Two days ago, we found poppyseed hot dog buns at the grocery store, a rare find, and instantly had a craving for Chicago dogs. While we didn’t have sport peppers nor the neon green sweet relish typically used for them, we had enough to make a go of it. Even the celery salt, which I’d only added to the spice drawer within the last two weeks, what luck. The tomatoes were fresh from our garden and I chopped up some cornichon pickles in lieu of the long dill pickle spear. Hubby and I were both really happy with these, they hit the spot.

Yesterday, I was in the mood for a really indulgent hash brown casserole, like those at various well know breakfast restaurants. But since I’m trying to eat at home more often, I decided to make it. I was really surprised to find out just how rich it is. Full of cream, sour cream, butter and cheese, it is waaay more indulgent than I realized. I didn’t want to drain my shredded potatoes or onions, so I threw in a couple tablespoons of Matzo meal. It works in latkes, so why not in the casserole? And it worked out perfectly. The casserole was so good, with a crispy cheesy top and super rich and creamy texture. I’ll make it again, but will limit it to once or twice a year, since I don’t think my heart could take having it more often.

Last week, I attempted a sheet pan supper, with chicken leg quarters, carrots and onions. I halved baby carrots, concerned about the cooking time, but I should have left them whole. I rubbed the quarters with butter and then seasoned them with garlic and onion powders, paprika, salt and pepper. It was delicious, and a pretty easy meal, so I think I’ll be trying it again. I was inspired by Sheet Pan Everything, by Ricardo Larrivee.

FYI, Amazon product links are tied to my Amazon Associate account