Tag Archives: cheese

Big ‘ol Breakfast

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What started off as an idea to make buttermilk pancakes became so much more. Once I decided to have the SIL over for breakfast, I thought fried apples would be a good addition to the pancakes, but that still might not be enough food for us all. Then I thought “what else goes well with pancakes?” That question led me to think of my favorite side dish at Cracker Barrel, (which costs a ridiculous $2.59 for a dinky serving – seriously, the plate is the size of a saucer) the super yummy-not-so-good-for-you hash brown casserole! I did a naughty thing by adding some leftover bacon to the mix of ingredients, but I did leave out lots of the butter that the recipe called for. Also instead of cheddar cheese, I added a full 8 ounces of Colby Monterey Jack cheese. I did M a favor by sautéing the onions until they were soft and translucent – he really doesn’t like the strong flavor. In addition to these tasty vittles, M requested biscuits and sausage gravy! Who does he think I am?;o) The night before I browned the breakfast sausage, made the buttermilk biscuits and readied the casserole for the oven. In the AM, all I have to do is cook the apples, make the gravy, put the casserole in the oven and cook some scrambled eggs! Whew!

Wow – this breakfast was delish! The casserole was the bomb – sorry to use such a stupid word to describe it but I couldn’t think of a better one!;o) I will make this again and everyone will love me for it! The biscuits and sausage gravy came out really well – so much better than Cracker Barrel’s salty mess they call gravy…and the baked scrambled eggs weren’t bad either. Baking them created a light and fluffy finished product and it was so much easier than cooking 10 eggs on the stove. This is the largest breakfast I have ever taken on, but it was so much easier because I planned ahead and didn’t have to make all these in the morning. Thanks for reading, enjoy!

*Cracker Barrel’s Hashbrown Casserole – adapted from Tablespoon

  • 2 pounds frozen hash browns, thawed
  • 1/2 cup butter, melted (*I used around a TBSP total, maybe two)
  • 1 can (10.75 ounces) cream of chicken soup
  • 1 pint sour cream (I used about 1/3 cup less)
  • 1/2 cup onion, chopped (I softened these in a couple tsp of butter)
  • 2 cups grated cheddar cheese (*I used Colby Monterey Jack)
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper

Directions –

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees, then grease one 13×9 inch baking dish.

2. Combine all the ingredients together and pour into prepared pan. Bake in the oven for 45 minutes.

*Sausage Gravy – adapted from Taste and Tell

  • 1 – 16 oz. tube of pork sausage
  • Additional fat if needed: bacon grease or butter
  • 4 TBSP flour
  • 3 cups milk
  • Salt and pepper to taste – don’t skimp!


Heat 2 teaspoons of vegetable oil to a cast iron skillet or large saucepan over medium high heat. Add the sausage and break it up into bite size chunks, but don’t break it up too much, you want nice cocoa puff sized chunks. Brown the sausage and get some fond on your pan.
Turn the heat down to medium. Remove the sausage and drain, reserving the fat. Return about 3 to 4 tablespoons of the rendered sausage fat into the pan. If you don’t have enough fat, add a little bacon grease or butter to bring it up. Add the flour and cook while whisking until the roux is golden brown. Keep stirring and slowly pour in your milk, making sure to whisk out all the lumps. If it looks too thin, don’t worry, it’ll thicken once it simmers. If you like your gravy super thick, use less milk (2 or 2 1/2 cups). Once you added all the milk, return the sausage back to the skillet, add herbs if you want to get fancy, and season with salt and plenty of freshly ground pepper. Simmer the gravy until it’s thickened and serve it over your split biscuits.

*Oven Baked Scrambled Eggs – adapted from One Perfect Bite

Ingredients for 6 or 12:

  • 3 to 6 tablespoons melted butter
  • 12 to 24 large eggs
  • 1 to 2-1/4 teaspoons salt
  • 1/4 to 1/2 cup sour cream
  • 1 to 2 cups milk

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray an 8 x 11-inch glass pan with cooking spray if using 12 eggs. Spray a 9 x 13-inch glass pan if using 24 eggs. Pour butter into baking dish.
2) Beat eggs, salt sour cream and milk in a large bowl. When completely blended, pour egg mixture into pan.
3) Bake uncovered for 10 minutes. Stir well, folding sides and bottom toward center and top of pan. Bake for an additional 10 to 15 minutes, or until eggs are set but still soft. Fluff with fork to form curds. Serve immediately. Yield: 6 to 12 servings.

*Fried Apples – adapted from La Fuji Mama

  • 2 medium apples ( I used three small Fuji apples)
  • 2 tablespoons butter (I used a little less)
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed (I used about 1/4 cup)
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1/4 teaspoon table salt

1. Peel and core the apples and then slice them into 1/4-inch wedges.

2. Melt the butter in a 10-inch non-stick skillet over medium heat.  When the butter has fully melted, sprinkle the brown sugar over the butter and then quickly place the apple slices in a single layer on top of the brown sugar.  With a wooden spoon, stir the apples to coat them in the butter and brown sugar.  Continue to stir the apples.  When the butter and brown sugar have formed a syrup, sprinkle the cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt over the ingredients in the pan and stir to incorporate.

3. Reduce heat to medium-low and continue to stir the apples until they are fork tender and the syrup has reduced and thickened slightly.  Remove the skillet from the heat and let the apples cool for several minutes.  Serve alone, or as a topping for ice cream.


Alfredo, Shells, Chicken, Broccoli and Cheese!

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This is a recipe my sister gave me years ago – I don’t know what its official name is, so that explains why this title is so long!;o) It also leaves no questions as to what is in it. My family has always enjoyed this and it couldn’t be easier to throw together. Thanks for reading!

Ingredients –

  • 1 pound box of shell pasta
  • 1 1/2 – 2 pounds bone-in skin on chicken breast
  • 1 – 14 ounce bag frozen broccoli florets
  • 1 – 16 ounce jar alfredo sauce
  • 1  – 8 ounce block of sharp cheddar cheese, grated
  • salt, pepper and olive oil for roasting chicken
  • lemon pepper

Directions –

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Rinse and pat dry the chicken breasts then season them well with olive oil, salt and pepper. Roast in the oven for 30 – 35 minutes. Let the chicken cool until you can safely handle it, then shred it  and set it aside.

2. Put a large pot of salted water (at least a gallon) to boil. Once it’s come to a rolling boil pour the pasta into the pot, stir occasionally to prevent sticking and to ensure even cooking. Once it’s finished, drain pasta and set aside.

3. Steam the broccoli in the microwave by dumping the bag in a microwave safe container. Add a little water then cover tightly with plastic wrap – don’t forget to poke a few holes to let steam out. I cooked mine for 4 minutes – they don’t have to be completely cooked through.

4. Get a large bowl out add pasta, shredded chicken, cheese, broccoli and alfredo sauce, then season well with lemon pepper. Spray a 13×9 baking dish with Pam and pour the pasta mixture then sprinkle the top with more cheese. Cover loosely with foil and bake for 25 minutes, then remove foil and bake for another 5 minutes, or if you like your cheese to brown and bubbly, you can place it under the broiler for a few minutes instead. Enjoy!

Stromboli

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This is my first time making a Stromboli, which is basically a giant pizza roll. It’s not from one recipe, more like bits and pieces of ones I have found online. M grilled a pound of the Italian sausage that was left of the giant package from Sam’s Club, and there is about a pound of Italian cheeses leftover from mac and cheese night. I guess you could use any leftover meats, vegetables and cheese that you need to re-purpose for a dish like this. Here’s the recipe I found that I’m using as a guideline.

These turned out so well – this recipe is definitely a new favorite for us. I served this with a green salad with tomatoes and bell peppers, and a side of marinara sauce for dipping. I’m always happy when a new recipe turns out well! Thanks for reading, enjoy!


Pepperoni and Sausage Stromboli Ingredients –

  • 2 – 1 pound balls of pizza dough, homemade or store-bought
  • 1/2 – 3/4 pound of Italian sausage, grilled and diced
  • 1/4 – 1/2 pound of deli sliced pepperoni, quartered
  • 1/2 – 3/4 pound of mixed Italian cheeses
  • 1 egg beaten with 1 TBSP of water
  • dried Italian seasoning
  • 2 TBSP Parmesan cheese

Directions –
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Roll out your pizza dough into a rectangle, about 14 inches by 8 inches – roughly. Layer your meats and cheeses, being careful to leave a one inch border on all sides. Make your egg wash and lightly bush it around the border, then start to roll your Stromboli. Make sure to pinch all seams and tuck the ends under, then place seam side down on a parchment lined half sheet pan. Brush remaining egg wash on the surface of the dough, then sprinkle the pizza seasoning and Parmesan cheese over the tops if desired. Bake for 30 to 35 minute until golden brown (and delicious!)

Italian Mac and Cheese

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It’s been longer than I’d like since my last post, but as you may have read on FB, little Miss S has had a fever for the past three days. I’m doing my best nurse impression. Thankfully she hasn’t had any other symptoms than the high fever…but three days?

I have made this once before – it’s so good. I found this recipe after we purchased four pounds of mild Italian sausage from Sam’s Club for the first time. I didn’t have many ways of using that much sausage, and I rarely cooked with it. Since then, I have found a few really good recipes that feature this type, like sausage bread! It’s my family’s favorite and I will be sure to post about it soon. As for the cheese, I recommend not buying the pre-shredded “Italian Cheese Blend” at the store. There is usually corn starch or some other anti-clumping additive in pre-shredded cheeses that leave an unpleasant grainy-ness to the finished cheese sauce. That’s the mistake I made the first time and since then, I don’t buy the bagged cheeses. Thanks for reading!

 

Italian Mac and Cheese Ingredients – adapted from Let’s Dish

  • 1 pound penne, ziti or rigatoni pasta
  • 1 pound bulk Italian sausage
  • 2 TBSP olive oil
  • 1 TBSP butter
  • 3 – 4 garlic cloves, chopped
  • 2 TBSP all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup chicken stock
  • 1 cup heavy cream ( I used half & half)
  • 2 1/2 cups shredded cheese blend ( I used Fontina, mozzarella, Pecorino Romano and Parmesan)
  • 1 – 14 ounce can diced tomatoes, drained
  • 1 tsp hot sauce ( I used cayenne pepper), optional
  • 1/2 cup Parmesan
  • salt and pepper to taste

Directions –

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Salt water and cook pasta to a chewy al dente, about 8 minutes.  In a nonstick skillet, brown and crumble the sausage. Drain cooked crumbles on a paper towel lined plate. Return pan to heat and add extra-virgin olive oil, butter, and garlic.  Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Saute about 3 minutes, until garlic is fragrant.  Preheat broiler to high heat.  Add flour to skillet and stir, cooking 2 minutes. Whisk in stock, then stir in cream. Bring cream to a bubble, then stir in 2 cups of Italian cheese blend. When cheese has melted into sauce, add tomatoes. When sauce comes to a bubble, remove from heat and adjust seasonings, adding hot sauce if desired.  Combine cheese sauce with sausage and pasta and transfer to a large baking dish.  Sprinkle with additional half cup Italian cheese blend and grated Parmesan.  Cook under hot broiler until cheese is browned and bubbly.


Pizza Night

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Aaaww…yeah! Everyone’s favorite night – well I know it’s ours anyway. I always make two different kinds – one that the kids can’t turn down and the other is a special one for mom and dad. I love making pizza from scratch and will be sure to post about the pizza sauce recipe I use and the pizza dough recipe, too. I keep both on hand in the freezer – it makes pizza night so quick and easy. The little investment of time and effort completely pay off when you compare homemade vs. store bought – especially in price! There’s not contest. A five pound bag of bread flour costs less than 4 dollars, and the 1.5 pound bag semolina flour costs less than 5 dollars. With those two bags, I can make about 8 pounds of pizza dough which for us equals eight large pizzas dough portions.

Pizza night was a success as usual. Even my picky-eat-like-a -bird daughter scarfed her’s down and little boy M said he wanted thirds. Thanks for reading!

Ingredients for Pepperoni Pizza –

  • 1 – 15 ounce ball of pizza dough, homemade or store bought
  • 1 cup of pizza sauce, homemade or store bought
  • 4 ounces of fresh mozzarella cheese, torn
  • 15 slices of pepperoni
  • Parmesan cheese
  • Pizza seasoning or dried oregano (optional)

*Preheat your oven to 475 about 15 minutes before you make your pizza. I use a pizza stone and place it on the lowest rack of my oven.
1. On a piece of parchment paper, shape the pizza dough into the desired diameter. I use a little olive oil to prevent sticking. Work from the inside out, and gradually move your hands away from the center of the dough. You could also do this with a rolling pin – I happen to love using my hands for the job. Once you’ve achieved the size you want, take a fork and poke the tines all over the surface of the dough.
2. Spread the pizza sauce all over, making sure to leave about an inch around the circumference. Next, take your torn mozzarella and place on top of the sauce. Because it’s fresh mozzarella, you can leave lots of empty space because this type of mozz melts beautifully and spreads itself nicely when heated. I love the stuff! Top with pepperoni, followed by your Parmesan cheese and dried seasonings if desired.
3. Carefully transfer the pizza – still on its parchment paper to an upside-down sheet pan. I use it like a pizza peel to move it to the stone in the oven. Bake for about 10 minutes. Using the sheet pan again, remove the pizza from the oven and place the parchment paper and all onto a cooling rack. Enjoy!

Ingredients for the BBQ Chicken Pizza –

  • 1 – 15 ounce ball of pizza dough, homemade or store bought
  • 1/3 cup of store bought BBQ sauce, I used Sonny’s
  • 1/2 cup smoked Gouda cheese
  • 3 ounces of fresh mozzarella cheese, torn
  • 1/8 cup of shredded Parmesan cheese
  • 6 – 8 ounces shredded, cooked chicken – sauced with a few tablespoons of BBQ and ranch dressing – trust me on this one!
  • Fresh cilantro (optional)  if you have it – I didn’t but it’s a great addition
  • 2 small Roma tomatoes, seeded and diced
  • Pizza seasoning and dried oregano (optional)

Shape the dough and dock with fork as above. I placed the toppings in this order: BBQ sauce, mozzarella, 1/2 the smoked Gouda, all the chicken, the other half of the Gouda, Parmesan, then the dried seasonings, and tomatoes. Transfer the pizza to a sheet pan and then into the oven for about 10 minutes. Place on a rack to cool as before and enjoy!