Miners' Camp Pie, Part 1
- 5 days ago
- 5 min read
Join Hero Merkle, a florist, caterer, and recent college grad, as she discusses the art of creating beautiful floral arrangements and shares stress-free strategies for cooking on a large scale. She's coordinated a delicious menu you’ll want to make again and again. Hero reveals a little-known grocery store hack, offers advice on thoughtful communication with guests, and highlights a must-have kitchen item everyone should own. Along the way we tell lots of stories that will have you laughing with us. We're so glad you're here!
Recipes:
Miners' Camp Pie
6-8 servings (Submitted by Hero Merkle from the Crème de Colorado Cookbook)
Ingredients:
4 tablespoons butter
2 cups minced onions
½ pound mushrooms, coarsely chopped
2 pounds lean ground beef, pork or combination
¼ cup dry red wine
2 slices white bread, crumbled
2 teaspoons salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
½ teaspoon dried thyme
8 ounces cream cheese, diced
¾ cup minced fresh parsley
Onion Pastry:
2 cups all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons dried onion flakes
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
¾ cup well-chilled butter, cut into 12 pieces
1 egg, beaten
4-6 tablespoons ice water
Glaze:
1 egg yolk beaten with 1 teaspoon water
Serve with:
Best Vinaigrette and Salad
Cooking Light's Texas Sheet Cake
Directions:
1. In large, heavy skillet, melt butter over medium-low heat. Add onions and cook until transparent, stirring frequently. Add mushrooms and meat. Increase heat to high and stir until meat is no longer pink. Add wine and stir for about 8 minutes. Pour off remaining liquid. Stir in bread, salt, pepper and thyme. Blend in cream cheese and parsley. Cool to room temperature. Can be prepared 1 day ahead and refrigerated. Bring to room temperature before continuing.
2. To prepare onion pastry, stir flour, onion flakes, salt, sugar and pepper together in a bowl. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add egg and 2 tablespoons water; blend until dough begins to stick together. Add remaining water a little at a time if dough is dry. (This may be done in a food processor.) Gather dough together. Divide into 2 balls, 1 of which is 2-inches in diameter. Flatten into discs. Wrap tightly and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Can be prepared up to 3 days ahead.
3. Spoon meat into 10-inch pie plate. Brush upper edge and outer rim of plate with glaze. On lightly floured surface, roll larger piece of onion pastry out into 12-inch circle. Cut small hole in center. Place dough over filling, centering steam hole. Press overhanging dough firmly to edge of plate. Press tines of fork along rim. Roll out small dough ball until ¼-inch thick. Cut out decorative shapes. Brush pie with glaze. Place decorations on crust, pressing gently. Brush again with glaze. Bake at 400 degrees for 40 minutes or until golden brown. Cool meat pie for 10 minutes before serving.
Best Vinaigrette and Salad
(Submitted by Hero Merkle)
Vinaigrette (~1 cup):
½ cup olive oil
¼ cup red wine vinegar
⅛ cup balsamic vinegar
⅛ cup honey
1½ tablespoons Dijon
1 teaspoon kosher salt
⅛ teaspoon pepper
Salad:
Mixed greens
Candied pecans (butter, brown sugar)
Craisins
Apples
Red onions
Goat cheese
Directions:
1. In a small bowl or jar, combine all ingredients for the vinaigrette. Whisk well (or shake if using a jar) until fully emulsified. Set aside.
2. In a skillet over medium heat, melt a small amount of butter. Add pecans and sprinkle with brown sugar. Stir frequently until the sugar melts and coats the pecans, about 3–5 minutes. Remove from heat and spread on parchment paper to cool and crisp.
3. Wash and dry the mixed greens if needed. Thinly slice the apples and red onions.
4. Add the mixed greens to a large bowl. Top with apples, red onions, craisins, candied pecans, and crumbled goat cheese. Drizzle the vinaigrette over the salad just before serving and toss gently to combine. Serve immediately.
Dessert!
Pecans are optional!
Other recipe mentioned in episode:
Mashed Cauliflower
(Submitted by Bess Hawthorne)
Ingredients:
2 large heads of cauliflower, cut into florets
2 tablespoons butter
4 ounces cream cheese
⅓ cup cream
¾ cup Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
½ teaspoon garlic powder
1½ teaspoons kosher salt
½ teaspoon pepper
Directions:
1. Steam cauliflower approx. 10-12 minutes until tender. Drain well and pat dry or place back on burner 1-2 minutes to steam off water.
2. Place cauliflower and rest of ingredients in a food processor. Blend until smooth.
All ingredients can be adjusted to taste.
Recommended Items:
(4 differing options below that include odd size measuring cups and spoons!)
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Other variations of sets are available.
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Stainless Steel Cups: 1/8, 1/4, 1/3, 1/2, 2/3, 3/4, 1 , 1.5, 2 cup
Bonus Recipe from Bonus Question on Patreon:
Lasagna
~ 3 pans (36 slices)
(Submitted by Hero Merkle)
Ingredients:
2½ pounds lasagna noodles
¼ cup minced garlic
6 28-ounce cans crushed tomatoes
1 tablespoon salt + additional to taste
5 tablespoon pepper + additional to taste
5 pounds Italian sausage
4 pounds mozzarella
3 pounds cottage cheese
3 eggs
A few handfuls of Parmesan
Additional mozzarella or Parmesan to top
Serve with:
Salad
French bread
Directions:
1. Fill 3 9x13” pans with hot tap water, and lay noodles down flat. They will begin to soften while you begin preparing the rest of the lasagna. For the sauce: heat olive oil in a pot over the stove, and add in the minced garlic. Cook just until fragrant, and then add in the crushed tomatoes. Add in 1 tablespoon salt and 1 tablespoon pepper, and let simmer. Fry up the sausage and drain the grease. Once the sauce has simmered for at least 45 minutes, add in any additional salt and pepper to taste, and then stir in the sausage. Remove from heat.
2. Stir together the cottage cheese, eggs, and Parm.
3. Assemble: remove the noodles from the pans — they should be soft but still unbending, and will finish cooking in the oven! Dump out the water, and grease the pans. Assemble in these layers: ⅓ sauce, ½ noodles, ½ cottage cheese mix, ½ mozzarella, ⅓ sauce, ½ noodles, ½ cottage cheese, ½ mozzarella, ⅓ sauce. Sprinkle any additional mozzarella or Parmesan over the top. Cover with foil and bake 30 minutes at 350 degrees, and then uncovered for 15 more minutes. (Or, you can assemble these the day before, and then bake day-of! Just bring them to room temp before baking, or add on additional time in the oven.)
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