Bacon Mac-n-Cheese

The conversation started innocently enough at the gym...talking about an overly cheesy slow-cooker mac-n-cheese recipe...and I got to thinking I was in the mood for a good homemade bowl of it. Then I jumped onto Facebook yesterday and there on a friend's wall was a post for a bacon mac-n-cheese recipe. I figured if I got it twice in the matter of hours, then it was divine intervention - the gods were telling me that I had to make a batch. And with the exact amount of bacon the recipe calls for in the refrigerator? Well, that just was yet another reason to go for it.

Now, it calls for heavy cream, which I didn't have, so I made my own little roux and hoped for the best. It turned out just as well! Again, not quite the healthiest dish, but damn delicious!

Bacon Mac-n-Cheese
Ingredients
1 tsp salt + more for pot of water
1 lb rotini noodles
3/4 lb bacon
2 cups milk (I used 1%)
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup whole wheat flour (I'm out of the regular stuff?!)
2 cups shredded cheese (I did half mozzarella and half sharp cheddar)
1/4 tsp pepper

Directions

1. Bring water to a boil. Salt it generously (it should taste like the sea). Stir in the pasta and cook according to the package directions. Drain (but don’t rinse, or you’ll rinse away starches that will help thicken the sauce) and return to the empty pot.
2. Meanwhile, place a large sauté pan over medium-high heat for several minutes. When hot, add the bacon and sauté until browned and crispy, about 5 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and, using a slotted spoon or spatula, remove the bacon from the pan and drain on paper towels.
3. Pour off the fat from the pan and return the pan to medium-high heat. Add the milk, butter and flour and bring to a boil, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Lower the heat to medium and continue to simmer until the cream is reduced slightly, about 3 minutes.
4. Add the Cheddar cheese and bacon. Stir well and cook over medium-high heat, stirring now and then, until the cheese has melted and the mixture thickens, about 3 minutes. Season with the salt and pepper.
5. Stir the sauce into the cooked and drained pasta in the pot. Place over medium heat and simmer for 1 to 2 minutes to thicken the sauce and allow the pasta to absorb the flavors, stirring now and then.
6. Garnish with chives (if you'd like) and try not to eat the entire thing ;-)

Rigatoni w/ Sausage & Peas

So, this is definitely NOT a healthy option! If you're looking for something that isn't laden with calories, skip this. It's one dish that I don't make often simply because of the fact that it uses 1/4 cup of straight up butter and 1 and 1/2 cups of heavy cream...but there are peas in it, so it has a glimmer of nutrition buried deep down.

The boy and I love this dish, Linds likes the noodles and peas, and even Luke is coming around - although my little "miva" (man-diva) got a bite that had a little sausage and proceeded to stand at the trash can for a couple minutes spitting it out and whining that it was "NOT NUMMY!" Someday these kids will come around to the awesomeness that is sausage?!?

Rigatoni w/ Sausage & Peas
Ingredients
1 16-ounce box rigatoni pasta
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1 pound ground sausage
2 cups frozen green peas
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
4 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

1. In a large skillet, heat oil and sauté garlic over medium heat. Add sausage and brown.
2. Once brown, add frozen peas and simmer for 5 minutes.

3.  In the meantime, bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. 
4. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain. 

5. Slowly add heavy cream and butter to sausage skillet; bring to a slight boil. 
6. Cook for 5 minutes. 
7. Toss with cooked pasta and top with Parmesan cheese. 

The whole process should take just about half an hour. The estimated calories per serving is 611 (and this is an 8-serving dish). You can probably make some substitutions to get that number down (anything from cutting back on the amount of sausage to substituting ingredients in the sauce). The end result, however, is tasty...so try it on a splurge night (if you are food obsessed like me and count calories/fat/etc.!)

Beer-Glazed Ham

I bought 3 lbs of ham the other day at Lindsay's request and decided to do a beer-glaze with it. It's a sweeter glaze (lots of brown sugar!) and I know that Linds, the boy and I will all eat it (again, Luke picks but doesn't care much for a variety yet...I'm patiently waiting until he gets older since Linds was the same way). I made mashed sweet potatoes and some other kind of veggie (insert preggo brain excuse here) with it, and had plenty of leftovers to use it in a quiche, sandwiches and other leftover plates. I always love when I can get full use out of a bulk purchase!

Oh, and this photo is an old one and obviously does not match the description above.

Beer Glazed Ham
Ingredients
1 boneless fully cooked ham (3 lbs.) 
1 can beer
1 cup packed brown sugar  
2 T balsamic vinegar
2 tsp ground mustard

Directions

1. Place ham on a rack in a shallow roasting pan (I didn't have a rack, so I rolled up some foil to keep the ham from sitting right in the pan). Score the surface of the ham, making diamond shapes ½ inch deep. 
2. Set aside 2 T beer. Pour remaining beer over ham. 
3. Bake, uncovered at 350 for 1 hour. 
4. In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, vinegar, mustard and reserved beer; spread over ham.
5. Bake 40-45 minutes longer or until a meat thermometer reads 140, basting occasionally.

Spaghetti w/ Meat Sauce

Grocery shopping is way overdue. I got a little lazy with Thanksgiving and all the running around we've been doing and haven't done much cooking. With all the rain we had today, it seemed like the perfect day to throw together some meat sauce and let it simmer all afternoon. The house smells great, there will be a home-cooked meal on the table, and it's something everyone will eat - I'm pretty sure that qualifies as a success! I always double this recipe so I can freeze a bunch of the sauce and have it on hand for quick meals down the road. And this one is so easy - really only takes about 15 minutes of active prep time for the sauce, and then you can make the pasta while it's simmering.

Spaghetti Tomato/Meat Sauce
Ingredients
1 (28 ounce) can stewed tomatoes
1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
1 pound lean ground beef
2 yellow onions, chopped
6 cloves garlic, chopped
2 tablespoons white sugar
1 tablespoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Blend the stewed tomatoes and crushed tomatoes in a blender.
2. In a large pot, brown the ground beef with the onions and garlic. 
3. Pour in tomatoes, and reduce heat. 
4. Add sugar, basil, oregano, salt and pepper, and cover. 
5. Simmer about 45 minutes. Serve warm over pasta of your choice.

Lasagna

Yesterday was the first day of college football - whoo hoo! I love watching the games...but not nearly as much as the boy. I can sit still for at least one game...*sometimes* two, depending on who is playing. He could sit there for an entire day and watch?! With yesterday being the first week, that's what he did. When the kids were napping, I was already getting antsy, so I decided to make lasagna. This recipe takes awhile and has lots of steps, but is worth it. The cold leftovers for breakfast are pretty darn delicious, too!

Lasagna
Ingredients
1 pound ground sausage
1 pound lean ground beef
1/2 cup minced onion
4 cloves garlic, crushed
1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
2 (6 ounce) cans tomato paste
1 (15 ounce) can canned tomato sauce
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons white sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons dried basil leaves
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
4 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
18 lasagna noodles
15 ounces ricotta cheese
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 pound shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions

1. In a Dutch oven, cook sausage, ground beef, onion, and garlic over medium heat until well browned. Stir in crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, tomato sauce, and water. Season with sugar, basil, Italian seasoning, 1 teaspoon salt, pepper, and 2 tablespoons parsley. Simmer, covered, for about 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally.
2. Fill a pan with hot water and soak lasagna noodles while sauce is cooking (sounds strange, but it works AND saves you from cleaning another pan). 
3. In a mixing bowl, combine ricotta cheese with egg, remaining parsley, and 1/2 teaspoon salt.
4. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
5. To assemble, layer 6 noodles along bottom of a 9x13 baking dish. Spread 1 1/2 cups of meat sauce on top. Arrange 6 noodles lengthwise over meat sauce. Spread with one half of the ricotta cheese mixture. Top with a third of mozzarella cheese. Spoon 1 1/2 cups meat sauce over mozzarella. Repeat layers, and top with remaining mozzarella. 
6. Cover with foil and bake in preheated oven for 35 minutes. Remove foil, and bake an additional 40 minutes. Cool for 15 minutes before serving. 

Pork BBQ & Potato Salad

I knew my afternoon was going to be a hectic one. We have a wonderful couple who comes in and cleans our house every other week (upon my insistence once I started working again...the boy wasn't keen at first and has quickly changed his mind!), and they come in at 3:00. It's a tough time of day - still nap time for the kiddos and not much do to late afternoon that doesn't interfere with dinner. Plus, it eats up my prep/cook time, so I need quick, easy and CLEAN meals to make for dinner (I don't want to mess up the house that quickly!).

I was home all day yesterday and bored by 3ish, so I decided to put together stuff for pork BBQ to crockpot all day, and to use the onions, eggs and potatoes we got from the farm for a potato salad before they go bad. It was the PERFECT day to have dinner ready - not a particularly bad day, but as a friend put it, one of those days where you get so many papercuts that it leads to one big injury. Not only was it nice to have dinner ready to go as soon as I got home from errands tonight, it tasted so flippin delicious!

And the best part: it was a hit amongst the ENTIRE family! Linds ate two full sandwiches and a big scoop of the potato salad, the boy chowed down when got home from work, and Luke...my kid who really only eats hot dogs, pizza, pb&js and chicken nuggets - well he ate half a sandwich. I was shocked to say the least! The prep for this meal took an hour or two, but I doubled the pork because I had a 6 lb roast and potato salad is always going to take forever. The recipe below is for a 3 or 4 lb roast. The potato salad doesn't have many ingredients either, but is still very tasty - almost like a loaded baked potato! YUM :)

Pork BBQ
Ingredients
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
1 (3 or 4 pound) pork shoulder roast
1 cup barbeque sauce
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1 tablespoon prepared yellow mustard
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon chili powder
2 large cloves garlic, crushed
1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme
8 hamburger buns

Directions

1. Pour the vegetable oil into the bottom of a slow cooker. Place the pork roast into the slow cooker; pour in the barbecue sauce, apple cider vinegar, and chicken broth. Stir in the brown sugar, yellow mustard, Worcestershire sauce, chili powder, garlic, and thyme. 
2. Cover and cook on low (10-12 hours) or high (5-6 hours) until the roast shreds easily with a fork.
3. Remove the roast from the slow cooker, and shred the meat using two forks. Return the shredded pork to the slow cooker, and stir the meat into the juices. Serve on hamburger buns. 

Red-Skin Potato Salad
Ingredients
2 pounds clean, scrubbed new red potatoes
6 eggs
1 pound bacon
scallions, finely chopped
2 cups mayonnaise
handful of cheddar cheese

Directions

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add potatoes and cook until tender but still firm, about 15 minutes. Drain and set in the refrigerator to cool.
2. Place eggs in a saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring water to a boil and immediately remove from heat. Cover and let eggs stand in hot water for 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from hot water, cool, peel and chop.
3. Place bacon in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium high heat until evenly brown. Drain, crumble and set aside.
4. Chop the cooled potatoes, leaving skin on. Add to a large bowl, along with the eggs, bacon, and onion. Stir in mayonnaise. Chill overnight.

Ribs

Finally made the ribs I've been planning on Tuesday night...I've been soooo hungry for them (as have the rest of the family). Between the four of us, we polished off almost 3 lbs. NICE! The recipe is super easy and are just as good as you can get at any restaurant (claims the boy, who is picky about his ribs). A friend of mine just asked for the recipe, too, so Lisa will have to chime in!


Slow Cooker Ribs
Ingredients
4 lbs. pork baby back ribs
salt, pepper, minced onion and garlic powder to taste
2 cups Sweet Baby Rays barbecue sauce
1 cup ketchup (only Heinz in this household!)
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
4 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 teaspoons dried oregano
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 dash of hot sauce

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
2. Season ribs with salt, pepper, minced onion and garlic powder. Place in a shallow baking pan. Brown in oven 15 minutes. Turn over, and brown another 15 minutes; drain fat.
3. In a medium bowl, mix together the barbecue sauce, ketchup, brown sugar, vinegar, oregano, Worcestershire sauce, and hot sauce. Place ribs in slow cooker. Pour sauce over ribs, and turn to coat.
4. Cover, and cook on low 6 to 8 hours, or until ribs are tender.
5. About 30 minutes before serving, place back in baking pan at 400 degrees F and the sauce will caramelize to the meat and finish them to perfection.

New recipes!

If I can keep up with this every two weeks, it's at least an improvement from once a month, right?! I seem to keep losing time more quickly as the days roll by, and I don't quite know how not to get lost in it. The gap in time probably wasn't helped by the fact that I needed to grocery shop and a lot of the meals were repeats of stuff I've done before. I did finally go shopping this past Thursday and managed to save $75 in coupons...I was pretty stoked about that! It took my $300 grocery down considerably.

I forgot to post my latest Munchin Mamas recipe from January. We had a "Make It or Break It" theme where we could have brought something healthy that went along with everyone's resolutions to eat healthier/diet/lose weight/etc., or we could bring something absolutely decadently delicious. I went the healthy route and made quinoa and black beans. I've never made quinoa, and now I'm a BIG fan! I added a little sour cream to the recipe just to give it some extra "oomph." I also made a baked three-cheese macaroni dish with bacon (yes, ANOTHER mac-and-cheese recipe) over the weekend that Linds, Scott and I liked (Luke is unfortunately still in his "I hate everything but ketchup" mode). Tonight was one of our favs - taco salads. Even Linds ate it for dinner (she's finally reached the age where she'll eat pretty much everything we do).

There are a few good deals out there, too, which I'll try to post. Hopefully this won't be the last post until mid-March ;-)


Quinoa w/ Black Beans
Ingredients
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
3/4 cup uncooked quinoa
1 1/2 cups vegetable broth
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup frozen corn kernels
2 (15 ounce) cans black beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Sour cream

Directions

1. Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the onion and garlic, and saute until lightly browned.
2. Mix quinoa into the saucepan and cover with vegetable broth. Season with cumin, cayenne pepper, salt, and pepper. Bring the mixture to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes,
3. Stir frozen corn into the saucepan, and continue to simmer about 5 minutes until heated through. Mix in the black beans and cilantro.
4. Garnish with sour cream.

Three-Cheese Baked Macaroni
Ingredients
Coarse salt
1/2 lb elbow macaroni
3 slices bacon, cut crosswise into 1/2 in. pieces
1.5 tsp minced garlic
3 large eggs
12-oz can evaporated milk
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1.5 cups grated sharp cheddar (6 oz.)
1/2 cup grated Monterey Jack (2 oz.)
1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan (1 oz.)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 475. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook macaroni 6 minutes (it will still be undercooked). Drain. 
2. Meanwhile, heat a small skillet over medium and add bacon. Cook until fat is rendered and bacon is crisp, about 10 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, 30 seconds. 
3. With a slotted spoon, transfer bacon mixture to a medium bowl. Add macaroni and stir to combine. 
4. In a large bowl, whisk together eggs and evaporated milk. Add ½ tsp salt, nutmeg, and cheese; mix well. Add macaroni mixture and stir well to combine. 
5. Transfer to an 8 or 9-inch square baking dish or a 2-qt gratin dish. With a spoon, gently spread mixture to form an even layer. 
6. Bake just until sauce is bubbling at edges, 15-20 minutes. Let rest 10 minutes before serving.

Catch-up time!

So I feel like this is completely inexcusable - I mean, really? Nearly a month since I've updated? Wow, I suck. In my defense, I started working part-time from home, so by the time the kiddos are in bed, I usually catch up on a few work things that didn't get done during naptime and then try to get a few minutes in with the boy before completely crashing. We also joined our local YMCA and I've become totally addicted to going to the gym. Let me preface this by saying that I've *never* been very much into exercising, playing sports, etc., but since joining I've learned to love running (signed up for the Broad Street 10-mile run in May) and doing Body Pump (a barbell class that makes lifting not only tolerable, but almost kind of fun!). Mentally, I feel the best that I have in a long, long time. Physically, I'm in better shape than I've been in at least six or seven years (even lost 5 or 6 lbs since the beginning of the year!).

So, I think I've made enough excuses for now ;-) I'll post a few recipes that I've made over the last couple weeks to help make up for the disappearing act. I made my baked potato pizza for the game, too, so I'll repost that favorite.

Baked Potato Pizza
Ingredients
1 large pre-made pizza crust
4 medium unpeeled potatoes, baked and cooled
1 tablespoon butter, melted
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1 cup (8 oz) sour cream
6 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled
3 to 5 green onions, chopped
1 1/2 cups (6 oz) mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup cheddar cheese

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 F.
   
2. Cut potatoes into 1/2-inch cubes. In a bowl, combine butter, garlic powder and oregano. Add potatoes and toss.
3. Spread sour cream over crust; top with potato mixture, bacon, onions and cheeses.
4. Bake at 400 for 15 - 20 minutes or until cheese is lightly browned.
5. Let stand for 5 minutes before cutting.

Yield: 8 slices


Beer Glazed Ham
Ingredients
1 boneless fully cooked ham (3 lbs.)
1 can beer
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 T balsamic vinegar
2 tsp ground mustard

Directions

1. Place ham on a rack in a shallow roasting pan. Score the surface of the ham, making diamond shapes ½ inch deep. 
2. Set aside 2 T beer. Pour remaining beer over ham. 
3. Bake, uncovered at 350 for 1 hour. 
4. In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, vinegar, mustard and reserved beer; spread over ham.
5. Bake 40-45 minutes longer or until a meat thermometer reads 140, basting occasionally.

Saucy Pepper Steak
Ingredients
1 green bell pepper, cut into strips
1 red bell pepper, cut into strips
1 yellow bell pepper, cut into strips
1 small onion, cut into strips
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp black pepper
3 T lite soy sauce
1/2 cup BBQ sauce
2 cups hot cooked brown rice
1 lb. trimmed beef sirloin steak, cut into strips

Directions

1. Heat large nonstick skillet sprayed with cooking spray on medium-high heat. Add bell peppers and onions; cook and stir 6 to 8 minutes or until vegetables are crisp-tender. Transfer to large bowl; cover to keep warm. 
2. Add meat, garlic and black pepper to same skillet; cook and stir 3 min. 
3. Add soy sauce; cook 1 min. or until meat is cooked through, stirring occasionally. 
4. Add BBQ sauce; cook until heated through. 
5. Spoon meat mixture into bowl with vegetables; toss gently. Serve over rice. 

Makes 4 servings. 330 calories, 6 g fat per serving.


Rosemary Ranch Chicken Kabobs
Ingredients
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup ranch dressing
3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon white vinegar
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper, or to taste
1 tablespoon white sugar, or to taste (optional)
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cut into 1 inch cubes

Directions

1. In a medium bowl, stir together the olive oil, ranch dressing, Worcestershire sauce, rosemary, salt, lemon juice, white vinegar, pepper, and sugar. Let stand for 5 minutes. Place chicken in the bowl, and stir to coat with the marinade. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
2. Preheat the grill for medium-high heat. Thread chicken onto skewers and discard marinade.
3. Lightly oil the grill grate. Grill skewers for 8 to 12 minutes, or until the chicken is no longer pink in the center, and the juices run clear.

Cheesy Potato and Corn Chowder
Ingredients
2 tablespoons margarine
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup chopped onion
2 (14.5 ounce) cans chicken broth
3 cups peeled and cubed potatoes
1 (15 ounce) can whole kernel corn
1 (2.5 ounce) package country style gravy mix
2 cups milk
1 cup shredded Mexican-style processed cheese food

Directions

1. In large saucepan, melt margarine over medium high heat. Add celery and onion; cook and stir until tender, about 5 minutes.
2. Add chicken broth; bring to a boil. Add potatoes; cook over low heat for 20 to 25 minutes or until potatoes are soft, stirring occasionally.
3. Stir in corn; return to boiling. Dissolve gravy mix in milk; stir into boiling mixture. Add cheese; cook and stir over low heat until cheese is melted.

January 8 - Ribs and cornbread!

The boy and I had a serious hankerin for some ribs, so I decided to make them on Saturday since they require a good hour in the morning to prep, crock potting all day, and half-hour in the evening to finish. I only have that free hour in the morning on Tuesdays and Fridays, so making ribs during the week is kinda tough. As usual, they turned out perfectly and he and I ate like crazy! Naturally Luke refused them (although he usually is a fiend...some sort of weird dinner aversion for him lately), and Linds was vomiting all Friday night, so we weren't about to even tempt fate. Luke did, however, eat many pieces of cornbread, so at least he put *something* in his system!

Speaking of cornbread, I did a little something different. It usually calls for buttermilk, which I don't ever keep on hand. There's an easy substitution with vinegar and regular milk, but I needed my laptop to look that one up and it was in the basement...I was too lazy to go downstairs, so I checked my Joy of Cooking to see if it listed it. It did not give me that specific substitution, but it did suggest yogurt instead of the buttermilk. I was curious to see how that turned out, so I figured, what the hell?! The boy doesn't eat it, so worst case scenario, I don't get my cornbread. I'm glad I tried it - it was awesome! AND saved me some calories. I also bought a microwavable sweet potato, cooked it and used the mashed part in the batter rather than grating the uncooked potato. That was also a better alternative because now there was no "crunch" to the bread. This recipe far outweighs the older one I posted!

Slow Cooker Ribs
Ingredients
4 lbs. pork baby back ribs
salt, pepper, minced onion and garlic powder to taste
2 cups Cattleman barbecue sauce
1 cup ketchup (only Heinz in this household!)
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
4 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 teaspoons dried oregano
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 dash of hot sauce

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
2. Season ribs with salt, pepper, minced onion and garlic powder. Place in a shallow baking pan. Brown in oven 15 minutes. Turn over, and brown another 15 minutes; drain fat.
3. In a medium bowl, mix together the barbecue sauce, ketchup, brown sugar, vinegar, oregano, Worcestershire sauce, and hot sauce. Place ribs in slow cooker. Pour sauce over ribs, and turn to coat.
4. Cover, and cook on low 6 to 8 hours, or until ribs are tender.
5. About 30 minutes before serving, place back in baking pan at 400 degrees F and the sauce will caramelize to the meat.

Sweet Potato Corn Bread
Ingredients
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup cornmeal
1/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup butter (1/2 stick)
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 cup low-fat yogurt
1 medium sweet potato, cooked, peeled and mashed

Directions

1. Cook sweet potato and peel.
2. Preheat oven to 425 F. Spray a 9x9 baking dish.
3. In a large bowl, combine flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, and salt; set aside. 
4. In a small bowl, combine egg, buttermilk, sweet potato and softened butter.
5. Fold liquid mixture into dry mixture and stir until just well blended.
6. Pour into baking dish and bake 20 minutes, or until the center springs back when lightly pressed with a fingertip.

January 2 - Pasta w/ Meat Sauce

Vacation has finally come to an end (and it's about damn time!)...as sad as it is to see it go, I definitely look forward to some routine in my life. I figured since Monday was the first day back, Sunday dinners should be back in order. I decided to make a HUGE vat of spaghetti meat sauce so we'd have lots for future meals. It was lots of fun! Linds helped make it with me while the boys played downstairs and watched football. It was a strangely stereotypical division of labor (which if you know me, you know that's not how I normally am), but it was a great time nonetheless.

My little helper:

I'm also trying to incorporate more veggies in my meals...one of  my resolutions for this year...so I roasted some broccoli to go with it. And, finally, after Lindsay's party, we were left with two double packages of hot dog rolls, so I used them to make some garlic bread. Naturally, the broccoli was not a hit, but everything else was. Here are the recipes!

Spaghetti Tomato/Meat Sauce
Ingredients
1 (28 ounce) can stewed tomatoes
1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
1/2 pound lean ground beef
1/2 pound ground sausage
2 yellow onions, chopped
6 cloves garlic, chopped
2 tablespoons white sugar
1 tablespoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Blend the stewed tomatoes and crushed tomatoes in a blender.
2. In a large pot, brown the ground beef with the onions and garlic. 
3. Pour in tomatoes, and reduce heat. 
4. Add sugar, basil, oregano, salt and pepper, and cover. 
5. Simmer about 45 minutes. Serve warm over pasta of your choice.

 Roasted Garlic Lemon Broccoli
Ingredients
2 heads broccoli, separated into florets
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
2. In a large bowl, toss broccoli florets with the extra virgin olive oil, sea salt, pepper and garlic. Spread the broccoli out in an even layer on a baking sheet.
3. Bake in the preheated oven until florets are tender enough to pierce the stems with a fork, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove and transfer to a serving platter. Squeeze lemon juice liberally over the broccoli before serving for a refreshing, tangy finish. 

Garlic Hot Dog Buns
Ingredients
6 hot dog buns, split in half
5 tablespoons butter, softened
2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 teaspoon dried oregano
salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Preheat the broiler.
2. In a small bowl, mix butter, olive oil, garlic, oregano, salt and pepper. Spread the mixture evenly on the bread slices.
3. On a medium baking sheet, arrange the slices evenly and broil 5 minutes, or until slightly brown. Check frequently so they do not burn. 

And, as a special treat, we made chocolate milkshakes for dessert. Those were simple - chocolate ice cream, milk, and a little sprinkle of Nestle chocolate powder. I added a bit of Papa Kaminski's Kahlua to mine which made it even better ;-)

Best of 2010 & our contest winner!

Congratulations to Courtney Z. for winning our end of the year contest! She correctly guessed two of the three top meals and wins a 60-minute photography session with Kristina Hall Photography. I'll e-mail you soon to give you details and give you Kristi's information :) Thanks everyone for playing!

And, for the results! I'll count them down, so in third place we have...

Ham & Cheese Loaf!

First, unroll the refrigerated pizza crust on a baking sheet.

Second, lay down some slices of provolone (or your favorite cheese).

Third, place about a dozen slices of ham deli meat down.

Fourth, top with some shredded cheddar cheese (I was out, so I used Mexican cheese).And, last of all, roll the long side up, pinching the seam after it is in roll form.

Tuck ends under and bake for 35 minutes at 350. Let cool for 5 minutes before serving.

In second place...

Best. Steaks. Ever.

Ingredients
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/3 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon concentrated lemon juice (or 1/3 cup of fresh lemon juice)
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon dried basil
1 tablespoon dried parsley flakes

Directions

1. Place all ingredients in a large Ziploc bag. Knead bag to mix ingredients.
2. Place steaks inside bag and marinate for up to 8 hours (I did 4 hours and they were perfect).
3. Feel free to use some of the marinade on your veggies - it tastes great! Have I mentioned that?!

and *finally*...our NUMBER ONE most sought after recipe...

Cornbread Enchilada Casserole

Ingredients
1 small can diced green chiles (4 oz i think)
1/2 cup of your favorite salsa
3 to 4 chopped scallions (I used 1/4 cup onion)
2 cups shredded cooked chicken
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can corn with red & green peppers, drained
1 (10 oz.) can enchilada sauce
1/2 cup egg substitute (I used 2 eggs)
1 (8.5 oz) package corn muffin mix
2 Tblsp chopped roasted red bell pepper
1 1/2 cups (6 oz) shredded Mexican cheese
for garnish - sour cream, fresh cilantro

Directions

1. Place salsa, scallions, chicken, beans, corn, half the chilies, and enchilada sauce into the cooker; stir well. Cover with lid and cook on LOW for 4 hours.
2. Combine the other half of the chiles, corn muffin mix, egg substitute, and chopped red pepper in a bowl. Spoon batter evenly over the bean mixture in the cooker. Cover and cook 1 hour until the crust is done.
3. Sprinkle the cheese over the corn bread, turn off the crockpot and let it sit 5 minutes until the cheese melts. Top each serving with a tablespoon of sour cream and additional cilantro, optional. Makes about 6 servings (unless you're me, then it's like 3...haha!).

I found some of those recipes to be surprising (really? the ham and cheese loaf got that many hits?), but thinking back those were all unanimous hits in our house at one point or another. As we hit 2011 I've been deciding what I want to do with this blog, and I think I'm going to keep it going. I'm trying to incorporate some more vegetarian dishes (which we never have enough of), more fish/seafood meals, and less casserole dishes in favor of more healthy fare (although I won't lie - we'll definitely still have many of them). And as always, if you have inspiration, send it my way...I'm always looking for more :) Happy New Year, dear readers! xoxox

December 14 - Meals for Mamas

Two more of our MOMS Club members had babies recently and it was my turn to bring them dinner on Tuesday night. I didn't have a chance to make it to Wegmans to get all the fixings for baked potato pizza, so I decided to make them rigatoni with sausage and peas instead. I had forgotten about this recipe until I glanced through my saved dishes on allrecipes.com. I made a triple batch - one for each mama and one for us. Both my kids ate it happily, so I was stoked about that! I got more pictures of Luke, too, while he played with his rigatoni. Normally I don't encourage playing with food, but there was something uber cute about him putting the rigatoni around his fingers and gnawing it off.

Rigatoni w/ Sausage & Peas
Ingredients
1 16-ounce box rigatoni pasta
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1 pound ground sausage
2 cups frozen green peas
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
4 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

1. In a large skillet, heat oil and sauté garlic over medium heat. Add sausage and brown.
2. Once brown, add frozen peas and simmer for 5 minutes.

3.  In the meantime, bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. 
4. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain. 

5. Slowly add heavy cream and butter to sausage skillet; bring to a slight boil. 
6. Cook for 5 minutes. 
7. Toss with cooked pasta and top with Parmesan cheese. 

December 6 - Fettuccine Carbonara

Food funk be damned! I'm sick of feeling blah, so I'm breaking out of it and forcing an upswing in my mood. For ages I've found cooking to be comforting and a great stress-relief, so what better way to beat the blues than by going back to preparing real meals?

I have a pretty exciting list of meals that I grocery shopped for, so there were a bunch I could have made that sounded good (spicy Mongolian beef, Valerie's chicken, jambalaya). I also had a recipe for fettuccine carbonara and all the fixins, so what the hell? It felt like a pasta night anyways.

It turned out so incredibly well, the boy loved it (it had bacon, how could he not?), Linds ate two bowls (alright!), and Luke even took a bite or two before collapsing into hysteria (overtired and ready for bed). I loved it, too, so a hit all around. This was the *perfect* way to get back into the swing of things.

Fettuccine Carbonara
Ingredients
5 teaspoons olive oil
4 shallots, diced
1 large onion, cut into thin strips
1 pound bacon, cut into strips
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 (16 ounce) package fettuccini pasta
3 egg yolks
1 cup heavy cream
3/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Heat olive oil in a large heavy saucepan over medium heat. Sauté shallots until softened. Stir in onion and bacon, and cook until bacon is evenly browned. Drain grease and then stir in garlic when bacon is about half done. Remove from heat.
2. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente. Drain pasta, then return it to the pot.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together egg yolks, cream, and shredded Parmesan. Pour the bacon mixture over the pasta, then stir in the cream mixture. Season with salt and pepper.

October 20 - Rigatoni w/ sausage and peas

I'm actually glad that the photo uploader was down on Blogger yesterday because my review would have been a lot different! I made this dinner and *loved* it last night - it was quick and delicious (albeit high in calories); I reheated it for lunch and it did not reheat well. It lost the alfredo-ish texture of the sauce and was pretty much dripping with oil...not at all like the night before. So if you do decide to make it (and I highly recommend you do!), eat it all in one sitting.

Rigatoni w/ Sausage & Peas
Ingredients
1 16-ounce box rigatoni pasta
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1 pound ground sausage
2 cups frozen green peas
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
4 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

1. In a large skillet, heat oil and sauté garlic over medium heat. Add sausage and brown.
2. Once brown, add frozen peas and simmer for 5 minutes.

3.  In the meantime, bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. 
4. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain. 

5. Slowly add heavy cream and butter to sausage skillet; bring to a slight boil. 
6. Cook for 5 minutes. 
7. Toss with cooked pasta and top with Parmesan cheese. 

The whole process should take just about half an hour. The estimated calories per serving is 611 (and this is an 8-serving dish). You can probably make some substitutions to get that number down (anything from cutting back on the amount of sausage to substituting ingredients in the sauce). The end result, however, is tasty...so try it on a splurge night (if you are food obsessed like me and count calories/fat/etc.!)

One of my favorite quick meals!

There are some nights where you just do NOT feel like cooking! Last Wednesday (two Wednesdays back?) was definitely one of those. It was cold and rainy that day and felt like a grilled cheese and tomato soup kind of dinner. I didn't have bread (this was right around the time I desperately needed to shop), so I ran to the store and picked up some croissants, smoked ham and Heidi Ann Swiss cheese (my absolute FAVORITE cheese ever) and made a can of Campbell's. It totally worked - quick, easy and tasted delicious :)

Beer Glazed Ham

I made this a couple of weeks ago and completely forgot to follow up with it on my blog. It was so, so delicious and *everyone* in the family scarfed it down. And for some bizarre reason, Linds kept calling the ham, "bacon"...right animal, wrong part?!

I copped out and made some boxed au gratin potatoes with it (they were super, super cheap and made for a good side on a night where I need something quick to make),and the rest of the green beans from Vollmecke Farms (an organic CSA right here in Coatesville!).

The glaze is easy to make and is probably my favorite way to eat ham...it's a little sweet (and for a sweet tooth like me, that perfect), but not too overbearing. I've made this for some of the mamas, too, after they've had babies and it's a big hit since it's something beside the same-old casserole and no more difficult to make.

Beer Glazed Ham
Ingredients
1 boneless fully cooked ham (3 lbs.) 
1 can beer
1 cup packed brown sugar  
2 T balsamic vinegar
2 tsp ground mustard

Directions

1. Place ham on a rack in a shallow roasting pan (I didn't have a rack, so I rolled up some foil to keep the ham from sitting right in the pan). Score the surface of the ham, making diamond shapes ½ inch deep. 
2. Set aside 2 T beer. Pour remaining beer over ham. 
3. Bake, uncovered at 350 for 1 hour. 
4. In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, vinegar, mustard and reserved beer; spread over ham.
5. Bake 40-45 minutes longer or until a meat thermometer reads 140, basting occasionally.

September 26 - BFD

Today was a BFD - and, yes, in more ways than one! We spent the morning shopping around for home improvement stuff, bought a new TV for the basement, picked out the paint color and (most likely) the actual bar we're going to put in our remodeled dining room (it's turning into a swanky wine bar, complete with a black jack table), and managed to do all of that with only a few minor melt-downs (and I'm not mentioning ANY names of who was and was not melting down). Accomplishing that, with two kiddos in tow, early on a Sunday morning is a big f***ing deal.

The other BFD? Breakfast for dinner, of course! Since the boy isn't a big pancake/waffle person, I decided to "meat up" this dinner with bacon and sausage, did a side of cheesy hashbrowns, made some scrambled eggs, and had donut holes for dessert (they were leftover after being used this morning as a bribery tool). You can't go wrong with BFD, and although Luke refused to eat anything but bacon, it was a hit.

September 16 - Baked Ziti

Our MOMS Club has been growing exponentially lately - not just with new members, but with so many new babies! We have this program called "Helping Hands" so that when one of the mamas has a new baby, she can sign up for meal delivery. This is such a huge success that after I had Luke, I had 6 weeks of meals coming in 3 days a week. And all of them were big enough for leftovers on the off-days. It's so amazing how this group of women comes together to lend support to each other - and I'm grateful to not only be a recipient of their efforts, but also a participant!

My good friend, Jody (a fellow Munchin Mama), just had her second little girl, so I signed up to bring her dinner. Her family loves pasta, so even though I try not to make it (such an easy, go-to meal...I like to try to give something that others won't bring, too), I decided to go with the baked ziti staple.

I've posted this recipe a thousand times, I'm sure, but honestly, it's so easy and delicious, I'll post it again. It came from my mother-in-law...and even though I love to alter recipes to my taste, I've never had to touch this one. It's just perfect as is! I usually serve it up with salad and garlic crescent rolls (or some other bread).

Baked Ziti
Ingredients
1 lb ziti noodles
1 lb ground sausage
1/2 lb ground beef
3 cups mozzarella cheese
3 cups marinara/spaghetti sauce
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 F.
2. Cook ziti in boiling water; drain.
3. Brown meats; drain off fat.
4. In a large baking dish, layer ziti, meat, cheese and sauce; repeat until everything has been used.
5. Top with Parmesan cheese.
6. Bake about 30 - 40 minutes until bubbly.

Yeesh...another gap in recipes

So it's been quite awhile since I've updated...again... It's been a ridiculously busy past week or two! My BFF is in town, so we've been squeezing as much time in together as possible until she returns to Florida. We went out for drinks at Firecreek and saw Eclipse last week, then we attended our 10 year high school reunion, made a trip out to Dutch Wonderland, and had an "Under the Sea" party at her parents' house, complete with decorations and a BBQ with her family and mine. It's been a blast!

I've also been trying to use up all of our leftovers and frozen stuff, so I haven't been cooking all that much lately. I did make some Wacky Mac pasta with steamed broccoli and alfredo sauce when my friend Christy and her son Logan came to visit earlier this week, and used some maple apple sausage we had from our big freezer pack purchase to make a kick ass breakfast burrito another night.

I'm going to post the recipe I used for the burritos...they were scrumptious and the boy and Linds loved them. Luke wasn't thrilled, but he threw his hot dog off the plate, too, so I guess he wasn't too hungry?


Maple Sausage Breakfast Burritos
Ingredients
10 (10-inch) flour tortillas
1 pound maple sausage
1/2 cup diced green pepper
1/4 cup thinly sliced onion
8 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup light cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup grated Monterey Jack cheese
Salsa and sour cream to taste

Directions

1. Wrap tortillas in foil and place in 300 degree F oven to warm.
2. Crumble and cook sausage, onion and peppers in skillet over medium heat until browned. Pour in beaten eggs and onion and continue to cook. (I cooked the peppers and onion separately since I knew Linds wouldn't care for them.)
3. In a separate bowl, combine cream cheese and Monterey Jack cheese.
4. On each tortilla, spread a thin layer of cheese mixture. Top with sausage and peppers mixture. Roll up and serve with salsa.