Cabbage Rolls

Cabbage rolls ready for oven.

     
    My knowledge of Irish food is limited to soda bread, Bangers and Mashed, varieties of potatoes, stews and Baileys Irish Cream. Usually for each New Year's and St. Pat's day, I faithfully plop a corned beef brisket in the slow cooker with cabbage, potatoes and carrots, and then call it a holiday meal done.

   This year I thought I'd take a lesson from one of my best friends who makes cabbage rolls. "It's easy," she said. "You just take a wad of hamburger (mixed with rice, about the size of a tangerine) and roll it in a cabbage leaf, then cover it in tomato juice and bake it."

    Well, that's the short version. Yes, those are the steps, but while making this dish it reminded me of why I only make a lasagna a few times year, despite the fact that I love it. There are steps and more steps before you pop it in the oven.

Despite the steps, it's a very nice dish. They're hearty little meals in a packet.


 Cabbage Rolls
1 lb. ground beef
1/2 cup rice (long grain white, uncooked)

1 small onion, diced
2 cups tomato juice or V8, divided
1 head cabbage
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 T.  (splash) Worcestershire sauce

In large pot, fill with water half way and bring to a boil.
Cut center core out of cabbage. Drop in boiling water.
Cover and let boil for 10-15 minutes until outer leaves are soft and fall away.

While cabbage is cooking, in a medium bowl combine meat, rice, spices, Worcestershire and half cup tomato juice. Set aside in refrigerator until needed.

With tongs or slotted spoon remove cabbage to plate to cool for easier handling. Drain excess liquid.

Spray coat a 13x9x2 inch baking dish.
Preheat oven to 350.

Carefully remove outer leaves and set aside to cool. Pull remaining leaves apart leaving core and smallest leaves.

Remove meat mixture from refrigerator and begin shaping into balls about 2 inches wide (like a large golf ball). Put each on plate and keep rolling.

Count cabbage leave and meat balls to make sure you have an even amount. (I made smaller balls for smaller leaves and had a total of 12.

Pour 1/2 cup tomato juice into bottom of baking dish. Layer extra cabbage leaves along bottom.

Place one meatball into center of cabbage leave, wrap bottom of leaf upwards first and fold other edges over. Secure with toothpick if desired.
Put cabbage rolls in casserole dish and pour 1 cup tomato juice over top.

Cover casserole with foil and bake for 1.5 hours. Remove from oven and let set. Watch for steam when uncovering.

Serves 6, 2 rolls each.

Cheddar Bacon Ranch Cheeseball

Photos courtesy of The Cooking Corner.

     Recently we poker girls got together for our annual birthday card party. Everyone brings a dish and their beverage of choice, along with a birthday card and lottery ticket. We have a grand time and snacks are always a priority. 
     This time I brought an easy cheeseball that I'd been wanting to try for awhile. It was a simple, tasty treat that would be perfect for any upcoming sports events or party.

Cheddar Bacon Ranch Cheeseball
2 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese, softened
1 (1 oz.) packet Ranch dressing mix (dry)
1/4 cup onion, fine diced
1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
1/4 cup chives, freeze-dried
6 strips bacon, cooked and crumbled
 
Combine all ingredients in medium bowl, mixing well. Form into a ball. 

Wrap in plastic wrap, put in a bowl and refrigerate at least 30 minutes.

Turn onto plate surrounded by choice of crackers.

Serves 10-12.

Strawberry Banana Cheesecake Pudding

Photos courtesy of the Cooking Corner.

    Strawberries and bananas are two of my favorite fruits. When you put them into a cool, soft pudding that is creamy like cheesecake, that is all the better. 
    This is an easy make-ahead dish that adds the fruit right before serving for freshness. What a nice holiday idea.

Strawberry Banana Cheesecake Pudding
1 box cheesecake pudding mix
12 oz. tub of whipped topping
3 - 6 oz. containers of strawberry yogurt
3 bananas (sliced just before serving so they don't brown)
1 lb. pkg. frozen strawberries (thawed)

In large bowl, (at least 2 hours before serving or overnight if you wish), mix whipped topping, yogurt and pudding mix. Combine well.

Cover and refrigerate until just before serving.

Before serving, slice strawberries and bananas. Fold into yogurt mix and combine well. 

Serves 8-10.

Cheddar Bacon Ranch Hash Brown Casserole

Photos courtesy of the Cooking Corner.

      For Memorial Day I tried a new twist on a family favorite. Instead of making potato salad, I opted for hash brown casserole. A few of the kids don't like mayo, so that knocks potato salad off the list, but everyone loves hash brown casserole. 
     I tried a new twist on this by using ranch dressing, extra cheddar and bacon that seems to be the new flavor craze - cheddar, bacon, ranch. Even the friend from work who's recipe I adapted said, "How can you go wrong with bacon? "

Cheddar Bacon Ranch Hash Brown Casserole
2 pkg. frozen hash browns
  (about 20 oz. each, slightly thawed)
8 oz. sour cream
1/2 packet Hidden Valley Ranch dip mix
4-6 slices cooked bacon, crumbled  
1/2 cup chopped onion  
1 tsp. garlic  
1 can cream of potato soup  
1/2 cup melted butter  
3/4 pkg. shredded cheddar cheese (I used triple cheddar)
salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 350.

Combine all ingredients in large bowl and mix well.

Pour in greased or sprayed 13x9x2 baking dish.

Bake 1-1/4 hours at 350 degrees.

Serves 10-12.

Note: I used 16 oz. sour cream mixed with 1 packet of Hidden Valley dip mixture. I put half of it in the casserole and used the other half for chip dip.

Smoked Beef Brisket

A platter of brisket courtesy of the Cooking Corner.

    We bought a beef brisket from our local butcher and were determined to try this piece of meat that seemed ominous. It's great if you get it right, but if you go wrong you've wasted a bunch of cash.
    Keep in mind that brisket takes FOREVER - low, slow and a real long time, so planning is important. I tried to start early, but didn't get it on the smoker until about 9 a.m. It still took until after 10 that night before we finally got to close to the desired temperature. 
    Next time I'll smoke during the late afternoon and let it be low and slow in the oven, all night long. Almost every brisket recipe that I consulted said to let it smoke for around 5 hours, give or take, and then wrap tightly in a few layers of foil and continue to cook on low about 6 more hours (in the oven). It's so much easier that way.
    This is how we pulled off a great first attempt at the crown jewel of the BBQ world.
 
Smoked Beef Brisket
9 lb. beef brisket, fat trimmed to 1/4 inch
7-8 T. olive oil
4 T. garlic powder
3 T.  cracked black pepper

6 T. dry rub of choice (I used Old Man Larry's Spice Rub)
1-1/2 cup beef broth

Note: To fit our electric smoker, the brisket was cut in half.

Drizzle olive oil over beef and rub in well to coat. Sprinkle dry rub, garlic powder and pepper over meat, coating well on all sides.

Place in plastic container and refrigerate over night. (Some cover meat in plastic wrap before storing in a container.)

Rubbed brisket

About an hour before cooking, remove brisket from refrigerator and let sit, covered on counter to come to room temp while preparing grill.

Soak apple chips in water 30 minutes. Make sure there's a water pan in the smoker at least half full of water or apple juice.

Coat grill grates with cooking spray. If using charcoal, light coals in chimney until glowing and add to smoker. Bring to 220-225 degrees.

Using a well oiled plunger, inject beef broth into brisket. (As much as you can or about 1/2 cup.) Reserve remaining beef broth.

Place brisket in smoker and cook 5 hours or to 160 degrees, adding chips every hour or so and charcoal as needed, if using. 

Remove brisket to foil line pan. Preheat oven to 220 degrees.

Brisket in the smoker

Try injecting 1/2 cup more of beef broth. Wrap brisket in 2-3 layers of foil and continue to cook in 220 degree oven another 6 hours or until an internal temperature of 210.

Remove from oven, unwrap and let rest - awhile. You'll want to tear in and try a sample but don't. Wait 20-30 minutes. Save all liquid possible. 

Slice against the grain at least 1/4 inch thick.
Serve immediately or place sliced brisket in container and cover with remaining broth and juices to reheat later in the slow cooker for 1 hour.

Serves 15-20.

Brisket portion just out of the smoker

Holiday Cheese Spread

Photo courtesy of the Cooking Corner

    My department at work is great when it comes to sharing and that includes recipes. One of my crew brought in this cheese spread to share and it quickly became a favorite of everybody in the office. Now we'll share it with you.

Holiday Cheese Spread

Recipe courtesy of Diana Spear

2 pkg. 8 oz. cream cheese, softened

2 jars Old English cheese spread

1 jar Roka Blue cheese spread

1 T. Worcestershire sauce

1 T. parsley flakes

crushed pecans

Mix all ingredients in a medium bowl until well blended.

Refrigerate in a covered dish for at least a few hours to blend flavors. 

Serve with crackers, chips or broken bread.

Spicy Stuffing Balls

Recipe and photo courtesy of Mark Short, Mt. Carmel, IL

      Anyone who really knows me would probably also know that my standard go-to dish for any group occasion is sausage balls. I make these appetizers yearly for the Christmas potluck at work and have toted them off to poker night with the girls. I serve them at almost every holiday meal. 

     Over the years I've tried a number of combinations of meats, cheeses and spices. Italian sausage and mozzarella will taste very different than a mild sausage and sharp cheddar. Chorizo sausage and taco cheese adds a Mexican flare, but hot sausage and pepper jack cheese with a sprinkle of crushed red pepper will light you right up. 

    With all of the substitutions that I've done over the years, never once have I thought of substituting the baking mix. However, one of the guys at work told me that's just what he did. Instead of your standard Bisquick, he used pork flavored "Stove Top Stuffing."  This never even occurred to me. But why not?

    He even brought me a sample. Wow, was he right. The stuffing gives it a slightly different texture, somewhat lighter, and the herbs in the stuffing mix add much more flavor. I was impressed.

Spicy Stuffing Balls

1 lb. ground hot sausage

1 lb. shredded pepper jack cheese

2 cups pork flavored Stove Top Stuffing mix (dry)

In a large bowl mix all ingredients. Form into walnut size balls and place on baking sheet.

Bake in preheated 350 oven 20-25 minutes.

Cooked sausage balls can be frozen and reheated for 10 minutes at 350 degrees.

Sausage balls out of the oven.

Parmesan Green Bean Casserole in the Slow Cooker

Photo courtesy of the Cooking Corner.

     Over the holidays I tried a space saving recipe. I swapped out my normal green beans and potatoes simmering on the stove for a Parmesan green bean casserole made in the slower cooker. Now, it's not that green beans and potatoes are difficult by any means, but by using the slow cooker I've opened up space on the stove or in the oven for other projects.
    This slow cooker casserole went over surprisingly well. I'm convinced that it was the Parmesan and cream of chicken soup, topped off with caramelized French fried onions. It has only 7 ingredients, virtually no prep time and cooks out of the way in the slow cooker. You just dump the stuff in, plug it in and let it be. The flavor was nice and mellow and the texture creamy. It's now become a favorite of the family.

 Parmesan Green Bean Casserole in the Slow Cooker
recipe shared by Mark Short, Mt. Carmel, IL
2 cans French green beans, drained
1 can  condensed cream of mushroom soup
1 can  condensed cream of chicken soup
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 - 6 oz. caramelized French's French Fried onion rings (save 1/2 cup for topping)

In slow cooker, combine all ingredients except the reserved onion rings. Mix well to combine.

Cook on low heat for 5 hours. Top with reserved onion rings before serving.
Serves 8. Recipe easily doubled or tripled for a large event.

Note - Ingredients can be combined ahead of time.

Italian Sausage Bites

Photos courtesy of the Cooking Corner.

    After taking the summer off for vacations and multiple activities the girls and I finally got back together for a round of cards. It had been awhile, a long while. We had all kinds of things to catch up on. 
   One of our daughters had posted online a recipe for Crescent Sausage Bites - three ingredients and bake for 20 minutes. With too much to do and not enough time, this sounded good to me. This appetizer turned out to be easy, traveled well to the party and was given a thumbs up by the girls.
 
Italian Sausage Bites
1 lb. sweet Italian sausage
1 tsp. roasted garlic
1/2 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese
1/2 (8 oz.) pkg. shredded Colby Jack or mozzarella
2 pkg. Pillsbury garlic butter crescent rolls
dash salt and ground black pepper
3 T. grated Parmesan cheese for topping

In a small pan, brown sausage; drain. Add roasted garlic and a dash of salt and pepper. Stir. Blend in cream cheese until it's melted. Add shredded cheese and stir to blend. 

Remove from heat. (This will look like a gooey glob, but that's OK.)

Unroll one package of crescent rolls and put on a baking sheet. Press the seams together to seal them. Spread the sausage/cheese mixture evenly over the crescent roll dough, leaving about a 1/4-inch border around the edge.

Unroll the other package of rolls and place on top of the sausage mixture. Press the edges together to seal and then press the seams on top together. Sprinkle top with Parmesan cheese.



Bake at 375 degrees for about 15 minutes, or until crescent roll dough is golden but not brown.

Oyster Soup

    One weekend we stopped in to visit my sister-in-law while her hubby was cooking up a pot of oyster stew. I had a serious flashback to childhood - of oysters. Since my mother was part of such a large family (she's one of eight), their side of the family did a soup dinner a few weeks before Thanksgiving. It was vegetable soup, chili and oyster stew. As a child I tried oysters, but couldn't get past the thought of slimy little snot balls.
   Over the years I've deducted that in the Midwest, raw oysters only seem to be available during the holiday season. I've looked and could've missed them previously, but when I noticed them at the grocery store lately, it got me to thinking of trying oyster soup myself. This would prove to be a bold new adventure.
   I envisioned a milk-based, buttery soup with tender bits of oysters floating between crackers. What I got was a gritty, clumpy white soup that smelled a little fishy. The problem had to be either - 1) I didn't incorporate the flour into the milk well enough and/or 2) the milk got too hot and came to a boil thereby separating into something that resembled the beginnings of cottage cheese.
   Since my ability to replicate oyster soup is in question, I went back to the source, my brother-in-law. This oyster soup is based on an old recipe found in a Junior League cookbook and is well worth the adventure.

Oyster Soup
 Recipe courtesy of Phil Hofman
3 T. butter
3/4 cup diced celery
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
2 T. flour
2 cups milk
2 cups Half and Half
1 pint oysters
1 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. black pepper

Over medium heat, melt butter and cook celery and onion until tender. Shake in flour, stirring constantly.  

Pour in a little milk and stir until smooth, then slowly add reminder milk and Half and Half.

Add dry seasonings and cook until boiling point is reached. Add oysters. 

Serve as soon as oysters are thoroughly hot and plump.  Serves 4-6.

 [Adapted this from a recipe in the Charleston Receipts Cookbook (America's oldest Junior League cookbook in print); the original recipe is from a Mrs. Louis T. Parker (Josephine Walker] The history of this cookbook was interesting and worth the read.

Hashbrown Casserole

Photo courtesy Maggie Armstrong

    One of the family favorites at every holiday dinner is hash brown casserole. One of the girls at work shared her recipe and I've been making it for years. Recently at a holiday recipe contest I discovered a new twist on an old favorite. A carton of French onion dip gives this dish a very creamy texture with a pop of flavor. Maybe that's why it was the side dish winner in the holiday cooking contest.

Hashbrown Casserole
Mary Weber, Fransisco, IN

1 - 32 oz. bag frozen unseasoned hash brown potatoes

1 - 8 oz. carton sour cream

1 - 8 oz. carton of French onion dip

1 can cream of chicken soup or cream of mushroom soup

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

1 stick of margarine melted

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine all ingredients except margarine in a large bowl.

Place in a greased 9x13 baking pan. Top with melted margarine.

Bake for 1 - 1 1/2 hours.

Bacon Wrapped Stuffed Pork Loin

Photo courtesy of the Cooking Corner.

    For our last family meal it was time to try something new. Turkey and ham had been over used. Since pork loins had been on sale recently, I decided to make use of another version of that little piggy.
    I brought the whole loin home and cut it into thirds. That seemed to be the size most easily used. The portions were wrapped and frozen. For this occasion I pulled out 2 of the sections.
    They were seasoned with a dry rub and rolled up with stuffing tucked inside. To make it even better, (the hubby called it pork-a-palooza), I wrapped each loin in bacon. Why not?
    This dish that turned out to be a real hit with even the pickiest of eaters. Those who weren't fond of stuffing were pleasantly surprised and bacon lovers were all in for the fun.   

Bacon Wrapped-Stuffed Pork Loin
2/3 whole boneless pork loin, cut in 2 equal parts, 10-12 inches long*
2 T. Old Man Larry's dry rub or other seasoning
1 box pork flavored stuffing mix
6 slices bacon
kosher salt and pepper

Preparation -  Preheat oven to 350.

Make stuffing according to package directions and set aside.

Place loin on a spray coated baking sheet. Slice each loin in half lengthwise, almost through, but leaving at least 1/2-inch or so that it opens in half, like a loaf of Italian bread. Slice again from the middle towards the outside edge, but not all the way through, so that it opens like a book. (butterflied)

Sprinkle both sides of meat with dry rub, salt and pepper. Spoon 1/3 stuffing (about 3/4 cup) into one side of pork loin. Roll pork from stuffing side, like a soft shell, wrapping loins in bacon and turn seam side down.

Cook 1-1/2 hours or until an internal temperature of around 160 degrees. Let rest at least 20 minutes and then slice carefully.

Serves about 16. 

*(Use a whole loin to serve about 2 dozen or cut in half for 10-12 servings.)

Loin out of the oven and just sliced.

Parmesan Corn Casserole

Photo courtesy of the Cooking Corner.

      While practicing for the holidays, I ran across the idea for a corn casserole topped with Parmesan cheese. I was thinking of making that instead of my standard scalloped corn. Alas, the family wouldn't have it and insisted on the classic favorite.
     I found this corn casserole relatively easy to make with simple ingredients and a nice flavor twist using Parmesan cheese as a topping. The original instructions said to put the mixture into a food processor, but since I only had a blender, that was my route. The casserole was thicker than my classic scalloped corn with more texture. The Parmesan topping was a sharp flavor balance with this creamy yet chunky casserole.

Parmesan Corn Casserole
1-16 oz. pkg. frozen corn
1/4 cup sugar
1/8 cup flour
1 T. cornmeal
3 T. butter, melted
1 tsp. salt
3/4 cup milk
2 eggs, beaten
1 T. parsley (or chives)
1 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded, saving 1/4 cup

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Spray coat or grease a 1 qt. baking dish

In a large bowl combine the following - 1/2 bag of frozen corn, sugar, flour, cornmeal, melted butter, salt, milk and eggs. Pour into a blender or food processor and blend until well mixed.

Return to large bowl and remaining corn, parsley and 3/4 cup cheese. Mix well.

Pour into prepared baking dish and top with remaining cheese.
Bake 45-55 minutes until center is firm and top is golden brown.

Serves 4-6. Recipe easily doubled.

Baked in an 8x8, ready for the oven.

Related articles

• 10 Simple Dinner Dishes For Your Next Family Meal
• Chef Matt McMillin put together a hearty authentic Italian Gnocchi Carbonara
• Cheesy Mushroom Spinach Potato Casserole + Paypal Giveaway #sp
• Ultimate Scalloped Potatoes
• Easy Father's Day Brunch Recipe: Spinach, Steak and Gorgonzola Quiche

Herb Mayonnaise Roasted Turkey

Photos courtesy of the Cooking Corner.

     I have now successfully made the third ugliest turkey in my cooking career and I mean ugly with a capital U. Once again I tried to modify a recipe for oven roasted turkey to use in my roaster. The idea was to coat the bird in a mix of herbs and mayonnaise. I know it sounds weird, but this is just like when mayo is substituted for vegetable oil in cake mixes; it's added moisture.
     So, I made one of most moist and flavorful birds yet, however it was not pretty. The mayo coating on the very top stayed a shade of off-white with green specs and was slightly congealed. The hubby suggested a quick bit in the broiler, but I was afraid that it would dry out the bird, so I just scraped the topping off. It's not like we ever go for that beautifully browned bird on a platter for the table since I always cut it in the kitchen anyway. Next time, maybe I'll use the oven.

Herb Mayonnaise Roasted Turkey
21 lb. turkey (Butterball)
3 stalks celery, cut in 1/3 chunks, about 4 inches long
1 large onion, quartered
2 cups mayonnaise
2 tsp. oregano (3 springs fresh)

The turkey coated and ready for the roaster.

8-10 sage leaves
1/4 tsp. celery salt
2 tsp. dried thyme (6 sprigs fresh)
1 stick butter
Kosher salt and white pepper

Thaw turkey completely, start checking it days before. Remove giblets and place in roaster on wrack.

In small bowl, mix mayo and herbs. Stir well to combine and set aside.
Slather herb-mayo mixture in between skin and meat, working your fingers in between to loosen the skin and push mayo as far in as possible. Rub mayo over outside of bird, coating thinly. Place any remaining mayo inside cavity.

Place onion and celery inside bird and a few chunks on the outside around the bird. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Cover roaster with lid and turn heat on to high or at least 450 degrees. Cook on high for 30 minutes to brown (sear). Note-If you don't preheat roaster cooking time should be about 45 minutes.

Reduce heat to 350 and continue cooking until thermometer in breast reaches 165, about 3 hours. Let rest in roaster with lid on at least an hour before cutting.
Serves 12-15.

Related articles

• How to Make: Smoked Turkey (+Gifs)
• Accidents and Turkey
• Add surprise flavors to Thanksgiving turkey
• Smoked, Beer can Chicken
• Thanksgiving turkey recipe and why we eat the big bird (IrishCentral)

Holiday Wreath Appetizer

Photo courtesy of the Cooking Corner.

     Recently the girls and I got together for cards and the food quest was to bring a dish that was red and green, going with a Christmas theme of course. I modified a recipe that uses crescent rolls that are topped with an herb cream cheese and red and green veggies. This was not hard at all because I had some leftover veggies in the refrigerator bin.
    This veggie wreath went over big with the girls because it was not only pretty, but tasty too. The roasted garlic really comes through in the herbed cream cheese and a sprinkle of bacon always makes everything better.

Holiday Wreath Appetizer
1 pkg. refrigerator crescent rolls

Filling - (enough for 2 small wreaths or 1 large one)
8 oz. block of cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 T. chives 
1/2 tsp. onion powder

Wreath ready for toppings.

6-7 cloves of roasted garlic
seasoned salt

Toppings - 1/4 each red and green bell peppers (diced), 1/2 stalk celery (fine diced) and bacon bits.

Heat oven to 375 degrees.
Spray cookie sheet or round pizza pan.

In small bowl, blend cream cheese and roasted garlic until smooth. Add mayonnaise, chives and onion powder. Mix well. Chill until needed.

Open crescent rolls and do not separate. Cut in half and then cut in half again two more times. Slice rolls into 16 pieces and curl into a circle. 

Place rolls into a circle with sides touching.

Bake 12-13 minutes or until crescent rolls are golden brown. Let cool in pan 5 minutes and then remove to serving platter. (This part is tricky, use two flat spatulas or an extra set of hands.)

Wreath out of oven and cooling.

Dollop cream cheese filling onto each roll and sprinkle with toppings desired. Sprinkle seasoned salt over top. Serves 8-10.

Related articles

• Roasted Garlic Bread with Smoked Black Pepper Cheddar Cheese
• Shrimp Scampi Dip
• Mini Cheese Balls
• 25 Easy Big Game Appetizers
• Pulled Buffalo Chuck Roast Sandwich w/ Baked Fries