The Texas Table

Everyone most likely grew up eating broccoli cheese casserole, whether it be at a family gathering, Church potluck, or side dish during the holidays. My Mom would make this for me often as it was one of my favorites, but she would add chicken and it would be our whole meal! There is nothing better than a creamy and warm casserole to make you feel at home wherever you are. This dish is simple to make and never disappoints… I can always count on it as a go-to if I choose to bring something along to a friend’s house for dinner. As I do all of my casseroles, I make the cream of mushroom base from scratch, avoiding canned and processed as much as possible, except Velveeta because, well, it’s Texas and Velveeta is the best. So many of my recipes I do not measure things exactly, they are from memory so I have done my best to document it accurately as I create them.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup White long-grain rice
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1-2 small heads broccoli
• 2-4 chicken breasts (depending on size)
• 8oz velveeta
• 4oz cream cheese
• 4oz chopped button mushrooms
• 4tbsp butter
• 2tbsp flour
• ½ cup milk
• ½ cup chicken broth
• ¼ cup shredded cheddar cheese

Instructions:

For this recipe I seasoned the chicken breasts very simply with salt, garlic, and pepper, coating it in a bit of olive oil. Bake the 2-4 chicken breasts (depending on size) in the oven at 350 for approx. 30 minutes until internal temperature is 165. Once cooked, cube the chicken to add to the casserole.

For the rice, put 2 cups of chicken broth in a medium saucepan to boil, once boiling, add the 1 cup of white rice. Reduce to simmer and place cover on pot. Add salt to taste. Let cook for about 16-18 minutes.

Cut up the 1-2 small heads broccoli in small florets. Steam the broccoli on the stove until tender.

For the sauce, add the 4 tbsp of butter to a pan to melt, once the butter is melted add the 4 tbsp of flour. Slowly whisk in the milk and chicken broth until the sauce has thickened. Add the mushrooms. Then add the Velveeta and cream cheese in cubes so it melts thoroughly.

Once the sauce is created, I get a large mixing bowl and add the cooked rice, cubed chicken, steamed broccoli florets, and sauce and toss it all together. Grease a casserole dish and put the mixture into it then top with the shredded cheddar cheese. I chose a Monterey jack and cheddar blend for this but you can choose whatever you prefer. Bake at 350 for about 20 minutes until cheese has melted on top.

Sunday meals should always be comforting, something that makes you feel good on the inside and relaxed going into a new week. I love making anything with a sauce, and most often those sauces are accompanied with pasta… my favorite food group. Growing up, my Mom would make many meals with Velveeta, and to this day I believe it is a necessary staple in all casseroles. This recipe I have modified over the years, each time finding a new technique or ingredient addition that makes it that much better. I have found that making the base sauce then tossing it with the baked chicken and pasta creates a better end product than if you bake it all together in the oven. Sometimes baked pastas tend to become dry and not as good left over. The base sauce I make is a homemade cream of mushroom sauce, with fresh mushrooms, milk, chicken broth, butter, and flour. So much better than using canned cream of mushroom. I then add the Velveeta, Cream Cheese, Rotel, and cooked chicken breast into the sauce. Whatever sauce is left can be frozen and saved for another night! This dish is a no-fail comfort food and can feed a crowd. Who doesn’t love a cheesy pasta?

Ingredients for the Baked Chicken:

• 2-4 Chicken Breast (depending on the size and how much chicken you want in your sauce)
• Garlic Powder
• Kosher salt
• Lawry’s Seasoned Pepper
• Olive Oil

Instructions:

Lay the chicken in a roasting pan and coat with olive oil. Season the breasts with the above seasonings to your liking- bake at 350 for approx. 30 minutes, depending on the size and thickness of your breasts. Once the internal temperature is at 165, let the breasts rest for a little bit then slice it or cube it.

Ingredients:

• 8oz Velveeta
• 1, 10oz can of Rotel tomatoes
• 1, 16oz package of spaghetti
• 4oz cream cheese
• 4oz chopped button mushrooms
• 4tbsp butter
• 2tbsp flour
• ½ cup milk
• ½ cup chicken broth

Instructions for the sauce:

To make the base, I start by melting the butter in a saucepan on low heat. Once melted I whisk the flour into the melted butter. For a traditional béchamel sauce, there would be more flour and more milk, but for this recipe I take into account that the cheese will thicken the sauce so I put less flour. Honestly, I eyeball it every time so add more flour for your consistency likeness. I then add the chopped mushrooms and sauté in the butter and flour, then add the milk. After it begins to thicken and bubble, I will add in the chicken broth. Stir this constantly on medium heat so it does not stick to the pan.

Once this has all been emulsified and is at a nice consistency, I will add the velveeta and cream cheese in cubes so that it melts quickly. After draining the can of Rotel, add it to your sauce. If needed, you can add more chicken broth as the sauce thickens. Add the cubed chicken breast into the sauce.

After boiling the spaghetti and the noodles are cooked, I will toss them in a bit of olive oil so they don’t stick together. Then you can add your sauce to your desired portion of pasta and reserve your leftover sauce for another time if you wish.

Happy Sunday!

Crab cakes always remind me of my Auntie Kay, as it is one of her favorite foods. Crab cakes are delightfully appetizing, easy to make, and always a crowd pleaser (that is if you are a seafood fan). I made these for my best friend when she came to visit me, we had a good time drinking rosé, listening to music, and cooking together. No crab cake dinner is complete without the perfect remoulade sauce, so I made a simple one to pair with them. I also made parmesan roasted brussel sprouts to accompany this dish, they are a classic side that brings a bit of freshness, the nutty and savory flavors with the texture of roasted Brussels goes well with almost anything!

Ingredients for the crab cakes:

• 2 large eggs
• 2-1/2 tablespoons mayonnaise, best quality such as Hellmann’s or Duke’s
• 1-1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup finely diced celery and onions (to be honest I don’t measure this part)
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley 
• 1 pound lump crab meat
• 1/2 cup panko
• Vegetable oil, for cooking

• Combine the eggs, mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, Worcestershire, Old Bay, salt, celery, onion, and parsley in a large bowl and mix well. Add the crab meat (be sure to check the meat for any hard and sharp cartilage) and panko; fold the mixture together until combined, being careful not to shred the crab meat. Shape into 6 crab cakes (each about ½ cup), I also like to add a bit of panko on the outside to add texture and crunch, this I do not measure, I just press into the formed cakes with my hands. Place on the prepared baking sheet. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. This helps them set.
• Preheat a large nonstick pan to medium heat and coat with oil. When the oil is hot, about 350 degrees, place the crab cakes in the pan and cook until golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes per side.

Remoulade Sauce

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup Dijon mustard
Juice of 2 lemons
3 tablespoons Louisiana style hot sauce
3 tablespoons capers, chopped
3 tablespoons dill pickle relish
Salt to taste

Instructions:

Whisk together the ingredients and chill before serving.

Parmesan Roasted Brussel Sprouts

Ingredients

1. 1 1/2 lbs brussel sprouts (trimmed & halved)
2. 2 tablespoons olive oil
3. 1/3 cup parmesan cheese (you can use grated or shredded, I use grated for this)
4. 1 teaspoon garlic powder
5. 1/2 teaspoon salt
6. 1/4 teaspoon pepper (or, use Lawry’s Seasoned Pepper, I use ALL THE TIME)

Instructions

1. Heat oven to 425 degrees. Very lightly spray a cookie sheet with cooking spray.
2. In a bowl, combine brussel sprouts (that have been halved and ends trimmed) with the remaining ingredients. Toss together to coat all the brussel sprouts.
3. Spread onto the cookie sheet making sure they are not touching.
4. Cook for 15-18 minutes.