I like simple recipes. Tasty recipes. Here are some I've made recently or plan on making!

Tuesday, February 2, 2010

yum. hashbrown casserole

2 lbs/8 tubs of thawed hashbrowns
12 oz sc
1 c grated ched
1/2 stick butter
1/2 t s
1/4 t pep
1/2 c onions
c of ck

mix

topping : 1/2 c cracker crumbs + 1/4 cup butter

1 hr
@ 350

Friday, January 8, 2010

Chicken Noodle Soup

I've also been sick lately and made a lot of this classic soup! so simple and delicious! multiply this for more servings!
Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup
  • 2 c chicken broth (or 1 can)
  • veggies (I like chopping up carrots and celery - but anything will do- even flimsy celery works!)
  • black pepper
  • small can of chicken
  • egg noodles (I prefer a lot!)
  1. pour broth into saucepan and heat on high
  2. cut up veggies and add a few generous shakes of black pepper
  3. when it boils, add noodles and chicken
  4. cook until noodles are tender (it won't be long! egg noodles cook fast!)
The veggies and chicken are optional - it still tastes good with just broth, pepper, and noodles - but it sure is delicious with them! I also use egg noodles a lot to 'beef up' other premade soups - like chicken noodle from a can or even Ramen! it works with so many things because they only take a few minutes to cook and they are SO cheap!

Love, successful cooking and good smells,
J

Roasted Sweet potatoes

Made this for Roommate Christmas dinner and it was a hit!
Adapted from here
picture later when scott uploads them!
  • 3 Sweet potatoes (or more! cut into slices) I also used a regular potato too
  • 2 tsp olive oil
  • 1 tbsp butter
  • 1 tbsp of brown sugar (more if you want it sweeter)
  • 1 tsp of ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp of ground nutmeg
  • Pinch of ground ginger (optional, since I didn't have any)
  • Sea salt, to taste
  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Coat a small baking dish with cooking spray and add sweet potatoes
  3. Melt butter in the microwave. Add olive oil, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and salt.
  4. Toss to coat potatoes evenly.(I used a blender bottle!)
  5. Bake in the oven for 60 minutes.
  6. Stir once or twice during roasting.
  7. Enjoy.

Cheese Sauce

Trips to costco are amazing. I still have pasta and tomatoes and pineapple and cheese and strawberries and such and that is quite enough to make many recipes. today i used some of the big pack of pasta and made this cheese sauce, it was absolutely delicious!

  • 2 tbsp. butter
  • 2 tbsp. flour
  • 1/2 tsp. salt
  • 1/4 tsp. pepper
  • 1 c. milk
  • Grated cheese
  • 1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce(optional, I didn't use it)

In microwave proof bowl or 1 quart measure pitcher:
  1. melt the butter.
  2. Stir in flour.
  3. Add salt and pepper.
  4. Stir in milk.
  5. Microwave on high until mixture comes to a boil and thickens, stir every minute. Takes about 4 to 5 minutes.
  6. Add grated cheese and Worcestershire sauce, stir

Mini Meatloaves

mini meatloaves adapted from here<

find a meatloaf recipe.
Make it in muffin pans.

Pork Chops.

So when I went to Chicago to visit the sofie, I made them porkchops and Dara (the one already starting in on her chops before everyone else!) enjoyed them so much she just called me for the recipe! It's super simple and I thought I would share it here!
Acquire your desired amount of:
  • pork chops
  • lawry's seasoning salt
  • flour
  • cream of mushroom soup
  • applesauce
  1. combine some flour and Seasoning salt on a plate and cover the meat.
  2. brown both sides in a skillet
  3. add cream of mushroom (enough to cover the pork chops) and let sit for an hour. (I usually check it every once in a while to make sure the cream of mushroom is still covering the 'chops so they don't dry out.)
  4. Serve with applesauce. (no really, sounds weird.. but dipping the chops in applesauce is an AMAZING combo!)
I also made mashed potatoes with it but it goes really well with any kind of vegetable side! (I've also used steamed veggies with lawry's seasoning salt on them -- which is also one of my favorite snacks in general!)
Love, cooking, and pork chops, J

Sweet Potatoes, Pudding

Roasted Sweet Potatoes
adapted from here
  • salt
  • 2 tsp. minced garlic
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 2 1/2 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and sliced into 1/2-inch-thick rounds
  1. make: Preheat oven 450°F with rack in upper third.
  2. mix garlic with oil and 3/4 teaspoon salt
  3. Toss sweet potatoes with garlic oil in a large bowl, then spread in 1 layer in a 15-by 10-inch shallow baking pan.
  4. Bake until golden in patches and cooked through, 20 to 30 minutes.

Blender Bottle Pudding
recipe from Becka and Jack
  • pudding mix
  • 2 c milk
  1. make
  2. put ingredients in one of these:
  3. and shake for 2 min. follow directions on box.
  4. I added vanilla protein powder.
YUM!

Love and good food,
J

Rotten Strawberry Banana bread

Rotten Strawberry recipes.
Is what I google searched from my work at a deli sandwich restaurant. The fresh fruit was not fresh and I was determined not to waste it. So I purchased a large serving of rotten fruit for about .50cents and went home to make the first thing that popped up on google. It was deliciously simple and made my house smell amazing! I recommend it and will make it again.

Rotten Strawberries and Banana Bread
SERVES 8 , 1 loaf (the best ones I did were today (1/8/10, in jumbo muffin pan!))
  • 1/2 cup butter (regular or low fat)
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 2 cups flour (can use half wheat and half white)
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 3/4 cup banana (use rotten bananas- mashed)
  • 3/4 cup strawberry (use rotten strawberries- mashed)
  • 2 eggs
  • nuts (optional)
  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Cream together stick butter (low fat or regular) and sugar in a large minxing bowl.
  3. Mix in flour.
  4. Sift together the baking soda and salt.
  5. Mix this into the bowl.
  6. Mash the bananas and strawberries together until you have 1 1/2 cups combined. *Can use just 1 1/2 cups bananas.
  7. Mix thoroughly all ingredients.
  8. Add two eggs and mix.
  9. Add nuts if desired, mix.
  10. Pour into a loaf pan (or muffin tins), bake anywhere from 40 minutes to 1 hour (depending on oven). Keep watch on the bread, make sure it gets finished but don't let it get overdone.
In mine, the muffins I made worked tons better. I recommend spraying the pan with Pam or something to lessen the mess or use cupcake liners. The bread I made didn't cook all the way through because I filled it too full (would leave about an 3/4 inch at top of pan next time) I had to empty out the loaf onto a cooking sheet and cook for 10 or so minutes extra. ended up just being chunks of still delicious, but not as pretty bread!

Goops

Sometimes you just want to mix stuff together and have it taste good, enter.. GOOPS.

Delicious Chicken, rice, veggie Goop
  • Bag of frozen veggies (I prefer California mix of caul, broc, carrots)
  • Minute rice
  • Cream of Chicken
  • Spices (optional)
  • canned chicken (optional)
  1. Steam veggies
  2. make rice (minute rice works great)
  3. drain veggies
  4. stir all together in whichever of your pots is bigger.

Wonderfully easy, delicious, filling, and cheap! Makes great leftovers.

Ramen Goop
  • Ramen
  • veggies
  1. Steam veggies
  2. Make ramen
  3. Mix together

Sloppy Joe Casserole

Made this for some friends who DEVOURED it! also shared with my sister who substituted a lb of ground turkey instead of beef and added an extra can of mexicorn - Jack and my sister also loved it! Got the recipe from Pillsbury.com Didn't mine turn out purdy?!

INGREDIENTS
1lb. lean ground beef
1/2cup sliced green onions
1(15.5-oz.) can sloppy joe sandwich sauce
1(11-oz.) can Green Giant® Mexicorn® Whole Kernel Corn, Red and Green Peppers, undrained
1(6-oz.) can Pillsbury® Grands!® Jr. Golden Layers® refrigerated buttermilk biscuits
DIRECTIONS
1.Heat oven to 375°F. In large skillet, brown ground beef with onions; drain. Stir in sandwich sauce and corn. Cook 2 to 3 minutes or until thoroughly heated, stirring occasionally.
2.Spoon mixture into ungreased 1 to 1 1/2-quart casserole. Separate dough into 5 biscuits; cut each in half. Arrange, cut side down, around outside edge of hot mixture with sides of biscuits touching.
3.Bake at 375°F. for 15 to 20 minutes or until biscuits are deep golden brown.
Love and delicious casseroles,
J