Cheesy Casserole

The Chef: Aurelia

The Menu: A lovely, hearty, cheese-laden potato-kale casserole. Yes, one of those adjectives is our favorite. Aurelia's signature dish—the casserole—boasted a bubbling tomato sauce spiced with cayenne and paprika, which the perfectly tender potatoes and rich cheese tempered nicely. Of course, by "cheese" we mean cheddar-flavor Teese. Duh. A fresh salad of mixed greens, shaved carrots, and homemade vinaigrette made a perfect side and whole-wheat tortilla points (like toast points, but, you know, not made of toast) served as vehicles for scooping any saucy remnants off our plates.

The Goods: Today's meal was an extra-special treat, not only because the food was delicious but because we got to share it with two of our fabulous writers, Jesse Miner and Mat Thomas. This time of year, with all its attendant baked goods, chocolates, and other treats, it's always nice to get to share a non-sugary, nourishing meal with friends. And once the final savory bite is bitten, we dig right back into the sweet stuff. As our highly insightful editorial assistant Abby noted, anything that comes in a holiday box doesn't count as bad for you.