German Skillet Supper for a Cold Day

The weekend weather sounds dreadful! This winter has had several really cold days, colder than usual for Kansas. I've heard so many people talk about how tired they are of winter cold. Here is a recipe to warm your day. The crisped potatoes, spicy kielbasa and tangy sauerkraut will make you think you're in Germany.
I made this skillet dinner a few weeks ago and was appreciated after the crew had been feeding cattle on a frosty windy day. 3 off us and a child (and its not a children's favorite) ate 7 servings! and the little bit that was left was good warmed up for a supper later. Thanks to Chef Alli for the recipe.

POTATO, KIELBASA, AND SAUERKRAUT SKILLET

Ingredients: 

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 shallot minced (or small onion)

3 cloves garlic

1 red bell pepper (seeds and membranes removed) diced

1 teaspoon fennel seeds

½ teaspoon caraway seeds

2 tablespoons spicy brown mustard

Pinch of red pepper flakes

¼ teaspoon black pepper

½ cup dry white wine or chicken broth

1-2 tablespoons chopped Italian parsley

14 oz. kielbasa sausage sliced in ¼” rounds

3 cups sauerkraut, drained well

½ cup sour cream

1 ½ cups shredded Swiss cheese

3 small Yukon gold potatoes, skin on, sliced very thin

½ teaspoon kosher salt

2 tablespoons melted butter

Directions:

1.    Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. 

2.    In a 12” cast iron skillet, heat oil over medium heat; add shallot, garlic and red bell pepper and sauté until softened slightly. 

3.    Move vegetables in skillet to one side, then add the sliced kielbasa sausage to the skillet and sauté until sausage is browned on both sides. 

4.    Add sauerkraut, mustard, fennel seeds, caraway seeds, red pepper flakes, and pepper to the skillet. Stir all ingredients together, cooking until heated throughout, then add the wine (chicken broth) and parsley and cook an additional minute. Spread sour cream over the skillet mixture, then top with cheese. 

5.    Meanwhile, in a large mixing bowl, toss the potato slices with melted butter and salt; layer seasoned potatoes over the sauerkraut mixture, covering the entire top. 

6.    Bake, uncovered, for 40-45 minutes, or until potato slices are browned at the edges and the mixture is hot and bubbly throughout. Let stand 5 – 10 minutes before slicing into wedges to serve. 

Cherries for George Washington's Day

Today is George Washington's Birthday. We used to celebrate that in February, and Abe Lincoln's birthday on Feb. 12, before it was all rolled together into Presidents' Day on the third Monday. (Does that make me old - that I know that??) Anyway, I always think of cherries for February foods. Even though we now know that George Washington probably didn't really chop down a cherry tree and confess truthfully to it, historians do say he liked cherry pie. So its February and we're making something cherry.
I needed a quick covered dish to take to a meeting during a busy week, so this wasn't going to be the time for that cherry pie! Instead I recalled a 4-H demonstration my daughter had done ages ago (like 20 years!). We must have been so tired of that Cherry Angel Delight dessert after many practices that I didn't save the recipe. Nothing in my recipe notebooks. So I searched the old 4-H record books, and found it! Not only did she do this for a 4-H Day demonstration, but it was also a Favorite Food Show entry. It made a good demonstration and is an easy dessert to prepare. Blue ribbon all-around. The day after I made this I happened to find a very similar recipe on Pinterest, I guess it is still popular.

Cherry Angel Delight 

(also called Heaven of Earth Cake on Pinterest)

1 large prepared angel food cake (you can be ambitious and make your own, but remember I said this was an easy prep? Use a cake mix or buy a baked cake).
1 can (21 oz.) cherry pie filling
1 package (3.4 oz) instant vanilla pudding mix
1 ½ cups cold milk
1 cup (8 oz) sour cream

Directions:
Cut or tear cake into ½-inch pieces to measure 8 cups. Place half the cake cubes in a 9-inch x 9-inch baking pan. Reserve ⅓ cup of pie filling, spread remaining filling over the cake cubes. Top with remaining cake cubes. Combine pudding mix, milk, and sour cream. Spoon over cake cubes. Cover an chill. To serve, cut into squares and top with reserved cherries.

The Heaven on Earth Cake version also included 8 oz. of whipped topping (Cool Whip). It was assembled with ½ of the cake cubes, ⅔ of cherry pie filling, ½ cake cubes, pudding mixture, whipped topping, garnish.

I prepared the dessert as a trifle in a footed clear bowl. Since this made the cake layers a little thicker and I wanted it to look pretty from the side, I layered it cake cubes + pudding mixture + cherries + cake cubes + cherries + pudding mixture, garnish with reserved cherry pie filling. Later I thought I should have also garnished with slivered almonds, next time!

Pizza Day

Last week was National Pizza Day. I had no idea of that designation until after I'd made pizza for lunch - but pizza is a popular meal at our house, so it was a lucky coincidence.  I wanted to try the "Easiest Pizza You'll Ever Make" recipe by King Arthur Flour. And it is! You can use this recipe as a 'do-it-yourself' party and let everyone add their own favorite toppings, or fix it yourself for your family. I reduced the original recipe by half, to make two medium pizzas; but if you make the recipe from the KAFlour website (kingarthurflour.com), or double this recipe posted here, you cam have three to four 12-inch pizzas for a party. Or you can easily double the original recipe (I would make 2 batches for easier handling) for a larger party. This dough is easy to mix and easy to work with. 

I made two pizzas ready for the oven, and instead of baking the second one, I wrapped it tightly in foil and put it in the freezer. To reheat/cook, let thaw slightly then put in a 400 degree oven for about 40 minutes. Cover with foil for the last 20 minutes to keep it from getting too brown. 

EASIEST PIZZA CRUST  

Ingredients: 

1 cup lukewarm water

½ tablespoon sugar

½ tablespoon active dry yeast

½ tablespoon salt

1 tablespoon olive oil (optional) 

2 ¾ - 3 cups all-purpose flour 

Toppings: pizza or spaghetti sauce and your choices: Browned sausage or ground beef, chopped green peppers, chopped black olives, mushrooms, onions, and shredded cheese. 

Directions: 

1.    Dissolve the sugar, yeast, and salt in lukewarm water (and olive oil if you’re using it).

2.    Add the flour, starting with 2 ¾ cups and adding more as necessary to make a soft, smooth dough. 

3.    Knead the dough (with your hands, a mixer, or your bread machine set on the dough cycle) until its smooth and elastic, about 7 – 10 minutes. 

4.    Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl or other container, cover it, and let it rise for 1 to 2 hours, whatever fits your schedule. (good time to prepare the toppings)

5.    Gently deflate the dough, and divide into two pieces. Roll each piece, on a floured surface, with a floured rolling pin, into a circle to fit a 12” pizza pan. To roll, work from the center to the outside like pie dough. Let the dough rest several times to relax it and make it more cooperative. Turn it over from time to time and roll the reverse side. 

6.    Place the rounds on pizza pans, pizza stone or baking sheets. 

7.    Preheat the oven to 450 degrees and get out the toppings. 

8.    Brush each crust with olive oil; spread with sauce and add your favorite toppings. Sprinkle the top with grated or shredded cheese. 

9.    Bake the pizzas for 15-20 minutes, until golden brown, the toppings are hot and bubbly and the cheese is melted. Remove the pizzas from the oven. 

10.  Transfer to pizzas to a cooling rack for about 10 minutes to let the toppings set. Slice and serve. 

No-Bakes Just Got Even Better!

"There is nothing better than a friend, unless it is a friend with chocolate" (Linda Grayson). 
I agree! Chocolate is the perfect taste to celebrate friendship, love, and Valentine's Day. These easy to make no-bake cookies are so quick you can make several batches to share with friends. I've loved this basic recipe for years, but this version from Sally's Baking Addiction has a different twist. I used 3 squares of 100% cacao unsweetened chocolate instead of the usual powdered unsweetened chocolate and I think it enriched the flavor. Also soaking the oats for 5 minutes incorporated the ingredients better. Be sure to use quick oats or pulse regular oats in the food processor 4-5 times to make them finer cut. The original recipe suggested using coconut oil instead of butter, I'm going to try that next time. Coconut oil solidifies like butter when cooked and cooked. 

CHOCOLATE PEANUT BUTTER NO-BAKE COOKIES

Ingredients:

3 cups quick oats

¼ cup (½ stick) unsalted butter

1 ½ cups granulated sugar

½ cup milk

¼ cup natural unsweetened or dutch-process cocoa

⅔ cup creamy peanut butter

1 Tablespoon pure vanilla extract

Directions: 

1.    Place oats in a large bowl. Set aside. 

2.    Combine the butter sugar, milk, and cocoa together in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Whisk until the butter melts, then bring to a boil. Allow to boil for 1 minutes without whisking. Remove from heat and, using a wooden spoon or rubber spatula, stir in the peanut butter and vanilla until completely combined. Pour this mixture over the oats, then stir to combine it all. Allow it to sit for 5 minutes. This allows the oats to soak up some moisture.

3.    During the 5 minutes, line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. And make sure there is enough room in your refrigerator for the baking sheets. 

4.    Using a 1-Tablespoon cookie scoop (or a spoon), drop a tablespoon of dough onto the lined baking sheets. If desired flatten out and shape into a cookie. Repeat with the rest of the dough. 

5.    Refrigerate the cookies for at least 30 minutes. Remove from the refrigerator and enjoy! Store leftovers covered tightly in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. 

Sliders for Sharing

Ham and Swiss Cheese Sliders

Being co-hostess for our Extension unit means preparing the entree for the covered dish lunch. I made everything easy by hosting at our church (where several of us were in UMW meeting that morning) and making these sliders for the main dish. I also made it simple by doing much of the preparation the night before. I sliced the rolls (Hawaiian Sweet Rolls) in half, laying the top half on a sheet of wax paper so they could be easily lifted off for filling. I prepared the filling for the cheeseburger sliders and reheated it just before putting it on the rolls. For the ham/cheese sliders I layered the sliced ham and Swiss cheese on the bottom half of rolls and refrigerated overnight. For both recipes, I prepared the mixture of melted butter and other ingredients that is poured over the top, stored in a sealed plastic container in the refrigerator. Cooked and crumbled bacon, toasted sesame seeds, shredded cheese, and sliced pickles were also prepared and stored in containers in the refrigerator. The morning of the meetings, I packed it all and it was quick to assemble just before heating the pans of sliders for the 12:30 lunch. 

I'd been wanting to try these recipes, but didn't think it was a recipe suitable for a light supper with 2 people. Not unless you wanted to serve these as leftovers all week. If you do want a smaller preparation, I'd suggest using a half package of rolls (6) and half of the filling ingredients. 

Cheeseburger Bacon Sliders

Its hard to say which is my favorite! I like the ham and cheese for the simplicity of preparation. But I like the flavor and hardiness of the cheeseburger sliders. Try them both and you decide! 

Savory-Sweet Bacon Cheeseburger Sliders 
2 pkgs. Hawaiian sweet rolls, 12 oz each 
2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese, divided use 
1 ½  lbs. ground beef 
1 medium yellow onion, diced 
14 oz. can diced tomatoes and green chilies, drained (such as Rotel) 
1/3 cup ketchup 
2 Tbs. spicy brown mustard
1 Tbs. Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper 
Sliced hamburger dill pickles

½ pound bacon, cooked and chopped into large pieces 

Glaze 
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted 
1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
1 Tbs. Worcestershire sauce
2 Tbs. Dijon mustard or spicy brown mustard 

1-2 Tbs. toasted sesame seeds

Directions: 

1. Preheat oven to 350°

2. Leaving the packages of rolls intact, cut each of horizontally in half, then arrange each sheet of bottom halves across the bottom of a greased 9 x 13 baking dish. (Reserve the top sheets of rolls for later in the recipe.) Sprinkle the rolls with 1 cup shredded cheese. 

3. Meanwhile, in a large skillet over medium heat, cook ground beef with the diced onion until the beef is fully cooked throughout (no longer pink and 165 degrees F internal temperature) and onions are tender and translucent, crumbling the beef as it cooks. Remove the skillet from the heat and drain all fats from the beef mixture. 

4. Return the skillet to the burner over medium heat and stir in the tomatoes, ketchup, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and pepper; stir until well combined and heated throughout, 2-3 minutes.

5. Spoon the prepared beef mixture evenly over the cheese and the rolls in the baking dish, then top the beef mixture with the remaining cup of shredded cheese. Sprinkle the cooked, chopped bacon over the cheese, then top with sliced pickles. Lastly, add the reserved sheets of rolls as the top and final layer of the sliders. 

6. In a small bowl, combine melted butter, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce and mustard. Drizzle this butter mixture over the sliders, then sprinkle the sliders with sesame seeds. 

7. Bake sliders, uncovered, until golden brown and heated throughout, 23-25 minutes. Slice sliders apart and serve at once!

 Baked Ham and Cheese Sliders

¾ cup melted butter

1 ½ tablespoons Dijon mustard

1 ½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1 ½ tablespoons poppy seeds

1 tablespoon dried minced onion

1 pound thinly sliced cooked deli ham

1 pound thinly sliced Swiss cheese

24 mini sandwich rolls

Directions: 

1.   Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9 x 13 -inch baking dish. 

2.   In a bowl, mix together butter, Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, poppy seeds, and dried onion. 

3.   Separate the tops from bottoms of the rolls, and place the bottom pieces into the prepared baking dish. Layer about half the ham onto the rolls. Arrange the Swiss cheese over the ham, and top with remaining ham slices in a layer. Place the tops of the rolls onto the sandwiches. 

4.   Pour the mustard mixture evenly over the rolls. 

5.   Bake in the preheated oven until the rolls are lightly browned and the cheese has melted, about 20 minutes. Slice into individual rolls through the ham and cheese layers to serve. 

Bring a Snack?

   

 Its that time of year when many post-holiday gatherings are snack food times. By now we're tired (or maybe full) of sweet treats and collected snacks may be the meal for a meeting or party. Whether you're planning a Super Bowl party or committee meeting, its good to have a 'go-to' recipe for a savory snack to take.
     This recipe fits the need! It isn't something I would make at home for the two of us, but it worked well for a Cattlewomen's meeting where there were at least 4 cheese balls! I took the easy shortcuts and used frozen dough and frozen spinach, so it was quick and easy to assemble. The recipe made enough dip that I had some left for us to snack on at home for a few days as well. I made it in a round casserole dish so it was easier to transport to the meeting. But a cast-iron skillet would add a rustic touch if you were serving it at home. 

WARM SKILLET BREAD AND ARTICHOKE SPINACH DIP

Ingredients: 

1 loaf frozen bread dough, thawed

         (or make your own from your favorite recipe)

Artichoke Spinach Dip:

4 cups loosely packed fresh baby spinach (mw with 1 T. water for 1 minute, cool, and drain

OR ½ of a 10 oz. package frozen spinach, thawed and drained

1 small jar marinated artichoke hearts, drained and coarsely chopped

4 oz cream cheese at room temperature

½ cup sour cream

¼ cup mayonnaise

1 clove garlic, minced

½ tsp. hot sauce

¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese

¼ cup mozzarella, plus more for topping

To make dip:Combine all ingredients and mix until well combined. Cover and refrigerate until needed. 

Shaping dough:Cut the dough into 16 equal pieces on a lightly floured cutting board. Shape each piece into a ball by pinching the edges together underneath. 

Generously butter an 8-inch cast-iron skillet. Place an oven-proof 5-inch (approximately) bowl, top side down in the center. Spray the bowl with cooking spray. Arrange the dough balls in the skillet around the bowl, pushing together as needed until they all fit. Brush dough balls generously with melted butter. Cover the skillet with plastic wrap and let rise until puffy, about 30 minutes. 

 

Ready to go in the oven!

Preheat oven to 375 degrees with the rack in center of the oven. Remove bowl from the skillet. Spoon prepared dip into the center space, pushing it right up to the edge of the dough. Sprinkle top of dip with additional mozzarella/Parmesan. Bake in pre-heated oven for about 30 minutes, until rolls are golden and sound hollow when tapped and the dip is bubbly. 

Remove from oven and raise oven rack to the top third. Switch oven to broil. Sprinkle the rolls with additional mozzarella cheese and return skillet to oven to brown cheese and dip. 

Serve with a ‘dip’ knife. 

Italian Vegetable Soup

It is definitely soup weather this weekend. I recently made the Italian Vegetable Soup my sister-in-law had served at a family gathering in December. For that dinner I'd taken Rosemary Focaccia (post from December) and there was some left that I'd put in the freezer. Perfect with the soup last week.

This soup is not only tasty, it gets tastier as leftovers! It is a good blend of seasonings and vegetables with ground beef and beans to give it substance. This recipe is a keeper for sure! I usually use 2 pounds of ground beef in a recipe preparation that calls for 1 pound, but this soup is so full of good taste and nutrition that 1 pound works well.

ITALIAN VEGETABLE SOUP                                    

1 lb. ground beef

1 cup diced onion

1 cup sliced celery

1 cup sliced carrots

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 16-oz can diced tomatoes

1 15-oz can tomato sauce

1 15-oz can red kidney beans, undrained

2 cups water

5 teaspoons beef bouillon granules

1 Tbsp. dried parsley flakes 

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon oregano

½ teaspoon sweet basil

¼ teaspoon black pepper

2 cups shredded cabbage

½ cup small elbow macaroni

Parmesan cheese

Brown beef in large kettle; drain. Add all other ingredients except cabbage and macaroni. Bring to a boil. Lower heat; cover and simmer 20 minutes. Add cabbage and macaroni; bring to a boil and simmer until vegetables are tender. 

Add water or broth for a thinner soup. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese when serving.