Marlboro man sandwiches

I've always wanted to make these sandwiches from Ree Drummond, the Pioneer Woman. I finally got around to it and it was definitely worth it. Next time, I will definitely add mushrooms. Because, well, come on. We loooove mushrooms in this house.

I used leftover hamburger buns from the Fiesta burgers earlier in the week. I do wish I would've used kaiser rolls or french bread like the original recipe recommends.

Warning: There is a LOT of butter in this recipe. But that's one of the main reasons I love the Pioneer Woman. She isn't afraid to use the best ingredient there is. The meat took a little bit of love, but it was definitely well worth it.

Marlboro man sandwiches-adapted from The Pioneer Woman Cooks by Ree Drummond
Total time: 25 minutes
Makes 4 sandwiches

• 1/2 cup butter, divided
• 1/4 red wine
• 2 medium yellow onions, thinly sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 pounds cube steak
• Seasoned salt, to taste
• Lemon pepper, to taste
• Chicago steak seasoning, to taste
• 1/2 cup Worcestershire sauce
• 5-6 dashes Tabasco sauce
• 4 hamburger buns
• 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded

In a cast iron skillet, melt 1/4 cup butter and red wine over medium heat. Throw in onions and garlic. Saute 5-7 minutes or until onions are tender. Remove from the pan and set aside on a plate.

Meanwhile, cut each piece of cube steak against the grain into 1-inch strips. Season to taste with seasoned salt, lemon pepper and Chicago steak seasoning. 

Melt 2 tablespoons butter in the same pan. Add just enough meat to fit in one layer on the pan. Cook about 1 minute then flip to the other side. Cook for another minute then remove to the same plate as the onions. Repeat with remaining meat. 

Return meat and onion mixture to the pan. Pour in Worcestershire, Tabasco sauce and 2 tablespoons butter. Simmer for about 5 minutes or until butter is melted.

Meanwhile, toast each side of the buns. Then place some meat and onions on the bottom side of the bun. Spoon a little bit of the pan juices on top of the meat to keep them moist. Top with mozzarella cheese, the other bun and enjoy!

Steakhouse potatoes

Oh. Em. Gee. Let me tell you about these potatoes. I think I'm pretty good at making mashed potatoes but these were something else. I couldn't. Stop. Eating them. You won't be sorry making these.

Steakhouse potatoes-adapted from Ree on Tasty Kitchen
Total time: 25 minutes
Serves 4

• 5 large red potatoes, quartered
• 1 stick butter, softened and cut into pieces
• 5 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
• 2 green onions, sliced
• 3/4 cup sour cream
• Salt to taste
• Pepper to taste
• 3/4 cup french fried onions
• 1 cup cheddar cheese

Boil potatoes as if you are making mashed potatoes-about 20 minutes. Drain and return to pan. Smash with a potato masher and add in all other ingredients, mixing well. Top with additional cheese and french friend onions, if desired.

Chicken with Artichokes and Mushrooms

So this might not be the best post. I gave Scott the recipe when I was working late one night without giving him prior notice that the original recipe took an hour to cook. So we improvised! It was still really, really good! Take a good base recipe and make it your own--my favorite way to cook!

Chicken with Artichokes and Mushrooms-adapted from The Pioneer Woman Cooks
Total Time: 25 Minutes
Serves 4

• 4 chicken thighs
• Seasoned salt and pepper to taste
• 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
• 8 ounces mushrooms, sliced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup white wine
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 10 ounces artichoke hearts, chopped
• 1/2 cup milk

Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add chicken and cook, about 8 minutes each side, until fully cooked through. While cooking, add all other ingredients and simmer until cooked through.

Beef Tenderloin

For some reason when I came to this dish I was very nervous I wasn't going to make this right. I honestly don't know why as this was so incredibly easy. This was also probably one of the best dishes I've ever made.

Beef tenderloin is one of those dishes you don't want to over cook, however, I almost made this too rare. But in those cases, you can always throw it back in the oven. The original recipe was a bit on the salty side, so I will likely cut that in half next time, but I will be making this again!

Beef Tenderloin-adapted from The Pioneer Woman Cooks by Ree Drummond
Total Time: 35 Minutes
Serves 4-5

• 3-4 pound whole beef tenderloin
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons black pepper
• 1/2 tablespoon sugar
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 tablespoon butter

Heat oven to 450 degrees. Trim the excess fat from the tenderloin as desired. 

In a medium bowl, combine salt, pepper, sugar and 1/4 cup olive oil. Use a basting brush to cover the tenderloin with the mixture.

Heat a heavy skillet over high heat and add the butter. Sear the tenderloin, about 1-1 1/2 minutes on each side, until brown.

Place the meat on a roasting pan with a rack and place in the oven for 20-25 minutes, or until the beef is 125 degrees for medium rare. Let the meat set for about 10 minutes-it will continue cooking slightly. Slice the meat into serving pieces.

Ribeye Steak with Whiskey Cream Sauce

Sometimes I don't know why I bother making recipes for steak. We just love a good, medium-rare steak with some seasoning and mushrooms and onions. This sauce didn't thicken very well for us and I don't know that I'd make it again. It wasn't bad, it just wasn't anything special to me.

Ribeye Steak with Whiskey Cream Sauce-adapted from The Pioneer Woman Cooks by Ree Drummond
Total Time: 30 Minutes
Serves 2

• 5 tablespoons butter, divided
• 3 tablespoons diced onion
• 4 ounces sliced mushrooms
• 1/4 cup whiskey
• 1/4 cup beef broth
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1/4 cup light cream
• 2 ribeye steaks

Melt two tablespoons in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and mushrooms and cook until browned, about 4 minutes. Pour in the whiskey and add salt and pepper to taste. Add another tablespoon of butter and let bubble for 30 seconds then reduce heat to low. Pour in the cream, whisk and then simmer on low heat while you cook the steaks.

I prefer to cook steaks on the grill over a medium flame, about 4 minutes per side until done medium rare in the center. Season the steaks with salt and pepper before cooking.

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Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes

I love mashed potatoes. Garlic mashed potatoes are even better. These are from the Pioneer Woman, using this recipe for the roasted garlic. These potatoes were so incredibly decadent and delicious. The recipe is for 5 pounds, which definitely is enough for your large gatherings!I even peeled these potatoes, as the Pioneer Woman has never steered me wrong!

Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes-adapted from The Pioneer Woman
Total Time 40 Minutes
Serves 8

• 5 pounds Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and quartered
• 3-5 heads roasted garlic
• 3/4 cup butter, softened
• 8 ounces softened cream cheese
• 1/2 cup half and half
• Seasoned salt and pepper to taste

Cook potatoes in boiling water until fork tender. Drain potatoes, return to pot with heat turned down to low and thoroughly mash potatoes. Mix in the remainder of ingredients well.

Roasted Garlic

Garlic is one of my favorite flavors. I usually just use the jarred minced garlic and throw some of that in everything. However, I really wanted to try this roasted garlic as it looked so easy and delicious! The hardest part was getting the cloves out because they were still hot. If you just let them cool a bit, that should make them much easier! The recipe isn't all that technical, but will be based on how many garlic cloves you're roasting.

I made this for tomorrow's recipe of roasted garlic mashed potatoes. Stay tuned to see how those turned out!

Roasted Garlic-adapted from The Pioneer Woman
Total Time: 45 Minutes
Serves: However many you decide to buy

• Several large garlic heads
• Kosher Salt
• Seasoned Pepper
• 1-2 tablespoons olive oil

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cut the top off the garlic heads (as shown above) and leave the skin on. Sprinkle with kosher salt and seasoned pepper. Use a baking pan that will fit all the garlic heads. Drizzle the olive oil and move the pan around to coat the entire pan. Place garlic heads, bottoms down, on the baking pan, and drizzle thoroughly with olive oil to prevent burning. Cover tightly with tin foil and bake for 40-45 minutes, or until garlic heads are browned.

Creamy Mashed Potatoes

MMmmm mashed potatoes. One of my favorite foods. And I've gotten very good at making them! These are the Pioneer Woman's mashed potatoes, and since I love her, I decided to try them myself! I even peeled the potatoes, which is pretty much my most un-favorite task EVER! They are good. Once again, not a healthy option (butter, cream cheese, half and half), but delicious! I served mine straight off the stove, but over on here website (here), she has directions for if you would like to cook them to serve in a day or two (like for a party). Might be good for a try! But these are delicious!

And I actually feel like I learned something new here. Mash the potatoes first before you add any butter or milk. I felt like they came out much more smooth than lumpy!

Creamy Mashed Potatoes-Adapted from The Pioneer Woman Cooks by Ree Drummond
Total Time: 30 Minutes
Serves 8

• 5 pounds russet potatoes, peeled
• 1 1/2 sticks butter, softened
• 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup half and half
• 1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Bring a large pot of water to boil over medium-high heat. Add the potatoes and increase the heat to high and bring to a full boil. Cook potatoes for 20-30 minutes, or until they are fork tender.

Drain the potatoes then return them to the pot and turn the heat off. Mash the potatoes with a potato masher, until all lumps are gone, about 2 minutes.

Add the butter, cream cheese, half and half and seasonings. Mix together again with the potato masher. Serve with gravy--or even plain!

Whiskey Glazed Carrots

I honestly can't remember the last time I had cooked carrots. I feel like whenever my mom would make them they would get suuper soggy so I was really turned off. I was intrigued by this recipe for two reasons. One, it's by the Pioneer Woman who I LOVE. And two, it has whiskey! In the end, it was a little bit sweet for me, but maybe I'll do less brown sugar last time. Also, my carrot pieces really shriveled up, so I think I need to cut them bigger next time too!

Photo Courtesy of the Pioneer Woman

Whiskey Glazed Carrots-Adapted from the Pioneer Woman
Total Time: 30 Minutes
Serves 4

• 1/2 stick butter
• 1 pound carrots, peeled and cut into thick circles
• 1/4 cup Jack Daniels or other whiskey
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper

Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a large skillet over high heat. Add carrots and cook for 60-90 seconds. Remove from skillet.

Pour in whiskey and allow to evaporate 30 seconds. Reduce heat to medium, and add remaining butter. When butter melts, sprinkle brown sugar over the top. Stir together, then add carrots to skillet. Cover, and continue cooking for 5 minutes.

Remove lid and add salt and pepper. Continue cooking until carrots are done and glaze is thick, about 5 more minutes. Serve immediately.

PW's Penne a la Betsy

After making this dish, I have decided to make shrimp a regular meal. Just they way the shrimp is cooked (butter and oil) is delicious all on its own! Plus its so easy! The only difficult part is peeling them, but that's something I think I can live with.

I had seen this recipe on and off on the Pioneer Woman's website but never got around to making it until now, thanks to Pinterest! This was absolutely delicious, and you could add veggies of any kind to this dish too!

Photo Courtesy of the Pioneer Woman

Penne a la Betsy-adapted from Pioneer Woman

Total Time: 50 Minutes

Serves 6

• 3/4 pounds Penne Pasta
• 1 pound Shrimp
• 3 Tablespoons Butter
• 3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• 1 whole Onion (small)
• 2 cloves Garlic
• 1/2 cup White Wine, Or To Taste
• 1 can Tomato Sauce (8 Oz)
• 1 cup Heavy Cream
• 1 tablespoon parsley
• 1 tablespoon basil
• Salt To Taste
• Pepper To Taste

Cook the penne pasta until tender-firm, also known as al dente.

Peel, devein and rinse (under cool water) 1 pound of extra large shrimp. Heat about 1 tbsp. butter and olive oil in a skillet. Add the shrimp and cook for a couple minutes until just opaque. Do not overcook them. Remove from heat and let cool for a few minutes. Put the cooked shrimp on the cutting board and pull off the tails. Chop the shrimp into bite –sized pieces and set aside.

Finely dice one small onion. Mince two cloves of garlic. In a large skillet heat 2 tablespoons of butter and 2 tablespoons olive oil. Add the garlic and onion and sauté, stirring occasionally. After the garlic and onions have cooked a bit add your white wine. Let the wine evaporate for a few minutes, stirring occasionally. If you would rather not use wine, you can use low-sodium chicken broth instead (about ½ cup).

Add an 8-ounce can of plain tomato sauce. Stir well until combined. Then add 1 cup of heavy cream. Continue stirring. Turn heat down to low and let simmer.

Add spices and chopped shrimp back into the tomato cream sauce. Give it a stir and add salt and pepper to taste. Throw in your herbs and stir until combined. Finally add your cooked penne pasta and give it a good stir.

Chili

I still haven't run across a recipe in the Pioneer Woman Cooks that I haven't liked. This chili was a little bit different. It wasn't soupy like a normal chili. It was very thick. But it was also super tasty. I'm not sure if I really needed to use masa instead of regular flour, but I did. If you try it differently, please let me know so I can let my other readers know!

Chili-Adapted from Pioneer Woman Cooks by Ree Drummond
Total Time: 1 Hour 30 Minutes
Serves 6
For the Chili:

• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 teaspoon ground oregano
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 2 pounds ground beef
• 8-ounce can tomato sauce
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup masa (optional, or use cornmeal)

Optional Ingredients:

• 1 can pinto or kidney beans, drained
• 1 jalapeno, seeded and finely diced
• 1 can diced tomatoes and chiles

For Serving:

• Shredded cheddar cheese
• Diced onion
• Sour cream

Place ground beef and garlic in a large pot and cook the beef until brown; drain the excess fat. Pour in tomato sauce, spices, and salt. Stir together, cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer, covered, for one hour, stirring occasionally. If the mixture becomes dry, add in 1/2 cup water as needed. After an hour, place the masa in a small bowl and mix with 1/2 cup water. Dump the masa mixture into the chili and stir together well. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed. Simmer for 10 minutes. Serve with cheese, onions and/or sour cream.

To Freeze

Allow the chili to cool completely, then place in 1-cup portions in freezer bags. Flatten the bags for easy storage in the freezer.

Sour Cream Enchiladas

I love enchiladas. I love the Pioneer Woman. I was so sad when these didn't turn out. The flavors were pretty good, I just really do not like cooking with corn tortillas. So I think from now on I'll use flour ones all the time. It just never turns out right. These were not the easiest things to make as the tortillas get hot after frying.

Sour Cream Enchiladas-Adapted from the Pioneer Woman

Total Time: 35 Minutes

Serves 6

• 12 whole Corn Tortillas
• Canola Oil, For Frying
• 1 can (20 Ounce) Enchilada Sauce
• 2 cups Sour Cream
• 3 cups Sharp Cheddar Cheese, Grated
• 1 cup Sliced/chopped Green Onions
• 1/2 teaspoon Ground Cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Mix together sour cream, green onions 1 1/2 cups grated cheddar, cumin, and cayenne pepper.

Heat canola oil in a skillet over medium heat. Heat enchilada sauce in a separate skillet or saucepan.

Using tongs, fry tortillas one at a time, for only about five to ten seconds per side (don't allow to crisp.) Remove from oil, then dunk tortilla in enchilada sauce. Lay tortilla on a plate, then spoon a good two or three tablespoons of the sour cream mixture in the middle. Roll tortilla, then place face down in a 9 x 13 inch baking pan. Repeat with remaining tortillas and sour cream mixture.

(If there's any sour cream mixture left over, use it as a dip for tortilla chips!)

Cover the dish with the remaining cheese, then bake for 15 to 20 minutes until bubbly.

Serve immediately. Place a dollop of sour cream on each serving, then sprinkle on sliced green onions.

Green Bean Casserole & an Apology...

So I know I've been super terrible at updating the blog. I'm not quite sure what it was, but I just didn't feel like blogging lately. I did keep track of everything I made, so when I felt like writing again I had enough stuff! So, I'm sorry I've been neglectful--but now I'm back! On to some recipes...

Two years ago, for the Harris family holiday get together, I made green bean casserole. Just the standard, Campbell's green bean casserole. It was the first time I was meeting many of Scott's family, and I really wanted to cook. I had never made the casserole before but it seemed easy enough. Everything was going fine, and then Scott and I left early to get to the gathering. I left his dad in charge of taking the casserole. He burned it. And I never lived it down.

So, this year, I decided to try the Pioneer Woman's green bean casserole. I love all of her recipes. I think the next time I would use frozen green beans, just as it was too much of a pain to trim two pounds of green beans. I also put in way too much pepper, so I don't think people liked it a whole lot. It wasn't a bad recipe, but I feel as though I need to try it again sometime.

Green Bean Casserole-Adapted from the Pioneer Woman

Total Time: 50 Minutes

Serves 8

• 2 pounds green beans, ends cut off
• 4 slices of bacon, cut into 1/4 inch pieces
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 whole onion, diced
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 2-1/2 cups whole milk
• 1/2 cup half-and-half
• 1-1/2 teaspoons salt, more to taste
• Black pepper-to taste
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese
• 4 ounce jar of sliced pimentos, drained
• Extra milk for thinning if necessary
• 1 cup Panko bread crumbs

Cut green beans in half if you like pieces to be a little smaller.

Blanch the green beans: drop them into lightly salted boiling water and allow green beans to cook for about 3 to 4 minutes. Remove them from the boiling water with a slotted spoon and immediately plunge them into a bowl of ice cold water to stop the cooking process. Drain beans once they're cool and set aside.

Add bacon pieces to a skillet over medium heat. Cook bacon for two minutes, then add diced onion and garlic and continue cooking for 3 to 5 minutes, or until bacon is done (but not crisp) and onions are golden brown. Remove from heat and set aside.

In a separate skillet or saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Sprinkle flour into the pan and whisk immediately to evenly mix it into the butter. Cook for a minute or two, then pour in milk and half and half. Continue cooking, whisking constantly, while sauce thickens, about 2 minutes. Add salt, pepper, and cayenne then add the grated cheddar. Stir while cheese melts. Turn off heat.

Add pimentos to pan, then add bacon/onion mixture. Stir to combine. Pour over green beans and stir gently to combine. Pour into a baking dish and top with panko crumbs.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until sauce is bubbly and panko crumbs are golden.

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Chicken Fried Steak

One of Scott's favorite foods is chicken fried steak. He was the one that made this recipe, and I don't think I'll ever try making it-his was just too good! Whenever we go out for breakfast, he almost always gets chicken fried steak. This was hands down the best we've ever had! And one of the best things about this recipe is that besides the cube steak, you will most likely have everything you need already in your kitchen! It is very inexpensive in that way which makes it  even more awesome. We will definitely be making this again. The gravy was fantastic, the whole meal was everything we could ask for (5/5). Plus, it's a Pioneer Woman recipe, which makes it even better!

Chicken Fried Steak-adapted from The Pioneer Woman Cooks
Total Time: 40 Minutes
Makes 8 Servings

• 3 pounds Cube Steak 
• 1-1/2 cup Milk, Plus Up To 2 Cups For Gravy
• 2 whole Large Eggs
• 3 cups All-purpose Flour
• Seasoned Salt
• 1/4 teaspoon Cayenne
• Black Pepper
• Canola Oil, For Frying
• Salt And Pepper, For Both Meat And Gravy

Begin with an assembly line of dishes for the meat: milk mixed with egg in one; flour mixed with spices in one; meat in one; then have one clean plate at the end to receive the breaded meat.

Work one piece of meat at a time. Season both sides with salt and pepper, then dip in the milk/egg mixture. Next, place the meat on the plate of seasoned flour. Turn to coat thoroughly. Place the meat back into the milk/egg mixture, turning to coat. Place back in the flour and turn to coat.
Place breaded meat on the clean plate, then repeat with remaining meat.

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Drop in a few sprinkles of flour to make sure it's sufficiently hot. Cook meat, three pieces at a time, until edges start to look golden brown; around 2 to 2 1/2 minutes each side.

Remove to a paper towel-lined plate and keep warm. Repeat until all meat is cooked.

GRAVY:

After all meat is fried, pour off the grease into a heatproof bowl. Without cleaning the pan, return it to the stove over medium-low heat. Add 1/4 cup grease back to the pan. Allow grease to heat up.

Sprinkle 1/3 cup flour evenly over the grease. Using a whisk, mix flour with grease, creating a golden-brown paste. Keep cooking until it reaches a deep golden brown color. If paste seems more oily than pasty, sprinkle in another tablespoon of flour and whisk.

Whisking constantly, pour in milk. Cook to thicken the gravy. Be prepared to add more milk if it becomes overly thick. Add salt and pepper and cook for 5 to 10 minutes, until gravy is smooth and thick. Be sure to taste to make sure gravy is sufficiently seasoned.