The Best Mushroom Kebobs

Earlier this week, I found ribeye steaks on Manager's Special at Kroger.  They were a little over $5 each and normally priced around $10.  Score!  We maybe eat steak 3 times a year, mainly because of price, and secondly, because I'm just not a big fan of red meat.  So anyways, I knew I wanted to make a corn recipe a friend had shared, but wanted something else to grill.  We made a medley of grilled veggies last week and the mushrooms were my favorite, so I decided to just do mushrooms this time.  I googled a grilled mushroom recipe and the first one I looked at on Taste of Homes' website was this one and I had all the ingredients.

The case:

Mushroom Kebobs
Adapted from:  Taste of Home

Ingredients:

• 16 oz mushrooms
• 2 sticks butter, melted
• 1 teaspoon garlic salt
• 1 teaspoon dried dill
• 1 lemon
• 1/8 cup grated Parmesan cheese  (buy from the deli refrigerated section)

Directions:

1. Clean mushrooms.  Pull out stem.
2. Skewer mushrooms.  
3. Mix butter, garlic salt, dill, and juice from 1/2 lemon.  Brush over both sides of mushrooms.
4. Grill over medium high heat for 15 minutes, turning and basting with leftover marinade every 5 minutes.
5. Sprinkle with cheese.

The ruling:

Absolutely amazing!!!!  Best mushrooms I've ever had.  The only problem with this recipe is that I should have made a lot more and I mean a lot more.  My 18 month old ate these like they were candy, which didn't leave near as many as Michael and I wanted.  Speaking of which, have I mentioned that I am the luckiest woman alive?  I sampled one of these while we were waiting on the steaks to rest.  Soooo good.  Then Michael said, "You know what would be really good?  What if we sprinkled some of the Parmesan over them."  I'm telling you he is pure genius!  Well, at least he has his moments, and this was definitely one!  

Stars: 5 definitely

Make again? Tomorrow sounds go

Crispy Parmesan Asparagus Sticks

I'm always trying to figure out more ways to feed my family vegetables.  We roast our veggies more than anything else.  I love roasted asparagus and knew I had to try this when I saw it on Pinterest.  I can't wait to try to crunchiness of the Panko on the asparagus!

The case:
Crispy Parmesan Asparagus Sticks from How Sweet It Is
Ingredients:

• 1 bunch of asparagus
• 2 egg whites 
• 1/4 cup flour 
• 1 cup seasoned panko breadcrumbs 
• 1/4 cup parmesan cheese 
• salt and pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Lay a wire rack on a baking sheet and coat with non-stick spray.
2. Snap off the tough ends of each asparagus spear. On two separate plates, add the eggs (lightly beaten) and the panko + flour + cheese. Season the panko mixture with salt and pepper if desires. Coat each asparagus spear in egg whites, then lay in the panko mixture and thoroughly cover. If the panko won’t stick, dip back in the egg and roll in panko once again. Lay each spear on the wire rack. 
3. Bake at 425 for 15 minutes, or until golden brown and crispy.

The ruling
Okay so these were a mess to make!  They were good, but I would rather eat them roasted with olive oil, salt, and pepper and to sprinkle Parmesan over the top at the end.  Just as good (probably better) and SOO much easier.
The rating: 3
Make again? No

Asparagus Cashew Rice Pilaf

I've been wanting to try this All Recipes dish for awhile.  The ingredients make for a beautiful presentation, but I'm not sure how they're all going to taste together.  It has great reviews so I have to give it a try!

The case:
Asparagus Cashew Rice Pilaf (Adapted from All Recipes)
Ingredients:
1/4 cup butter
2 ounces uncooked spaghetti, broken into small pieces
2 Tablespoons minced onion
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
1 1/4 cups uncooked jasmine rice
2 1/4 cups chicken broth
salt and pepper to taste
1 bunch fresh asparagus, trimmed and cut into 2 inch pieces
1-2 Tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup cashew halves

Directions:
1. Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Increase heat to medium, and stir in spaghetti, cooking until coated with the melted butter and lightly browned.
2. Stir onion and garlic into the saucepan, and cook about 2 minutes, until tender. Stir in jasmine rice, and cook about 5 minutes. Pour in chicken broth. Season mixture with salt and pepper. Bring the mixture to a boil, cover, set to simmer, and cook 20 minutes, until rice is tender and liquid has been absorbed.  (I checked mixture half way through and added a little extra water.)
3. Place asparagus on foil lined baking sheet.  Drizzle lightly with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.  Broil for 4-5 minutes, until starting to brown.  Broil cashews one minute if desired.
4. Mix asparagus and cashew halves into the rice mixture, and serve warm.

The ruling:
Of our 3 new dishes tonight, Michael said he had trouble picking his favorite.  Not me! This was my favorite, and all 3 were exceptional.  All the favors, especially the cashews, come together perfectly.  Jasmine rice is a little expensive but it's well worth it.  The pieces of spaghetti have an interesting flavor from being browned, and I love the crunch of the cashews.  I don't think the asparagus is completely necessary but it's very good.  This is a perfect company side dish!

Jiffy Corn Pudding

I found this recipe on Pinterest, but unfortunately the link was broken so I don't know who to give credit to.  Luckily, the directions were in the description. 

The case:
Ingredients:

• 1 box Jiffy corn muffin mix
• 1 can cream corn
• 1 can sweet whole kernel corn, drained
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1 stick butter, melted
• 1 cup sour cream

Directions:
Mix together all ingredients, mixing in sour cream last.  Bake at 350 for 45 minutes.

The ruling:
No, this isn't very pretty, but it is the best corn dish I've ever had!  The tangyness of the sour cream with the richness of the butter with the sweetness of the corn is out of this world.  It's a very comforting dish, but also light at the same time.  And seriously, could it be easier to throw together?  I made 3 new dishes for dinner tonight and they were all home runs.  I'll post another one tomorrow. 

Oven Fresh Seasoned Potato Wedges

The case:
Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder 
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 russet potatoes, scrubbed and cut into eighths

Directions:

1. Preheat an oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
2. Place Parmesan cheese, olive oil, onion powder, garlic powder, pepper, salt, and potatoes into a resealable plastic bag. Seal the bag, then shake to coat the potatoes with the seasoning. Spread the potatoes over a baking sheet. 
3. Bake in the preheated oven until the potatoes are easily pierced with a fork, about 25 minutes.

The ruling:
These were very good, but I do think the wedges I made before were better.  (Easy Baked Potato Wedges)

Easy Creamed Corn

Yet another Pinterest dish that I made because I had all the ingredients already in my fridge/pantry.  I knew we were grilling out tonight (marinade recipe to come) and I wanted an easier, lighter side dish.  Plus corn is on sale $1 a bag at Kroger this week, and I decided to stock up!

The case:  Slightly adapted from Budget Savy Diva
Ingredients:

• 1 bag frozen corn (I used one that steams in the microwave)
• 1 Tablespoon butter
• 3 oz. light cream cheese
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. In a medium saucepan, heat corn, butter, and cream cheese.  Stir until heated through and all ingredients are combined.  
2. Stir in cayenne pepper and salt and pepper.

The ruling:
 BEST CORN I'VE EVER HAD!  This lovely dish was beyond simple and actually low in fat.  I'll just make a guess that this corn will be made at least every other week at the Greer household.

Sour Cream Mashed Potatoes

I've been making these mashed potatoes since we got married.  They are my absolute favorite- and I've tried a lot of mashed potato recipes.  I can't believe I'm just not posting the recipe.  This recipe comes from Ina Garten.  I've never tried one of her recipes that I didn't like.  In fact, she just might be my culinary hero.  

The case:
Ingredients:

• 3 pounds boiling potatoes, peeled
• Kosher salt 
• 1 1/2 cups milk 
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter 
• 1/2 cup sour cream 
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions

1. Cut the potatoes into 1-inch cubes and place them in a large pot. Cover the potatoes with cold water and add enough salt so the water tastes quite salty. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer, uncovered, for about 10 to 12 minutes, until the potatoes fall apart easily when pierced with a fork.
2. Meanwhile, heat the milk and butter in a small saucepan, making sure it doesn't boil. Set aside until the potatoes are done. 
3. As soon as the potatoes are tender, drain them in a colander. Place a food mill fitted with a small disc/blade over a glass bowl. Process the potatoes through the food mill, turning the handle back and forth to force the potatoes through the disc. 
4. As soon as the potatoes are mashed, slowly whisk in enough of the hot milk/butter mixture to make the potatoes very creamy. Add 1/2 teaspoon of salt, the sour cream and pepper and whisk to combine. Taste for seasoning and serve hot.

Asparagus Bundles

A couple years ago, my friend, Lindsey, made a recipe similar to this using green beans.  One of the foods I loathe in life is green beans.  She thought the bacon and sweet sauce would help me get past the green beans, but nope, I strongly disliked her dish.  I've never known whether I truly disliked the dish or whether it was simply the green beans I couldn't get past.  I am excited to be trying a similar recipe using asparagus (my favorite veggie) instead.  This little beauty came from Trisha Yearwood's cookbook.

The case:
Ingredients:
- 2 lbs fresh asparagus, ends trimmed
- 12 slices bacon
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar
- 1 stick butter
- 1 T soy sauce
- 1/2 t garlic salt
- 1/2 t ground pepper

Directions:
1.  Preheat the oven to 450
2.  Divide asparagus into 12 bundles.  Carefully wrap 1 piece of bacon around each bundle, starting from 1/2 inch from the bottom of the tips.  Lay the bundles in a low sided casserole dish.
3.  In a medium saucepan, combine the brown sugar, butter, soy sauce, garlic salt, and pepper.  Bring the mixture to a boil.  Pour the hot mixture over the asparagus.
4.  Bake for 25 minutes, or until the spears have begun to wilt and the bacon is fully cooked. 

The ruling:
Yep, it was just the green beans I didn't like!  This dish was delicious!  Michael raved and raved.  I actually only made 3 bundles since it was only the two of us and I didn't think it would be good left over, plus I wasn't sure if I would like it.  I didn't want to be wasting two of my favorite things: bacon and asparagus.  He was mad I didn't make more.  We both would've eaten several of these!  The only thing I did differently was to broil for a few minutes before I took it out of the oven to get the bacon a little crispy.

Strawberry Pretzel Salad#28

One of my favorite sides of all time is strawberry pretzel salad, at least it is when it's good.  If it's mushy, especially the pretzel part, I'm not a fan.  For some reason, I've never tried to make it on my own.  I found this on All Recipes.

The case:
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups crushed pretzels
4 1/2 tablespoons white sugar
3/4 cup butter, melted
1 cup white sugar
2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese
1 (8 ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed
1 (6 ounce) package strawberry flavored gelatin
2 cups boiling water
1 (16 ounce) package frozen strawberries

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Mix together the pretzels, 4 1/2 tablespoons sugar and melted butter. Press into the bottom of a 9x13 inch pan. Bake for 10 minutes, or until lightly toasted. Set aside to cool completely.
2. In a medium bowl, beat the sugar and cream cheese until smooth. Fold in whipped topping. Spread evenly over the cooled crust. Refrigerate until set, about 30 minutes.
3. In a medium bowl, stir together the gelatin mix and boiling water. Mix in frozen strawberries, and stir until thawed. Pour over cream cheese mixture in pan. Refrigerate until completely chilled, at least 1 hour.

Ruling:
This strawberry pretzel salad is hands down the best I ever had.  After reading the reviews, I left the strawberry mixture in the bowl and placed it in the fridge for 30 minutes before I constructed the salad.  At first, I thought this was a huge mistake, but everything ended up being perfect.  Each layer was separate and burst with flavor.  The pretzels were still crunchy, the middle perfectly sweet, and the top a punch of strawberry flavor!

Bacon Mac and Cheese #26

This is another delightful dish from Plain Chicken.   It is actually a dish from Emeril.

The case:
Ingredients:
Coarse salt
1/2 pound bowtie or elbow macaroni
3 slices bacon, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch pieces (or use a 3oz bag of bacon pieces)
1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic
3 large eggs
1 can (12 ounces) 2% evaporated milk
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
1 1/2 cups grated sharp cheddar (6 oz)
1/2 cup grated Monterey Jack cheese (2 oz)
1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan


Directions:
Preheat oven to 475 degrees. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta 6-8 minutes (it will be undercooked). Drain. Meanwhile, heat a small skillet over medium and add bacon. Cook until fat is rendered and bacon is crisp, about 10 minutes.  (OR skip this step and use a bag of bacon pieces) Add garlic and cook until fragrant, 30 seconds. With a slotted spoon, transfer bacon mixture to a medium bowl. Add pasta and stir to combine.

In a large bowl, whisk together eggs and evaporated milk. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt, cayenne, nutmeg, and cheeses; mix well. Add macaroni mixture and stir well to combine. Transfer to an 8- or 9-inch square baking dish or 2-quart gratin dish. With a spoon, gently spread mixture to form an even layer. Bake just until sauce is bubbling at edges, 12 minutes. Let rest 10 minutes before serving.

The ruling:
Love this! It's perfect-  easy and great flavors with ingredients I usually have on hand.  What's not to love?

Ranch Potatoes #24

This is simply another version of hash brown potato casserole.  I saw this on one of my favorite cooking blog's Plain Chicken.  One of the only things that could possibly make hash brown casserole is ranch!

The case:
2 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese, divided
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
2 cups sour cream
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 (1-ounce) package dry ranch salad dressing mix
2 (2.8oz) packages bacon pieces

1 (30-ounce) package frozen country-style hash-brown potatoes, thawed

Instructions
Preheat oven to 350˚. Lightly grease a 11/2-quart baking dish.
In a medium bowl, combine 1 cup Cheddar cheese, cream cheese, sour cream, butter, dressing mix, and bacon. Add hash browns, stirring to combine. Spoon mixture into prepared baking dish.
Bake 30 minutes; sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake 10 minutes more, or until hot and bubbly.

The ruling:
This was very tasty!  Michael especially liked it.  Very simple and quick!

Memorial Day 2011- Broiled Blue Cheese Tomatoes #21

This Memorial day also happened to be my Mom's birthday.  Michael and I had my family over to eat.  We made several of our old favorites including marinated grilled chicken and Alton Brown's Mac and Cheese, but you know I had to make a new recipe as well.  This was featured on Paula Deen's show lately.  I immediately saved it to my recipe box and am happy to be making this delicious sounding combination.

The case:
Ingredients

• 1 sleeve round buttery crackers, crushed
• 1 (5-ounce) container crumbled blue cheese 
• 1/2 pound bacon, cooked and crumbled 
• 1/4 cup finely chopped green onions 
• 8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter, melted 
• 3 large tomatoes, cut in half crosswise 
• 1/4 teaspoon salt 
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 500 F. Line a small rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil.
2. In a small bowl, combine the cracker crumbs, blue cheese, bacon, and green onions. Add the butter, stirring to mix well. 
3. Place the tomatoes, cut sides up, on the prepared baking sheet. Sprinkle the tomato halves evenly with the salt and pepper. Divide the cracker mixture evenly among the tomato halves. 
4. Broil 5 inches from the heat with the oven door cracked open until lightly browned, 6 to 8 minutes. 

The ruling:
Delicious! Paula has another winner.  I could eat these as my meal alone!  I think this combination of ingredients would be wonderful in a stuffed chicken breast.  I'll have to try that soon!

Mushrooms au Gratin #16

This is another one of Kittencal's recipes from Food.com.  I love mushrooms and I love all these ingredients by themselves, but I'm not sure how they're going to turn out together.  The recipe has great reviews so I'm going to give it a whirl!

The case:
Ingredients

• 1/4 cup butter ( 4 tablespoons)
• 2 lbs fresh mushrooms, sliced 
• 3 garlic cloves, minced ( optional or adjust to taste, I most always add in) 
• 2/3 cup sour cream 
• salt and pepper ( I use seasoned salt) 
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour 
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley 
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese ( or to taste, Swiss also works well)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Grease a shallow baking dish.
3. In a medium skillet saute the sliced mushrooms with butter over medium-high heat (if using garlic add in with the mushrooms).
4. In a small bowl, blend together sour cream, salt, pepper and flour.
5. Add mixture to the mushrooms in the pan.
6. Heat until JUST beginning to boil.
7. Transfer to a baking dish.
8. Sprinkle with chopped parsley and cheese.
9. Bake for about 10-15 minutes.

The ruling:
I loved this!  Now I love mushrooms, if you're not a mushroom fan, you probably won't like this.  It's very mushroomy.  I used portabellas and added a few dashes of soy sauce to the butter to flavor the mushrooms.  I will make this again.

Easy Baked Potato Wedges #13

I love french fries.  I made some delicious fried french fries right after Michael and I got married.  They had a batter and everything.  Not only did they take forever, but I had the biggest mess ever!  And I haven't made them or another fry recipe since.  I came across these on Food.com.  They look easy and have to be healthier than the fried version.

The case:

Ingredients
4 large potatoes
1/4 cup cooking oil
1 tablespoon parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

Directions
Wash potatoes, cut into wedges.
Place potatoes skin down in a baking dish.
Mix the next 6 ingredients together and brush onto potatoes.
Bake at 350 for 1 hour.

The ruling:
I love, love, love these.  I don't even really know why, but I couldn't stop eating them, especially have I started dipping them in ranch.  I cut these in more fry sized portions instead of into wedges.  I only cooked them about 50 minutes, broiling, watching carefully, for the last 5 minutes.  I will make these again and again and again! 

Creamy Stovetop Mac and Cheese #102

I grew up loving the famous blue box mac and cheese.  It wasn't until later that I realized the texture and flavor of the blue box isn't exactly ideal.  Don't get me wrong I still enjoy a blue box here and there, but it wouldn't be the ultimate mac and cheese for me.  Most mac and cheese recipes I've tried and enjoyed are baked.  While I've loved many of these, the creamy/runnier texture from my childhood was missing.  This recipe is from Alton Brown's Good Eats.  His ultimate mac and cheese was a baked one, but made this one as more of an after thought for those "people" who like the blue box.  I immediately knew I had to try the stove top recipe.

The case:
Ingredients
1/2 pound elbow macaroni
4 tablespoons butter
2 eggs
6 ounces evaporated milk
1/2 teaspoon hot sauce
1 teaspoon kosher salt
Fresh black pepper
3/4 teaspoon dry mustard
10 ounces sharp cheddar, shredded

Directions
1  In a large pot of boiling, salted water cook the pasta to al dente and drain. Return to the pot and melt in the butter. Toss to coat.
2. Whisk together the eggs, milk, hot sauce, salt, pepper, and mustard. Stir into the pasta and add the cheese. Over low heat continue to stir for 3 minutes or until creamy.

The case:
Move over all other mac and cheese recipes.  Not only was this just as easy as the blue box to make, it is some of the best tasting mac and cheese I've ever had.  I omitted the dry mustard, but everything else was the exact same.  Besides cooking the pasta and shredding the cheese, this dish took about 5 minutes to create.  This is now my official go to mac and cheese.  This recipe is what creating this blog was all about.  I've been trying to find ultimate recipes for all of mine and Michael's favorite dishes, and this was a way for me to keep up with my thoughts about those recipes.  I know no matter how many mac and cheese recipes I make in the future, this will be the tired and true one for my kitchen.

Cheese Muffins #99

This is the 2nd Trisha Yearwood recipe I've made.  Usually you see garlic and cheese in biscuits, so I'm very intrigued by a muffin recipe.  The original recipe leaves out the cheese and garlic, but who would do that knowing that its an option?

The case:
Ingredients:
- 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
- 1 cup sour cream
- 2 cups self-rising flour
- 1/2 cup grated cheddar
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic

Directions:
1.  Preheat oven to 400.
2.  With an electric mixer, mix butter and sour cream.  Add flour and mix well.
3.  Drop with large spoonfuls of dough into muffin pan that has been sprayed with cooking spray or lined with muffin cups.
4.  Bake 25 minutes.  (Or 15 minutes in mini-muffin pan)

The results:
Yummy!!!  I loved these!  Both the flavor and the texture were perfect!  I may even like these better than my normal cheese garlic biscuit copycat recipe- which says a lot!

Twice Baked Potatoes #98

My mom recently bought Trisha Yearwood's new cookbook, Home Cooking with Trisha Yearwood.  Up until this point, I had no desire to even look at a Trisha Yearwood cookbook. She made a spicy corn dip for her Bunco party from the book.  I just had to try it.  Needless to say, it was delicious, so I  picked up and thumbed through the rest of the cookbook.  I discovered recipe after recipe that I wanted to try.  I decided to finish my 100 recipes today with three recipes from Trisha's cookbook:  Chicken and Wild Rice Casserole, Twice Baked Potatoes, and Cheese Garlic Muffins. 





The case:
6 large baking potatoes
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons milk
3 tablespoons butter
2 cups sour cream
10 ounces sharp Cheddar cheese, grated (about 2 1/2 cups)
1 tablespoon garlic salt
salt and pepper
6 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled

Diretions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 F.
2. Wash the potatoes and pierce them with a fork. Rub the potatoes with the olive oil and place them on a jellyroll pan or a large cookie sheet with a rim. Bake the potatoes for 45 minutes to an hour, or until done. Remove the potatoes from the oven and cut them in half lengthwise. Set aside. Reduce the temperature of the oven to 350 F.
3.  When the potatoes are cool enough to handle, scoop out the potato flesh into a large electric mixing bowl. Add the milk, butter, sour cream, cheese, garlic salt, and salt and pepper to taste. Mix until creamy.
4.  Divide the mixture evenly and spoon it back into potato shells. Return the potatoes to the oven for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and garnish with the bacon and green onion.

The ruling:
Michael says these are some of the best twice baked potatoes he's ever had.  I loved the bacon/cheese topping and the tangyness the sour cream added.  I used half and half instead of milk and actually used about twice as much as was called for.

Baked Potato Casserole #88

This delightful little cheesy potato casserole came from Taste of Homes magazine.  Look at the ingredients.  What's not to like?  I'm sure it's low in fat too! :)

The case:

Ingredients
5 pounds red potatoes, cooked and cubed
1 pound sliced bacon, cooked and crumbled
4 cups cubed Cheddar cheese
4 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 cup mayonnaise*
1 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon minced chives
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper

Directions
In a large bowl, combine potatoes and bacon. In another bowl, combine the remaining ingredients; add to potato mixture ad toss gently to coat. Transfer to a greased 4-1/2-qt. baking dish. Bake, uncovered, at 325 degrees F for 50-60 minutes or until bubbly and lightly browned.

The ruling:
I used half a pound of bacon in my pasta dish last night, so I used the other half in this today.  I didn't see the point in opening another pack.  I also only mixed 4 cups of cheese in with the potatoes- half cheddar and the other half a Monterrey jack and Colby blend.  Then a added another cup on top.  I just thought 8 cups of cheese sounded like a whole lot!

Wow! I have hit a home run on this one!  The texture of the potatoes with the cheese and mayo/sour cream mixture is perfect.  I was afraid the potatoes might get to soft after boiling them and baking them for 1 hour, but they were spot on!  The saltiness of the bacon added wonderful flavor as well.  Just when I thought these couldn't get any better, I added ranch dressing.  They were kicked up another notch!  I now feel like I need to get on the elliptical machine for 4 or 5 hours, but that's okay.  Maybe later.

Grilled Corn #78

I think I have just about the most stressful job for 9 months out of the year, but for one week in the fall and spring, 2 weeks at Christmas, and 2 months during the summer it is truly the greatest job in the world!  Since school let out I've went from 3 hours available on my DVR to 90-something.  Opps...  Anyways, the majority of the huge items I've been deleting are all the saved shows off Food Network.  I've watched the parts of the shows that I wanted to watch, added the recipes I want to try to by Foodnetwork.com recipe box, and deleted the shows.  So, it isn't like I've actually watched all 90 hours.  I just watched parts of a lot of those hours.   This corn is from one of the Neely shows I deleted.

The case:
Ingredients
4 ears sweet corn, husked and silks removed
2 tablespoons olive oil
Seasoning salt, recipe from Grilled Sweet and Tangy Pork chops
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 lime, juiced, plus 1 lime, quartered, for garnish
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup crumbled feta

Directions
1.  Preheat the grill to medium-high heat.
2.  Rub the corn with olive oil and season with seasoning salt, to taste. Grill the corn until it's charred, on all sides, rotating for about 10 minutes.
3.  Meanwhile, mix the mayonnaise, chili powder, cayenne, lime juice and salt and pepper, to taste, together in a small bowl. Remove the corn from the grill and brush the hot corn with the mayonnaise mixture. Arrange on a platter and sprinkle with the feta cheese. Serve with lime wedges on the side.

The ruling:
I loved the corn grilled with the seasoned salt on it, but the actual mayo-mixture didn't do anything for me.  Michael and several members of the Greer family enjoyed the mayo-mixture, but I don't think any of us felt the Feta added anything.

Baked Creamed Spinach #75

One of my favorite Food Network shows is called Cooking For Real with Sunny Anderson.  This is one of her recipes.  Sunny is one of my favorite Food Network personalities.  She is real and so warm.  You feel like she is your friend when you're watching her.  My absolute favorite vegetable dish is creamed spinach, and I have yet to try one of Sunny's recipes that I didn't like!  I have high hopes for this one. 

The case:

Ingredients
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for pan
1/2 red onion, chopped
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons 1/2 teaspoon red chili flakes
1 3/4 cups heavy cream
1 cup shredded Parmesan
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 cup sour cream
2 (10-ounce) packages frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
1/2 cup packaged fried onions (recommended: French's)

Directions
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Butter an 8 by 8-inch baking dish. Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and a pinch of salt. Saute for 3 minutes, then add the garlic and red chili flakes and saute for 2 more minutes. Add the heavy cream, Parmesan, and nutmeg. Heat until the cream is just beginning to bubble, stirring often. Turn the burner off and stir in sour cream and spinach. Adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper, to taste. Pour into the prepared baking dish and sprinkle the top evenly with fried onions. Bake until golden and bubbly, 15 to 20 minutes.

The ruling:
This is extremely good.  I've never had fried onions before, and I really like the contrast of the creamy and crunchy.  The pepper adds quite a bit of spice, so if you're cooking for someone who doesn't like things spicy, maybe leave out the pepper flakes.  I halved the amount and it was still pretty spicy.  I will definitely be making this again!

UPDATE: While reviewing this recipe on Food Network I read the 2 Tablespoons of Red Pepper Flakes was a typo.  Instead it  should have been 1/2 teaspoon, which makes a lot more sense.  That's what I get for not reading the reviews first!