Sneaky Spinach Quiche

I call it sneaky because this is the only way to get spinach in my kids (and me too!). These are actually mini quiches and are so fun to eat. They could also be used as an appetizer or as part of a brunch menu.

4 eggs
1 cup half-and-half

1/2 cup real mayo

2 tablespoons flour

salt and garlic powder

8 oz. shredded sharp cheddar *

1 pkg. frozen chopped spinach

3 pkgs. individual Filo shells

Preheat the over to 350. Hand whip the eggs, half-and-half, mayo and flour. Add in remaining ingredients. Pour into individual dough shells. Bake 45-minutes-1 hour untl the tops are golden brown.

* You could substitute the cheddar with Swiss for a different taste.

Salisbury Steak

I make this quite a bit and it's something the whole family enjoys. Lots of flavor and when served with a potato dish - COMFORT, COMFORT!

1.5 pounds ground beef

1 can French Onion soup

1/2 cup bread crumbs

1 egg

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1 tablespoon flour

1/4 cup ketchup

1/4 cup water

1/2 teaspoon dry mustard

In a large bowl, mix 1/3 cup of the soup with ground beef, bread crumbs, egg, salt and pepper. Shape into oval patties (5-6 depending on the size).

In a large skillet over medium heat, brown both sides of patties.

In a small bowl, blend flour and remaining soup until smooth. Mix in ketchup, water, Worcestershire and mustard. Pour over meat in skillet. Cover and cook for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

* Sometimes I substitute the French Onion with a bottle of beer. I do that with my meatloaf in place of water and it gives it a lot of flavor.

Sweet Potato Casserole

I found this recipe online in my search for some Thanksgiving side dishes. I have to admit, I'm not a big fan of sweet potatoes, but this dish was so delicious that I devoured it down. I made a couple of modifications when making this. You cannot go wrong with these sweet potatoes.

3 cups cooked and mashed sweet potatoes
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter
1/3 cup evaporated milk or half and half
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/3 cup butter, melted
1 cup chopped pecans
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup all-purpose flour

Mix together sweet potatoes, sugar, 1/2 cup butter, milk, eggs, and vanilla. Spread into a greased 9 x 13 inch baking dish.

Mix together 1/3 cup melted butter or margarine, pecans, brown sugar, and flour. Spoon on top of sweet potato mixture.

Bake at 350 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes.

Shana's Turkey

Today, I hosted Thanksgiving and did all the cooking. It was my first experience cooking a turkey. My family gave it rave reviews, so I thought I'd share my recipe. I did brine my turkey overnight, which definitely helped infuse it with flavor and it resulted in a moist turkey. The recipe below is for a 12 - 14 lb. turkey.

Buttermilk Brine
8 cups buttermik
3 gloves of garlic minced
2 TBSP kosher salt
2 TBSP sugar
1 TBSP black pepper

In a large bowl whisk the buttermilk, garlic, salt, sugar and black pepper until the sugar and salt is completely dissolved. Rinse the turkey in cold water and pat dry with paper towels. Place the turkey in a brining bag and pour the buttermilk mixture over the turkey. Close the bag and refrigerate for a minimum of 8-24 hours. Rinse the brine off the turkey just slightly under cold water to remove the garlic if desired before cooking.

Turkey & Gravy
1 orange, cut into wedges
1 lemon, cut into wedges
1 onion, cut into wedges
6 fresh rosemary sprigs
6 fresh sage sprigs
6 fresh oregano sprigs
2 TBSP unsalted butter
1 TBSP poultry seasoning
1 TBSP olive oil
1 tsp salt
3/4 tsp black pepper
6 cups canned turkey broth
1/4 cup all-purpose flour

Stir 2 tablespoons of butter, poultry seasoning, oil, salt and pepper in a small saucepan over medium heat just until the butter melts.

Place the turkey on a rack set inside a large roasting pan. Place the orange, lemon and onion wedges and 2 sprigs of each herb in the main turkey cavity. Tie the legs together.

Rub the butter mixture all over the turkey and between the turkey breast meat and skin.

Cover the turkey breast with foil and place in a 325 degree oven. Roast for 20 minutes. Pour 3 cups of turkey broth into the pan. Add the remaining sprigs of fresh herbs to the pan. Roast the turkey for 40 minutes. Remove foil from turkey breast and pour 1 more cup of broth into the pan. Continue roasting the turkey until a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh registers 170 degrees F to 175 degrees F or until the juices run clear when the thickest part of the thigh is pierced with a skewer, basting occasionally with pan juices.

Making the Gravy
Strain the turkey pan juices from the roasting pan through a sieve. Spoon off the fat from atop the pan juices. Add enough turkey broth to the pan juices to measure 4 cups total. Once the broth is heated, add the flour and whisk for 2 minutes. Continue stirring and let the gravy simmer for about 5 to 10 minutes.

Breakfast Casserole

Light, it's not. Delicious, it is!! I suppose you could use turkey sausage and 2% cheese in this recipe to lighten it up somewhat, but where's the fun in that? I like this recipe because it's very simple; not too many ingredients. And, you can make it up the night before and just throw it in the oven in the morning. I'm in charge of Christmas morning brunch (yes, I'm already planning) and this is on the menu with some cinnamon rolls.

1 (2lb) bag frozen hash brown potatoes, thawed

1 pound ground breakfast sausage

2 tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped fine
2 teaspoons seasoning salt
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
12 eggs, lightly beaten
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 13x9 baking dish.

Cook sausage in a medium saucepan over medium heat until browned; drain well. Heat oil in a large saucepan; cook potatoes and onion until potatoes are browned and onion is tender, about 10 minutes. Sprinkle with seasoning salt. Place potato mixture in the prepared baking dish. Cover with sausage. Sprinkle with cheese, top with eggs, and season with salt and pepper.

Bake 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until eggs are fully cooked.

Buckeye Bars

I have no idea where I got this recipe, but I make it a lot - especially on game day. Chris actually prefers these to the traditional Buckeyes.

1 cup peanut butter

1 cup butter

2 cups graham cracker crumbs

2 1/2 cup powdered sugar

12 oz. milk chocolate chips

5-6 tablespoons vegetable oil

Soften peanut butter and butter in the microwave and mix together. Mix in graham cracker crumbs and powdered sugar. Pat mixture on the bottom of 9x13 pan. On low heat or double boiler, melt the chocolate. Stir in the vegetable oil. Pour over crust and refrigerate several hours. Cut into bars.

* I tend to think these are best served chilled - they get a little messy at room temp.

Crock-Pot Pizza

Mason's first babysitter (Miss Susan) asked each of us to drop a slow cooker at her house one week. She returned them with this inside. It's super simple and could feed a small army! I've adapted it to my family's tastes over the years and you could too. I suppose you could add in mushrooms or other favorite pizza toppings.

2-3 jars pizza zip sauce
16 oz. cooked elbow macaroni
1 lb. sausage, cooked and crumbled
6 oz. pepperoni
Large chopped onion (optional)
12 oz. shredded mozzarella cheese (a little more)
2 handfuls of parmesan cheese

Spray crockpot with non-stick cooking spray. Layer half the pasta, half the sauce, half the sausage, half the pepperoni, half the onion and half the cheese. Repeat the layers. Save half cup mozzarella cheese to sprinkle on top. Add one cup water. Cook on low 5-6 hours.

Cranberry Salsa

I wanted to hurry and get this recipe posted in case anyone was looking for a festive and unique appetizer for Thanksgiving Day. My new friend, Sherrill, made this and I couldn't stop eating it. Everyone was raving about it. I love salsa, but really only make it during the summer months. The cranberries make it perfect for fall and winter. You can really taste the fresh lime juice, and the jalapeno gives it the perfect amount of heat. Not too spicy. Sherrill served it with tortilla chips, and it was incredible just like that. But we agreed the possibilities were endless - over chicken or fish, poured over a block of cream cheese with crackers, sprinkled with pecans, even spread on a leftover-Thanksgiving-turkey sandwich.

I will definitely be making this a lot over the next few months.

1 (12 ounce) bag cranberries, fresh or frozen
1 bunch cilantro, chopped
1 bunch green onions, cut into 3 inch lengths (reserve and chop some for sprinkling on top)
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
2 limes, juiced
1/2 cup white sugar
1 pinch salt

Combine cranberries, cilantro, green onions, jalapeno pepper, lime juice, sugar, and salt in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a medium blade. Chop to medium consistency. Sprinkle with chopped green onions.

I love making new friends; especially ones that make killer food and share the recipes! Thanks, Sherrill!! :o)

Double Chocolate Cherry Chunk Cookies

When I was growing up, chocolate covered cherries were considered a delicacy. We always got them on Valentine's Day, and in our stockings for Christmas. I've always considered the combination of chocolate and cherries a real treat. I've been looking for a cookie recipe and came across this one. I think it won second place on a Food Network competition. Anyway, I made them over the weekend. They're really rich and chocolatey; not too sweet, though. The wine brings out the flavor of both the chocolate and the cherries. I'll be adding these to my Christmas cookie list.

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup good quality cocoa powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 stick butter, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup dry red wine
10 ounces dark chocolate, broken into chunks (I just used 2 cups of semi-sweet chocolate chips)
1 cup dried tart cherries

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Combine flour, cocoa powder, salt and baking soda in a bowl. In a bowl of an electric mixer, or with a handheld mixer, combine butter and sugars until fluffy. Add egg, vanilla, and wine and combine. Slowly in batches add the flour mixture until just combined. Fold in the chocolate and cherries. On a nonstick cookie sheet, place a heaping tablespoon of dough for each cookie about 2 inches apart from each other. Bake 8 to 10 minutes, or until tops are still soft looking but edges look firm.

Cindy's Pumpkin Pie

My Aunt Cindy makes the most delicious pumpkin pies every year for Thanksgiving. She has used this recipe for years. We look forward to those pies every year. Note that this recipe makes three pies. One for you and two to share!

Crust

4 cups of flour

1-1/3 cup of Crisco

2 tsp. salt

10-14 TBSP cold water

Blend crisco and flour together with pastry blender until the consistency of corn meal. Add salt and blend. Add water. Knead a few times on a floured surface. Roll out. Makes three pie crusts.

Pie Filling

1 29oz. can of pumpkin

1 tsp. salt

3 1/2 cups of milk

5 eggs

1 1/3 cups sugar

2-1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp ginger

1 tsp nutmeg

1/2 tsp ground cloves

Mix ingredients together with a mixer. Fill homemade pie crusts. Bake pies at 350 for about 40 to 50 minutes.

White Chicken Chili

My friend, Beth, shared this recipe with me. This would be perfect on a cold, snowy night. Enjoy!

2-3 TBSP olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
2 large cloves garlic minced
1 ½ tsp ground cumin
½ tsp dried marjoram
1 tsp dried oregano
½ TBSP jalapeno peppers, chopped (optional)
½ tsp cayenne pepper
2 cans northern beans
1 lb cooked chicken, diced
3-4 cups chicken stock
1 ½ cups white cheese, shredded
½ cup salsa

Saute first seven ingredients in olive oil for five minutes. Add beans and stock and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and add diced chicken, salsa and half of the cheese. Simmer until heated through.

When serving, sprinkle with remaining cheese and sour cream. Great with tortilla chips!

Corn Bake

This is my sister's recipe that she got from a friend years ago. It's become quite the family favorite and is an excellent and unique side dish with just about anything. Easy, too. Enjoy!

1 can creamed corn; do not drain

1 can regular corn; do not drain

1 cup uncooked macaroni

1 cup cheddar cheese

1 teaspoon grated onion

Preheat oven to 350. Mix all ingredients together and pour into a 13x9 greased casserole dish. Cook covered for one hour.

Robby's Cookies

I make these for my brother and just shared with his girlfriend. :o) He's a big fan of oatmeal chocolate chip. I've modified the recipe to make it my own over the years. For one, I almost ALWAYS add extra vanilla in cookies with chocolate chips. It just tastes better. I also usually add extra flour to make sure I don't end up with a flat cookie. And, no raisins...! Don't get me wrong... raisins have their place in certain baked goods... but not in cookies. They'd just get in the way of a good time here. Hope you enjoy!

1 cup butter, softened to room temp
1 1/4 cups packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
2 eggs
2 tablespoons whole milk
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon (optional)
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 cups quick-cooking oats (not instant)
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips (at least)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Cream butter, brown sugar and white sugar together.

Add vanilla, milk and eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
Combine flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon; add in batches to sugar mixture.
Mix well but do NOT overbeat.
Stir in oats and chocolate chips.
Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheet.
Bake 9-10 minutes. I like them a little under-baked.

Iced Pumpkin Cookies

I love all things pumpkin; so when a fellow Kindermusik mom busted these cookies out after class one night, I knew I had to have the recipe. I baked a big batch over the weekend and they were a hit. Really soft and cake-like. I will be making these again. The only thing I did differently from the recipe below was add the 1 tsp of pumpkin pie spice to the glaze. The original recipe does not all for it.

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups white sugar
1 cup canned pumpkin puree
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Glaze:
1 cup confectioners' sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons milk
1/2 tablespoon butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, ground cloves, and salt; set aside.

In a medium bowl, cream together the 1/2 cup of butter and white sugar. Add pumpkin, egg, and 1 teaspoon vanilla to butter mixture, and beat until creamy. Mix in dry ingredients. Drop on cookie sheet by tablespoonfuls.

Bake for 15 to 20 minutes in the preheated oven. Cool cookies, then drizzle glaze with fork.

To Make Glaze: On the stovetop over low heat, combine confectioners' sugar, milk, butter, vanilla and pumpkin pie spice; stirring constantly until smooth. Add milk as needed, to achieve drizzling consistency.

Pumpkin Spice Pie

* This recipe was given to me by Robin Davis, food editor at the Columbus Dispatch. I asked for it after she sent me one of the best pumpkin pies I had ever tasted. Happy Thanksgiving!

2/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 can (15 ounces) solid pack pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)
3 large eggs
1 cup whipping cream
1 purchased frozen 9-inch pie crust

Set rack at lower third of oven. Place a baking sheet on the rack. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Whisk brown sugar, sugar, salt and spices in a large bowl. Add pumpkin and egg. Whisk well. Whisk in cream. Pour mixture into frozen crust.

Place pie on baking sheet in oven. Bake 10 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees.

Bake until sides are puffed and center is just set, about 40 minutes. Cool.

* You can also use a homemade pie crust. Just pop it in the freezer 30 minutes before filling and baking.

No Crust Apple Pie

Christina Doelling passed along this recipe to me. It is a Pampered Chef recipe that provides all the goodness of apple pie minus the crust. I can't wait to make it myself!

5-6 apples peeled and slice- Granny Smith are the best
1 TBSP sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 cup butter
1 cup flour
1 cup sugar
1 egg beaten
1/2 cup walnuts (optional)

Arrange apples in deep dish pie pan. Sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon. In saucepan melt butter, add flour, sugar, egg and nuts. Pour over apples. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes or until golden brown.

Serve warm with ice cream!

Easy Italian Beef

This is one of my oldest go-to recipes. The beef turns out really tender and makes delicious sandwiches.

3-4 lb beef roast, eye of the round

1 can beef broth

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 envelope dry Italian dressing mix

1 tsp Italian seasoning

1/2 jar sliced pepperonicis, with juice

fresh cracked pepper to taste

Place the roast in the bottom of crockpot. In a small bowl, combine broth, garlic, dressing mix and seasoning. Pour over meat. Top with pepperonicis, juice and pepper. Cook on low 8 hours. When finished cooking, shred the meat with two forks. Leave the meat in the juice to store to keep it tender. I like to serve this on chewy bread, like ciabatta, and top with mozzerella cheese. Then stick the sandwich, open faced, under the broiler for a minute or two. YUM.

California Chicken Bake

I got this recipe years ago from one of those little paperback pillsbury magazine/cookbooks.

It's so simple and so so good. The cilantro really adds to the flavor... so don't skip it Tammy!! And the cheese mixes in with the rice making a messy, yet tasty side dish. Enjoy!!

California Chicken Bake

2 Cups Shredded Taco-Flavored Cheese

3/4 Cup of Uncooked Regular Long Grain White Rice

1/4 Cup of Chopped Fresh Cilantro

1 Cup of Salsa

1 Cup of Water

4 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast Halves

1. Heat oven to 350. Spray 12x8 inch (2 quart) glass baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.

2. Reserve 1/2 cup of cheese for topping. In large bowl, combine remaining cheese, rice, salsa, water and cilantro. Mix well. Spoon into sprayed baking dish and spread evenly. Arrange chicken over rice mixture. Cover with foil.

3. Bake at 350 for 55 to 65 minutes. Uncover, sprinkle with reserved cheese. Bake uncovered an additional 5 minutes or until cheese is melted. 

Shana's Pudding Dessert

Matt is not a big fan of dessert, but when I make this, he never passes on dessert. My family also loves this...especially my mom. I've made this a few times when we've had friends over for dinner and they've loved it. Use your favorite pudding flavor and enjoy!

2 cups crushed graham crackers
1/4 cup sugar
3/4 stick melted butter
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 cup powdered sugar
2 packages Jell-O instant pudding (lemon, chocolate or your favorite flavor)
3 cups milk
1 large tub of Cool Whip

Crust: Combine crushed graham crackers, sugar and melted butter. Pack into a lightly greased 13x9 baking dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes. Let cool.

Cream Cheese Filling: Mix cream cheese, powdered sugar and 1 cup of Cool Whip. Spread on cooled graham cracker crust.

Pudding Filling: Combine two packages of Jell-O instant pudding with 3 cups milk. Pour over cream cheese filling. Refrigerate for a few hours to set.

Add remaining Cool Whip to pudding layer and serve.

Jane's Very Vanilla Cupcakes

I have tried lots of variations in my quest to find the perfect vanilla cupcake. I'm still not quite there, but this is my favorite recipe to date. It's a variation of the famous vanilla cupcake from Magnolia Bakery in New York City. I've tweaked it somewhat. I use cake flour as opposed to self-rising, and definitely more vanilla (good vanilla, as Ina would say...!) and a little salt. I did not include any baking powder, but if you're worried about the cupcakes falling, you could add a teaspoon. As is, the cupcakes turned out buttery, dense and yummy and would also be great in a layer cake. They don't fall apart easily, which makes them perfect for decorating. (No trace of crumbs in your icing!)

I made these cupcakes last night for my sweet friend Jessica, who's hosting a baby shower today. Those are some scary looking babies... I know... but I tried to pipe some and I'm WAY out of practice. :o)

1 1/2 cups cake flour flour
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
2 cups sugar

1/2 tsp salt
4 large eggs, at room temperature
1 cup whole milk

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Place cupcake liners into two 12-cup muffin tins.

Using a fork or whisk, combine flours and salt in a small bowl and set aside.

Using a stand mixer, or the medium speed of an electric mixer, cream the butter. Gradually add the sugar and beat until fluffy. Add one egg at a time until the mixture is completely smooth. Add the dry ingredients in batches, alternating with the milk and vanilla. Do not overbeat.

Fill the cupcake liners about 3/4 full. I use a 1/4 cup measuring cup to help make them even. Bake 17-22 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Cool the cupcakes completely before icing.

Crockpot Cranberry-Apple Pork

I have this in the crockpot for dinner tonight...

3-4 pound pork loin

1 can cranberry sauce

1/2 cup apple juice (I used cider)

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 onion, chopped

2 apples, peeled and chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

salt and pepper to taste

In a small bowl, combine cranberry sauce, apple juice, brown sugar and garlic. Salt and pepper the pork loin and place in bottom of crockpot. Place apples and onions around the pork. Pour sauce over top. Cook on low 7-9 hours. I plan to serve this with mashed pototoes and broccoli tonight.

**12/20/09 - Made this a few nights ago. Forgot how yummy it is. This time I seared the tenderloin first, and used unsweetened applesauce instead of apple juice because I didn't have any. I liked what it did for the sauce. Also threw in a handful of dried cranberries. Next time I will do more. Served over couscous. YUM!