The Ultimate Shepherd's Pie

2 tablespoons olive oil 1 cup chopped yellow onion ½ cup chopped carrots 1 lb lean ground beef 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce 2 teaspoons garlic minced 2 tablespoons all purpose flour 2 tablespoons tomato paste 2/3 cup beef broth 1/2 cup peas 1/2 cup corn

Prepared Mashed Potatoes (I use Idaho dehydrated flakes as a shortcut.) 

2 cups shredded Colby Jack Cheese(or your favorite)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Heat oil to a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions and carrots. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add the ground beef (or ground lamb) to the skillet and break it apart with a wooden spoon. Add salt and pepper. Stir well. Cook for 6-8 minutes, until the meat is browned, stirring occasionally. Drain all but 2 tablespoons of oil/ pan drippings.

Add the Worcestershire sauce and garlic. Stir to combine. Cook for 1 minute. Add the flour and tomato paste. Stir until well incorporated. Add the broth, peas and corn. Bring the liquid to a boil then reduce to simmer. Simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. If the mixture is too dry, add a little beef broth to your desired thickness. Set the meat mixture aside. 

Pour the meat mixture into a 9x9 (or 7x11) inch baking dish. Top meat mixture with mashed potatoes. Add cheese on top. Bake uncovered for 25-30 minutes. 

One Pot Creamy Chicken Pasta

 

2 tablespoons butter

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut in 1-inch pieces
1 cup diced onion 
1 cup diced bell pepper (optional)
1/2 teaspoon pepper

1/4 teaspoon salt
4 cups chicken broth
1 cup heavy whipping cream
12 oz uncooked pasta, your favorite 
1 cup frozen sweet peas
2 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese (8 oz)
1/4 cup sliced green onion 

In 5-quart Dutch oven, melt butter over medium-high heat. Add chicken; cook 6 to 8 minutes, turning once, until chicken is no longer pink in center. Using slotted spoon, transfer to bowl; cover and keep warm. Add bell peppers, onions, pepper and salt to butter and drippings in pan; cook over medium-high heat 3 to 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until softened.

Stir in broth and whipping cream; heat to boiling. Stir in pasta; return to boiling. Reduce heat; simmer uncovered 12 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in frozen peas and chicken; stir 3 to 4 minutes or until pasta is cooked to desired tenderness and sauce is thickened.

Remove from heat; stir in cheese until melted and smooth. Top with green onion.

Sweet Pea Salad

This is a simple salad, but it is very yummy! It sounds a little strange, but it is delicious. For a change, add cucumber instead of egg and Parmesan cheese instead of Cheddar. It's another great side salad!

1 can small sweet peas, drained

1 egg, boiled and diced

1/2 mayonnaise

1/4 cup Cheddar cheese

2 tbsp bacon bits (or more for more bacon flavor)

1 tbsp red onion, diced (optional)
Salt and Pepper, to taste

Mix ingredients in a medium sized bowl. Toss to combine well. Chill until ready to serve.

Michele's Gigi's Turkey A La King

I am continuing my project today where I cook and photograph a signature dish from my mentor and beloved friend Michele Wynn Gerhard of La Belle Cuisine! In the spirit of "Julie and Julia", I am featuring one of her family recipes, once a week. We will feature these special segments both on Southern With A Twist and La Belle Cuisine!  I figured with Easter coming up, a lot of people will be having ham. I like to make turkey for a change sometimes. We have kids that travel back and forth from in-laws and Grandparents to us. By the time they get here, they are tired of the traditional stuff. I talked with Michele this week, and we decided that this is a perfect time to choose...Gigi's Turkey A La King! (Click the link for her recipe) I'll have leftover turkey, and this is a great way to put it to good use!
Let's get cookin' Michele! :-) ♥ ♥ ♥
~ Lynn

I started with the roux and added the stock and cream.

Whisk until smooth.

Next was the turkey, mushrooms and peas.

When you read Michele's recipe, you will notice that she adds the scallions and mushrooms in the butter at the beginning. I had leftover sauted mushrooms from my smothered chicken so I used them and added them later in the recipe.

... and last was the chopped boiled eggs.

I cooked some mini cornbread muffins.

Voila!

The hubby wanted corn with his plate.

I have made Chicken A La King before, but this Turkey A La King is awesome! The richness of the stock, if you reserve it from cooking the Turkey, is just so much better than any other canned or bouillon stock or broth. I think the leftover mushrooms I had complimented the  sauce very well. I know I didn't follow the recipe to the letter, and I hope Michele will forgive me for that... living so far out in the country, I have to improvise from time to time. I handed the hubby a plate. (He is in the bed with a bulging disk in his back.) I waited for a response... "Mmm! Oh yeah! This is good!" I told him that I never put egg in mine. He said, "Yeah, but I think that is what just makes it sooo good!" Well, Michele... my hat is off to you and Gigi! Another success!

Michele's Gigi's Quick Chicken Paella

I am starting a project today where I will cook and photograph a signature dish from my mentor and beloved friend Michele Wynn Gerhard of La Belle Cuisine! In the spirit of "Julie and Julia", I will feature one of her family recipes, once a week. (NOT 500+ in a year! LOL) We will feature these special segments both on Southern With A Twist and La Belle Cuisine! Michele is selecting the recipes for me, which was a daunting task for me... one I am glad she accepted to do for me. Michele has been such a blessing and mentor to me. Her guidance, advise and willingness to just listen to me has been such a blessing in my life! I hope you all will follow us on this journey and visit our blogs to keep up with the fun! She is starting me out on an easy one (she says) this week... Gigi's Quick Chicken Paella! (Click the link for her recipe)
Let's get cookin' Michele! :-) ♥ ♥ ♥
~ Lynn

I made sure that I had all my ingredients, which included the hubby stopping by the grocery store several nights on his way home! As in all undertakings that I try to pull off... I had no turmeric. I don't even know much about it,  because I have never used turmeric. I did research it and found out that you may be able to sub some dry mustard, but I had no dry mustard or saffron to even remotely try to substitute anything for it. Oops... well, continue!

I almost forgot the garlic... Can't forget the garlic.

The first step is to brown the sausage on medium. I had Italian sausage, which does tend to stick or fall apart. It started to stick and brown in the bottom of the pan, which does impart some yummy flavors.

I set the sausage aside, and browned the chicken in the drippings. However, I didn't brown it as long as I should have because I was afraid the sausage bits and drippings were getting a little too brown!

I took out the chicken and set it aside... onions and garlic were next!

I got a little excited and lost focus (no pun intended) on taking pictures. This is where I added the broth to the onions and garlic. That released all those little bits of brown goodness off the bottom! Oh! I added the rice, sausage, carrots back to the pot and topped with the chicken pieces. It simmered for about 20 minutes.

Next were the artichokes, which were jarred, not frozen, peas and black olives. I wish I had whole olives, but all I had was sliced... no biggy! :-) Back to simmer for another 20 minutes.

The final touch was adding the tomatoes and letting them heat through. Very colorful and very fragrant! I just wish I had a little more color on the chicken... I know! I am my own worst critic.

As I am writing this, (we ate  a couple of hours ago) the hubby is dipping  another helping out to sit down and snack on while watching tv... I guess it's a hit! :-)

The final plating!

Thanks to my friend Michele at La Belle Cuisine for agreeing to let me do this... and for helping me do this, risking her reputation! Only if you could be here to help me NOT mess it up! LOL

OH! And thanks for NOT starting me out on a baking recipe! LOLOLOLOL
XOXOXOXOX ~ Lynn








Calphalon Triply Stainless Steel 5-Qt. Covered Dutch Oven (Google Affiliate Ad)

Seven Layer Pasta Salad

This salad has the taste of Mama's 7 Layer Salad topping... the part with the peas, bacon, mayo and Parmesan Cheese. It's very easy and tastes wonderful.

4 cups cooked elbow macaroni
1 can young sweet peas
1 small can yellow corn
3/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons bacon pieces
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
Salt, pepper and basil (to taste)

Toss ingredients together until mixed well. Cover and refrigerate or serve immediately.

Chicken Pot Pie

I have had several requests for the recipe for the chicken pot pie I served last night at PBC. I have two other chicken pot pie recipes, but none using a biscuit topping. Enjoy!

4-6 chicken breast halves*
Seasoned salt and pepper
2 tbsp oil
1 cream mushroom soup
1 cream chicken soup
1 tsp minced garlic
1 small yellow onion, chopped
1 1/2 cups cubed cooked potatoes
1 cup frozen green peas
1 cup frozen corn
1 cup chopped cooked carrots
Salt & black pepper, to taste
1 can buttermilk or home-style biscuits**

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Season chicken with seasoned salt and pepper. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken and saute until cooked through. Remove from heat and cut into chunks. In a large pan over medium heat, cook soups, garlic, and onion and stir. Add peas, carrots, salt and pepper and cut up chicken until bubbly. Fill 4 individual oven-proof bowls or one 13x9 casserole dish with chicken mixture. pull biscuits apart (peel layers in half) and then top each pie with biscuits. Bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown.

* For another short-cut... Use a rotisserie chicken from your grocer and pull the meat off into pieces and use instead of the chicken breasts.

** You can use any of your favorite biscuits for this recipe whether they are frozen, canned or homemade. Just make sure if you use frozen, set them out for a little while to thaw. If you put them on while frozen the bottoms of the biscuits may not cook enough.