Skillet Tamale Pie

My sister bought me the 10 year Complete America's Test Kitchen cookbook for Mother's Day and I have been going through it like a mad woman marking the millions of recipes I want to try. This was one of them. First off, I love any meal that only uses one pan! The tamale filling was full of flavor and perfectly accented with a homemade cornbread topping. The meal came together pretty quickly and created little mess. Definitely a keeper!

Ingredients:

TAMALE FILLING:

2 Tbsp. vegetable oil

1 medium onion, minced

2 Tbsp. chili powder

table salt

2 medium garlic cloves, minced

1 lb. ground beef

1 15oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained

1 14.5oz. can diced tomatoes, drained

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

2 Tbsp. minced fresh cilantro ( I used probably 2-3 times this much!)

CORNBREAD TOPPING:

3/4 cup flour

3/4 cup yellow cornmeal 

3 Tbsp. sugar

3/4 tsp. salt

3/4 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. baking soda

3/4 cup buttermilk

1 large egg

3 Tbsp. butter, melted and cooled

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

2. TAMALE FILLING- heat the oil in a 12 inch oven-safe skillet (I used my hutch oven) over medium heat. Add onion, chili powder, and 1/2 tsp. salt. Cook until onion is softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic, cook till fragrant, about 30 seconds.

3. Stir in the ground beef, bean, and tomatoes, bring to a simmer and break up meat with a wooden spoon, for about 5 minutes. Stir in the cheddar cheese and cilantro and season with salt and pepper. 

4. CORNBREAD TOPPING- whisk the flour, cornmeal, sugar, salt, baking powder, and baking soda together in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk the buttermilk and egg together. Stir buttermilk mixture into flour mixture until uniform. Stir in the cooled butter until just combined.

5. Dallop the cornbread batter evenly over the tamale filling, then spread into an even layer. Bake until the cornbread is cooked through, about 10-15 minutes. 

Chicken Cordon Bleu Bake

I know this totally doesn't look appetizing but it's one of those comfort foods that tastes great and looks awful. I found the recipe at Baking Like Betty (and I think she found it at Sisters Cafe), but either way it was great and my family enjoyed it. I made two, froze one, and am happy to report they were both equally great. Sometimes things aren't as great after being frozen but this one was. Try it and see what you think.

Ingredients:

2 pkgs reduced sodium Stuffing mix ( I didn't use reduced sodium)

1 can (10 3/4 oz) cream of chicken soup

1 C milk

1/2 tsp pepper

3/4 lb sliced deli ham, cut into 1" strips

8 Swiss cheese slices, or 1 C shredded

2 C cheddar cheese, shredded 

2 C cooked chicken, ( I used canned chicken from Costco, and pulled apart the chunks)

Directions:

Prepare stuffing mixes according to directions on box. Meanwhile in a bowl, combine soup and milk. Put chicken in a greased 9x13 or 2 8x8's (that's what I did for two small family batches). Sprinkle chicken with pepper. Layer ham, swiss, cheddar, soup mixture, and finally top with stuffing as final layer. At this point you can freeze or bake for 45 minutes at 350. If frozen, thaw in fridge overnight. Remove from fridge about 30 minutes before baking. Cover with foil and bake 350 for 45 minutes. Uncover and bake 10-15 minutes longer. If using 8x8 cut baking time to about 30 minutes covered, 5-10 uncovered.

Strawberry Spinach Salad

So this salad is a re-post from well over a year ago, but it is so good that it's worth posting again! I recently made it for a party we went to and I can never get enough of it. There was tons of food at the party and I seriously only ate a huge plate of this salad. Love it!

Ingredients:
1 lb. spinach (I added some red and green leaf too)
1 qt. strawberries, sliced
1/4 cup almonds
1 Tbsp. sugar

Dressing: whisk together the following
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 cup or little less, sugar
1 1/2 Tbsp. minced green onion
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. poppy seeds

Directions:
1. Toast almonds in sugar in a small skillet over medium-high heat. Place on wax paper to cool.
2. Combine spinach, strawberries, and candied almonds.
3. Toss dressing over salad just prior to serving, otherwise it will be soggy.

Southwest Summer Pork Chops

This recipe is courtesy of Tried and True Cooking with Heidi, thanks Heidi! I almost always bread pork chops because it keeps them so tender and moist, but I found this recipe while browsing the blog world the other day and they looked so good. These had great flavor and everyone in the family enjoyed them. I bought thin cut pork chops so they cooked really quickly on the bbq- great summer time meal so you don't have to heat up the house! Give them a try and let me know what you think-

Ingredients:

4 tsp dried minced onion
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp cornstarch
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp dried minced garlic
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
6 bone-in pork loin chops (I used boneless)
1/4 cup barbecue sauce (I used KC Masterpiece)
2 TBSP lemon juice

Directions:

In a small bowl, combine the first eight ingredients; rub over pork chops. In a large resealable plastic bag, combine barbecue sauce and lemon juice; add the pork chops; Seal bag and turn to coat; refrigerate for 1-2 hours. Discard marinade. If grilling the pork chops, coat grill rack with cooking spray before starting the grill. Grill chops, covered, over medium heat or broil 6 in. from the heat for 6-8 minutes on each side or until a meat thermometer reads 160°

Wicker Patio Chairs...Before and After

I have been searching Craigslist, Goodwill, and Garage Sales for the last couple months in hopes of finding the the perfect wicker chairs for my front porch. Well, all that time searching finally paid off! I found a man on Craigslist selling these beauties for $15 each!!! That is a major steal if you've ever looked into buying wicker before. Of course I couldn't leave them as is either- after a few coats of black spray paint they were just what I was visioning in my head.

BEFORE

AFTER

PERFECT! JUST WHAT I WAS LOOKING FOR!

thanks craigslist!

BBQ Chicken Spaghetti

So anyone who reads this blog on a some-what regular basis will know that I love ranch and cilantro. Well Picky Palate has done it again! She has created yet another fabulous meal using my favorite ingredients.

Ingredients:

1 lb. angel hair

4 Tbsp. olive oil (I know I am bad, but I used butter!)

1/2 large red onion, diced

2 Tbsp. + ranch dressing mix

3/4 cup freshly chopped cilantro leaves

shredded bbq chicken (I put 3 chicken breasts in the crock pot topped with KC Masterpiece for 4-5 hours on low)

Directions:

1. Cook noodles according to package. Drain and run under cold water.

2. Place olive oil (or butter :) in large pot over medium heat and saute the diced red onion. Add cooked noodles, ranch, and cilantro. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper.

3. Place noodle mixture on serving plates and top with shredded bbq chicken.

Waffle Pancakes

Mmmmm, these were so good! I found this recipe on Picky Palate a long time ago and just recently gave them a try for the first time...love them! Buttermilk just makes everything better. I highly recommend giving these a try...they would make a great Easter morning breakfast! Side note though- I have a Belgian waffle iron and the recipe only made 3. I'm sure you would get at least twice as many off a regular waffle iron though. Either way, plan according to what you need.

Ingredients:

2 eggs

3/4 cup buttermilk

1/2 stick melted butter

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

3/4 cup flour

3/4 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

3 Tbsp. sugar

Directions:

1. Whisk eggs, buttermilk, butter and vanilla in a medium bowl. In a separate bowl, sift flour, baking powder, salt and sugar. Mix wet ingredients until just combined.

2. Cook in waffle iron and serve hot with lots of butter and syrup!

Chicken Spaghetti

So if you haven't had the chance to buy the Pioneer Woman's cookbook yet, I highly recommend it. She has tried and true, no fail recipes, there are always a crowd pleaser. I think she's one of my favorites now. This was a great alternative to traditional spaghetti and we enjoyed it.

Ingredients:

1 cut-up fryer chicken (I used chicken breasts)

1 lb. thin spaghetti

4oz. jar diced pimentos, drained

1 small onion, diced

1/4 cup finely chopped green bell pepper

2 cans cream of mushroom soup

2 1/2 cups grated cheddar cheese

1 tsp. seasoned salt

fresh ground black pepper, to taste

1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper

Directions:

1. Add chicken to stock pot, cover with water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer until chicken is cooked, about 25 minutes.

2. Remove chicken from water and set aside to cool.

3. Remove 2 cups of broth from the pot and set aside.

4. Bring remaining broth back to a boil and add spaghetti. Cook til al dente.

5. Drain spaghetti and discard liquid.

6. Shred chicken using 2 forks.

7. Place the cooked spaghetti in a large bowl. Add the cream of mushroom soup, 2 cups cheese, onion, green pepper, and pimentos. Add seasoned salt and peppers.

8. Add the chicken and reserved broth.

9. Stir together well and taste to check seasonings.

10. Pour mixture into a large baking dish, top with remaining cheese, and bake for 35-45 minutes at 350 degrees.

Homestyle Pizza

Mmmm, good ole homemade pizza. We have been making pizza regularly at our house lately. It's such an easy throw it together meal that everyone loves it. The above pictured pizza is a pretty typical one you'd find at our house- black olives for the kids and either pepperoni or sausage for us. I love the pizza dough recipe I found over at Our Family Treat a few months back. We use it for pizza, calzones, stromboli, pizza rolls, etc. Love it, love it!

Ingredients:

pizza dough

marinara sauce (I use prego meat sauce and add italian seasonings to it)

mozzarella cheese or pizza blend

toppings of choice

Directions:

Roll out dough to desired shape- rectangle or circle. Add sauce and cheese and top with your favorite toppings. Bake for 15-20 minutes in a 375 degree oven.

Ranch Mac n' Cheese

I came across this recipe while browsing the Recipe Shoebox a few weeks ago. I figured with how much we love ranch dressing in this house I had to give it a try. The kids absolutely loved it. It is very strong and full of flavor so I will probably serve it a s a side next time. It would make a great side for a bbq or picnic!

Ingredients:

1 pkg. (16-oz.) elbow macaroni

1 cup milk

1/4 cup butter, cubed

1 envelope ranch salad dressing mix

1 tsp. garlic salt

1 tsp. garlic pepper blend

1 tsp. lemon-pepper seasoning

1 cup (4-oz.) shredded Monterey Jack cheese

1 cup (4-oz.) shredded Colby cheese

1 cup (8-oz.) sour cream

1/2 cup crushed saltines

1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

Cook macaroni according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a saucepan, combine the milk, butter, dressing mix, and seasonings; heat through. Stir in Monterrey Jack and Colby cheeses until melted. Stir in sour cream.

Drain macaroni; stir into cheese sauce. Allow to sit for 5-10 minutes before serving. Sprinkle with crushed saltines and Parmesan cheese.