WWII Shepherd’s Pie

Here is my version of a WWII recipe for shepherd’s pie… I was a bit skeptical because of the condensed soup, but I splurged for Campbell’s vegetable beef soup and it turned out swell! :o)

I also altered the recipe to serve more people…

1 1/2 pounds hamburger

1/2 cup chopped onion

1/2 cup chopped green and/or red peppers

2 cans condensed vegetable beef soup

2 cups mashed potatoes

Brown hamburger, onion and pepper until beef is thoroughly cooked and veggies are tender. Stir in soup.

Spoon into a greased casserole dish. Scoop potatoes into mounds on the edge of the casserole.

Bake at 425 for about 20 minutes.

Cheesy Ham & Scalloped Potatoes

We usually end up having this every holiday because we usually end up with leftover ham… It’s pretty easy and for me, one of those comfort foods I just love!

First I really thinly slice about 6-8 medium potatoes with my PC slicer. I just slice them right into my greased 9x13 baking pan.

Toss in some cut up ham.

Then mix in about 1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese with the potatoes and ham.

Then you need to make your white sauce.

Melt 1/4 cup butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Cook 1/4 cup finely chopped onion in the butter for about 1 minute.

Add 1 heaping Tablespoon of flour and salt & pepper to taste. Whisk together and quickly stir in 2 cups of milk. Whisk until smooth.

Heat until thick and bubbly and then continue to cook for 1 minute.

Pour over potatoes.

Cover with foil and bake at 375 for 1 hour.

While potatoes are baking, make breadcrumbs for the top. (You can also use store bought breadcrumbs.)

I just take a cooled piece of toast and run them in my food processor until fine crumbs.

     Mix 1/2 cup of shredded cheddar in with the bread crumbs.

After potatoes have cooked for 1 hour, remove the foil and top with breadcrumbs and sprinkle with paprika.

Place back in oven and cook for about 20 minutes or until potatoes are tender.

Hobbit Food

Last week we went to the midnight premier of The Hobbit… and since we are such total Tolkien geeks (and foodies) we went to Denny’s for their new Hobbit inspired menu.

I know you’re probably thinking that if we were really foodies we wouldn’t stoop to eating at Denny’s, but they had HOBBIT food!!!

I don’t know if it was the we’re-on-our-way-to-see-The Hobbit adrenaline rush or if the cooks were really good, but the food was DELICIOUS!!! :o) No, seriously! And I have become uber picky about restaurant food lately…

If you love The Hobbit, you gotta go try it!!!

The Shire Sausage Skillet:

The Ring Burger:

Hobbit Hole Breakfast (this is what I had):

Lonely Mountain Treasure:

Frodo’s Pot Roast Skillet:

They won’t offer these items forever, so I’d better see what I can do about making them at home. We’ll see if I can do it as well as they did???

Chocolate Waffles

This is an easy recipe for a chocolate-y dessert that is best served with ice cream and your choice of toppings. Our favorites are bananas/Nutella/whipped cream, strawberries/ bananas/chocolate syrup, candy cane/whipped cream! But you can choose your favorites…

Make your cake mix according to the directions on the box.

Pour batter into a preheated waffle iron…

You have to do a bit of experimenting to see how much batter works in your waffle iron. It may be a sort of messy experiment…

For my benefit, it use 1/2 cup of batter. Although if you have a Black & Decker Belgian waffle maker, then it’s for your benefit, too. ;o)

    Serve waffles warm or at room temp…

Apple Cider Muffins

These muffins are moist and sweet with the perfect light texture, but are also filling and perfect with a cup of coffee or tea for a quick and easy breakfast. We like ours tossed in sugar but they’d also be good plain…

1 1/2 cups flour

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1 egg

2/3 cup brown sugar (I prefer dark)

1/2 cup applesauce

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/3 cup honey

1/3 cup apple cider

1/3 cup plain yogurt or sour cream

2 Tablespoons oil

Mix dry ingredients in large mixing bowl. Mix remaining ingredients (including sugar) in a small bowl until well combined. Pour wet ingredients into flour mixture and stir until just combined. Don’t worry about lumps!

Fill greased muffin tins about 2/3 full. Bake at 400 for about 20 minutes or until pick comes out clean.

Let cool on rack for 10 minutes. Remove and toss in a bag of white sugar.

Bacon N Eggs Griddle Cakes

These are actually the brain-child of my youngest son… These were just one of the many things he attempted to make while we were away in Hawaii. After all, they say “necessity is the mother of invention”.

They were already a pretty good idea but then I added bacon and they are now PERFECT! :o)

Mix up a batch of your favorite pancake batter and toss in some bacon bits.

Pour your cakes onto a well-greased pre-heated griddle.

Flip them as soon as they are set on one side. They will be very light brown.

Use a biscuit cutter to cut the center from each pancake. Set the centers next to the pancakes on the griddle to continue cooking,

Quickly crack an egg into the center of each pancake. Season with salt and pepper, if desired.

Flip often until the eggs are cooked.

 Serve the way they are or with butter and syrup…