Once you get out of Chicago, it seems the entire state of Illinois "goes casserole crazy". It's casseroles, casseroles and more casseroles... with maybe an occasional pie. It is their way of dealing emotionally with everything. You won the game? Here's a casserole! You lost the game? Here's a casserole! Your coach was one of the first trying to filch players from the Penn State team? Here's a casserole! I guess when you're stuck out on the Prairie... casseroles affect the brain!

So, I said to myself, "Roll with it Mel. Get into the casserole spirit! Cook up a few casseroles for Dear Old State and BSD's foodie post, and, have fun while you're at it!" Here's all I have to say about that experience:

One casserole? OK. Two casseroles? Maybe. Three casseroles? No way. Screw Illinois & their player-poaching coach!

Yesterday, I got my PSU groove back, and decided to feature a recipe for one of our very own BSD readers. AND, I had the best day of the entire foodie football season so far! We Penn State fans can cook... for real! This one's for you Success With Honor Always!!!

I present: Individual Beef Wellingtons!!!

These are easier to make than you think. You start with a mushroom duxelles (which is a fancy word for cooking mushrooms until there is no moisture left in them). Then you buy some pate (no rocket science in that). Then you make a port-wine demi-glace, which takes less than 5 minutes (beef stock & wine... big deal). Lastly, if you ever played with Play-Dough as a kid, all you do is put the mushrooms on the meat, top the mushrooms with the pate, wrap it in Play-Dough and bake the sucker in the oven! Here's a Play-Dough wrapped one ready for the oven...

... and, via the magic of BSD, here's a picture of it coming out of the oven:

If for any reason you are still interested in the casseroles, I made a: Cheese-y Chicken, Broccoli & Rice Casserole...

... and, if you don't like chicken and cheese feed, try some ground beef and noodles, which in Illinois they consider Stroganoff:

For these and all my recipes just check out Jessedotsmom's Foodie Blog

For the Glory, Leave No Doubt!

jessedotsmom

GO PENN STATE! BEAT THE CASSEROLE EATERS!!!