NEW ORLEANS —
Shepherd's Pie Soup
Ingredients
- 4 large russet potatoes, diced
- ¾ tsp. kosher salt
- ¾ cup sour cream
- 1 lb. Ground Beef
- 1 onion
- 1 Tbsp. Creole seasoning
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 3 Tbsp. butter, separated
- ¼ cup flour
- 3 cups chicken stock
- 2 cups half and half
- 1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tsp. Italian seasoning
- 1 tsp. mustard powder
- 1/4 tsp. ground sage
- 2 ½ cups cheddar cheese, shredded
- 1 ½ cups mixed frozen vegetables
- Salt/Pepper, to taste
- Green onions and parsley for garnish
Directions
- Shred the cheese from a block, measure out the sour cream and half and half. Let them all sit out at room temperature.
- Cook and crumble the ground beef over medium-high heat until cooked through. Drain grease. Remove the ground beef from the pot and set aside.
- While the meat cooks, wash the potatoes and cut them into cubes. Add to a stock pot and cover the potatoes with 1 inch of water. Add the salt and boil gently for 10-12 minutes or until very fork tender. Drain, then gently mash with 1 Tablespoon of butter and sour cream. Set aside.
- Melt 2 Tablespoons of butter over medium heat. Add the onions, Creole seasoning, and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute.
- Whisk in flour, use a silicone spatula to stir as the flour cooks for 1 full minute to remove the raw flour taste.
- Add the chicken stock in splashes, stirring continuously. Use a silicone spatula to loosen any beef remnants from the bottom of the pot.
- Add the Worcestershire sauce, Italian seasoning, mustard powder and sage. Slowly add the half and half. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer.
- Stir in the potatoes until well-combined into the broth. If desired, use an immersion blender to blend until creamy. You can also transfer it to a blender in batches.
- Add the ground beef and frozen vegetables and allow them to heat through, about 5 minutes.
- Remove from heat. Gradually sprinkle with shredded cheese and stir until combined. Make sure the base of the soup isn’t too hot so the cheese will melt creamy and smooth. The soup will continue to thicken as it sits.
- Taste, season with salt/pepper if desired, garnish and serve!
Mushroom Quiche
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
- 1 lb. cremini mushrooms, sliced
- 1 lb. baby portobello mushrooms, thinly sliced
- 1 tsp. Creole seasoning
- Salt and freshly ground white pepper
- 1 Tbsp. butter
- 1 onion, diced small
- 1 Tbsp. thyme, chopped
- 3/4 cup Gruyère, shredded
- Pastry shell
- 2 cups milk
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 6 large eggs, lightly beaten
- Freshly grated nutmeg
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
- In a very large skillet, heat the oil. Add the cremini and portobello mushrooms, season with Creole seasoning, salt and pepper and cook over high heat, stirring, until starting to soften, about 5 minutes.
- Reduce the heat to moderate. Add the butter, onion, and thyme and cook, stirring often, until the mushrooms are tender, about 12 minutes longer. Season with salt and pepper and let cool.
- Scatter 1/4 cup of the cheese and half of the mushrooms evenly over the bottom of the pastry shell. In a blender, mix half each of the milk, cream and eggs and season with 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt, 1/8 teaspoon of pepper and a pinch of nutmeg at high speed until frothy, about 1 minute.
- Pour the custard into the pastry shell. Top with another 1/4 cup of cheese and the remaining mushrooms.
- Make a second batch of custard with the remaining milk, cream and eggs, plus the same amount of salt, pepper and nutmeg as before and pour into the shell. Scatter the remaining 1/4 cup of cheese on top.
- Bake the quiche for about 1 1/2 hours or until richly browned on top and the custard is barely set in the center. Let cool in the pan until very warm.
- Using a serrated knife, cut the pastry shell flush with the top of the pan. Carefully lift the springform pan ring off the quiche. Cut the mushroom quiche into wedges, transfer to plates and serve warm.
Make Ahead
The unmolded quiche can be cooled completely, then refrigerated overnight. To serve, carefully cut the quiche into wedges, arrange on a baking sheet and bake in a 350 degrees oven until warm, 10 minutes.
Pastry shell
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted, plus more for dusting
- 1 tsp. kosher salt
- 2 sticks chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-inch dice
- 1/4 cup ice water
- Canola oil, for brushing
Directions
- In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle, mix 1 cup of the flour with the salt. At low speed, add the butter pieces, a handful at a time.
- When all of the butter has been added, increase the speed to medium and mix until the butter is completely incorporated.
- Reduce the speed to low and add the remaining 1 cup of flour just until blended.
- Mix in the water just until thoroughly incorporated. Flatten the pastry into an 8-inch disk, wrap in plastic and refrigerate until chilled, at least 1 hour or overnight.
- Set the ring of a 9-inch springform pan on a rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment paper, leaving the hinge open. Brush the inside of the ring with oil.
- Dust the pastry on both sides with flour.
- On a lightly floured work surface, roll out the pastry to a 16-inch round, about 3/16 inch thick.
- Carefully roll the pastry around the rolling pin and transfer to the prepared ring, pressing it into the corners.
- Trim the overhanging pastry to 1 inch and press it firmly against the outside of the ring. Use the trimmings to fill any cracks. Refrigerate the shell for 20 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
- Line the pastry shell with a 14-inch round of parchment paper; fill the shell with dried beans or rice.
- Bake for about 40 minutes, or until the edge of the dough is lightly browned.
- Remove the parchment and beans and continue baking the pastry shell for about 15 minutes longer, or until richly browned on the bottom.
- Transfer the baking sheet to a rack and let the pastry cool. Fill any cracks with the reserved pastry dough.