Tag: sour cream

Smoky Mac and Cheese

Years ago, when I was moving into a new apartment, I had a friend helping me move. I was young, and my packing could have been more efficient. I remember the look she gave me when she reached to pick up a piece of luggage that did not budge. I had neatly tossed all the bottles from my spice cabinet into the bag. It was one of those bags I would have been paying extra for at the airport!

Thirty years later, my spice cabinet is still a very well-stocked area of my kitchen! But, unfortunately, now that we are in the camper, I am short of space for a variety. A few of my favorites are blends from Recteq (available online). The blends help me make the most of my area right now.  

My grandson loves mac and cheese! So, because his Emmy loves him so much, I will make it for him often. I recently changed up one of my favorite mac and cheese recipes and cooked it on the grill. This smoky mac and cheese is perfectly creamy, and the mixture of Monterey Jack and mild cheddar are terrific.

Instead of seasoning with salt and pepper, I used two spice blends from Recteq, which added terrific flavor! Cook this in the oven, or cook it on your pellet grill or BGE for a smoky flavor!

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Smoky Mac and Cheese

Course Side Dish
Author Amye Melton

Ingredients

  • 1 pound elbow macaroni
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter
  • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 3/4 cups whole milk
  • 1 1/2 cups sour cream
  • 1 tablespoon Ben's Heffer Dust (by Recteq)
  • 1 tablespoon Colden's Freakin' Gteek Rub (by Recteq)
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1/2 pound Mild Cheddar cheese shredded, reserve about 1 cup for topping
  • 1/4 pound Monterey Jack cheese shredded

Instructions

  • Preheat oven or grill to 350 degrees.
  • Spray baking dish or skilet with nonstick cooking spray, set aside. Cook pasta according to package directions.
  • In a large, heavy skillet melt butter. Whisk in flour to combine. Slowly add milk, whisking to combine. Whisk in sour cream and seasonings. Add cheeses, reserving 1 cup cheddar cheese for topping, and whisk until melted.
  • In a small bowl, beat eggs. Whisk in a small amount of the cheese mixture. Add egg mixture to the mixture in skillet and whisk to combine.
  • Stir in the cooked and drained pasta. Mix well and pour into a buttered cast iron skillet or casserole dish. Top with reserved shredded cheese.
  • Bake in oven or grill for 30 to 40 minutes, or until hot and bubbly.
  • Serve warm.

Blue Cheese Salad Dressing

blue cheese salad dressing

Wedge salads are one of my all-time favorites! And you can’t get much simpler. Each ingredient needs to be on point with only a handful of simple ingredients. However, the most critical component, in my opinion, is the dressing.

I have seen several dressings served with a wedge, but my favorite wedge has thick, creamy, and chunky blue cheese dressing. I realize there are blue cheese haters out there. However, I can’t say I understand because blue cheese is the best!

A classic wedge deserves a top-notch blue cheese dressing. This recipe is spot on with great taste. It’s super easy to whip up and complements any salad, not just a wedge.

I recently started eating keto again, and I do not know why I stopped. I feel much better, think clearer, and have more energy. This recipe came from Keto for Foodies by Nicole Downs, and the cookbook is loaded with great recipes that I can’t wait to try.

blue cheese salad dressing
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Blue Cheese Salad Dressing

Makes: 1 1/2 cups
Course Keto
Author Amye Melton

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup full fat sour cream
  • 1/2 cup mayonnaise
  • 2 tablespoons heavy cream
  • 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/3 cup crumbled blue cheese plus more for garnish, if desired

Instructions

  • In a medium-size bowl whisk together the sour cream, mayonnaise, heavy cream, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Fold in the blue cheese without breaking up the crumbs.
  • Transfer dressing to a pint glass jar and cover with a lid. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours before serving.
  • Garnish with additional blue cheese crumbles if desired.
  • Store in refrigerator for up to 1 week.

Notes

Serving = 3 tablespoons
Calories: 179; Fat: 18g; Net Carbs: 2g; Protein: 2g

Campground Sausage Dip

 

Campground Sausage Dip

I am sure you are familiar with the quote, “Life happens while you are making other plans.” Unfortunately, sometimes we aren’t fully aware of this until “life happens.”

I am not complaining, but for almost a year now, that’s exactly how it’s been for me. It seems like it has been one thing after another, after another, after another. Thankfully, I have an incredible support team of family and friends. And, I think that maybe I can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel.

With all the madness slowing down a bit, Greg and I could finally get away for a few days. We took the camper, met some friends at a nearby park, and just relaxed. Greg reminded me of how I typically obsess over menus, recipes, and groceries for trips like this, but I even surrendered that. It could have been the most relaxing camping trip to date.

One afternoon at camp, we whipped up this fantastic warm dip. It was packed with delicious flavors, and we could cook everything on the grill. I am calling this Campground Sausage Dip. You can add various ingredients to this dish; we used what we had on hand. We served the dip with corn chips and carrot sticks for a great afternoon treat.

Campground Sausage Dip
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Campground Sausage Dip

Course Appetizer
Author Amye Melton

Ingredients

  • 1 pound hot breakfast sausage cooked, crumbled, and drained well
  • 2 8-ounce packages cream cheese room temperature
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
  • 1 10-ounce package frozen sweet corn thawed and drained
  • 1 10-ounce can Rotel diced tomatoes and green chiles
  • 1 4-ounce can diced green chiles
  • 2 large fresh jalapeño peppers seeds removed and diced
  • 1/2 cup sliced green onions plus additional to garnish top
  • kosher salt and black pepper to taste

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to grill to 350℉.
  • Add the sausage, corn, Rotel, chiles, jalapeños, onions, salt and pepper and mix well. Taste for seasoning. At this point you could always stir in additional salt and pepper, or add some taco seasoning, cumin powder, or maybe some cayenne pepper.
  • Spray a serving dish or skillet with cooking spray. Pour mixture into the dish. Bake in preheated oven or grill until hot and bubbly.
  • Top with additional sliced green onions and serve with corn chips.

Notes

This would be great garnished with fresh, chopped cilantro.  

Apple Crumb Cake

apple crumb cake

We are on the brink of my favorite time of the year. With a few cooler days, I am already itching for sweater weather! My first pot of chili has already been made. Now I’m all about pumpkins and my favorite fall fruit, apples!

I love a good apple, and cooking with them takes the flavor to a whole nother level! From apple pies and cakes, applesauce and apple butter,  to this wonderful apple crumb cake. They are simply perfect!   

Choosing an apple to cook with can be a bit baffling. There seems to be a new variety every season. Granny Smith, Fuju, Golden Delicious, and Jonathan are always perfect for baking, but I tend to use Honeycrisp if I have made a trip to the apple house for Mutzu.  With over 2500 types available in the US alone, many will work well for cooking and baking.

apple crumb cake
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Apple Crumb Cake

Course Breakfast
Author Amye Melton

Ingredients

  • Streusel:
  • 1 cup light brown sugar packed
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 5 tablespoons cold unsalted butter cut into small pieces
  • Cake:
  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 stick cold unsalted butter cut into small pieces
  • 3/4 cup full fat sour cream
  • 1 large egg beaten
  • 2 cups peeled and diced apple

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350℉. Prepare baking pan with nonstick cooking spray or paper liners in muffin tin sprayed with nonstick cooking spray.
  • To make the Streusel: In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle, combine the flour with brown sugar and salt. Add the butter pieces and mix at medium-low speed until the mixture resembled coarse meal; continue mixing the streusel until very small clumps form. Transfer the streusel to a large plate and refrigerate until it is well chilled, about 10 minutes.
  • To make the cake: In the mixer bowl, combine the flour with granulated sugar, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon. Add the butter pieces and beat at low speed until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Add the sour cream and beaten egg and beat until the batter is smooth. Add the diced apples and beat just until incorporated.
  • Pour into baking pan or scoop in muffin tins. Press the streusel into clumps and sprinkle on top. Bake in pan for about 45 minutes and muffins for about 30 minutes, or until golden and a toothpick comes out clean. Cool slightly before serving.

Banana Bread

I come from a long line of cooks and bakers. Most of the men in my family love to grill, smoke meat, and cook. The women in my family love baking and cooking. Either way, we have never been short on good food at any of our family gatherings.

However, we all have that one cousin, don’t we? That would be Melissa in my family. We grew up next door to each other and shes just like a sister to me. Melissa has a heart of gold, but she did not get the love of cooking. In our old family and church cookbooks, her recipes are easy to spot because her instructions are always “mix and bake.”

To my surprise, she actually shared a recipe with me a few weeks ago. A real recipe! No pinches of this and a little bits of that. With the addition of instant pudding and sour cream, this is wonderfully moist banana bread with great flavor.

This recipe makes two loaves of banana bread. Melissa’s recipe had no pecans, but I added them to mine.

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Banana Bread

Course Breads
Servings 2 loaves
Author Amye Melton

Ingredients

  • 2/3 cup vegetable oil
  • 4 large eggs
  • 2 cups mashed ripe bananas
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 1 (3.5-oz.) package vanilla instant pudding
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 cup sour cream
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350℉. Spray two (8.5 x 4.5 x 2.5-inch)loaf pans with nonstick cooking spray, set aside.
  • In a large bowl whisk together oil and eggs. Add bananas and mix.
  • Add the flour, sugar, pudding, salt and baking soda and stir.
  • Fold in the sour cream and vanilla.
  • Spoon batter evenly in both pans. Bake 1 hour or until golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean.
  • Cool in pan for 10 minutes. Remove to wire rack and cool completely.