Anna Sultana’s Lobster Quiche / Red Lobster Cheddar Bay Biscuits, Cheese Biscuits in a loaf, Shrimp Scampi, Crab-Stuffed Mushrooms / Chocolate Truffles / Valentine's Day

 

Crab-Stuffed Mushrooms

Goodness! Valentine’s Day is next week!
I mean, wasn’t Christmas last week?
It sure feels like it was.

Oh, well… those planning to go to a favourite restaurant have, hopefully, made reservations.
But not everyone wants to go that route.
Celebrate, sure, but for many - especially after following restrictions during the past few Covid-19 years - restaurants have lost their appeal.
It wasn’t that long ago we had to prove we lived in the same house to be able to sit at the same table.


Well, food in restaurants are prepared by humans following recipes.
Recipes that can be followed by everyone.
And, if you cook at home, you won’t need to worry about masks and restrictions.

Hints:



About the Lobster Quiche…
You can also add diced peppers and chopped mushrooms.



About the Red Lobster Cheddar Bay Biscuits…
Eight large biscuits can fit on a baking sheet. If you’re making smaller biscuits, prepare another baking sheet and make each biscuit about 1/4 cup.
Place the biscuits in the oven as soon as possible after placing them on the baking sheet. Biscuits that wait before going into the oven do not plump up as high as they could.

About the Red Lobster Cheese Biscuits in a Loaf…
The flour coating helps prevent the cheese from sinking to the bottom of the loaf.
Slice and enjoy slathered with butter, or serve with fruit jelly or cheese and a cup of tea.



About the Red Lobster Shrimp Scampi…

Allow the pan to cool before adding butter. If the pan is too hot the butter will separate.


About the Chocolate Truffles…
Don't have sweetened condensed milk? No problem. Place in a saucepan
1/2 Cup butter
1 Cup sugar
1/2 Cup evaporated milk
Heat, stirring, until the butter has melted.
Let mixture cool for 10 minutes before using.

                       Lobster Quiche

Preheat the oven to 425º F

Place on a cookie sheet
9 inch frozen pie crust in a pie pan
Place cookie sheet and pie pan in oven and bake for 15 minutes.
Remove both from the oven and lower heat to 300º F

While the crust is baking place in a medium bowl
2 eggs
Beat eggs and add
3/4 Cup milk
1/3 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Dash of parsley flakes
Mix well.

Place and spread in prebaked pie crust on cookie sheet
3 ounces lobster meat, chopped
5 ounces Swiss cheese, shredded
1/4 Cup onion, minced
Pour egg / milk mixture over food in pie crust and return sheet and pan to oven.
Bake for 35 to 45 minutes or until knife inserted an inch from the edge comes out clean.
Let quiche stand 15 minutes before serving.


                       Red Lobster Cheddar Bay Biscuits

Place parchment paper on a large baking sheet.

Place in a microwave-safe medium bowl
1/2 Cup butter
Heat until butter is melted.
Set aside to cool slightly.

Place in a large mixing bowl
2 Cups flour
1 Tablespoon sugar
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1 Tablespoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
Whisk until well combined.

Preheat oven to 425° F

Add to the melted butter
1 Cup whole milk
Stir well.
Pour the liquids over the dry ingredients. Stir until just combined. Do not over mix.
Add
8 ounces mild (or sharp) Cheddar cheese, grated
Fold in until cheese is evenly distributed.

Scoop about 1/2 cup of dough and drop onto baking sheet.
Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until biscuits are just barely golden brown.

While biscuits are baking place in a microwave-safe small bowl
1/4 Cup butter
Heat until butter is melted.
Take out and add
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
Stir to combine well.
Remove biscuits from the oven and brush with butter / parsley mixture.
Serve hot.



                       Red Lobster Cheese Biscuits in a loaf

Grease a 9 × 5 inch loaf pan

Cut into 1/4 inch cubes
4 ounces Cheddar cheese
Set aside.

Place in a large mixing bowl
3 Cups flour
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/8 teaspoon black pepper
Whisk together, then stir in the cheese cubes.
Carefully stir until cubes are covered in flour.

Preheat oven to 350º F

Place in a medium mixing bowl

1 1/4 Cups milk

3/4 Cup sour cream

3 Tablespoons butter, melted

1 large egg, lightly beaten
Whisk together until well blended.
Fold the liquid mixture into the flour / cheese mixture.
Stir until just combined. Do not over stir. Pour batter into the loaf pan.
Bake for 45 to 50 minutes.
Let cool 10 minutes and then remove loaf from pan.
Allow to cool for one hour before slicing and serving.



                       Red Lobster Shrimp Scampi

Squeeze for the juice
1/2 fresh lemon
Set juice aside.

Place in a large skillet
1 Tablespoon olive oil
Heat over medium heat. Add
1 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
Cook until tender and no longer translucent, then reduce heat.
Remove shrimp and set aside. Add
2 Tablespoons garlic, finely chopped
Cook 2 to 3 minutes. Do not allow garlic to brown. Add 

1 1/2 Cups white wine, such as Chardonnay

the fresh lemon juice
Cook until wine is reduced by half. After it is reduced add

1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
Reduce heat to low, then add 

1/2 Cup softened butter
Add the cooked shrimp to the sauce, then add

1 Tablespoon dried parsley
Stir together and season to taste with salt and pepper.
Sprinkle with
1/2 Cup grated Parmesan cheese


                       Red Lobster Crab-Stuffed Mushrooms

Butter a baking pan

Finely chop enough to make
1/4 Cup celery
2 Tablespoons onions
2 Tablespoons red bell peppers

Wash mushrooms and remove stems of
1 pound fresh mushrooms
Set caps aside, and chop half of the stems.

Heat in large frying pan
2 Tablespoons butter
Add chopped mushroom stems, celery, onions and red bell peppers
Sauté for 2 minutes. Transfer to a medium bowl and cool for about an hour.

Slice into enough pieces to have a piece for each mushroom cap
6 slices white cheddar cheese

Add to the sautéed vegetables
1/2 pound crab meat, chopped
2 Cups oyster crackers, crushed
1 large egg
1/2 Cup water
1/2 Cup Cheddar cheese, shredded
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
Mix well.

Preheat oven to 400º F

Place mushroom caps in buttered baking pan stem side up.
Spoon 1 teaspoon of stuffing in each mushroom cap.
Cover each cap with a piece of sliced cheese.
Bake for 12 to 15 minutes until cheese is lightly browned.



                       Chocolate Truffles

Yield: 6 dozen truffles

Place in a large saucepan
3 Cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 (14 ounce can) sweetened condensed milk
Stirring regularly, cook over low heat until chocolate melts.
Remove from heat and stir in 

1 Tablespoon vanilla

Pour into a medium bowl, cover and chill 2 to 3 hours, or until firm.

Shape into 1 inch balls and roll in any of
finely chopped toasted nuts, flaked coconut, chocolate or coloured sprinkles, unsweetened cocoa, confectioners’ sugar or coloured sugars
Chill 1 hour, or until firm.

                                                                                ~~~
In 2004 the gang at CKUW’s ‘2000 & Counting’ decided to give their mature views on Valentine’s Day. I was a mere child of 53, but they allowed me to add my two cents worth to the presentation. Now that I’m 72 I find that some of the ideas are still good.
Wishing you and yours a lovely Valentine’s Day!


Ah, February in Manitoba. Time to heat things up with Valentine's Day. The love in the air is as thick as exhaust fog. Hurrah for L' Amour! If saying L' Amour reminds you of Dorothy, Bing and Bob going on a road to someplace exotic then you've probably eaten your own weight in Valentine chocolates.

And you have the love handles to prove it.

Lighten up. Really. Celebrating love doesn't require a ten course dinner followed by a honking big high-fat dessert. We've just eaten through the holiday season. We all have more cholesterol and sugar flowing through our veins than we need.

Remember those resolutions?

Maybe the poet had the right idea when he wrote, A loaf of bread, a jug of wine and thou. All you need to add is a lovely country location. Picture it. You and your sweetie enjoying an easy on the waistline picnic. Then, for dessert, laying back and watching the fluffy white clouds floating on the breeze.

Okay… This is Manitoba, where the wind comes sweeping down the plain and can freeze skin in less than two minutes. Let's get real. This is not the time anyone sane sits in the snow.


But, by golly, this is a new millennium. If you're like me, you've followed traditions for over fifty years. It just may be time for a change from the dinner out, followed by a show rut. Why dinner? This is Valentine's Day, not a fundraiser. Are you having a guest speaker? Do you need to plan seating for 500? Do you think love only blooms under candlelight?

Think outside the box.

Why not celebrate with a special lunch or breakfast? It's February. The mornings are dark. The moon doesn't set until 10:00 a.m. Face your chairs west and start humming When the moon hits your eye like a big pizza pie. Think of Cher in the movie Moonstruck. Who knows what can develop after a candlelit breakfast of buckwheat pancakes, an egg white omelet and mimosas?

And what about that show after your Valentine feast? No problem. Can you say matinee? Let's be honest. Comfortable chairs and darkened theatres have put more than one senior Romeo - or Juliet - to sleep. Please, we hear enough snoring at home. We want to stay awake, see the show, do some cuddling and finish the popcorn. Give yourself a fighting chance. Early or late, the show's the same. Go early.

Life is complicated today. Meetings, odd work shifts, Sunday shopping and relatives, both young and old, have made life a scheduling nightmare. Can your daughter help it if her mother-in-law's birthday is on February 14? Have pity on the girl and go to the family gathering. You already have 20 hours of must-do activities scheduled for the big day. You're seeing red, and not in heart shapes.

Think VCRs. If you can tape and enjoy a show at your leisure then surely you can pick another day for a private celebration. I have friends who toasted the New Year on January first while watching the ball drop on The Tonight Show rerun at 9:00 p.m. Your sweetie is a reasonable soul, right? Be different. It's legal. The Valentine police will not come pounding at your door.

Te quiero.
Je t'aime.
S'ayapo.
Ich liebe dich.

There are many ways to say I love you and to celebrate.
Happy Valentine's Day and enjoy!

Anna Sultana’s Quiche Lorraine & Pat-in Pie Crust / Mercury Goes Direct

In a couple of days Mercury will go direct.

For those who know about these things, that’s a good thing. 

Well, there may be something to that idea.

I mean, I don’t think that even planets find it easy to go backwards.

Some people just love to look back and to talk about the “good old days”.

Well, sometimes the stuff we did in the past was downright dumb.

It’s hard to believe, but in 1982 there was a book named Real Men Don't Eat Quiche by American author, Bruce Feirstein.

On the New York Times Best Seller list for 55 weeks, it sold over 1.6 million copies.

Real Men was meant to be a humorous book, focusing on the worries of middle class men who just didn’t know how they were supposed to act when feminists were becoming more a part of the mainstream.

Yeah, I know, men confused by feminists’ wanting to be treated fairly… Big yucks…

So much for the 80s being a great time.

With a name like quiche many people thought it was a French recipe, something really fancy, not for simple, meat-and-potatoes type of folks.

Nothing could be further from the truth.

The English - the creators of meat-and-potatoes dishes - have been eating eggs and cream in pastry at least as early as the 14th century, while the Italians have been making dishes like this as far back as the 13th century.

As you might expect, a recipe that’s been around for a few hundred years has seen a lot of variations. In addition to the eggs and cream and / or milk, it can include cheese, vegetables, meat or seafood.

It's a handy way to make use of bits and leftovers one usually finds in any kitchen.

As you can see, there's nothing fancy about this recipe at all.

A few of the most popular combinations are:

quiche au fromage (quiche with cheese) 

quiche aux champignons (quiche with mushrooms)

quiche florentine (quiche with spinach) 

quiche provençale (quiche with tomatoes)

But it’s definitely not limited to those mixtures.

My Ma often made a Greek Spinach Cheese Quiche, using Feta cheese.

She made a Mushroom and Ham Quiche when she had ham leftover from the holidays.

Quiche Lorraine, named after the Lorraine region of France, originally was an open pie with eggs, cream and lardons (fatty bacon or pork fat). 

Modern recipes can also include mature cheeses, such as Cheddar cheese, and vegetables, while the lardons have been replaced by regular bacon.

Hints:

Quiches are perfect for brunches or light suppers, as well as for when a friend or two have popped in for a casual visit that's lasted until mealtime.

Quiches can be made in advance and frozen. Ma kept a few in the freezer so she'd have something easy for when the relatives hadn't notice how late they had stayed.

Quiche Lorraine is a recipe that is very accommodating.

Instead of the Swiss cheese you can use Gruyère or Cheddar. 

You can also add sautéed onion, leeks or shallots to the filling.

Or you can add whatever else is beginning to look a bit sad in your crisper.

Have chives in your garden? 

Finely chop enough fresh chives to make 4 teaspoons to replace the onion powder.

Want to avoid the eggs and dairy?

Make a vegan quiche with spinach, onions or green onions, and green herbs like dill, parsley or celery, olive oil and a little wheat flour. Top off with leeks, chard and / or sorrel, then bake until the top vegetables are a bit crisp. 

You can also use tofu instead of the cheese, or your favourite pastry recipe or a frozen pie shell instead of the pat-in crust.

About the pat-in pie crust recipe below:

If baking an empty shell: prick and bake 15 minutes at 425º F. 

If baking it with a filling: use the filling's instructions

If you’re using the pat-in pie crust to make a dessert pie that’s being baked with a filling you could use this crumb topping:

1/4 Cup brown sugar

1/2 Cup flour

1/4 Cup margarine

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Mix together and sprinkle over the filling in the pastry-lined pie pan and bake.

You can also double or quadruple the ingredients and store what’s left in a covered container in the refrigerator for topping other pies.

                                                Pat-in Pie Crust

Place in a 9-inch pie pan 

1 1/2 Cups flour

1 1/2 teaspoons sugar         

3/4 teaspoon salt

Mix together.

Place in a measuring cup 

1/2 cup oil

3 tablespoons cold milk

Beat together until creamy.

Add the liquid mixture to the flour mixture and blend well.

Spread the mixture in the pan and pat in to line the pan.

Set aside.

                                                Quiche Lorraine

Cook 4 slices bacon.

Cool slightly and chop the cooked bacon.

Shred enough Swiss cheese to make 1 Cup.

Place the oven rack in the centre of the oven. 

Preheat oven to 325°F

Place in a medium bowl

4 large eggs

1/4 teaspoon salt 

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1 Tablespoon onion powder, more or less

3/4 Cup 18% light cream

1/4 Cup milk

Beat together. 

Sprinkle the prepared bacon and cheese over the pie crust.

Pour the egg mixture over the bacon and cheese. 

Bake for 35 to 40 minutes (the filling is set but still jiggles slightly in the centre) 

Remove from oven, place on a wire rack and let stand for 15 minutes.

Serve warm or at room temperature. 

If you’d like to make it more of a meal, serve it with a salad.

About the sky, thanks to the folks at The Farmers' Almanac…

August 18—First Quarter Moon at 3:48 a.m. In this phase, the Moon looks like a half-Moon — one-half of the Moon is illuminated by direct sunlight while the illuminated part is increasing, on its way to full.

August 19—Mercury is no longer in retrograde, instead goes direct at 12:25 a.m.

August 20—As darkness falls, look for Saturn well to the lower left of a 75% illuminated gibbous Moon. Saturn can be easily located by going out in late twilight and looking south-southeast at the beginning of August, or due south around month’s end. Saturn is the bright “star” roughly a third of the way up in the sky; the farther south you are the higher it will be. Later in the evening, Saturn swings low to the southwest. Below Saturn is the Teapot in Sagittarius. The pot starts August upright during twilight, then gradually tilts as if pouring in the following hours and weeks.

August 22—A wide gibbous Moon can be found sailing far above Mars, which dominates the sky east of Saturn. Fresh from last month’s opposition and close approach to Earth, Mars is still very bright and fiery. But it fades noticeably during August.

Anna Sultana’s Greek Spinach & Cheese Quiche

My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2 just premiered.

Of course everyone in Winnipeg is cheering for our local celebrity, Nia Vardalos, who wrote and starred in the movie!

Vardalos also wrote and starred in the 2002 film, My Big Fat Greek Wedding.

If you loved that film - and just about everybody did - you’ll love her new movie.

Winnipeg is the sort of town where, if you’ve just met someone, within five minutes of conversation you’re sure to mention someone you both know.

All you have to do is volunteer, or get out the house, and you’ll meet someone who knows someone, who knows someone you both know.

Really, it always happens.

Back in 2012 I posted about when my folks had visited us in 1993.

It was August and Folklorama was in full swing, so we took them to enjoy the show and food at the Greek pavilion in St. Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church.

I’d still swear that Nia Vardalos was one of the performers that night.

So, anyone who went to the Greek pavilion back then could say they’ve seen Nia and, through Folklorama, they’re one degree of separation from Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson.

Ah, Winnipeg… land of the stars!

When we visit the Greek pavilion, and whenever we find a Greek restaurant or place in a food court, I love to get spanakopita.

It is a bit of a job to make as the filling is wrapped in phyllo dough or puff pastry.

To make phyllo nice and crispy you have to smear butter or olive oil over the layers.

I try to keep it to a monthly treat.

The pastry wasn’t a dietary problem when I was younger.

Now… problem.

Okay, let’s think this through…

Adjustments in everything must be made as one gets older.

And adjustments sometimes have to be made to recipes.

In a way spanakopita is like the Maltese recipe Timpana, a macaroni casserole with an layer of puff pastry on top.

For those who are cutting back on carbs there’s a variation which doesn't have the pastry, Imqarrun il-forn.

The basic goodness of spanakopita comes from its filling of spinach and feta cheese.

Okay, focus on the good: spinach and feta cheese, preferable low fat cheese.

It can be done without the pastry.

Hints:

If you’d like to have a meal without doubling up on the quiche, serve with a salad.

All you need to turn a tomato salad into a Greek salad is to add sliced cucumber, a bit of red onion and a few kalamata olives, then dress it with olive oil.

You could top it with some crumbled feta cheese.

A glass of ouzo would be nice, too.

Want to avoid the eggs and dairy?

You can also make a vegan version of quiche, which is usually eaten during the Great Lent and other religious fasts.

It is made with spinach, onions or green onions, and green herbs like dill, parsley or celery, olive oil and a little wheat flour.

The mixture is then oven-baked until crisp. 

You can also use tofu instead of cheese.

This can also be made with less spinach, just top off the vegetable part with leeks, chard and / or sorrel.

These substitutions would also work in a spanakopita.

                        Greek Spinach & Cheese Quiche

Thaw in a bowl
600 grams frozen chopped spinach

Squeeze and drain off the liquid and set the spinach aside. 

Crumble into a measuring cup 

Feta cheese

You need to have 4 Cups of crumbled cheese.

Set  aside.

Preheat oven to 350° F

Place in an 8 inch square pan

2 Tablespoons butter or margarine

Place the pan in the oven to melt the butter, about 2 minutes.

Remove the pan and swirl the butter around to cover the pan’s bottom and sides.

Set aside.

While the pan is in the oven, place in a large mixer bowl  

3 large eggs

Beat until mixed.

Add

1 Cup flour
1 Cup milk
1 teaspoon baking powder 

Beat until blended.

Stir in

the drained spinach

the crumbled feta cheese

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 Tablespoon dried minced onion (or 2 teaspoons onion powder)

Stir until blended. 

Pour the mixture into the prepared pan.

Bake 35 minutes. 

Remove pan from the oven and let stand 15 minutes.

Cut into squares and serve.

Anna Sultana’s Frittatas (Easy eggs / brunch recipe)

Father’s Day is next week.

We’re living in the twenty-first century.

Some Moms are also the Dads in their families.

And they deserve to be honoured for everything they do.

Frittata is an Italian dish similar to an omelette or crustless quiche.

It has additional ingredients such as meats, cheeses, vegetables or pasta. 

Frittata means "egg-cake”.

Cake - perfect for a celebration!

Frittatas can be baked the night before and refrigerated. 

Just reheat in the microwave for a quick breakfast and enjoy your day.

Frittatas are also great as a snack or appetizer.

                        Frittatas

Chop enough to make

3/4 Cup zucchini

1/4 Cup red bell pepper

2 Tablespoons red onion

Shred enough to make

1 Cup Cheddar cheese 

Grease 12 muffin cups

Preheat to 350° F 

Place in medium bowl  

6 eggs

1/2 Cup milk

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon pepper

Beat until blended. 

Add the chopped vegetables and shredded cheese.

Mix well. 

Spoon about 1/4 cup each into muffin cups.

Bake 20 to 22 minutes. 

Cool on rack 5 minutes. 

Remove from cups.

Serve warm.

Anna Sultana’s Mushroom and Ham Quiche

Quiche was popular in the 1970s.

Then there was that ‘Real men don’t eat quiche’ phase.

Yeah, well, quiche is perfect for when you have houseguests and want to enjoy their company while a brunch is baking in the oven.

Some folks invite friends and family to visit for Easter.

Need I say more?

Holidays were always a busy time for my Ma.

Like most immigrant families we loved to gather together for holidays.

Having an all-in-one dish brunch in the oven was a help for Ma while she was taking care of last minute details.

Ma's Torta ta' l-Irkotta is an even easier brunch dish to make.

This healthier Pizza Rustica is also a favourite for a light meal.

Carmela’s Pizza Rustica (Pizza Gaina and/or Easter Pie) is a cheesecake in a latticed crust which is very similar, but more of a dinner meal.

Although you could serve it, in smaller slices, earlier in the day.

Whatever...  Enjoy the brunch and your company!!

Hints:

If the dough mixture seems dry, add a spoon or two of ice water.

If you want to save time, you can use frozen puff pastry, thawed.

If you're trying to cut the fat you can use my pie crust recipe.  

Have leftover cooked ham?

You can use a cup or two of chopped leftover cooked ham.
Don't let a 'too small for a serving' bit go to waste.

The wrapped leftover pie can be refrigerated for up to 3 days. 

                        Mushroom & Ham Quiche

Serves 6 - 8

Place in a large bowl

2 Cups flour

Make a well and add

2 Eggs

Work the mixture with your fingers or a fork.

Add

1/2 Cup butter, at room temperature

grated zest of 1 lemon

1/4 Cup red wine (or fruit juice or water)

1/4 teaspoon salt

Blend together.  

Form the dough into a ball.  

Let it rest, covered, for 1 hour.

Grease and flour a 9 inch pie plate.

Roll out the dough and line the pan.

The Filling

Heat in a large skillet over medium heat

1 teaspoon oil 

Add

1/2 pound fresh mushrooms, sliced

Cook, stirring, 6 minutes or until mushrooms are lightly browned.

Remove from heat.  Stir in

1 ham steak (about 1/2 pound), cubed

Spoon into the crust lined pie plate.

Top with

8 ounces mozzarella, chopped

1/2 Cup freshly grated Romano or Parmesan cheese

Place the oven rack in the middle of the oven.

Preheat oven to 425º F

Beat together in a large bowl

1 Tablespoon finely chopped fresh thyme leaves (1 teaspoon dried)

5 eggs

2/3 Cup milk

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Pour mixture over the ingredients in the pie plate.

Bake 15 minutes. 

Reduce oven temperature to 350ºF.

Bake 30 minutes or until knife inserted in centre comes out clean.
Let stand 10 minutes before cutting to serve.

Carmela Soprano's Potato Pie

Okay... 

You now know about the great Maltese comfort food.

Ross il-Forn

Baked Rice.

A one dish meal.

A miracle.

But Maltese eat more than just rice and pasta.

Malta produces a surplus of potatoes.  

Enough to export to other countries, primarily Holland.

So there.

In the Come to My Home chapter of Carmela's Entertaining with The Sopranos, Carmela has a recipe for Potato Pie. 

It's another one dish meal, using potatoes.

A lot of cheese and a bit of meat go into it. 

An oldie from Tony's button days.

An oldie but a goodie.

                             

                              Potato Pie

grease well an oven casserole (2 1/2-quart size)     

preheat oven to 400º  after potatoes are boiled       

bake 50 minutes

Place in a large saucepan

3 pounds red potatoes, peeled and quartered

Add cold water to cover.

Cover pot and bring to a boil.

Simmer over medium-low heat until potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes.

Drain and transfer to a large bowl.

Mash potatoes.

Stir in

1 Cup warm milk

6 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

1/2 Cup grated Romano cheese

2 large eggs, beaten

salt and pepper to taste

Add

4 ounces fresh mozzarella, chopped

4 ounces smoked (or more fresh) mozzarella, chopped

4 ounces sliced prosciutto or salami, chopped

Mix well.

Scrape the mixture into the oven casserole.

Smooth the top.

Sprinkle on top

2 Tablespoons grated Romano cheese

Bake, until it's browned around the edges.

Let cool 15 minutes before serving.

Serve with a salad or cooked vegetable.

Would I make Potato Pie again?

Sure.

With Parmesan cheese.

And only fresh mozzarella.

Just saying.

Think of it as a heavier quiche.

See, we do eat more than pasta.

Another recipe down.  Twenty more to go.