Sunday, January 31, 2016

Italian Meatloaf

    ½ onion, finely diced
    5 cloves garlic, crushed
    1 tomato, diced
    1 Tablespoon Italian seasoning
    2 eggs
    ¾ cup tomato sauce
    1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
    ¾ cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs
    ¼ teaspoon black pepper
    2 Tablespoons Parmesan
    1 ½ cups mozzarella cheese, shredded
Saute onions in 1 Tbsp butter until tender. Add garlic, saute until fragrant; add tomato and italian seasoning, saute 3-4 minutes. Set aside to cool. Mix egg, 1/3 cup tomato sauce and Worcestershire sauce. Add ground meat, bread crumbs, black pepper, parmesan and sautéed mixture. Add in 1 cup mozzarella. In a large, greased roasting pan form the meat into a loaf.  Bake at 400 about 40-45 minutes or until no longer pink in the middle. Let cool. Then cover with remaining sauce and ½ cup mozzarella. Cover and freeze. To reheat, keep covered and bake at 350 degrees 40-45 minutes or 70-85 minutes if frozen.

Saturday, January 30, 2016

Chicken Marsala

  • 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • salt & pepper
  • 2 Tablespoons olive oil
  • 4 slices of bacon, chopped
  • 2 cups sliced mushrooms
  • 2 garlic cloves, pressed
  • 1 Tablespoon minced shallot
  • 1 Tablespoon tomato paste
  • 1 cup Marsala wine
  • 1/2 cup chicken stock
  • 6 Tablespoons butter
  • 1 cup mozzarella, shredded
Pound the chicken to 1/2 inch thickness, or cut each chicken breast in half lengthwise. Pat chicken breasts dry and dip in flour, which you've placed in a shallow bowl. Season both sides with salt and pepper. Set aside. Heat olive oil in a heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high heat until very hot, about 3 minutes. Place floured chicken in single layer in frying pan and cook until golden brown, about 4 minutes. Flip the chicken and gook another 4 minutes or until the meat feels firm when pressed with finger. Transfer chicken to plate and keep warm. Continue cooking the remaining  chicken. Return skillet to low and add the bacon, stirring occasionally and scraping bottom of pan. Cook until crisp, about 4 minutes. Transfer bacon to paper towel lined plate. To skillet, add mushrooms and increase heat to medium-high, saute until mushrooms begin to brown, about 8 minutes. Add garlic and shallot and saute for another minute. Add tomato paste and cook until paste begins to brown, about another minute. Add the Marsala and chicken stock, and increase heat to high. Scrape browned bits from pan bottom. , and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer until sauce is slightly syrupy and reduced to about 1 1/4 cups, about 5 minutes. Remove pan from heat and whisk in the butter until melted and blended. Add chicken breasts to an oven safe pan and top with marsala sauce. Top with bacon and 1 cup of mozzarella. Broil about 3 inches under broil on low, for about 10 minutes or until cheese is melted and browned. Serve.
Freezer directions: Before you broil, place your chicken in a freezer safe container and top with marsala sauce, bacon and mozzarella. Freeze up to 6 months. When ready to heat just thaw and bake at 350 for 20-30 minutes or until chicken is heated through and mozzarella has melted. 
Recipe adapted from:
http://tideandthyme.com/chicken-marsala-2/



My Favorite Pizza Dough


  • 2 packages (about 5 teaspoons) of active dry yeast
  • 2 ¼ cups warm water
  • 2 teaspoons sugar
  • ¼ cup olive oil
  • 5 cups flour
  • 1 Tablespoon salt
In the bowl of your stand-up mixer. Add the warm water to the yeast and let sit until foamy, about 5 minutes Add the sugar, oil, salt and flour. Mix with dough hook on low until everything comes together, adding flour in ½ cup increments, as needed until the dough starts to pull away from the bowl and is no longer sticky. Knead for 8-10 minutes. Form the dough into a ball and place in a greased bowl and cover with a towel. Let rise in a warm place until it's doubled in size. About 60-90 minutes. Preheat oven to 500 degrees F. If you're using a pizza stone, place in the oven while you are preheating. Lay out a large piece of parchment paper and sprinkle with flour. Divide the pizza dough into 4 equal balls. Take one ball and place in the center of the parchment paper and roll out until it's about a quart inch thick (if you're having problems with the dough stretching, let it sit for a few minutes and then come back to it). Poke the dough all over with a fork or your finger tips. This helps the crust to not to bubble up. Cover with toppings of your choice and bake for 10-15 minutes. Repeat with remaining crusts or freeze balls of dough for later use. 
Recipe slightly adapted from: Williams-Sonoma Essentials of Baking.

Pear, Gargonzola & Proscuitto 

 Bruschetta Pizza

Thursday, January 28, 2016

Gruyere Soufflé

My youngest son's favorite way to eat eggs. Actually, it's the only way he'll eat eggs. :o)
I've also made this in one big casserole dish by doubling the recipe, but it does take a lot longer to bake, about 45-60 minutes.
  • 4 egg whites
  • 4 Tablespoon freshly shredded Parmesan cheese
  • 2 Tablespoons butter
  • 4 1/2 teaspoons flour
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 1 cup milk
  • 4oz shredded Gruyere cheese
  • 1 big handful of mozzarella or cheddar cheese
  • 3 teaspoons chicken broth or white wine
  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • 2 egg yolks, lightly beaten
  • 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
Let egg whites stand at room temperature for 30 minutes (save 2 egg yolks for later use). Coat four 8oz ramekins with cooking spray and lightly sprinkle with parmesan cheese; set aside. In a small saucepan, melt butter. Whisk in flour, nutmeg and cayenne pepper until smooth; gradually add milk. Bring to a boil over medium heat; cook and stir for about 2 minutes or until thickened. Reduce heat and stir in Gruyere cheese, mozzarella or cheddar, chicken broth (or wine) and mustard until cheeses are melted. Remove from heat. Stir a small amount of the hot cheese mixture into the egg yolks; return all to the pot, stirring constantly. In your stand up mixer with the whisk attachment, beat the egg white, cream of tartar and salt until stiff peaks form, about 5 minutes. Fold in the egg whites into the cheese mixture until combined. Fill the ramekins evenly, don't worry if it goes all the way to the rim. Place ramekins on cookie sheet and bake at 375 for 20-22 minutes or until top has puffed and center is set. Serve immediately.
Recipe adapted from:
http://www.tasteofhome.com/Recipes/Camembert-Souffles



The Best Chicken Salad!

  • 1 whole cooked Rotisserie chicken
  • 1-2 stalks of celery, chopped
  • 3 green onions, chopped
  • 3 cups grapes, halved
  • 1/2 cup mayonnaise
  • 1/2 cup sour cream or plain yogurt
  • 1/4 cup half and half
  • fresh dill, minced (as much or little as you like)
  • 1 cup slivered almonds
  • lemon juice
  • salt and pepper
Remove as much chicken as you can from the Rotisserie chicken, you should get around 2 cups of chicken. Chop up the fruit and vegetables and place them in a big bowl with the chicken. In a smaller bowl mix up the mayo, sour cream, some lemon juice, and some salt and pepper. Add your dill and mix. Pour the mayo mix into your chicken mix and add the almonds and mix until well blended. Eat it as is or put on top of your favorite bread. Personally I prefer it on a buttery croissant. :o)
Recipe adapted from:


Crepes

This is a really nice change when you're looking for something a little different from pancakes. And the beauty of these is you can add some cream filling and a delicious sauce and make it a dessert. My family loves these with fresh strawberries and homemade whipped cream. 
  • 4 eggs
  • 1/2 cup butter, melted
  • 1/3 cup sugar
  • 1 cup flour
  • 1 ¼ cup milk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
In a blender, blend all your ingredients. Refrigerate for at least an hour. Remove from fridge and blend or whisk batter. Heat your skillet over medium heat. Spray pan with a little oil. Pour about a quarter cup of the batter into the skillet so that there is a thin layer of batter. Swirl the pan around to make sure the batter spreads evenly. Cook for about 30 seconds or until the edges are firm and can be lifted with your spatula. Flip and cook for 15-20 seconds longer. Slide crepe off of pan onto plate and top with your favorite fruit, cream and/or syrups. 
Batter can keep in fridge for up to 3 days.
Makes about 20 crepes, depending on the size of your pan.
Recipe adapted from:


Wednesday, January 27, 2016

Shredded Brussels Sprouts w/ Pistachios, Cranberries & Parmesan

I didn't think I was a fan of Brussels sprouts, but this little dish changed my mind. It's even great cold the next day.
  • 1 pound brussels sprouts
  • 2 teaspoons olive oil
  • 1/2 yellow onion
  • 1/2 cup shelled pistachios
  • 1/2 cup  dried cranberries
  • 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan
  • salt and pepper to taste
Cut each brussels sprouts in half, then slice thinly. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat and add the onions. Cook , stirring occasionally, until the onions are tender and starting to brown, 5-6 minutes. Add the brussels sprouts and cook until they start to get tender but still are bright green. Remove from heat. Pour into a serving dish and add the remainder of the ingredients. Toss and serve warm. 
Recipe adapted from:



Jalapeño Poppers

These are so good and so easy. We make them for pretty much any get together or Monday. I've also made this recipe using roasted green chiles. I added some monterey jack to the cream cheese and stuffed the chiles and wrapped in bacon. SO GOOD! Enjoy. :)
  • 6-8 jalapenos
  • 8oz cream cheese
  • 6-8 slices of bacon, cut in half
Cut jalapenos in half lengthwise and scoop out seeds. Careful doing this. Some can be really hot and can burn fingers and eyes! You might want to wear gloves just in case. Cut your cream cheese into 12-18 equal squares, depending on how many jalapenos you have. Fill each jalapeno with cream cheese and then wrap with half of bacon. Grill on medium high for 10-15 minutes OR place in greased pan and bake at 400 degrees F. 20-25 minutes. Broil for 5 minutes or so to get them to crisp up.


Tuesday, January 26, 2016

Butterscotch Pecan Monkey Bread

This is one of my favorite sweet treats for breakfast or brunch and can be devoured by my family in less than 5 minutes.
  • 12-14 unbaked frozen yeast dinner roll dough
  • 1 small box of regular butterscotch pudding mix (NOT instant!)
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup chopped pecans
  • 1/2 cup butter, melted
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
The night before: grease a bundt pan very well. Sprinkle pecans on the bottom of the pan. Place the frozen rolls over the pecans and sprinkle the rolls with the dry pudding mix. In a microwave safe bowl: melt the butter, brown sugar and cinnamon together until butter is melted and well blended with the sugar. About 1-2 minutes. Drizzle over the rolls. Loosely cover with plastic wrap and let sit overnight at room temperature or for about 8 hours. In the morning: preheat your oven to 350 degrees, remove plastic wrap and bake for 22-25 minutes. Let cool in bundt pan for 5 minutes. Then invert onto a large serving plate and let sit there for a minute or two to get all the gooeyness out. Serve warm.
Recipe from:



Monday, January 25, 2016

Caramel Apple Pizza

  • 1 pkg (18oz) refrigerated sugar cookie dough, softened
  • 1 pkg (8oz) cream cheese, softened
  • 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla
  • 2 medium granny smith apples
  • 1/4 cup caramel sauce
  • 1/2 cup peanuts, chopped
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Shape softened cookie dough into a ball and place in center of large pizza pan covered with parchment paper or a 9x13 greased casserole dish; flatten slightly. Using a lightly floured rolling pin, or your fingers, flatten to about 1/4 inch thick. Bake 16-18 minutes or until light golden brown. Remove from oven; cool completely. While it's cooling: Combine cream cheese, brown sugar, peanut butter and vanilla in medium bowl; mix well. Spread cream cheese mixture evenly over cooled cookie. Core and slice (peel optional) apples and arrange over cream cheese layer. Drizzle with caramel sauce and top with nuts. Serve right away.

Sunday, January 24, 2016

Slow Cooker Beef Brisket

If my wallet, and waist, could afford it; I would eat this brisket every single day for the rest of my life. It's THAT good. It takes a lot of time and prep to make it, but trust me, it's totally worth it.
  • 2 cans beef consomme
  • 1/2 cup lemon juice
  • 1 1/2 cup soy sauce
  • 5 cloves of garlic, chopped
  • 2 Tablespoons liquid smoke
  • 10 lbs beef brisket
Combine everything but the beef in a very large roasting pan (I try to buy disposable for easier clean up). Put the brisket in the marinade, fat side up. Cover tightly with foil and marinate in fridge for 24-48 hours. When ready to cook, place covered pan in preheated 300 degree oven for 40 minutes per pound.
I've also cut the brisket in half, after marinading, placed half with some of the marinade in a freezer bag and frozen it for later. Then put the other half in my slow cooker and cooked for 10-12 hours on low, or even over night. 
Then just shred it and serve it on a tortilla, on a bun or just how it is.
SO GOOD!
Thank you Pioneer Woman for this amazing recipe:

Peach & Almond Baked Oatmeal

I love baked oatmeals. And this one is no exception! I love that you can just throw everything together and bake it. And you could make it the night before for an even easier breakfast treat. Plus it's healthy. So it's a win-win! 
  • 2 cups old fashioned (rolled) oats
  • ¼ cup brown sugar
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • ½ cup sliced or slivered almonds
  • 2 cups almond milk (I used vanilla flavored) you could also substitute regular milk
  • 1 egg
  • 3 Tablespoons melted butter OR coconut oil
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • ¼ teaspoon almond extract
  • 1 ½ cups chopped fresh or frozen peaches
  • Peaches and almonds for the top, if desired
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease an 8x8 dish and set aside. Mix together your oats, brown sugar, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and almonds, set aside. In a separate bowl, whisk together the almond milk, egg, melted butter or oil, vanilla and almond extract. In your prepared baking dish, arrange the chopped peaches evenly over the bottom. Pour your dry mixture even over the peaches then pour the wet mixture over the dry mixture, making sure the milk covers everything evenly. If desired, add some extra peaches and almonds to the top. Bake 40 minutes or until the top is golden and set. Let cool a few minutes before cutting into. Serve warm with milk or yogurt. Or as is. 
Freezer directions: Make this in a freezer safe dish. Follow all the steps until baking. Before baking place in freezer for up to 6 months. When ready to eat, thaw and bake as directed above.
Recipe from:



Saturday, January 23, 2016

Bacon & Sausage Breakfast Casserole

I've made a lot of breakfast casseroles in my day, and I've ate a lot too. :) This is one of my favorites.
  • ½ pound bacon, cut into small strips
  • ½ pound sausage
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 4 cups frozen shredded hash browns
  • 1/2 small onion, finely diced
  • 8 oz sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
  • 8 oz gruyere cheese, shredded
  • 8 eggs, slightly beaten
  • 1 1/2 cups cottage cheese
Preheat oven to 350. Cook bacon and sausage over medium heat until cooked through. Remove to paper towel lined plate to drain off grease. In the same pan that you used to cook your bacon and sausage, saute your onion until tender. Set aside. In a large bowl combine potatoes, salt, pepper and garlic powder. Stir in cottage cheese and all but 1/4 cup of the cheeses. Stir in your cooked and crumbled meats. Stir in onions and eggs. Grease a 9x13 pan and pour into pan. Top with reserved cheeses. Bake casserole for 45-50 minutes or until set-up (not wobbly) in the middle. Allow to cool before cutting.
Freezer directions: Before baking pour into  freezer safe container (freezer bag, plastic container or aluminum pan) and freeze flat. Then when ready to bake just thaw and bake as directed above.
Recipe from:

Herb Crusted Chicken with a Creamy Basil Tomato Sauce

Words cannot describe the deliciousness of this recipe! You'll just have to make it yourself and taste! It was even great the next day for leftovers. We enjoyed ours with some Garlic Mashed Potatoes & an Italian Salad. Mmmmm!
  • 4 Boneless skinless chicken breasts, pounded thin or cut thinly.
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 1 cup Progresso Garlic & Herb Bread Crumbs
  • 4 teaspoons Roasted Garlic & Bell Pepper Seasoning
  • 3 to 6 Tablespoons butter
  • 3 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 1/2 cup chicken broth
  • 1/2 can of diced tomatoes, drained or about 1 cup of diced fresh tomatoes
  • 1 cup heavy whipping cream
  • 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1/4 cup fresh basil, sliced thinly
  • dash of pepper and salt
Place the bread crumbs and the roasted garlic and bell pepper seasoning in a shallow bowl, and mix until blended. Place milk in a separate shallow bowl. In a skillet heat 4 Tbsp butter on medium heat. Dip the chicken in the milk first and then coat in the bread crumb mixture. Fry, until cooked through, about 10 minutes, flipping halfway through, adding more butter as needed. Remove chicken and keep warm. In the same skillet, add garlic and cook for about a minute. Add chicken broth and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally to loosen the browned parts from the pan. Stir in cream and tomatoes; bring to a boil and stir for one more minute. Reduce heat to low and add parmesan, basil and salt and pepper. Stir sauce and cook until heated through and thickened, about 5 minutes. Serve chicken warm with sauce poured on top. If desired, top with grated Parmesan.
Freezer Directions: follow directions through to right before you top chicken with sauce. Instead, let chicken cool completely and then place in freezer friendly bag. Let sauce cool compteletely and add to a freezer friendly container. When ready to eat: thaw chicken and sauce. Place chicken on greased cookie sheet and bake for 20-30 minutes, flipping halfway through, until heated through. Heat sauce on stovetop, or in microwave, until heated through. Top chicken with heated sauce.

Recipe slightly adapted from:

Beer & Cheddar Soup

This is one of my favorite soups. Especially when paired with some homemade soft and chewy soft pretzels! 
  • 1/2 pound of bacon. cut into 1 inch strips.
  • 1 celery rib, finely chopped
  • 1 small onion, finely chopped
  • 1 large jalapeno, seeded and chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 Tablespoon chopped Thyme
  • 1 (12oz) bottle of beer, whatever is on hand, we usually have Fat tire around
  • 2 1/4 cups chicken broth
  • 4 Tablespoons butter
  • 1/4 cup flour
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 1/2 pound sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
  • 4 oz smoked gruyere, shredded
  • salt and pepper for taste
In a large saucepan, cook the bacon over medium heat until crisp. Using a slotted spoon transfer to a paper towel lined bowl. Set aside. To the bacon grease add the celery, onion, jalapeno, garlic, and thyme. Cook over medium heat until softened, about 8 minutes. Add half of the beer and cook until reduced by half, about 5 minutes. Add the chicken broth and bring to a simmer. In a small sauce pan, melt the butter. Add the flour and cook over medium heat, stirring, until lightly browned, about 2 minutes.Whisk the flour mixture into the soup until incorporated and bring to a simmer. Cook until thickened, about 8 minutes. Add the heavy cream, cheeses and the rest of the beer and simmer, stirring occasionally, until thick and creamy, about 5 minutes. Stir in the bacon and season with salt and pepper.  Add more chicken broth if too thick. Serve hot.
Recipe from:



Kale & Brussels Sprouts Salad

This is one of my favorite healthy salads. It reminds me of a Caesar salad, but without all the calories. And if you have someone that doesn't like Brussels sprouts? They'll never even notice them in this salad. It's so good. And it tastes even better the longer you let it sit.
  • 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
  • 2 Tablespoons Dijon mustard
  • 1 Tablespoon minced shallot
  • 1 small garlic clove, finely grated
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • ground black pepper
  • 1 large bunch of kale, center stem discarded, leaves thinly sliced
  • 6 oz brussels sprouts, trimmed, finely grated or shredded
  • 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided
  • 1/3 cup almonds with skins, coarsely chopped
  • 1 cup shredded parmesan
In a large bowl add the chopped kale and drizzle with a little olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Gently massage the kale for around 5 minutes. This helps the kale to become a little less bitter. Combine lemon juice, dijon mustard, shallot, garlic, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Stir to blend; set aside to let flavors meld. Mix thinly sliced kale and shredded brussels sprouts in a large bowl. Measure 1/2 cup oil into a cup. Spoon 1 Tablespoon oil from cup into a small skillet; heat over medium high heat. Add almonds to skillet and stir frequently until golden brown, about 2 minutes. Transfer nuts to a paper towel lined plate. Sprinkle almonds with salt, if desired. Slowly whisk remaining olive oil into lemon-juice mixture. Add cooled almonds and Parmesan to the kale. Add enough dressing to coat. Save the remaining dressing for later use. 
Recipe slightly adapted from:

Salisbury Steaks



This is one of my family's favorite dinners. We love to eat it with mashed potatoes but you could serve it on some egg noodles or pasta as well. 
  • 2 Tablespoons oil
  • 1/2 of a medium onion, chopped
  • 1 1/2 pounds ground beef
  • 1 cup bread crumbs
  • 1 Tablespoon grill seasoning, I use the montreal grill seasoning from McCormick
  • 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 large egg
  • 8 ounce package of mushrooms, sliced
  • 1/4 cup flour
  • 3 1/2 cups beef broth
Heat 1 Tbsp of the oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the onion and saute until soft and brown, about 6-8 minutes.  Put the cooked onion in a large bowl. Add to the onion: the beef, bread crumbs, grill seasoning, Worcestershire sauce and the egg. Mix to combine everything well and from the mixture make 5 patties. Heat the remaining oil in the same pan over medium high heat. Cook the patties until they are well browned, about 4-5 minutes per side. Remove steak and place on a paper towel lined plate and keep somewhere warm. Still over medium high heat cook the mushrooms in the drippings from the steaks for about 5 minutes. Sprinkle in the flour and cook for 2 more minutes. Add the beef broth and bring to a boil. Add the beef patties back to the gravy, reduce heat to a simmer and cook until the sauce has thickened and the steaks are cooked through, about 10 minutes.
Freezer directions: Cook through to the end of the recipe and let the steaks cool. Then place steaks w/ gravy in a freezer friendly container and freeze for up to 6 months. When you are ready to eat, just pop out of the freezer, thaw and bake at 350 for 30-45 minutes or until the steaks are heated through and the gravy is boiling. 
Recipe adapted from:

Slow Cooked Cranberry Orange Pork Roast

This is one of my favorite slow cooker meals. It may sound like weird ingredients but it's so tasty and so easy! And usually I'm not a big fan of pork, but this dish is fantastic. I've used a pork roast and a pork loin for this recipe. The loin came out a little more tender and moist then the roast, so I'd suggest getting a loin if you can.
  • 1 (3lb) pork roast or loin
  • 1 (16oz) can of cranberry sauce
  • ⅓ cup of French salad dressing
  • 1 orange sliced
  • ¼ cup orange juice
  • 1 onion, sliced
Mix together the french dressing with the cranberry sauce and orange juice. Place the roast in the slow cooker and top with the sauce, onions and oranges. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 4 hours. Shred pork with two forks or cut into thick slices. Serve with the juices from the slow cooker.
Recipe slightly adapted from: