BMC (Bacon Cheese Meatloaf)

 

BCM Bacon Cheese Meatloaf

1¾ lb. ground beef

2 eggs

1 pkg. onion soup mix

5 oz. marinated mushrooms, drained and chopped

2 slices white bread, torn into small pieces

1 tsp. each: paprika, pepper, basil, chili powder, onion powder, garlic salt

3 slices bacon, halved

4 oz. Velveeta cheese

 

Combine all ingredients except bacon and cheese and mix well.  Place into a loaf in lightly greased pan.  Create an indent down the center of the loaf. Cut Velveeta into three rectangular chunks and place in the indent. Work the meat loaf around the cheese.  Place the strips of bacon over the top of the loaf.  Cook in 350º oven for about an hour, maybe a little more.  Let cool slightly before serving.

 

 

 

© Crackerberries 2021

Cream Puffs

 

Cream Puffs

 

½ cup butter (1 stick)

1 cup water

4 eggs

1 cup flour

¼ tsp. salt

 

Bring one cup water to boil.  Add butter and stir to melt.  Add flour and salt all at once.  Stir vigorously until mixture is smooth and forms a ball in pan.  Cool slightly (about 2 minutes) and add eggs, one at a time, stirring briskly after each one. Using pastry bag, twirl dough into 12 puffs on lightly greased cookie sheet.  Bake 450º for 15 minutes, then turn down to 325º and cook an additional 20-25 minutes, until golden brown.

 

Fill with pudding or whipped cream and top with mocha chocolate frosting.

 

 

Chocolate Mocha Frosting

 

6 tbsps. Cocoa

6 tbsps. HOT coffee

6 tbsps. Butter

1 tbsp. Baileys Irish Cream (secret ingredient because I was out of vanilla extract)

3 cups (or so) confectioners’ sugar

 

Combine cocoa and coffee, add butter and Bailey’s, beat until smooth.  Add sugar gradually until of spreading consistency.

 

© Crackerberries 2021

Apple Cinnamon Pretzels

 

Apple Cinnamon Pretzels

 

¼ cup eggnog

¾ cup water    70-80º

½ tsp. salt

1½ tsp. cinnamon sugar

¼ cup raisins

¼ cup chopped apple (save the additional apple)

 

Place all ingredients in bread machine in order listed.  Place raisins and apple in the fruit and nut dispenser.  Select dough setting.

 

Use the remaining apple and combine with ¼ cup finely chopped pecans.

 

Once dough cycle is complete, turn dough out on lightly flour surface. Let it rest about 10 minutes.  Cut 12 portions and roll each one into 8 inch ropes.  Tie into a pretzel knot.

 

Brush with eggnog.

Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.

Divide the pecan apple mixture over the pretzels.

Bake in Emeril’s Airfryer 360 at 450º eight minutes.

 

© Crackerberries 2020

Snowman Poop

 

Snowman Poop

 

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup egg nog

1 tsp. cream of tartar

½ tsp. baking powder

¼ tsp. baking soda

¾ tsp. salt

¼ cup butter cut in small pieces

 

1.       Combine dry ingredients in medium bowl.

2.       Cut in butter until resembles pea size pieces.

3.       Make center well and pour in egg nog.

4.       Stir to form dough, don’t over mix.

5.       Turn dough onto lightly floured surface.

6.       Use round cutter to cut out 6 2-inch dough rounds.

7.       Use smaller cutter to cut out 6 more dough rounds.

8.       Roll remaining dough into 6 balls.

9.       Build snowman.

10.        Arrange on crisper tray on shelf position 5,

11.        Select Airfry setting for 400º

12.        Set cooking time for 12 minutes.

 

 

 

© Crackerberries 2020

Szechuan Beef & Broccoli

 

Szechuan Beef & Broccoli

½ lb. boneless tender beef steak

¾ cup beef broth or water

2 tbsp. cornstarch

3 tbsp. soy sauce

1 tbsp. sherry

1 clove garlic

2 tbsp. vegetable oil

½ tsp. red pepper flakes

2-3 broccoli crowns

1 medium onion, chunked

1 medium tomato, chunked

 

 

Slice steak into strips. Combine 1 tbsp. cornstarch, 1 tbsp. soy sauce with sherry and garlic in a small bowl; stir in beef and let stand 15-20 minutes.

 

In large measuring cup combine beef broth, 1 tbsp. cornstarch, 2 tbsp. soy sauce, and red pepper flakes.  Set aside.

 

Heat 1 tbsp. vegetable oil in wok or large skillet over high heat.  Add beef and stir-fry one minute; remove.  Heat remaining oil in skillet; add onion and broccoli, sprinkle with salt.  Stir fry 3-5 minutes or until broccoli is to desired doneness.  Add beef, soy sauce mixture and tomato.  Cook and stir until mixture boils and begins to thicken.

 

Serve over rice.

 

© Crackerberries 2020

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

Fig BBQ Chicken

 

3-3½ lbs. chicken legs

2 tsp. salt

2 tsp. paprika

1 tsp. pepper

1-2 tbsp. butter

 

Rinse off chicken legs and let rest on paper towels, pat dry.  Sprinkle with the salt, pepper and paprika. Place spiced pieces of chicken on a rack to dry while preparing the cast iron skillet. 

 

Heat oven to 350º and place cast iron skillet in oven to heat up. When oven is at temperature, remove from oven, (careful it’s hot) and add butter. Swirl around to melt and distribute.

 

Place chicken in cast iron meaty side down, and return to oven.  Cook 30 minutes and flip the chicken legs over.  Return to oven for 15 minutes.  Spoon prepared Fig BBQ/Mustard sauce over chicken and cover.  Cook an additional 15 minutes or just until bubbly.  Serve with favorite sides.

 

Spiralized Sweet Potato and Chicken Parmesan

Chicken Parmesan with Sweet Potato Noodles

12 oz. chicken breast, flattened and cut into equal portions

12 oz. jar prepared pasta sauce

1 egg, beaten

½ cup parmesan cheese

1 sweet potato, spiralized

1 tsp. Italian seasoning

½ tsp. onion powder

Combine parmesan cheese with Italian seasoning and onion powder. Dip chicken cutlets in egg and roll in parmesan cheese. Sauté in copper chef fry pan until golden brown on both sides and internal temperature is 165º.  Steam the sweet potato noodles for 3-5 minutes until al dente. Top with prepared pasta sauce and sprinkle with parmesan cheese.  Add a side of non-fat cottage cheese and you have yourself a nice little pasta free din-din.  One sweet potato equal 114 calories verses one serving of pasta equal 210 calories.  You figure it out.

© Crackerberries 2020

Pita Pizza

1 Greek style Pita

2 Tbsp. Salsa

7-8 baby spinach leaves

2-3 slices Roma tomatoes

1 sliced mushroom

1 Tbsp. diced onion

1 tsp. minced garlic

½ tsp. Italian seasoning

2-3 Tbsp. feta cheese

1 tsp. roasted pine nuts.

Heat broiler. Roast pine nuts on stove top in cast iron pan over med/high heat for 3-5 minutes. Spread salsa over pita bread and then layer with remaining ingredients. Top with pine nuts and Italian seasoning.  Place in broiler 2-3 minutes.   Enjoy.  Only 325-350 calories per serving.  

© Crackerberries 2020

Cast Iron Chicken

Cast Iron Chicken

2 tsp. paprika

2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. pepper

½ tsp. onion powder

½ tsp. garlic salt

2-3 lbs. chicken pieces (legs, leg quarters, whole chicken cut up)

2 tbsp. butter

6 sprigs fresh thyme

KEY WORDS: CAST IRON

Preheat cast iron skillet in 450º oven.  While cast iron skillet is preheating, combine spices.  Cut up chicken (if necessary) and pat dry with paper towels.  Sprinkle spices all over chicken.  Coat well.  Use all spices.  When oven reached temperature, remove skillet – be careful, it’s HOT.  Add the butter to the cast iron and let it melt.  Place the thyme sprigs on one side.  Add the chicken, skin side down.  Place skillet in oven and bake 15 minutes.  Remove from oven (careful…still wicked hot) and flip the chicken over.  Return to oven and bake another 15 minutes.   Internal temperature for leg/thighs should read at least 175º.  Remove from oven and let stand 10 minutes.  Transfer chicken to platter, discard thyme.  Stir juices and spoon over chicken.  

**I stole this recipe from Cooks Country (www.cookscountry.com).  I love it.  I will never cook chicken another way!

© Crackerberries 2019

Irish Oatmeal Cookies

Irish Oatmeal Cookies

12 tbsp. unsalted butter

¾ cup natural creamy peanut butter

¾ cup firmly packed brown sugar

½ cup granulated sugar

2 eggs

¾ tsp. baking soda

½ tsp. salt

1 cup all-purpose flour

1½ cups Irish steel cut oatmeal

1 cup raisins

¾ cup coconut

Preheat oven 350º

Cream together butter and peanut butter, then add sugar and mix until light and fluffy.  Beat in eggs until smooth.  Combine oats, flour, baking soda, and salt and then add to creamed mixture.  Beat until thoroughly blended. Fold in raisins and coconut. Drop by rounded spoonful two inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet.  Bake at 350º for 12 minutes.  Let cool on cookie sheet one minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

Yield 5 dozen cookies.         

© Crackerberries 2019

Crackers 3-Bean Stew

2/3 cups each: Soldier Beans, Yellow Eye Beans, Jacob’s Cattle Beans

2 large cloves garlic

¼ tsp. cayenne pepper

1 tsp. chili powder

½ tbsp.

Italian seasoning

2-3 slices cooked bacon (optional)

1 carrot

1 onion

1½ - 2 cups chopped cooked smoked shoulder

1¼ cup almond milk

Salt and pepper to taste

Place dry beans in crock pot and cover with water … let soak 2 hours.

Drain, rinse and cover with water to about 1-1½ inch above beans. 

Add garlic and other spices.

Cover, cook on high 5 hours.

Turn off and let cool 1-2 hours.

Sauté carrot and onion for 5-10 minutes.

Add remaining ingredients to beans, turn crock pot on low and reheat 1-2 hours.

Serve with dollop of sour cream and crackers and hot sauce if you wish.

© Crackerberries 2019

Barbie's Favorite Chili

BEANS:

2 cups dry beans (red kidney are favorite but I think this time I used soldier)

½ cup sugar

½ ketchup

¼ cup molasses

2 tsp. dry mustard

½ cup chopped onion

¼ lb. salt pork

Salt and pepper.

Soak beans overnight, drain, rinse, and put in crock pot with just enough water to cover.  Add ingredients and cook on high for 3 hours, turn down to low and cook 5-6 more hours.

CHILI

1¼ lb. ground beef

1 pkg. hot sausage links, removed from casing

1 lg. can diced tomatoes (I used roasted red pepper)

1 cup tomato sauce

1 lg. green pepper, diced (didn’t have green pepper so used 5 jalapeno’s from garden)

1 onion, chopped

2 tbsp. minced garlic

2 tbsp. chili powder

1-2 tsp. cayenne pepper

1 tbsp. black pepper

1 tbsp. basil

1 tsp. celery salt

1 tbsp. paprika

Cook burger and sausage and drain off grease. Add onions, garlic and green pepper and cook until aromatic. Add tomatoes, tomato sauce, spices and beans. Simmer on medium heat, stir often, 1-2 hours.

Great chili bowls, taco salads, burrito’s, nachos.