Indoor Cowgirl Supper

What's your favorite thing to chow down when you're hungry, and I mean really hungry? Mine is comfort food, and this little concoction is just that- it's loaded with meat, spiced veggies and beans. This is certainly not a Florida dish, but lately the heat and humidity in these parts has got me exercising daily in a therapy current pool, which is not only great exercise and a daily dose of vitamin D, but a great excuse to make a manly meal that works great for dinner, lunch or snack (and it reheats like a dream). This cowgirl supper is simple and no fuss, and you don't have to be on the open range to make it. But it does take some time in the oven, so let's put this together so we can relax while it cooks.

Cowgirl Franks and Beans
serves 4-6

1/2 pound ground sirloin
1-1/2 T taco seasoning (I use the Publix brand these days, it's just as good as the national brands and a lot less expensive)
2 jumbo beef franks (6 oz) sliced 1/8-1/4 inch
1 can (28 oz) Bush's Original Baked Beans
1/2 large onion chopped/diced 1/4 inch
1/2 green pepper chopped/diced 1/4 inch
1/4 cup ketchup
1 T Dijon mustard
2 T brown sugar
2 T hot sauce (I like Frank's Original for this recipe)
4-5 slices bacon

Spray an 8" x 8" pan with non stick spray and set aside. Pre heat oven to 375 degrees.

On medium heat on stovetop, brown ground meat. When meat is beginning to turn color, add the taco seasoning and continue to cook until meat is brown. Set aside and continue with the rest of the steps.

In large mixing bowl combine your chopped onions and peppers, ketchup, mustard, sugar, and hot sauce.

Now add the beans and frankfurters and stir to combine. Pour this beany goodness into prepared baking pan. So far so good, and doesn't that look yummy? We're almost done with the prep.

Top casserole with crumbled, seasoned beef. Then top with bacon.

I'm liking the looks of this for sure. Cover with foil and leave one corner of the dish open/vented to allow steam to escape. Bake 1 hour. Remove foil, cook another 45 minutes uncovered and get ready to serve a filling, heartwarming meal fit for any indoor wannabe cowgirl.

Serve this with some Texas toast and a green salad. You'll feel like you're at home on the range. Happy Trails!

Caramalized Onion, Bacon, Cheese and Baby Kale Strata

Before I say good bye to winter, I must share my latest strata (last of the comfort food hopefully?). Remember, I live in New England and while a lot of the country has been enjoying comfortable temperatures, I made this dish 3 days ago when it was hailing on my way home from work. It's a simple fix, and I know you're going to like the caramelized onion/cheese/bacon/kale combo. Oh and the little tang of Dijon mustard is just perfect. Here's what you need to put this little darling together, and you don't have to be having a tough winter to make this, it's a great brunch entrée- hot out of the oven or served at room temp.

End of the Winter Strata
Serves 6

6 slices bacon chopped 1 inch pieces
1 T olive oil
2 medium sized onions chopped
1/2 cup Fontina cheese shredded
1/2 cup Gorgonzola cheese crumbled
3/4 cup baby kale chopped
8 slices hearty white or Italian bread cut into 1 inch cubes
4 large eggs
1-3/4 cups milk or half and half
1 T Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
2 T unsalted butter melted

Let's do this with pictures. It will help me next year when I'm at my wit's end with cold weather. Yes, that might help!

Sauté bacon in a large pan.

 

When just about crisp, remove from pan and drain on paper towel. Save 1 T of bacon fat and place back in pan and add 1 T of olive oil. Add your onions and cook on low heat for at least 20-30 minutes.

 

 

Add a little salt and pepper if you like. I did. While onions are caramelizing, shred your Fontina cheese and crumble the Gorganzola. Now chop your baby kale, slice your bread, melt butter and prepare your egg custard. In mixing bowl or large measuring cup mix eggs, milk, mustard, salt, pepper and cooled melted butter.

Prepare an 8" x 8' baking dish with cooking spray and layer 4 of the sliced pieces of bread.

Add your cooked bacon, caramelized onions, cheese and kale.

Top with the rest of the sliced bread and add the egg custard. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit for about an hour.

Since I've been making strata's all winter, I've been reading up on the "setting-up in the fridge" time of this lovely dish, and I am of the belief that 1 -2 hours is all you need. Some say overnight. Sorry- I don't have time for that, and also...I don't think it bakes as well. Yeah, I'm a rebel. But try it my way, I think you'll be happy. So put this little dish of deliciousness in a 325 degree oven and bake for 50-55 minutes. Oh, you can also add a bit more cheese to the top. It is a farewell to winter right? Take a look. Imagine how good it tastes.

Stick to your Ribs

Sometimes after a day in front of the computer I want a hearty, comforting soup  for dinner and that's the only thing that's going to make me happy. And with real estate taxes due in a little more than 15 days I've been skimping a bit on my grocery supplies and the pickin' have been slim. "Not to worry," I said to myself, "there's always something around here to make you happy." And I was right. If you like the smokey flavor of bacon, don't mind adding a few of Nathan's Bigger than the Bun hot dogs, some canned Great Northern Beans and a small serving of orzo, this soup is seasoned just right and can be done easily on a weeknight. Don't let the long list of ingredients inhibit you, the prep/cooking time goes fast!

Stick to your Ribs Bacon, Franks, Orzo and Bean Soup
Makes 2-3 large bowls or 4 smaller portions

Ingredients:
4 strips bacon cooked and crumbled
1 T bacon fat
1-2 tsp olive oil
1 medium onion diced
3 cloves garlic chopped
1/2 tsp Old Bay Seasoning
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
2-1/2 cups no fat chicken broth, I forgot to get the low sodium so I added...
1-1/2 cups water
8 oz tomato sauce
1 dried bay leaf
2 tsp sriracha sauce- or Frank's hot sauce would work nicely with its vinegary flavor
1 T brown sugar
2 tsp Dijon mustard
1 can (15.5 oz) Navy Beans rinsed and drained
1/2 cup dry orzo
4-5 frankfuters sliced 1/4-1/2 inch
4 oz baby spinach chopped

Let's cook! Cook your bacon (not too crisp) and set aside. Reserve 1 T of bacon fat. In large/medium soup pot add the bacon fat and 1-2 tsp of olive oil. On medium/low heat add the diced onion and sweat for about 5 minutes. Now add your chopped garlic, cook about 1 minute max and be very careful not to let it burn. Add the Old Bay, kosher salt, and ground black pepper and stir to incorporate into the onion/garlic mixture. Toss in your dried bay leaf.

Add 2-1/2 cups no fat (store bought) chicken broth, 1-1/2 cups water, 8 oz canned tomato sauce and stir to combine. Now let's season this baby up with the srirscha, brown sugar and Dijon mustard. Bring to a simmer and add your cooked bacon, beans, hot dogs and orzo. Cover and cook on a very low simmer until orzo is done, about 13 minutes. Now toss in your chopped spinach, and cook uncovered until wilted. Taste broth for seasoning and make adjustments.

Ladle up this bit of comfort food. I think you will enjoy!

Franks, Beans and Bacon Casserole

This was kind of a fridge cleanout, so please adjust amounts of anything you have in your pantry and fridge. I promise, whatever the ratio, this will come out tasting great.

Franks, Beans and Bacon Casserole
Made in an 8" x 8" casserole dish
Can feed one hungry person or six normal appetites

5 beef frankfurters sliced 1/2 inch
1 T canola oil
1 onion diced 1/4 inch
1 green pepper chopped 1/4 inch
1-1/2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp coriander
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 can 28 oz Bush's Original Baked Beans
1/4 cup ketchup
1 T Dijon mustard (I normally use yellow mustard but didn't have any- still pretty good with the Dijon)
1 T Splenda Brown Sugar Blend or 2 T regular brown sugar
1 T hot sauce (I used Franks)
4-5 slices hardwood smoked bacon

Pre heat oven to 375 degrees and prepare baking dish with cooking spray. In medium size saucepan on stovetop over medium low heat, add canola oil and onions and green pepper. Soften veggies and add chili powder, coriander, salt and pepper. I usually add a bit of cumin but couldn't find mine. Add some if you can find yours and cook about 5-7 minutes.

Remove from saucepan and add to mixing bowl. Add sliced franks, ketchup, mustard, brown sugar, and hot sauce.

Combine mixture and pour into baking dish. Top with bacon.



Cover with aluminum foil and fold one corner of foil back to vent. Bake one hour, remove foil and bake uncovered for another half hour. Serve with Texas toast (sorry no picture), but all you need to do to make the toast is... while the casserole is cooling, combine a few tablespoons of butter with garlic powder and fresh chopped parsley. Slather the butter mixture on one side of thickly sliced (one inch) Italian bread. Bake in oven for 7-9 minutes. Yummy meal and it reheats in the oven or microwave like a dream.

 

My Magic Pan

Is there anybody besides me old enough to remember the restaurant "The Magic Pan"? It was my go-to place for lunch in the 80's. You could get crepes for lunch, dinner or dessert and salads that were fresh and innovative at the time. I got hooked on their wilted spinch and bacon salad and was so in the mood for that today. But I made it into a sandwich. I'm a hungry girl these days and I'm happy to say, "It worked!!" Here's the recipe:

Wilted Spinach and Bacon Salad Sammies
Serves 6

6 Hoagie rolls or small French bauguettes
6 eggs hard boiled and sliced
6 slices bacon (I used thick cut) cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 pound baby spinach
1/2 onion diced
1 clove garlic chopped
1/2 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp black pepper
Pinch of salt
3 T cider vinegar
Mayo (optional)

Boil eggs, cool in ice bath and set aside. In large skillet over medium heat, fry bacon until cooked (about 10 minutes). Drain on paper towel lined plate.

Pour bacon fat into a separate bowl and measure out 5 tablespoons of bacon fat back into your skillet. Add onion and cook over medium heat until softened (about 3 minutes). Now add your sugar and garlic and cook another 1/2 minute. Now add the vinegar, stir into bacon fat/onion mixture and remove from heat. Loosen brown bits with spoon and pour dressing over spinach, add bacon and toss until spinach is slightly wilted.

Time to make the sandwiches. To pan that bacon was sauteed in, grill the inside of your rolls, one or two at a time.

Slather a little mayo on top and bottom halves of bread and generously place spinach/bacon mixture on the bottom of the bun. Top with sliced egg, and a little salt and pepper.

Yum. I can't think of a better way to start the work week than packing one of these tasty sammies for tomorrow's lunch. And that's exactly what I'm going to do!

Crash Hot Potatoes Slightly Re-Mixed

I've been changing up The Pioneer Woman's Crash Hot Potato recipe and decided it needed some bacon. Here's my version of her side dish (I made it for two) that would be great with a steak and a welcome change from your standard baked potato. It's so simple and has wonderful textural things going on- like soft and creamy, and lots of crunchy. And the flavor is buttery and rich. Make either version of these Crash Potatoes, you won't be disappointed.

Crash Hot Potatoes Slightly Re-Mixed
serves 2

2 medium size Yukon Gold potatoes
1 T butter
1 T olive oil
2-3 T canola oil
kosher salt
black pepper
sour cream
2-3 strips of cooked bacon crumbled

In medium size pot add your potatoes and cover with water. Cook about 30 minutes until they are fork tender.

Drain in colander and to warm pot that you cooked the potatoes in, add 1T of butter and 1T olive oil. Put pot back on stovetop and heat about 1 minute or less until butter is melted.

When potatoes are cool enough to handle, place them on a well oiled baking pan. I used a few tablespoons of canola oil. With a potato masher, smash these taters. I gave each a good smash, then rotated them 90 degrees. This gives them the ability to get crunchy in the oven. Which reminds me, pre heat your oven to 450 degrees sometime before the simmering potatoes are done on the stovetop. Once smashed, drizzle or brush with the melted butter/olive oil mixture (I use my barbecue brush) . Now sprinkle liberally with kosher salt and black pepper.

Bake for 25 minutes. Or until you just can't wait anymore. But I do recommend that you give them time to become crusty and crisp in places.

I am a loaded potato lover, so I garnished with crumbled bacon and sour cream. Well how could I not add sour cream? And if I had some chives, they would have gone on too.

I'm thinking these taters would be great with some salsa, black beans and jalapeno peppers for a Tex-Mex twist. Or a topping of chili if you really want to take it to the Tex-Mex max. I'm also thinking about a nice melty cheese sauce. The possibilities are endless.  

Tater Salad Fake Out

Is anybody besides me ready for a barbecue and some time outdoors? I'm just about losing my mind with the snow, rain and cold this year. When I get my first invitation this spring to an outdoor event, I know what I'm bringing... my newest potato salad recipe.  It's low carb and delish. And nobody, and I mean nobody will realize the fake-out unless you tell them. But I'm happy to tell you- it's 1/3 potatoes and 2/3 cauliflower. And the dressing is out-of-this-world good. The Brown Eyed Baker gets the credit for this dressing for sure. There's something magical that happens when you add a bit of bacon fat to your mayo mixture. Double, triple or quadruple this recipe when you're sharing with others. Otherwise this will serve 4.

Cauliflower Potato Salad

2 cups  cauliflower florets chopped
1 cup potatoes diced into 1/2 inch pieces
2 hard boiled eggs chopped
1 stalk celery finely chopped
1 T onion finely chopped
5 slices bacon cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1/2 cup mayo (I use the low fat)
1 to 1-1/2 T (or a little more) bacon fat
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp capers

Cook potatoes on stovetop for 15 to 20 minutes. Drain, let cool and set aside. While the potatoes are cooking, microwave the cauliflower florets for 3 minutes. When they are done, set them aside and let them cool as well. On medium heat, fry your bacon. Doesn't this look good?

When bacon is browned, remove from pan and drain on paper towels. Pour bacon fat from pan and reserve about 1-2 tablespoons. You'll be using this in your dressing. I actually made my dressing in the pan that I cooked the bacon in. To bacon drippings add your mayo, mustard, sugar, salt, chopped celery, and onions. Whisk to combine.

I think we're ready to put this dish together. In large mixing bowl combine your eggs, potatoes, cauliflower and bacon.

Now add the heavenly dressing and as many capers as you like. I opted for about 2 teaspoons. I give you permission to add more (note- Brown Eyed Baker didn't use capers but used a pickle relish I think).

I ate this immediately, but if you're making it ahead, refrigerate and if the dressing seems a little tight- just add a teaspoon or two of vinegar to loosen it up. I know that will work for sure.

Hurry up Spring- Can't wait to make this dish for my friends!

Meatloaf with a kick

A few nights ago I was was playing in the kitchen chilling some dough and realized I was starving. I was so hungry and needed to feed myself something that was tasty and rather simple so I could work on one more go-round of my Raspberry Cloud Cakes. I admit, with the WFC approaching faster than ever I have not been eating properly. But I was lucky to have thought ahead and defrosted some chopped sirloin and decided to make my go to dish- MEATLOAF. Sometimes I make a complicated meatloaf but this time it had to be simple. I went through my cupboards and grabbed a packet of Goya Sazon Seasoning (a life saver), remember this little gem? I use it in my shrimp dishes all the time and thought, why not try it with meatloaf. Plus I had some cooked bacon in the fridge. So far, so good. It took me no time to put this little loaf together and a happy gal I was. No chopping involved, but if you have some extra time please add some fresh diced green or red peppers. Here's the recipe:

Sazon Bacon and Sirloin Meatloaf

1 package Sazon seasoning from Goya
1 egg
1 T milk
1 T minced dried onion
1/2 sleeve of crushed Ritz crackers
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 (or more) black pepper
1 T Worcestershire sauce
1 lb chopped sirloin
6 slices cooked bacon finely chopped

Here's a picture of the Sazon seasoning, the star of the show:

And here's what I did with this fabulous spice blend:

Mix Sazon, egg, milk, dried onion, salt, pepper, crackers and Worcestershire sauce together with a spoon or fork.

 Now add your chopped bacon.

Mix in the ground sirloin and form into a small loaf and place in greased pan.

Bake 50 minutes and enjoy any way your little heart desires. I made sammies and forgot to take pictures. But you can just imagine how delish they were. My suggestion is to double the recipe. I am now wishing I had done that.

Mexican Chicken Soup

I'm loving my internet cooking friends. Their recipes are tried and true and they are sure helping me out these days. I'm getting ready for the World Food Championships which is less than three weeks away and there is hardly any time to make dinner. But a gal's got to eat something other than desserts, right? So last night I made Laura Lynn Lopez's Mexican Chicken Soup and wowzer! is this a great recipe. She makes hers in a crock pot, but I put this together on my stove top in about 35 minutes. Here's the recipe with a few of my additions (and omissions):

Mexican Chicken Soup
Inspired by Laura Lynn Lopez
Serves about 6

2 Idaho potatoes peeled and chopped into 1/2 inch pieces
2-1/2 cups chopped cooked chicken (I used a rotisserie from my market)
1-1/2 cups frozen corn
1 can Campbells cream of potato soup
1 can Campbell's cream of chicken soup
1 4 oz can diced green chiles undrained
2 T minced fresh cilantro
1 package taco seasoning mix (I used Old El Paso Hot and Spicy)
3 cups chicken broth
8 oz sour cream (I omitted this ingredient but if I had some on hand I would have certainly used it)
4 oz jalapeno pepper Velveeta cheese cubed (I used the 2% plain because that's what was in my fridge)

Directions:
Cook diced potatoes for about 12 minutes on stove, starting potatoes in cold water. Drain and set aside. In large soup pot combine chicken, corn, both canned soups, chicken broth, cilantro, cooked potatoes and taco seasoning. Stir until heated and smooth. Now cook on low for about 10 minutes. Add your cheese and serve. Delish!

I just reheated this tonight and added some chopped bacon and home made corn chips as a garnish.
Thank you Laura, I love your recipes.  

Sliced, Baked and Loaded Potato Appeteasers

 

My friend Julianne posted a picture from Eagle Butte's web site on facebook and I fell in love with the idea. I saw the pic, read the simple instructions and these little darlings were made in under 45 minutes. I've been a bit under the weather lately and am just doing the daily necessities, like going to work and coming home, so I really don't have a lot of food in the house. But I had everything I needed to make these little bites of heaven. I'm hoping they're just the thing to get me feeling better and up and about tomorrow.

Loaded, Sliced, Baked Potatoes
With this method, anything goes- I believe you could spice it up Italian, Mexican, American, Greek, Indian- just give your favorite a try

1 medium Russett potato sliced 1/4 inch
coarse kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
2 slices cooked bacon crumbled
1-2 scallions chopped
shredded cheese- I used low fat Mexican 4 cheese blend
cooking spray
Garnish with salsa and low fat sour cream and cilantro would be nice (didn't have that though)

Pre heat oven to 400 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with aluminum foil and spritz with cooking spray. Lay potato slices on foil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Bake 15 minutes and turn over. Bake another 15 and you're almost done.

To the cooked potato slices add chopped bacon, scallions and shredded cheese.

Bake another 5 minutes and remove from the oven.

They look delish now, but I think a garnish or two is in order. Add a dollop of salsa and sour cream and dig in.

I hope you enjoy these as much as I did.

And as I said earlier, don't stop with this recipe. How about a bit of chili and cheese on top and a slice of pickled jalapeno ? Or what about pesto, or pizza sauce and cheese? I think the potato is open to any flavor ideas you have in mind. Have fun, and let me know if you have some great combos to share. Thanks Julianne!