Category Archives: Dinner

Perfect Grilled Cheese Sandwich

Ingredients

  • 2 slices of your favorite sandwich bread
  • 2 tablespoons butter, room temperature
  • 2 – 3 ounces of your favorite medium cheddar cheese

Instructions

  1. Generously slather one side of each piece of bread with your room-temperature butter. The buttered sides will be on the outside of the sandwich, so if your bread is a crazy shape like mine was and you want the pieces of bread to match up when the sandwich is closed, plan accordingly.
  2. Turn the bread over, unbuttered side up. To one piece of the bread, add a single layer of cheddar sliced 1/8-inch to 1/4-inch thick. Cover every last little bit of the bread, overlapping here and there if necessary.
  3. Top the sandwich with the second piece of bread, buttered side up.
  4. If you’re using an electric griddle, set the temperature to about 275 degrees. Or use a roomy saute pan over medium-low heat. Place the sandwich on the preheated cooking surface and let it cook for about 5 minutes, checking occasionally to make sure it’s not burning (it probably won’t at such low heat, but cooking surfaces vary from kitchen to kitchen). It’s tempting, but don’t press down on the sandwich! Unless you like your grilled cheese extra flat, in that case, go for it.
  5. After the first five minutes, carefully flip the sandwich with a spatula and cook the other side for 5 minutes.
  6. Flip and cook each side for a couple more minutes each. The bread should start to get golden brown and the cheese nice and melty.
  7. After about 15 minutes of cooking over medium-low heat, increase the heat to medium and, turning every so often, watch the sandwich carefully until the bread is perfectly toasted a golden brown.
  8. Remove the sandwich from the heat, carefully cut in half if you would like, and enjoy your perfect grilled cheese sandwich.

Slow Cooker Chicken Parmesan Pasta

Ingredients

  • 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 (28 oz) cans crushed tomatoes
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 1 Tbsp dried basil
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 1 tsp dried parsley
  • 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
  • 1 pound penne
  • 1-1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
  • 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
  • 2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley leaves

Instructions

  1. Season chicken with salt and pepper, to taste. Place chicken into 6-quart slow cooker.
  2. In a large bowl, combine crushed tomatoes, onion, basil, oregano, parsley, and red pepper flakes. Stir into the slow cooker and gently toss to combine. Cover and cook in low heat for 4 hours.
  3. Remove chicken from slow cooker and shred, using two forks.
  4. In a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook pasta according to package directions; drain.
  5. Stir pasta and chicken into the slow cooker; top with cheeses. Cover and cook on low heat for 10-20 minutes or until cheeses have melted.
  6. Serve immediately, garnished with parsley if desired.

Creamy Instant Pot Mac and Cheese

Ingredients

  • 16 oz pasta
  • 3 Tbsp butter
  • 1 tsp dry mustard
  • 1/2 tsp garlic salt (or 1/8 tsp garlic powder + 3/8 tsp salt)
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 4 cups water
  • 1 (5 oz) can evaporated milk
  • 3 cups shredded extra-sharp cheddar cheese
  • 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack or mozzarella cheese
  • 1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese (or grated Parmesan to top)

Instructions

  1. Place the dry pasta, butter, garlic salt, salt, dry mustard, and water into the Instant Pot. Place the lid on top and seal the toggle switch. Turn on Manual High Pressure for 4 mintes.
  2. When cooking is complete, do a quick release and remove the lid when the pin drops.
  3. Keep on Warm mode. Add the evaporated milk and half of the cheeses. Melt the cheeses by stirring. When the first batch of cheese is melted, add the other half of the cheese and stir to melt.
  4. Test for seasoning and add more salt or pepper if you prefer. Remove from heat and let rest for five minutes to let the sauce thicken.

Instant Pot Goulash

Ingredients

  • 1 lb ground beef
  • 1 large onion
  • 3 cloves garlic
  • 2 15-oz cans tomato sauce
  • 2 15-oz cans diced tomatoes
  • 2 tbsp Italian seasoning
  • 3 tbsp soy sauce
  • 3 c elbow noodles
  • 2-1/2 c water
  • 3 bay leaves
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions

  1. Turn the Instant Pot onto saute. When hot, add ground beef, garlic, salt, pepper, and onion. Cook until meat is browned.
  2. Drain fat.
  3. Add tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, Italian seasoning, soy sauce, water, noodles, and bay leaves.
  4. Set Instant Pot to manual high pressure for 4 minutes.
  5. Perform quick release.
  6. Remove bay leaves and stir.
  7. Top with Parmesan cheese.

Instant Pot Meatloaf with Brown Sugar Glaze

Ingredients

Meatloaf

  • 1 lb. ground meat (Meatloaf Mix is best)
  • 1 tsp. sea salt
  • 1/2 tsp. black pepper
  • 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
  • 1/4 tsp. onion powder
  • 1/8 tsp. dried parsley
  • 1/8 tsp. dried thyme
  • 1/4 cup crushed Ritz crackers
  • 1/4 cup chicken stock
  • 1 1/2 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 Tbsp. ketchup
  • 2 eggs

Glaze

  • 1/2 cup ketchup
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar

Instructions

  1. Add ground beef to large mixing bowl. In a separate bowl – combine dry ingredients. Then add dry ingredients to ground beef and mix well with hands or fork.
  2. In same bowl used for dry ingredients – whisk together wet ingredients. Then add wet ingredients to ground beef mixture and mix well to combine.
  3. Add 2 cups of water to pressure cooker. 
  4. Form one large circular loaf with the beef mixture and place in a makeshift pan made of tin foil (roll up sides to contain the meat) steamer basket. Place tin foil with mixture in pressure cooker. Lock lid and cook for 16 minutes at high pressure.
  5. Meanwhile – combine 1/2 cup ketchup and brown sugar with a whisk.
  6. Once cook time is complete, allow pressure to release naturally (about 10 minutes).
  7. Transfer meatloaf to a baking sheet and generously glaze with ketchup mixture.
  8. Place under high broiler for about 3-5 minutes, or until desired caramelization occurs.

Baked Stuffed Potatoes

Time

Prep: 20 minutes              Ready In: 1 hour 20 minutes

Ingredients

  • 6 large Idaho or baking potatoes
  • ½ pt sour cream
  • 1 c chopped green onion tops
  • 1 t salt
  • ½ t pepper
  • ¼ lb butter, melted
  • Grated parmesan cheese

Prep/Equipment

  • Cookie sheet, lined with foil
  • Medium bowl

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°.
  2. Place potatoes on cookie sheet and bake potatoes at 350° for about 1 hour until done.
  3. Once cool enough, remove insides from potato. Place in medium bowl.  Add sour cream, green onion, salt and pepper.  Whip until fluffy.  Put back in potato skin.  Dab with melted butter and parmesan cheese.

Baked Carrots

Time

Prep: 20 minutes              Ready In: 1 hour 20 minutes

Ingredients

  • 2 lb carrots
  • 2 bunches green onion
  • 2 T sugar
  • 1 t salt
  • 1 t celery salt
  • ¼ c butter, sliced

Prep/Equipment

  • Large bowl
  • Greased baking dish

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 325°.
  2. Trim, scrape, and shred carrots (should make about 8 cups). Trim and slice onions, including a little of the green tops (3/4 cup).
  3. Combine carrots, onions, sugar, salt, and celery salt in large bowl. Toss to mix well.  Spoon into prepared baking dish.  Dot with butter.
  4. Cover with tin foil and bake at 325° for 1 hour.

Watergate Salad (Overnight)

Time

Prep: 10 minutes              Ready In: 8 hours 10 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 3-ounce package instant pudding, Pistachio
  • 1 ½ c milk
  • 1 8-ounce container cool whip
  • 1 c mini marshmallows
  • ½ c chopped walnuts
  • 1 can crushed pineapple, plus the juice

Prep/Equipment

  • Medium serving bowl

Directions

  1. In medium serving bowl, combine pudding mix and milk. Add remaining ingredients.  Let set in fridge overnight.  Serve cold.

Strawberry Jell-O

Time

Prep: 15 minutes              Ready In: 2 hour 15 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 6-ounce pkg of strawberry Jell-O
  • 2 c boiling water
  • 2 10-ounce packages frozen strawberries, sliced
  • 1 13 ½ ounce can crushed pineapple
  • 2 large bananas, finely diced
  • 2 T lemon juice
  • 1 c sour cream

Prep/Equipment

  • Medium bowl
  • Greased 9” square pan

Directions

  1. In medium bowl, dissolve Jell-O in boiling water. Add strawberries, stirring to thaw.  Stir in pineapple, bananas, and juice.  Pour half in 9” square pan.  Refrigerate until set, about 1 hour.
  2. After first layer is set, spread sour cream over Jell-O. Pour second half of Jell-O over sour cream.  Refrigerate until set.  Serve chilled.

Pea and Peanut Salad

Time

Prep: 15 minutes              Ready In: 1 hour 15 minutes

Ingredients

  • 10 oz pkg frozen peas, thawed
  • 7 oz can whole kernel corn, drained
  • ½ c cooked bacon, chopped
  • ½ c roasted peanuts or cashews
  • ½ c celery, diced
  • ½ c sour cream
  • ½ small onion, minced
  • ½ c cheddar cheese, diced
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Prep/Equipment

  • Medium bowl
  • Jell-O ring mold

Directions

  1. In medium bowl, combine all. Chill in refrigerator until ready to serve.