Cheesy Garlic Pinwheels

The inspiration for these came from a dish my BFF Sheena made that involved cream cheese and chicken in rolls and traditional cinnamon rolls.  A sort of garlic and cheese version of cinnamon rolls.  I was planning pasta for dinner 1 night and really wanted some cheesy garlic bread. We were low on bread though so I racked my brain trying to figure out a creative way I could use my go to roll dough recipe to make garlic bread.  Just one more thing to add to the ever growing list of ways I can use 1 simple recipe.  You can also use the dough recipe I have or you can use your own bread dough recipe for these.

my circle(ish) shape
told you it was bad haha

What You Will Need:
All ingredients for the dough recipe-see link above
Garlic Powder
Garlic Salt
Butter
Shredded Parmesan Cheese
Shredded Mozzarella Cheese

Step 1: Prep Dough-

you definitely want to add more
cheese than this, otherwise they
are just garlic pinwheels

Make the dough according to the directions.  Allow for all mixing and first raising of the dough.

Step 2: Assemble Pinwheels-
Once dough is done in the mixer (or has been kneaded and raised 1 time if mixing by hand) dump dough out onto lightly floured counter.  Lightly knead dough so that it is not sticky.
Roll out into a large circle(ish) shape.  I am not the best at making circles, min are usually just oblong or more squarish in shape.  Its ok, they do not have to be perfect.
As you notice, I did not put any measurements above, this is all about taste so you can use as little or as much of each as you like.  I will add guesstimates here as to how much I use but I do not measure anything.
Melt about 1/2-1stick of butter in microwave.
Once melted stir in approximately 1 Tblsp garlic powder and 1 teasp garlic salt.
Brush about 1/2-3//4 of the butter mixture all over the top of the dough -reserve a small amount to brush on top after pinwheels are cut out.
Sprinkle 1/4-1/2 cup mozzarella and 1/4 cup parmesan cheese on top of dough.
I actually added less than this the first time I made them but decided they needed more butter and cheese so I added more the next time.  I have a tendency to not add enough seasoning and topping for fear o adding too much when I try new things haha.
Roll up dough starting and 1 end and rolling in until you have a log shape. 
Cut 1-1.5 inch pieces off of "log" and place on a baking sheet-I cut them thicker the first time, about 2" but they were a tad too thick.
Cover and allow to raise 2nd time, about 20 minutes.

rolling into "log"

cutting pinwheels out

Step 3: Bake Pinwheels-
Once pinwheels have risen 2nd time, brush tops with remainder of garlic butter.  Sprinkle with more cheese if desired (I only do more parmesan cheese on top)
Bake according to your doughs directions for baking as rolls.  If using the dough recipe I linked bake at 350 for 20-22 minutes.
Serve with your favorite pasta dish. 
Careful, these go fast!

They would go great with 1 of the lasagna recips from our 3 Takes on Lasagna post.

Love,
Christy

The "Until Next Pay Day" Pasta Bake

We used to just call this pasta bake in our home.  Anytime my hubby would ask "whats for dinner" and I replied "pasta bake" he would roll his eyes and say "must be getting close to payday".  He's not a big pasta fan.  I sort of ruined pasta for him in the early days of our relationship when I had zero cooking skills.  I made any and all forms of spaghetti you can think of.  Different noodles, different sauces, different meats such as chicken, bacon and sausage in place of the beef.  It was the only thing I could really cook at the time.  He's pretty anit-pasta now because of it.
The original idea was given to me by his cousins wife, Theresa.  I was excited because it was something I had not thought of doing yet and he was happy with it, for awhile.  I abused it as well and now its one of those meals, along with Shepard's Pie, that gets made only when money is tight and the cupboards are bare.  It got the nickname "Until Next Pay Day" because most ingredients are easily found in everyone's kitchen so there is no need to go to the store.

This dish has evolved over time, as most of my cooking does.  Originally I used bow tie pasta noodles made with white flour.  Then switched to penne pasta, tried it with rotini pasta  a few times and now usually use whole wheat penne.  You can use whatever type of pasta your family prefers.  You want something big and bulky like the pastas listed above, I wouldn't suggest just plain spaghetti or angel hair noodles although who knows, it might work too.

The dish is pictured above using whole wheat penne.  Its the only time I can get it past my hubby.  He eats whole wheat bread but much prefers the white starch in pasta.  But if the sauce is already mixed with it so that he can't see it then he doesn't seem to be able to tell a difference.  Shhhhhh, don't tell him!

What You Will Need-

1 16 oz box of pasta

1/2-1 lbs hamburger

1-2 cups shredded cheese

1 jar spaghetti sauce

Shredded Parm Cheese (optional)

Step 1: Cook the pasta and meat-

Cook pasta according to package directions, drain water

Brown hamburger, you can leave the meat out if you want/ need.  Makes the dish even cheaper.  I often make it like that for the kids and I for lunch.  The Hubs will not eat anything without meat though so for dinner purposes I use hamburger.

Season meat (if using) with whatever seasonings your taste buds enjoy.  I use onion and garlic powder.

Step 2: Assemble and bake pasta dish-

In a 9x13 pan or large casserole dish add noodles, meat, and sauce.

Stir until well combined

Top with shredded cheese.  I usually use mozzarella but you can use whatever cheese you like.  I like a lot of cheese and just grate it fresh from the block over the top until it looks like it has enough.  Maybe 1-2 cups.

Bake at 350 about 10-15 minutes or until cheese is nice and melty and dish is hot.

Sprinkle shredded Parmesan on top when serving, if desired

Its a pretty simple and straight forward dish, tastes yummy and is very wallet friendly.  Its easily adaptable so you can make it your own.  I hope you enjoy!

Love,

Christy

Shepard's Pie by Christy

Shepard's Pie is one of those ultimate comfort foods, at least for me it is.  The hamburger, the potatoes, the cheese, YUM!
Its not really a pie in the traditional sense as it does not have a crust but who knows, maybe somewhere down the line it did and people tried it w/o and liked that better.

My hubby and I jokingly call it "poor people food" sometimes, not because we think we are better than anyone who struggles but because we ARE part of the struggling class.  We call it this because its a real budget friendly dish.  It costs pennies when you break it down to individual servings.  The entire meal is around $4-5 total to make.  Divide by 5 mouths (in our house) eating it and its less than $1 a person.  You can't get much better than that!  When money flow is low we have this a lot, thus its nickname in our home.

What You Will Need:
1 lb Hamburger
3-4 medium potatoes (for mashed potatoes, you can use instant if you like)
1 can French Style Green Beans
2 (8 oz) cans Tomato Sauce
1/2-1 cup Shredded Cheese (any variety you like)

Step 1: Make the Mashed Potatoes-
Ok, so mashed potatoes are simple and who really needs to be told how to make them right.  I am including this for anyone who may be a cooking novice and has never attempted home made mashed potatoes before but would like to try.  You can use instant, I jusr prefer making them myself.
Peel 3-4 medium potatoes, cut up into small pieces.  The smaller the pieces the faster they will cook.
Boil in pot of water about 15-20 minutes or until potatoes are soft and easily mush apart when squeezed.

Drain water from potatoes.  Reserve a tiny bit of the starchy potato water, maybe 1/8-1/4 of a cup, to combine with the potatoes
With a potato masher or electric hand mixer combine potatoes, some of the starchy water, a tiny splash of milk, some butter and pepper.  I eyeball all of this.  Maybe 2-4 Tblps milk, 2-4 Tblsp butter and 1/8-1/4 teasp pepper.
I like to use an electric hand mixer, growing up that's what my grandma always used.
Set potatoes aside until ready to assemble the "pie".

Step 2: Brown Meat and Mix Bottom Layer of "Pie"-
Brown the hamburger, season as desired-I use some garlic powder and onion powder and just sprinkle a little on, no measurements.
Once it is done strain excess grease and put into a large mixing bowl-to save time and dishes I rinse the pan out and use it to mix everything in.

Open up the cans of sauce and green beans, add them to the bowl(pan) with the hamburger and mix well. 

Step 3: Assemble "Pie" and Bake-
Preheat oven to 350
Spread the hamburger mixture into the bottom of a 9x9 dish or casserole pan
Spread mashed potatoes on top of the hamburger mixture
Sprinkle cheese on top of this.  I use Colby/Jack and just shred directly on top.  I like a lot of cheese and probably use close to a cup.  You can use whatever type and amount of cheese that you like.
Bake at 350 for 15ish minutes or until cheese is all melty and gooey.

Serve and enjoy.


This will kind of look like a big helping of "slop" on your plate but trust me it is SOOOO YUMMY!  Honestly, all of the best comfort foods look like big piles of "slop" when dished up hehe.

Love,
Christy

P.S. Jess will be posting her version of Shepard's Pie soon so be on the look out for that.

Home Made Mac & Cheese

Home Made Mac & Cheese would make a great Thanksgiving side dish.

This is a very simple recipe that I actually taught myself to make after watching my friend Sheena make it a few times.  There really isn't a recipe, more of instructions on how to make it.  The measurements are entirely up to you depending upon you and your families taste and appetite.  I will put some guesstimates to give you a starting point.

Home Made Mac & Cheese

Like gravy, and most cooking for that matter, this is more of a trial and error experiment dish.  You may have to make it a few times and play around with it before you figure out exactly how much you like of each ingredient.


What You Will Need:
2 cups elbow pasta
1 cup milk
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup flour
1 cup shredded cheese
Seasoning to taste


Step 1: Cook the Pasta-
Cook 2 cups of elbow pasta according to package directions.  You can make more if desired.  Once done strain and place pan back onto the hot burner (medium-high heat)

Step 2: Make the Sauce-
The way I make the sauce for Mac & Cheese is very similar to the Gravy Technique.
Place about 1/4 cup of butter-I just eyeball all of these measurements but they are probably close to this-in the bottom of the hot pan you boiled the noodles in.
Once butter has melted and is nice and hot add flour.  I usually just use a handful, its probably about 1/4 of a cup.
Using your Whisk, Whisk flour and butter together in rapid circular motions. 
Once flour and butter are combined and have cooked for about 30 seconds add in milk.  Start with 1 cup, you can add more later if needed.
Continue to whisk in rapid circular motions.  Sauce will start to thicken.
As sauce thickens exam your pasta to see if you think you have enough sauce to cover it well.  If you think you need more add a tiny bit more flour and milk (maybe a tblsp at a time of flour and 1/4-1/2 cup at a time of milk).  Sauce will become thin again at first but as you whisk and continue to cook it will thicken.  I almost always have to add some more flour and milk in order to have enough sauce.
Once you have enough sauce remove from heat.
Sprinkle in pepper (maybe like 1/8 teasp) and 1 cup of shredded cheese, any type that you like.  I usually use Colby, Colby/Jack or Cheddar depending on what we have in the fridge-almost always Colby/Jack

ANCIENT REED FAMILY SECRET: SUGAR!
Ok, so maybe this is not a secret to some but I had never heard of this before until Teds mom told me about it.  When you add the pepper to your sauce add some sugar as well.  This really does make the Mac & Cheese taste so much better!  I just do a few pinches, maybe 1 teasp-1/2 Tblsp.  Taste the sauce to see if its enough or if you need more.  I do this before I add the cheese in.
**If you add sugar and decide to add a bread crumb topping too make sure its PLAIN breadcrumbs.  I added a bread crumb topping once that had onion and garlic powder in it.....UMMMMM YEAH, NOT GOOD!  Onion and Garlic do not mix well with sugar!


Step 3: Combine Sauce and Pasta-
Once Cheese has melted nicely into sauce add pasta to sauce and stir until well combined.  Taste it at this point to see if you want to add anymore cheese, sometimes with milder cheeses you may need to shred a little more to add.
Now you can do 1 of 3 things.
1. You can serve as is
2. You can place the Mac & Cheese into a casserole dish, add some more shredded cheese on top (as pictured above) and place in the oven at 300 for a few minutes, just to melt the cheese, then serve.  I also sprinkle a tiny bit more sugar on top when I do this.
3. You can place the Mac & Cheese in a casserole dish.   Take a few pieces of bread, add them to a food processor to create bread crumbs.  Place this on top of the Mac & Cheese.  Top with some shredded cheese and a pinch more sugar, if desired.  Place in oven at 350 and bake for about 15 minutes, or until crumbs are nice and toasty brown.


I serve mine all 3 ways, it just depends on my mood and how hungry we all are.  If we are starving and dinner is running late it goes straight from the stove top to our plates.  If the evening is running smoothly then we might do a cheese or bread crumb topping

I love this recipe because its so simple and easy.  After you make it once or twice you will never go back to the boxed kind again.  I have not bought boxed Mac & Cheese since Sariah was born this summer!  If you think about it, the stove top version only has 1 more step than the boxed kind and that's adding the flour.  I always melted my butter over the stove, then added the milk and the powdered cheese before adding the pasta back with the boxed kind.  So really it take no more work and is much tastier and healthier for your family.
BONUS: Its cheaper to make vs the boxed stuff too, even the off brands!



ENJOY!




Love,
Christy