Tasty Tuesday: Skillet Chicken Thighs

Weekly, if not daily, The Stay At Home Chef posts recipes that even my tasteless palate is drooling over. And every so often I get up the guts to try a new recipe. I had it on good authority that chicken thighs are quite tasty, so I hauled our family out of our boneless-skinless chicken breast comfort zone to try Skillet Chicken Thighs and we were not disappointed.

The recipe is simple and straightforward. I felt awesome when I plated the chicken, as most of the time when I cook this way it either ends up burned or underdone. I followed the recipe exactly (other than forgetting to turn down pan #2* to medium heat at one point) and I was totally successful!

Everyone liked it except one kid (who is not a meat eater unless it's bacon, a hot dog or a burger.) And the only comment on flavor other than "yummy!" was that maybe I should have spiced under the skin as well as on top. That may have been my error. I plan on asking the chef. :)


* I cooked 4 thighs in 2 separate pans to feed our family of 6.
 

Tasty Tuesday: Chicken and Asparagus Skillet

A few weeks ago, my sister shared this recipe with me that she got out of Better Homes and Gardens Special Interest Publications "Chicken Dinners" Spring 2012--(previously published as Ultimate Chicken 2010).

I like asparagus, I like chicken, so I made this for dinner Sunday night. It was really tasty! Not only that but everyone actually ate most of what they were served (except for Littlest Miss picky pants, but that was no surprise). 

Chicken and Asparagus Skillet
Better Homes and Gardens Special Interest Publications "Chicken Dinners" Spring 2012, with **additions by Alyssa A.


Ingredients
4 slices cooked bacon, coarsely chopped

4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves (Freeze for 1 hour and slice into ½ inch thick cutlets while semi-frozen.)
 Salt & ground black pepper
McCormick garlic herb seasoning**

1 14.5 oz can chicken broth
2 TBS all-purpose flour
½ lemon’s zest

1 lb asparagus spears, trimmed and cut into 1" pieces
1 yellow summer squash, halved crosswise and cut into 1/2" slices

Lemon wedges

Instructions
1) In large skillet, cook bacon over medium heat until crisp. Remove, drain on plate w/ paper towel. Drain all but 1 TBS of bacon grease from pan.

2) Season chicken w/salt & pepper, and McCormick garlic herb seasoning. Cook chicken in hot drippings over med-high heat for 1-2 minutes or until brown. Remove; keep warm.

3) Prepare a large bowl of ice water. In large saucepan, cook asparagus in boiling water for 3 minutes or until crisp tender; drain. Immediately plunge in ice water to stop cooking. Set aside.

4) In a medium bowl whisk together broth, flour and lemon peel.

5) Chop Bacon and Slice Lemon wedges.

6) Cut squash. Add squash to skillet, cook 3 minutes.

7) Add broth mixture to skillet. Cook broth mixture, stirring until thickened & bubbly. Add chicken and asparagus. Cook 6 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink. Sprinkle with chopped bacon. Serve with lemon wedges.

*Freeze chicken breasts for 1 hour and slice into ½ inch thick cutlets while semi-frozen. Season and let thaw while the bacon cooks.
 
Another version: http://www.bhg.com/recipe/chicken/chicken-and-asparagus-skillet-supper/
After dinner, we decided it would have been nice to have some rice or pasta with it, to fill it out as a meal. And I agreed with my sister in that the McCormick Seasoning helped boost the flavor.

 

Menu Plan: March Weeks 1 and 2

Here is my menu plan for the next 2 weeks. February showed that not planning too far in advance is good, but also having a plan for the whole month was good too.It sounds kind of odd but it's the truth.
There were days that filled up schedule-wise and the meal on the calendar was not going to happen, so I re-arranged meals, or made sandwiches or Ramen or we ate on the go. By the end of the month, there were meals that had not been used, though I did the shopping week by week, so nothing went bad or was wasted. We went over budget a little bit, but not nearly as bad as what has happened in the past.
The plan is the same for March, although for now, I have only planned 2 weeks of meals, as I have not had time to sit down and go through recipes to get the rest of the month. I only have 1 newbie this time, from the back of the Lipton Soup box, the Beef and Broccoli. I will post the recipe soon. Everything else is a familiar or tried and true recipe from my files.

March Dinner Menu – Week 1 and 2
Sunday	Hot dogs and baked beans
Monday	Spaghetti and garlic toast
Tuesday	Slow Cooker Creamy Tacos
Wednesday	Paul's Stroganoff
Thursday	Bisquick Chicken Pot Pie
Friday	Pizza
Saturday	Slow Cooker Sweet Chicken
Sunday	Shepherd’s pie
Monday	Spicy Peach Glazed Pork Chops
Tuesday	Lasagna
Wednesday	Beef and Broccoli
Thursday	Creamy Chicken Lasagna
Friday	Pizza
Saturday	Mild Cheesy Chicken Enchiladas
Sunday	Tangy Chicken

Paul's Stroganoff

Brown:
1 lb beef
2 TBSP butter 
1/4 cup fresh onion- chopped.

Season with Worcestershire sauce and garlic powder.

Add:
2 cans Cream of Mushroom soup
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 TBSP Beef Bullion
Add milk to taste.
Simmer up to 1 hour on stove top.
When ready to serve, fold in 8 oz sour cream.
Serve over rice or noodles.




Shepherd’s Pie

Preheat oven to 350

1 lb ground beef
1 medium onion chopped
salt and pepper
2 cans green beans, drained
2 cans tomato soup

Mashed potatoes:
5-6 large potatoes, boiled and mashed

To mashed potatoes add:
1 egg
½ cup milk
Beat until fluffy.

Brown beef and onions, season to taste. Add drained beans and soup. Pour into square baking pan. Top with mashed potatoes and Bake 30 minutes.

Lipton Beef and Broccoli

1 TBSP Bertolli Olive Oil
1 lb sirloin steak, cut into 1 inch strips
1 package frozen broccoli florets thawed,
1 envelope Lipton Recipe Secrets Onion Mushroom Soup Mix
1 ¼ cups water
1 tbsp firmly packed brown sugar
1 tbsp soy sauce

In 12 inch skillet heat olive oil and brown steak, stirring occasionally, in two batches. Remove.

Stir in remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat and simmer, 2 minutes.

Return steak to skillet; cook 1 minute or until steak is done. Serve with hot cooked rice.




 

Tasty Tuesday: 2 Recipe Reviews

We have tried 2 new recipes this month so far,  Slow Cooker Baked Potato Soup and Secret Ingredient Mac and Cheese.

 Both were a hit with the majority of the family and will be staying in the recipe rotation.

With the soup, I put the cooked and crumbled bacon directly in the soup before I served it, just because it would make a more fair distribution. :) Some of us like our bacon a LOT and would leave little for anyone else.

The Mac and Cheese got a substitution due to the cost of the Frank's Hot sauce being $4+ a bottle and the store brand $0.97. One of these days I will get the Frank's just to see how it compares heat-wise.
Everyone liked this one a lot, even the Mac and Cheese hater who said it was okay. Everyone that is, except the boxed Mac and Cheese lover, who would not even taste it.

Give them a try and if you like them, give the chefs some love!

 

Menu Monday and Lasagna recipe

This week's menu at a glance:

Sunday: Sloppy Joes and Fries (Always a hit)
Monday: SAHC Mac and Cheese  (New to us and super tasty! Review to come)
Tuesday: Slow Cooker Sweet Chicken and Fried Rice Or Leftovers
Wednesday: Chicken Broccoli Casserole
Thursday: Mexican Casserole 
Friday: Little Caesar's pizza
Saturday: Apricot Chicken and Chicken Rice Pilaf
Sunday: Lasagna (possibly in the crock pot)

Our Favorite Lasagna
based on Pioneer Woman's Best Lasagna Ever

Ingredients 
2 packages sliced Mozzarella cheese
1 box oven ready noodles

Set these aside.

2 lbs ground beef
1 tbsp minced garlic
Cook these together until meat is browned. Drain.

Add:
1 can petite diced tomatoes
1 can Hunts spaghetti sauce
2 - 6oz cans tomato paste 
¼ cup sugar
 or
28oz can diced tomatoes
2 - 6oz cans tomato paste 
1/3 cup spaghetti seasoning
1 tsp salt
¼ cup sugar

Mix thoroughly and simmer uncovered 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.

In a separate bowl mix:
 3 cups of cottage cheese
2 beaten eggs
½ cup Parmesan cheese (canned is fine).

Layer in 9x13 pan a small amount of beef mixture, then a layer of oven ready noodles, a layer of cottage cheese mixtures, slices of mozzarella cheese and then a good layer of the beef mixture again. Repeat layers, ending with beef mixture. Top with Parmesan cheese and bake in oven as noodles package directs. About 5 minutes before done, top with more slices of mozzarella cheese.
Cool 15 minutes to set.

We have also used Pioneer Woman's actual recipe, The Best Lasagna ever , minus the sausage. I like the sausage but my children do not. There's no use in wasting money on it.

 

Tasty Tuesday: Becki's Cheesy Potato Soup revisited

Sunday dinner.       Hmm.
We get home from church at 4 and after 3 hours of church, we are generally quite hungry.

Enter the slow cooker.

I have a few really good go-to recipes for my slow cooker, but I really need to expand my horizons. Lat Sunday I had planned on making Becki's Cheesy Potato Soup, which I have shared on Tasty Tuesday  before, but it is a stove top version. I decided to see if it would translate to the slow cooker so I could have a relatively easy dinner prep after church.

Here is what I did to make it in the slow cooker.
 I put my diced potatoes, onions, grated carrots (I skipped the parsley) in the bottom of the crock. I heated 2 cups of water in the microwave with the bullion cubes in it and then poured it over the veggies. I added about 4 more cups of water to the crock, to cover the veggies and turned it on low. Total cook time was bout 4 and half to 5 hours. When I got home I added the cream (about 1 cup) and the butter and the cheese, gave it a stir and let it sit for about 10 more minutes, then added about 2 TBSP of cornstarch in about 1/3 cup of water, just enough to make a slurry, and stirred that in. Then I let it cook for 15 or 20 minutes more, on low, and then served it up. It was just as delicious and required less effort.

Becki’s Cheesy Potato Soup Slow Cooker Version – Becki Johnson
(I think Becki got this from someone else, so please excuse me if I owe you credit.)

15 Medium-Large Potatoes (peeled and cubed)
2 Large Carrots (grated)
1 Medium Onion (grated)
1/3 C Knorr bouillon (powder) (bouillon cubes- all 6 cubes in the pkg)
1 Tbsp fresh parsley (Chopped)

Place potatoes carrots, onions,and parsley in a slow cooker pot, and cover with water. Heat 2 cups water and bullion in microwave , then stir to dissolve. Pour over vegetables, then add water to just cover the vegetables. Cover and cook on low 4-5 hours.

When potatoes are tender, add:

Heavy Cream (enough to thicken, about 1 cup, or to taste)
1 Stick of butter cut into tablespoon sized slices
2 Cups cheese
Stir to combine.
Cook about 10 minutes for cheese to melt.
Stir again, and if needed add 2 tbsp cornstarch dissolved in 1/3 cup cold water, and add to soup to thicken. Cook another 10-20 minutes and serve warm.

Linked up to Debbie's Tuesday at the Table

Tasty Tuesday: Crazy Crust Pizza, a guest post of sorts.

My friend Christine posted a recipe for Crazy Crust Pizza on her group homemaking blog today and I am trying it out for dinner tonight. It is in the oven for round one of baking as I type. You can go HERE to read her review. I will post a follow up on how it goes over with our family.

Tasty Tuesday: Hawaiian Meatballs

This is a staple at our house. It is basically a sweet and sour sauce served over beef and rice.

Hawaiian Meatballs – Linda B

1 ½ lbs ground beef, rolled into meatballs. Brown in oil and drain.

Sauce:
1 can pineapple chunks or tidbits(13 ½ oz.)
2 tbsp cornstarch
½ cup brown sugar
2 Tbsp soy sauce
¼ cup vinegar

Drain pineapple juice into measuring cup. Add water to make 1 cup total liquid. Pour into medium sauce pan. Add cornstarch and stir until smooth. Stir in sugar, soy sauce and vinegar. Simmer until clear. Add pineapple. Serve with rice and meatballs.

*My mom likes to cook some sliced green peppers with the meatballs. I don't bother making meatballs at all. Instead, I just brown some ground beef, drain the fat and add a little soy sauce. Then, make a lovely pile of rice and top with meat, then sauce.

Tasty Tuesday: Bisquick Chicken Pot Pie

I thought this recipe was a creation of a friend of my sister's but she says not. So, I don't know where this recipe came from, I just know I love it, as do my kids. It is not the recipe on the Bisquick box (that I know of).
I have to double it to feed my hungry yahoos, and I have stopped making the bottom crust, mostly to save time. I use my largest casserole dish to bake it in. I also rarely measure the veggies and chicken, I just dump them in until the ratio of gravy to other stuff looks good.

Bisquick Chicken Pot Pie
1. Heat oven to 400.

Bottom crust

2 tbsp. firm margarine
1 cup Bisquick
2 tbsp. milk

1. Cut margarine into mix until fine crumbs.
2. Stir in milk until forms a ball and cleans sides of bowl.
3. Pat onto bottom of and up to rim of ungreased pie plate. Bake 5 minutes

Top crust

½ cup Bisquick
1/3 cup milk
1 tbsp. Melted margarine

1.    Mix until smooth.
2.    Pour over filling, gently smoothing out to edges.

Filling

¼ c margarine
¼ c Bisquick
2 tbsp. chopped onion
1/8 tsp. Pepper
1 ¼ c chicken broth
1 cup frozen vegetables *if you use hash browns potato cubes, it helps to have pre-cooked them
1 ½ c diced cooked chicken

1.    Heat margarine in saucepan until melted.
2.    Stir in ¼ c mix, onion and pepper. Cook, stirring constantly, until mixture is bubbly.
3.    Stir in broth, vegetables and chicken. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly. Boil and stir one minute, heat through.
4.    Pour mixture into crust.
5.    Pour top crust over filling. Bake 25 minutes or until golden brown. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Tasty Tuesday: Tangy Chicken

Tangy Chicken
from Where's Mom Now That I Need Her cookbook. (Great for college kids!)

1-2 lb chicken pieces
1/2 cup flour
1 tsp salt

2 tbsp butter, melted
1 cup water
2 tbsp packed brown sugar
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 cup catsup

Combine flour and salt. Roll chicken in mixture to coat. Fry in skillet in hot oil until browned on all sides. In a small bowl combine melted butter, water, sugar, pepper, onion, and catsup. Pour over chicken in skillet. Cover and simmer 30 minutes or until thick. Serve over rice.

* I totally skip the first step,  and just cook the chicken pieces in a little olive oil. I also double the sauce recipe to feed our family of 6, but I leave the pepper at a 1/2 tsp or it's too spicy for the kids. My kids fight over who gets to take the leftovers to school.

Tasty Tuesday: Amy's Sloppy Joes

This recipe has been trial and error and is now a combination of several different recipes. It took a while to get it to where everyone liked it. My kids won't eat onions or peppers so if you prefer you can omit the onion powder and use the real thing, as well as add in some sauteed green or red peppers. I like to lightly toast our buns and we have learned that if you serve them with the top of the bun on the bottom, they don't fall apart as fast. They still are messy though!

Amy’s Sloppy Joes

1 pound ground beef
2 TBSP Worcestershire sauce
½ tsp onion powder
Salt and pepper to taste

14.5 oz can diced tomatoes
1/2 cup ketchup
3 TBSP brown sugar
1 TBSP apple cider vinegar
1 ½ TBSP mustard


In large skillet brown the ground beef. Drain fat. Stir in the Worcestershire sauce, onion powder, salt and pepper. Then add tomatoes, ketchup, brown sugar, vinegar and mustard. Stir and simmer covered for about 10 minutes, then 5 more uncovered, then serve on hamburger buns.
* If you want it with more tomato flavor, add 1- 6oz can of tomato paste when you add the diced tomatoes.

Tasty Tuesday: Slow Cooker Italian Beef

This recipe is one I came across on someone's blog, but unfortunately can't remember whose blog. It originated on Allrecipes.com.

I love this recipe for a hearty delicious sandwich. Yummy!


Slow Cooker Italian Beef for Sandwiches
adapted from allrecipes.com

1 1/2 cups beef broth
1 cup water
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon onion salt
1 teaspoon dried parsley
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 bay leaf
1 (.7 ounce) package dry Italian-style salad dressing mix (such as Good Seasons brand)
1 (5 pound) chuck roast

Combine water and beef broth with salt, ground black pepper, oregano, basil, onion salt, parsley, garlic powder, bay leaf, and salad dressing mix. Whisk to combine.

Place roast in slow cooker, and pour salad dressing mixture over the meat. Cover, and cook on Low for 10 to 12 hours, or on High for 4 to 5 hours. When done, remove bay leaf, and shred meat with a fork (I did this step about 45 minutes before eating so the shredded meat had time to absorb more of the juices in the crockpot). Serve on crusty rolls with cheese, if desired.

Tasty Tuesday: Chicken Broccoli Casserole

Julie Ward’s Chicken & Broccoli Casserole (Amy’s version)

Preheat oven to 350

4-6 chicken breasts, cooked & shredded or cubed
Sliced sharp cheddar cheese, enough to cover a 9x13 pan twice (you can substitute 4 cups shredded cheddar if you prefer)
2 cups bread crumbs browned in 1 tbsp butter
2 cups uncooked rice, (cook before assembling casserole)
2 medium sized heads of broccoli, rinsed and cut down to bite size pieces, then steamed until about halfway done

Mix together:
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1 cup mayonnaise
1 TBSP lemon juice
1/2 tsp curry powder
Cooked chicken
Cooked rice

In greased large casserole dish, spread half the rice mixture.
Top with broccoli and cover with a layer of cheese slices (or 2 cups shredded cheddar)
Top with remaining rice mixture, cheese and finish with bread crumbs
Cover and bake for 20-30 minutes or until hot all the way through. Uncover and bake 5 minutes more to crisp the bread crumbs. Let sit 5 minutes. Serve.

Tasty Tuesday: Apricot Chicken

Apricot Chicken
(Based on a Recipe from a Betty Crocker Cookbook)

2/3 cup water
18 oz Apricot Preserves
1 TBSP Ground Ginger
2 TBSP Worcestershire sauce

Pour water into blender add remaining ingredients and puree.

Pour into medium sauce pan. Warm. Pour over grilled chicken. You can glaze the chicken with a little bit of sauce on the last 2 turns you make on the grill.
Alternate: In large skillet heat 2 TBSP oil, cook chicken until no longer pink. Pour puree over chicken and warm sauce.

Serve with chicken rice, *Easy Rice Pilaf, or brown rice and some steamed broccoli or peas.
* the above link is no longer available, but the recipe here is close. 
See the one I use below:

 Quick Rice Pilaf
Recipe from Mel @ mykitchencafe
http://www.melskitchencafe.com/

tablespoon canola oil
1 small onion, finely diced
1 cup angel hair pasta, broken into 1/2-inch pieces
1 cup rice
2 cups chicken broth (or make some with boullion cubes)
Seasonings to taste (1 tsp of chili powder, curry, garlic salt, etc.)

Brown onions, rice and angel hair pasta in the oil over medium-high heat. Cook until spaghetti is lightly browned. Add chicken stock (note: if you use jasmine rice, increase chicken stock to 2 1/2 cups instead of 2 cups) and seasonings and bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Fluff and serve.

Tasty Tuesday: Mild Cheesy Chicken Enchiladas

Mild Cheesy Chicken Enchiladas

Flour tortillas
4 skinless chicken breasts, cooked, shredded
8 oz shredded cheddar cheese

Sauce
1 TBSP butter
1/2 sm. onion chopped, lightly browned,
or 2 TBSP dried onion
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can cream of chicken soup
7-oz. can chopped green chilis
12 oz. can evaporated milk
8 oz. shredded cheddar cheese
8 oz Sour cream
1 tsp garlic powder

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Lightly brown onion in small pan with 1 tbsp butter.
3. In large saucepan, heat soups, onion, chilies, evaporated milk, garlic powder and cheese on low heat, stirring frequently, until cheese is melted.
4. Line bottom of baking pan 1 cup sauce mixture.
5. In small bowl, mix 1 – 1 1/2 cups sauce mixture and fold in sour cream.
6. Using sour cream mixture, coat bottom of tortilla with about 1 TBSP, then add chicken, then cheese. Roll tightly and place seam side down in pan. Continue until pan is filled. Top with remaining sauce, covering tortillas completely. Top with cheese.
9. Bake 30 min covered with foil; 5 min without foil.
10. Cool 10-20 minutes to set up.
11. Serve.

Tasty Tuesday: Becki's Cheesy Potato Soup

Becki’s Cheesy Potato Soup – Becki Johnson
(I think Becki got this from someone else, so please excuse me if I owe you credit.)

15 Medium-Large Potatoes (peeled and cubed)
2 Large Carrots (grated)
1 Medium Onion (grated)
1/3 C Knorr bouillon (powder) (bouillon cubes- all 6 cubes in the pkg)
1 Tbsp fresh parsley (Chopped)
Heavy Cream (enough to thicken, about 1 cup)
1 Stick of butter
2 Cups cheese

1 Stick of butter
1/2 cup Flour


Place potatoes in a large pot and cover with water. Add carrots, onions, bouillon, and parsley. Cook until potatoes are tender, but not mushy. Add 1 stick butter, cream and 1 cup of cheese.
To thicken, in separate pan, melt 1/2 stick butter and add flour to make a roux, Stir in some cream and mix together until smooth. Slowly add to soup pot and stir until thickened. Add remaining cheese or more if you like. Add salt/pepper to taste.

*This is one of those recipes that takes a little practice, trial and error, and notes about amounts as you perfect it. It's worth it!

Recipe test: Slow Cooker Brown Sugar Pork Loin

I had a pork loin that I wanted to try something new with, so good old Google to the rescue. The recipe I found sounded really good and simple so we gave it a go last night. The flavor was delicious. All my kids loved it. The only thing I need to change was to cut the cooking time way down, since the outside became hard/tough. The inside was moist and delicious as was the sauce. We are for sure making this one again! There were some good suggestions in the reviews, so it is worthwhile checking them out if you plan to try this.

Slow Cooker Brown Sugar Pork Loin

This is a delicious slow cooker pork roast with a sweet and lightly spiced glaze. Serve this pork loin roast with mashed potatoes and your favorite side dish vegetables.
Cook Time: 9 hours
Total Time: 9 hours
Ingredients:
• 1 boneless pork loin roast, 4 to 6 pounds
• 1 clove garlic, halved
• salt and pepper
• 1 1/3 cups brown sugar, divided
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
Preparation:
Wash pork roast, trim excess fat, pat dry, and rub with garlic halves. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, then prick the roast all over with a fork or skewer.
In a cup or bowl, combine 1 cup of the brown sugar, the mustard, and vinegar. Rub all over the roast.
Cover and cook on LOW for 7 to 9 hours. Pour off the excess juices.
combine the remaining 1/3 cup brown sugar with cinnamon; Spread the mixture over the top of the roast. Cover and continue cooking on LOW for 1 hour longer.
Serves 6 to 8.

Tasty Tuesday: Easy Baked Ziti

Easy Baked Ziti

1 pound Italian sausage 

1 can (26 oz) Hunt's four cheese Spaghetti Sauce (or your favorite sauce)

1/8 - 1/4 cup white sugar (to taste)

1 can (6oz) Hunt's Tomato Paste

8 oz dry tube shaped pasta, cooked according to package directions

1 cup (4oz) shredded Mozzarella cheese

1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese 

Pam Cooking Spray

Preheat Oven to 350 degrees.
Cook pasta according to package directions.
In a mixing bowl, stir spaghetti sauce, sugar and paste; blend well.
Brown sausage (or ground beef) in large skillet; drain.
Stir meat into sauce.
Spray 9" x 9"baking dish with cooking spray. (Sometimes I use a 9"x13".)
Spoon 1/2 cup meat sauce into bottom of dish.
Top with half of the pasta, half of the remaining sauce, and 1/2 cup cheese.
Sprinkle with 1/4 cup Parmesan. Repeat layers, starting with pasta and ending with mozzarella cheese.
Bake uncovered, 10 minutes or until cheese is melted. Turn on broiler and heat 1-2 minutes until cheese browns slightly.

Gingerbread Waffles

Gingerbread Waffles (from a family blog post December 2009)
These were delicious! This was on Food Network from Rachael Ray. 3 out of 4 family members gave them 2 thumbs up! (One person was absent and one person is too little to eat them yet.) The gingerbread flavor was very mild and went well with the maple syrup. I am adding this to my holiday recipe file.
It made a large amount of batter, but if you have a large waffle iron you will get fewer waffles. We got 4 waffles and about 3 or 4 waffles worth of batter left over.

Here you go!

Gingerbread Waffles - Rachael Ray


3 cups all-purpose flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 large eggs
2/3 cup packed dark brown sugar
1 cup canned pumpkin puree
1 1/4 cups milk
1/2 cup molasses
1/2 cup (1 stick) melted butter, plus some to butter the iron
Syrup
whipped cream or fresh fruits


Preheat waffle iron. In a large bowl combine flour, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and salt. In a medium bowl, beat eggs and brown sugar until fluffy, then beat in pumpkin, milk, molasses and melted butter. Stir the wet into dry until just moist. Do not overstir the waffle batter. Brush the iron with a little melted butter and cook 4 waffles, 4 sections each. Serve with toppings of choice.



Posted by A.J. Dub. at 6:41 PM Wednesday, December 16 2009

Healthier, delicious pancakes

I found a really good, healthier-than-usual pancake recipe. We all enjoyed it (twice in a row) and it makes a ton of mix that you can keep in your pantry or fridge and use when you need it. It does need buttermilk, but according to the gal who I got the recipe from, you can freeze buttermilk. Just do it in 1 cup measures and it's ready to go for your pancakes. Just stick it in the fridge the night before. She also offers a buttermilk alternative in the recipe.

http://www.melskitchencafe.com/2009/09/oatmeal-pancake-mix.html

Oatmeal Pancake Mix

*Makes 10 cups of dry mix

3 1/2 cups rolled (quick) oats
3 cups whole wheat flour
2 cups all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons baking powder
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon baking soda
1 cup vegetable oil

Mix all the dry ingredients together in a mixer with a paddle (or by hand). With mixer on slow speed (or gently by hand), drizzle the vegetable oil into the bowl slowly while the mixer is running. When all the oil has been added, stop the mixer and squeeze a clump of mix in your hand. If it stays together, it is just right. If it is still crumbly, add another tablespoon of oil at a time until the consistency is correct (I've never had to add additional oil). Store in an airtight container for up to two weeks at room temperature or indefinitely in the refrigerator or freezer.

To make the pancakes: whisk together 1 cup of mix, 1 cup buttermilk (a combination of half plain yogurt and half milk will also work), and 1 egg. The mixture may seem thin at first but the oats will soak up the milk as it stands while the griddle preheats. Heat a griddle and drop the batter onto it. When the edges look dry and bubbles come to the surface and don't break, turn the pancake over to finish cooking on the second side. As a sidenote, buttermilk can be frozen indefinitely for future batches of pancakes, so it's worth keeping it around!

*1 cup of mix will make about 6-7 4-inch pancakes.

From My Kitchen Cafe (www.mykitchencafe.blogspot.com) (updated website is http://www.melskitchencafe.com/)

I love her website. She has great recipes and they have a nice printable version.

I also have another reason for having buttermilk on hand, and that is to make buttermilk syrup. Oh, and my recipe is AWOL. So, I won't be sharing that. Sorry.
But if you have a good one post it in the comments for me please!