In the Kitchen

Here is the place that I will catalog the recipes I've shared in posts.



Roasted Veggie Mac N Cheese

For a 9x13 size baking dish, follow recipe. To make smaller, divide in half.

2 small/medium sized Yellow Squash, chopped

1 Cup diced carrots

1 Cup chopped broccoli

1 Red Bell pepper, chopped

2 Tbsp Olive Oil (not EVOO)

salt/pepper

12oz Pasta of your choice (shells, elbows, penne)

1/4 cup Olive Oil (or butter)

1/4 cup Flour

1 1/2 cups Milk

1/2 Cup Chicken Stock

1tsp Salt

1/2 tsp Black Pepper

1/2 tsp Ground Mustard

12 oz cheese (I mix Sharp Cheddars with Mild Cheddar)

1. Dice up veggies, toss in 2 Tbsp Olive Oil, season with salt/pepper, lay evenly on pan and roast in oven at 350degrees for 30minutes.

2. Boil a pot of water and add a 12oz box of pasta (we either do elbows or shells). Cook til done.
3. While pasta is boiling, make cheese sauce. Start with saucepan on medium heat and add 1/4cup olive oil (or butter)...when heated add 1/4 cup flour. Whisk together and cook for 1min. Add milk + chicken stock + 1tsp salt + 1/2tsp pepper + 1/2tsp ground mustard. Whisk together well and cook at medium heat until thickened (light simmer, NOT boiling). Remove from heat, let stand for a minute, and little by little gently stir in cheeses until melted. NOTE: do not add cheese to visibly simmering sauce because the cheese will curdle!
4. Pour cheer sauce over Cooked and drained pasta. Stir to mix. Then add roasted veggies and stir to mix.
5. Serve!

Honey Chicken Stir Fry

1/4 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/3 cup Honey
2 tsp Minced Garlic Cloves
1/3 cup Soy Sauce   
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1 large sweet onion, cut into chunks
1 red bell pepper, cut into chunk
4-6 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into chunks

Whisk together in medium sized bowl the first 5 ingredients. Then add in onions, peppers, and chicken. Stir to coat evenly. Cover tightly and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before cooking. Heat a large skillet to medium high heat, then add contents of the bowl to the hot skillet. Place lip on pan and cook 5 minutes, then take lid off to stir. Replace lid and cook an additional 5 minutes. Take lid off and continue stirring until liquid has evaporated and also thickened. Once chicken is cooked thoroughly, you may serve. Note: your pan will have a dark brown or even black coating on it from the honey; no worries! It comes off easy after soaking! Possible sides could be steamed brown rice and a Ginger salad.     
 

Spaghetti Sauce (basic)

1 1/2 pounds ground beef

1 large onion, chopped
1  bell pepper (any color), chopped
1 garlic clove, minced

2 (6-ounce) cans tomato paste

1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce

1 large can stewed or crushed tomatoes

1 tablespoon Italian seasoning

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1 tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup water

Directions: Brown the beef in a large pot, then drain off the fat. Add the onion, green pepper, and garlic and saute until the onion is tender, about 5 minutes. Add the tomato paste, tomato sauce, stewed tomatoes, seasonings, and water. Simmer for 30 minutes. Let cool. The sauce will keep for several days covered and refrigerated....or freeze in a tightly sealed container. Serve with spaghetti or your favorite pasta.

Black Bean and Corn Salad

**Two Thumbs Up**

1 Can Diced Tomatoes, drained

1 Can Whole Kernel Corn (or 16oz frozen corn)

1 Can Black Beans, rinsed and drained

1 small red onion, diced small

1 Avocado, diced into bite size chunks

1 Tbsp minced garlic

1 Tbsp dried cilantro (or 3Tbsp fresh)

1 Tbsp vegetable oil

2 Tbsp Lime juice

1/2 tsp Cumin

Toss all ingredients together in large bowl, refrigerate until ready to serve. Can be eaten as is, with chips, or as a topping for tacos/fajitas.

Classic Roasted Turkey Breast (or whole turkey)

1	bone-in whole turkey breast (4 1/2 to 5 pounds), thawed if frozen Salt and PepperBaste:
1/2	cup butter or margarine, melted
1/4	cup apple juice
1 1/2	teaspoons dried thyme leaves
1	teaspoon paprika
2	cloves minced garlicGravy:
2	teaspoons cornstarch
2	tablespoons cold water

1.	Heat oven to 325ºF. Place turkey, skin side up, on rack in large shallow roasting pan. Insert ovenproof meat thermometer so tip is in thickest part of meat and does not touch bone. Sprinkle salt and pepper over turkey (use your judgement...less is best). Roast uncovered 1 hour.
2.	Mix butter, wine, thyme, salt, paprika and garlic. Brush turkey with half of the baste mixture. Roast 30 minutes; brush with remaining baste mixture. Roast about 1 hour longer or until thermometer reads 180ºF and juice of turkey is no longer pink when center is cut.
3.	Remove turkey from oven and let stand at least 15 minutes for easier carving and to let juices redistribute.
4.	For Gravy: pour pan drippings into measuring cup; skim fat from drippings. Add enough water to drippings to measure 2 cups. Heat drippings to boiling in 1-quart saucepan. Mix cornstarch and 2 tablespoons cold water; stir into drippings. Boil and stir 1 minute. Serve with turkey.

Irish Shepherd's Pie

*No need to alter this recipe...it's PERFECT already! We do this annually on St. Patrick's Day

Click on this link to see the recipe: Alton Brown's Shepherd's Pie

Corn Casserole (aka corn pudding)

*this is a very easy recipe to double and triple as needed for crowd size

1 Can Cream of Corn

1 Can whole kernel corn (or freezer corn), drained

8oz sour cream

1 box Jiffy muffin mix

1 stick of butter, melted (1/2 cup)

1 egg

1. Heat oven to 350. Grease round casserole dish (corning wear is what I use for this size batch).

2. In a medium bowl mix together all ingredients until well blended. Pour into greased baking dish.

3. Bake for 45-50 minutes until top begins to crack and is golden brown on edges. (a double batch takes 1hr15min in a 9x13 baking dish).

Holiday Green Bean Casserole

4 cans French Style (or cut) Green Beans, drained

1 cans Cream of Mushroom Soup with roasted garlic

1 can Cream of Mushroom Soup

2 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 1/2 cups French's Fried Onions, divided

1. Heat oven to 350. Grease a round casserole dish.

2. Mix beans, soups, Worcestershire, pepper, and 1/2 cup of fried onions in large bowl. Pour into casserole dish. Top with remaining fried onions.

3. Bake for 30-40 minutes, or whenever bubbly on edges. Let set for 10 minutes so it can cool before serving.

7Up Biscuits

*This makes 6 large biscuits, double recipe as needed

*We enjoy this with sausage gravy or as a side for any comfort food meal :-)

2 cups Bisqiuck

1/2 cup sour cream

1/2 cup 7Up (or any lemon-lime soda)

1/4 cup melted butter

1. Heat oven to 450. Melt butter in 9x9 baking pan (I microwave the butter in the pan).

2. In a medium bowl incorporate sour cream into Bisquick. Add soda and mix gently. 

3. Sprinkle some Bisquick on the counter and place the dough mixture on it. Sprinkle Bisquick on top of the dough too (dough is very sticky). Flatten the dough out to 1/4 inch thickness (approximately). Cut out biscuits (I use a round measuring cup, doesn't matter the size) and place into baking pan.

4. Bake for 12 minutes, until nicely golden brown on top.

Taco Pizza (just like Pizza Hut's taco pizza!)

For 1 large pizza:
Pizza crust, uncooked
1/2 lb ground meat (beef or turkey)
1 packet Taco Seasoning (1/4 cup) + water
1 can Refried Beans (homemade it's equal to approximately 1 cup)
1 cup of salsa (we use homemade)
8oz shredded cheese (any yellow kind of cheese)
Shredded lettuce
1 large diced tomato
1 1/2 cup crushed Doritos chips
                                                                            Ranch Dressing


Preheat oven to 400 degrees F and get out large pizza pan (or pizza stone) and place pizza dough on it (spread it out into pizza shape). Start by browning ground meat in a skillet. Once browned, strain off grease and return to pan. Add seasoning and 1/4 cup of water; stir. Simmer for 5 minutes. While meat is simmering, mix together (we use stand mixer for ease) the refried beans and salsa.Then spread this mixture evenly onto the crust (this is the base of the pizza). Add the cooked meat on top of the bean mixture. Top with shredded cheese.  Place in oven and bake until crust is done, about 12-15minutes.Once out of the oven, evenly cover with shredded lettuce, diced tomato, and Doritos. Serve with ranch dressing and enjoy!


Unbeatable Sloppy Joes

I certainly did not come up with this recipe, but this nice lady on this linked-blog did: Sloppy Joes
I make this recipe ALL the time and it is always a huge hit!

 

Brown Sugar and Balsamic Glazed Pork Roast

Original Recipe Here

Ingredients:

1 (2 pound) boneless pork tenderloin (or regular pork loin)

1 teaspoon ground sage

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1 clove garlic, crushed

1/2 cup water

Glaze

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

1/2 cup water

2 tablespoons soy sauce

Directions:

Combine sage, salt, pepper and garlic. Rub over roast. Place in slow cooker with 1/2 cup water. Cook on low for 6-8 hours. About 1 hour before roast is done, combine ingredients for glaze in small sauce pan. Heat and stir until mixture thickens. Brush roast with glaze 2 or 3 times during the last hour of cooking. Serve with remaining glaze on the side.

Corn Chowder

*Inspired by Pioneer Woman's chowder recipe

Ingredients

4 Tablespoons  unsalted butter

1 whole medium Onion, Chopped

3 slices Bacon, Cut Into Pieces (optional)

3 whole Bell Peppers, any color

2 cans of whole kernel corn, drained (or do 1 can whole kernel corn and 1 can cream corn)

1/3 cup All-purpose Flour

3 cups Chicken Stock Or Broth

2 cups milk (anything but fat-free)

2 cups shredded cheese, any mildly moist cheese works (colby jack, pepperjack, monterrey, etc)

1/3 cup Sliced Green Onions

  Preparation Instructions

In a large pot, melt butter over medium heat. Add and cook onions for a few minutes. Add bacon (you can also use leftover breakfast bacon that's already cooked) and cook for another minute or so, then add diced bell peppers and cook for a couple of minutes. Finally, add corn and cook for a minute.

Sprinkle flour evenly over the top and stir to combine. Pour in broth and stir well. Allow this to thicken for 3 or 4 minutes, then reduce heat to low. Stir in milk, then cover and allow to simmer/thicken for 15 minutes or so.

Stir in cheeses and green onions. When cheese is melted and the soup is hot, check seasonings. Add salt and pepper as needed. Keep warm until served; crock pot can be used if kept on warm setting.