Monthly Menu: May

Bread Entrees
deep dish pizza
hoagie sandwiches

Breakfast Entrees
waffles
egg in a hole

Mexican Entrees
spicy bean and rice burritos
taco bar (taco toppings and different taco shells)

Chicken/Turkey Entrees
Chicken Pot-Pie
turkey steaks
frozen hot wings
chicken microwave dish

Beef /Pork/ Fish Entrees 
Salmon
Hotdogs 
Battered Shrimp
Costco Meatballs
tri tip steaks and steamed artichokes
hamburgers
grilled sausages

Pasta Entrees
homemade mac and cheese
grilled shrimp and gnocchi
spaghetti and itallian sausage

Asian Entrees
potstickers
korean beef bbq

 Soup
taco soup

Ham and Cheese Sliders

  I love when I link a recipe on my monthly menu, and then a reader tries it before I do and tells me it is amazing! This happened with the recipe. I had not got around to making it, but a friend of min did, and told me they were divine, so I knew I had to make them right away. And she was so right! These sandwiches are super easy to assemble and can make a lot, great for if you are having some people over for dinner. I even made these for my parents with Gluten free rolls!

 

 

 

Ham and Cheese Sliders

from The Girl Who Ate Everything

24 good white dinner rolls

24 pieces good honey ham
24 small slices Swiss cheese
1/3 cup mayonnaise
1/3 cup miracle whip (I used mayo)

Poppy seed sauce
1 Tablespoon poppyseeds
1 1/2 Tablespoons yellow mustard
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 Tablespoon minced onion
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

In a small bowl, mix together mayonnaise and miracle whip. Spread onto both sides of the center of each roll. Place a slice of ham and a slice of Swiss inside of each roll. Close rolls and place them into a large baking dish or heavy cookie sheet. Place very close together.

In a medium bowl, whisk together all of the poppy seed sauce ingredients. Pour evenly over all of the sandwiches. You do not have to use all of the sauce! Just use enough to cover the tops. Let sit 10 minutes or until butter sets slightly. Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 12-15 minutes or until cheese is melted. Uncover and cook for 2 additional minutes or until tops are slightly brown and crispy. Serve warm.

** sandwiches can be assembled a day ahead and kept in the fridge ready to bake.

Fish and Chips

I love fish and chips (or chips and fish). I never really thought much about making it at home. I have made fried fish before, but not battered like you get at a restaurant. I watched an episode of Alton Browns Good Eats and watched him make it, and it looked SO EASY! And it was easy, and it was seriously delicious, like restaurant delicious. The key I believe is the beer. Now I do not drink any alcohol, so buying a can of beer at the grocery store was very awkward and uncomfortable. Then of course I had to show my ID, the whole process was very shameful. It was so worth it though so I am totally going to do it again!

Fish and Chips 

For the fries:

1 gallon safflower oil
4 large Russet potatoes
Kosher salt

For the batter:

2 cups flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Dash Old Bay Seasoning
1 bottle brown beer, cold
1 1/2 pounds firm-fleshed whitefish (tilapia, pollock, cod), cut into 1-ounce strips
Cornstarch, for dredging

Directions

Heat oven to 200 degrees F.

Heat the safflower oil in a 5-quart Dutch oven over high heat until it reaches 320 degrees.
Using a V-slicer with a wide blade, slice the potatoes with the skin on. Place in a large bowl with cold water.
In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, cayenne pepper, and Old Bay seasoning. Whisk in the beer until the batter is completely smooth and free of any lumps. Refrigerate for 15 minutes. Note: The batter can be made up to 1 hour ahead of time.
Drain potatoes thoroughly, removing any excess water. When oil reaches 320 degrees, submerge the potatoes in the oil. Working in small batches, fry for 2 to 3 minutes until they are pale and floppy. Remove from oil, drain, and cool to room temperature.
Increase the temperature of the oil to 375 degrees. Re-immerse fries and cook until crisp and golden brown, about 2 to 3 minutes. Remove and drain on roasting rack. Season with kosher salt while hot and hold in the oven.
Allow oil to return to 350 degrees. Lightly dredge fish strips in cornstarch. Working in small batches, dip the fish into batter and immerse into hot oil. When the batter is set, turn the pieces of fish over and cook until golden brown, about 2 minutes. Drain the fish on the roasting rack. Serve with malt vinegar.

Monthly Menu: March

Bread Entrees
Pizza
Mozzarella Bread Sticks
Grilled Cheese
Reuben
Smoked Turkey Cobb Wrap


Breakfast Entrees
French Toast
Egg McMuffins

Mexican Entrees
Cheese Enchiladas
Salmon Tacos

Chicken Entrees
Chicken Roll-ups
Chicken Pot-Pie
Chicken Nuggets

Beef /Pork/ Fish Entrees 
Baltimore Beef Bad Boy
Shrimp and Grits
Salmon
Hotdogs 

Pasta Entrees
Red Neck Pasta
Penne With Roasted Asparagus and Balsamic Butter
Brown Butter and Mizithra Cheese Pasta

Asian Entrees
Potstickers

Soups
Wisconsin Cauliflower
Corn Chowder

Slow Cooker Sweet and Spicy Asian Pork Shoulder

 We love Asian food at our house, unfortunately I am not great at cooking it. I love to cook, but because of my four kids, I am usually trying to find something quick and simple for dinner. Asian food usually doesn't fall into this category. Fortunately I have been able to find several quick and easy, including this Slow Cooker Sweet and Spicy Asian Pork Shoulder recipe. This was so good, and the meat super tender. We all loved it, and I will certainly be making it again.  

Slow Cooker Sweet and Spicy Asian Pork Shoulder

1/2 cup low-sodium soy sauce
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 to 2 tablespoons chili-garlic sauce (found in the Asian aisle of the supermarket)
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
1 teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder (optional)
kosher salt and black pepper
2 1/2 pounds pork shoulder, trimmed of excess fat and cut into 2-inch pieces
1 cup long-grain white rice
1 medium head bok choy, thinly sliced (about 8 cups)
2 scallions, sliced

1. In a 4- to 6-quart slow cooker, combine the soy sauce, sugar, chili-garlic sauce, ginger, five-spice powder (if using), ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Add the pork and toss to coat. Cook, covered, until the pork is tender, on high for 4 to 5 hours (this will shorten total cooking time) or on low for 7 to 8 hours.
2. Twenty-five minutes before serving, cook the rice according to the package directions.
3. Meanwhile, skim off and discard any fat from the pork. Gently fold the bok choy into the pork and cook, covered, until heated through, 2 to 4 minutes. Serve with the rice and sprinkle with the scallions.

Tortellini Sausage Soup

Who doesn't love soup in the winter? This is a great, hearty soup that is easy to make and makes your house smell homey and warm. It is also pretty simple, only one pot!

 

 

Tortellini Sausage Soup

From Simply Gourmade

1/2 lb. Italian Sausage
4 cloves pressed garlic
1 onion, diced
1/2 c water
2 15-oz cans chicken broth
1/2 c. apple cider (don't leave this out!  I did once and it wasn't the same...)
1 16-oz can diced tomatoes
1 8 oz can tomato sauce
1 c. sliced carrots
1 tsp. dried basil
1 tsp. dried oregano
2 medium zucchini, grated
8-10 oz. package cheese tortellini
2 TBSP. dried parsley


Begin cooking sausage over medium heat, stirring frequently.  If your sausage is pretty fatty, you'll want to drain it when it's about halfway cooked.  Meanwhile, chop onions and garlic and add to the sausage.  Continue cooking until onions are translucent and your sausage is cooked.  Add tomatoes, tomato sauce, juice, water, chicken broth, carrots, oregano, and basil.  Cover and simmer for 1/2 hour.  Add parsley and zucchini and simmer for another 15 min. or so.  Add the tortellini and cook until tender.  Serve with grated Parmesan cheese.

Pork-Sweet Potato Quesadillas

I do not do New Years Resolutions... I am just not a goal oriented person. Unless it happens to do with food. So, my goal for this year is to try out recipes that I would normally skip over because they sound wired or look gross. I am trying  to expand my horizons people!

Enter the Pork-Sweet Potato Quesadillas. Now who would put sweet potatoes in a quesadilla, weird! The perfect recipe to satisfy my goal. And wow! These were divine. I am not a leftover person (no goals, no leftovers, got it?), and I was seriously eating these for a few days (it makes a lot). My husband was so-so on them, my kids thought they were great (the orange is cheese right mom?). So I will be making theses again, and they were surprisingly simple!

 Pork-Sweet Potato Quesadillas

1 medium sweet potato
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 pound ground pork
1 1/2 teaspoons ancho chile powder
Kosher salt
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 bunch scallions, chopped
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
4 burrito-size flour tortillas
2 cups shredded Mexican cheese blend (or 1 cup each shredded cheddar and jack cheese)
Sliced pickled jalapenos and sour cream, for serving (optional)

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees F. Pierce the sweet potato a few times with a fork and microwave until soft, 7 to 10 minutes. Let cool slightly, then remove the skin and mash the flesh with a fork; set aside.

Heat 1 tablespoon butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the pork, chile powder and 1 teaspoon salt and cook, breaking up the meat, until browned, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic, sweet potato and scallions and cook, stirring, 2 more minutes. Add the cilantro and season with salt. Transfer the mixture to a bowl.

Wipe out the skillet; add 1/2 tablespoon butter and melt over medium-high heat. Add a tortilla, spread one-quarter of the pork mixture on one half and top with 1/2 cup cheese. Fold the tortilla over the filling and cook until the quesadilla is golden, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Transfer to a baking sheet and place in the oven to keep warm. Repeat to make 3 more quesadillas. Cut into wedges and serve with pickled jalapenos and sour cream, if desired.