Sunday, September 22, 2013

BLT Pasta Salad

Went to the yearly family reunion today.  My mother in law hates cheese so I searched for a way to make a pasta salad without cheese.  Ugh not an easy task.  Bingo this one works perfectly.  It was good but I personally would leave out the thyme if I make this again.  Everyone seemed to really enjoy it.   I liked it just too much thyme and it's not my favorite herb.

  • 12 ounces corkscrew-shaped pasta
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 12 ounces lean bacon
  • 3 medium ripe tomatoes, cut into chunks
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
  • 1/2 cup mayonnaise
  • 1/4 cup sour cream
  • 4 tablespoons chopped chives or scallion greens
  • 5 heads Bibb lettuce, quartered, or 5 cups chopped romaine hearts

Directions

Cook the pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water as the label directs. Drain and toss with the milk in a large bowl; set aside.
Meanwhile, cook the bacon in a large skillet over medium-high heat until crisp. Drain on paper towels. Discard all but 3 tablespoons drippings from the pan. Add the tomatoes, thyme and garlic to the pan and toss until warmed through; season with salt and pepper. Crumble the bacon into bite-size pieces; set aside 1/4 cup for garnish. Toss the remaining bacon and the tomato mixture with the pasta.
Mix the mayonnaise, sour cream and 3 tablespoons chives with the pasta until evenly combined. Season with salt and pepper. Add the lettuce; toss again to coat. Garnish with the reserved bacon and the remaining 1 tablespoon chives. Serve at room temperature.


Tuesday, September 17, 2013

Sausage & Pierogies

This is one of my quick go to's on a busy night!  I use frozen Pierogies to speed up the dinner.  Try this I bet to will love it.  My kids looked at me like I had two heads the first time I made this now they like it alot.


INGREDIENTS
1 (16 ounce) box Sauerkraut Pierogies
1 medium onion, sliced 
2 tablespoons butter 
1 pound smoked kielbasa, sliced 
1/2 tsp dill weed
DIRECTIONS
Sauté onions in butter until tender. Add Pierogies dill and kielbasa; sauté for 6 to 8 minutes, stirring Pierogies and kielbasa pieces until browned on both sides.
Serve with cooked vegetables for a complete meal.




Monday, September 9, 2013

BBQ Hawaiian Sliders

These were so good!  I put then together in about 15 minutes, grilled them and we are in about 30 minutes.  Look I channeled Rachel Ray.  One if my idols!!!  My husband and family have me the I don't think so look as I was whipping these up. They loved them.  I did leave out the lettuce because I did not have any.


1-1/2 pound ground chuck beef (80% lean)
2/3 cups Brown Sugar Barbecue Sauce, divided (I used Hunt's®)
3 Tablespoons bread crumbs
3/4 teaspoon Montreal steak seasoning
1 pkg (12 oz each) Hawaiian dinner rolls (in tray)
3 slices (1 oz each) Swiss cheese, quartered
1 can (8 oz each) pineapple slices, drained (reserve juice), cut into thirds (I used fresh)
6 slices of bacon (I used ready to eat bacon)
lettuce



  1. Spray cold grate of gas grill with grilling spray. Preheat grill for medium heat.
  2. Combine barbecue sauce with 2 tablespoons pineapple juice. Meanwhile, combine 1/3 cup of Barbeque sauce mixture to beef, breadcrumbs and steak seasoning in large bowl. Shape mixture into 12 small patties.
  3. Place pineapple slices in bowl with remaining barbeque sauce mixture and set aside.
  4. Grill patties 3 to 4 minutes on each side or until cooked through (160°F). Meanwhile, remove attached rolls from package; do NOT separate. Cut in half horizontally. Spray cut sides with grilling spray; toast on grill.
  5. Remove pineapple slices from sauce and grill for 1-2 minutes on each side.
  6. Separate toasted rolls and assemble sliders; Spread remaining barbecue sauce mixture on rolls, place a small piece of lettuce then patties on bottom halves of rolls; top with cheese, bacon and pineapple. Close with tops of rolls.







Wednesday, September 4, 2013

Una de Cada Enchilada Casserole

This one I got from food network.  It was really good!  Although I think a little more sauce would have made it better.  I made just half the recipe because a 9x13 seemed liked too much for the 3 of us.   My youngest would never eat this darn it.  Una de cada means 1 of each.  This recipe has chicken and beef.  I will defiantly make this again.












  • For the enchilada sauce:
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1/2 cup finely chopped Vidalia or other sweet onion
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1 clove garlic, grated on a rasp or finely minced
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
  • 3/4 cup beef broth
  • For the beef layer:
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1/2 cup finely chopped Vidalia or other sweet onion
  • 1/2 cup finely chopped green bell pepper
  • 1/2 cup finely chopped red bell pepper
  • Kosher salt
  • 3 cloves garlic, grated on a rasp or finely minced
  • 1 pound 85 percent lean ground beef
  • 1/2 to 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1/2 to 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1 packet (about 1/4 teaspoon) Sazon seasoning
  • 2 Roma tomatoes, seeded and chopped
  • 1/4 cup beef broth
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • For the chicken layer:
  • 1 rotisserie chicken, skin and bones discarded, meat shredded
  • 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
  • 1/2 cup shredded pepper jack cheese
  • For the casserole:
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
  • 1 1/2 cups shredded pepper jack cheese
  • 20 to 24 six-inch corn tortillas, cut in half

Directions

Make the enchilada sauce: In a medium pot over medium heat, combine the oil, onion, a pinch of salt and a few grinds of pepper. Cook until the onion is tender, about 6 minutes. Raise the heat to medium high and add the tomato paste; stir with a wooden spoon and cook until it deepens in color, 3 minutes. Add the garlic, cumin and thyme. Cook, stirring, until combined and fragrant, about 1 minute, then add the crushed tomatoes and beef broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook, covered, for 20 minutes. Cover and keep warm over low heat.Cook the beef: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. In a large straight-sided pan, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and green and red bell peppers. Sprinkle with a nice pinch of salt and cook until the onion and peppers are tender but not browned, about 6 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute more. In this order, add the beef, onion powder, cumin, thyme, Sazon, tomatoes and broth, allowing time between each addition to stir and blend. Cook for another 8 to 10 minutes, stirring to break down the beef into bits. When the beef is cooked through, taste and season with a pinch of salt and a grind or two of pepper. (Sazon adds salt, so be careful not to over-season.) Set aside.Prepare the chicken layer: In a large bowl, toss together the shredded chicken, 1/2 cup of the enchilada sauce and the cheddar and pepper jack cheeses. Set aside.Assemble and bake the casserole: Use the butter to coat the bottom and sides of a deep 13-by-9-inch baking dish. In a small bowl, toss the shredded cheeses together. Pour 1 cup of enchilada sauce into the prepared dish. One at a time, dunk the tortilla slices in the still-warm enchilada sauce in the pot and layer them on the bottom of the dish using the straight edges to line the sides, overlapping where needed and covering the entire bottom of the dish. Next, add 1/2 cup of the shredded cheese blend, all of the beef, another 1/2 cup of the shredded cheese blend, a new layer of tortillas dunked in the enchilada sauce, all of the chicken and a final layer of tortillas dunked in the enchilada sauce. Pour the rest of the sauce over all of the layers and top with the remaining shredded cheese blend. Bake until the cheese is melted and the sauce bubbles, about 30 minutes. Let it rest a bit before you slice it, just like lasagna

Tuesday, September 3, 2013

Campfire cheesy chicken sandwiches

We just went on a float trip for my sons 10th birthday I wanted something tasty yet easy for me to cook after a long day of being out on the river.  This is easy to throw together and even easier to cook.


  • 4 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 cup julienned red onion
  • 1 tablespoon minced jalapeno (I skipped this)
  • 1/2 cup roasted and julienned red bell pepper (also skipped this)
  • 1 roasted chicken, boned, skin discarded and shredded
  • 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon chopped garlic
  • 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro leaves, plus more for garnish
  • 4 tablespoons grated Parmesan, plus more for garnish
  • 5 ounces mozzarella, grated
  • 4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
  • 4 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 3 ounces tequila (skipped this too)
  • 1/4 cup diced Roma tomatoes, for garnish
  • 4 sourdough rolls, warmed

Directions

I used a heavy aluminum foil pan that I sprayed with Pam.  Add the oil, onions, jalapeno, red bell peppers, chicken, salt and pepper, garlic, cilantro, cheeses, lemon juice and tequila. top with a double layer of foil. Refrigerate until ready to cook.To cook preheat the oven or grill to 250 degrees F. Remove the foil pan from the refrigerator and put on the grill, being careful not to snag the foil and tear it open. Grill for 15 min. and stir and cook for another 10 minutes.Remove the pan from the grill and stir again. Garnish with the tomatoes, cilantro, and Parmesan and serve on warmed rolls.