It was brought to my attention that when my family is home and we are cooking together, I usually give my son-in-law the "tricky" recipes to prepare. He thinks I'm testing him ;-) but I just know he has the eye for detail that is needed for challenging recipes. When Nate first cooked with me I gave him a recipe for crab stuffed snow peas, and he did that with great panache! The recipe I gave him this time was a tiny little quiche appetizer, and they turned out SO well. I'm anxious to make these again, the flavor was wonderful.
MINI BACON CHEESE CUPS
1 package Pillsbury pie crusts
4 oz cream cheese
1 whole egg
1 egg yolk
3 chopped green onions - use the green part as well
2/3 cup shredded cheese - I used a white and yellow mix
4-5 Tbsp packaged precooked bacon bits
Preheat oven to 425* and spray 24 mini muffin cups with Pam. Unroll the pie crust that has been at room temp. for about 15 minutes. Use a 2-2 1/2" round cutter to make circles from the crust. Place one in each muffin cup and press gently to form cup.
Blend cream cheese, egg, egg yolk, & onions until well blended. Divide evenly among the pastry cups. Top with cheese and bacon and bake 12-15 min until edges are light golden. Cool about 5 min before removing from the pan.
These are time consuming, but worth it. I loved the flavor! Good job Nate :-) What will I have for you next time you visit?????
Friday, January 1, 2010
Twenty Ten
Happy New Year to any of you that might still be following this blog after a long hiatus. My son asked me what my new years resolution was, and I told him sarcastically it was to drink more coffee. As a rule I don't believe in New Years resolutions, they simply set you up to feel bad about what you didn't get accomplished. I realize however that I do need to work on this blog with some new enthusiasm. It's been easy to put this on the back burner when things get busy. I guess that's my hope and goal for 2010, to keep more in touch with people in my life whether it's through this, or other means of communication.
My first post of the year is going to be a great casserole I made last Tuesday night anticipating my family coming home for Christmas. We were delayed a bit because of weather, then James was delayed a little longer with work commitments, but finally everyone made it safe and sound. This dish uses long grain and wild rice, and I bought a pretty good quality rice and made it in my rice cooker ahead of time. Those cookers are great because you can just walk away and forget it!
CHICKEN AND WILD RICE CASSEROLE
4 cups of cooked chicken cut into chunks
2 cups of cooked wild rice (I used a little more)
2 cans cream of mushroom soup
1 1/2 cups celery diagonally cut
1 1/2 cups chopped onion
1 cup mayonnaise
3/4 cup sliced almonds (2oz)
1/2 cup chicken broth
2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 sleeve round buttery crackers crushed
1/4 cup butter, melted
Preheat oven to 350* Lightly grease a 9x13 baking dish. In a large bowl, combine chicken, rice, soup, celery, onion, mayo, almonds, broth and lemon juice. Spread mixture into prepared baking dish. In a small bowl combine cracker crumbs and butter and toss to coat well. Sprinkle crumbs over casserole and bake uncovered for 45 minutes or until golden and bubbly.
I made this the night before and let it set out about an hour before baking it. I think it almost tasted better the second time around!
My first post of the year is going to be a great casserole I made last Tuesday night anticipating my family coming home for Christmas. We were delayed a bit because of weather, then James was delayed a little longer with work commitments, but finally everyone made it safe and sound. This dish uses long grain and wild rice, and I bought a pretty good quality rice and made it in my rice cooker ahead of time. Those cookers are great because you can just walk away and forget it!
CHICKEN AND WILD RICE CASSEROLE
4 cups of cooked chicken cut into chunks
2 cups of cooked wild rice (I used a little more)
2 cans cream of mushroom soup
1 1/2 cups celery diagonally cut
1 1/2 cups chopped onion
1 cup mayonnaise
3/4 cup sliced almonds (2oz)
1/2 cup chicken broth
2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 sleeve round buttery crackers crushed
1/4 cup butter, melted
Preheat oven to 350* Lightly grease a 9x13 baking dish. In a large bowl, combine chicken, rice, soup, celery, onion, mayo, almonds, broth and lemon juice. Spread mixture into prepared baking dish. In a small bowl combine cracker crumbs and butter and toss to coat well. Sprinkle crumbs over casserole and bake uncovered for 45 minutes or until golden and bubbly.
I made this the night before and let it set out about an hour before baking it. I think it almost tasted better the second time around!
Sunday, November 15, 2009
Cheese, mahvelous cheese.
I probably get most of my dairy nutrition through cheese. I'm not a big milk drinker, I like milk I just don't think about it. Cheese on the other hand, ummmmm. I've been eating mozzarella sticks like a fiend, I like them room temp. I love a sharp cheddar, Muenster slices on a sandwich, and have you ever tasted caraway cheese?? I LOVE that.
I also have a fondness for cheese balls, probably because our family has always had a love affair with appetizers of any kind. My kids ate Rumaki (smoked oysters & water chestnuts wrapped in bacon) at an early age, and often had appetizer night and a movie on weekends. When I made a cheese ball last weekend for a Husker game party I found about 5 different versions I had collected over the years. I picked what I liked best from them all and came up with my version. It's pretty darn good! I'll get busy and get some more appetizer things on here before the holidays. That's our tradition each Christmas Eve. I fill the island with a smoked turkey and as many other delightful bites as possible. Fun, fun, fun. I'm looking forward to the holiday season and spending time with family.
CHEESE BALL
2 - 8 oz cream cheese - room temp
1 jar Old English cheese (I think Kraft makes these little tiny jars of cheese)
1 jar Pimento cheese
4-5 green onions chopped, use some of the top for color
garlic salt, just a dash
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup BUTTER - room temp
2 tsp. chives
bacon bits for garnish
Combine all of the ingredients except the bacon. Mix well then pour into a bowl that has been lined with plastic wrap. This will make it easy to get it out of the bowl and shape later. Refrigerate for several hours before using. Put it into a serving dish when ready to serve and sprinkle on bacon bits.
We went through an entire box of crackers when we had this last weekend. Another one of the girls make the famous chocolate chip cheeseball (dessert type) served with graham crackers, that's on my blog here somewhere too! What a fun season we're going into, enjoy every minute. :-)
I also have a fondness for cheese balls, probably because our family has always had a love affair with appetizers of any kind. My kids ate Rumaki (smoked oysters & water chestnuts wrapped in bacon) at an early age, and often had appetizer night and a movie on weekends. When I made a cheese ball last weekend for a Husker game party I found about 5 different versions I had collected over the years. I picked what I liked best from them all and came up with my version. It's pretty darn good! I'll get busy and get some more appetizer things on here before the holidays. That's our tradition each Christmas Eve. I fill the island with a smoked turkey and as many other delightful bites as possible. Fun, fun, fun. I'm looking forward to the holiday season and spending time with family.
CHEESE BALL
2 - 8 oz cream cheese - room temp
1 jar Old English cheese (I think Kraft makes these little tiny jars of cheese)
1 jar Pimento cheese
4-5 green onions chopped, use some of the top for color
garlic salt, just a dash
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup BUTTER - room temp
2 tsp. chives
bacon bits for garnish
Combine all of the ingredients except the bacon. Mix well then pour into a bowl that has been lined with plastic wrap. This will make it easy to get it out of the bowl and shape later. Refrigerate for several hours before using. Put it into a serving dish when ready to serve and sprinkle on bacon bits.
We went through an entire box of crackers when we had this last weekend. Another one of the girls make the famous chocolate chip cheeseball (dessert type) served with graham crackers, that's on my blog here somewhere too! What a fun season we're going into, enjoy every minute. :-)
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Easy Peasy Lemon Squeazy
My title is a direct quote from one of my preschool girls. She said her brother says that ALL the time. Kind of catchy, huh?
Last night I made a recipe that was in a pampered chef magazine, and we really liked it. It's a type of calzone, and I almost put spaghetti sauce with it. I'm glad I didn't because the flavors were so good, and it would have been masked by a sauce.
HAM AND CHEESE CALZONE
(10 x 15 pan 450* oven)
2 Tbsp mayo
2 tsp Dijon mustard
1 cup fresh broccoli florets
8 oz deli ham (about 1/2" thick piece) cubed
1/2 small onion chopped
8 slices Swiss cheese (could use grated)
2 (10-13 oz) tubes of refrigerated pizza crust
olive oil
1 oz Parmesan cheese
Line your sprayed pan with the first tube of pizza dough, press gently to fit the pan.
Combine the mayo, mustard, broccoli, ham and onion. Spoon over crust within 1" of sides then top with the Swiss cheese slices. Top with remaining pizza dough and pinch the edges all the way around to seal. Brush lightly with olive oil and use a sharp knife to make 12 slits on top for steam to escape. Bake 14-16 min till golden and sprinkle on Parmesan cheese. Bake another 2-3 min to brown slightly. Serves 8 or 4 HUNGRY people.
Last night I made a recipe that was in a pampered chef magazine, and we really liked it. It's a type of calzone, and I almost put spaghetti sauce with it. I'm glad I didn't because the flavors were so good, and it would have been masked by a sauce.
HAM AND CHEESE CALZONE
(10 x 15 pan 450* oven)
2 Tbsp mayo
2 tsp Dijon mustard
1 cup fresh broccoli florets
8 oz deli ham (about 1/2" thick piece) cubed
1/2 small onion chopped
8 slices Swiss cheese (could use grated)
2 (10-13 oz) tubes of refrigerated pizza crust
olive oil
1 oz Parmesan cheese
Line your sprayed pan with the first tube of pizza dough, press gently to fit the pan.
Combine the mayo, mustard, broccoli, ham and onion. Spoon over crust within 1" of sides then top with the Swiss cheese slices. Top with remaining pizza dough and pinch the edges all the way around to seal. Brush lightly with olive oil and use a sharp knife to make 12 slits on top for steam to escape. Bake 14-16 min till golden and sprinkle on Parmesan cheese. Bake another 2-3 min to brown slightly. Serves 8 or 4 HUNGRY people.
Eggactly Right!
Have you ever noticed that sometimes the most simple recipe can become difficult? For example boiling a decent egg. It doesn't sound like it should be hard, but if it's not done correctly your yolks turn colors and what about when they won't peel right? UGH. Here is an E Z way to boil eggs.
HARD COOKED EGGS
Place eggs in a single layer in a large sauce pan; add enough cold water to cover 1". Cover with a lid and quickly bring to a boil. Remove from heat and let stand for 15 minute for large eggs. (18 for XL - 12 for med). Rinse in cold water and place eggs in ice water until cooled. Unpeeled eggs will stay fresh for up to 1 week in the refrigerator.
HARD COOKED EGGS
Place eggs in a single layer in a large sauce pan; add enough cold water to cover 1". Cover with a lid and quickly bring to a boil. Remove from heat and let stand for 15 minute for large eggs. (18 for XL - 12 for med). Rinse in cold water and place eggs in ice water until cooled. Unpeeled eggs will stay fresh for up to 1 week in the refrigerator.
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Company for supper, it must be Tuesday!
Our BFF's came over tonight for supper. It's great when you can entertain with your hair in a pony tail, wearing comfy clothes (even my apron) and not even realize it until they've left!
This casserole was kind of big, but I put some of it into another square baking pan lined with foil, and threw it in the freezer for another night. If you have a bigger family and can use the whole amount you will need to use at least an 11x15 pan so it won't bubble over. We had lettuce salad, rosemary bread sticks, and that was just enough. We had the right amount of room left over for hot apple crisp and vanilla ice cream.
Cavatini Pasta Bake
6 oz shell pasta
8 oz curly pasta
1/3 cup butter
1 chopped onion
1 chopped green pepper
1 small can mushrooms, sliced
2 lbs. ground beef
16 oz tomato sauce
32 oz spaghetti sauce
4-6 oz. pepperoni
1/2 tsp garlic salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 1/2 tsp oregano
16 oz mozzarella cheese (or a blend, then omit parm cheese)
4 oz Parmesan cheese
Boil the pasta until just underdone, drain and rinse. Saute the onion, green pepper & mushrooms in the butter till tender crisp.
Brown hamburger and drain. Stir in sauteed mixture, tomato sauce, spaghetti sauce, pepperoni, salt, pepper , oregano. Add pasta and stir well.
Spray your baking pans well with 'Pam' and layer meat mixture and cheeses. Repeat layers and bake 30-40 min. @ 350* Cover with foil the last 10-15 min. if it looks like it's getting dry.
I used the basic spaghetti sauce (Hunts?) in a can that is super cheap and had some left over. I like having extra because pasta always sucks up the sauce and when this is reheated it will need some sauce to save it! I thought about fresh mushrooms but decided they would give to much extra liquid so I stuck with the can. I might add more peppers and onion next time, I really think it's important not to over cook them during the saute process.
This casserole was kind of big, but I put some of it into another square baking pan lined with foil, and threw it in the freezer for another night. If you have a bigger family and can use the whole amount you will need to use at least an 11x15 pan so it won't bubble over. We had lettuce salad, rosemary bread sticks, and that was just enough. We had the right amount of room left over for hot apple crisp and vanilla ice cream.
Cavatini Pasta Bake
6 oz shell pasta
8 oz curly pasta
1/3 cup butter
1 chopped onion
1 chopped green pepper
1 small can mushrooms, sliced
2 lbs. ground beef
16 oz tomato sauce
32 oz spaghetti sauce
4-6 oz. pepperoni
1/2 tsp garlic salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 1/2 tsp oregano
16 oz mozzarella cheese (or a blend, then omit parm cheese)
4 oz Parmesan cheese
Boil the pasta until just underdone, drain and rinse. Saute the onion, green pepper & mushrooms in the butter till tender crisp.
Brown hamburger and drain. Stir in sauteed mixture, tomato sauce, spaghetti sauce, pepperoni, salt, pepper , oregano. Add pasta and stir well.
Spray your baking pans well with 'Pam' and layer meat mixture and cheeses. Repeat layers and bake 30-40 min. @ 350* Cover with foil the last 10-15 min. if it looks like it's getting dry.
I used the basic spaghetti sauce (Hunts?) in a can that is super cheap and had some left over. I like having extra because pasta always sucks up the sauce and when this is reheated it will need some sauce to save it! I thought about fresh mushrooms but decided they would give to much extra liquid so I stuck with the can. I might add more peppers and onion next time, I really think it's important not to over cook them during the saute process.
Winner Winner Chicken Dinner
Here is a different idea for wings. If you know me very well, you know that I often use chicken breasts and cut them into tenders or chunks so we don't have to deal with the bones. Whatever you like, buy a couple of pounds and let me know what you think.
Glazed Chicken Wings
12 whole chicken wings
1/2 cup barbecue sauce
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup soy sauce
Cut chicken wings (2 1/2 lbs) into 3 sections; discard wing tip section. Place in a greased 9x13 pan. Combine barbecue sauce, honey and soy; pour over wings. Bake uncovered @ 350* for 45 min. or until chicken juices run clear. I like to sprinkle these with sesame seeds right before serving. Makes it 'purdy'. ilovechickenalot
Glazed Chicken Wings
12 whole chicken wings
1/2 cup barbecue sauce
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup soy sauce
Cut chicken wings (2 1/2 lbs) into 3 sections; discard wing tip section. Place in a greased 9x13 pan. Combine barbecue sauce, honey and soy; pour over wings. Bake uncovered @ 350* for 45 min. or until chicken juices run clear. I like to sprinkle these with sesame seeds right before serving. Makes it 'purdy'. ilovechickenalot
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