Mac n cheese

Final dish to go with your smokey ribs and seasoned up collard greens. Saute half a cup of chopped onions and a quarter cup of chopped green bell peppers in 2 tablespoons of butter.  Add some salt and pepper...creole seasoning for us of course and a minced clove of garlic. Whisk 1/4 cup flour into 2 cups of milk. Slowly add this to your pepper and onions mixture. Stir constantly over medium heat until it thickens. Add 1-2 cups of shredded cheese ( cheddar or smokey gouda are excellent) a little at a time and stir well.Add your cooked elbow pasta (1/2 of a 16 oz box) and mix until all pasta is coated with the creamy cheesy goodness. Pour into a baking dish that has been coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle some breadcrumbs and more cheese on top. Bake @ 350 for 30 minutes or until hot and bubbly. Words cannot describe...

Collard greens

I used a bag of already washed and cut greens. I sauted a half cup of chopped onion in some olive oil and then added a cup of smoked sausage (We prefer andouille, but you can use any smoked sausage or bacon) sliced into bite size pieces. If you are going meatless, just omit. I added a teaspoon of minced garlic and continue to saute about 2- 3 minutes total. I added a tablespoon of chopped chipotle in adobo. Some folks add a pinch of sugar..I added about 2 tablespoons of dry sherry which gave the greens a nice sweet taste.  Add your greens in batches. As they cook down a bit, add more. Season with salt and of course we added some creole seasoning. Add about 2 cups of water or chicken broth and cover. Simmer for an hour stirring occassionally. These go good with ribs or a pork roast.

Comfort food

Ribs cooked in the crockpot. St. Louis ribs cut up to 2-3 ribs each. Put in crockpot and season with your favorite spices. I used some Tony's creole seasoning and added 2 tablespoons of chopped chipotle in adobo. I added one bottle of dark beer; but you could use water. Cover and cook on low for 6 hours. I added BBQ sauce right before serving. The were fall off the bone smokey and oh so good! Not the best picture, but the ribs were good!

Cheesy baked chicken in less than an hour

We used 3 chicken breasts and dipped them in one egg whisked with a tbsp of water, then covered them in cheesy cracker crumbs ( we used crushed 4 Cheese Cheese It) and then rolled them in cheese. We used about 1 cup of cheese from a bag of shredded cheese. Spray baking dish with Pam and bake at 350 for 30 minutes. Ohhh soooo good!! Moist and delicious! Sooo you need 3 containers for the coatings, plus a baking dish. Prep time is about 15 min and baking time 30 minutes. Go for it..you won't be sorry!!

When life gives you spinach...

I got a free bag of fresh spinach from work soooo I made one of my husband's favories:Creamed spinach: saute 2 chopped up cloves of garlic on low heat with a tblsp of butter ( about 2 minutes) You need to watch so this doesn't burn..if cooked low and for onlt 2-3 minutes,  it will be a sweet buttery mixture.  Add a bag of fresh spinach a little at a time and saute until wilted. Mix 2 tbsps flour into about 1/4 heavy cream and add to spinach..just add more cream if it gets too thick. Grate about 1/4 cup parm or Romano into the spinach and season to taste. This will be sweet, creamy and buttery; but not pungent! ENJOY!! Prep time 2-3 minutes. Cooking time 10-15 minutes.

Quiche Time

We got this recipe from my husband's son after he served us an incredible brunch a few years back. I changed the crust and you won't believe the taste. It's like having your eggs and buttered toast all in one dish. I put about 1 cup of regular breadcrumbs mixed with 1 tbsp of melted butter and patted down into a deep pie plate. Then beat 6 eggs with a whisk, stir in the following:
1/2 cup milk or heavy cream
1 tbsp corn starch
1 box frozen spinach that has been thawed and ALL of the water squeezed out if it. (Yes you will need to use your hands and squeeze the spinach)
1/2 cup cheddar
1/2 cup ricotta or 4oz goat cheese
1/2 cup grated parmesan or romano
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp basil
Sprinkle of salt,  pepper and crushed red pepper flakes. I added Tony Chacheres as well.

Pour into pie crust and sprinkle cheese on top. Bake at 350 for about 40 minutes. Let it cool 5 minutes. Cut and serve with a nice fruit or mixed green salad..or both!

Easy grilled sesame chicken

We buy our chicken breasts in bulk..lol. Big bags of frozen breasts often on sale. This recipe is so easy. Thaw 4 chicken breasts. Put 2 teaspoons of sesame oil (a little goes a long way) a drizzle of chile oil ( it will be really hot if you add too much!), about 1 tablespooon of olive oil, 1/4 tsp garlic powder and a sprinkle of crushed red pepper flakes (if you want more heat) to a large ziplock bag. Add your thawed chicken breasts and marinate 10-20 minutes. Grill marinated breasts about 10 minutes on each side. Add salt to taste. We served some stir fry veggies (frozen bag) as a side. You could serve rice if you wanted. So a quick easy meal. Prep time less than 20 min. Cook time about 20 minutes. Serves 4.