46th Annual Pillsbury Bake-Off Contest Recipe: Parmesan Crusted Veggie Spirals

So guess what? Remember last year when my mom (Grandma Jane) made it into the finals of the 45th Annual Pillsbury Bake-Off Contest (see post here)? She flew to Orlando, FL to compete for the $1 million dollar prize and unfortunately, she didn't win with her Biscuit Corn Cakes with Goat Cheese in Blackberry-Thyme Sauce. However, that didn't stop her from wanting to go again this year! She entered several different recipes into this years competition (46th Annual Pillsbury Bake-Off Contest) and she has made it into the semi-finals with her Parmesan Crusted Veggie Spirals! Yay!

They are doing things a little bit differently this year and they are choosing the finalists based on online voting rather than picking finalists in-house like they did last year. So, with that being said.......Grandma  Jane NEEDS your vote! The online voting is only open for 10 more days (through June 27th) and I would absolutely love if you would head over and vote for her recipe: Parmesan Crusted Veggie Spirals.

I decided I had better try this recipe myself and thought I would share it with you all here on the blog.

You are going to love it!

Parmesan Crusted Veggie Spirals

MAKES 20 SPIRALS

I guarantee that this will be a go-to appetizer recipe for your family! You can also change up some of the filling ingredients and really get creative with this recipe to make it your own.

So will you help a girl out and help me send my mom (Grandma Jane) to the finals of the 46th Annual Pillsbury Bake-Off Contest? I would really, really appreciate it! And so would Grandma Jane.

You can go over and vote for her recipe (Parmesan Crusted Veggie Spirals from Jane Michel from Houston, TX) by clicking HERE. You will have to fill in your email address to enter, but they won't start sending you things unless you opt in. Feel free to 'pin' this recipe, share on facebook or twitter or anywhere else you can think of that would help spread the word.

Thank you so much and I hope you'll give this recipe a try.

You're going to love it!

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Broccoli & Onion Pie ~ Recipe

We like broccoli around here. Well, my husband didn't used to, but he's coming around. Broccoli was always one of my favorite vegetables growing up and it still is (you can find my Cream of Broccoli soup recipe by clicking here).

Anyway, it's Lent and we are Catholic, so for us that means no meat on Fridays. I also know some families do 'Meatless Monday's' all through the year, so I thought this would be a good recipe to share for Lent, for those of you who were vegetarian or for those of you that just like Broccoli. And if you don't like Broccoli, you could probably substitute asparagus or another green vegetable and that would work just great too.

This is an adaptation of recipe I pulled out of one of my magazines (I think it was Family Circle, but don't quote me on that), but I can't ever leave well-enough alone, so I had to make some adjustments to make it just right for our family. I hope you like it!

Broccoli & Onion Pie

SERVES 4

INGREDIENTS:

4 eggs

1 cup milk

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

1/2 cup cheddar cheese

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

1 teaspoon dried oregano 

1 teaspoon garlic salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1 1/2 cups Bisquick

4 cups broccoli, chopped (frozen, thawed or fresh)

1 cup onions, chopped

DIRECTIONS:

*These can Broccoli and Onion pies can be made in individual baking dishes or in a muffin tin.

 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Use butter or cooking spray to coat the baking dishes or muffin tin.

Mix together milk, eggs, oil, 3/4 of all the cheese, oregano, garlic salt and pepper. Use a whisk to combine. Once wet ingredients are combined, stir in Bisquick, broccoli and onions. If the mixture appears too wet, you can add a little more Bisquick and if it appears to dry, you can add in a little more milk.

Divide the mixture between four individual baking dishes (approximately 8 oz. each) or make smaller portions and divide equally among 8 muffin cups. 

Bake at 400 degrees for 35 minutes or until a knife inserted comes out clean. During the last 5 minutes of cooking, sprinkle the rest of the two cheeses on top.

 Enjoy!

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Recipe: Uncle Bill's Red and Green Chile Pork Tamales

My mom is in Taos, New Mexico having a sisters weekend with her three sisters and it made me remember that I never shared my Uncle Bill's Tamale recipe with you all. We served these tamales at Caspian's Baptism celebration and they were so good.

I absolutely adore New Mexico. If you've never been there, you should definitely put in on your 'must visit' list. I don't even really know how to describe it, but I always feel like I'm a new world when we visit. My grandparents owned an art gallery in Taos for many years and my Grandma Marge was an amazing artist. We are lucky enough to have a few of her paintings in our own house now. I guess I would say that Taos and Santa Fe have a very artsy feeling and the beauty that surrounds these cities is incredibly inspirational which is probably why they are filled with so many talented artists.

Not only is New Mexico beautiful, but the food is out of this world! I grew up with a southwestern influence in our cooking since my grandparents lived in this region. Green chiles are definitely a staple in our house and when my mom posted a picture of the food she was eating yesterday after she arrived, I was definitely green with envy (yes, pun intended).

If you've never tried tamales, you should give this recipe a try. This is not a quick dish. Making these tamales is more about the process and the love that goes into cooking. There are many parts to this recipe, but it's worth it, trust me. Consider having a tamale making party and enjoy the company of your friends as you make these hand-crafted Red and Green Chile Pork Tamales

Uncle Bill's Homemade Red and Green Chile Pork Tamales

MAKES 48 TAMALES

PORK:
3 lbs pork loin
1 onion chopped
5 cloves garlic
6-8 juniper seeds (optional)
1 tsp salt and 1 tsp pepper
2 bay leaves
Oil Sear meat in oil.

Cover with 8 cups water, onion and spices and simmer 2.5 hours or crock pot for 8-10 hours. Cool and shred. Reserve stock.

RED SAUCE:
1.5 cup stock
8 oz tomato sauce
2 TBL canned chipotle in adobo
½ tsp oregano and cumin
½ tsp garlic salt
1 diced oinion
1 tsp sugar
 1 T oil.

Saute onions, sprinkle in spices. Add sauce and stock and simmer 20-30 minutes. Add half of shredded pork. You can refrigerate overnight until assembling the next day.

GREEN SAUCE:
1 diced onion
1 can green enchilada sauce
1 --7 oz can chopped green chiles
½ tsp cumin
1 tsp sugar
½ tsp garlic salt

Sauté onion in oil. Add spices. Simmer 10-15 minutes. Add half of shredded pork. You can refrigerate overnight until assembling the next day.

MASA:
5 cups masa
 5 cups stock or chicken stock
1 cup olive oil
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp salt
Corn husks

Mix salt and baking powder with masa. Add the stock and mix roughly with electric mixer. Gradually pour in olive oil and mix with mixer at least 5 mins.

ASSEMBLY:
To assemble, soak cornhusks to rehydrate them. Place husks in a baking dish or bowl and pour hot water on top. Soak until husks are pliable (up to 30 minutes). Remove husks from water and pat dry.

Spread a little Masa (approximately 2 tablespoons) into a long rectangle-like shape on the cornhusk with a little amount of filling (approximately 1 tablespoon) on top of the Masa dough. Fold up one short end and roll tamales the long way. The top will still be open which is fine because they will be placed tightly in the pot for boiling. If you would prefer to close them, you can either twist it tightly or tie it with a strip of soaked cornhusk or cooking twine. Do not overfill the tamales or your filling will come out of the tamale. A little bit goes along way.

Steam upright approximately 1.5 to 2 hours until masa separates cleanly from the husk. Check water from time to time and replenish as necessary. You do not want your pan to run dry.   Makes approximately 48 tamales.

SERVE:
To eat the tamales, remove from the corn husks and enjoy! Consider serving with sour cream, salsa or guacamole.

A big thank you to my Uncle Bill Jackson for sharing his delicious recipe!

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Angel Hair Pasta with Peas, Tomatoes and Garlic ~ Recipe

 

It's been a while since I've posted a recipe here on the blog, so I thought I would share a simple dinner that we had last week.  Pasta is my go-to dinner when I want something quick, easy and satisfying.  This easy pasta dish can be prepared in about 15-20 minutes!

Angel Hair with Peas, Tomatoes and Garlic

Serves 4

Ingredients:

1 lb. Angel Hair pasta

1 can diced tomatoes (14 oz) with garlic and olive oil

1 tablespoon minced garlic

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 cup frozen peas

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese plus more, to taste

Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

Cook pasta according to package directions.  Heat olive oil in skillet over medium heat.  Add garlic and cook for one minute.  Add canned tomatoes and a quarter cup of starchy cooking liquid (from pasta pot) and cook for five to seven minutes. Add salt and pepper, to taste.  Add frozen peas and cook for 1-2 minutes or until peas are warmed through. 

Drain pasta.  Add pasta to skillet with tomato and pea mixture.  Top with 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese (or however much you like).  Toss pasta with tongs. Serve in bowl with additional sprinkling of Parmesan cheese and freshly ground black pepper on top.

Enjoy!

Cottage Mama's Note:  If you can't find canned tomatoes with olive oil and garlic, try substituting Italian seasoned tomatoes or just use plain diced tomatoes.  During the summer months try using diced, fresh tomatoes to take advantage of the delicious seasonal ingredients that are available. Pin It

Smoked Chipotle Pulled Pork Quesadillas ~ Recipe

As you might have noticed, I'm on a slow cooker kick lately and this recipe is no exception.  You make the Smokey Chipotle Pulled Pork in your slow cooker during the day and then make the quesadillas right before you're ready to eat.  You can also serve this pork just as it is on a hamburger bun or use it as a filling for tacos.....it's very versatile.

Smoked Chipotle Pulled Pork Quesadillas

Ingredients:

3-4 pound pork loin roast

1 onion, chopped

1 tablespoon cumin

1 tablespoon oregano

1 teaspoon chile powder

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1/4 cup chipotle salsa or 1 tablespoon of chipotle in adobo sauce (sauce part only)

Flour tortillas

Shredded Cheddar Jack Cheese or Mexican cheese blend

Directions:

Place pork loin roast in slow cooker and top with onions, garlic, cumin, oregano, chile powder, and chipotle.  Set on low for 7-8 hours or on high for 5 hours.  

Once pork is cooked, remove from slow cooker and shred with two forks.  Return the pork back to the slow cooker to soak up all the juices.  This recipe makes a lot of pork, so you will only use part of it for the quesadillas.  Freeze remaining pork for later use or plan your weekly menu around other recipes using shredded pork.  

To assemble quesadillas, sprinkle shredded cheese on top of tortilla.

Place some of the pork mixture on top of the cheese on one side of the tortilla.  Heat skillet on medium and melt a little butter.  Once butter has melted place tortilla, as pictured above, into pan.

When the tortilla is in the pan, fold the cheese only side over on top of the pork mixture.  We don't want to fold the quesadilla before it goes in the pan because then we won't have butter on both sides of the tortilla.

Cook for about 3 minutes or until golden brown.  Flip quesadilla and cook until other side is golden brown.  Once both sides are cooked and cheese is melted, remove from pan and cut in half.

You can make as many of these as you would like or as many as your family can eat!

I like to serve these with some chipotle salsa, but you could dip them in any salsa your family enjoys.  Would also be great with some sour cream or guacamole as well.

Personally, I think two quesadillas is a perfect dinner serving and one is probably good for lunch.  Feel free to get creative here and add in any ingredients you would like.  

This pork is SO delicious, give it a try........you're going to love it!

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Slow Cooker Green Chicken and Rice Soup ~ Recipe

I have been asked by quite a few people recently about how I manage my time.  And you know what, that's a really good question.  One that makes me stop and think, how do I manage my time?  I guess I just go about life doing what I love doing and don't really think about how I make it work. Well, I'm going to give it some more thought and I'll try create some posts on time management in the future. 

I'll tell you right off the bat, I don't get 'it all done'.  I don't think anyone does.  You can't be all things to all people all of the time.  I just don't think that is possible.  However, one of the very first things that popped into my head when asked 'how do you manage your time?' was my slow cooker (or crock pot).

The slow cooker is one of the absolute best inventions for the busy mom or for anyone, for that matter.  It allows you to prepare a home cooked meal, but it doesn't put any time constraints on you in regards to when you get it done.  Feeling motivated in the morning?  Throw in all the ingredients and set it on low.  Have a few minutes while the kids are napping in the afternoon?  Throw in all the ingredients and set on high.  You can make dinner work for you whenever it's convenient.  Plus it makes the house smell great all day!

If you like warm, comforting meals, you're going to love my Slow Cooker Green Chicken and Rice Soup.  This soup can cook all day and through the use of 'Uncle Ben's Ready Rice' (I love this stuff), your meal can be ready in minutes when you are ready to eat.

Slow Cooker Green Chicken and Rice Soup

(Serves 4-6)

Ingredients:

3-4 chicken breasts (frozen or thawed)

1 box chicken stock

1 can white beans (rinsed)

1 jar green salsa (I used Frontera brand ~ Tomatillo)

1 cup frozen corn

1 onion, chopped

1 teaspoon chile powder

1 teaspoon cumin

1 package 'Uncle Ben's Ready Rice ~ Whole Grain Medley ~ Santa Fe Style'

Garnish (optional): Crushed tortilla chips, shredded jack cheese and sour cream.

Directions:

Place first 8 ingredients into your slow cooker (or crock pot).  I used frozen chicken breasts, but you can use fresh as well.  Set slow cooker on low and cook for 7-8 hours.

Before serving, remove chicken from slow cooker and shred with two forks.  Then return chicken back to slow cooker.  Cook your 'ready rice' according to package directions (should only take 90 seconds) and add the entire contents of the package to the soup.  Stir to combine. 

Serve topped with shredded jack cheese, crushed tortilla chips and sour cream, if you so choose.  Soup is delicious re-heated the next day.

I have absolutely no affiliation with Uncle Ben's or Frontera Kitchens, I just happen to like these products for super-easy shortcut meals.

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Country Fried Steak with Cream Gravy ~ Recipe

Country fried steak must be a southern thing.  People around here in Chicago give me a strange look when I ask them if they have ever had it before.  My family moved from California to Texas right after I turned 13 and I have been hooked on country fried steak ever since.  I guess you could say, it was love at first bite.

Not only is country fried steak delicious, but it is also a very inexpensive cut of meat which makes it perfect for a family on a budget.  If you've never tried country fried steak, I'm sorry to say that you are missing out.  Come on, give this southern classic a try!

Country Fried Steak with Cream Gravy

Ingredients:

For Steak ~

4 cube steaks

2 eggs, beaten

1/4 cup of milk

1/2 sleeve of Saltine crackers, crushed

1 cup all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons Lawry's seasoned salt

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

1.5 teaspoons onion powder

3 Tablespoons vegetable oil

1 Tablespoon butter

For Gravy ~

3 Tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 -3 cups milk

1/2 teaspoon Lawry's seasoned salt

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Ground black pepper, to taste

Directions:

Beat eggs and milk together in a bowl.  Mix flour, saltine crackers, seasoned salt, onion powder and black pepper in a large zip-top bag.  Mix the flour/cracker mixture and crush the crackers while mixing.  Crush them until they blend in with the flour.  Then pour the mixture out onto a large plate.

To bread the cube steaks, dip the steak in the egg mixture, then coat them on both sides with the flour/cracker mixture.  Make sure to cover the entire steak by pressing down on both sides.  Shake any excess breading off before cooking.

Preheat a large, heavy-bottom skillet on medium heat.  Add oil.  Once oil is heated, add butter.  When butter is melted, add steaks.  Cook steaks for 3-5 minutes on each side, until the crust is a golden brown.  You may have to do this in batches if you are cooking more than four steaks or your pan is small.  Once steaks are cooked through, remove from pan and allow to drain on a plate covered with a paper towel.

Now for the gravy.  Leave the remaining oil and butter in the skillet.  Turn up the heat to medium-high.  Add flour and cook for 2 minutes, stirring to combine with oil/butter.  You want 'cook' the flour.  If you add your milk right away, the flour will retain a lot of the 'flour-y' taste - we don't want that.  Once the flour is cooked, add the milk one cup at a time with a whisk.  Whisk each cup of milk picking up all the brown bits from the bottom of the pan and dissolving the flour/oil/butter into the milk.  Whisk quickly so as not have any lumps.  Add salt and LOTS of freshly ground black pepper.  Depending on how thick you like your gravy, you can use 2 or 3 cups of milk.  Continue to cook until gravy reaches your desired consistency. 

Serve your country fried steak with mashed potatoes and any vegetable of your choice.  Pour gravy over the top of the steak and potatoes.  Don't forget your garnish!  I used fresh parsley to add some color to the plate.  

Sit back and enjoy this complete comfort indulgence!

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Apple, Ham and Cheese Dinner Cups

My mom (Grandma Jane) came to stay with us for a week after baby Cass was born.  Whenever she comes after I have a baby she brings tons of recipes and does major cooking.  She completely stocked our freezer with easy-to-prepare meals and little shortcuts (like already cooked shredded chicken) to make my life easier.

Well, while mom did tons of cooking while she was here, there were a couple recipes she never got around to making, so I decided to try my hand at this one after she left - Apple, Ham, and Cheese Dinner Cups.  Mom forgot the recipe, so I lucked out and found it in our kitchen after she left.  She had already bought all the ingredients, so it was super-easy for me to whip up!  I called them dinner "cupcakes" to entice my girls to give them a try.

Apple, Ham and Cheese Dinner Cups

Ingredients:

1 can Pillsbury Grands Jr. Golden Layers Biscuits (10 count)

1/3 cup sour cream

1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1/4 cup apricot preserves

3/4 cup chopped ham

3/4 cup chopped apple

3/4 cup cheddar or jack cheese

2 tablespoons chopped green onions

Substitution: I used left over pork loin (cubed) instead of ham in mine, but chopped, cooked bacon would be delicious as well!

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Pull out your regular sized muffin pan and spray with cooking spray.  Open biscuit can and stretch out each biscuit to about 2.5"-3" wide.  Place biscuit into muffin tray, pressing it so it's like a little cup that you can use to put your filling inside.

Mix sour cream, mustard and preserves together in a bowl.  Once mixed, add your meat, apple, cheese and green onions.  Divide the mixture among the 10 muffin cups.  Bake for 22-25 minutes or until golden brown.  I suggest using the middle rack of your oven.  

Serve two per plate along with a nice side salad.

Enjoy!

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Mexican Taco Pasta Bake

Life with three kids is going pretty well.  Have I touched my sewing machine since Caspian was born? Well, no, not even once.  I'll get back to the machine eventually - it's always there waiting for me, ready to welcome me back with open arms.  But this little guy.......he's already growing up right before my eyes, so I am trying to soak up all the little baby time possible.

One of my biggest challenges has been preparing dinner because I'm never quite sure when my little guy is going to nurse.  He tends to want to eat right when I should be cooking dinner - go figure, right?  However, he seems to be doing a pretty good mid-afternoon nap, so I'm trying out some new recipes that I can prepare during the day and then just pop in the oven before dinner.

Today I'm sharing my latest recipe that I tried out last night.  I'm calling it "Mexican Taco Pasta Bake".  It's really all the flavors in a taco, but mixed is mixed in with pasta and cheese.  What could be bad about that, right?

The next time you want to prepare a meal ahead of time, give this one a try.  My husband even went back for thirds!  Would also be great to feed a crowd and your kids will love it too!!

Mexican Taco Pasta Bake

Ingredients:

1 lb. ground beef (or ground turkey)

1 lb. pasta (any shape)

1 onion, chopped

1/2 green bell pepper, chopped

1 can Rotel (tomatoes with green chile)

1 package taco seasoning

1/2 brick light cream cheese

1/2 cup Monterey Jack cheese, shredded

Topping:

1 cup crushed tortilla chips

1/2 cup Monterey Jack cheese, shredded

Garnish:

Sliced green onions, slice black olives, and sour cream.

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cook pasta according to package directions.  Meanwhile, brown ground beef in a large saute pan.  Remove beef from pan and drain on a paper towel.  Add onion and green pepper to pan and saute until cooked through.  Add back in cooked ground beef, taco seasoning and Rotel.  Stir to combine and cook for 3 minutes.  Add in cream cheese and melt it down into the beef mixture.  Once cream cheese is melted, add 1/2 cup shredded cheese.  

Drain pasta.  Pour beef and cheese mixture over cooked pasta and stir to combine.  Spray a large casserole dish with cooking spray.  Pour combined pasta and beef mixture into the casserole dish.

Sprinkle the top of the pasta with crushed tortilla chips combined with shredded cheese.  Place in oven and bake for 20 minutes.  Might need a little longer if it has been refrigerated.  Basically you are just melting the cheese and heating it through since all the ingredients are already cooked.

Serve with a dollop of sour cream and a sprinkle of sliced green onions and black olives.

 

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Tortellini Chicken Soup

Fall is finally in the air and nothing feels better than a warm, comforting bowl of chicken soup.  This is a little different take on your traditional chicken noodle soup.  If you're looking for something to soothe the soul, this would be it!

Tortellini Chicken Soup

Ingredients:

1 rotisserie chicken or two (bone-in) roasted chicken breasts

1 package fresh tortellini (8 oz.)

Olive oil

2 carrots, chopped

2 stalks celery, chopped

1 yellow onion, chopped

1 box chicken broth (I prefer low-sodium organic)

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1 teaspoon salt (more, if needed)

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Freshly grated Parmesan cheese (for garnish)

Directions:

Shred or chop chicken.  Heat a large, heavy bottom pan over medium heat and drizzle bottom with olive oil.  Add chopped celery, onions and carrots.  Cook for approximately 6-8 minutes.  You want the vegetables to cook, but you really don't want to add much color to them.  

Add thyme and cook another 2 minutes.  Cooking the thyme with release more of the flavor.  Feel free to add more if you like a stronger flavor.  Add salt and pepper as well.  Like I've said before I love black pepper so I would probably add more, but I included a modest amount for this recipe.

Add chicken broth and bring to a boil.  Once the soup is boiling add fresh tortellini and cook according to package directions (probably 6-8 minutes).  In the last several minutes add your chicken.

Sprinkle the top of the soup with some grated Parmesan cheese before serving.  I love this soup with good ole Saltine crackers crushed on top or some crusty french bread for dipping.

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