Prairie Shepherd's Pie
6 servings
6 medium potatoes
1/4 cup butter
1/3 - 1/2 cup milk
1 1/2 pounds ground beef
1/2 cup chopped onion (1 medium)
Good splash of Worcestershire sauce
Garlic Salt to taste
3/4 cup beef broth
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1 - 1.5 cups water, as needed
1 10 3/4-ounce can condensed cream of mushroom soup
1 8-ounce carton dairy sour cream
6 ounces Velveeta, cut into 6 1 1/2-inch cubes
1 pkg french fried onions, crushed
1. Prepare Mashed Potatoes: Peel and quarter 2 pounds (about 6 medium) potatoes. Cook, covered, in a small amount of boiling lightly salted water for 20 to 25 minutes or till tender; drain. Mash with a potato masher or beat with an electric mixer on low speed. Add 1/4 cup butter or margarine. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Gradually beat in 1/3 to 1/2 cup milk to make light and fluffy. Makes about cups. Set aside to cool for 1 hour or till cool enough to handle.
2. In a large skillet, cook meat and onion with Worcestershire sauce and a bit of Garlic Salt unil meat is brown. Drain off fat. In a small bowl, stir together the broth, flour, salt and black pepper till well combined. Stir broth mixture into meat mixture. Cook and stir over medium heat till thickened. Add water if necessary to keep it from getting TOO thick! Remove from heat. Stir in soup and sour cream. Transfer meat mixture to a 3-quart casserole; set aside.
3. For potato topping, shape Mashed Potatoes into 6 balls. Make a hole in the center of ball; insert a cube of cheese in the hole, then reshape into a ball, enclosing the cheese. Repeat with remaining mashed potatoes and cheese cubes. Roll each ball in crushed fried onions. Arrange potato balls on top of meat mixture.
4. Bake, topped with a loose piece of foil, in a 350° oven about 25 minutes. Remove the foil and continue baking another 15 minutes or till mixture is bubbly and potatoes are heated through. Makes 6 servings.
This was good but I like my regulare Shepherd's Pie better.
Adapted from recipe at midwestliving.com. I didn't bother with a casserole dish, just left it in the cast iron skillet I cooked the meat in! Why dirty extra cookware when you don't have to?
Thursday, April 14, 2011
Saturday, April 9, 2011
Spicy Spaghetti
Spicy Spaghetti
1 1/4 lb. ground chuck
1 onion, diced
Garlic Salt and Pepper to taste
4 oz pepperoni, diced
Splash or two of Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1 splash Louisiana Hot Sauce
1 heaping tsp Italian seasoning
1 large jar Ragu meat sauce
1 pinch sugar
Thin spaghetti
Grated Parmesan if desired
Crumble and cook the ground chuck, onion, garlic salt, pepper and diced pepperoni in a large iron skillet until the meat is finely crumbled and browned. Add remaining ingredients, stir to blend and simmer over low heat for at least 30 minutes. Serve over hot cooked thin spaghetti with grated parmesan.
This is really good spaghetti!
Back in the day, my Mom would have served this with Buttered Bread and cold dill pickles. My sister, Donna, used to chop the pickles up and mix them into her spaghetti. Don't laugh, but that actually tastes pretty darn good! I wonder if she still does that...I'll have to remember to ask her. Can you tell I'm feeling a bit nostalgic and missing my family tonight?
1 1/4 lb. ground chuck
1 onion, diced
Garlic Salt and Pepper to taste
4 oz pepperoni, diced
Splash or two of Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1 splash Louisiana Hot Sauce
1 heaping tsp Italian seasoning
1 large jar Ragu meat sauce
1 pinch sugar
Thin spaghetti
Grated Parmesan if desired
Crumble and cook the ground chuck, onion, garlic salt, pepper and diced pepperoni in a large iron skillet until the meat is finely crumbled and browned. Add remaining ingredients, stir to blend and simmer over low heat for at least 30 minutes. Serve over hot cooked thin spaghetti with grated parmesan.
This is really good spaghetti!
Back in the day, my Mom would have served this with Buttered Bread and cold dill pickles. My sister, Donna, used to chop the pickles up and mix them into her spaghetti. Don't laugh, but that actually tastes pretty darn good! I wonder if she still does that...I'll have to remember to ask her. Can you tell I'm feeling a bit nostalgic and missing my family tonight?
Almond Toffee Bars
Almond Toffee Bars
• 1/2 cup butter or margarine
• 1-1/2 cups quick-cooking rolled oats
• 1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs
• 1 cup semisweet chocolate pieces (6 ounces)
• 1 cup almond toffee pieces
• 1 cup sliced or chopped almonds
• 1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
1. Heat oven to 325 degree F. Melt butter or margarine in a 13x9x2-inch baking pan in the oven (about 6 minutes). Remove pan from oven. Sprinkle oats and crumbs evenly over melted butter or margarine; press lightly onto bottom of pan using the back of a large metal spoon. Sprinkle the chocolate pieces, toffee pieces, and almonds evenly over crumb mixture. Drizzle all with sweetened condensed milk.
2. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until edges are bubbly and center is just lightly browned. Remove from oven and immediately run a narrow metal spatula or table knife around edges of pan to loosen the cookie. Cool completely in pan on a wire rack; cut into bars. Makes 48 bars.
Pretty good.
Recipe from www.bhg.com
• 1/2 cup butter or margarine
• 1-1/2 cups quick-cooking rolled oats
• 1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs
• 1 cup semisweet chocolate pieces (6 ounces)
• 1 cup almond toffee pieces
• 1 cup sliced or chopped almonds
• 1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
1. Heat oven to 325 degree F. Melt butter or margarine in a 13x9x2-inch baking pan in the oven (about 6 minutes). Remove pan from oven. Sprinkle oats and crumbs evenly over melted butter or margarine; press lightly onto bottom of pan using the back of a large metal spoon. Sprinkle the chocolate pieces, toffee pieces, and almonds evenly over crumb mixture. Drizzle all with sweetened condensed milk.
2. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until edges are bubbly and center is just lightly browned. Remove from oven and immediately run a narrow metal spatula or table knife around edges of pan to loosen the cookie. Cool completely in pan on a wire rack; cut into bars. Makes 48 bars.
Pretty good.
Recipe from www.bhg.com
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
Butter Almond Cake
Butter-Almond Cake
cooking.com; recipe contributed by: angie, MN
8 Servings
Cake:
1/2 Cup Sugar
1 t. Vanilla
2/3 Cup Butter, plus small amount for pan
2 Eggs
3/4 Cup Flour
1/4 tsp salt
Glaze:
2 T. Milk
1 T. Flour
1/4 C. Butter
1/3 C. Blanched almonds, sliced
4 T. Sugar
1. Prehaet oven to 350 degrees.
2. Melt 2/3 C. butter and allow to cool.
3. Using a mixer, beat eggs, vanilla and sugar in large mixing bowl until light and fluffy.
4. Add butter and flour to egg mixture and stir by hand. Makes approximately 2 cups of batter.
5. Pour batter into an 8-inch greased and floured cake or tart pan. Bake for 25 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
6. In a saucepan, combine remaining 1/4 cup of butter, 4 T. sugar, milk, and flour. Bring to a boil and add almonds.
7. Spread cake with glaze and bake for an additional 10 minutes, or until just beginning to turn light brown and crispy.
8. Allow to cool on a rack for 15 minutes before cutting. Serve warm or at room temperature.
The verdict: Very dense and a bit on the dry side, though the flavor was good. I didn't care for the soggy almonds on top, but I served it warm so maybe it would be better served cold (if the almonds crisp up)? I probably won't make it again to find out though....
ps..the picture is from cooking.com!
Sausage with Garlic Lentils
Sausage with Garlic Lentils
14 oz lentils
1 tsp dried basil
1 small onion, peeled and sliced
1 carton chicken broth
Water, if needed
4 large cloves garlic, grated or minced
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 pkg Mild Italian Sausages
1/4 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, a generous handful, finely chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Cover lentils by 2 inches with chicken broth and water, add basil and onion and bring to a boil. Boil lentils 20 to 22 minutes until just tender but with a little bite left to them.
In a small shallow bowl combine the garlic and about 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil and let stand 15 minutes.
Place sausages in a small skillet and add 1/4-inch water and 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil. Bring water to a boil then reduce heat to medium-high. Let the water simmer away 8 minutes or so, then crisp the casings 3 to 4 minutes more.
Drain any excess liquid from the lentils and toss them with garlic oil, parsley and salt and pepper. Serve with sausages on top.
This was my first time cooking or eating lentils. They were pretty good...a bit bland but not bad at all! John loved them!
Adapted from Rachael Ray recipe.
14 oz lentils
1 tsp dried basil
1 small onion, peeled and sliced
1 carton chicken broth
Water, if needed
4 large cloves garlic, grated or minced
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 pkg Mild Italian Sausages
1/4 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, a generous handful, finely chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Cover lentils by 2 inches with chicken broth and water, add basil and onion and bring to a boil. Boil lentils 20 to 22 minutes until just tender but with a little bite left to them.
In a small shallow bowl combine the garlic and about 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil and let stand 15 minutes.
Place sausages in a small skillet and add 1/4-inch water and 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil. Bring water to a boil then reduce heat to medium-high. Let the water simmer away 8 minutes or so, then crisp the casings 3 to 4 minutes more.
Drain any excess liquid from the lentils and toss them with garlic oil, parsley and salt and pepper. Serve with sausages on top.
This was my first time cooking or eating lentils. They were pretty good...a bit bland but not bad at all! John loved them!
Adapted from Rachael Ray recipe.
Confederate Bean Soup
Confederate Bean Soup My Way
2 tablespoons butter
2 slices thick cut applewood smoked bacon, diced
1 pound Hillshire Farms smoked sausage, sliced in rounds-1/4 inch thick
1 clove garlic, minced
1 small onion, diced
28 oz can Bush's baked bans
1 cup chicken broth
3/4 cup half-and-half
Melt the butter in a Dutch Oven and cook the diced bacon in it until the bacon is nearly all browned and crisp. Stir in the sausage, garlic, and onion and continue cooking, stirring occasionally until the sausage begins to brown a bit. Add the beans and chicken broth, bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in half and half and continue to simmer just until well mixed and hot. Serve with hot cornbread.
This was good, quick and easy. John said it wasn't his favorite but he ate 2 bowls of it so it must not have been too bad!
Adapted from The Lady & Sons Savannah Country Cookbook by Paula H. Dean
2 tablespoons butter
2 slices thick cut applewood smoked bacon, diced
1 pound Hillshire Farms smoked sausage, sliced in rounds-1/4 inch thick
1 clove garlic, minced
1 small onion, diced
28 oz can Bush's baked bans
1 cup chicken broth
3/4 cup half-and-half
Melt the butter in a Dutch Oven and cook the diced bacon in it until the bacon is nearly all browned and crisp. Stir in the sausage, garlic, and onion and continue cooking, stirring occasionally until the sausage begins to brown a bit. Add the beans and chicken broth, bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in half and half and continue to simmer just until well mixed and hot. Serve with hot cornbread.
This was good, quick and easy. John said it wasn't his favorite but he ate 2 bowls of it so it must not have been too bad!
Adapted from The Lady & Sons Savannah Country Cookbook by Paula H. Dean
Ravioli Alfredo
Ravioli Alfredo
12 oz Jimmy Dean Sage sausage
1 small onion, diced
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1 can cream of mushroom soup
3/4 soup can water
1 cup heavy cream
1/4 - 1/3 cup grated parmesan
1 cup sour cream
1 pkg frozen cheese ravioli, cooked as instruced on package
Crumble and brown the sausage and onion in a large, heavy skillet until completely cooked. Stir in italian seasoning, mushroom soup and water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer 5-10 minutes. Stir in cream and parmesan and cook gently until cheese is melted and the sauce is smooth. Add sour cream and continue cooking and stirring until hot through. Serve over the cooked ravioli.
This sauce was delicious but I didn't care for it over the ravioli. I will serve it again though with pasta!
Adapted from a Semi-Homemade recipe (Ravioli Stroganoff).
12 oz Jimmy Dean Sage sausage
1 small onion, diced
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1 can cream of mushroom soup
3/4 soup can water
1 cup heavy cream
1/4 - 1/3 cup grated parmesan
1 cup sour cream
1 pkg frozen cheese ravioli, cooked as instruced on package
Crumble and brown the sausage and onion in a large, heavy skillet until completely cooked. Stir in italian seasoning, mushroom soup and water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer 5-10 minutes. Stir in cream and parmesan and cook gently until cheese is melted and the sauce is smooth. Add sour cream and continue cooking and stirring until hot through. Serve over the cooked ravioli.
This sauce was delicious but I didn't care for it over the ravioli. I will serve it again though with pasta!
Adapted from a Semi-Homemade recipe (Ravioli Stroganoff).
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