One Pot Lasagna Soup

On By sarafillmerIn Entree, Soup

This soup is so delicious and easy, it makes a perfect winter soup. The next time I make it though I will try tortellini noodles instead of lasagna because I think the extra cheese will make it extra yummy, and extra ground beef. Recipe and photo courtesy of carlsbadcravings.com.

  • 1 pound lean ground beef or half Italian sausage
  • 1 yellow onion, diced
  • 4-5 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1/4 – 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 1 24 oz. jar Prego Traditional Italian Sauce
  • 8-10 cups low sodium chicken broth, divided
  • 1 14 oz. can can crushed tomatoes
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons granulated sugar
  • 1 tablespoon dried basil
  • 1 tsp EACH dried parsley, dried oregano, salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper
  • 1 whole bay leaf
  • 10 uncooked lasagna noodles broken into approx. 1-2 inch pieces*
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream,optional**

Heat large Dutch oven/large soup pot over medium high heat. Add beef and onion and cook, stirring occasionally until beef is browned. Add garlic and red pepper flakes and saute for 30 seconds. Drain off any excess fat. Add Prego Sauce, 6 cups chicken broth, crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, balsamic vinegar, sugar, spices and lasagna noodles. Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer until lasagna noodles are tender, stirring occasionally (approximately 20-30 minutes). Discard bay leaf and stir in heavy cream (optional) and 2-4 cups chicken broth to reach desired consistency. Garnish individual servings with desired amount of cheeses.

Ruth Chris’ Sweet Potato Casserole

On By sarafillmerIn Side Item

I made this casserole for Thanksgiving and it was so good my dad asked if I would make it for Christmas too. It is practically a dessert, and amazingly delicious. The other thing I really liked about this recipe was that it was dairy-free, which meant that my lactose-intolerant family member could enjoy it also! Recipe and photo courtesy of frugalginger.com.

For the Topping:

  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 1/3 cup flour
  • 1 cup chopped nuts (pecans preferred)
  • 1/3 stick butter, melted

For the Filling:

  • 3 cups mashed sweet potatoes
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 2 eggs, well beaten
  • 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted

Combine brown sugar, flour, nuts and butter in mixing bowl for the top crust. Set aside. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a medium-size casserole dish with nonstick spray. Combine sweet potatoes, sugar, salt, vanilla, eggs and butter in a large mixing bowl in the order listed. Beat thoroughly with a hand mixer to increase the fluffiness of the sweet potato mixture. You can also use a stand mixer. Pour mixture into buttered baking dish. Bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees. (At this point, dish can be covered and refrigerated.) Sprinkle the surface of the sweet potato mixture evenly with the crust mixture and return to oven for 10 minutes. Allow to set at least 30 minutes before serving. The brown sugar and pecan crust should be slightly browned and crunchy.

Veggie Dip

On By sarafillmerIn Appetizer, Gluten-Free

I hosted my first ever Christmas party this weekend, and when I was looking for recipes to make I knew I wanted a veggie dip of some kind. I loved that this one was simple, and I knew the Parmesan would be delicious. Recipe and photo courtesy of stonegableblog.com.

  • 1 cup sour cream
  • 1 cup mayonnaise
  • 1/2 cup grated Kraft Parmesan Cheese
  • 1 teaspoon Lawry’s Seasoned Salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
  • 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, finely chopped

Combine all ingredients and refrigerate for at least 4 hours before serving. As with most dips, I found the flavor to be even better second day, so if you can, refrigerate overnight.

The Best Bean Dip

On By sarafillmerIn Appetizer, Gluten-Free

I love me a good bean dip and this one definitely did not disappoint. Recipe and photo courtesy of the-girl-who-ate-everything.com.

  • 1 can (16 ounces) refried beans
  • 1 cup picante sauce (I used my salsa recipe)
  • 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese
  • 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese
  • ¾ cup sour cream
  • 1 package (3 ounces) cream cheese, softened
  • 1 tablespoon chili powder
  • ¼ teaspoon ground cumin (or more to taste)
  • tortilla chips

In a large bowl, combine the first eight ingredients; transfer to a small (1 1/2 qt) slow cooker. Cover and cook on high for 2 hours or until heated through, stirring intermittently. Serve with tortilla chips or Fritos.

*Optional ways of preparing: The slow cooker is ideal because it keeps the dip warm but you can also prepare this in the oven or even microwave. For the Oven: Bake dip at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes or until hot and bubbly. Microwave: Heat in a microwave safe bowl for 5-8 minutes or until cheese is melted and smooth. Stir every couple of minutes.

Ranch Oyster Crackers

On By sarafillmerIn Appetizer

This is another of my paternal grandmother’s favorite party appetizers. They are so easy and addicting, and come together so quickly.

  • 12-16 oz plain oyster crackers
  • 1 package Hidden Valley Ranch Buttermilk Recipe Salad Mix
  • 1/4 teaspoon lemon pepper
  • 1/2-1 teaspoon dill weed
  • 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 3/4-1 cup salad (vegetable) oil

Combine mix and oil, add in dill weed, garlic powder and lemon pepper. Pour over crackers, stir to coat. Place in warm oven (250) for 15-20 mins.

Christmas Punch

On By sarafillmerIn Beverage

This is the punch recipe that my grandmother and mother would use whenever hosting a party at Christmas. You could absolutely use it year round, but it is somewhat of a Christmas tradition in my family. I made it myself for the first time this year for my holiday party and I had forgotten just how good it is.

  • 46 oz unsweetened pineapple juice
  • 46 oz Hawaiian Punch
  • 1 quart Ginger Ale
  • 1 quart cranberry juice

Before serving, make sure all of the ingredients are well chilled. I don’t like to add ice, so this is a pretty crucial step. Combine and stir into the serving bowl or jar of your choice.

Pecan Pie

On By sarafillmerIn Dessert, Pie

This recipe came from Pioneer Woman and I made it this year for Thanksgiving. It got rave reviews from the members of my family, so of course it has to go on this website. One note I would make is to make sure you have a good thick pie crust on the bottom. I used a pre-made Pillsbury and I feel like it didn’t hold up with the filling very well.

  • 1 cup white sugar
  • 3 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup corn syrup
  • 3/4 teaspoons vanilla
  • 1/3 cup melted butter (salted)
  • 3 whole eggs, beaten
  • 1 cup (heaping) chopped pecans

Mix sugar, brown sugar, salt, corn syrup, butter, eggs, and vanilla together in a bowl. Pour chopped pecans in the bottom of the unbaked pie shell. Pour syrup mixture over the top. Cover top and crust lightly/gently with foil. Bake pie at 350º for 30 minutes. Remove foil, then continue baking for 20 minutes, being careful not to burn the crust or pecans. NOTE: PIE SHOULD NOT BE OVERLY JIGGLY WHEN YOU REMOVE IT FROM THE OVEN. If it shakes a lot, cover with foil and bake for an additional 20 minute or until set. Required baking time seems to vary widely with this recipe. Sometimes it takes 50 minutes; sometimes it takes 75!
Allow to cool for several hours or overnight. Serve in thin slivers.

Apple Pie (Like a Boss)

On By sarafillmerIn Dessert, Pie

This apple pie is so, so good. I made it more traditionally with a lattice crust using this recipe: Homemade Pie Crust. The caramel-like filling was delicious, and it came together really quickly. It easily stole the show this Thanksgiving. The hardest thing was letting it cool sufficiently, but it’s well worth the wait. Recipe and photo courtesy of audreysapron.wordpress.com.

  • 2 batches of Homemade Pie Crust (or 1 if you roll it out very thinly!)
  • 7-8 small granny smith apples, peeled, sliced, and cored
  • 1 stick butter
  • 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 1/2 cup white sugar
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 1 heaping tsp cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp nutmeg
  • 1 tsp vanilla

Place the peeled, cored and sliced apples in a large bowl. Set aside. Preheat oven to 425. In a medium sauce pan, melt butter over medium heat. Add the 3 tablespoons of flour and mix well, forming a paste. Add the water, sugars, cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla and mix well. Bring to a boil for 1 minute, then reduce heat to a simmer for an additional minute. Remove from heat and reserve about 1/3 cup of filling for pie crust. Add remaining filling to apples. Toss well. Pour apples into prepared pie crust, mounding slightly. Top with second pie crust (lattice design, etc). Brush the remaining 1/3 cup caramel filling over the crust. Cover the pie loosely with aluminum foil. I lightly spray the foil so it does not stick to the pie. Place the pie on top of a cookie sheet (to catch any drips) and bake at 425 for 10-12 minutes. Reduce the heat to 350 and bake for another 50 minutes (remove the foil the last 10 minutes to let the crust brown), or until done.  The pie is done when the crust is golden-brown and the apples are soft when pierced with a fork. Allow the pie to cool before serving. Enjoy!

How To: Buttery Pie Crust

On By sarafillmerIn Dessert, How To

This Thanksgiving I finally forced myself to tackle the one baked item I usually buy from the grocery store: pie crust. I had tried to make pie crust one other time years ago and was frustrated by how finicky the recipes all seemed. Well, this year I found this recipe and let me tell you, I will never buy store-bought pie crust again. It was flaky and buttery and amazing. So, don’t be scared by the fact that everyone always says how you need to use cold butter, ice water, minimal kneading/handling and on and on. This recipe couldn’t be simpler and will not let you down. Recipe and photo courtesy of audreysapron.wordpress.com.

  • 1 3/4 cup flour
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 1 1/2 sticks of cold butter (12 tablespoons)
  • 1/4 cup + 2 teaspoons ice water (approximately)

Place flour and sugar in a food processor. Pulse. Add about half of the butter. Pulse.  Add the rest of the butter. Pulse until the mixture turns into coarse crumbs. Through the feed tube, slowly add the ice water and pulse until the dough gathers up into a ball.  If it doesn’t after a few seconds, add a few more drops of ice water until it does. Take the dough and flatten it into a disc and place it on a sheet of floured plastic wrap. Refrigerate for about 30 minutes before rolling.

*If you don’t have a food processor you can easily use a pastry blender to cut the butter into the dry mixture.

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Swirl Muffins

On By sarafillmerIn Dessert

These muffins are so, so good. I had most of a can of pumpkin to use up, so don’t be afraid to use less than a full can of pumpkin. They still came out great. I also just greased my muffin tin and didn’t bother with the cupcake liners.  Recipe and photo courtesy of thenovicechefblog.com

  • 1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon pumpkin spice
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 (15 oz) can pumpkin (pure pumpkin puree)
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  •  8 oz cream cheese
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg yolk
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 375. Grease your muffin tin with cooking spray or line your tin with cupcake liners. Set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk flour, pumpkin spice, baking soda and salt until well combined. Set aside. In large bowl, whisk together pumpkin, sugar and brown sugar. Beat in eggs, vegetable oil and vanilla extract. Slowly whisk in the flour mixture, until there are no lumps. Fill muffin tins 3/4 full. In a medium bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth. Add in sugar, egg yolk and vanilla extract and beat until well combined. Top each muffin with about 1 tablespoon of cream cheese mixture and use a toothpick to swirl it into the batter. This will not look smooth, but it will bake up much prettier. Bake muffins for 18-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. I liked these best at room temperature or even slightly chilled! Store in an airtight container in the fridge.