Tater Tot Casserole

This is a very easy and delicious breakfast casserole. The recipe originates with the "Pioneer Woman". I have made it many times and it is a real "crowd pleaser". You can assemble it the night before and bake it in the morning but I have baked it immediately after assembling it and it worked out well. I have also baked it and froze it and then thawed and reheated it without a problem. I usually buy the spicy breakfast sausage to add a little spice. I have also made two smaller portions, one to eat and one in the freezer. Try this casserole, you won't be disappointed!

Italian Meatballs with Garlic Bread

I have been watching a lot of Rachael Ray cooking shows during the Covid 19 pandemic. I have a few of her cookbooks but hadn't tried a lot of her recipes. I love her personality and cooking style so I thought I would try some recipes and have been very pleased with all of them so far. This particular recipe really stands out as one of my favourites. Tasty meatballs in a yummy tomato sauce surrounded by garlic bread. The bread works well as it mops up all the sauce. In the original recipe Rachael makes great big meatballs but I prefer smaller sized balls. When using olive oil use extra virgin olive oil. Passata is a uncooked tomato puree. I usually serve with a salad. This recipe makes 24 meatballs so depending on how many people you are serving you may want to split into two pans and put one in the freezer for another time.

Buster Bar Ice Cream Cake

This ice cream cake is a real "crowd pleaser" and I haven't served it to anyone who didn't like it.  My husband loves Buster Bars from Dairy Queen and this tastes just like it.  First you layer the bottom of the pan with chocolate wafer cookies. Then you spread half the ice cream over the cookies, followed by chocolate fudge and peanuts. Then you spread the remaining ice cream over top of the chocolate peanut layer. You then sprinkle the rest of the nuts of the ice cream and top with chocolate shell topping. Place it in the freezer and you have a  delicious and simple dessert to enjoy this summer. This recipe is made in a deep 9x13 inch pan but I have divided into smaller sized pans depending on the  number of guests.

Banana Granola Bars

     

I had a few over ripe bananas and wanted to make something other than the usual banana bread or muffins. I found this recipe that has proved to be a winner with my family. These bars are packed with banana, dried fruit, quinoa, oats and chia seeds. You can use peanut butter or almond butter and use either honey or maple syrup. I have always used maple syrup and peanut butter combination.  Once the bars are completely cooked I sprinkle dark chocolate chips over the bars and cook for another minute and then spread evenly over the bars for a little added sweetness. This last step is totally optional but I think necessary. I allow bars to cool in the pan and then once cooled place the pan in the fridge to completely set up. Then lift parchment lining out of pan and cut bars to your desired size. I wrap each bar individually with plastic wrap and store in the fridge.

Cast Iron Pan Pizza

Anyone who knows me, knows how much I love pizza. I have been making homemade pizza for 38 years, yes 38 years and longer if you consider the Kraft boxed kits I made in my childhood.  I have had many disasters along the way, still all edible haha. I found this recipe in Cooks Illustrated cooking magazine after I broke my foot last year and happily spent a lot of time with my nose in cook books. Once I got back up on my feet I thought I would give it a try. Happy to report it is delicious and one of the easiest, most home-cook friendly pizzas you can make at home. One minute of dough kneading, no rolling or stretching. And because it is baked in a pan, there is no tricky transferring of the pizza dough to a hot pizza stone. No big mess in your oven when you over shoot and pizza toppings and cheese splatter all oven, not to mention the smoke filling your oven and kitchen.  It is now my favourite homemade pizza and equals any restaurant style pizza and much cheaper. The dough is made and given time to rest in fridge to allow for gluten development. I will make this dough leading up to the weekend so we can enjoy on whatever day on the weekend that works for us. I have two cast iron pans. I will double recipe and make 4 pizzas when we have company. Slide the pizza out of pan and load up the next with toppings and bake. No need to rest and rise in pan as it raised and rested in the cake pan. Trust me, you will love this pizza.

Beef Dip Sandwich

I love beef dip but more times than not the jus or dip is often bland and tasteless. This recipe I adapted from the Pioneer Woman has a very flavourful jus. After the roast is fully cooked and removed from the pan, onions and garlic are added and cooked on the stove top in the pan drippings. Then a packet of french onion soup mix, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce and beef broth are added to the pan. The mixture simmers on the stove top for about an hour. The liquid is strained and the onions are saved to serve over the beef in the sandwich. The end result is a very tasty dip that knocks his recipe out of the park.

Southwest Quinoa Salad

 It took me a long time to be a fan of quinoa. I think the first time I had quinoa it was served without anything added to it, so it was quite boring. Since then I have experimented with several salads and this one is definitely a winner. I found this recipe in a cookbook called "Yum and Yummer' by Greta Podleski. It is fresh, flavourful and satisfying. I often make a double recipe on Sunday and my family packs it for lunches all week.  This recipe is  also great as a side dish with grilled meats/fish. In the above picture I used a mix of red and white quinoa.