Fancy Pants Mac n Cheese

Holy Mac n Cheese - this was soooo good! I probably have enough leftovers for a small army - whoops! Oh well, that just means it's going in the freezer to eat when I don't feel like cooking! I think I might try to make this as a side dish for our next family gathering/holiday/pot luck - it was just that good and it has bacon so I mean why wouldn't it be? You can really use any variety of your favorite cheeses in this dish - so you can be really creative. The original recipe called for Gruyere but I already had Swiss so I just subbed that for the Gruyere. I also loved the ease of cooking the mushrooms and the bacon in the oven. The sauce came together really quick and then you just layer it like lasagna. Here's how I made it...

Mac n Cheese

ingredients

• 16 oz cremini shrooms, quartered

• EVOO for drizzlin'

• Kosher salt & freshly cracked black pepper (to taste)

• 8 slices thick cut bacon

• 2 large white onions, thinly sliced

• 5 tbsp butter

• 1/2 cup each grated Parmesan, swiss, fontina cheese

• 4 oz goat cheese (at room temp)

• 1 1/2 lbs elbow macaroni

• 1/4 cup flour

• 2 cups whole milk

• 1/2 cup half & half

• 2 large eggs, beaten

• 4 oz crumbled Gorgonzola cheese

directions

1. Preheat the oven to 425º. Place shrooms on a lightly oiled baking sheet and drizzle some EVOO and S&P on top. Roast for 25 minutes and set aside. They are quite delicious so do your best not to eat them all up. Set the oven temp down to 350º.

2. Cook the bacon until chewy but not crispy yet. Chop up the bacon into bite-size pieces and then set aside. 

3. In a cast iron skillet saute the onions over medium low heat for about 20 minutes. They should be golden brown and set aside.

4. Grate the Parmesan, Swiss & Fontina cheeses and unwrap the goat cheese. 

5. Cook the pasta in salted water until just undercooked (remember it's going to cook more in the oven and you don't want it to be all mushy). Drain and set aside. You can rinse under cold water to stop the cooking process as well.

6. Make the sauce by melting 4 tbsp butter in a large pot/skillet over medium heat. Sprinkle the flour in and whisk until combined (should look like wet sand). Let cook for 1 minute while whisking. Pour in the milk whisking still and cook sauce for 3-5 minutes until thick.

7. Add the half & half, 1 tsp each S&P. 

8. Spoon 1/4 cup of the hot sauce into the beaten eggs to temper them (otherwise your eggs would scramble if you just put them into the hot pot). Stir with a fork to incorporate the mixture gently. Pour the tempered eggs into the white sauce, stirring constantly.

9. Add the cheeses and stir until they are all melted into the sauce. Add the cooked pasta and stir. Splash in some milk if needed to thin out the sauce if it gets too thick.

10. Butter a 9 x 13 or other baking dish. Lay on half the onions, then half pasta, half shrooms, half gorgonzola, and half the bacon. Repeat and end with the bacon. Bake for 25 minutes until hot and bubbly!!!! Use a rimmed baking sheet underneath your baking dish in the oven just in case the mixture bubbles over! 

I served this with a simple arugula salad with a light dressing - it was a nice compliment to the decadent yummy version of this mac n cheese - oh my god it was divine!

Enjoy!

This recipe was adapted from Pioneer Woman.

Sweet & Spicy Pulled Pork, Coleslaw & Potatoes

I made this pork many months ago and fell in love with it - it might be tough to try another but I will! It's super easy and since it's slow cooking - the meat just falls apart with a fork. The juice gives it that sweet and savory taste in your mouth! It's another great recipe from Pioneer Woman and I would love to share it with ya! You can make this in a slow cooker no problem but the best way is in a dutch oven!

Tangy Green Chile Coleslaw

Serves 8 plus leftovers

ingredients

• boneless pork shoulder

• 2 large white onions, quartered

• 24 oz Dr. Pepper

• 11 oz chipotles in adobo sauce 

• 4 T light brown sugar

• Kosher Salt & Pepper

Sweet & Spicy Pulled Pork

directions

1. Preheat the oven to 300º.

2. Add quartered onion to the dutch oven and place the pork shoulder on top. Season the pork with S&P to taste. Pour the chiles on top of the meat then pour the soda on top of the meat as well (it's OK if the chiles come off the top). Mix the brown sugar in the sauce along the sides. 

3. Cover and cook in the oven for at least 6 hours or until the meat is fork tender. Turn the pork 2 or 3 times during the cooking process. 

4. Remove the pork and shred (remove fat as you shred), place the shredded meat back in the dutch oven and simmer for 5 minutes.

5. Store any leftovers in the juices of the meat to add to the flavor.

You can make tacos, pulled pork sammies, tacos, stuff chiles to make rellenos (which we will be doing with the leftovers) or just eat it by itself! The possibilities are endless! I made tacos with smashed roasted potatoes and coleslaw.

This recipe was adapted from Pioneer Woman.

Warmed Tortillas, Coleslaw, Smashed potatoes

Tangy Green Chile Coleslaw
Serves 4

ingredients
• 2 cups shredded coleslaw mix
• 2 green chiles, seeded, halved and thinly sliced
• 1/4 red onion, thinly sliced
• Salt, pepper
• 1/8 cup red wine vinegar
• 2 T EVOO
• 1 t chile powder
• 1 t garlic powder

directions
mix all the ingredients together and let sit in the fridge for at least 30 minutes before serving so the flavors can meld together.

Smashed Potatoes

Serves 4

ingredients

• 8 small red skinned potatoes, washed

• Salt & pepper

• Chile powder, garlic powder, oregano to taste

• EVOO 

directions

1. Preheat oven to 450º. Boil the potatoes in salted water for 20 minutes until fork tender, drain.

2. Using a potato masher slightly apply pressure to pop open the potatoes and flatten. Drizzle some olive oil and spices on each potato.

3. Bake for 25 minutes until golden and crispy.

Enjoy!

This recipe was adapted from Pioneer Woman.

Rosemary Lemon Roasted Wings

I really have come to love the roasting technique for cooking wings - they get super crispy and it's healthier than deep frying them. I used fresh rosemary from the garden but you can use dried as well if you don't have the fresh kind. The measurements will make enough for 2 servings- feel free to adjust if necessary. To add an even more tang - add some grated fresh lemon peel to the spice mixture too!

Roasted Rosemary - Lemon Wings

ingredients

• 18 chicken wings

• 1/4 cup lemon pepper seasoning

• 1 T fresh rosemary, minced

• celery sticks & ranch dressing

directions

1. Preheat oven to 425º. Line 2 baking sheets with foil. Place a wire cooling rack on top of each baking sheet.

2. Toss the chicken wings in a bowl with a lid with the lemon pepper & rosemary until coated evenly.

3. Season the wings with a pinch of kosher salt. Bake for 50-55 minutes until crispy and cooked through. 

Serve with ranch and celery sticks. If you prefer your wings less crispy, just reduce the cooking time by about 5 minutes or so. Remember, the drumsticks tend to take a little longer than the flats do.

Enjoy!

This recipe was adapted from Food Network.

Baked Ziti and Tomato Salad

This is a fantastic recipe for baked ziti - the secret is the sauce... the flavors are perfect. If you like a spicy meat sauce use spicy sausage. If you like a more mild flavor then use sweet or mild flavored sausage. I will definitely be keeping this in the rotation for a relatively easy Italian meal. This will make a bunch so you will have plenty of leftovers - yum! If you let the ricotta and egg come to room temperature it mixes a lot easier and has a creamier consistency. The tomato salad is something my mom used to make pretty often when we had Italian for dinner so it's a staple for us too!

Meat Sauce

Baked Ziti
10-12 servings

Baked Ziti

ingredients

• 1 lb ziti noodles
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 large onion, diced
• 1 lb Italian sausage (spicy or mild)
• 1 lb ground beef
• 28 oz can whole tomatoes with juice
• 2 (14.5 oz) cans tomato sauce
• 2 tsp Italian seasoning
• 1 tsp red pepper flakes
• S & P
• 15 oz whole milk ricotta at room temp
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 1/2 lb grated mozzarella cheese
• 1 egg at room temp
• freshly minced parsley and/or basil

directions

1. Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onions and garlic and saute for 5 minutes. Remove the casings from the sausage and beef and add to the pot, breaking up with a wooden spoon until browned. Drain off half of the fat.

2. In a medium bowl, using your hands gently break up the whole tomatoes with their juice. Once they're broken up add to the pot, salt & pepper to taste, Italian seasoning & red pepper flakes. Stir together and then simmer for 45 minutes. Taste and adjust seasonings, if needed but it should be dang tasty! Remove 4 cups of the sauce to glass bowl/pitcher and set aside to cool.

3. Preheat oven to 375º. In a bowl, mix ricotta, 2 cups of grated mozzarella, Parmesan, egg, 1/2 tsp each of salt and pepper. Gently stir together until just combined, do not over mix.

4. Cook the noodles until just under "al dente". You don't want the noodles too soft as they will continue cooking in the oven. Drain and rinse under cold water to stop the cooking. Pour into a large bowl with the cheese mixture and toss to slightly combine - you want large lumps so don't over mix this either. Add the cooled meat sauce and toss to combine.

5. Add half of the coated pasta to a large casserole dish. Spoon half of the sauce over top and spread around. Then top with mozzarella, repeat with another layer of pasta, sauce & mozzarella.

6. Bake for 20 minutes, until bubbling. Remove from oven and let rest for 5-10 minutes. Sprinkle the parsley/basil over top before serving. 

Tomato Salad

8-10 servings

Tomato Salad

ingredients

• 3 tomatoes, sliced
• 1 small white onion, minced
• handful basil, chopped
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• S&P
• drizzle of balsamic vinegar & olive oil
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

directions

Layer the sliced tomatoes in any arrangement you desire, top with the next 6 ingredients. Serve.

Enjoy!

This recipe was adapted from Pioneer Woman.

Chipotle Beef with Cabbage Slaw

The original recipe called for boneless short ribs, however, I had the hardest time trying to find even bone in short ribs so I had to think of a substitute. And... I had a 1.5 lb boneless beef chuck roast in my deep freezer so I thought it might work and it DID! Of course I'm sure that the short ribs would have been delicious but it wasn't meant to be this time. I cooked the meal in my slow cooker on low so it was one of those easy weeknight meal because there's really not much to prep or clean up - yay! You could sub in mashed potatoes for the rice but I think the rice went really well with the meal. Here's how I made it...

Chipotle Beef and Cabbage Slaw

ingredients

• 1.5 - 2 lbs boneless beef chuck roast, cut into 2" pieces

• 1 onion, chopped

• 2 cloves garlic, minced

• 3 tbsp tomato paste

• 1 tbsp chipotle in adobo, roughly chopped

• 1 tsp cumin

• Kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper

• 1/2 bag coleslaw mix

• 4 radishes, thinly sliced

• 1/4 cup fresh lime juice

• 2 tbsp EVOO

• 2 tsp sugar

• 1 cup long grain white rice

directions

1. Add the following to your slow cooker:  onion, garlic, tomato paste, chipotles, cumin, 1/4 cup water, 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp pepper and stir until well combined. Then, add the beef and stir until coated and an even layer on the bottom of the slow cooker. Cover and set time for 7 hours on low.

2. In a large bowl, toss cabbage and radishes with the lime juice, oil, sugar and 1/4 tsp each of salt & pepper. This will keep in the fridge for up to 12 hours but no longer than that as the cabbage starts to break down and just isn't good anymore.

3. During the last 30 minutes of cooking time, cook the rice per the package instructions. 

Serve the beef on a bed of rice, some sauce and the cabbage slaw alongside. This will make 3 servings depending on how hungry you are!!! If you have leftovers pick up some flour or corn tortillas and make it for lunch the next day by layering the meat and then the cabbage slaw for a yummy soft taco.

Enjoy!

This recipe was adapted from Real Simple Magazine.

Spinach & Ricotta Manicotti, Chopped Salad & Garlic Bread

This entire meal was soooo good - what's not to love about comforting cheesy pasta, bread and salad right?!? I was shocked at how good the marinara sauce was and it's cooked in such a short amount of time to develop such great flavor. I will definitely be making this meal again for guests or maybe just us. It reheats well and is great for leftovers. The cream sauce is a little tricky to make but if you are used to making gravy or cream sauces you will get the hang of it. A good tip to remember when using flour and butter is to make sure the flour consistency is like wet sand - if it's drier than that then you will need to add more fat (butter). And another hint is to make sure you add the liquid (milk in this case) slowly while whisking to prevent any lumps from forming. Use those 2 tips and you will end up with a perfect creamy sauce/gravy every time. 

You can add ground beef or sausage if you'd like to have a meat added to this recipe, I didn't have any on hand but if I did I would have added spicy Italian sausage. All in all we both loved this meal and would highly recommend it! 

Spinach and Ricotta Manicotti

Serves 6

ingredients

• 8 oz manicotti noodles

• 4 1/2 tbsp unsalted butter

• 1 onion, chopped

• 3 cloves garlic, minced

• 28 oz can whole peeled tomatoes, crushed by hand

• 1/4 cup flour

• 2 cups whole milk, at room temp

• 15 oz ricotta, at room temp

• 10 oz frozen chopped spinach, thawed & squeezed dry

• 1 cup grated Parmesan

• 1 large egg, at room temp

• 1 tsp dried oregano, crushed by hand

directions

1. Cook the manicotti per package instructions, drain and rinse with cold water, set aside.

2. Preheat oven to 425º. Melt 2 tbsp butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion, garlic, s&p and cook stirring for 5 minutes. Add the crushed tomatoes (carefully) and bring to a simmer, cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Let cool slightly.

3. In another large skillet, melt 2 1/2 tbsp butter over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook stirring for 1 minute. SLOWLY whisk in the milk, salt & pepper. Cook whisking until the sauce is thick. Remove from heat and let cool slightly. 

4. In a large bowl stir ricotta, spinach, 1/2 cup Parmesan, egg, oregano, 1/4 tsp each S&P together using a rubber spatula. Stuff the manicotti with this mixture. Spread half of tomato sauce & cream sauce in the bottom of a greased 9x13 inch or 3 quart baking dish. Top with stuffed manicotti, then remaining sauces and Parmesan.

5. Bake for 25 minutes until bubbly and slightly browned on top. Let rest 5 minutes before serving.

I like to use my hands when stuffing the noodles so they don't tear as easily if you were to use a small spoon but if you do use your hands prepare to get messy! You may or may not use all the manicotti noodles but make them all just in case then you can use the leftovers for something else of just munch on one or two of em while you are waiting for dinner to be ready ;-)

Chopped Salad with Lemon-Pepper Buttermilk Dressing

Serves 6

ingredients

• 1/4 cup buttermilk

• 2 tbsp mayo 

• 1 tsp grated lemon zest

• 1 tbsp lemon juice

• 1 tbsp fresh chives, chopped

• 1 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped

• S&P

• Small head of romaine, chopped

• 4 radishes, chopped

• 1 pint grape tomatoes, halved

• 1 green bell pepper, chopped

• 1/4 small red onion, thinly sliced

• 1 cucumber, sliced

directions

1. In a small jar with a lid or small bowl combine the first 7 ingredients (1/2 tsp salt & 1 tsp pepper). If using a jar, seal the lid and shake until mixed together. Keep in fridge until ready to serve.

2. Once ready to serve toss the dressing with the veggies in a large bowl.

Garlic Bread
Serves 6

ingredients

• 1 loaf Italian bread, unsliced
• 6 tbsp unsalted butter
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
• Kosher salt

directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400º. Slice the loaf into 1" thick slices but don't go all the way to the bottom so the loaf stays in tact.

2. Melt the butter over medium heat and then add the garlic, parsley & 1/2 tsp salt. Remove from heat and brush this mixture over top of the loaf and in between the slices to get the yumminess in each piece! Wrap the loaf in foil.

3. Bake for 10 minutes, open the foil and bake until lightly toasted on top for 5 minutes more. Keep on stove top to keep warm until the pasta is done cooking.

Enjoy!

White Pizza with Artichokes, Rosemary, Olives & Garlic

Another great pizza dinner tonight... and it was meatless but delicious! So fast and easy to make it's a no brainer. You can use either the marinated artichoke hearts in a jar, frozen artichokes (thawed) or the canned ones. I love artichoke hearts and on a white pizza - yes please! You can serve this pizza by itself or with small side salads. This recipe will make enough for 4-6 people.

ingredients

• 1 lb pizza dough cut into 2 equal parts at room temperature

• 8 oz ricotta at room temperature

• 12 oz marinated quartered artichoke hearts, drained

• 1/3 cup pitted green olives, halved

• 1/4 small red onion, thinly sliced

• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan

• 1/4 cup shredded mozzarella

• 1 tbsp fresh rosemary, minced

• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper

• freshly ground black pepper

• side salads

directions

1. Preheat oven to 425º. Lightly dust 2 baking sheets with cornmeal. Using flour and cornmeal shape the dough into 2 separate pies. 

2. Top each pizza with a layer of ricotta, artichokes, garlic, rosemary, pepper, green olives, red onion & cheeses. 

3. Bake the pizzas for 9-10 minutes and rotate and bake an additional 9-10 minutes until crust is golden and cheese is all gooey and melty. Remove from oven and let rest for 5 minutes before slicing. Serve with salad, if desired.

Enjoy!

This recipe was adapted from Real Simple Magazine.

Chile con Queso

I saw Pioneer Woman make this on a recent episode and it looked/sounded so good I really wanted to make it for game night. It ended up being so yummy and everyone loved it. Another plus is it's super easy to make all in one pan then just throw in a slow cooker to keep warm. I forgot to snap a photo but here's how you make it...

ingredients

• 1 lb hot breakfast sausage
• 2 onions, diced
• 2 lb block Velveeta cheese
• 10 oz can original Rotel
• 2 small cans chopped green chiles
• 1 jalapeno, seeded & minced
• Chips & Flour tortillas (cut into triangles) for serving

directions

1. Brown the sausage in a large non stick skillet, breaking up the sausage as you go. Once browned, drain in a colander over the sink to get rid of the fat. Pour sausage back into hot skillet and add onion & jalapeno and cook for 2-3 minutes.

2. Chop the cheese up in cubes so it will melt faster and add to skillet along with the Rotel and green chiles. Cook over low heat until it all starts coming together. Remove from the heat and pour into a slow cooker. Keep warm and serve with chips and/or flour tortilla triangles. 

Enjoy!

This recipe adapted from Pioneer Woman.

Spicy Bean Feast Pizza

Q was very proud of this heart shaped pizza and was highly disappointed at my lack of enthusiasm for his "mad skills" as a pizza dough shaper. It's really an interesting combination of flavors: beans, meat sauce, sharp & tangy cheddar cheese and fresh grassy parsley. We really dug this pizza so you should try it too! This will make enough for 2 small pizzas which I'd say would feed about 6 people or great for leftovers is you're like us and just have 2 people to feed. 

ingredients

• 1 lb pizza dough
• 1 tbsp EVOO
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 2 large garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 tsp dried Chile flakes
• 1/2 cup light red kidney beans, drained & rinsed
• 1/2 cup cannellini beans, drained & rinsed
• 3/4 cup prepared meat sauce
• 2 cups grated white extra sharp cheddar cheese
• Kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper
• Fresh parsley, chopped

directions

1. Preheat the oven to 425º. Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic & saute for 5 minutes, until softened, stirring. Add paprika & tomato paste and cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring so it doesn't burn. Add the Chile flakes, beans, sauce, salt & pepper. Bring to a fast simmer and cook uncovered for 15 minutes, until thickened. Use a potato masher to mash the beans slightly.

2. Cut the dough in 2 equal portions and roll out into oval like shapes using flour and corn meal. Lightly dust 2 baking sheets with cornmeal and lay each piece of dough on the sheets.

3. Spread the bean mixture over each pizza crust and top with cheese. Bake in the oven for 15 minutes or until cheese is melted and dough is golden brown. Remove from oven and let rest for 5 minutes. Garnish with parsley when serving.

Enjoy!

The recipe was adapted from 100 Pizzas from 1 Easy Recipe.

Pork Chops with Cheesy Grits & Jammy Tomatoes

We aren't big fans of grits... both of us just haven't had yummy, delicious grits so we typically never order them. A few weeks back we had a really great meal at a local restaurant and I ordered shrimp & grits and it was amazing. So I decided to look for a recipe that had grits and came across this one. Needless to say the grits were really tasty, probably because they had cheese and lots of flavor added :-:-). The jammy tomato mixture is sweet and tangy at the same time and goes really well with the pork and grits. Here's how I made it and it will make enough for 2 peeps.

ingredients

• 1/2 cup quick-cooking grits
• 1 oz grated cheddar
• 1 tbsp unsalted butter
• Kosher salt & black pepper
• 2 bone in pork chops, 1" thick
• 1/2 tsp hot paprika
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tbsp EVOO
• 1/2 pint grape tomatoes
• 1/8 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1 1/2 tbsp light brown sugar
• 1/2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped

directions

1. Cook the grits according to the package instructions, then stirring in the cheddar, butter, S&P during the last minute of cooking. Don't cook the grits until your pork chops are almost ready as they tend to stiffen up if you don't serve them right away.

2. Season the pork on both sides with paprika, salt, pepper & garlic powder. Heat the oil in a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat and cook the pork on each side for 6-8 minutes. Remove and tent with tin foil to let rest for at least 5 minutes before serving.

3. Add the tomatoes, vinegar (stand back when adding vinegar) & sugar to the drippings of the skillet and cook for 3-4 minutes. The consistency should be syrupy and the tomatoes should be almost falling apart and soft.

4. Serve the pork on a bed of grits and the jammy tomatoes on top. Sprinkle some fresh parsley over each serving.

Enjoy!

These recipes adapted from Real Simple.

Chicken & Dumplings

I love some chicken & dumplings and this dinner was so flavorful that I would highly recommend it based upon that. The chicken was so yummy and tender, I was shocked at how good this came out. I will always use chicken thighs from now in versus breasts as they are so much tastier. There are 2 things I would change about this meal. While it was so tasty it was more of a soup than the thick & hearty chicken and dumplings I am used to. So, I would try to thicken up the sauce a little bit more to get it to a heartier consistency. Secondly, the dumplings were a little on the large size and I made them smaller than the recipe called for. So, if I made them over again I would make the dumplings a teaspoon or slightly larger than that as they expand so much during the cooking process. I served the meal with some of those yummy croissants that come in the can - we love those! 

ingredients

• 1 tbsp EVOO
• 6 bone in, skin on chicken thighs (2 lbs)
• 4 stalks celery, chopped
• 4 carrots, chopped
• 3 onions, chopped
• 2 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
• 3 large cloves garlic, minced
• 2 fresh bay leaves (I used some from my garden)
• 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 6 tbsp unsalted butter melted & cooled slightly
• 3/4 cup buttermilk, at room temp
• 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
• biscuits or croissants for dredging

directions

1. Heat the oil in a large pot or dutch oven over medium-high heat. Season the chicken with salt, pepper & garlic powder on both sides. Brown the meat in batches (don't over crowd the pot), 4-6 mins per side and then transfer to a plate.

2. Add the celery, carrots, onion, thyme & garlic to the chicken drippings in the pot and cook, stirring occasionally for 5-7 minutes. Add the bay leaves, 10 cups of water and stir. Add the chicken and bring the pot to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes until the chicken is cooked through. Remove the chicken from the pot and shred, removing the bones and skin in the meantime. Add the shredded chicken back to the pot with the broth and veggies and stir.

3. Whisk together 1/2 cup flour, 2 cups of cooking liquid, and 1/4 tsp each of salt & pepper in a medium size bowl. Make sure the pot is on medium and the broth is at rapid simmer then SLOWLY whisk the flour mixture back into the pot and simmer until slightly thickened, about 10-12 minutes.

4. Whisk the remaining 2 cups flour, baking powder & soda, 1/4 tsp each s & p in a large bowl. Mix in the melted butter, buttermilk and parsley with your hands until a soft dough forms. If it seems to dry add a dab of buttermilk just so all the ingredients are well combined. Form small balls of dough and drop them in the pot. Simmer, covered, 15 minutes until the dumplings are cooked through. Serve each dish with a sprinkle of fresh parsley on top as well.

Enjoy!

These recipes adapted from Real Simple.

Meat Loaf with Roasted Tomatoes & Fluffy Mashed Potatoes

I think every man I know loves some meat loaf & taters... ma! the meatloaf! Anyway, it's not my ultimate favorite kinda meal but this one was pretty tasty I have to say. AND the mashed potatoes are fluffy, creamy and decadent. The roasted tomatoes are sweet and juicy and add a natural sauce to this dish when you cut them up. Did I say how good these mashed potatoes were??? Well they aren't low fat so that's probably why! I picked these recipes up from the latest issue of Real Simple magazine and it turned out great! Here's how I made it...

Meat Loaf with Roasted Tomatoes

6 -8 servings

ingredients

• 1/2 cup ketchup

• 2 tbsp dark brown sugar

• 1/2 cup rolled oats

• 1/4 cup whole milk

• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten

• 1 small onion, grated (do this over the bowl of meat so it catches all the juices)

• 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce

• 1 tsp dried thyme 

• Kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper

• 1 lb ground beef

• 1 lb ground pork

• 1 lb plum tomatoes or tomatoes on the vine (small though)

directions

1.  Preheat the oven to 400º. Whisk 1/4 cup ketchup and brown sugar in a small bowl and set aside.

2. Combine the oats & milk in a large bowl (just use your fingers to combine). Let stand until the oats are soft which will be about 5 minutes or so. Grate the onion over the bowl so you catch all the juices. Whisk in eggs, Worcestershire sauce, thyme, 1/4 cup ketchup, 3/4 tsp salt (just eyeball it), 1/2 tsp pepper. Add the beef and pork and gently mix with your hands until just combined. Don't over mix as it will make the meat loaf tough and that is no bueno!

3. Transfer to a 9x13 inch baking dish and form into any shape you desire - get creative if you want, it doesn't have to be the same old meatloaf log shape. Brush the top with the sweetened ketchup mixture and arrange the tomatoes around the sides. Sprinkle a bit of S & P on top of the tomatoes as well. 

4. Bake until a thermometer reads 165º in the center. (I use a thermometer that I can insert in the beginning that has a cord with a magnetic read out that I place on the front of the oven. You can also just use an instant read thermometer as well). Bake for 40-50 minutes and then remove from oven. Let rest 5-10 minutes before slicing.

For leftovers, just sandwich some meatloaf & tomatoes in a potato bun and you have LUNCH! NOM NOM NOM.

Fluffy Mashed Potatoes

6 -8 servings

ingredients

• 2 lbs Yukon gold potatoes, peeled & cut into 1 1/2" cubes

• 1 cup whole milk, at room temp

• 4 oz cream cheese, at room temp

• 1 stick unsalted butter, at room temp (cut into pieces)

• Kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper

• 3 large eggs, at room temp and lightly beaten

directions

1. Preheat oven to 400º. Fill a large pot with cold water and the potatoes (just covering them by 1"). Bring to a simmer, place the lid half tilted over the pot and cook for 20 minutes. Drain and return potatoes to the pot.

2. Add the milk, cream cheese, butter, 2 tsp salt, 1 tsp pepper and mash until smooth. Gently fold in the eggs until combined. Transfer to a buttered 2 quart baking dish, smoothing the top.

3. Bake for 25-30 minutes until set in the middle and golden.

You can make these the day before and store in the fridge until ready to bake, just add about 10 more minutes to the baking time if it is refrigerated.

Enjoy!

These recipes were adapted from Real Simple Magazine.

Fried Chicken Tacos, Mexican Rice & Salsa

I've fallen a bit behind on the blog due to coming down with a bad stomach flu which knocked me out for about a week. Then, it took a little while for me to come back to life and catch up on well, everything. It took even a bit longer for me to like eating again or even talking/thinking about food again too! So, here come the recipes and I'm starting with this one. This meal was fantastic and can't wait to make it again with different toppings/variations. It's some work but man it's worth it. Q also filled me in on a little family tid bit, that Sharon used to make taco shells much like this when he was growing up and he just loved it. I just love hearing new family stories on a whim like that. So yes you can omit frying your own shells but I'm tellin ya - it's worth giving it a whirl. We did it together so it made it that much more fun but we are silly like that. :-)

Fried Chicken Tacos

makes 8 servings

ingredients

• 1 tsp each of Chile powder & ground cumin

• 1/2 tsp salt

• 1 cup canola oil, plus 1 tbsp

• 1 to 1.5 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breast, cubed

• 3-4 roasted green chiles

• 16 small corn tortillas 

• 1.5 cups finely grated cheddar cheese

• plain greek yogurt or sour cream

• hot sauce

• 2 cups thinly sliced romaine letter

• 4 roma tomatoes, diced

directions

1. Mix the Chile powder, cumin and salt together in a small bowl.

2. Heat 1 tbsp canola oil in a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the chicken and chiles for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally until the chicken is mostly opaque. 

3. Sprinkle the spice mixture over the chicken and cook for another 3 minutes or until the chicken is completely cooked through. Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside.

4. Wipe out the skillet and add 1 cup of canola oil over medium high heat. You can also use a different skillet if needed. 

5. Spoon some of the chicken mixture into (1/4 cup) a tortilla and using tongs grasp the tortilla closed and gently add the tortilla into the oil on it's side (you can also use a toothpick here to keep it closed as well or just use the tongs to keep it closed. Cook until golden brown only about 30 seconds, then flip over for another 30 seconds. You can do 2 or 3 at a time just be very careful when frying with oil as it could splatter on you during the process. When you remove the taco, using the tongs let the excess oil drip off and immediately place on a paper towel lined plate, put some cheese inside and wrap in a paper towel and set aside. Top with hot sauce, tomatoes, lettuce, Greek yogurt/sour cream and any other toppings you may like. They are ready to serve!

This recipe might sound intimidating but once you do one or two of them you will get the hang of it and it's nice if you have a helper like I did to assist when frying them. You could also omit making your own taco shells and pick up ready made taco shells but I bet they won't taste as good :-)! 

Mexican Rice

makes 6 servings

ingredients

• 2 tbsp canola oil

• 1 medium white onion, chopped

• 3 garlic cloves, minced

• 2 cups long grain rice (rinse with cold water)

• 10 oz can diced tomatoes

• 14.5 oz can whole tomatoes

• 1 hot green Chile, chopped

• 1 1/2 tsp cumin

• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

• 1 tsp kosher salt

• 2 1/2 cups vegetable broth

• chopped fresh cilantro

directions

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add onion and garlic and cook for 4 minutes. Reduce heat to low and add the rice. Cook over low heat for 3 minutes stirring constantly to make sure the rice won't burn. Add rotel, tomatoes and spices and cook for 2 minutes, stirring. Add 2 cups of the broth and bring to a boil. Reduce to low, cover and simmer for 45 minutes until rice is done. Add more liquid if necessary, the rice should not be sticky. Top with cilantro for each individual serving.

I made this rice a month or so ago and it was definitely delicious, however, the recipe indicated it cooked within a short amount of time and it was way off for me. I had to triple the amount of time it needed to cook just to get the rice done all the way. I was using brown rice so I am not sure if that had anything to do with it. This time I used white rice and rinsed it prior to cooking with it. This has helped me in the past with cooking rice. This time around I didn't have anymore rotel around so I just used diced tomatoes and one hot green Chile which proved to be plenty of heat.

Hot & Spicy Salsa

ingredients

• 14.5 oz can whole tomatoes

• 10 oz can Hot Rotel

• 1/4 large red onion, roughly chopped

• 1 fresno Chile, roughly chopped

• 1 garlic clove, smashed

• 1/4 tsp each of sugar, salt & ground cumin

• Juice of half of a lime

• handful of cilantro (stems and all)

directions

Combine all the ingredients in a blender or food processor and pulse until blended to the consistency that you like your salsa. 

Enjoy!