Cheese Burger Biscuit Skillet

Okay, so granted this one came off the top of my head, but it sure turned out good!  Was trying to think of something different to do with ground beef one night and Poof!  

Cheese Burger Biscuit Skillet

1 can Grands biscuits, cut into small bite-sized pieces
(half for bottom and half for top)

2 lb. ground beef (lean)
1/2 white onion, finely diced
1/2 can Progresso Tomato Basil Soup
1 tsp. ground pepper
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. Italian Seasonings
1 cup Velveeta cheese cut into chunks
1 bell pepper, finely diced
1 green onion, finely diced
cooking spray

Brown ground beef, onion, bell pepper and green onion in a skillet until ground beef is done. Remove and drain off grease.  Put back into skillet on reduced heat and add pepper, salt, Italian Seasonings and soup.  Mix well and heat to warm.  

In a cast ironed skillet sprayed with cooking spray, spread out 1/2 of the Grands biscuit pieces.  Ladle the ground beef mixture on top and then top with the Velveeta chunks.  Place the rest of the biscuit chunks around the top and bake in a 375 degree oven for approximately 20 minutes, or until the biscuits are browned on top.

Serve and Enjoy!

Steak Pie

Who doesn't love a big slice of pizza?  Well, this actually is similar to pizza but it is thicker and cheesier and I call it my Steak Pie.

Steak Pie

1 pizza dough (see recipe from 11/30/2015)
1 large piece of leftover steak, cut into thin short strips
1 Tbsp. butter
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
2 cups shredded mild cheddar cheese
4 Tbsp. Parmesan Cheese
1/2 cup sliced mushrooms
1/4 cup pureed tomatoes (3 to 4 Roma tomatoes) or 1 can of pizza sauce
1/2 onion, sliced into thin slices
2 green onions, finely chopped
1 small bell pepper, sliced into slices
1 Tbsp. Italian Seasonings
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. ground pepper
1 tsp. Basil


I use my cast-ironed skillet to make this pie.  Spray pan with cooking spray and press pizza dough into the pan and up the sides.  In a skillet, add butter, steak pieces, onions, and bell pepper.  Saute' just until steak is hot and onions are starting to become translucent.  Add the mushrooms, tomatoes (or sauce), and seasonings.  Bring to a simmer and remove from heat.  Sprinkle the pizza dough with Parmesan cheese and ladle the sauce mixture on top.  Add cheddar cheese first and then top with all of the mozzarella cheese.

Bake in a 400 degree oven for about 15 to 18 minutes or until sides of crust are browned an cheese is bubbly.

Enjoy!

Creamy Shrimp

This version of Shrimp Scampi is creamy and delicious.  Actually it was made by accident when I added some cream to my shrimp....but it was worth it!

Creamy Shrimp

1 pkg. medium shrimp (the pre-cooked kind that has been de-tailed and de-veined)
1/4 cup evaporated milk
1 Tbsp. sea salt
1 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp. dill
1 tsp. lemon juice
3 Tbsp. real butter

In a deep skillet, melt butter.  Add shrimp, lemon juice, salt, pepper and dill and stir for about 3 minutes.  Immediately add the evaporated milk.  The milk will cook down rather quickly and get thick.  You are ready to serve!  Don't overcook...if the mixture doesn't get thick quickly enough, you can add a bit of a slurry

Slurry:  1/4 cup water + 2 heaping Tbsp. cornstarch.  Drizzle a little bit in at a time until it is the desired consistency

Quick and easy but oh so good!

Taste of Jackson: Jackson Hole, Wyoming

 

   

Jackson Hole's Taste of Jackson

While traveling out West in September, we happened to be in Jackson Hole, Wyoming the same day as the "Taste of Jackson".  The center of the town explodes with food and friendly people.  Local restaurants and establishments put their best foot forward with some of their specialties.

The first two pictures represent a booth that had short ribs over a corn mixture.  It was fantastic.  The meat was so tender, it fell off the bone.

The second set of pictures had mini beef bbq sliders and some of the best carrot cake.  It had just enough icing and was very spice-filled.

We had a great time sampling all of the food.  You purchase a set of tickets and the tickets were submitted at 3 or 4 at a time to sample the foods.  It was fantastic and I would definitely go back!

Jackson Hole is a wonderful little town and we enjoyed our time there!

Creamy Cheesy Crab Soup

While we were on vacation, I had a wonderful crab soup, so of course, I came home and figured out the recipe.  Here is how mine goes:

Creamy Cheese Crab Soup

1 cup finely chopped crab meat
1 can evaporated milk
2 Tbsp. real butter
4 oz cream cheese
1/4 small onion, finely chopped (optional)
3 Tbsp. finely chopped red bell peppers
1 15 oz can chicken broth + 1 can of water
2 small potatoes, peeled and diced
1/4 cup Velveeta cheese chunks
1 Tbsp. salt
1 tsp. ground pepper
1 tsp. basil

Slurry:  1/4 cup water + 2 heaping Tbsp. cornstarch

Melt butter in deep sauce pan and add onions and peppers.  Saute' for a few minutes until onions are translucent.  Add peeled and chopped potatoes, chicken broth, water and boil until potatoes are almost completely done, but not quite.  Reduce heat and do not drain.  Add cream cheese, Velveeta cheese and seasonings and stir until it is all combined.  Once it comes back up to heat, quickly stir in the Slurry mixture and continue to stir gently until it starts to thicken.  

Serve with oyster crackers.  Enjoy!

Best BBQ Pork I Ever Had!

A look back to September while we were on vacation.  We stopped at a little restaurant in Hill City, South Dakota called Mac's Grub.  I was unsure what to order since the previous two nights had resulted in some really bad food in the little town, unfortunately.

But this little Bar and Grill/Restaurant had one of the best BBQ pork I had ever had.  I have to say, it was probably better than anything I have made using Pork (so far).   But, this is one I have to duplicate.  Mac's is on the right side just as you turn to go downtown.  It sits on the corner and is well worth a visit!  The waitress was friendly and I loved the food!

The meat was fall-off-the-bone tender.  So, if you ever pass through Hill City South Dakota, definitely try the little bar and grill on the right hand corner just before you head into town. 

Easy Sour Cream Biscuits

Hubby and I ran into an old friend of his the other day.  Somehow we got to talking about cooking and he shared this biscuit recipe with us.  Now, everyone knows I have always struggled with making good biscuits from scratch.  These are one of the easiest recipes I have ever used and yes, Kaitlyn, Grandma actually made biscuits from scratch that TASTE GOOD!    Give this recipe a try!

Easy Sour Cream Biscuits

2 cups self-rising flour
2/3 cup sour cream
2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1/4 tsp. baking soda

Mix well and knead 2 or 3 times.  Cut out the biscuits with a biscuit cutter and place in an oven-proof pan.  Spray the tops of the biscuits with a buttery cooking spray.  Bake at 425 degrees for about 12 to 15 minutes or until golden brown.  When the biscuits are done, butter the tops.

Personally, I think the next time I make them I will cut some cold butter into the biscuit batter and see if that makes a difference.  

Yum Yum!  Enjoy!

BBQ Chicken Sliders

So, yesterday we baked a whole chicken.  Today we are going to take some of that chicken meat and make BBQ Chicken Sliders.  Believe me, your kids and your hubby will love these.... 

BBQ Chicken Sliders

1 pkg. Hawaiian Bread - Mini Buns
2 cups chicken meat
1/4 cup catsup
4 Tbsp. brown sugar
1 Tbsp. white vinegar
4 Tbsp. water (if necessary)
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
Provolone cheese (or your favorite)
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. ground pepper
1 - 2 dashes of hot sauce (optional)
Shred chicken using your fingers and place into a deep skillet or saute' pan.  Add catsup, brown sugar, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce (if desired) and seasonings.  Stir well to combine.  If it appears too thick, add a little water at a time.  Mixture should be thick but not gooey thick. 

Separate the Hawaiian Bread buns and add about 3 to 4 heaping Tbsp. of the chicken mixture to each bun. Add a small slice of the provolone cheese, (you can heat the buns slightly if you want to melt the cheese, but it isn't necessary). 

Serve and Enjoy!

Perfect Baked Chicken

  

On occasion I will bake a whole chicken and then, since it is just my husband and myself, we will eat on it all during the week.  It took me several years to be able to bake a perfect chicken.  This recipe will surely become one of your favorites!


Perfect Baked Chicken

1 whole chicken, skin on
1 cup real butter, softened to room temperature
1 Tbsp. sea salt
1 Tbsp. ground pepper
1 tsp. basil
2 Tbsp. Badia Seasoning 

Remove bag from chicken and place in a roasting pan with deep sides.  Using your hands, rub the entire chicken, both sides, with the butter and place about 1 Tbsp. inside.  Put the remainder of the butter into the pan.  Yes, it sounds like a lot of butter, but your chicken will be juicy and delicious.

In a bowl or cup, mix sea salt, ground pepper, basil and Badia Seasoning.  The Badia Seasoning is what makes this so good.  You can buy it at Aldi or Big Lots, lots of places.  Sprinkle the seasoning all over the chicken, on both sides. 

Bake at 375 degrees for 2 hours.  Every 30 minutes, using tongs, turn the chicken so that it bakes evenly.  Your chicken will be golden and delicious!

Enjoy!

Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

With winter quickly approaching, this is one soup you will want to have on hand.  It can be made quickly in a pinch, or you can put it in the crockpot and cook it slowly.  You will love this one.

Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 box of Uncle Ben's Wild Rice
1 tsp. ground pepper
1 tsp. salt
1 can of cream of mushroom soup
2 Tbsp. butter

In a large stock pot, chop up the chicken breasts and saute' them in the 2 Tbsp. of butter until done.    Add 1 box of Uncle Ben's Wild Rice, the can of cream of mushroom soup + 1 can of water, and seasonings. 

Stove top:  Boil on medium heat for approximately 40 minutes, or until rice is tender and done.  Stir often to prevent sticking.  You can add more water if rice isn't done, and it becomes too thick.

Crockpot:  Place all ingredients into the crockpot, (make sure you have sautee'd the chicken first) and turn on low.  Cook for about 3 hours, stirring often.  As above, add water if necessary and continue to cook until rice is done.

Enjoy!

Crockpot Goulash!

This meal is cooked completely in the crockpot.  It not only saves time, but is delicious!

Crockpot Goulash!

1 lb. lean ground beef
1 cup macaroni - uncooked
1 can petite diced tomatoes
1 can beef broth
1/2 small onion, finely chopped
1 bell pepper, finely chopped
1 cup sour cream
1 cup chunks of Velveeta cheese
1 Tbsp. salt
1 Tbsp. ground pepper
1 tsp. Basil

Place ground beef, onion and bell pepper in the crockpot.  Cook on high for 1 to 2 hours, or until ground beef is cooked through.  Open periodically to break up the ground beef.  Add remainder of ingredients and cover.  Cook for approximately 2 hours until all is combined and the mixture has started to thicken.  Check about every hour to stir.

Enjoy!