Banana Pepper Poppers

My garden is a champ at producing peppers. I wanted to try something different with them other than pickling and candying them. We aren't that big on heat, so we have a lot of banana peppers. I decided to turn them into poppers using the filling from my VooDoo Eggrolls! They turned out delicious!!!

Banana Pepper Poppers

12 Banana Peppers, halved and seeded
1 1/2 cups Crawfish Tails, chopped or shrimp*
2 tsp Old Bay Seasoning
1 tsp Butter
1/4 cup Onion, minced
3 cloves Garlic, minced
3/4 cup Andouille Sausage, cut in a small dice
4 tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
1 1/2 cups Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
1 cup corn
1/2 block of Cream Cheese (4 oz, room temp)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

In a large bowl, add crawfish and seasonings.

In a skillet, sauté onions and garlic in butter and Worcestershire sauce,
until tender. Add crawfish and sausage. Sauté for 2-3 minutes.
Dump back into the large bowl to cool.

Stuffed Banana Pepper Poppers

Mix cheeses and corn until well mixed. Add to the cooled meat mixture.
Stuff peppers with the mixture and bake for 18 to 20 minutes. Let cool a little, about 5 minutes and enjoy!

*If you don't have access to crawfish, substitute shrimp. I used a combo of both in this recipe.

Potato Volcanos!

I bought a large (64 serving) container of dehydrated potato flakes or pearls as we call them. I divided them into serving portions, and vacuum sealed them. I was thinking of different ways to use them rather than just mashed potatoes. I came up with this and decided to call them volcanos instead of just cups. That way the kids would love to make and eat them! Even the big kids loved them! 

Potato Volcanos!

Potato Cups:

1 cup potato flakes

1 cup milk

1/2 cup water

1 tbsp butter

Sauce:
1 lb hamburger
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced

15 oz tomato sauce

1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

1/4 tsp basil

Salt and Pepper to taste

Cheeses:

1 cup mozzarella

1 cup Colby Jack

Mix the ingredients for the potato cups and microwave for 2 minutes. Form into balls and place them on a parchment lined cookie sheet or silpat liner. Using a small cup or the end of a wooded spoon, make a well in the center of each potato ball. 

Cook the hamburger in a saucepan with onion and garlic. Drain and return to pan. Add the rest of the sauce ingredients and simmer for 5 minutes. Set aside.

Add mozzarella to each potato cup. (I didn't get a picture of that step, but you get it.) Top with sauce filling to the top and a little extra to mound it up. Carefully top each cup with Colby Jack. 

The cheese can ooze over,

that helps with the volcano effect! 

Cut open to show the inside! 

Chicken Caeser Pizza and Homemade Pizza Dough

 

Chicken Caesar Pizza

Pizza dough, *recipe below*
1 1/2 cups shredded chicken breast
1/4 cup Cardini's Caesar Dressing, more if desired
1 cup Mozzarella Cheese
1/4 cup Parmesan Cheese
1/2 teaspoon dried Basil
Salt & Pepper, to taste

Follow dough direction below. Preheat oven to 425°F. Spread dough out on a cookie sheet and bake for 10-15 minutes to prebake the crust before topping.

Spoon dressing over dough. Top with chicken, cheese and seasonings. Bake at 425 degrees for about 12-15 minute.

Pizza Dough

4 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 1/4 teaspoon Instant Dry Yeast

1 1/3 cups lukewarm water

1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil

Whisk together the flour, salt, and yeast in a work bowl of a stand mixer. Pour in the water and olive oil. Mix on low until a shaggy dough forms. Knead with floured hands or by stand mixer for 10 minutes on medium or until the dough is smooth and elastic.

After mixing.

After doubling.

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a damp tea towel and let it rise in a warm, draft-free place for 1-2 hours., or until approximately doubled in size and puffy. Divide the dough into 4 equal pieces. Use your hands to roll each piece of dough into a tight ball. Cover and allow it to rise for 20 more minutes before baking.

Two of the dough balls.

As you can see, it doesn't have to be perfect! 

Preheat oven to 425°F and bake for 10-15 minutes to prebake the crust before topping. Take out of the oven and top with pizza sauce and your favorite toppings and cheese.** Bake until the cheese us golden in spots and the crust edges are a light golden brown.

** Follow the instructions for my Chicken Caesar above. 

This dough can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 6 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months before using.

Mine didn't have as much basil 

and pepper as the hubby's did.
Make it yours like I did! 

Cheesy Hashbrown and Chicken Casserole

20 oz bag of southern style hash browns
1 cup of cooked, cubed chicken breast
1 can of cream of chicken soup
½ cup cream cheese
½ cup sour cream
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp minced garlic


Preheat oven to 400-degrees and grease a 9" x 13" casserole dish or a twelve inch skillet.

Add the soup, cream cheese and sour cream to a large bowl.

Next, add 1/2 cup of mozzarella cheese and 1/2 cup of cheddar cheese to the bowl.

Add the hashbrowns, chicken, parmesan, salt, pepper and garlic to the bowl and mix well.

Pour the potato and chicken mixture into a casserole dish.

Sprinkle the remainder of the cheese on top and cover with foil.

Bake for 15-20 minutes, remove the foil, and bake 15-20 more minutes until bubbly and golden brown.

Chicken Parmesan Stuffed Portobello Mushroom Caps

I wanted to create a new stuffed mushroom recipe, but I didn't want the same old - same old stand-by recipes. I made chicken Parmesan (the usual way) and thought, "What about stuffing mushrooms with that?" So, I adapted the recipe a little and did just that. What do you think? Yes, there are mushrooms, the size of dessert plates, under that cheese! LOL 

4 portobello mushrooms, wiped clean
1 cooked boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into chunks*
1 can tomato sauce

1 can stewed tomatoes, drained

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 teaspoon basil

2 teaspoons Italian breadcrumbs

salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
2 cups mozzarella cheese, or to your taste (we like cheese!)


Preheat oven to 375°F.
Scrape black gills out of mushrooms with a spoon and remove stems.
Place mushrooms on a foil lined baking sheet, stem sides up.
In a small pot, combine chicken breast with sauce, tomatoes, seasonings, breadcrumbs and Parmesan cheese. Stir until well combined. Simmer until bubbling hot and thickened. Add more breadcrumbs if sauce is watery from the stewed tomatoes.** Spoon chicken mixture evenly on top of prepared mushrooms. Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese. Bake mushrooms in preheated oven until tender and cheese is melted and a little browned, about 20 minutes.

*I used precooked chicken fajita strips cut into chunks.

** Mushrooms are watery themselves, so you need the sauce to be pretty think.

Southern Style Tomato Pie

I asked the Hubby to go pick the ripest, prettiest tomatoes he could find from the garden. I told him that I wanted to cook a tomato pie. He said, "A what?" I laughed and told him he'd like it! Most people don't know much about tomato pie unless their Grandmama made it. Quite frankly, I don't remember Mama or my Grandmama making a tomato pie. The first time I tried it was in Santee, SC at Lone Star Barbecue & Mercantile. That first taste was enough to inspire me to make them from then on! I finished the pie and offered a slice to him. He is now hooked! I was short on tomatoes because I had already processed a lot for sauce the day before, so this pie is a little pitiful. The next one will be more substantial! LOL

This is what I found on the counter this morning!

I think he liked it! LOL

• 1 - 9 inch pie shell (or homemade pie crust, below)
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 3 cups chopped tomatoes
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
• 2 cups cheese I used a combination of Sharp Cheddar and Mozzarella
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1/2 - 1 teaspoon Hot Sauce, to taste
• Freshly ground black pepper

Preheat your oven to 350°F. Pre-bake the pie shell in the oven for about 8 to 10 minutes, until lightly browned.

Lightly salt the chopped tomatoes and set them in a colander over a bowl to drain (I used my Easy Greasy Colander System.) while you are pre-baking the crust. Squeeze as much moisture as you can out of the chopped tomatoes using paper towels.

Sprinkle a layer of chopped onion over the bottom of the pie crust. Spread the tomatoes over the onions. Sprinkle the basil over the tomatoes.

In a medium bowl, mix together the grated cheese, mayonnaise, hot sauce, and freshly ground black pepper. Spread the cheese mixture over the tomatoes.

Place in oven and bake at 350° until browned and bubbly, about 25- 30 minutes.

My pie crust was a little thin and rustic,

but it was not soggy. It was crispy and delicious!

Pie Crust:

1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour, plus extra for rolling
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon sugar
8 Tbsp (1 stick) cold butter, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
3 to 4 Tbsp ice water

Place the flour, salt, and sugar into a food processor and pulse until well combined. Add half of the butter cubes and pulse about 6 times. Then add the other half of the butter cubes and pulse about 6 more times. You should have a mixture that resembles a coarse meal, with many butter pieces the size of peas. Work quickly with the dough, you don't want the processor to heat up and start to melt the butter.

Add a couple of tablespoons of ice cold water to the food processor bowl and pulse a couple of times. Then add more ice water, slowly, about a tablespoon at a time, pulsing after each addition, until the mixture just barely begins to clump together. If you pinch some of the crumbly dough and it holds together, it's ready, if not, add a little more water and pulse again. 

Remove the crumbly mixture from the food processor and place on a clean, smooth surface. Use your hands to press the crumbly dough together and shape into a ball. Work the dough just enough to just bring the dough together. Do not over-knead or your hands will overheat the dough and break down the butter. This will make the dough tough. You should be able to see little bits of butter in the dough.

Sprinkle the dough with a little flour. Wrap it in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 1 hour. (You can freeze the dough for several months until ready to use. Defrost overnight in the refrigerator before using.)

When you are ready to roll out the dough, place it on a clean, smooth, lightly floured sheet of wax paper. (You can place it on a counter top, but I like to transfer the crust on the paper.) Sprinkle some flour on top of the dough. Using a rolling pin, roll out the dough to a 12 inch circle, to a thickness of about 1/8 of an inch thick.

As you roll out the dough, check if the dough is sticking to the surface below. Add a few sprinkles of flour if necessary to keep the dough from sticking.

Place dough onto a 9-inch pie plate. (If you use the wax paper, it's ok for it to stick a little. I invert the paper over the pie plate and gently peel the wax paper from the dough.) Gently press down to line the pie dish with the dough. Crimp or pinch the dough around the top or press with the tines of a fork.

Christmas Tree Monkey Bread (Pull Apart Bread)

I saw this idea in a video online and decided to give it a try. I didn't like their choice in spices so I changed things to our taste. It is very easy and you probably have all the ingredients on hand. You can change the spices or the type of cheese. I want to add pepperoni or sausage next time! My best advice with this recipe is preheat your oven and start at the lowest time range and keep your eye on them. If you walk away and let it go to long, you'll have a tray of hollow bites and melted cheese all over the place! You can see that mine already started to melt and hollow.

1-2 packages refrigerated canned biscuits (depending on how big you want your tree)*
1 block mozzarella cheese, cut into small chunks
Egg wash (1 egg whisked with 1 tbsp water)
1/4 cup butter, melted
1/4 Parmesan cheese
1/2 t garlic powder
1/2 t basil
1/2 t oregano
Salt and Pepper, to taste


Preheat oven to 450 degrees. 

Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or foil.
Cut mozzarella into 1” pieces. Cut each biscuit in half. Wrap biscuit halves around each piece of mozzarella, forming a tightly sealed ball. Place biscuits seam-side down on the baking sheet in the shape of (any style or size) Christmas tree you would like (biscuits should be touching). Brush brush egg wash on biscuits and bake until golden 12-18 minutes. Watch to make sure the cheese doesn't begin to melt out of the biscuits!
Whisk together melted butter, Parmesan and herbs. Brush on baked biscuits. Serve warm with marinara for dipping.

*This tree took 15 biscuits cut in half.

Sausage and Spinach Pasta Bake

Pasta, Green Beans, BLT salad and Garlic bread!

1 (12 ounce) package pasta*
1 pound ground sausage, cooked and drained
1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed
2 eggs
1/4 cup olive oil

5 cups tomato and roasted garlic pasta sauce
2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
2 cups shredded Mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook pasta in boiling water for 8 to 10 minutes, or until al dente; drain. Place the cooked pasta in a medium bowl.

In a small bowl, whisk together the eggs and oil. Toss the pasta with the cooked spinach, egg mixture, and sausage.

Cover the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish with 1/3 of the pasta sauce. Pour half of the pasta mixture into the baking dish, and cover with another 1/3 of the pasta sauce. Sprinkle with half of the Cheddar cheese and half of the mozzarella. Layer with remaining pasta mixture, and top with remaining sauce. Sprinkle with the rest of the Cheddar and mozzarella cheeses.

Bake 45 minutes, or until bubbly and lightly browned.

*I used spaghetti pasta.

Zucchini Lasagna

My DIL asked me to make this lasagna to cut down on carbs and calories. I used my regular lasagna recipe and substituted grilled zucchini for the pasta. 

4-5 Zucchini, sliced lengthwise about 25 slices*
1 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 lb ground Beef
1 Tbsp Olive Oil
2 1/2 cups Béchamel Sauce (recipe below)
4 cups Tomato Sauce
1 tsp minced Garlic
1 tsp Basil
Salt and Pepper
15 oz Ricotta cheese
2 large eggs
3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Sprinkle sliced zucchini with salt, pepper and a little garlic powder. Coat a grill pan with oil and grill zucchini on both sides until lightly brown, and set aside.

In a large sauté pan, heat olive oil on med-high. Add ground beef, salt and pepper, and sauté until browned, breaking up large clumps. Remove from heat, drain excess fat and let cool completely.

Preheat oven to 375 and make sure rack is in center position of oven.

In a medium bowl, mix the béchamel and tomato sauces to blend. Add meat mixture, garlic and basil.

In another medium bowl, mix ricotta, eggs, and ½ cup Mozzarella cheese.** (You can also add fresh minced garlic, basil and other seasonings if desired.)

In a 13 x 9 baking dish, spoon a little sauce and meat mixture over the bottom of the dish. Place zucchini slices over top the sauce, overlapping slightly and completely covering the bottom of the dish.
Spread the ricotta mixture evenly over the noodles and sprinkle with ½ cup mozzarella. Place more zucchini slices over ricotta mixture, top with sauce, and sprinkle with ½ cup mozzarella. Top with remaining zucchini, then rest of sauce, and mozzarella, and Parmesan.

Bake at 375 degrees for 45-60 minutes or until heated through and bubbly.

*It will depend on the size of the zucchini as to how many slices you will yield. The pan is 13x9, and there are 3 layers of zucchini slices. I ended up using 5 small size zucchini cut the thickness of noodles on a mandolin slicer.

**Tip: The lasagna will puff up because of the egg in the ricotta. When the center is risen as high as the edges, it’s done.

Béchamel Sauce

3 Tbsp butter
3 Tbsp all purpose flour
2 1/2 cups milk

In a medium sauce pan, over med-high heat, melt butter and whisk in flour, stirring until lightly browned. Slowly add in milk, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring each addition until thickened and bubbly. Simmer, stirring constantly, until sauce is thick, smooth and creamy but not boiling, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in a pinch of salt, pepper to taste and if desired, a pinch of nutmeg.

Meatball Sub Macaroni and Cheese

Macaroni and Cheese Base:

16 oz box elbow pasta
3 tbsp butter
3 tbsp all purpose flour
1/4 cup diced yellow onion
1 tsp minced garlic 
2 cups milk
8 oz cream cheese

½ cup mayonnaise
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper 

Meatball Topping:

24 meatballs, cooked (or more, if you like)

2 cups spaghetti sauce
½ cup mozzarella cheese

¼ Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Prepare pasta according to the box directions. 

Sit out cream cheese until room temperature. Combine with mayonnaise and Italian seasoning, and stir until smooth. Set aside.

In a medium saucepan, melt 3 tbsp of butter, add in onion and. Sauté over medium heat until the onions become translucent. Add garlic and stir. Sprinkle the onion and garlic mixture with the 3 tbsp of flour, whisking until a paste forms. Slowly mix in milk, whisking until smooth. Continue mixing until it comes to a low boil. Stir in Mozzarella, Parmesan, and cream cheese mixture. Stir until melted and smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Combine cheese sauce and prepared pasta and pour into a greased 13X9 casserole dish. 

Top casserole with meatballs and pour tomato sauce over the top, Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes or until the cheese is lightly brown and the casserole is hot and bubbly.  

Sausage and Cheese Mini Quiche

1 lb Mild Sausage
1/3 cup Onion, chopped
1 Garlic Clove, minced
1/4 cup Italian Bread Crumbs
5 Eggs
3 tsp Dijon Mustard
1/2 tsp Sweet Basil, dried
2 cups Mozzarella Cheese
½ cup Parmesan Cheese, grated
Salt & Black Pepper, to taste

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Cook sausage, onion and garlic in a heavy skillet over medium heat until meat is brown; drain. In a large bowl, combine bread crumbs, meat mixture, egg, 3 tsp mustard, parsley, cheeses, salt and pepper. Spoon meat mixture into mini muffin pans. Baked for about 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown and cooked through.

Note: Serve with your favorite hot mustard or horseradish…

Pepperoni Pizza Burger Bombs!

The Kids love pizza and burgers, So I combined the two for these Pepperoni Pizza Burger Bombs! As you can tell by the picture at the bottom of the post... It got them all here! :-)

 This was the test run.
It tasted good, but not very pretty!

This was the second run.
Very good and looks good too!

Pizza Sauce:

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 clove garlic, grated
1 small onion, chopped

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

One 14-ounce can crushed tomatoes

Burger Bombs :

1 pound ground beef

Kosher salt and black pepper

Pizza dough, room temperature

8 ounces mozzarella cheese, sliced

4 ounces thin pepperoni (about 32 slices)

1/4 cup olive oil, for brushing

For the sauce: To a small saucepan over low heat add the oil, garlic and onion and cook until fragrant. Add the tomato paste and seasoning, and mash with the back of a wooden spoon. Stir in the crushed tomatoes and bring to a simmer. Simmer for 15 minutes, then remove from the heat.

Preheat grill to medium-high heat. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

For the burger: Form the meat into four 4-ounce patties and sprinkle both sides with salt and pepper. Grill until medium, then remove from the heat and place on a paper-towel-lined plate.

Divide the pizza dough into four 4-ounce balls. Press out each ball on a floured board. Top each dough round with a slice of mozzarella, a couple slices of pepperoni, then 1 burger patty and 1 tablespoon of pizza sauce. Repeat with cheese and pepperoni. Fold the dough over the burger as if making a large dumpling. Brush with olive oil and top with a little extra cheese and pepperoni. Bake on a parchment lined baking sheet until golden brown, 8 to 10 minutes. Serve with extra pizza sauce on the side for dipping.

A Big Hunk of a Sandwich!

No matter what you call it... Sandwich, Submarine, Hero, etc., it's a big ole hunk of a sandwich!

Ham
Turkey
Pepperoni
Mozzarella
Provolone
Red Onion strings
Lettuce
Tomato
Oil & Vinegar
Salt & Pepper
Basil, Oregano and Garlic
Mayo
French Bread, or any other large bread hollowed out

No matter what you call it, we called it supper tonight! :-)

Chicken Parmesan

This recipe is as old as the hills. Some people will scoff at using mayonnaise, but it really helps to keep the chicken moist and tender. This is also a recipe that I think you have to be willing to get a little messy in the kitchen. I've never been able to do the "wet hand, dry hand" method of breading chicken, and believe me, when you've worked in a kitchen frying chicken by the 5 gallon bucket loads... you'll try every method available... So get in there and get your hands dirty! I like to prepare the chicken for the Chicken Parmesan this way, so it stays nice and juicy. 

4 chicken breasts
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded
1/2 tsp garlic powder
Salt & Pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a baking pan or large casserole dish with oil. In a flat dish, combine bread crumbs, cheese and seasonings. Place mayo on a plate. Coat the breasts with mayonnaise (I actually used my fingers), and then roll in the bread crumb mixture. Bake chicken for 25 minutes or until no longer pink inside.

To assemble and prepare the Parmesan you'll need:

Spaghetti Noodles

32 oz Spaghetti Sauce, make your own or use your favorite store brand
½ t Basil, dried
2 cloves garlic, minced
Salt and Pepper to taste
3 cups Mozzarella Cheese
1/4 cup Parmesan Cheese, shredded

Cook spaghetti noodles in boiling salted water until done and put in a greased casserole dish. Combined sauce and spices and pour over noodles. Remove chicken from oven and place on top of the noodles and sauce. Sprinkle mozzarella cheese on top of chicken then top with the Parmesan Cheese. Bake at 350 for 20-30 minutes. Serve with a Caesar or Garden Salad and Garlic Bread.