Written by Jeff Davis Visit :
Visit authors websiteInstructions
Step #1 - Pour 2 cups of milk into a measuring glass and allowing it to reach room temperature.
Step #2 - Grate all your cheese if you didn't buy it pre-shredded.
Step #3 - Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Step #4 - In 8 to 10 inches skillet. Cut your bacon in half and cook until crispy.
Step #5 - While Bacon is cooking, remove the skin from Pheasant Breast and generously salt and pepper both sides.
Step #6 - When bacon reaches desired crispness, remove from skillet to a paper towel covered plate.
Step #7 - Leave the bacon grease in the skillet, we'll use it to cook the pheasant breast. Place each pheasant breast in the skillet and cook each side of the breast about 4 to 5 minutes, until the internal temperature reaches between about 135 - 140 degrees. You don't want to cook all the way to 145 degrees, because this dish will go in the over for 20 minutes at the end, when all the ingredients are combined.
Step #8 - When Pheasant reaching the right temperature, remove from skillet and let rest on plate.
Step #9 - Place the ham in the hot skillet and allow it to cook. You may find that your ham creates a lot of water, you may need to drain some of the water that collects in the pan, if you want your ham to brown.
Step #10 - While the ham is cooking, let's start our bechamel sauce. In a large saucepan, melt 4 tablespoons of butter. Once the butter is melted, 1/4 cup of all-purpose flour, stirring to combine. Allow to cook for 2 minutes and pour in your warm milk. Stirring continuously until it just started to thicken.
Step #11 - Add 1/2 cup Vermont White Cheddar, 1/2 up of Monterey Jack Cheese to your bechamel sauce. Then season with Cayenne pepper, salt and black pepper, to taste. Stirring to combine everything.
Step #12 - Cut your pheasant breast and ham into small bite size chunks. Like 1/4 inch in length.
Step #13 - Take a small casserole dish and grease the bottom of it with butter.
Step #14 - Start your dish by placing a half of your Pheasant down in the bottom of the casserole dish. Followed by half of your Ham. Cover the ham with 1/2 cup of White Vermont Cheddar, followed by 1/2 cup of Monterey Jack Cheese. Follow this with the rest of your Pheasant, followed by the rest of your Ham. Then another 1/2 cup of Vermont Cheddar and 1/2 cup of Monterey Jack.
Step #15 - Take your bechamel sauce that we made earlier and pour it over the top of the dish. You want to sauce to ooze down between all the cracks to the bottom of the dish. Sprinkle another 1/2 cup of Monterey Jack Cheese over the top.
Step #16 - Put 24 Ritz crackers in a zip lock bag and crush them to pieces. It should make a fine cracker crumble. Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in the microware. Put your cracker crumbles in a bowl and pour hot butter over the top, using a fork to combine and fluff.
Step #17 - Take the Ritz cracker crumble and distribute it evenly over top of your casserole.
Step #18 - Cut the bacon up into fine pieces and sprinkle over the top.
Step #19 - Place the dish in the oven for 20 minutes.
Step #20 - When the dish comes out of the oven, garnish the top with chopped Flat Leaf Parsley.
