Rachael Ray's Big Orange Book (53 page)

Winter White Lasagna

As with burgers and mac 'n' cheese, lasagnas—whether quick-cooking twists or more traditional takes—remain a category of recipe for which I cannot write enough versions to satisfy the demand from viewers and readers alike. This one is a bit unusual and very delicious.

SERVES 6 TO 8

Preheat the oven to 375ºF.

Heat the EVOO in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and cook, breaking it up with a spoon, until the meat is crumbled and golden brown, about 10 minutes. Add the mushrooms to the pan and cook until golden brown, 5 to 6 minutes. Season the mixture with salt and pepper and reserve.

While the meat is browning up, place a large sauce pot over medium heat and melt the butter. Sprinkle the flour over the butter and cook it for about 1 minute, stirring. Whisk in the milk and chicken stock and bring the sauce up to a bubble. Season the sauce with nutmeg and salt and pepper, then simmer until it thickens, 3 to 4 minutes.

Assemble the lasagna by ladling a small amount (about ½ cup, just eyeball it) of the sauce into the bottom of a 13 × 9-inch baking dish. Lay 3 of the lasagna noodles over the sauce and top them with about one third of the sausage-mushroom mixture. Top with about 1 cup of the sauce and 1 cup of the shredded cheese (about 2 generous handfuls). Make 2 more layers, laying down 3 lasagna noodles, about one third of the meat-mushroom mixture, 1 cup of the sauce, and about 1 cup of the shredded cheese for each layer. Top the lasagna off with the last 3 noodles, the remaining sauce, and the remaining shredded cheese.

Cover the pan with aluminum foil and bake the lasagna for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for another 15 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and the sauce is bubbly.

This is a go-to recipe in my family and I've added a corn bread topper to turn it into a groovy deep-dish skillet supper. When I taught this dish on air I got a HUGE response, so if you missed it that day, check this out!

SERVES 6

Preheat the oven to 375ºF.

Heat 1 tablespoon of the EVOO in a medium sauce pot over medium-high heat. Add the onions and garlic to the pan and cook until tender, 4 to 5 minutes. Season the onions with salt and pepper and stir in the tomato paste and smoked paprika. Cook the mixture for 1 to 2 minutes, then add the Worcestershire, hot sauce, brown sugar, orange zest, orange juice, and chicken stock to the pan. Bring everything up to a bubble, then reduce the heat to medium and simmer the sauce until thickened, about 5 minutes.

While the sauce is simmering, place a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat with the remaining 2 tablespoons of EVOO. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and cook it until golden brown on all sides, 5 to 6 minutes. When the chicken is golden brown, pour the thickened barbecue sauce into the cast-iron skillet and add the bourbon, but don't stir it in. Remove the pan from the heat and very carefully flame the alcohol using a match or a barbecue lighter. Return the pan to the heat and allow the alcohol to cook out of the bourbon; it'll be ready when the flames die away. Remove the skillet from the heat and reserve on a heat-safe surface while you prepare the corn bread.

In a medium mixing bowl prepare the corn bread batter according to the package directions. Fold the scallions and ½ cup of the cheese into the corn bread batter and spoon it evenly over the top of the barbecue chicken. Sprinkle the rest of the shredded cheese over the corn bread and transfer the skillet to the oven. Bake until the corn bread is golden brown and baked through, about 15 minutes. Serve immediately.

Like families pretty much everywhere, mine adores a good roasted chicken. Generally we roast ours with lots of garlic and rosemary and some small potatoes, then splash the bird with a little hot pepper juice when it comes out of the oven. We serve it with parsley and some chopped hot peppers on top. From time to time, though, I like to stray from the old reliable and come up with new twists on this family mainstay.

SERVES 4

Preheat the oven to 450°F.

Arrange the chicken pieces in a roasting pan with the garlic, bay leaves, lemon slices, olives, and onions. Drizzle about 2 tablespoons of the EVOO over the mixture and season with salt and pepper. Roast the chicken, turning the pieces occasionally, until the juices run clear and the skin is deeply golden brown, 45 to 50 minutes.

While the chicken is roasting, place the potatoes in a pot of cold water. Bring the water to a bubble over medium-high heat and cook the potatoes until tender, about 15 minutes. Drain the potatoes and return them to their cooking pot to dry off and cool down slightly. Add a splash of chicken stock, the ricotta, Parmigiano, and parsley to the potatoes and smash them to your preferred consistency. Season with salt and pepper. Place the lid on the pot to keep them warm and reserve.

When the chicken has roasted for about 25 minutes, arrange the green beans on a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle them with the remaining 2 table-spoons of EVOO, season with salt and pepper, and place in the oven with the chicken. Roast the beans for about 20 minutes, until brown at the edges and very tender.

When the chicken is almost done, place a medium pot over medium heat and add the butter. When it melts, sprinkle the flour into the pot and whisk for 1 minute. Whisk the 2 cups of chicken stock into the roux along with the thyme. Season the gravy with salt and pepper and squeeze in the juice of the remaining ½ lemon.

Serve the chicken directly from the baking dish—it's so pretty to look at! Be careful of roasted olive pits (Cerignolas do not come pitted!) and discard the bay leaves. Pass the gravy to top the chicken and potatoes and serve the green beans alongside.

This meal was created with my sister in mind. She loves chicken cutlets, so I made up a deluxe version: the cutlets are rubbed with garlic paste and herbs, then coated in flour, egg, and cheesy parsley-lemon bread crumbs. To go along with it, I serve up a huge portion of pepper and onion spaghetti just the way our mama has always made it for us. It was always Ria's favorite spaghetti. The sauce is more like a vegetable course because it is so laden with thinly sliced sweet peppers and onions. The spaghetti is tossed with butter and cheese, then combined with the sauce—wow! This one's as special as my sister Maria.