Alison's Eezee Peezee Baked Zeetee

This was a quick fix meal for mom and dad as a thank you for this weekend. It's a family favorite. Lindsey, this one's for you, sista!

xoxo - Alison

extra virgin olive oil
1 lb. ground beef
2-3 links of Johnsonville Hot Italian Sausage
1 large sweet onion
1 small can of sliced mushrooms (or small pkg. of fresh is better)
Jane's Crazy Mixed Up Salt
pepper
1 jar of Paul Newman's Sockarooni (my favorite jar sauce)
1 c. sharp white cheddar cheese, shredded
2 c. mozzarella cheese
1/4 c. Parmesan cheese
3 c. dry penne pasta

In large pot, saute chopped onions in a little olive oil. As the onions begin to turn golden, add sliced mushrooms and continue cooking until they become tender. Sprinkle onions and mushrooms with Jane's Crazy Salt and pepper to taste. Then add your ground beef and Italian sausage to the pot and cook on medium high until all the pink disappears. Spoon off the grease and check meat for seasoning. If needed, add more Crazy Salt and pepper. Add jar of Sockarooni and stir.

In the meantime, boil your 3 cups of penne pasta according to package directions. Drain, and combine with meat mixture and 1 cup of sharp white cheddar cheese.

Grease a 9x13 dish and pour in the deliciousness. Top with mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses. Drizzle with olive oil and pop into a preheated 350 degree oven for 30 minutes.

Whole Chicken and Potatoes in the Slow Cooker

This recipe is really quick an easy. After such a long fun filled weekend I needed something I could prepare in about 30 minutes before getting for work this morning. I was half awake while preparing this recipe this morning and thought it would take longer than anticipated, but the longest part was removing the skin off of the chicken. I was a little lazy and left the skin on the wings and plus wanted a little fatty deliciousness in my dinner. I love pita bread so I decided to serve the completed meal on top of a piece of pita. Since we are all busy and even us working women don’t have time to make a new meal every night I try to make meals that are great reheated or can be used as a base to make another recipe. Below the Whole Chicken and Potatoes recipe you will see a recipe for Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup. This is a wonderful way to use your leftovers to make something new and fresh that everyone will love the next day. I will post a picture of the soup tomorrow once I have prepared it :)

Whole Chicken and Potatoes (Crock Pot Recipe)

Ingredients

• 1 (3 pound) whole chicken, skin removed
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 1/3 cup soy sauce
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 2 tablespoons minced garlic
• 3 stalks celery (more if desired)
• 1 baking potato (chopped into pieces-circle or cubed)
• 8 oz of baby carrots chopped (more if desired)
• Pita bread 

1. Remove skin from chicken and empty inner cavity of contents within. Pat chicken dry with a paper towel, and place inside the slow cooker.
2. In a bowl, stir together the chicken broth, soy sauce, olive oil, Worcestershire sauce, balsamic vinegar, lemon juice, sesame oil, and minced garlic.
3. Pour mixture over chicken, and cover.
4. Chop potatoes, carrots, and celery and place around the chicken.Cook chicken on low setting for 8 hours, or 4 hours on high setting.
5. Place pita down on your plate, add the chicken, veggies, potatoes, and juice on top of the pita bread.

Left over chicken, veggies, potatoes, and juice can be used to make chicken noodle soup.

Homemade Chicken Soup

Recipe compliments of Crystal Miller

Ingredients 

• 1 whole chicken or leg and thigh combination or leftover chicken and bones from last night’s chicken dinner :) If using a whole chicken you could get more soup stock and have extra dinners for the freezer
• 1 onion
• Add more carrots and celery, if desired
• Salt
• Seasoning salt
• Poultry seasonings
• Garlic
• Noodles, egg or fettuccini

Put chicken or pieces into soup pot. Cover well with water. Add onion and salt (I use about 1 T. salt for 12 cups of water). Bring to a boil and simmer until chicken falls off the bone, about 2 to 3 hours. I strain out the chicken by pouring the soup into a colander that I set inside of a large pan. I pour the broth back into my soup pot and let the chicken cool to the point I can take the meat off the bone. While the chicken is cooling I add the carrots to the simmering broth. I also put in about 1-teaspoon poultry seasoning and a little bit of seasoning salt. When I finish deboning the cooled chicken I put the meat into my pot. I then add noodles and cook for about 10 minutes or (amount varies, I just put in probably 4 or 5 cups of dry noodles for the 12 cups of water). I then adjust my seasonings according to taste and enjoy with fresh homemade bread. This soup freezes well. The noodles will sometimes fall apart when it has been defrosted and heated up. We are not picky about that, but if you wanted intact noodles you could freeze everything but the noodles and add that after it has defrosted.

Alison's Engagement Party Menu

We enjoyed a fun filled evening at Alison's and her man's engagement party last night. The recipes are below!

We can't take credit for this delicious brisket, it came from our favorite BBQ joint - Extra Billy's!

Sausage Balls - A party staple!

3 c. Bisquick
1 lb. uncooked pork sausage
4 c. shredded sharp cheddar cheese (16 oz.)
1/2 c. grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 c. milk

Preheat your oven to 350. Lightly grease cookie sheet. Stir together all ingredients. Shape into 1-inch balls. Bake 20-25 minutes or until brown. Immediately remove from pan. Place on rack for cooling.

Fruit, Cheese and Cracker Tray
My future grandmother-in-law, Sue plated this one up! It's all about presentation, right?!

Butter Cookies with Butter Cream Icing and White Chocolate - My future sister-in-law, Maddie and I made these together and had a blast!

Butter Cookies
1 c. butter - softened
1 c. sugar
2 egg yolks
1 tsp. vanilla
Dash of salt
2 c. flour

Buttercream Frosting
1 1lb. pkg powdered sugar
1/2 c. butter or margarine, softened
3-4 tbsp. milk
1 tsp. vanilla food coloring - optional

Cream butter and sugar. Add egg yolks, mixing well. Add vanilla and salt, then flour, a little at a time. Batter should be stiff. Add a little more flour if mixture is too soft. Form into a large ball and refrigerate a few hours. (It gets too hard if you refrigerate it overnight). Roll out with rolling pin onto floured surface. Cut into desired shapes.

Place on greased or lined baking sheet and bake in a 375 degree preheated oven for 10-12 minutes (just until the edges turn slightly golden). Let cool & frost. Melt chocolate and pipe onto cookies if desired.

Jann's Chocolate Bar!
Add chocolate and melt away! This was a huge hit with "Maddie and company" :)

Lemon Bars - Recipe courtesy of THE Paula Deen

Crust
2 c. all-purpose flour
1 c. powdered sugar
pinch of salt
1 c. (2 sticks) butter, at room temperature

Filling
4 eggs
2 c. granulated sugar
6 tbsp. all-purpose flour
6 tbsp. fresh lemon juice

Preheat the oven to 350. Lightly grease a 9x13 pan. Make the crust: Combine the flour, powdered sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Cut in the butter to make a crumbly mixture. Press the mixture into the prepared pan. Bake for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, make the filling: Mix the eggs, granulated sugar, flour, and lemon juice. Pour this over the baked crust and bake for 25 minutes longer. Sprinkle with powdered sugar, if desired when done. (The Pampered Chef powdered sugar duster is awesome for this, or a sifter works well too!)

Sue & Lou's Orange Balls

1 12 oz. pkg vanilla wafers
1/2 c. soft margarine
1 c. chopped pecans (for the party, because it was a "Doug friendly" party!)
1 16 oz. box powdered sugar
1 6 oz. can orange juice concentrate, thawed
Flaked coconut

Crush vanilla wafers to make fine crumbs. Add next 4 ingredients and mix well with hands. Form small balls & roll in coconut. Chill for a couple of hours and serve. Also freezes well!

Louann's Chicken Cheeseball - quick, easy and delish

2 blocks cream cheese - make it "skinny" and go for fat free or reduced fat, but she used the good stuff for the party
1 can chicken
1 pkg. Ranch dressing mix

Combine all ingredients and roll in pecans or parsley. Again, "Doug friendly" menu, so Louann opted for parsley. Serve with your favorite cracker. We love the pita crisps from Sam's.

Sauerkraut Balls -

Our new favorite appy!

2 16 oz. pork sausage
1/2 c. onion
1 lb can sauerkraut, drained (rinsed if you like a little less of the strong taste)
1/4 c. bread crumbs
8 oz. cream cheese
1/4 c. dried parsley
2 tbsp. garlic salt (or a little less)
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1000 Island dressing - optional

Combine sausage and onion. Cook and drain. Add sauerkraut and bread crumbs and mix. In another bowl, combine cream cheese and all other ingredients. Add to sausage mix. Shape into balls. Coat in flour and roll in egg/milk mixture. Then roll in bread crumbs. Bake for 15 minutes at 400. Optional - serve with 1000 Island dressing!

Wahoo Marinade

When Wes goes out fishing, I always have my fingers crossed that he'll bring home a big tuna - mmmm sushi. But, if he brings home a wahoo, I get pretty excited too! I highly recommend serving the wahoo over angel hair pasta. Pour the extra sauce on top and add some grated parmesean. Easy and delicious! -Allison Y.


Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter (melted)
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
6 fresh cloves garlic
1/3 cup fresh cilantro or parsley
2 tablespoons Cajun seafood seasoning
1 lemon (juice of)
6 wahoo fillets cut 1/2 inch thick


1. Spray grill with nonstick spay. Preheat on high for 10 minutes.
2. Mix first 6 ingredients in a blender (butter, EVOO, garlic, cilantro, seafood seasoning, and lemon juice). Puree into a smooth sauce. Put some sauce aside to use later.
3. Brush both sides of fillets with sauce. Place fillets on grill and cook, turning once or twice. Brush more sauce on as needed.
4. Fish is done when it flakes easily (about 5 minutes)

*Courtesy of Recipe Zaar

Cheesy Shrimp and Grits

This is the most amazing recipe I have ever prepared! I've only made it once, and I pretty much used "fatten your thighs" ingredients, but Esra tried it recently with the low fat/low calorie milk, cheese, etc., and she said it still turned out yummy. I didn't get a picture, but I will promise to post one the next time I make it. The ingredients are expensive, so save it for a special night. Enjoy! -Allison

Tip - Use prep cups and measure everything out before you start cooking. You have to multi-task - so this will help you stay on track!

Credit for this recipe goes to Jill Jones who passed it along to me! Love you Jilly-O!

Part 1: Cheesy Grits

Ingredients:

2 cups uncooked quick-cooking grits
4 ½ cups water
4 ½ cups milk
4 T butter
½ tsp. hot sauce
2 tsp. salt
1 garlic clove, pressed
1 block sharp white cheddar, grated

Bring 2 T butter, milk, salt, hot sauce, garlic, and 5 cups of water to a boil in a medium-size Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Gradually whisk in grits and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer, stirring occasionally, 10 to 15 minutes until thickened. Stir in cheese and remaining 2 T butter until melted.


Part 2: Shrimp

Ingredients:

2 lb. unpeeled, medium-size raw shrimp
2 T all-purpose flour
5 bacon slices, chopped
1 8 oz. package sliced fresh mushrooms
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
½ cup thinly sliced green onions
2 tsp. hot sauce
½ tsp. salt

1. Peel shrimp; devein, if desired. Toss shrimp with flour until lightly coated, shaking to remove excess.
2. Cook bacon in a medium skillet over medium-high heat 8 to 10 minutes, or until crisp. Remove bacon and drain on paper towels, reserving drippings in the skillet.
3. Saute mushrooms in hot drippings 4 minutes or just until mushrooms begin to release their liquid. Add shrimp, and sauté 3 to 3 ½ minutes or just until shrimp turn pink. Add garlic, and sauté one minute (do not brown garlic). Add lemon juice, green onions, hot sauce, and salt. Serve immediately over creamy cheddar grits. Sprinkle with bacon.

Roasted Red Pepper Mac n Cheese

The time has come to load up on some carbs for my dodgeball game tonight. I know, I know, eating carbs right before you go play sports is not exactly what they meant by loading up on carbs.

Allison sent me a version of this recipe to try and I decided to add ground beef, garlic, and roasted red pepper to this recipe. She has made this without eggs and said it turned out wonderful. The next time I make this recipe I will add fresh spinach, try shredded chicken, and top it with some feta cheese to give it that European flare that I have grown to love.

XOXO,
Esra

 Roasted Red Pepper Mac n Cheese

Ingredients 

• 2 cups uncooked penne (an 8-ounce box isn't quite 2 cups)
• 4 tablespoons butter, cut into pieces (I used I Can’t Believe It’s not butter)
• 2 1/2 cups (about 10 ounces) grated sharp Cheddar cheese
• 1 lb lean ground beef
• 3 eggs, beaten
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1 (10 3/4-ounce) can condensed Cheddar cheese soup
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup whole milk (I used 2%)
• 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 roasted red pepper (diced)
• 1 clove of garlic (chopped)
• garnish with parsley and parmesan cheese. 

Directions 

1. Boil the macaroni in a 2 quart saucepan in plenty of water until tender, about 7 minutes. Drain.
2. In a medium saucepan, mix butter and cheese. Stir until the cheese melts.
3. In a pan, cook the ground beef. Do not overcook since it will be in the slow cooker. Drain.
4. In a slow cooker, combine cheese/butter mixture and add the eggs, sour cream, soup, salt, milk, mustard and pepper and stir well. Then add drained macaroni and ground beef and stir again.
5. Add the diced roasted red pepper and the garlic. Stir again.
6. Set the slow cooker on low setting and cook for 3 hours, stirring occasionally.

Valentine's Day Mini Caprese Skewers

Confession...i love ANYTHING mini!

I've seen many different variations of this recipe, but I think this one may be my favorite. I made these last year for a valentine's day appy and they were to-die-for!

XOXO
Alison


Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pint grape tomatoes, halved
  
• handful of basil leaves
• 8 oz. fresh mozzarella, cut into about 1 inch bite-sized cubes
• Balsamic vinaigrette

Skewer your tomato, a basil leaf & a mozzarella cube & dunk in balsamic vinaigrette. That's it!