For the most part, a baked potato with a pat of butter and a little salt is just great on its own. But stuff them with an assortment of savory ingredients such as shrimp, oysters or ground meat and it easily constitutes a whole meal.
I think my first encounter with this idea came when the Wendy’s restaurant chain introduced the Stuffed Baked Potato to their menu in 1983. Their original goal was to give the customer another choice or alternative to the same old ‘fries’. I think it retailed for 99 cents at the time. The one I remember having a couple of times was with cheese sauce and fresh broccoli. It tasted great to me, not being a fried food lover. Of course, since then the whole concept has been ratcheted up in both flavor and eye appeal.
This version is browned ground beef in a cheesy mustard béchamel sauce served over baked potatoes. Makes such a super good meal with a bit of steamed broccoli.
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Baked Cheesy Ground Beef Stuffed Potatoes
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Rating: 5
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Votes: 1
Rating: 5
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Instructions
Pre-heat the oven to 400 F.
Wash the potatoes & pat dry. Prick with a knife or the tines of a fork, place on the oven rack and bake for approximately 45 minutes or until tender.
While the potatoes are cooking, brown the ground beef in a large skillet. Season with 1/4 teaspoon of salt & set aside.
In a separate pan, add 1 tablespoon of the butter & the diced onion. Cook on medium low heat, stirring often, until the onions begin to caramelize. Add the minced garlic, continue cooking for another minute and then remove from the heat. Add the cooked onion & garlic mixture to the cooked ground beef.
In the pan, melt the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter & whisk in the flour. Cook for a minute to make a roux. Slowly whisk in the beef stock, milk, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, salt, ground black pepper & shredded cheddar cheese. Continue cooking & stirring, on low heat, until the mixture begins to thicken. Add the beef mixture into the sauce.
When the potatoes are cooked, slice open and pour on the cheesy beef mixture. Garnish with parsley if you wish. Serve hot.
HAPPY EASTER!
Easter is here and Salmon Wellington is the perfect holiday meal! The richness of the mushroom duxelles, pairs perfectly with the hearty salmon fish fillet and scallops and the buttery puff pastry just takes this dish to the next level.
Mushroom duxelles is an intensely flavored combination of finely chopped mushrooms, shallots, and fresh herbs such as thyme or parsley that are slowly cooked to a paste-like consistency. French in origin and named after the marquis d’Uxelles, this mushroom condiment is traditionally used in the preparation of beef Wellington, but it can also be used to flavor soups and sauces as well as to fill omelets and ravioli.
Wellington fillet as we know it today was first made famous by the American chef and star Julia Child, who introduced the filet de bśuf en croûte, the French crust beef fillet, as ‘Filet of Wellington Beef’ during her TV show ‘The French Chef’, on the 1965 New Year’s Eve episode. From that day on, the recipe began to appear in various recreational circles in North America, as well as being taken up in the most important cookbooks.
A Salmon Wellington is a copycat version of the popular English ‘Beef Wellington’. Because puff pastry takes about 20 minutes to bake (salmon takes 12-15 minutes), keep the salmon refrigerated until you’re ready to assemble. Starting with cold salmon ensures it doesn’t overcook. To prevent the bottom from getting soggy, pat dry the salmon thoroughly before assembling. Also, make sure to cut slits on the puff pastry once assembled to allow the steam to escape. Don’t open the oven until ready since puff pastry needs full consistent heat to bake into flaky layers.
You’ll be so impressed when it’s time to take it out of the oven because it just looks amazing. However, you’ll be more impressed with how it tastes. Just like an elegant and flavorful fish pie!
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Salmon Wellington
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Rating: 5
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Votes: 1
Rating: 5
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Instructions
Mushroom Duxelles
In a food processor, pulse the mushrooms to a roughly diced consistency,15-20 seconds. In a saucepan, melt 2 Tbsp butter over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms, a heavy pinch of salt & pepper, shallots, garlic, rosemary & thyme. Sauté until moisture from the mushrooms has evaporated, about 15 minutes. Transfer to a bowl & set aside.
Scallop Filling
In a small bowl, combine the scallops (or shrimp), cream, onions, parsley, dill, garlic, pesto, salt & pepper. In another small bowl, beat egg white on medium speed until soft peaks form; fold into scallop mixture.
Assembly
Preheat oven to 400 F. Line a 15 x 10 x 1-inch baking sheet with parchment paper.
On a lightly floured surface, roll each pastry sheet into a 12 x 10-inch rectangle. Cut each sheet into FOUR- 6 x 5-inch rectangles. Divide mushroom mixture evenly & spread over 4 pieces of pastry leaving a 1/2-inch border.
Center the salmon pieces on top. Next, top each salmon piece with a quarter of the scallop filling.
Top each with a pastry rectangle & crimp to seal. With a sharp knife, cut several slits in the top to let steam escape. Place on the baking sheet & brush with egg wash. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a thermometer reads 160 F.
Dill Cream Sauce
While salmon is baking, mix all sauce ingredients & refrigerate until serving time.
Cooking turkey parts instead of the entire bird serves a few purposes. It not only cuts way back on the cooking time but it allows you to cook more of your favorite pieces. For dark meat lovers, roasted turkey thighs are the perfect option as the meat is succulent and flavorful without losing its moistness during the roasting time.
As soon as I spot persimmons in the grocery store I can’t resist them. Persimmons are in season between November and February. They are mildly sweet and juicy with a slight crunch reminiscent of a cross between a peach and a pear. Since there is only a short window in which you can enjoy this exotic fruit, persimmons make up for it by working well in both sweet and savory recipes.
In acknowledgement to the USA Thanksgiving today (November 25th), I’m stuffing some turkey thighs with an interesting dressing containing persimmons & fresh sage. I know most people have their own traditional, ‘go-to‘ stuffing recipes, but I’m hoping at least a few will venture from the norm and try a little persimmon in your stuffing. I can assure you, its worth it.
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Turkey Thighs w/ Persimmon Sage Stuffing
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Rating: 5
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Ingredients
Stuffing
- 454 gm bread, cubed
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 2 Tbsp unsalted butter, divided
- 2 shallots, minced, optional
- 2 celery stalks, trimmed & thinly sliced
- 1 medium (about 230 gm) leek, cleaned & thinly sliced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 6 fresh sage leaves, chopped
- 3/4 tsp thyme
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 1 cup vegetable or chicken broth
- salt to taste
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
- 2 large firm Fuyu persimmons, peeled & cubed
Ingredients
Stuffing
- 454 gm bread, cubed
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 2 Tbsp unsalted butter, divided
- 2 shallots, minced, optional
- 2 celery stalks, trimmed & thinly sliced
- 1 medium (about 230 gm) leek, cleaned & thinly sliced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 6 fresh sage leaves, chopped
- 3/4 tsp thyme
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 1 cup vegetable or chicken broth
- salt to taste
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
- 2 large firm Fuyu persimmons, peeled & cubed
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Votes: 1
Rating: 5
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Instructions
Stuffing
Preheat oven to 200 F. On a parchment or foil lined baking sheet, spread out the cubes of bread. Bake for about 10 minutes, until lightly toasted yet still pale in color. Set aside. Turn oven off until ready to bake ready to roast thighs if you wish.
In a large saucepan or pot over medium heat, add 1 Tbsp olive oil & 1 Tbsp butter. When butter has melted, add the shallot, celery & leek. Cook until softened, about 10 minutes. Add garlic, sage, thyme & pepper; cook until mixture is fragrant, about 2 minutes.
Pour in the broth and toss lightly until everything is completely mixed. Give the stuffing a taste & add salt to your personal taste. Fold in the beaten egg & cubed persimmons; toss lightly till combined.
Herb Butter
In a small dish, combine all herb butter ingredients & set aside.
Assembly & Baking
Arrange turkey thighs, skin side down on a work surface so they lay open & flat. Cover with plastic wrap, then pound lightly with a meat mallet to flatten to an even thickness.
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Discard plastic wrap; spread stuffing over 2 turkey thighs, leaving a 1/4-inch border around edge. Top each with a remaining turkey thigh. Butter a casserole dish with remaining butter & transfer any leftover stuffing to casserole dish, spreading it out evenly.
Line a roasting pan with heavy duty foil paper. Grease foil on the bottom of pan & place the stuffed turkey thighs in roasting pan. Carefully spread HERB BUTTER over tops of stuffed thighs.
Roast uncovered, basting occasionally, until thighs reach an internal temperature of 180 F. about 2 hours. Cover with foil if top browns too quickly. Bake the extra stuffing for about 30-40 minutes, until the top of the stuffing is golden brown.
Remove turkey thighs from oven, tent with foil & allow to rest for about 5-10 minutes. Slice & serve.
