Pancetta Mac & Cheese

I realize there are many, many, MANY mac and cheese recipes out there but how many are party worthy?  Elegant enough to serve company yet still maintain that creamy dreamy comfort factor everyone craves and loves?  This one!  This mac and cheese has an Italian flair that is by far a true show stopper and worthy of any upcoming party table.  From crispy bits of pancetta to the pretty buttery panko topping, this mac has it all!  Even its bite sized oricchette (small ear, in Italian) pasta shape makes it kid appealing even with its "grown up" adult taste.  Everyone loves this and I hope you will too.

New Year's Appetizers!

I am so glad Christmas is over.  I just wasn't into it this year, being our first year away from family and friends because hubby got assigned to Ft. Benning in Georgia and everyone we know and love is in Ohio practically.  That and no snow down here kinda killed my holiday mood.  Hard to get in the Christmas mood when it looks like late fall in your front yard and the lawn guy is using a leaf blower instead of a snow blower.  Yeah.  Not we didn't eat it up in full glutton, Christmas fashion - we did but I am just personally glad this part of the year is over and we are nearly back to normal.

Now since everyone is getting prepared for New Year's Eve parties, I'd like to share two FANTASTIC recipes with you.  I am all for finger foods and drinks on New Year's.  Simple, easy, make ahead type of food is right up my alley and that's what I'm sharing with you today.  First up is a family goodie from my step-mom Lou who first introduced me to her ridiculously uber famous Nacho Rolls that everyone demands near every holiday event (these and Buckeye Brownies but that's a whole other post).  Imagine an egg roll meets a taco, falls in love and then this is what their kid would be like.  YUM on every level.  Secondly, I'd like to introduce you to Sally (Evil Caramel Sauce fame) Darling's so simple its mind boggling Holiday Bourbon Whiskey Meatballs, which graced my holiday table yesterday and will furthermore be added to every appetizer tray I ever make henceforth.  LOL

Sloppy Joe DiMaggios - for the kid in us all!

If you have super picky husband or the utterly indecisive child who can't make up their minds between hamburgers or hot dogs, then this is a really great option for your dinner table.  Meet the best of both worlds - sloppy joes with hot dogs in a nice, simple homemade sauce that is spicy enough for the hubby yet slightly sweet enough to please the kids too.  I know you're probably like "eww hot dogs in a sloppy joe sammie!?"  Yes, yes indeed.  I too turned my nose up to them, sure I'd be ordering pizza to replace this strange concoction but man, one bite and I was hooked.  Its all about the sauce!  Give it whirl and see if it doesn't replace the canned sloppy joe version at your table.

Rachel Ray really hit the mark with this one.  In the hustle and bustle of this holiday season, I'm all about the quick and easy.  This has been a continual favorite of ours for about two year now and running.  Whenever we can't decide what we want or when we have zero time on our hands, this is the throw together we fall back on every time.  Its easy, its delicious and leaves everyone's bellies warm and happy.

Just a few FYI's - Rachel's version calls for sprinkling shredded cheddar on top but I've found the cheddar slices are much more practical for these but to each their own.  Hers also uses ground beef but ground turkey is just as awesome and I think the turkey really soaks up the sauce flavors.   Oh, and the leftovers make really great nachos oddly!

Sloppy Joe DiMaggios

via Rachel Ray

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

2 pounds lean ground sirloin or ground turkey

1 package beef or pork hot dogs, sliced 1/2-inch thick

1 onion, finely chopped

1 tablespoon Montreal Steak Seasoning by McCormick

1 tablespoon chili powder
3 tablespoons dark brown sugar
3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 (14.5-ounce) can tomato sauce

8 cheddar cheese slices

8 hamburger buns

Heat the extra-virgin olive oil in a big skillet over medium-high heat. Add meat and break it apart into small, small bits as it browns. Add chopped hot dogs after 3 to 4 minutes then cook 3 to 4 minutes more. Add the onions to the pan and cook to soften, 5 to 6 minutes more. Drain if you have alot of grease in your skillet.  Return to skillet.  

In a bowl mix the spices, sugar, Worcestershire and tomato sauce. Pour sauce over the meat and simmer a few minutes to combine flavors. Place a slice of cheddar on bottom half of bun. Spoon onto buns and serve. (or sprinkle cheddar over top and serve)

Makes 8 REALLY big sammies.

Pollo Dorato - Momma's Golden Chicken

About a month ago, I purchased a cookbook called Momma, Me & You off Amazon.  I had seen a tutorial of how to make a red sauce and she mentioned this book and so I popped over to Amazon to check it out.  I have many cookbooks, but one I was missing was an authentic Italian cookbook.  This cookbook sounded amazing from the get go and I was antsy pantsy checking my mailbox every single day to get my copy.

I *love love love* this cookbook.  Firstly, its spiral bound allowing it to lie flat.  Secondly, it has beautiful pictures that just make you want to eat the page.  Finally, every recipe is authentic as can be.  Turns out Momma was a true blue Italian who ran a famous restaurant at a resort town where many celebrities dined on her fabulous dishes.  After trying my first recipe from her cookbook, I can understand what made her so popular in Hollywood's hay day.

I made Pollo Dorato, or Golden Chicken, as it is known.  And while on appearance it may seem like just your average piece of breaded chicken, ala chicken parmesan, its so much more than average or normal.  The chicken breasts are cut into cutlets and pounded thin before marinating in a delicious cheese, herb and cream marinade for a short time before double breading and a light fry.  They are then BAKED in a delicious blend of chicken stock and butter that soaks in and adds a whole new dimension of light, yummy flavor layers.  OH MY GOSH....the flavors are out of this world extraordinary.  The chicken is insanely juicy and moist to boot.  Served with a side of pasta, this was the absolute best Italian meal I've had in a long, long time.  I can't wait to make more from this cookbook...Momma was a brilliant kitchen angel!

As a side note, my hubby ended up taking a cutlet that was leftover, a bit of tomato sauce and some provolone cheese and made a sammie for work.  I hear its even better the second day!

POLLO DORATO

From Momma, Me & You

4 boneless chicken breasts
3 eggs
1/4 cup half and half
2 cloves garlic, minced ne
1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped ne
1/4 cup Romano cheese, grated
1/4 cup Sherry wine
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 cup flour

1 ½ cups plain breadcrumbs
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 cup chicken broth
2 tablespoons unsalted butter

Wash, pat dry and cut each chicken breast into 3 slices. Gently pound each piece to ¼ inch thick.

In a medium bowl, beat the eggs, cream, cheese, garlic, parsley, sherry wine, pepper and salt.
Divide mixture into two bowls. Place the chicken in one of the bowls, cover and marinate for one hour. (I put mine in the fridge to marinate.)
 
Remove chicken and discard egg mixture. Prepare three shallow dishes or pie pans. Place flour in the first, the remaining egg mixture in the second and the breadcrumbs in the third. Dredge chicken pieces in fl our then dip into egg mixture and then coat with breadcrumbs.

In a large frying pan on medium high heat, fry chicken in olive oil until golden brown on both
sides, about 2-3 minutes. Place the chicken in a baking or casserole dish. Pour broth over chicken and dot with pieces of butter. Cover and cook for about 15 minutes at 350 degrees. Uncover and cook another 15 minutes.  

Serves 4. Serve with a side of pasta or salad. Yum!

RECIPE NOTE: I actually just ended up making TWO things of the marinade/egg dips instead of dividing it. I was afraid I'd not have enough left to dip them into before breading and I was right. It wasn't enough if I had used only one. So if you have monster chicken breasts like I did, make TWO of the marinades and save yourself some headache.

Baked Brunch Omelet ala Ina

On past Christmases, I would invite my dad/step-mom over and my hubby's parents/grandparents over for a nice brunch.  This year is the first year we're away from Ohio because of the Army and our families are already lamenting no brunch from me this year.  I'll admit, I'm a bit saddened this tradition won't happen this year.  I got used to hearing my dad ooh and ahh over things he'd never had before and watching my father in law gorging himself to near balloon proportions on home cooked food since my mom in law can't boil water, let alone cook a meal.  I always enjoyed sitting around the table, after all the presents were opened and torn up bits of paper/bows were disposed of, and we would all laugh, talk and enjoy a lazy early afternoon with a great meal together.  It just seems wrong this year somehow that it won't happen.  

One year, I made Ina Garden's baked omelet for them and the crowd went wild.  I should have made 10 of them because people went back for seconds, then thirds till we were completely out of omelet slices.  Yes, slices.  You pull the omelet out of its pan and cut it like a pizza in slices.  I put mine on the cutting board and used a silver pie server and it worked amazing for buffet style serving while looking really rustic and pretty.  Best of all, since it was baked, I wasn't standing over my stove making everyone individual omelets and taking away from my party time with everyone.  I made it last, right before everyone came and kept it in the oven on warm until it was time to serve.  With its crispy edges, soft veggies and the light fluffy eggs, it was just the perfect brunch dish.

I kept it very simple flavor wise - potato, bacon (ham works fine too), parsley and cheese.  You can, of course, swap veggies in and out.  Finely diced broccoli and/or mushrooms would be really good in here as well.  I have also served this with a dollop of sour cream with ranch flavoring and it was a great complimentary flavor.  Breakfast, brunch, lunch or dinner - this is some really good eats!

Baked Brunch Omelet

adapted from Ina Garten

¼ pound thick cut bacon (or ham chunks)
1 tbsp unsalted butter
1 c medium diced potato (Yukon or Red is best, don't use Russet - too watery)
½ c finely chopped onion
5 extra-large eggs
2 tbsp milk or cream
1 tsp kosher salt

½ tsp dried parsley
½ tsp black pepper
1 c shredded sharp cheddar, divided

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Cut the bacon into 1 inch pieces. Cook in an oven safe saute pan or skillet over medium heat for 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until browned. (I use an oven safe non-stick skillet.)  Drain the bacon on a paper towel and discard the bacon drippings from the pan. Add the butter to the same pan and then add the potato and onion. Cook over medium-low heat for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onion starts to brown and the potato is tender but firm. 

In a medium bowl. beat the eggs, milk, parsley, salt and pepper together with a fork. Stir in 1/2 cup of the cheese. When the potato is cooked, add the bacon back into the pan and then pour in the egg mixture on top. Place the pan in the oven for 15-20 minutes until the omelet puffs a bit, the edges are browned slightly and the eggs are cooked in the center. Spread the remaining 1/2 cup of shredded cheddar on top and bake for another minute. 

Can be served hot directly from the pan in wedge shapes. (I like to pull mine out of the pan onto parchment paper on my cutting board and use my pizza wheel to cut it into wedges)  

$10 Dinner Delight - Beef Stroganoff

Renae's delicious looking picture!

The other day there was an article online about how to feed a family of 4 for under $10 and it irritated me to no end.  I completely understand the need to skim things down in this economy and budget out your purchases to get the most for your dollar.  I get it, I do.  BUT - what this lady failed to realize is that when you omit things like fish from your diet, you're not just saving money but you can be planning disaster for your body and your children's.  I know fish can run upwards of $16 a pound, but what price do you put on your children's health?  When you omit fruits, you can run the risk of scurvy from lack of vitamin C.  (yes, that disease that killed countless sailors way back in the day)  People don't realize that when you skim back on your purchases to save some money, you can potentially be hurting the growth and health of children and teenagers who need the extra vitamins and nutrients from things like fish, fruits, whole grains and milk that you're trying to scale back on.  

The article also went on to say that yes, you could feed a family of 4 for $10 if you didn't mind eating the same things over and over again.  Bull, I say, it just takes some work, planning, coupon cutting and bargain shopping.  You have to read your sale flyers and buy the fruits/produce that are in season.  When I saw Renae's site called $10 Buck Dinners, I was delighted to see the variety of things she offered up, all on a budget scale.  There isn't anything boring on her site at all!  From stews, to fish, Mexican and more, she proves you can do a budget meal that isn't boring or skimpy in the least.  She's doing it right!

I made her beef stroganoff the other day and was so pleased with the results.  I am deathly allergic to mushrooms and her version had optional 'shrooms instead of relying on them to flavor the whole dish as alot of stroganoff's do.  Mine looks much different from hers I think since I used beef stock I had on-hand and I added some extra sour cream making it lighter in color.  Also, I had a eye of round roast lying around so I used it but it was a bit too tough.  I wish I would have went the route of a chuck roast as she recommended because it would have made for ultra tender beef in every bite.  (I should have known better since I usually cook eye of round overnight in a crockpot but I was trying to be ultra cheap and use what I had on hand.)  I just love the flavor of this recipe and I highly encourage you to try this and all Renae's other dishes.  I know I have my eye on quite a few there and I will be making this stroganoff again soon.  :)

Thanks Renae for letting me post this!

I added some parsley for color.

Beef Stroganoff

from Renae @ $10 Buck Dinners

1 to 1 1/2 lb beef tender, chuck roast or stew meat (sliced)
4 Tbsps flour
1/2 large white onion, diced
2 cups broth (or water with Beef Caldo or powdered broth)
1/3 cup sour cream
1/4 cup water
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
2 Tbsps butter or lard
Additional salt & pepper to taste
1 (6 ounce) can sliced mushrooms, drained (optional)
2/3 package of egg noodle (save the rest for a day for soup) 

Cut beef into strips, about 1/2 inch thick by 2 inches long at most. Season with 1/2 teaspoon of salt and pepper. Heat lard and fry strips in a large skillet over medium heat, just till brown. Next, add onions and cook slowly for 3 to 5 minutes.

Sprinkle flour onto meat and mix to coat. Once meat is coated well with flour, pour in beef broth. I use Beef Broth in powder with water to save money. Just follow directions and it works great! After you add broth, bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Once you’re up to broil, reduce to slow simmer, cover and continue cooking for 45 mins to an hour.

Before serving, stir in sour cream and add water to desired consistency. Mix well and heat briefly, salt and pepper to taste and serve over cooked egg noodles.

 If you would like to see, I made my culinary 'bucket list' finally.  lol

Chicken Alfredo Pizza

As promised to Siggy, I'm posting my chicken alfredo pizza recipe.  This pizza is insanely good.  Its fattening, its cheesy, its gooey and everything else that's bad for your thighs but it tastes oooh so wonderful going down.  Rich, creamy, garlicky, decadent and deliciously satisfying.  Definitely a date night food in our house...we do some white wine or Stella beer and pop in a movie.  Yummy!

While it looks daunting at first being a 3 part recipe, you certainly could take some short cuts and use rotisserie chicken, those pre-cooked chicken chunks from Oscar Mayer or use your own leftover cooked chicken.  You could also opt for jarred alfredo if you like that...but homemade alfredo is so simple to make using a few measly ingredients.  If you can melt butter, you can make alfredo sauce. 

This pizza here was made using freshly grated whole milk mozzarella, provolone, and Parm-Reggiano.  I did everything else from scratch using Siggy's garlic breadstick crust, my alfredo sauce and pan fried herbed chicken breasts. I'll break it down for you in sections.   How I do it is this:  I cook my chicken and then set it aside.  I mix the breadstick dough and while its raising, I make my alfredo sauce and grate my cheeses.  By the time the dough is risen, the chicken is cooled for cutting and from there, its just a matter of putting it all together.  Takes less than an hour and is WAAAY better than any delivery pizza.  Give it a whirl! 

Chicken Alfredo Pizza
makes a 16 x 14 inch pan - 8 big pieces

Herbed Chicken 
3 boneless skinless chicken breast cutlets (or 4 if you like alot of chicken)
Italian seasoning
salt/pepper
Olive oil

Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium high heat.  Sprinkle chicken cutlets Italian seasoning, salt and pepper on both sides.  Add to pan and fry till golden brown, about 8 minutes each side.  Remove from pan and allow to cool.  When cooled enough to handle, chunk into mini bite sized pieces.


Garlic Alfredo Sauce
1 pint of heavy cream
1 stick of unsalted butter
1 cup of Parmesan cheese (Parmesan Reggiano is my fav)
2 tsp minced garlic
salt/pepper to taste

Add heavy cream to a skillet and heat over low-medium heat until warmed.  Add butter to the cream and whisk to melt the butter and incorporate.  Add parmesan cheese slowly a little bit at a time and whisk well till all the cheese is melted.  Add the garlic and salt/pepper to taste.  (I like to go a bit heavy on pepper for this alfredo when its going on a pizza versus pasta.)  Do not boil this sauce at any point.  Low and slow...keep stirring to make sure the cheese is thoroughly melted.  When it is melted, turn heat to warm/low and stirring from time to time until ready to use.


Siggy's Breadstick Pizza Dough
1-½ cups warm water
1 TBSP instant (rapid rise) yeast from a jar
2 TBSP sugar
3-½ cups all purpose flour
½ tsp salt
2-4 TBSP Extra Virgin Olive Oil
McCormick's Garlic Bread Sprinkle

Mix together water, yeast, sugar, flour, and salt in a large bowl or electric mixer and knead for three minutes. Let the dough rest for 10 minutes.

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Spray the bottom of a 16"x14" cookie sheet with non-stick cooking spray.  Place the whole ball of dough on baking sheet, and with floured hands, stretch and press into shape then brush 1-2 TBSP olive oil over top of dough making sure it is all lightly covered.  Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rise for 30 minutes.

Remove plastic wrap, sprinkle garlic bread seasoning over top of olive oil.  Add LOTS (we use it all actually but feel free to do as much as you like) of alfredo sauce and the chicken chunks.  Cover with lots of mozzarella and provolone and a sprinkling of parmesan cheese.  Place in preheated oven and allow to bake for 25-30 minutes until cheesy is bubbly and browned slightly.  Allow to cool for a few minutes before cutting. 

Coming this week:  beef stroganoff, honey garlic pork chops, an Italian golden chicken and who knows what else.  I cut my finger pretty good the other day using my new paring knife...so I'm sorta crippled right now.  Going pretty light on cooking this week.  lol

Red Wine Cranberry Spread with Rosemary Crackers

In retrospect, I wish I had piped the cream cheese on the crackers and then lightly drizzled the red wine cranberry spread on top BUT...

1) I couldn't find my pretty pastry tips earlier in the week when I looked and I wasn't fighting the crazy shoppers just for pastry tips when I know I have some that are hiding somewhere in my kitchen.

2) Looks aside, these were frikkin' delicious and didn't last more than 10 seconds on the plate when I served them.  Nobody would have noticed if they were piped on pretty or not.   Eaten whole!

I would *love* to say I developed this recipe because of the sheer brilliance of it but alas, it is from Beau over at Something Edible.com who had posted it over at Tasty Kitchen where it caught my eye.  I am not one to put cranberry sauce on my turkey but I knew I wanted to do something with cranberry for the holiday.  We are BIG time cranberry fans at our house so when I saw this, the idea just popped into my head that it would be great on cheese and from there it just spiraled into cheese and crackers and finally, into rosemary crackers with cream cheese then this lovely sauce on top.  Man, an easier and tastier appetizer has nary been in my house before.  

I had planned to make my own rosemary crackers from almond flour but my order didn't arrive in time from KAF to make them.  I used store bought and they were a great match to the rich, wine laden cranberry spread.  The rosemary tied into my turkey flavoring too!  (bonus!)  The cream cheese just added a nice texture and tang to meld it all together.  You got crispy crunch, creamy tang and a deep, rich fruity burst in every bite.  Oh, it was delightful!!  I will be making these at Christmas as well to match the mulled wine.  Thought I would share as we all are starting to think about THAT holiday menu now, as well as New Year's parties that are right around the corner too.   :)

And PLEASE visit Beau at SomethingEdible.com to see his gorgeous site and his rather humorous posts.  I am especially fond of the mountain oyster post.  *gross*  And make this spread...Beau assured me it will last about two weeks in the fridge covered IF it lasts that long.  Mine lasted two hours once I broke it out.  Good luck keeping it longer than that.

Beau's beautiful up close picture.

Spreadable Red Wine Cranberry Sauce

from Beau @ SomethingEdible

  

1 cup sugar
2/3 cup red wine (I like Shiraz here)
1/4 cup water
1/4 tsp crystallized ginger minced
1 lemon juice and zest
1/4 tsp salt
1 vanilla bean Pulp required, pod optional.
12 oz cranberries That's one bag; fresh or frozen.

Combine sugar, wine, water, ginger, lemon juice, zest, salt and vanilla (pod & pulp) in a medium saucepan. Stir occasionally on medium heat until the sugar dissolves. Add cranberries and bring to a simmer (still on medium). Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer gently for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove the vanilla pod and buzz with a stick blender (or whatever blender you got) just enough to pop all the berries. Put the vanilla pod back in the jar (if you like), lid and and cool to room temperature before storing in the fridge.