Long Boy "Burgers" When I saw this recipe in Cook's Country, I knew this would be a home run with Ryan. Meatloaf and burgers are some of Ryan's favorite foods and since I don't make either very often they have risen to special treat status. While I was a bit hesitant about this dish (since I don't particularly like meatloaf or burgers), I was pleasantly surprised in the end. I preferred BBQ sauce to the extra ketchup and the zing of some jalapenos, but Ryan was happy with these "burgers" just the way they were. This recipe said it originally made four burgers, but that seems impossible to me. Would I make this again? Long Boy "Burgers" Ingredients: 2-4 (6-inch) sub rolls, split in half lengthwise 1 1/4 cup cornflakes, crushed 1/2 small onion, minced 1/2 cup whole or lowfat milk 6 tablespoons ketchup, separated 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce 1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder 1 large egg, lightly beaten Salt and pepper 1 1/2 pounds 90% lean ground beef 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
Slow Cooker Chicken Caesar Sandwiches For some reason, during this pregnancy half the food I crave is really bad for me. The other half is really, really bad for me. For example, my husband bought one of those huge bags of chocolate at Costco for his seminary students. You know those big bags of assorted miniature candy bars that they sell around Halloween. I, of course, found his hiding spot and snuck a treat for myself and the kids every once in while. Oops. So after a slight reprimanding by my husband on self control, rebutted by me explaining that “chocolate makes me happy and doesn’t he want me to be happy? I don’t know what it is about Costco but I seem to be a magnet there for unnecessary comments. Well this time as I was checking out, I was immediately stopped by the checker as she said, “Whoa…don’t lift any of that. “Nope.” I didn’t have the heart to tell her that I actually am a lot smaller this pregnancy than any of my other pregnancies. “Are you sure?” Oh man, Do I really have to answer that? Ingredients Notes
Pork Tenderloin with Pan Sauce This recipe is not new to the blog. I posted it about 2 years ago but it definitely warrants a re-post and an updated picture. This is my "go-to" pork tenderloin recipe. It's pretty foolproof and sure to be a hit with all-ENJOY! I'm pretty happy with the time change from last week. I served this up with some roasted "teeny-tiny" baby potatoes and my daughter's favorite veggie, brussel sprouts! Ingredients: 1⁄2 cups olive oil 1⁄3 cup soy sauce 1⁄4 cup red wine vinegar Juice of 1 lemon 1-2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce 1-2 tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped 2 tsp dry mustard Freshly cracked black pepper, to taste 4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced 1 1-lb. pork tenderloin (silver skin removed) Directions: Combine all marinade ingredients and reserve 2-3 Tbsp. Pan Sauce: Pan scrapings from pork tenderloin 1/2 cup of chicken broth 2-3 tbsp of pork marinade (thoroughly mixed) 1-2 tsp butter Meanwhile, place the skillet back on the stove over medium heat. Source: Adapted from For The Love of Cooking
Mexican Dorito Casserole I'm not even gonna pretend that this anything but what I call "Trash Food." Every once in a while trash food is the best kind of food, comforting and totally delicious. Mexican Dorito Casserole Serves about 6 Ingredients 2 c. shredded cooked chicken1 c. shredded cheese (or more if you are a cheese hound)1 can cream of chicken soup1/2 cup milk1/2 cup sour cream1 can Ro-tel tomatoes (canned tomatoes with jalepenos-mild)1/2 packet taco seasoning (or more- to taste)Bag of doritos DirectionsPre-heat oven to 350-f degrees.In a mixing bowl, combine all ingredients except doritos.In a greased 2 qt baking dish, put a layer of crushed doritos (about 2 cups), then a layer of the chicken mixture.
The Finger Test to Check the Doneness of Meat Print Photography Credit: Elise Bauer There are two basic methods to test for how done your meat is while you are cooking it—use a meat thermometer, or press on the meat with your fingertips. The problem with the meat thermometer approach is that when you poke a hole into the meat with a thermometer, it can let juices escape, juices that you would rather have stay in the meat. For this reason, most experienced cooks rely on a “finger test” method, especially on steaks (whole roasts are better tested with a thermometer). My mother has been trying to get me to test meat with my fingertips for years, and for years, being somewhat of a scaredy cat (won’t it burn my fingers?) Then my friend David showed me up. Now the point of this story is not to embarrass David (though that would be fun, if it were even possible) but to encourage you, if like me, you’ve been shying away from trying this approach. This is one of those things that gets easier with practice. MethodHide Photos Hello!
Drunken Pork Chops - absolutely scrumptious! I had an epiphany the other day. I am like the ying to Pioneer Woman's yang. She grew up on a golf course and was a total foodie. She then got married and moved to a ranch in the middle of nowhere. She had to learn to make hearty, down-home food and incorporate some of her former foodie style now and then. I grew up on a ranch in the middle of nowhere, eating and cooking down home, hearty food. This meal from my friend Melissa is a total nod to the down home, hearty food of my youth. Super easy and super flavorful....don't wait to try this gem! Seriously Scrumptious Drunken Pork Chops5-6 pork chops- bone-in or boneless, your choiceSalt and pepper to taste1 bottle of beer (The darker beer the better. This recipe was linked up at: Mommy's Kitchen Sunday Potluck!
{meeeeeeeeeaaaat} How To Cook Steaks On Your Stovetop That Taste Better Than in a Fancy Restaurant | off the (meat)hook Is there anything more satisfying than a perfectly seasoned steak cooked to your exact liking? For a meat-lover like me, there is not. Unfortunately it can be hard to get that steakhouse taste at home, unless you know a couple of culinary secrets. Here is my tried and true method for cooking steaks. Once you start making them this way, you will never go back to your old habits! 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. If you liked this post, you may also enjoy… Revolutionary Mac & Cheese I found this recipe long ago and can’t believe I’m just now making it. The neat thing about this recipe, is you simmer the noodles in the milk instead of using water then adding it at the end. It’s cheesy and the mustard gives it a nice depth of flavor. Revolutionary Mac & CheeseSource: Cate’s World Kitchen adapted from White on Rice Ingredients: 2 cups dried pasta 2 1/2 cups skim milk** 1 cup loosely packed cheddar cheese, shredded by hand 1 tsp salt 1/4 tsp dijon mustard, can omit and substitute nutmeg instead (for either, start with a little and add more to taste) 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper (optional) Directions: In a small saucepan, add pasta and milk. Turn heat off, add cheese & salt & and stir to combine. If you would like to bake it at this point, place in a baking dish and top with a generous sprinkling of cheese. As a side dish this makes enough for 4 people with no leftovers (can easily be doubled). *Also, I’ve found that mac & cheese can depend greatly on your personal preference.
Cauliflower Crust Pizza A co-worker of mine is currently on a special diet and has been experimenting with several low-carb dishes. One day a few weeks ago, she dropped by my office to tell me about a recipe she’d found – pizza crust made of cauliflower! Yes, it sounded a little strange, but I was definitely intrigued. She offered to bring a piece to the office the next day for me to sample and even day-old and reheated, it was really good! My husband is a pizza fanatic, so this new discovery was particularly exciting. With a hefty dose of veggies, I feel good about eating it myself and feeding it to him, which means he can get his pizza fix a lot more often now. I’m not going to lie and say it’s just like eating a flour pizza crust because it’s not. I’m interested to see what some of you think, so please, if you give it a go, come back and leave a comment! Ingredients: 1 cup cooked, riced cauliflower 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese 1 egg, beaten 1 tsp dried oregano 1/2 tsp crushed garlic 1/2 tsp garlic salt Enjoy!
Baked Spaghetti « Kids in the Sink by Heather and Melissa on March 19, 2012 Baked Spaghetti is something that we learned about from a dear friend whose children we both used to work with. What started out as a job for the two of us, over the years, became a second home. It’s even where we met! We both have Bachelors degrees in Psychology and we answered a newspaper ad to work with children with Autism. So, baked spaghetti is super easy and you can suit it to your tastes. Back to the spaghetti. If you’re having a lazy day and want a dinner that is fast and delicious and a little different than your typical spaghetti dinner, this is for you. -Heather and Melissa Baked Spaghetti Ingredients: 1- 1 ½ cups your favorite spaghetti sauce (recipe of the one we used below) 2 cups cheese, divided (we’ve used mozzarella and we’ve done a mixture of mozzarella and cheddar; use what you like) 1 package of spaghetti noodles Directions: For the sauce: Source: Baked spaghetti from a family friend, sauce from A Couple Cooks Like this:
Mexican Tortilla Pizza Taco Bell is my absolute favorite fast food place in the world. Oh stop, don’t judge me for it. It's a chain I have loved since the age of 14 and the older I got my affinity towards TB only grew stronger. My most favorite items are the Bean Burrito, 7-Layer Burrito, and Mexican Pizza with Beans! Since I do watch what I eat most of the time, I can't afford to eat Taco Bell as often as I'd like to, however I am capable of replicating some of their delicious dishes at home. Recently I whipped up their Mexican Pizza with Beans which resulted in a crispy outer shell by baking the tortilla. NUTRITION: Whole Wheat Tortillas are a great source of Protein and Fiber. INGREDIENTS (makes 4 pizzas): 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. My cousin, Ajay, has yelled at me many times for this – WHATEVA! TELL ME: What's your favorite Mexican Restaurant and how are you celebrating Cinco De Mayo this year?