Corn Casserole- Hancock Style

 I’m surprised with as many times as I have made this and shared the recipe, that I haven’t added it to this blog yet.  It’s a recipe I learned from my Mom and is SO easy to make. I think we have made for just about every cookout/family event. It’s rare that there are any leftovers.

Ingredients

10oz bag of yellow rice (Mahatma or Vigo make the best in my opinion, but any brand should work)

1 (10oz) can of Cream of Celery Soup

2 (15oz) cans of whole kernel corn, drained (I normally use regular whole kernel, summer crisp, or white corn. My mom used to make it with Mexi-corn. Any variety will work just make sure it is NOT creamed corn)

1lb- 1.5lbs of sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (use the thick cut shredded or grate the cheese yourself, it will make a huge difference.)

1 stick of butter, salted or unsalted…doesn’t make a big difference. 

Instructions

-Get a casserole dish and throw the stick of butter in it. Set aside. 

-Cook the yellow rice according to the package. Once it’s done, throw it over the butter in the casserole dish. 

-Find something to do for a few minutes to entertain yourself as the butter melts under the heat of the rice. 

-Once the butter is melted, mix in the cream of celery and drained corn. 

-When that’s pretty well mix, add in half of your cheese. Mix it all up again. 

-Now even out the mixture in the dish and top with remaining cheese.  

-Bake, uncovered, at 350* for 25-30mins. Enjoy the yumminess you just made. You’re welcome. You will be required to make this for every event you go to from now on. Haha.

Basic Brisket Rub for smoking

 1/4c kosher salt coarse ground

1T ground black pepper

1T smoked paprika

2t oregano

1t cumin

1T garlic powder

1T onion powder

-Dijon for a binder

Rub brisket down with Dijon and sprinkle rub generously on the brisket. Make sure to coat all sides. Let sit overnight before smoking it. 

Beef Kabob Marinade

 1/2c Olive oil

1/3c Soy Sauce

1/4c fresh squeezed lemon

1/4c A-1 Sauce

1T garlic powder

1T onion powder

1T Italian Seasoning

1t ground pepper

Mix all together. This should make enough marinade for 5lbs of beef kabob meat.. Marinade at least overnight. Enjoy!

Smoked Elk Burgers

                                     

I made this for a 10lb mixture of meat. Obviously, divide measurements as needed for correct portion sizes. 

5lb ground elk

5lbs ground chuck

6 eggs

1/4c breadcrumbs

1/4c ground black pepper

6T garlic powder

6T onion powder

1/4c smoked paprika

6T celery salt 

Mix it all together and make into patties. Throw them on the smoker at 225* for 2 to 2.5hrs. Hubby uses a Pit Boss electric (pellet) smoker. We made these with cherry wood pellets and it was amazing!

Prime Rib Roast Rub

 2T Kosher Salt

1/2T ground thyme

1/2T fresh ground pepper

1T Onion Powder

1T Garlic Powder

Dijon

Mix all together dry ingredients together. Rub Dijon all over the roast to act as a binder. Coat the roast with the spice mixture. Let set over night. It's SO good!

Easy Beef Tacos

 I made this using an Instant Pot, but I'm sure it could be adapted for a slow cooker. Just sear the the meat and saute the onion mixture, then throw it all in the slow cooker on low. 

Easy Beef Tacos (6pts per serving but can very depending how much meat you use)

Ingredients

1.5lbs stew beef
1T butter
1 small onion
minced garlic (measure with your heart)
4oz can of green chilis
1T ground cumin
2T garlic powder
2t smoked paprika
2t chili powder
1t sea salt
1t onion powder
1/2t black pepper
1/2t cayenne pepper
3/4c to 1c reduced sodium beef stock (I use Better Than Bullion Organic Reduced Sodium.)
1 can low fat, refried black beans
1 can whole kernel corn
low carb flour tortilla wraps 

Optional (not included in the point count)
Shredded cheddar cheese ( 5pts per 1/4c of regular, 1pt per 1/4c of fat free)
Lime Juice (0pts per 1t)
Herdez Taqueria Street Sauce- Roja (0pts per 1T)
Sour Cream-  (1pt per 2T Fat Free, 2pts per 2T Reduced-fat, 3pts per 2T full fat)

-Turn Instant Pot to sauté. Sear the beef, remove from pot, and set aside.

- Add butter, onions, and garlic to pot and cook until aromatic and/or slightly sweating.  

-Add beef stock to deglaze pot. 

-Now about half to 3/4 the amount of seasoning you made and chilis. Mix well.

-Add beef back to pot and mix to cover beef in "sauce". 

-Cook the beef using the pressure option for 10 mins. Let pressure naturally release for an additional 10 mins, then "quick" release. 

-While all that is cooking, get two small pots. Cook the corn on in one. In the other, combine the refried beans and some of the seasoning mixture (to taste). I also added a little lime juice to mine

When it's all done, make yourself some yummy tacos and call it a day!

Pickled Onions

I actually made pickled onions out of boredom one day cause I wanted a different topping for tacos. I really did not realize how easy it truly was to make. I started with a recipe for one onion's worth of deliciousness, but little did I realize how much my husband would actually like these. The following recipe is for a LARGE batch, but can be easily be broken down for smaller portions.

Pickled Onions
3 large red onions, sliced thinly (a mandolin slicer comes in VERY handy for this)
2 cups apple cider vinegar
4 cups of water
2 T coarse sea salt
4 T sugar

Bring vinegar, water, salt, and sugar to a boil. Cook until salt and sugar have dissolved.  Add in onions and boil for just a minute or two. Remove from heat and cover pot. Let sit for about 15-20 mins, then enjoy.  Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container, in the fridge, for about a week. However, they never last that long in my family.

S'ghetti Sauce

I've gotten to a point in my life where I really just can't tolerate premade/jarred/canned sauces. They are just too sweet, or salty, for my liking. So I just make my own. The measurements of spices is VERY vague because I cook by sight when I'm working with spices. My measurement really is just for ratio purposes. Always start with a little bit, let it warm through, then, if need be, add more. Everyone seems to love both versions of my sauce. Both freeze really well, so I normally end up making a triple batch so it's less work I have to do later. Two birds. One stone. lol

 Basic S'ghetti Sauce
2 large cans of tomato sauce
1 large can of diced tomatoes
~1Tbsp of white cooking wine
minced garlic- i like a lot, but i know some people just like a hint
~1Tbsp Onion Power, Oregano, Parsley, Thyme, and Basil
a dash or two of cayenne pepper - trust me, it's amazing!
Sodium Bicarbonate (Baking Soda)

Optional-
salt & white pepper to taste
~ 2tsp of Rosemary
sauteed onions
sauteed shallots
sauteed mushrooms

Mix everything but the baking soda together. Let it warm through.  Taste the sauce, if it's too acidic (which it tends to be when adding canned diced tomatoes), add about 1/4tsp of sodium bicarbonate.  It will bubble up and be a little foamy for a while. It will cook down, I promise! After it looks like regular sauce again, taste it again. If it's still too acidic, repeat the sodium bicarbonate. If you add too much, the sauce will seem sweet.

Deluxe S'ghetti Sauce 
Same as above but err on the side of the sauce being under seasoned at first. Add in 1/2lb- 1lb of browned ground beef, mild Italian Sausage, and diced pepperoni stick. Simmer these in your sauce for about 20mins or so. Taste it and adjust seasonings accordingly.

Baked Mac N Cheese Version 2.0

1lb of pasta, rotini, shells, elbows, etc
2oz of some type of salty pork, proscuitto, ham, or bacon, cooked
1 c chopped, cooked broccoli
1/2c panko
1/3c parmesan, grated

Cheese sauce
3T butter
3T flour
small onion minced
3cups+ milk, whole milk works best
2cups shredded cheddar.
Salt & Pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350*.

Cook pasta to al dente.  While pasta is cooking, continue making the cheese sauce.

Cheese sauce-
Melt butter in sauce pot. Add in onion and cook until translucent. Add flour, salt and pepper to make a reux base. Cook for at least a minute, constantly stirring/whisking. SLOWLY add in milk. Add just a little bit at a time. Completely blend milk and flour mixture, before adding more.  This will save you a MAJOR headache of trying to incorporate everything. It makes for a smoother sauce. Once milk is fully incorporated, add in cheese about a 1/4c at a time.

Once cheese sauce and pasta are done, mix together adding ham/prosuitto/bacon and broccoli. Put into casserole dish and top with panko bread crumbs and Parmesan. 

Baked at 350* for  about 15 mins. Optional- broil for a few minutes to make the top golden brown. just keep an eye on it so that it doesn't burn.

Healthier French Toast

Ingredients-
2 T  butter
1/4c bourbon (plus some)
1/4c light brown sugar
2-3 large eggs
2-3 bananas, sliced thin
1/4c + 2/3c milk, whatever kind you like. 2% will be better for the healthier version
1T vanilla extract
cinnamon to taste. I use around 1tsp or so
dense bread (like sourdough or brioche), make sure it's NOT super fresh.

- Sauce- Taste the bourbon. Make sure it's yummy. Melt butter in a nonstick pan and add half of bourbon and brown sugar. Cook until it makes a nice syrup. It really should only take a minute or two. Toss in bananas to coat. Slowly add in 1/4cmilk. Set aside but make sure to keep it warm.  Take another taste of the bourbon. You paid good money for it. It deserves to be loved.

-Whisk 2/3c milk, vanilla, cinnamon, remaining bourbon, and eggs together. Warm a large non stick pan and lightly spray with cooking spray. Dip bread into egg mixture, letting it soak for 45seconds per side.

- Place bread into pan and cook until lightly brown on both sides. Plate and top with bourbon-banana sauce. Serve Immediately.

Balsamic Garlic Marinade for Steaks

Balsamic Garlic Marinade

2T Olive Oil

3-4 garlic cloves, minced

3T Worcestershire Sauce (low sodium)

3T Balsamic Vinegar

3t yellow mustard

1/4c soy sauce (low sodium)

Whisk together and marinade steaks for a few hours.  It's super delicious!  I took the leftover marinade and boiled it to kill any germs and to reduce it some. Enjoy!

Opa!

Greek Seasoning

2t oregano
2t basil
2t kosher salt
2t garlic powder
1t dill weed
1t rosemary
1t marjoram
1t cornstarch
1t parsley
1t ground black pepper
1/2t thyme
1/2t cinnamon
1/2t nutmeg

Shake well and store in air tight container for up to 6 months

Midwest Rub

Midwest Rub

4T salt
1T black peppercorn
1T dehydrated onion
1/2T dehydrated garlic
1/2T red pepper flakes
1T dried thyme
1T dried rosemary
2t  fennel seed.

Grind together and store in air tight container for up to 6 months.

Red Spice Blend

I'm on a kick for homemade spice blends.  I just get so bored with food that has the same spices on it...day in, day out.  Here's another one to break up the monotony.

Red Spice Blend

1/2 c paprika
1/2 c salt (regular table salt is fine, or you can substitute kosher)
1/4 c garlic powder
2T chili powder
1T basil
2T onion powder
1T cumin
1T ground black pepper
1/2t celery salt.

Shake well and store in air tight container for up to 6 months.

Fajita and a Taco Seasonings

I've come to love making homemade spice blends. I can control how much of what goes in it, avoid preservatives, and just make yummier things at home.  My latest attempt was Fajita Seasoning so here's the recipe I used:

Fajita Seasoning
1T Cornstarch
2t Chili Powder
1t Salt (I used Kosher)
1t Paprika
1t Sugar
1/2t Onion Powder
1/2t Garlic Powder
1/4t Cayenne Pepper
1/4t Cumin

Here's a bonus recipe:

Taco Seasoning
1T chili powder
1/2t garlic powder
1/2t onion powder
1/4t crushed red pepper flakes
1/4t dried oregano
1/2t paprika
1 1/2t ground cumin
1t sea salt
1t black pepper