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Chili Mac

Posted on June 13, 2013 by Jenne

With a 16th birthday and house remodeling taking up most of my time I have been absent from the blog for too long. Though luckily during all the remodeling I have been working on smaller projects too like DIY photography boards for my food photography. Plus, a list of recipes, including chili mac, that would look delicious here on the blog. It also helps if the family likes them.

Five people in one house can make it difficult to choose a recipe that everyone will try or enjoys. My oldest son does not like cheese. There is a few dishes that he will eat “certain” cheeses with like mozzarella. On the other hand, my daughter eats cheese but is not the biggest fan. My middle son, myself, and the other half all enjoy plenty of different cheeses. This is just a tiny dilemma since many dishes have cheese but it is super easy to remove it. Below is one dish I have found that the entire family will eat that does not come straight from mixing boxed food with canned food.

Mmm… Good comfort food. Chili Mac!

Chili Mac

 

Hearty meat, fresh spices, and comfort pasta make this dish so appeasing not only to adults but children too. Top it with cheese and onions for even more flavor. My son likes to add sour cream but I like mine with cheese and red onion. For extra heat the other half adds cayenne pepper over his after it is served.

Back to the DIY photography boards. Tell me these boards are not just super pretty? I just love playing with colors and leaving some natural. I am thinking about a post on how to make DIY photography boards with cheap acrylic paint, Elmer’s glue, and plywood. Just curious if any of my readers would be interesting in reading a detailed post about this?

Here’s the recipe for Chili Mac  :)

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Chili Mac

Total Time: 45 minutes

Serving Size: 6

Chili Mac

Ingredients

2 lbs ground beef
1 - 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
1 - 12 oz box of small elbow pasta
1 large white onion; diced
2 California sweet red peppers; seeds removed and diced
1 cup beef broth
2 tablespoons cumin
2 tablespoons paprika
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon chili powder
Salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 red onion; diced (optional for topping)
Sharp cheese (optional for topping)
Sour cream (optional for topping)

Instructions

In a medium pot, fill with water and add in salt with olive oil. Bring to a boil and add pasta. Cook pasta according to directions on the box. Drain and set aside.

In a large pot, add ground beef, white onion, and red peppers along with beef broth. Cook until meat is browned. Add in cumin, paprika, chili powder, and cayenne pepper; stir well. Add in crushed tomatoes and turn down the heat to low. Bring the sauce to a slow, low boil and add in pasta. Do not let sauce burn, watch it closely! Stir in pasta lightly until covered with sauce and cook for about a minute allowing the sauce to soak into pasta.

Serve topped with cheese, sour cream, and/or red onions.

http://mooshujenne.com/chili-mac/

 

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Slam Dunked Onion – LG Do March Right

Posted on March 12, 2013 by Jenne

With March Madness in full swing it is time to get your game day recipes on! LG Do March Right is asking all of us to share our game day recipes for a chance to win a trip to Atlanta for two to the playoff games. You can enter to win on their Facebook page above.  One of the game day recipes I make at home is my Slam Dunked Onion! Of course I shared it on the LG Do March Right Facebook page and your more then welcome to look for it in the recipes album and like away!

Slam Dunked Onion

March Madness in my house generally consists of my son, Chancelor, watching the Boston Celtics as much as possible paired with quick fried recipes. Probably should implement some healthy recipes but it is our excuse to eat fried food ;)

This recipe is a knock off of the famous fried onion recipes that grace many steak restaurants in our area. Generally, this is the appetizer before you have steak. Slam Dunked Onion is makes enough to go around for five people. We usually have a guest or two over and still have plenty. It’s my opener and then I serve up some brisket tacos with all the toppings.

Slam Dunked Onion LG Do March Right

What recipe would you submit as your #LGDoMarchRight game day recipe? Do you plan to enter to win the trip for two to the final four? Let me know what recipe you submitted in the comments so I can hop on over and have a look!

So far a few of the recipes look absolutely amazing! Monte Cristo Poppers, Muffuletta Bites, Dill Pickle Dip, and Jambalaya Stuffed Mushrooms. I will be watching along for these nifty ideas for #LGDoMarchRight March Madness game day recipes.

Here is the recipe for my Slam Dunked Onion. If you would like you can follow along on Twitter at #LGDoMarchRight. Here is my video on how to hand cut the onion to make it into the blossom.

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Slam Dunked Onion – LG Do March Right

Slam Dunked Onion – LG Do March Right

Ingredients

1 large yellow onion
1 1/2 cup flour
3 tablespoons paprika
1 1/2 tablespoons cayenne pepper
2 cups buttermilk
Oil for frying
Salt and pepper

Instructions

In a medium pot add vegetable oil and heat to 375 degrees F.

In a large bowl, add flour, paprika, cayenne pepper, salt and pepper. Whisk ingredients until will incorporated.

Slice onion on four sides slightly away from the top. Cut again between those slicing and repeat until you have petal shapes. Starting at the outer layer pull the petals down easily working your way to the center.

In a medium bowl, add buttermilk and onion bottom side down. Wet onion and then add to flour mixture. Toss flour mixture over the top of the onion with a graded spoon. Shake off onion and add to back to buttermilk upside down. Wet onion with buttermilk well and toss again with flour mixture. Shake off excess.

Add onion to the hot oil with petals facing downward. Fry for 2 to 2 1/2 minutes. Remove onion with spider and turn over with petals facing up and fry for 2 more minutes. Remove to paper towels or wax paper to drain. Serve promptly with ranch or sauce of choice.

http://mooshujenne.com/slam-dunked-onion-lg-do-march-right/

 

This game-time recipe has been submitted for LG’s Do March Right Tip-Off Challenge.

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Buttermilk Fried Pickles #SundaySupper

Posted on February 3, 2013 by Jenne

Buttermilk fried pickles is a recipe I make every Superbowl to start off the feast. The first few years I made these I used beer batter, regular flour, and a tons of spices. The spices have stayed but the beer and the flour changed after trying various recipes through out the years.

buttermilk fried pickles

The first and foremost important tip to remember is to get Vlasic as these pickles are crisp. You MUST have a crisp pickle to make them or they will fall apart when frying. The flavor or spice of the pickle is up to you. I have fried up dill pickles but this year I am putting a twist on the traditional favorite by using bread and butter pickles. Along with that change I used cake flour and buttermilk to bread the pickles. The cake flour is light and airy. It creates the perfect batter and the buttermilk helps the flour to attach in flaky layers. Paprika and cayenne pepper are a must for seasoning!

Print
Buttermilk Fried Pickles

Total Time: 30 minutes

Serving Size: 6

Buttermilk Fried Pickles

Ingredients

1 jar of pickles; your choice of flavor
1 to 1 1/2 cups cake flour
2 cups buttermilk
1 tablespoon paprika
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
vegetable oil for frying
Salt and pepper

Instructions

Open pickles and drain off the juice into the sink. Place pickles in a large bowl. Pour buttermilk over pickles and let rest for about 2 minutes.

In a skillet or deep saute pan, add oil and heat to a medium heat for frying.

In medium sized bowl, add cake flour and spices; whisk until spices are integrated. Toss a few pickles in flour batter at a time. Add pickles to frying pan and fry for about 30 seconds to a 1 minute on each side. They will cook fast! If the batter starts to brown fast then turn down the heat a little. Drain pickles on a paper towel. Serve with ranch dressing or ranch dipping sauce.

http://mooshujenne.com/buttermilk-fried-pickles/

 

#SundaySupper Super Bowl Appetizers & Snacks:

#SundaySupper Super Bowl Main Dishes:

#SundaySupper Super Bowl Desserts:

#SundaySupper Super Bowl Tablescape: 10 Tips For A Winning Superbowl Buffet Table from An Appealing Plan

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Pinto Bean Chili

Posted on January 30, 2013 by Jenne

Pinto bean chili is one of the simplest dishes that will feed a crowd. It will keep and keep! That just reminded me of cook on the movie Atlantis where he goes on about the beans and everyone thinks UGH because they are tired of them. He literally says “They will keep and keep!” We used to watch that movie all the time when my kids were younger. I need to obtain that movie on Blu ray. *Runs off to search and check food in oven*

I’m back! Does not look like they have it for Blu ray with a quick search. Might have to do a extended search to see what I can find and add Hotel Transylvania to the check out too! Anyway, back to the pinto bean chili! Does that cornbread just look delish!

pinto bean chili

Love how this comes together as just slow cooked beans and you can have them completely vegetarian or with bacon or ground beef. I am not a huge fan of ground beef so I always go to my favorite meat which is bacon. It adds a smokey flavor. It is also easy to add carrots, celery, or even stewed tomatoes. If you want to add vegetables then it is best to do them at the beginning when sauteing the onion, peppers, and garlic. If you want to add stewed tomatoes it is best to stir them in about 30 minutes before serving. My recipe is the basic recipe that allows you to add whatever you would like to it along with controlling the heat. If you want it hotter add more peppers and if you want it cooler then add less peppers. Mine is a tad spicy for the little ones but great for the teens and adults without setting mouths ablaze.

Print
Pinto Bean Chili

Pinto Bean Chili

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large white or yellow onion; minced
5 cloves of garlic; minced
3 jalapeno peppers; de-seeded, de-ribbed, and minced
2 lb bag of pinto beans; rinsed, not pre-soaked.
1 large container of stock (beef, chicken, or vegetable works)
1 lb bacon; sliced in halves; not cooked
2 tablespoons cumin
2 tablespoons paprika
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
Salt and pepper

Instructions

In a large pot, add minced onion, garlic, and jalapeno peppers. Saute on medium heat for about three minutes. Add in cumin, paprika, cayenne pepper, salt, and pepper; stir well. Add rinsed beans and stir to mix the beans with vegetables. Add container of stock and bacon halves to pot. Fill the rest of the pot to the top with water. Turn heat up to high and bring to a boil. Once at a boil lower to a medium heat. Cook for about 5 hours until the beans are soft and liquid has thickened; stir often. Serve with cornbread or topped with cheese, sour cream, and cilantro.

http://mooshujenne.com/pinto-bean-chili/

Today, Food Network and a group of bloggers are featuring Chili (for #Superbowl) for this week’s Comfort Food Feast event. Please stop by and see what everyone made:

Jeanette’s Healthy Living: Crock Pot Cincinnati Chicken Chili
The Heritage Cook: Gluten-Free Green Chile and Chicken Taco Bowls
The Cultural Dish: Crock-Pot Chili
Big Girls, Small Kitchen: Healthy Chicken Chili With Barley
What’s Gaby Cooking: Smoky Chipotle Chicken Chili
Feed Me Phoebe: Chicken and White Bean Chili
Dishin & Dishes: Lean Mean Game-Day Chili
The Lemon Bowl: Beef Chili With Black Beans
Devour: 4 Twists on Chili for the Super Bowl
Thursday Night Dinner: 3 Most Favorite Chili Recipes
FN Dish: 7 Chili Recipes for the Big Game

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#SundaySupper – Patty Melt, Hand Cut Fries, & a Shake

Posted on January 20, 2013 by Jenne

Growing up there was this old drive in my grandparents used to take me to that served patty melts and delicious food. I remember the green sign and the big bags of fries. Nothing like any other joint around. It was called Lucky Boy. My grandmother loved their pastrami sandwiches. My grandfather loved the burgers and fries. I remember the milkshakes.

Lucky Boy in South Gate - Patty Melt

Lucky Boy in South Gate

I want to give everyone a dish that would be reminiscent of a time I spent with my family for this #SundaySupper. So here is my version of a patty melt, hand cut fries, and a chocolate milkshake.

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Patty Melt, Hand Cut Fries, & a Shake

Total Time: 45 minutes

Yield: 6 to 8 burgers, a bucket of fries, and one shake per recipe ingredients.

Patty Melt, Hand Cut Fries, & a Shake

Ingredients

For Patty Melt
One loaf rye bread
1 1/2 lbs grounds beef
Sliced cheese of choice (we used cheddar and pepperjack)
1 onion; sliced in rounds
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp butter for bread
For Hand Cut Fries
6 to 8 potatoes; sliced into strips
Vegetable oil for frying
Salt and pepper to taste
For Chocolate Milkshake
3 scoops of chocolate ice cream
1/2 cup milk
3 squeezes of chocolate syrup

Instructions

For Patty Melt

Make hamburger patties square or round to your preference. In a frying pan, add one tablespoon olive oil and fry burgers until cooked to desired wellness. Pull out patties and butter the bread. Toast bread with cheeses and add the meat. Serve with gooey cheesiness!

For Hand Cut Fries

Wash potatoes and cut in half and then in to long strips. Heat oil to medium heat and fry potatoes until golden brown. Drain on paper towels and then salt and pepper to taste. A small amount of cinnamon, paprika, sugar, salt, and pepper makes a wonderful seasoning to the frie.

For Chocolate Shakes

In a blender, add three scoops of chocolate ice cream and 1/2 cup of milk. Blend for 1 minute on high. Add three squeezes of chocolate syrup and blend for 30 seconds. Serve with whipping topping and a cherry or plain jane.

http://mooshujenne.com/patty-melt-hand-cut-fries-a-shake/

Sunday Supper Retro Appetizers:

 Sunday Supper Retro Salads:

 Sunday Supper Retro Breads and Sandwiches:

SundaySupper Main Dishes:

Sunday Supper Retro Sides and Veggies:

 Sunday Supper Retro Desserts and Cocktails:

Join the #SundaySupper conversation on twitter each Sunday. We tweet throughout the day and share recipes from all over the world. Our weekly chat starts at 7:00 pm ET and you do not want to miss out on the fun. Follow the#SundaySupper hashtag and remember to include it in your tweets to join in the chat. Check out our #SundaySupper Pinterest board for more fabulous recipes and food photos.

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Shepherd’s Hand Pies

Posted on December 8, 2012 by Jenne

Yes, I love pie! Oddly enough I prefer cherry or meat pies. These Shepherd’s Hand Pies feature shepherd’s pie in a handmade pie crust. The can be made with beef, chicken  or just vegetarian. Creativity with this recipe is your friends. The more intricate the ingredients the richer the flavors. I make these with beef and onion as the flavors just fall together. For vegetarians mushrooms, carrots, potatoes, onion, celery, and corn make a pie. For the gravy just use cooked carrots and blend them in a blender with a bit of heavy whipping cream. They make a fantastic gravy that is full of color and nutrients. If your a chicken fan you can do chicken with a chicken gravy and matching vegetables. If you really want to jump out of the box you can use crawfish or crab meat to make a seafood rendition.

Shepherd's Hand Pies

Hand pies are delicious fresh or they can be frozen to heat up later on another occasion. This makes them perfect for movie night or for weeknight TV shows you don’t want to miss; such as Supernatural, Vampire Diaries, Haven, Grimm, and Once Upon a Time. Hmm… did I leave one out? Oh! Of course our beloved The Walking Dead. Do have to say I have been waiting for them to kill off the annoying blonde and the governor. Just not a fan of nut jobs.

Speaking of Vampire Diaries, is anyone else tired of the poor Elena thing? I am. Let’s get on with it. Damon and Elena should be together. Let Tyler hook up with the wolf chic from Secret Circle, and the judgmental Stefan and Caroline should end up together. Maybe spin off some weird love relationship with Klaus and Bonnie as they will both soon hate the new professor in town.

Anywho! Back to the pies.

Print
Shepherd

Total Time: 1 hour, 30 minutes

Yield: 12 pies

Shepherd

Ingredients

For Filling:
1 lb ground beef
1 can of gravy (canned, jar, or homemade)
2 carrots (diced)
1 potato (diced)
1 can of corn
2-3 cloves of garlic
1 yellow onion (diced)
1 tsp olive oil
Salt and pepper
1 egg
For Crust:
You may use a homemade recipe or store bought.
I suggest homemade as it stretches more.

Instructions

Roll out pie crust on a large floured surface. Use biscuit cutter to cut the dough and set aside. Repeat until all dough is cut out. Place round crust cutout on floured surface and roll to spread out the circle. Set aside.

In a large skillet, place diced onion, garlic, olive oil, and beef in skillet. Heat to medium high heat. Add salt and pepper. Add in carrots and potato and cook until meat is done. Drain can of corn and add to skillet. Add in gravy and stir well. You may add the mixture to a bowl if you would like before adding in the gravy.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Fill rolled out crust circles with about a tablespoon and a half with dough and seal around edges with a fork. Continue until all the dough is used. Beat egg in small bowl and coat over crust. Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake for 30 to 40 minutes until crust is a golden color.

Serve with mashed potatoes or by themselves as an appetizer.

http://mooshujenne.com/shepherds-hand-pies/

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Baked Potato Soup

Posted on November 10, 2012 by Jenne

I have two favorite soups. Minestrone and baked potato soup! Just love all the toppings you can add to baked potato soup :)

baked potato soup topped with cheese and spring onions

One week till the last Twilight Saga film Breaking Dawn Part II. How many of you plan to go see it? I’m definitely NOT doing the midnight showing. Might be a Saturday morning flick. It’s the start of Thanksgiving vacation and I am just counting the days till that week gets here.

I thought this might help warm up those that are freezing on the East coast. I feel for you all.

Next week I have a Fall festival to attend and I plan to bring 48 cupcakes and 2- 3 dozen cookies. Any suggestions?

Print
Baked Potato Soup

Total Time: 1 hour

Serving Size: 7

Baked Potato Soup

Ingredients

1 bag of russet potatoes; peeled and cubed
1 large container heavy whipping cream
1 32 oz box chicken broth
1 tablespoon flour
3 cloves of garlic; diced
Salt and pepper
1 bag grated sharp cheddar cheese
1 bundle of spring onions; chopped
6 to 8 stripes of cooked bacon; crumbled

Instructions

Peel all potatoes and dice them into 1/2 inch cubes. Add them to a large pot and cover with water. Salt and pepper the water. Cook on medium/high heat to bring to a boil. Once boiling, lower to a simmer, and let cook for about 10 to 15 minutes until potatoes are tender. After potatoes are tender drain off water and reserve a small amount to add thickness to your soup.

Replace pot on stove and add 1 tablespoon of flour. Stir in flour and add two cups of chicken broth. On a low heat, mash potatoes, and add more chicken broth as the potatoes are being mashed. The soup should be a thick consistency. Add one large container of heavy whipping cream and bring to a boil. Lower to a simmer and cook for about ten to twenty minutes until soup thickens.

Once the soup has thickened it is ready to serve. Top with crumbled bacon, sharp cheddar cheese, and spring onions. Side with garlic bread.

http://mooshujenne.com/baked-potato-soup/

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Halloween Countdown – Day Four

Posted on October 28, 2012 by Jenne

Last weekend we had our Halloween party and I though I would share with you guys and gals as my Halloween countdown. Not very many people came out though we still had tons of fun. We had sinister cider with voodoo heads, buttered corn (popcorn), eyeball punch, caramel apples, and petrified pizza. Maybe a few late night tacos from Jack in the Crack (ie: Jack in the Box) for the drinkers; at least we had the sober driver go and get them :)

Today, I want to share with you a DIY project on how to make wood grave stones and a recipe for the classic caramel apples with bacon or with nuts.  But first I want to scare the crap out of you ;)

Halloween Countdown Michael Myers Chase Windham

This would be my brother whom scared the piss out of the my teens and their friends at our Halloween party. He came through the house in the pitch dark while the movie was on and stood behind them. It’s was a class A scare!

This year I decided to go with a literary/science Halloween theme.The gravestones I crafted feature Poe, Tesla, and Shakespeare. What I seriously love about wood stones is they do NOT blow away in the wind. Just take a long piece of plywood and cut into three. Lowe’s will do this for you for free if you ask and don’t have a saw at home. Stencils are great for the lettering. I used spray paint in black, one to each slat, and acrylic white paint for the lettering.  Used wood fencing pieces and adhered them to the back with screws and a drill to insert the stones in the ground to stand upright. These stones are better on the environment as you can use them year to year and they don’t blow away in the wind like the Styrofoam stones you can buy at the store.

 

Halloween can’t be without a treat! These were requested by the other half.

We chopped up our own nuts and added bacon to a few. I used Fuji apples.

 

Print
Halloween Countdown – Day Four

Total Time: 45 minutes

Yield: 5 Caramel Apples

Halloween Countdown – Day Four

Ingredients

1 bag Kraft caramel candies
1 large bag peanuts; cracked and chopped
3 strips of bacon; cooked and chopped
Lollipop sticks
5 apples

Instructions

In a medium pot, heat caramels with two tablespoons of water on low heat.

Meanwhile, push lollipop sticks through the apples. It's fine if they pop out the bottom a little just slide them back up through.

Once the caramel is melted dip the apples and set on parchment paper. Drizzle chopped peanuts or cooked chopped bacon on the apples. Freeze for about 30 minutes to an hour.

Tip: I keep the apples frozen and pull them about an hour before they want to eat them as they last longer in the freeze!

http://mooshujenne.com/halloween-countdown-day-four/

Four days until Halloween! What do you have planned?

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Hearty Dinner: Chicken, Pepper & Potato Brown Rice Soup

Posted on October 12, 2012 by Jenne

This is an argument that my other half and I have constantly. He swears there is a difference n rice brands. I used to disagree; however, recently we’ve tried all sorts of difference brands and blends. His favorite is Uncle Ben’s. I was not sold until I tried the brown rice. It goes perfect with jalapeno’s and red onions. I prefer to serve it with fish or chicken.

Though last night was one of those what I have in my arsenal is what I’m cooking tonight. I had a bag of Uncle Ben’s whole grain brown rice and since I am horrible at cooking rice and usually make the other half do it, this stuff comes in handy. I like to add it to soups cause it make the soup more hearty and filling. Brown rice is a great protein which makes it perfect to add to soups with just vegetables or those with meat too. hearty dinners are just up my alley when the colder weather comes in and the teen boys think they need to bear up for the winter. Do you have any brown rice recipes?

Print
Hearty Dinner: Chicken, Pepper & Potato Brown Rice Soup

Total Time: 1 hour, 30 minutes

Serving Size: 8

Hearty Dinner: Chicken, Pepper & Potato Brown Rice Soup

Ingredients

2 chicken breasts; diced; small
1 onion; diced
3 cloves of garlic; chopped
1 red bell pepper; chopped
1 yellow bell pepper; chopped
1 green bell pepper; chopped
1 orange bell pepper; chopped
6 potatoes; peeled and diced
2- 32 oz containers of chicken broth
1 cup Uncle Ben's brown rice
2 tablespoons olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

In a large pot, add in diced chicken, onion, bell peppers, and garlic. Add olive oil and fry till the chicken is cooked. Add a bit of salt and pepper. Add in potatoes. Add chicken broth and water till pot is three quarters full. Bring to a boil and lower to a slow simmer for about an hour until potatoes are soft.

After cooking for an hour, add in cooked brown rice per the package directions. Cook for 15 minutes. Serve with fresh French bread or garlic bread.

http://mooshujenne.com/hearty-dinner-chicken-pepper-potato-brown-rice-soup/

 

I make this soup with or without brown rice. I enjoy both!

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Muir Glen Reserve Kits Giveaway

Posted on October 10, 2012 by Jenne

I am excited to announce an another brilliant giveaway. Muir Glen Reserve Kits which have canned organic tomatoes and a recipe booklet! I have the opportunity to giveaway five of these lovely baskets! The giveaway ends 10/15/2012. Please follow the instructions below the picture in the Rafflecopter to enter to win a Muir Glen Reserves Kits giveaway.

The kit contains:

  • One 14.5 oz can Reserve Harvest Sunset Organic Fire Roasted Diced Tomatoes
  • One 14.5 oz can Reserve Harvest Sunset Organic Diced Tomatoes
  • One 14.5 oz can Muir Glen Organic Fire Roasted Diced Tomatoes with Green Chilies
  • One 14.5 oz can Muir Glen Organic No-Salt Added Diced Tomatoes
  • A recipe booklet featuring a variety of recipes created by award-winning chefs from around the country made with the 2011 Reserve Tomatoes
  • Retail Value:  $10 excluding shipping

 

You can also find all the information about Muir Glen their newest website:  www.muirglen.com

Enter using the Rafflecopter below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway
*Disclosure: Muir Glen is providing five baskets. I was not reimbursed for writing this post and all opinions expressed are my own.

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