French Fry Breakfast Casserole

Ok, so, you ordered take out last night, and they gave you a huge batch of French fries along with your ginormous burger or cheese steak. Then about halfway through your meal, you decide that there's no way in hell anyone would ever be able to eat all of that in one sitting, so you wrap up the other half and put it in the fridge for tomorrow's lunch. If any of this sounds familiar, you already know that the French fries won't be as good the next time around, am I right? The solution? Throw them into a casserole, of course!
 I recently had some leftover French fries and I thought "With money as tight as it is these days, why am I about to throw away perfectly good food?" It just seemed so wasteful. So I decided to do a casserole, and here it is. This is my version of a recipe that I found on another blog. It's really simple, delicious, and quick to throw together. Waste not, want not, right?
Try it!

a couple tbs oil
1 medium onion
1 medium green bell pepper
2 portobello mushrooms
2-3 cups French fries
1 cup American cheese
8 eggs
1 cup milk
salt and pepper

Heat oven to 350F.
Spray a 9x13 casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray.
Add a little oil to a large saute pan. Roughly chop the onion, pepper, and mushrooms into large chunks. Add to the pan, and saute over medium heat. Give them a good 5-10 minutes to really cook down and begin to caramelize. In the meantime, roughly chop the French fries  and add them to the casserole dish to form a layer. When the veggies are cooked, make another layer on top of the fries. Sprinkle the diced or shredded cheese over the veggies. Whisk the eggs, milk, and salt and pepper in a bowl, then  pour over all. Place in the oven for about 30 minutes or until set and lightly browned on top.

Tips:
I used the ingredients that I happened to have on hand, but add anything you like! Any kind of green veggies would work, such as broccoli, asparagus, or spinach. Use any kind of cheese, or combination of cheeses. Add any kind of meat, like diced ham or sausage, or even ground beef. But just be sure to brown everything in a pan first before you add it to the casserole.
I baked this in a 9x13 dish because I wanted the final product the be thin like a frittata, but you can easily use a smaller dish. Your casserole will be a little thicker and it'll probably take a little longer for it to set up.
Btw, the other blog is called Frugal Antics of a Harried Homemaker in case you'd like to check it out!

Piña Colada Cheesecake Squares

Ok, so, when I asked My sister, Cathy, what I should make for Casey's graduation party, she said "How the pineapple cheesecake squares that Terri always makes?" And I thought..."wait, how do I not know about this recipe?" So, I called Terri. Apparently she found this recipe in a newspaper years and years ago...like, maybe 15 years ago.. and for some reason I missed them somehow. We were talking and laughing about it at the party, and Kim even said "Don't you remember a couple years ago when I called you and asked if you had that recipe?" And I said to her "And I said NO, right? Because I had no idea what in hell she was talking about! Well, Anyway, here they are. I FINALLY made them and OMG I love them! They were actually called Pineapple Cheesecake Squares, but since there's coconut, I figured this was a better name, don't you think? I suppose you could leave the coconut out, but that just makes no sense to me. Give them a try!

Crust:
2 c. flour
1 c. sugar
1 c. butter or margarine

Combine until fine.
Pat into ungreased 13x9 pan.
Bake at 350 until golden around edges, 14-19 minutes.

Filling:
2 8 oz. pkgs. cream cheese
4 tbsp. sugar
4 tbsp. milk
2 eggs
16 oz. can crushed pineapple, drained

Blend cream cheese, sugar, milk & eggs w/ mixer.
Blend in drained pineapple by hand.
Spread over baked crust.

Topping:
2 tbsp. butter or margarine, softened
3/4 c. flaked coconut

Blend butter w/ coconut & sprinkle over top.

Bake for 17-20 minutes at 350.
Cool before cutting into squares.
Refrigerate cut bars until ready to serve.

Tips:
Because there's a LOT of butter in the crust, it'll become very soft and bubbly when you bake it. Just let it bake until it because golden around the edges. Oh, and no need to cool it before spreading the filling on top.
Make sure you let it chill in the fridge for a few hours before you cut it into squares.
When it's time for cutting, I like to loosen the whole batch from the bottom of the pan as much as I can with a large spatula, and then remove half of the batch from the pan at a time. It's just easier to place it on a cutting board and then cut it with a large very sharp knife.

Ina Garten's Chicken Chili

 This recipe is SUPER simple and doesn't take all day to prepare. I saw Miss Ina making it on a recent episode of The Barefoot Contessa and immediately wanted to try it. You know how some recipes are all about slow simmering all day on the stove top? Well, not this one. It's done in under 2 hours and it's SO chunky and hearty! You'll love it! It's also really convenient because you can make it in advance and just reheat it when it's time to serve. It's actually BETTER after it sits in the fridge for a day or two. So, give this one a try! No need to wait for a chilly day to make it a chili day!
Thanx, Miss Ina!

4 cups chopped yellow onions (3 onions)
1/8 cup good olive oil, plus extra for chicken
1/8 cup minced garlic (2 cloves)

2 medium red bell peppers, cored, seeded, & large-diced

2 medium yellow bell peppers, cored, seeded & large-diced

1 teaspoon chili powder

1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes, or to taste
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste

2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more for chicken

2 (28-ounce) cans whole peeled plum tomatoes in puree, undrained
1/4 cup minced fresh basil leaves

4 split chicken breasts, bone in, skin on*
freshly ground black pepper
onions, corn chips, grated cheddar, & sour cream (optional, for serving)

 Cook the onions in the oil over medium-low heat for 10 to 15 minutes, until translucent. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Add the bell peppers, chili powder, cumin, red pepper flakes, cayenne, and salt. Cook for 1 minute. Crush the tomatoes by hand or in batches in a food processor fitted with a steel blade (pulse 6 to 8 times). Add to the pot with the basil. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

 Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
 Rub the chicken breasts with olive oil and place them on a baking sheet. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Roast the chicken for 35 to 40 minutes, until just cooked. Let cool slightly. Separate the meat from the bones and skin and cut it into 3/4-inch chunks. Add to the chili and simmer, uncovered, for another 20 minutes. Serve with chopped onions, corn chips, grated cheddar, and sour cream for toppings, or refrigerate and reheat gently before serving.

Joey's Tips:
*Instead of roasting the chicken breasts, I just bought a rotisserie chicken from the grocery store and then pulled all the meat from the bones once it was cool enough to handle. I HIGHLY recommend doing this because it was so easy, I used the whole chicken which was quite a bit, and the meat was SO tender that it fell apart. And if it's a warm day, then there's no need to turn on the oven! Perfect!
If you like beans in your chili, go for it! Just rinse and drain a can of any kind of beans, and then add them to the pot. Red, white, or black beans..... even a regular can of pork and beans, all good! (of course, you wouldn't drain or rinse the pork and beans, but you already knew that, right?)
If you like a spicier chili, then go ahead and double the amount of the spices. I omitted the cayenne pepper and crushed pepper flakes because I don't like the heat, but if you're all about it, go for it! In fact, add any kind of hot peppers you like! Jalapenos, etc, whatever you like! If you're serving a large group, leave the hot ingredients out of the pot, and serve them along with the toppings. Let your guests have the choice!

Dor Stop Raspberry French Toast

 Have you ever seen a show on the Food Network called Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives? It's basically just Guy Fieri going all over the country trying different (usually family owned) food "joints". I have to say, I'm kind of addicted to the show because it's food that I want to eat! I LOVE diner food! It's usually diner food that is bumped up a little, though. It's usually made from scratch, or maybe it'll be about food that is slightly creative, or not exactly the norm, and sometimes it'll be WAY over the top! (Yes, you guessed it, those are usually the things I want to try!) And Guy Fieri kind of cracks me up every time he says something is "out of bounds", or "off the hook", or anytime he refers to "flavor town." Usually when I watch the show, I wait for a place that is close enough for me to visit, but if it's it's too far away, then I try to figure a way to recreate some of the dishes that are served on the show. This is exactly how this recipe came to be. I was watching the "What's For Breakfast" episode which featured a place in the Dormont section of Pittsburgh, PA, called the Dor-Stop Restaurant, (famous for its pancakes and other breakfast creations.) As soon as I saw this dish, I thought "I am SO making that!!" And that's exactly what I did. Basically I just kind of guessed at the amounts of things, but it's pretty straight forward. And wait'll you taste it!!  As Guy said, the crunch is "money" and it tastes like a jelly doughnut exploded! LOL OMG so good! It's definitely a one way ticket to flavor town! So, if anyone at the Dor Stop is reading this, thanx for the French Toast idea! It's really awesome! And if I'm ever in Dormont Pa, I'll be sure to stop by!

8 oz cream cheese
1 cup powdered sugar
2 tbs seedless raspberry jam

3 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1/2 tsp vanilla

thickly sliced crusty bread
finely crushed regular corn flakes

In a mixing bowl, cream the cheese and sugar together until smooth. Mix in the raspberry jam until well combined. Set aside.
In a shallow dish, whisk together the eggs, milk, and vanilla. Dip the slices of bread into the egg mixture, flipping to coat both sides. Then place it in another shallow dish containing the crushed corn flakes, being sure the corn flakes coat all sides. Place in a hot skillet with a little melted butter until it's golden on both sides. Serve French toast with a big dollop of the raspberry cream cheese and then top with a little more raspberry jam. Heaven!

Tips:
I tried it with regular bread, and I decided that the thicker bread was MUCH better.

Baked Tilapia with Wine and Tomatoes

Now that the weather is getting a little warmer, I've been craving a lighter fresher menu. Fresh produce, crisp salads, fresh herbs. It all seems to be hitting the spot, lately. Don't get me wrong..I still LOVE a hearty stick to your ribs kind of dinner, but that often makes me think of cold weather and needing to warm up and fill your belly. Know what I mean?
 This wasn't really a recipe, but it was too good not to share. It was absurdly simple to make and was ready in a snap. It's the perfect mid-week dinner when you've just gotten home from a long day and you don't feel like going to a lot of trouble for dinner. Serve with some steamed veggies and maybe some rice, boom there's dinner!

drizzle of olive oil
3 or 4 tilapia or other fish fillets
garlic powder
Old Bay seasoning
salt and pepper
1 large tomato (or several cherry or grape tomatoes, halved)
a few glugs of white wine
2 tbs butter


 Heat oven to 350F.
Place tilapia fillets in a casserole dish. Drizzle with a little olive oil. Season generously with garlic powder, Old bay, salt and pepper. Cut the tomato into large chunks. Place on top of fillets. Pour white wine over all. Dot with butter. Bake about 25-30 minutes or until the fillets are cooked and are easily flaked with a fork. That's it!!

Tip:
Try adding a little chopped fresh basil or parsley over the top as you take it out of the oven. It adds a little extra layer of flavor!
This is also the perfect thing to make in foil packets on the grill:
 Place seasoned fillets on large pieces of heavy duty foil (or several layers of regular foil). Top with tomatoes, butter and a splash of wine. (You can also add sliced onions or scallions if you like). Fold the foil over and seal the edges to make a closed packet. Pierce the top to vent steam. Place on a grill and cook until the fish is tender and flaky. Easy!

Grandma Yearwood's Coconut Cake with Coconut Lemon Glaze

 If you know me, you know how much I love Paula Deen's recipes. I guess it's because I'm all about comfort food, which is very similar to southern cooking. So, when I heard about Trisha Yearwood's new southern cooking show, I knew I wanted to check it out.
 This is a recipe that she made on the first episode I saw. While she was cooking with her sister and her niece, she told the story of how her Father had wanted a certain cake that his mother had often made, but no one knew the recipe. Years later, they found a box of recipes and this was among them. As soon as he saw the recipe, he said "That's the cake!!" And now it's become a staple in their family once again.
 Pretty cool, huh? I just love stories like that. That's sort of one of the reasons I started this blog. It's a great way to archive my family's recipes, and hopefully they'll be passed down for generations.
 Anyway....now we need to talk about the cake itself... It's crazy insanely good, but OMG.....Holy go off your diet, Batman! This cake seriously gives Miss Paula a run for her money! So, just remember to save this one for a special occasion, ok? But DEFINITELY try it! It's amazingly good!

 Cake:
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, room temperature, plus more for greasing
flour, for dusting pan
2 cups sugar
6 large eggs, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 12oz box vanilla wafers, finely crushed
1 6oz bag coconut
1/2 cup chopped pecans

Coconut Lemon Glaze:
2 cups sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
Pinch of salt
Grated zest of 2 large lemons
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (about 2 large lemons)
1 6oz bag coconut

For the cake:
Grease and flour a 9-inch tube cake pan. Cream the butter and sugar until light and smooth. Add the eggs and vanilla extract, beating well. Mix in the vanilla wafer crumbs, coconut and pecans. Pour into the pan and bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 10 minutes before turning out onto a rack.

For the glaze:
Mix the sugar, cornstarch, salt, lemon zest and juice, 1 1/2 cups of water and coconut in a medium saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring until thickened, for about 15 minutes. Let cool slightly, then using a toothpick, poke several holes in the top of the cake and drizzle the glaze over the cake.

Tips:
Instead of greasing and flouring, I just use a nonstick baking spray. It has flour right in the spray, so it takes care of both the greasing and flouring at the same time. Very convenient!
I used a tube pan, just as the recipe directs, but I think a Bundt pan would make the cake look a little nicer when it's flipped over....Then again, Jerry says that's what ALL of my cakes look like. So not true! Anyway,  I was also thinking of using a 9x13 pan, just because that would lend itself to pouring the glaze on top and letting it sink into the cake, as opposed to running down the sides, don't you think?
I think next time I may leave the lemon out of it, and just make it a coconut cake. Actually, Chris said he doesn't even think the cake needs to be glazed at all.  Well, you decide!

Pork and Kraut

 This is a slightly tweaked version of a recipe that I saw Paula Deen making not so long ago. She used baby back ribs, but I decided to use boneless country style ribs instead. Actually, I was gonna use pork chops, but the country ribs just looked so good that I had to go with them. Basically any kind of pork will work, though....even a small pork roast. I think I may try that next time....hmm.....
 OK, so, here we go...let's discuss sauerkraut... I know, I know....some of you may not be fans of sauerkraut, because it's too this or it's too that....yeah yeah yeah, I've heard it all before. But seriously, give this one a try! Have I ever lied to you? For starters, rinsing the sauerkraut makes it less harsh. So right off the bat, it's not, like, crazy sour. Not only that,  I always add apples to sauerkraut because, frankly, that's what my Mom always did. It makes it a little sweeter and besides, pork and apples are a classic pair. And when everything gets together...the pork, the apples, the onions, and the kraut, it all comes together PERFECTLY and it tastes anything but sour. It's just slightly tart and big time flavorful! So there. That's my sauerkraut argument. And can we just talk about the pork??? OMG it just falls apart! I absolutely LOVE how tender it comes out. If you don't own a heavy cast iron Dutch oven, I SERIOUSLY recommend getting one. I use mine ALL the time and it's quite literally my favorite piece of cookware. Just sayin! So give this recipe a try.
It's REALLY easy and just as yummy! Promise!!

2 tablespoons vegetable or olive oil
1-2 lbs any kind of pork (roast, ribs, chops, boneless or bone in, all fine)
Salt and pepper
2 medium onions, chopped
2 apples, peeled, cored, and chopped
6-8 medium, white new potatoes, quartered
1 pound bag sauerkraut, rinsed and drained
1 cup chicken broth (or any other kind of stock, white wine, or even just plain water)


Heat oven to 350F.

Set Dutch oven over medium-high and heat the vegetable oil.

Season the pork generously with salt and pepper. Place in the pot and sear on all sides. Transfer to a platter. Add the onions and apples. Saute until softened, scraping up any browned bits from the pork. Add potatoes. Add the meat back to the pot, along with any juices. Place sauerkraut on top. Poor chicken broth over all. Cover and place in oven for 2 hours or until the meat is very tender.

Tips:
If you use another kind of potatoes, it might be a good idea to go ahead and peel them before you quarter them. The skins of the new potatoes are very tender, so there's no need to peel, but other types of potatoes have thicker skins and may not be as tender. 
You can also cook this dish at a low simmer on the stove top for the same amount of time. You could do this in a crock pot as well.
And as always.....
Whenever you cook sauerkraut...add some chopped celery leaves to the pot. It'll help to make the sauerkraut as pleasing to your nose as it is to your taste buds. Really!