Stuffed Burger ~ Gorgonzola Style!

 

Just because I'm on a diet doesn't mean that I can't enjoy a great burger from time to time. So here's one of our favorite burgers...I just eliminate the bun to reduce my carbs and calorie count. And I'm telling ya, you don't need a bun with this burger.  This burger is full of great flavor...don't mask it with a bun.

Easy Cheesy Stuffed Shells

One of the things that I had yet to attempt in the kitchen was stuffed pasta shells. So, I decided to turn to Food Network's Giada de Laurentiis for a recipe idea. Let's just say that she's my Italian Go-To-Gal.

I modified her recipe ever so slightly, I mean I had to. Couple this dish with some garlic bread and MmmmmMmmmmMmmmmm! Here's my take on Giada de Laurentiis' Stuffed Shells with Arrabbiata Sauce.

Click below to view & print my recipe!

View complete posting: Easy Cheesy Stuffed Shells

Stuffed Burger ~ Gorgonzola Style!

Just because I'm on a diet doesn't mean that I can't enjoy a great burger from time to time.

So here's one of our favorite burgers...I just eliminate the bun to reduce my carbs and calorie count. And I'm telling ya, you don't need a bun with this burger. It's full of great flavor...don't mask it with a bun. (but if you must, choose a whole wheat bun)

I start with 85/15 ground chuck meat. 1 pound of meat will make two very meaty hamburgers.

View complete posting: Stuffed Burger ~ Gorgonzola Style!

Cheesy Pub Beer Bread

 

Just look at this golden loaf of comfort!

 

Oh, just the smell of this bread in the oven immediately takes me back to when my mother used to make it when I was little. It seemed like she made it all the time when I was in grade school...I don't know what happened after that. Somehow it just disappeared from our menu altogether.

Well, it’s BACK! And back to stay! This is truly the easiest recipe in the world to make a scrumptious loaf of bread. In fact, you’ll find that you have to hold yourself back from making it all the time.

Would I call it a comfort food? Oh yeah, you better believe it! So enough chatter…let’s get to baking! (And we only need 6 ingredients to get the job done!)
 

 

Start with some all-purpose flour. Nothing fancy here…the simpler the better.
 

Add baking powder. Then give it a little stir with a fork just to mix it around.

 

Next add some sea salt. Stir that in with a fork.

A little bit of sugar…bread needs just a touch of sweetness. Again, stir it in with the fork to get it all incorporated.

 

 

Now for the best part. Here’s the beauty of this…you can use a cheap beer or a pricey port. It’s up to you. 

 

To be honest, the darker beers tend to give the best flavor…at least that’s what Charming says. (He really liked this Michelob Amber Bock) But no matter what you choose, you’re still going to love it. (This happens to be my preferred method of enjoying a beer.) 

 

Pour in that yeasty goodness…it’s not only our flavoring agent, it’s the secret to not needing yeast or self rising flour!

 

Give everything a good stir…I just use my fork, but a spoon is fine too. And don’t worry, it’s supposed to be lumpy & bumpy.

 

Now you can skip this step if you are trying to stay away from dairy, or just trying to cut some calories….

I take some shredded colby jack cheese (1 cup) and add it to the dough. Mild or sharp cheddar cheese is really good too!

 

 

Grab a loaf pan and grease it with 1 Tbsp. of the butter.

 

 

Form the dough into a rough ball.

 

 

Plop our cheesy beer dough into the pan and form a loaf.

 

 

Then into the oven for 45 minutes. And trust me…you’re going to wish that you had made two loaves when the aroma starts wafting through the air.

 

When the timer goes off, remove the bread from the oven but don’t turn it off! Cube and melt the remaining butter. (I melt it in a microwave safe measuring cup for about 30 seconds)

 

Then carefully pour all of that melted butter over the top of the bread.

 

 

Resist temptation and return the glistening, buttery bread to the oven for another 10-12 minutes. We want that butter to get the top of the bread all crusty and golden brown.

 

 

The timer sounds! The bread is removed from the oven! There should be a slight springiness when it’s pressed. A knife makes its way through the loaf…a little bit of butter is slathered onto the bread….and instant gratification!

 

So perfect alone for a little snack. (A great pairing with roasts, corned beef or Norwegian Meatballs)

Enjoy, Enjoy, ENJOY!

Cheesy Pub Beer Bread
Prep Time: 6 minutes
Cook Time: 55 minutes
Servings: 8
 
Ingredients:
3 cups Flour, All-Purpose
4 tsp. Baking Powder
1 1/2 tsp. Sea Salt
2 Tbsp. Sugar
12 oz. Beer, dark or light
1 cup Colby Jack or Cheddar Cheese, shredded
5 Tbsp. Butter, divided

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a loaf pan with 1 Tbsp. of the butter. Set aside.

In a medium mixing bowl add flour, baking powder, sea salt and sugar. Stir to fully incorporate ingredients.

Pour beer into dry ingredient mixture. Stir just enough to incorporate through the dry ingredients. Dough should be lumpy.

Add cheese to dough. Mix with hands just until cheese is dispersed through the dough.

Form into a ball. Take prepared loaf pan and place dough inside. Lightly press dough to form a loaf.

Bake loaf in preheated oven for 45 minutes for first bake.

Melt remaining butter in a microwave safe bowl or cup for 25-30 seconds on high.

Remove loaf from oven and carefully pour melted butter over entire loaf.

Return loaf to oven for 10-12 minutes. Crust should be golden brown and loaf should have a slight give when fully baked.

Place on cooling rack for 5-10 minutes before serving. ENJOY!

Quick Chicken & Cheese Casserole

When time gets away from me and there is a need for something hot and comforting in a short period of time, this is the casserole that I go for. It’s quick, simple and full of that comfort food feeling. It’s a great alternative to in-the-box cheese & macaroni when the kiddles want that cheesy comfort feel too. (and it makes the whole family happy)

You could always add a can of sweet peas or corn nibblets…my kids tend to push them off to the side, so when I make it for them, the veggies get spared a trip to the trash.

View complete posting: Quick Chicken & Cheese Casserole

Sheppard's Pie With Cheesy Potatoes

I love not having to throw things together in the evening for dinner. Having something in the fridge or freezer that is ready to just be placed into a preheated oven just seems like heaven to me.

So, I came up with this version of Sheppard's Pie with a cheesy potato topping. My husband absolutely loves it and it is perfect for those nights when you really don't feel like cooking. Make it 1-2 days ahead and then just pop it from the fridge to the oven to the table. The beauty of this recipe is that it serves 8, which means that you could split it and have two dinners for 4 ready with the same amount of effort.

Start by taking 10 medium sized potatoes (or 5 large russet potatoes),

peeled and cut into halves so that the pieces are relatively all the same size.

Place the potatoes into a pot filled with 8 cups cold water. Then crank the heat on the stove up to high to get things boiling. When the pot is boiling, turn the heat down to medium and allow the potatoes to cook a total of approximately 20 minutes. Check the tenderness of the potatoes. If they are not easily pierced by a fork, then allow them to cook an additional 5 minutes, or until tender.

While the potatoes are cooking, I take 3 pounds of lean ground beef and place it in the largest skillet I have. Again, turn the heat up to high to start rendering off the fat. Then add a bit of black pepper to get things going flavor-wise.

As the meat simmers, my multi-tasking abilities get put to use and I peel & cut the carrots.

Try to grab the ones that are about the same size, then cut them into 1/4" rounds.

I like to keep the carrots as close to the same size as possible, so the larger pieces get sliced in half. Tip: If you like to avoid the peeling process, pick-up a bag of the pre-peeled baby carrots the next time you're at the store.

Check on the meat and give it a good stir. The more fat that is rendered off now the better. I don't want it to be dry, so there will be some left in the pan, but trust me, you don't want to have a cup of beef fat in this dish. *Bleh!*

Take the time to stir the meat around the skillet occasionally. Pink meat is not wanted here, we want everything to be nice and browned.

Alright, after about 15 minutes go ahead and start spooning out the rendered fat into a heat resistant cup or bowl. Be sure to leave a little in the pan so that the meat isn't too dry.

Time to add in my onion soup mix. I used to make this dish with fresh onions, but then discovered that the onion soup mix brings out a much richer flavor in the meat.

Now I add in my carrots, a couple cans of diced tomatoes (not drained), and a bag of frozen corn. Stir it around, getting everything well mixed together.

Although this is really starting to look good, not to mention smell extremely appetizing, there still needs to be a little bit more simmer time, about 15 minutes.

And just to kick it up a notch I like to throw in 3 tablespoons of Cabernet Sauvignon. This gives the dish such a great flavor...very much like the sauce for Salisbury Steak.

Oh, I almost forgot to add one more ingredient! Sea salt, just a touch (well, 1/2 teaspoon) to help bring out more flavor.

While the meat continues to simmer, I take the potatoes and drain them. Then pour them into my mixing bowl. Time to put my mixing paddle to work. I set the speed on 2 and pour in the whole milk. This helps make these potatoes nice and creamy.

After the potatoes have been broken down a bit, I turn up the speed to a 6 and watch these steaming hot potatoes become light and fluffy.

Time for my hubby's favorite...colby cheese. I can't even begin to tell you just how amazing this makes the potatoes. 

Add a bit of sea salt and butter. Then the topper...finely shredded colby jack cheese! Oh yeah, we have some seriously cheesy potatoes happening here.

Back to the meat...take it off of the stove and start spooning it into a large 5 quart baking dish. I smooth it out so that everything is nice and level.

Now to spoon on the potatoes. Same thing with the potatoes...smoothing them out to make it level and equal for all parties who will be enjoying this dish later.

Now this is optional, but why on earth would you deny yourself the extra touch of cheesy goodness?

I like to top off the sheppard's pie with another 1/2 cup of shredded colby jack cheese. Then just cover it with aluminum foil and place it in the fridge until it's time to get it in the oven.

A few hours later....I preheat the oven to 375°F and start off with the dish covered for the first 15 minutes.

Then remove the foil for the remainder of the cook time (15-30 minutes depending on oven) so that the cheese gets melted and browned and the center is nice and hot. (If baking right after assembling the dish, then bake for 15-20 minutes uncovered until the top is toasted golden brown.)

Onto a waiting plate and we are ready to ENJOY!

Ahhh...this is comfort food at it's finest.

And then it's gone.