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In , on January 21, 2016 with No Comments

Italian Sausage Roll-ups

My family loves Italian-style meals, and lasagna is probably one of their favorite choices when I ask them what they’d like for dinner. I don’t mind making a huge lasagna, but I wanted to do something a little different for dinner tonight, so I decided to make Italian Sausage Roll-ups. I’ve made these in a variety of ways in the past, using ground beef, adding spinach and mixing up the different cheeses, but tonight I decided to make them with Italian sausage.

These are really easy to make, although they can be a little bit messy, but in the end, this is a fun dish you can make for your family and when friends come over for dinner. This is also a good recipe to get little hands in the kitchen to teach them how to cook.

 

Italian Sausage Roll-ups

1 pound Italian pork sausage

1 package lasagna noodles

1 carton ricotta cheese

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

1 egg

1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning blend

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 jar of your favorite spaghetti or marinara sauce

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Fresh Parmesan cheese for grating

 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Cook lasagna noodles according to package direction. Set aside.

In a skillet, brown the Italian sausage until no longer pink and nicely browned. Drain.

In a large bowl, combine the ricotta cheese, egg, 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, Italian seasoning and garlic powder. Stir until thoroughly combined. Add the browned and drained Italian sausage. Mix well.

sausage filling

 

To assemble, take 1 cooked lasagna noodle, and place 1 tablespoon of the meat and cheese filling on one end. Roll up the lasagna noodle like you would a jelly roll.

lasagna noodle and filling

 

Place in a greased 9 x 13-inch baking pan, seam side down. Continue with the remaining noodles until you’ve filled the pan.

lasagna rolls in pan

Pour the jar of spaghetti or marinara sauce evenly over the tops of the lasagna rolls.

 

lasagna rolls with sauce

Sprinkle the shredded mozzarella cheese over the tops of the rolls, and grate fresh Parmesan cheese over everything.

lasagna rolls with sauce and cheese 2

 

Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for approximately 30 minutes, or until the cheese on top is nicely browned and the dish is bubbly.

 

lasagna rolls baked

 

Yield: 18 lasagna rolls

 

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In , , on November 2, 2015 with No Comments

Spinach Lasagna

My family would eat pasta just about every night of the week if that’s what I made. Well, maybe not Kevin so much, as he’s a traditional meat-and-potatoes kind of guy, but my sons would. They frequently ask for lasagna, and when they were little, I used to add fresh spinach to my lasagna to “sneak” in a few more vegetables into their diet – not that they didn’t ever eat their veggies, but it was just one more way to get some greens in them. Now my oldest son requests that I include spinach when I make a lasagna, so I guess my sneaky ingredient somehow became his favorite way to eat lasagna.

To me the best lasagna has a ton of cheese in it, so I use lots of different blends in my recipe. For the ground meat, I’ve used ground venison, ground beef, Italian sausage and a combination of all. My oldest son likes it best when I use a combination of ground beef and ground Italian sausage, so this recipe reflects that.

lasagna in pan

lasagna

 

Spinach Lasagna

1 package lasagna noodles, cooked according to package directions, cooled
1 pound ground beef
1 pound ground Italian sausage
1 small onion, diced
16 ounces diced mushrooms (store-bought canned, fresh or home canned)
2 jars spaghetti sauce (store bought or home canned)
1 8-ounce can tomato paste (I used Italian-seasoned tomato paste)
8 ounces ricotta cheese or small-curd cottage cheese
1 egg, slightly beaten
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon parsley leaves
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 package fresh spinach leaves, washed and patted dry
2 cups shredded Italian cheese blend
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
8 ounces sliced Provolone cheese
Freshly grated Asiago cheese
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Cook lasagna noodles per package directions. Set aside.

In a large skillet, brown ground beef and Italian sausage with the diced onions until the meat is no longer pink. Drain grease. In the same skillet, to the browned meat add 1 jar of spaghetti sauce, the tomato paste and the mushrooms. Cook until the mixture thickens.

In a large bowl, combine the ricotta or cottage cheese, egg, 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, garlic powder, parsley, Italian seasoning and salt. Stir until well combined.

Combine the 2 cups of Italian shredded cheese and 1 cup of the shredded mozzarella cheese in another bowl.

In a large lasagna pan, layer the bottom with cooked lasagna noodles. Spoon some of the meat mixture on top of the noodles. Add a layer of the sliced Provolone cheese. Add a layer of the ricotta/egg mixture over the sliced Provolone. Add a layer of spinach leaves. Add a layer of the combined shredded cheeses.

Repeat layers, starting with another layer of noodles, and continue until you’ve used all the noodles, meat mixture, ricotta cheese mixture, spinach and combined shredded cheeses.

After you’ve completed all the layers, pour the remaining 1 jar of spaghetti sauce over all the layers. Top the sauce with the remaining 1 cup of shredded mozzarella cheese and additional freshly grated Asiago and Parmesan cheeses, if desired.

Bake the lasagna in a 350 degrees Fahrenheit oven for about 60 minutes, or until the cheese is browned and the lasagna is bubbly.

Serve with additional grated Parmesan and Asiago cheeses.

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In , , on October 16, 2015 with No Comments

Chicken Pot Pie in a Crock-Pot

I was busy working away today when I looked at the clock and saw it was nearly the middle of the afternoon. And I hadn’t started anything for dinner yet. Technically I had – I got out some frozen chicken breasts in the morning to thaw, but I hadn’t decided what I was going to do with them.

So I turned to Pinterest, as I often do, for a little inspiration on what to do with this chicken. I saw a post about chicken pot pie done in the Crock-Pot, and I had my answer. Rummaging through my cupboards and freezer for the veggies, I had everything I needed to put together a quick yet tasty meal for my family. I just dumped everything in the Crock-Pot and went back to work. Easy peasy šŸ™‚

 

 

Chicken Pot Pie in a Crock-Pot

5 to 6 frozen chicken breasts
1 can condensed golden mushroom soup
1 can condensed cream of chicken soup
1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup
5 to 6 red potatoes, diced (peeled or unpeeled – your choice)
4 cups frozen peas and carrots
Salt and pepper to taste
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
2 teaspoons dried parsley flakes
Hot biscuits (homemade, store bought or out of a can)

Layer the frozen chicken breasts in the bottom of the Crock-Pot. Add potatoes, frozen veggies, soups, seasonings and mix well.

Cook on low for 6 to 8 hours, or on high for 4 to 5 hours, until the chicken is fully cooked. Be sure to break up the chicken into bite-sized pieces after it has cooked.

Serve over hot biscuits.

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When I pulled up my usual biscuit recipe, I realized I was out of milk. That sent me on an online search for a no-milk biscuit recipe. I found one on Cooks.com, and they turned out great.

No-Milk Biscuits

2 cups flour (all-purpose or bread flour)
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons canola oil or soft shortening
3/4 cup water

Mix all ingredients together. Add additional flour to knead easily. Knead dough on a floured surface for about 30 seconds. Roll dough out to 1/2-inch thickness, and cut with a small cutter. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet, and bake at 450 degrees Fahrenheit for 10 to 12 minutes, or until biscuits are golden brown.

Yield: 12 biscuits

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In , , on October 13, 2015 with No Comments

CrockPot Pulled Pork, Onion Strings and Dipping Sauce

After finding a nice buy at the grocery store on some pork shoulders, I decided to make some pulled pork in the Crock-Pot. When we have time, Kevin likes to smoke these on the smoker, but when we don’t have a lot of time, the Crock-Pot is a great way to get the same flavors without having to stand guard while it cooks.

I decided to use a dry rub on this pork shoulder and let the meat simmer in some apple cider vinegar. You can pass your favorite barbecue sauce at the table if you wish, but it’s great just as is.

Along with the pulled pork, I fixed a broccoli coleslaw and onion strings with a spicy dipping sauce similar to what you’d get in a steakhouse. I’ve listed the recipes separately, but my sons informed me you have to pile everything together on the pulled pork sandwich to make the perfect bite.

My sandwich:

 

Crock-Pot Pulled Pork

4- to 6-pound pork shoulder
1 cup apple cider vinegar
1 cup water
1/4 cup paprika
2 tablespoons packed dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon sugar
2 tablespoons salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder

Trim off any excess fat from the pork shoulder. Mix together all dry ingredients, and rub onto all sides of the pork shoulder.

Pour the apple cider vinegar and water into the Crock-Pot, and add the pork shoulder. Cook on low for 6 to 8 hours, or until the meat easily comes off the bone.

Shred the meat. Serve on buns with barbecue sauce if desired.
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We recently got a new counter-sized deep fryer, and we’ve been trying all sorts of delicious recipes. When Kevin came home from work with some huge Vidalia onions (thanks Jeff!), I decided we needed to try Ree Drummond’s (The Pioneer Woman) recipe forĀ Onion Strings. You can fry up as many onions as you wish – just adjust the ingredients to make sure you have enough flour mixture to coat all your onions. We love onion rings and strings in all shapes and forms, and this recipe is a definite keeper.

 

Onion Strings

1 whole large onion
2 cups buttermilk
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon salt
1/2 to 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Oil for frying, between 1 to 2 quarts depending on the equipment in which you’re frying the onions
Salt and black pepper to taste

Slice onions very thin. Place in a baking dish, and cover with buttermilk. Soak onions for at least an hour.

Combine dry ingredients, and set aside.

Heat oil to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.

Place the onions in the seasoned flour mixture, and coat completely. Shake off any excess flour. Add the onions to the hot oil. Fry for a few minutes, and remove from the oil as they turn golden brown. Season to taste with salt and black pepper.

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For the onion dipping sauce, I combined a couple recipes I’d seen to get the taste I was looking for. It has just enough spice so you can taste it, but it doesn’t overpower the taste of the onion strings. You can halve this recipe if just using it to dip onion rings, but the boys wanted sauce to use on their pulled pork sandwiches, so this makes quite a bit of dipping sauce.

Onion Dipping Sauce

2 cups mayonnaise
2 tablespoons chili sauce
1 tablespoon ketchup
1 tablespoon sour cream
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt

Combine all ingredients, and chill in the refrigerator for at least an hour to allow the flavors to marry together.

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In , on October 9, 2015 with No Comments

Venison Chili

The beauty about canning your own garden vegetables, making your own chili beans and canned black beans, and having men in the house who hunt means that I almost always have the ingredients in my cupboard to make venison chili. My husband and sons hunt deer, and when they are successful, we often can deer meat. It’s a great addition to chili. We always grow tomatoes, both slicers and cherry tomatoes, and I can these as well. I’ve recently been canning my own chili beans and black beans, which I’ve always added to my version of chili, so it makes sense for me to have a bunch of these in my cupboard too.

When I make venison chili, it’s simply a “dump” recipe. Grab the quarts and pints needed off the shelves, and dump everything together in a large stockpot. Heat and serve – easy peasy!

If you don’t have canned venison, you can always substitute your favorite protein – beef, chicken or pork. However you make it, when you have canned items in your pantry, dinner is on the table in a flash.

 

 

Venison Chili

1 quart canned venison
1 quart canned tomatoes (whole or cherry tomatoes)
2 pints canned chili beans
1 pint canned black beans
Additional chili powder (optional)
Shredded cheddar cheese and sour cream for serving (optional)
Salt and pepper to taste

In a large stockpot, combine the canned venison (or other protein – browned and drained). Add the tomatoes, chili beans and black beans. Heat over medium-high heat until everything is heated through. Taste and add additional chili powder, salt and pepper as desired.

To serve, sprinkle shredded cheddar cheese over each bowl of chili, and top with a dollop of sour cream if desired.

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In , , , on October 8, 2015 with No Comments

Italian Chicken, Spinach and Pasta Bake

Normally I cook using ingredients I have on hand, whether it’s something I have growing in the garden or that I’ve canned/frozen during harvest. I do collect recipes, but I mainly get ideas from them (rather than follow them exactly), and I usually put my own twist on the recipes I see.

For tonight’s dinner, I had chicken breasts and bow tie pasta on hand, so I went searching for something different to make. I decided to do an Italian-style casserole because I love casseroles, and a casserole plus a salad and freshly baked bread usually feeds my hungry family – and when you have two young men (21 and 17) plus a husband with healthy appetites, you quickly learn to make large portions. While I used bow tie pasta, any small-shaped pasta works well with this recipe.

 

 

Italian Chicken, Spinach and Pasta Bake

1 box (12 ounces) bow tie-shaped pasta, cooked according to package directions
2 chicken breasts, diced into bite-size pieces
2 tablespoons Italian seasoning
Half a small onion, about 1/4 cup, diced
Garlic-infused olive oil
Salt and black pepper
10 ounces chopped frozen spinach, thawed and drained of excess water
8 ounces fresh mushrooms, chopped (or use canned mushrooms)
1 jar good quality spaghetti or marinara sauce (or use homemade)
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
8 ounces mozzarella cheese
Parmesan cheese

Cook pasta according to package instructions; set aside.

Season the chicken pieces with the Italian seasoning, combining to coat the pieces well. In a large skillet, drizzle a few tablespoons of the garlic-infused olive oil, and cook the chicken pieces and diced onion over medium-high heat until the chicken is nicely browned and the onions are translucent, about 5 to 7 minutes. Drain any excess oil, and season with salt and black pepper to taste.

In a large bowl, combine the cooked chicken, thawed chopped spinach, mushrooms, cooked pasta and cream cheese. Stir to combine. Add the spaghetti sauce, and stir until all the ingredients are evenly coated.

Pour the chicken and pasta mixture into a greased 9 x 13-inch baking dish. Top the casserole with the 8 ounces of mozzarella cheese. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 30 to 40 minutes, or until the cheese is nicely browned and the casserole is bubbling. To serve, grate fresh Parmesan over the top of each serving.

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In , on October 7, 2015 with No Comments

Roasted Chicken with Herb Butter, Onions and Garlic

Nothing says traditional family dinner to me more than having chicken on the menu. My favorite memories growing up were having fried chicken at my grandmother’s house, along with her baked mac and cheese, fresh cherry pie and homemade ice cream. While I love fried chicken, to me roast chicken is pure comfort food.

Like my grandmother did, we raise our own chickens for both meat and eggs. The taste is beyond compare to what you can buy in the grocery stores. Kevin loves to barbecue chicken, but my favorite way to prepare the birds is through roasting. You can do any flavor profile you want, from Cajun to French or just plain salt and pepper. All you need is a pan large enough to hold the bird and a hot oven.

This recipe is super simple. Fresh herbs are best, but if you use dried herbs, just cut back a bit on the amounts. You can definitely eat the onions and the garlic after the dish is finished (Kevin and the boys did), but I primarily added these to flavor the sauce and flavor the bird from the inside out.

 

Roasted Chicken with Herb Butter, Onions and Garlic

8 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley plus 3 large sprigs
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme, plus 3 large sprigs
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary, plus 3 small sprigs
1/2 teaspoon sea salt or other coarse salt

1 roasting chicken, about 7 pounds, rinsed and patted dry
4 medium onions, peeled and quartered
14 garlic cloves, peeled

1 cup chicken stock or broth
1/2 cup white wine
1 1/2 teaspoons all-purpose flour

Mix the butter, chopped herbs and 1/2 teaspoon sea salt in a bowl, and blend well. If not using right away, refrigerate, but have the butter at room temperature when preparing the bird.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Sprinkle the cavity of the bird liberally with salt and pepper. Place half an onion, a couple garlic cloves and the herb sprigs inside the cavity of the chicken.

Place the chicken on a rack inside a large roasting pan. Spread about 2 tablespoons of the herbed butter underneath the skin of the chicken over the breast meat. Spread about 3 tablespoons of the herbed butter over the chicken skin, and truss the legs together. Sprinkle salt and pepper over the butter mixture. Scatter the remaining onions around the chicken.

Roast the chicken for 30 minutes. Scatter the remaining garlic cloves around the chicken, and brush the chicken, onions and garlic with some of the remaining herbed butter, reserving about 2 tablespoons for the sauce. Roast the chicken for another 60 minutes, occasionally basting with more of the herbed butter, until the internal temperature of the chicken thigh is 180 degrees Fahrenheit. The chicken should be golden brown at this point.

Remove the chicken to a serving platter, and tent with foil to keep warm.

Drain the drippings into a saucepan, including any browned bits at the bottom of the roasting pan. Add the chicken stock and white wine to the saucepan. Stir the 1 1/2 teaspoons of flour into the reserved 2 tablespoons of herbed butter to make a paste. Add the paste to the sauce, and whisk until combined. Simmer the sauce over medium heat until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Serve the sauce over the chicken.

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In on October 2, 2015 with No Comments

Jaegerschnitzel – Pork Cutlet with Mushroom Red Wine Gravy

In honor of my family’s German heritage, I decided to make a German-influenced dinner. While most people first think of sauerbraten, which I’m not crazy about, or brats as something they would have during Oktoberfest, I decided to search for a schnitzel-type main course. While searching through the mountain of saved recipes I have on Pinterest, I came across a recipe for jaegerschnitzel from Bacon, Butter, Cheese & Garlic that sounded scrumptious. I think my German grandparents would have approved of this recipe, as it’s fantastic. To round out the meal, we also had Sweet and Sour Red Cabbage and Kirschenmichel (traditional German cherry cake).

 

Jaegerschnitzel

4 boneless pork chops
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup panko breadcrumbs
Garlic powder
Onion powder
Black pepper
Seasoned salt
Dried parsley
Olive oil
2 eggs
1/2 pound bacon, chopped

Sauce Ingredients:

2 tablespoons butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 shallots, chopped
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
8 ounces mushrooms, sliced
1/4 cup red wine
2 tablespoons sour cream
2 cups beef stock
2 tablespoons chopped parsley

Cook the bacon until crisp. Reserve 2 tablespoons of the bacon grease.

Pound the pork chops to about 1/4-inch thickness. Mix together the flour with some garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, seasoned salt and dried parsley. (Amounts of spices are up to your family’s taste – start with 1 teaspoon of each and adjust as needed.)

In another bowl, whisk the 2 eggs together with a splash of water.

In a third bowl, mix the panko with 1/2 to 1 teaspoon each of garlic powder, black pepper, onion powder, seasoned salt and dried parsley.

Drizzle a generous amount of olive oil in a large skillet. Dip the pork cutlets in the flour, then into the egg, and finally into the panko mixture, pressing down to coat. Fry the cutlets in the olive oil until browned and crispy on both sides and done through. Drain them on paper towels, and keep warm in a 200 degrees Fahrenheit oven.

For the sauce, put the reserved bacon greaseĀ and butter into a large skillet, and melt the butter. Cook the shallots and the mushrooms over medium-high heat until tender. Deglaze the pan with the red wine. Sprinkle the flour over the mushroom mixture, and stir to combine. Cook for about 3 to 5 minutes, to cook off the taste of the flour and allow the roux to form. Add in the beef stock, garlic, salt and pepper to taste, and sour cream. Whisk everything together to combine. Continue cooking and whisking until thickened and bubbly.

Serve the sauce over the pork cutlets, and garnish with the bacon the chopped parsley.

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In , on October 1, 2015 with No Comments

Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes and Ham

Scalloped potatoes are a favorite in our house, and when you add ham to the dish, you have a meal ready to go in just about an hour. Casseroles are a good dinnertime option in our house, as I can prepare everything ahead of time, refrigerate if needed, and pop the dish in the oven once they guys get home from work.

 

 

Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes and Ham

4 cups sliced potatoes, sliced 1/2-inch thick (peeled or unpeeled – your choice)
2 cups diced ham
1/2 cup diced onion
6 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups half and half (or whole milk)
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
Salt and pepper to taste

Grease a 9 x 13-inch baking dish. Place sliced potatoes and diced ham in the baking dish.

In a saucepan, melt butter over medium-high heat, and cook the onions until they are translucent. Add the flour, and cook for about 5 minutes, or until the flour begins to turn a light brown color, stirring constantly to form a roux. Add the half and half (or milk) and the cheddar cheese, and stir until the mixture thickens. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Pour the cheese mixture over the potatoes and ham, and bake in a 350 degrees Fahrenheit oven for approximately 60 to 70 minutes, or until the potatoes test done, and the casserole is browned and bubbly.

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In , on September 10, 2015 with 2 Comments

Herbs de Provence Roasted Chicken

The honey-roasted chicken was a hit, so I’ve been on the search for another roasted chicken recipe. I stumbled across this recipe on Pinterest, at the Taste Love and Nourish blog. I love Dijon mustard and herbs de Provence, so this sounded like a match made in heaven. It smelled so delicious while roasting that I could hardly wait. I served the chicken with mashed potatoes and mixed veggies.

 

 

 

 

Herbs de Provence Roasted Chicken

1 roasting chicken, 5 to 7 pounds, giblets removed, rinsed and dried well
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 clove garlic, finely minced
1 teaspoon onion, finely minced
1 teaspoon herbs de Provence
1/4 teaspoon poultry seasoning
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth or stock

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. Place the dried chicken on a rack inside a large roasting pan.

In a small bowl, combine the remaining ingredients. Gently slide a spoon between the breast meat and the skin to separate the two. Place 1 to 2 teaspoons of the herb mixture under the breast skin, and rub it around. Use the remaining herb mixture to rub over the rest of the bird.

Tuck the wings under the bird to prevent overbrowning, and tie up the legs with kitchen twine.

Place the chicken in the oven, and reduce the temperature to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Cook about 20 minutes per pound (around 2 hours), or until a meat thermometer reads 160 degrees Fahrenheit when inserted into a thigh. After 1 hour of roasting, add 2 cups of chicken stock to the roasting pan. Baste the chicken with the stock occasionally during the last hour of roasting.

Remove the chicken from the oven, and let it rest for 15 to 20 minutes. If desired, use pan drippings to make gravy.

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