Creamed Corn Corn Bread

 Do you own a cast iron skillet??? 

 To be quite honest, I don't usually use one for my everyday cooking. But years and years ago, I was at a yard sale, and they were selling one.. a perfectly awesome 10-inch skillet, completely unseasoned and totally rusted from years of neglect. As soon as I saw it, I immediately knew I wanted it. Why? Well, because my Mom always used one for making Irish Soda Bread, which is one of my family's faves. Of course my skillet is now reseasoned and fabulous and perfect, and I've made TONS of Irish Bread in it.. but the other thing I love to use it for is CORN BREAD! 

 Yes, yes, of course you could just open a box of Jiffy corn muffin mix, which is great and all, but have you ever made it from scratch? It's still super simple to make, and the payoff is huge. 

 This is a slightly tweaked version of Alton Brown's recipe, and it makes me think of Fall. There's just something so warm and comforting about having a bowl of chili and a big piece of warm buttered corn bread that screams sweater weather, dontcha think? 

2 cups yellow cornmeal
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup buttermilk
2 eggs
1 cup creamed corn
1 cup whole kernel corn
2 tablespoons canola oil


Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Place a 10-inch cast iron skillet into the oven.
In a bowl, combine the cornmeal, salt, sugar, baking powder, and baking soda. Whisk together to combine well.
In a large bowl, combine the buttermilk, eggs, and both kinds of corn, whisking together to combine thoroughly. Add the dry ingredients to the buttermilk mixture and stir to combine. If the batter will not pour, add more buttermilk to the batter.
Swirl the canola oil in the hot cast iron skillet. Pour the batter into the skillet. Bake until the cornbread is golden brown and springs back upon the touch, about 20 minutes. 

 

Tips:
Be very careful not to over bake. It can become dry and crumbly very quickly. 
But if this happens, don’t fret! It still won't go to waste! Just crumble it up, place it on a sheet tray, and bake it until it’s very dry and slightly crispy. Now you’re ready to make the perfect stuffing!
 For a little extra added flavor, add some chopped fresh herbs. Fresh thyme would be lovely, or fresh rosemary. Just be sure to chop the herbs very well!

Easy Cheesy Broccoli, Sausage, 'n' Tater Bake

 

 This hearty casserole was inspired by my dear friend, Carol. 

She mentioned to me that she had made a casserole using Cheddar cheese soup, potatoes, and "kabossy" (because, seriously, does anyone really say "keelbossuh?"). Then she told me to feel free to "Joeyize" it, if I feel so inclined. Um... YES. Challenge accepted! So I added a few extra flavors to the sauce, and some broccoli for a little veg. It turned out great! Hearty and filling, and all in one pot. NAILED it! And I can honestly tell you that I immediately wanted to make it again after there was no more left. That's always a good sign!

 So if you're feeling a little casserole-y, give this one a try... my Joeyized version of Carol's casserole. 

Side note, my sister Cathy suggested calling it a tater bake because "tater is just fun to say!"

Who am I to argue??  Sounds to good me! Thanx again, Carol, for the inspo! Enjoy! 

  

 

 

Oil or bacon fat
1 lb Kielbasa or other smoked sausage, sliced
1 small onion, diced
4 potatoes, peeled and diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 bunch broccoli, cut into florets
1 can Cheddar cheese soup
1/2 soup can of milk
1 cup sour cream
Dash of Worcestershire sauce
1 tbs mustard, any kind
S&P to taste
4 oz Cheddar cheese, shredded
French fried onions 



In a large wide shallow pan, over medium heat, sauté the sausage and onions until slightly browned. Add the potatoes and garlic and toss to coat with the fat. Add the broccoli florets and give it another toss. 
 In a mixing bowl, stir together remaining ingredients except the cheese and French fried onions. Cover and place in the oven for about 45 minutes. Remove cover. Top with Cheddar cheese and French fried onions. Place back in the oven (uncovered) for an additional 10 minutes. Remove from oven. Let it sit for a good 10-15 minutes before serving. 

Note:
If you don’t have a wide shallow pan that can go in the oven, just sauté the sausage and onions in a skillet, toss with the sauce ingredients in a large mixing bowl, then pour into a casserole dish for baking. 


Tips:
One of the key ingredients is the mustard. You can literally use any kind.. yellow, brown, Dijon, even dry powder.. it will all work. It’s the secret flavor weapon for making cheesy things taste more cheesy!
This recipe is the classic example of “if you like a lot, add a lot” (as my Mom used to say.) Feeding a big crowd? Add another potato or two. Wanna add some more veggies? Add diced carrots or even cauliflower florets. Wanna use chicken instead of sausage? Go for it! Want it to be completely meat free? Do it!
The French fried onions are optional, but let’s be honest, was there ever a casserole that wasn’t made better by adding them on top? I think not. 

Chili Dog Casserole

 

Whenever the seasons change, I always notice that my culinary cravings change as well. 

In Winter, I want to warm up with a hearty slow cooked stew. For Spring, I like something light and crisp and fresh. In Summer, I want Jersey fresh produce and cooking outside on the grill. And for Fall, you just can’t beat something warm and comforting.

Now that Summer is coming to a close, I’m thinking a fabulous casserole would be just the thing, but full disclosure, I have several projects going on, and I’m not so motivated to cook on a busy weeknight. 

So, what do you cook when you don’t feel like cooking? 

 At first, I thought of just heating up a bowl of my home canned chili, but then I saw this chili dog casserole from All Recipes and thought YES.. THAT’S the right answer. It’s hearty and comforting, it only needs a few store bought items, and it assembles in about 10 minutes. PERFECT!

 As I was making it, I thought, this couldn’t be any simpler. Nothing ground breaking here, it’s just a chili dog, after all. But using flour tortillas for the “bun” is the stroke of genius. It makes it SO easy and goes perfectly with the chili. Cool, huh?

 So if you’re feeling like an end of Summer casserole, keep this recipe in your repertoire when you need to get something on the table in a snap. It really hits the spot!

 

2 15oz cans chili (or your own)

8 beef hot dogs

8 taco size flour tortillas

8 oz Cheddar cheese, shredded

Heat oven to 425ºF.

Spread half of the chili in a casserole dish.

Roll up the hot dogs inside the tortillas and place in baking dish, seam side down, on top of the chili. Top with remaining chili. Sprinkle with shredded cheese. 

Cover tightly with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Serve with desired toppings. 

Tips:

I topped mine with some jalapeños and sliced green onions, then added a dollop of sour cream. You could also top it with a little ketchup or mustard and some finely chopped raw onions. 

Use whatever kind of chili you like. Leftover home made chili? Perfect. Home canned chili? Definitely. With beans or without. All good. 

Wanna add more cheese? Do it! There’s no such thing as too much cheese. And for heaven's sake, shred your own! It melts SO much better than the pre shredded stuff and it only takes 2 minutes! 

Don't like tortillas? Just leave 'em out!

Macaroni and Tomatoes

 

  Have you ever heard of macaroni and tomatoes? 

 I'm not talking about your usual spaghetti dinner, I mean just simply macaroni with tomatoes. Ever tried it? It's a traditional comfort meal that's rooted in Southern and Appalachian regional cuisine. Basically it's a budget friendly meal that uses just simple pantry staples like elbow macaroni and stewed or canned tomatoes. Add a little bacon fat and butter for a little richness, and you have an easy weeknight dinner in a snap! 

 This version is from All Recipes, and when I first saw it, I thought "How can that not be good?" And it was so easy to make, especially since I always have jars of my favorite Jersey tomatoes all put up and ready to go. LOVE it. Actually, full disclosure, when I made it, I happened to have a giant basket of fresh ripe Jerseys, so I didn't even need to open a can. I just peeled and chopped them and then into the sauce they went. YUM.

 Now.. to be clear... as was stated in the All Recipes video.. this is NOT goulash, which is ground beef and elbows in a tomato sauce. It's just macaroni and tomatoes. Simplicity at its best!

 So if you have a bunch of hungry mouths to feed during a crazy week of trying to balance a million schedules, you should add this to your rotation. It's delicious, hearty, feeds a crowd, and won't break the bank. Definitely a keeper!

1 tbs bacon grease

1 1/2 cups diced very ripe tomato

1 28oz can whole tomatoes in juice

3/4 tsp kosher salt, or to taste

1/2 tsp pepper, or to taste

1/2 tsp sugar

1 cup water

2 cups macaroni

2 tbs cold butter

Heat bacon grease in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add tomatoes and cook, stirring often until tomatoes soften, about 5 minutes. 

Add canned tomatoes and mash lightly with a wooden spoon or potato masher to break the tomatoes into large pieces. Season with salt, pepper and sugar. Add water to tomato can to rinse any residual juice from the can and add water mixture to tomatoes. Bring to a simmer and reduce heat to medium-low while pasta cooks, stirring occasionally. 

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add macaroni and cook until just al dente, about 5-6 minutes. Drain pasta and add to tomato mixture. 

Cook macaroni and tomatoes together 8-10 minutes or until the flavors have combined and the mixture has thickened slightly. Stir in butter and serve immediately with warm crusty bread.

Tips:

To peel fresh tomatoes: Cut a shallow X in the bottom of each tomato, then plunge it into boiling water for 30-60 seconds until the skin starts to curl up. Remove to an ice bath or tray. When cool enough to handle, just use your fingers or pairing knife to peel the skin away from the X. 

When I saw the video for this recipe, she added a tbs of chicken bouillon paste, which I'm guessing is not traditional, but it definitely adds to the depth of flavor. The tiny bit of sugar, however, IS traditional. Back in the day, it was probably added to counteract the acidity of the tomatoes. Since tomatoes are now bred to be much sweeter, you don't really need it, but many people enjoy the nostalgic sweetness that it brings. 

Slow Cooker Grape Jelly BBQ Ribs

  Lately I've been in the mood for some barbecued ribs. You know.. cooked low and slow until they're falling off the bone... the kind where you wind up with BBQ sauce all over your face. Yes! THAT's what I'm in the mood for. But I thought... what if we play around with the BBQ sauce a little? I always like the mix of sweet and savory and smokey and sticky, so that's what I did!

 Also, this recipe couldn't be easier. Seriously, I think the hardest part is removing the membrane from your rack of ribs. The rest is just time. My Mom uses to say "just put it in the pot, and let it cook." So, that's what I'll say about this.. Just put the ribs in the crock pot and let them cook. You'll wind up with the sauciest best tasting ribs! Better have some extra napkins handy! Enjoy!

 

 

 

3 lbs baby back pork ribs, membrane removed and cut into individual ribs

You can also use this same recipe for chicken thighs!

For the BBQ rub:
1/4 cup brown sugar

2 tbs smoked paprika
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)

For the sauce:
1 cup grape jelly
1 cup BBQ sauce
1 pkt dry onion soup mix

1 tbs lemon juice

 

To remove the membrane from the back of ribs, place the rack on a cutting board bone side up. Use a dull tool like a butter knife to lift an edge, then grip the slippery edge with a dry paper towel and pull it off. It usually comes off in one big piece. 

 

In separate small bowls, mix the sauce ingredients and the rub ingredients. 
Sprinkle the rub on all sides of the pork ribs or chicken thighs. Massage over all until well coated. 
Place in slow cooker. Pour BBQ sauce over all to coat well. 

For ribs, cook on low for 8 hours or high for 4 hours.

For chicken, cook on low for 4 hours or high for two hours.

After the cooking time, place chicken thighs and/or ribs on a baking tray. Brush with more BBQ sauce.  Place in a 400 degree oven for 15 minutes or until slightly charred. Or skip the oven, and finish them on a hit grill. Serve with lots of napkins at the ready!

Tips:
Just to be clear, this recipe is for chicken OR ribs. Since they require different cooking times, you wouldn't cook them both together in the same slow cooker. 
You can, however, set up separate slow cookers, time it so they finish at the same time, and have yourself a big ol' feast! 

Don't have grape jelly? Use a different kind. Peach or apricot would be great. You could even use blueberry. Oooo I think I might have to try that next time. 
If you like a thicker BBQ sauce, make a slurry of 1/2 cup COLD water and a tbs of corn starch. Stir it into the sauce and continue to cook until it thickens. 

Huli Huli Chicken Skewers

 

   

   Have you ever heard of Huli Huli sauce? I must admit that until recently I was not familiar. It's kind of like a Hawaiian BBQ sauce, and it's AMAZING. 

 The first time I made it, I brushed it on chicken and pineapple skewers, (which were FABULOUS, btw) but then I thought "I need to make a giant batch and then can it!" CLEARLY it needs to be included on my wall o' jars. (Don't you just love it when you're in the middle of a meal and already deciding when to make it again? No? Just me?)

 Anyway, I found several recipes.. all very similar, but just slightly different. From what I can see, they all seem to start with your base ingredients like ketchup, soy sauce, pineapple juice, and brown sugar. Most add garlic and ginger too. Some add dry mustard, some add sherry or apple cider vinegar. It's basically like any other BBQ sauce where no two are the same. I did what I always do.. I read several versions, and then pieced them together using all of my favorite components. And it turned out great! 

 Btw, if you're wondering about the name, the word "huli" means "to turn", named after the traditional way roadside chicken is grilled on open-fire spits and flipped while being basted.

 So there you have it. The next time you're looking for a fabulous sauce to brush on your grilled chicken or pork, try this one. Simply stated, it's absolutely delicious! Boom. 

 

 

 For the sauce:

1 cup ketchup

1 cup soy sauce

1 cup pineapple juice

1 cup brown sugar 

1 tsp minced garlic

1 tsp minced fresh ginger

2 or 3 tbs lemon juice

Small pinch crushed red pepper flakes

Freshly ground black pepper 

 

In a large pot, stir together all ingredients until well combined. I like to simmer it for about 10-15 minutes over a low heat, just to let the flavors come together. 

That's literally all there is to it!

For the skewers:

I recommend boneless skinless chicken thighs, bell peppers, and fresh pineapple.

Cut chicken into bit sized pieces. I usually get about 4 pieces from each thigh.

Marinate the chicken in the Huli Huli sauce for about 30 minutes.

In the meantime, cut up your pineapple and peppers to the same size.

 To assemble skewers, just alternate pieces of chicken, pineapple, and peppers in whichever order you prefer. Place on a hot grill, and cook for about 15-20 minutes, turning frequently.  

 

 

 

 

Tips:

This sauce goes amazingly well on pork, so feel free to make your next batch of ribs with it.  

If you don't have a grill, just bake in the oven at 350º for about 20 minutes. Broil for the last 5 minutes.  

Some recipes use a little less soy sauce and brown sugar. Make it the way you like it!

Want it to be spicy? Add more crushed red pepper flakes. 

Sweeter? Add a little more brown sugar. I bet honey would also be a great addition. 

If you don't have fresh garlic or ginger, feel free to use garlic or ginger powder.  

If you want to can it, ladle hot sauce into hot jars, leaving 1/2 inch head space. Process pints in a water bath canner for 20 minutes. 

 

  

Fresh Peach Butter

 

  So, I'm guessing you've heard of apple butter, but did you know you can make butter with other fruits as well? In this case, I'm not talking about regular BUTTER butter, but rather a fruit spread that is rich and velvety smooth, sort of a cousin to fruit jam. Actually, if we're being specific, jam is different because it has added pectin and pieces of crushed fruit in it. Fruit butter is thicker and more dense, has no added pectin, and is cooked down and pureed smooth. It's absolutely HEAVENLY. 

  Recently I had some fresh Jersey peaches that were ripe and sweet and PERFECT for making butter, and I thought, "Why don't I make this more often??" It's SO much easier to make than you might think, and it's so fresh, it tastes like summer in a jar. In fact, I'm already planning to take a ride to my favorite produce stand so I can make more! Not even kidding. 

 So I hope you'll give it a try. I PROMISE you'll be glad that you did!

 

 

Fresh peaches

Sugar

Lemon juice

 

 

I usually peel my peaches, but you don't really need to. Just remove the pit and throw your sliced peaches into a pot with about a 1/2 cup of water. For every pound of peaches, add about 1/2 cup sugar. Add a few tablespoons of lemon juice. Place over medium heat and bring it up to boil. Use a potato masher to crush them up a bit. When the peaches are soft, use a hand blender to puree (or CAREFULLY ladle into a blender in batches). When it's completely smooth, reduce heat to just a simmer. You don't want a hard boil here, just a gentle 'bloop... bloop..." know what I mean? Let it simmer for about 30-45 minutes. Done!

 

Serving suggestions:

Use it as a spread on buttered toast and English muffins, or as a topping for pancakes, waffles, and French toast. It's also fabulous when added to yogurt and topped with granola. Or my favorite... swirl it into some home made vanilla bean ice cream for a perfect summer treat!!!

 

 

Tips:

I like to just keep it simple because I love the freshest peach flavor, but feel free to add spices like cinnamon or ginger. You can also add finely chopped crystallized ginger with the peaches and then puree as directed. 

For canning, use only yellow peaches, not white (white peaches have a different PH level, making them unsafe for canning) Ladle hot peach butter into hot jars, then process pints or half pints for 10 minutes in a water bath canner.  

 

 

 

Potatoes and Peppers

 

 

 I was recently scrolling through the tick tocks, and I saw a video for this recipe. It's an old timey recipe that was clearly meant for using up leftover potatoes and peppers. Coincidentally, I happened to find myself in the position of having a surplus.... three big potatoes leftover from my most recent Dinner Hang, and a whole bag of peppers from my sister, Jeanie.  I thought "How perfect is that??" 

 It was so easy and it turned out so good, I thought "why aren't we making this all the time??" Of course, I can see this as a side dish for any kind of grilled or roast beast, but I can REALLY see it as part of a big Sunday breakfast with eggs, bacon, sausage, and/or scrapple. YUM! It's also good enough to be a one pot meal, all on its own. Add some diced ham? YES PLEASE! I'm officially adding this to my breakfast/brunch repertoire. 

 So if you have some potatoes and peppers to use up, this is the recipe you've been looking for!

 

 

Bacon fat and/or butter 

Potatoes, peeled (if desired), and sliced

Peppers, sliced

Onions, chopped

1/2 cup milk or cream

4 oz Cheddar cheese, shredded

salt and pepper to taste

 

Melt the bacon fat and/or butter in a large skillet or wide shallow pan over medium heat. Add your potatoes. Let them cook, stirring frequently to make sure they don't stick. If you're pan has a cover, even better. 

 When your potatoes are about halfway done, add your onions and peppers. Continue to stir and saute. Season with salt and pepper. When the potatoes are tender, drizzle in the milk or cream. Give it another stir, then give it a taste and adjust the seasoning, Top with shredded cheese. When the cheese is melted, it's ready to serve. 

 

 

Tips:

This requires more salt than you think it will. Just taste the potatoes and adjust the seasoning before you add the cheese. Want to add other seasonings? DO It! 

Use any kind of potatoes, or peppers or onions you have, I had a bunch of different color peppers, which was perfect. Do you like hot peppers? Go for it!

You really don't even have to peel the potatoes. Just sayin' 

The cream will absorb into the potatoes, so it doesn't really make a sauce. It's more of a velvety coating. I didn't have milk or cream, so I added a small can of evaporated milk. Use what you have!

Use whatever kind of cheese you like, and for Heaven's sake, SHRED YOUR OWN. It melts SO much better, than the pre-shredded.. and seriously, isn't that worth 2 extra minutes? 

 

Savory Cantaloupe

 

  Every so often, maybe every other month, I host a little get together for a group of my dearest friends. Sometimes it's a movie night, sometimes it's a bonfire night, or my favorite.. Christmas Tree Decorating. And as with any party, I love love LOVE to come up with new menu ideas. I love to give myself the personal challenge of coming up with something new for each dinner. 

 So, recently, I was planning for our Summer Hang, and I had already set the menu: Corn on the cob, Jersey tomato Caprese salad, Chicken skewers, and some roasted peppers as an appetizer. Nothing too fancy. But all delicious and definitely SUMMER. 

 And then, literally the day before our dinner, I happened to see a short video from Ayesha Nurdjaja. If you're not familiar, she's often seen on different Food Networks shows, most notably as one of the Titans on Bobby's Triple Threat. Anyway, I happened to see a video of her making this savory cantaloupe.

 As soon as I saw it, I knew I wanted to add it to my menu.. mainly because I knew it would be the perfect thing for my summer menu, but also because I love cantaloupe, especially when it's sprinkled with a little salt! This recipe takes that idea and runs with it. It's sweet, it's savory, it's tart, it's SO refreshing, and it has just a little spicy hit at the end. Nothing to burn my face off, but just the tiniest little poke. FABULOUS. I decided to serve it as an appetizer, but it's perfect as a little summer snack, or even as a palate cleanser between courses. 

  If you like cantaloupe, you simply MUST give this one a try. It was a HUGE hit with my friends, and it'll be a hit for you too!! SO good!

 

  

Fresh ripe cantaloupe

Olive oil

Fresh lime juice

Honey 

Fresh mint leaves

Tajin seasoning

Sea salt 

 

Basically, everything is to taste. 

Slice your cantaloupe into wedges. Place them on a serving plate. 

Stir together the oil, lime juice, and honey. Drizzle the dressing over the cantaloupe.

Sprinkle with chopped mint, Tajin, and salt.

That's it!

 

Tips:

I think the key to this recipe is the Tajin seasoning. If you're not familiar, it's a spice blend that is kind of like a mild chili powder with salt and dehydrated lime juice. It's FABULOUS. Put it on anything!

One of Ayesha's tips was to make sure your cantaloupe is well chilled. She said It has to be COLD! That makes it all the more refreshing.  

She also used the zest of the lime, but I just used the juice. I'm guessing she just drizzled everything over the cantaloupe, but I whisked the dressing together first and then gave it a quick taste to see if I needed to adjust the sweetness. 

I served mine with the rind still on, making it easy to just pick it up with your hands and take a bite, but feel free to remove the rind if you're so inclined. 

 

Joey's Chicken and Zucchini Stuffing Casserole

   

 

   Every summer, my favorite thing is to take advantage of as much Jersey produce as possible. I’m constantly finding new ways to cook corn on the cob, and I’m basically living on Jersey tomato sandwiches. (Fresh slices of tomato between two slices of toasted bread, a little slather on mayo, salt and pepper.. HEAVEN.) But this summer, I find myself wanting comfort meals a little earlier than Autumn, which is my usual go-to. So I decided to do both! Make a comfort meal using some fresh produce. Perfect!
 Since everyone is always looking for ways to “use up all that extra zucchini” that they having growing in their home gardens, I decided to do a chicken and zucchini casserole. 
 I knew I wanted to make it a complete meal by adding a starch, but I couldn’t decide which one. Potatoes? Rice? Pasta? Really, any one of them would work. Then I thought.. wait….STUFFING! Yes, that’s the right play here. So I basically just threw everything together… it came out so perfect, I think this is one of my new faves. Fun, huh? I also love that there’s a little wiggle room with the ingredients and cooking method. Use what you have, make it the way you like it. That’s the best way to cook, right?
 So I hope you’ll give it a try. Summer, Autumn, or whenever you feel like it. This one’s a keeper!




Butter or olive oil
3 medium zucchini
1 small onion
6 boneless skinless chicken thighs
2 cans cream of anything soup
1 soup can milk
8 oz Swiss cheese, shredded
1 tsp dried thyme leaves
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 pkg Stove Top stuffing mix


Place a few tbs of butter or olive in a large skillet over medium heat. Cut the zucchini into 1” pieces. Add to pan along with chopped onion. Stir and sauté until they cook down a bit. 
While the veggies are cooking, cut the chicken thighs into bite sized pieces. Add to a large mixing bowl along with remaining ingredients. Stir well. When the veggies are tender, add them to the chicken mixture and stir everything until evenly combined. 
Now you have two options for cooking:
Pour everything into a casserole dish. Bake in a 350º oven for about 30 minutes. Remove from oven and let it stand for a good 10 minutes before serving. 
OR
Pour everything into a slow cooker and cook it on low for 4 hours. Easy!



Tips:
Boneless breasts will work just as well as thighs, but I just like the thighs better. You do you!
I used cream of onion soup, but use any kind you like. Cream of chicken or mushroom or celery, all good!
I topped mine with a little extra cheese and some chopped scallions, because why not?.
Not a fan of zucchini? Try broccoli or asparagus or even a mix of veggies. Broccoli, carrots, and cauliflower would be delish!
If you’re making this in the slow cooker, make sure you don’t go too long. 4 hours is exactly the right amount of time!

Bacon Cheeseburger Orzo

  

  

   I was recently in the mood for a comfort meal. You know, the kind of cheesy casserole-y kind of meal that always hits the spot and makes you feel just a little bit better. But what to make? First, I decided that it should be a stove top meal because it’s just too hot to turn on the oven. Then I took a quick inventory of my fridge and pantry to see what would work. 

 This is sort of how it happened:

 “ …. so.. what kind of protein…  ground beef.. that works.. a few last pieces of bacon.. perfect.. and now a few aromatics.. onions.. definitely… bell pepper, got it… what else.. minced garlic.. that’s a must…. And now for the starch….  Rice? Pasta? Orzo… YES…. And now to make it cheesy.. DONE.”

 Does anyone else do this? Just see what you have and make something out of it? Of course, sometimes I’ll have a recipe to follow, but in this case, it was what I usually refer to as a ‘throw-together” meal. (I think I must’ve gotten this method from my Mom). 

 Anyway, I mentioned it to my nephew, Daniel, and he said “ There’s no way that that’s bad.” 

 I mean, he’s not wrong. If you put a bunch of your favorite ingredients in a casserole, you’re all but guaranteed to hit all the right notes. In this case, it was so good that I immediately thought “I need to write this down before I forget what I did!” I already know I’ll be making this one again soon!

  I hope you’ll try it too. It’s easy to make and definitely hits the spot!

A few strips of bacon, cut into lardons
1 lb ground beef
1 small onion, roughly chopped
1 green bell pepper, roughly chopped
2 or 3 cloves of garlic, minced
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup ketchup
1/4 cup mustard
8oz Velveeta cheese
8oz Sharp Cheddar cheese
1 cup orzo pasta
3 cups beef broth (or water)
Chopped scallions for garnish


Place the bacon in a large pan. Turn on the heat to medium low, and let it slowly come up to heat. Saute the bacon until slightly crispy. Drain any excess fat and save it for another use. Now add the beef, onions, peppers, and garlic. Meanwhile, in a small pot, bring the broth to a boil and add the orzo. 
Continue to sauté until the meat is brown, and the vegetables are tender. Season with salt and pepper. Now add the ketchup, mustard, and cheeses.
When the orzo is cooked, add it to the beef mixture along with any remaining broth. Give everything a good stir until well combined. Turn off the heat, and let it stand for about 10 minutes. Top with sliced scallions and serve. 


Tips:
 Can you cook everything in one pot? Probably. But since I wasn’t sure how soupy it would be, I cooked the orzo separately to see if it would need any more liquid. I wound up adding all of the broth anyway. Turns out the orzo was VERY thirsty and it soaked it right up. If you want to do everything in one pot, I would add the broth and orzo right after the beef is browned. Then add the ketchup, mustard, and cheeses at the end after the liquid is absorbed. 
 Do you really need the ketchup and mustard? No. Don’t like it? Just leave it out! But it definitely makes it taste more like a cheeseburger! 
For leftovers, just add a splash of water and reheat in the microwave, or store in airtight containers in the freezer. 

Homemade Grape Jam

 

  When I first bought my home a few years ago, I made a mental list of all the things I wanted to do, renovations and such. One of my ideas was to plant some fruit trees. I chose lots of fruits… apples, peaches, pears, cherries, and a few others…and then I thought.. the side fence would be prime real estate to plant some grape vines. I really had no idea what I was doing. (I’m still figuring it out as I go, tbh), but I figured “Let’s put some things in the ground and see what grows!”
  Cut to a few years later and my grapevines have FLOURISHED! I’m so pleased to say that they’re now growing and producing some wonderfully sweet grapes, enough to make pots of jam (which was the goal all along). So I figured I’d share how to make it. I canned it too, but this post will be just for the making, not for the canning. It’s more about the technique, not the recipe, since there are only a few ingredients. It’s a lot simpler than you might think, the pay off is amazing, and you’ll get quite a bang for your buck. I hope you’ll give it a try!



OK here we go. All you need is:
Seedless grapes
Sugar
Lemon juice

I do everything by weight, not by volume. 
Pick all of your grapes from their stems, place them in a colander and give them a good rinse. After you’ve drained them well, place them on a kitchen scale. Once you have their weight, then weigh your sugar. You want your amount of sugar to be a little less than your grapes. For instance, I had just over 4 pounds of grapes, so I used about 3 pounds of sugar. It’s not an exact science, so you can definitely cut back a little on the sugar, especially if the grapes are very sweet. Place your grapes and sugar in a large heavy pot. Add about a cup of water, (even better, you can use any kind of fruit juice), and a few tablespoons of lemon juice. 
 Bring it to a slow simmer until they begin to soften, then mash them up a bit. Let them simmer on a medium to low heat, not boiling, for about 30 minutes, stirring every so often. 
 Now it’s time to blend everything until it’s completely smooth. I used an immersion blender, but if you don’t have one, you can carefully ladle your hot liquid into a regular blender in batches. 
 After it’s all blended, bring the heat back up until it reaches a slow gentle boil. Let it go for about an hour, stirring frequently, until it reduces down to your desired consistency. I like it to be very thick, similar to ketchup. 
Give it a stir, then give it a taste. You want to make sure it’s tart enough to balance the sweetness. I always wind up adding more lemon because I like it to be VERY tart. 
 And there you have it! Home made jam from fresh grapes! Boom. 



Tips:
I prefer to simmer it at a slow boil to minimize the risk of burning it. However, if you’d prefer to reduce your cooking time while you’re reducing your jam, you can crank up the heat, but you need to stir it constantly. Yes, constantly. Trust me on this one. 
Like I said, using fruit juice instead of water is a good flavor booster. It doesn’t even have to be grape juice. Apple, orange, cherry, cranberry, or even pomegranate juice will all work!
Sometimes when you boil jam, the bubbles can create a foam. You can skim it off the top, or.. pro tip.. just add a pat of butter to the jam. Presto! No foam!
This jam can be canned using a water bath or steam canner. Process pints or half pints for 10 minutes.  

Old Fashioned Squash Casserole

 

  Every year, I look forward to all the amazing produce Summer has to offer, and that ALWAYS includes zucchini and yellow squash. I swear you can do just about anything with 'em, but one of my absolute favorite things is an old fashioned Southern casserole. You know, the ones with the crushed Ritz crackers on the top. Rich and creamy without being too heavy, buttery and slightly salty from the crackers. Absolutely DELISH! Super easy to throw together too.

Definitely give this one a go, especially if you're wondering what to do with all that squash and zucchini coming from your garden. 

You'll be glad you did! 

 

2 tbs butter

6 medium yellow squash, sliced and then cut into half or quarter rounds

1 large onion, roughly chopped

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1/4 cup mayonnaise

1/2 cup sour cream 

1 cup milk

8oz shredded Cheddar cheese 

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

1 sleeve Ritz crackers, crushed

3 tbs butter, melted

 

Preheat oven to 350º F.

In a large pan or skillet, melt 2 tbs butter. Add the squash and onions and cook until tender. Drain any excess liquid. 

In a large bowl, stir together remaining filling ingredients except the crackers and 3 tbs butter. Add the drained squash and onions, stirring gently until combined. Now fold in half of the crushed Ritz crackers. 

Spray a 9×13 casserole dish with cooking spray. Pour in the squash mixture and spread evenly. Toss the melted butter with the rest of the crushed Ritz crackers. Sprinkle evenly over the top of the casserole. 

Bake, uncovered, for 45 minutes, or until top has lightly browned and the casserole is set. 

 

 

Tips:

Whatever you do, don't skip the first step! It may seem easier to just bake the squash in the casserole instead of cooking it first in a skillet, but this step is needed to remove all the excess moisture. Otherwise, you'll end up with a watery casserole and you'll be mortified when you make it for a dinner party and all of your guests are eating a squash soup instead of casserole. Don't ask me how I know...

The squash will cook down quite a bit, so you might use more than you think you will! 

I like to use just the yellow squash, but like I said, it works equally well with zucchini or a combination of the two 

If you don't have RITZ crackers, use any other favorite cracker, Just make sure they're nice and buttery! 

And if you really wanna go for the Old Fashioned vibe, go ahead and add some hot sauce. Now THAT's Southern cooking.

 

 

Joey's Zucchina Pastina

 

 

 I was recently feeling the need for some comfort food, and I figured a summer pasta might be just the thing. I must say, as much as I love it, I don't have pasta very often, so it's always a treat when I do. For this one, I started with a few sliced zucchini, and some chopped onions. From there, the rest of the recipe just sort of fell into place. A few dried herbs, some tiny pasta, and a drizzle of cream later, and I was in heaven! I loved it so much, I had to have a second bowl, which rarely ever happens! Not even kidding. This was literally the comforting something I had in mind. Bonus, it's a great summer pasta because there are no giant pots of boiling water. And it's an easy weeknight meal because it comes together in no time. Perfect, right? 

Oh, and if you're wondering about the name, how could I NOT? I couldn't resist going for the rhyme of it all. It was just sitting right there. Had to do it!

 Anyway, I hope you'll make it. It's just SO good! I just know you'll love it!

  

 

 

 

 Olive oil

4 or 5 small zucchini

1 medium onion

4-5 cloves of garlic

Sprinkle of each: dried oregano, basil, and thyme 

Salt and pepper 

1 cup dry pastina, orzo, or other tiny pasta

3 cups chicken broth

3 tbs butter

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese 

Drizzle of cream 

Diced sun dried tomatoes in oil, (optional) 

 

 

In a large skillet, heat a few big glugs of olive oil over medium heat. Add chopped onions and sliced zucchini. Stir and saute for about 10 minutes. Add the garlic, dried herbs, salt, and pepper. Continue to stir until fragrant. Add the dry pastina and chicken broth. Stir well, then cover. Reduce heat to medium low. When most of the liquid is absorbed, add the butter, grated cheese, and a little drizzle of cream. Stir well until rich and glossy. Serve with a little more grated cheese. Garnish with a few chopped sun dried tomatoes, if desired. 

 

 

Tips: 

 Most of the ingredients are to taste. If you want more zucchini or onions or cheese, go for it! The only ratio to keep in mind is 1 cup dry tiny pasta to 3 cups broth. That will give you that rich risotto-like texture. 

Instead of chicken broth, use any kind of broth you like, or even just water (in which case, I'd add a little Better Than Bouillon).

Feel free to add yellow squash, or swap out the zucchini for any favorite vegetable. Sky's the limit! 

 

 

 

Seafood Bake

   Lately I've been on a big seafood kick. For me, that usually means lots of shellfish. As far as I'm concerned, you just can't go wrong with shrimp and crab.

  The only problem is they can be quite fiddly, without a big payoff. Peeling shrimp and picking tiny bits of crab out of their shells...not the easy throw-together meal I was thinking of. But then I decided a casserole might be just the thing. Nothing too difficult, nothing too fiddly. Just something that is quick to assemble but still with a big payoff. 

 To make things easy, I used already peeled and deveined shrimp, and imitation crab. The rest of the ingredients were just regular items that you might already have in your pantry. 

 The whole thing came together in a matter of minutes, and guess what? It was DELICIOUS! 

I took inspiration from a recipe on a blog called Food52 but I didn't do it exactly as they had written it. (shocker, I know haha) I'm SO please with how it turned out!

 Now, I will say it does have lots of butter in it which makes it very rich, but you can scale it back and lighten it up a little, if you like. It's your kitchen, you do you! 

Hope you like it! 

 

 

 

1 stick butter, divided
2 ribs celery, finely diced
1 red bell pepper, finely diced
1 small onion, finely diced
1 (10oz) can condensed cream of celery soup
1/2 cup sour cream
Salt and pepper to taste
Old Bay Seasoning to taste
1 lb raw shrimp, peeled, deveined, tails removed
1 lb lump or imitation crab meat
1 sleeve butter crackers, crushed

 

 

Heat oven to 350F. Spray a 9x13 casserole dish. Set aside. 
Melt 4 tbs of butter in a skillet. Add celery, peppers, and onions. Saute until they begin to soften. Meanwhile, in a large mixing bowl, stir together the soup, sour cream, and spices. Add the sautéed veggies. Gently stir in the shrimp and crab. Pour into prepared casserole dish. Cover with foil. Bake for 45 minutes. In a small bowl, melt the remaining butter and stir together with the crushed crackers. Remove casserole from oven, remove cover. Sprinkle the casserole with the buttered cracker crumbs. Place back into the oven, uncovered, for an additional 10-15 minutes, or until the crackers are golden brown. Serve with rice or rice pilaf and/or a nice crisp tossed salad.


 

Tips:
Wanna add other types of seafood? Go for it! I think scallops would be a great addition, and definitely lobster, if you’re feeling a little bougie!  I would even add small chunks of cod. By the same token, feel free to omit anything you don’t like. Not a fan of crab? Just use shrimp! Not a fan of shrimp? Just use crab!
,

Slow Cooker Grilled Honey Chicken

 

  This recipe is a variation of an old favorite recipe we used to make years and years ago. We made Honey Chicken for every graduation party, birthday party, and family event, and it was always a sure-fire hit. 

 So I was recently trying to come up with ideas for the slow cooker, and I remembered this recipe which was usually made in the oven. I thought, what if we make it in the slow cooker and then finish on the grill? That sounded pretty fabulous to me, so I went with it. 

 OH. MY. GOD. 

It turned out so much better than I even imagined it would! Who knew this would be such a win??? It was the perfect sweet and savory chicken, and it managed to hit all the right notes. 

 So if you're tired of the usual tomato based BBQ chicken, try this one for a little diversion. 

It's REALLY yummy! 

 

 

Chicken legs and/or thighs, bone in, skin on

1 cup honey

1 stick butter

1 tbs Roasted Chicken Better Than Bouillon 

 

Place chicken in your slow cooker. Melt together the remaining ingredients in the microwave. Stir until well combined. Pour half of the honey mixture over the chicken. Cook on low for 4-5 hours.

 Remove the chicken from the slow cooker, and place on a hot grill. Brush with remaining honey mixture. Grill them just for a couple minutes on each side, just until slightly charred. Done!

 

 

 

Tips;

If you're not cooking a lot of chicken, you can cut the sauce ingredients in half. Or you can just make the whole batch, and then keep any extra in the fridge until next time. 

When you're cooking chicken in the slow cooker, you don't want to let it go for too long. When using boneless chicken, 4 hours on low is the MAX you should be cooking it. In this case, since we're using bone in, you can let it got for a little longer, but definitely no longer than 5 hours.  

 

Pecan Cream Pie

 

 

   Usually, when I think of a pecan pie, I think of something sticky and syrupy and VERY sweet, usually served around the holidays. But what about a light and fluffy summer pie ?
 This one is creamy and crunchy at the same time, sweet with the tiniest hint of salt, and SO delicious it made me wonder where it has been my entire life. 
  At first, as I was browsing recipes, I couldn’t decide which version to try, because of course, as with all pie recipes, there are a million versions. They’re all very similar, but with slight tweaks here and there. Some have brown sugar, some have maple syrup. I finally decided on this one, from a blog called Grits and Gouda. It’s simple and basic, which leaves you wide open to add whatever tweaks you’d like. Oddly, I didn’t fiddle with it at all. I know, I know.. that’s so unlike me, right? But in this case, it sounded perfect as is, so I went with it. It turned out to be EXACTLY what I wanted! Light and fresh, with a flavor that made me think of butter pecan ice cream. I literally had to stop myself from having a second piece!
  If you like pecans, this might be your new favorite dessert! Actually, I think I might need to add this to the holiday repertoire as well. It’s just that good! Enjoy!
 


1 store bought graham cracker pie crust
1 3oz package cheesecake, white chocolate, or vanilla instant pudding mix
1 1/2 cups milk 
1 8oz package cream cheese, softened 
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 8oz Extra Creamy Cool Whip, divided 
1 1/2 cups toasted and cooled chopped pecans, divided 


Whisk together the pudding mix and milk in a medium size bowl. Using a hand mixer at medium speed or a large whisk, beat the pudding mixture 2 minutes or until thickened. Place in the refrigerator to completely set up while preparing the rest of the pie filling. 

Beat the cream cheese in a large bowl until smooth and creamy. Add brown sugar and vanilla and beat 1 minute or until brown sugar is thoroughly blended. 

Stir in the chilled, thickened pudding and 1 cup of the toasted pecans.
Gently fold in HALF of the Cool Whip until no white streaks show. Spoon the pecan cream pie filling into pie crust. Dollop or pipe remaining Cool Whip in the center and/or around the edges of the pie.  Sprinkle with the remaining chopped pecans. Chill at least 2 hours or until firm.


Tips:
Because I prefer to serve my pies in a glass pie plate, I opted to make my own graham cracker crust. I used 2 sleeves of graham crackers (because I like a thicker crust), 2 tbs sugar, and 5 tbs melted butter. ..blitzed them together in a food processor, then pressed the crumbs firmly into a deep dish Pyrex, and baked it for 10 minutes at 350ºF. Then, once it was completely cooled, filled the pie as directed. Perfect!

Feel free to use whipped cream instead of the Cool Whip. Just add 1 1/2 cups cold heavy cream to a chilled bowl, and add 1/2 cup powdered sugar. Using a whisk attachment, whip the cream until stiff peaks form, then use as directed in the recipe. 
For the best pecan flavor, be sure to toast the pecans. Just place them in a dry skillet over medium heat. Stir and heat them just until you can smell them toasting. It happens very quickly, so stay with them. Then immediately remove them from the pan to cool completely before using. I also like to add a tiny pinch of salt as they’re cooling. That’s all there is to it!

Cherry Pie Gooey Butter Cake

 

 I saw this recipe on TikTok from a chef named Christina Tosi. She’s pretty amazing and I’ve seen her very often on cooking competition shows. She always makes food that I immediately want to eat. This gooey butter cake is no exception! I mean, who doesn’t love a gooey butter cake, right? 
 It comes together SO quickly with basic ingredients that you might already have in your pantry, and you don’t even need a mixer. 

 It's the perfect summer dessert and it was a big hit when I made it for my friends. 

Your friends will love it too! 

 


1 1/2 sticks butter
1 yellow cake mix
2 eggs
8oz cream cheese
2 cups powdered sugar
A pinch of salt
1 can cherry pie filling



Heat oven to 350º.
For the crust, melt 1 stick of butter in a mixing bowl. Add the cake mix and one of the eggs. Stir well to combine. Reserve 1/4 cup of this mixture.
Press dough evenly into a greased 9x13 baking dish. Set Aside.
For the filling, soften the remaining 1/2 stick of butter and cream cheese in the microwave, stir together until well combined. Add powdered sugar, a pinch of salt, the other egg, and the reserved dough. Stir well until combined. Pour over crust layer. Now drop spoonfuls of the pie filling here and there over the filling. Bake for 30-35 minutes. It will still be slightly jiggly in the center. Let cool completely and then chill before serving. For an extra pretty touch, dust it with a tiny sprinkle of powdered sugar over the top. So fancy!


Tip:

When you drop your spoonfuls of pie filling over the top, just do them here and there, as the recipe says. You don't want to completely cover the filling layer. You probably won't use the entire can of pie filling. 
This recipe lends itself to a million different variations. Since we were using cherry pie filling, I added a few drops of almond extract, since those two flavors are a match made in heaven. 

If you'd like to serve it for your 4th of July BBQ, you could add a few fresh blueberries on top for the red-white-and-blue of it all. Mix and match any flavor of cake mix with any flavor of pie filling and it will all work! With the yellow cake mix, I’m thinking peach, strawberry, blueberry,,, With chocolate cake mix, I think it has cherry written all over it. I think I’d even add a few chocolate chips over the top, because why not???? For Fall, it would be amazing to use a spiced cake mix with apple filling. Now THAT sounds heavenly! Do you make home made pie filling? Even better! You do you!