Twice-Baked Loaded Mashed Potatoes

These were so yummy! These are perfect if you want twice-baked potatoes, but don't want to mess around with trying to keep the skin intact and stuffing the shell. I know that I personally rip the skin every single time. Now if you are a pro (like my mom) you can just follow this recipe and just put the filling back into the shells.

Twice Baked Loaded Mashed Potatoes

adapted from my mom

Ingredients

6 baking potatoes - at least 4 inches long

3/4 - 1 stick of butter, melted

1 1/2 cups sour cream

1 1/2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese

1 tsp Kosher salt

1/2 tsp pepper (I am estimating this - just eyeball this and add more if need be)

6 slices bacon, chopped or real bacon bits

Chives or green onions (optional)

Directions

Bake the potatoes at 450 for one hour. Remove them from the oven and pierce with a knife in the middle. Let them sit 10-15 minutes. Cut them in half and let them sit until you can handle them. I normally put on an oven mitt at this point so I don't have to wait. Scoop out the innards into a bowl. Use a knife to cut through the chunks. It should look fluffy like a baked potato.

Pour in butter, toss with a fork, add dollops of sour cream and toss with a fork. Stir in bacon, 1 cup cheese, salt, pepper and chives or green onions. Put mixture in a greased 2 qt casserole dish. Top with remaining 1/2 cup cheese. Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes.

Enjoy!

Printable Recipe

Cincinnati (Skyline) Chili

Okay so I will say that this recipe comes from my mom and I know that it works. I tried to half it and it didn't work so much. I got a little distracted when I was putting in the chili powder so I'm not sure if I added 1/2 TBS too much or what. 

Now the great debate with Cincinnati-style chili recipes is chocolate or no chocolate. My mom says no chocolate, but if you taste it and feel like it's missing something then you could probably add 1/2 oz of unsweetened chocolate, something like Baker's. One square is an ounce and it's scored so that you can easily divide it to get 1/2 an ounce.

For those unfamiliar with Cincinnati-style chili, it's more like a sauce then actual "chili". I do not advise you to put it in a bowl to eat like other chili recipes! It's traditionally served over spaghetti with cheese (3-way) or over hot dogs on a bun with cheese (Cheese Coney). You can also add kidney beans, onions or both - 4-way for just one or 5-way if you add both.

Cincinnati (Skyline) Chili

Ingredients

2 lb ground beef

1 large onion, diced

1 tsp garlic powder

1 1/2 TBS vinegar

8 oz tomato sauce

1 small can of tomato paste

4 TBS chili powder

1 tsp cayenne pepper

1 tsp cinnamon

1 TBS Worcestershire

1 1/2 tsp salt

1 1/2 tsp allspice

1/2 tsp paprika

5 bay leaves

1 qt water

Directions

Put the water into a pot and add the meat breaking it up until it's fine. I just did it with my hands. Simmer until the meat is done - by the time it starts simmering it will most likely be done - about 5-10 minutes. Add the rest of the ingredients. Simmer for 2-3 hours. Serve over spaghetti or hot dogs with finely shredded mild cheddar cheese.

This can easily be frozen for future meals!

Enjoy!

Weekly Menu - August 7-13

This week is going to be deliciously awesome! I have a lot of favorites on my list.

Cincinnati (or better known as Skyline) Chili

Turkey Tenderloin with Twice-Baked Loaded Mashed Potatoes

Thai Coconut Curry Shrimp

Honey Mustard Chicken

Banana Nut Bread, Or This is Why Morgan Doesn't Bake

So the other night I had a bunch of uneaten very ripe bananas and I thought some banana nut bread would be delish! I had all the ingredients except the nuts so I picked those up that afternoon. I made the dough and put it into my loaf pan. I used the exact same size pan that was recommended in the recipe, yet it seemed a little full. I thought "Oh well it will be fine, it shouldn't puff up too much!"

30 minutes later it starts to smell like something is burning so I check out the oven. The bread has exploded over the edge and has dripped on the floor of the oven. Oops! So I grab a baking sheet and put it under the bread pan hoping to prevent more drips. 10 minutes later the burning smell gets worse. I go to check it out and this is what I see...

AHHHHH!!! Help, honey there is a FIRE in the OVEN!

I grab the extinguisher, but hubby says that he will take care of it. At this point he looks over at me and says "See Morgan, this is why you are NOT allowed to bake!"

How is it that I can cook with no problems, but when I bake something inevitably goes wrong?

Beyond this snafu, the bread was actually very yummy and did not taste like smoke. Next time, I would want to add chocolate chips and possibly use a bigger pan.

Banana Nut Bread

adapted from AllRecipes

Ingredients

1 stick of butter, softened

1 cup white sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup sour cream

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

1 cup mashed bananas

Directions 

Preheat oven to 350. Grease a 9x5 inch loaf pan. <-- I might suggest a larger loaf pan?

I like using my KitchenAid for this part. In a large bowl, cream together the softened butter and sugar. Add the eggs and vanilla, mix well. Combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt, stir into the butter mixture until smooth. Finally, fold in the sour cream, walnuts and bananas. Spread evenly into the prepared pan. 

Bake for 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean. Cool loaf in the pan for 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

Chicken Spaghetti Casserole

As you all know, I ♥ PW (also known as Pioneer Woman). She always has the yummiest recipes that are easy and hubby-friendly. I made a few changes to the original recipe to make it a little more hubby-friendly.

Chicken Spaghetti Casserole

adapted from The Pioneer Woman

Ingredients

1 cup cooked, shredded chicken breasts

1 1/2 cups dry spaghetti, broken into two inch pieces

1 can cream of mushroom soup

2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese

2 TBS finely diced green pepper

2 TBS finely diced onion

1 cup chicken stock (I like Kitchen Basics)

1/2 tsp seasoned salt

a pinch of cayenne pepper

Directions
Preheat oven to 350.

Cook spaghetti in chicken broth and water until al dente. Do not overcook. When spaghetti is cooked, combine with remaining ingredients except additional 1 cup sharp cheddar.

Place mixture in 8x8 casserole pan and top with remaining sharp cheddar. Bake for 45 minutes until bubbly. If the cheese on top starts to get too cooked, cover with foil.

You can also double this for leftovers and put it in a 9x13 casserole pan.

Enjoy!

Spicy Orange Shrimp

This was very good, but SPICY! I know, I know the title says "Spicy," but I was thinking this would be more of a combination of spicy and sweet. It will definitely clear your sinuses if you are having issues. I'm pretty tolerant of spicy stuff, but this was a little too much! I will definitely make this again, but only use half of the chili paste.

Spicy Orange Shrimp

adapted from Myrecipes.com

Ingredients 

1 lb peeled and deveined large shrimp

1 TBS cornstarch

1/4 cup fresh orange juice

2  TBS low-sodium soy sauce

2 TBS honey

1 TBS rice wine vinegar

1 TBS chile paste with garlic (such as sambal oelek)

2 TBS canola oil

1 TBS minced peeled fresh ginger (I just use prepared chopped ginger)

3 garlic cloves, minced

Directions

Place shrimp in a medium bowl. Sprinkle with cornstarch; toss well to coat. Set aside.

Combine juice, soy sauce, honey, vinegar, and chile paste, stirring with a whisk; set aside.

Heat canola oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add minced ginger and garlic to pan; stir-fry for 15 seconds or until fragrant. Add shrimp and stir-fry for 3 minutes or until slightly pink. Add juice mixture; cook 2 minutes or until sauce thickens and shrimp are done, stirring frequently. Serve over rice.

Enjoy!

Printable Recipe

 

Weekly Menu - August 2-6

Happy one month anniversary to my blog! 

Things are going to start getting interesting around here the next couple of weeks. I start fall semester on the 25th and I will be officially full time in the nursing program. So all my classes will be nursing classes with clinicals and lots of reading and studying. Mostly I think the recipes are going to get more simple and possibly more centered around the slow cooker. It's really going to depend on my schedule. I will have a one week period where I will not have any classes between summer and fall semester so I'm thinking that I will use that time to test my cooking skills and pull out some of my mom's recipes! 

Here is this week's menu:

Chicken Spaghetti Casserole

Spicy Orange Shrimp

Black Beans and Rice

Enchiladas