Breakfast taco casserole

I'm talking about "spring cleaning" your refrigerator in this bloig post. Many of us are guilty of keeping random open containers in our refrigerator for far too long because we only use half the jar and then forget about it. Or we let produce expire because we forget about it until we find it hiding in the crisper drawer two weeks too late.

I read an article by Epicurious titled "11 Things That Have Been in Your Fridge Too Long." Included in the list are several things I usually have on hand: yogurt, salsa, cheese, and eggs. 

So I created a recipe to clear out my refrigerator and use ingredients I've had far too long. I came up with a breakfast taco casserole.

Here's what I cleared from my refrigerator to use in the recipe:

Salsa: Last about 2-4 weeks

Sour cream: Lasts about 3 weeks 

Greek yogurt: Lasts about 1 to 2 weeks

Cooked beans: Last 3-4 days

Cooked meat: Lasts about 3 days

Blocks of cheese: Cheddar, mozzarella, and pepper jack last 4 to 6 weeks max

I included substitution options in italics next to the ingredients because, as I previously mentioned, there are a lot of options for substitutions because I want to help you clean out your refrigerator.

Breakfast taco casserole

Yield: 12 servings

Time: About 90 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 pound Mexican chorizo (you can substitute with chicken, beef, pork, or omit for vegetarian casserole)
• 1 yellow onion, small dice (about 6 ounces)
• 1 red or green bell pepper, small dice (about 4 ounces)
• 1 (16-ounce) jar salsa (you can substitute with diced or crushed tomatoes)
• 1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed (you can substitute with pinto beans or refried beans)
• 1 (15-ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained (you can substitute with frozen corn)
• 1 Tablespoon ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons chile powder
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 8 corn tortillas, halved
• 12 ounces (3 cups) cheddar cheese, shredded (you can substitute with pepper jack or omit to make it dairy free)
• Optional toppings: avocado, cilantro, sour cream, salsa, Greek yogurt

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Spray 9x13-inch baking dish. Set aside.
2. Heat large skillet over medium heat. Add chorizo and cook until browned, breaking it into smaller pieces as it cooks. 
3. Use slotted spoon to remove chorizo and transfer to plate.
4. Add onion and pepper to skillet and saute until softened, about 5 minutes.
5. Stir in salsa, beans, corn, cumin, chili powder, paprika, salt and black pepper. Saute until mixture is combined and fragrant. Remove skillet from heat and stir in chorizo.
6. In separate bowl, whisk eggs until well-beaten.
7. Lay half of the tortillas in even layer on bottom of baking dish. Top with half of sausage mixture, half of egg mixture, and half of cheese. Repeat with remaining tortillas, sausage mixture, eggs, and cheese.
8. Cover baking dish with foil and bake 45 to 55 minutes or until golden brown and not jiggly. Remove from oven.
9. Let cool 10 minutes before serving with avocado, cilantro, sour cream, salsa, and whatever else you desire.

Irish brown soda bread with dill sauce and salmon

 

Other than potatoes, nothing is more synonymous with Irish food than brown bread. It's served with most every meal for most every occasion. Filled with whole grains and oats, it's a healthy bread to serve your family and perfect for St. Patrick's Day.

Brown bread is a "quick bread," which means it doesn't have yeast. Its leavening comes from baking soda and buttermilk, hence the name "soda bread." Soda breads became popular in Ireland when baking soda was introduced in the 19th century because it was cheaper than yeast.

Here are some tips to ensuring your bread turns out well:

• Make sure your baking soda is still active by adding 1/2 teaspoon baking soda to a couple tablespoons of vinegar. The mixture should fizz. You need to buy new baking soda if it doesn't.
• Use weight to get precise ingredient measurements.s
• Do not over mix. It will make the quick bread tough. Mix the wet ingredients separately from the dry ingredients and combine the two only to the point that the dry ingredients are moistened.
• Grease the loaf pan really, really well. The bottom has a tendency to stick.
• Baking soda activates as soon as it's mixed with an acid, so the bread needs to be put in the oven immediately.

The bread is often served with dill sauce and gravlax as an appetizer, but lox or smoked salmon work just as well. Curious about the difference. Here is a great explanation.

Irish brown soda bread with dill sauce and salmon

Yield: 1 loaf, about 12 slices

Time: About 45 minutes

Ingredients

For the bread

• 150 grams whole wheat flour
• 100 grams rolled oats
• 4 grams (1 teaspoon) baking soda
• 3 grams (1/2 teaspoon) kosher salt
• 240 milliliters (1 1/4 cups) buttermilk
• 30 grams (2 Tablespoons) molasses
• 28 grams (2 Tablespoons) melted butter, cooled

For the dill sauce

• 30 grams (2 Tablespoons) dijon mustard
• 30 grams (2 Tablespoons) sour cream
• 15 grams (1 Tablespoon) whole grain mustard
• 15 milliliters (1 Tablespoon) white wine vinegar
• 5 grams (1 teaspoon) molasses
• 20 grams shallot, minced
• 10 grams fresh dill fronds, minced
• For serving: lox, gravlax, or smoked salmon

Directions

For the bread

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Lightly grease an 8½ x 4½ x 2½-inch loaf pan and set aside.
2. In large bowl, mix flour, oats, salt, and baking soda.
3. In separate bowl, mix buttermilk, molasses, and melted butter.
4. Make well in center of flour mixture, and pour buttermilk mixture into well
5. Gently mix dry and wet ingredients together, being careful not to overmix.
6. Scrape dough into bread pan and smooth top. Pan will be filled halfway.
7. Place in oven and bake 30 to 35 minutes, or until internal temperature registers around 190 degrees Fahrenheit. Remove from pan and cool on rack.

For the dill sauce

1. Mix both mustards and sour cream. Mix in vinegar and molasses. Add shallot and dill fronds.
2. Serve by spreading layer of dill sauce onto slice of brown bread. Top with salmon slices.

Curried Shepherd's Pie

 

This is a sponsored post by Challenge butter, but the text and opinions are all mine. Thank you for supporting brands that make Kylee's Kitchen possible! 

I'm celebrating Pi Day with one of my favorite one-dish comfort foods that's also perfect for a St. Patrick's Day celebration. Curried Shepherd's Pie combines warm spiced with a fluffy, creamy topping. It's also a great recipe to serve babies if you omit the salt.

Tip: Before you stick the skillet under the broiler, dot the top with butter. After about 5 minutes, the butter will brown and you can mix it into the sweet potatoes before sticking it back under the broiler to finish.

I'm not a registered dietitian, so it isn't my place to advise you on whether to feed your baby recipes containing butter. But everything I've read says it's okay as long as you choose unsalted butter with minimal ingredients, preferably just cream. That's why I only use Challenge unsalted butter. It's 100% real cream butter made with milk from cows not treated with growth hormones.

Curried Shepherd's Pie

Yield: Makes about 8 servings

Time: About 90 minutes

Ingredients

For the topping

• 2 pounds sweet potatoes
• 2 Tablespoons Challenge unsalted butter
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

For the filling

• 1 Tablespoon olive oil
• 1 pound ground lamb (or ground beef)
• 8 ounces yellow onion, small dice
• 4 ounces carrot, small dice
• 4 ounces celery, small dice
• 2 Tablespoons curry powder
• 2 Tablespoons ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons coriander
• 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2 Tablespoons tomato paste
• 14.5 ounces no salt added crushed tomatoes
• 8 ounces frozen peas
• 8 ounces frozen corn kernels

Directions

For the topping

1. Roast sweet potatoes at 450 degrees Fahrenheit for about 60 minutes. 
2. Peel away skins and place potatoes in large bowl. Add salt and pepper. Mash until all ingredients are mixed together. Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary. This can be done up to a day in advance.

For the filling

1. While sweet potatoes cook, heat oil in large skillet and brown meat over medium-low heat. Use wooden spatula to break meat into smaller pieces and continue to cook until no longer pink.
2. Remove meat from skillet and place in paper towel-lined bowl.
3. Add mirepoix to skillet and cook until softened. 
4. Add curry powder, cumin, coriander, turmeric, ginger, and black pepper and saute with mirepoix until it is coated in spice mixture. 
5. Add tomato paste and continue cooking until it turns from bright to brick red.
6. Add crushed tomatoes and return meat to skillet. Simmer on low for about 10 minutes or until sauce thickens. Add frozen peas and corn to skillet and cook until vegetables soften, about another 10 minutes.
7. Remove skillet from heat and preheat broiler.
8. Add mashed sweet potatoes to skillet and smooth. Add thin slices of butter to top.
9. Place mixture under broiler until butter turns brown, about 3 minutes. Remove from oven and stir butter into potatoes.
10. Smooth top and return to broiler. Continue to cook until top turns golden brown.
11. Remove from oven and serve.