Comfort Food Classics
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Dreamy, Creamy Potatoes au Gratin
For years I’ve been making my mom’s version of Potatoes au Gratin (which my family always called Scalloped Potatoes). It was simple fare, and we loved it: potatoes, onions, flour, cheese, milk, salt and pepper. No complaints there. But a few years back, I got a little jiggy with that original recipe, and came up with something a bit dreamier/creamier. So sorry, mom … but I can’t turn back now. You may notice I am finally calling this by its proper name: Potatoes au Gratin. It’s time. This is cheesy, potato-y deliciousness, and the number one comfort food in our house. Enjoy!
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“Five times better” Meatballs
I know I've got a good thing going when Dave tells me four times how good it is, then adds, "These meatballs are five times better than Ikea's, and four times better than Costco's." I had no idea my husband had spent so much time analyzing meatballs, but as long as mine came out on top, I don't really care how he reached those numbers.
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Giant Crock Pot Pesto Meatballs
The snow is just coming down like crazy … you should see it! This is our second visit to Lake Tahoe during “winter.” Technically, it’s not winter yet, but this is the second time we’ve been snowed in. I am overjoyed about that. Here’s what our deck looked like early this morning … … and here’s the tree in front of our condo. Don’t let that blue sky in the background fool you. It grayed right up again and started snowing within minutes of this shot. Yay! I had planned to make chili, but for some reason today, spaghetti and meatballs sounded better. So that’s what’s in the crock pot…
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Sunday Dinner: Ham and Copycat Cracker Barrel Hashbrown Casserole
Updated 3/5/20 Oh, how I love Sundays! On the mornings when I’m on the worship team, I arrive early and get to hang out with some of my very favorite people on earth while we go through the morning’s worship set. Then people start showing up, and the hugging begins, along with the questions you ask people you haven’t seen in three long days, or seven. “How was your week?” and “How did that job interview go?” and “How is your friend we’ve been praying for?” Then we worship together, in an intimate, candle-lit downstairs room barely big enough for our growing church family, and when Dave takes the podium…
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Meatloaf with a Tangy Glaze
I don’t know what it is about meatloaf. It seems there’s not a neutral person on earth when the word is brought up. You either get a big smiley “Mmm” or a scowl and a grunt. We all love meatloaf at our house. It’s just one of those comfort foods that you hope will be waiting for you on blustery fall days when you’ve fought traffic all the way home and your tummy is growling. Everyone perks up at our house when you mention the word “meatloaf.” More often than not, I serve it alongside creamy, buttery mashed potatoes and peas (which everyone loves except my daughter-in-law. But she’s new.…
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When You Absolutely, Positively, Have to Have Turkey Pot Pie
So I made turkey stock this week. A LOT of turkey stock. My goal had been to make a big batch of turkey noodle soup. But then I saw a bag of peas in the freezer … and the soup turned into pot pie. This isn’t really a post about how to make turkey pot pie. This is a post about stubbornness. Because from the moment I started till the moment I finished, it was just one obstacle after the other. Here’s the list as I remember it: –I gave my last white onion away and had only red on hand –No carrots –No dried thyme –No white wine –No…
