Cottage Pie from Cowboy Kent Rollins

 

Cottage Pie (aka) Shepherd’s Pie

 

Growing up we always had “Shepherd’s Pie” that was made with ground beef, corn and sometimes if we were lucky, a can of peas would find their way mixed in with the corn, and then it was topped with mashed potatoes with dollops of butter melted over the top.  It was an old time favorite comfort food. 

As an adult, it was still always one of my favorites, but Tall Cool ☺ne didn’t care for it, needless to say it has not been on the menu over the years. This weekend we watched a video on one of my favorite YouTube channels and two things came out of it. 

1. I learned something new (I think you should learn something new every day if you can): Shepherd’s Pie is actually made with ground lamb, (which makes perfect sense seeing how shepherds tend the sheep). 2. I’ve now found a pie that can and will be added back to my favorite meals menu.  I kind of wonder why they don’t call it “Cattle Pie”, “Heifer’s Pie”, “Moo Pie”, or “Bull Pie”.

 

I took the ingredients from the video and used my own quantities (not from his list) so if mine don’t match Kent’s, don’t hate me.

 

1¼ lb. ground beef

2 stalks celery, shredded

2 carrots, shredded

1 orange pepper, shredded

1 lg. onion, shredded

2 tbsp. tomato paste

¼ cup beef broth

½ cup red wine (¼ for the pie and ¼ for the chef)

2 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce

1 can white hominy, drained

1 can chili peppers, drained

4 cloves garlic, minced (I used the whole head)

2 egg yolks

3 lbs. potatoes, peeled, cooked, drained, and mashed

½ cup cream (I used half & half)

1½ cups white cheddar cheese, shredded

1 cup Monterey jack cheese, shredded

¾ cup fresh parmesan, shredded

Seasonings: oregano, basil, salt, pepper, thyme (I don't have his original seasoning spice yet, but I ordered some for next time).

 

In cast iron Dutch oven, cook the ground beef and drain off grease.  Add celery, carrots and onion and cook the moisture out of the veggies, but don’t let the veggies get brown (5-6 minutes).  Add the tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, beef broth, wine, and stir to combine and let it get a little bubbly.  Carefully stir in garlic and hominy. Remove from heat and set aside.

 

Prepare potatoes.  Once they are cooked and drained and all the liquid is steamed out of them, mash, mash, mash.  Add some cream (I used half & half) and the egg yolks.  Mash, mash, mash.  Add the cheddar and jack cheese, then stir in the chili peppers.

 

Preheat oven to 400º

 

Transfer the beef mixture to a casserole dish.  (I almost missed this tidbit of information. Tall Cool ☺ne pointed it out to me). Can’t cook this in the cast iron in a 400º oven or it would burn to a crisp.

 

Trowel the potatoes over the beef mixture.  Make little plops with a spoon for aesthetics, sprinkle with parmesan cheese.  Bake for 45 minutes.  Let cool 10-15 before serving.

 

So freaking good.  Thank you, Cowboy Kent Rollins.

 

Enjoy♥

© Crackerberries 2024

YooHoo

When talking about foods that begin with a Y, Tall Cool ☺ne said YOOHOO was a food. I debated that with him for a bit and then decided to consult with a trusted family member.  Our granddaughter Ella L♥ve says YOOHOO most certainly is a food and here are the pics to prove it.

 

There really isn't much going on for Y unless you want Yams, which are sweet potatoes and I've overworked them so much in the past I really wanted something different.  I have Sandor Katz Wild Fermentation book that that has a recipe in it for yogurt but I haven't tried it yet. Yellow potatoes, but a potato is a potato.  There are yellow-eye beans which are really yummy and I'm actually placing an order from Green Thumb Farms today. (Okay, no I'm not...the shipping is too expensive.)  I'm trying to grow some red kidney beans in the garden this year, but they probably won't grow as well as they grow in Maine.

 This is part of the A-Z blogging challenge.  Don’t forget to visit some of the other bloggers in the challenge and also check out Crackerberries!

Kugels

 

Your basic old fashion Kugels are made from potatoes, but this recipe is a little more fun.

1 cup pasta shells

1 stick butter

2 onions, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

1¼ cup cottage cheese

1¼ cup sour cream

1 tbsp. poppy seeds

4 eggs

½ tsp. pepper

1 tsp. salt

Put oven rack in middle position and preheat to 425°. 

Cook pasta according to package directions, drain and rinse.

In heavy skillet, melt butter over medium heat.  Brush muffin tin with some of the butter.  Add onions and garlic to butter and cook, stirring often until well browned.  Transfer buttered veggies to large bowl and stir in pasta, sour cream, cottage cheese and poppy seeds.  Lightly beat eggs with salt and pepper and add to past mixture. Spoon into prepared tins (fill to tops).  Bake until puffed and golden, 25-30 minutes.  Loosen the edges of Kugels with thin knife as soon as they come out of the oven, then let cool about 5-10 minutes before removing from the pan.  

Enjoy ♥                                                            

This is part of the A-Z blogging challenge.  Don’t forget to visit some of the other 218 bloggers in the challenge and also check out Crackerberries 

Savory Pork Loin with Garlic Honey Glaze

 

Savory Pork Loin Roast

Ingredients:

 

3 lb. Pork Loin Roast

1 lb. Brussels sprouts, halved

2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 inch chunks

2-3 tbsp. olive oil

Spice Rub

1 tsp. paprika

1 tsp. garlic powder

1 tsp. onion powder

1 tsp. Italian seasoning

1 tsp. crushed rosemary

Honey Glaze

4 cloves garlic, minced

¼ cup honey

3 tbsp. soy sauce

1 tbsp. Dijon mustard

1 tbsp. olive oil

 

Directions: 

• Preheat oven to 375˚F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil or parchment paper and set aside. Pat dry pork loin with paper towels.
• In a small mixing bowl combine paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, thyme, rosemary, salt and pepper.
• Rub pork with a little olive oil and then rub the spice mix all over the pork.
• Heat olive oil over medium heat and sear the pork loin until browned on all sides; about 3 to 5 minutes per side. Transfer pork loin to baking sheet, fat-layer side up; set aside.
• In a bowl, combine garlic, honey, soy sauce, mustard and oil; whisk until well combined. Reserve 2 tablespoons of the sauce to use for the vegetables.
• Brush remaining honey mixture over the pork loin. Roast for 25 minutes.
• Toss the vegetables with a tablespoon of olive oil and the reserved honey mixture. Pull pork roast out of the oven and add the vegetables all around it in one layer.
• Tent a piece of foil over the pork so the top doesn't get too crispy. Put back in the oven and continue to cook for 25 to 30 more minutes, or until internal temperature of the pork loin reaches 145˚F. Toss vegetables half way through cooking.
• Remove baking sheet from oven and let rest 10 minutes. Cut the pork in slices and serve with veggies.

SIDE NOTE:  make extra honey garlic glaze to add to meat when serving.

 

 

 

© Crackerberries 2024

Potato and Sausage Casserole - Feeding the Flock 23

 

I just want to thank my daughter for sharing this recipe with me, she is helping me out again in the challenge.  If you click on the picture you can visit her website.  Here's her recipe. 

10 unpeeled brown potatoes

Jimmy Dean regular sausage roll

1 yellow pepper, diced

1 red pepper, diced 

½ block cream cheese

½ container sour cream

1 stick butter

Generous amount of cheddar cheese

Preheat oven 375º

Slice potatoes and boil until almost soft.

Sauté sausage and peppers together until cooked.

Mix cream cheese and sour cream together with drained potatoes and place in casserole dish. 

Cut slices of butter over top of potatoes. 

Top with sausage and peppers mixture.

Sprinkle with generous amount of cheddar cheese and bake about 30 minutes.

Enough for leftovers.

Enjoy,

Don't forget to check out Paper Cuts.

 

Open Faced Omelet - Feeding the Flock 23

 

2 small potatoes, scrubbed and diced

1 tbsp. butter

3 oz. breakfast sausage

½ green pepper, diced

½ onion, diced

3 large mushrooms, sliced

1 cup chopped mustard greens

4 cherry tomatoes

4 sliced, candied tomatoes

4 eggs, beaten

Add butter and potatoes to cast iron skillet and cook, stirring often for 10 minutes.  Add sausage and cook 5 minutes or until no pink remains.  Toss in peppers, onions, greens and mushrooms and sauté for about 3-5 more minutes.  Pour in eggs and cover.  Let steam and cook 3 minutes or so.  Top with tomatoes and jalapeños.  Serves 2.

Enjoy,

Don't forget to check out the Old Pine Tree.

KartoffelKloesse - Feeding the Flock 23

 

6 small potatoes, peeled and halved

¼ tsp salt

1 egg 

¼-½ cup flour

¼ cup bread crumbs

1/8 tsp ground nutmeg

½ cup butter

¼ cup chopped onion

2 tbsp. bread crumbs

(Optional- not German style) 

2 tbsp. bacon bits

¼ cup shredded cheddar

Boil potatoes about 20 minutes, drain, and mash, leaving them slightly lumpy.  Combine with salt, egg, flour, ¼ cup bread crumbs, and nutmeg.  Mix well and shape into small balls.  A small ice cream scoop works wonders.  If dough is too sticky, add a little more flour or bread crumbs.

Bring a large pot of salted water to boil.  Gently drop the dumplings into the water.   When they rise to the surface set the timer for 3 minutes and let them boil (uncovered) for 3 minutes.  Remove with a slotted spoon, place in serving dish and keep warm.

Melt butter in skillet over medium heat and add onions and the 2 tbsp. bread crumbs.  Cook, stirring often until the onions are tender and the sauce has thickened.

Pour sauce over dumplings and serve.

Add bacon bits and cheddar (optional) because they definitely need something to add a little flavor to them.  I also added some hot sauce and considered ketchup.

Enjoy,

Don't forget to check out the Kiss-devotional.

Egg Slut

 

Perfected... ditched the red onions, added bacon bits, microwaved mashed potatoes for 30 seconds, sprayed cover with a little cooking spray so it wouldn't stick, and then submersed in boiling water for 10 minutes.  

I came across this recipe from a fellow blogger through my April #atozchallenge.  Who'd have thought there was a slutty egg recipe?  I absolutely had to try it and it's a definite keeper for me.  Wicked good! Thank you Anne M. Bray!  

EggSlut and "The Slut" Recipe

Ingredients

·                     1/2 c mashed potatoes

·                     1 egg

·                     butter (I used 1/2 tbsp. I like butter)

·                     chopped chives (I used green onions and some red)

Method

→Get a jar with tight-fitting lid (at least 8 oz. size) the wide mouth half pint mason jars are perfect.

→Before adding ingredients, measure for water level in saucepan. 

You want the jar completely covered. I made the mistake and it was not fully covered so I had to cook longer so that the top of the eggs was not all runny.

→Heat water to boiling.

→In jar, add ingredients in order listed (potatoes on bottom) Next time I will microwave the potatoes for about 30 seconds...I like my food really hot.

→Cover with lid, place in boiling water

→Cook for about 6-8 minutes, depending on size of jar and the consistency of how you like your egg.  

 

  

Find the original recipe →  EggSlut and "The Slut" Recipe

I let mine cook for about 9 minutes.  Next time I will microwave the mashed potato a little so that it’s not cold going in. 

 © Crackerberries 2021

Liver and Onions

 

Liver and Onions

      

1 lb. liver (preferably pork) but feel free to us beef or venison
1 cup whole milk (optional)
3 medium onions
3 cloves garlic
1 cup flour
1 tbsp. salt
1 tsp. paprika
½ tsp. pepper
1 stick butter


Soaking the liver in milk for 20-30 minutes tames the taste. If you don’t like that sharp flavor that that liver has, try this.

 

Melt 4 tablespoons butter in large cast iron skillet (or other fry pan).   Add onions and garlic and cook until tender and slightly browned. Remove from pan and cover with a piece of aluminum foil to keep warm.

Combine flour, paprika and pepper in saucer. Drain milk from liver and dredge liver through flour mixture.  Coat really well and shake off excess. Dredge through a second time if there is any flour left.

In wiped out skillet add remaining butter and let it melt over moderately high heat. Add liver; cook 2-3 minutes per side until no longer pink inside. Add onions and garlic back to skillet to warm.  Serve with mashed potatoes and stewed tomatoes…or whatever your favorite sides are.

 

© Crackerberries 2020

Eggs of Tecumsah

Eggs of Tecumsah

4 poached eggs (4 minutes)

½ lb. ground beef

½ lb. bulk sausage

2 English muffins, halved and grilled

4 slices cooked bacon

½ cup mayonnaise (Duke’s is highly preferred)

2 tbsp. Thousand Island dressing

Salt & Pepper to taste

1 tbsp. Texas Pete

In small bowl mix mayonnaise, Thousand Island dressing, and Texas Pete.  Salt and pepper to taste.  Combine ground beef and sausage and separate into four ¼ lb. patties.  Grill on hot cast iron pan 4-6 minutes per side until cooked.  Grill muffins until lightly toasted.  Poach eggs. Build on muffins, burger, bacon, egg and sauce. Sprinkle with paprika and serve with a side of home fried potatoes.

© Crackerberries 2018

Pasta Kugels

PASTA KUGELS

1 cup pasta shells

1 stick butter

2 onions, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

1¼ cup cottage cheese

1¼ cup sour cream

1 tbsp. poppy seeds

4 eggs

½ tsp. pepper

1 tsp. salt

Put oven rack in middle position and preheat to 425°. 

Cook pasta according to package directions, drain and rinse.

In heavy skillet, melt butter over medium heat.  Brush muffin tin with some of the butter.  Add onions and garlic to butter and cook, stirring often until well browned.  Transfer buttered veggies to large bowl and stir in pasta, sour cream, cottage cheese and poppy seeds.  Lightly beat eggs with salt and pepper and add to past mixture. Spoon into prepared tins (fill to tops).  Bake until puffed and golden, 25-30 minutes.  Loosen the edges of Kugels with thin knife as soon as they come out of the oven, then let cool about 5-10 minutes before removing from the pan.  

Food for Thought:

When mashed potatoes isn’t good enough for a side, and spaghetti just doesn’t fit the bill, try these little yummies on for size.  A little Kugel goes a long ways.

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,

Dumplings, Dumplings, and more Dumplings

DUMPLINGS 

14 oz. ground beef or pork

3 cups frozen spinach, slightly thawed

1 tbsp. kosher salt

1 carrot, shredded

1 tbsp. fresh minced ginger

1½ tbsp. fresh minced garlic

1 egg, slightly beaten

1 tbsp. dried chopped onion flakes

1 tbsp. soy sauce

1 pkg. Wonton wrappers

Place spinach in a large bowl and sprinkle with salt. Let stand 15 minutes.  Meanwhile in a separate bowl, combine ground beef, carrot, ginger, garlic, egg, onion flakes, and soy sauce. Mix with hands to combine well.  Pick up clumps of spinach and squeeze to expel liquid. Stir into meat mixture.

Lightly brush a Wonton wrapper with water and place a small amount of meat mixture in the center.  Fold over to create a triangle and pinch to seal.  Create a ripple pattern by pinching and pushing together small segments of the wrapper. Continue with each wrapper until all meat mixture is used.

Fill tea kettle with water and bring to a boil. Heat oil in large WOK or skillet with a tight fitting cover.  Place dumplings in hot oil and cook just until brown on the bottoms (2-3 minutes). Carefully pour in boiling water just to cover dumplings.  Reduce heat and cover. Cook five minutes. Remove dumplings from water quickly and serve hot with garlic-gingered soy sauce and hot mustard paste.

To make garlic-gingered soy sauce, add 1 tsp. each of fresh minced ginger and fresh minced garlic to ½ cup soy sauce. Let stand for 1 hour.  To make hot mustard paste, use equal amounts of dry mustard and water and mix to create a paste.

This recipe is time consuming, but the dumplings are worth the effort.  It took me about an hour to wrap 53 dumplings. Plan ahead. 

 POTATO DUMPLINGS

DUMPLING

4 cups mashed potatoes (about 6 medium potatoes or 2 lbs.)

¾ cup all-purpose flour

2 eggs, slightly beaten

½ cup bread crumbs

½ tsp. nutmeg

Salt and pepper

TOPPING

¼ cup butter

1/8 cup bread crumbs

1/8 cup chopped onions

2½ slices bacon, cooked and crumbled

Combine mashed potatoes, flour, egg, bread crumbs, nutmeg, salt, and pepper in large bowl. Mix well. Shape into 15 balls. Heat large pot of water to boiling. Gently drop balls into water. Once they float to the top, simmer gently for 3-4 minutes until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

In small sauce pan combine butter and onions and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly for about 5 minutes or until the butter slightly browns. Remove from heat and stir in bread crumbs and bacon bits. Pour sauce over dumplings before 

COTTAGE DUMPLINGS

3 oz. cheddar cheese, shredded

2/3 cup frozen corn

½ cup all-purpose flour

¼ cup Italian style bread crumbs

¼ cup corn meal

1 egg

½ cup cottage cheese

2 tbsp. chicken broth

3 Chile peppers, thinly sliced

Mix all ingredients and use small ice cream scoop to make mini dumpling balls.  Place in single layer on large plate and set in fridge until ready to cook. Carefully slide dumpling balls onto beans in simmering stew.  Do not drop directly into liquid.  Cook uncovered for 10 minutes.  Gently shake pot to prevent sticking.  Cover and cook an additional 15 minutes until dumplings are firm.  Let stand 5-10 minutes 

SAGE DUMPLINGS

1½ cup all-purpose flour

2 tsp. baking powder

½ tsp. salt

2/3 cup milk

2 tbsp. vegetable oil

1 egg

1 tsp. fresh rubbed sage

Mix all ingredients together just until moistened.  Once stew is boiling add dumplings by spoonful, cover, reduce heat and cook 13-15 minutes.  Do not remove cover while dumplings are cooking.  Cool 10-15 minutes with cover off. 

PLAIN DUMPLINGS

In medium bowl combine 1 cup flour, 1 tsp. baking powder and ½ tsp. salt. Cut in 2 tbsp. shortening until mixture resembles crumbs. Add ½ cup buttermilk, stirring just until moistened. Spoon batter into six mounds on top of soup or stew (do not drop in liquid). Return to boiling, reduce heat, cover and simmer 12-15 minutes or until wooden toothpick inserted into dumpling comes out clean.

BREAD DUMPLINGS

2 cups flour

1 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. salt

½ tsp. garlic powder

1 egg, lightly beaten

3/4 cup lukewarm water

3 slices bread, cubed

Mix flour, baking soda, garlic powder, and salt in large bowl. Add beaten egg. Add the lukewarm water and mix well with wooden spoon. Add bread.  Mix well and roll into oblong dumplings. Place into boiling water, cover and cook about 20 minutes, stirring once.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT:

I never knew there were so many styles of dumplings.  I have not tried Apple Dumplings.  Do you have a favorite dumpling recipe?  What is it?

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,