I’m originally from Alaska.  There are fewer places in the world that are truly more ruggedly beautiful.  I’ve said it more than once that when you’re driving  down the highways of Alaska, your window is a picture frame of some of the most stunning landscapes you’ll ever see.  The aurora borealis is enchanting.  To watch the lights dancing across the sky is an experience that captures your heart and keeps you up late at night peeking out of the window hoping for just one more glimpse of such surreal beauty.

As the mercury drops I yearn for hot chocolate by the fire, cuddly quilts and comfort food.  This recipe is my stepson’s all-time favorite for fall. 

Chicken Tortilla Cannelloni

Ingredients:

• 14 oz. cooked, cut up chicken
• 15 oz. Alfredo sauce (homemade is best!  See my note at the end.)
• 1 1/2 tsp. Italian seasonings
• 6 flour tortillas
• 2 cups spaghetti sauce (your choice)
• 4 oz. shredded mozzarella

Combine the chicken, alfredo and italian seasoning.  Smear a little spaghetti sauce onto the bottom of a greased casserole.  Into each tortilla put 5 oz. of the chicken “goop”. (”goop” is a technical term that refers to the … well … uhhh … goop that you just mixed up.)  Roll up each tortilla and place side by side in the casserole.  Pour your favorite spaghetti sauce over the top and sprinkle with mozzarella.  Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 30 to 45 minutes until bubbly and golden. 

Note: Homemade Alfredo Sauce is the best.  Use my cream sauce recipe in Delmonico Ham and Potatoes and add 2 1/2 oz. of shredded parmesan.   Enjoy!

We were often asked to prepare items for executive breakfast meetings to be delivered from the cafe.  Talk about an early morning for us … yikes!  Over and over the item requested was our Quiche.   I’ve  just got to say, there are a lot of just ok Quiches out there.  The difference is not that the cook is less accomplished, it’s not even necessarily that the recipe is bad.  More often than not it is the ingredients.

Quiches, to be more than just “ok”, must be made with the best quality ingredients.  If you make a Quiche with skimmed milk … ick … you end up with a watery thing.  If you use inferior cheese, the taste leaves you unimpressed.  So … please use the very best quality ingredients if you are going for the WOW! factor.  Restaurant/cafe owners … the customers really will pay more for great.

Bonnie’s Best Quiche

Line a pie pan with your favorite pastry.  Flute the rim above the edge of the pan.  Cook a breakfast meat such as bacon, ham or sausage … or use some leftover ham or chicken.  Drain the meat well, pat it with a paper towel if necessary.  Break the meat up into small pieces and just barely cover the bottom of the pastry shell … too little is better than too much.

Combine one cup of shredded cheese, you can use a mixture.  (This is where you really get to play.)  Here are some examples of a few that I’ve used – Gruyere, Swiss, Jalapeno Jack, Sharp Cheddar, Gouda.  Sprinkle over the meat and top with an additional 1/2 cup of freshly shredded parmesan.  Combine 1 cup milk, 1 cup cream, and 4 well beaten eggs. Pour this over all in the pie shell.

Bake in a preheated 425 degree oven for 10 minutes.  Lower the temperature to 325 degrees for 30 minutes or until a knife inserted into the center of the Quiche comes out clean.    

Simply Elegant!

Variations: 

• Vegetarian using grilled or sauted vegetables … mushrooms, peppers, tomatoes (seeded), green onions,  peas, etc.  
• Get wild and use bar-b-qued meats … leftover chinese food.
• Seafood!!!!  Make sure that the seafood is cooked before it goes into the quiche.