KY Treats in Florida, Ken's Kasserole #2

Home Made Hot Brown
You do not have to travel to Kentucky to enjoy two of that state's iconic dishes:  the famous Kentucky Hot Brown, and Spoonbread.  Read on...

I mentioned the history of the Hot Brown Sandwich two weeks ago when I returned from a dulcimer-trip to Berea.  I got to craving that taste again and decided to make my own, right here in River City, as they say.

Start with a slice of good bread.  I used a 1/2" thick slice of the Irish Soda Bread I made for St. Patrick's Day, lightly toasted.  Mine slice even looks a bit like the state of Kentucky!

To that I added a couple thick slices of heated thick-sliced deli turkey:

And a couple thinner slices of heated deli ham:

Top that with hot Alfredo or Mornay sauce and some slices of tomato:

And finish with a couple slices of bacon cooked just the way you like it:

One last hot shot in the microwave for a minute and you're ready for a real treat!

Salem the cat thought the Hot Brown was good too (at least the sauce)!

KY Spoonbread
In Berea, my friends and I were treated to a taste of this Kentucky dish as a starter at the Boone Tavern restaurant.  Not quite polenta, not quite cornbread... or corn pudding... or ....  The texture is creamy like a pudding, not stiff like polenta or grits.  You've gotta try this at least once, served warm from the pan by spoonsful!

It's great as a starter with a good slather of butter.  But in our opinion, it ROCKS as a semi-sweet dessert, by adding a drizzle of honey or cane syrup and perhaps some berries.  The recipe comes from the Boone Tavern.

3 cups Milk
1-1/4 cups White Corn Meal
3 Eggs
2 Tbsp melted Butter
1-3/4 tsp Baking Powder
1 tsp Salt

Stir the corn meal into the rapidly boiling milk.  Stirring constantly, cook until the mixture is very thick.  Remove from the heat and allow to cool -- say half an hour.  The mixture will stiffen up considerably.

Beat together the eggs, then add the salt, baking powder and melted butter, and beat that mixture into the cornmeal mixture with an electric mixer for 15 minutes. Having a stand mixer is a good thing for this recipe (you could walk away and come back).  But a hand-held mixer works just fine.  I would not want to stir this by hand!

Pour the beaten batter into a well-greased baking pan and bake for 20-30 minutes @ 375F until it's lightly browned and you get a slight crust.   Serve hot from the pan.

Some other time I'll re-create for you Kentucky's other iconic dish, Burgoo.  This famous stew dates to before the Civil War -- and as legend has it, was invented by a French chef. Like a mulligan, it’s a sort of empty-the-fidge recipe. Burgoos typically have at least three different meats, and plenty of vegetables such as corn, okra, and lima beans.


Ken's Kasserole #2
Sally was away for the weekend helping Holly celebrate her birthday in Alexandria.  I needed a super dish to welcome her home with, that will also do for her lunch a couple times this week.

1 cup uncooked Farro
1 tsp Cep en Pols mushroom powder
1/2 lb fresh Green Beans, topped, tailed and cut into 1" pieces
1 White Onion, diced
1 Red Bell Pepper, diced
6 oz chopped fresh Mushrooms
3/4 cup Alfredo Sauce
1/3 cup Panko 
1/3 cup shredded White Cheese blend

Cook the Farro in 2 cups of water with the mushroom powder for flavor, until the water is all absorbed and the grain light and fluffy.  

Saute the onion, mushrooms and bell pepper in a bit of EVOO or butter until the onion starts to caramelize a bit.  

Microwave the green beans with a couple Tbsp water, for about 5 minutes.

In a large bowl, stir to combine those ingredients.  Season with salt and pepper as desired. Pour the mixture into an 8x8 baking dish and pat level. 

Brush the Alfredo sauce on top, then dust with the panko and shredded cheese.  Bake @ 375F for 30 minutes or until you get a nicely browned crust.