Philly Cheesesteaks

Lately, I've been getting requests for some new and trusted recipes. Apparently, the baby posts aren't enough for you people?! I kid. Anyways.... I like to try a couple new recipes every week, but to fill in the gaps I have a list of go-to's that are always in the rotation. Over the next few weeks, I'll be sharing some of my favorites for ya'll to maybe test out yourselves!

When Ryan and I lived in New Jersey, we frequented a couple of Philly cheesesteak spots around town. Ever since then, we've tried to find a place that makes cheesesteaks as good as the originals, but have struck out every time! A couple months ago, we decided to try our hand at homemade cheesesteaks just for the fun of it. While I'm not sure anything could ever truly compare to the little local convenience store cheesesteaks in Cinnaminson, these turned out to be a pretty good alternative!

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. Ribeye Steaks
• 1 pkg. Mushrooms, sliced
• 1 Onion, sliced thin 
• 2 Hoagie Rolls 
• 2 tbsp. Butter 
• Salt and Pepper, to taste 

Directions: 

 1. Slice or cube the steaks into very thin pieces. Normally, I slice. This time I was feeling lazy, so I took the easy route and cubed.

2. Place a tbsp. of butter in the pan and melt. Add mushrooms and onions (and peppers if you'd like) and cook until onions are tender, about 6 minutes. Add salt and pepper, to taste.

3. Set onion/mushroom mixture aside and put the remaining tbsp. of butter in the pan. Add the steak and cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring around. Don't overcook! Again, add salt and pepper to taste.

4. Add the mushroom mixture back into the pan and stir everything up. Separate into quarters in the pan. Place sliced cheese on top of each quarter and melt for about 1 minute.

5. Transfer each quarter into a hoagie roll. Wrap the hoagie rolls up tightly with tin foil and place in the oven at 275 degrees for 5-10 minutes.

Enjoy!

Juicy Crock-Pot Turkey Breast



Hello and Happy Black Friday!!

 

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving day with their friends and/or family! The Schoeff/Smith clan had a great day in Virginia and an awesome dinner at the Mimslyn Inn in Luray!

 

I'm sure ya'll are all turkeyed out by now, but I never got a chance to post this recipe before the big holiday! Who says turkey is only for Thanksgiving, though?!? As I mentioned in this post, I had my first go at cooking a turkey breast last weekend when we had our friends, Eliot and Lauren, over for a little Friendsgiving dinner. I was pretty nervous since I had never attempted to cook a turkey breast before and know how dry they can get. Also, cooking a turkey breast in the crock-pot was a pretty new idea to me. But I gave it a go anyways. I'm glad I did because the result was an easily prepared and juicy turkey! This will definitely be made again for a nice Sunday dinner and used in sandwiches throughout the week! A much better option to salt-loaded lunch meat!

 

Ingredients:

 

• 6-7 lb. Turkey Breast (bone-in)
• 1 cup Orange Juice
• 1 can Cranberry Sauce (I used jellied, but you could use whole if you prefer- jellied made an easier gravy since I didn't have to break down the cranberries.)
• 1 package Onion Soup Mix

Directions:

Take the turkey breast out of the packaging and make sure the cavity is cleared out. Place the bird in the crock-pot.

In a mixing bowl, combine orange juice, cranberry sauce, and onion soup mix. Pour over top of the turkey.

 

 

Cook on low for 8-9 hours or until the meatiest part of the bird reaches 175 degrees.

 

Remove turkey from crock-pot. You have two options here. You can either place the bird on a baking sheet and broil for 5 or so minutes to crisp up the skin or just let it rest for 5 minutes before carving.

 

 

Carve it up and serve!! Enjoy- I know we did!

 

#TBT, updates, and # 32: Crock-Pot Creamy Tortellini Soup

Hello and happy Thursday!! 

My trusty Timehop informed me yesterday that it has officially been one year since I first set out on my 101 in 1001 journey! 365 days down, 636 days to go!  

I found it fitting today to update the old list and share a new favorite recipe with ya'll, getting me one step closer to crossing another item off! This recipe came together super fast in the crock pot and tasted delicious! We definitely have plans to make it again in the near future. 

Without further ado, I present to you Creamy Tortellini Soup! 

Ingredient: 

• 1 pkg. Frozen Cheese Tortellini
• 1 box Chicken Broth 
• 2 cans Italian Diced Tomatoes
• 1 block Cream Cheese
• 1 lb. Hot Italian Sausage (or mild if you don't like things too spicy)
• Fresh Spinach 

Directions:

In a skillet (or in your crock pot if you have an amazing crock like mine!), brown sausage. Combine all ingredients in the crock pot and cook on low for 5 hours, stirring half way through. 

THAT'S IT! I mean... could it BE any easier?? 

Enjoy! 

Fall Chili Recipes, Ya'll

With the weather being cool and rainy lately (especially rainy at this particular moment), I've really been craving warm and hearty crock-pot meals for dinner. In the last few weeks, I've pulled my crock-pot out more times than I haven't. I've always been a huge fan of soups this time of year, but Ryan is convinced that soup does not constitute a "meal." Since he was never really on board, I rarely ever make any sort of soup, including stews, chili, and chowders. HOWEVER, we had friends over a couple of weeks ago to watch the Pats game and I made a big batch of chili to share. Surprisingly, Ryan actually enjoyed it! So, clearly with this sudden change of heart I have been making as many variations of "soup" that I can get away with. Tonight, I'm sharing two of my favorite chili recipes, which happen to be polar opposites of each other. The first is a traditional chili recipe I have made time and time again, tweaked from one of my favorite Southern Living recipe books. The recipe makes a TON... I mean a ton! But it can always be cut in half OR frozen to make TWO meals!

Traditional Big Batch Chili 

Ingredients: 

• 4 lbs. Ground Beef
• 2 Onions, chopped
• 1 Green Bell Pepper, chopped
• 3 tsp. Minced Garlic
• 3 (14.5 oz) cans Diced Tomatoes, undrained
• 4 (8 oz) cans Tomato Sauce 
• 1 (6 oz) can Tomato Paste
• 1/4 cup Chili Powder
• 1 tbsp. Sugar
• 1 tsp. Salt
• 1 tsp. Pepper
• 1/2 tsp. Paprika
• 1/2 tsp. Crushed Red Pepper
• 2 (16 oz) cans Kidney Beans, rinsed and drained
• Toppings: Sour Cream, Cheddar Cheese, Green Onions 

Directions: 

1. Cook ground beef until no longer pink; drain. 

2. Place meat in slow cooker; stir in the rest of the ingredients. 

3. Cover and cook on low 7-8 hours or high 5-6 hours. Serve with desired toppings

Simple and Traditional! 

The next chili recipe is a little more unique. I had a couple of sweet potatoes in the house that I wanted to cook up and I thought they would be a great addition to a turkey chili, but I COULD NOT find a recipe online that I liked...so, I made one up! I was a little nervous about how this would turn out, but it was delicious! Next time, I will probably add more beans. (I didn't add as many this time because my friend Heidi doesn't like them and she was coming over for dinner.) 

Turkey & Sweet Potato Chili 

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. Ground Turkey
• 1 Onion, chopped
• 1 Red Bell Pepper, chopped
• 2 Sweet Potatoes, diced
• 30 oz. Tomato Sauce
• 30 oz. Diced Tomatoes 
• 1 can Black Beans, drained and rinsed 
• 2 tbsp. Chili Powder
• 1 tbsp. Cumin
• Salt/Pepper, to taste 

Directions: 

1. Brown ground turkey and onion; transfer to crock-pot.
2. Combine remaining ingredients and cook on low for 7-8 hours or high for 5-6 hours.

There you have it! Two very different, very tasty chili recipes to try out during this wonderful time of year!

Happy Hump Day, ya'll!

Spicy spaghetti and Meat Sauce

If you don't know by now... I am a HUGE fan of pasta dishes and make them quite frequently. As a matter of fact, I don't think I've ever eaten a pasta dish I didn't like. Since I began to learn how to cook and experiment in the kitchen, I have always wanted to make my own meat sauce from scratch. While there are some decent jarred pasta sauces out there (Trader Joe's Creamy Tomato Basil, get in my belly!), I think there is something special about a homemade sauce. A few weeks ago, I finally decided to try my hand in this department and came out with a pretty tasty pasta sauce if I do say so myself. Even Ryan liked it and he HATES tomatoes! 

Ingredients: 

• 1 box spaghetti
  (I used vermicelli) 
• 1 large sweet onion, chopped
• 1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tbsp. minced garlic
• 1 lb. ground beef
• 1 tbsp. ground cumin
• 2 tbsp. chili powder
• 1 tsp. salt
• 2 tsp. crushed red pepper
• 1 tsp. black pepper
• 1 tbsp. dried oregano
• 1 tbsp. rosemary
• 2 (14.5 oz.) cans of diced tomatoes
• 1 (14.5 oz.) can tomato sauce
• 2 tbsp. tomato paste
• ½ cup reduced-sodium beef broth
• Parmesan Cheese for topping

Directions: 

1. Cook pasta according to package instructions, reserving 1/2 cup of cooking water before draining. 
2. Saute the onion in a large skillet (I used the cast iron) over medium-high heat in olive oil. Add garlic to the pan and continue to saute for about 4-5 minutes, or until the onions become translucent. 
3. Add ground beef to the pot and cook until the meat browns. 
4. Add all of the spices and stir to combine. Add the tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato paste, and beef broth and simmer for 10 minutes. 
5. Add the cooked pasta and cooking water, tossing to combine. Let simmer on the stove for a few minutes to thicken the sauce. 
6. Enjoy! 

So good! Next time I make this sauce, I might try my hand at canning to store some for a later date since this recipe makes a decent amount of sauce! 

I can officially cross #31 off of my 101 in 1001 list!

Happy Bachelorette Monday Night, y'all! 

Easy Glazed Salmon

Now that summer is upon us, I realize that I can't keep eating all of these crazy unhealthy delicious pasta dishes every night (so I've settled for every other night instead). In an effort to lighten up our meals around here, Ryan and I have been killing this recipe for a couple months now and it is an absolute favorite of both of ours. It's actually one that Ryan introduced to me during the time where I was stuck in class all night long and he was responsible for dinner. Not only is it a fairly easy recipe, but it takes hardly any time at all! Double win!

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup Brown Sugar
• 2 tbsp. Soy Sauce
• 1 1/4 lb. Salmon, skinned and cut into filets
• 1 tbsp. Olive Oil
• Salt and Pepper, to taste

Directions:
1. Heat broiler. In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar and soy sauce. Set aside.
2. Place the salmon in a casserole dish or on a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and season both sides with salt and pepper. I always ask someone at the grocery store to remove the skin for me before I buy the fish saving us time when we go to put this meal together.

3. Broil the salmon until it is opaque throughout, about 8-10 minutes. Pull it out of the oven and brush the soy sauce glaze over the top of the salmon. Put it back in the oven and broil it for 2-3 more minutes, or until completely cooked through. Enjoy!

And that's it! Seriously, so easy and flavorful! We usually eat ours with broiled asparagus or broccoli and a side of rice!

One more day until the weekend!

Cast-Iron Skillet Sausage & Spinach Pasta

For those of you who are intetested, my June goals are coming along nicely! I've been trying all sorts of new recipes in the kitchen that I can't wait to share with y'all over the next couple of days! Last week, I decided to bust out the cast iron skillet for the first time in a while to attempt a new one-pot pasta dish and let me tell you... It turned out A-mazing! Plus, there was hardly any clean up and lots of leftovers which are both wins in my book. 

Ingredients: 

• I package Hillshire Farms Smoked Sausage
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 1 (14.5 oz.) can diced tomatoes w/chiles 
• 2 cups chicken broth 
• 1/2 box of pasta 
• 3 cups fresh spinach 
• 1 cup shredded monterrey jack 

Instructions

1. Thinly slice the smoked sausage and add it to a large skillet with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Saute the sausage over medium heat until it is nicely browned (about 5-7 minutes). Drain off the excess fat.
2. Dice the onion and add it to the skillet. Continue to saute until the onion has softened(about 5 minutes). Add the can of diced tomatoes with chiles and the chicken broth. Stir to combine. 
3. Add the uncooked pasta to the skillet and make sure it is almost completely submerged under the liquid. Place a lid on the skillet and allow the mixture to come up to a boil. Once it reaches a boil, turn the heat down to low and let it simmer for about ten minutes, or until the pasta is tender. Stir once or twice while the pasta cooks to keep it from sticking.
4. Stir in the fresh spinach, a little bit at a time, until wilted. Keep the heat on while adding the spinach, so the liquid will continue to simmer and thicken.

5. Sprinkle the cheese on top and replace the lid, letting the cheese melt. Enjoy! 

Now I'm one step closer to being able to cross off #25 from my 101 in 1001 list! If you want to see my progress, you can always click on the 101 in 1001 tab at the top of this page. I do my best to keep that updated as I go.


Have a great Tuesday night!

101 in 1001: #25 1 of 5 (Wow...That's a lot of Numbers!)

Happy Snow Day New England!

Right before I left work yesterday afternoon, the snow began to fall and didn't stop until around 9:00 this morning. I believe we got a total of 16 inches of snow, but I can't confirm because, with the wind chill, it's -9 degrees outside. WAY too cold for this southern girl!

While the snow was falling last night, I decided to knock something off my 101 in 1001 list and try a hearty new recipe in our cast-iron skillet! I mean, when it looks like this outside, who wouldn't want some good old-fashioned comfort food?!?

Let me tell you, this recipe turned out AMAZING and will definitely be entering into our regular recipe rotation- plus it was super easy to make and only dirties up ONE pot!!

Without further ado, I present to you my take on Skillet Lasagna!

Ingredients: 

• Olive Oil 
• 1 lb. Ground Italian Sausage (I bought the hot variety instead of sweet) 
• 1 (28 oz) can Diced Tomatoes 
• 1 (8 oz) can Tomato Sauce 
• 1/2 Onion, chopped 
• 1 tsp. Minced Garlic 
• 1 1/2 cup Chicken Broth 
• 1 pkg. Four Cheese Ravioli (I bought frozen because it was cheaper)
• 2 cups Mozzarella Cheese 
• 1/2 cup Parmesan Cheese, plus more for topping 
• Parsley, to taste 

Directions: 

In the cast-iron skillet, Coat the bottom with Olive Oil. Add in garlic and onions, and saute over medium heat for about 5 minutes or until onions become soft. 

Add ground sausage to the pot and cook all the way through. Once sausage is browned, mix in diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, chicken broth, and ravioli. 

Bring the mixture to a boil and then reduce heat to medium and let simmer until ravioli is tender and the sauce has reduced and thickened, about 15-20 minutes. 

Remove the skillet from heat and stir in cheeses. Serve hot. 

I served our meal with roasted asparagus and garlic bread- SO good! 

Enjoy! 

Holdiay Recipes: Mom's Pineappe Casserole

Happy Monday! Ryan and I have been home and back in our normal routine for a few weeks now, which means I'm starting to miss Georgia and family again. To ease my homesickness (if that's wasn't a word before- it is now!), I've decided to FINALLY post one of my families favorite side dish recipes, Hot Pineapple Casserole! This recipe literally takes 5 minutes or less to prepare and always turns out so great, especially paired with a Honeybaked Ham. We usually eat this as part of our Christmas dinner, but it's great for any meal of special occasion. In fact, I think this might be on our Valentine's day menu next month! 

Ingredients: 

• 2 large cans Chunked Pineapple, drained 
• 1 cup Sugar
• 5 tbsp Flour 
• 1 1/2 cup Ritz Crackers, crushed 
• 1 stick Butter, melted 
• 1 1/2 cups Cheddar Cheese 

Directions: 

Place the drained pineapple into a buttered casserole dish. Combine sugar and flour and pour over the pineapple. 

Sprinkle cheddar cheese and ritz crackers over the top of the casserole. Pour the melted butter over everything and bake for 30-35 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly. Serve hot. 

 

TWO Freezer Meals. 5 Minutes

These are too good and too easy not to share with EVERYONE! Today, after work, I headed to the grocery store to pick up a couple groceries. While I was there, I was thinking about how little I wanted to cook dinner every night when it gets dark at 4pm. I decided to grab what I needed to make a couple more freezer meals and keep from cooking a few extra nights this month! From start to finish, these meals took 5, I repeat, FIVE minutes to put together and get in the freezer! 

1. Chicken Tortilla Soup: 

Ingredients: 

• 2 Chicken Breasts 
• 1/4 cup Diced Onion 
• 1 tsp. Minced Garlic 
• 1 (4 oz.) can Chopped Green Chiles 
• 1 (10 oz) can Enchilada Sauce 
• 1 can Rotel 
• 1 can Corn, drained 
• 1 tsp. Ground Cumin
• 1 tsp. Chili Powder 
• Salt/Pepper, to taste 

Directions: 

Place all ingredients in a gallon-size Ziploc bag. Seal and lay flat in freezer. *I have found that freezer meals take up less space in the freezer when you lay them flat until frozen. Then you can stand them upright and stuff them in like folders!* 

When ready to cook, take out and defrost overnight in fridge. Transfer contents of bag into a crock-pot and cook on low for 7-8 hours. This is great on it's own as a soup or over rice, which is the way I prefer it! 

2. Cream Cheese Chicken Chili:

Ingredients: 

• 2 Chicken Breasts 
• 1 can Black Beans, drained and rinsed 
• 1 can Corn, undrained
• 1 can Rotel 
• 1 package Ranch mix 
• 1 tsp. Cumin 
• 1 tbsp. Chili Powder 
• 1 tsp. Onion Powder 
• 1 pkg. Cream Cheese 

Directions: 

Add all ingredients into a gallon size Ziploc bag except for the cream cheese. Freeze flat.  

When ready to cook, defrost in the freezer overnight. Place the contents of the bag into a crock-pot. Place the cream cheese on top and cook on low for 6-8 hours. Stir cream cheese into mixture when done cooking and shred chicken. Again, Ryan and I like this chili served over white rice. 

That's it. SO easy and it'll save you time in the kitchen in the long run. Enjoy! 

Classic Sweet Potato Casserole

Twice this year, for Friendsgiving at James and Rachel's house and for Thanksgiving, I brought this sweet potato casserole. It's easy to make and SO delicious! To me, this dish served as a little reminder of Thanksgivings in Georgia, when my family and Ryan's family would come together. I know Thanksgiving is behind us now, but this recipe is just too good not to share. Plus, who says sweet potato casserole can only be made during the month of November?!?

Ingredients:

• 2 large cans Yams, drained 
• 1 stick of butter, softened 
• 1 1/2 cups Sugar 
• 3 eggs 
• 1 tbsp. Vanilla
• 1 small can Evaporated Milk

Directions: 

Mix all ingredients together in a stand mixer. Transfer to a greased casserole dish. 

Topping Ingredients: 

• 1 stick Butter, softened
• 1 cup Flour 
• 1 1/2 cups Brown Sugar 
• 1 cup Chopped Nuts (optional) 

Directions: 

Crumble all topping ingredients together and spread evenly on top of sweet potato mixture. 

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. 

Enjoy! Thanks again, Susan, for sharing this recipe with me! 

Thanksgiving 2013

While this Thanksgiving was very different from any other Thanksgiving Ryan and I have ever had together, it was amazing nonetheless and filled with great company and great food. Rachel and her family were gracious enough to include us in their festivities, so we headed to their house around 3 in the afternoon. After greeting everyone we posed for a few pictures in front of the fireplace with Kathy's gorgeous Thanksgiving decorations. 

So thankful for these three! 

Shortly after that, it was time to dig into our feast, featuring a big ole Turkey (of course), mashed potatoes, peas, gravy, stuffing, squash, and this sweet potato casserole, made by me!

The rest of the night was spent eating large amounts of food and spending quality time with the Grant family, both talking and watching football.

I made Aunt Carol's pecan pie for dessert and it was a hit, thankfully! Among the rest of the desserts, there was an apple pie, a pumpkin roll, a trifle, and a bunch of other really delicious things! We definitely weren't hurting for food that night.

Ryan and I have so much to be thankful for during this first year of our marriage. On top of our family and friends in Georgia, we are so thankful for this move to Boston during this time in our lives, all of the amazing things we've been able to do while up here, and most importantly, the great friendships and "northern family" we've established so far. Thanks Grant family for including us in your family holiday plans! 

Bacon and Spinach Quiche

I've been missing Life Group lately since I have class every week on the night that everyone meets. As you all may know, everyone brings a food dish to share pot-luck style. Since I haven't been going, Ryan has been stopping at the grocery store on the way out and picking up whatever he can to bring over, which is fine but, in my opinion, nothing beats a home-cooked dish! So, when I got the email this week telling me that the food theme for group is "Bacon", I decided I just HAD to make something to send this time! Here's what I came up with!

Bacon & Spinach Quiche

Ingredients:

• 1 unbaked Pie Crust
• 1 cup Cheddar Cheese
• 1/2 cup Spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
• 4-6 pieces of Bacon
• 3 eggs
• 1 1/2 cups Milk
• 1/8 tsp. Pepper

Directions:

-Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Cook bacon. I cooked mine in a cast-iron skillet and it turned out awesome... but don't even get me started on that. Once cooked, let cool and crumble.

Why thank you chili's for giving us your handy dandy pot holder. The skin on our hands no longer burns off every time we try to use our cast iron skillet! Win! 

- While the bacon is cooking, line your pie plate with the pie crust, push down to release all air bubbles, and pierce all over with a fork.

- On the bottom of the pie, sprinkle cheese, spinach, and bacon.

-In a mixing bowl, beat eggs. Add milk and pepper and stir until combined. Pour egg mixture into the pie crust.

-Bake for 1 hour or until the center is not wobbly and an inserted knife comes out clean.

Life group- I hope you enjoy this tomorrow! Save me a slice!

*P.s.- I'd like to wish a very happy birthday to my Mother-in-Law, Susan! Wish we could celebrate with you!!