There are nights in our house that are really special and this was one of them. Don had some ground pork left over from making his Christmas Tourtiere and put this together. You are going to love it. We got 10 meals out of it. OMGGGGG! This is so tasty, you will be glad of a second portion.
- 2 lbs. ground pork
- 2 large carrots, peeled and finely diced
- 3 cloves crushed garlic
- 2 – 28 oz. cans of whole tomatoes (Kirkland (Costco) brand San Marzano) tomatoes
- 2 cups freshly sliced white mushrooms
- 1/2 tsp. freshly ground nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
- 1 tbsp. salt
- 2 tbsp. dried oregano
- 1 tbsp. dried basil
- 1 tbsp. butter
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup 2% milk
- 1 cup red wine (we used Sangiovese)
- parmesan cheese, grated, enough for topping
- 1 lb. your favorite dried pasta noodles
In a Dutch Oven pot cook the pork until no longer pink and add the carrots, garlic and mushrooms, cooking until carrots tender. This is approximately 10 minutes.
Skim the fat off the top of the meat mixture and add the tomatoes, spices and wine, stirring occasionally and breaking up the tomatoes a little.
Add the butter, cream and milk, stirring well to incorporate.
Cook your pasta noodles according to the directions, drain, saving 1/2 cup of the water. Add the saved water back into the noodles and prepare to serve.
When ready to serve, place a portion of the noodles on the plate, add a generous serving of Bolognese sauce, topping it all off with a sprinkling of grated Parmesan cheese.
If you wish, serve with a chilled green salad and your favorite dressing.
Pour yourself a glass of the lovely red wine and declare “damn I did this”.
The Very Best Cheese Sauce Ever!
For our Sunday dinner, Kelly made a cheese sauce to die for. In fact, we even had it over our eggs on toast this morning. Give it a go and I am sure you will never use any other cheese sauce.
- 4 oz. Mozzarella cheese, grated
- 4 oz. Velveeta cheese
- 2 tbsp. butter
- 3 tbsp. flour
- 1 cup milk
- pinch of salt and pepper
- pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
In a saucepan, melt the butter and slowly add the flour, whisking constantly to make a roux. Remove from the heat.
Whisking constantly, slowly add the milk, salt and pepper and return to a low heat, for about 5-8 minutes. Add the cheese and stir until melted and smooth. Add the nutmeg last.
OMG! this means Oh my goodness….wonderful.
Peach Pancake/Waffle/Ice Cream Syrup
While peaches are still plentiful at the market, buy a batch and make this up. It is soooo yummy and it a real treat.
- 4 peaches
- 1/4 cup sugar
- pinch of allspice
- 1 tbsp. butter
- 3/4 cup water
Peel the peaches and slice each one, putting them and all the other ingredients in a saucepan. Bring this to a boil then reduce the heat and simmer for 8 minutes.
You now have a choice…mash it up so you have pieces of peaches, or strain it. I tried straining it and gave up after a few minutes. Put it all back together and it is perfect that way.
This makes a small amount so you can double it or even triple it.
The Best Cheesy Cauliflower And Bacon Casserole
This recipe will be a hit with some people we know and especially me! I love, love, love this one. I could have eaten it for breakfast the next day. Honest! Don did it again.
- 1 large cauliflower
- 7-8 strips of bacon, cooked crisp and crumbled
- 6 tbs. chopped chives
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 2 cups Colby jack cheese
- 1 cup Velveeta cheese, cubed
- 1 cup McLarens Cheese
- 8-10 mushrooms, sliced thin
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
Break the cauliflower into florets and cook for 10 minutes. Drain well and let it cool down.
In a large bowl combine the sour cream, mayonnaise, 1/2 the crumbled bacon, 1/2 the chives and 1/2 the cheese and all the mushrooms. Mix well and add the cauliflower, being careful not to smash it down. Fold it into the mixture. Pour into a casserole dish that you prepared with a non stick spray. Top with the rest of the bacon, chives and cheese.
Bake for 15-20 minutes.
OMG! You will love this. We had it with sliced tenderloin. Ohhhhhhhh
Blackberry/Lime Easter Dessert
Easter is coming soon and you will probably have company coming or, even better, being asked out but bring a dessert. Here you are – so easy and certainly easy to take out.
- 2 1/2 cups of graham cracker crumbs
- 1 cup plus 2 tbsp. sugar, divided
- pinch of cinnamon
- 6-7 tbsp. melted butter
- 2 1/2 – 3 cups fresh blackberries
- 1 tbsp. of lime zest, save 1 tsp.
- 1 tbsp. lime juice, divided
- 4 large eggs
- 4 pkgs. Philadelphia cream cheese
- 1 cup whipping cream, whipped and sweetened.
Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
Line a 13 x 9 inch baking dish with parchment paper, with ends hanging over for easy removal.
Mix together the cracker crumbs, 2 tbsp. sugar, cinnamon and melted butter and press into the prepared pan. Bake for 8-10 minutes. Remove and set aside.
Reserve 1/2 cup berries and 1 tsp. zest for later.
Beat together the cream cheese, lime juice, remaining zest and sugar until completely smooth. Add the eggs, one at a time on low speed, mixing well. Fold in the berries carefully and pour into the pan.
Bake 35-40 minutes until almost completely set (just giggle to check). Remove from the oven and cool down completely.
Refrigerate for 5-6 hours and when preparing to serve – pull out with the ‘handles’ of parchment paper and cut into bars. Top with a dollop of whipped cream , a berry and sprinkle the lime zest over.
Cheese Biscuits With A Bite
If there was one major draw back for me (and my waistline is proof) it would be a great biscuit. To me it is like biting into a cloud, so I am going to share this with you. See? I’m so ….uh, don’t finish that statement.
- 2 cups flour
- 1 tbsp. baking powder
- 1/3 cup shortening, cold
- 3/4 cup milk (approx.)
- 1 cup grated cheese (yellow or white cheddar)
- 3-4 drops of hot sauce
- egg wash
Mix the dry ingredients and cut in the shortening until pea size crumbs.
Add the hot sauce to the milk and now add most of the milk, stir to mix (do not over mix). If needed, add a bit more milk to make a soft dough. Stir in the cheese.
Knead on a floured surface 10-12 times.
Form into a large ball and pat lightly out to make a ball that is 1/2 inch thick.
With a floured cutter, cut into triangles and place on a parchment lined baking sheet. Brush with the egg wash and bake for about 12-15 minutes until golden brown on top.
Serve warm with butter and a pot of fresh coffee. Invite a friend over to share….or not!
Best Ever Yorkshire Pudding
Many years ago, while dining at Michelle’s (Don’s niece) she made these wonderful Yorkshire puddings and, of course, I had to ask for the recipe. She gave it willingly and I found it again so am willingly sharing it with you. .
- 1/2 cup flour
- pinch of salt
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 cup milk
Stir the flour and salt together. Beat the egg until thick and combine with the milk.
Make a well in the center and stir in the liquids. Beat with a beater on low speed until the batter is very smooth. (approx. 2 minutes).
Pour 2 tbsp. of the roast drippings in muffin tin cups and heat in the oven until very hot (almost smoking). Remove from the oven and pour in the batter equally until each cup is half full.
Bake at 450 until puffed up and brown. This will take 15-17 minutes. Lower the temperature now to 350 and bake for another 15 minutes. This makes only 6 so if you wanted to have more, double it and then keep some in the oven (with door partially ajar) to keep warm until they ask for more.
I told you these were yummy. Thanks Michelle.