Goulash

Comfort food at its very best.

Good old fashioned GOULASH!

It's December now...time to warm up!

American Goulash

2 lbs lean ground beef
1 medium onion
1 medium green pepper
1 32-oz can tomato juice
2 cups rotini noodles (this makes it a bit more "hearty")
1 16-oz can diced tomatoes
grated parmesan cheese

Brown ground beef until done.

Cup up green pepper, onion and mix in with beef.

Pour in tomato juice, diced tomatoes, and rotini.

Simmer/Cook on low to medium heat for 45 minutes or until noodles are tender.

Sprinkle parmesan cheese on top and serve.

Spam Hot dish

Ok...first off, let me just say that I know Spam isn't necessarily everyone's "cup of tea." But here in Minnesota, where it originated, I know plenty of Spam lovers. And as they say..."Don't knock it till you've tried it."

I was a wee bit skeptical at first of this dish, as I felt the ingredients together were a bit strange, but surprisingly, it was REALLY GOOD. It's a very very creamy casserole/hot dish and we will definitely have it again. And it's incredibly cheap to prepare as well.

So Spam lovers...here ya go!

Spam Hot Dish

1 12 oz. can of Spam luncheon meat, cut into small cubes
2 cups of shredded cheese (we used cheddar)
3/4 cup of bread crumbs
1 10 3/4 oz. can of condensed cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
1 cup of half and half
3 eggs, well beaten
1 small onion, chopped
1 small green bell pepper, chopped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl, combine all ingredients; mix well. Pour mixture into a 2-quart baking dish. Bake for 1 hour. Serves 4 to 6.

Thanksgiving Leftovers

It's the Saturday after the big "feast" and you're probably wondering what in the world do I do with all this leftover food?

Why not make an entirely different meal out of it all?

If you're looking for some easy ways to "eat it all up," check out a couple of my posts from our last holiday season! Enjoy!

Stuffing Frittata

Turkey Tetrazzini

Spuds, Ham & Eggs Hotdish

My good friend, Alison, is coming over for brunch tomorrow...this is on the menu! :)

Spuds, Ham & Eggs Hotdish

1 2-pound bag frozen hash brown potatoes, not thawed
2 cups diced cooked ham
2 cups shredded swiss cheese
1 1/2 tbsp. butter
1 large red bell pepper, cut into 1/2 inch strips
1 8 oz. package fresh mushrooms, sliced
6 large eggs, slightly beaten
1/2 cup whole milk
1 cup small curd cottage cheese
1/4 tsp ground black pepper

Layer half the potatoes into a 13x9x2 inch greased glass baking dish. Top with ham and cheese.

In a saucepan, over medium heat, melt butter. Add pepper and mushrooms; stir and cok 5 minutes or until tender. Spoon over ham, cheese layer; top with remaining potatoes.

In a bowl, combine eggs, milk, cottage cheese, and black pepper. Beat until well blended. Pour mixture over all.

Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 50 minutes or until ligh brown and center is set.

Serves 8.

2010

2010 will bring undoubtedly bring new recipes, but I'm also starting a new "feature" on the blog. Each month we'll showcase a "guest chef" here on Cooking With Court. Just some fellow foodies in my life who will be sharing some of their favorite recipes. We can all gleam fabulous recipes from each other, and some of them even have their own blogs that need to be shared.

So keep checking back...I've already got several chefs lined up and ready to go for ya'll!

Stay tuned.

Ultimate Crispy Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

My latest issue of Kraft Food & Family showed up the other day, and I was thrilled to see several new recipes I'm looking forward to trying out.

Tonight, the hubs and I were looking for something quick to eat as we were both starving after a long day at work...usher in Kraft's Ultimate Crispy Grilled Cheese Sandwich and a bowl of tomato soup and our tummies were HAPPY!

It's a nice "twist" on the typical grilled cheese sandwich we all know and love. And if you're looking for another great "twist" to add...check out my previous blog on grilled cheese sandwiches here.

Ultimate Crispy Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

8 slices of your choice of bread (we did wheat)
8 slices of your choice in cheese (we did provolone & american)
8 tsp soft margarine
4 tsp of grated parmesan cheese

Heat oven to 400 degrees

Fill bread slices with cheese singles to make 4 sandwiches

Spread the outside of sandwiches with margarine, place on baking sheet.

Bake sandwiches for 8 minutes. Then sprinkle with half the parmesan cheese. Flip sandwiches; sprinkle with remaining parmesan. Bake 6 to 9 minutes longer or until golden brown.

Serve with your favorite soup of choice!

Lemonade Muffins

My sister actually sent me this recipe. It's originally from this blog. I'm a sucker for a good muffin, so I was really intrigued by these. An easy alternative to the typical lemon poppyseed muffin.

Try it. You'll like it.


Lemonade Muffins

1 1/2 cups flour

1/4 cup sugar

2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 beaten egg

1 (6 ounce) can frozen lemonade, thawed

1/4 cup milk

1/3 cup cooking oil

1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Mix dry ingredients in a bowl. In another bowl, mix only 1/2 cup lemonade, egg, milk, and oil. Add to dry mix, stirring until just moistened. Gently stir in nuts.

Spoon into prepared pans and bake and bake at 375° F. for 15-20 minutes or tests clean.

While hot, brush with remaining lemonade and sprinkle with white sugar.

YIELD: 8-9 Large Muffins