Instant Pot Potato Soup

Potato soup from start to finish in under an hour? It's totally possible. It took as long to peel and cut the potatoes as it did to cook. Do again? Absolutely. 

Instant Pot Potato Soup

Serves 8-10

4-5 lbs potatoes; peeled and cut into similar sized pieces

5-6 cups chicken broth

1 onion chopped or a couple tablespoons dried onion

4 oz cream cheese

1/2 c. sour cream

4 T. butter

2 cups shredded cheese

1 1/2-2 cups milk

1 pkg bacon cooked and crumbled

1. put potatoes, onion and enough chicken broth to just cover the potatoes in the instant pot. Cook on manual for 9-10 minutes (If you're using red potatoes do 8). When timer is done release pressure

2. mash potatoes in pot. I like it more chunky but if you would like it smooth that works too.

3. add cream cheese, sour cream, butter, cheese and mix. Add milk until soup is the consistency you prefer. 

4. Stir in bacon. You can reserve some for topping

*if you are cooking in the crock pot cook on low for 5-6 hours.

Baked Tortellini

I always have these great and grand plans to make the fabulous recipes that I have pinned on Pinterest or stumbled across and printed from the internet when I go grocery shopping. Then, real life happens and I come home from work tired and grouchy, or I'm the only one home to feed and cooking doesn't sound nearly as fun. So then, because I was such a good little grocery shopper and followed my carefully planned menu from my wish list of recipes I'm quite often left with ingredients that I am too tired to use as they were originally intended. This package of tortellini was in this category.

For whatever reason my kids have never really like spaghetti in any variety. I've tried different shaped noodles, tortellini, ravioli etc with sauce but it isn't ever received with loud shouts of praise. But, they do like lasagna type dishes. So, I dug through the pantry and refrigerator and did a dump and hope for the best kind of dinner. It was pretty tasty and for the energy challenged after work it was a win. It was good for lunches the next day too! Bonus!

Baked Tortellini

1 package refrigerated tortellini
1 jar marinara sauce
1 16 oz can tomato sauce
1 1/2 T. Italian seasoning
1 cup Ricotta cheese
2 cups Mozzarella cheese or Italian Blend

• Cook tortellini according to package directions, drain well. 
• In a med saucepan mix sauce, tomato sauce and seasoning and heat through. Pour over pasta and mix well.
• In a prepared 9 x 13 baking dish layer half the tortellini, the ricotta cheese, a good handful of mozzarella cheese and the remaining pasta. 
• Top the pasta with the rest of the mozzarella.
• Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes or until the cheese is gooey and melted.

Fettucini Carbonara

Soooo, I've been away so long that Blogger changed their format and now I'm completely confused. It's like starting over with the blogging thing. I have a bad habit of dropping things that I'm not good at but I'm going to try to persevere and figure this out. Surely I'm that smart, right??

I happened to have a few minutes of  "I need to take a brain break" time today and clicked on my Pioneer Woman bookmark. I love to spend hours catching up on PW's recipes, pictures and random thoughts but haven't had time to do that recently. Luckily for me the most recent post was one for Pasta Carbonara and I just happened to be in need of a dinner plan. I had all the ingredients in the fridge so it must have been destiny.

The first time I saw anything in a Carbonara sauce was on Diners Drive Ins and Dives. I love, love, love seeing all the different foods and places that they feature around the country. Anyway, I was intrigued but the instructions were a little bit too hazy for me to feel comfortable just winging so I didn't attempt it. Then I saw it again on The Best Thing I Ever Ate...and again on Rachel Ray. Then AGAIN today!! I printed the recipe out and went merrily on my way. I did lighten it up a bit by using Half and Half instead of heavy cream but I'm not convinced that it made a big enough difference nutritionally to do it again. It would be thicker with cream so use what you have. I wouldn't recommend using pregrated Parmesan (I'm something of a cheese snob) but it would probably work just fine.

Fettucini Carbonara
Serves 6
Adapted from The Pioneer Woman

12 oz Fettucini
8 slices thick cut bacon, chopped into pieces
1/2 medium onion, diced finely
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 whole eggs
3/4 c. grated Parmesan (grate your own if you can)
3/4 c. half and half or heavy cream
salt and pepper to taste (we like lots of pepper)
2/3 c. green peas

1. Cook pasta according to package directions.
2. While the pasta is cooking, fry the bacon in heavy pan until barely crispy. Don't over cook. Drain on paper towels and set aside. Pour bacon grease from pan and turn heat to med low-ish. Cook onions and garlic until golden brown. Set those aside too.
3. Combine eggs and half and half and mix well. Add Parmesan cheese and salt and pepper. Mix all together and set aside.
4. Microwave peas for 1 minute; just until thawed.
5. Drain pasta (reserve 1 c. pasta water) and put in a large bowl. While pasta is hot, slowly drizzle egg mixture into noodles while stirring constantly. The sauce will start to thicken as the eggs cook and you stir. Halfway through add bacon, onions, and peas. Finish adding the last of the egg mixture and stir until combined.
6. Serve with additional Parmesan (lots)

Pot Roast Love

I think I've mentioned in the past that Sunday dinner at my house growing up was pot roast with carrots and potatoes nearly every Sunday. It still is, actually. It's one of my mom's best meals. Somehow that pot roast magic skill didn't managed to transfer into my brain before I left home. I know, SHOCKING! I had Mom write down what she did shortly after we got married and I followed her instructions to the letter only to discover that either I was roast challenged (very possibly) or that same level of goodness could only be achieved by my mom. I satisfied myself with inviting myself to dinner every week that we lived close enough and really enjoying the weeks we made the trek after we moved. I didn't really attempt it again until several years later...largely because we couldn't afford to actually purchase anything more expensive than ground beef but that's a tale for another day.

I'm a huge fan of putting roast in the crock pot and do that most often. It's pretty hard to mess things up in a crock pot because it does all the work for you. That said sometimes I am not a good enough planner and don't get it started in time. I have this lovely red Dutch oven that I got for my birthday a couple of years ago and although it's not Le Crueset it's pretty darned good. I did the research between Lodge and Le Crueset and decided that the end result was so close to the same that I couldn't justify $250-300 on one pan. Lodge has served me well with my other Dutch ovens so that's what I got and guess what....it makes a roast that is on a par with my mom's! Finally!

Depending on how much time I've got I like to brown the onions and carrots as well as the roast before I start them all together in the oven. It works without that step but the flavor it is a bit richer if you do it. Sometimes I cook the potatoes in the same pot but usually I do those separately on the stove. I just like the texture better with gravy. So, here's the secret so that you can have some pot roast love at your house too!

Pot Roast Love

1 large roast (we like chuck usually)
1 onion; cut into eighths or quarters
1 1/2 lbs baby carrots
Johnny's seasoned salt
black pepper
Herbs of your choice
olive oil
2 c. beef broth

Heat a couple of tablespoons olive oil in the Dutch oven over med high-high heat.

Quickly brown the onions in the olive oil and set aside. Brown the carrots until you start to see little brown marks and set them aside as well.

Season the meat with seasoning salt and pepper. Sear your roast on all sides until it's nice and brown. A good pair of tongs will help you get the sides without burning yourself. Set roast aside.

Deglaze your pan with 1 c. beef broth. Scrape the little bits off the bottom of the pan. Put the roast, carrots and onion (and potatoes if that's the way you are cooking them) back in the pan and add enough broth to cover the roast approx halfway. (you are braising the meat in case you are interested)

Add whatever herbs you like or just season well with salt and pepper. Rosemary and thyme are good as is a bay leaf or two. Cover.

Cook low and slow until the meat is falling apart. 275 degrees for 3 hours for a smaller roast (3 lbs.) add another hour for a 4-5 lb roast. You can do 350 for a little less time but it isn't as fall apart tender. It's all about time people.

Let meat rest 5-10 minutes before serving.

Mac and Cheese

We are kind of mac and cheese snobs at our house. Well....maybe the truth is I'M a mac and cheese snob. I just can't bring myself to get on board with the blue box of yellow death that is the staple of newlyweds and students everywhere. This tendency I blame squarely on my mother. I didn't ever have box mac and cheese until I was in high school...or maybe I was even married...at any rate I don't like it and avoid it at all costs.

I've made many variations of mac and cheese over the years and haven't ever really found the perfect recipe. They are all good and most have been made more than once but I am still always looking for the perfect combination. This could be the one. It was good creamy, straight out of the pot and also after being baked. That is huge in my book. It was even pretty good reheated when most mac and cheeses are at their leftover worst.

This is a Pioneer Woman recipe so I wasn't consumed with tweaking it to death. I haven't made anything from her book or blog that wasn't good. This recipe falls into that category as well. Yum. Try it, you may not eat yellow death voluntarily again either!

Mac and Cheese
The Pioneer Woman-Food Network 

Ingredients

• 4 cups dried macaroni
• 1 whole egg
• 1/2 stick (4 tablespoons) butter
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 1/2 cups whole milk
• 2 heaping teaspoons dry mustard (more if desired)
• 1 pound sharp Cheddar, grated (not pre-grated cheese), plus more for baking
• Salt
• Seasoned salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• Optional spices: cayenne pepper, paprika, thyme

Directions 

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Cook the macaroni until still slightly firm. Drain and set aside.

In a small bowl, beat the egg. In a large pot, melt the butter and sprinkle in the flour. Whisk together over medium-low heat. Cook for a couple of minutes, whisking constantly. Don't let it burn. Pour in the milk, add the mustard and whisk until smooth. Cook until very thick, about 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to low.

Take 1/4 cup of the sauce and slowly pour it into the beaten egg, whisking constantly to avoid cooking the eggs. Whisk together until smooth. Pour the egg into the sauce, whisking constantly. Stir until smooth. Add in the cheese and stir to melt. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt and the pepper. Add any additional spices if desired. Taste the sauce and add more salt and seasoned salt as needed! DO NOT UNDERSALT.

Pour in the drained, cooked macaroni and stir to combine. Serve immediately (while it's still very creamy) or pour into a buttered baking dish, top with extra cheese and bake until bubbly and golden on top, 20 to 25 minutes.

Mock KFC Potato Bowls

 

I'm a big fan of replicating restaurant and fast food dishes at home for less money. This dinner is one of those kinds of recipes and it's waaay cheaper than if you were to buy them at KFC and honestly tastes very, very close to the same.  There's nothing super gourmet about this one, you probably have all the ingredients hanging out in your freezer and food storage. The kids love it and even the big kid likes it to eat as lunch the next day. If you wanted to be all super, Holly Homemaker you could absolutely make your mashed potatoes from scratch but to really duplicate the KFC experience you need to use instant. I admit that growing up in Idaho I had no idea that such a thing existed. Instant potatoes...what will they think of next?!? 

This is seriously easy dinner. I can't even call it a recipe. Add the elements you like to your bowl and if you are B leave the corn out. Start with everything warm and just microwave for 20 seconds just before eating and you will be thinking you just left the KFC drive thru. An added bonus is your wallet won't be in sticker shock! Woo!

Mock KFC Potato Bowls

Popcorn chicken (we cook the whole bag)

Enough mashed potatoes to feed your family

Brown gravy; Cambell's tastes really close to KFC's but the kind in the packet works well too. 

Corn

Cheese

1. Bake the chicken according to the package directions

2. Prepare the mashed potatoes according to the package directions.

3. Layer potatoes, gravy, chicken, corn, gravy and cheese.

4. Zap the bowl in the microwave to melt the cheese a little bit before serving.

Game Day Chili

 

Football season is upon us and I'm starting to feel like cooking for fall, even though the temperature outside is still hanging out in the upper 80's this week. Once fall hits I like to make lots of soups and chili's. I love the convenience of dumping stuff in my crock pot in the morning and coming home to a hot dish of whatever after work. This is good the first day but superb on the second day so I try to cook it on a day that I'm home and able to fix something else for dinner so that I can eat this the next day. Serve it with warm bread or cornbread and some Fritos. 

You can mix up the bean to meat ratio to fit your family and I usually just use whatever I can dig out of the pantry. Don't feel locked into the chili beans if that isn't what you normally buy, it's fairly spicy even without the seasoned beans.  The ingredient list is kind of lengthy but everything is probably something that you already have in your kitchen. Don't be scared...it's worth it! I promise. :)

Game Day Chili
Serves 12

2 lbs lean ground beef
1 lb Italian sausage
3 cans chili beans; drained
1 can spicy chili beans
2 28 oz cans diced tomatoes with juice
1/2 c. ketchup
1 large yellow onion; chopped
3 stalks celery; chopped
1 green bell pepper; chopped
1 red bell pepper; chopped
3 large jalapeno peppers; chopped. Seed 1 1/2 leave the seeds and ribs in the other 1 1/2 jalapeno
1/2 c. bacon bits
4 t. beef bouillon
1/2 c. water
1/4 c. chili powder
2 T. Worcestershire sauce
1 T. minced garlic
1 T. dried oregano
1 T. cumin
2 T. Tabasco original

2 T. chipotle hot sauce
1 t. dried basil
1 t. salt
1 t. ground black pepper
1 t. cayenne pepper
1 t. sugar

1 t. liquid smoke

1 t. smoked paprika

1. Brown meat in a large skillet and drain off fat. Reserve 1-2 T fat 

2. Cook down vegetables until onion is translucent
3. Mix all ingredients in a large (6 qt) crock pot.
4. Cook on high for 6 hours or low for 12 hours. (really best if made the day before serving)
5. To serve ladle into bowls and top with grated cheese and sour cream. Serve chips on the side.

Entered in The Texas Star Chili Cook Off 2011 Check it out!!

Meatloaf a'la Jiggle

Everyone has a meatloaf recipe that is supposedly the best. Mom, Grandma, Aunt Louise, they all swear theirs in the best. I've tried many and am not convinced that any one is significantly better than another. It really all boils down to your own taste and that of your family. My family won't eat it if they can see oats in it and they don't like the texture of crumbled bread. If I add carrots in an effort to up the healthy it's just understood that I will be eating the whole thing by myself. Not always a bad solution but maybe more meatloaf than I really need...

This version is super easy and tastes like steak. That probably has something to do with the generous amount of A1 that I dump in and I'm totally ok with that. My family likes it and that's the important part right?

Meatloaf a'la Jiggle
serves 6 (4 if you are feeding starving boys)

1 1/2 lb lean ground beef
1 large egg
1/2 c. milk
2/3 c. seasoned bread crumbs (crushed Ritz crackers would be good too)
3 T. yellow mustard
1/4 c. A1 steak sauce
2 T (ish) Canadian Steak seasoning

1. Mix all ingredients with ground beef in a large bowl. Don't over mix, just kind of smoosh it altogether until it's mixed.
2. Turn into a 9x9 baking dish and loosely shape into a loaf.
3. Bake uncovered at 350 for about 45 minutes. At this point you can add a ketchup or BBQ sauce to the top if you like. Bake another 15 minutes.
4. Let rest for 10 minutes before serving.

Chicken Cordon Bleu Bake

It's been a crazy couple of weeks at the Jiggle household and quite frankly cooking has fallen to the bottom of the priority ladder. Mr. Jiggle is off working overseas for a month, school started for the younger Jiggles and Jiggle herself had to give up the cushy, working from home in her jammies gig and go back to the office every day. That's really cutting into the meal/treat planning, like a lot. Anyway...

Today I had to take dinner to a neighbor and was cruising The Sisters Cafe, as that is one of the very few websites that I can access at work stupid big brother anyway, and this casserole appealed on 2 levels. First it was easy to put together and all the ingredients were already happily residing in my panty and second it was touted as a good freezer meal. I used to be all kinds of organized and regularly did freezer meals for those days that my life was crazy or that I needed to run a dinner somewhere unexpectedly. I've kind of fallen off that wagon with WalMart moving in down the road and really need to get back on it. The planning wagon and the weight loss wagon have both left me laying in the road wondering what exactly happened. Maybe someday I will find the will power to flag them both down and haul myself back up on there. Maybe.

I doubled what was listed and easily got 2 9x9 dishes and a very full 9x13 dish. This is an extremely generous recipe. I froze a small one, took the other small one to the neighbors and baked the bigger one for dinner and lunches. Other than the doubling of the recipe I followed it faithfully. I'm looking forward to lunch tomorrow!!

Chicken Cordon Bleu Bake
thesisterscafe.com
servings 10-12

2 generous cups cooked chicken; diced
3/4 lb deli ham; sliced in strips
1 can 98% fat free cream of chicken soup
1 cup milk
1 cup Swiss cheese; shredded
2 cups Cheddar cheese; shredded and divided
2 boxes chicken flavor stuffing mix; prepared

1. Prepare baking dish with non stick cooking spray. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Spread chicken in bottom of dish. Sprinkle with pepper (I just used Johnny's seasoning when I cooked the chicken so I skipped the pepper).
3. Layer ham, Swiss cheese, and 1/2 of the Cheddar cheese over the chicken.
4. In a small bowl mix soup and milk until blended. Pour over everything.
5. Spread prepared stuffing over the top and sprinkle the remaining 1 cup of cheese over the top.
6. Bake covered for 40-45 min; remove cover and bake an additional 10-15 min.

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Teriyaki Pork Tenderloin

Still waiting on my camera to come home so this is just a quick, easy kind of dinner. I always have these grand plans when I wander through the meat department that rarely happen like I see them in my imagination when it is actually time to fix dinner. I bought a pork tenderloin last week and was going to do this great new thing with blackberries and jalenpenos but someone ate the blackberries and my jalenpeno was sketchy when I pulled it out of the fridge so I was forced to consider plan B...I didn't really have a plan B. Great. So, I stood in front of the fridge perusing all the contents and there was a little dribble of teriyaki sauce but not enough to actually do anything. Surely I can concoct something similar that will keep me away from Wal-Mart. I'm a smart, capable, innovative (sort of) kind of cook. Right?

I put this all in the crock pot and walked away but I think the sauce would be good cooked on the stove until it's thick and used as a grilling sauce as well. It turned out pretty well for an experiment. Randy was firmly in the do it again camp so I'm sure we will see it again in the not too distant future.

Teriyaki Pork Tenderloin

2 lb pork tenderloin
1/4 c. low sodium soy sauce
1 c. water
1 1/2 tsp grated ginger root
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1/4 c. + 2 T. brown sugar
2 T. honey
2 1/2 T. cornstarch mixed in 1/4 c. water

Spray crock pot with non stick spray. Place pork in crock pot; salt and pepper to taste.

Mix all sauce ingredients together and pour over pork. Cover and cook on high 4 hours or low 8 hours.

Remove meat from crock pot and pour sauce into small saucepan. Bring sauce to a boil. Cook down until it reaches desired thickness (3-4 minutes). Shred pork. Mix it all together and serve it over rice.

Post linked to:
Melt in Your Mouth Monday;  Your Recipe My Kitchen; 

Soft Pretzels or Pretzel Dogs

I have a confession. I have an addiction to gas station deli counters. I know, that's so, so not gourmet or even a little bit healthy. I can't help it. I love their pigs in a blanket. Something about the bread just sucks me in every time. I prefer them with sausages but hey, a hot dog will do in a pinch. I also like soft pretzels from the mall. I used to work for an insurance company that had their offices in the mall. I would wander to the food court almost every day for my morning break to watch them make the pretzels and get one of the first pretzels of the day. Today I decided to combine my two loves for lunch. It. was. awesome.

I've fiddled with soft pretzel recipe combinations for a few years now. I made my first one for a youth activity and was hooked. I have found that I prefer them cooked on a stone rather than a baking sheet. I prefer brown sugar in the dough as opposed to granulated sugar and that it's pretty hard to ruin a pretzel as long as you have cinnamon sugar and cream cheese frosting to dip them in. That said we focused on the savory today.

This recipe makes enough dough for 12 good sized pretzels so I did 8 dogs and the rest we just cut into chunks to dip in mustard. (If you are twist challenged this is a zero risk variation on the pretzel theme). So YUM!~


Soft Pretzels or Pretzel Dogs if you prefer....
12 Pretzels

2 1/2 tsp yeast
2 heaping T. brown sugar
1 1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 c. warm water
4 c. flour
Melted butter
Coarse Salt (we like sea salt)

Brine
2 heaping T. baking soda
2 c. water

1. In your mixer dissolve yeast, brown sugar and salt in warm water. Let yeast bloom for a few minutes.
2. Mix in flour. If you are kneading by hand mix with wooden spoon until a cohesive dough ball forms then turn it out onto a floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 7-8 minutes. If you are using your mixer just let it go until it's smooth and has completely cleaned the sides of the mixing bowl. Cover and let rise for about an hour.
3. Cut dough into 12 equal pieces. Let dough rest for a few minutes. Roll each piece of dough into a 2 foot long rope.
4. Twist into pretzel shape or cut into nuggets if doing only pretzels. Twist each rope around a hot dog or sausage making sure to seal the ends of the ropes securely.
5. In a large saucepan bring the brine mixture to a simmer over med heat.
6. Dip each pretzel or pretzel dog in the brine for approx 30 seconds. Place on a greased or parchment lined baking sheet. Let rise for 20 min.
7. Bake at 450 for 9ish minutes or until golden brown. Nuggets will take a little less time, watch them fairly closely so they don't burn. Seriously, go by smell I'm a terrible timer.
8. Brush with butter and sprinkle with salt or whatever topping you prefer.

Beef and Mushroom Sloppy Joes

I got Kaiser rolls at the bakery for our burgers the other day and there are still some sitting on my counter. I have a hard time just letting them go to waste....they are delightful....so I needed a plan. I also had mushrooms in the fridge and some hamburger that needed to be used. There was no plan jumping from my head so I hit the Cooking Light magazine for some inspiration.

Cooking Light is one of my favorite sources for healthy recipes. I haven't ever had a true bomb from a Cooking Light source so I didn't have any trepidation in my heart when I decided to do the Beef and Mushroom Sloppy Joes from the June 2011 issue of Cooking Light magazine. I did have to make a few adjustments as I didn't have everything in their version (cause you know that NEVER happens) but overall it turned out really well. I liked the zip from the hot sauce and the overall flavor. I think the only thing I would do differently next time is swap the tomato paste for tomato sauce and have written the recipe below to reflect that change, the filling seemed really thick for our taste. And, as expected they were yummy on those good rolls. Yay!

I think it's time for a dessert recipe next....

Beef and Mushroom Sloppy Joes
Serves 5ish
adapted from Cooking Light magazine June 2011

1 T. olive oil
1 lb ground beef
16 oz chopped mushrooms (I used white because that's what I had but cremini would be good too)
1 c. chopped onion
1 1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 8 oz can tomato sauce
1 1/2 tsp oregano
2 T. red wine vinegar
2 T. Worcestershire sauce
1 T. brown sugar
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 tsp ground black pepper
1/2 tsp hot sauce

Heat a large non stick skillet over med-high heat. Add oil; swirl to coat. Add onions and mushrooms and cook until onions are tender.

In another skillet brown the hamburger stirring to crumble. When onion mixture is done add to the ground beef. Add tomato sauce, oregano, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar and salt to pan. Cook approx 5 min. Stir in pepper and hot sauce. Spoon about 3/4 c. on your bun and eat.

Cal. 439; Fat 14.7g; Protein 27.3g; Carb 49.2g; Fiber 4g

BBQ Ribs and Sauce

Do you have a "signature" recipe? One that you find yourself sharing over and over and people seem to think it requires super human cooking skills to achieve the end results? This is that recipe. This is the recipe people ask me for every single time I make it. This is the recipe that spawned the annual Hansen Family Ribfest event that my brothers reminisce about all year long until it's time to do it again. This is the recipe that when I couldn't host Ribfest 2010 those same brothers took it upon themselves to figure out how to make their own. Yes, this is THAT recipe.

Now don't misunderstand me....it's all smoke and mirrors. There is no super human cooking skill here. Just a little bit of patience, a lot of tin foil, and a really dirty oven at the end of the day. In fact, if you embark upon a ribfest (or should it be ribquest) of your own please, please, please remember to put foil in the bottom of your oven before you start. The sauce WILL drip. You will probably not think through the whole "when I flip the oven to clean there isn't a way to open the door once it gets going" thing and you will manage to start your oven on fire, have smoke billowing from the windows and necessitate your children answering questions about when they became chain smokers. Not that I know anything about that but that is my cautionary tale for the day. I'm fairly sure that that could actually happen....to someone else of course.

My son hosted a mission reunion with several of his former companions and some of their "women folk" yesterday. Ribs and Bacon Stuffed Burgers were on the menu. They didn't want salads or veggies, just meat, chips and something to wash it down with. In my head I was thinking there is no way they will eat all of that...well they did. I am still in shock. They all enjoyed it though and are looking forward to doing it again next year. I may have recovered by then. These people look like they are enjoying themselves, right?....

Because of the mass quantities of ribs I cooked yesterday I didn't make my own sauce but when I cook on a more reasonable scale this is the recipe I use. It will keep in the fridge for a couple of weeks so I make a little extra to have on hand.

Dude, I'm way wordy today. On to the recipe!

BBQ Ribs and Sauce
serves 2-4 as an entree

4 lbs baby back pork ribs
BBQ sauce, lots of it.

Honey BBQ Sauce

1 c. ketchup
1/2 c. dark molasses
1 tsp liquid smoke
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 c. honey
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp Tabasco sauce, or to taste

Combine all ingredients in a large sauce pan and whisk together. Bring to a boild. Reduce heat and simmer for 40-50 minutes until reduced down and as thick as you like it.

Ribs
Cut ribs into sections of 4-6 ribs (I usually just cut the rack in half). Coat with BBQ sauce on both sides. Place on a large, doubled thickness, heavy duty foil and wrap tightly, like you are making a tin foil dinner or a packet to cook in the fire. Let marinate in the fridge overnight, it makes them very tender and tasty. Place the rib packets seam side up (critical hint right there) in a 300 degree oven and let bake for 2-3 hours. When you see the meat pulling back from the bone it's done. You will be able to tell by smell as well.

Heat grill up on med high. Grill ribs on the hot grill for 2-4 minutes per side or just until you get those nice blackened streaks. Baste with some reserved sauce.

Dig in!

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Chicken Pot Pie

I'm always at a loss when I'm asked to take dinner to someone for what to take. I know that when I was in bed for months I ate more Chicken Broccoli casserole than I had ever eaten before and I can honestly say I haven't eaten it voluntarily since then...15 years ago. So, I try to figure out dishes that are a little bit different than your standard CB casserole or lasagna but that are still universally appealing enough for everyone.

This is a dish that my family likes a lot. It's filling and homey tasting and it's pretty hard to mess it up. You can certainly make this with store bought pie crusts...I went to buy some today and couldn't find any. Is this a Thanksgiving kind of deal that I wasn't aware of?? At any rate, I made my own crust from my Perfect Pie Crust recipe and it was definitely better tasting than Pillsbury would have been.

If you have lots of time and don't mind chopping veggies you can certainly chop your own but I used a bag of mixed veggies from the freezer section with some hash browns and it worked great. I think I may need a second helping...

Chicken Pot Pie
1 10 inch pie


2 pie crusts

Filling:
2 c. water
1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast cut into 1/2 in. pieces
1 onion diced fine
1 bag mixed vegetables
1 c. Southern style hash browns
2 T. chicken bouillon granules or soup base
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. poultry seasoning
4 T. cornstarch
1 T. flour
1 c. heavy cream

In a lg saucepan combine onions and chicken (include carrots, celery etc if you chopped your own). Bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook 5 min stirring occasionally. Add veggies, hash browns, bouillon, salt, pepper and poultry seasoning and simmer for an additional 5 minutes.

Dissolve cornstarch and flour in cream. Stir into chicken mixture; simmer an additional 3 minutes until thickened. Set aside.

Assembly:
Put bottom crust in pie pan trimming crust even with the edge. Pour filling into bottom crust. Roll top crust on top, cut slits for steam (if you are Bri write your name). Fold top crust under bottom crust edge. Seal well and flute edge. Bake in a 400 degree oven for 35-40 min or until crust is golden brown and filling is bubbly. (I usually shield the pie with tin foil for the first 20 minutes of bake time)

Let stand for 15-20 minutes before serving.

Sweet and Spicy Buffalo Wings

I am a big fan of the quick/easy kind of dinners that you can throw together with a minimum of fuss in about 20 minutes. This recipe definitely fits that description. I keep trying to duplicate Winger's Amazing Sauce, with little success, and this is my latest attempt. It's not even close to the Winger's sauce but it's still very good and was licked up by the whole family. I doubled the recipe so we would have some to dip the "wings" in and to drizzle on our rice.

The broccoli wasn't a huge hit however... ;)

Sweet and Spicy Wings

1 bag frozen chicken tenders prepared in the oven
6 T. Frank's Original Red Hot Sauce
5 T. brown sugar
4 T. water
1 T. cornstarch or arrowroot
1 T. water

Heat hot sauce, brown sugar and water in a small sauce pan until the sugar is dissolved.

Prepare a slurry with the cornstarch and water; add to sauce. Bring to a boil and let boil for 1 min or until desired thickness.

Put chicken in large bowl and drizzle sauce over tossing to coat.

Mexican Lasagna

I love lasagna and I love Mexican food. So when I first ran across a Mexican lasagna recipe on The Pioneer Woman's website a couple of years ago I filed it away to use another day. Then I started to see them everywhere... I hadn't made my own and I got bogged down in the millions of variations out there in cyberspace; corn tortillas or flour tortillas? Maybe noodles would be better. Do I want to use taco seasoning or the dump stuff from my spice cupboard technique? Chicken or beef? Which sauce would be better? Red? Green? It quickly overwhelmed me and even though I was intrigued I didn't ever try it.

As I was planning my menu for the week I happened to scroll through my recipe file and I had 3 different recipes saved. I decided that was just silly, printed them, and spread them out on my desk to pick apart. None of them seemed quite right for my family on their own but surely I could combine the parts I liked and omit the things I didn't...Jeff was pretty sure I had lost my mind but I think he was convinced that maybe Mom isn't completely clueless after all after tasting the final product.

The only thing I would do differently is remember to leave the cheese off the top until the last 15 minutes of cooking time (you'd think I would learn....) and possibly leave the olives out to be put on the side as some people in our house aren't olive fans but other than that it was pretty darned good and I'll definitely do it again.

*Lasagna tip: Lay your noodles in opposite directions for each layer; it will help the finished product stay together better when you serve it. i.e. the bottom layer is horizontal in the pan, the second layer is vertical and the third layer is horizontal again. Who knew?!?

Mexican Lasagna
Serves 10

1 1/2 lbs lean ground beef or turkey (I used beef)
1 yellow onion minced
2 cups long grain rice, unprepared
4 cups chicken broth ( I used water and soup base, it worked great)
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 T. chili powder
2 t. cumin
1/4 t. cayenne pepper
1 t. dried oregano
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 can diced tomatoes or 3-4 fresh tomatoes, diced
1 can black beans undrained
2 c. frozen corn
1 can olives, sliced
1 16 oz salsa verde, medium
1 10 oz can enchilada sauce
1 box no boil lasagna noodles
3 c. Mexican cheese blend (or whatever you have on hand)

1. Prepare rice with broth. While rice is cooking saute onions, garlic, and tomatoes with approx 1/2 of the spices until onions are tender. When rice is done mix the rice, onion mixture, and black beans together.
2. Brown hamburger; add approx 1/2 c water and remaining spices and let simmer for a few minutes. Set aside.
3. In a 9x13 casserole dish pour 1/2 bottle salsa verde and spread evenly. Layer noodles.
4. Divide rice mixture in half. Spread 1/2 over noodles; add cheese.
5. Add another layer of noodles; spread enchilada sauce over noodles evenly.
6. Layer taco meat; corn, cheese and another layer of noodles.
7. Spread remaining rice mixture over noodles. Top with olives if using and evenly pour remaining salsa verde over the top.
8. Bake at 375 for 50 min. Top with cheese; bake an additional 10-15 minutes.
9. Let rest 5-10 minutes before serving. Garnish with cilantro and sour cream. (I live in a house of cilantro haters so that didn't make it to the picture...)

Ranch Chicken Strips

Ah, Sunday again! Because I have been getting boneless skinless chicken breasts for a really good price lately we have been eating a lot. Now if it were summer I would be grilling like a crazy person so that there aren't any dishes to wash but because Mother Nature seems to be confused and keeps sending us winter rather than spring I'm forced to find alternate ways of chicken prep.

This recipe is one that I "rediscovered" in a binder of Weight Watchers recipes that I've collected over the years. The original recipe was without a doubt much healthier than the version that I made today but, hey, it's Sunday! And, I don't want to think about the scale today so butter is the word of the day.

If you choose to go the WW route switch the butter with egg whites and reduce the amount of Parmesan cheese to 1/4 c. That will bring the NI back into "acceptable" healthy range.

Ranch Chicken Strips

2 lbs chicken strips
1 pkg Ranch dressing mix
1/2 c. Parmesan cheese
cornflakes (I didn't measure, I just dumped and crushed)

In a freezer bag crush the cornflakes and add the dressing mix and Parmesan. Melt the butter in a bowl big enough to dip your chicken strips in.

Dip the chicken in butter; roll in the cornflake mixture. Place on a foil covered sheet pan. Bake at 350 degrees for approx 30 min or until juices run clear. If you use chicken breast halves you will need to cook them for appox 40-45 min.

Easy peasy enjoy!!

"Homemade" Chicken and Noodles

Once upon a time, in a small southeastern Idaho town, Jiggle was a little girl with a love for homemade noodles. She had an adopted grandma that would bring homemade chicken and noodles whenever Jiggle's mother was ill or had a baby and Jiggle sooo looked forward to those meals. The noodles were thick and yummy and the best noodles Jiggle had ever tasted....

In the current day and age Jiggle has found that she rarely has time to make noodles from scratch but she still has a love for chicken and noodles that defies the challenge of poor time management so she's found a very close homemade imposter called Ream's frozen noodles. Seriously, they are so close to homemade Jiggle dares you to tell the difference.

This is a good "soup" before the broth is thickened or "noodles, chicken and gravy" if you choose to thicken. I guess if you wanted to remain true to the homemade theme you could boil a whole chicken and create your own stock that way but again, I'm always in a hurry. I use chicken soup base to cook my chicken and boneless skinless breasts because quite honestly, the skin on chicken icks me out. I usually cook double the amount of chicken I actually need for this recipe and set half aside for a meal later in the week.

Homemade Chicken and Noodles
Adapted from Ruby Fuller
8 servings

3-4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves
3 quarts chicken broth (I usually just throw some soup base concentrate in water)
3 whole carrots, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
1/2 onion, diced
Salt to taste
1/2 tsp tumeric
1/4 tsp white pepper (more to taste)
1/4 tsp ground thyme
1 T parsley flakes
24 oz frozen egg noodles (Ream's)
4-5 T cornstarch

1. Cover chicken in broth, Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.
2. Remove chicken from pot and let cool slightly. Chop chicken into pieces or shred, whichever you prefer.
3. Add carrots, celery and onions to broth followed by the herbs and spices. Stir to combine and simmer for approx 10 min.
4. Increase heat and add noodles and diced chicken. Cook for 8-10 minutes.
5. Mix cornstarch and water. Stir until smooth. Pour into soup, stir to combine, and simmer for an addition 5 minutes or until broth is desired thickness. Adjust seasonings if needed.

Stuffed Pork Tenderloin

Sundays are kind of crazy at our house and I've gotten pretty lazy about not fixing a nice "Sunday Dinner". In an effort to do better in this particular area I needed something that was easy and low fuss but still looked and tasted a little more special than tacos or pizza. Pork tenderloin is one of my favorite cuts of meat, it's tender, lean, flavorful and best of all easy to cook. I usually cook it on the grill but it's still cold outside and I'm kind of a baby so the oven was called on instead.

This was truly easy breezy. I typically buy the tenderloins in the package that has 2 pieces and cook them both at the same time. This will easily feed my family twice. That also works well with this recipe as a package of Stove Top stuffing will stuff 2 tenderloins and leave just a little for whichever kid is hanging around in the kitchen. Obviously if you have a favorite stuffing recipe that would work as well, I haven't found one that I love so I use Stove Top. ;)

Stuffed Pork Tenderloin

2-2.5 lb pork tenderloin (the package with 2 pieces)
1 box Stove Top Stuffing (I usually use chicken flavor)
3 strips bacon
Your favorite spice mix, seasoning salt, whatever your family likes

1. Make a lengthwise slit about three-fourths of the way through tenderloin; open tenderloin so it lies flat. Flatten to 1/4-in. thickness; set aside.
2. Prepare stuffing according to package directions or make your own recipe if so inclined.
3. Season the inside of the tenderloin with salt and pepper etc
4.Spread stuffing on one long side of tenderloin to within 1/4 in. of edges. Close meat and place bacon on top; tie with kitchen string. Place on a rack in a shallow roasting pan. 
5. Bake for 35-40 min at 425. Remove from oven and let sit 10 minutes before slicing. (Use your meat thermometer, don't let it go past 160 degrees. The meat will continue to cook while it rests and you will have dry, tough meat if it cooks beyond 165ish degrees)

Chicken Burritos

If you live here in Utah odds are you probably know what Cafe Rio is. Their Mexican grill burritos and salads are extremely popular and imitated A LOT. In fact, everyone has a copy cat Cafe Rio recipe that they swear up and down is EXACTLY the same. I'm not going to pretend that this is the same, it's similar and it's delicious but it's definitely not the same. It's what my family gets when the burrito craving hits. Bri and Randy say it's their favorite dish and I have to admit that it's right up there on my list as well. An added bonus is that it's super easy.

The rice recipe is made using Minute Rice only because I haven't had great luck translating it with regular long grain rice. If you prefer regular rice remember to adjust the liquid accordingly and I'd love to hear how it turned out.

The only other suggestion I have to up the "authenticity" of your burrito is spring for the raw tortillas that you find in the dairy section by the cheeses. It's absolutely worth the few extra minutes to cook them up yourself. I'm not a huge tortilla fan but I will eat these plain they are so good.

Use what ever enchilada sauce you prefer...just like Cafe Rio. We usually layer chicken, rice, beans, cheese, and enchilada sauce inside the tortilla and then pour additional sauce and cheese over the top and melt it quickly in the microwave.

Chicken Burrito Filling
9-10 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (I usually just use the frozen and toss it in)
1 pkg Zesty Italian salad dressing mix
1/4 c. white wine vinegar
3 T,. water
1/2 c. olive oil
1 T. cumin
1 T. chili powder
2 tsp minced garlic

Mix salad dressing mix, vinegar and water together in a tightly sealed jar. Add olive oil and shake well to combine. Add remaining ingredients and shake until combined. Pour over chicken breast in the crock pot. Cover and cook on high for 4 hours. Remove chicken and shred. Return to crock pot and cook for an additional hour or so.


Cilantro Lime Rice
3 c. water
3 c. Minute Rice*
4 tsp chicken bouillon or soup base
1 T canola oil
2 T. fresh lime juice
1/2 bunch fresh cilantro
1/2 onion minced
1 can green chilies

Blend cilantro, onion, and chilies with 1 cup of the water in a blender. Bring water to a boil and add bouillon, oil, blended mixture and rice. Cover and simmer 5-7 minute or until rice is tender. Add lime juice and serve. *If using regular rice don't forget to adjust liquid amount and cooking time accordingly.

Garlic Black Beans
2 cans black beans rinsed and drained
8 oz tomato sauce
1 tsp minced garlic
2 Tb Canola oil
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp chili powder
2 T chopped cilantro (opt)

Heat everything together in a small saucepan until heated through. Serve warm.

Our Favorite Green Sauce
1 small can Old El Paso mild green enchilada sauce
1 cup  Herdez Medium Salsa Verde

Stir together and warm in a saucepan or the microwave.