Rigatoni Pasta

Ingredients

1 lb rigatoni pasta

1 lb Italian sausage

1 onion, minced

2 Tablespoons garlic

1 Tablespoon Italian Seasoning

1 teaspoon red chili flakes, optional

15 oz tomato sauce

6 oz tomato paste

15 oz Italian diced tomatoes

1 Tablespoon sugar

3/4 cup heavy cream

instructions

Bring a pot of water to boil and cook the rigatoni pasta according to the directions on the back.

Then in a skillet brown the Italian sausage. Then add the diced onion and garlic and sauté for a few more minutes. Then add the remaining ingredients (except the heavy cream) and let simmer for 15 minutes.

Then add the heavy cream and simmer for 5 more minutes. Then serve on top of the rigatoni pasta.

Slow Cooker Fajitas

Ingredients

2 pound flank steak

2 large bell peppers, or 3 small/med (use red, yellow, or orange)

1 large onion (red, white or yellow)

1/4 cup fresh lime juice (about 3 large limes), plus extra for serving

1 tablespoon soy sauce

2 teaspoons liquid smoke

1 tablespoon white vinegar

1 tablespoon chili powder

1 tablespoon cumin

4–5 cloves minced garlic (pre-minced garlic works great!)

2 teaspoons kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Optional: extra lime and a handful of chopped cilantro

SAUCE

1 cup sour cream

2 tablespoons lime juice (zest a little lime in the sour cream before juicing!)

1 teaspoon chili powder

kosher salt to taste

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Instructions

Cut flank steak against the grain into about 1/2-inch slices. Then slice the opposite direction so you have 2-3-inch strips of meat. Place in slow cooker. Cut peppers and onions into large 1-inch strips and place on top of meat (see note below).

In a small bowl, combine 1/4 cup lime juice, soy sauce, liquid smoke, vinegar, chili powder, cumin, garlic, salt, and pepper. Whisk to combine and then pour over meat and veggies and toss to coat. Place lid on cooker and cook 4-6 hours on high, or 7-8 hours on low.

While meat is cooking, whisk together sauce ingredients and store in fridge till serving.

When meat is done, optionally squeeze a little more lime on top and toss in a handful of chopped cilantro.

Serve on tortillas of choice, with any additional toppings (ie: avocado, pico de gallo, etc.)

Caramel Apple Crisp

INGREDIENTS

• Filling:
• 8 cups sliced apples (5-6 large apples, we like Granny Smith or Honey Crisp)
• 2 Tbsp sugar
• 1 Tbsp flour
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 14oz caramels (2 1/4 cups)
• 6 Tbsp milk
• Topping:
• 1 1/4 cup flour
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 cup oats
• 3/4 cup butter, soft
• 1 tsp cinnamon

INSTRUCTIONS

Peel and thinly slice the apples. Toss with the sugar, flour, and cinnamon. Pour into a greased 9x13" pan; set aside.

Mix caramels and milk in a glass bowl. Microwave until melted, stirring occasionally. Drizzle about half of the caramel sauce over the apples.

Combine topping ingredients in a small bowl till crumbly and spread evenly over apples and caramel.

Bake at 350° for about 45 minutes, or till topping is golden brown and apples are tender. Serve with vanilla ice cream and the remaining caramel sauce.

NOTES

-If I have homemade caramel sauce on hand, I use it in place of the caramels and 6 Tbsp of milk.

Broccoli Cheddar Soup

YIELD: SERVES 6-8

EASY BROCCOLI CHEESE SOUP

PREP TIME 30 MINUTES

 

COOK TIME 15 MINUTES

 

TOTAL TIME 45 MINUTES

INGREDIENTS

•  3 1/2 cups chicken broth
•  1/2 cup finely diced onion (white or yellow)
•  1 teaspoon salt
•  1/2 teaspoon pepper
•  5-6 cups (about 30-36 ounces) chopped broccoli (see note)
•  4 cups milk (I use 2%)
•  1/2 cup all-purpose flour (use 2/3 cup if you want it extra thick)
•  3 cups (12 ounces) freshly grated cheddar cheese (see note)
•  1 cup (4 ounces) freshly grated Swiss cheese (see note)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. In a large saucepan (6-quarts or so), add the chicken broth, onion, salt and pepper. Bring the mixture to a simmer and add the broccoli (it won't be completely covered with liquid). Cover the pot and cook for 8-9 minutes until the broccoli and onions are tender.
2. In a blender, combine the milk and flour and process until smooth. Slowly add the milk mixture to the soup, stirring quickly. Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer, stirring constantly, and cook until thickened, 3-4 minutes.
3. Turn the heat to low and stir in the cheese, one handful at a time, letting each addition melt before adding more. Season to taste with additional salt and pepper, if needed.
4. Serve immediately (the soup will thicken as it cools).

NOTES

I like the broccoli chopped pretty small for this soup - but you can chop it as small or as large as you prefer.

Also, remember that pre-shredded cheese won't melt as well in this soup thanks to the powdery substance that's added to it to prevent clumping (the powder prevents it from melting as smooth and creamy as block cheese you grate yourself). I prefer sharp cheddar cheese (extra sharp makes the soup a little gritty and mild cheddar cheese doesn't have as much flavor). 

For Instant Pot fanatics, I think this stands a good chance of working in the IP (taking notes from this IP creamy potato soup recipe). Maybe combining the broth, salt, pepper, onions, and broccoli and cooking at HP for 1-2 minutes. Quick release the pressure and then use the saute function when adding the milk and cheese? Just a starting place. 

Cranberry Salsa

Description

The perfect sweet & savory holiday appetizer: bright and tangy cranberries combine with spicy jalapenos and are cooled by creamy cream cheese.

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SCALE 

Ingredients

• 12 oz bag fresh cranberries, washed
• 2 jalapenos, minced (adjust according to taste)
• 1/2 cup sliced green onions, roughly chopped
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro, roughly chopped
• 1/2 tablespoon lime or lemon juice
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 cup sugar, more to taste if desired
• 2 8-ounce packages cream cheese, at room temperature

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Instructions

1. Place cranberries, jalapenos, green onions and cilantro in a food processor and process until fine. Transfer mixture to a bowl and stir in lime juice, salt, and sugar. Chill in fridge for about 2 hours or more. To serve, spread cream cheese evenly in a pie plate or other shallow serving dish. Spread salsa on top and serve with crackers.

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Notes

• Feel free to adjust this basic recipe to taste. I like to be heavy-handed with the onion and cilantro, and if you like a kick, add more jalapeno peppers! One recipe makes enough for 2 blocks of cream cheese. Often I’ll just serve it over one block at a time and save the extra salsa for another night.

Slow Cooker Red Beans and Rice

Ingredients

• 1 cup diced yellow or white onion
• 1 medium green bell pepper, diced
• 4 (15-ounces each) cans kidney beans, undrained
• 1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
• 2 teaspoons coarse or freshly cracked black pepper (see note)
• 2 bay leaves
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 2-3 cloves garlic, finely minced
• 1 1/2 pounds kielbasa or chicken sausage, sliced (see note)
• Hot, cooked brown rice, white rice or quinoa for serving

Instructions

1. Combine all the ingredients except the kielbasa/sausage in a medium slow cooker and give it a good stir. Cook on high for 4-5 hours or on low for 7-8 hours. Add the sausage and cook until warmed through (anywhere from 20 minutes to another hour).
2. Add additional salt to taste before serving. Serve over hot, cooked rice (white or brown) or quinoa.

Notes

For the kielbasa/sausage, you're looking for precooked sausage that you slice into rounds - I like using the chicken sausage (Aidell's brand). Something similar, pork or beef or turkey, would work for this recipe.
PRESSURE COOKER: To adapt this to a pressure cooker, combine all the ingredients except the sausage and rice to a pressure cooker. Cook at high pressure for 20 minutes. Quick release the pressure. Add the sausage and use the Saute feature (on the Instant Pot) to heat through. Serve over the cooked rice.UPDATE: A lot of the flavor (given the short list of seasonings) comes from the black pepper. I used coarse ground black pepper (from Costco) and the full 2 teaspoons was perfect for us but depending on the brand/type of black pepper you are using, it might add more heat than you like. You can always add 1 teaspoon during cooking time and add more at the end, to taste, if you want to play it safe.

Fluffy Honey Oat Dinner Rolls

Ingredients

• 2 cups (7.5 ounces) quick cooking oats (see note)
• 1/3 cup honey
• 4 tablespoons butter, cut into pieces
• 2 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 2 1/2 cups boiling water
• 1 1/2 tablespoons instant yeast (see note for active dry yeast)
• 4 to 5 cups all-purpose flour
• Melted butter, for brushing baked rolls (optional)

Instructions

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, combine the oats, honey, butter and salt. Add the boiling water and mix until combined. Let the oats soften and the mixture cool for 15-20 minutes until about 110 degrees (or lightly warm to the touch).
2. Add the yeast and 2 cups of the flour. Mix until combined. With the mixer on low speed, continue adding flour, 1/2 cup at a time, until a soft dough forms that clears the sides of the bowl but is still soft and tacky to the touch (be careful not to overflour!). The exact amount of flour will depend on many factors, so don't worry if you have to add more or less than called for to achieve the right texture for the dough. Knead the dough for 4-5 minutes until smooth and elastic.
3. Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl and cover with a clean towel or greased plastic wrap. Let the dough rise until doubled, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours, depending on the warmth of your kitchen.
4. Punch down the dough and divide into 12 equal pieces (see note). Shape each piece into a round ball, pinching the bottom to seal.
5. Grease a 9X13-inch baking pan and place the rolls in the pan. Cover and let the rolls rise until puffy and almost doubled in size, about an hour.
6. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Bake the rolls for 20-25 minutes until golden on top and baked through. Brush with melted butter, if desired.

Notes

I'm sure you could sub old-fashioned rolled oats for this recipe. If you don't want the oat texture to be noticeable in the rolls, pulse the old-fashioned oats in a blender or food processor until coarsely chopped before using.
To use active dry yeast instead of instant yeast, combine the same amount of yeast in a small bowl with a pinch of sugar and 3-4 tablespoons water. Let the mixture sit until foamy, 5-7 minutes, and then use in the recipe in step #2 as directed.
I like making 12 rolls out of this batch - it makes really large, fluffy rolls. You could definitely make upwards of 18-20 rolls out of this batch if you want smaller rolls. If doing so, I'd suggest baking them on a large, rimmed baking sheet (don't cram that many into a 9X13-inch pan).