Made in Oklahoma Coalition falls in love with flavors of the season
Editor's Note: The Made in Oklahoma Coalition's Natalie Mikles has recipes aimed squarely at fall bounty and the flavors. Here she writes about trendy sheet pan pasta for the whole clan, and sweets to reward them with for clean plates as well as a corn dish that could dish that could sneak its way onto Thanksgiving buffets.
The Made in Oklahoma Coalition is welcoming fall like a breath of fresh air.
We’re welcoming falling leaves, cool nights and great meals shared with friends and family using our favorite products made right here in Oklahoma. The secret to great food begins with the and best ingredients, and you’ll always find that when you look for the MIO logo.
One of our favorite trends for easy dinners is the sheet pan supper. We have a great recipe that combines creamy pasta on a sheet pan. Della Terra pasta is combined with a homemade alfredo sauce, crumbled Bar-S Bacon, Scissortail Farms Spinach and cherry tomatoes.
Making alfredo sauce may seem intimidating, but ours is easy to make, using fresh ingredients like Braum’s Butter and Heavy Whipping Cream. Garlic, black pepper and parmesan cheese turn a cream sauce into a rich and creamy alfredo.
This is a crowd-pleasing recipe that everyone will love, and if you’re cooking for vegetarians, it’s easy to remove the bacon for a meatless dinner.
For something sweet, try our Peanut Butter and Pretzel Chocolate Fudge. Our test kitchen couldn’t get enough of this fudge studded with Trucker Treats Cinnamon Toast Pretzels and chopped peanuts. If you’re a beginner fudge maker, you’ll find this straightforward chocolate fudge base simple to make.
The addition of peanut butter makes an even smoother, creamier fudge, and then the peanuts and pretzels give it a little crunch, a flavor that will make it hard to eat just one piece. This fudge makes a great recipe for Halloween parties or fall get-togethers. It’s also great for holiday gift giving, so hang on to this one for the holiday season.
Another favorite MIO recipe is our Creamed Corn Casserole. Maybe you’ve had a version of this homey recipe using cornbread mix, corn and sour cream. It’s a classic side dish that goes well with any kind of grilled meat or anything from barbecued brisket to roasted turkey or ham. Shawnee Mills Buttermilk Cornbread Mix is a great product to stock up on. It can be used in recipes like cornbread salad, stuffing, casseroles or simple, classic cornbread.
Whatever you’re cooking this fall, remember MIO products. Buy local and shop local — it’s good for you and good for Oklahoma!
Sheet Pan Pasta with Spinach, Tomato and Bacon
Serves:4
Quick alfredo sauce
•2 tablespoons Braum’s Butter
•2 teaspoons minced garlic
•1 1/2 tablespoons Shawnee Mills All-Purpose Flour
•2 cups Braum’s Heavy Whipping Cream
•1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
•1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
•Zest of 1 lemon
•1 teaspoon Seikel’s Oklahoma Gold Mustard
•1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
Sheet pan ingredients
•6 slices Bar-S Bacon
•1 (12-ounce) package Della Terra Fusilli Pasta
•4 ounces Scissortail Farms Baby Spinach, roughly chopped
•1 1/2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
•1 cup shredded Lovera’s Caciocavera cheese
•Scissortail Farms Parsley, for garnish
To make the quick alfredo sauce, add the butter to a large saute pan, melting over medium heat.
Saute garlic just until fragrant. Add flour, stirring 1-2 minutes until slightly brown. Add the cream, bring to a simmer and then simmer over low heat for 2 minutes. Whisk in the salt, pepper, lemon zest and mustard, whisking for 1 minute. Remove from heat, and whisk in the parmesan cheese until melted. Set aside.
Cook bacon until crisp. Crumble, then set aside.
Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain, then pour pasta back into pot. Add Quick Alfredo Sauce, stirring to combine and coat pasta. Fold in bacon.4. Spread mixture on a large rimmed baking sheet. Sprinkle with spinach, tomatoes and Lovera’s cheese. Bake in a preheated 375 F oven for 15 minutes. Garnish with parsley
Peanut Butter and Pretzel Chocolate Fudge
Serves: 20
•2 cups semisweet or bittersweet good-quality chocolate chips
•1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
•1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
•1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon (reserved) chopped Trucker Treats Cinnamon Toast Pretzels
•1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon (reserved) chopped salted peanuts
Line an 8-by-8-inch pan with parchment paper.
In a medium-size heavy saucepan, melt chocolate chips with condensed milk and peanut butter. Melt over low heat, stirring until melted and smooth. Remove from heat.
Add pretzels and peanuts, folding to combine.
Spread fudge mixture into prepared pan. Top with reserved 1 tablespoon each of chopped pretzels and peanuts.
Refrigerate until set, about 2 hours. Pull out and cut into squares. Store leftovers in the refrigerator.
Creamed Corn Casserole
Serves: 6
•1 (15-ounce) can creamed corn
•1 (15-ounce) can whole kernel sweet corn, drained
•1 (6-ounce) package Shawnee Mills Yellow Buttermilk Cornbread Mix
•1 (8-ounce) container Braum’s Sour Cream
•1 stick Braum’s Salted Butter, melted
•1 Hansen’s egg
Preheat oven to 350 F.
In a large bowl, combine cans of corn, cornbread mix, sour cream, melted butter and egg, mixing just until combined. Pour into a small casserole dish or a 10-inch cast iron skillet.
Bake 40 to 45 minutes, checking for doneness. You may need to add up to 10 minutes cooking time, depending on size of casserole dish. Top should just begin to turn golden brown.