52 Ways to Cook: November 2015

Monday, November 30, 2015

EASIEST NO BAKE CHRISTMAS COOKIE EVER - Nutter Butter Santa Cookies! - 52 Cookie Recipes

Cookies for the lazy cook... These are so easy. They do take a while because you have to wait for the first half (the beard half) to harden and cool before you can redip the cookie to make the hat half. But that is just waiting time and not really hands on cooking time.

The star of the cookie are NUTTER BUTTER COOKIES. The ones shaped like a peanut.

I made these as part of my commitment to make a snack for my Church's Children's Church and they were wildly popular (What's not to love?).

Cute as heck, easy to make and they taste very KID FRIENDLY!

Enjoy indeed!

Keep scrolling down for this easy to follow recipe...

OK... Here's what I did...

Nutter Butter Santa Cookies!

Ingredients

30 Nutter Butter Brand Cookies
1 Package White Chocolate Chips (or White Chocolate Melting discs)
30 Red MandMs for the mouth
60 Mini Chocolate Chips for the eyes
Sprinkles of Red Sugar
30 White Chocolate Chips for the ball on the end of the hat

Cooking Directions

Melt the White Chocolate in the microwave. WARNING, white chocolate burns easy and seizes up (if it does, add a couple tsp of cream and reheat). Melt the white chocolate 15 seconds at a time, stir and repeat. DO NOT OVER HEAT. As you stir, bits of un-melted chocolate will melt. It took me 3 ZAPS to melt the lot.
Dip each cookie to coat 2/5ths of one end (to make the beard). Set on a sheet of waxed paper, Add a red MandM for the mouth and allow to cool (refrigerate if you like) until coating is cool and solid.
Once solid, repeat with the opposite end, 2/5ths coated for the hat. Place on a sheet of waxed paper. Sprinkle the red sugar on the new (still wet part) and add a white chocolate chip to look like the ball on a hat.
Allow to cool, harden and serve with a cold glass of milk and ENJOY!

*************************************************************************

So, I am pleased to list this as one of my Growing list of "52 Ways to Cook COOKIE, BARS and TRUFFLES"!!!

Old school like classic criss cross peanut butter to new takes on interesting recipes like a beautiful Red Velvet with the cream cheese mixed inside the cookie, accented with white chocolate chips! Even a Pineapple Cream Cheese EASY Bar with only 5 ingredients!

Stop on by, there's always a new cookie in the cookie jar!

****************************PINTEREST**************************

Come and find me on Pinterest... Any of my "52 Ways to cook" Boards are worth following. If you like this post, please take a second and "Pin" this to your own boards... Better yet, if you are part of a foodie group board please take a second and add this post to your group pins... best way to show your Love!

And BTW, if you are not yet part of a group board, drop me an email at Contact@eRecipeCards.com and request to be added to my group board... FAVORITE FOOD BLOGGERS! (be sure to include your pinterest ID when you write) Once you are added, any pins you add will be seen by 10s of THOUSANDS of followers of the board (and growing daily).

Rules, only 2...

In order to join you need to start following the group board as well as at least one of my boards.
And you must ONLY pin original sources, posts from food related bloggers only. If you are a blogger, this is a great way to have thousands of potential readers see your work, If you are a fan of bloggers, a great way to share your favorites...
Come and be a part of ... FAVORITE FOOD BLOGGERS! o

Sunday, November 29, 2015

BACON BBQ Ranch Deviled Eggs - 52 Church PotLuck Dishes

It's Deviled Egg time again!

Just about any time my Church has a PotLuck meal I always like to make a plate of deviled eggs. The list of possible ingredients is just about endless but I always like to add a little of my own specialty ingredients...

Or a fan favorite like BACON BACON BACON and even a second favorite... Ranch Dressing.

But I also like to add a bit of my own creation. I like to make my own BBQ Sauce. While you can and should use your own favorite, there is always a little extra bit of brag worthy rights when you can shyly shout from near the pulpit that that sauce was your own creation!

For these, I made a batch of Holiday themed Cranberry BBQ Sauce with just a hint of the Christmas favorite. A little bit spicy, a little bit seasonally sweet and a whole lot of wonderful. A great place to start if you ever feel like making a batch of your own.

In the mean time - BACON and Ranch and MORE BACON... Now that's a party!

ENJOY!

OK... Here's what I did...

BACON BBQ Ranch
Deviled Eggs

Ingredients

8 Large Eggs, Hard-Boiled and Peeled
1 TBS Mayonnaise
3 TBS Ranch Dressing
3 TBS Your Favorite brand of BBQ Sauce
4 Slices of Bacon, fried crispy 2 slices cut into 1/2 inch pieces. the other 2 pieces cut into small diced
Drizzle of additional BBQ sauce as Garnish

Cooking Directions

Slice the eggs in half lengthwise, putting the yolks in a medium bowl and the whites on a platter.
Use a fork to mash the yolks and mix in the mayonnaise, mustard, ranch dressing and BBQ Sauce.
Put the 1/2 inch BACON pieces in the bottom of the "hole" in the egg white halves.
Place the yolk mixture into a piping bag with a large opening star tip OR into a sturdy resealable plastic bag, push into one corner, and cut off the tip to make a pastry bag. Pipe the yolk mixture into the whites.
Arrange the eggs on a serving dish. Sprinkle additional BACON on top of the eggs, then drizzle additional BBQ Sauce over the eggs. Cover loosely with plastic wrap, sealed around the edges. Chill in the fridge for at least 3 hours to overnight.
Serve Chilled and ENJOY!

******************************************************

This recipe has been added to my growing list of "52 Church PotLuck Dishes"!

A list of something NEW worthy of being shown off at a neighborhood BYODish (Bring Your Own Dish) Party, a Family special occasion dinner, Any Big Holiday Gathering or of course that glorious day when you bring a dish to share with your Church family...

Ages ago, literally almost a half century ago I was listening to our pastor talking about a PotLuck Dinner. It happened to be scheduled around a church work day when we were expected to weed, polish and do general cleaning and maintenance around the church (you know, back in the day when there were no no-wax floors and church pews smelled of Old English furniture polish). I am of course paraphrasing, but as I recall the pastor said,

"A potluck, like a church requires work. At a potluck everyone is expected to contribute.. At a church no one should come empty handed and no one should leave unfed".

I will confess that in my youth I brought more store bought plastic spoons and forks than I ever brought covered dishes and crock pots of fresh made love and caring delights. But now that I have become a hobbyist cook, I occasionally am reminded of those days and people from my youth. I reminded and I do wish that I could drop a dish of some new creation on those old tables at my fondly remembered Liberty Baptist Church. Tables covered with newspapers and loaded with God's bounty prepared with love and caring... Enjoy

***********************PINTEREST*********************

And BTW, if you are not yet part of a group board, drop me an email at Contact@eRecipeCards.com and request to be added to my group board... FAVORITE FOOD BLOGGERS! (be sure to include your pinterest ID when you write) Once you are added, any pins you add will be seen by 10s of THOUSANDS of followers of the board (and growing daily).

Rules, only 2...

In order to join you need to start following the group board as well as at least one of my boards.
And you must ONLY pin original sources, posts from food related bloggers only. If you are a blogger, this is a great way to have thousands of potential readers see your work, If you are a fan of bloggers, a great way to share your favorites...
Come and be a part of ... FAVORITE FOOD BLOGGERS! on Pinterest

Saturday, November 28, 2015

Sausage - Milk Gravy and Parmesan Biscuits - One Skillet Meal - 52 Breakfast Recipes

This is one of my very favorite meals. And this is also just about as easy to make as it gets. Total time to make this recipe is only about 30 minutes, measuring cup to table.

One note, the recipe I am showing is the one I use a lot. I generally decide to make this on the spur of the moment so I don't have any buttermilk handy for the biscuits. SO I use a little cheat, combine milk and vinegar, stir, let sit for about 5 minutes and you have a pretty close substitution. Adds a little extra zing to the biscuits over plain milk.

I am also in love with the cost. If you watch for sales, about every couple of months you can usually find a "tube" of bulk sausage for sale for only 1 dollar a pound. When that happens, stock up and freeze em. I buy 20 at a time and usually run out before the next sale starts. Shopping wisely, this entire meal comes in a t about $2 - $3 TOTAL, 50 Cents a serving!

FAST - EASY - CHEAP - ONLY USES PANTRY INGREDIENTS YOU ALREADY HAVE
And DELICIOUS!

Enjoy

OK... Here's what I did...

Sausage - Milk
Gravy and Biscuits
One Skillet Meal

Ingredients

1 "Tube" Bulk Sausage
4 TBS Butter
4 TBS Flour
4 Cups Milk
2 heaping tsp Black pepper
1 tsp Sage
FOR THE BISCUITS - 3 Cups Flour
1/2 Cup Grated Parmesan Cheese
1 TBS Baking Powder
1 TBS Sugar
Pinch of Salt
1 Cup Plus separate 2 TBS whole Milk
2 TBS Plus separate 1 tsp White Vinegar
Plenty of Black Pepper for Garnish

Cooking Directions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
In a 10 inch cast iron skillet over medium high heat, cook the sausage until lightly browned. Remove sausage and drain on a paper towel. Discard the
Meanwhile, prepare the biscuit dough - Add the vinegar to the whole milk, stir to mix and allow to sit for a couple of minutes while you prepare the dry ingredients.
Add Flour, Cheese, Baking Powder, Sugar and Salt and whisk to combine. Add 1 Cup (reserving a couple TBS worth of) the vinegar milk (similar to buttermilk) and mix with a fork until just combined. DO NOT OVER MIX.. Set aside while you finish the gravy.
BACK TO THE GRAVY - in the skillet, over medium heat, melt butter. While whisking, sprinkle the flour into the butter and continue to whisk until combined. Continue to whisk until a smooth slightly thick gravy begins to form ... about 2 minutes.
Add milk and again whisk to combine. Increase heat until mixture begins to bubble. Continue to whisk for about 3 minutes until the gravy starts to thicken. Add the sausage back to the skillet along with the Pepper and Sage.
Add the biscuits to the top of the gravy, 8-10 heaping TBS of batter at a time.
Brush the tops of the biscuits with the reserve vinegar milk, pepper heavily.
Bake uncovered for 12 minutes until the biscuits get a crunchy on the top with a Golden Brown and Delicious look. The gravy will be bubbly around the edges.
Remove from oven right to the table (HOT... use protection so you do not scorch your table).
Serve HOT and ENJOY!

******************************************************

This simple recipe has been added to my growing list of "52 Breakfast Ideas!"

It's the most important meal of the day. From fancy to simple, there are always ways to dress up a breakfast dish. These are the meals that make Bed and Breakfast Inns legendary (and usually easier than you think).

Here's your chance to make your guests Ooh and Aah!

***********************PINTEREST*********************

Rules, only 2...

In order to join you need to start following the group board as well as at least one of my boards.
And you must ONLY pin original sources, posts from food related bloggers only. If you are a blogger, this is a great way to have thousands of potential readers see your work, If you are a fan of bloggers, a great way to share your favorites...
Come and be a part of ... FAVORITE FOOD BLOGGERS! on Pinterest

Friday, November 27, 2015

Cranberry Cornbread Ham Sliders (Holiday Leftovers) - 52 Holiday Appetizer Ideas

I love holiday meals. I love the big spread, the options, the special dishes that you onlt seem to make once or twice a year (why is that???).

But my secret sin is that I love this leftover dish. Come Midnight when the house is quiet, the guests and family are down and you get a minute to relax.

There is nothing better.

I made these cornbread muffins for Thanksgiving. They were just about gone after the meal. But they were so good I made a second batch next day. Next year I plan to make some in advance so I can make some cornbread dressing, but this year I just wanted to be able to make these little sandwiches.

Small enough to be considered a 2 or 3 bite appetizer and just the right size to be a MUST MAKE Midnight snack, These are my Holiday BOMB of Leftovers!

Cornbread muffin for the bread a little leftover ham (but turkey works as well and some sweet and savory slightly spicy Cranberry Chutney...

Yum and ENJOY!

OK... Here's what I did...

Cranberry
Cornbread
Ham Sliders
(Holiday Leftovers)

Ingredients

1 Dozen Rosemary Corn Muffins
1 Dozen bits and drabs pieces of Holiday Ham - Mustard Pistachio Bourbon Crusted Ham But a Piece of Turkey works as well.
1 Dozen Heaping tsp of Craisin Cranberry Chutney

Cooking Directions

Cut the Muffins in half
add a piece of ham
add a dollop of Cranberry Chutney
ENJOY!

Works as an appetizer...

Works as a light lunch...

And most of all, works when you are making a midnight snack by the light of a refrigerator bulb.

Merry Christmas and Happy Thanksgiving!

*************************************************************************

So, I am pleased to list this as one of my Growing list of "52 Appetizers Recipes"!!!

From Dips and Salsas to everyone's favorite, Deviled Eggs; Appetizers will set the mood for something special. And make enough different ones and you have a Tapas Meal!

Links include Dips (Take a Look at the WORLD's BEST Guacamole recipe (and world's easiest to make), Salsas, Grilled Bites, Watermelon Art, and of course something with a spectacular presentation and taste... Take a look, something to match any occasion...

****************************PINTEREST**************************

Rules, only 2...

In order to join you need to start following the group board as well as at least one of my boards.

And you must ONLY pin original sources, posts from food related bloggers only. If you are a blogger, this is a great way to have thousands of potential readers see your work, If you are a fan of bloggers, a great way to share your favorites...
Come and be a part of ... FAVORITE FOOD BLOGGERS! on Pinterest

Thursday, November 26, 2015

Ham and Cheese Roll-Ups - 52 Appetizers and Holiday Leftovers Ideas

WOW oh WOW do I love these little gems.

It is basically a Ham and Cheese sandwich, but the secret is a Worcestershire Mustard sauce that gets baked into the mix, making these loaded with flavor!

Think Cinnamon Rolls but with a savory Meat and cheese spin. And like cinnamon rolls, the real treat is the sauce.

You can easily make this with lunch meat. I always take a look at the deli counter to see what's on sale. $2 worth of Honey Ham or a Cajun spiced thin sliced turkey and this works.

Over Christmas and Thanksgiving this year I made a Pistachio Mustard crusted Ham (with just enough Bourbon to strike a blow for Liberty).. .

With just a couple of slices left, I thin Julian style sliced them up to make this. Stretched those last couple of slices into something memorable.

Like I said, I do so Love these!

Enjoy!

OK... Here's what I did...

Ham and Cheese Roll-Ups

Ingredients

1 Tube Crescent Roll Sheets
1/2 Pound Ham, thinly sliced (Lunch meat slices work fine)
1/4 pound Swiss Cheese, grated
1/2 Cup Butter, melted
FOR THE SAUCE - 2 TBS Course grain Country style Mustard (with the visible seeds)
1 TBS Dried Minced Onion
1 tsp Worcestershire Sauce
1 tsp Poppy Seeds

Cooking Directions

Preheat oven to 350ºF and prepare a square 9X9 inch baking dish with cooking spray.
Roll out your crescent dough and and press into an approximately 12x18 inch rectangle. Top with ham and cheese.
Starting on the wide side, roll the dough up loosely (the dough will expand as it cooks. Place with the seam facing down. Cut into 12 pieces.
Arrange your roll-ups in your baking dish, evenly spaced.
Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the butter, poppy seeds, mustard, onion, and Worcestershire sauce. Drizzle the sauce over the roll-ups.
Bake, uncovered, for 25 minutes until lightly browned.
Serve Warm and ENJOY!

******************************************************

***********************PINTEREST*********************

Rules, only 2...

In order to join you need to start following the group board as well as at least one of my boards.
And you must ONLY pin original sources, posts from food related bloggers only. If you are a blogger, this is a great way to have thousands of potential readers see your work, If you are a fan of bloggers, a great way to share your favorites...
Come and be a part of ... FAVORITE FOOD BLOGGERS! on Pinterest

Wednesday, November 25, 2015

Spinach and Artichoke DIP Stuffed Garlic Bread - 52 Appetizer Recipes

Here's some little gems that are just about as good as it gets for an appetizer.

I made these up for a Holiday Party where we were supposed to bring an appetizer to share. I wrapped them fresh and hot out of the oven in aluminum foil, put that in a small ice chest (no ice) and an hour later when I opened the foil they were still plenty warm enough to serve as a hot appetizer. Proud to say these were the first plate empty, people lapped em up!

The bread is a toasty just a bit crunchy textured, while the center is stuffed with that staple of bar food, Spinach and Artichoke Dip! There is a tiny secret, use a long bread knife to hollow out the middle. You want to leave the outside crust intact to get the effect of a bite the stuffing inside the bread.

So, if you love the bar snack...

If you love the crunch of a good garlic toast...

This is destined to become a signature dish for any pass a plate of appetizer party!

ENJOY!

OK... Here's what I did...

Spinach and Artichoke DIP
Stuffed Garlic Bread

Ingredients

1 French Baguette (Cut into 6 inch pieces)
FOR THE "DIP" STUFFING - 1 Can (14 Ounces) Artichoke Hearts, drained and chopped
1 Box (10 ounces Frozen Spinach, thawed and Squeezed dry (2 or 3 times, get as much water out as possible)
1 Brick (8 Ounces) Cream Cheese, softened to room temperature
1 Cup Mozzarella Cheese
4 Green Onions, Sliced and chopped, Green and White parts
FOR THE Golden Brown and Delicious Garlic Butter TOPPING - 3 TBS Butter
3 Cloves garlic, Minced
A Couple TBS Grated Parmesan

Cooking Directions

Cut the baguette into 3 pieces. Use a long knife to cut out the insides, leaving some bread along the edges. Pull out the loose bread to leave hollow bread quarters. See photo on the post.
Heat the oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add in the artichoke pieces and cook for one minute. Add the frozen (thawed) spinach and continue to cook for a minute.
Mix in the cream cheese and mozzarella, and let it melt entirely. Fold in the green onions and season with salt and pepper to taste. Remove from heat.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
Stuff the baguette quarters with the spinach and artichoke dip, using a spoon to help pack the dip.
Once the bread is stuffed, cut into four pieces (12 total) transfer it to a sheet of aluminum foil, keeping them together.
In a small bowl, combine the butter and minced garlic. Loosely cover the top and microwave for a minute, or until the butter is fully melted. Brush the garlic butter over the baguette, allowing some to drip down between the slices. Make sure to get all of the minced garlic on top of the bread.
Wrap the foil around the bread and bake for 15 minutes. Unwrap the bread and bake for 5 minutes, or until the top browns slightly.
Remove from the oven, sprinkle with Parmesan cheese
Serve WARM and ENJOY!

*************************************************************************

So, I am pleased to list this as one of my Growing list of "52 Appetizers Recipes"!!!

****************************PINTEREST**************************

Rules, only 2...

In order to join you need to start following the group board as well as at least one of my boards.

Tuesday, November 24, 2015

HOLIDAY Cucumber Bites Appetizers with Herb Cream Cheese and Cherry Tomatoes - 52 Appetizers Recipes

These are fantastic for a number of reasons... Beautifully colorful, a real standout of a dish. Easy, Really Really DIY Easy to make and cost effective, The whole tray of about 36 appetizers will come in at about a quarter each!

Perfect dish for a catering appetizer or side dish, Great for a pass a plate PotLuck event or any big family gathering.

I have posted this recipe before, but I just Goosed it up a bit for the Holidays.

A little garnish of Holly (handy to have a Holly bush in my back yard this time of year). the addition of chopped Pisatchios adds an extra bit of green Holiday color on the platter as well as a little crunch of texture to the bites.

Just looks a bit more special as we get into the season of celebrating the birth of the Baby Jesus... Be Festive, Joy to the World (and add joy to your food).

Only a couple of special needs... A small amount of skills with a piping bag to get the swirly star affect in the Cream Cheese. And a melon baller to remove a portion of the cucumber slices.

Be Festive and ENJOY!

Merry Christmas!

OK... Here's what I did...

Cucumber Bites with
Herb Cream Cheese and Cherry Tomatoes

Ingredients

FOR THE HERB CREAM CHEESE - 4 Ounces (1 Brick) Cream Cheese, Softened to room temperature
1/4 Cup Ranch Dressing (Yes, good old Hidden Valley)
2 TBS Dill (can use other spices... Thyme is excellent also)
3-4 Long Cucumbers. skinned and Slice into thirty 1 inch slices
15 Cherry Tomatoes, sliced in half
Additional Sprinkle of Salt (to Taste, Careful, little goes a long way)
Additional Sprinkle of Spice (same as used in Cream Cheese) for Garnish
Additional Sprinkle of Paprika OR a Cajun Spice Mix (optional) for Garnish (and an extra kick if you use the Cajun Mix)
1/4 Cup Chopped Pistachios to sprinkle over the platter. Some on each "Bite" but also some to garnish the bottom of the tray to add a little extra something/something

Cooking Directions

First, Make up the HERB CREAM CHEESE, in a stand mixer, mix the softened Cream Cheese with the Ranch dressing and herbs. Mix until well combined. Spoon into a piping bag with a star tip.
Prepare the Cucumber, remove peel, Using a fork, score the sides. Slice into 1 inch pieces. Using a melon Baller, remove a portion of the center of one side of the piece of cucumber, leaving a half moon crater.
Pipe the Herb Cream Cheese into the crater. Enough to stick out of the top about 1/2 inch.
Add a half Cherry Tomato partially buried into the Herb Cream Cheese
Sprinkle additional salt, herbs and spice mix for additional color.
Add the Pistachios, being careful that a few pieces are on each "Bite", but also to cover the platter floor for an extra bit of Pinache! Chill in the fridge until ready to serve.
Serve Chilled and ENJOY!

*************************************************************************

So, I am pleased to list this as one of my Growing list of "52 Appetizers Recipes"!!!

****************************PINTEREST**************************

Rules, only 2...

In order to join you need to start following the group board as well as at least one of my boards.