Everyone Loves Comfort Food /

Everyone loves comfort food
By Casey Grant

 

            Despite people’s lives today everyone still loves having a home cooked meal. However, too often people opt to have take-out because they are too tired to actually take the time to make a home cooked meal. A home cooked meal is something to look forward to and savor. My family loves cooking at home. We like to come up with new recipes and making things that everyone will enjoy.
          When I think of comfort food, I think of hearty meals that fill you up and make you really enjoy the food that you just ate. Some people think of comfort food as unhealthy, but that does not have to be true. You can make healthy meals by knowing how to shop and how to make things in a better way.
           Some people are put off by home cooking because they are intimidated by the amount of preparation they think they need to do in order to produce that home cooked meal. Keep a full pantry with a good supply of all the staples. Canned goods like tomatoes and beans are a great way to cut back on some cooking time. Soaking beans can take hours and canned beans can be just as good. Be sure that you buy the low or no salt canned goods, so that they will be healthier.
          If you have ever blanched and skinned a tomato then you know how messy it can be, if not take my word for it! Canned tomatoes come in many varieties and are already skinned and cut. Using a few tricks can save time in the kitchen, but will not cut flavor.
          You can also add some veggies to make things a little healthier; cauliflower in mashed potatoes, sweet potato in mac and cheese, pumpkin in pancakes, spinach and carrots in pasta sauce.  There are many, many other ways that you can sneak veggies into food and your kids will never know.
           My husband is a huge mac and cheese lover, but only the baked kind and until very recently only his father’s mac and cheese was the best. I made it my mission to make him mac and cheese that he loved, it took me a few tried but I finally got it down this past Easter. Now this is not a meal that is in anyway healthy or that should be eaten more than once every few months, but it is one to keep tucked away for family get-togethers, as it makes a huge amount.

 

Extra Cheesy Mac and Cheese
Casey Grant

 

1 lb. elbow macaroni noodles
1 cup of whole milk
2 - 12 ounce cans of evaporated milk
3 eggs
1 cup of butter cut into small pieces
½ pound of Colby cheese grated
½ pound of Monterrey jack cheese grated
½ pound of cheddar cheese grated
1 pound of Velveeta cheese cut into small chunks
½ cup of sour cream
Salt to taste
1 Tbsp. pepper
1 Tbsp. sugar
1 cup of mild cheddar grated for the topping

I buy the large aluminum pans because I don't have a pan large enough to hold it all, or two smaller ones and split after it’s all mixed together.

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray the pans with cooking spray.  I put a heavy coat so that the sides and bottom do not stick and burn.

Bring a large stock pot of water to a boil and add the pasta, cook until tender. Drain and run under cold water so that the noodles stop cooking.

While the noodles are cooking, combine the milks and eggs and whisk together. Add the butter, cheeses, sour cream, salt, pepper and sugar until all mixed together. Pour over the noodles and mix until you see the cheese throughout.

Cover with aluminum foil and place bake for 30-45 minutes. Remove the foil and put the grated mild cheese on top and place back in the oven. Cook for another 10 minutes or so until the cheese is melted and bubbly. Let sit for a few minutes until it sets up and then cut into squares.

Beef Stew

I'm am a soup junkie...stews, soups, even broths. I love them!  This Beef Stew recipe offers a hearty quick meal that most anyone will love.   And I takes a little less than an hour to have in the bowls!

Beef Stew

1 lb. Stew Meat (cubed into small to medium cuts)
3 large potatoes, peeled and cubed
8 baby carrots cut into small sections
1/4 red onion, cut into small chunks\
1 stalk of celery cut into slices
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 can beef broth + 1 an of water
2 Tbsp. real butter
2 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. ground pepper
1 tsp. minced garlic
1 Tbsp. steak seasoning of your choice

Melt butter in deep pan and add stew meat and onions. Saute' just long enough to render the onions translucent.  Add remaining ingredients and simmer over medium heat for approximately 40 to 45 minutes or until meat is tender and potatoes and carrots are done.

Note:  You may need to add a little more water during the cooking process to make sure it doesn't get too thick and stick.  But, you want the consistency to be a thick broth, so cook it down during the last few minutes of cooking.

Enjoy!

Macaroni Salad

Summer is here and picnic time is all around!  Time to whip up some yummy Macaroni Salad to take to those pitch-ins!  This recipe makes a good size batch to take with you for family and friends to enjoy.

Macaroni Salad

2 cups macaroni - boiled, drained and cooled
1 stalk celery - finely diced
4 baby carrots -boiled until softened in microwave and then finely diced
1/4 of a red onion, finely diced
1 green onion, diced
1/2 to 3/4 cup Miracle Whip
1 Tbsp. Dijonnaise mustard
1 Tbsp. pickle relish or finely diced dill pickles
1 Tbsp. ground pepper
1 tsp. salt
2 hard boiled eggs - chopped (optional)
2 Tbsp. parsley flakes
1 tsp. celery seed
1/2 tsp. dill
2 cups shredded Asiago cheese

Mix all ingredients into the boiled macaroni, adding the cheese last.  Stir well and cover.  Chill for at least 2 hours.

Easy Bolognese Sauce for Spaghetti or Pasta

I am not a big fan of marinara sauce and neither is my husband.  However, once in a while spaghetti or pasta sounds really good.  So, I made up my own Bolognese sauce and we simply love it. 

Hint:  I have even taken leftover Bolognese sauce and put it on a homemade pizza with tons of cheese.  It is fabulous!

Bolognese Sauce


1 lb. hamburger, cooked and drained.  Set aside


2 cans petite diced tomatoes or 4 whole tomatoes pureed in a food processor or blender until slightly chunky but not completely to sauce

1/4 small red onion, finely diced
1 large green onion (or 2 small) finely diced
1/4 green bell pepper, finely diced
1 Tbsp. Butter


1/2 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. black ground pepper
1 heaping tsp. minced garlic
1 tsp. Italian Seasonings


In deep saucepan, Saute' red onions and peppers in saucepan with 1 Tbsp. butter.  Once onions become semi-translucent, add remaining ingredients.  Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.  Add hamburger and reheat for about 2 to 3 minutes.

Serve over pasta and top with shredded mozzarella cheese.

Flatted Fried Chicken Breast

I have always struggled with good fried chicken.  I can make excellent Chicken Tenders (at a later date), but my regular fried chicken wasn't the best.  Seemed I never got it done in the middle.  I always envied my mom because her fried chicken was amazing.  So, I have perfected and perfected and gotten better over the years.  I love making these.  They are simple but oh so good!

Flattened Fried Chicken Breasts

1 to 2 chicken breasts per person
2 cups flour
1 tsp. black pepper
1 Tbsp. salt
1 tsp. dill (optional)
Oil for frying

Take each completely thawed chicken breast and wrap loosely two times in plastic wrap.  Pound out each piece of chicken with a kitchen mallet until they are about 1/2" thick.  Set aside.

In a wide bowl or plate, mix 2 cups flour, 1 tsp. black pepper, 1 Tbsp. salt and 1/2 tsp. dill.  Mix well. 

In a deep skillet, heat up enough oil so that it will cover the chicken breasts almost to the top once they are in the pan (about 1/2" of oil should do it).  Make sure the oil is hot by dropping a bit of flour into the oil. If it bubbles, the it is ready for the chicken.

Dip each chicken breast into the flour, turn and do the other side.  Then shake off excess flour and repeat the process again so that they are well coated with flour.  Place into the oil and brown completely on one side before turning. Turn over and brown the other side.  Remove to paper towels to drain grease.

This homemade chicken gravy is great poured over the chicken breasts and of course on some mashed potatoes!

Chicken Gravy

Mix 1/2 cup of evaporated milk and 1 cup of whole milk

4 Tbsp. oil from the fried chicken put into a sauce pan or another skillet over medium heat until hot.  Add 2 heaping Tbsp. flour  Stir well to mix.  Pour in the milk mixtures while stirring constantly until gravy thickens.  If it doesn't thicken enough for your taste, mix 1 Tbsp. of cornstarch in about 1/8 cup of water, beat and pour into the gravy.  It will thicken up.

Cream Cheese Spreads for Bagels

I think a bagel isn't properly dressed unless it has something sweet and yummy on top of it. I like cream cheese on a bagel, but I don't want plain old cream cheese.  I want it to have something fabulous in it to make me want more.  So, after trying various spreads at the grocery, Panera, and places like that, I decided I can make these on my own.  So, here we go:

Honey Walnut Cream Cheese Spread (my favorite)

1 8 ounce package of cream cheese, softened to room temperature
1/4 c. finely chopped walnuts
1 tsp. honey
1/2 tsp. softened butter

Mix well. 



Raspberry or Blackberry Cream Cheese Spread

1 8 ounce package of cream cheese, softened to room temperature
1 tsp. Raspberry or Blackberry jam
1/2 tsp. softened butter

Mix well. 



If you don't like sweet spreads for your bagel, try these:

Dill Spread for Bagels

1 8 ounce package of cream cheese, softened to room temperature
1 tsp. Dill
1/2 tsp. softened butter
1/8 tsp. salt

Mix well. 


Cheese Ball Spread for Bagels

1 8 ounce package of cream cheese, softened to room temperature
1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
2 slices of finely cooked bacon, finely chopped
1/2 tsp. Italian Seasonings

Chill each of these for at least 30 minutes before serving.

Best Chex Mix You'll Ever Eat!

I love Chex Mix, but following the standard recipe left me feeling like I could just do better.  So, I played around with ingredients, changed things and now whenever I make Chex Mix and bring it to work, people come from across the building to get some of my Chex Mix.  They love it and I'm sure you will too.

Best Chex Mix Ever

1 box Corn Chex cereal
1 box Rice Chex cereal
1 box Wheat Chex cereal
1 small can of Durkee Potato Stix
2 cans Mixed Nuts
1 bag of Original Chex Mix from the grocery
3 sticks REAL Butter
1/2 cup Worcestershire
Seasoned Salt to taste (about 5 to 6 Tbsps)

In a saucepan, add the butter and Worcestershire.  Cook over low heat until the butter melts.  Do not boil. 

Mix all remaining ingredients in a very ,very large pan or bowl.  Pour the Butter/Worcestershire mixture over the cereal mixture a little at a time, tossing between additions so that everything gets coated.  Toss with a large spoon or wooden spoon, gently so as not to crush the cereal.

Spread the mixture evenly onto a cookie sheet.  Make sure not to pile it up.  It needs to be in a thin, single layer.  You will need to do this repeatedly until the entire mixture has been baked.

Bake in a preheated 325 degrees oven for approximately 8 to 10 minutes or until the cereal gets crispy to the touch.  Pour into a bowl for cooling and proceed with the second batch.

Allow to cool completely and put into large baggies or containers with lids for storage. 

Makes approximately 3 large baggies (gallon size) full of Mix.

Wet Fajitas

Sometimes when I come home at night, I just look in the fridge and throw together some sort of meal based on what I have. Well, this was one of those nights.  I had a small sort of thick round steak thawed out and I came up with these Wet Fajitas. 

Wet Fajitas

5 to 6 small flour tortillas

1 small round steak about 1/2 to 3/4" thick
1 medium green bell pepper, sliced in slices
2 Roma tomatoes, sliced in very thin strips
1/2 small onion, sliced in slices
2 Tbsp. soy sauce
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp. ground pepper
2 Tbsp. butter
1/2 tsp. salt
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Slice round steak into very small, very thin slices. Slice bell pepper and onion into about 1" long thin slices.  In a skillet, melt 2 Tbsp. butter.  Add soy sauce and Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper.  Toss in steak slices, bell pepper and onions.  Saute' for about 3 to 4 minutes and add in 2 cups of water.  Cover with lid and let simmer, stirring occasionally. 

If the water evaporates and the steak doesn't seem tender enough, add another cup of water and repeat process until meat is to the desired tenderness.  Remove lid.

Add thinly sliced, long strips of Roma tomatoes.  Saute' for an additional 2 to 3 minutes until tomatoes start to get tender.  This should be cooked down until it has almost a brown gravy consistency.  A little messy, but really good!

Remove from heat and ladle into heated flour tortillas.  Add generous amount of mozzarella cheese to each tortilla and fold over in half.  Serve immediately. 

It is easy to heat multiple tortillas at once in the microwave.  Layer each tortilla between a piece of paper towel.  Place in the microwave for about 25 seconds.  Check and repeat for an additional 10 seconds if not hot enough.

Breakfast BLT & C Biscuitwiches

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day.  These BLT & C Breakfast sandwiches are on homemade biscuits (see previous recipe).  They are quick, and you can make them healthy by using Turkey Bacon.  Make up a large batch, put them in individual baggies, and freeze them.  Then just take them out, pop them in the microwave and eat. 

Breakfast BLT & C Biscuitwiches

Biscuits (see previous recipe)
6 to 10 slices of Bacon or Turkey Bacon
Cheese slices
Lettuce
Thinly Sliced Tomatoes
Fried Eggs

Layer any or all of the above ingredients on heated and sliced homemade biscuits.  You can make these healthier by using English Muffins and adding low fat cheese and turkey bacon.

They are a great, quick breakfast.

Crab Cakes

Crab is my favorite seafood.  But, if you go to a restaurant and order Crab Cakes, they are extremely expensive and not always that good.  A few years ago I went to a restaurant while I was out shopping one day and ordered a crab cake.  And that was all I got was one crab cake on a leaf of lettuce and it cost me over $10.00.  WOW!  I thought!

I tried several recipes until I finally came up with this one and it is fabulous!  Crab meat is expensive at the store, but for about $5.00 I can get four crab cakes instead of one for $10.  Much better deal! 

Crab Cakes

1/4 cup Panko Bread Crumbs + more for breading outside
2 green onions, finely diced
2 Tbsp. Miracle Whip or Mayo
1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp. lemon juice
1 tsp. Dijonnaise Mustard/Mayonnaise blend
1 egg - beaten
1/8 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
8 ounces of lump crab meat

2 Tbsp. real butter + 2 Tbsp. Olive Oil for frying

Mix all ingredients and then add in the crab meat last.  Stir gently until mixed well.
Roll into ball and then flatten.  Cover both sides with Panko. 

Make sure your butter and olive oil are hot before you add the crab cakes into the pan, otherwise they won't get crispy enough.  Fry about 3 to 5 minutes on each side over medium heat until brown and crispy.  Turn and fry the other side.

Serve immediately.  I like to eat mine with Yum Yum Sauce (Japanese seafood sauce).  It is a little sweet and compliments the sweet crab meat.

Enjoy!