Tex-Mex Chicken Cornbread Casserole

I had made cornbread but was worried it would dry out before I could finish the loaf.  Then it hit me; use the cornbread as breadcrumbs on a delicious Tex-Mex casserole.  It is as good as it sounds, thanks for asking.

Tex-Mex Chicken Cornbread Casserole

Serves 6
Total time: 50 minutes

Ingredients:

8-10 boneless, skinless chicken tenders, cut into 2" chunks
1 small onion, diced
1 bell pepper, stem and seeds removed, large-diced
1/2 cup fresh or frozen corn
One 15-oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
One 15-oz can diced tomatoes, drained
One 10-oz can cream of chicken soup
1 package Frontera Roasted Tomato Chicken Skillet Sauce
Salt and pepper
1/2 loaf day-old cornbread
1/2 cup shredded Mexican blend cheese

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350ºF and grease a medium-sized casserole dish.  You can also prepare in a Dutch oven.

2.  In a medium skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat, heat 1 tablespoon of canola oil.  Add the chicken, onion, and bell pepper and cook until chicken is cooked through, 5-7 minutes.  Add in the corn, black beans, and tomatoes.  Stir in the cream of chicken soup and skillet sauce, and salt and pepper to taste.  Allow to simmer for 5-10 minutes.

3.  Pour mixture into prepared casserole dish.  Break up the cornbread over the top.  Bake in the oven for 25 minutes.  Add cheese and cook for another 10 minutes.  Allow to rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Nassau Grits

This delightful dish is another recipe from Grits by Virginia Willis; I previously posted this gem from her little book.  A filling meal that's great for any time of the day, it's a one-pot deal, meaning your clean-up just became minimal.  Yes, I did just make your life easier.  You're welcome.

Nassau Grits

Serves 4 to 6
Total time: 1 hour

Ingredients:

3 slices smoked bacon, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch lardons
1 sweet onion, finely chopped
1 green bell pepper – cored, seeded, and finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
6 oz smoked ham, diced (about 1 cup)
14.5 oz can stewed tomatoes
1 cup stone-ground grits, coarse grind
Kosher salt and black pepper to taste

Directions:

1. In a medium heavy-bottomed pot (I used my Dutch oven), cook the bacon over medium heat until just crisp, 5 to 7 minutes.  Pour off most of the fat and leave the bacon in the pot.

2.  Add the onion and pepper and cook until soft, 3 to 5 minutes.  Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, 45 to 60 seconds.  Add the ham, tomatoes, and 3 cups of water.  Bring the mixture to a boil and whisk in the grits.  Reduce the heat to low and simmer, stirring often and scraping the bottom, until tender and creamy, 45 to 60 minutes.  Adjust the taste with salt and pepper as desired.  Serve immediately.

Reheats beautifully.  Freeze for 3 months.

Spaghetti Squash and Meatball Casserole

The creation of this dish was entirely dependent on the following facts:

(a) I liked making my own tomato sauce
(b) I needed more veggies in my life
(c) I had frozen meatballs that had to be eaten
(d) Cheese because nom

However you judge the above is your business, but you better believe that this casserole turned out to be delicious and reheated well the entire week.  When I'm on a busy inpatient service, those are the only two facts I care about!

Spaghetti Squash and Meatball Casserole

Serves 8
Time: 1 hour (if roasting the squash and preparing the sauce, 2 hours, most of which is hands-off)

Ingredients:

1 medium Roasted Spaghetti Squash
1 batch of Fast Tomato Sauce
1 10-oz bag of frozen chopped spinach, thawed
12-15 frozen meatballs
1 7-oz bag of reduced-fat shredded mozzarella
1/3 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

Directions:

1.  Preheat the oven to 350ºF.  Grease a 9x13" casserole dish.  Combine the squash, sauce, and thawed spinach in a large bowl and mix together, coating the vegetables in the sauce.  Pour the mixture into the prepared dish, making an even layer.

2.  Add the meatballs, placing them roughly equidistant and pushing them down into the sauce mixture so that they are about half covered in sauce.  Sprinkle the mozzarella evenly over the top, followed by the Parmesan.  Bake for 45-50 minutes, or until the cheese has browned on top.  Allow to cool for 5 minutes and serve.

To freeze, cool to room temperature and place in freezer-safe container.  Good for three months.

Buttermilk Chicken Alfredo Casserole

Leftover buttermilk recipe alert!

I really wanted to make pasta with a creamy sauce, but then I had all this buttermilk to use.  What to do?  Well, obviously the answer was to concoct a buttermilk alfredo sauce.  It turns out that buttermilk makes a lovely cream sauce that has less fat than regular cream-based alfredo.  Throw in a bunch of vegetables and some whole-wheat penne, and this casserole is sitting pretty in the nutrition category.  It's the kind of comfort food you can feel good about eating!

Buttermilk Chicken Alfredo Casserole

Serves 8-10

When making baked pasta, it's important to undercook the pasta – it should be not quite al dente but rather a little raw and firm before it hits the oven. It will finish cooking in the oven and be perfect!

Ingredients:

1/2 tablespoon olive oil
12 oz boneless, skinless chicken breasts, chopped into 2" pieces
2 tablespoons butter
1 onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 cups buttermilk
1 bay leaf
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
10 oz frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
10 oz frozen chopped broccoli, thawed and squeezed dry
1 14.5-oz can diced tomatoes, drained
Salt and pepper
16 oz whole wheat penne pasta
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella or parmesan

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 425ºF.  Grease a 9 x 13" casserole dish and set aside.  Bring a large pot of water to boil for the pasta.

2. Heat the oil in a non-stick skillet over medium heat.  Add the chicken and cook until fully cooked through, about 5 minutes.  Transfer the chicken to a bowl and set aside.  Add the spinach, broccoli, and tomatoes to the skillet and allow to cook for 3-5 minutes.  Remove skillet from heat and set aside.

3. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, add the butter and onion, cooking until the onion softens, about 5 minutes.  Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

4. Stir in the flour and cook for 1 minute, whisking constantly.  Slowly whisk in the buttermilk and add the bay leaf.  Bring to a simmer.  Cook, stirring occasionally, until the sauce has thickened slightly, about 10 minutes.  Remove from the heat, discard the bay leaf, and stir in the parmesan.

5.  Meanwhile, cook the pasta, stirring often until the pasta is almost al dente but still firm to the bite. Drain the pasta and return to the pot.

6.  Add the chicken and vegetables to the pasta.  Add in the sauce and toss to combine.  Season with salt and pepper.  Pour the mixture into the casserole dish and sprinkle evenly with cheese.  Bake until the sauce is bubbling and the cheese is lightly browned, about 15 minutes.  Let cool for 5 minutes before serving.

To freeze: bring to room temperature, store in a freezer-proof container, label with the date, and keep for 3 months.

Adapted from America's Test Kitchen Healthy Family Cookbook

Tamale Pie

Friends, it's been a while, and for that, I apologize.  Quick updates for the absence.  For the month of May and beginning of June, I was in crazy Step 1 study mode where I did not cook anything worth writing about on here.  Once that madness was over, I was basically traveling for all of June, eating at great restaurants and my siblings' apartments.  Now I'm a little over two weeks into my third year rotations, and I've started with Surgery.  Suffice it to say, a lot of learning is packed into the long days at the hospital.

To survive Surgery, I knew I would need to have food already prepared rather than spend time cooking each night.  Translated: I'll be posting casseroles and the like for the next two months.  Not boring casseroles that have you guessing the monochromatic ingredients, but things like tamale pie that make you want to jump up and down shouting about how wonderful dinner is after you've only eaten granola bars all day between cases in the operating room.  Seriously though, it is delicious.

Tamale Pie

Serves 6
Time: 40 minutes

Ingredients:
Filling

2 teaspoons canola oil
1 onion, minced
1 red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and chopped
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 pound 91% lean ground beef
1 15-oz can black beans, drained
1 14.5-oz can diced tomatoes, drained
1 cup of corn (freeze-dried or frozen, thawed)
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro (optional)
Salt and pepper

Cornbread topping
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup yellow cornmeal
3 tablespoons sugar
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 cup buttermilk
1 large egg
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted

Directions:

1. Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and preheat the oven to 450º.  Heat the oil in a 12-in skillet over medium heat.  Add the onion, bell pepper, and chili powder, and cook until the onion is soft, about 5 minutes.  Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

2. Stir in the ground beef, beans, tomatoes, and corn, and allow to cook until the meat is browned.  Remove the skillet from the heat, and stir in the cheese and cilantro.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Transfer the mixture into a greased 9 x 13" baking dish.

3.  In a large bowl, whisk the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, salt, and baking soda together.  In a separate small bowl, whisk the buttermilk and egg together.  Add the wet to the dry and stir until just combined.

4.  Using a rubber spatula, spoon small amounts of cornbread over the meat mixture.  The topping will be thick, so be sure to space it out as it does not spread that much.  Spread into an even layer, covering the entire filling.  Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until the top is golden brown.  Allow the pie to stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Recipe adapted from America's Test Kitchen Healthy Family Cookbook

Green Chile Enchilada Bake

Busy weeks call for easy, fast meals that reheat well and don't get boring.  This one fits all the criteria while also being delicious.

Green Chile Enchilada Bake

Serves 4
Total time: 35 minutes

Ingredients:

1 box La Preferida Spanish rice (2.5 cups)
14.5 oz can pinto beans, drained
1 cup chopped vegetables, like corn, green peppers, zucchini, or squash
1 packet Frontera Green Chile Enchilada sauce
4 oz shredded cheese, cheddar or Monterey Jack

Directions:

1.  Preheat the oven to 400ºF.  Grease a 9 x 13" casserole dish in cooking spray.  Cook rice according to package instructions.  If using fresh vegetables, sauté the vegetables in a nonstick skillet, cooking until tender, about 5 minutes.  If using frozen, forge ahead.

2.  Once the rice is cooked, combine the rice, beans, and vegetables.  Add the sauce and stir to combine.  Add the mixture to the casserole dish and sprinkle evenly with cheese.  Cook for 20 minutes, until the cheese browns.  Serve with sour cream or guacamole.

Ready for the oven

Chow down!

Baked Grits with Beef and Sausage Ragu

Post-test weekends are a balance between doing responsible things (cleaning my apartment, grocery shopping) and being utterly lazy (watching Netflix, sleeping in).  They are also the perfect opportunity to catch up on my posts, so without further ado –

This recipe comes from a little cookbook called Grits by Virginia Willis.  My brother gave this delightful book to me for Christmas because he is an excellent gift buyer and all-around cool kid.  This book is an all-access pass to the wonderful world of grits, which any Southerner will know is a glorious place.  Willis writes in her introduction, "I am a grits missionary.  This basic form of ground corn is, to me, proof positive that cooking is a kind of magic."  Can't put it any better than that, folks.  The Southern cooking gods have spoken, and you should get your grits on ASAP.

Baked Grits with Beef and Sausage Ragu

Serves 8-10
Total time: 1 hour, 30 minutes
Hands-on time: 1 hour

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cups yellow stone-ground grits, fine to medium grind
Salt and pepper
10 oz mushrooms (whatever kind you like)
1 onion, chopped
1 celery stalk, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
1 lb ground beef
1 lb ground sweet or hot Italian sausage, casings removed
1/2 cup dry red wine
28 oz can diced tomatoes, with juice
2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano
1 tablespoon grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350º.  Grease a 9 x 13" baking dish with oil or cooking spray.  In a medium pot over high heat, bring 6 cups of water to boil.  Stir in the grits and add 2 tsp salt and pepper.  Return to a boil.  Decrease the heat to low and simmer, stirring often, until the grits are creamy and thick, about 45 minutes.

2.  Meanwhile, begin on the ragu.  In a large saucepan over medium heat, heat 1 tablespoon of oil. Add the onion, celery, and carrot and cook until the vegetables are soft, about 5 minutes.  Add the beef and sausage and cook, stirring often, until the meat is brown, 5-7 minutes.  Add the red wine and mushrooms.  Add the tomatoes and oregano.  Reduce the heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the ragu is reduced and thickened, about 15 minutes.

3.  Cover the bottom of the pan with sauce, then add a layer of grits.  Repeat the process, and sprinkle the top layer of grits with Parmigiano cheese.  If you have leftover sauce, you can freeze it and use it as pasta sauce.  Bake the casserole until the top layer is golden brown, about 30 minutes.  Spoon onto plates and serve immediately.

This dish freezes well, so divide it up, cool it to room temperature, and freeze for up to 3 months.

Recipe adapted from Grits by Virginia Willis, Short Stacks Edition, Vol. 5.

Gumbo Grits Casserole

Prepare yourself: this recipe is rockin'.  I mean, everyone knows gumbo is delicious, but you add grits and throw it in the oven – it's like, whoa, where have you been all my life?  I kid you not, it's that good.

A couple of disclaimers are needed though.

• I cheated with making the gumbo.  True gumbo diehards (read: my own father) will scoff at my use of cream of chicken soup in lieu of making a roux.  My excuse? Medical school is busy, ain't nobody got time for that. 
• You need to buy real, stone-ground corn grits.  Quaker grits just aren't going to cut it.  Now, I realize this condemnation necessitates a little extra grocery store effort, but your taste buds will praise you on high.  To help you out, I did some research, and Bob's Red Mill sells Southern-style white or yellow grits and is widely available. I also suggest looking for local products, which may be more available at Fresh Market, Whole Foods, or a local speciality store.  The most gung-ho approach (though perhaps the most direct because you don't have to hunt at the store) is to order online. I recommend Anson Mills (South Carolina), Old Mill (Tennessee), and Weisenberger (Kentucky).  You can buy yellow or white, whichever you prefer.

That being said, on to the recipe!

Gumbo Grits Casserole

Time: 1 - 1.5 hours, depending on your ability to multitask

Yield: 8 servings

Ingredients:

For the grits,

1 cup grits

3 cups water

3 TBS butter

1 tsp salt

For the gumbo,

1 TBS olive oil

2 green bell peppers, seeded and diced*

1 medium onion, chopped*

1/2 cup diced celery*

2 tsp minced garlic

1 lb cooked smoked andouille sausage, sliced

14.5 oz can diced tomatoes

10.75 oz can cream of chicken soup

9 oz package frozen cut okra*

2 TBS tomato paste

1/2 tsp Cajun seasoning

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

1/4 tsp pepper

1 lb shrimp, peeled and deveined

*Kroger has a vegetable gumbo blend in the frozen vegetable section!  Use the whole bag.

Directions: 

To cut the time, multitask.  Cook the grits to the slow boiling stage, then get to work on the gumbo.  Everything should then be ready at the same time.  

For the grits, 

1.  If you are using whole-grain grits, you will need to filter out the bran. Pour 1 cup of grits into a mixing bowl, cover with water, and stir vigorously for 10 seconds.  Let stand for 30 seconds, allowing the bran to float to the surface.  Spoon or strain off the bran and pour off the water, leaving wet grits.

2.  In a heavy saucepan, bring water and butter to a boil.  Add the salt and wet grits and return to a boil, stirring often.  Reduce the heat, allowing the grits to cook at a slow boil for 30 minutes or so until most of the water is absorbed.  Stir often to prevent grits from sticking.  

For the gumbo,

1. Preheat the oven to 400ºF.  Grease a 9 x 13" casserole dish.

2.  In a large skillet over medium heat, heat the olive oil, then add the pepper, onion, and celery, cooking until the vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes.  Stir in the garlic until fragrant, about 30 seconds.  Add the sausage, tomatoes, soup, okra, tomato paste, and spices.  Heat until bubbling.  Add the shrimp and return to a boil.  

3. In a greased 9 x 13" pan, spoon the grits in an even layer.  Add the gumbo mixture on top. Bake uncovered for 20-25 minutes, until the edges of gumbo are bubbly.  Get your grub on!

Veggie Tortilla Bake

I love Mexican food, so consider this recipe the first of many tortilla adventures.  I think of this tortilla bake as a tex-mex lasagna, and it's awesome because it is easily frozen for busy weeks.  Hearty and packed with veggies, this dish comes together quickly for a great meal.

Veggie Tortilla Bake

Prep time: 30 minutes

Cook time: 20 minutes

Serves 8

Ingredients:

1 zucchini, shredded

1 squash, shredded

1 carrot, shredded

2 ears sweet corn, fresh or frozen (equals 1 cup)

1 medium onion, diced

1/2 lb ground chuck

15 oz tomatoes

2-3 cloves minced garlic

1 jalapeño chili, seeded and diced (alternative: add 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes)

1 1/2 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp paprika

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

12 small corn tortillas (6")

4 oz salsa

Toppings: cheese, sour cream, avocado

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350ºF.  Grease a 9x13" casserole dish.  In a skillet over medium heat, brown the meat and onions.  

2. While the meat is cooking, combine the tomatoes, garlic, chili, and spices in a saucepan and simmer over medium-low heat.

3. Drain the meat and set aside.  In the skillet, add the shredded veggies and cook until softened, about 5-7 minutes.  

4.  Add the meat and onions along with the tomato mixture to the skillet.  Allow to cook together for five minutes.  

5.  Slice the 12 tortillas in half, then layer 12 halves in the bottom of your greased casserole dish.  Add the filling, spreading evenly throughout the pan.  Layer on the remaining 12 halves of tortilla.  Top with salsa, and bake for 20 minutes.

To freeze:  Slice into individual servings.  Allow to cool to room temperature, then transfer to a freezer container.  Keeps for 2-3 months.