Chili Mac
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!
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 :)
Ingredients
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/
Plněná paprika polévka – Stuffed pepper soup
This plnena paprika polevka also know as stuffed pepper soup has been lurking in my folder for about two weeks now. I held off on it to finish the boards to photograph it on and once I finally photographed it I realized I left thick soup all along the edge and it looks horrible; well to me it looks horrible. The plan to remake the soup continued to be put off since the weather is considerably hot here for this time of year. It probably just best to go ahead and share it. If we end up with another cold and rainy day I can always remake the soup and get some gorgeous shots.
Czechs generally make stuffed bell peppers a bit different then Italians do. My other half and I figured that out the first time we decided to make stuffed peppers together. He is full blooded Czech and well I’m Italian with other heritage but more prone to the Italian as I was raised with that cuisine and values. Czech stuffed peppers are simmered on a stove with paprika, rice, and ground beef while Italian stuffed pepper are baked in the oven without paprika and a small amount of tomato sauce. This stuffed pepper soup is a rendition of Czech stuffed peppers turned inside out to make a soup. Love Czech stuffed peppers with dumplings also known as knedliky. We just had garlic bread at the time but it would have been nice to pair them with this soup.
The board turned out nice in the photograph. I am working on several others and thinking about a DIY post. Anyone that would be interested? The boards I am working on are going to be chalkboard, crackled, and stained. Most of them will be painted with basic cheap acrylic paints you can pick up at any hobby store. Hoping to get the rest of them cut tonight so I can work on them over the next few days. Also in some serious need for heavy poster board. Looks like another run to the Dollar Tree.
Ingredients
Instructions
In a large pot, on medium high heat, add in diced onion, garlic, and peppers. Add in two tablespoons of olive oil and saute for about 2 minutes. Add in ground beef and cook with vegetables until meat is browned.
Add paprika to the beef once browned and stir well incorporating all of the paprika. Add in the rice, stewed tomatoes, and tomato sauce. Using the tomato cans put in a little water to clean off sides and add that water to the pot. Bring the heat to low and cook for about 15 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.
If you would like the soup thinner just add any broth of choice. Garnish soup with parsley, dumplings, and fresh bell pepper.
http://mooshujenne.com/plnena-paprika-polevka-stuffed-pepper-soup/And now I am off to cut those boards… well make the other half do it while I eat fresh tortillas with salsa and butter. Guilty pleasure!
Shepherd’s Hand Pies
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.
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.
Ingredients
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/Two Year Blogiversary
Yay! The blog and I have made it two years. Though, I am a few days late on this post due to my birthday and the cold front that swept in and made everything so dark that there would be no way to get one single natural light photograph. At least the sun is back out and my son and I can have some fun photographing our favorite lunch container by Frego!
Today, for the blogiversary, I am giving away one Frego lunch container! This beast is the guru of all lunch containers. One of my very personal favorites! Here is a video to tell you why it is my favorite with all the super cool features this container comes with. We’ve used this container over and over and it works very well in the microwave and the oven. It’s sturdy and the double seal is fantastic; no leaks!
I wanted to share a recipe that I use to put in my Frego container. It’s an older recipe on the blog but one of my absolute favorites when the Autumn air comes rolling in.
Ingredients
Instructions
Fill a large pot with water and a few drops of olive oil. Salt your water bath and bring to a boil. Drop in pasta and cook till done.
In a large sauce pot, add in your chopped onions, peppers, garlic, and olive oil. Saute for about 2 minutes. Add a little salt and then add in your ground beef. Stirring frequently, breaking up your meat while browning. Once your meat is browned add in paprika and Worcester sauce. Then add in your four cans of stewed tomatoes and large can of tomato sauce. Bring to a low boil and cook for about an hour.
Mix your pasta and sauce in a large bowl and serve!
http://mooshujenne.com/two-year-blogiversary/
For the giveaway just follow instructions in the Rafflecopter below.
*Disclosure: I was given two containers from Frego to review. I was not reimbursed for writing this post and all opinions expressed are my own.
Frito Pie & Chili Con Carne
After months of searching and preparing to make a decent Chili Con Carne (sauce/chili) I finally decided to give it a shot. I wanted the taste to be similar to what Taco Cabana uses on their enchiladas and what Sonic uses on their frito pie. Well folks, I have to admit my family said it tastes just like Sonic’s frito pie which is a plus; however, they never eat the enchiladas at Taco Cabana so that was up to my taste buds and it is pretty close.
On another note, who’s planning on seeing Ice Age this weekend? My daughter and I are thinking of going Friday morning. I love Diego! Who’s your favorite character? My daughter says I’m five. Oh well! She’s twelve and still wants to see it, so I will be five and take her 
If you like it with more heat then just add more cayenne and chili powder; just reverse it for less heat.
Ingredients
Instructions
In a medium stockpot (8qt), add in ground beef and onion. Bring to a medium heat and fry for about 8 minutes. Add in the cumin, cayenne pepper, chili powder, salt, and black pepper. Stir well and fry for another 2 to 3 minutes. Add one cup of tomato sauce and one cup of beef broth; stir well. Lower heat to a medium-low heat and simmer for about 20 minutes until you reach the thickness you prefer. Serve over frito pie, hot dogs, or enchiladas.
Line a basket with paper or use a dish. Add a hand full of fritos and top with cheese. Ladle the chili con carne over the top and serve.
http://mooshujenne.com/frito-pie-chili-con-carne/Homemade Corn Dogs
What a fun week this was! Took my daughter to go see Hot Chelle Rae in concert and she got a chance to meet them. We delivered them 24 cupcakes that they enjoyed. More can be read about that at Muusat with a complete story including a recipe for the cupcakes and pictures.
This is a recipe I use to make corn dogs with out all the creepy lurky ingredients of those frozen dogs you buy at the store. What I truly love about making these from scratch is that you can seriously add any extras you would like to the batter. I prefer jalapenos and cheese. You could add bacon, corn, cheese, jalapenos, blueberries, and strawberries. Really the sky is the limit!
Stop buying store bought junk and try the endless possibilities at home. You can even make them mini corn dogs. Just cut up your dogs before adding them to the batter. Homemade corn dogs are the bomb diggity!
This will give you an idea of how thick your batter should be.
Don’t forget to dry those dogs.
You can fry them in a fryer or just use a pan. I prefer the pan as it uses less oil and it is definitely budget friendly.
I wish had a picture of my final project but alas the sun was going down as I was cooking these bad boys and I couldn’t get a decent picture. Next time I make some I will be sure to add the finished product picture here.
Ingredients
Instructions
Preheat oil to 375 degrees. Preheat oven to 190 degrees. Line a baking sheet with clean paper towels and place it in the oven.
In a large bowl, combine the corn meal, all-purpose flour, salt, pepper, sugar, cheese, jalapenos and baking powder. Add the egg, milk, and honey. Mix until thoroughly combined, adding more milk, as needed.
Dry the hot dogs by rolling them on paper towels. Dip one hot dog at a time into the batter and using a toothpick or your hands pull out and set into hot oil. (careful not to splash hot oil and burn yourself). Fry the corn dogs for 3 to 5 minutes until deep golden brown. Place the cooked corn dogs on the baking sheet in the oven to drain off excess grease and keep warm till the rest are cooked. Serve once all corn dogs are finished frying.
http://mooshujenne.com/homemade-corn-dogs/Recipe adapted from Bakingdom
Shepherd’s Potato Pie – Fall Fest For FN Dish
I love participating in the Fall Fest FN Dish for Food Network. Don’t forget to take a moment and stop by the other links below.
Shepherd’s pie is a traditional dinner in my home in the month of October. Not only are the potatoes in season but the weather is suited for it. Just two days ago our temperatures dropped here. I get excited when the temps drop because I love to cook in colder weather and generally I just think food is more appealing the Fall and Winter months. People usually want to eat less in the hot Summer months. So without further ado, I give you my rendition of Shepherd’s pie.
Ingredients
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large pot, add in water and potatoes. Bring the water to a boil and once potatoes are tender remove from heat. Strain out the water from the potatoes. With a hand mixer, add in butter, while whipping slowly add in milk. Keep blending til you get a creamy texture. Set pot aside.
In a large skillet, add in ground beef, onion, and garlic. Cook till meat is browned and onion is caramelized. Add in a little bit of Wondra flour a little at a time to soak up the juices. Add salt and pepper. You want to cook the flour taste out. Once the juices seem to be gone then pull your meat from the stove. Add meat to a large casserole baking dish. Open the can of corn and spread it over the meat. Add your potatoes over the corn and meat; spreading evenly. Topping with cheese spreading across the whole dish. Put in oven till cheese is melted and remove and serve.
http://mooshujenne.com/shepherds-potato-pie-fall-fest-for-fn-dish/
Check out these other great recipes for potatoes at the FN Dish – Food Network.
Taste With The Eyes: Poached Salmon, Lobster Mash, Lentil Gumbo “Gravy”
And Love It Too: Twice Baked Potato – Paleo Style
What’s Gaby Cooking: Smashed Potatoes
From My Corner of Saratoga: Potato Canapes
Napa Farmhouse 1885: Chorizo and Potato Tacos
Cooking Channel: Cozy Up With In Season Potatoes
FN Dish: Best Potato Casserole Recipes
Cooking With Elise: The Irish Boxty
CIA Dropout: Potato and Leek Soup
The Sensitive Epicure: Potatoes Anna With Fresh Thyme and Truffle Salt
Glory Foods: Chicken Smashed Potatoes
Daily*Dishin: Creamy Loaded Potato Casserole
Virtually Vegan Mama: Baked Cinnamon Spiced Sweet Potato Fries
V&J’s Philly Cheese Steak
I really love twitter but it is definitely bad to look at midday, when you are hungry, and follow tons of foodies. The issue this morning was I saw gravy and then from that point I wanted chicken fried chicken with white pepper gravy. Then I remembered there was something I was craving a few days ago and it was a Philly! Here’s the deal, chicken fried chicken is really not a challenge for me to make. I make fried everything, except fried butter (that’s just wrong on so many levels). So the Philly won in the wars of what to cook and blog. The largest challenge of a Philly Cheese Steak is the meat. Problem is that you need sliced rib eye from a boneless rib eye. Not that hard you would think but some meat departments do not have a deli slicer in the back near the raw meat. I got lucky after calling around to three places, not only found someone who could cut the meat for the Philly but also cooked a Philly themselves at home. The process is pretty easy once you find someone that will cut it for you. If you do not have a griddle then I highly suggest you get one. This can be cooked in a iron skillet but the temperature does not stay even in a skillet versus an electric griddle. Once you have the griddle (or iron skillet) and your meat then follow these simple steps below. Remember no Philly is better then the one you create yourself. Why? Cause you can have anything you want on it!
Do not forget mise en place!
Get the griddle nice and hot with a tad of olive oil and two spatulas.
Do not fry any longer then 8 minutes. Just cook till you see no red and it is lightly browned. Cooking too long will make the meat tough. And after a few minutes you should have something that looks like this.
Ingredients
Instructions
On the hot griddle ( or skillet) just add your guilty pleasures of a Philly and fry. Once browned pull off the meat and add it to the bread with cheese underneath; if you want cheese that is.
http://mooshujenne.com/vjs-philly-cheese-steak/Grandma Toni’s Made Over Goulash
Gosh, the aroma! I just love cooking Italian Goulash because of the aroma. It is seriously intoxicating. I generally only make it in the Fall and Winter but I thought why not, it is a great stove top recipe, and with the Texas heat; I definitely do not want to run the oven. This recipe is adapted from my Grandmother Toni’s goulash recipe. I grew up eating this yummy dish; however, she isn’t a spice queen like me. So, I decided to try and perfect her recipe and add a little me into it. And when I say me, I mean orange! I have the greatest new obsession with orange bell peppers; not habaneros. I just want to add them to everything but never know what to add them to. While preparing for the goulash I realized all I had was the orange peppers and usually I use green peppers. The orange peppers were fantastic and super tasty! Cooked up sweet and added a great flavor and color to the dish. Enjoy my comfort food!
Ingredients
Instructions
Fill a large pot with water and a few drops of olive oil. Salt your water bath and bring to a boil. Drop in pasta and cook till done.
In a large sauce pot add in your chopped onions, peppers, garlic, and olive oil. Saute for about 2 minutes. Add a little salt and then add in your ground beef. Stirring frequently, breaking up your meat while browning. Once your meat is browned add in paprika and Worcester sauce. Then add in your four cans of stewed tomatoes and large can of tomato sauce. Bring to a low boil and your sauce is ready.
Mix your pasta and sauce in a large bowl and serve!
http://mooshujenne.com/grandma-tonis-made-over-goulash/
Mini Taco Salad
With the heat wave stretching across all of the states and from what I hear from my friend Jen, even Canada is warmer then usual; I thought it would be great to post a simple stove top recipe. Slaving over the stove after being in the Summer heat is just not my forte! So, I brought back a recipe we used to make when the kids were little. However, I used to make it with baked tortillas over foil balls in the oven. This time I wanted to actually fry the tortillas, since my frying skills are better, and to make mini taco salads. Perfect for small dinners in the hot Summer heat or a super fun appetizer for a house party!
Ingredients
Instructions
In a stir fry pan or deep frying pan put in a tablespoon of olive oil, chopped garlic, half of the chopped onion, and ground beef. Brown the meat till you see no pink. Add in taco seasoning, this should dry up some of your grease. You do not want to dry up all the grease as it will make the tacos dry.
Preheat oven to 180F. In a second large pot fill about half way with vegetable oil and heat to about 350F. Using a large spoon or ladle, put your tortilla underneath and press down into hot oil. The tortilla will then curl around the spoon forming a small taco salad bowl. You can also use tongs to pull up the sides. Having someone else help is key in preventing either of you getting burned by hot oil. After you pull the bowls out of the hot oil just put them upside down on a baking sheet lined with paper towels. You can have the baking sheet in the oven to keep shells warm. As soon as your done be sure to turn off oven or the towels will burn!
Once your shells and meat are done just add the ingredients to the bowls that you would like. Sour cream, avocado, tomatoes, and salsa are great options.
http://mooshujenne.com/mini-taco-salad/
