Slow Cooker Taco Soup!

This recipe is super easy! The best part is that it's a slow cooker recipe. I LOVE my slow cooker!

The most time consuming part of it is browning the ground beef. My trick to that is I usually already have browned ground beef in the freezer for recipes like this or to throw in pasta sauce. If you need step by step instructions with pictures, you can click here since I had posted this recipe on my other blog first.

Slow Cooker Taco Soup

Ingredients:

1 pound ground beef, browned and drained

a small onion, diced or 2 Tbsp.dried minced onions

1 can of kidney beans

1 can of black beans, drained and rinsed

1 can of whole kernel corn, drained

1 can of diced tomatoes

1 can tomato sauce (I use 8 oz. because I like it thick.)

1 small can of diced green chiles

1 packet of your favorite taco seasoning mix

Directions:

~Place everything in a slow cooker and mix well.

~Cook on low for 8-9 hours or on high for 4-5 hours.

We top it with shredded cheddar cheese, sour cream and green onions and serve it with tortilla chips on the side.

Thanks for stopping by my kitchen!

Blueberry Squares or Any Fruit Squares!

This recipe came from my Aunt Carole over 25 years ago. She used to make "Cherry Squares" but I'm not a big fan of cherry pie filling...which is what you use in this recipe. My favorite fruit pies are blueberry or peach so that's what I make.

Let me take a moment here and share with you that this is an award winning recipe. Yes, that's right! I entered it into a local recipe contest when I was about 18 and won 1st runner up! Don't be too impressed, my prize was just a $50 savings bond but I was thrilled with it!

Blueberry Squares or Any Fruit Squares

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup butter or margarine
4 eggs
2 cups flour
1 tablespoon vanilla
1 can of blueberry pie filling (or any kind)

Directions:
~Cream sugar and butter until light and fluffy.
~Add eggs, one at a time.
~Add flour and vanilla and beat well.
~Pour batter in a well greased 9 x 13 pan.
~Mark 20 squares.
~Pour one tablespoon of pie filling in each square.
~Bake at 350 degrees for 35 to 40 minutes.
~Dust with powdered sugar. (Cinnamon & Sugar on Apple.)

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Simmered Cabbage!

Over the next several weeks, I will be transferring some recipes from my main blog, "This is My Life." These were posted over there before I started this cooking blog and now I think it's time to get them all in one place.

I found this recipe on Recipe Zaar and fell in love with it! I love cabbage and this is a perfect low calorie but very flavorful side dish. Although, I could just eat a bowl of it for lunch and be perfectly happy!

The recipe below is the exact recipe as I found it on Recipe Zaar. The items in red are my comments for adjustments and if you want to see my step by step instructions in pictures, click here.

Simmered Cabbage

Ingredients:

1/2 head cabbage, chopped into approx 1 inch squares or pieces (I used 8 cups)

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon butter

1/2 teaspoon salt, to taste

1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper, to taste

1 cup chicken broth or vegetable broth (I prefer it with the chicken) (Me too!)

3 tablespoons dry sherry (optional) (I didn't use this)

Directions

1. Heat oil and butter in large heavy and wide saucepan or saute pan; add cabbage, salt, pepper, and stir over low heat for 5 minutes.

2. Add broth (I usually add a bit of sherry, too )and bring to boil, cover and simmer over medium-low heat, stirring often, for about 15 minutes or until cabbage is tender.

3. Raise heat to medium, uncover and let juices reduce to about half (be careful not to let burn). 4. Taste and adjust seasoning, serve hot.

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Chicken Divan!

The other day on Rachael Ray, she made a chicken divan noodle something or other dish. It made me think about a Chicken Divan recipe I used to make. I had copied it down years ago from Live with Regis & Kathie Lee. Do you all remember when Kathie Lee Gifford was his co-host? Oh come on...it's only been about 8 years!

Anyway. I dug out my recipe and quickly remembered what I didn't like about it. It makes a ton! The recipe calls for 4 boxes of 10 oz. weight broccoli. That's 40 ounces of broccoli! Way too much for my little family.

Yes, I could just cut the recipe in half but I decided to go to the web and see what other variations I could find. As always, I found a few and used a little bit of this one and a little bit of that one to come up with my own. I hope you like it!

Chicken Divan

Ingredients:

16 oz. chicken breast, boiled, cooled and cut into slices

2 (10 oz. ea.) packages of frozen broccoli

2 cans of cream of chicken soup

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1/2 cup sour cream

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon curry powder

1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

2 Tbsp. butter, melted

1/2 plain bread crumbs

1 tsp. chopped dried parsley

Directions:

1. In a large sauce pan, cook broccoli in boiling water until tender but still crisp..

2. In a greased casserole dish (mine was about 10 1/2 x 7 1/2 inches), layer broccoli in a single layer on the bottom.

3. Layer the prepared chicken evenly over the broccoli.

4. In a mixing bowl, combine the soup, mayonnaise, sour cream, lemon juice and curry powder. mix well and pour evenly over chicken layer. Using a spatula, push the mixture down into the chicken a little.

5. Sprinkle the casserole with cheddar cheese.

6. Mix butter and bread crumbs together. Sprinkle on top.

7. Sprinkle with chopped parsley for color.

8. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 -40 minutes until heated through and lightly browned.

Thanks for stopping by my kitchen!

Cauliflower & Broccoli Soup!

I had a big head of cauliflower and some broccoli in my veggie drawer that I needed to use but didn't know quite how I was going to do that.

I decided to check out The Pioneer Woman's website to see if she had any recipes for either of my veggie friends. She did! She has a recipe on her site for Cauliflower Soup. Well that solved half my problem...but she uses 1 1/3 heads of cauliflower...oops, I only had 1 head. So the obvious solution was to make Cauliflower AND Broccoli Soup! Problem solved!

Here is a link to Ree's recipe on her site, The Pioneer Woman. The recipe below is for what I made...Cauliflower & Broccoli Soup. It's her recipe but just with 1 head of cauliflower and to small head of broccoli.

Be warned...this makes a ton! I shared 5 pints with the neighbors and I still have about 4 pints left for us...plus the two bowls I had for lunch! YES! It was that good!

Cauliflower & Broccoli Soup

Ingredients:

1 stick butter, divided
½ whole onion, finely diced
1 whole carrot, finely diced
1 stalk celery, finely diced
1 whole cauliflower head, roughly chopped

2 small broccoli heads, roughly chopped
2 Tbsp. fresh or dried parsley, chopped
2 quarts (64 oz.) low-sodium chicken broth or stock
6 Tbsp.all-purpose flour
2 cups whole milk
1 cup half-and-half
2 tsp. to 4 tsp. salt, to taste
1 cup (heaping) sour cream, room temperature

Directions:

1. In a large soup pot or dutch oven, melt 4 tablespoons butter. Add the onion and cook for a few minutes, or until it starts to turn brown. Add the carrots and celery and cook an additional couple of minutes. Add cauliflower, broccoli and parsley and stir to combine. Cover and cook over very low heat for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, pour in chicken stock or broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and allow to simmer.

2. In a medium saucepan, melt 4 tablespoons butter. Mix the flour with the milk and whisk to combine. Add flour-milk mixture slowly to the butter, whisking constantly until a thick white sauce. Remove from heat and stir in 1 cup half-and-half. Add mixture to the simmering soup.

3. Allow to simmer for 15 to 20 minutes. Check seasoning and add more salt or pepper if necessary.
4. Just before serving, place the sour cream in a serving bowl or soup tureen. Add two to three ladles of hot soup into the tureen and stir to combine with the sour cream. Pour in remaining soup and stir.

5. Serve immediately.

Thanks for stopping by my kitchen!

Steak Salad - Pittsburgh Style!

What is a Steak Salad -Pittsburgh Style, you ask? WELL! Let me tell you that if you have never had one, you are missing out!

It may sound odd to those of you who have never been to Western Pennsylvania or specifically to the Pittsburgh region but please don't judge it until you try it. It is amazing! Actually, it's the number one item that I order from the menu when we go out to restaurants.

So without further ado, let me introduce you to my favorite dinner salad...The Steak Salad - Pittsburgh Style!

Ta Da!!!

Doesn't it look yummy??

I know you all are thinking that I've lost my mind.

French fries on a salad?

YES, french fries on a SALAD!

Jerry's Curb Service ,back in the county I grew up in, is credited with inventing this Steak Salad. You can read about how it came about by clicking here. Even though they invented it, it is now on EVERY menu of every restaurant you frequent in Pittsburgh region. You can also be sure that if a chain restaurant in this area has a steak salad on their menu that doesn't come with fries, the diner will most definitely add a side of fries to their order. It just isn't the same without fries!

Since there are many variations of the Steak Salad, it would be wrong of me to claim that the recipe I am posting is the correct one. In truth, there is no correct one. However, you do need 5 basic components to make up a steak salad in my opinion. They are lettuce, vegetables, cheese, steak and fries. The recipe below is the one I make at home...it's the one in the picture. Below it, is a list of other options for you. They all work, just make sure you don't forget the fries!

Oh! Dressing! I can't forget to talk about dressing! Some people will tell you that Ranch is the way to go. Others will argue that Italian is the best. I, of course, have my own opinion on that! Maybe it's just me being odd but honestly for me it depends on the combination in the salad! Certain restaurants I order it at, I like Ranch...at other places I like Italian or Bleu Cheese or Sweet & Sour or Country French or I've even been known to mix Italian & Bleu Cheese...I know it sounds gross but it's really not! When I was still in high school, I was a waitress. I use to wait on this lady and she would come in and order the steak salad with a cup of beef gravy on the side. She would pour it over the whole salad...lettuce and all! Now THAT is gross!

Cindi's Steak Salad - Pittsburgh Style

Ingredients:
Iceberg lettuce, washed, chopped and chilled
Carrots, shredded
Cucumbers, peeled and sliced
Tomatoes, chopped
Cheddar Cheese, shredded
Olive oil
Steak, cut into bite sized pieces
Steak seasoning
French Fries, frozen or homemade oven fries
Dressing of choice

Directions:
1. Assemble lettuce, carrots, cucumbers, tomatoes and cheddar cheese on a dinner plate.
2. Season steak cubes with steak seasoning and fry in a little bit of olive oil until done.
3. Bake fries.
4. Add cooked steak on top of prepared salad.
5. Add fries on top of steak.
6. Cover in dressing.

Options:
~ Use your favorite greens...romaine, leaf, spring mix, etc.
~ Cook a whole steak on the grill or in the oven and cut into pieces after it's done. I like the stove top method because I can make mine medium rare and the others medium.
~ Other topping choices: sliced black olives, green peppers, onion slices, sliced or diced hard boiled eggs, pepperoncini peppers, hot banana pepper rings...as you can see the possibilities are endless.
~ Try different style of fries...shoestring, homemade oven baked, crinkle cut, steak, etc.
~ Use your favorite cheese...mozzarella, Swiss, Monteray jack...shredded or cubed or a combination of a couple.
~ Add a couple of breaded fried onion rings on the top.
~ Put the cheese over the top of the fries so it melts.
~ Another option is to try different proteins...grilled chicken, breaded baked chicken fingers and breaded baked fish...which is really good with 1000 Island dressing.

I hope you try it and come back and let me know what you think. And for those of you in the Beaver County/Pittsburgh area and already love this salad, let me know what restaurant out there has the best!

Thanks for stopping by my kitchen!

Homemade Pizza!

Homemade Pizza. Is there anything better?

It has become our family tradition that we have pizza on Fridays. I try my best to make it homemade pizza too! It's a memory I want for Allison.

I'll be honest. It's not as hard as you may think. Well, not as long as you have a food processor to do the mixing of the dough...or you can do it by hand if you like. You know me though, I like it easy and the food processor makes it easy!

This recipe will make two 12" pizzas. I usually make one small one for Allison and with the rest of the dough, I make a 14" pizza or a rectangle cookie sheet pizza.

Homemade Pizza

Ingredients:

2 1/2 tsp. active dry yeast or (1 .25 oz.) package

1 teaspoon sugar

1 cup of warm water at 110 degrees

2 1/2 cups flour

2 tablespoons olive oil (plus more for non-stick)

1 teaspoon salt

Pizza sauce

Mozzarella cheese, shredded

Desired toppings (pepperoni, mushrooms, onions, black olives, green peppers, banana pepper rings, ham, sausage, etc.)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 450F.

2. In a cereal sized bowl (make sure you bowl is big enough because it will grow to almost double in size), dissolve yeast and sugar in warm water. Let stand until the yeast has been activated and creamy, usually about 10 minutes.
3. In a food processor using your dough beater/blade, put in flour, salt & oil. Carefully add yeast mixture, beat until well blended and forms a ball. Remove dough and place in a lightly oiled bowl double the size of your dough. Cover with lightly oiled wax paper. Let rest for 10 minutes until it almost doubles in size.
3. Gently press the dough down with your lightly oiled hands. Split in half and place on lightly oiled pizza pans. Spread out dough to the edges with your fingers. Let rise again for about 10 minutes.

4. After dough has risen, spread dough with pizza sauce and place in preheated oven until the crust begins to get a very light brown color.

5. Take pizza out and cover with cheese and desired toppings either under or on top of the cheese. Place pizza back in oven until the cheese is gold and bubbly and crust is a darker brown color.
6. Let sit for a few minutes before cutting.

Tips:

~Your oldest, darkest, well-seasoned pans make the best crust. I bought a new one and hate it! It just doesn't get the pizza crust as crispy on the bottom as we like it. I need to season it a bit before I use it again.

~To lightly oil the bowl for the dough, wax paper and my hands, I use a non-stick spray.

~If the dough is springing back when you are trying to spread it out on the pan, place it in the heated oven for just a minute and try again. This usually works and makes it easier to work with.

~I use Ragu Pizza Sauce in the jar but sometimes I take a can of diced tomatoes and crush them then mix them in with the sauce.

~Sometimes I sprinkle olive oil on the crust under the sauce for added flavor...learned this from Allison's Grandma who makes the best homemade pizza.

~To make your pepperoni less greasy, layer it on a paper towel in the microwave and zap it for just a few seconds. Remove it from the oven and pat dry with more paper towels.

Thanks for stopping by my kitchen!

Pizzelles!

When you mention pizzelles, you more than likely will get a favorable response. Everyone seems to love these traditional Italian cookies. Well, except me. Yes. I admit it. I do not like them. Don't you dare say I'm not a true Italian because I don't like them! I am just not an anise flavor lover!

My Dad, on the other hand, LOVES these so I make them for him. He did me a favor this morning and to show my appreciation, I made him a batch of his favorite cookies. Let me say that I don't particularly like making them. They are time consuming since you can only make two at a time and they make my house smell like anise...all day long! However, the look on my Dad's face when I told him they were for him, was well worth the time and smell.

The recipe below is for what I call a half batch of pizzelles. It makes about 5 dozen...which may seem like a lot but they go fast on a cookie tray at Christmas...so I double it at Christmas time.

Pizzelles

Ingredients:

6 eggs

1 1/2 cups white sugar

1 cup butter, melted and cooled to room temperature

2 Tbsp. pure anise extract

3 1/2 cups all purpose flour

4 tsp. baking powder

Directions:

1. Preheat your pizzelle iron according the the manufacturer's instructions.

2. Beat eggs and sugar in an electric mixer until they are fluffy. Add in the melted butter and anise extract.

3. In a separate bowl, combine the flour and baking powder.

4. Add the dry ingredient mixture to the wet ingredients, a little at at time. The dough will be thick and sticky.

5.Drop by rounded spoonfuls onto the heated iron. Close and cook for about 90 seconds until lightly browned, or until steam stops coming out of the pizzelle iron. Remove carefully from iron and set on paper towel to cool.

6. Store in an airtight container at room temperature. They also freeze well.

Thanks for stopping by my kitchen!

Sausage Mushroom Dip!

This recipe comes from fellow blogger, Sophia, from over at Sentiments from my Kitchen.

You've seen some of her recipes here before and you'll be sure to see some more! She has a great collection and our tastes seem very similar.

Of course, I made an adjustment to it to fit me better. Her recipe called for a half pound of the sausage but I put the whole pound in to make it chunkier. I did use just plain pork sausage but if you use the sage or hot and spicy variety, I would start with the half pound, taste test it and then add more if you want. Her recipe didn't say to chopped up the mushrooms but I went ahead and did that since some of them were big. I couldn't imagine trying to scoop it up with a chip!

Sausage Mushroom Dip

2 cans cream of mushroom soup
2 8 oz. blocks of cream cheese, softened
1 small can of diced green chiles
3 green onions, chopped
1 can of mushrooms, drained and chopped
1 soup can of milk (or thin to the consistency you like) I used about 2/3 of the can
1 pound of roll sausage, browned well, crumbled and drained

1. In a large saucepan add the soup, cream cheese, chiles, green onions, mushrooms, cooked sausage and desired amount of milk. Mix well over medium heat until cream cheese melts and flavors are blend well.
2. Serve warm (a slow cooker works well) with tortilla chips or crackers.

Thanks for stopping by my kitchen!

Pizza Pasta!

I literally threw this together for dinner the other night. I had planned on pasta but wanted something a little different so I started looking around the kitchen.

I had browned off a pound of Bob Evans's roll sausage to make my breakfast casserole for New Year's Day but only used half of it. I threw the other half in the freezer for later. Well. This was my later and the perfect time to use it up! Hmm, pasta, sauce, sausage...see where I was going with this? Yup! Pizza Pasta!

Here's the best I could do for writing a recipe. I didn't measure anything out because I didn't think I was going to post it. So these are all an approximation of what I used. It worked for my family of three with little leftovers. If you have a bigger family, you'll want to make more and just use the method and not the measurements. Use your judgement, it isn't brain surgery!

Pizza Pasta

Ingredients:
1 1/2 to 2 cups rotini pasta (corkscrews)
1 jar (1 lb. 10 oz.)pasta sauce with mushrooms
1/2 roll sausage, browned and drained
12 slices pepperoni, cut into 4
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
grated Parmesan cheese
dried or fresh chopped parsley

Other optional add-ins: sliced mushrooms, diced green peppers, diced onions, sliced black olives or any other toppings you like on your pizza would be good too.

Directions:
1. Cook rotini in boiling salted water until al dente. Drain well.
2. In a sauce pan, heat pasta sauce over medium heat. Add in sausage, pepperoni and any other optional ingredients.
3. After pasta is cooked and sauce is heated through, combine together and put in an appropriate sized baking dish.
4. Top evenly with shredded mozzarella cheese then sprinkle lightly with grated Parmesan cheese. Sprinkle with chopped parsley for color.
5. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes until heated through and cheese is golden and bubbly.
6. Let sit for 5-10 minutes before serving.

Thanks for stopping by my kitchen!