Recipe Testing: September 2015

In an attempt to come up with more tasty carbohydrate options as dinner side dishes, I tried out this Seasoned Rice Mix (though I didn't make the mix, I made enough for 1 serving of rice for each of us). I really enjoyed the simple flavors here, and found it to be an easy side dish that won't overpower the main course.

*****

In addition to a rice side dish, I also tried out this recipe for Loaded Mashed Potatoes. This recipe was exactly what I expected, and I loved every bite! The only change I made was that I buttered instead of greased my baking dish. I was surprised how much the potatoes puffed up while in the oven!

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I experimented with using canned biscuits to create tasty dishes. In July I made pepperoni garlic knots and learned the importance of pressing the dough out to be thinner. This time I made this Chicken Pot Pie Cupcakes recipe, but created my own filling with the flavors I prefer. My filling was

• 1 chicken breast, cooked & diced
• 1 cup small red potatoes, diced
• 1/2 cup celery, diced
• 1/2 cup carrot, diced
• 1/2 cup onion, diced
• 1 garlic clove
• 2 teaspoons Spike (salt free) seasoning (or spices of your choosing)
• 3 oz cream cheese
• salt & pepper to taste

Saute the onion and Spike (or spices of your choosing) in a tablespoon of butter until soft, add the garlic and cooked for another minute before adding in the remaining vegetables. Stir to coat the vegetables in butter, and saute for 5 or so minutes, stirring occasionally. Once the potatoes have some color add 1/2 cup chicken broth & cover. Cook another 5 to 10 minutes, until the potatoes are soft, adding more broth if needed during the cooking process. Add the chicken and cream cheese, stirring to combine. Use filling for cupcakes as directed in above recipe, or for a pot pie, or to stuff bell peppers, or add more broth to make a soup... I use this style of "filling" for lots of things!

*****

I made this recipe for Bacon Wrapped Cream Cheese Stuffed Chicken Breasts the other night. Instead of stuffing with cream cheese & green onions I used Alouette Smoky Jalapeno soft spreadable cheese. I was hoping for a bacon jalapeno popper style chicken. It turned out ok. I'm not sure if my wrapping skills were to blame, but most of the cheese oozed out of the chicken. It was tasty, but I'm not sure that I'll be stuffing or bacon wrapping chicken breasts again any time soon.

*****

Another experiment with tastier side dishes was a slightly modified version of this Best Spanish Rice, where the only change I made was adding 1 minced garlic clove with the onion. The rice did burn onto the bottom of the pot, but rice on the stove top is the bane of my cooking existence so I imagine I'm somehow at fault for that issue. Otherwise the rice was light, fluffy & tasty. Make sure you use a salsa you really like as that's going to be the predominant flavor of the dish.

*****

This Mediterranean Beef Pita recipe was pretty tasty! I messed up and mixed the salt, pepper & oregano into the beef. I also made a few alterations. As most of the reviews suggested I skipped the hummus and used homemade tzatziki sauce (plain greek yogurt, minced cucumber, minced garlic, dill, lemon juice, and olive oil). I also added sauteed onion & zucchini instead of raw red onion.

I served the pitas with Lemon & Garlic Potatoes that were very tasty. I followed another reviewers recommendation to cover the pan for the first 30 minutes, and I cooked them for about an hour and a half total to make them extra crispy!

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.

*****

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.

*****

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.

*****

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!

*****

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.

FUDGE!

Fudge! What a tasty treat that can be so easily adapted to so many palates. I have been making fudge using the same quick and simple recipe for years now, but when I talk about fudge with people I usually hear comments about how difficult it is to make. Well that doesn't need to be the case when I have an easy recipe that is made in the microwave! I have done this with white, milk, and semi-sweet chocolate chips as well as peanut butter chips and it turned out great every time. I've added orange zest, coconut, nuts, crushed peppermints... even made Funfetti Cake Batter Fudge! Here's the recipe:

Ingredients:
3 cups chocolate chips
1 14oz can sweetened condensed milk
1/4 cup butter, softened or melted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
additions as desired (see "Additions" below)

Directions:
Line an 8x8" or 9x9" pan with foil. Combine first 3 ingredients in a microwave safe bowl and stir to coat chips with butter and milk. Microwave on high for 30 seconds at a time, stirring very well between microwaving. The key to this is to heat the chocolate slowly and stir the fudge very well, say for 30 - 45 seconds, after each microwaving. It should only need to be microwaved 2 or 3 times before it's smooth and all the chips are melted. Once it's smooth stir in the vanilla extract. If you're using additions add them now. Pour fudge into your prepared pan and refrigerate until set, 3 - 4 hours. Carefully remove foil and cut into small pieces, I usually cut an 8x8" pan into 36 pieces

Additions:
For orange chocolate add 2 teaspoons fresh orange zest
For coconut add 1/2 - 3/4 cup sweetened coconut flakes (I usually combine this with nuts and add 1/2 cup each)
For walnuts add 3/4 - 1 cup chopped nuts
For peppermint add or top with 3/4 cup crushed peppermint (for a prettier look use a mesh strainer to remove the dusty part of the crushed peppermint, and press the chunks into the top of the fudge)

Funfetti Cake Batter Fudge

Funfetti Cake Batter Fudge

Ingredients:
3 cups white chocolate chips
1 14oz can sweetened condensed milk
1/4 cup butter, softened or melted
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 cup sprinkles

Directions:
Line an 8x8" or 9x9" pan with foil. Combine first 3 ingredients in a microwave safe bowl and stir to coat chips with butter and milk. Microwave on high for 30 seconds at a time, stirring very well between microwaving. The key to this is to heat the chocolate slowly and stir the fudge very well, say for 30 - 45 seconds, after each microwaving. It should only need to be microwaved 2 or 3 times before it's smooth and all the chips are melted. Once the fudge is smooth add the extracts and stir well. Gently fold in the sprinkles. Be careful not to stir the sprinkles too much; if they melt they'll turn the fudge brown. Pour fudge into your prepared pan and refrigerate until set, 3 - 4 hours. Carefully remove foil and cut into small pieces, I usually cut an 8x8" pan into 36 pieces.

Recipe Testing: February 2015

I've made this Perfect Queso Dip recipe twice now, and I concluded that I simply bought the wrong type of Queso. I bought "Queso Fresco" and it crumbles in the way feta does. It never truly melted in my Queso dip, so I wound up with a soupy liquid with cheese curds. I have since purchased Queso Quesadilla which bragged about it's melt on the packaging, and I'm hoping for better results. The overall flavor was the most similar to what I've had in restaurants, so I'm feeling pretty optimistic about this one! I also found the Queso Quesadilla with jalapenos in it, so I'll experiment with that at some point too.

I made Alton Brown's Cocoa Brownies recipe recently as well (and added M&Ms) and oooooohhhhh man are these good!!! They're dense, gooey brownies. The M&Ms worked really well, and I think lots of other things could be added (coconut? nuts? PB chips? toffee? peppermints?) and be very tasty. I would recommend serving these with milk, whipped cream, or even vanilla ice cream!

This afternoon I will make, and tomorrow morning I will bake these Cream Cheese Biscuits. I had Cream Cheese Biscuits at Whole Foods recently and loved them, and I'm hoping this will be a recreation at home! Side note: I never have buttermilk on hand, so I usually make a substitute. TheKitchn suggests combining 1TB white vinegar with 1 scant cup milk and letting it sit for 10 minutes, or thinning sour cream or yogurt with milk.

Bright and early tomorrow morning while I'm baking biscuits I'll also be starting No-Knead Chewy Sandwich Rolls for cold cut sub lunches! I'm not too good with this type of baking, but I'm excited to be trying it out!

Weekly Meal Plan: Mon, Nov. 18 - Sun, Nov. 24

Mon, Nov. 18:
Take-out

Tues, Nov. 19:
Dinner out with the barn girls

Weds, Nov. 20:
Leftovers

Thurs, Nov. 21:
Italian Chicken Sausage Simmered in Mushroom & Bell Pepper Tomato Sauce over Pasta with Steamed Asparagus

Fri, Nov. 22:
Pepperoni Pizza

Sat, Nov. 23:
Ranch Oven Fried Drumsticks, Caesar Salad, and Leftover Pasta with Cheese Sauce

Sun, Nov. 24:
Italian Sausage Marinara Croissant Sandwiches and Freezer Fries