London Home Economics Holiday Cooking Class.......

     Jay Eatz was lucky to be invited to instruct this special edition of "Casserole Cooking Class" with the London Home Economics Association.  First of all a big thank you to Maja and her team for putting together such a fun evening.  It was great to network with LHEA and SHEA (Student Human Ecology Association) members.  I always enjoy getting together with future PHEc's.  We were also lucky to have Lisa Mardlin Vandewalle from Grain Farmers of Ontario come and present to us a little about what her organization is up to.  I never new Ontario had 28,000 grain farmers, that's something to be #AgProud of.

      As promised here is the recipes for the four casseroles that we (and when I say we I mean YOU) made. 

Macaroni Pie

Ingredients:

• 1 lb elbow pasta 
  
• 1 lb old cheddar cheese, grated
• 1 lb mozzarella cheese, grated 
• 2 Tbsp butter
• 2 1/2 cups evaporated milk
• 2 eggs 
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
  
• 1 small onion, minced
• 2 Tbsp ketchup
• 2 Tbsp yellow mustard
• Salt and pepper to taste
  

Directions:
Grate both cheeses, blend and divide in two.  In a large bowl mix evaporated milk, eggs, mustard, ketchup, garlic, onions, salt and pepper.  Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil and cook pasta for about 8 minutes (or until al dente), drain, return to pot and add butter, stir.  Once butter is melted stir in half of the cheese mix.  

Then add the milk and egg mixture.  Pour mixture into a greased 9x12 glass baking dish.  Top this mixture with the remaining half of cheese mix.  Pre-heat oven to 350 and bake for about 45 minutes or until top is golden brown.

Creamy Beef Noodle Bake

Ingredients:

• 1 lb extra lean ground beef
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 3 cups egg noodles
• 2 cups frozen vegetable mix
• 1 can cream of mushroom soup
• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup water
• 1 1/2 cups marble cheese, grated (or more for cheese lovers)
  

Directions:
Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees.  Brown meat and onions in a skillet.  Place noodles in a 13x9 baking dish and top with browned meat and onions.  Top with frozen vegetables.  In a mixing bowl, whisk soup, milk and water until blended.  Pour mixture over beef and vegetables.  Top with cheese, cover and bake for 25 minutes.  Uncover and bake for an additional 10 minutes.  Let stand for a few minutes, serve and enjoy.  Makes approximately 8 servings. 
Make ahead:  Pre-cook noodles as per instructed on the package.  Make the recipe the same and refrigerate up to 24 hours.  Bake covered for 35 minutes and uncovered for an additional 10 minutes.

We opted out of the "or more for cheese lovers" option

Easy Chicken Pot Pie

Ingredients:

• 3 cups cooked chicken 
• 3 cups frozen vegetable mix
• 2 cups marble cheese, grated
• 1 can cream of chicken soup
• 1 pack of crescent roll pastry
  

Directions:
​Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees.  Combine chicken, vegetables, cheese and soup into a 13x9 baking dish.  Unroll pastry and place on top in one full sheet covering the mixture.  Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until pastry is golden brown.  Allow a few minutes to cool, serve and enjoy.
​Great holiday leftover tip: substitute chicken for leftover turkey and make easy turkey pot pie to eat up that leftover turkey.

Quinoa, Broccoli, and Vegan Cheese Casserole:
from: http://www.vegkitchen.com/recipes/simple-quinoa-broccoli-and-cheese-casserole/

Ingredients:

• 1½ cups quinoa, rinsed in a fine sieve
• 3 cups low-sodium vegetable broth or 3 cups water with 2 vegetable bouillon cubes
• 2 teaspoons salt-free seasoning blend (multi seasoning from Bulk Barn)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large onion, quartered and thinly sliced
• 2 large broccoli crowns, cut into bite-sized pieces
• ⅓ cup sliced sun-dried tomatoes or sliced black olives
• Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
• 1 to 1½ cups grated vegan cheddar-style cheese
• 2 large or 3 medium tomatoes, sliced
  

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Combine the quinoa, broth, and seasoning in a saucepan. Bring to a slow boil, then lower the heat, cover, and simmer gently until the water is absorbed, about 15 minutes.  Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large skillet. Add the onion and sauté until golden. Add the broccoli and enough water to keep the skillet moist. Cover and steam until the broccoli is tender-crisp, about 5 to 7 minutes

In a mixing bowl, combine the cooked quinoa with the broccoli mixture, dried tomatoes or olives, and half of the cheese. Season with salt and pepper and stir well. Transfer the mixture to a greased 9x13 baking dish.  Arrange the tomato slices over the top. Sprinkle evenly with the remaining cheese. Bake until the top is golden and crisp, about 20 to 25 minutes. Let the casserole stand for 5 minutes, serve and enjoy.

     Here are some more pictures from the evening.  Thank you Maja for staying up and doing some midnight baking and for transforming the food lab into a festive wonderland.

     Please leave a comment and let everyone know what your favourite casserole of the evening was?