Sour Cream Noodle Bake

I like looking for new recipes for ground beef. I find it interesting though that all the recipes I find never talk about doing any kind of seasoning of the beef. So of course I doctor things up a bit … because I can.

This was a pretty good recipe, but I added minced garlic when I was browning the beef up, along with a few other seasonings that I generally use every time – salt, pepper, meat magic, etc.

Ingredients:

  • 1-1/4 pound Ground beef
  • 1 can 15-ounces Tomato Sauce
  • Freshly Ground Black Pepper
  • 8 ounces, weight Egg Noodles
  • 1/2 cup Sour Cream
  • 1-1/4 cup Small Curd Cottage Cheese
  • 1/2 cup Sliced Green Onions
  • 1 cup Grated Sharp Cheddar Cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Brown ground beef in a large skillet. Drain fat, then add tomato sauce. Stir, then simmer while you prepare the other ingredients.

Cook egg noodles until al dente. Drain and set aside. In a medium bowl, combine sour cream and cottage cheese. Add plenty of freshly ground black pepper. Add to noodles and stir. Add green onions and stir.

To assemble, add half of the noodles to a baking dish. Top with half the meat mixture, then sprinkle on half the grated cheddar. Repeat with noodles, meat, then a final layer of cheese. Bake for 20 minutes, or until all cheese is melted.

Golden Mushroom Beef Tips

We made this a few months ago and it turned out really well.  The recipe doesn’t talk about seasoning the meat, which is a mistake. At the very least, toss some salt and pepper on it when you brown it. If you like other things, go ahead and sprinkle it on.

Ingredients:

  • 2 pounds beef, cut into 1″ cubes
  • 1/4 cup butter
  • 3/4 cup sherry or water
  • 1 medium clove garlic, minced
  • 2 cans (10 1/2 oz) golden mushroom soup
  • 1 tablespoon finely chopped onion
  • 1/2 cup water
  • egg noodles or rice – amount varies depending on how much you want.

In skillet, brown beef in butter. Add remaining ingredients. Cover and cook over low heat two hours or until tender. Stir occasionally. Serve over egg noodles or rice.

How easy can that be? The golden mushroom soup really gives this a great flavor. Give it a try when you can!

Crock Pot Spinach Artichoke Dip

I am not a huge fan of spinach or artichokes, but together in a cheese dip – they are divine. It’s one of the appetizers the Man and I tend to get when we go out to dinner. But this simple recipe will save you plenty!

This recipe will take up approximately one half of your standard sized crock pot. If you’re having a party, I suggest doubling it.

Ingredients:

  • 9 oz frozen spinach, thawed and drained
  • 1 (14 oz) can quartered artichoke hearts, drained
  • 8 oz cream cheese – low fat works great
  • 3/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
  • 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
  • pinch of cayenne pepper
  • 1 Tablespoon of dried onion flakes
  • 1/4 cup milk
  • pinch of pepper and salt

Put all the ingredients in the crock pot, set to high, and mix a bit. Come back in an hour and stir well. An hour later, stir and then top with more grated parmesan cheese if you like.  Eat and enjoy!

Tater Tot Casserole

I can’t believe I haven’t put this recipe up yet! This is another one from my ex mother-in-law that the ex-hubby loved. I love it too, as it is pretty easy to put together and is so versatile!

Ingredients:

  • 1 1/2 lbs ground beef
  • 10 3/4 ounces cream of mushroom soup
  • 1 (32 ounce) bag tater tots
  • 1 (10 3/4 ounce) can cheddar cheese soup
  • 1 chopped onion

Preheat over to 350. Saute onions, then add beef to brown. I seasoned the beef a bit with garlic, salt, and pepper but it isn’t necessary if you don’t want to.

Drain and put in casserole dish (I use a 13×9). Put mushroom soup over beef mixture. Layer the tater tots on top. Cover with the cheese soup.  Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes.

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There is so much you can add to this. Fresh mushrooms, bacon, chicken instead of beef, vegetarian beef crumbles (I did this for a friend and you can’t tell it’s not beef!), green onions, and any number of things! Use your imagination.

Red Lobster Cheddar Bay Biscuits

If you want really good seafood, do not go to Red Lobster. Honestly, I have never had a good meal there. I have, however, had the most addicting biscuits in the world there. Really, I think there is actual crack in them, because you cannot eat just one.

There are a few recipes out there for these biscuits, but this was simple and turned out awesome enough for me to need to eat four of them. I pretty much have all these ingredients around the house anyway, so makes it even simpler for me.

I will be making these … a lot, I think. The Man really loved them!

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups Bisquick biscuit mix
  • 2/3 cup milk
  • 1/2 cup cheddar cheese (shredded)
  • 1/4 cup butter (melted)
  • 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon dried parsley
  • Old Bay Seasoning (optional – you’ll only find it around the mid-Atlantic region)

Preheat oven to 450 degree. Mix biscuit mix, milk, cheddar cheese, and Old Bay (optional) until soft dough forms; beat vigorously for 30 seconds. Drop dough by spoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown.

Mix melted butter, garlic powder, and dried parsley; brush generously over warm biscuits before removing from cookie sheet. Serve warm. Make 10-12 biscuits.

Basil Lime Chicken

Chicken is probably my favorite meat protein … right behind bacon. And maybe behind filet mignon, but I can’t afford that very often. I love finding some fun things to do with chicken and I’ve been spending too much time on Pinterest. I have two boards there dedicated to cooking – recipes to try and ones I have tried. I’ve seen some pretty … interesting recipes come up on Pinterest but the majority of them look pretty good.

This is one that I found and liked a lot, but I did substitute a few things. I realized when I went to make the marinade that I was out of Worcestershire sauce, so I used A1 steak sauce, but reduced the amount by 1 tablespoon. I also substituted fresh basil, which I didn’t have, with some of the basil paste that I had left over from another recipe. Still turned out good, but the oil needed reducing in the sauce.

Marinade Ingredients:

  • 4 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts
  • 2 limes, juice and zest
  • 3 T olive oil
  • 3 Tb Dijon or brown mustard
  • 3 Tb Worcestershire sauce
  • 3 Tb soy sauce
  • 3 green onions, finely chopped
  • 3 garlic cloves, finely minced
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Sauce Ingredients:

  • 1 lime, juice and zest
  • 1/4 C extra virgin olive oil
  • 3 green onions, finely chopped
  • 3 garlic cloves, finely minced
  • 1/4 chopped fresh basil
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 350. I use an olive oil spray in a pan to make sure nothing sticks.  Lay the chicken out and pop it in the oven. The amount of time to take to cook this depends on the size of your chicken breasts – I had some fairly large breasts, so they needed to cook for about 30 minutes.

When done, let it rest about 5 minutes or so.  Slice and top with the sauce. Tasty and pretty easy to make! I served it with some Red Lobster biscuits and roasted potatoes. The biscuit recipe is coming tomorrow.

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Baked Mac ‘N Cheese

I spent a lot of my childhood wanting my mother to make her ‘from scratch’ mac ‘n cheese. Kraft is more convenient, but let’s face it – it’s no where near as good. This is not her recipe, it’s from someone else who does a great job in the kitchen – Alton Brown. If you don’t know who he is, get out of the kitchen.

This is the link to Food Network, where the great Alton Brown works.

Now, this recipe is good. I’ve made it twice now. But, the addition of a touch of garlic powder with the milk mix is a great addition. And you can always add bacon – which I plan on doing next time I make it. *grin*

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 pound elbow macaroni
  • 3 tablespoons butter
  • 3 tablespoons flour
  • 1 tablespoon powdered mustard
  • 3 cups milk
  • 1/2 cup yellow onion, finely diced
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1/2 teaspoon paprika
  • 1 large egg
  • 12 ounces sharp cheddar, shredded
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • Fresh black pepper
  • 3 tablespoons butter for topping
  • 1 cup panko bread crumbs

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large pot of boiling, salted water cook the pasta to al dente. While the pasta is cooking, in a separate pot, melt the butter. Whisk in the flour and mustard and keep it moving for about five minutes. Make sure it’s free of lumps. Stir in the milk, onion, bay leaf, and paprika. Simmer for ten minutes and remove the bay leaf. Temper in the egg. Stir in 3/4 of the cheese. Season with salt and pepper. Fold the macaroni into the mix and pour into a 2-quart casserole dish. Top with remaining cheese.

Melt the butter in a saute pan and toss the bread crumbs to coat. Top the macaroni with the bread crumbs. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and rest for five minutes before serving.

Oven Baked Zucchini Sticks

I’m always looking for new ways to make fresh veggies more appetizing for the Man.  I happen to love zucchini and want to have more of it on a regular basis.  I have probably a dozen or so recipes now on cooking (or not cooking) it, and I really like this one.

Word of caution:  The length of time cooking it really depends upon how thick or thin your slices are.

Ingredients:

  • 2-3 medium-sized zucchini … or one really fat one like I had
  • 3/4 cup bread crumbs or panko – use whatever to your taste
  • 1/4 cup parmesan cheese, grated
  • 1 tsp oregano
  • 1/2 tsp ground pepper
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/4 tsp salt or onion salt works well too
  • 1 tbsp olive oil

Preheat over to 450. Spray large cookie sheet with spray of your choice. Slice zucchini length ways, roughly 1 1/2 thick or whatever you like. You can also cut it into rounds as well – unless the whole ‘stick’ thing gets to you. Toss zucchini in a bowl with olive oil to coat. Mix the rest of the ingredients together in another bowl and coat each slice of zucchini. Lay out the slice on baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes. Turn zucchini and bake for another 10 minutes or until golden brown.

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I used panko crumbs and it came out pretty good.  This is being added to a more regular rotation of our dinners. *grin*

Paula Deen’s Easy Crock Pot Potato Soup

Fall is upon us here – enough so that I’m actually wearing sneakers instead of my almost always present sandals.  Seriously, I wear them every day I can.  Anyway, cooler weather means warmer, comfier foods.  I came across this recipe of Ms. Deen’s and thought, what the hell?  I’m *not* a fan of her at all and it has nothing to do with her food.  Southern food is fucking AWESOME.

You never know unless you try something. Simplistic recipe, few ingredients, and bonus – it’s in a crock pot!  So, let us give it a try, no?

Ingredients:

  • 1 (30 oz.) bag frozen hash-brown potatoes
  • 2 (14 oz.) cans chicken broth
  • 1 can cream of chicken soup
  • 1/2c chopped onion
  • 1/3 tsp. ground black pepper
  • 1 (8oz) package cream cheese (softened)

In a slow cooker, combine potatoes, broth, soup, onion, and pepper. Cook (covered) on low for 5 hours.  Add the cream cheese, stirring a bit to blend it all in. Cook for another 30 minutes.

Here: have some pics.

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Cheese, green onion, and bacon bits.  You’ll need the garnish!

Pretty damn simple, right? It was simple alright and for what it’s worth, it tasted … okay. Honestly, it needed more seasoning and the hash browns get too soft for my taste.  I have another recipe I’m going to try in a week or two.

And then another one after that.  Did I mention that I really like potato soup?  *grin*

German Chocolate Cookies

I have this friend, who absolutely loves anything to do with German Chocolate.  Cake, cupcakes, brownies, etc., pretty much anything you can come up.  So, cookies were mentioned and I offered to take up the mantle to try.  I searched for a good recipe and you’d be amazed at how many sites offered “German” Chocolate cookies that contained NO German chocolate.  *eyeroll*

Found this one and tried it.  They turned out kind of dry but am planning on making them again – with the most delicious coconut/pecan frosting on top.

As for my friend, I’ve apparently been given the job of feeding his German Chocolate addiction.  I don’t mind. *grin*

Ingredients:

  • ½ cup butter, softened
  • ½ cup brown sugar, packed
  • ¼ cup sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 4-oz. bar German’s sweet chocolate, melted
  • 1-1/4 cups flour
  • ¼ cup cocoa powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 1-1/2 cups flaked coconut
  • 1 cup chopped pecans

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheets with silicone baking mats.
In a large bowl beat butter and sugars with an electric mixer until fluffy. Add egg and vanilla and stir until combined. Add the melted chocolate and stir until combined.

In a separate bowl, combine flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt. Gradually add to the butter mixture, beating until combined. Stir in the coconut and pecans. Drop batter by tablespoonfuls onto the cookie sheet.

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Bake for 10-12 minutes or until cookies are set in the center. Let cool on the cookie sheet for 2 minutes and then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.

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