Carolina Smashed Potato Pig Butt Bake and Reuben Quiche

After being home for almost a week we finally had the opportunity to head to Sam's Club and the grocery.  Our fridge was about as empty as it could be.  We'd been existing on carry out and canned or frozen food.  UGH!  I sat down with the Union Square Café and the Kansas City Barbecue Society cookbooks and made out our menu.  Actually, I could probably just cook my way through the Union Square Café cookbook.  Everything in there sounded good!  Then, at Sam's I bought the Gooseberry Patch Game Day cookbook.  Started reading that on the trip from there to the grocery.  Page 9.  Reuben Quiche.  Does that sound good or what?  Connie was particularly intrigued because it has Dijon mustard instead of the typical thousand island dressing.  Well then, we'd make something fun Sunday morning while we finished decorating for Christmas. 

After the trek to Sam's we dug into the rotisserie chicken.  Connie'd been craving mustard.  Something about that whole box of mustard that arrived from the Mustard Museum...  I used up some of a bottle making a fabulous mustard cream sauce.  It was super easy to make.  I sautéed some garlic and shallot in a bit of olive oil.  Then, I added Dijon mustard and white wine.  Once those were warmed through, I added some capers and cream.  Served over sliced chicken with a big salad on the side, it was perfect for a quick meal. 

So, over the weekend the weather conspired against us.  We were supposed to go south and meet our friends Sonja and Al for dinner Saturday evening.  Icy roads and Connie wasn't amused about driving.  Fine we'd stay home and make the Carolina Potato Smashed Pig Butt Bake from the Kansas City BBQ Society cookbook.  We debated and debated.  The recipe called for cottage cheese.  Connie'd never had cooked cottage cheese.  I had.  Mom used to make a skillet lasagna when we were kids.  It had cottage cheese in it and it worked just fine.  We'd bought ricotta just in case.  Then we did a taste test.  The cottage cheese won.  The ricotta was just too sweet.  Particularly given the fact there was BBQ sauce in the recipe.  Amazing.  Leftovers for lunch were just as good.  This is a reason to head to a bbq place and get some pulled pork!

Sunday morning we made the reuben quiche.  Total winner.  Making the crust out of "bread crumbs" was brilliant.  That allowed the filling to shine but gave it flavor.  Now, I can't wait to try variations on this recipe!  Best part is that we had leftovers for lunch. 

Sunday found us stopping by our friend Lou's house after the Colts win.  Ah, yes, this week they did not embarrass themselves!  We thoroughly enjoyed the game and Lou's hospitality.  Monday night I didn't have a menu item because I thought Connie had a bridge game.  Wrong-o.  So I moved a meal up the line and we were happy campers with asparagus and red pepper pasta from the Union Square Café cookbook and pear salad from the new Sunrise cookbook.  It was perfect with a bottle of Francis Ford Coppola Sante Chardonnay.  Did I remember to take photos of the finished dishes????  Of course not!  Hopefully next time I make them I'll do better :-) 

Carolina Smashed Potato Pig Butt Bake

Ingredients:

8 small (B size) red potatoes
1/2 c apple cider vinegar
1/2 t red pepper flakes
1 T black peppercorns
1 t salt
3 T corn bread crumbs
1/2 lb chopped pulled pork tossed with barbecue sauce
1 16 oz container cottage cheese
2 c shredded sharp cheddar (about 8 oz)
1/2 lb smoked bacon, fried crispy and crumbled (or, if you don't like it crispy like me, dice it then fry it...)

Directions:

 Put the potatoes in a medium saucepan and pour in water to cover.  Add the vnegar, red pepper, black peppercorns and salt.  Cook on medium heat for about 15 minutes or until the potatoes are done. 

The original recipe said 10-15 minutes.  At 10, the potatoes were not done enough by a long shot.  Once the potatoes are cooked, drain and let them cool slightly.  Take a glass or the palm of your hand and smash each potato to no more than 1/4" thick.  Sprinkle half of the corn bread crumbs in the bottom of a small baking dish. 

Lay half of the potatoes on top of the crumbs.  Cover the potatoes with half of the pulled pork.  Top that with another layer of corn bread crumbs.  Then top that with another layer of potatoes followed by a layer of cottage cheese

then one of pulled pork. Then, top the whole thing with the shredded cheese and the bacon. 

Bake at 300 for 30 minutes.

adapted from the Kansas City BBQ Society cookbook


Reuben Quiche

Ingredients:

5 slices rye bread, toasted and crumbled
4 T butter, melted and divided
4 green onions, chopped
1 1/2 c shredded Swiss cheese, divided
1/4 lb deli corned beef, chopped
1/2 c sauerkraut, well drained
4 eggs
1 c half and half
1 T flour
1 T Dijon mustard
optional:  dill pickle slices
 
Directions:

Mix the crumbled bread crumbs with 3 T of the butter.  Put into a 9" pie plate and pat into a crust.  Bake for 5-7 minutes at 375F.  The crust will be slightly golden. 

Sprinkle half a cup of the Swiss cheese into the crust.  Top that with the corned beef and sauerkraut,

followed by the rest of the Swiss cheese.  Lightly beat the eggs and add the half and half, flour and Dijon.  Pour that over the quiche and bake for 25-30 minutes at 375 F. 

adapted from Game Day by Gooseberry Patch