The Breakfast Skillet

I call this "The Breakfast Skillet" because you will use lots of skillets to make it! It's a pretty heavy meal- I mostly make it for dinner or rare special occasion breakfasts.

Below, I will list the ingredients I typically use without quantities...mostly because it doesn't matter how much you put in. If you like to eat a tomato like an apple...put in lots! If you like to eat an onion like an apple...please take a picture and email it to me (and also put in lots). I like to do this when I've got extra fresh produce and leftover ham/other breakfast meats I need to use.

Choose your meat (or combine!)

Diced ham

bacon

Sausage

Choose your veggies (I use everything I have)

Green pepper

Onion

Mushrooms

Tomatoes

Hashbrowns or tater tots

1 can cream of mushroom soup

Eggs

Cheddar cheese

Start with your potatoes--they usually take the longest. Either bake or fry them until done. While waiting for them to brown, begin to sautee veggies in one skillet. Once you get those going, heat meat in another skillet. When everything is about done, cook your eggs your favorite way.

When potatoes are finished, top or mix with cream of mushroom and veggies. When I make this for 2-3 people I usually use half a can COM total.

Top with meat, then egg, then cover with cheese. Serve with ketchup.

Enjoy the meal......then get hubby to do all those dishes!

Pasta and Surprise Meatballs

Pasta sauce:

2 Tbsp olive oil

2 cloves fresh minced garlic

1/2 cup minced onion

2-6 oz. cans tomato paste

1-28 oz. can crushed tomatoes

2 cups water

1/3 cup sugar

1 bay leaf

1 Tbsp basil

1/2 tsp thyme

1/2 tsp majoram

1 Tbsp parsley

1 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

Over medium heat, put olive oil, onion and garlic into a large saucepan and sautee for 2-3 minutes. Stir in water, followed by the remaining ingredients. Heat to a simmer, reduce heat to low and cover.

Start workin on the balls!

Meatballs:

1 pound ground beef

2 eggs

1/2 cup bread crumbs

1/3 cup parmesan cheese

1/3 cup finely chopped mushrooms

2 Tbsp minced onion

2 tsp oregano

1/2 tsp basil

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

......and the surprise?

4 slices provolone cheese

Beat 2 eggs into medium mixing bowl. Add all other ingredients except provolone cheese. Blend ingredients thoroughly.

Heat 1 Tbsp olive oil in another skillet on medium/low. Form meat balls of desired size, adding a bit of provolone cheese to the center of each, and drop into skillet. Turn carefully and frequently with love until lightly brown on all sides. Put meatballs into sauce and continue to simmer for up to an hour. (I did more like a half hour, it smelled too good to wait!)

Serve over favorite pasta.

Mmm Hot fudge saw-say-sauce

This recipe is not my own creation. I have no desire to tweak it because it is already THAT good. It is a recipe that comes from my husband's family.

Hot Fudge Sauce

2 c. sugar

1 (12 oz) can evaporated milk

1/4 c. flour

2 tsp. vanilla

1/4 c. (1/2 stick) butter

4 Tbs. cocoa

Mix together sugar, cocoa and flour in a medium saucepan. Heat to medium and stir in butter (doesn't need to be melted, it will melt in) Slowly add evap milk. Cook to boiling. Boil about 3 min., stirring constantly until thick to your liking. Remove from heat and add vanilla.

DELICIOUS on ice cream, angel food cake, perhaps Wednesday's crepes?

No Wait Pizza Dough

I am not a woman of patience. I played around with some ingredients and this dough works really well and does not need time to rise.

Ingredients:

1 cup warm/hot water
1 1/2 Tbsp yeast
2 Tbsp olive oil
3 cups flour
2 tsp salt
1 Tbsp sugar
1 Tbsp pizza seasoning (Italian seasoning works too)
1 tsp garlic powder
1 Tbsp parmesan cheese.

Put all ingredients into a large cuisinart on dough setting, mix until it forms a firm ball. If not, any large mixer will do, it'll just take longer to mix. You can let it rise for a bit if you like but as I said before... no patience. I roll it out as thin as I can get it (otherwise it comes out dense and heavy). This will usually make a 14 inch AND a 10-12 inch pizza.

Put on Pam sprayed pizza pan and cook JUST the crust (before sauce and toppings) at 425 for about 5-6 minutes. This prevents limp and soggy pizza (ew.) Remove from oven and put on sauce and toppings.

For a twist, last night I made a BBQ Ranch sauce by using Sweet Baby Ray's bbq sauce (I used brown sugar hickory but I'm sure any would do) a couple Tbsp of mayo and some Hidden Valley ranch seasoning. You can make it as ranchy or as bbq-y as you like. It was so delicious with the difference sauce!

Bake at 425 for 11-16 minutes until the crust edge is golden brown.

Crepes

2 ½ c. milk

2 whole eggs (can use 3 egg whites as an alternative)

1 ½ Tbsp butter, melted

1 tsp vanilla

1 ½ c. all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder

½ tsp salt

Beat together wet ingredients until well mixed. Slowly beat in dry ingredients and beat until smooth. There may still be a few lumps, but we can't all be perfect.

Lightly butter a skillet and heat it to medium (important to get the skillet hot before adding mixture). Pour about 1/4 cup of batter onto skillet and rotate it out immediately for a thin crepe.

Burn/rip/ruin the first one? Probably means you did it right. I usually have to throw away the first one. You do NOT need to re-butter the skillet in-between crepes.

Top however you like! My favorite is Nutella, strawberries and bananas.

Philly Cheesesteak Sandwiches

I tried something new (and simple!) tonight. They turned out great!
Ingredients:

~Green pepper

~Yellow Onion

slice and sautee with a little cracked pepper and water.

~Deli sandwich sliced roast beef

~Sliced provolone cheese

~Hogie/Sub sandwich bread~Sliced tomatoes, lettuce, mayo.

Simply turn on the broiler in the oven to 500 degrees, lay hogie bread open faced on pan. Stack shredded up roast beef on one side and cover with provolone cheese slice. Let broil until bread begins to turn golden brown. Top with sauteed onions and peppers, lettuce and tomoates, and mayo if desired.

Easy desperation dinner! Delish!

Pumpkin Chip Cookies

Ingredients:

2 1/2 c. flour,
1 tsp baking powder,
1 tsp. baking soda,
1 tsp. cinnamon,
1/2 tsp. nutmeg,
1/2 tsp. salt,
1 egg,
1/2 c. butter,
1 1/2 c. sugar,
1 c. solid-packed pumpkin,
1 tsp vanilla,
12 oz. chocolate chips.


Directions:

Combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt in a bowl.

Cream butter and sugar in a large bowl. Add pumpkin, egg and vanilla; beat until light and fluffy.

Mix in dry ingredients until well blended. Add chocolate chips.

Drop by round Tbs. onto a cookie sheet. (The smaller the blob, the more they rise.) Bake a 375 for 12 minutes.

Cool on wire wrack and store in ziploc bag.

Martinelli's Ham

Ingredients:

1. Martinelli’s sparkling cider
2. Solid Ham – Not spiral cut.
3. Whole dried cloves
   
4. “Country Dijon” Grey Poupon mustard.
5. “Blonde brown sugar” or sometimes called “Sugar in the raw”

Cooking the Ham

1. Trim the rind off the ham.
2. Take a knife and make cross hatch cuts into the top. The cuts need to be about a quarter inch deep, and space an inch to an inch and a half apart.
3. Put a clove at each intersection between the cross hatch. Do not over-do the cloves because they can overpower the taste. Recommend a dozen at very most for a whole ham.
4. Put the ham into a baking dish that is just fits into.
5. Pour in a cup to a cup and a half of cider, until the dish is filled to about half an inch.
6. Put the ham into the oven at 325 degrees and bake for about 20 minutes per pound. For example, a 6 pound ham will cook for 2 hours.
7. Once done, put the ham onto a dish and throw the cloves away.

Glaze

1. Put half a cup of the cooked ham juice into a small pot.
2. Add 1 cup of raw sugar and mix together.
3. Add 1 heaping spoonful of dijon mustard into the mix and bring to a boil.
4. Once it comes to a boil the mix is done.

Pour the glaze onto the ham, slice the ham, and pour more glaze as desired.