Cherokee-Style Succotash

 (From The Good and The Beautiful Unit 6 Language Arts)

*We serve this as a main course with tortilla chips.

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp olive oil

1 Onion, chopped

1 bell pepper (any color), chopped

1 medium tomato, chopped

1 15-oz can corn, drained (can sub frozen or fresh)

1 15-oz can black beans, drained

Salt to taste

Corn chips

Instructions:

1. Heat olive oil in a frying pan, and then add onion and pepper. Saute until slightly softened, and then add tomato, corn and black beans.

2. Cook on medium-high heat for 5 -7 min, or until desired tenderness is achieved. Season with salt to taste and serve with corn chips.

Ham and Cheese Sliders

This is a recipe that Patrick's cousin makes often. They are easy to make and a crowd pleaser! We have had them as appetizers or as an accompaniment for soup. 

Ingredients:

12 Hawaiian Dinner Rolls

1/2 lb. of shaved ham slices

1/2 lb. of sliced cheese (provolone or swiss work well)

3/4 c. melted butter

1 T. Dijon Mustard

1 t. Worcestershire Sauce

1 t. Brown Sugar

1 T. Poppyseeds

2 t. Dried Minced Onion

Slice the dinner rolls in half so there is a top and a bottom. Place the bottom of each roll in a 9x13 pan. Layer the ham and cheese, and then place the tops on the sandwiches. 

Melt the butter. Then mix in the remaining ingredients. Brush the tops of the sandwiches with the melted butter sauce and then bake at 350 for 12-15 min. until cheese is melted and sandwiches are browned.

Cheeseburger of Champions

 This is my go-to burger recipe. It came from a Weber's Real Grilling cookbook I got decades ago.

1 1/2 pounds ground beef

1 T Ketchup

1 t. dried basil

1/2 t. dried thyme

1/2 t. kosher salt

1/2 t. Worcestershire sauce

1/2 t. Tabasco sauce (I skip this now because of the kids)

1/4 t. freshly ground black pepper

Mix everything together well in a bowl. Portion out the burgers into 1/4-1/3 pound portions and flatten. Grill over direct high heat 8-10 minutes, turning once. This will be about Medium, so longer if you prefer them more well-done. 

Homemade Biscuits

These are the biscuits I make to go with the Chicken and Biscuit recipe. They are delicious and would a great add on to a breakfast or brunch, too.

*Orignal recipe on momontimeout.com

Ingredients:

3 c flour

3 Tbs sugar

1/2 tsp salt

4 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp cream of tartar

3/4 c. COLD butter

1 egg

1 c. milk (the recommend whole milk, but use whatever kind of milk your family likes)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 450F

2. The secret to excellent biscuits is COLD butter. Really cold. Many times the biscuits dough gets worked so much that the butter softens before the biscuits even go in the oven. Try cutting the butter into small pieces and then stick it back in the fridge, pulling it out right before you are ready to incorporate it into the dough.

3. Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl.

4. Use a pastry cutter or two knives or your fingers to cut the cold butter into the flour. Don't go crazy here. You want to see small, pea-sized pieces of butter throughout the dough.

5. Add the milk, egg and mix just until ingredients are combined. The dough will be sticky but don't keep working it. You should be able too see the butter pieces in the dough.

6. Turn the dough out onto a generously floured surface. Sprinkle some flour on to the top fo the dough sit won't stick to your fingers and knead 10-15 times. If the dough is super sticky, just sprinkle on some additional flour.

7. Pat the dough out to 3/4 in-1 in thickness and cut into circles with a circular glass or cookie cutter. You should get 9-12 biscuits.

8. Place the biscuits on a lightly greased baking sheet or parchment linked baking sheet and bake 10-15 min, until golden brown on top. 

9. For extra yumminess, you can brush the tops of the cooked biscuits with melted butter.

Chicken and Biscuits

 This is a great, comfort food recipe. I make this when I have leftover rotisserie chicken or leftover turkey after Thanksgiving.

The original recipe calls for baking the biscuits on top of the chicken mixture. I bake homemade biscuits separately. I am adding a recipe to the blog for the biscuits I make.

*Originally on Campbells.com

Ingredients:

1 can cream of potato or cream of chicken soup  (I use the homemade, dairy-free version)

1 1/4 c. milk (or almond milk)

1/2 tsp dried thyme

2 C frozen or canned mixed veggies

2 cups cubed cooked chicken or turkey

*1 pkg refrigerated biscuit dough. (Instead of baking the biscuits on top, I bake homemade biscuits separately and serve them on the side. Some of my kids like to keep food separated!)

 

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 400 F. While oven is heating, stir soup, milk, thyme, veggies and chicken in ovenproof skillet. Season with salt and pepper. Heat over medium high to a boil, stirring often.

2. If you are baking the biscuits on top, arrange them over the chicken mixture.

3. Bake for 20 minutes or until the biscuits are golden brown.

Garlic Butter Chicken

 This is another easy recipe that everyone in my family eats! I serve this over spaghetti/spaghetti squash with a side of roasted veggies and a salad. It would also be delicious over mashed potatoes, too. 

*Original recipe found on primaverakitchen.com. I have made some changes to the original recipe.

Ingredients:

3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Kosher salt and ground black pepper

1 t paprika

4 Tbs butter

1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

1 Tbs fresh parsley, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 Tbs olive oil

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 F. 

2. Season chicken on both sides with salt, pepper and paprika. Set aside.

3. Heat olive oil in a cast iron skillet over medium heat. I don't have cast-iron, so I use a large skillet and then bake the chicken in a pan. 

4. When skillet is hot, add chicken and sear until golden, about 1-2 minutes per side.

5. If you are using cast-iron, remove chicken to a plate while you make the butter sauce. If you don't have cast-iron, remove the chicken to an oven safe pan. I use a 9x13 glass pan.

6. Melt the butter in the pan, scraping the browned chicken pieces from the bottom. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add Italian seasoning and parsley, and stir until combined. 

7. Add chicken back into the cast-iron pan, or pour the butter sauce over the chicken in the 9x13 pan. 

8. Cook at 400 F until cooked through, about 20-30 min or until chicken reaches 165 F internal temperature. 

9. Serve over spaghetti, spaghetti squash, rice, mashed potatoes, etc. 

Easy Ground Beef Goulash

 This is probably nothing like traditional Goulash, but it is delicious, easy and everyone in my family likes it, so that is a huge win! We serve it over spaghetti for the kids and spaghetti squash for the adults. You can also add some shredded cheese to the top, though it is delicious without it.

*Originally from iwashyoudry.com. I made some changes to the original recipe.

Ingredients:

1 Tbs olive oil

1 cup of onion, diced

2 lbs ground beef

3 tsp minced garlic

2 15 oz cans of diced tomatoes (I puree these because one of my kids doesn't like tomatoes)

1 6 oz can tomato paste

3 cups beef broth

3 Tbs Worcestershire sauce

2 Tbs Italian seasoning

3 Bay leaves

Spaghetti/macaroni, uncooked

Directions:

The original directions called for cooking the macaroni in the Goulash, but since we serve it to the adults over spaghetti squash, I cook the pasta separately.

1. Add olive oil into a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion and beef and cook until beef is cooked through. Drain excess fat and return to stove. Add garlic and stir until fragrant (about 30 seconds)

2. Pour in tomatoes, paste, beef broth, Worcestershire sauce, Italian seasoning, and bay leaves (and pasta if you are cooking it in the sauce). Stir and bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally for about 20 min.

3. Meanwhile, I cook the pasta to al dente.

4. Remove the bay leaves and serve over pasta/spaghetti squash. You can add shredded cheese on top if desired (mozzarella or cheddar work great).