Breakfast Casserole with Hashbrowns Onions and Bell Peppers

On the menu this morning, Breakfast Casserole with Hashbrowns!

Mrs and I went to an out-of-town wedding, staying with friends, and I offered to make breakfast for our little group. To make sure I didn’t miss getting to hang out with everyone, I made a breakfast casserole ahead of time. So, all I had to do was get up a little early to pop it in the oven to heat it up!

One of the great things about this dish is, once you learn the technique, you can put whatever ingredients you want in this dish (though the way I made it was pretty great, if I do say so myself 😉 ). The base layer is hash browns, but you could also use tater-tots. You’ll want to pre-cook them at least 3/4 of the way. I like them a little crunchy, so I cooked them fully.

For the veggies, I used onions, along with red and green bell peppers.

For the next level, I added the veggies – onions, red and green bell peppers. For the protein, I used chicken breakfast sausage.

While optional, I also used two kinds of cheese – both inside and on top.

At this point, you could cover it and set aside until the day you want to cook it. The egg mixture still needs to be made, added, and then bake. Once you’ve added the egg mixture, bake until it’s melty and bubbly.

The next time you need to feed a crowd, I hope you’ll try my breakfast casserole with hashbrowns, onions, and bell peppers.

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Breakfast Casserole with Hashbrowns

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Breakfast Casserole with Hashbrowns Onions and Bell Peppers

Ingredients

16oz bag hashbrowns or tatertots
butter for the baking dish
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 lb chicken breakfast sausage (use whatever sausage you prefer)
1 medium onion, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
2 cups medium cheddar cheese, grated
1 cup pepper jack cheese, grated
1 cup milk
1/2 cup half and half
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1/4-1/8 tsp Cayenne pepper
a few dashes of your favorite hot sauce

Instructions

Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees

Cook the hashbrowns or tatertots according to package directions (you may want to cook them a little longer if you like them more crispy)

While the hashbrowns are baking, pre-heat about a Tbsp of olive oil in a large skillet

Add the onions and bell peppers, cook until translucent

Add the sausage and break it up with a wooden spoon

Cook until the sausage is browned all over and cooked through, then set aside to cool

In a large mixing bowl, add the half and half, milk, salt, pepper, cayenne pepper, and eggs - then mix thoroughly

Sprinkle about half the cheese over the hash browns, then sprinkle the cooled sausage, onions, and peppers over the hash browns

Sprinkle the cheese over the mixture, then pour in the egg mixture evenly over hash browns, and other items in the baking dish

Cover with tinfoil and either refrigerate over night or put in a pre-heated oven and bake covered for 20 minutes

Remove the tin foil and continue baking for another 30-35 minutes

Remove from the oven and let rest about 5-10 minutes

Cut in to squares and serve

Notes

Garnish with finely chopped scallions

November 17, 2024 By Patrick Dulmage

Chicken/ Soup

Jalapeño Lime Chicken Soup

On the menu tonight, Jalapeño Lime Chicken Soup.

Tonight, I wanted to make a Mexican dish that didn’t have a ton of cheese and tortilla chips. Since it’s cooling off I thought soup would be nice. I wanted Mexican food, but something lighter and without a lot of cheese.

This soup goes together so quickly and easily, it will easily make it in to your regular rotation for meals. I used boneless, skinless chicken thighs, but you could rotisserie chicken to save some time.

If you want a hearty and tasty bowl of soup, I hope you’ll try this Jalapeño Lime Chicken Soup. Let me know if you make it!

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Jalapeño Lime Chicken Soup

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Jalapeño Lime Chicken Soup

Ingredients

2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 jalapeños, ribs and seeds removed, minced
1/2 of a red onion, minced
4 cups water
1 teaspoon Kosher salt (more as needed)
1 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs (or chicken breast)
2 14-ounce cans white beans, drained (canellini or great northern)
1 16-ounce jar salsa verde
Juice of 2 limes
Fresh cilantro, sour cream, and shredded cheese for serving

Instructions

Pre-heat a large pot over medium heat

Add the olive oil, onion and jalapeno. Cook 3-5 minutes until soft and translucent.

Add the water and salt. Bring to a boil.

Add the raw chicken. Cover and cook for 5-10 minutes.

Remove the chicken, set aside to cool.

Add the white beans and salsa to the pot. Simmer for 30 minutes

Shred/chop the chicken and add it back to the pot.

Just before serving, squeeze the juice of one lime into the pot.

Cut the remaining lime into wedges for serving.

Add the salt; taste and adjust as needed.

Serve with fresh cilantro, sour cream, and shredded cheese.

November 3, 2024 By Patrick Dulmage

Chicken/ Chili

Chicken Chili with Ancho and Pasilla Chili Peppers

On the menu tonight – Chicken Chili with Ancho and Pasilla Chili Peppers!

We had some dried chili peppers in the pantry and I decided to include them in this recipe. I don’t use a lot of dried chilies in my cooking, so I did a little research on how to use them. Some people take off the stem and throw the whole pepper in hot water to reconstitute, then blend them. Others take off the stem, cut them open to get rid of the seeds, put them in water to reconstitute, then blend. Yet another option is to de-stem, de-seed, and finely chop or even grind and use them as you would any other dry spice. Knowing I would need some liquid for the chili, I opted to de-stem, de-seed, put them in the blender with some water and blend. I didn’t bother using hot water since they’d be going in to a pot of chili that would simmer for a while.

Other than the dried chilies, this batch is very similar to several other chilies that I’ve made. Once I tried the finished product, I will probably always incorporate dried chilies, they added SO much depth of flavor.

The next time you are making chili, I hope you’ll try my recipe and let me know what you think!

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Chicken Chili with Ancho and Pasilla Chili Peppers

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Chicken Chili with Ancho and Pasilla Chili Peppers

Ingredients

1 lb ground chicken (light or dark meat, whatever your preference)
1 dried Ancho Chili Pepper
1 dried Pasilla Chili Pepper
1 Vidalia onion, diced
1 Jalapeno, finely diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 cans tri-blend beans (you could use whatever bean you like, including Great Northern, Cannellini, Kidney, etc)
1/4 cup masa harina (optional, use this if you want a little thicker chili)
1 can diced tomatoes or 1 can Rotelle tomatoes
1 can tomato sauce
2 Tbsp chili pepper
1 tsp Oregano
1 Tbsp Cumin
1/4 tsp Cayenne pepper
1 tsp Kosher salt
1 tsp freshly ground pepper
1-2 Tbsp olive oil
Garnish:
chopped scallions
diced red or white onion
grated cheddar cheese (I used medium cheddar)
sour cream

Instructions

Prepare the dried chili peppers, cut off the stems, de-seed, rough chop and put them in a blender with 2 cups of water

Blend the chilies until smooth and you don't see any chili pieces

Pre-heat a large pot over med-high heat

Add the olive oil, the onion, and jalapeno. Cook 3-5 minutes

Add the dry spices to the pot and mix them in with the onion and jalapeno to bloom them, just a minute or two

Add the chicken and break it up so it can caramelize in the pot, 3-5 minutes

Add the beans, tomato sauce, tomatoes, blended chili peppers, and garlic. Mix to combine

Let the mixture come to a boil, then reduce to a simmer

Keep a cup or two of water handy in case it starts to reduce too much

Simmer at least 30 minutes

Notes

When I'm preparing to cook, I will pre-measure the dry spices in a small bowl. That way, you don't waste time searching for this or that spice and measuring when you need it. The last thing you want to do is accidentally dump too much of one of the spices in to the pot.

November 2, 2024 By Patrick Dulmage

Seafood

Greek-Style Spinach Rice with Shrimp and Dill

On the menu tonight – Greek-Style Spinach Rice with Shrimp and Dill!

Mrs wanted a Mediterranean style dish tonight and this is what I came up with. There weren’t too many ingredients involved and it came together really quickly! The recipe I’m posting calls for the rice to be cooked in the pot. I took a short-cut and used a package of microwave rice – it turned out fantastic.

Even with the prep work, I don’t think it took 30 minutes to put this meal together. I loved how light it was!

If you are looking for something a little lighter and quick, I hope that you will make this dish and let me know what you think.

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Greek-Style Spinach Rice with Shrimp and Dill

(1 votes, average: 4.00 out of 5)

Greek-Style Spinach Rice with Shrimp and Dill

Ingredients

2 Tbsp butter
10 oz fresh baby spinach
2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
2 medium shallots, cut in half length-wise and thinly sliced
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1 1/2cups long grain white rice, rinsed and drained
1 lb large shrimp, peeled (tails pulled), de-veined, and patted dry
1 cup fresh dill, lightly chopped
1 tsp lemon zest
3 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
6-8 oz Feta cheese

Instructions

Pre-heat a large skillet over med-high heat

Add the butter, then add the spinach

Cook a minute or two until the spinach is bright green and a little wilted. Transfer the spinach and any liquid to a bowl and set aside.

Add the olive oil and another pat of butter, then add the shallots and a little salt and freshly ground pepper.

Cook the shallots until translucent, about two minutes.

Add the rice to the pan and let it toast about two minutes, then add the water (2 1/2 cups), along with 1/2 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper, stir to combine.

**Note - if you are going to use the microwave rice shortcut, just add the cooked rice to the pan with the shallots.

Bring the rice to a boil and then reduce the heat to low.

Cook until the liquid has been absorbed, about 15-18 minutes

Season the shrimp with salt and pepper

When the rice is done, remove from the heat.

Quickly add the shrimp to the pan, cover the pan/pot and let stand for 10-15 minutes.

Use a fork to fluff the rice and mix everything together, re-cover and let stand for another 5 minutes or so.

Add the spinach, any liquid in the bowl, the dill, and the lemon juice.

Fold everything together, taste and adjust seasonings as needed.

Drizzle with a little olive oil and crumble some feta cheese on top, then serve.

October 13, 2024 By Patrick Dulmage

Salad Dressing

Homemade Ranch Dressing

After looking at the ingredients in a store-bought salad dressing, I thought I would try to make my own and see how it tastes. Turns out, It is AMAZING!

There aren’t too many ingredients and the best part is you can actually pronounce every ingredient. Also, it will only take you a few minutes to do the little bit of chopping required. The rest of the time is letting the dressing rest in the fridge.

I hope you will take a few minutes one day to make a batch of Ranch Dressing, it is SO much tastier and healthier than the store-bought versions.

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Homemade Ranch Dressing

(1 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)

Homemade Ranch Dressing

Ingredients

1 garlic clove, finely minced
1/4 teaspoon Kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
1 cup Mayonnaise
1/2 cup Sour Cream
1/4-1/2 cup Buttermilk (add until you get the consistency you like)
1/4 cup Italian flat leaf parsley, minced
2 tablespoons fresh dill, minced
1 tablespoon fresh chives, minced
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1tsp onion powder
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon white vinegar (champagne vinegar is also really good)
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Dash of your favorite hot sauce

Instructions

Prepare the garlic, either with a garlic press or putting some Kosher salt on a cutting board and smash/mix the garlic in to a paste.

In a medium mixing bowl, mix all of the ingredients together, except the buttermilk.

Once thoroughly combined, adjust the consistency to your liking with the buttermilk.

Transfer to whatever container you want to store the salad dressing.

Put in the fridge for at least an hour or two before using.

Notes

This was SO good! I edited this recipe, adding a tsp of onion powder

October 12, 2024 By Patrick Dulmage

Chicken

Pan Roasted Chicken with Summer Vegetables

On the menu tonight – Pan Roasted Chicken with Summer Vegetables!

It only takes about an hour for this really simple and delicious meal to come together.

The recipe that inspired this dish calls for chicken breast, but I prefer thighs. I think the thighs are more flavorful, they don’t dry out as easily as the chicken breast, and since they are usually a little smaller, I think they make portioning easier. But you do you! 🙂

One of the things I like most about this dish is that there isn’t really anything fussy you need to do as far as technique. It’s a pretty rustic dish so the cuts on your veggies don’t have to be exact. That said, it helps if the veggies are cut to similar sizes so they cook evenly.

I hope you will try this dish and let me know what you think!

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Pan Roasted Chicken with Summer Vegetables

(1 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)

Pan Roasted Chicken with Summer Vegetables

Ingredients

1.5 - 2lbs chicken thighs (bone-in, skin on)
3 Tbsp olive oil, divided
2 Tbsp Herbes de Povence (if you don't have this, you can make it yourself with equal parts dried rosemary, thyme, oregano, savory, and marjoram)
6 cloves garlic, smashed and peeled
1 medium onion, halved and sliced about 1/4 in thick
1 yellow, orange, or red bell pepper, sliced in to strips
1 pint grape tomatoes
1 small zucchini halved lengthwise and sliced crosswise about 1/4 in thick OR slice 1/4 in rounds
1/4 cup capers drained, plus 1 Tbsp of the brine
1/2 cup dry vermouth
1 cup lightly packed fresh basil, torn (optional)
Kosher salt
Freshly ground pepper

Instructions

Pre-heat the oven to 475 degrees with the rack in the middle of the oven

Season the chicken on both sides with Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper and set aside

In a large mixing bowl, stir together two tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil, the herbes de Provance, 1/2 tsp Kosher salt, and 1 tsp of freshly ground pepper.

Add the garlic, onion, bell pepper, tomatoes, zucchini, and capers (including the brine) and set aside.

Pre-heat a 12 cast iron or oven-safe skillet over med-high heat

Add a Tbsp of extra virgin olive oil and when it shimmers, add the chicken thighs with the skin side down

Let it go - DO NOT TOUCH for 5-8 minutes to let the skin get nice and crispy

Remove the chicken and put on a large plate

Pour all but about a tablespoon of the oil and fat in the pan to a bowl, then add the vermouth to the pan

Bring the vermouth to a boil over med-high heat and scrape up any brown bits from the pan

Reduce to about two tablespoons, about 2 minutes

Add the vegetables to the pan and stir them around to an even layer

Let the veggies cook for about 2-3 minutes, give them a stir and then start adding the chicken back to the pan

Put the chicken in the pan, skin side up and pour in any juices from the plate

Transfer the skillet to your pre-heated oven and cook for 25-30 minutes (check the thickest piece has a temp of about 160 degrees F)

Remove the pan from the oven, don't forget that handle will be HOT, and either transfer to a serving platter

Set the skillet over high heat to let the juices thicken and reduce a little, about 2 minutes

Taste and season with salt and pepper if needed

Pour over the vegetables

Sprinkle the entire dish with the torn basil if using

October 6, 2024 By Patrick Dulmage

PartyFood/ Pizza/ Salad Dressing

Salad Pizza with Sun Dried Tomato Dressing

On the menu tonight – Salad Pizza with Sun Dried Tomato Dressing!

I wasn’t sure what I would think about this when I first saw it. However, once I made it and tried it, I’m sure glad I did because it’s DELICIOUS!

Instead of making the dough, you are certainly welcome to, I took a shortcut and used a prepared flatbread. I drizzled some olive oil on it along with oregano and Parmesan cheese, then baked it at 475 for about 10 minutes.

While the crust was baking, I made the dressing. In a food processor, I blitzed the sun dried tomatoes, a clove of garlic, some salt, pepper, and dried oregano. Then, drizzle in the olive oil and now your dressing is finished.

Chop the lettuce in to bite-sized pieces and toss with the dressing and some mozzarella cheese. Once the crust has cooled enough, spread the dressed salad on the crust and serve.

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Salad Pizza with Sun Dried Tomato Dressing

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Salad Pizza with Sun Dried Tomato Dressing

Ingredients

Salad Dressing:
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
3 tablespoons sun-dried tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 clove garlic
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Crust:
2 tablespoons olive oil
Flat Bread OR One 11-ounce pop tube thin-crust pizza dough
All-purpose flour, for dusting
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 cup grated Parmesan, plus more for sprinkling
Salad:
3 hearts romaine, chopped
1 cup quartered grape tomatoes
1/4 cup thinly sliced red onion
1/4 cup chopped Kalamata olives
1/2 cup chopped banana peppers
1 cup small-cubed low-fat mozzarella (not fresh mozzarella)

Instructions

Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees.

In a blender/food processor, add the red wine vinegar, sun-dried tomatoes, oregano, garlic, salt and pepper.

Blitz until desired consistency.

With the food processor running, drizzle in the olive oil.

Once combined, taste and adjust seasoning if needed.

Set aside and prepare the crust.

Put the flatbread or pizza dough on a sheet pan and brush with a light coating of olive oil.

Season with oregano, Parmesan cheese, and a little salt and pepper.

Put in the pre-heated oven on the middle rack.

Bake 10-12 minutes.

Remove and set aside to cool.

Once your lettuce and other salad ingredients are chopped, combine in a large bowl and toss with the salad dressing.

Once the crust has cooled, top with the dressed salad and serve.

September 8, 2024 By Patrick Dulmage

Salad Dressing/ Sauces

Balsamic Vinaigrette Salad Dressing

On my salad tonight – Balsamic Vinaigrette Salad Dressing!

Balsamic Vinaigrette is my favorite salad dressing. As I was making my salad tonight, I realized that I didn’t have any in the house. What’s a chef to do? I decided to make my own.

This is SOOO GOOD! There aren’t that many ingredients, balsamic vinegar, extra virgin olive oil, garlic, honey, mustard, salt, and pepper. Next time you use your store bought dressing, see if you actually recognize ALL the ingredients.

It didn’t take me very long to make it, maybe 5 minutes, it tastes SO good, AND it is WAY cheaper than any store bought product.

You can use this as a salad dressing, a vegetable dipping sauce, or a marinade. The next time you need salad dressing (or a marinade) I hope you will try making your own.

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Balsamic Vinaigrette Salad Dressing

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Serves: 10

Balsamic Vinaigrette Salad Dressing

Ingredients

3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
2 Tbsp honey
1 Tbsp Dijon Mustard
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 tsp Kosher or Sea salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper

Instructions

In medium sized mixing bowl, whisk together the balsamic vinegar, mustard, honey, garlic, salt and pepper

Continue whisking and stream in the olive oil until all the ingredients are fully emulsified

Enjoy!

Notes

If there is any left over, you can store in a jar with a lid. You may need to shake it before serving again.

March 15, 2024 By Patrick Dulmage

Chicken

Chicken Enchiladas with Homemade Green Enchilada Sauce

On the menu tonight, Chicken Enchiladas with Homemade Green Enchilada Sauce.

This recipe uses a couple of shortcuts that allow you to make a batch of enchiladas for a crowd without spending all day in the kitchen. This meal was every bit as good as anything you will get your local Mexican restaurant. Mrs rated this one as BEST EVER! She liked it so much that I decided to add a “Best Ever” classification.

One of the best things about this dish is that you probably have everything you need in your pantry and if you don’t you can easily get any of the ingredients. The next best thing is that there isn’t anything difficult or fussy in putting the meal together.

Once you have the enchilada mixture ready, start filling the enchiladas evenly and putting them seam-side down in a baking dish. Once they are all filled, spoon the enchilada sauce over the enchiladas and then evenly spread the grated Pepper jack cheese.

Chicken Enchiladas with Homemade Green Enchilada Sauce

Bake the enchiladas for 30 minutes. If the cheese isn’t golden and bubbly, put under the broiler for about 2 minutes.

The next time you are in the mood for Mexican, I hope you will try these enchiladas.

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Chicken Enchiladas with Homemade Green Enchilada Sauce

(1 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)

Chicken Enchiladas with Homemade Green Enchilada Sauce

Ingredients

Enchiladas:
12 6" corn tortillas (get the best you can find or make them)
1-1.5 lbs chicken (recommend rotisserie chicken for a shortcut), cubed
8 oz Pepper jack cheese, grated (grate it yourself, don't buy the pre-grated)
1/2 cup sour cream
2 green onions, sliced
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp Kosher salt
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (more if you like it hotter)
Enchilada Sauce:
8 oz green chilies (recommend hatch green chilies)
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 cup water
2 Tbsp flour
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp Kosher Salt

Instructions

Prepare the Enchilada Sauce:

Add the green chilies and water to a blender, blend until smooth

In a small sauce pan, add the olive oil, flour, and spices

Whisk until smooth, when it starts to bubble, slowly add the chilies and water and continue whisking

Bring the mixture to a simmer and then remove from the heat and set aside

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees

Prepare the Enchilada Mixture:

In a large mixing bowl, add the cooked, cubed chicken, sour cream, half of the Pepper jack cheese, cilantro, green onions, and spices

Gently mix to combine

Put it all together:

Preheat a medium pan over med-high heat

Add 1 to 2 tortillas to the pan and heat them for about 60 seconds or until pliable

Set the heated tortillas on a plate with foil so you can cover them as you prepare the rest

Once all the tortillas are heated, get a 13x9 baking dish and start filling the tortillas with the mixture

Fill a 1/4 cup measuring cup with the chicken mixture and evenly distribute on a tortilla

Roll the tortilla and place, seam-side down in the baking dish

Repeat until all the tortillas have been filled and rolled

Spoon the enchilada sauce over each tortilla

Evenly spread the rest of the grated Pepper jack cheese on top

Put in the oven for 30 minutes

If the cheese isn't slightly browned on top, put under a high broiler until the cheese is slightly browned (about 2 minutes)

Garnish with chopped cilantro and / or sliced green onions and serve with sour cream

January 21, 2024 By Patrick Dulmage

PartyFood/ Side Dishes

Old Fashioned Potato Salad

On the menu tonight – Old Fashioned Potato Salad!

Potato salad is must for any BBQ, grill session, pot luck, and a perfect side dish for so many meals. This version comes together so easily and is so delicious, you won’t need to get the stuff pre-made at the grocery store.

My version includes apple cider vinegar, mayonnaise, dry mustard powder, red onion, parsley,and spicy pickles. Spicy pickles? YES! You’ll know the pickles are there, but they are in the background.

The next time you need a side dish for your BBQ, consider trying my Old Fashioned Potato Salad!

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Old Fashioned Potato Salad

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Old Fashioned Potato Salad

Ingredients

2-3 lbs potatoes (your choice of potato but you can't go wrong with the small red potatoes or Yukon gold)
3/4 cup Mayonnaise
1/4 cup Parsley, chopped
1/2 cup Red onion, finely chopped
1/2 cup Celery finely chopped (I like to use the center of the celery stalk and include the greens)
1 - 2 Spicy pickles (like Zingers), finely chopped
1 tsp dry mustard powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
Salt and Pepper to taste

Instructions

Dice the potatoes to desired size (approx 1" dice) or slice

Put the potatoes in a large pot of water as you cut them to avoid them getting brown

Bring the potatoes to a boil, generously season the water with Kosher or Sea salt, then lower the heat and cook until fork tender

Drain the potatoes and let cool down before adding the rest of the ingredients

Once cooled, add the potatoes to a large mixing bowl along with rest of the ingredients

Check seasoning, add salt and pepper to taste

January 8, 2024 By Patrick Dulmage

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