Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole

Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole

Mops is soon upon us and so I have been racking my brain to come up with a tasty dish to bring for the brunch...Someone else is already bringing a breakfast casserole and another a dessert and I wasn't feeling particularly fruity but rather more like a pasta since we don't really eat pasta here often. Then it hit me... Chicken. Cheese. Tangy mustard and PASTA! 

So here it is....

1 small rotisserie chicken de-boned or about 5 cups or so chopped chicken
1/2 pound deli ham. you could use a thin sliced or just buy an hunk and chop it into small chunks
12 oz. bad of egg noodles cooked to the lowest amount of time the package says
2 heaping cups shredded swiss cheese

The sauce
4 TBS butter
4 TBS flour
4-5 cups of whole milk
3 TBS Fresh squeezed lemon juice
2-4 TBS Dijon mustard (I like mine rather tangy so I lean more towards the 4 TBS)
squirt of regular yellow mustard 
1/2 TSP Salt and Pepper
3/4-1 TSP Paprika

The Topping
1 1/2 cup panko
4 TBS butter
1/2 TSP seasoning salt
1 1/2 TSP crushed dried parsley

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 F. Butter a 9×13-inch baking dish. Set aside.

For the sauce:

Melt the butter in a large sauce pot over medium heat. When butter is melted, quickly stir in the flour to form a smooth roux. Do not brown! Once the roux is smooth and bubbly, slowly pour in the cold milk while stirring briskly to make a smooth sauce. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until the sauce thickens. Stir in the lemon juice, mustards, salt, smoked paprika and white pepper. Bring sauce just back to a low boil and turn off heat. 

Assembly

In your noodle pot after draining the noodles pour your mustard roux and give a good stir. Add your shredded cheese, diced chicken and ham. Stir to combine and make sure your sauce is not to thick as the cheese will thicken it a bit. If you need to add a splash or 2 of more milk. Taste for seasonings to see if you need more mustard or lemon salt/pepper or paprika. 

Pour the casserole filling into your 9x13 dish

For the topping:

Melt the butter in the microwave in a medium sized microwaveable bowl. Heat it for 30 seconds at a time and stop once it’s melted. Take the bowl out of the microwave and stir in the panko bread crumbs, crushed dried parsley. Sprinkle over the top of the casserole.

Bake casserole uncovered for 45 minutes until hot and bubbly throughout and topping has turned a light golden brown. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 5-10 minutes prior to serving.

Moroccan Tea

How to make the perfect pot of Moroccan tea...Trust me I married one

Of course boil up your water.  Then in your tea pot place 1 to 2 handfuls of gun powder green tea.  Pour some boiling water into the pot swish about a few seconds and pour off down the sink.  Then pour more boiling water into the pot about one Moroccan tea cup size and let sit a few seconds. Pour into one of your tea glasses and reserve. Then again (Yes I know) pour more boiling water into the pot. Swish about and pour out again. Finally place a generous amount of mint and sugar (and if you have it a small amount of sheba) into the pot fill with boiling water again and let sit a minute.

Here you can simply stir and pour or be fancy and pour several cups in and out to mix everything up.  And then enjoy!

Handy tip: if you're like my hubby and I we stretch the pot a little farther by refilling with boiling water after we pour out the first 2 glasses just to get a bit more cups. Be sure to stir again though. 

*** My favorite treat from Morocco he brought me home from his last trip I didn't get to too was my chabekya...I do love my tea with shortbread cookies or almond biscotti as well...

sweet potatoe cheddar croquette

Lentils, uncooked 1/2 cup
Sweet potato, raw 10.5 oz
carrot, grated 2.5 oz (optional)
cheddar, grated 3.5 oz
1/2 cup shredded parmesan
1 large egg
frozen peas 1/4 cup (optional)
1/2 tsp paprika
olive or avocado oil
Low sodium chicken or vegetable broth 1 cup

Add the lentils to a saucepan, cover with the broth, bring to a boil and simmer till all liquid is almost absorbed, turn off heat, cover with a lid and leave for 10 mins. you want them mushy so they blend easier

Pierce sweet potato with a fork and microwave for approx 6 mins, until soft to touch (if you don't have a microwave you can steam)

Remove skin from sweet potato and mash until smooth.

Or they are equally good left raw and shredded like the carrot

Preheat oven to 200c or 400f

Add lentils to a bowl, along with sweet potato, cheddar, carrot, paprika and combine

Add the egg and mix till combined

Stir in the peas

Form into croquettes or patties (approx 15) and place on a baking tray lined with parchment paper

Spray or brush over the top with olive or avocado oil

Bake in the oven for approx 30 mins, until firm and lightly golden.

Note the raw sweet potatoe makes them not hold their shape as much add is you'd done it the mashed way. My kiddo prefers the texture of the raw though.

Enchaladas

enchaladas

3 cups beef, shredded
1 small onion, diced
3 tablespoons canola oil
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 cups water
4 ounces tomato paste
1⁄2 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1⁄8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1⁄4 teaspoon sugar
1 dozen corn tortilla
4 cups cheddar cheese, shredded
1 (4 ounce) can black olives, sliced, drained
sour cream, for topping (optional)

Directions

In a medium size mixing bowl, add shredded beef and diced onions, mix well and set aside.
In a medium size sauce pan, add the oil, flour, and chili powder. Turn to medium heat and whisk the ingredients together. Continue to whisk as the mixture begins to boil for one minute, then whisk in the water, tomato paste, cumin, garlic powder, and cayenne pepper until smooth. Allow the sauce to come up to a simmer. Once it reaches a simmering boil it will begin to thicken slightly after about 20 to 30 minutes. Add salt to taste and 1/4 teaspoon sugar, mix to combine and then add about 1/4 cup of sauce to the shredded beef mixture and stir to combine. Set aside remaining sauce for enchiladas.

Warm tortillas so they're soft for rolling.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease or spray with a nonstick cooking spray a 9x13 baking dish. Set aside. Lay (one at a time) tortilla on a flat surface, add about 2 tablespoons shredded beef mixture to the middle of the fried tortilla and top with about 1 teaspoon shredded cheese. Roll the tortilla tightly and place in the baking dish (seam side down). Repeat until all 12 tortillas are filled. (For best results, line the enchiladas into two rows of 6).Pour the enchilada sauce evenly over the top of the filled tortillas, and then add remaining shredded cheese evenly to the top of the sauce and top with the sliced olives.Cover baking dish with foil and bake in preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes, or until bubbly and hot. Serve with sour cream, optional.
Makes: 6 servings.

Oatmeal fingers

Oatmeal fingers

Ingredients

10 heaped tbsp porridge oats or 2 packets of instant oatmeal (or a mix or oats, millet flakes or barley flakes to provide a mix of grains to your baby’s diet)

10 tbsp full fat cow’s milk (or any milk really.)

1 to 2 tsp ground cinnamon

½ mashed banana (optional)

Strawberry jam (optional)

Method

Pour the oats into a small, flat bottomed microwave proof dish and pour over the milk. Add the cinnamon and mix together. Press the oat mix down into the dish with the back of the spoon and cook in the microwave for 2 minutes on high.

Cut into fingers and serve once cool.

If you don’t want to use the microwave, these work just as well in the oven. Heat the oven to 375F and cook for 15 to 30 minutes.

Notes

Storage: Lasts 3 to 4 days in an air tight container in the fridge

Carrot Ducks

Ingredients

200 g grated carrots (around 1 1/2 packed cups)
1/2 cup water
70 g grated cheddar cheese (1/2 cup)
2 eggs
4 tbsp flour

Instructions

Pre heat oven to 180C / 350F / Gas 4

Mixed the carrot and water in a bowl, cover and microwave on high for 3 mins

Drain the carrots and then place them on a clean cloth / absorbent paper and squeeze out the liquid. (You need to get the carrots quite dry)

Place the carrots back in the bowl and mix with the remaining ingredients

Prepare a baking tray with baking paper or use a silicon baking sheet

Form star shapes of the mixture onto the sheet using a cookie cutter.

Bake for approx. 33mins (until crispy on the sides). I made 12 larger ducks.