Easter Dinner

We had a wonderful Easter feast!  I spent hours cooking the night before, but it was much worth it!  I wanted to share with you 3 of the recipes I made (yes, I made more than this...I'm telling you I was a cooking maniac Saturday night!).  They're not mine, they're the Pioneer Woman's.  I felt a bit like her apprentice or something, but man, can she cook some good comfort food!  I made her Bacon-Wrapped Jalapenos, Twice Baked Potatoes, and Homemade Mac & Cheese.  The potatoes turned out awesome, but I messed up the Mac & Cheese.  First off I doubled the recipe, then I let it sit in the refrigerator all night before I baked it, which wasn't such a good idea.  The noodles soaked in the sauce, so when I baked it, it turned out kind of dry and rather bland.  I will definitely make it again, but do it fresh and right next time!  The Jalepenos were amazing!  I'm addicted!  I can feel myself getting fatter and fatter as I eat them, but I didn't care...not today anyway.  They were just too good not to pop in my mouth!  This is my first time making them, so I was a little paranoid about them being too hot, so I cleaned those suckers out, removing ALL the seeds and membranes.  Next time I'll leave a little, 'cause they didn't have much kick to them, but they were still absolutely heavenly!  Thank you Pioneer Woman (again!) for making our Easter delicious!  Here's the links to the recipes:

Bacon-Wrapped Jalepenos

Twice Baked Potatoes

Homemade Mac & Cheese

Tastiest Spaghetti EVER!

Last night my hubby decided to help me cook and what we created was a masterpiece...no really, it was!  I just had some leftovers for lunch and, oh man, it was even  better than last night...incredible!  Its those deliciously wonderful caramelized onions again (I really could eat just a bowl of these alone!)!  We made this as we went, so I'm sorry the directions aren't exact, but hopefully it will get you on the right track to improving your spaghetti.

• Noodles (we used angel hair, but any kind of your liking is good)
• 1 jar spaghetti sauce (we used T.J.'s)
• sweet onions, sliced
• butter
• olive oil
• 1/2 jar roasted red peppers
• Italian sausage (the good stuff from the butcher!)
• salt to taste
• cayenne pepper if you want to give it a little more kick

Start your water boiling for the noodles.  In the meantime cook up the Italian sausage in a little bit of olive oil.  In another heated pan, poor some olive oil and melt some butter.  Add onions and saute until nice and soft; add a little salt (taste them and if they don't have a slight sweet taste, you can add a little spoonful of sugar).  When sausage and onions are cooked, drain fat from sausage and add jar of spaghetti sauce (in the meantime, if your water boils, add noodles and cook until done).  Add desired amount of peppers and onions to sausage sauce.  Cook on medium heat until starts to bubble, then reduce to a simmer and simmer for a little bit just to let the flavors mesh.  Serve on noodles and enjoy!

Spiral Stromboli

I don't know if I've posted a stromboli recipe before (and I'm too lazy to check), but I made this tasty meal (from Taste of Home) the other night and man was it a hit! My son (again) asked if I could make this every day. It was a hit with my other 2 boys as well (yeah, I'm on a roll lately!). It didn't turn out very big, so next time I'll probably make 2, but it was yummy. I think the peppers made it! If you want you can serve it with a side of marinara sauce. These are great for parties, baby showers, etc. My sister-in-law is like the queen of stromboli. She fills them with all sorts of stuff. For example you can go traditional pizza with pepperoni, sauce, and mozzarella or you can use pesto and turkey slices with cheese and spinach. You can even make a veggy one with spinach, peppers, mushrooms, etc. There are so many possibilities!

• 1 tube (11 oz) refrigerated crusty French loaf
• 3/4 to 1 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
• 3/4 to 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 1/4 lb thinly sliced deli salami
• 1/4 lb thinly sliced salami
• 1/4 cup chopped roasted red peppers or 1 jar (2 oz) pimientos, drained
• 1 Tbsp butter, melted
• 2 to 3 Tbsp shredded Parmesan cheese

Unroll the dough and pat into a 14-in. x 12-in. rectangle. Sprinkle with mozzarella and cheddar cheese to within 1/2 in. of edges; top with meat and red peppers. Roll up jelly-roll style, starting with a short side; seal seam and tuck ends under. Place seam side down on an ungreased baking sheet. Brush with butter; sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Bake at 375° for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown. Slice with a serrated knife.

Serves 4.

Julie R.

Hawaiian Chicken

My kids have been sick and seeing that I have a 32 pound leech (aka my 1 1/2 yr. old) attached to my hip at all times, I haven't done much cooking...well, other than spaghetti, hot dogs, and chicken nuggets - real gourmet, I know!  I made this a couple of weeks ago and never got around to actually posting it.  This is a childhood favorite of mine that was passed on from a lady at church to my mom to me.  It really is very easy to make, it just takes a little time for the marinading.  

This recipe calls for chicken thighs, which I am not a fan of and I'll tell you why.  When I was a little girl (probably 10 or so), I remember standing at the sink with my older sister, removing the skin off the chicken thighs (back then it was very rare to buy boneless, skinless anything).  It totally grossed me out, but what really got me was there was still a few small fuzzy feathers attached.  How sick is that?  So ever since I don't buy chicken with the skin on it unless absolutely necessary and I NEVER buy chicken thighs.  I've been scared for life!

• 1/2 cup ketchup
  
• 1/2 cup soy sauce
  
• 1/2 cup sugar
  
• 1/4 tsp pepper, optional
  
• 1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
  
• Few drops of hot sauce, optional
  
• Boneless, skinless chicken thighs (or pork or beef) - I use boneless, skinless chicken breasts cute in thick halves
  

Mix ingredients together (minus the meat). Pour in Ziploc bag with boneless chicken thighs. Let marinade in fridge for a few hours or over night. Pour all in baking dish. Bake at 350° for 1/2 hour to 45 minutes.  Serve by spooning sauce over rice with chicken.

Julie R.

AG, CA

Thanksgiving: Stuffed Mushrooms

• 12 ounces sausage
  
• 1 (8 ounce) pkg cream cheese
  
• 2 lbs fresh mushrooms
  
• 2-3 cups breadcrumbs

Brown sausage until cooked through. Remove from heat and drain fat. Stir in cream cheese. Wash and remove stems from mushrooms. Chop the stems and mix in with sausage mixture. Fill caps with mixture. Turn stuffed mushrooms upside-down and dip in breadcrumbs. Turn back right side up. Bake on baking sheet at 350° for 15 minutes.

Makes 40 medium stuffed mushrooms.

Julie R.

AG, CA

P.W.'s Lasagna

This is yet another recipe from The Pioneer Woman (you really should check out her stuff - I really don't know how she looks so good eating/making what she does, but its all so yummy).  I really am a sucker for a delicious slice of lasagna and I find the only way to get it good is to make it myself, so that I did.  Again, she has step-by-step photo instructions.  Maybe some of you have already caught on, but I would have never thought to use sliced cheese (as opposed to grated)...brilliant!  Well I made this the other day...it definitely was tasty, but I'm not so sure that I'm sold on it being "the best."

(photo & recipe courtesy of the Pioneer Woman)

The Pioneer Woman's Best Lasagna Ever

Julie R.

AG, CA

Biscuits & Gravy

My husband (and I too, but mainly him) LOVES Biscuits & Gravy.  Every time we go out for breakfast he orders them.  I remember my mom making them for us when we were kids, but I've never gotten her recipe (I'm sure they're all pretty much the same).  So I've been in search for one for a while.  Usually I just make the McCormick just-add-water kind - its easy and not too shabby, but its just not the same as homemade!  So I've been keeping my eyes peeled for a good recipe and came across this one.  It's from The Pioneer Woman.  I'm not sure if I've mentioned her before, but pretty much everything she posts looks wonderful (and all of the recipes I've tried of hers are awesome!).  This isn't something I'll make very often - it's pretty much a heart attack served on a platter - but it sure was good!  Instead of reposting the recipe, I'll just give you the link...it has step-by-step photo instructions...pretty cool!

(photo courtesy of The Pioneer Woman)

The Pioneer Woman's Biscuits & Gravy

Julie R.

AG, CA

Slow-Cooked BBQ Pork Ribs

I haven't made these in quite a while, so I decided to make them this weekend. I got the recipe from my sister way back when I was first married. Her and her husband used to make it for me, now I make it for everyone else. It’s quick, easy, and oh so delicious!

• Country-Style (CS) boneless pork ribs ***
  
• BBQ sauce
  
• Water (1/2 cup of water to every 1 cup of BBQ sauce)
  

Place ribs in crock-pot. Cover with barbeque sauce and water. Cook on high for about 4-5 hours (or low for about 8 hours) or until meat falls apart. Best served with mashed potatoes.

***You don't really have to have them boneless, I just think they're better. But you really do need to make sure they're country style - sometimes it just says "CS" - they're not the same as normal ribs - they're a lot meatier.

Julie R.

AG, CA

Chicken Cordon Bleu

This is one of my 5-year-old's favorite meals! Last time I made it, he ate it every meal for 2 days (until it was gone). You can add Hollandaise sauce or Country Style Gravy to the top if you’d like.  I think I may have originally got it from My Recipes, but I'm not really sure.

(picture courtesy of My Recipes)

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
  
• 1/4 tsp salt
  
• 1/8 tsp ground black pepper
  
• 6 slices Swiss cheese
  
• 4 slices cooked ham
  
• 1/2 cup seasoned breadcrumbs

Preheat oven to 350°. Coat a 7”x11” baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Pound chicken breasts to 1/4” thickness. Sprinkle each piece of chicken on both sides with salt and pepper. Place 1 cheese slice and 1 ham slice on top o feach breast. Roll up each breast, and secure with a toothpick. Place in backing dish, and sprinkle chicken evenly with bread crumbs. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until chicken is no longer pink. Remove from oven, and place 1/2 cheese slice on top of each breast. Return to oven for 3-5 minutes, or until cheese has melted. Remove toothpicks and serve immediately.

Serves 4.

Julie R.

AG, CA

Farfalle with Sausage, Tomatoes, and Cream

I know I've been absent for the last couple of days, but I really haven't cooked anything very interesting lately and my busy life has been catching up to me. I tried a baked mac and cheese recipe, but it really wasn't a crowd pleaser-my son said it was nasty and my husband simply wouldn't eat it. SOO here's a recipe that I KNOW is good, in fact its one of our favorites. I've posted it on my family blog, so I apologize to all of you who already have it...it really IS delicious!

• 2 Tbsp olive oil
  
• 1 lb hot Italian sausage, castings removed, crumbled (I only use 1/2 lb and I use the Sweet Italian Sausage from Trader Joes - chicken or pork)
  
• 1/2 tsp dried red pepper flakes
  
• 1/2 cup diced onion
  
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
  
• 1 (28 oz) can Italian plum tomatoes, coarsely chopped
  
• 1 1/2 c whipping cream
  
• 1/2 tsp salt
  
• 1 lb Farfalle pasta (bowtie)
  
• 3 Tbsp fresh parsley, minced
  
• Freshly grated Parmesan cheese
  

Heat oil in large, heavy skillet over medium heat. Add sausage and pepper flakes. Cook until sausage is no longer pink, stirring frequently, about 7 minutes. Add onion and garlic to skillet and cook until onion is tender and sausage is light brown, stirring occasionally, about 7 minutes. Add tomatoes (break them apart with your clean, bare hands or with clean scissors), cream and salt. Simmer until mixture thickens slightly, about 4 minutes (can be prepared a day ahead up to this point, cover tightly and refrigerate). Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until just tender but still firm to bite, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking. Drain. Bring sauce to simmer. Add pasta to sauce and cook until pasta is heated through and sauce thickens, stirring occasionally, about 2 minutes. Divide pasta among plates. Sprinkle with parsley. Serve passing Parmesan separately.

Julie R.

AG, CA

Welcome!

After cooking the same recipes for the last 8 years, I'm ready for a change!  I've been inspired to cook something great...well lots of things great.  I am on a quest for not just new recipes, but GOOD recipes.  So I've been checking out different food/cooking/recipe blogs and sites and am excited to get back into the groove of cooking good again.  

I plan to post new and old recipes I've made.  If you have any good food finds PLEASE post them!  I'd LOVE to try them and share them with you all!

To add a recipe/post, log in as:

username:  foodthatsgood@yahoo.com

password:  GoodFood

Click on "New Post" and you're set.  Be sure to include the Recipe Title in the "Title" section and at the end of your post, please include your name (first only is fine) and about where you're from.  Thanks!