Green Chile Gravy

Oh lordy, you have not lived until you have tasted this stuff.

I mean it’s like drinking eating heaven. It’s what life is lived for.

It’s chiles to swim in.

Yes, I do get a bit carried away.

But this stuff is so good.

And so very easy to make.

If you can make a general roux-type gravy, then you have nothing to fear. Read on.

INGREDIENTS:

• 3 Hatch chiles, charred, peeled and seeded (substitute Anaheim or Poblano)
• 3 tbsp butter
• 3 tbsp flour
• 3 tbsp finely minced onion
• 1 lg clove of garlic, microplaned
• salt and pepper
• 3 c either beef or chicken stock

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Place the chiles in a food processor and pulse. You don’t want to puree them, just chop them up nicely. You can do this by hand if you wish. I like the food processor method because you get some of the juices out and they go in the gravy. Get it?
2. Melt the butter in a large skillet.
3. Add the onion and garlic and stir while sauteing until translucent.
4. Stir in the flour and cook for a couple of minutes until the flour is no longer raw.
5. Add the stock you have chosen to use. Use chicken if you are using the gravy with chicken or fowl, beef if using beef. Pork you can decide as you wish.
6. Whisk until it comes to a boil and thickens.
7. Salt and pepper to taste.
8. Add the chiles and any juices. Stir in and let it simmer for five minutes or so.
9. I usually make this earlier in the day, cover it, and let it set until dinner. The flavors get a great chance to blend this way.

SERVES: 6

NOTES: This stuff goes so well with chicken or steak fingers, meatloaf, pork chops, you can use it for almost anything. If you want to go more Mexican, add some cumin and oregano.

SOURCE: Sherry Peyton

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Home Sweet Home Biscuits and Sausage Gravy

Sometimes it’s just what you have to have.

Nothing else will do.

It’s got to be home cooking and it’s got to be nostalgic.

Nothing fits that bill better than home-made biscuits and some very very home-made sausage gravy.

You can almost taste it can’t ya?

I know city folks don’t like such fattening stuff. But all of us were once upon a time just kids and this was wonderful food.

And sometimes life is hard and this kind of food lets us forget all the mean old world for a bit and enter our memories and smile.

So do make this. You’ll know when it’s time.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 recipe of Southern biscuits baked according to the directions.
• 1 lb of your favorite bulk breakfast sausage, broken up.
• 1/2 lg onion, diced
• 1/4 c of flour
• 3 c whole milk
• salt and pepper to taste

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Assemble the biscuit dough, make your biscuits and let it sit while the oven preheats and you begin the gravy.
2. Break up the sausage and saute with the onion until done. Use a potato masher or cutter to break up the sausage into even pieces.
3. Add the flour and mix thoroughly with the meat coating it all, and cooking it for a couple of minutes more.
4. Add the milk (you can put it in the microwave for a minute or so to warm but it’s not necessary). Stir well and continue stirring as the milk gets hot and begins to thicken.
5. Stir until completely thickened and bubbly.
6. Salt and pepper and then taste for more seasonings.
7. Pop your biscuits in and bake. Serve piping hot.

SERVES: 6

NOTES: This is a basic recipe. You can add herbs (fresh would be great of any kind you wish, depending on the type of sausage you are using), hot pepper flakes, roasted, peeled, seeded, and chopped chiles if you desire. Any spices which you think might complement your type of sausage can also be added.

Related articles

• Sausage Gravy and Biscuits (cantstayoutofthekitchen.com)

Shepherd Boy’s Casserole

Okay, it’s Shepherd’s pie. No biggie.

And frankly, I always kind of turned up my nose at it, honestly as being a bit too rustic and “common”.

I was wrong. This recipe rocks.

It is truly comfort food of the first order.

And all you have to do is remember the next time you are making mashed potatoes–make double.

The rest is child’s play.

But even made from scratch, it’s quick so do try it. This recipe is adapted from Juanita’s Cochina.

INGREDIENTS:

• Enough potatoes to cover your casserole dish (probably about 4-5 lg) peeled, diced and cooked just to done, and drained.
• 6 tbsp butter, divided
• 1/2 heavy cream
• pepper
• 2 tbsp canola oil, divided
• 1 1/2 lbs ground beef, as lean as you can afford
• 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 tsp soy sauce
• 1/2 tsp cayenne
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 1/2 c beef stock (I try to get salt free whenever possible)
• 1/2 lg onion, chopped
• 1 bell pepper, diced
• 2 zucchini, or use chopped celery, parsnips, green beans, etc. About 2 cups in total of whatever veggies you have on hand
• 2 carrots grated
• 1 tsp paprika
• 4 oz havarti or other cheese of your choice.

FOR THE GRAVY

• 1/2 lg onion, diced
• 8 oz mushrooms of your choice, sliced
• 3 tbsp canola oil
• 3 tbsp flour
• 1 c red wine (a nice dry red is best)
• 1-2 c beef stock
• salt and pepper to taste

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 375°
2. In a large skillet, add one tbsp each of oil and butter and brown the beef with Worcestershire sauce, cayenne, salt and pepper to taste.
3. Add the tomato paste and blend in. Add stock and bring to a simmer. Adjust seasonings if necessary and then remove to a bowl.
4. In the skillet , add another tbsp each of oil and butter and saute the onions and other vegetables until just tender. Add the paprika.
5. Using a 9 x 12 casserole, layer half the meat, and then sprinkle the grated cheese on top. Then the rest of the meat and then all the veggies.
6. Add 3 tbsp or so of the butter to the pot of potatoes, mash, add the cream and mash until smooth. Salt and pepper to taste.
7. Spread the potatoes onto the casserole.
8. Bake for about 30 minutes or until edges are browned and bubbling.
9. For the Gravy: Saute the onions and mushrooms in the oil until tender. Add flour and whisk until the flour is cooked. Add the red wine, whisking until it starts to bubble and thicken. Add as much beef broth as you need to reach the consistency you desire.
10. Serve over the pie when dished.

Serves: 6 generously

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Oh So Versatile Sour Cream Sauce

What I adore about this recipe is that it is first of all easy. And even better, it is adaptable to just tons of other foods, hence the appellation of “versatile”.

It is easy to half, or double or triple. Just pay attention to your ratios (see the tips and tricks section here on roux).

I’ll give you plenty of alternatives to work off the basic sauce at the end of the recipe.

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 tbsp flour
• 2 tbsp butter
• 2 c beef stock (unsalted)
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 2/3 c sour cream

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Make a roux of the flour and butter and cook for two minutes.
2. Whisk in the beef stock and heat until it begins to bubble and thicken.
3. Add the salt and pepper.
4. Take off the heat and add the sour cream,whisking until incorporated.
5. Serve it up!

NOTES: There are tons of things you can do with this now. Use as is over meatballs, pork chops, baked chicken. Add chipotle peppers which have been minced, or jalapenos to give it a Southwestern flare for meatloaf for instance.  Use any herb you wish. Add dill or chives and use over baked potatoes, noodles, rice or pasta. Add horseradish and serve with rib roast. It has unlimited uses.

 

Rockin’ Meatloaf

Everybody makes meatloaf, and most of them are good. It’s hard to make a bad one unless you are a school or hospital. Then you make uneatable gray stuff that is awful.

I don’t like meatloaf with oatmeal and don’t care for breadcrumbs either. I used to make it with saltines scrunched up, but I found this technique on the Food Channel on one of Alton Brown’s shows and it works so much better.

Change the ingredients to fit your likes, but don’t mess with the technique and you will have great meatloaf that slices without falling apart and is not swimming in grease.

Makes great sandwiches.

I usually don’t make a gravy, but I found this one that is superb, so bring on the mashed taters and some steamed broccoli or green beans on the side, and make it a feast.

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 lbs. meat, one each of pork and ground beef
• 2/3 c onions, diced
• 2/3 c sweet pepper, diced
• 1 cup mushrooms (any kind) diced
• 1 5oz can tomato sauce
• 1 egg
• 1 TBSP Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 tsp pepper
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1 tsp granulated garlic or a clove or two of fresh, minced
• 1 tsp smoky paprika
• 2/3 c corn, frozen, fresh or canned
• 1/2 packet of unflavored gelatin

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Mix the meats together gently. Excessive work on the meat makes it tough. Add the corn
2. Saute the onions, peppers and mushrooms in a saute pan until softened.
3. Add to the meat.
4. In a small bowl mix all the rest together then pour into the meat mixture and combine.
5. Take a loaf pan and line with Saran Wrap, leaving plenty of extra over the edges. Pack in the meat mixture and when smoothed, turn in the wrap and cover. Put in the fridge for a couple of hours.
6. Preheat oven to 420-425°
7. Take a shallow baking dish and line with foil. Remove the meatloaf from fridge, open up the wrap and place a finely meshed cooling rack on top. Invert and place in the baking dish. Slide off the loaf pan and remove the wrap.
8. Place in oven for about 1 hour. Sides will caramelize a bit and all sides will get nicely crusted.
9. Let sit for 15 minutes, tented. Slide a metal spatula to loosen and then slide onto a serving plate.

If you wish to use a gravy, this one is wonderful! I got it from Blondie Pussycat at JustaPinch.

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 TBSP EVOO
• 1 small onion diced finely
• 1-2 cloves garlic finely minced
• 2 cups finely diced mushrooms of your choice
• 2 cans Golden Mushroom condensed soup
• 2 c beef stock (homemade or boxed or canned)
• salt and pepper to taste.

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Saute onions until translucent, add the garlic and mushrooms and saute until dry.
2. Take off the heat
3. In a bowl, combine the soup and stock and whisk. Add the onions, garlic and mushrooms and salt and pepper.
4. Return to the pan and warm up to a slow boil.
5. Blondie pours it over the meatloaf and returns to the oven for 10-15 minutes, but I just served it on the side.

Serves: 4 easily

NOTES: If you like to change things up from time to time, consider these additions: Tex-Mex spices, such as chipotle and chili sauce. Or do a more French version with dijon mustard and thyme. Or pork sausage for part of the meat. Omit the corn and add spinach, or any other veggies. Lots of folks add shredded cheese, or bacon strips on top. And of course there are fillers that some folks like. Me I like it meaty!

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• Fancy Schmancy Meatloaf (dessertcomesfirst.wordpress.com)
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Do My Biddin’ Pot Roast

You know the drill, put the roast in the roaster, add some stock, cook until ? and then add carrots, onions and potatoes at the right time ? and hope everything is done to the right level at the same time.

Well this is a no fail, always turns out right, recipe. And once your significant other has tried it once, you will get you way in anything with just a promise to make it again. Nothing hard about this at all.

Are you ready to be the queen of your domain?

INGREDIENTS:

• 4 lb pot roast, your favorite cut
• salt and pepper
• a stalk of celery and one carrot  and 1 small onion
•  1 TBSP Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 red wine
• 4-5 potatoes
• 6 carrots
• 1 large onion
• 1 TBSP canola oil
• 5TBSP butter divided 3 and 2
• 3TBSP flour
• 2 c beef stock (unsalted preferred)
• 1/4 c cream

DIRECTIONS:

1. Salt and pepper the roast and brown in a large saute pan. Brown the edges by holding the meat upright with tongs.
2. Remove roast to a large piece of heavy-duty foil. Add the celery, carrot and onion, roughly cut up. Sprinkle with Worcestershire sauce and wine. Fold up the foil and seal the roast very tightly. Place in a roasting pan and set in preheated 425° oven. Roast for approximately 1 hour and 45 minutes.
3. About 1 hour before roast is done, peel onion and cut into six wedges. Clean the carrots and cut so they are approximately same size as onion pieces. Place in plastic bag with 1 TBSP oil (canola). When it is 45 before dinner, place on parchment paper on a jelly roll pan and pour out the veggies, spreading around so they aren’t touching. Move the roast aside and slide in the veggies to roast. Turn once at the half way point.
4. One half hour before dinner, peel and place cut up potatoes in water and cook until tender. Drain.
5. While potatoes are boiling, take saute pan that you browned the roast in. Add three TBSP of butter and melt, adding 3 TBSP of flour. Whisk together and cook for a minute. Add the beef stock. Bring to  a slow boil until thick. Turn down to very low.
6. Fifteen minutes before dinner at the 1 hour 45 minute time, remove roast and open CAREFULLY. Remove meat to a platter and cover with another piece of foil to rest. Carefully pour off the juices from the foil into the gravy already prepared. Taste and adjust with salt and pepper as needed.
7. Mash potatoes, add 2 TBSP butter and the cream, blend.
8. Remove the veggies from the oven.
9. Serve it all up and go to heaven!

This should serve 4 easily.

Total Time: approximately 2 hours