Hot Beef Sandwiches

My MIL took my girls for the day to play with their visiting cousins, so I am home alone! It is a rare treat, but I feel like I'm wasting it with necessary tasks. So far, I've just been catching up on stuff that I've needed to get done but been putting off for the last month. I can think of a hundred things I *could* be doing for alone time and I'm doing chores instead. ::SIGH:: I hate being responsible. Anyway, blog updating is on my list of things to get done, so I'm gonna get my three (short) posts completed and go take a nap. Chores be damned!

I don't remember when we had these sandwiches, but the hubs and I LOVED them. We had to do rock/paper/scissors for the leftovers the next day, because they were highly coveted.

I made a modified version for the kids with just meat and cheese sauce, because I knew they would balk at anything "spicy" like a horseradish sauce. They ate their sammies and did not complain, so I check that off as a 'win'. I opted to go the homemade route with the cheese sauce and did not do cheese slices. Also, I used delectable pastrami instead of roast beef. Fan-freakin'-tastic!

Hot Beef Sandwiches
Adapted From: The Pioneer Woman website

Ingredients:
8 pretzel slider rolls or regular dinner rolls
1 pound thinly Shaved Roast Beef or Pastrami (I used Pastrami)
1/4 cup Mayonnaise
3 Tablespoons Grated Onion (or 1 Tbsp Dried Onion Flakes))
1 Tablespoon Poppy Seeds
1 Tablespoon Spicy/grainy Mustard (mine had a touch of honey in it)
1 Tablespoon prepared Horseradish
Dash Of Worcestershire
homemade cheese sauce (For homemade see below. You could also just use store-bought.) or sliced cheese

Directions:
Slice rolls in half. Mix together mayo, grated onion, poppy seeds, spicy mustard, horseradish, and Worcestershire. Taste it and adjust ingredients however you wish.

To assemble, spread dressing on top and bottom buns. Lay on roast beef or pastrami, then one or two slices of cheese (I cut them to fit the small buns.) If you're using cheese sauce, spread a layer on the top bun.

Wrap each sandwich in a foil square, and either keep in the fridge or bake right away. To bake the sandwiches, put them on a baking sheet in a 350 degree oven for 15 to 20 minutes. The buns should be slightly crusty and the cheese should be melted.

Homemade Cheese Sauce

Ingredients:
flour
butter
milk, water, or chicken broth
1-2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded
salt and pepper to taste
pinch of ground mustard
pinch of cayenne pepper
few dashes of Worcestershire sauce

Directions:
(Sorry, no measurements on this one.)

Add a couple of tablespoons of butter to a sauce pan and melt over medium-high. Add in double amount of flour (4 tablespoons in this case). Whisk and let flour and butter clump and combine. Cook for a minute or so, until flour mixture starts to turn pale tan in color. Add milk (about a cup or so) while whisking continuously. Bring to a simmer while still whisking. Sauce should be thickening. When desired consistency is reached, remove from heat and add in cheese. Whisk to combine, season with remaining ingredients to taste, and serve.

(If the mixture is too thick add some more water, chicken broth, or milk to thin while whisking over medium-low heat until desired consistency is reached again.)

Beef and Snow Peas with Garlic Quinoa

I've really paired my cooking show viewing down in the last couple of years. I used to be addicted to cooking TV, and I've slowly weaned my way off of it. It might have something to do with having an almost 7 year old, and 3 year old twins. My television time is seriously limited, so I have to be pretty choosy.

Once in a while, I'll flip to either Food Network or the Cooking Channel, but I don't have any type of steady viewership anymore. Well, with the exception of one... I've gotten down to only recording one show, and that is The Pioneer Woman. I've followed her website religiously for years, went to a book signing for her first cookbook, and was so excited when she finally came out with her own show (it's really not so new anymore; I think it's actually in it's second or third season??). Needless to say, I LOVE PW! I have tested so many of her recipes and I think I've always received rave reviews for her stuff. She knows what she is doing, that's for sure.

Anyway, this recipe was demonstrated on one of her TV episodes entitled "16 minute dinners". She put together some fast, go-to weeknight recipes for when there was a time crunch. (READ: every night for us.) They all looked tasty, but this one stood out for me. I made it a few nights ago for dinner, and as promised, it was fast and delicious! PW has never steered me wrong!

Beef and Snow Peas with Garlic Quinoa
Adapted From: The Pioneer Woman cooking show

Ingredients:
1/2 cup low-sodium soy sauce
3 tablespoons sherry or cooking sherry
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon peeled and minced fresh ginger
1 1/2 pounds flank steak, trimmed of fat and sliced very thin against the grain
3 tablespoons canola or peanut oil
8 ounces fresh snow peas, trimmed
5 whole scallions, cut into 1/2-inch pieces on the diagonal
Crushed red pepper
Salt, as needed (I didn't use any salt, so this is totally optional-use sparingly.)
Garlic quinoa (see below) or serve over cooked rice of your choice

Directions:
In a bowl, mix together the soy sauce, sherry, cornstarch, brown sugar and ginger. Add the beef to a separate bowl and pour one-third of the liquid over the top. Save the rest of the liquid. Toss the beef and set aside.

Heat the oil in a heavy skillet (iron is best) over high heat. Add the snow peas and stir for 45 seconds and get as much color on them as possible. Remove to a plate.

Allow the skillet to get very hot again. With tongs, add half the meat mixture, leaving most of the marinade still in the bowl. Spread out the meat as you add it to skillet, but do not stir for a good minute. (You want the meat to get as brown as possible in as short amount a time as possible.) Sprinkle half the scallions over the meat. Flip the meat to the other side and cook for another 30 seconds. Remove to a clean plate.

Repeat with the other half of the meat, allowing the skillet to get very hot again first. After flipping, add the first plateful of meat, the reserved liquid, the crushed red pepper and snow peas. Stir over high heat for 30 seconds, and then turn off the heat. Check seasonings and add salt only if it needs it. The mixture will thicken as it sits. Serve immediately over quinoa or rice.

NOTE: I didn't separate the marinade into two different bowls. I just added to the pan and made sure it boiled, rather than separating and using half and then discarding half. It's better probably to separate and be better safe than sorry, but I've never had an issue doing it my way. It's your choice, man.

Garlic Quinoa

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups quinoa, rinsed and drained in a colander
water to cover by 1/2 inch or so (Usually it's about equal parts quinoa/water, but I don't measure.)
2 tablespoons butter
5 cloves minced garlic cloves
pinch of salt

Directions:
Rinse quinoa thoroughly in a colander, under running water, until it runs clear. Shake any excess moisture off of quinoa and set aside. I just place the colander on a kitchen towel until I'm ready to start cooking it.

Meanwhile, melt the butter in a medium sauce pan over medium-high heat. Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds to 1 minute; until garlic starts to get fragrant and just a tiny bit of color on it. Add prepared quinoa to sauce pan and toast it for 2 minutes, or until some of the quinoa bits get slightly browned. Add water, a pinch of salt, and bring to a boil. Cover and turn heat down to low. Let quinoa steep in water until all the water is absorbed. Fluff with a fork and serve as a base for the Beef and Snow Peas.

Bacon-Wrapped Filet Mignon with Red Wine Sauce

My thoughtful and caring husband made sure I had a fantastic Valentine's Day by surprising me with a new set of stainless steel cookware (along with some beautiful orchids, too)! I've been itching for new cookware for awhile and I finally settled on the set that I wanted before Christmas. For one reason or another, I didn't pull the trigger and purchase it for myself though. I'm actually really glad that I didn't, because it was so much better to have the hubs unexpectedly gift it to me instead. Let me tell you, I couldn't wait to cook the special Valentine's Day dinner we had planned with my new loot. We fed the kiddos early and then I made a dinner of this steak and sauce, roasted asparagus, dill fingerling potatoes,a really nice Bordeaux wine, and white/dark chocolate strawberries for dessert. It was so nice to get dressed up, cue up the candles and romantic music, have some adult conversation, and relax with each other at home. It was easily one of the best Valentine's Day we have ever spent together in the 10+ years we've been a couple. Thanks cupid!

As for the food, it was the best meal we've had in recent memory. Seriously, restaurant quality. The husband said it was easily the best steak he has ever had...including a really expensive steak dinner we had at an upscale restaurant the first year we were married. (That steak had always held the number one spot until last night!) I splurged and bought really great quality meat and bacon, so I'm sure that a lot to do with it. The technique itself was easy and the whole dinner came together within 45 minutes. Not too shabby!


Bacon-Wrapped Filet Mignon
From: The Pioneer Woman via Food Network

Ingredients:
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 beef filet steak, 8 to 10 ounces, 2 inches thick
1 piece thin bacon
1 tablespoon butter, more if needed
1 tablespoon olive oil

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

Generously salt and pepper both sides of the steak. Wrap the steak with the bacon and secure with a toothpick.

Heat an ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Add the butter and olive oil. When melted, add the steak to the skillet and sear on both sides until a really nice color, about 1 minute per side.

Remove the skillet from the stovetop and place into the oven to finish cooking. Cook until medium rare, 7 to 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to rest for 5 minutes before serving.

NOTE: Obviously, I doubled the steak recipe so we had two portions.

***************************************

Red Wine Sauce
Adapted From: Epicurious.com

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon of canola oil
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
3/4 cup dry red wine
1/4 cup water
1 1/2 teaspoons soy sauce
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 3 pieces
1 tablespoon chopped flat-leaf parsley

Directions:
Once steak(s) are cooked and resting, pour off fat from the skillet. Sauté garlic in remaining tablespoon oil over medium-high heat until pale golden, about 30 seconds. Add wine and boil, stirring and scraping up brown bits, until reduced by half, 2 to 3 minutes. Add water, soy sauce, and any meat juices from resting plate and boil until reduced by half, 3 to 4 minutes.

Reduce heat to medium-low and whisk in butter, 1 piece at a time, until slightly thickened. Stir in parsley and pour sauce over steaks. Serve and enjoy!

(I forgot to take a photo of the sauce...oops!)

Chicken with Mustard Cream Sauce

This is the other PW recipe I mentioned in my last post. While I was looking for potato recipes, I stumbled upon this yummy, easy chicken dish. At first glance, I was nervous about the amount of mustard that it took to make the sauce. I like mustard, but if it was overly-mustardy, I knew I would hear some grumbling from the husband and kiddos. Luckily, the grainy mustard I bought had a touch of sweetness to it, so the sauce was perfectly balanced and not too mustard-ish at all. Everyone loved the sauce (and chicken, as well) and there were no complaints. Best of all, this dish really was not complicated or time-consuming. I was expecting it to be a lot more involved than it was, but instead, it came together very quickly. I served our chicken and sauce with roasted cauliflower and a green salad. I had guilt that the sauce was kinda decadent, so I doubled up on the veggie side dishes to even out the nutritional value some.

Chicken with Mustard Cream Sauce
From: The Pioneer Woman Cooks! website

Ingredients:
4 whole Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
2 Tablespoons Butter
3 whole Garlic Cloves, Minced
1 cup Brandy (or White Wine If Preferred)
1 Tablespoon (heaping) Dijon Mustard
1 Tablespoon (heaping) Grainy Mustard
1/4 cup (to 1/2) Heavy Cream
1/4 cup (to 1/2) Chicken Broth
Salt And Pepper, to taste

Directions:

*Amount of cream and broth has slightly decreased; add more as needed.

Cut the chicken breasts in half lengthwise so that you have eight smaller, thinner chicken cutlets. Salt and pepper both sides.

Heat oil and butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook cutlets on both sides until nice and golden brown and cooked through. Remove chicken from the skillet and keep on a plate.

Reduce the heat to medium. Add the garlic to the pan and saute it for a minute, stirring to make sure it won't burn. Next pour in the brandy (or wine if using) being careful if cooking over an open flame. Then just let the booze bubble up and cook until it's reduced by half.

Throw in the mustards and stir to combine, then pour in the cream. Stir in chicken broth, adding more if the sauce seems too thick. Taste sauce and adjust whatever you think it needs. Add chicken breasts back to the pan, nestling them into the sauce. Allow sauce to cook for another few minutes, shaking the pan if needed to move things around.

Serve chicken with a green salad, spooning the sauce over the top.

Baked Potato Soup

My mom and her man-friend came to stay with us last week and brought us 20 (or more, actually) pounds of potatoes. They were closing up their house in snowy Colorado for the winter, and decided to clean out their pantry and bring us all the usable dry goods. Apparently, they really like potatoes. We don't eat potatoes that often, so I've had to get creative with ways to eat them. I found this soup (and another recipe we recently tried) on The Pioneer Woman website. She noted that she is very picky about potato soup, so I was fairly certain I could trust that her recipe would be awesome. PW has never steered me wrong in the food department, so I put some of my potato surplus to good use. We ate our soup with a green salad and, as expected, it was satisfying and delicious.

Baked Potato Soup
Adapted From: The Pioneer Woman Cooks! website

Ingredients:
6 slices Thin Bacon, Cut Into 1-inch Pieces
1 whole Medium Onion, Diced
3 whole Carrots, Scrubbed Clean And Diced
3 stalks Celery, Diced
6 whole Small Russet Potatoes, Peeled And Diced
8 cups Low Sodium Chicken Or Vegetable Broth
3 Tablespoons All-purpose Flour
1 cup Milk
1/2 cup Heavy Cream
1/2 teaspoon Salt, More To Taste
Black Pepper To Taste
1/2 teaspoon Cajun Spice Mix (I used Tony Chachere brand)
1 teaspoon Minced Fresh Parsley
1 cup Grated Cheese Of Your Choice (I used sharp cheddar)
Chopped green onions to taste (for garnish)
Sour cream or plain Greek yogurt (for garnish)

Directions:
Add bacon pieces to a soup pot over medium heat and cook bacon until crisp and fat is rendered. Remove the bacon from the pot and set it aside. Pour off most of the grease, but do not clean the pot.

Return the hot to medium-high heat and add the onions, carrots, and celery. Stir and cook for 2 minutes or so, then add the diced potatoes. Cook for 5 minutes, seasoning with salt, pepper, and Cajun spice.

Pour in the broth and bring it to a gentle boil. Cook for 10 minutes, or until the potatoes are starting to get tender. Whisk together the flour and the milk, then pour into the soup and allow the soup to cook for another 5 minutes.

Remove half to 2/3 the soup and blend in a blender/food process until completely smooth. Pour it back into the soup pot and stir to combine. Let it heat back up as you taste for seasonings, adding more of what it needs. Stir in cream, then stir in parsley, reserving a little for garnish.

Serve in bowls garnished with parsley, green onions, sour cream (or plain yogurt), grated cheese, and crisp bacon pieces.

Holiday Bacon Appetizer

I saw this recipe demonstrated on the Pioneer Woman cooking show, and instantly knew I had to save it for a special occasion. I didn't have to wait long, because my family was invited to spend Christmas dinner with my friend, Claire's family. Brilliantly, they skip the big fancy dinner and just opt for a meal of appetizers and drinks. It. is. fantastic. So much more relaxed and fun than a sit-around-the-table affair, and we were so happy to be included. These appetizers fit in perfectly, and were very easy to assemble and bake. There are two versions, and I must admit, I made less of the brown sugar ones thinking that they were a gamble and would be shunned. In reality, I should have made more of those than the classic Parm version, because everyone seemed to like the sweet/savory combo better (myself included). I guess they can also be made with bits of blue cheese, which sounds yummy as well. This is certainly a thumbs up recipe that was inexpensive, easy, and yielded great results. I will certainly this appetizer idea in my back pocket for future use!

Oh, one more thing...

I've been remiss (read: lazy) with the photos lately, so you will just have to imagine what these little beauties look like. :)

Holiday Bacon Appetizer
From: The Pioneer Woman

Ingredients:

1 sleeve country club-style crackers
3/4 cup grated Parmesan
1 pound thinly sliced bacon

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F.

Lay the crackers face up on a large rack over a baking sheet (or broiler pan). Scoop about 1 teaspoon of the grated Parmesan onto each cracker. Cut the package of bacon in half (or cut pieces individually) and carefully, so the cheese doesn't fall off, wrap each cheese covered cracker with one half piece of bacon, completely covering the cracker. It should fit snugly around the cracker, but not be pulled too taut. Place the bacon-wrapped crackers onto the rack. Place the baking sheet in the oven for about 2 hours. Serve immediately or at room temperature!
Notes

Cook's Note: Can also use brown sugar (with or without a pinch of cayenne pepper mixed into the sugar) or blue cheese instead of Parmesan! As I said, the brown sugar (with cayenne) version was fantastic!

Sausage and Ricotta White Pizza

Howdy! Bonjour! Hola! Guten Tag! Konnichiwa!

It's been awhile, hasn't it? I'm not going to bore you with my standard excuse of how busy I've been, and just get to the cookin'...

I have some hit or miss stuff lately in my kitchen, and I'm finally excited to have a couple new, blog-worthy recipes. As per usual, I had to scroll back in my camera to see what I've been up to recipe-wise and this was one that jumped out at me.

This recipe is actually a mistake that turned out to be tasty. I originally set out to make The Pioneer Woman's Easy Calzone recipe, but botched the frozen rolls. I accidentally bought pre-cooked heat and serve frozen rolls, and not the actual frozen dinner rolls as recommended in the original recipe. Oops! When I realized I needed to scrap my rolls, I shifted gears and made whole wheat pizza dough and just put this filling on as a white pizza topping. I ended up being delicious and a happy mistake that I would purposefully do again.

Sausage and Ricotta White Pizza
Adapted From: Food Network.com via The Pioneer Woman, Ree Drummond 2012

Ingredients:
1 homemade or store-bought whole wheat pizza dough
1/2 cup of olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
1 whole medium onion, diced
5 cloves of garlic, minced
1 pound breakfast or Italian sausage
1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
15 ounces whole milk ricotta
2 whole egg
2 cups grated mozzarella, divided
1/2 cup grated Parmesan, divided
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1/2 teaspoon salt
Black pepper
homemade or store-bought marinara sauce for dipping

Directions:
Prepare pizza dough according to recipe or package directions. Brush pizza dough with the olive oil (you may not need all of it) to coat evenly. Set aside. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions and allow to cook for a couple of minutes. Add garlic and cook for an additional minute. Add the sausage and cook until brown, crumbling the sausage as you stir. Add the Italian seasoning and red pepper flakes. Remove from the skillet and allow to cool on a plate.

In a separate bowl, combine the ricotta, 1 cup of the mozzarella, 1/4 cup of the Parmesan, salt, some pepper, parsley and 2 eggs.

When the sausage is cool, stir it into the cheese mixture and set aside.

Top rolled pizza dough with cheese sausage mixture and sprinkle the top with the remaining mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until cheese is browned and bubbly and dough is cooked. Let cool for 5-10 minutes. Sprinkle with a final dusting of Parmesan cheese and parsley as garnish. Serve with small bowls of marinara sauce for dipping.

Fajita Shrimp Salad with Cilantro-Lime Dressing

I had a major dinner mishap last night; but thankfully, I was able to recover and come up with this tasty, tasty salad. I had menu planned and started preparing the Pioneer Woman's Shrimp Quesadillas, only to discover I did not have two of the main ingredients. I didn't take inventory before I went grocery shopping this week, and I thought I had both the El Pato sauce and tortillas on hand. It turns out that I didn't have either. Doh! As you can guess, it's pretty much impossible to make quesadillas without tortillas. Sadly, I didn't discover this little tidbit of info (i.e. the missing ingredients) until dinner was well underway. (Normally, I would have tried to make tortillas, however it was already 5:30pm and there just wasn't enough time.) I decided to serve my quesadilla filling over salad greens and concoct a dressing instead. The salad and dressing ended up both being hits. Totally delicious!!! Whew!!!

Fajita Shrimp Salad with Cilantro-Lime Dressing

Ingredients:

salad:
2 heads of chopped romaine lettuce, washed and dried
1-2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese
2 Tablespoons of canola oil
1 large onion, sliced
1 green bell pepper, sliced
1 red bell pepper, sliced
4 zucchini, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 lb. of raw shrimp, peel and deveined (I used large count)
1/2 jar of your favorite salsa
1/2 cup of fresh cilantro, chopped
3-4 Roma tomatoes, diced
salt and pepper to taste
1 can of black beans, rinsed and drained (optional)
1 diced avocado (optional)

dressing:
1/3 cup seasoned rice vinegar
1/4 cup lime juice
1 garlic clove
1 whole Chipotle chiles
2 teaspoons honey
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup olive oil
1 cup cilantro


Directions:

To cook the veggies/shrimp:
In a large bowl, add raw shrimp and salsa. Set aside to marinate while you prepare the vegetables.

In a cast iron skillet heat canola oil over medium-high heat. When oil is hot and shimmering, add onions and peppers. Cook until softened and slightly charred. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Remove onion and peppers to a large bowl and set aside to cool.

In the same skillet, add shrimp and salsa mixture. Cook the shrimp until pink and salsa has reduced to become thick and coat the shrimp. Remove to the same bowl that the onions and peppers are cooling in and set aside again.

Again, in the same skillet add a little more canola oil if necessary, but do not clean the skillet out completely. (You want all of the previous charred/cooked bits from veggies and shrimp in the pan.) When oil is hot, add zucchini, and cook until slightly charred and softened. (The zucchini should pick up the other cooked bits of flavor from the skillet.) Season with salt and pepper to taste and remove to the same shrimp/veggie bowl to cool. Add fresh, chopped cilantro to the bowl and stir to combine all the cooked ingredients.

To make the dressing:
In a food processor, add all dressing ingredients except for the olive oil. Pulse a few times to chop/combine everything. Once all the ingredients are well combined, switch the food processor to continuously spin and drizzle in the olive oil in the top of the processor. Once mixture is emulsified, turn food processor off and remove dressing to a mason jar. Store in the fridge for up to a week.

To assemble the salad:
Place chopped romaine on plates. Top with shredded cheese and diced tomatoes. Add a generous scoop of cooled veggies/shrimp mixture. (Add black beans and/or avocado, if desired.) Top with dressing and serve.

NOTE:
I would have added a can of rinsed/drained black beans if I would have had them on hand. Diced avocado would've been a great addition, as well. Maybe next time...

Chocolate Sheet Cake and Chocolate Frosting

My baby boy turned 6 years old this past week! Six!!!! I can hardly believe it! (Okay, I'll stop with the exclamations.)

We had a small family party with one of the boy's favorite dinners (spaghetti and meat sauce) and I had him help make and decorate this cake as his official birthday cake. He loves helping me bake, and he was so excited to decorate his cake all by himself. The Pioneer Woman website describes this cake as "the best chocolate sheet cake ever" and I agree. It was the BEST chocolate sheet cake ever. Moreover, it made a huge cake so we had a lot of leftovers. When this moist, delicious, chocolaty wonder-dessert was stored in the fridge the texture turned into the consistency of a cake brownie. YUM! It was seriously like have both cake and brownies from one recipe. Awesome!

Chocolate Sheet Cake and Chocolate Frosting
From: The Pioneer Woman website

Ingredients:
FOR THE CAKE:
2 cups Flour
2 cups Sugar
1/4 teaspoon Salt
4 Tablespoons (heaping) Cocoa (I used dark chocolate cocoa powder)
2 sticks Butter
1 cup Boiling Water
1/2 cup Buttermilk
2 whole Beaten Eggs
1 teaspoon Baking Soda
1 teaspoon Vanilla
_____
FOR FROSTING:
1/2 cup Finely Chopped Pecans
1-3/4 stick Butter
4 Tablespoons (heaping) Cocoa (I used dark chocolate cocoa powder)
6 Tablespoons Milk
1 teaspoon Vanilla
1 pound (minus 1/2 Cup) Powdered Sugar

Directions:
Note: I use an 18x13 sheet cake pan.

In a mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, and salt.

In a saucepan, melt butter. Add cocoa. Stir together.
Add boiling water, allow mixture to boil for 30 seconds, then turn off heat. Pour over flour mixture, and stir lightly to cool.

In a measuring cup, pour the buttermilk and add beaten eggs, baking soda, and vanilla. Stir buttermilk mixture into butter/chocolate mixture. Pour into sheet cake pan and bake at 350-degrees for 20 minutes.

While cake is baking, make the icing. Chop pecans finely. Melt butter in a saucepan. Add cocoa, stir to combine, then turn off heat. Add the milk, vanilla, and powdered sugar. Stir together. Add the pecans, stir together, and pour over warm cake.

Cut into squares, eat, and enjoy!

(Here is the cake with just the pecan-chocolate frosting.)

(We topped our cake with candy and sprinkles and toys; just to make it more birthday-appropriate.)

(Here is the boy posing by his cake masterpiece. Notice the spot of chocolate on his chin...)

Beef and Bean Burritos

These enchilada-style burritos were made entirely out of my pantry/freezer/fridge "on-hand" staples. I made them last week sometime when I knew I wouldn't be able to get to the store and didn't have a proper meal planned for that particular evening. This recipe magically popped into my head when I was taking inventory of my stash o' groceries, and I was excited to find that I had everything to make them. I'd been wanting to try these burritos out for some time, so it was very fortuitous that it all worked out. I love it when dinner happens on the spur of the moment, without my having to drag three ornery children to the market. Woot!!!

Beef and Bean Burritos
From: The Pioneer Woman website

Ingredients:
2 pounds Ground Beef
1/2 whole Medium Onion
1 can (7 Ounce) Mexican Tomato Sauce Or Enchilada Sauce
Salt And Pepper, to taste
Cumin, Oregano, Chili Powder, Garlic To Taste
1 can (28 Ounce) Refried Beans
3/4 cups Grated Cheddar Cheese
12 whole Burrito-sized Flour Tortillas (I used whole wheat tortillas)
Extra Grated Cheese, For Sprinkling
Extra Sauce, For Drizzling
Cilantro Leaves, Optional

Directions:
Brown ground beef with onion and season to taste. Pour in sauce and simmer over low heat. Add water if mixture gets too dry.

Heat refried beans in a saucepan. Add cheese and stir in till melted. Keep warm.

Heat tortillas in microwave for one minute.

Spread a small amount of beans on each tortilla. Add meat. Fold over ends, then roll up. Place two burritos on a microwave-safe plate. Drizzle red sauce over the top and sprinkle with more grated cheddar. Microwave for one minute, or until cheese is melted and burritos are very hot. Serve immediately.

Cherry Almond Crisp

I brought this Pioneer Woman dessert over to my in-law's house for our Easter dinner. It was a big hit, and the husband actually said that this was the second cherry dessert I have surprised him with; meaning, he was surprised at how good it tasted. (The husband is a skeptic when it comes to cherry desserts for some reason. He explained that he usually finds them way too tart, but this one wasn't and he really liked it!) Silly, skeptical husband aside...all the kids and adults loved this crisp. The Pioneer Woman does it again!

Cherry Almond Crisp
From: foodnetwork.com, Ree Drummond 2012

Ingredients:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
Dash nutmeg
1 1/2 sticks cold butter
1/2 cup slivered almonds
Four 12-ounce bags frozen tart cherries
1/4 cup cornstarch
2 teaspoons almond extract

To Serve:
2 cups heavy cream
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
--OR--
***Vanilla ice cream, optional*** (We skipped the whipped cream and just served it warm with vanilla ice cream.)

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Start with the crumb mixture. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, brown sugar, 1/2 cup granulated sugar, cinnamon, salt and nutmeg.

Cut the cold butter into pieces. Add the butter to the bowl and use a fork or pastry blender to cut it into the flour mixture. The mixture should resemble a moist, coarse meal. Add the slivered almonds and combine thoroughly.

Place the still-frozen cherries in a bowl, add the remaining 1/2 cup granulated sugar, cornstarch and almond extract and gently stir the cherries to combine.

Divide the cherries between 8 ramekins (about 1/2 cup each). Top with the crumb mixture, evening out the surface.

Bake until the topping is crisp and golden brown, about 45 minutes. If the topping appears underdone, continue baking in 10 minute increments until it's done.

To serve: Add the heavy cream and granulated sugar to the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and whip. Keep in the fridge until ready to serve.

Serve the individual crisps warm or at room temperature with a dollop of freshly whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

Pasta with Tomato Cream Sauce

I used to plan a lot more vegetarian meals, and I'm not sure why I got away from it. After all, vegetarian-focused dinners are usually quick, cheap, and healthy. (Well, assuming they are not doused in heavy cream, cheese, and/or butter--ahem.) This PW pasta recipe was a good reminder for getting me to go back to more vegetarian fare. After thinking about how much our family likes meatless meals, I decided to proactively incorporate more veg. dinners, and try to plan at least a couple a week. I can say that this pasta was not only tasty; but it also helped me remember the joy of vegetarian cooking (and eating). Thanks, P-Dub!

Pasta with Tomato Cream Sauce
From: The Pioneer Woman's Food From My Frontier cookbook, by Ree Drummond

Ingredients:
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
2 Tablespoons Butter
1 whole Medium Onion, Finely Diced
4 cloves Garlic, Minced
2 cans (15 Ounce Each) Tomato Sauce Or Marinara Sauce
Salt And Pepper, to taste
Dash Of Sugar (more To Taste)
1 cup Heavy Cream
Grated Parmesan Or Romano Cheese, To Taste
Fresh Basil, Chopped
1-1/2 pound Fettuccine

Directions:
Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain, reserving 1 cup of pasta water.

Heat butter and oil over medium heat. Add onions and garlic and saute for a minute or so. Pour in tomato sauce and add salt, pepper, and sugar to taste. Stir and cook over low heat for 25 to 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Remove from heat and stir in cream. Add cheese to taste, then check seasonings. Stir in pasta and chopped basil and serve immediately. (Thin with pasta water before adding basil if needed.)

White Chicken Chili

We decided to have a joint-family "Wine Night" once a month with some friends of ours. "Wine Night" is as it sounds; eating good food, drinking some wine, and letting our kiddos run around crazy while the parents chat. We designed it so one family hosts and makes dinner, and the other family brings the wine. I won't tell you how many bottles we consumed...but trust me, it was sufficient. I elected to host the first official gathering and decided to make a big pot of this chili and serve a side salad to go along with it. My thought process was that I didn't want to be fussing around in the kitchen all night...that would've cut into my wine-drinking time. We did a serve yourself buffet and ate out on our patio while the kiddos played in the backyard. The weather was perfect and we had a fantastic time--our first "Wine Night" was a success!

White Chicken Chili
From: The Pioneer Woman website

1 whole Fryer Chicken, Cut Up (or 3 Cups Cooked Chicken)
1 whole Medium Onion, Diced
4 cloves Garlic, Minced
2 whole Cans Green Chilies, Chopped
1 pound Dried Great Northern Beans, Rinsed
8 cups Chicken Broth
1 whole Jalapeno, Sliced
1-1/2 Tablespoon Ground Cumin
1/2 teaspoon Paprika
1/2 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
Salt To Taste
White Pepper, To Taste
1 cup Whole Milk
2 Tablespoons Masa (corn Flour) OR Cornmeal
Grated Monterey Jack, To Taste
Sour Cream For Garnish
Cilantro For Garnish
Guacamole (optional)
Pico De Gallo (optional)
Corn Tortillas (warmed)

Directions:

Cover chicken and cook for 20 to 30 minutes or until done. Remove meat from bones. Set aside.

In a dutch oven over medium-high heat, saute onions and garlic for 2 minutes. Add chopped green chilies, then rinsed beans. Pour chicken broth into the pan. Add sliced jalapenos. Season with salt, pepper, and cumin. Place lid on pot and reduce heat to low.

Cook for 2 hours or until beans are done. Halfway through the cooking process, add 3 cups of cooked chicken.

When beans are tender, mix milk with masa (or cornmeal) and pour into the chili. Cook for an additional ten minutes to thicken. Check seasoning and adjust, adding cayenne pepper and paprika if desired.

Add some Monterey Jack cheese to the pot and stir to melt.

Serve chili in a bowl. Garnish with cilantro, sour cream, extra cheese---even pico de gallo and guacamole, if you have some on hand. Roll up warm corn tortillas and serve on the side of the bowl.

********************

This is a fairly labor-intensive recipe but oh-so-worth-it. I cut down the cook time by using canned beans (Great Northern and white Cannellini beans) and chicken breasts. Also, for some reason I had some thickening issues this time around. I made a standard roux (butter, flour, and a liquid...milk, stock, etc.) and mixed it in, which did the trick and gave me the perfect consistency. Lastly, I added in some sliced, button mushrooms that I had sauteed beforehand. Why? Well, they needed to be used. The mushrooms added a nice textural element to the chili. I don't have an updated photo, but trust me when I tell you this looked, smelled, and tasted delicious!

Mexican Layer Dip

I almost forgot about my bean dip! I had a plethora of leftover beans from burritos, so I decided to make this dip to go on my football food party table. I had all the ingredients on hand, so it was easy to just assemble. Again, Pioneer Woman did not advise poorly...this bean dip was even better than the one my mom used to make in the 80's!

Mexican Layer Dip
From: The Pioneer Woman, via thepioneerwoman.com
Link: http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2009/01/mexican-layer-dip/

Ingredients:
1 can refried Beans
Tabasco Sauce, To Taste
1 can Diced Green Chilies
Ground Cumin, to taste
3/4 cups Grated Sharp Cheddar Cheese
1 cup Sour Cream
1 cup Guacamole
3/4 cups Monterey Jack Cheese
1 can Black Olives
1 cup Pico De Gallo

Directions:
Begin by throwing the refried beans into a small pan over medium-low heat. Add several dashes of Tabasco sauce and a small can of (undrained) diced green chiles. Stir well. Next, sprinkle a little bit of ground Cumin.

Spread the beans on the bottom of a glass bowl or high-sided dish. Over this sprinkle the sharp cheddar. Next, plop your sour cream. And spread it into a single layer, being careful not to disturb the cheese underneath.

The next layer is the guacamole. Spread it over the sour cream. Follow this with a layer of Monterey Jack Cheese and a nice sprinkling of chopped black olives.

Lastly, place a generous layer of Pico de Gallo. You can also, if you have the gumption for it, sprinkle some diced jalapenos over top.

The Result:
This was snarfed down all to quickly, so no photo. I actually served this over chips for dinner the next evening to my family. I know, I know...bean dip for dinner???? I called it vegetarian nachos, thank you very much. (Please submit your "Mother of the Year" accolades here...)

Classic Hot Wings (with Blue Cheese and Ranch Dips)

Here is the other wing recipe from my Super Bowl spread. I also made two simple dips; actually the second was just a variation of the first dip recipe for these wings. I must confess, these were the best wings that I've ever made at home. They were restaurant-quality...GOOD restaurant-quality. Again, they went quickly so I'm assuming our friends agreed that these wings were pretty darn tasty.

Classic Hot Wings (with Blue Cheese and Ranch Dips)
Adapted From: The Pioneer Woman, via foodnetwork.com
Link: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ree-drummond/classic-hot-wings-recipe/index.html

Ingredients:
1-2 cups of AP flour
Canola oil, for frying
24 chicken wing parts (12 wings separated into 2 pieces)
One 12-ounce bottle cayenne hot pepper sauce, such as Frank's
1 stick butter
Several dashes Worcestershire sauce
Several dashes hot sauce, such as Tabasco

Directions:
Dry the wings with paper towels and dredge in AP flour. Shake off any excess, so there is a very light dusting of flour on each wing.

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Heat 3 inches of canola oil in a heavy pot to 375 degrees F.

Add half the chicken wing parts to the oil and fry them until they're golden brown and fully cooked, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove and drain on paper towels. Repeat with the other half of the wing parts.

In a saucepan, heat the cayenne sauce and butter over medium-low heat. Add the Worcestershire and hot sauce. Let it bubble up, and then turn off the heat.

Place the wings in an ovenproof dish and pour the hot sauce over the top. Toss to coat, and then bake in the oven for 15 minutes.

The Result:
I ended up doing about 6 pounds of wings, so I just doubled the sauce recipe. Make sure you fry your wings in small batches and coat with the sauce, bake just before serving for the best results.

*********************************

Ranch and Blue Cheese Dips
Adapted From: The Pioneer Woman, via thepioneerwoman.com
Link: http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2012/02/my-top-ten-food-picks-for-super-bowl-sunday/

1/2 cup of milk
1 packet of Ranch Salad Dressing & Seasoning Mix
1 cup mayo
1/2 cup sour cream

***1 (4 oz.) container of blue cheese crumbles (optional)***

Directions:
Mix the milk and ranch packet together in a bowl until well combined. Add mayo and sour cream. Stir to combine and serve for Ranch Dip.

***(Add blue cheese to make blue cheese dip variation.)***

The Result:
I made two separate dips. One with and one without the blue cheese. YUM! The were both delish!!!

Asian Hot Wings

I made a couple of different varieties of hot wings for our annual Super Bowl gathering. This year it was a little larger than it has been in the past, so I made a total of 10 pounds of wings...6 pounds of classic (recipe to follow) and 4 pounds of these bad boys. Both were delicious and went like hotcakes. Seriously, nary a wing survived at my house for leftovers. They. were. awesome.

(For some reason, my blog hyperlink feature is not working properly. Therefore, I must include the link separately from the original recipe source.)

Asian Hot Wings
From: The Pioneer Woman, via foodnetwork.com
Link: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ree-drummond/asian-hot-wings-recipe/index.html

Ingredients:
Canola oil, for frying
24 chicken wing parts (12 wings separated into 2 pieces)
3/4 cup plum jelly
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
2 tablespoons minced red onion
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon red pepper flakes (less of you'd like less heat!)
3 to 4 assorted hot peppers (serranos, jalapenos, and so on), minced fine
Thinly sliced (julienne) carrots and cucumber, for serving

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Heat 3 inches of canola oil in a heavy pot to 375 degrees F.

Add half the chicken wing parts to the oil and fry them until they're golden brown and fully cooked, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove and drain on paper towels. Repeat with the other half of the wing parts.

Add the plum jelly to a bowl. Then stir in the soy sauce and rice wine vinegar. Add the brown sugar, ginger, red onions, garlic, red pepper flakes and hot peppers. Stir to combine, and then pour it into a saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook the sauce until slightly thickened, about 15 minutes. Then turn off the heat.

Place the wings in an ovenproof dish and pour the sauce over the top, reserving some sauce for serving. Toss to coat, and then bake in the oven for 15 minutes.

Place the wings in dishes, and then spoon extra sauce over the top. Serve with cool vegetables to go with that delicious heat. (You might want to have a glass of ice water handy, too.)

The Result:
By the time I thought of taking a photo, these wings were gone! I used 2 Serrano peppers and one jalapeno. Since I wasn't sure about the heat tolerance of my guests, I stemmed and seeded each pepper. They were still plenty spicy, but not overwhelming. Trust me, these were a hit!

Spicy Roasted Chicken

I found this recipe on the Pioneer Woman Cooks! website, to file away for when I had various chicken parts that I didn't know what to do with. I have the hardest time coming up with new ideas for chicken thighs and/or legs! I know PW knows her food, so I was pretty confident that this would be a really good twist on boring ol' chicken parts. I was right, it was very tasty.

Originally, this recipe calls for legs, but thighs were on sale at the store this week so that's what I used. Luckily, this recipe was easy and I had mostly everything on hand for it. I forgot to look for the hot salt at the store, so I concocted my own version. Overall, this was easy and delicious...two of my favorite combinations!

Spicy Roasted Chicken
Adapted From: the Pioneer Woman website

Ingredients:
8-10 whole chicken thighs
1 stick of butter
1 Tablespoon Hot Salt (or You Favorite Seasonings...see below for what I used)
1/4 cup Lemon Juice (or To Taste)

Directions:
Melt 1 stick of butter in a saucepan. Pour in lemon juice (fresh or bottled). Now add your seasonings. Stir it together until combined.

Rinse and pat your chicken thighs dry. With metal tongs, transfer them one by one into the butter mixture and place on a baking sheet. Once all of the chicken thighs are coated and on the baking rack, take a pastry brush and give them one last coating of the butter mixture. Sprinkle them with some more of your seasonings.

Place them into a 400-degree oven for 30 minutes. If they need a bit more color, turn on the broiler for a couple minutes and watch them closely. Remove them when they are nice and golden brown. Serve and enjoy!

NOTE:
I substituted the Hot Salt for the following combined mixture:

cayenne pepper
Lawry's Seasoned Salt
garlic powder
salt and pepper



The Result:
This chicken was delish! The skin was crispy and the meat was perfectly juicy. The chicken thighs had just the right amount of spice, butter and lemon juice combination to make it perfectly flavorful. YUM!

I want to point out that PW's original recipe quantities (see linked recipe above) were a lot larger than what I used. I wasn't feeding a crowd, so I adapted the amounts noted above to fit our needs...about half of the original recipe.

Egg-in-a-Hole

Or, if you prefer, "Toad in the Hole"...that's what we called this breakfast when I was a kid. I made these for another "breakfast for dinner" treat and my whole family gobbled 'em up. I guess the classics never go out of style.

Egg-in-a-Hole
From: The Pioneer Woman website

Ingredients:
1 slice Of Your Favorite Kind Of Bread
1 Tablespoon Butter
1 whole Egg
Salt To Taste
Pepper To Taste

Directions:
With a biscuit cutter or the rim of a glass, press a hole in the center of the slice of bread.

Next, heat a skillet over medium-low heat and melt a Tablespoon of butter in it. When the butter is all spread out, place the piece of bread in the skillet and crack the egg straight into the center of hole.

Cook for at least 30 seconds or so before attempting to move the bread or things could get messy. Sprinkle the egg with salt and pepper to taste. After about a minute, flip it over with a spatula and salt and pepper the other side.

Now move the whole piece of toast around the skillet, soaking up all of the glorious butter. Let it cook until the yolk feels, to the touch, still soft without feeling over-jiggly. Here’s the key: golden brown toast, white (not brown/burned) whites, soft unbroken yolk.

This yields one serving. Repeat the process for additional portions.

Chicken Spaghetti

Holy casserole, Batman!

I have had this recipe tagged to try out for years. For one reason or another, it never came to fruition. I have a slight aversion to canned cream of "...(insert flavor here)" soup. Not the taste of it mind you; but the fact that it is soooo not healthful and soooo over-processed. I guess you could say that I am an outward cream of "..." soup snob, but I secretly kinda like it. I know that probably doesn't make a whole lot of sense, but sometimes I am a complicated person.

Anyway, I finally got around to making this recipe for last night's dinner. I had my first PTO meeting at my son's new school,so I prepped and baked everything before the meeting. I gave the hubs some final cooking instructions and asked him to 'pretty please with sugar on top' feed the kids and save me a plate for after my meeting. I then left the house while our dinner was still in the oven.

When I came home after the meeting, I asked how dinner was and got a strange response. The husband told me I would have to try it and formulate my own opinion. That made me nervous. I basically thought he was trying to politely tell me that I poisoned my family with this recipe. Thankfully, my assumption was wrong. I took a couple bites and instantly fell in love. After seeing me swoon, the husband reported that the kids all had seconds. My eldest baby daughter literally and cried for more! He also had two big portions and said it was the best casserole that we have had in awhile. Wow! A ringing endorsement by all...that hardly ever happens!!! I am so happy I finally tried this dish. My family has already requested that it be put into frequent meal rotation. Score!

Chicken Spaghetti
From: The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Recipes from an Accidental Country Girl cookbook By: Ree Drummond

Ingredients:
2 cups Cooked Chicken
3 cups Dry Spaghetti, Broken Into Two Inch Pieces
2 cans Cream Of Mushroom Soup
2 cups Grated Sharp Cheddar Cheese
1/4 cup Finely Diced Green Pepper
1/4 cup Finely Diced Onion
1 jar (4 Ounce) Diced Pimentos, Drained
2 cups Reserved Chicken Broth From Pot
1 teaspoon Lawry's Seasoned Salt
1/8 teaspoon (to 1/4 Teaspoon) Cayenne Pepper
Salt And Pepper, to taste
1 cup Additional Grated Sharp Cheddar Cheese

Directions:
Cook 1 cut up fryer and pick out the meat to make two cups. Cook spaghetti in same chicken broth until al dente. Do not overcook. When spaghetti is cooked, combine with remaining ingredients except additional 1 cup sharp cheddar.

Place mixture in casserole pan and top with remaining sharp cheddar. Cover and freeze up to six months, cover and refrigerate up to two days, or bake immediately: 350 degrees for 45 minutes until bubbly. (If the cheese on top starts to get too cooked, cover with foil).



The Result:
For my chicken, I used 4 large bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs and 1 chicken leg and boiled them according to the directions. I think this is the key to this recipe...the chicken AND the chicken broth/pasta water that is from the pot. DON'T SKIP THIS STEP! I know it's tempting to shortcut this method, but I really think it made the difference from turning this recipe into a "good" casserole into a "delicious" casserole. Aside from which chicken parts I used, I followed this recipe as-is and we all loved it. PW knows how to deliver a fantastic dinner, that's for sure.

Linguine with Clam Sauce

This dish was a revelation...but that just might be all the heavy cream talking. The best part was that it was so easy, and came from fairly humble ingredients (i.e. canned clams and dried pasta). I must admit, before cooking this dish, I wouldn't have thought to use canned clams as an ingredient. They just seemed so unappetizing. However, PW has showed me the error of my ways and this fantastic pasta dish can be extrapolated from the lowly tin of canned and chopped clams. As I mentioned, there was heavy cream (and butter) in this recipe; so it wasn't exactly "healthy", but it was sooooo delicious. The list of ingredients is not very long, and a lot of them are pantry staples. That also makes this awesome pasta dish a very budget-friendly meal. My family loved it, and my almost-5 year old son was sad that there were not any leftovers the next day. This is certainly another cookbook project score for us!

Linguine with Clam Sauce
From: The Pioneer Woman Cooks! cookbook, by: Ree Drummond

Ingredients:
2 – 10 oz cans of clams, drained, juice reserved
3 cloves garlic, minced
Chopped parsley
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp olive oil
¾ c. white wine
¾ c. heavy cream
Juice of ½ lemon
Linguine or spaghetti
Salt and pepper to taste
lemon slices and grated Parmesan for garnish

Directions:
Cook pasta according to package directions, and set aside.

Melt 1 tbsp of the butter with the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat
Add the clams and garlic, cook about 3 minutes.

Add the wine and stir, making sure to scrape up the browned bits on the bottom of the pan to incorporate into the sauce. Let it cook for 3-4 minutes, until wine has reduced a bit and it doesn’t smell so “alcohol-y” and the sauce isn't so watery.

Lower the heat. Add lemon juice and the remaining butter. stir through and cook a few more minutes.

Add cream, parsley, salt and pepper to taste. Cook until heated through, another 3-4 minutes. Add some of the reserved clam juice if the sauce is too thick, then combine with cooked pasta. Toss to combine and serve immediately with fresh lemon slices and grated Parmesan cheese.



The Result:
We couldn't get enough of this delicious pasta dish. It was completely decadent with minimal effort and expense. Do yourself a favor and make this recipe soon. You won't be disappointed!