Month: January 2023

Shepheard’s Pie

Created on

Ingredients:

Meat Filling

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 cup chopped yellow onion
  • 1 lb. 90% lean ground beef -or ground lamb
  • 2 teaspoons dried parsley leaves
  • 1 teaspoon dried rosemary leaves
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 2 garlic cloves -minced
  • 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1 cup beef broth
  • 1 cup frozen mixed peas & carrots*
  • 1/2 cup frozen corn kernels

Potato Topping

  • 1 ½ – 2 lb. russet potatoes -about 2 large potatoes peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes
  • 8 tablespoons unsalted butter -1 stick
  • 1/3 cup half & half
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1/4 cup parmesan cheese

Instructions

Make Meat Filling

Step One: Add the oil to a large skillet and place it over medium-high heat for 2 minutes. Add the onions. Cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally

Step Two: Add the ground beef (or ground lamb) to the skillet and break it apart with a wooden spoon. Add the parsley, rosemary, thyme, salt, and and pepper. Stir well. Cook for 6-8 minutes, until the meat is browned, stirring occasionally

Step Three: Add the Worcestershire sauce and garlic. Stir to combine. Cook for 1 minute

Step Four: Add the flour and tomato paste. Stir until well incorporated and no clumps of tomato paste remain

Step Five: Add the broth, frozen peas and carrots, and frozen corn. Bring the liquid to a boil then reduce to simmer. Simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally

Step Six: Set the meat mixture aside. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F

Make Potato Topping

Step One: Place the potatoes in a large pot. Cover the potatoes with water. Bring the water to a boil. Reduce to a simmer. Cook until potatoes are fork tender, 10-15 minutes.

Step Two: Drain the potatoes in a colander. Return the potatoes to the hot pot. Let the potatoes rest in the hot pot for 1 minute to evaporate any remaining liquid.

Step Three: Add butter, half & half, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Mash the potatoes and stir until all the ingredients are mixed together.

Step Four: Add the parmesan cheese to the potatoes. Stir until well combined.

Assemble Casserole

Pour the meat mixture into a 9×9 (or 7×11) inch baking dish. Spread it out into an even layer. Spoon the mashed potatoes on top of the meat. Carefully spread into an even layer. If the baking dish looks very full, place it on a rimmed baking sheet so that the filling doesn’t bubble over into your oven. Bake uncovered for 25-30 minutes.** Cool for 15 minutes before serving

Notes: To make this dairy and gluten-free, sub out the flour for almond flour and the half and half/butter with a milk alternative

Biscuts and Gravy

Created on

Ingredients:

  • One tube of Old Country Sausage
  • Two tablespoons of butter
  • One cup flour
  • Two cups milk, divided
  • Smoky seasoning
  • Paprika
  • Black pepper
  • Pillsbury Grands! With Flaky Layers
  • Green onion

Instructions:

Step One: Preheat oven to the temp indicated on the Pillsbury can. Once the oven is to temp, cook the biscuits according to the instructions.

Step Two: Heat a pan to medium high heat. Cook the sausage.

Step Three: Add butter. Once the butter is melted, add the flour. Make sure to coat the sausage in the flour.

Step Four: Add one cup of milk to the sausage and flour. Mix everything together. The mixture should be very thick. Keep adding in milk, little by little, mixing it through the sausage to get the right consistency. You may not need the entire 2 cups of milk.

Step Five: Add smoky seasoning, paprika and black pepper to the mixture.

Step Six: Garnish with green onion and serve with biscuits.

Notes: For a more complete breakfast, poach two eggs and serve with the biscuits and gravy. Tabasco is the best hot sauce for this meal.

Coffee Cake

Created on 12/23/2022

Ingredients:

  • 4 large eggs
  • 1 box instant Jello French Vanilla (do NOT use Cook and Serve Jello)
  • 1/2 cup sour cream
  • 1 box yellow cake mix, I recommend Betty Crocker
  • 1/2 cup canola oil
  • Baker’s Joy non stick spray (this is the only spray I’ve used that successfully keeps the cake from sticking, Pam doesn’t not work)
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 2 tablespoons Hersey’s cocoa special dark mix
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon

Instructions:

Step One: Preheat over to 350 degrees

Step Two: Mix all ingredients in a standing mixer. Spray Baker’s Joy on the inside of the coffee cake pan. Add mixture to the coffee cake pan

Step Three: Allow the cake to cook for about 35 minutes. Use a wooden skewer, and stick it into the middle part of the cake. If the cake mixture comes out on the wooden stick, then keep cooking the cake for an additional five minutes and repeat with the wooden stick. If the the wooden stick comes out of the cake clean, then the cake is ready to take out of the oven

Step Four: Mix together the sugar, cocoa mix, and cinnamon in a bowl. Sprinkle the mixture on top of the cake and enjoy!

Fried Chicken Sandwich

Created on 1/18/2023

Ingredients:

Chicken Marinade

  • 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • 1 teaspoon EACH paprika, garlic powder, black pepper and salt

Breading

  • 1 cup flour
  • 1/2 cup corn starch
  • 1 tablespoon EACH paprika, garlic powder, cayenne pepper
  • 1 teaspoon salt and pepper

Spicy Mayo

  • 1/2 cup mayo
  • 1 teaspoon hot sauce
  • 1 teaspoon paprika or cajun seasoning
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

Assemble

  • 4 medium sized brioche buns
  • Mayonnaise
  • Sliced pickles
  • 3-4 cups of canola oil for frying

Instructions:

Step One: Pound chicken breasts in between two pieces of parchment paper or plastic wrap. Cut each chicken breast in half crosswise to make 2 small pieces of chicken about the same size as the bun (see video below). 

Step Two: In a large bowl, buttermilk, paprika, garlic powder, salt & black pepper. Add the chicken to the mix and place in the fridge to marinate up to 24 hours or use right away. (I recommend marinading for 24 hours)

Step Three: Heat oil in a large heavy-duty skillet or pot on medium temperature or until the temperature reaches 350F.

Step Four: In a medium shallow bowl, whisk the flour, cornstarch, and spices. Drizzle 2-3 tablespoons of the buttermilk batter into the flour mixture and mix it through with a fork.

Step Five: Working with 1 piece at a time, dredge chicken the flour mixture and press flour on the top chicken to form a thick crust. Transfer chicken to hot oil and fry for 3-5 minutes per side or until the outside is crispy and golden and the internal temperature reaches 165F. 

Step Six: Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a large saucepan and toast buns face down until golden and crisp. Whisk all the ingredients for the mayo in a small bowl and spread a generous layer of mayo on each bun. Top with pickles and chicken. Enjoy hot! 

Notes: For extra crispy chicken, do a double fry. Fry chicken per the directions in Step Five. Repeat until all chicken has been fried once. Turn the oil temperature up to medium high, wait until the oil reaches that temp. Then return each piece of chicken separately into the oil. Fry again for about 2 minutes until the breading is a deep golden brown color. Repeat with each piece of chicken.