Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Best Blue Cheese Dressing Ever!
Saturday, August 28, 2010
Elaine's Great Cheesecake
In a food processor Add:
Friday, August 27, 2010
Cheesy tortellini casserole
I can't believe I have never posted this recipe! One of our family favorites.
This recipe can be found here also:
Ingredients
- Olive oil
- 2 cups marinara sauce (homemade is good, but canned works too)
- 1/3 cup mascarpone cheese (or room temp cream cheese works too)
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves
- 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme leaves
- 1 pound purchased cheese tortellini (I prefer the Costco cheese ones)
- 2 ounces thinly sliced smoked mozzarella
- 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly oil an 8 by 8 by 2-inch baking dish.
Whisk the sauce, mascarpone cheese, parsley and thyme in a large bowl to blend. Cook the tortellini in a large pot of boiling salted water until just tender, about 2 minutes. Drain. Add the tortellini to the sauce and toss to coat. Transfer the tortellini mixture to the prepared baking dish. Top the mixture with the smoked mozzarella and Parmesan. Cover and bake until the sauce bubbles and the cheeses on top melt, about 30 minutes.
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Herb Crusted Rib Eye with Balsamic mushroom sauce
Shells with Crispy Bacon and Spinach
Ingredients
Shells:
- 1 (12-ounce) package jumbo shells pasta
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 pound thick-cut pancetta, cut into 3/4-inch cubes
- 2 pounds frozen spinach, thawed and drained
- 1 (15-ounce) container whole milk ricotta
- 1 cup grated asiago cheese
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
Sauce:
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 cup cream
- 2 cups grated asiago cheese, plus 1/4 cup
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Directions
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
For the shells:
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain pasta.
Warm the olive oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium heat. Add the pancetta and cook until lightly golden, about 5 minutes. Remove the pancetta from the pan with a slotted spoon and transfer to a large bowl. Add the spinach, ricotta cheese, asiago cheese, pepper, and nutmeg. Stir to combine. Stuff the shells with about 2 tablespoons of the spinach mixture each and place the stuffed shells in a large, buttered baking dish.
For the sauce:
Melt the butter in a medium saucepan. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the cream and bring to a simmer. Turn the heat to very low and add the 2 cups asiago cheese, parsley, and pepper. Stir until the cheese is dissolved. Pour the sauce over the shells. Top with the remaining 1/4 cup asiago cheese. Bake until golden on top, about 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and serve immediately.
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Baked Chicken and Rice With Black Beans
Baked Chicken and Rice With Black Beans
Photo: William Dickey; Styling: Rose Nguyen
Ingredients
- 1 (10-oz.) package yellow rice mix (I did a 5 oz pkg to cut down on carbs and it was just enough rice)
- 1 cup chopped onion
- 1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
- 1/2 cup chopped carrot
- 1/2 cup chopped zucchini
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 cups cubed cooked chicken
- 1 (15-oz.) can black beans, drained
- 1 (10-oz.) can diced tomatoes and green chiles, undrained (I used a regular can of tomatoes and a small can of diced green chili's)
- 2 cups (8 oz.) grated Monterey Jack cheese (I used colby Jack)
Preparation
1. Preheat oven to 350°. Prepare rice according to package directions.
2. Meanwhile, sauté onion, bell pepper, and carrot in hot oil in a medium skillet over medium heat 10 minutes or until tender.
3. Combine hot cooked rice, onion mixture, chicken, beans, diced tomatoes and chiles, and 1 1/2 cups cheese in a large bowl. Spoon into a lightly greased 3-qt. or 13- x 9-inch baking dish; sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup cheese.
4. Bake, covered, at 350° for 30 minutes; uncover and bake 10 minutes or until cheese is melted.
Sunday, August 15, 2010
Chalupa Dinner Bowl
I think I would call this Carnitas Dinner 3 ways if it were my recipe! We made it today in the crock pot while at church and YUMMMM! I enjoyed it best as a soft taco with lettuce, guacamole, sour cream and a touch of salsa. You can make it in the taco bowl, nacho style or Soft Taco style. I made it with boneless pork roast so that I would not have to deal with the bone and it was amazing!
This pork-and-bean mixture is versatile. Serve it spooned over cornbread or rolled up burrito style in flour tortillas. Make hearty nachos, quesadillas, or tacos too. It can even be used as a meaty addition to huevos rancheros (fried corn tortillas topped with fried eggs and salsa).
Preparation Time: 30 minutes minutes
Cooking Time: 11 hours minutes
Other Time: 5 minutes minutes
Yield: Makes 8 servings
1 pound dried pinto beans
1 (3 1/2-pound) bone-in pork loin roast
2 (4-ounce) cans chopped green chiles
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 tablespoon chili powder
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 (32-ounce) box chicken broth
1 (10-ounce) can diced tomatoes and green chiles with lime juice and cilantro
8 taco salad shells
1 small head iceberg lettuce, shredded
Toppings: shredded Monterey Jack cheese, pickled jalapeño slices, halved grape tomatoes, sour cream, chopped avocado
Rinse and sort beans according to package directions.
Place pinto beans in a 6-quart slow cooker; add roast and next 6 ingredients. Pour chicken broth evenly over top of roast.
Cover and cook on HIGH 1 hour; reduce to LOW, and cook 9 hours. Or, cover and cook on HIGH 6 hours. Remove bones and fat from roast; pull roast into large pieces with two forks. Stir in diced tomatoes and green chiles. Cook, uncovered, on HIGH 1 more hour or until liquid is slightly thickened.
Heat taco salad shells according to package directions; place shredded lettuce evenly into shells. Spoon about 1 cup pork-and-bean mixture into each shell using a slotted spoon. Serve with desired toppings.
Note: For testing purposes only, we used RO*TEL Mexican Festival tomatoes and a Rival Recipe Smart-Pot slow cooker. Times may vary depending on the slow cooker used.
Thursday, August 5, 2010
Rocky Road Fudge
A very long wooden spoon is also helpful!!
Rocky Road Fudge
In a large pot combine:
1 can evaporated milk
2o lg. marshmallows
4 c. Sugar
Bring to a boil. After it reaches boiling cook 5 min stirring constantly scraping bottom.
Remove from stove.
Add:
12 oz pkg. semi sweet chocolate chips
1/2 lb butter
Stir until melted and mixture begins to thicken.
Add 2 cups Chopped Nuts (I use Pecans or walnuts)
Add 1 package of frozen miniature marshmallows
Stir and pour into a large pan and refrigerate till set.
Cut into bars and try to resist....or just ask for forgiveness!
Diane's Mini Cheesecakes
Makes 12 Muffin size Cheesecakes
You will need to go out and get the foil muffin cups for this recipe-sorry but you must do what I say..MUHAHA
Pre-Heat oven to 325
Line a 12 muffin pan with foil liners
Place one vanilla wafer in the bottom of each cup
Mix till well blended:
1 lb. cream cheese at room temp
1/2 C. Sugar
1 t. vanilla
Add one at a time:
2 eggs
Pour into muffin liners to 3/4 full
Bake for 25 min tops should be slightly browned
(they will settle a bit during cooling)
Top with your favorite fruit pie filling
Watch them disapear!
No Crust Quiche
Pre-Heat Oven to 350 (325 for glass)
10 Lg. Eggs
2 lb. sharp cheddar cheese
1 pt. small curd cottage cheese
1 t. baking powder
1/2. t. salt
1 lg. can diced green chili's
1 cube butter divided
1/2 C. flour
Whip the eggs with an electric mixer in a large bowl
Add remaining ingredients saving out 1/2 cube of butter.
Melt the remaining butter in the bottom of your 9x13 pan
Add the mixture to the pan and bake for 1 hour.
OPTIONAL changes: Instead of chili's you could substitue Ham, Bacon, Onions.
Or: Feta Cheese and Spinach leaves. Sun Dried Tomatoes and basil.
the possibilities are endless actually!
Chicken Enchiladas
Just thinking about these makes me wanna go have some!
Chicken Enchiladas:
Pre-heat oven to 425
Mix together
3 C. shredded cooked chicken
1 t. Salt
1 small can chopped green chili's
1 small can corn drained-optional
1/2 can black beans rinsed-optional
Set aside
Combine in a good sized bowl
20 Oz. can of Enchilada Sauce (I use mild, you have my permission to get the spicy stuff as long as I don't have to eat it)
small can of evaporated milk
Set this mixture near your stove.
Heat some oil in a med skillet
When it's hot, fry up 12 Corn Tortillas for a few seconds on each side.
Place each tortilla into the sauce mixture till done
When done Carefully Take the tortillas one by one out of the sauce and fill with approx. 1/4 cup of the chicken mixture. Roll and set in 9x13 pan.
Pour the remaining sauce over the rolled up tortillas in pan.
Sprinkle with 2 C. Cheddar/Monterey Jack mixture of cheese
Bake for 15 min till pan is bubbly and heated through.
Serve Hot with Spanish Rice, beans, or sour cream!
Streussal Topping for Muffins
Mix:
1/2 C. Brown Sugar
2 T. Flour
1 t. Cinnamon
1/4 C. finely chopped Pecans
Add in 2 T. room temp butter and cut in with a pastry cutter.
Sprinkle on top of muffins before baking