The Pioneer Woman Cooks - Chicken Spaghetti

1 cut up fryer chicken
1 pound thin spaghetti, broken into 2 inch pieces
One 4 ounce jar diced pimientos, drained
1 small onion
1/4 cup finely diced green bell pepper
2 cans cream of mushroom soup
2 1/2 cups grated cheddar cheese
1 tsp seasoned salt, such as Lawry's
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Add the chicken to a stock pot, cover with water and bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat to medium and simmer until the chicken is cooked, about 25 minutes.  Remove the chicken from the water and set aside to cool.  Remove 2 cups of broth from the pot and set aside.  Bring the remaining broth back to a boil and add the spaghetti.  Cook it al dente.  Drain the spaghetti and set aside.  Remove the chicken from the bones, shred or cut the meat into bite-size chunks.  Dice the onion and green pepper.  Place the cooked spaghetti in a large bowl, add the cream of mushroom soup, 2 cups of cheddar cheese, onion, green pepper and pimiento.  Add the seasoned salt, black pepper and cayenne pepper.  Take it easy on the cayenne if you can't handle the heat.  Finally, add the chicken and broth.  Stir together well then salt and pepper to taste.  Pour mixture into a large baking pan and top with remaining 1/2 cup of cheddar cheese.  Bake for 35 - 45 minutes until bubbly.

Photo by Ree Drummond

Now, let me tell you about chicken spaghetti.  Remember how I said that my daddy was a chicken fried steak connoisseur?  Well the women in my family are the same way about this dish.  We loves us some chicken spaghetti!!  I made a batch today as a matter of fact.  This recipe from The Pioneer Woman was good but it was not the chicken spaghetti we make around our house.  And don't even think of making this particular recipe if your sister is in the kitchen!  When I made this, she was breathin' down my neck and pestering me like a heckler at an amateur comedy club.  "Did you use cream of mushroom soup?"  "Did you use Velvetta?"  "Did you put in a can of corn?"  Nag, nag, nag!  I can't say that I'd probably have done the same thing if I was witnessing the assembly of a dearly loved recipe that lacked the ingredients that we're use to.  We set the bar pretty high when it comes to chicken spaghetti.  The Pioneer Woman's is good, but we think ours is better.  Here's how I made today's batch:

3 boneless, skinless chicken breast

olive oil

salt and pepper

1 green pepper

1 small onion

3 cups uncooked mini farfalla

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1 can of medium rotel tomatoes

1 small can of mexi corn

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

1/4 - 1/2 cup whipping cream

Heat oven to 400 degrees, prepare chicken and drizzle with olive oil then salt and pepper.  Roast in the oven for 35 - 45 minutes until golden brown.  Remove from oven and allow to cool.  Cook farfalla according to package, drain and set aside.  Dice green pepper and onion and saute in a pan with olive oil until tender.  Combine cream of mushroom soup, rotel tomatoes and corn in a sauce pan on medium-high heat.  When mixture starts to bubble add cheddar cheese and 1/4 cup of whipping cream.  Heat until cheese is melted.  Add onions and peppers to soup mixture.  Slice chicken into bite size pieces.  In a large bowl combine chicken, drained farfalla and soup mixture.  If mixture is too dry add another 1/4 cup whipping cream.  Mix well then season to taste with salt and pepper.  Place in a casserole dish and top with additional shredded cheese, return to the oven and heat until bubbly. 



Diners, Drive Inns and Dives - Louie Mueller BBQ

Today I decided to review this bbq joint located in Taylor, Texas.  My husband called me from there today as he is out of town on business and decided to give this place a second try.  We first ate at this place about 5 years ago when our younger son was playing in a baseball tournament near Austin.  Our initial impression of their food was not too good.  The brisket we had was thick and tough.  The building was old and run down but I guess that was part of it's "charm".  We've been to several bbq places in the past and this one just didn't stack up like we thought it should.  Having said that, my husband said that it was very good today and the brisket was really tasty.  We decided that the meat was sliced too thick on our first visit because what my husband had today was very flavorful and tender.  On a scale of 1-10 we'll give it a 7 this time upgraded from a 3. 

The Pioneer Woman Cooks - Chicken Fried Steak

3 pounds of cube steak
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups milk, plus 2 cups for the gravy
3 cups all-purpose flour, plus about 1/3 cup for the gravy
2 tsps seasoned salt, such as Lawry's
3/4 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1 1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 cup canola or vegetable oil for frying

Photo by Ree Drummond

Begin with an assembly line of dishes for the meat, milk-egg mixture and flour mixture with a clean plate at the end to receive the breaded meat.  Beat eggs and 1 cup of milk with a fork.  Mix flour with the seasoned salt, paprika, cayenne and black pepper.  Lightly season a piece of meat with salt and pepper, then dip it into the egg-milk mixture, flip to the other side to coat.  Next place the meat on the plate of seasoned flour.  Turn over to coat thoroughly.  Place the meat back in the egg/milk mixture, turning to coat.  Finally dredge in flour one more time.  This repetition will create a nice, thick crust.  Place breaded meat on empty plate until ready to fry and repeat the process with the remaining pieces of meat.  Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high  heat.  When the oil is sufficiently heated fry 3 pieces of meat at a time.  Cook on one side until the edges start to look golden brown about 2 1/2 minutes.  Turn over and cook for 2 - 3 minutes or until golden brown.  Remove and drain on a paper towel.  After frying all the meat pour off the grease into a heatproof bowl.  Without cleaning the pan return it to the stove over medium-low heat.  Add 1/4 cup grease back to the pan.  Allow grease to heat up and sprinkle 1/3 cup of flour evenly over grease.  Whisk together and add more flour if it seems to greasy.  After a couple of minutes it will start to turn golden brown and is ready for the milk.  Whisk in 2 cups of milk.  Cook for 5 to 10 minutes.  If it seems to thick add more milk.  Salt and pepper to taste. 

This was very tasty chicken fried steak.  My daddy thought it was really good and he is a chicken fried steak connoisseur.  It's pretty much the way my mother makes it with the exception of the cayenne pepper, seasoned salt and paprika.  You just can't go wrong with this dish!  Yum!!!

The Pioneer Woman Cooks - Lasagna

1 tbsp olive oil
salt
10 ounces lasagna noodles
1 pound mozzarella cheese
1 1/2 pounds hamburger
1 pound hot breakfast sausage
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
Two 14.5 ounce cans whole tomatoes
Two 6 ounce cans tomato paste
Freshly ground black pepper
10 to 12 basil leaves
1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
3cups low-fat cottage cheese
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Bring a large pot of water to boil, add the olive oil and a dash of salt.  Cook the lasagna noodles according to the package directions until al dente.  Drain the noodles and lay them flat on a piece of aluminum foil.  Grate the mozzarella cheese and set aside.  In a large skillet over medium-high heat, saute the hamburger, sausage and garlic until brown.  Drain off the excess fat.  Add the tomatoes with their juice, tomato paste, 1/2 teaspoon salt and freshly ground black pepper.  Stir together well.  Simmer over low heat, uncovered, for 45 minutes stirring occasionally.  Chop the basil and parsley fine, adding half the herbs to the meat mixture and stir together.  In a medium bowl combine the cottage cheese, eggs, 1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese and the rest of the herbs.  Stir together well. 

Begin assembling the lasagna by laying 4 noodles in the bottom of a deep rectangular baking pan.  The noodles should slightly overlap.  Spoon half the cottage cheese mixture onto the noodles and spread evenly.  Sprinkle half the mozzarella on top of the cottage cheese mixture.  Spoon just under half the meat mixture on top of the mozzarella.  Spread evenly being careful not to disrupt the layers below.  Now repeat the process beginning with a layer of lasagna noodles followed by the cottage cheese mixture followed by the mozzarella and ending with a thick layer of the meat mixture.  Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup of Parmesan over the top.  Bake for 35 - 45 minutes until the lasagna is hot and bubbly.  Allow to stand 10 minutes before cutting into squares.  Lasagna can be fully assembled and frozen unbaked.

This one gets a "10"!  As soon as we sat down to dinner my three guys took their first bite and one of them said 'you can make this again!' and with their mouths still full the other two nodded and agreed.  This was probably the best lasagna I've ever eaten.  I think it was the combination of the two meats and the way you mix together the cottage cheese and eggs together along with the herbs that made it so tasty.  I've never added eggs to a lasagna so that was new for me and the simmering of the sauce for 45 minutes seemed a little too long but other than that it was easy to make and a joy to eat!  Plus, it makes a huge pan full so if you need to feed a crowd this should be your go to meal. 

The Pioneer Woman Cooks - Mocha Brownies

Brownies:
Four 1 ounce squares unsweetened chocolate
1/2 pound (2 sticks) butter
2 cups sugar
4 large eggs
3 tsps pure vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

Mae's Mocha Icing:
1/2 pound (2 sticks) butter, softened
5 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1/4 tsp salt
3 tsps pure vanilla extract
1/2 to 3/4 cup brewed coffee, cooled to room temperature

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Spray an 8 inch square baking pan with nonstick baking spray.  To make the brownie batter, place the chocolate in a microwave safe bowl.  Melt the chocolate in the microwave in 30 second increments being careful not to let it burn.  Set aside to cool slightly.  In a medium mixing bowl cream the butter and sugar.  Beat in the eggs.  With the mixer on low speed, drizzle in the melted chocolate.  Add the vanilla extract and mix.  Add the flour to the bowl and mix just until combined, do not over mix.  Pour the batter in the baking pan and spread it to even out the surface.  Bake for 45-50 minutes or until the center is no longer soft.  Set the brownies aside to cool completely before icing.

To make the icing, in a large mixing bowl, combine the butter, powdered sugar, cocoa powder, salt and vanilla.  Mix until slightly combined, then add 1/2 cup of the coffee.  Whip until the icing is the desired consistency.  If the icing is overly thick, add 1/4 cup more coffee.  It should be very light and fluffy.  Ice the cooled brownies, spreading the icing on thick.  Refrigerate until the icing is firm then slice the brownies into squares. 

OMG!  These are the best brownies I have ever eaten and I've eaten a LOT of brownies in my day.  The frosting alone is to die for.  You could just put this stuff in an IV bag and give it to me intravenously!  The recipe says to bake these in a 8 inch square pan but mine was over flowing so I think the next time I make them I will use an oblong pan instead.  The brownies are great and the frosting makes them great plus infinity!

I'm going to make plain chocolate cupcakes for dessert/birthday cupcakes and I'm going to use this frosting on them.  I figure it could go with just about any kind of cake....spice, angel food, German chocolate, etc. 

The Pioneer Woman Cooks - Comfort Meatballs

Meatballs:  1 1/2 pounds ground beef
3/4 cup quick oats
1cup milk
3 tbsp very finely minced onion
1 1/2 tsp salt
Plenty of ground black pepper
4 tbsp canola oil
1/2 cup flour

Sauce:  1 cup ketchup
2 tbsp sugar
3 tbsp distilled white vinegar
2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
4 to 6 tbsp minced onion
dash of Tabasco

In a bowl combine the ground beef and oats.  Pour in the milk, then add the diced onion and salt.  Add the black pepper then stir to combine.  Roll the mixture into tablespoon sized balls and refrigerate them for 30 to 45 minutes to firm.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Heat the canola oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Dredge the meatballs in the flour, brown the meatballs in batches until light brown.  As they brown, place them into a rectangular baking dish.  Stir together the sauce ingredients and drizzle the sauce evenly on the meatballs.  Bake for about 45 minutes or until bubbly hot. 

Personally I thought these babies were marvelous!  They didn't taste like an Italian meatball, they were more like a mini meatloaf.  I served them with mashed potatoes and baked kale.  My family thought they were good but they didn't rave about them because they were too close to meatloaf for them (although I think they truly like meatloaf and just don't want to admit it out loud).  These were pretty easy to make except that there was like a three step process where as I'm use to just mixing it up in a bowl, cooking it and your done.  These you had to mix, chill, brown then bake but this was all well worth it.  On a scale of 1-10 I give these meatballs a 9!