Double-Post Tuesday

Besides being Taco Tuesday, it's also Double-Post Tuesday. Here are six recipes to help you through the day, including Tex-Mex Beef and Rice Skillet and Kentucky Corn Pudding. Enjoy!

PAN-ROASTED CHICKEN WITH MUSHROOMS AND ROSEMARY

This comes from Tyler Florence of The Food Network’s The Food Network Kitchen Food 911.

Total:40 min; Prep: 15 min; Cook: 25 min; Yield: 1 serving; Level: Easy

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

1 (6-ounce) boneless chicken breast with wing attached, with skin

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

5 fresh white mushrooms, halved

2 shallots, halved

2 sprigs fresh rosemary

1/4 cup water

1/2 lemon, juiced

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Season the chicken on both sides with a generous amount of salt and pepper. Place a cast-iron or regular ovenproof skillet on the stove over medium heat. Drizzle the pan with the oil and lay the chicken in the hot fat, skin-side down. Cook for about 5 minutes until the skin begins to set and crisp. Throw in the mushrooms, shallots, and rosemary. Stick the whole thing in the hot oven and roast for 15 minutes until the chicken is cooked, and the mushrooms and shallots are soft and roasted.

The last thing to make is a quick sauce using the flavors left in the bottom of the skillet. Take all the stuff out of the pan and arrange on a dinner plate to keep warm while preparing the pan sauce. Pour out all but 1 tablespoon of the rendered chicken fat and return the skillet to the stovetop. Stir in the water and lemon juice and cook over medium heat, scraping up the flavors with a wooden spoon. Cook the liquid down to a syrup, about 5 minutes. Drizzle the pan sauce over the dish, season with salt and pepper.

ONE PAN LEMON CHICKEN WITH BUTTERNUT SQUASH AND BRUSSELS SPROUTS

This is from Chungah Rhee on her site, Damn Delicious. Chungah wrote, “An easy peasy one pan meal! And the chicken breasts come out so tender and flavorful!”

Yield: 4 servings; Prep Time: 10 minutes; Cook Time: 35 minutes; Total Time: 45 minutes

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients:

4 tablespoons olive oil, divided

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

2 tablespoons honey

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon dried basil

Zest of 1 lemon

Zest of 1 orange

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1 large butternut squash (about 3 pounds), peeled, seeded and cut in 1-inch chunks

1 1/2 pounds brussels sprouts, halved

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly oil a baking sheet or coat with nonstick spray.

In a small bowl, whisk together 2 tablespoons olive oil, butter, honey, brown sugar, Dijon, garlic, oregano, basil, lemon zest and orange zest; season with salt and pepper, to taste. Set aside.

Place butternut squash and brussels sprouts in a single layer onto the prepared baking sheet. Drizzle with remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Top with chicken in a single layer and brush each chicken breast with honey mixture.

Place into oven and roast until the chicken is completely cooked through, reaching an internal temperature of 165 degrees F, about 25-30 minutes. Then broil for 2-3 minutes, or until caramelized and slightly charred.

Serve immediately, garnished with parsley, if desired.

TEX-MEX BEEF AND RICE SKILLET

This is from tbsp., and begins, “Wherein we turn a humble pound of ground beef into a supremely satisfying and totally doable meal in a matter of minutes. Now you never have to wonder what’s for dinner. You’re welcome.”

Prep Time: 35 minutes; Total Time: 35 minutes; Servings: 6

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

1 lb lean (at least 80%) ground beef

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 cup diced yellow onion

1 medium red bell pepper, diced

1 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels

1 can (10 oz) Old El Paso™ enchilada sauce

1 package (1 oz) Old El Paso™ original taco seasoning mix

3 cups cooked white rice

1 cup shredded Mexican cheese blend (4 oz)

2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves

Directions

In 12-inch nonstick skillet, cook beef 6 to 8 minutes over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until brown. Drain, and wipe out skillet.

Add oil to skillet, and heat over medium-high heat. Add onion, bell pepper and corn. Cook 5 to 7 minutes, stirring frequently, until vegetables are tender.

Stir in beef, enchilada sauce and taco seasoning mix. Heat to simmering; stir in rice. Cook 2 to 3 minutes, stirring constantly, until rice is heated through.

Top with cheese and cilantro.

CAULIFLOWER MAC AND CHEESE

This is from Sheela Prakash on TheKitchn. Sheela wrote, “What if I told you that you could have a rich and creamy bowl of mac and cheese while also packing in over a pound of cauliflower? Sounds like a trick, right? No so fast! This recipe does just that, thanks to a base of cheesy cauliflower sauce.”

Serves 8

To view this online, click here.

For the cauliflower cheese sauce:

2 cloves garlic, crushed

3 sprigs fresh thyme

2 bay leaves

2 medium heads cauliflower, cut into florets

3 tablespoons olive oil, divided

1 cup grated Gruyère cheese

1 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

For the macaroni and cheese:

1 pound dry cavatappi pasta or medium pasta shells

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

1 cup fresh or panko breadcrumbs

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Arrange a rack in the top third of the oven and heat to 400°F. Coat a 9x13-inch baking dish with cooking spray or butter.

Make the cauliflower cheese sauce: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over medium-high heat. Add the garlic, thyme, and bay leaves and boil for 5 minutes to infuse water.

Add the cauliflower and cook until very fork tender, 7 to 10 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the cauliflower to a rimmed baking sheet or medium bowl out of the water, leaving the herbs and garlic behind in the pot (do not drain the pot).

Place 1/2 of the cauliflower in a blender or food processor fitted with the blade attachment. Scoop out 3/4 cup of the cooking liquid and add it to the blender along with 1 1/2 tablespoons of oil. Blend until very smooth, about 1 1/2 minutes. Transfer the purée to a large bowl. Repeat with the remaining cauliflower, 3/4 cup of cooking liquid, and remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons of oil; transfer to the same bowl.

Add the cheddar, Gruyère, mustard, salt, and pepper into the purée and whisk to combine. Taste and season with more salt and pepper as needed; set aside.

For the macaroni and cheese: Bring the pot of infused water back to a boil. Add the pasta and cook per package instructions until just al dente. Meanwhile, combine the melted butter and breadcrumbs in a small bowl; set aside.

Drain the pasta, discard the herbs and garlic cloves, and add the pasta to the bowl of cauliflower sauce. Stir gently until the pasta is entirely coated.

Transfer the mixture to the baking dish and spread into an even layer. Sprinkle the breadcrumbs evenly over the top, followed by the grated Parmesan.

Transfer the dish to the oven and bake until the sauce is bubbling and the top is golden-brown, 15 to 20 minutes. If the pasta becomes bubbly before the top is golden, you can run the dish under the broiler for a minute or two to crisp the topping.

Recipe Notes

Storage: Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

Make ahead: After transferring the pasta and cauliflower sauce mixture to the baking dish, it can be covered and refrigerated for up to 1 day. Return to room temperature, sprinkle the buttered breadcrumbs and Parmesan cheese on top, and proceed with baking.

Freezing: After transferring the pasta and cauliflower sauce mixture to the baking dish, it can be also be covered tightly with aluminum foil and frozen for up to 2 months. Bake, frozen and covered, at 350°F, for 1 hour. Uncover, sprinkle with the buttered breadcrumbs and Parmesan cheese, and bake until the topping is golden-brown, 15 to 20 minutes more.

APRICOT AND NUT COOKIES WITH AMARETTO ICING

This is from Giada De Laurentiis of The Food Network’s Everyday Italian.

Total: 2 hr 49 min; Prep: 4 min; Inactive: 2 hr 30 min; Cook: 15 min; Yield: 2 to 2 1/2 dozen cookies; Level: Easy

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

Cookies:

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt

1 large egg

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup dried apricots, coarsely chopped

1/4 cup slivered almonds, toasted

2 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted

Icing:

1 3/4 cups confectioners' sugar

5 to 7 tablespoons almond flavored liqueur (recommended: Amaretto)

Directions

For the Cookies: In a large bowl, beat the butter, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt with an electric mixer until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in the egg. Stir in the flour until just blended. Mix in the apricots, almonds, and pine nuts.

Transfer the dough to a sheet of plastic wrap and shape into a log, about 12-inches long and 1 1/2-inches in diameter. Wrap the dough in the plastic and refrigerate for 2 hours.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 heavy baking sheets with parchment paper.

Cut the dough log crosswise into 1/4 to 1/2 inch-thick slices. Transfer the cookies to the prepared baking sheets, spacing evenly apart. Bake until the cookies are golden around the edges, about 15 minutes. Transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely before icing.

For the Icing: Place the confectioners' sugar in a medium mixing bowl. Gradually whisk in the almond flavored liqueur, until the mixture is of drizzling consistency.

Place the wire rack over a baking sheet. Using a spoon or fork, drizzle the cookies with the icing, allowing any excess icing to drip onto the baking sheet. Allow the icing to set before serving, about 30 minutes.

KENTUCKY CORN PUDDING

I got this in an email several years ago…ah, yes, that infamous long-since-forgotten-emailing-list. Very yummy. My late step-father was from Kentucky. I would have loved to have made this for him one last Christmas.

This recipe begins, “Corn on the cob was sometimes served at Christmas, but more often we had our corn the old southern way, as corn pudding. Great for a Thanksgiving as well.”

Serves 6 to 8

1 pint fresh corn, with pulp scraped from cob

2 egg yolks

1 1/2 tablespoons flour

1 cup whole milk

1 tablespoon sugar

1 tablespoon butter, melted

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon black pepper

2 egg whites, beaten to stiff peaks

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Combine corn, egg yolk, flour, milk, sugar, butter, salt and pepper. Mix well.

Fold in egg whites. Turn into a buttered baking dish and bake in preheated 350°F oven for 30 to 35 minutes or until set.