Scalloped Potatoes and Ham Casserole

Who doesn't remember Sunday dinner with baked ham and scalloped potatoes?  This recipe combines all of those wonderful flavors but with less fuss and less time.  Try it, and I think you'll agree!

6-8 medium potatoes, washed and peeled - soak in cold water until ready to use
1 lg. onion, thinly sliced
2 c. ham, cubed
7 T. butter (reserve one tablespoon for the casserole dish)
6 T. flour
3 c. milk
¼ t. nutmeg (freshly grated, if available)
1 t. white pepper (black pepper may also be used)
1½ t. salt

Prepare beschemel sauce:  In a medium saucepan, melt 6T. butter, add flour, and whisk until butter starts to bubble.  This process makes a roux. 

Gradually add milk while whisking.  Whisk until it has thickened and starts to bubble.

Reduce heat to low.  Thinly slice potatoes.  While slicing potatoes, stir the sauce frequently.

Rub a 2qt. casserole dish with 1T. butter, to coat the inside.  Cover the bottom of the dish with a layer of beschemel sauce.  Next, cover the layer of sauce with potatoes.  Cover the potatoes with a layer of onions, followed by ham.  You should be able to repeat this layering process up to three times in a 2qt. dish, ending with another layer of sauce.

Sprinkle with 1T. fresh parsley and dot with butter.  Place the dish on a cookie sheet or line your oven incase of splillage.  Cover and bake at 375º for approximately 2 hours, or until fork tender.

Cinnamon Apple Tart

This one-crusted tart tastes as good as it looks!  It is a little more figure friendly to eat, since there is only one crust.

Single Crust Recipe:
2 c. flour
2/3 c. lard or shortening
pinch of salt
5-7 T. ice water

Blend lard, salt, and flour with a pastry blender until the mixture is in pea-sized pieces.  Add cold water (the amount of water you add will depend on the humidity - you may need to add more or less).  Bring the mixture to a ball and wrap in plastic wrap.  Place in the refrigerator to chill.

In the meantime...
Peel and core 4-5 Granny Smith apples (or apples of your choice).  Thinly slice the apples until you reach 4 cups.  To that, add:
1½ c. sugar
¼ t. nutmeg
2 T. cinnamon
pinch of salt
3-4 T. flour
Mix the above together (including the apples) and allow to set while you roll out the crust.

Place 2 sheets of wax paper on a flat surface.  Unwrap and place previously chilled dough in the center.  Cover with two sheets of plastic wrap.  Roll out to ¼" thickness.  Remove wax paper and cut into a circle, approximately 12".  Using platic wrap, pick up dough and place on a cookie sheet.

Remove plastic wrap.  Spoon apple mixture into the center of the crust.  Leave about 1" border of dough around the outside so that you can fold up the crust.

Press the edge of the dough up and around the apples.  Try not to allow any tears in the crust, so that the juice will not spill out onto the cookie sheet.  Dot the apples with butter.

Place in a 400º oven for 35-45 minutes.

In the microwave oven, melt ½ c. apple jelly and 1 T. Calvados and brush over the apples while they are still hot.  This will make a shiny glaze over the apples.  Cool and serve by itself or some vanilla ice cream.

Lasagne Roll-ups

I don't know if I can take credit for this techinique, but one time after making lasagne, I had leftover ingredients.  I decided to put the filling in some leftover noodles and rolled them up.  This is what I came up with and I actually like it better because it is easier to serve and does not fall apart like traditional lasagne.

12 lasagne noodles

1 lb. ground beef or sweet Italian sausage, browned and drained

(the demonstration used 1 lb. beef and ½ lb. sausage)

24 oz. ricotta cheese
2 eggs
1 t. dried basil or 2 T. fresh basil
1 t. dried oregano
1/8 t. nutmeg
½ c. parmesan cheese
2 c. mozzarella cheese
1 jar spaghetti sauce

Cook noodles until soft enough to roll (about 6 minutes from the time you place them into the boiling water); stir constantly so that they do not stick together.  Drain and cool the noodles on cookie sheet. 

Mix ricotta, eggs, and spices. 

Brown meat; drain, and add sauce. 

Spread ricotta mixture and mozzarella cheese over a noodle.  Roll up and place seam side down into dish that is greased and has a layer of sauce. 


Pour remaining sauce over rolls and top with parmesan and mozzarella.  For more intense flavor, rinse out your spaghetti sauce jar with ¼ c. red wine, and add to sauce.

Bake at 350º for 45-60 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Petite Cheese Cakes

2 8oz. packages cream cheese (room temperature)
3/4 c. sugar
2 eggs (room temperature)
½ t. vanilla extract

Cream cheese and sugar together.  Add each egg separately and cream well.

Place small paper liners into tassie pans.  Use small liners.  Fill each to the top, using a pastry bag or large Ziplock bag with the corner cut.

Bake in a 350º oven for 20 mintues.  Cool on wire rack.  Cheese cakes will fall slightly as they cool, making a perfect indentation for filling.

Refrigerate, then fill and serve.  Fill with any kind of canned pie filling (cherry was used for the photos).  Makes 3 dozen.

Creamed Garden Fresh Beans with New Potatoes

Some foods take me back to my childhood.  Every summer, one of the first dishes my mother prepared was this one.  The recipe was passed down from generation to generation.  Mom had her own method of making the cream sauce for this delicious dish.  Several years ago, I came across a simpler recipe that I actually like better and has a much fresher taste.  I hope you will try this recipe.

2-3 c. fresh green beans (I used a mixture of greeen and wax beans), washed and cut into bite-sized pieces.
12-14 new potatoes, washed and cut in half (leave the skins on)
8oz. cream cheese
½ c. milk
½ t. salt
3-4 T. minced chives

Wash beans and trim stem end off.  Cut into bite-sized pieces.

Wash 12-14 new potatoes and cut in half (leave the skins on).

Place into a pot and cover with cold water.

Bring to a boil and simmer until the beans and potatoes are tender (do not overcook).  Drain in a collander.

In a microwave oven-safe bowl, cut 8oz. cream cheese into cubes.  Add milk and salt.  Heat in microwave for 60 seconds and stir.  Continue heating in 60 second intervals, until sauce is smooth.

Pour beans and potatoes into serving dish.  Pour sauce over beans and potatoes, and toss with spoon.  Sprinkle with chives.  Add salt and pepper to taste.

This recipe also works well with fresh peas instead of the beans.  This recipe can also be halved, for fewer servings.