Garlic Cheese Biscuits

Have you ever been to Red Lobster?  Well, my parents (seafood lovers) and I (a seafood hater) have been a few times.  Walking into the restaurant instantly makes me a little queasy with the fishy smell and the fact that there are zip-tied lobsters begging for their freedom in the lobby.  However, they have one thing right:  their garlic cheese biscuits.  They are perfection.

This recipe came about because my mom tried to get as close to Red Lobster's biscuits as she could.  She did quite a bit of experimenting and created a recipe similar to this one.  Unfortunately I lost her original recipe (I'm sure she'd give it to me if I called and asked), so this is my version of it.

Ingredients:

2 cups bisquick
1 stick of butter
1/4 cup milk
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1.5 cups grated cheddar cheese

**You'll also need a little more butter & garlic powder to brush onto the tops of the biscuits after baking.

Directions:

1.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Melt the butter and combine with the bisquick, milk, and garlic powder.

2.  Mix thoroughly--you may have to use your hands to get all of the ingredients completely incorporated.

 

3.  Mix in the cheese.  (I usually grab 2 handfulls of cheese and squish it in by hand.  Don't worry, I wash them first.)

4. Roll the biscuits into medium-sized balls and place them on a greased cookie sheet or baking pan.  (I got 12 biscuits out of this batch.)

5.  Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until the biscuits are beginning to turn golden.  Well, they will still be mostly white, but the cheese in them will be more golden.  Be careful not to over-bake them, or they'll loose that Red Lobster softness.

 

6.  Melt an extra couple of tablespoons of butter and toss in a dash of garlic powder.  Brush this mixture onto the biscuits as soon as you remove them from the oven.  They will soak it up, perfectly :)

Even my baby minion enjoyed his garlic cheese biscuit!

I highly recommend serving your garlic cheese biscuits with Beth's pasta bake.  Delicious!

Tomato Alfredo Penne

This is another easy and quick pasta meal - and a good compromise for my Alfredo-loving girls and my tomato-based-preferenced husband. I love to mix a marinara-type pasta sauce with my Alfredo sauce when I go out for pasta...and that's where the idea for this recipe came from.

I started with a few Alfredo sauce recipes and then veered off into my own direction...it has had some edits along the way. (For example, this originally had a lot more butter, but I've cut it as much as I can without sacrificing a good recipe - if you like your food rich, add more than the recipe call for. I also didn't measure anything when I originally made this, so in trying to figure out how much I used of everything to make the recipe worth sharing, I guessed wrong and over-peppered it  - just so you know, 1/4 tsp of pepper is too much!) :)

16 oz penne pasta

6 Tbsp butter (or 8 T = 1 stick if you like a richer flavor)
¾ cup evaporated milk (half 12 oz can)
8 oz can (short can) tomato sauce

1 cup Parmesan cheese (pantry kind)
½ tsp salt
½ tsp onion powder
½ tsp garlic powder
2 Tbsp parsley (dried)
Pinch white pepper (or black) - to taste

Directions:

Cook the pasta ("according to package directions") - drain and leave in colander while you mix up the rest.

Combine all other ingredients in (same) pot over medium low heat. Stir. Stirring occasionally, heat until all is melted and mixed well (may thicken slightly - but may not be noticeable). Should take about 5-8 minutes.

Dump drained cooked noodles back into pot on top of sauce and stir until well mixed. Serve immediately.

Random fact: I don't like croutons. I only put them on the salad for the picture. Then I picked them off and gave them to my kids.

Ok Ok, I'll take it easy on the pasta for a while. :) I do have one more recipe that's "pasta-like" that I'll try to get to in the next month or so - it's probably my favorite of them all...but it's a lot of work - so it's a special occasional or guests kind of meal.

Pasta Bake (aka Baked Ziti)

This is another one of those quick/easy recipes. (Total time: 30 minutes) In fact, it's probably my favorite easy fall back recipe - perfect post for my birthday!

Ingredients:
16 oz penne or ziti (or other)
1 can spaghetti sauce (like 26 oz del monte)
1/2 container ricotta cheese (about 8 oz - approx 1 cup)
8 oz (or more if you like) mozzarella cheese (about 2 cups)

Cook your pasta - "according to package directions".
While that's cooking...

Mix (directly in your 9x13 = fewer dishes) the sauce and ricotta cheese (I don't actually measure this)

It should be orangish in color. 

(If you really like ricotta/creaminess, add more. If you're not wild about it, decrease it some.)

Mix in your cooked/drained noodles. Then top with mozzarella cheese. (I have mixed in a little bit of the mozzarella into the noodle mixture, but I liked it better all on top.)

 Bake for about 10-15 minutes at 350 (or 400 - lower end of time range) or until mozzarella cheese is melted but before it's melted into a crust of cheese.

My oven took a little longer this time (like 20 minutes at 350) because I was baking my french bread at the same time.

 I may have gone a little over the 8 oz of mozzarella this time because it was a little too cheesy...wait, is that possible? ;)

Funeral Sandwiches

Jake absolutely loves these sandwiches.  I think they're ok.  However, since they're super easy to make and AMAZING (according to my picky-eater of a hubby--minion), I thought I'd include the recipe for ya'll to try!

Ingredients:

1 package of Hawaiian sweet rolls
12 thin slices of deli meat
6 slices of provolone cheese (or your fav cheese)
1 stick of melted butter
3 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
2 Tbsp mustard
2 Tbsp brown sugar
1/2 tsp onion powder

Directions:

1.  Break your rolls apart and slice them in half.  Fold your deli meat to fit and place a slice on each roll.  Place half a slice of cheese on top of each roll.  Put the tops back on the sandwiches.

2.  Whisk the butter, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, brown sugar, and onion powder until smooth.

3.  Place your sandwiches in a tupperware container (or a casserole dish) and brush the tops with the sauce.  Drizzle any remaining sauce onto the sandwiches and cover with a lid or plastic wrap.  Place them in the refrigerator to marinate for 1-4 hours.  The more time they marinate, the more flavorful they are, but they're still good even with little marinating time.

4.  Heat your oven to 350 degrees, and place the sandwiches on a cake sheet or some other similar pan with a lip, because they will drip.  Bake for about 15 minutes until the cheese is melted and the tops are golden brown.

(Be careful not to put them in the oven using the dish you marinated them in.  There will be too much sauce sitting in the bottom of the dish and the bottoms of your sandwiches will be soggy.)

They're yummy little sandwiches, and I think Jake would eat them once a week if I'd make them :)

Lasagna (super easy and homemade)

One of my favorite kinds of foods is PASTA - so in  honor of my birthday month, the rest of my recipes will all be posted my favorite pasta recipes...starting with a favorite in our house...

My aunt gave me her lasagna recipe when my husband and I were either dating or newly engaged - we liked to make dinner together a lot then (back in college).

I took the recipe, edited it a little - took out some calories/fat :) and used canned sauce to make it even easier than it already is. So, here is the super easiest lasagna recipe ever (at least I think so) - and it's really good.

And these are all the dishes I have after prep time...

Do I have you convinced to try it? Let's get started!

You'll need:
2 jars (26 oz) spaghetti sauce
1 container (15 oz) ricotta cheese - part skim is fine
1 egg
Lasagna noodles (any kind - uncooked)
8 oz cheddar
16 oz mozzarella

Prep the 9x13 dish with a thin layer of spaghetti sauce.
Mix the egg and ricotta until smooth.

Now you layer (3 layers):
1.  Lasagna noodles (they do NOT need to be cooked and they do not need to be "oven ready" either)
Fill the space with them - break them if needed.

2. Layer with 1/3 of ricotta/egg mixture (guess 1/3, don't bother to measure).

3. Layer with about 1/2 can of sauce.

4. Layer with cheeses - 1/3 of the 8 oz cheddar (that's about 2/3 cup) - and 1/4 of the 16 oz mozzarella (that's about 1 cup)

Repeat this again (2 more times) for a total of 3 layers.
The only change is when you get to the top, you'll put the entire remaining 1/2 bag of mozzarella (about 2 cups) so that the top is more cheesy and completely covered.

(Other options to add:
You can cook some beef, sausage, etc and mix it in with the spaghetti sauce layer. you can throw in some pepperonis into the spaghetti sauce layer.
You can add parmesan cheese to the cheese layer.
You can add any spices, seasonings (like parsley) into any layer you like.)

Bake uncovered in a 350 degree oven for 45 minutes.

Notes -
Sometimes the edges get dark - you can cover either at the beginning or the end if you want yours lighter. or if your oven tends to cook faster and possibly burn the edges.

Another note on cheese quality:
Great value cheese (the pre-shredded kind at least) is terrible for melting - I do have one (not very photographic picture of a previous lasagna made with sam's cheese) that shows how nice and beautifully smooth it is.

The rest pictured are from last week - I was sick and didn't do my own shopping and got great value cheese.
:(
 Hence, the little lines of cheese. It still tastes ok - just not as smooth and not as pretty.

Sam's bakers and chefs is my favorite for pre-shredded mozzarella.

Add a salad (and some bread of course) and you're complete!  (at least in this house)

See how nice the cheese melts when it's my favorite brand? :)

Rotisserie (Crock Pot) Chicken

This is one of my favorite recipes.  It's super easy and versatile and I haven't managed to mess it up, yet.  I love that I can put the chicken in the crock pot and let it cook all day while it makes the entire house smell delicious.  I love that the leftovers can be used for countless other recipes and they never go to waste.  I love that you can get a whole chicken for less that $5 at Walmart.  And most of all, I love using fresh vegetables and tossing in spices without measuring so I feel like a real chef, haha.

Ingredients:

1 Whole chicken
1 onion
2 cloves of garlic
1 tbsp paprika
1 tbsp pepper
1 tbsp salt
1 tbsp cumin
1 tbsp parsley
1/4 cup seasoning salt

*You don't need to measure, and you don't need to have all of these particular spices.  Add in anything you like and add in quantities that you like.  It's really hard to mess it up, I promise ;)

**You do need the onion--without it, the chicken will be dry.  But you could live without the cloves of garlic.  Just be sure to substitute in garlic powder for the yummy flavor.

Directions:

1.  Slice up the onion and break it apart.  Place the pieces in the bottom of the crockpot.  Slice up the garlic and spread it along the bottom of the crockpot as well.

2.  Mix your spices in a bowl.  Rub the spices all over the chicken to coat it.  Put some spices on the inside of the chicken if you want.  Cover it well so you'll get that "rotisseree" feel.

3.  Put the chicken in the crockpot with the legs/wings facing the top.  Cook on low for 7-8 hours or on high for 4-6 hours.

Such an easy recipe, and the chicken is perfect.  I use the leftover chicken to make sandwiches, chicken noodle soup, chicken & rice, enchiladas, or any other chicken recipe.

Turtle Chocolate Cheesecake

This is my FAVORITE homemade dessert.  Also, it's really easy to make.  It takes a while, but only because you have to leave it in the refrigerator for a few hours before eating it.  I've made it a couple of times, and unfortunately, my chief minion refuses to eat more than 2 bites.  He says it's too rich. 

On the other hand, baby minion will eat several bites and smile mischeviously as if he's getting away with something while he devours bite after bite of cheesecake.  I made it yesterday, and my dad ate 2 slices--he's a pretty tough critic.  If you're a chocolate lover, you're sure to love it!

Ingredients:

16 oz cream cheese (softened) --that's 2 packages
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs
4 squares of semi-sweet chocolate (melted)
1 pie crust (oreo pie crust is best, but any works)

*Toppings:  a handful of chocolate chips (the mini kind are fun), caramel sauce (I used the squeeze kind that you'd put on your icecream), a handful of pecans (broken into smaller pieces)

Directions:

1.  Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.  Melt your chocolate in the microwave using 30-second intervals and stirring in between.  Place the melted chocolate in the refrigerator to cool.

2.  While the chocolate is cooling, mix the cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla (in your kitchenaid or with a mixer) until smooth.  Then, mix in the eggs.

3.  Mix in the melted chocolate until smooth.  Pour the batter into your pie crust.

4.   Bake for 40 minutes and allow to cool for about 5 minutes.  Scatter your toppings (chocolate chips and pecans), then drizzle with caramel sauce.  Refrigerate 3+ hours before eating.

*Get creative with the toppings.  The original recipe came from a Philadelphia Cheesecake book and they topped it with strawberries and whipped cream would be SO good.

Heart Stromboli

It's February......Time to take down the snowmen decorations and put up some hearts!

Last year I decided to start 'theming' my meals for each little holiday - you know, the ones that are important to kids but not important enough to get out of school or work for. (The kids really loved april fool's day foods...but that's for later...)

I've never been a huge valentine's fan - I do, however, like pink and hearts and fun for kids - so we celebrate with the kids. Last year, that meant, dinner got 'decorated'. It was a hit and will become a tradition for us most years. And it's not that hard. And start to finish - it's about 1 1/2 hours (includes 45 minute dough rise time).

I start with my pizza dough. You could also use premade dough (refrigerated/frozen, unbaked) or some other canned bread you like.

Sizing - Last year I used dough for 3 crusts, but this year, I may use 2 crusts worth of dough, as this is a little much for the kids to eat. (One of the hearts is actually double in size - I experimented with how much dough to use. I think for a hungry man, it was a "hearty" serving, but for me, it would have been too much.)

  For easy to copy & print directions:
Start with pizza dough:
(3 crusts)
6-7 cups all purpose flour (if you use bread flour or whole wheat, it will take less)
2T sugar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp yeast (for cold slow rise) or 1T (for immediate rise) - or 1 packet for either
¼ cup oil
2 cups warm water
Here for mixing directions.

or (2 crusts - ingredients are scaled to be rounded to easiest, but still good measurements)
4 - 4.5 cups flour
4 tsp sugar
2/3 tsp salt (just guess close enough or use 1/2 tsp)
2 tsp yeast (for immediate rise)
2 T oil
1 1/3 cups warm water
Still here for mixing directions.


After rise time....

Divide dough for 2 or 3 crusts recipe into 8 parts. Roll out each part into a long rectangle (5”x20”)
I found it easier to divide into 4 parts, roll out each part into 10" x 20" rectangle, and then (using a pizza wheel), cut the rectangle into 2 very skinny rectangles.

Spread pasta (or pizza) sauce over the rectangle, leaving a margin of space at edges. Top with cheese and other fillings.  Roll up from long end. Moisten edges and pinch seams shut.

You may want to line your cookie sheet with foil as the cheese does leak a little.  Shape “snake” into a heart shape, placing ends at top center of heart. (I covered in some cheese since these ends were ‘empty.’)
Brush with egg; sprinkle with parsley (or any other seasonings you like).

Bake for about 15 minutes at 400 degrees F.
Serve as is or with sauce for dipping.

Happy Valentine's Day!