Who doesn't love Mac and Cheese....and a good steak. Well combining left over steak with a creamy homemade Mac and Cheese may be the perfect food...maybe! Give this one a try
Steak Mac and Cheese
1 left over Ribeye or small T-bone steak
2 cups uncooked macaroni
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1 Tbsp. salt + 1 tsp.
1 Tbsp. ground pepper
2 Tbsp. real butter
1/4 cup evaporated milk (more or less)
Cut a leftover steak into very small cubes (1/2" square). Set aside. In a stock pot, bring 2 quarts of water to a boil. Add 1 tsp. of salt to the water and then add the macaroni. Boil until macaroni is tender (about 6 to 8 minutes). Drain off the water and add back into the pot over low/medium heat with 2 Tbsp. real butter, 1/4 cup evaporated milk, 1 Tbsp. salt and 1 Tbsp. pepper. Stir well. Make sure that the macaroni is creamy enough so that when you add the cheese it doesn't clump all up. More evaporated milk can be added if necessary. Add the mozzarella cheese (I recommend a good cheese and not processed cheese food). Stir well to mix. As soon as all of the cheese is melted, remove from heat and serve.
Enjoy!
These are so easy and tasty. Another way to make potatoes that is a take on fried potatoes.
Muffin Baked Potatoes
1 deep dish muffin/cupcake pan
2 large potatoes, sliced into thin, round slices (like fried potatoes)
1/2 stick real butter
1 Tbsp. sea salt
1 Tbsp. ground pepper
1 cup cheddar cheese
Cooking Spray
Spray pan with cooking spray so that bottoms and sides of each cupcake slot are covered. Peel and slice 2 large potatoes into thin rounds. Start at the bottom and layer potato - 1 Tbsp. of cheese - potato - 1 Tbsp. of cheese until you are almost to the top of each section. Melt butter and add salt and pepper. Mix well and pour about 2 Tbsp. of butter over each potato cup.
Bake at 375 degrees for approximately 45 minutes to 1 hour. They will be crispy on top, yet the potatoes will be tender and cheesy. These are great!
Enjoy!
This recipe is great because you can make the entire dish in the crockpot. One pot meals are fabulous when you have a busy day or a large group to feed. And, who doesn't love spaghetti!
Crockpot Baked Spaghetti
1 lb. ground chuck (very lean)
1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
1 diced bell pepper - finely chopped
1/2 small white onion - finely chopped
2 Tbsp. sugar
1 Tbsp. salt
1 Tbsp. ground pepper
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 Tbsp. oregano
1 Tbsp. basil
1 Tbsp. ketchup
Enough spaghetti to feed 6 people (about a 2" round)
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (or mozzarella)
Place ground beef in crockpot and add crushed tomatoes. Dice onion and peppers and add it to the crockpot, Add in the sugar, salt, pepper, oregano, basil, garlic powder and ketchup. Cover and allow to cook for two hours. Open occasionally and stir to make sure the hamburger is getting broken up. Add uncooked spaghetti, cover and cook an additional 30 to 40 minutes (or until spaghetti is tender).
Top with shredded cheese. Recover and allow cheese to melt for about 5 minutes. Serve with toasted garlic bread.
Enjoy!
Garlic bread goes along with so many things: spaghetti, pizza, Italian dishes, etc. This recipe is easy to make and the parmesan crisps up around the edges making it even tastier!
Garlic Parmesan Breadsticks
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
3 Tbsp. baking powder
1 tsp. sea salt
3/4 cup water
2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 cup melted real butter
1/2 cup parmesan cheese (the real stuff, not the sprinkle stuff)
Mix flour, baking powder, garlic powder and salt. Mix egg, water and vegetable oil in a separate bowl. Mix together until a soft dough forms. Dough should be soft, but you don't want it to be sticky. Turn out onto a floured surface and gently knead the dough for 5 to 6 minutes. Using a pizza cutter, cut the dough into sticks. Twist them as you lay them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Brush tops with melted butter and sprinkle tops with the parmesan cheese.
Place in a preheated 375 degree oven for 18 to 22 minutes or until breadsticks get golden brown on top. Remove to a cooling rack and brush with more butter.
Enjoy!
These are very easy and really good brownies. I like to add walnuts to mine, but you can leave them out if you don't like nuts. Also, you can use a chocolate cake mix for more of a Chocolate/Peanut Butter Brownie.
Easy Peanut Butter Blondies
1 yellow cake mix
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup peanut butter (crunchy or creamy)
1 tsp. vanilla (I use hazelnut flavoring)
2 eggs
1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)
Beat all of the ingredients above together and pour into a 9x13" pan sprayed with cooking spray. Bake at 350 degrees for about 35 to 40 minutes (or until brownies are browned on top).
Remove and cool for about 20 minutes.
Frosting: Mix 1 cup of powdered sugar, 1 tsp. vanilla and about 3 Tbsp. of water. Beat well and drizzle over warm brownies. Cut into squares and serve.
Yum Yum! Enjoy!
The other night I really really really wanted some pizza rolls, but we didn't have any. Darn...well I got up at like 9:00 pm and made these little critters and mmm mmm were they good! They just oozed cheese! Try them... you'll love em!
Mozzarella Crescent Bombs
1 pkg Pillsbury Crescent Rolls
Mozzarella cheese cut into about 3/4" chunks
Real butter, melted
1 tsp. garlic salt
Cooking spray
Spray a cookie sheet with cooking spray. Open and roll out the crescent rolls. Press two triangles together to form a rectangle (making sure the seam is closed). Cut the rectangle into 6 squares. Place the squares on the cookie sheet. Melt butter and garlic seasoning together. Place a piece of mozzarella cheese in each square and bring the edges over. Seal and then using your hands, roll into a ball (or you can leave them a rectangle if you wish). Place back on the cookie sheet and brush tops with the melted butter/garlic salt.
Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for about 12 to 15 minutes or just until they are a golden brown. I promise you, these are delicious!
Enjoy!
I made these this past weekend for 3 of my grandbabies and they loved them. As far as that is concerned, so did my husband...
Chocolate Silver Dollar Pancakes
2 cups pancake mix - mixed to directions on box
2 Tbsp. Hershey's Chocolate Syrup
1/2 stick real butter (more or less)
Syrup
Mix pancake mix according to box directions and add 2 Tbsp. of Hershey's chocolate syrup to the mix. Butter a flat griddle and add about 2 Tbsp. pancake batter for each pancake. Cook about 2 minutes per side and flip. Brown on the other side and remove to a plate.
Drizzle more Hershey's chocolate over top and top with syrup. Serve!
These are really cute also to use cookie cutters and make into fun shapes for the kids!
Enjoy!
Growing up, my mom made macaroni and tomatoes often. This twist on the old recipe adds smoked sausage and fresh tomatoes instead of canned.
Macaroni, Tomatoes and Smoked Sausage
2 cups uncooked macaroni
1 long link of smoked sausage (I use beef)
8 yellow pear shaped tomatoes (from my garden)
1 medium tomato
2 Tbsp. real butter
1/4 cup evaporated milk
1 tsp. sugar
1 Tbsp. salt + 1 pinch of salt
1 tsp. oregano
1 Tbsp. ground pepper
In a deep pot, boil macaroni in water and a pinch of salt. Cook until just under done. Drain. Add the macaroni back into the pot. Cut pear tomatoes into small pieces and cut the medium tomato into chunks. Pulse a couple of times in the food processor and then add to the pot. Add butter, evaporated milk, sugar, oregano salt and pepper. Slice smoked sausage into small rounds and add to the pot Stir well and cook for another 10 to 12 minutes, stirring occasionally. Serve
Enjoy!
I love to bake cookies. The house smells so good. I baked these last night and my husband walked in and said "mmmm cookies!" Nothing like it!
Chocolate & Butterscotch Chip Cookies with Walnuts
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
2 eggs
2 cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cup butterscotch chips
1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
Mix dry ingredients: flour, baking soda and salt. Add sugars. Measure vegetable oil and beat 2 eggs into the oil. Add to the dry ingredients and mix well. Stir in the chocolate and butterscotch chips and walnuts if you desire.
Bake at 325 degrees until browned on top. Bottoms will be crispy and tops will be chewy! The perfect cookie.
Enjoy!
Crepes are really easy once you get your batter just right and get the hang of it. They are a nice twist on pancakes and can be made so many ways. This is one of my favorites.
Apricot & Bacon Crepes
1/2 c. all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp. sugar
1 Tbsp. Apricot Jelly
2 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled (can substitute turkey bacon)
3/4 c. whole milk
2 large eggs
1 12 Tbsp. melted butter
Cooking Spray
In a blender or food processor, add flour, sugar, milk, apricot jelly, eggs and melted butter. Pulse until it is smooth and very thin. Precook 2 slices of bacon and chop into tiny pieces Add to the batter and stir well.
Heat a medium skillet until hot and spray with cooking spray. Pour just enough batter (which will be very thin) into the center of the pay and swirl it around the pan until it covers the edges (about 2 heaping Tbsp. into the center). Allow to cook for a minute or two on one side and when browned, flip over. Begin rolling up the crepes using a couple of spoons or forks. Gently roll them up and place them on a plate. Continue until all batter is used. Makes about 6 crepes. Top with syrup or powdered sugar!
Enjoy!
These are wonderful as a sandwich, or you can use them as a true "Chicken Fried Steak" and pour some gravy over them.
Flattened Chicken Breasts - for Sandwiches
4 to 6 chicken breast tenders (1/2 a breast)
1 cup Panko bread crumbs
1 cup all purpose flour
1 tsp. ground pepper
1 tsp. sea salt
1 tsp. basil
1/2 can evaporated milk
Oil for frying
Lay chicken tender between two pieces of plastic wrap and pound out with a mallet or other heavy object until the chicken is flattened. Mix Panko, flour, and seasonings in a wide bowl. In a second bowl add the evaporated milk.
Dip the chicken breast into the flour mixture first, then the milk and then back again into the flour. Set aside and repeat until all chicken pieces are coated.
Bring oil up to 375 degrees and drop breaded chicken into the oil. When it browns on one side, turn to brown the second side. Drain on a paper towel.
Serve on bread or with gravy over top.
Enjoy!
Lamb is a rather expensive meat, but I really love the flavor I can get out of it. Last night I visited a local grocery store and they ha 5 packages of Lamb Shanks marked down for quick sale. I'm talking really marked down. They were marked down from $8.00 a package or so to $2.18 per package. What a deal! I bought them all!
Lamb Shanks
4 to 6 lamb shanks
4 Tbsp. Balsamic Vinegar
4 Tbsp. Soy Sauce
2 Tbsp. Worcestershire
1 Tbsp. ground pepper
1 tsp. Thyme
1/2 stick real butter
Melt butter in a deep skillet (one with a lid). Add the lamb shanks and brown quickly on each side. Add the Balsamic Vinegar, Soy Sauce and Worcestershire. Add seasonings and 2 cups of water. Cook, covered, over medium heat for approximately 1 hour, adding water as needed. Water should not cover the lamb shanks, but be enough for them to simmer.
Remove from the drippings and serve with a little bit of the drippings drizzled over top. These were so tender they fell apart!
Enjoy!
My husband's family reunion was last weekend and I wrestled with what to take to the pitch-in. I finally came up with this cake recipe. I must say it went over well, over half of it was eaten! I'm just glad there was some left to take home!
Walnut Praline Bundt Cake
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 cup softened real butter
1 8 oz pkg. brown sugar
1 16 oz pkg whipped cream cheese
4 large eggs
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1 8 oz container sour cream
2 tsp. hazelnut extract (or vanilla)
In a medium saucepan, mix brown sugar and butter, add in whipped cream cheese, sour cream and hazelnut extract. Beat the 4 eggs and slowly add them to the wet ingredients. In a separate bowl, combine flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder and slowly add to the wet ingredients. Mix well and pour into a Bundt pan sprayed with cooking spray. Make sure you spray it well so that it does not stick.
Bake at 325 degrees for approximately 1 hour. Check at 45 minutes to see if it is done. Turn out onto a cooling rack and cook for 30 minutes until it is just warm.
Praline Icing
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup real butter (1 stick)
1/4 cup evaporated milk
1 tsp. hazelnut extract
1 1/2 to 2 cups powdered sugar
Over low heat, melt butter and add brown sugar. Allow to heat until it becomes smooth and creamy (stirring continuously). Remove from heat and pour into a bowl. Add evaporated milk and hazelnut extract. Beat well and then slowly add the powdered sugar, beating until it forms a frosting-like consistency. It should be slightly thin enough to pour over the cake. Drizzle over a barely warm cake.
Enjoy!
