Million Dollar Spaghetti

Million Dollar Spaghetti

1 lb ground beef
1/4 lb ground pork
Garlic Salt & Pepper to taste
1/2 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp fennel seed
24 oz jar spaghetti sauce (I used Barilla Marinara)
Drizzle of honey
8 oz cream cheese (I used about 6 oz of the reduced fat variety)
1/4 cup sour cream (I used lite sour cream)
1/2 lb Cottage Cheese (I used about 6 oz Ricotta)
1 stick butter (I only used half a stick)
8 oz noodles, pre-cooked until al dente and drained (I used 16 oz Spaghetti)
Bag of shredded Sharp Cheddar cheese

Preheat the oven to 350^ F.

Brown and crumble the meats in a large skillet with garlic salt, pepper, basil, oregano and fennel.  Drain and add the spaghetti sauce and honey.  Simmer about 15 minutes. 

Combine the cream cheese, sour cream and cottage (or Ricotta) cheese until well mixed.

Slice the butter into pats and place in a 9x13" pan or casserole dish.  Add half the spaghetti noodles and spread the cheese mixture evenly over that.  Top with remaining noodles (the original recipe say to add the rest of the butter at this point) and then the sauce.  Bake for 30 minutes. 

Remove from oven and top with the shredded Cheddar.  Bake for another 20 minutes.  Remove from the oven and let sit about 15 minutes before cutting.

This was absolutely delicious and I'll most assuredly make it again!

 Adapted from a recipe at http://ashleykaitlin.blogspot.com/2011/01/million-dollar-spaghetti.html

Crunchy Onion Cheeseburgers

Crunchy Onion Cheeseburgers

1 lb ground chuck
1 small can French's French Fried Onions
1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
Garlic Salt and Pepper to taste
4 slices American cheese
Hamburger Buns, split and toasted
Lettuce, Tomato, Pickles, Catsup, Mustard, Mayonnaise (whatever you like)

Combine the ground chuck, 1/2 can crushed fried onions, Worcestershire, garlic salt and pepper. Lightly mix and form into 4 patties.  Cook in a hot iron skillet that has been lightly rubbed with butter (or olive oil, or whatever you like) until brown and done to your taste.  Top with cheese and let melt.  Serve on buns with the remaining fried onions and whatever toppings you prefer. 

These were really good!  Would be awesome on the grill!  Adapted from the recipe at Frenchs.com

Macaroni Salad

1 lb elbow macaroni, cooked, drained and rinsed with cold water
1/2 cup frozen green peas, thawed
4 hard boiled eggs, chopped
4 oz ham steak, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 large shallot, finely chopped
2 Tbsp lemon juice
2/3 to 1 cup mayonnaise
2 Tbsp Dijon mustard
3-4 Tbsp sweet pickle relish
4 oz jar chopped pimentos, drained
Salt & Pepper to taste

Place the drained elbows, peas, egg, ham, celery, shallots and lemon juice in a large bowl and mix well.  I another bowl, whisk the mayonnaise, mustard, pickle relish, and pimientos.  Pour over elbow mixture and toss to coat.  Cover and chill in the refrigerator for 2 hours before serving. 

This is a really good pasta dish!  Adapted from a recipe found at http://blogchef.net/category/recipes/.

Raspberry Custard Kuchen

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, divided

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup cold butter or margarine

2 tablespoons whipping cream

1/2 cup sugar

3 cups fresh raspberries

TOPPING:

1 cup sugar

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

2 eggs, beaten

1 cup whipping cream

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a bowl, combine 1 cup of the flour and the salt; cut in butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in cream; pat into a greased 13-in. x 9-in. x 2-in. baking pan.

Combine the sugar and remaining flour; sprinkle over crust. Arrange raspberries over crust.

For topping, combine sugar and flour. Stir in eggs, cream and vanilla; pour over berries. Bake at 375 degrees F for 40-45 minutes or until lightly browned.

Serve warm or chilled. Store in refrigerator.           

Kind of gooey even though I baked it for an extra 10 minutes (1 hour total), but it is very tasty!  From allrecipes.com

    

Huevos Barbacoa

1 flour tortilla
Leftover Refried beans, warmed
Leftover Shredded Mexican-style Beef or Pork (I prefer Pork), heated
A few crumbled tortilla chips
2 eggs, fried
Taco Sauce
Shredded Mexican-Blend Cheese
Chopped Green Onions

Warm a small skillet over medium-high heat and cook the tortilla on both sides until it's got a nice golden color.  Place on a serving plate and top with refried beans, shredded meat, the crumbled chips, eggs, and a drizzle of taco sauce.  Garnish with cheese and green onions and enjoy! Delicious!

Refried Beans

1/2 lb sausage
1/4 cup water
1 tsp hot Mexican chile powder
1/2 tsp ground roasted cumin
1 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 lime, juiced
1 heaping tbsp diced pickled jalapenos
1 can Pinto beans, drained
1 can Ranch Style beans in sauce
Shredded Mexican cheese blend, to taste

In an iron skillet, cook the sausage in the water until finely crumbled and cooked through.  The water should be completely evaporated.  Add the chile powder, cumin, cilantro, lime juice and jalapenos.  Stir until well combined.  Stir in the beans and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and cook over low, stirring often and mashing until the beans are of the consistency that you prefer. I like mine a little chunky!  Sprinkle with cheese and allow to melt a little before serving. 

Yummy!

Chef John's Flour Tortillas

Chef John's Flour Tortillas

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 cup vegetable shortening or lard

1/2 cup hot water

1/4 cup all-purpose flour for dusting

Whisk flour, salt, and baking powder together in a large bowl. Add vegetable shortening and work into flour mixture using a pastry cutter until it resembles coarse crumbs.               

Form a well in the middle of flour mixture and mix in hot water. Work flour and water mixture together with a fork and transfer to a cutting board.              

Knead until a smooth, soft dough is formed, about 3 minutes. Add more flour if dough is too sticky.               

Place more flour on cutting board, cover dough with bowl, and let rest for 15 minutes.             

Cut ball of dough into eight equal parts and cover until needed.

Roll out balls of dough either by hand or with a tortilla press.  I used a tortilla press.              

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Place flattened tortilla in skillet and cook until it begins to bubble, about 1 minute. Flip tortilla over and cook for an additional minute. Flip again and cook for 1 more minute. Repeat with remaining dough.  

These were really good...almost as good as the ones I had in San Antonio last year!  I highly recommend the video demonstration on allrecipes.com that accompanies this recipe.