Category: COOKING THURSDAY

MASHED POTATO ARTICHOKE BAKE ~ BLOG 365.138

MASHED POTATO ARTICHOKE BAKE
4 medium golden potatoes, peeled and quartered
1/4 cup FULL FAT sour cream
2 tablespoons WHOLE milk
2 tablespoons Duke’s mayonnaise
1 tablespoon butter, melted
FRESH ground sea salt and black pepper, to taste
6-7 ounce jar marinated artichokes, drained WELL
3 green onions, chopped
2-3 bacon strips, cooked crisp and crumbled
1/3 cup shredded cheddar cheese

  • Place potatoes in a large saucepan and cover with water.
  • Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and cook 10-15 minutes until tender.
  • Preheat oven to 400°.
  • In a mixing bowl whisk together the sour cream, milk, mayonnaise, butter, salt and pepper.
  • Add drained potatoes and mash well.
  • Fold in artichokes and onions.
  • Transfer to a greased baking dish.
  • Sprinkle with crumbled bacon and cheese.
  • Bake 20 minutes until heated through and cheese is melted.

MAMA GRONK’S CHICKEN CASSEROLE ~ BLOG 365.131

MAMA GRONK’S CHICKEN CASSEROLE (adapted from)
4 cups rotisserie chicken pieces
1 cup chopped celery
1 LARGE sweet Vidalia onion
1/3 cup Duke’s mayonnaise
1/4 cup Frank’s Original Hot Sauce, +/- to taste
8 slices sourdough bread, cut into small cubes
3 cups WHOLE milk
4 LARGE eggs
1 can Campbell’s cream of chicken soup
3 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
Chopped parsley, for garnish

  • Spray bottom of large baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.
  • In a large bowl, combine chicken pieces, celery pieces, onions, mayonnaise and hot sauce.
  • Fold in bread cubes.
  • Layer evenly into baking dish.
  • Whisk together the milk, eggs and soup.
  • Pour egg mixture over bread and chicken mixture.
  • Cover and chill 2-3 hours minimum.
  • Uncover casserole and bring to room temperature for 20-30 minutes.
  • Preheat oven to 350°.
  • Bake 1 hour.
  • Top with cheese and bake 5-10 minutes until cheese is melted.
  • Garnish and serve.

NOTE: This recipe can be baked in individual ramekins for personal servings.

SPICY BALSAMIC CAPRESE CHICKEN ~ BLOG 365.124

This is a modified version on Pampered Chef’s recipe for Balsamic Caprese Chicken.

BALSAMIC CAPRESE CHICKEN
2 plum tomatoes, diced
1/4 cup FRESH basil leaves, julienned
2-3 LARGE cloves garlic, FINELY minced
1/4 teaspoon Italian seasoning
2 tablespoons avocado oil
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons butter
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
FRESH ground sea salt and black pepper, to taste
4 ounces FRESH sliced Mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup balsamic glaze, to taste (RECIPE BELOW)
Homemade marinara sauce for serving

  • Preheat oven to 400°.
  • Toss together the tomatoes, basil, garlic, Italian seasoning and avocado oil.
  • Season with FRESH ground sea salt and black pepper. Set aside.
  • Generously season chicken breast with FRESH ground sea salt and black pepper.
  • Heat butter in heavy skillet.
  • Sear chicken 3-4 minutes on both sides until cooked through.
  • Top with a slice of FRESH Mozzarella cheese.
  • Drizzle with balsamic glaze.
  • Serve with pasta and homemade marinara sauce.

BALSAMIC GLAZE
1/2 cup QUALITY balsamic vinegar
1/2 teaspoon red chili flakes

  • Mix together in a small saucepan.
  • Simmer 15 minutes over medium low heat until reduced by half and will coat the back of a spoon.

ENCHILADA MEATBALLS ~ BLOG 365.110

ENCHILADA MEATBALLS
8.5 ounce JIFFY corn bread muffin mix
1 + 1 tablespoon Pampered Chef south west seasoning
1 LARGE egg, lightly beaten
10 ounce can enchilada sauce
1 pound ground beef
16 ounce jar of your favorite salsa
4 ounce can chopped green chiles, drained WELL
1 cup shredded Mexican cheese blend

  • Preheat oven to 400°.
  • Prepare an bake corn bread muffin mix per package directions.
  • Cool COMPLETELY, then crumble into a large mixing bowl.
  • Add 1 tablespoon of the seasoning, egg, beef and half the enchilada sauce. Mix lightly, but thoroughly.
  • Shape into golf ball size balls and place on LIGHTLY greased baking sheet.
  • Bake 10-12 minutes or until lightly browned.
  • Transfer meatballs to shallow baking dish.
  • Combine remaining enchilada sauce, salsa, chiles, 1/2 cup of the cheese and remaining taco seasoning. Pour over meatballs, turning to coat.
  • Bake another 10-12 minutes until cooked through.
  • Sprinkle with remaining cheese.
  • Serve immediately.

PEAS & PEAS with SHALLOTS ~ BLOG 365.96

PEAS & PEAS with SHALLOTS
Oh so easy, but packed with a crunch and deep flavor.

1 tablespoon butter
1/2 pound fresh sugar snap peas, trimmed
1 cup frozen peas
3-4 shallots, THINLY sliced
FRESH ground sea salt and black pepper, to taste

  • In a large heavy skillet, heat butter over medium-high heat.
  • Add half the shallots, sautéing until crisp.
  • Spoon out shallots to drain on paper toweling.
  • Add snap peas, frozen peas and remaining shallots, cooking and stirring 5-6 minutes until crisp-tender.
  • Season with salt and pepper to taste.
  • Top with crisp shallots if desired.

ROUND UP RIBS ~ BLOG 365.89

ROUND UP RIBS

More and more of my FAVORITE recipes are adapted from Taste of Home recipes that just looked too good to pass up. With this recipe the overnight chilling allows the seasonings to meld well with the meat.

This recipe may have has its original roots in the Calgary Stampede, an annual Western culture festival and exhibition in our province, but it’s now a Pacific Northwest as well as a midwest favorite in our family.

4 pounds pork baby back ribs, cut into serving-size pieces
3 garlic cloves, FINELY minced
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons PAMPERED CHEF salt & vinegar seasoning
1 tablespoon sweet Hungarian paprika
2 teaspoons white pepper

  • Preheat oven to 325°.
  • Rub ribs with garlic and place in a roasting pan.
  • Bake, covered, until tender, about 2 hours.
  • Mix sugar, salt and vinegar seasoning, paprika and pepper.
  • Sprinkle evenly over ribs.
  • Remove from pan; cool slightly.
  • Refrigerate, covered, 8 hours or overnight.

SAUCE
2 tablespoons butter
1 small onion, FINELY chopped
1 cup jalapeno ketchup
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
Juice of 1 LARGE lemon
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

  • In a small saucepan, heat butter over medium heat.
  • Add onion and saute onion until tender.
  • Stir in remaining ingredients and bring to a boil.
  • Reduce heat, cooking uncovered 8-10 minutes, until thickened, stirring frequently.
  • Brush ribs with some of the sauce.
  • Grill, covered, 12-15 minutes over medium heat until heated through.
  • Turn occasionally and brush with additional sauce.
  • Serve with remaining sauce.

SCALLOPED POTATOES & PEAS ~ BLOG 365.82

SCALLOPED POTATOES & PEAS
4-6 bacon strips, diced
1 medium onion, chopped
4 cups sliced, peeled & cooked potatoes
FRESH ground sea salt & pepper
10 ounce package frozen peas, cooked and drained
2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1/2 cup Dukes mayonnaise
1/2 cup WHOLE milk

  • In a large skillet cook bacon until crisp.
  • Remove bacon with slotted spoon to drain on paper toweling.
  • Add onions to drippings, sauteing until tender.
  • Layer potatoes.
    on top of onions.
  • Sprinkle generously with FRESH ground sea salt and pepper.
  • Sprinkle peas on top of the potatoes followed by 1 cup of the cheese and most of the bacon.
  • Whisk together the milk and mayonnaise until smooth.
  • Pour milk mixture over top and sprinkle with remaining cheese.
  • Simmer on low 5-10 minutes or so to heat through.
  • Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

COFFEE CAKE KNOTS ~ BLOG 365.75

COFFEE CAKE KNOTS with COFFEE ICING yields 12 knots

Prep Time 40 minutes Cook Time 20 minutes Total Time 1 hour

DOUGH
3 1/2 – 4 cups AP flour
1 packet Instant Yeast
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 cup warm milk
3 LARGE eggs
4 tablespoons butter, softened

  • In a large mixing bowl, combine 3 ½ cups flour, the yeast, brown sugar, and salt.
  • Add the milk, eggs, and butter, mixing until the flour is completely incorporated. If the dough seems sticky, add the remaining ½ cup of flour a little at a time. 
Cover the bowl and let sit at room temperature for 10 minutes.

FILLING
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon espresso powder
1 tablespoon, plus 1 teaspoon QUALITY cinnamon

  • In a small bowl, combine 1/2 cup brown sugar and 1 tablespoon cinnamon.
  • ASSEMBLY
    5-6 tablespoons butter, softened

Preheat the oven to 375°.
  • Line a baking sheet with parchment. 
On a floured surface, roll the dough out into a 14 x 16 inch rectangle about 1/4 inch thick, adding flour as needed.
  • Spread the dough with 5-6 tablespoons of butter and sprinkle with the cinnamon sugar mixture.
  • Fold the dough in half, directly over the cinnamon, pressing to adhere.
  • Cut into 12-14 strips.
  • Twist each strip into a loose knot, they don’t need to be perfect.
  • Place on the prepared baking sheet.
Bake 20 minutes, until golden.

ICING
4 tablespoons butter
1/3 cup PURE maple start
3/4-1 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon espresso powder

  • Melt together the butter and maple syrup in a small pot set over medium heat.
  • Remove from the heat and whisk in the powdered sugar and instant coffee.
  • Drizzle over the knots. 




NOTE: For a quicker prep time you can use store bought dough!

KENTUCKY STYLE WHITE “BAKED” BEANS ~ BLOG 365.68

KENTUCKY STYLE ‘BAKED’ WHITE BEANS adapted from COOK’S COUNTRY
1/2 pound country ham steak, roughly chopped small or shredded
1 tablespoon butter or avocado oil
1 LARGE shallot, chopped
2-3 garlic cloves, minced
3 cans (15 ounce) cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
2 1/2 cups water
2 1/2 cups homemade chicken broth
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1/2-3/4 pound ham hock (optional)
1/4 teaspoon liquid smoke (I like mesquite, but hickory is also good)
FRESH ground sea salt and black pepper

  • Heat butter over medium heat in a dutch oven until melted.
  • Add shallots, cooking until soft and beginning to brown.
  • Add garlic, sautéing a minute more until fragrant.
  • Add beans, water, broth, liquid smoke, vinegar, ham hock and ham pieces and bring to a boil over high heat.
  • Reduce heat to medium low and simmer 30-45 minutes, stirring occasionally until beans are tender.
  • Remove ham hock if using.
  • Season to taste and serve.

CHOCOLATE FRITO BARS ~ BLOG 365.61

These are still a bit of a work in progress. The second time I made these I did them on a jelly roll pan in a single layer and they were amazing. Next time I’m going to try milk chocolate chips, maybe even mini chips.

CHOCOLATE FRITO BARS yields 24 bars

18 1/2 ounces Fritos corn chips
2 cups chocolate chips
1 cup sugar
1 cup light corn syrup
1 cup creamy peanut butter

  • Grease a 13×9 cake pan.
  • Sprinkle half of the corn chips evenly over the bottom.
  • Sprinkle half the chocolate chips over the corn chips.
  • In a heavy sauce pan combine the sugar and corn syrup, stirring until sugar dissolves and mixture comes to a boil. Cook 1 minutes more.
  • Remove from heat and stir in the peanut butter.
  • Pour half the mixture over the corn chip layer.
  • Top with remaining corn chips followed by the remaining chocolate chips.
  • Pour the remaining peanut butter mixture evenly over the last layer.
  • Let stand until set.
  • Cut into bars.

SAUCY PORK CHOPS ~ BLOG 365.54

Every now and then SIMPLE is BEST! 😀

SAUCY PORK CHOPS
4-6 boneless pork chops
2 tablespoons butter
1 LARGE shallot, chopped
1 cup halved grape tomatoes
1 cup homemade chicken OR beef broth
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
FRESH ground sea salt and black pepper
2 tablespoons WONDRA flour
1/2 cup water

  • Melt butter in large skillet over medium-high heat.
  • Quickly sear pork chops on both sides, remove from pan and keep warm.
  • Add onions and saute a few minutes until tender.
  • Add broth, tomatoes, Italian seasoning, FRESH ground sea salt and black pepper, to taste. Bring to a boil.
  • Reduce heat to simmer, return pork chops to pan and simmer 5-7 minutes until pork chops are cooked through (145°).
  • Whisk together the water and flour until smooth.
  • Plate pork chops, keeping warm.
  • Whisk flour mixture in sauce until smooth and heated through.
  • Serve over mashed potatoes or rice.

GRILLED PINEAPPLE WHISKEY CHICKEN ~ BLOG 365.47

GRILLED PINEAPPLE WHISKEY CHICKEN – serves 4

Plan ahead to make this simply delicious and juicy BBQ chicken. Marinating for 24 hours or more is best for providing the most flavor.

¾ cup QUALITY whiskey
¾ cup pineapple juice
½ cup of your favorite BBQ sauce
4-5 garlic cloves, FINELY minced
2 tablespoons QUALITY Worcestershire sauce
FRESH ground sea salt and black pepper, to taste
4 chicken breasts

  • Whisk together whiskey, pineapple juice, BBQ sauce, garlic, Worcestershire sauce and pepper.
  • Pour over chicken and let marinate overnight (24 hours is best) in the refrigerator.
  • Remove chicken from marinade and grill for 12 to 15 minutes. (see notes)
  • Brush with additional BBQ sauce before removing from grill.

NOTES:

  • To prepare chicken inside instead of grilling, pan sear the chicken on both sides for 3 minutes. Place the chicken on a baking sheet, brush with BBQ sauce and bake for 5-10 minutes at 400º.
  • You can substitute Bourbon if you prefer.