Category Archives: Cook

by | March 30, 2011 · 8:27 am

Cream of Potato Soup

I am such a fan of home made soups.  They are quick to make, satisfying and give you leftovers for days.  My neighbor makes the most amazing Cream of Potato Soup and I was so excited when she shared the recipe with me.  This soup is rich, creamy and surprisingly, easy to make. Top it with some shredded cheddar cheese and crumbled bacon and you have the perfect meal for chilly, early spring night.


Cream of Potato Soup

8 – 10 potatoes, peeled and cubed
2 Tablespoons butter
3 Tablespoons chicken bouillon crystals
8 oz cream cheese
1-2 cups milk
2 – 3 Tablespoons corn starch
1/4 cup water
salt and pepper to taste

bacon, grated cheese and green onions for topping

Place diced potatoes  in a large soup pot and fill the pot with water until it is level with the potatoes.  Add the butter and the bouillon crystals and boil until the potatoes are fork tender.

Next, stir in the cream cheese until completely melted.  Add 1-2 cups of milk until you reach a nice, soup-like consistency.  Bring this mixture just to a boil. Be careful not to overheat this soup or some of the potatoes may burn to the bottom of the pan.

In a separate bowl, mix water and cornstarch until smooth.  Add it to the soup a little at a time until you reach a nice, thick consistency.  Add salt and pepper to taste, remove from heat.

Serve with cooked and crumbled bacon, shredded cheddar cheese and green onions.



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by | March 28, 2011 · 8:14 am

Super Chewy Peanut Butter Cookies

Sometimes you find a recipe that’s just too good to mess with. My old peanut butter cookie recipe always seemed to dry out after just a day or two so when I recently had a craving for pb cookies I tested out the version from America’s Test Kitchen and found a new fave.

My inlaws got me hooked on America’s Test Kitchen‘s very reliable cookbooks and TV program awhile ago. ATK (as the inlaws call it) is a test kitchen that literally tests popular recipes hundreds of ways with real taste testers to find the absolute best version. It’s really no wonder that their peanut butter cookies are perfectly soft and chewy…plus they unbelievably stayed that way for almost a week!

I did decide to mix it up and throw in some extra M&Ms I had laying around into half the batter. Chocolate chips or Reese’s pieces would be tasty too.

Chewy Peanut Butter Cookies
recipe from America’s Test Kitchen
1 C (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 C sugar
1 C brown sugar
1 C chunky peanut butter
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
2 1/2 C flour
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 C dry roasted peanuts, chopped

Preheat oven to 350. Place parchment paper on a baking sheet and set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Set aside. In a large bowl, beat together butter and sugars until fluffy. Beat in peanut butter until well-combined. Add vanilla extract and beat. Beat in eggs one at a time. Gradually beat in dry mixture, scraping down edges of bowl to incorporate throughout the dough.

Use a small food processor to finely chop peanuts. Mix in 2/3 of peanuts into the dough until they are evenly dispersed. If using M&Ms or chocolate chips, fold in candy until evenly dispersed. Top cookies with remaining chopped nuts or candy.

Use a cookie scoop to scoop dough onto baking sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes.


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by | March 23, 2011 · 11:20 am

A Bun in the Oven

My mom used to always make monkey bread for special occasions and since I can’t resist a good pun, it seemed fitting to pull out this caramel sticky bun recipe to announce my own little “bun in the oven”! The hubs and I are expecting our first baby in August and we couldn’t be more excited.

But back to the monkey bread…if you have any affection for sticky rolls, you must try this. With just a little pre-planning (it needs to sit overnight) it’s a delicious and impressive pull-apart breakfast “bun” that only takes minutes of your time to prep.
monkey bread

Monkey Bread
1 pkg frozen white dinner rolls (2 dozen)
1 pkg non-instant butterscotch pudding mix
1/2 C chopped pecans
1/2 C butter
1/2 C brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla

Lightly butter a bundt pan. Sprinkle pecans in the bottom of the bundt pan. Sprinkle pudding mix on top. Place frozen dinner rolls evenly into the pan. In a large glass measuring cup or small bowl, microwave butter and brown sugar until melted. Whisk in cinnamon and vanilla until mixture is smooth, then pour over dinner rolls.

caramel breakfast rolls

Wrap pan with plastic wrap and set on the counter overnight to allow rolls to rise. Remove plastic wrap and bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes.

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by | March 21, 2011 · 8:37 am

{Giveaway} The Meat Lover’s Meatless Cookbook

***This giveaway is no longer accepting entries***

And the winner is…Alicia whose favorite meatless meal is “veggie lasagna, heavy on the veggies.”  Congratulations!

 

I always find myself trying to cook at least 2 meatless meals per week even though nobody in my family is a vegetarian.  There are so many benefits to cooking meatless:  the meals are usually less expensive, it provides less strain on the environment and can help minimize your carbon foot print.  Best of all, meatless meals can also open your mind to a variety of new foods you never thought to try!

When my husband and I were first married he let out a small groan when he heard we were eating a meatless meal that night.  He is a “meat and potatoes” kind of guy and thought that a meal without meat would never be able to fill him up.  That is why I was so happy when I came across this cookbook, The Meat Lover’s Meatless Cookbook by Kim O’Donnel.  It is full of hearty and delicious recipes that both meat lovers and carnivorous will enjoy.

The cook book is loaded with delicious recipes that leave your meat lover satisfied.

This week, we are giving away one copy of this fabulous book to one of our readers!  To enter, just leave a comment below telling us your favorite meatless meal.  We’ll select a winner by random on Thursday afternoon!

Good Luck!

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by | March 18, 2011 · 7:52 am

March Madness BBQ Beef Sliders

Get your pencils and brackets ready…It’s March Madness! I love this time of the year: nail-biting games, googling universities I’ve never heard of, healthy competition between friends and endless hours spent in my pajamas. When all you want to do is park it in front of the TV, a delicious easy recipe is a necessity. So tonight, while I am cheering on my alma mater (Go Marquette!), I’ll be feasting on these yummy BBQ Beef Sliders perfectly tender, no doubt due to my new masterbuilt smoker.

Slow Cooker Shredded BBQ Beef

3-4 lb boneless beef chuck roast
1 C ketchup
1 C BBQ sauce (I use Sweet Baby Rays)
1 C water
2 TBSP vinegar
2 TBSP Worcestershire sauce
2 TBSP brown sugar
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cracked black pepper
1/2 tsp garlic powder

Combine all ingredients except roast in slow cooker. Mix well. Add roast. Cover and cook on low for 7-9 hours. Remove roast. Shred meat and discard excess fat. Return to sauce and heat through. Serve on small to medium buns.

I typically serve these sandwiches with sweet potato fries. One of my favorite parts of this meal is the leftovers. You can freeze the beef and reheat a few weeks later when you just aren’t (gasp!) in the mood to cook.

Let the madness begin. GO MARQUETTE, GO GO GO GO!

Who are you rooting for this March?

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by | March 16, 2011 · 8:21 am

Slow Cooker Corned Beef Sandwiches

There are fancy ways to do corned beef and then there is the cheater way. By putting the slow cooker to work, these super easy corned beef sandwich melts may be using the cheater way but they are totally perfect for a weeknight St. Patty’s day meal. We left off the saukerkraut because neither the hubs or I are a fan, which means these aren’t technically Reubens but they’re just as tasty!

reuben rachel sandwich

Slow Cooker Corned Beef Sandwiches
1 packaged corned beef roast
baby swiss cheese
thousand island dressing
pumpernickel rye bread

Place corned beef roast in a slow cooker and season with seasoning packet and extra ground pepper. Add 2-3 cups of water until roast is submerged about 1/2 way. Cook on low heat for 5-6 hours. Remove from liquid and slice roast into thin cuts.

Toast two pieces of bread per person and slather toasted bread with dressing. Stack two layers of corned beef on one piece of bread and top with two pieces of cheese. Microwave for 30-40 seconds until cheese begins to melt. Top with other piece of bread.

corned beef sandwiches

And Now for Dessert!
Want a tasty Irish inspired dessert to round off your meal? Here’s ideas that range from easy to rich, in case you missed them:
Guinness Float
Irish Car Bomb Ice Cream
Chocolate Guinness Cake with Bailey’s Cream Cheese Frosting

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by | March 14, 2011 · 8:29 am

Chocolate Guinness Cake with Bailey’s Cream Cheese Frosting

How’s that for the name of a dessert?

This Guinness cake recipe, given to me from a neighbor, bakes up with a rich chocolate flavor and a hint of Guinness.  To add an extra kick, I like to poke holes in the cake and pour Bailey’s on top.  Then, I top it with some Bailey’s cream cheese frosting.  It is the perfect St. Patrick’s Day dessert.  But it might be best to keep this one away from the kids.

Chocolate Guinness Cake
1 cup butter
1 cup Guinness
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
2 large eggs
2/3 cup sour cream
About 1 cup of Bailey’s to drizzle on top of the cooked cake.

Bailey’s Cream Cheese Frosting
8 ounces room temperature cream cheese
2 to 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
5-6 Tbsp Bailey’s Irish Cream

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Melt the butter then, mix in the Guinness and cocoa powder.  Set aside and give it some time to cool down.

Mix the flour, sugar, baking soda and salt in a large bowl and set aside.  In a third bowl, mix the eggs and sour cream.

Slowly mix the Guinness mixture into the egg mixture, being sure the Guinness mixture is cool so the eggs won’t curdle.  Then, add the dry ingredients.  Stir until just combined.

Pour the batter into a well buttered spring form pan.  Bake at 350 degrees for 45-50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Cool for at least 20 minutes, remove from the pan and place on a cake plate.  Poke holes all over the top of the cake with a fork.  Slowly spoon 1 cup of Bailey’s over the cake.

Next, make the frosting by creaming the cream cheese and confectioners sugar.  Add the Bailey’s a little at a time until you reach your desired consistency. Frost your cake.

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!



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by | March 11, 2011 · 8:07 am

Guinness Float

This beer and ice cream marriage has been years in the making. It all started back in college when my good friend Greg and I tried to make a beer float. Much to our chagrin, Miller High Life Lite and vanilla ice cream DO NOT go well together, no matter how many Miller High Lifes you imbibe before taste testing.

Fast forward some years.

Greg and I were playing Rock Band on the Wii and drinking Guinness when it came to us: Guinness and ice cream! Better yet, Guinness and vanilla frozen custard! We high tailed it over to Murf’s, ordered up some custard and mixed our newest concoction. We were onto something.

This year, I perfected the Guinness Float. The creaminess of the custard, the thick, bold taste of the Guinness and the smoothness of Bailey’s Irish Cream make for one delicious Irish treat.

Guinness Float

2 small scoops vanilla frozen custard or vanilla ice cream
1 bottle or can Guinness
1 shot of Bailey’s Irish Creme
Dash of nutmeg

Scoop frozen custard or ice cream into a pint glass. Pour one shot of Bailey’s over the ice cream. Slowly pour Guinness in the glass until full. Top with a dash of nutmeg.

So let us raise our glasses: “May the roof above us never fall in, and may we friends beneath it never fall out.”

Slainte!

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by | March 2, 2011 · 8:40 am

{Haute Pie} Irish Pasties

With St. Patrick’s day right around the corner, I wanted to try my hand at some traditional Irish fare.  These hand pies are commonly eaten in Ireland and are called Irish Pasties (pronounced pass-tees, not pay-stees).  They consist of a tender pastry crust filled with potatoes and meat, usually beef.  I made mine with some left over pot roast, however you could always use a simple ground beef as well.

Irish Pasties

2 cups left over pot roast fully cooked  (cooked ground beef or beef roast can also be used)
2-3 russet or Idaho potatoes, peeled, quartered and sliced thin
2 pre-made pie crusts (usually come in a 2 pack)
olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Milk for brushing on the pastries

Roll out pie crust and cut each in half so you have 4 half circles (each half circle will be 1 pie).  Let them sit out while you prepare the meat and potatoes to allow them to reach room temperature.

Heat 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil in a large saute pan.  Add potatoes and cook over medium heat for 15-20 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally so they do not burn. Covering the pan may help speed up the cooking process.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Heat left over pot roast in the microwave until warm and mix with cooked potatoes.

Spoon mixture onto each of your 4 half circles, only covering one side.

Fold over crust to cover filling completely.  Then,  roll and pinch sides to seal in filling.  Make 4 slits on top of the pie for steam to escape.  Brush each finished pastry with milk and place on a baking sheet.

Bake at 400 for 18 -22 minutes or until crust is golden brown.  Serve warm with a side of ketchup.

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by | February 28, 2011 · 8:14 am

Easy Chicken Enchiladas

Giveaway Winner!

First off, congrats to HAP reader Stephanie who was our random winner in the Permanent Baggage wristlet giveaway! Stephanie will soon be receiving a wristlet of her choice…perhaps in the Vita Plaid pattern that she mentioned!

BONUS: Permanent Baggage is offering 20% off for anyone who entered the drawing! Just use the coupon code ILUVAPPLEPIE when you check out at the Etsy store.  A big thanks again to everyone who entered and to Kamryn at Permanent Baggage!

Easy Weeknight Enchiladas

This is one of those recipes that isn’t really a recipe at all. In fact, it’s by no means a traditional enchilada recipe but I love it because you can really play with the components based on what you like or what’s in your fridge. It’s versatile, seriously fast for weeknights and makes great lunch leftovers so the concept makes a regular appearance in our menu lineup.

Chicken Enchiladas
3 chicken breasts or 2 package of chicken tenders, cut into small chunks
cumin
garlic powder
chili powder or chipotle powder
dash of cayenne
dash of salt
2/3 can refried beans
3 green onions, diced
1 pkg low-fat ricotta cheese
1 large jar picante sauce, salsa or taco sauce
6-7 large flour tortillas
1 pkg shredded cheddar

Preheat oven to 375.  In a large saute pan, cook chicken chunks over medium heat with 1-2 Tbps olive oil.  As chicken begins to cook, season liberally with cumin, garlic and chili powder.  Sprinkle with salt and cayenne and toss chicken well to coat evenly.  Add green onions and 1/3 of the jar of salsa and stir well. Cook for 5-7 minutes until chicken is cooked through.

Meanwhile, working one tortilla at a time, paint the center of the tortilla with refried beans and then with ricotta. Spoon a portion of the chicken mixture over the ricotta. Sprinkle with cheddar cheese.

chicken enchiladas

Roll tortilla around filling, tucking the ends under, and place in a 13×9″ baking pan. Repeat with each tortilla (they’ll fit tightly in the pan). Pour remaining salsa over the enchiladas and top with remaining cheese. Bake for 25-28 minutes until cheese begins to turn a light golden brown.

easy enchilada recipes
Other Tasty Enchilada Combos:
Beef (or Venison) and Black Beans
Shredded Pork with Corn, Rice and Tomatillo Salsa
Roasted Vegetables and White Cheddar

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