Growing up I never thought of myself much as a baker. My sister was the baker. I was more of a cook. Through the years however, I came to appreciate that I was a baker and a pretty good one at that. I learned as I went along. Trial and error are really great teachers.
I did do Home Economics in High School and learned a lot about baking from those classes. They started me on my journey. Getting married young and raising a large family also helped me to gain valuable experience.
Going to Culinary College further cemented my skills, and then working in the industry was another great teacher. One of my very first jobs in the field was as a Pastry Chef at a local hotel here in the Valley.
I have learned so much through the years, professionally and from friends and family. What good is knowledge if you can't share it. I thought today I would share with you my ABC's of baking and then some of my favorite recipes at the end.
Baking is a science as well as an art, a basket filled with skills and techniques that build a foundation upon which you can build your baking artistry. It is precise and not something you can fiddle with a great dependance upon the chemical reactions of ingredients used. Baking is not a very forgiving art, not like cooking. Add too much liquid to a stew and you will still have an edible dish, add too much to a cake and you are more likely to produce a cake that cannot be saved.
Baking for the most part requires very simple and basic ingredients - flour mixed with a combination of salt, eggs, sweetener, leavening agent and fat, things such as butter, oil or shortening - how these things are combined and in what proportions is especially important.
To achieve success, home bakers really only need four basic things:
- Reliable recipes, written to accommodate your level of skill.
- Good Equipment
- Quality ingredients
- The ability to pay attention to what you are reading and what you are doing.
It is important to have confidence in your recipe source. Make sure that the instructions are well written and not vague, easy to understand and follow. Failure in the baking arena can almost always be traced back to fault with one of those four components mentioned.
BAKING TOOLS
Using the right equipment and tools for your purposes is an essential part of successful baking. Accurate wet and dry measures, mixing bowls, spoons, spatulas and wire racks are essential as is a good assortment of quality pans and dishes. I also would not be without a good set of digital scales. I find them invaluable and if you have a set of scales there is no recipe from any part of the world that will be deemed a mystery to you.
Baking by weight is the most precise way of measuring your ingredients. The sizes of cups, both wet and dry can vary a great deal, as can your manner of filling them, whereas an ounce is always an ounce and a gram is always a gram. Once you get used to baking by weight, you will not want to bake any other way.
Depending on how much and what you are baking you might also find it very handy to have an electric hand mixer, a food processor, cutting boards (both wood and plastic), several sizes of fine mesh strainers, a good rolling pin (I recommend Beechwood), a pastry board and parchment paper for lining pans.
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YOUR OVEN
Your oven is probably the single most important piece of baking equipment that you have or need. Oven temperature plays a critical role in baking. Too hot and your baked goodies will be overly dark on the outside and not cooked in the middle. Not hot enough, and you risk overcooking the centers of what you are baking in order to achieve the desired degree of browning.
Ideally when you set your oven temperature, that is how hot your oven will be, once it has finished preheating. In all truth, most ovens 25*F (10*C) hotter or cooler than their setting says. One solution is to have your oven calibrated professionally, which can be costly. A simple, more effective approach is to learn how your oven bakes. You can also purchase a simple oven thermometer which will show you exactly what your oven temperature is and allow you to adjust the setting accordingly.
A. Watch for hotspot in your oven. Most ovens have hot spots which result in unevenly baked goods. This is why you will often see a recipe asking you to rotate the pans halfway through the bake time. If you do this and bake on the center rack, don't stack, you will achieve much more reliable results.
B. Check your baking earlier than the suggested bake time. Use your recipe as a guideline and then begin checking what you are baking at least 10 minutes prior to the end of the recommended time.
C. Don't peek. That's what oven lights are for. If you keep opening your oven door to check the temperature of your oven will fluctuate. Keeping the door closed helps to maintain your oven temperature.
D. Timing and temperature depends on the types of pans you are using. Whether their surface is shiny or dull can affect the bake time. If you are using glass or nonstick pans, especially those which are dark in color, you should lower your oven temperature by 25*F (10*C).
You can also use a convection oven to bake. If you do so you will need to either reduce your baking time by about 25 percent or the oven temperature by 25*F (10*C).
PANS
Good quality, shiny, metal pans and baking sheets are a worthy investment because they bake more evenly and they do not rust. It is money well spent as they will often (with proper care) last a lifetime.
Unless you are an incredibly experienced baker, always use the size of pan recommended for the recipe you are using.
Basic Pans (I recommend having the following)
- one each 8-inch and 9-inch square cake pans
- two 8-inch round layer pans
- two 9-inch round layer pans
- one 10-inch Bundt pan
- one 10-inch tube pan
- one 8 1/2-inch by 4-inch loaf tin
- one 9-inch by 5-inch loaf tin
- one 12 cup muffin tin
- one 13 by 9-inch cake tin
- one 15 by 10-inch jelly roll pan
- three cookie sheets in a variety of sizes (I like them with rims, but that is a personal preference.
- one 9-inch pie tin
- one 9-inch deep dish pie tin
Always use the size of pan as recommended by the recipe.
OTHER EQUIPMENT
These are other things which I recommend a baker has in their kitchen.
Mixing bowls in an assortment of sizes. I recommend glass or metal rather than plastic, and plastic can retain oils and flavors from other foods.
Measuring cups and spoons. I have a set of cups for dry measures and a set of cups for liquid measures. I also have several sets of measuring spoons. This saves me from having to wash them multiple times during a baking session.
Cooling racks. Essential for cooling cakes and cookies. You want your cooling rack to clear the countertop by at least 2 inches so as to prevent your baked goods from "sweating" on the bottom while they are cooling. Soggy bottoms are a no no.
Wire whisks for mixing. I have two medium sized wire whisks. A large balloon whisk is ideal for whisking things like egg whites or cream if you do not have an electric mixer.
A fine grater and zester. Ideal for zesting citrus fruits such as oranges, lemons and limes.
A fruit juicer. There are several different kinds available. I have a small wooden reamer, and a larger metal one that you can place a whole half a lemon or lime into, which serves to juice the fruit and keep the pips behind.
An assortment of cookie and biscuit cutters. You can go crazy here. I have one good set of round metal cutters that includes about every size of round cutter you will ever need. I also find a heart shape and a star shape invaluable.
Rolling pin. I have a good beechwood rolling pin. It is essential to have a rolling pin if you plan on making pie crusts and certain kinds of cookies.
Spatulas. I have two rubber ones for scraping out bowls and folding in ingredients. I also have a large metal one for lifting cakes and cookies from pans, and an assortment of metal offset spatulas. These are great for smoothing out icings on cakes and cookies.
Pastry brushes. Essential for applying washes or glazes, or for greasing pans.
Knives. I recommend having a good, serrated knife and a sharp chef's knife. I also recommend a good pair of kitchen scissors.
INGREDIENTS
Flour, sugar and fat are the most common ingredients needed to make delicious baked goods, but adding eggs, leavening agents, flavorings, chocolate and nuts opens up a cornucopia of tasty delights!
FLOUR - I recommend keeping a good all-purpose plain flour for most of your baking needs. Bleached or unbleached is a personal preference. You can also keep a self raising flour, a strong/bread flour and a fine pastry or pasta flour. I also like to keep a whole wheat flour. Store your flours in clean airtight containers in a cool dry place. White flour will last for approximately a year whilst whole wheat lasts for about 6 months. For longer storage, keep your flour in sealed containers in the freezer or refrigerator.
FATS - There are two kinds of fats. Those that are solid at room temperature and those that are liquid.
Butter is the most popular fat in baking, but technically speaking it is not the best fat to use. Since it is only 80% solid fat and has a low melting point, all butter pie crusts will not be as flaky as those made with shortening or lard. (I use both lard and butter in my pastry). Also, cookies made with butter rather than shortening will not hold their shape as well.
Margarine can be used interchangeably with butter, unless flavor is an issue (such as a buttercream frosting). I do understand why, economically speaking, it is what a lot of people have to use. Do be sure if you are using margarine you use a solid type rather than a spreadable margarine, as spreadable margarines do not perform well in baking.
Lard is 100% fat and has a high melting point. It is to be used when flakiness is desired.
Vegetable Shortening is made from vegetable oils. It is also 100% fat and is excellent in producing flaky pastry and biscuits.
Vegetable oils, liquid at room temperature cannot be used in recipes based on creaming fats and sugars together and do not contribute to leavening. You will more often see them being used in quick breads and muffins.
SWEETENERS - Sweeteners are what gives baked goods much of their appeal.
Sugar - is what is most commonly used and comes in many varieties, which will or should always be specified by the recipe you are using. White sugar is the most common used, followed closely by brown sugar, which is granulated sugar with molasses added. Icing sugar (or confectioner's sugar) has a tendency to clump so it is best to sift it prior to use.
Other Sweeteners - Molasses, honey, agave syrup, maple syrup, corn syrup are all effective sweeteners depending on the recipe used. Molasses has a strong color and flavor, is rich and dark and adds flavor and moisture to recipes. If it is not to your taste, you can substitute an equivalent amount of honey, corn syrup or maple syrup in its place.
EGGS - These are indispensable in baking and play many different roles. They contribute to leavening, texture, color, flavor, volume and richness in baked goods. The also act as an emulsifier, binding ingredients together as well as adding nutritional value. I find it is best to allow eggs to come to room temperature before using them in baking. It is also important to use the size of egg specified by the recipe you are using.
LEAVENING AGENTS - These are what causes baked goods to rise, usually by creating a chemical reaction with the ingredients used in the recipe.
Yeast - this is what gives bread it's volume. It is also used in certain cakes and donuts. It comes in a variety. Quick rise. Bread machine. Regular. It is important to use the type of yeast specified by your recipe.
Baking Soda - (also known as Bicarbonate of soda) this is a chemical which, when combined with acids such as buttermilk, yogurt, fruit juices or even chocolate, creates bubbles of carbon dioxide causing the batters to rise. When using baking soda it is best to bake the items as soon as mixing because it will start to react as soon as it comes into contact with the acid.
Baking Powder - This is baking soda combined with an acid, so it works better in batters with a low acidity.
Check your baking soda and baking powder regularly to make sure they are still active. To test baking powder, stir 1 tsp of it into 1/2 cup hot water. If it does not bubble immediately, throw it out. To test soda, add 1 tsp to 2 TBS of white vinegar. If it does not bubble immediately, throw it out.
DAIRY PRODUCTS - You can use either full fat or semi skimmed milk interchangeably. You can also use lactose free or reduced milks in their place. Buttermilk is also a common ingredient used in baking which results in baked with a tender and moist crumb.
Other dairy ingredients which are often used for baking are cream, evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk, dairy sour cream, yogurt and cream cheese. Use what is specified by your recipe.
CHOCOLATE - This is one of the most popular ingredients in baking, second only to vanilla as a flavoring. There is a wide assortment of products available to choose from these days. It is important to choose whichever chocolate product is recommended by the recipe you are using.
Cocoa powder is a dry unsweetened powder made from chocolate liquor with most of the cocoa butter having been removed. When baking use natural or Dutch process cocoa powder, not the sweetened drinking mix. They are not interchangeable.
OTHER ESSENTIAL INGREDIENTS
Nuts - These add flavor and texture to many baked goods. They are high in fat however and are best stored in the freezer to maintain their freshness. When you are ready to use them thaw and use as per the recipe. Toasting your nuts adds exponentially to their flavor. To toast spread them onto a baking sheet and toast at 350*F/180*C. for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring frequently, until golden and fragrant. Allow to cool before proceeding.
Coconut - As with nuts this is best stored in the freezer for optimum freshness. Sweetened and unsweetened can be used interchangeably. Again, its flavor is improved with toasting. To toast spread in a single layer on a cookie sheet. Toast at 350*F/180*C for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
Flavorings - Vanilla is the most commonly used, followed by almond. I recommend the use of pure extracts rather than artificial, as they have a much better flavor.
Spices - Essential to the success of many recipes and you need to have a good selection on hand. The ones most commonly used for baking are cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, allspice, cardamom, and cloves. They lose their potency quickly when ground or grated so it is recommended you buy them in small amounts and replace within 6 to 9 months.
Fruits - I like to keep an assortment of dried and candied fruits in my baking cupboard. Raisins, apricots, currants, cranberries and dates are the most common dried fruits used. Buy speciality items such as candied fruits for holiday baking or as needed.
Love - This is the topmost essential baking ingredient. A small pinch of love goes a very long way!
And now for some great basic baking recipes!!
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A BASIC VICTORIA SPONGE CAKE - My favorite of all the cakes. It was the Victorians that invented this lovely cake by adding butter to an ordinary sponge mixture, which baked better in two flat tins rather than one deep tin. (Oh those Victorians, they were very clever at inventing things I have to say!) I like to layer it with a layer of jam and some vanilla buttercream in the middle. This cake is a necessary component of a great tea table!
CLASSIC ENGLISH SCONES -These are buttery and flaky tender with just the right number of sticky sultanas. Serve with cream and jam for a real treat! These are another tea party essential. Which do you put first? The jam or the cream? It all depends on where you come from!
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CRISP CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES -Crisp and buttery, packed full of chocolate chips and toasted pecans. In short, dangerously delicious! These are THE perfect chocolate chip cookie in my opinion!
MOM'S BEST APPLE PIE - Nobody can make an apple pie like mom can! This pie boasts a flaky tender crust and plenty of sweet apples in the filling. Now are you a person enjoys this with a scoop of ice cream or a wedge of good cheddar, or maybe both?
SUPER DUPER BRAN MUFFINS - This is everyone's favorite bran muffin. Not too sweet. Just right. Moist and filled with raisins. If you are on a quest for the perfect bran muffin, I think you may have just stumbled upon it. Your search ends here! These moist bran muffins are delicious! Honed after years of searching for the perfect and best bran muffin!
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OLD FASHIONED PULL APARTS - If you are looking for a good recipe for a bread roll, look no further. This is the best bread roll recipe. You have never tasted better pull-apart dinner rolls than these ones. This is an old-fashioned yeast rolls recipe that you are sure to fall in love with. If I can make them anyone can!
APPLE DUMPLINGS - You have never tasted heaven until you've eaten one of these. Nothing speaks more about Home Sweet Home I think than a warm apple dumpling. Fresh from the oven and served warm with cream or ice cream, you really can't get a tastier dessert!
This content (written and photography) is the sole property of The English Kitchen. Any reposting or misuse is not permitted. If you are reading this elsewhere, please know that it is stolen content and you may report it to me at: mariealicejoan at aol dot com
Thanks so much for visiting. Do come again!
Cheddar, Broccoli & Potato Chowder. I fancied a bowl of soup today and had been eyeballing this recipe that I found in a Better Homes & Gardens magazine, called Potato Recipes, dig in.
I had everything in the house to make it today and since I was going out for supper with my father and his friends tonight, thought I would make myself a bowl of soup for my lunch instead of my usual dinner. I normally eat my big meal of the day at noon.
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I've been having one of those days. You know the type I mean. Days when everything you touch turns to dust. I baked a cake this morning, based on a recipe I found here.
Sadly, it did not turn out. It stuck horribly to the pan for one thing.
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I think that is because there is too much sugar in the recipe. It also has quite a rubbery consistency. Fair dues I did bake it in a Bundt pan rather than a large loaf tin.
I should have known better. When the amount of sugar in a cake recipe is equal to the amount of flour, it's not really going to be a great cake.
This also contributes to it sinking in the middle. If you check out her photos, you will see it is sunken in the middle as well. I really should have known better.
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This content (written and photography) is the sole property of The English Kitchen. Any reposting or misuse is not permitted. If you are reading this elsewhere, please know that it is stolen content and you may report it to me at: mariealicejoan at aol dot com
.JPG "Cheddar, Broccoli & Potato Chowder")
Then I burnt the bacon for topping my soup, not once but twice. I was fussing over the cake and forgot the bacon in the pan. Bad me.
Anyways, I was able to salvage enough of it to sprinkle on top, so all was not lost.
I also didn't have much in the way of white cheddar. I only had dark orange cheddar. I prefer to use white cheddar myself. I don't really like the color orange cheddar dyes things. Having said that however, this is a very good soup.
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WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE CHEDDAR, BROCCOLI & POTATO CHOWDER
There is nothing complicated here. Simple ordinary ingredients. I did adapt the recipe to make two servings. If you wish to make more, simply double or triple.
- 1/2 small onion, peeled and chopped
- 1 clove garlic, peeled and minced
- 1 TBS butter
- salt and black pepper to taste
- pinch dried thyme
- 2 medium russet potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
- 2 cups (480ml) chicken stock
- 1 cup chopped broccoli
- 1/2 cup (60g) grated cheddar cheese
- 1/2 cup (60g) dairy sour cream
- 1 slice bacon, crisp cooked and crumbled
- 1 spring onion, trimmed and chopped
.JPG "Cheddar, Broccoli & Potato Chowder")
You want to use a floury potato such as a russett or Maris piper for this soup as you want a potato that will break down once it is cooked. A potato that is normally great for mashing.
I confess I used frozen broccoli as I didn't have any fresh broccoli. It worked out very well.
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HOW TO MAKE CHEDDAR, BROCCOLI & POTATO CHOWDER
Its very simple really. As I said, there is nothing complicated here.
Melt the butter in a medium sized saucepan, over medium heat. Once it begins to foam add the onions and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally until softened without browning. Add the thyme and salt and black pepper to taste.
Add the potatoes and chicken stock. Bring to the boil, then reduce to a simmer. Simmer, covered, for about 20 minutes, until the potatoes are quite tender.
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Mash the potatoes with a potato masher. Stir in the broccoli and cook until the broccoli is just tender. (2 to 3 minutes.)
Reserve 2 TBS of the cheese for a garnish. Stir the remainder into the soup along with the sour cream. Stir to melt the cheese.
Spoon the hot soup into heated bowls. Top each serving with 1 TBS of the cheese, some of the crumbled bacon and some spring onions.
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It did say in the magazine that for a smoother finish you could use an immersion blender, or blend it carefully in a regular blender. I don't mind a bit of texture in my soup, so I just mashed the potatoed with a potato masher.
This was a very simple soup to make with lovely rich flavors. It also had a lovely texture. If you served it with some crusty bread it would make an excellent hearty lunch, or even a delicious light supper.
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Some other soups which I really enjoy in the Winter months are:
Soup with dumplings? Count me in! Especially cheese dumplings. Simple to make and using simple everyday ingredients. It's also a great way to use up what's in the fridge. This is a deliciously hearty soup with plenty of vegetables, ham and fluffy cheese dumplings.
This is a fabulously tasty chicken soup, with fresh flavours! It uses chicken stock along with lemon juice. You might think the lemon would be overpowering, but it really isn't. It adds a lovely layer of flavour that is quite pleasant! It is delicious and hearty. You can make everything up to adding the pasta ahead of time, but do wait until you are almost ready to serve the soup to add the pasta to avoid overcooking it.
Yield: 2
Cheddar, Broccoli & Potato Chowder
Prep time: 15 MinCook time: 22 MinTotal time: 37 Min
Rich and flavor filled. Simple ingredients done well.
Ingredients
- 1/2 small onion, peeled and chopped
- 1 clove garlic, peeled and minced
- 1 TBS butter
- salt and black pepper to taste
- pinch dried thyme
- 2 medium russet potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
- 2 cups (480ml) chicken stock
- 1 cup chopped broccoli
- 1/2 cup (60g) grated cheddar cheese
- 1/2 cup (60g) dairy sour cream
- 1 slice bacon, crisp cooked and crumbled
- 1 spring onion, trimmed and chopped
Instructions
- Melt the butter in a medium sized saucepan, over medium heat. Once it begins to foam add the onions and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally until softened without browning. Add the thyme and salt and black pepper to taste.
- Add the potatoes and chicken stock. Bring to the boil, then reduce to a simmer. Simmer, covered, for about 20 minutes, until the potatoes are quite tender.
- Mash the potatoes with a potato masher. Stir in the broccoli and cook until the broccoli is just tender. (2 to 3 minutes.)
- Reserve 2 TBS of the cheese for a garnish. Stir the remainder into the soup along with the sour cream. Stir to melt the cheese.
- Spoon the hot soup into heated bowls. Top each serving with 1 TBS of the cheese, some of the crumbled bacon and some spring onions.
Thanks so much for visiting. Do come again!
I found myself today with a small cabbage in the refrigerator that I wanted to use up. I could have made coleslaw, of course, and I do love coleslaw, but I was wanting something hearty and filling.
It was too small to make cabbage rolls and I had some leftovers from yesterday that I wanted to use up as well, so I decided to make an old-fashioned cabbage casserole with it.
I do have a recipe on here for creamed cabbage, but I wanted something different. You know, sometimes you just fancy something different.
I found a recipe here for a cabbage casserole, but it used cream soup and mayonnaise, neither of which I wanted to use.
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I decided to create a combination of my regular Creamed Cabbage casserole and the new recipe.
I didn't want to boil the cabbage like I regularly do for my recipe. I liked the idea of cooking the cabbage and some onion in some butter in a skillet first.
I did however like the idea of a creamy sauce, but didn't want to use soup, so made a cream sauce from scratch. I also added two cheeses to the sauce, a good cheddar and some Parmesan because well, cheese always goes so well with cabbage.
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Being and feeling rather lazy I decided to do the creamy cheese sauce right in the skillet along with the cabbage. I didn't feel like dirtying up a separate pot to make the sauce.
It worked beautifully. Using a mix of milk and cream made for a deliciously rich sauce and grating in two cheeses added another lovely depth of flavor. I was on to a winner here!
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I also added some cheese and cracker crumbs to the top. I think a casserole is always made better for having added a crunchy topping, don't you?
This was rich and delicious, the topping nice and crunchy. I could have quite easily munched on a whole plate of this and nothing else.
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WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE OLD FASHIONED CABBAGE CASSEROLE
I call this old fashioned because it used simple ordinary ingredients. Nothing out of a can here.
- 1 small head of cabbage, trimmed and chopped
- 1 small onion, peeled and chopped
- 3 TBS butter
- salt and black pepper to taste
- pinch sugar
- 2 TBS plain all-purpose flour
- 1 cup (240ml) whole milk
- 1/2 cup (120ml) heavy cream
- 1 1/2 cups (181g) grated strong cheddar cheese, divided
- 3 TBS Parmesan cheese, divided
- 15 Ritz crackers, coarsely crushed
- non-stick cooking spray
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My cabbage was a very small one, only about six inches around. You will want to trim away the core and any bruised leaves, cut into thick shreds and then chop those up.
You also want to chop the onion coarsely. I grated both cheeses myself. I always prefer to do this if possible as they add things to grated cheeses to make them flow more easily out of the bag. Always grate your own if you can.
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HOW TO MAKE OLD FASHIONED CABBAGE CASSEROLE
Nothing could really be simpler.
Preheat the oven to 350*F/180*C/ gas mark 4. Butter a 7 by 11 casserole dish. Set aside.
Trim and chop your vegetables. Melt the butter in a large skillet. Once it begins to foam add the vegetables and a pinch of sugar. Cook, stirring frequently over medium heat, until the cabbage and onion have begun to soften and turn golden brown in spots.
Sprinkle the flour over top of the vegetables. Stir it in to combine. Slowly stir in the milk and then the cream. Cook, stirring constantly until the mixture bubbles and thickens.
Season to taste with salt and black pepper. Stir in 1 cup of the cheddar (120g) and 2 TBS of the Parmesan cheese. Cook and stir until the cheese melts. Pour into the prepared casserole dish, smoothing it out.
Sprinkle the remaining cheddar and Parmesan cheeses over top evenly. Crumble the crackers over top. Spritz the cracker crumbs with a tiny bit of cooking spray.
Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes or until bubbling and golden brown.
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This really was lovely. Because the sauce is made right in the same pan as the cooked cabbage it is not watery because any cabbage juices are incorporated right into the sauce, adding even more flavor.
If you are a fan of cabbage dishes, I think you best prepare yourself to fall in love. This is quite simply one of the most delicious cabbage dishes I have ever made.
.JPG "Old Fashioned Cabbage Casserole")
Some other cabbage recipes in The English Kitchen you might enjoy are:
CABBAGE, CHEESE & MUSTARD GRATIN FOR TWO - Inspired by a recipe by Nigel Slater, this delicious dish has wedges of partially cooked cabbage napped with a cheese and mustard sauce, crumb topped and baked to perfection. Gorgeous is one word to describe it.
CABBAGE ROLLS - An old family favorite. A delicious combination of beef, rice, onions and bacon is shaped and then wrapped up in softened cabbage leaves, prior to being baked to perfection in a lush sweet/sour tomato sauce. These are to die for. They are always the first thing to disappear on the buffet table!
Yield: 4-6
Old Fashioned Cabbage Casserole
Prep time: 15 MinCook time: 30 MinTotal time: 45 Min
Rich and creamy with beautiful old-fashioned flavors. If you like cabbage, you will LOVE this simple casserole.
Ingredients
- 1 small head of cabbage, trimmed and chopped
- 1 small onion, peeled and chopped
- 3 TBS butter
- salt and black pepper to taste
- pinch sugar
- 2 TBS plain all-purpose flour
- 1 cup (240ml) whole milk
- 1/2 cup (120ml) heavy cream
- 1 1/2 cups (181g) grated strong cheddar cheese, divided
- 3 TBS Parmesan cheese, divided
- 15 Ritz crackers, coarsely crushed
- non-stick cooking spray
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350*F/180*C/ gas mark 4. Butter a 7 by 11 casserole dish. Set aside.
- Trim and chop your vegetables. Melt the butter in a large skillet. Once it begins to foam add the vegetables and a pinch of sugar. Cook, stirring frequently over medium heat, until the cabbage and onion have begun to soften and turn golden brown in spots.
- Sprinkle the flour over top of the vegetables. Stir it in to combine. Slowly stir in the milk and then the cream. Cook, stirring constantly until the mixture bubbles and thickens.
- Season to taste with salt and black pepper. Stir in 1 cup of the cheddar (120g) and 2 TBS of the Parmesan cheese. Cook and stir until the cheese melts. Pour into the prepared casserole dish, smoothing it out.
- Sprinkle the remaining cheddar and Parmesan cheeses over top evenly. Crumble the crackers over top. Spritz the cracker crumbs with a tiny bit of cooking spray.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes or until bubbling and golden brown.
Thanks so much for visiting. Do come again!
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