Steak Parmesan

Let me tell you my new favorite place to find cookbooks. Thrift stores and yard sales.

I now immediately scan the book section for cookbooks anytime I'm at one of these places. Most of the time there's a lot of junk and reeeeeally old cookbooks that suggest using things like lard to cook your dinner in. But sometimes you find one or two things that are worth the fifty cent asking price. And heck, even if you only use a couple of recipes, how can you pass them up for under a dollar?

I found this recipe for Steak Parmesan in a rather old Southern Living collection of Quick and Easy Recipes. I'm all for quick and easy, so that book totally came home with me without a second thought.


We've all had chicken parm in our lives, I'm sure. It's the one thing I always find myself ordering at Italian restaurants even when I tell myself I'm going to try something new. It's just so good, I can never resist it.

But I had never, ever had steak parmesan. It looked pretty good in the picture in the cookbook (then again, when do those pictures not look good?). So I figured I'd give it a try. After all, it's quick and easy.

Fortunately, I wasn't disapointed. It was really very good and a cinch to throw together. I liked that it was something different. I made very quick mashed potatoes as a side dish and will include the recipe below. But it would also be very good with a pasta, just like at the Italian restaurants!



Steak Parmesan
(from Southern Living)

1/2 cup fine, dry breadcrumbs
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, divided
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 Tbsp. water
1/8 tsp. pepper
4 cubed sirloin steaks (about 1 pound)
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 cup pizza sauce

1. Combine breadcrumbs and 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese. Combine egg, water, and pepper. Dip steaks in egg mixture; then dredge steaks in breadcrumb mixture.

2. Brown steaks in hot oil in a large skillet over medium heat 3 minutes on each side. Arrange steaks in an 8-inch square baking dish; top with pizza sauce. Bake at 325ºF for 20 minutes or until done. Remove steaks from oven, and sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese.

Makes 4 servings.

Quick side dish:
Cream Cheese and Chive Mashed Potatoes

7 and 3/4-oz. package instant mashed potato flakes
8-oz. package cream cheese, cubed and softened
1/4 cup chopped chives
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper

1. Prepare instant mashed potatoes according to package directions. Add cream cheese and remaining ingredients to the mixture, stirring until blended.

Makes 4 servings.


One Year Ago I Was Baking: Chicken Enchilada Casserole

Creole Meatloaves and Mashed Sweet Potatoes

This is an incredibly comforting and hearty meal. For whatever reason my hubby is a big fan of meatloaf. I think it's a guy thing because I've always just thought it was "okay." It doesn't do a whole lot for me. But since I'm such a nice wife (at least I think so), I try to make meatloaf for the hubby every now and then. I came across a Rachael Ray recipe for Creole Meatloaves with Trinity Gravy and thought it sounded like a fun twist on basic ol' meatloaf. So I gave it a shot. And we loved it!

The mashed sweet potatoes are a perfect compliment to the meal. The addition of buttermilk makes them so rich and creamy. And the Trinity Gravy tastes great poured over top of both. They're both rather easy recipes to make. I'm always a little intimidated by making gravy, but this one's a ton easier than your typical turkey gravy. And if you're not into the whole gravy thing, it would all taste fine and be even easier without it all!



Creole Meatloaves with Trinity Gravy
(from Rachael Ray)

2 pounds ground pork
2 medium onions, 1/2 of one grated, the rest finely chopped, divided
3 to 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 tablespoon paprika
2 tablespoons fresh thyme, chopped
Salt and black pepper
1/4 cup grainy mustard
1 egg
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
EVOO - Extra Virgin Olive Oil, for drizzling
2 tablespoons butter
2 celery ribs, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 tablespoons flour
1 1/2 cups chicken stock
2 to 3 tablespoons hot sauce, depending on how much spice you like
4 to 5 scallions, sliced on bias, for garnish

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.

2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the ground pork, grated onion, garlic, paprika, thyme, salt, pepper, grainy mustard, egg and breadcrumbs. Divide the pork mixture into 4 equal portions and shape into 4 loaves, each about an inch thick. Drizzle them with EVOO, place them onto a baking sheet and bake 35 minutes.

3. While the meatloaves are cooking, melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add the remaining chopped onion, celery, bell pepper and cook until nice and soft.

4. Add the tomato paste and cook until golden brown and fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the flour and cook for 2-3 minutes, until it starts to smell nutty. Whisk in the stock and hot sauce, and cook until thickened. Adjust seasonings to taste. Serve the meatloaves topped with the Trinity Gravy and garnished with the scallions.

Makes 4-6 servings.


Mashed Sweet Potatoes
(from Rachael Ray)

2 1/2 to 3 pounds sweet potatoes
1 cup buttermilk
Salt and ground black pepper

1. Wash and peel the sweet potatoes, then cut them into 1 1/2 to 2-inch chunks. Place them into a large pot and cover them with cold water (they should be covered by 4 or so inches of water so they cook evenly). Place the pot on the stove, add some salt and turn the heat on high to bring to a boil.

2. Once boiling, cook about 8 minutes, until they are tender but not falling apart. Drain thoroughly, then pop them back into the pot and place them over medium heat to dry them out a bit. Add the buttermilk, pepper and some salt to taste.

Makes 4-6 servings.

Potato-Egg Salad

There are a few foods that really signal the beginning of summer to me. Things like corn on the cob, burgers on the grill, fresh strawberries, lemonade, and really good potato salad. I've been making this potato salad for about 3 years and since I tried it, I haven't made another version since. I think I've made it four times in the last month. My husband just keeps begging me for more potato salad, so I have to come up with dinners that would be appropriate to have it with.

This potato salad is originally a Paula Deen recipe. Does anyone else think I've gone Paula Deen crazy this month? Okay, then it's not just me. And I don't really have a good explanation other than I must need new cookbooks!

It's really good potato salad, trust me! Perfect for summer bar-b-que's, potlucks, or even just casual dinners.




Potato-Egg Salad
(adapted from Paula Deen)

3 cups diced red potatoes
1/3 cup Italian dressing
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup celery, diced
2 hard-boiled eggs, chopped
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup sour cream
1/2 tsp. dry mustard
1/4 tsp. horseradish
1 Tbsp. chopped fresh chives

1. Boil potatoes with skins on for 15 to 20 minutes, or until tender. Drain.

2. Pour Italian dressing over warm potatoes. Chill for about 2 hours.

3. Mix remaining ingredients and fold into potato mixture. Garnish with chopped chives. Chill until ready to serve.

Makes 6-8 servings

Sweet Potato Fries

I am a HUGE fan of sweet potato fries, though I have to admit that I never actually had them until I moved down south a few years ago. Do people up north actually eat sweet potatoes besides on Thanksgiving? I certainly never did, and don't recall ever seeing them at restaurants or anything either. I never knew what I was missing.

So last week as I was purchasing sweet potatoes to make my son's baby food, I decided to pick up a few extra and cook up some fries. They are so incredibly easy and have me thinking that I need to make them more often. I had a recipe, but didn't end up following it because I knew what I liked and didn't like on them. So here's how my hubby and I like them. They're delicious! Serve them with burgers, sandwiches, steak, chicken... well, just about anything.


Sweet Potato Fries

1 and 1/2 pounds sweet potatoes (yams), peeled, cut into 1/2-inch-wide slices, then again into 1/2-inch-wide strips
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 Tbsp. dried Italian parsley
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme or 1/2 teaspoon dried
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper

1. Preheat oven to 500°F. Spray large baking sheet with vegetable oil spray. Toss sweet potatoes with oil in large bowl.

2. Spread sweet potatoes in single layer on baking sheet. Top with parsley, thyme, parmesan cheese, salt and pepper. Bake until sweet potatoes are tender and golden brown, turning occasionally, about 30 minutes.

Makes 4 servings.

Best Ever Mashed Potatoes

Mashed Potatoes are one of my absolute favorite side dishes. Anytime I visit my Grandmother, I'm guaranteed a big helping of mashed potatoes with my meal. She knows me well.

This recipe came from my For Goodness Taste cookbook, which was given to me by my husband's stepmother. It's written by the Junior League of Rochester, NY where she resides and it contains a great collection of upstate New York favorites. I think this is my favorite recipe from this book. It starts out with the typical boiled and mashed potatoes, but then includes sour cream, cream cheese, and chives. I did a slight variation to the printed recipe to scale back some of the fat (omitting a cup of sour cream and adding in some skim milk) and it still tasted just as delicious. It's all finished off by baking it in a casserole dish. It's just perfect!



Best Ever Mashed Potatoes
(adapted from For Goodness Taste by The Junior League of Rochester)

8 to 10 medium potatoes
8 ounce package cream cheese, softened
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup milk
1/3 cup chopped chives
Salt and pepper to taste
3 Tbsp. margarine
Paprika

1. Peel potatoes, boil until tender.

2. Beat cream cheese and sour cream together. Add potatoes and milk and beat until smooth. Stir in chives, salt and pepper.

3. Pour into well greased 2-quart casserole. Dot with margarine and sprinkle with paprika. Bake at 350 degrees F. for 30 minutes.

Makes 8 to 10 servings.

Smashed Potatoes Olé

This recipe called out to me because my husband is the type of person who loves to mix everything on his plate together, much to my horror. So the corn, carrots, garlic and jalapeno peppers all inside mashed potatoes reminded me of him. I just knew I had to make it for him, and we're both glad that I did.

Smashed Potatoes Olé is a great variation to traditional mashed potatoes, but with the addition of vegetables and jalapeno peppers to give it a kick. Sour cream and cheese are added to make it creamier and richer. And it all really works great together. Salt and pepper can be added to your liking, but I didn't think it even needed a pinch of them, it was just that perfect. They also warmed up great the next day as leftovers. This will definitely be a regular in our house.



Smashed Potatoes Olé
(from Good Housekeeping magazine)

2 to 3 ears of corn or 1 cup of frozen whole kernel corn
3 medium yellow potatoes (about 1 pound), peeled and cut up
3 medium round red potatoes (about 1 pound), peeled and cut up
3 medium carrots, peeled and sliced
2 medium fresh jalapeno chile peppers, halved, seeded, and sliced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup sour cream
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
salt and ground black pepper

1. Cut corn kernels from cobs (you should have about 1 cup). In a large saucepan cook corn, potatoes, carrots, jalapeno peppers, and garlic, covered, in enough boiling water to cover for 15 to 20 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Drain off water.

2. Add butter to vegetables. Coarsely mash vegetables with potato masher. Stir in sour cream and 3/4 cup of the cheese. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Top with remaining cheese.

Makes 6 servings.

Burgers, Potatoes and Iced Tea!

This is a great meal if you're planning a Fourth of July barbecue or just want to do dinner on the back patio. All I can say is YUM!


Denny and I have turkey burgers pretty often. I saw this recipe for Mar-A-Lago turkey burgers on the last Oprah's Favorite Things episode. She had these burgers at one of Trump's restaurants and fell in love with them. I can see why! I halved the recipe because there was no way Denny and I could eat all of this. But it would be really easy to make the entire recipe and freeze half of it for a later meal. I actually ommited the scallions because the grocery store I went to didn't have them, and I'm sure you can add or subtract anything you'd like. I was worried about finding the chutney, but had no problems locating it in the mayo/salad dressing aisle of the supermarket. These burgers are SO GOOD! We toasted up some buns and added some sliced tomato and they were just perfect. I don't think I can ever make another turkey burger recipe again. Here's a pic before they went on the grill.


Mar-a-Lago Turkey Burger

1/4 cup scallions, thinly sliced
1/2 cup celery, finely chopped
3 Granny Smith apples, peeled and diced
1/8 cup canola oil
4 pounds ground turkey breast
2 Tbsp. salt
1 Tbsp. black pepper
2 tsp. chipotle Tabasco™
1 lemon, juice and grated zest
1/2 bunch parsley, finely chopped
1/4 cup Major Grey’s Chutney, pureed

1. Sauté the scallions, celery and apples in the canola oil until tender. Let cool.

2. Place the ground turkey in a large mixing bowl. Add sautéed items and the remaining ingredients. Shape into eight 8-ounce burgers. Refrigerate for 2 hours.

3. Season the turkey burgers with salt and pepper. Place on a preheated, lightly oiled grill. Grill each side for 7 minutes until meat is thoroughly cooked. Let sit for 5 minutes.


Oven Fried Potato Wedges:

The potato wedges are a perfect complement to the burgers. They were really simple to make. Just slice the potatoes, coat them with the dressing you make, and then roll them in a cornbread mixture before placing in the oven. They have such a great taste. We ate them with ketchup and they were great!


Oven-Fried Potato Wedges

3 large baking potatoes
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 tsp. hot sauce
1/4 tsp. onion salt
1/4 tsp. seasoned salt
1/8 tsp. black pepper
2 cups Pepperidge Farm cornbread dressing mix

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Wash the potatoes and cut into thick wedges (each potato should yield six wedges).

2. Mix the mayonnaise with the hot sauce, onion salt, seasoned salt, and pepper. Coat the potato wedges with the mayonnaise mixture and roll them in the dressing mix.

3. Place in a greased baking dish and bake for 45 to 50 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender.


Pineapple Iced Tea Punch:

I have been a really big fan of sweet tea ever since we moved down south. When I came across this fun variation of tea, I knew I had to try it. The recipe makes a very large amount... we'll be drinking this all week. I used half of the amount of pineapple juice that the recipe calls for and I still thought it was very pineapple-y, so I'll save the rest of the can for the next batch. Very refreshing and perfect for a hot summer day.

Pineapple Iced Tea Punch

5 cups water, divided
2 family-size tea bags
1 cup sugar
1 (46-oz.) can unsweetened pineapple juice
1 cup lemon juice

1. Bring 3 cups water to a boil; add tea bags. Boil 1 minute, and remove from heat; cover and steep 10 minutes.

2. Remove and discard tea bags. Add sugar, stirring until dissolved.

3. Pour into a 1-gallon container. Stir in remaining 2 cups water, pineapple juice, and lemon juice. Serve over ice.