Honestly, this is one of the best ways I like to cook pasta. My husband nor I like marinara sauce...(I know all you marinara lovers are saying WHAT???) True..we prefer a white sauce. So, I came up with this wonderful Bolognese that is really fresh and I think you will love it.
Pasta Bolognese
1 lb. lean ground beef
2 small sweet yellow peppers, diced
1/4 green bell pepper, diced
1 heaping Tbsp. Basil Pesto
4 Tbsp. Tomato paste
3 green onions, diced
4 Tbsp. chopped red onion
1 tsp. garlic
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. ground pepper
water as needed
2 - 3 cups wide egg noodle pasta.
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
Brown ground beef with all of the ingredients except the pasta. Boil the pasta in 2 quarts of water with 1 tsp. salt. Bring to a boil and cook until al dente'. Drain all of the water from the pasta. Add to the ground beef mixture and gently stir together to combine. If the mixture is too dry, add a couple Tbsp. of water.
Serve topped with shredded mozzarella cheese and some garlic bread on the side.
Enjoy!
In honor of Cinco de Mayo I made my Guacamole last night... It is always a hit. Easy and tasty! In fact, I won't eat anyone's guacamole except mine!
Best Ever Guacamole
5 to 6 ripe Avocados
1/4 cup diced red onion
4 Roma tomatoes, chopped
1 tsp. lemon juice
1/2 tsp. lime juice
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1 tsp. tobacco sauce (optional)
1/2 tsp. ground pepper
Remove insides of Avocados and place in a food processor. Add remaining ingredients. Pulse just enough to coarse chop. Chill for at least 2 hours and serve. Serve with chips or Pita bread.
HINT: Easy way to cut open an Avocado: Using a sharp knife, cut long ways all the way around the Avocado. Use your hands on each side of the cutting and twist. If the Avocado is ripe enough, it should just twist apart then you can remove the pit with a spoon.
Be sure when you remove the meat from the Avocado that you don't dig down into the dark green. It will be bitter.
Enjoy!
Cold salads are wonderful for picnics and a quick lunch on a hot summer day. With summer coming up, I thought I would share one of my favorites:
Shrimp & Crab Pasta Salad
2 cups small shell pasta, cooked and drained
1 stalk celery, finely diced
1/4 of a small red onion, finely diced (you can substitute any onion)
1 can of chopped crab meat (drained) (can be omitted if you don't like crab)
1 can of tiny shrimp (drained)
1 tsp. dill
1/2 to 3/4 cup real mayonnaise
2 Tbsp. sour cream
1/8 cup evaporated milk (more or less)
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
Pre-cook the pasta in salted water, drain and set aside to cool for about 10 minutes. Dice the celery and red onion, very finely. Open the cans of tiny shrimp and crab meat and drain. Mix all of the ingredients into the pasta and stir well. If it is too thick, add a little more evaporated milk until it is a creamy consistency.
Serve with crackers.
Egg Drop soup is one of my very favorites. It is so simple to make and I always make myself some crispy won-ton noodles to go along.
Egg Drop Soup
2 15.5 oz. cans of Chicken Broth
1 tsp. soy sauce
1/4 tsp. ginger paste
1/4 tsp. basil pesto
1 tsp. pepper
Bring all ingredients to a boil. How simple is that!
Crispy Wonton Noodles
Oil for frying
Garlic Sea Salt (or regular sea salt)
Buy a package of premade Wontons and pull out enough to make a good many noodles. Slice them about 1/4" thick with a knife. Using your fingers, toss them over and over again until all of the layers are separated. Drop noodles a few at a time into hot oil. Test 1 noodle first to make sure it is hot enough. They take just a few seconds to cook. Toss them once and then remove to paper towels. I like to sprinkle mine with Garlic Sea Salt.
Serve the soup and drop some of the Crispy Wontons into the soup.
Enjoy!
These are great little appetizers that you can just make in a crockpot and leave. Your guests can help themselves.
BBQ Cocktail Weenies
2 or 3 pkgs. Beef or regular Smokie Links (I use Echrich)
1 cup. catsup
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. ground pepper
2 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup water
Place all ingredients in a crockpot and heat on high until they are boiling. Cook for 30 minutes. Reduce heat to low and allow to heat until your guests arrive!
These will be a big hit!
Sometimes a good ole hamburger is just what you want. This patty melt, kicks the hamburger up a knotch! You'll love it!
Ground Beef Patty Melt
1 lb. lean ground beef
1 whole small onion, sliced
4 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 Tbsp. ground pepper
1 Tbsp. salt
8 slices Texas Toast
4 Tbsp. real butter
4 Tbsp. real mayonnaise
8 slices Provolone cheese
4 tsp. Basil Pesto
8 slices of cooked bacon.
Shape ground beef into patties. Salt and pepper the patties and place in a pan to fry. Add 1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce to the top of each patty. Flip and cook to desired consistency. Add sliced onions when burgers are almost done. Place onto a paper towel to drain grease.
Use a flat griddle or pan to build the sandwiches. Spread both sides of each slice of bread with butter. Place onto the griddle. Lightly toast one side and then flip. Spread real mayonnaise on 4 pieces of bread then top with 1 slice of the cheese. Top with the bacon and then the burger onto the slices with the mayonnaise. Ladle some of the grilled onions on top of the burger and then top with another slice of cheese and the other piece of bread. Flip again to make sure both sides are done.
Cut in half and serve. Enjoy!
Don't you love cooking with cast iron? I often use my cast ironed skillet to bake a one-pot meal. This is hearty and so good. It combines my cheesy potatoes with some ground beef to make a complete meal.
Cheesy Potato & Ground Beef Casserole
6 medium potatoes, peeled and sliced
1/2 lb. lean ground beef
1/4 small white onion, finely diced
1 Tbsp. basil
1 Tbsp. real butter
3" block of Velveeta cheese
1/4 c. evaporated milk (more or less)
1 Tbsp. salt
1 Tbsp. ground pepper
Melt 1 Tbsp. butter in cast ironed skillet (or baking dish). Peel and slice potatoes. Layer 2 potatoes on the bottom of the pan, in the melted butter. In a skillet, brown the ground beef, onion, salt, pepper and basil. Drain completely and put on top of the 1st layer of potatoes. Layer with the rest of the potatoes. In a small sauce pan, mix the cheese and the evaporated milk. Heat until it is melted and pourable. Pour all of the cheese mixture over the top (evenly).
Bake at 375 degrees for approximately 40 minutes. Top will become brown and bubbly. Test a potato to make sure they are done.
Serve and Enjoy!
These are so great and kids love them because they are easy to handle. Who would think you make these with regular loaf bread!
Easy Apple Roll-Ups
6 to 8 slices of white bread (fresh)
1 can of apple pie filling
1 tsp. melted butter
1 cup powdered sugar
2 to 4 Tbsp. water
Cooking Spray
Set out slices of bread and cut off crusts. Using a rolling pin, roll out the bread until it is flat. Brush with melted butter. Place about 2 Tbsp. apple pie filling on top of bread and butter and roll up. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray and place the rolled up bread with the end part down so that it doesn't come unrolled during baking. Bake at 350 degrees until browned (approximately 12 to 15 minutes).
Meanwhile, beat together powdered sugar and enough water to make it thin enough to drizzle. Drizzle over the top of the apple roll-ups as soon as they come out of the oven.
Serve and Enjoy!
When I made this, my husband thought Hmmmm...but it was good...really good. Try this one, it's easy and delicious!
Chicken & Potato Skillet
4 medium potatoes, peeled and diced small
3 baby carrots, finely diced
2 stalks of celery, finely diced
3 green onions, finely diced
2 Tbsp. salt
2 Tbsp. ground pepper
1 large boneless chicken breast
2 Tbsp. real butter
3 Tbsp. vegetable oil
I use my cast-ironed skillet to make this, but you can use any good skillet that won't stick:
Peel and dice potatoes and chop vegetables. Add oil to the skillet and then add potatoes and vegetables. Saute' until potatoes and veggies are nearly done. Remove from skillet and set aside.
Dice the chicken into small pieces. Add the butter to the skillet and the chicken. Salt and Pepper. Saute' until chicken is done. Readd the vegetables into the skillet and saute' for another few minutes until all is combined.
Serve and Enjoy!
Whether you freeze your corn or you buy your corn, how you season makes it or breaks it. I'm going to give you my freezing corn recipe, but also tell you how to season it when you cook it for the best corn ever!
Fresh Corn
12 to 14 ears of corn
2 Tbsp. sea salt (per bag)
1 cup water (per bag)
1 tsp. sugar
Boil corn for 5 to 8 minutes. Remove and immediately place in ice water for 5 minutes. Pull the corn out of the water and cut it off the cob. To freeze, add corn in a quart sized freezer bag - 3/4 way full. Add 2 Tbsp. sea salt, 1 tsp. sugar and 1 cup of water to each bag. Press out the air and seal. Freeze immediately.
2 Tbsp. real butter
2 tsp. ground pepper
more salt if needed
Now to cook the corn. Remove from the freezer and cut away the bag. Place corn in a deep pot and add 2 Tbsp. real butter, and more salt if needed to taste. Slowly bring to a boil over medium heat, until all of the corn has thawed and is boiling. Boil for about 8 more minutes and serve.
Enjoy!
Who doesn't love a little slider? Kids do, that's for sure. These are so easy and your entire family will love them.
Sliders
1 pkg. Hawaiian small rolls
1 lb. lean ground beef or ground chuck
6 or so slices of your favorite cheese
1 small white onion, finely chopped
1 Tbsp. Worcestershire
1 tsp. ground pepper
1 tsp. salt
Mix ground beef, Worcestershire, pepper and salt. Shape into small square patties with your hands and cook over medium heat until they are desired consistency. During the last 6 or 8 minutes of cooking, toss the onions into the pan and continue to cook until they are translucent. Leave burgers in the skillet and place 1/2 slice of cheese on top of each burger when it is done. Add some of the onions on top of the cheese. Immediately top with the bun top to allow it to soften. Remove entire burger onto the bottom bun on a plate.
Serve and Enjoy!
Last night I wanted something sweet. Hmmm, what to make? Well, I had a can of apple pie filling..why not!
Easy Apple Turnovers
1 can Pillsbury Crescent Rolls
1/2 can apple pie filling
1/2 cup powdered sugar
2 - 3 Tbsp. water
Cooking Spray
Spray a cookie sheet or baking pan with cooking spray. Open the can of crescent rolls and separate them. Using your fingers, press each triangle onto the baking pan so they are spread out somewhat. Add about 2 Tbsp. of apple pie filling to 1/2 of the crescent rolls and top with the other crescent rolls. Pinch the edges together using a fork so that they are enclosed completely, all the way around.
Bake at 350 degrees for approximately 12 to 15 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove from oven and top with glaze.
Glaze:
1/2 cup powdered sugar
2 to 3 Tbsp. water (more or less)
Mix until slightly thin. Pour over warm turnovers.
Enjoy! PS: you can use any type of pie filling to make these...
This is another one of those..hmmm I wonder what this would taste like...recipes. Well, it was good! It was really good! Give this one a try!
Mexican Twice Baked Casserole
6 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
1/4 stick real butter
1/4 cup evaporated milk (more or less)
1 1/2 lbs. lean ground beef
1/2 packet Taco Seasoning
6 packets of Taco Bell Mild Sauce (or 6 Tbsp. of your favorite sauce)
1/4 small white onion, rough chopped
2 green onions, chopped
1 Tbsp. salt
1 Tbsp. ground pepper
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 tsp. Basil
1/2 tsp. Oregano
Brown ground beef and white onion. Drain. Add back in skillet and add the taco seasoning, mild sauce, salt and pepper. Cook for another couple of minutes to combine and remove from heat.
Peel, and cut potatoes into chunks. Cover with water and boil until done. Drain water and mash potatoes with 1/4 stick real butter, 1/4 cup evaporated milk, salt and pepper to taste. Mix the ground beef mixture into the potatoes and stir to combine.
Spray a 9x9 baking dish with cooking spray. Scoop the potato/ground beef mixture into the baking dish and top with 2 cups mozzarella cheese. Bake for 20 minutes on 350 degrees, or until cheese on top starts to brown and is bubbly.
Serve and Enjoy!
Wow! Tried this last night and it was fantastic.... I used Cool Ranch Doritos to make this fabulous fried chicken.
Cool Ranch Fried Chicken
4 to 6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (pounded flat and cut in 1/2)
1 bag Cool Ranch Doritos, in food processor (about 4 cups when processed)
2 cups buttermilk (or evaporated milk)
1 egg
2 cups all purpose flour
1 Tbsp. ground pepper
1 Tbsp. salt
Oil for frying (Canola)
Crush all of the Doritos in a food processor until crumbly.
Bowl 1: Flour, salt and pepper
Bowl 2: Beat together buttermilk and 1 egg
Bowl 3: Cool Ranch Doritos (crumbles)
Cut chicken breasts in 1/2 and place in a plastic bag. Remove air from bag and seal. Using a mallet or back of a cup, slightly pound out the chicken breasts to flatten them a bit. Dip into the flour to coat both sides. Immediately dip into the buttermilk/egg mixture and then into the Doritos, pressing down to coat both sides well.
Place oil into an electric skillet (300 degrees) or deep skillet on medium heat on the stove. Make sure grease is hot by dropping a little flour into it. If it immediately sizzles, it is hot. Place coated chicken breast halves into the oil and fry until brown and crispy on both sides, about 4 minutes per side. Remove and drain on a paper towel. You can add some additional salt while chicken is hot if you like it a little saltier.
Enjoy!
This was one awesome meal! I saw a recipe on Facebook the other day for Taco Lasagna. Of course, I had to make it MY WAY! Easy and good!
Taco Pie
1 1/2 lb ground beef
1- 2" block of Velveeta cheese
1 can petite diced tomatoes (use Rotel if you like it spicier)
1/4 cup evaporated milk
1/2 small onion, finely chopped
8 to 10 10" flour tortillas
1 Tbsp. salt
1 Tbsp. pepper
1/2 pkg. Taco Seasoning mix.
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (or mozzarella)
Sour Cream for garnish
Saute' ground beef, salt, pepper, taco seasoning mix and onion until cooked through. Drain completely when done. Open the can of petite diced tomatoes and drain off the juices. In a sauce pan, combine cheese and evaporated milk. Stir until combined. Combine the ground beef, tomatoes and cheese sauce in one pan and mix well.
Spray a large casserole dish with cooking spray. Add tortillas to the bottom of the pan, cutting them with scissors as necessary to cover the bottom. Add a thin layer of the ground beef mixture. Add another layer of tortillas / sauce, etc. until you have used all of the sauce. Top with shredded cheese.
Bake at 375 degrees for approximately 20 minutes. Remove, cut and serve with a dollop of Sour Cream.
Enjoy!
The grandkids were over this weekend. Kaitlyn always likes to help me cook, so on Saturday morning I was making donut holes, bacon and eggs. She had a great idea to make Salted Caramel Donut Holes and they were fabulous.
Salted Caramel Donut Holes
1 can Grands biscuits
Oil for frying (peanut oil or canola)
Cut the biscuits into about 6 even pieces. Drop into hot oil (about 1 quart) in a deep stock pan over medium heat. Turn so they brown on both sides. Should only take 1 or 2 minutes to get them done. Remove and drain on a paper towel. Immediately glaze and sprinkle with coarse Sea Salt.
Glaze:
1 heaping Tbsp. Caramel Ice Cream Topping
2 1/2 cups Powdered sugar
1 to 2 Tbsp. of water as needed
Coarse Sea Salt
Mix Caramel into the powdered sugar and add enough water to make it thin enough to drizzle. Drizzle over hot donuts and immediately sprinkle with the Sea Salt.
Enjoy!
I love my iron skillet...I especially love when I can make something as wonderful as this casserole. If you don't have an iron skillet, I encourage you to buy one!
Iron Skillet Ground Beef Casserole
1 lb. lean ground beef
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 can Evaporated milk (about 7 oz.)
1 Tbsp. Basil
1 Tbsp. ground pepper
1 Tbsp. salt
2 cups mozzarella cheese
1 Tbsp. butter
2 cups cooked Kluski Noodles (homemade style)
2 quarts of water + 1 tsp. salt
1/2 white onion, finely diced
slurry: 1/4 cup water + 2 heaping Tbsp. cornstarch
In a separate skillet, brown the ground beef, onion, basil, pepper and salt. In separate pan, boil the noodles in 2 Quarts of water + 1 tsp. salt until they are done. Drain noodles and drain ground beef mixture separately.
Stir 1 Tbsp. butter into the noodles until it melts. Add evaporated milk and ground beef. Stir well to combine. Add 1/2 cup of the mozzarella cheese and stir. Spray the cast ironed skillet with cooking spray (or lightly butter). Pour the mixture into the skillet. Top with the remainder of the mozzarella cheese.
Bake at 350 degrees for approximately 20 minutes, or until the cheese is bubbly and starting to brown on top. Serve and Enjoy!
So, the other day we had grilled cheese made out of crescent rolls. Well, this is the tomato soup that went along with those grilled cheese sandwiches....
Easy Tomato Soup
1 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes
1/2 small white onion, finely chopped
1 Tbsp. Basil
1 Tbsp. Salt
1 Tbsp. Ground Pepper
1/4 cup Evaporated milk
1 Tbsp. real butter
* If you like your soup spicy and chunky, add 1 15 oz can of Rotel tomatoes.
In a deep stock pot, melt butter and add the diced onions. Saute' until onions are translucent. Add 1 28 oz. can of crushed tomatoes and all of the seasonings (add can of Rotel tomatoes if desired). Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to medium. Heat for about 15 minutes. Add 1/4 cup of evaporated milk and bring back up to hot.
Serve and Enjoy!
So, the other day, I fixed some tomato soup and wanted some grilled cheese. Well, we aren't big bread eaters and I was completely out of bread! Oh, no what to do? Well, I had a can of Crescent Rolls, so I did this:
Crescent Roll Grilled Cheese
1 roll Pillsbury Crescent Rolls
3 to 4 slices of cheese
Butter
Heat griddle or flat skillet and melt some butter in the pan (about 1 Tbsp). Open the Crescent Rolls and separate the triangles. Place 2 triangles in the butter on the hot pan. Fry on both sides until crispy and browned. Place the cheese on one of the triangles (cutting to make it fit) and top with the other triangle. Grill another couple of minutes, just to melt the cheese. Continue with the rest of the Crescent Roll triangles. Serve
These are Amazing! I may never go back to bread.
Enjoy
This is one big-ole pizza! I had never attempted a stuffed-crust pizza before and this one turned out fabulous!
Stuffed Crust Cheeseburger Pizza
1 lb. lean ground beef
1 2" block of Velveeta cheese
1 pizza crust (the roll-out kind like a biscuit)
3 Tbsp. evaporated milk
1 Tbsp. minced garlic
1 Tbsp. Italian Seasonings
1 tsp. taco seasoning
1 tsp. sea salt
melted butter
1 can petite tomatoes completely drained of juices
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
6 to 8 cheese straws (or sliced long-thick chunks of mozzarella)
1/2 diced onion
Brown ground beef with onion and salt. Drain completely and add taco seasoning. Put back in pan and add the Velveeta cheese (cut in chunks) and 3 Tbsp. evaporated milk. Stir constantly until cheese is completely melted. Cool for 15 minutes.
Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray and roll out the crust. Be sure to roll it out past the edges of the baking sheet so you can loop it over. Place the straws or long slices of mozzarella all around the edges and pull the edge of the dough up and over and pinch the edges together. Brush entire crust edge with melted butter.
Once you have drained the tomatoes, add the garlic and stir. Drop the tomatoes evenly over the bottom of the crust (inside the cheesy edges). Add cheeseburger mixture and top with Italian Seasonings and the entire 2 cups of mozzarella cheese.
Always be sure not to put any toppings on the outside crust.
Bake at 425 degrees for about 15 minutes. When outside crust is browned and cheese is bubbly, it is done.
Enjoy!
