I found the basis for this recipe in a cookbook that was a wedding present umpteen years ago. The cookbook is long gone and the recipe has undergone so many changes that it is barely recognizable as the same dish. It is good by itself, as a one dish meal, but tonight I am serving it as a breakfast component.
Start with a pound of breakfast sausage, browned, crumbled and drained. In a skillet, cook a a package of shredded, frozen hash browns according to the directions. Then spread the potatoes evenly on the bottom of the skillet and press down with a spatula. Salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle the sausage over the potatoes evenly. Over the sausage, spread about 1 cup of shredded cheese. Pour 2 scrambled eggs evenly over all and cover, cook till eggs are done, slice like a pie and serve. Tonight I am serving this with biscuits and gravy and fried eggs. Breakfast makes everyone happy!
Happy Monday everyone.
Monday, March 28, 2011
Saturday, March 26, 2011
Mom's Blond Brownies
This is a special request because I mentioned on Facebook that I was making these. They are one of my family's favorites. I got the recipe from my mom who got it from my granny who got it from a homemaker's cookbook. yummy!
2/3 c shortening or butter, 2 c brown sugar, 3 eggs, 1 t vanilla, 2 c self rising flour, 1 c nuts (optional), 1 package chocolate chips.
Cream together shortening and sugar, add eggs, vanilla and flour, mix well. Stir in chips and nuts. Bake at 350 for 25 minutes until very brown, the cool til barely warm, cut into squares.
These are also good with a combination of chocolate and butterscotch chips. Tonight I am making sundaes. Place a warm brownie in a bowl, top with a scoop of ice cream, some warm hot fudge, whipped topping and a cherry. YUM!
2/3 c shortening or butter, 2 c brown sugar, 3 eggs, 1 t vanilla, 2 c self rising flour, 1 c nuts (optional), 1 package chocolate chips.
Cream together shortening and sugar, add eggs, vanilla and flour, mix well. Stir in chips and nuts. Bake at 350 for 25 minutes until very brown, the cool til barely warm, cut into squares.
These are also good with a combination of chocolate and butterscotch chips. Tonight I am making sundaes. Place a warm brownie in a bowl, top with a scoop of ice cream, some warm hot fudge, whipped topping and a cherry. YUM!
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Meatloaf!
Just the word meatloaf makes people turn up their noses. I don't know why! We LOVE meatloaf around here. It is one of my kids favorite meals, meatloaf, mashed potatoes and green beans. We only rarely have leftovers, and when we do, they make fantastic sandwiches the next day.
I will start with 2 pounds of ground beef and a pound of breakfast sausage or Italian sausage. Add 1/2 cup Italian breadcrumbs, 1 teaspoon onion powder and garlic powder, an egg, and 1/2 cup ketchup. Mix well and press tightly into a loaf pan. Top with 1/2 cup of ketchup mixed with 1/4 cup brown sugar. Bake at 375 for an hour. Let sit at least 10 minutes before trying to remove from the pan.
You can do all the prep the night before and cook on low for 8 hours in the crock pot, too. YUM!
I will start with 2 pounds of ground beef and a pound of breakfast sausage or Italian sausage. Add 1/2 cup Italian breadcrumbs, 1 teaspoon onion powder and garlic powder, an egg, and 1/2 cup ketchup. Mix well and press tightly into a loaf pan. Top with 1/2 cup of ketchup mixed with 1/4 cup brown sugar. Bake at 375 for an hour. Let sit at least 10 minutes before trying to remove from the pan.
You can do all the prep the night before and cook on low for 8 hours in the crock pot, too. YUM!
Monday, March 21, 2011
Grillin' Out
As the weather warms up, I begin to turn to my grill for my meals. I really enjoy sitting on the patio with a cold drink and a book, checking on my supper every few minutes, while it all cooks in one place.
Tonight I am making something super easy, polish sausage. Pitch it on the grill, turn it a few times, supper is done. But what to serve with it? Especially right now with no fresh veggies.
One side I am serving is something no one likes but us. Okra! I freeze it whole during the summertime, then toss it in olive oil, black pepper and kosher salt and grill it till it is very brown. The kids and I love it! I realize no one else even wants to try it like this. Your loss ;)
I tend to hit a wall when I try to find a potato recipe for the grill that will suit my picky, potato eating husband. I think this one will work, let me know what you think.
ingredients
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 teaspoon minced fresh parsley
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 medium baking potatoes, cut into 1/4 inch slices
1 small onion, sliced and separated into rings
2 tablespoons butter
Directions
In a large bowl, combine the first seven ingredients. Add potatoes and onion; toss gently to coat. Spoon onto a double thickness of greased heavy-duty foil (about 18 in. square). Dot with butter. Fold foil around potato mixture and seal tightly. Grill, covered, over medium heat for 30-35 minutes or until potatoes are tender, turning once.
To cook this faster on the grill, microwave the sliced potatoes for about 5 minutes in a container with a lid and a little water. This is also good with ranch dressing instead of mayo. Happy grilling!
Tonight I am making something super easy, polish sausage. Pitch it on the grill, turn it a few times, supper is done. But what to serve with it? Especially right now with no fresh veggies.
One side I am serving is something no one likes but us. Okra! I freeze it whole during the summertime, then toss it in olive oil, black pepper and kosher salt and grill it till it is very brown. The kids and I love it! I realize no one else even wants to try it like this. Your loss ;)
I tend to hit a wall when I try to find a potato recipe for the grill that will suit my picky, potato eating husband. I think this one will work, let me know what you think.
ingredients
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 teaspoon minced fresh parsley
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 medium baking potatoes, cut into 1/4 inch slices
1 small onion, sliced and separated into rings
2 tablespoons butter
Directions
In a large bowl, combine the first seven ingredients. Add potatoes and onion; toss gently to coat. Spoon onto a double thickness of greased heavy-duty foil (about 18 in. square). Dot with butter. Fold foil around potato mixture and seal tightly. Grill, covered, over medium heat for 30-35 minutes or until potatoes are tender, turning once.
To cook this faster on the grill, microwave the sliced potatoes for about 5 minutes in a container with a lid and a little water. This is also good with ranch dressing instead of mayo. Happy grilling!
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
The Luck of the Irish!
Tomorrow is St. Patrick's Day. Because I can't take my kids all over the world, I try to use various holidays to expose them to other cultures through something I do well, food. One of my favorite things to eat is corned beef. The rest of my family will eat it, but it isn't something they ask for. On St. Patrick's Day I cook them a "traditional" Irish meal of corned beef, boiled potatoes and cabbage. I would make it even if it was a pain to do, but as an added advantage, it is REALLY easy.
The corned beef is easy, it comes pre-seasoned and ready to drop in the crock pot. Add enough water to cover it and enough potatoes for you family and let it cook on low for 8 -10 hours or high for 5-6. When the corned beef and potatoes are done, remove them from the crock pot, strain out a cup or so of broth into a pot with a lid. Add enough shredded cabbage for your family and cook till tender. Slice the beef across the grain and enjoy.
Leftovers make wonderful Reuben sandwiches or corned beef hash. Happy St. Patrick's Day!
The corned beef is easy, it comes pre-seasoned and ready to drop in the crock pot. Add enough water to cover it and enough potatoes for you family and let it cook on low for 8 -10 hours or high for 5-6. When the corned beef and potatoes are done, remove them from the crock pot, strain out a cup or so of broth into a pot with a lid. Add enough shredded cabbage for your family and cook till tender. Slice the beef across the grain and enjoy.
Leftovers make wonderful Reuben sandwiches or corned beef hash. Happy St. Patrick's Day!
Wonderful, White Chili Wednesday!
It has been rainy and dreary all week, but today and the rest of the week is supposed to be beautiful! For the past week I have been in a soup mood, maybe because I know when the weather warms up we won't eat much soup. We have had vegetable soup, potato soup, and chili. Tonight I am making white chili.
I started soaking and rinsing and soaking and rinsing my dry beans yesterday and they will simmer on the stove most of the day today, You can make this much quicker by using canned beans, just be sure to rinse them really well. After I have simmered the beans for an hour or 2, I will drain and rinse them one more time, the start seasoning them.
To the beans I add a couple cans of chicken broth, a teaspoon each onion powder and garlic powder, a tablespoon chili powder, a small can of chopped green chilies and the leftover chicken I saved from the chicken and dumplings earlier this week (about a pound, cooked and chopped). We like our white chili a little smoky, so I add a 1/2 teaspoon or so of liquid smoke, too. Let all of this simmer till the beans are soft and serve with cornbread. YUMMY!
Happy Sunshiny Wednesday!
I started soaking and rinsing and soaking and rinsing my dry beans yesterday and they will simmer on the stove most of the day today, You can make this much quicker by using canned beans, just be sure to rinse them really well. After I have simmered the beans for an hour or 2, I will drain and rinse them one more time, the start seasoning them.
To the beans I add a couple cans of chicken broth, a teaspoon each onion powder and garlic powder, a tablespoon chili powder, a small can of chopped green chilies and the leftover chicken I saved from the chicken and dumplings earlier this week (about a pound, cooked and chopped). We like our white chili a little smoky, so I add a 1/2 teaspoon or so of liquid smoke, too. Let all of this simmer till the beans are soft and serve with cornbread. YUMMY!
Happy Sunshiny Wednesday!
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Chili Dogs!
Wonderful! We have another dreary, yucky, rainy day. It is enough to depress anyone. Today I have a sickly child to go with the rain. He seems to have the typical head cold type symptoms that go with the change of the seasons. I am going to make one of his favorite meals for supper, to make him feel better.
Over the weekend I made a big pot of chili (which we LOVE). Tonight I will heat up the remaining chili (canned chili works, too if you don't have any left over). We like our chili dogs topped with cheese, pickle relish, chopped onions, mustard, and they are usually so big we have to eat them with a fork. I will probably make something easy to go with these, like fries or baked potatoes, but the leftover chili is good on those, too.
Enjoy your dreary day, I will, watching movies on the couch with my sweet boy.
Over the weekend I made a big pot of chili (which we LOVE). Tonight I will heat up the remaining chili (canned chili works, too if you don't have any left over). We like our chili dogs topped with cheese, pickle relish, chopped onions, mustard, and they are usually so big we have to eat them with a fork. I will probably make something easy to go with these, like fries or baked potatoes, but the leftover chili is good on those, too.
Enjoy your dreary day, I will, watching movies on the couch with my sweet boy.
Monday, March 14, 2011
A Nasty Rainy Day!
It is Monday! We had a wonderful, warm, beautiful weekend and Monday is living up to it's reputation. It is cold and rainy and just generally icky!
I am looking for an easy supper tonight, because along with Monday, I am reliving the horrors of my high school algebra classes by helping my oldest with his homework and this is algebra day. I have had to resort to googling "algebra help" on the Internet and finally e-mailed the teacher who is sending me a copy of the textbook on CD to help me.
OK, I am done venting about the joys of algebra and am ready to talk about something yummy for supper. I am thinking chicken and dumplings because it is the perfect comfort food and I can do the hard work in the crock pot.
I am starting with a large family sized package of chicken thighs, about 2 quarts of waters, a slice or 2 of onion, a clove of garlic, mashed flat, a rib of celery chopped, a carrot, chopped, a sprig of rosemary ( about 1 t) and the same amount of thyme, and 2 chicken flavored bouillon cubes. Load up the crock pot and set it to high for 6 or 7 hours. After that amount of time has passed, remove the chicken, strain off the broth and let everything cool until you can handle it. Now is a good time to help the kids with their homework!
Clean up and chop the chicken, put about 1/2 of it in the fridge for something I am working on later this week and reserve the rest to go with the dumplings. For the dumplings, bring the broth the chicken cooked in to a boil, mix about 2 cups of flour, 2-3 T butter and enough milk to make a sticky dough, then drop by spoonfuls into the boiling broth, then cover and reduce the heat to a simmer. NO PEEKING for 20 minutes. Add the chicken and stir to combine.
Sometimes I make this like a stew, cooking chopped potatoes, carrots, corn, and peas in the broth, then making the dumplings, this rounds out the meal and still lets you serve it all in one dish.
Enjoy the comfort food on this wet, nasty day. Happy Homeworking!
I am looking for an easy supper tonight, because along with Monday, I am reliving the horrors of my high school algebra classes by helping my oldest with his homework and this is algebra day. I have had to resort to googling "algebra help" on the Internet and finally e-mailed the teacher who is sending me a copy of the textbook on CD to help me.
OK, I am done venting about the joys of algebra and am ready to talk about something yummy for supper. I am thinking chicken and dumplings because it is the perfect comfort food and I can do the hard work in the crock pot.
I am starting with a large family sized package of chicken thighs, about 2 quarts of waters, a slice or 2 of onion, a clove of garlic, mashed flat, a rib of celery chopped, a carrot, chopped, a sprig of rosemary ( about 1 t) and the same amount of thyme, and 2 chicken flavored bouillon cubes. Load up the crock pot and set it to high for 6 or 7 hours. After that amount of time has passed, remove the chicken, strain off the broth and let everything cool until you can handle it. Now is a good time to help the kids with their homework!
Clean up and chop the chicken, put about 1/2 of it in the fridge for something I am working on later this week and reserve the rest to go with the dumplings. For the dumplings, bring the broth the chicken cooked in to a boil, mix about 2 cups of flour, 2-3 T butter and enough milk to make a sticky dough, then drop by spoonfuls into the boiling broth, then cover and reduce the heat to a simmer. NO PEEKING for 20 minutes. Add the chicken and stir to combine.
Sometimes I make this like a stew, cooking chopped potatoes, carrots, corn, and peas in the broth, then making the dumplings, this rounds out the meal and still lets you serve it all in one dish.
Enjoy the comfort food on this wet, nasty day. Happy Homeworking!
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Crispy Pork
This is one of those wonderful, delicious dishes that can be adjusted according to your mood. It is quick, easy and yummy.
I started with some boneless pork ribs, cut into small cubes. Any cut of pork will do, but something with a little more fat on it will get crispier.
I toss the pork with whatever seasonings I am in the mood for. Tonight it was a little Jamaican Jerk seasoning, but I have used taco seasonings, chili seasonings, or Italian seasonings with great success. Let the meat marinate in the dry seasonings for a while (or all day, whatever).
When you are ready to cook them, preheat a heavy skillet or other oven proof pan with a couple tablespoons vegetable oil, in the oven to 425. When the pan is hot, add the pork and cook till brown and crisp, stirring every 15 minutes or so. Usually 1 inch or smaller cubes are done in 45 minutes or less.
When the pork is done, set the pork aside, and place the skillet with pan juices on the stove, add a can of beef broth and reduce to about 1/2, stirring up the crispy, yummy goodness that is stuck on the pan. Add the pork to the pan sauce and serve over rice or couscous.
I like to saute a few chopped onions and mushrooms in the skillet before I add the broth, but no one else in my house likes those.
Tonight I am trying it all (thickened slightly) over mashed potatoes because I don't have any rice. Maybe I will start a new trend, who knows.
Happy Thursday, everyone!
I started with some boneless pork ribs, cut into small cubes. Any cut of pork will do, but something with a little more fat on it will get crispier.
I toss the pork with whatever seasonings I am in the mood for. Tonight it was a little Jamaican Jerk seasoning, but I have used taco seasonings, chili seasonings, or Italian seasonings with great success. Let the meat marinate in the dry seasonings for a while (or all day, whatever).
When you are ready to cook them, preheat a heavy skillet or other oven proof pan with a couple tablespoons vegetable oil, in the oven to 425. When the pan is hot, add the pork and cook till brown and crisp, stirring every 15 minutes or so. Usually 1 inch or smaller cubes are done in 45 minutes or less.
When the pork is done, set the pork aside, and place the skillet with pan juices on the stove, add a can of beef broth and reduce to about 1/2, stirring up the crispy, yummy goodness that is stuck on the pan. Add the pork to the pan sauce and serve over rice or couscous.
I like to saute a few chopped onions and mushrooms in the skillet before I add the broth, but no one else in my house likes those.
Tonight I am trying it all (thickened slightly) over mashed potatoes because I don't have any rice. Maybe I will start a new trend, who knows.
Happy Thursday, everyone!
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Ash Wednesday
It is that time of year again. If you are catholic, you know what I am talking about. Lent begins today and so does the "Now what do I fix for supper?" question. A lot of people eat PB&J and cheese sandwiches because they don't like fish. I am lucky, my family all eats fish and would be quite content with fish sticks and french fries every Friday night. We are going to start out on a little different note this year, though. Tonight I am making tuna noodle casserole. For some reason it has a bad name, but for me it is comfort food.
Cook the noodles, mix in everything but the chips, pour into a casserole dish, top with the chips. Bake at 425 for 15-20 minutes.
I hope you enjoy it, Happy Ash Wednesday
- 1 (12 ounce) package egg noodles
- 1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom soup
- 1/2 cup evaporated milk
- 1 (6 ounce) can tuna, drained (we like more tuna than this, I use 2 cans)
- 3 cups shredded American cheese
- 1/3 cup chopped onion (most people like the onion, we don't so I don't use it. I like about the same amount of finely chopped celery)
- 1/2 cup each, cooked peas and carrots
- 1/2 cup crushed potato chips (or breadcrumbs)
Cook the noodles, mix in everything but the chips, pour into a casserole dish, top with the chips. Bake at 425 for 15-20 minutes.
I hope you enjoy it, Happy Ash Wednesday
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