Tag: fresh garlic

Categories
Breakfast Main Dish

Oh, baby, are you going to love this Mexican-Dutch fusion

A Mexican Dutch baby combines the traditional puffy pancake with lots of great south-of-the-border flavors, like chorizo and salsa, to make a meal that’s great for breakfast, lunch or dinner.
A Mexican Dutch baby combines the traditional puffy pancake with lots of great south-of-the-border flavors, like chorizo and salsa, to make a meal that’s great for breakfast, lunch or dinner.

Sometimes I feel like I must try a recipe, just because it sounds too ridiculous or strange to ignore.

In this case, it was finding a guy online making a “Mexican Dutch baby.”

If you’re not familiar with a traditional Dutch baby, it’s basically a large, puffy pancake made in an already preheated pan in the oven.

I have generally only seen Dutch babies filled with fruit and powdered sugar once they come out of the oven, so the idea of a savory one—and a Mexican one, at that—intrigued me.

Now, I will warn you that I probably ruined this from being a true Dutch baby, because I beefed it up quite a bit, making it pretty impossible to puff up as much as a traditional one would, but just trust me that having this as a hearty, filling meal is totally worth whatever puffiness sacrifice you’re making.

I found this recipe on the YouTube channel @yaydadcooking. I doubled the recipe for my version, increased the amount of chorizo and paprika and also added garlic, onion and bell pepper.

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Mexican Dutch Baby

A Mexican Dutch baby combines the traditional puffy pancake with lots of great south-of-the-border flavors, like chorizo and salsa, to make a meal that’s great for breakfast, lunch or dinner.
Course Breakfast, Brunch, Main Course
Keyword bell pepper, chorizo, Dutch baby, fresh garlic, garlic, minced garlic, oaxaca cheese, paprika, potatoes, queso fresco, Russet potato, salsa, yellow onion

Ingredients

  • 9 ounces chorizo
  • 1 large Russet potato diced
  • 1 small yellow onion diced
  • 1 bell pepper diced
  • 6 to 8 cloves garlic minced
  • 6 eggs
  • 1 cup flour
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 3 tablespoons butter
  • Oaxaca cheese or queso fresco to taste
  • Your favorite salsa for serving

Instructions

  • Place a large, cast iron or oven-safe deep skillet in the oven and preheat to 425 degrees. (Mine is a 13-inch pan.)
  • While it preheats, heat a skillet over medium heat, and add the chorizo. Saute until it’s cooked through, and remove it from the pan, setting it aside.
  • In the leftover grease from the chorizo, saute the potato, onion and pepper until everything is cooked through (if there isn’t enough oil in the pan, add a little canola or vegetable oil to supplement). Add the garlic and saute for just a couple minutes or until it’s fragrant. Remove it from heat and stir the chorizo back into the mixture.
  • Meanwhile, in a mixing bowl, beat the eggs with a whisk or fork, and then stir in the flour, milk, paprika and salt and pepper. Whisk it some more until the mixture is lump free.
  • If the oven is preheated, carefully remove the hot pan and add the butter, letting it melt and swirling it to coat the bottom of the pan. Pour in the chorizo/veggie mixture and spread it evenly over the bottom of the pan, and then pour the batter mixture over the top of that.
  • Bake for 18 to 20 minutes or until the batter is golden brown and set.
  • Top the Dutch baby with cheese and salsa, slice and serve immediately.

This was really tasty, and it reheated extremely well out of the fridge the next day.

This would make for a good dinner or breakfast, either one, and the neat thing is you can really control the spice level, based on what salsa you choose. We went with a spicy green salsa, and it was delicious.

And I’m pretty excited to see this Dutch-Mexican fusion. It combines the best of both types of recipes into one, and that’s the kind of culinary world I want to live in.

This piece first appeared in print March 5, 2026.

Spice Up Your Life is a weekly newspaper column written by Lindsey Young in south central Kansas. If you are interested in sponsoring this column, please contact us through the “Contact Lindsey” link at the top of the page.

Categories
Main Dish

I’ll give this recipe my ‘stamppot’ of approval

Stamppot is a traditional dish from the Netherlands, featuring creamy mashed potatoes, fresh kale and smoked sausage to create a hearty, but simple, meal.
Stamppot is a traditional dish from the Netherlands, featuring creamy mashed potatoes, fresh kale and smoked sausage to create a hearty, but simple, meal.

I love finding recipes that claim to be “national dishes” or “traditional” ones.

But I will also confess that, more often than not, when I declare that something is “traditional,” there is someone who will email me (very nicely, mind you) to let me know that, actually, the recipe I found wasn’t quite right.

Inevitably, the person I found making that dish online or in a cookbook somewhere doesn’t quite live up to the food one of my readers grew up enjoying.

So, I am very cautiously introducing you to what is supposedly the Dutch national dish: stamppot.

Stamppot is a mashed-potato meal that is mixed with some vegetables and served with sausage. It’s hearty and simple, and while Joey swore it could really have benefitted from a bit of gravy, it’s delicious, too.

Plus, while you’re eating a big plate of mashed potatoes, you’re also getting a huge serving of veggies along with it. That seems like a win to me.

This comes from the blog “Gypsyplate” by Jason Beiser. You can find the original post at https://gypsyplate.com/stamppot/. I added extra kale and garlic in my version and substituted an onion in place of shallots.

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Stamppot

Stamppot is a traditional dish from the Netherlands, featuring creamy mashed potatoes, fresh kale and smoked sausage to create a hearty, but simple, meal.
Course Main Course
Cuisine Dutch, Netherlands
Keyword bay leaves, comfort food, fresh garlic, garlic, kale, mashed potatoes, minced garlic, nutmeg, onion, smoked sausage, stamppot, yellow onion

Ingredients

  • 3 pounds potatoes cubed
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 6 tablespoons butter divided
  • 16 ounces kale cut into strips (a big bunch)
  • 6 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 small yellow onion diced
  • 1 1/2 cups milk warmed
  • pinch nutmeg
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 pound smoked rope sausage cut into bite-sized pieces

Instructions

  • Add the potatoes to a large stock pot and just cover them with cold water. Add the bay leaves and add a large pinch of salt.
  • Bring the water to a boil and cook until the potatoes are fork tender. Drain the water and discard the bay leaves.
  • While the potatoes cook, heat two tablespoons of butter in a large skillet with a lid over medium heat. Add the onion and saute until it’s tender. For the last couple of minutes, add the garlic and give it a quick saute until it’s fragrant.
  • Remove the onion and garlic and place it on a plate or bowl to the side, and add the kale to the skillet, along with one-half cup of water. Place the lid on the skillet to wilt the kale. Check on it after a few minutes and stir to help the kale cook down. Add more water if all of it evaporates, and continue that process until the kale is cooked to your liking.
  • Meanwhile, mash the potatoes with four tablespoons butter, the milk, nutmeg and salt and pepper to taste. (This made a slightly looser mash than I would normally make, but it had a great consistency once it was combined with everything else.)
  • Add the kale and sauteed onions and garlic to the mashed potatoes and stir to combine.
  • Set the potatoes aside, keeping them warm.
  • In the same skillet as before, saute the sausage until it’s cooked through and has a little color on it.
  • Serve the stamppot by placing a layer of the mashed potato/kale mixture on the bottom and topping with some sausage.

The amount of kale was a bit intimidating at first, but it does cook down a lot, and the flavor actually melds in with the mashed potatoes really well. I was afraid it would take over, but it was just a nice compliment to the rest of the dish.

The leftovers also reheated nicely, which was nice later in the week.

And this recipe may or may not be exactly what someone from the Netherlands would expect, but regardless, it was a darn tasty meal.

This piece first appeared in print Feb. 26, 2026.

Spice Up Your Life is a weekly newspaper column written by Lindsey Young in south central Kansas. If you are interested in sponsoring this column, please contact us through the “Contact Lindsey” link at the top of the page.

Categories
Main Dish

Give yourself the green light to make spicy chile verde

Chile verde spends a lot of time simmering in a pot, but putting it together is really easy. With plenty of fresh pepper and onion flavors, it’s a filling and excellent meal.
Chile verde spends a lot of time simmering in a pot, but putting it together is really easy. With plenty of fresh pepper and onion flavors, it’s a filling and excellent meal.

With the Chiefs out of the Super Bowl this year, it felt like there was a lot less pressure for Joey and I in hosting our annual party.

But that also meant a lot of hemming and hawing from our friends and family about attending.

It’s tough to commit to a Sunday night when you don’t really have a dog in the fight and Monday morning is looming.

We ended up with a great crew of four guests to watch the game and, thanks to our smaller contingent, a fridge full of leftovers to enjoy throughout the week.

The recipe I made for the group comes from the blog “Kevin is Cooking.” You can find the original recipe at https://keviniscooking.com/pork-chile-verde/. I added extra garlic in my version and added the optional potatoes.

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Chile Verde

Chile verde spends a lot of time simmering in a pot, but putting it together is really easy. With plenty of fresh pepper and onion flavors, it’s a filling and excellent meal.
Course Main Course
Keyword anaheim peppers, chile verde, cilantro, cumin, fresh cilantro, fresh garlic, jalapeno peppers, minced garlic, pork butt, pork shoulder, Serrano, slow cooking, tomatillos, white onion

Ingredients

  • 1.5 pounds boneless pork shoulder/pork butt
  • 1 tablespoon cumin
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 1.5 pounds tomatillos
  • 6 anaheim chile peppers
  • 2 jalapeno peppers
  • 2 serrano peppers
  • 1 large white onion
  • 8 to 10 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 bunch fresh cilantro around 2 cups, stems included

Instructions

  • Prepare the pork shoulder by cutting it into one-inch cubes. Add them to a large bowl and season with the cumin, salt and pepper. Mix to coat the meat, and then set it aside. (I put mine in a covered container in the fridge over night.)
  • Husk the tomatillos and slice the stems off the peppers and give them all a good rinse. Also cut the onion in half, and add the tomatillos, peppers and onion to a large stockpot, covering them with water. Boil for about 8 minutes, and then remove them with a slotted spoon directly into a blender or food processor, along with the garlic and cilantro, blending until the mixture is smooth.
  • Set the sauce aside.
  • Heat the oil over medium heat in a large Dutch oven with a lid, and saute the pork cubes on all sides (do this in batches), just until each side has some nice color on it.
  • Add all the pork back into the pot, along with all but one cup of the sauce, and stir to coat.
  • Bring the mixture to a boil, and then reduce the heat to a simmer. Place the lid on the pot and cook for about three hours (stirring occasionally) or until the pork reaches an internal temperature of 180 to 190 degrees.
  • While the pork cooks, cube some Russet potatoes into one-inch pieces, and boil them until they are fork tender. Drain them and set them aside.
  • When the pork is done, add in the potatoes and the rest of the sauce, and stir to combine. Add more salt and pepper, to taste.
  • Serve with tortilla chips, with corn or flour tortillas or just in a bowl.

This was really, really good. It’s a bit spicy but not over the top. You could easily throw in a couple more anaheim peppers and skip the jalapenos and serranos, if you wanted to make it extremely mild.

We also threw a can of kidney beans in a few servings for leftovers, and that was great.

In the past, I made tomatillo sauces by roasting my vegetables under the broiler or in my air fryer and then blending them, and you could absolutely do that with this recipe, too.

The next time we make chile verde, if I decide to boil the veggies, I’m going to plan on making another soup at the same time to use the leftover water, because it smelled absolutely amazing.

And while I was bummed that we didn’t get to see some of our friends and family who didn’t get out on Sunday, at least I can drown my sorrows with some awesome food they didn’t get a chance to enjoy.

This piece first appeared in print Feb. 12, 2026.

Spice Up Your Life is a weekly newspaper column written by Lindsey Young in south central Kansas. If you are interested in sponsoring this column, please contact us through the “Contact Lindsey” link at the top of the page.

Categories
Main Dish

Easy garlic pasta recipe is too ‘shrimp’le to fail

These easy garlic shrimp noodles features a sweet sauce, punctuated by fresh garlic and ginger, along with lots of tasty pasta to soak it all up.
These easy garlic shrimp noodles features a sweet sauce, punctuated by fresh garlic and ginger, along with lots of tasty pasta to soak it all up.

The pantry clean-out continues this week.

Thanks to a stir-fry dish I shared with you back in June, I still had half of a package of lo mein noodles hanging out in the cupboard.

When Joey plopped a bag of shrimp in our cart on a recent grocery trip, I decided I needed to find something to make that could use both ingredients.

Then our week got really, really busy. There was no time to make anything fancy.

But the good news is that both shrimp and lo mein noodles are crazy quick to make.

So when I found a recipe for garlic shrimp noodles that promised to be done in 15 minutes, I jumped on it, and it wasn’t just great because it was a quick meal; it was great all on its own.

This comes from the blog “Lena’s Kitchen” by Lena Gladstone. You can find her original post at https://lenaskitchenblog.com/15-minute-garlic-shrimp-soba-noodles/. I added several spices and extra garlic in my version.

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Easy Garlic Shrimp Noodles

These easy garlic shrimp noodles features a sweet sauce, punctuated by fresh garlic and ginger, along with lots of tasty pasta to soak it all up.
Course Main Course
Cuisine Asian
Keyword 15-minute meal, dried ginger, easy dinner, fresh garlic, fresh ginger, garlic powder, ginger, hoisin sauce, honey, lime juice, lo mein, minced garlic, red chili flakes, sesame oil, sesame seeds, shrimp, soba noodles, soy sauce

Ingredients

  • 1/3 cup soy sauce
  • 2 tablespoons sesame oil
  • 2 tablespoons lime juice
  • 2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
  • 2 teaspoons honey
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 1/4 teaspoon dried ginger
  • 10 ounces soba or lo mein noodles
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 pound shrimp peeled
  • salt to taste
  • 6 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 tablespoon fresh ginger grated
  • 2 tablespoons sesame seeds

Instructions

  • Prepare a sauce by adding the soy sauce, sesame oil, lime juice, hoisin sauce, honey, garlic powder, red pepper flakes and dried ginger to a small bowl, and whisk until everything is well combined. Set it aside.
  • Meanwhile, cook the noodles according to the package instructions.
  • While the noodles cook, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Season the shrimp with salt, and then saute in the shrimp in the hot skillet. When the shrimp is nearly cooked through, toss in the minced garlic and grated ginger, and saute until the shrimp is finished.
  • Decrease the heat to low, and add the noodles and sauce to the skillet, stirring to coat everything in the sauce.
  • When everything is heated through, serve, topped with sesame seeds.

I added the hoisin sauce and some extra honey above, because I didn’t think the sauce had quite the sweetness that I wanted it to have. Otherwise, the sesame oil was a bit overpowering. If you don’t have hoisin, you could add a bit more honey or a bit of brown sugar, instead, until you get the sauce how you want it.

I also left out green onions as a garnish, because Joey isn’t generally keen on raw onions, but that would have been a great addition, as well.

Luckily, Joey wasn’t upset that I hijacked his shrimp purchase with my own dinner plans—mostly because he’s a sucker for anything with plenty of garlic.

And now there’s a tiny corner of my pantry that is ready to be filled with another mystery ingredient sometime in 2026.

This piece first appeared in print Jan. 22, 2026.

Spice Up Your Life is a weekly newspaper column written by Lindsey Young in south central Kansas. If you are interested in sponsoring this column, please contact us through the “Contact Lindsey” link at the top of the page.

Categories
Main Dish

‘Tuscan’ play at this shrimp pasta game

Creamy Tuscan shrimp features Italian seasonings, alongside pasta, mushrooms and more. It’s a great, filling dish for a cold night.
Creamy Tuscan shrimp features Italian seasonings, alongside pasta, mushrooms and more. It’s a great, filling dish for a cold night.

A few weeks ago, as one of my officemates, who shall remain nameless, glanced at my column, he remarked, “You’re really on a pasta kick right now, aren’t you?”

“Yeah,” I told him. “I’m always on a pasta kick.”

I mean, it’s kind of a silly question. Pasta is amazing.

So, despite the judgement from the peanut gallery, I made yet another pasta dish this week—well, actually I added pasta to a dish—and it was delicious. It was perfect for an evening meal on a cold day.

This comes from the blog “Salt & Lavender.” You can find the original post at https://www.saltandlavender.com/creamy-garlic-shrimp-with-sun-dried-tomatoes-and-basil/. I added mushrooms, onion, and pasta, as well as extra seasonings in my version.

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Creamy Tuscan Shrimp

Creamy Tuscan shrimp features Italian seasonings, alongside pasta, mushrooms and more. It’s a great, filling dish for a cold night.
Course Main Course
Keyword 30-minute meal, baby bellas, baby spinach, basil, fresh garlic, fresh mushrooms, fresh spinach, heavy cream, lemon juice, linguine, minced garlic, onion, oregano, parsley, pasta, shrimp, spaghetti, sun-dried tomatoes, yellow onion

Ingredients

  • 8 ounces spaghetti or linguini
  • 2-4 tablespoons butter
  • 1 small yellow onion
  • 8 ounces fresh mushrooms sliced (I used baby bellas)
  • 1 teaspoon flour
  • 6 to 8 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon dried basil
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 teaspoon dried parsley
  • 1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes oil drained
  • 1 pound raw shrimp peeled and deveined
  • 2 cups fresh baby spinach packed
  • salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

  • Prepare your pasta according to the package directions.
  • While it cooks, melt two tablespoons of butter in a large saute pan over medium heat. When it’s melted, add in the onion and mushrooms, and saute until the onion is cooked through. (If the veggies soak up all the butter, you might add a tablespoon or two more to make sure there’s a little fat in the pan for the next step.)
  • Stir in the little bit of flour and add the garlic, sauteing until the garlic just becomes fragrant and the flour is all absorbed.
  • Stir in the cream, lemon juice, basil, oregano, parsley and sun-dried tomatoes, being sure to incorporate any browned bits stuck to the bottom of the skillet.
  • Let the mixture come to a low simmer, and let it cook for two minutes.
  • Add the shrimp, letting them cook in the sauce for about five minutes or until they’re cooked through.
  • Finally, stir in the pasta and spinach, stirring to wilt the spinach into the sauce, and add salt and pepper to taste.

This was creamy and full of flavor. Adding all the extras meant that it wasn’t an overly saucy dish, but there was enough to give everything a good coating.

If you’re not much of a shrimp fan, just leave it out, and then serve this with some grilled chicken. It would be an excellent combination, too.

And yes, if you’re feeling like the pasta is a bit much, just leave it out, too. Just don’t tell me. I’m still on that kick.

This piece first appeared in print Jan. 1, 2026.

Spice Up Your Life is a weekly newspaper column written by Lindsey Young in south central Kansas. If you are interested in sponsoring this column, please contact us through the “Contact Lindsey” link at the top of the page.

Categories
Crockpot Main Dish

Easy recipe proves the crock pot is no has-‘bean’

Beans in a pot come together quickly and finish in the crockpot, making for a barbecue-sauce-forward dinner. The recipe can easily feed a crowd or be ready for tasty leftovers later on.
Beans in a pot come together quickly and finish in the crockpot, making for a barbecue-sauce-forward dinner. The recipe can easily feed a crowd or be ready for tasty leftovers later on.

On Jan. 23, 1940, the United States awarded a patent to inventor Irving Nachumsohn’s newest creation: the crock pot.

According to the Smithsonian Magazine, it was originally marketed as the “Naxon Beanery,” with its name coming from a shortened version of Nachumsohn’s last name. With the public’s opinions of German last names during the mid-1940s, he figured it was smart to change it a bit to make the device more marketable.

Though the crock pot officially turned 85 at the start of 2025, its popularity is still high.

For us, it’s a great appliance for everything from over-scheduled weeks, where cooking is just not going to fit on the day’s calendar, to hosting gatherings.

I think I had two of them going while we hosted Thanksgiving—one to keep the mashed potatoes warm before dinner and one hard at work turning the turkey bones into stock for soup.

I fired my crockpot up again this last week to try a dish sent in for our holiday recipe section by Wenda Black of Sedgwick.

I am always appreciative of very simple recipes that I can set and forget, and Wenda’s beans in a pot recipe came just at the right time for me on a super busy weekday.

Wenda said, “I’ve made this many times over the past 30 years.” And I can see why. It’s easy to put together and easy to adjust to your own, personal spice preferences.

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Beans in a Pot

Beans in a pot come together quickly and finish in the crockpot, making for a barbecue-sauce-forward dinner. The recipe can easily feed a crowd or be ready for tasty leftovers later on.
Course Main Course
Keyword brown sugar, catsup, chili beans, crockpot, easy meal, fresh garlic, great northern beans, ground beef, ground hamburger, ground sausage, ketchup, liquid smoke, minced garlic, red beans, red onion, slow cooker, Worcestershire, yellow onion

Ingredients

  • 1 pound ground hamburger
  • 1 pound ground sausage
  • 2 15.5- ounce cans great northern beans rinsed and drained
  • 15.5- ounce can red beans rinsed and drained
  • 15.5- ounce can chili beans
  • 1 tablespoon liquid smoke I substituted Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 cup ketchup
  • 1/2 cup barbecue sauce
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon garlic minced
  • 1/2 medium red onion diced
  • 1/2 medium yellow onion diced
  • salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

  • Fry the hamburger, sausage and onions in a large skillet until the meat is cooked through, and drain off any fat from the pan.
  • Add the cooked meat and onion mixture to a crock pot, along with the rest of the ingredients. Mix to incorporate everything well.
  • Cook on high for one hour and then on low for one to two more hours. Add more salt and pepper, if needed.
  • Serve in a bowl with corn chips, shredded cheese and sour cream, if desired.

This was a really nice, quick dinner for us this week, and we still have plenty of leftovers.

Joey suggested it would be good over some baked potatoes. I completely agree, so I think that’s how we’ll eat it when we reheat it.

The mixture has a bit of sweetness from the brown sugar and barbecue sauce, but you can also easily add some heat with spicy sausage and hot chili beans.

And it’s a good nod to the Nachumsohn’s “beanery.”

Beans in a pot is just what he had in mind.

This piece first appeared in print Dec. 11, 2025.

Spice Up Your Life is a weekly newspaper column written by Lindsey Young in south central Kansas. If you are interested in sponsoring this column, please contact us through the “Contact Lindsey” link at the top of the page.

Categories
Side Dish

I’m trying to get you on my side with this combo of classics

This green bean casserole macaroni and cheese is dense and decadent and definitely not healthy, but it would be a great addition to a holiday meal or potluck.
This green bean casserole macaroni and cheese is dense and decadent and definitely not healthy, but it would be a great addition to a holiday meal or potluck.

One of the iconic quotes in the movie “Jurassic Park” comes from Jeff Goldblum’s character, Dr. Ian Malcolm.

“Your scientists were so preoccupied with whether they could,” he says, “they didn’t stop to think if they should.”

That seemed to be the collective sentiment from family and friends this week when I told them what I was going to do with a bunch of leftover green beans I had in the fridge. Namely, I was going to make a hybrid green bean casserole/macaroni and cheese.

Well, the joke’s on them, because this was actually really good, and it was a fabulous way to use up my leftovers.

This recipe comes from the aptly named blog “This is not diet food.” You can find the original post at https://www.thisisnotdietfood.com/mac-and-cheese-green-bean-casserole/. I added a whole lot of extra ingredients and spices into my version below.

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Green Bean Casserole Macaroni and Cheese

This green bean casserole macaroni and cheese is dense and decadent and definitely not healthy, but it would be a great addition to a holiday meal or potluck.
Course Side Dish
Keyword cheese soup, crispy fried onions, fresh garlic, garlic powder, green beans, heavy cream, holiday side, mac and cheese, macaroni, minced garlic, mozzarella, mustard powder, onion powder, potluck dish, sharp cheddar cheese

Ingredients

  • 16 ounces macaroni noodles
  • 10.5 ounce can condensed cheese soup
  • 2 cups heavy cream
  • 2 tablespoons garlic powder
  • 2 tablespoons onion powder
  • 2 teaspoons mustard powder
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 6 cloves garlic minced
  • 2 14.5- ounce cans green beans drained
  • 8 ounces mozzarella freshly shredded
  • 8 ounces sharp cheddar freshly shredded
  • 6 ounces crispy fried onions

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Prepare a nine-by-13-inch baking dish by spraying it with cooking spray, and set it aside.
  • Cook the macaroni according to the package directions, and drain it.
  • While the pasta cooks, add the cheese soup and heavy cream into a large mixing bowl, and whisk to combine. Whisk in the garlic powder, onion powder, mustard powder, salt and pepper and minced garlic, as well.
  • Next stir in the cooked pasta and green beans to coat everything in the sauce. Finally, stir in about 3/4 cup of each kind of cheese, and pour all of the mixture into your prepared pan, spreading it out.
  • Sprinkle the rest of the cheese evenly over the top, and finish off with the crispy onions.
  • Cover the pan with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for another five to 10 minutes or until the onions are browned and the cheese is melted to your liking.
  • Let the casserole rest on the counter for about five minutes before serving.

If you wanted to make this ahead of time to pop in the oven later, I’d recommend keeping the crispy onions off until you’re ready to actually heat it. I ended up freezing half of my casserole, so I’ll be interested to see how it does when I reheat it.

This is a decadent, heavy dish. It’s perfect for a holiday get together, a potluck or any meal where you’re not going to be stuck with all the leftovers, because it is definitely not good for you, even though the flavor profile is nostalgic and a true comfort food.

So, at the end of the day, should you make a combination of two of the heaviest side dishes on the planet? Probably not. But you certainly can, it’s delicious and it won’t lead to rampaging dinosaurs, so why not?

This piece first appeared in print Nov. 27, 2025.

Spice Up Your Life is a weekly newspaper column written by Lindsey Young in south central Kansas. If you are interested in sponsoring this column, please contact us through the “Contact Lindsey” link at the top of the page.

Categories
Main Dish

This pasta will give ’em ‘pumpkin’ to talk about

Creamy pumpkin pasta can be made with canned or fresh pumpkin puree and features sage and garlic, along with parmesan cheese to create a delicious, fall-flavor-filled dinner.
Creamy pumpkin pasta can be made with canned or fresh pumpkin puree and features sage and garlic, along with parmesan cheese to create a delicious, fall-flavor-filled dinner.

I am always amazed at how many different kinds of pumpkins and gourds you can find this time of year.

In my mind, a lot of the stranger ones are merely for decoration, but after some recent research, I discovered that many of them are actually supposed to be pretty tasty. It was that research that led me to grabbing a white pumpkin at our local grocery store.

As I put it in the cart, Joey looked at me, eyebrow raised, but he didn’t ask. He knows better by now that sometimes I buy an ingredient and let the recipe come later.

And, as per usual, a recipe finally came along for my pumpkin. It’s designed for a normal, orange pumpkin, but I learned that white pumpkins can be used the same was as orange ones—they just aren’t as strong in flavor.

The recipe I tried comes from the blog “Cooking with Ateen.” You can find the original post at https://www.cookingwithateen.com/creamy-pumpkin-pasta/. I added extra garlic and sage in my version, and I also incorporated some smoked sausage.

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Creamy Pumpkin Pasta

Creamy pumpkin pasta can be made with canned or fresh pumpkin puree and features sage and garlic, along with parmesan cheese to create a delicious, fall-flavor-filled dinner.
Course Main Course
Keyword 30-minute meal, fall meal, fresh garlic, grated parmesan cheese, minced garlic, nutmeg, parmesan cheese, pumpkin, pumpkin puree, rigatoni pasta, roasted pumpkin, sage, smoked sausage

Ingredients

  • 16 ounces rigatoni pasta or another tubular pasta
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 2 teaspoons dried sage
  • 6 cloves garlic minced
  • 12 ounces smoked sausage cut into bite-sized rounds
  • 1 cup pumpkin puree
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1 cup milk I used skim, but whole is preferred
  • 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan plus more for serving

Instructions

  • Prepare the pasta according to package instructions, and be sure to save about one cup of the pasta water when you drain it.
  • When the pasta is about halfway done, melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat.
  • Add the sage, garlic and sausage, and saute for a couple minutes, just until the garlic begins to be fragrant and the sausage starts to get a little color on it.
  • Add in the pumpkin, salt, pepper and nutmeg, and continue stirring, letting the puree reduce a little bit.
  • Stir in the milk, and continue stirring constantly as the ingredients incorporate. Let the mixture reduce to your liking, and stir in the cooked pasta, coating it in the sauce.
  • If the sauce is a bit thick or not sticking to the pasta, add just a touch of the pasta water, stirring between additions, until it’s at your desired consistency.
  • Finally, remove the pan from the heat, stir in the parmesan until it is melted, and serve, topping the pasta with a bit more grated parmesan.

I roasted my pumpkin in the oven and then pureed it in my food processor, but you can also use canned pumpkin for this one, if you don’t want to make your own.

This pasta was the epitome of fall flavor, with the sage and garlic complimenting the light pumpkin flavor. And while I decided to supplement with some smoked sausage, you could easily leave that out and have a great vegetarian dish to enjoy, too.

And this little experiment with a holiday pumpkin has led to me thinking I need to get one of those weird, warty ones next and see what I can do with it. Oh, and I learned you can roast white pumpkin seeds, too. What can be better than that?

This piece first appeared in print Nov. 13, 2025.

Spice Up Your Life is a weekly newspaper column written by Lindsey Young in south central Kansas. If you are interested in sponsoring this column, please contact us through the “Contact Lindsey” link at the top of the page.

Categories
Main Dish

Making this for someone special could create a ‘meat’ cute

Sunday casserole is extremely easy, roasting in the oven for a few hours and yielding a rich, delicious beef dish that creates its own gravy and tastes perfect over mashed potatoes, noodles or rice.
Sunday casserole is extremely easy, roasting in the oven for a few hours and yielding a rich, delicious beef dish that creates its own gravy and tastes perfect over mashed potatoes, noodles or rice.

I first met Joey when I was 19 years old, and even then, he was forced into being my recipe guinea pig.

I decided that I wanted to make a fancy meal for him one weekend, so I hunted for some ideas and came up with a brisket dish for two, and I decided to pair it with mashed potatoes and some veggies.

I was living at home still, and while I felt perfectly comfortable mashing potatoes, roasting some meat and cooking peas, I was terrified of making gravy.

I have to admit that my mom had to step in and give me an assist before she and Dad made themselves scarce and I was able to set the table with my big dinner, complete with candles for the ambiance.

At this point, I don’t know if Joey even remembers that night, but for me, it was formative, not only because it was the first time I put myself out there and cooked for someone I really, really liked, but also because that was the day I learned a gravy-making skill that I still use regularly.

Well, except for this week, because the recipe I tried was not only delicious, but it made its own gravy, too.

This recipe is one that my wonderful mother-in-law shared with me quite awhile ago. I’m officially mad at myself for not making it sooner. I did, however, add carrots and garlic and some seasonings in my version below.

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Sunday Casserole

Sunday casserole is extremely easy, roasting in the oven for a few hours and yielding a rich, delicious beef dish that creates its own gravy and tastes perfect over mashed potatoes, noodles or rice.
Course Main Course
Keyword carrots, chuck roast, cooking sherry, cream of celery, dry sherry, fresh garlic, garlic powder, minced garlic, onion, onion powder, stew meat

Ingredients

  • 3 pounds beef stew meat or roast cut into 1- to 2-inch pieces
  • 3 10.5- ounce cans cream of celery soup
  • 1 yellow onion sliced
  • 3 large carrots sliced into bite-sized coins
  • 3/4 cup cooking sherry
  • 6 to 8 cloves garlic minced
  • 2 teaspoons garlic powder
  • 2 teaspoons onion powder
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • prepared mashed potatoes noodles or rice for serving

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
  • In a deep nine-by-13-inch pan, add everything but the last ingredient (the stuff for serving), and stir to coat the meat and vegetables.
  • Spread everything out evenly and bake for three hours or until the meat and vegetables are cooked through.
  • Serve over mashed potatoes, noodles or rice.

This was so flavorful and really good.

We opted for mashed potatoes, and like I said, the dish magically created a thick, tasty brown gravy in the oven that was perfect to pour over the top of everything.

It was like a Sunday roast, but it was all ready to serve straight out of the casserole dish.

And the leftovers reheated really well, too, which was nice.

Plus, it let me think back to the very start of my relationship with Joey. (This was pre-beard, if you can imagine it.) I still like cooking for him, and we cook together quite often, too.

They say the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach, but honestly, it might just be all about the gravy.

This piece first appeared in print Oct. 16, 2025.

Spice Up Your Life is a weekly newspaper column written by Lindsey Young in south central Kansas. If you are interested in sponsoring this column, please contact us through the “Contact Lindsey” link at the top of the page.

Categories
Main Dish Soup

Turmeric-based veggie soup will help you feel golden

For a great low-calorie and vegan meal, vegetable noodle soup packs a ton of flavor with lots of delicious spices and fresh vegetables.
For a great low-calorie and vegan meal, vegetable noodle soup packs a ton of flavor with lots of delicious spices and fresh vegetables.

Every time I use turmeric in a recipe, I remember back to the time I ruined the one and only manicure I’ve ever had while using it in a delicious Jamaican recipe.

Knowing it has the ability to stain everything, I have been diligent about wearing an apron when cooking with it ever since (although I’m still very willing to sacrifice my nails for the cause).

This week’s recipe featured turmeric, so I paid careful attention to what I was doing while stirring, watching the broth turn a beautiful yellow color.

I managed to get through the cooking process completely unscathed.

But then, when I sat down with my steaming bowl of soup, I realized that my capacity to make a mess went beyond the kitchen and into the dining room as I managed to spill it directly down my shirt.

So typical.

But also so worth it.

This recipe comes from the blog “Munch Meals by Janet.” You can find the original post at https://munchmealsbyjanet.com/2020/11/09/vegan-vegetable-noodle-soup/. I added extra seasoning, broth and ingredients in the version below.

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Vegetable Noodle Soup

For a great low-calorie and vegan meal, vegetable noodle soup packs a ton of flavor with lots of delicious spices and fresh vegetables.
Course Main Course, Soup
Keyword bay leaves, carrots, celery, fresh garlic, garlic powder, minced garlic, onion, oregano, pasta, potatoes, turmeric, vegan, vegetable broth, vegetable stock, vegetarian, yellow onion

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 medium yellow onion diced
  • 4 ribs celery diced
  • 4 large carrots diced
  • 6 to 8 cloves garlic minced
  • 6 to 8 cups vegetable broth
  • 4 teaspoons oregano
  • 2 teaspoons garlic powder
  • 2 teaspoons turmeric
  • 2 bay leaves
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 2 large potatoes cubed
  • 16 ounces pasta something tubular; I used cavatappi

Instructions

  • In a large stockpot or Dutch oven with a lid, heat the oil over medium heat.
  • Add the onion, celery and carrots, and saute until everything is softened.
  • Add the garlic and saute for a couple minutes, just until it’s starting to be fragrant, and add in six cups of broth, oregano, garlic powder, turmeric, bay leaves, salt and pepper, potatoes and pasta, and stir to combine.
  • Cover the pot and raise the heat slightly. Let the soup come to a gentle boil.
  • Lower the heat to keep the soup at a simmer, and leave the lid on for 14 to 15 minutes or until the pasta is cooked through and the potatoes are fork tender. Add more salt and pepper, if desired.
  • Fish out the bay leaves and discard them, and then serve.

This had so much flavor. The turmeric added an earthy, peppery flavor, and the combination of all the vegetables in the broth made it an excellent, hearty dinner.

And luckily, my stain treatment managed to slay the turmeric, and my shirt is good as new.

Next time I pull that bottle off my spice rack, I’ll have to remember that I don’t just need my apron—I might need to get a bib, too.

This piece first appeared in print Sept. 25, 2025.

Spice Up Your Life is a weekly newspaper column written by Lindsey Young in south central Kansas. If you are interested in sponsoring this column, please contact us through the “Contact Lindsey” link at the top of the page.

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