Beef Lo Mein

Mmm...Asian food definitely fits the bill for Comfort Food Wednesdays at our house. This is a simple weeknight dish that comes in under 400 calories a serving. It is definitely tasty and filling. This makes 4 main course servings.

Ingredients:
0.75 lbs. steak, cut into thin strips
1 large carrot, sliced into thin rounds
2 heads broccoli, chopped into bite sized pieces
1 green pepper, julienned
1/2 small yellow onion, julienned
2 packages ramen noodles
2 Tbsp. butter
1 Tbsp. cornstarch
1/2 Tbsp. brown sugar
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1/2 tsp. chili powder
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup soy sauce

Preparation:
Dissolve the cornstarch in the water, whisk well. Add the sugar, ginger, chili powder, garlic powder, pepper, and soy sauce. Whisk well to combine everything and set aside. Melt 1 Tbsp. butter in a large non-stick skillet over medium heat. Once melted add broccoli, stir to coat the broccoli, then add a small bit of water to the pan, cover and let the broccoli steam for a few minutes. Then add the rest of the vegetables, add another small bit of water and cover and let steam for a few minutes. When vegetables are just shy of being done, remove from pan and set aside. Turn pan up to high and melt 1 Tbsp. butter and then quickly sear the steak strips. Once seared, remove from pan and set aside. Add sauce mixture to pan, bring to boil and then reduce heat and simmer until sauce reduces. I take out some of the sauce and set it aside for Nate. He likes more sauce than I do. While sauce is reducing, par-boil the ramen noodles without the sauce packets. You want to take them out while they still have some crunch to them. Add veggies to the sauce in the pan, mixing well to make sure everything is nicely coated. Cook for just a minute and then add steak strips. Cook for another minute and then add the par-boiled noodles. Make sure everything gets mixed well and the steak and noodles finish cooking. Then dish up and serve hot!

I shared this recipe over at High Heels and Grills.

Broccoli Wild Rice Soup

Cute Denise just emailed me this recipe. She said the soup is delicious. It sounds perfect on a cold wintry day like today. The recipe is from Taste of Home. So make this soup and try and stay warm!

Ingredients:
1 package (6 oz.) chicken and wild rice mix
5 cups water
3 cups frozen chopped broccoli, thawed
1 medium carrot, shredded
2 tsp. dried minced onion
1 can (10-3/4 oz.) condensed cream of chicken soup, undiluted
1 package (8 oz.) cream cheese, cubed
1/4 cup slivered almonds, optional

Preparation:
In a large saucepan, combine the rice, contents of seasoning packet and water; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring once. Stir in the broccoli, carrot and onion. Cover and simmer for 5 minutes. Stir in soup and cream cheese. Cook and stir until cheese is melted. Stir in almonds if desired. Yield: 8 servings (about 2 quarts).

This picture is from Taste of Home.

Ham 'n Egg Biscuit Bake

Breakfast for dinner is always comfort food in our house. I thought it was especially fitting last night since we got nearly a foot of snow yesterday! This was nice and hot and comforting. It was really nice for me because Nate cooked! I am 95% sure I broke my pinky toe yesterday, it is seriously so painful and all purple and gross looking. So being the nice husband he is, Nate stepped up and cooked (you know how I like to stick to the menu plan), love that man!! I saw this idea over at Pillsbury and we tweaked it a bit and really enjoyed it.

Ingredients:
4 eggs
1/2 cup milk
6 oz. Canadian bacon or ham
4 refrigerated buttermilk biscuits (we used Pillsbury)
salt & pepper to taste
1/2 tsp. dried chives
1/4 tsp. dehydrated onion flakes
shredded cheese, optional (we didn't use any)

Preparation:
Cut each biscuit into 8 pieces. Lightly spray the bottom of a glass 8x8" baking dish with non-stick spray. Place biscuit pieces into bottom of baking dish. In a small mixing bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, and seasonings. Slice Canadian bacon into bite sized pieces and stir into eggs (if you want cheese, add it now). Pour egg mixture over the top of the biscuits. Bake at 350 degrees F for 30-35 minutes or until biscuit pieces are golden brown and cooked through and eggs are set. Serve warm with a side of fresh fruit. Enjoy!

Asian Chicken Skewers

I am such a fan of Asian food. I could seriously have it a few times a week and not get tired of it. Nate and I always have chicken on hand and so I'm always open to new chicken recipes. I wanted something Asian with a little zip so this is what I came up with. Nate ate his chicken with a little sriracha hot sauce (like usual) and if you like kick, you could certainly add some of that to the marinade. I served our chicken skewers with some simple basmati rice and garlic soy broccoli.

Ingredients:
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/4 cup olive oil
3 Tbsp. low sodium soy sauce
1-2 Tbsp. Italian dressing
1 tsp. ground ginger
1 tsp. lemon juice
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/8 tsp. chili powder
1/8 tsp. Lawry's seasoned pepper
metal or wooden skewers

Preparation:
Mix together marinade ingredients and whisk well. Slice chicken into long thin strips. Add chicken to marinade and marinate in the fridge for 3-4 hours. If using wooden skewers, soak them in water for 30 minutes prior to use. Thread chicken onto skewers and place on a foil lined baking sheet. Bake at 375 degrees F for 12-15 minutes. Serve immediately with your favorite Asian side dishes. Enjoy!

Roasted Vegetable Bean Dip

Of course you know we love Mexican food at our house. I am always on the lookout for fun new Mexican recipes. Nate's a huge fan of bean dip and this recipe comes just in time for your Superbowl parties. I saw the idea over at Beth's Favorite Recipes. This is definitely a step up from your everyday refried beans. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
1 yellow onion
2 jalapenos
1 bulb garlic
olive oil
kosher salt
2 (16 oz.) cans refried beans
2 Tbsp. taco seasoning
2 tsp. ground cumin
1/4 - 1/2 cup water (depending on how thick/thin you like your beans)

Preparation:
First you'll need to roast your vegetable. Line a baking sheet with tin foil. Peel and cut your onion into thick wedges. Slice off the top of your garlic so that you expose the cloves, but don't peel. Place the onion, garlic, and jalapenos on the baking sheet and drizzle a little olive oil over them and then sprinkle with some salt. I rolled the veggies around in the olive oil to make sure they were evenly coated. Place a slice of onion over the top of the exposed garlic so that it's covered. Broil your veggies about 4-5" from the top of your oven. You want the veggies to get a nice char to them. I rotated them halfway through. Mine took about 8-10 minutes to roast.
Once roasted, remove veggies from baking sheet and allow to cool.
Once vegetables are cool, remove skin from the jalapeno along with the seeds and ribs. Pull out 2-3 big cloves of garlic from the bulb. Add the veggies, water, seasoning, and refried beans to food processor and blend until your desired consistency. I did it in two batches so not to over-fill my food processor. Heat bean dip on the stove over medium heat and then serve hot with your favorite chips or Mexican dish.

Orange Lime Lemonade

I needed something fun and tropical while we are in the state of permafrost! When was the last time it was above freezing here? I made this drink with dinner tonight and it was nice and citrus-y and reminded me of summer. I saw the idea over at Recipe Shoebox and it was a fun treat.

Ingredients:
3 limes
3 lemons
3 oranges
3 - 4 cups water
1 - 1 1/2 cups sugar

Preparation:
Juice all the fruit. Add sugar and water and stir well to dissolve sugar. I like my lemonade nice and tart, Nate prefers a bit more sugar so just add however much you like. Enjoy!

Crunchy Onion Mashed Potato Bake

Nate decided today that he wants to have Comfort Food Wednesdays from now on. I aim to please so here we go! In honor of our inaugural CFW I made this mashed potato dish. Nate loves those French's fried onions so I figured he'd really enjoy this. I had all the other ingredients on hand so it was a super easy dish to prepare. Nate totally loved these potatoes and is so glad to have leftovers for lunch tomorrow. I saw the idea at Betty Crocker and just tweaked a couple things. I also think this would be good with green beans added instead of corn, kinda like a meatless shepherd's pie. Or if veggies aren't really your thing, leave them out all together. Enjoy!


Ingredients:
4-5ish cups leftover mashed potatoes (I simply made 2 packages of Idahoan's butter and herb instant potatoes)
2/3 cup frozen corn
French's french fried onions
shredded cheese
paprika

Preparation:
Prepare mashed potatoes if using instant, or reheat leftover potatoes. Once hot, mix in frozen corn. Spread potatoes/corn into an 8x8" glass baking dish that's been sprayed with a light layer of non-stick spray. Top with a sprinkle of paprika, then add shredded cheese, and finally the french fried onions. Bake uncovered at 400 degrees F for 10 or so minutes or until the cheese is nice and melted and everything is piping hot. Serve hot.

-I baked it at 400 F because I had chicken baking at that temperature. You can really cook these at any temp, just adjust the bake time. The potatoes are already going in warm and you just want to get the cheese melted and everything nice and hot. So if you've got meat in the oven, just go with that temp and make it easy on yourself!

Pizza Fondue

Happy New Year! I hope everyone had a fun and safe holiday season and that you all rang in the new year in style! Nate and I had a great time last night with lots of fun, friends, and laughs. We are so blessed to have such amazing people in our lives. This pizza fondue is one of the things I made to eat last night. I also made Nate's favorite holiday treat, dipped cinnamon sugar pretzels. Everyone seemed to really enjoy both. I got this fondue recipe from the Crock Pot Recipe Collection Cookbook. As usual, I tweaked just a couple things to suit our tastes. Nate gave it to me for Christmas and it is chock full of recipes I can't wait to try. This is a fun alternative to pizza night.

Ingredients:
2 jars (about 25 oz. each) of marinara or meatless pasta sauce
1 green bell pepper, finely diced
1 small yellow onion, finely diced
1/2 lb. Italian sausage (mild or hot, your preference)
3 oz. sliced pepperoni, finely chopped (we love Hormel's turkey pepperoni)
3 oz. Canadian bacon, finely chopped
1 1/2 Tbsp. garlic bread seasoning
pinch of red pepper flakes, optional
dipping items, I made some cheesy breadsticks to dip but the recipe book mentioned using some French bread cubes or mozzarella cheese cubes

Preparation:
Cook and crumble the Italian sausage and add 1/2 Tbsp. garlic bread seasoning. Halfway through cooking add the diced green pepper and onion. Once cooked, drain the excess fat. Add the sauce to the crock pot and then stir in the sausage and veggies, pepperoni, Canadian bacon, 1 Tbsp. garlic bread seasoning, and red pepper flakes. They recommend using a 4 1/2 qt. crock pot. Cover and cook on low for 3-4 hours stirring occasionally. Serve hot with warm breadsticks or your choice of dipping item. Enjoy!

White Chocolate Dipped Sugar Doodles

It's almost like these cookies were designed specifically for Nate. He loves white chocolate, cinnamon-sugar flavored things, and vanilla. I knew these cookies would be perfect for him. Nate says he'd even enjoy these cookies plain. I saw this recipe over at Sweet Treats and More. I followed her recipe almost exactly. So if you haven't had quite enough sugar this holiday season, give these a try. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
1 egg
2 Tbsp. heavy cream (or milk)
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 3/4 cups all purpose flour (give or take. I almost always have to add more flour to my cookies to get the right texture because of where I live)
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cinnamon (we love McCormick's Saigon cinnamon)
1/4 tsp. salt
white chocolate or almond bark

Preparation:
In a stand mixer, beat butter until smooth and creamy. Add the sugars and continue beating on medium-high speed until well combined and creamed together.
Scrape the sides of the bowl down, then add egg, heavy cream, and vanilla. Beat until light and fluffy (3-5 minutes).
Stop, scrape down sides of the bowl again, beat on low speed and gradually add flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Mix until just combined.
Chill dough for 3 hours.
Preheat oven to 350. Roll dough into small balls and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for 8-10 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool completely.
Once cooled, melt white chocolate in a microwave safe bowl on low heat and stirring every 30 seconds. Continue until completely melted. Dip one half of cookies in the white chocolate then place on waxed paper or foil until chocolate is set. Yields 18-24 cookies depending on size and if you need to add more flour.

Steak, Egg, and Bacon Breakfast Pizza

This may be our favorite breakfast ever! It was so so good. After we hosted the gift exchange party for Nate's family on Sunday night, Aaron, Yang, Amelia, and Jake slept over at our house. This is what we served them for breakfast on Christmas Eve morning. Everyone gobbled it right up. I was so glad I made two pizzas. It is definitely going to making many repeat appearances at our breakfast table. I used leftover steak and prepped a lot of the things ahead of time to make it so easy that morning. You'll definitely enjoy this pizza.

Ingredients:
2 refrigerated pizza doughs (I cheated and used Pillsbury)
1 lb. bacon, cooked and crumbled
6-8 oz. leftover steak, thinly sliced
8 eggs, seasoned and scrambled
1/2 small onion, diced
1 small green pepper, diced
1 Tbsp. butter
salt and pepper
shredded cheese

Preparation:
Roll out pizza dough onto prepared baking sheets. Par-bake your pizza crusts until they start to get a light golden brown and then remove from oven. You want the crusts mostly cooked before you top them or else your eggs will dry out. Ours took about 8 minutes (I think the temp was 400 F degrees). While crust is cooking, make your scrambled eggs and set aside. Also melt your butter over medium heat and then saute diced onion and green pepper, season with a bit of salt and pepper, and also add the sliced steak. Cook 3-4 minutes or until the vegetables are a nice tender/crisp texture. After crusts have par-baked, top with pizza toppings. Put on scrambled eggs, steak, bacon, and veggies. Top with a bit of shredded cheese and return to oven. Bake until cheese is melted, another 6-8 minutes. Slice and serve immediately with some hot sauce or salsa to top if you'd like.

Slow Cooker Asian Pulled Pork

Okay, this is pork is so good! Nate rated it an 11 on a scale of 1-10. This is definitely a new crock pot favorite at our house. We love Asian food and I can think of lots of dishes to use this pork in. We ate ours over basmati rice. I am going to use some of our leftovers to make some pot stickers this week. It would also be great over some Asian noodles or even as a sandwich on a sesame seed hamburger bun with some Asian slaw. You will love this! I saw this recipe over at The Recipe Critic. I had never used oyster sauce before and was nervous it would taste fishy. There was no fishy taste, it seemed to really enhance the rest of the flavors and give the pork this great umami flavor. Really, make this soon!

Ingredients:
2-3 pound pork roast (my roast was nearly 4 lbs. so I upped the water by a 1/3 cup and doubled the sauce portion)
1 cup water
1 tsp. Better Than Buillion chicken base
1 yellow onion, cut into large chunks
1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp. minced garlic
1 Tbsp. brown sugar
2 Tbsp. oyster sauce

Preparation:
Get crock pot heating on low. Boil the water. Add the chicken base and whisk well to incorporate. Boil for a couple minutes and then remove from heat. You could also substitute 1 cup chicken broth instead of making your own. I would use a low sodium kind though. I let my chicken base mixture cool while I chopped up the onion. Once the crock pot is warm add the chicken base mixture. Put in the pork roast. I rolled it around to coat in the chicken broth. Have the roast fat side up. Add the onions around the roast. Cover and cook on low for 7-10 hours. Remove and let sit for 10-15 minutes. Shred pork and return to crock pot. I left a bit of the chicken broth and some of the onions in the bottom. Combine soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, brown sugar, and oyster sauce. Pour over the meat and stir. I doubled the sauce since I had a larger roast. Cook on low for another 30-60 minutes. Serve warm over some hot cooked rice. Enjoy!

Brigadeiros - Brazilian Chocolate Balls

Nate ate these at Christmastime while living in Brazil. He tells me they make these brigadeiros all the time for holidays. To keep the festive spirit I decided it was high time I made them! Nate loved them. He already wants another batch made for New Year's Eve. I saw this recipe at Mmm...Cafe but I found this video to be really helpful for the technique of making these treats. Add these to your holiday dessert table.

Ingredients:
4 Tbsp. unsalted butter
2 Tbsp. heavy cream
2 (14 oz.) cans sweetened condensed milk
3 oz. semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
1 Tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
chocolate sprinkles (I had a 10 oz. container and used the majority of it)

Preparation:
Bring butter, cream, and milk to a boil in a 4-qt. saucepan over medium heat. It's important to use this size of pan. You want a nice large surface area of heat. If you use a smaller saucepan your mixture will take forever to get to the right consistency. Add chocolate and cocoa powder, and reduce heat to a low/medium-low; cook, stirring constantly, until mixture is the consistency of thick thick batter. This is where watching the video comes in handy. You want to be able to drag your spoon across the bottom of the pan and have the chocolate take a sec to fill in. You want to be able to get a scoop on your spatula, turn it upside down in the air and have it take a sec to fall of the spatula. This will take at least 15 minutes, perhaps longer. Be sure and stir constantly, taking care to scrape the sides and bottom of your sauce pan. Nate and I took turns stirring. Once it's at the right consistency, transfer to a bowl and let cool. Chill in the refrigerator until set. I let mine set in the bottom of a 9x13" glass dish for a bit over an hour. When you're ready to shape, take a little bit of butter and rub on the palm of your hands. Using a tablespoon, portion out fudge and roll into balls. Roll each ball in chocolate sprinkles until evenly coated. Chill until ready to serve.

This made about 50 brigadeiros.

Easy Blender Salsa

Okay, salsa has to be one of the greatest inventions ever! I don't know anyone who doesn't like salsa. Cute Brittany made this and I told her we had to put it on the recipe blog. Aunt Kathleen is one of the best hostesses/cooks I know and it looks like Brittany is following right in her footsteps. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
1- 14 oz can diced tomatoes
1- 10 oz can original Rotel
1/2 small onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, peeled and smashed (or minced from the bottle if you're lazy like me)
1/2-1 jalapeno, seeded (depends on how spicy you like it)
1 teaspoon honey
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
small to medium size handful of cilantro, washed
juice of 1 lime

Preparation:
Put it all in the food processor (or blender) and blend until desired consistancy!

Enchilada Cups

This is such a fun variation on enchiladas. Nate loved it and was really excited to have leftovers for lunch today. We've been so unbelievably busy the last few weeks, last night we didn't even eat dinner until 10 pm (as you can probably tell by the horrible picture). These enchilada cups really hit the spot. You can fill these with any enchilada filling you like. You could use beef, chicken, or pork, or even go vegetarian. Nate really wants to try them filled with chile colorado. Use whatever you like! Enjoy.

Ingredients:
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts that have been cooked and shredded (I use this rub on my chicken and it is so so good!)
1/2 small yellow onion, diced
1 green pepper, diced
1 Tbsp. butter
1/2 - 1 cup green enchilada sauce
9 small flour tortillas
hot, cooked refried beans
shredded cheese
broken tortilla chips, optional (you want them crumbled but not powder fine)

Preparation:
Spray a muffin tin with some non-stick cooking spray. This recipe makes 9 enchilada cups. Now cut some circles out of your tortillas. I used the top of one of those hospital mugs and just cut around it with a knife. You want your tortilla circles to line the muffin tin like a baking cup, so it lines the bottom and the sides, but if they are really over sized you might get some burnt tortillas. I left just a little bit of overhang so it would hold all the filling. I hope that makes sense. In a skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Once hot add the diced onion and green pepper. Season with a bit of salt and pepper and saute until veggies are tender, 4-5 minutes. Once veggies are cooked, add in shredded chicken and enchilada sauce. I don't like my filling super saucy, you feel free to add as much or as little as you like. Cook until chicken and sauce are hot, taste and adjust seasoning as you need. If you like, you can even add some shredded cheese to the filling mixture. Spoon a small amount of refried beans into the bottom of each tortilla cup. Then spoon in some of the chicken mixture on top of that. Next, sprinkle some of the broken tortilla chips on top of each enchilada cup. Bake in a 350 degree F oven for 20 minutes. Remove enchilada cups and top each one with some shredded cheese. Return to oven and bake for another 10 minutes or until cheese is nice and melted. My enchilada cups popped right out of the muffin tins no problem. Serve hot and enjoy!

I shared this over at High Heels and Grills.

Salsa Rice

I made this rice as a side dish to these crock pot chicken fajitas. It was part of a dinner taken to Nate's cute aunt who recently had a baby. I know she's a big fan of Mexican food and it doesn't seem like you can go to most Mexican restaurants without getting a side of rice. I saw this recipe over at Life as a Lofthouse. This is a really easy and tasty rice recipe. If you use mild salsa, it makes a nice mild rice dish which is nice for spice wimps like me. Try this out next time you have Mexican night. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
1 cup uncooked long grain rice (I always use basmati rice)
2 cups chicken broth (I make my own low sodium broth using Better Than Bullion brand chicken base)
1 Tbsp. butter
1/2 cup salsa
1 tsp. garlic salt
1/2 tsp. ground cumin

Preparation:
Add broth, butter, salsa, garlic salt, and cumin to pot. Stir and then add rice. Bring mixture to a boil, cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer the rice for 25 minutes. Remove from heat (keep lid on) and let stand for 5-10 minutes. After standing, fluff rice and serve as a side to your favorite Mexican dish!

Photo updated 06/13/13.

Beef Burgundy

This dinner is one of my all-time favorites. Seriously, it is so good, it's on my top ten list. I wish you could smell the picture, it's pure comfort food for me. It's perfect for a cold winter's night. The title is a bit of a misnomer I guess, I don't use any burgundy wine in the dish. My mom made this dish on occasion growing up. I wrote down her recipe but tweaked several things. This was the first time I'd ever made it and I have to admit, it was the best beef burgundy I've ever had. The sauce is rich and the beef just falls apart in your mouth. I'm really proud of this dish. The seasonings are my best guestimate, taste the broth as it simmers and adjust accordingly. You must make this dish!

Ingredients:
2 lbs boneless beef chuck roast, cut into 1" cubes
8 slices bacon, cut into 1" pieces
3-4 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups low-sodium beef broth (I like to use the Better Than Bullion brand beef base. You generally use 1 tsp. per cup of water, for this recipe I did 1 1/2 cups water and 2 tsp. of the beef base)
water
1 clove garlic, minced
1 bay leaf
1 1/4 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 - 1/2 tsp. marjoram
1/4 - 1/2 tsp. pepper (we love Lawry's brand seasoned pepper)
1/2 - 1 tsp. steak rub (we love the rub found in Weber's Real Grilling book, we just omit the cinnamon)
1 large yellow onion, sliced into half moons
2 Tbsp. butter
hot, cooked egg noodles to serve beef burgundy over

Preparation:
Cook and crisp bacon pieces in a dutch oven over medium-high heat. Remove bacon, drain on paper towels, and reserve in the refrigerator. In a gallon size ziploc bag add beef pieces and flour. Coat the beef well, you want it all coated but not caked on. Sear the beef in the hot bacon fat until you get a nice little crust on all sides. You may need to do this in a couple batches depending on the size of your dutch oven. Once all the beef is browned, drain the excess fat from the dutch oven. Add the beef back in and pour in the beef broth to de-glaze the bottom of the dutch oven. Use a wooden spoon and scrape up all those brown bits on the bottom, that's where you get tons of flavor! You want the liquid to come about 2/3 - 3/4 up the beef. You will probably need to add a bit of water. I added about 2/3 cup of water. You don't want the beef completely submerged, but you want most of it covered. Stir in your minced garlic, bay leaf, salt, pepper, marjoram, and steak rub, mixing well. Heat to a boil, stir well and reduce heat to a gently simmer. Cover and let simmer until beef is tender, about 1 1/2 hours. I peeked at the beef and stirred it just 2 or 3 times. After the hour and a half, melt the 2 Tbsp. of butter in a pan over medium heat. Add the onions and saute until tender, about 4 or so minutes. Add the cooked onions and half of the reserved bacon to the beef mixture. Taste the beef mixture and adjust seasoning as needed. Cover and continue to simmer for another 20-30 minutes. Once finished cooking, remove bay leaf and serve. Serve beef burgundy over some hot, cooked egg noodles and garnish with the remaining reserved bacon. It's great with some french bread too so you can mop up the sauce. I love this dinner!

Snowflake Rolls

This is such a fun and festive way to dress up regular old dinner rolls. Anything holiday makes me happy! I love being to make an everyday dinner just a bit more special. I saw the idea online today at Plain Chicken just in time to get my rolls defrosting for dinner. I was so glad! I got better at the snowflakes the more I made them, I think next time I make them they'll look a lot better. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
12 Rhodes frozen bread roll dough
4 Tbsp flour
4 Tbsp butter, softened
1 tsp hot water
1/4 tsp garlic powder (optional)

Preparation:
Lightly spray a round 9" cake pan with cooking spray. Arrange 12 rolls in the pan. Cover and let rise in a warm place until double in size. Mine usually take 3.5-4 hours. Combine flour, butter, hot water and garlic powder. Transfer to piping bag fitted with #4 tip. I don't have a piping bag so I just used a sandwich sized ziploc bag and snipped the corner. Pipe snowflake design on top of each roll. One finished piping, put the rolls in the fridge while the oven heats to 350 degrees F. Bake for about 20 minutes or until the rolls are a nice golden brown and cooked through.

Next time I will pipe the snowflakes a little thinner so they turn out a bit better looking.

Roasted Smashed Red Potatoes

So good! I've been meaning to make these for a long long time. I'm bummed I waited so long to do it, we could have been enjoying these potatoes for a while now! They have this great crispness on the outside and are yet still soft on the inside. This recipe is adapted from America's Test Kitchen, which always has awesome recipes. They only need a couple of ingredients too, which is always great in my book. Potatoes are such comfort food for me, I'm sure you will enjoy these as much as we did.

Ingredients:
2 lbs. small red potatoes (try and get ones all about the same size)
6 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
kosher salt or seasoning salt
freshly ground black pepper

Preparation:
Put your oven rack at the top and bottom positions. Heat oven to 500 degrees F. Place your potatoes on a rimmed baking sheet. Make sure your potatoes are all right around the same size. I had a mix of small and big so I cut the big ones in half to match the size of the smaller potatoes. Pour 3/4 cup of water into the baking sheet and then tightly wrap the sheet with tin foil. Cook the potatoes on the bottom rack until fork tender, about 25-30 minutes. Remove the foil and let cool for about 10 minutes. If you have any remaining water, blot it dry. I didn't have any water left. Drizzle 3 Tbsp. of olive oil over the potatoes and then roll to coat. Use another baking sheet (or a potato masher) and press down firmly to flatten potatoes to about 1/3 - 1/2 inch thick. Generously season potatoes with salt and pepper and then drizzle the remaining 3 Tbsp of olive oil over the top. Bake potatoes on the top rack for 15 minutes or until they get a nice crisp crust and then transfer to the bottom rack for another 10-15 minutes to crisp up and brown the bottoms. Serve immediately. ATK instructs you to remove the potatoes from the baking sheet as soon as they are done browning—they will toughen if left too long.

This picture is from the America's Test Kitchen site.

Rolo Cupcakes

Again, chocolate and caramel are a favorite combination of Nate's. He really enjoyed these cupcakes and requested to have them again. It's a super simple variation on a boxed cake mix, can't get easier than that! Enjoy!

Ingredients:
1 boxed yellow cake mix, plus the water, oil, and eggs it requires
ice cream topping caramel topping (Nate prefers Mrs. Richardson's brand)
chocolate frosting
mini rolos

Preparation:
Prepare the cake batter as instructed. Once your cupcake liners are filled, top with a teaspoon or so of caramel. It's easiest if you warm the caramel a bit first. Take a butter knife and swirl the caramel around in the cupcake batter, like you would if you were making a marble cake. Bake the cupcakes as instructed on the box. Once cooled, frost with chocolate frosting. Warm some more caramel and drizzle over top of the frosted cupcakes and then top each cupcake with a rolo candy.

Calzones

You really need to make this dough. It is honestly the best homemade pizza dough I've ever had. Everyone I make it for loves it too and wants the recipe. I always make a double batch of dough, which yields 4 balls of dough, and have some in my freezer. It's perfect for busy days, especially during this holiday season! The frozen, thawed dough tastes as good as fresh too. I've used the dough for pizza, breadsticks, pizza bread, ham and cheese roll ups, and calzones. The options are really endless!

Ingredients:
1 ball amazing pizza dough (makes 4 good sized calzones)
pizza sauce
freshly shredded mozzarella cheese
garlic bread seasoning
pizza toppings of choice, we love Hormel's turkey pepperoni, green peppers, onions etc.

Preparation:
Cut your pizza dough into 4 even sized pieces. Roll and stretch each piece of dough out into a thin circle. Spoon some pizza sauce into the middle of the circle, being sure to leave a nice perimeter of plain dough. Add pizza toppings of your choice and some cheese on top of the sauce. Don't go too overboard, you want your cheese to melt nicely. Fold the dough in half and seal tightly, make sure the entire thing is pinched tightly together so your filling doesn't ooze out. Make a couple small slits in the top of your dough to allow the steam to escape while baking. Sprinkle some garlic bread seasoning on top of each calzone and some mozzarella if you like. Bake in a 500 degree oven for 8-12 minutes or until golden brown and the dough is cooked through. I recommend using a pizza stone or a metal pizza pan that has the holes in it. I also like sprinkling a tiny bit of cornmeal on your stone or pan so the calzones don't stick. Enjoy!

Rotel Chicken Tortilla Soup

I love soup, Nate, not so much. I suggested trying a chicken tortilla soup since he loves Mexican food so much. I sent Nate a couple of links to recipes and this is the one he picked. I adapted this recipe from Food Network and it comes from Rotel. He really loved this soup. We'll definitely be making it again.

Ingredients:
2 (10 oz.) cans mild Rotel tomatoes and green chilies, undrained (it was a bit spicy for me so next I'll do one can of Rotel and one can plain diced tomatoes
5 cups chicken broth
1 (16 oz.) can refried beans (I used fat free)
1 - 1 1/2 cups frozen corn
2-3 cups shredded cooked chicken (I made my chicken using this rub, so good!)
shredded cheese
tortilla strips or chips

Preparation:
Combine tomatoes and broth in medium saucepan. Stir in beans and bring to boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add chicken and corn and cook until they're heated through. I cooked my soup an additional 30 minutes stirring occasionally, just so the flavors could marry. Serve topped with tortilla strips and cheese, if desired.

Garlic Soy Broccoli

Nate only enjoys broccoli two ways; covered in alfredo sauce, or tasting like soy-such as in a stir-fry. That's it. Otherwise, he is not interested. I however really love broccoli. I'm not a huge fan of it raw, but I love it cooked to a nice tender crisp so it's not soggy and still has a little bite to it. I was craving some broccoli and figured this recipe might work for the both of us. It was a success. I saw the idea over at Recipes We Love, they also have the option for doing a foil packet of broccoli on the grill. We will definitely be trying that! I didn't make tons of broccoli for just the two of us, so you will need to adjust accordingly if you are making more broccoli. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
3 small heads of broccoli
1 Tbsp. butter
pepper
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 - 1 Tbsp. low sodium soy sauce
water

Preparation:
Wash and cut your broccoli into bite sized pieces. In a pan melt butter over medium heat. I go just barely above medium heat. Add broccoli, pepper, and garlic powder making sure everything gets evenly coated. Pour a small amount of water over broccoli. Pop the lid on your pan and let the broccoli cook/steam for a few minutes until it's near the done-ness you like, stirring frequently. Add the soy sauce and finish the last minute or so of cooking. Serve warm and enjoy!

Italian Chicken, Potato, and Green Bean Bake

Talk about comfort food! This totally hit the spot tonight. It it so simple takes just minutes to throw together too. This would be perfect for a cold winter weeknight meal. I found the idea on Pinterest. I tried to find the original site this came from, but I couldn't, sorry, I'd love to give credit where credit is due. Nate is super excited to have leftovers for work this week. We will definitely be making this again and again!

Ingredients:
3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
6 red potatoes
1 can green beans, drained
4 Tbsp. butter, melted
1 packet Italian dressing mix
salt
pepper

Preparation:
Lightly spray a 9x13" glass baking dish with cooking spray. Place chicken breasts down the middle of the dish. Drain the green beans and pour them on one side of the chicken. Chop the potatoes into bite sized pieces and put them on the other side of the chicken. Sprinkle the whole dish with a little salt and pepper, then pour the melted butter over the top. Finally sprinkle the Italian dressing mix over everything. Bake at 350 degrees for 60-70 minutes or until chicken is done and potatoes are tender. I stirred my vegetables halfway through the cooking time to to make sure things were evenly seasoned. Once finished cooking, let the chicken rest for 5-10 minutes before serving. Enjoy!

I shared this over at High Heels and Grills.

We're hoping to adopt, check our profile out at http://adoption.com/profiles/nksmithfamily-1800 and feel free to pass it along!

Make-Ahead Cheesy Bacon Mini Meatloaves

Katie emailed me this recipe yesterday. She said it was a big hit with everyone at her house! That's always a sure sign of a winner recipe. It's also a recipe you can make ahead and freeze, bonus! Katie adapted this recipe from one over at Kraft Foods. She told me she thought Nate would really enjoy it. Bacon, Stove Top stuffing, barbecue sauce, three of his most favorite foods. I'm sure once he sees this he'll be asking for it to be put on the menu. This also seems like a recipe that would be great to take over to someone who's just had a baby or surgery, I'm sure they would enjoy it.

Ingredients:
1 lb. lean ground beef
1 lb. ground turkey
1 (6 oz.) package chicken flavored Stove Top stuffing
3/4 cup shredded cheese
1/3 cup barbecue sauce
3 green onions, sliced
2 eggs
3/4 cup milk
8 slices of bacon

Preparation:
Whisk the eggs and milk in large bowl until blended. Add all remaining ingredients (except bacon); mix lightly. Shape into 8 one inch thick patties and then wrap the bacon slice around the edge of each patty.

I doubled the recipe and cooked half at 375 degrees for 20 minutes and then added a scoop of mashed potatoes on the top while they finished cooking (another 15 minutes). So yummy!

With the remaining patties I flashed froze them and then individually wrapped and then put in freezer bag for another night when I am tempted to buy dinner because of a crazy day. Then it says to cook the unwrapped frozen patties for 45 minutes.
I suggest spraying the pan with cooking spray before placing on the rimmed baking sheet! Enjoy!

Here is a batch all wrapped and ready for the freezer.

Mini Kisses Praline Bars

This is a recipe that Anna wrote down especially for her Aunt Katie. Katie emailed it to me today and I thought it was very fitting for this time of year when everyone loves to bake those fun holiday treats. The recipe and the photo come from Hershey's. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
1-3/4 cups (10-oz. pkg.) HERSHEY'S MINI KISSES Brand Milk Chocolates
1-1/3 cups packed light brown sugar , divided
1/2 cup (1 stick)plus 2/3 cup butter , divided
1 cup coarsely chopped pecans or pecan pieces
2 cups all-purpose flour


Preparation:
Heat oven to 350°F. Combine flour and 1 cup brown sugar in large bowl; with pastry blender or fork, cut in 1/2 cup butter until fine crumbs form. Press mixture into 13x9-inch baking pan; sprinkle with pecans. Combine remaining 2/3 cup butter and remaining 1/3 cup brown sugar in small saucepan; cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture boils. Continue boiling, stirring constantly, 30 seconds, until sugar dissolves; drizzle evenly over pecans and crust. Bake 18 to 22 minutes until topping is bubbly and golden; remove from oven. Immediately sprinkle chocolates pieces over top. Cool completely in pan on wire rack; cut into bars. Makes 24 to 36 bars.