I had a Pampered Chef party a few years ago and ever since, this is a favorite. I normally do it for company, but tonight we had it for just us. The kids think it's cool and we think it's delicious (and it uses up some of the Christmas chili fixin's).
Taco Ring
5/8 lb ground beef
1 1/4 ounces taco seasoning
1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
2 tablespoons water
16 ounces crescent rolls
1 medium green pepper
1 cup salsa
3 cups lettuce, shredded
1 medium tomato
1/4 cup onion, chopped
1/2 cup black olives (optional)
sour cream (optional)
Preheat oven to 375.
Brown ground beef and drain off the grease.
combine ground beef, taco seasoning, cheese and water. (I make the taco mix according to the directions and leave out the cheese because Queen Signa doesn't like cheese- makes it more runny and less pulled together, but still works).
Unroll crescent rolls, seperate into triangles. Arrange triagles in a circle on 13" baking stone with wide ends overlapping in center and points towards outside (there should be a 5" diameter opening triangle).
Using medium stainless steel scoop, scoop meat mixture evenly onto widest end of each triangle. Bring points of triangles up over filling and tuck under wide ends of dough at center of ring (filling will not be completely covered).
Bake 20-25 minutes.
Cut up the rest of the veggies and prepare to top your taco ring when done baking. We cup the top off the green pepper and core it and fill it with sour cream. Put this in the center of the pan and all the other things around it (or in separate bowls).
Sunday, December 27, 2009
Snowman Float
This one isn't just for Christmas, so I figure it's not too late to post.
Snowman Float
Gingerale
Peppermint ice cream (not mint chip- actual peppermint)
Float the ice cream in a glass of gingerale and add a candy cane to the edge of the glass to make pretty.
Tastes delicious and is very fancy looking.
Snowman Float
Gingerale
Peppermint ice cream (not mint chip- actual peppermint)
Float the ice cream in a glass of gingerale and add a candy cane to the edge of the glass to make pretty.
Tastes delicious and is very fancy looking.
Christmas Chili
For Christmas, I made my traditional Christmas chili. I was going to make it and actually write down how much of everything I use so that I could have a recipe. Nope. Forgot and dumped stuff in. I'll try to make it again in a smaller batch and see if I can make it happen.
I did make some other things, including these which were so cute:
SNOW PEA HOLIDAY WREATH
(from Taste of Home, carol schneck, lodi, california)
1 package (3 ounces) cream cheese, softened
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon seasoned salt
1/2 pound fresh snow peas, strings removed
2 cups grape tomatoes
1 In a small mixing bowl, combine the cream cheese, garlic powder and seasoned salt. Place mixture in a pastry bag or heavy-duty plastic bag with a small star tip.
2 Pipe about 1/4 teaspoon of mixture onto the wide end of each pea pod. Arrange pods on a serving platter with cheese mixture toward the outside of the platter; fill center with tomatoes.
Yield: 20 servings
I did make some other things, including these which were so cute:
SNOW PEA HOLIDAY WREATH
(from Taste of Home, carol schneck, lodi, california)
1 package (3 ounces) cream cheese, softened
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon seasoned salt
1/2 pound fresh snow peas, strings removed
2 cups grape tomatoes
1 In a small mixing bowl, combine the cream cheese, garlic powder and seasoned salt. Place mixture in a pastry bag or heavy-duty plastic bag with a small star tip.
2 Pipe about 1/4 teaspoon of mixture onto the wide end of each pea pod. Arrange pods on a serving platter with cheese mixture toward the outside of the platter; fill center with tomatoes.
Yield: 20 servings
Monday, December 21, 2009
Beef and Pork Sugo
For our work Christmas party, we went to a place in Crockett called the Dead Fish. I love that place, especially for their Five Hour Pork and Beef Sugo. It's basically spaghetti sauce, but you can't stop thinking about it. I decided to try some recipes to hopefully find something close. This wasn't it, but it is a darned good sauce and if you are home one day it's easy except you have to be home to watch it and do stuff now and then.
Beef and Pork Sugo
1 lb. ground beef
1 lb. ground pork
4 tblsp olive oil
2/3 cup butter
1 yellow onion
Pepper
2 carrots (diced)
2 celery (diced)
3 cups milk
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 1/2 cup white wine
1 1/2 cup beef stock
4 cups chopped canned whole peeled tomatoes
Heat oil and butter in a large pot. Add onion and a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook to sweetness. Add carrots, celery and another pinch of salt. Cook to slightly crisp, but done. Add the meat and brown until pink is gone. Add the milk. Cook on medium low until the liquid is gone (about 1 1/2 hours), stirring when you can.
Add nutmeg, wine, stock. Cook on medium low until the liquid is gone (about 1 1/2 hours), stirring when you can.
Put tomatoes in crockpot, add the beef mixture. Cook on low for 3-5 hours, stirring when you can.
Serve over pasta of your choice with a heap of Parmesan cheese and a glass of red wine.
Beef and Pork Sugo
1 lb. ground beef
1 lb. ground pork
4 tblsp olive oil
2/3 cup butter
1 yellow onion
Pepper
2 carrots (diced)
2 celery (diced)
3 cups milk
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 1/2 cup white wine
1 1/2 cup beef stock
4 cups chopped canned whole peeled tomatoes
Heat oil and butter in a large pot. Add onion and a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook to sweetness. Add carrots, celery and another pinch of salt. Cook to slightly crisp, but done. Add the meat and brown until pink is gone. Add the milk. Cook on medium low until the liquid is gone (about 1 1/2 hours), stirring when you can.
Add nutmeg, wine, stock. Cook on medium low until the liquid is gone (about 1 1/2 hours), stirring when you can.
Put tomatoes in crockpot, add the beef mixture. Cook on low for 3-5 hours, stirring when you can.
Serve over pasta of your choice with a heap of Parmesan cheese and a glass of red wine.
Sugared Pecans
Yum. I love these.
Sugared Pecans
1 egg white, beaten
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp allspice
3/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp cloves
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups pecan halves
Brush baking sheet with butter. Foam egg white. All all the spices and mix until opaque. Add pecans. Transfer to sheet. Bake at 350 for 35 minutes.
Sugared Pecans
1 egg white, beaten
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp allspice
3/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp cloves
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups pecan halves
Brush baking sheet with butter. Foam egg white. All all the spices and mix until opaque. Add pecans. Transfer to sheet. Bake at 350 for 35 minutes.
Lemon Loaves
Do NOT (I repeat) DO NOT make one loaf instead of the five tiny loaves. Do not. Unless you use a different recipe. Just trust me on this one and then don't ask my family why we have a lemon loaf recipe here, but no one actually saw a lemon loaf. (hint: the middle was liquid, the outside was... the opposite). Just don't.
But do make this in the normal tiny loaves, as it's really good! (last year) and easy, too.
Lemon Loaves
Lemon cake mix
Package instant lemon pudding
4 eggs
2/3 cup oil
3/4 cup water
1/4 cup sugar
3 tblsp lemon juice
Mix pudding and cake mix. Add eggs, oil and water. Beat 10 min at medium. Pour into MINI LOAF PANS (5). Bake at 350 for 40 minutes. Mix sugar and lemon juice. Spoon over hot loaves while still in the oven. Remove.
But do make this in the normal tiny loaves, as it's really good! (last year) and easy, too.
Lemon Loaves
Lemon cake mix
Package instant lemon pudding
4 eggs
2/3 cup oil
3/4 cup water
1/4 cup sugar
3 tblsp lemon juice
Mix pudding and cake mix. Add eggs, oil and water. Beat 10 min at medium. Pour into MINI LOAF PANS (5). Bake at 350 for 40 minutes. Mix sugar and lemon juice. Spoon over hot loaves while still in the oven. Remove.
Pistachio Loaves
Yesterday I decided that I wanted to make some loaves for us to nibble on. I decided on Pistachio Loaves (mini) and a Lemon Loaf (regular sized). I have made these several times, but for some reason, this time two of the pistachio loaves stuck in the pan and one fell on the floor when I was karate chopping it out and one just broke into pieces. Great. It's a delicious and easy (when they come out of the pan) recipe, though, and I love having it around.
Pistachio Loaves
1 package yellow cake mix
1 pistachio instant pudding mix
1 cup sour cream
4 eggs
1/4 cup oil
1/4 cup water
3/4 cup chopped pecans
3 tblsp brown sugar
2/12 tsp cinnamon
Combine cake and pudding mix. Add sour cream, eggs, oil, and water. Beat until blended. Pour into loaf pans (5). Combine pecans, brown sugar and cinnamon. Sprinkle over batter.
Bake at 350 for 35-40 min. Cool 10 min before removing to wire racks.
Pistachio Loaves
1 package yellow cake mix
1 pistachio instant pudding mix
1 cup sour cream
4 eggs
1/4 cup oil
1/4 cup water
3/4 cup chopped pecans
3 tblsp brown sugar
2/12 tsp cinnamon
Combine cake and pudding mix. Add sour cream, eggs, oil, and water. Beat until blended. Pour into loaf pans (5). Combine pecans, brown sugar and cinnamon. Sprinkle over batter.
Bake at 350 for 35-40 min. Cool 10 min before removing to wire racks.
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