Tomato and Roasted Red Pepper Spread

We love tortilla chips and are always happy to find tasty chip spread recipes.

This recipe and photo comes from McCormick Spices website.

Ingredients

Serves: 16
Serving Size: 2 tablespoons


1 pound green bell peppers
1 pound red bell peppers
1 pound plum tomatoes
1 tablespoon McCormick® Paprika
1 teaspoon McCormick Gourmet™ Sicilian Sea Salt
1/2 teaspoon McCormick® Cumin, Ground
1/2 teaspoon McCormick® Garlic Powder
1/2 teaspoon McCormick® Red Pepper, Ground
1/4 teaspoon McCormick® Red Pepper, Crushed
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°F. 

Place bell peppers on large baking sheet and roast 30 to 40 minutes or until skins begin to blister.  Turn peppers after 20 minutes. Transfer to a large paper bag. Close bag and let stand 15 minutes or until bell peppers are cool enough to handle. Peel off blistered skin and remove tops, ribs and seeds. Coarsely chop bell peppers and set aside.

Make an X in the bottom of each tomato and place in saucepan of boiling water for 10 seconds. Transfer tomatoes to bowl of ice water with slotted spoon.  Peel off skin and coarsely chop tomatoes.

Place bell peppers, tomatoes and seasonings in skillet on medium-low heat. Cook 35 to 45 minutes or until vegetables are very soft and stir frequently so mixture does not stick to the bottom of pan. Stir in sugar and tomato paste.  Cook 15 minutes, stirring frequently until thickened.  Stir in lemon juice.

Serve warm or at room temperature with pita, chips or crackers.  You can also refrigerate until chilled to serve cold.

Photo and recipe source

Taco Salad Casserole

Love these type of taco recipes, 

not only because they are quick 

and easy, but so delicious.

Ingredients

• 1 pound ground beef
• 1/4 cup chopped onion
• 1/4 cup chopped green pepper
• 1 envelope taco seasoning
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 cup crushed tortilla chips
• 1 can (16 ounces) refried beans
• 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese

Toppings: chopped lettuce and tomatoes, sliced ripe olives, sour cream and picante sauce

Directions

Preheat oven to 375°.

Cook beef, onion and green pepper over medium heat until meat is no longer pink.  Drain. 

Stir in taco seasoning and water . . . cook and stir until thickened, about 3 minutes.  Set aside.

Place chips in a greased 8-in. square baking dish. 

Stir refried beans in a small bowl and spread over chips. 

Top with beef mixture and cheese.

Bake uncovered for 15-20 minutes or until heated throughly. 

Top with lettuce, tomatoes and olives.  Serve with sour cream and picante sauce. 



Yield: 4 servings




Nutritional Facts

1 cup: 405 calories, 12g fat (0g saturated fat), 47mg cholesterol, 1181mg sodium, 31g carbohydrate (0g sugars, 6g fiber), 37g protein 

© 2016 RDA Enthusiast Brands, LLC


Recipe and Photo Source

Quiche Pastry Cups Recipe

We love experimenting with puff pastry and love this clever idea of filled puff pastry cups!

Use the concept of the recipe and make it your own by using ingredients you and your family love.  A simple pastry cup filled with eggs and cheese would be awesome.

This recipe and photo comes from the website Taste of Home, link follows recipe.

TOTAL TIME: Prep: 30 min. Bake: 15 min.

YIELD:18 servings

Ingredients

1 package (17.3 ounces) frozen puff pastry, thawed
4 large eggs, divided use
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons half-and-half cream, divided
1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1-1/2 cups (6 ounces) shredded Gruyere cheese
1-1/2 cups chopped fresh spinach
1 medium sweet red pepper, chopped
8 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled

Directions

Preheat oven to 400°. 

Unfold puff pastry on a lightly floured surface.  

Roll each sheet into a 12-in. square and cut each into nine squares. 

Gently press onto ungreased muffin cups on bottoms and up sides, allowing corners to point up.

In a small bowl, whisk 3 eggs, 1 cup cream, thyme and seasonings. 

In another bowl, combine cheese, spinach, red pepper and bacon and divide among pastry cups. 

Pour egg mixture over cheese mixture.

In a small bowl, whisk remaining egg with remaining cream and brush over pastry edges. 

Bake 15-18 minutes or until golden brown. Transfer the pastry cups to wire racks. 

Serve warm.

Freeze option: 

Cover and freeze baked pastries on greased baking sheets until firm. Transfer to resealable plastic freezer bags and return to freezer. 

To use, reheat frozen pastries on ungreased baking sheets in a preheated 375° oven 17-20 minutes or until heated through. 

Recipe and Photo Source:  Taste of Home

Old-Fashioned Oatmeal Cake with Broiled Topping

Oatmeal Cake is something I have not tried, but it looks delicious!

This recipe and photo comes from the Pillsbury website.

Ingredients

Cake

• 1 1/2 cups quick-cooking oats
• 1 1/4cups boiling water 
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 3 eggs
• 1 1/2cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda 
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Topping

• 2/3 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/4 cup butter or margarine, melted
• 3 tablespoons half-and-half or milk 
• 1 cup coconut
• 1/2 cup chopped nuts

Steps 

In small bowl, mix oats and boiling water; let stand 20 minutes. 

Preheat oven to 350°F. 

Grease 13x9-inch pan with cooking spray; lightly flour.

In large bowl, beat granulated sugar, 1 cup brown sugar and 1/2 cup butter with electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy.  Scrape bowl occasionally. 

Beat in vanilla and eggs. 

Beat in oat mixture and remaining cake ingredients until well blended.  Scrape bowl occasionally. 

Spread batter evenly in pan.

Bake 35 to 45 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Set oven control to broil. 

In small bowl, beat 2/3 cup brown sugar, 1/4 cup butter and the half-and-half with electric mixer on high speed until smooth. Stir in coconut and nuts. 

Spoon over warm cake; spread to cover.

Broil 4 to 6 inches from heat 1 to 2 minutes or until bubbly and light golden brown. Cool completely, about 1 hour.

Photo and recipe source

Baked Two-Cheese & Bacon Grits Casserole

Being a southern girl, grits is one of my favorite foods.  When I'm not hungry for a big meal, I'll make a bowl of grits and be totally satisfied.  You must try them if you have never had them!  They are delicious with fried eggs.

Love the concept of this recipe, but I would make some changes.  Velveeta is not a favorite cheese of mine and I would just use yellow cheddar cheese along with the white cheddar cheese.  I use yellow cheddar cheese (mild or sharp both work for me) in my grits often and they work very well together.  My meat preference would be breakfast sausage instead of bacon.

This recipe and photo comes from Taste of Home.

Ingredients

6 thick-sliced bacon strips, chopped
3 cups water
3 cups chicken stock
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 cups quick-cooking grits
12 ounces process cheese (Velveeta), cubed (about 2-1/3 cups)
1/2 cup butter, cubed
1/2 cup 2% milk
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded white cheddar cheese

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°. 

Cook bacon over medium heat until crisp, stirring occasionally. Remove pan from heat.

Remove bacon and drain on paper towels.

Add water, stock, garlic powder and pepper to bacon drippings and bring to a boil. 

Slowly stir in grits. 

Reduce heat to medium-low and cook covered, 5-7 minutes or until thickened, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat.

Add cheese and butter; stir until melted. 

Stir in milk. 

Slowly stir in eggs until blended. 

Transfer to a greased 13x9-in. baking dish and sprinkle with bacon and shredded cheddar cheese. 

Bake, uncovered, 40-45 minutes or until edges are golden brown and cheese is melted. 

Let stand 10 minutes before serving. 

Freeze option: Cool unbaked casserole; cover and freeze. To use, partially thaw in refrigerator overnight. Remove casserole from refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Preheat oven to 350°. Bake grits as directed, increasing time to 50-60 minutes or until heated through and a thermometer inserted in center reads 165°.

Yield: 12 servings.

Photo and recipe source

Originally published as Baked Two-Cheese & Bacon Grits in Freezer Meals Bookazine 2013, p17

Quick and Easy Apple Tart

I guess you could follow The Pioneer Woman's recipe . . . but make it easy for yourself and use this recipe as inspiration and use the frozen puff pastry with canned apple pie filling (Comstock is excellent).  Talk about some awesome convenience foods!

Ingredients

1 whole Sheet Puffed Pastry, Thawed And Cut In Half
4 whole Apples, Cored, Halved And Sliced Very Thin
1 cup Brown Sugar
1 dash Salt
Powdered Sugar, For Serving
Caramel Sauce, For Serving

Directions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Place puffed pastry rectangles onto a baking pan that’s been sprayed with nonstick spray. Add sugar and salt to apples. Stir to combine. Allow to sit for a few minutes.

Arrange apple slices on the pastry rectangles in a straight line, overlapping as you go. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, or until pastry is puffed and golden brown.

Remove from pan immediately and place on a serving platter. Serve plain, with caramel topping, whipped cream, and/or a sprinkling of powdered sugar. 

Photo and Recipe Source 

Slow Cooker Garlic Chicken

Love this type of recipe where you can throw everything together and forget about it, leaving a delicious aroma as it cooks.

Many who reviewed this recipe were concerned about the lack of liquid and added chicken broth or salad dressing.  I would agree that adding a little chicken broth isn't a bad idea . . . neither is adding more onion and some fresh chunky sliced mushrooms. 

During the end step in the oven (I would use a normal oven temperature like 350 instead of broiling), I would take some of the juices and make a gravy.  I'd also use boneless skinless chicken breasts or tenderloins which is my personal preference.  Use what you like and adjust the recipe accordingly.  

This recipe, from the Betty Crocker website, would be a great one for a beginner cook to try out and impress your guests who will think you worked in the kitchen cooking for hours.

Ingredients

1 large onion, halved, cut into thin slices 

1 tablespoon chopped garlic

1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme leaves

1 teaspoon dried basil leaves

1 teaspoon dried oregano leaves

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1 cut-up whole chicken (3 1/2 to 4 lb)



Directions

Spray 5- to 6-quart slow cooker with cooking spray and place onion and garlic in slow cooker.

Mix thyme, basil, oregano, salt and pepper in a small bowl and rub each piece of chicken with the herb mixture. 

Arrange chicken pieces over onion and garlic.

Cover and cook on High heat setting 3 hours 30 minutes (or Low heat setting 6 to 7 hours) or until juice of chicken is clear when thickest pieces are cut to bone (at least 165°F).

Set oven control to broil and line broiler pan or cookie sheet with foil.  Place chicken skin side up on pan. 

Broil with tops 6 inches from heat 4 to 6 minutes or until golden brown.

Photo and recipe source

Cherry Dump Cake

It doesn't get easier than dumping three ingredients in a pan and baking it.

Can't wait to serve it warm with some ice cream!

Gotta love dump cakes!

UPDATE

After making this dump cake, I need to make a few notes to add to the recipe.

First of all, after dumping all ingredients into the pan, stir until the cake mix is moistened.  We found that just dumping them into the pan left some spots "floury" after baking and left too many crunchy pieces throughout the cake.

Otherwise, the taste was excellent, but was very sweet and almost needs whipped cream or vanilla ice cream to offset the sweetness.

We really liked it and will be making it again!

INGREDIENTS

2 (20 ounce) cans cherry pie filling
1 (18 1/2 ounce) box chocolate cake mix or 1 (18 1/2 ounce) box devil's food cake mix, unprepared
3⁄4 cup butter, melted



DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Dump cherry pie filling into 13 x 9 inch cake pan.

Spread out evenly in pan.
Sprinkle cake mix evenly over filling.

Drizzle butter over top.

Bake for 1 hour.

Serve in pan.

Photo and recipe source

Cobblers, Crumbles, Crisps and More from Martha Stewart

One of my fond childhood memories involves wandering around the woods by my house to pick blackberries.  We'd come home with a bucket of berries for my neighbor Dot to make her famous blackberry cobbler.  She would put the cobblers together with smiles and love, singing along the way . . . she was a special lady. Cobblers, crumbles and crisps remind me of her.

Martha Stewart has put together a collection of these wonderful recipes that remind me of those good old days.  Click here to go there.

Churros

I was first introduced to churros as a young adult while also discovering the joys of the flea market.  It was immediate love for the crunchy sweet treats that were drenched in sugar and cinnamon.  

The recipe and photo comes from Pati Jinich's website. After seeing her prepare the sweet treats on her cooking show on Create TV, Pati's Mexican Table, I had to find her recipe since I lost my recipe a long time ago and missed making them.

Check out her recipes for authentic Mexican food on her website and check out her show if you get Create TV.

Ingredients
Canola oil for frying, plus 1/4 cup
1 cup sugar plus 1/4 cup
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon plus 1/2 teaspoon
2 cups water
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon kosher or coarse sea salt
2 cups all-purpose flour
Cajeta or dulce de leche optional dipping sauce



Directions
In a large, heavy and extended casserole, or cast iron, high-sided skillet, heat about 1 1/2-inches of canola oil over medium heat until the oil temperature reaches 350 degrees (or test with a piece of tortilla or bread; it’s ready when the oil bubbles actively all around it). It will take awhile to heat, so get this started before making the dough.

On a large plate, combine 1 cup sugar and 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon. Set aside.

In a medium saucepan, combine the water, 1/4 cup oil, vanilla extract, 1/4 cup sugar, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon and salt. 

Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. 

Add the flour all at once, turn off the heat and use a wooden spoon to stir vigorously until the mixture forms a dough as smooth as possible with no flour lumps. It will take about 2 minutes. Set aside to cool slightly.

Transfer to a pastry bag fitted with a large star tip or a churro press. Pipe the dough into about 6 to 8-inch pieces (or if you want to replicate a churro store, pipe a rope-like dough of about 24-inches) and carefully place in oil. 

Fry for about 3 to 4 minutes, until golden and crisp, flipping in between. Use tongs to remove them and place on a paper towel lined baking sheet or drying rack.

While the churros are still very hot, toss them in the sugar and cinnamon mixture to coat. If desired, serve with cajeta or dulce de leche as a dipping sauce and Mexican hot chocolate on the side.


Recipe and Photo Source

Italian Crescent Pie

Love meat pies!  My mom makes one with cheddar cheese and green beans mixed in with the ground beef that was a much requested meal during my childhood.

Ingredients

1 lb. lean ground beef

1/4 cup chopped onion 

1 cup Muir Glen™ organic fire roasted tomato pasta sauce 

6 oz. (1 1/2 cups) shredded mozzarella or Monterey Jack cheese

1/2 cup sour cream 

1 (8-oz.) can Pillsbury™ Refrigerated Crescent Dinner Rolls

1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

2 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted

Directions

Heat oven to 375°F. 

Cook ground beef and onion over medium heat for 8 to 10 minutes or until beef is thoroughly cooked, stirring frequently. Drain. Stir in pasta sauce; cook until thoroughly heated.

Combine mozzarella cheese and sour cream; mix well.

Pour hot beef mixture into ungreased 9 1/2 or 10-inch glass deep-dish pie pan or 11x7-inch (2-quart) glass baking dish. 

Spoon cheese mixture over beef mixture.

Unroll dough over cheese mixture. (If using pie pan, separate dough into 8 triangles; arrange points toward center over cheese mixture, crimping outside edges if necessary.) 

In small bowl, mix Parmesan cheese and butter. Spread evenly over dough.

Bake at 375°F. for 18 to 25 minutes or until deep golden brown.

Source

Sicilian Meatballs

Ingredients

2/3 cup fresh breadcrumbs
1/2 cup milk
1/3 cup fresh grated Pecorino cheese with black peppercorns
1/4 cup finely diced onion
3 tablespoons minced parsley
1 large egg
1 clove garlic minced
Salt to taste
1/4 teaspoon cracked black pepper
1/2 pound ground pork sausage
1/2 pound ground veal
2 tablespoons toasted pine nuts
3 tablespoons currants or chopped raisins


Directions

Preheat oven to 350F

Lightly oil a baking sheet.

In a bowl soak the breadcrumbs in the milk; let stand a couple of minutes.

Mix in all remaining ingredients in order given and combine well.

Wet your hands and form mixture into meatballs then flatten slightly so they are disk shaped.

Place them on the baking sheet and cook until nicely browned; internal temp of 155F

Serve on bed of tomato sauce or just plain as a second course.



Recipe courtesy of CiaoItalia -- Mary Ann Esposito

This recipe is featured on Season 18 - Episode 1812.

Chicken-Bacon-Ranch Foil Packs

Whether you make this meal in a foil pack or as a casserole, the prep is quick and easy, using a few different ingredients.

I would make this as a casserole by placing the ingredients in a casserole dish and bake covered in a 400 degree oven (which may need to be tweaked a bit).  The foil pack method is attractive as a no-mess alternative.

Many reviewers of this recipe used sliced potatoes instead of brocolli with great results.  Some used italian dressing instead of ranch.  Of course I would add fresh mushrooms!

Ingredients

3 boneless skinless chicken breasts, each cut in half lengthwise

1 cup ranch dressing

1 bag (12 oz) frozen broccoli florets, cooked 

2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese (8 oz)

6 slices bacon, cooked, crumbled

Directions

Heat oven to 400°F. Spray 6 sheets of heavy-duty foil with cooking spray.

Place 1 boneless skinless chicken breast half in center of each sheet of foil. Sprinkle each with salt and pepper. Top each with 2 tablespoons ranch dressing, 1/4 cup cooked Green Giant™ Valley Fresh Steamers™ broccoli florets, 1/3 cup shredded Cheddar cheese and 1 tablespoon crumbled cooked bacon.

Wrap each foil pack.  Bring 2 sides of foil up over chicken-broccoli mixture so edges meet. Seal edges, making tight 1/2-inch fold; fold again.  Allow space on sides for heat circulation and expansion. Fold other sides to seal. Place foil packets on ungreased large cookie sheet.

Bake 30 minutes. (Some reviewers reported having to bake longer for 50 minutes)

Remove from oven and let stand 5 minutes before serving. 

Serve with additional ranch dressing, if desired.

The photo and recipe is from Pillsbury.com.

Best Ever Cole Slaw

Chick-Fil-A recently discontinued cole slaw from their menu.  It was a blessing in disguise since they also decided to release their recipe.

The Captain and I have made this cole slaw many times and it is THE BEST we have ever had!  Now we can make it anytime . . . and we do often!

The recipe is quick and easy to put together, but the wait time in the refrigerator is the killer.  Two hours!!  That is the only thing I don't like about this recipe.

Reprinted from: inside.chick-fil-a.com

Yield: 8 servings

Start to finish: 10 minutes

Approximate values per serving: 158 calories, 10 g fat (2 g saturated), 8 mg cholesterol, 1 g protein, 18 g carbohydrates, 2 g dietary fiber, 10 g sugar, 298 mg sodium

Ingredients

4 teaspoons distilled white vinegar

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 teaspoon dry mustard

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup mayonnaise

20 ounces finely shredded green cabbage, chopped

1/4 cup finely chopped carrots

Directions

Whisk vinegar, sugar, mustard and salt together until sugar is dissolved. 

Whisk in mayonnaise. Add cabbage and carrots. Mix to combine. 

Refrigerate 2 hours and serve.