Happy Valenhog Day to you, too! Now, what to eat?
February 11, 2011 5:52 PM Subscribe
I need an idea for a dish to bring to the work Valenhog potluck lunch on Monday! (Valenhog Day is Valentine's day and Groundhog's day, of course.)
I would LOVE to bring something clever and Valenhog themed, but that is less essential than being delicious. Healthy is a plus, but not essential either.
We have a couple of microwaves, small toaster oven, and a refrigerator here, and I can bring in a crockpot. Ideally a meal would use a mandolin as a prep tool, in an obvious way, since I got one in the Yankee swap this Christmas. I would prefer not to bring a dessert, but happy to hear any ideas.
Anonymous in case coworkers read this. I might be the only person in the world who received a mandolin at the office Christmas party and has a Valenhog lunch on Monday.
I would LOVE to bring something clever and Valenhog themed, but that is less essential than being delicious. Healthy is a plus, but not essential either.
We have a couple of microwaves, small toaster oven, and a refrigerator here, and I can bring in a crockpot. Ideally a meal would use a mandolin as a prep tool, in an obvious way, since I got one in the Yankee swap this Christmas. I would prefer not to bring a dessert, but happy to hear any ideas.
Anonymous in case coworkers read this. I might be the only person in the world who received a mandolin at the office Christmas party and has a Valenhog lunch on Monday.
Can you make a red velvet cake shaped like a ground hog?
posted by cestmoi15 at 6:51 PM on February 11, 2011
posted by cestmoi15 at 6:51 PM on February 11, 2011
A mandolin is awesome, maybe downright essential, for making potatoes au gratin. Its use would be obvious to anyone who admired your elegantly thin, uniform slices, but it's not a dish you could prepare at work in front of an audience.
Delicious? Oh, you bet. There are tons of great recipes, mostly involving staggering amounts of fat from cheese, butter, and cream, but there are a few slightly healthier versions. (Note that I said slightly.)
Valenhog tie-in? Probably not, but people will be too busy stuffing their faces to care.
If you don't already have a personal favorite version, here's mine. Quantities and cooking time depend heavily on the size of your baking dish, so you might want to do a practice run first, or at least leave yourself plenty of time in case of slow baking. It's my riff on a recipe from Cold Weather Cooking by Sarah Leah Chase.
2 tablespoons butter
1 large onion
2 lb Yukon Gold potatoes, thinly sliced
2 c sharp cheddar cheese, grated (about 1/4 lb)
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 1/4 c chicken broth
Note: quantities are approximate, adjust to fit whatever baking dish you use. Mine is an oval about 12" x 8"
• Preheat oven to 350° F.
• Slice onion thinly. (Mandolin time!) Melt butter in skillet and sauté onion over medium heat until very soft, about 15 minutes.
• Scrub potatoes thoroughly, dry, peel if desired, and slice thinly (about 2 – 3 mm). (More mandolin time!)
• Alternate layers of onion, potato and cheese in a casserole or baking dish. Season with black pepper as you go.
• Pour broth over the top and cover dish with lid or aluminum foil.
• Bake 45 minutes, uncover, and continue baking until top is golden brown and potatoes are tender, about 15 – 20 minutes longer.
posted by Quietgal at 7:10 PM on February 11, 2011 [2 favorites]
Delicious? Oh, you bet. There are tons of great recipes, mostly involving staggering amounts of fat from cheese, butter, and cream, but there are a few slightly healthier versions. (Note that I said slightly.)
Valenhog tie-in? Probably not, but people will be too busy stuffing their faces to care.
If you don't already have a personal favorite version, here's mine. Quantities and cooking time depend heavily on the size of your baking dish, so you might want to do a practice run first, or at least leave yourself plenty of time in case of slow baking. It's my riff on a recipe from Cold Weather Cooking by Sarah Leah Chase.
2 tablespoons butter
1 large onion
2 lb Yukon Gold potatoes, thinly sliced
2 c sharp cheddar cheese, grated (about 1/4 lb)
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 1/4 c chicken broth
Note: quantities are approximate, adjust to fit whatever baking dish you use. Mine is an oval about 12" x 8"
• Preheat oven to 350° F.
• Slice onion thinly. (Mandolin time!) Melt butter in skillet and sauté onion over medium heat until very soft, about 15 minutes.
• Scrub potatoes thoroughly, dry, peel if desired, and slice thinly (about 2 – 3 mm). (More mandolin time!)
• Alternate layers of onion, potato and cheese in a casserole or baking dish. Season with black pepper as you go.
• Pour broth over the top and cover dish with lid or aluminum foil.
• Bake 45 minutes, uncover, and continue baking until top is golden brown and potatoes are tender, about 15 – 20 minutes longer.
posted by Quietgal at 7:10 PM on February 11, 2011 [2 favorites]
Mole pork? Chocolate for Valen- and pork for -hog?
posted by advicepig at 7:20 PM on February 11, 2011
posted by advicepig at 7:20 PM on February 11, 2011
This is so good Spanakopita , though we switch out the ricotta for and use firm tofu to get around any dairy allergies, AND instead of phillo we use Puff Pastry. It's so hard to mess up and it keeps wonderfully. For potlucks it's amazing.
But for a theme thing I second chocolate covered bacon, cause that right there is just cute.
posted by Blisterlips at 8:52 PM on February 11, 2011
But for a theme thing I second chocolate covered bacon, cause that right there is just cute.
posted by Blisterlips at 8:52 PM on February 11, 2011
Beet chips. If you want to get fancy, beet chips with creme fraiche & caviar.
posted by judith at 10:44 AM on February 12, 2011
posted by judith at 10:44 AM on February 12, 2011
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by amyms at 6:45 PM on February 11, 2011