BLT Hashbrowns

So my brother and his lovely wife came to visit this weekend.  We grilled out and did one of my favorite things, shopping!  I gotta say TJ Maxx is one of the best places in the world! I made these this weekend and wow, they are so good!  A great spin on classic hash browns.  They are super easy to make and are very quick also.  They went great with our grilled chicken but would be great with lots of meals.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup butter
1 (32 ounce) package frozen hash browns, thawed
1 small onion, chopped
2 cups fresh baby spinach
2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
2 cups shredded Monterrey Jack cheese
6 bacon slices, cooked and crumbled
Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In a large skillet over medium heat melt butter.  Add hash browns and onions and cook until onions are tender and potatoes are browned and crisp.  Stirring occasionally. Sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper.

Top potatoes with spinach, cheese, bacon, and tomatoes.  Bake at 400 for 10 minutes or until cheese is melted.  Serve immediately.

Enjoy!

Parmesan Potato Wedges

Crispy on the outside, soft and fluffy on the inside.  These potatoes are so good!  I never get sick of potatoes.  I could eat them everyday in some form.  And they are technically a vegetable, right?  These come together quickly and are so yummy.  Your family will be fighting over them.  These go well with, seriously, everything.  Kid pleasing, husband pleasing, these make everybody happy.  Have I convinced you yet?  Let's make some potatoes, baby!

 Ingredients:
6 medium baking potatoes
1/4 cup butter melted
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/ teaspoon ground black pepper

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425.  Line a large baking pan with parchment paper or foil; set aside.  Cut each potato lengthwise into eight wedges.

In a large bowl, stir together butter, garlic, Parmesan cheese, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper.  Add potato wedges and toss to coat.  Place potatoes on prepared baking sheet.

Bake about 30 minutes or until tender.

Enjoy!

Cilantro Lime Rice

I know, I know, I am all about limes this week. I got a huge bag on sale at Wally World.  I love limes.  They are so versatile.  You can use them in anything from breakfast to dessert.  They really pack a flavor punch.  You know what else I love, this rice!  I love the freshness of the lime juice and I am obsessed with Cilantro.  It goes perfect with Mexican food, is excellent with shrimp or fish, and makes a great filler for your tacos.  It's such a nice change from plain old white rice. 


Ingredients:
1 teaspoon butter
2 teaspoons fresh cilantro
1 cup rice
1 1/2 cups water
1/2 cup fresh lime juice (Approx. 1 lime)
1/2 teaspoon salt


Directions:


In a 2 quart saucepan, heat butter over low heat, stirring occasionally until melted. Add rice and cook for 1 minute stirring often.  Add lime juice, water, and salt.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to low and cover. Cook covered for 20 minutes or until rice is tender and liquid is absorbed.
Add cilantro and fluff with a fork.


Enjoy!

Baked Zucchini Fries

I hope all of you had a wonderful holiday weekend!  I sure did. (Thanks Aunt Bev!) However, with that usually comes some indulgent food choices so I thought I better make some healthier recipes this week to reign myself back in.  I did love every bite though!

I am not the greatest of gardeners, matter of fact I am pretty bad at it.  I'm not so good with the whole weeding thing. This year I bought some zucchini plants.  My brother planted them for me in my Dad's garden and my Dad has done all the weeding for me.  I think it has worked out quite well.  I have never grown it before and I had no clue how big the plants get.  Wow!  And they produce alot of zucchini! Good thing I love it.  There are so many things you can do with it, this is just one of many. These are awesome! They are crisp on the outside and juicy on the inside.  And there is no guilt with these!  These are perfect served with some marinara or ranch.  Bake some up tonight!

Ingredients:
2 medium zucchini, sliced into sticks
1 large egg white
1/3 cup seasoned bread crumbs
1/4 tsp. garlic powder (optional)
cooking spray
salt and fresh ground pepper

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.  Cut zucchini into thin sticks.
In a small bowl, beat the egg white and season with salt and pepper.
In a Ziplock bag, place the breadcrumbs and garlic powder; shake well to combine the mixture.
Spray a cookie sheet with cooking spray and set aside.  Dip the zucchini sticks into the egg and then place into the bread crumb bag, a few at a time and shake to coat.  Place the breaded zucchini in a single layer on your prepared cookie sheet.  Repeat with all of the remaining zucchini sticks.  Spray more cooking spray on top of the zucchini sticks.
Bake for 20 – 25 minutes, or until golden brown.  Serve with some marinara sauce for dipping.

 Enjoy!

Barbecue Deviled Eggs

These are my own original recipe for deviled eggs minus the BBQ.  Adding BBQ to deviled eggs is an old southern classic.  They go well with so many things!  Try them sometime without the BBQ.  They are the only deviled eggs my hubby will eat. =)


Ingredients:


12 large eggs
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 heaping teaspoon horseradish mustard
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/8 teaspoon hot sauce
1/3 cup finely chopped barbecued pork
paprika and dill pickle for garnish, optional


Place eggs in a single layer in a large saucepan; add water about 2 inches above eggs. Bring to a boil; cover, remove from heat, and let stand 15 minutes.
Drain and fill pan with cold water and ice. Tap each egg on the counter and roll back and forth. Peel under cold running water. 
Cut eggs in half lengthwise, and carefully remove yolks. They should pop right out. Beat egg yolks and next 5 ingredients with an electric mixer until smooth. Gently stir in pork.
Spoon yolk mixture into egg white halves.
Chill until ready to serve. Garnish, if desired.


Enjoy!

Memphis Style Coleslaw

OK, you see where I'm going with all these post this week, right?  Can you picture the big juicy BBQ sandwich piled high on a homemade bun and topped with a big serving of coleslaw?  It's a perfect pairing! This makes a creamy, tangy coleslaw that is just right.


Ingredients:


1 cup mayonnaise
1/8 cup sugar
1/8 cup Dijon mustard
1/4 cup Apple cider vinegar
1/2 tablespoon celery seeds
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 (10 ounce) bag coleslaw mix
2 tablespoons finely diced green bell pepper
1 tablespoon grated onion


Stir together first 7 ingredients in a large bowl; add coleslaw mix and remaining ingredients, tossing gently. Cover and chill 2-3 hours.


Yields 6 servings.


Enjoy!

Root Beer Baked Beans

Bae Beans, Bae Beans. This is what my 22 month old son says every time I serve them. He loves them. He gets giddy when he sees them on his plate. I think you will too. These are so good. A perfect balance of sweet and smoky.  These make the perfect side for your picnic or BBQ.


Ingredients:
3 bacon slices
1 small onion, diced
2 (16 ounce) cans baked beans
1/2 cup root beer (not diet)
1/4 cup hickory smoked BBQ sauce
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1/8 teaspoon hot sauce

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cook bacon in skillet over medium heat until crisp; remove and drain on paper towels, reserving 2 tablespoons drippings in skillet. Crumble bacon.
Saute diced onion in hot bacon drippings in skillet over high heat 5 minutes or until tender. S
Stir together onion, bacon, beans, and remaining ingredients in a greased 1 quart baking dish.
Bake beans, uncovered, at 400 for 55 minutes or until thickened.

Yields 4 servings. Can easily be doubled or tripled for a crowd.

Herbed Scalloped Potatoes

I am giving you this recipe because I really love you. I mean *love* you! There are two reasons for this. One they are the most creamy, dreamy potatoes you will put in your mouth. They will impress your boss, your spouse, your boyfriend, girlfriend, you name it. They are elegant enough for Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter, any special occasion. They are really just that special dish that makes a meal. The second reason being I nearly cut my finger off making them. After seeing Tyler Florence on the Food Network using a mandolin, I knew I had to have one. No, not the instrument, the kitchen slicing device. It slices potatoes really thin, cuts fries, etc. It has an extremely sharp blade. Do you see where this is headed? While removing the sticker that said "Caution, extremely sharp blade" I said to myself "Rachel, you are going to end up cutting yourself on this." Well, I was correct. I mean a big chunk of my finger! Doesn't that put you in the mood for this dish?! I was tempted to post a picture but my common sense kicked in. Look for it on Facebook! haha Anyways, the mandolin works great and I will use it again, only more carefully! You can also use a knife to slice the potatoes, just try to slice them as thin as possible and as even in size as possible. They were worth it, pain and all! You can use whatever fresh herbs you have for this dish. (Chives, Dill, Basil, etc.) These go perfect with a nice steak!

Ingredients:

5 whole russet potatoes
1 stick butter
1/2 onion, chopped
1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup whole milk (half and half works too)
1 teaspoon fresh parsley, chopped
1 teaspoon fresh basil, chopped
1 teaspoon fresh thyme, chopped
salt and pepper
1/2 shredded Parmesan cheese

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350.

Slice potatoes thinly. Try to keep fingers intact.

Add butter to a large skillet over medium low heat. When melted, add diced onion. Cook for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add cream cheese to the pan and stir to melt. Pour in cream and milk, stirring to combine.
Season with plenty of salt and pepper, then add chopped herbs. Taste the sauce, it should taste salty because once the potatoes are added it will all blend together.

Place potatoes in a buttered baking dish. Pour contents of skillet over the top. Top with Parmesan cheese and bake for 45 minutes, or until bubbly.

Allow potatoes to sit 15 minutes before serving.

Enjoy!

"Soup Beans"

The is one of the oldest most traditional southern meals there is. I literally crave it. I mean I get a hankering for it so strong, nothing else will do. Yes, I just used the word hankering. I told you I was country. I have grown up eating this wonderful dish and I am not sorry. I serve this with fried potatoes, collard greens and of course, cornbread.  I have tried to make my husband share my love of this fine meal yet he has not crossed over. (He doesn't like any bean) It makes a great main dish, or side dish, and leftovers can be used to make refried beans. They do take time to cook, so plan accordingly. Proving that you can find anything on the internet here is the definition on Wikipedia:


Soup beans is a term common in the Southern United States, particularly the regions around the Appalachian Mountains. It refers to pinto or other brown dried beans cooked with smoked pork as flavoring.¹ Soup beans are usually served with cornbread, greens (such as boiled cabbage, cauliflower, or fried saurkraut and weenies), corn (whole or sweet), and potatoes (stewed or fried) and may be topped with raw chopped onions. The meal is often topped with pickle relish. Soup beans are considered a main course, but also serve as a side dish. In rural areas, where food was scarce during the winter, these dried beans were a staple food.


The next time the world seems to be moving to fast, put on a big ol' pot of beans. Just like my grandmama did.


Ingredients:


4 cups dry pinto beans
4 slices thick cut bacon ( you can also use ham hock, salt pork, or diced ham)
1 teaspoon salt or to taste
1 teaspoon ground pepper


Rinse beans in cool water; pour into a pot, cover with water by 2 to 3 inches. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and cover. Simmer 2 -3 hours, or until beans are tender. Add water to pot as needed. Beans should have a thick broth. Toward end of cooking time, add salt and pepper and season to taste.


Enjoy!

Skillet Potatoes

These crispy, salty, tender potatoes are little gifts from above. They pair well with, well, everything. They make a great breakfast hash (That recipe is coming), pair perfect with a burger for lunch or a marvelous side dish for chicken or steak for dinner. Stuff into a breakfast burrito. Stuff into your mouth. Stuff into your spouse's mouth. It's all good. Cooking these in bacon grease really is amazing but if you don't have any ( oh the tragedy of it all) you can easily use oil. 




Ingredients:
4 to 5 large potatoes (peeled or unpeeled, your choice)
1 small onion
1 tablespoon oil (vegetable or canola )
1 tablespoon bacon grease (optional)
salt and pepper to taste

Place potatoes in a large pot and cover entirely with water. Bring to a boil and cook until potatoes are fork tender. When they are ready, place the potatoes on a cutting board and dice them into 1-inch pieces.

Next cut up an onion into a large, rough dice.

In a large skillet heat oil and bacon fat over medium-low heat. Put the onions in the skillet and saute until they start to turn brown. (You can also use red and green bell peppers diced up. If you do, throw them in at this point).

Next, throw in the diced potatoes. Stir well and then slightly press/pack then. Now you will cook them without stirring for several minutes. You want the pan to be hot enough to crisp the potatoes but not hot enough to char them. (Optional step: sprinkle a bit of flour over potatoes as they cook). Cook for several minutes and then flip them with a spatula. Salt and Pepper them as they cook. Cook until desired brownness.

Enjoy!

Southern Fried Apples

This recipe is my "spin" on Cracker Barrel's fried apples.  I love their fried apples.  Matter of fact, I love all their food.  For my birthday last year, my husband asked me where I would like him to take me to dinner. "Anywhere you want baby", he says.  My reply, "Cracker Barrel."  He just looked at me like "you are so country, girl."  These apples go well with so much.  They make a great breakfast side or pancake topping. They are wonderful for dessert topped with a little vanilla ice cream.  They make a perfect side to chicken or Coca Cola Baked Ham.  Yes, that recipe is coming next =).  I make mine in a cast iron skillet (because I love to use it as often as possible).  Granny Smith work best, but really any apple you like or have around will do.

Ingredients:

6 large apples
1/4 cup butter
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
pinch of salt
juice of half a lemon

Slice apples off the core.  Then slice them at an angle.

Melt butter in a large skillet.  Place apple slices in skillet, top with brown sugar and cinnamon.  Squeeze lemon half over apples.  Toss to coat.  Cook until apples are tender.  Stirring often to coat with the mixture.  Pour into a serving dish.  Make sure you get all the yummy syrup it makes.  Serve warm or chilled.

Enjoy!