Mini Cocotte Frittatas

When I received those Le Creuset mini cocottes, I said I would be going crazy writing recipes just to use them, and, yes, it has begun.

• 2 eggs
• 4 Tbsp Gruyere, divided
• 1 1/2 Tbsp milk
• 2 Tbsp diced ham
• salt to taste
• pepper to taste
• 1/2 Tbsp oil
• 1/2 C frozen southern-style hash brown potatoes
• 2 C baby spinach

1.  Set cocottes on a rimmed baking sheet and place in oven; preheat oven to 450°F.  While oven is heating, melt oil in a small skillet, add potatoes and cook over medium-high heat, covered, for about 4 minutes, or until brown on one side.  Reduce heat to medium-low, turn potatoes, push to one side of the skillet, and add spinach to the other side.  Cook, uncovered, until spinach is wilted, about 2 minutes.
2.  Whisk together egg, 2 Tbsp cheese, milk, ham, salt, and pepper.  When spinach is cooked, stir it into the egg mixture.
3.  Remove heated dishes from the oven and coat with cooking spray.  Spoon half of the potatoes into the bottom of each cocotte, and immediately pour in egg mixture, topping with remaining cheese.  Bake until frittata is puffed up and golden, about 15 minutes.

Robyn's notes: these came out quite small, which is fine as long as they're served alongside some fresh fruit or whatever is preferred.  I do not recommend increasing the amount of egg.  Every time I've tried to do so, the outside has cooked through, but as soon as it's pierced with a fork the center is discovered to be raw liquid egg.  I end up having to stir the top inch and cook, stir and cook, for another 6-8 minutes, which overcooks the sides and makes the cheese flavour disappear.  For those without cocottes, ramekins or individual casserole dishes should work fine.  I can't eat spinach, so mine is the one on the left in the picture above, I just poured in my part of the egg mixture before stirring in the spinach.  I always keep a bag of these potatoes in the freezer, to use when I'm making breakfast burritos, and the brand and style I use (Ore-Ida) is gluten-free.  An additional option for those who are able to eat such things is to use either the hash brown potatoes with peppers and onions, or to add a little diced shallot/onion and pepper when cooking the potatoes.  These were good.  Moist and tasty, and easy to add things to if desired.  

*** 3 Stars: Good. At least one of us liked this enough for me to make it again, but not often

Crustless Mini Quiches

• butter, for greasing pans
• 2 Tbsp bread crumbs
• 2 large eggs
• 1/3 C milk
• pinch of salt
• dash of pepper
• 1/3 C diced ham
• 1/3 C Gruyere, shredded, divided

1.  Preheat oven to 400°F.  Butter the bottom and sides of two mini tart/quiche pans and dust with bread crumbs (1 Tbsp of crumbs into each).  Set aside.
2.  In a medium-sized bowl, beat the eggs together; add the milk, salt, and pepper. Add ham and all but 2 Tbsp cheese.
3.  Pour egg mixture into the prepared pans and scatter remaining cheese over tops.  Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until eggs are set.

Robyn's notes: this is very close to a Quiche Lorraine, but uses ham instead of bacon (mainly because I had ham in the house I wanted to use up).  I'm a big fan of breakfast for dinner, obviously this can be served basically any time of the day.  If you do not have mini tart pans, prepare a regular sized pie pan in the same manner and bake for 25-35 minutes, watching for the eggs to set.  It may be a much thinner quiche that way, I can't say for sure how far the egg mixture will go in a single large pan.  This turned out very well and I'm pleased with it because I always have bread crumbs in the house but rarely have prepared crusts or the energy to make a crust from scratch.  Good way to use up Gruyere if you've made Gnocchi Mac n Cheese recently.

**** 4 Stars: Very Good. Enjoyed by us both, I will make this frequently

Millionbøf

We've just returned from a trip to Solvang, an old Danish colony on the Central California Coast (Santa Barbara County). One of the real joys of a visit to a place like Solvang is experiencing the food. Scandinavian cuisine in general doesn't seem to get enough credit, but fortunately most people are well aware of the quality of Danish pastries and baked goods. We certainly enjoyed ourselves, being sure to visit some bakeries and to get æbleskiver alongside breakfast one morning.

Coming back, though, I decided that while we'd taken advantage of plenty of sweet treats (Danish waffles with buttercream and raspberry, eclairs, cheese bread, butter ring, etc.), we hadn't had much in the way of Danish entrees. My dietary restrictions made it somewhat difficult, but I knew there must be traditional dishes we hadn't stumbled across that I'd be able to eat. So upon returning home I did some research and discovered the dish known as millionbøf. Literally translated it means "million steak", as the meat is minced into many small pieces. I adapted this recipe from several informal versions I found and translated online. I do own one Scandinavian cookery book, and our local library has one other, but both are from the 1960s and focus mainly on herring dishes, so I had to rely on Google and myself for this (in other words, Danes, sorry if it's not exactly as it would be traditionally).

• 2 Tbsp finely diced onion
• 1/2 lb ground beef
• 2/3 C beef stock
• 1 heaping Tbsp flour
• 1/2 C water
• salt (to taste)
• pepper (to taste)
• 1/2 tsp kitchen bouquet
  

1. Sauté onions in fat of your choosing (I used butter). Add ground beef and brown for 3-4 minutes, until no longer pink, breaking up the beef completely with wooden spoon into tiny bits. Drain.
2. Add beef stock, reduce heat and simmer 15 minutes.
3. Whisk flour and water together and pour into beef mixture, stirring until mixture becomes thicker. Season with salt and pepper. Add kitchen bouquet and stir until fully combined. Serve over Mashed Potatoes.

Robyn's notes: before beginning, I patted the ground beef all over with a paper towel, to dry it. Drying beef helps it brown and in this case also made it easier to break up the meat into the small bits, so that it didn't clump together as ground beef sometimes will. Onions make me ill, so instead of finely dicing mine, I coarsely chopped them. Makes it easier to find them when I'm picking them out of my portion later. I might add some paprika when making this again, paprika being a common addition to the dish. Kitchen bouquet is a browning and seasoning sauce found in US grocery stores.

*** 3 Stars: Good. At least one of us liked this enough for me to make it again, but not often

Final note: we took the photo at the top of this entry just outside of the Village Spinning and Weaving store, where the owners were kind enough to spend a good half hour with me so that I could try out every spinning wheel they had assembled. I can easily recommend their shop, as well as Danish Mill Bakery, Mortensen's Bakery, and The Red Viking Restaurant.

Chicken Alfredo Crepes

Another not-really-a-recipe one-serving dish, to give an example of things to do with crepes.

• 1/4 C four-cheese Alfredo sauce
• approximately 3 Tbsp shredded cooked chicken
• approximately 2 Tbsp crumbled cooked bacon
• 2 cooked crepes, cooled
  

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. In small bowl, combine first 3 ingredients. Spoon mixture down the center of crepes. Roll crepes up and place, seam side down, on baking sheet.
2. Bake for 9-10 minutes, until heated through.

Robyn's notes: I checked the crepes every 2 minutes, starting at 6 minutes, by touching the top of each crepe at the center. After 10 minutes, even though they were only warm to the touch at that spot, I took them out of the oven because the edges were getting pretty crispy and I didn't want them to burn. Turns out they were hot all the way through, even though I couldn't feel it from the outside.

*** 3 Stars: Good. At least one of us liked this enough for me to make it again, but not often

Rigatoni and Ham Bake

• 1 1/2 C Rigatoni or 3/4 C elbow macaroni
• 1 C diced cooked ham
• 3oz (3/4 C) shredded cheddar cheese, divided
• 1 Tbsp butter
• 2 Tbsp flour
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/8 tsp dry mustard
• 1 1/4 C milk
• 1/3 C crushed potato chips

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Cook pasta according to package instructions. Drain.
2. In large bowl, combine cooked pasta, ham, and 1/2 Cup cheese.
3. In medium saucepan, melt butter. Blend in flour, salt, and mustard. Add milk all at once. Cook until thickened, stirring constantly, about 1 minute. Combine sauce with pasta mixture. Turn into individual 2-cup casserole dishes. Toss remaining 1/4 Cup cheddar cheese with potato chips; sprinkle over top. Bake at 350°F for 20 to 25 minutes.


Robyn's notes: We've been making this recipe in my family since 1981. It's one of those very typical late-70s/early-80s casseroles, but we love it all the same.  My family always uses more cheese than is called for in practically any recipe, so feel free to go a little overboard on cheese.

***** 5 Stars: Excellent. A favourite for both of us, I will make this repeatedly

Skillet Spaghetti with Hot Dogs

• 1 1/4 C elbow macaroni
• 1/2 lb hot dogs, sliced into coins
• 2 Tbsp chopped onion
• 1 Tbsp butter
• 2oz (1/2 C) shredded cheddar cheese
• 1/4 C water
• 1/2 C condensed tomato soup (half of a 10.75oz can)

1. Cook pasta according to package instructions. Drain.
2. In large skillet, fry hot dogs with onion and butter over medium heat. Add cheese, water, and soup. Cook until cheese is melted, stirring constantly. Stir in cooked pasta and cook until heated through.


Robyn's notes: this is purely comfort food, I do not claim this as a healthy recipe. Ever since 1981, my family has used this as a go-to meal when everybody is tired or stressed and needs something quick and filling.  See "Using Up Ingredients" at the top of the page for suggestions for using the other half of the can of soup. Originally this recipe called for "sp-o-ghetti rings™" which I've never seen in stores (like the pasta in spaghetti-o's), we really just use whatever small pasta we have on hand. 

**** 4 Stars: Very Good. Enjoyed by us both, I will make this frequently

Lazy Meaty Lasagna

This is based on the recipe for Lazy Lasagna, which was vegetarian. I was cooking this for people who prefer to have meat with every meal, so I added the ground turkey. Follow the above link for the meatless version.

• 1 1/2 C wide noodles
• 1/2 lb lean ground turkey
• 1 C spaghetti sauce
• 1/2 C cottage cheese
• 3/4 C shredded mozzarella cheese
• 2 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese

1. Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, crumble turkey into a large skillet. Cook over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. Stir in the spaghetti sauce, cottage cheese and mozzarella. Fold in the noodles. Pour into two greased 2-cup casserole dishes. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.
2. Bake, uncovered, at 375°F for 20 minutes or until bubbly.

Robyn's notes: very simple recipe. I had shredded Parmesan in the house, so used that instead of the grated and I think it was better. As far as "greasing" the casserole dishes, I sprayed them with Pam cooking spray. I've made the meatless version in the past using lasagna noodles that I broke in half before cooking. Made this again, for my sister, June 14, 2011, using ground beef instead of turkey. Came out very well.

**** 4 Stars: Very Good. Enjoyed by us both, I will make this frequently

Mini Cottage Pies

• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 pound ground turkey
• 1/4 C chopped onion
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1 1/2 tsp minced garlic
• 1 Tbsp all-purpose flour
• 1/4 C beef stock
• 1/2 C frozen peas and carrots
• 1 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley leaves
• 1 1/2 tsp chopped fresh rosemary leaves
• 1 C leftover mashed potatoes
• 1 1/2 tsp granulated garlic powder
• 1 Tbsp granulated onion powder
• 1 C shredded Cheddar

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
2. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add ground turkey and brown.
3. Stir in the onions, salt, pepper and garlic and allow to cook together for a couple of minutes.
4. Mix flour into the meat mixture and stir until a paste consistency is reached. Add beef stock to pan and stir in vegetables and herbs, the last few minutes, until combined.
5. Reheat mashed potatoes in a microwave for 5 to 6 minutes. Stir in granulated garlic and onion powder.
6. Spoon equal amounts of turkey mixture into two ramekins. Top with equal amounts of warm potatoes. Finally top with equal amounts of cheese. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes until cheese is melted and browned. Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly before serving.

Robyn's notes: I was using four-cheese mashed potatoes, so didn't add the garlic powder or onion powder to them. Because I can't have onions, garlic, peas, or carrots, I made half this recipe twice. First the version I could eat, omitting those steps, then as written above for my sweetheart. The photo below isn't the best, but he was hungry so I had to take it quickly.

Skillet Spaghetti

• 1/2 pound lean ground beef
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes, undrained
• 1/3 C chopped green pepper
• 4 to 6 Tbsp water
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp chili powder
• 3 oz uncooked spaghetti, broken
• 1/3 C shredded cheddar cheese

1. In a large skillet, cook beef and onion over medium heat until the meat is no longer pink; drain.
2. Stir in the tomatoes, green pepper, 4 Tbsp water, salt, chili powder and spaghetti. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 30 minutes or until spaghetti is tender, stirring frequently and adding remaining water if necessary.
3. Sprinkle with cheese; cover and heat until cheese is melted, about 5 minute

• Robyn's notes: it was good but not exciting, though being easy basically made up for that.

Beef Barley Stew

• 1/2 pound lean ground beef
• 1/2 C sliced celery
• 1/3 C chopped onion
• 1 3/4 C water
• 2 tsp reduced sodium beef bouillon granules
• 1 1/2 tsp chili powder
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 1/2 C quick-cooking barley
• 1 can (14.5oz) diced tomatoes, undrained

1. In a large saucepan, cook the beef, celery and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink and vegetables are tender; drain.
2. Stir in the water, bouillon, chili powder, and pepper. Bring to a boil. Stir in barley. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 10-12 minutes or until barley is tender. Stir in tomatoes; heat through.

Robyn's notes: this time I was able to find the quick-cooking barley, which made this recipe go quickly.

Chili Macaroni

• 1/3 C uncooked elbow macaroni
• 1/3 lb lean ground beef
• 1/4 C chopped onion
• 1 C canned diced tomatoes
• 3/4 C tomato juice
• 3/4 C canned kidney beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 small garlic clove, minced
• 3/4 tsp chili powder
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1/8 tsp dried oregano
• 1/8 tsp pepper
• 2 Tbsp sweet pickle relish

1. Cook macaroni according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook beef and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink, drain.
2. Add the tomatoes, tomato juice, beans, garlic, chili powder, salt, oregano, and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes.
3. Drain macaroni; add to beef mixture. Stir in pickle relish; heat through.


Robyn's notes: I used whole wheat penne pasta instead of elbow mac. He liked this, and it was easy to make.

Meaty Rigatoni Pizza Bake

• 1 C uncooked rigatoni or large tube pasta
• 1/2 lb lean ground turkey, ground beef, or bulk Italian sausage
• 1-1/2 C spaghetti sauce
• 1 can (4oz) mushroom stems and pieces, drained
• 1/2 C shredded Italian cheese blend
• 8 slices pepperoni

1. Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, crumble meat into a large skillet. Cook over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. Stir in the spaghetti sauce and mushrooms. Drain pasta; add to meat mixture.
2. Transfer to a 1-qt baking dish coated with nonstick cooking spray. Top with cheese and pepperoni. Cover and bake at 350°F for 25-30 minutes or until heated through.

Robyn's notes: recipe originally called for bulk Italian sausage instead of ground turkey.  I used turkey the first time, and beef the second time I made it, and with the turkey when stirring in the mushrooms, I also stirred in cubed eggplant. This was really easy and he liked it.  The second time making it (photo above) I dished into two small baking dishes instead of one larger one.

*** 3 Stars: Good. At least one of us liked this enough for me to make it again, but not often

Tamale Pie

• 1/3 lb lean ground turkey
• 3 Tbsp chopped onion
• 3/4 C stewed tomatoes, chopped
• 1/8 tsp garlic powder
• 1/8 tsp chili powder
• dash salt and pepper
• 2 flour tortillas (6 inches)
• 2/3 C shredded Monterey Jack cheese
• 2 Tbsp sliced ripe olives

1. In a small skillet, cook turkey and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Stir in the tomatoes, garlic powder, chili powder, salt and pepper. Remove from heat.
2. Place one tortilla in a 3-cup round baking dish coated with nonstick cooking spray. Top with half of the meat mixture and cheese; repeat layers. Sprinkle with olives. Bake, uncovered, at 350°F for 15-20 minutes or until heated through.

Robyn's notes: this was not exciting. It was fine, but neither of us was wild about it. Needs more chili powder maybe. I used extra onions because he was in the mood for more of them.

** 2 Stars: Acceptable. At least one of us liked this enough for me to make it again, if I make changes

Pasta Skillet Dinner

• 1 C uncooked ziti (penne or rigatoni ok)
• 1/2 lb lean ground turkey
• 7oz spaghetti sauce
• 1/4 C water
• 1/4 C sour cream
• 2oz (1/2 C) shredded cheddar cheese

1. Cook ziti to desired doneness as directed on package. Drain; cover to keep warm.
2. Meanwhile, in large skillet, brown ground turkey over medium-high heat until thoroughly cooked. Drain. Stir in spaghetti sauce and water. Reduce heat to medium; simmer 5 minutes.
3. Add cooked ziti; mix well. In small bowl, combine sour cream and cheese; mix well. Spoon over ziti mixture. Cover; cook over low heat for 6 to 8 minutes or until thoroughly heated.


Nutritional Information: Calories 630; Calories from Fat 300; Total Fat 33g; Saturated Fat 16g; Cholesterol 115mg; Sodium 670mg; Total Carbohydrate 47g; Dietary Fiber 4g; Sugars 3g; Protein 36g

Robyn's notes: I found this recipe to be fast and easy. The end result was good but not exciting, which may have been partly because it was reheated in the microwave for our lunch at work. I made this again June 11, 2011, and it was better than it had been when reheated. *** 3 Stars: Good. At least one of us liked this enough for me to make it again, but not often

Robyn's Taco Cups

• 1/2 pound ground turkey (originally ground beef)
• 1 C taco sauce, divided
• 3 Tbsp cornmeal
• 2 biscuits from Pillsbury Grands! frozen biscuits
• 1/2 C shredded cheddar cheese

1. Heat oven to 400°F. Spray individual ovenproof casserole cups with non-stick cooking spray.
2. In large skillet, cook ground turkey over medium-high heat until thoroughly cooked, stirring frequently. Drain. Stir in 1/3 C taco sauce and set aside, covering to keep warm.
3. Spoon cornmeal into each casserole cup. Place 1 biscuit into each cup; firmly press in bottom and up sides.
4. Divide meat mixture evenly into dough-lined cups. Top each with cheese.
5. Arrange cups on baking sheet. Bake at 400°F for 12-14 minutes or until biscuit is golden. Let cool 3 minutes. Carefully remove from casserole cups.
6. While baking, heat remaining taco sauce in small saucepan. Serve sauce with individual taco cups.

Robyn's notes: I wrote this recipe when I was 19, so it's not the most sophisticated, but it's still good