Zucchini Casserole

I have a lot of favorite foods from my childhood, but this Zucchini Casserole has to be right up there near the top of my all time favorites. I was never ever a green vegetable eating kid, but for some reason I loved this dish, and that's probably why we had it often.

It's a quite simple dish, cooks up in about 30 minutes, and it only uses one dish! Well, unless you want to serve it in a pretty dish, then you will need two. 

The ingredients include bacon, onion, celery, mexi-corn, zucchini, tomato sauce, salt and pepper. It makes a great side dish and a great lunch (my favorite) if you have any leftovers. I hope you get a chance to try it. You can find the recipe HERE.

Food For Friends

I had the honor of cooking all the yummies for a friends retirement party last weekend. I made a few of my "regulars" but also added a few new ones that I wanted to share.

 A while back I had purchased some glass shot glasses at the dollar store (3 for a $) and really wanted to make something in them for this party. I found a recipe on line for a Cajun Bloody Mary that I thought would be perfect. Limed, salted, and peppered half the glass, poured in the shot and topped with a cooked shrimp and a celery stick. These were a huge hit and I had no problem getting rid of them!

I make ham and tortilla rolls quite often for parties because they can be make a day ahead of time and everyone loves them. For this party I made some Mexican tortilla rolls (cream cheese, sour cream, taco seasoning, cheddar cheese, diced green chilis, black olives, finely diced red bell pepper, and a few splashes of hot sauce. Ham rolls were spread with cream cheese mixed with diced black olives and either rolled around a green onion or dill pickle spear. The key is to roll tightly and chill before slicing.

 Jalapeno Popper Dip is always a crowd pleaser. Made the day before and baked right before the party. I like to nuke it a minute or so every once in awhile to keep it hot. (2 pkg. cream cheese, 1 cup mayo, small can diced green chilis, 1/2 can diced jalapeno, 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese inside, and more on top).

This was a bit of an experiment but it got rave reviews. Spinach leaves (2) wrapped around a half of a strawberry. I then pushed a skewer through to hold it together and topped with a sprinkling of feta cheese, candied pecans and a drizzle of Panera's balsamic vinaigrette from Target (which is the bomb!).

I've made these tri-tip sliders for the last 4 parties I have done and everyone seems to love them. I BBQ the tri-tip the day before than sliced thin the morning of the party. To put them together I toast the dinner rolls, top with Gorgonzola cheese, tri-tip, caramelized onions, spring mix, a drizzle of a balsamic reduction, then speared. I did nuke the meat just to warm it before assembling them. Always a hit. 

I also put together a cheese and cracker tray and a vegetable platter with a dill dip. I think everyone's tummies were happy and a good time was had by all!

To Boil Or Not To Boil

I love pork ribs! Probably one of my favorite things to BBQ. I am a boiler. My mom boiled her ribs and they were always so good that it's was I have always done too. I tend to get flack from other cooks when I state this and get an ear full about how they lose flavor and I'm ruining the ribs so on and so on. But, anyone I have ever cooked them for has raved about them. Well, today, for the first time ever I did not boil the ribs. I practiced patience and cooked them low and slow in the oven. I used the recipe on allrecipes.com for Sweet & Spicy St. Louis Ribs. I sprinkled the rub all over the ribs (I halved it as my rib was on the smaller side) and wrapped tightly in foil along with a couple tablespoons of beer. I cooked them on 275 for 3 hours. I could smell them cooking and OMG they smelled sooooooo good! I removed them from the oven then I spread them with about a half cup of Sweet Baby Rays with a couple T of Fischer & Wieser Chipotle Raspberry Sauce mixed in and threw them on the grill until there were char marks.

I will admit it. They were fall off the bone tender and soooo flavorful! I loved the taste of the spices from the rub and not just tasting the sauce as I do with mine. Since this takes quite a bit of time to prepare I probably wouldn't be able to make it for a week night dinner but I think I am going to continue experimenting with this method on the weekends. I will admit it, I very much enjoyed these, and..... I think they were better than mine :-)

I am an AllrecipesAllstar Brand Ambassador (a voluntary position) and I’m not compensated for my work with Allrecipes.com. Products received from advertiser are only used for experienced-based reviews my personal blog.  The reviews, content and opinions expressed in this blog are all my own. 

Appetizer Party Platter

I was going through all my old pictures and thought there were quite a few there that I could share with you. Here is a one of two identical appetizers trays I made up for a birthday party I did numerous years ago. I love making appetizers! You could say it's my "niche". In my perfect world, I would cater two parties a month and ONLY do appy's!

Well here's what's on the plate:

Ham Rolls - My mother made ham rolls back as far as I can remember. She mixed diced black olives into some softened cream cheese, spread it onto a slice of ham, topped with a green onion spear, refrigerated, sliced and cut. And, even though I am not a pickle fan, and my mom never made them with a pickle, I added them to half instead of the onions because my friends love them too!

Stuffed pepperoncini's - This recipe is from Allrecipes.com and has always been a hit among my friends. They are pretty simple to make and since I platter them slit down, you can't even tell they are stuffed! You can find the recipe HERE

Stuffed Cherry Tomatoes - Cream Cheese, a touch of mayo, chopped green onions, and BACON! I use my little 1/4 tsp. metal spoon to hollow out the tomatoes after slicing a bit of the top off. Sprinkle the inside with a little bit of salt and place them upside down to drain completely, then fill.

Tortilla Rolls - As you can see from a previous post, I just love rolling things in a tortilla! These ones here had a "Mexican" flair to them. Cream Cheese, green chilis, green onions, black olives, red bell pepper and taco seasoning! You can really add anything, but I like the different colors. 

Toodaloo!

Baking With The Wrap!

This month I had the awesome pleasure of working with Reynolds Wrap products. I have used Reynolds Wrap foil and turkey bags as long back as I can remember. I don't remember my mother ever using anything beside Reynolds Wrap while I was growing up. I think it is a trusted name and a product we know will work. Who wants to buy some knock off brand just to find out it's crap, and have to wait 200 feet before we can get our hands on the stuff we know works, right? I was given a box of Non-Stick foil which I had never used in the past (another one of those things where I am afraid to try something new). Now that I think about it, it's also the same reason I order the same menu item every time I go out to eat! Back to the foil. I made two recipes. The first one was Salted Caramel Nut Brittle from Allrecipes.com. SUPER simple to make (4 ingredients + toppings), and very forgiving. I slightly passed up the 290 degree mark by about 15 degrees and who woulda known? It was super yummy! I only plated it about 15 minutes ago, and my boys have already consumed about half of it! So I will take that as a huge thumbs up.

The next recipe was for Fajitas baked in foil also from allrecipes. I threw the meat and all the marinade ingredients into the foil and topped it with my onions and peppers. I didn't see any reason why the ingredients couldn't share a packet. I let it sit in the fridge for a couple hours then placed it in the oven to bake. I cooked it for the time stated as I love my meat medium rare and it was the perfect doneness. I think the meat could have used a little more flavor, but with all the toppings it was super good! I think it would also be great to throw it in on the bbq and let it cook that way. Maybe in the summer when it's too hot to turn on the oven I will give it a try.

If your interested in trying either of these recipes, and I suggest you do, here are the links 
Salted Caramel Nut Brittle
Easy Flank Steak Fajitas

Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies

Hi all! This month I had the opportunity to work on a Mazola Oil campaign. I was given a bottle of Mazola Corn Oil, which to be honest with you I have never tried before. Since I grew up on good ol' veggie oil, I find myself venturing away from other oils for fear that they would taste different. I was totally willing to give it a try and am glad I had the chance, since I know I probably would have never done it on my own. 

The first thing I made with my new oil were these yummy cookies. Peanut Butter, Chocolate AND oatmeal! How could they not be good! I followed the recipe almost to the T except I did my fork marks with my fork dipped in flour instead of sugar, as other said they were enough sweet without it. We loved these cookies straight from the oven as they were warm and soft. They are a pretty crunchy firm cookie once they cooled. I took the majority of them to work and left them on the break table. Sometime between 8 am and my lunch they managed to all be eaten! '

Since then, I have used my corn oil numerous times with excellent results. If you haven't given corn oil a try, I highly suggest you do. I mean come on, it's made from CORN! You can find the cookie recipe HERE

Halloween Party!

4 more day until Halloween, and 4 more days until I need to produce a bunch of food for my kids and their friends at a party we are having! My kids are not little. They range in age from 19 to 28 but do love to get together and also love to eat my food! When they asked if we could have party I was all for it. I really like their friends and love having everyone over for any occasion. 

I made a suggestion that everyone bring an appetizer to share. This way I wouldn't spend my entire time in the kitchen. Well, I think there was a vote, and the kids friends all would rather give me money because they want ME to cook! So, because it's quite a compliment, and because I'm a sucker for these kids. I agreed! Here is what I have so far on my menu board. It may change as it usually does a bit at the last minute, but so far this is what I am going with. Oh, and that guy up there, he was dinner last night. Just trying to get myself into the spirt of the season!

Morning Delight Quiche

I had a teachers meeting to attend on Friday and since I knew a couple other teachers were bringing food to share, I jumped on the chance to make this little beauty, Morning Delight Quiche. I have always been a huge fan of quiche. I love it with bacon, I love it with ham, I love it with sausage, throw in a veggie or two or three, I love them all! I picked this particular recipe here because it called for sun-dried tomatoes which happen to be one of my all time favorite things.
This recipe used shredded potatoes in place of a crust which also makes it gluten free! I followed the recipe almost to the T, but did add a smidgen more salt and a bit of sauteed onions. I really really loved this dish as did my co-workers. I love the sweetness the tomatoes added and the ratio of meats and cheeses to the liquid was perfect. I would highly recommend this. I really thought I would miss the crust but I didn't at all, I think I almost preferred the potatoes. Luckily there was one slice left over that I nuked for 60 seconds the next morning, and I got to enjoy it all over again!!

Keep Calm and Cook On!!!

I am an AllrecipesAllstar Brand Ambassador (a voluntary position) and I’m not compensated for my work with Allrecipes.com. Products received from advertiser are only used for experienced-based reviews my personal blog.  The reviews, content and opinions expressed in this blog are all my own. 

Sassy Tailgate SAUSAGE Sandwiches

 I'm sure at some point everyone has tried those yummy little ham sandwiches on the sweet Hawaiian rolls with a rich buttery sauce poured over the top. I love them and have brought them too many potlucks and parties. Well this month while working with Johnsonville I was trying to think of something I could make and replace the original meat with my sausage. After looking for weeks I kept going back to these little sandwiches over and over again. I finally decided to give them a try. I followed the original recipe and spread my onion chive cream cheese on the bottom of the rolls then topped with the cooked drained Italian sausage.

I added sliced cheese (I used a bruschetta jack). I also added some carmelized onions, then poured the butter, worcestershire sauce, dried onion, and Parmesan cheese mixture over the top. We let them sit in the fridge for about and hour then baked for 20 minutes. We let them cool slightly before digging in to them. Everyone really enjoyed them. My granddaughter called me the "best cook ever" after tasting hers, which makes a grandma feel good. Another thing I love about these sandwiches is they freeze well. Once cooled I put two into a ziplock sandwich bag and freeze. To eat I just pop one in my lunch bag in the morning and by lunch I zap it for about 30 seconds and it's just as good as it was before frozen. Here is the original recipe that I use if you're interested in trying them Sassy Tailgate Sandwiches. 

I hope you get a chance to make them!

Karen

I am an AllrecipesAllstar Brand Ambassador (a voluntary position) and I’m not compensated for my work with Allrecipes.com. Products received from advertiser are only used for experienced-based reviews my personal blog.  The reviews, content and opinions expressed in this blog are all my own. 

Potluck Etiquette

Last year I swore I would never attend another potluck at my work. There was way to many non-bringers eating, not enough dishes of substance and one time a few of them decided to start the potluck "early", so by the time some of us got there, most of the food was gone. That was the straw that broke the camels back. This year, I eat lunch with a group of about 15 ladies. Most young but there are a few my age. People are constantly sharing what they bring so it was decided that we would do a "formal" potluck just among us. For two weeks I heard nothing but what they "might" be bringing. There were so many delicious dishes everyone could hardly wait for the day to arrive. Well, Friday that day arrived. I brought a tortellini chicken pasta dish and my jalapeno popper dip with bread to serve it on. One gal brought a crockpot of stew which was very good, another brought guacamole and chips and we also had a variety of seasonal sweet breads from Costco that were really yummy, and folks, THAT WAS IT! Oh wait, I do remember a bag of Doritos as well. Everyone else "forgot" about it. I am probably the oldest in the group. I can't remember if I brushed my teeth, 5 minutes after I brushed my teeth, and I remembered! I mean really, is it that hard??? So, again I am DONE. And, since I create all my own curriculum for my sped kids every time a "problem" arises I figure these ladies could use one too. I am going to print this on card stock, laminate it and hang it on the wall in the break room when no ones looking! Feel free to sneak one into a break room near you today, just grab your copy HERE. Thanks for letting me rant, I feel better for it. 

Yours Truly

Spaghetti Meatballs

I had a dream the other night of Spaghetti Meatballs. Not sure why that happened but it did. The next day I roamed pinterest looking for some assuming that's where I must have seen them. I didn't find any there but searching for "spaghetti meatballs" does bring up a ton of spaghetti dishes! I did find some on Google so I knew that it could be done. Here is my attempt (and a darn good one if I do say so myself) of my version of Spaghetti Meatballs. I do not use a recipe for my meatballs but you can go ahead and use anyone that works for you. Here are the ingredients I have always used for mine. 

 I added to 1 lb ground beef approximately:
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs
1 T milk
Salt
Pepper
Garlic
2 spoonfuls of my spaghetti sauce.
1/2 cup cooked spaghetti

Roll into balls and place onto greased dish (I topped mine with a little of the sauce to help keep them moist while cooking).  Bake for 25 minute (less if your balls are smaller) at 350 degrees. After they set a couple minutes I plated them and add a spoonful of sauce and a little Parmesan cheese on each one. Stick in with a skewer and your good to go!

Update: We made Spaghetti Meatballs Subs for dinner and they were AMAZING!

Meat Pie

I grew up eating and loving Meat Pie. Still to this day it is one of my favorite comfort foods of all time. My mother found this recipe on the back of the Minute Rice box back in the 70's. Its original name from the box was Country Pie. Now, don't say you don't like Minute Rice, because personally I don't like it at all, but in this recipe it is super good! This is one of those recipes that I just get a craving for every few months. Since I only cook for myself this freezes very well too. I just cut into dinner size slices, wrap each slice into plastic wrap then place them all in a large Ziplock bag. I just add a bit of water to the bowl when I reheat it in the microwave to keep it moist. I hope you give it a try, I have made it for a few friends over the years and they now make it for their families as well.  Here is the recipe:

Note: I prefer using a ground beef with at least 15% fat content as I think the meat is much moister. If you do use a higher fat content meat you will need to drain some of the fat before adding the cheese topping. You can do this either by carefully pouring into a container or like I do, set the pie dish on the counter on a angle (set your oven mitt under one side). Use a spoon, pull the meat from the side of the dish (as shown in the picture) and using your turkey baster, pull the fat from the dish. 

Burrito Pie

Burrito Pie is one of those recipes that is incredibly forgiving and can be changed every time you make it depending on what you're in the mood for and what you have on hand. The original recipe can be found here. I like to season my meat with taco seasoning which I really think helps with the flavor of the dish. I have also used whole beans, added layers of mexican rice, corn tortillas instead of flour, and added layers of sour cream.  I also use enchilada sauce in place of the taco sauce. Basically you can add or delete anything you want!  I also like to make it in a springform pan.  Just make sure to let it sit for 10 minutes before taking off the outer cuff so that it hold its form.

Appetizer Wedding

Last night I catered a wedding reception for one of the sweetest couples! The venue was this lovely outdoor setting in a backyard that a family rents out.  It was absolutely beautiful. Over weeks of ideas these are the appy's that made the final cut. We started with a cocktail hour while the bridal party were getting their pictures take. The guests were treated to cheese and cracker platters as well as a strawberry balsamic bruschetta. After the new couple was introduced the party went to full swing and the additional appetizers were brought out.  Here we have tri-tip sliders with Gorgonzola cheese, caramelized onions, a splash of balsamic reduction and some fancy lettuce on a dinner roll.

There was skewered appetizers that consisted of a black olive, cheese tortellini, salami, square of mozzarella cheese and a cherry tomato drizzled in a Greek dressing.  Then there was chicken Caesar Salad wraps. Lettuce, Caesar dressing, grilled chicken, parm cheese and crumbled bacon.  I wrapped them in sandwich paper and cut them in half.

Finally we made up some fruit skewers. Grapes, strawberries, watermelon, cantaloupe and pineapple. You can't really tell by the angle of this picture but the watermelon was cut into cute heart shapes. There was also adorable little bags the bride had stamped with a sweet saying that we filled with chips. 

This was a cute pic I took of the bride and her dad right before they started their walk down the aisle. It was a great wedding and I wish many many years of happiness to the new couple!

Nacho Scramble

I know this is going to sound completely insane.  But before you judge me, you really need to try this!  So, this wonderful creation has only three ingredients: A Nacho Supreme that you picked up last night on your way home, 3 eggs, and some cheddar cheese!  This is so super simple. To start off give your nachos a little chop chop on a cutting board (I ask for jalapenos on mine).  Next, toss them in a pan with a little oil and fry until they get a touch crispy again and a little bit of color.  

Add your eggs and continue cooking until set.  I add a Taco Bell hot sauce packet at this time too.  

 When the eggs are set, top with cheese, and cover until melted. 

 Waaa Laaa!  Your super yummy, super simple breakfast is complete! 

There's enough her for at least two, so make sure you share!

Enjoy!

Lasagna Rolls

 Had a lovely dinner last night with our friends Marilee and Joe. Such good people!  It was wonderful getting to spend quality time with them in our home!

I decided on making lasagna rolls, a green salad and garlic bread.

And.....  they brought
CHOCOLATE!

 Here is how I make my rolls.  First off, I make my own sauce and I would give the recipe but I know no measurements!  I've tried measuring the ingredients while I make it and it just doesn't taste as good.  It does contain ground beef, onion, garlic, tomato sauce, paste, water, parm cheese, oregano, salt, pepper, sugar, and Italian seasoning.  My meat balls are ground beef, seasoned bread crumbs, parm cheese, garlic and some of the spaghetti sauce.  
Start by boiling the noodles until almost softened. Spoon on a layer of ricotta cheese (mixed with an egg, parm cheese and Italian seasoning).  Add a whole meatball (2 halves) and cheeses (jack and mozzarella). Roll carefully and place in a pan that has a layer of sauce on the bottom.

 After placing the rolls in the pan, top them with additional red sauce.  I like to add a spoonful of white sauce to the top of my rolls too.  It really gives them an amazing rich flavor. (Cook 1 T butter and 1 T flour for a couple minutes,  add I T chicken bouillon, 1 cup half and half and 1 T fresh parsley). Stir constantly until smooth and thickened. Spoon over the rolls (8 total) and top with additional cheese and parsley.
 Bake in a 375 degree oven for 45 minutes and enjoy!  

We served with garlic bread and a salad!

Dinner was amazing just like our company!

"Friends are like stars, they come and go, but the ones that stay are the ones that glow"