Welsh Rarebit

(check back later for actual picture of the recipe)

Welsh (Rarebit) Rabbit

3 tbsp. salted butter

12 oz. American cheese, cubed

1½ cup Guinness or other stout beer

3 eggs, beaten

2 tsp. dry mustard

1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

Hot pepper sauce (optional)

In medium saucepan, melt butter over low heat.  Add cheese and beer and cook over very low heat until cheese melted.  Stir frequently.  In small bowl combine eggs, mustard, Worcestershire sauce and hot pepper sauce. Slowly add to melted cheesy beer mixture, beating with a wire whisk.  Cook for an additional 10-15 on low heat minutes until thickened.  Serve over saltine crackers, or toast.

Food for Thought:

This is one of my all-time favorite hot lunch meals from grade school.  I loved Welsh Rarebit day.  I could never taste rabbit in it and wondered why a rabbit tasted so much like cheese! 

Welcome to the 2018 A-Z Blogging challenge.  This will be my fourth year. Every year I take on the challenge with hopes of disciplining myself to keep writing throughout the year as much, if not more than just through the monthly challenge. (It certainly is a challenge.)  Some years are better than others.  Some I just lose track of time.  This year I have decided to put my favorite hobbies together. A recipe that is tried and true as well as some thoughtful insight.  Please note some of these recipes have been shared before, however they have gone through years of testing and this is the perfected recipe.  I really hope one of my recipes or “Food for Thought” inspires you to do something great.  Enjoy the read and the photos, try the recipe, share your thoughts or comments, and most of all, have FUN with the challenge this month!

Cheers,

Tomato Pie

Crackerberries Tomato Pie

5 tomatoes fresh from the garden

Rule #1: Never put your tomatoes in the fridge because it halts the ripening process and kills the flavor

1 pie crust

Rule #2: Always make a homemade pie crust instead of a store bought. That way you can make the crust as thick as you like.

1 cup light mayonnaise

Rule #3: Be sure to use mayonnaise and not salad dressing because something like Miracle Whip is too sweet and it takes away from the flavor of the pie.

Fresh mozzarella cheese

2 cups shredded Monterey Jack, cheddar and Asadero cheese blend

Rule #4: Mix up your cheeses, use any kind you like.

4-5 Chile peppers, sliced

Rule #5: Do not touch your face after slicing Chile peppers

1 tsp fresh ground black pepper mélange

Rule #6: Don’t forget the seasoning

Sea salt

Preheat oven to 350º.

Prick the bottom of the pie crust and sides.

Bake 12-15 minutes until crust is slightly puffy.

Combine mayonnaise, 1½ cups cheese and pepper.

Slice tomatoes and sprinkle with sea salt.

Sprinkle bottom of pie with ½ cup of shredded cheese blend.  Layer with tomatoes, spread with mayo/cheese mixture. Do this three times. Top with slices of fresh mozzarella and sprinkle with Chile peppers.

Bake 40-45 minutes until crust is golden and juices are bubbling and cheese is melted.

Cool ten minutes or more before serving.

© Crackerberries 2014

Asparagus Omelet

Fresh Asparagus Omelet

3 large brown eggs, beaten
1 medium green pepper

6-8 fresh picked asparagus spears
½ tsp celery salt
¼ tsp fresh ground pepper
¾ cup shredded cheddar or mozzarella cheese
1 medium onion, diced

1 Tbsp bacon bits

Heat non-stick fry pan to over medium high heat. Dice the green pepper and combine with onion and celery salt. Cook over medium heat just until crisp tender (about 2 minutes).  Add asparagus and sauté a few minutes longer.

Remove from pan, set aside; wipe the pan clean with paper towel. Spray with non cooking oil and heat over medium high heat. Add fresh ground pepper to egg mixture and pour into pan. Using spatula, pull egg mixture carefully toward you to let uncooked portion drain off cooked portion. Once you have all of the egg cooked, layer ½ cup cheese, onion, green pepper and asparagus mixture onto the highest side of the egg mixture.  Sprinkle with bacon bits and top with more cheese. Carefully fold the egg over with spatula and let stand five minutes before serving.

Serves 2

© Crackerberries 2013

Cheesy Tata Bites

Cheesy Tata Bites

 

3-5 medium size red potatoes

½ cup parmesan cheese

1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

2 tbsp bacon bits

1 tbsp olive oil

2 tsp sea salt

Pepper to taste

Preheat oven 400°

Wash and slice potatoes to ¼ inch thick rounds. 

Combine parmesan and cheddar cheeses together and season with salt and pepper.

Grease cookie sheet with olive oil and place tata rounds on cookie sheet.  Sprinkle with one teaspoon sea salt.

Bake 20 minutes and flip rounds; season with one teaspoon sea salt.

Bake 15 minutes; remove from oven and sprinkle with cheese mixture.  Top with bacon bits and pepper and bake 5 minutes longer or until cheese bubbles.

© Crackerberries 2013

Cheesy Chop Suey Bake

6 cups prepared chop suey

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese

¼ cup parmesan cheese

Combine parmesan cheese and Monterey Jack cheese together.

Preheat oven to 350º.  Place three cups chop suey in lightly greased 8x8 baking dish.  Cover with cheddar cheese and top with remaining chop suey.  Sprinkle with Monterey Jack and parmesan cheese; cover and bake 350º for 30 minutes.  Remove cover and bake an additional 10-15 minutes until cheese bubbles and is slightly golden.  Cool slightly before serving.

© Crackerberries 2012

Bacon Egg & Cheese

Bacon Egg  Cheese Biscuits

3 eggs, lightly scrambled and cooked

4 slices cooked bacon, crumbled

½-¾ cup shredded cheddar

3 cups all purpose flour

1 tbsp baking powder

1 tbsp sugar

1 tsp salt

¾ cup butter flavored Crisco

1 cup skim milk

Preheat oven to 375º

Combine flour, baking powder, sugar, salt in medium bowl and mix well; cut in Crisco until crumbly.  Form well in center of mixture and pour in milk, mix just until moist.  Divide dough in two.  Press into flat ¼ inch circle and using large mouth glass cut dough into circles.  Place in lightly greased muffin tins and gently press into tin. 

Combine eggs, bacon and cheese together and mix well.  Spoon into muffin tins distributing mixture evenly over dough. 

Using second half of dough, repeat the process by creating tops for the muffins.  Seal with tops to bottoms by pressing gently with fingers.  Bake in preheated 375º for 20-25 minutes until tops are golden brown.  Remove from tins immediately; serve hot and store leftovers in refrigerator for 3-5 days.  A great breakfast to take on the go.

© Crackerberries 2011

Mac & Cheese Eastern Style



Mac and Cheese ~ Eastern Style

3 cups pasta shells/macaroni

2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese

2 eggs, beaten

2 cups milk

1 cup parmesan cheese

1 medium onion, caramelized^☼

1 cup chopped ham

Salt & pepper

Cook and drain pasta according to package directions.  Combine milk, eggs and parmesan cheese and add to pasta; mix well. 

Layer pasta in 2 quart greased casserole dish pasta, shredded cheddar and ham; do this two times ending with pasta. 

Spread caramelized onions on top and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Bake in 350º oven for 30-40 minutes until top of casserole is brown and bubbly. 

Let cool five minutes before serving.  My mother always says to serve macaroni and cheese with beets but I served with homemade pickles.

^☼   To make caramelized onions, add 2 Tbsp. butter to cast iron fry pan and melt; add sliced onions for 5-8 minutes, tossing often, until onions are tender and brown.

© Crackerberries 2011