HOMEMADE CHEEZ-IT CRACKERS

OK, it's confession time, I love Cheez-It crackers. I don't stock them in the pantry (for obvious reasons), so when the urge ambushed me the other day, I was very happy to find this easy recipe.

These crackers really do taste a lot like Cheez-It crackers, except fresher and more flavorful. They are quick to make and take require ingredients I always have in my kitchen (a win-win for us since we live 10 miles out of town).

 

 

 

CHEEZ-IT CRACKERS

 

8 ounces extra SHARP cheddar cheese shredded (see note below)

1 cup all purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

4 tablespoons UNSALTED butter (room temperature)

1 teaspoon salt (divided)

4 to 6 tablespoons ice water  (see note below)

 

Put the shredded cheese and room temperature butter in your food processor and give it a few pulses to blend.

 

Mix 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1/4 teaspoon of cayenne into the flour, then sprinkle it over the cheese-butter mixture and pulse a few times until the mixture looks a little clumpy but well mixed.

 

Next, with the food processor running, add 4 tablespoons of the ice water. Run the food processor until the dough forms a ball, then stop. See tip below on the amount of water to use

 

 

Divide the dough in half and cover and chill for 30 minutes.  Roll the dough very thin (as thin as you can get it), like a pie crust (1/8")or thinner (see note below) and cut into 1" squares.

 

 

 

Sprinkle squares remaining salt and poke a hole in the center of the square. Place squares on ungreased cookie sheet (they can be pretty close together but not touching).

 

Bake in preheated 400° for 10 to 12 minutes or till golden (see note below). Remove crackers from baking sheet and cool them on a bakers rack (so air can get to both sides of the cracker). Cool to room temperature before eating them (they will get crisper as they cool down).

 

TIPS:

This recipe really needs extra sharp cheddar cheese and make sure that you grate it yourself.  Commercially grated cheeses have a starch coating on them so the shreds don't clump together. This starch coating really effects how cheese melts (and tastes)

 

The recipe didn't say what kind of salt to use, but I used a light sprinkling of kosher salt because it is large and flakey, but that's just my personal preference. On one batch, I put salt on both sides of the cracker squares and it made them too salty  (well, the dog didn't think so, but we did).

 

 This recipe calls for 4 to 6 tablespoons of ice water. When I made these, it took the full 6 tablespoons, but then the amount of water you use depends on the humidity of your flour, etc. etc. etc.  Just start with 4 tablespoons and then if the dough doesn't come together nicely in a ball, add a little more.

 

This dough is extremely easy to roll out and doesn't crack or break apart. Just make sure you roll it VERY thin. No matter how thin you roll them, they will still puff up a little while baking, so keep that in mind. Just remember, the thinner you roll them, the crispier the cracker will be.

 

And finally, the recipe says to bake them 10 to 12 minutes. I have the best luck cooking them for 10 minutes then switching to the broiler for the last 30 seconds. It gives them a wonderful golden crispy top.

 

If you have leftovers, store them in an airtight container.

 

ENJOY !!

 





CROCK-POT MASHED POTATOES

This is a great method of making mashed potatoes for a crowd. It seems like I'm always short on time (or a burner) when it comes to last minute side dishes during the holidays, so this method is a big help.

 

TO FEED A BIG CROWD
5 pounds peeled potatoes cut into 1" cubes
1 cup water
1/2 cup butter cut into small cubes
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 to 1 1/2 cups HOT half and half (divided)

The ABOVE ingredients will take a large

(7 quart) crock-pot:

If you are just feeding a family of 6, cut the above ingredients in HALF and

it in a

4 quart crock-pot:

 

 

In either case, spray the crock-pot with cooking spray and put your raw cubed potatoes and butter pieces in the crock-pot.

Mix the water with the salt and pepper and pour it over the potatoes and butter pieces:

 

Cover with a lid and cook on high for 4 hours (or till tender). TIP: If you put a couple of potholders on the top of the crock-pot lid (as shown in the above photos), then the potatoes will be cooked in 3 hours instead of 4.

 

After the potatoes are tender, DO NOT DRAIN. Give the potatoes a rough mash with a hand held potato masher first, then add one cup of HOT half and half and finish whipping them with a hand held electric mixer (right in the crock-pot). Add the final half cup of half and half if you think the potatoes need it.

 

These mashed potatoes can be kept on the warm setting of the slow cooker for up to two hours.

 

Even if your crock-pot doesn't have a warm setting, you can still keep these mashed potatoes hot by covering the whole crock-pot with a heavy towel. They will stay hot for quite a while. 

 

 

 

 

ENJOY !!



YUMMY POTATO SIDE DISH

If you are looking for a new way to cook potatoes, I hope you will try this recipe. It is not only EASY, but it is oh so tasty and a very nice change from baked or mashed potatoes.

This recipe would also be wonderful for a potluck or buffet because you can make a huge batch AND they stay hot for a long time; they are also very tasty at room temperature !!

2 pounds of Yukon gold potatoes (washed and dried)
4 tablespoons melted butter
1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Cut the potatoes into 1" thick slices and put them in a bowl. Mix everything else together and pour over the potatoes, coating well.

Spray a baking pan (that has a lip) with cooking spray and then lay the potatoes in the pan, cut side down and don't let the slices touch each other. 

Bake in a preheated 450° oven for 20 minutes. Flip the potatoes over and bake for another 20 minutes.

ENJOY !!

BEST TURKEY GRAVY EVER !!

There are three reasons we LOVE this turkey gravy. First of all, it is rich, savory and has a delicious concentrated turkey flavor (the kind that you CAN NOT get from a package or a jar). Secondly, you can make this gravy a day ahead of time and escape those "last second" holiday scheduling conflicts or the dreaded "I need just one more stove burner" issues. Thirdly, the recipe makes enough for a big turkey dinner AND enough for those scrumptious "day two" hot turkey sandwiches!!

 

It may sound like this recipe makes a ton of gravy, but don't forget that the liquid "cooks down" for an hour, so actually you'll end up with about 5 cups of good rich gravy, which is just perfect.

6 turkey wings (or 4 turkey drumsticks)
2 small onions (or 1 large) peeled and quartered
1 cup water
2 quarts turkey broth (divided) (chicken broth will work in a pinch)
1 cup chopped carrot
1 cup large chop celery
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
1/2 to 3/4 cup all purpose flour (see note below)
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
*(note don't add salt until the end)

Put the turkey wings (or drumsticks), quartered onions and 1 cup of water in a large pan. Make sure the pan is big enough so that the wings are not on top of each other.

Bake in preheated 400°F oven for 1 1/2 hours or until wings are nice and golden.

 

Put the turkey and onion into a large soup pot. Add 1 cup of water to the original baking pan and stir/scrape up all of the baking bits stuck to the bottom of the pan. Pour it all over the meat in the soup pot.

Add 6 cups of turkey broth to the soup pot, along with the carrot, celery and dried thyme leaves. Make sure the "browned" side of the wings are down in the broth. Bring it all to a boil, then reduce the heat to a SLOW SIMMER and cook UNCOVERED for 1 1/2 hours.

NOTE: Turkey broth is the best for this recipe if you can find it. Locally, I've found it at Walmart, Carrs and Three Bears. If you can't find it, just use chicken stock.

Recipe uses two of these boxes

After the broth has simmered for 1 1/2 hours, remove the meat from the broth (it can be saved for a different use if you want to, but you won't need it for the gravy).

Strain the broth (throwing away the veggies) and return broth to soup pot. Bring  the broth to a gentle boil.

Whisk the flour into the remaining 2 cups of chicken broth until smooth and gradually whisk it into the simmering turkey broth. Cook and stir until thick.  Stir in butter and pepper.

IMPORTANT: Taste the final gravy for salt. I usually end up adding about 3/4 teaspoon of salt before serving.

NOTE: How much flour you use to make your gravy depends on how much liquid broth you have after it's boiled. I usually end up using 1/2 cup of flour.

 

 

 

NOTHING says Thanksgiving like a great gravy!!

 

ENJOY!!

OVEN BARBECUE

What is a person (who is hungry for barbecue) supposed to do after the grill has been put away for the season? Well, she goes for the oven.

I've tried lots of oven barbecue recipes, but it wasn't until I found this recipe cooking technique that picky-picky husband gave it two thumbs up, and it couldn't be easier!!

The "trick" is long SLOW cooking at a reduced oven temperature. It makes the meat moist, succulent and flavorful. The ribs almost melt in your mouth!!

Whether you are cooking for 2 or 12, this recipe is sure to please!!

 

The following directions are for country style pork ribs. Country style ribs are big MEATY pieces of pork (some have bones, some don't) and they look like this as opposed to the baby back rib cut.

 



 

We like to get the boneless variety (much less waste) but they come with the bone in as well and they are very economical.

 

Preheat your oven to 300°F and put the pork in a large baking pan (make sure they don't touch each other). Put just a little water in the pan, maybe 1/8" or so. The amount isn't critical, you just need to cover the bottom of the pan a little.

 

Put a tight fitting lid (or cover tightly with foil) and bake the pork at 300° for 2 hours. At the end of 2 hours, drain ALL the liquid (there will be quite a bit) and throw it away.

 

Pour an 18 ounce bottle of your favorite barbecue sauce over the meat, coating all sides. Note: The 18 ounce bottle will work for 2-3 pounds of meat, if you are making less, you can use less barbecue sauce.

 

Cover tightly and return meat to oven. Bake another 45 minutes. Note: half way through that last 45 minutes, uncover meat and baste it with some of the sauce that's in the bottom of the pan. The sauce will thicken up during that last 20 minutes with no foil. That's it!! 

 

 

 

ENJOY !!



 

 

MUSHROOM QUINOA

The first time I bought quinoa, I cooked it without any seasonings. I tasted it, shrugged my shoulders and then put it back in the pantry. This COULDN'T be the same quinoa that people were raving about could it?

What I found out (much later) was that you have to add stuff (veggies, spices, etc.) to the quinoa and then something magical happens. Quinoa takes on the persona of whatever you cook it with......want beefy? cook it in beef broth, want it spicy? cook it with Rotel tomatoes. You can't goof it up, like I said it's almost magical.

So, lately, I've been experimenting with more quinoa recipes and I have created this new one that I really enjoy.  I hope you do too!!

MUSHROOM QUINOA
3/4 cup chopped onion
6 large mushrooms
1 large carrot
1 cup peas
1 cup quinoa (rinsed and drained)
2 cups beef broth (I like canned beef consume)
2 teaspoons beef bullion (or 2 cubes)
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne

Prep work: Remove stems from mushrooms and put them in the food processor along with the carrot. Pulse them until they are about the size of a pea. Next hand slice the mushrooms fairly thickly and set aside. Note: add as many of your favorite veggies as you want.

Saute onions then scoot them over to edge of pan. Add the mushrooms and sauté them (in the onion pan) until you get some toasty brown color on the edges.

Put EVERYTHING into the pan and bring to a boil; reduce heat and put a lid on it. Use the same "simmer speed" and cooking time that you would use for rice (about 15-20 minutes) A better description would be, if your simmer is fast.....cook for 15 minutes, if you have it turned down pretty low, cook for 20 minutes. That's it!!  Just fluff it with a fork and eat!!

Depending on how many veggies you pack into this recipe (there is no limit), you should get 5 or 6 cups in the final dish. I freeze it in one cup measures. No need to defrost, just microwave uncovered for 2 minutes. It makes a great (and filling) lunch, with no guilt !!

 

ENJOY !!

 

Quinoa is known as a super food for many reasons. The description of most of those reasons are words that I don't use every day, like flavonoids, phylonutrients, antioxidants, etc.

 

For me, my reasons for enjoying quinoa are: it's quick and easy to prepare, it will take on any seasonings you like and most of all, I can eat a big bowl of this and it doesn't effect my blood sugars very much at all, plus it's gluten free!! I hope you try it.

BACON HASSELBACK POTATOES

As I understand it, Hasselback potatoes originated in Sweden as far back as the 1700's and there are a lot of variations. Basically it is an unpeeled baking potato that has been partially sliced, buttered and baked. The outside is crispy, salty and chewy but the inside of the potato is smooth and moist. They are very easy to make, delicious to eat and pretty enough to serve over the upcoming holidays.

A word of warning about these photographs: I didn't realize that the photos were on the blurry side until we finished dinner, so I couldn't re-take them. Sorry about that.

 

This version has bacon in it !!

 

There really isn't a specific recipe, but I do have a few tips that will help you in the process.

Things to do ahead of time: 

Lay 1 strip of good quality smoky THICK bacon (for every 2 potatoes) on a flat surface and freeze for about 30 minutes. This will help you slide the bacon down into the cuts of the potato.

Use meaty bacon

Bring a pot of water (large enough to hold the potatoes) to a full boil.

Wash the unpeeled potatoes, scrubbing them with a vegetable brush, then drying them with a paper towel.

Next, it's time to cut the slices into the potato. Because it is easy to cut too far, it's better to use some sort of cutting depth guide. Personally, I lay the potato between 2 spoon handles and use a sharp (thin bladed) knife to cut down only as far as the spoon handles.

 

Next, put the potatoes into the pot of boiling water. Let boil 4 minutes for larger potatoes and 2 minutes for medium potatoes. Gently lift them out and pat them dry.

Coat the potatoes with melted butter, making sure it gets down into every cut (just don't try to PRY the slices apart too much).

After you've buttered the potato, insert 3 pieces of frozen bacon (evenly spaced) into the potato. Make sure the bacon is big enough to be a little wider and taller than the potato because it will shrink as it bakes.

Butter again and then sprinkle with kosher salt and coarsely ground black pepper.

Bake at 350° (2 hours for large potatoes and 1 1/2 hours for medium potatoes). Dab them with a little butter about half way through.

The last 5-10 minutes of baking, melt a little butter and add a finely sliced green onion(optional) and half a clove of minced garlic. Let the garlic toast in the butter JUST A LITTLE, then drizzle the garlic butter over the potatoes and bake a few minutes more.

Carefully lift the potatoes out of the baking dish with a sturdy utensil.

The potatoes have a smooth and slightly smoky flavor. Picky-picky husband loved them.  Like I said, sorry about the poor quality of todays photos.

ENJOY !!