Sausage Gravy - Recipe #sausagegravy #southernfood #comfortfood

Sausage Gravy

There are a few joys to living in the south and one of those is breakfast for dinner.  Another is good old fashioned Sausage Gravy.  I mean can you really ever eat a meal in the south without gravy?  Let's not try that.  Gravy is awesome but nothing beats Sausage Gravy on my amazing buttermilk biscuits.  Patience grasshopper, one recipe at a time.  You will have to come back for the biscuit recipe.  Tonight I am only sharing the gravy recipe.

We had this for dinner a few nights ago with eggs and bacon.  We usually have breakfast foods twice a week.  The kids absolutely LOVE breakfast foods and it is so budget friendly that I am happy to cook it as many times as they want it. 

For the sausage gravy you will need:

1 pound of breakfast sausage (I use regular Jimmy Dean)
4 tbsp. of butter or margarine
3 tbsp. self rising flour
3 cups milk
salt
pepper

Begin by scrambling the sausage in a large skillet until it is brown.  Once the sausage has cooked thoroughly,  drain the oil and return it to the skillet on medium heat.  Add 4 tbsp. of butter or margarine to the sausage and stir until the margarine is melted and the sausage is coated.  Add in 3 tbsp. of self rising flour and stir until the sausage is coated.  Continue to stir, cooking on medium heat for 2-3 minutes.  Stir in 3 cups of milk and bring to a boil on medium - high heat stirring often.  Once the gravy has started to boil lower the heat to low.  Add salt and pepper to taste and continue to cook on low.  This is when the gravy will begin to thicken.  Continue to cook until the gravy is the consistency that you enjoy.  I like thick gravy so I let it cook for 15-20 minutes, stirring every few minutes.  If the gravy gets too thick you can simply add a little milk to thin it.  Serve over biscuits or toast.

What is your favorite southern food?  I would love to hear your recipes. 

Pizza Dip - Recipe

Pizza Dip
 

Don't judge my baking pan.  It actually looks like that for a reason.  I am going to show you in the next day or so how to take the most horrible looking baking dishes and make them look brand new with hardly any work required.  Yay for being lazy :)

Tonight I am going to share my Pizza Dip recipe! It is this amazing little fat filled and very unhealthy yet crazy delicious dip that my Momma Gail introduced me to.  It is a hit at every party and is the easiest dish ever to throw together.

Pizza Dip Ingredients

I am all for saving money.  There are many items that I buy the "cheap" brand of but pepperoni and pizza sauce are not ones that you want to be cheap with.  Go ahead and fork out a few extra cents and get the good stuff!  You will be very happy that you did. The ingredients for pizza dip are:

Parmesan Cheese
Pizza Sauce (I use Ragu)
Pepperoni (I use Hormel)
Cream Cheese (softened to room temperature)

Softened Cream Cheese

You begin by spraying your baking pan with cooking spray.  You can use a small casserole dish or a pie pan.  Next you will spread the package of cream cheese over the bottom of the pan.  I decided to make this at the last moment and did not have enough time to allow it to get to room temperature.  It spreads much easier if you let it sit out for about 30 minutes.

Pizza Sauce

Next you add 1/2 to 3/4 of the jar of pizza sauce.  You can add more/less depending on your taste.  I used 3/4 of the jar.  You simply pour it on top of the cream cheese and spread it evenly.

Parmesan Cheese

Once you have spread the pizza sauce you then sprinkle 1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese over the sauce.  I normally don't measure this.  I just sprinkle Parmesan until the sauce is completely covered.

Pepperoni

Finally, you cover the entire dish with a layer of pepperoni.

Place the dish, uncovered, in the oven and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until the cheese has melted. 

Pizza Dip

The dip should resemble this when it is done.  It is best served warm with tortilla chips.  I'm sure that it would be delicious with cracker and corn chips also.

What is your favorite snack food to take to a party?  We would love for you to share your favorite recipe with us in the comments below.

Beef Sliders - Recipe

 

 

I LOVE sandwiches.  It has to be my favorite meal.  We had beef sliders for dinner tonight.  They are AMAZING, even the hubby loves them.  They are one of the easiest meals in my recipe box nut they can be a bit expensive to make because of the cost of beef.  I made them with a pork roast one time by accident and they were not nearly as good.  Check out my recipe and let me know what you think :)

 

Ingredients for meat:

2-3 beef roast

1 cup salsa

1 package brown gravy mix

1 package AuJu Gravy

1 package ranch dressing mix

1 cup water

 

Ingredients for spread:

1/4 cup sour cream

2 tbsp. chili sauce

2 tsp horseradish

 



 

 

 

Directions:

Place the roast in the crockpot

Combine the water, gravies, ranch dressing and salsa in a large bowl

Pour over roast 

 
 

Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hrs or high for 4-6 hrs

Using a fork separate meat into small pieces

 

 

Directions for spread:

Combine sour cream, horseradish and chili sauce in small bowl

 

IMPORTANT:

You must use Hawaiian rolls! Do NOT use hamburger buns or bread..it doesn't taste the same and isn't nearly as good.

 

Once you spread the sauce on the roll you can add cheese, we prefer mozzarella, and add meat.  They are very juicy and can be a little messy but it is totally worth it!



Asparagus Casserole - Recipe

The holidays are fast approaching which means it's nearly time to break out the pots and pans for Thanksgiving cooking.  One of my favorite holiday dishes is Asparagus Casserole.  I am the queen of easy cooking so once again, this is a very fast and simple recipe to make.

Ingredients:

2 cans of asparagus with juice
5 boiled eggs - sliced
1 bag of shredded cheese
1 can cream of mushroom soup

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Mix some asparagus juice with the cream of mushroom soup to thin it out a little.
Place a layer of asparagus on the bottom of a small baking dish
Cover with a layer of sliced boiled eggs.
Add a layer of cream of mushroom soup
Cover with shredded cheese
Repeat
Bake for 30 minutes or until warm in the center.

Apple Cake Recipe - It's Totally Worth It

I was sitting over here trying to figure out what I could possibly blog about tonight.  It's not very often that I can't think of something to talk about..just ask anyone that knows me. 

I got up to get my recipe box and the hub asked what I was doing.  When I told him he instantly said "You should make one so you can put some photos on there.  They want photos.  Will you please make one?".  Yeah, it's that good!

  Ingredients:

2/3 c. veg oil
2 eggs
3 c. peeled and diced apples (use GREEN apples..it makes a difference!)
1 1/2c. sugar
1 3/4c. flour
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tbsp. vanilla
1c chopped pecans

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees
Grease 9x13 pan

In a large bowl beat oil and eggs until foamy.
Add apples and sugar to egg mixture.
In another bowl mix flour and cinnamon.
Stir apple mix into flour.
Stir in vanilla and nuts.
Pour into pan and bake for 45-50 minutes (or until a toothpick is clean after you stab it)

This is very addictive so be prepared to eat until you feel like you will explode!

Fried-less Fried Chicken - On The Cheap and Lazy

We all know that I hate to cook.  More than anything, I hate to cook.  I have named myself the queen of lazy recipes.  If it takes more than 15 minutes of prep time I avoid it at all costs.  When we have "good" food the husband normally cooks. 

Everyone in my house LOVES fried chicken.  I hate it.  The smell of anything fried just makes me sick. Anything that's oily..pizza included, I just can't stand on a regular basis.  I can smell the grease in the house for days after they fry something and end up scrubbing the entire kitchen in an attempt to get rid of that smell.

Well, since they love fried chicken I started to feel a little bad about not allowing it in the house.  I'm over my guilt now that I have discovered fried-less fried chicken.  Fried-less is a word.  It means not fried.  I wouldn't suggest looking it up in the dictionary or using it during Scrabble but it's a real word on my blog.

So here goes..the BEST fried-less fried chicken recipe you will ever find.  It's so easy and I even like it!

Ingredients:

Corn Flakes
Tony's seasoning
Garlic Salt
Lemon Zest
Buttermilk
Chicken breasts

Directions:

Heat oven to 350 degrees

Cover a baking pan with tinfoil and spray with cooking spray.
Pour Corn Flakes into a gallon size bag.  The amount will depend on the number of chicken breast you are cooking.  For 2 breasts I use about 2 cups of Corn Flakes.  There is a lot left in the bag, so I am probably using too much.
Seal the bag after removing all of the air and crush the corn flakes. 
Next, add the seasonings (Tony's, garlic salt and lemon zest) to the bag.  I don't measure this, I just dump some in there :)
Shake the bag and mix everything up.
Dip the chicken breasts into the buttermilk and then add them to the cornflake mixture.
Seal the bag and shake it/toss it until the breasts are covered.
Place the chicken in the casserole dish and bake until the chicken is done.  Usually about an hour. 

It's that simple!  And it tastes great!  So much better and healthier than stinky old fried chicken!!

Mexican Chicken - Fast and Easy

It's finally almost Friday and we all know what that means...high school football.  Well, not for me just yet but for most people around here it's game night. It doesn't take very many games before nachos and cheap pizza just don't cut it for dinner.  I like to keep a few super fast and easy meals on hand for these types of nights.

One of the kid's favorites is Mexican Chicken.  They love it and it is perfect for game nights or evenings that are filled with afterschool activities.

I normally used 2 cans of precooked chicken breast when I make this recipe because it is faster than boiling a chicken.  If you prefer fresh meat you can substitute a whole chicken or 2-3 chicken breasts.

Ingredients:

2 cans of chicken breast (drained)
1 can cream of mushroom
1 can cream of chicken
1 can of Rotel tomatoes
1 large bag of regular Doritos
1 small bag of shredded cheese

Directions:
preheat the oven to 350 degrees

Crush the entire bag of Doritios.  I find it is easy to do if you open the bag like normal to release the air and roll a rolling pin over it several times.  In a large bowl mix together chicken, cream of  mushroom, cream of chicken and Rotel tomatoes. Spray a 9x13 casserole dish with cooking spray and place a layer of crushed Doritos on the bottom (use half of the chips).  Cover the Doritos with the chicken mixture and cover with another layer of Doritos.  Sprinkle shredded cheese over the top.  Cover with foil and bake until cheese is melted and the center is warm.  This usually takes about 30 minutes. 

Very simple dish that tastes great!

Chicken Spaghetti Recipe - My Kids LOVE It

It's hard for me to find recipes that everyone in the house will eat.  The 2 little kids want hot dogs or chicken nuggets every night and refuse to eat anything that looks the least bit healthy.  Most nights we end up with 2 or 3 different meals for dinner.  Except on chicken spaghetti night...everyone LOVES chicken spaghetti.  It's a really simple recipe that is super fast and great for those nights that the kids have after school practice/games and you don't have much time.

Ingredients:
3-4 chicken breasts- boiled and shredded
spaghetti noodles - we prefer the thin noodles but regular noodles work just as well
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can chicken broth or broth from boiling the chicken
shredded cheese
1 large jar of Cheeze Whiz

Most nights I use 3 cans of chicken breast instead of boiling chicken breasts - this saves time.

Boil chicken and noodles
In a large bowl combine the boiled chicken, cooked noodles, cream of mushroom, cream of chicken, and Cheeze Whiz.  Stir until everything is mixed well.  Place this mixture into a 9x13 casserole dish.  Pour chicken broth over this until the mixture is moist (you don't want it to dry out in the oven).  I use about 1/2 cup of broth. Put a layer of shredded cheese on the top.  Cover the pan with tinfoil and bake on 350 until the Cheeze Whiz and shredded cheese have melted, around 20-30 minutes.  Make sure to cover the pan or the noodles will become dry and crunchy and the shredded cheese will burn.

We normally have garlic toast with this.

It's very fast, easy and a great recipe to keep around for those nights that you don't have much time..especially if you take the easy way out and use canned chicken like I do :)

Steak Recipe - Trust Me, You Don't Want To Pass This Up

Tonight is take 2 on Cheyanne's birthday dinner.  I don't even have to ask her or Brandon what they want...it's always a steak.  I hate steak. I get a lot of weird looks when I say that.  When I was pregnant with Ainsley all I wanted was steak.  I ate a steak a few times a week.  I'm certain out of all of my pregnancies that Brandon enjoyed Ainsley the most lol. 

I cook.  I hate to cook but we have to eat.  I can't throw a bunch of random ingredients into a pot and create something edible but I can follow a recipe.  I found this recipe years ago.  I can't even remember where it came from.  The first time I made it Brandon was shocked.  He said it was the best steak he has ever eaten and that steaks at restaurants didn't even come close.  In the past he always cooked his steak on the grill. (I don't eat food cooked on a grill.  I get weird looks for that too)  Since I found this recipe, he hasn't cooked a steak on the grill one time. 

Ingredients:

2 - 8 oz steaks
4 tsp kosher salt (don't use table salt!!)
4 tsp cracked pepper
1 stick unsalted butter
1 tbsp. olive oil
2 cloves chopped garlic
1 tbsp. chopped parsley
1 tbsp. chopped thyme
1 tsp lemon salt

Directions:

Mix 1/2 stick softened (not melted) butter well with garlic, herbs and lemon zest.  Form this into a log and place into the refrigerator.

Generously season the steaks with salt and pepper.  Use 1 tsp on each side.  (This seems like a lot but it's really  not.  Kosher salt is different than table salt.  I promise it wont be too salty.)
Heat 1/2 stick of butter and the olive oil in a pan on the stove.  ( Get it HOT! When you think it is too hot and is going to burn wait a few more seconds and then it will be hot enough.  Seriously, you have to get it HOT)
Sear each side of the steak for 2-3 minutes.  As the steak is searing, scoop up the juices and place on the top side of each steak. 
Place the steaks on a pan and bake at 400 degrees. For medium/well bake for 10 minutes
After 10 minutes remove the steak and place half of the butter log on each steak.  Place them in the oven for 1 minute to melt the butter.
Remove and enjoy ;)

Trust me, you will not be disappointed with this steak recipe!!  It's a very simple recipe and the results are amazing!

Happy Cooking!!