Onion & Ham Frittata

After Thanksgiving (and Christmas), I always have so many leftovers I don't know what to do with them all! I'm not the only one with that problem either, I bet. We have a tendency to cook excessively during the holidays. No one wants guests going hungry, right? But then the after holiday dilemma begins...

How do I use up all these leftovers in a new and interesting way?

I have a few tricks up my sleeve, and today I want to share one with you. I particularly like using my leftovers to create breakfast.

Onion and ham frittata

One of the easiest breakfasts around is frittata. Not only do I get to use my cast iron skillet, which I adore, but these recipes are quick and satisfying. Perfect for feeding those out of town guests, and using up a bit of your leftovers in an interesting way. Pair this with some potato pancakes (using your leftover mashed potatoes!), and you'll have a hit.

After this Thanksgiving, I used some of my leftover ham to create this Onion and Ham Frittata. Ready to make one yourself? Awesome! You can also use some of your leftover herbs in this, and any odds and ends that didn't get used in your holiday cooking. I had a block of cheese that didn't make it into any recipes, some cream, and an onion as well. Waste not, want not!

Ingredients

To get started, preheat your oven to 400 degrees. In a large bowl whisk together 8 eggs, ½ cup half-n-half, ½ teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper. Add in about a tablespoon of any fresh herbs you like, or a teaspoon of dried. I didn't have any fresh herbs left, but I used a bit of this mushroom blend I picked up at Target a while back:

To the egg mixture, stir in 1 cup of white cheddar cheese, or any other cheese of your choice. Always shred cheese fresh, my friends! Those bags of pre-shredded cheese usually contain cornstarch or other additives to prevent the cheese from sticking and to preserve them longer. You'll notice a difference with fresh grated cheese, I promise.

Enough of my soap box. Back to the recipe.

Set aside your egg mixture for now. Warm your 10-inch cast iron skillet over medium heat, and melt 1 tablespoon of butter in the bottom. Add a diced onion to the skillet and cook for 5 minutes, then add 1 ½ cups of leftover ham (diced) and 2 cloves of minced garlic, if you have it on hand. Cook another few minutes, just until the ham is warmed through and the onion begins to brown.

Pour your egg mixture into the skillet, but do not stir. Let this cook over medium heat for 5 minutes, and then put your skillet into the oven for another 10-15 minutes. You want the center of your frittata to just set before removing it. Cool on the counter about 5 minutes before slicing the frittata. Serve with fresh fruit, and perhaps some potato pancakes.

Yum!

Hubs and I love frittata in the morning. You can individually wrap the slices and freeze them as well. To warm them up, cover with a damp paper towel and microwave for a minute or two. Delish!

What do you do with all your holiday leftovers? Comment below, peeps. And until next time, happy cooking!

Thanks for reading, everyone!

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The Standard Form:

Onion and Ham Frittata

Ingredients:

1 ½ cups leftover ham, diced

1 yellow onion, diced

8 large eggs

½ cup half-n-half

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon pepper

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon fresh herbs of your choice, or 1 teaspoon dried (suggestions: basil, tarragon, chives, mushroom blend)

1 cup white cheddar cheese, shredded (Or cheese of your choice. Suggestions: pepper jack, Monterey jack, Gouda)

1 tablespoon butter

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Whisk together the eggs, half-n-half, salt, pepper, and herbs of your choice. Stir in the cheese and set mixture aside.

In a 10-inch cast iron skillet over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the onions to the skillet and cook for 5 minutes, then add the ham and minced garlic. Continue cooking until the ham is warmed through and the onions begin to brown. Pour the egg mixture over the top of the onions/ham. DO NOT STIR. Continue cooking over medium heat for 5 minutes.

Place the cast iron skillet in the preheated oven. Cook the frittata for 10-15 minutes, or until the c enter is set. Cool 5 minutes before slicing and serving.

Bell Pepper and Potato Frittata

With the summer months heating up, I've become really interested in recipes I can make and then freeze in individual portions. For breakfast, frittatas are a great solution. The combinations are endless, providing plenty of variety. And they warm up easy in the microwave. You might remember I shared my Bacon, Basil, and Feta Frittata recipe a while back, yes? It's so yum.

This is my newest combo. The potato adds some heartiness for those mornings when you just want a little something more.

Bell Pepper and Potato Frittata

Ready to get started, peeps? Ok, here goes:

The ingredients

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Then, in a large bowl, whisk together 8 eggs with ½ cup of half-n-half, 1 cup of pepper jack cheese and some salt and pepper (to taste). Set this mixture aside for now and pull out your cast iron skillet (10").

Warm the skillet over medium heat and add 8 slices of chopped bacon, like so:

* Note: I often prepare my filling the evening before, then cook the frittata in my cast iron the next morning. You can do this too if you want to save some time in the morning *

When the bacon is cooked through, remove it from the skillet with a slotted spoon and set aside to drain. To the bacon grease left in the skillet, add 1 diced yellow onion, 1 diced bell pepper (any color or combination of colors), 2 cloves of minced garlic, and 1 grated potato (I used a yellow one, but I think a red potato would be awesome too). Potatoes grate easy using a regular cheese grater.

Cook this over medium heat until the potatoes are tender and browned, about 15 minutes. Then stir in an ⅛ cup of fresh parsley.

Pour your egg mixture over the potato mixture in the skillet.

Cook in the skillet over medium heat, without stirring, for 5 minutes. Sprinkle an extra ½ cup of pepper jack cheese over the top and then transfer your cast iron to the pre-heated oven for another 10 - 15 minutes,  or until the center of the frittata is set. Cool at least 5 minutes before slicing.

As always, the standard recipe is below. Until next time, happy cooking!

Thanks for reading, everyone!

Follow me on Facebook @ OurArmyLifeAccordingToTheWife

or on Pinterest, my newest obsession @ ArmyLifeFromTheWife

Email me: armylifefromthewife@gmail.com

Bell Pepper and Potato Frittata

Ingredients:

8 eggs

½ cup half-n-half

1 small yellow onion, diced

8 slices bacon, cut into 1” pieces

1 ½ cups pepper Jack cheese, freshly grated

1 bell pepper (any color or combination), diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/8 cup chopped parsley

Black pepper and salt, to taste

1 small potato (either red or yellow), grated

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Whisk together the eggs and the half-n-half in a large bowl. Add salt and pepper to taste, and 1 cup of the pepper Jack cheese. Set aside.

Cook the bacon pieces in a 10” cast iron skillet over medium heat until cooked through. Remove from the skillet with a slotted spoon and set aside to drain. Add the onion, potato, bell pepper, and garlic to the skillet with the bacon grease (if necessary you can add 1 tablespoon of butter to the skillet). Cook over medium heat until the potatoes are tender and browned, about 15 minutes. Stir in the parsley.

Pour the egg mixture into the skillet. Cook over medium heat, without stirring, for 5 minutes.  Sprinkle the remaining  ½ cup of pepper Jack cheese over the top of the egg mixture. Transfer the skillet to the preheated oven.

Cook 10-15 minutes or until the center of the frittata is set. Cool 5 minutes before slicing and serving.

Bacon, Feta, & Basil Frittata

I love breakfast food. I mean, like I could eat it for every meal and be totally happy. The Hubs on the other hand, he thinks breakfast is a turkey sandwich.

I've been trying to break him of this habit, but it's no easy task. You see, the Hubs grew up with what I like to call "food prejudice". Certain foods are simply not eaten, and others are disregarded even if they've never been tasted. He also has an annoying habit of claiming he doesn't like something, when in reality, he has no reason for this assumption. Or he doesn't like a particular item because once, many moons ago, someone (not me) made said item for him and did a bad job. 

Sometimes I think I live with a 10 year old. I love him like mad, though, I really do. 

Anyway, the Hubs is prejudiced against breakfast food for the variety of reasons named above. My mission for several years has been to prove him wrong. Slowly but surely, I've been changing his mind. We have breakfast on weekends, and he actually eats it. And enjoys it! We sometimes even have breakfast for dinner. 

My latest attempt to convert him resulted in this wickedly good fritatta, inspired by my pal Jen the Baker. 

Bacon, Basil, and Feta Frittata 

If you're wondering, the Hubs is a fan! I froze a few slices, but he ate the whole fritatta in a couple days. Since he's been telling me for years that he doesn't like eggs (?!?!?!?), this is a minor miracle. 

I love frittata because it's fancier than scrambled eggs, but really doesn't take any time at all to whip up. Plus, this can be made in advance and then frozen. The wedges thaw and heat quickly in the microwave (about 2 minutes), so this is great when guests are visiting too, or for a grab and go breakfast. 

Ready to make your own? Let's do this! 

The ingredients,
but ignore the Parmesan! 

Sorry about the Parmesan in the picture above. I thought I might use some in the dish, but it turns out the frittata didn't need it. You could always add a little if you want, but I didn't. 

To get started, slice 8 pieces of bacon into 1" pieces. Cook in a skillet until done (you can make this entire recipe in your cast iron skillet and have only one pan to cleanup!). I prefer my bacon to be less chewy and more crispy. Remove the cooked bacon from the pan with a slotted spoon and set aside to drain. Discard all but 1 tablespoon of the grease. Why? Because everything is better with bacon and/or bacon grease.

Add a diced yellow onion to the skillet with that last tablespoon of bacon grease. Trust me peeps, this makes the onion delicious. Sauté over medium heat until the onions are tender and begin to caramelize, about 10-12 minutes. 

At this point, preheat your oven to 400 degrees. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together 8 eggs, ½ cup half-n-half, ½ teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper. Once combined, stir in the bacon and onion, along with 10-12 large basil leaves cut in chiffonade style. Also add about 3 ounces of crumbled feta cheese. 

Now, if you weren't already using it, pull out your cast iron skillet (10 inch) and warm up a tablespoon of olive oil in the bottom. 

Swirl the oil around so it coats the bottom of the pan. Then, simply pour the egg mixture in.

This is very important… do NOT stir. Leave your skillet over medium-low heat for 5 or 6 minutes without stirring. This gives the bottom of your frittata time to set before we move it into the oven.  

Transfer the skillet to your preheated oven, and let cook an additional 10-12 minutes. If your skillet is smaller or larger, adjust your cook time to reflect that difference. Smaller skillets will require more time, larger skillets less. 

The frittata is done when the center is set and no longer jiggles. Remove from oven and let rest 5 minutes before slicing into wedges. 

If you'd like to freeze the wedges, the process is simple. Wrap each piece in plastic wrap, then freeze in the container of your choice. To thaw and warm up, remove from the plastic wrap and cover with a damp paper towel. Heat in microwave 2-4 minutes, until hot. 

Easy peasy, right? 

The Hubs liked this frittata so much, we have plans to make it again this weekend. I'm so excited we can finally share breakfast together.

That's all for now, but I'll be back again soon. As always, the standard recipe is below. Until next time, happy cooking! 

Thanks for reading, everyone!

Follow me on Facebook @ OurArmyLifeAccordingToTheWife

or on Pinterest, my newest obsession @ ArmyLifeFromTheWife

Email me: armylifefromthewife@gmail.com

The Standard Form:

Bacon, Basil, & Feta Frittata

Ingredients:

8 slices bacon, sliced into 1” pieces

1 small yellow onion, diced

10-12 large basil leaves, cut chiffonade

8 eggs

½ cup half-n-half

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon pepper

3 ounces crumbled feta cheese

1 tablespoon olive oil

Directions:

Cook the bacon in a skillet until done. Remove from pan with a slotted spoon and set aside to drain. Remove all but 1 tablespoon of grease from the skillet. Add the diced onion to the reserved bacon fat in the skillet. Sauté over medium heat until the onions are tender and begin to caramelize, about 10-12 minutes.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a medium mixing bowl whisk together the eggs, half-n-half, salt, and pepper. To this, add the cooked bacon, basil, onions, and the feta cheese.

Warm the olive oil in a 10” cast iron skillet over medium–low heat. Pour the egg mixture into the skillet and let cook, without stirring, for 5 minutes, to set the bottom of the frittata. Transfer the skillet to the pre-heated oven, and cook an additional 10-12 minutes, or until the center is set. Remove from oven and let rest for 5 minutes before slicing in wedges.

Note: This recipe freezes quite well. Wrap each individual wedge with plastic wrap, then freeze in the container of your choice. To warm, remove plastic wrap and cover with a damp paper towel. Heat in microwave 2-4 minutes, until hot.

Accidentally Defrosted

Man, it's been one of those weeks! After returning from Venice last week (I promise a post will be up soon!), it seemed like everything fell apart in my absence. The laundry is piled up, the pantry is empty, and my schedule is already full.

Sometimes you just need a day of nothing, ya know? And I thought I would have one a few days ago… except the Hubs accidentally left our freezer door open all night long.

Do you know what happens when your freezer is left open all night long???

A big, goopy, drippy, disgusting mess.

Hubs hangs his head in shame! 

Needless to say, I didn't quite get my day of rest. Instead, I spent the day scrubbing my freezer and searching for anything salvageable. There wasn't much.

That day turned out to be a mess, but these things happen. Sometimes we all leave the freezer door open, am I right? It's how we handle those days that makes us who are. Granted, I fussed at the Hubs pretty good. I wondered where he left his brain, quite vocally. Then we kissed, made up, and realized that we might have melted a lot of groceries, BUT at least we get to share these ups and downs together.

Plus, the Hubs agreed to clean my kitchen today, and do a little vacuuming. This goes a long way to forgiveness in my book!

How did your week go? I hope no one left your freezer door open, but if they did, I hope you've kissed and made up too.

I'll be back soon, peeps!

Thanks for reading, everyone!

Follow me on Facebook @ OurArmyLifeAccordingToTheWife

or on Pinterest, my newest obsession @ ArmyLifeFromTheWife

Email me: armylifefromthewife@gmail.com

Zuppa Toscana

There are so many times I've eaten in a restaurant and wished I could make a certain dish at home. Over time, I realized I could have my favorite dishes at home. All it took was a little perseverance and a lot of experimentation.

This soup isn't actually my favorite dish, it's the Hubs'. I can't count how many times I've asked where he wanted to eat, and he always answers, 'Olive Garden, soup and salad!' Specifically, he wants Zuppa Toscana. 

Naturally, I went to work, determined that I would outdo Olive Garden's recipe.

The Hubs thinks I succeeded, and that's good enough for me!

Of course, now he requests this soup every week. Though I love this zuppa (did you know zuppa means soup in Italian?), I don't want to eat it every single week. I like variety in life! The Hubs, on the other hand, will eat the same thing over and over until he never wants to eat it again.

It's a rough life, but I manage somehow.

Haha. Ok, so it's not that bad. But I do regulate the frequency of our zuppa intake, otherwise we'd be eating this all the time.

So let's get the party started! The ingredient list for this soup is simple:

The ingredients, minus one (as per the usual) 

Start with 1 lb. of Italian sausage. I like to use the 'mild' version, but you can work with the 'hot' if you prefer. The reason I like the mild is because I want to control the spice level myself. I do this by adding a bit of red pepper flakes to the sausage as I cook it (The red pepper is the ingredient not pictured. It wouldn't be one of my recipes if I didn't forget at least one ingredient in the picture).

Brown your sausage in a skillet, adding red pepper flakes if you choose. I only add 1/2 teaspoon (sometimes a little more, I don't always measure!), but you can add as much or as little as you want. The Hubs likes his extra spicy, so we add more to his soup at the end.

Once brown, drain the fat, then set your sausage aside. Pull out your soup pot. Add 4 slices of bacon (chopped into bite-sized pieces) into the pot. I have to be honest, we usually add an extra piece of bacon. Everything is better with more bacon!

Cook the bacon over medium-high heat. When it's about halfway done, add 5 cloves of minced garlic and one white onion (diced) to your soup pot. Continue to saute until the onions are translucent and tender, about 5 minutes.

Next, add 8 cups of low-sodium chicken broth to the pot, along with 2 cups of water. I suggest the low-sodium broth because the sausage and bacon are both salty already. You can always add more salt later if you like, but you can't take it away if it's already in there!

Bring the broth to a gentle boil, then add 3 large Russet potatoes (peeled and chopped) to the pot. Keep in mind that your potatoes should be chopped into similar sizes so they cook evenly. Continue to boil until the potatoes are tender, about 25-30 minutes.

Boiling broth

If the potatoes are tender, you're almost done! Stir 1 1/4 cups heavy cream into the broth, along with your cooked sausage.

Picture courtesy of Abby, from 1,000 Miles on my Own Two Feet

Allow this mixture to heat through before adding the final ingredient: freshly chopped kale. Kale is a wonderful green for soups, but there are substitutes if your local grocery doesn't stock it. Look instead for Swiss Chard or spinach (Don't use the spinach from a bag, use the fresh bundles instead). I actually just tear my kale into pieces, rather than chopping it. So much easier! Stir in as much or as little as you like, but we use about 3 cups or so.

The kale takes no time at all to wilt, so simply stir and you're done. Test your zuppa for seasoning, add salt and pepper to taste. And, viola! Zuppa Toscana at home.

Zuppa Toscana

The Hubs and I sprinkle our soup with a bit of fresh grated Parmesan cheese right before serving. It's the perfect final touch! For those of you (like me) who cook in advance when they can, this soup freezes well. Just let the zuppa cool to room temperature, then add to freezer-safe ziploc bags. Freeze the bags flat on a cookie sheet, then store until you need them. I like to make single-serving sizes as well, especially for those times when the Hubs is away. Just because you're cooking for one, doesn't mean you can't eat well!

What are your favorite restaurant recipes that you wish you could make at home? Please share in the comments, especially if you have a recipe! I've included the standard form recipe at the bottom of this post for you.

As always, happy cooking!

Thanks for reading, everyone!

Follow me on Facebook @ OurArmyLifeAccordingToTheWife

or on Pinterest, my newest obsession @ ArmyLifeFromTheWife

The Standard Form:

Zuppa Toscana

Ingredients:

1 lb. ground Italian sausage

1/2 - 1 ½ teaspoons red pepper flakes

1 large white onion, diced

4 slices bacon, chopped

5 cloves garlic, minced

8 cups chicken broth

2 cups water

1 ¼ cup heavy cream

3 large Russet potatoes, peeled and chopped

3 cups kale, washed and roughly chopped

Salt and pepper, to taste

Fresh grated Parmesan cheese, for garnish

Directions:

Sauté the Italian sausage with the red pepper flakes until done. Drain any fat from the pan and set aside.

In a large soup pot, sauté the bacon. When the bacon is a little more than half-cooked, add the onion and garlic to the pot. Sauté until the onions are translucent and tender, about 5 minutes.

Add the chicken broth and water to the soup pot. Bring to a gentle boil, then add the potatoes. Boil until the potatoes are tender, bout 25-30 minutes.

Stir in the cooked sausage and the cream. Heat through before adding the kale. Season with salt and pepper. Serve hot with fresh grated Parmesan. 

Vacation from Vacation

Oh, New York... I miss you already. I miss the sights, the smells, and by golly, I miss the food! I've been traveling for the past several months, so it's a bit hard to keep up my blogging. I'm ashamed. Really, I am.

Ok, not so much. You know me too well for that. It's hard to be ashamed of my slovenly ways when I'm out trotting the globe. From Ireland to Virginia,  from Virginia to Texas, and then Texas to the Caribbean! (oh my!) Life has been one adventure after another for the past several months.

But, at long last, the Hubs and I are back home. While we enjoyed ourselves immensely on this last trip, I need a vacation from vacation, seriously. For the next two weeks, I'll be reorganizing our space, doing the shopping and cleaning, and of course I'll be sorting photos to post here with all the details of my trips. Ireland is next on zee list! (Insert shouts of joy here from my captive audience? Maybe not). Here's a little sneak peak:

Glendalough, Ireland 

As much as I love it, returning home from vacation is always bittersweet. I love our home, and I love being here. Then again, I also love clear blue water and a margarita in my hand... but alas, vacation cannot last forever. And in the time we're away, things have started to pile up. Like laundry. And bills. And a thousand seemingly unimportant things which are suddenly screaming for attention. Not to mention the empty refrigerator, which the Hubs practically considers a sacrilege.

Of course, the last thing I want to do is cook right when we've returned home from a long vacation. But, I also don't want to eat any more takeout. I get enough of that while on vacation. Kinda stuck between a rock and a hard place, right?

Wrong, wrong, wrong. Despite my lack of cooking desire, there are a few dishes which won't overtax my vacation-lulled brain. Soup and salad rank uber-high on this particular list. If you're really not up to any form of cooking, I guess you can just open a can of whatever. OR, you could try out this super simple, super delicious creamy onion soup.

For all my onion hater friends out there? Just picture me sticking my tongue out at you, blowing some raspberries, and then walking away. This always makes me feel better. After that, make some salad sans the soup. I forgive you for your food prejudice, truly.

Creamy onion soup

I love this soup.

Let me just say that again. I LOVE this soup! So does the Hubs, which is always a good thing. It's relatively quick, inexpensive, and hits the spot after a long day. In fact, we love this soup so much, I usually make a double batch and freeze part of it for our next craving.

I'm bringing the final version of the soup here to you. It's been through several reincarnations as I searched for just the right balance of flavors. Now, it is (a) Perfect. (b) Extraordinary. (c) Outrageously good. (d) All of the above.

The answer would be (d) All of the above.

The ingredients needed aren't fancy, and they allow for substitutions if necessary.

Ingredients

When we've just returned from an extended stay away, my first grocery trip is usually short and sweet and to the point. I sweep through produce and dairy, then I'm at the cash registers. I only want enough food to survive our first few days before I make my normal sized haul.

Staples like flour, butter, chicken broth, bacon, and spices are always at my disposal. If you don't already keep certain items on hand, then I have a tip: Keep a package of bacon handy in your freezer. Not only can it stand alone, but it's great with eggs, slapped on a grilled cheese, or makes a quick BLT (plus a zillion other things). Bacon is definitely one of my staple items.

As I breeze through produce, I snag a bag of yellow onions (not the sweet ones, just plain yellow!) and some fresh thyme. You can use dried thyme, no problem. But I especially love fresh herbs when I have them, and since I'm stopping in the produce section anyway.... well, you see my point.

 
These particular herbs are my favorite. The thyme is actually still growing inside a little pot within that package! It doesn't get much fresher than that, unless you're plucking right from your own garden.

After produce, grab some milk or half-n-half, or even heavy cream. This all depends on your taste buds and how many calories you want in your final soup product. The Hubs and I have eaten this soup with all of the choices at different times, and they all work. My only suggestion? If you're using milk, then use whole milk. Anything less seems too runny, and the flavor of the soup suffers a bit. I prefer the whole milk (not as rich as the heavy cream, and way less calories), so that's what we used this time.

Once you get home from that quick grocery stop, your first step is to give your onions (about 4 or 5 of them) a rough chop. Don't get too fancy with your knife work, just make sure the pieces are all fairly similar in size, like this:

Everything else is a breeze from here. Chop five slices of bacon into 1-inch pieces, then add those to your soup pot over medium heat (For my vegetarian friends out there, no worries. You can skip this step and just head on to the next). Let the bacon cook for a bit, but don't let it get crispy, just enough to render the fat. Next, slide your onions into the pot with 6 tablespoons of unsalted butter.

You want to let the onions cook down slowly, becoming nice and soft. This takes about 15-20 minutes.  But it's not hard, I promise! You can do lots of other things while the onions cook, only be sure to give them a quick stir once in a while.

When the onions are translucent and just start to brown, you know they're done. Your pot should look a little something like this (maybe a little more brown, I was quick with the camera):

At this point, you want to turn down the heat to medium-low and add 4 tablespoons of flour into the mix. Stir it around to dissolve. Fair warning: this looks pretty goopy and gross while you're doing it, but it is all good. The flour and butter are going to combine, and this is what will thicken your soup as you add liquid.

Once the flour is all mixed in, you can slowly stir in the chicken broth, 4 cups. I sometimes use a bit more if I need to finish the end of a can, so you don't need to be too exact. If you keep chicken stock on hand that's even better, but I always have cans in the pantry as part of my staples.

Along with the broth, you want to add 1 bay leaf, 1/4 teaspoon paprika, 1/2 teaspoon basil, 1 1/2 tablespoons of the fresh thyme, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, and a dash of cayenne pepper. Also, add a bit of salt to your taste. Stir the soup well, inhale the aroma, and let it simmer for 25 minutes.

This sounds like a like long time, I know. Especially when you're making 'just home from vacation food'. But, you could consider this a great opportunity to empty your suitcase and start a load of laundry!

Or, you could always crash on the couch and catch up on your favorite DVRed shows.

I went with option #2. Obviously.

Here's what my soup looked like as it simmered:

After your simmer time and an episode of the Real Housewives, remove the bay leaf from your pot. The soup mix should have thickened some by now, and your house should smell heavenly. It's time to stir in either your cream, half-n-half, or whole milk, about 2 cups worth.

It will only take a few minutes for the soup to warm through. Be sure the temperature of your soup is hot before the final step, an addition of cheese. I normally use a mix of Parmesan and Asiago, but either/or is fine. Asiago isn't easy to come by out here, so often times I only use the Parmesan. The most important thing is: Grate the cheese yourself! 

I have a handy dandy rotary grater, like the ones you see at Olive Garden, which are perfect for hard cheeses like Parmesan. Until you've grated for yourself, you can't understand what a huge difference it makes to your cooking. Those pre-shredded bags of cheese are coated with cornstarch to keep them fresher longer. All of those additives really change the flavor and texture of your meals. Trust me here, you won't regret it.

So, once your soup is toasty warm, stir 1 or 1.5 cups of cheese into the mix. Add slowly and taste as you go! Keep stirring until all of the cheese is melted. Give the soup a quick sample and adjust your seasoning as necessary. Then...

Viola! You are ready to eat.

If you're like the Hubs and myself, you won't have any leftovers. Serve with thick, crusty bread for dipping and a side salad.

What are your favorite, I-just-came-home-from-vacation meals? Lately, it feels as if these are the only meals I'm eating. Now that we're home, I'm excited to start cooking again. I'll be bringing you some of my tales from Ireland soon, and hopefully some new recipes to go with it!

Happy cooking!



The Standard Form:
 

 Creamy Onion Soup

Ingredients:

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

5 slices bacon, chopped into 1” pieces

4 large yellow onions (not Vidalia), coarsely chopped

6 tablespoons flour

4 cups chicken broth

½ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

¼ teaspoon paprika

½ teaspoon basil

Dash cayenne pepper

1 bay leaf

1.5 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves

Salt, to taste

2 cups heavy cream, half and half, or whole milk

1 cup Parmesan or Asiago cheese, fresh grated

Directions:

Add the bacon pieces to a soup pot over medium heat. Cook for a few minutes, and allow the fat to render, cooking until almost crisp. Add the onions and butter to the pot, and sauté 10-20 minutes, stirring often, until the onions are transparent and just begin to brown. Scrape any brown bits from the bottom of the pot, stirring well.

Reduce the heat to medium-low and add the flour to the onions. Stir to dissolve.

Stir in the chicken broth, black pepper, paprika, basil, cayenne pepper, bay leaf, fresh thyme, and salt. Stir to combine, and bring to a simmer.

Simmer 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions are tender and the mixture thickens a bit.

Remove the bay leaf from the pot, then stir in the cream/milk. Heat through before adding the Parmesan cheese. Stir to melt.

Taste for seasoning, salt if necessary. Serve with thick pieces of bread for dipping. 

Keys in the Freezer = BBQ Chicken Pizza

It's been one of those weeks. Actually, if I'm going to be totally honest, it's been one of those months... maybe years.

You know the kind of week I'm talking about, because we've all had them. The kind where you lose your keys in the refrigerator because you can't keep your head screwed on straight for five minutes. And yes, as cliched as it is, I did that earlier this week. Technically I lost them in the freezer, but still. Please hold your laughter until I can no longer hear its echo.

The reasons for this debacle are many and varied, and totally unimportant. Just know that I'm trying to disentangle myself from the pileup as you read. I'm also indulging in a little chocolate therapy to make the world seem brighter. It's working wonders.

As for the Hubs... well, seeing as he left before sunup today, and came home well after sundown, you can only imagine that he's having one of those weeks too.

What do we do when the world is spinning like mad and we can't keep up? In this house, we make pizza.

Ha, you thought I was joking, but I'm not! Sometimes there is just way too much going on around us, and that leaves no time to plan for dinner. I can always tell when we're running too fast, because pizza is suddenly on the table.

When things get really bad, we order take-out Chinese. So at least we're still in the game. For now.

Pizza may seem a bit unhealthy as our go-to, quickie meal, but there are ways to keep it wholesome. Use a keys-in-the-freezer-week as an opportunity to clean out your vegetable drawer! Plus, you can always make your pie with whole wheat crust and low-fat cheese too.

Naturally, I did none of these things. But you could, if you really wanted to.

Instead, we made this:

BBQ Chicken Pizza

If you've lived your whole life without this indulgence, please correct the oversight immediately.

This recipe actually started as a challenge. The Hubs claimed that he would never eat barbecue sauce on pizza.

Oh, oh, oh.... I beg to differ. Loudly. Challenge heard, and accepted.

And so it began... with chicken.

Ingredients, Part I

While I was rushing around, changing out loads of laundry and answering my phone, I quickly tossed together the chicken for the pizza. So easy, even the Hubs could do it.

Two chicken breasts in a pan. Salt and pepper both sides. Toss with 1/2 cup of your favorite barbecue sauce. Bake in a 375 degree oven for 20-25 minutes. Let rest at least 10 minutes before dicing. DONE.

See? Easy. If you don't even have time for that, you can use some pre-cooked rotisserie chicken tossed with a little barbecue sauce. There are always ways to simplify.

One of the best parts of this recipe is that it makes enough for 2, 12-inch pizzas. Or one really big pizza pie. Either way, it means leftovers.

On to the next.

Ingredients, Part II

Yep, I'm using pizza crust from a bag. Remember, this is our keys-in-the-freezer dinner. Simple is better.

You can use any kind of crust you prefer. The toppings-ready kind is something of a miracle when you have very little time. But I prefer to mix my own, even if the mix comes in a Betty Crocker bag. I also like to do three things when making the crust:
     
        1. Spray the pizza pan with non-stick spray, then dust it with a little cornmeal. It makes me feel      
            like a professional.
        2. Dust my hands with a little flour before spreading the dough. I don't like my hands sticky.
        3. Finally, I prick the crust with a fork and pre-bake it for about 5 minutes before adding my
            toppings. Otherwise, I think the crust can get soggy. Bleck.

The next few steps might seem a bit labor intensive, but it only sounds that way. In reality, the whole process takes maybe 10 minutes. Trust me.

Slice a red onion thinly, into half-moon slices. Toss the slices into a skillet with a tablespoon or so of butter on medium-low heat. Let them cook, stirring them here and there, for about 10 minutes while you do other things. The onions will soften and brown, which brings out their sweetness. In the end, they should look something like this:

For a shortcut, you could just slice the onions thin and use them on your pizza raw. While they won't be caramelized, the oven temperature will help them cook right along with the pizza.

While the onion cooks, warm another skillet over medium-low heat. Add 4 tablespoons of olive oil and 3 cloves of minced garlic to the pan. It's not necessary, but I also added a few fresh oregano leaves to my pan. I told you that pizza can help clean out your veggie drawer!

This only needs to be on the heat for about 60 seconds, just long enough that the garlic becomes aromatic and infuses the oil. After I pre-bake my crust, I brush this over it before adding any additional toppings. The flavor is delish, and adds a new taste level without a lot of hassle. You could skip this step if you want, but I seriously don't think you should. Also, just a quick tip: this makes a great sauce base for any blanco pizzas you might try in the future.

Now comes the easiest part of any pizza recipe, the assembly. After brushing the crust with the oil mix (you won't need to use all of it), sprinkle on about a cup of fresh mozzarella onto each pie (Remember, this recipe makes two!).

On top of the mozzarella, drizzle some more bbq sauce. This amount is at your discretion, but keep in mind that the sauce will thin and spread a bit as it bakes. Next, cover with your diced chicken, one breast per pie.

Here's one of the secrets to great BBQ Chicken Pizza... several types of cheese. Cover the chicken with 1 cup (per pie) of shredded Gouda cheese, then add your onions (1/2 on each pie), and then add a light sprinkle of Parmesan cheese.

It's pizza time! Bake until the cheese is melted and the crust is nicely browned. I top mine with some chopped cilantro, it's a fabulous finishing touch. But if you don't care for cilantro, you could try out some green onion, or maybe parsley. Whatever you choose, enjoy! This is a pizza that's not to be missed (Refer to photo #1, drool, then go make pizza!).

As to my challenge with The Hubs.... you guessed it! I win. Not only did he LOVE the pizza, but he's already asked me to make it again. Score one for me!

What are your keys-in-the-freezer, quickie meals? Feel free to comment below and share your experience with the rest of us!



The Standard Form:

BBQ Chicken Pizza

Ingredients:

2 bags Betty Crocker pizza crust mix

2 chicken breasts

1 red onion, sliced thinly

2 tablespoons butter

½ cup bbq sauce, plus more for drizzling

4 tablespoons olive oil

3 cloves garlic, minced

Optional: 2 tablespoons fresh oregano leaves

2 cups shredded Mozzarella cheese

2 cups shredded Gouda cheese

½ cup shredded Parmesan cheese

6 tablespoons roughly chopped cilantro

Salt and pepper

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Salt and pepper both sides of the chicken breasts. Toss with ½ cup bbq sauce. Bake in a glass pan for 20-25 minutes, or until done. Let rest 10 minutes before dicing into small pieces. Set aside.

Soften the onions in a skillet with the butter over medium-low heat. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until lightly caramelized. Set aside.

Increase oven temperature to 450 degrees. Mix the pizza crusts according to package directions. Lightly spray your pans with non-stick cooking spray and dust with a bit of cornmeal. Stretch the dough to fit, then prick all over with a fork. Pre-bake for 5 minutes, then remove from oven.

In a skillet over medium-low heat, warm the olive oil with the minced garlic, and the optional oregano, just until aromatic.  Brush the oil over the pre-baked pizza dough, just enough to cover. Do not over saturate.

Sprinkle 1 cup of the mozzarella cheese on each crust. Drizzle with extra bbq sauce. Add the chicken (one breast per pizza), the top with 1 cup of Gouda cheese each. Divide the onion evenly onto each pizza, then add a sprinkle of parmesan cheese.

Bake until cheese is melted and crust is golden brown, about 10-12 minutes. Top with the chopped cilantro, slice and enjoy!