Cheeseburger Sliders

 It's been awhile! I haven't been trying too many new things lately. Now that my family is getting older and I only have two kids at home, I'm not making as many big dinners, and most of what I make is quick and easy. But when I find a recipe that I keep going back to, I have to add it to the blog just to make it easier for myself to find again. This is one of those recipes. 

Cheeseburger Sliders
adapted from Natasha'sKitchen.com

1 lb. lean ground beef
1/4 TBSP olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 large yellow onion, finely diced
2 TBSPs mayo
6 oz medium cheddar, shredded (can also use slices)
1 pkg of 12 Hawaiian rolls
1 TBSP unsalted butter, melted, plus more to grease baking sheet
1 tsp sesame seeds

Pickle slices

1. Preheat oven to 350˚F. Butter the bottom of a rimmed baking sheet.

2. In a large skillet over medium/high heat add olive oil. Add diced onion then ground beef and break up with a spatula. Season with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Cook over medium/high heat until beef is browned, then remove from heat. Tilt skillet to spoon off and discard excess fat. Stir in mayo.

3. Cut buns in half. Place bottom half of rolls on buttered baking sheet. Spread ground beef mixture evenly over the rolls. Cover the ground beef with 6 oz of shredded cheddar.

4. Place the top of buns, cut-side down, over the burgers. Brush tops with melted butter and immediately sprinkle tops with sesame seeds. Bake at 350˚F for 12-15 minutes, or until cheese is melted and tops are golden brown. Serve with pickle slices.

Slow Cooker French Dip Sandwiches

I saw this recipe on Instagram and it looked delicious, so I added it to my menu plan last week. It did not disappoint. I made a couple changes to how I cooked it, which I noted at the bottom. I'm already looking forward to eating this again!

Slow Cooker French Dip Sandwiches

ohsweetbasil.com

3 pound tri tip steak

1/2 cup soy sauce

1 15 oz can beef broth

1 bay leaf

1/2 tsp black pepper

1 tsp dried rosemary

1 tsp dried thyme

1 tsp garlic powder

Hoagie Rolls

Cheese slices

1. Remove and discard the fat from the roast. Place the trimmed roast in a crockpot on low.

2. In a medium bowl, combine soy sauce, beef broth, bay leaf, pepper, rosemary, thyme, and garlic powder. Pour mixture over the roast. Cover, and cook on low heat for 8 hours.

3. Take the meat out and shred it, then let it cook 1-2 hours more, or until meat is very tender.

4. Remove meat from broth, reserving the broth.

5. Distribute the meat on hoagies and top with cheese. Place under a broiler until the cheese is melted and the bread is toasted. Use reserved broth for dipping.

Notes: I used water and beef bouillon instead of broth. I cooked the roast on high for 5 hours, shredded, then cooked on low for 2 more and it was great. After removing the meat from the slow cooker, I chopped it up a little so that it wouldn't be stringy. I used gouda cheese slices in the picture. It made enough for 10 sandwiches with a little left over. I tried some leftover meat in a tortilla with queso fresco, salsa, lettuce, tomato, avocado, and lime and it was really good!

Zuppa Toscana

I grew kale in my garden this year for the first time. This sent me on the hunt for some kale recipes. I found this Olive Garden copycat Zuppa Toscana aka Tuscan Soup, and had heard of before but never tried it. I used spicy sausage and left the peel on the potatoes. My entire family enjoyed this soup, which means it gets added to the blog. With some focaccia bread on the side, mmmmm!!!

Zuppa Toscana

lecremedelacrumb.com

1 pound spicy or mild Italian ground sausage

4 TBSPs butter 

1/2 white onion, diced

1 TBSP minced garlic

6 cups chicken broth

2 cups water

4/5 yellow potatoes, washed and cut into 1-inch pieces

2 tsps salt or to taste

1 tsp black pepper

2 cups heavy cream

4 cups chopped kale

Chopped bacon and grated parmesan cheese for topping, optional

1. In a large pot, sauté sausage 5-6 minutes until browned. Use a slotted spoon to transfer sausage to a plate and set aside. Remove any grease that is left.

2. In the same pot, add butter and sauté onions over medium heat until translucent. Add garlic and sauté for another minute until fragrant. Add chicken broth, water, potatoes, salt, and pepper and bring to a boil.

3. Boil until potatoes are tender, check with a fork at about 10 minutes. Stir in kale and heavy cream. Add sausage. If you want to remove some of the grease, see my note at the bottom. Taste and add salt and pepper if needed. Serve garnished with bacon and grated parmesan cheese if desired. 

Note: Sausage is greasy and the spicy variety leaves an orange layer that hangs out at the top of the soup. I removed some of this fat with a gravy separator. I scooped the top layer as best as I could with a ladle, poured it into my gravy separator, and let it sit for a few minutes to let the grease rise to the top. Then poured the liquid back in. I added a picture of it below.

Another note: When recipes call for chicken broth, I usually substitute water and chicken bullion which works well in this soup.

Cheesy Mexican Chili

I tweaked my taco soup recipe and came up with a cheesy version! This is very versatile. You can really add whatever you like...switch the beans, take them out, add more corn, add more meat, more chiles. My local grocery store has it's own brand of cream soups and one of them is cream of poblano. If you can't find that just substitute it for a different cream soup. Warning: There is nacho cheese sauce in this chili. A whole can of it. Instead of real cheese, which would just make it stringy, or a block of Velveeta, I decided to try good ole' canned nacho cheese, and I really like how it turned out! You could substitute a different cheese if the can scares you.

Cheesy Mexican Chili

1 1/2 lbs ground beef

1 cup onion, diced

2 cups beef broth

1 (10 ounce) can cream of poblano soup (if you can't find this substitute cream of chicken, potato, or onion)

1 (15.5) oz can pinto beans, rinsed and drained

1 (15.25oz) can whole kernel corn, drained

2 (14.5) cans diced tomatoes with green chiles

1 (1.25oz) pkt taco seasoning 

1 tsp chili powder

1/2 tsp cumin

1 (15oz) can nacho cheese sauce

1 cup sour cream

Optional garnish: sour cream, shredded cheese, cilantro, green onion

1. Brown the ground beef and onions in a large skillet; drain the excess fat, then transfer the browned beef and onions to a slow cooker.

2. Add the broth, cream soup, beans, corn, tomatoes, taco seasoning, chili powder, and cumin. Stir to combine. Cook on low for 6-8 hours.

3. 1 hour before serving, stir in the cheese sauce and sour cream and continue to cook on low until ready to serve.

Top with desired garnish and serve with cornbread or corn chips.

Pizza Rolls

I've tried a few different ways to make pizza rolls. I even have another recipe on my blog, but this is my new favorite. You make them just like cinnamon rolls. The dough is rolled out into a big rectangle, then you layer with sauce, pepperoni, and cheese. I use a homemade pizza dough recipe you can find here. I like to add a little ranch and crushed red pepper flakes to the top of mine when eating, kinda like frosting. :) My kids like to take them to school in their lunches too.

Pizza Rolls
2 lbs pizza dough (I use this recipe here)
1 cup pizza or marinara sauce
1 6oz pkg of pepperoni slices
2 1/2 cups shredded Mozzarella or preferred cheese, divided
2 TBSPs melted butter
Garlic salt and Italian seasoning (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Lightly flour work surface and roll pizza dough into rectangle about 20in x 14in. Spread pizza sauce on the dough all the way to the edges. Place pepperoni slices on the sauce in a single layer. Fit as many on there as you want. Sprinkle 2 cups of cheese over the pepperoni.
3. Starting from the long end, roll up dough like cinnamon roll dough. I start I one side and roll it just a little then switch to the other side and roll it up to match the other side. Then once I have a good log I can roll it all together at once. If pepperoni or cheese slips out just tuck it back in. It might look messy, but will still taste good! Using a sharp serrated knife, slice into 1 1/2 in discs. You should have about 14 rolls. Place on prepared baking sheet, slice side up. Again you can tuck in some cheese or pepperonis here if they have fallen out.
4. Brush tops with melted butter, then season lightly with garlic salt and sprinkle with Italian seasoning, if desired. Sprinkle the last 1/2 cup of cheese of the rolls.
5. Place in oven and bake 22-27 minutes. Rolls are done when crust is lightly browned and cheese and sauce are bubbly.

 Topped with a drizzle of ranch and sprinkled with crushed red pepper flakes.

Slow Cooker Pork Chops and Gravy

This is my new Sunday roast recipe. It's just like having roast beef except it's pork and it's makes it's own gravy in the slow cooker! I like to use thick cut boneless pork chops because they shred so nicely. The recipe says to season the chops before putting them in the slow cooker, but I have tried just mixing all seasonings together with the soup and broth and then adding the pork, and it works just fine.

Slow Cooker Pork Chops and Gravy
adapted from thesaltymarshmallow.com
2-3 lbs pork chops, bone-in or out
1 packet Ranch dressing mix
1 packet brown gravy mix
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp pepper
1 10.5oz can cream of chicken soup
1 1/2 cups beef broth
2 TBSPs cornstarch
2 TBSPs water

1. Season both sides of the pork chops with the ranch dressing mix, garlic powder, and pepper
2. In a large slow cooker whisk together the brown gravy mix, cream of chicken soup, and beef broth. Add the seasoned pork chops to the slow cooker.
3. Cover and cook on low for 6-7 hours or high for 3-4 hours. Remove the pork chops carefully from the slow cooker onto a plate.
4. Strain liquid to remove any remaining chunks and pour into a small saucepan. Bring to a boil. While liquid is heating, in small bowl stir together the cornstarch and water. Once the liquid has reached a low boil, add the cornstarch mixture and whisk until gravy thickens. Remove from heat when thickened. Serve over mashed potatoes or rice and garnish with parsley if desired.

Pizza Dough

This is my go to pizza crust recipe. It's adapted from a recipe my brother uses. It makes almost exactly 2 lbs of dough so I usually divide it into 2 balls for 2 large pizzas. We like to grill our pizzas out on the grill at 500 degrees for 5 minutes. We preheat our grill with a pizza stone on it. I roll out the dough on a piece of parchment paper, top with sauce, cheese, and toppings and then transfer it paper and all to the pizza stone with a long handled pizza peel. It's our favorite way to make pizza. You can also bake it in the oven at 450 for about 8-10 min just until the cheese starts to brown. The dough rises for a total of at least 5 1/2 hours, so I usually start making it about 11am for dinner that night. This picture is a double recipe after the first rise, and I'm just getting ready to divide it into balls.

Pizza Dough
1 1/2 cups warm water
2 tsps salt
1/4 tsp instant yeast
4 cups flour

1. In a large bowl add warm water and salt. Stir until salt dissolves. Sprinkle yeast on top of the water and let it sit for about a minute. Stir yeast into the water. Add 4 cups of flour and stir with wooden spoon until dough begins to come together. With a little flour on your hands knead the dough in the bowl a few times to create one big mixed lump of dough. Leave the bowl on the counter, uncovered, and let the dough rest for 20 minutes.
2. After 20 minutes, remove dough from the bowl and place on floured surface. Knead dough for one minute. The dough should be very smooth. Brush clean large bowl with oil and place the dough into the bowl. Cover bowl tightly with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature for 1 1/2 hours.
3. After rising, remove dough from bowl and place on a floured surface. Cut dough into 2 equal pieces (you can use a scale for this). This should give you 2 one pound portions of dough. Shape pieces into 2 tight balls being careful not to tear the dough. Place the dough balls onto lightly floured dinner plates. Lightly flour the tops and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Let rise at room temperature for 4-6 hours until ready to use.

 Dough balls ready for 2nd rise. 

Dough balls all finished rising.

Ready to roll out for pizza.

Here's a shot of the crust. Chewy but crispy on the outside.

Coronation Chicken

I've visited England twice and both times I've had coronation chicken. The first time I tried it was 2 years ago in a tea sandwich at the Orangery Restaurant in Kensington Gardens. Just a couple of months ago I had it at a cafe down the street from Rochester Castle and Cathedral. It was served on a baguette. Then 2 days later, I had it again at coaching inn/pub called The Hen and Chicken in Alton. Gavin ordered it as well because he had tried my sandwich and liked it. His was served on a jacket potato (aka baked potato) and my was again on a baguette. I love chicken salad, but this isn't normal chicken salad. For one, it's practically royal. The original recipe was created for Queen Elizabeth's coronation banquet in 1953. The other thing I love about it is the flavor! It's a curried chicken salad with fruit! I looked up a few recipes and decided to make some of my own. I need to say a few things about ingredients. The recipe I based this one off of called for bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts which I have discovered are practically impossible to find, at least in my regular grocery stores. I used boneless, skinless, instead and it worked great. I substituted burgundy cooking wine for red wine, but you could also just use chicken broth. Mango chutney might be hard to find. It'll be in the jam/jelly section. I found mine at Walmart and the recipe used about half the jar. I put the rest in a ziplock bag and froze it for next time. The mango chutney adds a lot of flavor, so don't skip it. Tomato puree is in the canned tomatoes section. My store only had Hunt's brand. I also froze the leftovers of that for next time. I really wanted to add crème fraîche to my coronation chicken. BUT it's hard to find and if you do it's gross stuff in a jar (just like the clotted cream) and is not the same and it's expensive. You can make your own, but that takes pasteurized whipping cream, NOT ultra-pasteurized which is also not carried at the regular grocery store, so I improvised! I bought Mexican Crema because I live in San Antonio and THAT is something that IS carried at my stores and is not expensive. Mexican Crema is Mexican table cream and is comparable to crème fraîche (google it!) but runnier. So I added it last to make my coronation chicken just as creamy as I wanted it to be. 

Coronation Chicken
adapted from a nytimes recipe
3 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 TBSP olive oil
Salt
Pepper
2 TBSPs unsalted butter
1 large yellow onion, diced
½ cup burgundy cooking wine or chicken broth
6 TBSPs mango chutney
¼ cup tomato purée
3 TBSPs curry powder
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1 dried bay leaf
1 cup mayonnaise
3 ounces dried apricots, finely chopped (about 15 apricots)
1/2 cup golden raisins (aka sultanas)
1/2 to 1 cup of crème fraîche (OR Mexican crema OR more mayo)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Rub chicken on all sides with olive oil, season generously with salt and pepper and arrange on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake until cooked through, about 45 minutes, or until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees. Let chicken cool slightly chop meat into bite-size pieces or shred. Set aside.
2. While chicken is baking, melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté until translucent, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the cooking wine, mango chutney, tomato purée, curry powder, lemon juice and bay leaf and bring to a simmer. Continue simmering, stirring occasionally and adjusting heat as necessary, until sauce is thick, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove and discard bay leaf. Transfer sauce to a large bowl and let cool to room temperature
3.Once sauce has cooled, add the mayonnaise and stir to combine. Add the cooled chicken, apricots, and the golden raisins, and stir to coat them in the sauce. Stir in 1/2 to 1 cup of crème fraîche (OR Mexican crema OR more mayo) to create desired creaminess. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Serve on bread for sandwiches or on baked potatoes.

BLT Quiche

I love quiche and love trying different add-ins! It's technically BST, but I'm sticking with the L because it makes more sense. This is my regular quiche recipe with the addition of bacon, spinach, and tomatoes. I used a little chopped fresh spinach from my garden and a few cherry tomatoes halved. I have tried all different kinds of cheese in my quiche and I like using the pizza blend. It has some swiss, which is a typical quiche cheese, but it also has some provolone and mozzarella and I think it works really well. 

BLT Quiche
1 9in. deep dish prepared crust (like Pillsbury crust, or make this Quick Pie Crust)
3 eggs, beaten
1 1/2 cups half and half
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 1/2 cups shredded cheese, pizza blend 
1/4 cup bacon, cooked and crumbled
2 cups loosely packed spinach, roughly chopped
10-20 cherry tomatoes, halved

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Prick bottom and sides of crust with fork. Cover crust with foil, poke a few holes in it, then press it onto the crust. Bake the crust for 8 minutes. Remove the foil and bake until the the crust looks dry but not brown, about 4 minutes more. Remove from the oven; reduce the temperature to 325 degrees.
2. While crust is baking, in a medium bowl combine eggs, half and half, salt, pepper, cheese, bacon, and spinach. Stir to combine. When the crust has finished baking, pour egg mixture into the crust. Top with cherry tomatoes, cut side up.
3. Bake until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean, 40 to 45 minutes. If the edges are browning too quickly, cover them with strips of aluminum foil. Cool 15 minutes then serve.

One Pot Creamy Spinach and Tomato Pasta

I grew spinach in my garden over the winter and spring. I was constantly on the hunt for recipes to incorporate a little spinach. I found this recipe on CookingLight.com and unhealthified it by adding cream. :) You can also leave the cream out. It's an easy and versatile one pot dish. I've added basil and chicken and it's great that way too. The Cooking Light website has a video that I've linked above.

One Pot Creamy Spinach and Tomato Pasta
adapted from cookinglight.com
1 TBSP olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
6 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 (14.5-ounce) can petite diced tomatoes, undrained
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
1/2 tsp dried oregano
8 ounces spaghetti or linguine
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2-1 cup heavy whipping cream
10 ounces fresh spinach
1 ounce Parmesan cheese, grated (about 1/4 cup)

1. Heat a Dutch oven or large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add oil; swirl to coat.
2. Add onion and garlic to pan; sauté 3 minutes or until onion starts to brown.
3. Add tomatoes, broth, and oregano. Bring to a boil. Add noodles; stir to submerge in liquid.
4. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook 7 minutes or until pasta is almost done.
5. Uncover; stir in salt. Add 1/2 cup whipping cream and stir until it thickens. Add 1/2 more if desired.
6. Add spinach in batches, stirring until spinach wilts. Remove from heat; let stand 5 minutes. Sprinkle with cheese and serve.

My Note: Leave out whipping cream for a healthier dish.
Chef's Notes from Cooking Light 1: Swap out spaghetti for any short pasta shape, such as elbow macaroni, rotini, or shells. 2: Use fresh grape tomatoes instead, and add fresh herbs. 3: Try adding chopped skinless, boneless chicken thighs, ground beef, or ground turkey for a heartier dish.

Baked Potato Soup

We have had unseasonably cold and wet weather which calls for lots of soup. This baked potato was one of those soups.

Baked Potato Soup
2 3/4 pounds russet potatoes
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup onion, chopped
1/4 cup flour
3/4 tsp salt
2 tsps chicken bouillon granules
4 cups milk
2 cups half and half
1/2 cup sour cream plus more for topping
Salt and pepper to taste
6 slices of bacon, cooked and crumbled
Shredded cheddar
Green onions, thinly sliced (optional)

1. Peel and quarter potatoes and place them in a large pot. Cover potatoes with water, just until the tops are covered. Bring to a boil over med-high heat. Boil until potatoes are tender. Test with a fork. Drain water, When potatoes are cool enough to handle. Chop them into bite-sized pieces. Set half aside. Then using a potato masher, mash the other half. Set aside.
2. In a large sauce pan, melt butter then add onion. Saute until soft about 3 minutes.
3. Add flour, salt and bouillon, and whisk for 1 minute.
4. Gradually add milk, whisking as you pour, then gradually add half and half. Bring to a boil. Cook and stir for 3 minutes or until it begins to thicken. Stir in sour cream.
5. Add mashed potatoes. For a creamier texture blend with immersion blender. Then add chopped potatoes. Simmer for 5 more minutes.
6. When ready to serve top with sour cream, bacon, cheese, and green onion if desired.
Makes 8 servings.

Hawaiian Haystacks

I was a cabin mom for a week of camp in August, and had Hawaiian haystacks for the first time there. It's just a creamy chicken gravy over rice, but then you put on all kinds of yummy toppings! It's kinda like a create your own dinner which is great for picky kids.

Hawaiian Haystacks
adapted from iwashyoudry.com
2 (10.5oz) cans Cream of Chicken Soup with Herbs
8 oz sour cream
1/2 cup milk
3 cups shredded rotisserie chicken
6 cups prepared hot rice
Salt and pepper to taste
Toppings
Chopped tomato
Diced bell pepper
Pineapple tidbits
Diced green onions
Sliced black olives
Shredded cheese
Crunchy chow mein noodles
Dessicated coconut

In a large skillet whisk together the cream of chicken soups, sour cream and milk over medium heat, until heated through and smooth. Add in the chicken and cook until warmed. Serve the chicken gravy over the hot rice, and top with any of the suggested toppings you would like.

Cheese Souffle

We have seen every season of Master Chef, and every season they make souffle. I tried my first souffle in Paris 4 months ago. I finally decided to make it! I looked at a bunch of recipes online and decided that Alton Brown was the way to go. I followed his recipe but used white cheddar. This took a little bit of time to make. There are 3 main steps, mixing the base on the stove, tempering in the egg yolks so that they don't cook in the hot mixture, and folding in whipped egg whites. It's a good 30 min of hands on work...but it was worth it!! My souffles turned out beautiful! I ended up making 6 small souffles. I baked them in 4 inch wide dishes (about 1 cup each) for 20 minutes. Next time I'm trying chocolate!

Cheese Souffle
foodnetwork.com
Butter, room temperature, for greasing the souffle dish
2 TBSPs freshly grated Parmesan
3 TBSPs butter
3 TBSPs flour
1 tsp dry mustard
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/8 tsp salt
1 1/3 cups milk, hot
4 large egg yolks
6 ounces sharp Cheddar
5 egg whites plus 1 TBSP water
1/2 tsp cream of tartar

1. Use room temperature butter to grease an 8-inch souffle mold. Add the grated Parmesan and roll around the mold to cover the sides. Cover with plastic wrap and place into the freezer for 5 minutes. 2. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
3. In a small saucepan, heat the butter. Allow all of the water to cook out. In a separate bowl combine the flour, dry mustard, garlic powder, and salt. Whisk this mixture into the melted butter. Cook for 2 minutes. Whisk in the hot milk and turn the heat to high. Once the mixture reaches a boil, remove from the heat.
4. In a separate bowl, beat the egg yolks to a creamy consistency. Temper the yolks into the milk mixture, constantly whisking. Remove from the heat and add the cheese. Whisk until incorporated.
5. In a separate bowl, using a hand mixer, whip the egg whites and cream of tartar until glossy and firm. Add 1/4 of the mixture to the base. Continue to add the whites by thirds, folding very gently.
6. Pour the mixture into the souffle. Fill the souffle to 1/2-inch from the top. Place on an aluminum pie pan. Bake in the oven for 35 minutes. Serve immediately.

Cherry Tomato and Basil Quiche

My garden is producing an overabundance of cherry tomatoes! We have 2 different kinds of plants, Sweet 100s and Black Cherry. My kids don't really like to eat them, so I needed to find a recipe and use some of them up! I was able to use about 50 in this quiche, but depending on the size of your tomatoes, you might want to go with less than that. I loved the tomato, basil, and ricotta flavor! I even use fresh basil from my garden too! I must give a warning with this dish though, the tomatoes are like little volcanoes, so be careful not to spew hot tomato seed lava all over yourself. I shot some out onto the floor in my first bite. :)

Cherry Tomato and Basil Quiche

adapted from atreatsaffair.com
1 9in. deep dish prepared crust (like Pillsbury crust, or make this Quick Pie Crust)
50 cherry tomatoes (depending on size)
4 eggs
1/2 cup half and half
1/2 cup ricotta cheese
2/3 cup grated Parmesan (I grate mine from a Frigo wedge)
6 leaves of fresh basil, chopped
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place crust into quiche pan of pie pan. Prick bottom and sides of crust with fork. Cover crust with foil, poke a few holes in it, then press it into the crust-lined pan. Bake the crust for 8 minutes. Remove the foil and bake until the crust looks dry but not brown, about 4 minutes more. Remove from the oven; reduce the temperature to 350 degrees.
2. Arrange the cherry tomatoes on top of the crust. You might want to use less than 50, especially if your are on the large side. It's totally your preference. They'll move around a little when you pour the filling on top, so you might do a little rearranging later.
3. In a medium sized bowl, mix eggs, half and half, and ricotta with fork. Stir in the Parmesan cheese, chopped basil, salt, and pepper.
4. Pour the filling into the baking dish. If needed arrange the tomatoes so they are not all cluttered into one spot.
5. Bake the quiche into the preheated oven for 40-45 minutes or just until it starts to brown on top. 6. Remove from the oven, let cool for few minutes before slicing.

Keep leftovers stored in refrigerator.

Hawaiian Ham and Cheese Sliders

I've tried a few different versions of these sliders and this is my favorite one. I especially like it with the Our Best Bites Poppyseed Dressing spread over the rolls, but you can use any kind that you like. The original recipe calls for 1/2 cup of the dressing to be spread evenly over both sides of the rolls, but I find that the bottom of my rolls ends up too soggy if I spread a 1/4 cup of dressing over them. I prefer to use a little less and only spread a little on the bottom and the rest of it on the top. We eat these up fast, so it might be a good idea to make 2 pans. ;)

Hawaiian Ham and Cheese Sliders
adapted from ourbestbites.com
1 dozen Hawaiian Rolls
1/3 cup Our Best Bites Poppyseed Dressing (or any poppyseed dressing)
6 slices Swiss or provolone cheese, cut into quarters
18 thin slices honey or brown sugar ham
2 TBSPs butter
1/2 tsp poppy seeds
1 tsp dehydrated onion
1 tsp Creole or other mild coarse-ground mustard


1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and line a 9x13" baking dish with aluminum foil. Set aside.
2. Slice the rolls in half. Don't separate them.
3. Spread a small amount of dressing on the bottom rolls, just to barely cover them (we don't want them to be soggy). Spread the remainder of the dressing on the top half.
4. Place a cheese quarter on each roll
5. Place 1 1/2 slices of ham on each roll.
6. Place another cheese quarter on top of ham on each roll.
7. Carefully turn top half of rolls over onto the bottom half and place the entire thing into the prepared baking dish.
8. In a small bowl, melt the butter and whisk in the poppyseeds, dehydrated onion, and mustard. Spread it evenly over the tops of the rolls.
9. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for about 20-30 minutes or until the cheese is melted. Remove from oven and allow to stand for 2-3 minutes before serving.

Ground Beef Scalloped Potatoes

I don't have time for too many more of these nice wintry comfort food meals. It's been in the 80s here already and it's only February! I adapted this from a recipe I found on pinterest (taking out all signs of mushrooms). My family loved it! It is a bit of prep work, bit was totally worth it for the responses I got. If you have a mandoline, I recommend using that to slice your potatoes because it's fast and makes them all uniform in thickness. I have a CHEAP one (like $5, see pic at bottom) that works just fine and I cut my potatoes on the thinnest setting which looks like 1/8 of an inch. Might be good with bacon...just saying.

Ground Beef Scalloped Potatoes
adapted from bushel-and-a-peck.com 
1 lb. ground beef
1 onion, chopped
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
3 cups thinly sliced potatoes
¼ cup butter
¼ cup flour
3/4 cup milk
1 cup beef broth (or water and bouillon)
1 1/2 cups shredded cheese

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and lightly grease a 8 x 12in. baking dish.
 2. In medium skillet, cook the onions and ground meat, seasoned with salt and pepper. Once meat is browned, mix in 1/2 tsp garlic powder and 1 tsp paprika. Drain the grease, remove meat mixture from pan and set aside.
3. In the same pan, heat the butter over medium heat. Add the flour and cook for 1 minute. Slowly add milk and beef broth, blending well and bring to a boil, whisking the entire time. Add 1 tsp of salt and 1 tsp of pepper. Once the mixture comes to a boil again, whisk just until thickened--anywhere from 2-5 minutes
 4. Layer into the baking dish 1/3 of the potatoes, then spread 1/3 of the soup mixture over the potatoes. Sprinkle on 1/3 of the meat mixture, and top with 1/2 cup of cheese. Repeat layers with another 1/3 of the potatoes, soup, meat and then the cheese. Finish with one more set of layers in same order.
5. Spray a sheet of foil with cooking spray and cover baking dish, spray side down. Bake for 45 min, then remove the foil and bake for 15 more. Stick a fork in to see if the potatoes are soft, if not add 5 more minutes.

Instant Pot Broccoli and Cheddar Pasta

I bought an Instant Pot a few months ago and have been collecting dinner recipes. Here's my first one! This can be a side or you can add chicken to make it a one pot meal. When I add chicken, I cook a couple of frozen chicken breasts on high pressure with 2 cups of water for 15 min. Then I remove them and use the pot for the pasta. You can even measure out the leftover water that the chicken cooked in, and use that too. Makes a lot! Feeds my family of 6 with leftovers.

Instant Pot Broccoli and Cheddar Pasta
adapted from adventuresofanurse.com
16oz pasta (I like penne, rotini, or farfalle)
4 cups water
1 16oz bag frozen broccoli
3 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup milk OR half and half
1 tsp of salt
Pepper to taste

1. Place pasta and 4 cups of water in Instant Pot. Dump bag of frozen broccoli on top of pasta. Do not stir.
2. Turn pot on manual HIGH pressure for 4 minutes. After it has finished, do a quick release.
3. Turn pot to saute. Add in milk, cheese, salt and pepper. Stir until cheese is melted.

Add chopped cooked chicken if desired.

Creamy Wild Rice and Chicken Soup

It's going to be in the 80's here today, but it's WINTER, so I'm posting a soup recipe! This soup reminds me of chicken pot pie filling, but with rice of course. The rice is baked in the oven, so while it's doing it's thing, you can cook your chicken and chop up all your veggies. I like to cook my chicken in my Instant Pot, and then use the leftover broth in the soup. 

Creamy Wild Rice and Chicken Soup

1 7 oz. box of Long Grain and Wild Rice Mix (like Zatarain's pic below)
2 cups water
1 tsp chicken bouillon granuals OR 1 cube
3/4 cup chopped onion
3/4 cup chopped celery
3/4 cup sliced carrots
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup flour
4 cups chicken broth
2 TBSPs chopped fresh parsley
3 cups diced cooked chicken
1 cup whipping cream
Salt and pepper to taste

1. Combine rice, water, and bouillon in a 3 quart or 9x13 inch baking dish. Bake at 325 degrees for 45 minutes. Set aside.
2. Melt butter in skillet over med-high heat. Saute onion, celery and carrots in butter until soft. Stir in flour and cook until bubbly.
3. Add broth and parsley. Cook and stir until thickened.
4. Add baked rice and chicken; mix well. Add cream and continue to cook, stirring occasionally until heated through.

Makes 6 servings

BBQ Smoked Sausage French Bread

When I look at these pictures I think, PARTY FOOD! This would be a great super bowl party snack. It has all the major food groups, bread, cheese, meat, and BBQ sauce! ;) The recipe only uses half of the loaf of French bread, but you can definitely double it to feed a crowd. It would also be amazing to substitute chicken, and even throw some bacon in there, which I will try soon. I used beef smoked sausage and cheddar cheese, but you can use your favorites of either one. And no reason why you can't make this for dinner!

Barbecue Smoked Sausage French Bread
1 loaf French bread, sliced in half lengthwise (you only need 1 half)
1 TBSP butter
1 small onion, sliced
12oz  package of smoked sausages, chopped
1/2 cup barbecue sauce
3/4 cup shredded cheese

1. Place french bread half on a baking sheet. Toast under broiler just until it starts to brown. Remove from broiler.
2. Melt butter in skillet over med-high heat. Add onion slices and cook stirring occasionally until onions are soft.
3. Add chopped sausages and continue stirring occasionally, for about five minutes, until cooked through.
4. Add barbecue sauce and cook for a few minutes until mixture is heated through.
5. When sausage mixture is hot, scoop it onto the french bread and spread it out evenly. Sprinkle with cheese.
6. Place back under broiler to melt cheese. Keep your eye on it so it doesn't burn.
7. Slice into strips and serve.

I couldn't say no when he asked to be in the picture. Haha