Sweet Things

Just look at this sweet thing. 

Jude had his 2 month birthday already.  How time flies.  I’ll be taking more pictures this weekend to share.

I’ll be giving thanks on Thursday for my healthy family, my sweet babies, my sweet husband and all the sweet people I have met through this blog.  Y’all have a blessed Thanksgiving and be sure to have seconds on dessert!  After all, it’s the sweet things in life that make it so special.

Parmesan Oven Fried Chicken Strips

This is more of a method than a recipe.  You could also use chicken legs and thighs and reduce the oven temperature to 375 and increase cooking time to 45 minutes to an hour.  Either way it makes yummy chicken.

Ingredients

• 3 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
• 1 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs 
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 cup butter, melted

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Cut chicken breasts into 1 1/2-inch sized pieces. In a medium bowl, mix together the bread crumbs, cheese, salt, thyme and basil. Mix well. Put melted butter in a bowl or dish for dipping.
3. Dip chicken pieces into the melted butter first, then coat with the breadcrumb mixture. Place the coated chicken pieces on a cooling rack on top of a cookie sheet in a single layer, and bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes.

Homemade Ranch Dressing & Croutons

This salad dressing is way better than anything you buy at the grocery store and the croutons are irresistible.  Give it a try and see how yummy your salad can be. 

Ranch Dressing:

• 1/3 cup sour cream
• 2/3 cup mayonnaise
• 1 cup buttermilk or a little less if thicker dressing is wanted
• 3 tablespoons freshly chopped chives
• 2 tablespoons freshly chopped Italian parsley leaves or 2 teaspoons dried
• 1/2 teaspoon dried dill
• 1 teaspoon salt, divided if you use salt to make garlic paste
• 1 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
• 1 tablespoon white vinegar
• 1 teaspoon garlic paste, (use half of the salt and 2 cloves garlic smashed with the flat side of a knife, to make paste) or grate garlic with a fine grater

Croutons:

• 1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more for sprinkling
• 1 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 2 teaspoons dried parsley
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 2 teaspoons garlic paste, (2 cloves garlic smashed with the flat side of a knife and a sprinkle of salt, to make paste) or grate garlic with a fine grater
• 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 4 cups cubed stale Italian bread, cut into 3/4-inch cubes

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients, except the bread, until well combined. Adjust the seasoning, if needed. Add in the bread and mix well with your hands, tossing to coat all sides of cubes. Pour out onto a baking sheet and spread evenly. Bake in the oven for 20 to 30 minutes, turning after 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool. Store in an airtight container.

Deconstructed Meatball Pizza

This pizza is great for game day.  All the flavors of a meatball pizza without the hassle.  I used a loaf of French bread for simplicity.  The carnivores loved it.  Adapted from a Rachel Ray recipe. 

Ingredients

• 1 loaf French bread, cut long ways into two pieces
• Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling, plus 2 tablespoons for the skillet
• kosher salt
• 1 1/2 pounds ground beef
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• Black pepper
• 1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste
• 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 1 tablespoon dried parsley
• 1 teaspoons dried oregano
• 3/4 pound fresh mozzarella, sliced

Directions
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
Place bread on a  pizza stone or  a rectangular baking sheet.  Drizzle the dough with extra-virgin olive oil then season it with a little salt. Place in oven for a few minutes until slightly toasted.
Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil to the pan, then the meat. Brown and crumble meat a couple of minutes, then add onions and garlic. Season the meat with salt and pepper then work in the tomato paste. Stir in the parmesan cheese, parsley and oregano.
Place the meat on the bread and drizzle a little olive oil over the meat and  top with mozzarella. Return the pizza to the oven and bake until cheese is golden, another 10 to 12 minutes.

French Onion Soup

We finally have slightly cooler temperatures here in North Texas so it’s officially time for soup.  Hurray for soup.

Ingredients

• 4 tablespoons butter
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3-4 large sweet onions, thinly sliced
• 1 (32 fluid ounce) box beef broth
• 1 (14 ounce) can chicken broth
• 1/2 cup red wine (optional)
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tsp dried parsley
• 1 tsp dried thyme leaves
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 2 tsp beef base or 1 beef bullion
• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• thick slices French or Italian bread
• Swiss cheese slices, room temperature 

Directions

1. Melt butter in a large pot over medium-high heat. Stir in salt, onions. Cook 35 minutes, stirring frequently, until onions are caramelized.
2. Mix chicken broth, beef broth, red wine, beef base, vinegar and Worcestershire sauce into pot. Add the parsley, thyme, and bay leaf. Simmer over medium heat for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Reduce the heat to low,  and season with salt and pepper. Cover and keep over low heat to stay hot while you prepare the bread.
3. Preheat oven to 400 degrees and toast bread, turning once.
4. After removing bread, turn oven to broil.  Arrange 4 large oven safe bowls or crocks on a rimmed baking sheet. Fill each bowl 2/3 full with hot soup. Top each bowl with 1 slice toasted bread, 2 slices cheese
5. Broil 5 minutes, or until bubbly and golden brown. As it softens, the cheese will spill over the sides of the crock and form a crunchy cheese crust. Serve immediately.

Baked Omelet

This is an easy method to make omelets for 4-6 people.  You can adjust the ingredients to make it your own, just add whatever you usually like in your omelet.  It’s foolproof so give it a try.

Ingredients:

• 1 small onion, diced
• 1/2 pound mild sausage or bacon
• 8 large eggs
• 1/3 cup whole milk
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/4 bell pepper, diced (optional)
• 1 cup grated cheddar or Swiss cheese
• 6 thin slices of tomato

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Spray an 8 by 8-inch baking dish with spray oil.
Heat a tablespoon of oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook until translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the sausage and cook until brown, about 5 minutes. Or, cook bacon and crumble.  Set aside to cool.
In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, salt and pepper, to taste, until smooth, about 20 seconds. Add the red bell pepper and 1 cup of  cheese . Stir in the onion mixture. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Top with sliced tomatoes. Bake for 20  minutes or until golden brown.
Cut into squares and serve with home fries and fruit.  Yum!

Spanish Rice Bowl

This is a simple one pan meal.  It’s sort of a homemade hamburger helper.  Give it a try when you need a meal in a hurry.

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp vegetable oil or bacon grease or 2 strips bacon diced and cooked with ground meat
• 1 lb ground meat
• 1 cup uncooked white rice
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1/2 green bell pepper, chopped
• 2 cups chicken stock
• 1 (10 ounce) can diced tomatoes and green chiles ( use mild if you don’t care for spicy dishes)
• 2 tsp chili powder, or to taste
• 1 tspcumin
• 1 clove garlic, grated
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1 can pinto beans, drained
• 1/2  cup cheddar cheese, grated

Directions:

1. Cook bacon and ground meat until browned.  Remove ground meat from pan and drain off all but 2 tablespoons of the renderings.
2. Sauté rice, onion, and bell pepper in the rendered bacon grease until rice is browned and onions are tender.
3. Add ground meat back in and stir in chicken stock, beans and tomatoes. Season with chili powder, cumin, salt and pepper. Cover, and simmer for 30 minutes, or until rice is cooked and liquid is absorbed.
4. Remove from heat and top with cheese and cover until cheese has melted.
5. Serve in a bowl and top with shredded lettuce, black olives and a dollop of sour cream.  Great with a warm tortilla on the side.