Potato Gratin with Gruyere, Horseradish & Sweet Onion

I saw Geoffrey Zakarian make this on a recent episode of The Kitchen on Food Network. It looked so delicious - and it really was!

His tip was to buy FRESH horseradish - because if you use the bottled kind - the vinegar in it will curdle the cream sauce.

Potato Gratin with Gruyere, Horseradish & Sweet Onion
2 cups heavy cream
1 c half and half
1/2 c grated FRESH horseradish
1/2 t grated nutmeg
1 clove garlic, finely minced
1 Vidalia or sweet onion, sliced as thinly as possible
Salt and pepper to taste
3 lbs Yukon gold potatoes sliced about 1/8" thick
2 c grated Gruyere
1 c breadcrumbs

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Put the cream, half-and-half, horseradish, nutmeg, garlic and onion in a medium saucepan and slowly bring the mixture to a simmer. Be sure to stir on occasion to prevent scorching. Season with salt and pepper. In a 9-by-13-inch baking dish, spoon a thin layer of the cream and onion mixture onto the bottom. Layer the potatoes, followed by a sprinkle of cheese. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Repeat this process until the dish is filled and the gratin is moist. Combine the breadcrumbs and thyme and sprinkle on top. Bake until the potatoes are tender and the gratin is caramelized on top and bubbly on the edges, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Allow to cool slightly before serving. 

*At this point - we were SO OVER Holiday food - BUT this recipe is seriously AMAZING - so... I ended up making the leftovers into a soup. I put the leftovers into my blender with a 1/2 - 1 cup chicken broth (or whatever you have on hand) the amount of liquid depends on the consistency you want for your soup. 

Luxurious. Decadent. If you're going to go for it - GET IT!

Sheep Herders Dip

I saw this on our local daily chat show. I'm always looking for new appetizers to try and I had never heard of one quite like this - so of course I had to try it!

Sheep Herders Dip

Sheep Herders Loaf (round - not dense - peasant bread)
4 8oz blocks of cream cheese
1 bunch scallions - finely diced
2 packages of Budding pastrami - cut into small pieces
1/2 C lemon juice
1 c milk
Garlic salt to taste (generously)
Onion salt to taste
Parsley for color

Cut the top off the loaf of bread and take out all the bread in the middle - creating a vessel for the dip.

Mix all other ingredients in your Kitchen Aid or with your hand mixer on Med to High to get it thoroughly combine

350 degrees for about 15 to 20 minutes until it's nice and bubbly.

Serve with veggies, crackers and the bread you pulled out of the inside of the bread!

*We liked this dip. It was VERY different from any other dip I've ever had. A nice change. It was a little TOO lemon forward for my taste - so next time I make it - I'll only do 1/4 c of lemon juice and then add it to taste once everything is combined.

Turkey Stock and Turkey Soup

Turkey carcass
3 1/2 qt. chicken stock
1 T poultry seasoning
1 t rubbed sage
2 bay leaves
diced onion
shredded carrots

Bring to a boil and then reduce to simmer for about an hour - you want all the meat on that carcass to flavor the stock and you want all that meat to fall off the bone so you can use it for Turkey Soup later...

Strain the stock through a colander. Set the stock aside and pick that carcass clean. Add turkey from the bones as well as any other turkey you have left over into the stock.

Add 2 c half and half and 1/4 c flour (your roux) the remainder of the diced onions, carrots and 1 jalapeno with the top chopped off - just to add a little spice. I added extra sharp cheddar - probably 4 oz.

I served this version to my kids and then set to spicing it up!!

3 7 oz cans diced jalapenos
3 7 oz cans diced green chilis
12 oz salsa (Pace's thick and chunky is my fav for soups)

YUM!

Pasta with Sausage Ragu

• I watch cooking shows A LOT. A lot a lot. You don't have to pay close attention so you can be working on something else - and it's appropriate content for when my kids are around. 
• I DVR the Rachael Ray show (it's on daily) for food inspiration. Today - I happened to be home while her show was on and while I was "wrapping Christmas" she kept me company. When I saw her make this dish - I knew that was what we were going to have for dinner. SUPER easy with ingredients I almost ALWAYS have on hand. 
• I made a few tweaks based on my family's tastes and what I had on hand - but RR gets all the credit. I have a friend that is a photographer and her season is INSANE right now - so I gave her half the meat sauce and she reported that her entire family LOVED it (as did mine).
  
  Pasta with Sausage Ragu
  2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, EVOO
  1-2 c shredded carrots
  1 onion diced
  4 cloves garlic, chopped or thinly sliced
  Salt and pepper
  1 lb mild Italian sausage
  1 lb hot sausage
  2 tablespoons ground sage, or fresh finely chopped
  3 tablespoons tomato paste
  2 c chicken stock
  2 c of your favorite red sauce *Bertolli organic (or 14 oz crushed tomatoes)
  3 T sugar
  1-2 c shredded parmesan (or pecorino)
  18 oz pasta (I used penne)
  Fresh basil for presentation and freshness - just tear a few leaves and sprinkle it on top.
  Heat a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat with olive oil, add carrots & onion. Sweat the vegetables to soften 5-7 minutes. Add garlic, salt and pepper. Split the sausages from their casings and remove the meat. Add the sausage to the pot and break up with a wooden spoon or fork to lightly brown and crumble. Add the sage and tomato paste, stir until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add stock and tomatoes and lower heat to simmer. Add sugar- this is a little trick I've used FOREVER - every tomato based sauce I make I add sugar - it balances the acidity of the tomatoes.
  Bring a large pot of water to boil for pasta.
  Salt water and cook according to directions. Toss pasta with sauce, add parmesan. Sprinkle with torn basil.