Category: Recipes

Better than Olive Garden Alfredo!

Alfredo is one of life’s great comfort foods. Surprisingly, it is super simple to make and you can create a fettuccine alfredo meal in just 20 minutes that tastes even better than the alfredo you get at the Olive Garden.

Ingredients:

½ stick of butter (8 tbsp)

2 cloves garlic (minced)

2 tbsp all-purpose flour

2 cups heavy cream

½ cup grated Parmesan cheese

½ cup grated Romano cheese

1/8 tsp ground white pepper

Pinch salt

1 pound fettuccine noodles

Directions:

  1. Fill large pot with water and preheat it to boil the fettuccine noodles.  When the pot of water starts boiling add the pasta to the water and cook it according to directions.
  2. Melt the butter in a saucepan on medium heat.  Add the minced garlic to the melted butter and cook for one minute.
  3. Whisk in the flout to the melted butter and cook for 1 minute while stirring.
  4. Add the heavy cream and continue to stir while the mixture comes up to a light boil.  Reduce the heat and stir as it thickens. 
  5. Stir in the Parmesan and Romano cheeses into the butter and heavy cream.
  6. Add the white pepper and salt.
  7. Drain the pasta and mix it into the alfredo sauce.
  8. Plate the pasta with alfredo sauce and garnish with parsley and/or add chicken if desired.
  9. Enjoy!
Better than Olive Garden Alfredo!

The Best Homemade Refrigerator Dill Pickles

When ever you have fresh cucumbers from your garden or the farmers market there is no better way to have them than to make homemade refrigerator pickles. This easy recipe is simple and doesn’t go through the canning process, instead we quickly make the pickles and they are ready to eat in 48 hours.

Ingredients:

3 pickling cucumbers, approximately 4 inches in length

3-5 sprigs of dill weed

½ cup apple cider vinegar

½ cup water

2 cloves garlic

1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt

¼ teaspoon granulated sugar

¼ teaspoon whole black peppercorns

¼ teaspoon whole yellow mustard seeds

1 bay leaf

Directions:

  1. In a small pot mix the vinegar, water, garlic, salt, sugar, peppercorns, and mustard seeds and bring to a simmer until the salt and sugar dissolve, then remove from heat to cool.
  2. Slice the cucumbers lengthwise into quarters and pack a pint-sized jar with the cucumbers, dill sprigs and bay leaf.
  3. After the brine has cooled down fill the jar to the top, completely covering the cucumbers.
  4. Close lid and place in the refrigerator. 
  5. You can eat them after 48 hours.  Enjoy.
The Best Refrigerator Dill Pickles

Homemade Cast Iron Pan Pizza

Growing up as a kid my parents used to always take us to Pizza Hut to get my favorite pizza. The Pan Pizza. The Pan Pizza was the best deep dish pizza around. I loved that thick crust that was crispy on the bottom and had that edge of fried cheese. Today, you can easily recreate that same taste at home with my Cast Iron Pan Pizza recipe.

Pizza Dough Recipe

Ingredients:

2 cups flour

1 tsp salt

1 packet of yeast

8 oz warm water

directions:

  1. Mix all dry ingredients in a bowl.
  2. Add water.
  3. Knead dough for 2-3 minutes, it will be wet and very loose, but that’s ok.
  4. Cover and refrigerate for overnight.

No cook pizza sauce

Ingredients:

14 oz can whole tomatoes

1 minced garlic clove

1 tsp olive oil

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp sugar

1/4 tsp oregano

3-4 chopped basil leaves

Directions:

  1. Remove tomatoes from the can and place in a bowl while leaving the juice in the can. Throw out the juice or save it to make a bloody mary.
  2. Add the rest of ingredients to the bowl.
  3. By hand crush the tomatoes up until small pieces while missing the other ingredients with the tomatoes.
  4. Use immediately or cover and refrigerate until ready to make pizza.

Directions to make the Pan Pizza

  1. Remove dough from the refrigerator and set on counter for 1/2 hour.
  2. Pour 3 tbsp olive oil into cast iron pan.
  3. Place dough into the cast iron pan and press dough into pan while spreading it to the edges.
  4. Cover with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel and let sit for 1 1/2 hours.
  5. Remove cover and spread desired amount of sauce on the pizza. A good amount is 1/2 cup but you can use more or less according to preference.
  6. Add 3 cups of cheese to the top of the pizza, being sure to push the cheese to the edge of the pan and build a small 1/2 cheese wall up the side of the pan. This will melt and create the fried cheesy edge on the crust.
  7. Add any additional toppings of your choice.
  8. Place in a 400 degree preheated oven for 25 – 30 minutes.
  9. Remove from oven and let sit 3 minutes. After 3 minutes run a butter knife around the edge to loosen the crust from the pan. Lift up the edge of the crust to check the bottom of the pizza. If the crust is not cooked enough you can finish cooking it for about 5 minutes on a burner on your stove.
  10. Let pizza cool for 10 minutes, cut and EAT!

Homemade Cast Iron Pan Pizza

How to make Coquito – the Puerto Rican Eggnog

I love anything with coconut and anything with rum. That’s why I love Caribbean cocktails like the Pina Colada and it’s why I also love the Coquito. Coquito is a Puerto Rican drink that literally means “little coconuts”. This drink is sometimes called the Puerto Rican eggnog because it is a traditional to make it around the holiday season for Christmas or New Years Eve. However this cocktail does not contain any eggs. Join me in an easy recipe to make this fantastic coconut flavored drink.

Ingredients:

1 – 2 cups of rum
13.5 oz can of coconut milk
12 oz can of sweetened condensed milk
12 oz can of evaporated milk
15 oz can of coco lopez
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp nutmeg

Directions:

  1. Mix all ingredients together in a blender.
  2. Pour mixed cocktail into a glass bottle with a cinnamon stick and chill out least 3 hours, preferably overnight.
  3. Serve and Enjoy!
Homemade Coquito – the Puerto Rican eggnog

How to make the Best Silky Smooth Egg Drop Soup

Egg Drop Soup is the simplest Chinese recipe and it is the perfect side dish when you make Chinese food at home. This easy recipe shows you how to make the best silky smooth soup and long strings of egg. This is the perfect soup to add to your next homemade Chinese dinner and your family and friends will think you purchased it from a Chinese restaurant.

Ingredients:

4 cups of chicken broth

1/2 tsp. salt

pinch of white pepper

2 tbsp. corn starch

2 tbsp. water

2 large eggs

1 tsp. sesame oil

chives for garnishment

Directions:

  1. Pour chicken broth into a small pot and heat on medium heat until starting to bubble.
  2. Mix corn starch and water in a small bowl and then pour into the chicken broth, stirring occasionally to prevent the corn starch from clumping.
  3. When the broth starts to boil turn off the heat and let cool until it stops boiling.
  4. Mix eggs in a bowl and pour into the warm chicken broth very slowly while stirring the eggs in. Make sure the broth has been removed from heat. If you pour the eggs in when the broth is boiling the eggs will break up into small balls instead of forming long silky strands.
  5. Add salt, pinch of pepper, and sesame oil and mix together.
  6. Serve and garnish with small cuttings of chopped chives.
  7. Enjoy!
The Best Silky Smooth Egg Drop Soup

How to make Taco Bell Chili Cheese Burrito (Copycat Recipe)

This must be said.  Taco Bell did not put beans in the chili cheese burrito!  There are so many copycat recipes out there that have beans and vinegar in the chili cheese burrito and those should not be in there.  I have no idea why anyone ever thought they should add vinegar, but that taste should not be in the chili cheese burrito.  I imagine that beans were added because someone was trying to figure out how to thicken the chili and every copycat recipe always has a comment from former Taco Bell employees telling everyone that beans do not go in the chili cheese burrito.  There is a secret ingredient that is used to thicken the chili and that is corn meal.  Believe me, this is 100 times better than the recipes with beans and vinegar and it is just like eating the chili cheese burrito from Taco Bell. 

Ingredients:

1 ½ pounds ground beef

6 cups cold water

¼ cup cornstarch

½ cup all-purpose flour

6 ounce can tomato paste

2 tbsp mild chili powder

½ tsp jalapeno powder

1 tbsp paprika

1 tbsp dried onion flakes

2 tsp ground cumin

½ tsp garlic powder

¼ tsp ground black pepper

2 ½ tsp salt

2 tbsp corn meal

1 1/2 cups Shredded cheese

6 Large burrito tortillas

Directions:

  1. Cook ground beef in a pot, Dutch oven, or cast-iron pan until browned then drain off excess grease
  2. In a 2 quart mixing bowl add water, cornstarch, flour, and corn meal. Whisk together until fully blended.
  3. Whisk in the tomato paste until fully blended into the liquid mixture.
  4. Stir into the liquid mixture the cayenne pepper, chili powder, jalapeno powder, paprika, onion flakes, cumin, garlic powder, black pepper, and salt.  Mix will. 
  5. Add liquid mixture to the meat and bring to a boil.  Once the mixture hits a boil reduce to a simmer.
  6. Simmer for 45 minutes and stir from the bottom of the pot every 5 minutes to prevent the chili from sticking. 
  7. Once the chili is done simmering remove from heat.
  8. Place one large burrito tortilla on a microwave safe plate and spread 1/4 cup shredded cheese onto the tortilla keeping the cheese away from the edges of the tortilla.  (try to keep an edge of 2 inches without cheese).  Microwave for 30 seconds.
  9. Remove tortilla and melted cheese from microwave and scoop 1/3 cup chili onto the tortilla.  To roll up the burrito, fold in two opposite sides of the tortilla, then rolling from one of the other sides into a burrito.
  10. Enjoy!
Taco Bell Chili Cheese Burrito – Copycat Recipe (NO BEANS!)

Make the smoothest Pina Colada of all time

The Pina Colada is one of those drinks that by itself can make you feel like it’s summer time when it’s not, or like your on a beach in Caribbean. We owe thanks for this simple drink Puerto Rico. Specifically, most people believe that it was invented in 1954 at the Caribe Hilton. The debate on who created it usually comes down to bartender Ramon “Monchito” Marrero or Ricardo Gracia.

While there is not much of a story to the drink being invented by Ramon Marrero there is a unique story around Ricardo Gracia. According to an interview that Gracia gave to Coastal Living magazine in 2005 the he created the drink due to a strike by coconut cutters in Puerto Rico. According to his story the bar served a mixed drink of rum, cream of coconut, and crushed ice in a cut coconut. Due to the shortage in coconuts he started to pour the drink into a cut pineapple. Bar goers liked the drink in a pineapple so he decided to add strained pineapple juice to the rum and cream of coconut and thus the birth of the Pina Colada.

I have a recipe I like for smooth and creamy Pina Coladas that I will share with you now. Most people will put 2 cups of ice into their Pina Colada but I like to use 1 cup of ice and 1 cup of frozen pineapple instead. The reason is that as the ice melts it usually dilutes the drink, however, by substituting one of the cups of ice with frozen pineapple you create a smooth and creamy drink that doesn’t get diluted as the ice melts.

Ingredients:

3 oz. rum
4 oz. cream of coconut (coco Lopez)
4 oz. pineapple juice
1 cup frozen pineapple
1 cup ice

Directions:

  1. Pour all ingredients into a blender.
  2. Mix on high until the ice is all blended and the drink is the consistency of a smoothie.
  3. Pour into a tulip shaped cup (also called a hurricane cup), garnish with a slice of pineapple and cherry.
  4. Enjoy!

Instead of using Coco Lopez you can make your own cream of coconut by clicking on this link. https://mylowcountryliving.net/home-made-coconut-cream-diy-version-of-coco-lopez/

The smoothest and best Pina Colada

Home made coconut cream DIY version of Coco Lopez

One of my favorite drinks is a Pina Colada and everyone knows that you need Coco Lopez to make a Pina Colada. Wrong! You can make your own DIY version of Coco Lopez coconut cream at home in less than 5 minutes because Coco Lopez and all other Coconut Creams are just coconut simple syrups. Join me in making this quick coconut cream for a fraction of the price of buying Coco Lopez. You can use your savings to buy a better quality of rum for your Pina Coladas.

Ingredients:

14 ounce can of coconut cream

1 and 3/4 cup of white sugar

Directions:

  1. Mix coconut cream and white sugar in a small pot.
  2. Bring to simmer and stir until all sugar is dissolved. About 3-4 minutes.
  3. remove from heat and place into a storage container until you are ready to use.

Since this is a simple syrup it can last in our refrigerator for up to one month.

Home made coconut cream DYI version of Coco Lopz

Better than Baileys Home Made Irish Cream

One of the best ways to enjoy coffee is with Irish Cream. Instead of buying Irish Cream you can make your own “Better than Baileys Irish Cream”. After making this you will never buy Irish Cream from the store again. This Irish Cream goes fantastic with your coffee, as an after dinner drink, or even poured over ice cream for a decadent dessert.

Yields: 4 Cups

Ingredients:
1 cup heavy cream
14 oz sweetened condensed milk
1 3/4 cup Irish Whiskey
1 tsp instant expresso
2 tsp chocolate syrup
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp almond extract

Directions:

  1. Mix all the ingredients into a blender.
  2. Blend on low speed for 30 seconds. Don’t over blend or the cream will clump. Blend on low for a maximum of 30 seconds. If you over blend don’t worry your Irish Cream is not ruined. You can strain the lumps through a nut bag, cheesecloth or sieve.
  3. Pour you Irish Cream into an airtight storage container or bottle. You can use a mason jar or bottles with a seal. I purchased my bottles from Amazon. The type I purchased were Giara Swing Top Bottles 33 ¾ Ounce/1 Liter (4 Pack) ROUND Clear Glass Grolsch Flip Top Bottle With Stopper, for Beverages, Smoothies, Kefir, Beer, Soda, Juicing, Kombucha, Water, Milk, Oil and Vinegar. You can click on this link to see the bottles. AmazonSmile: Giara Swing Top Bottles 33 ¾ Ounce/1 Liter (4 Pack) ROUND Clear Glass Grolsch Flip Top Bottle With Stopper, for Beverages, Smoothies, Kefir, Beer, Soda, Juicing, Kombucha, Water, Milk, Oil and Vinegar: Kitchen & Dining

After making this you will want to store it in the refrigerator. It can store up to two months, but mine usually gets drank much sooner than that!

Better Than Baileys Home Made Irish Cream

How to make Loaded Baked Potato Soup

Get ready for a rich and creamy, delicious baked potato soup with all the fixings. It’s fully loaded with bacon, sour cream, cheddar cheese and chives. You get the full loaded baked potato experience in a soup that you can’t stop eating.

Ingredients:
6 Yukon Gold Potato’s
1 yellow onion
3 minced garlic cloves
1/3 cup flower
4 tbsp. butter
8 slices bacon
4 cups chicken broth
2 cups whole milk
1 cup heavy cream
2/3 cup sour cream
1 1/2 cups sharp cheddar cheese
4 green onions
1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp paprika

Directions:

  1. Dice bacon into pieces and place in a large soup pot on medium heat and cook until bacon is brown and slightly crispy.
  2. Remove bacon pieces with a slotted spoon and set aside, leaving the bacon fat in the pot.
  3. Add butter and chopped onion and cook over medium heat until onions are tender (3-5 minutes).
  4. Sprinkle the flour over the ingredients in the pot to create a rue and stir until smooth.
  5. Add garlic and cook in the rue cook for 30 seconds, just enough to release flavor and keep it sweet.  Overcooking the garlic will make it bitter.
  6. Combine chicken broth, milk, heavy cream, salt, pepper, and paprika to the pot. Stir well.
  7. Add potatoes and bring pot to a boil.   Let pot boil for about 15 minutes.
  8. Reduce heat to simmer and using an immersion blender puree half of the soup until smooth. If you don’t have an immersion blender you can remove half the soup and place in a blender. Blend that soup and return to the pot.
  9. Add sour cream, bacon pieces, and green onions, stir well.  Reserving ¼ of bacon and green onions for garnishment.
  10. Simmer for 15 minutes.
  11. Serve and garnish the top with additional sour cream, bacon, cheddar cheese, and chives. Enjoy!
Loaded Baked Potato Soup