Philly Cheesesteak Stuffed Peppers

My last issue from my Foodnetwork Magazine subscription arrived and I was instantly compelled to try the recipe that was featured on the cover: Stuffed Peppers! I bought the peppers the day I got this bad boy in the mail!

The first hurdle: Jack is allergic to rice. No problem.... I could substitute couscous, easy!

Then I realized we did not have ground turkey. No worries... I would substitute beef.

But then I noticed that the turkey one had dried fruits in it- and I just didn't think that would taste good with beef.

And then I also noticed we only had one box of dried couscous, and I felt like we needed at least two.

*humph*

So... here I had these goregous peppers, and I had already promised The Hubster delicious stuffed goodness- so how was I going to pull this off??

I was scanning the contents of our freezer and my eyes fell upon the answer!

Philly Cheesesteak Stuffed Peppers!!! (insert angelic music)

Philly's are somehting we love here- The Hubster more than anyone, so I was sure he would love these!

The  ingrediant that became this dinners saviour was a box of frozen philly steak meat. which I made to package directions

When it was done, I moved it t a bowl and covered the meat. Next I sauteed some onions, and at the last minute I threw in a few garlic cloves.

Once all of that is cooked, I sweated off some sliced button mushrooms. Everything got tossed in with the meat and some torn pieces of provolone cheese and mixed well.

 YUM!

While all of that was hanging out, I prepared the peppers

I cut the tops of take out the middles and pop them into the oven (which was pre set to broil-high). I didn't want them to be wrinkly and soft- I wanted more of a crisp tender, and a pre broil, stuff-then-broil-again method was perfect!

Next I filled the peppers with the meat/onion/garlic mix and top with a slice of provolone

 The only thing left to finish these guys up was another heat bath under the broiler to make the cheese happy!

And TA-DA!

 My ingenious dinner creation!!

So Mike walked in and checked out what was going on while I was cooking and said, "Ooh, what is this!?" I proudly showed off my innovative dinner and he told me he couldn't wait to try it.

I plated dinner, served with a roll and some fresh fruit. A few bites in I was in love, most of the Herdlings expressed their displeasure with this dinner and Mike; who was excited to try this meal, exclaimed he loved it- MORE than an actual sandwich! And he was surprised he liked it (wait.... wasn't he excited to try it?! BUSTED!)

This oneis a keeper, for sure.... the peppers AND The Hubster.

The kds will have to learn to like PhillyStuffed Peppers because I am sure they will be served again!

My Family's Favortie Meatloaf

This is a recipe that was years in the making. Trial and error got me to this version of the meaty-loaf that The Herd loves...

I start with bread. Yes, bread! Whatever I have on hand is what I use.... sometimes it's old roasted garlic bread, sometimes it is old sub rolls. Today, it was leftover bread heels (or bread butts as my kids call them) I was amazed to find four sets of bread heels in our pantry this afternoon! 

My preferred method is to burrrrrrr them up in the food processor, with the help of Jack of course! A cup of fresh bread crumbs is just about enough for one pound of meat

Then I soak them in just enough milk to get them nice and wet- but not soupy

While that is getting happy, gather up your other ingredients

For us, we need about 2 pounds of meatloaf mix. A good rule of thumb is one egg per pound of meat, so I use two. We also like Worcestershire Sauce, onion and our friends salt and pepper.

Now- get in there with your hands and mash up your meat and eggs

 You have probably noticed the gloves. I do this for a few reasons.... First of all- I have fake nails and the thought of meat-goo getting under my nails grosses me out. Secondly, I don't like touching raw meat and lastly- it is sanitary and easier to clean up. I know... my idols at Food Network would not approve, but it keeps me in the kitchen. Isn't that all that matters??

Next the Worcestershire Sauce (1-2 TBS per pound of meat), salt & pepper, bread-mush and onions (I like to use frozen chopped onions- 1/4 cup per pound of meat is a good ratio) get mixed in

Individual meat loaves not only cook faster- but are a more popular choice among the kids. I use my cup cake scooper to portion out the meatloaf

I realize that to most people, these are the size of meatballs. But for little kids, this is a more manageable size of meat. And lets be real... everyone loves to take seconds, thirds or in two-year-old Jack's case FIFTHS! And when the portions are smaller, they can have "more"

Something else that good old trial and error has brought to our meatloaf is the addition of cheese (what isn't better with cheese?!) But alas, there is always one who is picky- so I make them both stuffed and not stuffed with cheesy-goodness.

The kind of cheese you use is up to you! We happened to have a block of white cheddar on hand. Precut little cubes and get to stuffing!

These beauties bake at 350 for about 30 minutes

After they are in the oven, it's time to make "secret sauce". It's not a secret in our house anymore- and now that I am blogging it I guess it is not a secret outside of the house either! It sounds kinda odd- but trust me, it is SO good!

 

 Basically, you mix equal parts of syrup and ketchup. Weird, huh? For two pounds of meat, I mix 1 cup of each- this gives enough sauce to glaze the meat loaves and have some for the table for dipping. A word of caution: pour some of the sauce into a separate bowl for the table before basting to avoid cross contamination with the raw meat.

Once the loaves have started to brown, glaze with some of the secret sauce. Glaze again in 15 minutes.

 Note the oozing stuff at the bottom of pan... this is not the precious cheese leaking out- it is some of the fat rendering out of the meat. Kinda gross, but I would rather see it on the pan than in my tummy! (the oozing at the top, however, IS the melty-cheesy-goodness you have been waiting for!)

And there you have one of the few dinners that all seven of us love!

Christmas Cookie Series: Buckeyes

 I was born in Ohio, the "Heart of America" (I never understood that slogan until I realized Ohio is a crude heart shape), and while I didn't stay long- most of my family has been in the same general area for as long as they have been my family! When you are from O-hi-ya there is this engrained love of tradition and all things Buckeye- after all, Ohio IS "the Buckeye State"!

If you do not know what a Buckeye is, or you think it is simply the name of the Ohio State Mascot, you need to read about the history of the Buckeye Tree. People collect the trees nuts either for luck or to make crafts with-my sister Lindsay has a lei made of buckeyes! And probably the most delightful form of Buckeyes are the special ones that were found at every holiday gathering when I was a child!

Being a lover of traditions, I started making these tasty little morsels with MY kids! Every time we make Buckeyes I tell the Herdlings how much I loved them when I was little. Buckeyes are just one of those things that scream Christmas time for me.

Making these candies is not at all hard- a little time consuming, but very simple. That's right- I called them a candy! Because that is what they are in my opinion. I know this is a COOKIE series- but it's also about some of my traditions, and Buckeyes top the list! They are the perfect thing to get the kids involved in, and for us carrying on the tradition is very heart warming!

Now- my Aunt Gayle would cringe, as I do not use the traditional recipe that our entire family has used since the start of Buckeye making. I tweaked it just a little, which is kinda frowned upon- but my little family unit is crazy about my version so it is what I continue to make.

There are some things you do not mess with- one of those is my grandma's applesauce cake. But the Buckeyes were fair game. The traditional family version was way too sweet for me. The recipe you are about to feast your eyes on is a lot more like a peanut butter cup- but in ball form!

 Gather your ingredients:

2oz cream cheese

1 jar of smooth peanut butter

1 cup of graham cracker crumbs

3 cups powdered sugar

10 table spoons of unsalted butter (melted)

bag of chocolate chips( I use milk chocolate- some folks out there may prefer a darker chocolate)

Place the cream cheese and the jar of peanut butter in a large mixing bowl

Beat until smooth, creamy and uniform in color.

Add the graham crumbs and mix just until blended in.

Next toss in the powdered sugar and melted (and slightly cooled) butter into your bowl.

CAREFULLY blend the mixture. I do a little by hand before using the 'ol kitchen aid to avoid wearing most of the powdered sugar. Once the threat of flying sugar dust is gone, beat until your heart is content!

The mixture should be dry and crumbly.

I use a small cookie scoop to make all cookies- so they are uniform in size and there is no fighting over who gets the bigger cookie! 

Scoop out little balls of peanut butter dough and place on a cookie sheet or cooking rack that is covers with foil or wax paper- use what you have laying around the house.

This is the best part for the kids! After they wash their hands, let them roll the scoops of dough into balls. Even my four year old gets into it. (We handed the two year old a clump of dough and he popped the whole thing in his mouth! So much for his help!!)

 

Once the balls look uniform (and spherical), pop them into the freezer- trust me, this is a critical step in getting them out of the chocolate bath in one piece.

After the Buckeye insides have firmed up, pour your chocolate chips into a bowl and heat in the microwave in 30 second intervals, stirring between each heating. Once everything is melted- you are ready to dip those nekkid peanut butter balls and turn them into the glorious candy we call Buckeyes!

Take out a handful of peanut butter balls at a time- only what you can dip before they warm up too much. Insert a tooth pick into the top of a peanut butter  ball and dip it in the melted chocolate. Some folks only dip half, some cover the entire thing (which is still just a peanut butter ball!). To be a true Buckeye, there should only be a slight peek-a-boo of peanut butter at the top of your buckeye- so it looks like the actual nut from the buckeye tree.

 

I swirl the buckeye around a bit to get the extra chocolate off, then push the candy off onto the wax paper. There will be a hole from the tooth pick, and maybe a dent from your finger. That is ok! The trick is to reserve one or two nekkid peanut butter balls to fill up these holes, like edible putty!

The frozen centers allow the chocolate to harden quickly- but if you are in a hurry you can put your tray into the freezer for a few minutes too.

And that is it. The most sacred of traditions in my family at Christmas time. Made by the tray and gifted out to all of our friends, enjoyed for an evening treat and even as a side dish at breakfast (don't judge!)

 

Christmas Cookie Series: Bacon Chocolate Chip

Yes, you read that correctly.... BACON CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES. This one came into our family when our oldest daughter asked for a Fettuccini Alfredo dinner. I cringe when I make this once-a-year-dish. It is nothing but butter, heavy cream and cheese! It really is ridiculous. So I got to thinking.... what kind of equally bad-for-you dessert could I make to go with Alfredo?

A quick google search led me to i am a food blog, which quickly became one of my favorite blogs. The first thing I looked at, and tried my hand at, was the phenomenon that is Bacon Chocolate Chip Cookies.

picture borrowed from AND linked to original recipie

1 3/4 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons butter at room temperature
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup dark chocolate, chopped
8 slices of bacon, finely chopped then pan-fried until crispy and drained on paper towels
sea salt

*One change I made was with the chocolate. I used mini chocolate chips and only a handful... I love chocolate chip cookies but with little chocolate in them!*                                                                   

 Finely  bacon, then pan-fried until crispy and drain on paper towels.

I ran the bacon through the food processor to make it crumbles

 Don't you love the dreamy effect onthis picture? Bacon is indeed a magical food. I am pretty sure the glow in the picture is from a finger smudge on the camera lens... likely from bacon grease. The irony!

Sift the flour, baking soda and powder into a bowl and set aside.  

Cream the butter and sugars until light and fluffy.

My best cookie tip:the longer your beat the sugar(s) and butter, the better!

The less you mix the butter with the dry, the better!

Add the egg and mix well. Stir in the vanilla.

 Add the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Drop in the chocolate and bacon and incorporate. Refrigerate for 24 to 36 hours. (I did not refrigerate and the cookies were still good... but they flattened out a bit)

When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Scoop 6 3 1/2 ounce mounds of dough (the size of large golf balls) onto the baking sheet leaving ample space between cookies. Sprinkle cookies with a touch of sea salt.

My secret to cookies that are crispy on the outside but chewy on the inside: a baking stone! I swear by them!

Bake until golden brown but still soft, 18-20 minutes. Cool on sheet for 10 minutes then move to rack to cool until you are read to enjoy!

 

Outside of the family, I had to keep the bacon ingredient a secret so as not to turn anyone off before they even tried the cookie! These were bigger than a hit- they were swooned over and talked about for weeks. A bigger hit than I ever imagined which has earned these bad boys of salty/sweet a place in my "Mom's Cookbook" and here on the old blog! I have a feeling Santa will be very pleased to find these on his platter of goodies when he comes down the chimney on Christmas Eve!

The Cookies are Coming! The Cookies are Coming!!

 I am a big supporter of Thanksgiving having it's time in the spotlight and not rushing strait from Halloween to Santa. Now that we have come out of turkey coma, my thoughts and attention have turned to Christmas! Everyone who knows me knows that I love Thanksgiving, but I LOOOOOOOVE Christmas! The music, decorations, more cooking, the peppermint everything and gifts! I love thinking of and seeking out the perfect gifts. I love the thoughtful wrapping of those perfect gifts and nothing beats the excitement of watching the ones I love open their presents!

Christmas cookies are a BIG deal here too (are you surprised??) We make traditional cookies like chocolate chip and we make our family's traditions like short bread, buckeyes (peanut butter balls) and decorated sugar cookies. Imagine my delight when my Food Network Magazine arrived last week and was filled with tantalizing new cookies to try making this year!

Keep your little eyes peeled for my favorite recipes to arrive here in blog land soon! The recipes I use are easy, most can be made ahead or even frozen, and are child friendly! I think I will get an early start this year so I have time to get some sent out as gifts and so everyone out there in cyberspace has time to gather ingredients and test them before leaving them on a plate for Old Saint Nick on Christmas Eve!