Another Year Gone By

Another year is coming to a close. This year has been a roller coaster ride to say the least for many, myself included. Through the highs and the lows, one of the things that have remained constant is my love of cooking for my family and friends and sharing them with you.

To wrap up this year, here are some of my favorite dishes, and yours as well it seems, that I had posted throughout the year,

This was a breakfast hit:

Cheesy Egg In A Hole With Bacon

Who can resist some hearty toast with gooey cheese, bacon and a sunny side up egg.

Beef Tips In A Marsala Wine Sauce

How can you go wrong with tender, flavorful beef tips that is cooked in a wine sauce. This little gem was in the top 5 for you guys as well when I looked at the numbers.

Bacon Cheese Chorizo Burger with Whiskey Sautéed Onions

Chorizo, bacon, cheese and whiskey sautéed onions…..need I say more?

This burger will definitely satisfy all of your burger cravings.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Ice Cream Sandwiches

This is a great snack for those hot summer days, or even all year around if you are a lover of ice cream like me. This one was easy to make with pre made cookie dough, but looked and tasted like the cookies were made from scratch.

Oven Roasted Potatoes with Pancetta

These have become one of my go to favorite side dishes. Many of you seemed to like the blend of rosemary, butter, sage and pancetta as well. This is such an easy side dish that that can be put together and tossed in the oven. We all like easy that’s for sure.

Baked Cheesy Chicken Empanadas

This was one of those dishes that was a personal accomplishment for me, making empanadas from scratch. My mother in law had taught me a while back how to make homemade tortillas. These make a great meal or even lunch. They are filled with seasoned chicken and smothered in cheese. But as noted in the recipe, don’t fret about having to make homemade tortillas, that was more of my personal goal. Pizza or pastry dough work just as well.

Chicken Parmigiana

Last but not least, this is one of this years most favorite comfort foods both mine and yours that I had posted. What could be more comforting than crispy breaded chicken with marinara sauce and smothered in melty cheese.

So those are the most popular and some of my favorite dishes and side dishes of the year.

I hope you ring in the new year with laughter, love, positivity and some great food. Whether you will be celebrating it with a group of family and friends, or like me and my hubby, having a nice evening in devouring some Chinese food all night long.

I wish you all the best. I hope you continue this journey with me and my little blog in the next year. I can’t wait to see what new ideas it will bring.

See you all in the next year my friends.

Like what you see and want more? Like and Subscribe to the blog and you can get all of the updates to more mouthwatering food that wont break your budget.

Advertisement

French Bread Pizza with Roasted Garlic and Pancetta

We eat a lot of pizza in our house. It’s an easy meal, and well….they’re good. I don’t make a lot of the homemade kind, but if I’m in the mood for one but I don’t feel like breaking out pizza dough, I turn to the humble French bread. It’s sturdy so you can really load on the toppings if you want.

Have any of you tried roasted garlic on a pizza? It’s amazing. Hubby and I both love garlic, and I have enjoyed a white pizza or two with that as a topping, but never with a red sauce. I thought I’d give that a try along with some diced pancetta that I had bought recently. I can honestly tell you, it was so good. I think it’s become one of my favorite homemade pizzas. My friends, I so wish I could reach thru the screen and give you a taste so you can sigh in contentment along with me. There’s a lot of love here. First, there is the bread ….ahhh the bread. It’s crunchy on the outside but pillowy soft on the inside. There is a layer of zesty pizza sauce followed by the sweet, creamy roasted garlic, then lots of cheese (and we know everything is better with cheese). Then there is the crispy, lovely pancetta that is sprinkled all over the top. *sigh* My mouth is already watering just thinking about it.

So if your taste buds are calling out to you to try it too, here’s what you need:

*a large loaf of French bread. I used a wider variety rather than the skinnier baguette

*pizza sauce

*1 bulb of garlic

*olive oil

*salt and pepper to taste

*pinch of dried sage to taste

*2 tsp butter; softened

*diced pancetta

*shredded cheese; I used a mozzarella and mild cheddar blend

*shredded parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 400°.

Cut off the top part of the garlic. Place the garlic on foil and drizzle with olive oil. Wrap loosely and cook for about 35 to 40 minutes or until the cloves are soft and turn golden. Let it cool until it’s cool enough to handle.

Squeeze the garlic out of the skins and into a small bowl. Sprinkle in the salt, pepper, sage and add the butter. With the back of a fork, begin mashing the garlic mixture until it forms a rough paste.

Set aside.

Turn the oven up to 425°

In a small skillet with a small amount of olive oil, cook the pancetta on medium high heat until it starts to turn crispy; drain if needed and set aside.

Cut the bread in half horizontally and place on a baking sheet. Spoon a desired amount of pizza sauce on to each half.

Drop some of the garlic mixture on top of the pizza sauce.

Layer on a desired amount of cheese over the garlic mixture.

Sprinkle the pancetta all over the cheese.

Bake until cheese is melted and the bread starts to turn golden and crispy.

Remove from the oven and sprinkle with the shredded parmesan cheese.

Cut into serving sizes and Enjoy!

Like what you see and want more? Like and Subscribe to the blog and you can get all of the updates to more mouthwatering food that wont break your budget.

Pages: 1 2

One Pan Taco Pasta

This dish is great for taco Tuesday when you want something a little different than just tacos. Okay, I really tried to type that with a straight face. Seriously, who doesn’t want tacos? This is a great meal after taco night. This is like eating tacos wrapped in some cheesy saucy pasta. I will admit, I had a hard time not just eating this straight out of the pan….it’s that good. Ground beef, tomatoes and pasta shells are simmered in a taco spiced tomato sauce with melty cheese mixed in like a hug. This is one comfort pleasing meal. I used my homemade taco seasoning that I had posted recently, but you can use the store bought kind if you prefer.

Another huge plus about this dish, is that it’s all done in one pan. It’s easy, done in about 30 minutes and clean up is a breeze.

So grab a fork….or spoon and let’s get started.

Here’s what you need:

*1 LB ground beef

*1 1/2 cups crushed tomatoes

*1 1/2 cups beef broth

*1 14.5 oz. can diced tomatoes, drained

*1 1/2 TBS taco seasoning or more to taste

*1/2 box pasta shells

*1 1/2 cup shredded cheese; I used a Colby Monterrey Jack blend

In a large skillet heat to medium high and brown the ground beef; drain if needed.

Turn the heat down to medium and add in the can of crushed tomatoes, beef broth, diced tomatoes and seasonings.

Stir until everything is mixed together and cook for about 2 minutes.

Stir in the pasta shells. Push shells down into the liquid. It’s ok if it’s not completely submerged

Cover and simmer for 20 minutes stirring occasionally until the pasta is tender.

Stir in the cheese.

Serve and Enjoy!

Like what you see and want more? Like and Subscribe to the blog and you can get all of the updates to more mouthwatering food that wont break your budget.

Pages: 1 2

Closing The Door To 2021

A Look Back

Can you believe the year is almost over? For some it went by so fast and to others, well I’m sure it could not have gone fast enough. I wanted to take a look back at some posts that you all seemed to love the most (according to the numbers of views and pins) and some of my favorite moments and posts as well.

So get cozy, grab a glass of wine

or maybe a mimosa if it’s a tad early where you are

or like me a nice cup of coffee.

Cooking With The Air Fryer

Who knew cooking with an air fryer could be such a hit. My post on Air Fryer Hot Dogs is still the highest viewed and shared to this day.

I can see why. If you have an air fryer and you haven’t cooked any of these in there yet….whatcha waiting for? These are amazing cooked this way. This has become mine and hubby’s go to way of cooking hot dogs.

Air Fryer Frozen Chicken Patties came in a close second.

Right behind was Air Fryer Corn on the Cob with Smoky Parmesan Cilantro Butter.

Nothing says summer like fresh corn. I know I did my share of freezing corn to make that bounty last and so did you guys because you all seemed to like my post on How To Freeze Corn On The Cob.

Eating Out Once Again

More restaurants began opening their dinning areas. In 2020 I shared one of my favorite local restaurants that temporarily closed due to the pandemic in my post Brick Street Cafe. In early 2021 they were finally able to reopen and I was one very happy girl.

I knew things were finally starting to get back to semi normal with another local favorite Midtown Deli reopening. It was so nice to be able to hear and be around others once again, not to mention I had truly missed their crab cake sandwich.

A Journey Through Food

I asked you all to come with me on this journey in discovering other countries and cultures through cooking some of their beloved dishes. So far we’ve tasted Pepian from Guatemala,

Beef Bulgogi from Korea,

Tibs from Ethiopia

and Yorkshire Pudding

and Pigs in a Blanket

from England pt1 and England Pt2. I hope you are enjoying this journey as much as I am. I’ve learned so many new things for sure.

Going Forward

Lastly and most importantly, I once again thank you. Thanks to all who have stopped by with your comments, conversations and support. This marks year 2 for this little blog and I’ve enjoyed every minute of it. This year has brought joy, frustration, new discoveries, laughter and yes some tough times, but hopefully we are all starting to see some lighter days. I think it’s so important to find joy in even the small things. You all bring me joy. I hope you will continue this food blogging journey with me. I hope the new year brings you happiness, good times and may the love of good food continue to bring us all together.

Here’s to a new year!

One More Day Until Christmas Eve

Enjoying a relaxing morning on this unplanned time off of work with one of my favorite southern breakfast Cheesy Grits with Bacon and a Fried Egg.

These may still be challenging times, but there are also so many gratifying moments. I always try and find the joy in these days and little moments. I think it’s what helps us get thru those hard times that some are still going through. Whether it’s a simple breakfast, cooking good food for loved ones or just simply spending time with family and friends. May you find what brings you joy this season and all the years through.

On a side note, if you are interested in the Cheesy Grits with Bacon and a Fried Egg click away. I made this over a year ago during lockdown. As you can tell it’s still one of my favorite breakfast dishes.

Hot Dog Chili

When I was a kid, there were a lot of weekends we had either hamburgers or hot dogs for dinner. Looking back, it was probably because it’s a cheaper meal, easy to fix on a busy day and we loved them. I mean, who doesn’t love a good hot dog with chili. Down here in the South, most restaurants serve hot dogs topped with chili or as we call it, a chili dog. I thought that’s how everyone ate their hot dogs…..hey, I was a kid what can I say. My hubby, who is from up North, wasn’t quite sure what to make of a hot dog with chili not to mention that it doesn’t contain beans. He pretty much loves them now. My mom and dad always made their chili from scratch. My recipe is pretty much they way they made it….and my mom still does to this day, but of course I’ve tweaked it a bit. It’s great topped with ketchup, mustard and even a sliced pickle or two. This also makes a great chili cheese sandwich…..but that’s for a later post so stay tuned.

Here’s what you need:

*1 LB or ground beef; I use a leaner beef for this

*3/4 cups ketchup or more to taste

*2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce or more to taste

*2 tsp. mustard or more to taste

*1 TBS chili powder or to taste

*1 tsp. onion powder or more to taste

*1/4 tsp salt or more to taste

Heat a large pan to medium high heat and add ground beef, break up into very small pieces as it cooks; drain if needed.

Turn the heat down to medium and add the remaining ingredients.

Mix well to combine.

Reduce heat, cover and simmer for abut 10 to 15 minutes.

Serve over hot dogs and add your favorite toppings.

*Note*

This can be frozen for up to 3 months.

Pages: 1 2

Looking Back on 2020

As 2020 is coming to a close (thank goodness) and hopefully 2021 will be a much better year, I wanted to take a weee look back and say thank you. Yes, you! Thank you. Thank you for sharing your thoughts and being a part of my food blogging journey that I began almost 1 year ago…..January 13 to be exact. My very first post was my Cheese Stuffed Burgers.

I remember I was excited to be starting a new journey and nervous that I was going to get it all wrong, but I learned along the way. I learned to just be myself and share what I enjoy most. Here is a look back at some of my favorite moments and some of yours as well it seems (in no certain order).

1. Crash Course on What is Freezer Safe After Surviving The Hunger Games aka Food Shopping:

When things came to a screeching halt, like many of you, I only went out for essentials. Who knew something as simple as grocery shopping would turn into quite the adventure to say the least. Just to find meat, much less steak for a nice steak dinner was nearly impossible. The carnivore in me was ecstatic to be able to come across said steak, by accident really, but as in my post for a Ribeye Steak Dinner I got to share one of my food loves.

We also had to deal with the bare isles in the grocery stores. No toilette paper became the norm, no cooking oil…odd but ok, but what did you do when you scored 20 lbs. of butter? Ok, so maybe not that much, but I had some ask if milk, butter and other items could be frozen. So alas I shared my experience on what could be frozen in my post Surviving Thunderdome.

I recently came across this on Amazon.

These silicone stashers bags replace zip top bags. These are great for freezing and I use a lot of freezer zip top bags so I thought it would be good to try.

I got the 1/2 gallon size. I’ll be honest with you, they are expensive so I bought mine when they were on sale. I love it. I’m hoping to get another one when they go on sale again.

2. Anniversary Dinner and the I-Don’t-Know-Whatchamacall -It:

I got to share mine and hubby’s at home anniversary dinner in my post Anniversary Dinner and a Tasty Mystery Delight

I still have no clue what that delicious, crunchy delight was but I still dream of it *sigh*.

3. You Really Like Breakfast Sandwiches

Apparently most of you share my love of breakfast foods. When I looked back to do this post, I realized that the top two posts were the Cheesy Bacon Hash Brown Waffles Topped with a Fried Egg

And the Ham, Cheese and Hash Brown Breakfast Sandwich with an Over Easy Egg Those are some of my favorites as well.

4. The Baking Challenge and I Did Not Burn Down My Kitchen

I accepted a dessert challenge and baked a BChocolate Pudding Cake. Baking is not my thing as I shared with you in my The Christmas Cake Disaster Of ’93

I have to say, I was proud of myself that this cake turned out really well and no pot holders were harmed.

5. Last But Never Least

Lastly, I can not tell you all that have stopped by and continued to read my little food blog how grateful I am. This has helped me stay sane to say the least, through this year. I have made friends here and also from following some of you on your own blogs. I feel truly blessed. As the new year rolls in, I wish all of you happiness, good health, and that we continue to share the things that bring family, friends and acquaintances together…. the love of food. May our journey continue and here’s to a new year!

Cheesy Mexican Hash Brown Breakfast Casserole

On Christmas morning we gather at my aunt’s house for a family breakfast. She always comes up with the best breakfast casseroles. This is a spin on a few of those. Hubby once again came up with the idea, but wanted something that could be eaten as a hearty breakfast or would make a great dinner. It has a layer of hash browns, beef that’s packed full of flavor, salsa, eggs and can’t forget all the wonderful cheese. This is even great to make the night before and pop in the oven the next morning.

Here’s what you need:

*1 lb ground beef

*2 tsp. Onion powder

*1 1/2 tsp. garlic powder

*2 tsp. Hungarian paprika

*1/2 tsp. salt

*1/2 tsp. Ancho chili powder, or more to taste

*1/2 tsp. dried oregano

*1 tsp. Cumin

*1 tsp. Coriander

*3 cups shredded hash browns; I used the frozen kind.

*1 small jar of mild or medium salsa

*1 1/2 cups shredded Mexican cheese

*8 eggs

*cracked pepper

*1 cup milk

Preheat oven to 350°.

Heat a large pan to medium high heat, add ground beef.

Break up the ground beef while browning; drain if needed.

Add all of the herbs and spices to the beef

Stir to mix and cook for about 1 minute more. Take off of the heat and set aside.

Spray a 9X9-inch casserole dish with non stick spray. Add hash browns to the bottom of the dish.

Add the ground beef on top of the hash browns.

Spoon the salsa over the beef.

Then layer on the cheese.

In a large bowl, crack in the eggs; add salt and cracked pepper to taste.

then pour in the milk. Whisk together until combined.

Pour the egg mixture over the top of the cheese.

Bake uncovered for 45 minutes or until eggs are set.

*Note:

If you are not going to bake this right away skip this step. Instead, cover tightly with foil and refrigerate. Take casserole out of the refrigerator 30 minutes before cooking. Pour milk mixture over the top then bake.

Serve and enjoy!

Pages: 1 2

Easy Salsa

My very first post on my blog was my Salsa recipe for some Super Bowl noshing. Now that football season is back….. much to my hubby’s uncontainable excitement…..I thought why not post my easier version, after all, watching all those games requires some all day football snacking.

Here’s what you need:

*2 14.5 oz cans diced tomatoes

*1 10 0z. can diced tomatoes with green chilies; if you like chilies in your salsa, just add another can of diced tomatoes.

*1 small onion, roughly chopped

*2 cloves of garlic

*1 tsp. garlic powder

* 1 TBS lime juice, or more to taste

* 1/2 tsp salt, or more to taste

* 1/4 tsp cumin

* 1/2 bunch of cilantro, chopped; or more or less to taste

In a food processor, add all ingredients except for cilantro. Pulse a few times to mix everything together.

Add cilantro

Pulse until you have desired consistency. Taste to see if you need to add any more spices.

Pour into a serving bowl, grab some chips and commence snacking.

To store, place in a container with a tight fitting lid and place in refrigerator. This can be kept for about 5 days.

Pages: 1 2

Slow Cooker Meatballs with Marinara Sauce

Meatballs. I think everyone who likes these round, flavorful pieces of meat has their own recipe….. kind of like a good spaghetti sauce. It might be the quick and easy kind, or the kind like grandma used to make simmering away in a special sauce for hours. It took me a while to get mine just the way I wanted them. This is my basic recipe. I use these same meatballs with my spaghetti sauce, for meatball sliders and meatball subs. These I made for the slow cooker with a marinara sauce. These turn out tender and so flavorful. I like to put them under the broiler for a few minutes before adding them in the slow cooker. This seems to help them hold their shape better.

Here’s what you need.

*1 ib ground beef

*1/2 small onion, finely chopped

*2 garlic cloves, minced

*(optional)1 TBS Penzey’s Beef Roast Seasoning

This is my go to spice mix for meatballs, meat loafs, beef tips and so much more. You do not have to use this, instead 1/2 tsp. thyme, 1 tsp. sweet paprika and 1/2 tsp. marjoram

*1 tsp. dried parsley

*1/2 tsp. dried sage

*1/2 tsp. salt, or more to taste

*1.2 tsp cracked pepper, or more to taste

*1/4 C. Parmesan cheese; finely grated + more for garnish

*1/3 C. bread crumbs

*1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

*1 egg

*1 jar marinara sauce

Add all of the ingredients, except for marinara sauce, in a large bowl.

Lightly mix until combined.

But don’t over mix or the meatballs will become tough.

Form into balls.

You can make them any size you want, just keep them all them the same size so they will all cook evenly. If i’m making these for spaghetti, I tend to make them a little bigger than I would when I’m using these for subs or sliders.

Preheat the broiler.

Line a baking sheet with foil and spray with no stick spray. This makes clean up a little easier. Place the meat balls on to the baking sheet.

Broil for about 8 minutes, turn them over and broil for about another 8 minutes.

Place the meatballs into the slow cooker.

Pour the marinara sauce over the meatballs.

Cover and cook on low for 5 hours.

Sprinkle a little Parmesan over the top before serving.

Pages: 1 2