What's For Dinner? (An oldie and a new one: Easy Skillet Cornbread)

Tonight my house smells incredible and my stomach is growling in great anticipation of my husband's arrival home from work so we can devour the dish that's been cooking for a few hours in the crockpot and the cornbread that's baking as I type. Here's the original post about these incredible Calico Beans.

And my instagram of it just now in the crockpot, happily bubbling away.

Okay, so I'll share with you my secret for quick and easy skillet cornbread when it's already 6:39pm on a school night and your husband is scheduled to get off of work within the next hour and you've realized you are out of cornmeal and didn't realize it until you've already got the oven preheated and calico beans in the crockpot and now it's really necessary to get some cornbread ready to go alongside the beans or else life just won't make any sense anymore and you just can't let that happen so you turn to the trusty mix that grandma used to use and you sigh in relief.  It fills in the gaps, you see. In the bowl, in the stomach, in the menu…it's necessary. 

Being the good little Southerner that I am, I always keep some of this on hand:

It keeps for 6-12 months on the pantry shelf and it's delicious and easy so on nights like these I don't have to panic. And look how beautiful the result is! Mmmm…

Quick & Easy Skillet Cornbread

Makes 6-8 Servings

2 8.5oz boxes of Jiffy corn muffin mix

2 eggs

2/3 cup of milk

2 tablespoons butter

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425.

Mix together cornbread mix, milk and eggs. Place butter in a 12" cast iron skillet and put in preheated oven for about 3-4 minutes until butter is melted and hot. Scrape batter into cast iron skillet, listening for that telltale sizzle that means life is about to be good. Bake 20-25 minutes until golden on top. Cut into pieces and serve.

Not really a true "recipe" considering it's on the back of the box (for muffins anyway), but hey, it's what works for me on nights like these so maybe it can help one of you too. :) Now, if only my hubs would get home so we can EAT! Have a great night,

Steakhouse-Style Baked Potatoes

I adore potatoes. Every kind of potato, you name it, I love it. Au gratin, mashed potatoes, french fries, hash browns, tater tots, baked potatoes, roasted potatoes….every.single.kind. So, the other day when I made the meatloaf and the creamed spinach, since the meatloaf had to bake for an hour anyway, I knew I had time. And with the new double oven we got when we remodeled the kitchen last year, it was the perfect choice. 

Makes 8 Potatoes

8 medium-to-large potatoes

2 tablespoons olive oil

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425.

Scrub potatoes clean and prick all over several times with the tines of a fork. Dry with a towel or set aside to air dry. Cover a baking sheet with foil. Place potatoes 2 inches apart. Brush with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Turn over and repeat for the other side. Place in the preheated oven and bake 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes, until skin is crispy and the body of the potato is soft.

Another simple dish, not really a recipe, but so delicious--I had to share. It's perfect when you have time to make them and it's so much better than just microwaving them, which, admittedly is my default preparation for them. Later this week I intend to do a "baked potato bar" for dinner and I'll use this same technique and serve them alongside butter, sour cream, chives, cheese sauce, broccoli, bacon and whatever else we can come up with. Can't wait!!!

Amazing, Delicious Creamed Spinach

This dish is beyond delicious. My hubs and three of my four kids are creamed spinach fanatics. Usually we get our fix from Boston Market--and theirs is amazing. But you can't get any better than homemade, from scratch. 

Makes 6 Servings

4 tablespoons butter

4 tablespoons flour

1/4 cup chopped onion

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 cup half & half

16 oz. cooked, chopped spinach (I used a combination of 6 oz fresh, sautéed in butter, and 10 oz frozen)

1/2 cup parmesan cheese

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

Pinch of nutmeg

Directions:

Melt butter over medium heat, sprinkle flour evenly and whisk quickly until combined. Cook for 3-5 minutes until lightly browned and bubbly. Add onion and garlic and sautee for another 1-2 minutes until slightly softened. Slowly whisk in milk, whisking constantly to avoid lumps. Cook another 3-5 minutes until thickened. Stir in salt, pepper, nutmeg and parmesan. Taste and add more seasonings if needed. Stir in spinach, folding gently until evenly mixed. Remove from heat and serve.

This comes together so quickly and is so yummy and makes a great side dish for any meal. We had ours with meatloaf, broccoli and baked potatoes, and there was just enough for one person to have leftovers, which my husband promptly devoured the next day with our turkey dinner. I like thinking the cream, butter and cheese fooled my kids into eating spinach, but honestly three out of my four kids love spinach anyway. Have a great day! 

Ultimate Twice-Baked Potatoes

Several years ago, on the day of the very first Gator football game of the season, hubs decided to make this delicious concoction for everyone. It was an immediate hit and it's been a regular on our menu ever since--whether it's for parties or dinner at home just us. He usually makes a separate version for the kids minus the onions, and the kids just tear them up. I guess for them it's like a cross between a baked potato and mashed potatoes--both of which they LOVE. Sometimes we make them without the broccoli, but it's an easy way to get that extra veggie in the meal, so why not? Do these look amazing or what? We always make enough for an army, but you can easily half the recipe.

Makes 6-8 Servings

10 potatoes

1 stick butter, softened

1 cup sour cream

1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

1 cup chopped broccoli

1/2 cup chopped green onions

12 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400.

Clean potatoes and stab many times with a fork. At this point, you need to cook them; you can bake them in a 400 degree oven for 75 minutes, you could wrap them in foil and put them in a crockpot for 4-6 hours on high, or you could microwave them for about 10-20 minutes until softened. It all depends on how soon you need them to be ready. After they're cooked, carefully slice each potato in half lengthwise. Using a sturdy spoon, scoop out the insides, creating a hollowed-out shell like so: 

Place the filling in a large bowl, then put all the shells on a well-greased cookie sheet and place them in the oven while preparing the filling. You can either use a potato masher on all the ingredients in a large bowl, or if you want a creamier filling, you can put everything in a mixer and blend it all, being careful not to overblend, you don't want a gummy filling. Taste and add more seasoning if desired and you can add milk if the mixture seems to dry. Usually a half cup at a time until you get the consistency you want. Pull the shells out of the oven and scoop the filling into each one. Then put back in the oven and bake for 30 minutes, until bubbly and browned on the top. 

YUM, I could go for a leftover twice baked-potato right now! I love these. They're so tasty and so filling, so they make the perfect accompaniment to dinner or as an appetizer for a get-together. We've experimented with all sorts of fillings and different cheeses too. Sometimes we sprinkle a little cheese on top to get a melty coating. Also garlic powder is good in these, I'd add about a tablespoon to the filling ingredients. Swiss is excellent with the broccoli and ham in place of the bacon goes perfectly with that. Play around with it! It's such a good recipe and so easy, you can't go wrong. Have a great Tuesday! We are headed for IKEA ourselves and I can't wait...it's been months since I was there and I'm suffering from withdrawals. ;)

Creamy Spinach Dip

Makes 6 Servings

2 pkg Knorr Spring Vegetable Soup mix
2 10 oz packages frozen chopped spinach, thawed
16 oz. sour cream
1 cup mayo
1/4 cup parmesan

Directions:
Squeeze liquid out of spinach and place in a large bowl. Stir in remaining ingredients until well combined. Refrigerate until serving. Serve with crackers, tortilla chips or bread.


I love spinach dip! This is one of the tastiest versions I've ever had. My husband is a huge fan of it, he always tells me he's just going to take the bowl and a spoon and eat it all, LOL. My oldest daughter, Jade, and my oldest son, Noah, are both big fans of spinach just like their dad so they always get big helpings of this dip as well. In fact, Noah asked me if I could make it for his birthday dinner this year! He's so cute. I love seeing how much they love spinach. As a mom it makes me really happy when my kids love something so good for them (spinach in general, obviously, not this dip, LOL). They'll eat spinach any way they can get their hands on it, too. Makes mama so proud, *sniff sniff*. Haha. So I needed a second dish to bring along with me to the Fourth of July BBQ at our friends' house the other day, so I decided to whip this one up. It takes no time at all to throw together and it's always a big hit so it was the perfect choice along with my Bacon Cheddar Macaroni Salad that I had also brought. I've served this dip in a big bowl of pumpernickel bread that I've hollowed out; rye is also a good choice. I didn't get a chance to go to Publix though for a fresh loaf of pumpernickel so I ended up just bringing Ritz crackers and those were really good with it too. Gotta love this versatile appetizer that's always a big hit at parties!

Bacon Cheddar Macaroni Salad

Happy 4th of July! 

 

Fireworks off of Flagler Beach. Photo credit: Daytona Beach News-Journal / David Massey

Happy Independence Day, America! My very favorite place to watch the fireworks is Flagler Beach, pictured above. There's just something so wonderful about sitting with my toes in the sand and listening to the pounding of the surf along with the pop-pop-boom of the fireworks while taking in the beauty of the colorful lights both in the sky and reflected on the surface of the ocean. Breathtaking. This year we won't be watching them in Flagler though, but instead we will be having a blast at our friends' annual bash for the fourth and we're super excited for that too! Our friend Kevin, who we affectionately and jokingly refer to as a pyromaniac, loves to entertain all of us with an impressive display of fireworks each year and so far they've gotten better and better every year so we're really looking forward to tonight's display. Kevin and his wife Lindsey, one of my best and longest-known friends, provide burgers, dogs and chicken all freshly grilled and delicious, and the rest of us bring side dishes to go along with it. Every year it's a big decision to figure out what I feel like bringing. One year I brought buffalo chicken dip and ham roll-ups...last year I think I brought deviled eggs and broccoli casserole maybe? I can't even remember, it's terrible. This year I'm excited to bring my Bacon Cheddar Macaroni Salad, which is similar to my Basic Macaroni Salad with a few additions, like BACON. Making a delicious dish even better!

Makes 6 Servings

1 16 oz. bag pasta, (I like corkscrews, elbows and ziti for this dish)

2/3 cup milk

1/3 cup sour cream

2/3 cup mayonnaise

1 tablespoon garlic powder

2 tablespoons chopped dried chives

1 tablespoon dried thyme

2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon pepper
3 medium tomatoes, cut into 1" cubes

1 bunch scallions, chopped

8 oz sharp cheddar cheese, cut into cubes

12 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled

Directions:

Boil pasta in salted water according to package directions. Drain and toss in a large bowl with milk. Place in fridge to cool off for 10-15 minutes. Take out and stir in sour cream, mayo, garlic powder, chives, thyme, salt and pepper. Taste and add additional seasonings if needed. Toss in tomatoes, scallions, cheese and bacon. Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. 

Mmm, this is delicious! There's something about biting into a chilled, creamy bite of pasta and getting a big bite of sharp cheddar cheese or crispy bacon along with it. I've also used other cheeses--swiss is good and monterey jack is really good too. I've served the pasta warm as well, but I just prefer it chilled at summer BBQs...too hot outside for hot pasta! Hope you have a great Fourth of July however you're spending it!

Rewind: Risi e Bisi (Rice & Peas)

One of my very favorite meals ever is Risi e Bisi, Italian for Rice & Peas, a side dish with rice, peas, ham and parmesan in it...yum! I first posted this recipe 6 years ago, but it's one of our favorites that just doesn't get the recognition it deserves so I'm featuring this beauty again today. :) My mom made it when I was a kid and now my kids love it too so it's a regular at our dining table. It's technically a side dish but we serve it as a main dish. After all, it has protein, carbs, vegetables...everything I need to meet my criteria for a one dish meal! It's really easy (isn't everything I make easy??) to throw together and doesn't take long at all, less than an hour to cook.  I make ours in the rice cooker, but it can be made on the stovetop as well. I actually had to prepare this batch on the stovetop since my rice cooker decided it didn't feel like reaching the boiling stage and kept shutting off. Fickle thing. It's a new fancy digital one and it doesn't hold a candle to our old basic one from the Asian market. Unfortunately the one from the Asian market took a bath in the sink thanks to a certain two (now four) year old and we thought we'd be improving by getting the fancy one. Nope! Oh well, it works. Just not as well. But it gets the job done, right? Right. Enough complaining, on to the EXCITING part, the recipe! I love recipes. I may have an addiction...

Makes 4 Servings

2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup minced onion

1 cup long-grain white rice
2 cups chicken broth

1 tablespoon dried parsley
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 cup frozen peas, thawed
1/2 cup diced ham
3 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

Directions:

Rice cooker: Plug in rice cooker and press "Cook" button. Put oil and onion in rice cooker pan and saute 4 minutes. Add rice, chicken broth, parsley, salt and pepper. Stir and cover. Cook until machine function switches to "warm." Add peas and ham and stir. Close lid and let rest for 10 minutes. Open lid and stir in butter and parmesan. Serve immediately. 

Stovetop: If you want to cook on the stovetop, use a deep saucepan and sauté the onion in the oil as directed, over medium heat. Add the 5 ingredients listed next, raise the heat to medium-high and bring to a boil. Cook until the rice has thickened and soaked up all the liquid and is almost done at al dente. Turn the heat off but leave the pan on the burner. Stir in the peas and ham, close the lid and let sit for 10 minutes. Stir in butter and parmesan and serve.

My daughter Annabelle loves this dish, she cheers when I tell her I'm making it for dinner and she requests it for her birthday dinner almost every year. This year she actually requested daddy's grilled cheeseburgers, my deviled eggs and chips and dip, an equally delicious meal if I do say so. I'm partial to my husband's grilled burgers. He works magic on that grill. So what are you doing with your Wednesday? Anyone going to see fireworks tonight? Me, I sit here with The Notorious B.I.G. blasting on my Pandora summer jams station, it's 11:30 am and my kids are just now starting their routine of running around the house and bickering at each other (late start, it's summer, they sleep in...I'm blessed. I know.) and I'm contemplating what daily craft to do today. Do I feel like baking or making some paints for the kids? Maybe not paints, those have to dry overnight. Maybe we'll make magnets today. Also on my to-do list (and has been for months awhile if I'm being honest...) is to reorganize my office desk in the middle of the family study which is right off of our great room. I don't have anywhere private to move it where I can write in peace (peace? what is that??) so the least I could do is make it more aesthetically pleasing and as zen-like in organization as possible. Who knows, maybe you'll be seeing a before and after tomorrow of my workspace...miracles could happen! Have a great Wednesday whatever you're up to today!

Perfect Grilled Chicken Marinade & Macaroni Salad

A few days ago I posted about summertime food and promised to post my favorite recipes for chicken marinade as well as basic macaroni salad. 

My preferred way to prepare the marinated chicken is grilled, but it would also be good pan-seared, blackened or baked. Really, this is such a good, basic marinade that it's delicious with pork chops, steak, just about any kind of meat. Hubs grilled up some chicken on the grill last night that I had marinated all day and then I made macaroni salad and Pioneer Woman's Fresh Corn Casserole to go along with it. That meal fed 8 hungry people and we were all stuffed and still had leftovers too. 

Man, I just love summer food!

My Favorite Chicken Marinade

Marinates 3-4lbs of meat

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup dark balsamic vinegar

1/2 cup lemon juice

1/2 cup soy sauce

1/3 cup olive oil

3 tablespoons worcestershire

3 tablespoons sesame oil

2 tablespoons hoisin sauce

1-2 teaspoons sriracha sauce

6 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

2 teaspoons onion powder

Directions:

Place all ingredients in a bowl and whisk well. Pour over raw chicken in a ziploc bag or container. Seal; shake and toss well and let marinate 4-6 hours, flipping every couple hours to ensure even marinating. 

Basic Macaroni Salad

16oz pasta

1 cup mayonnaise

2 large tomatoes, chopped

4 hard boiled eggs, peeled and diced

1/2 medium onion, finely minced

1 teaspoon black pepper

2 teaspoons kosher salt

Directions: 

Boil pasta according to package directions. Drain and rinsed for several minutes with cold water until cooled. Mix with mayo, tomatoes, eggs, onion, salt and pepper. If pasta is too dry, add more mayo 2 tablespoons at a time until you reach the desired consistency. Taste and add more seasonings if needed. Chill until ready to serve.

Two of my favorite things! This basic macaroni salad is so good just as written, but it also makes a great jumping off point to create other variations. I've added chopped green onion, crumbled cooked bacon and cheddar cheese cubes. I've also added diced green pepper, shredded Monterey Jack and a few shakes of cumin. There are so many ways that you can make this and it's really a perfect side dish for summer since it's cold and filling. It goes perfectly with grilled meats, as a side dish for cold cut sandwiches or to bring along for a BBQ.

Oven-Roasted Lemon Garlic Rosemary Chicken & Crispy Seasoned Red Potatoes

One of my very favorite meals is oven-roasted chicken. I love chicken so much, I could eat it every day and never tire of it.

(Does this look delicious or what? If making a whole chicken like this has you scared, fear no more! This is one of the EASIEST meals to make and you'll earn the awe of your family and friends with its perfection. :))

     Of course I have to mix it up with red meat and pork, mainly for the males in my household, and I enjoy other meats too, but I just love chicken. My husband is flabbergasted when I order oven-roasted chicken at our favorite Steakhouse, but it's so delicious and just as good as homemade, except I don't have to make it myself! Last time we went, I actually gave in and ordered a medium steak and what happened? It came back rare. And I had to send it back and get them to cook it some more. Should've stuck with the chicken! ;) 

     I love a good steak or burger or pork chop just as much as the next meat-eating person, but I have yet to find a burger at a restaurant that is even half as good as my hubs makes them on the grill. I can usually find chicken that satisfies, but maybe I'm just pickier when it comes to other meats and only homemade will do. I don't know. 

     Anyway, last night I made two oven-roasted whole chickens, boiled 20 ears of corn and roasted 2 lbs of seasoned red potatoes in the oven for my hungry family. A family of six can put away some food! Since we remodeled our kitchen a couple months ago, the new double oven made quick and easy work of it. Potatoes in the top oven, chickens in the bottom and corn on the stovetop. It was one of those dinners that people would think took all night but in reality was so easy to make and took hardly any prep time at all.

Oven-Roasted Lemon Garlic Rosemary Chicken

Makes 4 Servings

1 Whole Chicken, giblets removed

1 lemon

1 head of garlic

2 tablespoons of dried rosemary

4 tablespoons melted butter

Kosher salt

Ground black pepper

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425.

Spray roasting pan with cooking spray and place chicken inside, breast side up. Slice lemon and head of garlic in half, no need to peel either. Sprinkle salt and pepper liberally inside chicken cavity, then stuff both halves of lemon and garlic inside. Rub melted butter all over the chicken, massaging it in well and making sure to cover all outer surfaces. Sprinkle plenty of salt and pepper all over the chicken, then sprinkle rosemary evenly. Bake in oven for 90 minutes, then remove pan and cover with foil; let sit for 20 minutes before carving.

Crispy Seasoned Red Potatoes

Makes 4 Servings

1 lb red potatoes

4 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons dried rosemary

2 tablespoons Kosher salt

1/2 tablespoon ground black pepper

1 tablespoon garlic powder

Directions:

Preheat oven to 435.

Wash potatoes and cut in half lengthwise, then cut each half in half again, leaving you with potato quarters cut in wedges. (You can cut each half into three or four wedges if you like smaller wedges, this is what I did last night. If you prefer your wedges to be pretty crispy, you can either pre-boil these potatoes for 5 minutes or microwave them for 2-3 minutes to get them a little softer before baking, which will make for a crispier potato out of the oven.) Place potatoes in a large ziploc bag along with olive oil and shake well. Add seasonings and shake well until evenly coated. Pour onto greased cookie sheet and bake on bottom rack for 30 minutes until golden brown and crispy.

     Give this meal a try and you'll be so pleased with the results. The butter gives the chicken such amazing flavor and keeps it moist along with getting that nice golden, crispy skin that looks straight out of a cooking magazine. I'm already looking forward to leftovers for lunch today! Yum, yum, yum!

Summertime Eats!

I really can not believe it's summertime again already! Don't get me wrong, I LOVE summer. I love having my kiddos home with me and we always make a summer bucket list of things we want to do and try to do a different thing at least 4 out of the 7 days in a week, if not more. We also love taking road trips together. One of my very favorite type of vacation is a road trip. I just love seeing the country; all the different cities and states and scenery and stopping at lots of different restaurants and local eateries, visiting museums and state parks and even playing all the silly car games. I love it all! ABC license plate? You got it! Ahem, back to my point: so summertime gets really hot and humid in my lovely state of Florida. So we try to eat a lot of sandwiches and cold salads and we do a bunch of grilling and eating outside. So we hardly ever eat a big, hot dinner that requires a lot of oven and/or stovetop cooking--it's just too darn hot for that! So I thought I would share some of our favorite Summertime Eats. I'm always on the lookout for new favorites and we like to mix those in to our traditional standards.

Summer Meal #1: Meatball Hoagies with a big garden salad.

This is pretty quick and easy and won't heat up your oven for long--the hoagies only need to bake for 15 minutes or so. I usually make some homemade ranch dressing to go with it--I love Pioneer Woman's version!


Summer Meal #2: Chicken Salad Focaccia Sandwiches with Carrot Sticks, Potato Chips and PW's Ranch Dressing.

Again, the focaccia doesn't take long to bake and you chill the chicken salad, so you've got a nice, cool but filling meal that even the kids love!


Summer Meal #3: Grilled chicken with macaroni salad and corn on the cob. (Recipes Coming Soon!)

I love to make a quick marinade for chicken in the morning, put it and the chicken in a ziploc in the fridge in preparation for the hubs to grill it later that night. My mom's Basic Macaroni Salad is always a popular side dish in the summer and there's just something about pairing it with grilled chicken that brings back all the memories of my childhood during the summer.


We love to wash all our food down with a big glass of ice cold sweet tea or my Homemade Strawberry Lemonade and serve up some delicious Blueberry Cobbler for dessert--made with fresh from the farm blueberries! We go blueberry picking every summer and freeze enough fresh blueberries to last us until the next summer. This delicious bounty leads to muffins, pancakes, cobblers, ice cream...and just blueberries eaten by themselves accompanied by little bluish purple faces and fingers. :)

Here's a recipe that is quick and easy as well as SUPER delicious. I mean, it's got bacon in it, you just can't go wrong. If you love BLTs like I do, you'll go gaga over these roll-ups. They're great to serve for lunch, as a snack, or to bring along with you to those summer BBQs where everyone brings a dish to share:


BLT Roll-Ups

Makes 12-14 Servings

8 oz cream cheese, softened 
1/2 cup mayo 
16 slices of bacon, cooked & crumbled 
1 cup of chopped, seeded tomatoes 
4  8" flour tortillas
1 cup shredded romaine lettuce 

Directions:

Mix cream cheese and mayo in a medium bowl. Add bacon and tomatoes and mix well. Spread evenly onto tortillas and top with lettuce. Roll up tightly, place on a plate, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes or more. Take out and cut each wrap into 7 one-inch slices and serve.


Another easy one we love to make for parties:


Ham Roll-Ups

Makes 10-12 Servings

8 oz cream cheese, softened
1 (2 1/4 oz) can chopped black olives, drained
1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions
8-10 slices fully cooked deli ham

Directions:

Beat cream cheese until smooth. Stir in olives and onions and mix well. Spread evenly over ham slices and roll up tightly starting with the short side. Chill for at least an hour or overnight. Cut into 1-2" slices and serve.


Well, I hope that gets you started on some yummy summer food. I've already made a few items on this list and have plans to make the rest of the list and then some. I LOVE summer! Happy dance!!!