Recipe of the "Week"

I did not realize it's been so long since I've introduced a new recipe!  Obviously, that must be rectified immediately!  And what better way to do that than to make homemade chicken nuggets with super healthy ingredients?  This recipe is adapted from The Eat-Clean Diet for Family & Kids, which has tons of really great recipes that are perfect for picky eaters (like me) who don't go in for gourmet cooking.  Other than doubling it (& using the whole egg rather than just the white), I only made one teensy change:  2 pinches of garlic instead of just one.  I know, I know, it's kind of reckless, but what can I say?  I love garlic.  ;-)

Crispy Chicken Bites

(a.k.a Chicken Nuggets at the Bungalow)

Ingredients (This is the original recipe; I double it for 2 lbs. of chicken):

-1 lb. chicken breasts

-1/4 c. oat bran

-1/4 c. wheat germ

-1/4 c. coarsely ground almonds

-1 T coarsely ground flax seed (my hand-held Cuisinart would not grind these little seeds, so I just threw them in as is; a coffee grinder might work if you just have to have them ground)

-1/2 tsp. sea salt

-1/2 tsp. white pepper

-2 pinches garlic powder

-1/2 c. chicken stock

-1 large egg, beaten

Directions:

-Preheat oven to 400 degrees F & grease a baking sheet or casserole dish.  (I use farm-fresh butter that I melt in the dish while the oven is heating up.  The cookbook has a recipe for cooking spray, too, if you'd like to go that route.)

-Cut chicken breasts into bite-sized pieces & set aside.

-Combine dry ingredients into a large container with a tightly fitting lid & shake vigorously.

-Combine egg & chicken stock in a medium bowl.

-(Optional, but very helpful) Make an assembly line on your counter or stove top with egg mixture first, then coating mixture, then greased dish.

-Dump several pieces of chicken in the egg mixture, then dip them out & roll them one by one in the coating mixture (coating them thoroughly) & line them up on your dish.

-Once the dish is full, bake the chicken nuggets for 10-15 minutes, or until golden.

The full meal of nuggets (which need no condiments), green beans, buttered sweet corn, & smothered potatoes.  Okay, now I'm hungry!

Recipe of the "Week"

It seems that everywhere you look, people are talking about how to increase our fruit & vegetable intake.  A while back, Michael & I found what has turned out to be the perfect way for us . . . smoothies!  We bought a Vitamix & started mixing it up!  I thought I would share one of our favorites with you today.  Enjoy!

Smoothies Galore!

Look at that beautiful color!  Chock-full of berry goodness!

Ingredients (for a single serving):

     -1/2 c. water or milk (water if you want fewer calories)

     -1/4 c. yogurt (optional; we've started leaving it out because it contains so much sugar)

     -honey (~1 T; I just pour it in)

     -coconut oil (~1 T; this is my fat source, but 1/2 an avocado will work, too, & will give you a creamier smoothie)

     -flax seed (again, I just pour it in, but I would guesstimate ~2 T)

     -almonds (a couple of handfuls for protein, or you can use an organic, farm-fresh egg, which will also make it creamy; do not use a store-bought egg)

     -1 banana

     -strawberries (~1 c., or a bit more)

     -blueberries (same as strawberries)

     -spinach (1 handful; other greens such as kale will work as well)

It helps to have at least one frozen fruit; both our strawberries & blueberries are frozen in this smoothie made for 2.

Always make sure to layer your ingredients with liquids first.  Blend until it reaches the desired consistency, using the tamper to push ingredients into the blades.  I let mine run until it's flowing smoothly, like a fruity whirlpool.  The single serving is somewhere around 20 ounces, or a little more than 2 cups, & it's easy to increase or even double that amount.  Play with it & have fun!

See those lovely flecks?!  Mmmm-Mmmm good!

Recipe of the "Week"

I give you fair warning:  if you don't like over-the-top cheesy dishes, you won't like this one.  However, if you have been blessed with better taste (hehe), this is sure to be one meal that you won't be able to resist!

Cheesy Chicken Spaghetti

Ingredients:

-2 lbs. chicken

-2 lbs. Velveeta, cubed

-1 lb. spaghetti (we use angel hair)

-1 onion, finely minced

-2 celery stalks, finely minced

-1 can cream of chicken soup

-1 c. milk

-1 can Rotel

Fixing to go into the oven.

Directions:

-Boil chicken, remove undesirable parts, & cut into bite-size pieces.

-Cook the spaghetti in a large pot & saute the veggies.

-Drain the spaghetti, return to the pot, & mix with all of the other ingredients minus the Velveeta.

-Pour the mixture into a greased lasagna pan.

-Top with cubed Velveeta.

-Bake at 350 degrees until cheese is melted.

-Stir until cheese is distributed evenly throughout.

Ready to be eaten in all its cheesy gooey-ness!

Recipe of the "Week"

Y'all are gonna be so proud of me!  Fuddy-duddy stick-in-the-mud unspontaneous me tried something new!  And loved it, I might add.  "Bungee jumping or parachuting?", you might ask.  Not in this life!  Nope, I made Tamale Pie for supper this week!  Much more tame - though, to be fair, I've eaten it before (being a Tex-Mex connoisseur), but have never made it.  Sometimes cooking new-to-me meals can be intimidating.  However, let me assure you, this one isn't in the least!  Seasoned meat, corn, kidney beans, & cheese topped with cornbread - what could be better?

Tamale Pie

Ingredients:

-1 1/2 to 2 lbs. ground beef (I recommend 2 lbs.)
-taco seasoning
-whole kernel corn, drained (amount to suit taste; I boiled ~1 can's worth of frozen corn)
-dark red kidney beans, rinsed (amount to suit taste; I used 1 can)
-shredded cheddar cheese
-1/2 recipe of favorite cornbread, minimally or non-sweetened variety*

Directions:

-Cook ground beef in a large skillet until it's cooked through & crumbly.

-Season with taco seasoning according to the directions on the packet/bottle.

-Grease the bottom & sides of a 9"x13" glass baking dish.

-Layer the beef, corn, beans, & cheese.

-Top with the cornbread & bake according to the cornbread recipe.  You may have to cover it with foil to prevent burning.

*I topped 1 1/2 lbs of meat with a full cornbread recipe, & it was too much bread.  My cornbread recipe also called for 3/4 c. sugar, & it was far too sweet.

Recipe of the "Week"

Oooo-eee!  This is another family favorite from Granny's arsenal!  It's sort of like a big ol' brownie that overflows with fudge when you break into it.  And, man alive, this stuff is rich, so don't try to fill up a whole bowl.

Baked Chocolate Pudding

Batter Ingredients:

-1 c. flour
-1/2 tsp. salt
-3/4 c. sugar
-2 tsp. baking powder
-2 ½ T cocoa
-2 T melted butter
-1 tsp. vanilla
-1/2 c. milk
-chopped pecans

Topping Ingredients:

-1/2 c. sugar
-1/2 c. brown sugar (firmly packed)
-4 T cocoa

Directions:

-Sift together dry ingredients in a medium bowl.

-Combine wet ingredients in a small bowl.

-Pour wet ingredients over dry & add chopped nuts.

-Pour batter into a greased 9"x5" loaf pan.

-In the now empty small bowl, combine the topping ingredients & sprinkle over the batter.

-Pour 1 c. water over all.

-Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes, then serve warm topped with ice cream.

Recipe of the "Week"

Protracted groans as of someone being tortured always accompanied my mother's declaration of meatloaf for supper.  The fact that I had a healthy fear of her wrath meant that these groans only echoed in my own head, but trust me - they were very present & very loud!  I've always been quick to choose something else when given the option, & I have certainly never ordered meatloaf at a restaurant.  Honestly, I don't plan on changing that, either; however, I have recently grown to like the homemade version!  I don't think I'll be granting Michael's request for it every week quite yet, but I have started fixing it more frequently than never already.  So, that's an improvement, huh?!

Meatloaf

Ready to eat!  We take each meatloaf bite with a mashed potato bite
& wash it down with butter-coated yeast rolls.  YUMMY!

Meatloaf Ingredients:

-1 lb. ground beef
-1 egg
-1 tsp. salt
-1/4 c. tomato sauce (8 oz. can leaves some left over to pour on top)
-3/4 c. bread crumbs (about 3 toasted slices of bread, ground finely)
-1/4 tsp. pepper
-1 onion, finely minced
-1/2 bell pepper, finely minced
-2/3 c. water
-1 T Worcestershire sauce

Setting out my ingredients.  That lovely bowl was passed

down from my Granny.  Aren't my pink measuring spoons/cups pretty?!

And check out the egg:  it's farm-fresh-green!

Meatloaf Topping Ingredients:

-3/4 c. ketchup
-1 T brown sugar
-1/2 tsp. mustard
-dash Worcestershire sauce


Meatloaf Topping Directions:

-Combine all ingredients in a small bowl.

-Pour & evenly distribute Meatloaf Topping on top of already baked meatloaf & replace in oven for an additional 15 minutes.

Out of the oven, ready to serve!  It takes a little maneuvering

to get the first slice out, but it's worth the effort!

Meatloaf Directions:

-Using a fork, thoroughly combine all Meatloaf Ingredients in a large bowl.

-Cover a 9"x5" loaf pan with foil & grease the bottom & sides well.

-Pour the meat mixture into the loaf pan & spread out evenly with the fork.

-Pour remaining tomato sauce over the top.

-Bake @ 375 degrees for 1 hour. Remove from oven & carefully drain off excess liquid.

-See Meatloaf Topping Directions.

-Slice & enjoy with mashed potatoes, corn, green beans, & rolls! Lemon Icebox Pie is a wonderful complement as well!

Recipe of the "Week"

I love me a good chicken pot pie!  But this isn't one.  This is a twist on chicken pot pie, without the pot pie.  One day I had a hankerin' for chicken pot pie, but didn't have pie crusts.  And, at that point, making the pie crusts involved too much effort.  However, I did have biscuits!  And I thought, "Why not make the chicken part & pour it over the biscuits?"  I smashed together parts of recipes for chicken & dumplings, chicken & noodles, & - of course - chicken pot pie.  We love the end result, & hope you do, too!

Chicken & Biscuits

Ingredients:

-2 lbs. chicken breasts
-26 oz. cream of chicken soup (1 family size can)
-1/2 to 1 c. milk
-water or chicken broth (optional, if needed)**
-1 onion, minced
-2 celery stalks, minced
-1/2 tsp. ground sage
-1 tsp. ground thyme
-salt (to taste; just shake some in)
-pepper (to taste; just shake some in)
-poultry seasoning (to taste; just shake some in)
-1 lb. frozen mixed vegetables
-biscuits

Directions:

-Boil chicken breasts in a large pot until cooked through, then drain.

-Spray out the pot, return to stove, & combine the soup, milk, seasonings, & vegetables.

-Cook on medium, stirring often.

-While the soup is cooking, remove undesirable parts from the chicken breasts (I feed these to Ginger & Jake), & cut the breasts into pieces.  Add to the soup & stir well.

-Decrease the heat to low or simmer & cook for about 30 minutes, or until the frozen vegetables are done.

-Bake the biscuits.

-Place 2 biscuits in a deep bowl & liberally pour the chicken soup over them.

**Note:  As the soup mixture cooks, you may have to add some water or chicken broth if it thickens up too much.  Just add a little at a time until the desired consistency is reached.  Don't add the water/broth at the beginning, because the soup will become more liquidy as it heats up.  You don't want a solid mass, but neither do you want runny soup!  ;-)

Recipe of the "Week"

Winter is here! Winter means finding any means possible to stay warm - coats & gloves, blazing fires, & warming meals. Coats & gloves - check. Blazing fires - our heater will have to do. Warming meals - this one's in our near future!

Chili

Ingredients:

-1 lb. ground beef
-1 package French's Chili-O
-1 can red beans
-1 can Bush's chili beans
-1 can dark kidney beans
-1 can light kidney beans
-15 oz. can tomato sauce
-onions (optional)
-shredded cheddar cheese
-rice or Frito's (to make it really hearty)

Directions:

-Cook beef until it's brown & crumbly.

-While beef is cooking, combine all other ingredients in a Crock-Pot, minus the cheese & rice/Frito's.

-Add the beef to the Crock-Pot, stir, & cook on low for 2-3 hours.

-Pour over rice or Frito's & top with cheese.

Recipe of the "Week"

The first time my Papaw set this dish in front of me, I refused to eat it. To be fair, I was a child. And I was extremely picky. "One can't pick out everything they don't like", was a comment made by one of Mama's friends years ago. She replied that they hadn't met me. But for me, this dish was completely unsalvageable. Spaghetti - again, to my childish mind - was meant to be eaten with meat sauce. Then again, Papaw did trick me into eating spaghetti with deer meat sauce once. I was none too happy. So, I had reason to be wary. But my family rallied around assuring me this was perfectly normal - not deer bacon or something else weird. Once I sampled it, I was hooked! I hope you are, too.

Spaghetti Dish*

The whole pot

Ingredients:

-1/2 lb. spaghetti (any shape pasta works well)

-1/2 package bacon (not deer, but turkey is great & retains its crispiness the next day)

-2-3 onions (these are optional; Mama wisely added them in recent years)

-1 T butter**

-1/2 c. milk**

-3 eggs**

-1-2 T Italian seasoning

Close-up shot in all its yumminess!

Instructions:

-Cook the bacon & crumble it once it's cooled down, then sauté the onions in the same skillet. When the onions are almost ready, boil the spaghetti.

-While the spaghetti is boiling, beat together the eggs, milk, & Italian seasoning (I do this in my measuring cup, so as to cut down on dirty cookware).

-Drain the spaghetti, return it to the pot, & add the butter, stirring to thoroughly coat the pasta.

-Pour in the milk mixture, stir to coat the pasta, & replace the lid to cook the eggs. It might be necessary to turn the eye on low to speed up the process. If so, stir often to prevent sticking.

-Add the crumbled bacon & caramelized onions & stir together.

-Serve it up topped with Parmesan cheese. Of course, garlic bread & a salad go nicely.

*I discovered a few years ago that, although our family recipe is a little different, this is a legitimate Italian dish, called Spaghetti Carbonara.


**We've just begun using farm fresh eggs, whole milk & butter, & let me tell you, it puts this meal right over the top! We highly recommend it!!

Recipe of the "Week"

When asked what my favorite type of food is, I answer by ethnicity - Mexican, Italian, American home cooking. I've shared recipes for at least one Italian dish & lots of American home cooking, but to my recollection, I've not shared any Mexican. It is well known by all who know me that I find the Mexican restaurants here to be severely lacking. It's not really their fault; I'm a Tex-Mex girl because of where I grew up, & the food here is authentic Mexican. What you like is really affected by your upbringing because everyone here (Michael included) simply raves over the Mexican fare available. Having sampled my fair share of it, I can state unequivocally that I am not a fan of authentic Mexican food. I find it to be rather bland & I can't stand that white cheese! Plus, they looked at me like I was madder than the Mad Hatter for asking for tortillas & butter before the meal. Hello?! Other than chips & salsa, this is a normal Mexican appetizer where I come from. So, all that is to say that if you're looking for authenticity in Mexican cuisine, you'd better look elsewhere. We're Tex-Mex all the way here at the Bungalow.  Or, at least, half of us are.

Mexican Lasagna

Ingredients:

-1 large package corn tortillas
-1 - 2 lb. ground beef
-taco seasoning
-2 cans enchilada sauce (I use Old El Paso)
-2 cans refried beans
-Spanish rice (packaged or homemade; homemade recipe following)
-shredded cheddar cheese

Directions:

-Cook the ground beef until it's brown & crumbly. Add in taco seasoning according to the directions on the package & cook down.

-Remove from heat & stir in enchilada sauce.

-Spray a 9"x13" baking dish with cooking spray.

-Spread about ½ c. of the meat mixture on the bottom of the dish.

-Lay out the tortillas side by side & slightly overlapping. It's been a while since I made this, so I'm not sure how many I used exactly, but I think my tortilla width was 3 & length was 4. Sorry I can't be more specific.

-Dot tortillas with large spoonfuls of refried beans (1 can) & press the beans until the tortillas are covered.

-Spread half of the Spanish rice on top of the beans.

-Top with half of the meat mixture & sprinkle liberally with cheese.

-Repeat layers.

-Bake at 400 degrees for 15 to 25 minutes or until the cheese is melted & the juices are bubbling.

-Let it sit for about 10 minutes so it will set & not be a gloopy mess (like mine was!).

Spanish Rice
(modified from Better Homes & Gardens Cookbook - 12 ed.)

Ingredients:

-1 medium onion, chopped
-1 clove garlic, minced (I use dry minced, ¼ tsp.)
-1 T cooking oil
-1 tsp. chili powder
-1 can Rotel
- ¾ c. uncooked rice
-1 c. water
- ¼ tsp. salt

Directions:

-In a large skillet, cook onion & garlic in hot oil until tender.

-Add chili powder & cook 1 more minute.

-Stir in can of Rotel*, rice, water, & salt.

-Bring to boiling & reduce heat. Simmer ~ 20 minutes or until rice is tender & most of the liquid is absorbed.

*If you like really spicy (as in hot) foods, pour in the whole can of Rotel. This is way too much heat for me, so I do this: When opening the can, leave the lid attached by an inch or two. Leave the lid partially closed & pour the liquid into the skillet when it's called for. Add water to the can & smush the tomatoes & peppers to get more juice out of them. Partially close the lid again & pour the liquid into the skillet. Spoon out some of the tomatoes (I usually do less than half the can) into the skillet. Save the rest for another use or toss them.

Despite his undying devotion to his idea of Mexican food, Michael loved this recipe.  He told me that I could just make this exclusively from now on.  Something that sort of surprised me, because he's expressed equal rapture with my burritos, enchiladas, & creamy tacos before.  Next up, Tamale Pie!

Recipe of the "Week"

I thought I'd take a little break from our focus on suffering to focus on eating. Eating dessert. Specifically, eating pie. Lemon Icebox Pie. Mmmmmm!

Lemon Icebox Pie

Ingredients:

-1 large graham cracker crust

-2 cans sweetened condensed milk

-4 egg yolks (some people reserve the whites for meringue, but I hate meringue. I'm sure you can find a good meringue recipe if you'd like to top the pie with it.)

-1 to 1 ½ c. lemon juice (we use the larger amount so we get that kick in the jaw on the first bite. Trust me, it's a good pain.)

Directions:

-Preheat oven to 325 degrees. I used to only refrigerate this pie after fixing it, but even if I left it overnight, each slice would leave an empty space that was promptly filled by the other slices' lemony goodness. Baking fixes that issue.

-In a large bowl, thoroughly combine the sweetened condensed milk & egg yolks.

-Add in the lemon juice & carefully (to avoid splashing) mix in until it's no longer liquid-y. (My computer's telling me that's not a word, but I think it works.)

-Pour into the pie crust & bake for ~ 20 minutes. I'm not sure if it's necessary, but I cover mine with foil, just in case.

-Refrigerate 1-2 hours.

Just so you know, Michael loves Johnny Ray's lemon icebox pie so much that it's been his birthday "cake" several times. He raved over this recipe, exclaiming that it rivals Johnny Ray's! Trust me, that's a huge victory!

Recipe of the "Week"

Chick-fil-A makes them with chicken. Sonic makes them with sausage. We make them with bacon.

Breakfast Burritos

Ingredients (per burrito):

-1 large burrito tortilla
-2 eggs
-3 pieces of bacon (we use turkey bacon)
-1/4 onion, sliced thinly
-grated cheddar cheese

Directions:

-Cook the bacon & crumble into the middle of the tortilla.
-Sauté the onions.
-Scramble the eggs.
-Sprinkle cheese on top of the bacon, then add the onions & eggs.
-Fold the ends of the tortilla in & then roll it up into a burrito.

Simple, good, & you didn't have to go through a drive-through to get it!

Recipe of the "Week"

I am not a fan of pot roast. There. I said it. I know that sounds un-American, but it's the truth. It's not that I hate it. As a matter of fact, if it's really stringy (I don't know any other way to describe it), then I love it. But I detest dry roast, & it seems that this tends to be the more common variety of roast. This recipe, though, makes me love roast like never before.

Crock Pot Roast

Ingredients:

-2-5 pound pot roast
-butter
-flour
-garlic powder
-salt
-rosemary
-1 sweet onion, halved
-2 (10.75 oz.) cans condensed cream of mushroom or celery soup
-1 ¼ c. milk
-1 T Worcestershire sauce
-1 c. beef broth, divided
-baby carrots
-potatoes (I use gold)

Directions

-Melt some butter in a skillet over medium to medium-high heat.

-Lightly coat your roast with a mixture of flour, garlic powder, salt, & rosemary & sear it on all sides in the buttered skillet.

-Place pot roast in slow cooker with ½ sweet onion and pour cream soup, milk, Worcestershire sauce, & ½ c. beef broth over it.

-Thinly slice & caramelize the other half of your sweet onion along with the rest of your beef broth, then add to the crock pot.

-Stir the soup mixture & coat the roast with it.

-Cook on high setting for 2 hours, then turn the roast over & cook on high for 2 more hours*.

-Add more rosemary, baby carrots, & potatoes (cut in chunks of your desired size) to the roast.

-Cook on low setting for 1 hour, then turn the roast over & cook on low for 1 more hour*.

*Add water as needed for the gravy to reach the desired consistency: more water for thinner gravy, less water for thicker gravy.

The crock pot does all the work, & we get to enjoy perfectly moist & tender roast & vegetables. What could be better?!

Oh, yeah! Serving this with

Fruit Salad &

Spoon Rolls

The perfect home-cooked American meal!

Recipe of the "Week"

Well, I didn't think it was possible, & it happened completely by accident. I wish I could say that I had some part in it, that I was ingenious enough to improve on an already wonderful thing, but that would be a lie. Nope, it all happened simply because I didn't have the right kind of flour & because I cracked open a double-yolked egg. And because my bananas were super-duper disgustingly ripe. Thus was born. . .

Best Ever Banana Nut Bread Made Even Better

(I've got to think of a shorter title)

Dry Ingredients:

-1 3/4 c. self-rising flour
-1 1/2 c. sugar
-1/4 tsp. cinnamon
-1/8 tsp. nutmeg

Wet Ingredients:

-3 super-duper disgustingly ripe bananas, mashed

-1/2 c. oil (I used coconut oil & loooooved it! Just a hint if you do this, too: get your milk & eggs to room temperature or the coconut oil will solidify on you. Not fun.)

-1 tsp. vanilla

-1 c. buttermilk (I make sour milk with lemon juice & milk)

-3 eggs

-1 c. walnuts, coarsely chopped (not "wet", I know, but it still goes here)

Directions:

-Thoroughly sift together dry ingredients in large bowl & make a well in the center.

-Combine bananas & wet ingredients (minus walnuts) in medium bowl.

-Add banana mixture to the dry ingredients & mix together thoroughly.

-Fold in walnuts.

-Line 9"x5" loaf pan* with foil & spray with cooking spray.

-Pour batter into loaf pan & sprinkle with Streusel-Nut Topping (optional, but highly recommended).

-Bake @ 325 degrees for 1 hour or until golden brown & a fork comes out clean when inserted in the center. (This will largely depend on your oven. If it needs to bake longer, cover with foil to prevent burning.)

Streusel-Nut Topping

-Combine 1/4 c. brown sugar & 3 T flour. Using a pastry blender or fork, cut in 2 T butter (not too soft) until coarse crumbs. Stir in 1/3 c. chopped walnuts. (You'll need one recipe of this topping for the bread & another for the muffins.)

*This honestly makes too much batter for the loaf pan. It fits initially, but as it's baking, it will overflow. Trust me; learn from my mistakes. So, I pour the batter into the foiled/sprayed loaf pan, & then dip out ladle-full amounts to pour into sprayed muffin pans. Just fill 6 muffin cups ~ 2/3 full; this is perfect for preventing loaf pan overflow. Sprinkle with streusel-nut topping as well. Bake them along with the bread for 15-20 minutes (depending on your oven). And how do the muffins come out? Moist, fall-apart, eat-with-a-fork fabulous! See?!

Recipe of the "Week"

There seems to be a lot of confusion, so I'm going to set the record straight.  Yes, I am from Louisiana. No, I am not Cajun (that's south LA), which is why I just have a typical Southern accent.  No, I don't eat seafood (or pondfood or riverfood or any kind of swimmingfood), & I don't like spicy (as in "hot") food. Well . . . okay, that's somewhat untrue, because I have taken quite a liking to salsa in the last couple of years. But generally, spicy foods & I are not on speaking terms, simply because when we do talk, they're mean to me. This jambalaya is the epitome of spicy, though, if by that you mean "flavorful". And I'm all into that! And I don't even need any Tabasco. Or seafood.

Chicken & Sausage Jambalaya

Ingredients:

-2 stalks celery

-1/2 bell pepper

-1-2 onions

-garlic (I just shake in enough to cover the top)

-1 c. rice

-2 c. chicken broth
-1-2 packages smoked sausage (we use turkey sausage & love it)
-1-2 lbs. chicken breasts
-1-2 cans Rotel
-1 small can tomato paste

Directions:

-Slice & brown the sausage & chicken, then set aside.

-Mince & sauté the celery, bell pepper, & onions.

-Combine all ingredients in a large skillet or pot & simmer until liquid is gone & rice is tender.

This is just a basic recipe, without bells & whistles. If you want something more, try this recipe; it looks fantastic, & I'll probably throw in some of those ingredients the next time I make this. For our recipe, use 2 packages of sausage if you want lots of sausage or 2 lbs. of chicken if you want lots of chicken (in the pictures you see 1 package of sausage & 2 lbs. chicken). If you want it spicy (as in "hot"), throw in 2 cans of Rotel. I just used one & it wasn't spicy in the least.

That's it! It's so simple & so good. Michael refused for more than 3 years to let me make this, but one taste & he begged me to make it regularly. Serve it with garlic bread & a salad.

Laissez les bon temps rouler!

Recipe of the "Week"

Who doesn't love their own personal pizza? I do, but I'm a complete novice at dough-making & am easily intimidated. But even if you're a pro, there are surely times when you just need something quick & simple. Enter Mama (mine) with the great idea to make pizzas on canned biscuit dough. You should totally try this on for size:

Personal Pizzas

Ingredients:

-1 can Pillsbury flaky biscuits

-homemade pizza sauce (it's super easy. Promise.)

-mozzarella cheese

-pepperoni (we use turkey pepperoni, & it's awesome.)

Directions:

-Line a pizza pan or cookie sheet with foil & spray with cooking spray.

-Make your pizza sauce (see below).

-Lay out the canned biscuits a couple of inches apart & flatten them with the palm of your hand.

-Spread the pizza sauce on each flattened biscuit.

-Top the pizza with cheese & pepperoni. Pepperoni is our choice, but you can obviously make it to suit your taste.

-Bake the pizzas according to the biscuit directions, just make sure to keep an eye on the "crust" to make sure it doesn't burn.

-Let the pizzas cool slightly so you don't burn your mouth.

Homemade Pizza Sauce (I failed to make note of where I got this from & all of my searching hasn't turned it up.)

Ingredients:

-1 15 oz jar/can tomato sauce
-2 Tbsp parmesan cheese
-1 tsp garlic powder (I used dry minced garlic)
-3/4 tsp onion powder
-1/4 tsp oregano
-1/4 tsp basil
-1/8 tsp black pepper (just sprinkle some in)
-1/2 tsp honey (optional; I've made this twice & haven't added this yet.)

Directions:

-Mix all ingredients together & let it sit while you "make" the dough, then make your pizzas.

-*Hint: For 8-10 personal pizzas, half this recipe.


And just so you know, my sweet husband - who is a pizza connoisseur - said this was the best pizza he'd ever had & didn't see any need in ever ordering from his favorite place again! I have no doubt that the sauce had everything to do with it!

Recipe of the "Week"

Cooler weather is on the horizon! Can't you feel Fall coming?! I LOVE Fall! Love, love, love, love! I get so excited when the weather starts to get crisp & leaves start changing colors. Shoot! I get excited just thinking about it! Tawny hued leaves floating through the air, the caw of crows, camping in the Smokies, sitting on the front porch with my dearly beloved without a rerun of "Attack of the Mosquitos". And suppers of warm, comforting foods like this. . .

Red Beans & Rice

Ingredients:

-3 cans Blue Runner Creole Cream Style red beans (you can use the dry beans as well, unless they hate you, too, & refuse to cook no matter how long you cook them & regardless of the fact that you follow "bean cooking" directions to a tee &. . .oooh. Take a deep breath. . .ahhhh. Sorry about that. Beans do that to me.)

-2 onions

-2 stalks celery

-1/2 bell pepper

-2 cloves garlic (or 1/2 tsp. dry minced garlic)

-smoked sausage (the more the better; I used 3 packages of turkey sausage & it was very meaty. Which = very good!)

-1 T Italian seasoning

Directions:

-Mince onions, celery, & bell pepper. Putting all 3 of these in the Cuisinart at once & pulsing several times works like a charm!

-Mix beans, vegetables, & seasonings in a large pot & simmer. Don't turn the heat up more than this, because the sausage takes a while to sauté, & you don't want the beans to get too soupy.

-Slice the sausage somewhat thinly (see the picture above to get an idea of the width). Of course, this is a personal preference. You may have heard me mention my aversion to big gobs of meat. Once.  Or twice.  Plus, the meat goes further when you have smaller slices.

-Sauté the sausage until both sides are the color & texture you desire. I like it to be brown bordering on black & slightly crispy. Again, it's a personal preference.

-Add the sausage to the beans & allow to simmer for 30 more minutes. Now's a good time to begin your rice.

-Serve over cooked rice with a side of cornbread or corn casserole.

Fall, here we come!!!

Recipe of the "Week"

As I look at the picture & contemplate our recipe for this week, I'm beginning to drool.  Thankfully, I have a napkin here, so I'm able to catch it before I mess up my shirt.  This is another one that I grew up on, & also another one that Michael raves over.  The secret to this one is to let it cook long enough.  It must simmer for 1 1/2 to 2 hours or it won't be the right consistency & flavor.  My Granny used to always make this for me; this has always been my well-known favorite, & I hope it becomes one of yours!

Creole Sauce & Rice (w/Cornbread Casserole*)

Ingredients:

-1 lb. ground beef

-1 onion

-1 small bell pepper (or 1/2 large bell pepper; I can never seem to find small bell peppers.)

-1 can tomato paste
-2 1/2 cans water (using the now-empty tomato paste can)
-1 T sugar
-salt, pepper, garlic (powder or dry minced - I use dry minced.)

Directions:

-Cook meat until it's brown & very crumbly (remember from previous posts that I am NOT a fan of big gobs of meat or veggies!).

-Mince the onion & bell pepper (again, big gobs are yucky!  My Cuisinart chopper is very handy for this).

-Add the onion & bell pepper to the meat & cook until the onions are clear.

-Add all other ingredients & combine well.  (It takes a little bit of stirring for the tomato paste to blend.)

-Reduce heat, cover, & simmer for 1 1/2 to 2 hours until thick.  (The longer it cooks, the better it tastes.  It should NOT look like spaghetti sauce, it should have a more "spreadable" consistency.)

-Serve over cooked rice, topped with parmesan cheese (of course, being a HUGE cheese fan, I use lots of parmesan!), with a side of English peas & cornbread casserole.  A pear salad or fruit salad are nice desserts with this meal.

Ingredients for Cornbread Casserole:

-1 box of Jiffy cornbread mix
-1 can cream corn
-1 egg
-1/3 c. milk

Directions for Cornbread Casserole:

-Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

-Line a 9"x5" loaf pan with foil & grease with cooking spray.

-Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl.  (It will be lumpy, but all ingredients should be incorporated well.)

-Pour the batter into the loaf pan & bake 15-25 minutes.  It's done when the top of the loaf has turned a golden brown in spots.

*Note:  Whereas the Creole Sauce & Rice recipe originated (for me) with Granny, I got the Cornbread Casserole recipe from Mrs. Judy from GCBC!  Thanks to you both!


P.S.  Follow this link to Heavenly Homemaker for a parade of wonderful recipes!

Recipe of the "Week"

I'm a master procrastinator. Case in point, I'm writing this post instead of cleaning my kitchen. I figure, I'm writing about cooking, which involves working in the kitchen, so maybe that makes it okay. . .right? No? Well, it was worth a shot. Okay, I promise, right after this post, I'll go clean the kitchen. Once I check my email (again) & call my Mama. But, then I'll clean the kitchen. (Speaking of Mama, you know that these sorts of bad character traits are all her fault. Somehow. I'll bet I could get a psychologist to agree with me. Cue mischievous laugh.  Oh, wait. . .that puts me in a psychologist's office. . .hmmm.)

How in the world all of this became the intro for this week's recipe I'll never know.

Italian Baked Chicken with Smothered Potatoes

Ingredients for Italian Baked Chicken:

-2 lbs. chicken breasts
-Zesty Italian dressing (believe it or not, the Wal-Mart brand is our favorite one. And I detest W-M.)

Directions for Italian Baked Chicken:

-Spray a 9"x13" baking dish with cooking spray, all over the bottom & up the sides

-Shake the dressing bottle well (I know, I know, but somebody's not gonna do it) & squirt enough dressing to coat the bottom of the dish.

-Lay out the chicken breasts so that they're slightly overlapping (I'm able to lay out 3 side-by side & end-to-end this way).

-Stab each piece of chicken all over with a fork.

-Pour Italian dressing all over the chicken breasts until they are mostly covered.

-Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. This allows the chicken breasts to marinate while the oven is heating up.

-Bake chicken until both sides are golden brown. Be careful not to cook them too long or the dressing will turn black, which they say is carcinogenic.

-When serving chicken, spoon any remaining dressing from the bottom of the dish onto the chicken.

Ingredients for Smothered Potatoes:

-Cooking oil
- ~ 5 or 6 potatoes*
-6 or 7 onions*

*Note: The number of potatoes & onions is really a personal preference. We like our potatoes smothered in onions, so I put more onions than potatoes in this dish. The onions always shrink up considerably, & even when I think I have too many potatoes & onions at the start, it never seems to be enough once I'm done. Oh! Also, I only cook this in an electric skillet, so some modification may be necessary with a cast-iron or any other round skillet.

Directions for Smothered Potatoes:

-Pour enough oil into the skillet to just cover the bottom.

-Turn the skillet's temperature gauge up to 350 degrees.

-Chop the onions. Watch this video for a great way to chop an onion without the risk of it slipping & you cutting yourself. Follow the instructions until just a little after the 2-minute mark. At this point, you need to cut the onion straight down vertically (instead of horizontally as she does). Don't dice them. Here's a picture to show you how they should look. Visuals always help me. Oh! And one more thing - I slice my onions very thin. I get more onions this way, plus they turn more brown like I like.

-Once you've distributed the onions into the skillet, put the top on & let them cook while you cut the potatoes.

-Scrub the potatoes & cut off any bad parts.

-Cut each potato from one end to the other. Don't cut them too thick or they'll take forever to soften, but if you cut them too thin, they'll fall apart.

-Before you lay the potatoes out in the skillet, stir the onions. They've been cooking on one side up until now, so this lets them cook on the other side as well.

-Lay the potatoes out in one layer on top of the onions, as shown.

-Replace the lid & continue to cook them, stirring periodically so that everything is cooked evenly.

-When you notice the onions & potatoes beginning to stick (don't wait too long on this), you'll need to turn the temperature down to about 300 degrees. I like darker & slightly crispy onions & potatoes, but it's no fun to fight the stuck-on potatoes while you're trying to cook them!

-Once they've reached your desired consistency & coloring, turn the skillet to warm until you're ready to serve them.

Okay, now this next part is vitally important. Please make sure that you do not divert from these directions in the least.

-Once your meal is on your plate, squirt ketchup all over the smothered potatoes & then mix together. Seriously, you won't get the right flavor if you don't. I realize some of you are mavericks who like to blaze your own trail, but don't. Or, if you do, don't tell me about it. 

Serve this meal with corn, green beans (I doctor mine up with minced garlic, Italian seasoning, a little bit of salt & pepper, & just a dash of sugar), & rolls. Dessert can be whatever you wish.

Enjoy!