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Posted in #Recipes

52 New Year’s Brunch Recipes

Posted on by Reluctant Retiree

Cheers to fresh starts and second helpings! Whether you’re rolling out of bed or rolling out the welcome mat for guests, these easy New Year’s brunch ideas bring the fun without the fuss.

This may be a surprising opinion, but I think New Year’s Day brunch almost always outshines New Year’s Eve. Between loading up on the best cheap champagne and curating a list of quick New Year’s Eve food ideas, there’s too much going on for anyone to properly focus on eating. New Year’s Day morning is a different, calmer story. These New Year’s Day recipes are the perfect way to start the year. Plus, they’re easy enough to make even if you’re a little (or a lot) hungover.

This collection is packed with sweet and savory brunch dishes, from fluffy waffle ideas and breakfast tacos to French toast recipes. We’ve also included plenty of make-ahead winners, like casseroles and quiche, so you can spend less time cooking and more time making memories. And don’t forget to include a few traditional New Year’s Day good-luck foods in your spread. Break out the extra champagne for mimosas and bellinis and dig in. Happy New Year!

Taste of Home

Posted in #Recipes

The Old-School Ground Beef Breakfast I Can’t Stop Making

Posted on by Reluctant Retiree

There is basically no kind of breakfast that tops a diner breakfast in my book. I’m from the Northeast and diner culture is big up here. I love all kinds of diners — classics that have been around for decades serving up waffles and omelettes, Greek diners, roadside diners, and new-school diners with menus full of twists on traditional fare. I love it all. When I learned of a storied breakfast recipe that has been served up in San Francisco diners for countless years, I knew I had to try it. I’ve never been to a diner on the west coast, but if this is what they’re slinging, I’m going to need to make a trip. Joe’s Special Scramble is the diner brunch dish of my dreams. 

Why Joe’s Special Scramble is So Great

If you’ve ever sat down for breakfast, looked at a menu and been unable to decide between breakfast and lunch, burger or omelette, this is the answer. Joe’s special scramble is a mix of scrambled eggs, seasoned ground beef, mushrooms, and spinach. It’s hearty and filling, but also indulgent. It scratches my itch for something kind of heavy to start my day (or midday, depending) with my want to also eat vegetables. Plop it next to some toast, hash browns, and a pot of strong coffee, and I am in heaven. 

Tips for Making Joe’s Special Scramble

  • You can make this just for one. If you’re making breakfast for less than four people, a ratio of 1 ounce of beef per large egg is just the right balance.
  • Brown the mushrooms first.  Mushrooms need room in the pan to brown properly. They just won’t get that same golden brown color and texture if you cook them at the same time as the beef. It’s worth it to cook them first and add them back in with the eggs.
  • Μake it your way. Add Worcestershire or soy sauce to the beef. Skip the nutmeg. Add hot sauce to the eggs. Sprinkle the whole thing with cheddar cheese (my favorite move). The possibilities are endless.

The Kitchn

Posted in #Recipes

34 of Our Best Copycat Dessert Recipes

Posted on by Reluctant Retiree

Surprise your family by making these copycat dessert recipes of sweets made famous by The Cheesecake Factory, Bakers Square and more.

Taste of Home

Posted in #Recipes

5-INGREDIENT CHICKEN AND DUMPLINGS FOR TWO

Posted on by Reluctant Retiree

A comfort-food meal for two is a rare treat. This recipe makes just enough chicken and dumplings for a cozy night in without too many leftovers in your fridge.

Pillsbury™ Grands!™ Buttermilk Biscuits and Progresso™ Reduced Sodium Chicken Broth make this recipe simple and oh-so-delicious. Classic chicken and dumplings are comforting for many people, and this recipe brings out the traditional flavors you know and love.

Whether you’re hosting a friend, have a 1-1 dinner with your kiddo, or are planning a date night with your sweetheart, this recipe is beloved by all.

RECIPE INGREDIENTS

Your dinner for two comes together with a few simple, easy-to-find ingredients. This is what you’ll need:

Pillsbury™ Grands!™ Buttermilk Biscuits: Not only are these biscuits flaky and full of flavor, they’re easy to work with, too. They make a great base for your dumplings.

Progresso™ Reduced Sodium Chicken Broth: This pre-made broth is a simple choice for your dish. The reduced sodium version makes it easy to customize the saltiness to your taste.

Ranch Salad Dressing & Seasoning Mix: Ranch seasoning works perfectly in this dish. With garlic, onion, dill, parsley, and chives, ranch seasoning helps you to flavor your dish without requiring too many individual spices in your cupboard.

Other Ingredients You’ll Need: Shredded cheddar cheese makes this dish ultra-creamy. The shredded cooked chicken adds hearty flavor and protein to the recipe. Simple black pepper brings mild heat and flavor to round out your dinner.

Pillsbury

Posted in #Recipes

Cowboy Spaghetti

Posted on by Reluctant Retiree

In the 1960s and ’70s, Italian film directors began making low-budget Western movies that were dubbed “spaghetti Westerns.” Cowboy spaghetti is the culinary equivalent: a mashup of cozy Italian staple foods with flavors from the American Southwest. This ground beef pasta recipe makes a fantastic centerpiece to any family meal, served alongside a big green salad, vegetable sides and garlic bread.

Our recipe for cowboy spaghetti combines pasta and tomato sauce with bacon, ground beef, beans, chili-spiced tomatoes, cumin and pepper jack cheese. The result is a bold one-pot meal that’s hearty enough to satisfy the hungriest members of your crew. It makes a great work-night dinner, pairs perfectly with a ball game and is a happy surprise at a potluck.

Ingredients for Cowboy Spaghetti

  • Spaghetti: Spaghetti is in the name, but this meal would be just as fantastic if made with linguine or fettuccine. A short, chunky pasta shape such as penne would also work perfectly.
  • Bacon: Rendering the fat from smoky bacon and using that fat to cook the other ingredients is a wonderful way to pack flavor into a dish. Thick-cut is the best bacon to use for our cowboy spaghetti recipe so you get good chunks throughout the pasta.
  • Lean ground beef: Because you’ll be cooking the beef in bacon fat, you can get away with using a nice lean grind.
  • Onion: Yellow or white onions are the best types of onions for casseroles like this, but red onion works in a pinch.
  • Kidney beans: Home-cooked or canned kidney beans work equally well in a recipe for cowboy spaghetti. You could also use pinto beans or Instant Pot black beans.
  • Tomato sauce: Use the best jarred pasta sauce to make an amazingly flavorful base for your cowboy spaghetti.
  • Diced tomatoes and green chiles: Look for chili-seasoned tomatoes and green chiles. Or, simply combine a can of regular diced tomatoes, a can of mild green chiles and a couple extra dashes of chili powder.
  • Chili powder: Every brand is different, but chili powder usually includes paprika, oregano, garlic and onion powders, and cumin. It gives a smoky, rich and earthy flavor to food.
  • Worcestershire sauce: A surprise ingredient that is neither Italian nor American, Worcestershire sauce has a savory, tangy flavor that enhances whatever it touches.
  • Spices: Although all three are ingredients in chili powder, extra cumin, dried oregano and garlic powder are called for in this recipe for cowboy spaghetti. These flavors are emphasized in the sauce.
  • Pepper jack cheese: Perfectly melty and mild but with a kick, pepper jack is a fantastic topping for a casserole. Buy a block and shred it yourself, as pre-shredded cheese often has additives that prevent it from melting well.
  • Green onions: Just before serving, sprinkle green onions or scallions on the finished cowboy spaghetti recipe for an extra bit of flavor.

Taste of Home

Posted in #Recipes

TACO CRESCENT RING

Posted on by Reluctant Retiree

Give taco night a clever twist with this taco crescent ring. Made with just 5 ingredients, you get the same delicious beefy and cheesy taco flavors, but in a soft, flaky crescent crust. It’s as beautiful to look at as it is to eat. It’s like tacos took a right turn onto comfort lane.

This genius 5-star recipe is one of the most popular recipes on Pillsbury.com because it’s fun and easy to make. All you need is ground beef seasoned with Old El Paso™ taco seasoning mixed with yummy cheese. Then just tuck it all inside a ring of flaky, tender, crescent rolls. Surprise your family by serving it for a weeknight dinner. It might just become one of those dishes on your regular rotation. Or impress your guests by serving this taco crescent ring recipe for the big game. Offer a several toppings with it, and you have yourself a simple top-your-own taco bar, they will rave about. 

Pillsbury

Posted in #Recipes

69 Dinner Ideas for Two That Won’t Leave You with Leftovers

Posted on by Reluctant Retiree

If you want to cook dinner for two, it can be tough to find the perfect date night dinner ideas that won’t leave you with a fridge full of leftovers. That’s why we’ve rounded up the best dishes for two: everything from savory pasta dishes to chicken dinners.

You won’t want to miss out on drool-worthy pork chops for two. And if that isn’t your thing, we have plenty of healthy options like protein-packed salads and stir fry dishes.

Taste of Home

Posted in #Recipes

MEATBALL STROGANOFF BUBBLE-UP BAKE

Posted on by Reluctant Retiree

A big plate of rich, creamy beef stroganoff is tempting, but the prep and cleanup can be overwhelming on a busy weeknight. This recipe delivers the same satisfying flavors with less effort! Our bubble-up bake features a tangy mushroom cream base, juicy beef meatballs, and the convenience of Pillsbury™ Grands!™ Biscuits instead of noodles to soak up the sauce. Let your oven do the heavy lifting; you deserve the extra time and one of our best casserole recipes in your dinner rotation.

RECIPE INGREDIENTS 

Here are the ingredients you’ll need to make this bubble-up bake.

Mushrooms: They’re an important component of stroganoff. We used fresh cremini, but button or baby bellas also work well. We sliced them, but pre-sliced ones are a handy shortcut.

Frozen, Cooked Beef Meatballs: Meatballs add the beef to the stroganoff! Use fully cooked, frozen meatballs; no thawing needed! We tested dinner-sized and bite-sized with great results, so pick the one that works best for you.

Progresso™ Creamy Mushroom Soup: Soup adds creaminess and mushroom flavor to the casserole.

Sour Cream: Sour cream helps give stroganoff its creamy texture and signature tang. Use full fat sour cream.

Pillsbury™ Grands!™ Southern Homestyle Original Biscuits: We found this variety worked best, but use Flaky Layers if that’s what you have on hand.

Monterey Jack Cheese: What’s a bubble-up bake without cheese? Melty Jack adds loads of flavor and gooey decadence. We use pre-shredded, but shred it if you prefer for the ultimate cheese pulls!

Other Ingredients You’ll Need: Salt, garlic powder, thyme, olive oil, onion, Worcestershire sauce, Dijon mustard, parsley.

Pillsbury

Posted in #Recipes

45 Diabetic-Friendly Recipes for Two

Posted on by Reluctant Retiree

Cooking for two? These diabetic-friendly recipes make it easy to whip up main dishes, sides, salads and more—without a ton of leftovers.

Taste of Home

Posted in #Recipes

42 Recipes for the Feast of the Seven Fishes

Posted on by Reluctant Retiree

The Feast of the Seven Fishes, an Italian-American Christmas Eve tradition, means lots and lots of seafood dishes. Celebrate with friends and family with these all-seafood apps and mains. And don’t forget the wine. Salute!

Taste of Home