On the menu tonight, Balsamic Glazed Roasted Brussel Sprouts with Onions and Shallots!
If you think you don’t like brussel sprouts, try this recipe. While simple, the recipe is REALLY flavorful and So easy to make. The only ingredients you need are brussel sprouts, Vidalia onion, shallot, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, Kosher salt and pepper.
When you aren’t sure what side dish to serve, I hope that you’ll give this recipe a try.
On the snacking menu for tonight – Boiled Peanuts!
Boiled peanuts are definitely one of those things that get really mixed results when you mention them. “What are boiled peanuts?” “That sounds gross…” “Yum! If you are from the South, you’ve likely had had boiled peanuts. If you are from the South and haven’t had boiled peanuts, please mail your Southern card to… I’m just kidding.
Seriously though, if you are from the South, even if you haven’t tried boiled peanuts, you HAVE seen the roadside stand with the guy sitting next to a half barrel or converted beer keg sitting over a low burning fire filled with boiled peanuts. You buy some, and the guy ladles out your peanuts into a styrofoam cup. I mentioned the ladle. The ladle used to get the peanuts is something to watch out for as your purchase is being prepared. It’s almost always a jerry-rigged device with holes drilled in so the water from the barrel or keg can drain as they get your boiled peanuts.
Oh, definitely strike up a conversation with the person at the stand. For me, half the fun of the drive to wherever it is I’m going is stopping to get some boiled peanuts and chatting with the person at the stand. You may also buy some fresh fruit, produce, and / or BBQ as well before you continue on your way.
If you’ve never tried boiled peanuts, I hope the next time you plan to have people over for a game or the holidays you will make a batch of boiled peanuts for your guests to snack on.
Filtered / Bottled Water (tap water has chlorine and other chemicals that don't taste so great)
Instructions
1
Spread out the peanuts from the bag and remove any rotten or moldy peanuts
2
Fill a crockpot about 3/4 full with peanuts
3
Pour in enough water in to the crockpot that the peanuts begin to float and then pour some more. The water will evaporate, so I fill it as high as I can but still able to close the lid
4
Pour in 4 palm-fulls of Kosher salt and stir it in. If you have never made them before, start with 3 palm-fulls if you are nervous they will be too salty
5
Set the crockpot on high for 4 hrs.
6
Once the 4 hrs are up, lower the temperature to low and let it go another 4 - 5 hrs. At the 4 hour mark, taste a few to see if they are the consistency you want. I like mine with a little bite to them... too mushy and you can't get them out of the shell.
7
Once finished, cut the heat, drain, and transfer to another container.
8
Serve hot
Notes
They are great hot, warm, or even cold. They store well in the fridge a few days, if they last that long.
You can add flavorings too. You can add some sliced jalapeno, or hatch chilies, or Old Bay Seasoning.
When I've done Old Bay, I'll add two spoonfuls (like a cereal spoon) of the Old Bay at the beginning with the salt
On the menu tonight – Scalloped Potatoes au Gratin!
I’ve seen so many pictures of Scalloped Potato dishes that I decided to make it. This isn’t a difficult dish to make, but it looks awesome – especially if you take the time to arrange the potato slices neatly. I didn’t have the time to arrange the slices in any particular shape this time.
The trick to this dish is getting the slices the same thickness. Take the help from your food processor or box grater to get perfectly uniform slices – about 1/8″. From there, all you have to do is add the cream and other ingredients to a large pan and cook the potatoes about 15 -18 minutes. Then, transfer the ingredients to your baking dish and bake. That’s it!
So, the next time you are serving potatoes, consider making them a little fancy and try my Scalloped Potatoes!
Scalloped Potatoes au Gratin with Smoked Gouda and Cheddar Cheese
Ingredients
2 1/2 - 3 lbs Russet or Yukon Gold Potatoes, sliced about 1/8" thick
1 onion, finely chopped
2 cups heavy cream
1 Tbsp chicken bouillon powder
1 Tbsp butter
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp thyme (2 tsp if using fresh)
1/2 - 3/4 cup Smoked Gouda cheese
1/2 - 3/4 cup Cheddar cheese
Instructions
1
Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees
2
In a large pan, over medium high heat, add the butter and onions. Cook about 5 minutes
3
Add the garlic, and cook another minute or two, lower the temp to medium, then add the heavy cream (don't let the cream burn, keep stirring and lower the temp more if needed)
4
Add the thyme, nutmeg, chicken bouillon powder, and potatoes. Cook about 15 minutes until the potato slices are fork tender
5
Transfer to a 9x9 baking dish and cover with the grated cheese
6
Bake about 15 minutes or until the cheese is slightly golden brown on top and the cheese is bubbly
7
Pull from oven and let rest at least 5 - 10 minutes before serving
We’ve all made Mac and Cheese, right? So, this time, I wanted to make it special – like going to an expensive steak house special. So, I used smoked Gouda cheese and lobster as a nod to the lobster mac and cheese I always see when I’m out.
While I used smoked Gouda cheese, you could also use Gruyere or any other cheese you like. I think next time, I may use a mix of Smoked Gouda and Gruyere.
It comes together quickly, so have all your ingredients ready to go before you start cooking. When you start adding liquid to the roux, do it slowly and make sure you work out any lumps as you go. One other tip, take the time to toast the panko in butter. That extra crunch the panko brings is a great tasty texture.
I hope the next time you make mac and cheese, you try my version. It’s SO GOOD!
I love fried rice and this version is SO easy to make. While I know how to make rice, I like to take a shortcut when I make fried rice. Whenever we order Chinese food, we never eat all the rice. You can only have plain rice as a side with so many things. SO, what to do? Fried Rice!
Fried Rice… you can go vegetarian – garlic, peas, carrots, and green onion. OR Pescatarian – same as vegetarian and add shrimp. OR you can go Carnivore – same as vegetarian and add your choice of meat. My recommendation would be Spam. Yes – Spam. Spam and pineapple. Today, I went with shrimp for the protein.
When I say this dish comes together quickly, we’re talking about 15 minutes. I mentioned the Chinese food rice, the second shortcut is frozen peas and carrots. Frozen veggies are just as fresh as fresh – they have to be. The veggies are frozen right away after being picked and processed wherever they are grown. Just don’t let them sit in your freezer for 6 months and expect them to taste fresh. They are PERFECT for fried rice. The carrots are already diced way better than you or I are going to dice them and there’s no prep for the peas. So, for prep on this dish all I had to do was smash and finely chop the garlic, measure out the soy sauce, fish sauce, and sesame seed oil.
For the cook, just heat up a large skillet or even a roasting pan, sans the rack, and heat up the oil. Cook the scrambled eggs, remove and let cool. Then add in the shrimp and garlic, cook about 3 minutes. Don’t forget to flip the shrimp so the other side gets to cook. Then, add the peas and carrots, cook an additional 3-5 minutes. Add the rice, soy sauce, fish sauce, and sesame seed oil. Stir to combine and continue stirring to let the rice get a little crispy.
Serve immediately with a little chopped green onion on top. I hope the next time you are in the mood for Fried Rice, I hope you’ll try my Shrimp Fried Rice.
Today, I made a batch of pickled jalapenos and red onions. I bought more jalapenos than I needed and they were starting to look a little sad. Rather than letting them go to waste, I decided to pickle them.
I’ve made pickles before, but this is the first time I’ve pickled jalapenos. Since this is a quick pickle, I didn’t go through the whole process of a water bath and sealing them. There were only 5 peppers, so it wouldn’t have been worth it to go through that whole process.
To do a quick pickle, all you have to do is put the prepared peppers (Audrey and I have a lot of fun coming up with the name), into a clean jar and then pour the prepared brine in to the jar and let sit at least 30 minutes. That’s it! They’ll keep in the fridge about a month, if they last that long.
If you grow peppers, and I suggest you do, try pickling them after your harvest. They go fantastic on or in anything you want add a little spice to. I’ve used these in eggs, on sandwiches, anywhere you’d like a little extra spice.
When I made the Turkey Tetrazzini recently, I was raving about how good it was to my wife. Since she doesn’t eat meat, I was telling her I could make a seafood version with shrimp. That was a couple of weeks ago and last night she was asking when I planned to make the seafood version. So THAT is what I’m making tonight.
Since I used shrimp instead of turkey, I made a few changes to this dish and it turned out really well. I left out the peas and I changed the seasoning a little. Just like the other version, this Shrimp Tetrazzini will feed a crowd. The best part about this dish is how quickly it comes together, especially if you buy the shrimp pre-shelled and without tails.
I hope you will try my version of Shrimp Tetrazinni and let me know how it turns out.
For Thanksgiving dinner, I always make the standard turkey, ham, and some side dishes, but Audrey doesn’t eat meat. I wanted to make her a special dish as well, so we agreed on Shepherd’s Pie, a vegetarian version.
This dish is so hearty and delicious! It’s packed with two different kinds of mushrooms, parsnips, onions, butternut squash… SO many things and then topped with the most delicious mashed potatoes.
Often times when I’ve had shepherd’s pie, the mashed potatoes taste like they were an afterthought… “oh yeah! We need to put some mashed potatoes on top….” Not in this dish. I took the time to make classic mashed potatoes you would be proud to serve on their own.
The shepherd’s pie was so good, we decided to try it for breakfast. I heated a plate in the microwave and while that was going, I fried a couple of eggs. WOW! OMG, it was SO good! This picture almost didn’t happen, that’s how good it was.
Shepherds Pie with egg
While I made this for Thanksgiving, it would be great anytime of the year. Don’t let the vegetarian bit in the title turn you off. There is plenty of flavor in this dish and you won’t be left wanting to go back for anything other than seconds! I hope you will try my vegetarian shepherd’s pie.
1 small butternut squash, peeled and chopped into 1-inch pieces
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp double concentrated tomato paste
1 Tbsp white miso paste
1/2 cup red wine
1 cup dry green lentils, rinsed
2 Tbsp flour
4 cup vegetable stock
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
For the Mashed Potatoes:
2-2.5 lbs Yukon Gold Potatoes
4-6 Tbsp of butter
1 cup sour cream
1/4-1/2 cup of milk, warmed
3-6 Tbsp of cream cheese
Kosher Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 or 2 chives, finely chopped (greens only please, save the white part for another dish)
Instructions
1
Start with the mashed potatoes
2
Prepare a large pot of water on the stove, but don't turn it on yet
3
Peel the potatoes and cut them to relatively equal size - I go for quarters. Don't cut them too small, but you want them to cook evenly
4
As you cut the potatoes, add them to the pot so they don't oxidize
5
Once you have them all in the pot, THEN turn it on high and bring to a boil
6
As the water is boiling, add a couple of tablespoons of salt, like you would when cooking pasta
7
After about 8-10 minutes, test if you can easily pierce the potato with a knife or fork (depending on your application, you may WANT them to be al dente. If you are putting the mashed potatoes on a shepherds pie as an example
8
Once cooked to your liking, drain in a colander
9
Add the butter to the pot along with the milk, then add the potatoes back to the pot and begin mashing. If you are going to use a ricer, have a large bowl ready and start ricing.
10
Add the cream cheese and mix that in along with your first bit of salt and pepper
11
Taste and adjust seasoning
12
Cover and set aside so you can start on the filling
13
Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees
14
In a large heavy bottomed pot over medium-high heat, heat 2 tablespoon oil
15
Add mushrooms and cook until deeply brown, remove from skillet
16
Lower heat to medium and add remaining oil
17
Add onion, celery, parsnips, and butternut squash, cook until starting to become browned, about 12 minutes
18
Stir in tomato paste and garlic, stirring often, about 2 minutes
19
Stir in miso paste, immediately deglaze with wine, and cook 1 minute more
20
Add the mushrooms back in and stir in the lentils
21
Sprinkle in the flour and stir until well incorporated
22
Add the vegetable stock
23
Season with salt and pepper
24
Bring to a simmer and cook until the lentils are al dente, about 15 minutes
25
Assembly:
26
Add the veggie mixture to a 13x9 baking dish
27
Carefully spread the mashed potatoes on top
28
Bake for about 35 minutes. You want the mashed potatoes to have some golden brown points on top
29
If the potatoes aren't browned after 35-40 minutes, feel free to use the broiler to get the look you want
30
After baking, cover and let it rest at least 15-20 minutes
Notes
You could easily take this dish vegan by using vegan butter and omitting the cream cheese and milk
I remember having this a LONG time ago and loving it. SO, I decided to add it to my Thanksgiving menu this year.
Rather than doing a cooking marathon on Thanksgiving day, I’m trying to get a few dishes made the night before that will heat up nicely. This corn casserole will definitely keep tonight and heat up well the next day.
One of the things I love about this dish, besides being delicious, is how quick it comes together. Dump the ingredients in the bowl, mix it together, and bake it. 30 minutes later, you have a DELICIOUS Corn Casserole!
If you are looking for a new side dish for Thanksgiving, or any night, try this Corn Casserole!
1 cup corn meal (I used white corn meal but yellow is fine too)
1 can whole corn, drained
1 can creamed corn
1 cup sour cream
1 egg, beaten
2 tsp baking soda
1/4 cup chives, chopped
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese, grated
6 Tbsp melted butter
1 1/2 tsp Kosher salt
2 tsp fresh ground black pepper
Instructions
1
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees
2
In a large mixing bowl, add all the ingredients and gently mix thoroughly
3
Add to a 2 quart baking dish, or divide into smaller, individual baking dishes (If you do this, check them sooner as they will cook faster)
4
Bake for about 30 minutes, the top should be golden brown
5
Once finished, remove and let rest at least 15 minutes
Notes
Whatever vessel you use to bake this casserole, leave room at the top as it WILL rise. To avoid spillover messes, you can put the baking dish(es) on a baking sheet.
Going through the fridge, I was trying to figure out what to do a block of feta cheese. I stumbled upon this recipe and knew I had to make it – I’m glad that I did, it is SO good!
There aren’t that many ingredients, olive oil, feta cheese (of course), cherry tomatoes, pasta, basil and a few spices. That said, use good ingredients because there is nowhere to hide regarding flavor.
In addition to being delicious, it doesn’t take very long to make, 45 minutes. After seasoning the tomatoes with olive oil, salt, and pepper, put them in the oven for 30 minutes. After the time is up, I flipped the feta, added some red pepper flakes and put it back in the oven for another 15 minutes. Once the time is up, serve and garnish with basil.
I hope the next time you aren’t sure what to make, try this quick, inexpensive, delicious, and vegetarian meal. Let me know how your version turns out.
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(3 votes, average: 4.33 out of 5)
