Pierogies with Bacon and Peas

I realize this recipe is not for everyone (including members of my own family), but it's a comfort dish to me, and maybe will be for you. It's easy -- you can whip it up in less than 25 minutes, and it's good rib-sticking food for autumn and winter. Because the menfolk in my family will not eat it, ahem, I save this dish for a night when just Faith and I are home and we both love it.

The recipe came from Cooking Light (though I doubt the "lightness" of it), and I make it almost the way it's written -- a little less bacon and onion and regular sour cream instead of low-fat. I am posting it the way I make it. Be sure to slice the onion like an apple so that the pieces are big enough for picky onion eaters to remove them.

This is a great dish to serve for the feast of St. Faustina, Blessed John Paul II, St. Maximilian Kolbe, St. Teresa Benedicta (martyred in Poland) or any of the Polish saints, as pierogies are a traditional Polish dish.

Pierogies with Bacon and Peas

12 frozen potato and onion pierogies (such as Mrs. T's)

4-6 slices center-cut bacon

1 onion, peeled and sliced vertically

1 t. sugar

1/4 t. dried thyme

1 cup frozen green peas

salt and pepper to taste

1/4 cup sour cream

Place frozen pierogies in a bowl of tepid water, high enough to cover them.

Cook bacon in a large nonstick skillet until crisp. Remove bacon; crumble. Increase heat to medium-high. Add onion, sugar, and thyme to drippings in pan; sauté 5 minutes. Stir in peas; sauté 1 minute. Drain pierogies and add them to the skillet, Salt, and pepper; cook 30 seconds. Sprinkle with crumbled bacon. Taste for seasoning and adjust if necessary.

Serve with sour cream.

I suggest serving with warm applesauce, or a green salad, and soft rolls.

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Source: modified from Cooking Light

Paula's Baked Spaghetti

It's mighty quiet out there...I'm wondering if you all are cooking at all. I have to say this time of year I start to crave those "inside" meals. I am tired of figuring out what to throw on the grill and I just want a casserole. So I made Paula's Baked Spaghetti this week, and realized I had never posted the recipe here. It's one of my favorite take-to-a-new-mom or bereaved family meals. I know a lot of people get lasagna and other Italian-type casseroles at those times, but Paula's Baked Spaghetti beats 'em all hands down.

I usually make this recipe exactly as written, except I don't use as much of the salt (both varieties) and I add a little more sugar. Otherwise, it's perfect. When I made it this week I did not have a green pepper, and really didn't miss it, but I do like it with if for nothing other than color. I also subbed spaghetti because I did not have angel hair pasta and I am trying not to run to the store every time I am out of an ingredient. "Make do" is my new motto.

This dish is one of the ones in Paula Deen's very first cookbooks that she serves at her restaurant. If I ever actually went there to eat, I would hate to think I would order this dish, of all the wonderful food she serves, but I just might.

Paula Deen's Baked Spaghetti

serves 10

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2 c. canned diced tomatoes

2 c. tomato sauce

1 c. water

1/2 c. diced onions

1/2 c. diced green pepper

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 c. chopped fresh parsley

1 ½ t. Italian seasoning

1 ½ t. Lady's House seasoning

1 ½ Lady's Seasoned salt (I use Lawry's, but see note about about using less)

1 ½ t. sugar (I use about 1 ½ T.)

2 small bay leaves

1 ½ pounds ground beef (I use about 1 pound just to make it easy)

8 ounces uncooked angel hair pasta

1 cup grated cheddar cheese

1 cup grated monterey jack cheese (sometimes I use mozzarella)'

In a stockpot, combine tomatoes, sauce, water, onions, peppers, garlic, parsley, seasoning mixtures, sugar and bay leaves. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 1 hour.

Crumble ground beef into a skillet and brown. Drain off fat.

Add ground beef to tomato sauce and simmer for 20 minutes.

While the sauce simmers the second time, cook pasta according to package directions. Drain.

Cover a 13x9x2 pan with a thin layer of sauce. Then add half the pasta, half the sauce, half the cheese and repeat. Bake for 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Source: modified from The Lady & Sons, Too! (modified for brevity of directions)

An Italian Feast Day meal

I had a heart-to-heart with myself recently. I had to decide whether or not I was going to keep using this space, because  I was still taking photos of food and making mental notes about recipes, but after a day my mental notes were gone, and sometimes I even lost track of the recipe. Not very organized, I know. But every meal I made would result in the same internal battle about whether or not I want to continue writing in this space.

Ultimately, I decided to keep it up. I love cooking, and I love integrating food into the liturgical year, so that is what I hope to continue doing.

Today is the feast of St. Anthony of Padua. I tend to tie my meals together with the feast day with ethnic food, because it's easy and it's fun. I have to make dinner anyway, so I'm really not adding anything extra to my workload.

Today's saint, St. Anthony of Padua, is one of my favorite saints. My oldest son chose him as his patron, and he is one of the saints I call on most often --"Tony, Tony come around..." That poor man never has a moment's peace. Padua is in Italy and so tonight's feast was Italian. You could use this menu for any Italian saint, however, and there are many.

The pasta dish was one I had pinned a couple months ago to "test drive" for my second son who will be living alone next year. It was so simple and delicious -- clean plates all around.

The vegetable is a seasonal sort of treat. My friend Katie (my egg lady) sent some zucchini and garlic scapes along with my eggs this week. I had never cooked garlic scapes, but they were very tasty, and I'll definitely try them again.

With a loaf of ciabatta garlic bread (purchased), the meal was complete, and so easy.

Skillet Baked Ziti

1 T. olive oil

1 T. minced garlic

1 t. dried red chili flakes

 28 oz can crushed tomatoes

3 T. dried basil

1 1/2 cups chicken broth

3 cups uncooked penne or ziti

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 cup shredded mozzarella
1-2 T. sliced fresh basil leaves

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. 

In a 12-inch skillet, heat olive oil over medium high heat.

Add garlic and red chili flakes and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. 

Add tomatoes and a pinch of salt; reduce heat to maintain a gentle simmer. Cook for 10 minutes, or until tomatoes break down a bit.

Add the broth and dried basil and return to a simmer. Add pasta and cover; cook according to package directions for just firm (12-15 minutes).

Remove lid, season with salt and pepper, and stir in Parmesan. Sprinkle mozzarella over top of pasta.

Bake at 400 degrees until cheese is melted and bubbly, about 8-10 minutes.

Sprinkle with basil and serve hot.

(If you are using a pan that has a plastic handle, cover handle with foil before placing it in the oven)

Source: modified from Serious Eats via College East 101

Zucchini and Garlic Scapes

1 T. coconut oil or unsalted butter

2 medium zucchini washed and sliced about 1/4 inch thick

6 garlic scapes, rinsed and cut in half or three pieces

salt

Heat oil or butter in large skillet over medium high until hot.

Add zucchini and scapes and cook for about 20 minutes, flipping zucchini to brown both sides.

Season with salt and serve hot.

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Slow Cooker Cheesy Chicken and Rice

Well, look, there is a real person at this blog. And today there is a real recipe. Three cheers, eh?

I've been pinning many recipes, but trying few. Mostly I've been eating from the freezer (meals made times three, and two frozen) or just preparing dishes that are on the regular rotation (favorite meals).

This meal is certainly not fancy, but on a very cold night, with a winter storm on the way, it was comforting, and having put it in the crockpot on high at 1 p.m., and then having left the house for appointments, it was a welcome sight when I arrived home hours later. It smelled awfully good, too.

Essentially you only put the chicken, onions and cream of chicken soup in the crockpot. The corn, rice and cheese you add just before serving. I was a little surprised when I read the recipe, because I assumed that it was a dump-everything-in-and-cook recipe. I used my rice cooker (one of my favorite small kitchen appliances) to cook the rice and add it just before serving.

The original poster (Christy Jordan's Southern Plate) used Zatarain's yellow rice, but my family favorite is Goya. Having spent many of my formative years (those teenage ones, if truth be known) in Tampa, Florida, I ate a lot of Cuban yellow rice with chicken. Yellow Rice with Chicken (green peas mixed in -- it's traditional) was available in the cafeteria at school every day, and we really learned to love it (the white kids -- the Cuban kids already loved it), and many restaurants served it as well. It was just a regional standby. I think the Goya yellow rice tastes more authentic, but use what you like.

I also subbed out my own cream of chicken soup (found at the bottom of this recipe post). It only takes a minute to make, really, and it tastes better. Use a good quality chicken soup base or bouillon cube that doesn't include MSG.

I'll tell you, my husband looked at this dish in the bowl and did not make a happy face. He does not generally like chicken and rice dishes. But he took a bite and said, "Mmmmm." And then another "mmmmmmm." And he cleaned his plate like a good boy. The kids liked it, too, except an onion hater who could still see onion pieces with a microscope.

I think you could definitely substitute another vegetable for corn in this dish. I would use cooked carrot coins (or just add the carrots earlier in the process) or frozen peas (I would love that but no one else in my house would except Faith). Both would probably be more visually interesting than corn, and more nutritious, but for the first try I stuck with the recipe, except to double it and freeze the leftovers.

Slow Cooker Cheesy Chicken and Rice

serves 10-12 

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6-8 boneless skinless chicken breasts (I halve them lengthwise so they cook quicker)

1 large white onion, chopped 

2 -8 ounce box Goya Yellow Rice Mix, cooked according to directions

1 cup cheddar cheese

2 - 10.5 ounce can cream of chicken soup (or two recipes of homemade)

1 bag frozen corn 

Place chicken in bottom of slow cooker. Scatter chopped onion over top. Spoon cream soup over top of that. Cover and cook on low 7-8 hours or on high 3-4 hours. About 30 minutes before serving, break up chicken with two forks and add corn. A few minutes before serving, add in cooked rice, and cheese. Stir to combine. Add hot water if mixture needs thinned. Serve hot.

Serve with a green salad, fruit, bread, or a hot green vegetable.

modified from Christy Jordan's Southern Plate

Pot Roast with Red Wine and Mushrooms

Whenever I spy a chuck roast on sale at the grocery, I grab one or two. While chuck is a tough and sometimes fatty cut of meat, it can be used for a tender pot roast, or any variety of tasty stews. Cooked long and low in a tasty broth, chuck roast is one of the most comforting cuts of beef I know. The tough gets all soft and most of the fat cooks down and can be skimmed off to make gravy.

On Sunday, I had a big cut of chuck roast, a lovely bottle of gifted Italian wine and 12 or so ounces of fresh cremini mushrooms. Sounds like pot roast. I have several recipes for pot roast, but none used much wine or mushrooms, so I varied my recipe a tad. You can never have too many chuck roast recipes.

I left the "sauce" loose, choosing to just pour it instead of thickening it for gravy. The buttered polenta soaked it right up. Yum.

Pot Roast with Red Wine and Mushrooms

serves 6-8

3 or so pounds chuck roast

2 T. olive oil

salt and pepper

1 onion (sliced like an apple)

1 1/2 cups good red wine, merlot, cabernet, or a blend (mine was an Italian primitivo, similar to a zinfadel)

1 can vegetable broth

2 t. beef base or bouillon cubes

4 T. or so tomato paste or ready-made tomato sauce

1 T. Dijon mustard

1 T. Italian seasoning (herbes de provence would work, too)

5 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed

8-10 carrots

2 stalks celery, sliced

8-12 ounces cremini mushrooms  sliced or quartered (if you have mushrooms detectives, just quarter them so they can push them aside)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

Heat a large dutch oven over medium high heat. Add oil and heat. Season roast with salt and pepper and place, seasoned side down, in oil. Season other side. Cook until lightly browned, and turn, cooking other side until lightly browned. Turn heat down to medium and add onions. Stir and let cook five minutes or so. Pour the wine and broth over roast. Stir in beef base, tomato paste/sauce, mustard and seasoning. Add garlic cloves. Bring to a simmer. Cover and place in 325 degree oven. 

Cook for two hours until roast is beginning to fall apart.

Add carrots, celery and mushrooms. Cook for 30-45 minutes until vegetables are tender.

Remove meat from sauce. Break up into serving-size pieces. Remove vegetables to a bowl or platter and keep warm with roast. Strain sauce and skim some of the fat off.  Season to taste. Serve in a gravy bowl with ladle.

Serve with mashed potatoes, hot noodles, or a bowl of steaming buttered polenta. Yum.

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German Pancake

aka Dutch baby, Monster pancake, Bismark, Dutch puff

The pancakes puffs way up in the oven,

 but it falls fast when it comes out. 

Don't worry -- it tastes the same both ways.

Today's recipe is one I have seen on about a million (slight exaggeration) food blogs, but never got around to making. Each time I came across it, I would think, "I really should make that" and then I would tuck it away in the back of my mind where it stays rather dark all the time. In other words, I would forget about it. But something nudged me this week (maybe a lack of meat in the freezer from not shopping) and I decided to make it.

I can't believe I've gone 50 years and never enjoyed this wonderful dish. I loved it, my husband loved it, and the kids all loved it. A grand slam!

On Tuesday, when I decided that German Pancake would be dinner (along with some eggs, bacon and sauteed apples) I did some hunting for a recipe, but I never really found one that would feed all of us and have just the right taste I wanted -- not too eggy. Thus, I made up my own recipe using the ratios of egg to milk and flour that I wanted. It was easy to make and puffed up just perfectly in the oven. The family was pretty much awed at the whole thing.

In terms of dressing the pancake, I went with a traditional squeeze of lemon juice and powdered sugar. My husband and I scooped the sauteed apples onto our slices, but the kids went with maple syrup. If you think you might not like the lemon juice, omit it, but it was not a dominant flavor, just so you know.

This will definitely be a regular dish in our German home from now on, and I am so glad I didn't wait another day to make it. (Neither my German mother nor my German mother-in-law had ever had this dish before, so I can't say it is authentically German, but it sure sounds good.)

German Pancake

serves 5-6 (or more if children are eating)

5 eggs

1 2/3 c. milk (I don't recommend skim)

1 2/3 c. flour (all-purpose)

1/4 c. white sugar

3/4 t. salt

1 t. vanilla

5 T. butter

1/2 a lemon

powdered sugar for dusting

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

In a large (12") cast iron or oven safe skillet, place butter over medium high heat. Heat until butter is melted, but be careful not to brown it. 

Remove from heat and cool butter.

In a large bowl, beat eggs and milk together with a whisk until very smooth (so you can't see any separate parts of the egg -- all one solid pale yellow). Add flour, sugar, salt and vanilla, and then pour cooled butter in, leaving just a coating on the pan. Stir until batter is smooth, then pour batter back in the pan and immediately place in hot oven.

Bake for 20 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees F and then bake until top is golden brown and very puffy, no more than about 10 minutes.

Remove from oven and immediately squeeze the juice of half a lemon over the top. Sprinkle with powdered sugar. Cut into slices like a pie and serve immediately.

The first half of the rise in the oven.

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BBQ Meatballs

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A couple of weeks ago I popped over to the Pioneer Woman Cooks and spied these tasty little meatballs. Nothing special, really --basically meatloaf mix cooked into balls and topped with a zesty homemade BBQ sauce. Inexpensive, homey, simple, yet delicious -- perfect middle-of-February-and-bored-with-the-cold-and-being-stuck-indoors food. Perfect for some friends and a college basketball game. Perfect for sitting around a nice crackling fire and a good family movie. Just good, old-fashioned simple food.

BBQ Meatballs

serves 6

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1 1/2 pounds ground beef

¾ cups oatmeal (I used old-fashioned)

1 cup milk

3 T. finely minced onion

1 t. salt  

black pepper to taste (I used about 1/4 t.)  

1 cup All-Purpose Flour (coating for chilled meatballs)

Canola Oil

1 cup ketchup

2 T. sugar

3 T. vinegar

2 T. Worcestershire

4 T. minced onion

dash Tabasco

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine all meatball ingredients. Roll into medium-small balls and place on a cookie sheet. Place sheet in freezer for five minutes.

After 5 minutes, remove meatballs from freezer and immediately dredge in unseasoned flour.

Brown meatballs in canola oil until just brown. Place into a baking dish.

Combine all sauce ingredients*. Pour over meatballs and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. 

Serve with noodles or mashed potatoes to use up extra sauce.

* Double or one and a half times the sauce for enough to use as "gravy."

Source: Pioneer Woman Cooks

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Ham Salad

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When you grow up eating certain foods, it doesn't seem to matter how long it's been since you ate it, you go right back to your childhood at the first bite. Earlier this week I planned soup and sammies for supper and decided on Monday morning that Ham Salad sandwiches sounded good. I have no idea why, but I got a hankerin' for it and I had to have it. At first bite there I was, about six years old again, eating a ham salad sandwich in my childhood kitchen. Funny how foods do that. I don't often make ham salad, and I never buy it pre-made, but I really should make it more often. I have eaten every day for lunch and it's been such a treat. If you have a food process it takes under five minutes to make. If you don't have a food processor, take up a collection and getcha one.

I started with Isaly's Chopped Ham because it's a very tasty regional favorite, but any good tasting cooked ham will do. Check your deli -- you might be able to get Isaly's too.

Ham Salad

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3/4 to a pound of ham -- I just buy a chunk about an inch or so thick

1/3 c. roughly diced onion

1/4 c. roughly chopped celery

1 heaping tablespoon sweet pickle relish

1/2 c. mayonnaise

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

2 eggs, hard boiled, quartered

Cut ham into large chunks and place in processor bowl. Add onion and celery and pulse until onion and celery are finely chopped (not pureed). Add relish, mayo, mustard and egg and pulse until egg is finely chopped. Serve on soft white bread or rolls with lettuce, if desired, with a side of pickle. Also good on white or wheat toast.

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Cinnabon Bread Pudding

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Earlier last week I had some dental work done and knowing that eating would be a difficult thing later in the day, I stopped by the grocery store on the way home and bought a few soft comfort foods (any old excuse to eat comfort foods, ya know). As I walked past the bread aisle I spied a loaf of Cinnabon bread and had the thought that Bread Pudding would taste awfully good made with Cinnabon Bread. I was correct, and my husband declared it the best bread pudding ever. I used my standby recipe, which is super yummy with sliced bananas in it if you and your people like bananas (unfortunately for me, my people don't). I left the cinnamon out of my standard recipe because I was using Cinnabon Bread. If you use a non-cinnamony bread see the note below.

Cinnabon Bread Pudding
serves 6 to 8 dessert servings


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4 cups 1" Cinnabon bread cubes*
¼ cup butter, melted
3 eggs
2 cups whole milk
½ cup sugar
2 t. vanilla
½ t. nutmeg
½ t. salt

Place bread cubes in a buttered 2-quart casserole.
Pour butter over bread and toss.


In a medium bowl, lightly beat eggs;
add milk, sugar, vanilla, nutmeg and salt.

Pour over bread cubes and stir to coat.
Bake, uncovered at 350 degrees for 50 minutes
or until knife inserted in centered comes out clean (not wet with liquid custard).
Cool slightly and serve warm with vanilla sauce.


* Standard white bread can be substituted (day-old is best). If using white bread, add 1/2 t. cinnamon to milk mixture.








Vanilla Sauce:

3 T. butter
3/4 c. milk
2 T. sugar
1 T. cornstarch
1/4 c. light corn syrup
1 t. vanilla

Melt butter in saucepan.
Combine sugar and cornstarch and add to butter.
Stir in milk and corn syrup.
Cook and stir over medium heat until mixture comes to a full boil.
Boil for one minute.
Remove from heat.
Stir in vanilla.
Serve immediately over warm bread pudding.


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Chili Dog Casserole

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I'm almost embarrassed to post this recipe...almost. My youngest son loves, loves chili dogs. He has been asking for a chili dog casserole for quite a while and I just didn't think I could make it palatable. But it was! It was actually pretty tasty, and incredibly easy. And because I used some fairly decent ingredients, I can't even say it was unhealthy. If you like chili dogs, or someone in your family does, it's a sure winner. Doug and I ate ours with a squirt of yellow mustard and chopped onions, but the kids enjoyed theirs as is.

A note about ingredients: I used reduced fat Hebrew National Beef hot dogs. While I do love a cheap hot dog once in a while, it's worth the splurge on a "healthy" dog for dinner. The same goes for the chili -- I used Campbell's Chunky Roadhouse Beef and Bean Chili (regular, not spicy) and it was very, very good. I would eat it straight from the can.

This would make a great weekday (or weekend) lunch for a group of kids, or a fun addition to your Superbowl spread.

Chili Dog Casserole

serves 6

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1 package quality hot dogs, cut crosswise in quarters

(2) 19 oz cans quality canned chili, with or without beans -- your choice

2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese (use another cup if you really like cheese)

5 oz. package cheese croutons (I used these), crushed slightly

yellow mustard and chopped onions, optional

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Spray a 13 x 9 casserole dish with baking spray; pour one can of chili. Layer hot dogs, croutons and one cup of shredded cheese. Top with second can chili and sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake for 30 minutes or until chili is bubbling.

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The Best Beef Enchiladas

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This past weekend I tried a recipe for Beef Enchiladas that made the absolute best enchiladas I have ever had (we had six thumbs up at the table). My guys really like the recipe for Beef Enchiladas that uses chipotle peppers, but they are really a bit too spicy for little ol' me (and little ol' Faith). So when I saw this recipe for Pioneer Woman's Beef Enchiladas (modified) at Katy's Kitchen I made a note to try them. When I made them I actually went back to PW's site to get her recipe, and then, of course, I modified it.

Because my guys like it spicy I was afraid they would not like the original version because my grocer does not stock spicy enchilada sauce, so I spiced up the sauce and then I toned down the filling. They were probably, all said and done, pretty close to Ree's, but I made note of the changes I made and I will most definitely make them that way the next time (and the next time...).

I will warn you ahead of time -- these enchiladas are a pain in the tokus to make (but they are worth it). So before you get started, pour a big glass of sangria to fortify you. Also, because the sauce cooks for 30 minutes, you 'll have some hang time (so maybe you should make a pitcher).

Best Beef Enchiladas

serves 6

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 Sauce:

1 T. canola or corn oil

1 T. flour

(2) 10 ounce cans enchilada sauce

(1) 8 ounce can spicy tomato sauce

2 cups chicken broth

½ t. salt

½ t. pepper

2 T. chopped fresh cilantro

Meat:

1½ pound ground beef

medium onion, in a small dice

1 can diced green chilies

½ t. salt (or Goya Adobo with pepper)

Tortillas:

12 to 14 (6-inch) corn tortillas

½ cups canola or corn oil

3 cups grated sharp cheddar

½ cups sliced black olives

1 cup chopped green onions

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

Heat oil in a preheated pan over medium heat.  Add flour and whisk to make a paste, cooking for one minute. Pour in the enchilada sauce and tomato sauce, chicken broth, cilantro, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 30-45 minutes (enjoy your sangria).

Brown the meat with onions in a skillet. Drain off fat. Stir in diced green chilies and salt. Set aside.

Heat canola oil in a small skillet over medium heat. One by one, using a spatula to flip, fry tortillas in oil until soft, not crisp – about 30 seconds per side. Remove to a paper-towel lined plate. Repeat until all tortillas have been fried (a good time to sip sangria).

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Pour ½ cup red sauce in bottom of baking pan. Spread to even out. Dip each tortilla into red sauce, then remove to work surface. Spoon meat and a little grated cheese ( you can add black olives in the step, but I left them out and just sprinkled them on each serving to spare those who reeeeallly hate black olives) in the center of tortilla. Roll up and place, seam down, in baking pan. Repeat until pan is filled. Pour extra red sauce over enchiladas. Top with remaining cheddar cheese.

Bake for 20 minutes or until bubbly. Sprinkle cilantro and green onions (and black olives if desired) over enchiladas before serving.

Source: Modified from Pioneer Woman Cooks

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Warmer Kartoffelsalat-- aka German Potato Salad

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I've been making this recipe for German Potato Salad for a couple years now and I thought it was about time to share. I think I had been married for at least 20 years before I ever tried to make German Potato Salad, even though my husband had been telling me -- for 20 years -- that he loves it. I guess I thought it was a tough dish to make, but that couldn't be farther from the truth. Such a simple recipe, and unlike cold potato salad, can be made kind of at the last minute -- a plus for those cooks who tend to forget to plan ahead.

The flavors in German Potato Salad are very, um, German (duh!). Snappy with vinegar and onion, and  flavorful from the bacon, to me it is the ultimate comfort food Yum. I make it extra saucy, so you may want reserve some of your sauce, stir in your potatoes and taste to see if you want all the dressing on yours.

German Potato Salad

serves 6

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5 to 6 medium red potatoes, cut in a large dice

6 slices bacon, cut crosswise into bite-size strips

1 medium yellow onion, diced

1/2 cup white vinegar

2 tablespoons water

1/4 cup plus 2 T. white sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

2 T. chopped fresh parsley (or 1 t. dried)

Place the potatoes into a pot, and fill with enough water to cover. Bring to a boil, and cook until easily pierced with a fork. Drain, and set aside.

 Place the bacon in a large deep skillet over medium-high heat. Fry until browned and crisp, stirring often. Remove bacon from the pan and set aside. 

Add onion to the bacon grease, and cook over medium heat until browned. Add the vinegar, water, sugar, salt and pepper to the pan. Bring to a boil, stirring, then add the potatoes and parsley. Crumble in half of the bacon. Heat through, then transfer to a serving dish. Crumble the remaining bacon over the top, and serve warm.

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President Reagan's Macaroni and Cheese

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A few weeks ago, just before the mid-term elections, a girlfriend gave me a cookbook that was published by Mike DeWine's campaign office. DeWine is a former U.S. senator and was running recently (and won the election) for  attorney general for the state of Ohio. The cookbook is just a small one, but is filled with family favorites, and I found more than a few I'd like to try. They are just, for the most part, good homey recipes.

This one caught my eye because it was my favorite president's recipe. I tried it a few weeks ago for a Friday night supper and my family looooved it. I have tried about a million and one recipes for macaroni and cheese and have never found one that was just perfect. I think I can stop trying now. And the best part -- it could hardly be easier. No white sauce necessary, just mix the ingredients and pour over cooked macaroni. I used the sharp cheddar called for in the recipe for a really tangy flavor, but I imagine this recipe could be made with almost any combination of cheeses (but I think you need to stick to sharp cheddar in order to call it President Reagan's Macaroni and Cheese!).

This is good, old-fashioned comfort food at its best. It was great as a main dish, and super for meatless Fridays.

President Reagan's Macaroni and Cheese

8 oz. macaroni, boiled to al dente and drained

1 t. butter

1 egg, beaten

3 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese

1 t. dry mustard

1 t. salt

1 cup milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a buttered casserole dish, pour macaroni.

Toss with butter, egg and 2 1/2 cups cheddar.

In a small bowl, whisk milk with salt and powdered mustard.

Pour milk over macaroni and cheese. Sprinkle with remaining half cup cheese.

Bake for 45 minutes until custard is set.

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Source: Fran DeWine's Family Favorites

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Hot Ham and Cheese Sliders

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I planned these little hot sandwiches for a day last week, and as it turned out I was really glad for an easy dinner. I was away from home most of the afternoon and when I got home I really wasn't in the mood to cook dinner. Fortunately I didn't have to. I started these little gems just about 30 minutes before dinner time, and I was glad to have some time between walking in the door and prep time to catch my breath (and grade some school work!).

They were so popular, that I have a feeling they will be welcome as a regular on our menu. The kids all wanted to know what the sauce was on top, but I just told them it was "magic" sauce. I didn't want to listen to gripes about onions and mustard and since they all loved them, it was a good decision. What they don't know won't hurt them!

The sauce was not exactly low in fat, which was the only drawback to these sandwiches. But I used Hillshire Farm honey ham, which is very low in fat, and I only used a quarter slice of cheese for each, so I'm not stressing over the little bit of sauce each sandwich gets. (I'm sure these sandwiches would be even tastier with some really awesome ham, but it was a weekday and I was going for easy over awesome.)

I saw this recipe most recently at Annie's Eats, but you can find it all over the internet and in every "favorites" cookbook. I used the Hawaiian rolls as recommended, and they were very yummy, but I'm sure some good bakery slider buns would be awesome as well. You can find the little sliders at almost every grocery store these days.

Hot Ham and Cheese Sliders
24 sandwiches

24 slider rolls or small Hawaiian rolls
24 slices honey ham
24 small slices Swiss cheese (I used a quarter slice because it fit perfectly)
mayonnaise
1½ T. yellow mustard
8 T. butter, melted
1 T. finely minced onion (or 2 tsp. dried minced onion)
½ t. Worcestershire sauce
Poppy seeds, for sprinkling

Preheat the oven to 350˚ F.

Split the slider rolls and spread the insides lightly with mayonnaise. Fold a slice of ham to fit on each slider bun, and top with a slice of Swiss cheese. Replace the top bun to assemble the sandwiches. Place the sandwiches on a baking sheet (cover with foil or parchment for ease in clean-up).

To make the sauce, combine all ingredients except the poppy seeds in a small bowl and whisk to combine. Drizzle the sauce over the tops of the slider buns. Sprinkle with poppy seeds (be sure to have a "helper" for this step -- it's good fun). Cover with foil and bake 10 minutes, until the cheese is melted. Remove the foil and bake 2 minutes longer (I baked about 5 minutes longer until the cheese was bubbly). Serve warm.

Recommended dishes to serve with the Hot Ham and Cheese Sliders: Apple slices with Cream Cheese Apple Dip, Cabbage Slaw, and Veggie Chips

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Scalloped Potatoes and Ham -- revisited

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Oh boy. Did you think I went on vacation? Boy, I wish I had. But no, I'm still here, just busy, busy. The good news is our school work is done for the week, and the laundry is caught up, which is why I haven't had time to blog. But, it's Friday and I have time for a food post. I have decided to revisit Scalloped Potatoes and Ham, a perennial favorite in my house. As soon as the weather turns even just a little cool, I crave this dish. It is so homey -- it fills the kitchen with good smells and the anticipation of a nice hot, rib-stickin' supper is such a good feeling. This dish goes into the oven for a few hours, so you can sit back and know that dinner is done, get the dishes washed up and relax.

I posted an almost identical recipe for this dish three years ago (wow! I can't believe it's been that long) but the last time I made it the kids griped about the onions. Oy vey! Such picky people. This time when I made it, I diced the onions finely and sauteed them with the butter when I prepared the white sauce. The onions got nice and soft and virtually disappeared among the potatoes and ham. But their flavor was there and it was yummy! I never grow tired of this dish and it's always a favorite with company (with or without the ham) so I do hope you enjoy it too. It makes wonderful leftovers for lunch or breakfast too, so don't waste a bite. God bless.

Scalloped Potatoes and Ham (revisited)
serves 6-8

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8 russet potatoes, peeled and sliced thinly (about 1/8 " -- I use the 4 mm disc on the processor)
1 medium onion, diced finely
4 T. butter
4 T. flour
3/4 t. salt
1/8 t. pepper
3 c. milk
1 ham steak, trimmed and cubed in bite-size pieces

Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease 9 x 13 pan (or a large round -- just make sure it's big enough to hold all of your potatoes and the liquid).

Place half potatoes in dish. Salt and pepper. Top with all of the ham (if using a round, start with a quarter of the potatoes and a third of the ham). Top with remaining potatoes. Salt and pepper (or if using a round dish, another quarter of the potatoes and a third of the ham). (If using a round, repeat with one quarter of the potatoes, the last of the ham and repeat with the remaining potatoes. Just remember to salt and pepper each potato layer.)

Meanwhile (that means get this part going while you are arranging potatoes!), melt butter in saucepan over medium heat. Add onions and cook for three to five minutes or so, over medium heat, until onions are soft, but not brown. Add flour and whisk. Add salt and pepper and cook until bubbly. Stir in milk and whisk.
Cook over medium heat until mixture boils and thickens, stirring constantly. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed. Pour sauce over potatoes. Bake at 350 for 2 hours, until potatoes are tender.


Serve with steamed green peas and cornbread, or a winter fruit salad.


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Mother's Chocolate Chip Cookies

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My mother makes the best Chocolate Chip Cookies. I bet your mom does, too. Because no matter what chocolate chip cookie you eat, your mom's always tastes best -- it's what you know best, right?

Well, I've made a lot of chocolate chippers in my day, but I just can't beat my mother's. Hers are crisp and rich and have that je ne sais pas that makes them hers. Well, actually, I do know what that je ne sais pas is (so I guess it's not so unknown) -- dark brown sugar and Imperial margarine. You may think those don't seem like such unusual ingredients, but I have tried this recipe forwards and backwards and those two ingredients provide the je ne sais pas. If you don't like your chocolate chippers crisp, this may not be the cookie for you, but I can tell you that you can substitute 1/2 Crisco and half butter for the margarine and you'll get a softer cookie, without the crisp middle.

Mother's Chocolate Chip Cookies
makes 36-48 depending on scoop size

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2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 t. baking soda
1 t. salt
2 sticks Imperial brand margarine (1 c. total)
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup dark brown sugar
1 t. vanilla
2 eggs
12 oz . chocolate chips
1 cup chopped walnuts (optional, but yummy)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Cream margarine and sugars until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until well combined. Add vanilla. Add dry ingredients and beat just until well combined. Add chocolate chips and nuts, if desired and stir until well mixed. Drop by heaping teaspoonfuls (or use a medium cookie scoop) onto ungreased baking sheets. Bake for 9 to 11 minutes or until golden brown.

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Easy Fruit Cobbler

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Boy, it's been dessert time around here. Yes, I bake when I'm stressed, and yes, I eat when I bake. So we've had a few more desserts than we need...hey, it's vacation season, and even though (or maybe because) we're not on vacation, we can still enjoy some treats.

This dessert I made because I had fresh peaches that were going to go bad. I hate to waste good fruit (I usually cut it up and make these). I had quite a few peaches and cobbler just sounded so good. This is a recipe I obtained from USA Today many moons ago. It's super easy, and served warm with a scoop of ice cream, it's a perfect summer dessert. It's flexible too -- you can use almost any fruit.

Easy Fruit Cobbler
serves 4

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4 T. butter
¾ cup flour
¾ cup sugar
1 t. baking powder
¼ t. salt
¾ cup milk
2 cups sliced fresh peaches or nectarines (or a 12-ounce package of frozen berries) or whole blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, blackberries or a combination of fruits
1 T. sugar


Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position, and heat oven to 350 degrees.

Place butter in an 8-inch square or 9-inch round pan; set in oven to melt. When butter has melted, remove pan from oven.

Whisk flour, 3/4 cup of sugar, baking powder and salt in small bowl. Add milk; whisk to form a smooth batter. Pour batter into pan, then scatter fruit over batter. Sprinkle with remaining 1 Tb. of sugar.

Bake until batter browns and fruit bubbles, 50 to 60 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature with a dollop of whipped cream or a small scoop of vanilla ice cream, if desired.

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Hot Fudge Pudding Cake

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My life these days involves a lot of work. Cooking, laundry, painting walls, cleaning, laundry, cooking, painting walls...it's a never ending cycle. I know, you've been there, done that, like every single day. O.k., maybe not the painting walls, but all the rest, plus more. Some days I really could just stay in bed. If I didn't have people who depend upon me to do my job, I probably would. Fortunately in this life, besides work, there's dessert, and some days you just need dessert.

This dessert is a true delight. Not only is it warm, and chocolate, and comforting, it's so easy to throw together, you can just stir it together while you're waiting on dinner, pop it in the oven just before you put dinner on the table, and enjoy it just after the dishes are done. It's all in the timing.

Or you could stir it together while the coffee is brewing in the morning and eat it for breakfast, but don't tell any one where you came up with that idea. ;-)

The cake cooks over a yummy layer of molten fudge and when you scoop up a piece, you have the liquid fudge underneath. Definitely serve this dessert with ice cream...vanilla, mint chocolate chip, coffee, whatever your favorite flavor is (except peach, I don't think peach goes with chocolate). The ice cream starts to melt as soon as it hits the warm chocolate cake...yum!

Hot Fudge Pudding Cake
serves 6

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1 ¼ cup sugar, divided
1 cup flour
7 T cocoa, divided
2 t baking powder
¼ t. salt
½ cup milk
⅓ cup butter, melted
1 ½ t. vanilla
1 cup chocolate chips
½ cup brown sugar
1 ¼ cup hot water

Chopped walnuts (optional)
ice cream

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

In bowl, stir together 3/4 c. sugar, flour, 3 T. cocoa, baking powder and salt. Stir in milk, butter and vanilla; beat until smooth. Stir in chocolate chips. Pour batter into square baking pan.

Stir together remaining 1/2 c. sugar, brown sugar and 4 T. cocoa. Sprinkle mixture over batter. Pour hot water on top; do not stir. Bake 35 - 40 minutes. Let stand 15 minutes. Spoon into dessert dishes and serve with ice cream and nuts, if desired.

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Chipotle Beef Stew -- Summer Version

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A few months ago I shared with you this yummy spicy beef stew recipe which we thoroughly enjoyed pretty much the way the recipe was written. But trying to serve this dish in the middle of the summer was not as easy. Winter squash is apparently only available in the winter around here. I made a snap decision at the grocery store, bought some very large sweet potatoes and then decided to prepare them on the grill -- making this a summer-friendly meal. The stew cooked on the stovetop, keeping the kitchen fairly cool (as opposed to heating the oven), and the potatoes and corn roasted on the grill.

My family enjoyed the flavor and texture of the sweet potato much more so than the squash (which is saying something because they really raved over this dish originally), and I really enjoyed preparing much of it outdoors.

I am re-posting the recipe with my summer changes. I altered the method of cooking the stew only slightly, braising the meat first and then cooking the stew on the stovetop, as well as using sweet potato halves instead of squash halves for the boats. If you would like to serve roasted corn with this dish, you can find the recipe here.

Chipotle Beef Stew and Sweet Potato Boats

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2 T. olive oil
1 1/2 lbs. beef for stew
1/3 cup water
1/4 cup tomato paste
2 T. brown sugar
2 T. balsamic vinegar
1 chipotle pepper minced and 1 T. adobo sauce
1 t. ground cumin
1/2 t. salt
1/2 t. ground black pepper
3 large sweet potatoes, halved

1 medium tomato, chopped
1 small ripe avocado, cut into cubes, optional
1/4 cup freshly chopped cilantro leaves

Heat oil in a large dutch oven over medium high heat and braise beef until browned. Season with salt and pepper as beef cooks. Add water, tomato paste, sugar, vinegar, chipotle pepper, cumin. Cook stew over medium low heat for 2 hours, or until beef is tender and sauce is slightly thickened. Add water if necessary to keep sauce from cooking up.

Halfway through stew's cooking time, cut sweet potatoes lengthwise in half. Brush cut sides with olive oil. Place sweet potatoes on a preheated grill over low heat and cook for 30 to 40 minutes until tender when poked with a fork.

Place each sweet potato half onto serving plate. Top with equal amounts of beef mixture. Top with tomato and avocado, and sour cream, if desired. Sprinkle with cilantro.

Source: modified from the Food Network

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