The Kitchen

The Kitchen

Welcome to The Kitchen at Ochre Springs. Food is a joy of life. Good food — food that comforts, fulfills, nourishes, and leaves us satisfied — is something everyone craves and enjoys. We try our best to make good things to eat in our home, and we want to share some of our favorite menus and recipes with you here.

This Week’s Dinner Menu
SundayDinner Out w/ Friends!
MondayChicken Biryani and Chicken Tikka Masala
TuesdayTex-Mex Tuesday
WednesdayPasta Night
ThursdayChicago Style Italian Beef Sandwiches
FridayCheesy Chowder and Butterbread (receipes below)
SaturdayPulled Pork

Recipe of the Week!

Our selected recipe from the weekly menu above.

Cheesy Chowder (with Chicken)

A version of the "Cheesy Chowder" made famous by the Wingfeather Saga book series.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Course Main Course, Soup
Cuisine American
Servings 4 people

Ingredients
  

  • 2 cups water
  • 2 cups diced potatoes
  • 1/2 cup diced carrot
  • 1/2 cup celery thin sliced and chopped
  • 1/2 cup onion finely chopped
  • 1 tbsp Kosher salt
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper

Cheese Sauce

  • 1/4 cup butter
  • 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 cups milk
  • 1/2 tbsp minced garlic
  • 2 cups finely shredded cheese (we prefer the a blend of cheddar, colby, and asadero cheese, but just mild cheddar works fine)
  • 2 cups cubed cooked chicken (pulled rotisserie chicken works great too, just make sure to cut into bite size chunks)

Instructions
 

  • In a large sauce pan or a soup pot, bring the water, vegetables, salt and pepper to a boil. Reduce to a low boil/high simmer and cook for 10 minutes.
  • Meanwhile, make cheese sauce by melting butter in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Add flour and stir to combine and mixture (roux) starts bubbling. Slowly add milk about 1/2 at a time, whisking into mixture. You are aiming for a smooth sauce that has enough thickness to coat a spoon. Add garlic and stir this white sauce, cooking for 2-3 minutes until smooth. Slowly add cheese, melting until fully incorporated into white sauce. Sauce will thicken up quite a bit…but never fear!
  • Skim off any foam/veggie scum that may have formed on liquid and veg boil; Stir cheese sauce into the liquid and veg, mixing well to combine. Add in chicken and heat over medium-low to heat chicken through.
Keyword cheese, cheesy chowder, chowder, wingfeather
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Butterbread

Inspired by the butterbread served with cheesy chowder in the Wingfeather Saga series of novels.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Rise Time 1 hour 20 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 15 minutes
Course Bread, Side Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 6 people

Ingredients
  

Yeast Blooming

  • 1 pkg active dry yeast
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • 2 cups milk warmed to 110°-120°F

Dough Forming

  • 4½ tbsp sugar
  • 1½ tsp salt
  • 4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 eggs, beaten
  • 1/2 cup butter, melted

Baking

  • non-stick spray
  • 1/2 cup butter

Instructions
 

  • In bowl of stand mixer, combine the Yeast Blooming ingredients (yeast, 1 tsp sugar, warm milk). Mix a small bit, allow to stand 15 minutes until yeast starts blooming.
  • In a separate bowl, combine dry ingredients (flour, salt, sugar). Attach dough hook to stand mixer. Add dry ingredients to bloomed yeast, and start mixer on low speed. Add eggs, and allow to incorporate. Add melted butter and allow hook to mix/kneed dough until smooth and slightly sticky, about 5 minutes on low speed.
  • Coat the inside a large bowl with oil or non-stick spray. Place dough in bowl, cover with plastic wrap and a tea towel, and set aside in a warm area to rise, about 1 hour.
  • Preheat oven to 375°F.
  • Turn dough out onto floured surface. Divide into half. Place each half into loaf pans coated on the inside with oil or non-stick spray. Cover and allow to rise another 15-20 minutes.
  • Bake loaves for 15 minutes. Then pour butter over the top of each loaf. Bake for an additional 15-25 minutes until tops are browned.
  • Remove from oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes before removing loaves from pans and onto cooling racks.
Keyword bread, butter, homemade bread
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Recipes We Love!

Hasselback Gratin Potatoes (BBQ Side Dish Style)
This recipe is a mod of several popular Hasselback Potato recipes out there. The "mod" was to bring in some flavor that pairs well with barbecue — and even more specifically, Central TX Style beef barbecue! Think of putting the time into this dish rather than the standard mac and cheese.
Check out this recipe
Butter Cream Pasta Sauce with Leeks and Mushrooms
This is a wonderfully easy, quick to make, rich and satisfying pasta sauce. We use it on practically every type of pasta there is!
Check out this recipe
Rumaki
Originating somewhere in Hawai'i or the Bay Area in the 1960s (it was supposedly an old school Trader Vic's speciality), Rumaki is a classic old-school "pupu" or polynesian-American hors d'oeuvre. How can you go wrong with a simple teriyaki sauce for marinade, tender meat and crunchy water chestnut wrapped in bacon? I had you at bacon, right?
Check out this recipe
Chili
Our family's chili recipe is as straightforward as it gets. Basically a Texas-style beef chili. Serve this with some fresh cornbread, and make sure you have some shredded cheese, fresh chopped white onion, or some Frito's corn chips to sprinkle on top, and you have a classic on the table. Enjoy!
Check out this recipe
Chicken Wild Rice Soup
A classic Minnesota recipe! Based on the famous Byerlys Restaurant original (now known as Lunds&Byerlys), instead of ham, our family prefers chicken.
Check out this recipe