Beer Grilled Cheese Sammies

This screams superbowl comfort food with a grown up twist!

I love homemade bread! Beer bread is easy & really takes this family favorite to a new level.  Cut into squares for a finger food for your next tailgating party.  Trust me its a total crowd pleaser! Serve it with the BLT salad. I'm getting hungry just thinking about it! :)

 Makes 2 (extra bread leftover)


INGREDIENTS:

Beer Bread

3 cups all-purpose flour

4 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1/3 cup sugar

One 12-ounce can or bottle of beer (I use whatever I have on hand – so use your fav)

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

Caramelized Onions

1 tbsp evoo

1 white onion, thinly sliced

1 tbsp fresh oregano, chopped

2 tsp Worcestershire sauce

Salt & pepper to taste

Dress your Sammy

2-3 teaspoons Dijon mustard* (optional) I Sometimes use my *Lemon Basil Aioli for variation

4 ounces Colby cheese

1 tbsp salted butter, melted

DIRECTIONS:

Make the beer bread:

Preheat oven to 350°F & Lightly grease a 9×5 inch loaf pan.

In a large mixing bowl, combine all-purpose flour, baking powder, salt and sugar. Pour in beer, stir until a stiff batter is formed. Best to just mix dough with your hands. Scrape dough into prepared loaf pan. Melt butter & spread evenly across top of dough. (Makes it golden and crusty!)

Bake in preheated oven for about 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into center of the loaf comes out clean. Let cool completely before slicing.

NOTE : You can also find Beer Bread in a box mix (Tastefully Simple) makes this even easier.

Caramelize the onions:

Heat evoo in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions to pan. Sauté onions until they begin to wilt, then add a pinch of salt and pepper, oregano and Worcestershire sauce. Reduce heat to medium low and cover. Cook covered until onions become soft and caramelized (about 40 minutes). Add more Worcestershire sauce to taste if you like.

Sear your Sammy

Preheat the flat griddle or skillet to medium-high heat.

For each sandwich: Spread a little Dijon mustard (or variation) inside one slice of beer bread. Layer on half of the cheese and onions and close the sandwich with a second slice of beer bread. Brush a little melted butter on top.

Sear for on each side till golden brown & until the cheese is melted. Carefully cut the sandwich in half, serve immediately & enjoy!

TIP - If serving for a crowd.

Cut these into quarter & stick with a fancy toothpick (Sammy Sliders) 

Serve with BLT Salad in the middle or

Put a big bowl of love on the table AKA Jamie's Loaded Potato soup.

Perfect anytime including Superbowl Sunday!

Creamy Comfort Chowder without the guilt

1 tbsp EVOO


1 scallion, white & green parts separated, thinly sliced

1 medium carrot, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced

1 teaspoon chili powder

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

healthy shake red pepper flakes

Salt & ground pepper to taste

1 baking potato, peeled & cut into small cubes (or a pkg of cubed hasbrowns -quicker/easier)

1 pkg (10 ounces) frozen corn kernels

1 can (15 ounces) chicken broth

1/2 cup soy milk or Fat Free Milk
 
1/2 cup 0% Greek Yogurt (FAGE) - more if needed (adds creamy no guilt texture)
 
Cook Time: 15 to 20 minutes


In a medium pan, heat evoo over medium heat. Add white part of scallion, carrots, chili powder, red pepper flakes & oregano. Cook scallions, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 2 minutes. Add potato cubes, corn, broth, milk & yogurt. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Cook until potato is tender, about 15 to 20 minutes. Stir in green part of scallion.

Hot Vanilla

Last night I was craving something hot.  I am not a coffee drinker, just do not like that stuff on any level, not even the foo foo drinks my girlfriends drink! The night before I tried some hot Tea, but really that's not my thing either. I LOVE hot chocolate, but let's face it, its not great to drink that every night thru the winter, or I'm going to pick up some extra pounds.  After all... the day is finally over and I'm typically ready to collapse at this point.  Anyhow... my cravings were getting the best of me, when I had the idea, to take some French Vanilla Coffee Mate, and add it to milk.  I have one of those Bialetti Hot Chocolate makers, and trust me it is worth every dime. It makes THE BEST Hot Chocolate on earth, which is far superior to Hot Cocoa (which btw.. are really two entirely different things) nonetheless it also makes many other things, and last night I decided to go with the vanilla coffee Mate as is fat free, next time I will have to look into getting the low sugar.

Here's what I did,

10oz of 1% milk
1/4C French Vanilla Coffee mate
2tbsp of Malt Powder

mini marshmallows (optional)

Turn it on, and voila, it was literally scrumptions without the guilt. OMG, I could see drinking this every night.  Now if you don't have a Bialetti maker  to do this in, you could do the same thing with a pot on the stove, warm up the milk, add the ingredients, and stir well.  It won't be as frothy as the maker, but i'm guessing it will still be mighty delicious for a night cap without the guilt. 

I'm also betting that a little bit of white chocolate Godiva liquer could take this drink to a whole new level!  (Actually made it again tonight so I could add pics, & put the Godiva in, & YUM-O!)

Serve with or without mini marshmallows on top and even a little bit of fresh nutmeg, that stuff screams holiday goodness. :)

Enjoy!!

Hummingbird Cake

This is an easy fake out of a traditional Hummingbird cake.  My boys do not like nuts, so I added in mini choc. chips instead for a little bit of crunch. This is really different, and ice cream added to a cake sounds crazy, it is really good.  All the fat in the ice cream works to bring a rich flavor to this cake.

1 box Pineapple upside down cake
1C. Carmel Salted Ice cream
1C. Vanilla Ice Cream
3 Eggs
3 lg. bananas
mini choc. chips (you can substitute nuts if you prefer)

Put all ingredients in your kitchen aid mixer, beat for 1min. on low, scrape down the sides and beat 2additional minutes on high, until well mixed and thick.

Spray bundt cake pan well with pam.  Bake at 350 for 45minutes.  Test cake for doneness, I like to use a strand of spaghetti, if it comes out clean, then its done, if not, Add 5-10 extra minutes to baking time, doing it in 5minute intervals. 

Let cool for 30minutes,  then invert cake. Cool for 20 additional minutes before serving.

NOTE:  VARIATIONS: You can use 2C of your favorite flavors of ice cream with

white, yellow, or Chocolate cake, and the possibilities are pretty endless. 

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Amaretto Cinnamon Glaze

1/2c Confectionary sugar
2 capfuls of Amaretto
3Tbsp of milk
1/2 capful of Starbucks Cinnamon Dolce Syrup
2 handfuls of mini marshmallows

Mix well, nuke in microwave for 1minute, stir, and nuke for another 30seconds. Watch to make sure it does not bubble over.
Pour over cake, or if you prefer over each individual slice.

Panzanella Soup

This is excellent choice if you are craving a hearty veggie soup.  I myself do not care for traditional vegetable soup.  I came up with this version as its a lot like my chicken noodle soup, but today I just wasn't feeling like I wanted to put any chicken in.  I even had the chicken all cooked and prepped, but I kept thinking it would taste better as a Chicken Blt Wrap to go with the soup. So I went this route, and Ooooh La La, so glad I did, it was a total hit.  The bread or Panzanella part of this soup, is like when you dip your bread into the gravy on your plate, but in this case its a whole bowl full. 

Did I mention yet, how souper easy this is? Seriously, it takes under 20minutes, and then just a little simmer and voila, you are ready to serve up a tasty bowl of goodness.

2 Zucchini's
2 Yellow Squash
1 Large Onion
2 Tbsp Butter
1/4 tsp Garlic Powder
Tone's Canadian Steak Spice
1 Pkg Tones Chicken Gravy
1 Can Cream of Chicken Soup (I use reduced fat)
2 boxes of Chicken Broth (again I use 1box reduced fat & 1 box low sodium)
Panetini (Italian Bread Toast) If you can't find this, Croutons will work also.
Shredded Swiss Cheese or Shredded Parmesan (for Garnish)


First cut all your veggies into slices.  I like to use the food processer so they are all the same thickness.

Melt Butter in your pot, and then add in Zucchini, Squash, and Onion.  Let it saute  nicely till its almost browned.  

Next add garlic powder, & a healthy dash (I go kind of heavy, because we like it spicy) of Canadian Steak Spice (you can purchase this in buld at Sam's Club) its great to have on hand for many dishes.  This really adds a lot of flavor. Stir, and mix the veggies all in it.

Now Add the Cream of Chicken Soup, mix well, then add in the chicken broth, then add in the chicken gravy. If you like you can reserve a coffee cup full of chicken broth and add the gravy mix to it, so that you can get it all mixed in with no lumps.  I on the other hand just stir really fast and mash any lumps I see forming. Either way works.

Let this simmer a bit, and then pour in about 2cups of Panetini. You can add more or less as you like. Let it all simmer a little longer, and then serve it up. 

Crumble a few extra Panetini pieces/croutons, & sprinkle a little parmesan or swiss cheese over top, the cheesy ooey goeyness mixes in with the bread nicely.

I'm telling you this Panzanella Soup is really delicious!

CHOCOLATE GRAVY

What could be better than, Chocolate Gravy! This is a rich, dark chocolate sauce is quite a traditional accompaniment for biscuits in the South. It’s also great on pancakes, ebilskivers, waffles, fruit.

Mmmmm an excuse to eat chocolate for breakfast? Don't you just wanna give that person a hug down south that came up with this! I'm betting she was also voted by her kids & their friends as best Mom on the planet! ;) Try it, you too can get the vote!

8 tbsp. unsalted butter
1 cup sugar
1⁄2 cup cocoa powder
1⁄4 cup flour
2 cups milk
1⁄2 tsp. vanilla extract

1. Melt the butter in a 2-qt. -saucepan over medium-high heat. Whisk together the sugar, cocoa, and flour in a bowl; add to the melted butter; whisk. Slowly add milk, whisking constantly, until smooth.


2. Bring to a simmer; cook until thick, 2–3 minutes. Whisk in vanilla.

MAKES ABOUT 2 1/2 CUPS

Jamie's Loaded Potato Soup

Or as my kids call it... Love in a bowl!  This soup is really easy and souper delicous. (sorry couldn't help myself on that one!) ;) It definitely is comfort food, perfect easy meal for football Sunday.

5lb bag of Potatoes
4oz reduced fat sour cream (Kroger brand with chives in it good too)
1/2 stick of butter (I use salted)
8 oz low-fat buttermilk
bacon bits (hormel work fine)
Salt & Black Pepper to taste (I also add a healthy dash of white pepper)
2c Cheddar or Colby Cheese (shredded) reserve a bit for topping
1/2 tsp Tarragon (optional)
1/2 tsp Onion powder (optional)
Fresh chives (for garnish)

Scrub potatoes well. Then Halve potatoes, and cut in half again so that they are in chunky quarters.  Add all the potatoes in the pot, fill with water till covered.  Boil till soft, and potatoes can be poked with a fork.  Pour potatoes in to colander and drain all the water.  Put all the potatoes into Kitchen Aid mixer, mix in butter, buttermilk, sour cream mix most of the chunks out.  Pour back into stock pot that you cooked them in, and add the rest of the ingredients.  Let simmer on the stove.  Sometimes I add corn to this recipe to and its more like a chowder. If you like your soup more soupy add a bit more milk. Top with a little more cheddar cheese & a few fresh chives.

Enjoy!

Fried Ham & Cheese Crepes

When I was a little girl, and visiting my Dad in Richmond Va., there was a restaurant we used to go to called the Magic Pan.  Oh how I loved it. It was a Crepe restaurant, and it was so delicious.  Any fans out there?

My favorite dish was the Crispy Ham Palancitas (Aka - Fried Ham & Cheese Crepes)

They were scrumptious! I have always wanted to figure out how to make these and once again taste a little bit of this heaven.  Here is a recipe that comes close as I can remember.

Crepes3 eggs
1/8 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups milk
1 cup flour
2 Tbs. butter

Ham Stuffing
1/2 pound Ham — cooked, ground (honeybaked style)
1/2 cup sour cream
1/8 cup swiss or cheddar

Breadcrumb Coating
1 cup bread crumbs
2 eggs
2 Tbs. milk

Mustard Cream Sauce
2 Tbs. butter or margarine
3 Tbs. all-purpose flour
1 cup chicken broth
1 cup half and half
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
2 tsp. lemon juice
1/8 tsp. white pepper

Directions:

1. Place eggs, sugar and vanilla in electric blender.
2. Cover and run on low speed for a few seconds.
3. Add milk slowly while still running on same speed.
4. Add flour in same manner at same speed.
5. Melt butter and add slowly to mixture at same speed.
6. Refrigerate 30 minutes.
7. Using a small Teflon crepe pan, tip pan slowly pour in batter, just to coat bottom of pan. Tilt the pan so the batter will spread completely over the entire bottom; brown one side, flip, brown other.
8. Carefully stack crepes on plate with second brown side up. (Brush pan with oil occasionally.)
9. Stir ham stuffing ingredients well into a consistent texture.
10. Spread 1 tsp., rounded, of ham filling on top of one crepe. Keep at least 1 inch from the edge.

1. Roll up and tuck in corners so it will not leak when frying. Do likewise with all.
2. Prepare breadcrumb coating: blend milk and eggs together, then place flour, egg mixture, and crumbs in separate containers in that order in a row.
3. Take each pancake and cover well with flour, then egg, then roll in crumbs.
4. Fry in cooking oil until puffy and golden brown on all sides. Fry slowly.

1. Serve with mustard cream sauce.

For mustard sauce:

1. Melt butter in a saucepan over low heat; add flour and stir until smooth.
2. Cook 1 minute, stirring constantly.
3. Add broth and half-and- half gradually.
4. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until thickened and beginning to bubble.
5. Remove from heat and stir in mustard, lemon juice, and pepper.
6. Keep warm.
7. Arrange palascintas on a serving dish and top with sauce.

Hope you enjoy this as much as I do! If anyone out there has a better recipe that pays homage to this wonderful dish, by all means contact me! :)

Semi-Homemade Pop-Tarts

Here's my short cut recipe for semi-homemade batch of pop-tarts real quick. You can even do all the prep the night before and pop them into the oven in the morning. 
These are quick & delicious!

1) Store bought pie crust

2) flling of your choice, I used jam

3) egg

4) sugar for sprinkling on top

Rll out your dough real thin, and cut out rectangle shapes.

 

Use your favorite Jam, preserve or Pie filling.

Spread filling on one half

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Fold over to make the Pop Tart shape.

 

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
Seal edges with fork, and cut of extra edge.  Make a few vent holes on top for baking.
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Brush with egg wash and sprinkle with sugar on top. 

Place in a 400 degree F oven on cookie sheet with parchment paper for 15 minutes, or until golden brown.

The sky's the limit with these babies--you could fill them with jam and top them with a thin icing with sprinkles for the traditional look and feel of the pop tart. 

This is the same Icing recipe that I use to make homemade Cinnabuns.

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup margarine, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 cups confectioners' sugar
1 tablespoon milk

1.In a large bowl, combine cream cheese, margarine, vanilla extract, confectioners' sugar and milk. Beat until creamy.

Spoon mixture into a ziploc baggie, twist one end to force icing into one corner, snip off the end of the baggie & pipe icing over the Pop-tart. You can also just put a spoonful on the poptart & spread with a knife. Add sprinkles.

Another yummy way to make is to go straight for the fatty jugular as my kids like filling them with decadent dark chocolate & topping them with peanut butter icing (photo to come). You're welcome.  Use your imagination, possibilities are endless!

 

Zuchinni Fritters

Getting ready to plant my garden. Can't wait, as soon I will begin making these a lot. 

1. 1 pound zucchini, stems removed 
2. 1 egg lightly beaten 
3. 1/4 cup parsley, chopped or Green Onion (either optional - if using both reduce to 1/8 cup each) 
4. 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese or Asiago (for lighter version try reduced-fat)
5. 1/2 cup flour 
6. 1/2 tsp baking powder 
7. 1/4 cup tarragon, chopped (optional) 
8. 1/2 teaspoon salt
9. 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper to taste 

Combine all of the ingredients except for the zucchini in a large bowl. Whisk to form a batter, removing large lumps, about 1-2 minutes. Grate the zucchini and add it to the bowl. The moisture from the zucchini will produce a thick batter as you stir. Use the batter immediately.

Heat olive or canola oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Using a 1/4-cup measure, pour out 3-4 cakes. Cook 2-3 minutes on each side until lightly browned. Drain on paper towel.