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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Color My Summer: Purple Potluck Bowl Covers {Tutorial}

 

Today I'm participating in the Color My Summer series being hosted by Kojo Designs and Delia Creates.  Each day a new color is celebrated with a fun summer project and today my color is "Purple".  So, welcome to all of you that are new to "The Cottage Home" - I'm so glad to have you visiting for Color My Summer!

Summer time means picnics, barbecues, and potlucks!  Many times we are invited to outdoor activities and everyone is asked to bring a dish to share.  I thought it would be fun to create a reusable fabric bowl cover so that we can tote our side dishes to these events in style.  These are also great to have at an outdoor picnic to keep the bugs off of your food when no one is eating.

These bowl covers will take you no time at all.  It will probably take you longer to decide on your fabric and coordinating bias tape than it will to actually sew them.  Make one for your favorite bowl or make a whole set for all of your serving bowls!

So, let's get started..........

Supplies:
1 Fat Quarter (should be enough for a large bowl)
1 package double fold bias tape (or you can make your own)
Thin Elastic - 1/8" or 1/4" (the amount depends on the size of your bowl)
Safety Pin
Sewing Machine
Scissors

Directions:

Take the bowl that you plan on making a cover for and flip it over.  Place it on your fabric.  If you are using a directional print or something with a certain design, make sure to center your bowl over the design.

Using scissors or a rotary cutter, cut a circle that is 2" wider than your bowl.

Sew your bias tape around the entire edge of the bowl (click HERE for my bias tape tutorial).  Leave an opening in your bias tape large enough for a safety pin to fit through.

Above you can see the opening in my bias tape.

Measure towards the top of your bowl and subtract two inches - that is how much elastic you will need.  My elastic was very stretchy, so if yours isn't, then you may need to make yours a little longer.  Stick a safety pin through the end of the elastic.  Typically I use a bodkin to thread elastic, but in this case, only a safety pin will fit through the bias tape opening.

Thread your elastic through the bias tape opening and around the circle.  Stitch the ends of elastic together and close the opening in your bias tape by top-stitching with your sewing machine.

Place your covers on top of your bowls and you are ready for your summer potluck!

You could certainly make these in a more casual fabric or even make them to coordinate with your outdoor picnic blanket or tablecloth.  These are not meant to replace foil or plastic wrap when you need a seriously tight seal, but these are just right for taking your dish to and from your summer get together!

Thanks for inviting me over to play at Color My Summer!  As always, Kirstin and Jordan, it's been so much fun.  If you guys haven't checked out this series, you must head over and see some of the great projects being shared by some pretty great bloggers.

To visit, Color My Summer, click HERE.

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Leftover Remix: Grilled Shrimp and Roasted Corn Pasta

Yesterday I posted my recipe for Spicy Grilled Shrimp with Corn Relish.  Well, we had some leftovers and I decided it would be fun to turn them into something new for the following dinner.  There are very few additional ingredients for this pasta dish, but your family will never know they are eating something very similar to the night before.

If you would like to make this dish, but fear you might not have any leftovers from the night before, just plan ahead and make a double recipe of the spicy shrimp.

Leftover Remix:  Grilled Shrimp and Roasted Corn Pasta

Ingredients:

Leftover Spicy Grilled Shrimp with Corn Relish (pineapple removed)

1 pound cavatappi pasta (or any shape you like)

1 package grape tomatoes

Olive oil

3/4 cup Parmesan cheese

Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  Cook pasta according to package directions.

Place leftover corn relish, grilled onions, and grape tomatoes on a large baking sheet.  Drizzle with a little olive oil, salt and pepper.  Roast in the oven for approximately 20 minutes or until grape tomatoes start to get wrinkly and corn starts to get a little color.

Meanwhile, cut up your shrimp into small pieces.  Once you remove your corn and tomato mixture from the oven, add your shrimp to the baking sheet - this will warm them up without cooking them any further.

Drain pasta.  Add all the contents from the cookie sheet into the pasta.  Make sure to scrape up all the little brown bits (this gives the great roasted flavor).  Add your Parmesan cheese and an extra drizzle of olive oil, salt and pepper (to taste).

Garnish with additional sprinkling of Parmesan cheese and serve with freshly baked garlic bread.

Now that's practically two meals in one - how great is that?  I love things that do double duty!

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