Twice Baked Loaded Mashers

When I was in middle school and high school, my mom worked nights at a local Mexican Restaurant. So I got to spend a lot of time with my step-dad, who was a good cook! He used to make these twice baked potatoes, And he finished them off on the BBQ grill! They were so yummy. I like twice baked taters, but in my opinion, they are a lot of work.

So one day I bought all the ingredients for twice baked taters, but made the following instead:

Ingredients:

7 or 8 of your favorite taters cut into chunks
1 package of cream cheese or any soft cheese (herb, garlic, or onion flavor)
1 small sour cream
1 small white onion chopped ( I like to use the end of a green onion, then use the green part as a topping later)
1/2 stick of butter (I use a garlic butter)
1 1/2 cups of your favorite shredded cheese (I use cheddar, but I would like to use pepperjack!!)
bacon or smoked ham, cooked and chopped (the more the merrier)
salt and pepper to taste

Boil potatoes until tender, drain water, put taters back in the pot, or a mixing safe dish.
Add butter, sour cream, soft cheese, onion,  salt & pepper and beat with a hand mixer until almost blended. 
Add 1 cup of the shredded cheese and almost all of the meat, beat again until blended well. We like them a bit chunky...or rustic I guess :)

Place in an oven proof bowl
Top with remaining shredded cheese, and meat and place under the broiler until bubbly.

 

Top with  green part of the green onion. 

                                           I hope he's proud of me! I love and miss you PJ!!

                                                                           Enjoy......

Chicken Caesar Salad Sandwiches

This is Megan's favorite meal! 

A great friend of mine, Tony, taught me this recipe. I learned this one at my favorite (paid) jobs ever, San Luis Rey Downs Golf Resort. 

Ingredients:

boneless, skinless, chicken breast (butterflied, one per person) 

10 grape or cherry tomatoes (sliced in half)

one head of romane lettuce (chopped)

 1 cup freshly shredded Parmesan  

butter (not measured, explain later) 

olive oil for marinating chicken

lemon juice from two lemons

salt & pepper 

favorite Ceaser dressing

large soft roll (one per person) 

ie: ciabatta, sourdough bread, etc. 

Soak chicken in lemon juice along with 1/4 cup olive oil, and salt & pepper. I use Montreal Steak Seasoning on just about everything. So use it if you have it instead of salt & pepper.

Mix lettuce, ground pepper, tomatoes, some of the cheese, in a large bowl. Set aside.

Slice rolls in half.

Place the chicken on a hot grill and cook until no longer pink in the middle. Dump excess oil.

 Place about a teaspoon of butter, for each slice of bread,  in a large hot skillet. Pour a little parmesan in the melted butter and quickly place bread on top. Press down and spin it a couple of times. The cheese will met into the bread. Do this for each sandwich just before the chicken is finished.

After bread is done, and just before serving, toss the salad with the dressing. 

Put some salad on top of one slice of bread, top with a cooked chicken breast, top with other slice of bread and enjoy!

Spicy Carrots

If you have ever been to a SoCal taco shop....you will know what these are and LOVE them!!

I started making these a few years ago. At first I just made one medium batch, placed them in a jar and put them in the fridge!

then I had this wonderful idea that I should "can" them. So, I did. I now make these in batches and place them in smaller Mason Jars. Throughout the years, I have added, different wax beans, cocktail onions, Thai chili's, mini corn etc.

Spicy Pickled Carrots

Ingredients:

2 lbs of large carrots, peeled and sliced into thick pieces

5 cloves of garlic, peeled and diced

2 Tbs of olive oil

1 1/2 cups of vinegar 

1 1/2 cups of water

10 bay leaves

1 Tbs of whole black peppercorns

1 tsp salt

1 small jar of pickled jalapenos OR fresh ones (amount to your heat liking)

Preparation:

Heat oil in a large deep skillet. Add the carrots and garlic and saute for 3-5 mins. 

Carefully add in;

vinegar, peppercorns, salt and bay leaves.

Simmer for 5 minutes and then add water.

Bring to a full simmer and add jalapenos. Simmer for 10 minutes.

Let it cool completely and then transfer carrots and liquid to a glass jar. 

• do not use plastic

I do not simmer for as long as the recipe calls for. we like ours crunchy.

If you are canning them, seal jar tightly and store in a cool dry place. the longer they sit, the hotter they become.

Can last in fridge for up to six months if you are NOT canning.

 

                                                    This is what they look like "canned".

Caramel Corn

This is NOT my recipe, but I am no longer in contact with the person who shared it with me. I met her in Shanghai and I have heard she has now moved on as well.

This is a HUGE hit with the M's friends. I make it at almost every party. It also makes a nice "goodie" bag gift. I place it in clear plastic baggies with a ribbon tie.

 Caramel Corn

6 cups of popped corn (2bags)

1 cup of brown sugar

1/2 cup of butter

1/4 cup of light corn syrup

1/2 teaspoon of baking soda

1 tablespoon of vanilla

Directions:

Pop the popcorn and pour it out on a cookie sheet lined with wax paper.

Combine: brown sugar, butter, and corn syrup in a saucepan and bring to a boil.

Boil for two minutes, stirring continuously. Remove from heat and add baking soda and vanilla. (it will bubble up, please be careful)

Pour the caramel over the popcorn and gently stir to coat evenly.

Enjoy!! (store leftovers in a airtight container)

Foil Packs for the grill

Making foil packs is very simple and one of our favorite things.

You can use, seafood, boneless chicken or pork.


Supplies:
seafood or meat
favorite veggies sliced up
salt and pepper
heavy duty foil
olive oil

Pull off enough sheets of foil for each pack. (enough to wrap and seal tightly)

spray lightly with olive oil (or non stick spray)

place protein on the sheet

add veggies and salt & pepper

seal tightly and place on top of pre heated grill

Seafood and "soft" vegetables foil packs take about 15 - 20 mins

Chicken foil pack take about 25 mins...

ALL above timing is based on what type of protein and vegetable is in the pack.
* a chicken and or pork pack with carrots and potatoes will take longer.


Here are some photos from our Seafood Packs:

                                                                     Step One

 



                                                                       Step Two

                                                                   
                                                                    Step Three

                                                       Seal tightly and place on hot grill

Albondigas soup

Well....here we go! I will try my best to keep this up to date. I am NOT very good at "writing" recipes, and I almost never measure!! 

I hope you all enjoy!

    

Albondigas Soup (meatball soup)

Ingredients:

1lb ground beef or ground pork (I use a mix of both)

2 eggs

1 medium white or yellow onion (chopped)

4 or 5 medium carrots (sliced thick)

4 or 5 medium potatoes  (chopped chunky)

1 sm can of diced tomatoes 

3/4 cup of un-cooked white rice (any brand)

beef bouillon (I use powder, 2 table spoons)

enough water to cover the vegetables (don’t over fill because when you add the meatballs, it makes the pot full, but you want the meatballs covered)

Use spices to taste:

garlic salt

black pepper

salt

In a soup pot;  bring onion, carrots, potatoes, and bouillon to a slow boil, while preparing meatballs......

Mix ground meat with egg, salt, pepper, garlic salt, and un-cooked rice.

Make  meatballs with the mixture. My family likes them small, but it’s up to you. Mine are normally the size between a giant gum ball and a golfball. :)

Turn up the heat on the pot and carefully drop the meatballs into the broth. Once finished, turn down to a medium heat, add canned tomatoes,  cover and let simmer for about 10 mins.

Always taste your broth BEFORE adding the un-cooked meatballs. Salt and pepper to taste. 

You can also always spice this up with some jalepenos, or a can of green chillies etc. 

This serves four people, with leftovers. The meatballs will soak up a lot of the broth due to the rice. So add water accordingly. 

Good Luck and enjoy!!