Jen's Shredded Beef Enchiladas

If you follow this blog you know we're huge fans of Mexican Food so when I heard my friend Jen had an enchilada recipe that used shredded beef I was totally on board.

Although you'll need to plan ahead (the beef needs to cook for 10-12 hours) your trusty crock pot will easily cook your roast while you sleep.

Filled with seasoned shredded beef, delicious spices and lots of cheese these enchiladas were delicious.  My youngest daughter was sitting at the counter stealing bites of meat as fast as she could and was quite upset when I cut off her supply. I can't wait to try the shredded beef in tacos, burritos, and taqutios.

*Plan ahead. The roast needs to cook for 11-12 hours*

Jen's Shredded Beef Enchiladas
adapted slightly from Jen Leach's recipe


2-3 lb. beef chuck roast

1 can beef broth

1 tsp. minced garlic

1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce

1 8 oz. can tomato sauce (if  you use a 3 lb. roast you can add a little more if it seems too dry.)

3/4 tsp. paprika

3/4 tsp. oregano

1 1/2 tsp. chili powder

1/2 tsp. cumin

1/2 tsp. black pepper

1 generous spoon full of sour cream

8 oz. each  monterey jack and cheddar cheese, grated

1 large  can green enchilada sauce

12-18 flour tortillas



Salt and pepper the roast. Cook in crock pot with beef broth and garlic for 11-12 hrs. The longer it cooks the easier to shred. (You can do this overnight and just put shredded meat in the fridge until you're ready to make your enchiladas.)Put warm (or if cold warm it up) shredded beef in pan with worchestershire sauce, tomato sauce, paprika, oregano, chili powder, cumin, black pepper and sour cream until warm. Grease a 9 x 13 pan. Pour just enough enchilada sauce in the bottom to coat the bottom of pan. Fill each tortilla with meat mixture and cheese.Roll tortillas and place seam side down in pan.Pour remaining enchilada sauce to cover enchiladas and the sprinkle with remaining cheese. bake in 350 degree oven for 20 min. Serve with sour cream and salsa. Makes abt 18 enchiladas.


*The original recipe said it made 12 enchiladas but when I made them I got 18. (My roast was 3 lbs). I  also used more sauce (the original called for 10 oz. ) so just cover tortillas to your liking.

Posted by: Sallie

Twice Baked Potatoes

My daughter requested steak for her birthday dinner and I knew these would be the perfect side dish.

Creamy, cheesy, delicious. I think that about sums it up.

Twice Baked Potatoes
Good Eats & Paula Deen

Ingredients:


8 medium baking potatoes, about 4 pounds

One 8-ounce package cream cheese, room temperature

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened

2 cups (1/2 pound) shredded sharp Cheddar Cheese

1 pint sour cream

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1/4 cup chopped chives, for garnish (optional )

6 slices bacon, cooked crisp, drained and crumbled, for garnish


Directions:
 Preheat oven to 350. Pierce the potatoes and place on a baking pan. Bake the potatoes for 1 hour or  until very soft. Allow to cool for 5-10 min.

Carefully cut each potato in half lengthwise, so you get two “boat” shapes from each potato. Using an oven mitt or potholder, hold the potato in one hand and with a spoon scoop out the flesh into a bowl. Leave a thin border (a little less than 1/4-inch) of potato innards around the skin so that it isn’t too fragile to hold the pumped up potato mixture.

 Peel and mash the potatoes in a large bowl with a potato masher or the back of a fork. Or use an electric mixer.Add the cream cheese, butter, 1 cup of the Cheddar cheese and the sour cream. Stir well. Add the garlic, salt, and pepper and stir again. (At this point the potatoes can be refrigerated if you are not ready to serve.)

 Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Line a cookie sheet with foil and spray lightly with cooking spray. Bake the potatoes for 30 to 35 minutes, until hot. Sprinkle the remaining 1 cup Cheddar cheese over the top of the potatoes and return to the oven for about 5 minutes, until the cheese melts. Garnish with the chopped chives and crumbled bacon before serving. Serves 10-12.

Posted by: Sallie

Kaydee's Alfredo Sauce

Maybe not the "light" recipe you were looking for but my motto is "all things in moderation." My friend Kaydee made this for a Mother-Daughter dinner we had and it was a big hit. Creamy and smooth, just the way I like it. Lots of times I'll saute some sliced chicken breast seasoned with salt, pepper and garlic to throw on the top.

Alfredo Sauce

Kaydee Jensen

1 qt. heavy whipping cream


1 c. butter

4 T. cream cheese

1 1/2 c. fresh Parmesan cheese, grated

2 tsp. garlic powder

1 (12oz) pkg. Fettuccine noodles ( I use whatever)



Combine cream, butter, and cream cheese; simmer until melted. Add Parmesan cheese and garlic powder. Simmer for 20-30 min on low. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Posted by: Sallie

White Cranberry Cashew Truffles

"Buttery cashews, jewel toned cranberries, and lavish white chocolate combine to make this dreamy candy that's an ideal holiday gift." I couldn't have said it better myself.

These caught my eye because they were something different and even though I'm all about tradition during the holidays, I love trying new things as well.

They were one of my favorites out of the three treats we made for our treat bags. Creamy, crunchy and a slightly tart from the cranberries. 

White Cranberry Cashew Truffles
Better Homes and Gardens

Ingredients


1 cup lightly salted roasted cashews

1/2 cup dried cranberries

12 ounces white baking chocolate, chopped

1/2 cup whipping cream

1 tablespoon butter

2 tablespoons brandy or orange juice

12 ounces white baking chocolate, chopped (or almond bark)

2 tablespoons shortening

Flaked coconut and/or snipped dried cranberries (optional)

Directions

1. For filling: In a food processor, combine cashews and the 1/2 cup dried cranberries. Cover and process until finely chopped. Transfer to a medium bowl; set aside. Place 12 ounces white chocolate in the food processor. Cover and process until finely chopped. In a small saucepan, combine whipping cream and butter. Cook and stir over medium-low heat until hot but not boiling. Remove from heat.

2. With the food processor running, carefully pour hot cream mixture through feed tube into finely chopped white chocolate. Process until smooth, stopping to scrape side of bowl if necessary. Add white chocolate mixture to cranberry mixture. Add brandy; mix well. Cover and chill about 3 hours or until firm. Shape filling into 3/4-inch balls; freeze for 15 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, for coating: In a 4-cup glass measuring cup, combine 12 ounces white chocolate and the shortening. Pour very warm tap water (100 degrees F to 110 degrees F) into a large glass bowl to a depth of 2 inches. Place measuring cup containing white chocolate in large bowl. (Water should cover bottom half of measuring cup.) Stir white chocolate constantly with a rubber spatula until melted. (This takes about 20 minutes; don't rush. If water cools, remove measuring cup. Replace cool water with very warm water; return measuring cup to bowl of water.)

4. Line a baking sheet with waxed paper. Using a fork, dip frozen balls of filling into coating, allowing excess coating to drip back into measuring cup.

5. If desired, sprinkle tops of truffles with coconut and/or snipped dried cranberries. Chill about 10 minutes or until coating is set. Store, tightly covered, in the refrigerator or freezer. Let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes before serving. Makes about 60 truffles.

*Cook's note-- if you're making these in mass quantities, you might want to go with the almond bark. My sister and I found that the white chocolate tended to get too hard and then wasn't so pretty looking anymore.*
Posted by: Sallie

The Moistest Turkey EVER!

In the rush of everything Christmas related, I almost forgot to post this amazing turkey we had for Thanksgiving.

My sister found the recipe via Food Network which claimed it's the top rated turkey on their site. I'd have to agree.

The turkey is brined in some deliciously different spices and then before cooking, stuffed with aromatics. It made for the moistest turkey we'd ever eaten. Really, throughout the whole dinner that is what everyone talked about was the turkey. This will now be our go to recipe for Thanksgiving (and Christmas) dinner.

Alton Brown's Roast Turkey
Food Network

*This turkey will need to be started 2-3 days before serving*

1 (14 to 16 pound) frozen young turkey



For the brine:

1 cup kosher salt

1/2 cup light brown sugar

1 gallon vegetable stock

1 tablespoon black peppercorns

1 1/2 teaspoons allspice berries

1 1/2 teaspoons chopped candied ginger

1 gallon heavily iced water



For the aromatics:

1 red apple, sliced

1/2 onion, sliced

1 cinnamon stick

1 cup water

4 sprigs rosemary

6 leaves sage

Canola oil

Directions
2 to 3 days before roasting:
Begin thawing the turkey in the refrigerator or in a cooler kept at 38 degrees F.

Combine the vegetable stock, salt, brown sugar, peppercorns, allspice berries, and candied ginger in a large stockpot over medium-high heat. Stir occasionally to dissolve solids and bring to a boil. Then remove the brine from the heat, cool to room temperature, and refrigerate.

Early on the day or the night before you'd like to eat:

Combine the brine, water and ice in the 5-gallon bucket. Place the thawed turkey (with innards removed) breast side down in brine. If necessary, weigh down the bird to ensure it is fully immersed, cover, and refrigerate or set in cool area for 8 to 16 hours, turning the bird once half way through brining.

Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F. Remove the bird from brine and rinse inside and out with cold water. Discard the brine.

Place the bird on roasting rack inside a half sheet pan and pat dry with paper towels.

Combine the apple, onion, cinnamon stick, and 1 cup of water in a microwave safe dish and microwave on high for 5 minutes. Add steeped aromatics to the turkey's cavity along with the rosemary and sage. Tuck the wings underneath the bird and coat the skin liberally with canola oil.

Roast the turkey on lowest level of the oven at 500 degrees F for 30 minutes. Insert a probe thermometer into thickest part of the breast and reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F. Set the thermometer alarm (if available) to 161 degrees F. A 14 to 16 pound bird should require a total of 2 to 2 1/2 hours of roasting. Let the turkey rest, loosely covered with foil or a large mixing bowl for 15 minutes before carving.


Posted by: Sallie

Pecan Pie Bars

My friend Andrea brought these treats over to our family and they were such a hit, I had to get the recipe.

Pecan pie in bar form with a delicious shortbread crust. Yum! These are great for crowds or as neighbor treats because they make a whole jelly roll sheet full.

Delicious warmed up in the microwave with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.



Pecan Pie Bars
Andrea Wittwer and All Recipes

Ingredients


3 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup white sugar

1 cup butter

1/2 teaspoon salt

4 eggs

1 1/2 cups light corn syrup

1 1/2 cups white sugar

3 tablespoons margarine, melted

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 1/2 cups chopped pecans

Directions

1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease the sides and bottom of one 15x10 inch pan.

2.In a large bowl combine the flour, 1/2 cup sugar, margarine or butter and salt until the mixture resemble coarse crumbs. Press firmly into the prepared pan.

3.Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 20 minutes.

4.In a large bowl stir the eggs, corn syrup 1 1/2 cups white sugar, melted margarine and vanilla until blended. Stir in the chopped pecans.

5.Spread the filling evenly over the hot crust. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 25 minutes or until set. Let cool before slicing.  Makes about 48 bars depending on how small they are cut.

*I think these are best eaten the day they are made.*


Posted by: Sallie

Buttermilk Waffles---Williams Sonoma vs. King Arthur Flour

I just started making my food shopping list for Christmas. I might have started breaking out in a sweat just looking at the length of my list.  Luckily my Mom and sister will be here to help. My list included over 26 sticks of butter, 17 cups of heavy cream, and 7 packages of cream cheese. (This is for the whole week though, not just Christmas Day. I say that to rationalize the shocking amount of fat I will be consuming.) I hope  no one with a bad heart will be in attendance.  I'd better run a few extra miles in preparation.

To make up for all the goodies that I've already started eating, I decided to skip the treats and post a slightly healthier recipe.

Ever since having these delicious waffles at my sister's house I have been a loyal fan. We have waffles pretty much every Sunday and I freeze the leftovers for quick breakfasts during the week. I'm a huge fan of  Williams Sonoma. They  have so many tried and true, delicious recipes that have become staples at our house.

That being said, I'm also a huge fan of King Arthur Flour. I have this book that has so many yummy recipes. Their buttermilk waffles are no exception. With a whole stick of butter and two teaspoons of vanilla, their flavor is fabulous. No egg white beating required and one batch makes about 10 waffles. Perfect for leftovers during the week.

 My kids love them topped with whipped cream and syrup. What can I say, they take after me. I usually throw in a few banana slices because adding fruit makes me feel better about the whipped cream. I love having two recipes to alternate between and they are both delicious.

Classic Buttermilk Waffles
King Arthur Flour

2 large eggs


1 3/4 cups buttermilk

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted and cooled to room temperature

2 teaspoons vanilla

2 cups Round Table Unbleached Pastry OR 1 3/4 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour

2 tablespoons sugar (leave this out if you want savory waffles, such as the type you'd use as a base for creamed chipped beef or creamed chicken)

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon soda

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup pecan meal (optional, I never use this)

In a medium-sized mixing bowl, beat together the eggs, buttermilk, melted butter or margarine and vanilla. In another bowl whisk together the dry ingredients. Combine the wet and dry ingredients just until almost smooth.

Spray your waffle iron with a non-stick cooking spray before preheating it. For an 8-inch round waffle iron, use about 1/3 cup batter. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until the iron stops steaming. Yield: about ten 8-inch waffles.

*cooks note - If you have a scale, this is a recipe where measuring the flour really makes a difference.*

Posted by: Sallie