Silver & Blue Catering has been the preferred catering service at the University of Nevada, Reno for over 20 years. I’m Matt Leisentell, Executive Chef at Silver & Blue Catering. We’ll take you behind the kitchen door and share your holiday creations at home. He is pleased to share not just one, but three recipes: an appetizer, an entree, and a dessert. If you’re looking to spice up your next holiday gathering, we recommend trying one or all of these recipes.
Appetizer: potato casserole
material:
- 2 lbs frozen hash brown potatoes (Olieda Southern Hash Browns – cube shaped ones!)
- 1 cup chopped onion
- 1 can cream chicken soup
- sour cream 1 pound carton
- 1/2 cup margarine or butter
- 8 oz.grated sharp cheddar cheese
- salt and pepper taste
Instructions:
- Thaw potatoes for 30 minutes and mix with remaining ingredients.
- Pour into a 9×13 casserole dish, bake at 375 degrees for 1 hour, and voila!
Main Dish: Vegan White Bean Chili
![Two pieces of brown bread sit next to a bowl of vegan white bean chili on the table.](https://www.unr.edu/main/images/news/blog/2023/December/vegan-white-bean-chili.jpg)
material:
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 small yellow onion
- sweet garlic, celery and onion
- big green pepper
- 1 can cannellini beans
- 1 can chickpeas
- 1 can jalapeno
- 1 can vegetable stock
- 1 tablespoon cumin
- 1 tablespoon dark chili powder
- salt and pepper taste
Instructions:
- Coarsely chop 3 cloves of garlic, 1 stalk of celery, 1 small yellow onion, sweet garlic, celery, and onion in a stockpot over medium heat until translucent.
- Dice one large bell pepper of any color and add the garlic, celery, and onion.
- Open 1 can of cannellini beans, drain and wash in a colander. Open his one can of chickpeas, drain in a colander, wash, and add both beans to the garlic, celery, bell pepper, and onion.
- Open one can of jalapeños and pour a quarter of the jalapeño juice into the beans, garlic, celery, bell pepper, and onion mixture. Add as many jalapenos as needed (the usual amount is half a can).
- Add 3 tablespoons cumin, 1 teaspoon dark chili powder, and salt and pepper to taste.
- Add 1 can of vegetable stock and, if necessary, more water until it is a little wetter than the thick chili pepper.
- Heat over low heat and simmer until the water evaporates. If the chili is too thin, continue cooking and reduce the liquid, or drain some of the liquid until you reach your desired consistency. Taste and season as needed. enjoy!
Dessert: Peppermint Bark
![Two peppermint bark square desserts are stacked on top of each other on a wooden table.](https://www.unr.edu/main/images/news/blog/2023/December/peppermint-bark.jpg)
material:
- 6 ounces dark chocolate
- 12 oz white chocolate
- 3 teaspoons vegetable oil
- 10-12 crushed candy canes
Instructions:
- Line the bottom and sides of a 9-inch by 9-inch square baking pan with nonstick aluminum foil.
- Stir half the white chocolate and 1 teaspoon vegetable oil in a double boiler.
- Stir the chocolate with a heat-resistant spatula while it melts.
- Take it out of the water. Add 1/3 piece of crushed candy cane and stir.
- Spread the melted chocolate on a cookie sheet.
- Place the baking pan in the freezer for 20 minutes.
- Melt the dark chocolate and 1 teaspoon of vegetable oil in a metal bowl over boiling water.
- Stir the chocolate with a heat-resistant spatula while it melts.
- Pour the dark chocolate mixture in a long line over the white chocolate layer.
- Use an icing spatula to spread the dark chocolate in an even layer.
- Place the baking pan in the freezer for 20 minutes.
- Repeat with the white chocolate layer with the remaining chocolate, tilting the pan to even out the layer.
- While still warm and soft, immediately sprinkle the remaining crushed candy canes evenly over the white chocolate layer.
- Gently press down to stick it to the layer.
- Place in the freezer for about 20 minutes or until the chocolate has set.
- Remove the peppermint bark from the pan by lifting the edge of the aluminum foil.
Cut into appropriate sizes. Peppermint bark is traditionally ground into small pieces, but if you want to cut it into squares, dip a knife or cookie cutter in boiling water.
A little addition:
Another favorite dessert of mine is holiday cake topped with dried fruit. At Silver & Blue Catering, we’re thrilled to offer the University community a $10 discount for the entire month of December when you order our fun “Retro Holiday” package. This festive treat includes holiday cake topped with dried fruit and almonds, sweet almond vanilla spritz cookies, and milk chocolate covered pretzels. This special offer is valid from now until December 31, 2023. Silver & Blue Catering Website.
Which of these recipes would you like to try? Let us know about Nevada Dining on social media. Silver & Blue Catering recently joined Facebook and Instagram We hope to share more recipes, specials, promotions, and more.