Pizza Grilled Cheese

So something we used to have all the time in school growing up were Pizza Grilled Cheese. . .aka Pizza Bobs!!  They are so simple and even more delicious!  You butter your bread like you would for a grilled cheese and then you place slices of mozzarella and pepperoni in between!  Grill it up like the original and dunk them in pizza sauce.  Best. Things. EVER.  I also cut them into cute "fingers" so they are easier to handle :) 

 

WOO HOO!  Tomorrow is Friday!!

Roasted Chicken

Ok, here it is. . .whole chickens wigg me out!!  However I thought it was time to be brave and see if I could master roasting one.  So I tried it!  I bought the chicken at my local meat market and went to town!  I poked holes all over and stuffed them with quarters of garlic cloves.  Then I threw some garlic, lemon wedges, and fresh thyme in the center cavity.  I tucked the wings behind the chicken so they didn't burn during baking and I tied the legs snug together with some string.  After I put it in the roasting pan, I smeared some butter all over the skin (because I think that's what Paula Deen would do!!) and sprinkled some salt and pepper on it.  THAT'S IT.  I put it in a 350 degree oven and baked it for an hour and a half.  Now here is where it gets a little dicey. . .my recipe said to cook it to 180 degrees.  I did that.  Or I think I did.  Where I checked it, in 2 places, said that.  Perfect.  Pulled it out and tented for about 15 minutes under some foil.  It looked fantastic!  I started to slice it up and BAM.  NOT DONE.  Well some of it was but the rest of the some of it wasn't.  Tears.  I'm not sure what happened and why it was a disaster, but it was.  Also my hubby started walking around saying "cluck cluck"  He's so loving, isn't he?!?!

So the moral of this story is, I'm not prefect in my cooking adventures and sometimes I need a night like this to take me back to my basic cooking knowledge.  And yes, it was just a chicken.  And no, there are not any pictures because nobody wants to see that hottttttttt mess!

Happy Tuesday!!

Homemade Chili

There are no other words to describe my mom's chili than KILLER.  She has made it the same way for as long as I can remember and I can't see myself making it any other way!  Its really simple and not too many ingredients!

Here is my starting line-up:

 What you need:

• 2 pounds hamburger; browned and drained
• 2 cans mild chili beans
• 2 cans light red kidney beans
• 2 cans petite diced tomatoes
• 1 regular can tomato sauce (not the tiny one!)
• 2 packs of Chili-O original seasoning mix
• 2 onions, chopped
• Large can of tomato juice (in the juice aisle!)

First you need to cook and drain your hamburger.  I also like to rinse mine before I put it back in my pot so it gets more grease off of it!

 

I then add all the beans, onions, tomatoes, and tomato sauce on top of the hamburger.



 I try to give it a pretty good stir and then add my whole can of tomato juice.

Once that is all mixed up, I add my 2 packets of chili-o seasoning.  Make sure you get that mixed in really well!!

It should look like soup at this point, but needs to cook for a couple hours simmering in order to get that perfect chili flavor and texture!

Once its been cooking for awhile, it is ready to eat!  I made some cornbread to have along side it and added cheese on mine too!  The hubs likes his with crackers :)  You could really have any toppings you prefer!

This recipe can easily be cut in half.  I made the whole recipe because it is something we will be able to eat several times this week!  Everyone knows that Chili is ALWAYS better the 2nd and 3rd day!  We like to eat it over spaghetti and pack it for our lunches!  I hope you'll give it a try, and change it up as you desire.  This is a pretty mild version and there is plenty of room to spice it up.  If my Daddy had it his way, our mouths would still be on fire from eating chili because he likes it hot hot hot!! (Thanks Mom!!)

Homemade Tomato Soup

I had a fantastic weekend of adventures with my hubby!  We headed to Indianapolis on Saturday early afternoon and hit up Jersey's Cafe in Carmel, Indiana.  It was a restaurant featured on Diners Drive-Ins and Dives!!!  FANTASTIC!!  Then we went to Sun King Brewery in Indy, also FANTASTIC!  We learned a lot there and enjoyed some samples too!  If you get a chance, check it out sometime!  We had a date night out Saturday night and attended the dinner theatre and saw Arsenic and Old Lace.  A new to us production and it was absolutely wonderful! :) This afternoon we attended a birthday party for my Aunt who turns FIFTY tomorrow.  She will be so thrilled that I told all of you that too!  She doesn't act a day over 21!!  It was great getaway weekend and if you have a chance to take one soon, do it!!

Now onto dinner!!  This soup has only a little butter and no other cream or fats. . .that is something new for me!  I like to cook with those things because they tend to add so much depth to dishes.  This was also an avenue of new flavors for me.  I found the recipe in Taste of Home Magazine.  I really did enjoy it and plan to try it again soon!  My hubby on the other hand, was not as fond of it.  I think it was the basil in the tomatoes, so next time I plan to change the kind I use up a bit!!  Now on to the process!!

Here is the recipe:

2 cans (14.5 ounces each) diced tomatoes with basil, oregano and garlic, undrained

1/4 cup butter

1/2 cup finely chopped red onion

2 garlic cloves, minced

6 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 carton (48 ounces) chicken broth

Grated Parmesan cheese, optional

 

Place tomatoes with juices in a blender; cover and process until pureed. In a large saucepan, heat butter over medium-high heat. Add onion; cook and stir until tender. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Remove from the heat; stir in flour until smooth. Cook for 1 minute. Gradually whisk in broth. Add pureed tomatoes; bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat and simmer for 20-25 minutes to allow flavors to blend. If desired, sprinkle with cheese. Yield: 8 servings (2 quarts).

The first thing I did was blend up my tomatoes.

Before:

After:

 

I then got my onion chopped up very fine and got it cooking in the butter.  I cooked it for probably less than 10 minutes. . .since the pieces were nice and small!!



 

After the onions were done, I added the garlic and cooked it a bit longer.  Just long enough to get the aromas flowing!!  I added my flour and allowed it to cook for a minute or so!

 

After the flour is in, whisk in the chicken broth and the tomato puree.  I let the broth/onion/flour mixture cook for just a few moments before I added the tomatoes.

 

Once you do that, bring it up to a boil and then turn the heat down to allow it to simmer for 20-25 minutes.  After that is should be a little darker and just a bit thicker.  It is a nice thin light soup.

I made some grilled cheese and we had a jazzed up classic for dinner.  I think it would taste great with just plain tomatoes or any other variety you decided to go with.  It was unique and interesting, and I can't want to try it again!

 

I hope this recipe finds you well and you have an excellent week!  I plan to make several yummy things this week and my first attempt at roasting a whole chicken. . .hope you'll be along for the ride!!

 

Happy Sunday!!

 

 

Road Trip!

Sorry there has not been a new post in the last couple of days!  I have been busy with work and life, and this is just a side project for now!  My posts will be light this weekend as we have some other adventures planned.  Hope you enjoy your weekend and whatever it is you are turning into an adventure! 

Chicken Enchilada Soup

So this morning I started this recipe. . . it is a crock pot meal!!  PERFECT!!  However because my desire for sleep is higher than my desire to do just about anything else that early in my day, I quick threw it together before I headed off to work so I have no pictures of the process!  Of course I found the original recipe on Pinterest!!  You can find it by clicking here :) It's really easy to throw together and I don't even thaw my chicken before I throw it in!  I serve it up with some sour cream and a little cheese. . . thats it!  One suggestion I have for it is if you like things spicier, use a hotter enchilada sauce.  We don't so I just use mild, but its totally up to you what you want to use!

 

Hope your week has gone well so far and continues as we are on the downside to the WEEKEND!

Flat Nachos

Ok so you are probably wondering what a "flat" nacho is.  It is a simply delicious version of what we already love.  I basically make individual nachos. . .so easy!  My mom has been making these for years and since it is my lovely hubby's ACTUAL birthday today, I let him pick what he wanted to eat :)  I promise, they are delicious!

Here is my starting line up:
-Round tortilla chips
-browned, crumbled sausage
-refried beans
-BLOCK cheese of your choice
-jalapenos if desired
-sour cream

The first thing I do is open my bag of chips and find the "flattest" ones I can.  The flatter you can find, the better.  It makes it much easier to add the toppings :)  Put them all out on your cookie sheet.  You can make as many or as few as you'd like!

After you have your chips out like above, you will need to open your refried beans and spread some on each chip.  This is an amount of whatever you desire.  It is going to work like your glue so make sure you don't use too little!

Once you have beans on each chip, you need to put sausage on each one.  I usually pick up the chip and hold it over my bowl and sort of spoon the meat on.  I also kind of smush it down just a bit to make sure it sticks!  Once again, you can use as much or as little as you desire!  This is where you can also add jalapenos right on top of the sausage if you'd like.

This next step is what makes these nachos the BEST.  You need to make sure you use BLOCK cheddar or colby cheese.  You will want to cut squares or strips off the block to lay on top of each chip.  It is like a balancing act! :)

 

After you have the nachos made, you need to put them in a 350 degree oven until the cheese is all nice and melty.  They should look something like this. . .

I usually let them sit for a few minutes so the cheese cools a bit before we dig in.  I just dollop a little sour cream on each one and that's it! 



  Enjoy and try to stay warm!!

Green Chile Mac & Cheese

Hope your weekend has been swell!  Tonight for dinner I made Green Chile Mac & Cheese.  Lets put it this way, if you like mac & cheese but get bored of the same 'ol boxed kind or your own homemade, TRY THIS.  It is seriously such a delicious spin on an old favorite!  I got the recipe a few years ago from some magazine, somewhere.  I have the page ripped out and trimmed down to fit in my binder so I have NO clue what magazine it did come from!  Shame on me, I know!  :)  Here is the printed recipe before my photos :

Green Chile Mac & Cheese

• salt and pepper
• 1 lb. elbow macaroni
• 6 Tbsp. unsalted butter
• 1 small onion
• 2 jalapenos, seeded, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 4 cups low-fat milk, warmed
• 2 4-oz cans chopped green chiles, drained
• 8 oz. sharp Cheddar, shredded (about 2 cups)
• 8 oz. pepper Jack, shredded (about 2 cups)
• 1 1/2 cups crushed corn chips

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Bring large pot of water to a boil.  Cook macaroni until al dente, about 8 minutes.  Drain; rinse under cold water to stop cooking.
2. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-low heat.  Add onion and jalapenos and saute until soft, about 10 minutes.  Sprinkle flour on onion mixture and cook, stirring constantly, 3 minutes.  Slowly whisk in milk.  Raise heat to medium and slowly bring to a simmer, stirring constantly.  Cook for 2 minutes  Stir in chiles.  Set aside 1/2 cup of Cheddar.  Add remaining Cheddar and all pepper Jack to skillet and cook, stirring, until all cheese has melted.  Season with salt and pepper.
3. Add pasta to skillet; stir.  Mist a 9x13 inch baking dish with cooking spray and pour in pasta mixture.
4. In a bowl, combine corn chips with reserved 1/2 cup Cheddar; sprinkle over pasta.  Place dish in oven and bake until pasta mixture is bubbling and top is golden, 40-45 minutes.  Let rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Now this recipe makes a lot. . . it seems that pasta always grows as you cook with it!  I halved this recipe today because it fits just the 2 of us so much better!  I also left out the jalapenos because we are not overly spicy food eaters.  The green chiles and pepper Jack cheese give it the perfect kick!

First you need to saute the onions in your butter.  Really let them cook so they start getting translucent and softened.  You don't want crunchy onions in this one!

After you have cooked the onions down, you need to put your flour in with them and mix it really well.  This is what will thicken your milk and make it creamy and delish!  It should look like paste.

After you have allowed that to cook for several minutes, you can whisk in your milk.  After you have done that, make sure to keep stirring so it does not scald on the bottom of your pan.  Keep stirring until it is starting to bubble and is thickened.

 

After it is thickened, you need to add your green chiles.  These can be found in the Mexican Foods section of your grocery store!

 

Once you have the chiles all stirred in, it's time to add your cheeses!  YUM.  I used about a cup of each since I halved it.

 

After you add the cheese, stir stir stir!  Keep stirring until all the cheese is nice and incorporated.  After it is nice and creamy, you will want to add your pasta and stir it all together.

 

Once you have it all mixed together, pour it into a well greased casserole dish.  I used a round one because it was the perfect size!  Then you need to put some cheddar on top and the corn chips.  I however did not have any corn chips and so I use Ritz crackers. . .I thought it was really good this way!!

 

If you have made half a recipe, you'll want to bake it for 20-25 minutes.  If you made the full recipe, you will want to bake it for 40-45 minutes.  It should come out nice and bubbly and the top browned.

 

It really is a full meal all on its own but we had a little salad with ours too!  It was delicious and makes for great lunchtime leftovers.  Works out pretty great!

 

Like I said before, it's all in your preferance as to how spicy you choose to make it.  We think its just perfect without any jalapanos.  You might think that 2 just isn't enough!  Whatever you like, I know you will enjoy this.  It's even great to make when you have dinner guests. . .Adult mac and cheese!  Although, I think kids would love it too!

 

I won't be posting anything tomorrow night as we are going out with our familes for dinner to celebrate the hubby's birthday!!  Boy is he getting OLD.  Glad that's not me. 

 

Happy Sunday!!













New Recipes??

Hello friends!!  I wanted to put out a short post asking you for your well loved recipes!!  I would LOVE to try out your tried and true recipes, so PLEASE shoot me an email at turninggroceriesgourmet@outlook.com with it and I will create it and post it right here on my blog!  I always need new ideas and I think others appreciate a change of pace too!  Hope you have had a great Saturday!!

Homemade Chicken Pot Pie

So tonight I made homemade chicken pot pie. . .it's really easy and simply delicious!!

You can find the original recipe here :)

 

 You will need about 4 cups of chopped veggies.  The recipe calls for potatoes, onions, carrots, and celery.

You will want to saute them in a pan with about 1/3 cup of butter until they start to become crisp tender.

 Once you have done this, you need to coat them with the 1/2 cup flour and cook for about a minute or so.  Then you will add your broth/cream mixture to that.

Allow the mixture to cook until it becomes thickened and bubbly.  It should coat the back of a spoon when its thick enough!!

At this point you can take it off the heat and add in your chicken and salt/pepper.  Today I also threw in some peas for good measure! :)

After the filling is all set to go, its time for the crust.  I use store bought stuff. . .in pot pie it is PERFECTLY delish.  I also take one of the rounds and roll it out a little bit thinner than it comes so it will cover the bottom and sides of my baking dish easier.

Then I pour in my filling and throw the top on.  I usually try and smush together the sides and the top to keep it from leaking out and making a mess!!

 

 

Now you will want to bake it at 400 degrees for 45-50 minutes.  It should come out looking like this. . .

From here you will just allow it to sit for awhile so it does not scald your mouth and then scoop some out and enjoy!

 

Happy Wednesday!!

 

Biscoff Spread?!?!

So for dinner tonight I just made pigs in a blanket and tater tots. . . easy and delicious!!  Now onto more important things!!!

Today an awesome friend give me a jar of Biscoff Spread.  What is that you ask??  Well, it's completely delish is what it is.  For Reals!!  It is similar to nutella or peanut butter but no chocolate or peanuts. . .so yeah I guess you're right, not the same at all.  HA!  It is basically a cookie all creamed up into a spreadable form.  It tastes sweet without being overly sweet and would be WONDERFUL on apples, pretzels, toast, and more!!

Here is some info about it directly from Biscoff's Website:

Europe’s Alternative to Peanut Butter

Biscoff Spread is a sweet, creamy spread made with Biscoff Cookies (57%). It is a delicious European alternative to peanut butter or chocolate spread. It is excellent on toast, in a sandwich with jam or even on apples.

 

Facts about it:

 **Biscoff Spread is made with Original Lotus Biscoff Cookies.

**The main ingredient is Biscoff – made with over 57% Biscoff cookies.

**It has a creamy and smooth structure with consistency of peanut butter.

**Contains no artificial colors, flavors or preservatives.

**It is free of nuts!

**Biscoff Spread is Vegan.

 

Biscoff Spread's Inspiration

Biscoff Spread’s story begins in Belgium in early 2007 with the simple but brilliant idea of Els Scheppers, a culinary enthusiast. Her idea? Create a creamy spread with the unique taste of Lotus Speculoos cookies. With recipe in hand, Els entered the Belgian prime time TV show “De Bedenkers” (The Inventors), competing against 2,000 other entrants. On November 25th a jury of food experts and TV personalities chose Els’s Speculoos spread recipe as one of the finalists of the competition. Lotus Bakeries and Els Scheppers worked together to perfect the recipe and so gave birth to this new culinary delight!

 

Now you really need to go out and buy yourself a jar and try it!!  It has been found at Meijer and Walmart just as you see it in the photo above and also at Trader Joe's under the name cookie butter.  This is seriously awesome!!  If there is something you want me to test out and then blog about, please contact me at turninggroceriesgourmet@outlook.com and I'll see what I can do!!

 

Cheesy Chicken Lasagna

So for dinner tonight I decided to step out of my comfort zone and make something COMPLETELY new.  Good news, it was a HUGE success!!  I of course found it on Pinterest and had been talking myself into making it for quite some time because it seemed like it should be good!!  I found the recipe here and tweeked it to fit my needs.

 

Here are the main ingredients I used:

**I forgot to include my cheddar and mozzarella cheeses

I cooked my chicken earlier in the day and chopped it up to be used when I was ready!  Easy peasy!  I was originally going to make half the recipe because we just don't need a 9X13 pan full of ANYTHING!!  Once I got working, I decided that I would be totally fine making the full recipe for the creamy sauce and just use less noodles.  It worked out great!  For the sauce you just mix 1 package of dry ranch seasoning mix, 2 cans of evaporated milk, and the chicken.

The original recipe said to bring it to a boil and simmer for 25 minutes.  I did do this since it was my first time making it, however I think it would have been even better if I would have just heated it til it was thickened and that was it.  It had a weird texture but still tasted great.  Once your noodles are cooked and the sauce is ready, its assembly time!  I cooked up 6 lasagna noodles and made 3 layers in an 8x8 square baking dish.  I just cut them to size and made it work like a puzzle :)  I also probably used entirely too much cheese but hey, you only live once!  Bring on the cheese!!

Here is what it looked like before I threw it in the oven. . .already looked delish!

 

After baking for 35-40 minutes it came out looking like this, see!!! :)

 

We had this with a little side salad and that was it!  Simple and delicious!  It really is at the hands of the cook to adjust and make it fit your likes.  I know we will be having this again in the very near future!!

  

Here is the recipe copied and pasted right from the source: Real Mom Kitchen

 

Cheesy Chicken Lasagna
2 (12 oz) cans evaporated milk (not fat-free)
1 (1 oz) pkg. dry Ranch dressing mix
3 C. cubed, cooked, chicken
1/8 tsp pepper
1 (16oz) lasagna noodles, cooked (I recommend reducing it to 8 oz to 12 oz)
1 1/2 to 2 C cheddar cheese, grated
1 1/2 to 2 C mozzarella cheese, grated
Cook the chicken and noodles first at the same time. Once noodles are done–rinse in cold water and set aside (it keeps them from sticking together). Combine evaporated milk (don’t use fat-free version) and Ranch dressing in a 3 quart heavy saucepan. Heat over low heat, stirring frequently until dry ingredients are dissolved. Stir in chicken and pepper. Simmer, uncovered, 25 minutes (don’t do any less), stirring frequently. Layer half of lasagna noodles, poultry sauce, and cheese in well-buttered 9×13 pan. Repeat layers again. Bake at 350 for 35-40 minutes or until hot and bubbly. Let rest 10 minutes before serving

Hope you had a relaxing weekend and a have wonderful week ahead!! Happy Eating!