Category: Uncategorized

Cheeseburger and Fries Casserole

Just plain comfort food!

Ingredients:

  • 1 lb ground beef
  • 1/4 tea salt
  • 1/4 tea black pepper
  • 1/4 tea garlic powder
  • 1/2 10 oz can Cream of Mushroom soup
  • 1/2 10 oz can Cheddar Cheese soup
  • thin sliced dill pickles (homemade recipe follows)
  • 1/2 package frozen seasoned french fries (I’ve thought about using frozen onion rings too)
  • 12 slices American cheese

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Season ground beef with salt, pepper, and garlic powder and brown in a skillet until no longer pink; drain. Add the Cream of Mushroom and Cheddar Cheese soups. Stir together until warmed through. Transfer to an 8 x 8 glass baking dish. Layer desired amount of pickles on top of beef mixture, then fries on top of the pickles. Lay a double layer of American cheese to cover the fries. Bake for 30 – 35 minutes until heated through. If you want crispier fries, wait to put the cheese on for the last 5 – 10 minutes. Let sit for 10 minutes before serving.

Dill Pickles

  • 4 – 6 mini cucumbers, sliced thin (about 1/8 inch)*
  • 1/2 cup white vinegar
  • 1 Tbl salt
  • water
  • 1 tea dried dill weed

Put the sliced pickles in a 32 oz mason jar. Add the vinegar and salt. Fill the jare within 1 inch of the top with water. Pour the lizuid from the pickles into a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat. Pour the liquid back over the pickles and add the dill. Stir gently. Let cool completely on the counter, then place the lid on and refrigerate for up to 2 months.

*NOTE: I used the slicing blade on my food processor for my pickles. A mandolin would work well too.

Phyllo-Wrapped Salmon with Steamed Asparagus

I consider this a “light” meal in my household, but I also LOVE real butter. You could certainly eliminate the butter on the asparagus, but don’t skimp on the Phyllo dough.

INGREDIENTS:

  • 8 Tbl butter, melted + 2 Tbl softened
  • 4 (14 x 9 – inch) sheets Phyllo dough, thawed
  • 2 – 6 oz pieces skinless salmon fillet
  • 2 Tbl Dijon mustard
  • salt & pepper
  • 1 lb asparagus
  • 1/4 C dry white wine or water
  • 2 Tbl lemon juice, divided

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Place 1 sheet Phyllo dough on a cutting board and brush with melted butter. (Keep a damp paper towel over remaining sheets to prevent them from drying out.) Repeat with the 3 remaining sheets. Cut prepared sheets in half to make 2 (9 x 7 – inch) rectangles. Lay 1 salmon fillet on the short side of each Phyllo rectangle and brush with 1 tablespoon of Dijon, salt and pepper per fillet. Fold in the right and left side of the Phyllo over salmon and roll up. Place seam side down on a parchment or aluminum foil (sprayed with butter spray) lined baking sheet. Brush generously with melted butter. Bake 12 – 14 minutes until Phyllo is golden brown and salmon is opaque throughout. (13 minutes worked perfect for me) Whisk remaining melted butter with 1 tablespoon lemon juice and 1/4 teaspoon each of salt an pepper. Set aside.

While the salmon is baking, trim asparagus and arrange in a microwave safe dish. Pour wine or water over top and add 1 tablespoon of lemon juice. Dot with 2 tablespoons of softened butter and cover loosely with plastic wrap. Microwave on high for 3 minutes. Let sit covered for 5 minutes.

When salmon is done arrange with steamed asparagus on a serving platter and pour the prepared lemon butter over both.

Marinated Red Potatoes, Green Beans and Mushrooms

A nice alternative to the mayo based potato salad. Perfect for outdoor events.

INGREDIENTS:

  • 8 oz canned whole mushrooms
  • 1 lb fresh green beans
  • 2 lb red skin potatoes
  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil
  • 1/4 cup red wine or balsamic vinegar (I prefer the balsamic)
  • 1 tsp Dijon mustard
  • 1/2 – 1 tea minced garlic
  • 1/2 – 3/4 tsp sugar (start with 1/2 and if the dressing is oily tasting add more)
  • salt & pepper to taste

Prep the potatoes by peeling off any blemishes and cut into 1 – 2 inch chunks. Rinse and add to a large pot of salted COLD water. Set your timer for 20 minutes and put the pot on high heat. Meanwhile, stem and rinse your green beans. Add the green beans to the boiling pot of potatoes when there is 7 – 10 minutes left. (I prefer a bite to my green beans so I go 7 minutes.) While your vegetables are boiling make your dressing. Either whisk in a large bowl or use a blender. A blender will help the dressing emulsify better.

Dressing:

Blend together vinegar, Dijon mustard, garlic and 1/2 teaspoon sugar. Slowly whisk or blend in vegetable oil. Taste to see if it’s too oily and add more sugar if needed. Season to taste with salt and pepper. If using a blender, transfer dressing to a serving bowl.

Drain and add the mushrooms to the dressing. When the timer goes off, drain and add the green beans. Test the potatoes with a fork. They should be just fork tender. You may need 5 – 10 more minutes. When the potatoes are done, drain and add to the mushrooms and green beans while still warm. Toss well, cover, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Mix occasionally.

Dill Tartar Sauce

Dill pickle relish and dill weed gives you a taste a lot like Red Robin’s tartar sauce.

INGREDIENTS:

  • 1/2 cup mayonnaise (not Miracle Whip)
  • 1/4 tea onion juice or 2 Tbl finely minced onion
  • 2 Tbl dill pickle relish
  • 1 Tbl dill pickle juice
  • 1/8-1/4 tea salt
  • 1/8 tea black pepper
  • 1/8 tea celery salt

Whisk all ingredients together and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving.

Dill Pickle Pizza

I know….you are thinking to yourself, “Why would anyone put pickles on a pizza!?”. I was dubious too. My husband brought a pie home from work one night when a colleague swore it was incredible. I tried it and LOVED it! Apparently it is an up and coming pizza in the area he works, but not where we live. Soooo…in my usual fashion I set out to create my own. My husband said it was spot on. Give it a try. You might be surprised.

INGREDIENTS:

Preheat oven to 500 degrees with pizza stone if using. Thaw and proof dough according to package directions and stretch into a round. Mine turned out to be 14-inches.

Top with about 1/2 of the white garlic pizza sauce (more or less depending on you taste.) Sprinkle with 2 cups mozzarella and top with pickles. Sprinkle with your desired amount of dill.

Bake on a preheated pizza stone or sheet pan (greased) for about 10 – 15 minutes. (With my pizza stone, it only took 10 minutes.) Let sit for 5 minutes before slicing.

White Garlic Pizza Sauce

  • 2 Tbl butter
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 3 Tbl flour
  • 1/4 tea ground black pepper
  • 1/4 tea salt
  • 1/4 tea dried oregano
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

Melt butter in a small sauce pan over medium heat. Add garlic and stir until fragrant. Add flour, pepper, salt, and oregano whisking for 1 minute. Slowly add milk, whisking until combined. Continue whisking until desired thickness is reached. Remove from the heat and stir in cheese until smooth.

Dill Pickles

  • 4 – 6 mini cucumbers, sliced thin (about 1/8 inch)*
  • 1/2 cup white vinegar
  • 1 Tbl salt
  • water
  • 1 tea dried dill weed

Put the sliced pickles in a 32 oz mason jar. Add the vinegar and salt. Fill the jare within 1 inch of the top with water. Pour the lizuid from the pickles into a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat. Pour the liquid back over the pickles and add the dill. Stir gently. Let cool completely on the counter, then place the lid on and refrigerate for up to 2 months.

*NOTE: I used the slicing blade on my food processor for my pickles. A mandolin would work well too.

Thai Green Chicken Curry (Gang Keaw Wan Gai)

Thai food is one of my favorites. This dish is one that I modified to the ingredients I enjoy based on a local take-out restaurant near me. I always tell people that you should make a recipe your own. Eliminate or substitute ingredients that pleases your palette. Sometimes it works, sometimes is doesn’t. This one really worked for me.

INGREDIENTS:

  • 3 Tbl butter, divided
  • 1 lb chicken boneless, skinless chicken breasts – baked with olive oil, salt & pepper
  • 1/2 – 1 cup frozen peas
  • 8 oz fresh mushrooms, sliced
  • 13 oz can coconut milk, shaken well (such as Thai Kitchen – NOT light) *I highly recommend a name brand
  • 1 tsp green curry paste (Gang Kiau Wan)
  • 3 Tbl fish sauce
  • 2-3 tea white sugar
  • 3/4 – 1 tea red pepper flakes (less if you like things mild)
  • rice for serving (I like a sticky (sushi) rice because it soaks up the sauce)*

Slice chicken in thin strips. Over medium heat saute’ in 2 Tbl butter until golden brown and remove from pan. In the same pan, saute’ the mushrooms in 1 Tbl butter until golden brown and add to the removed chicken. Also using the same pan, add 5 Tbl coconut milk and bring to a boil. Add curry paste and stir in thoroughly, cooking for 1 minute. Mix in fish sauce, sugar, red pepper flakes, and the rest of the coconut milk. Simmer on low heat for 10 minutes. Add the reserved chicken, mushrooms, and peas. Heat through.

*Note – If you’ve never used coconut milk before, expect some solidified pieces to remain after shaking the can. This will melt down as you simmer the sauce.

Cinnamon Roll Apple “Rose” Tart

I’m on Pinterest several times a day. Constantly searching for new recipes…more saved then I could ever make in a lifetime, but I have options to cook…right? Apple desserts are a big hit with my family, so this one caught my eye. This one turned out great! Check out the video directions at https://tipbuzz.com/cinnamon-roll-apple-rose/

INGREDIENTS:

  • 2 medium red or pink apples (my favorite is Macintosh)
  • 1 – 8 count roll of refrigerated cinnamon rolls with icing
  • 4 Tbl melted butter
  • 4 Tbl brown sugar
  • 2 Tbl lemon juice

  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
  2. Unroll each cinnamon roll and form into a spiral in a greased 9″ pie plate, pressing each end together.
  3. Mix melted butter and brown sugar in a medium sized bowl.
  4. Slice each apple lengthwise and remove the core. If using a mandolin thinly slice each half. If using a knife, cut each half lengthwise and cut into 1/8″ slices.
  5. Place half of the sliced apples into the butter and brown sugar mixture. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon lemon juice, repeat with remaining apples and juice.
  6. Mix well and microwave for 5 minutes or until the slices are pliable. (The mixture will be hot! Let cool enough to handle before creating the “roses”)
  7. When apples are cool enough to handle lay 8 slices in a row and roll into a “rose”.
  8. Place into the center of the spiral.
  9. Continue adding apple slices in between the spaces of the spiral, tightening as needed. Finish with apples around the outside ring. (I overlapped the apples slightly as I was placing them.)
  10. Bake for 20 – 25 minutes until browned.
  11. Thin the icing with a little milk and drizzle over warm tart. Let cool to room temperature before slicing.



Calzone Garlic Knot Pizza

Meatball and Mozzarella calzone sealed with Parmesan garlic knots and nestled next to a thin crust pepperoni pizza.

How could you not love this?! I’m an avid Food Network watcher, and just happened to see hybrid pizza featured at the end of an episode of “The Kitchen”. I thought hmmm….my husband would love this, so I tried to find the recipe. No such thing. Well…I’ll just make it up myself. What a success! The beauty is that you can fill your calzone with any ingredient you want. You can top your pizza with your favorite toppings. The possibilities are endless.

We had zero leftovers!

INGREDIENTS:

  • 1 lb pizza dough at room temperature
  • pizza sauce or marinara (I make my own, but jarred is fine too)
  • 8 oz. Mozzarella or Italian blend shredded cheese
  • calzone filling possibilities: meatballs (homemade or frozen; cooked), pepperoni, mozzarella, ricotta, spinach…..
  • pizza toppings: pepperoni, sausage, ham, bacon, olives, mozzarella…..
  • 1 – 6 oz. can junior sized biscuits
  • 1/3 cup butter, melted
  • 1/2 tea garlic powder
  • 1 tea dried oregano
  • 1 tea dried parsley
  • 1/4 – 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese, grated or shredded

DIRECTIONS:

  1. Preheat oven to 500 degrees.
  2. Lightly oil a large sheet pan or pizza stone. (You’ll either have a rectangular or round pizza depending on which you use.)
  3. Stretch your pizza dough on pan or stone. It should be about 14 – 16 inches. It it shrinks up on you, let it rest for a few minutes and stretch again.
  4. On one side fill about 1/3 of the space with your calzone fillings leaving enough of a border to pull and stretch over them. I used a light amount of sauce over my meatballs. You may prefer no sauce. Pull and stretch your dough over your fillings and press to seal.
  5. Garlic knots: Roll each biscuit into about a 12 inch rope and tie into a knot. Place around the border of your sealed calzone.
  6. Spread your desired amount of sauce on remaining dough (pizza side) and top with desired toppings and cheese.
  7. Mix together melted butter and seasonings. Brush on calzone and knots. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.
  8. Bake for about 15 min, or until cheese is melted and the crust is golden. Let sit for 5 min. before slicing.