Broccoli (& kale) casserole

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Broccoli casserole was another classic side dish that was always at our festive meals. Over the years I’ve tweaked the recipe to add in some kale for a touch of bitterness and lemon to brighten up the creamy side. The result is a cheesy, savoury, buttery nostalgic dish, perfect with any holiday main.

This recipe will feed a 6-8 people as a side - if I am having a larger crowd I double the recipe and bake in a 9 x 13 pan.

Broccoli (& Kale) Casserole

2 heads of broccoli, steamed and chopped

1/2 cup mayo

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1/2 small onion, finely diced 

1/2 a head of kale, diced

2 cups of old cheddar, grated

1/2 tsp Garlic powder

Lots of black pepper

Juice of half a lemon 

Ritz Crackers, crushed (about ½ a box)


  1. First, prep the broccoli - steam either stove top or in the microwave until just fork tender. It will continue to cook in the oven so do not need to fully cook through at this stage. Look for bright green colour and a fork or cake tester should pierce with little resistance. Once cool to touch, chop into bite sized pieces (2-3 cm pieces). I include the stalks as well!

  2. Add the chopped broccoli to a large bowl, then add in mayo, cream of mushroom soup, diced white onion, and shredded kale. Once well mixed, add in grated cheese, garlic powder, black pepper and the juice of half a lemon. You can season lightly with salt but it doesn’t require much!

  3. Pour mixture into a 8x8 casserole dish. If baking straight away, top with crushed Ritz Crackers. 

  4. Bake at 350F for 45 mins uncovered, until top is golden brown and mixture is bubbling! Serve warm.

Sweet Potato Casserole

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Whether Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner, sweet potato casserole is a classic side dish my family always makes. Growing up we would spend Christmas dinner with my mom’s siblings and their kids, sometimes with the dinner table being 20+ people. My uncle always brought a huge casserole dish filled with the bubbling sugary topping and the smooth, creamy sweet potato base. It was my favourite as a child (I always had a sweet tooth!)  and still is the side dish I crave the most during the holidays. Over the last few years, I have tweaked the family recipe to make the topping more of a peppery crumble for that extra spice and savouriness.

If thinking about your oven schedule for the big day, this can go in at the same time as broccoli casserole, as well as dressing first bake! I often prep this ahead of time (like the day before), and keep it in the fridge until ready to bake. 

This recipe will feed 6-8 people as a side - if I am having a larger crowd I double the recipe and bake in a 9 x 13 pan.

Sweet Potato Casserole

Serves 6-8, 30-60 mins prep, 45 min bake

Ingredients:

Base:

3-4 large sweet potatoes 

2 tbsp butter

¼ cup heavy cream (up to ½ cup depending on how starchy your potatoes are) 

2 tbsp maple syrup (probs 2-3 tbsp)

1 egg (wait to add until sweet potato is cool)

pinch of ground nutmeg

½ tsp kosher salt

Ground black pepper to taste

Topping:

1/3 cup butter room temperature

2/3 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp kosher salt (especially if butter is unsalted)

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

Lots of black pepper (I do 3/4 tsp)

1 package pecans halves (100g)


Method:

  1. Prep your sweet potatoes:

    • If boiling (faster, can be less creamy because potatoes take on water): peel the potatoes, and then cut into large, 3 inch chunks (typically 6 pieces per sweet potato). Place in a medium pot, and just cover with water, then place on the stove and bring to a boil at medium-high heat. Continue to boil until a fork or cake tester smoothly pierces the potato with no resistance. Drain, then return to low heat for 2-3 mins to boil off any remaining moisture from the potatoes. Place in a medium bowl, add the butter, and set aside to cool to room temperature.

    • If roasting (takes longer, allows for a creamier base due to less water): pre-heat oven to 425F. Wash and scrub the dirt off the outside of the sweet potatoes. Prepare a baking sheet line with parchment paper. Place the sweet potatoes on the baking sheet and pierce each potato multiple times with a fork to create little holes in the skin. Roast for 45-50 mins, until you can easily pierce with a fork with no resistance. Set aside to cool to room temperature. Cut the potatoes in half lengthwise and scoop out the potato into a medium bowl. Add the butter and set aside to cool to room temperature.

  2. Prep the topping - in a medium bowl add all of the ingredients except for the pecans and mix to create a crumble. This is easiest with your (clean!) hands, pressing the room temperature butter into the flour and spices. Once a ‘playdoh’ like texture is formed, add in the pecans. 

  3. Preheat oven to 350F.

  4. Mix together the base - mash the sweet potato until smooth. In a separate small bowl whisk together the cream, egg and maple syrup until well combined and there is no visible egg streaks. Pour the liquid into the mashed sweet potato, add in nutmeg, salt and pepper. Whisk for 1 minute until light, fluffy and smooth. If needed, add more cream until the right texture is achieved.

  5. Pour sweet potato mixture into a 8x8 pan, and top with the pecan crumble, breaking up into small pieces as you drop on the topping.

  6. Bake, uncovered, for 35-45 mins - until topping is golden brown and base is bubbling.

  7. Serve warm!

Mom's Banana Muffins

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Well hi there! It’s been a long time since a new recipe was posted on the site. Most of my time has been spent over on my newsletter in the last two years, and also adjusting to moving to London, UK (big life change!). This year I’m going to try to get some of the newsletter recipes up here on the site so they are easier to find, and also get back to publishing more regularly here. So first up is my go-to recipe for when I have overripe bananas - it’s a bit easier to manage than banana loaf when living alone because the individual muffins freeze well.

This recipe is a riff on the banana muffin recipe my mom has been following for years out of the aptly named cookbook “Muffin Mania” by Cathy Prange and Joan Pauli. We’ve cut back on the white sugar because the ripe bananas add quite a bit of sweetness, and swapping in some almond flour helps with these staying moist but also a bit more filling.

Mom's Banana Muffins

Yield 12 muffins, 45 mins total including baking time

Ingredients:

  • 3 large bananas, very ripe

  • ½ cup white sugar

  • 1 egg

  • ⅓ cup melted butter

  • 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour (I like swapping ¼ cup for almond flour)

  • 1 tsp baking soda

  • 1 tsp baking powder

  • ½ tsp salt


Method:

  1. Preheat oven to 375F. Prep muffin tins with muffin liners or grease well.

  2. Mash bananas in a large bowl and add in the sugar and slightly beaten egg. Fold in the melted butter. 

  3. Add the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. 

  4. Scoop into lined muffin tins. 

  5. Bake at 375F for 25-35 mins until deep brown.


Macaroni Salad

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This is probably my most requested recipe but it has been a true struggle to finally publish it. I think I get major writer’s block when it comes to recipes that people love the most, and especially ones I “wing”.  I don’t think I’ve ever made a macaroni salad the same way twice - it’s always dependent on what I have on hand and also… how many beverages I’ve had since I usually make this in the summer with a beer or two. 

I have a dream of publishing a “Choose Your Own Adventure” version of this recipe, with all the options and considerations. But in the meantime, here is a base recipe for macaroni salad that you can play around with yourself. Where I’ve noted “+ more to taste” those are ingredients that I plus up or down depending on the day, and what I’m feeling. More tang? More apple cider vinegar. More sweetness? More white sugar or green relish. Not feeling that YUM? Probably need a little more salt to bring out the flavours.

A few tips:

Salt your pasta water

Cold food needs more seasoning (article in Fine Cooking) and that starts from the inside of your pasta! Make sure you season your pasta water well with salt before cooking so that the pasta gets seasoned while cooking.

Rinse the pasta with cold water

Rinse the pasta with cold water and let it drain well - you don’t want excess water going into the pasta salad. Cold water stops the cooking process so that you don’t end up with mushy pasta, and rinsing its rid of all of the starchiness on the outside of the pasta so it doesn’t stick together.

Finely dice your veg

The best part of this salad is the little bites of freshness from the finely chopped veg. You don’t want them to be big bites.

Use spice packets

I’m all for making things from scratch but there is a little “je ne sai quoi” about the premade spice packets. My favourites are Club House Pasta Salad or the spice packet in the Kraft Macaroni Salad box.

Season to taste. Taste again. Season. Taste again.

Back to the first tip: Cold food needs more flavour. Taste as you go - your sauce should be punchy before you add in the pasta, because the flavour will mellow out with the noodles. Taste again just before serving and adjust as needed.

Controversial move: top with sliced hard-boiled eggs

I personally love hard-boiled eggs with my pasta salad but for some people, it’s a hard no. Since it can be quite polarizing I sometimes will have the sliced hard-boiled eggs on a plate beside the salad so guests can truly choose their own adventure. I love the fatty yolk chopped into each bite.

Double the recipe if making for a big crowd

This recipe can be easily scaled - mix double the dressing if making for a big BBQ!

Prepping ahead?

If prepping ahead of time, save a little bit of the dressing to add right before serving - the pasta will soak up some of the dressing in the fridge. If you forget, you can always whisk a little mayo with some apple cider vinegar (maybe 2 tbsp to 1 tbsp) and fold that in right before serving.

Macaroni Salad

25 mins, serves 4-6 people

Ingredients

3 cups dried macaroni, cooked, rinsed with cold water (see step 1)

½ cup mayonnaise (more if you want it creamier, add up to a ¼ cup more)

1 tsp yellow mustard

2 tbsp green relish (or 2 tbsp finely diced gherkins)

1 tsp white sugar (+ more to taste)

1 tbsp apple cider vinegar (+ more to taste)

2 stalks of celery, finely diced

½ a red or orange pepper, finely diced

¼ cup diced red onion (about ⅛ of a medium onion), finely diced

Seasonings:

½ a packet of Club House Pasta Salad mix or Kraft Pasta Salad kit 

OR

½ tsp of each garlic powder, onion powder, paprika plus some dried herbs like basil, dill, parsley or oregano (or all!) 

½ tsp kosher salt

Freshly cracked pepper to taste

Optional:

Fresh herbs! Fresh dill, chives or parsley are great additions

4 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and sliced


Method:

  1. Cook your pasta according to the package, and immediately drain and rinse with cold water until fully cooled. Set to the side and allow it to drain well.

  2. In a large bowl combine your mayo, mustard, relish, sugar, vinegar, plus your seasonings of choice (either spice packet or mixture of dried herbs). Add in your finely diced veggies.

  3. Taste - does it need more seasoning or salt? Maybe a bit more tang from the vinegar? Once it tastes good you’re ready for your pasta. If you are making this ahead of time, save a little dressing to fold in right before serving. Add in your drained macaroni and stir until every noodle is well coated. Give it another taste and adjust.

  4. Once you’re happy with the seasoning top with fresh herbs (if using) or sliced hard boiled eggs (if using) and serve! If prepping ahead of time, put in the fridge. Right before serving fold in your reserved dressing and add your toppings.

  5. ENJOY!

Lemon Dill Tuna Casserole

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Tuna casserole was not something my family ate growing up but we did eat our fair share of tuna melts! If you follow me on IG you know tuna melts are one of my fav lunches and I am always adding different flavourings to my mixture. My favourite combo is definitely lemon + dill + grainy mustard. This recipe takes inspiration from my fav tuna melt with the classic tuna casserole. I referenced Spend with Pennie’s Tuna Casserole recipe for ratios!

Lemon Dill Tuna Casserole

Serves up to 4, 35 mins including 15 min bake

Ingredients:

2 shallots or 1 small onion, diced

1 tbsp olive oil

3 cups dried egg noodles cooked to 3 mins less than the package (I use the No Yolk brand!)

1 can chunk light tuna in water, drained well

3 stalks celery, finely diced

½ cup sour cream

¼ cup mayo

⅓ cup milk

1 tsp dried dill

Juice of ½ a lemon (around 2 tsp)

2 tbsp grainy mustard

Salt n pepper

1 cup old cheddar cheese, grated + extra for topping (use your cheese judgement, I’d say about ¼ cup)

2 handfuls of plain chips (ideally Wavy Ruffles), crushed

Lots of fresh ground pepper

method:

  1. Preheat oven to 425F. Get your water boiling for your noodles if you haven’t already, and meanwhile head olive oil in a small frying pan over medium heat.

  2. Sautee your diced shallot or onion until softened, about 7 minutes.

  3. Cook noodles according to package, less 3 minutes (they will continue to cook in the oven so you want a slight bite to them).

  4. In a large mixing bowl combine your tuna, fine diced celery, cooked onions, sour cream, mayo, milk, dill, lemon juice, grainy mustard and grated cheese. Mix until well combined and season with salt and pepper.

  5. Fold in your cooked noodles until they are well coated. The mixture may look a little loose/wet but that will thicken in the oven. Transfer mixture to a 8x8 oven-safe pan (or a loaf pan if you can’t find your 8x8 pan like me!).

  6. Sprinkle your extra grated cheese on top, then the crushed potato chips, then a good seasoning of fresh ground pepper.

  7. Pop in the oven and bake until bubbly and the chips are browning, about 15-20 mins.

  8. ENJOY!