Joey's Slow Cooker Classic Meat Sauce

 

Now that the holidays are over, my first thought is to make a pot of something that slowly cooks all day. It's comforting, it warms you up from the inside, and the delicious aromas of an all day simmer remind me of my childhood. 

 I was feeling like something pasta, so I decided to do a classic meat sauce. Now, I know people often use the terms "meat sauce" and "Bolognese Sauce" interchangeably, but they're actually not the same thing. Bolognese starts with minced carrots and celery and onions and also has the addition of some sort of dairy. This is just your basic meat ragu with lots of tomatoes and dried herbs. So, similar, but not the same. 

 I didn't really follow a recipe, but realized I always make it the same way, so I decided to write it down this time. And like my Mom always said "Just put it in a pot and let it cook." Originally, I was gonna do it on the stove top, but then opted for the slow cooker. And then I served it up with some hearty rigatoni. It smelled fabulous as it was cooking all day, and it was just the thing after cleaning and un-decorating all day. 

 And OMG it was so delicious!! And it's so easy, even the cooking novice can do it. It's a good all-around classic sauce to have in your cooking repertoire. Whether you cook it in the slow cooker or on the stove top, give this one a try!

 

 

 

1 lb ground beef
1 lb ground Italian sausage (mild, hot, or half of each)
2 28oz cans crushed tomatoes
1 15oz can tomato puree
1 6oz can tomato paste
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 small onion, minced
Salt and pepper to taste
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1 or 2 small bay leaves
Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes.
Handful of grated Parmesan cheese


Brown the meat in a saucepan, breaking it up as it cooks. Meanwhile add all other ingredients to your slow cooker.
When the meat has mostly browned, drain any excess fat, then add it to the pot.
Cook on low for 8-9 hours or on high for 4-5 hours. Remove lid for the last hour of cooking time to let the sauce reduce a little. Serve over rigatoni, tagliatelle, or tortellini. Top with more grated cheese, if desired. 

 

 

Tips:

If you decide to do it on the stove, just keep the heat very low, and give it a stir every so often to make sure it's not burning on the bottom. 

For an even richer depth of flavor, add about a cup of red wine. Full disclosure, I thought of adding it after the sauce was already finished, but I'll definitely remember it for next time. 

I like to do a mixture of ground beef and sausage, but you can absolutely do all of one or the other. I like to include the sausage because it really seasons the sauce. If you choose to omit the sausage and do just beef or any other kind of ground meat, be sure to adjust your seasonings as needed. 

This is a perfect sauce to use when layering lasagna, just sayin'!

It can also be canned... Specifically, it must be pressure canned, since it contains meat. Processing times are 75 minutes for pints, and 90 minutes for quarts. Happy canning!

Joey's Cheddar Corn Dip

 

 This is a quick throw-together dip I made with a few ingredients I happened to have on hand. 

I was invited to my brother's house, just for a little hang, and of course, I couldn't just show up without making something, right? To quote my Dad, "Always ring the doorbell with your elbow." (meaning, don't show up empty handed!)

 Anyway, I didn't even have a recipe, I just threw a few things together and it turned out great! I literally had to stop and write down what I did so I could recreate it. This is a good one to have when you need a party dip at short notice. You get a little sweetness from the corn, and little sharpness from the cheese, a little savory note from the scallions. It hits all the notes! Perfect for a holiday party or a movie night or whatever big sports you happen to be watching. 

 I hope you'll give it a try! 

 

 

 

 

1 8oz pkg cream cheese
1/2 cup sour cream
1/3 cup mayonnaise
2 cans whole kernel corn, drained
8oz extra sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded
1/4 cup chopped scallions
1 tbs chopped fresh parsley
Salt and pepper to taste
Sprinkle of paprika


Using a mixer, mix together the cream cheese, sour cream, and mayonnaise until well blended. 
Stir in remaining ingredients by hand. Cover and chill for 30 minutes.
Serve with Scoops tortilla chips or Fritos. 



Tips:
Definitely use a mixer to combine the base ingredients. (I like to use a whisk attachment.) If you MUST stir by hand, let the cream cheese soften for a while before mixing. 
Feel free to include any other add-ins, such as chopped jalapeño, minced red bell pepper, crumbled bacon, or shredded pepper jack cheese.
Speaking of cheese, whatever you do, do NOT use the pre-shredded cheese in the bag. It’s SO much better to buy the block and just shred it yourself. C'mon. It only takes an extra 5 minutes!

BTW, you can also serve this hot! Just pour everything into a small baking dish, and then bake at 350º until melted and bubbly! Yum. 

Boursin and Bacon Dip

 

 

 

 I saw this recipe somewhere on the tick tocks, and immediately knew it would be the perfect holiday party dip. Just a few ingredients, quick to throw together, and it even looks festive on the plate. 

 I made it for my family's Christmas party and everyone loved it! Of course I tweaked it a little, because I just can't help it. Feel free to do the same if you feel so inspired.

 I served mine with rice crackers because I love how crispy they are, but you do you!

I know your guests will love it. I mean, that kinda goes without saying because..... bacon.  Enough said!

Enjoy!

 

 

 

2 8oz pkgs cream cheese

1 5oz pkg garlic and chives Boursin cheese spread

1 tbs Ranch seasoning

8oz red or green pepper jelly

 

Using a mixer, combine cheeses and ranch seasoning. Spread onto a serving plate in a thin layer. Top with pepper jelly. 

Cut the bacon into small lardons and saute until crisp. Drain fat. (save the rendered fat for another use!) Sprinkle crispy bacon over the jam. Serve with your choice of chips.  

 

Tips:

Don't like pepper jelly? Choose your favorite! I bet pineapple would be great here.  

Brian's Cranberry Smash

  For years and years, I've enjoyed making home made fresh Cranberry Sauce for my family and friends around the holidays. Most times I'll cook up several pounds of fresh cranberries and put them up in jars to gift for everyone's holiday meal. They just taste so much better than store bought cranberries in the can!

 So, one year, I decided to give some to my long time dear friends, Brian and Paula. Side note, I should mention that Brian's family and my family go WAY back, and Paula and I go way back as well, so they're like family to me, and I was happy to share.

 Now, if you know Brian, you know he's ever the party Host with the Most, so of course it came as no surprise that he didn't just serve the cranberries with their holiday dinner. Nope. Instead, he used my cranberry sauce to make a festive cocktail, which was apparently a big smash!! And now they make it every year around the holidays. How fun is that?? Leave it to Brian to come up with a new cocktail! Actually, when he first told me about it, I immediately whipped up an extra big batch of cranberries and canned them in jars so he'd have plenty for his holiday celebrations. He looked at me like I was crazy when I showed up at his house with a bunch of jars. True story! 

 Btw, I'm not exactly sure where he came up with the name.. maybe that's what happens if you have one too many... but I digress...

 Anyway, big thanks to Brian and Paula for including me in their new holiday tradition! I'm truly honored! And Brian, just let me know when you run out of cranberries. I'll have more ready for you!

2 ounces of whiskey

1 ounce of cranberry juice

a spoonful of jellied cranberry sauce 

 

Add everything over ice in a shaker, then pour it over a big square ice cube and drop in a cherry. 

That's all there is to it! So good!

 

 

 

Tips:

Even if you don't make home made fresh cranberry sauce, just use any cranberry sauce you like. It's a great way to use up the leftovers after Thanksgiving! 

If your cranberry sauce is a little too jellied, just stir in a teaspoon or two of hot water to sauce it up a bit!

 

Joey's Banana Bread Trifle

 

 

 Here's a little showstopper of a dessert that I recently made for my family's Thanksgiving Dessert Party. It's basically a variation on a banana pudding, but as always, I can't leave well enough alone, and decided to PLUS it. 

 A banana pudding is usually layers of sliced bananas, vanilla pudding, and Nilla wafers. But then I thought, why not make it into a trifle? (Side note, my niece, Natalie, stated that a banana pudding is already a trifle, but one could argue that a trifle has cake in it, or in this case, banana bread.. but that's a debate for another time... )

 Anyway, I still wanted to include the Nilla Wafers, but then decided to guild the lily and push it over the top with crushed Heath Bars as well. BOOM.

 Everyone raved about it! I mean, nothing against all of the other homemade desserts, but this may or may not have been the talk of the dessert table. Just sayin! I'm pretty sure I've just added this to my growing list of "must make" holiday desserts for my family. My nephew, Will, told me I need to post this IMMEDIATELY.. Glad you liked it, William!

 So if you're a fan of banana pudding, you absolutely MUST try it. I PROMISE you'll get rave reviews from your family and friends. It's perfect for your next holiday gathering. Enjoy!

 

  

2 cups cold milk
1 (5oz) package instant vanilla pudding mix
1 (14oz) can sweetened condensed milk
1 pint heavy whipping cream

Crushed Nilla wafers

6-8 ripe bananas, sliced, (or more if needed)

1 homemade or store bought Banana Bread,  cut into cubes

Crushed Heath Bars or Heath Toffee Bits


In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the pudding mix and milk until the powder is dissolved and the pudding begins to thicken. 
In a separate bowl, whip the heavy cream until soft peaks form. 

Gently fold the sweetened condensed milk into whipped cream. 

Now gently fold the sweetened cream into the pudding. 

You’re ready to layer! 
In a tall sided glass bowl, create layers in this order:

pudding

banana bread cubes

banana slices

crushed Nilla wafers

toffee bits 

Finish by ending with pudding on top.

Garnish with more crushed Nilla wafers and Heath bits. 

Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving. 



Tips:
When you’re whipping the cream, you want to go to soft peaks or just beyond, but you don’t want to over whip it. Otherwise it’ll break and turn into butter, which is great and all, but that’s not what we’re looking for here!
When layering, I like to make pretty layers around the edges by standing the banana slices up against the side of the bowl before adding the other ingredients. You'll use more bananas, but it makes for a nicer presentation! Plus, like I always say, more is more!

The best way to make sure you come out even when layering is to divide the pudding into thirds, and divide the other ingredients in half. 3 layers of pudding, two layers of everything else, got it?
If you don’t have a tall sided glass bowl, just use any pretty serving bowl. You can even make it in a 9x13 casserole dish. 

Reese's Chewy Chocolate Cookies with Peanut Butter Chips

 

 

  This is one of those old stand-by tried and true recipes that made me say "why have I never posted this?" 

I was recently mixing up a batch, and I thought, wait... have I ever shared this? Nope. Never did. So I immediately needed to remedy that. And here it is! 

 It's a perfect Hershey's chocolate cookie with lots and lots of Reese's peanut butter chips. It's literally up there with some of my all-time faves. It absolutely stands the test of time, and it's a classic for a reason. One bite and you'll understand. If you're a peanut butter/chocolate lover and you've never tasted one, what are you even doing with your life? Yes, I'm judging you. You need to whip up a batch, like right now! You'll thank me later! 

 

 

 

 

 2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup Hershey’s cocoa
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 1⁄4 cups (2-1⁄2 sticks) butter, softened
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
2 tsps vanilla extract
1 (10 oz pkg.) Reese’s Peanut Butter Chips


Heat oven to 350°F. 
Stir together flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
Beat butter and sugar in a large bowl with mixer until fluffy. 
Add eggs and vanilla; beat well. Gradually add flour mixture, beating well. 
Stir in peanut butter chips. 
Drop by rounded teaspoons onto ungreased cookie sheet.
Bake 8 to 9 minutes. (Do NOT over bake; cookies will be soft. 
They will puff while baking and flatten while cooling). 
Cool slightly; remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool completely.


Tips:
-When creaming the butter and sugar, be sure to let it go for a good 3-5 minutes. I find that it takes longer than you think to really incorporate those two ingredients. You’ll wind up with a much better product! 
-Anytime I make a peanut butter dessert, I always like to add an extra little pinch of salt. Just that tiny bit of extra saltiness really brings out the peanutty flavor. And as my Kristin always says.. “ The peanut butterier the better!”

Soft and Chewy Lemon Cookies

  I was recently on the hunt for a really good go-to lemon cookie, and as always I had certain search criteria: Of course I wanted a strong hit of lemon, but then I also wanted the texture to be fabulously crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside.... definitely not cakey, but kind of like a sugar cookie, only a perfect lemon version. With me so far?

 Then I found this recipe from a blog called Kroll's Korner. It's literally everything I just described, and I seriously could've eaten the entire batch. Not even kidding. SO GOOD! It was the perfect thing to bring to my friend, Mary, who had requested a batch of lemon cookies. 

 So, now I can add another delicious recipe to my repertoire for all of my friends who are constantly asking me for "anything lemon." Pretty sure this is now my new go-to recipe. Pretty sure it'll be yours too!  

 

 

 

12 tbs (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

1 1/2 cups sugar
1 tbs lemon zest
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
2 tsp. lemon extract (or 1 tsp. each lemon and vanilla extract)
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cornstarch
3/4 tsp salt
2 tbs lemon juice
1/4 cup granulated sugar, for rolling & garnishing

 

 

 Beat the butter, sugar, and lemon zest in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment for about 3-4 minutes or until light and fluffy, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. (Pro tip: you can rub the lemon zest and sugars together between your fingertips to help release the natural oils in the lemon and infuse even more lemon flavor into the cookies). Add eggs and extract(s), mix again.
Add the dry ingredients in a mound with baking soda on top.
Add the lemon juice on top of the baking soda, it will foam = activated.
Mix just until combined. Do not over mix.
You can refrigerate the dough now as is or scoop and roll into balls and then refrigerate. Balls will be about ~1 ½-2 tbsp. in size. Refrigerate at least 1 hour.
Preheat the oven to 325°F.
Add about 1/4 cup granulated sugar into a bowl and roll the balls in the granulated sugar.
Bake for 10-12 min. DO NOT OVERBAKE. These need to be very soft and chewy.
Swirl a cup around the cookies when they come out of the oven (while they’re still warm) to make them perfect circles.
Sprinkle the tops of cookies with more granulated sugar for a sparkly look and lemon zest if desired.
Rest on a cookie sheet for just 5 minutes then carefully transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. 
They will look puffy out of the oven but settle as they cool.

 

 

Tips:

 The most important thing is to make sure you chill the dough before baking. I opted to mix up the dough, roll it into balls, then in sugar, then refrigerate them on a parchment lined tray. I chilled them for over an hour, and then took the trays right from the fridge to the oven. They turned out perfectly! I know the directions say to swirl a glass over them to make them perfectly round, but there didn't seem to be any need, at least this time.

I used a cookie scoop, and I wound up with about 2 1/2 dozen cookies. If you'd like to double the recipe, I would suggest mixing up two batches instead of doubling the ingredients. It seems to me that some cookie recipes work better when you mix up separate batches instead of doubling. I'm talking to YOU, Snickerdoodles. 

Also I think I'd like to add more lemon zest next time. More is more, right?! I also wondered how it would taste if I used orange and/or lime zest instead of (or in addition to) the lemon. I think I need to make another batch and try it!