Cooking with KP

Old Fashioned Ranch Meat and Potatoes Casserole

Most everyone enjoys potatoes, meat, and cheese. Here is an easy to make casserole that melds these wonderful ingredients so well. You can freeze the leftover for quick dinners. It is also great to take to potlucks.

2 pounds of lean ground beef, turkey, or pork

1 medium onion, diced

1 small bell pepper, diced

2 garlic toes/buds,diced

1 package of dry Ranch dressing mix

4-5 medium potatoes, peeled and sliced thinly

2 cans of cream of mushroom soup or cream of chicken if using ground turkey

1 cup of chicken broth

1/2 cup heavy cream or evaporated milk

1 Tablespoon paprika

1/2 teaspoon pepper

2-3 cups of shredded cheddar or Colby Jack cheese

1/2 Tablespoon butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease with butter a 9x13 baking pan.

In a large skillet brown meat with onion, bell pepper and garlic for 5-8 meats until meat is no longer pink and onions are translucent. If you need to drain the meat, do so now and return to skillet. Sprinkle in dressing mix and let cook 1-2 more minutes.

In a mixing bowl, whisk together soup, heavy cream, chicken broth, paprika and pepper.

You will be making 3 layers, so use ingredients according. Place a layer of one third of the potatoes on the bottom of the baking pan, top with 1/3 of the soup mixture, top with 1/3 of meat, and 1/3 of the cheese. Repeat layers ending with cheese.

Cover with foil and bakes for 45 minutes. Remove from oven and check to make sure the potatoes are fully cooked. If not, continue to cook, checking every 15 minutes. When potatoes are cooked, remove foil and return to over to brown/crisp cheese on the top. Let casserole set for 10 minutes prior to serving.

Stuffed Mushroom Casserole

We love stuffed mushrooms, so this casserole is a perfect

side dish for us. It is a great

side dish for an Italian meal or with anything you want. Super easy and delicious. (from Dinner, dishes, and desserts.com)

1 pound loose Italian sausage (you can substitute ground pork or breakfast sausage. If you substitute sausage, add 2 Tablespoon Italian seasoning when you add salt and pepper)

16 ounces of cleaned mushrooms, thinly sliced

2 cloves of minced garlic

1 cup onion, diced

1/3 cup bell pepper, diced

3/4 cup Italian bread crumbs

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt

4 Tablespoons olive oil, divided into 3 and 1

1 1/2 cup shredded Mozzarella cheese, divided

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large skillet heat 1 Tbls olive oil over medium high heat. Add mushrooms, and onions , and cook for 5-6 minutes until lightly browned. Mix in garlic,and cook for 1 minute until fragrant. Remove from pan.

Return the skillet to heat and brown sausage until fully cooked. Drain and mix with mushroom mixture. Season with salt and pepper (and Italian seasoning if necessary)

Mix in 1 cup of Mozzarella cheese, and pour into a casserole dish. Sprinkle remaining cheese over the top.

In a bowl mix together breadcrumbs and remaining 3 Tbls olive oil. Spread evenly over the top of the casserole.

Bake for 15 minutes

Note: You can substitute Italian blend shredded cheese or mix it with the Mozzarella.

Company's Coming Banana Pudding

When your hubby comes home from the office and says, "The boss is joining us for dinner, " or a few friends or family make a sudden visit, make this easy banana pudding for dessert. It is also great to take for work luncheons or potlucks.

3 cups of milk (whole milk makes it extra rich)

1 5.1 ounce package of instant vanilla or banana cream pudding mix

1 8 container of Cool Whip (I like the extra creamy), at room temp.

3 ripe, but not brown banana--they need to have some firmness for cutting

1 box of vanilla wafers

In in 2 quart baking dish (11x7 or 8x8), cover the bottom with vanilla wafers. Slice bananas into 1/4 inch slices. Place one banana slice on top of each wafer. In a large bowl, empty pudding mix into the bottom and then add milk. Whisk until all pudding mix is dissolved. It should not be firm. It should be pourable. Stir the Cool Whip until smooth and fold in half of it to the pudding. Pour half of the pudding on top of wafers and bananas. Lay another layer of wafers and bananas. Any extra banana slices should be placed in as well. Top with remaining pudding mix. Spread to the sides to make sure all wafers are covered. Then spread the remaining Cool Whip on top. Crumble 4-5 wafers and lightly dust the top of the Cool Whip with the crumbles. Cover with foil and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

Easy Sheet Pie

I found this recipe on Crazy for Crust and made a couple of adjustments. It is wonderful. A great family dinner night dessert or a take to a potluck hit!

2 cans of crescent rolls or 2 cans of crescent roll sheets (This is a much easier to use)

2 cans of fruit pie filling--apple, peach, blueberry or cherry are all great

1/2 cup powdered sugar

2-3 Tablespoons of heavy whipping cream

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 Tablespoon of cinnamon (optional)

1/2 Tablespoon of sugar (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Spray a glass 9x13 cooking pan with cooking spray.

Unroll one can of crescent roll (DO NOT SEPARATE AND PINCH SEAMS TOGETHER) or one can of the crescent roll sheet. Place in the bottom of the baking dish and slow press down, trying to get the sides half way covered.

Open fruit filling and spread on top.

Unroll second can of crescent dough (DO NOT SEPARATE AND PINCH SEAMS TOGETHER) and lay on top of pie filling; gently stretch and push down the edges so that they touch the bottom crust. I use a butter/dinner knife to press them down along the sides.

If you have used peach or apple filling, mix the cinnamon and sugar together and sprinkle on the top crust.

Bake for 40-50 minutes. Make sure the top crust is golden brown before removing from baking. I also hold the pan up over my head--be careful; it is so hot and to make sure the bottom crust is browned nicely.

Let sheet pie cool completely.

Mix powdered sugar, vanilla, and heavy cream together to make a thick, but drippable icing--add more cream if too thick. Spread over the top crust. Slice into squares. ENJOY!

Easy Skillet Corned Beef Hash

I love corned beef. One of my favorite ways to have it is hash. It is great with fried eggs for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Here is a simple recipe that I enjoy.

3/4 pound leftover or deli counter corned beef, about 2 cups diced into 1/2-inch cubes
2 Tablespoons chopped garlic
1 cup chopped yellow onion
16 ounces frozen hash brown, diced or shredded ( prefer the diced to the shredded)
½ teaspoon onion powder
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon black pepper
¾ teaspoon salt
4 Tablespoons butter
2 Tablespoons olive oil
½ teaspoon paprika
3 sliced green onions

Preheat a 12-inch skillet on medium heat with 1 tablespoon butter and 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add onion. Sauté for 3-5 minutes or until slightly translucent. Remove from skillet.

Add remaining butter and olive oil. Add potatoes. Let brown for 3 minutes, stirring often.

Add garlic and spices to potatoes. Allow potato to brown undisturbed, turning over roughly every 3 minutes for 10 minutes. Turn down the heat if potatoes start to burn.

Return onion to skillet. Add corned beef. Mix to combine. Allow to cook undisturbed, turning over mixture every 2 minutes for 6 to 8 minutes. Turn down to low heat so that potatoes burn.

Serve as is or with eggs. Top with sliced green onions.

Southern Pork Loin

Pork is one of my family's favorite meats. Here is a pork loin recipe that we often enjoy for Sunday dinners. You can toss in carrots and sweet potato chunks for a complete meal.

4 lb pork loin

8-10 strips of bacon

2/3 cups of brown sugar

1/2 Tablespoon paprika

1/2 Tablespoon pepper

1/2 Tablespoon garlic power

2/3 cup of Dijon mustard

4 toes/buds of garlic, peeled and slice in half

3 Tablespoons olive oil

Seasoned salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 450. Place 3 Tablespoons of olive in the bottom of a roaster pan. Make sure it coats the entire bottom. Cut small slits in roast and stuff the 8 pieces of garlic inside. Salt and pepper pork loin. Place in pan and put in oven for 30 minutes. Flip roast over mid way.

On a large cookie sheet, mix the brown sugar, paprika, pepper and garlic.

After the roast has cooked 30 minutes, reduce temperature to 350 degrees. Remove roast from oven and brush the mustard on all sides of the roast;using all of it. The Mustard helps keep the roast moist. Then, roll the roast in the brown sugar and spices mixture. Return to roasting pan. Lay the bacon strips over roast. If you want to be creative, you can weave it to make a lattice, but I often don't have time, so I just cover the roast with the bacon. If your roaster has a lid, cover the loin. If your roaster doesn't have a lid, cover with foil. Cook 1 hour. Remove foil or lid. Check temperature in center. It should read between 145 and 160 degrees. If not continue to cook with lid on, checking temperature every 10-15 minutes. Once at the right temperature, cook without cover an additional 20 minutes to crisp bacon.

Potato Casserole

I found a similar recipe on Food Network by Trisha Yearwood’s recipe. She used a pressure cooker to cook the potatoes, but I simply boiled mine. I made a few minor adjustments to her recipe. This is a great dish for Sunday dinners, pot lucks, etc.

6 large russet potatoes

Pinch of salt

8 ounces sliced bacon

1 cup milk

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1/2 cup sour cream

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon pepper

2 cups shredded Colby Jack or cheddar cheese

sliced green onions (optional)

Peel and cube potatoes. Place in large pot, cover with water, and add a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil. Boil until fork tender. About 15 minutes of boiling time. While potatoes are boiling, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Fry bacon and drain on paper towels. Once bacon is cool enough to touch, crumb and set aside.

When potatoes are done, drain and return to pot. Either use a masher or mixer to get to mashed potato consistency. Add milk, mayonnaise, sour cream, butter, garlic powder, and pepper. Blend well and until smooth. Fold in 1 cup of cheese and half the bacon crumbs.

Spray a casserole dish with cooking spray. Pour potato mixture into dish and top with 1 cup of cheese and the rest of the bacon crumbles. Bake for 25-30 minutes.

Top with sliced green onions.

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.