Shepard's Pie

Ingredients

• 4 large potatoes, peeled and cubed
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped onion
• 1/4 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
• salt and pepper to taste
• 5 carrots, chopped
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 pound lean ground beef
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon ketchup
• 3/4 cup beef broth
• 1/4 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

Directions

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add potatoes and cook until tender but still firm, about 15 minutes. Drain and mash. Mix in butter, finely chopped onion and 1/4 cup shredded cheese. Season with salt and pepper to taste; set aside.
2. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add carrots and cook until tender but still firm, about 15 minutes. Drain, mash and set aside. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C.)
3. Heat oil in a large frying pan. Add onion and cook until clear. Add ground beef and cook until well browned. Pour off excess fat, then stir in flour and cook 1 minute. Add ketchup and beef broth. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes.
4. Spread the ground beef in an even layer on the bottom of a 2 quart casserole dish. Next, spread a layer of mashed carrots. Top with the mashed potato mixture and sprinkle with remaining shredded cheese.
5. Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes, or until golden brown.

Lebanese Kibbi and Flatbread

Ingredients: bulgar wheat, beef, lamb, onions, cumin, cayenne, salt, pepper, dried mint, pine nuts, and olive oil

*heat in microwave and wrap 1 triangle like a burrito in 1/2 of a flatbread piece
*in our family we butter the bread and sometimes stuff it with taboulleh
*to make it less spicy for very sensitive kids, you may want to add plain (NOT vanilla) yogurt and/or lettuce and tomatoes

Enjoy!

April Meal Exchange

Wednesday, April 21, 7:45 pm Chelsey's House

Chelsey - Shelly's sweet and garlicy pork loin with Thai peanut sauce
Emily - Shepards Pie (sorry not so season appropriate)
Rebecca - Pork chops with apricot sauce, asparagus, and cornbread
Brittani - Chicken Fajitas
Meaghan - Lebanese Kibbi and flatbread
Jessica - Sweet and Sour Chicken

Six in Total

Florentine Dream Burgers

Add 2T of EVOO and rosemary to skillet. Add burgers to hot pan and sear until golden brown and cooked through, 4-5 min per side. While burgers are cooking, simmer cheese sauce until thickened and warm, about 2 min. Serve burgers on ciabatta buns topped with a ladelful of cheese sauce and a sprinkle of shredded spinach.

Full recipe under October 2009.

Marinated Chicken

Thaw the chicken completely. Grill over med. high heat for 15 - 20 minutes. (The chicken breasts are pretty huge. We fed four adults and 3 kids with just four of the chicken breasts tonight.)
For the couscous, we like to make it with half-water, half apple juice, and we throw in a handful or two of craisins when it is done.

White Cheddar, Bacon and Thyme Mac 'n Cheese

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese, or as needed
• 1 pound mezze (short) penne pasta
• 1 pound thick sliced bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 4 cups milk
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
• sea salt and cracked black pepper to taste
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 3 1/2 cups shredded sharp white Cheddar cheese, divided

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish, and sprinkle 1 tablespoon Parmesan cheese around the inside of the dish.
2. Fill a large pot with lightly salted water and bring to a rolling boil. Once the water is boiling, stir in the penne, and return to a boil. Cook the penne uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the pasta has cooked through, but is still firm to the bite, about 11 minutes. Drain well in a colander set in the sink.
3. Place the bacon pieces into a large, deep skillet, and cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until evenly browned, about 10 minutes. Drain the bacon slices on a paper towel-lined plate. Retain 1/4 cup of bacon drippings. Set the bacon pieces aside.
4. Melt butter and bacon drippings together in a large saucepan over medium heat, and cook and stir the onion until translucent, about 5 minutes. Whisk in the flour, stirring frequently until the mixture forms a smooth paste. Whisk in the milk, a little at a time, and bring the mixture to a simmer, whisking constantly until thickened. Stir in the thyme, salt, and pepper, and then whisk in 1/4 cup Parmesan and 3 cups Cheddar cheese, stirring constantly until the Cheddar cheese has melted and the sauce is smooth and thick.
5. Stir the cooked penne pasta into the cheese sauce, then lightly mix in the cooked bacon. Spread the mixture into the prepared baking dish and sprinkle 1/2 cup Cheddar cheese over the top. Cover the dish with foil.
6. Bake in the preheated oven until the pasta is hot and bubbling, about 25 minutes. Remove the dish from the oven, and turn on the broiler. Remove the foil, and broil the dish until the cheese topping is browned and crisp, about 5 minutes.

March Exchange
7:45, Wednesday March 17, Chelsey's House

Chelsey - Salisbury Meatballs
Emily - White Cheddar, Bacon and Thyme Mac 'n Cheese
Jessica - Marinated Chicken with couscous
Brittani - Florentine Burgers
Nikki -Roasted Red Pepper and Sausage soup

5 in total