Norwegian Risgrøt, Rice Porridge, Pressure Cooker Recipe

Norwegian rice porridge, or risengrynsgrøt, is a thick, creamy, hot rice cereal commonly made in Norway throughout the year, especially as a Saturday lunch. Also called risgrøt, the standard way of cooking the white rice is in a heavy pot on the stove top as shown in my post Traditional Norwegian Risgrøt, Rice Porridge Recipe. The rice cooks in milk for an hour until it thickens and softens, and needs to be stirred every five minutes or so to prevent burning. It is a little bit of a process, so it is nice to have some additional preparation options. After having experimented with a lot of batches, I have figured out several good alternatives. In this post I will show you how to make it in an electric pressure cooker, and in a previous post you can see how to prepare it using one of the following methods: Oven, quilt, cooler, or slow cooker method. Although common year-round, risgrøt is often served for lunch on Christmas Eve day, with the leftovers used in the evening for the much loved Norwegian Christmas dessert, Riskrem (rice pudding). For many families, mine included, there is no Christmas without riskrem!! We have an Instant Pot electric pressure cooker, but I’m sure other electric pressure cookers will be similar. The important part is that it needs to have a “warm” feature if you want to cook the porridge directly inside the pot. When preparing risengrynsgrøt in a pressure cooker, you […] Read more »

Norwegian Risengrynsgrøt 6 Ways; Rice Porridge Recipe

Norwegian rice porridge, or risengrynsgrøt, is a thick, creamy, hot rice cereal commonly made in Norway throughout the year, especially as a Saturday lunch. Also called risgrøt, the standard way of cooking the white rice is in a heavy pot on the stove top, as described in my post Traditional Norwegian Risgrøt, Rice Porridge Recipe. The rice cooks in milk for an hour until it thickens and softens, and needs to be stirred every five minutes or so to prevent burning. It is a little bit of a process, so it is nice to have some additional preparation options. After having experimented with a lot of batches, I am now ready to show you several alternatives. Most of them require that you start by simmering the rice in water, then add milk and heat up again. Then you can finish it using one of the following methods: Oven, quilt, cooler, slow cooker, or electric pressure cooker method. The recipe itself is found at the bottom of this post, in which I chose to follow the oven method. But you can use the same measurements for any of the other methods described in this post. To keep this post from getting too long, I decided to post a separate post on the electric pressure cooker method (click this link.) If you decide to try my recipe, I would be thrilled if you left me a comment and star rating at the bottom of […] Read more »

Traditional Norwegian Fårikål, Lamb & Cabbage Recipe

Fårikål, or Lamb & Cabbage, is an old, traditional Norwegian dish loved by young and old in Norway. It is often on the menu in the fall when lamb is in season and very inexpensive. Lamb meat is a favorite among many Norwegians, and simmering with cabbage is one of the most popular ways to prepare it. This authentic recipe is very easy to make, and even cheap, tough cuts become tender and juicy when fixed this way. Traditionally, this dish is served with boiled potatoes and plenty of lamb broth ladled overtop. Fårikål recipes throughout the country are usually very much the same, using only five ingredients: lamb, cabbage, salt, pepper, and water. Some people add a little bit of flour to thicken the broth just a tad. A simple combination, yet so very tasty! Norwegians abroad will sometimes make changes to traditional recipes, but in this post I will show you how to make the original, authentic Norwegian Fårikål. Directly translated, fårikål (får-i-kål) means “lamb in cabbage”. Får is another word for lamb or sheep, and kål simply means cabbage. We Norwegians are very proud of the quality of lamb meat produced in our country; sheep and their lambs usually graze in the mountains all summer long where they enjoy fresh air, lots of space to roam, clean mountain water, and an all-you-can-eat buffet of natural feed. Drivers must always keep an eye out when up in the mountains and […] Read more »

Delicious Cherry Lemonade for a Crowd. Recipe & Tips

    Best-Ever Flavored Lemonade on a Budget I recently hosted a graduation open house for over 150 people in honor of my daughter’s graduation from high school. A graduation open house is a tradition in the northern states, for you southerners who think I must be crazy! It is, actually, pretty crazy but a lot of fun, too! At any rate, when deciding on a menu, we looked at different options for beverages. The goal was to serve something easy and good tasting, but affordable at the same time. In the end we decided on water bottles and lemonade in dispensers. But not just any bland lemonade: I figured out a way to cut back on cost while serving a wonderful cherry flavored lemonade that not only looked beautiful, but also tasted absolutely delicious! It also ended up being very easy, even for such a large crowd of people, and yet so tasty! Using the following recipe also allows you to choose other flavors, although cherry is our favorite. Read on and you will see just how simple it can be to score big without breaking the bank, in addition to several good tips!   Other ideas that were considered:  We had looked at other beverage options as well. The easiest would have been soda cans and water bottles in a kids’ plastic pool filled with ice. But after we heard people say to provide 2-3 drinks per person (really??? That can’t be […] Read more »

Deluxe Scalloped Potatoes; Recipe & Pictures

  Today I will post a fantastic recipe for the ultimate of scalloped potatoes! This dish was a huge hit when I served it as a side during our large family Christmas celebration. I am tempted to call it Grown-Up Scalloped Potatoes because the flavors are more complex than some of the other, more standard recipes. I love scalloped potatoes, but this recipe has definitely been kicked up a notch and is a must-keep for my recipe box. And they also just happen to be gluten free! How awesome is that? With the upcoming holidays in mind, I originally found it at Great Party Recipes .com, (Easy Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes) while searching for a recipe that would work for a large group of people. After making a couple of changes and trying it on small-scale first, I decided there was no reason to look further! This was it! And it was a success! Below, I have posted a lot of pictures along with the directions and recipes, and I hope it will be helpful to you. If you decide to try these scalloped potatoes, I would love it if you came back to comment and add a star rating as it really helps me out! Thanks in advance!   How Much Will You Need if Serving a Crowd?  On the bottom of this post you will find a smaller and a larger size recipe for your convenience; the smaller one for 6 servings […] Read more »

How to Make and Bake Norwegian Lefse

    Lefse is a food very much associated with Norway. With fond memories of their old traditions and culture, people with Norwegian heritage often love to bake lefse and feel the nostalgia of years past, especially during Christmas. In Norway, this dish is also served during other holidays, or any special occasion. In this post I will share details on how lefse baking is done, along with lots of pictures of the process and two different recipes on the very bottom of this page. The Askeladden Lodge of the Norwegain-American organization Sons of Norway, holds a popular, annual event called “The Lefse Party“. In Kalamazoo, Michigan, winters can get mighty cold and snowy, so this is a perfect time to get together to bake lefse! Members who have lefse griddles and other equipment bring it along, and everyone enjoys this fun time of teaching and learning while lefse dough is rolled, flipped, and baked. Then, finally comes the time to add toppings and enjoy a splendid meal together! Visitors and new members are always very welcomed at Askeladden Lodge, and to any of the many lodges across the country. Locations and more information can be found by clicking the Link to Sons of Norway, and the Link to Askeladden Lodge of Kalamazoo, Michigan. Askeladden Lodge can also be found on facebook. The generous members of Askeladden Lodge were so kind to let me shoot photos and learn from them […] Read more »

Thanksgiving Simplified; Easy, Delicious Turkey Dinner

Hosting is fun and rewarding on so many levels, and spending time with family is very high on my list of things I love. Our family celebrates Thanksgiving the traditional way, with the whole family gathered and eating turkey with lots of sides. It really can be quite an undertaking though, both to prepare the food and to clean up afterward, even with lots of help. This year I decided to make some changes and to do in advance everything that I could. My goal was less stress during food preparation and less dishes to clean afterward, but still serving the wonderful turkey dinner my family has come to love so much. Simplify, simplify. Here’s what I came up with: The week before Thanksgiving: Turkey: (Here’s a link to how I slow-roast my turkeys) For the turkey, I baked it the week before, then carved it, saved the drippings, and cooked stock on the bones for yummy, delicious soup later (Turkey Stock). I put the meat into two 9×13 aluminum pans; white meat in one, and dark in another, covered them well with foil and plastic, then placed them in the freezer. I also saved a cup of drippings for each pan to use during heating.  See below for heating and serving. Gravy: I made gravy ahead of time as soon as the turkey was done cooking. I used turkey drippings, some potato broth, corn starch (instead of flour to […] Read more »

Grandma’s Sweet Potato Casserole Recipe, Gluten Free Option

      This recipe is for a very special sweet potato casserole, one that was served to us by my husband’s late step-grandmother; our beloved Grandma Fountain! It was made and served with love! Although originally not gluten free until I altered it, this casserole is amazing both ways; so creamy and delicious, and a must on our holiday dinner table whether it is Christmas, Thanksgiving, or Easter. The whole family looks forward to this luscious side dish to go with our turkey or ham, and other sides such as green bean casserole! Two new versions of green bean casserole, served for the first time this past Thanksgiving, are likely to become standard dishes for our holiday family dinners from now on, as we really enjoyed them. Here are the links to my posts on those: Creamy Green Bean Casserole and Cheesy Green Bean Casserole, and also the fabulous Gluten Free Crisp French Fried Onion topping! Both casseroles were made gluten free, as this sweet potato casserole easily can be as well by simply substituting the flour for gluten free flour. We tried it and did not notice any difference. Even though my immediate family does not need to be gluten free, we have other family members who do. You can also make this casserole low fat or low sugar. If you do try this recipe, I would really appreciate a quick comment with a star rating (option found immediately under each recipe). It helps […] Read more »

Gluten Free Cheesy Green Bean Casserole Recipe

    This green bean casserole, which can be made with regular all purpose flour or gluten free flour, is a cheesy and creamy side dish that can pass for comfort food any day.  When I made it for the first time for Thanksgiving this year, using gluten free bread mix in place for wheat flour, my husband’s family absolutely loved it! Even one of my brothers-in-law, who considers himself extremely picky, raved about this green bean casserole! I will definitely be making it again, this recipe is a keeper! If you do try this recipe, I would really appreciate a quick comment with a star rating (option found immediately under each recipe). It helps me out tremendously! Thanks in advance! As this side dish is different from Campbell’s green bean casserole, you really need to keep that in mind when trying it, and not expect it to taste like Campbell’s. The only thing it has in common with the ol’ cream of mushroom casserole, is that both of them contain green beans. I found the original version of this recipe on Pinterest via allrecipes.com, but I made a lot of changes to reflect reviewers’ likes and dislikes. It was my impression from the original recipe that people either loved it or hated it, but with the changes added, everyone at our Thanksgiving table raved about this casserole! In addition to this Cheesy Green Bean Casserole, I also tried a […] Read more »

Gluten Free Crisp French Fried Onion Topping, Recipe

  I never even considered that I could make my own French fried crisp onion topping, until I needed some that were gluten free for a green bean casserole. Now I know that these are really easy to make (though somewhat time consuming, but not bad…), and a lot of fun!  I was so proud of myself when I tasted them! “Wow, I MADE those!!” A ton of other people were impressed too, and it was so simple! Just like myself, I think people just don’t realize it can be done at home. It’s just not something you think about until there is a need for it. If you do try this recipe, I would really appreciate a quick comment with a star rating (option found immediately under each recipe). It helps me out tremendously! Thanks in advance! I sliced a large red onion into thin slices, and chopped them just a little bit to be more fitting as a casserole topping. Next, I put them all in a bowl, poured on enough milk to cover, and let them soak for a few minutes. If you need to watch out for dairy in addition to gluten, you could probably use broth instead, or even gluten free beer, as a couple of my readers have since suggested. This recipe shows you how to make the onions gluten free. If you don’t need to be gluten free, you can use regular white […] Read more »