Da South

I try to make at least one item for my freezer a day. I wish I had the time or space to do a once a month cooking day and fill up my freezer. But anyways, I do get a lot of different things made. And I like the variety that comes along with doing it my way. This also saves me lots of money too.. by not buying prepackaged convenience items and by freezing (using up) ingredients left in my fridge.

Here they are flash frozen and ready to be wrapped..

Twice Baked Potatoes

8 half potatoes

4 large baking potatoes 8 slices bacon 1 cup sour cream 1/4 to 1/2 cup milk 4 tablespoons butter 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon pepper 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese, divided 8 green onions, sliced, divided

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Bake potatoes in preheated oven for 1 hour. You can just microwave the potatoes instead because it is way faster and they taste just as good. About three minutes per potato, just check for tenderness. So if you are cooking 4 potatoes in the microwave you will need to cook them for at least 12 minutes. Make sure to poke holes in the potatoes with a fork before microwaving so that they don’t explode.

(OR)

Cook in a crock pot on low for 7-9 hours until fully cooked through, like I did.

Meanwhile, place bacon in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium high heat until evenly brown. Drain, crumble and set aside.

(OR)

Cook bacon on a rimmed baking sheet in 400 degree oven til desired done-ness. Start checking after 10 minutes..

When potatoes are done allow them to cool for 10 minutes. Slice potatoes in half lengthwise and scoop the flesh into a large bowl leaving about 1/4 inch of flesh so the potato maintains it’s shape; save skins. To the potato flesh add sour cream, butter, salt, pepper, 1/2 cup cheese, 1/2 the green onions, and milk (start adding 1/2 cup of milk but you may not need to add it all depending on the consistency you want. You don’t want them too runny). Mix with a hand mixer until well blended and creamy. Spoon the mixture into the potato skins. Top each with remaining cheese, green onions and bacon.

If you are not gonna freeze them, then just put them back in the oven and cook for 15 minutes longer at 350 degrees.

This was really good. I've been trying to cook at least one meatless meal now and then.. I need to step it up to at least once a week. Its friendly on the wallet and healthier too! Though, you could totally add grilled chicken to this and it be really yummyful. Give this one a try. For real.

Spinach Tomato Cheese Tortellini

4-6 Servings

1 (160z) pkg cheese tortellini

1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes with garlic and onion

1 cup chopped spinach (fresh or frozen)

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 pepper

1 1/2 tsp dried basil

1 tsp minced garlic

2 Tbsp all-purpose flour (I used wheat)

3/4 cup milk

3/4 cup heavy cream

1/4 cup Parmesan

Directions:

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the tortellini, and cook until tender, about 10 minutes.

While you get the tortellini going, combine the tomatoes, spinach, salt, pepper, basil and garlic in a large saucepan over medium heat. Cook and stir until the mixture begins to bubble.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, milk and cream. Stir this mixture into the saucepan along with the Parmesan cheese. Heat through, then reduce heat to low, and simmer until thick, about 2 minutes.

Drain the tortellini, but do not rinse, then pour them into the saucepan with the sauce. Stir to coat, and serve.

I really wanted something like banana pudding or a banana cream pie last night. The thing is, I didn't have any bananas and didn't feel like going back to the store. So, I made this simple recipe up on the fly and it came out great! I hope you like it, my family loved it. It is almost completely gone already. You could double this recipe to make a 2 layer cake or something, that'd be yummy. but I only make half a cake mix box at a time so that our small family doesn't over-indulge. :)

Banana Cream Poke Cake

8 Slices (1 Layer Cake)

1 1/4 cup yellow cake mix (from a 16.5 oz box)

3 Tbsp banana cream pudding mix (from a 3.4 oz box)

1 + 2/3 cup milk, divided

1/2 cup butter, melted

2 eggs or 1/2 cup egg substitute

cool whip (approx half 8 oz container)

1 piece (all 4 little rectangular crackers) graham crackers, crumbled

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Coat 1 round cake pan with non-stick cooking spray.

Mix cake mix, 2/3 cup milk, butter and eggs until well combined. Bake for 15-20 minutes until toothpick comes clean. Let cool.

Poke holes all over cooled cake. I used the handle end of a wooden spoon, but u can use anything the size of a straw.

Mix 1 cup milk with pudding mix until well combined. Pour pudding on top of cake slowly, filling in holes and spread the rest evenly over top.

Spread cool whip over top of pudding.

Sprinkle graham crackers on top of cool whip. Refrigerate cake. Serve & Enjoy!

We really enjoyed this dish. Funny thing though, I actually forgot to put the Parmesan cheese into the Panko so I just sprinkled some on after frying. It tasted really good without the cheese as well. I fried my chicken in the deep fryer with vegetable oil, not olive oil also.

Panko Parmesan Chicken Breasts

4-6 Servings

4-6 chicken breasts (enough for your family)

olive oil

panko flakes – enough for breading

1 1/2 cups Parmigiano Reggiano – grated

2 tablespoons dried basil

salt/pepper

What To Do:

Trim chicken breasts of any excess fat. Cover chicken with a piece of plastic wrap. Pound them out with a mallet until they're about 1/4" thick.

In a large deep sided pan (I used my chicken fryer) over medium-high heat, put enough olive oil to pan fry your chicken breasts.

WHILE oil is heating, place panko flakes into a pie dish (or another dish large enough to bread your chicken). Add Parmigiano, basil. Season with salt and pepper. Mix together with a fork. Press chicken breasts into Panko mixture, breading chicken on both sides. Continue until all chicken is breaded.

Place breaded chicken breasts into hot oil and fry until golden brown on both sides. Turning as necessary. Careful not to crowd the pan (do batches if necessary) Roughly 3 minutes per side depending on the thickness of chicken. Allow chicken breasts to rest before serving.

Served here with Orange Glazed Carrots and spaghetti Marinara..

These carrots were tasty. I was surprised by how much orange flavor they actually picked up. They are not overly sweet either.

Orange Glazed Carrots

3-4 Servings

2 c. diced or mini carrots plus 1 T. water

1/2 c. orange juice

1/4 c. brown sugar

1 T. butter (vegans use Earth Balance)

sea salt to taste

Directions

Put the carrots and a tablespoon of water in a tightly covered microwave proof dish and nuke for about 12 minutes or until just tender.  (You can also steam them if you prefer.) ( I threw mine in a pot and boiled them til desired softness.)

You can have a regular pizza any night.. but how bout some calzones instead!?! I thought it'd be fun to make some tonight for dinner. The dough is a really easy recipe and assembly is a snap too. You can put whatever you like inside them too. Give 'em a go!

Homemade Calzones

6-8 Calzones

Thin Crust Pizza Dough:

3/4 cups (6 ounces) lukewarm water

1 teaspoon active-dry or instant yeast

2 cups (10 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

Directions:

Combine the water and yeast in a mixing bowl, and stir to dissolve the yeast. The mixture should look like thin miso soup. Add the flour and salt to the bowl and mix until you've formed a shaggy dough.

Turn the dough out onto a clean work surface along with any loose flour still in the bowl. Knead until all the flour is incorporated, and the dough is smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. The dough should still feel moist and slightly tacky. If it's sticking to your hands and counter-top like bubble gum, work in more flour one tablespoon at a time until it is smooth.

If you have time at this point, you can let the dough rise until you need it or until doubled in bulk (about an hour and a half). After rising, you can use the dough or refrigerate it for up to three days.

To make Calzones:

1 batch thin-crust pizza dough or 2 lbs store-bought pizza dough

2-3 cups filling: any favorite combination of cooked meat, cooked veggies, and cheese

Olive oil or melted butter (optional)

Directions:

Preheat the Oven to 450°F

Divide the dough into equal pieces. Six pieces make good dinner-sized calzones. Eight pieces make nice smaller calzones for lighter meals and lunches.

Press the dough into a flat disk, then use a rolling pin to roll it into an 8"-9" circle for larger calzones or 6"-7" for smaller calzones. Roll from the middle of the dough outwards, as you do for pie dough. If the dough starts to shrink back on you, let it rest for five minutes and try again. Repeat with the remaining pieces of dough.

Spread a generous 1/3 cup of filling in the bottom third of the calzone (slightly less for smaller calzones), leaving a a clear border around the edge.

Fold the top of the dough over the filling and press to seal. If you have enough dough, you can roll that edge up (simply fold it over on itself) to form a more secure seal.

Brush calzones (the ones not wrapped in parchment) with olive oil or butter, if desired. This gives the calzones a nice golden color, but is not necessary. Slice steam vents in the top of the calzones with a sharp knife.

Bake for 15 minutes. Rotate the tray and bake for another 15-20 minutes until the calzones are golden, browned on the edges, and the filling is bubbly. And don't worry if some filling spills out - there always seems to be at least one explosive calzone in every batch!

Allow to cool a few minutes before eating so you don't burn your mouth. Let leftover calzones cool completely, then wrap each individual calzone tightly in plastic wrap. Transfer to a plastic freezer bag and freeze.

Reheat Calzones: Thaw the calzone for a few hours in the fridge, or extend the cooking time to re-heat from frozen. If you put one in your lunchbag in the morning, it will be thawed enough by lunchtime. Unwrap from the plastic before reheating.

This is my special way of making Carbonara. My family loves it, which makes me happy! :) <-- See! I make a lot of pasta dishes, especially Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo. This dish is great for variety. Give it a try and customize it to fit your family's tastes.

Happy's Special Carbonara

4-6 Servings

8 oz. Fettuccine pasta (1/2 lb)

2 chicken breasts, boneless and skinless; cut into bite size pieces

5 slices bacon, roughly chopped

salt, pepper & garlic powder

1/2 cup bell pepper, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 cup onions, diced

1 small jar of sliced mushrooms

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

3/4- 1 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

2 tsp Italian seasoning

1 1/2 cups cream

4 tbsp butter, melted

3/4 cup mozzarella, shredded

2 tsp parsley

1 tsp creole seasoning

1/2 tsp garlic powder

Directions:

Cook fettuccine in boiling salted water until tender but firm (al denté) following package directions.

Season chicken with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.

Heat olive oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add chicken and cook til nicely browned. Remove from pan and set aside in a bowl.

Add bacon to skillet and cook til almost brown. Add peppers and onions. Sauté pepper and onions over medium-high heat in olive oil until lightly browned only along edges. Stir in mushrooms. Reduce heat to low and add garlic. Stir in cheese, Italian seasoning and cream. Add chicken to mixture. Simmer on low heat for about 5 minutes.

Drain spaghetti, toss with butter, place in a buttered oven-proof casserole dish. Pour the cheese sauce over the spaghetti. Top with mozzarella and sprinkle parsley, creole seasoning and garlic powder over top.

These are so quick and ridiculously easy to make! They are the main reason I want to go to Red Lobster; not that the seafood isn't good too.. Now I don't have to drive to the next town just to get my biscuit fix. You might have to tweak the recipe to fit your personal tastes.. but trust me, it's worth the effort.

Cheesy Garlic Biscuits (Red Lobster Style)

6 Biscuits

1 1/2 cups Bisquick

1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

1/2 cup milk

2 tbsp butter

1/2 tsp oregano (I used Italian seasoning)

1/4-1/2 tsp garlic salt (Start with a little, the original had 3/4 tsp and it ruined my biscuits; they were too salty)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400F. Spray cooking sheet with non-stick spray. Put biscuit mix, cheese and milk in a bowl and mix well to form a sticky dough.

Using spoon, drop lumps of dough onto cookie sheets 1.5in apart.

Bake for 10min. In a bowl, melt butter and mix with oregano and garlic salt. When the timer goes off, take them out and brush with butter mixture. 

I'm attempting to make little hand pies for The Teenager's lunch box this week. I was amazed that she requested apple pie. She's more of a brownies with powdered sugar kinda girl. I am really big on homemade versus prepackaged these days... This recipe is so simple that I can't fathom why I ever bought the canned stuff before. Plus, I already had apples laying around!

Homemade Apple Pie Filling

for 1 (9in) pie

1 cup water

1 Tbsp apple juice, apple cider, or lemon juice

1 cup sugar

1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

1/4 tsp ground clove

1/4 cup cornstarch

1/4 tsp vanilla

3 cups apples cored, peeled & chopped

Directions:

In a large saucepan, combine water, juice, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, and cornstarch. Stir over medium heat until thickened and bubbly. Cook for 2 minutes, constantly stirring. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla and apples. Cool to room temperature then use right away or store in the refrigerator*.

Notes

This is an alternative method for making mozzarella cheese sticks. Easier than battering them. Pretty tasty too!

Cheese Wrappers

as many as you'd like

String cheese

Egg Roll wrappers

Directions:

Roll each cheese stick in a egg roll wrapper. (Use package directions if you don't know how to roll them.) Cover cheese completely or it will ooze out when cooking.

1) Either deep fry or pan fry til golden brown. (Best outcome)

OR

I love cinnamon rolls! I was really lucky last night because The Teenager actually wanted to help me make them. This recipe makes a whole bunch of cinnamon rolls. We made ours humongous, next time I will roll them out thinner for smaller ones. They are really yummy!

P.s. We flash froze the rest unbaked to stock up the freezer for later!

Cinnamon Rolls

makes a bunch of rolls!

2 pkg yeast, dissolved in 1 cup lukewarm water

6 T of shortening

1 cup sugar

7 cups unbleached all purpose flour or more as needed (it will take more)

2 cups hot water

2 eggs, beaten

1 T salt

Softened butter

Brown sugar

Raisins

Cinnamon

For the frosting:

Butter

Vanilla

Powdered sugar

Milk

Directions:

Add yeast to cup of lukewarm water and sprinkle in a little sugar. Set aside for about five minutes.

Add shortening, sugar, and salt to hot water and cool to lukewarm. Stir in 2 cups of flour and mix until smooth. Add yeast and mix again until smooth. Add in beaten eggs.

Stir in remainder of flour, a little at a time until no more can be mixed in. Remove the mixer attachment and knead by hand, adding flour until dough does not stick to the bowl. Remove from bowl and knead until dough feels satiny and looks smooth.

Cover and let rise for 30 minutes. Lightly knead and roll out into rectangular shape. Spread with softened butter. Sprinkle on brown sugar, raisins, and cinnamon. (make sure you use LOTS of brown sugar...you can omit the raisins, but my family loves them, and sprinkle on loads of cinnamon. we never measure but be very generous.)

Roll into one long roll. To cut use a piece of string or floss.

Place on well greased pans and let rise until double in bulk. Bake at 425 degrees for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake until brown-only about 5-7 more minutes.

Make the frosting. I am not sure on the amount! Whisk until you get the right consistency and frost the rolls! Frost the cooled cinnamon rolls generously!

Fresh out of the oven...

And close up...

Simple side dish. I've never been a fan of asparagus but, I think its just the nasty stuff in the can/jar that I'm not a fan of.

Cheesy Asparagus

4 Servings

2 pounds thin asparagus

water

salt and pepper

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated and divided

3/4 cup six blend cheese, shredded

Directions:

Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat broiler. Snap the woody ends off the asparagus and discard.

Bring water to a boil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add asparagus ends and ¼ teaspoon salt and cook covered, for 5 minutes. Using slotted spoon, remove asparagus ends and discard. Add asparagus stalks to skillet, cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until nearly tender,2-4 minutes. Transfer asparagus to baking dish.

This came out really good! I love mushrooms.. This recipe had a nice flavor. I just subbed with bottled lemon juice. I think that with the lemon zest, it would have been even better! I forgot to buy a lemon while at the store so, Try this one out!

Sauteed Garlic Lemon Pork Chops with Mushrooms & Onions

4 Servings

2 teaspoons olive oil

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

4 boneless pork chops 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick

A few pinches of salt and pepper

1/4 cup flour (all purpose or whole wheat)

1 lemon

4 oz sliced mushrooms

1/3 sliced sweet onion

3 cloves of garlic

1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth

Directions:

In a large skillet, heat the olive oil and butter over medium-high heat.

Season the pork chops with salt and pepper. On a plate, place the flour and then zest the lemon right over the flour and place the lemon aside. Coat each pork chop with the flour-zest mixture on both sides and place into the skillet and cover with a splatter screen. Cook for about 2-3 minutes depending on thickness. Repeat on the other side and then place the chops on a plate.

Reduce heat to medium-low and allow the pan to cool a minute. Add the mushroom to the pan and allow to saute for 2 minutes. Add the onion, saute for one minute and then add the garlic and cook about 30 seconds.

Another recipe via Pinterest. I really like The Pioneer Woman's recipes, and you should definitely check out her website. I like that you don't have to make the sauce on the stove first. I hate using multiple pots and pans for one recipe...

Au Gratin Potatoes

6-8 Servings

4 whole Russet Potatoes, Scrubbed Clean

2 Tablespoons Butter, Softened

1-1/2 cup Heavy Cream

1/2 cup Whole Milk

2 Tablespoons Flour

4 cloves Garlic, Finely Minced

1 teaspoon Salt

Freshly Ground Pepper, to taste

1 cup Sharp Cheddar Cheese, Freshly Grated

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Smear softened butter all over the bottom of a baking dish.

Slice potatoes, then cut slices into fourths.

In a separate bowl, whisk together cream, milk, flour, minced garlic, salt, and plenty of freshly ground black pepper.

Place 1/3 of the potatoes in the bottom of the baking dish. Pour 1/3 of the cream mixture over the potatoes.

Repeat this two more times, ending with the cream mixture. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake for 20 minutes, or until potatoes are golden brown and really bubbling. Add grated cheese to the top of the potatoes and bake for 3 to 5 more minutes, until cheese is melted and bubbly.

Made these cupcakes last night, they were yummy. I accidentally made the full recipe instead of cutting it in half like usual. I had a hectic day and was totally discombobulated by the time I got around to baking. Now we have way too many cupcakes, lol. I also forgot that I needed cream cheese for the frosting and had to improvised.

Orange Crush Cupcakes

25-30 Cupcakes

1 box white cake mix

1 (3-oz) pkg sugar-free orange jell-o (reserve 1 1/2 tsp for frosting)

1 (4-serving) pkg sugar-free cheesecake instant pudding & pie filling mix

1-1/4 cup orange juice

2 eggs*

1/2 cup egg substitute*

1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce

1 tsp vanilla

1 recipe Cream Pop Frosting (see recipe below)

* Original recipe called for 4 eggs without any egg substitute.

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Line muffin pans with paper liner or spray with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside 1-1/2 teaspoons of the orange jell-o for the Cream Pop frosting. In a mixing bowl, beat the remaining jell-o, cake mix, pudding mix, orange juice, eggs, egg substitute, applesauce, and vanilla.

Spoon batter into prepared muffin pans, filling each about 2/3 full, and smooth tops. Bake for 15-18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean. Cool cupcakes in pans on wire rack for 5 minutes; remove from pans and cool completely.

Spoon orange-flavor Cream Pop frosting into a pastry bag fitted with a large round tip (or use a sandwich baggie with the corner tip cut off). Spoon the vanilla-flavor Cream Pop frosting into another bag fitted with a small star tip. Pipe orange frosting onto each cupcake to cover the top.

Cream Pop Frosting

1 8-oz. block Neufchatel 1/3 less fat cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened

2 tsp vanilla

4-5 cups confectioners’ sugar

reserved 1-1/2 tsp orange jell-o

1 tsp finely shredded orange peel

Beat cream cheese, butter, and 2 tsp vanilla until light and fluffy. Gradually add confectioners’ sugar until desired consistency is achieved. Place ~3/4 cup of the frosting in a separate bowl. To the remaining bowl of cream cheese frosting, add the reserved orange jell-o and orange peel. Beat to combine and frost as directed above.

(OR)

I accidentally used my cream cheese for another recipe this week; totally forgot I needed it for the cupcakes.. I had an extra container of cream cheese frosting in the pantry from a BOGO sale last week. So, I adapted it for this recipe :) Came out GREAT!

1 container cream cheese frosting (like Pillsbury)

reserved 1 1/2 tsp orange Jell-O

1 tsp finely shredded orange peel (zest)

Directions: