Twice Baked Potatoes

Take baked potatoes to the utmost level of rich, buttery, cheesy goodness!  I’ve used this twice baked potato recipe for 36 years. It’s so good that I never had any desire to try another.

Twice Baked Potatoes

4 large baking potatoes (about 14 to 16 oz. each)

4 tbsp. butter, cut into several pieces

1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

4 tsp. dried parsley flakes

1 1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. pepper

1/2 tsp. dry mustard

1 cup half-and-half

Shredded cheddar cheese

Paprika

Prepare and bake potatoes as directed below.  Let the potatoes sit until cool enough to handle (about 10 minutes).   Cut the top quarter from each potato, discard skin from slice, and put the potato portion of each slice into a large bowl.  (I use a 3 qt. bowl.) Reserving potato shells, scoop out the insides with a spoon and add to bowl. Leave about 1/4-inch of potato lining the shells so that the shells aren't too thin.  

Add butter to potatoes and partially mash with a handheld masher.  Add 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese, parsley flakes, salt, pepper, dry mustard, and half-and-half.  Mash until few lumps remain. Pile about 1/4 of the potato mixture into each shell. Place stuffed potatoes on a baking sheet or in a baking dish.  In a preheated 425 degree oven, bake for 20-25 minutes or till lightly browned. Sprinkle with desired amount of shredded cheddar cheese and paprika.  Bake 2 to 3 minutes longer or till cheese melts.

Variations: 1) Add desired amount of sour cream to potato mixture before stuffing shells. 2) Before topping with cheese and paprika, top with some cooked, crumbled bacon.

Baked Potatoes

Microwave:  Scrub potatoes with a brush.  For soft skins, rub with shortening or olive oil.  Prick with a fork at least twice to let steam escape.  Arrange potatoes on paper towels leaving at least 1 inch between potatoes.  Microwave uncovered on high for 15 minutes (in a 1000w microwave). Halfway through cooking time, rearrange potatoes and turn over.  Remove potatoes from microwave and either wrap in foil or place on counter and cover with a casserole. Let stand for 5 to 10 minutes.

Oven:  Scrub potatoes with a brush.  For soft skins, rub with shortening or olive oil.  Prick with a fork at least twice to let steam escape.  On a baking sheet lined with foil, bake potatoes in a 425 degree oven for 40-60 minutes.

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Double Fudge Coca-Cola Cake

Inspired by Cracker Barrel's famous dessert, Double Fudge Coca-Cola Cake has a rich, deep, fudgy taste with an icing that is to-die-for.  

Double Fudge Coca-Cola Cake

Brandie of The Country Cook has many fantastic, easy recipes.  The recipe for Double Fudge Coca-Cola Cake can be found on Brandie's website The Country Cook:  https://www.thecountrycook.net/coca-cola-cake/

Banana Pudding Poke Cake

Poke cakes have been around for a long time, but this version might be new to you.  Banana Pudding Poke Cake is light, refreshing, and easy!

Optional bananas for garnishing not shown.

Banana Pudding Poke Cake

Brandie of The Country Cook has many fantastic, easy recipes.  The recipe for Banana Pudding Poke Cake can be found on Brandie's website The Country Cook:  https://www.thecountrycook.net/banana-pudding-poke-cake?

Banana Pudding Poke Cake 101:

Cake can be made and served on the same day, but for best results, make it a day ahead of time so cake can thoroughly chill and flavors can meld.  Add crushed vanilla wafers and bananas right before serving.

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Red Lobster Pina Colada Dipping Sauce

If you're a fan of coconut shrimp, then you're probably a huge fan of Red Lobster's Pina Colada Dipping Sauce.  This recipe is very similar to Red Lobster's and is said to have come from the Red Lobster website. 

Bottled lemon juice is shown and can be used, but fresh lemon juice is preferred.

Red Lobster Pina Colada Dipping Sauce

1 cup Coco Lopez Cream of Coconut (found in the liquor section)
1 cup sour cream

1/4 cup crushed pineapple, drained

1 tsp. fresh lemon juice

Stir the can of Coco Lopez in case the contents have separated.  By hand, combine sour cream and 1 cup Coco Lopez in a mixing bowl mixing together gently.  Do not use an electric mixer or over mix by hand as it will cause the sour cream to break down and make the sauce too thin.  Fold the crushed pineapple and lemon juice into the mixture.  Cover and refrigerate for several hours or overnight before serving so flavors can meld.

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Notes:

*Leftover dipping sauce can be frozen for several weeks.  Thaw in refrigerator and stir before serving.

*If you have an air fryer, frozen coconut shrimp is delicious cooked in it and can be found at any major grocery store.  The shrimp pictured are SeaPak Jumbo Coconut Shrimp.  My air fryer is the Paula Dean 8.5 qt. (1700w), and I cook 6-8 shrimp at 400 for 5-6 minutes.  I spritz once with oil and don't turn during cooking.

Garlic Lime Chicken

A sauce of fresh lime juice, honey, and garlic is the finishing touch to these deliciously seasoned chicken breasts.

Two limes are pictured, but only one is needed.

Garlic Lime Chicken

1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp. onion powder
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
1/4 tsp. paprika
1/8 tsp. black pepper
1/2 tsp. salt
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 tsp. canola oil, divided
1/2 tsp. minced jarred garlic
Juice of 1 lime (2 tbsp. of juice)
1/3 cup chicken broth
2 tsp. honey
1 1/2 tbsp. butter or margarine

In a very small bowl, mix together the spices (cayenne pepper through salt).  Wrap the chicken breasts in plastic wrap and place on a cutting board.  Gently pound each breast with a mallet to an even thickness (about 1/2 inch).  Sprinkle each side with the spice mixture.

Heat 1 tsp. of the oil in a large, nonstick skillet over medium heat.  (I use a 5 qt. saute pan and add an additional tsp. of oil.)  Add the chicken and cook for 5-10 minutes on each side until well browned and cooked through. Transfer to a plate and cover with foil to keep warm.

Reduce the heat to low, and add the other l tsp. of oil and the garlic to pan.  Cook for 30 seconds. Whisk in the lime juice, chicken broth, and honey, scraping up any browned bits.  Continue stirring with a whisk and cook for 1 minute.  Add the butter to the pan and whisk into the sauce until it is melted.  
   
Return the chicken to the pan and heat briefly while coating with the sauce.

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*Recipe adapted from kaycee1976.blogspot.com:  http://kaycee1976.blogspot.com/2012/06/garlic-lime-chicken.html

Carrot Cake

This moist, mildly spiced cake is speckled with carrots and pecans.  The generous layer of cream cheese frosting really sends it over the top.

 Carrot Cake

4 eggs, beaten
2 cups sugar
1 cup vegetable or canola oil
2 cups flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt
3 cups grated carrots
2/3 cup pecans
Cream Cheese Frosting (link below)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a large bowl (I use a 4 qt. bowl), mix together the eggs, sugar, and oil.  In another bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt.  Add to first mixture and combine.  Add carrots and pecans; mix well.  Pour into a greased and floured (I use Baker's Joy) 9x13 baker.  Bake at 350 degrees until wooden pick inserted into center comes out clean, 35 to 45 minutes.  Cool and frost with cream cheese frosting.  Store cake in refrigerator.

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Cream Cheese Frosting:  https://easyaspiecanbe.blogspot.com/2018/03/cream-cheese-frosting.html

This recipe means a lot to me, because it is my mom's.  ♥

 

Cream Cheese Frosting

This decadent, amazingly easy cream cheese frosting is perfect for icing carrot cake, red velvet cake, pumpkin cake...any cake!

Pecans are optional.

Cream Cheese Frosting

1 (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened

1 tsp. vanilla

1 (1 lb.) box powdered sugar

Chopped pecans (opt.)

Cream together the cream cheese and butter with an electric mixer at medium speed.  Beat in the vanilla, and gradually beat in the powdered sugar.  After frosting cake, sprinkle with pecans if desired.  Store in refrigerator.

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Hot and Sour Soup

This hot and sour soup recipe is fantastic.  It's quick, easy to make, doesn't call for a lot of difficult-to-find ingredients, and the best part--easily rivals any hot and sour soup found at a restaurant.  I also include a link on how to make your own crispy Chinese noodles!

Kosher salt is shown, but table salt is fine to use.  You will only need half of a 16 oz. carton of tofu.

Hot and Sour Soup

This recipe for Hot and Sour Soup, along with a video showing how to make the soup, can be found on the The Gimme Some Oven website:  https://www.gimmesomeoven.com/hot-and-sour-soup-recipe/

Hot and Sour Soup 101:

*About an hour before the soup preparation, drain the water from the tofu.  Then wrap the tofu in several layers of paper towels and put a cutting board on top of it weighted down with a small bowl like a cereal bowl.  You want enough weight to express water from the tofu but not enough weight to crush it. Change paper towels after about 30 minutes.  After tofu has completely drained, cut it into 1/2-inch cubes.

*I use 1 1/4 tsp. chili garlic sauce and 1/2 cup rice vinegar.

*All of these ingredients can be found at Wal-Mart or other major grocery chains. Toasted sesame oil is a delicate oil and once opened, should be stored in the refrigerator.  http://www.stilltasty.com/fooditems/index/17807

Crispy Chinese Noodles:  http://easyaspiecanbe.blogspot.com/2018/02/crispy-chinese-noodles-and-tutorial.html

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Crispy Chinese Noodles and Tutorial

Crispy Chinese Noodles are the perfect topping for your Hot and Sour or Egg Drop Soup--and so easy to make at home!

A 16 oz. package of egg roll wraps is shown, but you will only use 6 sheets.

Crispy Chinese Noodles

The recipe for Crispy Chinese Noodles by vlogger Makenna Gott can be found on YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Id9zA7ef8s

Notes:  

*I will often fry a whole package of egg roll wraps and after they cool, freeze them for future batches of soup.  They will keep for quite a while in the freezer.

Crispy Chinese Noodles 101:

Using a pizza cutter, cut 6 egg roll wraps into strips:

Heat 1/2 inch of oil in a 10-inch skillet until oil reaches 350 degrees:

Fry 2-6 strips at a time turning once.  Strips will fry VERY quickly.  Remove strips from skillet just as they start to turn brown as they will finish browning after being removed:

Place on a plate lined with paper towels to absorb the oil.  Repeat until all strips are fried:

Serve with your favorite Chinese soup!

Ground Beef Taco Dip

The ample toppers on this meaty taco dip will satisfy the biggest appetite.  Olé!

Ground Beef Taco Dip

1 lb. lean ground beef 

3/4 cup water

2 envelopes 25% less sodium taco seasoning

1 (8 oz.) cream cheese (Neufchâtel cheese can be substituted), softened

1 (16 oz.) sour cream (light or regular)

2 cups shredded iceberg lettuce

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1 (10.5 oz.) Cherubs salad tomatoes, chopped (3 medium tomatoes can be substituted)

1 (2-1/4 oz.) can sliced ripe olives, drained

In a large skillet, brown the ground beef over medium heat; drain.  Add water and one envelope taco seasoning; cook until it becomes more concentrated.  Turn off the burner.  With an electric mixer, beat cream cheese until fluffy.  Beat in sour cream, and then beat in the remaining envelope of taco seasoning; blend well.  Spread cream cheese mixture in a 3 qt. dish, add ground beef evenly over cream cheese layer, and then top with lettuce, cheese, tomatoes, and olives.

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Honey Oatmeal Bread

Honey Oatmeal Bread is my favorite homemade bread.  The slightly sweet taste combined with its rustic look makes it perfect to serve with many meals.

Honey Oatmeal Bread

1 cup water (between 70-80 degrees F)

1 tbsp. vegetable or canola oil

1/4 cup honey

1 tsp. salt

2 1/3 cups bread flour

1/2 cup old-fashioned (rolled) oats

1 rounded tsp. active dry yeast

1.  In bread machine pan, place all ingredients in order suggested by manufacturer.   

2.  Select Basic or White Bread Cycle, 1-pound setting, and medium or dark crust setting.  (I use dark.)

3.  Bake according to bread machine directions (check dough after 5 minutes of mixing; add 1 to 2 tablespoons of water or flour if needed).  

4.  Remove immediately from baking pan when done and let cool 15 minutes before slicing.

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New to making bread in a bread machine?  I have a tutorial that will teach you everything you need to know!  Click here for Bread Machine 101

Spicy Bean and Beef Pie

Spicy Bean and Beef Pie was a keeper the very first time I made it.  Words can't describe how good it is!  Bean with bacon soup is the key ingredient to give it a special flavor that one can't quite put a finger on.  Three words--just make it.♥

Spicy Bean and Beef Pie

Taste of Home has amazing recipes, and one of them is the Spicy Bean and Beef Pie recipe found here:  http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/spicy-bean-and-beef-pie

Notes:

*Make sure you use picante sauce and not salsa. They are similar, but picante is cooked and generally spicier. Picante is available in different heat levels: extra-mild, mild, medium, and hot. I buy the Pace brand in mild. 

*I use refrigerated pie crusts instead of making my own for this recipe.

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Mustard Sauce for ham

Take your holiday ham to the next level by serving this sweet and tangy mustard sauce with it.  It's decadent enough to serve on special occasions but yet easy enough to make through the week to serve with chicken strips, too.

Mustard Sauce for ham

1/3 cup sugar

2 tbsp. dry mustard

3/4 tbsp. corn starch

2 egg yolks, beaten

1/3 cup vinegar

1 cup cream

In a small saucepan, whisk together the dry ingredients.  Whisk in the egg yolks, vinegar, and cream.  Whisking constantly, bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat until thickened.

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My family has been making this recipe for over 30 years.  We received it from family friend Maxine Whitten.

Chocolate Swirl Delight

Impressive, light, chocolaty, and easy...what more could you want in a Christmas dessert?

Chocolate Swirl Delight

Taste of Home has amazing recipes, and one of them is the Chocolate Swirl Delight recipe found here: https://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/chocolate-swirl-delight 

Thanksgiving Dressing

Until this recipe, I never did really care for dressing.  Every recipe I tried was either too wet, too dry, too blah, or had too many seasonings.   Who would have thought that my favorite dressing would ultimately start with a box mix?

Hot water not shown.

 Thanksgiving Dressing

2 tbsp. butter
2 medium onions, finely chopped (about 1 heaping cup)
2 or 3 ribs celery, finely chopped
1/2 tsp. poultry seasoning
2 cups low-sodium chicken, vegetable, or turkey broth (about one 14.5 oz. can)
Hot water
2 (6 oz.) packages stove-top style seasoned stuffing mix 

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.   Over medium heat, melt butter in a large pot.  (I use an 8 qt. stock pot.)  Saute onions and celery until soft.  Turn off heat.  Stir in the poultry seasoning and the dry stuffing mixes.  Heat broth and set aside.  According to the directions on the stuffing mix, add enough hot water to the broth to make up the required liquid needed.  (Two boxes of Stove Top brand require 3 cups of water, so I add 1 cup of hot water to the 2 cups of broth.)  Pour the broth/water over the stuffing mixture and mix well.  Spoon into a 7x11 baker sprayed with cooking spray.  Cover and bake for 25 minutes at 325 degrees.  If a crusty top is desired, uncover and bake for an additional 10 minutes. 

You can double the recipe and bake it in a 9x13 baker sprayed with cooking spray for 40 minutes.  If a crusty top is desired, uncover and bake for an additional 10 minutes.

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Spaghetti and Meatballs

Chunky homemade sauce and Italian meatballs?  Yes, please!  Words cannot describe how good this is!  As a bonus, I've also included directions on how to make meat sauce instead of meatballs.

uncooked meatballs

Spaghetti and Meatballs

1 tbsp. vegetable oil
1 cup chopped onions
2 cloves garlic, minced or 1 tsp. minced jarred garlic
3 (14.5 oz.) cans petite diced tomatoes, undrained
1 (6 oz.) can tomato paste
2 tsp. brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp dried oregano, crushed
1/2 tsp. dried basil, crushed
1/2 tsp. dried thyme, crushed
Pinch of red pepper flakes
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 bay leaf
2 cups water
1 recipe UNCOOKED Everyday Italian Meatballs (recipe link below)
1 (16 oz.) package spaghetti
Grated or shredded Parmesan cheese (opt)

In a 5 or 6 qt. Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium heat.  Add onions and garlic and cook until tender.  Stir in undrained tomatoes, tomato paste, brown sugar, oregano, basil, thyme, red pepper flakes, salt, pepper, and bay leaf.  Stir in the water.  Bring to boiling; reduce heat.  Simmer, uncovered, for 1 1/2 to 2 hours or till sauce is of desired consistency, stirring occasionally.  Remove bay leaf.  

While sauce is cooking, prepare the Everyday Italian Meatballs according to the directions, but DO NOT COOK.  Set aside.

Add UNCOOKED meatballs to the sauce the last 20 minutes of cooking.  Cook the spaghetti according to the package directions while the sauce and meatballs are simmering.  Taste sauce to see if additional salt is needed.  Serve meatballs and sauce over hot cooked spaghetti and serve with grated or shredded Parmesan cheese, if desired.

Meat Sauce Variation:  Omit vegetable oil and meatballs.  In a 5 or 6 qt. Dutch oven, cook 1.5 pounds of ground beef, sausage, or a combination of the two with the onion and garlic till meat is browned and vegetables are tender.  Drain off fat.  Return to Dutch oven and continue with sauce preparation as directed.  Before serving, add additional salt to taste.

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Everyday Italian Meatballs:  http://easyaspiecanbe.blogspot.com/2014/02/everyday-italian-meatballs.html

Notes:  Because the meatballs aren't cooked before adding to the sauce, it is imperative that 93/7 lean ground beef be used.

To crush the herbs, just put them in the palm of one hand and use the thumb of the other hand to crush them by moving your thumb back and forth on them while applying pressure.