Corned Beef Hash

Written Thursday, March 18th, 2010 by Anne Coleman

The day after St. Patrick's Day in our home is always a hash day.  Our heritage is deep with Irish roots and there wouldn't be a St. Paddy's Day without corned beef and cabbage. Even with 9 of us, we still wind up with leftovers and I look forward to it. My favorite is hash in the morning topped with an egg - and there are only a few of the others that don't like day-old corned beef. That's OK - it's just more for the rest of us.

This doesn't take much time at all, and once it's simmering, cook the eggs for the top and it will all come together at the right time. This amount is good for 4 to 6.

Corned Beef Hash

3 cups of corned beef - cubed
3 cups cooked potatoes - cubed
1 small onion - chopped
beef or other stock - as needed
1 egg per person - cooked as desired - optional

1. In a large skillet, cook onion in a small amount of oil until it begins to soften.
2. Add beef and potatoes and stir well. Cook until potatoes begin to brown and add enough stock to moisten.
3. Turn the heat to low, cover with a lid and let simmer while eggs are being cooked. If you're not making eggs, cook for about 10 minutes.
4. Remove lid and cook until liquid is evaporated. Salt and pepper to taste and serve topped with a cooked egg if desired.

Member Recipe Review: Crockpot Chicken

Written Tuesday, February 2nd, 2010 by Penny Hawkins

It's been a little while since my last comfort food recipe review, and before ya'll get the idea that somehow my comfort food obsession has passed (as if!), I decided it was time to go in search of another HHM member comfort food recipe to review. So, I clicked over to the recipes tab here at HHM and  began my search with the help of the handy categories links.

The criteria? I wanted a recipe that was a "set it and forget it" one-pot meal, and it absolutely had to include gravy or sauce! Hmmm...I remembered seeing a "Meal of the Day" a week or so ago that had appealed to me, but where was it? Thinking it had been a chicken dish, I clicked on the "chicken" category link, and after a minute of searching, there it was... on page 4...Ashley's Crockpot Chicken!!!

Besides being easy and delicious, one of my favorite things about this recipe is that it uses ingredients that I already had on hand because they are pantry staples. I was literally able to decide to make this recipe on the spur of the moment, and get it in the crockpot in 10 minutes without going to the store! Now I don't know about ya'll, but that's my favorite kind of recipe! Did I mention it was delicious? Just like Ashley described, it reminded me of everything I love about Thanksgiving dinner!

So if you're looking for spur-of-the-moment inspiration for dinner this week, give Ashley's Crockpot Chicken* a try...it's fantastic! 

*this recipe has been husband-tested, and beancounter hubby gave it a 10 out of a possible 10.

Member Recipe Review: Chicken Spaghettini with Fried Capers

Written Tuesday, November 3rd, 2009 by Penny Hawkins

I sure do love to find new member recipes to cook and review...what a tasty job! And, with so many great recipes here at HHM, it will be a long time before I run out of new ones to try! This week's recipe caught my eye because it has two ingredients I love...pasta and capers!

The great thing about Chicken Spaghettini with Fried Capers, other than the terrific taste, is that I didn't even have to go to the store to make it (yes...I keep capers on-hand at all times!). I followed Billie-Jean's (beejay72) easy directions, and in no time I had an incredibly delicious pot of chicken spaghettini! Since this dish reminded me so much of the flavors in chicken picatta, I added a splash of white wine and chicken broth....perfection! Fresh clean flavors are what make this dish a winner!

Try this recipe soon...your family will love it!

Member Recipe Review: Chicken Casserole from The Paris House

Written Tuesday, October 20th, 2009 by Penny Hawkins

Another cool, rainy weekend, another perfect opportunity to try out a Half Hour Meals member recipe! The problem was, that with so many great recipes to choose from, I was at a loss about what to make. Dessert or entree? Sweet or savory? Looking for inspiration, I started searching through all the  scrumptious recipes that have been posted recently.

As I got to the second page of the chicken recipes, I saw exactly what I was looking for...comfort food in the form of Chicken Casserole (faster than you can say cocka-doodle-doo) from member Michele aka The Paris House. This yummy chicken and rice casserole is different from others I have tried because it includes spinach, an unexpected and delicious addition. Added to the other taste-tempting ingredients is a generous topping of cheese, making this dish a real comfort food winner.

Other than great ingredients and terrific taste, another thing to love about this recipe is that it can be assembled in 20 minutes if you already have some cooked brown rice. Even if you don't already have rice, the dish comes together quickly and is well worth the time. It smelled so good and looked so tempting when it came out of the oven, that my family was digging into the casserole with spoons before I even had a chance to serve it!

All-in-all, this recipe exceeded my expectations in every way and I highly recommend it. Do yourself a favor the next time you need a dinner idea- try Michele's Chicken Casserole!

Make Your Own Meal Kits

Written Thursday, October 15th, 2009 by Penny Hawkins

Some of you might remember my post from last July where I described some of my favorite supermarket shortcuts from the freezer. In that post, one of the shortcuts I listed was Jimmy Dean Breakfast Scrambles, which my husband and I love for a quick meal anytime. They are soeasy and convenient that I usually have one of these handy little time-savers in the freezer at all times! A few days ago, after we had another of our “breakfast scramble” suppers, I started thinking that it would be cool to try and make my own kits and see if I could do it for less money. Since my husband’s favorite breakfast scramble is sausage, I decided to try and copy that one first. 

After a quick trip to the store for ingredients, I am delighted to say that my experiment was a success. For the same price as one Jimmy Dean Sausage Breakfast Scramble (purchased at the local Superstore for $3.48), I was able to purchase enough ingredients to create three kits of my own, equal in size to Jimmy Dean’s, for just $2.65 each! In addition to the great savings, the best part was that I had total control over what went into my kits! I like that there were no worries about excessive sodium, that I could adjust the ingredients to suit our tastes, and that I could make it healthier by using turkey breakfast sausage instead of pork sausage.

Now that I know how easy and economical it is to make my own meal kits, I plan to experiment with some more and blog about it in future posts (so stay tuned)! If you have any meal kit ideas, please give me a shout out…maybe your idea will be a feature on Food for Thought here at Half Hour Meals!

Penny’s Breakfast Skillet Meal Kit:

In a large skillet, brown turkey breakfast sausage in vegetable oil; remove from skillet and drain on paper towels. In a large bowl, combine cooled turkey sausage with potatoes and pepper/onion mix and toss ingredients to combine evenly. Divide mixture in equal amounts among three gallon-size freezer bags (I found scooping it out with a one-cup measure worked great). Label and freeze, use within 6 months. Note: Since you only need 1 ½ lbs. turkey sausage for the recipe and it’s sold in 1 lb. rolls, you obviously have to buy two lbs. I cook it all, and then just freeze the extra ½ lb. for use later (or use it to make up a quick quiche)!

To prepare Breakfast Skillet:

In a large pan, heat vegetable oil over medium heat. When oil is hot, add contents of Breakfast Skillet Kit. Cook Breakfast Skillet until potatoes are beginning to brown and onions and peppers are soft. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk eggs and milk until combined. Using a spatula or wooden spoon, push Breakfast Skillet to one side of the pan; pour egg mixture into the empty half of the skillet. Using a wooden spoon, constantly stir and scrape the eggs until they begin to scramble. Once eggs are scrambled, stir to combine with Breakfast Skillet. Remove from heat and serve.

Variation: Breakfast Skillet Kits make a great frittata!

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Take contents of one kit, thawed, and arrange in a greased 9-inch pie pan. In a small bowl, whisk together eggs and milk; pour over breakfast skillet mixture; sprinkle with pepper. Bake at 375 for 25-30 minutes. Top with shredded cheese and bake an additional 5-10 minutes or until cheese is melted and beginning to brown.

Quiche- The Perfect "Go-To" Meal

Written Tuesday, October 6th, 2009 by Penny Hawkins

This easy quiche is perfect for breakfast, lunch or dinner and it comes together in a flash! The perfect "go-to" meal when you have the "what's for dinner?" blues, quiche is also a smart and economical way to use up leftover meat, veggies and cheese. Add some fruit or a side salad, and you have delicious, thrifty and easy meal your family will love!  Just follow the basic recipe, and the sky is the limit as to what you can create! Try these combinations or have fun coming up with your own:

• Ham, Broccoli and Cheddar Cheese
• Chicken or Turkey, Mushrooms, Green Beans and Swiss or Co-Jack Cheese
• Ground Beef, Onions, Tomatoes and Cheddar Cheese
• Crab, Mushrooms and Swiss Cheese
• Bacon, Spinach and Swiss Cheese
• Zucchini, Onion, Tomatoes and Swiss Cheese (meatless so use 1-2 cups veggies)
• Ground Beef or Chorizo, Diced Tomatoes w/Green Chilies and Monterrey Jack or Pepper Jack Cheese
• Shrimp, Mushrooms and Edam Cheese
• Bacon or Sausage, Frozen Shredded Hash Browns (thawed), Onions and Cheddar Cheese
• Mild Italian Sausage, Green Peppers, Onions, and Monterray Jack or Cheddar Cheese

The Basic Recipe

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place pie crust in pie pan; arrange meat, vegetables and shredded cheese in crust and set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, combine eggs, flour, milk, salt, pepper and nutmeg and beat well with a wire whisk or mixer until smooth. Pour over meat mixture in pie crust and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.
3. Bake at 375 degrees for 40-45 minutes or until quiche is slightly puffed on top and golden brown. Let stand for 5 minutes. Slice to serve.

Note: Quiche freezes well. To freeze, cut into individual slices and place in hard-sided freezer containers. Freeze until firm, and then store up to 3 months. To thaw, heat in the microwave on high for 1-2 minutes.

Half Hour Meals - Cook Smarter Not Harder

Written Tuesday, September 15th, 2009 by Penny Hawkins

Does your busy lifestyle make it a real challenge to get dinner on the table? Do you find yourself relying more and more on take-out, delivery or the same old handful of recipes? Do you wish there was a way to put a delicious home-cooked meal on the table without spending hours in the kitchen and blowing you budget on dozens of exotic ingredients? If this sounds familiar, you're in the right place! Half Hour Meals was created with people like you in mind!

Hello! My name is Penny Hawkins. I am one of the "Ambassadors" here at Half Hour Meals, and I'm so happy you're here! Half Hour Meals is your cooking community, a "judgement-free zone" where you can learn, share and explore ways to cook smarter, not harder. Everything you need is right here: hints and tips, recipes, how-to's, and people just like you to talk to and exchange ideas with. Together, we can put a home-cooked meal on the table and survive to tell the tale! We enourage you to look at Half Hour Meals as the place where you can go to look at the whole "What's For Dinner?" dilemma in a whole new way. Regardless of your skill level, Half Hour Meals has something for you!

I look forward to sharing with you and learning from each of you. Remember that if you have questions or need help, you can always contact me or one of the other HHM Ambassadors: Anne, Theresa, or Trish. Are you ready? Let's get cooking!

20 Minute Flatbread Pizza

Written Wednesday, September 17th, 2008 by April Boland

Last week, I tried a recipe for Spinach/Goat Cheese Pizza that I found in this month's issue of Fitness Magazine. It took about 20 minutes to make and was really delicious. That got me thinking, so the other day I tried my own variation on the theme. Here's what I did:

• Brush olive oil over 1 slice of wheat naan (Indian flat bread, but you can use any kind you like). Bake on 350 degrees for 7 minutes.
• Top with fresh baby spinach leaves, goat cheese, bits of turkey (or fake turkey, if you are vegetarian) and pine nuts. Bake another 12 minutes in the oven.

Voila!

Mix and Match Salad Toppers

Written Tuesday, August 5th, 2008 by April Boland

If you are a vegetarian or simply a healthy eater, you probably find yourself making a lot of salads. If you are like me, you probably get sick of your salads as well. Here is a checklist of possible salad toppers; experiment with them for a little change of pace! 

• Grape or cherry tomatoes
• Feta cheese crumbles
• Peeled, sliced cucumbers
• Shredded carrots
• Lemon juice
• Walnuts, pecans or almonds
• Sprouts
• Goat cheese crumbles
• Light olive oil
• Seasoning (rosemary, basil, etc.)
• Grated parmesan cheese
• Sliced bell peppers
• Balsamic vinegar
• Red onion slices
• Salt and pepper
• Croutons
• Diced ham, turkey or chicken
• Shredded American or cheddar cheese
• Black or green olives
• Garbanzo beans
• Fresh corn
• Peeled orange or tangerine sections

Feel free to leave a comment with your own suggestions!

The Magic of Peanut Butter

Written Saturday, August 2nd, 2008 by April Boland

Inexpensive department stores such as TJ Maxx can often be a gold mine for cookbooks.  The other day I was browsing in one when I came across "The Magic of Peanut Butter: 100 New & Favorite Recipes" for $2.99.  A peanut butter aficionado, I grabbed it.  The book includes recipes for (surprise, surprise) peanut butter sandwiches, peanut butter snacks, peanut butter desserts, Asian peanut sauces and more.  Most of them are simple and fast, incorporating tried and true favorite peanut butter companions like jelly, apples and bananas as well as some new ones like chocolate chips, cinnamon raisin bread and breakfast cereal.

Peanut butter is definitely considered by many to be a healthy snack.  Not only does it taste good, but it is full of protein and much lower in sugar than other sweet treats.