Tortilla Casserole

Snow, sleet and rain.

Three things we have had in abundance in Maryland over the last month.

I hate to complain about the cold weather but boy it sure gets to you after a while. It starts affecting your life which in turns messes with your mind.

Isabella told me that she has "cabbage fever". I laughed so hard when she said this. I didn't have the heart to correct her because it was so cute and memorable. She will figure it out and until then I smile each time she mentions "cabbage fever".

I can relate though, I am starting to feel a bit of it myself.


Cooking in the kitchen always helps me to clear my mind.

I needed something cheesy and warm. I decided to make this tortilla casserole and I am glad that I did.

I think we found a new family favorite for the winter months. It helped that I made the tortillas from scratch. I followed the directions on the back of the masa harina package (see comments below).

My wish is that everyone has stayed warm this cold cold winter.  

We are wishing for Spring almost daily.  I guess without the wintery blues we would not be able to fully appreciate the warm sunshine when it finally arrives for Spring.  I love the changing seasons.  This is one of the reasons that Maryland is so beloved by my family.  

We. Can. Not. Wait. For. Spring!

Enjoy

Tortilla Casserole

12 corn tortillas, (homemade are amazing)

2 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup sour cream
1 1/2 cup salsa
1 teaspoon salt
8 oz cream cheese, soft
1.5 pounds ground beef, cooked
2 green onions, diced with green and white parts
4 cups of shredded cheese. You can use jack or cheddar or a combination of both.

To make the tortilla's from scratch I used Bob's Red Mill Masa Harina and followed the directions on the bag for one batch. This made 12 tortillas. You do have to let the dough rest for one hour and then the making and baking of the tortilla's takes about 30 minutes. It is a few extra steps but the freshness of the tortillas really shines in this recipe.

1.  Preheat oven to 350.  Spray a 7X11 baking dish (or close to this size) with cooking spray.

2.  In a medium bowl, combine eggs, milk, sour cream, salsa , salt and cream cheese.

3.  Layer the casserole in this order:  cooked ground meat, cream cheese sauce, cheese and then tortillas.  Repeat one more time.  You should have enough tortillas for two layers and everything else you will have enough for 3 layers.  You want to end with the cheese on top.

4.  Bake for 30 minutes.

5.   Serve immediately with sour cream, shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes and/or jalapenos.

Written by Sherron Watson

Homemade Marshmallow Fluff and Fruit Dip

Here you have two recipes.  It is your lucky day!

My sister-n-law made this fruit dip for us when we visited them last.  I positively could not get enough of it.  I felt so guilty every time I scooped my strawberry or pineapple piece into the luscious dip.

I must have looked like a little piggy and quite honestly, I did not care.  

OOPS, did I say that out loud?

I am not going to lie, there is no way to make this healthy.  I tried to make a batch using rice syrup instead of the corn syrup and that was a total fail. 

I had to reconcile the fact that it is a treat and no matter how hard I tried it was not going to be any other way than sweet, sweet and super good.

Once I allowed myself to enjoy this dessert to its fullest without feeling guilty, I feel it began to taste even sweeter.  LOL

If you are a reader of my blog then you know that I try my best to make most things from scratch.  To buy the jar of premade marshmallow was something I just did not want to do so I decided to try my hand at making this version.

I found the original version from one of my favorite blogs, A Farm Girl Dabbles.  I love her blog because she also likes to cook from scratch and use whole ingredients.  I found the homemade version tasted cleaner.  I didn't have a strange after taste like I did with the jar version.  

We are a few months out from having fresh strawberries in our local farmer's markets but with Valentine's right around the corner I thought a few of you may want to make this dip for school parties, work events or a little something special for your sweetie pie.  

ENJOY!

Fruit Dip

1 8oz package of cream cheese, softened

1 1/2 cup of homemade marshmallow cream (recipe below) 

                 or 1 7oz jar of premade marshmallow cream

1 Tablespoon of cherry juice, for color

1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1.  In a medium bowl, whip cream cheese until fluffy,

2.  Fold in marshmallow cream, juice, and nutmeg.

3.  Refrigerate until ready to use.

4.  Serve with your favorite sliced and prepared fruits.

Homemade Marshmallow Cream

1/3 cup water

3/4 cup light corn syrup

2/3 cup plus 2 T. sugar, divided

3 large eggs

1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1.  In a small saucepan with heat set to medium-high, add water, corn syrup and the 2/3 cup of sugar.   Cook until boiling.   Continue cooking and stirring (see note below) until the mixture reaches 240 degrees on a candy thermometer.  Remove from heat.

You do not need to stir the whole time.  Just once in a while to keep the bottom from scorching.

2.  While step number one is cooking and reaching the desired temperature, you can beat the egg whites with the cream of tartar.  The whites should be light and frothy right before you add the 2 tablespoons of sugar.  Continue beating until soft peaks form.  Set aside until syrup from step one is ready.

The easiest way to do this step is using a table top mixer.  I used my kitchenaid. 

3.  Grab the bowl with the egg whites, set your mixer, with the whisk attachment, to low and s.l.o.w.l.y  start pouring the hot syrup into the egg whites.  As egg whites start to stiffen,  increase the speed to high.  Beat on high for 7-9 minutes until the mixture is stiff and glossy.  

4.  Add vanilla and beat until combined, maybe one more minute.

5.  Store in the refrigerator until ready to use.

I used mine to make brown butter rice crispy treats.  ENJOY

Written by Sherron Watson

Cowboy Caviar

I love this side dish, relish, snack, appetizer or salad topping.  It has many uses. 

The obvious way to enjoy the Cowboy Caviar is with tortilla chips but I also like to use the left overs for salads and sandwiches.

Honestly, you can add anything to this wonderful array of color served in a bowl or take out what you don't like.  

I think these are some of the best recipes because they are so easily adaptable to your own families likes and dislikes.   I know that when I make it when my Mom is in town to leave out the black-eyed peas--she hates them.  I know that if I am going to be eating it I have to make a small batch for myself without the peppers.  I just learned that I am very allergic to bell peppers (and here I thought it was the eggs--LOL)

Do you see how this can be altered and recreated a ton of different ways.  I think adding jicama to this would also be really good.  I just thought of that so next time I will change it up a bit.

I like to serve this dish warm instead of cold.  My teeth are really sensitive to cold things. I just pop it in the microwave for a few seconds, enough to take the cold edge off.

I think we will be making this soon, I smell a good football game right around the corner.

ENJOY!

Cowboy Caviar

Prep Time:  15 minutes

Serves: 6-8

1 15 oz can of black beans, drained and rinsed

1 15.5 oz can of black-eyed peas, drained and rinsed

1 cup of orange bell pepper, chopped small

2/3 cup red onion, chopped small

1 15 oz. can white or yellow corn, drained

2 medium tomatoes, chopped small

1/2-1 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

1.5 cups of your favorite Italian salad dressing

Salt to taste

Jalapenos (optional--not pictured)

Combine all ingredients into a medium bowl. Stir well

Serve with chips, as a salad topping, over fish or by itself.

Store in refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Italian Loaf

This sandwich is a family favorite!

I wanted to share it with you right before the big Super Bowl game coming up on February 2nd.

What I enjoy about this sandwich is that you make it the night before and let it sit all night.  Then when you are ready to eat, you simply pull it out and slice it up like a big pie or pizza.  The wedges look amazing, your guest will be thrilled with the flavors and the best part--you are not spending a lot of time away from the game.  

You did all the work the day before.

As with all of my recipes, I urge you to use the best ingredients to bring out the full flavor and potential of this show stopping meal.

Serve with a few of your favorite side dishes, chips, a vegetable platter and some cold drinks.  You should be set for the game!

ENJOY.

Italian Loaf

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Serves: 8-10

1 (6-8 inch) round loaf of your favorite bread (Use a gluten free loaf to make this gluten free)

4-6 slices of ham

12-15 slices of Genoa salami

4-6 slices of turkey

10-12 slices of pepperoni

3-4 slices of provolone cheese

3-4 slices of mozzarella cheese

1/2 cup olive medley-recipe below

2 slices of red onion

1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes in olive oil, chopped

A handful of Arugula or lettuce greens

Dash of olive oil

Dash of balsamic vinegar-your favorite flavor

To prepare bread:  Cut a 5-inch circle in the top of the round loaf of the bread.  Using your fingers, dig out the inside so that you have a hollow shell of crust. Remove any extra bread on the "lid" of your loaf.

Layer your meat and cheese in any order on the bottom. 

To make the olive medley: Buy three different kinds of your favorite pitted olives; add them to a food processor. Pulse a few times.  Add this medley to your sandwich after the meat.

Layer the onions, sun-dried tomatoes and fill the top in with your favorite lettuce greens.  

Top the lettuce with a dash of olive oil and vinegar.  Replace the 5-inch circle and wrap the sandwich tightly in plastic wrap.

Let sit overnight in the refrigerator.  When ready to serve, slice like a pie. 

Serve with your favorite side dishes and condiments.

Written by Sherron Watson

Cantaloupe and Prosciutto Crustini

Easy is what I am looking for in my meals recently.  I also need something that I can make fast.

Holding a baby in one hand has allowed me to get really good at doing things with my left hand and using only one hand.  Not to mention my right arm is getting pretty buff.  Now I need to find the time to work on my left arm or I may look like Popeye pretty soon, or half of Popeye.

The one hand "everything" also applies to eating.  I really can't hold a sandwich very well. The insides seem to be falling out constantly or I spill mayonnaise onto Finnleys outfit or forehead.  She does not like that much.  Speaking of Finnley, here she is at 3 months old.   Her hands are keeping her very busy these days.

So I find that these small crustini appetizers work well for me.  I can buy the baguettes or make my own bread, cut them into small rounds and load them up with what I like.  On this day I chose to mix the sweet flavor of cantaloupe with a bit of mozzarella cheese and Prosciutto.   The melted mozzarella was a nice touch.

MMMMMM, my taste buds were thanking me on this day.  I love pairing sweet with salty ingredients. I also love to add a bit of tartness so I drizzled a few drops of my favorite balsamic vinegar, this month I chose the bordeaux cherry flavor.

Other combinations that I like to use are: cream cheese, ham, chicken salad, fresh herbs, olive oil, sharp cheddar cheese--really, the options are endless.

If you have time, share with me your favorite combination of flavors and textures when you prepare a platter of crustini for your family or friends.

Cantaloupe and Prosciutto Crustini

Prep. Time:  15 minutes

Bake Time:  15 minutes

16 slices of baguette style bread

2 T. olive oil

8 slices of mozzarella cheese, cut in half

1/2 cantaloupe

8 slices of Prosciutto

Flavored vinaigrette, optional

Mint leaves, optional 

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2.  Cut bread into 1/4 inch thick slices.  Brush each side with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

3.  Bake bread for 10 minutes.  Remove, add 1/2 slice of mozzarella cheese and return to oven for 5 more minutes.  

4.  While the cheese is melting.  Use a potato peeler to make thin slices of cantaloupe.  Cut Prosciutto in half. 

5.  Remove crustini from oven and lay a folded piece of Prosciutto on top of cheese, add folded cantaloupe, top with a small leaf of mint.

Optional:  add a drop or two of your favorite balsamic vinegar. I used Cherry (see picture).

Written by Sherron Watson

Merlot Meatballs

Back in October I was sent a gift basket that included a bottle of Merlot, along with cheese, crackers and an apple slicer.  At the time I was tending to Finnley and put the bottle under the cupboard for a later date.  To be honest, I forgot about it until I ventured into the kitchen to make these wonderful creamed mushrooms.

I guess I was in the mood for something creamy and warm.  I ended up on Pinterest scrolling though some easy recipes because I was out of some of the ingredients to make the Creamed Mushrooms.

Bummer.

It was a bummer until I found this recipe for Merlot Meatballs by The Midnight Baker.  They sounded easy enough; plus,  I had the Merlot.

The recipe below has been adapted from the original.  I modified it to fit our families taste buds and to use what I had on hand.

Delicious sums up the end result of this dish.   Pre-made meatballs are easy but I think homemade meatballs taste better.  Here is an easy recipe for Homemade Meatballs that I use quite often with a variety of meatball dishes or this recipe for Turkey Meatballs would work well too.

As with some recipes, they tend to taste a little bit better the next day.  The sauce on the meatballs got a bit thicker and the flavors really shined through.  I enjoyed the meatballs but the sauce was the star of this dish.  I highly recommend that you have some fresh bread  (gluten free bread found here) on hand.


Recipe:  Merlot Meatballs
Adapted from The Midnight Baker

Makes 16/18 meatballs

Prep. Time:  30 minutes

1 bag of pre-made meatballs (16-18 count)

1/2 cup diced mushrooms, small

1/2 cup diced onions, small

2 T. butter

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/2 cup Merlot wine

1 1/4 cup of heavy cream

1 T. chopped fresh parsley

1 teaspoon honey

Loaf of Italian Bread, optional

1.  Bake meatballs according to package directions.

2.  In a large saute pan on medium high heat, melt butter; add garlic, mushrooms, salt/pepper and onion.  Cook until onion is clear. 

3.  Turn heat down to medium, add wine, cream, honey and parsley.  

4.  Add Meatballs and simmer, stirring occasionally, until reduced and thickened.  Sauce should simmer for at least 15 minutes. The longer it reduces the thicker and creamier the sauce will be.

5.  Serve in a large bowl, over noodles, or in individual serving dishes as an appetizer. 

The sauce is too good to waste, use the bread to sop up every last drop.

Written by Sherron Watson

Easy Eggnog Bread Pudding with Butterscotch Sauce

Around this time each year my family decides that they have had enough eggnog.  After all, I did start buying it around Thanksgiving time with a steady purchase of 1/2 a gallon every week.  I usually don't figure this out until I find myself pouring it down the drain because we have surpassed the expiration date and I need to make room in the refrigerator.

This year I decided to do things differently. I rounded up some ideas of how I could use the left over eggnog that I knew I would find it on the top shelf hiding behind the orange juice and milk.   My thoughts went from fudge, to bread pudding, then to an eggnog applesauce cake or, the best one, eggnog ice cream.  These recipes would pretty much cover any amount that I would find nestled in the very back shelf.   The ice cream is going to require a lot of eggnog, I can only hope I find a full half gallon.

Last night I could not sleep.  I call it Holiday/Christmas/Company anxiety.  My parents are coming into town on Saturday and any company causes me to "wig out" a bit.  The older I get the worse it becomes.  When my guests arrive on my doorstep, the anxiety melts away. It is the anticipation of people coming to stay in my home that riles me up.  

These are some of the random thoughts that swirl around in my head:

"What if I forget to clean something"? Like the microwave, which I have done before.

"What if I make something they don't like?" Again, it has happened.

"What if the activities I have planned don't work out?" This usually doesn't happen, but it could.

"What if I decide to run away and come home when it is all over?" This is one question I ask myself a lot but I have actually never done because, like I mentioned above, I always have a great time and things go according to plan.

I believe I am my own worst enemy and I am sure it stems from my childhood and the need to please everyone, be the peace maker and strive for perfection.

 
So what does this have to do with bread pudding, early mornings and eggnog?

Everything.

The anxiety was my reason for not sleeping, which caused me to clean out the fridge, which then led me to find the eggnog hiding behind the beef broth, that triggered my crazy 4am brain to make bread pudding. Remember that was on my list of things I could make.

I am going to assume that if you are like me, have Celiac or are gluten intolerant , then bread pudding is something that you do not make often (or, if you are like me, never). I don't usually make it because my family says they don't like it and I have never found the right type of gluten free bread to hold the egg/milk mixture (again, that was the case, until today).

A while back I was contacted by Udi's to try some of their products. If you remember I was a bit busy being pregnant and trying to stay afloat with the pregnancy. I turned down a lot of opportunities because I just could not handle one more thing.

After Finnley was born, I reached out to all of the companies that I wanted to work with.  Udi's made the cut.  They graciously sent me a box of goodies to sample and try.  

Let me tell you about this box: it was huge, filled to the rim and contained things that I did not even know they made. Gluten Free Flour tortilla's, pizza crust and bagels were three things I jumped for joy over.  I have to get my exercise in where I can.  {grin}

My family was equally excited at the sight of a box of food being delivered to our doorstep.  I just want to say thank you to Udi's for asking me to create a recipe using their products.

The one thing I find necessary when eating bread pudding is a sauce.  My daughter has been asking for butterscotch everything this year and so it sounded like the perfect addition to this Easy Eggnog Bread Pudding.  I am going to be the first to say, that it was excellent and I will be making it again.

Bread pudding has a tendency to get a little crispy or dry on top with the middle being warm and soggy.  Serving the bread pudding with a sauce will make the top layer soften a bit and add even more gooey-ness to the dish.

Two things I would recommend.  The first is to buy the best eggnog you can find and afford.  The second, don't try to change the bread combination.  You really need the gluten free bagel's texture to hold it all together.

My final comment is that this bread pudding does not have any added sugar.  I am trying to be mindful of the amount of sugar my family consumes.  If I can go without it, I do.  With that being said, this recipe is in no way a low sugar bread pudding because the eggnog has a lot and if you use the butterscotch sauce, well...it is super sweet.

I strongly recommend making the butterscotch sauce.

Strongly.

Let me know what you think. I do love hearing from readers.  Enjoy!

*Disclosure:  The opinions expressed in the above written content are those of the writer, Sherron Watson.  She has not been paid to write a review or create a recipe.  Sherron was given a box of products and asked to participate in a recipe round-up which will appear on Udi's pinterest board.  


Easy Eggnog Bread Pudding with Butterscotch Sauce

2 Udi's bagels, cubed
8 slices of Udi's white gluten free bread, cubed
1 1/2 cups eggnog
1/2 cup whole milk
4 eggs
1 Tablespoon butter, softened
Butterscotch Sauce (recipe below)

The night before:

1. Combine the bread, eggnog, milk and eggs.  Using a spatula, mix well. The bread will need to be stirred a few times to ensure that each piece is coated with the wet ingredients.

2. Place bread mixture into a well buttered baking dish.  I use a dish that is an odd size, 8X11 rectangular dish.  My mixture ends up being about 2 inches thick.  I would not go any shallower than this.

3. Cover with foil and refrigerate overnight.  I would recommend a minimum of 4 hours if you decide to do this on the same day.

Day of:

4.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Remove bread pudding from refrigerator. Pull back the foil and give it a good stir to re-coat the top layer. Cover again.

5.  Bake eggnog bread pudding for 30 minutes.  Remove foil and continue baking for 15-20 more minutes.  You want the tips of the bread cubes to be a golden brown and the egg mixture to be firm.

6.  The last 15 minutes make the butterscotch sauce (recipe below).

7.  Remove from oven, cool for a few minutes and serve with sauce.

8.  Refrigerate all left overs and reheat in the microwave.


Butterscotch Sauce

1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 Tablespoons soft butter

1.  In a small saucepan, combine all of the above sauce ingredients.

2.  Set your heat to medium and bring to a boil (5 minutes or so), stirring every once in a while.

3.  Once the sauce boils, turn heat down to a medium low and simmer to thicken the sauce.   Continue cooking for 5 minutes.  Stirring occasionally.  Sauce will start to darken when it is close to finishing.

4.  Remove from heat and serve warm.  Sauce will thicken more the longer it sits.

Written by Sherron Watson