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I is making crock pot sketti today

I'm sure my red sauce is like everyone else's red sauce, but ...its easy and yummy

1 pound very lean ground beef
1 pound sweet Italian sausage.
2cansGarlic tomato sauce
1 small diced white onion
1 small diced green pepper
1 can/jar/package mushrooms
1 small bottle Russian dressing
Oregano/ Basil (optional)

Put tomato sauce, dressing, and mushrooms in the crock pot on high. Brown ground beef and sausage together, mixing well. About half way through, drain off some grease and add onion and pepper to meat. When fully browned add to crock pot.

I add just a little salt and pepper, float some basil and oregano on top.

Stir occasionally.

You can cook this one hour or one day... it just gets better with age.
We always have a salad and French bread with it.
 
ells, do you leave that sauce in the crock pon on high the entire time, or do you turn it down to "low"? This sounds like a good sauce for me to make in the morning, leave on low for 8 hours, and serve for dinner.
 
Ells, Do you put pasta in the crockpot?, or just make pasta separate on the stove? Or is this just pastaless sketti"? The sauce sounds damn good and I am definitely trying this recipe out. Thank you!:)
 
Ells, Do you put pasta in the crockpot?, or just make pasta separate on the stove? Or is this just pastaless sketti"? The sauce sounds damn good and I am definitely trying this recipe out. Thank you!:)

I've been taught to never put pasta or cheese in a slow-cooker.
 
I just do it in a separate pot when its time to eat.

That way if there is still sauce when we're sick of spaghetti I can force it on them in a myriad of other ways. One of my favorite ways is put left over sauce on a Boboli (or other crust) and toss some shredded mozzarella on - instant pizza.
 
I've been taught to never put pasta or cheese in a slow-cooker.


Really? Do you know why? I do a lasagna in mine all the time and it comes out great, so curious what the reasons would be (safety, taste??) behind not putting pasta in there...
 
I've been taught to never put pasta or cheese in a slow-cooker.

I do cheese dip in mine, but never thought to put pasta in (past warming up some mostaciolli or something for a buffet meal.

The cheese is just velveeta, milk and ground beef.
 
Hey Swivel,

everything you cook sounds fantastic! Can I be adopted by you and your wife? I promise I will be a good girl and ill bring home good grades that you can post on the fridge.

please!

Love,
Aspartame.
 
Hey Swivel,

everything you cook sounds fantastic! Can I be adopted by you and your wife? I promise I will be a good girl and ill bring home good grades that you can post on the fridge.

please!

Love,
Aspartame.

Yes. You are now our virtual daughter.

Take out the trash.

:cool:
 
Really? Do you know why? I do a lasagna in mine all the time and it comes out great, so curious what the reasons would be (safety, taste??) behind not putting pasta in there...

If you are tending the recipe, there isn't a problem. It is no different than simmering something in a pot. I use my crock pot for "untended" cooking. I set shit up and go to work, and come home to a hot meal.

The problem with pasta is that it will keep absorbing fluids and eventually break down. If you aren't there to tend it, it isn't a problem. I just do that sort of cooking in a Dutch Oven.

Cheese is the same way, if you leave it untended, you run the risk of it gelling or breaking down. That's why a lot of crock-pot recipes have you putting cheese in last, with 45 minutes to an hour left in the recipe.

Sorry for the confusion, I forget that many people use their crock pot just as they would a simmering pot on a burner. When you get set in your cooking ways, you forget about other people's styles.
 
woo hoo! okay i will....can i borrow 50 bucks, and can i use the car tonight? and do i have to go to school tomorrow? can i get some designer jeans? and a new purse? oh and i texed messaged over my 1000, is that okay? and can i have a puppy? and when are you getting me a new car? can my BF sleep over? PLEASE daddy!!! i love you!
oh yeah and can you make it $100 for tonight we may go to starbucks after!
 
woo hoo! okay i will....can i borrow 50 bucks, and can i use the car tonight? and do i have to go to school tomorrow? can i get some designer jeans? and a new purse? oh and i texed messaged over my 1000, is that okay? and can i have a puppy? and when are you getting me a new car? can my BF sleep over? PLEASE daddy!!! i love you!
oh yeah and can you make it $100 for tonight we may go to starbucks after!

^^ Birth Control ^^

You could drive a truck over my nuts and have less impact on my future ability to reproduce!
 
World's Best Plain Cheesecake Recipe

I use the word "Plain", because you can add a ton of chocolate or strawberry to any cheesecake recipe and make something that some people would call "better". But for real aficionados, nothing should go with a good cheesecake except some hand-whipped cream and a coffee. This recipe is killer, but requires a bit of work.

First, set out your cream cheese packs 2 hours in advance so they will soften. You can do the same with the stick of butter. Make sure you have a nice mixer, a lemon grater, and a 9" spring-form cake pan. These are the pans where the sides pop off, leaving a flat, circular base.

Crust

Pre-heat the oven to 400F

1 Cup sifted all-purpose flour
1/4 cub sugar
1 tsp grated lemon peel (more if desired, I put a heaping tsp in there. I buy two large lemons for this cake, just for the peel)
1/2 cup butter (one stick)
1 slightly beeten egg yolk (yolk only)
1/4 tsp vanilla (strict)

Combine first 3 ingredients in mixer. Cut in butter until crumbly, add egg yolk and vanilla. Blend thoroughly. Grease bottom of springform pan (I use butter or margarine), and press 1/3+ of mixture onto bottom. I arrange bits of the batter, and just smash it down into the metal, and spread it out for even coverage. It doesn't need to be thick, just a nice cover, with enough left for the sides. Put the bottom of the pan in the oven at 400F for 8-10 minutes. When it gets golden, it is done. You don't need to cook it all the way, just get it firm.

While that is cooking, I butter the sides of the pan, and press the rest of the mixture onto the sides. This is awkward to do, but the entire process goes smoother, so give it a shot. You don't need to get it perfect, just get it arranged on the sides by pressing it in, and leave room at the bottom for the cooking pan to slide back in place. Take the crust out of the oven, move the temp to 450F, and leave the two pieces apart while the bottom cools.

Filling

5 8-ounce packages of cream cheese
1/4 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp grated lemon peel (I add extra by heaping the tsp)
1-3/4 cups sugar
3 tbs all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt
4 or 5 egg whites (a cup)
2 egg yolks
1/4 cup whipping cream

The cream cheese should be soft from sitting out. Put it in mixer and beat until creamy. Add vanilla and lemon peel as soon as you want. In a bowl, mix the next three ingredients, and gradually blend them into the cheese, at medium speed (this will make the cheese behave better in the mixer... when you are just blending the cheese, you will think, "Is this right?". It is a sticky mess, and finger-licking GOOD!) Now, crack two eggs in a measuring cup, yolks and all. Keep cracking egg WHITES into the cup until the cup is full. I just slosh the yolks back and forth in shell halves over the measuring cup. Now, pour the eggs into the cheese sloooowly. Mix at a slower speed as you do this, just to blend in the eggs. You don't want to shock them. Finally, raise the beater and hand-stir the whipping cream into the mixture, very gently.


Turn this mixture into the completed crust pan. Bake at 450F for 12 minutes. At the end of those 12 minutes, lower the temp to 300F, and continue cooking for 55 minutes. NO PEEKING!

Remove from oven and allow to cool for 30 min. After 30 min, use a spatula to remove the side of the pan, but leave it around the cake, just loosen it. After another 30 min, remove the side completely. These steps are annoying, but necessary. Now for the hard part: Allow to cool for 2 hours longer! If you are confused, that is a total of 3 hours for cooling.

Use thread to cut the cake after it is done cooling. Hold like dental floss, and saw through the top with a flat stroke, go to the bottom of the pan, and then pull it out one side. CUT SMALL SLICES. This is a rich cake, and you are better off making 12 pieces than 6 large ones. Trust me. You can go back for more if you want.

Before serving, use the rest of the small carton of whipping cream, put in mixer at high speeds, and add some confectioners sugar. I add 1/8 tsp of almond extract and some leftover lemon peel. Serve with good coffee or a dessert wine.

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World's Best Lasagna Recipe​

INGREDIENTS​
• 1 pound sweet Italian sausage
• 3/4 pound lean ground beef
• 1/2 cup minced onion
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
• 2 (6 ounce) cans tomato paste
• 2 (6.5 ounce) cans canned tomato sauce
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 tablespoons white sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons dried basil leaves
• 1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 4 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• 12 lasagna noodles
• 16 ounces ricotta cheese
• 1 egg
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 pound mozzarella cheese, sliced
• 3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese


DIRECTIONS​

In a Large Pot, cook sausage, ground beef, onion, and garlic over medium heat until well browned. Stir in crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, tomato sauce, and water. Season with sugar, basil, fennel seeds, Italian seasoning, 1 tablespoon salt, pepper, and 2 tablespoons parsley. Simmer, covered, for about 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally.

Bring another large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook lasagna noodles in boiling water for 8 to 10 minutes. Drain noodles, and rinse with cold water. In a mixing bowl, combine ricotta cheese with egg, remaining parsley, and 1/2 teaspoon salt.

Preheat oven to 375F

To assemble, spread 1 1/2 cups of meat sauce in the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish. Arrange 6 noodles lengthwise over meat sauce. Spread with one half of the ricotta cheese mixture. Top with a third of mozzarella cheese slices. Spoon 1 1/2 cups meat sauce over mozzarella, and sprinkle with 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese. Repeat layers, and top with remaining mozzarella and Parmesan cheese. Cover with foil: to prevent sticking, either spray foil with cooking spray, or make sure the foil does not touch the cheese.

Bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes. Remove foil, and bake an additional 25 minutes. Cool for 15 minutes before serving. After removing lasagna from oven, move to 400F and put in your garlic bread.

All you need to eat is your bread and a hefty square of lasagna and some Sweet Tea!

Tonight's was divine. My tummy is very full and happy, and we have enough for two more meals. 9/10

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Holy shit! From someone who fucks up cooking mac and cheese? THANK YOU! This is rock....
 
Here's a couple chicken recipes that I adore:

Bacon-wrapped chicken stuffed with smoked gouda

4 thick slices of bacon (most grocery stores keep the good stuff at the meat counter)
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
4 oz smoked gouda cheese
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp cayenne

Pre-heat oven to 350° F (175° C). Pound chicken breasts to 1/4 inch thickness. Combine spices in a small bowl and sprinkle evenly on both sides of the chicken breasts. Salt lightly. Cut the gouda into small peices (I cut it into thin strips so the chicken wraps around it easily) and place even amounts of cheese on each chicken breast. Try to keep the cheese away from the edges of the breast. Keeping it centered will prevent it from leaking out. Press down firmly and roll the chicken from the narrow end. Wrap each roll in a slice of bacon and secure with a toothpick. Heat a pan to medium and brown the chicken rolls evenly until the bacon starts to get crisp. Place the chicken rolls into a baking dish and bake at 350° F (175° C) for 20 minutes. Remove toothpicks prior to serving.

I usually serve this with some rather al dente asparagus sauteed in butter and lemon juice. The lemon and fresh asparagus compliment the richness of the bacon and gouda quite well.


...and, for those of you with a Weber...

Mom's salty chicken

1 whole chicken
Johnny's Season Salt (not Lawry's. Trust me on this.)

Start an indirect fire in the grill (all the charcoal to one side).

charcoalfirewithfood.jpg


After pulling whatever guts out that they may have left in the chicken, rinse it well with cold water and then pat it dry with a paper towel. Sprinkle the entire thing liberally with season salt. By "entire", I mean pick up those wings and legs, salt the back of the thing and salt the inside. Set the chicken on a plate. Fashion yourself drip pan out of heavy duty foil to go underneath the chicken under the grill, next to the fire. Once the fire is ready, place the chicken on the grill over the drip pan. Place the lid on, leaving a couple vent holes open. Place a meat thermometer in a meaty part of the chicken. For a 5lb chicken, you're looking at between an hour and an hour and a half, depending on the fire. About half way through, you're going to want to rotate the chicken 180 degrees to ensure on side doesn't brown more than the other. Remove the chicken once it's hit close to 165 degrees (chicken is safe at 165, but will continue cooking just a bit after removed from the heat, so I tend to pull it a couple degrees early).

I tend to serve this with Austrian Tomato Salad over white rice. You're going to want to marinade your tomatoes overnight, so, do this the night before if you get the chance.

For the salad:

4 or 5 medium tomatoes, sliced
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon dijon mustard (heaping)
1 tablespoon fresh chopped parsley, or 1 teaspoon dried parsley
1/2 to 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
a pinch of sugar and a splash of water

Combine everything but the tomatoes like you would a vinaigrette. Place the sliced tomatoes into a tupperware and drizzle the vinaigrette over the top. If this tupperware has a top, seal it and shake them around a bit to coat them. Let them sit over night.

To serve, place them over (or next to) white rice.

The vinaigrette works fantastically with a bibb lettuce salad, as well.
 
Athena, those chickens are on the top of my list right now. Excellent.

We just had cheesecake and coffee and it was DIVINE. 9/10 for desserts.
 
Bacon Wrapped Chicken Stuffed w/ Goudness! Yum!

I've gone from Cooking with Paula Deen to Cooking with the Dreamin Demon! The Chicken rocks Athena! Thanks for the recipe!
 
We had St. Patrick's dinner a night early.

Corned beef and cabbage

Ingredients

  • 1 Corned beef brisket
  • 1 head cabbage
  • 5-8 whole potatoes
  • 8oz baby carrots
  • 1/2 red onion
  • 1 Tbsp parsley
  • 1 Tbsp garlic powder
  • 1 Tbsp basil
  • 2 cups water
  • 2 cups balsamic vinegar
  • 1 can of Guinness

Directions

Slice the onion, potatoes, cabbage and chop those into quarters. Slice the baby carrots. Add half of these ingredients into your slow cooker. Add the corned beef to the cooker. Pour in half your water, vinegar and Guinness. Add the parsley, garlic powder and basil. Rub liberally into both sides of corned beef. Add the other half of chopped ingredients to the cooker. Pour in the rest of your water, vinegar and Guinness.

Set the cooker to high and let sit for 2 hours. After 2 hours, stir the ingredients and flip the corned beef. Turn the cooker to low and let cook another 3 hours.

Enjoy with a hunk of soda bread and a nice Black and Tan or Merlot.
 
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Wow, I absolutely love cooking (and eating, which is why I'm getting ready to exercise, even though its late), and I'm copying recipes like mad.

If anyone is interested, I have a few "never failed" me recipes that I could share.

Hungarian Mushroom Soup
Curried Chicken
Chipotle chili

If anyone is interested, let me know, I'll post them. I have others, but a lot of my cooking is from memory, and I don't have set amounts for recipes. Makes it hard to translate to a thread!
 
Okay guys, here is my Asparagus Casserole Recipe. It's really easy and really good.

Ingredients:

2 cans of Asparagus (spears without stems are best)drained
1 cans French Style Green Beans drained
2 cans Cream of Mushroom Soup ( 1 can may be enough. It's been awhile since I fixed it)
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup melted butter
2 slices of bread (cut into strips)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Mix all canned ingredients together in a casserole dish. Top with cheese to taste. then dip strips of bread into melted butter and lay out on top. Place in oven and heat till all hot and bubbly.
 
I love this recipe, but it is hot! Adjust the amount of chipotle depending on your taste. You can freeze any remaining chipotles for later use (such a waste to only use one or two from a can!)

You can use canned beans, or start from scratch with dried beans.

Chipotle Beef Chili with Lime Crema

2 pounds ground beef
3 cups onion, chopped
6 garlic cloves, finely chopped
½ cup chili powder
28 ounces of beef broth
1 cup canned crushed tomatoes with added puree
12 oz stout or dark beer
2 tbsp minced canned chipotle chilies

2 tbsp yellow cornmeal
1 pound cooked pinto or black beans, or combination of both

Lime Crema
1 ½ cups sour cream
2 tbsp fresh lime juice
1 tbsp grated lime peel (zest lime before juicing!)

1. In a large heavy pot over medium-high heat; add beef. Sautè beef until cooked through, breaking up with spoon, about 8 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl. Add onions and garlic to same pot. Sautè until onions are tender, about 8 minutes. Add chili powder. Sautè until fragrant. Add beef, broth, tomatoes, beer and chilies. Cover partially, simmer until chili is thick, stirring often, about 1 hour.
2. Gradually stir cornmeal into chili. Stir in beans. Simmer until heated through. Season generously with salt and pepper. (Can be made 1 day ahead, cover, chill and rewarm over medium heat).
3. Whisk sour cream, lime juice and lime peel in a small bowl. Season with salt.
4. Spoon chili into bowls. Spoon lime crema atop chili. Serve with tortilla chips.

If drinking beer, go with a stout or other good dark beer. If drinking with soda, go for a cola or root beer.

This meal is spicy, not recommended for kids or those with a delicate palate.
 
One more for tonight-- I will get the mushroom soup up after I type it out-- these other ones I have as .doc files. :D

This one is a favorite. I've served it for company, and as a regular family meal-- both my kids like it (and one of them can veer towards picky)

Curried Chicken

¼ cup sliced toasted almonds
6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs (breasts okay too)
1 tsp salt
freshly ground black pepper
all-purpose flour, for dredging
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tbsp butter
½ medium onion, diced
2 large yellow bell peppers, diced (other peppers okay too)
2 cloves garlic, smashed
2 tsp curry powder
1 tsp fresh thyme, ½ if dried
pinch cayenne
1 15-oz can chopped tomatoes
¼ cup golden raisins
Cool Yogurt and Herb Sauce
Lemon Scented Basmati Rice (or regular cooked white rice, add lemon rind to water)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees

1. Heat a skillet over medium-high heat and add the almonds, toast swirling the pan until golden. Remove almonds and set aside, reserve skillet.
2. Season the chicken all over with salt and pepper. Dredge the chicken in the flour and shake off any excess. Heat the oil and butter in the skillet over medium high heat. Cook the chicken on both sides until golden brown, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer to dish and set aside. Note: chicken will not be completely cooked! It will finish cooking in oven. If you cook through at this point, you will have dry stringy chicken.
3. Add the onion, bell pepper, garlic, curry powder, thyme, and cayenne to the pan. Stir to loosen up the brown bits on the bottom of the pan. Cook until the vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes and nestle the chicken pieces in the sauce, bring the sauce up to a simmer, and then transfer to the oven and cook until the chicken is cooked through and tender, about 20 to 25 minutes. Note: if the chicken is thin, this will be a much shorter process.
4. Remove skillet from the oven and transfer chicken to a serving dish. Spoon any oil off the surface of the sauce and discard. Bring the sauce to a simmer over medium heat, add the golden raisins and simmer to thicken slightly. Season sauce with salt and pepper to taste. Spoon the sauce over the chicken and scatter the toasted almonds on top. Serve with rice and dollop of cool yougurt and herb sauce. Serve with a good white wine, such as a sauvignon blanc.

Cool Yogurt and Herb Sauce

1 cup whole milk plain yogurt (low-fat seems to be fine)
¼ cup fresh cilantro leaves, chopped
5 scallions, white and green parts finely chopped
1 tbsp honey
Salt and freshly ground pepper

1. In a bowl, combine the first 4 ingredients, season with salt and pepper to taste.

Excellent accompaniment to Curried Chicken. Use as a dip (a little thin, but nice) or as a salad dressing. Very refreshing.

For a change, try mint leaves in place of cilantro. Other fresh herbs can be used, depending on the recipe and the taster’s preferences.

Lemon Scented Basmati Rice

1 tsp kosher salt
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, sliced
2 tsp kosher salt
1-inch piece fresh giner
1 bay leaf
1 cup basmati rice (Fantastic brand), lightly rinsed and drained
2 cups cold water
2 wide strips lemon zest
freshly ground black pepper

1. Heat the olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion, 1 tsp of salt, ginger, and bay leaf, stiffing occasionally, until the onion is tender and translucent, about 6 minutes.
2. Add the rice and coat with olive oil, stir in the water along with the lemon zest. Bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook for 15 minutes. Pull from the heat and set aside for 5 minutes undisturbed. Fluff with a fork season with some pepper and serve.
 
Someone mentioned Paula Dean in the cookbook thread. She is one that does not believe in using anything lowfat or sugar free. This is a REAL recipe she had featured on her show once. I have never made it, but I DARE someone to make it and tell me about it. You may want to hook up an insulin IV before eating it though.

Bill Nicholson's Krispy Kreme Bread Pudding with Butter Rum Sauce

2 dozen Krispy Kreme donuts :eek:
1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk (not evaporated)
2 (4.5-ounce) cans fruit cocktail (undrained)
2 eggs, beaten
1 (9-ounce) box raisins
1 pinch salt
1 or 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
Butter Rum Sauce, recipe follows

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Cube donuts into a large bowl. Pour other ingredients on top of donuts and let soak for a few minutes. Mix all ingredients together until donuts have soaked up the liquid as much as possible.

Bake for about 1 hour until center has jelled. Top with Butter Rum Sauce.

Butter Rum Sauce:
1 stick butter
1 pound box confectioners' sugar
Rum, to taste

Melt butter and slowly stir in confectioners' sugar. Add rum and heat until bubbly. Pour over each serving of Krispy Kreme Bread Pudding.


You may want to keep 911 on speed dial...:p
 
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