I Love Food

Chocolate Banana Trifle

2013-08-15T10:03:00.000-05:00

I was introduced to trifles while I was student teaching in England. I lived with a host family and Rosa was an incredible cook. Sherry Trifle was a Sunday night staple. The trifle always looked beautiful and was absolutely delicious. Trifles are incredibly easy to make. I created this recipe because I had bananas on hand that I wanted to use. My taste testers said the Chocolate Banana Trifle was " pretty damn good." Feel free to substitute with any fruit of your choice. I used homemade whipped cream in this recipe but if you are pressed for time, Cool Whip does the trick! Enjoy!

1 package of Vanilla Oreos, crushed

1 jar of hot fudge sauce, at room temperature

3-4 bananas, sliced

1 Cup of whipping cream

2 Tablespoons of sugar

To crush the cookies, place half of the Oreos in a large plastic bag and smash, repeat with remaining cookies. To make whipped cream, beat cream until soft peaks form, about 2 minutes. Add sugar and beat for another 30 seconds. Stir the hot fudge sauce, you do not need to warm it up. To make the trifle- layer sliced bananas, cookies, hot fudge sauce and cream. Repeat and decorate top layer of cream with a few crushed cookies if desired. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

Lemon Spaghetti with Broccoli

2013-04-30T19:49:00.003-05:00

I know, lemon and pasta sound like a weird combo but trust me, it is delicious! This recipe is based the Lemon Spaghetti recipe in my favorite cookbook of all time, Everyday Italian. Tonight, I didn't have fresh herbs but the pasta was still tasty. Basil, Italian Parsley or a combo of the two work well in this dish. This is a great light meal on its own or as a side with fish or chicken. I think it would be great to take to a picnic since it can be served warm or at room temp. Enjoy!

1/2 cup olive oil
2/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus additional for serving
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice (from about 2 lemons)
1/2 teaspoon of salt, plus more to taste
1/4 teaspoon of pepper
1 pound penne or thin spaghetti
1/3 cup fresh basil or Italian parsley, chopped
1 tablespoon of grated lemon zest ( from about 2 lemons)
1/2 cup of reserved cooking liquid from pasta
1 cup of broccoli florets, cooked and cut into small pieces

Zest the two lemons and then juice the lemons. Place the lemon juice in a large bowl, along with the olive oil, Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper and whisk together. You will use the zest later in the recipe. Cook the pasta and the broccoli. Save 1/2 cup of the pasta water to use when mixing the lemon sauce. Drain noodles and cut broccoli into small pieces if necessary. Add noodles to the large bowl with lemon sauce. Add lemon zest, basil, broccoli and 1/4 cup of the pasta water. Mix together and add additional pasta water if necessary. Top with additional Parmesan cheese.

Salmon Wrapped in Foil

2012-12-30T08:26:00.000-06:00

I love salmon and I'm always looking for a new way to prepare it. This is a Giada De Laurentiis recipe that I changed up a bit. Wrapping the salmon in foil keeps it incredibly juicy. I used cajun seasoning and lemon because that's what I had on hand but feel free to use whatever you like.

2-4 Salmon filets
sliced lemons (2-3 per filet)
olive oil
salt and pepper
cajun seasoning

Preheat oven to 400. You will need one piece of foil per filet. Place each filet on the foil, drizzle with oilve oil, seasonings and lemons. Wrap the ends of the foil to form a spiral shape and seal each packet. Place the foil packets on a baking sheet and bake for 20-25 min.

Pasta Bolognese

2012-11-26T09:50:00.000-06:00

This is by far one of the most delicious pasta dishes I have ever made. This is hearty and amazing! I started with Mario Batali's Ragu Bolognese recipe and changed it around a bit. You will need 2lbs of ground meat for this recipe and please, please, please don't use two pounds of 96-98% ground beef. Fat= flavor!!! I use one pound of a meatloaf mix which is typically 85% lean and one pound of 96% lean organic ground beef.

2 Tbsp of butter
3 Tbsp of olive oil
2 stalks of celery
8-10 baby carrots
2 cloves of garlic, peeled
1 medium onion, peeled and quartered
3/4 can of tomato paste
2 lbs of ground beef- at least one 1lb should be 85% lean
1 cup of milk
1 cup of red wine
salt and pepper
Parmesan cheese, shredded-1/4 cup for sauce plus additional for serving
pinch of red pepper flakes if desired
1 lb rigatoni
1/2 cup of reserved pasta water

Put the carrots, garlic, celery and onion in a food processor and pulse until finely chopped. If you don't have a food processor, finely chop veggies with a knife. In a large pan over medium heat, add the olive oil and butter. Then add the diced veggies and cook for 10-15 min or until veggies are tender. Turn heat to medium high and add 2 lbs of ground beef to the veggies. Cook the beef for 10-15 min or until brown. If there is alot of grease, drain beef. Then add wine, tomato paste, milk, 1/4 cup of Parmesan cheese and a dash of salt and pepper. Cook on low for 1-1 1/2 hours. Taste the sauce and add additional salt and pepper if necessary. Boil water for noodles and cook rigatoni. Reserve 1/2 cup of cooked pasta water and add 1/4-1/2 of the pasta water to the sauce to thin it out a bit. Drain the rigatoni and add to sauce. Serve with additional Parmesan cheese if desired.

Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken Sliders

2012-10-22T07:58:00.001-05:00

These are incredibly easy to make and perfect for football Sundays!

4 large chicken breasts
1 bottle of Franks Red Hot Wing Sauce
Hawaiian dinner rolls
1 cup of chicken broth
Ranch or blue cheese dressing
Celery

Add chicken, 1/2 bottle of wing sauce and chicken broth to the slow cooker. Cook on high for 3-4 hours or low 6-8 hours. Remove chicken breasts and shred chicken. In a bowl, combine chicken and remaining 1/2 bottle of sauce. Return chicken to the crockpot to warm or heat chicken in the microwave for a few minutes to warm. Serve on Hawaiian rolls with ranch or blue cheese.

Baked Spaghetti

2012-09-16T12:03:00.000-05:00

I recently had Baked Spaghetti at an Italian resturant in downtown Naperville and it was incredible. I've never had anything quite like it. This is my attempt to re-create it and it's pretty darn good!

1lb of thin spaghetti
1 jar of spaghetti sauce
1lb of ground beef
2 cups of mozerella cheese
2 cups of Italian blend cheese
16oz of cottage cheese
2 eggs
1/2 Parmesan cheese
5 Tbsp of butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350. Spray a 9x13 dish with cooking spray. Boil water and cook the pasta for 7-8 min. Drain noodles and place in a large mixing bowl. The noodles don't need to be fully cooked since the pasta will continue to bake in the oven. In a large pan, cook the ground beef, drain fat and add spaghetti sauce. Warm the sauce and set aside. Add eggs, Parmesan cheese and butter to the noodles and mix. Take tongs and place 1/2 of the noodles in the buttered 9x13 dish. Then layer with sauce, 8oz of cottage cheese, 1 cup of mozzarella and 1 cup of Italian blend. Repeat layers. Take a piece of aluminum foil and spray it with cooking spray. Cover the dish and bake for 40 min. Remove foil and bake uncovered for 15-20 more minutes. Enjoy!

Party Potatoes

2012-08-07T11:03:00.001-05:00

If you like twice baked potatoes, you will love this dish. How can you go wrong with a golden buttery crust on the outside and creamy, cheesy potatoes on the inside? I'm not a big onion fan, but chive and onion cream cheese gives the potatoes a nice flavor and isn't overpowering. Feel free to substitute with plain cream cheese.

6-7 large potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 container of chive and onion cream cheese
2 Tbsp of butter
1 cup of sour cream
1/2 cup of hot milk
salt and pepper to taste

Boil the potatoes in salted water for 20 minutes or until fork tender. While potatoes are boiling, preheat oven to 350. Drain and mash potatoes. Add remaining ingredients and transfer to a large bowl or mixing bowl. Beat potatoes with a mixer until fluffy. Give potatoes a taste and add additional salt and pepper if necessary. Spray a baking dish with cooking spray and add potatoes. Add an additional tablespoon of diced butter on top of the potatoes and bake 45-60 min until golden brown. Enjoy!

Easy Bruschetta

2012-06-22T09:30:00.000-05:00

I love bruschetta. I probably eat it at least once a week in the summer. I have fresh basil and tomatoes in my garden which makes this an easy dish to make. You can either used canned diced tomatoes or fresh plum tomatoes. This is delicious by itself or topped with cheese. Goat cheese, Parmesan and Mozzarella all work well in this appetizer.

1 can of diced tomatoes, drained, Italian seasoned if available or 5 plum tomatoes, seeded and chopped
6-8 basil leaves, chopped
1 clove of garlic, chopped
1/4 cup of olive oil
1 Tbsp of Balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper
sliced and toasted baguette
Goat cheese, Parmesan or Mozzarella-optional

Drain tomatoes and place in a medium sized bowl. Add remaining ingredients. Add salt and pepper to taste. Let sit at room temperature for an hour and serve on toasted baguette

Tater Tot Casserole

2012-05-06T10:18:00.000-05:00

MMMM. Look at that-potatoes and gooey melted cheese. How can you go wrong?

I love casseroles because they are so easy to make and always a hit with my kids.

I use McCormick Steak Seasoning anytime I use ground beef in a recipe.

It gives the meat a nice flavor without being overpowering.

Be sure to completely defrost the tater tots before you assemble the casserole.

1-1 1/2 lbs of ground beef

2 cans of Campbells Golden Mushroom soup

8oz of sour cream

McCormick Steak Seasoning

1 package of tater tots or tater tot crowns-defrosted

Cheese-1-2 cups of shredded or 5 slices of American Cheese torn up

Preheat oven to 350. Cook the ground beef in a large pan and add a few sprinkles of the McCormick Steak Seasoning as it cooks. Drain grease from beef if necessary. Give the cooked beef a taste and add more steak seasoning if you wish. Add the soup and sour cream to the beef and cook over medium heat for a few minutes until the mixture is warmed through. In a 9x13 pan, layer the beef mixture, 1/2 of the tater tots, cheese and then repeat layers. Bake for 30-40 min and enjoy!

To defrost the tater tots- defrost in the fridge 24 hours before making the dish or thaw in the microwave before preparing dish

Cajun Chicken Pasta

2012-04-23T08:52:00.002-05:00

This is one of those dishes that I wait to make until the kids go to bed. It takes some time to prepare so have a glass or two of wine and enjoy it! If you can get the veggies and chicken prepped earlier, it will save you some time. This dish freezes well too. You can make this dish as mild or spicy as you like. This definitely has a bit of a kick so I would add a little seasoning, give it a taste and adjust. Sun dried tomatoes are available in the produce section. I soak them in oil about a hour before making this recipe. They do sell sun dried tomatoes in oil but they are much pricier then soaking then on your own.

1 1/2 red or green peppers, or a combination of the two
3-4 large chicken breasts, thinly sliced into 1 inch pieces
1 small red onion
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
1/2 of a 3.5 oz bag of sun dried tomatoes, julienned if possible
2/3 box of fettuccine
2 cups of heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup of white wine
Cajun seasoning
butter
olive oil
Parmesan cheese, shredded
salt and pepper

Boil water for fettuccine and cook noodles for 11 min. Thinly slice the peppers and onion. Chop garlic-one clove for the veggies and the other for the chicken. Thinly slice the chicken breasts into 1 inch pieces. Place a pan on medium heat and add 1tbsp of oil and 1/2 tbsp of butter. Add veggies and one clove of garlic. Cook for 5-7 minutes or until veggies are tender. Add 1/4 tsp of Cajun seasoning to the veggies as they cook. Remove veggies from the pan with a slotted spoon and place in a bowl. Return the pan to medium heat and add 1Tbsp of oil and 1/2 Tbsp of butter. Sprinkle chicken with 1/2 tsp of Cajun seasoning and add to the pan. Add an additional 1/2 tsp of Cajun seasoning to the pan as it cooks. Cook chicken for 5-7 min or until cooked. Remove chicken from pan with a slotted spoon and place in a bowl. Get a whisk and return the pan to medium heat. Add the white wine and use the whisk to get all of the brown goodness off the bottom of the pan. Let the wine reduce for about 2-3 min. Add the heavy cream and continue to whisk the wine and cream together. Let the cream sauce reduce my half. Add 1/4 cup of the Parmesan cheese to the sauce. While the cream sauce is reducing, add 1/2 tsp of Cajun seasoning, salt and pepper to the sauce and give it a taste. Add additional Cajun seasoning, salt and pepper if necessary. Remove the sun dried tomatoes from the oil. Once the sauce reduces, add the tomatoes, veggies and chicken. Drain noodles and add them to the sauce. Sauce will thicken as it stands. Serve and enjoy! Top pasta with additional Parmesan cheese

Wagon Wheel Pasta----Kid Friendly and Dairy/Soy Free

2012-04-19T09:58:00.000-05:00

Cooking for my sweet girls is becoming a challenge. My 1 year old has a dairy and soy allergy and my 2 1/2 year old is a picky toddler. So, for this recipe, I thought of foods they love and tried to sneak in a few veggies. They love hot dogs and turkey Italian sausage was a great disguise. Feel free to add some Parmesan cheese or Daiya cheese if you want to keep this dairy free

3 Mild Italian Turkey Sausages
1/2 box of Angel Hair Pasta
2 Zucchini, cut into small circles
1 cup of Carrots, cut into small circles
1 Garlic clove, chopped
Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper

Cook Italian Sausages on the grill for 14-16 minutes. Cook angel hair pasta according to package directions. Add olive oil to a pan on medium heat. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute. Then add carrots and cook for 5 minutes. Add zucchini and cook for an additional 5 minutes. Remove from heat. When sausages are cooked, remove from grill and slice into circles. In a large bowl, add cooked pasta, veggies and sausages. Add a tablespoon of olive oil, and a dash of salt and pepper and mix. Add cheese if desired and serve.

Fish tacos

2012-04-04T09:23:00.000-05:00

Ok, there'a alot of cilantro in this picture but underneath "the leaves" as my daughter calls them are fish sticks and Mexican crema. I've found that using fish sticks or breaded, frozen fish tastes the best and gives the tacos a nice crunch. Feel free to make these with fresh fish sprinkled with a bit of fresh lime and lemon. If you can't find Mexican crema, use sour cream.

Corn tortillas

Fish sticks

Mexican Crema- place in fridge 1 hour before using

Cilantro

Avocado slices

Salsa and cheese if desired

Lime wedges

Bake fish sticks and warm corn tortillas in a pan. Fill tortillas with fish and desired toppings. Drizzle with freshly squeezed lime and serve:)

Dairy-free Mac and Cheese

2012-03-05T13:32:00.000-06:00

I know, it sounds crazy but when you have a little one who can't eat dairy or soy, you have to get creative. I came up with this recipe after having a butternut squash pasta with goat cheese a few weeks ago. It sounds weird but it's delicious. I wondered how it would taste if I used Daiya, a dairy-free cheese in place of the goat cheese and it was better than I expected. If you have the time, roast the veggies. For those of you who can eat dairy, regular mozzarella or goat cheese would work well. This recipe takes 15 minutes tops to make if you use a frozen puree. It's also a great way to sneak in veggies with the kiddos.

1/2 box of elbow macaroni
1 box of frozen butternut squash puree OR 1 box of cubed squash
1/2-1 cup of Daiya dairy-free cheese
salt and pepper to taste
olive oil

If roasting the veggies, preheat the oven to 400. Thaw the squash in the microwave for 5 min. Put the cubed squash on a cookie sheet and drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper. Roast for 30 min. If using a frozen puree, cook in the microwave for 5 min or until cooked through. Then add a teaspoon of olive oil and a dash of salt and pepper. Cook pasta and drain. In a large bowl, add the pasta, cheese and squash. Mix together and add additional cheese, salt and pepper if desired.

As you can see, this was a hit with my little girl:)

Beer Bread

2012-02-19T08:57:00.003-06:00

I've always used Tastefully Simple's Beer Bread Mix so I had no idea how easy it was to make beer bread from scratch. I would recommend using an amber beer or darker when making this. Last night I used a Corona and it was good but the dark beer gives the bread a richer flavor. This is a great bread to cut into small pieces and serve with a dip. It would also be delicious with soup. Hmmm maybe a beer cheese soup will be my next recipe.

3 cups of flour
1/2 cup of sugar
1 beer
3 Tbsp of butter

Preheat oven to 375. Grease a loaf pan and set aside. In a bowl mix the flour, sugar and beer. The dough will be very sticky. Pour mixture into the greased loaf pan and top with 1Tbsp of the butter diced into small cubes. Bake for 50 min. Melt the remaining 2 Tbsp of butter and pour on the bread. Put bread back in the oven and bake for an additional 5 minutes or until golden brown.

Easy Peach Cobbler

2012-02-13T13:41:00.002-06:00

My favorite peach cobbler is served at Smoque in Chicago. The cobbler is served in individual dishes so each serving has the perfect amount of crunchy topping and warm peach deliciousness. This is my take on peach cobbler. I have only made this using an 8x8 dish but ramekin dishes would also work.

2 cans of sliced peaches, drained
1/2 cup of quick cooking oats
1/2 cup plus 1 Tbsp of brown sugar
1/2 cup of granola or 1 granola bar, crumbled
1/2 cup of pecans
1 Tbsp of flour
1/4 cup of butter, cubed
1 tsp of cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350. In an 8x8 in square dish, add the drained peaches, 1 Tbsp of brown sugar, 1 Tbsp of flour, cinnamon and mix together. In a small bowl combine the oats, 1/2 cup of brown sugar, granola and 1 Tbsp of flour. Cut in the cubed butter until crumbly. Sprinkle the mixture on top of the peaches. Scatter the pecans on top of the crumble mixture and bake for 20-25 min or until golden brown. Serve with vanilla ice cream.

Tuscan Bean Soup with Bacon

2012-01-13T13:22:00.000-06:00

Tuscan Bean Soup is delicious, simple and inexpensive to make. Let it cook for 30 min and serve with fresh bread such as Parmesan Rosemary Bread, Tomato Basil Rosemary Bread or Cheddar Jalapeno Biscuits.

3 cups of low sodium chicken broth
8 slices of bacon, chopped
1 clove of garlic, chopped
1 cup of diced carrots
1 cup of broccoli, chopped
2 cans of cannellini beans or white beans, undrained
salt and pepper to taste

Cook bacon for 5 minutes in a pan over medium heat. Add garlic, carrots and broccoli and cook for an additional 5 minutes. In a large pot, bring the chicken broth to a boil. Reduce heat to a low simmer and add cooked bacon, veggies and cannellini beans. Cook on low simmer for 30 min and add additional salt and pepper as needed before serving.

Parmesan Rosemary Bread

2012-01-04T19:29:00.000-06:00

This is a great bread to serve with soup and makes a killer grilled cheese sandwich. I made the grilled cheese sandwiches for my girls and ended up making myself one because it was sooo good!

1 loaf of Rhodes frozen dough
2 Tbsp of chopped fresh rosemary- about 2 sprigs
2 tbsp Parmesan cheese, shredded
1 Tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper

Place a loaf of Rhodes frozen dough in a loaf pan and let it rise for about 7 hours. Preheat oven to 350. Brush the top of the loaf with olive oil and sprinkle with chopped fresh rosemary. Sprinkle salt, pepper and 2 Tbsp of shredded Parmesan cheese on top of the bread. Bake for 25 min.

Calzones

2011-12-10T16:01:00.000-06:00

Calzones are delicious and very easy to make. In this recipe, I fill them with salami and pepperoni but feel free to use your favorite Italian meats. You can also use 1lb of cooked Italian Sausage instead of the sliced meat.

8 slices of salami

24 slices of pepperoni

6 slices of Provolone cheese

1 container of Pillsbury pizza dough- use the regular thicker crust if it's available

1 jar of pizza sauce

1 Tbsp of olive oil

A sprinkle of herbs- you can use an Italian seasoning blend or a combination of rosemary, oregano, garlic powder and red pepper flakes

Preheat oven to 425. Spray a cookie sheet with cooking spray. Spread the pizza dough on the cookie sheet and cut into fourths. Layer each piece of dough with 2 slices of salami, 1 slice of provolone, 6 slices of pepperoni and a 1/2 slice of provolone. Roll up calzones and place on baking sheet. In a small bowl, mix olive oil with a sprinkle Italian seasonings. Brush mixture on the calzones and bake for 15 min or until golden brown. Serve with pizza sauce.

Banana Cake-Dairy/Soy Free

2011-11-21T16:04:00.000-06:00

I usually make banana bread or muffins with ripe bananas but yesterday I wanted to try something different. This recipe uses a boxed cake mix. It probably took me 10 minutes to mix everything together and get it in the oven. The cake is incredibly moist. If you don't have a bundt pan, use a 9x13 pan and reduce the cooking time. If you put a toothpick in the cake and it comes out with a bit of crumb on the toothpick, then the cake is ready!

1 box of vanilla or yellow cake mix

2 very ripe bananas, mashed

1 tsp baking soda

3 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 cup of butter, softened-Earth Balance Soy Free if doing dairy/soy free

2/3 cup of rice milk or milk

2 Tbsp lemon juice

Glaze

1/4 cup of powdered sugar

3-4 Tbsp of rice milk or milk

1 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 350. Spray pan with cooking spray. Put 2/3 cup of milk in a small bowl, add 1 Tbsp of lemon juice and set aside. In a large bowl, mix cake mix and baking soda. Mash bananas in a small bowl. Add eggs, milk, vanilla, mashed bananas and butter to cake mixture. Mix by hand or with a mixer for 2 min. Pour into greased pan and bake for 38-40 min if using a bundt pan, less for a 9x13 pan. Allow cake to cool on a cooling rack. To make the glaze, mix powdered sugar and vanilla in a small bowl. Use a whisk and start by adding a few Tbsp of milk at a time. The glaze should be thinner than a frosting. Drizzle over cake and enjoy!

Slow Cooker Chili Verde

2011-11-13T07:15:00.000-06:00

This was my first attempt at chili verde and it was pretty darn good. The base of this chili is green tomatillo salsa instead of the typical red chili. I like spicy food and a half jar of medium salsa gives this dish plenty of heat. I always add a beer when making any chili because it gives the chili a great flavor. You can definitely leave that out and add a bit of water instead. I served this with Tostitos Scoops, cheese and sour cream. YUM!

1 1/2 jars of salsa verde
1 can of diced tomatoes- regular or Mexican blend
2lbs of boneless pork roast or shoulder, cubed
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
1/2 onion, chopped
1 beer, optional
1 cup of frozen or canned corn, optional
salt, pepper, cumin or chili powder for seasoning the pork
oil for cooking

Add a bit of oil to a large pan on medium heat. Add garlic and onions and cook for a few minutes. Add the cubed pork and cook until all sides are browned, aprox 5-10 min. You may add some spices to the pork as it cooks. I used cajun seasoning because that is what I had but cumin or chili powder would work well. Add browned pork to the crockpot and top with salsa and tomatoes. Cook on low for 6-8 hours. If using the beer and corn, add to crockpot after chili has been cooking for 3 hours. You can leave the meat in cubes or shred it as I did. To shred it, remove the meat, shred with a fork and then add pack to the chili and cook for 30 more min. Serve with cheese, sour cream and Scoops.

Italian Sausage Soup

2011-11-06T07:44:00.004-06:00

This is super easy and perfect for fall. The best part is you can play around with the ingredients. Feel free to use whatever fresh or frozen veggies you have, beans or no beans, you get the picture. Taste before adding any salt. The beef broth is pretty salty and you can add some water if necessary.

I made this in the crockpot but you can also cook it in a large pot on the stovetop. Be sure to add the spinach and noodles towards the end of cooking or they will both become very mushy.

1 pound Italian sausage, removed from casing

1 clove garlic, minced

3(14 ounce) cans beef broth- 1 regular and 2 low sodium

1 cup of water- if necessary

1(14.5 ounce) can Italian-style stewed tomatoes, undrained

2 cups of sliced carrots

1 (14.5 ounce) can great Northern beans, drained

2 cups of green beans, corn, broccoli, or zucchini

2 cups of baby spinach

1 cup of elbow macaroni or other small pasta

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon salt, if necessary

shredded Parmesan cheese, if desired

To make in the crockpot- Remove sausage from casing and brown with garlic in a pan. Place sausage in the crockpot with the remaining ingredients. Cook on low for 2-3 hours. Give the soup a taste and adjust seasonings if necessary. Add noodles 30 min before serving and spinach a few minutes before serving. Top with Parmesan cheese if desired.

To make on the stovetop- In a stockpot, brown sausage with garlic. Stir in broth, tomatoes and carrots. Taste the soup before adding salt and pepper because the beef broth is quite salty. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer 15 minutes. Stir in beans and zucchini and turn on low heat. Add noodles 15 min before serving and spinach 5 min before serving. Total cooking time on the stovetop is 45-60 min. Top with Parmesan cheese if desired.

BBQ Chicken Sandwiches

2011-10-19T10:18:00.000-05:00

Early yesterday morning, I knew I was going to make something in the crockpot with chicken but I wasn't sure exactly what I was going to make. Once again, my favorite website Allrecipes.com came to the rescue. There are so many recipes and often several different variations. The reviews are so helpful and the people who write them are home cooks and not gourmet chefs so it's easy to relate.

The original recipe calls for boneless chicken breasts but I used a combination of bone-in dark meat and boneless breasts because that's what I had. Regardless, you will need to shred the chicken at the end. I added a bit of spice rub and extra BBQ sauce after I shredded the chicken to give it a bit more flavor.

6 boneless chicken breasts
1/2 bottle of BBQ sauce plus additional before serving
1/2 cup of Italian dressing
2 Tbsp of Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup of brown sugar
Spice rub (optional)

Mix BBQ sauce, Italian dressing, W sauce and brown sugar in a bowl. Place chicken breasts in the slow cooker and pour mixture over the chicken. Cook on low for 6-8 hours of high 3-4 hours. Before serving, remove chicken and shred. Save 1 cup of the cooking liquid and discard the remaining liquid. Place chicken back in the slow cooker, add 1 cup of the liquid and additional BBQ sauce and spice rub if desired. Cook on low for an additional 15-30 min to warm the shredded chicken. Serve on buns and top with french fried onions if desired.

Queso Dip

2011-10-09T07:39:00.006-05:00

This is my favorite queso dip. You can make it and serve immediately or put it in a slow cooker on low for a party. The spicy sausage gives the queso a great flavor. You can use diced tomatoes or salsa in this recipe. If you like a thicker queso, use the tomatoes. Otherwise, use the salsa. Another option is to add a bit of salsa after you add the tomatoes to thin it out a bit.

1lb Bob Evans Spicy Sausage
1 16oz package of Velveeta, cut up
1 10oz can of diced tomatoes with chilies, undrained
or
16 oz jar of salsa

Cook the sausage in a pan on medium and drain on a paper towel. Return sausage to the pan and add cheese and tomatoes. Cook and stir frequently until cheese is melted. Serve immediately. If you are taking this to a party, you can cook the sausage ahead of time, then add the cheese and tomatoes and microwave before serving. Serve with scoops or tortilla chips.

Cheddar Jalapeno Biscuits

2011-09-21T07:48:00.007-05:00

Imagine Red Lobster cheesy garlic biscuits + jalapenos. Yum! They are warm, gooey and melt in your mouth. The jalapeno flavor is not too spicy or overpowering.

2 cups of Bisquick
2/3 cup of milk
1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped
1 cup of shredded cheese
1/4 cup of butter, melted
1/4 teaspoon of garlic powder

Preheat oven to 450. In a bowl, mix Bisquick and milk until a soft dough forms. Add an additional splash of milk if necessary. Then add cheese and jalapeno. Drop by spoonfuls onto a cookie sheet. This will make 8 biscuits. Bake for 8-10 min or until golden brown. Mix butter and garlic powder together and brush over the top of the biscuits. If you like alot of garlic, you can add an additional 1/4 teaspoon of garlic powder to the butter mixture.

Jalapeno Popper Dip

2011-09-18T07:11:00.004-05:00

If you like jalapeno poppers, you will love this dip!

2 packages of cream cheese, softened
1 cup of mayo
1 4oz can of chopped green chilies, drained
1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped
1 cup of Parmesan cheese

In a bowl, mix cream cheese and mayo. Add peppers and pour into an 8x8 in dish. Top with Parmesan cheese. You can either bake at 350 for 20-25 min or microwave for 5-7 min and then finish in the broiler for a few minutes to brown the cheese. Serve with toasted baguette or crackers.