pepper.
2. Mix in the hashbrowns and cheese and mix to thoroughly combine.
3. Pour mixture into a greased oven safe dish.
4. Mix the melted butter with the bread crumbs and crumble over top of the hashbrown mixture.
5. Cover and bake at 350˚F for 1 hour. Uncover and cook an additional 10 minutes to allow top to brown.

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Enjoy!

Amanda

Grampie Brown's Potato Dressing (Stuffing)

Some of my fondest memories of childhood take place at my mom's parents' house around the holidays. My mom comes from a big family (she has 11 siblings) and we love to get together. One memory all my cousins and I share is of our grandfather in the kitchen.

My Grannie made the day to day meals but when it came to special occasions she was pushed out and my Grampie took over. (Yes, I'm a 30-something year old who still calls her grandparents Grannie and Grampie!) Their house is small and it has 2 main living areas, one in the back and one in the front, and in between them is the kitchen. Our moms tended to stay in the front room with our dads in the back room watching whichever sport was in season.

To get to either parent we had two options: 1. go through the basement, but it had a large unfinished part that was cellar-like and spooky, or 2. sneak through the kitchen when Grampie had his back turned. Option 2 never worked. He always caught us and would wave his big spoon and yell "Get out of the kitchen you kids!", it was just too small for us to be constantly going through it (there are 26 of us!) and he was trying to keep anyone from getting burned. But when it was time to eat we were welcomed into the kitchen. And the first thing we all went to was Grampie's dressing! We fought over it, still do in fact. A holiday isn't a holiday without it.

Just before my husband and I got engaged he lost his job where we lived and got a new one eight hours away in a new town. The thought of leaving the only home I'd ever known scared me, but most of all I knew I'd miss my family, especially around the holidays. I asked my mom for Grampie's recipe for stuffing knowing that without it I'd be more homesick than ever on special occasions. We make it back for Christmas most years but I haven't been to a family Thanksgiving in 5 years. This recipe makes me feel close to my family on Thanksgiving. I hope you give it a try this holiday season and see why my cousins and I will stop at nothing to be the first in line to scoop some up onto our plate!

Happy Thanksgiving~


Grampie Brown's Potato Dressing (* Stuffing)

6-8 Russett Potatoes (Russett make for a fluffier mash than a waxier potato like New Potatoes) peeled and chopped
1 med. onion, diced
1/2 c. butter, melted
6 slices fresh white bread, cut into small cubes
1 1/2 tbsp ground sage
1 1/2 tbsp dried savory
1 tbsp poultry seasoning
Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

1. Peeled, chop and boil the potatoes until fork tender.
2. Drain and return the potatoes to the pot and put back on the burner for a few seconds to evaporate any excess water.
3. Remove the potatoes from the stove and place into a large bowl. Using a hand masher, smash the potatoes into a course meal.
4. Melt the butter in the microwave and add to the mashed potatoes.
5. Add the onions and bread cubes and mix together.
6. Add the spices and season with salt and pepper to taste.
7. Put dressing into an oven safe dish and cover and place into a 350˚F pre-heated oven for 30 minutes.
Serve alongside poultry. Makes a great substitute for mashed potatoes although I always make both! It's also excellent stuffed inside the bird.

* Dressing and Stuffing are the same thing, Stuffing is just Dressing that's been cooked inside the cavity of the bird.

Asian Crunch Salad

I am all about texture. I love mixing crunchy things with smooth things (except peanut butter, don't mess with my smooth PB if you value your life) and mixing flavours like sweet and tangy. That's why this salad speaks to me.

As a mom I rarely make time for me (hence why my baby weight is sticking around longer than I'd like) and lunch is a rare treat. I went looking for some lunchtime inspiration and found this basic salad concept and fell in love. One of the main ingredients: Ramen Noodles! How complicated or time consuming can a dish with Ramen Noodles be right?

This is a real budget friendly recipe because Ramen Noodles are ridiculously cheap and one bag of the colelsaw mix will give you 4-6 servings (depending on how hungry you are!) of this salad. Great for lunch, a side dish with dinner or for a pot-luck or picnic.

A sweet & tangy dressing over store-bought coleslaw mix (hello timesaver!) with a few add-ins and garnishes and you've got a delicious lunch that isn't table scraps from your kids!


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Asian Crunch Salad

1 (3 oz.) pkg. Ramen Noodles, crushed without flavour packet
10 oz. whole blanched almonds (cashews are great also)
1 (16 oz.) package shredded coleslaw mix
1 small red onion, thinly sliced
1/4 c. white sugar
1/4 c. vegetable oil
1/4 c. red wine vinegar (any vinegar will do really)
1 tbsp. soy sauce
1 pinch red pepper flakes (optional)
2 green onions, chopped

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350˚F and toast the crushed noodles and almonds until golden brown.
2. In a large bowl, combine the coleslaw and red onion.
3. For the dressing, whisk together the sugar, oil, vinegar, red pepper flakes and soy sauce.
4. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss.
5. Garnish salad with the noodles, nuts and green onion and enjoy.

Note: If you're making this salad to eat over the week, don't add the garnishes until you're ready to eat or the noodles don't stay crunchy.

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enjoy,
Amanda

Cheesy Bacon Scalloped Potatoes

Barbecue season is upon us and there's nothing I love more with a nice juicy steak than potatoes. Especially these ones. Full of cheese and bacon and cream this is comfort food at it's best. I've been playing around with this "recipe" (and I use that term lightly cause I really just guesstimate everything) for a while now. I think I have finally perfected it so that it's creamy without being soupy and the cheese, bacon and potatoes are all balanced. Hope you try it and let me know what you think!


Cheesy Bacon Scalloped Potatoes

3 lg. russet potatoes, peeled and sliced thinly
1 c. (approximately) Cream (Heavy/Whipping or Half and Half work well)
3 tbsp Butter
1 c. Grated Cheddar (I use light marble)
6 Slices of Bacon cooked crisp, diced
Salt and Pepper to taste

Instructions:

1. Slice enough potatoes to fill your dish (I needed 3 huge ones for a small corning ware dish)
2. Spray your dish with Pam or rub with a bit of butter and then put down a layer of potato slices.
3. Pour a bit of cream over and then put another layer of potatoes down.
4. Put little dots of butter and then another layer of potatoes and then more cream. Salt and pepper every 2nd layer.
5. Continue doing a layer of potatoes and cream and then potatoes and butter. Every 3rd or 4th layer sprinkle with cheese and bacon.
6. Top with remaining cheese and bacon and some more butter and then cover and bake at 350 degrees for an hour or more depending on how big your dish is.
7. Garnish with diced scallions, or sour cream, or both!

Creamed Corn

This is not that gloopy, fluorescent yellow, runny stuff from the can. This is REAL creamed corn, good ol' down home cookin'. I got this recipe from Chef Chuck Hughes, star of Food Network's Chuck's Day Off. I altered it slightly to make it a bit more calorie friendly.... but just a bit cause without all the creamy goodness it just isn't the same.

Creamed Corn
Chuck Hughes

3 Cobs of Corn, niblets cut off, (or 1 cup of frozen corn defrosted)
1/2 c. 35% Cream
1/2 c. Half & Half
1 tbsp butter
A pinch of coarse salt
A grinding of cracked black pepper

Instructions:
1. Husk corn and remove niblets from cob with a sharp knife.
2. Put into a saucepan and cover with cream and half & half.
3. Boil on medium heat until the kernels are soft and the liquid becomes thick and is reduced by half. About 10 minutes.
4. Remove from heat and add butter and salt & pepper to taste.

Serve alongside your favourite country-fare!

Quinoa with Mushrooms, Spinach, Peppers and Red Wine

I've started experimenting with Quinoa. If you've never heard of Quinoa (pronounced Keen-wa) before here's a little something about it. Quinoa is a grain, not unlike couscous or rice. It was one of the 3 main staples of the ancient Inca civilization (along with corn and potatoes). Quinoa is a super food, it has more protein per ounce than red meat and it has a near-perfect amino acid balance. It also is a good source of fibre, complex carbohydrates, calcium, iron and vitamins B and E. It is gluten free, easily digested and very versatile. And lastly Quinoa has been included on every space shuttle mission since the 60s due to it's nutritional benefits.

Last night was my first attempt at cooking with Quinoa. My husband (read: Guinea Pig) liked the taste of this dish but has some issues with the texture. I'm sure a few more tries and he'll come around!

Quinoa with Mushrooms, Spinach, Peppers and Red Wine

1 c. Organic Quinoa (Quinoa must be rinsed for 3 minutes under warm water before cooking. )
2 c. Water (you could substitute chicken or vegetable broth)
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. salt
1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 small onion, diced
1/4 med. red pepper, diced
1/4 yellow pepper, diced
1/4 medium orange pepper, diced
1 c. quartered mushrooms
1 c. fresh baby spinach, chiffonaded (cut in thin strips)
1 garlic clove
1/4 c. red wine (you could also use white, red is what I had on hand)
1 tsp. Club House Vegetable seasoning
salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:
1. Rinse Quinoa.
2. In a rice cooker or pot add Quinoa, water, garlic powder and salt and cook until all water is absorbed and Quinoa is soft.
3. While the quinoa is cooking, sautée onion, peppers, garlic, spinach and mushrooms in olive oil.
4. Add Vegetable seasoning and salt and pepper.
5. Add wine and cook on med-low until veggies are tender and liquid is reduced by half.
6. Add cooked Quinoa and mix. Remove from heat and serve.