gaucho casserole

We discovered this casserole back when we were newlyweds and didn't have much in the way of kitchen gadgetry.  It caught our eye because...get this...it's made entirely in the microwave!  That's right.  From start to finish, it's cooked all in the microwave and in less than half an hour.  It's an easy and quick fix for a busy night.

We like it served smothered with queso or salsa.  You can eat it by itself, but we like it best as a burrito filling or a dip for tortilla chips.

Gaucho Casserole
from Taste of Home Light & Tasty 2003

• 1 lb. lean ground beef
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 green pepper, chopped
• 1 can (16 oz.) kidney beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 can (14 1/2 oz.) diced tomatoes, undrained
• 1 can (8 oz.) tomato sauce
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 envelope reduced-sodium taco seasoning
• 1 t. chili powder
• 1 1/3 cups instant rice, uncooked
• 1 cup shredded Mexican cheese blend

Crumble the beef into an ungreased 2 1/2 quart microwave-safe dish.  Add onion and green pepper; mix well.  Cover and microwave on high for 6 minutes or until meat is no longer pink, stirring every 2 minutes.  Drain.

Stir in the next 6 ingredients.  Cover and microwave on high for 5-6 minutes or until bubbly, stirring every 2 minutes.  Stir in rice.

Transfer to a shallow 2 1/2 quart microwave-safe dish coated with cooking spray.  Cover and let stand for 6-8 minutes or until liquid is absorbed.  Sprinkle with cheese.  Cover and microwave on high for 1-2 minutes or until cheese melts.

ultimate chicken sandwiches

We love Chick-fil-A chicken sandwiches, but we live on a budget.  Our solution?  Make our own!  These sandwiches are healthy and delicious, and they taste remarkably similar to our Chick-fil-A favorites.  We still hit up the real thing often (okay, it's like once a week...), but these make an extremely satisfying, budget friendly meal.

The breading would also work well for chicken nuggets or chicken strips!

Ultimate Chicken Sandwiches
modified from Taste of Home's Light and Tasty 2003

• 6 boneless skinless chicken breast halves
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1/2 cup Bisquick (gluten-free works fine)
• 1/2 cup cornmeal
• 1 1/2 t. paprika
• 3/4 t. salt
• 3/4 t. poultry seasoning
• 1/2 t. garlic powder
• 1/2 t. pepper
• 1/4 t. cayenne pepper

Marinate chicken in buttermilk at least 8 hours or overnight.  The next day, combine Bisquick, cornmeal, paprika, salt, poultry seasoning, garlic powder, pepper, and cayenne.  Remove chicken one piece at a time, allowing excess buttermilk to drain off.  Discard buttermilk.  Coat chicken with the cornmeal mixture and place in a 13x9 inch baking dish coated with nonstick cooking spray.  Bake uncovered at 400 degrees for 12 minutes.  Turn chicken, and bake 8-12 minutes longer, or until juices run clear and coating is lightly browned.  Serve on rolls with lettuce and tomato.  Serves 6.

cranberry scones

 

I love to start my mornings off with hot tea and something hearty and delicious.  Cereal just doesn't cut it anymore for me.  Sometimes I like pancakes, sometimes biscuits and jam, sometimes breakfast casserole, but nothing goes better with hot tea than scones.  And these scones are...well...let's just say that "delicious" is an understatement.

These are delicious warm (that's why my picture is missing a few :), but they also keep well for a few days in an airtight container.  It's the perfect (almost) fall breakfast!

Cranberry Scones
adapted from Gooseberry Patch's Made from Scratch

• 1 cup sugar, divided
• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 2 1/2 t. baking powder
• 1/2 t. baking soda
• 3/4 cup chilled butter, sliced
• 1 cup dried cranberries
• 1 cup buttermilk, divided

Combine 2/3 cup sugar, flour, baking powder, and baking soda in a large mixing bowl; cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.  Fold in cranberries; stir in 3/4 cup buttermilk until just moistened.  Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead 6 to 8 times; divide dough in half.  Pat each half into an 8-inch circle on an ungreased cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.  Cut each circle into 8 wedges (do not separate).  Brush tops with remaining buttermilk; sprinkle with remaining sugar.  Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes or until golden.  Serves 16.

white bread

Beautiful, right?

Then add these...

plus two more full loaves that I've already wrapped for the freezer...

plus one more mini loaf that I already ate...

and you get the output of just ONE recipe!!!

I can't take credit for this recipe - I stumbled upon it while milling around Pioneer Woman's Tasty Kitchen website.  The person who posted it made some pretty big claims - "easiest white bread" ever, "soft but substantial," "your house will smell like heaven," "your family will love you," "your friends will love you"...  

I can say that so far the claims have proven true - it was pretty easy, it's definitely soft, it's definitely substantial, my house smelled amazing, and my husband thought I was awesome.  So far, my friends haven't expressed their love...but that's because I haven't shared the goods yet. :-)

I'll add a few of my own claims to this recipe - it takes only a few ingredients, makes enough bread to last a few weeks (at least!), and is delicious.  It also makes good sandwich bread (see picture at the bottom of this post) - this was a major plus for me.  I'll definitely be making this again. 

Check out the recipe here or see below.

White Bread

• 4 cups Warm Water
• 8 Tablespoons Sugar
• 4 Tablespoons Yeast
• 4 Tablespoons Vegetable Oil
• 4 teaspoons Salt
• 7 cups Flour

  Add sugar to 1 cup of the warm water and then dissolve yeast in the sugar water. Let sugar/yeast mixture rest until doubled in size.  Pour oil in bowl, add sugar/yeast mixture, rest of water, and salt. Add flour 2-3 cups at a time. Knead (a gentle massage) to make a soft, not sticky dough.

Cut the dough into four equal pieces. Set on greased counter top, cover with towel, and let stand for 15 minutes.

Pound each piece with a wooden spoon for 1 minute (gets the air bubbles out). Massage each piece as you form into loaves and place in greased loaf pans.

Allow to raise until doubled in size. Bake at 350 for 30-45 minutes (19-20 minutes for mini loaves as seen in the picture) or until golden on top. Rub butter on top while it’s warm.

To store, wrap in plastic wrap and place in a zip-top freezer bag.

cheddar-apple salad

I'm not generally one for salads.  Most of the time, I prefer a hot meat-and-potatoes meal.  But...I have to admit...I love this salad.  I'll eat it any day for any meal.  It's light, refreshing, and yet filling!  It's also a snap to put together and the perfect make-ahead summer meal.

Cheddar-Apple Salad

• 1 package (3 oz.) ramen noodles
• 2 red apples, chopped
• 1 1/2 cups chicken or turkey breast, chopped
• 1/2 cup cubed cheddar cheese
• 1/2 cup frozen peas, thawed
• 1 green or red pepper, chopped
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 4 T. sugar
• 1 t. dried minced onion
• 1/2 t. ground mustard
• 1/2 t. poppy seeds
• 1/2 t. salt
• 2 T. sour cream
• 2 T. apple cider vinegar

Remove seasoning packet from ramen noodles.  Prepare noodles according to package directions.  Drain and rinse in cold water.

In a large bowl, combine the noodles, apples, chicken, cheese, peas, and pepper.  In another bowl, combine remaining ingredients.  Pour dressing over noodle mixture and toss.  Refrigerate at least one hour before serving.  Serves 4-5.

homemade hamburger helper

Growing up, my mother always made this fun one-dish meal that we all loved.  It never had a true name, and she never used a recipe.  She just kind of dumped everything in a skillet and let it cook.  When we finally asked her what she called it, she thought for a moment and then said, "I guess it's homemade hamburger helper."

It's actually nothing like the boxed Hamburger Helper...it's way better!

This meal also reminds me of the movie musical State Fair...have you seen it?  There's a great scene where the mother is making her famous mincemeat.  She adds a bit of alcohol (whiskey?  I can't remember)...and then another family member comes in and adds a bit more...and then another person comes in and adds a bit more...and on and on!  It was no surprise why her mincemeat won the blue ribbon at the fair!

My mom would always put a little Worcestershire sauce into this meal...and then my dad would go into the kitchen and sneak in a bit more...and then my sister...and then me.  And, my goodness, I would shake that bottle of Worcestershire sauce as hard as I could - I probably added a good half cup!  That was the secret to the absolute deliciousness of this meal.  The more Worcestershire sauce, the better!

Seriously, it's good.  And it takes under half an hour.  And only one pan. 

That's what I call a blue ribbon recipe!

Homemade Hamburger Helper

• 1 lb. hamburger
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 green pepper, chopped
• 1 T. Worcestershire sauce (and more to taste!)
• 1 t. salt
• 1 t. basil
• 1/2 t. garlic powder
• 1/4 t. cayenne pepper
• 14 oz. diced tomatoes
• 2-4 cups tomato juice
• 1 cup macaroni, uncooked

Brown hamburger, chopped onion, and chopped green pepper.   While browning the hamburger meat mixture, add Worcestershire sauce and seasonings.  Continue cooking the meat mixture until hamburger meat is thoroughly cooked.  Add diced tomatoes and about 2 cups tomato juice.  Stir.  Add uncooked macaroni, cover.  Cook until macaroni is done, adding more tomato juice to bring mixture to desired consistency.

rich dark chocolate ice cream

This ice cream is rich, creamy, smooth, and...well...almost too chocolatey.  

Can there be such a thing as too chocolatey?

I came up with this recipe after taking a facebook poll about people's favorite ice cream flavors.  I started salivating at the thought of "chocolate cake" ice cream and Almond Joy ice cream, but then I realized that I had better first create a classic chocolate before getting too inventive.  In many ways, I failed...this ice cream is definitely not classic!  Instead, my husband declared it to be a 62% dark chocolate ice cream.  He also declared it perfect.

This ice cream is relatively easy to make and follows the same custard-style method that I've used to make other ice creams on this site.  Why custard-style?  I've found that it creates a rich and creamy ice cream without actually using heavy cream.  You could use whole milk, 2% milk, or even skim milk and still get a thick and smooth result.

Just don't let it melt!

Rich Dark Chocolate Ice Cream
1 cup chocolate chips (or other solid, semi-sweet chocolate)
1 qt. milk
1 cup egg substitute
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 t. salt
1/4 cup cocoa
1 can sweetened condensed milk

Place milk and chocolate chips in a medium-sized saucepan over low heat; stir continuously until chocolate has melted.  Bring to a boil.

In a separate bowl, combine egg substitute, sugar, salt, and cocoa.  Reduce heat on milk mixture to medium-low, and then mix a small amount of hot milk mixture with egg mixture to temper.  Very slowly pour egg mixture into saucepan, whisking quickly as you do.  Continue cooking at stirring for 5-6 minutes, or until mixture is thick enough to coat a spoon.

Place saucepan in a bowl of ice, stirring continuously for 8-10 minutes.  Very slowly, add sweetened condensed milk, continuing to stir.  Refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight before freezing in an ice cream maker.  Once ice cream is made, freeze for several more hours to firm up.  Serves 20.