“Although it only requires three ingredients (bread, cheese, and butter), grilled cheese is one of the most popular comfort foods in the world,” proclaims punchbowl.com. So I’m sharing the latest version of a grilled cheese sandwich to hit the skillet in the Higgins kitchen.

{ How we make it }

Yummy honey wheat bread from our local grocery store

Favorite cheese of the day (mmmm… Havarti)

50/50 blend of butter & mayonnaise to brush or spread on the outside of the bread

Grill on both sides until golden and crispy, but definitely not too brown. David learned this little tip about the 50/50 blend somewhere. The mayo helps with the crisping factor. The butter is obviously sweet and scrumptious.

Comfort food? For sure. Happy Grilled Cheese Sandwich Day!

]]> http://www.beckyhiggins.com/recipes/?feed=rss2&p=278 4 http://www.beckyhiggins.com/recipes/?p=272 http://www.beckyhiggins.com/recipes/?p=272#comments Mon, 23 Jan 2012 06:00:58 +0000 Becky Higgins http://www.beckyhiggins.com/recipes/?p=272 I wish I could remember where I came across this recipe but I bet you can find several similar recipes via google. It’s savory. It’s simple. It’s yummy. And our kids actually eat it, which is always a bonus.

6 pork chops, 1/2 inch thick
1 packet dry Ranch Dressing Seasoning
10 oz. can Cream of Chicken Soup

4 lbs peeled, cubed potatoes
5 Tbsp. real butter
1 c. fresh grated Parmesan cheese
6 cloves roasted garlic
1 – 1 1/2 c. warm skim milk (any milk will do, I just happened to use skim)
1 Tbsp. salt, or to taste
1 tsp. fresh cracked black pepper, or to taste

…………

1. Place pork chops, Ranch seasoning and soup into a medium sized crock pot over high heat for 4 hours or low heat for 6 hours.

2. Place potatoes into a large pot of cold water. Place onto stovetop over high heat and bring to a boil. Once water is boiling, cook for 10-12 minutes or until potatoes are fork tender. Drain and transfer to the work bowl of a stand or electric mixer. Mix on low until potatoes are mashed then add butter, parmesan, garlic, milk, salt and pepper. Season to taste if needed. For thinner mashed potatoes add more milk, slowly until your desired consistency.

3. Scoop mashed potatoes onto serving plates and top with pork chops and soup gravy from crock pot. Enjoy!

{ CLASSIC CHICKEN ENCHILADAS }

3 chicken breasts

1 small onion, chopped

¼ c. butter

1 small can diced green chilies

8 oz. cream cheese

¾ c. milk

pkg. shredded cheese (mozzarella or mixture)

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 bunch green onions, chopped

10 flour tortillas (uncooked are best)

……….

Boil chicken until cooked. Shred into small pieces. Saute onion in butter. Add green chiles. Melt cream cheese in mixture and add chicken. In a separate bowl, whisk together cream of chicken & milk and pour this into the bottom of a 9″ x 13″ pan. Spoon some mixture onto each tortilla, roll up and line in pan. Sprinkle cheese on top. Bake for 20 min. at 350 degrees (lightly covered) and an additional 5-10 minutes (uncovered). Garnish with any or all of the above: salsa, lettuce, tomato, etc.

So they tried it. And you know what? They didn’t die. And they ate most of their dinner. And we totally cleaned our plates. That’s why I took a pretty picture and I’m sharing it here with you. Yep. It’s yet another simple recipe from e-Mealz. (We are on the Low Carb/WalMart plan.)

{ GRILLED SAUSAGE WITH ONION RELISH }

1 large onion, chopped

1/4 c. balsamic vinegar

2 Tbsp. light brown sugar

1/2 tsp. sage

1/4 c. water

1/2 c. sour cream

1.5 – 2.25 lbs. Italian sausage

…..

Preheat outdoor grill. In medium saucepan combine onions, vinegar, brown sugar, sage, and water. Bring to boil; reduce heat to med-low. Cook; stir 15-20 minutes or until most of liquid evaporates. Remove from heat; stir in sour cream. Grill sausage 15-20 minutes, turning occasionally, until cooked through and browned. Remove to plate. Top sausage with onion relish.

…..

{ side dish }

This zesty coleslaw is the perfect compliment.

16 oz. bag shredded coleslaw

1 Tbsp. lemon juice

1/2 c. mayo

1/2 c. salsa

In large bowl, combine all these ingredients and toss well.

{ MEXICAN CHICKEN SALAD }

1.5 – 2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 1/2 tsp. olive oil

salt + pepper to taste

1 red bell pepper, chopped (I used yellow because it’s what I had)

15 oz. can black beans, drained + rinsed

small red onion, finely chopped

8 c. mixed greens

1/3 c. chopped fresh cilantro

1 avocado, peeled, pitted and sliced

2 Tbsp. lime juice

1 tomato, chopped

……

{ DRESSING }

1/3 c. olive oil

2 Tbsp. lime juice

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 tsp. chili powder

1/4 tsp. ground cumin

…..

Preheat outdoor grill. Brush chicken with olive oil; season with salt + pepper. Grill about 7 minutes per side or until cooked through. Let chicken cool at room temp, then thinly slice on the diagonal. In large bowl toss bell pepper, beans, onion, greens, and cilantro until evenly mixed.

Dressing: In small bowl whisk olive oil, lime juice, garlic, chili powder and cumin.

Toss greens mixture with dressing until evenly coated. Toss sliced avocado with lime juice; place on salad. Top with grilled chicken and tomatoes.

{ PESTO CHICKEN WITH VEGETABLES}

1.5 – 2.25 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts

3 Tbsp. olive oil

2 bell peppers, chopped (or sliced)

8 oz. pkg. sliced mushrooms

2 zucchini, sliced

1/2 c. prepared pesto sauce

salt + pepper to taste

box of couscous (whole wheat recommended but I used what I already had on hand)

…..

Cut chicken into bite size pieces. Heat oil in large skillet over high heat. Add chicken; season with salt + pepper. Saute chicken 5 minutes. Add bell pepper, mushrooms and zucchini. Continue cooking until chiken is cooked through and vegetables are tender, 5-10 minutes. Stir in pesto sauce; continue cooking for 1 minute.

Cook couscous according to pkg. directions.

{ SWEET POTATO FRIES }

Slice however many sweet potatoes you want. Drizzle a little olive oil (I think I added a little too much to this batch). Add salt + pepper. Bake at 450 until they are browning (about 40 minutes for this batch). Just watch them.  : )

{ TRIO SALAD }

2 cucumbers, peeled & chopped

1 pint grape tomatoes (halved if you want)

1 avocado, peeled & diced

4 tsp. cider vinegar

1 Tbsp. olive oil

salt & pepper to taste

…..

Combine vinegar, oil, salt & pepper in a jar. Cover; shake. Place vegetables in bowl. Add dressing; toss.

Most of you know that we’ve become fans of e-mealz, which I recently discussed (again) in this blog post. Well this is just one of the recipes I’ve snagged from our low carb plan. I think it makes a lovely side salad or even a main course salad with the rotisserie chicken. Very light & fresh.

{ CHICKEN COLE SLAW }

1 rotisserie chicken, meat removed & shredded

1/2 head cabbage, sliced very thin (the original e-mealz recipe calls for a full head but I prefer less cabbage and more stuff)

2 green onions, sliced

2 carrots, grated

1 green bell pepper, sliced

1 red bell pepper, sliced (or yellow, as shown)

optional: 8 oz. water chestnuts, drained (not a fan … I left these out)

1/2 c. slivered almonds

1 c. vinaigrette dressing (I used a Brianna’s Blush Wine Vinaigrette)

……….

In a large bowl, combine chicken, cabbage, green onions, carrots, bell peppers, water chestnuts & almonds. Heat vinaigrette in microwave 1 minute. Pour dressing over salad; toss well.

FETTUCCINE ALFREDO

1/3 c. half & half

1 Tbsp. butter

4 oz. dried fettuccine

1/3 c. grated Parmesan cheese

Black pepper to taste

Nutmeg to taste

optional: chicken breast

optional: broccoli, mushrooms

……….

Allow half & half and margarine to stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, cook fettuccine. Drain and return to warm saucepan; add half & half, butter, and Parmesan. Toss gently until well coated. If desired, add cooked vegetables and cooked cooked chicken (we once marinated ours in Caesar dressing before cooking on the grill and it was really good). Transfer to warm serving dish. Sprinkle with pepper and nutmeg. Yield 3-4 servings.

BREAKFAST BURRITOS

Flour tortillas (1 per burrito) – we prefer uncooked tortillas and just flip them a few times in a skillet or in a frying pan. No need to use cooking spray.

Scrambled eggs (1-2 per burrito)

Sausage (ground or links cut up)

Shredded cheese (cheddar)

Hot sauce optional (not my personal preference but some like it hot)

Put a little of everything in a tortilla and wrap it up. Complicated stuff, I know.

BANANA SANDWICH

Bread

Banana, sliced

Mayonaise, spread thinly on the bread

FRENCH DIP SANDWICHES

In a crockpot, place the following:

rump roast

1 can beef consomme’

1 can beef broth

1 can French onion soup

Crock pot on high for several hours. Shread the meat in all the juices and serve on sandwich rolls. Just get whatever sandwich rolls you prefer, slice in half lengthwise, place provolone cheese on the halves, and place the rolls “face up” on a baking sheet or baking stone. Broil on low for just a few minutes, until the cheese is melted (take them out before they get too brown around the edges). Place the meat on the rolls and serve sandwiches with a small dipping bowl of the French dip juices.

CHILI

2 lb. sirloin beef (90/10)

2 c. hot water from the tap (as hot as you can stand)

1 1/2 c.-ish ketchup

2 (heaping) Tbsp. chili powder

Mush all the beef and hot water together and really work it with your hands. Add ketchup until it’s fire red. Add chili powder. Simmer on medium (about a 4 on our gas stove) with the lid on until liquid is cooked out. This will take at least 30-45 minutes.

———–

COLESLAW

1 head cabbage

3 large carrots

1 1/2 – 2 c. mayonnaise

1/3 c. sugar

salt & pepper to taste

Chop the whole head of cabbage with a food chopper or a knife. Leave it chunky or chop it fine — personal preference. We like a thicker/chunkier texture. Do the same with the carrots and add those to the chopped cabbage. The add mayo to desired consistency. Add the sugar and salt & pepper to taste.

I’m the first to admit that I’m not very creative in the kitchen. David, on the other hand, is completely comfortable being a little more inventive. For this I am grateful. Some of our yummiest meals have come about because of his creativity. So kudos to David on this one. It’s a little concoction he pulled together a few years ago.

Oh — and if the peanut butter idea throws you off, all I have to say is: Don’t knock it ’til you try it. It’s seriously tasty.

PEANUT BUTTER STIR-FRY

2 chicken breasts, cut in bite-size pieces

½ c. crunchy peanut butter

2 ½ c. sugarsnap peas

2 c. broccoli

1 1/2 c. carrots, sliced

1 1/2 c. mushrooms, sliced

1 c. green onions, sliced

1/2 c. yellow bell pepper

1/2 tsp. crushed garlic

stir-fry sauce

Cook chicken in a wok with a little olive oil until fully cooked. Set aside and mix with peanut butter. Combine all vegetables in the wok (starting with the ones that need longer to cook, such as carrots) and add a little water on occasion, as needed. Add garlic. When vegetables are done, add chicken to the vegetables (still in the wok) and add half a bottle of stir-fry sauce. Serve over rice.

Makes about 4 servings.

I still hear my mom’s voice as she kindly insisted that the waiter personally see to it that her bacon is prepared just right. This is what she requested every. single. time. I used to be a little embarrassed that she was so particular about bacon. I mean – it’s just bacon, right?

Now I’m older. I’m wiser. I see the benefits to having bacon prepared properly. And like my mom, I’ve totally become a bacon snob. And today, I’m pleased to announce that I have officially nailed it. I totally have it down for making the best bacon ever. Mom, you’d be so proud. I can’t wait to make you a batch of crispy bacon.

So I’m sharing with you my bacon secrets. Of course there are many “right” ways to make bacon. This is my way. I invite you to share your own bacon tips in the comments.

Shall we call it … BECKY BACON (??)

I can’t claim much in the kitchen. I really don’t make up recipes. And David claims to be better than me at most things in the kitchen. So yes, we will call this Becky Bacon. It has taken me years to perfect the art of getting this right.

1. Use a baking stone (make sure it has edges because the grease will puddle!) from Pampered Chef. I’ve used this one for bacon (and many other things) for 10-15 years.

2. Do it in the oven, not on top of the stove. This reason alone is worth it: Much cleaner. No splattery mess on your stove top.

3. Convection temperature set at 400 (which means that my oven automatically stops at 375 degrees because I set it on convection).

4. 40 minutes. Leave the bacon alone for 40 minutes. No flipping. Nothing. And I don’t cover it. After 40 minutes, the bacon should look crispy, verging on sightly burnt.

5. Upon removal, the bacon comes off the stone and onto a plate with paper towels ready to absorb the dripping grease.

6. Allow to settle and cool a little and get a little more crispy here for a few minutes.

That’s it. I’m telling you — it will melt like buttah in your mouth. And if you happen to need to crumple the bacon for, say, an omelet or a recipe like this one, well then — you will love how the bacon just falls apart.

And since I know a few of you are wondering … yes, I totally use disposable rubber gloves to crumple my bacon.

——

Added note: My friend just sent me a picture of her black bacon. Oops! This is a friendly reminder to anyone making bacon in the oven … to WATCH your bacon. Each oven is different. Just watch for it to get crispy and to start getting dark like it wants to start thinking about being burnt. Don’t just rely on my 40 minutes. : )

Hello, sprouts. Nice to taste you again. (Actually, I think it’s more of a textural thing for me.) Anyway, this is the way I’m enjoying a turkey sandwich for lunch these days.

TURKEY SANDWICH

whole wheat bread
mayonaise
tukey, thinly sliced
Harvati cheese
cucumbers, thinly sliced
avocado, sliced
sprouts
salt & pepper

Most of the recipes I share are ones I either found online or in a magazine or from a friend. I don’t consider myself original in the kitchen by any means. That’s not where I am creative. But I saw this concept somewhere and David & I improvised and changed things up a bit. I guess that makes this recipe our own little creation.

CHICKEN-CORN-BLUE CHEESE SALAD

[ dressing ]

2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1 Tbsp. honey
salt & pepper

[ salad ]

6-8 c. loosely packed baby mixed greens
2 large tomatoes, sliced into wedges
2 c. shredded pieces from a rotisserie chicken (pick it up at the store already cooked)
1 c. sweet corn, thawed if frozen
1/3 c. crumpled blue cheese
1/2 c. glazed walnuts or pecans

Put the salad together. In a separate bowl, whisk together the dressing ingredients. Toss the dressing with the salad and serve immediately.

APPLE PEAR SALAD

[ dressing ]

3 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
2 Tbsp. orange juice
3 Tbsp. pecan halves, chopped (we prefer glazed pecans)
2 Tbsp. honey
Sea salt
Black pepper, ground

[ salad ]

6 c. loosely packed baby mixed greens
1 apple pear, halved, cored, and sliced into thin wedges
*NOTE: We used a pear and an apple, which worked just fine too
1/3 c. pomegranate seeds or dried cranberries
1/3 c. feta cheese

BUTTER-PECAN SWEET POTATOES

8 medium sweet potatoes (5 lbs.)
2 Tbsp. olive oil
coarse salt
2 Tbsp. butter, cut into small pieces
2 Tbsp. light brown sugar
1/3 c. pecan pieces
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Peel potatoes and halve lengthwise; slice crosswise 1/2 inch thick. On a baking sheet, toss potatoes with olive oil; season with coarse salt.

2. Transfer half the potatoes to a second baking sheet; cook both sheets until potatoes are tender, tossing occasionally, 25-30 minutes.

(Note: To make ahead (up to 5 hours) prepare recipe through step 2. Cool; cover and refrigerate. About 15 minutes before ready to serve, proceed with recipe.

3. Sprinkle with butter, brown sugar, pecan pieces, and cayenne pepper, dividing evenly. Bake until sugar is caramelized and hard, about 10 minutes. Gently toss; serve immediately.