Sloppy Joe Boats

I got inspired to create this recipe while watching my friends on The Chew earlier this week. They were putting something in scooped out baked potos for a Super Bowl dish, and I thought 'hey. why not do this with sloppy joe stuffing?' Here it is and yes, it was a hit with my home team.

INGREDIENTS
9 baker potatoes, baked at 395 for an hour
1 # 85/15 ground beef, browned
1 cup ketchup
1/3  to 1/2 cup canned, seasoned diced tomatoes with their juice
2 TBSP brown sugar
3 tsp dry mustard
3 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1 tsp sea salt
4 green onions, sliced thin - both white and green parts - just chop off ends
1/3 - 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

STEPS
1. Get potos baking. When they are half-way done, brown your meat.
2. I browned our meat in the cast iron skillet used earlier in the day (when I made Sirloin Hollandaise Egg Brunch to brown the sirloin). The seasonings in the skillet were great to mix in with the meat.
3. As the beef browns, combine the sugar, mustard, W sauce, powders and salt with the ketchup and diced tomatoes. After the beef browns, add this mixture and combine well. Stir in green onions.
4. Once potos are baked, remove from oven, slice in half lengthwise and cool about 10 minutes. Place on a jelly roll pan lined with Parchment paper. Scoop out the insides of the potatoes and save to make mashed potatoes tomorrow.
5. Fill each potato with 2+ packed TBSPs of the meat mixture (use it all up) and return to 350 degree oven for 5 minutes to heat through. Turn off oven. Top each tater with a large pinch of cheddar cheese and place in oven for 7 more minutes to gently melt the cheese using the still-warm oven.

This is a fun alternative to hamburger buns and healthy, too. Great game day finger food or party appetizer. Spot gives this 3 paws and my guys give it a 4.

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.

Three Day Fondue

Okay, I only title this like that because we already enjoyed this two days in a row! Yes, I make too much because I always want enough for everyone. Must be some big feeder grandma type in my ancestry? We made this for New Years, and invited a friend to join us tonite for 'leftovers'. Yikes, there is still another dinner in the fridge! My hubby loves this but doesn't know if "he can take another night of this". Me? I just smile, pat my head and rub my belly. This would work for a large table of guests, or you can eat it three days in a row like we did.

Menu:
Sirloin and Chicken Breast Fondue (marinate in Balsamic Vinegar and Lite Soy Sauce overnight, or 3 hours)
Dipping Sauces (See below and drool)
Onion Rings with the best Batter ever (2 large white onions, sliced and separated into rings will feed me)
Bib Lettuce and homemade French Dressing with homemade croutons (Recipe to come... maybe... (it's an old fam secret)
Tasty Mini Baked and Stuffed Red Potatoes
A1 and Heinz 57 too

Tasty Mini Baked and Stuffed Red Potos
8-10 large red potatoes, baked 60 minutes at 380
3/4 pkg frozen, steam-able broccoli,micro'd 5 minutes
2 small pkg of reduced fat Feta OR Blue Cheese, crumbled
Lemon juice
Kosher Salt
Ground Pepper

After potos are baked, slice the "top" 1/8 off, discard. Using small (melon ball) scoop, cut out 1-2 scoops from each potato and place in medium bowl. Microwave broccoli, chop finely and add to bowl. Add salt, pepper, 4 generous squeezes of lemon juice, and cheese. Mash well. Repack ingredients from bowl into potatoes using scoop. Cover with foil and keep in oven on warm until ready to feast.

Fondue Dipping Sauces


Japanese Steakhouse White Sauce (not my own creation)

INGREDIENTS:
1 ¼ cups Hellman’s Mayo
¼ cup water
1 tsp tomato paste
1 TBSP melted butter
½ tsp garlic powder
1 tsp sugar
¼ tsp paprika
dash pepper

Whisk all ingredients together til well mixed and sauce is smooth. Refrigerate overnight to allow flavors to blend. Bring to room temp before serving.


Sour Cream Dip

INGREDIENTS:
1 cup sour cream
2 TBSP finely chopped onion
Salt and Pepper
(try adding chives)


Garlic Lemon Dip

INGREDIENTS:
1 ½ cups mayo
1 ½ TBSP lemon juice
1 TBSP crushed garlic
½ tsp Tabasco Sauce
Salt and Pepper
(try adding chives)


Onion Ring Batter

INGREDIENTS:
2 cups flour
2 TBSP Wondra
½ tsp pepper
1 tsp paprika
1 ½ TBSP EVOO
2 eggs
1 beer
salt
3-4 onions, sliced and separated into rings

Mix all ingredients except beer, in large bowl. Add beer and stir til lump free. Add more Wondra if needed to thicken. Dip rings in batter and fry til golden (3-4 min.). Drain on paper towels. Salt. 


Spot gave ALL of the above 4 paws. Not only did she enjoy hovering under our feet while we prepped, she even sang some songs while we slowly dined and loved each bite.