Shepherd's Pie

My kids absolutely love this recipe. So I thought I would share.

http://simplyrecipes.com/recipes/easy_shepherds_pie/

I add fresh rosemary to the meat as it's cooking. I really like rosemary, if you don't like it, don't add it! =)

This weeks Menu

I thought I would share my menu and the recipes I try. I'm not the worlds greatest cook, or the worlds most prepared person. However, meal time has been getting easier and easier. I hope this means that I won't have to fight the kids to eat dinner at home for too much longer.

Saturday: Parmesan Chicken, Orzo, Garlic Bread, and Salad
Sunday: Stew and Rolls
Monday:Navajo Tacos
Tuesday: Hamburgers, Homemade french fries, Vegetable platter
Wednesday: BBQ chicken, Baked Pot, frozen corn
Thursday: Spaghetti and Garlic Bread
Friday: Pizza

Parmesan Chicken: cook in crockpot with a jar of Emeril Legasse tomato & basil sauce, and a bit of parmesan cheese. Right before serving add Mozzerella to melt.
Orzo: AWESOME!! click here for recipe.
Stew: Always us McCormick stew packet. Although the last few times we made it it was way to thick. On accident we cut too many vegetables and instead of wasting them, I added a second packet with the water. It turned out perfect, for me.
Navajo Tacos: Scones and chilli. How can you beat that?
Hamburgers: I like to add Worcestershire sauce. It keeps the meat moist.
French fries: I just finished the first fry. We'll see how they taste after the second fry when it's actually dinner time.
BBQ Chicken and Baked Potatoes: Just cover the chicken with BBQ sauce and put in oven with potatoes for a while. About 350 degrees. I love this meal because for the most part it cooks itself.
Spaghetti: My only suggestion is Emeril Lagasse spaghetti sauce. I love the tomato & basil blend. It is very similar to the sauce my Dad used to make at Palermo's. On top of that I KNOW my kids will eat spaghetti.

Relief Society

I actually went to our Relief Society meeting last night. It was quite nice to leave the kids with Brett and take a break. I must say, the only reason I really went though was because I signed up to bring a casserole. I made Shepherds Pie. It's my families favorite and it's fairly easy to make. When I make it I put my own twist on it. We make Bacon Wrapped Pork Loin the day before and add the left overs. It is awesome!

Here's the recipe's.

Bacon Wrapped Pork loin

Pork Loin
Salt and Pepper
1 tablespoon Olive Oil
2 T finely chopped rosemary
¼ lb bacon
1 cup of liquid to de-glaze the pan.

Preheat oven to 375◦F. Season pork with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a large cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Sear pork on all sides until browned, about 10 minutes total. Remove from heat.

Rub pork with chopped rosemary, wrap with bacon, overlapping strips slightly. Tie pork roast with kitchen twine. Roast in oven, basting occasionally with cooking juices, until internal temperature is 145◦F on a meat thermometer, 35 to 40 minutes. Remove from oven. Transfer pork to a serving dish.

Make pan sauce. Place the roasting skillet on the stove top over low heat. Add the wine and deglaze the pan, stirring with a wooden spoon to scrape up any browned bits from the pan bottom. Pour through a fine-mesh sieve into a small saucepan. Skim off the fat. Reheat to serving temperature if necessary.

Easy Shepherd’s Pie
1 ½ lbs ground round beef (I used 1 lb ground beef and left overs from the bacon wrapped pork loin. Diced the pork and bacon and added it to the onions.)
1 onion chopped
½ tablespoon fresh rosemary
1-2 cups vegetables-chopped carrots, corn, peas
1 ½ - 2 lbs potatoes (3 big ones)
8 tablespoons butter (1 stick)
½ cup beef broth
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
Salt, pepper, other seasoning of choice
Fresh Parmesan Cheese.

Peel and quarter potatoes, boil in salted water until tender (about 20 minutes).

While the potatoes are cooking, melt 4 tablespoons butter (1/2 a stick) in large frying pan.

Sauté onions in butter until tender over medium heat (10 mins). If you are adding vegetables, add them according to cooking time. Put any carrots in with the onions. Add Rosemary. Add corn or peas either at the end of the cooking of the onions, or after the meat has initially cooked. (I used 1 lb ground beef and left overs from the bacon wrapped pork loin. Diced the pork and bacon and added it to the onions.)

Add ground beef and sauté until no longer pink. Add salt and pepper. Add Worcestershire sauce. Add half a cup of beef broth and cook, uncovered, over low heat for 10 minutes, adding more beef broth if necessary to keep moist.

Mash potatoes in bowl with remainder of butter, and fresh parmesan cheese, season to taste.

Place beef and onions in baking dish. Distribute mashed potatoes on top. Rough up with a fork so that there are peaks that will brown nicely. You can use the fork to make some designs in the potatoes as well.
Cook in 400◦ oven until bubbling and brown (about 30 minutes)
Turn it on Broil the last few minutes if necessary to brown.

Recipe to Love

We are attempting to cook at home more often. Healthier, and what not. We preped as much as we could on Saturday and put it all together in the fridge in "dinner packets". Now we have no excuse!!! Loved this last night, thought I would share!

Orange-Crumbed Baked Chicken
serves 4

2 tablespoons orange juice
2 tablespoons Dijon Mustard
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup whole-wheat cracker crumbs (I used saltines)
1 tablespoon grated orange zest
1 shallot, finely chopped
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
4 (3 ounce) skinless boneless chicken thighs (I used chicken breast since that was what we had in the freezer.)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees; spray a nonstick baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray.

2. In a small bowl, combine the orange juice, mustard, and salt. On a sheet of wax paper, combine the cracker crumbs, orange zest, shallot, and pepper. Brush the chicken on both sides with the mustard mixture, and then dredge in the crumbs, firmly pressing the crumbs to coat both sides. Place the chicken on the baking sheet. Bake 15 minutes: turn over and bake until cooked through, 15-20 minutes longer.

( I think if we had used whole wheat crackers the crust would have been crunchier!!)