Zuppa Toscana Soup Recipe (Copycat Olive Garden)

Now that the weather is changing (we had snow today), we are reverting back to Soup Sunday's at our house. Today I made a copycat recipe from Olive Garden's Zuppa Toscana.  So delicious and warms you from the inside out!

Spicy crumbled bacon with potato in rich creamy broth and spinach topped with bacon! YUM!

INGREDIENTS:

• 4 slices bacon, diced
• 1 pound spicy sausage (I use Jimmy Deans)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 onion, diced
• 4 cups organic chicken stock
• 4 medium russet potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
• 3 cups baby spinach or kale
• 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 
  

DIRECTIONS:

1. Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add bacon and cook until brown and crispy, about 6-8 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate; set aside.
2. Add Italian sausage to the skillet and cook until browned, about 3-5 minutes, making sure to crumble the sausage as it cooks; drain excess fat and set aside.
3. Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add garlic and onion, and cook, stirring frequently, until onions have become translucent, about 2-3 minutes. Stir in chicken broth and bring to a boil. Add potatoes and cook until tender, about 12 minutes.
4. Stir in sausage and spinach until spinach begins to wilt, about 1-2 minutes. Stir in heavy cream until heated through, about 1 minute; season with salt and pepper, to taste.
5. Serve immediately, garnished with bacon.

Italian Stuffed Mushroom Recipe

I made this recipe recently and just threw together some items that I had in the fridge. As my dad (who was visiting) said, its a keeper!  The best stuffed mushrooms you will ever make!  And it's so quick and easy.

Ingredients:

• White button mushrooms 24 oz
• 1/2 a pound of hot Italian sausage like Jimmy Dean
• 1 cup of Parmesan cheese
• 4 oz of cream cheese
• 1 egg yolk
• 1/4 cup of diced onions (minced dried onions work too)
• 1 teaspoon of minced garlic

Instructions:
Wipe your mushrooms with a damp cloth and remove the stem by rocking it back and forth so it comes out clean and makes a bowl!
Brown your sausage and drain.
Add onions and garlic to the pan until translucent
Mix your cream cheese and egg yolk with the parmesean cheese, then add the cooked sausage and mix thoroughly.  Add salt and pepper to taste.

Smear a spoon full onto the mushroom.

Bake at 350 for 20 minutes!

These Italian sausage stuffed mushrooms have flavor that explode in your mouth, so good!

The Christmas Cookie You've Never Tried but Should! Napoleons.

This easy bar dessert recipe with chocolate and vanilla cream is so delicious it will make your heart race! I make sure and make a special batch for my mother-in-law as this is HER favorite of the treats I make. It's mine too! A wonderful dessert for the holidays!

Ingredients:

Crust:
1/2 cup of butter
1/4 cup of sugar
1/4 of cocoa
1 teaspoon of vanilla
Melt in a double boiler until butter is melted. Add 1 egg and stir continuously until thickened, about 3 minutes.
Add:
2 cups of graham cracker crumbs
1 cup of coconut flakes
Press into a 9x9 pan

Filling:
Cream 1/2 cup of butter
1 small package of vanilla pudding
2 cups of powdered sugar
3 Tablespoons of milk
Whip until fluffy.
Spread onto the crust and chill

Chocolate topping:
6 oz of semi-sweet chocolate ships
2 Tablespoons of margarine
Melt in a double boiler and spread on the filling, chill in the fridge.  Cut into squares and keep in the fridge.

So rich and delicious! Its a new holiday cookie that you haven't tried yet for those cookie swaps!

Family Photos and Recipe

I found this recipe today and thought I would share.  I haven't tried it yet but since we'll be having Ham on Christmas Eve I figured I would get the ingredients to make them... it will go great with my potato soup recipe!

Recipe here

We had our photos done for the Holiday Christmas cards my husband sent out to his clients. These are some of the photos from them.  Jessy was such a good baby, every time she sees a camera she grins really big!

 

I'm really hesitant to take her to see Santa... after all she doesn't like men and a huge one wearing a red bathrobe might scare her even more.  Plus, who is it for?  It's not like she'll remember.  So we aren't doing it again this year.  Unfortunately last year when it would have worked, we stood in line for almost 2 hours and she puked on herself and her cute Christmas outfit.  So no photo last year either! Ah the joys of the holiday season.

Chicken Pesto Lasagna Rollups Recipe

I found this recipe on Pinterest but I took some short cuts to make it easy.  After all, moms ain't got time for that!

INGREDIENTS

• 12 lasagna noodles
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 2 cups milk
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 2 cups shredded chicken breast (I grabbed a Rotisserie chicken)
• 2 (15-ounce) container ricotta cheese
• 1 cup basil pesto (grabbed a container at Safeway)
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
• 2 cups marinara sauce, divided (grabbed a jar of Marinara)
• Grated Parmesan, for serving

INSTRUCTIONS

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly oil a 9×13 baking dish or coat with nonstick spray.
• In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook lasagna according to package instructions; drain well.
• To make the béchamel, melt the butter in a large saucepan. Whisk in the flour until lightly browned, about 1-2 minutes. Gradually whisk in the milk and cook, whisking constantly, until thickened, about 3-4 minutes; season with salt and pepper, to taste. Spread 1/2 cup béchamel in the bottom of the prepared baking dish.
• In a large bowl, combine the chicken, ricotta, pesto, 1 cup mozzarella, salt and pepper, to taste. Lay the noodles flat and spread 1/3 cup ricotta mixture evenly along each noodle. Roll up and place seam side down in the baking dish; repeat with remaining noodles and filling. Top with remaining béchamel and 1 cup marinara and sprinkle with mozzarella.
• Place into oven and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until lasagna rolls are heated through and the cheese is beginning to brown.
• Serve immediately on a bed of marinara and garnished with Parmesan, if desired.

It was so quick and easy.  Great for company since its a beautiful presentation.

DIY Gift Idea and Dessert!

I can't wait to decorate for the holidays... a new Hobby Lobby store opened in our town and I think it's going to become my new best friend!

This weekend I finally finished a project for my husband.  He wanted coaster's for his new office. We picked out some coordinating paper and got some basic white tiles at the Home Depot store for about 29 cents.  Cut the paper in a 4x4 size and stick them on with Modge Podge, give it two good coats and then finish it with a resin coating so its completely heat and water proof, not to mention a beautiful glass finish.  I just LOVE how they turned out.

I also tried out a new recipe that turned out amazing!  White Chocolate Cranberry and Pear Crostata.  So easy and delicious.

Get a pie crust from the store and lay it out.  Sprinkle 1.5 cups of white chocolate chips in the center.  In a bowl mix 2 cups of dried cranberries, 4 pears peeled and sliced, 1/2 cup of flour, 1/2 cup of sugar and a pinch of salt. Pile the mixture in the middle of the pie dough. Fold up the edges and brush with melted butter.  Pop it in a 400 degree oven for 30-40 minutes, until its nice golden brown.  Let it cool and serve with a dollop of whipped cream.

Hope you all have a fantastic week!

Potato Soup Sunday - Recipe

Made the MOST AMAZING soup last night.  Potato Soup.  It was easy, quick and so delicious that I'm hoping my husband will forget his lunch today so I get more of it!

INGREDIENTS

• 4 slices bacon, diced
• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 3 1/2 cups whole milk, or more, as needed
• 5 russet potatoes, peeled and cubed
• 2 green onions, thinly sliced
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

• Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add bacon and cook until brown and crispy, about 6-8 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate; set aside.
• Melt butter in a large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Whisk in flour until lightly browned, about 1 minute. Gradually whisk in milk, and cook, whisking constantly, until slightly thickened, about 1-2 minutes. Stir in potatoes and green onions.
• Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer until potatoes are tender, about 15-20 minutes. Stir in cheese, sour cream, salt and pepper, to taste. If the soup is too thick, add more milk as needed until desired consistency is reached.
• Serve immediately, garnished with green onion, cheese and bacon, if desired.

The rest of the weekend was spent doing laundry and catching up from our trip.  Everyone is STILL sick so we spent our time cuddling and eating good foods and of course watching football.

Have a great Monday!

Peaches and Cream French Toast Recipe

My husband and I did a little cooking in the kitchen this weekend.  We tested out several recipes and this one turned out AMAZING.  Just in time for Fall flavors.

Peaches and Cream French Toast
1/2 c butter
1 c brown sugar
2 tbsp reserved juice from canned peaches
1 29 oz can of peaches, drained
1 French baguette, cubed
8 oz cream cheese, cut into small pieces
12 eggs
1 1/2 c half-n-half
1 tsp vanilla

Heat butter, sugar and peach juice in saucepan until bubbly.  Pour into a 13x9 inch casserole dish.  Scatter peach slices over caramel sauce.  Top with bread cubes then pieces of cream cheese.  Place eggs, half-n-half, and vanilla in blender; blend to combine.  Pour egg mixture over bread and cream cheese.  Cover and refrigerate at least an hour but preferably overnight.  Bake, uncovered, in 350F oven for 50-60 minutes.

Italian Calzones

We made Italian Calzones over the weekend.  Real ones you don't put sauce inside of the pastries but dip it later when eating.  I've made these a few times and they are so delicious.

Ingredients
1 pound italian sausage cooked
3/4 cup of ricotta cheese
1 cup of mozzarella cheese
1 cup of parmesan cheese
1 egg
1 teaspoon of chopped parsley
Fresh Basil chopped

Mix it all together in a bowl with a dash of salt and pepper.

Usually I make my dough from scratch but with a toddler running around, ain't nobody got time for that!  So I found this premade dough at Safeway.

I make 4 round circles and divide the mixture between the four of them, fold over the dough to make a crescent shape, wet the edges with a little water and roll into the middle to seal. Poke a few holes in the top for the steam to escape or you'll have a blow-out!

Bake at 375 for 25 minutes or until golden brown. Dip in marinara sauce.  So delicious and EASY.

Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta

I found this delicious recipe from Chef in Training and tried it out last night.  It was so easy and incredibly tasty and the hubby loved it. Winning!

INGREDIENTS

• 10-12 oz penne pasta
• 2 cups cooked and chopped chicken (I used a Rotisserie)
• ¾ cup cooked and crumbled bacon (I used the pre-packaged)
• ¼ cup butter
• ¼ cup flour
• 2 cups heavy cream (milk would be fine, too)
• 1 tsp. onion powder
• 1 tsp. garlic salt
• ⅓ cup ranch dressing, I used Lite House
• ¾ cup shredded cheddar cheese

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Cook pasta according to its package's directions. Drain. I always add a little olive oil after I drain it and stir in around so the pasta noodles don't stick together or the pot.
2. Toss in cooked and chopped chicken as well as cooked and crumbled bacon into the pasta.
3. TO MAKE RANCH ALFREDO SAUCE: Melt butter in saucepan, add flour and stir to combine. Once you have your roux, add heavy cream (or milk) stir constantly until sauce thickens. Remove from heat and stir in Garlic salt, onion powder and ranch dressing until well combined.
4. Pour ranch alfredo over pasta, chicken and bacon. Stir to evenly combine.
5. Add in shredded cheddar cheese and stir to combine.
6. Pour into a casserole pan and bake at 350 degrees F for 15 minutes.

Easy Chicken Enchiladas

These are so easy and yet so delicious.  I make them at least twice a month.

Ingredients

4 chicken breasts cut into chunks
1 Envelope of taco seasoning
1 can of refried beans
2 cups of salsa (I like Pace Medium)
Tortillas
Cheddar cheese (I cut mine into sticks)

Directions

Cook the chicken in a skillet, add the taco seasoning with the water as directed on the package and cook down till the water is gone.  Add the can of refried beans and salsa.  Mix and heat to incorporate.

In a greased baking dish, spoon mixture into your tortillas, add a cheese stick and roll. (This can be refrigerated or put into the freezer at this point).

Bake in 375 degree oven for 20 minutes or until the tortillas just start to crisp and brown.

Top with avocado, sour cream, cherry tomatoes, olives, green onion whatever you like... its all good!  Serve with side of spanish rice.  Easy and quick.

Korean Beef Street Tacos

These are my favorite "food truck" style tacos.  They taste like heaven and are very easy.

Ingredients

•  1 3 pound beef chuck roast, trimmed
•  1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
•  1/3 cup soy sauce
•  1 heaping tablespoon of minced garlic (about 8 cloves if fresh)
•  1 heaping tablespoon of ginger paste
•  2 tablespoons seasoned rice vinegar
•  1 tablespoon sesame oil
•  1 jalapeno, seeded and diced

For the shredded cabbage slaw:

•  1 16 ounce bag shredded coleslaw
•  1 tablespoon  soy sauce
•  2 tablespoons  seasoned rice vinegar
•  Salt and pepper to taste

Make It

1. Place all the ingredients for the beef in the slow cooker.

2. Cover and cook on low for 8 to10 hours, or until the meat is very tender. Use forks to shred the beef, then stir the beef into the juices.

3. In a large bowl, toss together the slaw ingredients.

4. To serve, remove a helping of the beef with a slotted spoon or tongs, place it on a warmed tortilla, and top with some cabbage slaw.

We use the blue corn and flaxseed tortillas, so tasty and put a little sriracha sauce to give it an extra kick.

Mini Lemon Meringue Pies

I made these this weekend for our baby girl's first birthday.

Ingredients

• 1 roll (16.5 oz) Pillsbury® refrigerated sugar cookie dough
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup lemon curd (make your own in the microwave, recipe to follow)
• 2 egg whites
• 3 Tbls granulated sugar

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Coat a mini muffin tin with nonstick cooking spray.
3. In a large bowl, combine cookie dough and all purpose flour. Knead together until well blended.
4. Shape dough into one inch balls. Press cookie dough in bottom and up the sides of each muffin cup, forming cup shape.
5. Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until edges are just starting to turn golden brown.
6. Remove from oven and let cool for at least ten minutes before gently twisting to remove from pan. Place on rack and let cool completely.
7. Whip egg whites in a mixer bowl until foamy. Add sugar one tablespoon at a time, continuing to whip until stiff peaks form. Set aside.
8. Spoon lemon curd into cups. (If necessary, press the center of the cups down with your thumb before spooning in curd to create more space.)
9. Drop one tablespoon of meringue on top of the curd in each cup.
10. Place cups on a parchment-lined cookie sheet and place under the broiler just until tips of meringue start to show color. Remove immediately. (Watch these constantly. My broiler took 15 seconds to brown the meringue.)
11. Let cool for a few minutes before serving or store in refrigerator until ready.

Lemon Meringue Recipe

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 cup fresh lemon juice
• lemon zest from 3 lemons

Instructions

1. Melt butter in microwave, set aside to cool slightly.
2. Whisk together sugar and eggs in a medium-sized microwave-safe bowl.
3. Whisk in lemon juice and zest.
4. Finally whisk in the butter.
5. Microwave on 50% power for one minute. Stir.
6. Continue microwaving at 100% power in one minute intervals, stirring after each interval until the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. (The curd will thicken as it cools.)
7. Strain curd through a fine-mesh sieve to remove zest.
8. Pour curd into sterile jars and store for up to three weeks in the refrigerator.

This stuff is seriously so good, you'll be spreading it on toast, rolls, your finger....

These are easier then it seems, I promise and WELL worth it.  I have a super clingy baby right now and these can be whipped up pretty quickly.  They store great in the refrigerator to be eaten every 10 minutes until they are gone... oh, that's just me I guess.

Easy BBQ Ribs

I like to do my ribs in the slow cooker but if you are on vacation and want to BBQ some ribs for guests, here is the easiest way that I do it.

Take your ribs and pull off the membrane on the back.  You can grab it with a paper towel and it should pull right off.  This helps the meat not to be tough.

RUB WITH LOVE!

• 2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon cayenne
• 1 -2 teaspoon cumin
• 1 tablespoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon dry mustard
• 2 teaspoons brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
• 2 teaspoons lime juice
• 1 teaspoon Tabasco sauce

Spread this paste on the meat thinly and rub it in good with your hands. Let sit for a few hours or refrigerate overnight.  The flavors will get stronger the longer they sit.  You can use any rub even just salt and pepper, it still turns out great.

Wrap tightly in foil. I lay the racks vertically on long vertical sheets. I fold over the top and bottom, then bring the sides up so they are even and fold over and crease, then roll down until the seam is flush against the meat. Be careful not to allow the bones to puncture the foil (I usually use two sheets to prevent this) all your good juices will leak out!

Put in the oven at 300 for 2.5 hours. 

At this point, remove a rack and careful unroll the foil to check if they are done, the bones should be loose in the meat (you should be able to remove a bone just by pulling it with your fingers). If they are still tight, put it back in for another half an hour or so, keep checking.

Put them on the grill and baste them with a mesquite bbq sauce (I like Sweet Baby Rays), turn and baste with sauce every 5 minutes for 20 minutes until crispy!