Make Ahead Company Mashed Potatoes

                                                                                 

Everyone has their version of this casserole so I thought I would add mine to this blog! So GOOD TOO!

8 Large Potatoes Peeled & boiled until soft!
1, 8oz. Cream Cheese Softened
1 Stick of Butter Softened
1 Cup Sour Cream
2 Cups Shredded Mozzarella  Cheese
1 TSP Salt added to the potatoes while boiling
1 TBS Chopped Chives
2 TSP Minced Garlic
1 TBS Parsley
1 TSP Pepper I use white pepper
Paprika to sprinkle over the top!
Grease a 9x13 casserole dish. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Cook potatoes in boiling salted water until soft. Drain well & mash. Add the cream cheese & mash again. Add butter, sour cream & seasonings & mash ( I use my electric mixer so these are really whipped potatoes! Pile loosely in the casserole & cover with aluminum foil & freeze until needed. Thaw & sprinkle the top with parsley, paprika & more chives if you desire! Bake at 325 degrees for 45 minutes or until lightly browned on top.   DELICIOUS! You may leave out the shredded cheese or switch it up with Cheddar or Swiss. Add bacon bits to the potatoes to jazz this up ! ENDLESS OPTIONS!!
                                                                                    

Stuffed Peppers Judy's Foodies Style!

Stuffed Peppers are a favorite at our house but we like them made differently, no problem really it isn't! Use 2 casserole dishes & bake them in different liquids & EVERYBODY is HAPPY! Follow the recipe below for the stuffing for the peppers just omit one ingredient for the tomato based pepper OR leave it in because cheese is ALWAYS a GOODY! Anyway just see the recipe you will get the idea!

For the beef based peppers:
1 & 1/2 LBS Ground beef LEAN
1 onion
1 cup cooked white rice
1 TBS Parsley Flakes
1 & 1/2 Cups Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
5 Medium Sized raw Green Peppers slice off the tops & hollow out the seeds. Save the top cut out the stem so you have a circle.
Mix all the ingredients except the broth & the peppers together, place pepper bottoms in a deep casserole dish. Stuff with the beef mixture. Pour broth into the bottom. Cover with the green pepper tops. Cover casserole dish with foil. Bake at 375 degrees for 1 hour & 35 minutes. Serve ! This makes 5 regular size peppers or 3 HUGE peppers. Picture shows recipe using the huge peppers!

For The Tomato Based Peppers:
1 & 1/2 LBS Ground Turkey or Beef LEAN
Same as above except instead of broth use 1 large can chopped tomatoes including broth. Pour tomatoes & juice over the peppers cover & bake like above! 

As you can see these are HUGE FILLED to the BRIM with GOOD STUFF!                                                                                 


                                                                                 

Authentic & Easy Irish Soda Bread!

Today we sat down to an authentic Irish meal of Corned Beef & Cabbage with this lovely loaf of Soda Bread! I never made Soda Bread before but it is SO EASY & a nice change from biscuits or Italian Bread! Enjoy a loaf you will be GLAD you did!                                                                                









3&1/.2 Cups All Purpose Flour
1 TSP Baking Soda
3/4 TSP Sea Salt
1 & 1/2 Cups Buttermilk ( if you do not have buttermilk, just add 1 TBS lemon juice to regular milk & it works just like buttermilk!) I did that for this loaf!

Preheat oven to 425 Degrees. Lightly flour your cookie sheet. In a deep bowl mix flour & salt. In a separate deep bowl mix buttermilk & baking soda. This will foam up very high so you will need that deep bowl. Now stir enough of the wet into the dry just until you get moist clumps. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface & knead for one minute or so until all is combined. Turn dough out onto your cookie sheet & pat into a approx. 6 inch round that is 2 inches high. Cut a deep X into the top reach almost to the edge of the dough.

                                                                                 

 Bake for about 35 minutes until dough sound hollow when you tap on it & it has a nice brown color. Serve warm with lots of butter & if you are me with lots of jam or honey! This version is the true Irish Soda Bread not the sweetened American version! 

DELICIOUS! 

                                                                        

Crispy Chicken Fingers Oven Baked

Delicious Chicken Fingers & baked NOT fried! Moist & juicy with lots of flavor. These will please!

4 Chicken Tenders per person
1 & 1/2 Bread Crumbs
1 Cup Flour
2 eggs beaten with a 1/2 cup milk
1 TSP of each of the following:
Sea salt
Parsley
Paprika
Garlic Powder
Onion Powder
Ground Sage
White Pepper or Black if you prefer
1/4 Vegetable oil
Place oil in a large lipped cookie sheet. Spread oil out to coat the pan. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
 Stir all the seasonings into the bread crumbs.  Wet each chicken tender with water. Dip in flour then dip in egg & milk mixture. Now coat with the bread crumb mixture & place in the oiled pan. Spread them out so the do not touch each other. Bake for 15 minutes then turn them over & bake for another 8 minutes. They should come out crispy & browned.  

                                                                         



  Serve hot & with honey, BBQ Sauce or Ranch Dressing for dipping! This coating was enough for 18 large tenders!
 

You may pan fry these for an EXTRA crunchy tender but baking takes a lot less oil & these are CRUNCHY!                                                                                 

Grilled Tilapia in Foil Packets

      Light & Flaky Tilapia done fast & easy with a no mess clean up, what could be better?

2 Tilapia Fillets per person
Olive Oil
Old Bay Seasoning
Frozen Pepper & Onion  Vegetable Medley
Foil
Make a foil packet large enough for 2 fillets so each person has their own packet. On the bottom of the foil packet put 1 TBS Olive Oil & spread the oil out to cover the bottom of the packet. Place the fillets down in the oil. Sprinkle a good amount of the Old Bay Seasoning about 1 TBS. Now dollop the frozen peppers & onions on top of the fish about 1/4 cup per packet. Seal up the packet. Grill over medium flame with the lid on the grill closed for 10 minutes. Check fish to be sure it flakes & the veggies are tender. Serve! YUM!                                                 

Pancake Cookie Bars!

A Pancake cookie? OH YEAH BABY, a Pancake Cookie! Soft, moist & with the flavor of Pancakes & Syrup this will delight the kids in your life & tickle the little kid in you! Easy, fast & no mess in this cookie. You may vary this cookie bar with chocolate chips, nuts or other flavor chips like butterscotch or peanut butter. Heck add blueberries or bananas if you wish, make Pancake Cookies your way! I stayed with the basics for this first attempt but I'm thinking pecans or chocolate chips for the next batch! ENJOY YOUR PANCAKES IN A COOKIE, FOODIES!

3 cups flour
1 TSP Salt
1 TSP Baking Powder
1/4 TSP Cream Of Tartar
Stir those together & set aside.
beat together the following:
1 Cup Shortening
1 & 1/2 Cups Pancake Syrup
Beat until fluffy & then beat in 3 Eggs & 2 TSP Vanilla. Beat well & then add 1/2 of the flour mixture. Beat & then add remaining flour mixture. Beat well. Spray a lipped cookie sheet, mine was 11 inches x 15 inches. Spoon in batter & spread evenly. Bake in preheated oven for 22 to 25 minutes until lightly browned.

This is  baked & cooling. The kitchen smells just like PANCAKES!

Once your cookies are cooled sprinkle with a liberal amount of powdered sugar, cut into squares & serve warm or room temperature. Enjoy pancakes as a cookie! Why not ?                                                    
                                                                   
                                                                                

Nursing Mom's Cookies!

My daughter found these from Epicurious & tried them as a drop cookie. She said they are DELISH & as you can see they look it! Give these try if you are a Nursing Mommy good for your baby & TREAT for you TOO! Thank you Jen & Epicurious!

                                                                           


 

Ingredients

1 C butter
1 C sugar
1 C brown sugar
4 T water
2 T flaxseed meal (no subs)
2 Lg eggs
1 t vanilla
2 C flour
1 t baking soda
1 t salt
3 C Thick cut oats
1 C Chocolate chips
2 T Brewers Yeast (no substitutions)

Preparation

Preheat oven at 375.

Mix 2 T of flaxseed meal and water, set aside 3-5 minutes.
Cream butter and sugar.
Add eggs.
Stir flaxseed mix into butter mix and add vanilla.
Beat until well blended.
Sift: dry ingredients, except oats and choc chips.
Add butter mix to dry ing.
Stir in the oats and then the choc chips.
Drop on parchmant paper on baking sheet.
Bake 8-12 minutes.
Makes 4 Dozen drop cookies or 1 pan bar cookies!