Category — Cooking Recipes

Homemade macaroni and cheese always disappears quickly at my house.  When the weather turns a little chilly, my husband and I both take our turns in the kitchen whipping up our respective macaroni and cheese recipes. Whether you make it in a casserole dish, a sauce pan, or even the crock pot, macaroni and cheese is the ultimate comfort food. 

Here’s one of our favorite recipes for macaroni and cheese:

• 1 package elbow macaroni (8 ounces)
• 1 container cottage cheese (12 ounces, small curd)
• Shredded cheddar cheese (8 ounce bag)
• 8 oz. sour cream
• 1/4 cup grated parmesan
• 1 cup dry bread crumbs
• 1/4 cup butter, melted

Cook macaroni according to package directions, and drain well using a collander.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Then, in a  9X13 baking pan, mix together cooked macaroni, cottage cheese, cheddar cheese, parmesan cheese, and sour cream.  In a small mixing bowl, combine melted butter and bread crumbs and sprinkle over macaroni mixture. 

Bake for 35 minutes, or until top is golden and bubbly around the edges. 

There are lots of ways to use up Halloween pumpkins, and here is one delicious option. This pumpkin soup recipe includes cinnamon croutons for topping.  You can even get creative with the croutons for making this a real Halloween treat.

It seems like panini presses and new panini recipes are all the rage right now.  But, don’t feel bad if you’re feeling left out of the panini loop.  They’re actually quite easy to make.  Let’s take a closer look at these grilled sandwiches that are so hot right now.

What is a panini? The term panini simply refers to an Italian sandwich made from a small loaf of bread, but the paninis which are so popular right now are actually grilled paninis.  They’re buttered on the outside and cooked in a panini press.

Paninis are fun to make, because you can include whatever vegetables, cheese, or meats that you like.  Experiment with new flavors, and see what you come up with! Here are some ideas to get you started:

• Roma tomatoes,mozzarella cheese, and olive oil
• Sliced turkey, provolone, and spicy mustard
• Grilled chicken, mozzarella cheese, and basil
• Sliced apple and cheddar cheese

You can use any kind of bread, or even croissants to make a panini.   Focaccia bread is a popular choice too.

Don’t have a panini press?  Here’s some excellent info on how to make your own panini press with 2 iron skillets.

Pumpkin and apple recipes seem to naturally come to mind in the fall.  I always like to make apple pie in a deep dish pie pan so you can squeeze a little extra fruit inside. Here’s an old-fashioned and very simple apple pie recipe:

• 6 cups apples (peeled, cored, and thinly sliced)
• 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 batch (for a 9 inch pie) of your favorite pie crust recipe

Prepare your favorite pie crust recipe and place the bottom crust in your pie pan.  Core, peel, and slice apples using an apple corer, and a paring knife or a mandolin slicer.  Mix cinnamon and sugar together and layer with the apples in the pie plate.  If your apples are too tart, just add a little more sugar.  Dot the top of the apples with butter, cover with top crust, pinch the edges of the crusts together, and make 3-4 tiny slits in the dough for venting.

If you have the extra time, and want to get fancy about it, you can also follow these directions for lattice top crust.

Bake at 450 F on the lowest rack of your oven for 10 minutes.  Then reduce temperature to 350 F and bake for an additional 35 minutes.

If you’re like me, you stress out every time you get the rolling pin out.  Here’s a  helpful video for rolling out pie crust.

Sunday morning breakfast is a big tradition in our family, so I’m always looking for weekend breakfast recipes that are delicious and convenient.  This breakfast casserole recipe has to be my all-time favorite because you prepare it the night before and let it sit in the refrigerator overnight.  It feeds a crowd, too.  Plan on leftovers, or you can cut the recipe in half.

• 12 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 lb of sausage, bacon, or ham (fully-cooked and drained)
• 9 rectangular hash brown patties, frozen
• 1 cup of milk
• 2 cups of grated cheese (I like cheddar)
• Chopped onions, mushrooms, or spinach to taste (optional)

Use a wire whisk to gently blend the milk and beaten eggs in a large mixing bowl.  Spray a 13X9 baking dish, or stoneware baking crock with non-stick spray. Line the bottom of the dish with frozen hash brown patties.  Place cooked and drained meat over hash brown patties.  Place vegetables over meat.  Gently add egg and milk mixture to the casserole dish, taking care not to mess up the layers.  Sprinkle cheese over the top.  Cover with foil, and place in fridge overnight.

To bake:  Remove foil, and bake at 350 degrees for 45-55 minutes, or until center is set.

Just a thought- this one doesn’t have to be just for breakfast.  I’ve been known to whip this up in the morning, and cook it for dinner.

Chili recipes are as diverse as they are plentiful.  From mild to three alarm spicy, and vegan to extra-meaty, chili is an economical and tasty way to feed a family.  Whenever I make chili, I use a large stockpot and grab some freezer containers for setting aside some easy lunches. It freezes and reheats very well. Here in the Midwest, we like to eat our chili with a peanut butter sandwich or grilled cheese.  Does anyone else do that?

Here’s a chili recipe I made last night:

• 2 1/2 cans tomato juice
• 3 pounds lean ground beef
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 large can chili beans (approx. 32 oz.)
• 3 envelopes of chili seasoning

Brown the ground beef with the chopped onion and drain.  Combine beef and onions with the remaining ingredients in a large stock pot.  Simmer for 2-3 hours. There are many chili seasonings out there. We like the hot ones, but there are plenty of mild varieties.  Using a ladle, pour chili into large soup bowls. Serve with grated sharp cheddar cheese on top.

Next time, I think I’m going to try this white chicken chili recipe because I love Monterey Jack cheese.  Also, here’s a vegan chili recipe that sounds savory.

Some of my favorite Fall recipes are crock pot recipes. It’s just so convenient to toss in all your ingredients in the morning, and then come home to a warm meal in the afternoon. Here’s an especially easy recipe for chicken cacciatore that you can serve over any pasta.

• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 (6oz) cans tomato paste
• 1 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
• 1 large onion, thinly sliced
• 1/4 tsp. pepper
• 1 1/2 lbs. boneless chicken breast (legs and thighs are fine too)
• 8 oz mushrooms
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 c. dry white wine, optional
• 1/4 c. water

Place the sliced onion in the bottom of the slow cooker. Place chicken on the onion. Mix together tomato paste, mushrooms, salt, pepper, garlic, Italian seasoning, wine and water in a bowl. Pour mixture over chicken and cook on low for 6-8 hours. Serves 4.

This recipe contains tomato paste, which is an excellent source of lycopene, a cancer-fighting antioxidant.  Here’s more about the benefits of lycopene.

If you’ve ever tried making homemade Chinese food only to fail miserably, here’s a recipe to try, and there’s no wok required.  Although it’s a Hawaiian recipe, this skillet dish is very similar to sweet and sour pork.  I’ve made this for my family TWICE in the last week because we love it so much. 

Just a note- I doubled everything but the pork, just because we really like rice,  and used an extra large skillet.  Here’s the recipe:

In a skillet, lightly brown the pork chops in oil.  Then, add the pineapple, chicken broth, salad dressing, and garlic powder.  Bring to a boil for just a couple minutes to completely cook the chops.  Remove from heat,  and then add the rice and peppers.  Give it a quick stir and cover for 10 minutes before serving. 

This makes great leftovers, and the rice is delicious when it soaks up the flavors of the pork and pineapple. I used a bamboo rice paddle for stirring and serving this, because it’s an easy way to stir things gently.  Recipe source:  Yahoo! Food.  

I made this for dinner the night I made my chicken broth.  It was easy and delicious.  Serves four.

Butternut Squash Soup

• 1 butternut squash peeled and cut into one inch cubes (I bought mine precut)
• 3 cups homemade chicken bouillon OR 3 cups store bought chicken bouillon
• 2 tablespoons butter
• the vegetables left over from making the stock OR 1 onion, peeled and quartered
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• salt to taste

DIRECTIONS FOR USING MY HOMEMADE STOCK: Throw out the parsley, garlic and the skins from the onions.  Keep the rest of the vegetables in the pot along with about 3 cups of the strained broth.  Add the squash and boil until the squash is soft.  Put all the vegetables in the food processor.  Stir the pureed vegetables in the pot with the broth.  Add the butter, spices and salt to taste.  Serve hot with a dab of sour cream or heavy cream if you like.

DIRECTIONS FOR USING STORE BOUGHT STOCK:  Melt the butter in your pot and sautue the onion for a bit until soft.  Add your bouillon and the squash and cook til soft.  Puree the onion and squash in the food processer then stir the puree in to the pot with the broth.  Add the spices and salt to taste.

First, don’t think of this broth making adventure as extra work.  Think of it as extra food!  I know it’s easier to buy chicken bouillon cubes but not only are they less nutritious and don’t taste as good, but you also won’t have a the juicy bird a the end for dinner!  Here’s a list of all the things I was able to make from one batch of chicken broth:  chicken breast served with butternut squash soup (tomorrow’s recipe), real Italian chicken and mushroom risotto (recipe to come) and a delicious homemade chicken liver feast for my cat!  That’s three meals for four people and a feline.  So get to it!  You will need:

• one 4-5 pound (organic, free range) chicken
• 4 carrots
• 1/2 a celery head including leaves
• 2 whole onions, unpeeled
• 1 whole bulb garlic, cut through the middle so each clove is cut in half
• 3 bay leaves
• sea salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 bunch parsley
• 2-3 cubes chicken bouillon

Open the bag of neck and gizzards and put them in a large pot along with the whole chicken, carrots, celery, onions, garlic, bay leaves, parsley and some salt and pepper to taste.   Fill the pot with water so that everything is covered and boil.  Suet, a brown bubbly substance will rise to the top.  Skin the suet off the top for as long as it continues to rise.  Cook for about 1 - 1 1/2 hours until the leg bone easily twist loose.  When the chicken is almost cooked taste the broth to see if you need to add some cubes.  Stir a crumbled cube or two in to give it extra punch, but be careful not to make it too strong tasting.

Remove chicken and let it cool.  While the chicken is warm, take the pieces from the bone.  Strain the broth into a storing container.  When your stock is cool or refrigerated, you’ll be able to skim the fat off the top.  Don’t through out the veggies!  You can use them in my butternut squash soup recipe or another soup of your own!