Another Winner

Southwest Casserole

• 2 cups (8 ounces) uncooked elbow macaroni
• 2 pounds ground beef
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 cans (14-1/2 ounces each) diced tomatoes, undrained
• 1 can (16 ounces) kidney beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 can (6 ounces) tomato paste
• 1 can (4 ounces) chopped green chiles, drained
• 1-1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
• 2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and chopped

Directions

• Cook macaroni according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, cook beef and onion over medium heat, crumbling beef, until meat is no longer pink. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Drain. Stir in next 8 ingredients. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes. Drain macaroni; stir into beef mixture.
• Preheat oven to 375°. Transfer macaroni mixture to 2 greased 2-qt. baking dishes. Top with cheese and jalapenos. Cover and bake at 375° for 30 minutes. Uncover; bake until bubbly and heated through, about 10 minutes longer. Serve 1 casserole. Cool the second; cover and freeze up to 3 months.
• To use frozen casserole: Thaw in refrigerator 8 hours. Preheat oven to 375°. Remove from refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Cover and bake, increasing time as necessary to heat through and for a thermometer inserted in center to read 165°, 20-25 minutes.
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Cake Mix Cinnamon Rolls

Ready to bake.

Fresh out of the oven.

We added cream cheese icing.

Cake Mix Cinnamon Rolls

3 (2.5 ounce) packages of active dry yeast

2 1/2 cups of warm water

1 (8.25 ounce) package of white cake mix

4 1/4 cups of all-purpose flour

1/2 cup of butter, softened

1/2 cup of brown sugar

2 teaspoons of ground cinnamon

1/4 cup of melted butter 

1/3 cup of white sugar

Step 1...In a small bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water.  Let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes.

Step 2...In a large bowl, combine the yeast mixture with the cake mix and three cups of flour: stir to combine.  Add the remaining flour. 1/2 cup at a time, stirring well after each addition.  When he dough has pulled together, turn it out on a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes.

Step 3...Lightly oil a large bowl, place the dough in the bowl and coat with oil.  Cover with a damp cloth and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 30 minutes.

Step 4...Deflate the dough and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface.  Roll the dough into a 10x16 inch rectangle.  Spread with softened butter and sprinkle with the brown sugar and cinnamon mixture.  Starting from one of the long sides roll up the triangle and cut into 1 inch wide rolls.

Step 5...Preheat oven to 375 drees.  Grease a 9x13 baking pan.  Pour the melted butter into a small bowl.  Dip the top of each roll into the butter and then into the sugar and then place dipped rolls snuggly into a prepared 9x13pan.  Cover the rolls with a damp cloth and let rise until doubled in volume, about 30 minutes.

Step 6...Bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes or until rolls is golden brown.

Sidenote...we made a cream cheese icing and added it when the rolls had cooked for awhile.

John Wayne Casserole

The story behind the recipe...It is said that when John Wayne was invited to pot luck he always too the same dish.  Every time.  So everyone names it the John Wayne Casserole.

John Wayne Casserole

2 pounds of ground beef

1 packet of taco seasoning

1 16 ounce can of biscuits

 3/4 cup fo sour cream

8 ounces of shredded cheddar cheese, divided

1 medium onion sliced and divided

2 tomatoes sliced

1 red bell pepper, sliced

1 4ounce can of sliced jalapeno peppers

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease a 9x13 baking dish, and line the bottom with caned biscuits to create a bottom crust.  Bake for 15-120 minutes or just until beginning to brown.  Set aside when done.

In a large skillet combine beef and taco seasoning and cook until browned.  Remove beef from the pan and set aside.

In the same skillet saute bell peppers and half of the onions.  Set aside.

In a medium bowl combine sour cream, half the cheese, and the rest of the onions.

Layer the beef on top of the biscuit crust, followed by sliced tomatoes, and then the pepper and onion mixture, adding jalapenos on top of that and top with remaining cheese.

Bake for 30-40 minutes until cheese is beginning to brown on the edges.  Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.  

Lip-Smackin' Meatballs

These are the best meatballs on the planet.  My mouth is still watering!  And again...a recipe from Cassie.

Pulled out the big guns...the gloves for mixing.  Thanks Mandy Lynn.

Cassie said to make huge meatballs.  So he did.  There were just a little smaller than baseballs.

While the meatballs were baking we made the sauce.  Oh, my word.  I want to make this, can it and sells it and retire to the woods somewhere.  It is that good!!!

 Perfectly done!  And what is left will go in the feeder until we make them again...probably next week.

And into that wonderful sauce, they go.

Soak it up babies, soak it up!

Dinner was silent. All you could hear were smacking lips and an ahhh every once in awhile.

On the recipe card, Cassie wrote, 'We always serve it with cheesy potatoes and cranberry jello.' 

Meatballs

3 pounds of hamburger

2 cups of oatmeal

2 eggs

1 can of evaporated milk

1/2 cup of chopped onion

1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder

2 teaspoons of salt

2 teaspoons of chili powder

Mix together and form meatballs. Bake at 350 degrees for one hour.  When they come out of the oven add them to the sauce and stir until covered.

The Killer Sauce

2 cups of ketchup

1 1/2 cups of brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder

2 Tablespoons of liquid smoke

1/4 cup of chopped onion

And we had homemade bread made by Marji that was soooo good.

This made my night.  Mark said that he never realized how much work/time his mom, his grandmother, and I put into putting meals on the table!

Homemade Buttermilk Waffles

Buttermilk Waffles

1 1/2 cups of All-Purpose flour

2 teaspoons of baking powder

1/2 teaspoon of salt

2 Tablespoons of sugar

1 large egg

1/1/2 cups of lukewarm buttermilk

5 Tablespoons of melted butter

Mix all dry ingredients together in a large bowl.  Add the egg, milk, and butter.  Stir.  Don't worry if it is a little bit lumpy.  Pour desired amount into a hot waffle iron.  Enjoy!

This trusty little thing makes the best waffles!  We have had it forever!

Ta-Da

Ellis and Alaire this pic is for you!  Don't you wish you were here?  Pappy even warmed his up!

And that is the end of that!

Homemade Pizza Dough For Calzones

Pizza Dough

Group One:

1 Tablespoon of yeast

1 cup of warm water

1 teaspoon of sugar

Group Two:

1 teaspoon of salt

2 Tablespoons of olive oil

 1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon of oregano

1/2 teaspoon of basil

Group Three:

1 1/2 cups of Whole Wheat flour

1 cup of All-Purpose flour

Pour Group One into a mixing bowl and let it sit for about 5 minutes.  Add Group Two and whisk.  Add flour and hook attachment. Knead for 5 minutes.  Let rise for about 5-10 minutes.  Bake at 45o degrees for 10-15 minutes. Makes 4-5 calzones.

Mark gets to use all the new stuff.

The burrito boy making his calzone.

Mark's finished masterpiece.

Mine perfectly tucked in and all toasty.

Michael's ended looking like an old man to me.  See his nose and under that his grumpy chin.  And his cute little ear.

I think I've been in too long.  Food is starting to take on humanness. 

Cassie's Pesto Cavatappi

We loved going to Noodles.  One of our favorite dishes was Pesto Cavatappi.  So Cassie came up with a recipe.  I think she nailed it!  Even our resident culinary critic, Michael, said it was good.

Pesto Cavatappi

1 box of penne rigate

1 can petite diced tomatoes (drained)

1/2 cup of Italian dressing

1 1/2-2 chicken breasts diced or cubed

1/3 cup pesto (add more to taste)

1/4 c Parmesan cheese, shredded

Cook pasta according to the box.  Combine with dressing, tomatoes, and chicken in a large skillet.  Cook on Med-High heat until chicken is cooked and all water has boiled off (uncovered)  In a large bowl combine chicken mixture and all other ingredients.  Stir and serve.

He's At It Again

Potato Rolls

Ingredients

1/2 cup of room temperature water

2 1/4 tsp (1 packet) active dry or instant yeast

1 tsp plus 1/3 cup sugar, divided

1 cup of mashed potatoes 1/4 cup of milk

6 Tablespoon of unsalted butter, melted and cooled

2 large eggs

2 1/2 teaspoons minced fresh rosemary leaves

1/1/2 teaspoon of salt.

4 1/2 to 5 cups of all-purpose flour

Honey Butter Topping

1/4 cup of regular salted butter, room temp

2 Tablespoons of honey

Proof the yeast...In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine water, yeast and 1 teaspoon of sugar.  Set aside for 5 minutes or until the mixtures looks bubbly.

Mix the dough...add remaining sugar, mashed potatoes, milk, butter, eggs, rosemary, and salt to the bowl of yeast mixture and stir with a spatula until smooth.  Add 4 1/2 cups of flour mix until it forms a shaggy dough.

Knead the dough...with a dough hook attachment knead for 5-7 mintes med-low until dough is smooth, forms a ball around the dough hook, and pulls away from the sides of the bowl. 
after a few minutes of kneading add a few tablespoons of flour.

Let the dough rise...Place dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and place somewhere warm for about an hour, or until dough doubles in size.

Shape dough into balls... Line a 9x13 baking pan with parchment paper and lightly grease.  Turn the dough out on to a lightly floured surface and cut into 16-20equal pieces.  Roll into small balls and place seam side down in the baking dish.

Cover and let rolls rise for 1 hour.  15 minutes before rolls are ready preheat oven to 350 degrees'

Bake rolls for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown on top.

Brush rolls with honey butter...In a small dish mix 1/4 cup fo room temperature butter and two Tablespoons of honey until smooth.  Brush tops of rolls then sprinkle with salt.  Allow to cool slightly before serving.

They were so pretty but because they were all bunched in there together they weren't quite done.

So we put them back in the oven for a little bit longer.

Shepherd's Pie

Then he started on Cassie's Shepherd's Pie.

It looks like everyone was satisfied.  We are all so full that we can't move.  I see a nap coming on.

Developing A New Hobby

Pappy needs something to keep him occupied!  I need him to have something to do!  So he has taken up cooking!

This is his second Buttermilk Biscuit recipe he has tried.  It only has three ingredients!

Light and fluffy.  Delicious.  We ran out of Amish Applebutter and that could be a big problem.  Maybe Applebutter will be next on his hit parade.

And now he is working on Curry Chicken Salad.

 I'm not going to say it but I can but you can guess what is going through my mind.

Delicious! I think he might work on it tomorrow because it is already gone and we thought this batch might have been a little too salty.

Have any suggestions for him?

This One Takes Me Back To Canada

My grandparents had a little fishing place in Picton, Ontario, Canada...Accommodating Bay...Lake Ontario.  Every year at the end of the summer before everyone left to go home they would throw a huge fish fry.  Everyone would bring side dishes and they would cook fish...pounds and pounds of fish and hush puppies that were as big as softballs and would melt in your mouth.  I was talking to Jon Milligan the other day about it, don't know why.  Then frozen walleye ended up on my front porch.

Jon provided the fish and the cornmeal.  I had the rest!

Oh, man!  Smells from my childhood.

golden brown

fish sandwiches for dinner

  Momaw would be proud!  McDonald's got nothin' on me!

Thanks, Jon it was delicious!

Pappy's Buttermilk Biscuits

We need to find Pappy a hobby!  And quick before he gnaws through the walls trying to get out of quarantine.

He is going to try his hand at cooking.  Today it was from scratch buttermilk biscuits.

I found him a video on YouTube to watch.  Then he was off to the races.

They were delicious.  Light and fluffy.  But we learned to put the rack up one notch so the bottoms wouldn't be so brown and so the tops would be browner.

Next up...homemade apple butter because we are now officially out of Cedarmore Farm Amish Apple Butter and I am sad!!

Campstove Cookin'

Along with the Coronavirus, the (not really a) tornado, we had no electricity for three days.  No, bother here.  We just got out camping gear, put on a base layer, wool socks and were off to the races.  I call it Camping with Benefits...like four walls with insulation and a comfy bed. (But I do love my camp cot!)

Camping 101...campfire coffee.

breakfast...eggs sausage...

The Rockhold's to the rescue.  I ran out of propane.  Kory was on it.  And you will notice masks worn while they visited compliments of the Easter Bunny (Kory's mom)

French toast and Pappy's oatmeal

veggie frittata

chili

A comment from one of my dear, compassionate, loving children...gee dad, I bet you are hoping the electric stays off for awhile.  Mom's cooking better on that stove than the one in the house.