"Shepherd's Pie With an Attitude" Casserole

Ole Sweetie-Pi is the one the one who dubbed this casserole "Shepard's Pie with an Attitude."  Truth be told it is very much like a shepherd's pie. And like shepherd's pie, we loved this recipe.  Ole Sweetie-Pi, who ordinarily doesn't like leftovers, had an early lunch the next day to ensure that he could have this again.

It is satisfying, filling, inexpensive, made with everyday pantry ingredients, and one of those family-style meals that adults seem to wistfully recall their moms making.

This doesn't look fancy; there are no big assertive flavors, just good, simple home cooking that keeps you coming back for more.  Original recipe is found here at Food.Com. 


Hamburger, Green Bean, Tomato Soup, Mashed Potato Hot Dish

1 pound ground beef (hamburg)
1/4 cup white onion, diced
1 teaspoon fresh garlic, minced (I omitted it)
1 can (10.75 oz) tomato soup, undiluted
1 can (14.5 oz) cut green beans, drained
2 cups mashed potatoes, made in advance with milk and butter
salt and pepper to taste
Other spices as desired
Maybe a little cheese on top would be a nice addition??

Preheat over to 350* Fahrenheit.

Brown the hamburg in a fry pan, adding salt and pepper to taste.  Drain the fat and place the hamburg in a  casserole dish. 

In the same fry pay with a bit of butter or oil, cook the onions until translucent and combine with the hamburg. 

Add the garlic, tomato soup, and green beans.  Stir to combine.  Add the mashed potatoes and spread over the hamburg-tomato soup-green bean mixture.

You might want to put a baking sheet under this as it can bubble over.   Bake, uncovered,  for 30 minutes. 

Will serve 6 to 8, depending on how you "fluff" out the meal with another vegetable,  salad, dessert, etc.

Pepper Steak

The mother of a former sweetheart of mine used to boil her steak, regardless of the cut, until it was grey, slice it and serve it. It was chewy and unappealing.  I grew up in a household where steak was fried.  The first time I ever had a roast beef, I was 18.  I can still remember my husband and I taking my mother and two younger brothers out to dinner in a nice middle class restaurant.  My oldest brother saw roast beef on the menu and his eyes lit up; roast beef sounded so fancy.  He proudly placed his order and when the waitress asked him how he'd like it done, he stumbled, looking confused and abashed,  and said, "Fried, I guess." 

I needed a recipe for beef tips and when I found this recipe I was prepared not to like this, mostly because of the way the beef is prepared ...simmered  until tender, even if it was with other delicious flavors.   However, I needed something quick and easy, something a little different than I normally serve, with items I had on hand.  Gosh, this was good.  Ole Sweetie-Pi, the beef lover, gave it two hearty thumbs up.

This is a good recipe if you're trying to cut back on meat.  With one pound of beef, you can serve four people. You're going to have to like the flavor of green peppers, though.  It's a predominate flavor along with the stewed tomatoes.  The recipe calls for cutting the peppers into rings, which makes for a nice presentation, but not so easy to eat. I'd be inclined to save a couple of rings for decorative purposes and cut the peppers into large chunks.  Same with the stewed tomatoes.  I threw the can in whole, but next time will cut the tomatoes into at least halves if not fourths.

Leftovers were very good.  The noddles had a chance to absorb some of the broth and I think I liked this even more the second day.

Pepper Steak with Stewed Tomatoes

(http://southernfood.about.com/od/steakrecipes/r/bl30609h.htm)

1 pound sirloin tips cut in serving-sized pieces

2 tablespoons oil

1/4 cup chopped onion

1 clove garlic, diced finely

1 teaspoon salt

dash pepper

1 cup beef broth

1 14.5 ounce can stewed tomatoes, tomatoes broken up

1 large green bell pepper, cut into chunks

2 tablespoons cornstarch

1/4 cup cold water

2 tablespoons soy sauce

pinch sugar

Heat the oil in a skillet over medium low heat.  Add the beef and brown, about 15 minutes.  Add the onion and garlic and season with the salt and pepper.  Add beef broth to the meat and cover and simmer over low heat, about 25 minutes, or until meat is tender.  Add the tomatoes and green pepper; cook 10 minutes longer. 

In a small bowl or measuring cup, combine the cornstarch, water, and soy sauce.  Stir well to make a slurry.  Add to the meat mixture, stirring constantly, about five minutes to thicken the sauce.  Add a pinch of sugar if desired.  Adjust seasoning.

If sauce is too thick for your liking, add a small splash of water and stir.  If it's not thick enough, make another batch of slurry (just water and cornstarch) and add in small amounts, allowing it to cook in between before adding more  to determine how thick the sauce is going to be. 

 

Baked Stuffed Pork Chops and Gravy

If you love good down-home cookin' I can virtually guarantee that you'll love this recipe.  Oh my stars, this was good!  Meat was fall apart tender and the thick country gravy was flavored from cooking with the pork.  It could easily become your signature dish, your Sunday dinner, or special occasion dish . You'll need a  hearty appetite  and a bit of time for this one.

Get ready to mess up some dishes, smiles. It'll be worth it!  This was enthusiastically approved by Ole Sweetie-Pi.

If you're going to try this, take a minute to read through the recipe as there are a number of steps, and some of the ingredients are divided.

Baked Stuffed Pork Chops with Gravy

For the stuffing

3/4 cup soft bread crumbs

2 tablespoons minced onion

1 tablespoon minced celery

pinch of dried sage (or a good pinch of Bell's Poultry Seasoning)

Salt and pepper to taste

2-3 tablespoons chicken broth

4 thick pork chops (about  1 1/2 inch thick)

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, divided

Salt and pepper to taste

1 tablespoon yellow mustard

1 egg lightly beaten

2 1/4 cups milk, divided

1/4 - 1 cup vegetable oil

1 1/2 cups water

Preheat the oven to 325*F.

For the stuffing:  Mix the bread crumbs, onion, celery, sage (or Bell's Seasoning), salt and pepper in a small bowl.  Add only enough chicken broth to make the mixture moist, but not wet. 

Cut a slit into the fatty side of each chop to form a pocket. Evenly divide the stuffing between each chop and stuff the pockets with the bread mixture.

In a shallow dish, like a pie dish, mix 1 cup of  flour, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.

In a second dish, make an egg wash by stirring together the egg, mustard, and 3/4 cup of the milk.

Heat the oil in a large skillet over high heat. Dip each chop in the egg wash and then coat completely in the flour mixture, shaking off any excess.  Place the chops in the skillet and cook, turning once, for 2 minutes on each side or until browned.  Transfer the chops to paper towels to drain, and then place them in a large, shallow baking dish. Cover with aluminum foil.

Pour all but 4 tablespoons of the drippings out of the skillet, leaving any browned bits on the bottom.  Return the pan to medium heat and scrape up the browned bits with a spatula.  Whisk in the remaining 1/2 cup flour and 1 teaspoon of salt and cook, whisking constantly for 2 minutes until browned and smooth.  Remove the skillet from the heat and gradually whisk in the remaining 1 1/2 cups milk and the water.  Return the skillet to medium-low heat and simmer, stirring constantly, for 5 minutes.  Mixture should be well blended but will not be thickened as it will thicken during baking.

Pour the gravy over the chops, recover the dish with foil, and bake for 1 1/2 hours. Remove the foil and bake uncovered for another 30 minutes or until the top is golden brown.  Arrange the meat on plates with the gravy poured over.

MY NOTES:  LOL, I've made gravy a hundred times over the years and have never had a problem with lumps.  Can't say that this time; it was lump city.  I ended up removing the chops from the baking dish, scooping the gravy (lumps) into a sieve and forcing them through the sieve a couple of times. adding a bit of milk and rewhisking again.  It wasn't beautiful but it was delicious







Ham and Potato Au Gratin

Lawsy mercy this was good!  I had my doubts when I was putting this together, and fretted about it as it was cooking, but once Ole Sweetie-Pi and I took our first mouthfuls, it was love at first bite.  Creamy, cheesy, potato and ham goodness.  It's a old family favorite that needs to be enjoyed more often.  I know we'll be having this again and again. It reheated okay the next day, but some might need a small splash of milk to loosen the cheese.

A saucepan or saute pan that can go from stovetop to oven, without cracking or burning it would be perfect here to save a pan.  If you don't, prepare a separate, buttered casserole dish to put the mixture in before everything goes into the oven.

Ham and Potato Au Gratin
(adapted from http://articles.boston.com/2009-02-18/lifestyle/29258528_1_russet-potatoes-cream-mixture-ham)

Preheat over to 375*F.

2 cups heavy cream
1 cup milk
a couple scrapes of a fresh nutmeg on a grater (or a pinch) of nutmeg
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon fresh garlic from a jar (or 2 whole cloves garlic, minced)
pinch thyme (about 1/8th teaspoon)

3 or 4 Russet potatoes thinly sliced (about 1/8th inch thick)
1/4 onion thinly sliced

1/2 to 1 pound ham, diced
pepper to taste

8 ounces cheese (I used 4-Italian blend ~ mozzarella, provolone, Romano, Parmesan), divided

Start by putting the cream, milk, thyme, garlic and nutmeg in a medium sized saucepan or saute pan.  Bring to a boil.  Add the potatoes and onions and cook over medium-high heat, stirring gently for about 3 minutes.  Cover the pan, turn the heat to medium-low and cook, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes.**

Add the ham and pepper to taste. Add the cheese (reserving a small handful for top the casserole) and stir well.  If using a separate casserole dish, pour the mixture into the casserole.  Otherwise cover your saucepan/saute pan with a piece of tinfoil and put in your preheated 375*F oven.  Bake for approximately 35-45 minutes, or until potatoes are easily pierced with the tip of a thin, sharp knife.

Uncover the casserole and sprinkle the remaining cheese on top of the casserole and bake for another 10 minutes or until the cheese topping is a light golden brown.

**MY NOTES ~ When I saw the liquid to potato ratio in the pan, I panicked and thought I'd end up with potato soup, hence the fourth potato.  I probably could have added a fifth potato and it would have been okay.  The cheese and starchy potatoes thicken the sauce, so if it looks a little too milky at the end of cooking, I wouldn't hesitate to add a bit more cheese, grins.

I like ham, but I don't like a pound of ham in with 4 potatoes.

Cooking times are approximate.  Depending on how thick or thin you slice your potatoes, you might not need to cook the potatoes on the stovetop for 15 minutes.  I used a mandolin to slice my potatoes, so they were pretty thin so I only needed  10 minutes cooking time before they were fork tender.  From there I put them in the oven and at the end of 35 minutes the dish was bubbly, hot, cheesy, and the potatoes were done.

Creamy Macaroni and Cheese

Every now and again Ole Sweetie-Pi and I will crave a nice plateful of macaroni and cheese.  There's something special and comforting about pasta and when you add cheese, well it becomes one of the perfect comfort foods.

I found this recipe at the New York Times and was immediately intrigued by it.  First of all, the recipe says to use full fat cottage cheese and two cups of milk (nonskim!).  All righty now ~ a recipe that's not afraid of some fat!  And secondly, the macaroni is not precooked.  Everything pretty much gets dumped in the baking dish and you are good to go.  The recipe scared me; I had to try it.

Only thing is...when I checked the pantry I didn't have elbow macaroni; I had shells.  I checked my fridge, and I didn't have the full pound of cheddar so I ended up using a half and half combination of cheddar and Gruyere.  Yummm...the shells were like little scoops that held bites of cheese.  And the combination of cheeses seemed to work well, the rich and sharp taste of cheddar, with the melty goodness of the Gruyere. 

Sweetie-Pi gave a big YUMS up on this recipe, and I thought it was pretty good, but you'll have to love cheese for this one.  Also, I wish it were a bit creamier in consistency, but I loved the idea of not having to preboil the pasta.  Saved time, energy, and a pot.

Creamy Macaroni and Cheese

(found on:   The New York Times Dining and Wine section)

2 tablespoons butter, divided
1 cup cottage cheese (not lowfat)
2 cups milk (not skim)
1 teaspoon dry mustard
Pinch cayenne
Pinch  nutmeg
½ teaspoon salt ** (optional)
¼ teaspoon  black pepper
1 pound sharp or extra-sharp cheddar cheese, grated, with 1/4 cup set aside
½ pound elbow pasta, uncooked.

Preheat your oven to 375*F. 

Use one tablespoon butter to butter a casserole dish or square baking pan.

In a blender, combine the cottage cheese, milk, mustard, cayenne, nutmeg salt and pepper.  Puree until smooth.

Grate the cheddar cheese if it's not already grated, reserving 1/4 cup for topping. 

In a large bowl, combine the remaining grated cheese, milk mixture and uncooked pasta.**  Pour into prepared casserole. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes.

Uncover the pan, stir gently, and sprinkle with reserved cheese and dot with remaining tablespoon butter.  Continue baking for another 30 minutes or until beautifully browned and bubbly.  Let cool for 15 minutes before serving.

MY NOTES:  In my opinion, cheese is already quite salty.  I did not add the 1/2 teaspoon salt called for in the recipe, and the dish was salty enough.

I mixed everything together in the casserole dish to save a mixing bowl.

The directions state to cover the dish with aluminum foil.  I used a covered casserole dish, but would have used the aluminum foil if I were using a dish that did not have a fitted cover.

Classic Crock Pot Roast Beef

Now here was a meal that was a tasty surprise. I've mentioned it before, but I generally don't make a delicious beef meal, but with a few kitchen staples, this came together easily, and we both liked it. I still think there are few things better than perfect slices of rare, oven roasted beef, but I seem to be particularly challenged in that area.  For now, this suffices very well. Ole Sweetie-Pi loved this. Personally, I'm more into the mashed potatoes and gravy.

Crock Pot Roast Beef
(found on:  http://crockpotroasts.com/recipes/classic/)

1 2-3 pound boneless beef chuck roast
1 tablespoon vegetable oil **

1 14.5 ounce can beef broth
1 8-ounce can tomato sauce
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce **
3 cloves garlice, diced

1 onion, roughly chopped
3 stalks celery, roughly chopped
3 carrots, peeled, roughly chopped
salt and pepper to taste
1 teaspoon red pepper **
3 bay leaves **

Trim the roast of excess fat and then salt and pepper.  Heat the oil to hot in a saucepan large enough to hold the roast.  Salt and pepper the roast and put the roast in the sauce pan to brown the roast on all sides, generally about two minutes per side.

Place all your vegetables on the bottom of the crock pot and then place your roast on top of them. 

In the same pan that you browned the roast, lightly brown the garlic, then add the broth, Worcestershire sauce,  and tomato sauce..  Reduce the liquid to about half and then pour over the roast beef.  Set your crock pot to low for 7 to 8 hours or on high for 4-5 hours,or until the roast is done.

**MY NOTES:  I had bacon grease left over from that morning's breakfast, so I browned my roast in bacon fat.  I don't like a lot of Worcestershire, so I reduced the amount to about 2 teaspoons.  Same goes for red pepper, I omitted it.  The original recipe didn't call for bay leaves, but I sampled the sauce after the beef had been cooking a while and felt it was lacking a little something (probably the additional Worcestershire and red pepper, smiles) and threw in some bay leaves.  Perhaps a wee bit of ketchup for acid would be good?

This made quite a bit of gorgeous meat juice.  I scooped some from the pot and put it in a saucepan and made a slurry of two tablespoons cornstarch to about a quarter cup of water.  I added a splash of it to the roast beef juices and  cooked and stirred until I saw how thick it was going to be, adding small amounts of slurry and stirring until I achieved a desired gravy consistency.  Taste for seasoning.  I'm thinking the rest of the meat juices will make a mighty fine minestrone with some of the leftover roast beef and frozen mixed vegetables and little pastas thrown in.

Salisbury Steak


I have maybe a half dozen or so recipes that I fall back on with regularity when I want something tasty but relatively inexpensive, and one of those dishes for me is Salisbury steak.  This is not true steak, but dressed up ground beef, purportedly developed during leaner times when home cooks needed  one more delicious way to serve the less costlier hamburg.  Another source says this dish was created by a Dr. Salisbury as part of a low carbohydrate diet.  Whatever the history, we enjoy this flavorful, filling dish.  For us, it's kind of a special family meal, but I certainly wouldn't hesitate to serve this to friends who are like family. A pound and a half of hamburg easily serves and satisfies six people.

Salisbury Steak
(http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Salisbury-Steak/Detail.aspx)

1 10.5-ounce can of condensed French onion soup, divided
1 1/2 pounds ground beef
1/2 cup dry bread crumbs
1 egg
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1/4 cup ketchup
1/4 cup water
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon mustard powder

In a large bowl, combine the ground beef with 1/3 cup of condensed onion soup (reserving the remainder for the gravy), bread crumbs, egg, salt and pepper.  Shape into 6 oval patties.

Brown both sides of  the patties in a  skillet large enough that the patties are not crowded.  Remove from pan and drain off the excess fat.  Put browned patties back into the skillet.

In medium bowl, combine the remaining onion soup and flour and mix until smooth.  Mix in the remaining gravy ingredients and pour the mixture over the patties.  Cover and cook for 20 minutes, occasionally stirring the gravy, being careful not to break the patties.

My Notes:  For us, the recipe as written does not provide nearly enough gravy.  I didn't do it for the photograph, but waited until after the picture taking was done to add lots of gravy to my mashed potatoes, smiles. I buy two cans of condensed French onion soup, using the 1/3 cup required for the hamburg, and using the remainder, plus one entire can for the gravy, and doubling the rest of the ingredients.  You may or may not want to reduce the mustard (I use yellow prepared mustard, like the kind you'd use on hot dogs), ketchup, and Worcestershire, because, as I mentioned, the sauce is quite flavorful and could be deemed too piquant for those who like subtler tastes.

Bourbon Chicken

This chicken falls into the finger-lickin'-good category! I made this on Mother's Day using chicken wings (which is what the original recipe called for), and there were happy sounds all around the table. No leftovers! We liked this so much we couldn't wait to make it again;  Ole Sweetie-Pi does not care for meat on the bone so this time I used boneless, skinless chicken thighs and it was so good! 

I think if one cooked down the marinade til it was nice and syrupy, it would be super good to brush on chicken on the grill of if you wanted to cook the chicken in the oven.  Cooked as directed, there is some remaining sauce which I poured over the chicken after plating it, but the sauce would be good on rice or perhaps some grilled vegetables.  The caramelized sauce can leave a bit of a mess in your pan, but as it's sugar based, a little soaking in hot water will make the job a whole lot easier and virtually becomes no effort at all.

**The original recipe says that wings will cook in 16 minutes, (and other reviewers said the same thing) but I found  the time to be grossly understated.  I think I must have cooked the wings a good 30 minutes or more, first because I wanted the marinade to reduce to a syrup and turn to a desirable caramel color and consistency and secondly and more importantly, the chicken did not test done when I pierced it with a tined fork.  The thighs took about the same amount of time, so I would recommend using your best judgment in timing the cooking of this.  Of course, this could be due in whole to my method of cooking, smiles, as I did not cover the chicken while it cooked.  I brought the sauce to a bubble, saw that the chicken was going to simmer in the marinade, and became trepidacious of boiling/steaming the chicken.

Bourbon Chicken
(adapted from http://www.food.com/recipe/bourbon-chicken-wings-148454)

8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
oil for the skillet

1/4 cup packed brown sugar (I used dark brown, but light brown would also be good)
3/4 teaspoon minced garlic
3/4 teaspoon grated ginger
1/4 cup bourbon (I used Jim Beam, but only because that's what we have)
2 tablespoons ketchup

Give a couple of good swirls of oil in a skillet large enough to hold the chicken in a single layer.  (I place the chicken so that all the top/outer sides are facing me, so when it comes time to turn them I be able to tell that they have all been turned  over.)

In a separate, smallish bowl combine the remaining ingredients and then pour over the chicken.

**Cover and cook over medium heat, about 20 minutes, or until chicken is done, turning frequently to prevent chicken from sticking.

Green Bean and Pork Chop Casserole

This recipe is a spinoff of the perenially popular green bean casserole.  For not a lot of money you can feed a family a meal that is filling and delicious.  I can't tell you how many times my own mother made this when the pantry was getting a little lean and the wallet a little thin. We thought we were dining like rich folk. 

Essentially, I just threw together ingredients for a green bean casserole, added sliced potatoes, and a couple of chops, a small can of mushrooms (fresh is so much better if you have them!), some sour cream, and baked.  For the two of us, I used only two chopsyou can easily add more chops. This made a generous amount of casserole, which we enjoyed as a leftover. 

Green Bean and Pork Chop Casserole

2 medium potatoes, washed, thinly sliced, skins left intact if desired

1 can cream of mushroom soup, plus one half can of water

1 small can sliced mushrooms, drained

a good-sized gob of sour cream, probably about 1/2 cup

2 cans green beans (also known as haricot verts)

2 thin boneless pork chops, browned

salt and pepper to taste

generous handful of French fried onions

Preheat oven to 350*F.  Generously butter an 11 inch by 7 inch baking dish (or a 9 inch by 13 inch baking dish if using more than 2 chops).

Wash and peel your potatoes, and then slice to about 1/8 inch thick.  To prevent browning,  put them in a bowl of fresh cold water. Set aside.  (Dry them off with a paper towel before using.)

In a separate bowl, combine the mushroom soup, water, mushrooms, and sour cream.  Add the green beans and mix to combine. Set aside.

Lightly salt and pepper the pork chops + and brown in a fry pan, about three minutes each side.

In your baking dish, layer the sliced potatoes.  Top with one half of the green bean mixture.  Add the browned pork chops, and top with the remaining green bean mixture.

Cover with tin foil and bake at 350*F for about 50 minutes.  Remove from oven, peel back aluminum foil and insert the tip of a knife to the bottom of the casserole, testing that the potatoes pierce easily and are done. If not, cover and return to the oven and bake until done, probably another 10 minutes or so. When potatoes are done, completely remove the foil and sprinkle with the French fried onions and return the casserole to the oven.  Bake for an additional 10 minutes to brown the onions or until the onions are a deep golden color.

Remove casserole from oven.  Let rest a couple of minutes, serve hot.

Yankee Pot Roast

There are several memorable Sunday dinners that my grandmother and mother used to make and Yankee pot roast was among them.  I declare, there were few meals that beckoned more heartily or alluringly than a pot roast in the oven.  We'd gather in the kitchen to breath in the deep aromas or beef and onions and carrots and potatoes, occasionally lifting the cover of the roasting pan in hopeful expectation, and actually have to talk to each other in the meantime, smiles, while we waited for those first generous portions to be heaped onto our plates. The meat would be fall apart tender, swaddled in gravy, and accompanied with root vegetables that absorbed the beefy  juices and goodness and imparted their own rich flavors.

I should have paid more attention to the preparation and not so much the result, as different recipes I've used over the years have not quite been "it."  And then I found this one.  Take out your cast iron Dutch oven or your blue speckled roasting pan and heat your oven, this is good!  Ole Sweetie-Pi, who is  normally a finicky and light eater, ate big portions of this, and covetously guarded the leftovers. 

Yankee Pot Roast

1 bone-in chuck roast, 4-5 pounds, trimmed of excess fat (sometimes labeled pot roast or 7-bone chuck)
Salt and pepper to taste
Vegetable oil

4-5 cloves garlic, sliced
1 large carrot, chopped
1 onion, chopped
1 celery stalk, chopped
3 tablespoons flour

2 teaspoons dried thyme or 6 sprigs fresh
2 bay leaves
3 ½ cups water or half chicken stock, half water (do not use beef stock)
2 tablespoons tomato paste

8 -10 small onions
5 carrots cut in 1-2 inch pieces
1 pound red potatoes or larger white potatoes in chunks

Pat the beef dry (helps it to brown) and generously salt and pepper it.  Place the meat in a Dutch oven or other large heavy pot over high heat with a little oil.  Sear the meat on both sides.  Remove the meat from the pan and pour off the oil. 

Reduce heat to medium, return the pan back to the heat.  Add the  chopped carrot,  celery, onion, and garlic, with a little oil, and cook until softened but not browned.  Sprinkle flour over the vegetables and stir 2 to 3 minutes.

Return meat to the pot and add the water/stock, tomato paste and herbs.  Bring to a simmer on top of the stove, covered tightly.  While you are bringing the pot to a simmer,  preheat oven to 325*F.  Place the covered pot in the oven and bake for 2 hours.  Check the meat at the end of one hour and turn the meat.  If it is not covered by liquid or if the liquid is too thick, add additional water.  The consistency should be like thin gravy.

At 2 to  2 1/4 hours, add the remaining vegetables. From here, the time varies, depending on their size, but plan on another hour of roasting.  If, at the end of  the hour the vegetables are not quite cooked, you can keep them covered in the pot, and the carryover heat should finish cooking them. 

Taste for seasoning and adjust as desired.

Using a slotted spoon, move the meat and vegetables to a platter.  Skim any excess fat from the remaining  liquid.  I like to slightly thicken the gravy with a slurry of cornstarch and water, but it's not necessary.  Slice the roast before serving and top with a little of the gravy, with the extra served on the side in a gravy boat.

Roasted Turkey Breast

When we eat turkey at times other than the holidays,  I make this turkey breast.  It is so moist and tender you can virtually cut it with just your fork. 

The ingredients are simple and the results far outweigh the effort.  If you love gravy, you will be in gravy heaven with this recipe.  The gravy is made at the same time the turkey is being roasted, and if you like a thicker gravy, only a small amount of thickening may be desired.  If you like a lot of gravy, double the ingredients. 

Just a small caveat: I don't roast a whole turkey.  First off there's just the two of us, and I buy the smallest turkey breast I can find.  Secondly, to me, this does not make a particularly beautiful Norman Rockwell Thanksgiving turkey because it is cooked in the broth and the part that sits in the roasting pan looks a little flabby and uninspiring.  I recommend carving this  into gorgeous slices onto and placing on a platter before being served at the table.

And never you mind about all the butter and mayonnaise in this. And you may as well know it ~ I use more mayonnaise than the recipe calls for, smiles. My turkey is well covered in it.   When you taste this, you won't mind one little bit!

Moist and Tender Turkey Breast

1 fresh or thawed turkey or turkey breast (5-20 pounds)
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 10.5-ounce can chicken broth
1-2 tablespoons mayonnaise

Place the turkey in a roasting pan. (This is personal preference, but I lightly salt the cavity.)

Combine melted butter and chicken broth and pour over the turkey.

Rub the mayonnaise over the outside of the turkey.  Lightly salt if desired.

Roast at 325*F until the internal temperature reaches 170*F at the thickest part of the turkey, or if you don't have a thermometer, pierce the bird with a two-pronged fork and press against the side the to see if the juices are clear.

Remove from the oven and let rest for about 30 minutes before serving.

Test the broth/gravy for seasoning, adding salt or pepper or whatever else you like;  I think it's perfect as is, but you may want to add a little thickener if it seems a little thin to you.

Chinese Sizzling Steak



In the little city where we live we have six Chinese restaurants and yet when we want Sizzling Steak we have to travel 45 minutes out of our way to order it.  We won't have to do that again, I am pleased to say.  This recipe tastes virtually identical to the restaurant version that we enjoy. Tender slices of beef with golden onions and a sweet-spicy cause to crown it.  Oh so good!  Ole Sweetie-Pi couldn't stop eating it and put dibs on the leftovers.

A couple of  caveats:  there is some advance preparation time that needs to be factored in, and recipe uses  several different pans to cook in. 

Chinese Sizzling Steak
(The Recipelink.com) 

1 pound steak, cut into thin strips
1/4 cup water
1/4 teaspoon baking soda

3 onions, peeled and cut into wedges
4 tablespoons oil, divided

1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup tomato sauce
1/2 cup sugar

1 tablespoon white wine

Slice the meat thinly (slices easiest when slightly frozen) and flatten with a meat mallet. Put into a large bowl.  Combine water and baking and pour over steak.  Let marinate one hour to tenderize the meat.  Drain the meat.

Heat one tablespoon of oil in a wok or pan, add steak, and toss steak over very high heat to evaporate the water and then remove steak from pan. Set aside.  Drain oil from pan and put pan back on flame and add two tablespoons oil.  Add back the steak and cook until well browned.  Once again remove steak from pan and set aside.

Put a cast iron steak plate or a cast iron pan in a very hot (375*F) oven for about ten minutes or until it's very hot.

Heat remaining tablespoon of oil in the wok and add the onion wedges.  Saute until golden brown and crispy and then remove from the pan, keeping warm.

Return steak to pan and toss one minute.  Add Worcestershire and tomato sauces and sugar, stirring until sauce boils, reduce heat and simmer two minutes. 

Carefully remove hot cast iron pan from oven and place on wooden base or trivet.  Arrange onions on steak plate.  Spoon meat and sauce over onions.  Pour wine over the steak plate to give it that characteristic sizzle.

Chicken Pizza Bake

Back in the day, I used to work part-time as one of the bakers in our local super Wal-Mart.  Behind  the biparting doors was the incessant, loud beeping of the ovens; tall, heavy racks of breads and pastries being rushed about; heavy boxes of frozen dough being broken out and proofed; the clatter of bread pans along stainless steel tables.  There wasn't a lot of time for socializing, just run, run, run, and yet in spite of madness, one of my co-workers, Mary, managed to share this recipe with me.

This recipe is easy, has standard pantry items and is so good!  Ole Sweetie-Pi, who thought he was going to turn his nose up at it (doesn't like the idea of "chicken pizza"), went back for seconds. 

Chicken Pizza Bake

8 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized chunks**

1 15-ounce can tomato sauce

1 15-ounce can stewed tomatoes

3 teaspoons oregano**

2 teaspoons chopped parsley**

1 teaspoon onion powder**

1 teaspoon white sugar

1 finely chopped fresh garlic clove**

Preheat oven to 425* Fahrenheit.  Have ready a large casserole, baking dish, or oven-safe Dutch oven.

Place chicken in baking dish.  Combine the remaining ingredients together and pour over the chicken.  Bake, covered,  for 20 to 25 minutes.  Remove from oven and top with sliced mozzarella cheese and the pizza toppings of your choice, such as black olives, mushrooms, pepperoni, green pepper, etc. 

Continue to bake, uncovered, for 10-15 minutes or until the cheese is melted and golden brown.

NOTES:  This recipe is quite forgiving and amenable to changing for personal preferences.  There's only the two of us, so I used 4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut up into good sized chunks.  Personally, I'm not a big oregano fan, so I reduced the amount of oregano to about 1 1/2 teaspoons, dried.  I  had fresh parsley so threw in a small handful.  I don't keep onion powder, but I did have dried onion and used maybe a couple teaspoons or so, perhaps more, smiles.  I rarely have fresh garlic, instead keeping those jars of minced garlic and tossed in a half teaspoon, depending on whim and how big I think my clove of garlic is that day.







Chicken with Lemon Sauce

Chicken and lemon has to be one of my favorite all-time pairings, and this recipe did not disappoint. While I didn't love it as some of the other reviewers on Allrecipes.com, I did like it and would certainly make it again. (This recipe is still my favorite, but eeks, all those delicious calories!)   It's pretty quick and easy,  has lots of flavor, and lots of eye appeal.  The crust on the chicken is a beautiful golden brown; the lemon sauce  is nicely flecked with parsley.  The sauce that ran into the broccoli did wonders for the broccoli.  Yum!

Chicken with Lemon Sauce
(from Allrecipes.com)

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, halved **

5 tablespoons all-purpose flour, divided

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

3/4 teaspoon salt, divided

1/2 teaspoon pepper, divided

2 eggs **

2 tablespoons butter, divided

1 tablespoon olive oil

3/4 cup chicken broth

1/2 cup apple juice

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 teaspoon dried  parsley

Flatten chicken to 1/4-inch thickness.

In a shallow bowl, combine 4 tablespoons flour, Parmesan cheese, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. In another bowl, beat the eggs. Dip chicken into eggs; coat with flour mixture.

In a large skillet, cook chicken in 1 tablespoon butter and oil over medium heat for 3-5 minutes on each side or until juices run clear. Remove and keep warm.

In a small bowl, combine the remaining flour, salt and pepper; add broth and stir until smooth.

Add apple juice to the skillet you cooked the chicken in, stirring to loosen any browned bits. Stir broth mixture and add to the pan. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 1-2 minutes or until thickened and bubbly.

Stir in lemon juice; cook for 1 minute. Add parsley and remaining butter; cook and stir until butter is melted. Serve over chicken.

Recipes says it serves 2, but I would say it serves 4, giving each person one half of the chicken breast.  

NOTES:  I used 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts and skipped flattening them as they are already pretty thin.

No way did I think I needed 2 eggs to dip the chicken in; reduced the amount to 1 egg and it was more than adequate.

The original recipe called for 1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley;  I substituted 1 teaspoon dried and it worked fine.

Creamy Cajun Chicken Pasta with Homemade Cajun Spice Mixture

Oh, boy, if you want a dinner that will make your eyes pop open and reawaken your taste buds,  try this quick and inexpensive recipe.  In the time it takes to boil the water for the pasta and cook it, you can have a spicy, piquant meal that is as delicious as it is filling.  There's cream and grated Parmesan cheese in this, which helps to put out some of the fire, smiles, but this is definitely for for anyone who may not care for spicy hot (that would be Ole Sweetie-Pi who wouldn't even take a little whiff to see if he'd even sample it).

I found this recipe on Recipezaar.Com, and made a couple of adjustments.  First of all I  didn't have Cajun seasoning in the spice rack, because I thought it was something I didn't like, but after seeing it was just a mixture of spices that I do like,  I had to mix up my own.  I was a little leery of the cayenne pepper, but in for a dime, in it for a dollar, right?  I used the 2 teaspoons of Cajun seasoning called for to coat the chicken, but did not add any additional to the sauce even though it was a small amount.  Even if I do say so myself, it was the right decision; any more and it would have been too spicy hot, and as it was, I found it to be tad salty but still delicious.  I would definitely make this recipe again for the enjoyment of my spicy friends.

Creamy Cajun Chicken Pasta

(Recipezaar.Com #39087)

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips **

2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning (recipe to follow)
2 tablespoons butter
1 thinly sliced green onion **
 2 tablespoons chopped sundried tomatoes

1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
 
4 ounces pasta, cooked and drained

Place chicken and Cajun seasoning in a bowl and mix well to coat chicken.

In a large skillet, over medium heat, saute the chicken in butter or margarine until chicken is tender, about 5 to 7 minutes.

Reduce the heat and add remaining ingredients, except the Parmesan cheese, and heat through. Stir to bring up any flavorful bits.

Place drained pasta in a bowl, and pour the chicken and sauce over.  Sprinkle generously with Parmesan cheese, toss gently, and serve immediately.

Serves 2

Homemade Cajun Seasoning

(GroupRecipes.com)

3 tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoons salt **
2 tablespoons garlic powder
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon cayenne powder **
1 tablespoon black pepper **
1 tablespoon oregano
1 tablespoon thyme

Combine all ingredients in a covered jar, shake well to mix.

**My notes
I used skinless, boneless chicken thighs.
I didn't have a green onion, but I did have a scallion, used one small, diced fine
I found this to be a little salty for my tastes, I would suggest reducing salt to half; you can always add.
I used a Penzey's spice mixture called Red and Black, a mixture of  red  and Tellicherry pepper. Wonderful!

Shrimp Scampi

If someone were to ask me if I liked shrimp, without hesitation, I'd say no.  And then I would have to correct myself and  say well, mostly no.  I don't like shrimp cocktail, shrimp fried rice, coconut shrimp, shrimp in tomato sauce.  Forrest Gump and I would not do well together.

However, what I am mad about is shrimp scampi.  There is just something about wonderful coral colored shrimp swimming in a sauce of garlic, butter, vermouth and lemon makes me swear an eternal allegiance to their splendiferousness. 

And if that's not enough, in the time it takes to boil the water and cook the pasta, you can have a dinner that's company-worthy. 

Shrimp Scampi
(Adapted from The Food Network)

1 1/2 pounds pounds shelled and deveined shrimp**
Salt and pepper to taste
4 tablespoons unsalted butter **
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1/4 cup dry white vermouth
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon dried (or 2 teaspoons fresh, chopped) parsley leaves
1/4 teaspoon lemon zest
Generous sprinkling of freshly grated Parmesan cheese, optional, but good

Pasta of choice, prepared according to package directions, drained

Heat butter in a large skillet over medium heat until  the butter foams but not browned.  Add the shrimp in a single layer.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste.  Cook one minute.  Add the garlic, cook for another minute.  Turn the shrimp over and cook another two minutes.

Transfer the shrimp to a bowl, leaving butter in pan.  Add the vermouth and the lemon juice and boil about 30 seconds; the sauce will thicken, stir while it is reducing to bring up any brown bits.  Add the lemon zest and the parsley.  Add back the shrimp for a few seconds slightly reheat through again, if needed.

Pour this over drained, hot pasta and mix to combine.  Let it sit for a minute before serving to give the pasta a chance to absorb the buttery, garlicky goodness of the sauce. Sprinkle a small amount of Parmesan cheese on top if desired. 

Mangia! 

** I used the jumbo, frozen, precooked shrimp and they were delicious cooked in this recipe.
**Original recipe calls for only 2 tablespoons of butter, which I found to be totally inadequate for my tastes..  I double the amount as I like a nice buttery sauce for my pasta.

Pork Chops with Pineapple & BBQ Baked Beans

Dinner started out to be a new roast chicken recipe I saw.  I had my face all fixed for it, just imagining the wonderful honey and herb glaze....ymmmm....  And then, when I went to add the broth to the (hot) glass roasting dish, the glass shattered.  Right there, right in front of me, all over the oven, broth and fat dripping and sizzling and dancing down the sides of the oven and into the drawer below.  We won't talk about the little bits of purple Pyrex glass that went everywhere.Or the five cats who suddenly appeared and wanted to be a part of the excitement.

Ole Sweetie-Pi came to the rescue.  He sopped up the oven, vacuumed up all the glass he could find, and the next day took the oven apart  (after everything and everyone had cooled down) and cleaned it and the drawer and all the cookie sheets and trays stored below.  Nary a negative word was spoken.  That's how he got his name, Ole Sweetie-Pi.

Sigh..... Dinner Plan B went into effect.  Pizza. Out.

Refusing to be undone, the next night I decided to try baked pork chops.   This was a last minute decision as I had planned on leftover chicken, searched the internet for an easy pork chop recipe and found this delightful recipe using ingredients I had on hand. 

The verdict?  I think this has Mom's easy weeknight family  meal written all over it. This is hearty, slightly sweet from the pineapple, slightly spicy from the barbecue sauce and onion. The pork chops, while tender, did not absorb the flavors of the other ingredients, so perhaps baking them with the gussied up beans is more for a sense of dressing them up than for flavor.

We liked this.  I'll make it again.  After all, who am I to disagree with Mom.

Pork Chops with Pineapple and BBQ Baked Beans

1 onion, chopped1 tablespoon oil or butter or combination of the two
1 can baked beans (21-22 oz.)

4 to 6 pork chops

Good shake of garlic powder
Salt and pepper to taste

1 (8 oz.) can crushed pineapple, drained
1/4 cup barbecue sauce

Preheat oven to 375*F. Have ready a 12" x 8" pan or size appropriate to hold the number of chops you are baking.

In a frying pan (that will eventually be used to brown the pork chops) add the oil and saute the onions until they are a nice golden brown. Remove from pan and add to the mix into the beans. Spread the beans in the bottom of the baking dish.

Salt and pepper the chops and sprinkle with garlic. Add the pork chops in a single layer in the frying pan and brown chops on both sides but do not cook through. Layer chops in single layer on top of beans.

In a small bowl combine the drained, crushed pineapple and the barbecue sauce. Pour over pork chops and bean layers. 



Bake for 45 minutes until bubbly and brown.  Serves 4-6.

Chicken Papaya

 

I'm sampling new-to-me foods and recipes in an effort to broaden my culinary horizons so I'll occasionally purchase a fruit or vegetable that is not typically found in my kitchen and find a recipe to go with it.  This week I purchased a papaya.  I like papaya, eating it as I would any melon, but I've never cooked with it, so when I spotted this recipe on Recipezaar with the high ratings I knew immediately what I was going to do.

Hmm....I  have an admitted fondness for fruits and meats cooked together yet  the jury is still out on this recipe.  I liked this, but I didn't really, really  like it, and I certainly didn't love it.. I found the sauce a little too sweet, but I think it's partly because I used dark brown sugar and the light brown would have been a better choice.  I think the breast should have been cut into bite sized chunks and instead of baking, probably just cooked on the stovetop.  I doubled the sauce because the recipe suggested it, if using over rice. It's a  good idea, but I would not double the amount of papaya.  I loved the addition of orange juice to this; it's perfect company for the papaya, enhancing the delicate flavor.  

And one last thing, I wish I knew more about spices as I think this could have used something to give it a little more oomph.  Maybe a couple of dried chilis or pepper flakes?    

Would I eat this again?  Yes, but I'm going to be a bit bolder and try some spices.  Would I order it in a restaurant, as written, probably not.  

Easy Chicken Papaya Chicken Casserole

(Recipezaar #187171)

1 whole roasting chicken, cut up, or 4 chicken breasts, halved, skinless and boneless
1/4 cup flour

Salt and pepper
1/4-1/2 cup butter, melted

Sauce:
1 cup orange juice
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 cup brown sugar (I suggest light brown)
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 cups papaya, peeled, seeded, sliced

Preheat oven to 350* Fahrenheit.  In the roasting pan or baking dish, melt the butter in the oven.

In a small bowl, combine the  flour and salt and pepper.  Dredge chicken in the flour mixture, or alternatively combine the ingredients in a plastic bag and shake until well combined, and add chicken to coat.

Remove dish from oven and dip the chicken in the melted butter, with the buttered side up.

Bake for about one hour or until chicken is tender when pierced with a fork and juices are clear.

When done, drain fat, reserving chicken, and place chicken back back into the baking dish.

While the chicken is baking, prepare the sauce.  Combine all ingredients, except papaya, in a medium sized sauce pan and bring to a gentle boil, stirring.  The sauce was thicken and become clear.

Add the papaya to the chicken, pour the sauce over all, and bake an additional five minutes to heat the papaya through.

Serve over rice.

Catalina Chicken

This four-ingredient recipe has been a part of my handwritten recipe stash for the past 15 years or so.  It was given to me by a co-worker, Phyllis M. when we worked at an insurance agency together.  A group of us used to get together at lunch time and laugh and laugh, sharing  observations, wild tales, and good humored teasing. The one thing that drew us together was our love of good food; there always seemed to be something delicious in the employee kitchen that someone had brought in to share.

Phyllis shared this simple recipe that she served her family or friends who are like family.   It is made with typical pantry items, it's quick and delicious.  The sauce is sweet-tangy, and it makes a lot.  I think rice might be a better choice to help absorb some of this delicious gravy.  This dish could be put together ahead of time and refrigerated until you wanted to bake it, but really, it only takes minutes to open up several ingredients, combine and stir, then bake.

And the good news...Ole Sweetie-Pi liked this!  I think it's only because he didn't see the can of cranberry sauce, first, though, or otherwise I would have to have endured another long, pained expression, grins.  

Catalina Chicken

4 large chicken breasts, split, or a combination of  10 thighs and legs)
1 packet of Lipton onion soup mix
1 small bottle of Catalina salad dressing **
1 16-ounce can cranberries (whole or sauced, you decide)

Preheat oven to 350*F.  Have ready a baking dish large enough to hold the ingredients, I used a 7 x 11 inch, and it was plenty big enough.

Place the chicken in the baking dish.  In a separate bowl, mix the onion soup, Catalina salad dressing, and can of cranberries together.  Pour over chicken..  Bake for about one hour, or until chicken is done.

**I'm not sure how many ounces a "small bottle" of Catalina dressing is.  My grocer's only had a large bottle labeled  "50% more free".   I measured out 1 cup of the dressing, tasted the mixture (before pouring it on the chicken!) and it was fine.

Sunday Roast Chicken

One of the traditions of childhood was the frequent visits to Grandma's house on Sundays.  We'd be welcomed by her many hugs and kisses; my grandfather would stand stoically in the background, grim-faced, resigned to the high energy of his only three grandchildren.  Occasionally, if he were overcome by a flash of affection he might pat us on the head and then he and my father would disappear to talk about manly things,  the Saturday night boxing match or hunting.

When the family gathered again, it was often to a chicken dinner, fried, fricasseed, or roasted.  There would always be mountains of fluffy mashed potatoes, and because I loved it, creamed corn.  It has been years since I've roasted a whole chicken, mostly because Ole Sweetie-Pi doesn't care for meat on the bone (I had to slice it before serving him, grins.)

However, I was visiting my friend Carrie of  Carrie's Cooking and Recipes and she had posted a roasted chicken and gravy recipe that I just couldn't get out of my mind.  She made it look and sound so good that I actually went back and posted comments on two separate occasions, telling her how much I wanted to make it.  Have you visited with Carrie?  She's got some good cooking going on at her blog!

When Carrie  roasted her chicken she did a long and slow roast, 250*F for four hours; I opted to roast mine at 350* for just under two.   I also massaged olive oil onto the entire outside of the chicken before applying the rub, and basted the chicken  while it was was roasting.  I just brushed some of the pan drippings over the chicken, nothing fancy..

The result?  This chicken is  so good., easily the best I have ever made.  The meat was moist and fork tender.  The spices and herbs in the rub perfectly seasoned the chicken and the gravy.  This recipe is a keeper.  Thanks, Carrie, we loved this roasted chicken!

The chicken needs to marinate overnight or at least 4-6 hours before roasting so you'll  need to plan ahead.

Sunday Roast Chicken

(adapted from Carrie's Cooking and Recipes)

1 (4 pound) whole chicken (my roaster chicken was closer to 5 lbs)

4 teaspoons salt (I would reduce this to 2-3 teaspoons the next time)
2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1 onion, cut into 4 pieces
5 cloves garlic

Gravy
Chicken drippings
2 tablespoons flour (I use cornstarch) plus water to make a slurry
1 14-ounce can chicken broth, low sodium, fat free

Start preparations the night before, or at least 4-6 hours before roasting.  Remove packet of giblets (keep to flavor gravy or discard, as desired), rinse chicken,use a clean paper towel to pat dry.  Massage oil onto outside of chicken.

Combine all spice and herb ingredients to make the rub and then liberally sprinkle and rub mixture outside and inside of the chicken.  Stuff the quartered onion and garlic cloves into the cavity.  Either place chicken in a large resealable plastic bag or place chicken on dish and wrap in plastic.  Place in refrigerator.

There are any number of roasting timetables for chicken, but this is the one that I use.  For my five pound roaster, it took 1 hour 45 minutes to reach 180*F on my meat thermometer.   If you don't have a meat thermometer, you can test for doneness a couple of different ways:  pierce the thickest part of the thigh; the juices should run clear.  Or, wiggle the drumstick; it should wiggle easily. 

When the chicken is done, remove it to a platter and let it rest (resting allows the juices to settle into the meat and will help your chicken stay moister).  Reserve the contents that remain in the roasting pan.

While the chicken is roasting, I start the gravy, typically using the giblets to add a little extra flavor, though if you have an aversion, you certainly don't have to, grins. Open up the little bag and toss the contents in a small saucepan with the chicken broth,  a quartered onion, a roughly chopped carrot and a celery stalk, and let it all gently boil until the giblets are done. Strain to remove the solids and reserve the broth.

To make the gravy, the contents left in the roasting pan into a glass measuring cup.  After a minute or so, the fat will rise to the top and should be removed.  You can try pouring off most of it, and use spooning out any remainder; you can also use a slice of bread to sop up any remaining fat, discarding the bread after use.

There will be gorgeous brown bits in the bottom of your roasting dish and those should be scraped up as they are full of flavor.  Because I use a glass roasting pan and am afraid that direct heat will shatter it, I pour a little of the chicken broth into the pan and use a flat whisk to scrape up as much of that concentrated roasted goodness as I can and then return all to the saucepan. Bring to a gentle boil.

In a small bowl or measuring cup, make a slurry with two tablespoons of cornstarch and a quarter cup of water.  Stir out any lumps.  Holding the slurry in one hand and a whisk in the other, continuously whisk the gently boiling gravy mixture and add the slurry in a slow steady stream, stopping intermittently to give the cornstarch enough time to cook and  thicken in between additions. You may not need all the slurry.  If, however,  the gravy becomes too thick, add water and stir; if the gravy is not thick enough, make another batch of slurry and do as before.  Taste for seasoning and adjust accordingly, though I found it perfect as it was.