Shopping List
1 lb ground beef
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can corn
1 can green beans
Mashed potatoes (great way to use Thanksgiving leftovers!)
1 bag grated cheese (I like montery jack or sharp cheddar)
Seasoned salt
Italian seasoning
If the mashed potatoes are already made, start about 45 mins before you want to eat. Brown the ground beef. You brown ground beef by putting it in a frying pan over medium heat. As it
cooks, break it up and move it around the pan, making sure to scrape the
meat off the bottom of the pan so it doesn't burn. I find a fork to be
the easiest thing to do this with. You don't have to stir it constantly,
but you do need to do so about every 2-3 minutes. Once you can't see
any more pink, the ground beef is cooked. Drain the grease.
Add the can of cream of mushroom soup, 1-2 tsp (teaspoons) of seasoned salt and 1 tsp Italian seasoning. Stir to combine. Dump ground beef into an 8x8 casserole dish and spread around evenly. Open the can of corn, drain it, and dump it on top of the ground beef spreading it around evenly. Drain the can of green beans and dump it on top of the corn, again spreading it around evenly. Top with the mashed potatoes. Spread the grated cheese (about half the bag) over the top.
If you want, you can put a few squares of butter on the top - it helps the cheese to brown.
Bake at 350* for 30 mins.
Monday, November 26, 2012
Monday, November 12, 2012
Shredded Beef Enchiladas
My husband requested that I type up this recipe. He has decided it is now one of my "signature" dishes. I've only made it twice, but apparently it's his very favorite recipe ever :) It is also one of the easiest recipes I make :)
Shopping List
Beef roast (about 2 lbs)
1 large can enchilada sauce (I use Old El Paso Mild, but you can pick a spicier one if you like heat)
1 can beef broth
1 bag shredded cheese (I like sharp cheddar or a Mexican blend)
8 tortillas (I use flour, but you could use corn if you prefer)
Start about 8 hours before you want to eat (you're using the crockpot - it takes a while). Put the roast in the crockpot. It's ok if it's frozen (if it's frozen, I sometimes need to put it in the sink and run hot water over it long enough to get the paper mat thingy off the bottom). Dump the can of enchilada sauce on top. Add the can of beef broth. Plug in the crockpot (if you forget this step, it doesn't work very well. It also makes you mad when you've been looking forward to the meal all day and it's still uncooked). Cook on low for 6+ hours (if you cook it longer, that's fine too).
Scoop the roast out and put it in a bowl. Cut it up/shred it (by this time it's tender enough that a butter knife and fork can easily cut it). Add a couple of scoops of the sauce from the crockpot. This will be the filling for your enchiladas, so add sauce until it's as saucy as you want. My kids don't like it horribly saucy, so I only add a few scoops. Stir in half the shredded cheese.
Spray the bottom of a 8x8 casserole dish with pam (not necessary, it just makes serving and clean up easier). Preheat oven to 350*. Grab your tortillas and put a good sized scoop of the beef and cheese mixture (about 1/8 of it - you can add less filling and make more enchiladas if you like more tortillas and less meat in your enchiladas) in a line down the middle of one. Roll it up and put it in the casserole dish (if you turn it so the ends are down, it will be more likely to stay rolled up). Repeat with the rest of the meat and tortillas.
When you're done rolling the enchiladas and your casserole dish is full, top them with sauce from the crockpot. You can put just a little or you can smother them in it - depends on how much sauce you like :) Top with the rest of the shredded cheese. Bake for about 20 mins or until the cheese is melted.
Shopping List
Beef roast (about 2 lbs)
1 large can enchilada sauce (I use Old El Paso Mild, but you can pick a spicier one if you like heat)
1 can beef broth
1 bag shredded cheese (I like sharp cheddar or a Mexican blend)
8 tortillas (I use flour, but you could use corn if you prefer)
Start about 8 hours before you want to eat (you're using the crockpot - it takes a while). Put the roast in the crockpot. It's ok if it's frozen (if it's frozen, I sometimes need to put it in the sink and run hot water over it long enough to get the paper mat thingy off the bottom). Dump the can of enchilada sauce on top. Add the can of beef broth. Plug in the crockpot (if you forget this step, it doesn't work very well. It also makes you mad when you've been looking forward to the meal all day and it's still uncooked). Cook on low for 6+ hours (if you cook it longer, that's fine too).
Scoop the roast out and put it in a bowl. Cut it up/shred it (by this time it's tender enough that a butter knife and fork can easily cut it). Add a couple of scoops of the sauce from the crockpot. This will be the filling for your enchiladas, so add sauce until it's as saucy as you want. My kids don't like it horribly saucy, so I only add a few scoops. Stir in half the shredded cheese.
Spray the bottom of a 8x8 casserole dish with pam (not necessary, it just makes serving and clean up easier). Preheat oven to 350*. Grab your tortillas and put a good sized scoop of the beef and cheese mixture (about 1/8 of it - you can add less filling and make more enchiladas if you like more tortillas and less meat in your enchiladas) in a line down the middle of one. Roll it up and put it in the casserole dish (if you turn it so the ends are down, it will be more likely to stay rolled up). Repeat with the rest of the meat and tortillas.
When you're done rolling the enchiladas and your casserole dish is full, top them with sauce from the crockpot. You can put just a little or you can smother them in it - depends on how much sauce you like :) Top with the rest of the shredded cheese. Bake for about 20 mins or until the cheese is melted.
Wednesday, November 7, 2012
How to Roast a Turkey
Shopping List
Frozen turkey (about 1 lb per person, plus a few extra)
Turkey-sized baking bag
Seasoned salt
Pepper
Garlic powder
Butter
Lemon Juice
1 Tablespoon flour
Roasting pan (they sell disposable ones if you don't have room to store one)
(also ingredients for stuffing if you're planning on stuffing it - see previous post for stuffing info)
Start 24 hours before you need to cook the turkey as you will need to thaw it. To thaw the turkey, put it in your sink and cover it with cold water. Leave it overnight. Yes, you can thaw it in the fridge, but that takes several days and I've never had very good results trying to thaw them in the fridge. One year my turkey was still so frozen, even after 4 days in the fridge, that we had to use a hair dryer and hot water to try and thaw it enough to get the neck and giblets out of the cavity . . . makes for a great story, but a stressful holiday :) So use the cold water method. Leave it in the packaging while thawing it. Don't leave it in the water for more than 24 hours though - stick it in the fridge if you end up not cooking it the next day. And make sure it stays covered with cold water.
Drain the sink and cut off the packaging (leave the turkey in the sink while doing this). Pull out the neck and giblet bag (a paper bag that will either be in the large cavity or in the fold of skin at the other end). Throw away the neck (unless you are planning on using it to make turkey stock or something) and the giblets (unless you want to eat them or have pets you want to feed them to - in that case, set them aside).
Go over the turkey and pull off any feathers that were missed. Pat it dry with a paper towel.
Remove all but one tray from the oven. Move the last tray to the lowest position in the oven. Preheat the oven to 350*. Take out one of the turkey-sized baking bags. Put 1 T (tablespoon) of flour in it, hold the top shut, and shake it around until the inside of the bag is covered. Put the bag on it's side in the roasting pan. Have someone else hold it open while you put the turkey in the bag (or vice versa).
Spoon the stuffing into the turkey (if you're stuffing it - if not, skip this step). Once the turkey is full, shake seasoning salt, pepper, and garlic powder all over the skin. I don't measure this, so I don't know how much I use. I'd guess 2-3 tablespoons of seasoned salt, 1 tablespoon ground pepper, and 2-3 tablespoons of garlic powder. Squirt a couple squirts of lemon juice on the turkey. Cut up a stick of butter into slices and place on the turkey. Close the bag with the tie provided (usually inside the cooking directions in the bag).
Put the turkey into the oven and figure out how long to cook it for by weight - the directions inside the baking bag box will tell you how many mins per pound - note that the times are different if you stuff the turkey.
After the turkey is done, take it out and let it sit for about 15 mins. in the bag. This will allow the juices to drain to the bottom of the bag. Put a medium sized pot in the sink and have someone help you hold the turkey up using the handles on the pan (the bag isn't strong enough to hold the turkey on it's own). Angle the pan so one corner of the bag is down lower than everything else and the juices can drain into it. Position that corner over the pan and carefully cut a hole in the corner so the juices drain into the pan. Watch out because the liquid is HOT!
You can use the juices to make gravy. Add about 1/3 cup of flour to the juices and whisk until smooth. Heat over medium heat, whisking almost constantly, until it thickens. It will get thicker as it cools, so take it off the heat just before it is as thick as you want it. If you like thicker gravy, add more flour before cooking; if you like thinner gravy, add less.
After you're done draining it, set the pan back on the counter, cut open the bag, and scoop out the stuffing. Slice the turkey and serve it.
Frozen turkey (about 1 lb per person, plus a few extra)
Turkey-sized baking bag
Seasoned salt
Pepper
Garlic powder
Butter
Lemon Juice
1 Tablespoon flour
Roasting pan (they sell disposable ones if you don't have room to store one)
(also ingredients for stuffing if you're planning on stuffing it - see previous post for stuffing info)
Start 24 hours before you need to cook the turkey as you will need to thaw it. To thaw the turkey, put it in your sink and cover it with cold water. Leave it overnight. Yes, you can thaw it in the fridge, but that takes several days and I've never had very good results trying to thaw them in the fridge. One year my turkey was still so frozen, even after 4 days in the fridge, that we had to use a hair dryer and hot water to try and thaw it enough to get the neck and giblets out of the cavity . . . makes for a great story, but a stressful holiday :) So use the cold water method. Leave it in the packaging while thawing it. Don't leave it in the water for more than 24 hours though - stick it in the fridge if you end up not cooking it the next day. And make sure it stays covered with cold water.
Drain the sink and cut off the packaging (leave the turkey in the sink while doing this). Pull out the neck and giblet bag (a paper bag that will either be in the large cavity or in the fold of skin at the other end). Throw away the neck (unless you are planning on using it to make turkey stock or something) and the giblets (unless you want to eat them or have pets you want to feed them to - in that case, set them aside).
Go over the turkey and pull off any feathers that were missed. Pat it dry with a paper towel.
Remove all but one tray from the oven. Move the last tray to the lowest position in the oven. Preheat the oven to 350*. Take out one of the turkey-sized baking bags. Put 1 T (tablespoon) of flour in it, hold the top shut, and shake it around until the inside of the bag is covered. Put the bag on it's side in the roasting pan. Have someone else hold it open while you put the turkey in the bag (or vice versa).
Spoon the stuffing into the turkey (if you're stuffing it - if not, skip this step). Once the turkey is full, shake seasoning salt, pepper, and garlic powder all over the skin. I don't measure this, so I don't know how much I use. I'd guess 2-3 tablespoons of seasoned salt, 1 tablespoon ground pepper, and 2-3 tablespoons of garlic powder. Squirt a couple squirts of lemon juice on the turkey. Cut up a stick of butter into slices and place on the turkey. Close the bag with the tie provided (usually inside the cooking directions in the bag).
Put the turkey into the oven and figure out how long to cook it for by weight - the directions inside the baking bag box will tell you how many mins per pound - note that the times are different if you stuff the turkey.
After the turkey is done, take it out and let it sit for about 15 mins. in the bag. This will allow the juices to drain to the bottom of the bag. Put a medium sized pot in the sink and have someone help you hold the turkey up using the handles on the pan (the bag isn't strong enough to hold the turkey on it's own). Angle the pan so one corner of the bag is down lower than everything else and the juices can drain into it. Position that corner over the pan and carefully cut a hole in the corner so the juices drain into the pan. Watch out because the liquid is HOT!
You can use the juices to make gravy. Add about 1/3 cup of flour to the juices and whisk until smooth. Heat over medium heat, whisking almost constantly, until it thickens. It will get thicker as it cools, so take it off the heat just before it is as thick as you want it. If you like thicker gravy, add more flour before cooking; if you like thinner gravy, add less.
After you're done draining it, set the pan back on the counter, cut open the bag, and scoop out the stuffing. Slice the turkey and serve it.
Tastes Like Homemade Stuffing
Shopping List
2 boxes stovetop turkey (or chicken) flavored stuffing
1 lb ground breakfast sausage
1 onion
1 head celery
Craisins
Butter
Takes about 20-30 mins to prepare. If you're cooking it outside of a turkey, it will take another 20 mins to cook. If you're going to stuff a turkey with this, you can either make it right before you put the turkey in the oven or you can make it a day or two in advance. If you make it in advance, store it in the fridge - DO NOT stuff the turkey with it until right before you cook it! Leaving stuffing inside a raw turkey leads to salmonella poisoning.
Start by boiling enough water that you have enough to add the amount of water the directions on the stuffing calls for.
While the water is boiling, brown the sausage over medium heat. You brown sausage by putting it in a frying pan over medium heat. As it cooks, break it up and move it around the pan, making sure to scrape the meat off the bottom of the pan so it doesn't burn. I find a fork to be the easiest thing to do this with. You don't have to stir it constantly, but you do need to do so about every 2-3 minutes. Once you can't see any more pink, the sausage is cooked. I find the easiest way to drain it is to put two paper towels on a plate, then just empty the sausage (and grease) onto the paper towels. Then when I'm ready to use the sausage, I scoop it off, leaving the grease in the paper towels, which I can just throw away.
Cut up the onion and several stalks of celery into smallish pieces.
Melt 1 stick of butter in a saute pan over medium heat. Add the onion and celery and cook for about 5 mins, stirring occasionally. Add the craisins and cook for another 2 mins. Remove from the hot burner.
Dump the stuffing mix into a large bowl. Add the amount of water the directions call for (use the boiling water you heated in the first step). Stir until all the dry mix is wet. Stir in the sausage and the onion/celery/craisin mix.
If you are baking it inside a turkey or chicken, spoon it into the bird right before cooking. If you are cooking it on it's own, put in a casserole dish, cover (if the dish doesn't have a cover, tin foil works), and bake at 350* for 20 mins.
2 boxes stovetop turkey (or chicken) flavored stuffing
1 lb ground breakfast sausage
1 onion
1 head celery
Craisins
Butter
Takes about 20-30 mins to prepare. If you're cooking it outside of a turkey, it will take another 20 mins to cook. If you're going to stuff a turkey with this, you can either make it right before you put the turkey in the oven or you can make it a day or two in advance. If you make it in advance, store it in the fridge - DO NOT stuff the turkey with it until right before you cook it! Leaving stuffing inside a raw turkey leads to salmonella poisoning.
Start by boiling enough water that you have enough to add the amount of water the directions on the stuffing calls for.
While the water is boiling, brown the sausage over medium heat. You brown sausage by putting it in a frying pan over medium heat. As it cooks, break it up and move it around the pan, making sure to scrape the meat off the bottom of the pan so it doesn't burn. I find a fork to be the easiest thing to do this with. You don't have to stir it constantly, but you do need to do so about every 2-3 minutes. Once you can't see any more pink, the sausage is cooked. I find the easiest way to drain it is to put two paper towels on a plate, then just empty the sausage (and grease) onto the paper towels. Then when I'm ready to use the sausage, I scoop it off, leaving the grease in the paper towels, which I can just throw away.
Cut up the onion and several stalks of celery into smallish pieces.
Melt 1 stick of butter in a saute pan over medium heat. Add the onion and celery and cook for about 5 mins, stirring occasionally. Add the craisins and cook for another 2 mins. Remove from the hot burner.
Dump the stuffing mix into a large bowl. Add the amount of water the directions call for (use the boiling water you heated in the first step). Stir until all the dry mix is wet. Stir in the sausage and the onion/celery/craisin mix.
If you are baking it inside a turkey or chicken, spoon it into the bird right before cooking. If you are cooking it on it's own, put in a casserole dish, cover (if the dish doesn't have a cover, tin foil works), and bake at 350* for 20 mins.
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
Peach Melba Dump Cake
This is a super easy dessert recipe. You can change it up by picking different pie fillings and fruit. My two favorite combinations are the one listed below (peach-raspberry) and the flavors used in the original recipe from Paula Deen, which are blueberry pie filling and crushed canned pineapple.
Shopping List
1 box cake mix (I like yellow or butter cake mixes for this recipe)
1 can peach pie filling
1 bag frozen raspberries
2 sticks butter
crushed pecans (optional)
Start about 60 mins before you want to eat dessert (or you can cook it and save it for later, but I like it best warm).
Preheat the oven to 350*.
Spray a 9x13 casserole dish with cooking spray (like pam). Dump in the can of peach pie filling, and spread it around sort of evenly. Dump the bag of raspberries on top of the pie filling and again spread it around evenly. Spread the dry cake mix over the top of the fruit. Melt the butter, then pour it over the top (try and cover as much of it as you can as the melted butter is what makes it brown and crunchy on top instead of powdery). If you want nuts on top, spread them over the top at this point. If you don't like nuts or don't have them, don't worry about it; it will still taste wonderful :)
Bake at 350* for 45 mins.
It tastes really good with vanilla ice cream :) Or with whipped cream :) Or alone :)
*Adapted from Paula Deen's recipe on Foodnetwork.com
Shopping List
1 box cake mix (I like yellow or butter cake mixes for this recipe)
1 can peach pie filling
1 bag frozen raspberries
2 sticks butter
crushed pecans (optional)
Start about 60 mins before you want to eat dessert (or you can cook it and save it for later, but I like it best warm).
Preheat the oven to 350*.
Spray a 9x13 casserole dish with cooking spray (like pam). Dump in the can of peach pie filling, and spread it around sort of evenly. Dump the bag of raspberries on top of the pie filling and again spread it around evenly. Spread the dry cake mix over the top of the fruit. Melt the butter, then pour it over the top (try and cover as much of it as you can as the melted butter is what makes it brown and crunchy on top instead of powdery). If you want nuts on top, spread them over the top at this point. If you don't like nuts or don't have them, don't worry about it; it will still taste wonderful :)
Bake at 350* for 45 mins.
It tastes really good with vanilla ice cream :) Or with whipped cream :) Or alone :)
*Adapted from Paula Deen's recipe on Foodnetwork.com
Sunday, January 8, 2012
Super Easy Lasagna
This takes less than 15 minutes to put together (maybe slightly more if you use sausage because you have to cook it first) and tastes amazing.
Shopping List
1 box lasagna noodles (any kind you want. I like the regular ones with the squiggles on the sides of each noodle)
2 jars or large cans of tomato sauce (so much of the flavor comes from this ingredient that you might want to splurge and get good tomato sauce. My favorites for this dish are Bertolli's marinara or tomato and basil or Newman's Own marinara or tomato and basil, none of which are horribly expensive. If you want to go with canned, my favorite is Hunt's)
2 bags Italian blend shredded cheese (or mozzarella if you prefer. The blend just adds more flavor)
1 lb ground Italian sausage (optional. I usually get mild Italian sausage for this recipe, but either sweet or hot will work as well. Don't get sausage-shaped sausages as it makes more work for you in this recipe. If you happen to have sausage-shapes sausages and want to use them, cut open the outside of each one and squish out the middle, then throw the outside away. If you don't like sausage, you could also just use hamburger. Or sliced zucchini for a vegetarian option)
Parmesan cheese (you'll need about a cup)
1 stick butter
Pam (non-stick spray)
Aluminum foil
Garlic Bread or Italian bread (for serving with it)
You will also need a 9x13 casserole dish or pan, so get one if you don't have one.
Start about an hour and a half before you want to eat
If you are using sausage (or hamburger), brown it first. You brown sausage by putting it in a frying pan over medium heat. As it cooks, break it up and move it around the pan, making sure to scrape the meat off the bottom of the pan so it doesn't burn. I find a fork to be the easiest thing to do this with. You don't have to stir it constantly, but you do need to do so about every 2-3 minutes. Once you can't see any more pink, the sausage is cooked. I find the easiest way to drain it is to put two paper towels on a plate, then just empty the sausage (and grease) onto the paper towels. Then when I'm ready to use the sausage, I scoop it off, leaving the grease in the paper towels, which I can just throw away.
Spray your casserole dish with pam. Put about 1/3 of a jar of spaghetti sauce in the bottom of your casserole dish and spread it around so the whole surface is sort of covered. Lay enough lasagna noodles (uncooked) out to cover the bottom of the pan. Usually I find that I need to lay out about 4 in straight lines (like this llll), then I need to break part of one off so it will fit and lay it across the top going the other way. It's ok if they overlap a little. Pour most of the rest of the jar of tomato sauce across the top and spread it around so the noodles are covered (try not to move the noodles, or if you do, move them back). Sprinkle about 2/3 bag of shredded cheese over the sauce.
Put another layer of noodles over the cheese. If I've put one across the top of the last layer, I try to alternate so the extra noodle is across the bottom of this layer, but it will taste fine either way :) Put the rest of the first jar of sauce and about 1/2 of the second jar of sauce over this layer of noodles. Spread it around pretty evenly. Put your sausage (or hamburger, zucchini, whatever) on top of the sauce (just skip this if you don't want to add anything). Top with the rest of the first bag of cheese and 1/3 of the second bag.
Put another layer of noodles on top. Cover with the remaining sauce. Top with the rest of the shredded cheese. Try and make sure it's pretty even and covers the whole top. Gently pour 1 cup water over the lasagna (I find it easiest to pour it along the sides so it doesn't wash off the sauce). This extra water will help compensate for not having cooked the noodles first. Sprinkle parmesan cheese over the whole top.
Take your stick of butter and slice it into about 12 slices. Arrange them pretty evenly over the top of the lasagna (the reason we do this is to help prevent the cheese from burning. It also makes the cheese brown more evenly. Plus, I'm with Paula Deen; everything's better with butter!). Cover with tin foil.
Turn your oven on to 350*. Put the lasagna in the oven in about the middle. Set your timer for 45 mins.
When the timer goes off, take the tin foil off the lasagna (leaving the lasagna in the oven and the oven at 350*) and set the timer for 15 mins.
When the timer goes off, take the lasagna out of the oven and let it sit for about 5 mins before serving. Salad and garlic bread are perfect sides for this dish :)
Shopping List
1 box lasagna noodles (any kind you want. I like the regular ones with the squiggles on the sides of each noodle)
2 jars or large cans of tomato sauce (so much of the flavor comes from this ingredient that you might want to splurge and get good tomato sauce. My favorites for this dish are Bertolli's marinara or tomato and basil or Newman's Own marinara or tomato and basil, none of which are horribly expensive. If you want to go with canned, my favorite is Hunt's)
2 bags Italian blend shredded cheese (or mozzarella if you prefer. The blend just adds more flavor)
1 lb ground Italian sausage (optional. I usually get mild Italian sausage for this recipe, but either sweet or hot will work as well. Don't get sausage-shaped sausages as it makes more work for you in this recipe. If you happen to have sausage-shapes sausages and want to use them, cut open the outside of each one and squish out the middle, then throw the outside away. If you don't like sausage, you could also just use hamburger. Or sliced zucchini for a vegetarian option)
Parmesan cheese (you'll need about a cup)
1 stick butter
Pam (non-stick spray)
Aluminum foil
Garlic Bread or Italian bread (for serving with it)
You will also need a 9x13 casserole dish or pan, so get one if you don't have one.
Start about an hour and a half before you want to eat
If you are using sausage (or hamburger), brown it first. You brown sausage by putting it in a frying pan over medium heat. As it cooks, break it up and move it around the pan, making sure to scrape the meat off the bottom of the pan so it doesn't burn. I find a fork to be the easiest thing to do this with. You don't have to stir it constantly, but you do need to do so about every 2-3 minutes. Once you can't see any more pink, the sausage is cooked. I find the easiest way to drain it is to put two paper towels on a plate, then just empty the sausage (and grease) onto the paper towels. Then when I'm ready to use the sausage, I scoop it off, leaving the grease in the paper towels, which I can just throw away.
Spray your casserole dish with pam. Put about 1/3 of a jar of spaghetti sauce in the bottom of your casserole dish and spread it around so the whole surface is sort of covered. Lay enough lasagna noodles (uncooked) out to cover the bottom of the pan. Usually I find that I need to lay out about 4 in straight lines (like this llll), then I need to break part of one off so it will fit and lay it across the top going the other way. It's ok if they overlap a little. Pour most of the rest of the jar of tomato sauce across the top and spread it around so the noodles are covered (try not to move the noodles, or if you do, move them back). Sprinkle about 2/3 bag of shredded cheese over the sauce.
Put another layer of noodles over the cheese. If I've put one across the top of the last layer, I try to alternate so the extra noodle is across the bottom of this layer, but it will taste fine either way :) Put the rest of the first jar of sauce and about 1/2 of the second jar of sauce over this layer of noodles. Spread it around pretty evenly. Put your sausage (or hamburger, zucchini, whatever) on top of the sauce (just skip this if you don't want to add anything). Top with the rest of the first bag of cheese and 1/3 of the second bag.
Put another layer of noodles on top. Cover with the remaining sauce. Top with the rest of the shredded cheese. Try and make sure it's pretty even and covers the whole top. Gently pour 1 cup water over the lasagna (I find it easiest to pour it along the sides so it doesn't wash off the sauce). This extra water will help compensate for not having cooked the noodles first. Sprinkle parmesan cheese over the whole top.
Take your stick of butter and slice it into about 12 slices. Arrange them pretty evenly over the top of the lasagna (the reason we do this is to help prevent the cheese from burning. It also makes the cheese brown more evenly. Plus, I'm with Paula Deen; everything's better with butter!). Cover with tin foil.
Turn your oven on to 350*. Put the lasagna in the oven in about the middle. Set your timer for 45 mins.
When the timer goes off, take the tin foil off the lasagna (leaving the lasagna in the oven and the oven at 350*) and set the timer for 15 mins.
When the timer goes off, take the lasagna out of the oven and let it sit for about 5 mins before serving. Salad and garlic bread are perfect sides for this dish :)
Saturday, January 7, 2012
Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup
Seriously this is one of the easiest things to make ever. And it tastes so much better homemade!
Shopping List
2 boxes chicken broth
1 lb boneless skinless chicken (either breasts or thighs, either frozen or thawed - breasts are white meat and more expensive, thighs are dark meat and cheaper. Some people only like one type of meat or the other. I usually cook with dark meat as we buy organic meat, which is already more expensive, so I try to cut costs by buying the cheaper meat)
1 lb carrots
1 bunch celery
1 onion
1 lb pasta (any kind you want, but usually the smaller kinds work better than spaghetti noodles or other long pastas. I like farfalle, which is bow tie shaped pasta, or little star shaped pasta, or egg noodles. Traditional chicken noodle soup uses egg noodles.)
Salt and Pepper
Start cooking about 60 mins before you want to eat
Dump the chicken broth into a large pot with a lid. Cover and cook over med-high heat. Dump in chicken (if it's frozen, don't bother thawing it first). Set timer for 20 mins.
While the chicken is cooking, wash about 5 carrots. Pull 5 stalks of celery off the bunch and wash them. Cut the tops and bottoms off both the celery and and carrots, then cut them into slices. They will not change size as they cook, so cut them into the size you want them to be when you eat the soup. Cut up your onion as well. The easiest way to do this is to cut off the top and bottom of the onion, then cut it in half longways (from top to bottom). Then pull off the top two layers and put each half cut-side down on the cutting board. Slice each half like an apple, then cut each slice into chunks.
When your timer goes off, use tongs to pull the chicken out of the soup and put it on a plate. Dump the vegetables into the soup and put the cover back on.
Cut up the cooked chicken (it's ok if it's not completely cooked as you're putting it back in the soup and it will finish cooking - it's just easier to cut up cooked chicken than raw chicken). Cut it into medium sized strips, then cut each strip into chunks. When you're done, dump the chicken back into the pot. Add the pasta at this point as well. Make sure to stir it every few minutes so the pasta doesn't stick together.
How long you need to cook it after adding the pasta depends on the kind of pasta you're using. Check the package to see how long it's supposed to cook for, then set your timer for that amount of time.
When the timer goes off, turn the stove off and taste a bit of the soup (careful - it will be very hot!) to see if you think it needs salt or pepper. If you decide it does, add it a little bit at a time. You can always add more, but you can't take it out if you add too much :) The easiest way to do this is to dump it into your palm so you can see how much you're adding.
That's it; you're done :)
Shopping List
2 boxes chicken broth
1 lb boneless skinless chicken (either breasts or thighs, either frozen or thawed - breasts are white meat and more expensive, thighs are dark meat and cheaper. Some people only like one type of meat or the other. I usually cook with dark meat as we buy organic meat, which is already more expensive, so I try to cut costs by buying the cheaper meat)
1 lb carrots
1 bunch celery
1 onion
1 lb pasta (any kind you want, but usually the smaller kinds work better than spaghetti noodles or other long pastas. I like farfalle, which is bow tie shaped pasta, or little star shaped pasta, or egg noodles. Traditional chicken noodle soup uses egg noodles.)
Salt and Pepper
Start cooking about 60 mins before you want to eat
Dump the chicken broth into a large pot with a lid. Cover and cook over med-high heat. Dump in chicken (if it's frozen, don't bother thawing it first). Set timer for 20 mins.
While the chicken is cooking, wash about 5 carrots. Pull 5 stalks of celery off the bunch and wash them. Cut the tops and bottoms off both the celery and and carrots, then cut them into slices. They will not change size as they cook, so cut them into the size you want them to be when you eat the soup. Cut up your onion as well. The easiest way to do this is to cut off the top and bottom of the onion, then cut it in half longways (from top to bottom). Then pull off the top two layers and put each half cut-side down on the cutting board. Slice each half like an apple, then cut each slice into chunks.
When your timer goes off, use tongs to pull the chicken out of the soup and put it on a plate. Dump the vegetables into the soup and put the cover back on.
Cut up the cooked chicken (it's ok if it's not completely cooked as you're putting it back in the soup and it will finish cooking - it's just easier to cut up cooked chicken than raw chicken). Cut it into medium sized strips, then cut each strip into chunks. When you're done, dump the chicken back into the pot. Add the pasta at this point as well. Make sure to stir it every few minutes so the pasta doesn't stick together.
How long you need to cook it after adding the pasta depends on the kind of pasta you're using. Check the package to see how long it's supposed to cook for, then set your timer for that amount of time.
When the timer goes off, turn the stove off and taste a bit of the soup (careful - it will be very hot!) to see if you think it needs salt or pepper. If you decide it does, add it a little bit at a time. You can always add more, but you can't take it out if you add too much :) The easiest way to do this is to dump it into your palm so you can see how much you're adding.
That's it; you're done :)
What Every Cook Should Have
Salt (I prefer sea salt - the flavor is better. Get sea salt that looks like regular salt though, not the big chunks)
Pepper (ground black pepper. Or you can buy a cheap pepper mill from someplace like Walmart and then buy whole black peppercorns to fill it - that way you have freshly ground pepper)
Garlic powder (I prefer fresh garlic, but I always have this on hand. Almost everything's better with garlic in it!)
Italian seasoning (a blend of basic herbs)
Vanilla extract (get the real stuff, not imitation)
I usually get the five items listed above at a wholesale warehouse like Costco or BJ's or Sam's Club (although sometimes they don't carry Italian seasoning, but every grocery store does).
Olive oil
Vegetable oil (or canola oil - they are pretty much the same thing)
White vinegar (don't need a huge container, but you should have it)
Apple cider vinegar (don't need a huge container, but you should have it)
Brown sugar
White sugar
Flour (a basic white all-purpose flour. If you're health conscious, you could go with white wheat flour or organic flour. If you have a gluten allergy in your house, corn starch can work as well in many cases)
Baking powder
Baking soda (yes, this is very different from baking powder)
Cinnamon (ground)
Ketchup
Mustard
Soy sauce
Worcestershire sauce
Butter (don't cook with margarine. Butter has more flavor and works better in recipes)
Eggs (large or extra-large)
Mayonnaise
Parmesan cheese
Shortening
Pam (or some other type of spray oil to grease pans)
As you cook more and more, you'll add to this list, but this covers the basics.
Pepper (ground black pepper. Or you can buy a cheap pepper mill from someplace like Walmart and then buy whole black peppercorns to fill it - that way you have freshly ground pepper)
Garlic powder (I prefer fresh garlic, but I always have this on hand. Almost everything's better with garlic in it!)
Italian seasoning (a blend of basic herbs)
Vanilla extract (get the real stuff, not imitation)
I usually get the five items listed above at a wholesale warehouse like Costco or BJ's or Sam's Club (although sometimes they don't carry Italian seasoning, but every grocery store does).
Olive oil
Vegetable oil (or canola oil - they are pretty much the same thing)
White vinegar (don't need a huge container, but you should have it)
Apple cider vinegar (don't need a huge container, but you should have it)
Brown sugar
White sugar
Flour (a basic white all-purpose flour. If you're health conscious, you could go with white wheat flour or organic flour. If you have a gluten allergy in your house, corn starch can work as well in many cases)
Baking powder
Baking soda (yes, this is very different from baking powder)
Cinnamon (ground)
Ketchup
Mustard
Soy sauce
Worcestershire sauce
Butter (don't cook with margarine. Butter has more flavor and works better in recipes)
Eggs (large or extra-large)
Mayonnaise
Parmesan cheese
Shortening
Pam (or some other type of spray oil to grease pans)
As you cook more and more, you'll add to this list, but this covers the basics.
Friday, January 6, 2012
Dill Ranch Oyster Crackers
I suppose you could serve these with tomato soup or something, but ours never make it uneaten long enough to be served with anything.
Shopping List
1 bag or box of oyster crackers
1 pkg ranch dressing mix (found in the salad dressing section - not actual ranch dressing, just the powdered mix to make it)
1/4 cup vegetable oil (could substitute canola oil or corn oil or even olive oil)
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon dried dill weed (a spice, found in the baking materials section of the grocery store)
Preheat oven to 250*
Mix ranch dressing mix, oil, garlic powder and dill weed in either a large bowl with a lid or a gallon plastic ziploc bag. Dump in the oyster crackers.
If using a bowl, place the lid on and shake for a minute or two. If using the bag, seal the bag (don't squeeze the air out, air is helpful when trying to coat things in a ziploc bag) and shake the bag for a minute or two. You're trying to cover each cracker with seasoning, so if you have a lot of seasoning left at the bottom of the bowl or bag, re-close and shake again.
Spread evenly-ish on a cookie sheet and place in the oven (about in the middle, measuring from top to bottom - you don't want to burn either the top or the bottom of the crackers). Set timer for 7 minutes.
When timer goes off, open oven and stir with cooking spoon or spatula. Set timer for another 7 minutes.
When timer goes off, take crackers out and put them in a bowl or container. Let them cool for a few minutes, then eat.
Shopping List
1 bag or box of oyster crackers
1 pkg ranch dressing mix (found in the salad dressing section - not actual ranch dressing, just the powdered mix to make it)
1/4 cup vegetable oil (could substitute canola oil or corn oil or even olive oil)
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon dried dill weed (a spice, found in the baking materials section of the grocery store)
Preheat oven to 250*
Mix ranch dressing mix, oil, garlic powder and dill weed in either a large bowl with a lid or a gallon plastic ziploc bag. Dump in the oyster crackers.
If using a bowl, place the lid on and shake for a minute or two. If using the bag, seal the bag (don't squeeze the air out, air is helpful when trying to coat things in a ziploc bag) and shake the bag for a minute or two. You're trying to cover each cracker with seasoning, so if you have a lot of seasoning left at the bottom of the bowl or bag, re-close and shake again.
Spread evenly-ish on a cookie sheet and place in the oven (about in the middle, measuring from top to bottom - you don't want to burn either the top or the bottom of the crackers). Set timer for 7 minutes.
When timer goes off, open oven and stir with cooking spoon or spatula. Set timer for another 7 minutes.
When timer goes off, take crackers out and put them in a bowl or container. Let them cool for a few minutes, then eat.
10 Minute Peanut Butter Fudge
Ok, so you should let this cool for an hour or two in the fridge after making it, but it seriously takes less than 10 minutes to make and it's some of the best pb fudge I've had :)
Shopping List
2 cups creamy peanut butter (about 2/3 of a small jar)
1 lb butter (meaning one regular rectangular box of butter containing 4 sticks - no margarine)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract (obviously you'll have to buy the whole jar of vanilla extract, but that's ok because it's something you should have for other recipes anyway)
2 lbs powdered sugar
Put butter and peanut butter together in a medium sized microwave-safe bowl (if I were you, I'd hit thrift stores and buy the old fashioned white glass mixing bowls for microwave use. Who cares if they are avocado green; they last forever and they don't melt in the microwave, plus you can even bake in them if you need to. Just make sure they don't have any metallic designs on them as back then metallic designs were made with actual metal, which is not microwave safe unless you want your microwave looking like a sparkler).
Microwave on high for two minutes. Stir well. Microwave on high for another two minutes. Remove and stir well again.
At this point you have two options - you can use a stand mixer or you can stir it by hand.
If you are using a mixer, dump the melted pb and butter into your mixer's bowl, stir in the vanilla, and turn onto low speed. Slowly add in powdered sugar 1/4-1/2 cup at a time. If you add it in all at once or if your mixer is on a higher speed, the powdered sugar is so fine that it will be blown out of the bowl and will coat you and your kitchen in a lovely covering of white. I suppose if you're desperate for snow, you could try this, but it's a pain in the butt to clean up, plus then you don't have pb fudge to eat at the end.
If you are stirring it by hand, stir in the vanilla, then stir in the powdered sugar about 1/2 c. at a time. Or just pour a bit in at a time. You don't have to measure it; it will just make it easier to stir in this way.
Whichever way you mixed it together, spray a 9x13 cake pan with pam (this is a normal sized cake pan. If you don't have one, it really doesn't matter if you use another size; it will just make your fudge either thinner or thicker than mine usually is). Scrape the mixture out of the bowl and into the cake pan. Press it evenly into the pan.
Chill in the refrigerator for at least an hour, probably two. Cut into pieces and eat :) Store any leftovers in the fridge as it melts a bit in warmer places.
*Recipe by Alton Brown, found on foodnetwork.com
Shopping List
2 cups creamy peanut butter (about 2/3 of a small jar)
1 lb butter (meaning one regular rectangular box of butter containing 4 sticks - no margarine)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract (obviously you'll have to buy the whole jar of vanilla extract, but that's ok because it's something you should have for other recipes anyway)
2 lbs powdered sugar
Put butter and peanut butter together in a medium sized microwave-safe bowl (if I were you, I'd hit thrift stores and buy the old fashioned white glass mixing bowls for microwave use. Who cares if they are avocado green; they last forever and they don't melt in the microwave, plus you can even bake in them if you need to. Just make sure they don't have any metallic designs on them as back then metallic designs were made with actual metal, which is not microwave safe unless you want your microwave looking like a sparkler).
Microwave on high for two minutes. Stir well. Microwave on high for another two minutes. Remove and stir well again.
At this point you have two options - you can use a stand mixer or you can stir it by hand.
If you are using a mixer, dump the melted pb and butter into your mixer's bowl, stir in the vanilla, and turn onto low speed. Slowly add in powdered sugar 1/4-1/2 cup at a time. If you add it in all at once or if your mixer is on a higher speed, the powdered sugar is so fine that it will be blown out of the bowl and will coat you and your kitchen in a lovely covering of white. I suppose if you're desperate for snow, you could try this, but it's a pain in the butt to clean up, plus then you don't have pb fudge to eat at the end.
If you are stirring it by hand, stir in the vanilla, then stir in the powdered sugar about 1/2 c. at a time. Or just pour a bit in at a time. You don't have to measure it; it will just make it easier to stir in this way.
Whichever way you mixed it together, spray a 9x13 cake pan with pam (this is a normal sized cake pan. If you don't have one, it really doesn't matter if you use another size; it will just make your fudge either thinner or thicker than mine usually is). Scrape the mixture out of the bowl and into the cake pan. Press it evenly into the pan.
Chill in the refrigerator for at least an hour, probably two. Cut into pieces and eat :) Store any leftovers in the fridge as it melts a bit in warmer places.
*Recipe by Alton Brown, found on foodnetwork.com
Bacon and Cheddar Quiche
If you can make a mud pie (as in one actually made of mud), you can make this :)
Shopping List
1 pre-made (not pre-cooked) pie crust (8in), in a pie pan (in the frozen foods section) - this is optional; I usually make it without a crust as we try to minimize grains in our diet
3 eggs (large or extra-large)
2 cups grated cheddar cheese (or you can grate it yourself, usually 2 c. grated cheese is about 8oz.)
1 1/2 cup half and half (or 1/2 c. milk and 1 c. heavy whipping cream; I don't usually use half and half for anything else, so I never have it)
1 bag cooked bacon pieces (NOT bacon bits as they are not actually made of bacon, buy real bacon pieces - usually in the salad dressing and topping section of the grocery store, much easier than cooking the bacon yourself - also, if you don't like bacon, you could substitute chunks of ham or cooked ground sausage or even cut up veggies like peppers for a vegetarian quiche)
Start about 60 mins before you want to eat
Preheat oven to 350*.
Unwrap empty pie crust (or take out an empty 8in pie pan and spray with pam if you're making it crustless). Spread bacon pieces evenly over the bottom. Spread shredded cheese evenly over the top of the bacon.
Break eggs into a separate bowl. Add half and half or milk and cream. Mix with a fork, making sure to break the yolk and mix the yolk throughout the mixture. Pour egg mixture evenly over the top of the cheese and bacon. Place in oven (keep it even so the egg mixture doesn't spill over the side).
Set timer for 40 minutes.
When timer goes off, remove quiche and let it cool for about 15 minutes. Slice and serve. (We usually have either fresh fruit or a salad with this).
*Recipe adapted from Paula Deen's "My First Cookbook"
Shopping List
1 pre-made (not pre-cooked) pie crust (8in), in a pie pan (in the frozen foods section) - this is optional; I usually make it without a crust as we try to minimize grains in our diet
3 eggs (large or extra-large)
2 cups grated cheddar cheese (or you can grate it yourself, usually 2 c. grated cheese is about 8oz.)
1 1/2 cup half and half (or 1/2 c. milk and 1 c. heavy whipping cream; I don't usually use half and half for anything else, so I never have it)
1 bag cooked bacon pieces (NOT bacon bits as they are not actually made of bacon, buy real bacon pieces - usually in the salad dressing and topping section of the grocery store, much easier than cooking the bacon yourself - also, if you don't like bacon, you could substitute chunks of ham or cooked ground sausage or even cut up veggies like peppers for a vegetarian quiche)
Start about 60 mins before you want to eat
Preheat oven to 350*.
Unwrap empty pie crust (or take out an empty 8in pie pan and spray with pam if you're making it crustless). Spread bacon pieces evenly over the bottom. Spread shredded cheese evenly over the top of the bacon.
Break eggs into a separate bowl. Add half and half or milk and cream. Mix with a fork, making sure to break the yolk and mix the yolk throughout the mixture. Pour egg mixture evenly over the top of the cheese and bacon. Place in oven (keep it even so the egg mixture doesn't spill over the side).
Set timer for 40 minutes.
When timer goes off, remove quiche and let it cool for about 15 minutes. Slice and serve. (We usually have either fresh fruit or a salad with this).
*Recipe adapted from Paula Deen's "My First Cookbook"
Zuppa Toscana
Shopping List
1 lb ground sausage (don't get sausages shaped like sausages, they just make more work for you in this recipe. Also, I would buy mild, sweet, or spicy italian sausage - spicy if you like spicy foods, either mild or sweet if you don't)
3 large red potatoes (or 6 smaller potatoes - red potatoes have red skin and are sometimes called russet potatoes, their skin is smoother than most brown potatoes and they usually aren't peeled when used in recipes)
1 large onion (either yellow or white)
3 cloves garlic (You only need to buy one bulb of garlic as each bulb has many cloves. And yes, you can use 1 T. garlic powder instead if you prefer, but fresh garlic tastes better)
8 cups chicken broth (about two big boxes or 6 cans)
2 cups heavy whipping cream (about a pint)
1 bunch kale (green, leafy vegetable, usually located near fresh parsley and cilantro in the produce section)
2 cups grated parmesan cheese
salt and pepper
3/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 stick butter (1/2 cup, and yes, use real butter; margarine doesn't cut it)
1 loaf crusty bread for serving with the finished soup
Start about 60 minutes before you want to eat
Wash potatoes and cut into medium-sized squares. Make them all about the same size so they will all take about the same amount of time to cook.
Cut onion into squares. The easiest way to do this is to cut off the top and the bottom of the onion, then cut it in half longways (from top to bottom). Peel off the top two layers of the onion (or whatever layers are dry and darker in color), put each cut side down, the cut into slices like an apple. Then you can cut those slices into chunks.
Mince garlic. Break off three cloves of garlic from the bulb. Cut off the bottom of each clove (don't peel off the papery part yet). Put each clove on it's side on a cutting board and get a wide knife. Put the knife flat on top of one of the cloves, then bang it with your palm. This should partially crush the clove, making it easy to pull off the papery part. Once you've removed the papery part, cut the cloves into small pieces.
Leave your potatoes, onion, and garlic on the counter. Get out a large dinner plate and line it with 2 paper towels, then set it aside. Place your sausage in a large soup pot (that has a lid - you'll need the lid later) over medium heat (if you use high heat, you'll burn the sausage; if you use low, it will take forever to cook). As it's cooking, break it up and move it around the bottom of the pan with a fork. Once it's all brown and you can't see anymore pink, empty your sausage onto the paper towels (if you prefer you can drain the grease another way, I just find this way easiest). Leave the sausage on the paper towelled plate.
Put the pot you cooked the sausage in back on the stove on the hot burner (which should still be turned on). Dump your chicken broth into the pot, followed by the potatoes, onion, and garlic. Add the red pepper flakes as well (if you don't like anything even remotely spicy, you can leave this out). Put the lid on the pot and let it cook over medium-high heat. Set your timer for 20 minutes.
While your soup is cooking, rinse your kale, then shake the water off. Cut off the tough stems of each leaf, then cut the leaves roughly into squares. It doesn't have to look pretty, your goal here is to have each piece be small enough that you don't look like you have a bucket of seaweed hanging from your mouth when you eat.
When your timer goes off, check and make sure your potatoes are cooked. The best way to do this is to scoop one or two of the larger pieces up with a large spoon, put them on the inside of your lid, and see if you can easily cut them in half with the spoon. If you can, they are cooked. If you can't, cook them for another five minutes and check again (cooking time will vary depending on how big your potato chunks are).
Once your potatoes are cooked, turn off the burner, but leave the pot on it. Add your cooked sausage. Dump in your kale, stir it into the soup, and let it sit for a few minutes. It should turn a darker green, but not get slimy (kale cooks super quickly, which is why we waited to put it in). Dump in your stick of butter and stir until melted (don't stir really hard - you will crush the potato chunks). Dump in the cream, parmesan cheese, and stir (gently) until combined. Taste it and see if you think it needs salt and/or pepper. If needed, add a little bit of either at a time (MUCH easier to put more in than to take some out, so add it slowly. A good trick to use for this part is to dump it in your palm first so you see how much you're using instead of just dumping it in the pot).
Serve it, you're done :) And seriously, this is even better than the zuppa toscano at the Olive Garden :)
1 lb ground sausage (don't get sausages shaped like sausages, they just make more work for you in this recipe. Also, I would buy mild, sweet, or spicy italian sausage - spicy if you like spicy foods, either mild or sweet if you don't)
3 large red potatoes (or 6 smaller potatoes - red potatoes have red skin and are sometimes called russet potatoes, their skin is smoother than most brown potatoes and they usually aren't peeled when used in recipes)
1 large onion (either yellow or white)
3 cloves garlic (You only need to buy one bulb of garlic as each bulb has many cloves. And yes, you can use 1 T. garlic powder instead if you prefer, but fresh garlic tastes better)
8 cups chicken broth (about two big boxes or 6 cans)
2 cups heavy whipping cream (about a pint)
1 bunch kale (green, leafy vegetable, usually located near fresh parsley and cilantro in the produce section)
2 cups grated parmesan cheese
salt and pepper
3/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 stick butter (1/2 cup, and yes, use real butter; margarine doesn't cut it)
1 loaf crusty bread for serving with the finished soup
Start about 60 minutes before you want to eat
Wash potatoes and cut into medium-sized squares. Make them all about the same size so they will all take about the same amount of time to cook.
Cut onion into squares. The easiest way to do this is to cut off the top and the bottom of the onion, then cut it in half longways (from top to bottom). Peel off the top two layers of the onion (or whatever layers are dry and darker in color), put each cut side down, the cut into slices like an apple. Then you can cut those slices into chunks.
Mince garlic. Break off three cloves of garlic from the bulb. Cut off the bottom of each clove (don't peel off the papery part yet). Put each clove on it's side on a cutting board and get a wide knife. Put the knife flat on top of one of the cloves, then bang it with your palm. This should partially crush the clove, making it easy to pull off the papery part. Once you've removed the papery part, cut the cloves into small pieces.
Leave your potatoes, onion, and garlic on the counter. Get out a large dinner plate and line it with 2 paper towels, then set it aside. Place your sausage in a large soup pot (that has a lid - you'll need the lid later) over medium heat (if you use high heat, you'll burn the sausage; if you use low, it will take forever to cook). As it's cooking, break it up and move it around the bottom of the pan with a fork. Once it's all brown and you can't see anymore pink, empty your sausage onto the paper towels (if you prefer you can drain the grease another way, I just find this way easiest). Leave the sausage on the paper towelled plate.
Put the pot you cooked the sausage in back on the stove on the hot burner (which should still be turned on). Dump your chicken broth into the pot, followed by the potatoes, onion, and garlic. Add the red pepper flakes as well (if you don't like anything even remotely spicy, you can leave this out). Put the lid on the pot and let it cook over medium-high heat. Set your timer for 20 minutes.
While your soup is cooking, rinse your kale, then shake the water off. Cut off the tough stems of each leaf, then cut the leaves roughly into squares. It doesn't have to look pretty, your goal here is to have each piece be small enough that you don't look like you have a bucket of seaweed hanging from your mouth when you eat.
When your timer goes off, check and make sure your potatoes are cooked. The best way to do this is to scoop one or two of the larger pieces up with a large spoon, put them on the inside of your lid, and see if you can easily cut them in half with the spoon. If you can, they are cooked. If you can't, cook them for another five minutes and check again (cooking time will vary depending on how big your potato chunks are).
Once your potatoes are cooked, turn off the burner, but leave the pot on it. Add your cooked sausage. Dump in your kale, stir it into the soup, and let it sit for a few minutes. It should turn a darker green, but not get slimy (kale cooks super quickly, which is why we waited to put it in). Dump in your stick of butter and stir until melted (don't stir really hard - you will crush the potato chunks). Dump in the cream, parmesan cheese, and stir (gently) until combined. Taste it and see if you think it needs salt and/or pepper. If needed, add a little bit of either at a time (MUCH easier to put more in than to take some out, so add it slowly. A good trick to use for this part is to dump it in your palm first so you see how much you're using instead of just dumping it in the pot).
Serve it, you're done :) And seriously, this is even better than the zuppa toscano at the Olive Garden :)
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