Utah’s Date of Statehood – January 4th, 1896
Utah is one of those places that takes you be surprise. I didn’t know what I expected the first time I went to Salt Lake City, but it wasn’t the absolute beauty I saw! The expanse of the Great Salt Lake on one side, a golden red sand desert, and snowcapped mountains…all in one view! It was incredible. The air was fresh, the people were friendly, and the food was fantastic. So, here is my small salute to Utah. I hope you enjoy it as much as we did!
Tips and Tricks
- When mixing the funeral potato casserole, use yours hands. Yes, it will be very cold. But there really is no better way to get all those ingredients thoroughly mixed without crushing the hash browns.
- It takes more work, but shred your own cheese. Pre-shredded cheese is mixed with anti-caking agents to keep the cheese separated. It doesn’t really affect the flavor, but it does affect how the cheese melts.
- When recipes call for Turkey breasts, they general mean turkey breast tenderloins, which usually come 2 to a package. A full turkey breast is MUCH large and takes much more time to thaw and roast.
Grilled Manti Turkey Breast Tenderloins
Serves 4
- 1/2 Cup Soy Sauce
- 1/2 Cup Canola Oil
- 1 Cup Sprite
- 1/2 tsp Prepared Horseradish
- 1/2 tsp Garlic Powder
- 2 Turkey Breast Tenderloins.
Step 1: In a large, zip-top bag mix together the soy sauce, canola oil, sprite, horseradish, and garlic powder. Gently add the turkey breast tenderloins to the marinade, close the bag tightly, and set the meat aside for 6-8 hours.
Step 2: After the meat has marinated, pre-heat the grill to Medium. Once hot, lightly oil the grates. Remove the turkey from the bag and discard the marinade.
Step 3: Place the turkey on the grill, close the lid, and grill for 10-12 minutes.
Step 4: After 10-12 minutes, flip the turkey, close the lid, and grill the meat for another 10-12 minutes, or until the internal temperature of the thickest piece of turkey reaches 165 degrees F.
Step 5: Once the turkey reaches a safe temperature, remove from the grill, wrap in foil, and allow to rest for 5 minutes.
Step 6: Carve into slices and serve.
Utah Funeral Potato Casserole
Serves 8-10
- 4 Tbs Unsalted Butter
- 1 Small Yellow Onion, peeled and diced
- 2 Cloves of garlic, peeled and diced
- 1 30oz. Bag of Frozen Shredded Hash Brown Potatoes, slightly thawed
- 1 10.5 oz. Can Condensed Cream of Chicken Soup
- 1 Cup Sour Cream
- 1/4 Cup Parmesan Cheese, grated
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 1/2 tsp Freshly Ground Black Pepper
- 2 Cup Sharp Cheddar Cheese, shredded
- 1 1/2 Cup Corn Flake Cereal, lightly crushed
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Step 2: Place 2 Tbs of the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Once the butter had melted, add the diced onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are soft, about 6 minutes. Add the garlic to the onions and cook, stirring frequently, for an additional 2 minutes. Remove from the heat.
Step 3: In a very large bowl mix together the cooked onions, cooked garlic, had brown potatoes, cream of chicken soup, sour cream, Parmesan cheese, salt, pepper, and 1 1/2 cups of the cheddar cheese until well combined.
Step 4: Spread this mixture evenly in a 9 x 13 casserole dish. Sprinkle the remaining cheddar cheese over the top and the spread the crushed corn flake cereal over the cheese.
Step 5: Take the remaining 2 Tbs of butter and melt it. Slowly pour the melted butter over the corn flakes.
Step 6: Place the casserole in the hot oven and bake until the corn flakes are golden brown and the casserole bubbles around the edges, about 1 hour.
Step 7: Serve hot.
Spicy Green Beans
Serve 4
- 2 Tbs Canola Oil
- 1 lb. Green Beans, washed, trimmed, and dried
- 3 Garlic Cloves, peeled and minced
- 1/4 tsp Salt
- Pinch Red Pepper Flakes
Step 1: Heat a large skillet with high sides over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the oil. When the oil starts to shimmer, gently swirl it to coat the bottom of the pan.
Step 2: Add the green beans to the hot oil and season with salt.
Step 3: Cook the beans for 5 minutes, shaking the pan and stirring constantly. The beans with blister and char.
Step 4: Remove the pan from the heat and add the garlic and red pepper flakes. Continue to cook, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes off the heat. (The oil is still very hot, so cooking off the heat allows the garlic to cook without burning.)
Step 5: Serve hot.
Fun Facts about Utah: 1. Utah is where you can find one of the heaviest organisms on earth. The Trembling Giant, or Pando, in the Fishlake National Forest, is made up of 47,000 genetically identical trees that share a single root system. In addition to being notably massive, it’s also among the oldest organisms on earth—it’s been alive for more than 80,000 years. 2. In 1869, the nation’s first transcontinental railroad was completed in Promontory, Utah. Construction on the project began in Sacramento to the west and in Omaha to the east and took seven years to build. 3. The Bonneville Salt Flats comprises 30,000 acres of desolate, densely packed salt pan. The spot’s incredibly flat and smooth terrain makes it a popular destination for speed-seeking land racers. In 1964, a man named Norman Craig Breedlove broke the record for longest continuous tire skid when he lost control of his jet-powered Spirit of America on the flats. The resulting skid marks stretched 6 miles long. 4. Utah is the only state where every county contains some part of a national forest. 5. Utahans eat twice the amount of lime green Jell-O as the rest of the population. A popular way to consume the sweet treat in Utah is to add shredded carrots to the mix. 6. When Jim Bridger became the first English-speaking person to discover the Great Salt Lake in 1824, he mistakenly thought he had reached the Pacific Ocean. The Great Salt Lake contains between 4.5 and 4.9 billion tons of dissolved salt. The parts of the lake with the highest salt content are nearly nine times saltier than the ocean.
Edible U.S. 