Shepherds Pie

I've made this recipe a couple times and the family approved it as blog worthy. :)

-America's Test Kitchen, modified

1-1/2 pounds lean ground beef

Salt and pepper

2-1/2 pounds russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

1/2 cup milk

1 large egg yolk

salt & pepper

8 scallions, green parts only, sliced thin (optional)

2 teaspoons vegetable oil

1 onion, chopped

4 ounces white mushrooms, trimmed and chopped (optional)

1 tablespoon tomato paste

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1-1/2 cups beef broth

2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

1 bay leaf

1 tsp. dried thyme

2 cup frozen peas & carrots

2 teaspoons cornstarch

Place potatoes and 1 tablespoon salt in large saucepan; add water to cover. Bring to boil, then reduce to simmer and cook until potatoes are tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain potatoes; return to saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly, to evaporate any remaining moisture, about 1 minute. Off heat, mash potatoes smooth with potato masher. Stir in butter. Whisk milk and egg yolk together in bowl, then stir into potatoes. Stir in scallions; season with salt and pepper to taste. Cover; set aside.

Heat oil in broiler-safe 10-inch skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add onion and mushrooms and cook until vegetables begin to soften, 4 to 6 minutes. Add ground beef and season with salt and pepper. Cook until no longer pink. Stir in tomato paste and garlic and cook until bottom of skillet is dark brown, about 2 minutes. Sprinkle with the flour, stir and cook for 1 minute. Stir in broth, Worcestershire, bay leaf, thyme, and carrots; bring to boil, scraping up any browned bits.

Combine cornstarch and remaining 2 teaspoons water in bowl, then stir into skillet. Continue to simmer, stirring constantly, until filling is slightly thickened, about 30 seconds. Remove bay leaf. Season with pepper to taste.

Adjust oven rack 6 inches from broiler element and heat broiler. Place mashed potatoes in large zipper-lock bag; snip off corner to create 1-inch opening. Pipe potatoes evenly over filling to cover entire surface. Smooth potato with back of spoon, then use tines of fork to make ridges over surface. Place skillet on rimmed baking sheet; broil until potatoes are golden and sauce is bubbling, 10 to 15 minutes. Let cool slightly; serve.

Cheese Crackers

These crackers have been on my to-make list for years, but for some reason they intimidated me. So, I decided to tackle them for our first Baking Club meeting. They were surprisingly easy and delicious! The trick is to roll them very, very thin. I rolled them right on my Silpat and left them there for baking.  I used the round end of a large pastry tip to cut the circles.

-Tasty Kitchen

8 ounces, weight Sharp Cheddar Cheese, Shredded

4 Tablespoons Butter, Cut Into Cubes

1 cup Flour

¾ teaspoons Salt

2 Tablespoons Cold Water

Pulse everything (except water) together in the food processor until the dough resembles coarse sand.

Pulse in water, 1 tablespoon at a time.

Remove dough from the processor, wrap in plastic, and chill for 20 minutes.

Roll out the dough and cut into desired shapes. You can use a toothpick to make the eyes and smile if desired. Place on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet.

Bake at 350 degrees F for about 15 minutes, or until crispy.

Makes approximately 7 dozen crackers.

Grasshopper Ice Cream

I received a fun new Cuisinart ice cream maker for my birthday, and we've been having lots of fun making different flavors. I think this one has been everyone's favorite.

1 cup whole milk

¾ cup granulated sugar

pinch salt

2 cups heavy cream

2 tsp. mint extract

½ package Keebler Mint Grasshopper Mint & Fudge Cookies, chopped and frozen

In a medium bowl, use a hand mixer on low speed or whisk to combine the milk, sugar and salt until the sugar is dissolved. Stir in the heavy cream and mint extract. Cover and refrigerate 1 to 2 hours.

Turn on the ice cream maker; pour the mixture into the frozen freezer bowl and let mix until thickened, about 15 to 20 minutes. Add chopped Grasshopper cookies. Transfer the ice cream to an airtight container and place in freezer for 24 hours.

The 'Best Biscuits'

Brandon and I enjoyed some great biscuits on our trip to Portland and have been looking for a great biscuit recipe to recreate the deliciousness of Pine State and Jim & Patty's. I think this recipe comes pretty close! Lots of butter and sour cream makes everything better, right? Makes 12 large biscuits.

-Your Homebased Mom

4 C flour

2 Tbsp baking powder

1½ tsp salt

1 tsp sugar

½ tsp soda

½ C butter

16oz sour cream

3-5 tsp water

Melted butter

Combine dry ingredients in a bowl or your food processor. If using food processor, pulse until butter is small and well-blended pieces or cut in butter by hand using a pastry cutter

Add in the sour cream and water and mix well

Pulse again until well mixed

Add more water if it is too dry (just a little at a time.)

Knead a few times on the counter and roll out to 1 inch thick

Use a biscuit cutter to cut or dip a drinking glass into flour and cut

Freeze individually on a cookie sheet

After they are frozen, place in a freezer bag to store, use as needed

Place on an ungreased cookie sheet

Bake at 400 for 15-17 minutes or until top is golden

Twice during the baking process baste the tops of the biscuits with melted butter

Spicy Sausage Pasta

I love skillet dinners and this one is a winner. It can be a little spicy for young children - I add a little sour cream to their portions to calm the heat.

-Kevin and Amanda

1 tbsp olive oil

1 lb smoked sausage

1.5 cups diced onion

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 cups low-sodium chicken broth

1 (10 oz) can Ro-Tel tomatoes and green chiles, Mild

1/2 cup heavy cream

8 oz penne pasta

1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper, each

1 cup Monterey Jack cheese, shredded

1/3 cup thinly sliced scallions

Add olive oil to an oven-safe skillet over medium high heat until just smoking. Add sausage and onions and cook until lightly browned, about 4 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

Add broth, tomatoes, cream, pasta, salt and pepper and stir. Bring to a boil, cover skillet, and reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer until pasta is tender, about 15 minutes.

Remove skillet from heat and stir in 1/2 cup cheese. Top with remaining cheese and sprinkle with scallions. Broil until cheese is melted, spotty brown, and bubbly.

Caramel Apple Cake

This cake is definitely a new-found favorite! Everyone loved it so much it was requested in place of apple pie for Thanksgiving. I halve this recipe when using my Demarle Bundt mold.

-Taste of Home

1-1/2 cups canola oil

1-1/2 cups sugar

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

3 eggs

3 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

3-1/2 cups diced peeled apples

1 cup chopped walnuts, optional

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

CARAMEL ICING:

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/3 cup half-and-half cream

1/4 cup butter, cubed

Dash salt

1 cup confectioners' sugar

Chopped walnuts, optional

In a large bowl, combine the oil, sugars and eggs until well blended. Combine the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, salt and nutmeg; gradually add to creamed mixture until blended. Fold in the apples, walnuts and vanilla.

Pour into a greased and floured 10-in. fluted tube pan. Bake at 325° for 1-1/2 hours or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool in pan 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

In a small heavy saucepan over medium-low heat, cook and stir the brown sugar, cream, butter and salt until sugar is dissolved. Transfer to a small bowl; cool to room temperature. Beat in confectioners' sugar until smooth; drizzle over cake. Sprinkle with walnuts if desired. 

Soft Dinner Rolls

The best rolls ever!

-The Stay at Home Chef

2 cups warm milk

2 tablespoons instant dry yeast

¼ cup white granulated sugar

2 teaspoons salt

6 tablespoons salted butter, softened

2 large eggs

6 cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon melted butter

In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine warm milk, yeast, sugar, salt, butter, and eggs.

Add in 5½ cups of flour. Using a dough hook, turn the mixer on to a low speed. Once the flour starts to incorporate into the dough, increase the speed to a medium range.

Slowly add the remaining ½ cup of flour until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl. The dough mixture should be slightly sticky and soft. Add more or less flour until the dough reaches the desired consistency. The amount of flour you add in bread making is always an approximation and you should go by feel.

Transfer the dough to a lightly greased mixing bowl. Cover with a towel and let rise 90 minutes.

Lightly grease a baking sheet. Punch down the dough and form into 24 rolls (2.3-2.4 oz each). Place on the greased baking sheet in six rows of four.

Cover and let rise 1 hour. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Bake the rolls for 12 to 14 minutes, until lightly browned.

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Remove rolls from oven and brush with melted butter. Serve the rolls warm, or to cool, let rest on the pan for 15 minutes before transferring to a wire cooling rack. Once cooled completely, store in a plastic bag.