Monthly Archives: December 2014

Meat Entrees

Scalloped Potatoes with Ground Chicken and Mozzarella

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The other day, I was sitting at home trying to decide what I could make from the ground chicken I had originally thawed with the intentions of making chicken burgers on the grill.  I know what you are thinking, why not the chicken burgers?  Was it the fact that I had no hamburger buns,

Potatoes: 8 medium red potatoes, peeled and sliced 1/8 of an inch 2 c heavy cream 3 bay leaves 1 Full sprig of fresh rosemary 1.5 tbsp minced garlic 1 tbsp parsley 3 tbsp butter salt and pepper 1.5 c mozzarella 1/3 c parmesan Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Peel and slice red potatoes an 1/8 inch and place in a large bowl. In a sauce pan, bring heavy cream, bay leaves, rosemary, parsley, garlic, parsley, and 2 tbsp butter to a simmer. Once the cream has simmered for about 3-5 minutes over medium heat, add the mixture to the bowl with the potatoes. Remove the bay leaves and rosemary. Add the cooked chicken and coat potatoes and chicken with the heavy cream mixture. Coat a large baking dish with 1 tbsp of butter. Layer potatoes to coat the bottom of the baking dish. Add some of the meat and then a little bit of the mozzarella. Repeat these steps until all potato slices and meat have been used. Pour the rest of the cream throughout the entire mixture and top with the parmesan cheese. Cover with aluminum foil and cook for 45 minutes, leaving a corner of the aluminum foil open in order for some of the steam to be released. Uncover and cook for an additional 15 minutes or until top has browned. ***It took mine a little longer to cook because I baked the dish at 400 degrees. I highly recommend cooking it at 425 degrees for 45 minutes, removing the foil, and using your own discretion as to how brown you would like the dish.*** Hope you enjoy as much as we did!!! :-)
Potatoes:
8 medium red potatoes, peeled and sliced 1/8 of an inch
2 c heavy cream
3 bay leaves
1 Full sprig of fresh rosemary
1.5 tbsp minced garlic
1 tbsp parsley
3 tbsp butter
salt and pepper
1.5 c mozzarella
1/3 c parmesan
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Peel and slice red potatoes an 1/8 inch and place in a large bowl. In a sauce pan, bring heavy cream, bay leaves, rosemary, parsley, garlic, parsley, and 2 tbsp butter to a simmer. Once the cream has simmered for about 3-5 minutes over medium heat, add the mixture to the bowl with the potatoes. Remove the bay leaves and rosemary. Add the cooked chicken and coat potatoes and chicken with the heavy cream mixture.
Coat a large baking dish with 1 tbsp of butter.
Layer potatoes to coat the bottom of the baking dish. Add some of the meat and then a little bit of the mozzarella. Repeat these steps until all potato slices and meat have been used. Pour the rest of the cream throughout the entire mixture and top with the parmesan cheese. Cover with aluminum foil and cook for 45 minutes, leaving a corner of the aluminum foil open in order for some of the steam to be released. Uncover and cook for an additional 15 minutes or until top has browned. ***It took mine a little longer to cook because I baked the dish at 400 degrees. I highly recommend cooking it at 425 degrees for 45 minutes, removing the foil, and using your own discretion as to how brown you would like the dish.***
Hope you enjoy as much as we did!!! 🙂

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Ground Chicken: 1 lb ground chicken 1 tsp garlic 1 tsp rosemary 1 tsp parsley 1/2 tsp thyme salt and pepper to taste 1 tbsp olive oil In a large sauté pan, heat the olive oil over medium high heat. Add the ground chicken, separating it, as you can, into small pieces. Add the garlic, rosemary, parsley, thyme, salt, and pepper to the chicken and continue to cook on medium high heat for 10-15 minutes. I like my meat to have a bit of brown, so I let it simmer and cook until I reach my desired "brownness". Set the chicken to the side.
Ground Chicken:
1 lb ground chicken
1 tsp garlic
1 tsp rosemary
1 tsp parsley
1/2 tsp thyme
salt and pepper to taste
1 tbsp olive oil
In a large sauté pan, heat the olive oil over medium high heat. Add the ground chicken, separating it, as you can, into small pieces. Add the garlic, rosemary, parsley, thyme, salt, and pepper to the chicken and continue to cook on medium high heat for 10-15 minutes. I like my meat to have a bit of brown, so I let it simmer and cook until I reach my desired “brownness”.
Set the chicken to the side.

imageno tomatoes, or any of the other wonderful toppings that makes a burger a “burger”?  No; I don’t mind going to the store.  It was actually the thought of standing out in the cold weather to grill the burgers that made my decision for me; chicken burgers were not happening.

As I looked through the refrigerator, my attention immediately fell on a bag of medium red potatoes.   I love potatoes, so it was not a hard decision as to what my side would be.  I would attempt creating a scalloped potato recipe (something I have been scared of for some reason?).  But what to do with the ground chicken?!?!

I washed and peeled the potatoes and deduced that I would be having wonderful, homemade scalloped potatoes with not-so-wonderful pan-fried chicken patties…blah 😦   I continued on, slicing the potatoes, letting my thoughts and mind drift as they often do when I am cooking.  Most of the time, my drifting thoughts get me a cut finger or a missing ingredient that is crucial for a recipe.  Yes, chicken can accidentally be left out of chicken pot pie.  Anyway, this time, my thoughts did not fail me, but instead, created the recipe below.  I hope you enjoy!

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Appetizers

Bacon Wrapped Smokies

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I PROMISE this is the last recipe containing Hillshire farm smokies, but I also promise, I saved the easiest and BEST for last 🙂

Bacon Wrapped Smokies: 10 slices of center cut bacon 30 Hillshire farm smokies 30 toothpicks Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cut the each slice of bacon into thirds/3 equal squares. Using once square of bacon, wrap it around once smokie and secure with a toothpick. Complete this process until all pieces of bacon and smokies are used. Place the bacon wrapped smokies on a non-stick cookie sheet and bake for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, flip the smokies over and cook for another 15 minutes. Yes...That simple...That easy....and sooooo delicious. **I made a "honey-mustard" sauce to go with ours. I use the term honey-mustard very, VERY loosely, as I do not like a really sweet honey-mustard and Chris does not like a lot of mustard. The recipe for the "honey-mustard" is listed below.** Honey-Mustard Dipping Sauce: 3 tbsp Mayonnaise 1 tbsp mustard 1 tsp honey 1.5 tsp chili powder Mix all ingredients together until sauce is well blended. I must say, these measurements may not be exact because I kept adding mayonnaise and chili powder to dilute the honey. For this, use your best judgement...AKA...your own tastebuds :)
Bacon Wrapped Smokies:
10 slices of center cut bacon
30 Hillshire farm smokies
30 toothpicks
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cut the each slice of bacon into thirds/3 equal squares. Using one square of bacon, wrap it around a smokie and secure with a toothpick. Complete this process until all pieces of bacon and smokies are used. Place the bacon wrapped smokies on a non-stick cookie sheet and bake for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, flip the smokies over and cook for another 15 minutes. Yes…That simple…That easy….and sooooo delicious.
**I made a “honey-mustard” sauce to go with ours. I use the term honey-mustard very, VERY loosely, as I do not like a really sweet honey-mustard and Chris does not like a lot of mustard. The recipe for the “honey-mustard” is listed below.**
Honey-Mustard Dipping Sauce:
3 tbsp Mayonnaise
1 tbsp mustard
1 tsp honey
1.5 tsp chili powder
Mix all ingredients together until sauce is well blended. I must say, these measurements may not be exact because I kept adding mayonnaise and chili powder to dilute the honey. For this, use your best judgement…AKA…your own taste buds 🙂

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Appetizers

Sweet and Savory Kabobs

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This past summer, I spent a lot of time experimenting with different foods on the grill.  One of my favorites, as well as many of my friends, was a kabob that contained slices of beef kielbasa and cubed golden delicious apples finished with a slice of havarti cheese.  I know…grilled apple?!  Sounds odd but it is oddly delicious.  Anyway, this got me to thinking; what can I make as an appetizer for Christmas that will bring us the nostalgia of Summer?  The answer, miniature BAKED kabobs with smokies, golden delicious apples, and havarti cheese.  The results=deliciousness in your mouth.

2 medium, golden delicious apples 1 package of Hillshire farm smokies 10 wooden kabobs, halved 1 tbsp parsley 1 fresh twig of rosemary salt and pepper *spray butter *roasting pan Soak the wooden kabobs (halved) in water for 10-15 minutes. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cut the golden delicious apples into cubes (you don't want them too small, as they will soften up too much and become mushy). Cube the havarti cheese as well. Kabob Assembly: This is pretty much at your own discretion, but I put a smokie, an apple cube, and another smokie. ***Cheese needs to be left off until the very end. Once all kabobs have been assembled, you can place them in the roasting pan that you have sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. After all kabobs are in the pan, spray them with butter or top with olive oil (I like the flavor the spray butter gives the apples). Once you have coated them, top with the parsley, salt, pepper, and spread the rosemary (whole) on top of the kabobs (the rosemary will be removed when the kabobs need flipped). After the kabobs are seasoned, pop them in the oven for 20 minutes. When the 20 minutes has passed, flip the kabobs and cook for another 10-15 minutes. ***Chris and I added the havarti cubes to the kabobs to "warm" but the cheese ended up COMPLETELY melting, which ended up being even better (in our opinion). If you decide to do this, make sure you are using a non-stick pan and let the cheese melt just enough to top the kabobs. If you don't want to worry about the cheese burning, just add it to the kabobs after they have been cooked for 30-35 minutes; it will still be good :)
2 medium, golden delicious apples
1 package of Hillshire farm smokies
10 wooden kabobs, halved
1 tbsp parsley
1 fresh twig of rosemary
salt and pepper
*spray butter
*roasting pan
Soak the wooden kabobs (halved) in water for 10-15 minutes. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Cut the golden delicious apples into cubes (you don’t want them too small, as they will soften up too much and become mushy). Cube the havarti cheese as well.
Kabob Assembly:
This is pretty much at your own discretion, but I put a smokie, an apple cube, and another smokie. ***Cheese needs to be left off until the very end. Once all kabobs have been assembled, you can place them in the roasting pan that you have sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. After all kabobs are in the pan, spray them with butter or top with olive oil (I like the flavor the spray butter gives the apples). Once you have coated them, top with the parsley, salt, pepper, and spread the rosemary (whole) on top of the kabobs (the rosemary will be removed when the kabobs need flipped). After the kabobs are seasoned, pop them in the oven for 20 minutes. When the 20 minutes has passed, flip the kabobs and cook for another 10-15 minutes.
***Chris and I added the havarti cubes to the kabobs to “warm” but the cheese ended up COMPLETELY melting, which ended up being even better (in our opinion). If you decide to do this, make sure you are using a non-stick pan and let the cheese melt just enough to top the kabobs. If you don’t want to worry about the cheese burning, just add it to the kabobs after they have been cooked for 30-35 minutes; it will still be good 🙂

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Appetizers

Pigs in a blanket with a Christmas Twist

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Growing up, one of my favorite “finger-foods” at Christmas parties were pigs in a blanket.  I mean, who can resist little weenies wrapped in crescent rolls!?

I hope you enjoy my twist on a classic, holiday snack.

1 8oz pack of crescent rolls 1 13 oz pack of Hillshire, beef smokies 1 red pepper *1 tsp garlic salt *parmesan cheese *salt and pepper *parsley Preheat oven to 375 degrees. The pack of crescent rolls comes in 8 triangles; we are going to cut each triangle into 4 small triangles, making 32 small triangles. **I sprinkle the dough with garlic salt, parmesan cheese, salt and pepper before I add the smokies.** Take one smokie, place at the bottom of a triangle, and roll up until you can press the dough together creating the "pig in a blanket". Continue this process until all triangles have been used. Bake on a non-stick cookie sheet for 10-15 minutes (it took mine about 16 minutes to brown). Red Pepper Bow: Hollow out a red pepper removing all seeds. Cut the pepper into a shape of a bow. I used the top of the bell pepper to create the "bow" part and middle "flat" part of the pepper to create the "ribbon". I also roasted the red pepper because it can be cut and eaten with the pigs in a blanket. To do this, preheat oven to 400 degrees. Coat the red pepper in olive oil, salt, and pepper. Bake for approximately 15-20 minutes, depending on how soft you want the pepper. To assemble the bow, I used toothpicks. :) It is a lot easier than it looks. Assembly: Line a round plate with the pigs in a blanket and top with the roasted red pepper bow.
1 8oz pack of crescent rolls
1 13 oz pack of Hillshire, beef smokies
1 red pepper
*1 tsp garlic salt
*parmesan cheese
*salt and pepper
*parsley
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. The pack of crescent rolls comes in 8 triangles; we are going to cut each triangle into 4 small triangles, making 32 small triangles. **I sprinkle the dough with garlic salt, parmesan cheese, salt and pepper before I add the smokies.** Take one smokie, place at the bottom of a triangle, and roll up until you can press the dough together creating the “pig in a blanket”. Continue this process until all triangles have been used. Bake on a non-stick cookie sheet for 10-15 minutes (it took mine about 16 minutes to brown).
Red Pepper Bow:
Hollow out a red pepper removing all seeds. Cut the pepper into a shape of a bow. I used the top of the bell pepper to create the “bow” part and middle “flat” part of the pepper to create the “ribbon”. I also roasted the red pepper because it can be cut and eaten with the pigs in a blanket. To do this, preheat oven to 400 degrees. Coat the red pepper in olive oil, salt, and pepper. Bake for approximately 15-20 minutes, depending on how soft you want the pepper. To assemble the bow, I used toothpicks. 🙂 It is a lot easier than it looks.
Assembly:
Line a round plate with the pigs in a blanket and top with the roasted red pepper bow.

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Appetizers

Baked Kernel Corn

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This is an easy, healthy snack to make for friends to munch on at your next party!

1 15 oz can, sweet, whole corn 1 tsp olive oil 1/2 tsp garlic salt salt and pepper to taste **This is the first time I made this and learned that the corn needs to be strained and left out to dry for at least an hour if you are using can corn.** Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a bowl, add corn, olive oil, garlic salt, salt and pepper; mix thoroughly. Spread seasoned corn out on a non-stick cookie sheet. Bake for 25 minutes or until corn has browned. **Make sure to stir corn every 10 minutes because it burns easily.**
1 15 oz can, sweet, whole corn
1 tsp olive oil
1/2 tsp garlic salt
salt and pepper to taste
**This is the first time I made this and learned that the corn needs to be strained and left out to dry for at least an hour if you are using can corn.**
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a bowl, add corn, olive oil, garlic salt, salt and pepper; mix thoroughly. Spread seasoned corn out on a non-stick cookie sheet. Bake for 25 minutes or until corn has browned. **Make sure to stir corn every 10 minutes because it burns easily.**

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Appetizers

Mini, Teriyaki Turkey Meatballs

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1/2 lb ground turkey 1 egg 1/4 c mozzarella cheese, shredded 1/4 c parmesan cheese, shredded 1/4 c plain, bread crumbs 1/3 c teriyaki sauce salt and pepper Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a large bowl, thoroughly mix all of the ingredients until they are blended. My hands are small, so I don't have an issue making mini-meatballs. However, if you do not have small hands, you can use a tablespoon to gauge the amount of mixture to make them "mini". Place the meatballs on a non-stick cookie sheet or pan as you make them. Once all meatballs are made, cook for about 20-25 minutes or until browned, flipping them once after 10 minutes. **I like my meatballs to have a "crusty" outside, so I fry them in a pan before I bake them. Also, I use Kikkoman brand teriyaki in the mix, as well as, the sauce for dipping.**
1/2 lb ground turkey
1 egg
1/4 c mozzarella cheese, shredded
1/4 c parmesan cheese, shredded
1/4 c plain, bread crumbs
1/3 c teriyaki sauce
salt and pepper
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a large bowl, thoroughly mix all of the ingredients until they are blended. My hands are small, so I don’t have an issue making mini-meatballs. However, if you do not have small hands, you can use a tablespoon to gauge the amount of mixture to make them “mini”. Place the meatballs on a non-stick cookie sheet or pan as you make them. Once all meatballs are made, cook for about 20-25 minutes or until browned, flipping them once after 10 minutes.
**I like my meatballs to have a “crusty” outside, so I fry them in a pan before I bake them. Also, I use Kikkoman brand teriyaki in the mix, as well as, the sauce for dipping.**

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Appetizers

Crockpot Cheese Dip with ground Turkey

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1/2 lb ground turkey, browned 16 oz velveeta, cubed 10 oz Rottelle Spray crockpot with non-stick spray. Add cubed velveeta and rottelle to crockpot and set temperature on medium-high to melt the cheese. Once the cheese has melted, add the browned turkey and set temperature on low. Yup!! :-) That's it!! (Brown turkey in a pan before adding. **Heat a non-stick pan over medium-high heat. Add turkey, .5 tsp red pepper, .5 tsp cayenne pepper, 1 tsp garlic, salt and pepper and brown. Approximately 8-10 minutes.)
1/2 lb ground turkey, browned
16 oz velveeta, cubed
10 oz Rottelle
Spray crockpot with non-stick spray. Add cubed velveeta and rottelle to crockpot and set temperature on medium-high to melt the cheese. Once the cheese has melted, add the browned turkey and set temperature on low.
Yup!! 🙂 That’s it!!
(Brown turkey in a pan before adding. **Heat a non-stick pan over medium-high heat. Add turkey, .5 tsp red pepper, .5 tsp cayenne pepper, 1 tsp garlic, salt and pepper and brown. Approximately 8-10 minutes.)