January Re-Make Recap

Anyone else over winter? Between the Polar Vortex and the snow I'm ready for spring. Truth be told, I've never been a fan of winter, but this year has been particularly brutal. For the first time since I started these monthly recaps I won't be saying "can you believe it's already the end of XXX month" because I'm actually happy January is almost over. That means we're 1/3 of the way through winter and spring is coming!

We did eat very well this month, though. I certainly had plenty of time to cook with all the snow days.

I love making a big batch of eggplant rollatini to keep in the freezer. This made three pans - one we ate that night and the other two are tucked away in the freezer for another time. It's going to be so awesome just popping them in the oven one night when I don't feel like cooking.

I'm not sure if I should keep including the Texas Roadhouse salads in this recap because it's the only side salad I make anymore. It's simple to make, tastes great and is Baby Girl's favorite salad. She knows all the ingredients that go into making it and will remind me if I forget anything.

I'm getting back into big dinner salads and this chopped chicken taco salad with cheese quesadilla strips was such a hit a few months ago that I thought we should have it again. My favorite part of this salad is the quesadilla pieces. There's just something about a gooey, cheesy quesadilla.

It might not be grilling weather but I had a craving for a Shake Shack burger that couldn't be ignored. The sauce really makes these burgers special.

This is now my go-to recipe for roasted potatoes. They come out perfect every single time and we all love them. I haven't been adding the cheese lately and they're still awesome.

I dug way back in my archives for the ever-popular Philly cheesesteak sloppy Joe's this month after wanting something different to make with ground beef. Always a winner.

We rarely do breakfast for dinner but I saw these bacon and egg quesadillas on my blog while searching for something else and needed to make them ASAP.

I served the quesadillas with refried beans, of course. It was a great Saturday night meal.

This grilled chicken and potatoes with roasted garlic-oregano vinaigrette was another dish I saw on my blog while looking for something else and had to make it ASAP. It was just as delicious as we remembered.

This is another one of our favorite dinner salads - the CPK BBQ chicken chopped salad. All the different components that go into this salad are what makes it so incredible.

I had to restock our freezer stash or chorizo and egg burritos because SP kept eating them when he was home due to the snow. I still need to try making my own chorizo. I was thwarted a few weeks ago when my supermarket was out of ground pork.

I also needed to make more sausage and spinach egg bake. This is still my favorite weekday breakfast with a little mayo mixed with hot sauce.

I made these banana chocolate chip muffins twice this month. The first time we had 6 bananas that needed to be used so I made a double batch of the muffins for the freezer. A few weeks later we had 3 ripe bananas so since we already had so many of these in the freezer I thought I'd make them for Baby Girl to share with her school friends. I used my new mini muffin tin and they were the perfect size for the kiddos (plus we got three regular size muffins with the extra batter that didn't fit in the mini pan).

This taco rice is one of my favorite recipes to make with ground beef. It's so satisfying and comforting.

These crispy fish sandwiches are my new favorite sandwich and my new favorite way to eat fish. I love the crispy coating so much and the fish is so flaky and moist.

I made this cauliflower bacon mac and cheese, which originally called for broccoli, again this month and I think I definitely prefer it with cauliflower. Bonus is Baby Girl loves cauliflower both raw and cooked.

Broccoli Cheddar Risotto

I'm on a serious risotto kick these days. When one of the ladies on my cooking board sang the praises of this Broccoli-Cheddar Oven Risotto I couldn't wait to try it.



While I'm sure the oven method is easier, I prefer to cook risotto on the stove top because I have more control. The cooking method is the only change I made to the recipe.



We all loved this, even if I ended up with more broccoli than rice. The flavor was great and the rice was nice and creamy. I also like that this was an all-in-one starch and veggie side dish.

Broccoli Cheddar Risotto
Adapted from Food Network Magazine

4-6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, divided
2 broccoli crowns, cut into small florets
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 1/4 cups arborio rice
1/4 cup dry white wine
1 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese (about 4 ounces)

Bring the chicken broth to a low simmer in a saucepan. Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the broccoli and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring every so often, until the broccoli is tender and browning in spots, about 15 minutes. Remove the broccoli from the skillet.

Melt 1 tablespoon oil and 1 tablespoon butter in the now-empty skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly softened, about 2 minutes. Add the rice and stir to coat. Pour in the wine and cook until evaporated, about 1 minute.

Start adding the chicken broth one ladle-full at a time, letting it fully absorb before adding more. This process takes anywhere from 17-25 minutes.

Before you add the final ladle of broth, add the broccoli back in. Add the final ladle of broth and once it's absorbed, taste some of the rice to make sure it's cooked through. Turn off the heat and add the grated cheese and 2 tablespoons of butter. Adjust seasoning, if necessary.

Cheddar, Broccoli and Chicken Pasta Skillet

I love one-pot dishes, don't you? It's so nice to cook pasta with other ingredients, not just because it saves time and dirties less dishes, but because the flavorful cooking liquid infuses the pasta. My friends Cassie and Stephanie both raved about this Cheddar, Broccoli and Chicken Pasta Skillet and I couldn't wait to try it.

One thing we both loved about this was the chicken. It was perfectly cooked, very tender and juicy. SP asked me what I did differently and I told him that, unlike other one-pot recipes, you cook the chicken and then remove it from the pan, only adding it back in at the very end so it doesn't overcook. Sometimes I've questioned leaving chicken in the pan too long when I've made other recipes but I didn't think to make that change myself. I will from now on.

Baby Girl ate a huge bowl of this and proclaimed it super yummy. I found that my broccoli didn't cook through in only 5 minutes, so I've increased the time in the recipe below. I also misjudged the amount of cheddar I had on hand so I didn't have quite enough to actually taste it. But not to worry, this will definitely be made again and again so I've got time to get it right.

Cheddar, Broccoli and Chicken Pasta Skillet
As seen on Stephanie Cooks, originally from Center Cut Cook

1 pound chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch chunks
salt and pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
8oz short-cut pasta
1 and 2/3 cup chicken stock
2 and 3/4 cups water, divided
8oz broccoli florets, chopped into small pieces
1/2 cup light cream
8oz cheddar cheese, shredded
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a very large skillet. Add the chicken chunks and cook until the chicken is browned on both sides, and almost entirely cooked through. Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside.

Add another tablespoon of olive oil to the pan. Cook the onions for several minutes, until they start to turn translucent. Add in the garlic and cook for another minute or two. Sprinkle in the oregano and red pepper flake.

Add the 1 and 2/3 cups chicken stock and 2 cups water. Stir in the pasta and bring to a boil. Cook for 10-13 minutes until most of the liquid is absorbed into the pasta.

Add the broccoli and 3/4 cups water; cover. Reduce the heat and simmer for about 10 minutes, or until the broccoli is tender.

Add in the cooked chicken, 1/2 cup light cream and cheddar cheese. Increase the heat to medium high. Continue stirring until the cheese melts and the sauce thickens, about 5-10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

The sauce will thicken as it stands.

Artichoke and Brie Dip

I wanted to have a few things out to snack on when our guests arrived on Christmas Day. I'd had my eye on this Artichoke and Brie Dip for awhile and couldn't wait to make it.

This made a ton of dip - definitely good for a large party - so next time I'd cut the recipe in half. We all loved it. Rich, creamy and cheesy, what's not to like? I served it with toasted bread slices and Triscuits on Christmas Day but the next day we had it with Ritz crackers and I think we all preferred them.

Artichoke and Brie Dip
The Kilkenny House

12 oz artichokes, drained and chopped
1 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
8oz Brie cheese
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.

Combine artichokes, mayonnaise, sour cream and Worcestershire sauce together until well blended. Add the Brie, Parmesan and mozzarella and blend. Season with salt and pepper.

Place the mixture in a round 1.5-quart baking dish and bake for 15-20 minutes. Serve warm with toasted bread, crackers or veggies.

Recipe Remake: Christmas Morning Strata

One Christmas when I was growing up my mom found this recipe for Christmas Morning strata and decided to make it for breakfast. We all loved it and it became our standard Christmas morning breakfast. She still makes it every Christmas for her and my stepdad. I tried to get SP and Baby Girl on board, but so far they just aren't fans. For SP it's a texture thing - he doesn't like the soggy bread - but I think it's possible Baby Girl will like it in the future.

After not making it for a few years and having to beg a piece from my mom, I decided to just make my own batch this year and eat the leftovers the rest of the week. When I was looking back at blog posts I realized it had been awhile since I made this and the photo definitely needed to be updated.

I really love this strata. It's simple and there aren't any crazy ingredients, but it's just so, so good. Hopefully Baby Girl will be won over and this can retake its rightful place on our Christmas morning table.

Christmas Morning Strata
Source Unknown

1 pound pork sausage
2 teaspoons yellow mustard
Butter
8 slices white sandwich bread, crusts removed
8-12 ounces Swiss cheese, shredded
1 1/2 cups milk
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon pepper

Brown the sausage in a skillet over medium heat, stirring until it crumbles. Stir in the mustard.

Grease an oval 2.5-quart baking dish with butter. Fit the bread in the dish, tearing the pieces as needed to cover the bottom and sides of the dish with bread. Add the sausage mixture and top with the cheese.

Combine the milk and remaining ingredients, then pour over the sausage mixture. Cover and refrigerate for at least 8 hours, preferably overnight.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Bake, uncovered, for 50 minutes or until golden brown. Allow to rest for 5-10 minutes before cutting and serving.

Loaded Baked Potato Dip {Giveaway}

Have I got a giveaway for you guys!

But first, let's talk about this Loaded Baked Potato Dip. It has all the flavors of a loaded baked potato in dip form. Brilliant. I halved the recipe since I was only serving 4 people and it was plenty. We all agreed this would be a great dip for the Super Bowl.

Which brings me to the giveaway. Just in time for the Super Bowl, Cape Cod is offering a great prize pack to four of my readers (yes, you read that right). Four of you will each receive a package containing 3 bags of Cape Cod Waffle Cut chips and 3 bags of Cape Cod 40% Reduced Fat Original chips. We used the Waffle Cut for this dip and they really stood up well to the task.

Simply enter using the Rafflecopter link below. This giveaway will run until Thursday, February 23 at 12:00am. Winner will be announced by 11:00am ET on February 23 so Cape Cod will have a chance to ship the packages in time for Super Bowl Sunday. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway


Loaded Baked Potato Dip
As seen on Mary Ellen’s Cooking Creations, originally from The Barbee Housewife

16 oz sour cream
16 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
8 oz shredded cheddar cheese
3 green onions, chopped

Mix the sour cream, most of the bacon, most of the cheese, and most of the green onions together. Chill for a few hours (at least one hour).

When ready to serve, stir and then top with the remaining bacon, cheddar and green onions.

Serve with potato chips.

Disclosure: I received the same number and variety of chips for review purposes. All opinions are my own.

Yorkshire Pudding

Another staple on our Christmas table is Yorkshire Pudding. I'd never heard of it before my stepdad joined our family more than 25 years ago, but it's similar to popovers - crusty on the outside and custardy on the inside.

In the years when my stepgrandmother made Christmas dinner I always assumed the Yorkshire pudding was a difficult thing to make. The year I took over making dinner I was worried about getting it right. It turns out Yorkshire Pudding is very easy to make. I've never had enough beef drippings to make it with those so I just use melted butter. This year's version was especially beautiful.

Yorkshire Pudding
The Joy of Cooking

1 cup minus 1 tablespoon flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1/4 cup beef drippings or 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.

Whisk together the flour and salt in a small bowl. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs and milk. Add the flour mixture to the egg mixture and beat until well blended.

Heat a 9 x 13-inch glass baking dish in the oven for 10 minutes. Remove the dish from the oven and add the drippings/butter, then add the batter all at once.

Bake for 15 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees and bake for another 15-20 minutes, until puffy and golden brown. Don't open the oven while the pudding is baking.

Remove from the oven and cut into squares. Serve immediately - this is best eaten piping hot.