Easy 1-Bowl Cheesy Hash Brown Casserole

Ever since I tried this at Cracker Barrel I’ve wanted to try duplicating it at home, it really was the favorite part of my breakfast meal. It goes well with any meal where you would serve potatoes, even along side a juicy steak! This comes together fast in one large mixing bowl and can be pre-mixed a day ahead, just store in the fridge until you are ready to slip it into the oven. If you want it creamier and richer, replace 1-2 TBLS of sour cream with an equal amount of softened cream cheese (a little goes a long way towards creaminess, so don’t go too crazy!).

This dish has now become a tradition in our home whenever we are having special breakfast or brunch, my daughter even has this on the “menu” for one of her birthday meals.  And I say “one” because she has all 3 meals planned out, haha.

Tip: If you shop at Sam’s Club, pick up a big bag of hash browns there and weight out the 18oz. Otherwise you can use the normal 16oz. bags from your normal grocer and just omit a little bit of the soup.

1-Bowl Cheesy Hash Brown Casserole (serves 6-8 people):

• 18 oz. frozen hashbrowns
• scant 1/4 cup of finely diced onions
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1 can of cream of mushroom or cream of chicken soup
• 1 packed cup of shredded cheddar cheese
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/8 tsp ground black pepper

Directions:

• Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray an 8 x 8 pan and set aside (if you use a larger pan just reduce the cooking time).
• In a large mixing bowl combine all of the ingredients and mix well using a large rubber spatula.  At first it will seem like there are too many hash browns and not enough “wet” mix, but just keep mixing, using the back of the spatula to press or “smoosh” it all together.  Soon it will resemble one big mound of potatoes.
• Press the mix into the pan and bake for 35-40 minutes, or until nice and hot.  Serve immediately.

Awesome Meatballs for Subs and Spaghetti!

photo submitted to recipezaar by "Caroline Cooks"

Spaghetti is a popular yet complicated dish in our household, as between the 5 of us we can never seem to get it to where everyone is happy with it! The sauce is too tart, too tomato chunks, meatballs not meat sauce, and the list goes on. Honestly, it’s one of the very few staple dishes I keep taking a stab at, as I REALLY want Spaghetti to work out for all of us because I love it myself!

So this past week I gave it another go, having finally found a sauce that everyone seems satisfied with (a store bought version that I do a lot of doctoring to) and I wanted to add in some great meatballs. Not just any meatballs, but GREAT ones…ones that you “write home about”. I of course went to recipezaar (where else do I go, right?) and searched for “Italian Meatballs” and decided to try the highest rated recipe, Kittencal’s Famous Italian Melt In Your Mouth Meatballs.

So I gave it a try….and WOW, these were yummy!! They key to making these taste great is to cook them IN the sauce itself, from it’s raw state. They are so flavorful, just the right degree of tenderness, and would be awesome in meatball subs! If you are doing subs try using a canned spaghetti sauce, as it will thicken well and get a bold “tomato-y” taste. The thick sauce will hold up well on the bread and be bold enough in flavor that you won’t have to add too much.

Just a quick word of caution…these dissapear fast! My younger daughter never really cares much for meat or meatballs, but this time around that is ALL she want to eat, forget the noodles! Also, if you find your sauce has become too concentrated, just add back in some of the water that evaporated during the cooking process. I followed the recipe exactly except used a fresh slice of chopped bread and Italian Seasoning, as I didn’t have bread crumbs or Oregano & Parsley on hand.

So we are getting pretty close to finding a recipe that everyone likes! We all love the meatballs, spaghetti noodles “daddy’s way”, which is a good dose of lemon pepper, Italian Seasoning and shredded Muenster cheese, and we are getting darn close on the sauce (that’s a secret for another day). Honestly, with our personal touches and these awesome meatballs I think ours comes out tasting just as good, if not better, then the restaurant versions. Give this a try with your favorite sauce, you won’t be disappointed!

My Christmas Day Menu

It’s so funny, but really the holidays are just as busy for me as any other….I’m just trading “work” time for “kitchen time, lol.  It’s a good thing I don’t mind cooking and I know how much the family looks forwards to an extra-special menu.  This year is going to be a mix of traditional favorites along with a couple new items, like mock Beef Wellington and Brownie Trifle.

I was watching the moving Julie & Julia the other night with my teenager, and one of the dishes mentioned was beef wellington, and she was like, what’s that?  So I explained to her that it is was basically a cut of beef wrapped in dough and with gravy and she said it sounded great, and really it does and I’ve always wanted to try it out.    Of course, we are on a budget and I have a very picky 10 yr old, so I decided on It Tastes Like Beef Wellington which of course is not the traditional, but my son’s taste palette just wouldn’t like the “real” thing; the wine, mushrooms, pate, etc.  I plan on making them into individual beef “patty” wellingtons and drizzling them with Kittencal’s Beef Gravy, also a new recipe for me but I’ve tried her other stiff and she’s a good cook   The last new item will be dessert, Brownie Trifle.  I really wanted something simple but pretty, and of course something that everyone would eat!  I’ll of course be using my own made from scratch brownies and I may blend a little cool whip into the whipped cream just to lighten it up a little.  Oh, and I’m sure we’ll have a simple Green Bean Casserole or maybe an Almond and Cranberry Salad with sweet onion dressing for veggies and I do plan on making these Mashed Potatoes , which are always a huge hit.  So that takes care of dinner!

So what’s for brunch?  Because really, I only cook 2 meals.  Well, the kids always look forward to the Stardust Chocolate Pancakes, which I only make twice a year, Christmas and Valentine’s Day.  I like them with fresh strawberry sauce, but the kids are die-hard “syrup” fans.  I’ll serve that up with a a side of fresh cut fruit and Sausage and Cheese Pie, so good!

It may sound like a lot, but many of the items are pretty simple to make and the ingredients are easy to find/get.  Whatever you may have planned for your Christmas menu, just make sure it’s not too overwhelming so that you can relax a bit too!  And if you are on a budget, like many of us are, try creating a menu around simpler ingredients or ones that you already have on hand.  Also, consider what you will need to buy and if it is possible to make a “homemade” version.  You’d be surprised how easy it is to make certain items at home!

Simple treats to make & EAT with the kids

If your kids are anything like mine, they love vacation from school but get “bored” easily! So it’s definitely NOT a vacation for me trying to keep them occupied and entertained, lol. One thing we like to do over Christmas break is to bake something….anything! There is just something about the holiday season that has us all flocking to the kitchen to make something sweet, and even better, a sweet treat that can be shared at family get-togethers. Now, I don’t have pictures for all of these, but they are all recipes that we’ve tried before in the past and simply love. Easy enough for the little kids to help with, and tasty enough that everyone will be raving and asking for the recipes!

So here’s our list of simple yet tasty treats that everyone can help make and eat And of course my own personal notes, though I’ll try to keep it at a minimum!

1. Oreo Truffles-if you don’t have a food processor the cookies can be crushed in a ziploc bag. Make sure the cream cheese is room temp so it is easier to mix in. I highly recommend a “coating” chocolate such as Ghiradelli’s baking and coating chocolate (I get mine from Sam’s Club) as it coats so much easier and nicer then chocolate chips, even a chocolate “Bark” would work.
2. Mexican Wedding Cakes-aka “snowball cookies” – to prevent them from spreading too much, we always roll them into balls and freeze them before baking.
3. Any “No-Bake” recipe - these are GREAT for little kids, as they come together quick and can be eaten almost immediately! Most of them call for melting chocolate or flavored chips, peanut butter, or honey, as that is the “binder” that keeps everything together. You’ll also find that oatmeal, not flour, is the main ingredient in many of these. I especially love Special “k” bars or peanut butter rice crispy bars.
4. Puppy Chow-aka chex cereal mix – I warn you now, it’s messy to make but so good to eat!! If you have the time, toast the cereal in the oven just a little, it adds a little more crunch and depth of flavor to the final product.
5. Brownies- ok, I don’t have a specific recipe for you, but it REALLY depends on what KIND you like and what ingredients you have on hand. Fudgy, cakey, only cocoa powder, only real chocolate, etc. Just read the descriptions a little as well as the reviews and pick one to try! But if you really need a specific one that is easy and uses simple ingredients, the “whatever floats your boat” one is good and is so versatile.
6. Mmmm….trifles! Personally I don’t think us Americans make enough of these, and I don;t know why! They are usually VERY easy to make, as you just layer the ingredients, and they are so pretty!! We love the “strawberry cheesecake” trifle and it never lasts long enough for anyone to get seconds…and if you’re too slow you don’t get any! I also love them because they can be easily tailored to your tastes and ingredient quantities.
7. Cookies- cookies are always a favorite, just make sure to pick a simple drop or “scoop” cookie, much less fuss then the “roll-out” kind. I always use a cookie scoop to measure and ball out the dough, then freeze them before baking (keeps them nice and thick). recipezaar.com has thousands of recipes, so sometimes it’s easier to use the “filter by ingredient” tool to find a recipe that will work with what you have in your pantry. I also always use parchment paper to bake the cookies on, as it makes for easy clean-up and is naturally non-stick, so not greasing or buttering in needed.

There are so many other great recipes out there that I’m sure I’m not even touching on, but this should give you and the kids a good start!

Happy Thanksgiving and my Pecan Pie Torte Recipe!

My famous Pecan Pie torte-aka "pecan pie candy bar"

I’d have to say that Thanksgiving is one of my most treasured days out of the year. Not just because of all the great food, but it’s a family gathering that nobody ever misses and it’s so great to see everyone and just reflect back on the year and all that we have to be thankful for. This year in particular has been especially hard for us due to family issues, moving, and our finances; yet God is forever faithful and has been with us through it all. I am not sure what the upcoming year holds, but I am excited to see what the Lord brings about and the challenges I have yet to tackle and conquer

As a tradition, my husbands family always gets together for the holidays and for Thanksgiving we all help out by making our specialties. This year is no exception, and I alway bring the desserts! I had thought about skipping the pecan pie this year due to laziness, but it’s really one of my favorites and my daughter insisted I make it. Mine is a little different then most, as I make it with a non-traditional crust, bake it in a 10-inch torte pan (with a removable bottom), overload with nuts and do NOT like the filling to be “eggy” at all. In the end it is more like a carmely-chewy pecan pie candy bar that you can hold like pizza, but we all love it and it just wouldn’t be the same without it. If you love pecan pie then give this one a try, just be ready for it to disappear fast!

The crust I use if from my first “serious” baking cookbook that I’ve had for over a decade now, Baking with Julia Child. I use her pasta frolla crust recipe and LOVE it. So much easier to work with and roll out then normal pie crust, it uses butter instead of shortening, and it taste delicious. It comes together in a snap and is a moist dough, so it doesn’t break or crack as you roll it out. That right there is a winner in my book!

Pasta Frolla recipe (enough for 1 bottom crust)-

• 1 cup flour
• 2 1/2 TBLS sugar
• 1/4 tsp baking powder
• pinch of salt
• 4 TBLS cold butter
• 1 egg-beaten

Directions:

• Combine the first 4 ingredients into a mixing bowl and blend together well.
• Cut up the butter into 8 pieces. Place it all in mixing bowl, and use a pastry blender to “cut” it into the flour until until it resembles coarse crumbs.
• Make a well in the middle of the mixing bowl then pour the beaten egg in. Mix as best as you can with a wooden spoon and don’t worry if it still looks like a bunch of dry crumbs and clumps, it’s suppose to.
• Dump all of the dough and crumbs onto a flat working surface, then knead the dough until it forms a smooth ball. It should come together very quickly once you start kneading it. It is now ready to be rolled out.

The pecan pie recipe I use is an adaptation of the Utterly Deadly Southern Pecan Pie recipe from recipezaar.com. Please keep in mind, if you use a regular pie pan instead of a torte pan your cooking time may vary and it will taste different then mine. I use the torte pan for maximum “surface area”, which makes the pie more like a chewy candy bar as there is less filling to bite thru. If you don’t have a torte pan you can still get this effect by not using all of the filling in your pie pan, ideally you want about 1 inch of filling. Lastly, it is VERY rich, so cut the pieces smaller then usual.

Pecan Torte recipe (serves 10-12):

• 3/4 cup sugar
• 3/4 cup light corn syrup
• 1/2 cup dark corn syrup
• 4 TBLS butter
• 2 large eggs-beaten
• 2 1/2 cups pecans
• 1 recipe Pasta Frolla crust, or pie crust of your choice

Directions:

• Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees. Prepare you pan with the crust and set aside.
• In a small sauce pan heat up the sugar and corn syrup together over medium heat until it just begins to bubble. Take it off the heat and add in the butter, stir until completely melted. Set the pot aside and allow it to cool for a few minutes, then pour it into a mixing bowl.
• Once the mixture has cooled a bit, start stirring the mix while slowly pouring in the egg. Just add a little at a time, making sure the mix is cool enough that it doesn’t cook the egg. If it does, simply fish out the cooked egg “lumps” and allow it too cool a bit longer before mixing in the rest of the eggs.
• Once the egg has been incorporated you can add in all of the pecans and give it a quick stir, making sure to coat all of the pecans.
• Pour the filling into your prepared torte pan, making sure not to reach the top of the crust as you don’t want it to overflow during baking. ***If you are using a regular pie pan you only want about 1 inch of filling in the crust. You can add in more if you’d like, it will just be more like the traditional pecan pie then.***
• Bake for 50-55  minutes or until it is no longer wiggly, then allow it to cool completely before serving.

Bliss Candies November NIBBLER, monthly subscriptions, and gift certificates!

For those of you who have been waiting, the November NIBBLER sampler box is now up for sale! The theme for this months box is “home for the holidays”, which was a hard one to pick items for, as I wanted to include so many things, lol.  But, I was finally able to narrow it down to 8 things, and I think it’s a great mix   There are a couple heart-warming favorites in there, you know the stuff mom or grandma always makes, like you childhood favorites.  Then there are a couple fancier holiday cookies, perfect for an afternoon tea or as a snack in front of the fire with a hot cup of cocoa…mmmm!  And then of course you can forget the holiday candy to share with guest!!

If you’ve never purchased a NIBBLER box before, go check it out!  It’s a great way to sample our goods for 1 low price and every month has a different theme.  We now also offer a monthly subscription at a slight discount, which would be the perfect gift for someone who loves sweets!  They are offered in 3, 6, or 12 month subscriptions or if you prefer we also offer gift certificates, and you get to choose the value   The gift certificates would be great stocking stuffers!
Included in the box are:

-1 Belgian Chocolate Chunk “Fridge” Brownie
-1 Almond and Raspberry Jam Linzer Bar
-1/4 pound of White Chocolate Mint Oreo Break-Away
-2 Mexican Wedding Cakes-Snowball Cookies
-2 Buttery Coconut Almond Bites-Snowball Cookies
-4 Pumpkin Spice Gingersnap Lil’ Chubbies Cookies
-2 Twisted Pretzel Turtles
-6 Wrapped Milk Chocolate Caramels

What's included in the November NIBBLER box

Quick and Simple “Skinny” Curry-A loose Interpretation

Quick & Simple "skinny" African Curry

I LOVE my mom’s curry, but alas, she is retired far away from here and my husband and I dearly miss her…which includes her cooking, haha. I remember driving home from college on the weekends and calling ahead of time to make sure she knew the “menu” of items I wanted to eat, she spoiled me rotten. And now my husband misses her cooking too, I think even more then I do!

Well anyways, like most spoiled kids I didn’t bother learning how to cook my favorites, how dumb of me huh? Dumb or not, I still craved curry though and decided to find a recipe on my own to try out! A while back I ran across a recipe named “African Curry” and was a little hesitant to try it, but it seemed easy and it had great reviews. Honestly, I was more so hesitant because it was labeled “African”, and I have no idea what differentiates one type of curry from another. All I know is that I grew up on Asian “yellow” curry, or more commonly known as “you know, that curry that mom makes!”. But I’d like to think that I can venture out of my comfort zone a little, so I decided to give it a try.

I’ve made this dish, or a version of it, at least 6 times now and my family loves it! It’s not like my mom’s as it it doesn’t use coconut milk nor does it look “yellow”, but still good in it’s own right. Here’s what I’ve discovered:

• This taste best made with beef (in my opinion), but you can use chicken or pork too. If you are a vegetarian this is a great base as well for whatever you want to throw in, I’d recommend potatoes, carrots, sweet potatoes, onions, cabbage, etc…
• Making this without coconut milk REALLY cuts down on the fat! You can use half & half instead with a little coconut extract, or omit the coconut flavor all together, it still tastes great.
• You can use chuck roast cuts of beef, just make sure to simmer it longer so the beef becomes tender.
• Using undiluted tomato soup will make it nice and thick without using cream or cornstarch!
• The lemon juice is key, don’t omit it as it really brightens up the flavor.
• I use Garam Masala for my curry powder and add in quite a bit more then what was originally called for, but I think it was old too. So just add to your as needed, if it isn’t enough you can always add in more.
• I HIGHLY suggest eating this with a good Asian or long-grain rice, NOT instant! But then again, you are talking to an Asian girl here, we don’t eat instant rice…we don’t even consider that rice, sorry.

So here is my recipe, loosely based on the one mentioned above. It’s quick, simple, and so delicious….I think my mom would be proud of me

Want to keep it low carb? I used to eat this on top of steamed, mashed, or “riced” cauliflower.

Quick and Simple “Skinny” African Curry (feeds 8):

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 3-4 cloves garlic, pressed
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes
• 1 can condensed tomato soup
• 2 teaspoons Garam Masala curry powder-or more to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 tsp brown sugar (optional)
• 2 pounds beef- cut into bite sized pieces (pork or chicken works well too)
• 1/2 cup cream or half & half
• 1 tsp coconut extract (optional)
• juice from 1/2 a lemon, maybe a little more to taste

Directions:

• In a large pot or dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Once it is hot, add in the diced onions, pressed garlic, and bay leaf. Saute for a 3-4 minutes.
• Add in the diced tomatoes, tomato soup, curry powder, salt and brown sugar. Stir well and allow the mixture to simmer for 7-8 minutes.
• Add in the beef, mix well, and cover the pot. Allow this to gently simmer for about 15 minutes, or until the meat is fully cooked and tender.
• Add in the cream or half & half, coconut extract, and lemon juice and give it a good stir.
• Serve while hot over rice.

Holiday Baking on a Budget and Where to get Supplies

No, it is NOT to early to think about the holiday baking season coming up and I’ve got a lot to say on this topic, so I’m getting right down to it!

Now don’t be fooled, “homemade” doesn’t always mean always “cheap”, but there are ways to cut down on costs. Since I’m a baker by trade now, I’m often considering the costs of materials and supplies, as it all affects my bottom line. The best way to keep things affordable is to A) pick affordable items to make, and B) buys supplies and ingredients in bulk, including the packaging.

A) PICKING AFFORDABLE RECIPES. If you want to make an affordable and tasty “baked” good, I definitely think that sweet breads are the way to go. The main ingredient is flour, which is fairly inexpensive (comparatively speaking), especially if you can get it in bulk. Most sweet breads (like pumpkin, gingerbread, banana bread, zucchini, chocolate chip, etc…) use canola/vegetable oil, which is more affordable then butter. Plus, you can make “mini” loaves and bake up multiples at a time, which helps if you are watching your energy costs Wrapped tightly they freeze well, stay moist for days (even weeks), and they ship really well.

My second pick, and really what I personally prefer, are cookies! Though they use butter, which costs more then oil, I like them because the dough can be pre-made and frozen and then baked up at my convenience. There’s also something to be said about giving a delicious gift in quantity, something that can be easily passed around and shared. Cookies do however need a little more care as far as packing goes, and not all cookies are good past a few days. So if you plan on doing cookies, I highly suggest making a hard/snappy cookie (like the traditional gingersnaps or butter spritz cookies), or one that you know will stay moist for a long while and will survive shipment. My #1 source for good recipes is recipezaar.com, just make sure to read all of the comments and reviews for tips or changes others made to make it even better

Let Me Re-introduce You to…RAMEN

I

Kung-Fu brand ramen with sliced beef and broccoli

It’s a funny thing, Ramen.  Ask anyone who grew yup in a traditional Asian home and they’ll tell you, it’s a household staple, just like the American version of macaroni and cheese.  You eat it when your poor, you eat it when you’re rich, and all the times in between, it’s not a monetary-based decision. It’s a year round love affair to be sure, as on hot 80+ degree days you’ll find my husband and kids (as well as me) enjoying a bowl.  So…what makes it so great and why does everyone in America think it’s only for those who are financially challenged??

Well, I don’t know how YOU eat your ramen, but I was quite shocked to hear my husband tell me when we first met that he HATED it!  Our relationship was doomed, I just knew it…until I made it one day and insisted he try some.  I just wasn’t willing to accept that he didn’t like it, maybe it was the brand he grew up on??  So I placed the bowl in front of him and he looks at me with a “what is this??’ look on his face.  Umm…it’s ramen with sliced beef and broccoli in it (my favorite kind).  And so funny, he tells me “ramen is usually plain…just noodles and broth”,  which made me laugh so hard!  Not that plain ramen is bad, as given the right spices and cooking method plain ramen kicks butt (drained, add in spice packet, a little sesame oil and hot pepper), but who would eat their ramen plain all the time when so many great things can go into it?!?  After one taste my husband was HOOKED. I think I made it for him 3 times the first week, he loved it that much!  To this day I still poke fun at him for telling me he “hates” ramen and that it’s for “poor” people. That and bringing home “La Choy” soy sauce and trying to pass it off as real soy sauce, ha!

Mom, why are my meatballs SQUARE??

well I’ll tell you why, it’s because I wanted to make meat”balls” without all of the work, that’s why!  I know that sounds sort of lame, but time is precious when running 2 business from home plus taking care of AND entertaining the family and pets!  I love the idea of meatballs, and the taste, but it does take time to roll each one out and to cook on all side, to make sure the very middle is done, etc…  So what do I do?  Oh, I mix up the meatball mixture as normal, whatever kind that may be and last night it was Swedish meatballs.  Then I place all of the meat mix into a large frying pan and flatten it out, like making 1 HUGE hamburger, LOL.  I pretty much cook it just like a hamburger as well and once I flip it over i let it cook for a couple minutes before using my spatula to cut it into squares.

And there you have, my meat”ball” shortcut…a little gooft looking but still the same great taste in my opinion and half the work!