Pepperoncini Beef

Pepperoncini Beef

3-4 lb beef roast
1 large onion, cut into chunks
16-oz jar pepperoncini

Place the roast and the onion into the slow cooker and pour the jar of pepperoncini over all. Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours.

Good and spicy! We'll be having this again! Adapted from recipe at allrecipes.com

Lemon Chess Pie

Lemon Chess Pie

3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup butter
1 box Pillsbury® refrigerated pie crusts, softened as directed on box
1 egg
1 egg yolk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
3 tablespoons grated lemon peel
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup whipping cream, whipped

Heat oven to 350°F. In 1-quart saucepan, mix granulated sugar, brown sugar, flour, salt, milk, and butter. Cook over medium heat until butter is melted and sugar is dissolved, stirring constantly. Set aside; cool.

Make pie crust as directed on box for Two-Crust Pie using 9-inch glass pie plate. In small bowl, whisk 1 egg, the egg yolk and vanilla. Stir egg mixture into sugar mixture in saucepan. Stir in lemon juice and peel. Pour into crust-lined plate.

Top with second crust and flute; cut slits in several places. Brush beaten egg over top crust. Cover crust edge with strips of foil to prevent excessive browning.

Bake 45 to 55 minutes or until golden brown. Cool at least 2 hours before serving. Serve with whipped cream. Store covered in refrigerator.

Matt Rossi of Ada, Michigan, took 1st Place with this recipe at the Pillsbury Refrigerated Pie Crusts Pie Baking Championship, 2009 Michigan State Fair. This was OK, but I wouldn't have guessed it was a prize winner - I didn't like the flour in the filling and it tasted kind of salty to me.

THE Pasta Salad

THE Pasta Salad. My Way

16 oz pkg Rotini pasta, cooked to al dente, drained and cooled
3 hard boiled eggs, peeled and chopped
10 oz pkg frozen peas, thawed and drained
1/2 lb Boar's Head Black Pepper Ham, cut into thin strips
1 1/2 cups shredded cheese (your choice)
8-oz Sweet Salad Cubes
2 tbsp minced dehydrated onions
1 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup Ranch dressing
2 tsp yellow mustard
2 tsp hot sauce
2 tsp paprika

In a large bowl, toss the cooked pasta, chopped eggs, peas, ham, cheese, and salad cubes until combined. In a smaller bowl combine the dehydrated onions, mayo, sour cream, Ranch dressing, mustard, hot sauce and paprika and stir until well blended. Pour over the pasta mixture and stir until well mixed and pasta is thoroughly coated. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight. Stir before serving...if too dry, add a little milk and stir until combined.

Inspired by recipe at allrecipes.com....Original called for Swiss cheese, which I didn't have. I used half shredded Colby and half Cheddar-Jack, but I'm betting the Swiss would be the best. This was good with Fried Chicken.

Top of the Stove Stuffed Peppers

John told me that his mother used to make stuffed peppers in a big pot on top of the stove and that he'd never had them any other way until he met me. My mom used to make them in a pressure cooker and, as far as I'm concerned, my Mom's are the best I've ever had, so I thought I'd try this cooking method and see how it compared. Pressure cookers frighten me which is why I usually bake mine! I found my "base" recipe on allrecipes.com, it's called Saucy Stuffed Peppers and has some very good reviews, with several people saying this is how their Hungarian/Croatian etc. grandmothers used to make peppers. I've borrowed several of the reviewer's ideas and added a couple of my own.

Top of the Stove Stuffed Peppers

5-6 large green bell peppers
2 lbs lean ground chuck
3 tbsp dehydrated minced onions
Salt & Pepper to taste
6-oz can tomato paste
1 1/4 cup uncooked long grain white rice
1/4 cup catsup
2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp oregano
46 oz bottle V-8
8-oz Chili Sauce
Water

Make a circular incision around the stem of the peppers and remove it and the seeds. Wash peppers inside and out and set aside.

Combine the chuck, onions, salt & pepper, tomato paste, rice, catsup, Worcestershire, garlic powder and oregano and mix until well combined. Stuff into each pepper and place in a heavy, fairly deep pot, stuffed side up.

Combine the V-8, chili sauce and enough water to cover the peppers and pour over them. If there is leftover meat, form into balls and add to the tomato juice around the peppers. Cover and cook on low heat for 2 to 3 hours, gently moving the peppers around in the broth every 30-45 minutes.

Results: Excellent! However, next time I'd omit the tomato paste...it was plenty tomato-y without it! John raved about it!

Cheddar Cheese Bread

Cheddar Cheese Bread

2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast
3 cups bread flour
1/4 cup dry milk powder
1 tablespoon butter, softened
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons white sugar
1 1/4 cups warm water
1 1/2 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese

Place ingredients in the pan of the bread machine in the order recommended by the manufacturer. Select White Bread setting; press Start.

From allrecipes.com, I substituted a Cheddar-Jack mix for the the cheese (I didn't have enough cheddar) and I baked this in a loaf pan after my bread machine finished the dough. It smelled awesome while it baked! Used it for Roast Beef sandwiches and it was delicious!!

Lemon Butter Snowbars

Lemon Butter Snowbars

Crust:
1 1/3 cups all purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened

Filling:
3/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 Tbsp flour
1/4 tsp baking powder
3 Tbsp lemon juice
Confectioner' sugar for sprinkling

Heat oven to 350^. For crust, combine all crust ingredients. Beat at low speed, scraping bowl often, until mixture is crumbly, 2-3 minutes. Press on bottom of ungreased 8-inch square baking pan. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until edges are lightly browned.

For filling, in small mixer bowl, combine sugar, eggs, flour, baking powder and lemon juice. Beat at low speed, scraping bowl often, until well mixed, 1-2 minutes. Pour over hot crust. Continue baking for 18-20 minutes, or until
filling is set. Sprinkle with powdered sugar; cool completely. Cut into bars.

This is one of my favorite bar cookie.

Slow Roasted Mesquite Chicken

Slow Roasted Mesquite Chicken

1 whole chicken, washed
1 head garlic, most of the skin removed and the top sliced off to expose the cloves
1 onion, quartered
Garlic Salt and Pepper
1 tsp roasted cumin
1/4 cup tequila
3 tbsp lime juice
2 tbsp olive oil
Grill Mates Mesquite seasoning

Stuff the cleaned chicken with the garlic head, onions, garlic salt, pepper and cumin. Place in the slow cooker, pour in the tequila and lime juice. Rub the olive oil over the outside of the chicken and sprinkle liberally with the mesquite seasoning. Put the lid on and cook for 8 hours on low or until the chicken is done.

This was very good! Served with Rice & Beans. Yummy!!

Ham & Swiss Bowtie Casserole

Ham & Swiss Bowtie Casserole

1 onion, diced
1 stalk celery, diced
2 tbsp butter
1 lb ham cubes
16-oz pkg frozen broccoli, carrot & cauliflower combo
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 soup can water
1 tsp thyme
1 tsp pepper
2 tsp mustard
8-oz shredded Swiss cheese
1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
16-oz pkg Bowties, cooked to al dente and drained
1 can French Fried Onions, crushed

Saute the onion and celery in butter in a large skillet until tender. Add the ham and continue cooking about 10 minutes. Stir in the vegetables and cook about 10 more minutes. Add mushroom soup, water, thyme, pepper, mustard, Swiss and Cheddar cheese and stir to combine. Cook about 15 minutes or until the cheese melts and mixture is thoroughly heated. Stir in cooked Bowties and pour into a large casserole dish or 9x13" pan. Bake at 350^F. for 20 minutes or until hot. Sprinkle with crushed Fried onions and return to oven for 10-15 minutes longer.

This is my recipe...I've made it for years and I don't remember where I got the inspiration for it. This is another one of those dishes you can change according to what you have on hand. It's easy and it tastes good!

White Castle Wannabes

White Castle Wannabes

1 1/2 pounds hamburger
1 onion, chopped
1 package Lipton onion soup mix
1 tablespoon peanut butter
1/2 cup milk
Sara Lee Classic Dinner Rolls (they're in the bread isle at my supermarket), sliced in half
Optional- Cheese slices

In a large bowl mix the hamburger, Lipton onion soup mix, peanut butter, and milk. Spread the meat mixture on a cookie sheet with a lip. Put it in a 350 degree oven for about 10 minutes. The meat will skrink... Take it out of the oven and put the diced onions all around the edges to flavor the meat. Place back in the oven for about 10 minutes. Take it out of the oven. If you want onions on your sliders then spoon them onto the meat from the sides. Add your cheese slices...And add the tops of your rolls (the bottom part of the rolls will just sit on the counter). Put it back in the oven for... you guessed it, another 10 minutes! Take it out of the oven, they're done! Slice the meat with a pizza cutter and pick up the slider/top bun with a spatula and set it on the bottom bun.

These were easy and pretty good. Not quite the same as a White Castle, but fairly close. Of course, I couldn't find the Sara Lee rolls, so I used Slider Buns from the bakery at Target, so that could be why they tasted not quite the same to me.

Lifted from http://cookingwithcarrie.blogspot.com with many thanks!

Cheesy Ranch Potato Bake

Cheesy Ranch Potato Bake

4 medium-sized Yukon Gold potatoes
1 tsp chili powder
Salt & Pepper to taste
3 tbsp butter, cubed
4 oz mild cheddar, shredded
1/2 cup Ranch dressing

Preheat the oven to 400^F. Lightly spray a 9x9" baking dish with Pam. Peel the potatoes and cut into 1/2" cubes. Toss the cubed potatoes with the chili powder, salt and pepper and place in the baking pan. Cover with foil and bake 40-45 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Remove from oven, mix in the Ranch dressing and sprinkle the cheese over all. Return to oven and bake about 10 minutes more or until the cheese has melted.

This was quite good but since John didn't like it as much as I did, I probably won't make it often. Served with grilled steaks and salad. Adapted from allrecipes.com

Russian Salad Dressing

Russian Dressing

1 cup mayonnaise
3 teaspoons minced onion
1 teaspoon prepared horseradish
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon dried parsley
3 tablespoons chili sauce
1 tablespoon ketchup

In a small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, onion, horseradish, Worcestershire, parsley, chili sauce and ketchup. Chill until serving.

This was OK...probably will never bother to make it again. From allrecipes.com

Applesauce Pancakes

Applesauce Pancakes

2 cups dry pancake mix
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 eggs
1 cup applesauce
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/2 cup milk

In a large bowl, stir together pancake mix and cinnamon. Make a well in the center of the pancake mix. Add the eggs, applesauce, lemon juice and milk; stir until smooth.

Heat a lightly oiled griddle or frying pan over medium high heat. Pour or scoop the batter onto the griddle, using approximately 1/4 cup for each pancake. Brown on both sides and serve hot.

These pancakes were awesome! Fat & fluffy! From allrecipes.com

Chicken Pot Pie Bubble Bake

Chicken Pot Pie Bubble Bake

3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked and cut into cubes
(or use the meat from a Deli Rotisserie Chicken)
2 tbsp olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
2 small Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and diced
3/4 tsp poulty seasoning
1/2 cup water
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 1/2 cups milk
2 cups frozen mixed vegetables
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese, divided
1 can (12-oz) Pillsbury Golden Homestyle refrigerated buttermilk biscuits

Heat the oil in a heavy skillet and saute the onions and celery until onions are translucent (I cooked my chicken breasts in the same pan). Add the diced potatoes, poultry seasoning and water and bring to a boil. Cook for about 5 minutes. Add the cream of chicken soup, milk, mixed veggies and 1/2 cup shredded cheese. Stir in the cubed chicken and pour into a 9x12" baking dish. Separate the biscuit dough into 10 biscuits and cut each one into quarters. Place the biscuit pieces over top of the chicken mixture and bake at 375^F for about 35-40 minutes or until biscuits are completely cooked and no longer doughy inside. Sprinkle with remaining cheese and bake about 5 minutes longer or until cheese melts.

Adapted from Pillsbury's October 2005 (#296) "Casseroles". My opinion: Yuck! The original recipe said to stir the biscuit pieces into the chicken mixture and then bake it. If I had done that, instead of putting them on top of the chicken, I'd have had to throw the whole mess away! The biscuit tops were niced browned, but the bottoms, although totally cooked, were "slimy" tasting from sitting in the gravy. Blech!