It starts with mildly garlicky mashed potatoes. Take three pounds or so of russet potatoes. Peel about a third of them, quarter them all, and drop them into boiling salted water. Cook until just fork-tender. Drain well and cool slightly. Add a stick of butter, 1/2 cup sour cream, a tablespoon of garlic powder, and about a cup of good chicken stock. Mash roughly.

Make some beef gravy: make a semi-dark roux, and add beef stock. Whisk until thick.

In a bowl, layer some taters, canned corn, shredded cheddar cheese, and gravy. Apologize to your cardiologist, and dig in.

This is a pantry staple for us (although we don’t eat it as often as I would like). It’s my take on the simple hearty recipe provided in Amy Dacyzyn’s The Complete Tightwad Gazette, a book that constantly shuffles its way through the kitchen, office, coffee table and bookshelf.

Lentils are chock-full of protein, fiber, iron, and a bunch of funky little things called amino acids that, when combined with a grain like, say, rice, makes a complete protein, which is extra-good for you. (Or something. I have no actual dietary training, so you may want to talk to a nutritionist if you’re curious.) They’re healthy for your wallet, too – at around $1/lb, they’re one of the cheapest sources of protein around.

Lentil Rice Casserole

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup lentils
• 1/2 cup brown rice
• 1/4 cup dried minced onions
• 2 tablespoons garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 2 teaspoons dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoons butter, cubed
• 3 cups boiling chicken stock
• 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 300° F. Combine lentils, rice, spices, and salt in 8×8 or 9×9 baking dish and stir to combine. Distribute butter evenly over top of dry ingredients. Place pan on oven rack and carefully pour hot stock into pan*. Stir gently to combine. Cover tightly with foil and bake for 1 hour and 10 minutes.

Remove foil from pan and top with cheese; bake for an additional 20-30 minutes or until cheese is golden brown.

Serves 4-6.

*By putting the pan in the oven first, you eliminate those scary moments of holding a vessel full of boiling liquid with slippery fabric and attempting to move it across the kitchen. Try it once – you’ll never go back.

Miniature Chicken Tarts

Ingredients:

• 2 pie crusts (use your favorite recipe or a pre-bought crust)
• 1 boneless skinless chicken breast, poached and cooled
• 8 oz. whole fresh mushrooms, cleaned
• 2 teaspoons butter
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
• 4 oz. shredded cheddar cheese
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

Line mini-muffin cups with pie crust. Dock the bases of the cups with a fork and blind-bake. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken, mushrooms, and garlic, and sauté until chicken is lightly browned and all liquid from mushrooms has evaporated. Season. Deglaze pan with vinegar; continue to cook until pan is almost dry. Cool slightly.

Pulse cooled mixture in food processor with milk until a smooth, fluffy paste has formed. Spoon into prepared crusts and top with Parmesan cheese. Bake 15-20 minutes, or until lightly browned.

Makes 48 tarts.

One of my current vices is the new bacon-cheddar ciabatta breakfast melt from WaWa. I’m not a big “breakfast out” person (no people before coffee on the weekends), so this morning I set out to create my own. Fresh eggs and bacon, with a generous helping of butter, I’ll be sticking with this from here on out.

I learned the fluffed egg technique years ago from an ex – the wooden spoon (or other wide, flat utensil) is crucial here. Using a fork for this technique will produce ribbons rather than cloudy poufs.

Brown Butter Fluffed Egg Sandwiches

Ingredients (per sandwich):

• 3 large eggs
• 1 tablespoon half and half
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 flat, crusty roll, sliced in half lengthwise (I used a Portuguese roll from my local bakery)
• 2 slices bacon, cooked as per your preference
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons ketchup*

Combine eggs, seasonings, and half and half; whisk to combine. Set aside. Heat one tablespoon butter in a medium pan over low heat. Add half the roll, cut side down, and increase heat to medium-high. Cook until edges are golden brown. Remove bread and repeat with another tablespoon of butter and the other bread half. Set aside.

Decrease heat to medium and add final tablespoon of butter. Add eggs and immediately begin stirring with a wooden spoon, making sure to get all areas of the pan. Stir constantly until eggs have come together and are fluffy but still wet. Remove from heat and stir in cheese. Transfer to roll and top with ketchup and bacon. Serve immediately.

Serves 1.

*We (well, most of us) put ketchup on our eggs in this area of Pennsylvania. It’s awesome. If this is too weird for you, feel free to substitute your condiment of choice. Meredith suggests HP Sauce.

Today’s post is a recipe from guest chef Mel Hynes, who also happens to be the author of one of our favorite comics, Two Lumps. Thanks, Mel, for sharing your soup-y goodness!

If you would like to share your recipe and appear as guest chef on Catch the Spoon, please submit your bio and recipe here.

Soup of Teh Awesome

by Mel Hynes

Ingredients:

• 3 leeks, finely chopped (white part only)
• 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
• 4 medium potatoes (or 1 medium, 1 large, and one HONKIN HUGE)
• 2 tablespoons butter, divided
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground mustard
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 1/2 cup water
• 4 cups chicken broth
• salt, pepper, and white pepper to taste
• 1 cup shredded Cheddar* cheese (I used a pre-shredded cheddar and jack mix)
• 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese
• 1 1/2 cup milk
• 8 oz sliced baby portobello mushrooms
• 1/4 lb thin-sliced lean prosciutto

In a skillet, cook leeks, garlic, and potato in 1 tablespoon of butter and the olive oil over medium-low heat, stirring often. Do not allow potato to brown. Basically get the leeks & garlic nice and soft and don’t worry about the potato as long as it doesn’t get crispy.

Mix mustard, salt, pepper(s) and flour together in a bowl.

Mix chicken broth and water in a large pot, slowly whisk in dry mixture to avoid clumping. Bring to a boil.

Add potato, leek & garlic mixture to pot. Dodge red-hot broth splatter lava action. Reduce to a simmer, and cook for 1 hour.

Reduce heat to med-low. Mash softened potato/leek mixture (either by hand or with electric mixer). Stir in cheeses until melted, then add milk but do not boil.

Cook mushrooms over medium heat in remaining 1 tablespoon of butter until soft. Slice prosciutto into very thin strips. Add prosciutto and mushrooms + sauteing sauce to the soup, stir and let warm through.

EDIT: OM NOM NOM NOM

EDIT2: good lord, this stuff is FILLING. J. and I are both stuffed after one bowl.

Image by Snowy’s Goodthings

Potato and Mushroom Gratin

Ingredients:

• 2 cups whole milk
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 4 cloves garlic
• 6 sprigs fresh thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• salt and pepper to taste
• 3 lbs red potatoes, cleaned and sliced paper thin
• 1 lb shiitake mushrooms, stems removed, caps thinly sliced
• 1 lb portobello mushroom caps, thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup butter
• 2 tablespoons dried parsley
• 1/4 cup chopped chives
• 1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
• 2 cups smoked cheddar cheese, grated

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine milk, cream, garlic, thyme, and bay leaf in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a simmer and remove from heat. Cover and set aside to steep for 30 minutes.

Melt butter over medium-high heat in a large sautee pan or wok. Cook mushrooms, in batches if necessary, until they are soft and most of their juices have been expressed and evaporated. Season with salt and pepper; set aside.

Grease a large casserole dish. Create three complete layers of the gratin: potatoes, parsley, chives, parmesan, mushrooms, cheddar. Strain the infused milk and pour over the potatoes, squeezing the layers with another casserole dish or a large spatula to evenly distribute the liquid. Cover and bake for 90 minutes. Uncover and bake for an additional 15 minutes, or until top is brown. Let stand for 30 minutes before serving.

Serves 6-8.

Here in Pennsylvania, we’re smack dab in the middle of peak sweet corn season. Rather than craving that fresh corny goodness, however, I’m longing for a wintertime dish that is a serious comfort food — made from pantry items and definitely not diet-friendly. This corn soufflé, known affectionately in our house as “Corn Thang”, is a sinfully rich side dish.

Corn Soufflé (AKA “Corn Thang”)

Ingredients:

• 10-12 ounces canned sweet corn, drained
• 8-10 ounces canned creamed corn
• 1 box Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix
• 1 cup melted butter
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1 cup sour cream
• 2/3 cup grated cheddar cheese

In a large bowl, whisk together all ingredients except cheese. Pour into greased casserole dish and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Top with cheese; return to oven for 10 minutes or until cheese is golden brown.

Serves 6-8

Homemade crackers are an epicurean delight. Thicker than store-bought, they have a richer texture and are full of bright flavors that pop on the pallet. This recipe pairs the piquantness of cheddar with the warmth of pecans to create a wafer that is both well-balanced and well-rounded.

Cheddar Pecan Crackers

Ingredients:

• 1 pound butter, softened
• 1 pound sharp cheddar cheese, grated
• 1 cup toasted chopped pecans
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 to 1 1/2 cups flour

In a large bowl, combine butter and cheese into a paste. Stir in pecans. In a separate bowl, whisk together 1 cup flour, salt, and cayenne. Slowly add flour mixture to cheese, mixing until a stiff dough forms. Add remaining flour if needed; the desired consistency is slightly looser than pie dough. Split dough in half, and roll each half into a 1″ thick log. Roll each log in wax or parchment paper and wrap with plastic wrap. Chill for a minimum of 3 hours (overnight is preferable).

When dough is chilled, remove plastic wrap and parchment paper. Slice dough into 1/4″ slices and place on baking sheets lined with silicone mats or parchment paper, 1″ apart. Chill dough rounds on the cookie sheets for 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. The trick to crisp crackers is sliding the ice-cold dough into a hot oven, so make sure to move directly from the refrigerator to the oven. Bake for 12 minutes or until crackers are lightly brown around the edges. Cool on pans for 5 minutes before transferring to racks to cool completely.

Makes 30-40 crackers.

Many years ago, a friend handed me 2 grocery bags full of fresh plums from the trees on his property. That weekend, I made a number of plum cordials and some plum butter, along with this recipe. This chutney is a delightful accompaniment to pork or venison, and is excellent on a cracker or square of cocktail bread with a strong cheddar as an appetizer.

Sweet and Sour Plum Chutney

Ingredients:

• 3 pounds ripe plums, pitted and cut into 1″ pieces (skin on)
• 2 cups apple cider vinegar
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 cup white sugar
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh ginger
• 2 tablespoons mustard seed
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 tablespoon jarred hot pepper rings, diced
• 1/4 cup chopped green olives
• 1/2 cup diced onions
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic

In a medium stock pot, combine all but 1 cup plums with 1 cup vinegar. Cook, covered, over medium-low heat until plums are soft. Finely chop remaining plums; set aside. In a separate heavy-bottomed pot, melt sugars in remaining vinegar over medium heat. When plums are soft, puree with an immersion blender. Stir in sugar syrup and remaining ingredients, including diced plums, and bring to a boil. Immediately after mixture boils, reduce heat to low and simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally, for 3-4 hours or until sauce is thick. Pour into pint jars and refrigerate. Use within a week or freeze for up to 6 months.

Makes 2-3 pints.