Paula Deen's Potato Casserole

Ingredients:

8 tablespoon (1 stick) butter
1 small bell pepper, sliced thin
1 small onion, sliced thin Salt & Pepper to taste
1/2 cup sour cream
2 cup mashed potatoes
1 1/2 cup grated Cheddar cheese
4   medium potatoes, cooked
6   slices of bacon, cooked crisp

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spread mashed potatoes evenly on bottom of casserole dish.  Layer sour cream evenly over top.  (Each time you add a layer, sprinkle on a little salt and pepper.)  Saute onion and bell pepper in butter; evenly layer over top of sour cream.  Next, layer with 1/2 cup Cheddar cheese.  Slice potatoes and layer over cheese until top is completely covered with potatoes.  Finally top with remaining 1 cup cheese.  Bake for 25-30 minutes.  Remove from oven and crumble bacon over top.

Red Velvet Creme Brulee

Ingredients:

1 1/2  ounces dark chocolate, finely chopped

3 egg yolks

2 tablespoons sugar, divided, plus more for topping

1/2 cup heavy cream

1/4 cup buttermilk

1/2 vanilla bean, split

2-3 drops red food coloring

Directions:

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.

Place the chopped chocolate in a small bowl.  Set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and 1 tablespoon of sugar.  Set aside.

In a saucepan over medium heat, bring the remaining tablespoon of sugar, heavy cream, buttermilk, and split vanilla bean to a simmer.  Once the mixture starts to get foamy, remove from heat.  Take out the vanilla bean halves and scrape out the seeds, adding the seeds back to the mixture.  Pour the mixture over the chopped chocolate and let sit for one minute.  Gently stir until the chocolate is completely melted.

Slowly pour half of the chocolate mixture into the eggs while whisking.  Continue to whisk, and slowly pour in the remaining chocolate mixture.

Add 2 drops of the red food coloring and whisk.  Add another drop if needed.

Strain the custard into a spouted measuring cup.  Evenly divide the custard between two ramekins.

Place the ramekins into a baking dish.  Pour boiling water into the baking dish until the water comes up to about the custard level.

Bake 25-60 minutes (depending on the size of the ramekin), or until the custard is set (it should still be jiggly in the center).  Remove the baking dish from the oven and let the ramekins cool in the water bath.

Transfer to the refrigerator to chill for at least 4 hours.

Once chilled, sprinkle a generous amount of sugar on the top of each custard.  Using a kitchen torch, caramelize the sugar.  (If you don’t have a kitchen torch, place the ramekins under the broiler until the sugar is caramelized, keeping a close eye on them.)  Let sit about 5 minutes before serving.

Tater Tot Breakfast Bowl

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons butter
8 large eggs
One 16-ounce bag frozen Tater Tots, thawed
1 pound pork sausage
1 pound bacon
One 9-ounce package cheese tortellini
10 ounces sharp Cheddar, grated (about 2 1/2 cups)

Directions:

In a large skillet, melt the butter and scramble the eggs.

In a separate large skillet, cook the Tater Tots according to package directions.

In a third skillet, break up the sausage with a wooden spoon and cook until browned. Remove with a slotted spoon and transfer to a bowl. Cook the bacon in the same skillet until crispy, drain on paper towels, tear into pieces and set aside.

Cook the tortellini according to the package directions. Layer a large bowl with hash browns, sausage, bacon, tortellini, eggs and cheese, and serve.

Bacon & Jalapeno Tater Tots with Cheddar Dip

Ingredients:

1 bag of tater tots
1 lb bacon
4-5 jalapenos (depending on how big they are)
tooth pics





 Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees or preheat oil to 375 degrees in a deep fryer or deep skillet with oil.  Slice jalapenos into thin rings.  Slice the pound of bacon slices in half.  Place 1 ring of jalapeno on a tater tot and wrap with a half slice of bacon, secure with a tooth pic and set aside. 

Continue for remaining taters.  Place onto baking sheet lined with foil and bake 20 minutes or until bacon is crisp and brown OR place taters into deep fryer and fry for 3-5 minutes or until brown and crispy.  For both methods drain taters on paper towels to remove excess grease.  Serve with cheddar dip below!

Cheddar Dip


2lb block Velveeta cheese
1 cup cheddar cheese
1 16 oz jar of salsa

Melt cheese with salsa in microwave until melted or place in crock pot on low.  Stir and serve with tots!

8-Layer Dip

Ingredients:

1 can (16 ounces) re-fried beans
2 teaspoons fresh lime juice
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup grated cheddar (2 ounces)
1 can (4.5 ounces) chopped green chiles
2 plum tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1 avocado, halved, pitted, peeled, and diced small
1 cup shredded romaine lettuce
2 scallions, chopped
Tortilla chips, for serving


Directions:

In a medium bowl, combine beans, lime juice, and 2 tablespoons water; season with salt and pepper.

Transfer to a serving dish. Top with sour cream, cheese, chiles, tomatoes, avocado, lettuce, and scallions.

Serve with tortilla chips.

Martha Stewart's Mac & Cheese

Ingredients:

• 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, plus more for dish  
• 6 slices good white bread, crusts removed, torn or diced into 1/4- to 1/2-inch pieces 
• 5 1/2 cups milk  
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour  
• 2 teaspoons salt 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg  
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper  
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste  
• 4 1/2 cups grated sharp white cheddar cheese (about 18 ounces)  
• 2 cups grated Gruyere cheese (about 8 ounces) or 1 1/4 cups grated Pecorino Romano cheese (about 5 ounces)  
• 1 pound elbow macaroni (or other small pasta shape)

 

Directions:

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Butter a 3-quart casserole dish; set aside. Place bread in a medium bowl. In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt 2 tablespoons butter (alternately, melt butter in the microwave). Pour butter into bowl with bread, and toss. Set breadcrumbs aside. Pull out 1 1/2 cups of grated cheddar, and 1/2 cup Gruyere or 1/4 cup Pecorino Romano, and reserve.

Fill a large pot with water; bring to a boil. Add macaroni; cook 2 to 3 minutes less than manufacturer's directions, until the outside of pasta is cooked and the inside is underdone. (Different brands of macaroni cook at different rates; be sure to read the instructions.) Transfer macaroni to a colander, rinse under cold running water, and drain well. Set aside.

In a medium saucepan set over medium heat, heat milk. In the same pot you used for boiling the pasta, melt remaining 6 tablespoons butter over medium heat. When butter bubbles, add flour. Cook, whisking, 1 minute.

While whisking, slowly pour in hot milk. Continue cooking, whisking constantly, until the mixture bubbles and becomes thick.

Remove pan from heat. Stir in salt, nutmeg, black pepper, cayenne pepper, 3 cups cheddar cheese, and 1 1/2 cups Gruyere or 1 cup Pecorino Romano. Stir reserved macaroni into the cheese sauce.

Pour mixture into prepared dish. Sprinkle remaining 1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese, 1/2 cup Gruyere or 1/4 cup Pecorino Romano, and breadcrumbs over top. Bake until browned on top, about 30 minutes. If after 30 minutes, it's not browned to your liking, broil the topping rather than leaving it in the oven, which may cause the pasta to overcook and sauce to dry out. Transfer dish to a wire rack to cool 5 minutes; serve hot.

Rolo Cheesecake Bars

Ingredients:

For the crust

1 1/2 cups of graham cracker crumbs

1/4 cup sugar

6 tablespoons of butter, melted

For the cheesecake

(8 ounce) package cream cheese, room temperature

1/3 cup caramel sauce

1/3 cup sugar

1 egg

1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 1/2 cup mini Rolos

For the chocolate ganache

8 ounces dark chocolate

Tablespoons butter

1/4 cup caramel sauce

Directions:

For the crust

Mix the graham cracker crumbs, sugar and butter and press them into the bottom of a greased 8 inch square baking pan.

Bake in a preheated 350F oven until lightly golden brown, about 8-10 minutes and set aside.

For the cheesecake

Cream the cream cheese, mix in the caramel sauce followed by the sugar, the egg, the vanilla extract and finally the mini Rolos and pour the mixture into the baking pan.

Bake in a preheated 350F oven until the cheesecake is set, about 30-35 minutes, set aside and let cool.

For the chocolate ganache

Melt the chocolate and butter in a double boiler, mixing until smooth and pour the chocolate over the cheesecake.

Place the caramel sauce in the corner of a small bag, cut a small hole in the corner and slowly squeeze out the caramel creating lines across the chocolate.

Use a toothpick to make lines in the caramel going in the other direction to create the wave like pattern.