Best Cowboy Beans on EARTH.

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Summer is coming faster than we know it (even though it snowed in our valley this morning....) And these beans are a STAPLE at any bbq or summer party.  In fact, we eat these all year round, they are so delicious.  Double/Tripple/Quadruple this recipe if entertaining.  You'll thank me later....

{What you need}

1 pound bacon, cut in 2 inch pieces

1 small onion, chopped

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

1/4 cup ketchup

1/4 cup bbq sauce

2 tablespoons mustard

2 teaspoons chili powder

2 tablespoons molasses

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon pepper

1 (16 oz) can white/pinto beans, drained

1 (16 oz) can butter beans, drained

1 (16 oz) can red kidney beans, drained

2 (16 oz) cans pork and beans, UNDRAINED

Fry bacon in a large skillet until cooked but not crisp.  Add onion and pepper and cook for about 3 minutes.  Drain off bacon grease and discard or save for another use.  In a large baking dish, combine all ingredients.  Stir in bacon, onion, and pepper mixture.  Bake at 325 for 1 hour.  Serves 12.

For slow-cooker method:

Fry bacon in a large skillet until cooked but not crisp.  Add onion and pepper and cook for about 3 minutes.  Drain off bacon grease and discard or save for another use.  In a slow-cooker, combine all other ingredients.  Stir in bacon mixture and put the lid on.  Cook on low for 5-6 hours or on high for 2-4 hours.

(Compliments of my mother-in-law Erin)

The best cornbread I've ever had (Yes, even better than the yellow cake mix kind.)

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I think the title speaks for itself.  

{What you need}

2 cups cornmeal

2 cups flour

1 1/3 cups white sugar

1 tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

2 cups sour cream

1 cup butter, melted

4 eggs

Mix all dry ingredients together in a large bowl.  Incorporate the wet ingredients and mix until blended. Pour batter into a greased 9x13 glass dish and bake at 375 for 30-35 minutes.

original recipe found here

Crusty Peasant Bread

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This is could very well be my favorite recipe of all time.  I made dozens of these loaves over Christmas to give to neighbors as gifts and it was a major hit.  This bread recipe is soooooooo easy and fool proof, yet it turns out absolutely stunning!  It makes you look like a master, really.  You do have to raise the dough over night, so it takes a little forethought.  But seeing as it only takes literally five minutes to assemble, I say it makes up for it.  Plus you'll get fans everywhere you go, so totally worth starting it the night before.  This obviously goes great with any meal--breakfast, lunch, dinner, snack..... I love a fresh slice with avocado smeared on it with a little sea salt!

{What you need}

3 cups flour

1 3/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon instant yeast

1 1/2 cups water

*you will need a cast iron pot with a lid for this recipe

In a large bowl, whisk together all the dry ingredients.  Gradually stir in the water with a rubber spatula until a shaggy-wet-ish dough forms (it won't be super wet).  Don't you love my imagery?  Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let rise 12-18 hours, or over night for convenience.  When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 450 and place the cast iron pot with the lid on it in the oven to preheat for 30 minutes.  Right after you put the pot in the oven, turn out the dough onto a heavily floured surface and shape into a ball.  Cover with plastic wrap and let set while the pot is preheating.  After the 30 minutes, open the oven and remove the lid of the pot.  Drop the dough ball in and return the lid.  Bake for 30 minutes with the lid on, and then take the (HOT) lid off and bake for an additional 15 minutes.  Remove from oven and cool on a rack.  If you can't serve it right away, reheat it in a hot oven for a few minutes and you will get the crustiness back to it.  

original recipe from Simply So Good

Fast Clover Rolls

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These are a great addition to any weeknight meal. They take less than an hour to make, start to finish, and taste fantastic.  They can be fancy, too, so you can make them for any reason. Makes 24.

{What you need}

1/2 cup low-fat milk

1/4 cup sugar

2 teaspoons salt

3 tablespoons butter

3 packages (or 6 3/4 tsps.) of dry active yeast

1 1/2 cups warm water (105F – 115F)

5 – 6 cups all-purpose flour

Combine milk, sugar, and butter in a small sauce pan and heat on low until the butter is melted and sugar is dissolved, until lukewarm.  Dissolve the yeast in the warm water (not too warm or it will kill the yeast) and let rest for 5 minutes.  Add the warm milk mixture to the yeast mixture and about 2 cups of flour.  Once combined, mix on low with a bread hook for about 1 minute.  Add the rest of the flour ½ cup at a time until the dough starts to clean the sides of the bowl, then mix for 2 more minutes.  Cover the bowl and let rise for 20 minutes.  On a lightly floured surface, turn out the dough and form into an evenly thick “log.”  Divide the log into 24 equally sized pieces, then divide each of those pieces into three little pieces.  Roll each tiny piece into a ball and put three balls into one muffin well in a muffin tin.  Repeat until all muffin wells are full.  Cover and let rise for 20 more minutes.  Bake at 425 for about 12 minutes.  Best right out of the oven!

inspired by this recipe

Mom's Funeral Potatoes

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Are these called funeral potatoes across the board or just in Utah?  

These were the most delicious cheesy potatoes I have ever had, and it turns out my mom just kind of through them together.  I had her try to remember her recipe and this is what we came up with.  I had a pregnancy craving this morning and threw them together for lunch and plan to eat the whole pan.  By myself.  But over the course of a few days.  

{What you need}

1 large bag frozen hash brown potatoes

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 cup sour cream

1/2 cup butter

1 tsp. onion powder

1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded

1 1/2 cup cheddar cheese, shredded

Lightly grease a large casserole dish.  Pour the frozen potatoes into it and spread in an even layer.  Cream together the soups, butter, sour cream, and onion powder until all incorporated.  Mix in the cheeses and spread the mixture evenly over the potatoes.  Dig holes and throughout the mixture so that the cheese melts down into the potatoes, sort of stirring chunks of potatoes in with the cheese mixture.  Bake at 350 for 45 minutes.

Mother Marilyn's Dinner Rolls

 

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These dinner rolls are very special to us.  They were my Grandmother's recipe and a Thanksgiving essential in our home.  Although they are delicious every single time, they were the most delicious when she made them.  Miss you Grandma Marilyn!

{What you need}

2/3 cup powdered milk

1 cup margarine

3 tablespoons dry yeast

2 cup boiling water

10-12 cups white flour

1 cup sugar

1 cup warm water

6 eggs, beaten

1 tbs salt

In a large bowl combine powdered milk, sugar, margarine and boiling water.  Soften yeas in 1 cup warm water.  Add beaten eggs to milk mixture, then add yeast water.  Sift enough flour and salt into the milk mixture to make a soft dough, making sure it is still a little sticky.  Beat thoroughly.  Turn out onto floured board and knead enough flour in to make a soft, smooth dough (still keeping it a little tacky).  Place in greased bowl, greasing the top of the dough as well.  Cover and rise until double in bulk, about 40 minutes.  Shape as desired (we fold them as pictured above), let rise an additional 40 minutes, and bake at 350 for about 15 minutes, or until golden brown.

Bacon Wrapped Green Beans

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We love bacon in this house.  And green beans, so you can imagine how much these are adored by our family.  We plan on making them for Thanksgiving this year, too, instead of the green bean casserole.  They would be great for any occasion, though!

{What you need}

1 lb. fresh green beans

10-12 slices bacon

2 tablespoons butter

1 tablespoon brown sugar

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon pepper

Preheat oven to 400.  Spray 9x13 baking dish with non-stick spray (you can put in a rack, too, if you don't want the beans baking in the bacon grease).  Wash and thoroughly dry green beans, then season with salt and pepper.  Bundle together about 5-8 green beans, depending on the size of your beans and the amount of beans you get for one pound.  Bundle together as many as you like!  Using a slice of bacon, wrap it around the center of the beans to hold it together.  Lay the bundle of bacon seam side down in the baking dish to hold it together.  Repeat with remaining beans.  In a small saucepan over low heat, add butter, brown sugar, and garlic and whisk until melted and combined.  Using a pastry brush, brush the mixture over top of each green bean bundle.  Cover the bundles with foil and bake for 35 minutes.  Remove foil and bake for 20-25 more minutes more, until bacon gets crispy (you may need to broil them for a few minutes).  

inspired by this recipe

Creamed Corn

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An amazing twist on the boring side dish.  We're excited to serve this for our Thanksgiving Feast this year, but you can make it for any fancy dinner.

{What you need}

20 oz. petite white corn, thawed (Costco!)

1 cup whipping cream

1 cup milk

1/4 tsp MSG

6 tsp sugar

1 pinch pepper

2 tablespoons melted butter

2 tablespoons flour

In a pot, combine cream, milk, salt, MSG, sugar and pepper and bring to a slow boil.  Blend butter and flour and add to the mixture.  Add corn, heat through and remove from heat. 

compliments of Aunt Ruthanne

Cranberry Tossed Salad

This is John's favorite salad ever.  This dressing is unmatched!

{What you need}

1 large bowl mixed greens (we prefer the spring mix)

2 cups slivered almonds or pine nuts, toasted with butter

2-3 cups craisins

1 cup shredded mozzarella

3 green apples, chopped

{dressing}

1/2 cup olive oil

1/3 cup balsamic vinegar

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 clove garlic, grated to a paste

You can make the dressing the day before, but don't combine everything else until right before ready to serve.

Sweet Potato Souffle

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Another Thanksgiving Feast staple, with a gourmet twist.  Adapted from a recipe care of my MIL:

{What you need}

3 large cans sweet potatoes, drained and mashed

1 1/2 cup sugar

1 tsp salt

4 eggs

1 1/3 cup melted butter

1 cup canned milk

2 tsp vanilla

{topping}

2/3 cup flour

2/3 cube butter, softened

1 1/2 cup brown sugar

2 cups chopped pecans

Beat all ingredients together with a mixer.  Put in greased baking dish.  Cut together the softened butter and flour until incorporated.  Spread on top of the sweet potatoes and sprinkle with pecans and brown sugar.  Bake at 350 for about 1 hour and 30 minutes or until the souffle doesn't jiggle in the middle.

Thanksgiving Mashed Potatoes

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My mother-in-law's famous mashed potatoes.  No Thanksgiving feast is complete without them.

{What you need}

9 large baking potatoes, peeled and diced

1 stick unsalted butter at room temp

12 oz cream cheese at room temp 

3/4 cup sour cream

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

salt and pepper to taste

Boil the potatoes in a large saucepan until tender. Drain, then place the potatoes in a mixer bowl.  Cut the butter and cream cheese into small pieces and add to the potatoes.  Beat with an electric mixer until light and fluffy.  Beat in the sour cream.  Season with the nutmeg and salt and pepper to taste.  Serve immediately or reheat in a buttered casserole dish at 300 degrees for 20 minutes, if you want to prepare them in advance.  Makes 8 portions.

Sausage Apple Stuffing

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Five Stars.  Almost 2,500 reviews.  I am so excited to make this for our Thanksgiving feast!!

{What you need}

1 1/2 cups cubed whole wheat bread

3 3/4 cups cubed white bread

1 pound pork or turkey sausage

1 cup chopped onion

3/4 cups chopped celery

5 tsp fresh sage, minced

1 1/2 tablespoons fresh rosemary, minced

1 sprig fresh thyme

1 golden delicious apple, cored and chopped

3/4 cup dried cranberries

1/3 cup fresh parsley, minced

1 3/4 cup chicken stock

1 egg, beaten

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350.  Spread the bread cubes in a single layer on a large baking sheet.  Bake for 5 to 7 minutes in the preheated oven, or until evenly toasted.  Transfer toasted bread cubes to a large bowl.  In a large skillet, cook the sausage and onions over medium heat, stirring and breaking up the lumps until evenly browned.  Add the celery, sage, rosemary, and thyme; cook, stirring, for 2 minutes to blend flavors.  Pour sausage mixture over bread bowl.  Mix in chopped apples, dried cranberries and parsley.  Add beaten egg and toss until evenly incorporated. Drizzle with chicken stock and melted butter, and mix lightly.  Transfer into a 9x13 baking dish and cover with tinfoil.  Bake at 350 for 40 minutes, then uncover and bake 15 minutes longer.  

inspired by this recipe 

BLT Pasta Salad

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This is a nock off of a salad some friends served at their wedding.  It was delicious!  I prefer it with the cole slaw dressing.  And it makes a lot, so it's great for entertaining.

{What you need}

2 cups spinach leaves

3 cups cooked penne, cooled

1.5 cups chopped sun dried tomatoes

2 cups raw peas

2 cups raw broccoli

1 red onion, thinly sliced

2 cups cooked bacon, chopped and cooled

1 cup olives {optional}

16 oz. pepper jack cheese, cubed into cubes about the size of dice

2 cups mayo or cole slaw dressing

Put the spinach leaves aside.  Combine all other ingredients in a large bowl and toss.  Add spinach last and toss.  Serve chilled.

Ranch House Pork Chops {or chicken} with Parmesan Mashed Potatoes

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Nothing is better than a good meat 'n potatoes dish... Except one made in a crock pot!!  This is a delicious recipe that is just about the easiest thing ever.  I love three-ingredient-gourmet-slow-cooker-ness.  It's totally my style.  The original recipe calls for pork, but I think I would have liked it better with chicken.  We had it for family dinner with the missionaries and everyone loved the pork, so it's just up to you.  I served this with broiled asparagus tips mixed with green beans, a green salad, and fresh fruit.  {Yeilds 8}

{What you need}

8 pork chops {or chicken breasts}

3, 10 oz cans cream of chicken soup

3 packets ranch dressing mix

{for potatoes}

8 pounds potatoes, peeled and cubed

1 stick of butter {8 tablespoons}

2.5 cups grated parmesan cheese

10 cloves roasted garlic {see instructions below}

1.5 cups milk

1 tablespoon salt

1 teaspoon pepper {or to taste}

Combine soups and dressing mix in a bowl.  Place meat in a crock pot and pour soup mixture over it.  Cook on low for 6 hours or on high for 4 hours.

Meanwhile, boil the potatoes for 10-12 minutes or until fork-tender.  Mash together with remaining potato ingredients and serve topped with the soup gravy from the crock pot.

{roasted garlic}
Preheat oven to 350.  Wrap a bulb of garlic in tinfoil--skin and all--and bake for one hour.  Let cool for 15 minutes before handling.  Peel desired amount of cloves and mash together in a small bowl with a fork.  One bulb will have 10-12 cloves.

Beans and Rice

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"Red beans and rice didn't miss her!"  They sure didn't miss me..... and I cannot lie....This is an easy and delicious recipe for beans and rice.  It's a great vegetarian dish, too, even though we served it with chicken.

{What you need}

1 tsp olive oil

1 onion, chopped

2 tsp garlic, minced

3/4 cup uncooked rice

1 1/2 vegetable broth

1 tsp cumin

1/8 tsp chili powder

2 cans red beans, drained

In a large stockpot over medium heat, heat the oil.  Add the onion and garlic and stir for 4 minutes.  Add the rice and stir for an additional two minutes.  Next, add the broth and bring back up to a boil.  Cover and turn heat down to simmer for 20 minutes or until rice is done.  Add the spices and the beans and stuff your face.

Cabbage Crunch Cole Slaw

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A delicious and elegant variation to a regular cole slaw.  My MIL recently made this for a birthday bbq and I was delighted to see that I already had the cookbook that the recipe she used was from.  This may be my new favorite summer salad!

{What you need}

1/2 c vegetable oil

1/4 c sugar

3 T vinegar

1/2 t salt

flavor packet from ramen noodles {I used chicken flavor}

1/2 head cabbage, shredded

4 green onions, chopped

2 T toasted sesame seeds

1 package ramen noodles, broken up and uncooked

1/2 c toasted sliced almonds

red seedless grapes, as desired {I used about 2 cups}

In a blender or food processor combine veg oil, sugar, vinegar, salt, and ramen flavor packet.  Pour over shredded cabbage.  Add green onions and sesame seeds.  Toss together.  Just before serving, add ramen noodles, almonds, and grapes.  Makes 6 servings, and easily doubles/triples/etc...

Best Baked Beans

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My mom has the best baked beans recipe, hands down.  And now you get to have it, too, just in time for summer barbecues!  The secret ingredient is molasses.  It gives it a sweet and savory flavor, all at the same time.  MMMMmmmmmmmm......

{What you need}

3-30 oz. cans pork and beans    

1/3 cup ketchup

1/3 cup molasses

2 Tablespoons mustard

1/2 medium onion, diced

6 oz. bacon (half a regular package)

In a medium sauce pan, fry up the bacon until it is nice and crispy.  Chop it up into lil' chunks.  In the bacon fat, saute the onion until translucent and fragrant.  Drain.  In a separate sauce pan (or slow cooker), combine beans, ketchup, molasses, and mustard.  Stir in the bacon and onion until evenly mixed.  Heat through on the stove top, stirring constantly, or in the slow cooker on high for about two hours.

(Compliments of Jackie Durrant)

Noodles & Co Mac and Cheese

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Yes you read that correctly--the ulitmate in comfort food at it's best!  I initially consider taking risks when I go to Noodles & Co--i really do-- but I inevitably always end up getting the Mac and Cheese.  And I am never disappointed.  I am huge into any variety of mac and cheese, but I think this might be my very favorite.  Creamy, flavorful, cheesy. . . heaven.

{What you need}

1 lb. elbow noodles

1/4 cup butter

1/4 cup flour

3 cups half and half

1/2 tsp salt

3 Cups Monterrey Jack (or Colby Jack)

Cook pasta according to package directions.

In large saucepan, melt butter. Stir in flour making a roux. Gradually stir in half and half whisking until thickened. Stir in salt. Remove from heat. Add cheese, stir until cheese melts. Top with fancy shredded mild cheddar cheese.

(Found this recipe here)

Baked Mushroom Rice

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A hearty side for roast or chicken from my new favorite cook book.  And you know how I love me mushrooms!  It bakes in the oven for a while so you have free hands to be preparing anything else you need to.

{What you need}

2 T butter

1/2 c onion, chopped

1 c sliced mushrooms

3 c beef broth

1/2 c apple juice

1 T white vinegar

3/4 t kosher salt

1 t pepper

2 c uncooked rice

Preheat oven to 375.  Spray a 9 x 13 dish with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.  Melt butter over medium heat.  Add chopped onion and cook, stirring frequently, for about 2 minutes.  Add mushrooms and continue cooking until the onions are translucent and the mushrooms are tender.  Remove from heat and combine the remaining ingredients in the pan.  Transfer the mixture to the prepared dish.  Cover tightly with aluminum foil and bake for 45-60 minutes or until the liquid is absorbed.  Fluff with a fork before serving.

Corn Bread

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A great winner from the Our Best Bites cookbook.  Not just ordinary cornbread, but a cake-like muffin you won't have a hard time getting anyone to eat.

{What you need}

1 box yellow cake mix

2 boxes jiffy cornbread mix

eggs, milk and oil according to both packages (sub all water for milk)

Combine and mix well.  Bake according to cake packages.  Serve with honey butter.