I decided after all the cookies I’ve been making, I needed to mix things up and try something different. I have never heard of savory rugelach, but since my rugelach dough is not sweetened, it can really go either sweet or savory.

This post may contain affiliate links. If you purchase through these links, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.

We love caramelized onions and try to incorporate it into different dishes. One dish that we make all the time is my Mushroom Crust Quiche with Ham and tend to add a layer of caramelized onions. We also use it on top of burgers, add it to dip, or breakfast burritos. Caramelized onions add sweetness and a rich flavor to any dish.

You guys, not to toot my own horn but these are delicious. They are crispy, flaky, slightly sweet from the caramelized onions, and the perfect appetizer. Finish these off with some flaky salt before popping in the oven and you are rewarded with delicious savory appetizer.

As I’ve mentioned before, we have an air fryer that we love. These Caramelized Onion and Feta Rugelach are really good reheated in the air fryer. They get warm and crispy again, making these perfect to make ahead and reheat before you want to serve them.

Tips for homemade rugelach

Make the dough and caramelized onions the day before you want to bake, you want both to be chilled before using. The dough needs to be well chilled, otherwise it is quite sticky and would be impossible to work with.

Once you are ready to roll the dough, make sure you have enough flour on your surface so it won’t stick. I like to pick up the dough and rotate it as I’m rolling to ensure it’s not sticking.

Don’t worry if your dough is not a perfect circle, mine never are and they still turn out great. It makes them look homemade and rustic! My rugelach are also always different sizes, but I don’t mind.

I prefer to use a pizza cutter to cut the dough into triangles. A sharp knife would work perfectly fine as well, it’s just fun using the pizza cutter on these.

Rugelach dough can be made ahead of time and frozen for up to three months. Any leftover baked rugelach can be frozen up to one month. I like to freeze my dough ahead of time during the holidays so I can just roll and bake cookies when needed.

Make sure to finely chop the caramelized onions. It will make it easier when spreading them over the dough. As you can see in my pictures, I have some spots that look like there’s no onion. That’s ok though, as you roll them up there will be onion evenly distributed.

If you really wanted to, you could blend the onions into a paste to spread out. I like the rustic look and the pieces of onions. Do what feels right to you, there’s really no wrong way to do these as they will still taste great!

I highly recommend the addition of flaky salt on top. I’ve tried this recipe with and without the salt, and the salt version was better.

Made this recipe? Be sure to comment below and rate the recipe. I’d love to hear what you thought about it!

Print

Caramelized Onion and Feta Rugelach

Caramelized Onion and Feta Rugelach are crispy, flaky, slightly sweet from the caramelized onions, and the perfect appetizer. A great savory alternative to traditional rugelach.

Course Appetizer

Cuisine American

Keyword caramelized onions, Cheese, cream cheese, pastry

Prep Time 1 hour hour

Cook Time 33 minutes minutes

Chilling time 8 hours hours

Total Time 9 hours hours 33 minutes minutes

Servings 32 rugelach

Author Amy’s Delicious Mess

Ingredients

Dough

• 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 1/8 cups all purpose flour (1/8 cup is equivalent to 2 tablespoons)

Caramelized onions

• 1 1/2-2 large onions, diced
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• pinch kosher salt
• water, for deglazing the pan if needed

Filling

• 1 cup caramelized onion, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon milk (I used alternative milk), to brush on top
• flaky salt for topping, optional

Instructions

Make the caramelized onions

• Heat up vegetable oil over medium heat in a large skillet.  Add the diced onions and stir with a wooden spoon °until translucent. 
• Season with a pinch of salt and reduce the heat to medium-low. Keep stirring for about 15-20 minutes or until golden brown in color. 
• If the bottom of the pan starts getting too brown, add a splash of water and scrape the brown bits off.  The onions will absorb the water.  You do not want your onions to have too much moisture, so be sure to cook off any excess liquid.
• Transfer to a bowl to cool completely. Once cooled, refrigerate until needed.

Make the dough

• In the bowl of a stand mixer or using a hand held mixer, beat the cream cheese and butter until well blended together.
• Add in 1/2 of the flour and mix until incorporated, then add in the remaining flour and mix until fully incorporated. Scraping down the sides as needed. The dough will be soft and sticky, but don’t add any additional flour.
• Divide the dough in 1/2 and place each piece of dough onto a piece of plastic wrap. Fold over half of the plastic wrap and press down into a 1-inch thick circle. Then wrap up with the remaining plastic wrap.
• Continue until you have all of the dough wrapped. Place in the fridge to chill overnight.

Making the rugelach

• Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Lightly coat your dough circle with flour and on a lightly floured surface (I like to use parchment paper), roll out one disk of dough to a 11-inch circle. Use more flour as necessary as you don’t want the dough to stick to your surface.
• Spread 1/2 cup of finely chopped caramelized onion over the surface of the dough and sprinkle on about 1/8 cup of crumbled feta. Sprinkle on 1/4 teaspoon (or to taste) of black pepper.
• Using a sharp knife or pizza cutter, cut each circle into 16 wedges. Roll up each wedge starting from the outer edge in towards the middle.
• Once rolled, place on the prepared sheet pan with the point side down. Continue rolling the remaining rugelach until you have enough to fill your pan. Once the pan is filled, brush on milk and sprinkle with flaky salt (if using).
• Bake for 30-33 minutes or until golden brown. Rotate the tray 1/2 through baking. Transfer to a wire cooling rack once they come out of the oven to cool. These are best served warm or at room temperature.
• Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge. These will keep up to 4 days in the fridge or up to a month in the freezer.

Notes

1. I like to make the dough and caramelized onions to day before.  This makes the assembly process easier as everything is chilled and ready to go.
2. You can easily double this recipe or just the dough.  This is the exact same dough recipe as my Raspberry Walnut Rugelach.  You could make 1/2 savory and 1/2 sweet for an appetizer and dessert!
3. The dough freezes really well, you can make extra keep dough on hand for when you want an easier rugelach.
4. You can freeze the baked rugelach in a plastic freezer bag for up to a month.  When you are ready to serve you can simple refresh them in the oven or air fryer at 350F until they are warm and crispy.

 

The nutrition facts below are based on the recipe above.  This is only an estimation and intended for informational purposes only.

 

If you make any of my recipes, be sure to tag me on Instagram @amysdeliciousmess and use #amysdeliciousmess.  I’d love to see all of your pictures!

Don’t forget to sign up for my emails to get all of the latest and greatest recipes!

The post Caramelized Onion and Feta Rugelach appeared first on Amy's Delicious Mess.

Did you have the same love for Hot Pockets, or is it just me? I can remember coming home from school and having one as a snack. So these Baked Ham and Cheese Empanadas are kind of nostalgic for me. I like to think of them as a grown up version of a Hot Pocket.

This post may contain affiliate links. If you purchase through these links, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.

We generally try to eat less processed frozen foods. Don’t get me wrong, there are some great frozen things out there that we really enjoy. But Hot Pockets or frozen TV dinners are not one of them. I would say that our tastes have grown up and things that were great from childhood just aren’t the same now. Do you ever find that something was so good when you were a kid, but now it’s just meh?

I love, love, love, the pastry dough from the Baked Turkey Curry Empanadas. I’ve even turned leftover dough into Easy Blueberry Lemon Galette, which I highly recommend. This time I wanted something a little different and easier to make. If you don’t feel like making the dough, you could use store bought pie crust or even puff pastry.

These Baked Ham and Cheese Empanadas are good, like really good. It may be dangerous for me to know that. I could easily polish off a whole tray of these. They are crispy, cheesy, salty, and deliciousness in a hand held pocket.

Filling options

Ham and cheese are my fillings of choice for these empanadas. I like to use ham steaks that you can find at the grocery store. I have not tried this with ham lunch meat and I don’t think I would. I like the fact that I can dice the ham steak to my desired size. I think lunch meat would be a little too thin for my liking. That being said, let me know if you decide to try these with lunch meat.

We always have a mild cheddar on hand so that is what I used. You can use any type of cheese you’d like. I always recommend shredding your own cheese, shredded cheese contains additives that prevent the cheese from caking together. If you are in a rush though, it would work just as well.

If you want a meatless version, you could easily substitute the ham with something else. I have tried these with sliced black olives and they are just as delicious. You could even do ham, cheese and olives!

Assembly

I like to roll my dough out to at least 1/8″ thickness if not a little thinner. I love that my rolling pin is adjustable with removable guides so you get a consistent thickness. There’s nothing worse than having uneven dough, that means uneven cooking times.

I didn’t have a cutter on hand so I just used a plastic mason jar lid. I always have these around and it was the perfect size. If you want to make larger empanadas, you can use a larger cutter. I like this size as they are good for an appetizer or snack. If you want to make a meal out of them you just eat a couple more and serve with a side dish or two.

The filling amounts for each empanada may seem like too much, but the dough will be able to stretch over the filling. I would much rather have lots of filling than an under filled empanada. It just takes a little bit of practice with the folding and pleating of the dough. Mine sometimes have holes in them, but that’s how you know they are homemade and filled with love!

What kind of fillings would you stuff your empanadas with?

Made this recipe? Be sure to comment below and rate the recipe. I’d love to hear what you thought about it!

Print

Baked Ham and Cheese Empanadas

Baked Ham and Cheese Empanadas are crispy, cheesy, and salty goodness in a hand held pocket. A reminder of a childhood favorite but better!

Course Appetizer, Dinner, Lunch, Snack

Cuisine Latin American

Keyword Cheese, Empanadas, ham, pastry

Prep Time 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time 12 minutes minutes

Total Time 42 minutes minutes

Servings 26 empanadas, approximately

Author Amy’s Delicious Mess

Ingredients

• 1 batch pastry dough, see notes
• 2 cups diced ham
• 2 cups shredded mild cheddar cheese, packed
• 1 large egg
• 1 tbsp. water, for the egg wash

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 450° F and line the baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface. 1/8″ should be about the perfect thickness.
• Cut out rounds of dough with a 3 1/2 inch cutter. (See above for what I used.)
• Holding the dough circle in the palm of your hand, add about a tablespoon of each ham and cheese. Starting at one end, bring the dough together while using your other hand to push the filling into the dough.
• Once your dough is closed, you can either crimp with the tines of a fork or fold over the dough empanada style. I like folding the dough over as it makes for a better presentation.
• Starting at one end, you simply fold the edge of the dough on itself until you get to the other end. Tuck the end of the dough onto the empanada. Repeat until you have used all of your filling.
• Place the finished empanadas onto the prepared baking sheet spaced about 1/2" apart. You don't want them to touch each other.
• In a small bowl make your egg wash. Beat together the egg and 1 tbsp of water.
• Brush the empanadas before baking with the egg wash.
• Bake for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown.

Notes

1. I used the same pastry dough I used in my Baked Turkey Curry Empanadas and Easy Blueberry Lemon Galette.  If preferred, you can use store bought pastry crust.  You may have some extra dough, which you can make more empanandas or a dessert.
2. I used a ham steak and diced it up.  I wouldn’t make the chunks too big, as it would make it harder to close the empanadas.
3. If you want you can make these meatless.  I have made them with cheese and olives and they were equally delicious.
4. These empanadas have a mild cheddar in them, you could certainly use what ever kind of shredded cheese you have.  I recommend grating your own cheese and not using the pre-grated cheese.
5. The baked empanadas freeze well if you have any leftovers.  Just place into a freezer bag and they should stay good for a couple of months.  To reheat, bake at 375ºF for 10 minutes or until warm.  You can also reheat in an air fryer, which is our preferred way.

 

The nutrition facts below are based on the recipe above.  This is only an estimation and intended for informational purposes only.

 

If you make any of my recipes, be sure to tag me on Instagram @amysdeliciousmess and use #amysdeliciousmess.  I’d love to see all of your pictures!

Don’t forget to sign up for my emails to get all of the latest and greatest recipes!

The post Baked Ham and Cheese Empanadas appeared first on Amy's Delicious Mess.

This post may contain affiliate links. If you purchase through these links, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.

I’m not sure where she got the recipe originally, but I made quite a few changes to the recipe she had sent to me. I generally try to make recipes a little healthier. Especially when I know it won’t affect the integrity or structure of the end product. This recipe is very versatile and easily customizable to personal tastes.

What I like about this recipe is that it’s healthier than normal quiche since the crust is replaced with mushrooms and cracker crumbs. Don’t get me wrong, I love a good crust. There are just time when I try to cut calories so that I can have a treat later in the day. Do you ever do that? Eat with trade-offs in mind?

Possible modifications

I generally try to add a little extra protein when I can. This quiche is delicious with chopped ham, but if you could make this vegetarian if you omit it. I have also made this with some leftover crumbled turkey sausage, but you could easily use any type of precooked breakfast meat.

You can easily use any kind of cheese that you like or have on hand. You can use a mixture of different cheeses or just one. I generally use mild cheddar and mozzarella.

When I happen to have some extra caramelized onions on hand, I like to add them instead of or in addition to the green onions. They add great flavor and a nice sweetness to the quiche. If you wanted to make a batch to add to the quiche, I don’t think that you would regret it.

Any 9-10-inch pie pan should work, I have used both sizes with no issues. I’ve also never had an issue with sticking and I don’t grease my pan. If you are worried about the quiche sticking, you can grease it before adding your crust.  I have used both this red ruffled pie dish and this standard pie dish. Both are great sizes and so pretty!

Serving ideas

This Mushroom Crust Quiche with Ham would be perfect for brunch. I would serve it with some fresh fruit and my Banana Muffins with Oatmeal Topping. It would also be good served with a slice or two of English Muffin Bread. Slather the English Muffin Bread with butter and freezer jam and you have a hearty and filling meal.

If you want something a little lighter, a side salad would pair well with the quiche. That is what we did this time and it was equally as delicious. Whatever you decide to serve this quiche with, you won’t regret making it.

Leftovers

To reheat leftovers, you can microwave, bake, or air fry until warm. We have found like we like to air fry our leftover quiche the best. The crust gets crispy and the cheesy top gets brown and toasty. We love our air fryer and find that it heats up leftovers really well. Highly recommended!

In the event that you do have leftovers, this quiche keeps well in the fridge for a couple of days. If you don’t plan on eating it before then, I would suggest freezing individual slices. Line a sheet pan with plastic wrap or parchment paper, then space the leftover slices out on the pan. Once the slices are frozen, wrap in plastic wrap and place in a freezer bag.

Print

Mushroom Crust Quiche with Ham

This Mushroom Crust Quiche is lighter than any normal quiche I've had. The crust consists of mushrooms and crushed crackers creating a healthier alternative!

Course Breakfast, Brunch, Lunch, Main Course

Cuisine American

Keyword eggs, mushrooms, quiche

Prep Time 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time 35 minutes minutes

Cooling Time 5 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 10 minutes minutes

Servings 6 slices

Author Amy

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp unsalted butter
• 1/2 lb baby bella mushrooms coarsely chopped
• 1/2 cup finely crushed saltines, approximately 14 crackers
• 3/4 cup green onions, sliced and divided
• 1 cup diced ham, see notes
• 4 large eggs
• 1 cup cottage cheese, low fat, 2%
• 1 scant cup mild cheddar cheese, shredded and divided
• 1 scant cup mozzarella cheese, shredded and divided
• 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes or cayenne pepper, optional
• 1/4 tsp paprika
• 1/4 tsp kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp ground black pepper

Instructions

• In a medium skillet over medium heat, add the butter and mushrooms. Saute for 6-7 minutes, or until tender. Stir in the crushed cracker crumbs and transfer to a 9 or 10-inch pie pan. Press the crust mixture evenly over the bottom and up the side of the pie pan.
• Sprinkle 3/4 of the sliced green onions evenly over the crust, reserving some to sprinkle on top. Sprinkle the diced ham evenly over the green onions.
• In a medium bowl, mix together the cottage cheese, eggs, red pepper flakes, paprika, salt, and pepper. Mix in the shredded cheese, reserving 1/4 cup to sprinkle on top.
• Pour the egg and cheese mixture over the diced ham, using a rubber spatula to spread it out evenly. Sprinkle the reserved green onions and cheese over the top.
• Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until golden brown and the center is set. A toothpick should come out clean. Let cool for 5 minutes before serving.

Notes

1. I used low fat cottage cheese, but you can use regular cottage cheese.
2. If you don’t like ham, you can easily omit or substitute it with something else.  I’ve used homemade ground turkey sausage but I have also made this with no meat. Any and all combinations are equally delicious!
3. You can use any kind of cheese that you like or have on hand.
4. I have added caramelized onions to this instead of using green onions when I happened to have some on hand, it add a nice sweetness to the quiche.
5. I have used two different pie dishes and I’ve never had an issue with sticking.  I love both this red ruffled pie dish and this standard pie dish.

 

The nutrition facts below are based on the recipe above.  This is only an estimation and intended for informational purposes only.

 

If you make any of my recipes, be sure to tag me on Instagram @amysdeliciousmess and use #amysdeliciousmess.  I’d love to see all of your pictures!

Don’t forget to sign up for my emails to get all of the latest and greatest recipes!

The post Mushroom Crust Quiche with Ham appeared first on Amy's Delicious Mess.

When I saw this Crispy Cheesy Pan Pizza floating around on Instagram I knew I had to give it a try. King Arthur Flour called it their 2020 Recipe of the Year. With that kind of endorsement it had to be good, right?

This version of a pan pizza is simple to put together, but it does take some patience. The majority of the time for this recipe is the overnight proofing in the refrigerator. I promise you though, it’s worth the wait.

My boyfriend LOVES pizza, so he was pretty excited for this. The best part is the crispy cheese on the edge of the pizza. I’m not normally a huge fan of pizza crust (I’d rather have all the toppings), but there was no way I was going to share my crusts this time!

This post may contain affiliate links. If you purchase through these links, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.

The Sauce

I’ve been making my own pizza sauce and it’s super simple. You just take a can of diced tomatoes, add in some minced garlic and dried herbs. Cook in a pot and mash with a potato masher to get a chunky marinara type sauce. I recommend making your own sauce, it’s so much better than the jarred stuff.

If you are going to take the effort to make this Crispy Cheesy Pan Pizza, the extra 20-25 minutes to make the sauce is worth it. I like my sauce chunky, but if you like a smoother sauce, blitz it up. I would recommend an immersion blender. You can stick it directly into the pot to blend the pizza sauce.

This Crispy Cheesy Pan Pizza does use a cast iron pan, that is how you get the crispy crust and cheese around the edges. I have not tried this in a regular cake pan but according to King Arthur Flour’s recipe, you can. I’m just not sure if the pan pizza would get as crispy. Let me know if you try it in a cake pan, as I know not everyone has a cast iron skillet handy.

I decided to only add fresh basil at the end instead of a lot of fancy toppings. Generally I’m all about the toppings, but with this I wanted to keep it simple so I could really taste the pizza. That being said, I would maybe add pepperoni next time but I still think simpler is better.

We could have easily polished off this whole Crispy Cheesy Pan Pizza, but we showed a little restraint and saved a few slices. This would be great with a salad to make a balanced meal.

What would you add to this pizza? What’s your favorite pizza toppings?

Print

Crispy Cheesy Pan Pizza

This Cheesy Crispy Pan Pizza is so good, you won't believe that it's just made with simple ingredients. Add any toppings you'd like or just keep it simple. It's sure to be a crowd pleaser!

Course Dinner

Cuisine American

Keyword Cheesy, Crispy, Pan Pizza, Pizza Sauce

Prep Time 50 minutes minutes

Cook Time 24 minutes minutes

Rising Time 16 hours hours

Total Time 17 hours hours 14 minutes minutes

Servings 8 Slices

Author Amy

Ingredients

Pizza Dough

• 2 cups (240g) all purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp active dry yeast
• 3/4 cup (170g) lukewarm water
• 1 tbsp (13g) olive oil + 1 1/2 tablespoons (18g) olive oil for the pan

Pizza Sauce

• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1 14.5oz can diced tomatoes
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1/4 tsp dried basil
• 1/4 tsp dried oregano
• 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes, optional
• 1/4 tsp ground black pepper

Toppings

• 1 1/4 cups (170g) mozzarella, grated, freshly grated is best
• fresh basil leaves, optional

Instructions

Pizza Dough

• In a large mixing bowl, place the flour, salt, yeast, and 1 tbsp of the olive oil. Mix with a wooden spoon or spatula until it just comes together and there are no more dry patches of flour.
• Scrape down the sides of the bowl and gather the dough into a rough ball. Cover the bowl with a clean towel and let sit for 5 minutes.
• Uncover the bowl, wet your hands and reach between the bowl and the dough. You are going to stretch the bottom of the dough up and over its top. This folding takes the place of having to knead the dough.
• Re-cover the bowl, and after 5 minutes you will do another fold. Repeat this until you have done four folds total. After your fourth fold, cover the bowl and let it rise for 40 minutes.
• Refrigerate the pizza dough for at least 12 hours, up to 72 hours.

Pizza Sauce

• In a medium sauce pan on medium heat, add the olive oil. Once the olive oil is hot, add the garlic and stir until fragrant. Do not let your garlic burn, it will become bitter.
• Add the diced tomatoes and mash with a potato masher or wooden spoon to break up the chunks. Add the dried basil, oregano, red pepper flakes (if using), and black pepper.
• Bring the sauce to a boil and then reduce to low. Stirring occasionally, simmer until thickened and reduced, about 20 minutes.
• Cool before topping on the pizza.

Assembly

• You will need to start this about 3 hours before you want to eat.
• Pour 1 1/2 tbsp olive oil into your cast iron pan. Your pan should be 10" to 11" diameter across the top and about 9" across the bottom. You can alternatively use a cake pan if you don't have a cast iron pan. Using your fingers or a brush, make sure the bottom and sides of the pan are well coated in the oil.
• Place the dough into the pan, turning over once to ensure the dough is coated in oil. Press the dough to the edges of the pan, using your fingers. You will want to have dimples in your dough from your fingertips. The dough may want to shrink back, but that's ok. Cover with a towel and let rest for 15 minutes.
• Repeat the process of pressing the dough out and dimpling. If your dough still shrinks back, rest for another 15 minutes and repeat once again.
• Cover and let the dough rest at room temperature for 2 hours. The dough should look soft and pillowy after the 2 hours.
• About 30 minutes before baking, preheat your oven to 450°F. One oven rack should be at the bottom of the oven and the other should be close to the top but not at the very top.
• While the oven is preheating, sprinkle 3/4 of the mozzarella evenly over the crust. Make sure to get the cheese all the way to the edges, that will give you the nice crispy cheese bits. Dollop spoonfuls of the pizza sauce over the cheese and top with remaining mozzarella.
• Bake the pizza on the bottom rack of the oven for 18-20 minutes, until the cheese is bubbling and the bottom and edges of the crust are a nice golden brown. Use a spatula to check the bottom. If the bottom is not brown enough, bake for a few more minutes. If the bottom is done but the top is not brown, place the pizza on the upper rack and bake for a few more minutes. Make sure to watch your pizza closely if it's on the top rack, you don't want it to burn.
• Remove the pizza from the oven. Carefully run a spatula around the edge of the pizza, to prevent the cheese from sticking to the pan as it cools. Let the pizza cool for 5 minutes before removing and slicing.
• Top with fresh basil leaves (if using) before serving.

Notes

1. You will only need about 1/2 of the sauce, but save the rest and serve it on the side or save for another pizza.
2. I cut the pizza on a wooden cutting board and used a sharp knife.  Once the pizza was cut, I put it back into the cast iron pan so that it would stay warm.

 

The nutrition facts below are based on the recipe above with the optional ingredients.  This is only an estimation and intended for informational purposes only.

Don’t like pizza? Try one of these dinner ideas instead!

Cilantro Lime Chicken

Lasagna

Thai Red Curry

The post Crispy Cheesy Pan Pizza appeared first on Amy's Delicious Mess.

The post Hot Sweet Onion Dip appeared first on Amy's Delicious Mess.

The post 7 Layer Dip appeared first on Amy's Delicious Mess.

The post Lemon Ricotta Muffins appeared first on Amy's Delicious Mess.

The post Loaded Mashed Potatoes appeared first on Amy's Delicious Mess.

This was the second time that I made it and it turned out just as good as last time. I left out the mushrooms and olives because B doesn’t like them, but next time I may try adding them to part of it. I was able to make two lasagnas out of this recipe. I used a 13X9 and a 8X8 pan because there was no way that everything would fit into the 13X9 pan. This worked out well because I just froze the smaller pan and had it for dinner another time. Last time I cooked the lasagna and then froze it, but this time I froze it as is and did not bake it. I will see which way I like better but I think that freezing it as is will work out better.

Lasagna

Adapted from Cooking, Dunkin Style

1 pound ground beef
1 pound Italian sausage (I used sage sausage)

1/2 of a large onion, chopped

4 cloves of garlic, minced

lasagna noodles (I used 12)

1 jar pasta sauce

1 15 ounce can tomato sauce

Dried Italian herbs, basil, oregano

salt and pepper to taste (I didn’t add any salt because I didn’t think it needed any)

1 pound shredded mozzarella

1 pound shredded cheddar

1 cup Parmesan cheese, divided.

1 brick cream cheese

2 cups ricotta cheese

Cook the lasagna noodles according to the directions on the box.

In a large pan medium to medium high heat brown the ground beef and sausage. Once the meat is all brown drain off as much grease as you can.

Add the onions and garlic. Cook until the onions start to get soft, about 5 minutes.

Add the pasta sauce.

Add the tomato sauce.

Add the dried herbs and salt and pepper.

Mix it all together and simmer for about 20 minutes.

Meanwhile mix together the ricotta and cream cheese.

Mix together the mozzarella, cheddar and 1/2 cup Parmesan.

The blue dish has the other 1/2 cup of Parmesan that will be sprinkled on top.

Once the sauce is done you can start laying your ingredients.

Start with a layer of the sauce on the bottom of your pan.

The add a layer of your noodles.

Top with another layer of the sauce.

Add a layer of the ricotta mixture. (I just put blobs of the cheese and used an offset spatula to spread it out.)

Add a layer of your shredded cheese.

Add another layer of noodles and repeat until you reach the top of your pan. Both of my pans ended up having 3 layers of noodles.

Finish with a layer of cheese. Sprinkle the remaining Parmesan cheese on top.

Bake at 350 degrees F for 35-40 minutes, until bubbly and the cheese is brown. Let rest for 10 minutes and serve. (I forgot to let it rest. OPPS!)

Enjoy!

The post Lasagna appeared first on Amy's Delicious Mess.

I used the cheese that I had on hand. You can use whatever kinds of cheese that you want. You can use one, two or three different kinds like I did. I’m not too sure of the exact measurement of cheese that I used because B was shredding and eating it and shredding more and eating more. We like cheese so we put more in but if you aren’t a big fan of a lot of cheese then just use less.

This was a really simple recipe. It turned out really good. It’s relatively healthy too if you don’t add all the cheese. But cheese is dairy so it’s good for you right?

Broccoli Cheese Soup

3 heads of broccoli (I used both the stems and florets. I got about 3 cups of stems and 8 cups of florets. I kept them separate because I added them in at different times. You’ll want to make sure that your broccoli is cut up into bite sized pieces)

1/2 an onion

2 cloves of garlic, minced

2 cups milk (I used non-fat milk)

1/2 cup water

1 quart chicken stock

1 bay leaf

3 cups of cheese (I used Gruyere, medium cheddar and mozzarella)

salt and pepper to taste

olive oil

In a large pot over medium high heat drizzle some olive oil. You need just enough to cook your onions and broccoli stems. Probably 1 or 2 tablespoons.

Add the onions and garlic and saute for a 2 minutes.

Add the broccoli stems and saute for about 5 minutes.

Add the chicken stock.

Add the milk, water and bay leaf.

Add salt and pepper to taste. (I ended up adding more salt and pepper later after I had tasted it.)

Cover and allow to simmer for 20 minutes. Stirring occasionally.

Isn’t my new pot great??? I’ve been wanting one of these for a while now and Macy’s had a good deal on it plus I had a gift card so it cost me less than $25!!! I love a good deal!

Add all the broccoli florets except for 2 cups. Allow to simmer for another 15-20 minutes or until the broccoli is completely cooked.

Remove the bay leaf and puree your soup until it is completely smooth. I used a stick blender for this but you can add your soup into a blender in batches if you would rather.

Once the soup is blended add the remaining broccoli florets and cook until they are done which will take probably about 5 to 10 minutes.

Add all the cheese and stir until completely melted.

Enjoy!

The post Broccoli Cheese Soup appeared first on Amy's Delicious Mess.