Divine Grilled Cheese Sandwich

Grilled cheese sandwich, you ask? Yep. I have discovered Heaven, and it is between two slices of bread! This is the grown-up grilled cheese, but my son won't eat any other kind from now on. Perfect for a quick and delicious lunch! Especially with tomato soup!!!!

Divine Grilled Cheese Sandwich  by Erin Taylor

2 slices white bread- ranch style, or the thicker kind works great! (No Wonder Bread here!)
butter
mayonaisse
grated cheddar cheese (or cheddar/ monterey jack mix is what I use)
chopped fresh tomato  (or chopped grilled red pepper would be fantastic as well)- I chop the tomatoes rather than slice them because they get incorporated into the cheese mixture nicely and don't make the bread soggy.

Heat non-stick skillet or griddle to med-high. Spread mayonaisse on both halfs of bread, sprinkle grated cheese and about a tablespoon or so of the tomatoes on one half and sandwich together. Now, butter top of sandwich and place on hot griddle, butter side DOWN. While it is cooking, butter the top side. Flip after about a minute and let the other side get golden. THe key to the perfect grilled cheese sandwich is to flip often, turning down the heat if it is too hot. Continue flipping until the cheese is melting inside the sandwich. Remove from heat, cut in half, and enjoy!

Seriously, THE best grilled cheese sandwich. Really!

Stuffed Baked Potato Soup

Take a delicious baked potato, now make it into a soup... voila! I've had baked potato soup before and loved it. This is just a little more glorified version, but very easy to make. Perfect for a rainy summer evening supper with warm Lion House rolls!

Stuffed Baked Potato Soup by Erin Taylor

4 medium russet potatoes-

       Bake potatoes, unwrapped- at 450 degrees for about 30 minutes or until center is soft.

       Remove potatoes from oven when finished and cut into 1" pieces, skin and all.

       Place large pot on stove top and add:

5 Cups Milk
1 C. frozen, mixed vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, carrot mix is great.)
1/4 C. bacon bits
1/4 C. butter (1/2 stick)

Add potato chunks and heat on medium until vegetables are soft and potatoes are beginning to fall apart.

Next, using a stick blender, blend soup into a creamy smooth consistancy.

Add:
2-4 C. water, depending on how thick you want your soup
2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. fresh ground pepper
1/2 C. sour cream
1 C. cheddar cheese
1 - 2 tsp. garlic powder
1 Tbsp chicken gravy powder or 1 tsp chicken bouillon (optional)

Turn heat to low and cover; let simmer stirring occasionally until ready to serve.

Note: this soup recipe is very flexible, meaning you can have it thick and creamy if you want by adding less liquid, or thin it out with more. You can also add ham, green onions, spinach, sausage, or anything you think you'd love on your baked potato! Try it!

Lion House Rolls

I am always on the search for the "perfect" roll recipe- one that is tender and soft. Well, I found it! These are truly the best I've ever had! My search for the perfect roll recipe has ended! (I found this recipe online at http://www.ksl.com/index.php?nid=204&sid=642378)

Lion House Rolls

Ingredients:

• 2 cups warm water (110 to 115 degrees)
• 2/3 cup nonfat dry milk (instant or non-instant)
• 2 tablespoons dry yeast
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1/3 cup butter, shortening, or margarine
• 1 egg
• 5 to 5 ½ cups all-purpose flour, or bread flour

Method:

In large bowl or electric mixer, combine water and milk powder; stir until milk dissolves. Add yeast, then sugar, salt, butter, egg, and 2 cups flour. Mix on low speed until ingredients are wet, then for 2 minutes at medium speed. Add 2 cups flour; mix on low speed until ingredients are wet, then for 2 minutes at medium speed. (Dough will be getting stiff and remaining flour may need to be mixed in by hand). Add about ½ cup flour and mix again, by hand or mixer. Dough should be soft, not overly sticky, and not stiff (It is not necessary to use the entire amount of flour).Scrape dough off sides of bowl and pour about one tablespoon of vegetable oil all around sides of bowl. Turn dough over in bowl so it is covered with oil. (This helps prevent dough from drying out). Cover with plastic and allow to rise in warm place until double in size, about 45 minutes.
Scrape dough out onto floured board. Turn dough over so it is floured on both sides; gently flatten to about 1 inch thick. With rolling pin, roll out to a rectangle about 18 inches long, 8 inches wide, and ¼ inch thick. Brush with melted butter. With pizza cutter or very sharp knife, cut dough in half to make two strips about 4 inches wide. Make cuts through strips of dough every 2 inches, making about 18 pieces of dough.
Starting with short end, roll up one piece of dough, with butter on the inside. Place roll on parchment-lined pan with other short end down on the paper. Repeat with remaining pieces of dough. Be sure all rolls face the same direction on baking pan. Cover lightly with plastic wrap and allow to rise until double in size, about 1 to 1 ½ hours. Bake at 375 degrees for 15 to 18 minutes, or until light to medium golden brown. Brush tops of rolls with melted butter. Serve with Honey Butter. Makes 1 to 1 ½ dozen rolls.

Kicked Up BBQ Sloppy Joes

Sloppy Joes are a fun meal- they are quick, easy, and kids love them. I've taken a recipe my mom always made when we were kids and kicked it up a notch or two, making them a bit more grown up. My son still loves them, though! Try some tonight!

Kicked Up BBQ Sloppy Joes by Erin Taylor

1 lb ground beef
1/4 C. ketchup
1 Tbsp yellow mustard
1/4 C. BBQ sauce
1 Tbsp Brown gravy mix
1-2 Tbsp. Smoked Chipotle Tobasco sauce (my son eats this in Mac and Cheese and loves it!)
1 small can Chicken Gumbo soup, Campbells
1/4 C. water (if needed)


Brown beef in pan, drain any fat. Open can of soup and drain liquid on top; pour into pan with meat. Add ketchup, mustard, BBQ sauce, brown gravy mix and tobasco sauce. Mix thoroughly and cook on medium until thickened. Add water if too dry.  Serve on toasted buns.

Whole Wheat Bread to die for!

I used to live near this old lady who would make my and my siblings tiny loaves of homemade wheat bread. My favorite kind of homemade bread is whole wheat bread, and this recipe is so tender, soft, and surprisingly light for whole wheat.

Whole Wheat Bread

1 1/8 cups water 3 cups whole wheat flour 1 1/2 teaspoons salt 1/3 brown sugar Place ingredients in bread machine pan in the order suggested by the manufacturer. Select Whole Wheat setting, (but I used the regular setting afer letting the yeast sit for about 15 minutes,) and then press Start. If you are making it in a regular loaf pan, add yeast and water to large mixing bowl fitted with dough hook. Add sugar and let yeast develop for about 5 minutes. Add remaining ingredients and mix on medium speed for about 5 minutes. Remove from bowl and transfer to a well-greased bowl. Cover with a damp towel and let rise until doubled in size. (about half hour)  Remove from bowl and turn out onto floured surface. Roll up into a loaf size roll and place in greased loaf pan. Let rise again until nice dome forms above top edge of pan. Place in oven preheated to 350 degrees and bake for about 25 minutes or until top is golden brown. Remove from oven and brush top of loaf with butter. Remove from loaf pan after it has cooled a bit.

1 tablespoon dry milk powder 1 1/2 tablespoons shortening 1 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast

Super Breadsticks

I love bread! All kids of bread! And I love breadsticks- especially when they are warm, buttery, cheesy, crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, and dipped in alfredo sauce! So, since I am on an alfredo sauce kick (previous two posts can attest) I decided I'd better include a yummy breadstick recipe as well! (I think this recipe would make a fantastic pizza dough!)

Super Breadsticks by Erin Taylor

2 1/2 tsp. yeast
1 C. warm water
1 Tsp. sugar
2 C. all purpose flour
1 tsp. salt

butter
parmesan cheese
garlic salt

Preheat oven to 400 deg.  Combine yeast, sugar and water in a mixer with a dough hook attachment. Let sit for 5 minutes to let yeast develop. Add flour and salt and mix until flour well incorporated. Mix on med. speed for 7 minutes. (yes, 7 minutes. Dough needs to get very stretchy.)  Place in well greased bowl in a warm spot in kitchen and let raise until double in size (about a half hour).  Remove from bowl and place in very lightly floured surface. Cut dough in half, then half again, and half again until you have about 8 -10 same-size pieces of dough. Roll each dough into a roughly 6-7 inch strip and place on greased baking pan. Space each stick about 2 " apart, if possible. Let raise for another 15 minutes. Place in hot oven and bake about 10 minutes until golden brown. Remove from oven and brush softened butter (generously) over each breadstick. Sprinkle with garlic salt and parmesan cheese before serving.

Serve with warmed Alfredo sauce on the side for dipping!

Vegetarian Alfredo Pizza

Vegetarian pizza is about our favorite kind of pizza around here. With any fresh veggies, it is a hit! I have included the veggies we usually use, but I will also include other suggestions that will work beautifully.  Use any dough, but I like Rhodes frozen bread dough because it is fast and works great!

Vegetarian Alfredo Pizza by Erin Taylor
(this recipe will make the equivalent of one medium size pizza. Use more bread dough and double the toppings for two)

1 Loaf Rhodes frozen bread dough, thawed
1 - 1 1/2 C. homemade Alfredo Sauce (or about half a bottle of store bought Alfredo sauce)
1 C. spinach, finely chopped
1 large tomato, chopped into cubes or sliced
1/2 C. sliced mushrooms
2-3 cloves sliced garlic
1 C. shredded mozzerella cheese
olive oil
garlic salt
parmesan cheese (from bottle)
salt and pepper
*corn meal (optional) for bottom of pizza crust

Additional toppings:
sliced zucchini
green or red peppers
olives
artichoke hearts
sliced sweet onion
fresh basil
broccoli heads
fetta cheese
sun dried tomatoes


Preheat oven to 425 deg. Lightly drizzle about a Tablespoon of olive oil onto baking sheet or pizza pan. Sprinkle a little corn meal onto pan. Place dough in center of pan and push edges out, smoothing dough into a circle about 12-14" across.  Poke a fork all over the dough to allow for air bubbles to escape during baking. Place in preheated oven and bake for 5-7 minutes, or until it begins to barely get golden on top. (helps to have on lower oven rack to make bottom of dough a little crispier)  Remove from oven and cool slightly before putting sauce on top and spreading it evenly over the dough. Add veggies evenly over the top and finish off with mozerella cheese. (you don't need much cheese with this pizza- it's better with only a little.)  Bake for 12-15 minutes until edges are golden brown and top is bubbly. Brush crust with olive oil (or Crisco) and sprinkle garlic salt and parmesan cheese on crust.