Cooking with KP

Big Momma's Red Tater Casserole

There are lots of loaded potato casseroles recipes around, and I guess you could call this one, too. I created it one night when I need to use up some red potatoes. My family enjoys it. It is a tasty side dish.

8-10 red potatoes

1 can cream of chicken soup, undiluted

½ medium onion, diced

½ small red or green

bell pepper, diced

5 strips bacon, fried and crumbled

½ cup shredded Colby Jack cheese

3 Tablespoon sour cream

2 green onions, diced

½ teaspoon garlic powder

½ teaspoon pepper

¼ cup shredded Colby Jack cheese for topping

Wash red potatoes. Don’t peel. Slice into rounds. I usually get 4 cuts/slices per potato. Place potatoes in pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil and boil 6 minutes. They should not be completely done. Drain in colander and allow to cool.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

While potatoes are cooling, fry bacon. Drain and crumble.

In a mixing bowl, combine soup, onion, bell pepper, sour cream, ½ cup Colby Jack cheese, garlic powder, pepper, and half the green onions. Mix well. Add drained potatoes and gently fold them into mixture, making sure you don’t break or mash the slices.

Spray a casserole dish and pour in potato mixture. Sprinkle ¼ cup of Colby Jack cheese on top. Top cheese with bacon crumbles and remaining green onions.

Bake for 20-30 minutes. Sides should be bubbly and top cheese melted and slightly browned.

Strawberry Cheesecake Fluff

This Strawberry Cheesecake Fluff is a deliciously easy summertime dessert. It is perfect for potlucks, summertime BBQ’s, and parties, especially baby showers. It can be prepared together quickly and left to chill in the fridge while other dishes are being prepared.

1 lb. fresh strawberries; hulled and quartered

1 box instant cheesecake pudding mix

2/3 cup sour cream or plain yogurt

1 cup mini marshmallows

2 T sugar

1 8 oz. Cool Whip; defrosted

1 T lemon juice

Graham crackers

In a large bowl; mix together sour cream/yogurt, sugar and lemon juice.

Add pudding mix and cool whip; stir until smooth.

Gently fold in marshmallows and strawberries.

Cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours before serving.

Place fluff in bowl with graham crackers surrounding to serve.

Note: You can also add some fresh blueberries, raspberries, or mixture of all berries, if you like.

Southern Corn Salad

This is one of my favorite side dishes for cookouts. Heck, I like it any time! I think it is even better the next day.

2 14 oz. cans of whole kernel corn, rinsed and drained well

1 small can sliced black olives, drained

½ medium onion, diced

1 large plum tomato, diced or 8-10 grape tomatoes sliced thin

8-10 pickled banana pepper rings, diced

1/2 teaspoon of sugar

3 Tablespoons mayonnaise

1 Tablespoon of apple cider vinegar or the vinegar from the banana pepper rings

big dash of pepper

dash of parsley flakes

Drain the corn and black olives very well. You don’t want your salad to be watery. Put all ingredients in a large bowl. Toss well. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Sometimes I have added a little diced bell pepper and diced celery to the mix.

Crockpot Polynesian Meatballs (Sweet and Sour)

If you are looking for a quick and easy dinner or a party appetizer that even picky eaters will enjoy, here it is. This recipe is so simple to make and will make your house smell AMAZING while it cooks. The sauce is a wonderful blend of sweet and tangy. I use frozen meatballs, but you can make your own (reduce the cooking time with homemade meatballs that are just made/baked/fried, but keep the same time if you have pre-made and then frozen your meatballs.

1 28 oz. bag of frozen meatballs (about 45 meatballs)

2 bell peppers, diced in 1-inch pieces

(I use two different colored peppers for add color)

1 large onion, diced in 1-inch pieces

1 20 oz. can of pineapple chunks, drain but keep juice

½ cup ketchup

¾ cup dark brown sugar

3-4 Tablespoons low sodium soy sauce

2 Tablespoons cornstarch

½ Tablespoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon pepper

juice from pineapple

chopped green onions to top

First, drain the juice from the can of pineapple into a medium bowl (you'll need that later for the sauce.)

It should give you about ¾ cup of pineapple juice.

Place frozen meatballs into your 4-6 quart crock pot.

Then top meatballs with pineapple chunks, onions, and bell peppers.

Add brown sugar, ketchup, soy sauce and cornstarch to the bowl with the pineapple juice.

Whisk it all together well.

Pour sauce over meatballs.

Cover and cook on low for 4 hours.

One hour before serving, raise temperature of crock pot to high and cook for an additional hour. Doing this will thicken the sauce.

The sauce should be thicker and bubbling around the edges.

Serve over hot steamed rice for a great dinner or serve without rice as an appetizer.

Sprinkle with chopped green onion.

Garlic Lemon Pepper and Almond Sauce for Vegetables

I purchase a great deal of frozen vegetables and some steam-able bags of vegetables that you pop in the microwave. I like my vegetables usually with just a touch of butter, but sometimes we like to try something else that is how this sauce was created. It is great on broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, carrots, and veggie mixes.

½ stick of butter

1 Tablespoon minced garlic

1 quick squeeze of juice from half a lemon (probably ½ Tablespoon) I have never used bottled lemon juice, so I don’t know if this would work well.

½ teaspoon of pepper

1 Tablespoon of salad toppers honey roasted almonds

You want to either steam your vegetables or cook according to the frozen product directions. When I am doing this, I reduce the cook time by 1-2 minutes because I like my vegetable to have a bit of crispiness. While the vegetables are cooking, in a skillet, melt the butter and add minced garlic. Sauté for 1-2 minutes. If your garlic is absorbing too much of the butter, add more. You want to be able to coat the vegetables in the sauce. Next, add the lemon juice and pepper. Drain your vegetables and add them to the skillet and toss to coat. Sprinkle with roasted almonds and continue to cook another minute.

Crockpot Cheesy Ranch Potatoes

If you are looking for a great side dish that will be ready when you get home from work, a day out with the kids, or just because, here it is. I like to serve this with a rotisserie chicken, barbecue sausage links that I cook in the skillet and add a little barbecue sauce to (done in 15 minutes), or with some leftover meat, such as meatloaf, roast, or chops, plus a salad.

2.5-3 pounds of potatoes, peeled and cubed (I don’t peel red potatoes when I used them)

1 large onion, diced

1 can cream of chicken soup (you could change to cream of celery or mushroom)

1 envelope dry ranch dressing mix

1 Tablespoon parsley flakes

½ Tablespoon garlic powder

½ teaspoon pepper

1 cup shredded Colby Jack cheese

2-3 green onions, sliced (optional)

Spray the insides of crockpot with cooking spray or coat with olive oil. Add potatoes, onion, soup, ranch powder, parsley, garlic powder, and pepper. Mix until soup is coating all potatoes. Cook on low for 6-8 hours. When potatoes are done, sprinkle with cheese and stir. Cook 15 more minutes. Sprinkle with slice green onions when served.

Pepperoni Chicken and Pasta Bake

There are lots of recipes online and in cook books that combine the wonderful flavors of marinara sauce, pepperoni,and cheese with meats, such as ground beef and Italian sausage, . Here is my version, using chicken. It is very good.
This is a great dinner and kids enjoy it!

3 boneless skinless chicken breasts or 10 chicken tenders, cubed

1 medium onion, diced

1 medium bell pepper, diced

1 Tablespoon prepared minced garlic

1 Tablespoon Italian seasoning blend

1 (24 ounce) jar marinara sauce ( I use Emeril’s or Newman’s Own)

½ Tablespoon sugar

garlic powder, seasoned salt, pepper

2 cups penne pasta, boiled and drained

1 (6 ounce) package of sliced pepperoni--cut all but 24 slices into four parts

1 ½ cup shredded Italian blend cheese (a mix of Mozzarella, Romano, and Provolone cheeses) Kraft makes a great product

¼ cup shredded Parmesan cheese (not the shaker can kind)

2 Tablespoons olive oil

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Season chicken chunks with garlic powder, seasoned salt, and pepper. In a large skillet, heat olive oil and add chicken. Cook chicken pieces for about 2-3 minutes, turning often. Add diced bell pepper and onion. Continue to cook until vegetables begin to soften. Add marinara sauce, minced garlic, sugar, Italian seasoning and a dash of pepper. Bring to boil, reduce heat to simmer and cover. While sauce is simmering, boil pasta in a large pot of water (I cook mine for 9-10 minutes) and drain. Add drained pasta and pepperoni slices that have been quartered to sauce and chicken mixture. Mix well. Add 1 cup of cheese blend. Spray a 9 x13 casserole dish with cooking spray. Pour pasta mixture in dish. Top with ½ cup of Italian cheese and ¼ cup of Parmesan cheese. Layer the reserved 24 slices of pepperoni on top of cheese. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until top cheese begins to melt and lightly bubble.

Cheaper Cuts of Beef Don't Have To Be Tough

Most people avoid the cheaper cuts of beef because they tend to be tough. With 8 children and three adults in our home, my mother had to find ways to tenderize the cheaper cuts of beef. One way to cook "down", as my mother used to say, a tough cut of beef steak is to season both sides of the steak with garlic powder, seasoned salt and pepper. Lightly brown the steak in a large skillet and on top add a diced green bell pepper, medium onion, a bay leaf, parsley flakes, a few dashes of Worchestershire sauce, and a can of diced tomatoes. Cover with lid. Let the steak simmer for 30-50 minutes. Remove lid and thicken juices by cooking 5-10 more minutes. You can also do the same with a cheap beef roast in a crock pot. Add all the ingredients in crock pot and cook on low for 6-8 hours. The flavor is simple, amazing and great with mashed potatoes.

Fall Vegetables for a Healthy You

As the fall approaches, we will all start to stay indoors more hours. This will lessen our vitamins, such as vitamin A, D, and K, which are enhanced by sunlight. Below are a few vegetables you might want to increase in your diet as the fall and later winter days approach. Besides, they are very tasty. In fact, in the next few weeks, I will be posting recipes that incorporate many of these delicious veggies.

Sweet potatoes and yams are very rich in carotenoids, vitamins A, B6, C, potassium, iron and fiber and are delicious when baked and eaten plain (without butter) or used in soups, casseroles or stir-fries.

Bell peppers are great sources of potassium, manganese, fiber and vitamins A, B, C and K. These sweet peppers are flavorful additions to salads and healthy stir-fries. You can choose from a rainbow of colors, including: green peppers,yellow peppers, orange peppers,and red peppers.

Summer and winter squash are rich in carotenoids, vitamins A and C, potassium, magnesium and fiber and can be served alone or added to many dishes.

Just a few tips for you...

Spray your Tupperware with nonstick cooking spray before pouring in tomato- based sauces. No more stains!

Use lifesavers candy to hold candles in place on your next birthday cake! Kids love them.

Stuff a miniature marshmallow in the bottom of a sugarcone to prevent ice cream drips!

Zap garlic cloves in the microwave for 15 seconds and the skins slip right off!

If your celery begins to wilt in the fridge, fill a large cup half full of water and place celery in the cup. Put back in the fridge for two hours--it will be crisp. (Learned this from my mother).

Cooking Myth Busted

A Potato Can Save a Salty Soup or Stew. True or False? False. "This is an attractive idea, but it doesn't work because potatoes are not particularly absorbent," says Wolke, who conducted his own soup-and-potato experiment for his Cooking Myth Busters book. "There is no reason they would attract salt." If you remove the raw potato from the soup, the potato will taste salty, but so would a sponge — it has simply soaked up some of the salty liquid. Still, there is hope for salty stews: Adding a bit of vinegar or sugar can "cancel out" the saltiness by giving your taste buds competing flavors.

Super Moist Turkey

If you are looking for a way to get a moist turkey, you might try one of these family hints:

1--bake the turkey upside down--breast down for the first half of the cooking time. It will help the darker meat cook more thoroughly and the fatty juices of the darker meat will drip down to the breast and add moistness. Use a deep roasting pan for this.

2--bake the turkey with the breast up, but rub it with butter, garlic powder and pepper only. Do not salt the skin. Instead, mix salt in a cup of warm water and pour that cup of salted warm-not hot-water inside the cavity of the turkey. The salt water will steam up into the turkey, making it very moist.

3. bake the turkey with the breast up and slice two lemons and one orange in halves. Place the halves inside the seasoned turkey and the juices will steam into the meat, adding moisture and flavor.

Hint of the Week

Here is something I learned from my wonderful Mother, the greatest cook I have ever known. When you have just a small serving of cooked vegetables leftover from dinner, don't throw them away. Keep a large plastic container in the freezer and put the vegetables in the container. Mix them--carrots, corn, green beans, broccoli, etc. When the container is full make a pot of soup or stew. Also, if a recipe calls for 1/2 a chopped onion, chop the whole onion and add the half to the freezer container. My mother made the best vegetable soups from this idea.

Hint for the Week

With Fourth of July quickly approaching, you might be thinking of making Deviled Eggs. If you want perfectly boiled eggs, place eggs in a large pot and completely cover with cold water. Do not layer eggs on top of one another. Bring water to a rapid boil for 2 minutes, reduce to simmer and let eggs simmer 8 minutes, return to boil for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and empty hot water and fill pot with cold water. Let sit for 5 minutes. To peel easily, slightly crush shell in your fist and roll on counter with a firm grip. Of course, you don't want to push through the egg, but by making the shell crack in many small pieces, it is easier to peel. My father saw this on a cooking show years ago and taught me this. It truly works.