Meal Plan Dec. 7-12

*New Recipe

Links to Recipes on Blog

Sunday

Sausage and White Bean Ragu*
Garlic Bread

Monday

Pork Chops
Fried Cabbage and Noodles
Applesauce

Tuesday

Crock Pot Italian Vegetable Soup*
Grilled Cheese

Wednesday

Frozen Pizza
Pretzels
Jello Parfait Salad

Thursday

Lobster Rolls

Baked Pineapple

Mac n Cheese

Friday

French Toast
Bacon

You Should Make That

Those infamous words. When someone in your family sees something or hears about something they think would be tasty and immediately inform you it needs to be making an appearance in your kitchen.

Now, I'm lucky and my boys are usually pretty polite about making requests. They know I'm always looking for new things to try, and are more than happy to oblige! But they are never too demanding, so I'm always inclined to make their requests happen.

This recipe came to my attention one weekend when we were watching one of the "special" channels on our Roku player. Yep, Gooseberry Patch has their own YouTube channel that we can stream onto our television. Talk about foodie heaven!

This one came across the screen and my boys were drooling. My husband declared "Oh honey, you have to make that." And I'm so happy I did! Plus, I'm really excited to share it with ya'll today. It is the perfect potato dish for all those holiday gatherings coming our way! It is easy. It can be adapted to feed a few or a lot. And most importantly, it's slap you in the face good!

You're going to love this for everything from a simple weeknight side dish to holiday parties galore. You can even pre-bake the potatoes, and save yourself some time. Either way, everyone is going to gobble it down, and then say to the cooks in their house "Hey, You Should Make That." 

Twice Baked Potato Casserole From Gooseberry Patch

6 potatoes, baked and cooled so can handle
1/4 c. butter, room temperature
2 c. sharp cheddar cheese, shredded and divided
1 c. milk, warmed
1/2 c. sour cream
5 green onions, chopped and divided
1 (2.6 oz.) bag real bacon bits, divided
Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 375. Slightly grease a 9 x 9 square baking dish. In a large bowl, scoop out potatoes. Mash slightly. Add salt, pepper, butter and 1 cup cheese. Using an electric mixer, beat well. Add milk. Beat until fluffy and cheese is melted. Stir in sour cream, half  the onions and half the bacon bits. Spoon mixture into baking dish. Sprinkle with remaining cheese and bacon. Bake for 15 minutes until cheese melted. Sprinkle with onions before serving. 

Shared on The Country Cook Dec. 5, 2014

Celebrate The Sauce

If you haven't heard of Tuttorosso Tomatoes, I'm so happy to be the one to introduce you to them. Brought to you by the same folks as Red Gold Tomatoes, you can trust they know tomatoes! 

And right now, they have a new campaign that recognizes that for so many of you, preparing family meals is more than just putting food on the table. It's an art that is rooted in tradition, family and love. 

So to honor that tradition, they are currently holding a three-week promotion on their Facebook page, "Celebrate the Sauce." From now until December 10th, everyone who enters will have  chance to win in a weekly drawing of 1,000 aprons, a daily drawing of one heirloom wooden spoon and one grand prize of one Martha Stewart Cookware set. Plus, as part of this promotion, Tuttorosso has introduced a line up of Sunday Sauce recipes to inspire everyone from experienced to new cooks in the kitchen. 

I am so excited to share this new sauce with you. You know how much we love pasta suppers in our house, and homemade sauces that can be on the table in under an hour are an absolutely plus to me. Plus, let's face it, any recipe that includes the word butter is going to be delicious! It adds a silkiness and creaminess to this traditional tomato sauce that allows it to cling to every nook and cranny of the pasta. Deep, rich flavor without having to cook all day, makes this a recipe that will become a go-to in your house too. 

With the holiday gaggle of house guests on it's way, this would be a great way to feed a crowd in a yummy and budget friendly way! And don't forget to enter the Celebrate the Sauce contest today!

Buttery Tomato Sauce with Onion

2 (28 oz.) cans Tuttorosso Peeled Plum Italian Style Tomatoes, crushed with hands

2 medium yellow onions, peeled and quartered lengthwise

1/2 tsp. sugar

1 stick butter, cubed

Salt and pepper to taste

1 TBS Italian seasoning*

1 tsp. garlic powder*

Dried parsley*

In a large dutch oven, bring tomatoes, sugar, butter and onion to a boil. Add garlic powder and Italian seasoning.  Reduce heat to medium low and cook, stirring occasionally and mashing any large pieces of tomato with back of a wooden spoon. Cook about 45 minutes until flavors blend. Season with salt and pepper. Serve with your favorite pasta and garnish with parsley. 

Shared on The Country Cook Dec. 5, 2014

Pasta at Very Good Recipes

Be A Rock Star In Your Kitchen {A Review}

What if I told you there is a way for you to prepare a delicious, healthy meal with almost no thinking at all? That there is a service does takes all the guess work out of it, and does all the prep work for you? Sound like something you might be interested in trying? Well, then let me introduce you to the new Indiana company, Fresh Artistry. 

Based in Indianapolis, Fresh Artistry is focused on helping the home cook feel and look like a master chef without any of the hassle or skill involved. Their local chef designs menus, and they deliver fresh, pre-measured produce, herbs, spices, meats and instructions right to your door step. With the easy to follow recipe guides, your meal will turn out perfectly every time. 

And when I say meats, let me be more specific because one of the things I was most impressed with when I received my delivery was I could tell the meats were local. In fact, my chicken came from Miller Amish Poultry in Orland, Indiana; and wrapped at Moody's Butcher Shop in Avon, In. It has no antibiotics, hormones, or preservatives....ever. This is exactly the kind of meats I use in my home, so it's nice to know Fresh Artistry has the same standards as I do. 

One of the other things I loved most about my Fresh Artistry delivery was the simplicity. I've tried a few of the sous-chef delivery companies out there, and some of them were so complicated I felt very over whelmed. But this box was easy to read, easy to understand and the game plan was very clear.

So, what did I get to cook? An absolutely delicious meal my family gobbled up: Peach-Chipotle Glazed Chicken with Smashed Potatoes and Fresh Green Beans. 

We seriously couldn't get enough of this yummy dish. The only complaint we had was we didn't have enough to make it again! 

If you love to cook at home, but don't have as much time as you would like to commit to it, Fresh Artistry would be great for you. Or maybe you have a foodie in your life you are looking for the perfect gift for this holiday season. They would love this! Or maybe you know of a newlywed couple who is just starting out, this would be quite the treat for them too! 

For more info, menu options and pricing plans, be sure to find them online, on Facebook, and Twitter. 

Slow Cooker Christmas Favorites Day 2 {A Review and Giveaway}

Welcome to day two of my latest review for Gooseberry Patch! If you missed day one Friday because maybe you were out shopping, or still in a food coma from Thanksgiving, you can see that terrific recipe here. 

For my second recipe I chose something I knew my boys would gobble up; and I could make on a busy day when I was going to be out all day, and had absolutely no time to devote to cooking. 

Now, before I go any further, I feel the need to put a sort of disclaimer on this recipe. I know many of you out there avoid condensed soups in your diet; and when you read just how many cans are included in this you will wince. I respect that. But what I ask for those of you who feel that way, please don't look down upon those of us who say it's okay to use them now and again, to save us some time and stress. Please don't make comments on this post, or on my Facebook page. Please don't email me and tell me I'm poisoning my family. (Yes, I have actually had this comment before on recipes that included canned soups.) Please don't send any hate mail to my home with nutrition labels. I respect those who choose not to use them; and all I ask is you do the same. 

Whew, with that out of the way, I can honestly say my family loved this. It was the perfect way to warm up on a very cold day, and it was just as good when Mr. E had to eat it a couple hours after I served dinner.

Oh, plus the fine folks at Gooseberry Patch are giving EMM readers a chance to WIN a copy of this fantastic cookbook! Just click here to enter! 

Crock Pot Clam Chowder

Submitted by Jewel Sharpe Raleigh, NC Found on pg. 123

3 (10 3/4 oz.) cans cream of potato soup

2 (10 3/4 oz.) cans New England clam chowder

1 pint half and half

2 ( 6.5 oz.) cans chopped clams

1/2 c. butter, sliced

1/2 c. onion, diced

Salt and Pepper to taste*

1 TBS dried parsley*

Oyster Crackers*

Combine all ingredients except crackers and parsley in slow cooker. Cover and cook on LOW for 2-4 hours. Right before serving, stir in parsley and garnish with crackers. 

*These were my additions

Shared on The Country Cook Dec. 5, 2014