Balsamic Glazed Carrots

Needed a carrot side, found this on allrecipes it was awesome.

INGREDIENTS:
Baby carrots
olive oil
balsamic vinegar
brown sugar

DIRECTIONS:
First, steam the carrots (to cut down on skillet cook time.
Heat up a skillet, add in some olive oil.
Saute for a few min, then add in some balsamic vinegar and brown sugar.
Stir & cook a few min till the carrots are tender.
Serve warm

Apple Pork Tenderloin

Picked a bunch of Jonathan apples from local orchard, needed to find ways to integrate into things besides dessert. Used this recipe as a basis with some adjustments

INGREDIENTS: (I used 7 qt slow cooker)
2 pork tenderloins

marinade:
garlic
french onion soup mix packet
merlot
olive oil
lime juice (I was out of lemon)
worcestershire sauce
soy sauce
thyme
rosemary
honey

1 red onion, sliced
3-4 apples, peeled/chopped
brown sugar (to coat the apples with, I used prob 1/2 cup maybe more)
garlic, thyme, rosemary, marjoram (or whatever other seasonings)

DIRECTIONS:
Throw all the marinade ingredients in a gallon size ziplock bag & throw the pork loins in there. (I dont measure anymore I just eyeball it. Maybe like a 1/2 c of oil/wine/lemon then just big pinches of the rest).
Place in fridge and turn the bag over halfway. I like to marinate overnight but less is fine.

Place sliced onion in bottom of slow cooker.
Remove pork from the marinade & lay on top of the onion (discard marinade).
Sprinkle garlic & seasonings on top of the pork.
Cook on low for about 5 hrs.
In a bowl combine the apples & brown sugar. Dump over the pork, & continue to cook for another hour.
Once the pork has reached min 145F it's done, it might not take the extra hour it just depends on how soft you want your apples. (Can crank heat up to high after the apples are added if you want).
Slice up the pork & serve.

more photos:

Slow Cooker Pizza Pasta

Found recipe here, added a lot of additional ingreds to it

INGREDIENTS: (7qt slow cooker)

1.3 lb lean ground beef

4oz pepperoni

1 onion, chopped

8 oz cubed ham

3 oz "real" bacon bits

8oz shredded provel

15 oz alfredo

~15 oz pasta/marinara sauce

3 c milk

1 can sliced olives, drained

16 oz rotini pasta

minced garlic

DIRECTIONS:

Throw ground beef in bottom of slow cooker. Break it up some.

Throw in chopped onion & garlic.

Throw in pepperoni, diced ham, bacon bits.

Dump in the milk, alfredo & pasta sauce. I used maybe a little over half of a 24oz jar of marinara sauce.

Top with half of the shredded cheese.

Cook on high for 2.5 - 3 hrs. (Didn't try cooking this on low yet).

Stir it up, if the gound beef looks cooked then add in the rotini.

Check on it after like 15 min, don't let it go too long or the pasta will overcook.

Add in the rest of the shredded cheese & the olives.

Serve with parmesan if you want.

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French Onion Hash Brown Casserole

Found this recipe here. It didn't taste very oniony, it was basically like Southwestern Hash Brown Casserole but without any spiciness.

INGREDIENTS: (makes an 8x8" pan)
3 oz "real" bacon bits
~12 oz French onion dip (I used Dean's French Onion & Bacon dip)
1 can cream of chicken soup
8oz shredded sharp cheddar
28 oz frozen hash browns
Cheezits, ziplock sandwich bag full crushed up
slices of butter

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 350F.
In a bowl combine the french onion dip, cream of chicken, shredded cheddar, bacon bits.
Stir in the hash browns.
Spread in an 8x8" or 9x9" baking dish.
Top with crushed up cheezits.
Placed sliced butter on top.
Bake for 1 hour. (you can cover with foil for half the baking time if you want). Serve warm

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Fancy Party Spread

This would be good for a holiday party. Sounds gross, looks gross, but tastes really good! It's thicker, like a cheese ball. Found recipe here

INGREDIENTS:
a big shallot, sliced/chopped
pesto (I wanted to make some but didnt have time so bought it)
sundried tomato spread (or use real sun dried tomatoes. I bought spread for time saving purposes)
pine nuts
8oz feta (can use more)
8oz cream cheese (or neufchatel)
vermouth (tiny bit cuz vermouth tastes like balls. can use champagne or vodka etc)
dash of minced garlic
white pepper
stick of butter
crackers etc for spreading the dip on

DIRECTIONS:
Grab a decent size bowl (to layer the dip in) and line with plastic wrap (for easy removal once it solidifies).
In a food processor blend the butter, shallot pieces, feta, cream cheese, vermouth, white pepper, garlic.
In the plastic-lined bowl, layer: tomato spread, pine nuts, pesto, the blended cheese mixture. Repeat another layer of each.
Refrigerate at least an hour, then turn over onto a serving plate & remove the plastic wrap.
Serve w crackers etc.

more photos:

Chicken Crescent Pockets

slightly modded recipe found here













INGREDIENTS: makes 8 total (4 large & 4 small)
2 chicken breasts, shredded. (I cooked in advance in slow cooker along with a can of cream of chicken soup , garlic, & some Italian seasoning)
8oz neufchatel cheese (or cream cheese)
8oz shredded cheese
fresh spinach, chopped
2 tubes of crescent rolls (I had a small tube & a big tube)
cheezits, crushed up
1/2 stick butter, melted
(optional) bacon bits

DIRECTIONS:
Cook/shred the chicken. If using slow cooker it takes like 1.5 hrs on high.
Preheat oven to 350F.
In bowl, mix the cream cheese, chicken, shredded cheese, spinach, (and bacon or any other ingreds you may like).
Grease a baking sheet.
Spread out crescent rolls into squares (2 triangle shapes pinched together).
In the center of each square, scoop a bunch of the chicken filling, then fold it up & seal.
Dip each pocket puff thing in butter, then in the cheezits. Place on baking sheet.
Bake 20-25 min. Serve warm.

more photos:

Cheesy Scalloped Potato Bake

also view my recipe here

Super cheesy potatoes, as close as I could get to replicate the famous Jack Stack restaurant in KC

INGREDIENTS

8"x8" baking dish, greased

3-5 red potatoes, sliced thinly (I leave skin on)

1 c chopped broccoli (optional)

1/2 c heavy cream (or heavy whipping cream)

1 c whole milk

1/2 can cream of cheddar soup

1/2 pkg cream cheese

1 clove minced garlic (or garlic powder)

1/2 t kosher salt

1/2 t white pepper

1/8 t cayenne pepper

1/2 t Weber Garlic&Herb seasoning (or similar)

1 c shredded sharp cheddar

1/4 c parmesan

1 c shredded swiss (or 4 slices). Substitute gruyere if you have it!

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 450°F

Grease baking/caserole dish

In skillet over medium heat, combine milk, cream, cheddar soup, cream cheese, garlic, and spices.

Add sliced potatoes/broccoli and bring to a boil. Stir.

Cover, reduce heat to low and simmer for 8 min.

Layer the potatoes/broccoli with the various cheeses in the dish, top with parmesan.

Cover dish with foil, bake for 15-30min (depending on amount of potatoes).

Remove foil and continue to bake for an additional 10-20 min.

update: took me a little longer to bake the last time I made this. I also omitted broccoli due to laziness.

UPDATE:  I made a simplified version that I thought was great:

no milk, no broccoli, no cream cheese, I just used 1.5 c cream instead. Added in chives. Used provel instead of cheddar on top. Forgot to add in parm. Tasted great, was less work lol. (see bottom photos)

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