Lawrence Family Blog: October 2020

It’s a burger AND it’s mashed potatoes all in the same dinner! So sayeth Peter. He’s not wrong. This dinner is made in ONE skillet and it’s DELICIOUS. I cut down on the meat & potatoes and increased the vegetables from the original recipe. It was still quite filling.. With some planning, this is absolutely a weeknight dinner.

TIPS:

Prep your ingredients before you start. You’ll be less stressed and it will go faster.
Substitutions are key

No white wine/sherry? Use chicken stock
Don’t have the right assortment of herbs? Throw in what you have or another spice you like
No Gruyere? Use cheddar
No sour cream? Use Greek yogurt

Royal Shepherd’s Pie
from Rachael Ray

3 large Yukon gold potatoes, cut into 3/4-inch cubes
Salt
1 tbsp. olive oil
3 tbsp. butter
1 lb. ground sirloin
Pepper
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 carrots, chopped
2 stalk celery, finely chopped
1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
2 tbsp. fresh thyme leaves, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tsp. ground caraway or whole caraway seeds
1 tsp. ground cumin
2 tbsp. flour
1/2 cup white wine or dry sherry
1 can (10.5oz) beef stock or chicken stock
3/4 cup Greek yogurt
1/4 cup fresh chives, chopped
1 large egg yolk
About 8 oz. shredded Gruyère or white cheddar
1/3 cup (a handful) fresh flatleaf parsley, finely chopped

1. In a medium pot, cover the potatoes with cold water. Bring to a boil over high heat. Salt the water and reduce heat a bit to keep the water at a gentle boil. Cook the potatoes until tender when pierced with a knife, about 15 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, heat a large castiron skillet over medium-high. Add the oil, one turn of the pan, then add 1 tbsp. butter. When the butter melts, add the ground meat; cook, stirring often and breaking up the meat with a spoon, until browned, about 8 minutes. Season the meat with salt and pepper. Add the onion, carrot, celery, Worcestershire, thyme, garlic, caraway, and cumin. Cook, stirring often, until the vegetables soften, about 8 minutes. Stir in the flour. Add the wine and consommé and stir until thickened, about a minute. Reduce heat enough to maintain a simmer.

3. Turn on the broiler.

4. Drain the potatoes. Using a potato ricer or food mill, puree the potatoes back into the hot pot. Mix in the remaining 2 tbsp. butter, the sour cream, chives, and egg yolk; season.

5. Spread the potatoes over the meat and veggies in the skillet. Top with the cheese. Broil until the top is browned and the edges bubble, about 4 minutes. Top with the parsley. Serve the pie directly from the

Saturday, October 10, 2020

Week 531 Menu

Sunday: Shepard’s pie

Monday: Rice noodle bowl

Tuesday: One-pan Turkey Meatballs with Coconut Rice

Wednesday: Breakfast for dinner

Thursday: One-pan Roasted Chicken with Cauliflower & Tomatoes

Friday: Pizza night

Saturday: Takeout!

Saturday, October 3, 2020

Week 530 Menu

Sunday: Steaks, sweet potato fries
Monday: Loaded nachos (ground beef, corn, tomatoes, black beans, olives, spinach)

Tuesday: Pork chops and green beans
Wednesday: Baked sweet potatoes and roasted Brussels sprouts
Thursday: Orange chicken with rice and broccoli
Friday: Pizza night and roasted cauliflower!

Saturday: Takeout!

Friday, October 2, 2020

Macaroni & Cheese Casserole

I already have 2 mac and cheese recipes posted. But, when you see a recipe for mac and cheese that boasts “so easy you don’t even have to boil the pasta,” YOU MAKE IT.

In 75 minutes, you can have delicious mac and cheese. With working from home during COVID, that makes it a weeknight dinner, for sure

Macaroni & Cheese Casserole
from America’s Test Kitchen

8oz sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (2 cups), divided
4oz American cheese, shredded (1 cup)
4t cornstarch, divided
8oz (2 cups) elbow macaroni
1c heavy cream
2c water
2 large eggs
2t Dijon mustard
2t hot sauce
2t Worcestershire sauce
1/2t salt
1/2t pepper

1. Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees.

2. Toss 4oz cheddar, 8oz American cheese, & 2t cornstarch in a bowl. Add macaroni, toss to combine, and transfer mixture to broiler-safe baking dish.

3. Whisk cream & remaining 2t cornstarch together in now-empty bowl until cornstarch is dissolved. Whisk in water, eggs, mustard, hot sauce, Worcestershire, salt, and pepper until fully combined. Pour cream mixture over macaroni mixture in dish. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes.

4. Remove dish from oven and discard foil. Stir to redistribute macaroni. Sprinkle with remaining 4oz cheddar. Return dish to oven and continue to bake until edges are bubbling and just set and center registers 150-160 degrees, about 15 minutes.

5. Broil until top of casserole is spotty brown, about 2 minutes. Let rest on wire rack for 25 minutes. Serve.