Balsamic & Basil Roasted Potatoes

My Mom treated me to a trip to the Farmer's Market last weekend.  Some of our purchases resulted in this tasty dish.  I LOVE orange peppers, but they are generally so expensive in the grocery stores.  I took advantage of the better deals at the market to make one of my favorite side dishes!

Pictured on the left - fresh focaccia from South Union Bakery (YUM) with some Balsamic & Basil Dipping Oil and Parmesan cheese.  On right - Balsamic & Basil Roasted Potatoes recipe listed below.  Works great in a grill basket if you have one. (This one I got from Pampered Chef.) Also works well to place on a baking sheet and roast in oven.

Balsamic & Basil Roasted Potatoes

Ingredients
8 - 10 diced red potatoes
1 diced yellow bell pepper
1 diced yellow bell pepper
2 diced medium onions
1/2 cup Balsamic & Basil Dipping Oil
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions
Combine first 4 ingredients; drizzle with Balsamic & Basil Dipping Oil. Toss. Place in large baking pan. Bake at 375° for 45 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Sprinkle with cheese before serving. Makes 8-10 servings.

Bold-n-Bossy Stromboli

I've been testing out recipes for some 'Returning Favorite' products Tastefully Simple is re-introducing in June/July.  Came across this one, and it is definitely a winner!  I'm going to have to stock up on the Bold-n-Bossy Honey Mustard for this recipe alone.  It is such an easy meal to make.  Works great for us since it can be prepared earlier in the day as well!

Ingredients:
1 tube refrigerated crusty French loaf or Italian loaf bread dough
6-8 oz. thinly sliced deli ham
2-3 Tbsp. Bold & Bossy™ Honey Mustard Sauce
8 strips bacon, cooked and crumbled
4-6 green onions, chopped
6-8 oz. shredded Swiss cheese (can substitute mozzarella)

Directions:
Unroll dough on a greased baking sheet. (I used a baking stone.)  Place ham over dough to within 1/2 inch of edges. Spread Bold & Bossy Honey Mustard Sauce over ham. Sprinkle with bacon, onion and cheese. Starting from long edge, roll dough jelly-roll style. Pinch seams to seal and tuck ends under. Place seam side down on baking sheet. Cut several small slits on top of loaf. Bake at 350° for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown. Cool slightly before slicing. Serve warm. Makes 6-8 servings.

I also brushed an egg wash over the top of the loaf before baking.   This is simply an egg (I use the egg white and yolk) whisked with a tsp or so of water.

Sorry - no picture.  Forgot to take one and there were no leftovers.

Awesome Pulled Turkey

I've been itching to try some recipes with our new Awesome American™ BBQ Sauce, but mother nature has been cranky and I have a minimum 60 degree threshold to stand out by the grill.  This week I needed a slow cooker meal if we were all going to sit down together to eat.  I came across this one that worked perfect.  I used a 5 lb turkey and used the entire bottle of BBQ Sauce.  Great flavor!

Note:  I typically avoid any recipe that involves working with bone-in meat.  Grosses me out.  I decided to give this one a try and will say it was pretty painless.  The turkey breast pulled off the bone easily.  This recipe also made a huge amount, so either plan on recipes or look for something you can re-use the remaining meat.

Awesome Pulled Turkey
Submitted by Rosemary (MN) HQ Resident Chef

Ingredients
5-6 lb. bone-in turkey breast
1-2 Tbsp. Everyday Grillin'™ Seasoning
Awesome American™ BBQ Sauce

Directions
Place turkey in a greased slow cooker; sprinkle with Everyday Grillin'™ Seasoning to taste. Cover; cook on low 6-8 hours (don't add liquid). Remove turkey from slow cooker; shred meat (discard bones and skin). Stir in Awesome American BBQ Sauce until you reach desired consistency. Server meat warm on buns or thick bread. Makes 6-8 servings.

Dar's Hamburger & Noodle Skillet Dinner

We all have those times where we've been gone all weekend, didn't get time to buy groceries, and now Monday meal time is here.  Here's a simple noodle dish to help bail you out when this happens.  Staple items that most of us will have in the house (at least those of us in the mid-west :).

Tastefully Simple Perfect Parmesan Biscuits made a nice side.

Warning:  It made a TON!  This picture shows how much was left AFTER my family of 5 all had one if not two helpings.  Leftovers were good the next day though!

Dar's Hamburger & Noodle Skillet Dinner
Submitted by Darlene Pfab (IA)

Ingredients
1 lb. ground beef
1 Tbsp. Tastefully Simple Garlic Garlic™
1 Tbsp. Tastefully Simple Onion Onion™
1 tsp. Tastefully Simple Seasoned Salt
1 tsp. black pepper (I used our Garlic Pepper Seasoning in place)
10.75 oz. can cream of chicken soup or cream of mushroom soup
1/2 cup sour cream
3/4 cup milk
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
4 cups cooked wide egg noodles

Directions
Brown beef in large skillet; drain. Add remaining ingredients; heat through.Makes 6-8 servings.

Garlic Pork Chops and Creamed Peas w/ New Potatoes

The photo is lacking, but the food was good!  Here's another dinner idea to pass along that is 'approved' by my munchkins.  If you have 'taxi duty' that falls right around dinner time, prep everything but the cream sauce for the potatoes/peas ahead of time. 

Garlic Pork Chops
4-6 pork chops (I used 6 breakfast chops, because I like thinner slices of meat)
Tastefully Simple Garlic Pepper Seasoning
2 Tbsp flour
2 Tbsp Tastefully Simple Roasted Garlic Infused Oil
sour cream
Tastefully Simple Garlic Garlc

Sprinkle both sides of pork chops with Garlic Pepper Seasoning, then dredge in flour.  Pour Roasted Garlic Infused Oil in skillet and then add pork chops.  Cook on med-high heat for a few minutes on each side until browned.  Move pork chops to baking dish, top each with dollop of sour cream and sprinkle of Garlic Garlic (you could use the Garlic Pepper here too - or any favorite seasoning).  Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 45 approx. minutes.

Creamed Peas & New Potatoes
10-12 new potatoes
1/2 cup fresh or frozen peas
1 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp flour
1 Tbsp Tastefully Simple Onion Onion
1/2 tsp salt
dash black pepper
1 cup milk

Scrub potatoes, cut in half.  Boil in water for about 10 minutes.  Add peas then cook about 5 minutes more.  Drain.  Meanwhile, in saucepan, melt butter and stir in flour, onion, salt and pepper.  Add milk all at once.  Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly.  Cook and stir 1 minute more.  Add potatoes and peas and heat through.

Pierogies are the perfect in a pinch meal!

Last night I had an last minute change in plans.  I wasn't anticipating being home at dinner time and the boys all had practices, so it was an "on your own" evening.  Or so I planned.  My schedule got switched, and I was home - meaning they now wanted me to cook.  It was already 7:00, so I glanced around to find something quick and easy.  I had picked out a labor intensive meal for the following night that included making my own ravioli (really...what was I thinking?).  That of course would not do for this evening meal, so I though ravioli is filled with cheese - why not substitute pasta filled with potatoes!

Here's a picture of the final product.  Got a thumbs up from everyone! Mmmm...I love potatoes! :)

All I did was brown the pierogies (from frozen state) on the stove top with a Tbsp of Tastefully Simple's Roasted Garlic Infused Oil.  In another skillet I cooked about 6 slices of bacon and 1/2 onion (chopped).  Here's a tip on using bacon in meals like this...julienne it (cut in small strips) before you brown it.  Makes it cook much faster and evenly.  Once the pierogies were crisp and brown, I added some fresh spinach and sliced grape tomatoes and cooked just a couple minutes on low heat to get the spinach to wilt.  I topped off with the onion and bacon and dinner was served!

It's the Simple Things...

It's the extremely simple yet delicious recipes that make me truly appreciate always have lots of Tastefully Simple products around the house.  Tonight's dinner consisted of just a few...

Hamburgers - seasoned with Tastefully Simple's Seasoned Salt
Vidalia Onion Spinach Salad - Fresh Spinach with sliced strawberries, sliced red onion & Tastefully Simple's Vidalia Onion Dressing
Absolutely Almond Strawberry Shortcake - Absolutely Almond Pound Cake topped with fresh strawberries and whipped cream

Extremely easy...but add the perfect flavor to make your family think it took you all day!  (Unfortunately my family knows most of my secrets :)