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Showing posts with the label Weeknight Supper Meal

Stuffed Pork Chops with Pepper Jelly Glaze

Collards and Cornbread Stuffed Pork Chops,  juicy, thick gorgeous pork chops slit with a pocket of collard greens and cornbread stuffing and then placed under the broiler with a glaze of pepper jelly.  COLLARDS AND CORNBREAD STUFFED PORK CHOPS These pork chops make a beautiful presentation for any restaurant meal experience you want for your guests or just a celebratory dinner for your family. When I saw these thick pork chops at Sams, I knew I wanted to stuff them.  My husband had his eye on grilling, and after I had talked him into stuffing them, he got a sparkle in his eyes.

Old Fashioned Chicken Pot Pie

Old fashioned Chicken Pot Pie is made with whole chicken, mixed vegetables, and homemade white sauce, baked in a flaky crust. Homemade Chicken Pot Pie (Copycat Marie Callender's) One bite of this scrumptious homemade chicken pot pie and your family will know why homemade from start to finish is the only way, just like the widely known chicken pot pie from Marie Callender. While my daughter in love, Brandy, was on bedrest awaiting the arrival of our granddaughter, her friend, Rachel brought over this delicious Chicken Pot Pie.   Rachel's Old Fashioned Chicken Pot Pie recipe should definitely be added to your repertoire. She says, "It is her Mom's famous Chicken Pot Pie! "We LOVE this...it's a must at every holiday."  To my surprise, Brandy had one baking in the oven when we arrived on our next visit.

Baked Spaghetti and Homemade Meatballs

Baked Spaghetti and Homemade Meatballs are prepared by simmering the meatballs in an easy marinara sauce until they become gloriously tender and juicy. Then, add the spaghetti, toss it all together, and bake. THE BEST SPAGHETTI AND HOMEMADE MEATBALLS   This is the best recipe for Spaghetti and Homemade meatballs given to me by a dear friend.  I give all the tips and tidbits for making a satisfying and comforting meal.   When I think of comfort food, it doesn't get more classic than Spaghetti and Meatballs.  This recipe is pretty straightforward. The dish has three components, the meatballs, the sauce, and the pasta. The true star, for me, is the meatballs, which need some love and attention to be tender and juicy. The marinara sauce is a simple recipe of onion, garlic, diced and crushed tomatoes, seasonings, and fresh herbs.  It is very basic, but believe me, when it is cooked up with the meatballs and incorporated with the pasta, it is incredible.

German Chocolate Blossom Cookies

These German Chocolate Blossom Cookies start with a German chocolate cake mix, which makes them super easy to make.  They are soft and chewy and topped with your favorite candy––Hershey Kisses. GERMAN CHOCOLATE KISS COOKIES (3 Ingredients) German Chocolate Kiss Cookies are a favorite year round. The recipe has only three ingredients, which you probably already have in your kitchen. They are seriously the easiest cookies to whip up and perfect for your children to join in. These German Chocolate Blossom Cookies are a twist on the beloved Peanut Butter Blossom Cookie, which is so popular around the holidays.   We are such huge fans of German chocolate, and I see so many recipes using cake mixes to make cookies that it sparked an interest in using a German chocolate cake mix and rich and creamy coconut pecan frosting together to make some. These cookies taste absolutely amazing.  It is impossible to stop at one.  They are soft and chewy and all the flavors of a piece of  German Chocolate

Blackberry Pie Bars

Blackberry Pie Bars have a buttery shortbread crust, a creamy custard filling with a generous serving of fresh blackberries running through, and a delicious cookie crumble streusel topping. BLACKBERRY CREAMY PIE BARS These Blackberry Pie Bars make a super easy summer treat.  They are perfect for brunch, entertaining guests, and as a simple accompaniment to an afternoon coffee break. I am a huge fan of pie bars.  You are probably familiar with the  Pumpkin Pie Bars  that roll out in the fall months.  Then spring comes, and we see the  Lemon Bars  make an appearance.   But when summer rolls around, I become a huge fan of these blackberry pie bar treats. I'm so impressed with the crafting of these pie bars. Though they are called pie bars, they handle like cookie bars and roar like a blackberry cream pie. They are seriously delicious!

Kay's Swiss Steak

Swiss steak is an inch-thick beef round steak tenderized and browned, then simmered low and slow in a sauce of tomatoes, onion, garlic, and herbs on the stovetop or in the oven. THE BEST OLD FASHIONED SWISS STEAK This old-fashioned Swiss steak, with fork-tender meat alongside a billowing pile of mashed potatoes smothered in a beefy tomato gravy, is the ultimate comfort food.    Swiss steak is a method of preparing meat, usually beef, by rolling or pounding it and then braising it in a stockpot, either on a stove or in an oven. The name does not refer to Switzerland but to the process of "swissing," which involves pounding or running fabric or other materials through rollers to soften them, in this case, meat.

Chopped Cherry Tomato Caprese Salad

My Easy Chopped Cherry Caprese Salad is loaded with ripe cherry tomatoes, fresh basil, and fresh mozzarella pearls and drizzled with a balsamic glaze. EASY CHERRY TOMATO CAPRESE SALAD Caprese salad is one of the easiest salads to make throughout the year, but the simplicity of the recipe doesn't mean it lacks zesty flavors.   The classic combination of all the ingredients topped with a tangy glaze is irresistible. Caprese salad is perfect year-round, but my favorite time to enjoy this irresistible salad is when spring rolls around, and summer is just behind.   It is ideal for summer because it is light, refreshing, and so easy to prepare.   I love bringing it to potlucks, picnics, or family barbecues because it is so easy to travel with. It can be served at room temperature or right out of the refrigerator.

Smoked Salmon Cakes

Smoked salmon cakes are an easy and delicious weeknight meal option, and believe it or not, they are affordable. SMOKED SALMON PATTIES Smoked salmon patties are perfectly crisp on the outside and deliciously tender and flaky on the inside. They are made with packaged smoked sliced salmon instead of canned salmon.     One bite of these smoked salmon cakes and any thought of you using canned salmon will fly out the window.  That's how I felt the first time I made them. I use sliced precooked salmon from Sams. I add minced onion, lemon juice, mayonnaise, chopped fresh dill, an egg, half and half, and coat them in a little Obay seasoning mixed in the panko crumbs.  These are so good.  

Southern Spoonbread

Southern Sweet Corn Spoonbread is a century-old Southern comfort food that has graced the tables across the South.     SOUTHERN SWEET CORN SPOONBREAD The Southern Spoonbread recipe is a classic Southern side dish.  It is creamy, moist cornbread that is more like a cornmeal-based souffle or delicate cornbread pudding.   This Sweet Corn Spoonbread is a quick and easy side dish. To make it, combine everything in a bowl, stir, and bake. It is a favorite around my house. We look forward to having it every year on our Easter menu. The recipe also works well for weeknight menus. It starts off with a box of Jiffy cornbread mix, then two kinds of corn, butter, eggs, and sour cream, simply delicious.

Raspberry Coffee Cake

Raspberry Coffee Cake in the morning will start your day off to a fabulous start.  Serve it anytime for dessert, an afternoon snack, or my favorite breakfast. RASPBERRY BREAKFAST CAKE The recipe is based on my Very Blueberry Coffee Cake, switching out with fresh raspberries, butter, sugar, eggs, and sour cream and sprinkled with a coarse finishing sugar. I grew up with something sweet on the table all the time because my mother had a charming sweet tooth, which she passed on to her four daughters.    Mother was an amazing baker.  Even though I learned from her, I wish I had written down more of her recipes and paid more attention when she baked.

Mama's Southern Baked Beans

Thick and rich with just the right amount of sweetness, these baked beans are a perfect side dish for whatever you cook up for your next gathering.   CLASSIC SOUTHERN BAKED BEANS Mother's easy to make baked beans are just that,  EASY.  This classic dish has canned pork n' beans, onions, bell pepper, brown sugar, mustard, Worcestershire, and the star, Bacon.   I could not post my mother's Potato Salad recipe (previous post) without posting her Southern Baked Beans recipe, also.  Like the potato salad recipe, I have had this one in my head for years too. I watched my mother make her potato salad and baked beans a gazillion times, and I don't remember her making one without the other, but I suspect that there were times when she did. I know what the ingredients are in her baked beans, but I am not sure about the exact amount of the ingredients each time. 

Nutella Sweet Rolls

Nutella Sweet Rolls recipe follows a similar process to cinnamon rolls. They start with a soft, pillowy dough and are filled with the star of the recipe, Nutella, then iced with vanilla icing. Nutella Heavenly Sweet Rolls These ooey gooey sweet rolls are the most decadent breakfast treats you could ever imagine, either for breakfast or,  like at my house, for dessert. Nutella is an absolute favorite with my grandchildren, so I thought making Nutella Sweet Rolls would be appropriate for Valentine's breakfast or, why not, dessert :). These soft, sweet, fluffy sweet rolls are hassle free.   They only take 30 minutes to rise once, so you can spend your time making other special delicacies for your special day. As you see, these rolls are amazing plain, but to give them an additional gooeyness, I iced them with a rich buttery, vanilla icing.  A thin coat gives them a glorious shine and divine gooeyness. If you can't resist these sweet rolls, just take a look at these  sweet rolls an

Christmas Tea Cakes

Christmas Tea Cakes are festive tea cakes that are super easy to make with few ingredients, including two cake mixes. Holiday Mincemeat Tea Cakes This is the perfect recipe to use extra cake mixes you have on hand.  This recipe was inspired by all the cookie recipes that use cake mixes.  Another secret ingredient that is classic around the holidays is mincemeat pie filling. You will love the Holiday Mincemeat Tea Cakes if you love mincemeat pie.  I know there are some yays and nays when mincemeat is mentioned.    Growing up in the 60s, my family always had mincemeat pie during the holidays.  Mincemeat is a sweet concoction of dried fruit, spices, dark brown sugar, nuts, and beef. When I saw a jar of None Such Mincemeat pie filling in my cabinet, I wanted to try to make a cookie with some cake mixes I needed to use.   

Slow Cooker Turkey Breast

  Slow Cooker Turkey Breast is simple to prepare and has as much flavor as a whole turkey.  Start with a bone in, skin on, and use the same seasonings, but the secret to the juiciest meat is the brining. CROCKPOT TURKEY BREAST This Crockpot Turkey Breast recipe is an excellent addition to serve extra white meat for your Thanksgiving meal, which my family loves.  We always run out of white meat, but not anymore. My recipe for Crockpot Turkey Breast is straightforward, with only 3 ingredients, turkey, poultry seasoning, and butter, that's it.  It turns out moist and flavorful every time.   Whether cooking a whole turkey or a turkey breast, the leftovers are always my favorite.   I love making turkey sliders, sandwiches, turkey soup, and my new recipe for turkey bubble up, which uses this year's leftovers.

Waldorf Salad

The Waldorf Salad recipe is straightforward and delicious and can be made with ingredients from your pantry.  It is ready in 15 minutes and easy for family gatherings or potlucks.    Granny's Classic Waldorf Salad I have been making this classic Waldorf Salad recipe for the holidays and special occasions for years. The recipe comes from my Mother.  It is one of my favorite recipes growing up. The original Waldorf Salad was introduced on March 14, 1893, at the Waldorf Istoria Hotel in New York by the first executive chef for a charity ball and became an instant success.  In years since, the original recipe, which consisted of apples, celery, and mayonnaise, has taken on more additions.

Hamburger Soup

Hamburger Soup is warming and satisfying, loaded with vegetables.  Ideal comfort food on cold nights. HEARTY HAMBURGER VEGETABLE SOUP This hearty hamburger vegetable soup recipe is simple and hearty. It's made with lean ground beef, various vegetables, and a delicious beef broth. Soup season is in full swing here in East Texas. I couldn't be more excited.  On weeknights, I like to make a soup that takes little time and ingredients that I keep in my kitchen, but on the weekends, I want to do the long and slow method. Growing up, ground beef was one of the less expensive meats to feed a family.  I remember my mother would make Hamburger Soup several times in the winter months.   To get a few more servings, she would stretch the recipe by adding mini pasta shells.   This ground beef soup is hearty and chunky, loaded with delicious vegetables and plenty of juices for a chunk of cornbread to soak them up.   Also, It is a versatile soup in that you can play around with the vegetables

Super Easy Baked Ziti

Baked Ziti is the ultimate comfort food for a crowd or just a family night dinner, rich and gooey with layers of pasta, creamy meat sauce, and three different kinds of cheese. EASIEST BAKED ZITI YOU WILL EVER MAKE Baked Ziti is the easiest and quickest casserole dish you will ever make.  You can have a fantastic meal in about an hour, a perfect weeknight meal. As soon as the weather cools, I start cooking comfort food, like this Super Easy Baked Ziti.  Total comfort food in a bowl.   Baked Ziti is the Mother of all pasta dishes. The recipe has existed in Italy for ages.  There are so many ways to make it, including making the sauces from scratch or using a jar sauce, mixing the sauces together or not, and using ricotta or not.   I make a lot of casserole recipes from scratch, but this is one time I prefer to use the jar sauce. The recipe just became Americanized.   I like Rao's brand for the jar sauce for the Homemade Marinara and Alfredo sauce.  

Simple Broccoli Cauliflower Salad

Simple Broccoli Cauliflower Salad will elevate a meal for Kings or refresh a family potluck dinner.  The perfect salad with only six ingredients, including the creamy, tangy dressing. BROCCOLI CAULIFLOWER SALAD WITH CREAMY DRESSING My recipe for delicious Broccoli Cauliflower Salad is simple and quick to make, full of fresh broccoli and cauliflower florets, julienne red onions, and tossed in a dressing you want to drink.   Growing up, anytime we had a big gathering, Mother would cook the biggest meal, and the whole family would come.   Recipes like this classic Broccoli Cauliflower Salad totally remind me of those days of the love and care my Mother took in hosting all the family and celebrating us. Just like Mother, I keep this salad as simple as possible.  My family loves this salad year-round, especially around the holidays.   This brings up Thanksgiving around the corner, always a favorite.   I know this salad will become one of yours, too.

Baked Feta Pasta Recipe

Baked Feta Pasta became a TicTok sensation last year, becoming the most instantaneous recipe made with four simple ingredients.   BAKED FETA AND RICOTTA PASTA WITH CHICKEN Like many pasta recipes, adding chicken will indeed please and become a family favorite for weeknight meals. Creamy flavorful, and cheese, all the components you want in a pasta dish. Baked Feta Pasta is the perfect fall comfort food, creamy, tomato–y and so incredibly delicious.  It is probably the most straightforward pasta dish I have ever made. When I say simple, everything gets baked together until the tomatoes burst, releasing all their jamminess.  The cheeses get melty, and you stir it all together, making this quick creamy sauce, toss in the chicken and then the pasta.  Generously garnish with more basil.  Boom, dinner is ready.

Blueberry Gooey Butter Cake

Summertime is the season to indulge in a perfect combination of tangy and sweet desserts like this Blueberry Gooey Butter Cake.     BLUEBERRY GOOEY BUTTER CAKE BARS These delightful Blueberry Gooey Butter Cake Bars have the perfect combination of flavors, the ease of the recipe, and the ease of carrying it somewhere.   Perfect for any celebrations, picnics, potlucks, or grand enough for any dinner party. Gooey Butter Cake has been around for many years.  It all started with the made from scratch version supposedly made by accident by a man in a St. Louis bakery.  Then, in the early 70s, Paula Deen introduced her version using a butter cake mix.  Since then, there have been many versions of the Gooey Butter Cake. With the ease of making recipes that call for few ingredients, I can whip up a batch of these bars in no time.   I had a couple of cups of blueberries that needed to be eaten, so I added them to the recipe.  The tartness of the lemon zest and cream cheese and the sweetness of t