Beef Nacho Casserole

This recipe is another recipe I received thanks to All Recipes email.  It caught my eye as something easy to make and simple ingredients that we always seem to have on hand.  I made it tonight and it is definitely something we will be keeping in the rotation.  I did make a few small tweaks based on some of the suggestions from the reviews which I noted in the ingredients.


1 pound ground beef
1 1/2 cups chunky salsa
1 (10 ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained (I used Mexicorn to add some more kick)
3/4 cup creamy salad dressing (e.g. Miracle Whip)
1 teaspoon chili powder (I used taco seasoning)
2 cups crushed tortilla chips
2 cups Colby cheese

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. Place ground beef in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring to crumble, until evenly browned.  Drain grease. Remove from the heat, and stir the salsa, corn, mayonnaise and chili powder into the beef. In a 2 quart casserole dish, layer the ground beef mixture, tortilla chips and cheese twice, ending with cheese on top.
3. Bake for 20 minutes uncovered in the preheated oven, until cheese is melted and dish is thoroughly heated.

Cheddar Beef Enchiladas

Enchiladas are a favorite dish over here and it had been a while since I had made them, so I decided to find a recipe for one that I could use some ground beef with.  I found this recipe on All Recipes and decided to make it.  I did alter some of the ingredients based on what we prefer, but it was a keeper!  Super easy to make and I love that it splits in half perfectly to freeze for a later date.

 This is the non-cooked freezer version.  I forgot to take a picture of the cooked one before we ate it all!

Ingredients

1 pound ground beef
1 (1.25 ounce) package taco seasoning
1 cup water (I actually used 2 cups since I cooked the rice when I the seasoning was added)
2 cups cooked rice
1 (16 ounce) can refried beans
2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese, divided
10 (8 inch) flour tortillas
1 (16 ounce) jar salsa (I used enchilada sauce...just our preference)
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of chicken soup, undiluted (I used cream of mushroom, again our preference)

Directions

1. In a large skillet, cook beef over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. Stir in taco seasoning and water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes. Stir in rice. Cook and stir until liquid is evaporated. OR, you can add the rice uncooked after the meat is cooked and drained, along with 2 cups of water, bring to a boil, cover and let simmer for around 20 minutes.
2. Spread about 2 tablespoons of refried beans, 1/4 cup beef mixture and 1 tablespoon cheese down the center of each tortilla; roll up. Place seam side down in two greased 13-in. x 9-in. x 2-in. baking dishes.
3. Combine salsa and soup; pour down the center of enchiladas. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake one casserole, uncovered, at 350 degrees F for 20-25 minutes or until heated through and cheese is melted. Cover and freeze remaining casserole for up to 3 months.

To use frozen casserole: Thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Cover and bake at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes. Uncover; bake 5-10 minutes longer or until heated through and cheese is melted.

White Chicken Lasagna

This is another recipe I found on Allrecipes.com. It was a winner! I have only made one other kind of lasagna before (Fiesta Lasagna), so I was eager to try out a different one. I love lasagna, but wish it was easy to make it for two...instead of 12! I did assemble this ahead of time and then baked it at another location...still turned out great.

9 lasagna noodles (I used the no bake kind)
1/2 cup butter
1 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups chicken broth
1 1/2 cups milk
4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 cups ricotta cheese
2 cups cubed, cooked chicken meat
2 (10 ounce) packages frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained (I used just 1)
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese for topping

1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook lasagna noodles in boiling water for 8 to 10 minutes. Drain, and rinse with cold water. (You can skip this step if you use no bake noodles)

2.Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Cook the onion and garlic in the butter until tender, stirring frequently. Stir in the flour and salt, and simmer until bubbly. Mix in the broth and milk, and boil, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Stir in 2 cups mozzarella cheese and 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese. Season with the basil, oregano, and ground black pepper. Remove from heat, and set aside.

3.Spread 1/3 of the sauce mixture in the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish. Layer with 1/3 of the noodles, the ricotta, and the chicken. Arrange 1/3 of the noodles over the chicken, and layer with 1/3 of the sauce mixture, spinach, and the remaining 2 cups mozzarella cheese and 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese. Arrange remaining noodles over cheese, and spread remaining sauce evenly over noodles. Sprinkle with parsley and 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese.

4.Bake 35 to 40 minutes in the preheated oven.

Shrimp Francesca

This recipe was delivered to my inbox via All Recipes and we finally were able to try it last night.  I loved how quick it was for a weeknight meal.  It was very simple too!  We ate it with angel hair pasta and we will be making this one again.  One thing I would like to change is using fresh shrimp rather than frozen, pre-cooked.  The shrimp were a little tougher than I would like...but you buy what is on sale and use it, right?

1 pound uncooked large shrimp, peeled and deveined (I used frozen, cooked)
1 (8 ounce) can (8 to 10 count) artichoke hearts in water, drained
1/2 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley (I omitted because I didn't have)
1 lemon, juiced
1/2 cup butter
1 1/2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 tablespoon finely shredded imported Romano cheese

1.Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking dish.
2.Arrange the shrimp in the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Gently squeeze any excess liquid from the artichoke hearts, break the hearts into quarters, and arrange in spaces between the shrimp. Sprinkle the bread crumbs and parsley over the shrimp and artichoke hearts; sprinkle lemon juice over the crumbs.
3.Melt butter with garlic in a small saucepan over medium-low heat; drizzle the butter mixture over the bread crumbs. Sprinkle the top with Romano cheese.
4.Bake in the preheated oven until the crumbs and cheese brown lightly and the shrimp turn opaque and orange-pink in color, 10 to 12 minutes. Serve hot.

Sherry Wine Sauce Chicken

A few of the girls on the Detroit Nest board were talking about a recipe very similar to this one and I thought it sounded pretty good.  However, I am a big recipe follower, I can't "wing it" with measurements like some people, so I searched around until I found a recipe that sounded similar that I could follow!

I modified this recipe from All Recipes.  It originally served 6, I made it for just 2.  We really liked this dish.  It had a lot of flavor and was kind of rich! I served it with rice and a side salad with our spinach from Door to Door Organics delivery.

This is my version for 2, not 6.  This was so easy.  You just mix it all together and bake!

2/3 can cream of chicken soup (I used cream of chicken with herbs because I had it on hand)
2/3 can cream of mushroom soup (I used Healthy Request)
1/3 cup cream of sherry
1/3 of a 16 oz. container of sour cream (I used reduced fat)
2 boneless chicken breasts
4 oz can sliced mushrooms (optional)

Preheat oven to 350.
In a 8x8 dish, mix together all the ingredients.  Immerse the chicken in the mixture.  Bake for approximately 45 minutes or until the chicken is no longer pink.  Ours took around 50 minutes. 
Serve over rice.

RoTel's Southwest Chicken Skillet

This is yet another successful recipe we recipe we received from a guest at our wedding shower, which is hard to believe was nearly a year ago already.  Man, how time flies.  Thanks Aunt Lisa for the recipe!  We will definitely be adding this to the rotation.  We really liked the flavor and I liked the minimal dishes it required to make it!

1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
4 chicken breasts cut into 1 inch chunks (I used 2 Costco sized ones)
1 cup uncooked rice
1 10 oz. can RoTel Diced tomatoes and green chilies
1 8oz. can tomato sauce
1 cup water
3 green onions thinly sliced, reserve 2 Tbsp. for garnish
sour cream (optional, but we think it added some good flavor)
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium to high heat.  Cook chicken until no longer pink, stirring frequently.  Stir in rice, can of RoTel, can of tomato sauce, water, and green onions.  Bring to a boil, cover.

Reduce heat to low, cook for 20 minutes or until rice is tender.  Stir the mixture.  Top with shredded cheese and the reserved green onions.  Cover.  Cook 5 minutes more until cheese melts.

Serve with sour cream if desired.

Crock Pot Pulled Pork Sandwiches

Pork -2, Amy - 1.  I had written off cooking pork.   I tried 2 different recipes for a pork tenderloin and both were disappointments.  When I suggested to Steve that I make a pulled pork sandwich for Super Bowl Sunday dinner, he said sure, and I didn't even realize I volunteered to cook pork...the meat that had haunted me!  This was a great, simple recipe that was delicious!

I found this recipe on All Recipes.com and since it was a Crock Pot recipe, I thought it would be perfect.  It was very easy and didn't require any out of the ordinary ingredients, which I always like!  I did add some BBQ sauce and liquid smoke at the end per the recommendations of others on the site and it was great!

I wish I would have remembered to buy some nice kaiser rolls to have with these, but I forgot to grab them at the store.  Luckily, I had some regular old boring sesame hamburger buns in the freezer.

I did cut the recipe below in half.  The original serves 12.  We had enough for 4 sandwiches and probably at least 4 more, which will be great for dinner this week.  Here is the original.

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
3 1/2 pounds boneless pork shoulder roast, netted or tied
1 (10.5 ounce) can Campbell's® Condensed French Onion Soup
1 cup ketchup
1/4 cup cider vinegar
3 tablespoons packed brown sugar
12 round sandwich rolls or hamburger rolls, split

1. Heat the oil in a 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add the pork and cook until it's well browned on all sides.
2. Stir the soup, ketchup, vinegar and brown sugar in a 5-quart slow cooker. Add the pork and turn to coat.
3. Cover and cook on LOW for 8 to 9 hours* or until the pork is fork-tender. (I cooked on high for 6 hours)
4. Remove the pork from the cooker to a cutting board and let stand for 10 minutes. Using 2 forks, shred the pork. Return the pork to the cooker. (I didn't have to do this.  Mine literally fell apart to the touch at 6 hours in the pot)
5. Divide the pork and sauce mixture among the rolls.

I did try to remove a majority of the liquid the meat cooked in to cut down on the juicy/messiness.  That is when I added about 3/4 cup of BBQ sauce and around 1 Tablespoon of liquid smoke.  I let that heat up for another 15 minutes or so and then served.

Baked Ravioli

My new favorite way to find new recipes is from daily emails I get from All Recipes and Martha Stewart.  I file them away and when I am ready to try something different, I look there first.  So far, it is working out pretty well.  There have been some duds over the last few weeks (which I will spare you), but this one was a keeper thanks to Martha.

It was fairly simple and tasty.  One downside, I wasn't thinking very well when I bought the ingredients.  It made a lot.  I think it could have been cut in half fairly easily, but I didn't put my math cap on to figure it out.  Oh well, we have some for leftovers this week and I froze the rest for another day.  My favorite part was the baked cheese on top.  Yum.  I also used a Michigan brand pasta, Pierino, for the first time.  Mostly because I had a coupon, but also because I like to support the Michigan economy when I can.  I used a mix of cheese and meat.  Next time, I will just use all cheese.  Something wasn't sitting right with the meat for us.

2 Tablespoons of olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
coarse ground salt and pepper
1 1/2 teaspoon dry oregano or thyme (I used my Italian Seasoning spice)
1 can (28 oz) whole tomatoes
1 can (28 oz.) crushed tomatoes
2 pounds store bought ravioli
1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella (I used Kraft's Natural 5 Italian Cheese blend because I had it on hand)
1/2 grated parmesan

Heat oven to 425.

In a large saucepan, heat olive oil over medium heat.  Add garlic, onion and season with salt and pepper.  Allow the onion to soften, around 5 minutes.

Add oregano (or thyme) and tomatoes.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat to simmer and cook it for around 20-25 minutes, breaking up the whole tomatoes with your spoon.  Reduce down until it thickens, to about 5 1/2 cups.

While the sauce is cooking, bring a large pot of water to a boil.  Cook ravioli according to package, until they just float to the top.  They will continue to cook while in the oven.  Drain.

Mix ravioli and sauce together and pour into a 9x13 dish.  Spread the cheeses on top.  Cook for around 20-25 minutes.  Allow for it to cool a bit before serving...it will be hot!

Crockpot Meatballs over Noodles

I wanted to throw something in the Crockpot for dinner that was warm, gooey and mindless. I found this on All Recipes.com and thought we would try it. It is kind of like Swedish meatballs, but better. And SO easy. I mean, really easy. No measuring or anything!

The recipe originally called for 24 servings!! I would love to see the size of the Crock Pot you would use for that one! I cut it in half to 12, because that is what took 1 can of each item. So that is what I am listing here. If you want to mess around with the serving size, just follow the link above. This made enough for Steve and I with leftovers...not a ton, but some. It was really good and hit the spot on a cold winter's night!

1 can cream of celery soup (I used Healthy Request)

1 can condensed French Onion soup

8 oz. sour cream (about a cup)

3 pounds frozen Italian style meatballs (I ended up only using 2 pounds)

egg noodles

melted butter

Throw the cream of celery and french onion soup into the Crock Pot, mix well. Add the meatballs. If you choose, you can add the sour cream at this time as well. I followed some suggestions from other readers and added it in the last 3o minutes. I also added 2 small jars of mushrooms.

Cook on high for 3 hours. I cooked ours on low for around 6 and found the meatballs were breaking up a lot when I was stirring it around, so my advice would be to not cook it for too long.

Serve over cooked egg noodles that you can add butter to if you want, I didn't.

Fiesta Lasagna

This is another great recipe we got from one of our showers before the wedding. I highly recommend brides-to-be to do that...we got so many great options from "trusted" friends and family!

I apologize for not taking a picture...but picture your normal lasagna, just without the red sauce. This was so easy and SO good. It required minimal dishes to be dirtied and since we don't have a dishwasher, this always makes me like a dish that much more!

I invited my parents over to help us eat this, because as much as I love lasagna, I don't like to make it for just us because it is just too much! Between the for of us, we ate about half of it. The other half I froze for another day.

Cook and then drain

1 lb. ground beef (I am sure ground turkey would be just fine too)

1/4 cup chopped onion

If you choose to use regular lasagna noodles, then you should be boiling and then draining those as well, at this point. You will need around 9. I tried out the "no bake" kind this time and boy, were they awesome. I highly recommend them.

Add the cooked meat and onion to a large bowl. Add:

1 can refried beans (14 oz.)

1 can mild chili beans (14 oz.)

1 can mexican stewed tomatoes (14 oz.)

1 cup salsa

1 can green chilies (I used a small can of chopped ones)

1 envelope taco seasoning

1 teaspoon oregano

1 teaspoon cumin

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

Mix well.

In another bowl mix together:

1 1/4 cup mozzarella cheese

1 1/c cup Monterrey jack cheese, then divide in half into another bowl.

In one half of the shredded cheeses, add:

3/4 cup cottage cheese

3/4 cup sour cream. mix well.

Lightly grease a 9x13 pan, preheat oven to 350.

Spread appx. 1 cup of the meat mixture on the bottom of the dish.

Layer with 3 lasagna noodles.

Then layer 1/3 of the cheese with sour cream mixture and more meat sauce. Repeat twice. Your top layer should just be meat sauce, not noodles (like I did :) )

Cover and bake at 350 for 1 hour.

Uncover and spread 1/2 cup sour cream and remaining cheese. Bake for 10-12 more minutes. Remove and let sit for 10 minutes before serving.

BBQ Ranch Chicken

I have been meaning to blog this recipe the last 3 times I have made it and finally remember to take a picture tonight! We love this super simple and tasty recipe courtesy of Molly. This is one of our simple go-to chicken dishes we can make during the week with minimal prep work and dishes! Try it...you will love the simplicity and great flavor!

I made this with just 2 chicken breasts, but here is the original:

4 chicken breasts

3/4 cup BBQ sauce (I used appx. 2/3 cup)

3/4 cup ranch dressing (I used appx. 2/3 cup)

Shredded Cheddar cheese

Chopped green onions (optional)

Bacon bits (optional)

Mix ranch and BBQ sauce together and pour over the chicken in a frying pan. Let simmer on medium to high heat for around 20-30 minutes until cooked.

I usually flip them a few times while cooking. I usually have a lot of sauce left over, so I pour some on top. The chicken never gets dry for me, but if the sauce mixture starts to dry out, you can always add some water.

Sprinkle with shredded cheddar, green onions and bacon bits. Enjoy!

Creamy Chicken Enchiladas

I have made this recipe we got at our shower from Steve's best friend's wife, Dacia. We love it! It is almost like a wet burrito rather than enchiladas and it is so easy. We have made some modifications which I included here. The modifications started because of what we had in the house and we think it came out fabulously!

Sorry...no picture. It really isn't a attractive dish, it is more like a hot, gooey mexican blob of goodness. :)

8 medium size flour tortillas (I think they are considered burrito size), we use 6 and stuff 'em nice and fat.

4 large chicken breasts (we usually use 3 Costco size)

2 cans cream of chicken soup (we use one cream of chicken and one cream of mushroom...again, this started from having one of each in the house and it worked. It gives it a great flavor)

1/2 cup of salsa (we usually use about a cup of enchilada sauce)

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

1 cup sour cream

Preheat oven to 350. Grease a 9x13 cooking dish and set aside.

Cook chicken and chop or shred into small pieces.

Mix chicken, salsa (or enchilada sauce), 1/2 cup of shredded cheese together and set aside.

In separate bowl, combine soup and sour cream. Place a spoonful of soup mixture and a spoonful of chicken mixture inside each tortilla (I usually use one heaping spoonful of soup mixture and spread it out on the tortilla and at least 2 spoonfuls of chicken since we are only using 6 tortillas).

Roll up and place seam side down in the dish. Pour remainder of soup mixture over the enchiladas and cover with remaining cheese.

Bake at 350 for 45 minutes. Let sit out for about 5 minutes before serving so it will set a bit.

Cheez-It/Laughing Cow Chicken

I got inspired to find a recipe with Cheez-Its as I was munching on a box of them after work. I figured there had to be a recipe out there that used them as a breading for the chicken we had thawed out that morning. I did find one, but it called to deep fry them. Since we didn't have the means or desire to do that, I decided just to bake them at 400 degrees like I do with Laughing Cow chicken. Since the chicken breasts were very thick at one end, I decided to add a wedge of Laughing Cow cheese to each breast and it was a hit!

This is the original recipe for 6 servings. I modified it for 4 on the site and they adjusted the ingredients accordingly.

• 1 1/2 cups Cheez-It® Original Baked Snack Crackers, crushed (we used Reduced Fat)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon celery salt (garlic if preferred)
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1 wedge of Laughing Cow cheese (whichever flavor you prefer) per breast

Preheat oven to 400.

Lightly grease a baking dish. I used a small oval Corningware, a glass 8x8 dish would work too.

Mix together the egg and the milk. Place in a shallow bowl. Crush the Cheez-Its (I use my mini food processor) and mix in the salt, oregano, celery salt (we used garlic). Place in a shallow bowl.

Open up each chicken breast and spread one wedge of Laughing Cow cheese in the middle. Fold back over to original shape.

Dredge the chicken breast in the milk/egg mixture and then roll in the Cheez-It mixture until well coated. Place in baking dish. Cook in pre-heated oven for around 35-40 minutes until the chicken is cooked through. Keep checking the chicken, ours seemed to take forever, probably because of the thickness at one end. Enjoy!

Chicken Dijon

This is a yummy recipe that we got from one of our guests at one of our showers. It is a great recipe because most of the ingredients we always have in the house. The downside of this recipe was, no offense to the person that gave it to us, written so confusing, I had to start over 2 times! I will do a much better job for you when I post it! That is also why I don't have a picture, I was so annoyed, I just wanted to eat the thing! It is delicious though. Don't let the name fool you, it is a really light mustard taste. In a way, it reminded me a lemon rice chicken soup from National Coney Island, but not as lemony!

Rice Ingredients

2 cups water

1 cup rice

1/2 teaspoon salt

Pat of butter

Chicken and Sauce Ingredients

3-4 Boneless, skinless chicken breasts

3 Tablespoons Butter

3 level Tablespoons flour

16 oz. can of chicken broth

2/3 cup milk

2-3 Tablespoons dijon mustard

In a medium pot, place all the rice ingredients. Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer till all liquid is absorbed (around 10-15 minutes).

Cut up the chicken breasts into strips and cook throughly. I lightly seasoned them with some salt and pepper before cooking. Set aside. The original recipe calls for browning the chicken, then placing it into the butter (next step), but I did it my own way, mostly because I was confused. :) It came out just fine and the chicken was nice and tender and cooked perfectly.

In a medium sized pan, melt 3 Tablespoons of butter until it begins to bubble. Gradually stir in 3 Tablespoons of flour. As you are stirring in the flour, gradually start adding the chicken broth, stirring constantly (like a rue almost) until the broth, flour and butter are well combined. It may be a bit clumpy...that will work itself out.

Add the milk and heat until warm. Then add the dijon mustard, bring to a boil. I was constantly stirring at this point to make sure the sauce was well blended and thickens up a bit.

Add the chicken to this mixture and let it all get warm together for a few minutes.

Serve over cooked rice.

Cheesy Turkey (or Chicken) and Spinach Pie

I have been meaning to try this recipe from one of my cookbooks for some time, so I was happy I finally had the opportunity last night. It was fairly easy to put together, but a bit time consuming. The end product was really delicious and flavorful! It did make a lot, so I think we are going to freeze the leftovers to save for another day.

Nonstick cooking spray

4 oz. cooked angel hair pasta

3 eggs

1 8 oz package of cream cheese, softened

1/3 cup sour cream

1/3 cup mayo

1/4 cup fresh snipped basil (I did a rough chop) or 1 Tablespoon dried basil, crushed

1/2 teaspoon garlic salt

14 teaspoon crushed red pepper

2 cups chopped cooked turkey or chicken (this was about a breast and a half for me, Costco sized)

1 10 oz. packaged frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained

1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese

1/3 cup chopped bottled roasted red sweet peppers

1. Preheat oven to 350. Lightly coat a 9" deep dish pie plate or a 2 quart square baking dish with cooking spray (I used my round, 2 1/4 quart Corningware and it worked perfectly), set aside.

2. In a large bowl, stir together eggs, cream cheese, sour cream, mayo, basil, garlic salt and crushed red pepper until well combined. Stir in cooked pasta, turkey or chicken, spinach, cheese and roasted red peppers. Spread mixture into prepared dish. (if you are using a pie plate, it will be very full)

3. Bake uncovered, in the pre-heated oven for 45 to 50 minutes or until edges are slightly puffed and golden. Let stand on a wire rack for 10 minutes prior to serving to cool.

Makes 6-8 servings.

BBQ Ribs in a Crock Pot

We have been MIA from our kitchen for awhile...reverting back to old standards and frozen quick meals from Trader Joe's! I am anxious for the wedding planning and execution to soon be done so I can dig into all our new cookbooks and try out new recipes!

This recipe is from my grandma. At our showers, we included a recipe card for everyone to bring back completed with them at the shower. We got some great recipes! This one was quick, easy and delicious!!!

3-4 pounds spare ribs

salt

pepper

onion (I just used a medium sized yellow one)

16 oz. jar of BBQ sauce (any flavor you like)

Heat up your broiler. Cut the ribs into serving size pieces. Rub salt and pepper on both sides. Place ribs on broiler pan. Broil ribs for about 10-15 minutes or until they start to brown.

Slice onion, place in the bottom of the crock pot. Pour the entire jar of BBQ sauce on top. Place ribs on top of sauce and onion and then stir all around so the ribs get coated. I kind of stood the ribs up on their sides to maximize the sauce coverage. Cook on low for 10 hours or high for 6 hours. The ribs will be just falling off the bone...delicious!!!

Bay Scallop Gratins

I have been really looking at my Barefoot cookbooks a lot lately, and came across this one and it sounded right up our alley. Steve and I had a low-key Christmas at home, so we decided to make a nice dinner for ourselves. I love scallops and Steve loves prosciutto and this recipe is a nice combination of them both.

I think the topping would have come out a bit better if a) I would have used individual gratin dishes like the recipe calls for instead if a glass 8x8 dish, b) if I would have broiled them the entire time to get a much crustier top and c) if I had a Kitchen Aid mixer to blend it :). I didn't take a picture, because mine did not look at all like the Barefoot's. Tasted good, but not so appealing to look at. So, here is the photo from the Food Network website.


Makes 3 gratins

3 Tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature (very important)
3 large garlic cloves, minced
1 medium shallot, minced
1 ounce thinly sliced prosciutto di Parma, minced
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley, plus extra for garnish
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tablespoon Pernod (French liquor, with a licorice smell)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup panko (Japanese dried bread flakes)
3 tablespoons dry white wine (something you would drink with dinner)
1 pound fresh bay scallops

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place 3 6" round gratin dishes on a sheet pan.

To make the topping, place the butter in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (you can also use a hand mixer). With the mixer on low speed, add the garlic, the shallot, prosciutto, parsley, lemon juice, Pernod, salt and pepper until combined. With the mixer still on low, add the olive oil slowly, as though making a mayonnaise, until combined. Fold the panko in with a rubber spatula and set aside.

Preheat broiler if its separate from your oven.

Place 1 Tablespoon of wine in the bottom of each gratin dish.

Pat the scallops down with a paper towel so they are dry and distribute them among the 3 dishes. If you could only find sea scallops (which are larger than bay scallops), cut them into quarters before placing them in the dish.

Spoon the garlic butter evenly over the top of the scallops. Bake for 10-12 minutes until the top is golden and sizzling and the scallops are barely done. If you want the top crustier, place under the broiler for 2 minutes until browned. Serve with a squeeze of lemon and chopped parsley.

Turkey Meat Loaf

This is one of my most favorite, cold weather, comfort food dishes. This was the first recipe I tried when I got my first Barefoot Contessa cookbook last Christmas and have made it a few times since with rave reviews every time. WARNING - this recipe as is makes the biggest meatloaf you have ever seen. Barefoot says it serves 8-10 and my guess it could serve a small army. I cut it in half recently, and it was still big, but what we didn't eat, we froze and it was still very yummy reheated.

3 cups chopped yellow onions (2 large onions)
2 Tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves (1/2 teaspoon dry)
1/3 cup Worcestershire sauce
3/4 chicken stock
1 1/2 teaspoons tomato paste
5 pounds ground turkey breast (I told you it was the biggest meatloaf you have ever seen)
1 1/2 cups plain, dry bread crumbs
3 extra-large eggs, beaten
3/4 cup ketchup

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.

In a medium saute pan, on medium-low heat, cook the onions, olive oil, salt, pepper and thyme until the onions are translucent, but not browned (appx. 15 minutes). Add the Worcestershire sauce, chicken stock and tomato paste and mix well. Allow to cool to room temperature.

Combine the ground turkey, bread crumbs, eggs and onion mixture in a large bowl (might need your bath tub if you make a 5 pound loaf). Mix well and shape into a rectangular loaf on an ungreased baking sheet. Spread the ketchup evenly on top. Bake for 1 1/2 hours, until the internal temperature is 160 degrees and the meatloaf is cooked through.

A helpful hint, if you place a pan of hot water in the oven as the loaf is cooking, it will prevent the ketchup from cracking.

Laughing Cow Chicken

I got this recipe from a fellow Knottie's food blog and it was yummy and super easy! It was perfect for 2 people too, which I was relieved about!

Ingredients

2 chicken breasts, cut horizontally 3/4 of the way through (for stuffing the cheese)

2 wedges Laughing Cow light cheese (one per each breast)

Italian seasoning to taste (I used chicken seasoning because that is what we had)

1/4 cup dried bread crumbs (I used seasoned)

Handful Parmesan cheese (I used shredded because we had some left over)

Cooking spray

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees

2. Open up each chicken breast and spread one wedge of Laughing Cow cheese in the middle. Sprinkle seasoning to taste. Fold back over to original shape.

3. Mix together bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese in a shallow dish.

4. Spray each chicken breast with cooking spray, then dip in bread crumb mixture to coat. Place on cookie sheet (I used an 8x8 dish)

5. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.

Cream Cheese Crock Pot Chicken

Since we had our 3rd (and final) wedding prep class with the church all afternoon today, I wanted to make something that wouldn't take much to do when we got home.  I got this recipe from a fellow Knottie's food blog and have been wanting to try it.  We really liked it and are already thinking of things to add to it for the next time!

3 - 4 boneless chicken breasts (un-thawed or frozen, I used frozen and it worked great)

4 Tbsp. butter

1 packet dry Italian dressing mix

1 small onion, chopped

1 garlic clove, chopped

1 can cream of chicken soup (we used the Healthy Request kind)

8 0z. cream cheese (I used Neufchatel, less fat, same cream cheese taste we all know and love)

1/2 cup chicken broth

Place the chicken breasts on the bottom of the crock pot, sprinkle the packet of dressing mix on top of the chicken.  Melt 2 Tbsp. of butter and drizzle over the dressing covered chicken.  Set the Crock Pot on low and cook for 4-6 hours.

About an hour before you want to eat, melt the remaining 2 Tbsp. in a large pan and saute the chopped onion and garlic.  Add the remaining ingredients (cream of chicken soup, cream cheese and chicken broth).  Stir until smooth.

Add the mixture to the crock pot and cook for an additional hour.  We had it with egg noodles...rice would probably be good as well!  Enjoy!