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Hello All!  My name is Tina Verrelli and I am thrilled to be joining the KitchenAid® team here at QVC. I live locally with my husband and 2 daughters.  I’m a busy mom, a substitute teacher in our local school district, a food blogger at epicuricloud.com and when I have time, I like to enter amateur cooking competitions! 

(My family)

After some losses and some lucky wins in those competitions, I thought maybe I’d like to find a position that would utilize my skills as a teacher, a creative home cook and my passion for talking endlessly about all things food!  Well, long story-short, I found my way here and I couldn’t be happier!  I feel honored to be joining this amazing KitchenAid QVC team!

For about a year now, I have been in the process of joining the KitchenAid family!

I have been practicing with and learning about all the products, attending trainings in Michigan at KitchenAid headquarters as well as touring the Greenville, Ohio KitchenAid Factory.  Pretty amazing experiences for this home cook!   One common thing I’ve noticed about all the KitchenAid folks I’ve met is that they are all passionate about great food!  Guess it makes sense that foodies are making great kitchen tools!  

One fun project I worked on this past year was developing recipes for the new KitchenAid Spiralizer!  It is such a fun attachment that I still get excited every time I use it!  I created a recipe using the Sprializer to share with you here!  It’s a Spiralized Sweet Potato Breakfast Casserole and it’s perfect for a delicious weekend breakfast or brunch…and you can assemble it the night before and bake it the next morning!  You can view a step-by-step photo tutorial for this recipe on my blog, epicuricloud.com

(Spiralized Sweet Potato Breakfast Casserole- see recipe below)

This past summer, I started another phase of my training...I started working behind the scenes at QVC shadowing and assisting the KitchenAid On-Air team, Laura Weathers and Marie Levesque!  These two are simply amazing and I couldn't have asked for a better pair of mentors.  They work at a million miles an hour and I feel I'm always running behind them to keep up!  Whew!  When I leave after a long day/night or both at the "Q" I'm exhausted, exhilarated and amazed all at the same time! These ladies are pros all the way!  That's why I'm still pinching myself that I get to join them.... on air…very soon!  I'm willing myself to be calm, cool and collected!

Learning so much from this amazing lady!

Spiralized Sweet Potato Breakfast Casserole

Makes 8 servings

Prep. Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 1 hour

KitchenAid® Spiralizer Stand Mixer Attachment

Parts Needed:

• Fine Spiralizing Blade
• Peeling Blade

Ingredients:

Non-stick cooking spray

3 medium sweet potatoes* (approx. 5”x 2”)

2 tablespoons olive oil, divided

8 ounces breakfast or sweet Italian turkey sausage (uncooked)

1/3 cup finely chopped shallot

½ teaspoon salt, divided

5-ounces baby spinach, roughly chopped

12 large eggs

½ cup whole milk

½ cup heavy cream

¼ teaspoon pepper

1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

½ cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided

¾ cup crumbled feta cheese

Preparation:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Spray a 2 – 2 ½ quart casserole with non-stick cooking spray. 

2. Trim ends off sweet potatoes and cut to fit KitchenAid® spiralizer stand mixer attachment (if necessary). Use peeling blade and fine spiralizing blade to peel and spiralize sweet potatoes.  You should have about 5 cups of sweet potato spirals.

3. Remove sausage from casing and crumble into a large non-stick skillet (10-inch) over medium heat. (I usually don’t need to add any oil, but if it seems dry, add a tablespoon of oil.)  Cook for about 5 minutes until browned; break apart any larger pieces as needed.  Remove to a paper towel lined plate.  Add a tablespoon of oil to pan, if needed and cook shallots for about 1-2 minutes or until softened.  Sprinkle with ¼ teaspoon salt.  Add spinach and cook, stirring, until spinach wilts about 3 minutes. Remove from heat.

4. Whisk together eggs, milk, cream, remaining ¼ teaspoon salt, pepper, Italian seasoning and ¼ cup Parmesan cheese.

5. Arrange sweet potato spirals in baking dish. Top with sausage, spinach mixture, and feta cheese.  Pour egg mixture evenly over top and sprinkle with remaining Parmesan cheese.

Bake for 45-55 minutes or until puffed, set in the center and beginning to brown.

*Notes: 

Sweet potatoes are sometimes labeled as “yams.”

To Make Ahead: Do steps #2 and 3 and arrange in baking dish.  Cover and refrigerate overnight.  In the morning, preheat oven, whisk together egg mixture, pour over casserole, top with Parmesan cheese and bake.