Cheesy Baked Tomatoes

What you need:
4 tomatoes, halved
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 oz reduced fat provolone cheese, shredded
1 tsp chopped fresh basil
1 tsp chopped fresh oregano
1/2 tsp salt
Freshly ground pepper, to taste

How you make it:
Preheat oven to 450° F.
Place tomatoes cut-side up on a baking sheet.
Top with Parmesan, provolone, oregano, basil, salt and pepper.
Mist lightly with non-fat cooking spray and bake until the tomatoes are tender, about 15 minutes

Mushroom and Swiss Stuffed Chicken

 

Mushroom and Swiss Stuffed Chicken

6 chicken breasts
Marinade (recipe below)
16 oz. mushrooms
A few cloves of minced garlic
1 small white onion, sliced
Salt and pepper
An 8 oz. block of swiss cheese, sliced up
A sprig of fresh tarragon (optional)

Preheat the oven to 375º. Prepare the marinade and set aside 1/2 cup for later. Throw the chicken in a bag with the rest of the marinade and let it soak for about 20 minutes white you saute the mushrooms.
To saute the mushrooms, turn the burner on medium-high and add the onion, garlic, and a little bit of olive oil. You might want to do it in batches because if you get too many mushrooms in at the same time, they'll get soggy. I did it in two batches, saving half of the onion and garlic for the other half of the mushrooms. Season with salt and pepper.
To assemble, slice the marinated chicken breasts in half, but not all the way, just like a hot dog bun. Place some mushrooms, a few slices of swiss cheese, and a little of the tarragon inside. Stab each breast together with a few toothpicks.
Turn the burner on high and drizzle a little bit of olive oil in your skillet. Sear the chicken for a few minutes on each side and then place on a foil lined baking sheet. I did three at a time because they wouldn't all fit in the skillet.
Bake the chicken at 375º for just about 10 minutes or until it's done. You should not see any pink, but as soon as you don't see any more pink when you cut a little slice in the thickest part, get it right out.
Garnish with a little more tarragon if you please.

Marinade:
The juice and zest of two lemons
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
2 tablespoons minced garlic (I actually used the stuff in a jar)
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup vinegar (I happened to use 1/4 balsamic and 1/4 cider)
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/2 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper

Whisk all together.

       

Sloppy Casserole

1b lean (at least 80%) ground beef, cooked, drained

1 can (15.5 oz) original sloppy joe sauce
1 can Pillsbury® refrigerated original breadsticks
1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese (2 oz)

• 1 Heat oven to 375°F. In 12-inch nonstick skillet, mix beef and sloppy joe sauce. Heat to boiling over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally.
• 2 Meanwhile, unroll dough; separate into 12 breadsticks. Cut each into 4 pieces, about 1 1/2 inches long.
• 3 Pour beef mixture into ungreased 12x8-inch or 11x7-inch (2-quart) glass baking dish. Place dough pieces in single layer over beef mixture.
• 4 Bake uncovered 13 minutes. Sprinkle with cheese; bake about 2 minutes longer or until cheese is melted.

Cheesy Tomato-Chicken Skillet

2

cups uncooked pasta nuggets or radiatore (7 oz)

3/4

lb chicken breast strips for stir-fry

1

can (10 3/4 oz) condensed cream of chicken soup

1 1/2

cups chopped plum (Roma) tomatoes (4 to 5 medium)

1/2

cup milk

2

tablespoons chopped fresh basil

1

cup shredded mozzarella cheese (4 oz)

• 1 Cook pasta as directed on package. Drain; cover to keep warm.
• 2 Meanwhile, heat 10-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken; cook 4 to 6 minutes, stirring frequently, until chicken is no longer pink in center. Reduce heat to medium; stir in soup, tomatoes, milk and basil.
• 3 Stir in cooked pasta. Cook about 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until bubbly and thoroughly heated. Sprinkle with cheese. Remove from heat. Cover; let stand until cheese is melted, 2 to 3 minutes.

         

Beer Cheese-Stuffed Pretzels

1        can (13.8 oz) Pillsbury® refrigerated classic pizza crust

1/2     cup shredded Cheddar cheese (2 oz)

1        egg

1        bottle (12 oz) stout beer

1/4     cup baking soda

1        teaspoon coarse (kosher or sea) salt

• 1 Heat oven to 400°F. Spray large cookie sheet with cooking spray, or line with cooking parchment paper.
• 2 Unroll dough onto lightly floured work surface. Roll dough into 12x14-inch rectangle. Using pizza cutter, cut dough lengthwise into 4 strips.
• 3 Along long edge of each dough strip, spread 2 tablespoons of the cheese. Stretch dough over filling; brush edges with water, and pinch to seal. Pick up ends and gently stretch each dough rope to 24 inches long.
• 4 To make pretzel shape, form each rope into U shape. Twist ends twice. Press down dough where dough overlaps in an “X.” Pick ends up and fold over so they rest over bottom of U shape. Tuck one end under dough at bottom of U shape; other end lies over dough at bottom of U shape.
• 5 In small bowl, beat egg and 1 tablespoon beer with whisk until blended, set aside.
• 6 In large microwavable bowl, microwave remaining beer uncovered on High 1 minute 30 seconds or until hot. Slowly add baking soda; stir until dissolved. Dip each pretzel,1 at a time, into beer and soda mixture. Remove with large pancake turner or slotted spoon; place on rack. Let stand at room temperature 5 minutes.
• 7 Brush pretzels with egg mixture, and sprinkle with coarse salt. Carefully transfer to cookie sheet. Bake 11 to 15 minutes or until tops of pretzels are dark golden brown.

Barbecued Wimpies ( Homemade Sloppy Joes )



This is a staple in are house.  My mom has been making it for years.  Everyone in the family loves it even the kids love it.

1 pound ground beef

1 cup finely chopped onion

1cup finely chopped green peppers

1 T mustard

1 T vinegar

1 tsp. salt

1 cup ketchup

Brown the ground beef and drain.  Place back into pan and mix in the rest of the ingredients.

Let simmer for 30 mins

Then sever on hamburger buns.

Slow Cooker Cowboy Beef and BBQ Bean Sandwiches

2    medium onions, sliced

2-pound beef boneless arm roast, trimmed of fat

1      can (16 ounces) baked beans

1/4   cup barbecue sauce

1      teaspoon finely chopped jalapeño chili

12    onion kaiser rolls, split

1 1/2   cups prepared coleslaw

• 1 Place onions in 3- to 4-quart slow cooker. Add beef. Top with baked beans and barbecue sauce.
• 2 Cover and cook on low heat setting 8 to 10 hours.
• 3 Remove beef from cooker; place on cutting board. Shred beef, using 2 forks. Return beef to cooker and mix well. Stir in chili. To serve, place 1/2 cup beef mixture in each roll and top with 2 tablespoons coleslaw.

Slow Cooker Pineapple-Pork Tacos

1        lb boneless pork shoulder roast, trimmed

1        package (1 oz) Old El Paso® taco seasoning mix

1        can (8 oz) pineapple tidbits in juice, drained

2        teaspoons lime juice

1        package (4.6 oz) Old El Paso® taco shells

3/4     cup shredded Cheddar cheese (3 oz)

1 1/2   cups shredded lettuce

3/4      cup chopped tomato

1/3      cup sour cream

1/3      cup Old El Paso® salsa

• 1 Spray 3- to 4-quart slow cooker with cooking spray. Place pork in slow cooker; sprinkle with taco seasoning mix. Cover; cook on Low heat setting 7 to 9 hours or until pork pulls apart easily with fork.
• 2 Remove pork from slow cooker; shred pork. Stir into liquid in slow cooker. Stir in pineapple and lime juice.
• 3 To serve, divide pork among taco shells (about 1/4 cup each), and top with remaining ingredients.

Strawberry-Shiraz Bars

1        lb strawberries (about 3 cups), chopped

1/2     cup shiraz or other red wine

1/4     cup sugar

1/2     teaspoon vanilla

1        roll (16.5 oz) Pillsbury® refrigerated sugar cookies

• 1 Heat oven to 375°F. Line 13x9-inch pan with cooking parchment paper.
• 2 In 8-inch skillet, heat strawberries, wine, sugar and vanilla to boiling. Reduce heat; simmer about 5 minutes or until mixture thickens. Press berries with back of wooden spoon to smooth out texture of jam.
• 3 With floured hands, press two-thirds of the cookie dough in bottom of pan. Spread strawberry mixture over crust. Crumble remaining dough over top.
• 4 Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown. Refrigerate until cool and jam is set, about 30 minutes. Remove from pan, and cut into bars, 6 rows by 4 rows.

Green Chile Mac and Cheese Cost per serving: $1.28

Don't scramble around the day of the party—you can partially make this dish (through step three) up to a day in advance. Simply cover and refrigerate; the morning of your get-together, sprinkle on the topping and bake.


















Salt and pepper

1 pound elbow macaroni $

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6 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 small onion, chopped $

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2 jalapeños, seeded, finely chopped

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

4 cups low-fat milk, warmed $

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2 4-oz. cans chopped green chiles, drained

8 ounces sharp Cheddar, shredded (about 2 cups) $

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8 ounces pepper Jack, shredded (about 2 cups)

1 1/2 cups crushed corn chips $

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Preparation

1. 1. Preheat oven to 375ºF; line a large baking sheet with foil. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook macaroni until al dente, about 8 minutes, or as label directs. Drain; rinse under cold water.
2. 2. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add onion and jalapeños and sauté until soft, about 10 minutes. Sprinkle flour on onion mixture and cook, stirring constantly, 3 minutes. Slowly whisk in milk. Raise heat to medium and slowly bring to a simmer, stirring constantly. Cook for 2 minutes. Stir in chiles. Set aside 1/2 cup of Cheddar. Add remaining Cheddar and all pepper Jack to skillet and cook, stirring, until all cheese has melted. Season with salt and pepper.
3. 3. Add pasta to skillet; stir. Mist a 13-by-9-inch baking dish with cooking spray and pour in pasta mixture.
4. 4. In a bowl, combine corn chips with reserved 1/2 cup Cheddar; sprinkle over pasta. Place dish on lined baking sheet; bake until pasta mixture is bubbling and top is golden, 40 to 45 minutes. Let rest for 5 minutes; serve.

Oaxacan Grilled Corn Cost per serving: 60¢

Leave a couple of inches of stalk on the end of each ear of corn to make a good handle. Pull off a piece of the husk and use it to tie up the rest decoratively, as shown.

8 ears fresh corn, with husks

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

2/3 cup mayonnaise

1 tablespoon chili powder

1/2 cup grated Parmesan

2 limes, cut into wedges

Salt and pepper

Preparation

1. 1. Pull down corn husks and remove silk. Place husks back over corn and soak in large bowls filled with cold water for 30 minutes.
2. 2. Preheat a gas grill to medium. Drain corn on paper towels and pat dry, pull down husks and brush kernels evenly with butter. Place husks back over corn and tie ends with kitchen twine to keep in place. Arrange corn flat on grill with string ends away from direct heat and cook, turning often, until tender, 20 to 25 minutes.
3. 3. Cut away twine and pull down husks. Spread mayonnaise on each ear, then sprinkle with chili powder and Parmesan. Serve with lime wedges and salt and pepper for seasoning.

Melon-Pineapple Salsa Cost per serving: 98¢

For a refreshing twist on salsa, try this recipe which incorporates fruit. It gives whatever you serve it with a tangy burst of flavor.

3 cups diced ripe yet firm cantaloupe, from a 3-lb. melon $

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2 cups diced fresh pineapple, from a 2-lb. pineapple

1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced $

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1/2 red onion, diced

1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger

1 small jalapeño, seeded and minced

2 tablespoons lemon or lime juice

1/4 cup chopped fresh mint leaves

2 tablespoons olive oil $

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Salt and pepper

Preparation

1. In a large bowl, mix melon, pineapple, bell pepper, onion, ginger, jalapeño and lemon or lime juice. Stir well, cover and chill for at least 30 minutes or up to 6 hours. Just before serving, stir in mint and oil and season with salt and pepper. Serve cold.

Roasted Tomato Salsa Cost per serving: 87¢

To get the best taste, squeeze the tomatoes after roasting to rid them of some of the bitter seeds.

8 to 10 medium plum tomatoes, about 2 lb., halved lengthwise

1 red bell pepper, quartered and seeded $

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2 medium jalapeños, halved lengthwise and seeded

1/2 small onion, chopped $

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2 cloves garlic, chopped

Salt and pepper

1 teaspoon cumin

1/2 cup packed fresh cilantro

Preparation

1. 1. Preheat broiler to high; set a rack 4 inches from heat source. Arrange tomato halves cut side down on a broiling pan. Broil, watching carefully and turning pan as needed, until tomatoes are blackened and charred, about 10minutes. Transfer to a plate and let cool.
2. 2. Place bell pepper and jalapeños on broiling pan; broil until blackened and charred, 7 to 10 minutes. Remove to a bowl, cover tightly with plastic wrap and set aside for 10 minutes. Peel pepper and jalapeños, but leave blackened skins on tomatoes. Coarsely chop tomatoes, pepper and jalapeños.
3. 3. Working in batches if necessary, combine cooked tomatoes, bell pepper and jalapeños with onion, garlic, 1/2 tsp. salt and 1/4 tsp. pepper in a food processor. Pulse briefly until coarsely chopped. (Do not overprocess. The salsa should be chunky.) Pulse in cumin and cilantro. Season with additional salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Key Lime Bars Cost per serving: 22¢

Because Key limes aren’t commonly available, look for the bottled juice in supermarkets. Or swap in regular lime or even lemon juice—the flavor will be different but still delicious.

CRUST:

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened

1/4 cup sugar

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

FILLING:

2 large eggs

1 large egg yolk

1 cup sugar

1/3 cup Key lime juice

1 teaspoon grated lime zest

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

Confectioners' sugar, for dusting, optional

Preparation

1. 1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line an 8-inch square baking pan with foil, leaving an overhang. Mist foil with cooking spray.
2. 2. Make crust: Using an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat butter and sugar until light, about 2 minutes. Beat in flour and salt. Press evenly over bottom of pan. Bake until firm and light golden around edges, 20 to 25 minutes. Cool slightly.
3. 3. Make filling: Using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat eggs, yolk and sugar until smooth. Stir in lime juice and zest. Fold in flour. Pour filling over crust and bake until set, 20 to 30 minutes. Cool on a wire rack. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or overnight. Use foil overhang to remove bars from pan to cut. Dust with confectioners' sugar just before serving, if desired.

Dulce de Leche Cheesecake Pops

1        package (8 oz) cream cheese, softened

1/2     cup sugar

1/2     cup sour cream

1        cup half-and-half

2/3     cup dulce de leche (caramelized sweetened condensed milk), from 13.4-oz can

2        tablespoons milk

1/2     cup Cinnamon Toast Crunch® cereal, coarsely crushed

• 1 In medium bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar with electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Beat in sour cream and half-and-half. Spoon 1/4 cup mixture into each of 8 (5-oz) paper cups. Cover cups with foil; insert craft stick into center of each pop. Freeze about 2 hours or until frozen. Cover and refrigerate remaining cream cheese mixture.
• 2 In small bowl, mix dulce de leche and milk. Place 1/3 cup dulce de leche mixture in small resealable food-storage plastic bag; cover and refrigerate remaining mixture. Cut off one small corner of bag; squeeze small amounts over frozen cream cheese layer in each cup. Pour remaining cream cheese mixture over dulce de leche layer in cups. Return foil to pops to support sticks. Freeze about 4 hours or until frozen.
• 3 About 30 minutes before serving, remove reserved dulce de leche mixture from refrigerator; let stand at room temperature to soften. Remove pops from freezer and paper cups. Dip top of each pop in reserved dulce de leche mixture; dip in cereal.

Savory Pancakes

Recipe from GoodenessGracious.com

Truth be told, sweets lover that I am, I am still an absolute sucker for a savory breakfast (remember those uber-yummy savory muffins… yum!).

That is why I was so tickled that you guys choose Savory Pancakes from the Easy-Breezy Breakfasts section for me to share here.

This lovely recipe is just one of many yummy super-easy treats you will find in the brand new Gooseberry Patch 101 Easy Everyday Recipes.

And… despite the recent Blogger outage, we are still giving away a copy of this lovely book BEFORE it hits store shelves! Have ya entered yet???

This recipe is a fantastic recipe for the kiddos… Miss Add and I dubbed them “Pizza Pancakes”.

We started out with 2 Cups Bisquick…

Then 1 Cup Milk… and 2 Eggs- beaten… I just use whites…

Mix ‘er up

Now add 1/2 Cup Shredded Mozzarella

1/2 Cup Pepperoni… We used these cute little Turkey Pepperonis to cut down on the fat.

1/2 Cup of Tomato- chopped

1/4 Cup of Green Pepper- Chopped

2 t Italian Seasoning

And mix ‘er up!

Now take 1/4 cupfuls and pour them on a hot griddle… I used my large cookie scoop and it worked beautifully

Speaking of griddles… I have told ya how thoughtful my mom is… well she knew I wanted to build up my cast iron collection and she found this awesome griddle and a large skillet for $5 each at a garage sale and bought them right up for me!

They both need a little seasoning, but with all the cooking I do, they should be GOODe and seasoned in no-time.

Anyhoo–

Once you have the pancakes on the griddle… then you watch for the bubbles to start popping…

Then you know it is time to flip.

Now for keeping things real… PROOF that I am a lousy pancake flipper…

Ah well… I need to keep practicing…

Now top your pancakes with warm tomato sauce and fresh (or grated) parm…

Homemade Jell-o Syrup

My mom use to make this for us as kids.  We loved it.

Jell-o Pancake Syrup

(12 servings)   

• 1 small box Jell-o or other flavored gelatin
• 1 cup water
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 Tablespoons cornstarch

I should say first that this is a real working recipe. It might seem like a child's experiment, but I'm 52 years old and have used this for many years.

The directions are very simple:

• Mix the gelatin, sugar, cornstarch and water together in a small saucepan and bring to a rolling boil.
  
  
• Pour into pitcher and let cool until syrup thickens slightly.

Serve over pancakes or waffles while still warm.

You might consider cutting the ingredients in half if you're only serving a small group. This syrup doesn't store well -- it becomes to thick over time.

Crescent Jalapeño Poppers

4         jalapeño chiles (about 3 inches long)

1/3     cup Boursin cheese with garlic and herbs (from 5.2-oz container)

8        slices packaged precooked bacon (from 2.2-oz package), halved

1        can (8 oz) Pillsbury® refrigerated crescent dinner rolls

1/2     cup pineapple or fruit salsa, if desired

• 1 Heat oven to 375°F. Carefully remove stems from chiles; cut each in half lengthwise and again horizontally to make 4 pieces. Remove and discard seeds. Spoon about 1 teaspoon cheese into each chile quarter. Wrap half slice of bacon around each.
• 2 On cutting board, unroll dough; separate dough into 8 triangles. From center of longest side to opposite point, cut each triangle in half, making 16 triangles. Place chile, cheese side down, on dough triangle. Fold 1 point of triangle over filling; fold 2 remaining points over first point. Place on ungreased cookie sheet.
• 3 Bake 12 to 15 minutes or until golden brown. Immediately remove from cookie sheet. Serve with salsa.

Creekside Potatoes

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 35 minutes

Ingredients

• 12 Slices Bacon
• 6 Large Potatoes Sliced
• Salt and Pepper
• 2 Small Onions Chopped
• 1 Large Green Pepper Chopped
• Foil
 

Instructions

1. Place 6 slices of bacon on two long strips of foil (laid out to make a packet).
2. Add half of the potatoes and season them with salt and pepper
3. Add half the onions and half the peppers
4. Repeat layering with remaining ingredients.
5. Close foil to create packet and grill lowered onto coals for 20 minutes.
6. Flip and grill for additional 15 minutes.

For more food and fun, visit GOODEnessGracious.com

Recipe: La truffade (potato cake with cheese and bacon)

Total time: 1 hour

Servings: 6 to 8

Note: Adapted from "The Country Cooking of France" by Anne Willan and France Ruffenach. Slab bacon for the lardons is available at Gelson's and Whole Foods markets and can be special-ordered at Bristol Farms stores and Bob's Market in Santa Monica.

5-ounce piece of lean bacon, cut crosswise into lardons (strips 1/4- by 1/4- by 1/2-inch thick) 2 tablespoons canola oil 2 pounds baking potatoes, thinly sliced Salt, pepper 8 ounces Cantal or Gruyère cheese, diced or cut into thin, narrow strips

1. In a 10-inch non stick frying pan, heat the lardons over medium heat until the fat runs, 2 to 3 minutes. Do not let them brown. Remove them with a draining spoon and set aside. Melt the oil in the pan, add the potatoes, and sprinkle them with pepper. The bacon may contribute enough salt. Reduce the heat to low, cover and cook for 5 minutes. Stir in the lardons and continue to cook, uncovered, over low heat, tossing or stirring often, until the potatoes are tender and some are browned, 20 to 25 minutes. Don't worry if some of the potatoes are crushed, as they will help hold the mixture together as a cake.

2. Stir in the cheese, taste, and adjust the seasoning. Press down on the potatoes to level them in the pan. Turn the heat to high and let them cook without stirring until the bottom is browned, 3 to 5 minutes. Press on the cake occasionally to hold it together. When done, it should be brown around the edges and starting to pull away from the sides of the pan. Take the pan off the heat, run a knife around the edge to loosen the cake, and turn it out onto a warmed platter. Serve hot.