Recipes for Staying In!

Brrrrr, it’s cold outside!

This week, lets focus on meals that make staying in, feel like a great option!

Side note: A huge THANK YOU to some special taste testers of this week’s Banana Bread Cake Recipe!  PS: They gave it a thumbs up


Country-Style Scrambled Eggs

 

Prep Time: 30 min.

Servings: 4

 

8 bacon strips, diced

2 C. diced red potatoes

1/2 C. chopped onion

1/2 C. chopped green pepper

8 lg. eggs

1/4 C. 2% milk

1 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

1 C. shredded cheddar cheese

 

In a 9-in. cast-iron or other ovenproof skillet, cook bacon over medium heat until crisp. Using a slotted spoon, remove to paper towels to drain. Cook and stir potatoes in drippings over medium heat for 12 min. or until tender. Add onion and green pepper. Cook and stir for 3-4 min. or until crisp-tender; drain. Stir in bacon.

In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, milk, salt and pepper; add to skillet. Cook and stir until eggs are completely set. Sprinkle with cheese; stir it in or let stand until melted. 

 


Pizza in a Bowl

 

Prep Time: 5 min.

Cook Time: 20 min.

Servings: 6

 

8 oz. uncooked rigatoni (about 3 C.)

3/4 lb. ground beef

1/2 C. chopped onion

1 can (15 oz.) pizza sauce

2/3 C. condensed cream of mushroom soup, undiluted

2 C. shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

1 pkg. (3-1/2 oz.) sliced pepperoni

Chopped fresh basil or arugula, optional

 

Cook rigatoni according to package directions; drain. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook beef and onion over medium heat 6-8 min. or until beef is no longer pink, breaking up beef into crumbles; drain. Add pizza sauce, soup and cheese; cook and stir over low heat until cheese is melted.

Add rigatoni and pepperoni to beef mixture. Heat through, stirring to combine. If desired, top with basil before serving.

 


Baked Parmesan Broccoli

 

Prep Time: 30 min.

Cook Time: 15 min.

Servings: 12

 

4 bunches broccoli, cut into florets

6 T. butter, divided

1 sm. onion, finely chopped

1 garlic clove, minced

1/4 C. all-purpose flour

2 C. 2% milk

1 lg. egg yolk, beaten

1 C. grated Parmesan cheese

1/2 tsp. salt

1/8 tsp. pepper

1/2 C. seasoned bread crumbs

 

Preheat oven to 400°. Place half broccoli in a steamer basket; place basket in a large saucepan over 1 in. water. Bring to a boil; cover and steam 3-4 min. or until crisp-tender. Place in a greased 13x9-in. baking dish; repeat with remaining broccoli.

Meanwhile, in a small saucepan over medium heat, melt 4 T. butter. Add onion; cook and stir until tender. Add garlic; cook 1 min. longer.

Stir in flour until blended; gradually add milk. Bring to a boil; cook and stir 2 min. or until thickened. Stir a small amount of hot mixture into egg yolk; return all to the pan, stirring constantly. Cook and stir 1 min. longer. Remove from heat; stir in the cheese, salt and pepper. Pour over broccoli. 

In a small skillet, cook bread crumbs in remaining butter until golden brown; sprinkle over the top.

Bake, uncovered, 15-18 min. or until heated through.

 


Church Supper Hot Dish

 

Prep Time: 40 min.

Cook time: 30 min.

Servings: 8

 

1 lb. ground beef

2 C. sliced peeled potatoes

2 C. finely chopped celery

3/4 C. finely chopped carrots

1/4 C. finely chopped green pepper

1/4 C. finely chopped onion

2 T. butter

1 C. water

2 cans (10-3/4 oz. each) condensed cream of mushroom soup, undiluted

1 can (5 oz.) chow mein noodles, divided

1 C. shredded cheddar cheese

 

Preheat oven to 350°. In a large skillet, cook and crumble beef over medium heat until no longer pink; drain and set aside. 

In same skillet, saute potatoes, celery, carrots, green pepper and onion in butter 5 min. Add water; cover and simmer 10 min. or until vegetables are tender. Stir in soup and cooked ground beef until blended. 

Sprinkle half the chow mein noodles into a greased shallow 2-qt. baking dish. Spoon meat mixture over noodles. Cover and bake 20 min. Top with cheese and remaining noodles. Bake, uncovered, 10 min. longer or until heated through.

 


Slow-Cooker Meat Loaf

 

Prep Time: 25 min.

Cook time: 3 hrs.

Servings: 8

 

1/2 C. tomato sauce

2 lg. eggs, lightly beaten

1/4 C. ketchup

1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

1 sm. onion, chopped

1/3 C. crushed saltines (about 10 crackers)

3/4 tsp. minced garlic

1/4 tsp. seasoned salt

1/8 tsp. seasoned pepper

1-1/2 lbs. lean ground beef

1/2 lb. reduced-fat bulk pork sausage

 

Sauce:

1/2 C. ketchup

3 T. brown sugar

3/4 tsp. ground mustard

1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg

 

Cut three 25x3-in. strips of heavy-duty foil; crisscross so they resemble spokes of a wheel. Place strips on bottom and up the side of a 4- or 5-qt. slow cooker. Coat strips with cooking spray.

In a large bowl, combine the first 9 ingredients. Crumble beef and sausage over mixture and mix lightly but thoroughly (mixture will be moist). Shape into a loaf. Place meat loaf in center of strips.

In a small bowl, combine all sauce ingredients. Spoon over meat loaf. Cover and cook on low 3-4 hours or until no pink remains and a thermometer reads 160°. Using foil strips as handles, remove meat loaf to a platter.

 


Hot Chocolate Bombs

 

Prep Time: 45 hrs.

Serving: 6 chocolate bombs

 

22 oz. semisweet chocolate, such as Baker’s® Chocolate, finely chopped

1/2 C.  baking cocoa

1/2 C. nonfat dry milk powder

1/4 C. confectioners’ sugar

6 T. vanilla marshmallow bits (not miniature marshmallows)

 Optional: Sprinkles, colored sanding sugar and melted candy melts

 

Place chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave, uncovered, on high for 1 min.; stir. Microwave, stirring every 30 seconds, until chocolate is melted and smooth, 1-2 min. longer. Chocolate should not exceed 90°. 

Add 1 T. melted chocolate into a silicone sphere-shaped mold (2-1/2-in. diameter). Brush melted chocolate evenly inside molds, all the way to edges, rewarming melted chocolate as needed. Refrigerate molds until chocolate is set, 3-5 min. Brush a thin second layer of chocolate in molds. Refrigerate until set, 8-10 min. Place remaining melted chocolate into a piping bag fitted with a small round decorating tip; set aside.

Remove chocolate hemispheres from molds. In a medium bowl, whisk together baking cocoa, milk powder and confectioners’ sugar. Place 3 T. cocoa mixture into each of 6 of the chocolate hemispheres. Top each with 1 T. marshmallow bits. 

Pipe a small amount of melted chocolate on edges of filled hemispheres; carefully adhere empty halves to filled halves, pressing lightly to seal, using additional melted chocolate if necessary. If desired, decorate with optional ingredients. Refrigerate until set. Store in a tightly sealed container.

To prepare hot chocolate: Place hot chocolate bomb in a mug; add 1 C. warm milk and stir to dissolve.

 


Banana Bread Cake Recipe

 

Submitted by: Karie Bruder The Drummer’s Test Kitchen

 

Cake:

1-1/2 C. mashed ripe bananas (about 3 large bananas)

1/2 C. granulated sugar

1/2 C. packed brown sugar

1/2 C. unsalted butter, softened

2 lg. eggs

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1-1/2 C. all-purpose flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 C. buttermilk

 

Cream Cheese Frosting:

8 oz cream cheese, softened

1/4 C. unsalted butter, softened

2 C. powdered sugar

1 tsp. vanilla extract

 

Set your oven to 350°F Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the granulated sugar, brown sugar, and softened butter. Cream them together until the mixture is fluffy. Add eggs one by one, mixing well between each addition. Then, stir in the vanilla extract and mashed bananas, ensuring everything is well blended.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. 

Gradually add the dry ingredients to the banana mixture, alternating with the buttermilk. Continue mixing until everything is just combined; avoid overmixing to keep the cake light and tender.

Pour the batter into your prepared baking dish, spreading it evenly. Bake in the preheated oven for 25-30 min., or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Let the cake cool completely in the pan before adding the frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting: In a medium bowl, beat the softened cream cheese and butter until smooth and creamy. Add in the powdered sugar gradually, followed by the vanilla extract. Beat until the frosting is light and fluffy.

Spread the cream cheese frosting generously over the cooled cake.

 


Quote of the Week:

“Be courteous to all, but intimate with few; and let those few be well tried before you give them your confidence.” 

~  George Washington

 

Publication: 

The Drummer and The Wright County Journal Press

PO Box 159
108 Central Ave.
Buffalo MN 55313

www.thedrummer.com

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