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Culinary breakthrough
May. 4th, 2008 09:26 am Ladies and gentlemen -- I have discovered a ham recipe that is actually palatable!
I am pretty much anti-ham. Always have been. Once a year at Easter is good enough for me. However, thus does frugality make desperately venturesome bastards of us all. Farm Fresh had Smithfield spiral cut, bone-in hams for 1.29/lb, instead of the normal 3.20. So I had to, especially since Bruce loves ham.
Did one dinner with the ham and the au gratin potatoes and the asparagus, and then I had to start experimenting. Made bean and potato soup with the ham bone...Bruce loved it, I had more asparagus. Did some cheesy ham bake thingy from an old Betty Crocker cookbook...thought I was going to die of sodium overdose.
But today we have success! I conconcted a casserole with boiled potatoes, fresh green beans, chopped ham, lots of black pepper, and white sauce. And it was yummy...I actually had seconds.
Don't Like Ham Casserole
Serves 6-8. Can freeze leftovers or divide amts. in half
8 red potatoes (4-6 gold or white would be about the same size)
2 cups chopped ham
3-4 cups fresh green beans (frozen would work too)
4 T. butter/amrgarine/spread (I used Smart Balance Light)
6 T. flour
3 cups milk
pepper to taste
Scrub and boil potatoes with skin on (vitamins you know). SHould be fully cooked but not mushy.
Meanwhile, make a white sauce. Melt the butter or spread (if you want, add diced onion to the butter for flavor), add flour. Let paste bubble slowly for 5 minutes, stirring often. Add milk, stir until smooth. Add pepper. Cook until thickened. Remove from heat, mix in ham.
Slice boiled potatoes into a casserole dish, mix with green beans. Pour sauce and ham over. Mix well. Add more pepper on top.
Bake at 350 for 30-45 minutes, until green beans are the consistency you like and everything is bubbly.
I am irrationally proud of myself for this one. I get such a thrill out of making cheap meals that are yummy, filling, and nutritionally complete. Super Hausfrau strikes again!
I am pretty much anti-ham. Always have been. Once a year at Easter is good enough for me. However, thus does frugality make desperately venturesome bastards of us all. Farm Fresh had Smithfield spiral cut, bone-in hams for 1.29/lb, instead of the normal 3.20. So I had to, especially since Bruce loves ham.
Did one dinner with the ham and the au gratin potatoes and the asparagus, and then I had to start experimenting. Made bean and potato soup with the ham bone...Bruce loved it, I had more asparagus. Did some cheesy ham bake thingy from an old Betty Crocker cookbook...thought I was going to die of sodium overdose.
But today we have success! I conconcted a casserole with boiled potatoes, fresh green beans, chopped ham, lots of black pepper, and white sauce. And it was yummy...I actually had seconds.
Don't Like Ham Casserole
Serves 6-8. Can freeze leftovers or divide amts. in half
8 red potatoes (4-6 gold or white would be about the same size)
2 cups chopped ham
3-4 cups fresh green beans (frozen would work too)
4 T. butter/amrgarine/spread (I used Smart Balance Light)
6 T. flour
3 cups milk
pepper to taste
Scrub and boil potatoes with skin on (vitamins you know). SHould be fully cooked but not mushy.
Meanwhile, make a white sauce. Melt the butter or spread (if you want, add diced onion to the butter for flavor), add flour. Let paste bubble slowly for 5 minutes, stirring often. Add milk, stir until smooth. Add pepper. Cook until thickened. Remove from heat, mix in ham.
Slice boiled potatoes into a casserole dish, mix with green beans. Pour sauce and ham over. Mix well. Add more pepper on top.
Bake at 350 for 30-45 minutes, until green beans are the consistency you like and everything is bubbly.
I am irrationally proud of myself for this one. I get such a thrill out of making cheap meals that are yummy, filling, and nutritionally complete. Super Hausfrau strikes again!
