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On Church Ladies and Shirley’s Pineapple Gratin

April 15, 2019 by chrissy@mythankfultable.com

Once upon a time, another life ago, I encountered this recipe at a church pot-luck supper. I am not sure how many churches still do this tradition, an event where people sign up and gather together with covered dishes and casseroles…that somehow end up working even though they contain potentially ingredients that may or may not work with the dish it is sitting next to. It’s alway’s somewhat magical, or maybe miraculous loaves and fishes style…there is enough food and enough diversity for all to share and break bread together, figuratively and literally.

This isn’t a post about religion. It is however, a post about family. The family you choose and make your own. I’m drawn to and want to be all about authenticity. Even though I am no longer a member of that church from long ago – there are women in my life today that still own a place in my heart. They are the most authentic, loving individuals. When you meet someone like the lady who shared this recipe with me…it isn’t so much about the side dish as it is about those who’s dish it is.

This recipe is easy and pineapple-y but cheese and crunchy. I know, sounds weird, right? It isn’t.

Think ham dinner with pineapple and Au Gratin potatoes. You put them on your plate and they go. Well, this recipe takes out the potato part. Or those of us who live in New England and eat cheddar cheese on top of apple pie. It works. This recipe is also topped with a crunchy, crumbly, buttery, ritz topping. It is a simple side for an Easter dinner, which, in my world is the only time I bake a big ham.

This recipe basically combines pineapple tidbits, shredded cheddar cheese, crushed cracker topping. SIMPLE. It’s something I throw together in a deep dish pie plate, and adds to round out the sides of the meal. It isn’t too sweet, its a warm fruity option at the table. Truth be told, I make it because it reminds me of sitting along side strong women who lifted me up as a young minister’s wife long ago.

I am so thankful for those women, those pot-luck suppers, and the way my life was made better by sharing meals and recipes. They shaped me to be who I am today.

I hope you enjoy this recipe, and as always, thank you for coming to the table!

Chrissy

Click below for a printable recipe.

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Shirley’s Pineapple Gratin

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This side dish combines sweet pineapple tidbits with melty cheddar cheese and is topped with buttery crunchy Ritz crackers. It is the essential side dish for a ham dinner, and makes for a great potluck addition!

Author: chrissy@mythankfultable.com original recipe from Shirley in Clarks Summit, PA

Ingredients

Scale

1 Can Pineapple Tidbits (you can also use crushed pineapple)
1 Cup White Sugar ( I have never tried light or dark brown sugar but I bet it would work well)
3 Tablespoons AP Flour
1 Cup Grated Sharp Cheddar Cheese
1/2 Sleeve Ritz crackers
4 Tablespoons Butter, melted

Instructions

Drain pineapple, reserve juice.
Combine sugar, flour, and pineapple.
Mix in cheddar cheese and incorporate.
Put in a baking dish. (I use a pie plate but it an be made in a bigger dish depending on if you double recipe)
Crush Ritz crackers and sprinkle on top of mixture, and then pour melted butter over the top of the crackers.
Bake at 350* for at least 30 minutes.

Mary’s (Sort of) Apple Cake

February 19, 2019 by chrissy@mythankfultable.com

This past year we were blessed at our school with the best intern anyone could ask for. When you work in a team, you count yourself lucky when every one who comes to the table (figuratively) is a contributing member.

In the world of primary education, we wear a lot of hats. We aren’t just teachers, we are so much more…but more on that in another post. You have to jump in with both feet and hit the ground running a lot of the time. You get a lot of great stories, and loving children is a gift in itself, but it’s like the ocean; you don’t turn your back on it.

When a new member joins the team, there is always that time period where you lean in and wonder if it is going to work. Then, you have someone like Mary who just fits right in, right away. Mary not only was kind, but also always did more than was expected, got the job done, and just grafted right into our school family (she is actually a first grade teacher in our building this year). Oh! and she shared this cake…which I then stole the recipe and made myself.

This recipe is the quintessential apple cake. Loaded with chunks of crisp apple and surrounded with cinnamon cake-y goodness, it is not only for autumn when the apples are abundant. I actually made this recipe in the spring, when the final snows were melting and it was time for the freshness of strawberries. To commit to a fall-is recipe when you can dream of sunshine and fresh berries says something!

This cake is one of those recipes that could be served for dessert, but is just as wonderful for breakfast with a cup of your favorite warm beverage. It is sweet, but in a naturally apple-y way.

The original recipe is from Burdick Orchards of New Hartford, Connecticut. Some differences between the original and my changes…

The original called for for more than a cup of oil, which I reduced by reducing the amount and adding applesauce to make up the difference. It also calls for sliced apples and for the cake to be baked in a rectangular baking pan. I changed up the recipe a bit, adding more apples, tweaking the oil; I also baked my cake in a bundt pan and chunked my apples for more texture.

This cake is so moist and flavorful, it doesn’t require a glaze or frosting. It doesn’t even need a dusting of confectioner’s sugar…though any of those would work. I loved that this versatile cake celebrates one of the best parts of New England, the season of apple picking. Yet, it can be made year round.

Just like our Mary, when you encounter something so precious, you tuck it away in your heart and are thankful the universe brings it to you.

I hope you enjoy this recipe. Thank you Mary for sharing! And as always, thank you for coming to the table!

Love,

Chrissy

Click below for a printable recipe.

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Mary’s (Sort of) Apple Cake

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This delicious, apple and cinnamony cake brings together all of the wonders of fall, although truth be told, the first time I made this was spring! Original recipe is from Burdick’s Orchard, with some alterations by myself.

Author: chrissy@mythankfultable.com

Ingredients

Scale

3 well-beaten Eggs
1/2 Cup Vegetable Oil
1 Cup unsweetened Applesauce
2 Cups of Sugar
3 Cups AP Flour
1 1/2 Teaspoon Baking Soda
1 Teaspoon Salt
3 Teaspoons Cinnamon
4 Cups chopped Apples
1 Cup Chopped Walnuts (if desired)
2 Teaspoons Vanilla

Instructions

Preheat oven to 325*
Prepare either a Bundt Pan or a 8 X 12″ pan with non stick spray.
Combine Eggs, Vegetable Oil, Apple Sauce, and Sugar and Vanilla.
Sift together Flour, Baking Soda, Salt, Cinnamon.
Add Flour mixture to Egg mixture.
Add Chopped Apple, and Nuts (if desired).
Pour batter into prepared pan and bake at 325*
Bake for 45 minutes or until cake tester comes out clean.
Serve plain or with whipped, sour, or vanilla ice cream.

Chicken and Dumplings

March 21, 2018 by chrissy@mythankfultable.com

Chicken and Dumplings

Wait, what? Another round of snow? My calendar says it is officially Spring. Oh well, welcome to life in New England. Better make some comfort food for supper!

Chicken and Dumplings is one of those dishes that screams out “Comfort Food!” It is a combination of chunks of chicken and sautéed vegetables served in a broth that has been slightly thickened by square pillows of dough.

The dumplings in and of themselves are a wonder. Quickly mixed and rolled out, the dough is cut into squares and actually cooks in the broth. This creates two things: The broth is thickened and the dumplings take on the broth flavor as they cook.

Chicken and Dumplings

Now, if you do not like doughy things (and are we friends if you don’t?), this may not be the recipe for you. Dumplings are soft thicker noodles. They are tender and have an entirely different texture which contradicts the protein of the chicken and the tooth of the mostly cooked carrots.

Now the chicken. I use tenderloin or tenders, because it is easier. I left mine whole. You can chunk yours up if you want. I wanted easy. Leaving them as is, was easy. That is why you give your eaters forks and knives. They can cut up their own chicken. (I crack myself up).

While this type of meal may not be a regular on our rotation, I think because it isn’t, my family enjoyed it immensely. It is definitely a comfort food for cold winter nights. It is even better the next day, as the dumplings continue to soak up the broth and get bigger and more tender.

The dumplings are the hardest part in that you have to mix and roll out the dough. Technically this can be accomplished in the time you would order, drive through, pay, and pick up your fast food. I’m not joking. Mix, roll, cut.

So, it isn’t like you are giving up a night for this meal. It actually comes together much faster than you would imagine, and you can pat yourself on the back and give yourself a hug for doing something so cool as making your own dumplings. You go thankful table maker, you.

In a world where a little bit of comfort served in a bowl is a small but big gift, I am thankful I could share this recipe with you.

I hope you enjoy this recipe, and as always, thank you for coming to the table.

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Chicken and Dumplings

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Author: chrissy@mythankfultable.com

Ingredients

Scale

2 Pounds Chicken Tenders
1 Cup Chopped Carrots
1/2 Cup Chopped Onions
24 Ounces of Chicken Broth
1 Package frozen Peas

Dumplings:

2 Cups AP Flour
3/4 Teaspoon Baking Powder
3 Tablespoons Butter
1/2 Teaspoon Salt
1 Cup Milk

Instructions

In a large pan, saute onions and carrots in a little bit of oil. Sauce until soft.
Remove vegetables and add chicken tenders, cooking until golden brown.
Add carrots, onions, and peas to the pan, add chicken broth and simmer.
In a bowl, combine ingredients for dumplings until combined.
Turn out dumpling dough onto a floured surface and roll until 1/4″ thickness.
Slice dough into 2X2″ squares or larger/smaller if desired.
When broth is simmering, slowly add dumplings to the pan, turning to make sure cooked.
Allow dumplings to cook for approx. ten minutes, serve.

Cheesy Skillet Cornbread

September 14, 2017 by chrissy@mythankfultable.com

Whisking Egg Whites

There is something about the fall season, and the need to pull out the crock pot and make a big bowl of soup or chili, hearty and rich, with a ton of flavor. It just seems like the right thing to prepare when you are getting ready for work in the morning and hear the Canadian Geese flying overhead, or catch a glimpse of color in the trees as you head home. It’s coming, and soon.

Autumn in New England is one of the greatest gifts on this earth. Everywhere you look the world is awash in color. My world smells different in fall. Crunchy leaves, apple crisp, bonfires, and pumpkin spice everything, from coffee to room deodorizer.

In our house, if you make chili, you serve it with sour cream, shredded cheese, hot sauce, and these cute little cornbreads that I buy from the grocery store.

Wait, WHAT? I BUY my cornbread? Well, yes, usually I do. Because it’s scary to make and its so easy to buy. I buy the good ones, you know, that the grocery store bakery people make…it’s not the same, right? No?

Cornbread Mixture

OK, I was blog-shamed into making my own cornbread.

And I learned, guess what? It wasn’t that hard after all. Now, it wasn’t buy-the-box-mix-add-eggs easy, but it wasn’t give-birth- without-an-epidural hard either. It was actually no where near as hard as the things an average person would have to deal with, and hey, if you are doing this on the weekend, in fall, it just seems right. Then you too can boast you made your own cornbread to the “ooohs” and “aaahs” of the crowd.

The hardest part of this recipe was whipping the egg whites, which, yes, I did by hand. (More blog shame) I will, moving forward, pop the whisk attachment into the Kitchen Aid and let that beast make the peaks out of those whites.

Skillet Cornbread

After combining the ingredients, whip the whites, gently fold, and pour into a prepared Cast Iron Skillet.

Oh yes, I did use a cast iron skillet. I told you, I was in for a penny in for a pound for this recipe.

Once upon a time this skillet went camping, now it lives on my baking shelves.

For such a time as this.

If you don’t own cast iron, a brownie or cake pan will work equally as well. You can also bake it in a deep dish pie plate and make glorious wedges of cornbread…and who doesn’t like fancy once in a while?

I liked the way the cast iron made a crunchier crust on the bottom of the bread, and gave it that little extra rustic feel. This was served with white chicken chili (recipe coming soon), and it just looked snazzy on the table.

As for the flavor, this recipe calls for buttermilk, and cheddar cheese, so you know there was

Cheesy Skillet Cornbread

potential for success. The separating of the eggs and the lightness of the whites, it was this light, sweet, cheesy concoction of goodness. The flip side is, cornbread has a certain hearty expectation, served with a denser soup like chili, it needs to be dense but not brownie like in consistency, and this delivered.

It was delicious with supper, and it was delicious for breakfast the next day. I served it warm with fresh butter and even my preserves got a spot at the table.

Sweet enough but not too sweet, this bread really met right in the middle in the realm of texture, density, sweetness, and flavor. It was a win.

I guess I won’t be buying the cornbread at the bakery counter at my grocery store anymore!

Cheesy Skillet Cornbread Square

I hope you enjoy this recipe, and as always, thank you for coming to the table!

Chrissy

(click below for printable recipe)

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Cheesy Skillet Cornbread

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Delicious cheese cornbread baked in a cast iron skillet for a golden brown crust. Perfect on its own or with a bowl of chili!

Author: chrissy@mythankfultable.com

Ingredients

Scale

4 Eggs, yolks and whites separated
1 Cup Buttermilk
1 tsp Almond or Vanilla Extract
1 1/2 Cup Cornmeal
1 1/2 Cup Flour
3/4 Cup Melted Butter
3/4 Cup Granulated Sugar
1 TBSP Baking Powder
1 tsp Salt
1 Cup Shredded Cheddar Cheese

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350* and spray a Cast Iron Skillet with cooking spray.
In one bowl, combine Melted Butter, Egg Yolks, Milk, and Extract of choice. Stir until combined
Add Flour, Cornmeal, Sugar, Baking Powder, and Salt and mix.
In a separate bowl, whip Egg Whites until stiff peaks form.
Fold Egg Whites into Cornmeal mixture.
Pour mixture into prepared Cast Iron Skillet.
Bake at 350* for 25-30 minutes.

Chicken Tenderloins with Wilted Cherry Tomatoes and Baby Spinach

September 11, 2017 by chrissy@mythankfultable.com

Chicken Tenderloins with Cherry Tomatoes and Wilted Baby Spinach

The school year is back into full swing, sports schedules are busy, this blog post was supposed to be finished this morning, and oh wait, I still need to feed my family. While I typically prep meals for the week on Sunday, I plan ahead through Wednesday and plan on the remainder of the week being leftovers, or quick meals such as this one.

One pan, small ingredient list, simple on its own or over pasta or with a side of rice. That’s the type of supper that works in our house.

Now, this can be jazzed up with small pieces of fresh mozzarella, or with a cream sauce, additional vegetables, or even finely minced garlic. However, this meal is, as I said, simple. There is a beauty to such a meal on a Monday night, say after a long day of work after an already busy weekend, and a first field hockey game of the season. Not drive through easy, but way more healthy and absolutely more delicious. Also, the leftovers can be tossed into a salad for lunch tomorrow.

For this recipe, I had 1-2 pounds of chicken tenderloins, rinsed and patted dry. Salt and pepper chick while pan is heating over medium heat. In a large frypan (mine is actually wok shaped with a flat bottom…one of the best pans I own) a little olive oil – and saute the tenderloins until browned. When done, toss in a handful of cherry tomatoes (as much or as little as you want) and let cook for a few minutes until wilted. Throw in two cups of baby spinach and toss until wilted.

At this point, you can add baby fresh mozzarella, basil, Alfredo sauce, whatever you choose to spice things up. My family prefers this as is, with angel hair pasta on the side. A salad, and you are good to go. If you are adding in the extra carbs, a soft loaf of crusty Italian bread would be magical.

chicken tenderloin with cherry tomatoes

Not every recipe needs to be complicated in order to be delicious. Like in life, sometimes less is more. Be it items on the to do list, loads of laundry to complete, personalities of the people around you, or supper ingredients. You get the picture.

I hope you enjoy this recipe, and as always, thank you for coming to the table!

Chrissy

click below for printable recipe

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Chicken Tenderloins with Wilted Cherry Tomatoes and Baby Spinach

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Simple chicken tenderloins sauted with cherry tomatoes and wilted baby spinach! Delicious and easy.

Author: chrissy@mythankfultable.com

Ingredients

Scale

1–2 pounds chicken tenderloins, washed and patted dry
salt (to taste)
pepper (to taste)
1–2 Cups of Cherry Tomatoes
2 Cups Baby Spinach

Instructions

In a good sized fry pan, saute chicken tenderloins in olive oil, season with salt and pepper to taste (at this point you could add any seasoning you would like)
Saute until golden brown.
Add cherry tomatoes and cook for a few minutes until they start to wilt.
Add baby spinach, and toss with chicken to wilt.
Serve