Better than the Blue Box

Let me start by apologizing for the lack of picture with this post...and it REALLY needs a picture to do justice to the yummi-ness...Last night it was hot dog night at our house, (thank you, economy!) which is usually accompanied by blue box mac n cheese.  However I realized about 45 minutes prior to dinner that I did not have any blue box...so it was time to improvise.  I turned to my handy dandy Southern Living 30 Years... cookbook and lo and behold...a fabulously easy, delish, mac and cheese recipe...and the biggest miracle of all is that I actually had most of the ingredients!  Oh joy!

So...without further ado...Here's the recipe, changed up a bit to suit my taste (and available ingredients)

Mac and Cheese
You need:
8 oz elbow pasta...cooked and drained
3 cups cheddar cheese (I actually only had two cups, plus one cup of mozz...so I made that work)
2 eggs
1 cup milk
salt and pepper to taste

Spray an 8x8 cooking dish and layer half of the pasta, half of the cheese, the other half of the pasta and the rest of the cheese.  Mix up the eggs, milk, salt and pepper and pour over the whole thing.  Bake covered at 350 for about 45 minutes until eggs are set and cheese is all melty. 

I will be making this again...and posting pictures because not only was it scrumptions (confession: i ate the leftovers for breakfast. Cold.) but it was also beautiful!

More posts on the way...

Best Red Sauce

Here's a quick one..no pictures, just my favorite favorite sauce for spaghetti and also meatball subs:

You need:

3 TBL olive oil
1/2 onion diced (i am not a fan of onions, but add more if you like)
1 TBL minced garlic
2 Big cans of crushed tomatoes
pinch of salt
1 1/2 TBL italian seasoning
1 TBL sugar
1/2 cup beef broth

Saute onion in olive oil. Add garlic and cook for a minute or so. Add tomatoes, beef broth, sugar, salt and seasonings. Let simmer for at least 15 minutes or longer. Add meatballs for spaghetti or pour over meatball subs. mmmmm!

Comfort food

This recipe sounds delicious!!! I haven't tried it yet, but I have it on good authority that it is fabulous!!! And now you'll know what to do with all those roasts you are too scared to buy at the grocery store :)....Enjoy!!

Delicious HCL Roast
1 T butter
3 T olive oil
3 LB bottom round roast (or chuck if it is not too fatty)
1/2 cup white flour
1 med onion finely diced
1 med carrot finely diced
1 med stalk celery minced
2 garlic cloves finely minced
3 cups medium bodied dry red wine such as an inexpensive Merlot or Zinfandel (this is a whole bottle!)
DO NOT use cooking wine!!!
1 cup diced tomates.

Heat butter and oil in a large heave casserole over high heat until butter and oil foam. Dredge beef in flour and cook until golden on all sides. Remove meat. lower temp, add onion, carrot, and celery. Cook until lightly golden, about 4-5 min, stirring constantly. Add garlic, cook 1 more minute.

Return meat to casserole. Raise heat to hight and add wine and tomoates. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook until it comes to a boil then lower to a simmer, leaving the lid askew to vet steam a little. Simmer 3-31/2 hours or until fork tender. Add more wine or tomatoes if sauce reduces too much. At the end, the sauce will be about 1/2 of original volume and meat shrunk by 1/4 and dark brown. If desired, add quartered new red potatoes 20 min before completion.

This makes a killer leftover! In fact, it is at its best if made the day before and then reheated. In such case, add the new potatoes when reheating.

Panini!!!

I made the most delicious Panini last night so i had to share...i found the recipe in a Cuisine magazine, and it was so simple, and delicious!! Here's what you need:

2 pieces of sourdough bread, sliced to 1"

thin slices of prosciutto

thinly sliced havarti cheese

margarine or butter

2 eggs

1tbl parmesan (grated)

1 tbl milk

unsalted butter

whole grain or spicy mustard

Butter one side of each slice of bread, spread mustard thinly on the other. Put one piece of havarti and one slice of prosciutto on each piece of bread. Set aside. Combine eggs, parmesan and milk; mix thoroughly. Heat a skillet to med. low heat and melt unsalted butter in it. Cook the eggs, and place them on top of one of the sandwich halves. Close the sandwich, and toast it on both sides in the egg pan using another skillet as a weight on top of the sandwich. Cut in half and enjoy!

Light Night

I know it's been a while..but i really had something typed up a week ago and somehow it all disappeared..out into blog space I guess. Here's a meal we make on our light nights...its based on a recipe from cooking light (which ive successfully fattened up :)) and is great with a salad and bread.

Carbonera

You need:
1 lb turkey bacon
12 oz uncooked spaghetti noodles
1 clove garlic, minced
1 cup grated parmesan
2 tbl minced fresh parsley
1 cup milk (you can use 2% or whole)
1 egg
3/4 cup frozen peas

Cook noodles.
Cook bacon until crisp. Add garlic and saute for about one minute. Reduce heat to low, add noodles. (i usually add the bacon to the spaghetti pot instead..more room)Add cheese, parsley and pepper. Combine milk and egg and then add this to the pot. Add the peas and stir on low heat for about 5 minutes until peas are tender and sauce has thickened. Enjoy!!

Monkey Bread

Here's a nice Saturday morning treat...monkey bread!! Im going to cheat a little and use a previously posted recipe to make this easy-Enjoy!

To make ooey, gooey monkey bread, you'll need:
1 batch of the Challah bread dough (first recipe on my site)
half a stick of butter or margarine, melted
1 cup of cinnamon sugar mix (1 cup of sugar to about 2 tbl cinnamon)


Make the Challah bread recipe, and after the first rising, instead of braiding the dough, form it into dough balls, (you may want to dip your fingers in the butter before attempting to handle the dough-it's pretty sticky) and dip it first in the melted butter and then roll it around in a cinnamon sugar mixture. Nestle the individual balls together in a well greased (i just used Pam spray) 9 inch pan (you can also use a bundt pan, but you'll have to double the dough recipe). Let it rise for about 30 minutes, then bake at 350 for about 15-20 minutes. These can be made the night before and reheated in the microwave; they are still fabulous!!

Andree's Delicious Stuffed Acorn Squash

This looks wonderful!! I can't wait to try it...easy, cheap and a great way to sneak in the squash...enjoy!!

1 Acorn squash
1/2-1 pound Sausage (Jimmy Dean--I like the hot but sage is good too)stove top stuffing
1/2 cup each celery, onion
1/4 cup peppers (green, yellow, red)
chicken broth
butter necessary for stuffing mix
1. Cut acorn squash in half and clean out seeds. Place face down in 1 cup chicken broth in shallow baking pan and cook 350 for 35-40 minutes until soft inside.
2. Meanwhile brown sausage (a whole pound makes the stuffing really really meaty so if you dislike vegetarian type dinners use the whole pound otherwise 1/2 pound is enough for taste). Set aside.
3 Saute onions, celery and peppers in small amount of butter until soft then make stove top stuffing according to package directions. Add veggies and heat. Add sausage and mix. The sausage can make the stuffing moist so tend to the dry side especially if you are going to use the whole pound of sausage.
4. Once squash is soft drain any remaining liquid from baking dish. Stuff squash fully with stuffing mixture. Then stuff some more. Return to 350 oven for another 10-15 minutes.
Serve warm....you can top it with cheese, bread crumbs, or fresh herbs.

Cooking for Dummies

Well, I have to take a break from my usually highly technical and complicated recipes; those only to be attempted by the masters; and post something for those of you who are struggling with boiling water. The following recipe is a contribution from a highly "kitchen challenged" individual, whose name I will withhold (for obvious reasons). I would never want anyone to suspect that my dad is anything less than perfect when it comes to the kitchen!!

Dad's Famous Toast 4 U:
This is an old family recipe handed down from my old family.
This is a great thing to cook when you are really hungry and don't
have anything else to eat and Mom isn't home to help.
1. Step one. (This is REALLY important): Find the bread.
2. step two. (This is also fairly important): Locate the toaster.
3. step three. (this is an optional step): Look for the butter.
4. step four: put two slices of bread into the toaster.
5. step five: press down on that thing on the side of the toaster.
6. step six: wait until toaster pushes that thing on the side of
the toaster back up again.
7. step seven: (optional step) put butter onto toast.
8. step eight: Enjoy!

Variations:
Peanut butter instead of butter.
Jelly combined with either butter or peanut butter.
Various different types of bread.

Suggestions:
Don't try this without adult supervision.
Wait until Mom gets home.

Applesauce

I just made some very good applesauce...so I thought I'd share...Ive heard applesauce freezes really well and is very good for you..so if you get a chance, run up to the mountains (or Publix:)) and pick some fresh delicious apples for this recipe:

Peel, core and cut into chunks 4 firm, slightly tart apples (I used mutsu). Place them in pot with just enough apple juice to cover them. Boil until tender. Drain the apples and put them in a food processor..and process until nice and smooth (if you like it chunky you might want to just use a potato masher). Add 1-2 tbl. sugar (depending on how tart your apples are), about 1/2 tsp cinnamon and a pinch of salt. Mix a little more, and enjoy!

Pesto Pizza!! (Guinness Optional :))

Yum Yum!! Here's a great recipe from Andree...I know, I was a bit skeptical at first (im SO the pepperoni and cheese pizza type), but I tried this and its GREAT!!! It's fairly easy and healthy as well...depending on how you top it. Quantities depend on how you like your pizza. Enjoy!!!




Andree's Pesto Pizza
Pesto (see recipe below)
Store bought pizza crust (like boboli)
2 chicken breasts, grilled and cut into chunks
mushrooms
onions (best when grilled with the chicken, then cut up, but you can saute them instead)
small tomatoes
italian blend cheese

Slather the crust with pesto,then load (and she does mean load) all ingredients except cheese. Sprinkle cheese on top (you don't need too much). Bake 425 for 15-20 minutes and enjoy!!

Pesto:
2 cups (packed) fresh basil leaves
1/3 cup macadamia nuts or pine nuts
2-4 cloves garlic
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup grated parmesan

Put basil, nuts and garlic in food processor and chop completely. With processor still running slowly add olive oil.

Bonus!

Ok, here's a recipe I just got from Elizabeth...haven 't tried it yet, but since she's one of the best cooks I know, I trust her. Here's a recipe for oven chicken that sounds GREAT! If you try it before I do, let me know how it is-i'll post your comments here-

Elizabeth's Bisquick Chicken:

1 whole chicken cut up
2 tsp of your favorite chicken seasoning. (E uses McCormick's Rotisserie chicken seasoning)
1 Cup Bisquick
butter or margarine

Preheat oven to 425, and place the dishes you will cook the chicken in to preheat as well (one 9 x 13 and one 9 x 9 glass pans). Combine bisquick and seasoning. Dredge chicken in mixture, shake excess off. When pans and oven are preheated, remove pans and add enough butter or margarine to melt and coat the bottom of the pans. Add chicken skin side down. Bake for 25 minutes, turn chicken, and cook an additional 15 minutes.

Hamburger Soup

Well, the weather is getting colder, so I thought i would post one of my very favorite fall recipes-Its my Mom's delicious recipe for hamburger soup. It's one of those great comfort food items served best after a high school soccer game, or during a cool tailgating event with a loaf of warm Challah bread. MMMMM-MMMM!!

Hamburger Soup:

1 lb. hamburger meat
1 med onion
1 large can or jar of V-8
2 chopped carrots
1/2 Cup alphabet pasta
2 cans cream of celery soup
2 cans (soup cans) water
1 1/2 tsp oregano
1 tsp tarragon

Saute meat and onion until brown in a big soup pot. Add V-8, noodles and carrots and spices. Cook slowly until the carrots are tender. Add soup and water and simmer slowly to blend.

Baked Potato Chips

Yum! I found this recipe in a Martha Stewart magazine, and I had to try it....after a few changes, I decided that this recipe was a keeper! Enjoy!



2 Russet Potatoes, sliced thinly(I used the slicing part of my cheese grater to cut the slices)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
pepper
Emeril's Essence

Preheat oven to 400. Thoroughly spray two baking sheets with cooking spray. Combine potatoes, salt, and a pinch of pepper. Toss to combine. Arrange potatoes on baking sheets in one layer. Bake for about 15-20 minutes, rotating pan in oven after about 10 minutes. Let potatoes cool on brown paper bags, or paper towels, and season with essence. Serve with ketchup, bleu cheese or your favorite dipping sauce. MMMMM!!

Two new Recipes

Yum!! I got another recipe for my collection, and this one is a keeper!! It is so good, and I know you aren't supposed to start with dessert, but I can't wait to post this one. It's a brownie torte made with whipped cream, strawberries, vanilla pudding and brownie mix. It's pretty simple to make and oh so good!! It was originally used at a wedding shower, and got rave reviews. So here's an easy one to wow your friends with-

Yum!!

Chocolate Strawberry Torte: (from the Eagle Brand website)

1 (19.5-22 oz) package fudge brownie mix

1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk

1/2 Cup cold water

1 small box instant vanilla pudding

2 Cups whipped cream

1 qt fresh strawberries, washed, hulled and sliced

Chocolate Syrup (optional)

Preheat oven to 350. Grease two 9 inch round layer cake pans (I used two 9" square casserole pans b/c I didn't have the round ones...they worked just as well). Line with wax paper extending up the sides of the pan. Grease the wax paper.

Prepare brownie mix as package directs for cake like brownies. Pour into two pans. Cook for 20 minutes or until mix springs back. Cool.

In a large bowl, combine condensed milk and water. Beat in pudding mix. Let cool in fridge for 5 minutes. fold in whipped cream.

Place one brownie layer on a serving plate. Top with half each of the pudding mix and strawberries. Repeat layers. (brownie, pudding, strawberries). Drizzle with chocolate syrup if desired. Store leftovers in fridge. (it's even better the second day!)

Now, on to the main course. After watching an episode of Emeril Live, ("cooking on a budget") I decided that I had to try stuffed peppers. Prior to watching my favorite chef cook them, I was skeptical...stuffed peppers sounded a little too healthy for my tastes-but this recipe sounded really good, so I decided to try it out. It was amazing!! And I was able to put it together early in the day and stick it in the fridge until 20 minutes or so before we were ready to eat, which was great.

Stuffed Peppers

Sausage Stuffed Bell Peppers: From foodnetwork.com, as seen on Emeril Live

4 medium Bell peppers

8 oz ground pork sausage

1 1/2 cup chopped onions

1/2 cup chopped celery

2 tsp minced garlic

1 1/2 cup cooked long grain rice

1/2 tsp salt, plus more for seasoning

1/2 tsp Essence (Emerils special seasoning, available at the grocery store. You can also find the recipe on his website)

1/4 tsp pepper, plus more for seasoning

1/4 cup chopped onions, green part only

1 tablespoon chopped parsely leaves

2 tablespoons fine dried bread crumbs

2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

Preheat oven to 400. Cut off the top quarter of each bell pepper and reserve. Scoop the seeds and veins out from the inside of the pepper and discard. Set shells aside. Remove and discard the stems from each bell pepper top. Dice enough of the bell pepper tops to make 1/2 cup. Set aside.

In a large skillet, crumble and brown the sausage until cooked through. Add the onions, 1/2 cup diced pepper and celery. Saute for 4 minutes or until the vegetables are soft. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add rice and seasonings and mix well. Remove from heat and add green onions and parsely. Season the insides of the pepper shells with salt and pepper. Spoon the rice mixture into the shells.

In a small bowl combine bread crumbs and cheese. Season with a pinch of essence and mix well. Sprinkle the mixture over the peppers and top with a tsp of butter. Place peppers in 8 inch baking dish. Add just enough water to cover the bottom. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the tops are crusty brown and peppers are warmed through. Serve hot.

I found that these were pretty much a meal on their own...I served ours with some crusty french bread, and it made a nice combination.

Sunday Dinner

We had an absolute feast last night!! Ribs, squash casserole, homemade baked beans, sweet tea and chocolate chip brownies...and it was all delicious!! Matt spent all afternoon working on the ribs, which he grilled over warm coals for about an hour and a half...flipping and basting every 5-10 minutes. Then he brought them in and finished them in the oven at around 200 for another 2 hours. When they came out they were so tender and full of flavor. (he had allowed them to sit in the fridge covered with a rub overnight). Our next mission is to find a great barbecue sauce...we both agreed that they would have been even better if we had served some sauce on the side. The squash casserole is an old favorite of mine...pretty simple-squash, bacon, onion, cracker crumbs, salt, pepper and a few other ingredients. It was wonderful!

Yellow Squash Casserole: From the Southern Living "30 years of our Best Recipes" Cookbook:
2 lbs yellow squash, sliced (about 4 or 5 squash)
1 Cup water
2 small onions minced
2 tbl butter or margarine
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 1/4 cup round butter cracker crumbs divided
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
4 slices of bacon cooked and crumbled
2 large eggs lightly beaten

Combine squash and water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and cover for about 15 minutes or until tender. Drain well, mash and drain again.
Saute onion in butter in skillet over medium heat until teder. Turn off heat. Add squash, cheese, 3/4 cup crumbs, salt, pepper, bacon and eggs. Stir well. Spoon mixture into lightly greased two quart casserole dish. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup cracker crumbs. Bake uncovered at 350 for 40-45 minutes or until thoroughly heated.

The baked beans were a new recipe-you start with a can of pork and beans and add lots of flavor; green peppers, onion, bacon, mustard and ketchup-I really enjoyed them! They were a lot better than just buying a can of baked beans: (I forgot to take pictures of this one...they looked so good that we couldn't wait to dig in!)

Easy Baked Beans: From the Southern Living "30 Years of Our Best Recipes" Cookbook:

2 slices of bacon halved
1 small onion diced
1 small green pepper, finely chopped
1 (15 oz) can pork and beans with tomato sauce (I used Van Camps)
2 tsp prepared mustard
1 tsp chili powder
1/4 cup molasses
3 tbl ketchup

Cook bacon in skillet until almost done. Remove from pan and set aside. Saute onion and peppers in the remaining bacon drippings until tender. Drain.
Combine sauted onion mixture, beans and remaining 4 ingredients. Stir well. Spoon into lightly greased 1 1/2 qt. casserole dish. Top with bacon. Bake uncovered at 350 for 30-40 minutes.


Finally, my second favorite part of the meal (ribs were the clear winner!!) was the sweet tea! It was just the right amount of sweetness...and I did use a recipe. I know a good southern cook should know intuitively how to make sweet tea, but my efforts prior to the recipe were pretty sad, so I was grateful for the recipe. Here it is: (another modified Paula Deen recipe)

Sweet Tea:
Bring 4 cups of water to a boil.
Add 4 family size (preferrably luzianne) tea bags, and cut off the heat
Let that sit for 1 hour, steeping with the lid on
Pour into a pitcher and add 1 cup of sugar; stir well
Add 4 more cups of cold water, and serve with lemon wedges

Delicious Pot Roast



Here's a (beautiful!!) "while it's cooking" picture of the pot roast (recipe follows) MMM!!! Thanks E! (I'd probably go with a red wine...but Im sure that white was quite good;)

We're cooking now!!

Today has been a great food day! Matt and I have spent the entire day cooking and cooking...he's working on some "Take Your Time Ribs" and Im working on the sides. It's not ready yet, but im taking pictures and keeping track of recipes. I'll report on them after we eat. However I have some great news.... I got my first recipe contribution! Thanks E!! Here comes slow cooker pot roast..delicious, quick, and you have everything you need in the cupboard. Here's the recipe:


Tender Slow Cooker Roast
Delicious and tender and makes its own gravy!

3-4 lb boneless rump roast
1 pkg powdered brown gravy mix
1 pkg Lipton Onion soup mix
Garlic powder (I use 1/2 tsp per pound of meat)
1 to 1 1/2 c water
Place roast in slow cooker with the fat side up.
Season with garlic powder; sprinkle roast with a little of the dry gravy mix and put some along side of roast in bottom of slow cooker. Do the same with the dry onion soup mix. Pour 1 to 1 1/2c water in pot along side of roast.
Cover and cook on low all day. (If it's after noon when I start this, then I put it on high for an hour or so and then switch to low).

Adventures of Chicken Parmesan

Well, I tried a "20 minute chicken parmesan" recipe last night from one of my southern living cookbooks...and it wasn't a huge hit here (thats why there is no picture for it). The recipe called for store-bought spaghetti sauce over the chicken, and so I used some Ragu...I think this ruined it. The sauce was a little bland...I think the recipe really needed some fresh home made tomato sauce...with lots of seasonings. The chicken part turned out well (i pounded it thin and pan fried it in olive oil after coating it with milk and italian breadcrumbs. Yum! I might use this recipe alone for dinner one night. I don't like using eggs to coat the chicken because I always burn it...I think the eggs cook faster or something. Actually to be honest I tried coating it with half and half (i needed to conserve the milk) ...but i didn't notice any difference. Next time I'll just use the milk.

On another note...please PLEASE feel free to contribute recipes!!! This blog is going to get really boring if I am forced to use only my own recipes!! However I will not accept any recipes that in any way refer to rivals of the UGA Bulldogs. ;)

Pot Pie 

The old standby...

I made pot pie tonight...and i wanted to post the recipe-we probably eat this meal more than any other. It makes a nice traditional pot pie with creamy gravy, lots of veggies and tender chicken. It also makes two 8x8 pans, so you get two meals in one cooking session. The pies freeze really well also. Here's the recipe which I originally got from my mother in law-
Betty's Pot Pie:

1 whole chicken
3 stalks of celery chopped
5 potatoes peeled and chopped
4-5 carrots peeled and chopped
1 cup frozen peas
1 stick of butter or margarine
2/3 cup flour
2 bullion cubes
1 cup milk
store bought pie crusts (comes in pkg of two)

Boil the chicken (unless you are using leftover chicken, which is also fine). Take it out of water and let cool. Boil potatoes, celery, peas and carrots in leftover chicken broth until tender. (time depends on how big/small you chopped the veggies...i like mine on the big side, so it takes about 20 minutes). While you are waiting, debone chicken. Drain vegetables reserving 3 1/2 cups of the broth in a separate container. In the pot that you cooked the chicken and vegetables, melt the butter over med. heat. Whisk in the flour until completly mixed in. Cook for one more minute. Add bullion cubes. Slowly add in the reserved chicken broth and milk whisking constantly. Add salt and pepper to taste. Arrange chicken and vegetables in two 8X8 baking pans, or one 9x13 pan. Pour the gravy on the top and cover with pie crusts. Cut a few slits in the crust to vent, and pinch down the edges. Bake at 400 for about 45 minutes, or until the top is nice and brown.

Yummy Challah Bread!! 

Challah Bread

Wow! I just found the greatest recipe for Challah bread...it is super easy...especially if you have a food processor. The recipe came from a Paula Deen cookbook that I borrowed. The recipe involves mixing up a few ingredients, which took about 15 minutes, and then two rounds of letting the dough rise. When the bread came out it was delicious! It was very soft and had a slightly sweet taste to it. On top of that, it was actually very pretty! (in spite of the fact that my "braid" was a bit lopsided!). Anyway, here's the recipe-I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!! I made a few changes and added some tips to the original recipe.

Challah Bread:

You need:
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup sugar
3 3/4 cup flour, half bread half all purpose
1 envelope of active dry yeast
2 eggs beaten, plus one for spreading on top
1/4 cup vegetable oil


Dissolve dry yeast in one cup of warm water for 10 minutes. While you are waiting on this, combine salt, sugar and flour in food processor. After the yeast is ready add it to the food processor. Then add eggs and oil. Process until dough forms a ball on the steel processor blade. This makes a pretty sticky dough, but if it seems TOO sticky, you can add a teaspoon or two more flour. Place the dough in a well greased bowl (i use crisco) and turn once to coat. Cover with a towel and let rise in a draft free place (i use my cold oven) for about 1 and 1/2 hours. (until double). Punch it down and divide it into three long skinny logs. Braid these together, tucking ends underneath. (this took me a while to figure out a nice way to braid it...luckily the dough didn't mind so much handling!). Let this rise on a cookie sheet or pizza stone if you have it for another hour. preheat oven to 350. Brush top of risen dough with beaten egg. bake for about 30 minutes.