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!