How Sweet Eat's Cheeseburger Soup

 It is officially soup season when the nights get cold and dark and we turn the clocks back!

I made Cheeseburger Soup for the first time years ago and I remember it being a big hit! When I saw How Sweet Eat's share her family's favorite version, I knew I had to give it a try.

You start with browned ground beef, then add all the classic soup veggies like onion, carrot, celery, and garlic. You cook the cubed potatoes in broth with the veggies and meat, until tender and then you add in the roux, milk, and cheese.

In the soup world, I feel like there are two kinds of people: those who like thick soups and those who like brothy soups. This version is differently on the brothy side. We are not brothy soup lovers, but we did enjoy this with some pretzel garlic bread. It was cheesy and comforting and we loved dipping the bread in the soup.

Cheeseburger Soup

Adapted from How Sweet Eats

by Jessica Merchant

Serves 4-6

1 pound ground beef

salt and pepper, to taste

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 sweet onion, diced

1 cup freshly grated carrots

1 cup diced celery

4 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1 pound petite gold potatoes, quartered

4 to 5 cups chicken stock*

2 tablespoons butter

3 tablespoons flour

1 cup milk

16 ounces freshly grated sharp cheddar cheese

1/2 cup sour cream

freshly chopped parsley or chives, for serving

*Note: If you are a brothy soup person, go ahead and use the 4 cups of chicken broth in this recipe. If you're into thicker soups, maybe start with 3 cups of broth and add more if you feel like it needs it.

Season the ground beef all over with salt and pepper. Heat a large stock pot over medium heat and add beef. Brown the beef, using a meat chopped or wooden spoon to break it into small crumbles.

Once browned, remove the beef with a slotted spoon and transfer it to a plate.

Add the olive oil to the same skillet. Add in the onions, carrots, celery and garlic with a big pinch of salt and pepper. Add the oregano. Stir. Cook, stirring often, until the veggies soften, about 5 to 6 minutes.

Add in the potatoes and 4 cups of chicken stock. Return the beef to the pot. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cover. Cook until the potatoes are tender, about 10 to 15 minutes.

Heat the butter in a separate skillet. Once melted, whisk in the flour to create a roux. Whisk and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until the color is golden and the mixture is fragrant.

Use a spatula to scrape the roux right into the soup pot. Bring the mixture back to a boil. Boil for 1 to 2 minutes. Add in the milk and cook for another 1 to 2 minutes.

Reduce the heat to low and stir in the cheese. Stir until it is all melted. At this point, you can add in the additional cup of chicken stock or not. Sometimes I like to add it before I pack the soup up for the fridge since it thickens more as it sits. Taste and season the soup with more salt and pepper if necessary. Stir in the sour cream. Once melted, serve! Top with fresh chives or parsley to serve. 

 October Potluck @ I Heart Cooking Clubs!

Half Baked Harvest's Pesto Zuppa Toscana Meatballs {So Comforting}

 Who doesn't love a giant casserole full of cheesy flavorful meatballs? Why haven't I made these before?

I was checking my email at work when I saw the recipe for these meatballs and I immediately stopped what I was doing to write down the list of ingredients so I could make them asap!

I could hardly wait to tuck into these meatballs in a creamy and flavorful sauce of onions, garlic, fresh herbs, sun-dried tomato pesto, cream, and broth. The sauce is thick and creamy and the flavor is just on point.

 

Then you top the meatballs and sauce with mozzarella cheese and bake! It is the perfect dish  for those comfort food cravings you are having right now! Serve this with pasta or bread, either way it is delicious. I will be making this on repeat all winter long. So yummy!

 

Pesto Zuppa Toscana Meatballs

Adapted from Half Baked Harvest

by Tieghan Gerard

Serves 4-6

1 pound ground spicy Italian chicken sausage*

1/2 pound ground chicken, turkey or pork* 

1/2 cup panko

1/4 cup grated Parmesa

1 egg

3 teaspoons Italian seasoning, divided

1 yellow onion, sliced

2 tablespoons fresh thyme*

2 cups finely shredded kale

1/3 cup pesto*

3/4 cup heavy cream or whole milk

1 cup broth

2 tablespoons lemon juice*

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

*Note: I made a few changes to these meatballs, namely using all ground turkey (because it's what I had on hand. I also subbed fresh basil for fresh thyme, omitted the kale (I didn't have any), used sundried tomato pesto instead of basil pesto, and omitted the lemon juice. I also want to mention that you might need to cook the meatballs in batches, unless your pan is huge.

Preheat the oven to 400F.

Add the sausage, chicken, panko, parmesan, egg, and 1 teaspoons Italian seasoning to a bowl. Mix until just combined. Roll into meatballs and place each in a skillet. Add the onions to the skillet.

Set the skillet over medium heat, then cook the meatballs for 5 minutes, turning them 2-3 times, until crisp. Add the garlic, thyme, 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning, kale and pesto. Pour over the cream, broth, and lemon juice. Simmer for 5 minutes.

Remove from heat. Add the mozzarella, then bake until the cheese is melted, 10 minutes.

Spooktacular @ I Heart Cooking Clubs!
 

Giada's Grilled Lamb Chops

 My son had a lamb dish at a restaurant and kept talking about it over and over so I decided to try my hand at grilling lamb chops. 

I chose Giada's recipe for Grilled Lamp Chops because I had just harvest all my herbs and have been trying to use them up. This recipe was so simple. You make a paste with garlic, rosemary, thyme, cayenne, salt, and olive oil. Then you marinate the chops in that paste for an hour. After marinading the chops, you allow them to come to room temperature and then you grill them for just 2 or 3 minutes per side.

This couldn't be any easier. The paste really flavors up the chops and they are tender. juicy, and succulent! We really enjoyed these!

Grilled Lamp Chops

Adapted from Food Network

by Giada De Laurentiis

Serves 4

2 large garlic cloves, crushed

1 tablespoon fresh rosemary leaves

1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves

pinch cayenne pepper

coarse sea salt

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

6 lamp chops, about 3/4" thick

In a food processor, or mortar and pestle, add the garlic, rosemary, thyme, cayenne, and salt. Pulse until combined. Pour in the olive oil and pulse into a paste. Alternatively, grind with a mortar and pestle until you have a paste. Rub the paste on both sides of the lamb chops and let them marinate for at least 1 hour in the refrigerator. Remove from refrigerator and allow the chops to come to room temperature; it will take about 20 minutes.

Heat a grill pan over high heat until almost smoking, add the chops and sear for about 2 minutes. Flip the chops over and cook for another 3 minutes for medium-rare and 3-1/2 minutes for medium. 

Simple Is Best @ I Heart Cooking Clubs!
 

Celebrating Fall Equinox: One Pot Fall Vegetable Orzo and Chickpeas!

People tend to assume that I spend a lot of money on groceries. I always laugh at that, because they couldn't be more wrong! 

If anything I spend less since nearly EVERYTHING I make is from scratch! I think people who cook a lot tend to spend less on the average for that reason. Frozen foods and packaged foods are convenience foods and those will cost you big time.

Let's take this dish, for example, One Pot Fall Vegetable Orzo and Chickpeas. It calls for orzo pasta, spinach or kale, butternut squash, Parmesan cheese, broth, onion, garlic, and fresh herbs.

I could go to the store and buy pre-washed and packaged greens, packages of cubed up butternut squash, canned or boxed broth, and two kinds of herbs. All of that adds up, you're talking $15-20 just on those ingredients alone. However, I bought spinach from the produce section that I wash, dry, and chop myself. A container of already pre-washed spinach costs $3.99, mine was $1.69. A package of cubed up butternut squash yields about 2 cups for $4.99, but I bought an entire butternut squash for $4.19 and got 6 cups of squash when it was all said and done. Broth costs anywhere from $2-3 boxed up in the store, but I make mine with leftover chicken bones and vegetable peels, pretty much for free. I have chives, basil, oregano, thyme, sage, and parsley growing in abundance in my backyard that I grew from seeds for minimal costs and they save me money every week.

Moral of the story: Grow your own and also, do it yourself! Stay away from the pre-packaged stuff that you think saves you time because in the end it costs more and you get less. Plus, it's not that hard to just do it yourself! 

This was a fun dish to make. I enjoyed washing, cutting, and prepping all the veggies. I love the orange and green pops of color in the orzo and the ease of a one pot dish. Plus, this makes a ton of orzo! We had it for dinner and then I had enough for four lunches throughout the week! It was cheesy and comforting and so pretty and satisfying. I can definitely see myself making it again this fall!

One Pot Fall Vegetable Orzo and Chickpeas

Adapted from How Sweet Eats

by Jessica Merchant

Serves 4

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 sweet onion, diced

4 garlic cloves, minced

2 cups cubed butternut squash, 1/2" to 1" cubes

8 ounces cremini mushrooms, chopped*

2 cups kale or spinach*

salt and pepper, to taste

1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

1 cup orzo

1 (14 oz) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

2-1/2 cups vegetable stock

1/3 cup Parmesan cheese

fresh herbs, such as parsley, chives, sage, thyme, etc. for topping

Note: I left out the cremini mushrooms because we aren't big mushroom fans. I used spinach instead of kale because the spinach just looked better.

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet or dutch oven over medium heat. Stir in the onions and garlic with a pinch of salt and pepper. Stir in the butternut squash with another pinch of salt and pepper. Cook for 5 to 6 minutes, until the squash is beginning to get tender.

Stir in the mushrooms. Cook for 5 minutes, until soft. Stir in the kale or spinach, cooking for another few minutes until it wilts. Stir in the nutmeg and if you think it needs it, another pinch or two of salt and pepper.

Stir in the dry orzo pasta. Stir in the chickpeas. Pour in the vegetable stock and let the mixture come to a boil. Reduce it to a simmer, cover the pot, and cook for 15 minutes, until the orzo absorbs the stock and is plumped up. If the orzo isn't finished, cook for a few minutes more. The mixture still might be wet. If it seems too wet and the orzo is fully cooked, cook it for 5 minutes, stirring often, with the lid off.

Stir in the Parmesan cheese. Top with fresh herbs and serve! 

Fall Equinox @ I Heart Cooking Clubs!
 

Game Day Eats: Savory Bacon, Sage & Pumpkin Puff Pastry Pizza

 It's no secret that I'm a big fan of How Sweet Eat's Puff Pastry Pizzas! I've made the Zucchini, Lemon, and Goat Cheese Puff Pastry Pizza; the Chicken and Bacon Ranch Puff Pastry Pizza; the Pepperoni Puff Pastry Pizza; the Puff Pastry Breakfast Pizza; and...The Savory Bacon, Sage, and Pumpkin Puff Pastry Pizza.

I love the ease of them and the way the puff pastry puffs up in the oven. These are perfect for weekdays and busy nights and they are also perfect for game nights! I highly recommend them!

This Savory Bacon, Sage and Pumpkin Puff Pastry gets a mixture of ricotta and pumpkin smeared on the base of the puff pastry.

Then the ricotta-pumpkin mixture is topped with mozzarella, apple cider caramelized onions, and sage. I have never topped a pizza like this before, so it was a fun recipe to try! And so pretty! I was able to use the sage from my garden. Woohoo!

 When the pizza comes out of the oven you top it with Parmesan and tuck in! The pumpkin isn't overly pronounced, but you can taste a hint of it. The pizza is very cheesy and you can taste the sweetness of the caramelized onions. It gives the pizza a bit of a sweet and savory taste. The bacon provides a good amount of saltiness and crunch, but I couldn't help but feel like the pizza was missing some garlic and if I made it again, I'd add a little garlic somewhere along the line. Good overall, but not our favorite.

If we had to pick some our top puff pastry pizzas it would be as follows: Zucchini, Lemon & Goat Cheese Puff Pastry Pizza (the best in my opinion); Pepperoni Puff Pastry Pizza; Chicken & Bacon Ranch Puff Pastry Pizza; and also the Puff Pastry Breakfast Pizza.

 

Savory Bacon, Sage & Pumpkin Puff Pastry Pizza

Adapted from How Sweet Eats

by Jessica Merchant

Serves 2-4

 3 slices bacon, chopped

2 sweet onions, thinly sliced

salt and pepper

1/4 cup apple cider

1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed

3/4 cup pumpkin puree

1 cup freshly grated mozzarella cheese

1 handful fresh sage leaves

1 large egg, for egg wash

Parmesan cheese, for topping

 Heat a skillet over medium heat and add the bacon. Cook, stirring often, just until the fat is rendered - you do not want to cook it until crispy, because it will crisp up more in the oven. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon and place it on a paper towel to remove excess grease.

Throw the onions into the skillet with the rendered bacon fat. Add a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook, stirring often, for 10 minutes until the onions begin to soften. Reduce the heat to low. Stir in the apple cider. Cook for another 15 to 20 minutes stirring often, until the onions are slightly caramelized. This will start to happen quicker after you add the apple cider.

Preheat the oven to 425F. Place the sheet of puff pastry on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Poke it all over with a fork.

Stir the ricotta and pumpkin together in a bowl until combined. Spread it all over the sheet of puff pastry, leaving a one inch border.

Top with the mozzarella, caramelized onions, bacon and fresh sage. Brush the edges of the pastry with the egg wash.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the crust is golden and crisp on the edges. Sprinkle with Parmesan. Let cool slightly before serving. 

Game Day Eats @IHCC!

Creamy Lemon Zucchini Spaghetti To Celebrate The Summer Solstice!

One of the dishes I love to eat most in the summertime is a cheesy vegetarian pasta laden with fresh veggies and herbs. I literally dream about it all year!

Luckily, How Sweet Eats just posted this Creamy Lemon Zucchini Spaghetti that is right up my alley. It was kismet because I happened to have all the things on hand: spaghetti, lemon, Parmesan, cream, and lemon then also fresh baby zucchini from the farmer's market, as well as fresh basil and chives from my garden. I love it when things come together like that!

Think of this pasta dish as a creamy summertime pasta dish that is lighter than most cream-based pasta dishes. The way we accomplish the lighter feel is by using 2 cups of starchy pasta water and just 1/2 cup of cream. When you marry the caramelized cooked down zucchini with the pasta and the pasta cooking water you get a creaminess that only calls for very little cream. Also, Parmesan cheese is a lighter cheese, and when you add the Parmesan in stages, alternating the starchy pasta water, it produces creamy cheesy results for a lot less calories.

I'm gonna say, this might be THE pasta dish of the summer! It's economical, it's easy, and it's everything you crave in a pasta dish, creamy and comforting but with the bright pop fresh zing of summertime produce, veggies, and lemon zest. I also think it's very kid-friendly because most kids are veggie-averse and with the zucchini shredded and cooked down, you really don't notice it as much. 

What is your favorite summertime pasta dish?  

Creamy Lemon Zucchini Spaghetti

Adapted from How Sweet Eats

by Jessica Merchant

Serves 4

3 to 4 cups freshly grated zucchini, before squeezing

2 tablespoons butter

1 tablespoons olive oil

salt and pepper, to taste

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 pound spaghetti or other long noodle

1/2 cup heavy cream

2 tablespoons freshly grated lemon zest

1/3 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese

1/2 cup chopped fresh basil, plus more for topping

3 tablespoons chopped fresh chives

1/3 cups Parmesan cheese

Freshly grate the zucchini. Place it in a large kitchen towel and squeeze out as much of the liquid as possible.

Heat the butter and olive oil in a large skillet or dutch oven over medium heat. Add the zucchini with a big pinch of salt and pepper. Stir to toss. Cook, stirring over, until the zucchini melts down and becomes caramelized, about 20 to 25 minutes (mine only took about 10-12 minutes). Stir in the garlic.

While the zucchini cooks, bring a pot of salted water to boil and cook the spaghetti. When its finished, reserve 2 cups of the starchy pasta water.

Transfer the pasta to the pan with the zucchini - you can take it right from the pot and place it in the zucchini skillet. Add 1 cup of the reserved starchy water and the heavy cream. Stir and toss until combined. Stir in the lemon zest and the finely grated Parmesan.

Add another 1/2 cup of the starchy water, stirring to combine. Add in the fresh basil and chives. Taste and if needed, add in more salt, pepper or lemon zest or Parmesan. 

Top the pasta with the Parmesan and a bunch of fresh basil. Serve immediately!

 Summer Solstice @ I Heart Cooking Clubs!

Ina Garten's Zucchini Flower and Leek Frittata {A Thing of Beauty}

I am my Lost Kitchen Era, where I am obsessed with Erin French's The Lost Kitchen show, restaurant, food, plating, and all the edible flowers she uses to garnish her dishes! I love how Erin goes to the local farms and is inspired by what is in season to make beautiful dishes. 

I wanted to create a Lost Kitchen dish in my own kitchen, so I went to the Lexington, Kentucky Farmers Market and I found zucchini flowers! I was so excited because I had never cooked with zucchini flowers before.

So I turned to the one and only queen, Ina Garten and I found her recipe for Zucchini and Leek Fritatta. This was a major win as it allows me to really channel the whole edible flowers vibe of The Lost Kitchen.

I searched the market for the rest of the ingredients needed: pancetta, leeks, baby zucchini, fresh thyme, eggs, half and half, Gruyere, and fresh basil. This added up to be a pricier dish than most recipes I cook, but that's ok, because as I shared above, I'm in my Lost Kitchen Era and I have a major need to cook with edible flowers.

This was more laborious than most dishes, with a lot of prep, as I had to clean the zucchini flowers, removing the stamen, and dry them. I had to cut and wash the leeks, which was a rather sandy and dirty task.I had to cut and wash the basil, the thyme, the zucchini. Cut and cook the bacon. Shred the cheese. Crack and beat 8 eggs. Cook the frittata filling. It was more involved than your regular everyday frittata, but no worries, this was THE FRITTATA to end all fritattas! It was going to be adorned with the most beautiful zucchini flowers. Doesn't it look gorgeous going into the oven?

Doesn't it look gorgeous coming out of the oven? I mean wow...It's stunning! Ina says to allow the frittata to cool for five minutes and then cut into it. I am dying to see how it all tastes.

The frittata slices perfectly and each person gets their own zucchini flower with their portion, how brilliant! The frittata is brimming with zucchini, zucchini flowers, bacon, leeks, and my favorite...Gruyere cheese. I love all these ingredients so much!

I go to take a long awaited bite and the zucchini flower is soft and baked into the frittata. It is an odd texture, soft and hard to cut into, the whole flower wants to stay together. Something about the flavor and texture is not appealing. I push the flower off and take a bite of the egg and filling, the flavors are too strong and overpowering. I take another bite and something here is just not working. I keep taking bites because I love all the ingredients, it appears to have baked up perfectly, and Ina Garten has never let me down, but the dish just didn't work for me. I am, however, very happy to have made the dish and finally get a chance to work with zucchini flowers. I like to try new things even if they don't work out. I do have another zucchini flower recipes up my sleeve, so stay tuned for that. The verdict is still out!

 Seasonal and Local Produce @ IHCC

 

How Sweet Eat's Lemon Butter Chicken {My New Favorite}!

 Over time, my favorite dishes have become the recipes with only a handful of ingredients, like this one: chicken, flour, oil, butter, lemon juice and slices, garlic, fresh herbs, and salt and pepper.

NOTE: This is a lemon-forward dish. The lemon isn't overpowering, but it is there, so if lemon isn't your thing than skip this, but if lemon is you're thing then.. Newsflash: THIS CHICKEN IS SO SO TENDER! In fact, How Sweet Eats mentions "This is easily my most-made recipe of the last ten years."

That's saying something, isn't it?

After making this dish and pretty much inhaling it, I can certainly see why it's one of anyone's most-made recipes! The chicken is extremely tender! And the lemon butter sauce is so flavorful. Not to mention, the dish is really easy and quick to put together.

I served the chicken with some pasta to round out the meal, but you could also serve this with rice and/or any green veggies.

This recipe is one of my favorite recipes of the year so far! I will be making it on repeat in my kitchen!

Lemon Butter Chicken

Adapted from Everyday Dinners

by Jessica Merchant

Serves 4

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast, sliced in half lengthwise

salt and pepper, to taste

2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

4 tablespoons butter 

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 lemon, thinly sliced

1 lemon, juiced (1/4 cup lemon juice)

chopped fresh herbs (parsley, oregano, or thyme for serving)

Preheat the oven to 350F. Pound the chicken breasts with a meat tenderizer until they are the same thickness. Season them on both sides with 1 teaspoon each of salt and pepper.

Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon of the olive oil to the pan.

Take each chicken breast and dredge it through the flour, making sure it's completely covered but shaking off any excess. Place it in the pan and repeat with the other chicken breasts, cooking for 3 to 4 minutes total, 2 minutes each side. This might have to be done in batches. Transfer the chicken to a baking dish and repeat with any remaining chicken, using the remaining olive oil as necessary.

Once the chicken is out of the pan, keep the skillet over medium-low heat and add the butter. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add the lemon slices and lemon juice. Cook for 2-3 minutes, flipping the lemons in the pan. Add a pinch of salt and pepper. Pour the lemon butter mixture over the chicken in the baking dish.

Bake for 15 -20 minutes, or until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165F. Remove the chicken from the oven and sprinkle with fresh herbs. Serve immediately. 

Shop Your Fridge @ IHCC

How Sweet Eat's Cheeseburger Puff Pastry Pockets {A Real Family Favorite}!

 Right now I have a passion for cleaning out my pantry, freezers, and fridges. I'm grateful enough to have an inside fridge with a freezer and a garage fridge with a freezer. This really allows me to shine when it comes to hoarding food. It's something I really excel at. Just ask my family. They love it when they're looking for popsicles or ice cream and pork tenderloins are falling on their toes.

I like to have just about everything on hand at all times, but I really seem to excel at hoarding chicken breast, ground beef, and puff pastry. Earlier in the week I cleaned out some chicken breast and made How Sweet Eat's BBQ Chicken Enchiladas. I had planned to share those, but the BBQ flavor was overwhelming and it just didn't work for us. So, I got out the ground beef and hit paydirt when I found this recipe for Cheeseburger Puff Pastry Pockets because it allowed me to use up some ground beef and some puff pastry! WOOHOO!! 

Warning: I'm feeling chatty today! Summer is about one week away and this school year was a total doozy so I'm really feeling a long break!

Very important: When you cook, you should make the recipe your own. The recipe here is simply whatever cheeseburgery filling you'd like stuffed in puff pastry dough and baked. The only hard rule is that you don't want your filling to be too wet.

Now, How Sweet Eat's cheeseburger filling was ketchup heavy and my family isn't really into ketchup, so I went easy on the ketchup. What my family does love is onions and pickles so I added chives and dill. Then I added extra cheese because we like it like that too.

Also important: How Sweet Eat's likes to top these pockets with sesame seeds. I would probably like that, but my gut wouldn't. Back in December I was diagnosed with acute diverticulitis and have been rather sick ever since so I stay away from seeds, nuts, corn, etc. 

I find all kinds of other ways to flavor my food now, and as I mentioned, we love pickles so I topped my pockets with this Seasoning In a Pickle Seasoning Blend from Trader Joe's. You do you! 

I don't have to tell you that these were delicious, do I? And oh so easy? I mean you just cook up some ground beef and season it with whatever you like, grate some cheese, make a house sauce, then stuff it in a puff pastry square, brush with some egg wash, fold and bake. It is crispy and flaky and buttery and savory and sauce, and cheesy, with all the flavors and seasonings that you love! Make this if you want your family to be happy!

Cheeseburger Puff Pastry Pockets

Adapted from How Sweet Eats

by Jessica Merchant

Serves 8-10, depending

For the Pockets

1 pound of lean ground beef

salt and pepper

3 tablespoons ketchup

2 tablespoons yellow mustard

6 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, freshly grated

2 sheets thawed puff pastry

1 large egg, plus 1 teaspoon water for egg wash

2 tablespoons, sesame seeds, for sprinkling* and/or various other toppings*

House Sauce

1/2 cup mayonnaise

2 tablespoons dijon mustard

1 tablespoon yellow mustard

1 tablespoons honey

1 tablespoons favorite BBQ sauce

Disclaimer: All puff pastry is not the same. It isn't the same shape or size and doesn't produce the same results. Dufour puff pastry is the best, but also the smallest. I used Pepperidge Farm for this recipe and got four squares from each sheet, hence 8 pockets for the recipe. Everyone's results will probably be different based on the puff pastry you use.

Preheat the oven to 425F. Place each of the puff pastry sheets on a piece of parchment paper on baking sheets. You can only make one sheet at a time, but I like to have the other one ready to go too.

Cut both sheets of puff pastry into six squares (see disclaimer) on the parchment paper. Basically make your puff pastry work for you! 

Heat a skillet over medium heat. Add the ground beef with a big pinch of salt and pepper. Cook until browned, breaking it apart into small crumbles. Stir in the ketchup and mustard until combined. Turn off the heat and add in a sprinkle of the cheese - just an ounce or two. Let the beef cool slightly.

Make the house sauce by whisking all the ingredients together and giving it time for the flavors to come together!

Once the beef has cooled a bit, spoon 2 to 3 tablespoons into the square of puff pastry. Drizzle on some house sauce. Sprinkle with a bit of cheese. Brush the edges of the square with the egg wash, then bring one corner to meet the other, making a triangle pocket. Press the edges down with a fork to seal them. Repeat with the remaining puff pastry.

Brush the tops of the pockets with the egg wash. Sprinkle all over with the sesame seeds, or the everything but the bagel seeds, or the pickle seasoning as I've show above. Again, make these your own!

Bake the puff pastry pockets for 20 minutes, or until golden and puffed and shiny. Remove them from the oven and let cool slightly - the insides are super hot! Serve with condiments, lettuce, tomato, pickles and anything else you love with a burger. Don't forget to dip in the House Sauce.

Shop Your Freezer @ IHCC

Bittman's Baked Macaroni and Cheese

 
For the past few weeks I've been steadily working on shopping my pantry and using everything up. Today I'm using up some pasta and a loaf of bread to make Mark Bittman's Baked Macaroni and Cheese. 

I always buy way too many boxes of pasta and they quickly take over my pantry if I'm not careful. I also had half a loaf of rosemary garlic bread so I decided to make baked macaroni and cheese with a fresh rosemary garlic breadcrumb topping. It was a hit!

Mark Bittman calls for sharp cheddar and Parmesan, which are some of my favorite cheeses to use for baked macaroni and cheese. We enjoyed this dish today for our Mother's Day dinner. The sauce was very creamy and the flavors were on point.

The rosemary garlic breadcrumb topping added some good texture and flavor. I would definitely make this Baked Macaroni and Cheese again. It's a real go to recipe!

Baked Macaroni and Cheese

Adapted from How To Cook Everything

 by Mark Bittman

Serves 4-6

2-1/2 cups milk

2 bay leaves

1 pound elbow pasta

4 tablespoons butter

3 tablespoons flour

1-1/2 cups grated cheese, such as sharp Cheddar or Emmenthal

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

salt and black pepper

1/2 cup or more plain breadcrumbs, preferably fresh

1/2 cup butter, melted

Preheat the oven to 400F. Bring a large pot of water to a boil.

Cook the milk with the bay leaves in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. When small bubbles appear along the sides, about 5 minutes later, turn off the heat and let stand. Salt the boiling water and cook the pasta to the point where it still needs another minute or two to become tender. Drain it, rinse it quickly to stop cooking, and place it in a large bowl.

In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, melt 3 tablespoons of the butter; when it is foamy, add the flour and cook, stirring, until the mixture browns, about 5 minutes. Remove the bay leaves from the milk and add about 1/4 cup of the milk to the hot flour mixture, stirring with a wire whisk all the while. As soon as the mixture becomes smooth, add a little more milk, and continue to do so until all th emilk is used up and the mixture is thick and smooth. Add the Cheddar and Emmenthal and stir. 

Pour the sauce over the noodles, toss in the Parmesan, and season with salt and pepper. Use the remaining butter to grease a 9 x 13-inch or like-sized baking pan and turn the noodle mixture into it. Top liberally with bread crumbs and bake until the crumbs turn brown, about 15 minutes. Serve hot. 

 

Shop Your Pantry @ IHCC

One Pot Garlic Butter Shrimp and Orzo {Perfect For Busy Weeknights}!

We all need more quick and easy weeknight dinner recipes in our back pocket and this One Pot Garlic Butter Shrimp and Orzo is a good one to add to the list!

You need just a handful of ingredients: shrimp, garlic, lemon, olive oil, chicken broth, red pepper flakes, orzo, and parsley. 

All you need to do is marinade the shrimp in a mixture of olive oil, garlic, lemon juice and zest, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper. While that marinading you toast some orzo in a skillet with butter and more garlic. Then you cook the orzo with chicken broth, stirring so the pasta becomes creamy and almost risotto-like. When the pasta has absorbed the broth you simply add the shrimp, cover and cook a few minutes until the shrimp are pink and cooked through.

A quick, easy, one pot meal that is perfect for spring! We loved this and I would probably double the recipe next time so there was more of it! I would definitely make this again. 

 One Pot Garlic Butter Shrimp and Orzo

Recipe from How Sweet Eats

by Jessica Merchant

Serves 2

1 pound raw shrimp, peeled and deveined

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 lemon, juiced and freshly zested

4 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

salt and pepper

1 cup orzo

2 tablespoons butter

2 garlic cloves, minced

2-1/4 cups chicken stock

3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

lemon wedges, for spritzing

Note: The recipe as written makes 2 nice servings. I highly suggest doubling it if you want enough for 4-6 people.

In a large bowl, combine the shrimp with the olive oil, lemon juice, zest, garlic, red pepper flakes and a big pinch of salt and pepper. Stir and let sit for about 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat the butter in a large skillet (a 12 inch works great) over medium heat. Once melted, stir in the orzo. Cook, stirring often, until the orzo is slightly golden and toasty. Stir in the 2 cloves of minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds.

Pour in the chicken stock and bring it to a boil. Reduce it to a simmer and cover the pot. Cook until the orzo absorbs all the liquid and is fluffed up, about 12-15 minutes.

Add in the shrimp mixture to the orzo and stir. Cover the pot again and cook for another 3-5 minutes, or until the shrimp are pink and opaque and cooked through.

Sprinkle with fresh parsley and a spritz of lemon. I like to stir in another 1 to 2 tablespoons of melted butter for optimal flavor, but this is up to you. Serve immediately!

 One Pot Wonders @ IHCC