Welcome to My Kitchen

Meal planning as a season ends can get stuck in the rut of the same old thing. Adding a new side dish and company meals will bring interest to every day. Debbie Buscher brought a potato casserole to a winter potluck that was well received. Based on a recipe she found in the Staff of Life II, Odessa Memorial Hospital Cookbook.

The original recipe, attributed to Ann Keyes, is a variation of what is known locally as funeral potatoes. Debbie changed the recipe to accommodate homegrown Yukon Gold potatoes and added cubed cooked ham to increase the savory flavor of the recipe.

Cheddar and Ham Potato Casserole

20 ounces baked, and grated Yukon Gold potatoes

1/4 cup melted butter

1/2 cup chopped onion

1 can (10 3/4 ounces) cream of chicken soup

1 cup sour cream

1/2 cup milk

2 cups grated cheddar cheese

Salt to taste (about 1/2 tsp)

1/4 tsp ground black pepper

1 cup cubed, cooked ham

Sauté onions in the butter until some brown bits begin to form. Season with salt and pepper as they cook.

Combine onions, soup, sour cream and milk and set aside. Place potatoes and ham in a 13 x 9-inch baking dish and sprinkle with the grated cheddar cheese. Top with the soup mixture and stir to combine the ingredients. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 to 60 minutes until the mixture is bubbly and the top is golden. Yield: 8-10 side servings.

Note: this recipe may be prepared the night before to bake the next day.

Just increase the baking time to accommodate the cold mixture. Also, the casserole will bake nicely alongside a roast.

Corn casseroles are popular at area potluck meals, and the recipes vary from soft custard-like to nearly cornbread texture. I recently tried Old-Fashioned Corn Casserole, a recipe I found in the 2020 Magnolia Table Cookbook. The surface is in the middle, not too soft or stiff, and adding diced green chilies gives a mild kick to this version

Old-Fashioned Corn Casserole

Two cans (15 ounces each) of kernel corn, drained

1 can (15 ounces) cream-style corn

1/2 cup butter, melted

12 ounces cheddar cheese, grated (about 3 cups)

1 box (8 1/2 ounces) Jiffy corn muffin mix

1 can (4 ounces) of diced green chilies

2 large eggs

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1 1/2 tsp ground black pepper.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 13 x 9-inch baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, combine kernel corn, cream corn, melted butter, 2 cups of cheese, corn muffin mix, green chilies, eggs, garlic powder and pepper. Stir until well combined but do not beat. Pour evenly into the prepared baking dish.

Bake casserole until just set in the middle and the top is lightly golden about 1 hour. Top with remaining cheese, return to the oven and bake until cheese is fully melted, about 5 minutes longer. Serve hot. Yield: 6-8 side servings.

Note: leftovers keep well in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Also, note that if you do not care for spicy, this recipe still has plenty of flavors if you leave out the diced green chilies. Additionally, this recipe is firm enough to cut into squares for easy serving at game day buffets or tailgate spreads.

Over the last year or so, I have been experimenting with a Peach Cobbler recipe for the right texture and flavor and one using canned peaches. Finally, I may have found a recipe I can work with, having changed the flavoring quite a bit. The original recipe is Easy Peach Cobbler, from the website The Girl Who Ate Everything. I switched from self-rising flour because I hardly ever have it around and added nutmeg and lemon for a flavor boost.

Canned Peaches Cobbler

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 tsp baking powder,

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup, plus 2 Tbsp granulated sugar

1 cup butter, melted in 1/2 cup segments

4 cans (15 ounces each) of sweetened sliced peaches, undrained

1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

1 Tbsp lemon juice

In a medium mixing bowl, coarsely mix the flour, 3/4 cup of the sugar, nutmeg and 1/2 cup of the melted butter.

Sprinkle about one-third of the flour mixture in the bottom of a 13 x 9-inch baking dish.

Remove 1 tablespoon of the juice from one of the cans of peaches and discard, then place peaches and their juices over the flour mixture in the pan. Sprinkle with lemon juice.

Sprinkle the peaches with the remaining flour mixture and then 2 tablespoons of sugar. Drizzle with the remaining 1/2 cup butter. This will look very soupy but don’t worry; the flour mixture will soak it up.

Bake in preheated oven for 45 to 50 minutes or until the top is golden brown and the cobbler is bubbly. Let the cobbler sit for 5 minutes before serving. Top each serving with a scoop of ice cream or whipped cream. Yield: 10 to 12 servings.

Note: Putting a drip pan under the dish is recommended to prevent drips while baking. Also, if you prefer a firmer cobbler, increase the tablespoon of discarded juice to 1/2 cup.

Self-rising flour is a popular pantry staple every day in southern kitchens and was called for in the original recipe above. Though you can purchase self-rising flour locally, it may expire quickly as the leavenings included have a short shelf life. However, making your own when called for is easy and you won’t have to waste it. Mix one teaspoon of baking powder, 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp baking soda into each cup of flour. The salt may be left out if you a watching salt intake.

I have heard from Davenport, Deer Meadows and Wilbur readers who enjoy this column. I encourage all to share your favorite recipes by sending them to: Welcome to My Kitchen, c/o The Record Times, P.O. Box 458, Odessa, WA 99159, email therecord@odessaoffice.com or drop them in the Welcome to My Kitchen in the Odessa Record office. Follow us at Welcome to My Kitchen on Facebook. Too early to be starting any seeds indoors, but you may want to begin begonia tubers around the first of March. Meanwhile, be content to stir the compost bin the next above-freezing day.