Easy Sausage Gravy & Biscuits

I've been on a biscuits and gravy kick lately. Weird kick to be on, I know.

When I say easy, I mean it.

Ingredients:
1 (16 oz) can refrigerated jumbo buttermilk biscuits. Or if you're ambitious, make em' from scratch.
1 (9.6 oz) package Jimmy Dean Sausage. I used the lower fat kind and it still tasted great.
1/4 cup flour
2 1/2 cups milk
Salt & pepper to taste

Directions:
1. Bake biscuits according to package directions.
2. Cook sausage in large skillet over medium heat 5-6 minutes or until thoroughly heated, stirring frequently. Stir in flour. Gradually add milk; cook until mixture comes to a boil and thickens, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
3. Split biscuits in half and top with gravy.

Love it!

Spinach Salad

I was introduced to this salad a few weeks ago at a wedding shower. I made it for our Easter dinner last night too! Delicious!

Spinach Salad
-Jessie Pond

Ingredients:
2 bunches spinach
1 head romaine lettuce
1/2 small purple onion, sliced very thin
3/4 lb swiss cheese, grated or cut into cubes
3/4 lb fresh mushrooms, sliced
1 lb bacon, fried crisp and crumbled
1 cup 2% cottage cheese, well drained

Dressing:
2 tsp poppy seeds
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
1/2 tsp prepared mustard
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 c white sugar
3/4 tsp grated onion (I just use the dried onion. Works fine.)
3/4 c vegetable oil

Blend first 6 ingredients in a blender until smooth.
Add oil while blending in a drizzle.
Add dressing to greens just before serving.

Chicken Enchilada's

We Tried These The Other Night.

Soooooooo Good! A Keeper!

Recipe Here

Chicken Taco Soup - Slow Cooker

Ingredients:

1 - 15oz can of black beans, rinsed and drained
1 - 14.5oz can of diced tomatoes (the kind with onions is good)
1 - small bag of frozen corn
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped green, red, or yellow pepper
1 - 10oz can condensed cream of chicken soup
1 - 10oz jar of enchilada sauce (red)
1 1/2 cups milk
1 cup shredded pepper jack cheese
(Use cheddar if you don't want so much spice)
2 chicken breasts

Directions:

In slow cooker put the beans, tomatoes, corn, onion and peppers. Place on top of that 2 raw chicken breasts. In a bowl mix the soup and enchilada sauce. Slowly add the milk. Pour the sauce mix over the ingredients.

Cook on low for 6-8 hours.
Take out the chicken and shred it and then put it back in the slow cooker until you are ready to serve. Top with the grated cheese, sour cream and tortilla chips.

Oven Baked Chimichangas

Ingredients:

2/3 C Salsa
1 t. Cumin
1/2 t. Oregano
1 1/2 C Shredded Beef or Chicken
1 C Shredded Cheese
2 Green Onions, Chopped
6 Tortillas
1 T Melted Butter

Directions:

Mix first 6 ingredients. Put 1/2 cup of mix on tortillas, fold sides in then roll from bottom. Place seam side down on cookie sheet and brush with butter. Bake @ 400 degrees for 25 minutes. They are good reheated, if there are any left.

Serve with sour cream!

Steak Gorgonzola Alfredo

Thank you to the Olive Garden website, from whom I stole this image.

This is a copy-cat of one of my favorite Olive Garden dishes. They use filet medallions, but I've used slices off a chuck roast and a cheap flank steak. Both were delicious. Feeds 4, or 2 with huge leftovers.

You will need:
Some kind of steak.
Balsamic vinegar (something like 1/2 cup)
Black pepper
Fettuccine (make your own if you can)

For the sauce:
1 pint heavy cream
1 stick (1/2 C) unsalted butter, room temp
About 1 cup fresh grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, Asiago, or a combo (I like the combo)
About 4 oz spinach (frozen is fine. But thaw it first.)
Gorgonzola cheese

1) Set the steak out to rest and press the freshly ground black pepper into the meat on both sides.

2) Pour balsamic vinegar into a small pan and reduce to a syrup (you might need more. I don't measure)

3) Cook pasta while you are doing everything else.

4) In a high-sided saute pan or medium pot, combine the heavy cream and butter and heat until thickened, whisking occasionally. When thickened and slightly reduced, add in the grated parm-regg/asiago cheese and let melt. Then add in the spinach, fresh ground black pepper, and some of the Gorgonzola crumbles.

5) Reserve half of the balsamic syrup and use remaining half to brush steaks on all sides. Transfer to a hot pan and cook to desired done-ness. (I usually cook them until medium-rare and then remove, let sit, slice against the grain into very thin pieces, and then transfer back to the pan for a few seconds before serving to get to medium-well.)

6) Add the pasta to the sauce and let sit for a minute to absorb the flavors. Plate, add the steak, drizzle with a little of the remaining syrup and top with some Gorgonzola crumbles and black pepper. Salt to taste at the table*.


*Note: I have started cooking without salt to reduce the sodium intake in my household. With the pungent cheeses and vinegar, the addition of salt (on the meat before cooking) can be too much. I strongly suggest letting the flavors meld together and then adding salt if you feel it's necessary. I do, my husband never does.

Quick Yeast Rolls

I made these a couple times in the last two weeks, because my husband eats most of them before I get them to the table. I found the original recipe on allrecipes.com and I've been playing with it. Because that's what I do.

Prep Time: 1.5 Hours
Cooking Time: 10 Minutes
Serves: 8 (huuuuuuuge) to 12

Ingredients:

2 T butter or shortening
1 heaping T sugar
1-2 T honey
1 C hot water
2.25 tsp yeast (1 packet)
1 egg, beaten
1 tsp salt
2.25 C flour (I've experimented with all white flour and half white, half whole wheat. Both have been delicious. I add a little more honey to the whole wheat rolls.)

Directions:

1) Mix butter, sugar/honey, and hot water in a large bowl. Cool to lukewarm and mix in yeast until dissolved.

2) Mix in egg, salt, and flour. Let rise until doubled.

3) Divide the dough. Now you can be creative. The dough should be sticky. Really sticky. Like, scrape-off-your-hands-with-your-teeth sticky. My favorite has been to dust my fingers with flour and then drop the dough into a (buttered!) round cake pan. I tried making 8 rolls but they were bigger than my head, so I think 12 works better. You can also butter or grease muffin cups and drop the dough ball into the muffin cups. DO NOT ADD MORE FLOUR THAN YOU NEED TO TO GET THE DOUGH INTO THE PAN. If you leave it sticky, you will end up with beautiful, soft, fluffy deliciousness. If you add flour because you think it doesn't look or feel like bread should (I understand this concern. Ignore it.) you will be eating little golden-brown baseballs.

4) Preheat oven somewhere between 350 and 425. My oven cooks them perfectly at 350, but mine is stupid. Let the rolls rise again until doubled (remember, though, they will continue to rise in the oven).

5) Bake for 10-ish minutes until they are just barely browning on the top. Best served warm with butter.