Steak macaroni & cheese by Lodge

Chicken Tex-Mex casserole production center

Tex-Mex chicken layered casserole (and here) is on the menu tonight for a private rental group at the camp. The four 12 by 20 by 2-1/2-inch hotel pans will feed around 75 to 100 persons. I cut the pans four by six after it comes out of the oven.

In addition to the meat version, I prepared a vegetarian casserole with cheddar cheese and a black bean layered casserole for vegans. The alternative casseroles (off camera) were prepared in half pans. These two pans are gluten free.

Chicken succotash skillet with kale

Last time I prepared succotash for the pages of 'Round the Chuckbox, it featured Southwestern flavors. Mild poblano chili peppers, pinto and lima beans, tomatillos and whole kernel corn combined in the skillet for an interesting flavor profile. Succotash is a great way to add interest to vegetables at the dinner table.

Though often viewed as a mixture of corn and lima beans, succotash takes its name from Narragansett Indian name for boiled or broken kernels of corn. It has its roots in the Native American cuisine. You could say that any mixture of vegetables is succotash.

I enjoy cooking succotash because of it's versatility. Unless you're looking authenticity, let your culinary creativity be your guide. I often begin with whole kernel corn as my foundation. From there, I add meat or vegetables to create the flavor that I'm looking for. It's also a great way to use leftover meat or vegetables.

I prepared this version last night in my outdoor kitchen. It includes flavors that I enjoy. I've included a series of photos to show you how I prepared the succotash. Remember that you can use any combinations of vegetables you desire. Enjoy ...

This Wagner's 1891 Original reproduction 11-3/4-inch skillet is used for most of stovetop cooking at home. My wife and I purchased it over 30 years ago at a Davis, California, hardware as newlyweds. A vintage Griswold skillet with domed lid is one of my key cast iron pieces in the camping outfit.

You can use any cooked chicken or turkey for the succotash. I sautéed a large chicken breast (about 16 ounces), butterflied, in the skillet over medium-high heat. After a brief rest, the chicken was cubed and set aside.

From this point, each step builds on the last. Crisp 4 ounces bacon over medium-high heat. Push the bacon to one side and spoon out the excess grease. You need about 2 tablespoons of fat for the dish.

Next, 1 onion, diced, and 1 red bell pepper, diced, are tossed into the skillet. Sauté over medium heat until the onion is translucent. Add 2 teaspoons minced garlic and continue cooking for an additional two or three minutes.

Roughly chop 1 bunch of kale. Heap in the skillet. Gently stir into the bacon, onion and pepper mixture, taking care not to spill the kale.

The kale will cook down within 3 to 5 minutes. At this point, watch the heat under the skillet so you don't burn the kale.

Pour 16 ounces of frozen whole kernel corn over the kale mixture. Stir into the onion, pepper and kale mixture, and continue cooking until the corn is hot.

Add the diced chicken to the succotash and stir. Bring the dish to serving temperature and season with salt and pepper to taste.

The finished dish -- chicken succotash skillet with kale. It serves 6 to 8.

Chicken spaghetti

It's time to revisit this recipe for chicken spaghetti. While I originally prepared it in a 10-inch cast iron skillet, the casserole easily converts to a 12-inch camp-style Dutch oven. Enjoy ...


Tonight's meal comes from jail and fits every stereotype of jail food. It's heavy, starchy and loaded with fat.

But the creator of this baked chicken casserole missed one important stereotype about jail food -- it tastes good. And yes, it fills you, and makes you feel good about the meal.

The cooks at the Ionia County Jail, Ionia, Michigan, regularly prepare chicken spaghetti. "Inmates ask to take this recipe with them when they are released," said cook Cindi Ruehs. Cole slaw, peas, mixed fruit, bread and margarine accompany the meal.

The recipe was featured on the 2008 Jones Zylon Cooking for Crowds calendar. Jones-Zylon supplies the serving trays, dishes, flatware, carts and racks to corrections, schools and healthcare.

Monday night, I found that Reuhs' chicken spaghetti recipe easily converts into a skillet casserole dish. You'll get eight to 12 servings in a standard 10-inch skillet. A precooked (4-1/2-pound) fryer and a one-pound box of spaghetti formed the base for my recipe.

I roasted the chicken Sunday evening with one sliced onion and one carrot in a 375-degree F. oven. Monday, while spaghetti cooked in a large stockpot, I boned and diced the chicken, discarding the skin. The roasted onion and carrot added a nice flavor element to the casserole.

When cooked to al dente, I dumped the drained spaghetti and diced chicken into the skillet. I then mixed 2 (14-ounce) cans of condensed cream of chicken soup, 1 cup milk, 1 teaspoon kosher salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper together in a medium bowl. The sauce, chicken and pasta were mixed in the skillet.

I baked the casserole in a pre-heated 350-degree oven for about 30 minutes. Although Reuhs' adds cheese to the sauce, I elected to top the dish with shredded sharp cheddar cheese after crisping the pasta in the oven. Once I spread the cheese over the casserole, it took another 20 minutes to add some color to the cheese and bring the whole dish to 165-degrees in the center.

Chicken spaghetti is a great one-skillet dish. Add frozen broccoli flowerets or peas to boost its flavor profile. A handful of diced flat leaf parsley makes a simple garnish.

And the nutrition profile isn't as bad as you'd think. One serving (at eight servings per skillet) contains 533 calories with 54 percent of the calories from fat. You can reduce fat in the recipe by using Campbell's 98% fat free condensed soup and discarding the chicken skin.

CHICKEN SPAGHETTI

25 pounds diced chicken
4 cups diced green peppers
12 pounds spaghetti
3 (50-ounce) cans chicken soup
3 (50-ounce) cans mushroom soup
5 pounds shredded cheese
3 tablespoons salt
3 tablespoons pepper
3 pounds margarine

Day before serving: Cook and dice chicken. Save chicken stock to cook spaghetti in. Dice green peppers. Day of serving: Start preparation about 2:30 p.m.

Remove fat from stock. Cook spaghetti in stock. In tilt skillet, melt margarine and sauté green peppers until tender. Add soups to butter mixture and heat until warm.

Add cooked spaghetti and diced chicken. Heat to temp (165-degrees F.). Add cheese and mix in.

Servings: 120 (8-ounce) black or orange handle spoodle.

Hamburger Stroganoff

Just about every hamburger stroganoff recipe on the Internet contains the same ingredients: ground beef, chopped onion, sliced white button mushrooms (canned or fresh), all-purpose flour and a can or two of condensed cream of mushroom (or chicken) soup.

Some recipes add garlic. Most recipes are seasoned with salt, ground black pepper and sweet ground paprika. And I've seen a few that suggest a tablespoon or two of tomato paste or catsup.

This is the recipe that I grew up on. I didn't know there was any other kind until my first visit Hong Kong on the USS Cocopa in the 1972. A group of us visited a European restaurant on the Kawloon side of Victoria Harbor. Stroganoff was the perfect comfort food for this sailor away from home for the first time. Instead, the waiter surprised me with traditional stroganoff. The sauteed strips of tender beef in a light sour cream based sauce were amazing.

Hamburger stroganoff may not resemble the dish that carries Count Pavel Stroganoff's name. But it's pure comfort food. The rich mushroom flavor and creamy tanginess of the sour cream warms the belly and reminds me of home.

HAMBURGER STROGANOFF

You can use most any condensed cream soup in the pantry. My mother always used cream of celery. I like the mushroom soup because it adds a nice mushroom base to the dish. Substituted sliced crimini mushrooms for the white buttons if desired.

1 pound lean ground beef
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 cup sliced white button mushrooms
1 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon sweet paprika
Ground black pepper, to taste
1 (10 3/4-ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom soup
3/4 cup lowfat milk
1 cup (8 ounces) lowfat sour cream

Place ground beef in a 10-inch heavy skillet. Cook over medium heat, stirring often, until meat is browned. Add onion and mushrooms and cook until just tender. Drain off any excess fat in the skillet. Blend flour, salt, paprika and black pepper into beef. Immediately stir in condensed soup and milk into mixture.

Cook over low heat, uncovered, for about 15 to 20 minutes. Thin the stroganoff with extra milk if it's too thick. Stir in sour cream and heat through. Serve hamburger stroganoff over mashed potatoes, steamed rice or egg noodles.

The recipe yields about 4-1/2 cups. Serves 6 (3/4-cup) portions.

Layered skillet casseole

This recipe has been a family favorite of the Karoly's since our July 1981 wedding. The original comes from Sunset Magazine. The original recipe was written for a large heavy skillet or stove-top Dutch oven. I now cook it inside a 10-inch camp oven.

The photographs show you how I cooked the casserole inside the Dutch oven. The list of ingredients remain the same as listed below. The instructions are modified as noted in the photo captions.

Sauté the beef over a bed of coals or camp stove burner. I usually begin the dish over the burner, then bake with coals top and bottom in the 10-inch camp oven. You can add sweet bell peppers in addition to the onions and garlic, if desired.

For the test recipe, I prepared my own marinara sauce. The recipe was written for bottled marinara or spaghetti sauce. It's your choice.

Once the meat and sauce are ready, spoon cottage cheese over. Ricotta cheese works as well (used in the test recipe). Evenly spread a layer of uncooked wide egg noodles over the cheese.

I reserved half of the cooked meat and onion for the top layer. Note the recipe directs you to leave the meat on the bottom of the pot. The remaining half of the sauce covers the noodles.

At this point, I placed the Dutch oven over 5 charcoal briquettes and placed the lid on the oven. Fifteen coals were placed on the lid. Some 30 minutes into baking, I removed the lid and spread mozzarella cheese over the top layer. It took about 15 minutes to brown the cheese.

LAYERED SKILLET CASSEROLE

1 pound lean ground beef
1 medium-size onion, chopped
2 cups (or 1-16 ounce jar) marinara sauce
2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
1 tablespoon dried basil
1 teaspoon each dried oregano leaves and salt
1-1/4 cups water
1 pint small curd cottage cheese
3 cups (about 6 ounces) medium-wide egg noodles
2 cups (1/2-pound) shredded mozzarella cheese

Crumble beef into a 3- to 4-quart heavy skillet or Dutch oven. Add onion and cook, over medium heat until meat browns; drain off fat.

Stir together sauce, garlic, basil, oregano, salt and water and spoon about half over meat mixture. Spoon cottage cheese over; then top evenly with uncooked noodles. Spoon over remaining sauce.

Cover and bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 30 to 40 minutes or until noodles are tender; remove from heat.

Sprinkle cheese evenly over top; replace cover and let stand for 10 minutes to melt cheese.

Tex-Mex casserole ala King Ranch

Tex-Mex casserole ala King Ranch led the meal line-up Friday evening at Oakland Camp in Quincy, California. It's based on a recipe that I developed this past winter. The casserole has proved popular every time I have served it.


The only mistake I made this weekend was making too much of the casserole. Of the four (2-inch) hotel pans, we placed two in the walk-in at the end of dinner. Staff have been eating it as leftovers.



Ready for the oven. Send me a Facebook message for a large quantity recipe.



Deep dish pizza rice casserole for 24

I have posted this recipe several times in the history of 'Round the Chuckbox. The first time I prepared deep dish pizza rice entree was at a 2006 family camping near Fortuna, California. My son mumbled "This is good" over and over as he shoveled multiple helpings into his face. I then set the recipe aside for several years.

In 2010 on a camping trip to South Lake Tahoe, Jacob asked for "that pizza stuff." I obliged by sneaking baby spinach into the dish. I posted a pictorial recipe of my reworked deep dish pizza rice.


Since I left work an hour before the residents served dinner on Friday, I asked a staff member to snap this picture of deep dish pizza rice casserole on her cell phone. Thinking back, I should've asked then to save me a serving for my lunch today! This dish was baked with cheddar-jack cheese mixture.


Last fall, the residents at work were asking that I prepare some new dishes in the evening. This gave me the opportunity to re-work the recipe from a 10-inch Dutch oven to a 12 by 20 by 2-inch hotel pan. I first prepared the deep dish pizza rice casserole for 24 in mid-December.

The first meal gave me the opportunity to fine tune the recipe for larger portions. I prepared the casserole for the second time last Friday.

DEEP DISH PIZZA RICE CASSEROLE FOR 24

Use the drained tomato juice as part of the chicken stock. You need 2 quarts total chicken stock and tomato juice for the recipe.

1/4 cup olive oil
2 cups diced yellow onion
1-1/2 tablespoons minced garlic
10 ounces Italian sausage, cooked and crumbled
2 (28 ounce) cans diced tomatoes in juice, drained
1 quart long grain rice
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried basil
2 quarts chicken stock, boiling
2 cups pizza sauce
8 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese
5 ounces grated Parmesan cheese
10 ounces sliced pepperoni

Heat oil in saucepan or brazier over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and sweat until soft. Do not brown or burn. Stir sausage, tomatoes, rice, garlic and herbs into onion and garlic mixture.

Spread mixture evenly into bottom of greased 12 by 20 by 2-inch hotel pan. Evenly pour stock over mixture; cover tightly with foil or lid. Bake 45 to 50 minutes or until liquid is absorbed and rice is tender.

Remove pan from heat and fluff rice mixture with fork. Gently smooth out top of rice. Top with layer of pizza sauce, then layers of both cheeses. Top with pepperoni. Continue bake an additional 5 to 7 minutes or until cheese melts.

Remove from heat. Let stand at least 10 minutes before dishing up. Cut or score pan 4 by 6 for 24 servings. Serve equal portion of rice and topping.

Tex-Mex layered chicken casserole

I developed this recipe after watching the "Triple D All Stars" episode on Diners, Drive Ins and Dives Monday evening. My first thought was that it would make a good casserole for the residents at work. I prepared a four-inch hotel pan (pictured to right) for dinner Wednesday afternoon.

As I watched the chef demonstrate preparation of the casserole to Guy Fieri, I figured that it would be an easy dish to arrange. Since I've made enchilada casserole many times, I had the basic ingredients and proportions down. With only mental notes, I quickly made the creamy tomato and chile sauce and assembled the casserole as a layered dish. The residents enjoyed the casserole. It was a nice change from the regularly menued item.

Tonight I prepared a half recipe in a 12-inch camp Dutch oven. This oven will feed eight to 12 persons, depending on their level of hunger. If you have fewer mouths to feed, I would cut the recipe in half for a 10-inch Dutch oven.


This picture shows you how I distribute the tortillas in a Dutch oven. Laying four tortillas in a clover leaf pattern doesn't work in a round cooking vessel. The tortillas overlap in the center. As a result. the you end up with a big mass of tortillas in the center of the pot. I cut the tortillas in half, then distribute them as shown. Two halves cover the center.



My version of King Ranch chicken casserole. Since I live in California, I call it Tex-Mex layered chicken casserole. Interestingly, I was stationed at NAS Kingsville, Texas, for two years in the later 1970s and never heard of the casserole. The headquarters of the massive King Ranch in located near Kingsville.

DUTCH OVEN TEX-MEX LAYERED CHICKEN CASSEROLE

Double the recipe and assemble in a 12 by 20 by 2-inch hotel pan in a camp setting. Cut 4 by 6 for 24 servings.

4 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/2 onion, diced small
2 jalapeno chile peppers, diced small
6 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon ground cumin
6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups milk, scalded
1 cup chicken stock, hot
1 (15-ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 (7-ounce) can diced green chiles
3 tablespoons white wine or lime juice
1-1/2 teaspoons dried thyme
16 corn tortillas, cut in half
2 pounds cooked chicken, shredded (white and dark best)
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
12 ounces shredded cheddar and jack cheese blend

Heat oil in saucepan or skillet over medium heat. Add onion, garlic and sweat until soft, but do not brown. Stir in cumin and flour to form a roux. Cook for 1 or 2 minutes. Add milk, stock, tomatoes, green chiles, wine or juice and thyme to roux, stirring continually until thickened. Adjust seasoning with salt, pepper and cumin.

Ladle 1 cup sauce into a 12-inch Dutch oven. Spread it across the bottom. Arrange 8 tortilla halves in over the sauce. Ladle 1 cup sauce on tortillas, then spread 1/3 of the meat, 1 tablespoon cilantro and 1/4 of the cheese over tortillas. Repeat layering process 2 more times. You will have 3 sauce, chicken and cheese layers when done.

Arrange 8 tortilla halves in over top layer. Ladle 1 cup sauce over tortillas. Spread remaining cheese over top. Bake with coals for 350 degrees for 45 to 60 minutes, until casserole is cooked and cheese has melted. You want the bottom layer of tortillas to brown and top layer of cheese to crisp (without burning). Serves 8 to 12 campers.

Potluck and presentation

Each December, the El Dorado Western Railway Foundation hosts its annual meeting and Christmas potluck at a local historic venue. This is year we used the recreated Southern Pacific depot in the historic town of El Dorado. Around 45 railroad volunteers and their families packed into the station. This was the largest crowd we've had in memory.

I've often used to potluck to feature new dishes. This year my wife and I brought a Mexican casserole with black beans in a 9 by 13-inch roasting pan. I adapted the recipe from the Deer Crossing Wilderness Camp kitchen manual, where it was served every other week at dinner.

I had two jobs this year, so to speak. As the cook in the family, the task of preparing the casserole fell to me this morning. My other job, assigned by the president of the foundation, was to present a talk on rail passenger service on the Placerville Branch rail line of the Southern Pacific Railroad.

After the annual meeting (and before the meal), I presented a mix of historic photographs and newspaper reports on passenger service, which ran from March 1888 to January 1939. One of the two daily trains was provided by a McKeen motor car.

The meeting and potluck were a success. The volunteers enjoyed my presentation. And the dish was nearly cleaned.

MEXICAN CASSEROLE WITH BLACK BEANS

Leave the beef-bean-corn mixture a little on the dry side. You do not want a moist or sloppy sauce. The recipe is a favorite of Deer Crossing Camp in Eldorado National Forest, California. A double recipe fits in a 12x20x4-inch hotel pan and serves 24.

2 pounds ground beef
1-1/ ounces taco seasoning
2 (15-ounce) cans black beans, drained and rinsed
frozen whole kernel corn
1-1/2 cups salsa
1 (10-ounce) package corn chips
8 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded
8 ounces jack cheese, shredded

Saute ground beef in heavy skillet over medium heat until done. Drain excess off fat. Stir in taco seasoning, beans, corn and salsa. Simmer 10 minutes to develop flavor.

Line greased 9x13x3-inch pan with half of the corn chips. Spoon beef mixture over tortilla or corn chips. Top pan with half of each cheese. Top pan with remaining half of the corn chips.

Bake in 350-degree oven, until casserole is bubbling around edges, about 20 to 30 minutes. Sprinkle remaining cheeses over chips. Return to oven and continue baking until cheese has melted.

Cool 15 minutes, then cut 3 by 4. Serve an equal portion of the filling with cheesy chip layer. Serves 12.

Pasticcio

I don't claim any bit of authenticity in my rendition of pasticcio. Until last night, I had never heard of pasticcio or its Greek cousin, pastitsio. It's one of those dishes that I worked out without looking into its origin. So it may not meet the expectation of an expert in authentic Greek or Italian food.

My rendition quickly evolved after watching the "Timeless" episode of Diners, Drive Ins and Dives. Host Guy Fieri featured the Greek Corner Restaurant in Cambridge, Mass., as the lead diner in last night's show.

Restaurant owners George and Themis Boretos menu a baked pasta with meat sauce that's topped with a custard-like Bechamel and baked. As I watched one of the brothers demonstrate how to make the casserole to Guy, I grabbed my notebook and wrote down the process.

Instead of preparing the meat sauce with the clove and cinnamon, I worked on a simple way to convert the recipe to Italian flavors. I didn't want to introduce the Greek flavors just yet at work. A casserole with the more familiar Italian flavor profile would be more widely accepted.

When I arrived at work this morning, I looked up pastitsio on Wikipedia. It's a "Greek or generally Middle Eastern baked pasta dish including pasta, meat sauce, and a custard or bechamel sauce. The dish comes from the Italian tradition of 'pasticcio (di pasta),' literally mess or scramble."

It's interesting to note that the Greek term "pastitsio takes its name from the Italian pasticcio, a large family of pies often involving pasta and ragu. Many Italian versions include a pastry crust, some include bechamel." Other than to note the similarity between the two dishes, I didn't take the time to look up the Italian version.

I found the brother's recipe on the Food Network after a couple clicks. Their recipe became the basis for my rendition. This helped me work quickly instead of taking time to recreate the dish. The doubled recipe easily fit in a 2-inch deep hotel pan.

I don't think the residents cared about the authenticity of my pasticcio. They enjoyed the flavors. I will prepare the casserole again soon.

CHEF STEVE'S PASTICCIO

This recipe is adapted from one provided to the Food Network by the Greek Corner Restaurant. The pasta and meat mixture fills the hotel pan to the brim. The firm bechamel will fit in the pan without spilling over.

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
2 tablespoons minced garlic
Ground black pepper, to taste
4 bay leaves
1-1/2 tablespoons dried basil
2 teaspoons dried oregano
4 pounds ground beef (80/20 blend is best)
Salt, to taste
1 cup peeled and chopped fresh tomatoes
2 tablespoons tomato puree
2 pounds ziti or penne, cooked
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for topping
Bechamel sauce, recipe follows

In a large saucepan over medium heat, add olive oil, onion, garlic, black pepper, to taste, bay leaves, basil and oregano and saute for a few minutes. Add ground beef, stirring continuously, until all the meat is cooked and browned. Stir in salt, to taste, fresh tomato and tomato puree. Let simmer for about 20 minutes, then remove the bay leaves.

Brush a 2x12x20-inch hotel pan generously with melted margarine. Add the cooked ziti or penne, beaten egg, cheese and meat mixture. Mix until well combined. Top with bechamel sauce and sprinkle with more grated Parmesan. Bake uncovered for 45 minutes in a preheated 300-degree F oven. Remove from the oven and cool 15 minutes.

Cut 4 by 6 for 24 regular servings. For hearty eaters, cut 3 by 4 for 12 large servings.

Bechamel sauce:
2 quarts milk
1 pound margarine
1 pound all-purpose flour
4 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Salt and ground black pepper

Heat the milk in medium saucepan over low heat. In separate medium saucepan over medium heat, melt margarine, then add flour and mix well. Stir in heated milk, beaten eggs, cheese, salt, pepper and nutmeg, to taste. Whisk until thickened. Keep warm until ready to use.

Tuna and noodles

During my teen years it would seem on nights that I was famished, mom always baked a hearty casserole of tuna and noodles. I could never endure the large chucks of celery floating in the casserole. Consiquently, I never really cared for the combination of canned tuna, sauce and noodles.

To this day, tuna and noodles is one dish that I won't purposely eat. I don't remember the last time that I sat down to a helping of the casserole. And I've never cooked it for my own family.

Tuna and noodles wasn't my first choice for dinner at work last Wednesday. My original thought was to prepare hamburger stroganoff, a dish that the residents have enjoyed monthly for the past several months.

A resident who's approaching the half-way mark in the program asked me Tuesday if I could bake tuna and noodles with canned cream of mushroom soup. She'd recently resolved to offer solutions instead of continuously complaining about "chicken burnout." I accepted the idea and menued it in place of the stroganoff.

The residents began asking "What's for dinner" early in the afternoon. With the division between likes and dislikes running neck and neck, I though the casserole was going to be a disaster. Battle lines were clearly drawn. They either loved it or left the kitchen in disappointment.

Then something happened. As the afternoon progressed, likes inched ahead of the dislikes. By dinner time a full 60 percent of the residents said they looked forward to the meal. Over 90 percent of the residents ate the tuna and noodles for dinner that evening.

"Mr. Steve, you did good," said a resident as I headed home for the evening! I smiled and thanked her. I was able to take a dish that I don't like and deliver a quality product to the residents.

TUNA AND NOODLES

One (2 pound 11 ounces) pouch pack of tuna will work for this recipe. Sysco sells 6 pouches in each case under the Classic label.

I prepared the casserole with 1 (50-ounce) can of condensed cream of mushroom soup. See note for procedure. To boost flavor, add 1 pound sliced mushrooms to the sauteed onions and celery.

1-1/2 pounds egg noodles
2 pounds 12 ounces tuna
4 ounces margarine
12 ounces onions, small dice
12 ounces celery, small dice
3 ounces all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 quarts chicken stock
6 ounces shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 teaspoon paprika

Cook noodles according to package direction. Drain and place in bowl. (Should yield 4-1/2 pounds cooked.) Flake tuna and add to noodles.

Melt margarine in medium-sized saucepan. Add onions and celery. Saute until tender. Add flour and pepper to onion mixture. Stir until blended. Cook 5 to 10 minutes.

Stir in chicken stock gradually, stirring constantly with wire whip. Cook until thickened. Add tuna and noodles to sauce. Stir gently until well blended. Check seasoning.

Pour noodle mixture into greased 12x20x2-inch baking pan. Sprinkle with cheese. Sprinkle lightly with paprika. Bake at 350°F until mixture is heated to 180°F and cheese is melted, 30 to 45 minutes. Serves 25 (8-ounce) portions.

Note: One 50-oz can condensed cream of mushroom or cream of celery soup and 1-pint milk may be substituted for the sauce made from margarine, flour and chicken stock.

This recipe was adapted from 11th edition of Food For Fifty by Mary Molt, Ph.D, R.D. (Prentice-Hall: Upper Saddle River, New Jersey, 2001).

Deep dish pizza rice revisited

I first made my Dutch oven deep dish pizza rice on a camping trip to the North California coast in July 2006. My then 14-year-old son Jacob devoured two hefty helpings as he mumbled "This is good!" over and over.

Now that he's 18 and growing. He asked for "that pizza stuff" several times this week on our camping trip to South Lake Tahoe. I prepared the dish in a 10-inch Dutch oven for the second time last night.

Here's my revised recipe. I didn't change too much from the original recipe that was posted on July 26, 2010. I added half of a 3-ounce bag of baby spinach and used prepared pizza sauce in place of pesto.

Heat 1 or 2 tablespoons olive oil in a 10-inch Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onions and garlic and sweat until translucent.

Add rice and stir to coat with oil. Fry rice while stirring frequently until it takes on a light-brown color. Add 4 ounces each pre-cooked Italian sausage and peperoni. Cut the peperoni into quarters or chop as desired. Reserve 13 peperoni slices for the final step.

Add about 3 ounces of washed and dried baby spinach to the rice. Continue cooking for several minutes to wilt the rice. Many other green vegetables will work in place of spinach. I'd like to try broccoli rabe, cut into 2-inch pieces next time.

My three-year-old granddaughter didn't flinch at the sight of cooked spinach last night! She matched her uncle bite-for-bite (adjusted for age, of course!).

Combine 2-1/2 cups chicken stock, 1/2-cup prepared pizza sauce and 1 teaspoon dried oregano. Pour into rice mixture and stir. Cover with lid. Bake 20 minutes or until rice is done. Use coals for approximately 350 degrees (5 charcoal briquettes under the oven and 16 on lid in temperate weather).

When done, spread 1-1/2 cups shredded cheese over the rice. Arrange the reserved 13 peperoni slices over the rice. Return lid to oven and continue baking until cheese is melted.

Enjoy! Serves a family of four to six. Multiply the recipe one and one-half times for a 12-inch Dutch oven.

To Lib: Use a three or four-quart home Dutch oven for the casserole. Sweat onions on the burner, saute rice, wilt spinach, then add pizza sauce and stock and bring to a boil. Cover and place in a 350-degree oven and bake for about 20 minutes. Top with cheese and peperoni and finish in oven.

Creole macaroni on the U.S.S. Ronald Reagan

Here's another YouTube video. Produced by America's Heartland in January 2009, the clip takes a look at the daily routine below decks on the U.S.S. Ronald Reagan (CVN 76).

Culinary Specialist John Smith's description of Creole macaroni caught my attention. Smith stirred a large steam-jacketed kettle of the popular casserole or "spaghetti sauce with macaroni."

I remember cooking the casserole, topped with lots of shredded cheddar cheese and finished in a medium-hot oven, during my sea-going days in the Navy. The dish features a combination of elbow macaroni, ground beef and canned tomatoes with sauteed onions and green bell peppers. It's all-American comfort goodness.


America's Heartland description: "This is a story not so much about the exciting life topside but the more routine life below decks. While seemingly mundane, the galley crews like 'Culinary Specialist' or 'C.S.', Torry Mitchell, take enormous pride in their work."

CREOLE MACARONI (OR AMERICAN CHOP SUEY)

This recipe is adapted from U.S. Armed Forces Recipe Service card L-64. It yields 100 (1-cup) portions or 2 (18 by 24-inch) roasting pans. Bake at 350 degrees.

1-1/2 gallons water
1 (#10) can tomato paste
1 (#10) can diced tomatoes, drained
1-1/2 pounds diced green bell peppers
1-1/4 pounds chopped onions
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup salt
1 tablespoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon garlic powder
2-2/3 tablespoons dried crushed basil
1 tablespoon crushed red pepper
1 tablespoon dried thyme
6 pounds elbow macaroni
11 pounds lean ground beef
1 pound shredded cheddar cheese

Combine water, tomato paste, tomatoes, peppers, onions, sugar, salt, black pepper, garlic powder, basil, red pepper and thyme in steam-jacketed kettle or stock pot. Combine and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer 10 to 15 minutes or until thickened.

Add macaroni to boiling, salted water. Return to a boil, stirring constantly. Cook 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Drain well. Do not overcook.

Brown beef until it loses its pink color. Drain or skim off excess fat. Combine beef, tomato sauce mixture, and macaroni. Mix well. Pour about 8-1/4 quarts macaroni mixture in each pan. Sprinkle 1-1/3 cups cheese over macaroni mixture in each pan.

Using a convection oven, bake 20 minutes at 325 degrees on high fan, closed vent or until mixture is bubbling and cheese is melted. Internal temperature must reach 155 degrees or higher for 15 seconds. Hold for service at 140 degrees or higher.

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Check this Diners, Drive Ins and Dives video for Chef Roy Donohue's take on Amercican chop suey. It was filmed at Red Arrow Diner in Manchester, New Hampshire.

One man's hot dish is another man's hotdish

A hot dish to me is one that's served hot, not cold. It's the generic term for any hot item. Thinking back, I can't really think of any specific application in my culinary vocabulary.

But a discussion thread on the IDOS Forum on casseroles changed how my brain processes the term when I hear it.

"I was wondering anybody had ever made a casserole the 7 qt. dutchie? Should I line it with parchment paper?" came Jen's query at about 5 a.m. Monday morning.

The first three members who responded focused on the use of parchment paper to line a Dutch oven when baking a casserole. "I can't imagine parchment helping much with a casserole," said Benjammin.

Then the thread took a turn just before 9 a.m.

"I've done Tater-Tot Hotdish right in the oven with no liner and I think it really added nicely to the seasoning of the pot," interjected Tim, a Dutch oven cook from the Twin Cities area of Minnesota.

Within five minutes Ranes of Lehi, Utah, came on board. Is Tim's recipe posted in the Internet, asked Ranes. He had just cooked mountain man breakfast in six Dutch ovens over the weekend. Diners favored the breakfasts made with Tater Tots over hash browns.

I can't really say that the topic "exploded," but it certainly changed direction. Enthusiasm for Tater Top hotdish had captured the eye of the Dutch oven folks from the upper Midwest.

After a quiet six or seven hours, Fant, from Rochester, Minn., posted this definition of hotdish:

A hot-dish is just about any casserole you can think of, made in MN, with Tater-tots added on top. It is basically a local MN (and maybe other parts of the Midwest) creation. Go figure.

"The recipe for TaterTot Hotdish can be found in any Lutheran church-lady cookbook worth it's weight in Lefse ...," added Tim later that evening. (Wikipedia says Lefse is a "traditional Norwegian flat bread made of potato, milk and flour.)

I understood once I saw Tim's explanation of the basic hotdish recipe and realized that I'd made many hotdishes over the years, just without the obligatory Tater Tots.

I'm a proponent the use of canned condensed cream soup as a binder and sauce in casseroles. My favorite is cream of mushroom. My mother often used cream of celery or chicken in her hamburger stroganoff.

These soups work wonders in quick casserole dishes. Even Campbell's newer line of low-sodium, low-fat soups work well in casseroles.

To make true Midwestern hotdish, brown ground beef and drain. Add chopped onions, your favorite canned condensed cream soup and some Tater Tots. Pour the mixture into a lightly oiled casserole dish or Dutch oven. Top with a layer Tater Tots and shredded cheese. Bake at 350 degrees F. until bubbling and cooked through.

The topic had exhausted itself by late Monday evening. I suspect many hotdishes were served in Dutch oven homes throughout the country Tuesday night.

Next time hotdish is used in my presence, I'll think of a dish that's certainly hot. But my mind will drift to a filling casserole made with canned cream of mushroom soup.

Of course, I'll dig in.

"Oh yea, I forgot the other defining ingredient in 'hot-dish,' cream of mushroom soup. That's it, anything you want, plus tater-tots and cream of mushroom soup," said Fant.

Image courtesy of Wikipedia.

Chicken Spaghetti

Tonight's meal comes from jail and fits every stereotype of jail food. It's heavy, starchy and loaded with fat.

But the creator of this baked chicken casserole missed one important stereotype about jail food -- it tastes good. And yes, it fills you, and makes you feel good about the meal.

The cooks at the Ionia County Jail, Ionia, Michigan, regularly prepare chicken spaghetti. "Inmates ask to take this recipe with them when they are released," said cook Cindi Ruehs. Cole slaw, peas, mixed fruit, bread and margarine accompany the meal.

The recipe is featured on the 2008 Jones Zylon Cooking for Crowds calendar. The company supplies the corrections industry with serving trays, dishes, flatware, carts and racks.

Monday night, I found that Reuhs' chicken spaghetti recipe easily converts into a skillet casserole dish. You'll get eight to 12 servings in a standard 10-inch skillet. A precooked (4-1/2-pound) fryer and a one-pound box of spaghetti formed the base for my recipe.

I roasted the chicken Sunday evening with one sliced onion and one carrot in a 375-degree F. oven. Monday, while spaghetti cooked in a large stockpot, I boned and diced the chicken, discarding the skin. The roasted onion and carrot added a nice flavor element to the casserole.

When cooked to al dente, I dumped the drained spaghetti and diced chicken into the skillet. I then mixed 2 (14-ounce) cans of condensed cream of chicken soup, 1 cup milk, 1 teaspoon kosher salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper together in a medium bowl. The sauce, chicken and pasta were mixed in the skillet.

I baked the casserole in a pre-heated 350-degree oven for about 30 minutes. Although Reuhs' adds cheese to the sauce, I elected to top the dish with shredded sharp cheddar cheese after crisping the pasta in the oven. Once I spread the cheese over the casserole, it took another 20 minutes to add some color to the cheese and bring the whole dish to 165-degrees in the center.

Chicken spaghetti is a great one-skillet dish. Add frozen broccoli flowerettes or peas to boost its flavor profile. A handful of diced flat leaf parsley makes a simple garnish.

And the nutrition profile isn't as bad as you'd think. One serving (at eight servings per skillet) contains 533 calories with 54 percent of the calories from fat. You can reduce fat in the recipe by using Campbell's 98% fat free condensed soup and discarding the chicken skin.

CHICKEN SPAGHETTI

25 pounds diced chicken
4 cups diced green peppers
12 pounds spaghetti
3 (50-ounce) cans chicken soup
3 (50-ounce) cans mushroom soup
5 pounds shredded cheese
3 tablespoons salt
3 tablespoons pepper
3 pounds margarine

Day before serving: Cook and dice chicken. Save chicken stock to cook spaghetti in. Dice green peppers. Day of serving: Start preparation about 2:30 p.m.

Remove fat from stock. Cook spaghetti in stock. In tilt skillet, melt margarine and saute green peppers until tender. Add soups to butter mixture and heat until warm.

Add cooked spaghetti and diced chicken. Heat to temp (165-degrees F.). Add cheese and mix in.

Servings: 120 (8-ounce) black or orange handle spoodle.

Vet's Day Campfire

Better read before blog no. 8 goes up in smoke ...

I took a drive up Highway 88 last Veteran's Day with my wife and son. After visiting the Woods Lake basin, we turned west and found a spot to light a campfire a long the old highway. The secluded camping spot that had a large rock fire pit. It took an hour to burn the fire down to a bed of coals for dinner.

BROCCOLI AND CHEESE CASSEROLE

This recipe is adapted from an advertisement for Campbell's Soup in Sunset magazine. Substitute one head each of broccoli and cauliflower for a fresh alternative. Cut the broccoli and cauliflower into bite-sized flowerettes to ensure even cooking. A half recipe can be prepared in a 8- or 10-inch Dutch oven.

2 (10-3/4-ounce) cans cream of mushroom soup
1 cup milk
2 teaspoons yellow mustard
2 (16-ounce) bags frozen broccoli, thawed
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 (3-1/2-ounce) box Panco breadcrumbs
2 tablespoons melted butter

Stir soup, milk, cheese and mustard together in a 12-inch Dutch oven. Fold broccoli in to coat with sauce. Bake with coals for 350 degrees until sauce bubbles, about 20 minutes. Mix breadcrumbs and butter in medium bowl. Sprinkle breadcrumbs over broccoli and replace lid. Continue baking until breadcrumbs have browned and broccoli is tender. Prepares 12 servings.

Smothered Chicken Breasts with Mushroom Sauce

Unlike the freeze of two weeks ago, the thermometer hovered around the mid-40s at the engine house of the El Dorado Western Railway this morning. We capped productive week with a hearty meal.

Here's what happens when you offer food to the trainmen at the El Dorado Western Engine House:

About noon, I commented to EDWRF President Eric Stohl that the crew was sticking around for the meal. Eric (in white coveralls) didn't seem that amused.

"Yea, but I'm loosing productivity here!"

I think the crew ignored him. Nine volunteers (including the cook) scarfed a large pot of smothered chicken in mushroom sauce. The rice pilaf and cucumbers salad disappeared as well.

SMOTHERED CHICKEN BREASTS WITH MUSHROOM SAUCE

I like Pepperridge Farms Herb Seasoned Stuffing because it makes a coarse bread crumb topping. You’ll need about two-thirds of a 16-ounce package. Substitute seasoned bread crumbs if desired.

2 large onions, sliced
1 pound mushrooms, sliced
6-ounces unsalted butter, divided use
5 pounds chicken breasts
3 (10-3/4-ounce) cans condensed cream of mushroom soup
3/4 cup dry sherry
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
4 cups seasoned bread stuffing mix
1/4-cup chopped Italian parsley
2 (5-ounce) packages shredded Swiss cheese

Heat a 14-inch cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Melt butter in skillet. Set 4 tablespoons melted butter aside for later use. Add onions and mushrooms. Lightly season with kosher salt. Stir onions and mushrooms frequently for about 2- to 30 minutes until soft, translucent and golden brown golden brown. Set aside in bowl.

Return skillet to heat. Brown chicken breasts over medium-high heat until browned, turning once. Don’t crowd chicken in skillet. Remove chicken to cutting board. Cut against the grain into 1/2-inch slices. Set sliced chicken breast in a single layer in a 14-inch Dutch oven.

Spoon caramelized onions and mushrooms over chicken. Mix soup, thyme and sherry until smooth. Pour over onions and mushrooms. Mix bread stuffing mix, parsley and reserved melted butter. Spread bread mixture over sauce in Dutch oven.

Bake in a 350-degree oven (8 charcoal briquettes underneath oven and 20 on lid) for about 35 minutes. Bread crumbs should be toasted. Spread cheese oven bread crumbs and return lid to oven. Bake an additional 10 to 15 minutes or until cheese has melted.

Nine trainmen ate the whole dish today at the engine house. If you allow 5-1/3 ounces chicken per person, you can serve 15 normal eaters.

Dutch Oven Chicken Pot Pie with Buttermilk Biscuit Topping

I watched Sandra Lee prepare a simple chicken and turkey pot pie with packaged products this morning on her Food Network show. She topped the casserole with large Pillsbury-brand biscuits and baked it in the oven.

The recipe gave me an idea for my next camping trip.

I adapted Sandra's recipe for Dutch oven. Since I don't purchase frozen onions or often use seasoning mixes (like the McCormick's Grill Mates), I slowly cooked chopped onions and garlic in olive oil for a few minutes. Once I mixed in the remaining ingredients, the casserole was ready for charcoal.

The chicken pot pie is made with canned soup, frozen vegetables and frozen pre-cooked chicken is sufficiently easy without using frozen onions or a seasoning mix.

The chicken mixture should be thick, so resist the urge to thin with milk or broth.

DUTCH OVEN CHICKEN POT PIE WITH BUTTERMILK BISCUIT TOPPING

This recipe is the ideal way to use leftover cooked chicken or turkey anytime during the year.

Filling:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
1 clove garlic, minced
2 small red potatoes, cubed
1 (16-ounce) package frozen mixed vegetables, thawed
2 cups cooked cubed chicken
2 (10-ounce) cans cream of mushroom soup
1 teaspoon dried thyme
2 tablespoons flat-leaf parsley
Ground black pepper, to taste

Topping:
16 ounces refrigerated biscuit dough
1 tablespoon butter, melted

Preheat 12-inch Dutch oven to approx. with 350 degrees F with 12 charcoal briquetts on lid and 7 underneath oven. Pour olive oil in hot oven. Add onions and garlic and sweat lid on until soft, about 10 to 15 minutes.

Combine remaining filling ingredients in Dutch oven. Be sure to mix in onion and garlic. Check seasoning. Replace lid and bake for 1-1/2 hours. Add additional burning charcoal as needed to maintain heat.

Remove lid. Mixture should be bubbling. Gently stir mixture to evenly distribute heat. Open can of biscuit dough and arrange over top of mixture. Brush tops of biscuits with melted butter. Return lid, adding extra burning charcoal to lid if necessary, and continue baking for another 15 to 20 minutes or until biscuits have risen and are golden brown.

Hamburger Stroganoff

Just about every hamburger stroganoff recipe on the Internet contains the same ingredients: ground beef, chopped onion, sliced white button mushrooms (canned or fresh), all-purpose flour and a can or two of condensed cream of mushroom (or chicken) soup.

Some recipes add garlic. Most recipes are seasoned with salt, ground black pepper and sweet ground paprika. And I've seen a few that suggest a tablespoon or two of tomato paste or catsup.

Even Emeril behaved himself. His recipe for hamburger stroganoff follows the traditional formula with few exceptions. He adds his Essence in place of paprika and suggests that you garnish the dish with grated white cheddar cheese and chopped parsley.

This is the recipe that I grew up on. I didn't know there was any other kind until my first visit Hong Kong on the USS Cocopa in the 1972. A group of us visited a European restaurant on the Kawloon side of Victoria Harbor.

Stroganoff was the perfect comfort food for this sailor away from home for the first time. Instead, the waiter surprised me with traditional stroganoff. The sauteed strips of tender beef in a light sour cream based sauce were amazing.

Hamburger stroganoff may not resemble the dish that carries Count Pavel Stroganoff's name. But it's pure comfort food. The rich mushroom flavor and creamy tanginess of the sour cream warms the belly and reminds me of home.

HAMBURGER STROGANOFF

You can use most any condensed cream soup in the pantry. My mother always used cream of celery. I like the mushroom soup because it adds a nice mushroom base to the dish. Substituted sliced crimini mushrooms for the white buttons if desired.

1 pound lean ground beef
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 cup sliced white button mushrooms
1 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon sweet paprika
Ground black pepper, to taste
1 (10 3/4-ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom soup
3/4 cup lowfat milk
1 cup (8 ounces) lowfat sour cream

Place ground beef in a 10-inch cast iron skillet. Cook over medium heat, stirring often, until meat is browned. Add onion and mushrooms and cook until just tender. Drain off any excess fat in the skillet. Blend flour, salt, paprika and black pepper into beef. Immediately stir in condensed soup and milk into mixture.

Cook over low heat, uncovered, for about 15 to 20 minutes. Thin the stroganoff with extra milk if it's too thick. Stir in sour cream and heat through. Serve hamburger stroganoff over mashed potatoes, steamed rice or egg noodles. The recipe yields about 4-1/2 cups. Serves 6 (3/4-cup) portions.