Baked Beans

 

It’s been too long, since I’ve made Baked Beans. I was needing a side dish to complement three salads, for Easter. I couldn’t make Macaroni and Cheese, because I had pasta in two salads. Au Gratin Potatoes were out, because I made Potato Salad. Baked Beans were the perfect fit. 

Everyone loved them! My mom, who has disdain for beans, liked them! My daughter said they were her favorite, of the Easter Dinner. Hubby proclaimed them, awesome! I wish my grandson could have tasted them. Baked Beans are his favorite food. 

A YouTube demonstration video is available, by clicking this link.

BAKED BEANS

INGREDIENTS:

10 Ounces bacon, chopped

1/2 Medium onion, diced

1 Medium green bell pepper, diced

3 (28 ounce) Cans pork 'n beans

3/4 Cup Sweet Baby Ray’s Original Barbecue Sauce

1/4 Cup ketchup

1/3 Cup brown sugar

1/4 Cup apple cider vinegar

1 Tablespoon mustard

 

DIRECTIONS:

Fry bacon in a skillet, over medium high heat, until bacon has mostly cooked. Place bacon on paper towels, to absorb excess grease. Pour bacon grease, in a mason jar, to reserve for future cooking; and to coat baking tray. In the same skillet, heat 1 tablespoon bacon grease, over medium heat. Sauté onion and bell pepper until tender. Add remaining ingredients. Bring to a simmer. Coat a  9” X 13” pan with reserved bacon grease. Pour bean mixture into baking pan. Top with bacon. Bake at 350, covered, for 1:30, or until bubbly. Remove cover, and continue baking an additional hour; or until thick and bubbly. Makes 5.86 pounds. 20 (1/2 cup) servings.

Carrot Cake

Carrot Cake is a family favorite. I remember the first time I made this recipe. Everyone thought they didn’t like carrot cake. After a few bites, everyone was a fan.

The next time I made it, I included a layer of cheesecake. Everyone was obsessed! No kidding, people were wrapping slices, and taking off with them. Some threatened to run off with the cake. One person took nearly the whole cake, and never admitted it, when everyone was asking, “What happened to the Carrot Cheesecake?!” If you want to make the cheesecake, make 1/2 a recipe of  Fresno Jason’s California Cheesecake, baked in the same sized cake pan.

The Cream Cheese Frosting recipe is here. This is a lovely frosting, that pipes well. If you want to make an impression, add some chopped nuts to the frosting.

A YouTube demonstration video is available, by clicking this link.

CARROT CAKE

 

INGREDIENTS:

2 Cups (255 grams) all-purpose flour

2 Cups (450 grams) sugar

2 Teaspoons baking soda

2 Teaspoons cinnamon

1/2 Teaspoon salt

3 Eggs

3/4 Cup (160 grams) vegetable oil

3/4 Cup (180 grams) buttermilk

2 Teaspoons vanilla

2 Cups (230 grams) carrots, peeled, finely grated

1 (15 oz) Can crushed pineapple, drained

3 1/2 Oz coconut

1 Cup walnuts, finely chopped (optional)

1 Cup raisins (optional)

 

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350. Grease, and line with parchment paper, 2 (8” X 3”) cake pans. Place prepared pans on a baking tray. Set aside. In a large mixing bowl, whisk flour, sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Set aside. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk eggs, oil, buttermilk, and vanilla. Using a rubber spatula, stir wet ingredients into dry ingredients, to combine. Fold in carrots, pineapple, coconut, nuts and raisins. Divide batter into prepared pans. Bake on the center rack, of a preheated oven, for 50 minutes, or until cake tests done: cake tester comes out clean, cake just starts to pull from edge of pan, cake springs back when lightly pressed with your finger. Frost cooled cake with cream cheese frosting.

Baked Béchamel Ziti

I was inspired to make baked ziti, when I saw a package of uncut ziti, at my local Italian deli. Pasta tubes, the size of drinking straws. I thought they would be fun to work with. In the future, I will buy cut ziti, as I found the tubed ziti hard to break. 

All components can be prepared ahead of time. Also, you can assemble the day before. This is a great dish, that gets even better the next day. 

This is baked ziti, but if you swap the ziti for lasagna noodles, it’s Béchamel Lasagna. 

If you’re concerned your pan is too small; reduce the dry ziti to 10 ounces. Or, bake in individual casseroles, to order.

A YouTube demonstration video is available, by clicking this link.

BAKED BÉCHAMEL ZITI

 

RAGÚ:

1 Pound 93% lean ground turkey

1 Tablespoon mushroom powder

1 Tablespoon Kitchen Bouquet Browning and Seasoning Sauce

1 Pound ground Italian sausage

2 Tablespoons cooking oil

1 Small onion, diced (6 ounces)

14 Roasted garlic cloves, mashed

1 Teaspoon salt

1 Teaspoon pepper

2 Teaspoons red pepper flakes (optional)

2 Teaspoons oregano

3 Tablespoons Italian Seasoning

1 Tablespoon sugar

2 (6 ounce) Cans Contadina Tomato Paste

3 Cups water

1 Cup pasta water

1/4 Cup fresh parsley, chopped, divided for garnish

1/4 Cup fresh basil, chopped, divided for garnish

 

BÉCHAMEL SAUCE:

6 Tablespoons butter

6 Tablespoons flour

4 Cups milk, warmed in microwave

1/2 Teaspoon white pepper

1/8 Teaspoon allspice - or - nutmeg 

 

ZITI:

12 Ounces dry ziti

Water, to boil

2 Teaspoons salt, to boil

 

CHEESES:

1 Pound mozzarella, shredded

6 Ounces parmesan, shredded, rind put into ragú

4 Ounces Gruyère, shredded

 

TO PREPARE RAGU:

In a medium sized bowl, mix mushroom powder and Kitchen Bouquet into ground turkey. Mix Italian sausage into turkey. Set aside. Heat cooking oil, in a large skillet, over medium high heat.  Brown and crumble meat. Add onion to meat, cooking until softened. Sop up any grease and liquids rendered, with a paper towel. Season with salt, pepper, oregano, sugar, and mashed garlic. Stir in tomato paste and water. Bring sauce to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low. Simmer for 20 minutes. Stir in parsley and basil. Remove cheese rind. Fold half of the ragú, into strained pasta. Reserve the remaining ragú to layer. Makes 4 pounds ragú.

 

TO PREPARE BÉCHAMEL SAUCE:

In a medium sauce pan, melt butter over medium heat. Whisk flour into butter, and cook for 1 minute. Stream milk into flour, while whisking continuously. Season with pepper and allspice. Makes 3 3/4 cups béchamel sauce.

 

TO PREPARE ZITI:

Fill a stock pot half way with water. Bring to a boil. Stir in salt. Stir in ziti, to prevent pasta sticking. Parboil for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Ziti will finish cooking in oven. Reserve pasta water for ragú. Strain pasta. Return pasta to pot. Stir in half of the ragú. Makes 12 ounces prepared ziti.

 

TO PREPARE CHEESES:

Blend all cheeses, in a large bowl. Divide in half, for 2 layers. Makes 1 pound 4 ounces cheese blend.

 

TO ASSEMBLE:

In a large casserole, or 9 X 13 X 2 5/8” baking pan; layer in this order:2 spoonfuls ragú, to coat bottom of pan, ragú coated ziti, half of cheese, remaining ragú, béchamel sauce, remaining cheese. Tent with foil. Bake at 375 for 20 minutes. Remove foil. Continue baking an additional 40 minutes, until golden and bubbly. Let sit 30 - 60 minutes, to firm. Garnish with diced basil and parsley. Makes 9.2 pounds Baked Béchamel Ziti.

Béchamel

 

Béchamel is a French Sauce, also known as White Sauce, or Mother Sauce. It’s the foundation to great sauces; like Macaroni and Cheese, and my favorite, Sausage Gravy.

I’m using Béchamel as a component, of my newest recipe: Baked Béchamel Ziti. I love the creamy texture it gives to the baked ziti, which could, otherwise, be dry.

For my Baked Béchamel Ziti, I seasoned the Béchamel with allspice, and white pepper. You will season your Béchamel according to the recipe you are making, that includes a Béchamel.

A YouTube demonstration video is available, by clicking this link.

BÉCHAMEL

 

INGREDIENTS:

6 Tablespoons butter

6 Tablespoons flour

4 Cups milk, warmed

 

DIRECTIONS:

In a medium size saucepan, over medium heat, melt butter. Stir in flour to combine. This flour mixture is called a roux. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes; being careful not to brown the roux. Whisk milk into roux, in small   increments. Smooth mixture, by whisking; before adding more milk. When you are confident all lumps have been smoothed out, pour in remaining milk. Continue whisking to a medium boil. Béchamel should thicken within 1 to 2 minutes of medium boil. Béchamel will coat the back of spoon, when done. Season according to the recipe that requires the Béchamel. Makes 3 3/4 cups Béchamel.

 

If your Béchamel isn’t thickening: Reduce heat to low. In a small bowl, blend 1 tablespoon butter and 1 tablespoon flour. Add 1/2 cup Béchamel to small bowl, to temper. Stream tempered roux into Béchamel. Increase heat to medium. Resume to medium boil.

Gingerbread Butter

 

Gingerbread Butter can be a superstar in your kitchen. It’s a great spread for a variety of breads: muffins, French Toast, scones, and more. How about the next time you make cinnamon rolls, you slather a layer of Gingerbread Butter, with additional Gingerbread Spice, and sugar. Gingerbread Cinnamon Rolls rank superior! Aside from breads, you can use it as a topping on baked sweet potatoes. It’s the perfect glaze for steamed carrots. Remember Green Bean Almandine? How fantastic would Gingerbread Green Bean Almandine be?! I guarantee you’ll find many uses for this butter. Let me know, in the comments. 

A YouTube demonstration video is available, by clicking this link.

GINGERBREAD BUTTER

 

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 Cup (1stick) butter, room temperature

2 Teaspoons Gingerbread Spice

2 Tablespoons molasses

 

DIRECTIONS:

Place ingredients in a shallow bowl. Use a small rubber spatula, to combine.

 

SPREAD ON:

Toast

French Toast

Muffins

Pancakes

Green Beans

Steamed carrots

Baked Sweet Potatoes