Baked Praline French Toast Casserole

"A mind that is stretched by a new experience can never go back to its' old dimension." Oliver Wendall Holmes, Jr. My bucket list remains in a constant state of revision with more things being added rather than being removed from it. Recently one of those significant 'must visit' places was finally checked off of my ever-changing, organic bucket list. Finally all my vicarious trips to the South Rim of the Grand Canyon came to their timely end. Needless to say they paled in comparison to staying in and witnessing the canyon's incredible beauty close-up and firsthand. With access to the rim's hiking trails just a short walk from our lodge, we spent from sun up to sun down walking the trails in the canyon. As the sun rose and set, we were mesmerized by canyon's vistas as they transformed into breathtaking works of nature's art. Neither my imagination nor the iconic images legendary photographer Ansel Adams shared with the world truly captured the majestic beauty and aura of what should be one of the seven wonders of the world.

On the drive from the Grand Canyon to the home of friends inTucson we stopped in Sedona. Although technically removed from the bucket list many years ago, the striking red stone formations and the intensely spiritual aura of Sedona puts it on my list of those 'worthy of multiple return visits' places. In other words, once is not enough. Signs of spring's return along with the panoramic views of the scenic red rocks had me wishing we had more time to spend in this magical paradise. With my head spinning and heart racing from the time spent in the Grand Canyon and Sedona, being on sensory overload never felt so good.

And after spending several days with close friends in Tucson (along with a road trip to Bisbee and Tombstone) on this relatively short-lived vacation, it was time to return to life in the midwest. Thankfully Mother Nature helped to ease this transition by gracing us with several days of spectacular cloud filled blue skies. Not that they compared to those Arizona skies, but something was better than nothing.

Not only does my bucket list contain places to go and experiences to have, there are, what else, foods to eat and dishes to make (for the first time as well as again and again). For awhile now I have been wanting the Baked Praline French Toast Casserole to make a repeat appearance at the breakfast table. The perfect opportunity (to be the perfect aunt) came when my niece stayed over for a couple of days during her spring break last week.

This is one of those casseroles you partially assemble the night before. Making it one of those perfect for entertaining kinds of dishes.

The inspiration recipe called for using a sixteen ounce loaf of french bread. However, you could also make it with challah or brioche. Having made this casserole using all of these breads before, trust me when I say you will not go wrong with whichever bread you choose.

One inch thick slices of bread are quickly dipped into an egg-milk mixture and arranged in overlapping slices in a buttered casserole dish. Any remaining liquid is poured evenly over the bread. The important take away here is that you want the bread fully coated before covering the dish and refrigerating overnight. Note: You can also first arrange the bread slices in the dish and then pour over the egg mixture, spooning it between each of the slices and ever so lightly pressing down on the bread so it briefly submerges into the liquid. Either option works.

The praline topping is assembled and put onto the casserole right before baking. However, you can make it the night before, covering the bowl with plastic and refrigerating. While this makes the final assembly much easier, remember to take the butter-brown sugar-pecan mixture out of the refrigerator at least 30 minutes before spooning over the casserole. Don't forget: Toast your pecans before chopping them.

The Baked Praline French Toast Casserole bakes in a preheated 350 degree oven for 40 minutes or until the bread has puffed and the top is a medium golden brown.

If there was ever a breakfast casserole to cause your heart to race and head to spin, this Baked Praline French Toast Casserole would be the ONE! When soaked overnight and baked the next day, the bread takes on a custard like (almost bread pudding like) texture while the crunchy praline topping sends your taste buds into a state of pure bliss. And who doesn't want to serve a wickedly delicious, indulgent, memorable, easy to make breakfast (or brunch) to their family and/or friends?

To add to the casserole's decadence, serve with pure maple syrup or honey. Once you taste this Baked Praline French Toast Casserole, you may never look at ordinary french toast the same again. Not even if its' topped with freshly whipped cream and strawberries. This casserole will forever (for the better) change your french toast taste buds. So if there was ever a breakfast/brunch dish to move to the top of your food bucket list or one to send your heart racing and head spinning, this would be the one.

Recipe
Baked Praline French Toast Casserole (slight adaption to Baked French Toast Casserole shared in Marcia Adams' Heirloom Recipes cookbook)
Serves 7 generously but up to 10 if serving in a buffet

Ingredients
Casserole
1 loaf (16 ounces) french bread, challah, or brioche (day old if possible)
8 large eggs
2 cups half and half
1 cup whole milk
2 Tablespoons granulated sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/2 to 1 teaspoon cinnamon (I used 3/4 teaspoon of cinnamon)
1/4 teaspoon Kosher salt

Praline Topping
1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
1 1/4 cups toasted, then chopped pecan halves
2 Tablespoons light corn syrup
1 teaspoon cinnamon
Pinch of kosher salt

Optional but highly recommended: Maple syrup or honey for serving

Directions
1. Generously butter a 9"x13" (or equivalent) casserole dish. Set aside.
2. Slice bread into 1 inch thick slices. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl, combine the eggs, half-and-half, milk, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, and kosher salt. Mix until well combined (no yellow egg streaks).
4. Dip each slice of bread into egg mixture and begin to line the prepared casserole dish in overlapping slices. Pour remaining egg mixture evenly over the bread slices. Cover dish tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
5. To make praline topping, mix the butter, brown sugar, chopped pecans, corn syrup and cinnamon in a medium bowl until well blended. Note: If making night before baking the casserole, cover and refrigerate overnight.
6. Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F).
7. Place casserole on large baking sheet.
8. Spread or drop spoonfuls of the praline topping evenly over the bread.
9. Bake for 40 minutes or until the casserole is puffed and medium golden brown. Remove from the oven and serve with maple syrup or honey.
Note: Serves 7 generously and 10 adequately.

Sunrise in the South Rim of the Grand Canyon at Maricopa Point.

 Nearing sunset at Yavapai Point on the South Rim of the Grand Canyon.

Desert View Watchtower, designed by American architect Mary Colter (1932), on the south rim of the Grand Canyon.

Homemade Chicken Soup

Running in the cold with a cold wasn't exactly what I thought I signed up for or what being a Winter Warrior was supposed to mean. To say I was miserable during a run this past weekend would be an understatement. Descending further into a state of delirium along with having an encouraging, understanding running partner were the two things enabling me to get through the five mile run. Funny things happen to your perceptions when you are in a cold-induced delirious state. Any bump in the road feels like a steady incline and steady inclines feel like steep hills. So while I was running 'uphill' I wondered whatever possessed me to willingly put myself through such torture. Apparently I took the word 'warrior' a little too literally when I signed up for a 10k training program. And clearly I either get some perverse pleasure out of being a glutton for punishment or am beginning to remember what the addiction to running felt like all of those years ago. But as E. L. James once wrote 'There's a very fine line between pleasure and pain. They are two sides of the same coin, one not existing without the other."

Nothing really cures the common cold, but that doesn't mean we just let it run its' course (no pun intended). From claims going back as far as the 12th century along with new research studies in the 21st century, there is a preponderance of evidence supporting the claim that a bowl of chicken soup is the nutritional elixir to soothe all of a cold's symptoms. Even if you still think this is nothing more than a myth (although it has lasted more than nine centuries), at the very least, this 'miracle-cure-in-a-bowl', this 'liquid healing gold' is good for one's soul. Not only was I in desperate need to have this cold come to an end, I needed to feel better.

Sure it would have been easier to buy a few cans of chicken soup, but by now you should have figured out I don't really do 'easy' that often. If there is real scientific truth to the powers of chicken soup having the ability to improve one's health, well then homemade certainly has to be more powerful (and more delicious) than anything available on a grocery store's shelf.

The broth for the Chicken Soup is made with a whole fresh chicken, two yellow onions (skins on) halved, a parsnip (halved), two garlic cloves (peeled), two stalks of celery, a very large carrot (skin on), a bay leaf, kosher salt, tomato paste, aleppo pepper, dried thyme, and four quarts of water. Keeping the skins on the onions as well as the other vegetables helps to give the broth a deep golden color.

Smitten Kitchen's recipe for chicken soup, my source of inspiration, called for the use of either four pounds of leftover chicken carcass bones or four pounds of a combination of fresh chicken wings, necks, backs, and feet. I opted for a whole almost four pound fresh chicken.

Once the broth comes to a boil, the heat is reduced to a simmer and the lid placed on top of the pot. Over the course of approximately 2 1/2 hours, the magic begins to happen. I would like to tell you about the incredible aroma coming from this simmering broth, but my sense of smell wasn't working while I was making this soup.

After the 2 1/2 hours, three bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts (approximately 2 pounds) are added to the simmering stock. The breasts will cook in approximately 20-25 minutes. Be careful not to overcook them because the meat from the chicken will be going back into the 'soup'. Allow the chicken breasts to cool enough so you can remove the skin and bones and either shred or cut into pieces. If you are wondering what to do with all of the meat on the whole chicken you had poached in the broth, I would suggest you use it to make chicken salad rather than shred it to use in the soup. Note: The pieces of chicken breast are returned to the stock after the chopped vegetables and egg noodles have been added and cooked.

After straining and returning the broth to the pot, the chopped carrots, celery, and leeks are added. Cooking time will range from 6-10 minutes (you want them firm-tender) depending on how small/large you cut/dice the vegetables.

The most common noodle used in chicken soup is the egg noodle. Of all of the egg noodles available, the most frequently used are the German short, corkscrew shaped noodles. The other prevailing option is the shorter, straighter noodles. These usually come in thin, medium, and wide thicknesses. Not only do I like my chicken soup noodles to have a little substance, I like to be able to get them on the spoon without making a big splashy mess. For that reason, I prefer the medium-width over the thinner egg noodles. Once the chopped vegetables have simmered in the broth, the egg noodles are added (allow to cook for 7-10 minutes or in accordance with package directions).

Egg noodles usually come in a bag versus a box (usually in a 12 ounce size). If you like a very noodle rich soup, use 11-12 ounces. If you still like a soup with a noodle presence, use 9-10 ounces. If the entire package of the noodles is used, please know they will continue to absorb the chicken broth if leftovers are refrigerated overnight. That isn't necessary a bad thing, but this broth has such incredible flavor it would be somewhat of a waste to have it all absorbed into the egg noodles (trust me on this).

Before serving the soup you will need to taste to determine how much additional salt is needed (remember only 1 Tablespoon of kosher salt was used in the broth).  I added an additional 1 1/2 teaspoons to the pot of chicken soup, but then added a tiny bit more after it was ladled into a bowl. Two tablespoons of freshly chopped parsley can be added to the pot of soup or lightly sprinkled on the bowls of soup.

After tasting this Homemade Chicken Soup, I will never buy a can of chicken soup ever again. Never ever. Regardless if I have a cold or not. The medicinal and nutritional values of this 'liquid healing gold' are increased exponentially when homemade. Eating a bowl of hot, homemade soup is incredibly satisfying, even slightly intoxicating. Especially one having such a great depth of flavor. January just happens to be National Soup Month (hmmm....I wonder why). You still have some time to make a pot of homemade soup. Why not make this Homemade Chicken Soup? You will make everyone deliriously happy!

Recipe
Homemade Chicken Soup (inspired by SmittenKitchen's Ultimate Chicken Soup Recipe)

Ingredients
Broth
2 medium-large yellow onions, unpeeled and cut in half
2 large garlic cloves, peeled and slightly smashed
1 large carrot, unpeeled
1 large parsnip, unpeeled
1 large celery rib
4 quarts water
3 1/2-4 pound chicken (or 4 pounds of chicken wings)
1 Tablespoon Kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme (or 2 teaspoons fresh thyme)
1/8 teaspoon Aleppo pepper (or red pepper flakes)
1 Tablespoon tomato paste
1 bay leaf

To Finish
2 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts (approximately 3 large chicken breasts)
2 large carrots, peeled and diced
1 large leek, trimmed, thinly slicing green and white parts
2 large celery ribs, diced or chopped
9-12 ounces egg noodles (medium or fine noodles) Recommend Gia Russa egg noodles. I used the medium sized noodles.
2 Tablespoons finely chopped flat leaf parsley
Kosher salt to taste

Directions
1. Combine all broth ingredients in a large stock pot (6-8 quart). Place over high heat and bring to a boil. Immediately reduce to gentle simmer, skim any foam, cover and simmer for 2 1/2 hours.
2. Add whole chicken breasts to simmering broth, simmer for 20-25 minutes until they are cooked through (do not overcook). Remove cooked breasts and allow to cool slightly. When cool enough to handle, remove skin and bones. Either shred or chop into small chunks. 
3. Strain broth. Return strained broth to stock pot and turn heat to simmer.
4. Add diced vegetables and cook for 7-10 minutes, or until vegetables are firm-tender.
5. Add egg noodles to the broth and cook for 7-10 minutes or until tender. Note: For a very, very noodle-y soup use 11-12 ounces of the egg noodles, for a less noodle-y soup use 9-10 ounces. 
6. Add shredded/chopped chicken breasts to broth, simmer for 2-3 minutes until heated through.
7. Add chopped parsley to the finished soup or add chopped parsley to soup after it has been ladled into bowls.
Note: If using a full 12 ounce bag of the medium egg noodles, a significant amount of the broth will be absorbed by the noodles if any leftovers have been refrigerated overnight. 

Smashed Sliders and Baked Oven Matchstick Fries

If I expanded my daily social media exposure beyond Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook to all of the other ever expanding platforms out there I would, more than likely, suffer from so much visual overload it would cause permanent sleeplessness. My mind would be racing continuously. If I went down further into the social media platforms rabbit hole, there is no telling if I would ever remember what a good night's sleep ever felt like. Yet, not all of this browsing/searching/connecting/learning/sharing time is wasted. More often than not, I come across posts or photos that challenge me or inspire me. And, of course, I also come across some immediately eliciting an audible 'seriously?'. It has taken awhile but I am becoming slightly less gullible.

For years food gurus have told us it would be a mistake, even a crime, to press down on a burger during the cooking process. But this is only partly true. There is a reason why there are lines of people willingly waiting to order a hamburger at Shake Shack. And it's not just the potato bun and secret sauce that separates these burgers from all others. The golden brown crust on the burger created in the smashing process elevates its' taste factor to Gastromonic Nirvana.

The day I read Bon Appetit's smash burger post, I thought 'seriously?'. But this time my skepticism gave way to one of my Achilles heels, gullibility. For those of you who consider this as some sort of personality flaw or a quality slightly inconsistent for anyone possessing a high degree of book smarts (did I tell you I have a doctorate degree?) I will not be surprised if you reconsider that particular (narrow) point of view once you tasted one of these smashed sliders.

Did you know Shake Shack uses Martin's Potato Rolls? Well, now you do. And they are the exact same ones we can buy at the grocery stores! For the best hamburger taste, use the highest-quality, highest meat to fat ratio (80/20) you can find. No need to ask your butcher to make a custom blend, Ground Chuck delivers incredibly great flavor because of course, fat is where the flavor is at. Thick slices of American Cheese (the yellow stuff, the full fat stuff), lettuce, tomatoes, hamburger dill pickles, and secret sauce are all you need to make the absolutely best, most perfect slider at home. Well, there is one more thing.

A cast iron pan. If there was ever a reason to buy one, these Smashed Sliders is reason enough. So the next time you are out antiquing or browsing at estate (tag) sales, look for one or two. If that isn't your thing, Lodge makes really good cast iron pans. Thin or non-stick frying pans will not work.

While the cast iron skillet heats up, keep your sliders in the refrigerator. You want them to be cold. Other than salting (peppering optional) the sliders once they hit the hot (unoiled) pan, these burgers need no other seasonings or ingredients. If making full sized smashed burgers, use 3 -3 1/2 ounces of the ground chuck. For the smashed sliders, use 2 - 2 1/2 ounce balls of meat. Before placing on the hot skillet, slightly loosen the beef balls. This helps to create the nooks and crannies needed for meat/fat to caramelize. Press down hard using a heavy spatula or meat pounder (you want them to be about 1/2 inch thick). After cooking the sliders for 2 to 2 1/2 minutes flip them.

Cook for approximately one minute, then place cheese on top and cover the pan. They will be ready when the cheese has melted. Note: If you like your sliders more medium to medium well, cook for about 2 minutes then add cheese and cover.

There are many versions of 'secret sauce' out there. This one is a slight variation from Epicurious. It is nothing more than mayonnaise, (yellow) mustard, ketchup, juice from a jar of kosher hamburger dill pickles, garlic powder, onion flakes (or powder), and sweet smoked paprika.

Before assembling the sliders, melt some butter in a heavy skillet and toast the inside of the potato rolls.

If making these Smashed Sliders as an appetizer, you don't really need fries to go with them. A nice touch, but not absolutely necessary. But if you are serving them for a meal, fries are an absolute must. I much prefer long thin crispy fries versus wedges. And these oven baked matchstick fries couldn't be easier to make.

Use either Idaho or Russet potatoes (I used Idaho potatoes). Cut the entire potato (keeping skins on) into matchsticks. Toss lightly with vegetable oil, sprinkle with sea salt, and arrange single layer on a lightly oiled baking sheet lined with (heavy duty) aluminum foil. The fries are baked in a preheated 450 degree oven for approximately 25-35 minutes (turning once midway through the baking process to ensure evenness in baking). When they have browned and crisped, remove from oven, toss again with some sea salt and serve. With ketchup of course.

Now, no matter where you live or what hour of the day (or night) it is, these Smashed Sliders and Baked Oven Matchstick Fries are within your reach. Great slider ingredients (remember only buy an 80/20 blend here), a cast iron skillet, Martin's potato rolls, and secret sauce are all you need to satisfy everyone's cravings for a smashed slider. These are SO incredible, you may never cook them any other way again. Forget using the grill, unless of course you plan on placing your cast iron skillet on the grill grates. Your gullible friends may think you are serving them sliders from one of those 'famous' burger restaurants. Your non-gullible friends will think 'does he/she think I really believe these are homemade?'. Either way you all win.

Recipe
Smashed Sliders and Baked Oven Fries (inspiration for the Secret Sauce from Epicurious; for the smashed sliders from Bon Appetit; and, for the baked oven fries from The Minimalist Baker)
Makes 6 sliders

Ingredients
Sliders
1 1/4 pounds ground beef chuck (20% fat/80% lean)
Kosher salt
6 slices of thickly cut American cheese (the yellow stuff)
6 sliced potato rolls from the package of 12 (highly recommend Martin's Sliced Potato Rolls)
2 Tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
Vegetable oil for pan

Secret Sauce
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 Tablespoon juice from jar of Kosher Hamburger Dill Chips or Pickles (recommend Mt. Olive Hamburger Dill Chips)
1 Tablespoon ketchup
1 teaspoon yellow mustard
1/2 teaspoon sweet smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion flakes or onion powder

Fries
2 Large Idaho potatoes (or 3-4 russet potatoes)
1/4 cup vegetable oil or canola oil
Sea salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder (or up to 1 full teaspoon)
Ketchup

Directions
Sliders
1. Heat a cast iron skillet until very hot.
2. Grab a handful (2 1/2-3 ounces) of ground chuck and press directly on hot skillet using a spatula or meat pounder. Sprinkle with kosher salt.
3. After 2 - 2 1/2 minutes, flip burgers (they should be crispy on the bottom the edges craggy).
4. Cook for 1 minute, place a slice a cheese on each slider, cover and cook until cheese melts (approximately 1 - 1 1/2 minutes). 
5. Put cooked sliders on a potato bun toasted on a hot skillet (use about 1 Tablespoon of unsalted butter for 3 buns). Spread secret sauce on top of one side of the toasted bun. Layer the slider with a slice of tomato, kosher hamburger dill pickles and crispy lettuce (recommend iceburg). Serve immediately.
Note:  Because the burgers cook quickly, you can make these sliders in batches. Do not crowd the cast iron skillet with too many burgers.

Secret Sauce
1. In a small bowl, mix together mayonnaise, ketchup, mustard, sweet smoked paprika, garlic powder, and onion flakes (or onion powder) until well blended. Cover and store in the refrigerator until ready to use.

Fries
1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees (F). Line two baking sheets with heavy duty aluminum foil and lightly oil with vegetable oil or cooking spray. Set aside.
2. Cut potatoes into matchsticks, by first cutting the potato in half lengthwise, then cutting each half into 1/4 inch slices. Then cut the slices into strips (at or less than 1/4 inch in width).
3. Toss matchstick potatoes with 1/4 cup vegetable (or canola) oil, sprinkle with sea salt (and pepper if you would like). Spread in a single layer on the prepared baking sheets.
4. Bake for 25-35 minutes, turning midway through the baking process. Fries are done when golden and crispy. Sprinkled baked fries with additional sea salt and serve immediately.

White Bean and Sausage Casserole

The likelihood of escaping those frigid winter temperatures arriving here in the midwest this week has about the same odds as winning a billion dollar lottery. It is after all winter. But, hey who needs pragmatism when you have the option of optimism! Spoiled by winter's relatively mild onset, this below degree weather has been a shock to the system. Hopefully this will be nothing more than a blip on the radar and we can return back to balmy 30 degree temperatures. More than likely, the thought of 30 degree weather now seems state of emergency, dangerously cold to my warm weather friends in Arizona and South Carolina, one of whom having spent her entire life in the midwest. But all good-intentioned teasing aside, it is genuinely amazing how quickly one's body acclimates to one's geographical location. Regardless of what the thermometer reads, warmth and cold are all relative, pragmatically speaking of course. Remind me I said this when my inner whimptress starts whining about running in the 'hot' summer weather or as soon as we again see 50 degree temperatures.

Cold weather always causes me to crave hot out of the oven or off the stove foods. When I came across a recipe for this White Bean and Sausage Casserole I couldn't help but think it was a simpler version of a French cassoulet, the hearty, deeply flavored, slow-cooked casserole made with beans and a wide assortment of meats. Like a cassoulet, this White Bean and Sausage Casserole is also a relatively inexpensive dish to make. Served with a fresh loaf of crusty bread, a salad, and of course some wine, there is an understated elegance to this simple, rustic meal. And it is a perfect cold weather dish.

Unlike a cassoulet, you don't have to soak the beans overnight. Canned white cannellini beans are the delicious time saver and hold up well in this casserole. Instead of pork or pork sausage, this casserole uses both mild/sweet and hot Italian sausage. More on the ratio of these two types of sausages to follow. In addition, to fresh tomatoes, parsley, and thyme, the base layer of the casserole includes white wine and roasted garlic.

Finding good fresh tomatoes can sometimes be dicey during the winter months. For this casserole the tomatoes need to be on the juicy side in order to give the casserole some much needed liquid. I thought these fresh off the vine tomatoes would be juicier than they were. After reviewing other cassoulet recipes, I will seriously consider using whole canned tomatoes the next time I make this White Bean and Sausage Casserole whether or not I can find really 'good' tomatoes.

If there is anything better than chopped garlic, it would be roasted chopped garlic. Roasted for 15-18 minutes in extra-virgin olive until tender, the flavor of the garlic becomes more deeply developed. As an added bonus the aroma from the six whole cloves of garlic roasting in extra-virgin olive oil is intoxicating.

While the garlic is roasting in the oven, a pound of mild/sweet and hot Italian sausage is cooked in a large skillet. Rather than use equal parts of each, I went with a 2/3 mild/sweet and 1/3 hot combination. It worked. 

The finished casserole was second-helping delicious in spite of having used 45 ounces instead of 38 ounces of cannellini beans. Those additional seven ounces absorbed more of the casserole's liquid 'gold' than I would have liked. Lesson learned.

The panko crust topping is made with extra-virgin olive oil, kosher salt, sliced green onion, and lemon zest. In retrospect, I am really glad I didn't second guess the use of lemon zest in the topping.

In a preheated 400 degree (F) oven the casserole (tightly covered is aluminum foil) is baked for 20 minutes. After removing the foil, it continues to bake for additional 10-15 minutes, giving time for the panko topping to brown. 

From beginning to end, this White Bean and Sausage Casserole comes together in about an hour. Making it the kind of dish you can be made on a weeknight or on the weekend.

This humble, yet luscious and hearty casserole is perfect cold weather comfort food. Having all of the deliciousness and beauty of a cassoulet, yet requiring very little time and effort, it is the kind of dish giving casseroles a good name. Although made with white wine, serve it with a great bottle (or two) or red wine. A Cabernet, Malbec, or Meritage would be great options. Considering this casserole is relatively inexpensive to make, go ahead and splurge a little on the wine. There are times when one needs to be pragmatic about how much to spend on a bottle of wine. This isn't one of them.

Recipe
White Bean and Sausage Casserole (adaptation of Yankee Magazine's recipe for White Bean and Sausage Casserole, January/February 2016)

Ingredients
Casserole
6 large garlic cloves
1 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 pound Italian sausage (combination of mild/sweet and hot), casing removed and torn into pieces
38 ounces cannellini (white kidney) beans, drained, washed under cold water, drained again (from 2 19 ounce cans or 2 1/2 15 ounce cans (Note: Total weight of cannellini beans should not exceed 38 ounces)
1 pound ripe tomatoes, cored and cubed (or one pound of whole canned tomatoes)
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1  Tablespoon fresh thyme leaves, chopped
1/2 cup chopped fresh flat leaf parsley
1/3 cup white wine (I used a chardonnay)

Topping
2 cups panko breadcrumbs
1 teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest
2 Tablespoons green onions, thinly sliced (or 1 Tablespoon minced fresh chives)
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
3-4 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees (F). 
2. Toss garlic cloves and 1 Tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil in a small ovenproof dish. Roast until garlic cloves are tender when pierced with a sharp knife (approximately 15-18 minutes). Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly. Chop garlic cloves and reserve oil.
3. Cook sausage over medium heat, until golden brown (approximately 10 minutes).
4. Stir in reserved olive oil, chopped garlic, parsley, thyme, beans, tomatoes, salt, and pepper. Cook over low heat for approximately 10 minutes.
5. Raise the heat to high, add the wine, then reduce to a simmer and cook for 3 minutes.
6. Transfer mixture to a casserole pan. Note: Casserole can be prepared up to the point, covered and refrigerated until ready to bake.
7. Mix together the panko breadcrumbs, lemon zest, green onions, kosher salt and extra-virgin olive oil. Note: Begin with 3 Tablespoons of olive oil, if panko crumbs do not seem adequately coated, slowly add the additional 1 Tablespoon.
8. Press topping into the casserole. 
9. Preheat oven to 400 degrees (F).
10. Tightly cover casserole with aluminum foil. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove foil and bake until topping is a golden brown and juices from the casserole are bubbling along the edges. Approximately 10-15 minutes. Remove from oven and serve.
Optional: Drizzle plated casserole with extra-virgin olive oil.