Meet us in the Kitchen

Hubby and I lived in St. Louis for a year, before we had children. It was great to be in a big city and fun to make new friends. I was a member of the Jr. League when I was there and that was the best Jr. League headquarters that I have been to. It has a restaurant and it is large enough to hold weddings, parties etc. If you ever have thought about joining the Jr. League and you are moving to a new city-this is the best way to meet new people with similar interests as you. I highly recommend it.

I purchased this cookbook, which is one of my favorites. It is very easy to use with yummy recipes. We went to a pool party last week and I was in charge of bringing a vegetable that adults and children could enjoy. So, I made this. It was easy and enjoyed by all. ( I didn't say it was low fat-you could def. use low fat sour cream)

Crunchy Potato Casserole
2 pds. frozen hash brown potatoes
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 (10 oz.) can cream of chicken soup
10 oz. mild cheddar cheese, shredded
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted
2 cups sour cream

Topping-
2 cups crushed cornflakes
1/4 cup (1/2) stick butter, melted

Combine potatoes, onion, salt, pepper, soup, cheese, butter and sour cream in a large bowl and mix well. Pat into a greased 9x13 inch baking dish. Bake covered with foil at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.
For the topping, mix the cornflakes and butter in bowl. Spoon over the potato mixture. Bake, uncovered for 25 minutes.

One of my favorites!

As I have mentioned before I don't do much cooking, but I do have some favorite recipes that I enjoy making. This recipe comes from this cookbook. I highly recommend this cookbook -it has over 750 recipes from 200 Junior Leagues.

Potatoes with Shiitakes and Brie

6 new potatoes, scrubbed

1 teaspoon unsalted butter

8 oz. shiitake mushrooms, wiped and trimmed

1 small whole round Brie cheese

salt and pepper to taste

1 cup heavy cream

1 garlic clove, minced

1 teaspoon dried thyme

3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

1/4 cup fine dry bread crumbs

-Slice the unpeeled potatoes 1/8 inch thick. Cover with cold water in bowl. Let stand for 30 minutes, changing the water twice, drain the slices and pat dry.

-Preheat the oven to 425. Coat a 10 inch baking dish with unsalted butter. Remove the stems from the mushrooms and discard. Slice the caps thin. Remove the rind from the cheese and cut cheese into cubes. (easier to do with firm cheese).

-Layer 1/3 of the potato slices in the buttered baking dish. Layer 1/2 the mushrooms and brie, sprinkling layers with salt and pepper. Repeat the layers with remaining potatoes, mushrooms and brie.

-Combine the cream, garlic, and thyme in small bowl; mix well and pour over the layers, pressing layers into liquid.

-Cover the casserole with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil . Sprinkle with a mixture of Parmesan cheese and bread crumbs. Bake uncovered for 30 minutes longer or until top is golder brown and crusty.

Hope you enjoy!