I mourne the passing of summer into autumn . . . it will take a while for me to get into the swing of the changing light and have my food photos start looking decent again . . .  sigh . . . I find the transition really difficult.   It's especially hard to make dishes such as this Slumgullion look good.  Sigh again . . . 

Slumgullion might not sound like the most appealing name for a dish, but I guarantee mom's slumgullion has a place in every kitchen! 

Do yourself a favour and don't explore the entymology of this word. Appetites will be destroyed, lol.




I am sure very family must have their own version of this delicious stove top, one pan dinner.   

Its basically just minced steak (I always use the extra lean with less than 5% fat) and a few store cupboard ingredients, put together in a way which is simple, quick and family pleasing . . .

 

One pound of minced steak, with a few ingredients added such as onions, chopped peppers, celery, some tinned tomatoes and tomato sauce (passatta here in the UK)  and macaroni, with a bit of seasoning.  

That's basically all it is . . .  but simple doesn't mean that it isn't incredibly tasty.



Even my pasta hating husband tolerates this and goes back for seconds.  (Methinks he doth protest too much actually.  I

 think secretly I am converting him into a pasta lover, but he would be the last one to admit it.)



This is the kind of meal that is perfect for this time of year.   It's a great family meal and family pleaser. It's economical.  Kids love it.  Its hearty and filling . . .  and it's deliciousy simple. You cannot ask for much better than that.    

Now if I could only make it look as good as it tastes!  A simple salad and some garlic toast and you have a fabulous meal!

Stir in the macaroni, cover, and cook, stirring frequently, for a further 20 minutes or so, until the pasta is tender.  Taste and adjust seasoning as necessary.   Serve.

Note - Here in the uk, it may take longer for your macaroni to cook.  It did mine.  I just added a bit of boiling water every now and then to make sure it wasn't sticking.  It turned out perfectly. 

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Interestingly enough the food here in the UK isn't all fish and chips and roast beef or curries.  They're also very fond of macaroni here, and other pasta's too.  In fact it is said that at the beginning of the 19th century they used to call their dandies "macaronis" because the  wigs which they wore were said to resemble macaroni!




























 There is a saying over here which goes . . . "There's naught so queer as folk."  I believe that would apply in this instance!

The temps have really dropped here these past couple of days.   It seems we are getting winds from the North and things are getting pretty cool, even down to they say only 3 degrees early tomorrow morning!  Who would believe it in August?  Crazy!

1/2 mug full of Stelline Pasta (star shaped pasta, about 1/2 cup, or more as desired)

I make no apologies to all the carb haters out there.  I LOVE potatoes.  The potato is by far my favourite vegetable.  You can take away my pies and cakes, but don't you even dare touch my potatoes!   They're not going anywhere!



I love them any way I can get them.   Any how.  Any time.  Breakfast, lunch or dinner . . . snacktime.    I do not think there is a potato that I have met that I didn't instantly fall in love with.  Word of truth.



And just when I think they can NOT get any better . . . they do.  By way of this decadently deliciously creamy and sinful potato casserole.   You may well end up hating me for showing this to you  . . .  but it just had to be done.

 

I just can't keep something this delicious all to myself . . .  as much as I may want to.  It begs to be shared.  It boasts of a wonderfully tender and flavourful base of potatoes, cooked until tender in cream and stock, along with onions and garlic . . . baked until golden brown . . .  but that's not all . . .



Another creamy mixture is created using thawed hashbrown pattied crumbled together and cooked with yet more cream and stock . . . with Parmesan cheese . . .  and chives . . . and then this is spread over top, sprinkled with MORE Parmesan and then baked until the whole thing is tinged with crisp golden potatoes and cheese on top . . .  rich and creamy beneath . . . and altogether decadently sinfully wonderful  to eat.   I'd go so far as to call this dangerous.  Don't say I didn't warn you.




Add the remaining cream and broth to the saucepan and crumble in the thawed hashbrowns.  Season with some black pepper.  Cook, stirring, until the liquid has mostly evaporated.   Remove from the heat and stir in 1 ounce of the parmesan cheese (1/2 cup) and 1 TBS of the chives.  Spread this mixture over top of the casserole of golden potatoes, smoothing it out again. Sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan cheese.

Return to the oven and bake for a further 15 to 20 minutes, until the top is golden brown.   Allow to stand for 5 to 10 minutes prior to serving.  Sprinkle with the remaining chopped chives and serve.

I served these with some corn and glazed pork chops.   The Toddster was a happy man.  He loves potatoes too.  When I get it right, I get it really right.  You can thank me in the morning. ☺

 I love food this time of year . . . I know I say that all year round, but this is the time of year that we really start to get stuck into comfort foods . . . winter warmers . . . rich soups, stews, casseroles and bakes.



Food that, with the exception of a few small prep details, pretty much cooks itself.  Simple and wholesome ingredients, but let me tell you . . . more often than not there it nothing simple at all about the flavours!  Most pack a very delicious punch!



I've always been the kind of person that has been able to put things together and come up with something satisfyingly delicious . . . things like this Chicken, Bacon and Leek Casserole I am showing you here today.



It's simple.   It uses stuff you most likely have in your fridge, larder and freezer right now.  It tastes fabulously delicious, and it basically cooks itself.  I like to serve it with some fluffy mash. 




The Toddster is a real mash lover.  I like to cook some greens on the side as well, just for some colour and vitamins.  Today it was sprout tops.  I do hope you will give it a try., and when you do that you'll come back and tell me how much you loved it!  It may not look very exciting, but dull this isn't!




Heat the oil over medium heat in a medium sized flame and oven proof casserole dish.   Add the bacon and chicken and cook, stirring occasionally until golden.  Stir in the leeks, carrots, celery and parsnips.  Cook for several minutes, stirring occasionally.  Add the summer savoury and thyme, along with some salt and pepper to taste.    Grind over a bit of garlic powder. 

Add the wine and chicken stock.  Bring to the boil.   Reduce to a simmer and stir in the flour/water mixture.  Cook stirring until the mixture begins to thicken.  Cover tightly and then transfer the casserole to the oven.   Bake, covered, for about 45 minutes.  Uncover and bake for 15 minutes longer, until the chicken and vegetables are very tender.

Serve hot with some mashed potatoes and crusty rolls.

 

I am not overly fond of oily fishes, except for salmon and tuna . . . and although the fresh is best, I always have tins of those fishes in the larder.  They come in really handy for casseroles and sandwiches, salads, etc.



Tuna Casserole is something which I have always loved . . . but I have never been overly fond of using too many processed ingredients in making it, like tinned soup, etc.  I like to make my own sauce and it's really not that hard to make a sauce from scratch and tastes so much better.



I remember an old Italian woman telling me one time when I was in the grocery store buying tuna that I should only ever buy Albacore tuna.   She said the other stuff was garbage.  This was a very long time ago as I was a very young wife and mom at the time.  Since then I have only ever bought the Albacore.  I figure it an old Italian woman thought it was the best then it probably was the best.



I know it does come at a premium price, but I think somethings are worth paying a bit more for them.  It also tastes a LOT better than the cheap stuff . . . and like the L'Oreal product commercials say . . . I'm worth it!



This has a delicious creamy sauce, flavoured with cream and cheddar cheeses along with sauteed fresh mushrooms, onions, garlic and green peppers . . .  crunch buttery cracker crumbs and cheese on top . . . peas . . . noodles and the tuna. 




It's really a nice casserole that we both enjoy.  Yes . . . even the so called pasta hater.  I like to serve some vegetables or a salad on the side.  I hope you will give it a go and that you enjoy it as much as we do!




Melt 1 TBS of the butter in a large skillet.   Add the mushrooms, onions and green pepper.  Cook, stirring, until the vegetables have softened.  Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for about 30 seconds until fragrant.  Add the remaining butter.  Sprinkle the flour over top and stir to combine.  Add the milk slowly, stirring until you have a smooth and thick sauce.  Add the cream cheese, stirring until it melts.  Stir in half the cheddar cheese. Season to taste with salt and pepper.   Crumble in the tuna and it's brine.  Stir in the peas.  Set aside and keep warm.



Preheat the oven to 190*C/375*f/ gas mark 5.  Cook the noodles according to the package directions.   Drain well and then stir the cooked noodles into the sauce.  Butter a shallow casserole dish and pour the mixture into it.  



Sprinkle with the remainder of the grated cheddar cheese.  Scatter the crumbs over top along with the Parmesan.  Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes, until heated through and golden.

Strain the cream and add a touch of salt and pepper, plus a pinch of nutmeg.  Pour this over top of the gnocchi in the dish.  Crumble the blue cheese over top, scattering it over evenly.   Mix together the remaining 1 TBS butter, bread crumbs and parmesan cheese.  Sprinkle this crumb mixture over top.   Bang the gratin into the oven and bake until the filling is bubbling and the topping is golden brown.  This will take about half an hour.   Serve hot.



As you know,  Divo Italiano recently sent me a delicious assortment of exciting new Italian Cheeses to try out. These are thorougly modern cheeses selected by Aldo Zilli specifically for the British Table.   In this I used their Cubed Gorgonzola P.D.O.Picante.



 Gold award winner at the Nantwich International Cheese Awards 2013, a P.D.O. Italian blue cheese without any rind which means nothing goes to waste. Packaged in a convenient pre-cubed format, it is the first to market in this format for Gorgonzola cheese. It is matured for up to 90 days in natural caves in Northern Italy to give it a sharp, spicy (‘piccante’ in Italian) flavour and creamy texture. It makes a delicious match with ripe pears and walnuts tossed into rocket leaves, melted on pizza, or used to make an indulgent cooking sauce. 

This cheese was fabulous and was a great addition to my sauce.   Mmmm . . . I am getting spoilt here!  You can find the DVO range of cheeses in Morrisons and Ocado. 

Measure the flour, oats and sugar into a bowl along with the salt.   Mix well.  Drop in the butter and rub it together with your finger tips until crumbly.  Stir in the almonds.  Sprinkle this mixture over top of the apples evely.  Cover with aluminium foil.  Bake in the heated oven for 30 minutes.  Uncover and bake for a further 15 to 20 minutes, until the fruit is bubbling and the topping is golden brown.

Serve warm with ice cream, custard or pouring cream.