Shepherd’s Pie

Prep: 20 minutes              Bake: 30+ minutes

Since I have known my fiancé and his family, Shepherd’s Pie has been a common dinner dish at family gatherings and holidays. Shepherd's Pie is an English dish, traditionally made with lamb but here in America it is typically made with ground beef. Shepherd's Pie is essentially a casserole (or pie), lined with cooked meat and vegetables, topped with mashed potatoes, and baked. I have begged a certain family member for her recipe, since it is one of my fiancés favorite dishes, but I have been unsuccessful to get my hands on her family recipe (his aunt claims if she gives it to me that we would no longer come over when she makes it) So I searched the internet for a recipe that I thought was similar to hers…so here it is! Enjoy! 

Ingredients

1 1/2 lbs ground round beef

1 onion chopped

1-2 cups vegetables - chopped carrots, corn, peas

1 1/2 - 2 lbs potatoes (3 big ones)

8 tablespoons butter (1 stick)

1/2 cup beef broth

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

2 Store bought pie crust at room temperature

Salt, pepper, other seasonings of choice

Cheese of your choice (optional)

The process

1. Peel and quarter potatoes; boil in salted water until tender (about 20 minutes)

2. While the potatoes are cooking, melt 4 Tablespoons butter (1/2 a stick) in large frying pan.

3. Sauté onions in butter until tender over medium heat (10 mins). Put frozen veggies with the onions and sauté for an additional 2 minutes. 

4. Add ground beef and sauté until no longer pink. Add salt and pepper, worcesterchire sauce and half a cup of beef broth. Cook, uncovered, over low heat for 10 minutes, adding more beef broth as necessary to keep moist.

5. Mash potatoes in bowl with remainder of butter, season to taste. Add a touch a milk for fluffy potatoes. 

6. Roll out piecrust into each pie tin and spoon in beef and onions into tin. Distribute mashed potatoes on top. Rough up with a fork so that there are peaks that will brown nicely. 

7. Cook in 400 degree oven until bubbling and brown (about 30 minutes). Broil for last few minutes if necessary to brown. Add cheese the last two minutes of cooking. 

8. Enjoy!

Tortellini and Garden Vegetable Bake

Prep: 15 minutes     Bake 40-45 minutes

Tis’ the season for holiday gatherings and work potlucks… and the dreaded thought of having to make something to feed tons of people without breaking the bank.  Although our staff has decided to skip the holiday potluck this time around, I will be seeing family and friends over the holidays that expect some wonderful homemade goodies. Here is a recipe that surly would please! Tortellini with Garden Vegetables is creamy, delicious, unique and health to add to the Holiday event! Enjoy!    

Ingredients

10 ounces dried cheese-filled tortellini (2-1/2 cups) or two 9-ounce packages refrigerated tortellini

1 medium carrot, thinly sliced

1 1/2 cups sugar snap peas, halved crosswise

1 tablespoon margarine or butter

1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces

1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms

1/3 cup chicken broth

2 tablespoons snipped fresh oregano or 1-1/2 teaspoons dried oregano, crushed

2 teaspoons all-purpose flour

3/4 teaspoon garlic salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1 cup milk

1 8 ounce package cream cheese or light cream cheese, cubed and softened

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 cup quartered cherry tomatoes

1 small red or green sweet pepper, coarsely chopped

2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

The  Process

1. Cook tortellini in boiling salted water according to package directions, adding the carrot during the last 5 minutes of cooking and the sugar snap peas during the last 1 minute of cooking; drain.

2. Meanwhile, heat margarine or butter in a 12-inch skillet. Add chicken and mushrooms, and cook about 5 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink. Remove from skillet.

3. Shake together chicken broth, oregano, flour, garlic salt, and pepper in a screw-top jar until smooth. Add to skillet along with milk. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly; add cream cheese. Cook and stir until cream cheese is smooth. Remove from heat. Stir in lemon juice. Add pasta mixture, chicken mixture, tomatoes, and sweet pepper. Toss to coat. Turn into an ungreased 13x9x2-inch baking dish or shallow 3-quart casserole.

4. Bake, covered, in a 350 degrees F oven for 30 to 35 minutes or until heated through. Stir mixture and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. 

5. Enjoy!

Braided Spaghetti Garlic Bread

Prep: 15 minutes      Bake 45 minutes

 This was such a unique recipe that I found on my new favorite web site Pinterest; I instantly changed my original dinner plans to make this creative dish. The Braided Spaghetti Garlic Bread is so creative and unique it makes having spaghetti for dinner exciting instead of bland and boring. Plus it combines the cheese garlic bread into the spaghetti so you don’t feel bad going back for an extra bread stick; it’s included! Enjoy!!

Ingredients

1 Loaf Bread Dough thawed to room temperature

6 oz spaghetti, cooked

1 cup thick spaghetti sauce

8 oz mozzarella cheese, cut into 1/2 –inch cubes

1 egg white

Parmesan cheese

Parsley flakes

The Process

1. Spray counter lightly with non-stick cooking spray (or use parchment paper).   

2. Roll loaf or combined dinner rolls into a 12x16-inch rectangle. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest for 10-15 minutes.

3. Cook spaghetti according to package instructions. Drain and let cool slightly.

4. Remove wrap from dough. Place spaghetti lengthwise in a 4-inch strip down the center of dough. Top with sauce and cheese cubes. (I mixed my spaghetti and sauce together and added a ½ pound of cooked Italian Sausage)

5. Make cuts 1 ½-inches apart on long sides of dough to within ½-inch of filling.

Begin braid by folding top and bottom strips toward filling. Then braid strips left over right, right over left. Finish by pulling last strip over and tucking under braid.

6. Lift braid with both hands and place on large sprayed baking sheet. (or transfer parchment paper to baking sheet). Brush with egg white and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and parsley (I added garlic powder).

7. Bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown. Cool slightly and slice to serve.

8. Enjoy!

Caramel- Apple Cheesecake Cupcakes

Makes 12 Prep: 30 minutes     Bake 20 minutes

Just in time for Thanksgiving, give the gift of a sweet and savory treat that will surely have no problem finding a space in the fully turkey bellies of our families. These little Caramel Apple Cheesecake Cupcakes are so velvety smooth and delightful going down it will be hard to just eat one. I made these the day before Thanksgiving and could not wait until they were done to test them out. My boyfriend Blair and I split one after dinner tonight and we really thought hard about maybe not bring them to the family dinner tomorrow because they were SO good… but tis the season to give thanks and share so we will bring them to my mother’s house tomorrow. Hope you enjoy them as much as we will tomorrow!  

  

Ingredients 

5 small to medium gala apples

1 stick unsalted butter (4oz.)

1 cup plus 1 Tbsp. sugar

1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice

8 graham crackers squares finely chopped

Pinch of salt

 12 oz. cream cheese at room temperature

2 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 cup walnuts chopped

¾ cup sour cream 

The Process

1. Peel and slice apples. 

2. In large skillet, melt 3 Tbsp. butter over medium heat. Add apples, 6 Tbsp sugar and lemon juice.  Cook until the apples being to caramelize. (about 7 minutes) Lower heat and add 1 Tbsp butter. Cook until all apples are tender. Let cool

3. Line cupcake tine with cupcake papers and preheat oven to 325*.

4. Melt 2 Tbsp butter , then place in a medium bowl. Mix in the finely chopped graham crackers and salt. 

5. Add cracker mixture to the bottom of each cupcake paper. Place in freezer to set.

6. Using a mixer combine cream cheese and ½-cup sugar until creamy. Beat in the eggs one at a time. Mix in the vanilla last.

7. Place 2 apple slices at the bottom of each cupcake paper. Keep the remaining apples and sauce at room temperature and covered.

8. Divide the cream cheese mixture evenly into the cups. Bake about 20 minutes. 

9. Turn off the oven, open the door slightly and let cool for about 30 minutes. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours or overnight.

10. In a small skillet, melt the last 2 Tbsp butter. Add the walnuts and 2 Tbsp. sugar and cook, stirring unit roasted. (4 minutes) cool on paper towel.

11. Arrange the reserved apples with their juices on top of the cupcakes. Stir the remaining 1 Tbsp. sugar with the sour cream. Top the cupcakes with the sour cream and candied nuts.

12. Enjoy!   

Crispy Buffalo Chicken Roll-ups

Prep: 15 Minutes    Bake: 30 Minutes

Chicken is something that I am always looking for to cook differently. I mean… you can only grill and use shake-n-bake so many times before your chicken dinner becomes dull and unsatisfying. The Crispy Buffalo Chicken Roll-ups not only provide the crunch of a good piece of fried chicken but it is stuffed with melted goodness of cheese! What more could your dinner plate ask for! 

Ingredients

4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (about 6oz each)

¾ tsp. of salt

½ tsp. of pepper

¼ cup crumbled blue cheese

¼ cup hot pepper sauce

2 Tbsp. mayonnaise

1 cup crushed cornflakes

The Process

1. Flatten chicken breast to ¼ inch thickness. Season with salt and pepper; sprinkle with blue cheese. 

2. Roll up each from a short side and secure with toothpicks.

3. In a shallow bowl, combine pepper sauce and mayonnaise. Place cornflakes in a separate shallow bowl. Dip chicken in pepper sauce mixture, then coat with cornflakes. Place seam side down in a greased 11X7 inch baking dish.

4. Bake, uncovered, at 400* for 30-35 minutes or until the chicken is no longer pink inside.

5. Enjoy!

Chicken Yellow Curry

Prep: 10 minutes  Cook: 20 minutes

When I first met my boyfriend’s parents, we went to a little Thai food restaurant called Table for Two located in Riverside. I was really nervous because one I was meeting Blair’s parents for the first time and two because I had never eaten Thai food and was stressed as to what I would have to order. To make a long story short I fell in love with two things that night; Blair’s parents and the yellow curry. Of course, I was too scared to order it but Blair did and I think I ate more of his food than he did! Since then I have been trying to perfect a recipe that I could make at home and enjoy eating spoonfuls all to myself. If you have never enjoyed curry before it is a must and is so delicious! Enjoy!

Ingredients

2 Serrano chilies, halved and seeded

1 carrot, peeled and cut into small chunks

1 onion diced

¾ oz. fresh ginger; peeled- don’t skip this! It add so much flavor

2 Tbsp. Vegetable oil

13.5 oz. can coconut milk

1 ½ tsp. curry powder

4 boneless skinless chicken breast, cooked and cut into cubes

1 cup white rice

The Process

1.    In a frying with a little oil, cook lightly seasoned chicken breast until no longer pink inside. Cut into cubes. 

2.    In a medium pan, add 1 cup white rice and 2 cups water. Bring to a boil then lower the heat and cover until the rice has absorbed all the water and is fluffy.

3.    Finely chop (or put into a food processor) Serrano’s, carrot, onion, and ginger. Combine making it look like a marinade. 

4.    Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat; add vegetables and cook to soften; about 3 minutes

5.    Add coconut milk and curry powder and bring to simmer; add chicken and simmer until cooked through, 3-5 minutes

6.    Season with salt and serve over white rice.

7.    Enjoy!