Juicy Lucy Burgers

Juicy Lucy Burgers

Have you ever heard of a "Juicy Lucy?" Juicy Lucy is a cheeseburger that has the cheese inside the meat patty instead of on top, which results in a melted core of cheese within the patty. Two bars in Minneapolis claim to be the inventor of the burger, though other bars and restaurants have created their own versions. Here's mine! YUM!!!!!

Start by forming your seasoned ground beef patties. 

Place a chunk of stacked American cheese slices (I used Velveeta) in the middle of the patty.

Place another patty on top of the cheese. Tightly press the edges together, sealing the cheese inside.

Grill or fry the burgers until done! 

Juicy Lucy Burgers

Ingredients:

1 1/2 lbs ground beef

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

3/4 teaspoon garlic salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

4 slices American Cheese 

4 hamburger buns

Instructions:

Combine ground beef, Worcestershire sauce, garlic salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Mix well. Form 8 think patties from the beef. 

Cut each slice of cheese into 4 equal pieces: stack the pieces. Sandwich one stack of cheese between 2 ground beef patties. Tightly pinch edges together to seal the cheese inside the meat. Make sure and make it TIGHT to avoid cheese from leaking out.  Repeat with the remaining cheese and patties.

Preheat a cast iron skillet or a heavy bottomed skillet over medium heat. Cook burgers until well browned, about 4 minutes. It's common for the burgers to puff up a little bit, due to steam from the melting cheese. Turn the burgers and prick the top of each with a toothpick to allow steam to escape. Cook until browned on the outside and no longer pink on the inside, about 4 minutes. Serve on hamburger buns. 

*You can also fire up a medium-hot bed of coals and cook on your grill 

Smoky Deviled Eggs

Smoky Deviled Eggs

Ingredients:

12 eggs, boiled

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1 teaspoon mustard

1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

Smoked paprika

Instructions:

Peel eggs. Cut lengthwise in half. Slip out the yolks into a medium bowl. Set egg whites aside. Mash yolks with fork until smooth. Stir in mayonnaise, mustard, vinegar, salt and pepper. Fill egg whites with yolk mixture. Sprinkle with smoked paprika. Serve immediately or cover and refridgerate. 

Queso Smothered Chicken

Queso Smothered Chicken

This chicken was AMAZING!!! My husband is a huge fan of queso dip, and he was so pleased with this recipe. I have never used Lawry's 30 Minute Marinade before, and was pleasantly surprised with it's flavor! It made the chicken so moist and full of flavor.  I'm anxious to try out their other flavors.  So simple and easy! If you like spicy food, then I would suggest getting spicy Ro-tel, if not choose mild.  This will be one of your go-to recipes from now on! We LOVED it! 

Ingredients:

1 bottle Lawry's Baja Chipotle 30 minute marinade (or Mesquite)

4 boneless chicken breasts, pounded to an even thickness

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 cup orzo

2 cups chicken broth

2 Tbsp tomato paste

2 tsp  chili powder

8 oz Velveeta, diced

1 can Ro-Tel diced tomatoes and green chilies (do not drain) 

Instructions:

Pour Baja Chipotle Marinade over chicken and let marinate in the refrigerator for 30 minutes or overnight. When ready, grill, bake or pan fry chicken until done.

While the chicken is cooking,  prepare the orzo.

Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat and add orzo. Cook, stirring constantly, until lightly browned. Stir in chili powder, tomato paste and chicken broth; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes. Fluff with a fork.

Combine Ro-tel and Velveeta in a medium bowl. Heat on HIGH in the microwave in 30 second intervals (stirring)  until cheese is melted.

To assemble the Queso Smothered Chicken - place desired amount of orzo on a plate, top with grilled chicken. Pour desired amount of  cheese dip over chicken and orzo.

Strawberry Cream Cheese Bread

Strawberry Cream Cheese Bread

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 cup sugar

1/2 brick cream cheese, softened (4 oz)

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup buttermilk

1  1/2 cups strawberries, rinsed, dried and chopped

Instructions: Grease and flour a 9x5 inch bread pan. With electric mixer, cream butter, sugar and cream cheese until fluffy. Add eggs one at a time. Mix in vanilla. 

In separate bowl, mix flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Combine flour mixture with butter mixture just until blended. Add buttermilk and only stir until just combined--do not over mix. 

Fold in strawberries. The dough mixture will be thick. Pour in prepared  bread pan. Bake at 350 for 50-60 minutes. 

Let cool at least 15 minutes before removing from pan. 

Manhattan Clam Chowder

Manhattan Clam Chowder

INGREDIENTS:

1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil

1 large yellow onion, chopped 1 1/2 celery stalks, chopped 7 cloves garlic, mincedPinch crushed red pepper 1/4 cup tomato paste 3 sprigs parsley 3 sprigs fresh thyme1 bay leaf 1 large potato (about 3/4 pound), diced 5 cups clam juice (five 8-ounce bottles clam juice) One 28-ounce can whole, peeled tomatoes (with liquid), roughly chopped 1 -1/2 cups minced clams, drained (about four 6-1/2 ounce cans) 1 tablespoon kosher salt or to taste Freshly ground black pepper 2 tablespoons chopped parsley for garnish

INSTRUCTIONS:

Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, celery, garlic, and crushed red pepper and cook, covered, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 8 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and cook, stirring, for about 1 minute more. Tie the parsley sprigs, fresh thyme, and bay leaf together with a piece of kitchen twine and add to the pot with the potatoes. Pour in the clam juice and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer, covered, until the potatoes are tender, about 10 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes and clams. Cover and bring to a low simmer. Season with pepper to taste. Divide among warm soup bowls and sprinkle with the parsley. Serve immediately. 

Cheeseburger Slider Casserole

Cheeseburger Slider Casserole

Start by browning 1 1/2 pounds of ground beef in a large skillet, add onion and Worcestershire sauce, and spices. Stir in tomatoes.

Cut dinner rolls in half and place the bottoms in a lightly greased baking dish.

Spread the beef mixture over the rolls. Then top with cheese slices.

Place tops of buns over the cheese.

In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt butter, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce and mustard until smooth.

Brush mixture over the tops of the rolls and sprinkle with sesame seeds over the top.

Place baking dish in the oven and bake for 25 minutes, or until buns are golden brown and the cheese is bubbly. 

INGREDIENTS:

1 1/2 pounds ground beef

12 dinner rolls

12 slices sharp cheddar cheese

1  14.5 oz. can  diced tomatoes with green chilies (drained)

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 small onion, chopped

2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

1 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon ground mustard powder

salt and pepper to taste

1/2 teaspoon paprika

GLAZE:

1 stick butter

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1 tablespoon mustard

sesame seeds for garnish

INSTRUCTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 9x13 inch baking dish with non-stick spray. 

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add ground beef. With a spatula break the meat into small pieces so that it will brown evenly. Add onion and garlic, stir in Worcestershire sauce, cumin, mustard powder, salt, pepper and paprika, stirring to combine. Cook until onions are tender and meat is browned completely. 

Cut dinner rolls in half, horizontally  and place bottoms of rolls in greased baking dish.  Spread beef mixture evenly over rolls, then top with cheese slices. 

place the tops of the buns over the cheese. 

In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt butter with brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce and mustard. Whisk until smooth. Brush the mixture over the tops of the rolls and sprinkle sesame seeds over the top evenly. 

Place in oven and bake for 25 minutes, or until rolls are golden brown and cheese is bubbly. 

Country Style Pork Chops

Country Style Pork Chops

Ingredients:

• 4 bone-in pork chops, about 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick
• Cajun seasoning, to taste
• About 1-1/2 cups of flour
• 1 teaspoon of garlic powder
•  Freshly cracked black pepper,  to taste
• Cooking oil (vegetable, canola, etc) for frying
• 1/2 cup of water
• 1 to 1/2 cups milk

Instructions: 

Rinse pork chops and set on a paper towel to drain. Sprinkle the chops lightly with Cajun seasoning on both sides. Whisk together the flour, garlic powder and pepper; remove 2 tablespoons of the seasoned flour and set aside. Coat the chops in the remaining flour mixture, shaking off the excess. Allow to rest on a rack at room temperature for about 15 minutes.   Heat about 1/4 inch of canola oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Once hot, brown the chops on both sides, about 4 minutes per side. Do in batches to avoid overcrowding the skillet. Remove the chops and set aside. For the gravy, very carefully remove all but 3 tablespoons of oil from the skillet. Over medium heat, stir in the 2 tablespoons of reserved seasoned flour into the hot oil; cook and stir over medium heat until browned, about 3 minutes. Slowly stir in water then milk, adding only enough milk to create a gravy. You may not need all of the milk. Bring the gravy to a boil, cooking and stirring about 2-3 minutes, or until nicely thickened. Reduce heat to medium low, return the chops to skillet, cover and simmer (do not boil) for about 8 minutes, or until chops are cooked through. Serve with mashed potatoes. 

Greek Salad With Tomatoes And Feta

Greek Salad With Tomatoes and Feta

Spring is here and we will soon start seeing some wonderful veggies in the grocery store or your local farmers market. Here is a tomato salad that I made for a recent dinner party. This is what I came up with! My guests LOVED it! So, I wanted to share the recipe with you!

Greek Salad With Tomatoes and Feta

Ingredients:

1 medium sized tomato, chopped in big chunks

1 cup of cherry tomatoes, halved

3 Roma or plum tomatoes, sliced

1 avocado, peeled, chopped in bite size pieces

1/2 can of Hearts of Palm (found in the canned vegetable section, usually next to the artichokes) thinly sliced

1/2 cup crumbled Feta cheese

1/2 cup Kalamata Olives

1/2 cup Red pickled sweet peppers

1 bunch of green onions, thinly sliced

3-4 leaves fresh basil, finely chopped

Vinaigrette

2 tsp apple cider vinegar 1 tbsp lime juice 1/4 tsp oregano 3/4 tsp sea salt 1/4 tsp brown sugar 1/4 tsp black pepper 2 tbsp olive oil 2 tbsp safflower oil

TO PREPARE

Layer tomatoes, avocado, hearts of palm, olives, peppers, onions, basil and feta cheese on a large platter. To make the vinaigrette, pour the vinegar and lime juice in a small bowl. Add oregano, salt, sugar and black pepper. Pour the oils in a slow stream, whisking with a whisk or fork to emulsify. The vinaigrette can be made a day ahead of time, just emulsify before using.

Pour vinaigrette evenly over salad. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. Then toss and serve.

Hummingbird Cake (The most requested recipe in Southern Living Magazine's History)

Wednesday, March 23, 2016 2:30 p.m. by Cindy Rippe

Hummingbird Cake (The most requested recipe in Southern Living Magazine's History)

When I came across this recipe, I just HAD to make it so I did, and I wasn't disappointed. It's been around for many years, and it is astonishingly delicious! It's probably the best cake that I have ever made. They say it got it's name because with every bite you want to "hum" with delight! It is similar to carrot cake, but made with crushed pineapple and bananas. It's super moist and super easy to make!

Here's what you need:

INGREDIENTS:

3 cups all-purpose flour

2 cups white sugar

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

3 eggs, lightly beaten

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups oil

1 8 oz. can crushed pineapple--do not drain

2 cups bananas, mashed (about 4 large bananas)

1 cup pecans or walnuts (I used pecans)

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Combine flour, sugar, baking soda, salt and cinnamon.

2. Mix together with whisk. Add eggs, vanilla, oil, pineapple, bananas and pecans and mix until all ingredients are moistened.

3. Spray 3 (9 inch) round cake pans or one 9x13 baking pan with cooking spray. Bake in preheated oven at 350 degrees, for 30-35 minutes until the cake center is done. Let cool thoroughly. Frost with cream cheese frosting and top with chopped nuts.

CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

1 stick of unsalted butter, room temperature

2 (8 oz) packages cream cheese, room temperature

2 lbs. confectioners (powdered) sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/2 cup finely chopped pecans

INSTRUCTIONS:

Cream butter, cream cheese and vanilla together with a mixer. Gradually add powdered sugar until blended well. Ice cake and sprinkle with pecans.

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How To Make Jelly Bean Napkin Rings For Your Easter Table

Make these Jelly Bean Napkin Rings For Your Easter Table Setting!

To make these unique napkin rings, thread small, brightly colored jelly beans on 22-gauge tin wire,(where you can find at your favorite hardware store or craft store) Measure the wire long enough to wrap around a rolled napkin twice. Curl ends into swirls, so the candy won't fall off. Super easy and cute! And inexpensive! And the kids will LOVE them!

Miss Cindy's Homemade Meatloaf Seasoning

This seasoning tastes just like the stuff you get in the package, but BETTER! No preservatives or additives and you'll save money, because you probably have most of these spices on hand!

Miss Cindy's Homemade Meatloaf Seasoning

Ingredients: (enough for 2 lbs. ground beef)

2 tsp. paprika

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. dried thyme

1 tsp. dried basil

1 tsp. black pepper

2 tsp. garlic powder

2 tsp. onion powder

Instructions:

Combine all the ingredients in a small bowl. Set aside.

Ingredients for the meatloaf:

2 lbs. ground beef

2 eggs, slightly beaten

1 cup oats

1 cup ketchup or tomato sauce

meatloaf seasoning

1 small onion, chopped

1 small bell pepper, chopped

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place ground beef, eggs, oats, ketchup, meatloaf seasoning, peppers and onions in a large bowl. Mix well with clean hands. Form into a loaf. Place in a baking pan and bake for 1 hour. Remove from oven, and spread ketchup all over the top and bake an additional 15 minutes.

Mini Pineapple Upside down cakes

Mini Pineapple Upside Down Cakes

These are so amazing! I was a bit worried that these would fall apart after removing them from the muffin pans...but they came right out and looked beautiful! The pineapple, buttery brown sugar with cherries....and in cute little individual cakes! Your family will LOVE these!

Pineapple Upside Down Cupcakes

Ingredients:

2 cans (20 oz) sliced pineapple, drained (reserve 1 cup of the juice)

1 box yellow cake mix ( I used Betty Crocker Super Moist)

1/2 cup vegetable oil

3 eggs

1/3 cup melted butter

2/3 cup brown sugar

12 maraschino cherries, halved

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 24 regular-sized muffin pans with cooking spray.

Cut each pineapple slice into 4 even pieces. Set aside. In a large bowl, beat cake mix, oil, eggs, and reserved pineapple juice with electric mixer on low speed 30 seconds. Beat on medium speed 2 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally.

In a small bowl, stir together melted butter and brown sugar. Spoon 1 1/2 teaspoons brown sugar mixture into each of the muffin cups. Spread evenly.

Top each with 3 pineapple pieces. (depending on the size of muffin pans)

Place half a cherry, cut side up, in the center of pineapple pieces.

Spoon 1/4 cup batter into each cup. Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 5 minutes.

Run knife around edge of cupcakes to loosen. Turn over onto cookie sheet. Serve warm.

Miss Cindy's Chicken Cordon Bleu

Miss Cindy's Chicken Cordon Bleu

"Cordon Bleu" is a French term, meaning "blue ribbon" which originally referred to an award for culinary excellence! This is one of my favorites. I've been making this for years and my family loves it! Ham and Swiss cheese rolled up in a pounded chicken breast, dredged in bread crumbs and baked. So delicious!

Start by placing plastic wrap or waxed paper over the chicken breast and pound them til they are about 1/4 thick.

Dip the breasts in 1/4 cup chicken broth, 2 tablespoons melted butter and 1 garlic clove minced.

Shake off excess and place a slice of Swiss cheese on top of chicken.

place a slice of ham on top of cheese and chicken.

roll up the breast jelly-roll fashioned then dredge in bread crumbs.

Place chicken in a greased baking dish, salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle a little paprika on the top and bake for 45 minutes in a 350 degree oven.

Serve with a Hollandaise sauce. (I love the Knorr packaged sauces, you'll find them in the packaged gravy section of the grocery store.) I'm not brave enough yet to make a homemade Hollandaise sauce! Someday I'll try when I get a food processor!

It's such a nice presentation!

Chicken Cordon Bleu

Ingredients:

1/4 cup chicken broth

2 tablespoons butter, melted

1 garlic clove, minced

1/2 cup dried breadcrumbs

paprika

salt

pepper

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

4 slices ham (I used black forest ham from the deli)

4 slices Swiss cheese

cooking spray

Instructions:

Place broth in a small microwave-safe bowl and microwave on high for 15 or 20 seconds, or until warm. Stir in garlic and butter. Pour bread crumbs on a plate or shallow bowl. Set aside.

Place each chicken breast between 2 sheets of waxed paper or plastic wrap and pound each to 1/4 inch thickness using a meat mallet or rolling pin. Dip each breast into butter/broth mixture, then top each breast with 1 slice of cheese then 1 slice of ham. Roll up each breast jelly-roll fashion. Place rolls, seam side down in baking dish coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and paprika. Pour remaining broth/butter over chicken. Bake at 350 degrees for about 40-45 minutes or until juices run clear and tops are golden. Serve with Knorr Hollandaise Sauce if desired.

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