Fanny’s Lamb and Spinach Casserole

Cooking from the family archives

I'm cooking my way through my late mother in law's shoebox of recipes which I inherited, and I'm finding lots of comfort food.  Fanny was very health conscious and a great cook; a great combo to make an interesting recipe shoe box.
1 large onion, sliced
1 4-oz can mushrooms pieces, drained
1 lb ground lamb
1/4 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp coriander

2 Tbsp flour
1 cup milk
5 oz fresh baby spinach leaves, lightly chopped
2 eggs
1-1/2 cup Swiss cheese, cut into small pieces

Preheat oven to 350F. Brown the onions and mushrooms in a skillet with a dash of olive oil.

Salt and pepper to taste. After about 8-10 minutes, add the lamb and brown well - about another 8-10 minutes. Stir in the cumin and coriander and cook another minute.

Add the flour to the mixture and cook 2-3 minutes. Then add the milk and bring to a gentle boil. Add the spinach and simmer mixture until the spinach just wilts a bit and the the sauce thickens.

Whisk the eggs in a medium bowl. Add about 1 cup of the spinach mixture to the eggs, stirring, to temper the eggs. Now fold in the egg mixture into the spinach mixture off the heat.

Oil a medium (13x9-inch) casserole and tip the spinach mixture into the casserole. Top with the cheese.

Bake covered for about 30 minutes. Uncover and bake another 10 minutes or so to brown.

Serves 4-6.

Cook's Note:  I took some liberties and switched the beef to lamb.  I also included a bit of roux for thickening.  Having discussed cooking and recipes for so long with Fanny, I'm confident she would approve 😎

Fanny’s Slow Chicken Stew

I have very fond memories of my mother-in-law, especially her cooking!  I remember the fun evenings coming to visit my wife at her parent's very large home in rural Connecticut.  Fanny would make this stew for a crowd in a huge pot.  She'd look back and forth at the pot and the crowd in the living room, and ask - now what else can I put in here!?  There was always plenty.
4 bone-in chicken thighs, trimmed of fat
2 bone-in chicken breast halves, cut in half
1 lb Italian sausages, cut into 2-inch pieces
1 large sweet onion, peeled and diced (about 1-1/2 to 2 cups)
3 carrots, peeled and cut at a diagonal, 1-1/2 inch
2 Tbsp rosemary, crushed
2 tsp fresh lemon thyme, minced, or 1/4 tsp dried thyme

1 lb fresh button mushrooms, washed, dried and sliced thickly (1/4-inch)
4-5 Russet potatoes, or the equivalent (peeled unless very young and small), about 2 lb, I used a combination of Russet, peeled, and baby red, unpeeled

1 lb Polish kielbasa, cut into 1-1/2-inch pieces
1 15-oz can diced tomatoes
1 quart chicken broth
2 cups dry white wine
water as needed

I will refer to the “pot” as a direct browning slow cooker, but it could be a Dutch oven or a pot on the stove.

Brown the chicken pieces with a dash of olive oil in the pot, over medium high heat for about 15 minutes, turning several times.

Remove chicken to a large bowl and keep warm.

Add the onion, carrot and sausage to the pot and brown for about 10 minutes, gently stirring, every once in a while.

Add the rosemary, thyme and garlic and cook another 2-3 minutes.

Remove the sausage mixture to the bowl with the chicken.

Heat a dash of olive oil in the pot set to high. Add the mushrooms. Let them cook until they release what water they will and then brown up a bit. This should take about 10 minutes, with regular stirring.

Return the chicken and sausage mixture to the pot and add the kielbasa, potatoes and tomatoes. Add the broth and wine, and just enough water (if necessary) to almost cover the meat. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Cook on low for 4 hours in the slow cooker. Otherwise bring to a gentle boil on the stove, reduce to a simmer, and cook for about an hour.

Serve in bowls. Serves 6-8.

Cook’s note: I prepared the dish the night before and let sit in the refrigerator. The next morning I placed it in the slow cooker and cooked on low for 4 hours. The I returned from work that day it was steaming and ready to go.