Happy Yogurt Day!

Did you know that today is Yogurt Day? Well, now you do. Many people think that you cannot make yogurt at home without a significant investment in time and money (and who really wants to buy a yogurt incubator?). Although it does take some time, making yogurt is actually very easy and requires very little attention. As far as the yogurt machine, save your money, since you probably have everything you need to make great yogurt at home.

Ingredients

• 1/2 gallon of 2% or whole milk
• 1/4 cup plain yogurt "with active cultures" as a starter
• That's it - yogurt is really simple!

Directions

Heat the milk to 180 degrees in a large saucepan over medium to medium-low heat, stirring frequently. If you don't have a thermometer, milk at 180 is just starting to steam but not bubbling. You do not want to overheat the milk, as this will scald it (not good). Carefully pour the milk into a very clean, large glass or plastic jar (it needs to be a least a cup or two bigger than 1/2 gallon, to allow for the expansion of the milk as it got hot). Let it cool on the counter to 115 degrees (this will take around 2 hours, depending on the ambient temperature). For the last half hour of cooling time, let the plain yogurt starter come up to room temperature.

Once the milk cools down, thin out the starter yogurt with some of the warm milk and than mix it back in. Cover and let thicken for 4-12 hours (the longer the culture time, the thicker and more tangy the yogurt). Keep the temperature as close to 115 degrees as possible (less than 105, nothing really happens, but if it gets over 120, you kill the starter cultures). I find that a heating pad set to medium keeps it just right - place the jar and the heating pad in a bucket and pack with towels to keep the pad tight to the jar. I also use plastic wrap to cover the jar and poke a probe thermometer through to constantly monitor the temperature.

Once the yogurt reaches the desired thickness, let cool (unwrapped) on the counter until it comes to room temperature, then chill in the fridge for 8 hours to let it fully set up (I said it was easy, not quick). Once your yogurt has fully set up, you may scoop out of the main curd to serve, but do not try to stir it up (or attempt to "mix in" any whey that weeps out of it). Any additions (such as fruit, granola, etc.) should be gently folded in at service time; the more you mix homemade yogurt, the runnier it gets. However, you can avoid this runniness by turning your yogurt into cheese - but that will have to wait until tomorrow!

BBQ Shepherd's Pie

Yesterday, I showed how to make a lovely meatloaf that easily serves a crowd of people. However, if your family is smaller, they may not want the same meatloaf two days in a row. Fear not, bored diners! Through the magic of "casserole," we can turn the boring leftover meatloaf into a brand-new, original "Shepherd's Pie!" Not only is it easy, but you probably have all the ingredients in your pantry or freezer.

Ingredients

• reserved BBQ meatloaf
• 4 russet potatoes, cleaned, peeled, and cut in half crosswise (optionally, make 4 cups of instant mashed potatoes)
• 16 oz white button mushrooms, sliced (fresh, frozen and thawed, or canned)
• 2 cups sweet corn (fresh or frozen)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Directions

Put the potatoes into a large pot and cover with 2-4 inches of cold water. Add 1 tablespoon of kosher salt per 2 quarts of water in the pot. Bring to a gentle boil and cook for 15-25 minutes, or until a paring knife slides through without much resistance (do not overcook so they start to fall apart). Drain and mash. Or skip all of this and just make some instant mashed potatoes.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a skillet, over medium heat saute mushrooms in olive oil until they are golden brown.

Crumble and spread meat loaf into a casserole dish. Spread mashed potatoes evenly over the meatloaf. Sprinkle mushrooms and corn on the potato, then top with shredded cheddar cheese. Bake for 20 minutes, or until the cheese is thoroughly melted. Rest for 5 minutes before serving.

BBQ Meatloaf

Meatloaf too often becomes a tough, overcooked mess of hamburger and ketchup. I have learned a few tricks to making it better from the scientists and cooks on PBS's America's Test Kitchen. One big improvement is to skip the dried-out canned bread crumbs in favor of freshly ground bread. The starch and moisture in the fresh bread gets in between the protein strands and keeps the texture tender, but not mushy. Another improvement that I really like is to skip the ketchup and use barbecue sauce instead for more tang and less syrupy-sweetness. Finally, I find it best to cook the meatloaf on a rack instead of a pan, allowing the grease to drain away as it cooks.

Ingredients

• 1 to 2 slices rye bread, torn into pieces (french bread, white sandwich bread, or sourdoughs also work well)
• 1 large onion, cut into chunks
• 3 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 pound ground chuck
• 1 pound bulk pork sausage
• 2 large eggs
• 3/4 cup smokey BBQ sauce, divided
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place a wire cooling rack onto a sheet pan. Fold a piece of aluminum foil so it makes a double-layer the same size as the rack. Starting about a half inch from the sides, cut 2-inch slits in the foil about 1/2 inch apart. Put the foil on the rack.Make fresh bread crumbs by processing bread in food processor. Transfer 3/4 cup bread crumbs to large bowl; set aside (any remaining bread crumbs may be frozen up to 3 months). Add onion and garlic to food processor; process until finely chopped (do not puree). Melt butter in large skillet over medium heat. Add chopped onion and garlic with a pinch of kosher salt; sweat 6 minutes or until softened, stirring occasionally (if it starts to brown, reduce heat to medium-low). Let cool 5 minutes. Add beef, sausage, eggs, 1/4 cup BBQ sauce, salt and pepper to reserved bread crumbs. Add onion mixture; mix well. Form the meat into a 9" x 6" loaf shape and transfer to prepared rack. Trim foil so it is only directly under the loaf (you want grease to run straight off the sides). Bake 30 minutes. Spread remaining 1/2 cup BBQ sauce over meat loaf; bake 30 minutes more or until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees. Let stand 5 minutes before slicing. Reserve half of the meat loaf for BBQ Shepherd's Pie (tomorrow's recipe!)