Mini chimichangas

 

Ingredients

• 1 to 2 cups vegetable oil, divided
• Monterey Jack cheese shredded 

Chicken Filling

• 1/2 cup diced white onion
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 1/2 Tablespoon chili powder
• 1/4 teaspoon oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 4 cups cooked, shredded chicken (a rotisserie chicken works perfect for this) or use seasoned chicken thighs boiled for 2 hours with the skin on the remove and debone.
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1 can (4 ounces) diced green chilies
• 8 regular sized flour tortillas, warmed
• 2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese

Toppings

• salsa, sour cream, guacamole, pico, lettuce, etc.

Instructions

Fried Version

• In a large, cast iron OR heavy-bottom skillet, pour in enough vegetable oil to fill it 2 inches full of oil. Heat oil over low heat. (This will be the oil you fry the chimichangas in. The oil needs to slowly reach about 375 degrees F.)
  

Baked Version

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Grease a large baking sheet with nonstick spray. Set aside. 
  

Chicken Filling

• In a separate large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil over medium-high heat. Add the diced onion and cook until slightly softened. Add in garlic, chili powder, oregano and cumin. Stir and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the shredded, cooked chicken. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in the green chilies and continue to stir and cook mixture for another 5 minutes, or until thoroughly heated. Add Monterey Jack cheese to the filling and Set aside.
  
• Warm tortillas in the microwave. On each tortilla, add about 1/2 cup of the chicken mixture into the center. Top with 3 tablespoons of the shredded Monterey jack cheese. Fold sides over the mixture, then fold bottom over the sides and roll up. Place folded chimichangas, seam side down on a large plate/platter, and repeat with remaining tortillas. Do not over stuff 
  

Fried Version

• Using tongs, lower one chimichanga at a time, into the hot oil, seam side down. (*It is helpful to hold them with the tongs while they are in the oil to prevent them from opening.*) Carefully fry chimichanga until golden brown on both sides; about 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer the fried chimichangas onto a paper towel lined plate to soak up grease. 
  

Baked Version

• Place the wrapped chimichangas onto a lightly greased baking sheet. Spray the tops with non-stick spray. Bake in preheated oven for 20 to 30 minutes, or until golden brown.
  
• Serve chimichangas warm with your favorite toppings. Enjoy!

Hot water cornbread

 

Ingredients

• 1 /4 cup of vegetable oil for cooking 
• 1 cup cornmeal
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 cup water heated to boiling in microwave or stove 
• 1 teaspoon of baking powder
• 2 tablespoons of melted butter 

Instructions

• Start by heating a cup of water to boiling. The easiest way to do this is by microwaving it for 2 1/2 minutes. Or you can use the stove and a small pan.
  
• Then coat the bottom of a nonstick skillet with vegetable oil. Heat to medium high. You can use any oil
  
• Mix together water, sugar, salt, and melted butter,baking powder and cornmeal in a medium-sized mixing bowl.
  
• Wait for the oil to start sizzling (about 3 minutes), then you are ready to cook the cornbread. The batter will be a bit thicker at this point.
  
• Use a spoon to drop about 1/4 cup of batter into small pancake shapes in the skillet. This recipe will make about 6 pieces of cornbread.
  
• Cook until bottom is golden brown (about 5 minutes), then flip the cornbread to the other side. Cook for another 4-5 minutes or until both sides are lightly browned.
  
• Turn off the heat and carefully remove the cornbread from the frying pan. 
  
• Place on a serving plate and allow to cool for 5 minutes before enjoying.

Fried Apple pies

 

Ingredients

Apple Pie Filling

• 5 medium/large apples Granny Smith & Macoun
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• ¼-1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• Homemade pie crust or biscuit dough

Instructions

Apple Pie Filling

• Peel, core and chop the apples into small pieces. Melt the butter in a 10-12 inch skillet or Dutch oven. Cook the apples over medium heat for about 15-20 minutes or until soft. Sprinkle with brown sugar, sugar, and lemon juice while they cook. 
  
• Stir with a wooden spoon occasionally, making sure they do not burn. 
  
• Dissolve the cornstarch in about ¼ cup of cold water. Stir to combine.
  
• Pour in the cornstarch mixture once they are almost done and let cook to thicken the apples and juice. The pie filling will need to bubble up around the edges for the cornstarch to properly thicken.
  
• Remove from the heat and add the cinnamon, nutmeg and stir to combine. Let the pie filling cool completely.
  

Apple Hand Pies

• Roll out your biscuit dough or pie crust on a lightly floured surface, into 4-6 inch ovals, about ⅛-1/4-inch thick.
  
• Scoop about 1 tablespoon or so of the cooled pie filing in the center of each round.
  
• Fold over, lightly press down on the filling and the edges. (Lightly wet edges with water, using your fingertip if needed) Crimp the edges of the dough with a floured fork.
  
• Or cover the sheet pan loosely with plastic wrap and place into the freezer for later use. Overlap them slightly on a half sheet pan lined with parchment paper and place in the freezer. Cover the tray loosely with plastic wrap.
  
• Place uncooked pies on a half-sheet pan which is lined with parchment paper. Place the entire tray into the refrigerator while the oil heats.
  
• Fill a fry pan with about 2-3 inches of canola oil. Heat the oil until very hot (about 370 to 375 degrees F).
  
• Place only a few hand pies in the hot oil at a time, as to not overcrowd the pan or let the oil cool. Fry until they are brown on both sides, about 3-4 minutes. 
  
• Remove from the hot oil and let drain on paper towels on a half-sheet pan. Sprinkle with granulated sugar or dust with powdered sugar while they are still warm.
  
• Or drizzle each hand pie with a simple glaze. Let dry slightly before handling.
  
• These are best served warm. Delicious served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and drizzled with warm caramel sauce. Or Cinnamon sugar 
  

Crockpot Roast

 Ingredients

4-5 pound chuck roast
2 tablespoons canola oil or any oil.
2 teaspoons seasoning salt
1 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 pound carrots peeled and cut into 2" chunks or you can use the baby carrots and just slice them once down the middle.
2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes or russet peeled and cut into large chunks
2 onions sliced for the crockpot 
2 cups beef broth
2 tablespoons corn starch
2 tablespoons cold water for the slurry 
minced parsley optional, to garnish

• 1/4 cup of flour 

Instructions

• Season the chuck roast with the seasoning salt, pepper , onion powder and thyme (if you are sensitive to sodium, adjust to your taste or you can even leave the salt out altogether since you're adding broth). Add the flour to the roast or you can mix it with the seasonings . This will give it a really good sear❤️I like to sear my meat on the stove and then put it in the crockpot. As my mom would say’ BROWN THE MEAT 🤣🤣
  
• Heat your pan (or if you can brown in your slow cooker, do it in that insert to medium high.
  
• Add the canola oil and when it ripples and is hot add in the roast and brown, deeply, for 4-5 minutes on each side.
  
• In your slow cooker add the carrots, potatoes and onions .
• Lay the beef on top, then add the beef broth and cover, cooking on low for 8-10 hours or on high for 5-6 hours.
  
• In the last hour mix your cornstarch and water and add it to the slow cooker to thicken the sauce or you can take the food out when done cooking, and add the leftover liquid to a small saucepan with the cornstarch/water mixture and cook on high for just 2-3 minutes until the liquid is thickened into a gravy.
  
• Pour the gravy over the meat and garnish with parsley if desired.

Note: I had my crockpot on low and before I went to bed at 10:30 I started my pot roast and it cooked all night and was smelling good when I got up for work the next day ❤️👀

Stuffed potatoes with shrimp

 Stuffed potatoes with shrimp 

INGREDIENTS

  

Perfect Baked Potatoes

• 4 Medium Sized Russet Potatoes
• 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
• 1 tablespoon Salt

Shrimp Stock

• Leftover Shrimp Shells
• 2-3 Sticks of Celery roughly chopped
• 2-3 Sticks of Carrot roughly chopped
• ½ cup Onion roughly chopped
• 1 tablespoon Roasted Garlic Boullion
• 1 cup Water

Cajun Shrimp Cream Sauce

• 1 lb Raw Medium Sized Shrimp
• 1.5-2 cups Heavy Cream
• 1 tsp Butter
• 1 teaspoon Garlic
• ½ cup Parmesan Cheese
• ½ cup Asiago Cheese
• 1 cup Chopped Broccoli
• ¼-1/2 cup Shrimp Stock optional
• 1 tbsp Cajun Seasoning
• 1 tablespoon Parsley
• 1 tablespoon Lemon Juice ½ of lemon

INSTRUCTIONS

 

Perfect Baked Potatoes

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
  
• Thoroughly clean potatoes and pat dry with a paper towel. 
  
• Using a fork, poke holes all over potatoes.
  
• Pour oil over potatoes, sprinkle with salt and massage until fully covered. 
  
• Place on lined baking sheet uncovered and bake for 50-60 minutes until cooked through to the center. 
  

Shrimp Stock

• In a small stock pot with water, add shrimp shells, celery, carrot, onion, bouillon and stir. 
  
• Simmer on low for 20-30 minutes covered while preparing recipe. 
  

Cajun Shrimp Cream Shrimp Sauce

• Peel and devein shrimp and set on paper towels to dry.
  
• In a medium sized skillet on high heat, add butter and sauté shrimp. 
  
• Add Cajun seasoning and fresh lemon juice and stir. 
  
• Remove shrimp from heat being careful not to overcook and set aside until ready for use. 
  
• Pour in cream, cheeses, garlic and broccoli, stirring until combined. 
  
• Allow sauce to come to a slow boil and reduce heat simmering until the sauce thickens. 
  
• Add cooked shrimp back to cream sauce and stir. 
  
• Pour in shrimp stock to loosen sauce if it's too thick and simmer until ready to serve. 
  

Cajun-Cream Shrimp Stuffed Potatoes Assembly

• When potatoes are done, allow to rest for 10-15 minutes.
  
• Cut slits into potatoes and flake the flesh removing potatoes from the skin. 
  
• Pour cream sauce over potatoes and top with cajun shrimp.
  
• Garnish with fresh parsley and enjoy!

Swedish meatballs

 Sweetish meatballs 

Or you can choose the gravy! See below 

Ingredients

For the meatballs:

• 1 pound ground beef
• ¼ cup breadcrumbs
• 1 small onion very finely chopped
• 1 clove garlic finely minced
• 1 teaspoon dried parsley
• ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• ⅛ teaspoon ground allspice
• ½ teaspoon salt
• black pepper to taste
• 1 large egg
• 1-2 tablespoons milk
• 1 tablespoon oil

For the gravy:

• 3 tablespoons butter
• 3 tablespoons flour use 2 tablespoons if you prefer a thinner gravy
• 1 ½ cups beef broth
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1 teaspoon smooth Dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon grape jelly OR lingonberry jam; or less, to taste
• salt and black pepper to taste

Instructions

• Make the meatballs:
  
  Add all ingredients for the meatballs EXCEPT for the oil to a large bowl. Knead very well. I like doing this with a handheld mixer with the hook attachment - it's so much faster! Using about 2 teaspoons of meat mixture, roll into firm balls. (Freezing the meatballs for 5-10 minutes at this point helps them to keep their shape.)
  
• Cook the meatballs:
  
  Heat the oil in a wide, deep skillet. Brown the meatballs on all sides, until well browned on all sides. This will take between 6-8 minutes. Remove the meatballs from the pan and set aside. If you prefer baking the meatballs, place them on a lined baking sheet and bake them at 425°F for 10-12 minutes or until browned and no longer pink in the middle.
  
• Make the gravy:
  
  Bring the skillet back to medium heat. Melt the butter, then stir in the flour and cook, whisking constantly, until medium brown. Quickly pour in the beef broth while whisking constantly. Simmer until thickened, then whisk in the milk, mustard and jelly. Simmer gently over medium-low heat until creamy, about 1 minute. Season to taste.
  
• Finish the dish:
  
  Place the meatballs back in the gravy and warm very gently until heated through. Serve immediately.