Patty Melt

In all my years I have not once tried a Patty Melt, until today that is.  It was my mom’s favorite thing to order when we’d go out if it was on the menu and I never even really knew what it was.  I was thinking about her, and it came into my head, and I was suddenly very curious.  So I searched it out, and was surprised to see it was just a burger/grilled cheese.  I figured I could do that.

I decided to go with a pretty basic recipe, though I found others that seemed a little more complex and I am sure great.  I think my mom liked hers on a dark rye, but I couldn’t for the life of me find any at the store, so went with a Russian Rye instead.  I can see why my mom liked them, though I felt this particular version could have used a good deal more cheese.  It is a melt after all and I do love my cheese!  I liked the nice buttery golden bread though and the juicy burger and caramelized onions between.  I think I may try some of the variations out there because it was such a simple yet satisfying sandwich.

 

Serves : 2

Ingredients :

• 8 oz. ground beef
• 1 small onion, thinly sliced
• 4 slices rye bread
• 4 slices swiss cheese
• 2 T. canola oil
• 2 T. butter, room temperature (or warmed slightly in the microwave if you forgot to take it out like me)
• salt and black pepper to taste

Directions :

1. Divide the meat into two balls. Form each one into a 1/4-inch patty that is just slightly larger than the slices of bread. Season each patty generously with salt and pepper.
2. Pour 1 tablespoon of the oil into a small skillet set over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook until browned, about 10 minutes or so. Set aside.
3. Heat a large cast iron skillet over high heat. Pour in the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil. When it’s hot, add the burger patties. Cook for about 2 minutes per side. They should be well browned, but still slightly medium or medium-rare inside. Set aside.
4. Top two of the slices of bread each with some onions, a slice of cheese, cooked patty, another slice of cheese and finally a slice of bread. Slather each sandwich on top and bottom with the butter.
5. Wipe out the skillet. Then turn the heat to medium. Add the sandwiches. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes a side, or until the bread is golden browned and the cheese has melted.Slice in half diagonally and serve.

Recipe from Dishing Up Delights

 

 

Slow Cooker Beef & Mushroom Stroganoff

Everyone has their own idea of comfort food, but this is definitely one of them for me.  It reminds me so much of something my mom used to make, though her’s was done with venison, and a thicker gravy.  I don’t have her recipes unfortunately, so this is a good substitute for now.  As with most crock pot dishes, this is very quick to put together and once that is done you don’t have to do much.  Just give it a stir once in a while to keep things mixed and heated evenly, but also just so you can sneak a good smell and taste once in a while lol.  Then at the end, you just stir in some cream cheese and serve it over whatever pasta you like.  I used orecchiette because I knew it would hold the sauce well and pick up easily with a fork.

Beef and mushrooms have that classic earthy taste that is so good, and in this they are only made better by the addition of the onions, Worcestershire and golden mushroom soup.  Then at the end the addition of the cream cheese really just brings it all together leaving you with a nice thick creamy sauce.

 

Serves : 4             Time to make : 6.5 hours

Ingredients :

• 1 lb. cubed beef stew meat
• 1 (10.75 oz) can Condensed Golden Mushroom Soup
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 8 oz mushrooms, sliced (I used crimini)
• 2 T. Worcestershire sauce
• 1/4 C. water
• 4 oz. cream cheese (I used fat free)
• Pasta of choice (I made about 12oz Orecchiette)

Directions :

1. Combine the first six ingredients into your crock pot and cook on low heat for 6 hours.
2. Make your when time is just about up, and just before serving stir in the cream cheese until melted.  Serve over pasta.

Recipe from Dreaming All Day

BBQ Muffin Cups

These super simple muffin cups came from Food.com, and are what gave me the idea for my Italian Chicken Cups (shared the other day).  They are another great weeknight meal, and though they are not really low in calories or anything the simplicity and low cost help make up for it.  And you can always lower the calories by using ground turkey, low fat cheese, and reduced fat biscuits too.  I have tried versions with corn in them as well, and really enjoyed the addition.  This has become one of our go-to recipes whenever we need to repeat things because of busy schedules and they are SO easy, even Jeff can make them start to finish without messing them up…. which if you know my husband you’d know is no small thing.  If you use the Pilsbury Grands (my preferred biscuit) you’ll get 8 of these, which Jeff and I can eat by ourselves, but I’d say you can get away with 2 per person as long as you have a little side with them.

 

serves : 2-4                 time to make : 25 minutes

Ingredients :

• 3/4 lb ground beef
• 1 T. onion, minced
• 1/2 cup bbq sauce
• 2 T. brown sugar
• 3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 can flakey biscuits (I use Pilsbury Grands)

Directions :

1. Brown beef and onions in skillet.  Meanwhile preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Drain beef and onions before mixing in the bbq sauce and brown sugar.
3. Using your hands, stretch the biscuits out to about double the size and fit down into a lightly sprayed muffin pan. 
4. Fill each cup with the beef and onions mixture then top with some cheese.
5. Bake about 15 minutes or until muffins are golden and cooked through.

Day 145 : Taco Salad Nachos

Well I’m back!  Enjoyed my time away, and was able to recharge my batteries so to speak, but not it’s time to get back to things.

Tonight’s recipe is one we’ve made before and it’s perfect for any night.  It literally goes together in maybe 10 minutes, and it’s something the whole family can enjoy.  I know a lot of people have taco night because they are easy…. well these are even easier because you don’t have to assemble tacos and there is no worry about them spilling out onto your plate because they are already in a pile!  You can crunch up the chips and eat it more like a salad or leave the chips whole and eat them as nachos.

I will list our typical taco toppings, but feel free to use whatever you like for yours.

 

Taco Salad Nachos

Serves : 4                Time to make  : 10 minutes

 

Ingredients :

• 1 bag of tortilla chips (For extra flavor try hint of lime, pepper jack, or jalapeno chips)
• 1 lb ground beef
• 1 pkg. taco seasoning
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 small can olives, sliced
• 1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
• 1 cup salsa
• 1 cup sour cream (fat free)
• 1/2 cup guacamole
• 1 pkg shredded lettuce

Directions :

1. Brown ground beef in a skillet, and drain.  Add seasoning and water and mix.
2. Place chips on the bottom of the plate and layer the meat, cheese, onions, olives, and lettuce on top. 
3. Mix together the salsa, sour cream, and guacamole and pour over the top.

 

 

Thanks for your patience and I hope you will all stick with me!

 

Day 94 : Sloppy Joes

Well…. tonight it finally happened that I ran across a recipe that just did not work for me.  I read the ingredients and it SOUNDED good… but it just didn’t pull together right.  The flavor was very bland after I added the listed ingredients, and it also was not very “sloppy” at all, and I knew that after 30 minutes of continued cooking it would likely be burnt.  I decided to just doctor it then and not take the chance.  The ending result was pretty good, and I was able to save dinner, but I honestly think the recipe as stated would have been a disaster.

I did not measure anything as I added, and just went by taste.  I will list the things I added in case anyone wants to know, but with so many recipes out there for sloppy joes you might just want to try another… unless you are up for the challenge of fixing it to your tastes.  The base for the recipe is good, it just needs more!

I added more ketchup first, but it didn’t do much other than make it saucier… and too sweet.  So I tried to add depth of flavor with some Worcestershire sauce, some steak sauce, and a bit of chipotle pepper seasoning.  That worked to get the depth I wanted, but I needed something to mellow it out and make it saucier still… so I added about a half cup of tomato sauce as well.  That definitely brought it closer to what I consider a sloppy joes consistency and taste.  Jeff gave my resulting dish 5 stars, so I must have done something right lol.  I will list the original recipe below, and it is up to you to make it your own from there.

 

Sloppy Joes

Serves : 4            Time to make : 40 minutes

Ingredients :

• 1 lb ground beef
• 1/4 cup onion, chopped
• 1/4 cup green bell pepper, chopped
• 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
• 3 tsp. brown sugar
• 1 tsp. prepared yellow mustard
• 3/4 cup ketchup
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions :

1. Brown ground beef, with onions and peppers in a skillet on medium heat, drain.
2. Add the remaining ingredients, lower heat to a simmer and cook an additional 30 minutes.
3. Serve on your choice of bun or bread.

Day 76 : Lasagna Rollups

First off, I want to take back what I said yesterday about the cupcakes being too bland or dry.  Just like muffins these actually become more moist the next day once they have sat in an airtight container.  I also now feel that the subtle flavor of the cake portion is perfectly balanced out by the rich and very flavorful frosting.  I am now a little sorry I sent so many to work with my husband, but I am sure my waistline thanks me lol.

When I was growing up we didn’t have lasagna very often, because let’s face it, making lasagna is time consuming! I remember grating cheese until I felt like my arms would fall off as a kid.  Now of course its a bit easier if you just buy pre-shredded cheese, but it still takes a while to cook your noodles, make the meat, and assemble…. then you have to wait forever for it to bake!  Anyway, in our house if we want lasagna we often go with a boxed version and are always left feeling a little disappointed by them.  They are fine, but they aren’t what we want.  When my youngest was born a good friend (Susan we mean you if you are reading this!) made us a great homemade lasagna that my husband still proclaims to be the best he has ever had!  Hard to compare to that lol.   Anyway, I have tried a couple different lasagna recipes since my husband and I have been together and they actually are both rolls.  It’s such an elegant way to serve a great dish.  It’s also already made up into the perfect sized portions!

Tonight’s recipe was pretty good.  I took the liberty of changing it up a bit which leads me to assume that the base recipe would be a bit bland by itself for us.  But that’s fine, because it’s nice to have a good base to start with and alter to your tastes.  I added about a lb of ground beef cooked up with some onion and garlic, and seasoned with some oregano, fresh basil, salt and pepper.  I also used at least double the parsley called for in the recipe because I LOVE it.  I like the idea of taking some help from the store and using jar sauce for things like this, and chose a Prego Fresh Mushroom variety.  I actually had a bit left over of the same kind from something else and heated that up at the end to serve with some additional sauce and because it makes a nice presentation to have a bed of sauce to put the rolls onto.  The next time I make these, and there WILL BE a next time, I might add a few more seasonings to the filling mixture, but other than that it was very good.  Best of all there was no fennel in it… which I can’t stand in lasagnas rofl.

I was able to fit 15 rolls into my 9×13 baking dish and I only needed to heat it for about 25 minutes before it was ready.  Not only was it starting to spit out onto my oven, but we were way too impatient to wait any longer than that.  I will just share the original recipe so you can alter it to your own tastes, but if you need any inspiration the alterations listed above worked very well.

 

Lasagna Rollups

Serves : 5-6          Time to make : 1 hour roughly

Ingredients :

• 1 jar of spaghetti sauce, divided
• 1 (2-pound) tub of ricotta cheese
• 2 cups mozzarella cheese, divided
• 1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 3 eggs, beaten
• 1 T. freshly chopped parsley
• 1 tsp. salt
• 12-14 lasagna noodles, prepared according to package directions

Directions :

1. Preheat oven to 375.  Pour half of the sauce into the bottom of a 9×13 baking dish.
2. In a medium bowl, combine ricotta, mozzarella, parmesan, eggs, parsley, and salt, mixing well.
3. Spoon cheese mixture over noodles distributing evenly, and roll up tightly.  Place rollup seam side down in prepared baking dish; top with remaining sauce and mozzarella.
4. Bake 35-40 minutes, or until heated through.

 

Day 1 : New York Steak w/ Cheese Sauce

Hello again and Happy New Year!  I am super excited to finally get this started.  I meant to get to it weeks ago, but as usual, life happened.  The holidays, though great, were very busy for me.  Throw in a couple of sick kids and you’ve got yourself a good excuse.  But let’s face it…. the biggest reason that today is day 1 is because I am a major procrastinator lol.  I was all set to start yesterday but after a very LONG trip to the grocery store (a very annoying and slow check-out worker) it was too late when we finally got home and put the food away to want to cook anything so we went out instead.

Anyway, here we are, and I plan to do my very best to stay on track.  Today’s recipe is not a new one in our house, but rather a favorite.  I discovered this recipe on my favorite recipe site (food.com) quite a while ago and have made it a number of times now.  It’s the perfect steak for someone like me who isn’t a big fan of JUST meat.  Don’t get me wrong, I do like meat, I just can’t see how people can eat a big hunk of it plain lol.  It’s also a great steak to prepare for a special occasion.  Super simple to make, but gourmet in flavor and appearance.  We paired it tonight with some steak fries and a side salad for the perfect meal.

The original recipe calls for boursin cheese, which I have not tried.  I use chive and onion cream cheese for mine because it’s easier to find.  As well, I can’t always find a nice steak at Walmart (where we most often do our grocery shopping) so I use whatever I CAN find for this.  I am sure it is better with the original ingredients, but it has not suffered with my substitutions IMO.  I use a Cabernet Merlot blend for my red wine in this as well.  Since I don’t like my steak to have ANY pink in the middle I also cooked my steaks on the foreman grill for a bit too to make sure they were well done without burning on the outside in my skillet.

 

New York Steak w/ Cheese Sauce

Servings : 4                                        Time to make : 30 min

Ingredients:

• 4 New York strip steaks, 1/2 lb each
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1/4 cup green onion, minced
• 1/4 cup red wine
• 3/4 cup  half and half cream
• 3/4 cup boursin cheese or 3/4 cup cream cheese with garlic and herbs
• 2 tablespoons parsley, minced

Directions:

1. Sear steaks in hot oil, until cooked to your preference.
2. Remove steaks, cover and keep warm.
3. In same pan saute onions for 2 minutes, add wine and cook over high heat until reduced to 1 tbsp.
4. Add half and half cream.
5. Boil until reduced by half.
6. Stir in Boursin cheese or garlic cream cheese until thick and hot.
7. Pour sauce over hot steaks, garnish with parsley.

 

That’s it for day 1…. stay tuned for another great recipe tomorrow!