Reimagining Leftovers

If you're a member of my family, leftovers never last. But in normal families having leftovers is a struggle. They tend to take up room in the refrigerator and slowly go bad. That's why I'm here to give you some ideas about how to turn those leftovers into something delicious. Of course, you can always just prepare this dish without having the leftovers. That's the beauty of it! Here we go:

 

Simple Chicken Pasta Casserole (feeds about 4)

 

What you need:

3-4 precooked chicken breasts, sliced

1 lb. cooked pasta (I prefer rotelle for this recipe, but use whatever you have!)

1 can/jar marinara

1 small can mushrooms (or fresh mushrooms)

2 cups shredded mozzarella

About a cup baby spinach

Fresh basil

Oregano, garlic and Italian seasoning

 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and lightly grease 9x9 inch pan or casserole dish. Combine sliced chicken breasts, cooked pasta, mushrooms, spinach and basil in large mixing bowl. Season to taste with oregano, garlic and Italian seasoning. I like to put 1/2 a cup of cheese in with this mixture. Stir in marinara then pour into pan/dish. This is what mine looked like before adding the cheese:



 

Sprinkle the remaining cheese evenly over the top of your casserole. Pop it in the oven for 20-25 minutes, until cheese on top is turning tan and bubbly. Mine took a little longer since it was a deeper dish. Just watch for the cheese changing color; that's how you know it's done! Be careful when serving. It's hot! Your family will never know what happened to the leftovers!

 

 

Celebration!

Hi all,

 

It's been awhile since my last post, so I apologize for that. College and life and work interfere with blog writing. But here I am, back at it. In honor of my new entry back into the blogosphere, I would like to share with you a simple and delicious recipe that will make people think you worked a lot harder than you did. Get ready for it: Crème de Menthe (Cream de mint) Cake.

 

This is one of my grandma's recipes, and it's one of my favorites. So here goes.

 

What you need:

 

1 box white cake mix (I prefer Betty Crocker)

Ingredients on cake mix

1 container whipped cream (I use Cool Whip)

1 container chocolate sauce

Creme de menthe (you can buy this at a liquor store)

 

After that, it's simple! Bake the cake according to box directions. After, stick the cake in the fridge to cool it quickly and make it nice and firm. I like to leave it in for 2-3 hours at the very least. Right before you take the cake out of the fridge, take the whipped cream and put it in a mixing bowl with 2-3 tablespoons of the crème de menthe depending on color and strength of taste. I prefer mine a little stronger. When you're done, the frosting should be a very light green.

 

Now that your cake is done cooling, you can frost it. First, spread the chocolate sauce evenly over the top of the cake. Feel free to warm it up a little to make the frosting process easier, but you DO NOT want it to be liquefied. Over the top, spread the crème de menthe generously. Throw it back in the fridge to solidify the chocolate sauce and form up the frosting. Give it another hour or so and serve!

 

 

Here is my finished product!

 

This is what it should look like sliced, with a layer of chocolate firm under the frosting.

 

 

 

 

 

Snacking during the holidays

I'm seeing everywhere "check out these easy snack ideas for the holidays" so I thought I'd jump right up on the bandwagon. You've probably heard of/eaten these babies before, but they're something I love dearly and make for nearly all of my family's holiday get-togethers: pickle wraps. They're the simple mix of ham, cream cheese and pickles. Lay down a piece of ham (I prefer honey ham rectangles), smother it in cream cheese then roll it around a pickle. Cut into bite-sized pieces and enjoy! An interesting take on this recipe is the pickle wrap dip, which is also a family favorite. Take 2 cups of sour cream, 2 cups of cream cheese, about a pound of ham and a jar of pickles. Finely slice the ham and pickles and mix it all together. Serve with crackers, chips, etc.

Another fun snack is the classic chocolate-covered pretzels. Remember to melt the chocolate with a double-boiling pan because nothing else really works. Chocolate chips work best for these because they melt the fastest and smoothest. White chocolate and butterscotch tend to lump even after melting (though that's never stopped me). Topping ideas include sprinkles, nuts, coconut, candy pieces, and more! 

A Different Baked Potato

I finally decided to cook last night since I had the correct leftovers to make one of my all time favorite recipes! I have no name for these glorious little potatoes, so maybe y'all can help me with them. They are a variation on the recipe my roommate freshman year gave me. Enjoy and see what you think!

You will need:
Potatoes (I prefer red, but go with your gut)
Bell Peppers (Whatever color. I prefer red and yellow)
1 yellow onion
Baby carrots or sliced carrots (Optional)
Olive Oil
Garlic, black pepper, Italian Seasoning, seasoned salt, etc.
(Pick the spices you like best. I use all of the above.)

Chop up potatoes, peppers, onions and carrots into bite-sized pieces and mix together in a large bowl. Add a generous amount of olive oil to completely cover each piece of ingredient. Season to taste. This usually means you can see the seasoning on each ingredient. Cover with foil and bake for one hour at 425 degrees. Baking time may vary according to how much you've made. A full 9"x13" pan usually takes an hour. Go from there.

This is a good recipe to pair with a chicken dish or even to mix in with ground beef. It is sort of a take on the mix of veggies you put in with a pot roast (sans pot roast). I only had orange peppers at home, so that's what I used. They make for a sweeter dish. That's why I prefer red and yellow peppers. But always go with your gut because that's where the food is going!

The Beauty of Butter

Today I'd like to talk to you about butter. Yes, butter, that stuff most people avoid because of fat and society's threats. I want to make it clear right now: I LIKE BUTTER. It is an excellent flavoring agent and just can't be replaced by margarine or some other sad thing. Why should you like butter too? It's so versatile and useful. How do I make the tortillas of my quesadillas so browned, crunchy and beautiful? Butter, how does my Alfredo sauce get so creamy and work with the noodles so well? Butter. How do you get your finger out of a ring you misjudged the size of? Butter. Like I said, it's versatile. It makes sandwiches better, buns delightful and crispy. The greatest bun I've had is the onion  bun from The Rack Shack on Robert Street in West St. Paul. Why? Butter. And the fact that it was toasted to give it the right amount of crunch and flavor.

What am I really trying to say here?

STOP being afraid of butter. It's not going to kill you. Sure you're looking to lower cholesterol and keep that waistline still a waistline. A tablespoon of butter is not going to tip you over the edge. If you want good tasting, flavorful food, go with butter. The taste is going to make you forget about the possible (yet unlikely) repercussions. VOTE BUTTER!

Intro

Hey all!
I'm Alex, a senior at Minnesota State University, Mankato. I'm originally from the Twin Cities area, and I plan on going back after graduation this spring. Why create a food blog, you ask? I want to add some new flavor (pun intended) to this world of food blogs. I started blogging back in middle school when blogger wasn't a thing, so I have some (limited) experience. Why food? I love food. Who doesn't? Why sarcasm? I love that too. I want to add my own personal touch to my love of food. I'm here to share with you all some tips, recipes and eating ideas from the perspective of a college student who loves good cooking. I've been cooking since I could reach the counter top and writing even longer than that. Feel free to leave me comments, requests, feedback, jokes, compliments, criticism, etc. Basically whatever you're feeling. Welcome to Food and Sarcasm. Enjoy!