Breakfast Pizza

Ingredients

• 1 pkg. Johnsonville breakfast sausage patties
• 1 pkg. (8) refrigerated crescent rolls
• 1 cup frozen loose pack cubed hash brown potatoes, thawed (I put in the refrigerator and let thaw overnight)
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 5 eggs
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/8 tsp. pepper
• 2 Tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese (I use Kraft)

Instructions

• Cook sausage until well browned, drain fat. Break it up as you cook it so it is like ground sausage.
• Press crescent roll dough into a 9 x 12 cookie sheet or an ungreased 12 inch pizza pan with points toward the center. Press over bottom and up sides to form a crust; seal perforations (important) Spoon sausage over the crust.
• Sprinkle with potatoes and top with cheddar cheese. (You can make it to this point the night ahead of time, cover with plastic and refrigerate)
• In a bowl beat together eggs, milk, salt and pepper.
• Pour over crust in the middle – it will seep out to the edges on its own. If you pour it near the edges it may overflow.
• Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese over all.
• Bake at 375 oven for 25-30 minutes.

 Original  recipe HERE

Easy Crock-Pot Pork Chops

This is an easy dinner that my family all likes. I found the recipe HERE

Ingredients

• 6-8 thinly sliced pork chops (you can usually buy them already cut thin)
• 1 pkg. Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing powder
• 1 can cream of chicken soup
• 1 can cream of mushroom soup

Instructions

• Spray slow cooker with cooking spray.
• Add pork chops.
• Sprinkle ranch dressing powder evenly over the pork.
• Add soups and cook on low heat for 6-8 hours (or high heat for about 3-4 hours).
• Serve with mashed potatoes or rice.

Red Beans and Rice

1 lb dried kidney beans, I prefer the pink ones to the dark red ones
1 ham hock (optional)
4 garlic cloves, chopped
1 teaspoon black pepper, fresh ground
1 tablespoon chicken stock, powdered
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1 teaspoon dried chipotle powder, I use one Knorr mini cube (optional)
1 teaspoon liquid smoke (optional)
2 -3 bay leaves
1 onion, chopped
1 bell pepper, chopped
1 tablespoon butter
1 -2 tablespoon salt, according to your taste
1 -2 teaspoon cajun seasoning, Tony Cacheres and Zatarains brand are both very good
1/4 cup butter
1 teaspoon Tabasco sauce, Chipotle flavored is really nice
2 tablespoons cornstarch or 2 tablespoons cornflour
1 lb smoked sausage

Directions:

1.These directions are long because I am covering the method quite thoroughly for new-comers. (-;.
2.SOAK BEANS: On Sunday night (or the night before you want to eat these yummy beans), check beans to be sure there are no stones then place beans in a large bowl and fill almost to the top with water. It's better to have too much water than not enough. The beans will more than double in size overnight. In the morning, I drain beans in a colander and rinse well.
3. A FEW PERSONAL TRICKS: One of the first things I do in the morning is fill my Crockpot with hot tap water just to bring it up to temperature much faster. This saves on cooking time and electricity. I also fill and boil my electric jug (or kettle) - this is the water I will use to cook my beans.
4. PLACE IN CROCKPOT: Beans, ham hock, black pepper, chicken stock powder, chopped garlic, garlic salt, bay leaves, and optional Chipotle powder and liquid smoke. Note: Save adding salt until the end of cook time.
5. COVER WITH HOT WATER: Cover beans with hot water from your jug or kettle just until fully covered. Then add an extra inch of water on top of that. This will give your beans a chance to swell even more during cooking. Cover Crockpot with lid.
6. QUICKLY: Sauté onions and bell-pepper just until they begin to cook. Add these to the beans and stir.
7.COOK: If you are going to be gone all day, cook beans on low setting for 6 to 8 hours. If you will be around to stir, etc., I recommend cooking them on high until they are almost fully cooked (about 4 or 5 hours). Then turn them down to low for the last bit of cooking.
8. ONCE COOKED: When beans are fully cooked, remove bay leaves (if you can find them all) add butter and stir. To thicken beans, add 2 tablespoons corn flour mixed with just enough cold water to dissolve it. Add this to beans and stir for a minute. Beans should thicken a bit in fairly short order. Repeat until you get the desired consistency.
9. ADD: Add salt by half-teaspoon until you reach the level of your liking. It may not take much for you. Also add a bit more fresh ground pepper.
10. NOW: Put your rice on to cook. Slice smoked sausage and cook in a medium-hot cast iron skillet until nicely brown and starting to emit those nice juices. Take skillet off heat but leave sausages where they are. Don't cover.
11. RINSE your rice with hot water. Once drained, place about half a cup of hot fluffy rice in a wide, shallow bowl.
12. COVER rice with a generous amount of red beans. Top with a good amount of hot smoked sausage slices.
13. SPRINKLE with hot sauce and/or more Tony's if you want it spicy like I do.
14. SERVE with hot buttered, grilled slices of French bread, salad or coleslaw.

This was my first try at red beans and rice and it was a hit. I found the recipe HERE

Pasta Cordon Bleu

Recipe courtesy of Dunne at With a Cherry on Top
Serves 6

1 lb. Pasta (I used penne-you could use any fun shaped pasta)
1 cup Chicken Breasts, cooked and cubed
1 cup Ham, cooked and cubed
1 1/2 cups Milk
8 oz. Cream Cheese (softened)
2 Tbsp. Dried Minced Onion
2 cups Swiss Cheese, shredded
Salt
Pepper
Cayenne Pepper
1 cup Panko Crumbs
1/2 cup Butter, melted 



Bring a large pot of water to a boil over med-high heat. Salt it and add the pasta; cook until al dente (about 11 minutes-I used whole wheat pasta which takes a bit longer than regular pasta). Drain and return to the pot. Add in the chicken and ham and toss to combine.

Preheat the broiler. In a medium saucepan, combine the milk, cream cheese and minced onion over low-medium heat. Cook, stirring frequently, until it becomes a smooth texture (about 5 minutes). Stir into the pasta mixture. Stir in the Swiss cheese and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Transfer pasta to a baking dish and top with Panko crumbs. Pour melted butter over crumbs and broil until browned (I gave it 4 minutes). 

Easy Potato & Bacon Breakfast Casserole

I make this for Christmas breakfast at my house and my family all loves it!

Easy Potato and Bacon Breakfast CasseroleRecipe by Our Best Bites

4 c. Southern/country-style hash browns (cubes), completely thawed (if they’re not thawed, they won’t cook correctly)
1 12-oz. package bacon
1 1/2 c. pepper jack cheese
1 1/2 c. cheddar cheese
1 bunch green onions, chopped
3 eggs
1 c. milk*
about 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
about 10 turns freshly ground black pepper

*For high altitudes, reduce milk to 2/3 cup and sauté the potatoes in rendered bacon grease until partially cooked before baking.

Begin cooking bacon.  While the bacon is cooking, place the potatoes in a 9×13″ baking dish. Mix the cheeses together and sprinkle it over the potatoes. When the bacon is done cooking, drain it on a paper towel and reserve 2 tablespoons of the drippings. Cook the onions in the drippings for 2-3 minutes or until they’re tender and fragrant. Spread the onions over the cheese mixture and then sprinkle everything with the crumbled bacon.  Whisk together the eggs, milk, salt, and pepper and, whisking constantly, pour the egg mixture evenly over the potato mixture.  Cover and refrigerate overnight or for 7-8 hours.

When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350.  Bake, uncovered, for 40-45 minutes or until the cheese is bubbly but not brown. Allow to stand for 15 minutes before cutting. Serve with fresh fruit.

Easy Calzones

This is another recipe from Pioneer Woman

Easy Calzones

Ingredients

§  16 whole Frozen, Unrisen Dinner Rolls (I Use Rhodes) Note: Can Also Use Frozen Bread Loaves.

§  1 Tablespoon Butter

§  1 whole Medium Onion, Diced

§  1 pound Breakfast Or Italian Sausage

§  1/2 teaspoon Italian Seasoning

§  1/4 teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes

§  15 ounces, fluid Whole Milk Ricotta Cheese

§  1/2 cup Grated Parmesan Cheese

§  1-1/2 cup Grated Mozzarella Cheese

§  2 whole Eggs

§  1/2 teaspoon Salt

§  Black Pepper To Taste

§  2 Tablespoons Chopped Fresh Parsley

§  Marinara Sauce, For Serving

§  1 whole Egg Beaten

Preparation Instructions

Place frozen rolls (or frozen bread loaves) on a baking sheet to thaw. Cover with a tea towel and let thaw and rise for 2 to 3 hours.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and allow to cook for a couple of minutes. Add sausage and cook until brown, crumbling the sausage as you stir. Add Italian seasoning and red pepper flakes. Remove from pan and allow to cool on a plate.

In a separate bowl, combine ricotta, Parmesan, mozzarella, eggs, salt, pepper, and parsley. When sausage is cool, stir it in. Set aside.

When rolls are thawed and risen, roll them out on a lightly floured surface until paper thin. Spoon 3-4 tablespoons (approximately) filling onto half of the dough circle. Fold half of the dough over itself, then press edges to seal.

*Note: If you want a larger calzone, use frozen bread loaves and use about 1/4 to 1/3 of the loaf for each calzone.

Brush surface of calzone with beaten egg, then bake for 10-13 minutes, or until nice and golden brown. Serve with warm marinara sauce.

Pasta with Sausage and Tomato Cream Sauce

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
  
• 1 pound sweet Italian sausages, casings removed
• 1/2 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes with added puree
• 1/2 cup whipping cream (I used half and half.)
  

• 1 pound farfalle (I used penne.)
• 1/2 cup (packed) chopped fresh basil
• Freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese (I used Parmesan.)
  

Heat oil in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add sausage and crushed red pepper. Sauté until sausage is no longer pink, breaking up with back of fork, about 5 minutes. Add onion and garlic; sauté until onion is tender and sausage is browned, about 3 minutes longer. Add tomatoes and cream. Reduce heat to low and simmer until sausage mixture thickens, about 3 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Meanwhile, cook pasta in large pot of boiling salted water until tender but still firm to bite. Drain, reserving 1 cup cooking liquid. Return pasta to same pot. Add sausage mixture and toss over medium-low heat until sauce coats pasta, adding reserved cooking liquid by 1/4 cupfuls if mixture is dry. Transfer pasta to serving dish. Sprinkle with basil. Serve, passing cheese separately.

Read More http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Farfalle-with-Sausage-Tomatoes-and-Cream-233707#ixzz11iyS0D9V

Complete Cafe Rio Pork Salad

We love Cafe Rio pork salad, I have tried a couple copycat recipes and this one by far is the best. I got the recipe from this awesome recipe blog that has tons of good recipes so check it out HERE.

CAFE RIO SWEET PORK


2 pounds pork (we use boneless pork rib meat)
3 cans Coke (NOT diet)
1/4 c. brown sugar
dash garlic salt
1/4 c. water
1 can sliced green chilies
3/4 can enchilada sauce (I use Old El Paso brand, medium spiciness but any will work)
1 c. brown sugar

Put the pork in a heavy duty ziploc bag to marinade. Add about a can and a half of coke and about 1/4 c. of brown sugar. Marinade for a few hours or overnight.

Drain marinade and put pork, 1/2 can of coke, water, and garlic salt in crock pot on high for about 3-4 hours (or until it shreds easily, but don't let it get TOO dry) or on low for 8 hours. Remove pork from crock pot and drain any liquid left in the pot. Shred pork.

In a food processor or blender, blend 1/2 can Coke, chilies, enchilada sauce and remaining brown sugar (about a cup, you can add a little more or less to taste..). If it looks too thick, add more Coke little by little.

Put shredded pork and sauce in crockpot and cook on low for 2 hours. That's it!

CILANTRO-LIME RICE

1 c. uncooked rice (long-grain, white rice)
1 tsp. butter or margarine
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. freshly squeezed lime juice
1 can (15 oz) chicken broth
1 cup water
1 Tbsp. freshly squeezed lime juice
2 tsp. sugar
3 tablespoons fresh chopped cilantro

In a saucepan combine rice, butter, garlic, 1 tsp. lime, chicken broth and water. Bring to a boil. Cover and cook on low 15-20 minutes, until rice is tender. Remove from heat. In a small bowl combine lime juice, sugar and cilantro. Pour over hot cooked rice and mix in as you fluff the rice.

BLACK BEANS

2 Tbsp. olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 1/3 c. tomato juice
1 1/2 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. fresh chopped cilantro

In a nonstick skillet, cook garlic and cumin in olive oil over medium heat until you can smell it. Add beans, tomato juice, and salt. Continually stir until heated through. Just before serving stir in the cilantro. (**NOTE** we added a can of corn, drained, to the beans with a dash of cumin and chili powder, it was AWESOME! We recommend doing this even though it's not "traditional Cafe Rio")


FRESH GUACAMOLE

3 avocados
Red onion, chopped (about 1/4 c.)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 bunch cilantro leaves, chopped
1 jalapeno, finely chopped (or to taste)
1 large ripe garden tomato (or 2 smaller tomatoes), diced
juice of 1 lime
4-5 shakes green Tabasco sauce
Kosher salt, to taste
Fresh cracked pepper, to taste

Pit avocados and mash in a bowl. If you like your guac kind of chunky (that's how we like it), coarsely chop with the side of a fork instead of using the fork to mash it straight down. Carefully stir in remaining ingredients until well mixed. That's it!

CILANTRO RANCH:
1 packet TRADITIONAL Hidden Valley Ranch mix (not BUTTERMILK)
1 c. mayonnaise
1 c. buttermilk
2 tomatillos, remove husk, diced
1/2 bunch of fresh cilantro
1 clove garlic
juice of 1 lime
1 jalapeno (we like it SPICY so we kept the seeds in it, if you like it mild, just remove the seeds)

Mix all ingredients together in the blender. That's it!



TORTILLA STRIPS

10-12 corn tortillas
oil for frying
Kosher salt

Cut tortillas into strips using a pizza cutter. You can cut 2-3 at a time pretty easily. Heat oil in a large frying pan. Place strips into hot oil and fry until they become crispy. When nice and crispy, remove from oil and place on a paper towel. Sprinkle with salt after each batch.


Here is how we put it all together: First of all, we bought the aluminum deep-dish pans (they had these at the grocery store, you will know when you see them.. they look JUST like the Cafe Rio tins). Lay a tortilla in the bottom of the pan, sprinkle cheese on it, and put in the oven at 375 for about 5 min or until the cheese is melted. Remove from oven, add beans, rice, pork, then lettuce and a little scoop of diced tomato and onions (pico de gallo). Add guacamole (HIGHLY RECOMMENDED) and sour cream. Add crushed tortilla chips, a shake of Parmesan cheese, and top with a few cilantro leaves. Serve with the cilantro ranch or vinaigrette dressing and there you have it! (makes about 6 salads)

Baked Pork Chops

Baked Pork Chop Ingredients:

6 pork chops
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon seasoning salt
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup flour
2 cups Italian-style seasoned bread crumbs
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom soup
1/2 cup milk
1/3 cup white wine

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Rinse pork chops, pat dry, and season with garlic powder and seasoning salt to taste. Place the beaten eggs in a small bowl. Dredge the pork chops lightly in flour, dip in the egg, and coat liberally with bread crumbs.
Heat the oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Fry the pork chops 5 minutes per side, or until the breading appears well browned. Transfer the chops to a 9x13 inch baking dish, and cover with foil.
Bake in the preheated oven for 1 hour. While baking, combine the cream of mushroom soup, milk and white wine in a medium bowl. After the pork chops have baked for an hour, cover them with the soup mixture. Replace foil, and bake for another 30 minutes.

Notes: I didn't use the white wine and just added a little more milk, also I sauteed some mushrooms and onion and mixed that in with the sauce for more flavor. It was a hit at my house.

Cafe Rio Pork

1 to 2 lb port tenderloin or pork roast
2/3 to 1 C brown sugar
2 C fresh salsa or picanta sauce

Mix sugar & salsa together. Place pork in crock pot and pour over pork. Cook on low for 8 hours. Turn after 4 hours. When done shred.

I shredded it and put it in containers in a serving size for us and freeze it. It tastes great and is great to pull out for pork salad or pork burritos.