Vegetable Mélange

This dish of layered vegetables baked in a rich, savory sauce is like a comfortable stew that got dressed up for company. I serve this on chilly winter days when fresh produce is harder to come by and I can whip it together from things already in my pantry. The leftovers are homely, but even more delicious than the original version.

To make this vegetarian meal gluten-free, just skip the bread crumbs and thicken the sauce with cornstarch instead of flour.


Vegetable Mélange 

• 3 cans green beans (drained, reserve liquid)
• 2 cans diced tomatoes (reserve juice)
• 1 can whole-kernel corn (drained, reserve liquid)
• 1 onion, finely chopped

• 4 T. butter (1/2 stick)
• 2-3 T. flour
• 1 1/2 cups reserved vegetable juice
• 1/2 tsp. thyme
• 1/2 tsp. basil
• 3/4 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. black pepper

• shredded cheese (cheddar, colby, or swiss)
• about a cup of fine soft bread crumbs (2 slices of bread in the blender!)
• (2 T. melted butter, optional)

Drain the tomato juice into a large measuring cup. Add liquid from the beans/corn to make 1 1/2 cups. Discard the rest.

Melt butter in a saucepan. Whisk in flour and cook over low heat for a minute. Gradually whisk in vegetable juice, as you would for a white sauce. Cook over medium heat till "gravy" thickens. Add seasonings.

Layer drained vegetables in a 9 x 13 pan in order given. Pour sauce evenly over the whole pan and cover with shredded cheese up to an inch from the edges.* If desired, stir the melted butter into the bread crumbs. Sprinkle crumbs around the edge of the casserole, creating a border around the cheese.

Bake, uncovered, for 1 hour at 350 F.

*Note: To keep the cheese from drying out, you can wait and top the casserole with cheese and bread crumbs after the first 45 minutes of baking. But I am usually too busy or lazy to do that. And I kind of like the texture of toasty cheese.

Italian Sausage & Linguine

This is my favorite company meal. I try to keep the ingredients on hand in my pantry and freezer so I am always prepared! As a one-dish meal, you can serve this pasta alone. Or dress it up with a vegetable or salad, garlic bread and wine for a special dinner.

My preferences are turkey sausage and whole wheat pasta, but you can use whatever suits your family's tastes. I love the convenience of the "three peppers and onions" blend in the freezer aisle of my supermarket. If you can't find that, you can also slice an onion and a large bell pepper yourself.

• 1 lb. sweet Italian sausage links
• 3 T. olive oil 

Cook sausages thoroughly in a large skillet with a lid. Remove from pan and slice into thin medallions.

Return sausage to skillet. Saute with:

• 2 tsp. minced garlic 
• 1 pkg. (12-16 oz.) frozen peppers and onions 

Add:

• 1 can diced tomatoes 
• 2 tsp. basil 
• 1 tsp. oregano 
• salt & pepper to taste 

Simmer 5 minutes. In another pan, cook:

• 13-16 oz. linguine, or penne

Add noodles to tomatoes and toss to combine. Serve immediately.

Garnish each plate with Parmesan and chopped fresh basil.

Serves 6-8.

Meatball-Lima Bean Stew

This stew from my childhood really is so much better than it sounds!

Warm and hearty, this stew is wintertime comfort food at its best. And the leftovers are even richer and more flavorful the next day. I like to serve this with crusty bread or rolls, but it is equally satisfying as a solo dish.

The recipe includes directions for homemade meatballs which can be cooked right in the stew, but you can also save time by using purchased frozen meatballs. Or you can make the meatballs ahead, and add them, pre-cooked, right before serving.



Meatball-Lima Bean Stew

Large Lima Beans

• 1 cup large lima beans, rinsed
• 4 cups cold water

In a large pot, bring the beans to a boil. Boil two minutes. Turn off the heat and let stand, covered, one hour. (Optional step: drain liquid into a measuring cup. Discard; replace with the same amount of fresh water.)

• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour*
• 1/2 cup cold water

Whisk flour into water to form a smooth paste and pour into the bean pot. Heat and stir till liquid thickens, forming a gravy.

*For gluten-free stew, omit this step. Thicken stew after baking by adding a slurry of 2 T. cornstarch and 2 T. cold water. Stir over medium heat till the "broth" turns to a sauce.

• 1 cup chopped celery
• 1 cup sliced carrots
• 1/2 cup diced onions
• 1 can (or 2 cups) diced tomatoes
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 1/2 tsp. salt

Pour lima beans into a large oven-proof dish. Add vegetables and seasonings. Cover and bake for an hour and half at 350 F. Add [uncooked or frozen] meatballs and bake 45 minutes more. 

MEATBALLS:

• 1 lb. ground beef
• 1/4 cup bread crumbs*
• 1/4 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
• 1/4 cup milk

Mix thoroughly with your hands. Shape into balls of desired size. You can let them cook in the hot stew, or bake them (in a pan with sides!) for 10 minutes at 350 and refrigerate or freeze them to use later.

Chilly Day Chili

Dark red and light red kidney beans, beef, onions, peppers, canned tomatoes, garlic and chili seasonings, slow simmered to bring all the flavors together...

A cold front came through last night. And we had to hustle to get the kids to two different concerts at schools in opposite directions. If ever there was a night for hearty, simple, one-dish chili, last night was it.

Chili is so versatile. You can serve it alone, or with cornbread. With saltines or oyster crackers or tortilla chips. On a baked potato or with a dollop of mashed potatoes. To encourage my youngsters, I served Fritos this time. And jack cheese, and sour cream.