Recipe of the Week

The Cheese

2012-08-05T09:51:00.001-07:00

This blog should really be called:
aaron-wheneverthehellhegetsarroundtoputtingupanotherrecipe.blogspot.com

I was fortunate enough to have a hardcore fan fly out from California to be on the blog. He's a huge fan of cheese, so I made him his favorite food with a little twist.

Direction:

Buy extra sharp cheese from the store (tillamook is pretty good)
Open up the cheese
Carefully cut it into a 1/4" thick slice
Serve on a paper towel w/knife and fork

Forrest was really excited to eat the specially sliced cheese with this vitamin water

Forrest was able to finish the slice in ONE SITTING! Ryan was a little upset that Forrest didn't share

Wendy's Famous Lasagna

2011-07-15T22:36:00.000-07:00

So a certain youtube video was brought to my attention by my brother Matt. Epic Mealtime. This is my slightly toned down version of their "fast food lasagna" and by toned down I mean no booze, less burgers and some different ingredients. It was delicious.

Ingredients:
6 Jr. Bacon cheese burgers (From wendy's)
6 Chicken sandwiches
2 lbs of bacon
Meat sauce
2 pounds of cheese
4 small orders of french fries

I'll let the pictures do the talking. Its pretty simple to put together.

Buffalo Chicken Appetizer

2010-12-12T22:48:00.000-08:00

I love this buffalo chicken dip and I decided to make an appetizer out of it. They turned out really good and were very popular.

Ingredients:
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1/4 cup of brown sugar
3/4 cup franks hot sauce
1/2 cup of shredded cheddar cheese
1 package of cream cheese
1/4 cup ranch dressing
4 strips of bacon crumbled
2 packages of crescent rolls

Directions:

Boil the chicken until cooked all the way through
Shred the chicken
In a pot mix in the shredded chicken, franks hot sauce and brown sugar. Bring to a soft boil
Mix in cream cheese and ranch
Mix in shredded cheese
Take mixture and spoon about a tbsp into each crescent roll sprinkle bacon on top then fold it and pinch the edges.
Bake in the oven at 350 for 20 minutes or until golden brown.

Pork Chops

2010-12-05T17:00:00.000-08:00

We found a really good deal on pork chops at the store so that's what i made this week. The recipe is simple and they turned out really good.

Ingredients:
4 thick cut pork chops
1/4 cup Brown Sugar
1/2 tsp Cayenne Powder
1/2 tsp Garlic Powder
1/2 tsp Paprika
1/2 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp black pepper

Directions:

1: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. In a bowl combine the brown sugar and spices (salt, pepper, cayenne, paprika and garlic powder or whatever spice blend you like).

2: Remove the pork chops from their package and rub the brown sugar/spice mix all over both sides. Use all of the spice mix.

3: Heat 2 Tbsp of olive oil in a skillet over medium/high heat. When the oil is nice and hot (it will look wavy in the pan), add the pork chops. Cook the chops for about 5 minutes on each side or until they are nicely browned.

4: If you are using an oven safe skillet, place the skillet in the oven for an additional 5 minutes to make sure they are cooked through. If your skillet is not oven safe (most plastic handled skillets and teflon are not safe in the oven), transfer the chops to a baking sheet lined with foil then place in the oven.

5: Remove the chops from the oven and drag each side around in the thick glaze that has formed around the chops in the pan prior to serving.

Apple Pie

2010-11-28T17:40:00.000-08:00

Since Thanksgiving was this week I knew I would have left overs today so I took pictures of the pie that I made. It's one of the best pies I've eaten and one of the easiest I've ever made.

Ingredients:
6-8 baking apples (depending on size) I used 2 Granny Smith, 2 Braeburn, 2 Fuji
1/2 lemon, juiced
1 cup white sugar
3 tbsp cornstarch
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp cinnamon
very tiny pinch of salt
2 tbsp butter
1 egg, beaten
ready to use pie dough (I used Pillsbury)

Directions:

Peel and core apples. Cut into quarters and then cut each quarter into 5 equally sized pieces.
In a large bowl add lemon juice, sugar, nutmeg, salt, cornstarch and cinnamon
In a 9 inch pie pan put down the first pie crust.
Pour in the apples
dot the top with butter
Put the other pie crust on top and pinch the sides together
Brush the top with an eggs wash and slice the top crust with whatever design you want.
Lightly sprinkle the top with sugar.
Place on a pan covered in foil because the juices can spill out. Put in a 375 degree oven for an hour or until the crust is a golden brown.

Creamy pasta and shrimp

2010-11-21T18:12:00.000-08:00

I'm not a huge seafood fan but, my wife is so I decided to make this pasta and shrimp dish. It turned out really good, so if you are a shrimp fan your should definitely make this and if you aren't give it a try.

Ingredients

8 ounces dried pasta (linguine, fettuccine, etc.)
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 small onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
1 small bell pepper, cored, seeded, and sliced
4-5 small fresh plum tomatoes (or 10 cherry tomatoes), stem ends and seeds removed and sliced
2-3 canned chipotle peppers plus 1 teaspoon adobo sauce
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1 pound peeled large shrimp
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 cups half-and-half, light cream, or evaporated milk
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Salt and pepper, to taste
(Optional) 1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese

Directions

Boil the pasta in a large sauce pan until al dente, according to the package instructions. Drain and set aside.
Heat the oil in a Dutch oven or large frying pan on medium heat and, stirring occasionally, sauté the onions for 2 minutes or until wilted. Stir in the garlic, bell peppers, tomatoes, and cumin. Sauté for an additional 2 minutes.

Reduce the heat to medium-low and stir in the chipotles, shrimps, lemon juice, and half-and-half (or cream or evaporated milk). Simmer until the shrimps are just cooked through, approximately 3-5 minutes, depending on the size of shrimps used. Stir in the cilantro. Taste and correct the seasoning by adding salt, pepper, and, if needed, additional chipotle to suit your taste.
Return the pasta to the sauce pan in which it was cooked, sprinkle with the grated cheese (if used), and pour the shrimp sauce over it. Toss until well blended and transfer to a serving dish. Serves 4 as a main course.

Hawaii Chicken Wings

2010-11-14T16:02:00.000-08:00

I'll be honest, I'm not a huge chicken wing fan. I realize they are a staple to any sports event, so I decided to make some. As the name states, they are "Hawaii wings" which means that there is pineapple in it. Just like every California dish has avocado in it, ALL Hawaiian dishes have pineapple.
These turned out amazing. If you like wings... make this recipe!

Ingredients:

25 chicken wings
3 tbsp. cider vinegar
2 tsp. garlic salt
1 tbsp. onion powder
1 tsp. ground ginger
1 tsp. paprika
1 can (20 oz.) Dole crushed pineapple or chunks
1 c. catsup
1/4 c. brown sugar
1/4 c. soy sauce

Directions:
Cut wings into 2 pieces (discard bony end of wing tip). Arrange remaining chicken parts in single layer in well-oiled baking pan. Prick skin with fork. Combine vinegar, garlic salt, onion powder, ginger and paprika to make a paste; brush over chicken. Bake in 400 degree oven for 30 minutes. Turn once.

Meanwhile, combine pineapple with catsup, brown sugar and soy sauce. mix together in a food processor. spoon or brush sauce over wings. Continue roasting 15 minutes more. Turn wings; spoon on more sauce. Roast 15 minutes more, or until done. Remove wings to serving platter. Serve immediately or refrigerate until serving time. Wings may be reheated in oven or over hot coals on a grill. Makes 50 chicken pieces; 25 (2 piece) servings; 12 (4 piece) servings.

Not only do dogs love trucks, they also love chicken wings.

Enfrioladas

2010-11-07T15:08:00.000-08:00

I realize it has been a really long time since I posted a recipe. Lo siento.

I was wanting to make a really good/authentic mexican dish. I was talking to Alecks (who is from mexico) at work and he suggested I try making enfrioladas. I'd never heard of them and when he described them to me they didn't sound that good. Trust me..... they are money.

Ingredients:

Tortillas
2 chicken breasts
1 lime
Cilantro
Tbls chili powder
1/4 cup of Olive oil
1/2 table spoon honey
2 cans of black beans
Queso fresco
Sour Cream

Chicken Marinade
Mix together in a blender, half cup of cilantro, honey, chili powder, olive oil, juice from one lime, and salt to taste.
Marinate chicken for 24 hours.

Cook chicken in crockpot on low for 4-5 hours or until thoroughly cooked.

Enfrioladas.

Warm tortilla fill with 1/4 cup of chicken and cheese. Roll tightly and place seem side down in a greased glass pan. Cover with black beans. Sprinkle queso fresco on top. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 20 minutes. Garnish with sour cream.

Manicotti

2010-03-14T22:38:00.000-07:00

I decided to make some delicious Manicotti this week. I love Italian food a lot, almost as much as I like Mexican food. This recipe is really delicious and will impress who ever you make it for. I love this recipe because it's really easy.

Ingredients:

1 pint part-skim ricotta cheese
8 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 eggs
1 teaspoon dried parsley
salt to taste
ground black pepper to taste
16 oz of homemade meat sauce (see lasagna recipe)
5 1/2 ounces manicotti pasta

Directions:

Cook manicotti in boiling water until done. Drain, and rinse with cold water
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
In a large bowl, combine ricotta, mozzarella, and 1/2 cup Parmesan, eggs, parsley, and salt and pepper. Mix well.
Pour 1/2 cup sauce into an 11x17 inch baking dish. Fill each manicotti shell with 3 tablespoons cheese mixture, and arrange over sauce . Pour remaining sauce over top, and sprinkle with remaining Parmesan cheese.
Bake 45 minutes, or until bubbly.

Oreo Truffles

2010-03-01T11:20:00.000-08:00

After making these during the Christmas season and being requested by several people to post the recipe, I decided to end my procrastination and finally put it up. These truffles are incredibly easy to make.... I mean UNBELIEVABLY easy, you'll see. This one is for you Staci.

In this recipe I used mint oreos, they turned out delicious. I've used regular oreos in the past and they also turned out amazing.

Ingredients:

Oreos ( I always forget to count how many I use, its about 2 1/2 sleeves)
1 brick of cream cheese
Baking Squares white chocolate 1 1/2 boxes (see picture)

Directiones:

Soften cream cheese in microwave for about 20 seconds.
Put the oreos in a food processor or smash them in a bag until its oreo dust
Mix oreo dust with cream cheese together
Put the mixture in the refrigerator ( covered) for 30-45 minutes
Melt chocolate
Make balls out of the mixture, about golf ball size
One at a time put the balls into the white chocolate and coat them.
Place on wax paper and put back in the fridge for another hour

Pizza Dip

2010-02-21T23:23:00.000-08:00

This is one of my favorite dips, in fact I made this dip 3 times in the past 2 days. Each time it was eaten very quickly and I was asked for the recipe. This is the second recipe I have stolen from my sister April. Its a good one.

Ingredients:
1 block of cream cheese
1 teaspoon dried italian dressing mix
2 cups mozzarella cheese
1/3 cup fresh parmesan
8 oz pizza sauce
1/4 cup chopped red pepper
1/4 cup chopped green onion

Directions:

Mix the dried seasonings in with the cream cheese spread in a 9x9 pan.
Top with half of the cheeses
Spread on pizza sauce
Top with remaining cheese and chopped red pepper and green onions
Bake at 350 for 15-18 minutes
Serve with slices of a baguette

Western Potato Rounds

2010-02-07T19:11:00.000-08:00

This is another great appetizer that is super easy to make yet very delicious. This recipe was introduced to me by my sister April. This works great for any get together, we made about 30 and they were all gone in about 5 minutes.

Ingredients:

2 large potatoes unpeeled
1 cup shredded Colby jack cheese
6 bacon slices cooked and crumbled or just buy real bacon bits
green onions chopped ( I didn't have any green onions, but they still turned out amazing)
barbecue sauce

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 450
2. Slice potatoes into 1/4 inch slices
3. Spray with oil
4. Bake 20 minutes
5. Take out of oven top with, bbq sauce, cheese, bacon,onions
6. Put back in oven bake 3-5 minutes until cheese is melted

Lucilles BBQ is THE best BBQ sauce

SUPER BOWL Jalapeño Apetizers

2010-01-31T21:28:00.000-08:00

This recipe was introduced to me by my brother Monty on Christmas day. I made them for a get together that I went to and they were a hit. These are a perfect appetizer for any event. Don't be fooled by how simple these look, they are abosolutely amazing!

Ingredients:

Cream cheese (softened)
Jalapeños
bacon
little smokies (you will need two little smokies for each jalapeño)

Directions:

Buy as many Jalapeños as you need, cut them in half lengthwise, then remove the insides.
Fill the jalapeños with cream cheese
Place a little smoke on top
Wrap in a half slice of bacon. I decided to cook the bacon for a little while in the microwave because the last time I made them the bacon wasn't cooked enough for my liking. ( I put the two pieces of bacon in the microwave in the oven for about 50 seconds).
Brush on your favorite BBQ sauce
Cook in the oven at 350 for 25-30 minutes

BEST DIP EVER

2010-01-24T20:43:00.000-08:00

Every time I make this dip people ask me for the recipe. I decided to finally give away the "secret". There are different variations of this dip but this way is by far the most delicious. Super bowl sunday is coming up, I promise if you make this people will love you for it.

Ingredients

3 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 package of cream cheese
3/4 cup bleu cheese dressing or Ranch (which ever you prefer)
3/4 cup Franks Hot sauce (It HAS to be Franks)
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 hand fulls of your favorite shredded cheese

Directions:

Boil the chicken until fully cooked. When done cooking, take chicken out and shred with two forks. In a sauce pan mix Franks hot sauce and brown sugar together. Bring to a boil then reduce heat and let simmer for 5 minutes. Pour contents over the chicken and mix together. Place the chicken inside of a 9 inch glass dish ( I actually have no idea what the diameter of the glass dish that I use, 9 just sounded good). Make sure you get all of the sauce out of the sauce pan because you are going to use it again to make the next part. Put the cream cheese and ranch (or bleu cheese dressing) into the sauce pan melt all together. After it becomes smooth pour over the chicken. Cover the top with your favorite shredded cheese, I used mozzarella because I ran out of cheddar (I prefer cheddar, but it was delicious none the less). Place in an oven at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until the cheese in completely melted. Eat with tortilla chips or the Frito dip chips.

Sorry

2010-01-20T21:29:00.000-08:00

I'm going to start this thing back up again this Sunday. I'm going to try and keep it up to date weekly, but my schedule this semester is pretty rough. Don't worry, I'll get some more delicious recipes up. I can't let down my 12 fans...

Homemade BBQ sauce and pulled pork

2009-12-06T20:27:00.000-08:00

Pulled pork, one of the best forms of meat. Also one of the easiest forms to make. Its all about low and slow for pulled pork. I use the crockpot, just make sure you plan on cooking it for at least 8 hours. This is the first time that I have made my own BBQ sauce, it turned out very delicious.

Ingredients:

BBQ Sauce:

1 cup ketchup
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup vinegar
1/4 cup brown sugar
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons paprika
1 tablespoon chili powder
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon cayenne

Heat oil in a saucepan. Add garlic and sauté until brown. Add remaining ingredients and reduce heat. Simmer for 15 minutes until thickened.

Pulled Pork Dry Rub:

1 Tbs ground black pepper
1-2 Tsp Cayenne pepper
2 Tbs Chili powder
2 Tbs Ground cumin
2 Tbs Dark brown sugar
1 Tbs Dried oregano
4 Tbs Paprika
2 Tbs Table salt
1 Tbs Granulated sugar
1 Tbs Ground white pepper

1 Mix all spice rub ingredients (1-10) in a small bowl.
2. Massage spice rub into meat. Wrap tightly in double layer of plastic wrap; refrigerate for at least 3 hours.
3. Unwrap roast and place it in slow cooker liner. Add liquid smoke, if using, and 1/4 cup water. Turn slow cooker to low and cook for 8-10 hours, until meat is fork-tender.
4. Transfer roast to cutting board; discard liquid in liner. “Pull” by tearing meat into thin shreds with two forks or your fingers. Discard fat.
5. Place shredded meat back in slow cooker liner; toss with 1 cup barbecue sauce, and heat on low for 30-60 minutes, until hot.
6. Serve with additional barbecue sauce (if needed).

Heart Attack Alfredo Sauce

2009-11-29T21:49:00.000-08:00

So I love Italian food. I've never made Alfredo sauce before so this was a new adventure. I didn't realize how bad Alfredo sauce was for you until I made it myself. Don't get me wrong, the flavor is totally worth the years it will take off your life. I wouldn't recommend eating this on a regular basis, unless you were participating in a run for a cure (for rabies).

Ingredients:

1/2 cup sweet butter
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups heavy cream
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
3/4 cup mozzarella cheese

Melt butter in medium saucepan over medium/low heat.

Add the garlic, cream, white pepper and bring mixture to a simmer. Stir often.

Add the Parmesan cheese and simmer sauce for 8-10 minutes or until sauce has thickened and is smooth.

When sauce has thickened add the Mozzarella cheese and stir until smooth. STIR FREQUENTLY.

While the sauce cooks, boil noodles for 3-5 minutes. Place pasta on serving plates and spoon sauce over pasta.

Whats the best way to make something taste better?..... Bacon, Classy!

Potato and Goat Cheese Gratin

2009-11-22T17:59:00.000-08:00

I love cheese, I love potatoes... potato and goat cheese gratin seemed like the best thing for me. I was right, it was delicious and pretty easy to make. The goat cheese is a little expensive but totally worth it. Pray that you have a potato slicer (not a potato peeler, but to cut potatoes into thin coins), I didn't have one so I had to use a knife to slice the potatoes.

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 1/2 pounds russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/8-inch slices
1 teaspoon minced garlic
5 ounces goat cheese, crumbled
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 cups heavy cream
1/4 pound of Italian Sausage
1 teaspoon of Thyme
1 teaspoon of bay leaves

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Grease the bottom and sides of a 1 1/2-quart gratin dish with the butter.

Make a layer of overlapping potato slices on the bottom of the dish and sprinkle with half of the garlic and 1/3 of the goat cheese. Season with salt, pepper, thyme and bay leaves. Repeat with another layer of potatoes, the remaining garlic, another 1/3 of the cheese, and season with salt and pepper. Finish with a final layer of potatoes and the remaining cheese and season with salt and pepper. On the second layer I added some cooked Italian sausage. Pour the heavy cream over the top of the potatoes and, using your hands, press to condense the layers slightly. Make sure the potatoes are all covered with cream.

Bake for 1 hour and 20 minutes, or until the gratin is bubbly and golden brown on top and the potatoes are cooked through. Let cool for 5 minutes before serving.

These turned out very good. I would recommend eating this with some delicious ham. Unfortunately I didn't have any delicious ham but it was still very good to eat. It typically doesn't call for Italian sausage but I had some left over so I decided to put some in. The only thing that I would have done different is put more salt on the layers.

It snowed pretty hard all day today.... booooo

Chili

2009-11-15T20:49:00.000-08:00

It's starting to get even colder in Rexburg. Carly wanted me to make chili a couple of weeks ago but I didn't so I decided to appease her and make some amazing chili. The recipe I used didn't call for beans, next time I think I'll throw some pinto bean in, because I love beans. It was very flavorful and delicious without the beans, so no worries. Another thing, this recipe calls for beer, I used non-alcoholic beer. If even non-alcoholic beer offends you.... don't put it in, but don't blame me if it doesn't taste amazing, you big baby.

Ingredients:

2 1/2 lb. lean chuck, ground
1 lb. lean pork, ground
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 cup finely chopped onion
8 oz. hunt's tomato sauce
1 cup water
1 can beer (12 oz.)
3 Tablespoons chili powder
2 Tablespoons instant beef bouillon (or 6 cubes)
2 Tablespoons cumin, ground
2 teaspoons paprika
2 teaspoons oregano leaves
2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon coriander, ground
1 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa
1/2 teaspoon louisiana hot sauce
1 teaspoon cornmeal
1 teaspoon flour
1 teaspoon warm water

1. In a large saucepan brown 1 1/4 pounds of the ground meat (the beef and the pork), drain the fat.
2. Remove meat (the beef and the pork). Brown the rest of the ground meat, drain all but 2 tablespoons of the fat.
3. Add the garlic and onion, cook and stir until tender.
4. Add the other half of the meat and the tomato sauce, water, beer, chili powder, bouillon, cumin, paprika, oregano, sugar, coriander, cocoa, and hot sauce. Mix well.
5. Bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer, covered , for 2 hours.
6. In a small bowl, stir together the cornmeal and flour, then add the warm water and mix well.
7. Stir into chili and cook, covered, for an additional 20 minutes.

Side note: A way to save time is to put all the dry ingredients together in a bowl and the liquid ingredients together in another bowl. That way you don't have to rush measuring everything right before you put it in.

Meatballs

2009-11-08T17:20:00.000-08:00

This week I decided to try something I'm very unfamiliar with. I love to eat meatball sandwiches but I've never made them nor have I ever had spaghetti and meatballs. This is a delicious recipe. Not only are they great on pasta but they are great for leftovers.... especially meatball subs.

Ingredients:

1 pound ground beef
1 pound ground pork
1/3 plain bread crumbs
1/2 cup milk (can substitute water or beef broth)
1 diced onion
2 tbl olive oil
3 cloves crushed garlic
2 eggs
1/4 bunch fresh parsley
2 tbl grated parmesan cheese
2 teaspoon salt
1 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp red cayenne pepper
1 tsp dried Italian Seasonings

Mix together bread crumbs and milk, let sit for 20 minutes until it becomes a paste. While waiting for the paste to form, saute the onions in the olive oil. Mix together both the meats. When the onions are done let them cool then add all ingredients together and mix. Cover mix with plastic and put in the refrigerator for an hour. Take out of refrigerator and form balls to liking. I found the perfect size are a little larger than a golf ball. Put the balls onto a cookie sheet covered in tin foil and lightly oiled. Place the meatballs in the oven at 425 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until browned. Place meatballs and drippings in delicious spaghetti sauce and let simmer on low for 1-2 hours.

Milk and bread crumb mix

Our Neighbors Brianne and Brandon enjoyed the meatballs

Baked Potato Soup

2009-11-01T16:08:00.000-08:00

It snowed this week so I decided to make something warm and delicious. In my later years of adolescence my Mom started make a potato soup that I really enjoyed. Its probably the thing that I liked the most that she made. With the weather being so cold, this would be the perfect thing to make.
Although this recipe may look complicated, really it isn't and its totally worth making... make it now or regret it later!

Ingredients:

5 med potatoes

3tbs butter

1 cup diced white onion

2tbs flour

4 cups chicken stock

2 cups water

1/4 cup cornstarch

1 1/2 cups instant mashed potatoes

1 tsp salt

3/4 tsp pepper

1/2tsp basil

1/8 tsp thyme

1 cup half and half

1. preheat oven to 400 degrees and bake the potatoes for 1 hour or until done ( when potatoes are done remove them from the oven to cool

2. melt butter in a large sauce pan and saute onion until light brown. Add the flour to the onions and stir to make a roux. (means brown it slightly)

3. Add stock, water, cornstarch, mashed potatoes and spices to the pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes (watch that bottom doesn't burn)

4. Cut potatoes in half lengthwise and scoop out contents with a large spoon. Discard skin, chop baked potato with a large knife to make shunks that are about 1/2 inch in size

5. add chopped baked potato and half and half (or milk) to the saucepan, bring soup back to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer the soup for another 15 minutes or until it is thick. (stir often so bottom doesn't burn)

Nick and Staci loved the deliciousness

Philly Cheese Steak

2009-10-25T21:03:00.000-07:00

I was in the mood to make something really easy. I was watching man vs food and he ate a huge philly cheese steak, it made me want to make it because it looked so delicious. I decided to make it and I was very delicious.

Ingredients:

Thinly sliced rib eye steak (or if you want to save a LOT of money, do what I did and use top sirloin)
White onion
Cheeze whiz
Provolone cheese
Hoagie roll

On a griddle or saute pan saute onions (and if you like bell pepers) in about 1/4 tablespoon of butter. Cook until they are soft and then set aside. On high heat cook the thinly sliced meat, season with salt and pepper. This should take about 5 minutes, while still on griddle place two slices of provolone on top of the meat until it melts. Toast the hoagie roll, then place the meat with the melted cheese on the hoagie roll. Place the sauted onions on top also. Warm up the cheese whiz and put it on one side of the hoagie rolls and then put the sandwhich together and enjoy. Cheese whiz is a must! I was skeptical at first but it adds an amazing texture to the philly cheese steak.

Omelets

2009-10-19T23:23:00.000-07:00

I love breakfast, it is the best meal in the world of meals. My favorite breakfast food is the egg, and my favorite form of the egg is the omelet. Not only do you get eggs but you get the delicious filling as well. In my case I like lots of meats, sautéed onions, cream cheese and avocado in mine. Its a fine are to be able to make the perfect omelet. Too often you'll see omelets that are brown and crusty on the outside. Through my time tested techniques I will show you how to make the perfect omelet every time.

Ingredients:

Eggs (how ever much you want)
Pepper (to taste)
salt (to taste)
really... you can put in whatever sounds good. Experiment, you'll never know what you like until you try it.

Put eggs in a lightly oiled pan on medium low. Making the perfect omelet takes patients. Let the egg cook until the bottom begins to solidify, with a spatula gently lift one of the edges and let the raw egg on top drain onto the bottom, repeat this until there is very little raw. Then very carefully flip the omelet over like a pancake. At this point you will put in your fillings, (whatever they may be). Then flip half of the omelet to cover the fillings. Turn off the heat, and cover pan with lid until the cheese is melted. Take out and enjoy. Side note,in this omelet I used 4 egg whites and one whole egg, that's why the egg looks so light.

John and Krysta love breakfast, but not as much as me.

Mac N Cheese w/ boneless pork ribs

2009-10-11T14:25:00.000-07:00

Growing up I loved to eat Macaroni and Cheese, but I never made it from scratch. I always made it out of the box. I've been watching a lot of the food network and they were showing some southern cooking and they had macaroni and cheese from scratch and it looked amazing. I decided to make it, along with some boneless pork ribs that I kind of just made up.

Ingredients:
1 lb elbow macaroni
4 cups of grated sharp Cheddar cheese, or whatever
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup flour
1/4 tsp dried thyme
1/4 tsp cayenne
1/8 tsp white pepper
1/4 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp salt
pinch of nutmeg
1 tsp Dijon mustard
3 cups milk
1/2 cup Panko breadcrumbs plus 1 tbsp butter

Put 1/4 cup of butter in sauce pan on medium heat until melted. Add 1/4 cup of flour mix together and let simmer for about 3 minutes. Add thyme, cayenne and white pepper, let cook for about 1 minutes. Mix in 1 cup of cold milk (I used whole milk so that the sauce would be even creamier). Add the rest of the milk. Then add salt, nutmeg, Worcestershire sauce and Dijon mustard. Let all simmer for about 10 minutes. ( While you are cooking up the sauce, boil the pasta). After the sauce thickens up a little turn off the heat and add one cup of cheese at a time, be sure to leave 3/4 of a cup of cheese for the top. When the cheese is all mixed in (except for the 3/4 cup for the top) add a it to the noodles in a 13x9 pan. Make sure it is all mixed in well. Melt 1 Tbsp of butter and add it to Panko crumbs and spread over the macaroni, put the remaining cheese over the top also. Cook at 400 degrees for 20 minutes. Depending how creamy you want the mac n cheese add more or less noodles. In my case I added about 12 oz, which is 3/4 of a pound. It came out very creamy and delicious.

I had to come up with something to have with the macaroni and cheese. I decided something BBQ would be good, I like pork ribs but I don't have a grill so I decided to experiment with boneless pork ribs in the crock pot.

Ingredients:

3 large tart apples, peeled, cored, chopped or thinly sliced

1 white onion, halved and thinly sliced

1/2 tablespoon cinnimon

1/4 cup water

1 Teaspoon salt

1/4 cup apple juice

2 1/2 pound of bonless pork ribs

Trim the fat off of the pork, take the pieces and brown them in a frying pan with a little olive oil. To do this put burner on high and cook every side long enough to brown and seal the meat. (This will help prevent the meat from drying out and also help seal in the flavor from the other ingredients). Add all the ingredients to the crock pot and cook on LOW for 8 hours. After 8 hours, drain liquid and add your favorite BBQ sauce, and cook on low for another hour and a half.

Nate is from Tennessee and said that the Mac N Cheese was the best he has ever had. ( That is his second helping)

Chicken Parmesan

2009-10-04T19:10:00.000-07:00

This week I decided to make chicken Parmesan. It's something that I don't typically order when I got out to Italian restaurants but always wish I did when I see someone else eating it. This recipe is delicious, the outside of the chicken is crispy and the inside stays very juicy. You don't want to over do it on the cheese or the sauce. You don't want to drown the chicken in so much sauce and cheese, that it ends up being a big soggy chicken/cheese clump. I don’t put any sauce under the chicken breasts, just a little bit on top, so the breading stays relatively crisp. Also, using fresh mozzarella cheese and fresh Parmesan makes a huge difference. Piacere!

Ingredients:

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
4 cups “Panko” Japanese style bread crumbs
1 cup grated parmesan ( put about half a cup with the bread crumbs)

4 oz fresh mozzarella
salt and pepper to taste
3 Eggs

olive oil for frying
1/2 cup prepared tomato sauce
1/4 cup fresh shredded basil, or pesto, or dried Italian herbs of your choice, or omit
*Baked for approximately 15-20 minutes at 450F

Take your 4 boneless skinless chicken breast and pound the thicker part so that the whole piece is about an inch thick. Then dredge the chicken in flour. Take the chicken and put it in the beaten eggs then add it to the bowl of Panko crumbs/parmesan mixture. Make sure that the bread crumbs are completly covering the chicken, gently push the bread crumb mixture in the chicken. After you are done doing that with all 4 chicken breasts, let them sit on a plate for about 15 mintues so that the bread crumbs seal into the chicken.
Add the chicken to a medium-high frying pan (put about an inch of olive oil). Fry on the sides until golden (NOT golden brown), its only a few seconds on each side. If you fry it too long the chicken will become dry in the oven. Place the chicken in a glass cooking pan. Put sauce, then fresh mozzarella, then herbs, then parmesan on top. Not too much of any ingredient (see pictures for proper amount). Drizzle the top with about a 1/2 teaspoon of olive oil. Bake for approximately 15-20 minutes at 450F

I would have liked to have made my own tomato sauce but I ran out of time. I just used some store brand. I added fresh garlic, oregano and salt and pepper to make it taste better.

Anne liked the Chicken Parmesan so much that Todd went crazy!