8.17.2013

Baked Beans

recipe idea found here

































INGREDIENTS:(I just eyeballed the measurements)
28oz smoked sausage, chopped (or turkey sausage, kielbasa etc)
1 pkg turkey bacon, cooked & chopped
minced onion flakes
2  15oz cans pork n beans
1/4 c packed brown sugar
some Dijon
some BBQ sauce
salt/pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 350F.
Cook bacon.
In a casserole dish, combine everything.
Bake covered with foil for ~45min.

more photos:

Loaded Potato Skins

I'm not sure where I found this recipe... maybe here

































INGREDIENTS:
3 russet baking potatoes
real bacon bits/pieces
1 pkg neufchatel (cream cheese)
lite sour cream
shredded sharp cheddar
green onion, chopped
olive oil
salt/pepper

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven 400F.
Rub potatoes with olive oil/salt/pepper and bake for ~1hr. Keep oven on.
Slice pieces of the potato skin off and scoop out most of the potato insides (can use for mashed potatoes or mix some in with the potato skin toppings). Lay the pieces out on a greased, foil-covered baking sheet.
In a bowl, combine softened cream cheese, some sour cream, potato innards (optional), and some shredded cheddar.
Sprinkle the rest of shredded cheddar on each potato skin, then top with the cream cheese mixture, bacon bits, green onion.
Bake for 5-10 min, till everythings melty.

more photos:

Philly Cheesesteaks v2 & Chicken Cheesesteaks MEGA MAN SANDWICH

derived this recipe from this and this















INGREDIENTS:
philly cheesesteak:
deli roast beef
A1 steak sauce
Worcestershire
olive oil
green bell pepper, sliced up
onion, sliced up
minced garlic
sliced provelone

chicken cheesesteak:
2 chicken breasts, cut into pieces
favorite poultry seasoning
bell pepper, sliced up
onion, sliced up
olive oil
minced garlic
sliced provelone

bonus topping:
16oz canned mushrooms
mushroom gravy

cheese sauce:
8oz shredded sharp white cheddar
1/2 T butter
1/2 T flour
2/3c half&half
salt/pepper

french bread

DIRECTIONS:
Make bread in advance. Grocery store bread sucks, just bake some its easy. Only store bread that might work is the deli garlic bread.
Cook bell pepper, onion, garlic in a skillet with some olive oil (if you are making both chicken and beef cheesesteaks you can do all the onion/pepper together). I added in some veggie seasoning. Set aside in a bowl.
Heat up mushrooms and mushroom gravy in a small skillet, set aside. Hey you could add garlic to this too.
Cut up the roast beef, and cook in a separate skillet along with steak sauces/more garlic.
Cut up the chicken and cook in yet another skillet along with garlic and desired poultry seasoning.
Make cheese sauce: In a saucepan, melt butter over med heat. Stir in flour and cook ~2min while stirring. Add in half&half and stir till it bubbles, then reduce to low. Add in the shredded cheddar. When it melts, remove from heat.
Preheat oven to 300F. Or if you want, heat it to broil instead (for shorter baking time).
Cut each bread baguette in half, to make 4 sandwiches (2 chicken and 2 beef).
On a baking sheet place the meat, onion/pepper, mushrooms, sliced provel on a piece of foil for each open face sandwich.
Heat at 300F for ~10min or under broiler for ~2min, until the cheese is melted.
This takes a lot of prep time but it's worth it :)

more photos:

8.16.2013

Kalua Pulled Pork

Delicious and simple pulled pork, found recipe here

































INGREDIENTS: 
6lb pork butt (aka pork shoulder. it is the "butt" of the shoulder. I used 4.65 lb, the largest I could find.)
Coarse sea salt (or Hawaiian sea salt if you can find it)
Liquid smoke (found in bbq section at grocery store)

DIRECTIONS:
Stab the pork all over with a fork & rub with sea salt. Pour a little bit of water in the slow cooker (enough to cover the bottom) and place pork in cooker.
Pour ~3 T of liquid smoke over the pork.
Cook in slow cooker on low for 12-16 hours.  (turn meat over after around 8 hours).
Shred with fork.
I served with provelone cheese on pretzel buns

more photos:

Breakfast Pockets

got this recipe here

































INGREDIENTS: (makes 8 big stuffed pockets)
2 tubes refrigerated crescent rolls
medium onion, minced
1 lb breakfast sausage
1 pkg turkey bacon, cooked/chopped
1 pkg neufchatel cheese (or cream cheese)
8oz shredded cheddar
6 eggs
dash of milk
minced garlic (to taste)
salt/pepper (to taste)
sausage gravy (optional, for topping)

DIRECTIONS:
Cook bacon, slice into pieces, set aside.
In a big skillet, cook the sausage with onion & garlic and crumble/drain. Stir in cream cheese till melted.
Stir the bacon into the sausage mixture.
In a bowl, beat the eggs/milk/salt/pepper.  Pour into skillet on top of bacon/sausage, and stir until eggs are set.
Top with the shredded cheese.
Preheat oven to 350F.
Grease a baking sheet and lay out crescent triangles to make 8 squares, sealing the seam.
Spoon sausage filling onto each square, and then fold over sealing the edge.
Bake for 15-20 min, till lightly browned.
Serve topped with sausage gravy if desired.

Note* I had some trouble sealing up the pockets, next time I'm going to try the "seamless" crescent rolls.

more photos:

8.06.2013

Baked Tacos

Got the recipe idea from this and this

































INGREDIENTS:(makes 9x13"pan full)
Small tortillas
2 cans refried beans
Shredded chicken:(see photo)
     4 chicken breasts
     1 can cream of mushroom
     Pace "Onion & Chipotle" dip (or substitute velveeta or whatever)
     Lawry's Mesquite marinade.
"Mexican rice":(see photo)
     12oz orzo pasta (I used alphabet pasta)
     3oz tomato paste (approx.)
     24oz (ish) chicken broth
     Southwest seasoning/chili powder
     alfredo (as needed)
Cheese sauce:
     16oz Mexican Velveeta
     1 can rotel
sour cream
other toppings of choice

DIRECTIONS:
Prepare shredded chicken the night before, or at least 4 hrs before baking the tacos.
To make chicken, throw the raw chicken in slow cooker, combine the other ingreds and pour over the chicken. Cook for ~2-4 hours on high until chicken reaches 165F, then shred it.
(You can cook ground beef instead of chicken if you want.)
Preheat oven to 400F.
In a big saucepan over med heat, combine the velveeta and rotel to make the sauce. (can microwave instead).
In another saucepan, heat up the refried beans.
In a skillet, add some oil over med heat and add pasta. Stir until lightly browned. Add in seasoning. tomato pasta, and chicken broth and bring to a boil.
Reduce heat. cover, and simmer for 15-20min.
Grease a 9x13" baking dish, fill tortillas with the refried beans, pasta, chicken, and queso and arrange in pan.
Bake 15-20min till everythings melty.

I STRONGLY recommend making your own tortillas, I bought corn tortillas from the store and they really hampered the taste, def going to make my own next time.

more photos:

6.16.2013

Pizza Flatbreads *AWESOME*

Used this recipe as a starting point. These are really good & easy to customize with whatever toppings you like

































INGREDIENTS:
Flatbread (I've used"Flat-Out" brand flatbread varieties, pre-made store bought Naan, and Kangaroo brand flatbread)
Sauce (I used alfredo & Prego vodka sauce or fontina/asiago flavor)
Toppings:
     Grilled chicken (I got pre-cooked sliced chicken, & heated up in sauce pan with seasonings/olive oil)
     Crumbled turkey sausage
     fresh spinach, chopped
     Feta
     shredded cheese
     "real" bacon bits
     Italian seasoning

alternate version (last photos):
alfredo / pasta sauce
crumbled pre-cooked turkey sausage
bacon bits
fresh mushrooms
spinach
shredded provel cheese
Italian seasoning
Spicy "Flat-Out" flatbread & plain Naan

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 375F.
Lay out the flatbread on a greased baking sheet.
Spread thin layer of sauce(s). Top with toppings.
Bake 12-15min, till kinda crispy.
Serve with left over sauce for dipping.

more photos: (I have made these a bunch of times, large photo gallery lol)