• • 1 LB cooked Cavatapi pasta (screws)
    • set aside
  • 1 stick butter in hot skillet
  • 1/2 C AP flour
    • Cook together until it starts to brown
      • This is called a Roux
  • Put 6 C milk into a measuring cup
    • Add 1/2 C to the flour
    • Add another 1/2 C to the flour
    • Add the remainder of the milk and whisk together
      • This is called Bechemel Sauce
    • Add 4 oz Mozzarella, 4 oz Swiss and 4 oz Colby
      • This is called Mourney Sauce
    • Add 1/2 C Parmesan and 1 tsp Colorante
    • Cook together until it starts to thicken
      • Pour into slightly greased casserole
    • Top with a mixture of 1 C Panko, 1/4 Parmesan,
      1/2 tsp granulated garlic, and 1 TBL EVOO
  • Bake 25 minutes at 325º

• 1/2 LB ground beef or turkey – browned
• 1 small onion – sliced thin
• 1 tsp minced garlic
• taco seasoning
  • 1 tsp cumin, 1/2 tsp paprika, 1/2 tsp garlic powder, 1/4 tsp dried oregano, 1/4 tsp chili powder, salt and pepper to taste
• 1/2 can sliced black olives – drained
• 1/2 can diced green chilies
• 1/2 C chicken broth
• 1 can diced tomatoes – drained
• 6-8 oz taco sauce
• 1 can refried beans
• 8-10  small corn tortillas – halved
• 8 oz shredded cheese
• Optional:  Enchilada sauce for the topping

1. Preheat the oven to 350º
2. Brown meat with onion
3. Add garlic and taco seasoning and stir for 30 seconds
4. Add chicken broth and stir to dissolve all seasonings
5. Mix in olives, chilies, tomatoes, and taco sauce
6. Reduce heat and simmer 15-20 minutes
   • ASSEMBLY
7. Spread a thin layer of beans on the bottom of a casserole
8. Cover with a layer of tortillas – flat side to the side of the pan
   • overlap if necessary
9. Cover with sauce, more meat, black olives, cheese, more tortillas and so forth until all ingredients are used up
10. Finish with a layer of sauce, then cheese, then black olives
11. Bake 20-30 minutes or until cheese is browned

This recipe is good for two as a meal, or four as a side.

• Brown 1/3 ground sirloin
• Add 1 small onion – chopped
• Add 1 Anaheim pepper – chopped
• Add 3 cloves chopped garlic and cook 15 seconds, then remove from heat
  • Set aside
• Blanche 3 tomatoes and remove skins
• Crush tomatoes
• Add 2 TBL tomato paste
• Add 1/2 C chicken stock or broth (not bullion)
• Add a splash or two of apple cider vinegar
• Add 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• Add salt and pepper to taste
  • Bring to a boil
• Add meat back into the pot
• Reduce heat to a high simmer
• Add 2/3 C elbow macaroni
  • Optional:  Use about eight baby potatoes
    – pieced – instead of macaroni
• Cover and simmer for 30 minutes
• Serve with bread and butter

Simple Fondue

• 3 oz Emmenthaler – grated
• 2 oz gruyere – grated
• 1 oz gouda – grated
• 2 tsp cornstarch
• scant white pepper

Use any 40% semi-firm cheese.  Other choices include asiago, young gouda, taleggio, fontina, gruyere, Emmenthaler, or Comté.  Good melting cheeses will have high moisture, high protein, low age (max 150 days) and low fat

Making Cheese

• Enzyme is added to dairy to curdle
• Curd is cut and whey removed
• Put into presses which compress and remove more whey
• Loose cheese is cut into blocks – put into round molds
• Cheese is pressed into rounds
• Turned out and placed on aging racks
• Gruyere is aged months to years and is produced here in the US
• Older cheeses are generally harder
• Scrub and add salt and bacteria during aging process

Step by Step

• Cast iron fondue pot or double boiler
• Rub with garlic, add wine, brandy and lemon
• 1 C white sauvignon blanc – high acid
  • 2 TBL fruit brandy
  • 1 TBL fresh lemon juice
  • 12 tsp  prepared horseradish
  • 1/2 cloves garlic
• Bring heat to 135º
• At 135º add cheeses – melt between handfulls
• Heat until 150º
• Important
  • #1 high acid
  • #2 corn starch
• Final addition
• Whisk until smooth
• Add horseradish to smooth sauce
• Dipping choices
  • bread
  • chilled veggies – broccoli, cauliflower
  • cooked sausage – kielbasa, bratwurst

1. Cut the top off a bell pepper, and set aside.
2. Remove the veins and seeds from the body of the bell pepper.
3. Brown 1/2 LB 80/20 hamburger and 1/2 LB ground pork.
4. Add onions when meat has browned.
5. Add 1/2 tsp cumin, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp cinnamon, 2 cloves garlic (minced) or garlic powder, and 1 tsp dried oregano.
6. Stir to combine, then add 1 C chicken stock.
7. Add 1 can crushed tomato (drained).
8. Add 2 TBL golden raisins and 8 black olives (crushed).
9. Bring ingredients back to a simmer.
10. Place bell peppers in a baking dish, and fill the bell peppers equally with the mix.  Put the top back on the peppers.
11. Add 2 C of water to the bottom of the baking dish.
12. Bake at 375º for 45 minutes.
13. Garnish with a sprig of cilantro and serve with toasted English Muffins.

I have two recipes for Skillet Pizzas here.  One is a Stuffed Crust, the other is a cast iron Sourdough Skillet Pizza.

Stuffed Crust

1. 1. Heat cast iron skillet to 425º in oven
   2. Flatten prepared pizza dough on counter top so that it is about 4 inches wider than the diameter of the skillet; then roll dough around a rolling pin for transportation to the skillet
   3. Add 1 TBL EVOO and 1 TBL butter to bottom of hot skillet
   4. Lay flattened dough carefully into hot skillet, 1-2” up the side – even spilling out over the edge
   5. Lay small sticks of mozzarella around the base of the pan, and fold the dough down over the cheese creating a “stuffed crust”
   6. Put a layer of sauce and shredded mozzarella on the bottom of the pizza
   7. Add cooked sausage, sauteed mushrooms, sauteed onion, olives, etc onto the cheese layer
      • NOTE:  If you use fresh onions, they should be on the top exposed to the direct heat
   8. Pour tomato sauce over toppings
   9. Sprinkle a bit more mozzarella on top
   10. Add pepperoni on the top if desired
   11. Bake at 450º for 20 minutes
   12. Top with fresh basil and grated Parmesan, and drizzle with EVOO

Sourdough Skillet Pizza

Start with making your Sourdough Starter.

Find it online: https://www.theperfectloaf.com/cornmeal-skillet-sourdough-pizza/