Mango & Tomato: lamb

12/13/22

In Praise of Braised Lamb Shanks with Butternut Squash

Oh let me count the reasons I absolutely loved this Red Wine Braised Lamb Shanks with Butternut Squash from Cooking With Cocktail Rings blog.

There were hardly any hands on tasks in this recipe! You brown the lamb shanks, then brown butternut squash and carrots (I left out zucchini and celery), add in the wine, the broth (I used chicken instead of beef), and nest the lamb shanks in the mixture before letting the oven do the rest of the job.

Two and a half hours later, your kitchen will smell divine, and the meat will be beyond tender! I served the lamb shanks on top of chunky mashed potatoes with a side of salad, baguette, and a glass of red wine.

My friend Jazmin and I had a fabulous dinner with plenty of leftovers for a few more meals.

Why don't I braise meat more often?

10/30/19

Jamie Oliver's Lamb Kofta Meatballs

Earlier last week my friends from American Lamb sent me a few pounds of ground lamb, a boneless lamb shoulder, the cutest socks with lamb on them, and an apron, along with a stipend and asked me to host brunch. Yes, please and thank you!

I made shakshuka, had friends bring over mimosas, potatoes, and a big fruit salad, and then used Jamie Oliver's recipe for Grilled Lamb Kofta Kebabs with Pistachios, but turned them into meatballs.

Have you ever thought about putting crushed pistachios into your lamb meatballs? I haven't, but Jamie Oliver has. The nuts added a bit of texture and an unexpected flavor to the balls. Mixed with fresh thyme, chili, cumin, and a good amount of sumac, these were so good, even my friend Jenn who normally doesn't like lamb loved them!

I served the meatballs with a side of tzatziki and pickled red onions.

The leftovers tasted great reheated in the leftover shakshuka sauce!

Disclaimer: I received the lamb as a gift along with a giftcard. I'm not reimbursed otherwise for this post.

3/27/19

Lamb Shank With Fennel, Onions & Potatoes

Knock knock. Who's there? FedEx delivering a lamb shank from Superior Farms.

Oh, this doesn't happen to you? Well, then you'll just have to go out and buy your own to make my Lamb Shank With Fennel, Onions & Potatoes recipe.

Last week I received a free lamb shank from Superior Farms and created a quick'ish recipe that only takes 40 minutes in a pressure cooker. You could use the same ingredients and roast yours in the oven, but it'll take hours.

Note: this is not a sponsored post. I'm not getting reimbursement: I just love lamb and was happy to receive a sample.

Lamb Shank With Fennel, Onions & Potatoes
Serves 1, but you can easily double the ingredients

Ingredients
1 fennel, sliced into 1/4" planks
1/2 onion, sliced
1/2 cup cider (or use wine or chicken broth)
1 lamb shank, extra fat removed, seasoned with salt and pepper
pan roasted potatoes
fennel fronds

Directions
1. Add fennel, onions, cider and lamb shank to your pressure cooker/instant pot and pressurize for 40 minutes. Allow 10-15 minutes for natural pressure release.
2. Spoon out fennel and onions onto a plate, place the lamb shank on top and drizzle with some of the extra sauce. Top with fennel fronds and serve with potatoes.

2/13/19

Vietnamese Lamb Meatballs Rice Noodle Bowl

Vietnamese Lamb Meatballs Rice Noodle Bowl is a recipe that comes together quickly, is absolutely gorgeous, and is packed with flavors, colors and textures.

Last week, my friends from American Lamb sent me a pound of ground lamb!! I typically make lamb meatballs with garlic, salt & pepper and maybe feta, but was intrigued by the Vietnamese flavors American Lamb suggested. Sometimes it is actually fun to follow a recipe and go grocery shopping with a list of ingredients in mind. Luckily, the recipe worked perfectly. You can find it here.

I made my meatballs into smaller balls than the recipe called for and froze some for future use.

The meatballs are flavored with lemongrass, shallot, garlic, and fresh ginger and don't require an egg, milk, or bread crumbs. Using a little scoop really helps to make sure they are uniform.

I highly recommend you double the Nuoc Cham dressing: it's so good! Don't be afraid of fish sauce.

To build your bowl you'll need rice noodles (I cooled mine before serving), red cabbage, red peppers, cucumbers, peanuts, cilantro, basil, and lime wedges. Of course you can also use carrots, zucchini, avocado, or whatever vegetables you like.

Thanks for my lamb American Lamb! This post is not sponsored. I received no compensation for it: I just ♥ lamb and am happy to share fun meal ideas with you all!

6/13/18

Quick & Easy Ground Lamb With Zucchini & Corn

I'm back from vacation in Seattle with a Quick & Easy Ground Lamb With Zucchini & Corn Recipe. My friends from Superior Farms challenged me to create a quick healthy weeknight dinner recipe using ground lamb and provided a stipend for ingredients.

Given that the temperatures are rising and the summer produce is starting to show up, I wanted to make a recipe that took minutes to make and featured some of my favorite summer produce: corn and tomatoes!

Quick & Easy Ground Lamb With Zucchini & Corn
Serves 4

Ingredients
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 pound ground lamb
1 large zucchini, diced
kernels from 2 ears of corn
salt & pepper to taste
4 whole wheat pita (the ones I found had 130 calories each)
1/3 cup crumbled feta
1/3 cup halved cherry tomatoes
1/4 cup chopped dill
hot sauce to taste

Directions
1. Heat olive oil in a large skillet. Add ground lamb and saute on medium heat for 5 minutes.
2. Pour out most of the fat.
3. Add zucchini and corn, season with salt and pepper, and saute for 15 minutes.
4. Toast pitas (in the oven or directly on the gas flame or in a cast iron skillet).
5. Serve a quarter of lamb mixture topped with a quarter of feta, tomatoes and dill, drizzled with as much of hot sauce as you like.
6. This can be eaten with the cut up pita OR you can cut the pita in half and make pita pockets.

This dish had a lot of flavor but did not feel heavy. You can serve this mixture on a bed of salad greens or on top of cubed and roasted sweet potato or use it to make stuffed peppers.

11/1/17

Lamb Lollipops With Adobo Cranberry Sauce: Get Read For Thanksgiving

And so it's November. November is the month of my dad's and brother's birthdays and what would have been my grandmother's birthday. It's also the month of one of the most delicious holidays: Thanksgiving! I'll be overseas for Thanksgiving this year, but wanted to share a Thanksgiving related recipe with you I made in collaboration with Superior Farms. They sent me a gift card to cover the ingredients and challenged me to create a recipe using lamb that could make it onto your Thanksgiving table.

Immediately I thought about using lamb lollipops. These are fun to eat and can be served as an appetizer, a snack, or the main course. The cranberry sauce I created has a bit of sweetness and some heat, and can be served not only with the lamb, but also with the turkey, or even on toast with peanut butter!

Lamb Lollipops With Adobo Cranberry Sauce
Makes 5 (easy to double or triple!)

Ingredients
olive oil
5 lamb lollipops (ask your butcher for a lamb rack in the French style and cut it into individual pieces)
Kosher salt
3 tablespoons whole grain mustard
2 cups fresh cranberries
juice of 1 blood orange
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons (or more to taste) adobo sauce from chiles in adobo can

Directions
1. Preheat the broiler.
2. Heat a cast iron skillet. Add enough olive oil to cover the bottom of the skillet and allow to heat.
3. Season lamb lollipops with salt and smear with mustard on both sides.
4. Sear the lamb in the oil for 2-3 minutes on each side and then broil until it's golden brown and the mustard starts to sizzle.
5. Meanwhile, make the cranberry sauce by adding cranberries, orange juice, sugar, and adobo sauce to a small pot, bringing the mixture to a boil and then simmering the sauce for about 5 minutes. Use a wooden spoon to crush the berries.
6. Serve the lamb lollipops topped with the cranberry sauce. Be careful because the bones will be really hot!

NOTE: there will be fat and mustard left in the skillet which I highly advise you to use to fry some cubed parboiled potatoes!! Don't waste the goodness ;)

Have a wonderful November!

4/5/17

Passover, Easter Or Mother's Day Menu: Easy Spring Entertaining With Lamb

Whether you are looking for a Passover, Easter Or Mother's Day menu, I have you covered with my Garlic & Za'atar Roasted Leg of Lamb with Harissa Potatoes, Za'atar Carrots and Peas with Shallots and Basil. Entertaining at home doesn't have to be stressful or complicated.

Last week I received a bone-in leg of lamb from Superior Farms and a challenge of creating an easy Spring menu. I decided to invite a few friends over for Sunday lunch and began a mental list of ideas for what to do with the lamb. I thought about using my pressure cooker, but settled on roasting the lamb using the method from Martha Stewart. Martha would not disappoint, right? RIGHT!

For the 3.5 pound bone-in leg of lamb:
1 day before your meal, combine 6 minced garlic cloves with 2 tablespoons za'atar, 2 teaspoons salt and 3 tablespoons olive oil and rub all over the lamb. Cover in aluminum foil and refrigerate for 24 hours.

Every time I opened the refrigerator, the garlic aroma hit me in the face. It was magnificent.

The day of the lunch, make sure to take out the lamb out of the refrigerator and let it come to room temperature before starting the roasting process. Count backwards!

1. Preheat the oven to 425F.
2. Set a leg of lamb on 3 thick slices of onion in an oiled baking dish. Or you can use a roasting rack.
3. After 20 minutes, lower the oven temperature to 350F and insert a thermometer into the lamb without touching the bone. I used one of those thermometers that has a cord that comes out of the oven and is connected to the device that allows you to set the goal temperature.
4. Roast the lamb until the internal temperature reaches 130F {about 50 minutes}, then broil for 5 minutes.
5. Allow the lamb to rest for at least 20 minutes before carving.

This was a great way to cook a leg of lamb. It was tender and juicy and not overcooked. Next time I think I'll take out the lamb when it has reached 120 or 125 degrees for a more rare result. Note: leftover lamb is great thinly sliced on a salad or a sandwich. Don't reheat it.

For the vegetables
Simmer halved small potatoes and whole carrots until tender while the lamb is in the oven. Brush potatoes with harissa and olive oil mixture. Brush carrots with za'atar and olive oil mixture. Season with salt {I forgot this part}. Once the lamb is out of the oven and resting, roast the vegetables in a single layer at 450F for about 20 minutes.

Saute thinly sliced shallot in a bit of olive oil, add defrosted peas, heat through and add fresh lemon juice, lemon zest and basil right before serving.

The whole menu came together perfectly!

Have your friends bring dessert and rose and you'll be all set.

Don't forget the flowers.

What are your suggestions for easy entertainment?

Disclosure: I received leg of lamb as a present from Superior Farms but no other compensation for this post. All opinions are my own.

10/7/15

Wine And Lamb In Loudoun County Virginia With American Lamb Board

This past Sunday I was a lucky duck. Maybe duck isn't exactly the right word since this post is about lamb. Lamb and wine. And the lovely people of American Lamb Board.

I've had a working relationship with the American Lamb Board for multiple years and have enjoyed participating in their lamb recipe competitions as well as judging the latest Lamb Jam in DC. I was thrilled to be invited on a mini trip to visit Zephaniah Farm Vinery, learn about lamb butchery, and of course eat some lamb and drink some wine.

The photograph above is of the original building where the wine tastings take place. Can I move in there? I love how romantic and dreamy and old the building looks. We did not get a chance to go inside because the wine tasting and lunch took place in the new modern building, which was gorgeous in its own way.

The Hatch family has farmed in Loudoun for 64 years and three generations. From these years on the farm, we have grown to understand the land. We work to honor the land we love and to preserve its productivity and integrity.

What is significant about Zephaniah? Our family tends the grapes by hand. We are the ones who care for the vines and the grapes through every season. Harvest is accomplished by family and friends. They know the level of care we put into every part of the process. Our wine is truly hand crafted.

We tried four varieties of wine. The Adeline was my favorite: not only was it crisp and slightly on a sweet side, but it also shares the name with my friend's newborn daughter ;)

What goes with wine? Food! We feasted on roasted vegetables, freshly baked bread, one of the best potato au gratin I've had in years, and of course lamb from Mill Road Farm. I especially liked the lamb that was smoked. And just to be healthy, there was a great salad with butternut squash and pumpkin seeds.

Mill Road Farm honors the land by producing pasture-fed Angus, lamb and honey. We sell our farm products at the Loudoun Farmers Market in Leesburg on Saturday mornings year round and at Cascades Farmers Market on Sunday mornings during the summer market season.

I love that two brothers own and run this operation: Bill is in charge of the wine and Chris is in charge of the lamb!

Then it was time for some serious work. Luckily, we weren't allowed to butcher a full lamb...I probably would have passed out. Instead, Matt Levere of Urban Butcher showed off his amazing skills. He made the whole task look as easy as cutting soft butter. Every piece of lamb gets weighed, used, and appreciated.

We also got to see the sheep!

I can't leave you without a recipe. This is a dinner I actually made a few weeks ago that takes about 15 minutes from start to finish:

1. Salt and pepper a few lamb loin chops.

2. Heat olive oil in a skillet and sauté the chops a few minutes on each side. If you are like me, you'll want the chops to be plenty bloody in the middle.

3. Meanwhile, sauté thinly sliced mushrooms and radishes in a bit of olive oil till tender. Season with salt and pepper and add a few dashes of half & half.

4. Serve the lamb loin chops with sautéed vegetables topped with chives and a few toasted slices of baguette.

And wine!

For more inspiration, check out some of the other lamb dishes I've made and consumed over the years.

Disclosure: I was invited on this field trip, but am not compensated for this post. All opinions are my own.

7/29/15

Dinner in Under 15 Minutes: Charred Corn & Tomato Salad with Burrata & Lamb Loin Chop

Let's be real: we all lead busy lives. Some of us are busier than others, but I still believe you have the time (if you choose it) to make dinner. You don't have to make dinner every day, but when you want to treat yourself to something other than cereal, takeout or a frozen meal, I have something that will only take 15 minutes from start to finish and will not only impress YOU but also those who may be lucky to dine with you.

This Charred Corn & Tomato Salad with Burrata & Lamb Loin Chop is a great summer meal and can be served for lunch or dinner.

Ingredients for 1
olive oil
lamb loin chop
salt & pepper
1 ear of corn
6 cherry tomatoes, quartered
1 burrata ball
1-2 slices of bread, toasted
chili oil
chopped chives

Directions
1. Bring your lamb loin chop to room temperature. Season with salt and pepper and cook in a bit of olive oil in a heated pan for 2-4 minutes on each side depending on how rare you want your lamb to be. I like mine quite rare!
2. Meanwhile, char the corn directly on top of the gas stove. Allow it to cool a bit, remove the kernels and mix them with tomatoes. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
3. Time to plate: arrange the corn and tomato salad on a plate next to the lamb loin chop, add a ball of burrata and one or two slices of toasted bread.
4. Drizzle with chili oil and garnish with fresh chives.

What's your super quick dinner idea?

5/6/15

Lemony & Spicy Lamb Loin Chops & LambJamDC

How do you feel about lamb? I happen to like it. A lot. Although I don't tend to cook lamb often at home, I tend to order it when dining out.

This past weekend I created a recipe for Lemony Spicy Lamb Loin Chops at home because of several reasons:

1) I was invited to attend a VIP event leading to the DC Lamb Jam
2) I was asked to JUDGE DC Lamb Jam (I said YES within a minute)
3) I received a shipment of lamb loin chop courtesy of American Lamb

If you happen to be in DC Friday May 15th and/or Sunday May 17th, love lamb, want to try creations by some of the DC chefs and find out who is the LAMB KING (alas it appears there are no women chefs participating), get your tickets now!

VIP EVENT:
Experience an intimate night with two previous Lamb Jam Champion Chefs as they lead you through grilling American lamb 101, serve four unique dishes paired with artisan cocktails as well as local beer and wine, and enjoy the wonderful outside patio space at The Occidental Grill & Seafood.

LAMB JAM DC:
Lamb Jam Grand Tasting Includes:
16 of the most talented chefs from the DC area
Beer and wine from DC’s top breweries and winemakers
Interactive photo booth
DIY lamb spice rub station
Butcher demonstration

BENEFITS GO TO:
DC Central Kitchen is America’s leader in reducing hunger with recycled food, training unemployed adults for culinary careers, serving healthy school meals, and rebuilding urban food systems through social enterprise.

Most of the people think of rosemary, garlic and lemon as the perfect companions for lamb. I agree with this to an extent. You see, I'm not a huge fan of rosemary. I don't like eating something that reminds me of evergreen trees. The recipe I created was partially inspired by the herbs I bought earlier in the weekend: thyme, parsley and rosemary. I also decided to make the marinade heavy on the lemon flavor and add a bit of Korean chili flakes for a great level of spiciness.

The final product has a lot of strong flavors that all work together beautifully.

Lemony Spicy Lamb Loin Chops
Ingredients
4 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons chopped rosemary
2 teaspoons chopped parsley
2 teaspoons chopped thyme
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoons Korean chili flakes
3 loin lamb chops
kosher salt to taste
olive oil for sautéing
1 tablespoons butter (optional)
chopped parsley for garnish

Directions
1. Combine the first 7 ingredients in a bowl. Add lamb loin chops and marinade in the refrigerator for 2-4 hours or overnight.
2. Take the chops out of the refrigerator and allow them to come to room temperature.
3. Heat olive oil in a skillet. Remove the chops from the marinade and season with salt. Cook the chops for 5-7 minutes on each side, depending on how raw you want them to be inside.
4. Meanwhile, bring the remaining marinade to a boil in a small sauce pan. If you like, add a bit of butter and continue to simmer the marinade until it thickens.
5. Serve the chops drizzled with the reduced marinade and topped with fresh parsley.

Ta da! I had the lamb chops with roasted potatoes. This was quite a messy piece of lamb to eat: I recommend you pretend that you are a cavewoman (or a caveman) and eat it with your hands as opposed to trying to neatly cut the chops with a knife.

I even liked the lamb cold the next day straight out of the refrigerator!

Thank you American Lamb for the lamb loin chops and the invitation to participate in the fun DC events!

Disclosure: I was invited to participate in the VIP lamb event and be a judge at the DC Lamb Jam. I'm also bringing two of my friends to the events. I was not compensated for this post. All opinions are my own.

5/30/14

Dinner at Compass Rose in Washington DC

Earlier this week my friend Evi and I got together for our monthly dinner night. Once again Evi let me choose a restaurant ;) I've heard many great things about recently opened Compass Rose and could not wait to check it out.

The concept of Compass Rose is awesome: you get to try dishes from all over the world. But don't worry: this is not one of those restaurants with a menu that has a zillion pages. The menu of Compass Rose is one page long and has great flavors from India, Peru, Brazil, etc.

This time around we chose four dishes and really liked all of them.

Lamb Kefta (Lebanon): ground lamb, olives, garam masala, sumac, zatar, freekeh, lemon tahini. I wanted a tub of the lemon tahini dressing: it went great with the fried potatoes we ordered as a side.

Khachapuri (Georgia): cheese filled bread, organic egg, spring butter. OMG!! This is something I could eat daily: carbs, cheese and a runny egg yolk. Incredibly messy and satisfying.

Fried Baked Potato with salsa verde and pecorino: what's not to love about potatoes? These were baked, then cut into thick slices, wholes punched out (like doughnuts!) and then fried and topped with green salsa and cheese. DELICIOUS!

Bhel Puri Chaat (India): puff rice, sev, potato, tomato, sunflower sprouts, peanuts, mint & tamarind chutney, lettuce cups. This was such an incredibly flavorful vegetarian dish. Order it as an appetizer to share or as a main dish if you don't want any seafood or meat. Check out my simpler version of this dish here.

I can't wait to come back once Compass Rose gets a few desserts on the menu.

So if you love traveling and trying new food but don't have enough vacation days, funds, or your passport is expired, go to Compass Rose and you'll feel like you've visited several countries in just an hour. And better yet, have a staycation in one of these: The 12 Best Airbnbs In Washington DC!!

Have a good weekend!

4/3/13

What to do with a Boneless Leg of Lamb? Ina to the rescue.

A few weekends ago I was invited to attend a super fun event hosted by the American Lamb Board and Craig Rogers of Border Springs Farm. Together with the other bloggers, writers and photographers, I visited four DC restaurants and tried out different lamb dishes they had on their menus. This was such a delicious and boozy afternoon.

At the end of the tour (we visited Union Market, Zaytinya, Ripple and Bourbon Steak), Craig gave each participant a boneless leg of lamb. Because I was going to a friend's house for Passover the following day and asked nicely, Craig also provided a shank (that way I could bring it to my friend Cindy's house to use for the Seder plate).

By the time I got home and went grocery shopping for the week, it was already 7 pm. But I was itching to make the lamb. I turned once again to Barefoot Contessa's Foolproof. Yes, I've been making quite a few recipes from Ina's book.

The recipe for the 4 Hour Lamb is time consuming, but there is very little you actually have to do.

You first season the lamb with salt and pepper and sear it in a large oven safe heavy-bottomed pan. (I used my beloved Le Creuset that I scored at Marshalls).

Once the lamb has been seared on all sides, you take it out and add garlic cloves, bay leaves, white wine and herbs to the pan. Ina called for rosemary and thyme, but I only used thyme because I'm not a fan of rosemary.

Once the mixture has been cooking for a few minutes, add the lamb back into the pan, cover and roast for 4 hours in the 300 degree oven, basting it occasionally.

Easy, right? My condo smelled AMAZING.

At about 11:30 pm the lamb was done and it had very little time to cool before going into the refrigerator. Please don't tell the food police this ;)

The next day, this is what I had:

I'm actually really glad I made this lamb dish the night before: it allowed all the fat to come to the surface and to solidify, making it very easy to remove unnecessary calories!

Ina says to remove the lamb from the pan, strain out the herbs and squeeze the garlic cloves into the pan before heating up the sauce and reducing it. I did just that. I also served the lamb with Ina's white beans. You'll have to come back for that post ;)

This was such an incredibly satisfying dish. I shared the lamb with one of my friends' daughters because she loves it. I also froze a large portion for later.

Do you love lamb? How do you cook it?

1/15/13

Lamb & Clams: Charleston Wine & Food Festival

You guys! This is the last recipe challenge in the Charleston Wine & Food Festival recipe contest!

For this challenge I received ground lamb from Border Springs Farm and clams from Rappahannock River Oysters.

I knew exactly what I was going to make!! Here's why: a few months ago, Cecilia and I visited the Union Market for the first time and ate at the Rappahannock Oysters Co.

While I had fresh oysters, more oysters and some bubbly, Cecilia tried a dish called lambs & clams. Not only did the dish look and smell great, but it also was delicious and was an amazing value for $14.

As far as I remember, the Rappahannock Oysters Co's Lambs & Clams had ground lamb in a spicy tomato sauce, white beans, clams, a bit of aioli on top and grilled slices of bread. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to get the recipe for the dish, but how hard could it be to recreate?

This past Sunday, when I was planning to make the dish, was a horrendously grey and misty day. I really tried to get my arse from the couch and go grocery shopping, but I just could not do it. So I had to improvise: instead of white beans I used chickpeas and instead of tomatoes I made a sauce from red peppers and chili in adobo. If I say so myself, I think my version of Lambs & Clams turned out pretty successful!

Lamb & Clams

Serves 4

Ingredients
2 red bell peppers
1 chili in adobo
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 large white onion, peeled and diced
1 pound ground lamb
salt
1 tablespoon aleppo pepper
15.5 ounce can chickpeas, drained
16 clams

to serve
arugula
slices of bread, grilled and rubbed with garlic
lemon wedges
chopped dill
mayonnaise thinned with a bit of lemon juice and mixed with chopped dill

Directions

1. Char the bell peppers directly on the gas. Once their skin is black all over, put the peppers in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap. After about ten minutes, remove the skin and discard the seeds and membranes.

2. In a food processor, puree the red bell peppers and the chili in adobo. Set aside.

3. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil and add the diced onions. Saute for 10 minutes.

4. Add the ground lamb, salt and aleppo pepper and cook until the lamb is no longer pink.

5. Add the pepper/chili sauce and the chickpeas and simmer for 5 minutes.

6. Add the clams, cover and simmer until the clams have opened. Discard any of the clams that remained closed.

7. Serve the lamb on a bed of arugula and garnish with dill, a bit of lemony mayonnaise and grilled bread.

If you have leftover lamb and chickpea mixture, serve it the next day with pasta!

To check out what my competitors made, go visit their blogs {recipes will be posted on Wednesday}.

Peter @ A Cook Blog Lynda @ Taste Food Blog
David @ eat drink RI
Gwen @ Bunkycooks
Heather @ Farmgirl Gourmet
Cecilia @ One Vanilla Bean
Vivek @ Vivek’s Epicurean Adventure

12/27/12

Lamb & Potato Enchilada Casserole

Remember the Lamb Tacos I posted a earlier this month? Well, I had a bit of roasted lamb left, not to mention the corn tortillas, so I decided to make enchiladas. Alas, the tortillas were quite small and would be a pain to roll, so I thought of something else: a Lamb & Potato Enchilada Casserole! It's incredibly easy to make, tastes delicious and is great for leftovers.

If you don't have lamb, you can use chicken, beef or pork.

Thanks to Anna and a few of my twitter followers for the suggestion to use potatoes! What's not to like about carbs and more carbs? :)

Lamb & Potato Enchilada Casserole
Serves 4-8 depending on how hungry you are

Ingredients
28 ounce can Green Chile Enchilada Sauce
10-15 5 1/2" yellow corn tortillas, halved
2 cups shredded roasted lamb
2 cups shredded Pepper Jack cheese
5 Yukon gold potatoes, peeled, cubed and cooked in salted water until tender
chopped cilantro
pickled red onions

Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 375F.
2. Add enough enchilada sauce to cover the bottom of your baking dish.
3. Add a layer of tortillas followed by lamb and cheese.
4. Add another layer of tortillas, potatoes, enchilada sauce and cheese.
5. Alternate the layers with lamb and potatoes and finish the casserole with a layer of tortillas, enchilada sauce and cheese.
6. Bake for about 30-40 minutes until the cheese is bubbling. Let the casserole stand for about 10 minutes before cutting into it.
7. Serve topped with cilantro and pickled red onions.