Lisa's Kitchen Blog

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It is definitely soup weather! My husband whipped up some delicious steak soup the other day, and it made a perfect hot lunch for us and our sons. I recommend serving it with grilled cheese sandwiches for dunking. Whether or not you use a Spiderman plate and bowl is up to you.

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We were shopping for stew meat at the grocery store, but found a great deal on chuck steak, so we got 2 pounds. He cubed it up and browned it in some oil in a Dutch oven until cooked through. Then he added a half-gallon of spicy vegetable juice and an assortment of frozen vegetables. Use whatever you have on hand! Being the king of leftovers, he sliced a few leftover grilled sweet Italian bratwurst links and threw them into the pot as well, along with a little Montreal steak seasoning. The whole thing simmered on our stovetop for a few hours, making the house smell amazing. 

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The soup was delicious, and definitely hit the spot on a cold day. It made a great addition to the boys’ sack lunches (although I wish I could find a container that would keep hot things HOT until lunchtime!), and it freezes really well. I’m happy to have a husband who knows what he’s doing in the kitchen!

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This morning, I went to school to help my son’s third-grade class make casseroles for the homeless. Parents chipped in and brought the ingredients, and today we put the casseroles together in the lunchroom. My group of kids, above, included my son, Jake (in the red sweatshirt), and his friends Seth, Angel, and Alexis.

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The school cook, Doris, came out of the kitchen to tell the kids how important it is to help the less fortunate. She said some of the local homeless shelters don’t have enough money for the big Thanksgiving dinner they normally prepare, which is just sad. Jake’s teacher said the 8 casseroles the two classes made will feed 80 people. The shelter uses 125 of these casseroles in a week, so clearly there is a need. It was a great experience for the kids, and wonderful of the teachers to make time in the school day to give back. I’m thinking this would also be a good thing for our Cub Scout pack to do. I’m going to put that on the agenda.

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Preparing the casserole was a good math lesson for the kids, too! We needed two cups of milk, and only had a 1/2-cup measuring cup. How many measuring cups do we need to fill? Four! Yes! The kids all did a great job. They each got to crack an egg into the mixing bowl, and not one bit of shell had to be fished out! They also had fun using the slap-chopper to cut up the onions and peppers, and they each got a turn running the mixer, which was exciting. Our finished casseroles went into the school freezer, and Seth’s mom will deliver them to a local shelter.

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Here’s the casserole they made. It’s an easy recipe that freezes well and would make a wonderful donation to a shelter this holiday season or anytime.

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2 cups grated Cheddar cheese

1 lb. sausage or hamburger, browned, or chopped cooked ham

4 eggs

2 cups of milk

1 cup of baking mix (Bisquick)

Salt and pepper to taste

1 Tbsp. taco seasoning or paprika

Green peppers or onions, chopped (optional)

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Place meat and cheese in a greased baking dish. Sprinkle taco seasoning on top. Add chopped peppers and onions, if desired.

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Next, combine eggs, milk, salt, pepper, and baking mix in a large mixing bowl. Beat with hand mixer for one minute. Pour over meat and cheese, and sprinkle with additional taco seasoning or paprika if desired.

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Cover with foil, write the baking directions on the foil with a permanent marker, and freeze. Take it to your shelter.

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If you’re making this for your family, either bake immediately or thaw completely in the refrigerator. Bake at 375 degrees F. for 35 to 40 minutes, until set.

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I am a girl who has lived her entire life in Iowa and South Dakota. There’s a certain kind of cooking in each of these places, and that’s what I usually cook, because that’s what I know. So you can imagine my excitement when my friend Ginger, who lives in Mississippi, mentioned something the other day about making chocolate gravy and biscuits for her boys, Jake and Josh. I had to know more!

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She was nice enough to share the recipe with me. Apparently some folks in her neck of the woods butter their biscuits and pour this concoction over the top, but in her house, they usually just dip their biscuits into the gravy. And Ginger says that you can’t use refrigerated biscuit dough … homemade are always best, but frozen will do in a pinch. I confess I did use refrigerated biscuit dough, because I picked some up for next to nothing at the store, and I didn’t have it in me to make homemade biscuits after dinner last night … but I had mentioned we were having chocolate gravy for dessert, and there was no way my boys were letting me off the hook.

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The gravy was so good … basically like a slightly thinner version of warm, homemade chocolate pudding, and it was great both poured over the biscuits and used as a dipping sauce. I have always loved the flavor combination of chocolate and bread, ever since I tried my first chocolate croissant on my senior class French trip to Paris. C’est si bon! 

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So, friends, here’s how Ginger makes her chocolate gravy, and how I made it last night. 

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3 Tbsp. flour

2 Tbsp. cocoa

Pinch salt

5 Tbsp. sugar

1-1/2 cups milk

2 Tbsp. butter

1 tsp. vanilla

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Whisk the first four ingredients together in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the milk a little at a time, continuing to whisk constantly until the mixture bubbles and thickens. Whisk in the butter. Remove from heat and whisk in vanilla. Serve warm with fresh, warm biscuits.

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Thanks for the recipe, Ginger! And soon I’ll be trying the tomato gravy recipe you sent!

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My Great-Aunt Dollie was one of a kind. She and my Uncle Bill never had children, but had plenty of nieces and nephews and enjoyed spending time with all of them. They lived in a tiny little house in Des Moines, and had a huge garden and a yard filled with fruit trees. I remember going to their house, especially at Christmas, and she would have homemade cookies and candies everywhere, waiting to be put into tins and shared with friends and family.
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Bill and Dollie were avid hunters and loved the outdoors. They came to South Dakota every year for my birthday when I was little. It never occurred to me until I was an adult that their real reason for the trip was to hunt, and their being there for my October birthday was just a happy coincidence. They spent time in Montana and Wyoming, and just went where they wanted to go.

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When my husband and I were first married, we had the pleasure of living in their house for a few years. Uncle Bill had passed away a few years prior, and Aunt Dollie, who had Alzheimer’s disease, was in a nursing home. We loved living there. The apple and pear trees produced delicious fruit, and we grew the most amazing garden of our lives. After Aunt Dollie passed away, we bought our place in the country, but I was able to keep a few things of theirs from the house. The best thing was her recipe file. And a few days ago, I came across it, and it was like being in her kitchen all over again!

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Browsing through her hand-written recipe cards, I found recipes for antelope roast, beet wine, and homemade beer. I also found a treasure trove of cookie, cake, and candy recipes. I decided the first thing I would make was her macaroons. It was a good choice!

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Aunt Dollie’s chocolate chip macaroons

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2 eggs

1/8 tsp. salt

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup flour

1 Tbsp. melted butter

2 cups flaked coconut

6 ounces (1 cup) semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 tsp. grated lemon or orange rind (I used orange)

1 tsp. vanilla

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Beat eggs and salt until thick and foamy. Gradually add sugar, and beat until thick and ivory-colored, about 5 to 7 minutes. Add flour and butter, then stir in coconut, chocolate chips, grated rind, and vanilla. Drop by teaspoons onto a lightly greased and floured cookie sheet.

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Bake at 325 degrees F. for 12 to 15 minutes, until delicately browned. Cool 1 minute, then remove from cookie sheet. Makes 3 dozen.

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I used my mini ice cream scoop, which is about 1 Tablespoon or so, to dip the batter onto the cookie sheet, and I came out with about 2 dozen macaroons. I can’t even describe how good these are. They’re chewy and creamy, and the chocolate chips and coconut go so well together. The little bit of orange rind gives them a really unique flavor, so don’t leave that part out!

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Thanks for the memories, Aunt Dollie … and the recipes!