Bread Bowls

I googled Quick and Easy Bread Bowls and found a couple recipes. I was skeptical, (I usu sally am with bread recipes I find on the internet) but because this one took the least amount of time I thought it was worth a shot. Well they turned out great! It did make less than the 8 that the recipe says. I made 2 really big ones and 2 small kid size ones.  I did potato cheese soup in them. A family favorite for which we have no recipe. (My mother never cooks with recipes. Just to her taste.It drives me CRAZY cause I can never replicate it like she makes it). So I don't have that recipe for you, but here are the bread bowls. Courtesy of Tammy's Recipes 

Description: 

A hearty homemade bread bowl, perfect for serving chili or other soups

Yield: 

8 bowls

 

Ingredients: 

1 cup warm water (110-115 degrees F)
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons dry yeast
1 egg yolk
1 tablespoon water

 

Instructions: 

1. In mixing bowl, combine water, sugar, and salt.

2. Add flour and yeast (start with 2 cups of the flour). Stir and then knead to make a smooth, slightly sticky dough. Knead for about 5 minutes. Cover and let rest for 10 minutes

3. Grease the outsides of eight 6-ounce glass custard cups (oven-safe). Place cups upside down on ungreased cookie sheets.

4. Divide dough into 8 equal pieces. Pat or roll each piece into a 5-6 inch circle, on a lightly floured surface (or oil your hands and just form the dough in your hands). Shape dough over the outsides of the greased cups. Allow dough to touch cookie sheet, but not to curl under the edges of the cups.

5. Cover and let rise in a warm place for 20 minutes or until slightly puffy.

6. Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees F. Mix egg yolk and water; brush gently over the bread bowls. Bake for 18-22 minutes, until bread is done and bowls are golden brown. Remove from oven and immediately, carefully remove bread from bowls. (I used oven mitts, since bowls and bread are very hot.)

7. Cool bread bowls upright on wire rack. Serve with chili or soup of your choice! :)

Sweet and Sour Pork

2lbs pork boneless top loin
vegetable oil
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/2 cup cold water
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 large egg
1 can (20 oz) pineapple chunks in syrup, drained and syrup reserved
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup white vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons soy sauce
2 medium carrots, cut into thin diagonal slices
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons cold water
1 medium green bell pepper, cut into 3/4in pieces
hot cooked rice

1. Remove fat from pork. Cut pork into 3/4in pieces. Heat 1 inch oil in deep fryer or deep pan.

2. Beat flour, 1/4 cup cornstarch, 1/2 cup cold water, 1/2 teaspoon salt and the egg in large bowl with hand beater until smooth. Stir in pork until well coated.

3. Add pork pieces, one at a time, to oil. Fry about 20 pieces at a time, turning 2 or 3 times, until golden brown. Drain on paper towels.

4. Add enough water to reserved pineapple syrup to measure 1 cup. Heat syrup mixture, brown sugar, vinegar, 1/2 teaspoon salt, the soy sauce, carrots and garlic to boiling in large pan. Cover and simmer about 6 minutes or until carrots are crisp-tender. (I didn't have any carrots at the time, but I added some red cabbage.)

5. Mix 2 tablespoons cornstarch and 2 tablespoons cold water; stir into sauce. Add pork, pineapple and bell pepper. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly, Boil and stir 1 minute. Serve with rice.

We loved loved loved this--new favorite!

Wingless Buffalo Chicken Pizza

3/4lb chicken breast cutlets
olive oil
2 tsp grill seasoning, such as McCormick's Montreal Steak Seasoning
1 pizza dough
2 Tbs butter
1 Tbs worcestershire sauce
2 to 3 Tbs hot sauce
1/2 cup tomato sauce
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese

Preheat oven to 425.

Place chicken on a plate and drizzle with olive oil. Season it with grill seasoning. Cook on grill pan or pan until it is cooked through.

In a medium skillet over medium heat, melt the butter and stir in the worcestershire, hot sauce, and tomato sauce.

Remove chicken from pan and slice it thin. Add the chicken to the sauce and stir to coat. Cover the pizza dough with the saucy buffalo chicken and cheeses. Bake until crisp.

*Note: I have never used the blue cheese before--too afraid. But we love this!

Marshmallow Brownies

(Picture from Prepared Not Scared)

Brownies:
1c. Butter
1/2 c. Cocoa
1 and 1/2 c. Flour
2 c. Sugar
4 eggs
1 1/2 c. Chopped Nuts
2 tsp. Vanilla
Pinch of Salt

1 lb. Bag of Marshmallow

Icing:
1/2 c. Butter
1 2/3 c. Powdered Sugar
1/3 c. Cocoa
1/3 c. Canned Milk
1 tsp. Vanilla

Mix all the brownie ingredients together. Pour into greased 11 by 18 pan (cookie sheet with sides). Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Put the marshmallows on the top of brownies for the last 3 minutes of baking. Completely cool the brownies. Mix the ingredients of the icing. Spread on top of the marshmallows.

Upside-Down Pizza Casserole

Yay! I finally have a picture!!

1 1/2lbs ground beef
1 15-oz can Italian-style tomato sauce
1 4oz can sliced mushrooms, drained
1/4 cup sliced pitted black olives (optional)
1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
15-20 slices pepperoni
1 12-oz pkg refrigerated biscuits (10)
basil (optional)

Preheat oven to 400. In large skillet, cook meat over medium heat until brown. Drain off fat. Stir in tomato sauce, mushrooms, and olives; heat through. Transfer mixture to an ungreased 2-qt baking dish. Cover with pepperoni slices. Sprinkle with 1 cup of the cheese.

Flatten each biscuit slightly with your hands. Arrange the biscuits on top of meat mixture. Sprinkle with remaining cheese and, if desired, basil.

Bake, uncovered, for 15 to 17 minutes or until mixture is heated through and biscuits are golden. Makes 5 servings.

*I could only find huge biscuits, so only 4 would fit on mine, and they took longer to bake. I actually had to flip them over to cook the under part because they were still doughy.
*This recipe is SO easy and the kids LOVED it!!

Cranberry-Mustard Pork Tenderloin (for crockpot)

1 16oz can whole berry cranberry sauce
3 Tbs. lemon juice
4 Tbs. Dijon mustard
3 Tbs. brown sugar
2lbs of pork tenderloins

In a small mixing bowl, combine the cranberry sauce, lemon juice, mustard and brown sugar. Place pork tenderloins in crockpot and pour cranberry mixture on top. Cover; cook on low 8-10 hours (or on high for 4-5 hours).

*I buy four small thick cut tenderloins (it equals about 2lbs), and never have to cook them for the full amount of time. It is soooooo good! We usually eat them with stuffing and a vegetable.

Floating Tacos

(I forgot a picture again! Photo taken from www.mylittleredkitchen.blogspot.com)

Some friends and I do a freezer meal swap once a month, and so I made this. It froze/unfroze perfectly and was SO good! It easily feeds a family of 4, plus leftovers.

1 lb hamburger
1 small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 cans kidney beans
1 can (6oz) tomato paste
1 can (8oz) tomato sauce
1 pkg taco seasoning
1 cup uncooked rice
3 cups water

1 T. sugar
1 T. cumin
1 T. oregano
1 T. chili powder
*Fritos and taco toppings

Saute meat, onion, and garlic in large pot until onion is tender. Add tomato sauce, paste, water, beans, rice, and taco seasoning. Stir in sugar, cumin, oregano, and chili powder; bring to boil. Cover; reduce heat to low. Simmer for 30 min, stirring occasionally until rice is fully cooked. Add water if mixture becomes too thick.

Serve over Fritos and top with taco toppings (lettuce, cheese, tomatoes, olives, sour cream, etc.).