Saturday, September 28, 2013

Beef Casserole

I believe "comfort food" is always better during the Fall season... so, it goes without saying, I enjoy getting out recipes, like this one, when the weather starts cooling down. This delicious, easy to make Beef Casserole is perfect for those weekday meals... when you just need something quick to throw together for you and the family. I've made this many times... it's nothing fancy... but it's only a few ingredients, it's fast, tastes good and hits the spot after a long, hard days work. Enjoy!




Beef Casserole


Ingredients:

1 pound ground beef
1 tsp salt
16 oz. canned pork & beans
1 cup BBQ sauce (I like honey BBQ sauce!)
2 Tbsp brown sugar
1/4 cup of chopped onion
1 1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 can biscuits


Directions:

1. Brown ground beef and pour off fat.
2. Add all the other ingredients, except for cheese and biscuits. Mix well.
3. Pour into a 2 quart casserole dish and lay biscuits over the beef mixture. Cover biscuits with shredded cheese.
4. Bake at 350 F until biscuits are brown (about 20 -22 minutes... but I would check it at 15 minutes to be sure)




Monday, September 16, 2013

Homemade Egg Bread

I was looking for an easy recipe for homemade egg bread and, lo and behold, I found this wonderful YouTube channel that teaches you how to make various types of breads - visit Stevethebreadguy . My first few attempts at making bread were disappointments, but this channel on YouTube has been extremely helpful in changing that. I now find making egg bread to be fun and stress-free. It's makes a perfect addition to meals and snacks. I love having a buttered slice of egg bread with my coffee in the morning. Feeling adventurous? Give this a try!






Homemade Egg Bread

Ingredients: 

1 tbsp of yeast
1 tsp sugar
4 eggs
2 tsp salt
2 tbsps of honey
4 cups of flour
2 tbsps of sesame seeds



Directions:

1. Add 1 tablespoon of yeast & 1 tablespoon of sugar to a large bowl.  Add 1/2 cup of warm water and stir. Set aside.

2. Crack 2 whole eggs in a bowl, then, with the other 2 eggs, separate the yolk and the whites. Add the yolks to the bowl with the two whole eggs and, in another small bowl or cup, add the whites and set aside - you'll need this later. Add 2 tablespoons of honey to the bowl with the egg yolks mixture and beat.

3. Check to see if the yeast is activated - it should look foamy. Once it's activated, add the egg mixture to the yeast and stir. Add 2 teaspoons of salt and 2 tablespoons of melted butter. Stir.

4. Add flour, one cup at a time until dough starts to form. Using your hands, make a ball with the dough. Remove the dough ball for second and grease the inside of the bowl with canola oil, then place the dough ball back in the bowl, flip once, cover with a damp towel, and let it sit for an hour. It should double in size.

5. After an hour, take dough and kneed for a few minutes. Separate the dough into three pieces and roll them out into 2 feet long, "snakes" shapes. Joining the bottoms of each "snake", proceed to braid the dough. Watch this video if don't know how to braid.

6. After braiding the dough, place it on a greased baking sheet, cover it with a damp towel and let it rise sit for 1 hour to allow it to rise.

7. Brush the dough with the egg whites you set aside earlier, then sprinkle with sesame seeds.

8. Place in a preheated oven at 350 degrees. Set in for 12 - 17 minutes, but check it around 10 minutes... just to be sure.



Thursday, September 5, 2013

Slow Cooker Baby Back Ribs

This week's recipe for Slow Cooker Baby Back Ribs is brought to you from allrecipes. com. I love using my slow cooker, especially when I know I'm going to busy during the day and/or have side dishes that need an extra amount of time to prepare. This is such a simple recipe and the meat is so tender and delicious... falling off the bone! Serve this with corn-on-the-cob and mashed potatoes or a big pasta salad.





Slow Cooker Baby Back Ribs


Ingredients:

3 pounds baby back ribs, trimmed
1 yellow onion, sliced
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 cup water
salt & pepper, to taste
1 bottle (8 oz.) of BBQ sauce


Directions:
  1. Season ribs with salt and pepper.
  2. Pour water into slow cooker. Layer the ribs into the slow cooker. Top the ribs with onion and garlic.
  3. Cook on High for 4 hours (or Low for 8 hours).
  4. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
  5. Transfer ribs to a baking sheet. Discard onion and garlic. Coat ribs with barbeque sauce.
  6. Bake in preheated oven until the sauce caramelizes and sticks to the meat, 10 to 15 minutes.