Scalloped Potatoes & Ham

Here's another DELICIOUS dish from last week.  This one is from my cookbook, tasteofhome Most Requested Recipes - Love it.

Growing up, my dad and mom used to make scalloped potatoes and ham for Sunday dinner.  Loved there's so I thought I'd try my own.

White Cheddar Scalloped Potatoes (But you could use any kind of cheese you like)

1 medium onion, finely chopped

1/4 cup butter, cubed

1/4 cup flour

1 tsp dried parsley

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1/2 tsp dried thyme

3 cups milk

1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup

1 cup (8oz) sour cream

8 cups thinly sliced potatoes (peeled or unpeeled - whichever way you like)

3-1/2 cups cubed fully cooked ham (you can buy this already cubed in the store by the deli meats or spiral hams)

2 cups (8oz) shredded white cheddar cheese (we used an 8 oz block of Monterey & white cheddar, shredded ourselves)

In a large saucepan, saute onion in butter until tender.  Stir in the flour, parsley, salt, pepper, and thyme until blended.  Gradually add milk.  Bring to boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened.  Stir constantly!  Stir in the soup.  Remove from heat and stir in sour cream until blended.

In a large bowl combine the potatoes and ham.  In a greased 13x9 baking dish, layer half the potato mixture, cheese, then white sauce.  Repeat layers.

Cover with tinfoil and bake at 375 for 30 minutes.  Uncover and bake 40-50 minutes longer or until potatoes are tender.  And guess what???  I broiled the top just a few minutes for a slight crust :)

Makes delicious leftovers as well!

Grilled Foods and Casserole

Last week, Matt and I took advantage of the nicer weather and pulled the grill out.  He made us a couple sirloin steaks and I helped grill some asparagus.  (Really easy to do, by the way)  The easiest and best way is to lay on a grill pan over the grill, brush with olive oil, and season well with salt and pepper.

I also made a new casserole dish as a side from my Food And Family magazine.

Broccoli and Corn Scallop

2 Tbsp chopped onion

2 Tbsp butter, divided

1 Tbsp flour

1-1/4 cups milk

1 pkg (8oz) shredded Monterey Jack Cheese

1 can corn, drained

12 Ritz crackers, crushed, divided

2 pkg (10oz each) frozen broccoli spears, thawed, drained

Heat oven to 350.  Cook and stir onions in 1 Tbsp butter in saucepan on medium heat 1 minute.  Blend in flour.  Gradually add milk, stirring until blended; cook until thickened, stirring constantly.  Add cheese; cook until melted.  Stirring frequently.  Add corn and half of cracker crumbs - mix well.

Arrange broccoli in 12x8 or 13x9 baking dish.  Top with sauce.  Melt remaining butter; mix with remaining crumbs.  I would suggest adding more crackers than what's left - more like 10-12 crackers - so you have more of a crust on top.  Sprinkle crumbs over ingredients in baking dish.

Bake 30 minutes or until heated through.  Again, like always, I like to broil for just a few minutes at the end to get more of a crust on top.



And here's our full grilled meal with side dish - delicious night!

Happy Easter!

Tomorrow Matt and I will be celebrating Easter Sunday at his Grandma's with his mother's side of the family.  In preparation for tomorrow's Easter dinner I made a few contributions:
Hot Cross Buns
Coconut Cream Cheesecake Bars
Bird Nests

Grandma Bisbee's Hot Cross Buns
This recipe is very special to me.  My dad used to make these every Easter weekend while I was growing up.  It was a recipe from his mom and I was lucky enough to make the buns with my Grandmother two Easter's ago.  It was the last time I saw my grandmother and it's a very special memory for me.  So now I've started my own tradition of making these buns every Easter for Matt's family.

It's a tough recipe to read - Grandma never was very good at keeping track of her recipes - she just changed it every time...  Getting the recipe over the phone from her was quite the funny story.  Here's what I did this time and it turned out alright.

#1 combine 1/3 cup sugar, 1-1/2 tsp cinnamon, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp nutmeg, 2 pkg yeast.  Remember if it's Active Yeast you need to "prep" it in warm water.  I usually use Quick Rise Yeast and forgo that step.
#2 heat 3/4 cups milk, 1/2 cup water, 1/4 cup butter.  Then add to #1.
Add 1-1/2 cups flour
Beat 2 minutes.  Add 3 eggs and 1/2 cup more flour and beat 2 minutes more.
Stir in 1-1/2 to 2 cups more flour.  Knead 6-8 times.  Cover and let rise 20-30 minutes in a warm place.
Turn out dough and add 1/2 cup currants.  Make into rolls; cover and rise 30 minutes more.
Bake at 375 for 12-15 minutes until golden brown.  I like to brush with butter when they come out.  Once they've cooled, make a cross over the top with frosting, either store bought or combine powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla.

Bird Nests
This is a cute recipe I found in one of my TasteofHome magazines. 
1 pkg White Almond Bark (24oz)
1 bag pretzel sticks (16oz)
25-30 marshmallow peeps
Assorted candy eggs

Melt almond bark according to package.  Reserve 1/2 cup.  Stir in pretzel until evenly coated.  Using 2 forks, scoop 25-30 nests onto wax paper.  Dip a peep into reserve melted bark and place onto each nest.  Do the same with candy eggs. (I used Starburst Jelly Beans)
Fun!

Layered Coconut Cream Cheesecake Bars
Also found this one in a food magazine; Food&Family.  Matt loves coconut dessert - perfect fit and fairly easy!
84 Nilla wafers, divided
6 Tbsp butter, melted
1 pkg (8oz) cream cheese, softened
2 Tbsp sugar
1 tub (8oz) Cool Whip topping, thawed & divided (I ended up running out so I would suggest using 12oz cool whip)
2 pkg vanilla jello instant pudding
2-1/2 cups cold milk
1-1/2 cups coconut, toasted, divided

Toasting coconut is very east.  Place in single layer on baking sheet and bake at 350 for 7-10 minutes until lightly brown, stirring frequently.  Coconut will easily burn.
Reserve 24 wafers.  Crush remaining wafers; mix with butter.  (I find the best way to crush wafers is to seal in large baggie and roll with rolling pin)  Press onto bottom of 13x9 pan.  Refrigerate while preparing filling.
Beat cream cheese and sugar with mixer until well blended.  Whisk in 1 cup cool whip.  Carefully spread over crust.  Stand reserved wafers around edges.
Beat pudding mixes and milk with whisk in medium bowl 2 minutes.  Stir in 1 cup cool whip and 3/4 cup toasted coconut.  Spread over cream cheese layer.
Top with remaining cool whip and coconut.  Refrigerate 5 hours.
Enjoy!

Have a Happy Easter!

Grandma Larson's Tuna Salad

Last night Matt and I whipped up some of my Grandma's delicious tuna salad.  It's an easy recipe that we both enjoy.  I got the recipe from my Aunt Lauri at my Bridal Shower last June.  The "theme" was "bring a recipe."  So, I received a collection of recipes and a recipe book to keep them in - see my post from a few months ago. http://emilyeverydayeats.blogspot.com/2011/02/recipe-books.html

And this one from the shower is one of our favorites - plus I remember having it at picnics at my Grandparents' in the summertime...good memories.

Grandma Larson's Tuna Noodle Salad
1 box medium shells
6 cans of tuna, drained
4-5 stalks of celery, diced
1 small onion, finely minced
1-2 cups real mayo
salt and pepper to taste

Cook the noodles according to package directions.  Meanwhile drain the tuna.  When noodles are done, drain, and cool.  Stir in tuna.  I like to add salt and pepper to taste here.  Add celery and onions.  Mix well.  Add mayo and more salt and pepper to taste.  Refrigerate.  May need to add more mayo after refrigeration.
Easy!
We love to eat the salad with a little Salad Supreme topper, a few pickles, and toasted garlic, cheese bread.  Plain is also wonderful :)

Thank you very much Aunt Lauri for sharing Grandma's recipe!

Taco Pizza

Almost everybody has had taco pizza some where - at least everybody who likes tacos and likes pizza. :)
The following recipe is, again, from my friend Kelli.  She made it for me while I was visiting and I've been craving to make my own every since.

There are several variations, this is just one.  Keep in mind you can add any taco ingredients you like.

Taco Pizza
1 pre-baked round pizza crust, or Pillsbury roll-out pizza crust, or bake your own (I use pre-baked because it's A LOT easier!)  at least a 12 inch diameter, but bigger is better
1 can refried beans
1 cup salsa
1 lb ground beef, prepared with taco seasoning
1-1/2 cups shredded Mexican style cheese
1-1/2 cups shredded lettuce
Crushed tortilla chips
Optional: Chopped onion, chopped green pepper, sliced olives, guacamole, additional salsa or sour cream

If you're using a pre-baked crust, simply begin layering your pizza.  Preheat oven to 375.  If you're using a roll-out crust, follow directions on package.  If you're making your own crust, good luck! :)
Begin with refried beans.  Cover crust, leaving the crust exposed.  Add as little or as much as you like.  Then layer with 1 cup salsa.  Add prepared taco meat, spread evenly.  At this point you may add any additional ingredients.  We added chopped onion and green pepper.  I don't like olives, otherwise we would've added those as well for Matt.
Top with cheese.  Bake approximately 17-20 minutes until cheese is melted and all is heated through. 
Top with shredded lettuce and finally, crushed chips.  Serve with salsa, guacamole, or sour cream.
Delicious and messy!

One more thing:
I forgot to show you my wonderful new purses from my purse party last weekend!  I ended up with 3 new purses and a wallet!
I also bought 2 necklaces, a ring, and a bracelet(not pictured)... I think that is it... :)

LOVE!

Purse Party!

Yesterday morning I hosted a purse party at my small house with Purses Galore - which can be found on facebook.
http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Purses-Galore/121898875912

Because I like to bake for people, I made a few different things for the party:
Beer Bread & 2 dips
Easter Cupcakes
Mini-Cheesecakes
Secret Recipe Cookies

Tastefully Simply Beer Bread, Spinach Herb Dip, Paprika Garlic Dip
My sister-in-law is a Tastefully Simply consultant, so if you need anything from her, just let me know and I can give you her information.
I made the classic beer bread, but we've also made the whole wheat bread before.  The spinach herb dip is my favorite, and Matt of course likes the garlic flavored kind.  If you haven't made Tastefully Simply dips before, they are very easy to make - just 1/2 cup sour cream and 1/2 cup real mayo.

Easter Cupcakes
I had a box of white cake mix in the cupboard and some whipped frosting from Betty Crocker, so I decided to whip up some simply cupcakes but then decorate them for Easter.
I tinted some coconut green by putting some in a sandwich baggie with a few drops of green food coloring.  Then mix until evenly coated.
Top the cupcakes with some coconut, 3 jelly beans, and make a basket handle with Twizzlers pull-n-peel licorice.

Mini Cheesecake Baskets
2 pkg cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
12-24 Nilla Wafers
1-1/2 cups coconut, tinted green
36 small jelly beans
12 pieces pull-n-peel licorice

The decoration for these cheesecakes is where I got the idea for the above cupcakes.
Preheat oven to 350.  Beat cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended.  Add eggs, beat just until blended.
Place wafer on bottom of each 12 paper-lined medium muffin cups.  I would use 2 wafers per cupcake next time, to give more crust.
Spoon cream cheese mixture evenly over wafers.
Bake 20 minutes or until centers are almost set.  Cool.  Refrigerate at least 2 hours before decorating.  Store in refrigerator.

The smaller cakes without the handles are the mine cheesecakes.

Secret Recipe Cookies
Once again I made my delicious cookies - recipe unknown ;)  If you can guess the secret ingredient I'd be more than happy to share the recipe... :)

The purse party was so much fun - thanks to everyone who came!  My mom and I had so much fun!

Matt's Favorite Skillet Dish

Here's another easy and delicious recipe that Matt loves - because he loves pasta. :)

South-of-the-border chicken & pasta skillet
2 cups medium-shaped pasta (do not use a whole box, use a little less otherwise the skillet will be dry) (whole wheat is best!)
1 lb boneless, skinless, chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces
1 jar (16oz) salsa
1 pkg (10oz) frozen corn
4 oz cream cheese, cubed
1/4 tsp chili powder
1 cup Mexican style shredded cheese, divided
2 green onions, diced, optional
1/2 green pepper, chopped, optional

Cook pasta.  Meanwhile, cook and stir chicken in large skillet.  I also like to add some cumin, chili powder, and salt to season the chicken.  I also will add half a green pepper with the chicken because we LOVE green pepper!  Once the chicken is done, add the salsa, cream cheese, frozen corn, and chili powder.  Simmer on medium-low heat until cream cheese is melted, stirring occasionally.
Drain pasta, add to chicken mixture with 1/2 cup shredded cheese.  This is where it's important to have the right amount of noodles and a large skillet!  Simmer 3 minutes or until cheese is melted.  Top with remaining cheese and green onions if desired, cover.  Remove from heat and let stand until cheese is melted.

three-cheese pesto pizza

Here's a new recipe from my new tasteofhome cook book, Most Requested Recipes. http://www.shoptasteofhome.com/Most-Requested-Recipes/39603,default,pd.html

We recently made those Mediterranean pita pizzas and this is similar, but more Italian. (Also, very quick to make!)

Three-Cheese Pesto Pizza
1/2 cup finely chopped red onion
1/2 cup finely chopped red pepper
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 prebaked 12-inch pizza crust
1/2 cup prepared pesto
1 cup crumbled feta cheese (only use 4 oz, otherwise it gets too salty)
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1 medium tomato, thinly sliced
Optional: 1 can chopped ripe olives (I don't like olives so I didn't add these)

In a small skillet, saute onion and red pepper in oil until tender.  Not too long.  Remove from heat and set aside.
Place crust on ungreased pizza pan or stone.  Spread with pesto to within 1/2 inch of edges.  Layer with cheeses, onion mixture, and tomatoes and/or olives.  Bake at 400 for 15-18 minutes or until cheese is melted.
I also spread a little olive oil on the crust to give it some color while cooking.

Matt's Favorite Dish

Matt loves pasta, and the following is his favorite pasta dish.  I love it too!  It's easy, light, and delicious!

Italian Sausage Penne
2-1/2 cups penne pasta (whole wheat is best!)
1 lb Italian sausage links, cut into 1 inch pieces
1/2 green pepper, sliced
1/2 red pepper, sliced
1/2 onion sliced
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 can (14-1/2oz) stewed tomatoes, chopped
1 can (8oz) tomato sauce (we didn't have any this time, so I used 8oz spaghetti sauce)
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
Parmesan cheese, optional

You do not have to worry about all the spices if you buy the flavored stewed tomatoes and sauce - there's a basil, oregano, and garlic flavor of stewed tomatoes that works great!
Keep in mind you don't have to use all of the vegetables - use what you like.

Cook pasta according to package.  In a large skillet, cook the sausage, onion, and peppers in oil over medium heat until sausage is no longer pink and veggies are tender.  Add the tomatoes, tomato sauce, and seasonings (if needed).  Heat through.
Drain pasta, toss with tomato mixture and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese if desired.

So Delicious!

P.S. This isn't my picture - I forgot to take a picture so I got this one from www.tasteofhome.com

Fresh Cooking

I've wanted to make a few different kinds of Mediterranean pizza for while and last night, I tried a VERY easy, VERY quick Margherita Pizza recipe.  And you probably think, is there Tequila on it??? :)  Nope!  Sorry!
It's called Margherita pizza because it's ingredients are suppose to represent the colors of the Italian flag - red, white, and green - tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil.

Margherita Pita Pizzas
4 pita breads (took us a while to find those in the store - check the freezer isle)
2 tsp olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
3 plum tomatoes, thinly sliced
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp Italian seasoning
Thinly sliced fresh basil

Place pita breads on an ungreased baking sheet; brush with olive oil.  Top with garlic, 1 cup cheese, tomatoes, garlic powder, and remaining cheese; sprinkle with Italian seasoning.
Bake at 425 for 10-12 minutes or until cheese is melted.  Top with basil.

We wanted some chips and salsa to go with the delicious pizzas, so I baked up some more homemade chips.  (FYI, the Mission brand of small tortillas bake up a lot nicer than the off-brand I used last time.)

Then I made a fairly easy homemade salsa.  Makes up a lot - must be why the recipe called it:

Salsa for a Crowd
4 cans (14-1/2oz each) diced tomatoes (I used 2 kinds, regular and Mexican style with cilantro and lime)
4 large tomatoes, chopped
2 cups frozen corn, thawed
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 medium sweet onion, finely chopped
1/3 cup lime juice
1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro
2 Tbsp cider vinegar
2 Tbsp hot pepper sauce
1 garlic clove, minced
1 Tbsp coriander seeds, crushed
1 Tbsp ground cumin
1 tsp salt
1 tsp coarsely ground pepper
Chopped jalapeno pepper (we didn't have any at the store, so I used a small can of chopped jalapenos)

In a large bowl, combine 2 cans undrained diced tomatoes,  Drain the remaining two and add to bowl.  Stir in chopped fresh tomatoes, corn, beans, onion, lime juice, cilantro, vinegar, hot pepper sauce, garlic and seasonings.  Stir in jalapeno if desired.  Cover and refrigerate salsa until serving.