New Year's Eve Dinner

I'm going to take a shortcut today. Rather than reinvent the wheel, I'm directing you to the site on the internet where I do most of my writing. Here's the link to an article I wrote for Hub Pages. 

Click here to learn how to make my New Year's Eve Dinner. On the menu:

Crostini with Wild Mushrooms

Wilted Greens Salad

Potatoes Delmonico

Reverse-sear prime rib

Thanksgiving Recipes - The Main Event

 

It's time to plan for the main course of the Thanksgiving Day meal (because I'm the Carb Diva, T-day is my favorite holiday). Obviously, this year will be different. We won't be gathering a dozen or more people under our roof (unless you already all live together). 

But we still have much to be thankful for. Let's plan on creating sweet memories from the kitchen and creating loving memories around the dining table. 
Here are a few of my favorite recipes from my recipe file for the main course.

Despite the fact that we will have only five gathered at our table, I am roasting a 24-pound turkey (Mr. Carb LOVES turkey leftovers). My slow-roasted turkey takes quite some time (half-a day at least, depending on the size of the bird) so because time is short (and you probably aren't planning on feeding a crowd, I'll share that recipe another time. 

Here are some of my favorite smaller-scale main dishes--a few of them are vegetarian.

Cider-Braised Turkey Thighs or Drumsticks (Serves 4)

Chicken with Tarragon Cream Sauce

Make Your Own Deli-Style Roast Chicken

Rosemary-Roasted Chicken

Gingered Pork Tenderloin with Peanut Sauce

Caramelized Onion Tart

Butternut Squash Lasagna with Fennel and Gorgonzola

 

Carb Diva's Pork Steak and Cheesy Potato Casserole

We could dine out every night -- but we don't.

We could eat take-out every night -- but we never will.

I love to cook, and (even more importantly) I hate to spend money foolishly. I love a bargain. And my grocer is offering an amazing deal this week on pork chops, seasoned chicken breasts, and steaks "Buy 1, get 2 free".

How could I resist?

So now I have two packages of pork steaks in the freezer and one sitting in front of me. It's a small package--a little under a pound (2 steaks). Just the right amount for Mr. Carb Diva and myself. Yes, I could toss them on the grill with a slap of barbeque sauce, or sear them on the stove and serve with baked potatoes....or I could bake them in a casserole with onions and creamy potatoes, and cheese, and......

Be still my beating heart!

(Yes, I recognize that there is a cardiology joke hidden in there, but I'll ignore that for now and hope that you will do the same).

Carb Diva's Pork Steak and Cheesy Potato Casserole

Ingredients

• 2 tsp. olive oil
• 1 pound boneless 1-inch thick pork loin steak
• 1 cup minced onion, about 1 medium
• 4 cups russet potato, thinly sliced, about 3 medium
• One 10.75-oz can cream soup, (see suggestions below for alternatives)
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 cup shredded cheese, (cheddar, mozzarella, provolone, or parmesan)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Heat oil in the bottom of large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Sear the pork steaks in the hot oil, about 3 minutes per side. Remove from pan and set aside.
3. Turn heat to low. Add the sliced onions to the pan and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions soften and begin to brown.
4. Lightly spray a baking dish with cooking spray. Arrange one-half of the potatoes in the bottom of the dish. Cover with one-half of the onions. Repeat layers. Next place the seared pork steaks on top.
5. Stir together the cream soup and milk. Pour over the pork steaks. Cover the baking dish with foil and bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes.
6. Remove baking dish from oven. Remove and discard foil. Evenly spread cheese over cream soup mixture. Return baking dish to the oven and bake 30 minutes more.

Suggested Cream Soups

• Cream of chicken
• Cream of chicken with herb
• Cream of chicken with Mushrooms
• Cream of mushroom
• Cream of mushroom with roasted garlic
• Cream of onion
• Cream of celery

What If You Can't Find Pork Steak?

This particular cut of meat has several different names. It might also be called:

• blade steaks
• shoulder steak
• shoulder blade steak

Unlike pork chops which come from the loin, the pork steak is cut from the blade Boston roast or the shoulder blade roast. Like the roasts, the steaks are flavorful and contain a significant amount of fat to keep them moist while cooking. Because the blade steak is cut from an active muscle location on the pig, it will be less tender. That makes it perfect for this recipe.