Cheesy Artichoke Ravioli Casserole #BakingBloggers

This cheesy artichoke ravioli casserole is made from store-bought fresh ravioli, with a super cheesy homemade artichoke sauce, baked up till hot and bubbly with extra cheese on top.

Every so often I go through my deep freezer and take stock of the oddly assorted frozen ingredients therein. I hate to waste food but sometimes it just gets to be such a jumble that it’s easier to go buy another chicken then to find the one lost somewhere in the frozen depths. Just me?

Also, because we live in a mostly warm climate, I keep things in my freezer that many people would keep in a pantry or cupboard, like dried beans, nuts and flour. That freezer, as my younger daughter would say, is a bit of a ‘mare.

So, in an effort to cook more from the freezer, I take it all out and sort it from time to time. Pork gets put in one area, poultry and seafood in their own separate places, and beef in another. Then there’s all the frozen sauces and stock, vegetables and fruit!

Recently I came across a green bag that simply said “Artichokes” but the photo was of artichoke bottoms. Who knows why I bought it originally. I probably had some plan but for this week, it’s perfect for a cheesy baked pasta dish. All my Baking Blogger friends are also making baked pasta, cozy dishes for cold nights. Make sure to scroll down to the bottom to see the link list of recipes.

Cheesy Artichoke Ravioli Casserole

My local grocery store carries a couple of brands of fresh ravioli stuffed with various fillings and they are all pretty nice, whether with a sauce or just boiled and buttered. When I saw the artichoke-filled ones after finding my artichoke bottoms, this dish seemed like destiny. If you can't find artichoke ravioli, by all means, use your favorite fresh ravioli.

Ingredients
14 oz or 400g frozen artichoke bottoms – Or use 2 cans instead. Drain well!
1 tablespoon lemon juice or white vinegar
9 oz or 250g fresh artichoke-filled ravioli (or your favorite kind)
1/4 cup or 60ml olive oil
3 cloves garlic, chopped
Optional: 1/2 teaspoon crush red pepper
1/4 cup or 60g butter
1/3 cup or  41g flour
34 cup or 180ml milk
3 1/2 oz or 100g sharp cheddar cheese
3 oz or 85g cream cheese
3 1/2 oz or 100g mozzarella
3 oz or 85g Parmesan
8-10 baby plum tomatoes
10-12 black olives (either already pitted or remove the stones yourself)
Parsley to garnish, if desired

Method
Thaw the artichokes in cool water with a little vinegar or lemon juice to stop them turning brown. Cut the artichokes into thin slices, removing and discarding any hard bits as you go. Quickly return the slices to the cool water.

Cook the ravioli according to package instructions, removing them from the boiling water when they are al dente, usually the shortest recommended cooking time. Reserve a cup of the pasta water and set aside.

Preheat your oven to 350°F or 180°C. Drain the artichoke slices and dry them off in a clean kitchen towel.

In a cooking pan that can go from stovetop to oven, sauté the artichokes in the olive oil until they begin to turn golden in places. Add in the chopped garlic and crushed red pepper, if using. Sauté for a few more minutes till the garlic has softened.

Transfer the artichokes and garlic to a bowl with a slotted spoon.

Add the butter and flour to the pan, making a paste (roux) as the butter melts. Cook over a medium low heat for 2-3 minutes.

Turn the fire off and whisk in the milk.

Turn the heat back on low and cook for a couple of minutes still whisking, till the mixture starts to thicken. Add 1/2-3/4 cup pasta water and whisk till combined.

Add the cream cheese.

Cook for a few minutes, until the cream cheese melts, then stir the cheddar into the sauce.

Add the artichokes and garlic into the cheese sauce.

If the combo looks a bit dry, you can add some more of the reserved pasta water. Add the cooked ravioli to the pan and stir gently to combine.

Mix the Parmesan and mozzarella together. Sprinkle them on the pasta. Tuck the tomatoes and olives around.

Bake your casserole in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, uncovered, until it is bubbling and the top is golden brown. Sprinkle with some chopped parsley to garnish, if desired.

Extra Parmesan on the side is always welcome at our house. When it comes to cheese more is more.

Enjoy!

Check out all the lovely baked pasta dishes my Baking Blogger friends are sharing today, perfect warming dishes for cozy nights. Many thanks to our host Sue from Palatable Pastime.

• Baked Mexican Chicken Spaghetti by Sneha's Recipe
• Baked Spaghetti by Simply Inspired Meals
• Cavatini by Palatable Pastime
• Cheesy Artichoke Ravioli Casserole by Food Lust People Love
• Cheesy Vegetable Baked Pasta by Cook with Renu
• Creamy Lemon Chicken Pasta Bake by Caroline's Cooking
• Greek Giouvetsi by Pandemonium Noshery
• Macarona Bechamel (Egyptian Baked Pasta) by Tara's Multicultural Table
• Meatless Lasagna by A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Mushroom And Artichoke Pasta Bake by Oventales
• Rakott teszta (Hungarian Layered Noodles) by Sid's Sea Palm Cooking
• Ravioli Lasagna by Making Miracles
• Sausage and Spinach Lasagna by Cookaholic Wife
• Spiralized Sweet Potato Macaroni and Cheese by Karen's Kitchen Stories
• Sweet Corn Mac and Cheese by Anybody Can Bake
• Turkey Ham Mac and Cheese by Cindy's Recipes and Writings
• Turkey Tetrazzini by Reviews, Chews & How-Tos

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Golden Pineapple Buns #BreadBakers

A bakery staple in Chinatowns worldwide, golden pineapple buns are a real treat. The soft sweet bread features a topping that bakes up crisp and light. As an added bonus, some contain sweet fillings, like these made with my easy pineapple jam.

This month’s Bread Bakers host, my friend Felice from All That’s Left Are the Crumbs set us a theme of “good luck breads” and I knew I would find a few choices in typical Chinese or Lunar New Year menus online. Indeed, since gold is a color of prosperity, golden pineapple buns showed up in many.

Also known as bolo bao or bo lo baau, pineapple buns appear to originate from Hong Kong but they are also very popular in Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia as well. For all the many years we lived in those three places – a combined 12 years! – I never actually tried a pineapple bun. I loved the Chinese bakeries but would typically opt for a sausage bun or another savory option.

Historically, the pineapple is also a symbol of wealth and hospitality. What is more welcoming than a warm bun that is named because it looks like a pineapple? I’ll tell you.

It’s one that is also filled with pineapple jam.

Several recipes said these buns could authentically be filled with red bead paste or custard but most are not filled at all. I, on the other hand, thought they cried out for pineapple jam. Why should they be pineapple in name and looks only? Beauty is more than skin deep and their outer beauty should be echoed and enhanced by an inner pineapple-y sweetness, don’t you think?

And when I checked it out, I got a mention in Wikipedia. Non-native speaker. That's me.

Golden Pineapple Buns

Like all good yeast breads, these guys take a while to make because of rising time. Also, there are three parts: the dough, the topping and the filling, if you choose to fill them. I suggest making my easy pineapple jam but you can also use your favorite store-bought jam of any flavor. Or don’t fill them at all. Either way, they are totally worth the time. My bun recipe is adapted from these two: The Woks of Life and China Sichuan Food. The pineapple jam is all me. I love making quick jam.

Ingredients for 6 large buns
For the bread dough:
1/3 cup or 78ml heavy cream
1/2 cup or 120ml milk
1/4 cup or 50g sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast
1 large egg (at room temperature)
2 1/2 cups or 317g strong white bread flour
3/4 teaspoon salt

For the topping paste:
2/3 cup or 83g all-purpose flour
1/3 cup or 66g caster sugar
2 tablespoons dry milk powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
2 tablespoons vegetable shortening
1 small egg yolk
⅛ teaspoon vanilla extract
4-6 teaspoons milk

For the filling:
6 generous tablespoons thick pineapple jam, homemade or store-bought
(It’s super easy to make. For homemade my instructions are here.)

For the egg wash:
1 egg yolk
1 teaspoon water

Method
Warm your cream and milk to between 105-110°F or 40.5-43°C in a small pot over a low fire or in the microwave. Add in 1 tablespoon of the sugar for the dough and the yeast. Set aside for a few minutes to make sure your yeast is active.

Pour the foamy liquid into the bowl of your mixer and add the rest of the sugar, egg, flour and salt.

Using your bread hook, combine the ingredients and continue mixing for about 15 minutes, scraping the bowl down occasionally to make sure all of the flour is being incorporated.

This is a very soft dough.

After 15 minutes, cover the bowl with a damp towel and place in a warm place for 1 hour.

If your kitchen is cold, set the bowl in your sink and fill it part way up with warm water. Leave to prove for about 1 hour by which time the dough should double in size.

When the initial rise time for the bread dough is up, put it back in the mixer and use your bread hook to knead it for 5 minutes to beat it back down to original size and make it more manageable and less sticky.

Lightly flour a clean work surface and tip your dough out of the bowl. With floury hands, knead it briefly. Cut it into 6 equal pieces (mine were about 100g each) and roll them into small balls.

If you aren’t filling your pineapple buns, transfer them to your baking pan, sprinkle with some flour and cover with a clean dry towel. Set aside to rise for 1 hour.

If you are filling them, use a floured rolling pin to roll each ball out into a 6 in or 15cm circle. Brush with water. Add 1 tablespoon of pineapple jam to the middle. (By the way, that gorgeous yellow is all natural!)

Pull the sides in, pinching gently to close the dough, making a ball again. Place pinched side down on your baking pan.

Continue until all buns are filled. Sprinkle with flour and cover with a clean dry towel. Set aside to rise for 1 hour.

While the buns are rising, use a food processor to make the topping.

Add the dry milk powder, flour, baking soda, baking powder, and superfine sugar to the food processor. Pulse to combine. Add the shortening, egg yolk, and vanilla.

Pulse till it looks like big grains.

Add the milk starting with just 1 tablespoon. Pulse until it just comes together as a dough, adding a teaspoon or two more milk as needed.

Give the crumbs a squeeze to see if they’ll hang together. If they do, no more milk is needed.

Tip the topping crumbs out on to a piece of cling film and push them together to create a dough. Cover tightly with the cling film. Place in refrigerator for around 30 minutes until slightly chilled.

When the buns are done rising, preheat your oven to 350°F or 180°C.

Form the topping dough into a rectangle in the cling film so that it’s easier to cut into six equal pieces.

Roll them into balls. Lay a large sheet of cling film out and place the ball on one half. Fold the other half over. Use a rolling pin to roll a topping ball into a circle the size of the tops of your risen buns.

Unfold the cling film and place the topping circle on a bun. Carefully remove the cling film.

Use the tip of a sharp knife to gently score the topping in a diamond pattern. Continue until the buns have been covered and scored.

Whisk the egg yolk with the water and brush the egg wash onto each bun. Bake in your preheated oven for 14-16 minutes or until puffed and golden.

Remove from the oven and leave to cool on the baking pan for a few minutes. Place on a wire rack to cool completely.

Enjoy!

Check out all the other lucky breads we have for you today! Many thanks to our Bread Bakers host, Felice from All That’s Left Are the Crumbs.

• Buttermilk Cornbread from Cindy's Recipes and Writings
• Cloverleaf Rolls from Sneha's Recipe
• Coriander Garlic Four Leaf Clover Bread from Sara's Tasty Buds
• Four Leaf Clover Good Luck Rolls from Cook With Renu
• Golden Pineapple Buns from Food Lust People Love
• Grosse Neujahrs-Breze from All that's Left Are The Crumbs
• Honey Butter Cloverleaf Rolls from Ambrosia
• Irish Barmbrack from Gayathri's Cook Spot
• Jewish Challah from Veena's Veg Nation
• Three King's Cake from A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Lucky Horseshoe Shaped Stuffed Bread from The Mad Scientist's Kitchen
• Steamed Piglet Buns from Karen's Kitchen Stories
• Vasilopita from Anybodycanbake

#BreadBakers is a group of bread loving bakers who get together once a month to bake bread with a common ingredient or theme. Follow our Pinterest board right here. Links are also updated each month on this home page.

We take turns hosting each month and choosing the theme/ingredient.

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Easy Pineapple Jam

Spread a little bright yellow sunshine on your morning toast with my easy pineapple jam. With just two main ingredients, it couldn’t be simpler. It also makes a great filling for muffins, cakes and buns.

A sweet taste of the tropics, pineapple jam is quite common in Southeast Asia and the Caribbean. In fact, in Malaysia where we lived for many years, it’s part of many festivals and celebrations as a filling for kuih tart. For the Chinese Malaysians, the gold color is considered a sign of prosperity so kuih tarts are served during the lunar new year but they are also popular for the Muslim and Hindu holidays as well.

Here in Dubai, I have a lovely part-time cleaning lady from Sri Lanka who adores pineapple jam. It’s her favorite fruit spread. According to her, it’s quite common in her country as well. If you haven’t given it a try yet, I encourage you to make a jar.

Easy Pineapple Jam

Quick jam made from fresh pineapples requires only heat and sugar and just a little bit of time. No water bath is necessary; just store it in a clean jar in the refrigerator. I can guarantee it won’t last long!

Ingredients for 1 pint
1 fresh pineapple, about 1 lb 3 oz or 550g, after peeling and coring
3/4 cup or 170g caster sugar
Pinch salt

Note: This easy pineapple jam recipe can also be made with canned pineapple, as long as it is canned in its own juice, NOT in syrup. Drain the juice before processing the pineapple.

Method
Cut the pineapple into chunks and pile it into your food processor.

Pulse the pineapple in your food processor until it is cut into small pieces.  You don’t want it completely smooth so there should be small chunks. 

Cook the pineapple over a medium low heat in a small covered pot for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. It should look a bit dry towards the end.

Add in the sugar and the pinch of salt. The sugar will melt and the pineapple will look juicy again. Cook over a low heat until the jam is sticky and pretty dry again, stirring frequently.

 It will turn slightly darker as the sugar cooks but be careful not to let it burn.

Transfer the jam to a jar and allow to cool. Store in the refrigerator. It’s great on hot buttered toast, stirred into plain yogurt or baked in a bun.

Enjoy!

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