The Endless Ham

Yup, still trying to use up all that left over Easter Ham. One of my husbands favorite dishes is chicken cordon bleu so I used that flavor profile to come up with this lasagna. Best part was I already had all the ingredients on hand and got rid of a decent amount of ham. What's left will go into a pea soup and then it will finally be gone with nothing wasted.

Chicken Cordon Bleu Lasagna

1 large chicken breast half, cooked and shredded
1 cups ham, cooked and minced
1 small container ricotta cheese
2-4 Cups swiss cheese
3 Tbs butter
2 Tbs flour
3-4 cloves garlic, crushed
1 quart 1/2 and 1/2
S & P to taste
2 boxes  lasagna noodles (I used Barilla No bake)

To mince the ham and shred the chicken, I used a food processor and pulsed the chopping blade to get the desired consistency. You want the pieces to be small but be careful not to make paste. Mix the minced meats with the ricotta cheese in a bowl and set aside

In a medium sauce pan, melt butter. Add crushed garlic and saute on medium-low heat to infuse flavors. Add flour and stir to make a roux. Add half and half, wisking constantly. Let simmer to thicken. S & P to taste.

In a baking dish, coat the bottom of the dish with the sauce. Add a layer of lasagna noodles.
Spread 1/2 of the meat and cheese layer over the noodles and add another layer of noodles.
Cover the noodles with sauce and add a layer of swiss cheese
Repeat layers one ore time.
Cover dish with foil and bake at 350 F for 30 minutes Remove cover and hit the broiler for a few seconds if you want to brown the top. enjoy!

Vegetating

So Easter has come and gone and thanks to Chinese wet markets and this lovely virus they have released, we got to see nobody for the holiday. Not a huge deal since I am no social butterfly but I would like to see my Mom and Dad sometime soon and get back to gym before my ass becomes the size of Rhode Island. For Easter the Hubs wanted a spiral ham. I know I have said repeatedly on here how much I don't really dig ham but I know he loves it and he hasn't had it in quite a while so I made it. It was ok but, for me, what I love most about holiday meals is the vegetables that go with it. This holiday was no exception. I did have an obligatory slice of ham but the rest of the meal was all about the veggies. Ironic coming from the girl who as a child would only eat corn, potatoes, and salad. My favorite on the table was a mix of brussel sprouts and asparagus. With brussel sprouts being the new kale, I am expecting these to be everywhere in the near future. Not complaining. I like them WAY better than kale. And this recipe is certainly a delicious way to prepare them!

Roasted Brussel Sprouts and Asparagus

1 package fresh brussel Sprouts, trimmed and halved (I like the  big ones)
1 bunch fresh asparagus, trimmed
2-4 Tbs olive oil
Salt and pepper
1/4 C Parmesan cheese
2-3 cloves garlic, crushed
 about 1/4 Cup balsamic vinegar

Preheat over to 400F

Rinse brussel sprouts, trim woody ends and cut in half. Place in roasting dish.
Drizzle olive oil over the sprouts, season with salt and pepper and toss to coat.
Roast for 10-15 minutes until starting to soften
Remove from the oven and add asparagus to the dish and toss to coat.
Return to the oven for another 10 minutes
While the asparagus and sprouts are finishing in the oven, mix the parmesan cheese and crushed garlic in a small bowl until garlic is no longer in one large clump.
Remove vegetable from the oven, sprinkle with the garlic-cheese mixture.
Pour a glug or two of balsamic vinegar over the vegetables and toss everything to coat and distribute the garlic cheese mixture. The residual heat from the pan and vegetables will cook off the crushed garlic and thicken the vinegar. Let stand for a minute or two and chow down.