Family favorites
I can’t believe it has taken me so long to review the Roundabout Diner in Portsmouth N.H. It is one of our favorite places to go anytime of the day or night! The Roundabout is located at 580 US Highway 1 bypass, Portsmouth traffic circle in Portsmouth NH. They are open 7 days a week starting at 5:30 am. One of the things I love about the Roundabout is that they serve breakfast all day and with breakfast being my favorite meal, I know I can go here and get a delicious breakfast anytime. On the day my friend Rosalie and I went it was in fact breakfast time, so that is what I am reviewing today!
Because I have been there many times and know the portions are huge, I ordered a short stack of banana walnut pancakes with a side of maple sausage. The pancakes for me are about as perfect as it gets! They are soft, fluffy pancakes filled with bananas and walnuts drizzled with real maple syrup! This is the best way to start the day. BUT, that’s not all, the maple sausages are best sausages around! No joke! First off, they are huge, second they are locally sourced in Vermont, but most importantly they are tender, sweet with the maple, and down right delicious! I have actually bought a case of these sausage’s from them when we were expecting out of town guests.
My friend Rosalie had the Mediterranian omelette with hash browns and a grilled English muffin with a side of the maple sausage as well! Rosalie’s portion was huge and just as tasty and filling as my breakfast. The Roundabout Diner’s menu is absolutely gigantic! They have everything you would expect at a diner and more! They even have blue star specials Sunday through Thursday! Sunday’s you can get all you can eat ribs for just $14.99. Did I mention the diner is brought to you by the same people that brought you Muddy River Market Place, as well as the Chill Catering Company! If you know anything about Muddy River you know the ribs there are crazy good, mouthwatering and tender!
I should also mention that the Roundabout Diner has won several awards ncluding one from the Phantom Gourmet for their BBQ, so not only is breakfast terrific but you will not be disappointed in their lunch or dinner plates either! I can’t possibly list everything on the menu but the breakfast variety alone is amazing. The pancakes ,with a number of add on’s is a great place to start. You can add Maine blueberries, chocolate chips, bananas, brown sugar, walnuts, granola, strawberries or shredded coconut! Great variety! They have French toast, lots of omelettes and some terrific looking specials including Monte Cristo, steak and eggs, breakfast bowls and oatmeal
Are you wondering about eggs benedict? Or “Ben’s Addiction” as they are called on the menu. They have a great variety including the classic benedict, portobello benedict, pulled pork and even a salmon cake benedict! I have had the classic benedict here a number of times and it’s perfectly cooked everytime! I also love the full list of breakfast sides you can order, including the maple sausage, eggs, short stack of pancakes, grilled cornbread, bagel and cream cheese, sugar cured bacon, applewood ham as well as baked beans to just name a few!
If you are thinking about having lunch or dinner? You will love the variety for that as well. They have some great hand crafted appetizers like the bleu cheese chips for $9.99. The chips are house made with blue cheese, cheddar cheese and scallions served with ranch and blue cheese dressing! How about truffle fries, chili cheese fries, sweet potato fries? They have all of that too! Soups and salads are not in a short supply either. Clam chowder, chili and vegetable soup will satisfy you on a cold New England day. The choice of salads is phenomenal with the classic’s Caesar, House, Asian, and spinach. You can also add grilled chicken, pulled pork, salmon, tuna and sirloin. If you are looking for sandwiches and burgers there is no surprise that you have plenty to choose from! Corned beef Ruben, salmon cake, BLT, Cuban, hot turkey, meatloaf, pulled pork, grilled cheese and lobster roll are just a few sandwiches that can be had. Classic burger, mushroom onion and Swiss, black and blue along with the chili cheese burger are also some filling tasty options!
As with many diners you can also get some retro classics such as chicken pot pie, fish and chips, chicken tenders and a New England favorite…the lobster mac and cheese. The Roundabout also offers several signature entrees to choose from grilled salmon, sirloin steak, turkey dinner, country fried chicken, pulled pork and turkey meatloaf. Earlier I mentioned their number of breakfast sides…well the lunch sides are no different, lots to pick from! Fries, beans, mashed potatoes, slaw, sweet potato fries and onion rings to just name a few. I should also mention they have plenty of kids meal portions!
It is hard to imagine dessert after their large portions and so much to pick from but you will love their house made desserts just as much as everything else on the menu! What is not to love about wild Maine blueberry pie or how about the banana cream pie that was featured on the Phantom Gourmet?! Maybe ice cream on a hot summer day, sundae’s, brownie sundae’s, banana splits, frappe’s, malts and floats! The Roundabout Diner is a favorite of our family and a true NH gem!
Enjoy!
One of our favorite combinations are sweet and spicy in the same dish, I have a number of recipes that are like that and they are always a hit wth my family. This meatball recipe is no exception. The flavors start sweet then you get a little heat at the end! This was an instant favorite in our house. I served them more as an appetizer, but you can easily serve this over rice or buttered noodles. This made about 30 one inch meatballs and I did not have one left over!
UPDATE~ this is my original recipe that I submitted to Taste of Home Magazine and has since been published.
MEATBALL INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 pounds meatloaf mix (ground beef, pork, veal)
2 eggs
15 crushed buttery crackers (I used Ritz)
1/2 medium onion, finely diced
1 1/2 Tablespoons brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
Salt
Pepper
1/2 teaspoon chipotle chili pepper powder
1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/4 cup 1% milk
SAUCE INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup of honey
1/4 cup Frank’s Buffalo Wing sauce
1/4 cup orange apricot marmalade (can use just apricot)
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 Tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with non-stick foil. Mix all of the meatball ingredients together until well combined. Roll into one inch balls and place on the baking sheet. Do this for all of the meatloaf mixture. Bake in the oven for 15 minutes until lightly browned. While the meatballs are baking add all of the sauce ingredients together in a sauce pan and cook over medium heat until the sugar is dissolved and the sauce thickens slightly, roughly 7-10 minutes stirring often. When the meatballs have cooked for ten minutes transfer them to a slow cooker add the sauce on top of the meatballs and cook on low for 2 hours. Serve warm as an appetizer or over rice or buttered noodles.
Enjoy!
My entire family loves pierogies! I usually make them using left over mashed potatoes after the holidays but this year I saw a recipe from Chef Michael Symon using a sausage/apple stuffing that was stuffed into the pierogies! Well since I make my Thanksgiving and Christmas stuffing with all of the same ingredients this was the perfect way to use up leftover stuffing.
You can certainly use almost any stuffing you like but the addition of maple sausage, apples, bread crumbs works really well with this recipe. Feel free to check out my stuffing recipe on website.
NOTE – Chef Symon suggested serving with some pan fried kielbasa, who am I to argue with Chef Symon.
INGREDIENTS
PIEROGI DOUGH
3 large eggs, divided
3/4 cup sour cream
8 Tablespoon unsalted butter
1 Tablespoon chopped chives
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups all purpose flour
2 Tablespoons water
Salt and pepper to taste
FOR SERVING WITH
4 Tablespoons butter
1 medium onion peeled and sliced
1 pound kielbasa, cut lengthwise
Sour cream
DIRECTIONS
For the pierogi dough- In a large bowl add one egg, sour cream, butter, chives and salt. Mix by hand to form a batter. Place flour on a work surface and form a well in the center. Add the sour cream batter to the center of the well and mix by hand until a light dough forms. Wrap in plastic wrap and place in the fridge to rest for at least two hours. To assemble, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. In a small bowl add the remaining two eggs and two tablespoons of water and whisk to combine and set aside.
Remove the dough from the fridge along with your leftover stuffing and place the dough on a lightly floured surface. Roll dough to about 1/8 inch thickness and cut into 3 inch rounds. Brush each round with egg wash. Spoon 2 tablespoons of the stuffing into each round. Fold the dough over into a half moon shape, pressing the edges with a fork to seal. At this point you can refrigerate or freeze until ready to use.
Add the pierogi to the boiling water in batches, cooking for 3-4 minutes after they float.
Meanwhile preheat a griddle to medium heat. Place the kielbasa on the griddle cooking until browned. 8-10 minutes. Remove to a platter.
In another sauté pan over medium high heat, add butter and onions, cook onions until they are soft. Add the pierogi in batches and cook until golden brown. Transfer to a platter with kielbasa. Serve with sour cream.
Serve warm.
Enjoy!
This would be another great dish to serve for holiday get togethers. This makes two large baking dishes. You can prepare the dish ahead and pop it in the oven just before guests arrive. You can also change up the type of sausage you use, spicy, italian or even sweet sausage would all be great! Add a salad and garlic bread and youl will have some happy people!! My family really enjoyed this dish and it is already on my dinner rotation!
INGREDIENTS
12 lasagna noodles
1 pound bulk sausage
2 jars spaghetti sauce (26 ounces)
1 carton ricotta cheese (15 ounces)
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
3/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese, divided
1 egg
2 Tablespoons fresh minced parsley or 2 teaspoons dried
2 1/2 teaspoon fresh rosemary, minced
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 1/2 teaspoons fresh thyme or 1/2 teaspoon dry
1 teaspoon grated lemon peel
1 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook noodles according to package directions. Meanwhile in a large skillet cook sausage over medium heat or until no longer pink, drain and stir in spaghetti sauce. In a large bowl combine ricotta, one cup mozzarella, 1/4 cup Parmesan, egg, parsley, rosemary, lemon juice, thyme, lemon peel, pepper and salt.
Drain noodles and spread two tablspoons of cheese mixture on each noodle, carefully roll up. Spread 2/3 cup meat sauce mixture into each of two greased 1 1x 7 baking dishes. Place roll ups seam side down on the sauce. Top with remaining meat sauce. Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella and parmesan. Cover and bake 45-50 minutes or until bubbly.
Freezer option– Cover and freeze unbaked casseroles for up to 3 months . When you are ready to bake, thaw in the refrigerator overnight, remove from fridge 30 minutes before baking. Preheat oven to 350 degrees, cover and bake 50-60 minutes or until bubbly.
Serve warm.
Enjoy!
Another great recipe from Taste of Home Magazine!
I really enjoy a nice crisp salad especially in the fall with an apple thrown in! I served this salad as a side dish at Thanksgiving. It really brought such a nice, fresh, crisp dish to the table. Sometimes the holiday meals are so rich and heavy this was a nice change of pace. It also makes you feel a little better about that piece of pie you’re going to eat a little later!! I did not measure any of the salad ingredients. I just tossed it all in to my taste, so feel free to do the same!
INGREDIENTS
Romaine hearts, chopped
Baby spinach leaves
1 Granny Smith apple, diced
Candied pecan pieces (I found them by the salad dressings in the grocery store)
Goat cheese, crumbled
Pomegranate perils
APPLE CIDER DRESSING
2 Tablespoons honey
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
3/4 cup good quality olive oil
Salt
Pepper
DIRECTIONS
For the dressing, simply mix everything together shaking well to incorporate all of the ingredients.
For the salad, mix the amount of greens you want in a bowl and add the diced apple, pecans, goat cheese and pomegranate. I let everyone add their own amount of dressing.
Enjoy!
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