Hello, Our Favorite Recipes

This long weekend we cooked and ate like kings. I had no idea we were eating so bare bones until we had the time and money to make a real menu that consisted of our classic favorites peppered with a few new ones.

Allow me to paint you a picture. Saturday night, an evening of shredded buffalo chicken sandwiches complete with bleu cheese for dipping. Sunday, a new pasta dish with blanched spinach and canellini beans. And finally, on Monday night the husband took the time to make his best dish, chicken marsala.

Where we really like to go all out, when we have the time, is at breakfast. We have our two favorites that take entirely too long to cook and leave our kitchen in shambles. But god, is it worth it. Crepes on Sunday morning, Belgian waffles on Tuesday. All smothered in whipped cream that’s been fluffed courtesy of the Kitchen Aid.

As we sat at our dining room table, eating chicken marsala leftovers with a spinach strawberry salad for lunch (see? I told you we lived it up), I couldn’t help but wonder what in the hell have we been doing?

Week by week we dread Thursday as we develop a menu filled with cheap, quick meals. Bean burritos, spaghetti and grilled cheese are frequent guests. With a hurried time crunch and a lack of funds, it’s no wonder we’ve been avoiding the lackadaisical meals we have planned. Our menu has been adapted to just plain suck since I’ve been back to work.

So, thank you 4-day-long Labor Day weekend, for renewing our sense of food. Because if we couldn’t get away to the lake, eating ourselves silly on gourmet food made by ourselves is a pretty good replacement.

Here are a few of our favorite recipes:

• Emeril's Chicken Marsala - super crazy amount of time and effort but sooo worth it in the end. Best served with mashed potatoes.


• Emeril's Belgian Waffles - the best recipe we've found yet. Again quite a bit of effort, but blows bisquick out of the water.


• Crepes - Family Recipe. Jam is my favorite topping. Jake's is strawberries with whipped cream.


• Better Homes and Garden's Whipped Cream - be sure to heed the advice of chilling your bowl.


• Garlicky Pasta with Swiss Chard and Beans - a newbie that was quick and tasty. We approved and look forward to trying it again.

BLT Pasta Recipe

This BLT Pasta dish is unconventional and I must say, delicious. It is a little rich with cream cheese and bacon, but the pasta lightens it up a smidge. The best part? It's equally as delicious cold the next day.

Source: letsdishrecipes.blogspot.com via Lauren on Pinterest

BLT PastaIngredients
16 oz. dry pasta {we prefer penne}
12 slices bacon
1 medium onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 cups chicken broth
2 (14.5 oz) cans diced tomatoes
4 ounces cream cheese, softened and cubed
1 1/2 cups grape tomatoes, halved{or regular ones, cut up}
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions
Slice the bacon into 1/2 inch pieces.  {I discovered a super neat trick. Take bacon directly from the packaging, all nice and lined up and cut it before cooking. So much easier than cutting it after it's cooked} Cook in a large skillet until crispy. Remove bacon and drain on paper towels.  Leave about 1 tablespoon of drippings in skillet.  

Cook pasta according to package directions until just al dente; drain.  

Add onion, garlic and red pepper flakes to bacon drippings in skillet.  Cook for 2-3 minutes, or until onions are soft.  Stir in chicken broth and diced tomatoes and bring to a simmer. 

 Add cubed cream cheese and stir until cream cheese is melted and smooth. {I've had issues with my cream cheese not being chunky. I think it may be because it's Walmart brand. But my grandmother whisked it vigorously and it eventually blended into the sauce} Season with salt and pepper, to taste {We don't add salt to anything, so skipped on this and trust me, with the bacon, it's quite salty}.  Add pasta, grape tomatoes, bacon and parsley and cook until heated through, about 2 more minutes.  

Top with Parmesan cheese and serve. {Tip: I took some of the Kraft parmesan cheese, you know the fake stuff, and put it in a creamer dish from my tea set. Stick a teaspoon in there and voila! Fancy parmesan cheese that doesn't break the bank}

To avoid a mile-long post of buttons, you know I be linking up to those Pinfest linky parties in blogland. You can find them here.

BLT Pasta Recipe

This BLT Pasta dish is unconventional and I must say, delicious. It is a little rich with cream cheese and bacon, but the pasta lightens it up a smidge. The best part? It's equally as delicious cold the next day.

Source: letsdishrecipes.blogspot.com via Lauren on Pinterest

French Dips

We LOVE french dips here at Chez Sunderland. They're one of the easiest/quickest dinners on our menu and taste great too.

Source

What you need:

French rolls

Sliced Roast Beef

Slices Cheese (pepperjack is the best)

Packet of au jus gravy mix

 Turn your broiler onto low while making the au jus according to the packet. Cut french rolls in half and lay flat on cookie sheet. Layer cheese top half and roast beef on bottom half. Put on bottom rack of  oven and watch closely (these suckers cook fast). Take out when cheese is melted and bread toasted. 

Divide  au jus into bowls, serve along side your french dip and enjoy!

French Dips

We LOVE french dips here at Chez Sunderland. They're one of the easiest/quickest dinners on our menu and taste great too.

Source

Caeser Chicken Pitas

Caesar Chicken Pitas
This was an easy, quick and delicious dinner. We had just one problem that revolved around these.

Allow me to explain

While entertaining, it was annoying. These were the only pitas available at WalMart, so next time we're going to venture to a "real" grocery store and see what they have to offer. Now, for the recipe....

• 1 grilled chicken breast -Sir Sunderland claimed we should have 2

• Shredded romaine lettuce

• Caesar Salad Dressing

• Whatever sandwich fixins you have (we used pickles, pepperoncinis and mustard)

• Pitas (not Sara Lee kind from Walmart)

Grill chicken, cut into cubes

Toss in with salad and salad dressing -I like to use a big tupperware and shake it all to get it all coated

Stuff pitas full of Caesar goodness and enjoy!

We didn't have a side dish and were left feeling less than satisfied with just the pita. The only side dishes we could come up with for the future is watermelon, maybe some corn on the cob. Any suggestions? 

Caeser Chicken Pitas

Caesar Chicken Pitas
This was an easy, quick and delicious dinner. We had just one problem that revolved around these.

Quiche Lorraine

Last week's New Menu Item

Quiche Lorraine

Source

While a tasty item, we have run into a dilemma. Sir Sunderland was raised eating quiche as a breakfast dish and I was raised eating it as a dinner dish. We both agree it's not great enough to become a staple item, but nice to have once and awhile, just for breakfast or dinner? Quite the predicament!

Enough of our issues now, for the recipe!

Quiche Lorraine a la Cleaning out the Fridge

Pre-bought frozen pie crust

Half and Half (or whatever milk you have in fridge)

1 cup grated Swiss cheese

Ham, Bacon, turkey, the possibilities are endless

3 eggs

Nutmeg to taste

Salt & pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 450.  Take pie crust out of freezer, set aside. Mix together eggs, half and half and spices. Add cheese and mix. Line bottom of pastry crust with meat and pour mixture on top. Place on cookie sheet and bake for 25-30 minutes.

Recipe adapted from Julia Child's Quiche Lorraine recipe

 

Quiche Lorraine

Last week's New Menu Item

Quiche Lorraine

Source

Shredded BBQ Chicken Sandwiches

You know those tubs of bbq shredded pork or chicken you can get in the fridge section at the store? Lloyd's something or other? Well, we've created our very own version right here at home and like to think it's just as good, if not better and super easy! We first grill the chicken (on our panini press/grill thing) then shred it and toss it into a pot on the stove where we pour bbq sauce over it. Heat until warm while your buns are toasting and voila! You've got yourself a shredded chicken bbq sandwich.

Shredded BBQ Chicken Sandwiches