Recipe Testing: July 2015

When discussing different ways to use ground beef my husband mentioned Hamburger Helper type meals, minus the pre-processed taste. After some googling I decided to make Taco Mac n' Cheese (found in this article discussing ways to enhance boxed mac n' cheese) and was really impressed! We wolfed down way more than I anticipated. I made a few alterations:

• used half a pound of local grass fed 90/10 ground beef
• added half an onion, finely chopped
• added half a red bell pepper, finely chopped
• added 1 can diced green chilis
• added 1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, minced
• added taco seasoning & water per instructions and simmered a few minutes
• added ~1 cup freshly grated cheddar and prepared mac n' cheese to taco beef skillet, stirring to combine
• topped skillet with a layer of freshly grated cheddar & layer crushed corn chips
• broiled on high ~8 inches from heat until cheese is melted

*****

I got a good deal on Boursin cheese spreads and used one to create this Creamy Chicken and Herb Skillet. I found this to be on the far-too-rich side, but my husband really enjoyed it. I served it with steamed asparagus and these Extra Crispy Tossed Potatoes. The potatoes really did turn out crispy, which was impressive considering the minimal amount of oil. The olive oil flavor really predominated the potatoes, though, and I think the addition of minced garlic or another strong flavor would compliment them well.

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My husband requested I make Pepperoni Garlic Knots, but I didn't have pizza dough ready to go so instead I offered to make these Easy Pepperoni Rolls. We decided to add some variety to our Pepperoni Rolls by sauteing the pepperoni with minced onion, garlic, and mushrooms before adding it to the biscuit with the cheese. These turned out okay. Next time I would bake them on a baking sheet instead of a pan, and I would try to make them with less dough.

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I had left over biscuits (4 total) and decided to make Cinnamon Pull Apart Bread. I winged the amounts for most of the ingredients (trying my best to make 1/4 of the recipe) and wound up with a single layer in my pan, but it turned out super tasty! This would definitely be one to make again.

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I made Chocolate Chip Cookies as well. My favorite recipe is still the one on the back of the bag of Nestle chocolate chips. Simple ingredients make for the best cookies. A great tip I learned a few years back for baking cookies is to refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes prior to (and between batches) baking for chewier cookies, or leave the dough room temperature for crunchy cookies!

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I made these Slow Cooker Chicken Burrito Bowls for dinner one night and found it created a TON of food. The rice was pretty sticky; next time I'd make it separately. I used this as taco filling for another dinner and it was very tasty. I still have more in the fridge and I think I'll make some freezer burritos with it!

Recipe Testing: April 2015

I made a version of this Baked Spaghetti Squash and Cheese, but I made the following changes based on what I had on hand:

• replace skim milk with 2% milk
• replace fat free chicken broth with low sodium chicken broth
• replace reduced fat mild cheddar with sharp cheddar
• replace 4 cups baby spinach with 4 cups baby spinach, kale, and chard blend
• add 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• add 2 caprese chicken sausages, chopped
• add italian bread crumbs to parmesan topping

Can you tell low-fat isn't my thing? This recipe didn't really set up, it turned out fairly soupy after its time in the oven. The flavor, however, was fantastic. Next time I'd wring out the spaghetti squash as much as possible and reduce the amount of chicken broth.

*****

I wanted to use up my baby greens blend, so I made a Spinach Dip from this recipe Stovetop Spinach Dip and altered the recipe based on what I had on hand:

• replace frozen spinach with fresh baby kale, spinach, and chard blend
• replace onion with leeks
• omit water chestnuts

This turned out very tasty, and I'll definitely try it again. It would be a great easy potluck recipe!

*****

I purchased some cubed steak on sale and made the Pioneer Woman's Fried Round Steak, which was very tasty! I served it with roast potatoes and steamed asparagus with lemon butter.

While we're talking about the Pioneer Woman and steak, I should mention that my go-to recipe for Philly Cheese Steak is her MM Sandwich, PW Style. This is so delicious! The mushrooms really take it to the next level. I serve it with freezer fries. Yum!

*****

While out I found a good deal on some boneless beef chuck western style ribs, and not knowing much about beef I snatched them up. When I got home I looked them up and discovered they come from the shoulder, not the ribs, and can be rather tough. Low & slow was the recommended cooking method, so I decided to make them in the crock pot. I seasoned them with salt and pepper and browned them in a skillet before putting them into the crock pot. I used the same skillet to sautee a diced onion and added that on top of the "ribs." Then I poured a bottle of beer and some NC Style (vinegar based) BBQ sauce in the crock pot, covered it, and cooked them on low for the day. I served them up with corn on the cobb, salad, and stuffing.

*****

I felt like making something that would freeze well for an easy dinner later this week, so I made the Pioneer Woman's Lasagna. I really enjoy most of the recipes the Pioneer Woman has, so I figured this would be a winner. I didn't have any tomato paste on hand, so I left that out. I also only had dried basil, and I just estimated the amounts there. This turned out to be a tasty lasagna recipe, though a bit basic. Perhaps the two items I didn't have would have given it the extra flavor I was hoping for.

*****

We got a deep fryer recently, so I decided to try it out with some Beer Battered Chicken Tenders! Yum!

I also made Pioneer Woman's Chicken Tenders, but I made nuggets instead. I made a few other alterations to the recipe:

• deep fry nuggets for about 4 - 5 minutes in batches of roughly 10 nuggets at a time
• add to flour mixture 1tsp oregano, 1tsp paprika, and 1/4tsp garlic powder
• replace buttermilk with 2% (because that's what I had at home)

These turned out awesome! Definitely the "extra crispy" version with the little bits of batter stuck to the chicken! I think adding spices to the flour mixture really helps, and I will probably tweak this over time (if I make it often enough) until I get the spices just how I'd like.

Marion's Mac n Cheese

"Best Mac and Cheese Ever" was the title of this recipe when I saw it on facebook, and my friend Marion made it and said it was delicious! Marion also mentioned that this makes a TON of mac n cheese (enough to fill a 2.5qt dish), so I have listed a half recipe below as well. I wish I knew the author so I could give them credit! If you know please post a comment and I will update the post!

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 lb elbows macaroni
8 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 cup muenster cheese, shredded
1 cup mild cheddar cheese, shredded
1/2 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
1 cup monterey jack cheese, shredded
1 and 1/2 cups half-and-half
1/2 cup sour cream
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 teaspoon seasoning salt
1/8 teaspoon fresh ground pepper 

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350F. Lightly butter a deep 2 1/2 quart baking dish. Fill a large pot with water and bring to a rapid boil. Add pasta and oil to water. Cook for 7 minutes, or until somewhat tender. Drain well.

Return the pot to the stove over low heat and melt 8 tablespoons of butter. Add the drained pasta, half n half, eggs, sour cream, salt, pepper, and half the cheese.

Transfer to the prepared casserole dish, and top with remaining shredded cheese. Dot with remaining
butter. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until the edges are golden brown and bubbly. Serve hot.

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1/2 Recipe Ingredients:
1 1/2t vegetable oil
8oz pasta
4T butter
1/2T butter
1.5 cups cheese (cheddar, muenster, monterey jack)
3/4c half n half
1/4c sour cream
1 egg, lightly beaten
salt & pepper

Follow directions as detailed above with the following adjustments:
Use a 1qt instead of 2 1/2qt baking dish.
Melt 4 tablespoons of butter.
Add only 1 egg.
Adjust baking time dependent on your dish, watching for the mac n cheese to be bubbly and the edges to be golden brown. Mine baked for

Chicken Mushroom Mac

Prep time: 20 to 45 minutes | Cook time: 30 minutes to 1 hour | Servings: 4 - 6

Ingredients:
1/4 - 1/3 lb pasta, cooked & drained (leftover pasta works great for this!)
8oz sharp cheddar
1/2 cup ricotta
1/2 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon dried mustard
1/4 teaspoon season salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
 dash cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 medium onion, diced
4 medium button mushrooms, sliced
1 cooked chicken breast, chopped into bite size pieces (I deboned a leftover roast chicken breast, and reserved the bones for stock)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375F. Grease a medium sized casserole dish.

Melt 1 tablespoon butter over medium high heat. Saute onion until translucent. Add mushrooms and saute for 5 minutes, or until starting to brown, stirring frequently.

While the mushrooms saute combine ricotta, dried mustard, season salt, pepper, and cayenne in a small bowl. Add milk and stir well.

Reserve 1/4 - 1/3 cup grated cheddar. Combine the rest of the grated cheddar, ricotta mixture, cooked pasta, mushroom mixture, and chicken. Pour into greased casserole dish and gently press down. Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes.

Remove foil and mix well (be sure to stir this gently, as it will be hot!). Top with reserved grated cheddar, and bake uncovered for an additional 15 minutes.

Note: Prep and cook times vary depending on whether you have prepared chicken and pasta on hand. I would recommend this recipe for a weeknight when you've already got leftover cooked chicken in the oven and just want to snaz it up for a fast dinner. Cooking the pasta the day of is easy to do, just set the pot on to boil before you begin to heat the butter for the onions.

If you are cooking your chicken the day of several methods work. Poached chicken would probably be the best, roast chicken is a favorite of mine, and even a sauteed boneless breast would work great in this recipe!

Inspiration recipe found over at Smitten Kitchen, under Easiest Baked Mac-and-Cheese