Charleston Cheese Dip

Charleston Cheese Dip

(10 servings)

Ingredients:

½ cup Mayonnaise

8 oz. Cream Cheese, room temperature

1 cup Sharp Cheddar Cheese, grated

½ cup Monterey Jack Cheese, grated

2 medium Scallions, finely chopped

1/8 tsp. Cayenne Pepper

1/3 cup Butter Crackers, crushed

8 slices Bacon, cooked and crumbled

for dipping Corn Chips, Crackers, Bagel Chips

Directions:

In a medium Bowl, combine mayonnaise, cream cheese, cheddar cheese, Monterey jack cheese, scallions and cayenne pepper.  Transfer mixture to 8x8 baking dish or a 9-inch pie pan.  Top with crushed crackers.  Bake in a pre-heated 350-degree oven for 15 minutes or heated through.  Remove pan and evenly top with bacon crumbles.  Serve immediately with the items mentioned above or your favorite dipping food.

Notes:              For the butter crackers, I suggest
                        using Ritz crackers for their unique
                        flavor.

Ideas for Future Efforts

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Spinach-Artichoke Bombs

Spinach Artichoke Bombs

(32 bombs)

Ingredients:

1 box (10 oz.) Frozen Spinach, thawed and drained

1 can (15 oz.) Artichoke Hearts, drained and chopped

2 cups Ricotta Cheese

1 tsp. Garlic Powder

¼ cup Parmesan Cheese, grated

11 each Mozzarella String Cheese Sticks

4 tubes (8 count) Crescent Roll Dough

Directions:

In a medium bowl, combine spinach, artichoke, ricotta, parmesan and garlic powder.  Set aside.  Unwarp string cheese and cut each into thirds.  Set aside.  Open crescent roll tubes one at a time.  Spread out each triangle and slather each with the spinach-artichoke mixture.  Place a piece of string cheese on the wide end of each triangle.  Roll it up like you would a traditional crescent roll.  Tuck the ends under, so filling can’t ooze out, and place seam-side-down on a parchment paper lined baking sheet.  Repeat process with the 3 remaining tubes of crescent rolls.  Place in a pre-heated 375-degree oven for 15 to 17 minutes or until puffed up and lightly golden.

Notes:              Eat them just as they are or offer
                        a warm marinara sauce for dipping.

Ideas for Future Efforts

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Super Bowl Yummies

The “Super Bowl” is this Sunday night.  It’s a big party day throughout the USA and other places throughout the world.

Whether you are hosting a party or going to one, food is a big part of the Super Bowl experience.  This week I have two recipes for you to offer to other attendees.

“Spinach Artichoke Bombs” are Wednesday’s hit for something different and tasty.  It’s a spinach-artichoke spread inside crescent rolls.

Then on Thursday we have an easy dish in “Charleston Cheese Dip” which you may want to make more than one of for the party.  Because it only feeds about 10, you may want to make several in disposable pie pans.  Then just pop in the oven as needed throughout the super bowl festivities.

For more ideas for the party, check the Odds ‘n Ends recipe tab above.  Until next week, “Happy Cooking” and hope your team wins on Sunday.

Remember, please help spread this food blog and thanks for your support.

Orange and Ginger Glazed Carrots (GF)

Orange and Ginger Glazed Carrots (GF)

(8 servings)

Ingredients:

2 lb. Carrots, cut into coins

4 tbsp. Unsalted Butter

to taste Salt and Pepper

2 tbsp. Fresh Ginger, grated

2/3 cup Fresh Squeezed Orange Juice

2 tsp. Fresh Squeezed Lemon Juice

2 tbsp. Orange Zest

1 tsp. Lemon Zest

garnish Fresh Parsley, chopped

Directions:

In a large sauce pan over medium heat, combine carrots, butter, salt, pepper, ginger and orange juice.  Bring mixture to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer.  Cover and simmer 10-20 minutes, or until liquid is absorbed and carrots are tender.  Uncover and add lemon juice, orange and lemon zest.  Mixture to combine and garnish with parsley before serving.

Notes:              If you don’t need this large of serving, the recipe can be easily cut in half to serve 4 people.

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Parmesan Roasted Baby Carrots (GF)

Parmesan Roasted Baby Carrots (GF)

(8 servings)

Ingredients:

5 cups Baby Carrots

¼ cup Olive Oil
4 cloves Fresh Garlic, minced
3 tbsp. Grated parmesan Cheese
2 tbsp. Gluten-Free Panko Bread Crumbs
¾ tsp. Kosher Salt
¼ tsp. Black Pepper
garnish Fresh Parsley, chopped

Directions:

Place all ingredients in a gallon size zip-lock bag, adding carrots last.  Share until carrots are well coated.  Spread coated carrots out on a foil lined rimmed baking sheet that has been sprayed with a non-stick cooking spray.  Place in a pre-heated 400-degree oven for 20-25 minutes or until carrots are tender.  Shake baking sheet halfway through the baking to change up position of carrots so one side doesn’t burn.

Notes:              I happen to use Avocado oil more than olive oil now.  So use the oil you have on hand.

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Gluten-Free Carrot Side Dishes

Since I was a little boy, carrots have always been one of my favorite vegetables.  As I’m always searching for gluten-free recipes to help my granddaughter, I found a couple of carrot dishes.  It’s also nice that she loves carrots too.

Both of these recipes will be enjoyed by those that don’t have to be gluten-free too.

The only real ingredient in the two recipes that may cause you concern, is the gluten-free panko bread crumbs.  You should be able to find them in most major grocery stores.  If not, just leave them out.

The first uses baby carrots and the “Parmesan Roasted Baby Carrots (GF)” you’ll find on Wednesday.  The “Orange and Ginger Glazed Carrots (GF)” come on Thursday.

I hope you enjoy these easy but tasty sides.  “Happy Cooking” until next week.  Please remember to share the link of this food blog with others.  Thanks.

Lighter Chicken Cacciatore

Lighter Chicken Cacciatore

(6 servings)

Ingredients:

6 (5-6 oz.) Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts

to season Salt and Pepper

2 tbsp. Olive Oil

10 oz. Cremini Mushrooms, quartered

1 small Onion, thinly sliced

1 medium Red Pepper, thinly sliced

2 cloves Fresh Garlic, minced

2 tbsp. Fresh Rosemary, finely chopped

1 Bay Leaf

¾ cup Dry White Wine

1 can (28 oz.) Diced Tomatoes

8 oz. Kale, stems discarded and chopped

½ cup Green Olives, pitted

¼ cup Flat-Leaf Parsley, chopped

Directions:

Pound them to an even thickness in a zip-top plastic bag with a meat mallet or the palm of your hand.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  In a large deep skillet over medium-high heat, warm oil.  Cook chicken 3-4 minutes per side until golden brown.  Transfer to plate.  Add mushrooms to skillet and cook until golden brown and tender, stirring occasionally, for about 4 minutes.  Transfer mushrooms to plate with chicken.  Lower heat to medium and add onion, red pepper, garlic, rosemary and bay leaf.  Cook 8-10 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally.  Add wine and cook, stirring and scraping up brown bits, until reduced by half, about 3 minutes.  Stir in tomatoes and juice.  Return chicken and mushrooms to skillet, nestling chicken in tomatoes, and simmer covered 15 minutes.  Fold in kale and cook, covered 10-12 minutes more.  Uncover, discard bay leaf and stir in olives and parsley.  Serve immediately.

Notes:              You could use boneless skinless chicken thighs instead of breasts if you desire.  Cooking times may need to be slightly adjusted.

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Skillet Chicken with Sun-Dried Tomato Sauce

Skillet Chicken with Sun-Dried Tomato Sauce

(4-6 servings)

Ingredients:

2 lb. Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts

to taste Salt and Pepper

5 tbsp. Unsalted Butter, divided

3 cloves Fresh Garlic, minced

1 tsp. Italian Seasoning

½ tsp. Crushed Red Pepper Flakes

½ cup Chardonnay

1 cup Chicken Broth

¾ cup Heavy Cream

½ cup Oil-packed Sun-Dried Tomatoes, thinly sliced

½ cup Fresh Basil, thinly sliced

Directions:

Cut breasts into 6 to 8 pieces.  Pound them to an even thickness in a zip-top plastic bag with a meat mallet or the palm of your hand.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Melt 2 tbsp. butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat.  Cook half the breasts for 3-4 minutes per side or until done.  Remove from skillet and repeat process with remaining breasts.  Set them all aside and keep warm.  Melt last tbsp. butter in skillet and add garlic, Italian seasoning and crushed red pepper flakes.  Stirring constantly, cook for 1 minute.  Add wine, bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer 2 minutes.  Add broth and bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes.  Stir in cream and tomatoes and simmer 5 more minutes.  Add back chicken and stir in basil.  Cook 4-5 minutes or until chicken is thoroughly heated and sauce is thickened.  Serve immediately.

Notes:              You could use boneless skinless chicken thighs instead of breasts if you desire.  Cooking times may need to be slightly adjusted.

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Hearty Chicken Entrees

This week we have a couple of chicken breast recipes that both use tomatoes.  One uses sun-dried and the other diced from the can.  Both are hearty winter dishes, although one is a lighter version of itself.

Wednesday starts with “Skillet Chicken with Sun-Dried Tomato Sauce” which can be served with rice, pasta or potatoes.  “Lighter Chicken Cacciatore” is on Thursday.  It can be served with those same sides.  It’s personal preference or what’s on hand.

Both dishes ask for the chicken to be pounded so you have even thickness throughout the piece.  The best way to do it is use a zip-lock bag.  Place a piece inside and pound with a meat mallet if you have one.  For this, use the flat side as you are not trying to tenderize it.  The palm of your hand or the bottom of a heavy skillet works too.

Enjoy giving these two recipes a try and let me know how they worked for you.  Thanks for checking out my food blog and “Happy Cooking” until next week.  Be sure to share the link too.

Andouille Bread Pudding

Andouille Bread Pudding

(4 servings)

Ingredients:

4 slices Bacon, cut into ½-inch pieces

6 oz. Andouille Sausage, cut into ¼-inch pieces

1 medium Red Onion, diced

1 cup Collard Greens, chopped

¼ cup Dry-Roasted Peanuts, finely chopped

½ tsp. Smoked Hot Paprika

¼ tsp. Kosher Salt

3 large Fresh Eggs

½ cup Heavy Cream

½ cup Milk

2 cups Day-Old Peasant Bread, 1-inch cubes

½ cup Sharp Cheddar Cheese, coarsely shredded

3 tbsp. Raisins

Directions:

Butter an 8x8 baking dish and set aside.  In a medium skillet over medium heat, cook bacon with andouille sausage.  Stir occasionally until bacon is crisp (about 10-13 minutes).  Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a medium bowl.  Return skillet to heat and add onion, collard greens, peanuts, paprika and salt.  Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion has softened (about 5 minutes).  Scrape mixture into bowl with bacon mixture.  In a large bowl, whisk eggs, cream and milk together.  Add bread, cheese and raisins to egg mixture.  Using a rubber spatula, gently stir bread mixture until bread is evenly moistened.  Let stand 5 minutes, then add bacon mixture and stir to just combine.  Transfer to the buttered baking dish.  Place in a pre-heated 375-degree oven for 30 minutes or until pudding is puffed and golden brown.  Transfer to a wire rack and let cool 15 minutes before serving.

Notes:              The unbaked bread pudding can be refrigerated overnight.  Bring to room temperature before baking.

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Bread Pudding with Salted Caramel Whiskey Sauce

Bread Pudding with Salted Caramel Whiskey Sauce

(12 servings)

Ingredients:

Bread Pudding:

½ cup Raisins

½ cup Irish Whiskey

5 large Fresh Eggs

2 cups Heavy Cream

1 cup Sugar

1 tsp. Vanilla

½ tsp. Ground Cinnamon

¼ tsp. Ground Nutmeg

8 slices Firm White Bread (12 -14 oz.)

¾ cup Unsalted Butter, room temperature

Sauce:

¼ cup Unsalted Butter, cubed

½ cup Sugar

½ tsp. Sea Salt

1 ¼ cups Heavy Cream

Directions:

In a bowl, combine raisins and whiskey; let soak an hour.  In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, cream, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon and nutmeg.  Generously spread one side of each bread slice with butter.  Cut each in half diagonally.  Butter a 9x13 baking dish and arrange bread slices in dish, shingling in two rows.  Drain raisins, reserving whiskey.  Sprinkle raisins over bread, tucking some between slices.  Pour the custard over bread, cover and refrigerate 30 minutes.  Place uncovered baking dish in a larger baking dish or roaster.  Add hot water to halfway up sides of dish.  Bake for 45 minutes in a pre-heated 375-degree oven or until pudding is set and top is golden brown.  Carefully remove baking dish from water bath and cool slightly on a wire rack.  While it’s baking, use a 2-quart sauce pan over medium heat to melt cubed butter.  Whisk in sugar, salt, cream and 3 tbsp. of reserved whiskey.  Bring mixture to a boil, reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, 10 - 15 minutes or until slightly thickened, stirring frequently.  Serve warm pudding with sauce.

Notes:              If you don’t have Irish whiskey, try your favorite whiskey or bourbon.  If you don’t like raisins, eliminate or try pecan pieces in their place.  But the raisins do add to the overall taste because they were soaked in the whiskey.

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Bread Pudding, a Sweet and a Savory

Bread Puddings, you can make them both sweet or savory.  They can work as a dessert or part of the main meal.

This week I offer two of these puddings.  A sweet to use as a dessert.  Then one with a little kick that makes a terrific breakfast dish.

No matter which kind you make, they usually call for eggs and heavy cream to make the custard the bread soaks up.  A variety of bread can be used as well depending on what you are making.

If you have not tried a bread pudding before or it’s been years, you really do owe it to yourself to give one a try.

So for Wednesday, try “Bread Pudding with Salted Caramel Whiskey Sauce.”  Then on Thursday it’s “Andouille Bread Pudding” to give you that little kick.  Although, I must say the whiskey one should give you a kick too.  Just a different kind of kick.

That’s it for today.  “Happy Cooking” until next week and please share the link to my food blog here.  Thanks.

Cabbage Soup with Sausage and Potatoes

Cabbage Soup with Sausage and Potatoes

(8 servings)

Ingredients:

1 lb. Smoked Sausage (fully cooked), sliced into bite-sized pieces

2 tbsp. Olive Oil

3 medium Leeks, cleaned and sliced 1/8 inch rounds, white and light green only

2 medium Carrots, peeled and diced

1 stalk Celery, diced

1 small head Green Cabbage, chopped

3 cloves Fresh Garlic, minced

6 cups Chicken Broth

1 lb. Red Potatoes, diced

1 tbsp. Italian Seasoning

1-2 Bay Leaves

to taste Salt and Pepper

Directions:

In a 6-qt. Dutch Oven over medium heat, add sausage and lightly brown.  Use a slotted spoon to transfer to a plate and set aside.  Add oil, leeks, carrots and celery to pot and stir.  Sauté for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Add the cabbage and garlic and sauté for another 4 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Add chicken broth, potatoes, Italian Seasoning, bay leaves and sausage.  Stir to combine and continue cooking until soup reaches a simmer.  Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer for 15 minutes or until potatoes are tender.  Taste and season with salt and pepper.  Serve when ready.

Notes:              Soup can be made up to 3 days ahead of meal.  Can be frozen for 3 months too.  Do thaw soup before heating if frozen.

Ideas for Future Efforts

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Crockpot Cabbage Roll Soup

Crockpot Cabbage Roll Soup

(8-12 servings)

Ingredients:

1 lb. Thick Bacon, diced

1 large Onion, diced

3 cloves Fresh Garlic, minced

1 lb. Ground Chuck

2/3 cup Long Grain Rice, uncooked

6-8 cups Green Cabbage, chopped

1 can (28 oz.) Diced Tomatoes

1 can (10 oz.) Tomato Soup

2 tbsp. Tomato Paste

5-6 cups Beef Broth

1½ cups V8 Juice

1 tsp. Paprika

1 tsp. Thyme

1 tbsp. Worcestershire Sauce

to taste Salt and Pepper

for garnish Parsley, chopped

Directions:

In a skillet, cook bacon until crisp, drain to paper towels and leave 1 tbsp. bacon grease in skillet.  Brown onion and beef in the bacon grease, drain and add to a 6-qt. slow cooker.  Now add all remaining ingredients to slow cooker except the bacon.  Stir to combine, cover and cook on low for 6-7 hours or until rice is fully cooked.  Add in half the bacon and combine well.  Serve in bowls topping with additional bacon and parsley.

Notes:              If needed, cook on high for 3-4 hours or until rice is fully cooked.  You could also use regular tomato juice if you don’t have V8.

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Cabage Soups to Start the New Year

Happy New Year!  I'm starting off 2019 with a couple of "Cabbage Soup" recipes.  I enjoyed ringing in the new year, is this is short today.

Wednesday's recipe is "Crockpot Cabbage Roll Soup" and it will remind you of cabbage rolls too.  Then it's "Cabbage Soup with Sausage and Potatoes" for Thursday.

They are great winter time soups.  So enjoy and "Happy Cooking" until next week.  Have a great 2019 and please share the link to my food blog.  Thanks.