The Great Cannoli Casserole Challenge!

The Casserole Queens were recently in the Kansas City area to present at the 2013 Hen House Market Holiday Celebration! We are big fans of the Hen House Market and all the terrific folks of Kansas. Everyone is always so welcoming and they truly makes us feel like royalty.

In preparation for the event, our dear friend Jasper Mirabile, the owner and proprietor of  Jasper’s in Kansas City AND one of the nicest guys you’ll meet, had us on his weekly podcast. It was just on the heels of National Cannoli Month and Jasper was still on a cannoli high! During the entire month of September, Jasper was on a mission to spread his love of the cannoli by hosting events at his restaurant, going on local TV and radio shows, as well as holding a cannoli recipe contest for his guests. The grand prize you ask? Well, cannoli’s for a year of course! Oh, and did we mention that Jasper’s also displays the world’s most expensive cannoli, designed by cake designer Cary Iennaccaro? It’s true, and the value is over $26,000. It features an antique diamond necklace from Tom Tivol Jewelers. Now that is one dazzling cannoli!

So naturally,  it comes to no surprise that while we were on the show, Jasper challenged us to create a Cannoli Casserole! We were nervous about creating a cannoli casserole for a man who loves the cannoli so, but we accepted the challenge and think he will be proud of the end result.

We walked into the challenge knowing that we needed to capture all the flavors of the classic cannoli, but still work within our beloved 9 x 13 inch casserole dish. We made certain to have all the traditional ingredients present and accounted for, but also switch it up a bit (as we like to do) to make this version our own. You’ll see that we replaced the crunchy cannoli outer shell with a scrumptious chocolate chip cookie base, infused with traditional cannoli flavors of orange, chocolate, and ricotta cheese. Then, we perfected our casserole-friendly cannoli by adding a sweetened ricotta cheese mixture on top, with toasted almonds and Maraschino cherries – super tasty and easy to whip up!

Challenge complete.

Enjoy!

CQ Cannoli Bars

• 4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
• 1/2 cup whole-milk ricotta, at room temperature
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons finely grated orange zest
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1 1/2 cups chocolate chips
• 1 recipe Cannoli Cream (see recipe below)
• 5 maraschino cherries (more if you love’em)
• ½ cup sliced almonds, toasted

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.  Spray a 9×13-inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
3. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the butter and ricotta on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the sugar, orange zest, and vanilla; beat until blended, about 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. On medium speed, add the egg and beat until blended. On low speed, add the flour until mixture comes together. Pour in the chocolate chips and continue mixing until just incorporated.
4. Pour cookie dough into the prepared pan, smoothing the top with the spatula
5. Bake cookie bars for 45 minutes or until the top of the bars are light golden brown and the edges start to pull away from the pan
6. Allow bars to cool completely
7. Frost the top of the cookie bars with the cannoli cream (recipe follows)
8. Top with cherries and toasted almonds 

CQ Cannoli Cream

• 3 cups whole-milk ricotta cheese
• 1 cup confectioners’ sugar
• 1 tablespoon orange zest
• 2 ounces chocolate chips

1. In a large bowl, whisk together the ricotta cheese, confectioners’ sugar, and orange zest – until smooth.
2. Stir in chocolate chips until incorporated evenly into cream

JASPER J. MIRABILE JR.

Chef Jasper J. Mirabile Jr. of Jasper’s commands the helm of his family’s 59-year-old restaurant, consistently rated one of Kansas City’s best Italian restaurants. In addition to running the restaurant with his brother, Mirabile is a culinary instructor, founding member of Slow Food Kansas City and a national board member of the American Institute of Wine and Food. He hosts many famous chefs on his weekly radio show Live! From Jasper’s Kitchen on KCMO 710 AM and 103.7 FM, authored two cookbooks and sells a line of dressings and sauces.

Merry Mushroom Bread Pudding

My dish addiction is no secret. We have discussed it here on the blog many times before. So it should come as no surprise that I have an impressive selection of vintage casserole dishes—from Pyrex to Fire King, and a whole lot of everything in between. One of my favorites happens to be a Corning Ware dish with the “Merry Mushroom” pattern on it. The orange, yellow, and brown color palette screams 70’s, and I love it! The dish keeps me inspired and I am constantly creating new mushroom recipes to proudly serve up in this dish. Trust me, nothing perks up a buffet table like a “Merry Mushroom” painted casserole pan!

Since I just learned that September was National Mushroom Month, I jumped at the chance to make something in this dish! Unfortunately I didn’t find out about this until the next to the last day of the month, so I had to act fast! I picked up my trusty Make-A -Meal cookbook from The Cassserole Queens (maybe you have heard of it?) and immediately turned to the Merry Mushroom bread pudding—one of the finest mushroom masterpieces around! The combination of portobello and button mushrooms makes it especially earthy and super comforting.

Shall we?

Yummy ingredients: Milk, rustic bread, portobello mushrooms, vegetable oil,  button mushrooms, garlic,  fresh parsley,  fresh rosemary, salt, freshly ground black pepper, eggs, and Gruyère cheese.

First take your bread and cube it into 2-inch pieces. Any rustic bread will do, but I used Ciabatta and I liked it a lotta! 🙂 Pour 2 cups of milk over the bread and refrigerate for 30 minutes – stirring occasionally. 

Meanwhile, using a spoon, remove the brown gills from the undersides of the portobellos and remove the stems; discard the gills and stems, slice mushrooms. Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet set over medium-high heat. Add the portobello and button mushrooms and sauté for 4 minutes, until the mushrooms start to release their juices.

Stir in the garlic, parsley, rosemary, salt, and pepper, and cook for 1 minute.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the remaining 1 cup of milk, the eggs, and the egg white.

Spoon 2 cups of the bread mixture from the fridge into the prepared casserole dish.

Top with the mushroom mixture.

Sprinkle with ⅓ cup of the cheese.

Top with the remaining bread mixture and the remaining ⅔ cup cheese. Pour the egg mixture over top.

Bake for 45 minutes, or until set. Let cool 5 minutes before serving.

Gorgeous and delicious! Happy National Mushroom Month (or in this case – day!) Better late than never, right?

Merry Mushroom Bread Pudding.

Serves 6

Cooking spray

3 cups whole milk

8 cups rustic bread, cut into 2-inch cubes (I used Ciabatta)

2 (4-ounce) portobello mushrooms

2 teaspoons vegetable oil

6 cups quartered button mushrooms (about 12 ounces)

2 garlic clove, minced

½ cup chopped fresh parsley

2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary

¼ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

3 large eggs

1 large egg white

1 cup shredded Gruyère cheese (4 ounces)

1.  Preheat the oven to 375°F. Spray a 9 × 13-inch casserole dish with cooking spray.

2.  In a medium bowl, combine 2 cups of the milk and the bread. Cover and chill for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

3.  Meanwhile, using a spoon, remove the brown gills from the undersides of the portobellos and remove the stems; discard the gills and stems, slice mushrooms. Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet set over medium-high heat. Add the portobello and button mushrooms and sauté for 4 minutes, until the mushrooms start to release their juices. Stir in the garlic, parsley, rosemary, salt, and pepper, and cook for 1 minute.

4.  In a medium bowl, whisk together the remaining 1 cup of milk, the eggs, and the egg white. Spoon 2 cups of the bread mixture into the prepared casserole dish. Top with the mushroom mixture and sprinkle with ⅓ cup of the cheese. Top with the remaining bread mixture and the remaining ⅔ cup cheese. Pour the egg mixture over top. Bake for 45 minutes, or until set. Let cool 5 minutes before serving.

Casserole Queens Cookbook Tour Schedule – Yay! (UPDATED)

Check out our updated book tour schedule!

Some exciting stuff coming up next week: our Aug 23 appearance on The Today Show and our Aug 25 book release party at BookPeople.

We’ll be keeping this schedule up-to-date as more stops are confirmed. Stay tuned. If we’re stopping in your town, please come see us!

Tailgating with Casseroles

With cool weather settling in and football season in full swing, we wanted to help you bring your tailgate to the next level with a few tips and ideas from the Casserole Queens.

While hamburgers and hotdogs are usually a tailgate staple, there’s no reason not to bring something new to the game with a new recipe, or of course, a casserole!  Because casseroles are easy to transport, easy to heat up, and easy to serve a lot of people, they are a no-brainer for your next tailgate.  Check out these crowd pleasers that will make your tailgate the most popular pre-game party place.

Casseroles

Kick-off with a Kick Casserole

1 ½ cups of dried elbow macaroni
2 cups of broccoli florets
1/3 cup dried tomatoes (not oil pack)
1/3 cup sliced green onions
2 tablespoons of butter
2 tablespoons of all-purpose flour
1 ½ teaspoons dried basil, crushed
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1 ¾ cups milk
1 1/4 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 1/4 cup shredded Gouda cheese

Cook macaroni. Add broccoli; drain. Set aside. Meanwhile, snip dried tomatoes. Place tomatoes in a small bowl; add enough warm water to cover. Let stand for 10 minutes or until softened; drain well. Set aside. In a medium saucepan cook green onions in hot butter over medium heat until tender. Stir in flour, basil, cayenne pepper, and salt. Add milk all at once. Cook and stir until slightly thickened and bubbly. Add cheeses, a little at a time, stirring constantly after each addition until melted. Stir in macaroni-broccoli mixture and softened tomatoes. Transfer to an un-greased 1 1/2 –quart casserole.

Bake, uncovered, in a 350° oven about 30 minutes.

casseroles are a perfect complement for every tailgate.  To go with your game day casseroles, here are some ideas for decorations, drinks, tailgating games, and even some kitschy outfits to support your favorite team.

A great way to incorporate a casserole into your game day menu is to heat up your casserole at home then pack it in a cooler where it will stay warm until you arive on -site. Once there the Queens recommend disposable chafing dishes.  They are easy to set up, and the wire frame/holder can be reused and really do a great job at keeping food hot.  A sample is at the link below but you can find these at any party supply store.

Disposable Buffet Serving Kits

For more tailgating recipes, check out

MyRecipes

Food Network

 

Be Prepared

Pre-pack food (make a list the night before of items to pack in the morning, as well as items to pick up on the way to the tailgate, like ice.), prepare for weather (make sure you have covers for your dishes, and a place to store things in case of a downpour), check regulations (from alcohol to barbecue pits, check with the school website before bringing these items to your tailgate)

 

Decorations

Have a fabulous tailgate while showing your team colors with these easy tips.  If you don’t already own your own table cloth and plates with your teams logo, there are plenty of sites you can order them from.  Most party supply stores also have paper plates in cups in a plethora of colors, so you are sure to find everything you need in your team’s colors there.  Here are some helpful sites:

Tailgater Zone

Tailgating Party Supply

Visiting your team’s official website is also a great place to start looking for inspiration and unique items.

A couple helpful hints when buying your decorations: First, set a budget. Try to buy items that can be used all season to help cut down on costs. Next, scout out your tailgating spot so you can know how much room you have, and so that you can take full advantage of your surroundings (surrounding trees, shady areas, and good places to set up tables and chairs.)

 

Drinks

Since just beer isn’t enough at the Queen’s tailgate, impress your guests with some of these must have beverages for game day:

Epicurious

 

Outfits

Even if you can’t dress in an apron and heels, try these sites for retro inspired t-shirts and outfits with your team’s logo

Distant Replays

The Original Retro Brand

 

Watching the game at home

Even if you can’t make it out to tailgate every week or your team is playing away, watching the game can be just as fun.  Get out your decorations, and dress in your teams colors. You can even set up your favorite tailgating games in the backyard or in the living room.

GO TEAM GO!

The Casserole Queens

Crystal and Sandy