Tuesday, October 14, 2014
Bacon Wrapped Cabbage
This is heaven in your mouth. I can't begin to tell you how amazing this tastes. You just gotta try it for yourself.
What you need
I head of cabbage
1 pd of bacon
aluminum foil
Preheat oven to 450. Cut the cabbage into wedges and then wrap in bacon. Wrap in foil and place on cookie sheet. Place in the oven and bake for 30 minutes flip them over and bake another 30 minutes.
It really is that simple, and it taste so good.
I hope you enjoy this heavenly treat as much as we do. Happy cooking.
Salsa Chicken and Rice
Most of my recipes are all done by eyeballing it. I usually don't measure. If it looks good that's what I go with. This is one of those recipes.
What you need
Chicken
Taco seasoning
rice
salsa
1 can corn
chedder cheese
Preheat oven to 450. Season chicken with taco seasoning. Set aside. Pour rice into a 13x9 in pan. I use about 4 cups. Add left over taco seasoning and salsa. As much as you'd like. Add corn undrained and then cover rice in water. place chicken on top of rice and cover in salsa and bake for about 30 min depending on the size of the chicken. Sprinkle with cheese and bake until melted.
Sometimes I add some queso to the rice also. Just depends on what I have on hand. This is more of a guideline. Like I said before, I just eyeball this recipe. I hope it's helpful in some way. You really just add as much as you like. If you like a lot of salsa then add a lot if you like a little then add a little.
Tonight I'm fixing bacon wrapped cabbage as a side. Hope you enjoy it as much as we do. Have fun with this one. I really don't think there's anyway to mess it up. Happy cooking.
The Best Fried Chicken
I have figured out how to cook the best fried chicken. Or at least that's what my family says. My kids are constantly asking me for this. It makes me so happy that they love it so much. My 3 year old will also usually eat this.
OK. First thing you need is to make the rub.
2 tablespoons Paprika
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
and sometimes a few pinches of Cayenne
Mix the spices together and rub on your chicken of choice. Chill for at least an hour.
Now the only way to have fried chicken is the crispy way so make sure you leave them skins on. Take about 2 cups of flour and the same spice mix as before and mix it together. Scramble about 3 eggs and about 1/4 cup milk together.
Dip your chicken in the flour, shake excess off then dip in the egg, dip back in the flour till covered. Repeat with the rest of your chicken.
Deep fry at 350 for about 10 minutes. depending on the type of chicken you are cooking. Might want to look up cooking times. Also depending on how big your deep fryer is you may need to do this in batches. I usually fry 2 at a time. My drum sticks cook for 10 minutes, then I put them on a cooling rack on top of a cookie sheet and put in the oven at 250 to stay nice and warm and crispy until ready to eat.
I serve this with mashed potatoes and gravy and veggies.
I hope you enjoy my families favorite. Happy cooking.
Thursday, October 9, 2014
Chicken Broccoli Casserole
I absolutely love love love this dish. It's so easy and tastes delicious. This is my go to dish when I'm asked to bring something to a gathering. My own brother has even took it somewhere and tried to pass it off as his own when everyone said how good it was. I hope you like it too.
What you'll need.
3 16oz bags frozen broccoli florets
2 cans cream of mushroom soup
4 cups shredded chedder cheese
2 packs of ritz crackers (crushed)
chicken
OK, so I usually put in about 2 whole chicken breasts. You can put in as much or as little as you like. There are times when I don't add it at all. Also you can use any part or the chicken you like I just prefer the breast.
Preheat oven to 350
I like to boil my chicken but I'm sure this would taste good if you cooked it another way. When I boil the chicken it's easier to shred. Put all your broccoli into another pot and boil.
Once the broccoli starts to boil it's done. Turn it off and drain it then return it to the same pot. If you let it cook any longer then the broccoli will get mushy.
Add one bag of cheese and both cans of cream of mushroom. When your chicken is cooked through cut into bite size pieces or shred it with a fork, whichever you prefer, and add to pot then mix everything together.
Pour into 13x9 in baking dish.
Then spread the other bag of cheese over the top.
Then crumble crackers over that.
Cover with aluminum foil and bake for about 45 min to 1 hour.
I hope you enjoy my version of this classic. Happy cooking.
What you'll need.
3 16oz bags frozen broccoli florets
2 cans cream of mushroom soup
4 cups shredded chedder cheese
2 packs of ritz crackers (crushed)
chicken
OK, so I usually put in about 2 whole chicken breasts. You can put in as much or as little as you like. There are times when I don't add it at all. Also you can use any part or the chicken you like I just prefer the breast.
Preheat oven to 350
I like to boil my chicken but I'm sure this would taste good if you cooked it another way. When I boil the chicken it's easier to shred. Put all your broccoli into another pot and boil.
Once the broccoli starts to boil it's done. Turn it off and drain it then return it to the same pot. If you let it cook any longer then the broccoli will get mushy.
Add one bag of cheese and both cans of cream of mushroom. When your chicken is cooked through cut into bite size pieces or shred it with a fork, whichever you prefer, and add to pot then mix everything together.
Pour into 13x9 in baking dish.
Then spread the other bag of cheese over the top.
Then crumble crackers over that.
Cover with aluminum foil and bake for about 45 min to 1 hour.
I hope you enjoy my version of this classic. Happy cooking.
Friday, September 26, 2014
My Mom's Chili
I think everyone loves to eat a nice bowl of hot chili on a cold day. I know I do. Actually I can eat chili any time of year. But because the weather seems to be cooling off I thought this would be nice to post for anyone looking to warm up during the fall and winter months.
What you need
1 1/2 lbs of ground beef
1 medium green pepper (diced)
1 medium onion (diced)
2 cloves garlic (minced)
4 cans chili beans
3 can diced tomatoes
Spaghetti
3 bags bloomers Chili powder
salt and pepper to taste
Brown ground beef in large pot. Dice green pepper, onion and garlic and then add in with ground beef. Cook until no longer pink and if you wish drain off any excess grease. Then add your beans and tomatoes. Fill bean cans with water and add to pot. Add chili powder salt and pepper and stir well.
Place on medium high heat and start to boil and then turn to medium low and simmer. I like to cook mine for a couple hours. I feel like it deepens the flavor but you could skip that and just add the spaghetti once the chili starts to boil, stir frequently and cook till noodles are tender. Add as much spaghetti as you like I usually use about 1/2 a pound.
Serve with any toppings you like. My family likes cheese and crackers. I hope you enjoy this family recipe. Happy Cooking.
Sunday, September 21, 2014
Lasagna
I was like many other people who would buy frozen lasagna. It was OK but I always wanted to make my own and make it great. So I looked around and tried a few recipes and I came up with this one. A mix of what I found and what I came up with on my own. I believe it's the best lasagna I've ever had. Needless to say I don't buy frozen anymore.
What you'll need
Sauce
1 lb ground beef
1 lb sausage
1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
1 28 oz can tomato sauce
1 small onion (chopped)
1 lg garlic clove (finely diced)
1 tablespoon basil and oregano
1 teaspoon salt, pepper, garlic powder
Cheese mixture
1 large container ricotta cheese
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
2 tablespoon chopped parsley
1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper
Other Ingredients
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1 box lasagna noodles
Parmesan cheese (optional)
This is NOT a quick recipe. However, I do think it's pretty easy.
Place your burner on medium to medium high heat. Then brown your ground beef and sausage in a large pot. About halfway through cooking add your onions and garlic cook until onions are translucent and meat is no longer pink.
I do not drain my meat I think it gives the sauce more flavor but if you like then you can drain off the grease. Add the tomato sauce and the crushed tomatoes along with the basil, oregano, salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Mix together and reduce heat to low to medium low and let simmer for about 2 hours.
I usually will go ahead and mix my cheese mixture together now. Add the ricotta, 2 cups of the mozzarella, both eggs, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, and parsley in a mixing bowl and mix well. Place in fridge till sauce is ready.
Cook lasagna noodles according to package. Rinse with cold water. Place a layer of sauce in the bottom of a 13x9 in baking dish. Add a layer of noodles just enough to cover. Add a layer of cheese mixture, enough to cover the noodles and then more sauce. Repeat. Add one more layer of noodles and then sauce. Spread the last 2 cups of mozzarella across the top. Cover with aluminum foil and bake at 350 for 1 hour.
You will probably have left over cheese mixture and sauce. Sometimes I make a smaller lasagna sometimes I add more sauce when it comes out of the oven.
I really hope you enjoy this recipe. I know we do. Happy Cooking.
Thursday, September 18, 2014
Pork Chops and Spanish Rice
This was always a favorite of mine growing up. No one could cook like my Mom. Even now as an adult, nothing I cook comes out as good as hers. I really miss her cooking.
Since I got married and had a family of my own some dishes have changed a bit. This is one of those dishes. I stuck with the same ingredients and added one of my own.
What you will need.
Pork chops (as many as you like) I use 6 to 8
2 cups of instant rice
2 cans diced tomatoes
1 medium green pepper (chopped)
1 medium onion (chopped)
2 cloves of garlic (grated)
1 cup of salsa
2 tablespoons oil of choice
salt
pepper
garlic powder
water
You're going to need a big pot. Add a little oil in your pan. sprinkle salt, pepper, and garlic powder on you chops and brown on both sides over medium heat.
Remove chops from pan and set aside.
Add peppers and onions to pan. After the onions and peppers have cooked for a minute then add in the garlic. Season with salt and pepper. Cook until onions are translucent.
Add rice and tomatoes, and just enough water to cover the rice. season again with salt and pepper. Turn heat to high and when it starts to boil add chops back to pot and cover with lid and reduce heat to medium low. Stir occasionally till rice is tender and water is absorbed. Stir in salsa.
Sometimes I cut the chops into bite size pieces and stir them into the rice but my husband seems to like it better when I leave them whole and put them on the side. You do whatever you want.
You can eat this as a one pot meal or add a veggie to go with.
I hope you enjoy this meal as much as I have over the years. Happy cooking.
Wednesday, September 17, 2014
Homemade chicken gravy
If you're like me then you like the real stuff. I'm not real big on packaged anything. I try my best to make everything as homemade as I can. Of course I am human and sometimes packaged or jarred is just easier. Gravy is one of the things that I always make myself. It's so easy to do. Almost as easy as opening up the powder packet.
What you need
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
1 can chicken broth
salt
pepper
spices of your choice
First melt your butter over medium high heat. Add the flour and whisk till combined. Let the flour cook for a couple seconds so it doesn't have that raw flour taste. Add in whatever spices you like or just keep it simple with salt and pepper to taste. I like to add some garlic powder and Italian seasoning. Just about 1/2 a teaspoon of each.
Add in your broth a little at a time whisking continuously until all is combined and let cook till it reaches your desired thickness.
What you need
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
1 can chicken broth
salt
pepper
spices of your choice
First melt your butter over medium high heat. Add the flour and whisk till combined. Let the flour cook for a couple seconds so it doesn't have that raw flour taste. Add in whatever spices you like or just keep it simple with salt and pepper to taste. I like to add some garlic powder and Italian seasoning. Just about 1/2 a teaspoon of each.
Add in your broth a little at a time whisking continuously until all is combined and let cook till it reaches your desired thickness.
Homemade Teriyaki Pork chops
I've been trying to find my own teriyaki recipe for awhile now and I finally figured it out. Tonight I'm making Pork chops but this would be equally good on chicken, rice, or veggies.
Pork chops
1 cup of water
5 tablespoons brown sugar
1 large garlic clove (grated)
1 teaspoon ginger (grated)
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup cold water
2 tablespoons cornstarch
red pepper flakes (optional)
First pour 1 cup water in sauce pan along with brown sugar, garlic, soy sauce, and ginger. Place on medium heat. Also this is wear you would add the red pepper flakes if you want. The more you put in the spicier it is. I use about 1/2 to 1 teaspoon.
Put 1/4 cup cold water and cornstarch in separate bowl and whisk until smooth. Pour in pan with the other ingredients. whisk together till it reaches desired thickness. If it becomes too thick you can add a little more water.
Pour Sauce over chops and let marinade for as long as you like. Obviously the longer they sit the deeper the flavor. Cook on medium heat till no longer pink in the center. Depending on the thickness of your chops it could be between 4 and 8 minutes per side. ( remember you can always cook more but you can't cook less) Serve with your fave veggie and rice or noodles. Tonight I chose green beans and teriyaki noodles.
I hope everyone enjoys this recipe as much as we have. Happy cooking.
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