Shepherd's Spaghetti Pie

Pasta Style Shepherd’s Pie

½ lb spaghetti

½ lb ground beef

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

4 stalks celery, diced

1 small onion, chopped

1 cup diced banana peppers

1 tsp minced garlic

1 cup sliced mushrooms

1 packet onion soup mix

½ cup stout beer

2 tbsp butter

2 tbsp flour

1 cup milk

1½ cups shredded cheddar cheese

Fresh ground black pepper

Break spaghetti into thirds and cook according to package instructions.  Drain, rinse and set aside.

Preheat oven to 350°.

Sauté onion and celery in olive oil for 2-3 minutes; add ground beef, peppers, and garlic and continue cooking until burger is no long pink.  Add garlic, onion soup mix and beer and cook just until well blended and bubbly.  Spread mixture in lightly greased baking dish.

In medium sauce pan, melt butter, stir in flour and add milk all at once.  Stir constantly over medium heat until it starts to thicken.  Stir cheese just until it starts to melt.  Add pasta and mix well.  Pour past mixture over top of meat and vegetables.

Bake 350° for 30-35 minutes, until top starts to brown.  Remove from oven and let stand 10-15 minutes before serving.  Add ketchup if desired.

© Crackerberries 2012

Focaccio

Broccoli and Mushroom Focaccio

What the heck is focaccio?   My definition is sauce-less pizza.

¾ cup warm water

1 tbsp olive oil

1½ tsp salt

2¼ cups flour

1 tsp sugar

1 tsp yeast

Combine all ingredients in order given and select dough setting on bread machine.  When done, remove to floured board and pat out to ½ inch thickness.  Place on baking sheet dusted with cornmeal or flour.  Dimple dough with finger tips. 

Topping

1 cup fresh broccoli

1 cup fresh sliced mushrooms

5-7 black olives, sliced

2-3 cloves garlic, minced

½ cup chopped onions

¼ cup parmesan cheese

1 tbsp olive oil

¼ cup shredded cheddar

1 tbsp Italian seasoning

Preheat oven to 400°.

Brush dough with olive oil and sprinkle with parmesan cheese.  Top with sliced mushrooms, broccoli, onions, black olives, garlic and shredded cheddar.  Sprinkle with Italian seasoning and bake for 23 minutes.  Let cool slightly before cutting.

© Crackerberries 2012

Soup

Cabbage Onion Soup

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 large sweet onion, sliced

½ head small cabbage, shredded (4-6 cups)

4 tbsp butter

32 oz beef broth

12 stout beer (420 Sweet Water Extra Pale Ale)

1 package onion soup mix

3-4 slices of crusty bread, toasted until crunchy

½ cup shredded Swiss cheese

½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese

¼ cup parmesan cheese

Sauté garlic and onions in butter until tender and lightly browned, about 20 minutes.  Add cabbage, beef broth, onion soup mix and beer.  Bring to boil and reduce heat; cover simmer 30-45 minutes or until cabbage is tender.  Stir often.

Spoon into crocks or oven proof bowls and lay bread over top; sprinkle with cheeses and salt and pepper. Place under broiler for 2-3 minutes until cheese bubbles.  Let cool slightly and serve.

© Crackerberries 2012

Raspberry Fig Newtons

Raspberry Fig Newtons

They may not look real pretty, but they sure do taste yummy!

1 cup butter flavored Crisco + 2 tbsp water

1½ cups sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp cream of tartar

1 tsp vanilla

¼ tsp salt

¼ tsp cardamom

2¾ cups all purpose flour

2½ cups fig preserves

1 3 oz. pkg. raspberry flavored Jell-O

In a large mixing bowl beat sugar and Crisco together until light and fluffy.  Add eggs, baking soda, cream of tartar, vanilla, salt and cardamom and mix until combined. Beat in flour a little at a time until well combined.

Preheat oven to 375°.

In small bowl combine jell-o and preserves together and mix until jell-o is dissolved.

In batches spread cookie dough along the long edges of a cookie sheet making two rows on either side about 2½ -3 inches wide (cookie sheet will allow you to do two rows at a time).  Spread preserves along the edges of the dough one inch wide.  Bake 375° for nine minutes; remove from oven and gently fold over the dough side without the preserves on it.  Gently press down with spatula and bake an additional 5 minutes, remove and cut into bars.  Cool completely on wire racks.

© Crackerberries 2012

Muscadine Wine

Muscadine Wine

1 peck Muscadine grapes

3½ gallons water

15 lbs sugar

2½ tbsp yeast

Process grapes in blender so that they are almost liquefied; should yield about 8 quarts.  Fill blender with ½ cup water to each batch of grapes processed.  Place all ingredients in large vat (I use a cooler) and sprinkle yeast on top, cover and let stand 24 hours. 

Stir well at the same time every day, for the next ten days.  On the eleventh day, strain wine with mesh strainer into glass gallon jugs.  Seal as tight as possible and place in cool dark area without moving for six weeks. 

(There is no place cool in South Carolina so, we placed them on the porch under a table).  One jug exploded on the second day.  It is wise to place jugs in plastic bags or some sort of covering so that if you should have an explosion, the mess is minimal.  Otherwise, purple grape juice stains.

Four days prior to the end of the sixth week, loosen the covers on the jugs.  This will stop the fermenting process. 

 Strain the wine through cheese cloth into sterilized wine bottles, cork and process with wax.  There are no sulfites in this homemade wine.  The wine will start to turn to vinegar in about 18 months so when making this recipe, keep that in mind. 

The second batch I used the same recipe and infused 10 hot Chile peppers, seeds and all.  It has quite a bite to the flavor.  There is nothing quite like the flavor of a homemade batch of wine.

© Crackerberries 2012

Ravioli Chicken Alfredo

This one is for you, Robyn!

Ravioli Chicken Alfredo

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1 cup shredded Swiss cheese

½ cup parmesan cheese

1½-2 cups cooked chicken

2 tbsp butter

1 cup heavy whipping cream

½ cup milk

½ tsp fresh ground pepper

1 tsp parsley flakes

25 oz bag frozen cheese filled ravioli  

Combine cheddar cheese, Swiss cheese, parmesan cheese and parsley flakes in medium bowl and mix well.  Reserve ¾ cup of mixture

Cook ravioli according to package directions, drain and divide amongst four platters. 

In medium sauce pan melt butter; add whipping cream and milk and bring to boiling.  Reduce heat and simmer gently, uncovered 3-5 minutes or until mixture begins to thicken. 

Stir in chicken and cheese.  Spoon over ravioli and sprinkle with reserved cheese and fresh ground pepper; place under broiler for 1-2 minutes until bubbly.  Serve immediately.

© Crackerberries 2012

Turkey Balls

Captain John Derst

Sweet and Spicy Turkey Balls

¾ lb ground turkey

2 slices Captain John Derst Bread

½ tsp ground thyme

½ tsp marjoram

1 egg

Combine all ingredients in medium bowl and mix well.  Shape into 1 inch balls.  Place on lightly greased baking dish.  Bake 350° 45 minutes.

Meanwhile combine 1 cup green tomato cranberry sauce with ½ cup hot pepper pear jelly in small sauce pan with 1 tsp red pepper flakes.  Stir often.  Serve with meatballs for dipping or place meatballs right in sauce.

© Crackerberries 2012