My Tiny Oven

Sunday, April 12, 2015

Ham and Scalloped Potato Casserole

I was having a hard time deciding what to make for Easter dinner last week. Growing up we always had ham and scalloped potatoes.

I have done that a few times; I have also made a full turkey dinner a few times. I just didn’t really want to cook a huge meal for just the two of us. So I had a flash of brilliance and decided to just put the ham and the scalloped potatoes together in one dish.

It turned out wonderfully‼ I started by making a simple white sauce. I decided that very thinly sliced ham would work best, and then adding the sharp flavored Gruyere cheese would really add a nice kick.

The potatoes were tender and the sauce was full of flavor, it was so rich and creamy. It really was wonderful.

What you need,

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1 lb. Yukon gold potatoes, sliced ¼ inch thick

1½ tbsp. butter

½ cup finely diced onion

½ tbsp. chopped fresh parsley

½ tsp. chopped fresh thyme

1 tbsp. all purpose flour

½ cup milk (I used 1%)

½ cup heavy cream

¼ tsp. each salt and pepper

3-4 drops of sriracha sauce, or any hot sauce you like

Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

¼ tsp. dry mustard

8oz (1c.) sharp cheddar cheese, grated

4 oz. (1/2c.) Gruyere cheese, grated

6oz. thin sliced deli ham

Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter the inside of a small casserole dish and set aside.

Slice the potatoes with a sharp knife or mandolin. Keep the sliced potatoes in a bowl of cold water.

In a pot over medium heat at the butter until it melts. Add the onion and sauté for 4-5 minutes until the onions begin to soften. Stir in the thyme and parsley. Sprinkle the flour over the onions and stir for 1-2 minutes.

Whisk in the milk and cream until well blended. Season the mixture with salt, pepper, sriracha, Worcestershire sauce, nutmeg and mustard.

Stir the mixture until it begins to thicken, 1-2 minutes.

Turn off the heat and stir in ¾ cup of the cheddar cheese until fully melted.

To assemble the casserole, spoon a little of the sauce onto the bottom of the prepared casserole dish, then layer on 1/3 of the potatoes. Layer on 1/3 of the ham and sprinkle with 1/3 of the Gruyere cheese.

Spoon on 1/3 of the remaining sauce and spread it out to coat the layer.

Repeat the layering process with the remaining ingredients. Once you get to the top sprinkle on the remaining cheddar cheese.

Bake uncovered for 1 hour or until the potatoes are tender and the top is bubbly and brown.

Let the casserole stand for 10 minutes before you serve. This will help it thicken up a bit, and also save you from burning your tongue!

I really cannot even tell you how amazing this casserole was. So creamy and cheesy. Absolutely fabulous!

We both really loved it. I have a feeling it is going to be my go to Easter dinner from this year forward!

Enjoy!

Jen

Sunday, April 5, 2015

Little Strawberry Shortcake Trifles

Spring has sprung around these parts! To be quite honest, we never really had winter this year, so I can’t really complain.

With all the flowers blooming and grass getting green I have been craving lighter meals. Despite that, a girl still needs dessert so that is how these little strawberry shortcake trifles were born.

This sweet little dessert was delightful. You can never go wrong with strawberry shortcake! AND they are insanely simple to boot!

What you need,

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-Vanilla cupcakes, 1 for every little trifle you are making

(I used a cake mix but you can do homemade if that is how you roll!)

-Strawberries, small ones work best, halved

(You will need 5-6 small berries for each trifle)

-Whipped cream, about ¼ cup per trifle

(I used the fancy stuff in a can, because I am lazy but you go ahead and make your own if you want to!)

Cut each cupcake in half.

Lay half the cupcake on the bottom of each serving dish.

Line the edge of the dish with the cut berries, cut side out, cause it looks purdy!

Toss a few halves in the center as well.

Layer on some whipped cream to fill in all the space.

Add the second half of the cupcake on top and cover with more whipped cream.

Add a berry or 2 on top for decoration.

EAT ASAP‼

I suggest you make a few more than you actually need, because you are going to want more than one. They are so so good!

A perfectly light springy dessert!

Enjoy!

Jen

Wednesday, April 1, 2015

Funfetti Cake Mix Cookies

I really like cookies, that is pretty obvious!

These cute little cookies are so super easy! They only have 6 ingredients. I haven’t used cake mixes to make cookies very often but this recipe is really great!

What you need,

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1 pkg. (8oz.) cream cheese, at room temperature

½ cup butter, softened

1 large egg

1 box (435g) Funfetti Cake Mix

¼ cup colored sprinkles

¼ cup icing sugar

In the bowl of a stand mixer combine the cream cheese and butter together. Beat until light and fluffy. Add the egg and beat until well incorporated. Add the cake mix and beat until fully combined. Stir in the sprinkles.

Cover the dough in saran wrap and stash in the fridge for 1 hour.

When you are ready to bake the cookies, start by heating the oven to 350 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with a silpat mat.

Roll the dough into 1 inch balls and roll each ball in the icing sugar.

The dough is quite sticky but once you roll it in the sugar it will be fine, I promise!

Place the cookies on the prepared cookie sheet about 2 inches apart. Bake for 10 minutes, until puffy and lightly golden brown on the bottom.

Let the cookies cool for 2-3 minutes on the pan before moving them to a wire rack to cool completely.

Store the cookies in an airtight container for a week. They also freeze well.

These cookies are so light and wonderful. They are sweet and a little gooey. Plus they are super cute! They would make a perfect Easter dessert!

I really loved them!

Enjoy!

Jen

Recipe from Cookies and Cups

Sunday, March 29, 2015

The Creamiest Shells & Cheese

I don’t need to tell you again about my love for all things mac and cheese. So I will just tell you about how amazing these Shells and Cheese are!

First up they are super simple! Second they really are the creamiest ever! I used to make shells and cheese when I was in high school, but I just tossed some Velveeta into a pot of cooked shells and called it a day. I have been working on this recipe for a long time and I can say I have it perfected!

You need a few more things than just shells and cheese…

In fact you don’t even really need shells! I had full intentions of using shell pasta but I starting digging through my cupboards and realized I didn’t have any‼ Not a big deal, I just used these cute curly cue pastas and they were delicious!

What you need,

For 2 servings

Click Here To Print

1½ cups dry pasta, shells or whatever you like

½ cup (4oz.) Velveeta cheese, cut into small cubes

½ cup (4oz.) grated sharp cheddar cheese

¼ cup milk (I used 1% because it is what I had)

1 tbsp. butter

Salt and Pepper to taste

In a large pot of salted boiling water cook your pasta as directed. When the pasta is cooked drain and set the pasta aside for a minute.

Put the pot back on the stove over medium heat and add the butter and milk. Add the Velveeta cheese and stir until it is melted. Turn off the heat and stir in the cheddar cheese until melted. Add the pasta back to the pot and stir to coat in the sauce.

Season the mixture with salt and pepper to your taste.

There you have it, the creamiest shells (or whatever pasta) and cheese ever! The Velveeta defiantly makes the pasta creamy but the addition of the butter and milk make for a really smooth sauce. The cheddar cheese adds a really good kick of cheese flavor that the Velveeta needs. It really is amazing!

I could seriously eat this every single day!

Enjoy!

Jen