Twice Baked Potato Casserole

Tweet

Pictured behind the potatoes is a suuuuper good Cheesy Corn Pudding that I want to post the recipe for
but I can't find the recipe for.   That's the whole reason that I have this blog - to be able to archive recipes for later use!
Quelle frustration!  Let's focus on this not-in-focus picture of potatoes instead.

This is just a no-brainer!  Because: mashed potatoes with bacon, sour cream, cheese, green onions, and butter.  We ate this as our potato side dish for Christmas dinner last year, and not only would it make a great holiday dinner side dish again, but it would be a great non-holiday dinner side dish too.  Whoa.  As the name suggests, it's like twice baked double stuffed potatoes, but in a casserole.  If you ask the hubby really nicely, he will even fry up the leftovers for breakfast potatoes the next morning.  Drool.  Only rivalled by one other mashed potato recipe for the best mashed potatoes everrrrr.

For a printer-friendly version of any recipe, simply click 'Print' below the title of any blog post. Voila - a clean recipe without my ramblings or any pictures!

One Year Ago:  Plum Cake
Two Years Ago:  Brussels Sprouts Salad with Bacon
Three Years Ago:  Amy's Lentil Soup Copycat Recipe
Four Years Ago:  The Best Mashed Potatoes I've Ever Eaten
Five Years Ago:  Chicken Cacciatore

Twice Baked Potato Casserole

Serves: 16

Ingredients

• 1 pound bacon
• 16 russet potatoes, scrubbed clean (don't peel)
• 6 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 pound salted butter, at room temperature
• 2 cups sour cream
• 2 cups grated Cheddar cheese
• 2 cups whole milk
• 4 teaspoons seasoning salt
• 6 green onions, sliced
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste.

Directions
Preheat the oven to 400°F.

Cook the bacon in a pan until crispy; let cool and then crumble.

Rub potatoes with olive oil and place on baking sheets.  Bake until tender, 45 to 60 minutes.  Remove the potatoes from the oven and reduce the oven temperature to 350°F.

Slice the butter and transfer to a large mixing bowl.  Add the bacon and the sour cream.  Cut each potato in half and scrape out the insides into the mixing bowl.  Tear up the skins from 3 of the potatoes and add to the bowl.  Mash the potatoes with a potato masher, then add the cheese, milk, seasoning salt, green onions, and salt and pepper to taste.  Mix together well.

Grease a baking dish, and scoop the potato mixture into the dish, then top with more grated cheese.  Bake until warmed through, about 25 to 30 minutes.

Enjoy!


Recipe Source:  Food Network - Twice Baked Potato Casserole

Christmas Breakfast EggNog Bread Pudding

Tweet

Looking for a new and super tasty make-ahead Christmas morning brunch dish?  Here's one.  You're welcome.

Ha, I have a love/hate relationship with the passive-aggressive 'you're welcome!' when someone doesn't say thank you.  I don't often say it, but I definitely think it.  Oh, I just waited a few extra seconds to hold the door open for you and you just waltzed right though as though I was the doorman and didn't say thank you?  You're welcome!  Oh, I just let your car enter my lane in front of my car and you didn't give me a wave to let me know that you're super appreciative?  You're welcome!  'You're welcome' is how I knew it was time for me to leave the restaurant industry back in my 20's after close to a decade of being an amazing server (if I do say so myself!  Yes, self, you can say that, and thank you for the compliment.  You're welcome self!).  The night it happened I was flying around the restaurant with a zillion tables to look after and a zillion things on my to-do list, when a man sitting at a table that I was not the server for asked me to bring him ketchup.  And even though I was ignoring the kajillion things that I should have been bringing to my own tables (thus ensuring a nice tip) on this extremely busy Saturday night, I looked after getting the ketchup, and when I dropped it off, ha, when I dropped it off, the man at the table didn't even acknowledge that I was bringing something to him!  He didn't even look up from his conversation and give me a nod or a smile.  So, i did it, I said, "You're welcome!!!" in my most chipper friendly voice, and turned on my heels and left the table.  Soooo passive-aggresive, I know, I'm guilty, but sooooo satisfying at the time!  A couple of weeks later I gave my resignation and left the restaurant industry for good.  And I do miss it sometimes...those were super fun days!  But I don't miss the extreme rudeness from a few of the restaurant patrons (ketchup man was nothing in comparison to some people).  I strongly believe that it should be a mandatory requirement for every single person in this country to have to work in a restaurant at some point in their life.  I think that it would make everyone a nicer person.

Well, that was a tangent that had nothing to do with Egg Nog Breakfast Bread Pudding or Christmas spirit!  Talk about pent-up rage...sheesh!  Moving on...

Egg Nog Breakfast Bread Pudding.  Make-ahead Christmas morning breakfast dish idea.  You're welcome.

The Hubby and I served this on Christmas morning in 2015 along with a green chile frittata (recipe to come), fruit salad, cheesy hash brown casserole (recipe to come), and mimosas.

Yum - isn't Christmas delicious!!!

For a printer-friendly version of any recipe, simply click 'Print' below the title of any blog post. Voila - a clean recipe without my ramblings or any pictures!

One Year Ago:  Parsnip and Carrot Puree
Two Years Ago:  Mom's Fall Off The Bone Oven Baked BBQ Pork Ribs
Three Years Ago:  Amy's Lentil Soup Copycat Recipe
Four Years Ago:  Baked Chicken with Creamed Spinach and Squashed Potatoes
Five Years Ago:  Chicken Cacciatore

EggNog Breakfast Bread Pudding

Serves: 8-10

Ingredients

• 1 (12 ounce) loaf French bread
• 4 ounces unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 3 cups egg nog
• 2 cups whole or 2% milk
• 5 eggs
• 4 egg yolks
• 1 cup sugar
• salt
• 2 tablespoons bourbon
• icing (confectioners) sugar, and maple syrup, for serving

Directions
Preheat oven to 375°F.  Slice the French bread, and generously spread the butter on each slice, then cut the buttered slices into 1-inch cubes.  Put the bread cubes into a 9x13-inch baking dish.

In a large saucepan, heat the egg nog and milk together until hot but not boiling.

In a large bowl, combine the eggs, egg yolks, sugar, and a pinch of salt, and whisk until light and frothy.  Whisk in one cup of the warm egg nog / milk mixture into the egg /sugar mixture, then gradually add the remaining egg nog / milk mixture, one cup at a time.  Stir in the bourbon.

Pour the liquid mixture over the bread cubes, gently pushing down the bread to make sure all of the bread gets saturated.  Chill in the refrigerator for at least one hour or overnight.

Bake in preheated oven for 40 - 50 minutes, until the custard is set and the top is lightly golden.  Allow to cool for 5 - 10 minutes, and serve hot or at room temperature.  Sprinkle with icing sugar and serve with maple syrup on the side.

Enjoy!

Recipe Source:  The Kitchn - Egg Nog Breakfast Bread Pudding

Butternut Squash and Black Bean Enchiladas

Tweet

I am loving the stream of recipes that deliciously appear in my Facebook news feed.  My Facebook friends share the best recipes!  All of the food looks so gorgeous there on my screen, but so far I haven't made anything.  Similarly, I have 3200+ food-related pins on my Pinterest page with the best intentions of making every single one, I swear, but so far have only made about three of them.  So, a few days ago I saw this recipe, went to the store to buy the ingredients, made, and ate it all in the same day.  And it was great.  All of that effort and then I wait to blog about it two weeks later - ha!

We don't eat a lot of vegetarian dishes in our house, but with this one we didn't even miss the meat.  Although, we did agree that shredded chicken would have been a great addition if we wanted to add some extra protein next time.  These enchiladas are butternut squash, black beans, and cheese in a spicy creamy-tomato chipotle sauce, all topped with sour cream and sliced avocado.  Cilantro would have been a great addition (if the Hubby didn't despise it so).  Leftovers were even better than the first time around.

Here's your ingredient line-up!

I used these medium-sized package of 8 flour tortillas

I've always wondered the easiest way to cube a butternut squash, and this time I actually Googled it and found this helpful video.  This is so much easier than the way I was doing it before, so it's worth a quick watch!

For a printer-friendly version of any recipe, simply click 'Print' below the title of any blog post. Voila - a clean recipe without my ramblings or any pictures!

One Year Ago:  Parsnip and Carrot Puree
Two Years Ago:  Easy Refried Bean Soup
Three Years Ago:  Healthy Southwest Chicken and Rice Bake
Four Years Ago:  Thanksgiving 2012
Five Years Ago:  Chicken Cacciatore

Chipotle Butternut Squash and Black Bean Enchiladas

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 2 cups tomato sauce
• 2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce (I used about 1 teaspoon of sauce and the 2 peppers)
• 3/4 cup plain Greek yogurt
• 4 cloves minced garlic, divided (2 for the sauce and 2 for the filling)
• 1 1/2 tablespoons chili powder
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 4 cups cubed butternut squash (about 1/2 a medium-sized butternut squash, or a little over a pound)
• 1 - 18oz. can black beans, drained, rinsed, then drained again
• 3/4 cup corn (frozen or fresh)
• salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
• 2 cups shredded Tex Mex cheese blend, divided
• 8 medium-sized flour tortillas
• For topping: sour cream, sliced avocado, sliced green onions, and cilantro

Directions
In a food processor, combine tomato sauce, chipotle peppers, adobo sauce, yogurt, 2 cloves minced garlic, and chili powder, and whir together until well blended.  Set enchilada sauce aside.

Preheat oven to 350F.  In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat.  Add onion and remaining 2 cloves of minced garlic, and cook until soft, about 5 minutes.  Add squash, cover skillet, and continue cooking (stirring occasionally) until fork-tender, about 8 minutes.  Reduce heat to low, then add beans, corn, salt and pepper, and 1 cup of enchilada sauce.  Stir until heated and combined, then remove from heat.

Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish, then smear the bottom of the dish with 3/4 cup of enchilada sauce.  Scoop 3/4 cup of squash mixture into one of the flour tortillas, then sprinkle 1 tablespoon of cheese on top, roll up, and place seam-side down into the baking dish.  Repeat with the remaining tortillas, using up all of the squash mixture.



Pour remaining enchilada sauce over top, and sprinkle with remaining cheese.  Bake for 25 - 30 minutes, or until cheese is bubbling.  Top with sour cream, sliced avocado, green onions, and cilantro.  Enjoy!  

Recipe Source:  Ambitious Kitchen

Cheesy Carrot Casserole

Tweet

It would be nice to have some fancy blog with an amazing editorial department where blog posts about a fabulous side dish for Thanksgiving get posted prior to Thanksgiving rather than a few weeks later, but, this isn't that kind of blog!  And, it's almost American Thanksgiving, so I'm way ahead of the game there!  And, Christmas is around the corner!  And then Easter right after that, after which it's Thanksgiving again anyways.  And, it doesn't really need to be a special occasion to serve a carrot casserole anyways.

As promised, this has quickly become the carrot blog (refer to the last three posts including this one to see what I mean!), and here is another blog post about carrots coming at ya!  The recipe comes from the Taste of Home website, and it's a keeper.

I brought this to the Thanksgiving dinner on my side of the family, and it was a huge hit.  The casserole dish was literally scraped clean by the end of the dinner, because people were taking seconds and even thirds (ok, I was the only person who took thirds).  Doesn't it just feel so great when that happens?  I pre-made the casserole earlier in the day, and then we just reheated in the oven prior to dinner being served.  Little Man spent the weekend at his Nana and Grandpa's house (The Hubby's parents) while we went over the line to stay at their trailer in Washington with some friends before coming back for Thanksgiving dinner with his side of the family.  It was a much needed weekend away, but it was awesome to come back to two back-to-back family dinners and our first Thanksgiving with the Little Man.  What a wonderful year with so much to be thankful for!  Cheese definitely being one of those things...

Hope you enjoy this Cheesy Carrot Casserole!

For a printer-friendly version of any recipe, simply click 'Print' below the title of any blog post. Voila - a clean recipe without my ramblings or any pictures!

One Year Ago:  Carrot and Parsnip Puree
Two Years Ago:  Easy Refried Bean Soup
Three Years Ago:  Healthy Everything Cookies
Four Years Ago:  Braised Red Cabbage with Goat Cheese




Cheesy Carrot Casserole

Serves: 10 -12 side dishes

Ingredients

• 8 cups sliced carrots
• 2 medium onions, thinly sliced
• 5 tablespoons butter, divided
• 1 can condensed cream of celery soup (10.75 oz / 284 mL), undiluted
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1 1/4 cup grated cheddar cheese, divided
• 1 cup seasoned croutons (use the ones that are small in size)

Directions
Grease a 13 x 9-inch casserole dish and pre-heat oven to 350F.

Place carrots in a pot and cover with water, bring to a boil, then cook until tender-crisp.  Meanwhile, in a skillet, melt 3 tablespoons butter and cook onions until tender.  Stir in the soup, salt, pepper, and 1 cup cheddar cheese, and stir to combine.  Drain the carrots and stir into the onion mixture.  Transfer to the prepared baking dish and sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup cheddar cheese and croutons.  Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons butter, then drizzle over top.  Bake for 20 - 25 minutes or until cheese is bubbling.

Enjoy!

Recipe Adapted From:  Taste of Home - Carrot Casserole

Slow Cooker Philippine Pork Stew

Tweet

Ok, this one comes VERY Hubby approved and recommended.  He seems to throw this comment out kind of often, but apparently this was the, 'best meal this year.'  Then I reminded him he said that about a pasta I made about a month ago, and so he said, "ok, this one is second place then."  Then I reminded him that he said that about a dinner he had at a restaurant we went to on our anniversary and another dinner that we had a week after that at another restaurant.  So, who knows really with him, but he definitely thought this was a keeper!

He put a cookbook into my stocking last year called The Best of Bridge - Slow Cooker Cookbook, and I have made only one or two things in it so far, but something triggered him to remind me of it this week.  I told him to go get it off the shelf, choose anything in the book, and I would make it.  The majority of the summer hasn't exactly been 'slow cooker bubbling away on the counter season,' on account of the heat wave, but a couple of weeks ago we were experiencing a bit of an Augtober that kind of put a 'damper' on things, and a CrockPot dinner seemed like just what the weatherman ordered.  The 'Pork Adobo' recipe caught his eye, and thus a Wednesday night dinner was born.  To be honest, it's probably something I would have turned the page on and never made if not for him choosing it this week.  Ingredients like, 'cinnamon stick,' and 'whole clove,' aren't usually up my alley, but a deal was a deal and I made the dish anyways.  Are we ever glad we did!  The Hubby gave rave reviews, and I always especially know it's a good meal when he excitedly packs his leftovers for lunch the next day.  He admitted afterwards that he chose the recipe because the cinnamon and clove seemed weird.  Haha.  Side note - a stick of cinnamon from the bulk section of our grocery store costs $0.03.  A whole clove is too light to even register on the store's scale, so the cashier shrugged and put it into the bag for free.  The bay leaves were the same way.  I basically robbed the grocery store!!

Healthy Southwest Chicken and Rice Bake

Tweet

What's in your freezer?

 

So, it's just The Hubby and me in our house, but in looking at our freezer you would think differently.  Here is what I saw when I reluctantly did a freezer clean recently:

• 8 chicken breasts, 1 beef tenderloin log, 1 whole chicken, 2 packs bacon, 2 steaks, 2 bags prawns, 6 salmon fillets
• 7 or more partially used bags of peas or corn or pea/corn combo
• 3 tubs partially-consumed vanilla ice cream with an inch of icy freezer crust on top
• 8 bags of sliced bread with only two pieces of crust remaining per bag (never to be eaten)
• 1,000,000 black bananas
• other, other, other x 100

My inventory of our pantry yielded similar (non-frozen) results.  8 cans of black beans, 7 boxes of pasta, 2,000,000 granola bars, too much uneaten food.  So I threw out the old ice cream, downsized my banana collection, and told The Hubby that we had to try to go a month without buying any new food except dairy products and fresh fruit and vegetables.  We're on about Day 14 now, our freezer is halfway emptied, and our pantry is slowly depleting in stock.  It takes a bit of planning and creativity, and so far almost every meal has included frozen peas or canned black beans, but it's been kind of a fun challenge at the same time.  For instance, I came home from work last night and The Hubby had prepared a chicken, pea, and pasta casserole...and after a long day at work it was exactly what I wanted to eat for dinner, and all that I could think was that I had married some kind of Top Chef or something. That is, until we flicked to Top Chef on tv while we ate dinner!

Traditional Italian Sausage Lasagna

Tweet

While I'm on the Italian Sausage bandwagon...

This blog's tagline is The Kitchen Confessional of Megan McLeod...well, here's one for you.  All of the mozzarella cheese that went into this lasagna fell off the counter and onto the floor before I assembled the lasagna.  All of this precariously placed cheese, onto the non-swept floor...

Five second rule!

...and then into a lasagna.  Don't tell The Hubby!!

Second kitchen confessional is that I wear these onion goggles every single time that I cut onions.  They totally prevent my eyes from stinging and crying.  Plus they are obviously super stylish!

Hi 

So, our garage was broken into a couple of weeks ago.

Chicken and Broccoli Casserole with Creamy Curry Sauce

Tweet

Does anything beat comfort food?

Or even just...food.  I love food (hence the blog).

I've said it before and I will say it a thousand times mores if you let me...I love the cookbooks by the Best of Bridge.  My grandmothers used them, my mom uses them, and I use them.  If you are also a fan of that series, you may recognize this recipe as the 'New Classy Chicken,' which is a remake of the former 'Classy Chicken' recipe that my grandmother used to make.  The new version lightens up the calorie and fat factors substantially.

This is really really easy, and really really tasty, and you may even already have all of the ingredients in your fridge.  It's also another meal that brings back good memories, because my granny would sometimes make it for my family for Sunday dinners (it works well for The Hubby and me for a weeknight or a Sunday meal too).  We totally fiend for a great curry sauce in our house, and if you are the same way, you will find that this casserole really satisfies that craving.  I love it paired with a jasmine or basmati rice.

I hope you enjoy it as much as we do!

Using my granny's old Corningware is only fitting while making one of the recipes that she loved.

Chicken and Broccoli Casserole with Creamy Curry Sauce

Serves: 4 - 6

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 cups broccoli florets
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour (I used Bob's Red Mill gluten-free all-purpose flour)
• 2 teaspoons curry powder
• 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
• 1/2 cup skim or 2% milk
• 1/2 cup plain yogurt
• 1/2 cup light mayonnaise
• 1/2 cup shredded aged cheddar cheese
• 1/2 cup dry bread crumbs (I used gluten-free bread crumbs)
• 2 teaspoons butter, melted
• Rice (cooked, to serve the casserole on top of)

Directions
Preheat oven to 350F.  Place chicken on a plate and season with salt and pepper.  In a large pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat.  Saute the chicken in the pan for 5 - 7 minutes, or until browned and no longer pink inside.

Lightly grease a shallow 9x9 baking dish or any dish large enough to hold the chicken in a single layer.  Transfer the chicken to the baking dish.

Meanwhile, in a large pot of boiling salted water, cook broccoli for 1 minute.

Drain right away and spoon the broccoli over the chicken.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, curry powder, and broth, making sure there are no lumps.  Stir in the milk, yogurt, and mayonnaise.



Pour the sauce over the chicken mixture.

Sprinkle the chicken mixture with the cheddar cheese.



In a small bowl, toss the bread crumbs with the melted butter, and sprinkle over the chicken mixture.

Bake for 30 minutes, or until the sauce is bubbling and the top is golden brown (letting sit for 5 minutes or so after it comes out of the oven).  Cook rice according to package directions and keep warm until the casserole is ready.



Serve the chicken and broccoli casserole on top of the rice.  Enjoy!

Recipe Source: Best of Bridge

My Granny's Sweet & Sour Meatballs

Tweet

This one reminds me of my childhood.  

 

I've been waiting to post this recipe for a long, long time.  Sorry to my brother, who has been waiting to get it from me.  But see, we got a new computer, and the pictures were on the old computer.  And so, it would have required me to plug in the old computer to get a charge going, and then upload the photos from there.  Which would have taken like five minutes or maybe even a little bit more than five minutes.  So, it's understandable.

Growing up, my grandparents lived in Victoria, but as my brother and I got a little bit older, my Granny and Grandpa moved to a home about seven minutes away from our house.  My dad was their only child, and thus my brother and I were their only grandchildren, so we were a tad spoiled by them.  Actually, no, not spoiled, just loved.  A lot.  It was a nice feeling to have my grandparents at things like my softball games or piano recitals, or at my brother's lacrosse games.  We felt like we were their entire world.    

Butternut Squash and Italian Sausage Lasagna with Sage

Tweet

When company's coming and you want to fuss a little bit...

 

Make this!

I fricking love Emeril.  Seriously, he has never let me down.  And you know who loves him more than me?  The Hubby.  He gets very excited when Emeril is on Top Chef, and very excited when we have gone to his restaurant NOLA (where we purchased a cookbook), and also very excited to eat anything that comes from an Emeril cookbook...including this lasagna, which quite frankly I was worried about serving to him.

Maybe it was the cooked apple (The Hubby hates 'warm fruit,' including in pies).  Or maybe it was the butternut squash (he doesn't really enjoy butternut squash when it's 'cube-shaped'...seriously, you can't make this stuff up).  Or maybe it was the cinnamon and hazelnuts (these would definitely be weird ingredients in a lasagna in The Hubby's eyes, and fair enough).  As I was preparing to dice the apple to cook it with the fennel, sausage, and onion, I was a little nervous that he would walk into the kitchen and see what was happening.  I even directed him to a different part of the house, which worked for a little while, but of course he eventually did walk in...but somehow didn't notice!  Phewf.

The Best Mashed Potatoes I've Ever Eaten

Tweet

Enough said.

 

This potato dish has been a constant at my family's holiday dinners since I was but a young girl first developing an early preference for salty over sweet.  It is the best.  And really, that makes sense when you read the ingredients listing.  Mashed potatoes with cream cheese, sour cream, and butter?  Hello!  I'll take a third helping please.

Quinoa (Mac) 'n Cheese

Tweet

I haven't mentioned this before, but I suffer from really chronic migraine headaches.  The people who know me well are thinking to themselves right now, "actually yeah, you've mentioned that like, I dunno, a trillion times," but what I meant was that I've never mentioned it on here.  

These migraine headaches have been going on since I was in my late teens or early 20's.  It sucks.  And I have tried everything, and I mean everything, to try to find a cure for these things.  Here is the list of everything that I have experimented with:

*Various medications
*Acupuncture
*Physiotherapy
*Chiropractic treatment
*Massage therapy
*Craniosacral therapy (weeeeeird)
*Sessions with at least two or three different naturopathic doctors
*Supplements
*Aromatherapy
*All sorts of tests on my head to make sure I'm ok
*Using a netty pot.  Yep.
*Food sensitivity testing
*Blood tests
*Food eliminations, including cutting out dairy, sugar, garlic, wine, etc.
*Botox injections into forehead (for real)
*Best Doctors service
*Ophthalmologist visits
*Laser eye surgery
*Regular exercise (for a short period of time in my life anyway)
*Bikram yoga
*Neurologist visits
*Headache Specialist visits
*Hours of research
*And, I'm sure, there's stuff that I'm forgetting too.

It's been an interesting and frustrating experience, and I unfortunately haven't had success with any of these treatments.  Sigh.  Craniosacral therapy, by the way, is a total crock (in my opinion).  Also, did you know that there are migraine drugs on the market that cause rapid (as in I dropped 20 pounds in a little over a month) weight loss, but the second side effect is that they also make you really, really, really dumb while you are taking them.  So stupid that you can't even formulate sentences properly, but don't even notice (is it ironic that this sentence here is technically poorly constructed?).  We called that time in my life my 'supermodel' period because I was also trying out the Botox injections to see if those would help, so I was skinny, without forehead wrinkles, and dumb.  It was kind of fun.

Classic Chicken Jambalaya

Tweet

In case you don't want to read this entire blog post, I will summarize.  The lessons to be learned here are that everyone needs a Jeff, and everyone needs this jambalaya.  I will explain...

Lesson 1:  Everyone needs a Jeff
There's something to be said about having a really great platonic friend of the opposite sex.  Some might scoff and say that it's impossible...that it's simplistic or unrealistic to think that two people of different genders can have a healthy, normal, nonphysical friendship.

Don't get me wrong, because for the most part I think that the scoffers are correct.  It is supremely difficult to find a person of the opposite gender who A) wants me to be good friends with someone of the opposite gender, B) wants to be just good friends with someone of the opposite gender, and C) after you get married, still fits into your life really well and even becomes (possibly probably better) friends with your spouse.

Well, I'm here to tell you that my (straight) friend Jeff and I have this type of friendship, and have since that first day in grade 8 when we watched the 1996 MTV Movie Award-winning slasher-film 'Scream,' and did not feel attracted to each other.  Jeff and I have never kissed,  hugging is even awkward, and he's one of my best friends.  It's the perfect male/female friendship.  I actually just got off the phone with him where a good part of the conversation was me tormenting him about how he is going to be the star of this blog post, so I'm tempted to tell a juicy story about him but will save it for another day.  Mwah ha ha, the power I hold!

Beef Stroganoff Casserole

Tweet

I'm not a huge craver of red meat, but occasionally the mood strikes.  It struck recently, so I made this Beef Stroganoff, and then The Hubby and I devoured it.

Oh, which reminds me that I should mention, but that way, that you need to make this Beef Stroganoff.

I recommend this as a Sunday night dinner, served with some crusty bread and a green salad.  Or, perhaps an extra-extra-large portion reheated on a Monday night with no side dish at all, while you watch The Bachelorette.  Or, even a few bites for breakfast, cold, out of the dish, standing in front of the glaring judgmental light of the refrigerator.  Any of those methods are all good ways to eat this dish, strictly speaking from experience.

This is the best Beef Strogranoff I have EVER eaten, hands down, and is much better than the Hamburger Helper one that I used to eat in my early 20's (slash ate recently when The Hubby made it for me).  There are quite a few steps involved in the dish, but they are all worth it and each one adds great flavour.