“A little bit of this, a little bit of that…”
Rikku, FFX-2
Do you have half-empty bags of egg noodles, brown rice, and elbow macaroni in your cupboard that never seem to get used up? Frozen hashbrowns that are heading towards freezer burn? Random cans of salmon, sardines, or tuna that just get pushed to the back? Use this recipe as a blueprint for fusing your stockable items to create something more delicious. You can include any cheeses you like, but if you’re having trouble deciding, a high-quality white cheddar is especially good. Grate it yourself instead of buying the pre-shredded kind, which is coated with additives to prevent clumping.
Ingredients
- 12 ounces of dried pasta or rice, or 20 ounces frozen cooked potatoes, thawed
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large yellow onion or two small onions, peeled, quartered lengthwise and sliced thickly crosswise
- 2 leeks, trimmed, halved, thickly sliced, and rinsed well
- Sea salt and freshly-ground black pepper, to taste
- ¼ cup white wine
- ¼ cup flour
- 2½ cups (20 ounces) chicken broth
- 1¼ cup (10 ounces) half-and-half
- 6 ounces cheese, grated
- 1 tablespoon hot sauce (such as Crystal)
- 2 6-ounce cans of fish (such as salmon, tuna, or sardines), drained
- 8 oz. frozen peas or other vegetables (about 1½ cups), thawed
- 2 ounces panko or crushed potato chips
- 1 ounce Parmesan cheese, grated (about ¼ cup)
- A dash of smoked paprika
- 1 lemon, washed well
- Fresh dill
- Fresh chives
Directions
Prepare the pasta or rice according to package directions but slightly undercooking it by a few minutes.
In a large oven-safe skillet or Dutch oven, melt the butter and olive oil over medium-high heat. Add onion and leeks and cook, stirring occasionally and seasoning with salt and pepper, until soft and golden, about 15 minutes.
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Slowly pour in wine and continue cooking, scraping the bottom of the pan, until pan is almost dry, about 2 minutes.
Add flour and stir until onion and leeks are coated. Stir in broth and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium and stir in half-and-half. Continue to cook, stirring frequently, until mixture is bubbling. Stir in cheese and hot sauce, then add fish and peas. Break the fish up with a spatula, add pasta, and stir until combined.
Turn off heat and sprinkle evenly with panko or chips, Parmesan cheese, and paprika. Bake uncovered until bubbly around the edges, about 15–20 minutes. Remove from oven and let rest for 10 minutes, then zest one-quarter of the lemon over the top. Use scissors to trim fresh dill and chives over the top. Ladle into bowls and serve immediately. Makes 8 servings.
Final Fantasy Recipes 