Cheesy Ham 'Gratin' Bake

With over 3lb of our Honey Baked Ham left (even with the best efforts of my family) I decided to take half home to our house after cooking Thanksgiving for everyone at my Mother in law's house...normally I'd leave all the leftovers, however this year there was so much meat (smoked turkey and ham) that I decided to purloin half a turkey breast and the ham, and today I've been thinking up recipes....tonight a ham, cheese and potato bake...it looks delicious going into the oven, so as I type my fingers are crossed for something yummy and totally satisfying....enjoy!

update.....delicious!

For 2 people
2 gratin dishes

• 1 cup cooked ham, diced
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1/2 cup grated aged swiss cheese
• 1/2 cup romano cheese, grated
• 1/2 cup mixed grated Italian cheese
• 1/2 medium onion sliced
• 1 large potato, peeled and thinly sliced ( I used side of grater)
• 4 sprigs of Thyme
• Salt and Pepper
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons of butter
• 1 tablespoon flour
• Approx 1 1/2 cups milk
• 1/2 cup Italian breadcrumbs

1. In a frying pan add the potatoes, thyme, onion and garlic - cover with water and a teaspoon of salt and bring to the boil. You are looking for the potatoes to be just cooked. Drain
2. Wash the frying pan as the potatoes drain and add a tablespoon of butter. Once melted on a low-medium heat gently fry off the potato mixture (remove the thyme springs now)
3. In a saucepan melt the other tablespoon of butter, then add the flour, cooking for about 2 minutes on a low/medium heat. Add 1/2 a cup of milk and keep stirring, once thickened add another 1/2 cup, contunue until you have a thick sauce. Add the swiss and romano cheeses, the mustard and salt and pepper to taste.
4. In a large bowl combine the cheese sauce, the ham and the potato mixture.
5. Add to two gratin dishes
6. Sprinkle with the Italian cheese mix
7. Sprinkle with the breadcrumbs and cook at 400 F for 20 minutes until bubbling and brown.

Clare's Super Beef Stew

My friend and her daughter arrive in Florida this week and I'm trying to get food cooked so that I can enjoy being with them rather than spend all the time in the kitchen. This Sunday we will be having this delicious beef stew which is a hybrid of my mothers recipe, homemade yorkshire puddings and veggies...yummy. PS..I'll add some pics on Sunday ;-)

Serves 4
Prep Time: 10 mins
Cooking time: 10mins prep, 2 1/2  hrs cooking

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 lbs lean stewing beef
• 1 large yellow onion medium diced
• 3 sticks of celery sliced at a diagonal in 2 " pieces
• 3 large carrots sliced at a diagonal in 2 " pieces
• 3 garlic cloves peeled and crushed
• 3 medium potatoes peeled and sliced in 1/4 thickness ( you can add more if you are not going to serve potatoes with your meal)
• 1/4 cup thyme leaves
• 1 cup red wine
• 2 cups beef stock, low sodium
• 1 tablespoon dijon mustard (I used Grey Poupon)
• 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
• kosher salt and ground pepper
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 tablespoons of all purpose flour

You will need a casserole dish that you can fry in then transfer to the oven, or a frying pan with a casserole dish. I use a Le Crueset casserole

1. Set oven at 300 F ( 150 C)
2. Cut meat into 2" pieces
3. Season well with salt and pepper
4. Coat the meat with the flour and shake off excess
5. Heat one tablespoon of oil at a medium hot heat.
6. Brown the meat on both sides, you are looking for a nice crust, don't cook through and don't crown pan as the meat wont brown. Once all meat done remove from casserole and turn heat down to medium.
7. Add rest of oil, heat and then add onion, celery, carrot, thyme. As you stir remember to scrape all the good bits off the bottom of the pan
8. When the onions have started to soften add the meat back to the casserole, then add the wine, stock, mustard and bay leaves. Bring to the boil, stir well and then cover with lid or foil and put in oven.
9. Cook for 2 hrs and then shut off oven and leave to cool down if you are going to eat another day. If not you can thicken if required with some corn starch (flour) and a little water - it depends how thick you want your stew.

We're having with Yorkshire Puddings, Roast Potatoes and Vegetables and all I have to do is take the stew out if the freezer now and heat up! Hurrah!

Enjoy!