Federale Potato Casserole

Posted on May 2, 2013 by Chandra@The Plaid and Paisley Kitchen

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It’s really warming up here in the Mid West! It was 85 the other day! That is my kind of weather. So in honor of the rising mercury and that Cinco De Mayo is only 3 days away I bring you one Spicy Dish! This recipe is the latest in my Plaid and Paisley Original Recipe series. This dish was a super huge hit with the boys and I have to say I really loved it also. You can temper the heat to your families taste. This uses Fire Roasted Tomatoes and if you want to dial the heat down just used regular diced tomatoes. Want to heat it up even more {that may be more than you bargained for} add a second can of green chiles. This is a big bold recipe and true to a casserole you really don’t even need to make a side dish. Well, a nice green salad would be great with this.

Can you just see the flavor bursting out of the picture? We have all sorts of great things on this plate. Ground Beef, Potatoes, Red and Yellow Peppers, Tomatoes, Chilies, and don’t forget the Cheese! What would a casserole be without cheese? This is a perfectly easy throw together in a hurry weeknight meal. You can even buy your peppers already cut up for you to help with the prep time. There is nothing better than being able to serve the family a wonderful dish that comes together in 15 min and bakes up in 30! That 45 min sounds like perfect homework time to me.

So make this tonight, or for Cinco De Mayo or anytime a fun easy tasty spicy dish is in order!!!

Federale Potato Casserole

This is a Plaid and Paisley Original Recipe

Ingredients

1 lb ground beef
1 envelope taco seasoning
5-7 yukon gold potatoes diced
1 red and 1 yellow pepper diced
1 4 oz can green chilies diced
1 14 oz can roasted fire tomatoes {or just diced for less heat}
1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Instructions

Brown the beef in a skillet and drain the grease
Mix in the taco seasoning and set aside
in a mixing bowl add the remaining ingredients except for the cheese and mix to combine
mix in the beef
pour into a 9x9 baking dish
cover with foil {the steam will help cook the potatoes}
and bake at 350 for 30 min
remove the foil check potatoes for doneness
it they are still under cooked replace foil and bake for 50-10 more
if they are done sprinkle the cheese and bake for 5 min
remove from oven and serve!
Enjoy!

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Here are some other recipes that you may enjoy if you like this one

Tequila Lime Green Chile Chicken Roll Ups

Easy Rotel Casserole

Irish Meat Hand Pies

Posted on March 7, 2013 by Chandra@The Plaid and Paisley Kitchen

No we are not talking Mrs. Lovett’s Meat Pies! Sweeny Todd has not made a visit to our home, no worries here. These are just gorgeous, tasty, wonderful, portable food. These are actually called Dingle Pies. I re-named them as I just didn’t think that name would go over very well with an American Audience. These Dingle pies are actually made with lamb, but as that is not as readily available here I used beef. Let me tell you I really prefer lamb. Like I could eat lamb everyday of my life. This is coming from the girl who really only eats red meat because I live with 2 men. I could go the rest of my life and never have another piece of cow touch my lips and never think twice. So when I say I love lamb you get how much that really means! As good as this pie looks and as good as it tasted it would be phenomenal with lamb.

So a bit about that name Dingle. Well it is a county in Ireland, and these hand pies are famous in this area. August 1st marks Lammas Day an Anglo Saxon (go figure) traditional first day of the Harvest. These pies are a big portion of the food served at Lammas Festivals in the county of Dingle. Hence, Dingle Pies. Still I think I’ll call them meat hand pies, I am sure you can guess at all the fun my hubby and the boy had with this name. Funny name aside these are an entire meal all wrapped up in a delicious flakey crust! Inside there is tasty little cubes of meat, potatoes, carrots, celery and spices. I love watching the steam come out when you make the first cut into the pie. You just know that you are about to dig into something really special. We ate them with a knife and fork of course but the main reason that they were made like this was so they could be transported and eaten like a sandwich so there’s the name Hand Pie. Just a note on the side… the 20 year old ate them with his hands. Oh well….

Look at that crisp buttery crust. You know that you just want to dive in and eat the whole thing! These are great for a dinner party as you don’t really have to serve many, or any for that matter, side dishes. Plus they look really fancy and your guests will think that you slaved over them all day. Guess what you won’t have to as these are really easy to make! They are a little time consuming but still easy. To make the pies you need 2 plates as guides to cut the circles. One needs to be smaller than the other. For the bottom I used a small dessert plate and for the top layer I used a saucer. Just use ready to use Pillsbury Pie Crusts. (Don’t use a generic brand, it has to be Pillsbury to get this amazing golden flakey crust) I bet that you have all the ingredients in your kitchen right now. Another really good thing about this meal? Super easy left overs, just pop the pie in the oven and re-heat. I did accidently make more meat and veg filling than I had pie crusts for, so I just mixed in some cream of celery soup and made mini pot pies in ramekins!

So cute huh? These were the perfect lunch the next day with a green side salad. The mini pot pies are just as portable as the meat pies. Taken to work in your lunch or just to serve as heavy after school snack these mini pot pies are just as good on their own!

Irish Meat Hand Pies

Ingredients

2 packages Pillsbury Pie Crusts
1/2 large onion diced
2 russet potatoes peeled and diced
2 carrots diced
2 celery sticks diced
1 lb (or more) chuck or round steak cubed
Salt, Pepper, onion and garlic powders to taste (not sure what your taste is go with 1 tsp each)
1 egg beaten

Instructions

In a skillet combine onion, celery potatoes, carrots, salt let the veg sweat and soften up a little
once sweated add the meat in and the pepper, onion and garlic powders
let cook for 3 min (taste and adjust seasoning as needed)
remove skillet and let the mixture cool. (I placed it in the fridge. The heat will melt and turn your crust soggy. So chilling is important.
roll out each round of the pie crust (2 packages make 4 rounds)
Place the dessert dish and trace with a paring knife
gather up pie scrap and re roll and cut the smaller round using a saucer
do this to all 4 rounds out of the package
(Each round makes one complete pie with a little scrap left over for decorative cut outs and enough to make the little pot pies)
Pre heat to 350
Once cool place approx 1/4 cup mixture in the center of each large pie crust circle
place the smaller pie crust circle on top of the mixture
roll up the sides of the larger over the edge of the smaller to complete the pie crimp with fingers to secure
pierce a hole in the top to let the steam vent while cooking
brush the tops and rolled sides with the beaten egg for a more golden top
Gently place pies on a parchment lined baking sheet and bake at 350 for 50 min
they are best served hot out of the oven but as they were designed to be portable in the 1400's you can also eat them cold.
Enjoy!

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Chili Tot Casserole

Posted on February 21, 2013 by Chandra@The Plaid and Paisley Kitchen

Here is another easy throw together Party Food or even a fun lunch or dinner. You are just now getting to see all my Super Bowl Food that I made. Some holiday full of hearts and flowers kinda got in the way. This is total guy and total kid food! {Read so not healthy but oh so good!} This casserole has 4 layers of total yum! There is a corn chip crust, chili, tater tots and then topped off with ooey gooey cheese! Hmmmmm you must be thinking. I know I am just remembering how good it was. If you make this as a party food serve it with extra corn chips as a hearty dip. If it is for lunch or dinner just dig in with a fork and go for it. I guess you could do that for the party food too. It really is that good! Just take a look

Do you see what I mean about being fork ready? I am ready to jump into the computer so I can have some more. Really what more does a busy mom want than quick and easy and totally kid and husband approved? This was Super Bowl Food after all. You can make this a big or a small as you want just adjust the amounts of the totally accessible ingredients as needed.

Ready to dig in? I know I am!

Chili Tot Casserole

Ingredients

1 bag of corn chips like Frito's
2 -3 cans of Wolf Chili NO BEANS (unless you want beans)
1/2 a bag of tater tots
1/2 to 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Instructions

preheat oven to 400
spray an 8x8 or whatever size dish you are using with non stick spray
crush corn chips enough to cover bottom of pan
spoon and spread the chili over the chips
layer the tater tots on top
sprinkle with cheese
bake for 20-30 min
Serve with more corn chips if desired
Enjoy!

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Because it was Tuesday….. A Dinner

Posted on October 19, 2012 by Chandra@The Plaid and Paisley Kitchen

As my most dedicated readers will know I am not a huge red meat eater, but when I do make steak I love a good Ribeye! I use thin cut to save on some calories and fat. Although I am sure that my husband would rather I buy some huge thick mammoth strip steak. Nawww not me I like just a little bit of it for protein and some great flavor that a ribeye has to offer. I am also obsessed with putting blue cheese on my steaks! Yumo! Because it was Tuesday, and we all know that Tuesday’s can be quite sexy around here I made this with a red wine reduction and mushrooms, and the all important blue cheese. To ramp up the special Tuesday night factor I also toasted some walnuts. This was one sexy Tuesday night dish!

I love a good glass of a rich deep red wine. Cabernet Sauvignon is my wine of choice. I miss my great California wine and all the fun we had wine tasting each and every weekend!!! No wonder I gained like 40 pounds when we lived there! So when I want to celebrate something as wonderful as a Tuesday Night and spend some much needed quality time with the hubby I broke out a bottle! (ok may this night we had 2…..) Hey a gal gets to splurge some of the time doesn’t she? I would love to share my recipe for a great sexy night for every Tuesday!!! First you have to make these Appetizers Orange Fig with Goat Cheese and Fig Balsamic vinegar, then The Main course and for dessert who can resist the Sexiest Chocolate Cake you have ever eaten?Seriously go to those recipes and you will never want Tuesday to be boring ever again!

Red Wine and Mushroom Ribeye Steaks

Make any night special even a Tuesday!

Ingredients

2 ribeye steaks
salt, pepper, onion and garlic powder to taste
1/4 cup butter
1 tbs chopped red onion
1 tbs chopped garlic
1 cup sliced button mushrooms (you can use any mushroom, go ahead and make it exotic!)
2 cups red wine
1 cup beef broth
3/4 cup walnuts toasted in the oven at 325 for 10 min
1/4 cup crumbled blue cheese

Instructions

season the steaks and sear in a hot pan on each side approx 3 min per side
remove and keep warm
in the same pan melt the butter and cook the onions and garlic
add in the mushrooms and cook till brown
pour in the wine and beef broth
bring to a boil and reduce by half
add the steaks back in and let them finish cooking in the sauce
plate the steaks and pour on the sauce
sprinkle the blue cheese and the toasted walnuts
serve with the same wine you used to make the sauce
a perfect sexy Tuesday Night Meal

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Black and Blue Ribeye

Posted on June 12, 2012 by Chandra@The Plaid and Paisley Kitchen

I really need to take a photography class or something as I just seem to struggle with the photo’s of food that are not sweet treats. I realize now, much too late of course that I should have made haricots vert to help snazz up the picture but, we were in the mood for corn on the cob last night. I found this recipe in a weight watchers magazine and I altered it just a little bit. I don’t know about you but I think that a nice juicy ribeye has way more flavor than a bland ol’ strip steak….. but that is just how I see it.

I didn’t really know what to expect when I was making this, would it taste good, would it be just a boring steak, I was pleasantly surprised on so many fronts! Not only it did it taste good it tasted AMAZING! I never knew that beer could be reduced to such a tasty sauce. Yes you read that right I wrote, BEER. I used Guinness Dark Lager. I do not drink beer. I do not like it. It taste funny and it makes my husband obnoxious! I do however enjoy cooking with it! And let me just say that I really want to have this meal again over and over and over! I can not remember the last time that I put something this savory and tasty in my mouth!

Black and Blue Ribeye

This is really Steak House quality food! I was so amazed at how good this was! I am not a big red meat eater so when I do eat it I want it to be spectacular!

Ingredients

4 thin cut ribeye steaks
1 12 oz bottle of black lager
2 tbs brown sugar
crumbled blue cheese
salt, pepper, garlic and onion powders to taste

Instructions

season the steaks and pan sear over medium high heat approx 2-3 min per side
remove from pan and keep warm
in a bowl combine the brown sugar and beer
add to the pan and bring to a boil, cook til reduced to approx 1/4 cup
return steaks and cover with reduction and heat through
plate up and serve with the crumbled blue cheese on top of each steak

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Pot Roast with Spring Vegetables

Posted on March 25, 2012 by Chandra@The Plaid and Paisley Kitchen

As you can see I still have not quite mastered the art of picnik so I guess I should just move on to picmonkey now that we are losing our favorite photo editing website! sniff sniff….. stupid google! As you all know things around this house have been a little turned upside down lately, so I have another installment of easy weeknight meals here for you. I used to turn my nose up to Crock Pots, as I thought that they overcooked and were the lazy way of making dinner. In the past two months I have come to see that they are for more than making Queso dip. Although I still have some guilt feelings when I use it. I have been leaning on this busy mom helper a bit more than I ever have in the past. I have, including this one, three recipes on this site that use a crock pot. Pineapple Pulled Pork, Red Wine Post Roast.

Being that is Spring I didn’t want to make a real heavy meal with Carrots and Potatoes, I wanted it to be lighter and brighter. So I used Spring Vegetables of Corn and Asparagus. I made my Yum Yum Asparagus and Cheddar Cheese Garlic Biscuits. I think it came out beautifully as we have no left overs!

Pot Roast with Spring Vegetables

3.0 from 1 reviews

Recipe type: Main Dish

Author: The Plaid and Paisley Kitchen

Ingredients

1 3-4 lb beef chuck or post roast
1 onion quartered and slices pulled apart
1 can cream of celery soup
2 cups beef broth
salt, pepper, garlic powder and thyme powder to taste

Instructions

season the meat
heat a pan to medium high heat (no oil)
seat the meat til brown on all sides
place meat in crock pot
layer the onion slices all around and under the meat (you will not be eating the onions they are for seasoning only)
pour the 2 cups beef broth in the pot
spread the cream of celery soup on the top of the meat
cover and cook on low for 5-6 hrs or high for 2-3

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Everything Bagel Burger

Posted on March 19, 2012 by Chandra@The Plaid and Paisley Kitchen

Hello again! Here is another installment of easy weeknight meals! I think I need to get my butt in gear and start to make some meals worthy of real food blogging, but for now I am giving you another quickie. This can go in the category of Cheap Night meals. Remember the Grilled Cheese Pie? Not only is it a family favorite it seemed to be fan favorite also! This meal is kinda like that. Easy, cheap, and kid friendly. I realize the picture shows a carb overload…. not so healthy….. but really it was quite yummy!

Now I must add that this is almost a everything bagel. I did not have any poppy seeds. The meat does have a complete everything bagel taste. (just minus the poppy seeds) It was a super nice day out today so I was able to grill out. If the weather has not changed where you live, you can always make these on the stove top.

Everything Bagel Burger

Recipe type: Main Dish

Author: The Plaid and Paisley Kitchen

Serves: 4

Ingredients

1 lb lean ground beef
1 package dry onion soup mix
4 thin 100 calorie bagels
4 slices cheddar cheese

Instructions

mix dry onion mix in raw ground beef til combined
make into patties and grill til desired doneness
lay cheese slices on and let get all ooey gooey
while meat is cooking toast the bagels
put together like any burger and use your fav condiments
serve with corn on the cob and french fries or any side you would like

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Easy Weeknight Sloppy Joe Cheesey Mac

Posted on March 14, 2012 by Chandra@The Plaid and Paisley Kitchen

As promised more crazy easy, mom just might fall over dead tired but still has to make dinner, meals!!! Now I know I once before said that I do not like Sloppy Joes. The kind we had as kids growing up. The 1970′s had all sorts of weird food and trends. My statement still remains that I do not like Sloppy Joes. I do however like this recipe that I made called Better than Sloppy Joes I only called this recipe Sloppy Joe because it has the packet of seasoning in it. Other than that it has no resemblance to that 1970′s meal.

Don’t let the long list of ingredients fool you. This is easy and it is quick to make. Like I said we have been dealing with a heavier than usual workload here and I am feeling it in every fiber of my body! So when I say this is easy I really mean it! It just also happens to be gobble up quick good!

Easy Weeknight Sloppy Joe Cheesey Mac

3.0 from 1 reviews

Recipe type: main dish

Author: The Plaid and Paisley Kitchen

Ingredients

1 16oz box any shape pasta (I used mini shells)
1 lb lean ground beef (you can use turkey or chicken)
2 carrot finely diced
2 stalks of celery finely diced
1 small onion diced
1 can 14 1/2 oz fire roasted diced tomatoes undrained (you can use regular)
1 can 6 oz tomato paste
1/2 cup water
1 envelope sloppy joe mix
1 tbs butter
1/3 cup flour
1 tbs dijon mustard
salt and pepper to taste
2 cups milk
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese (I used 2%)

Instructions

boil and drain pasta
saute carrots, celery and onion til soft
add the beef and cook till no longer pink
add both cans of the tomatoes, water and sloppy joe mix
bring to a boil, cover and reduce to a simmer while you make the cheesey mac
in a sauce pan melt the butter and add the flour, cook for 30 sec
add the milk and bring to just a boil
add 2/3 of the cheese and stir till melted (mixture will become thick and creamy)
remove from heat and add the pasta in, stir to combine
pour into a greased 9 x 13 baking dish
pour meat mixture on top
bake at 375 for 30 min
sprinkle last bit of cheese on top and broil 3-5 min till cheese is all brown and bubbly

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Now you have a dish that all the kiddies and hubbies in the family will love….. Oh and you snuck some veggies in there. You can always add more carrots and dice them smaller to really hide them and amp up the veggie count!

You can find this recipe and other great ones at The Weekend Potluck!!

Beef Rouladen and German Potato Salad

Posted on January 19, 2012 by Chandra@The Plaid and Paisley Kitchen

I should name this the Post that almost wasn’t! WordPress and I have not been getting along the past few days and this is the Third time I am writing this post! Arrrg! Ok enough of my whining… On to the good stuff

My Great Grandparents immigrated to America when Ellis Island was still open and they made their way from NYC to Chicago. Once settled there they opened a Bakery. I love my Grandpa’s stories of living above the bakery and growing up in downtown Chicago during The Great Deppression! I never met my Great Grandpa Schmidt but I spent much time with my Great Grandma. She spoke with a heavy accent and with broken English. My Grandmother’s kitchen was always alive with the sights and smells and sounds of great cooking! German cooking is heavy and filling and quite frankly not that healthy. We are a robust people. This is not my grandmothers recipe the sauce has no bacon fat or heavy cream in it like the traditional recipe calls for. Trust me when I say you won’t miss it! This is a lighter, healthier and tastier version. Traditional Rouladen is braised for a long time and uses a cheaper cut of meat. I get around this by using a leaner better cut of sirloin. I pan sear it and finish it off in the oven.

Have your butcher cut and trim your sirloin steaks to about 1/4″ thick. Like this:

When you get home, you will need to pound them to about 1/8″ thickness. Like this:

This recipe will be great for beginners learning cooking and knife skills, and also help hone some skills for those more advanced. If you are a beginner do not be intimidated, this is a dish that is very forgiving. If you cut one carrot thin and the other thick no worries…. We all have to learn and we all need to keep up our skills. Here is how my veggies came out. Not that perfect, yet I don’t think too bad.

Layering and rolling and securing your steaks can also be a skill set to practice. You can use kitchen twine or secure with toothpicks. I used toothpicks. You just have to be a bit more gentle when you turn the meat while you are searing it.

I make the Potato Salad first. You can always pop it in the microwave to heat it back through if it cools off too much.

Beef Rouladen and German Potato Salad

5.0 from 1 reviews

Recipe type: Main Dish

Author: The Plaid and Paisley Kitchen

Serves: 3-4

A healthy lighter version than the German Traditional Version

Ingredients

For the Potato Salad:
1 lb small red potatoes quartered
4 Strips Turkey bacon
1/2 cup chopped white onion
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
2 tbs brown sugar (I use slpenda)
For the Rouladen:
3-4 1/4″ inch thick sirloin steaks trimmed of fat
Stone Ground Mustard (for an authentic taste use a German brand)
3-4 slices black forest ham
1/4 white onion sliced thin
1 long carrot peeled and julienned
2 dill pickles julienned
handful of shredded red cabbage
1 tbs tomato paste (I use the concentrated in a tube kind)
1 can beef broth
1 tbs cornstarch and 3 tbs cold water to make a slurry

Instructions

For the Potato Salad:
boil potatoes until fork tender, meanwhile
slice turkey bacon into small strips and cook in a pan
sautee onion with the bacon untill soft and translucent
stir in the flour and cook til onions are thick. approx 1 min
add vinegar and brown sugar
simmer for 2-3 min and toss over the potatoes
place in a serving dish and keep warm
For the Rouladen:
pound the steaks to 1/8″ thick pre heat oven to 300
spread the mustard on the steaks and layer the black forest ham and the veggies on top of each steak
roll the steaks up and salt and pepper to taste
secure with toothpicks or kitchen string
sear meat in a hot pan for approx 8 min on each side
transfer to a baking sheet and place in oven to continue to cook. Leave in the oven for at least 10-15 min
In the pan that you browned the meat in add the tomato paste and beef broth. Scrape up the good brown bits off the bottom of the pan. Bring to a boil and reduce liquid to half
add the slurry and cook about 3-5 min more til sauce becomes thick
warm the potato salad up in the microwave if needed. You want this to be warm to almost hot
plate the steaks and pour the broth over and serve with the potato salad

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I hope that you will enjoy this healthy and tasty meal. I love the tangy flavors of German food, I also love how when I make this dish it smells like my Grandma’s Kitchen. It feels like home and I think that we all really relish that feeling!

Red Wine Pot Roast

Posted on October 15, 2011 by Chandra@The Plaid and Paisley Kitchen

Fall is full on here in the Midwest. The days are cooling but warm in the sun. The nights are crisp and cool and I wore a new sweater today!! Time for some comfort food and good wine! I like to take classic meals that we all know and love and can make in our sleep. Then I like to take a little twist and jazz them up or bring them into the 21st Century. Now I know I am not the first person to throw a bottle of wine (give or take a bit) into a crock pot but I don’t think it is done as much as the traditional cream of mushroom (which I happen to really like). The day I made this was the day we were out apple picking and going on a picnic and having all sorts of fun. I knew when we got home I was not going to want to make a big meal. Crock Pots are not my first choice to cook in. They do however have a place in a busy woman’s schedule and I do use them every now and then. More so in the fall. It was nice to come home and have the main dish ready to serve and I only had to make the Scalloped Potatoes Everyone DEVOURED the whole meal in a matter of only a few Ravenous minutes so I was glad that I had not slaved over a stove all day!

1 3lb pot roast or chuck roast
1 onion diced
3 celery stalks diced
3 carrots peeled and cut into large dice
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can tomato paste
to taste of each: salt, pepper, thyme, marjoram, onion and garlic powders
2 bay leaves
1/2 bottle of red wine (I used Cabernet Sauvignon

Salt and pepper the roast. In a dutch oven heat 1-2 tbs olive oil and sear the roast on all sides about 2 min each side.