Celebration Corn

Happy Thanksgiving a day early, everyone! I’m sure if you’re making something for the big day tomorrow you’ve had it planned out for a while, right? Well just in case you’re supposed to bring a side dish to the family get together and still don’t know what to bring this dish is great. You can always just use it as a side dish at a regular everyday dinner, too. However, it’s really easy to make and just as easy to double, or triple, or even quadruple.

Also, you don’t have to just stick with the main veggies, you can add anything you like to it, maybe some spinach, or carrots, or green beans.

What You’ll Need…

½ Large Onion, per 2 people (Chopped)

1 Bell Pepper, per 2 people (Diced)

2-3 Large Button Mushrooms, per person (Sliced)

½ Cup Frozen Corn, per person

2 Tablespoons Olive Oil

½ Teaspoon Garlic Powder

½ Teaspoon Chili Powder

½ Teaspoon Herbes de Provence

Any other veggies you want to add.

As always, start out by chopping, slicing, and dicing your vegetables.

Add the olive oil to a medium skillet and allow the oil to heat slightly. When the oil is warm add the onions and peppers, allow them to cook until they start to soften. About 3 minutes. If you are using carrots or anything else with a longer cook time add it with the onions and peppers.

Once the first round of veggies as started to soften add the corn and mushrooms. Allow the corn to heat up and the mushrooms to sauté. If you plan on adding spinach, do so before you add the mushrooms and corn so that it has time to wilt.

When the mushrooms and corn have been cooking for about 1-2 minutes add the spices and combine. Allow the veggies to cook for one more minute and then remove from heat.

Enjoy!

For even more flavor, add in a can of your favorite baked beans and allow the beans to heat in the skillet. 

(This batch also has carrots and spinach.)

 

Grown-up Mac and Cheese with Dogs and Beans

One of my favorite meals growing up was mac and cheese with hot dogs and beans mixed in. It is still such a good meal, but I have found a way to make it more of a grown-up meals. Don’t worry kids will still enjoy it.

What You’ll Need…

1lb Pasta (Elbow macaroni, bow ties, anything you like.)

1 Package Your Favorite Link Sausage.

1 Can Baked Beans (Your favorite style.)

3 Tablespoons Butter

3 Tablespoons Flour

1 ½ Cup Milk

Salt (To taste)

Pepper (To taste)

Dash Nutmeg

2 Cups Grated Cheese (Anything you like. Gouda and mozzarella are great.)

Pre-heat your oven to 400.

Place a pot of water on the stove and allow it to come to a boil.

While you are waiting for the water to boil place the sausages in a skillet and brown the outsides. Once they a browned place them in the oven to finish cooking or to warm through.

Once the water has come to a boil add the pasta and allow it to cook to your liking.

Now, place the butter in a sauce pot and melt it. Once the butter has melted add the flour and whisk the two together and allow the flour taste to cook out. This should take a minute or two. Once the flour and butter have cooked add the milk and whisk it together. The flour and butter will help to thicken the sauce. I whisk until the sauce has thickened, but you don’t have to whisk the whole time.

When the sauce has thickened turn off the heat, add in the grated cheese, and combine.

When the pasta is cooked to your liking drain it, put it back into the pot that you cooked it in, and add the cheese sauce.

Remove the sausage from the oven and allow it to cool slightly so that you can handle it. Once it has cooled slightly cut it into bite-sized pieces and add it as well as the can of beans to the pot with the noodles.

Mix everything together and allow it all to heat through again.

Enjoy!

(As a true Pittsburgher I top it with ketchup.) 

Pizza Pasta Casserole

This is a great recipe for the pizza lovers out there, but it doesn’t take as long to make because there is not waiting for dough to rise. It is also a great recipe to use any leftover pasta that you have sitting in the fridge; that’s how I came up with this. I also am not sure exactly what makes it taste like pizza. When I made the dish I was just trying to get rid of some things from the fridge, but when we took it out of the oven it smelled like pizza and then it tasted like pizza too.

If you try it out, let me know what you think.

What You’ll Need…

1lb Pasta (Any kind you like.)

½ Medium Onion (Chopped)

1 Bell Pepper (Chopped)

1 Handful Mushrooms (Sliced)

1 Tablespoon Olive Oil

8 Slices Bacon (I use turkey bacon.)

1 ½ - 2 Cups Tomato Sauce (Your favorite brand.)

3oz Brie (Optional)

Grated Parmesan Cheese

Preheat your oven to 400.

Start out by chopping and slicing you vegetables. I like to slice the mushrooms, but you can cut them anyway you want. When the vegetables have been cut, set them aside and place a pot of water on the stove and bring to a boil. When the water starts to boil add your pasta and cook until it is how you like your pasta. I like my pasta past al dente.

While you are waiting for your water place 8 slices of bacon on a cooling rack that is on a baking sheet. Allow the bacon to bake in the oven at 400 for about 15 minutes or until crispy.

Now onto the vegetables, sauté the vegetables until soft.

When the pasta is to the doneness that you like it, drain the pasta and move to a greased 9 x 13 pan.

At this point the bacon should be done and cooled. When it has cooled enough that you can work with it slice it into about 1 inch pieces.

Layer the vegetables and bacon on top of the pasta and then top that with the tomato sauce. Now, if you are going to use brie, cut off the rind, cut into 5 pieces and flatten the pieces. Place the cheese on top and fill in the “empty” areas with grated Parmesan. You can always use another cheese in place of the brie, or just cover the top completely with Parmesan.

Bake the dish at 350 for 30 minutes.

Enjoy! 

Pumpkin Gnocchi

There isn't much to say about this recipe except that it's PUMPKIN!

What You’ll Need…

2lbs Potatoes (About 2 large potatoes.)

 ¾ Cup Pumpkin Puree

1 Teaspoon Salt

½ Teaspoon Baking Powder

1 Egg White

1 ½ Cups All-Purpose Flour

Pre-heat your oven to 400.

Wash the potatoes and bake them at 400 for about an hour, or until a fork goes in cleanly. Leave the skins on and just place the potatoes on the rack in the oven.

Once the potatoes are baked allow them to cool slightly, so that you can work with them. When they are cool enough to work with, but still warm, cut the potatoes in half and peel the skin off. Take the inside of the potatoes and put them through affine mesh strainer. (If you have a potato ricer you can put them through there, but I do not have one and a strainer works just fine.

 

When the potatoes are “strained” or riced add the egg white, baking powder, salt, pumpkin, and flour. Add the flour about a ½ cup at a time so that the dough doesn’t get too dry. Mix the ingredients with your hands until they form a rough dough.

Knead the dough for 1-2 minutes until smooth. If needed you can add more flour so that the dough doesn’t stick.

Once the dough is smooth divide it into 5-6 pieces and roll each piece into a “log”. Each log should be slightly thicker than your thumb and about 17” long.

Cut the logs into 1 inch pieces and place the pieces aside until they are all cut. Once everything has been cut gently roll each piece down the tines of a fork.

If you do not plan to cook the gnocchi immediately place the pieces onto a floured baking sheet, cover with plastic wrap, and place in the refrigerator until you are ready to cook them.

When ready to cook, bring a pot of water to a boil and place the gnocchi, in batches, into the water. When the gnocchi is done it will float to the top of the water. (If the gnocchi do not start to float after about 2 minutes then you used too much flour and the gnocchi will be hard.)

Once the gnocchi floats remove it from the water with a slotted spoon and place aside. When all of it has been cooked, enjoy!

Enjoy plain, with soup or chili, or covered with your favorite sauce.