Blue Cheese Sirloin Steak Yeah Baby

Oh my word. Tried this one night as a test and my men want to have this again within the week! The menu? Sirloin steak atop creamy blue cheese sauce with fingerling potatoes. Both the sauce and the potatoes were new to us. This is the most tender steak I've ever had. It's so smooth it's buttery. Quick and easy, what a great combo!

INGREDIENTS
(Serves 4)
2 large top sirloin steaks, marinated for at least 3 hours in 1/3 cup Marsala Cooking Wine, seasoned
Kosher salt and ground pepper
1 and 1/2 sticks unsalted butter
1/2 lb fingerling potatoes
1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh parsley
2 large white onions
1 cup heavy whipping cream
3/4 cup crumbled blue cheese

STEPS
1. Salt and pepper both sides of steaks, place in gallon zip bag and add Marsala. Refrigerate for 3 - 24 hours.
2. 40 minutes before serving time, bring potato water to boil in large pot. When boiling, add potatoes and cook 15-20 minutes, until fork tests slightly soft. Drain, return to pot. Add one stick of butter, season and throw in the parsley. Cover while you finish cooking.
3. For best taste, we grilled the steak so get the grill going when you start your potato water. Remove meat from fridge and let come to room temp.
4  Slice 2 large white onions in thick sections - halve them then halve again. In skillet, melt 4 TBSP of butter then add onions. Cook on medium low til onions are brownish and almost carmel. Stir frequently. When browned, lower heat and add cream. Stir and heat til thickened. Once thickened, add the blue cheese and remove from heat.
5. Once the meat is cooked to your done-ness, slice diagonally into long strips.
6. Serving:  Scoop a ladle of the sauce on a plate, top with sirloin slices. Place fingerlings alongside steak, being sure to include some parsley with each serving.

This is so easy someone who feels cooking-challenged could pull the whole thing off next time you want to have a night off. They might not even need to ask you any questions. Any way you cook it - this is a winner and goes on our rotation and makes us yearn for winter's end even sooner.  We had to shovel our way to the grill tonight. Spot was right out there "helping" 4 Paws, yum. 

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.

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.

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!

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??

Danny's Favorite Meal: Bacon Bourbon Chicken Wings

It's been so long since I've cooked something new because I am still full from Easter! Last week while watching The Chew, a daytime foodie show I record, I saw a really cool wings recipe. Even though I am highly allergic to bacon (and all pig food), our son's fav food group is "bacon" and I thought it would be fun to make something that he really digs. He had to help me because I can't even come in contact with bacon, but I did the sauce, adjusting the recipe to what we had. My hubby had to go buy some Bourbon, came home with Whiskey Bourbon. Don't know if there is a difference, but when we make this again, that's what we will use.

What a hit! Our son kept thanking me over and over after his first bites. My hubby keeps growling like a happy bear. This is a keeper - even if I can't eat it! "How can this get much better!?! Bacon and wings!!!" - Daniel

INGREDIENTS
24 chicken wings
Vegetable oil and a deep fat fryer
12 slices of thick bacon, cut in half (get 2 short fat pieces)
toothpicks

WINGS PART I:
Cook wings in batches til golden brown (but not fully cooked) at 370 degrees. Depending on your deep fat fryer, this will take up to 11 minutes a batch. (Our fryer does not hold heat well) Place cooked wings on paper towel covered paper bag to cool slightly while you cook the rest of the wings.

SAUCE:
While wings are cooking, prepare and heat sauce in medium sauce pan. Over medium low heat, melt 4 TBSP unsalted butter, 1/4 cup brown sugar, 5 cloves finely chopped garlic, 1 tsp+ horseradish, 1/3 tsp ground ginger, 1/4 cup soy sauce, 3/4 cup bourbon, 3/4 cup ketchup. Heat and stir infrequently for 10 minutes. Turn to lowest setting and keep warm til you finish the wings.

WINGS PART II:
Tightly wrap a piece of bacon around the "fat" part of each wing, secure with 1-3 toothpicks. You don't want the bacon to fall off when you cook the wings again. Use enough toothpicks to adhere the bacon. Cook the wings again until bacon is done, approximately 3 minutes per batch.

FINISHING:
Using tongs, dip each wing in the sauce, coat well. Set wings on plates and chow down!

This recipe made 24 wings and served two. My hubby and my son.

Spot gives this 4 paws for sure. She even tripped me on the stairs as I was heading toward the kitchen to cook!