Broccoli, Cheese and Ham Muffins

These muffins are O.M.G. delicious looking!  I can almost guarantee that these are going to be a regular part of our menu once we try them.  I'm already thinking about variations using breakfast sausage, sliced up little smokies, bacon.  Of course I would prefer fresh broccoli!

Vegetarians can easily convert it into a vegetarian meal by leaving out the meat.

They come together quick and easy, thanks in part to the use of Bisquick.  I'm a huge advocate of Bisquick, although I love to cook from scratch.  I am NEVER without a box or two in my pantry.  Why go through more work if  you don't have to?  I use convenience foods as much as I can as long as they are high quality and economical.  I'm not being paid to say this . . . just a big fan of the product :)  

I'm very anxious to try this recipe!

Ingredients

• 1 bag (12 oz) Green Giant™ Steamers™ frozen broccoli & cheese sauce
• 1 1/2 cups Original Bisquick® mix
• 1/2 cup milk
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup diced cooked ham
• 1/2 cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese (2 oz)

Directions

Heat oven to 400°F. Spray 12 regular-size muffin cups with cooking spray.

Cook broccoli as directed on bag.

In large bowl, stir together Bisquick mix, milk, oil and egg. Stir in broccoli, ham and cheese just until well mixed. Spoon mixture evenly into muffin cups.

Bake 18 to 22 minutes or until golden brown. Cool 5 minutes; remove from pan. Serve warm.



Expert Tips

Wrap and refrigerate any leftover muffins. Unwrap and reheat 1 at a time on microwavable plate 15 to 30 seconds or until warm.

Ham and Cheddar Torta

Very impressive looking torta that would be a great choice for any meal!

I would vary the ingredients depending on the meal.  For example, my breakfast torta would not include beans and broccoli.  However, I would include fresh mushrooms, and maybe two more eggs.  Seems worthy of experimentation!

The beans and italian dressing sounds a little funky, but may turn out to be one of my favorite new recipes, so I am going to try it at least once.  Seems like a hearty lunch or dinner meal that can also be varied to include chicken instead of ham or vary the vegetables.

Love the idea of baking it in a springform pan!

Ingredients

• 1 1/3 cups Original Bisquick® mix
• 1 can (15 oz) Progresso® cannellini beans, drained, rinsed and mashed
• 1/3 cup Italian dressing
• 1 1/2 cups diced cooked ham
• 1 box (9 oz) Green Giant® frozen cut broccoli, thawed, drained
• 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese 
• (4 oz) 1 cup milk
• 2 tablespoons Original Bisquick® mix 3 eggs, slightly beaten

Directions

Heat oven to 375°F. In small bowl, stir together 1 1/3 cups Bisquick mix, the beans and dressing. Spread in bottom and 2 inches up side of ungreased 9x3-inch springform pan. Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until set.

Layer ham, broccoli and cheese over crust. In small bowl, stir milk, 2 tablespoons Bisquick mix and the eggs until blended; pour over cheese.

Bake 55 to 60 minutes or until golden brown and knife inserted near center comes out clean. Let stand 10 minutes. Loosen edge of torta from side of pan; remove side of pan.



Expert Tips

Bake the crust the day before and store covered in the refrigerator. Or make the torta completely the day before, store covered in the refrigerator and reheat loosely covered in 375°F oven 15 to 20 minutes or until hot.


Source

Scalloped and Mashed Potato Gratin

The Captain and I have been into comfort food since we have been a bit under the weather.  As I was checking out Sandra Lee's website since I was looking for something quick and easy to cook, this semi-homemade potato casserole jumped out at me.

What I really like is the addition of onion soup mix for flavor.  I've used it in dips and slow cooking meat with great results.

As usual, I would use the recipe as a guide since I don't usually like frozen potato products (except for tater tots) and I would use real bacon.  Of course, the convenience foods are what make it semi-homemade, but I'd rather make it more economical and tasty.

Start to Finish: 35 minutes
Cook: 6 servings

Ingredients

• Nonstick cooking spray, Pam®
• 1 bag (24-ounce) frozen cut red potatoes, Ore-Ida® Steam n’ Mash®
• 1⁄3 cup evaporated milk, Carnation®
• 1 tablespoon onion soup mix, Lipton®
• 3 tablespoons butter 
• 11⁄2 cups shredded Colby and Monterey Jack cheese blend, Sargento®
• 1⁄2 cup frozen chopped onions, Ore-Ida®
• 1⁄4 cup real bacon pieces, Hormel®
• 1 cup heavy cream 
• Dash ground nutmeg, McCormick®
• Salt and ground black pepper 
• 1⁄4 cup bread crumbs, Progresso®
• 1⁄2 teaspoon paprika, McCormick®

Directions 

Preheat oven to 350ºF. 

Lightly spray a 11⁄2-quart baking dish with nonstick spray; set aside.

Microwave potatoes according to package directions. In a bowl, mash half the potatoes with the milk, soup mix, and 1 tablespoon of the butter. 

Spread mashed potatoes evenly into prepared baking dish. 

Sprinkle 1⁄2 cup of the cheese, half the onions, and half the bacon on the mashed potatoes. 

Add half the remaining unmashed potatoes to the dish in an even layer. Repeat layering cheese, onions, and bacon. Top with remaining unmashed potatoes.

In a small saucepan, heat the cream, nutmeg, and salt and pepper to taste over medium heat to just under a boil; pour over potatoes. 

Sprinkle remaining 1⁄2 cup of cheese on top. In a small bowl, stir together bread crumbs and paprika. 

Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons butter; stir into the bread crumbs. Sprinkle crumbs over the top of casserole. 

Bake for 35 to 45 minutes or until bubbling and browned.

Chicken and Vegetable Alfredo Casserole

Great variety of vegetables and lots of room for variation is what this recipe offers.

The crunchy topping has grabbed by attention for use in other recipes.

There are some variation suggestions at the end of the recipe, one is to experiment with alfredo sauce flavors, which I highly recommend!  

My favorite is roasted red pepper alfredo sauce that is so flavorful and delicious, it does not taste like it came out of a jar . . . and it really does not matter what brand you use.  Another thing I like to do with the roasted red pepper sauce is include some cut roasted red pepper, either fresh or the ones that come in a jar (which is a great item to keep in the pantry to perk up many dishes).

As with all recipes, this semi-homemade recipe can be adapted to fresh vegetables or the combination of vegetables that you prefer.  Recipes are just a guide!

Ingredients

• 1 bag (19 oz) Green Giant® frozen broccoli & carrots with garlic & herbs 
• 1 cup all-purpose flour 
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese 
• 1/3 cup cold butter or margarine, cut into small pieces 
• 1 egg, slightly beaten 
• 1 1/2 cups cubed cooked chicken 
• 1 jar (16 oz) four-cheese Alfredo pasta sauce 
• 1 can (15.25 oz) Green Giant® whole kernel sweet corn, drained

Directions

Heat oven to 375°F. In large microwavable bowl, microwave broccoli & carrot mixture as directed on package, using minimum cook time.

Meanwhile, in small bowl, mix flour, Parmesan cheese, butter and egg with pastry blender or fork until crumbly. Set aside.

To hot vegetables in large bowl, add chicken, pasta sauce and corn. Stir gently to combine. Pour into ungreased 2-quart casserole or 9-inch deep-dish glass pie plate. Sprinkle with crumbly mixture.

Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until topping is golden brown.


Tips from Pillsbury:

Two cans (5 oz each) tuna in water, drained and flaked, can be used in place of the chicken.

Alfredo sauce comes in different flavor varieties. Experiment to find your favorite.

Can't get enough strawberries!!

When you live in strawberry country, you can buy tons of strawberries for a ridiculously inexpensive price. Especially if you go to the farm and pick them yourself.

My favorite way to have strawberries is cooked on the stove with simple syrup poured over hot biscuits topped with whipped cream.  I haven't been very adventurous since it is one of my favorite things.

The Captain loves to bake some puff pastry and top it with the same strawberry syrup, topped with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream with more syrup over the ice cream.  Yeah, it is over the top!

How about this Vanilla Cake with

 Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting?

Talk about some strawberry love!!

Click here for the recipe.

Love the article from chocolatechocolateandmore with enough recipes to keep me experimenting for a long time! A treat for strawberry lovers!

Click here to go to the article

Click here to go to other strawberry articles

15 Best Strawberry recipes from Swanky Recipes . . . click here

Creamy Cheesy Ham Chowder

This creamy and cheesy chowder is great for giving leftover ham new life on the dinner table. It also makes use of leftover vegetables . . . don't be confined to the vegetables listed on the recipe, use what you have on hand!

TOTAL TIME: Prep: 30 min. Cook: 20 min.
MAKES 10 servings


Ingredients

• 10 bacon strips, diced
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 cup diced carrots
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 3 cups milk
• 1-1/2 cups water
• 2-1/2 cups cubed potatoes
• 1 can (15-1/4 ounces) whole kernel corn, drained
• 2 teaspoons chicken bouillon granules
• Pepper to taste
• 3 cups (12 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese
• 2 cups cubed fully cooked ham

Directions

In a Dutch oven, cook the bacon over medium heat until crisp. Using a slotted spoon, remove to paper towels to drain. In the drippings, saute onion and carrots until tender. Stir in flour until blended. Gradually add milk and water. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened.

Add the potatoes, corn, bouillon and pepper. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 20 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Add cheese and ham; heat until cheese is melted. Stir in bacon. 

Originally published as Cheesy Ham Chowder in 

Quick Cooking September/October 2000, p7

Seafood Pasta Chowder

© 2009 Peggy Trowbridge Filippone

This is one of those recipes that calls for spoiling yourself and making this a special meal.  Of course you can also serve it for a casual lunch.  But it can be made very special.  

First of all, there is something about having this chowder out of a bread bowl that makes you feel spoiled.  I also like to garnish the top with larger shrimp.

However you choose to serve it,  the chowder aims to please!

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup uncooked miniature pasta bow-ties or shells 
• 5 tablespoons butter 
• 8 ounces fresh sliced mushrooms 
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt 
• 1 clove garlic, minced 
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour 
• 2 cups fish stock (clam juice can be used if it is your preference) 
• 2 cups half-and-half 
• 1 teaspoon sweet paprika 
• 1 teaspoon dill 
• 1/4 teaspoon fresh-grated nutmeg 
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, amount depends on your heat preference 
• 1 cup canned fresh crab meat 
• 8 ounces shrimp (whatever size you prefer . . . we prefer bigger shrimp and sometimes use more than 8 ounces depending on our budget) 
• 1/4 cup sliced green onions, green tops included 

Preparation:

Cook pasta in salted water in a large pot. Drain and rinse.

While pasta is cooking . . . 

Saute mushrooms on low heat in 3 tablespoons butter in a large pot. Salt and cook about 3 minutes, until they have cooked down a bit.

Saute an additional minute after adding garlic, making sure the garlic does not brown.

Stir in 2 tablespoons butter until melted. 

Add flour into the mixture, stirring constantly and cook for 2 minutes. 

Continue stirring and add the fish stock, then the milk. Heat until thickened.

Add paprika, nutmeg, and cayenne, stir in crab and shrimp.  

Cook only until heated through! 

Add drained pasta and green onions. 

Taste and season accordingly, if necessary.

Awesome when served in a bread bowl, but make sure to enjoy with some hot crusty bread.


Yield: 4 to 6 servings

Photo credit © 2009 Peggy Trowbridge Filippone, recipe adapted from About.com

Southern Banana Pudding

Lost in my recipe notebook that got thrown away by mistake years ago was the most delicious banana pudding I have ever had.  It was a cooked pudding and I think it had sweetened condensed milk in it.  The original recipe came from a magazine advertisement.  I know it is somewhere in my recipe files as a duplicate, but to this day I have not found it.  So . . . I have been searching for a cooked banana pudding that sounds familiar.  The only puddings that have sweetened condensed milk also include instant pudding, which I know is not it.

When I found this recipe on the Food Network website, it made me very happy even though I know for sure it is not the recipe.  Mine did not have meringue (I really hate that stuff).  So I will give it a try, adapting the topping to one of a whipped cream nature.

Both the Captain and I love banana pudding and have not been happy with any of the recipes we have found so far.  Hopefully . . . this one is a keeper. 

If you are interested in making homemade vanilla wafers to make your banana pudding extra special, click here for the recipe.

Ingredients

3 cups whole milk
1 1/4 cups sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
Kosher salt
4 large eggs, separated, yolks lightly beaten
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
3 ripe medium bananas (about 1 pound), thinly sliced crosswise (about 2 1/2 cups)
50 vanilla wafers, such as Nilla Wafers (about half a box)
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar



Directions

Heat 2 1/2 cups of the milk in a large saucepan over medium heat until steaming.

Whisk 3/4 cup of the sugar, the cornstarch and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a large bowl. Whisk in the egg yolks and the remaining 1/2 cup milk.

Whisk half of the hot milk into the egg mixture until smooth, and then gradually whisk the egg-milk mixture into the milk in the saucepan. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until the mixture boils. Reduce the heat to medium-low, and let the mixture come to a simmer. Continue to cook, whisking constantly, until it has thickened to a puddinglike consistency, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from the heat and whisk in the butter and vanilla.

Layer a third of the pudding, half the banana slices and half the vanilla wafers in a 9-inch square baking dish. Layer with half the remaining pudding, all the remaining banana slices and all the remaining wafers. Top with the last of the pudding. Cover with plastic wrap pressed directly on the pudding surface, and refrigerate overnight to soften the cookies.

Position a rack in the upper third of the oven, and preheat to 350 degrees F. Bring the egg whites to room temperature. Beat the egg whites and cream of tartar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment on medium speed until frothy. Increase the speed to medium-high, and slowly sprinkle in the remaining 1/2 cup sugar a tablespoon at a time, whipping for 15 seconds after each addition, until glossy firm peaks form. Spread the meringue on top of the pudding with an offset spatula so it reaches the edges of the pan. Bake until golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Serve warm or chilled.


Copyright 2014 Television Food Network, G.P. All rights reserved.

Read more at: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/southern-banana-pudding.html?oc=linkback

The Captain's Pork Stew

Who said that leftovers have to be boring?  We had some pork roast left over from our delicious meals of black beans and rice with roast pork.  The Captain made a delicious pork stew out of the leftovers!  I can't tell you how much money we have just thrown down the garbage can until we started coming up with ways to turn one meal into another.  

There are many things you can do with leftover pork roast.  My favorite is to make sandwiches on some good hoagie bread.  How about a pot of any type of beans with the leftover pork thrown in?  I've used them in my famous "Gina's Cuban Style Fried Rice" . . . actually, all types of leftovers end up in that dish!

Ingredients:

1-3 lbs Gina’s Mojo Pork* or your roast pork

1-3 large onions quartered

4-8 medium potatoes cut into bite sized pieces

1-2 heaping tablespoons of minced garlic

½ to 1 12 oz can of tomato sauce

½ to 1 can corn

½ to 1 can peas

Salt

Pepper

2 quarts of water

Directions:

Bring the water to a boil and add the onions, garlic, and potatoes boil for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile slice or shred Gina’s Mojo Pork, keep some of the fat and discard the rest.

Reduce the onions/potato/garlic mixture to a simmer and add Gina’s Mojo Pork. Add just enough tomato sauce to taste. When the stew simmers add salt and pepper to taste.

Occasionally stir the stew. As it cooks it will become long shreds of pork and the sauce will reduce.  When the potatoes have become soft (about 20 minutes), mash them against the side of the pot to break them apart.

Add the corn and peas.  Heat until steaming and serve with biscuits.

  

*The spices used in Gina's Mojo Pork do have an impact on the outcome of the total flavor of the stew.  I highly recommend making the pork for a main meal and using the leftovers for the stew.

This recipe was shared at the following linky parties:

Ham and Cheese Omelet Bake

What an awesome breakfast!  As a big fan of breakfast food, I would have this meal any time of day.

Perhaps for breakfast, I would leave out the veggies . . . or I may have to include potatoes.  Lots of room for variation!

Ingredients

1

(10-oz.) box Green Giant® Frozen Broccoli & Cheese Flavored Sauce

1

(10.2-oz.) can (5 biscuits) Pillsbury® Grands!® Flaky Layers Refrigerated Original Biscuits

10

eggs

1 1/2

cups milk

1

teaspoon dry ground mustard

Salt and pepper, if desired

2

cups diced cooked ham

1/3

cup chopped onion

4

oz. (1 cup) shredded Cheddar cheese

4

oz. (1 cup) shredded Swiss cheese

1

(4.5-oz.) jar Green Giant® Sliced Mushrooms, drained

Instructions

• Heat oven to 350°F. Cut small slit in center of broccoli and cheese sauce pouch. Microwave on High for 3 to 4 minutes, rotating pouch 1/4 turn once halfway through microwaving. Set aside to cool slightly.
• Meanwhile, spray bottom only of 13x9-inch (3-quart) glass baking dish with cooking spray. Separate dough into 5 biscuits. Cut each biscuit into 8 pieces; arrange evenly in sprayed dish.
• In large bowl, beat eggs, milk, mustard, salt and pepper with wire whisk until well blended. Stir in ham, onion, both cheeses, mushrooms and cooked broccoli and cheese sauce. Pour mixture over biscuit pieces in dish. Press down with back of spoon, making sure all biscuit pieces are covered with egg mixture.
• Bake at 350°F. for 40 to 50 minutes or until edges are deep golden brown and center is set. Let stand 10 minutes before serving. Cut into squares.

Source:  Pillsbury.com

Bake-Off® Contest 41, 2004

Julie Amberson

Browns Point, Washington

Corn Fritters

Corn fritters is one of my favorite things.  This recipe comes from Martha Stewart and her television series on PBS, Martha's Cooking School.

Since I love corn fritters so much, I have posted more recipes . . . click here.

Ingredients

• ¾ cup all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons yellow cornmeal
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
• Coarse salt
• ¼ teaspoon cayenne
• ½ cup whole milk
• 1 large egg
• 2 cups yellow corn kernels (from 2 ears corn)
• Vegetable oil, for frying
• Honey, for serving
• 
  

Directions

1. In a large bowl, stir together flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, 1 ½ teaspoons salt, and cayenne. Add milk and egg to flour mixture and stir together to create a batter. Add corn and fold to combine.
2. Heat 4 inches oil in a large heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven over high heat until a deep-fry thermometer reaches 375 degrees. Working in batches, using a small ice cream scoop or two spoons, drop batter by the tablespoon into the oil. Cook, turning occasionally, until cooked through and deep-golden brown, 1 to 2 minutes; adjust heat as needed to keep oil temperature between 350 and 360 degrees. Transfer fritters to a paper-towel-lined baking sheet. Season to taste with salt, and serve immediately with honey.

Source