We LOVED this recipe, I mean we really, really loved this recipe! Robby had a couple friends over the night I made this so I was happy this made a big pan full as we ALL ate seconds!! I also gave some of this to two
co- workers both of whom asked for the recipe! One of my co- workers, Sherry, made this for her family and they all loved it and went back for seconds… just as my family did! Needless to say this recipe is a keeper! Add a side salad or some garlic bread and dinner is done!
INGREDIENTS
10 ounces of any pasta you choose, I used bow tie pasta
1 Pound Jimmy Dean hot sausage
1 Jar of your favorite pasta sauce (I used Ragu) 26.5 ounce
1 Tablespoon of butter
1/2 cup of chopped onion
8 oz. cream cheese
2 Tablespoons of milk (can use pasta water)
1 cup Parmesan cheese
French fried onions (small can, or if you’re like me, a large one so you can snack on just one or two …..or more!)
DIRECTIONS
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Cook your pasta until al dente. Drain and set aside.
Brown the sausage and crumble as it cooks, drain excess fat and add your pasta sauce to pan and let simmer on low to warm through. In another skillet add butter letting it melt, add onion and stir well until onions are soft. Add the cream cheese to your onion mixture breaking the cream cheese up making it into a sauce. Add the milk or a couple tablespoons of the pasta water to smooth out the cream cheese sauce.
Using a lightly greased 9 x 13 baking dish you can assemble the casserole starting with a slight layer of the sausage / pasta sauce. Add your cooked pasta to the dish, next add your cream cheese sauce and then layer with the rest of your sausage sauce mixture. Add the Parmesan cheese to the top and bake for 20 minutes. After the 20 minutes go ahead and add your french fried onions spreading them across the top of your casserole. Continue to cook for five more minutes. Remove from oven and serve warm.
Enjoy,
I have been making these chicken bites for a number of years now. I usually make these tasty bites using my brother’s home made BBQ sauce but because that recipe is under lock and key, I am going to give you one that you might make with your favorite seasonings and your favorite BBQ sauce! I like to use a hearty sprinkle of Cajun seasoning but you can use any of your favorite spices I like to use spicy seasoning, then a sweet BBQ sauce.
INGREDIENTS
3 chicken breasts, cut into bite size pieces
1 package center cut bacon, cut in half
1 Tablespoon of Cajun spice
1 cup honey BBQ sauce
Toothpicks
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Line a baking sheet with tin foil and set aside. Sprinkle the bite size chicken pieces with the seasoning and wrap once piece of bacon around each piece of chicken securing with a toothpick. Place each chicken piece on the baking sheet. When all of the chicken has been wrapped bake in the oven for 30 minutes. Turn the chicken pieces and bake an additional 15 minutes. Take the pan out of the oven and drain the liquid from the baking sheet and move your oven rack to the upper portion of the oven. Turn the oven to broil leaving the oven door slightly ajar. At this point brush each chicken piece with BBQ sauce and place back in the oven to broil (leaving the door slightly ajar) for about 2-3 minutes until the sauce starts to caramelize. Turn the chicken pieces over and brush the second side with the BBQ sauce and broil the second side for 2-3 minutes (leaving the oven door ajar). When the BBQ sauce has caramelized and the bacon has crisped up, remove from oven and serve warm OR place in a crockpot on the WARM setting to enjoy through the afternoon or evening!
Enjoy,
Quick and easy meals are my favorite and this recipe is just that. I had dinner on the table within 30 minutes and we all really enjoyed it. Feel free to add a little more crushed red peppers if you want a little more heat. I also made this a little easier buy using a microwave bag of steamed broccoli to add and I served this over Basmati rice and it was the perfect compliment.
INGREDIENTS
4 Tablespoons of water
2 Tablespoons of ketchup
1 Tablespoon of soy sauce
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon honey
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
1/4 cup scallions, sliced
4 cloves garlic, minced
Steamed broccoli florets
1 pound medium sized shrimp peeled, deveined and tails removed
Basmati rice
DIRECTIONS
In a bowl stir together water, ketchup, soy sauce, corn starch, honey, red pepper flakes and ground ginger. Mix well and set aside. Steam your broccoli florets and set aside. Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium /high heat, add the shrimp and scallions and cook until shrimp are just starting to turn pink then add garlic, your desired amount of steamed broccoli and the sauce. Cook until the sauce is thickened and the shrimp have cooked through.
Serve over rice.
Enjoy,
This pizza is not for the weak! This has a huge amount of flavor and a huge amount of HEAT! This would be great served on game day with good friends and a cold beer!
INGREDIENTS
olive oil
4 slices of bacon, cooked and chopped
2 jalapeños, sliced
1 shallot, sliced
1 ball of pizza dough, homemade or store bought
1/4 cup cornmeal
6 ounces of cream cheese, softened
1 1/2 cups Monterey jack cheese
SRIRACHA HONEY DRIZZLE
1/4 cup sriracha
3 Tablespoons Ketchup
1/2 Tablespoon of garlic, minced
1 1/2 tablespoon honey
2 Tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
1/2 Tablespoon of sesame oil
Mix all ingredients for drizzle together and set aside.
DIRECTIONS
Preheat the oven to 475 degrees. In a bowl combine the jalapeños and shallot with 1-2 teaspoons of olive oil.
Working on a surface that has been sprinkled with cornmeal roll your dough out into a large round (10 inches or so)
transfer to baking sheet or pizza pan. Spread the cream cheese evenly over the top leaving a small boarder around the edge. Top with jalapeño and shallots, Monterey jack cheese and cooked and crumbled bacon. Place in oven and bake for 15-20 minutes or until the crust is crisp and cooked through and cheese is melted. Just before you take the pizza out of the oven, drizzle with the sriracha sauce bake for one more minute. Remove pizza from oven and serve warm.
Enjoy,
When I was little, pierogi’s were a huge part of each and every holiday thanks to my grandmother. She was an amazing cook and baker but her pierogi’s and chicken noodle soup are my absolute favorite things she would make. I remember when I would be with her when I was very young. I would sit on her kitchen counter watching and “helping ” her make these and getting ready for the holidays! I am sure I was not much help but it did not matter as she would still let me take part in making anything she was doing! She is no longer with us but some of her recipes and all of the memories still are! Another memory with this recipe was sitting at the dining room table with all of my family including my aunt Rosemary, uncle Bob and cousin Janie. Janie and my older brother John would have a pierogi eating contest each and every time. The pierogis were everyone’s favorite but John and Janie took it to the next level. Grandma always made these for Easter and Christmas. These were made and boiled for the first meal and the next time (if there were any left) were fried in the melted butter. My grandmother served these with melted butter, sour cream, and chicken gravy on the side. I make these after each holiday as I like to use my leftover mashed potatoes for this recipe. If you don’t have a favorite mashed potato recipe you can find mine on this blog.
This is me with my Grandmother, Anne Andrusyk …and of course
my cat, Velvet!
INGREDIENTS
Mashed Potatoes (left over or your favorite)
1 stick of butter
salt
pepper
2 2/3 cup flour plus more for dusting
1 egg
1 cup sour cream
Chives optional for garnish
DIRECTIONS
Bring your leftover potatoes to room temperature. In a large bowl combine the flour salt and pepper. Make a well in the center of the flour, add the egg and sour cream stirring into the flour. Let the mixture rest for ten minutes then transfer to a work surface that has been dusted with flour. Knead until a smooth stiff dough forms. Cut the dough into four quarters and wrap each ball in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
After 30 minutes take one dough out at a time and on a floured work surface roll out each dough ball into an 11 inch circle. Using a four inch biscuit cutter or the top of a glass, cut the dough into rounds. Place a tablespoon of potato filling slightly off center of each circle, moisten the edge of the dough and fold the dough over the filling and press edges to completely seal.
In a large saucepan, add your stick of butter and melt over medium heat until butter is melted and brown.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil add salt and add 7-8 pierogi’s at at time into the boiling water, stirring once in a while until the pierogi’s float to the top, once they float they are done. Remove them from the water using a spider if you have one and put the boiled pierogi’s into the melted butter until you have all of the done. Serve warm and with sour cream on the side and a sprinkle of chives!
Enjoy,
