Queso Fundido w/ Chorizo

This is one of our favorite appetizers (and sometimes a meal by itself). Super easy to make and comes together quickly. 

• ½ lb. chorizo (or regular sausage, if you prefer)
• ½ onion, diced small
• 2 small orange and/or red bell peppers, chopped
• 1 lb Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
• Chopped tomatoes, if desired
• Green onions, if desired

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. In your cast iron skillet, over medium heat, cook your chorizo, onion and bell peppers until the meat is cooked through and veggies are browned. Remove from heat. Cover with cheese and place entire skillet in the oven. Cook 10-15 minutes or until bubbly and brown. Top with tomatoes and onions and serve warm with tortilla chips.

Green Chile Cheese Bread

This has become my go to savory quick bread recipe! It's fantastic! And it's so versatile. We tried it just this past week with Mozzarella, cheddar, bacon and chives. YUM! Try this recipe today! You will not be disappointed! :o)

• 2 cups flour
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 1 Tablespoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup cubed cheddar & Monterey jack cheese
• 1 cup whole milk
• ⅓ cup oil
• 1 egg
• 4oz can chopped green chiles
• 1 Tablespoon finely chopped jalapenos (I usually use the jarred jalapenos)

Preheat oven to 375. Grease a 8 inch bread loaf pan. Blend the flour, salt, pepper, sugar and baking powder together in mixer. Add cheese. Pour in the milk, oil, egg, chiles and jalapeno. Blend just until incorporated. Pour into prepared pan and bake about 45-50 minutes or until the top is golden and springs back when touched. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan. Serve warm with butter.

Homemade Lasagna from Scratch!

I've always wanted to make a lasagna from scratch. And by from scratch, I mean noodles, sauce, the whole darn thing, from scratch. And it ended up being a lot easier than I thought it would be...although a bit time consuming. But let me tell you, it is worth it! Next time I make it, I'll make double maybe even triple, and freeze them for later use. Best lasagna I've ever had! 

For the sauce:

• 4oz pancetta, chopped
• 3 Tablespoons olive oil
• 1 onion, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 bell pepper, diced (I used an orange bell)
• 1 to 2 pounds ground beef (I only used a pound, but felt it could have been a little meatier)
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 Tablespoon fresh basil (chopped)
• ½ teaspoon dried thyme
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 (28oz) can crushed tomatoes
• ¼ cup tomato paste
• 2 cups water
• 1 cup milk

For the Bechamel Sauce:

• 2 Tablespoons butter
• 2 Tablespoons flour
• 1 ¼ cup milk
• Pinch nutmeg
• ⅓ cup grated Parmesan cheese

For the pasta:

• 3 cups flour
• 4 eggs
• Water as needed

Additional items needed:

• Freshly grated mozzarella
• Fresh parsley or basil (if desired)
• Freshly grated Parmesan 

In a large pot, over medium heat, heat up 1 Tablespoon of the olive oil. The olive oil add the garlic. Let cook for 1 minute, or until fragrant. To the garlic add the chopped onion and bell pepper. Cook until tender, about 5-8 minutes. Add the pancetta and cook for 5 more minutes. Add the ground beef and cook until browned. Add the remaining ingredients for the sauce and set on a low simmer and cook for 2-3 hours. This process can be done days in advance and kept in the fridge until ready to use. Or even frozen. This meat sauce also tastes great on spaghetti, just FYI. :)

Make the pasta: in your stand up mixer fitted with the hook attachment: mix flour and eggs together, adding water until it comes together into a ball, should be slightly sticky but not stick to your fingers. But not overly dry! Knead for 5 minutes, or until soft and springy. On a floured surface, cut ball into 4 pieces, place each ball into a plastic bag and set aside to rest for 20 minutes. 

Once you're ready to assemble the lasagna, grease a 9x13 baking dish and preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Make the Bechamel sauce: melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add flour and nutmeg and whisk for 1 minute, until slightly browned. Add the milk in a slow and steady stream, while whisking. Cook until thickened, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and add Parmesan.  Set aside to cool, slightly. 

Start assembling your lasagna: take one of your pasta balls and roll it out on a floured surface until it's as thin as you can get it. It should be thin enough that you can almost see your hand through the other side, but not too thin that it breaks. Cut into long strips. Put a small amount of the meat sauce on the bottom of your greased pan. Top with  one layer of lasagna noodles. Top noodles with ⅓ of the Bechamel sauce, ½ of the meat sauce, more noodles, another ⅓ of the Bechamel sauce, the rest of the meat sauce, more noodles, the rest of the Bechamel sauce, the mozzarella cheese (I used about 1 ½ cups), and some freshly grated Parmesan. Cover and bake for 45-50 minutes. Remove cover and bake 15-20 minutes longer or until bubbly and brown. Let sit for 15 minutes before cutting.

Freezer Directions: layer lasagna ingredients in a freezer friendly 9x13 pan. Cover and freezer for up to 6 months. Bake as usual.

Tips:

The pasta ended up making quite a bit of pasta, and I just froze the left over balls that weren't used. Next time I need fresh pasta, I'll just thaw and roll out and use as needed. Maybe make some stuffed ravioli? 

The meat sauce recipe also makes a lot! I ended up freezing some of it for later use...

Taste your meat sauce while it's cooking. Mine was a little bland, so I added more salt. 

Apple, Bacon & Gargonzola Salad w/ Candied Pecans

I love a good salad. Especially when it's loaded with bacon and cheese! Oh and the homemade candied pecans are amazing and way cheaper than buying them in the store.

• 4 cups of your favorite greens (I like to use a mixture of baby spinach and a spring salad mix
• 1 green apple, cored and sliced
• 4 slices bacon, chopped and fried until crispy
• Crumbled Gorgonzola cheese
• Dried cranberries
• Candied pecans (recipe below)

Apple Cider Poppy Seed dressing:

• ¾  cup extra virgin olive oil
• 4 Tablespoons Apple cider vinegar
• ¼ cup honey
• 3 Tablespoons sugar
• 1 Tablespoon poppy seeds
• 1 teaspoon dry minced onion

Combine all the dressing ingredients together in a mason jar or small bowl and mix well. Set aside. Or make ahead of time and keep in fridge, up to 1 week. Combine the remaining salad ingredients and top with dressing. 

Candied Pecans

• 2 cups pecans
• 3 Tablespoons packed brown sugar
• 3 teaspoons water
• ¼ teaspoon vanilla
• ¼ teaspoon salt

Mix the brown sugar, water, vanilla and salt in a small bowl and set aside. In a large frying pan over medium heat cook the pecan halves until fragrant and roasted, about 4-5 minutes. Add the brown sugar mixture to the pecans and stir until evenly coated, remove from heat. Lay out pecans on parchment paper to cool. Store unused pecans in a airtight container.

Sautéed Zucchini w/ a kick!

This is one of my favorite ways to cook zucchini. I've also made it with corn and bell pepper. A family favorite!

• 4 cups diced zucchini
• Olive oil
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tomato, diced
• 1 jalapeño, seeded and chopped into small pieces
• Queso fresco
• Cilantro
• Juice of 1 lime
• Salt and pepper to taste

In a large skillet over medium heat, heat up a tablespoon or so of olive oil. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add zucchini and cook until browned. Add jalapeño, tomato and lime juice. Cook for 1 more minute before removing from heat and topping with cheese and cilantro. Serve immediately.

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.

Adapted from: http://www.cinnamonspiceandeverythingnice.com/2011/04/italian-meatloaf.html

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/

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

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:

http://centercutcook.com/amish-breakfast-casserole/

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:

http://hopeandjohnbasher.blogspot.com/2012/05/herb-crusted-chicken-in-basil-cream.html

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:

http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/beer-and-cheddar-soup