Ok so you will forgive me for my absence once you make this dish. It is super easy to make, and consists of few ingredients. I served it with some rice and mushrooms and it was a perfect dinner.
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 cup lite caesar dressing
1 cup panko breadcrumbs
1 cup romano cheese, freshly grated
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
2 tbsp olive oil
Pound out chicken breasts to 1/4" thickness. Season with salt and pepper. Place in large ziploc bag and cover with Caesar dressing. Place in fridge and allow to marinate 1-2 hours.
On a large plate, combine breadcrumbs, Romano, garlic powder, salt and pepper.
In a large skillet, heat olive oil. Add chicken breasts to skillet and cook until cooked through. Serve with favorite side and enjoy!
Showing posts with label cheese. Show all posts
Showing posts with label cheese. Show all posts
Wednesday, June 27, 2012
Monday, January 30, 2012
Chicken Broccoli Casserole
I am really impressed with this recipe, not gonna lie. I told you all that I was going to keep eating things I love- in this case, chicken, gravy and cheese; and that I would just be incorporating more veggies- insert mushrooms and broccoli. I reeeeally love mushrooms and Jon reeeeally does not. I don't hate broccoli but it is definitely not my first choice.
I had leftover rotisserie chicken I wanted to use up and a Costco sized bag of broccoli. My mom also got me a rice cooker for a housewarming gift last year and I was excited to use the steamer for the broccoli. It is the easiest thing ever. Thank you Black and Decker for taking the excuse that it's too much work to steam veggies out of my life.
I researched chicken broccoli casseroles online and was really disappointed that, as usual, everyone calls for cream of _____ soup. Most of the cream soups have MSG and I don't understand how they can label a recipe "from scratch" when they're using processed foods? I completely understand the added benefit of saved time so when you make this, feel free to substitute my gravy for cream o (insert your preference here) soup. I always have homemade gravy from when I get those rotisserie chickens so it was just as simple for me to use that.
This was relatively simple to throw together, probably took me 20 minutes to prep and the total cook time including steaming the broccoli was no more than 30-35 minutes. It also tasted amaaaazing, which, let's be honest, is the most important part. Jon ate his entire plate and as I mentioned, he finds no ally in mushrooms or broccoli. I know this would be super delish served over rice or egg noodles, but we are keeping our carb intake during the day, so we ate it alone and I honestly didn't miss any starches.
Chicken Broccoli Casserole
1 tbsp butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups mushroom, chopped
1 1/2 tsp Lawry's season salt
1 tsp black pepper
1 cup gravy
1/4 cup chicken stock
1/4 cup 2% milk
2 cup broccoli, steamed and chopped
3 cup chicken, cooked and chopped
1 cup part skim shredded mozzarella, reserve some for topping
2 tbsp Panko breadcrumbs
2 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly spray casserole dish with cooking spray. In a medium skillet, cook sautée garlic and mushrooms in butter. After mushrooms have softened and Browne a little, season with season salt and pepper. Whisk in gravy, chicken stock and milk. Reduce heat and allow to thicken.
In a medium mixing bowl, combine broccoli, chicken and mozzarella. (Remember to reserve some mozzarella to sprinkle on top)
Once gravy mix has thickened, combine with chicken mixture. Pour into casserole dish. Top with extra mozzarella, Panko and Parmesan cheese. Bake for 20 minutes to heat through.
I had leftover rotisserie chicken I wanted to use up and a Costco sized bag of broccoli. My mom also got me a rice cooker for a housewarming gift last year and I was excited to use the steamer for the broccoli. It is the easiest thing ever. Thank you Black and Decker for taking the excuse that it's too much work to steam veggies out of my life.
I researched chicken broccoli casseroles online and was really disappointed that, as usual, everyone calls for cream of _____ soup. Most of the cream soups have MSG and I don't understand how they can label a recipe "from scratch" when they're using processed foods? I completely understand the added benefit of saved time so when you make this, feel free to substitute my gravy for cream o (insert your preference here) soup. I always have homemade gravy from when I get those rotisserie chickens so it was just as simple for me to use that.
This was relatively simple to throw together, probably took me 20 minutes to prep and the total cook time including steaming the broccoli was no more than 30-35 minutes. It also tasted amaaaazing, which, let's be honest, is the most important part. Jon ate his entire plate and as I mentioned, he finds no ally in mushrooms or broccoli. I know this would be super delish served over rice or egg noodles, but we are keeping our carb intake during the day, so we ate it alone and I honestly didn't miss any starches.
Chicken Broccoli Casserole
1 tbsp butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups mushroom, chopped
1 1/2 tsp Lawry's season salt
1 tsp black pepper
1 cup gravy
1/4 cup chicken stock
1/4 cup 2% milk
2 cup broccoli, steamed and chopped
3 cup chicken, cooked and chopped
1 cup part skim shredded mozzarella, reserve some for topping
2 tbsp Panko breadcrumbs
2 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly spray casserole dish with cooking spray. In a medium skillet, cook sautée garlic and mushrooms in butter. After mushrooms have softened and Browne a little, season with season salt and pepper. Whisk in gravy, chicken stock and milk. Reduce heat and allow to thicken.
In a medium mixing bowl, combine broccoli, chicken and mozzarella. (Remember to reserve some mozzarella to sprinkle on top)
Once gravy mix has thickened, combine with chicken mixture. Pour into casserole dish. Top with extra mozzarella, Panko and Parmesan cheese. Bake for 20 minutes to heat through.
Sunday, September 11, 2011
Chicken Empanadas
I absolutely LOVE when I'm able to throw ingredients I have on hand for a quick weeknight meal. I have already told you guys how much I love salsa + cream cheese + shredded Mexican cheese. So for these chicken empanadas, I stuck with what I love. It was a super quick and easy meal and came out delicious.
2 packages of puff pastry (4 sheets)
4 cups shredded chicken, fully cooked (such as a rotisserie chicken)
6 oz cream cheese, softened
2 cups shredded Mexican cheese
1 cup salsa
Zest & Juice of 1 lime
1 egg yolk, mixed with 1 tbsp water (egg wash for top of empanadas)
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly grease a baking sheet. Thaw puff pastry sheets as instructed on package. Roll out the puff pastries until there are no creases. Using a biscuit cutter or top of the cup, cut puff pastry into circles with about a 3 inch diameter. In a mixing bowl, combine chicken, cream cheese, Mexican cheese, salsa and lime juice & zest. Fill each pastry circle with about 1 1/2 tbsp of filling. Leave about 1/4 inch around, fold over and seal edges by pressing with a fork. Brush each empanada with some of the egg wash. Line on baking sheet. Bake for 12-15 minutes, until golden brown.
2 packages of puff pastry (4 sheets)
4 cups shredded chicken, fully cooked (such as a rotisserie chicken)
6 oz cream cheese, softened
2 cups shredded Mexican cheese
1 cup salsa
Zest & Juice of 1 lime
1 egg yolk, mixed with 1 tbsp water (egg wash for top of empanadas)
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly grease a baking sheet. Thaw puff pastry sheets as instructed on package. Roll out the puff pastries until there are no creases. Using a biscuit cutter or top of the cup, cut puff pastry into circles with about a 3 inch diameter. In a mixing bowl, combine chicken, cream cheese, Mexican cheese, salsa and lime juice & zest. Fill each pastry circle with about 1 1/2 tbsp of filling. Leave about 1/4 inch around, fold over and seal edges by pressing with a fork. Brush each empanada with some of the egg wash. Line on baking sheet. Bake for 12-15 minutes, until golden brown.
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Turkey Bacon Cheeseburger Calzones
I am really excited about this recipe. First of all, it was delicious. Second of all, it was semi-guilt free. I used turkey bacon, ground turkey, a mostly wheat pizza dough and my homemade marinara which is filled with veggies and low in sugar. I mean there is cheese and ketchup in there because hi, it is inspired by a bacon cheeseburger. I am excited that even with some simple swaps, it still tasted like it had 8000 calories per bite.
You could make calzones like I did or just a good old pizza with it. I also make quick flatbread pizzas sometimes using a FlatOut wrap, which is perfect for thin crust pizzas if you don't want to make/don't have the time to make the dough.
Pizza Dough
2 1/2 cups warm water
2 tsp granulated sugar
2 packets active dry yeast
1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp salt
3 cups whole wheat flour
2 cups all purpose flour
In a mixing bowl (I used my Kitchenaid mixer), combine warm water and sugar to allow sugar to dissolve. Sprinkle top of water with yeast. Set aside until water is foamy, 8-10 minutes. Add olive oil and salt to water mixture. Using the dough hook on mixer, add flour in at 1/2 cup increments until both flours are fully incorporated.
Generously flour a work surface and knead out your dough for 3-5 minutes, until smooth. Slather with some olive oil, set in a bowl and cover with a towel. Allow it to double in size, about one hour.
Once dough has doubled, separate into two pieces. Knead each piece on the floured surface, and set aside again to rise for about 45 minutes.
Calzone Filling
1 lb ground turkey breast
8 slices bacon
2 tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic
1 cup mushrooms, diced
1/2 cup green pepper, diced
1/4 tsp onion powder
1 cup marinara sauce
1/2 cup ketchup
2 tbsp mustard
2 tbsp brown sugar
Salt and Pepper to taste
1-2 cups shredded cheese (I used mexican cheese)
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. While the dough is rising the second time, brown off the ground turkey in a skillet until fully cooked. Drain off juices and set aside. Next, cook up the turkey bacon. (Go ahead and use the same skillet, no sense in more dishes). Once fully cooked, set aside on a paper towel to get off any grease. Using the same skillet, heat the olive oil on medium heat. Add in garlic, mushrooms and green peppers. Allow to cook about 2-3 minutes to soften. Add in onion powder, marinara, ketchup, mustard, brown sugar, salt and pepper. Reduce to low-medium heat and allow to simmer for 15-20 minutes. *I didn't forget about the cheese, you'll sprinkle that on right before it goes in the oven.*
Once the dough has risen again, roll out each piece to desired calzone size. You want your dough to be about 1/2 inch thick. Place on pizza stone or baking sheet. Fill with about 1 cup of filling and top with some shredded cheese. Fold dough over the filling and seal the edges of the calzone with a fork. Bake for 15-20 minutes.
You could make calzones like I did or just a good old pizza with it. I also make quick flatbread pizzas sometimes using a FlatOut wrap, which is perfect for thin crust pizzas if you don't want to make/don't have the time to make the dough.
Pizza Dough
2 1/2 cups warm water
2 tsp granulated sugar
2 packets active dry yeast
1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp salt
3 cups whole wheat flour
2 cups all purpose flour
In a mixing bowl (I used my Kitchenaid mixer), combine warm water and sugar to allow sugar to dissolve. Sprinkle top of water with yeast. Set aside until water is foamy, 8-10 minutes. Add olive oil and salt to water mixture. Using the dough hook on mixer, add flour in at 1/2 cup increments until both flours are fully incorporated.
Generously flour a work surface and knead out your dough for 3-5 minutes, until smooth. Slather with some olive oil, set in a bowl and cover with a towel. Allow it to double in size, about one hour.
Once dough has doubled, separate into two pieces. Knead each piece on the floured surface, and set aside again to rise for about 45 minutes.
Calzone Filling
1 lb ground turkey breast
8 slices bacon
2 tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic
1 cup mushrooms, diced
1/2 cup green pepper, diced
1/4 tsp onion powder
1 cup marinara sauce
1/2 cup ketchup
2 tbsp mustard
2 tbsp brown sugar
Salt and Pepper to taste
1-2 cups shredded cheese (I used mexican cheese)
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. While the dough is rising the second time, brown off the ground turkey in a skillet until fully cooked. Drain off juices and set aside. Next, cook up the turkey bacon. (Go ahead and use the same skillet, no sense in more dishes). Once fully cooked, set aside on a paper towel to get off any grease. Using the same skillet, heat the olive oil on medium heat. Add in garlic, mushrooms and green peppers. Allow to cook about 2-3 minutes to soften. Add in onion powder, marinara, ketchup, mustard, brown sugar, salt and pepper. Reduce to low-medium heat and allow to simmer for 15-20 minutes. *I didn't forget about the cheese, you'll sprinkle that on right before it goes in the oven.*Once the dough has risen again, roll out each piece to desired calzone size. You want your dough to be about 1/2 inch thick. Place on pizza stone or baking sheet. Fill with about 1 cup of filling and top with some shredded cheese. Fold dough over the filling and seal the edges of the calzone with a fork. Bake for 15-20 minutes.
Saturday, May 14, 2011
Philly Cheese Steak Sloppy Joe's
Okay, so I was totally bored on my day off and reading through some of my favorite blogs looking for inspiration. THREE of the blogs I read had listed this recipe. I felt like that was a sign that I had to make them. You all know me, I enjoy creating my own recipes but if a recipe is good as is, I'm totally sharing it anyways. Apparantely this recipe was originally from my idol, Rachael Ray. The three blogs did exactly what I would do to make it a little lighter which is switch out the ground sirloin with ground turkey breast.
I am totally not a fan of steak sauce, which is called for in this recipe. Jon is however so I still made it as it called for and I actually liked it! I made a couple Cait tweaks to the recipe I followed from Running Mama Cooks. I hope you guys like it. Jon certainly did!
P.S. This is another recipe where I use my mama's cheese sauce. I always have extra on hand which makes a recipe like this super easy to throw together. :)
2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 medium onion, finely chopped
1/2 green pepper, finely chopped
2 clove garlic, finely minced
1 tsp paprika
1.25 lbs ground turkey breast
1/4 cup steak sauce
1/2 cup chicken stock
1 tsp tomato paste
Salt and pepper
4-6 hamburger buns or sub rolls
Desired amount of cheese sauce
Heat olive oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion, green peppers and garlic and allow to cook for about 2 minutes. Add in paprika and ground turkey breast. Cook until turkey breast has turned into a light brown. Add steak sauce, chicken stock, tomato paste and salt and pepper to taste. Allow to simmer for 5-10 minutes.
Serve desired amount of turkey mixture on bun or roll and top with cheese sauce. Enjoy!
I am totally not a fan of steak sauce, which is called for in this recipe. Jon is however so I still made it as it called for and I actually liked it! I made a couple Cait tweaks to the recipe I followed from Running Mama Cooks. I hope you guys like it. Jon certainly did!
P.S. This is another recipe where I use my mama's cheese sauce. I always have extra on hand which makes a recipe like this super easy to throw together. :)
1/2 medium onion, finely chopped
1/2 green pepper, finely chopped
2 clove garlic, finely minced
1 tsp paprika
1.25 lbs ground turkey breast
1/4 cup steak sauce
1/2 cup chicken stock
1 tsp tomato paste
Salt and pepper
4-6 hamburger buns or sub rolls
Desired amount of cheese sauce
Heat olive oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion, green peppers and garlic and allow to cook for about 2 minutes. Add in paprika and ground turkey breast. Cook until turkey breast has turned into a light brown. Add steak sauce, chicken stock, tomato paste and salt and pepper to taste. Allow to simmer for 5-10 minutes.
Serve desired amount of turkey mixture on bun or roll and top with cheese sauce. Enjoy!
Thursday, May 5, 2011
Chicken Enchiladas
So in honor of Cinco de Mayo, I decided to make some yummy chicken enchiladas. I pretty much look for any excuse to combine cream cheese, Mexican cheese and salsa together so I figured that it would make a great filling for enchiladas. I used a combination of Emeril Lagasse's and Rachael Ray's enchilada sauce recipes, with a couple of my own additions. The result was delicious!
Enchilada Sauce:
2 tbsp vegetable oil
2 cloves garlic
1 serrano pepper
12 oz tomato paste
1 tsp hot sauce (or more to taste)
1/4 cup chili powder
3 cups chicken stock
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp cumin
Salt and Pepper to taste
1/4 tsp cinnamon
Filling:
8 oz cream cheese, softened
8 oz shredded Mexican cheese
8 oz salsa
4 cups shredded chicken, fully cooked
10-12 corn tortillas
Additional 1 cup shredded cheese for topping
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a skillet, cook garlic and serrano in vegetable oil for about 2 minutes on medium-high heat. Add in tomato paste, hot sauce and chili powder. Allow to cook just for a minute and then add remaining ingredients. Reduce heat to low-medium and allow to simmer together for 10-15 minutes.
Meanwhile, combine cream cheese, Mexican cheese, salsa and chicken in mixing bowl.
Once sauce is fully combined and seasonings are to your liking, spread about a 1/2 cup of the sauce on the bottom of a baking dish. Next, place a couple spoonfuls of the filling in each of the tortillas and place seam side down in baking dish. Top with remaining enchilada sauce (you will have leftover sauce for later) and then additional shredded cheese. Bake for 15-20 minutes until cheese is melted and bubbly.
Monday, April 25, 2011
Baked Ham and Cheese Spaghetti
First of all, I hope you all had an amazing Easter! Jon and I cooked a ham yesterday using this recipe. Yes, I said Jon AND I. He actually helped me in the kitchen guys! He put the cloves in the diamonds and helped me dress it with the pineapple and cherries. Win!
We actually got the ham for free! How awesome is that? Foodland (our grocery store) always has a deal around holidays where if you have 2 of their reward certificates you can get an item for free. For Easter it was a ham! I got a 12 lb beast of a ham. Hi, there are only two of us. So we had some yesterday for Easter dinner then I packed the rest away in EIGHT gladware containers.
I was driving home today and trying to think of ideas of how I could use this ham. I remembered I watched Paula Deen the other day and she made a baked spaghetti and I thought I would give it a try with my favorite cheese sauce. It worked out wonderfully! So, if you guys ended up with lots of leftover ham, give this a try!
1/2 lb fully cooked spaghetti
1 serving Cheese Sauce
3-4 cups fully cooked ham, chopped into cubes or shredded
4 slices American Cheese
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly spray casserole dish. Spread a little cheese sauce on the bottom of baking dish. Layer spaghetti, ham then cheese sauce twice. Top with slices of American cheese. Bake for 20-25 minutes, just to heat through together.
Easy enough right? Here's some pictures I took yesterday from our walk with the dogs :)
We actually got the ham for free! How awesome is that? Foodland (our grocery store) always has a deal around holidays where if you have 2 of their reward certificates you can get an item for free. For Easter it was a ham! I got a 12 lb beast of a ham. Hi, there are only two of us. So we had some yesterday for Easter dinner then I packed the rest away in EIGHT gladware containers.
I was driving home today and trying to think of ideas of how I could use this ham. I remembered I watched Paula Deen the other day and she made a baked spaghetti and I thought I would give it a try with my favorite cheese sauce. It worked out wonderfully! So, if you guys ended up with lots of leftover ham, give this a try!
1/2 lb fully cooked spaghetti
1 serving Cheese Sauce
3-4 cups fully cooked ham, chopped into cubes or shredded
4 slices American Cheese
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly spray casserole dish. Spread a little cheese sauce on the bottom of baking dish. Layer spaghetti, ham then cheese sauce twice. Top with slices of American cheese. Bake for 20-25 minutes, just to heat through together.
Easy enough right? Here's some pictures I took yesterday from our walk with the dogs :)
Friday, April 1, 2011
Lazy Eggs Benedict
I have never poached an egg. It is something I am extremely intimidated by. Also, I am not the hugest fan of hollandaise sauce. Therefore, I've never had a good relationship with Eggs Benedict. My mom started making these amazing breakfast thingamabobbers which I will now title as Lazy Eggs Benedict. Its along the same concept, without the intimidation factor. The cheese sauce will make more sauce than you need. Use it on your pasta for dinner, or to make my yummy Philly Cheesesteaks. Or just make like 16 of these bad larrys and share them, or just eat them all yourself. Judge free zone.
4 eggs
4 slices of bread4 tbsp butter
Using a cup or biscuit cutter, make a hole in bread. Heat 1 tbsp of butter in a skillet on medium-high heat. Lay slice of bread in skillet. Crack the egg directly into hole. Cook both sides to desired style (over-easy, over-medium,etc...). Repeat with all pieces of bread and eggs. Serve on plate with cheese sauce poured over top. Enjoy!
Friday, February 18, 2011
Philly Cheese Steaks
So, I totally wasn't one of those bloggers posting a V-Day themed recipe. My apologies. Next year, I promise to be more festive :)
Most years on Valentine's Day, at least since I've learned to cook, I make Jon a yummy meal as part of my gift. This year I was going to do Beef Wellington and Red Velvet Cupcakes. Well, Jon declared that it was his year to cook for me! I was a little apprehensive because, well, do we remember the cookie incident? I shut my mouth, though, and sat my arse down on our epic new recliner and watched him put my Stuffed Chicken and Alfredo Sauce recipe together. We had a small setback, which was that we had no cream cheese. With a little coaching, he was able to make it work anyways. The meal came out delicious, and I was so proud of him for taking the initiative to do this for me. It does go to show that ANYONE can cook, because if you met us two pathetic cooks four years ago, you wouldn't have expected us to pull off hamburger helper. Here's a picture of the delicious meal:
Most years on Valentine's Day, at least since I've learned to cook, I make Jon a yummy meal as part of my gift. This year I was going to do Beef Wellington and Red Velvet Cupcakes. Well, Jon declared that it was his year to cook for me! I was a little apprehensive because, well, do we remember the cookie incident? I shut my mouth, though, and sat my arse down on our epic new recliner and watched him put my Stuffed Chicken and Alfredo Sauce recipe together. We had a small setback, which was that we had no cream cheese. With a little coaching, he was able to make it work anyways. The meal came out delicious, and I was so proud of him for taking the initiative to do this for me. It does go to show that ANYONE can cook, because if you met us two pathetic cooks four years ago, you wouldn't have expected us to pull off hamburger helper. Here's a picture of the delicious meal:
And here's some pictures of our gifts to each other. If you notice, no flowers. I told Jon a long time ago not to waste money on roses for me. I'm just not that type of girl. I prefer chocolate. This year, I got Godiva chocolate, which is, in my opinion, the best there is. He also got me a Pandora charm to add to my bracelet, its the cute red and pink heart glass bead. ADORABLE! I got him some kettle corn popcorn, chocolate, root beer freeze pops and a shutterfly photo book.
Moving on to the deliciousness of this Philly Cheese Steak recipe... Since Jon had cooked a delicious meal for me, I decided I would make him an epic lunch on my day off. We had lived in South Jersey for six months when Jon was in school for Commercial Diving. Our favorite part of living in South Jersey, was the short ride to Philly. Philly is the most amazing city and their cheese steaks are every bit as delicious as everyone makes them out to be. If you are ever traveling through that area, stop and get Geno's, I preferred them over Pat's. When you order a cheese steak, there's a method to how you order it. Rumor is that if you don't order it correctly, you get sent to the back of the line. Luckily, we had a few friends down there to show us the way. I always ordered mine "Whiz, without". This meant my cheese selection was Cheese Whiz, and "without" meant no onions. This was in 2005, before I discovered my love for onions. Jon always ordered his American, without. I decided when making our at home version, I would make an American cheese sauce, a compromise between American and Whiz. This recipe yields enough for 4 cheese steaks. You will have leftover cheese sauce, and you will not be mad at me for it. This cheese sauce is a staple in my family for pasta dinners or to eat like soup, haha. Just kidding about the last part, but it's seriously killer on pasta.
4 sub rolls, lightly toasted, if desired
1 lb flank steak, chopped into small slices
2 tbsp vegetable oil
2 tbsp butter
Marinade:
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup honey
2-3 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 tbsp paprika
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
Cheese Sauce:
1/2 stick butter
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1 1/4 cup milk
8 oz American cheese
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 tsp salt
In a medium mixing bowl, combine marinade ingredients. Toss steak in marinade to coat. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes- 1 hour.
Meanwhile, make the cheese sauce. Melt butter on medium heat on stove top. Whisk flour in until there are no clumps. Add in milk. Allow to heat for 1-2 minutes and then reduce heat to low-medium. Add cheese in a couple slices at a time and allow to melt. Add in Parmesan cheese and salt. Stir until thickened. Spread cheese sauce on toasted sub rolls.
In a large skillet, heat vegetable oil and butter on medium-high heat. Add in marinated meat. Season with more salt and pepper. Allow to cook through, about 5-6 minutes until browned. Place steak on sub rolls, add desired condiments and enjoy!
Note: you will have some yummy juices and butter left in your skillet from cooking the steak. Use these to make a gravy or even just as a dipping sauce. Wouldn't want you to waste it :)
Sunday, November 14, 2010
Baked Mac N Cheese Vs. Creamy Mac N Cheese
Let me start by saying that I am a serious fan of Macaroni and Cheese in any form. I will take the Costco brand boxed version, Velveeta, Kraft, homemade, KFC, you get the picture- I LOVE MAC N CHEESE! Jon and I were playing 20 questions the other day. The question was what three foods would you choose to have for the rest of your life and nothing else? The answer was macaroni and cheese, popcorn and tiramisu. The second two I really had to think about... The first one was a no brainer.
So, for this blog I decided to do some experimenting in the kitchen and take on Baked Mac N Cheese vs. Creamy Mac N Cheese. Hands down the winner, as far as I'm concerned, was the Creamy Mac N Cheese. I decided to make the creamy version tangy with some gorgonzola cheese and plain yogurt. For the baked mac, I combined a few recipes and tips I found online and then added some of my own flair for the crunch topping. I felt the Baked Mac N Cheese was wayyyy too boring! I'd love to hear what you all think- cookingwithcait@gmail.com.
Baked Mac N Cheese
Adapted from this recipe
1 lb elbow macaroni
1 stick butter
3 tbsp flour
2 cups heavy cream
2 cups milk
8 oz shredded sharp cheddar cheese
8 oz shredded mild cheddar cheese
Salt & Pepper to taste
10 oz sausage, casing removed & diced (I used Portuguese sausage)
Crunchy Cheesy Topping:
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
1/4 cup romano cheese
1/4 cup Cheeze-its
1/4 cup Ritz cracker
Cook macaroni as directed on package. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease 11x15 baking dish. Brown sausage for 5-6 minutes in large skillet. In large pot, heat stick of butter until melted. Whisk in flour. Add cream and milk and stir until combined. Heat on medium for 2 to 3 minutes. Add in cheese and whisk until melted and combined with milk.Add salt and pepper to taste.
Toss macaroni and sausage in cheese sauce and spread into baking sheet. Using a food processor, pulse parmesan cheese, romano cheese, Cheeze-its and Ritz crackers until they are a crumb texture. Sprinkle crumbs over top of macaroni and sausage. Bake for 15-20 until it is golden brown and bubbly.
Tangy Creamy Mac N Cheese
1 lb elbow macaroni
1 stick butter
3 tbsp flour
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 12 oz can of evaporated milk
1 6 oz container of plain yogurt
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
1/4 cup romano cheese
2 tbsp gorgonzola cheese
1 8 oz package of shredded mild cheddar cheese
1/2 tbsp yellow mustard
Cook macaroni as directed on package. In large pot, heat stick of butter until melted. Whisk in flour. Add chicken broth, evaporated milk, yogurt, heavy cream and cream cheese and stir until combined. Heat on medium for 2 to 3 minutes. Add in parmesan, romano, gorgonzola and cheddar cheeses and whisk until melted and combined. Whisk in mustard and salt and pepper to taste.
Toss macaroni with cheese sauce and serve.
So, for this blog I decided to do some experimenting in the kitchen and take on Baked Mac N Cheese vs. Creamy Mac N Cheese. Hands down the winner, as far as I'm concerned, was the Creamy Mac N Cheese. I decided to make the creamy version tangy with some gorgonzola cheese and plain yogurt. For the baked mac, I combined a few recipes and tips I found online and then added some of my own flair for the crunch topping. I felt the Baked Mac N Cheese was wayyyy too boring! I'd love to hear what you all think- cookingwithcait@gmail.com.
Baked Mac N Cheese
Adapted from this recipe
1 lb elbow macaroni
1 stick butter
3 tbsp flour
2 cups heavy cream
2 cups milk
8 oz shredded sharp cheddar cheese
8 oz shredded mild cheddar cheese
Salt & Pepper to taste
10 oz sausage, casing removed & diced (I used Portuguese sausage)
Crunchy Cheesy Topping:
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
1/4 cup romano cheese
1/4 cup Cheeze-its
1/4 cup Ritz cracker
Cook macaroni as directed on package. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease 11x15 baking dish. Brown sausage for 5-6 minutes in large skillet. In large pot, heat stick of butter until melted. Whisk in flour. Add cream and milk and stir until combined. Heat on medium for 2 to 3 minutes. Add in cheese and whisk until melted and combined with milk.Add salt and pepper to taste.
Toss macaroni and sausage in cheese sauce and spread into baking sheet. Using a food processor, pulse parmesan cheese, romano cheese, Cheeze-its and Ritz crackers until they are a crumb texture. Sprinkle crumbs over top of macaroni and sausage. Bake for 15-20 until it is golden brown and bubbly.
Tangy Creamy Mac N Cheese
1 lb elbow macaroni
1 stick butter
3 tbsp flour
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 12 oz can of evaporated milk
1 6 oz container of plain yogurt
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
1/4 cup romano cheese
2 tbsp gorgonzola cheese
1 8 oz package of shredded mild cheddar cheese
1/2 tbsp yellow mustard
Cook macaroni as directed on package. In large pot, heat stick of butter until melted. Whisk in flour. Add chicken broth, evaporated milk, yogurt, heavy cream and cream cheese and stir until combined. Heat on medium for 2 to 3 minutes. Add in parmesan, romano, gorgonzola and cheddar cheeses and whisk until melted and combined. Whisk in mustard and salt and pepper to taste.
Toss macaroni with cheese sauce and serve.
Friday, November 5, 2010
Day 21- A Recipe
I have been such a major fail with posting on my blog. I cannot even begin to tell you how crazy busy this past week/month has been. I am so thankful I am not one of those people who struggle to make friends. However, I'm also the type of person who can never say no to anyone. I wear myself thin sometimes, and this past month, I've truly pushed myself to the limit with my social life, work and the few times I've been able to actually make it to the gym.
I was soooo excited for this post out of the whole blog challenge because its the reason I started blogging. This blog has made my life so much easier because anytime I need to reference or share one of my recipes, I can just hop on the computer and grab it. Amazing.
One of the main reasons I had started cooking a few years ago was because of Jon, my fiance. I felt like a failure as a girlfriend for not being able to produce something above and beyond hamburger helper. I started recording the Food Network, particularly 30 Minute Meals, on my DVR and watching them at night to get a feel for techniques and flavor combinations. I am still years away from where I'd like to be as a cook, but I've improved a whole bunch from where I started.
Since Jon was my original inspiration to cook, I decided to make one of his favorites. As I've mentioned before, Jon is a very picky eater. He enjoys meat and potatoes and nothing else. Its been a struggle to get him to try any food outside of the main meals he has had his whole life. I've finally been able to incorporate vegetables and herbs in the dishes, but he still loves a meat and potato dish. So, today I've made a Barbecue Chili with Oven Baked Garlic Parmesan Fries. I've made it with a few Portuguese touches in there because I do have some Portuguese blood in me. Instead of an Italian Sausage, I used Portuguese Sausage. I also used garbanzo beans as opposed to the usual kidney or pinto beans. I always use garbanzo beans in my Portuguese Kale Soup and I just love the flavor.
Barbecue Chili
2 lbs ground beef
1 10 oz Portuguese sausage, without casing
8 slices bacon, diced into small pieces
16 ounces chicken broth
2 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 green pepper, chopped
1/2 large onion, chopped
1 poblano pepper, seeded, chopped
1/2 cup beer
1 cup barbecue sauce
2 tomatoes, diced
1 15oz can of crushed tomatoes
1 15oz can diced tomatoes
2 15 oz cans beans (I used garbanzo)
1/4 cup parsley, finely chopped
3 tbsp chili powder
2 bay leaves
1/2 tbsp dried oregano
1 tsp cumin
2 tsp paprika
2 tsp hot sauce
1 tbsp worcestershire sauce
Salt & Pepper to taste
Heat large pot over medium-high heat. Place sausage in pot and break up using a wooden spoon or potato masher. Add ground beef. Cook until browned. Drain and set aside. Add bacon to same pot and cook until brown and crisp. Add beef and sausage back into pot. Add chicken broth to beef mixture. Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat, sautee onions and peppers for two to three minutes. Add onions and peppers to beef mixture. Add in remaining ingredients.
Cover and simmer over low heat for 2 1/2- 3 hours. Taste and add additional seasoning to taste. Serve with shredded cheddar cheese and sour cream with my next recipe.
Oven Baked Garlic Parmesan Fries
4-5 potatoes, peeled and sliced into wedges
5 large cloves of garlic, finely minced or grated
2 tbsp olive oil, plus coating for fries
2 tbsp butter
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
Salt & Pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Prepare baking sheet with a light coat of cooking spray. In a small sauce pan, sautee garlic in oil and butter for 3-4 minutes. Set aside in large mixing bowl. Spread potato wedges evenly on baking sheet. Season with salt and pepper and lightly coat with olive oil. Bake in oven for 25-30 minutes, until golden brown.
Immediately upon removing from the oven, toss fries in garlic mixture. Toss in parmesan cheese and salt and pepper to taste.
Serve along side the chili or with a cheesy dipping sauce. Enjoy!
I was soooo excited for this post out of the whole blog challenge because its the reason I started blogging. This blog has made my life so much easier because anytime I need to reference or share one of my recipes, I can just hop on the computer and grab it. Amazing.
One of the main reasons I had started cooking a few years ago was because of Jon, my fiance. I felt like a failure as a girlfriend for not being able to produce something above and beyond hamburger helper. I started recording the Food Network, particularly 30 Minute Meals, on my DVR and watching them at night to get a feel for techniques and flavor combinations. I am still years away from where I'd like to be as a cook, but I've improved a whole bunch from where I started.
Barbecue Chili
2 lbs ground beef
1 10 oz Portuguese sausage, without casing
8 slices bacon, diced into small pieces
16 ounces chicken broth
2 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 green pepper, chopped
1/2 large onion, chopped
1 poblano pepper, seeded, chopped
1/2 cup beer
1 cup barbecue sauce
2 tomatoes, diced
1 15oz can of crushed tomatoes
1 15oz can diced tomatoes
2 15 oz cans beans (I used garbanzo)
1/4 cup parsley, finely chopped
3 tbsp chili powder
2 bay leaves
1/2 tbsp dried oregano
1 tsp cumin
2 tsp paprika
2 tsp hot sauce
1 tbsp worcestershire sauce
Salt & Pepper to taste
Heat large pot over medium-high heat. Place sausage in pot and break up using a wooden spoon or potato masher. Add ground beef. Cook until browned. Drain and set aside. Add bacon to same pot and cook until brown and crisp. Add beef and sausage back into pot. Add chicken broth to beef mixture. Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat, sautee onions and peppers for two to three minutes. Add onions and peppers to beef mixture. Add in remaining ingredients.
Cover and simmer over low heat for 2 1/2- 3 hours. Taste and add additional seasoning to taste. Serve with shredded cheddar cheese and sour cream with my next recipe.
Oven Baked Garlic Parmesan Fries
4-5 potatoes, peeled and sliced into wedges
5 large cloves of garlic, finely minced or grated
2 tbsp olive oil, plus coating for fries
2 tbsp butter
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
Salt & Pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Prepare baking sheet with a light coat of cooking spray. In a small sauce pan, sautee garlic in oil and butter for 3-4 minutes. Set aside in large mixing bowl. Spread potato wedges evenly on baking sheet. Season with salt and pepper and lightly coat with olive oil. Bake in oven for 25-30 minutes, until golden brown.
Immediately upon removing from the oven, toss fries in garlic mixture. Toss in parmesan cheese and salt and pepper to taste.
Serve along side the chili or with a cheesy dipping sauce. Enjoy!
Saturday, October 23, 2010
Homemade Raviolis
Hey Kids!
I can't even begin to express my love for raviolis. They are so amazing. I used to just buy the frozen stuff you buy in the grocery store. Now, my Kitchen Aid mixer has made these so easy to make from scratch. If you don't have a mixer, you can just cut the raviolis with a pizza cutter and shape the edges with a fork. This ravioli filling ends up making extra, which I'm going to use in my next recipe for stromboli.
6 Sheets of Homemade Pasta
Ravioli Filling:
1 1/2 cup ricotta cheese
3/4 cup cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup grated Romano cheese
1 clove garlic, grated or finely minced
1 tbsp parsely, chopped
1 egg
Start boiling water on stovetop for ravioli using large pasta pot. Combine together all ravioli filling ingredients in large mixing bowl. Use Kitchen Aid mixer to form raviolis. Season water and drop in raviolis. Allow to cook for about 4-5 minutes, until raviolis are floating at top. Serve with marinara or alfredo sauce and Buon Appetito!
I can't even begin to express my love for raviolis. They are so amazing. I used to just buy the frozen stuff you buy in the grocery store. Now, my Kitchen Aid mixer has made these so easy to make from scratch. If you don't have a mixer, you can just cut the raviolis with a pizza cutter and shape the edges with a fork. This ravioli filling ends up making extra, which I'm going to use in my next recipe for stromboli.
6 Sheets of Homemade Pasta
Ravioli Filling:
1 1/2 cup ricotta cheese
3/4 cup cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup grated Romano cheese
1 clove garlic, grated or finely minced
1 tbsp parsely, chopped
1 egg
Start boiling water on stovetop for ravioli using large pasta pot. Combine together all ravioli filling ingredients in large mixing bowl. Use Kitchen Aid mixer to form raviolis. Season water and drop in raviolis. Allow to cook for about 4-5 minutes, until raviolis are floating at top. Serve with marinara or alfredo sauce and Buon Appetito!
Sunday, October 17, 2010
Shepherd's Pie
'Ello! (Insert British Accent)
I have to say, I'm not making breaking any ground with this recipe. I think Shepherd's Pie is one of those classic comfort dishes that are perfect the way they are. I made my mashed potatoes with 3 different cheeses that made them so tasty and yummy. I serve it up with some barbecue sauce or ketchup and its something you can eat right on the sofa watching your favorite show or movie.
This is a dish that's one of those "special" dishes for Jon. I don't usually like to cook with ground beef, but I felt a little better when I got the 93% lean kind. (haha) Also these mashed potatoes probably have 8 kajillion calories in them. Our 6 year anniversary was on Friday and today marked our first day of vacation so I decided what the heck?! I'll go on the elliptical for 6 hours tomorrow (haha yeah right!) Anyways, since it was our anniversary I figured it was a good excuse to make it for him and get the recipe up here for you guys that have fast metabolisms. I made him a photo collage for our anniversary this year. Check it out if you'd like. :)
Check out the recipe too and send me your pictures, questions or comments at cookingwithcait@gmail.com. Love you all! <3
Shepherd's Pie
3 pounds potatoes
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cube potatoes and get them in a pot and cover them with cold water. Bring to a boil and season water with salt. *see tip at bottom* Cook for 20-25 minutes until fork tender.
While potatoes are cooking, brown beef in skillet. Add in onions and garlic and cook 2-3 minutes.
Drain potatoes. Using an electric mixer, beat potatoes with Parmesan, Romano, cream cheese, milk, butter and garlic until smooth or to desired "with lumps" consistency. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Lightly grease a baking dish and spread meat mixture along the bottom. Drain corn and spread over meat mixture. Spread mashed potatoes over meat and corn. Lastly, sprinkle cheddar cheese over top. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until cheese is golden and bubbly.
Tip from the cook: Anytime I make potatoes, pasta or rice, I always season my boiling water with salt AND chicken bouillon. I think its much more inexpensive than cooking in Chicken Stock in a box and gets you the same flavor. It also adds a really nice gourmet color to it. That little jar of bouillon lasts quite a while too, even with the amount of cooking I do!
I have to say, I'm not making breaking any ground with this recipe. I think Shepherd's Pie is one of those classic comfort dishes that are perfect the way they are. I made my mashed potatoes with 3 different cheeses that made them so tasty and yummy. I serve it up with some barbecue sauce or ketchup and its something you can eat right on the sofa watching your favorite show or movie.
This is a dish that's one of those "special" dishes for Jon. I don't usually like to cook with ground beef, but I felt a little better when I got the 93% lean kind. (haha) Also these mashed potatoes probably have 8 kajillion calories in them. Our 6 year anniversary was on Friday and today marked our first day of vacation so I decided what the heck?! I'll go on the elliptical for 6 hours tomorrow (haha yeah right!) Anyways, since it was our anniversary I figured it was a good excuse to make it for him and get the recipe up here for you guys that have fast metabolisms. I made him a photo collage for our anniversary this year. Check it out if you'd like. :)
Check out the recipe too and send me your pictures, questions or comments at cookingwithcait@gmail.com. Love you all! <3
Shepherd's Pie
3 pounds potatoes½ cup parmesan
½ cup Romano
½ cream cheese
½ cup milk
1 stick butter
3 cloves of garlic
Salt and Pepper to taste
2 pounds of ground beef
1 cup onion
3 cloves garlic
2 11 ounce cans corn
1 ½ cups shredded cheddar cheese
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cube potatoes and get them in a pot and cover them with cold water. Bring to a boil and season water with salt. *see tip at bottom* Cook for 20-25 minutes until fork tender.
While potatoes are cooking, brown beef in skillet. Add in onions and garlic and cook 2-3 minutes.
Drain potatoes. Using an electric mixer, beat potatoes with Parmesan, Romano, cream cheese, milk, butter and garlic until smooth or to desired "with lumps" consistency. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Lightly grease a baking dish and spread meat mixture along the bottom. Drain corn and spread over meat mixture. Spread mashed potatoes over meat and corn. Lastly, sprinkle cheddar cheese over top. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until cheese is golden and bubbly.
Tip from the cook: Anytime I make potatoes, pasta or rice, I always season my boiling water with salt AND chicken bouillon. I think its much more inexpensive than cooking in Chicken Stock in a box and gets you the same flavor. It also adds a really nice gourmet color to it. That little jar of bouillon lasts quite a while too, even with the amount of cooking I do!
Friday, October 1, 2010
Chicken Alfredo Lasagna
Hey Everyone!
I had the day off so I decided to go Italian in my kitchen. I'm having some friends over in a few weeks for Mamma Mia night and I wanted to make some lasagnas. So I tested out some recipes, and this one was my favorite. I've always preferred alfredo sauce to marinara for some reason, so I wasn't very surprised when this one stood out to me. Most lasagna afredo recipes online didn't call for meat, but I felt like it needed some chicken. So, I added it. Be sure to check out the next couple of posts for some more Italian inspired recipes.
Send your pictures and comments to cookingwithcait@gmail.com :)
Chicken Alfredo Lasagna
4 cups alfredo sauce
16 ounce box of Lasagna noodles
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
3 cups ricotta cheese
1 cup spinach, coarsely chopped
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon house seasoning
- Paula Deen house seasoning ingredients: 1 cup salt 1/4 cup granulated garlic 1/4 cup black pepper
3 cloves garlic
1/2 onion, chopped
2 chicken breasts, diced into cubes
Cook lasagna as directed on box. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. While noodles cook, combine cream cheese, ricotta, spinach, nutmeg, 1 cup of mozzarella cheese and 1 cup of parmesan cheese in medium mixing bowl. Set in refrigerator. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in skillet and sautee garlic and onions for about 2 minutes. Add chicken to skillet and cook through. Drain lasagna when done and set aside to cool while chicken finishes.
In a 13x9x2 pan, spread some of the alfredo sauce to cover the bottom of the pan. Lay four of the lasagna noodles over sauce. Next add half of the cheese mixture. Next the chicken and then half of the remaining alfredo. Repeat layering process. Cover with four more lasagna noodles, then sprinkle remaining mozzarella and parmesan cheese over noodles. Cover with foil and cook for 30-35 minutes. Remove the foil and cook for another 15 minutes until cheese is bubbly and light brown.
I used one of those McCormack packets for the Alfredo sauce. So simple, you just add milk and butter as instructed. I usually add some grated parmesan cheese to it as well. Otherwise, you can use a jarred alfredo sauce or your favorite recipe from scratch.
Send me that feedback! Buon appetito!
I had the day off so I decided to go Italian in my kitchen. I'm having some friends over in a few weeks for Mamma Mia night and I wanted to make some lasagnas. So I tested out some recipes, and this one was my favorite. I've always preferred alfredo sauce to marinara for some reason, so I wasn't very surprised when this one stood out to me. Most lasagna afredo recipes online didn't call for meat, but I felt like it needed some chicken. So, I added it. Be sure to check out the next couple of posts for some more Italian inspired recipes.
Send your pictures and comments to cookingwithcait@gmail.com :)
Chicken Alfredo Lasagna
4 cups alfredo sauce
16 ounce box of Lasagna noodles
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
3 cups ricotta cheese
1 cup spinach, coarsely chopped
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon house seasoning
- Paula Deen house seasoning ingredients: 1 cup salt 1/4 cup granulated garlic 1/4 cup black pepper
3 cloves garlic
1/2 onion, chopped
2 chicken breasts, diced into cubes
Cook lasagna as directed on box. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. While noodles cook, combine cream cheese, ricotta, spinach, nutmeg, 1 cup of mozzarella cheese and 1 cup of parmesan cheese in medium mixing bowl. Set in refrigerator. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in skillet and sautee garlic and onions for about 2 minutes. Add chicken to skillet and cook through. Drain lasagna when done and set aside to cool while chicken finishes.
In a 13x9x2 pan, spread some of the alfredo sauce to cover the bottom of the pan. Lay four of the lasagna noodles over sauce. Next add half of the cheese mixture. Next the chicken and then half of the remaining alfredo. Repeat layering process. Cover with four more lasagna noodles, then sprinkle remaining mozzarella and parmesan cheese over noodles. Cover with foil and cook for 30-35 minutes. Remove the foil and cook for another 15 minutes until cheese is bubbly and light brown.
I used one of those McCormack packets for the Alfredo sauce. So simple, you just add milk and butter as instructed. I usually add some grated parmesan cheese to it as well. Otherwise, you can use a jarred alfredo sauce or your favorite recipe from scratch.
Send me that feedback! Buon appetito!
Monday, September 27, 2010
Gringa Lasagna
Hey Everyone!
Two posts in a night due to my guilt from not posting in a while. I've been really wanting to make a Mexican style Lasagna for a long time because it just seems so tasty and easy to make. I found out tonight it truly is easy and even tastier than I thought. I grew up on the East Coast where we didn't have too much of a Mexican food culture so I'm hoping I did the amazing food justice with this dish. Just in case, I'm gonna go ahead and call it Gringa Lasagna since I am just a white girl trying to mimick yummy Mexican dishes. :oP
Jon doesn't really try new foods so I was surprised when he put on a brave face and tried this dish. It helped that we had friends over so he had to be on his best behavior. I gave some to my parents and we polished off most of the lasagna between us and our friends. After they left, Jon looked at me and say "Hey, we have some lasagna left for ourselves right?" He is brutally honest with me and I never post the recipes he doesn't like because if he doesn't like it, kids won't like it. Most people looking for recipes need something kids will eat. Jon is just a big kid so he really helps out with this blog challenge of mine. After he had to make sure he had some leftovers to eat tomorrow, I knew I had done something right.
I'd love feedback on it from anyone who does enjoy Mexican food a lot because I'm always looking for ways to improve on my cooking skills. Send me your suggestions, comments and pictures to cookingwithcait@gmail.com
Gringa Lasagna
4 slices bacon, diced
1/2 red onion, diced
2 lbs ground pork
1 1/2 tbsp chilli powder
1/2 tbsp paprika
1 tsp cumin
1 10 3/4oz can of Cheddar Cheese Soup (Campbell's is what I used)
1 14.5oz can of diced tomatoes, drained of juice
1/2 cup salsa, whichever brand you like
1 15oz can of beans (I used Kidney, you can use whichever style you like.)
8 flour tortillas, cut in half
1 8oz bag of monteray jack shredded cheese or mexican blend shredded cheese
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Sautee bacon in frying pan until light golden and crispy. Add diced onion. Allow onion to sweat about 2 minutes, then add ground pork. Add chilli powder, paprika and cumin. Mix all together and cook pork until light brown.
While pork is cooking, combine cheddar cheese soup, diced tomatoes and salsa in mixing bowl. When pork is done, add beans to pork, bacon and onions to heat through for about two minutes. Coat bottom of baking dish with olive oil. Layer dish with meat and beans, then tortillas, then cheese mixture, more meat, more tortillas, then shredded cheese. Bake for about 15 minutes or until cheese is bubbly and browned.
Send me your feedback!
Two posts in a night due to my guilt from not posting in a while. I've been really wanting to make a Mexican style Lasagna for a long time because it just seems so tasty and easy to make. I found out tonight it truly is easy and even tastier than I thought. I grew up on the East Coast where we didn't have too much of a Mexican food culture so I'm hoping I did the amazing food justice with this dish. Just in case, I'm gonna go ahead and call it Gringa Lasagna since I am just a white girl trying to mimick yummy Mexican dishes. :oP
Jon doesn't really try new foods so I was surprised when he put on a brave face and tried this dish. It helped that we had friends over so he had to be on his best behavior. I gave some to my parents and we polished off most of the lasagna between us and our friends. After they left, Jon looked at me and say "Hey, we have some lasagna left for ourselves right?" He is brutally honest with me and I never post the recipes he doesn't like because if he doesn't like it, kids won't like it. Most people looking for recipes need something kids will eat. Jon is just a big kid so he really helps out with this blog challenge of mine. After he had to make sure he had some leftovers to eat tomorrow, I knew I had done something right.
I'd love feedback on it from anyone who does enjoy Mexican food a lot because I'm always looking for ways to improve on my cooking skills. Send me your suggestions, comments and pictures to cookingwithcait@gmail.com
Gringa Lasagna
4 slices bacon, diced
1/2 red onion, diced
2 lbs ground pork
1 1/2 tbsp chilli powder
1/2 tbsp paprika
1 tsp cumin
1 10 3/4oz can of Cheddar Cheese Soup (Campbell's is what I used)
1 14.5oz can of diced tomatoes, drained of juice
1/2 cup salsa, whichever brand you like
1 15oz can of beans (I used Kidney, you can use whichever style you like.)
8 flour tortillas, cut in half
1 8oz bag of monteray jack shredded cheese or mexican blend shredded cheese
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Sautee bacon in frying pan until light golden and crispy. Add diced onion. Allow onion to sweat about 2 minutes, then add ground pork. Add chilli powder, paprika and cumin. Mix all together and cook pork until light brown.
While pork is cooking, combine cheddar cheese soup, diced tomatoes and salsa in mixing bowl. When pork is done, add beans to pork, bacon and onions to heat through for about two minutes. Coat bottom of baking dish with olive oil. Layer dish with meat and beans, then tortillas, then cheese mixture, more meat, more tortillas, then shredded cheese. Bake for about 15 minutes or until cheese is bubbly and browned.
Send me your feedback!
Monday, March 29, 2010
Cheese Sauce
Cheese Sauce:
1/2 stick butter
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1 1/4 cup milk
8 oz American cheese
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 tsp salt
Melt butter on medium heat on stove top. Whisk flour in until there are no clumps. Add in milk. Allow to heat for 1-2 minutes and then reduce heat to low-medium. Add cheese in a couple slices at a time and allow to melt. Add in Parmesan cheese and salt. Stir until thickened.
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