Bread Pudding

We've made bread pudding lots of different ways with lots of different breads - leftover French bread, Panettone, and most recently Brioche hamburger buns! You really can't go wrong.

Admittedly, when I was making the caramel sauce it didn't look like it was going to work out. The butter and sugar started turning into a paste and I had no idea if it was "boiling". But when I finally took it off the stove and added the heavy cream it turned out just fine - although it was an awful lot of sauce, so pour sparingly.

Bread Pudding

Ingredients

10 slices thickly sliced bread stale or slightly dried
3 large eggs
1 ¾ cups half and half or light cream (or egg nog)
¼ cup brown sugar

¼ cup white sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ cup raisins

1/4 cup chocolate chips (optional, but super delicious)
2 tablespoons butter melted

Sauce:

⅔ cup brown sugar
¼ cup butter
¼ cup heavy cream

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter an 8-inch baking dish.

Cut the bread into 1-inch cubes. If the bread is fresh, place it on a baking sheet and bake for 4 to 6 minutes (or until slightly dried). Cool completely.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl whisk together eggs, cream, sugars, vanilla, and cinnamon.

Pour the egg mixture over the bread. Add raisins and chocolate chips and toss lightly with your hands. Transfer the bread mixture to the prepared baking dish. Drizzle butter over top.

Bake for 35 to 40 minutes until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.

Meanwhile, for the sauce, combine the brown sugar and butter in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat while whisking and let boil for 1 minute. Remove from heat and whisk in heavy cream. Allow to cool slightly.

Drizzle the caramel sauce over the baked bread pudding and serve warm.




Original link:

https://www.spendwithpennies.com/easy-bread-pudding/

Honey-Roasted Carrots and Parsnips

This made for a great side dish for dinner.  They were gone in minutes.

Honey-Roasted Carrots and Parsnips

Ingredients

2 lb. medium carrots, peeled, halved lengthwise
2 lb. medium parsnips, peeled, halved lengthwise
6 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper
1 Tbsp. plus 1½ tsp. unsalted butter
1 Tbsp. plus ½ tsp. honey
1 tsp. balsamic vinegar

Directions

Place racks in middle and lower third of oven; preheat to 400°. Line 2 large rimmed baking sheets with foil. Divide 2 lb. medium carrots, peeled, halved lengthwise, and 2 lb. medium parsnips, peeled, halved lengthwise, between baking sheets and spread out in a single layer on each. Drizzle 6 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil over carrot-parsnip mixture, dividing evenly, and season generously with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper; toss to coat.

Roast carrots and parsnips, tossing every 10 minutes or so and rotating baking sheets top to bottom halfway through, until tender and browned in spots, 35–40 minutes.

Melt 1 Tbsp. plus 1½ tsp. unsalted butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add 1 Tbsp. plus ½ tsp. honey and 1 tsp. balsamic vinegar; stir to combine.

To serve, transfer roasted vegetables to a platter or medium bowl, drizzle honey glaze over, and toss to coat.

Do Ahead: Roasted carrots and parsnips can be cooked 2 hours ahead. Tent with foil and let stand at room temperature. Reheat, uncovered, in a 350° oven until warmed through, 8–10 minutes.




Original link:

https://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/honey-glazed-roasted-carrots-and-parsnips-233404

Creamy One-Pot Sausage Gnocchi

Super delicious, and easy to put together.  Also, the garlic breadcrumbs are great for other recipes - like homemade mac and cheese!

Creamy One-Pot Sausage Gnocchi

Ingredients

Bread crumbs:

2 tbsp. salted butter

1 clove garlic, finely chopped

1/2 c. panko breadcrumbs

1/2 tsp kosher salt

1/4 tsp ground black pepper

1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley

 
Pasta:

1 lb. hot Italian sausage, casings removed
1 medium yellow onion, chopped

1 tbsp. tomato paste

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 tsp. dried oregano
3/4 tsp. kosher salt, plus more to taste
1/2 tsp. ground black pepper, plus more to taste

1/2 c. dry white wine
2 (12-oz.) packages refrigerated gnocchi
1 (14.5-oz.) can diced tomatoes
1 c chicken broth
4 oz. cream cheese, cubed

1 (5-oz.) bag baby spinach
1/2 c. grated parmesan cheese, plus more to serve
3 tbsp chopped fresh parsley

Directions

Bread crumbs:

In a large, 12-inch skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add 1 finely chopped garlic clove and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the panko breadcrumbs, ½ teaspoon of salt, and ¼ teaspoon of pepper and toast, stirring frequently, until the panko is golden brown and crispy, 7 to 9 minutes. Remove the mixture to a medium bowl and cool for 5 minutes. Stir in ¼ cup of parmesan and 1 tablespoon of parsley.

Pasta:
In the same skillet, cook the sausage and onion over medium heat until lightly browned and the sausage is crumbly, 7 to 9 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste, the remaining 2 cloves of garlic, oregano, remaining ¾ teaspoon of salt, and the remaining ½ teaspoon of pepper. Cook until fragrant, 1 minute.

Add the wine and cook, stirring constantly, until slightly reduced, 1 minute. Stir in the gnocchi, tomatoes, chicken broth, and cream cheese. Bring to a simmer, reduce the heat, and cover the pan. Cook for 5 minutes undisturbed.

Uncover the pan and stir in the spinach. Cook until the sauce is thickened and the spinach is wilted. Stir in the remaining ½ cup of parmesan cheese and 3 tablespoons of parsley. Taste for salt and pepper.

Serve the gnocchi hot with toasted breadcrumbs.



Original link:

https://www.thepioneerwoman.com/food-cooking/recipes/a45087502/creamy-one-pot-sausage-gnocchi-recipe/

Skillet Potatoes with Garlic and Herbs

Admittedly when I first tried this recipe, I didn't have many of the ingredients, so I just used what herbs I had (many dried). But the final results was still delicious and this cooking method is very easy.

Below is the recipe I ended up using, but the original recipe calls for diced shallots, as well as chopped fresh rosemary, thyme, and parsley.

Honestly, I like using the rosemary sprig instead of chopped fresh rosemary. It still imparts a lot of flavor without the bits of rosemary in your potatoes.

Skillet Potatoes with Garlic and Herbs

Ingredients

1 ½ pounds baby Yukon gold potatoes cut in half lengthwise, or large Yukon golds cut into 1 inch chunks
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil, divided
¾ teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
½ cup diced shallots, ½" dice or 1/2 cup chopped onion
3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 fresh rosemary sprig
1/2 tbsp dried parsley

Directions

Season the Potatoes – In a medium-sized bowl, combine potatoes with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, salt, and pepper. Stir well to rough up the potatoes.

Saute the Aromatics – Heat a large 12" cast-iron pan or skillet over medium heat. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil. Once hot, add shallots (or onions) and saute until translucent, 2 minutes. Add garlic and saute until fragrant, 1 minute.

Cook the Potatoes – Add the potatoes and rosemary sprig to the pan, and stir to combine. Cover and cook until tender, about 10 to 12 minutes, stirring halfway through.

Remove the cover and increase the heat to medium-high. Cook until lightly brown on the surface, occasionally stirring, 5 to 7 minutes.

Add the Herbs – Melt the butter in the pan and then turn off the heat. Add the parsley (and any other desired herbs), and toss to combine. Taste and season with salt and pepper as desired.

Original link: https://www.jessicagavin.com/skillet-potatoes-garlic-herb/ 

Refried Beans

I never bothered making refried beans myself because it's so easy to just open a can.  But holy moly, these are so delicious and easy to make (if a bit time consuming).

After boiling the beans, garlic, and onion, I still had large pieces of onion in my bean broth. I strained many of these out, but it's ok (and flavorful) if you leave much of the onion in the beans for frying.

Refried Beans

Ingredients

1 lb pinto beans dried
5 cloves garlic smashed
1/2 onion quartered
6 cups water
1 teaspoon salt
2-5 tablespoons lard or oil (I used bacon grease)

Directions

Sort through the beans to ensure that they are good and no rocks are mixed in.

Rinse with water in a strainer to clean. Or if soaking the beans, place in a medium size mixing bowl and cover completely with salted water. Let sit overnight. Strain the beans the next day after soaking.

Add the beans, smashed garlic, and onion to a large pot or pan. Pour the water in and add salt. Beans should be fully submerged in water.

Bring to a boil, then turn the heat to low and continue to simmer covered. Allow to cook for about 30 minutes, remove lid, stir, and continue to simmer covered an additional 30-60 minutes until the beans are softened and easily mashed.

Once the beans are soft, heat 2 tbsp lard or oil in a large cast iron skillet over medium heat. Once the oil is heated, carefully ladle the beans, garlic, and some of the bean broth into the skillet. Allow the beans to "fry" in the oil while mashing. Add more oil and bean broth as needed to get desired consistency to the beans.

Original link:

https://houseofyumm.com/homemade-refried-beans/

Stuffing Waffles

 You have to do something with all that leftover stuffing… The final product, especially if served with real maple syrup, has a chicken and waffles flavor.

Stuffing Waffles

Ingredients

4 cups leftover stuffing
2 eggs
2 tsp better than bouillion chicken
2 tbsp milk (as needed)

Directions

Pre-heat waffle iron.

Beat eggs with bouillion. Add milk as needed and mix.

Add stuffing and mix well.

Butter or grease waffle iron. Add stuffing mix to waffle iron and press closed. You may need to cook for longer than regular waffles.

Serving idea: Top with a fried egg, butter, and real maple syrup.

Garlic Parmesan Roasted Red Potatoes

This roasted red potatoes recipe was very easy to put together and so delicious.  I was worried the parmesan or herbs would burn, but it all came out perfect.

Garlic Parmesan Roasted Red Potatoes

Ingredients

1 1/2 pounds baby red potatoes halved (or large red potatoes cut into 1 inch pieces)
1/4 cup olive oil
2 teaspoons garlic minced
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
2 teaspoons dried parsley
1/4 cup finely shredded parmesan cheese

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.

Place the potatoes in a large bowl. Add the olive oil, garlic, salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, parsley, and parmesan cheese. Toss to coat.

Spread the potatoes in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 30-40 minutes or until golden brown and fork tender. Serve.



Original link:

https://www.dinneratthezoo.com/roasted-red-potatoes/