Picnic Casserole

- Posted in Casserole, Meat, Side Dish

This casserole was born to travel—you don’t even have to light up a campfire!

1 lb lean ground beef
3 medium onions—chopped to make 3 cups
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups enchilada sauce
2 teaspoons chili powder
2 cups pitted ripe olives
1 teaspoon fresh ginger-chopped
1—16 ounce can of yellow hominy, drained and chopped
1 cup Longmont Dairy mild cheddar cheese—grated
1 cup Monterey Jack cheese—grated
salt and pepper to taste

Brown meat and 1 cup of chopped onions in oil. Add the enchilada sauce, chili powder, olives, and chopped ginger. Lightly salt and pepper to taste. Simmer for 20 minutes.

Spray the bottom of a 9 x 13 inch casserole. Layer the hominy, the remaining onions and half of the beef mixture. Top with half of the cheese. Add the remaining meat and top with the remaining cheese.

Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour. Serves 6

Nadine Henry’s Scalloped Potatoes

- Posted in Side Dish

1/2 to 3/4 lb. Tillamook Sharp Cheddar Cheese, shredded (or 3, 8-oz. packages of shredded cheese)
8-10 potatoes
1-2 Tablespoons Country Cream Butter
1 to 1 1/2 quarts Longmont Dairy Whipping Cream
Salt to taste
Optional: Ham – sliced or cubed

Peel and slice potatoes. Cut cheese into cubes, or shred, as desired. Heat cream, but do not allow it to boil. Put a layer of potatoes into a deep casserole dish that has been buttered with Country Cream Butter. Salt potatoes and add 1/3 cheese over the layer. Make 3 layers, using all potatoes.

Pour warm cream over the top, leaving peaks of potatoes exposed. Bake in a 300° oven for about 2 1/2-3 hours. During the first 1/2 hour, push potatoes down, with a slotted spoon, a couple of times and add more cream to cover the potatoes, if necessary. Make sure that all potatoes are completely covered with cream. Brown casserole on the top, by increasing oven temperature to 400°, right before serving. For variety, slices or chopped ham may be added to the layers.

MOOO News, November 2011

Mashed Sweet Potatoes

- Posted in Side Dish

4 1/2 cups cooked and mashed sweet potatoes
1/2 cup Country Cream Butter, melted
1/3 cup Longmont Dairy milk
1 cup white sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 Eggland’s Best Eggs, beaten
1 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/3 cup butter
1 cup chopped pecans

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9” x 13” baking dish.

In a large bowl, mix together mashed sweet potatoes, 1/2 c. melted butter, milk, sugar, vanilla, and eggs. Spread sweet potato mixture into the prepared baking dish. In a small bowl, mix together brown sugar and flour. Cut in 1/3 cup butter until mixture is crumbly, then stir in pecans. Sprinkle pecan mixture over the sweet potatoes. (Can be refrigerated at this point to be cooked later). Bake for 25 minutes in preheated oven, or until golden brown.

From Amy Willard’s recipe file
Mooo News November 2012

Marbled Potatoes

- Posted in Side Dish

Make ahead and freeze for Thanksgiving.
Serves 6

1 pound red potatoes
1 pound sweet potatoes
2 scallions, chopped
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup Longmont Dairy Whipping Cream-whipped
1 teaspoon salt
Nutmeg to taste
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 cup fresh bread crumbs
2 tablespoons melted butter
2 tablespoons minced, fresh parsley

Cook the potatoes separately, in water, until tender; drain. Cool slightly and peel. Mash in separate bowls.

Sauté the scallions in 1/4 cup butter in a skillet until tender. Stir half of the scallions into each bowl of potatoes.

Whisk the sour cream with the whipped cream in a bowl. Fold half gently into each bowl of potatoes. Add half the nutmeg, salt and pepper to each bowl.

Layer the potatoes, 1/2 at a time, into a greased 1 quart soufflé dish. Swirl with a knife to marbleize. Sprinkle with a mixture of the bread crumbs, melted butter, and parsley. Bake at 350° for 30 to 35 minutes or until the topping is golden brown.

LDF Select Cheese AA+ Dip

- Posted in Side Dish

Asiago Cheese and Artichoke make a “Super” Appetizer

8 oz. cream cheese
1/2 cup sour cream
2 Tbsp. LDF half and half
1/4 tsp. salt
3/4 cup shredded Longmont Dairy Select Asiago Cheese
1 can (14 oz.) artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
4 medium green onions, chopped (about 1/4 cup)
2 Tbls. chopped fresh parsley

Heat oven to 350°. In medium bowl, beat cream cheese with electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Blend in sour cream, half and half, and salt. Stir in Longmont Dairy Select Asiago Cheese, artichoke hearts, and onions. Spoon into 1 quart casserole or a small oven-proof serving dish. Bake uncovered for 10 to 15 minutes or until hot and cheese is melted. Remove from oven; stir. Sprinkle with parsley and serve with crisp breadsticks, crackers, tortilla chips, or crostini.

Microwave Instructions: Place all ingredients into a microwavable casserole or dish. Microwave uncovered on high for 1-2 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds, until bubbly. Serve as above.

Adapted by Longmont Dairy
Inspired by a recipe on Tablespoon.com
MOOO News, January 2012

Lentil Soup

- Posted in Meat, Side Dish, Soup

Serve with hearty bread and green salad.

3 bacon slices
2 cups chopped leek
1 cup chopped onion
3 cups water
2 cups peeled, chopped potato
1 cup dried lentils
3/4 cup chopped carrot
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 ( 16 ounce) can fat-free, less sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup cream
2 tablespoons dry sherry

Brown bacon in heavy pan (Dutch oven) until crisp. Remove bacon and reserve drippings. Sauté leek and onion in bacon drippings for about 4 minutes. Add water, potato, lentils, carrot, salt, and broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and cover. Simmer for 1 hour until vegetables are tender. Place all vegetables in a blender, or food processor, and process until smooth. Return to pan. Stir in cream and sherry. Gently reheat. Sprinkle with crumbled bacon.

Irish Oatmeal Soda Bread

- Posted in Baked Goods, Side Dish

3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup quick cooking oats
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 (8 ounce) container low-fat sour cream
3/4 cup LDF Low Fat (1%) milk
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon white sugar
1/4 cup butter, melted
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 tablespoon oats

Preheat oven to 375°. In a large bowl, mix together flour, 1/2 cup oats, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. In another bowl, mix together sour cream, milk, honey, and sugar. Add to the flour mixture, and mix just until well blended. Stir in 1/4 cup melted butter or margarine.

Turn dough onto a lightly sprayed baking sheet. Shape into a round, lightly mounded circle, about 8 inches diameter. Brush the top of the loaf with 2 Tblsp. melted butter, and sprinkle with remaining 1 tablespoon of oats. With a knife, score the top of the loaf into quarters. Bake for about 40 minutes or until browned. Cool completely before slicing.

From AllRecipes.com
Mooo News 2008

Honey Cream Salad Dressing

- Posted in Miscellaneous, Side Dish

We could not resist sharing this recipe with you, so we thought we would squeeze it into this issue! Only three simple ingredients and you will enjoy the best dressing you have ever tasted!

1 cup Longmont Dairy Heavy Whipping Cream, whipped
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 Tablespoons Colorado Honey

Whip heavy cream until it makes gentle peaks that stand by themselves. Then, blend the mayonnaise and honey together in a small bowl. Fold the whipped cream into the honey mixture. Chill and serve with fruit salads.

From the kitchen of Susan Boyd
Mooo News, August 2010

Homemade Buttermilk

- Posted in Miscellaneous, Soup

You don’t have buttermilk, but you are desperate for homemade buttermilk pancakes or biscuits. What are you going to do? Here is a quick and easy solution!

1 Cup Whole Milk
Add one of the following ingredients:
1 3/4 Tablespoons cream of tarter
1 Tablespoon white vinegar
1 Tablespoon lemon juice

Add one of the above acidic ingredients to the milk and stir. Let stand at room temperature for 25 minutes. The milk should start to curdle. Stir well before using. Also, a combination of plain yogurt (3/4 cup) and whole milk (1/4 cup) can also be used to replace a cup of buttermilk, in most recipes.

From www.mr.breakfast.com
Mooo News, August 2005

Lemony Pasta Spring Vegetable Salad

- Posted in Side Dish

Prepare this salad the night before the brunch.

1 (1 lb.) package medium pasta shells
1 pound fresh asparagus, cut into 2″ pieces
1 (16 oz.) package frozen baby peas
1 orange bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 cup mayonnaise
1 (8 oz) container NOOSA Honey Yoghurt
4 Tbsp. lemon juice
¼ cup milk
1 tsp. dried thyme leaves
1 tsp. dried dill (optional)
1/8 tsp. white pepper

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add pasta shells and cook according to package directions, adding asparagus pieces during the last 4 minutes of cooking time.

Meanwhile, place frozen peas in a colander in the sink. When pasta is tender and asparagus is crisp tender, drain into colander over peas. Drain well and add the chopped orange bell pepper.

In large bowl, combine mayonnaise, NOOSA honey yoghurt, lemon juice, milk, thyme, pepper, and salt and mix with wire whisk to blend. Add pasta mixture and stir gently to coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving. Season with salt to taste, if desired. Serves 8-10

Adapted from busycooks.about.com
MOOO News, March 2013