Chili Cheese Dog Dip

Howdy Strangers!

For all 4 of you who may still follow me- I took a long hiatus, but I am back.

Hopefully consistently!

I can't even tell you where the last couple of years disappeared to.

New position at work...

Pandemic...

I don't even know.

I miss blogging, I miss adding to my recipe pile.

Things have been so wonky, I haven't even been cooking much. Hubby has taken over that duty for the most part, which is wonderful- but strange all wrapped up in one tasty package. (reminder to self: thank MIL for teaching hubby and his brother hw to clean, cook, and do laundry!)

Every now and again I find myself back in the kitchen, but it has been to make family faves. Not a lot of creativity happening.

Add along no parties, pot lucks, or any type of get togethers- so not many opportunities to try out new recipes on a crowd.

I hope you and yours have weathered this storm well, and I hope to keep in touch much more frequently!

In the meantime, here is a comfort food dip to warm your soul.

Ingredients:

4 Hot Dogs

15 oz Chili

8 oz Cheddar Cheese (shredded, divided)

4 oz Cream Cheese (soft)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350
2. Dice hot dogs
3. Combine hot dogs, chili, 4 oz cheddar cheese, and cream cheese
4. Place dip into 9x9 dish
5. Sprinkle remaining cheese on top
6. Bake 25 to 30 minutes until melted and bubbling

Print

Adapted From: White Lights on Wednesday

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Make Ahead Mashed Potato Casserole

Hubby is sick.
Help me now...we all know what the "man-cold" is like.




Sigh
It's funny because it is true.

Anyhoo...being a good wife, I saw this comfort food dish on Do They Have Salsa in China and decided it would be the perfect thing for sicky over here.

Yup. Won't cure a man cold, but it tastes dang good and is beyond comforting.

Ingredients:

2 Bags Steam and Mash potatoes

8 oz Cream Cheese (softened)

½ Cup sour cream

½ Cup butter (cubed)

¼ Cup milk

1 ½ Tsp Onion powder

1 Tsp salt

1 Tsp Garlic powder

½ Tsp Pepper

6 Bacon strips (Chopped)

1 Cup Cheddar cheese (shredded)

3 Green onions (chopped)

Directions:

1. Cook bacon until crisp. Set aside to drain.

2. Prepare both bags of Steam and Mash

3. Mash potato with cream cheese, sour cream, and butter

4. Stir in milk and seasonings

5. Place in a greased 9 x 13 inch pan

6. Sprinkle with cheese, onion, and bacon

7. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use

8. Remove from fridge 30 minutes before cooking

9. Bake, uncovered, at 350 for 40-50 minutes

Print

and the milk.... 

Apparently I snubbed the milk during the ingredients picture. Shocker.

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Lasagna Soup

I don't know about where you live...but the weather here is so totally up and down! Chilly, jacket wearing weather followed up by searing humidity.
Huh?
I don't know how to dress, I certainly don't know what to cook!
One night it's comfort food for chilly winds, the next night we don't even want to turn the oven on because it's sticky and humid.

I am such a fall/winter person that I am LOVING when we get the chilly weather.
So into stews, chowders, casseroles...all the comfort foods that the fall bring.

What is your favorite comfort food?



Ingredients:

2 Tsp Olive oil

1 ½ Lbs Italian sausage (bulk)

2 Onions (diced)

4 Garlic cloves (minced)

2 Tsp Oregano

½ Tsp Red pepper flakes

2 Tbsp Tomato paste

1 (28 oz) Can diced tomatoes

6 Cups Chicken broth

2 Bay Leaves

8 oz Rotini pasta

½ Cup Basil (finely chopped)

8 oz Ricotta

½ Cup Parmesan (grated)

½ Tsp Salt

Pepper (to taste)

2 Cups Mozzarella (shredded)

Directions:

1. In large pot, heat olive oil over medium heat

2. Add sausage and saute, breaking into small pieces

3. Cook until sausage is no longer pink

4. Drain any excess fat

5. Add onions and saute until softened

6. Add garlic, oregano, and red pepper flakes

7. Add tomato paste and saute until it turns a rusty brown

8. Add diced tomato (undrained), chicken broth, and bay leaves

9. Bring soup to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 30 minutes

10. Add pasta, increase heat to boil, and cook as long as directed on pasta package

11. Discard bay leaves, add basil

12. Add salt and pepper to taste

13. To each bowl add some ricotta and parmesan

14. Ladle the soup into the bowl

15. Top with mozzarella

Print

Yup, left out my basil. Whoops!

Ricotta and Parmesan in the bowl

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Strawberry Cheesecake Cake

Ingredients:

Cake:

1 Strawberry Cake mix

Ingredients required on box

Cheesecake:

2 (8oz) Pkgs Cream cheese (softened)

⅔ Cup Sugar

Pinch of Salt

2 Large eggs

⅓ Cup sour cream

⅓ Cup Heavy Whipping cream

1 Tsp Vanilla

Frosting:

12 oz Cream cheese (softened)

½ Cup Butter (softened)

2 Tsp Vanilla

¼ Cup Frozen Strawberries (thawed and blended)

1 Tbsp Heavy whipping cream

2-3 Cups Powdered sugar

Directions:

Cheesecake:

1. Preheat oven to 325

2. Place a large roasting pan on the lower third of the oven

3. Set water to boil

4. Prepare a 9 inch springform pan with cooking spray

5. Wrap heavy duty foil around the bottom and up the outside of the pan

6. In large bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth

7. Mix in sugar and salt

8. Add eggs, one at a time, blending after each

9. Mix in sour cream, whipping cream, and vanilla. Mix until smooth.

10. Pour batter into prepared pan.

11. Set springform into prepared roasting pan in pre-heated oven

12. Carefully pour boiling water into roasting pan. About an inch high around the springform.

13. Bake for 45 minutes

14. Cool for an hour

15. Once cooled, place in freezer for 4-5 hours

Cake:
1. Prepare per box directions for 2- 9 inch rounds

Frosting:

1. Combine cream cheese and butter, beat until smooth

2. Add vanilla, strawberry puree, and cream.

3. Mix in 2 cups of powdered sugar

4. Add 1 cup of powdered sugar slowly, until you reach desired consistancy

Assembly:

1. Place one cake layer on a plate

2. Remove cheesecake from freezer, release from pan

3. Top cake layer with cheesecake, trim if needed to match size

4. Place second cake layer on top

5. Frost

Print

*Note* I did the best I could with these last two pictures. It's hard to try to get a phone pic in the middle of a kitchen with 100 people around! Gah!

Adapted from: Recipe Girl

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Spam Breakfast Burritos

My loyal, loyal readers!
There just are no words.

Every time I think I am back up and running...on schedule no less, something gets in the way.
It's gotten to the point where I have started looking around for hidden camera as this must be a joke.
Sadly, no joke.

Most of what is taking up my time is good.
Promotions at work, vacation with friends and family, etc.
Some is not so great.
Illness, work issues, etc.

I ask those of you who read my silly blog and join in on my link party to be patient with me. I am not going anywhere...and I am trying to go back to my original schedules.
Just forgive me when I fail.
It happens to the best of us.

I miss our time to talk, and to share small pieces of my world with you.
I'm trying...harder...starting now!


Thanks for sticking with me

Ingredients:

1 (12 oz) Can Spam (cubed)

4 Eggs

2 Tbsp Milk

1 Tbsp Butter

6 (6 inch) Flour tortillas

1 Cup Cheddar cheese (shredded)

1 Cup Monterey Jack (shredded)

Optional Toppings: Taco Sauce, Salsa, Sour Cream

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 400

2. In medium bowl, beat eggs and milk

3. Melt butter in skillet

4. Add egg mixture and Spam

5. Stir while cooking until done

6. Divide egg/Spam mixture and half of the cheeses over the tortillas

7. Roll and place in pan

8. Sprinkle with remaining cheese

9. Bake 10 minutes

Print

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Shrimp and Pasta Casserole

I cannot believe how long I have been "gone". Seriously, it went in the blink of an eye.
My last post re-hashed my fabulous experience with my first kidney stone.
Gah.
I would like to never do that again.

Since then, it has been a whirlwind of not-so-spectacular experiences.
Nobody needs to hear about that though.

We did have some really great stuff going on too!
My (not so little) cousin turned 21 and we got to have some fun.
Another cousin graduated college with a double major.
Hired some great new employees at work.

I'm OK (if you wondered) I truly just did not realize how long I had been gone!
Back to it!!



Ingredients:

1 ½ Lb Shrimp

1 (16oz) jar Salsa

1 (9oz) Box Angel hair pasta

1 Tsp Dried oregano

1 Tsp Dried basil

1 Tsp Crushed red pepper

⅓ Cup Parsley (chopped)

⅓ Cup Feta cheese

½ Cup Swiss cheese (grated)

1 Cup Plain yogurt

1 ½ Cup Half and Half

2 Eggs

½ Cup Monterrey Jack cheese (grated)

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 350

2. Cook pasta per package directions. Drain and set aside.

3. In large bowl, combine eggs, half & half, yogurt, swiss cheese, feta cheese, parsley, basil, and oregano

4. Grease a 9 x 13 pan

5. Spread half of the pasta on the bottom of the dish

6. Pour all the salsa over the pasta

7. Add half the shrimp

8. Top with monterrey jack cheese

9. Add remaining pasta

10. Top with remainder of the shrimp

11. Pour egg mixture over the top

12. Bake 35-40 minutes or until bubbly

Print

Adapted from: Kitchen Life of the Navy Wife

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