Homemade Pasta

3 1/2 cups flour
3 tsp salt
4 eggs
1 Tbl olive oil
4-5 Tbl water (give or take)

Mix flour and salt together in kitchen aid with paddle attachment. Add egg, olive oil and a couple of tablespoons water. Mix until dough comes together adding more water as needed. You don't want the dough sticky at all. Just enough water to come together. Move dough to counter and knead a few minutes. Cover in plastic wrap and let rest for 30 minutes. Cut into fourths. Cut each fourth in half to make it easier to work with. Run each piece through pasta machine 5 times or more on #1, 3 times on #2, 1 time on #3 continuing until desired thickness. #3 works great for lasagna sheets. I like #4 or #5 for egg noodles. Lasagna sheets are ready to boil or use at this point. I like to cut my egg noodle strips in to about 4-5 inch strips then feed them through the cutting blade. You can let the noodles dry for 30 minutes or boil them in salted water immediately. The noodles cook quickly (2-3 minutes). Serve.

This recipe can easily be cut down to 1/2 or 1/4. For 1/4 (which is what I usually make) use
Scant 1 cup flour
3/4 tsp salt
1 egg
3/4 tsp olive oil
1 Tbl water (may need a little more)

Creamy Sausage Tortellini Soup

1lb.  Sausage browned
1 medium onion diced
3 large carrots diced
3 stalks celery diced
4 cloves garlic minced
1 Tbl Italian seasoning
7 chicken bouillon cubes
7 cups water
Cook in crock pot on high for 4-6 hours or until veggies are tender.

Add:
1 12 oz. pkg. 3 cheese tortellini (I had gnocchi so that is what I used and it was delicious!)
Cook about 30-45 minutes or until tortellini is cooked.

Add:
1/3-1/2 c cornstarch dissolved in
1 cup heavy whipping cream
4-5 cups fresh spinach

Cover and cook until soup thickens and spinach is wilted.
Serve with crusty bread.
This soup is delicious!

Pressure cooker instructions...
Cook first 8 ingredients in pressure cooker on high pressure for 5 minutes. Quick release. Turn cooker to sauté and add tortellini it gnocchi. Cook until they float to the top. Stir in cornstarch/whipping cream mixture and spinach. Cook until thickened and spinach is wilted.

Old Fashioned Goulash!

1-2 lbs ground beef
3 tsp minced garlic
1 large yellow onion diced
3 cups chicken broth (or 3-4 chicken bouillon cubes with 3 c. water)
1-2 Tbl olive oil
1-2 Tbl butter
2 (15-ounce) cans tomato sauce
2 (15-ounce) cans diced tomatoes
1 Tbl Italian Seasoning
1 Tbl Adobo Seasoning (recipe below)
3 bay leaves
1 Tbl Seasoning Salt
1/2 tsp pepper
16 oz. elbow macaroni
1 cup shredded Mozzarella cheese
1 cup shredder cheddar cheese


In a large skillet, heat olive oil and butter. Add onion, cook for a few minutes. Add hamburger and season with salt and pepper. When hamburger is almost done, add in garlic and cook until meat is done. Add broth, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, Italian seasoning, bay leaves, seasoning salt, pepper and adobo. Mix well. Lower heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes stirring occasionally. Add in the uncooked macaroni. stir well until everything is combined making sure the macaroni is covered in liquid. Cover again and cook an additional 8-10 minutes or until the macaroni is tender. Remove the bay leaves and stir in only the cheddar cheese. Serve with mozzarella. Enjoy!


This recipe was fantastic! We used to have goulash when I was growing up and trust me, this is nothing like it. We loved it!!! I loved the cheese melted in but Glen did not. He would have preferred to have it when it was served for anyone who wanted cheese. Personally, I cannot imagine anyone not wanting cheese! I also added 4 chicken bouillon. It gives it so much flavor.


I couldn't find any adobo seasoning so I found this recipe on allrecipes. I had all of the ingredients on hand and It worked great!


Traci's Adobo Seasoning from Allrecipes.com
2 Tbl salt
1 Tbl paprika
2 tsp black pepper
1 1/2 tsp onion powder
1 1/2 tsp oregano
1 1/2 tsp cumin
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp chili powder


Mix all ingredients and store in an airtight container.

WHITE CHICKEN CHILI

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, crushed

1 (4 ounce) can diced jalapeno peppers

1 (4 ounce) can chopped green chile peppers

2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper

2 (14.5 ounce) cans chicken broth

3 cups chopped cooked chicken breast

3 (15 ounce) cans white beans

1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese

1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium-low heat. Slowly cook and stir the onion until tender. Mix in the garlic, jalapeno, green chile peppers, cumin, oregano and cayenne. Continue to cook and stir the mixture until tender, about 3 minutes. Mix in the chicken broth, chicken and white beans. Simmer 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
2. Remove the mixture from heat. Slowly stir in the cheese until melted. Serve warm.

Chicken Velvet Soup

1/3 c. butter
3/4 c. flour
6 c. chicken stock (boullian cubes with water)
1 c. milk, warm
1 c. cream, warm
     (or can use 2 cups of either)
1 1/2 c. cooked, diced chicken
1/2 tsp. salt
          Pepper

Melt butter in soup pot.  Add flour and cook, stirring until blended.

Add 2 cups hot stock and milk and cream.

Cook slowly, stirring until thick.

Add remaining stock and chicken.

Season with salt and pepper.

Serves about 6.

I always cook some potatoes for the boys to add to the soup.  Sometimes we add cooked broccoli or cauliflower.  This is a quick homemade soup, especially if you use canned chicken!

Alfredo Sauce

2 c. whipping cream (not whipped)
4 oz. cream cheese
1 cube butter
1 tsp. smoked paprika (or regular)
1 tsp. garlic powder (can use garlic pepper)
1/4 tsp. salt
1/3 c. grated Parmesan cheese

Melt cream cheese and butter.  Slowly add a small amount of whipping cream and mix well.  Then add remaining whipping cream.  Bring to boil (simmer) and add seasonings (to taste).  Let simmer 1-2 minutes, stirring frequently.  Add Parmesan cheese.  Serve with pasta, chicken, etc.

The sauce looks kind of strange until you get the whipping cream into it.  Then it smooths out rich and creamy!  I always double the recipe :)

I have tried a few alfredo sauce recipes, but they never tasted as good as Olive Garden's.  This is not an Olive Garden copycat recipe, but we do all love this sauce.  I got the recipe from Michelle at my work.

Chicken Parmesan

12-18 chicken breast tenders
2 cups Italian bread crumbs
4 eggs
olive oil
8 slices provolone cheese
2 lg. (30 oz.) cans crushed tomatoes w/basil

Dip chicken tenders into egg and then into bread crumbs. Heat olive oil in skillet over medium heat. Fry chicken pieces in oil approx. 3-5 min. per side or until cooked through. Drain on paper towels. Pour one can of crushed tomatoes in 9x13 pan. Layer chicken over tomatoes. Layer cheese over chicken and top with 2nd can of tomatoes. Cover with foil. Bake in 350 oven for 30-40 minutes or until heated through. Remove foil the last 10 minutes or so. Serve with buttered noodles, frozen cheese tortellini or ravioli.

You can also use regular crushed tomatoes and add italian seasoning.

Lipton Onion Soup Mix Gravy

1 pkg. lipton onion soup mix
2 Tbl. flour
2 C. cold water

Mix dry soup mix with flour. Whisk in 1 c. cold water until well blended. Add remaining water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 5 minutes.

There are ALOT of onions! So, if you don't want the onions you can strain the gravy.

I added canned mushrooms to the gravy and served it over hamburger patties with mashed potatoes... it was really good!

Cheeseburger Soup

1 lb. hamburger
1 1/2 c. chopped onion
1 1/2 c. diced celery
1 1/2 c. shredded carrots
8 c. diced potatoes
2 tsp. dried parsley
1 tsp. basil
1 1/2 cubes butter (divided)
2 Tbl. olive oil
6 c. chicken broth
1/2 c. flour
3 c. milk
16 oz. (1/2 pkg)  Velveeta cheese, cubed
1/2 c. sour cream
salt and pepper to taste

Brown hamburger, seasoning it with salt, pepper, minced onion as desired. Drain and set aside. In large pot, melt 1/2 cube of the butter and extra virgin olive oil. Add carrots, celery, onion and cook until tender. Add potatoes & broth. Bring to a boil. Cook until potatoes are tender, approx. 15 minutes. Add hamburger and seasonings. In skillet that you browned the hamburger in, melt 1 cube of the butter, stir in flour and let cook for a few minutes. Add milk gradually, mixing well. When thickened, add to vegetable, broth mixture. Add in sour cream and cubed velveeta. Stir soup until velveeta is completely melted.

I always use chicken boullion in place of the broth (6 boullion cubes to 6 cups water). I like the flavor better. With the boullion, I don't usually have to add more salt. You can also save some time by using frozen hash brown potatoes and packaged match stick or shredded carrots. This soup re-heats really well too. Enjoy!

Mexican Meat Marinade

1/4 C fresh lime juice
1/3 C water
2 T vegetable oil
2 cloves garlic, pressed or finely minced
3 t vinegar
2 t soy sauce
2 t liquid smoke
1 t salt
1/4 t chili powder
1/4 t cayenne pepper

Mix all ingredients and whisk well. You can use chicken or steak, cut into strips. Marinate for at least 4-6 hours...preferably overnight. Grill on the barbeque, Foreman, or in a skillet on the stove till meat is done. Serve on a tortilla with whatever fixin's you want...beans, cheese, guacamole, sour cream, green or red peppers, onions, pico di gallo, etc.

Enchiladas

1 lb. ground beefsalt
pepper
minced onion
shredded cheddar cheese
10 taco size flour tortillas (9-10 inch)
1 (16 oz. ) can mild enchilada sauce

Brown hamburger with salt, pepper and minced onion. Drain. Divide hamburger between the 10 tortillas and put a small handful of cheese onto hamburger. Roll up and place in greased 9x13 inch pan. I pour a little of the enchilada sauce on the bottom of the pan before putting in the rolled up tortillas. Top with enchilada sauce and a little shredded cheese. Bake at 350° for approx. 20 minutes.

Variation: for cheese enchiladas, put a handful of cheese on flour tortilla and a little bit of chopped green onion. Roll up and cover with enchilada sauce. I usually make a few of these along with the ground beef ones. They are really good too!

Homemade Pizza

1 Chef Boyardee Cheese pizza kit
Pepperoni
2 sm. cans of mushrooms
1/2 lb. hamburger
1 lg. bag of cheese (pizza blend)

Mix crust according to directions on box. Spread crust on large greased cookie sheet (jelly roll pan). Pre-bake for 9 min. (I think it is at 425° but I'm not sure. It does tell you on the box though). Brown hamburger, seasoning with salt, pepper and minced onion. Drain and set aside. Remove crust from oven and spread with most of the can of sauce (I personally think they put too much sauce in the can for the amount of crust so I don't use it all... just most of it:) Sprinkle with cheese (not all of the cheese, just a thin layer). Layer pepperoni, browned hamburger and mushrooms. Sprinkle with more cheese. Bake for an additional 9 minutes or until the cheese is melted.

This is our kind of homemade pizza. It goes together pretty quickly and our family loves it. Of course you can add whatever toppings you like. Enjoy!

Beef Tips & Mushrooms

Stew meat - browned and seasoned as desired (I sauteed the mushrooms with the meat.)

In crockpot:
Meat
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 c. water
1 can beef gravy
1 pkg. dry gravy mix
1 can mushrooms (drained) or fresh mushrooms
1 pkg. dry onion soup mix (see note below**)

Cook in crockpot on low for 4 to 6 hours. Add 1/2 carton of sour cream when ready to serve.
**We added a packet of dry onion soup mix. Next time, we are only going to add 1/4 of a packet.)
Serve over cooked noodles, etc.

Pizza Bites

These pizza bites are fun, perfect for parties, or anytime. This is made in my mini muffin tins using my favorite pizza dough and sauce. Using mini pepperoni and spicy italian sausage adds a kick…you’ll love these!

Deep Dish Pizza Crust

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups warm water
1 pkg. active dry yeast
1 tsp. sugar
4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 tsp. salt

Directions:

In a large mixer bowl, combine the water, yeast, and sugar and stir to combine. Let sit until the mixture is foamy, about 5 minutes.
Add 2 cups of the flour, 1/2 cup oil, and the salt, mixing by hand until it is all incorporated and the mixture is smooth. Continue adding the flour, along with herbs and garlic (I use basil, oregano, thyme, and garlic powder; just small palm -fulls of each.) 1/4 cup at a time, working the dough after each addition, until all the flour is incorporated but the dough is still slightly sticky.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth but still slightly tacky; 3-5 minutes. Oil a large mixing bowl with the remaining 2 tsp. oil.
Place the dough in the bowl and turn to oil all sides. Cover the bowl with a towel and set in a warm, draft-free place until nearly doubled in size; 1-1.5 hours. Divide into 2 equal portions and it’s ready to use!

Old World Style Pizza Sauce:

Ingredients:
6 ounces tomato paste
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 can tomato sauce (29 ounces)
1/2 cup finely chopped sweet onion
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp. oregano
1 tsp. rosemary
1-3 tsp. dried red pepper flakes–to taste
2 cups water
salt to taste

Directions:

In a large saucepan over medium heat, stir the tomato paste and olive oil together, then stir in the tomato sauce.
Add all of the remaining ingredients, bring to a boil, then lower heat to a simmer. Cook, uncovered for 3 hours, stirring frequently. Add water if sauce gets too thick, but it should reduce down to a thick paste that has enough body to cover a pizza.
Makes 3 cups, enough for 2-3 pizzas.

Notes:

I’ve added herbs and garlic to this crust which gives it lots of flavor. I’ve also tried this with white whole wheat flour if this interests some… it works wonderfully.
I like to throw this on my pizza stone fully topped and with a pastry brush and little olive oil, brush the dough with the olive oil; it helps create that crispy crust.
Bake at 425 degrees if using a pan… 500 degrees if using a stone.

Added toppings:
•Mini pepperoni bites
•Ground Italian sausage, sweet or hot, depends on you taste. I used spicy in my recipe. Brown the Italian sausage before assembling.
•Hand shredded mozzarella. About 3 cups.

Assembly:

Spray a mini muffin tin with a non-stick spray. Tear off a small piece of dough, roll in the palm of your hand and stretch to line the muffin tin up to the lip, creating the shape of the muffin. Add about a tsp. of pizza sauce, Italian sausage, a small dollop of cheese and the tiny pepperoni.

Bake in a 350 degree F oven for about 12 minutes or until golden brown. Pop out of the tins, place on platter and watch them disappear!

Skillet

1 lb. hamburger
minced onion
1/2 tsp. oregano
salt & pepper
5 c. elbow macaroni (un-cooked)
5 chicken bouillon cubes
5 c. hot water (approx.)
1-2 cans evaporated milk
2-3 c. grated cheddar cheese

Brown hamburger seasoning it with salt, pepper and minced onion to taste. I also add the oregano and chicken bouillon at this point. When hamburger is completely browned, drain if necessary. Mix dry macaroni in with the hamburger mixture. Add enough water to just barely cover macaroni. If you add too much water at this point, just add a little more macaroni so the noodle/hamburger mixture is just covered. Bring to a boil, cover and reduce heat. Simmer for approx. 15 minutes or until noodles are tender. Add evaporated milk and cheese. Stir until cheese melts and serve.

This is one of our most favorite meals. I love it because the skillet is the only pan that gets dirty:). I always use 2 cans of milk and I never measure my cheese. I just add about 3 handfuls or so. You could also substitute the chicken bouillon and water for chicken broth/stock. Easy and delicious... it doesn't get any better than that!

French Dip au Jus

3-4 lb sirloin roast
2 c. beef broth
2/3 c. brown sugar, packed
1/4 t. seasoning salt
1 t. liquid smoke
1/3 c. soy sauce
Cook in 5 quart slow cooker for 1 hour on high, then 9 hours on low. Shred and serve on bun with swiss or provolone cheese. Use broth for dipping.

*This is the meat we had for Peyton's Blessing. A few people asked me for the recipe, so here it is. :)

Taco Bake

1 pack of corn OR flour tortilla, cut into 1 inch cubes
1 can tomato soup
1/2 cup milk
2 cups shredded cheese
1 lb ground beef
1 onion
1-2 cups salsa

Brown ground beef and diced onions. In large bowl, combine tortillas, soup, milk, cheese, beef, onions, and salsa. Put into casserole dish, and bake at 350 until heated throughout, cheese is melted, and brown on top. Serve with sour cream.

Cheesy Chilada Casserole

1 lb ground beef or turkey
1 medium onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 (16 oz) can pinto beans, drained
1 (15 oz) can tomato sauce
1 c picante sauce (mild, medium or hot)
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp salt
12 corn tortillas
16 oz shredded cheddar cheese
Shredded lettuce
Sour cream
Diced tomato
Guacamole


Brown meat with onion and garlic, drain off fat. Add beans, sauces, cumin and salt. Simmer 15 minutes. Spoon small amount of meat mixture into 9x13 inch greased pan, spreading to coat bottom (what I do is buy a small can of tomato sauce and spread that on bottom then pour rest into mixture. Then just put a smaller amount of meat mixture on bottom). Top with 6 tortillas, overlapping as necessary. Top with with HALF remaining meat mixture and 8 oz cheese. Cover with remaining tortillas, overlapping to cover cheese. Top with remaining meat mixture. Cover tightly with foil. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes. Remove foil; top with remaining cheese. Continue baking, uncovered, for 10 minutes more or until cheese is melted. Top each serving with sour cream, guacamole, lettuce and tomato (we normally don't do this last part as it's yummy without it. But it is SOOOO much better with it all).

Wingers Sticky Fingers

For the Flour Dredge:


1 1/2 cups flour
3 tsp. Lawry's seasoning salt (you can really season the flour with salt, pepper, etc...)


Dip chicken in egg mixture, then flour mixture. Repeat one more time. Then fry the chicken in 2-3 inches of hot oil.



Sauce:


2 cups brown sugar
1/3 cup FRANKS hot sauce (HAS to be Franks)
3 TB. corn syrup
½ cup apple cider vinegar
Boil for 1 minute...no longer. Sauce will thicken as it cools.


Coat fried chicken in sauce and let sit for a few minutes...enough to saturate the breading.

This is the recipe that won us (Brian, Brandy, Jeff, and myself) 1st place at the Berlin Family Reunion Chicken Cook-off!

Good Things Utah BBQ Brisket

I saw this recipe one morning on Good Things Utah and just had to try it. Since then we have made it atleast a dozen times. It is so delicious, and the leftovers make fabulous sandwiches.

4 or 5 pound brisket
4 oz. liquid smoke
4 oz. Worcestershire
garlic salt
celery salt
onion salt
1 cup of your favorite BBQ sauce

Method:
Place brisket in a large, shallow pyrex.
Add the liquid smoke and worcestershire sauce all over.
Rub brisket with lots of garlic salt, celery salt, and onion salt. My mom says..”it will look like you have ruined it!!”
Refrigerate overnight.
Bake in a covered roaster at 325 degrees for 3 hours.
Add one cup of your favorite BBQ sauce and cook uncovered for 30 minutes.
Let cool 1 hour before slicing and serving