Cheese ball
Cheese ball
2 packages (8 oz each) cream cheese, softened
8 oz bag of shredded sharp cheddar cheese
3-4 green onions, chopped finely
A dash of garlic powder
A dash of onion powder
3 tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce
2 packages of thinly sliced beef, ham, or pastrami
Mix all ingredients and form into a ball. Roll in chopped nuts if you desire. Refridgerate for an hour. Serve with crackers.
American Goulash
American Goulash
Serves 4
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 pound ground beef
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 jar tomato based pasta sauce (approximately 26 oz)
1 (15-oz.) can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 1/4 cup low sodium beef broth (or water)
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon paprika
2 cups Elbow Macaroni, uncooked
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
Chopped fresh parsley, for garnish
In a large skillet over medium heat, heat oil. Add onion and cook until slightly softened, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute more.
Add ground beef, season with salt and pepper, and cook until no longer pink. Drain fat and return to pan.
Add tomato paste, pasta sauce, and diced tomatoes. Stir to coat. Pour in broth. Season with Italian seasoning and paprika. Stir in macaroni. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until pasta is tender, about 15 minutes.
Stir in cheese and remove from heat. Garnish with parsley.
Steak Fajitas
Steak Fajitas
Yields 4 servings
8 flour tortillas, each 8 inches in diameter, heated
1 1/2 pounds beef flank steak, trimmed of fat
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon chipotle powder or chili powder
2 tablespoons vegetable oil, 2 turns around the pan
1/4 head Savoy cabbage, cored and shredded
2 red bell peppers, seeded and sliced
1 small red onion, sliced
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons hot sauce
2 limes, 1 juiced and 1 cut into wedges
1/2 pound smoked cheddar shredded
6 scallions, green part sliced on an angle
2 sliced avocados
1 cup sour cream
Preheat a grill pan or grill to medium-high. Preheat oven 200°F, wrap tortillas in a clean, wet, kitchen towel and place in oven to get warm. Drizzle steak with olive oil.
Season the steak with cumin, chipotle powder, salt and freshly ground black pepper. Place the seasoned flank steak on the grill or grill pan, cook until the meat is well-browned on one side, about 5 minutes. Turn and continue to cook until well-browned on the other side and medium-rare at the center, about 4 minutes more. Transfer the steak to a cutting board and let rest for several minutes.
While the steak is cooking, preheat a large, nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add vegetable oil and let the oil start to smoke. Add the cabbage, bell peppers and red onions, toss and cook them until the veggies soften and cabbage starts to wilt, about 8 minutes. Season the veggie mixture with salt, freshly ground pepper, hot sauce and juice of 1 lime. Remove from the heat and keep warm.
Thinly slice the steak across the grain and transfer to a warmed platter along with the spicy veggies. Serve with scallions, avocados, sour cream and lime wedges alongside as your toppers. Top the warm tortillas with a couple of slices of meat, spicy veggies, some smoked cheddar on top and whatever toppers you want!
Layered Spring Omelet
Layered Spring Omelet
Serves 6
1 tablespoon olive oil
8 ripe tomatoes, seeded and cut into 1/2-inch dice
3/4 teaspoon coarse salt, plus more to taste
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper, plus more to taste
21 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
3/4 cup grated Vermont cheddar cheese
3/4 cup grated Gruyere cheese
2/3 cup loosely packed fresh basil leaves, torn in half
8 ounces spinach, leaves picked and torn in half
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
1 small leek, julienned, for garnish
2 tablespoons snipped fresh chives, for garnish
In a medium saucepan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add tomatoes, and simmer until almost all the liquid has evaporated, about 25 minutes. Season with salt and black pepper. Transfer tomatoes to a stainless-steel colander, and drain any excess liquid. Set aside.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, combine eggs, salt, black pepper, nutmeg, and cayenne pepper. Lightly beat mixture with a fork. Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a 10-inch heat-proof, nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Pour one-third of the egg mixture, about 1 1/2 cups, into skillet. Using a rubber spatula, stir eggs until they just begin to set, about 1 minute. Sprinkle both cheeses on top. Using spatula, gently pull sides of omelet toward center so any uncooked liquid runs underneath. Cook until eggs have almost completely set, 3 to 4 minutes.
Transfer the skillet to oven, and bake until fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove skillet from oven. Place a baking sheet on top of skillet, and invert skillet onto baking sheet, releasing the omelet layer; hold both baking sheet and skillet firmly so omelet doesn’t slide. Set aside in a warm place.
Carefully wipe out the hot skillet with a paper towel. Add 1 tablespoon butter, and melt over medium-high heat. Pour another third of the egg mixture into the skillet, and stir with the rubber spatula until the eggs just begin to set, about 1 minute. Add half of the reserved cooked tomatoes to the eggs. Using the spatula, gently pull sides of the omelet toward the center so any uncooked liquid runs underneath. When the eggs have almost completely set, spread the remaining tomatoes on top.
Transfer skillet to oven, and bake until fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from oven, and place another baking sheet on top of skillet; carefully invert skillet to release second layer. Carefully slide on top of the first one, and set the two aside in a warm place.
Wipe out the hot skillet with a paper towel. Add remaining 1 tablespoon butter, and melt over medium-high heat. Pour the remaining third of the egg mixture into the skillet, and stir with the rubber spatula until the eggs just begin to set, about 1 minute. Add half of the spinach and thyme; incorporate into the eggs. Using the spatula, gently pull sides of the omelet toward the center so any uncooked liquid runs underneath. When the eggs have almost completely set, spread remaining spinach and thyme on top. Transfer skillet to the oven, and bake until fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes. Invert the third layer onto a baking sheet, and slide on top of the other two layers. Transfer the three-layer omelet to a serving platter, and garnish with leeks and chives. Serve warm.
Twice Baked Mashed Potatoes
Twice Baked Mashed Potatoes
Cut potatoes and boil in water. Drain. Add butter, sour cream, milk, salt, pepper, bacon, green onions, and cheddar cheese. Mash together. Put more cheese on top and place in oven until it's all melted. Garnish with extra bacon and green onions.
Mashed Potatoes Variations:
**Mash with milk and butter (one stick of butter to 5 lbs of potatoes)
**Mash also with cream cheese (at least 4 oz cream cheese to 5 lbs of potatoes) or sour cream
**Boil potatoes in water and chicken stock to give them more flavor
Shortbread
Shortbread
Makes about 12 dozen
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 cup (2 sticks) salted butter, chilled and cut into small pieces
2 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese
1/2 cup milk
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
To the bowl of a food processor, add flour and cayenne pepper; pulse to combine. Add butter, and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse meal, 8 to 10 seconds. Add cheese to the food processor; pulse until combined. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl. Using a fork, stir in milk and Worcestershire sauce until well combined. Have ready several pieces of parchment paper.
Form mixture into two 1-inch-diameter logs, and wrap in parchment. Transfer the logs to the refrigerator, and chill until very firm, at least 1 hour.
Heat oven to 350º. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Remove logs from refrigerator, and cut each one into 1/4-inch-thick rounds. Place the rounds on prepared baking sheets, spaced 1 inch apart. Bake the shortbread until golden, about 12 minutes, rotating baking sheets between shelves halfway through baking. Transfer shortbread to wire racks to cool. Bake remaining dough. Store in an airtight container up to 2 days.
Apple and Cheddar Frittata
Apple and Cheddar Frittata
Serves 4
8 large eggs plus 2 large egg whites
4 ounces white cheddar cheese, coarsely grated (1 cup)
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 tablespoon butter
2 Gala apples, peeled, cored, and sliced lengthwise into 1/8-inch-thick pieces
Preheat oven to 450 degrees, with rack set in top third. In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, egg whites, and half the cheese; season with salt and pepper. In a medium cast-iron or nonstick ovenproof skillet, heat butter over medium. Add egg mixture; while it cooks, 1 to 2 minutes until edge is set, arrange apples on top in a circular pattern, starting from the outside edge, and sprinkle with remaining cheese.
Transfer skillet to oven. Bake until frittata is set in the center and cheese is browned, about 20 minutes. Using a rubber spatula, release frittata onto a cutting board; let rest 5 minutes. Cut into wedges, and serve.
Crockpot Western Omelet Casserole
Crockpot Western Omelet Casserole
Serves 12
1 bag (32 oz.) frozen hash brown potatoes
1 pound of bacon diced, cooked and drained or 1 pound cooked ham, cubed
1 medium diced onion
1 green bell pepper diced
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese
1 dozen eggs
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
Place a layer of frozen potatoes on the bottom of the slow cooker, followed by a layer of bacon then onions, green pepper and cheese. Repeat the layering process two or three more times, ending with a layer of cheese. Beat the eggs, milk, salt, and pepper together. Pour over the crockpot mixture, cover and turn on low. Cook for 10-12 hours.
Chicken and Olive Casserole
Chicken and Olive Casserole
Makes 1 casserole
4 boneless chicken breasts; cubed in 1" chunks
1/2 cup sliced black olives
1/2 cup sliced green olives
1/4 cup olive oil
1 onion; diced
2 large cloves of garlic; minced
2 Tablespoons soy sauce
2 teaspoon basil
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon thyme
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
Salt and pepper to taste
Saute chicken, onion and garlic in olive oil for about 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Add soy, olives, herbs, salt, and pepper into the chicken/onion mix. Mix thoughly. Transfer to a 9×11 baking dish. Top with the cheddar cheese. Cover with foil and bake at 350 for 20 minutes. Remove the foil. Cook for an additional 10 minutes. Then serve.
Chicken Enchilada Casserole (Crock pot)
Chicken Enchilada Casserole (Crock pot)
3-4 lbs of cooked shredded chicken
1 medium onion finally chopped
1 Tablespoon of oil
1 can of cream of mushroom
1 can of cream of chicken
1 cup of sour cream
10 oz can or jar of any enchilada sauce
4.5 can diced chilies
20 tortillas
3 cups of shredded cheese – cheddar, Mexican mix, monterey jack
Sauté onion until translucent. Stir in soups, sour cream, enchilada sauce and chilies until warm. Tear tortillas into bite size pieces. Layer half of sauce, chicken, tortillas and cheese in slow cooker, alternating layers. Repeat – ending with cheese and sauce. Cover and heat 5-6 hours at Low or 2-3 hours High.
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