The Best Turkey Ever with No-Fault Gravy

This is the best of the best turkey recipes I've ever seen and guess what? It's my adult daughter's creation. Ever since she shared this with us we have enjoyed the moistest and tastiest  turkeys ever. This past Thanksgiving, she was actually in town and we got to taste her version firsthand. The one below is my morph. It's a guaranteed winner. If you need a larger amount of turkey for your feast, cook two instead of one big one. Be sure you have a digital thermometer.

A DAY OR TWO AHEAD OF TIME:
Prepare a brine for your 16-lb turkey. Using a large lobster pot, place your unwrapped turkey (with innards removed) inside and fill with water. Temporarily remove the turkey as you add brine ingredients to the pot.
- 2 cups Kosher salt
- 2 cups sugar
Stir to dissolve, then add up to 2 heads of garlic, roughly chopped (no worry about peeling away skin, you will discard later)
Place the turkey back in the pot and cover. If you live in a cold climate like Minnesota in the winter, you can just chill the pot in the garage. Otherwise, refrigerate. 

A COUPLE HOURS BEFORE COOKING:
Bring turkey to room-ish temp by placing in sink with cold water. Discard the contents of the brine pot. Pat turkey dry and preheat oven to 325. Form a thick ring of heavy duty foil in the shape of a "U" and place in the bottom of roasting pan.

Microwave 1 stick unsalted butter til soft, place in small bowl. Make paste by adding large handful of fresh rosemary and one other fresh herb like oregano or sage. Turn turkey over so breast is on top and carefully insert hand to separate skin. Shove paste between turkey body and skin. Place turkey breast-side down onto foil ring in roasting pan and place 1 & 1/2 garlic heads (cut in half) inside the bird.

Butter the exterior of the bird and salt and pepper to taste.

COOKING:
Place turkey in preheated oven and set timer for 1 hour. At that time, baste with chicken or beef broth (whatever you have on hand) cover entire body to keep wet. Set timer for another 1/2 hour and check to see if bird is browning too quickly. Add foil to wings if necessary and baste again using drippings in pan in addition to broth.  Set the timer for another 20 minutes. When timer dings again, check temperature. You want the turkey internal temp to read 165 when digital thermometer is inserted in the thickest part of the body. Continue to cook in 10+ minute increments and baste until the bird registers 165 in two different spots. It will take under 3 hours - sometimes faster.

Remove the turkey from the oven and let rest up to 20 minutes before carving.

NO FAULT GRAVY
No more cans or jars, you can do this in your large skillet!

Melt one stick unsalted butter with 3 cubes of chicken bouillon (or equivalent) over medium heat. Whisk in up to 1/4 cups Wondra. Enough to make a sand consistency and bring to boil for 1 minute. Add turkey drippings if available, add 1 carton reduced fat chicken broth and stir in 1/4 heavy cream and salt and pepper to taste, return to boil and stir til thickened. Reduce to simmer for 15 minutes, stirring frequently.

You can add all kinds of other fun to the gravy like fresh parsley, sautéed mushrooms or onions. Or... all of the above.

Are you kidding? Spot LOVES this meal cuz she gets all kinds of scraps! Depending on how many eaters, you'll enjoy leftovers for sandwiches or casseroles. When reheating, be sure to drizzle with more broth to keep it moist.

Best Bread Stuffing

This is our secret recipe we have enjoyed for years. The time has come to share it with the world and spare others from ever using a mix again. We serve this every Thanksgiving and Christmas. It's so moist and yummy some of us have just a bite of turkey with our plateful of stuffing. This recipe makes two large casserole pans - one to cook on Thanksgiving and another to cook the next day with leftovers.

PREPARE A DAY BEFORE SERVING

INGREDIENTS:
1 1/4 cups unsalted butter
2 cups diced celery
2 cups chopped onions
16 cups bread cubes - mix darks and lights
3/4 cup rough chopped flat leaf parsley
2 TBSP kosher salt
1 TBSP ground pepper
3 eggs lightly beaten
3/4 cup heavy cream

STEPS:
1. In extra large stock pot, melt butter over medium low heat. Stir in onions and celery. Cook until onions are translucent and celery is bright green - about 10 minutes. Mixture should be tender.
2. Remove from heat. Using large paddle or spatula, stir in bread cubes, then butter. Add parsley, salt and pepper, then cream. Mixture should be moist, not soggy. (Adjust consistency if necessary)
3. Chill in pot covered with foil - or in baking dishes covered with foil - overnight.

TO SERVE:
Bring to room temp about 90 minutes before serving. Bake in casserole or baking dish at 325 for 45 minutes. Cover and keep warm until serving. If cooking with your turkey, place on lower rack (at lower temp) and extend baking time as needed.

For some reason, Spot didn't care we were cooking onions tonight. Perhaps it was the large pot that disguised them? She was underfoot so much this is a 5-Paw-er!

My First Pepper Steak

Yes, I do get a lot of my food ideas from some of my fav foodie shows and this recipe is no exception. As typical of my ADD, I tweaked and made what my eating men love-love-loved! We served it with packaged parmesan pasta on the side. Yum!!

INGREDIENTS:
4 sirloin steaks, marinated in kosher salt and ground pepper with a splash of bourbon at least 4 hours
2 TBSP unsalted butter
Kosher salt
Ground black pepper
White pepper
Bourbon
1/2 sweet onion, diced
6 cloves garlic, diced
2 shallots, diced
3/4 cup Half & Half
2 generous dollaps of dijon mustard
1/2 cup flat leaf parsley, chopped

STEPS:
1. In a large cast iron skillet, melt butter over medium heat. While skillet is heating, genrously salt and even more generously pepper with both peppers, each side of sirloins.
2. Pan sear meat about 5 minutes each side without moving it around. (When I flipped to second side, I sliced each steak in half to be sure it wasn't raw) Move cooked meat to platter and cover with foil.
3. Using same skillet on slightly lower temp, cook garlic and onions. Scrape skillet. Add 1/4 cup bourbon and sizzle everything. Drop in dijon and stir. Whisk in Half&Half and bring to boil. Stir and remove from heat.
4. Pour over steak on platter, top with parsley and serve.

Spot gives this 4 paws and loved tripping me often while I cooked. This is great man food! It goes on our two week rotation and is fast 'n easy to make.

My First Chicken Pad Thai

Inspired by The Chew last week, I have played around with this recipe, changed some ingredients and thickened the sauce. The result is a quick meal that can feed 8... or 4 if you each have two servings. Tastes great as a leftover, midnight snack or between two pieces of bread for lunch the next day. Apparently this dish has been around forever, so I'm a late but happy bloomer. We loved it so much I made it again two days later!

INGREDIENTS:
8 boneless, skinless chicken fillets marinated overnight in soy sauce and spread with creamy peanut butter
1 cup peanuts
5 eggs
2 1/2 pkg Japanese Curly Noodles
10 cloves minced garlic
2 cups shredded carrots
2-3 cups bean sprouts
10 scallions thinly sliced
Extra virgin olive oil
Kosher salt
Garnish with a thinly sliced Granny Smith apple

SAUCE INGREDIENTS:
1 cup water
1/2 cup brown sugar
Juice from 2 freshly squeezed lemons
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
3 TBSP Worchesteshire sauce
9 TBP soy sauce
Pinch kosher salt

EASY STEPS:
1. In large skillet with 1 TBSP extra virgin olive oil on medium heat briefly cook peanuts for 2 minutes, remove from heat. Add more olive oil and the eggs. Lightly scramble til almost done, remove and set aside.
2. Slice chicken in thin strips, add 2 TBSP olive oil and garlic along with the chicken and cook til done, about 5 minutes.
3. In medium saucepan, bring 1/2 pot of water to boil. Place noodles in large bowl and pour enough boiling water to cover noodles and set aside.
4. While chicken is cooking, in medium saucepan (I used the same one) combine all sauce ingredients and heat.
5.  When chicken is done, whisk in the scrambled eggs, carrotts, bean sprouts, sauce and noodles. Combine well. Stir in scallions and peanuts. Serve with chow mein noodles if you want extra crunch.

Spot gives this 4 big paws. She loves chicken anything and without any onions cooking, she stayed in the kitchen the entire time. I will serve this over Thanksgiving weekend when we aren't eating turkey.

Molasses Crinkle Cookies

I have made a version of this ever since high school. I keep forgetting how good and easy it is. This recipe doesn't make more than a dozen, but really yummy!

INGREDIENTS:
3/4 cup unsalted butter at room temp
1 cup brown sugar
1 egg
2 1/4 cups flour
2 tsp
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/4 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ginger
2 TBSP white sugar

STEPS:
1.  Cream butter, brown sugar and egg in mixer. Add all dry ingredients except the white sugar and mix well. Chill for 45 - 60 minutes,
2.  Line baking sheet with parchment paper. Form dough into golf-ball size and roll in the white sugar. Space 1" from each other on baking sheet. Drizzle each cookie with drops of water.
3. Bake at 375 until cookies flatten slightly, approximately 15 minutes depending upon your oven.

Spot was thrilled when we dropped some crumbs on the floor! 4 paws it is.

The New Shepherd's Pie

Our fav comfort meal ever! We were first introduced to a version of this hearty casserole the night we came home from the hospital with our newborn son. Elated and exhausted, we were delighted to receive and eat up this lovely gift from a church friend. Ever since then, this has been a regular winter meal in our house. The way I prepare it makes 2 dinners. More work up front gives you a night off later on! Here's the version we currently enjoy almost 18 years later.

INGREDIENTS:
2 # ground beef 85/15 or 1# 85/15 and 1#ground turkey, browned
2 pkg Lipton's Beef & Mushroom dry soup
1 Family size (26+oz) can of Campbell's Vegetable Soup
2 pkg (10+oz) frozen mixed vegetables (like Bird's Eye Steamfresh)
4 heaping TBSP Wondra
3 cups mashed red potatoes
2 eggs
1/3 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
1 TBSP paprika
2/3 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Big pinch of Kosher Salt

EASY STEPS:
1. Brown meat in large skillet, stir in Wondra and add soups. Spread meat mixture into two medium sized glass casserole dishes. Sprinkle generously with Kosher salt.
2. While browning: Halve enough large red potatoes to fill a 5 quart stock pot, top with water and bring to boil. Lower heat and cook on med high til you can poke the potos and they are soft. Drain. Keep in pot.
3. While potatoing: Zap frozen veggies to thaw - about 2 minutes. Sprinkle evenly over both pans.
4. Mash potatoes with hand masher, adding enough heavy cream to create a slightly wet mixture. Stir in chopped basil, add eggs then paprika. Be sure this mixture is smooth enough to spread on two casseroles. If too thick, add more cream. Finish with cheddar cheese. Spread this mixture over meat.
5. Bake one casserole at 350 until bubbly - about 35 minutes. Cool the other pan then freeze. Be sure and use within 2 months for freshest taste.

Yummy! And since there no onions are involved, Spot wasn't hiding under the bed. This recipe could be morphed many ways. The way I first made it was with instant potatoes, but since I've become more of a cook I like to use real fresh ingredients and add freshness like basil.

Hearty Chicken Pot Pie

A few months ago I was in need of comfort food and went in search of Chix Pot Pie recipes. This is the one I found and tweaked that will comfort any man or woman in your life. I made it so often I started tripling the ingredients (except the pie crust) and freezing. Then all we had to do was thaw and bake when craving comfort or all your veggies mixed in one bite. We serve this with rice.

INGREDIENTS:
1 pkg of 2 refrigerator pie crusts at room temp
2 large chicken breasts, cubed or one deli cooked chicken skin and bones removed, cubed
1 cup sliced or shredded fresh carrots
1 cup sliced celery
2 cups frozen peas
2 small sweet onions, diced
1/3 cup butter
2/3 cups flour
Big pinch Kosher salt
1/2 - 1 tsp ground pepper
1 tsp celery seed
3 cups low sodium chicken broth
1 1/4 cups heavy cream
4 sprigs fresh rosemary, pulled off stem
3 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 cup sliced mushrooms

Let's walk through the recipe:
1. In large skillet, sauté onions, garlic and mushrooms in butter
2. In large saucepan, place carrots, celery and peas if using a cooked deli chicken. If using uncooked breasts, add them too. Add enough water just to cover. Bring to boil and cook 13 minutes. Drain and set aside, adding chicken if you didn't yet.
3. When onions etc are soft, whisk in flour and seasonings. Slowly add broth and cream. Add rosemary. Bring to boil, then simmer til thickened. Stir frequently. Set aside.
4. Unfurl one pie crust and fit to bottom and sides of 9" pie plate. Use fork to poke some holes in bottom and sides.
5. Spoon the chicken-veg mixture into bottom of pie crust. Pour the onion-gravy mixture over all. Fit other pie crust to top of pie and seal edges. Pierce crust to let out steam.
6. Bake 350 for 45 minutes or til crust is golden brown. If you need to keep warm, turn off oven and tent pie with foil.

Spot gives 4 paws and sits in hope like a mime at our feet! This recipe makes a generous onion-gravy and if we have extra and I'm not making more than one pie, I freeze it for the next one.

Savory Meatloaf

Cool Fall temps are upon us and it's time to make some comfort food that won't make you break into a sweat when you cook it or eat it.  I am on a Basil kick, so there's a generous amount of that in the mix, plus hidden spinach - always good if you have kids who deny you the opportunity of seeing them eat veggies. The men in my life love this! Note, this can easily become two meals depending on the number at your table. Otherwise, this will truly feed a crowd.

MEATLOAF INGREDIENTS:
2 lbs 85% ground beef or turkey at room temp
2 medium Vadalia (sweet) onions, diced
2 eggs
2 cups Italian bread crumbs
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup ketchup
1 pkg frozen spinach, defrosted and squeezed dry
1/4 cup fresh basil, sliced
1/2 cup fresh Italian (flat) parsley, roughly chopped
Kosher salt to taste
Ground pepper to taste

PREP STEPS:
1. Mix all ingredients except the bread crumbs, when fully combined add the crumbs (use hands)
2. Form the mixture into a brick shape and set it inside a large baking dish 9 x 12 or larger (you will need at least an inch margin around the loaf)
3. Bake at 350 in preheated oven for 1 hour. Tent the dish if loaf top looks too brown. Bake another 30 minutes or til insides are cooked. (I sliced "the brick" in thirds to let the heat in and uncovered it  for this last part)

GRAVY?
While loaf is doing its thing, sauté 3/4 cups sliced mushrooms in extra virgin olive oil and drain. Leave on paper towel to add later. Get that oil off those shrooms!

1. In a large skillet, melt one stick of unsalted butter along with 3 cubes of beef bouillon (or similar product like "Better Than Bouillon"), whisk in 3+TBSP Wondra in order to make consistency of sand and briefly boil for a minute
2. Add 2 cans of Campbell's Beef Consume and, using a can to measure - add  another 1 1/4 cans of beef broth, add the mushrooms and sprinkle of kosher salt
3. Bring to boil, add 1/8 to 1/4 cup heavy cream and simmer for 20 minutes. Keep covered til ready to serve - stir frequently

We served this with mashed potos and it was a big hit! I love all the hidden healthy ingredients.
Spot? Sorry no paws. She mistakenly heard me chopping the onions and skee-daddled, silly hound!

Yummy Coffee Cake

Ah nostalgia! When our son informed me that he was craving something brown-sugary, I remembered a recipe for coffee cake that I had not made in his life time.  I wasn't even sure where to find it, but I did! Here it is. Both men in my life declare this delicious. I sure won't wait 17 years til next time.

INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup butter
1 cup sugar
2 beaten eggs
1 tsp baking powder
2 cups flour
1 cup sour cream
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp soda

HOW
Cream sugar and butter, add eggs, sour cream and vanilla. Then add all dry ingredients and blend well. Batter will be thick. Spoon half the batter into a well-buttered and floured bundt pan. Sprinkle half the topping (below) then the remaining batter and finish with remaining topping. Bake at 350 for 40-45 minutes.

TOPPING (mix well)
3 TBSP melted butter
2/3 cups brown sugar
1 1/2 TBSP cinnamon
1 cup chopped walnuts

Spot gives this 3 paws because we wouldn't let her lick the bowl or even have a taste. She knows it is really worth 4. But she still sits at our feet with high hopes.

Stuffed Garlic Bread

Saw a version of this reposted by someone on Face Book last week. Shared this recipe only to myself so I could try it without announcing my every thought on social media and thus caused five days of posts that no one else saw. :)

Turns out it was worth it. This bread is yum-licious! We served it tonight along with a new recipe for Hamburger Soup. I will do this again when it's colder and we make spaghetti or lasagna for sure...or more Hamburger Soup!

INGREDIENTS:
1 loaf of rosemary bread (from Target bakery) unsliced
1 stick unsalted butter, melted
5 TBSP minced onions (I used white and Videla - use less if you don't like the zippy taste)
8 tsp or more grated garlic cloves (we love garlic)
1 1/2 TBSP Dijon mustard
1/3 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
12+ oz freshly shredded Parmesan and mixed Italian cheese

HOW TO:
1. Mix all the ingredients except the bread and cheeses in a small bowl to form a paste.
2. Cut the bread into cubes using "X" slices without cutting all the way through. I cut diagonal lines one way, then rotated the bread and cut more the other way.
3. Paste the buttery-garlic mixture into each slice and crevice, baste the top of the loaf.
4. Do the same with the cheeses (other cheeses will also work)
5. Wrap the loaf tightly in foil and bake for 20 minutes at 350. Unwrap and cook another 10 minutes or until cheese melts.

Don't you think the parsley and garlic make this healthy?!! Spot gives this 1 paw because I only dropped a few shreds of parmesan on the floor by accident. She didn't notice me mincing the onion.  Zippy!

Chicken Daniel (Divan)

Our son spent 10 weeks in Basic Training this summer and just about every letter we received listed the food he was missing (in addition to his family). The number one menu item he wanted to eat as soon as he got home was Chicken Daniel. A simple casserole I do with chicken or turkey leftovers... or when I don't want to spend a lot of time in the kitchen. Imagine, this is what he wanted FIRST after 10 weeks of tough training! Without further ado, here is my version...

INGREDIENTS:
- Enough turkey or chicken leftovers (already cooked) and cut into bite-sized pieces to layer in a 10x13 baking dish OR 1 grocery-store cooked chicken, meat pulled off the bone and skin removed OR 3 boneless chicken breasts, seasoned and baked and cut into pieces
- 1 pkg frozen broccoli, steamed in microwave for 5 minutes
- 1 jumbo can of Cream of Chicken Soup (or 1 1/2 small ones plus a small Cream of Celery)
- 2+ cups mayonaise
- the juice from 5 squeezed lemons
- 1 large onion, sauteed
- Kosher salt & ground pepper
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- Rice

STEPS:
1. Layer the steamed broccoli in the bottom of the large baking dish, followed by the chicken pieces. Be sure everything is covered.

2. In a medium bowl, mix the soup, mayonaise, sauteed onion, lemon juice with salt and pepper. Pour this over everything in the baking dish. Sprinkle with the cheese. Bake at 350 for 35-40 minutes, or til top is golden and cheese has melted.

3. While the casserole is baking, make the rice. We like to make our rice with two parts chicken broth to one part rice. Use a larger pot and cook on medium-low for 18 minutes (or so) with a wooden spoon propping up the lid. The rice is done when you see "pock marks" in the texture and the liquid has been absorbed.

Spot gives this 4 paws and for comfort food, so do we. I have even quinteppled this recipe and made it for a church youth gathering of 60. Yum city!

Skillet Pizza Part II

We couldn't decide what we wanted for dinner the other night so I looked through my own cooking blog and was reminded about a Cast Iron Skillet Pizza I made so often last year the skillet remained on the counter for months. So down I went to the utility room to find that seasoned ol' skillet. Here's my latest version.

INGREDIENTS:
1 3/4 packages of refridgerator thin pizza dough
1 - 24 oz. jar of Classico Four Cheese pasta sauce
1 - 14 1/2 oz. can Del Monte Diced Tomatoes with Basil, Garlic and Oregano
2 medium Vidalia onions, chopped and sauteed
1 lb. ground round, browned, seasoned with Kosher salt and ground pepper to taste
1 cup fresh spinach leaves
1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese
5 oz. (about 1 1/4 cups) shredded 3 Cheese Italian cheese (Parmesan/ Aisago/Romano mix)
8 oz. Gouda cheese, sliced thin
2 fresh tomatoes, thinly sliced

WHAT TO DO:
Preheat oven to 400. Fit the pizza dough in the skillet, tearing it to cover the bottom and sides. Remove excess dough from edges, fill any thin areas with the excess dough. Press firmly.

Layer in order:
Half the parmesan, half the ground beef, half the onions, the entire can of diced tomatoes, half the 3 Cheese Italian, Half the tomato slices, half the jar of Classico, half the spinach leaves and cover with half the sliced Gouda.

Repeat the layers one more time. Note: diced tomatoes are used only once. Finish with tomatoes and Gouda on top and sprinkle with remaining shredded parmesan.

Bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown. This will serve up to six generous servings. Keeps well for leftovers the next day too.

Because onions were involved, Spot "hid" under a table in our bedroom. We loved the new verson even better than the first! More of a winter dish so we'll wait til Fall to try it again.

Seattle Nanaimo Bars

The Sunday Seattle Times posted a "you've gotta try this" dessert recipe a few years ago. It was named after an area island or town, I forget. But what I can never forget is how worth it this one is to make for something special. These are very rich so cut them very small.

BOTTOM LAYER
1/2 cup unsalted butter
5 TBSP Cocoa powder
1 3/4 cups Graham Cracker Crumbs
1/2 cup finely chopped almonds
1/4 cup sugar
1 egg, beaten
1 cup coconut flakes

Melt butter, sugar and cocoa together in top of double boiler over simmering water. Add the egg and stir constantly til thickened, about 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in crumbs, coconut and almonds. Press firmly into ungreased 8 x 8 pan.

MIDDLE LAYER
1/2 cup unsalted butter at room temp
3 TBSP whipping cream
2 TBSP Vanilla custard powder (Like Jell-O)
2 cups powdered sugar

Cream butter, cream, custard and sugar. Beat til light and spread over bottom layer.

TOP LAYER
4 squares (1 oz each) semi-sweet chocolate
2 TBSP unsalted butter

Melt chocolate and butter over low heat. Cool. When cool but still liquid, spread over middle layer and chill in refrigerator about 15 minutes. Cut into bars before serving. Small bars. Like 1 x 1.

You can make this 3-4 days ahead of time. Keep covered in refrigerator if there are any left.

Spot loves chocolate and loves standing in hope at my feet while making this one.

10 Layer Chicken Parm

Apparently I haven't made my famous Chix Parmesan in 18 months. When I looked up the original recipe I decided to change it up a bit this time. Hence the "10 layer" title. It goes to show that chicken parm is a recipe to keep on the menu radar a bit more often.

INGREDIENTS
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 eggs, whisked and placed in Ziplock bag
2 cups Panko placed in another Ziplock with Kosher salt and Ground pepper
Fresh basil leaves
1 can flavored diced tomatoes
1 cup shredded parmesan cheese
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 cup Classico tomato sauce with basil
1 red onion, diced and sautéed
Up to 8 garlic cloves, minced and sautéed
3/4 cup fresh mushrooms, sliced and sautéed
1 - 2 sliced fresh Roma tomatoes
1/2 package Fettuccine pasta, cooked al dente  cooked with 1 TBSP kosher salt
Extra virgin olive oil
Unsalted butter
Oblong baking dish

DIRECTIONS
Get the Fettuccine cooking. When it's done, drain and dollop with 1 TBSP unsalted butter. Put a lid over the pot to keep it warm til the rest of the meal is ready.

Sauté the onions and garlic, adding the mushrooms. When done, drain over paper towels and set aside.

Dredge each breast in eggs, then Panko mixture. Pack the Panko to the chicken. Cook on medium heat with pre-warmed extra virgin olive oil til both sides of each piece is golden brown.

Preheat oven to 350. Layer in the following order and bake tented  with foil for 25 minutes. Uncover and continue baking another 10-15 minutes til cheeses have melted. Serve over Fettuccine.

10 LAYERS from bottom to top:
1.  Spread the diced tomatoes on the bottom of the baking dish
2.  Place the browned chicken breasts over the tomato base
3.  Sprinkle half the mozzarella over each breast
4.  Place several fresh basil leaves on top of each breast
5.  Sprinkle half the parmesan over each breast
6.  Pour the sautéed ingredients over all
7.  Add the Classico tomato sauce plus a generous pinch of kosher salt on top
8.  Add remaining mozzarella
9.  Top each breast with the Roma slices
10. Cover all with the rest of the parm

Beats the other recipe. Juicy and totally yum. 4 paws! 

My Fav Mac

This recipe for a version of white cheddar mac n' cheese was morphed from one the HyVee Grocery chain uses. Once you taste this one, you will throw out all your yellow cheese. This is great on its own or as a side dish. It makes a lasagne-size pan full or you can mix and split in half. The guys in my life love love love this one.

INGREDIENTS

Pkg large elbow macaroni
4 cups sharp White Cheddar cheese, shredded (16 oz.)
8 oz shredded Gruyere cheese
8 oz shredded Asiago or Fontina cheese (both are great)
1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1 cup Panko bread crumbs
4 1/2 cups 2% milk at room temp
1 cup low fat chicken broth
5 TBSP unsalted butter
5 TBSP Wondra
Kosher salt
Ground pepper

Boil pasta according to package, drain and set aside. Preheat oven to 425. In large saucepan over medium-high heat, melt butter and stir in Wondra to make a paste. Boil briefly. Slowly whisk in milk and broth. Add salt and pepper to taste (be generous) and heat until mixture thickens, about 5 min. Stir frequently. Add 3 cups White Cheddar cheese, 1 cup Gruyere, all the Fontina/Asiago and 1/2 cup Parmesan. Add more salt and pepper now. Whisk well and stir in the pasta.

Pour the mixture into one large baking pan or two smaller pans. Top with remaining cheeses and cover with Panko. Set pan on top of baking sheet to catch any drippings. Bake 30-35 min or til golden. You can also turn off the oven while you finish the rest of the dinner, it will keep nice n warm for 10 minutes at least.

Spot gives this 4 paws because she loves what a sloppy shredder I am. Yum yum for the pieces that land on the floor. I ask you, how many dogs do you know that like Gruyere cheese?

My First Beef Tenderloin

Oh. My. Gosh. After mentioning to a cooking friend that I had never attempted beef tenderloin, she emailed me her recipe. I tweaked it just a bit and have to say this is so moist and tasty you will want to make it more often than is affordable. It's not as expensive as prime rib, but it is right up there. I made this for our anniversary last week.

Serves 4-6 depending on portions.

A day ahead, kosher salt and pepper both sides of 3 lbs beef tenderloin and marinade in a ziplock bag with lite soy sauce

OTHER INGREDIENTS:
Fresh thyme sprigs
3 TBSP unsalted butter
3 shallots, thinly sliced
6 cloves of garlic, minced
2 cups merlot wine
2 TBSP red wine vinegar
4 cups low sodium beef broth

DIRECTIONS:
Let beef sit at room temperature for 30 minutes. Heat oven to 250. Re-salt and pepper both sides, lay meat on top of fresh thyme in roast pan (let marinate liquid sit in bottom of pan), cover top with more thyme sprigs. Bake for one hour and check meat temperture. Using instant read thermometer, place in thickest part of meat. Continue to bake until temp rea
ds 130 for medium rare, approximately 30 more minutes.

RED WINE SAUCE:
Melt 3 TBSP butter in large skillet over medium-low heat. Stir in garlic and shallots until translucent, stirring frequently, about 10 minutes. Heat turned to high, add the wine and vinegar and boil til syrupy consistency, about 10 minutes. Reduce heat to medium and add broth and heat another 20 minutes. (My friend's recipe called for the sauce to be strained, we didn't do that. It also called for more thyme to go in the sauce. We didn't do that, either.)

We sliced this thin and served it with garlic mashed potatoes, lemony green beens and red-tip lettuce with a vinegrette. I am salivating as I write this.

One of Spot's new fav's! 4 paws for sure.

Gourmet Mac N Cheese

This is a recipe I morphed off a cable talk show recipe that my son really digs. My hubby has even come to like it. A variation of mac n' cheese (using blue cheese) and sliced tenderloin or steak.

While your choice of meat is on the grill, prepare your mac:

Kosher salt and ground pepper to taste

2 TBSP unsalted butter

3 cups heavy cream

1 TBSP minced garlic

1 lb hollow pasta (I use Ditalini or mini shells)

3/4 cup blue cheese (at least)

2 TBSP fresh chopped parsley

Melt butter with garlic, briefly cook. Add cream, heat and then simmer 20 minutes, covered. Stir in blue cheese, whisk til blended and season with salt and pepper. Keep warm until ready to use.

Cook pasta al dente. Toss with sauce and serve with slices of steak or meat. Sprinkle with fresh parsley. Serve immediately.

This also makes a great party dish - serve it in martini glasses for fun. Of course Spot loves this one, meat is involved and no onions sizzled.

Swedish Meatball-iscious!

Here's the best recipe for Swedish meatballs I've ever seen and morphed into our own. We served it with mashed potatoes and steamed green beans that were drizzled with some unsweetened butter and fresh lemon juice. The meatball gravy is delish! One of the best things about this recipe is that it's a 2-for. You make half the mixture into meatballs and freeze the other half for next time.

I have made it four times in as many weeks with some alterations, too. You can add some warmed, frozen spinach to the mixture and replace bread crumbs with Panko. You can also use entirely ground beef and prepared garlic. Very forgiving (my kind of recipe) and delish every time!

Start 2 hours before you want to serve.

MEATBALLS:
1.5 lb ground beef
1.5 lb ground turkey
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 cup diced onion
6 cloves minced garlic
4 tsp Kosher Salt
3 tsp ground pepper
5 TBSP Wondra
1/2 cup heavy cream
3 tsp Worshestershire Sauce
Up to 3 cups Italian bread crumbs
2 eggs
2 egg whites

In large skillet over medium heat, cook onion and garlic in EVOO until tender (about 6 minutes). Add salt and pepper, whisk in Wondra and beat til smooth.  Stir in cream and Worchestershire Sauce, mix all. Pour contents into large mixing bowl and set aside to cool. (About 12 minutes). When cool, mix eggs together and add meat and eggs to bowl (use hands). Add in enough bread crumbs to make meat mixture firm but not over-breaded. I use at least 2 3/4 cups.

Form half of the meat mixture into 1 1/2" meat balls. Place them on parchment-lined jelly roll pan about an inch apart. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for one hour. Place the remaining meat in a freezer container and freeze up to 6 weeks for another night.

Bake meatballs in preheated oven at 400 for 35 minutes.  Rotate during last ten minutes. Start your side dishes and gravy.

GRAVY:
Use the same large skillet you did for the onions - great seasoning! Whisk together:
4 TBSP unsalted butter
4 tsp Worchestershire Sauce
1 cup heavy cream
3 cups beef broth
salt
pepper

Bring to simmer, add cooked meatballs and let simmer and thicken for 15 minutes. Stir occaisionally so gravy covers meatballs. Serve with your side dishes, smack yer lips and rub yer belly.

4 Paws from Spot once those onions were done cooking! Why didn't I make this one for 2 years??

Forget Pizza Delivery

I've been on a basil kick lately. That's what makes this bake-yourself at home pizza so delish... and super easy on a busy night! Not only that, with a nice salad you've covered all the health basics. Variations include adding cooked chicken pieces. Yum!

Ingredients:
1 roll refrigerated thin crust pizza dough
1 grocery package of fresh organic  basil leaves
1 jar Alfredo with cheese sauce
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1 3/4 cups shredded parmesan cheese
2 Roma tomatoes, sliced thin
Fresh ground pepper

Steps:
1. Bake dough in preheated oven at 400 on jelly roll pan til golden brown, about 9 minutes
2. Slightly cool dough and reduce oven heat to 390
3. Cover dough in this order: Alfredo sauce, mozzarella, basil leaves, tomato slices and then the parmesan and ground pepper
4. Finish baking until cheese has melted to your liking, approx 10 more minutes. Don't let crust burn.

Spot loves this meal cuz there's no onions to frighten her. 

World's Best Onion Rings

Why pay big bucks in a restaurant when you can make these at home for fresh!? I've played around with recipes and here's one that is a great side dish every time.

INGREDIENTS:
1 large white onion, (sliced and seperated into rings) per eater
2 cups flour
2 TBSP Wondra
1 tsp fresh ground pepper
1 1/2 tsp paprika
1 1/2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
1 - 1 1/2 good pale ale at room temp
Mediterranean salt to taste
Vegetable oil for deep frying

DIRECTIONS:
Slice onions, set aside. Using large bowl, mix all ingredients except beer. Add one beer slowly and stir til lump-free. Add more Wondra if needed to thicken, or more beer to thin out. You want the batter to cling to the rings, not run off.

Using a fondue pot or deep fat fryer, heat vegetable oil to 350. Drop rings into batter to coat. Shake off excess and cook in hot oil til golden brown on both sides, about 4 minutes total. Turn only once. Drain on layers of paper towels and lightly salt.

You can make this batter several hours ahead and it will keep overnight if you want to do a re-run the next day since you already made your house "smell". That's what we do!

Spot gives this FLEEING PAWS because her number one fear in life is the sound of onions cooking. Forgetting Spot, these are delish!!

Yummy Chicken Tenders

Ingredients

Boneless skinless chicken tenders
Sea salt and ground pepper
Whisked egg
Italian bread crumbs

Instructions

Sprinkle small plate generously with salt and pepper, place egg in pie plate, bread crumbs in large zip-lock bag. Take each tender and coat with s & p, dredge in egg, shake and cover with crumbs. Press crumbs into tender. Return to s& p plate one more time. Place on a separate dinner plate and let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes. This is the key to the recipe.

In medium high skillet, fry each tender til golden on each side. This will take just a couple of minutes.

For fun, you could add flat leaf parsley or even Parmesan. We like to serve with spinach angel hair pasta nests. Except our teenage son eats the tenders as they come off the skillet so I make 10 tenders for just 3 of us.

Spot heard the sizzling and ran for the hills. Once all was quiet, she slithered back in and waited at our feet. That is about a 3-paw rating.

Orzo Chicken Lemon Soup

This is one of my favorites and sooo easy to make! We serve it with toasted crusty bread. You add a nice leafy green salad to make it a complete meal.

Ingredients

2 cooked chicken breasts, cut in small pieces
8 cups chicken stock
3/4 cup orzo
3 eggs
2/3 + cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
3 TBSP lemon zest
Mediterranean salt, ground pepper to taste
4 TBSP chopped fresh rosemary

In large saucepan, brink stock to boil over medium heat. Reduce to medium low, add orzo and cook uncovered until tender, about 15-20 minutes. About 5 minutes before pasta is done, add the chicken pieces.

Place eggs in a mixing bowl, whisk will adding in lemon juice. Stir in zest. Keep whisking and slowly add a ladleful of the hot stock to the egg mixture. Slowly add the egg mixture to the stock in saucepan and stir. Stock should thicken slightly.

Season to taste with salt and pepper. Remove from heat and serve immediately, garnished with fresh parsley.

Spot didn't give a paw rating because she thought we were cooking onions. Once she realized we weren't, she sat at our feet with high hopes.

Rosemary Walleye Pike and Au Gratin Potos

Even though I haven't posted lately, I've been cooking! We relocated six months ago and in the process, posting has fallen off the radar. Not any more, I miss this too much, so buckle your seatbelts...

Tonight's menu was morphed from my dear friend and second mom Dorothy who served me Walleye Pike last week while I was in Mpls. It was so yummy I determined to make it in my new town for my hubby and son, but alas this fish is not available in Iowa. So hubby drove it down special.

Here's the menu:

Rosemary Au Gratin Potos (begin 1 hour and 20 minutes prior to desired eating time):

- Thinly slice 3 lbs red potatoes, cover and bring to boil with 5 diced garlic cloves. Once boiling, reduce heat and simmer til tender but not mushy. About 8 more minutes.

- In oblong baking dish and using slotted spoon, layer half the poto slices. Cover with fresh pepper and sea salt to taste. Pour 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream over all.
Sprinkle 3/4 cup each of shredded Gruyere and Fontina cheese over this layer. Repeat. On top layer, add an additonal 1/4 cup of a shredded hard cheese (Parmesan, Manchego) and sprinkle a few pieces of Rosemary over all.

- Bake at 350 for 1 hour. Keep warm til Walleye is ready.


Dorothy's Walleye Pike Prep while potos are baking, takes 10 minutes to fry:

- Dip Walleye fillets in 1 beaten egg, then crushed saltine crackers (we used 1 gallon zip-lock bag for 1 sleeve of saltines to cook 4 fillets)

- Fry fish with EVOO (extra virgin olive oil) in medium high skillet til medium brown on both sides. Sprinkle with more Rosemary.

Serve with a half lemon on the side of your plate for personal flavor. A side salad and some crusty bread would make this complete. We were distracted by watching the new series on the History Channel called THE BIBLE, so the latter items weren't included.

Spot gives this no paws cuz she runs when things sizzle. My "boys" love it!!