Tag Archives: onion

Bread & Celery Dressing

24 Nov

I admit, I love Stove Top stuffing.  My kids do too.  And it’s quick and easy.  But, occasionally, I like to make it from scratch, not from a box.  Now, I have made it the last 3 years for our Thanksgiving meal, but haven’t seemed to get it just right.  This year, I made it exactly how my husband and I like it.  I used the 9 grain bread from Bountiful Baskets for the bread cubes, celery that I had blanched and frozen, and an onion I got recently in a basket.  This turned out not too soggy, not too dry, just right.

Bread & Celery Dressing

What you need:

1 loaf of bread
3/4 cup butter
2 cups celery, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
2 tsp poultry seasoning
1 14 oz can chicken broth
1 egg, beaten

How to make it:

Cut bread into cubes and let air dry 1-2 hours.

Melt butter in a large pot.  Add celery and onion until it becomes soft.  Add poultry seasoning and mix well.  Stir in the bread cubes until they are moistened evenly.  Pour in egg and chicken broth., and gently stir until coated evenly.  Grease a 9×13 baking dish and evenly spread the dressing mixture into the dish.   Bake at 350 F for 30-40 minutes.

Tags: , , , , , ,

Wild Rice & Sausage Dressing

23 Nov

My Aunt Paula started making this for holiday meals a while back, and I just loved it.  Her recipe is super simple, 1 box of Uncle Ben’s wild rice, 1 package of breakfast sausage, 1 beaten egg.  Make rice according to the box, brown the sausage and crumble, mix it together with the egg, and bake at 350 F for 20 minutes.  This year, I wanted to make it more into a dressing, like the traditional bread & celery dressing, and make it a gluten-free dressing, so that it could be an alternative for a Thanksgiving meal.  Or, in our case, an addition to our meal.  We don’t have anyone in our household that needs to eat gluten-free, but I wanted to try this out in case we need it in the future or have someone over.

Wild Rice & Sausage Dressing

What you need:

1 cup wild rice blend (I used Lundberg Wild Rice Blend)
2 cups water (or amount specified on package directions)
1 Tbsp olive oil or butter (optional)
1 Tbsp dried parsley
1 tsp poultry seasoning (make sure blend is just spices, not any “blends”)
1 package breakfast sausage (most are gluten-free, but check the label)
1 clove garlic, minced
1 small onion, chopped
2 cups celery, chopped
1 egg, beaten

How to make it:

Put rice, water, oil or butter, parsley, and poultry seasoning in a medium sauce pan.  Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce heat to simmer for amount of time on rice package directions, mine was for 50 minutes.

Meanwhile, remove casings from sausage (if there are casings).  Place in a large skillet, crumble, and brown.  Add garlic, onion, and celery to skillet and continue cooking until onions and celery soften.

Mix together rice, sausage mixture, and the egg.  Pour into a greased 8×8 or 11×7 baking dish.  Bake at 350 F for 20-30 minutes.

Tags: , , , , , ,

Slow Cooker Spinach, Lentil & Tortellini Soup

22 Nov

 

This is one of my favorite soups to make.  I got the recipe from the Biggest Book of Slow Cooker Recipes, a cookbook I bought when I first got my slow cooker a few years ago.  I was secretly wishing for spinach from Bountiful Baskets, and this week, that wish was fulfilled!  And it’s pretty chilly here today, so perfect weather for eating and making soup.  The original recipe calls for ham and for chicken broth, but I make it without the ham and you can switch to vegetable broth to make this a meatless meal!  I think it tastes great without the ham, but you may choose to add it in.  Mine also looks less soup-like in the picture above because I used a larger family size package of tortellini, because that’s what my girls like the most.

Slow Cooker Spinach, Lentil, and Tortellini Soup

1/2 cup dry lentils
2 cups coarsely shredded carrots (I used the julienne blades on my mandolin slicer)
1 small onion, finely chopped
4 ounces chopped cooked ham or Canadian style bacon, optional
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbsp snipped fresh basil or 2 tsp dried basil, crushed
1 1/2 Tbsp snipped fresh thyme or 1 1/2 tsp dried thyme, crushed
1/4 tsp pepper
5 cups reduced sodium chicken broth or vegetable broth
1 cup water
1 9-oz pkg refrigerated cheese-filled tortellini
1 bunch fresh spinach, slightly torn

1. Rinse lentils and drain. Place lentils in a slow cooker. Add the carrots, onion, ham or bacon (if using), garlic, dried basil and thyme (if using), and pepper. Pour broth and water over all.

2. Cover; cook on low heat setting for 6 1/2 – 7 hours or on high heat setting for 3 1/4 – 3 1/2 hours. If using the low heat setting, turn to high heat setting. Stir in tortellini. Cover and cook 30 minutes more. To serve, stir in spinach and, if using, the fresh basil and thyme.

I also like to put some shredded mozzarella cheese on my serving.

Tags: , , , ,

Sausage & Potato Pie

21 Nov

 

This recipe came from a cookbook I received called Bake Until Bubbly.  My Papou almost always got me a cookbook for Christmas, and after he passed away, this was a cookbook my mom found in his house, and she figured it was most likely meant for me.  It’s a pretty good cookbook, I wish it had pictures of the dishes, but I do like that it’s dishes made more from scratch, not from a lot of processed foods.  For this Sausage & Potato Pie, I end up not following the recipe exactly, but pretty close.

Sausage & Potato Pie

What you need:

2 1/2 pounds potatoes, peeled and diced.  I prefer Yukon Gold, but a lot of times use Russet.
1 large egg
1 lb Italian sausage, casings removed
1 small onion, chopped
1/4 lb fresh mozzarella cheese, cut into cubes OR 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella
1/2 cup plus 1 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
2 Tbsp finely chopped fresh parsley OR 1 Tbsp dried parsley

How to make it:

Preheat your oven to 350 F.  Spray a 9 inch deep dish glass pie pan.

Place the potatoes in a large pot and cover with water.  Bring to a boil, and cook at a gentle boil until potatoes are soft.  Drain, and return to pot.  Blend egg into potatoes until smooth.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, break up the sausage and cook until browned.  Add onion to the pan and cook until onions are translucent.  Use a slotted spoon and add sausage and onion to potatoes.

Add in mozzarella cheese, 1/2 cup Parmesan, and parsley, and mix well.  Spoon the mixture into the pie pan, forming a smooth, flat surface on top.  Sprinkle the 1 Tbsp Parmesan over the top.  Bake for 40 minutes, or until golden brown.  Remove from oven and cool for 5 minutes.

Tags: , , , ,

Bierocks

14 Nov

When I get cabbage, this is one of my favorite recipes to make.  This recipe came from a friend in my mom’s group, and everyone that has made it, loves it.

Bierocks

What you need:

1 lb ground beef
1 cup onion, chopped
2-3 cups cabbage, chopped
Seasoned salt
Ground pepper
Shredded cheese,  I usually use cheddar, but any kind will work
2 cans of Grands biscuits

How to make it:

Brown ground beef in a large skillet; drain. Return to skillet. Stir in onion and cabbage. Simmer, stirring frequently, until cabbage and onion are tender. Season with seasoned salt and pepper to your taste.  Let cool for 5 minutes.  Stir in shredded cheese.


Roll out a biscuit.   Place a couple tablespoons of the filling in center of each biscuit.

Gather up the sides of dough and pinch shut over the filling.  Repeat for each biscuit.

Place seam-side down on greased cookie sheet. Brush tops with beaten egg white or olive oil.


Bake 15 minutes at 375 degrees, or until biscuits are golden brown.

If you don’t want to as many at once, you can freeze half of the filling to use at another time.

Casserole version:

Instead of 1 can of Grands biscuits, use 1 can of crescent rolls.  Spray a casserole dish with non-stick cooking spray, and spread half of the crescent roll dough in the bottom of the dish.  Add the filling mixture, then spread the remaining half of crescent roll dough on the top.  Bake at 375 F for 15-20 minutes, or until golden brown on top.

Tags: , , ,

Ground Beef & Cabbage Stew

6 Nov


Ok, I know at first glance, this doesn’t really look appetizing.  In fact, my good friend that I got this recipe from jokes that this dish should be called “Pig Food”.  I promise though, that it does taste good even though it doesn’t look very good.  And both of my girls eat it with no argument, so that says something if the kids will eat it.  It’s really easy to throw together, most of the time is spent on chopping vegetables to put in it.

Ground Beef  & Cabbage Stew

What you need:

1 lb ground beef
1/2 of a yellow onion, diced
1/2 lb of carrots, sliced
4 1/2 cups water
5 beef or chicken bouillon cubes
2 lbs potatoes, peeled and cubed
4 cups shredded cabbage
1 can peas, or 2 cups frozen or fresh peas

How to make it:

Brown ground beef in a large pot.  Add in carrots and onions, and cook until onions are translucent and carrots have started to soften.  Add the water, bouillon cubes and potatoes.  Make sure there is enough water to cover all of the meat and vegetables, add more if necessary.  Bring to a boil, then turn down heat to let it simmer for 20 minutes, or until potatoes and carrots are both soft.  Add in cabbage, and cook until it begins to wilt.  Add in peas and cook for a few minutes longer to allow peas to cook.  Serve immediately.

Tags: , , , , ,

Salsa Verde and Baked Tortilla Chips

25 Oct

After making Salsa Roja a couple nights ago, I had the ingredients to make Salsa Verde, but was out of tortilla chips.  I was going to head to the store because I needed a few things anyway, but decided since I had some corn tortillas still, I would bake tortilla chips with them.  Super easy, fairly fast to do.  Here is how to make both.

Salsa Verde

What you need:

1 lb tomatillos, husks removed (if you aren’t familiar with tomatillos, you can see them in this post, second picture, bottom left)
4 jalapenos, more or less depending on the level of hot you want
1 yellow onion, cut in half
2 cloves garlic
1/4 cup cilantro
juice of 1 lime

How you make it:

You can roast the ingredients 2 ways.  One way is to roast them in the oven, like I did the ingredients for Salsa Roja.  The other way is to roast them on the grill, like I did last night.  Place a piece of aluminum foil on your grill and heat up your grill. Place tomatillos, jalapenos, onion, and garlic on the foil.  Flip the veggies as they start to blacken.  Continue to cook until onions are translucent, and everything has started to blacken.  Remove from grill and allow to cool.  Then, add all of that plus the cilantro and lime juice to your food processor or blender and blend well.  Serve as desired.

Last night we had this with chips, but a lot of times I will put it over chicken in the slow cooker, then shred the cooked chicken for enchiladas, quesadillas, tacos, burritos, etc.

Baked Tortilla Chips

What you need:

Small corn tortillas
Vegetable or olive oil
Sea salt

How you make them:

Preheat oven to 350 F.  Line a baking sheet with foil.  Cut tortillas into 6 pieces using a pizza cutter.  Spray or brush the foil with the oil.  Lay chips out in a single layer on the pan.  Spray or brush the tops of the chips with oil.  Sprinkle with sea salt.  Bake in oven for 15-20 minutes.  If you bake 2 pans at a time, rotate the pans in the oven halfway through.  Allow to cool and serve.

Tags: , , , , , , , ,

Salsa Roja

23 Oct

I have been making a lot of Roasted Corn Salsa, but since I don’t have corn, I decided to use some of my Mexican veggie pack ingredients to make some Salsa Roja.  I’ve made it a few times before, but I have been working on finding the perfect method.  I have been very close on the taste I want, but I came across this recipe for Salsa Roja and decided to give it a try, but on a much smaller scale than the recipe calls for.

 

Salsa Roja

What you need:

4 tomatoes
1 small onion
4 jalapenos (more or less depending on how hot you want)
2 cloves garlic, peeled
2 tsp salt
1/4 cup cilantro
juice of one lime

How you make it:

Cut tomatoes in half, onions in fourths.  Remove caps from jalapenos and cut in half.  Remove seeds if desired, this reduces some of the heat of the jalapenos.  Line a baking sheet with foil and add tomatoes, onion, jalapenos, and garlic, cut sides up. Roast in oven at 375 F for about 30 minutes, or until onions look translucent.

Allow to cool, then add to a blender or food processor.  Add cilantro, salt, and lime juice to blender or food processor.  Blend well.  Serve as desired.

 

I found this made about 2 1/2 cups of salsa and was a little hot for my tastes, but my husband enjoyed it.

Tags: , , , , , , ,

Guaca-, Guaca-, -mole, -mole!!

21 Oct

Let me explain the title first.  A while back, I was introduced to this video.  I don’t know if it was a commercial Bounty did outside the US or what, but the song is catchy, and K sings it whenever I make guacamole.

I have been waiting all week for my avocados to ripen, and tonight, they finally were.   We are all big fans of guacamole in this house, and this batch was perfect.

Guacamole

What you need:

5 avocados
1/2 bunch green onion
2 jalapeno peppers, tops and seeds removed
2 cloves garlic
1/4 cup cilantro
juice of 1 lime
sea salt

How to make it:

Coarsely chop all the ingredients and add to a food processor or blender.  Blend as desired.

I left mine a little chunky, but mostly pureed.  It was a beautiful green color and full of flavor.  It made about 2 cups of guacamole.


(So, is the guacamole song still stuck in your head?)

Tags: , , , , , , ,

Dolmathes (Stuffed Grape Leaves)

17 Oct

I wish this dish wasn’t so time-consuming, because I would make them a lot more!  There is just something about grape leaves and the filling that makes this so delicious.  Normally, I use bottled lemon juice, but this time I still had lemons from Bountiful Baskets from the previous week.  Also, I used fresh garlic over the jarred garlic I would normally use.  It was a nice change to make it with fresh ingredients.


Dolmathes (Stuffed Grape Leaves)

What you need:

1 jar (16 oz) grape leaves, drained and rinsed

Filling:
1 lb lean lamb or beef, coarsely ground or chopped
1 cup raw long grain rice
1 cup chopped yellow onion
1/4 cup chopped parsley
2 tsp dried dill weed
1 tsp allspice
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 cup olive oil
juice of 1 lemon

Broth:
2 cups basic chicken stock or canned broth
juice of 1 lemon

How to Make it:

Mix all ingredients for filling. Pick out the smallest leaves in the jar and set aside. Cut of the stems of the remaining grape leaves.  Using a 2-quart, heavy-lidded pot, create a single layer of the smaller leaves.

Spread leaf on counter with the vein side facing you.   Place about 2 Tbsp of filling in the center of the leaf.

Fold the stem end over the filling, then fold the sides over to secure the filling, then roll away from you toward the tip of the leave, creating a small cylinder.

Size should be about 3″ long by 1″ wide. Do not wrap too tightly as rice needs room for expansion during cooking.

Place the stuffed leaves in pot up against each other rather tightly so they do not come undone.

Multiple layers of stuffed leaves may be needed, so place layer of the smaller, unrolled leaves in between each layer. Top with remaining unrolled leaves.  This jar of grape leaves and the amount of filling allowed for 24 stuffed leaves (2 layers of 12 stuffed leaves), with 2 leaves on bottom, 2 leaves in between the 2 layers, and 2 leaves on top.  Mix the chicken stock and lemon juice, and pour over the leaves in the pot.  Cover and bring to a light simmer.  Cook for 1 hour. Remove from heat and allow to cool for 15 minutes.  Do not remove lid or leaves will darken. Serve warm.

 

Printable Recipe:

Dolmathes (Stuffed Grape Leaves)

Tags: , , , ,

← Older Entries
Newer Entries →