Super Simple Breakfast: Texas Hash, Sausage and Egg Casserole, More Casserole Links

Photo: Sausage Egg Casserole from AllRecipes.com

From Denny:  Going to the beach for Labor Day?  Company coming and you are wondering what is easy to cook up for a hungry crowd?  Here are a couple of easy recipes for breakfast any time of the day.  They are also the kind of flexible recipes that you can add some of your favorite ingredients or seasonings to your taste.

Texas Hash is so simple for breakfast, lunch or a quick dinner.  It's a great recipe for using up pre-cooked rice.  This recipe calls for cooking the rice ahead of time.  If you are going to the beach you could easily pre-cook the rice, package it up to make the dish later so it would not take long to complete the cooking.  This Texas Hash is made with ground beef instead of the traditional leftover roast beef or chuck roast which is also quite tasty.

Just brown up the ground beef - how about ground sirloin for extra awesome flavor? - add a chopped onion to saute.  This recipe calls for browning the onion which I'm no fan of because it tends to give off a really strong burned taste to the dish.  It's better to first brown the meat, turn down the heat and then slower saute the onion until soft and sweet.

Add the can of diced tomato - or take the time to add diced fresh beefsteak tomato.  Season with a packet of taco seasoning.  Of course, I would add extra garlic powder, smoked paprika, cumin and some dried ginger to taste.  We like a lot of spices in this part of the South.  Serve with loads of shredded cheddar cheese or your favorite cheese like maybe some Parmesan or Romano or Asiago or Monterey Jack or even fresh Mexican cheese.

The Sausage and Egg Casserole is a safe bet for company visits when everyone is a bit tired from the trip.  You can make this ahead of their arrival and bake the next morning.  How simple and effortless is that? ...

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Memorial Day Easy Recipe Travels Well: Beef Taco Pasta Casserole

From Denny:  Looking for a new family favorite that doesn't break the bank or take forever to make?  It's a simple, straight forward main dish that can travel well to family reunions, potluck dinners, picnics and Memorial Day or Labor Day and summer outings with friends and family when a dish is requested to bring to the event.  It's an easy dish for Saturday night casual or a busy week night when the family is going in twenty different directions as you can scoop up a serving and reheat it in the microwave with ease.

This recipe calls for browning the beef in butter or olive oil.  I always clarify my butter, even letting it brown a bit to give it a nutty flavor (then straining off the crispy milk solids) so awesome for casserole dishes like this that bake with cheese.  As far as spices go, I'd add some extra cumin, smokey paprika and garlic powder.  Some fresh chopped cilantro would be awesome too!  

If you wanted to try a twist on the salsa you could try using the organic marinara sauce under the Trader Joe's brand we love at our house - one of the few sauces out of a jar that actually tastes terrific, without any sugar added is a bonus!

As to cheese, I'd add another cup of a good melting cheese like a Mexican fresh farmer's cheese or a mozzarella, whatever you enjoy.  This is an easy casserole that can take on the personality of your favorite tastes so experiment and tailor it to your family's taste.

Serve this easy casserole with a large green salad or some grilled veggies like zucchini sliced long to show off those well-earned grill marks.  This casserole freezes well and reheats just fine in the microwave.  Except for the ground beef and the cheddar cheese the rest of the recipe comes out of your pantry.  This casserole is one of those easy recipes when you are too tired to make something more complicated.  What more could you ask for anyway?

This is Memorial Day weekend so stay safe on the roads!  And please remember America's fallen of many wars past, saying a prayer for their families.

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Comfort Food From Louisiana: Beef: Braised Sirloin Tips

Mushrooms Image by Getty Images via @daylife

Comfort Food From Louisiana: Beef: Braised Sirloin Tips: From Denny: Want a low maintenance meal to throw in the oven during the holiday season while you tend to other things? A hearty casserole is always welcome when the weather turns chilly. You might want relief from dining on turkey. Why not try this easy braised sirloin tips recipe?

Besides, it has brain food: mushrooms. During the holiday season it's easy to get frazzled and it sure is fun to know that mushrooms are available to get our overloaded brains back on target. :)

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From Chef Guy Fieri: 5 Super Bowl Party Appetizers

From steak sliders, pork bites to barbecue shrimp, Guy Fieri has all your favorite finger foods for the perfect party.

From Denny: Chef Guy Fieri offers up some stellar munchies for any party menu for a crowd to enjoy. These recipes are the result of his association with Ritz crackers as a spokesman. All kinds of delightful finger foods are made from steak like mini-Philly steaks, barbecue bacon-wrapped shrimp, chili-garlic Chinese pork with pineapple slaw and turkey sausage and cheese stuffed jalapenos. Need I say more? :)

Be sure to check out the download pdf file, Ritz Guy Recipes, with more recipes too.

Recipes Featured:

Ritz Cheese Steak Sliders
Bacon Wrapped Prawns with Chipotle BBQ Sauce
Big Island Pork Bites
Ritz Asian Shrimp Toppers
Italian Stuffed Jalapenos

Chocolate: Beef Stew With Chocolate

This Chef David Rocco is on a roll with awesome savory recipes using dark chocolate as a star ingredient.

From Denny: This has shaped up to be Chocolate Week at this blog! :) I've been hunting some great - and easy - savory dishes to make with dark chocolate. This week I stumbled upon Chef Rocco with the same sense of adventure employing chocolate as a spice.

Too often, especially we Americans, think inside the Godiva chocolate box when it comes to using chocolate in our cooking. I've often wondered what we could do with chocolate - minus the usual suspects paired with it: milk, cream and sugar.

Besides, the health community is always telling us to eat more dark chocolate because of the health benefits. But who really wants to be found day after day nibbling on a huge hard bar of messy cooking chocolate? Now, is that terribly original? Savory recipes using chocolate are the best answer to give us variety and explode our imagination!


Spezzatino di Manzo al Cioccolato: Beef Stew with Chocolate

From:  Chef David Rocco

Prep Time: 15 min

Cook Time: 1 hr 45 min

Level: Easy

Serves: 4 servings


Ingredients:

5 tablespoons/74 ml extra-virgin olive oil
4 ounces/114 g smoked pancetta, cubed
Flour, for dredging
2 pounds/900 g stewing beef, cut into 1-inch cubes
4 fresh sage leaves
3 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves picked
Salt
1 cup/240 ml sherry
4 cups/941 ml vegetable broth
2 cups/457 g chopped finest quality plain dark chocolate (at least 70 percent cocoa)


Directions:

In a saucepan, heat up the olive oil. Add the pancetta and cook until the fat has been rendered down.

Place the flour in a shallow bowl or dish. Dredge the beef in the flour, shake off any excess flour, and add the beef to the hot pan. Sear the beef, stirring well so that all sides are browned. Add the sage, thyme (without the stem), and salt, to taste, to the saucepan. Deglaze the pan with the sherry and stir to pick up any brown bits. Once the sherry has reduced, add a couple ladles of vegetable broth and let reduce. Continue stirring and add the chopped chocolate. Once the chocolate has completely melted, add a few more ladles of vegetable broth.

Allow to cook for 1 hour on medium heat, adding more vegetable broth, if necessary.


*** For more savory and sweet recipes from Chef David Rocco:

Chocolate: Chocolate Risotto - Enjoy a rice pudding style dessert made with chocolate.

Chocolate: Penne Pasta with Chocolate and Anchovies - Another creative food thought from Chef David Rocco.

Appetizer with Chocolate: Sauteed Shrimp Drizzled with Chocolate - Check out this unusual dish employing chocolate as a spice.

Candy: Almond Brittle - The best combination ever invented: almonds and chocolate. Enjoy this chef recipe of a few ingredients.

Drink: Chocolate Martini - A chocolate martini, with the glass rim coated with fresh pear and shaved chocolate, for that perfect sip.


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Recipe: Cajun Meatloaf

Similar version of meatloaf Image via Wikipedia

From Denny: While researching for an article concerning women's issues I ran across this site called BellaOnline and they also had a wonderful food section.

Cajun Meatloaf

From: Sandie Jarrett, Cajun and Creole Editor @ BellaOnline.com

I'm not much of a meatloaf fan but most of the males I know sure are. I adapted this recipe from one I came upon in an old Cajun cookbook. Although somewhat different, (less hot pepper, more garlic, olive oil instead of butter, stock instead of canned milk, no ketchup), the flavors are all there – fresh meat, a little heat, and of course a classic Trinity.

Remember to season to taste. If you enjoy a hot and spicy dish, then you will probably want to double up on the cayenne pepper or even add your favorite Cajun seasoning blend.

Serve with garlic mashed potatoes or my Cajun Roasted Potatoes for a new twist on a Classic American Dish. Serve with gravy or a thin, tangy BBQ sauce.

Makes 6 – 8 servings


Ingredients


3 tablespoons olive oil

3/4 cup finely chopped onion

1/2 cup finely chopped celery

1/2 cup finely chopped bell pepper

1/4 cup finely chopped green onions

3 tablespoons finely chopped Italian Parsley

3 cloves minced garlic (about 4 teaspoons) or to taste

2 medium bay leaves (whole)

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1/2 - 3/4 teaspoons cayenne, or to taste

1 teaspoons finely ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon white pepper

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1/2 cup beef stock

1 can (6 oz) tomato paste

2 pounds ground beef

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

1 cups very fine dry bread crumbs


Method

Preheat the oven to 350º. Position the oven rack in the middle of the oven.

Combine the seasoning mix in a bowl and set aside.

Heat the oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the celery, onion, and bell pepper and cook until they begin to soften. Add the green onions, parsley, garlic, Worcestershire sauce and the seasonings. Sauté 5 - 6 minutes, stirring and scraping the bottom of the saucepan frequently. Don't let the vegetables and seasonings burn!

Stir in the stock and tomato paste. Continue cooking for about 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and allow mixture to return to room temperature.

Place the ground beef in a large bowl and add the eggs, the cooked vegetable mixture (don't forget to remove the bay leaves) and the bread crumbs. Mix by hand until thoroughly combined. If the mixture is too moist, add a few additional tablespoons of bread crumbs (too many bread crumbs and the meatloaf will be too dry).

Turn out the meatloaf mixture into the center of a 13X9X2 baking pan and shape into a loaf that is about 2" high, 6" wide and 10 -12" long.

Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 35 minutes, then raise the heat to 400 degrees and continue cooking until done, about 20 - 25 minutes longer or until the internal temperature of the meatloaf is 180 degrees F. Check internal temperature with an instant read meat thermometer at 40 minutes and again at 50 minutes, etc. until it reaches the desired internal temperature.

Remove the cooked meatloaf from the oven and allow to rest for about 5 minutes before slicing into 1/2 inch slices.


Tangy Meatloaf Sauce

Although not Cajun, I make a tangy sauce:

1 cup balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon Creole mustard
a little tomato paste
a drizzle of honey
a squeeze of lemon juice
1/4 – 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
and a pinch of cayenne pepper

I whisk it all together in a saucepan and simmer over medium heat until the sauce has been reduced by 1/3. Everything is added to taste – so adjust as necessary.


Cook's Notes

*** Sandy likes the meat finely ground – so she uses her food processor to blend in the ingredients. Work in batches because if the processor bowl is too full, the meat won't grind evenly.

Add about 1/4 of the meat, breadcrumbs, cooked vegetables, and eggs to the bowl of a standard size food processor that has been fitted with the chopping blade. Pulse a few times to distribute ingredients evenly and to grind the meat a bit more. Avoid over processing (mixture will turn to paste!).

Transfer processed mixture to a bowl and continue processing the remaining 3 batches. When all of the mixture has been processed, combine the batches together (hands work great for this), turn out into a 13X9X3 baking pan and continue as directed above.

*** Sandy uses tomato paste but ketchup can be used.

From Denny: Here are a couple of other good recipes! The following meatloaf is made with ground turkey, basil and mozzarella cheese.

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• Recipe: Sweet and Tangy Homemade BBQ Sauce (thekitchn.com)
• Love to Loaf (ilookgood.blogspot.com)

Recipe: Seasoned Rump Roast

Image by mrlerone via Flickr

From Denny: Sometimes simple and rustic is best!

From: Cochon Butcher

Ingredients:

4 lbs rump roast

2 cups crimini mushrooms, chopped in ½ inch pieces

1 cup carrots, chopped in ½ inch pieces

1 cup onion, chopped in ½ inch pieces

1 cup par cooked potatoes, chopped in ½ inch pieces

2 cups red wine

1 cup stock (or water)


Directions: Place roast in a roasting pan or rack and cook at 450 degrees for about 30 minutes to form a nice brown crust. Add the chopped vegetables and the wine and reduce heat to 300 degrees. Cook for about one hour and 15 minutes for medium rare. Remove meat from pan and place the roasting pan over a medium high burner. Add stock and cook vigorously for 3 to 5 minutes to slightly intensify broth. Serve to accompany the roast.