Every now and then, I get caught up on life, or I just get so fed up with being behind that I abandon everything and disappear into the kitchen to prepare a meal. It soothes my brain. I can honestly say I chose the right profession. The study of food is not just the central focus of my career; it is also pure joy and my escape. Sometimes when I escape, I just gather up what I can find and create a recipe that is so delicious that I feel the need to share. Last night, I ran away from papers needing grades, classes needing recipes, and posting midterm grades to my kitchen. I had a flank steak that needed cooking, so I placed it on a large piece of foil, seasoned it, topped it with sliced onions, poured a dark beer over it, and sealed the foil. That got slow cooked at 250 degrees for about 4 hours, and then I went in search of a vegetable. We love broccoli, but it is difficult to get it down Jack's throat without something coating it, so I made a cheesy casserole with some of this and a little of that. I had extra sauce and some chicken and rice hanging around, so I decided that my little broccoli casserole wasn't living up to its full potential. A fantastic, weeknight meal was soon born that is worthy of plate licking and a little TV time, too.

No special tricks today, just some stuff thrown together to make a little culinary magic. If you buy the big bags of frozen chicken breasts, three large or four small will be plenty for this casserole. If you don't buy the big bags of breasts, I strongly suggest that you do. They are convenient and quick, as long as the chicken is destined for shredding or chopping. They are very thin and aren't the best for dishes that call for the breasts being served whole. The bags are zip-top, so if you are cooking for yourself or two, you can just get what you want out and stick the bag back in the freezer for later. This is very handy when you are trying to halve a recipe that calls for an entire package of chicken breasts.

I would share some fun, witty stories, but I have papers to grade. Midterms are already upon us, which means spring break is soon, and I hope you all understand, I am taking the week off. No school, no shows. I am ready for a break! Maybe I will just sleep all week….

I will see you in the morning, and have a great day!