Loaded Baked Potato Bake

Years ago we used to have  HUGE Super Bowl parties, amazing food and tons of friends. But for the past 10 years we've done a HUGE New Years party and so doing another HUGE party a month later seemed like overkill. My husband misses our Super Bowl parties so this year we decided to forgo the New Years party and instead are planning a HUGE Super Bowl party. The one  requirement for scoring a invite to our party is  that we ask our guests to bring the "one dish they are famous for". This insures fantastic food and it also means I don't have to cook everything...yay!!

 This potato recipe was being tested to see if it is better than my Ashley Potatoes recipe that Ashley brought to one of our Super Bowl parties years ago. Note: this recipe is a winner!!! 

Ingredients 

1 (16oz) container sour cream

1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded

1 (3oz) bag real bacon bits

1 packages Ranch Dip mix

roughly 15 oz bag frozen hash brown potatoes - shredded kind

This recipe can be doubled very easily for a bigger crowd.

Directions 

Combine first 4 ingredients, mix in hash browns.  Spread into a greased 9x13 pan or casserole dish.  Bake at 400 for 45-60 minutes. 

Ingredients

Ready to mix

Before going in the oven 

Enjoy! 

Rice and Artichoke Salad

I can't believe that it's January already, time has flown by so quickly. I apologize for being so lax on updating my food blog, this past year has been a year of change for me, and as of New Years Eve I've lost 70 pounds....yes you read that right! I've worked so hard and am so proud of myself; but the one thing that has suffered has been my food blog. I vow to post more recipes and not just fattening ones like the one listed below, lol. I had this at a holiday party and loved it so much I made it Christmas Day. It's super simple and is a delicious side for any meal. 


Ingredients
1 8 oz box Chicken Rice a Roni
1 6 oz jar marinated artichoke hearts (reserve the liquid)
2 1/2 cups mayo
1 14 oz can artichoke hearts
1 6 oz can ripe black olives chopped
1 bunch green onions chopped  


Cook rice in skillet per directions on the box-set aside.  Blend artichoke liquid in the mayo.  Combine rice, mayo mixture, artichoke hearts, olives and green onion.  Chill over night.

Enjoy!

Carrot and Turnip Mash

Every family has that one special recipe that's become a tradition at Thanksgiving, this one belongs to my husband's side. When I first married into the family I was reluctant to try this side dish, I'd never had turnips before and cooked carrots weren't my favorite. But once I tried this delicious dish I quickly became hooked. The sweetness of the carrots mixed with the starchy turnips are just too good to pass up. It's a super quick and easy recipe to make.

Ingredients


4 Large Turnips, peeled and quartered
10 Large Carrots, peeled and cut
1 stick Butter
1/2-1 c Half and Half
Salt to taste

Bring peeled and cut up carrots and turnips to a boil (add some salt to water), let simmer for 20 minutes or until fork tender. Drain water and add butter and 1/2 c half and half, you can add more half and half if you'd like it creamer. ( Pretend you're making mashed potatoes) Using a hand or stand mixer mix carrots and turnips until combined, but not smooth. You don't want them as smooth as mashed potatoes, I find that texture is too much like baby food.

Ingredients

Cover with water and add salt, bring to a boil

Butter

So good!

Enjoy!

My Favorite Stuffing Recipe

A few years ago I came to the conclusion that regardless of what I thought... I COULDN'T do it all! This especially rings true at Thanksgiving time, I used to run around the kitchen like a crazy woman trying to cook, entertain my guests and keep everything clean. NOT ANY MORE! Now I cook and freeze my sides the week before turkey day, this way all I have to do is reheat them. Of course I still cook my turkey, ham, gravy and rolls on Thanksgiving, but for the most part I get everything else done ahead of schedule.

Today I made my favorite stuffing recipe, this is the same one my mom made while I was growing up. It's from the old red Betty Crocker cookbook and I absolutely love it. I've adapted it a bit, but for the most part it tastes just like mom used to make.

Ingredients
2 loaves cheap white bread, broken up into pieces
3 c Chopped Celery (with leaves)
1 1/2 c Finely Chopped Onions
1 1/2 c Butter
2 tsp Salt
1 tsp Ground Sage
1 tsp Dried Thyme
1/2 tsp Pepper
1-1 1/2 c Chicken or Turkey Stock


Either dry your bread out the night before, or if you live in a humid place like me tear it into pieces and place on cookie sheet and bake in low oven for 20 minutes, or until dry. Cook and stir celery and onion in butter in large pot until celery is tender; remove from heat.

Take dried bread and pour chicken or turkey stock over the top, just enough to slightly dampen bread. Add spices to celery and onion mixture and then stir in bread. Mix together and pour into casserole dish. Cover and bake in 375 oven for 30 minutes or until hot and bubbly. My husband always likes it a little bit brown on top, so I usually take the cover off after 30 minutes and continue to bake it just long enough for a crust to form (10 min or so)

Ingredients

Include the celery leaves

Yumm, butter, onions and celery

Spices

Pour some chicken stock over the top of bread crumbs

Just enough to soak it up

Add spices, then bread

yummmmm

Ready for the freezer

Enjoy!

Harvard Beets

While on vacation we bought some beets at a local orchard and I was so anxious to get home and cook with them. My family loves beets and let me tell you, there is a HUGE difference between store bought canned beets and fresh ones. This recipe is super easy and I in my excitement forgot to take pictures, so you are going to have to forgive me on this one, and try this recipe. The flavor of the beets has just the right mixture of sweet and tangy, so good!

Ingredients
3 c Fresh Beets, cooked, peeled and sliced
1/2 c Vinegar
1/2 c Water
1/2 c Drained Beet Liquid
1 TBSP Cornstarch
1 tsp Sugar
Dash Ground Cloves
Dash Salt
1 TBSP Butter

In a large pot bring water and beets to a boil, boil for at least 20 minutes or until beets are fork tender. Remove from stove and place beets in a bowl full of ice water. Once they are cool enough you can peel them with a vegetable peeler. Slice beets and place into baking dish.

In a small sauce pan heat vinegar, water and beet juice, cornstarch, sugar, cloves and salt. Stir until thickened. Add beets and butter and reheat. Makes 6-8 servings

Peel the boiled beets

Pink dyed hands

Enjoy!

Twice Baked Potatoes

My daughter Olivia has a few foods she can't live without, one is cucumbers and the other is potatoes. She loves any kind of potato, fixed any way. She found this recipe and has been making these for our family every chance she gets. They can be made up to a day ahead and then cooked right before dinner.

Ingredients
4 Baking Potatoes, cooked in microwave
3 TBSP Sour Cream
3 TBSP Butter
3-4 TBSP Milk or Half and Half
Salt and Pepper to taste
1 1/2 c Cheddar Cheese, grated
Bacon Bits

Bake potatoes in microwave until cooked. Wait for them to cool and then cut in half, lengthwise. Use a small spoon and scoop out insides of 4 potatoes and place into mixing bowl. Place the remaining 4 halves into bowl as well, at this point you can easily remove the skin if you want, I like the skin. Add sour cream, butter, milk, salt and pepper and 1 cup of cheddar cheese to bowl and using a hand mixer whip ingredients,  add in 1/2 c of bacon bits by hand.    
Place potato boats on baking sheet and fill with mashed potatoes, sprinkle with remaining cheese and additional bacon bits. Bake at 400 for 20-25 minutes.  Serves 4

Baked Potatoes

Scoop out centers

Put into mixing bowl

Whip together into mashed potato consistency

I like to put mine in a frosting bag and pipe the mashed 

potatoes, you can scoop yours into the boats.

Top with melted cheese and bacon and bake!

Enjoy!

Barbecue Coleslaw

This last weekend my husband put 12 pounds of pork butt into our smoker and made me a very happy person! He spent 9 hours babysitting the smoker, adding wood chips when needed, and the end result was a lot of delicious smoke flavored pulled pork. This coleslaw is to be served on top of pulled pork, we scooped huge servings of pork onto soft rolls and then piled on this spicy coleslaw, top with bbq sauce! What an amazing taste!

I have a bbq cookbook that I go to often for great sides; I suggest you check out this book.

Ingredients
1 medium head White Cabbage
3 TBSP Granulated Sugar
1 c Cider Vinegar
2/3 Ketchup
1/2 c Water
1/8 tsp Cayenne Pepper
1/8 tsp Crushed Red Pepper
1/4 tsp Black Pepper
3/4 tsp Salt
Dash Tabasco Sauce

Grate or thinly slice cabbage. In a small a sauce pan, combine the sugar and vinegar and cook over medium heat until the sugar dissolves. Whisk in the other ingredients and simmer over medium-high heat for 10 minutes. If the mixture seems too thick , thin with 2 TBSP warm water. Pour the warm sauce over the grated cabbage, toss to combine throughly. The recipe calls for you to serve it immediately, but I let it sit on the counter for at least another 30 minutes.  Place large spoonful on top of pulled pork. Tastes great cold as a side dish also!

Ingredients

Shred the cabbage

Pour the hot mixture over the cabbage, mix

All that is missing is the sauce!

Enjoy!

Here are some pics of our smoked pork butts

 Pork butts, I purchased them at Sam's Club

Yumm, can you almost taste it?

Shred it up!

Wedge Salad

This week we had a family dinner and it was different from any other we've ever had. Each person was in charge of one component of the meal, my hubby was in charge of Hawaiian Ribeyes, I was in charge of the Red Cabbage and dessert,  Olivia did twice baked potatoes and Simon did the Wedge. This meal was truly magical, it was cooked and eaten with love. I highly recommend your family doing something like this too, it was amazing! Simon used bottled dressing but if you want to make your own here is a link.

Ingredients
1 Head Iceberg Lettuce
Blue Cheese Dressing
Blue Cheese Crumbles
Bacon Pieces
Tomatoes, chopped
Fresh cracked Salt and Pepper


Cut lettuce in fourths, place each on salad plate. Drizzle blue cheese dressing over wedge, next sprinkle chopped tomatoes, bacon and blue cheese crumbles over the top. Give each wedge a healthy sprinkling of salt and pepper and ENJOY!!!
Serves 4

Ingredients

Cut the lettuce into 4 equal pieces

Place on individual plates

Drizzle with blue cheese dressing

Add some blue cheese crumbles

Add tomatoes

Don't forget the bacon and salt and pepper

Enjoy!

Braised Red Cabbage with Goat Cheese

We absolutely love red cabbage in our house and until recently I've been buying the pre-made jared stuff, but not anymore! This recipe is so super easy and the flavors are amazing, the goat cheese brings it to a completely different level. You've got to give this a try the next time you have lamb or steaks.

Ingredients
1 head Red Cabbage, shredded, rinsed really well
1/2 c White Wine Vinegar
1/2 c water
2 1/2 TBSP Butter
2 1/2 TBSP Sugar
Goat Cheese ( I used peppered Goat Cheese)




Add the vinegar, water, butter and sugar to a Dutch oven. Heat on the stove for about 5 minutes. When the sugar is dissolved add the chopped cabbage. Stir together then cover and braise in the oven at 325 for 2 hours. Stir every half hour, if liquid completely evaporates add a little water.
Right before serving place a scoop of Goat Cheese on top of Cabbage.

Ingredients

Peppered Goat Cheese, yumm

Mix sugar, water, butter and white wine vinegar on stove

This is towards the end of the braising process. I would take it out of the oven and

stir it every 30 minutes or so.

The dollop of goat cheese really makes this dish special

Enjoy!