Deviled Eggs with Crisped Jamón & Crushed Marconas

One of Ethan's favorite appetizers is deviled eggs. They must be on the menu for Easter, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. Another day that I have started making them for is game day. This are a perfect snack, they are easy to make, easy to eat, and always a crowd pleaser.

Ethan hates relish, so when I saw this recipe I knew it would be perfect. It has a unique twist which includes my favorite from any cheese board jamón and marcona almonds. These are my new go-to deviled eggs, there is a secret ingredient that really makes these, it is garlic! I would have never thought to put fresh garlic in deviled eggs, but it is really amazing. 

Source: Smitten Kitchen Cookbook, page 290

Ingredients:

6 Eggs, large

1 oz. of Jamón Serrano, thinly sliced

2 tablespoons of Marcona Almonds, crushed, salted & toasted

3 tablespoons of Mayonnaise

1/2 teaspoon of Dijon Mustard, or more to taste

1/2 teaspoon of Garlic, minced

1 teaspoon of Lemon Juice, freshly squeezed

1 teaspoon of Olive Oil

1/4 teaspoon of Hot or Sweet Smoked Paprika, plus more for dusting

Salt & Pepper

Directions:

First, place whole eggs in a small pot of cold water. Bring to a boil, when boiling reduce the heat to a simmer and let them cook for 10 minutes, exactly. Drain the eggs and let them sit in cool water. Place in the refrigerator to cool completely. They can stay in the refrigerator for 1-2 days.

Next, prepare your garnishes. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Place the jamón n a baking sheet covered in aluminum foil, bake for 5-10 minutes, or until crispy. Place the almonds on another baking sheet or the other side of a large one and bake them for 5 minutes. Let the jamón drain on paper towels, until cool. Place the almonds aside until cooled. Break the jamón into pieces and coarsely chop the marcona almonds. 

Now, peel your hardboiled eggs and split them lengthwise. Put the yolks into a medium bowl. Place the egg whites onto the serving board. In the bowl, mash the yolks with a fork. Stir in the mayonnaise, mustard, garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, and paprika. Season to taste with a couple of pinches of salt and a few grinds of black pepper.

Scoop the filling into the egg whites and sprinkle with additional paprika. Garnish with the crumbled jamón and crushed marconas right before serving. 

Enjoy!

Happy Cooking,

The Barbee Housewife

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Baked Parmesan Paprika Chicken

It is half-way through the month of January and the newness of the new year has already started to fade with some. Did you make any resolutions for the new year? I think it is important to make goals, but not make them unattainable. Cooking at home and meal planning is a very easy way to get used to a healthy eating lifestyle.

This chicken is so good. It is baked instead of fried and it is so crispy and delicious, you will not miss the grease at all. The cheese melts into the crust and is so flavorful. You can slice this chicken up and serve over your favorite salad or roast some veggies for an easy dinner.
Source: Sweet Beginnings

Ingredients:
1/4 cup of Flour
1/2 cup of Parmesan Cheese, grated
2 teaspoons of Paprika
1/2 teaspoon of Salt
1/2 teaspoon of Pepper
1 Egg, beaten
2 tablespoons of Milk
4 Chicken Breasts, boneless and skinless
1/4 cup of Butter, melted

Directions:
First, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a baking sheet with aluminum and place a wire rack on top of it.

Next, in a shallow baking dish, combine the flour, cheese, paprika, salt, and pepper. In another shallow baking dish, combine the egg and milk.

Now, pound the chicken to make sure it is even thickness all the way through. Dip the chicken in the egg, then the flour, and place onto the wire rack. Pour the butter over the chicken.

Bake for 30-45 minutes until the chicken is completely cooked through and the internal temperature is at 165.

Enjoy!

Happy Cooking,
The Barbee Housewife

DIY: Croutons

You can change a normal salad to an extraordinary salad by adding just a few things, I think the easiest option is to have awesome croutons. I occasionally crave salads from restaurants that have amazing croutons. These croutons are easily adaptable and are perfect in any salad from a classic salad with ranch to a caesar salad with fresh parmesan.

These were so easy to make and are perfect, which is exactly what I look for in my DIY (do it yourself) recipes. It takes a little extra effort, but is still simple, and the taste is a million times better. You can make a batch of these and they will stay good for up to a week in an airtight container, but really good luck with that. You will find yourself adding these to any soup you are eating and making salad just for an excuse to eat these.
Source: Annie's Eats

Ingredients:
4 cups of Baguette, cut into cubes
1 1/2 tablespoons of Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
1 1/2 tablespoons of Butter, melted
1/4 teaspoon of Garlic Powder
1/4 teaspoon of Dried Parsley
1/4 teaspoon of Black Pepper
1/4 teaspoon of Salt

Directions:
First, preheat the oven to 300 degrees.

Now, place the baguette cubes in a large bowl, drizzle them with the olive oil and butter and toss until well coated. Sprinkle with the seasonings and toss to combine and evenly coat.

Next, pour the baguette cubes onto a baking sheet or into your iron skillet. Bake for 40-50 minutes, until desired consistency (crunchiness), stirring every 10 minutes.

Serve on a salad or soup. Store in an airtight container for up to a week.

Now,
Enjoy!

Happy Cooking,
The Barbee Housewife

Hash Brown Waffle with a Fried Egg

Ethan loves waffles, so we got a waffle maker. I love hash browns, so I make hash brown waffles in our waffle maker! These aren't just any hash brown waffles. They are studded with grated onion and extra sharp cheddar cheese. The onion almost disintegrates into the waffle and the cheese melts right in, making a perfect consistency.

I can almost always guarantee that in our pantry we will have a potato, an onion, and cheese and eggs in our refrigerator. This is a go-to meal for us. It is easy to make and we love having breakfast for dinner, not to mention, I love hash browns and fried eggs.

If you aren't into the whole "breakfast for dinner thing" these are fabulous for a weekend brunch. They are filling enough to satisfy your hunger needs until the next meal, which can't be said for all breakfast items, you know the ones that are cloyingly sweet.

This will make enough for 2 hash brown waffles.
Source: A Taste of Home Cooking

Ingredients:
2 cups of Shredded Potato, thawed frozen potatoes or about 2 large potatoes, grated
1/4 cup of Grated Onion
1/4 cup of Sharp Cheddar Cheese, grated
3 Eggs
1/2 teaspoon of Garlic Powder
Salt & Pepper

Directions:
First, preheat your waffle iron to medium-high heat.

Now, place the shredded potatoes in a clean dish towel and squeeze out any additional liquid. Place the potatoes into a large bowl and mix with the onion, cheese, and one of the eggs, until evenly coated. Stir in the garlic powder and salt and pepper.

Spray the waffle iron with non-stick cooking spray and spread half of the mixture to the iron. Close the iron and cook until crispy and brown, my iron took 5-7 minutes.

Next, place a small skillet over medium heat, melt 1/2 tablespoon of butter in it. When the butter has melted, crack an egg into the pan. Let it cook for one minute, flip and cook until the desired doneness is achieved. Cook the additional egg the same way.

Serve the egg on top of the waffle and eat immediately.

Enjoy!

Happy Cooking,
The Barbee Housewife

Bacon Cheeseburger Balls

Sometimes accidents result in the most delicious products. Someone close to me, I will keep their name anonymous, accidentally used hamburger meat instead of spicy sausage while making these spicy sausage balls. After trying one of those, Ethan knew we had to make them and put a few twists on them.

We made a few different batches before deciding on what we deemed the best bacon cheeseburger ball. These are meant to taste very similar to a bacon cheeseburger, without the bun. The bisquick mimics the bread and the seasonings spice the meat perfectly.

You can dip these in whatever condiments you like to serve on your burger, we tried and loved ketchup, mustard, and barbecue sauce, with mustard being the favorite. This will yield about 36 bacon cheeseburger balls.

Serve this for your next game-watching party or just when you need a snack to feed hungry people. They are very filling and easy to make, which means these mark pretty high on my list of appetizers!
Source: The Barbee Housewife, original

Ingredients:
1 1/4 cup of Bisquick
1/2 teaspoon of Onion Powder
1/2 teaspoon of Black Pepper
1 teaspoon of Seasoning Salt
4 oz. of Cheddar Cheese, shredded
8 oz. of Cream Cheese, softened
1 lb. of Hamburger Meat
5-6 pieces of Bacon, cooked and crumbled

Directions:
First, preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Prepare a baking sheet by covering it in aluminum foil and spraying liberally with nonstick cooking spray.

Next, in a large bowl, use your standmixer bowl if you have a powerful one, combine the bisquick, onion powder, black pepper, and seasoning salt. Add the cheddar, cream cheese, and hamburger meat, mix well with the mixer or your hands until combined. Sprinkle in the bacon and mix until it is evenly dispersed.

Now, form one inch balls from the mixture and place on the pan. Bake for 20-25 minutes.

Serve with ketchup, mustard, or barbecue sauce, whatever your favorite burger condiments are.

Enjoy!

Happy Cooking,
The Barbee Housewife

Boozy Chocolate Chip Pie

Here is the pie that I have been alluding to. This is my husband's favorite pie. I am not really big on sweets, so he is the deciding factor her on The Barbee Housewife. He has deemed this the best of pretty much, everything. He is obsessed with pecan pies, he is obsessed with chocolate chip pies, so this really should be no surprise to me.

I am glad I finally had a reason to share this with you guys, this week the swap, put on by A Taste of Home Cooking, category was Holiday Baking. I got the blog Cookies on Friday, which was so appropriate, considering that is where I first discovered this wonderful pie. This pie is mandatory in our household on Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter, 4th of July, and any other holiday.

Make this pie, everyone will love you, the result will be a gooey chocolate pie that is unbelievably sweet and perfect in every way.
Source: Cookies on Friday

Ingredients:
1 Pie Crust, homemade or store-bought
1 1/2 cup of Pecans, toasted and chopped
1 cup of Chocolate Chips, semi-sweet
1 cup of Dark Corn Syrup
1/2 cup of Sugar
1/2 cup of Dark Brown Sugar
1/4 cup of Honey Whiskey
3 Eggs
1/4 cup of Butter, melted
2 teaspoons of Cornstarch
2 teaspoons of Vanilla
1/2 teaspoon of Salt

Directions:
First, pre-heat the oven to 325 degrees.

Next, roll out your pie crust and place into the pan.

Now, in a small bowl, combine the pecans and chocolate chips. Spread into the pie pan over the pie crust.

Next, in a large saucepan combine the corn syrup, sugar, brown sugar, and whiskey. Bring to a boil over medium heat. When it starts to boil, stir for 2 minutes constantly and remove from heat.

In a separate large bowl, whisk together the eggs, butter, cornstarch, vanilla, and salt.

Now, pour the corn syrup mixture into the egg mixture, slowly, constantly stirring until it has been fully combined. Run through a seize if needed/desired. Pour the mixture into the pie pan over the pecans and chocolate chips.

Bake for 50-60 minutes or until the middle of the pie is set.

Serve with ice cream or whipped cream.

Enjoy!

Happy Cooking,
The Barbee Housewife

Honey Sesame Chicken {Crock-pot}

Earlier this week I posted the Spicy Sausage Pasta and boasted about how it uses pantry ingredients, well, so does this dish. I know many people have New Year's resolutions that include eating at home more, eating healthier, and more importantly sticking to your meal plan. This dish will help you do all of the above. You can easily make this healthier by serving this with brown rice.

As most recipes that use sriracha, you can increase or decrease the amount of heat. The amount listed is a good amount that the honey cuts through, but you can still taste the heat. It is the perfect amount.  The next time I made this, I doubled the amount of sriracha for us, because we are crazy and love spicy! 

This was a perfect meal on a cold night. I cooked it all day in the crock-pot, so when it was time for dinner all I did was make rice. I loved all of the flavors, it had spice from sriracha and sweetness from the honey. The flavors were seriously amazing, I was really kicking myself for waiting so long to try this. 

Source: Cook Like a Champion, originally from Tracey's Culinary Adventures

Ingredients:

2 lbs. of Chicken, boneless & skinless, about 6 breasts

Black Pepper

1/3 cup of Soy Sauce, low-sodium

1/4 cup of Honey

1/4 cup of Tomato Paste

3 tablespoons of Rice Wine Vinegar

2 cloves of Garlic, minced

1/4 teaspoon of Ginger

1 tablespoon of Water

1 teaspoon of Toasted Sesame Oil

1 teaspoon of Onion Powder

1 tablespoon of Sriracha 

Optional: Sesame Seeds and Sliced Green Onions for garnish

Directions:

First, pepper the chicken liberally. Place the chicken in your crock-pot.

Now, in a medium sized bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, honey, tomato paste, vinegar, garlic, ginger, water, sesame oil, onion powder, and sriracha. Pour over the chicken

Cook on low for 4-6 hours. 

Shred the chicken with two forks. Serve over rice and garnish with green onions and sesame seeds, if desired. 

Enjoy!

Happy Cooking,

The Barbee Housewife

Spicy Sausage Pasta

I know I have been absent for awhile, we have been back in Texas with our families and busy, busy, busy. We are still in Texas, but I am back to blogging! I have lots of great new favorites coming your way.

I am always on the lookout for meals that can be made with pantry staples. This is one of them. The packs of sausage stay good for a pretty long time, if they stay hidden from my husband, and we usually try to keep at least one package of them in the refrigerator. You use a few additional ingredients, a can of rotel, pasta, cheese, and some heavy cream and you have a quick and easy meal. You can easily leave out the onions, if you have an onion hater, or puree the rotel in a blender first, if you have a picky eater. I have tried this with both the mild rotel and the rotel with habaneros, both were great. I am a heat fanatic and even I thought it was spicy (in a good way) with the habaneros, so beware!

This meal took no longer than 30 minutes to make, including prep time. Another bonus is that this meal is relatively cheap and makes a huge batch. We had this meal one night when I was holiday baking up a storm and really did not feel like making dinner. I made myself do it, because it was on our meal plan, and it was excellent. My husband kept talking about how much he liked it, he didn't even notice I made it with whole-grain pasta!
Source: Kevin & Amanda, originally from America's Test Kitchen, The Best Simple Recipes

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon of Olive Oil
1 lb. of Smoked Sausage
1 1/2 cups of Onion, diced, about 1 onion
2 cloves of Garlic, minced
2 cups of Chicken Broth, low-sodium
1 can of Rotel Tomatoes & Green Chiles, mild
1/2 cup of Heavy Cream
8 oz. of Pasta, bowtie, penne, elbow, whatever you have
Salt and Pepper
1 cup of Monterrey Jack Cheese, shredded
1/3 cup of Green Onions, thinly sliced

Directions:
First, in an oven-safe skillet, that has a lid, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat, until just smoking. Add the sausage and onions and sauté until lightly browned. Add the garlic and cook for another 30 seconds.

Now, add in the chicken broth, rotel, cream, pasta, and 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1/2 teaspoon of pepper. Stir and bring this mixture to a boil. When boiling, reduce heat to low and cover the skillet with the lid. Cook for 15-20 minutes until the pasta is tender.

Turn the broiler on high. Stir in 1/2 cup of cheese to the pasta and top the pasta with the additional cheese and scallions. Place the skillet in the oven and broil for a minute or until the cheese is browned.

Enjoy!

Happy Cooking,
The Barbee Housewife