Secret Recipe Club: Bacon Cheeseburger Quiche

So.
It's time once again for Group A's reveal for the Secret Recipe Club.  Not sure what that is?  Skip on over and check it out.  I'll wait.  Promise.
This month I was assigned the blog Thyme for Cooking.  Katie has lived in Ireland, Spain and now resides in France.  Her food is simple and full of fresh ingredients.  Yet I picked the recipe where she mused about Hamburger Helper.  How odd.
I had fun looking through her index, and considered chicken before discovering the savoury pies and quiches.  There were pizzas with puff pastry crusts, and a chicken pot pie that I almost made before I found this quiche.  What originally drew me to it was the use of a potato crust.  I always have trouble getting a properly cooked crust on the bottom of my quiche (yes, I know...blind bake it!), and I thought that perhaps this would be better.
When I told J what I was planning to make, he had one suggestion.  That I add bacon.  How could that be bad?
I present to you now Thyme for Cooking's [Bacon] Cheeseburger Quiche:

Grillmistress: Cheeseburger Kebabs

So.

We had a big pool party last weekend for some of my friends from when I was in Youth Group.  Yep, I've known a good number of the people who were here since I was 4.  We ate way too much, swam away the afternoon and caught up.  J and I host this once a year, and it's always so much fun.  One of the biggest deals this year was that we went out and bought a new tank of propane.

When my mom came in June, we set up to BBQ, got halfway through cooking the steak, and ran out of propane.  We then neglected to buy more for a month.  I know.  Have indoor grill, be lazy.  But with 25 people and a freezer full of burgers and hot dogs, the Foreman was not going to cut it and we got a new tank.  

What this means is that we're back to grilling in the great outdoors when the weather is good.  Just as well.  I found these little beauties on Pinterest or Twitter, and decided that I needed to try them myself.  It was a good need.  These are great.

I present to you now from Bobbi's Kozy Kitchen Cheeseburger Kebabs:

Secret Recipe Club: Gemista

So.
It's that time again...time for a Secret Recipe Club Reveal Day!
I love getting an email once a month that sends me to explore a new foodie blog, or this month one that I have enjoyed before.
This month, I was assigned Francesca's delightful blog, Della Cucina Povera.  We've been here before, faithful readers.  In September, I volunteered to make a recipe from an orphan blog...you guessed it, Francesca's.  I made Cinnamon Rolls.  They were awesome.
You would think that I would try something that I had considered last time, and once again falafels made the short list, but then I saw these.
When I lived in France, I had a host mother who made stuffed tomatoes that were a mostly ground beef and garlic stuffing.  They were awesome.  I saw these and got nostalgic.  They had rice in them, and mint...but it might be the same as the tomatoes of my memory.  They weren't, of course.  But they were darn yummy.  J told me he was "pleasantly surprised".  I'm not sure what exactly he was expecting, but apparently what he got wasn't quite it.  No worries.  They were happily consumed by all.
I present to you now Della Cucina Povera's Gemista:

Potluck Perfect: Meatball Pizza Casserole

So.
Over Thanksgiving, after a very exciting Michigan win over Penn State, we went to my mom's.  We heard about her adventures in Italy, enjoyed a delicious stuffed pork tenderloin meal, and I caught up on my What's Cooking reading.
The problem with moving as much as J and I have is that I no longer get What's Cooking Magazine.  As one gigantic advertisement for Kraft, it's absolutely brilliant.  That you have to pay for it?  Eh, not nearly as much.  So when it stopped showing up, I ended up embarking on the Magazine Challenge of the past 2 years.  Perhaps not getting the magazine is not all bad.  I've actually made lots of new stuff that is really good.
But when given a chance to watch some TV and flip through magazines, I found myself drawn back into all the interesting things you can make with Kraft.  I saw this, and knew we'd enjoy it.  We did.  For many, many nights.  It would freeze well, too.  I probably should have done that.
I present to you now Kraft's Meatball Pizza Casserole:

#10DaysofTailgate: Bacon Cheeseburger Eggrolls

So.

You know how sometimes you make something, and your husband thinks it's so good he eats *6* of them in one sitting and then can't figure out why he doesn't feel well?  No?  Just my house?
This would be the latest recipe that has caused my husband's overeating.
I think the most important thing about food for tailgating is that it is easily portable - not just yummy.  Although yummy is important.  It's always important.  Most people want finger food so that it's easy cleanup and you can try a bunch of different things.  Or one thing.  It's really up to you.
I found this recipe during one of the other fun things I do:  the Secret Recipe Club.  With all the flavours of a bacon cheeseburger in a crispy roll, what's not to love?
I present to you now from Flavours by Four Bacon Cheeseburger Eggrolls:

Secret Recipe Club: Bacon Cheeseburger Chowder

So.
It's August, and as I write and schedule this post, it is amazing that it will go live after football starts, and the day before school starts.  The end of summer, the beginning of fall.  I commented to J recently that this will be my 36th Back to School.  I've never done anything since I was 5 but go back to school in September.  This year will be no exception.  Today's weather was even reminiscent of fall - we didn't reach 70F.  I wore jeans and at one point considered finding a cardigan.  It's August.  I KNOW.  J says it's to get me ready for school again.  I say it's a cruel, cruel joke in the middle of my vacation.  Ahem.
This month for my Secret Recipe Club assignment, I was given the wonderful Wildflour's Cottage Kitchen.  Kelly lives on a lake in New Jersey with her husband and the really cute Gilbert the wonder kitty.  I'm guessing he's as spoiled as the cat here - and he had an even more traumatic experience than Missy's voyage in the washing machine before arriving in his current home.
I had a good time looking through Kelly's blog, trying to choose something to make.  I'd had in my head that I wanted to make a dessert, preferably ice cream from the blog I was assigned in September.  I'm not sure why I decided this before knowing whose blog I would be perusing, but I did.  And none of the desserts spoke to me.
I mean, the butter rum ice cream sauce sounded divine, and the Peppermint Fudge Brownies looked really good too.  I'll need to make them in the future.  But as I poked around, and looked at the weather for this week, I finally settled on this delicious sounding soup.
I don't often make cream soups.  I'm much more likely to make something broth-based and full of vegetables and pasta.  When I read this, I wanted to try it - with just a couple of modifications.  I'm not a fan of Velveeta or cabbage, and it sounded that there was a lot of butter and cream going on.  But like all good Secret Recipe Club recipes, it demanded that I dirty every dish in my kitchen.
And the taste?  So good.
I present to you now from Wildflour's Cottage Kitchen Bacon Cheeseburger Chowder:

Freezer Friendly: Salisbury Steak Meatballs

So.
You know what I'm finding with the things that I've been making for my freezer?  They all smell amazing.  This recipe is no exception.  I made this one morning this week, when I had a meeting in the afternoon, and I figured that if this was freezer-friendly, I could make this, refrigerate, and reheat for dinner.  By the time I finished making this, I was sorry that it wasn't for lunch.  It smelled amazing.
As I've said before, J loves meatloaf.  He's already requested that I make it "sometime this fall".  I'm not huge on it, but will make it from time to time, eat it the first night, and then leave it for J to eat for lunch for a couple of days.  He wanted to know today if maybe next time I could make a meatloaf recipe for the meatballs.  Frankly, this is essentially a meatloaf recipe sans Onion Soup Mix.  That would be okay too.
And the reason I'm not fond of meatloaf after night one?  It never reheats well, and I always get the cold spot.  Ew.  Reheated meatballs in gravy?  Much less likely to happen.  Huzzah.
I always enjoy reading the Pioneer Woman, but I've never really made her recipes before.  This was easy and delicious.  My meatballs didn't look quite so great as hers - but that wouldn't affect the taste.  Or, you know, I think mine were as good as how the picture probably tasted.  If the food was screaming hot.
I present to you now the Pioneer Woman's Salisbury Steak Meatballs:

Bride of Magazine Challenge: Cheddar Horseradish Burgers

So.
In theory, it's summer here.  The thermometer will tell you differently, but from time to time it's warm enough to go out and take a dip in the pool.  In the two years that we have lived in this house, we've had two of the craziest summers ever for owning a pool.  Last year, we went to New York City for our vacation.  We were gone for a week.  That was the week in July when it was 100.  And we were walking around NYC.  We came home the day the weather broke and jumped in the pool that afternoon.  Then it became unseasonably cold and damp for our kitchen renovation and instead of spending it in the pool I spent it sitting on the couch.  This year, we have once again had cooler than normal temperatures with days of 80+ weather.  The pool is beautiful in the middle of the backyard, but not really warm enough for swimming unless we're willing to run the heater most of the time and I'm way too cheap for that.  The weatherman is promising that things are about to improve.  Just in time for us to go to Seattle for vacation.  But between now and departure, we are supposed to have some more "normal" days in which to get in the water and swim.
One of the things that we like to do on weekends when it is promising is invite people over to swim and BBQ.  We usually just do burgers on the grill, and usually boxed ones at that for ease.  While looking through the July/August 2006 of Everyday Food, however, I found an article on a few different burgers that looked promising.  While not all are things that turn our cranks (turkey burgers were quickly nixed), these sounded delicious.  The day I made them, however, it rained again and I ended up using the Foreman instead of the backyard grill.  Next time.  And J has made me promised that there will be a next time.
From the July/August 2006 issue of Everyday Food, I present to you now Cheddar-Horseradish Burgers:

Early Cinco de Mayo! Enchiladas! Ole!

So.
Cinco de Mayo is the same day as the next reveal day for my group for Secret Recipe Club.  I wanted to make something Mexican, but the blog I've been assigned really isn't that sort of blog.  As a result, I've decided to make something early that you might want to make too.
J and I are both big fans of Mexican food.  Our first date was at a Mexican restaurant, and he proposed at the same restaurant.  Often when we travel, we go looking for good Mexican food; seeing as Canada really doesn't have any.  I'm also often looking for recipes to try at home so that we can get a fix in between travels.  Enchiladas were something I hadn't tried making before.
As I was making the enchiladas and a batch of enchilada sauce from scratch, J commented that it really looked like I was making a Mr. Food recipe.  I haven't decided what I think of that.  I don't think Mr. Food would make his own sauce, but you never know.
Both the enchiladas and the sauce are originally from Budget Bytes, and are actually a combination of 2 different recipes of hers.  While you can use a can of refried beans and a can of enchilada sauce, you can also do as I did and make the sauce and pull a container of refried black beans that I made in the crock pot out of the freezer.  The cocoa in the sauce reminds me greatly of mole sauce, which is my favourite.  It's deep and rich, and doesn't taste at all chocolatey. 
So while it's early for the 5th, it's never too early for easy and delicious Mexican food that does a couple of meals and totally fills you up.  J and I had 2 of these with a side of Spanish rice.  I couldn't finish my plate.  I wondered if there was too little filling in these, but apparently there's not. 
I present to you now Budget Bytes Enchiladas and Sauce:

Comfort Food: Salisbury Steak with Caramelized Gravy

So.
Some of the things I pin on Pinterest are things that sound okay, but I think J will really like.  This would be one of those recipes.  J talks from time to time about his mom making things like Salisbury Steak or Tuna Noodle Casserole.  Neither of those are things that I think about making usually.  Frankly, I would never make Tuna Noodle Casserole.
This looked delicious in the picture, and I had the juices left from the Drip Beef to use in lieu of beef broth.  It was obviously time to make something with gravy.  This fit the bill.
I present to you now Riches to Rags by Dori's Salisbury Steak with Caramelized Onion Gravy:

Winter Meal: Italian Wedding Soup

So. 
It's cold here.  I know it's winter and all that, but it's freakishly cold.  Like, don't go outside cold.  So other than me going to work, J, the cat and I have been hiding out in our family room here on the mountain in front of the gas fireplace. 
Last night, the cat didn't even wait for the family room to cool off  like she normally she does.  She followed me up to bed, and snuggled down between J and I so she was completely wrapped in the duvet that she'd pulled off of me.  A fool she is not.
And what does cold weather call for?  Warm, steamy meals that are easy, tasty, and that make leftovers that we can eat for lunch the next day or two.
This is a recipe from Rachel Ray.  I'm not huge on her recipes, but this one is a winner that I've made for a long time from one of her 30 Minute Meals cookbooks.  She lies, though...this takes 45 minutes or so.  But no matter.  Make this.  It's delicious.
I present to you now Rachel Ray's Meatball and Macaroni Soup:

Cold Weather Meal: Chili Tortellini

So.
I seem to spend a lot of time on the computer.  Most nights, I sit on the couch, watching TV, with the laptop in my lap.  Mainly I play Candy Crush and browse Pinterest.
For the most part, I look at food on Pinterest.  I have about 250 pins of things that I think look delicious and makeable.  This is one of those pins.
I want to say that I got this from jesser, but I'm not really sure.  I mentioned it to J, and he thought I needed to make this sooner rather than later.  With packages of tortellini in the freezer, why not.
I present to you now Picky Palate's Chili Tortellini:

Meatball Week: Meatball Hero Sandwiches

So.
With a container of meatballs in the freezer, we had to try some of the other recipes that were in the March 2005 issue of Everyday Food.  The beauty of things like this is that after you make the batch of meatballs, things cook up pretty quick.  I probably should have made a double batch of meatballs so that I don't run out anytime soon.
I actually thought that these would be even better than the pizzas.  I think it may be a toss-up.  While both involve meatballs, onions and carbs, the similarities end there.  Both are delicious.  There is no cheese in the sandwich.  We didn't want it and we didn't miss it.
I present to you now from the March 2005 issue of Everyday Food, Mini Meatball Heros:

Meatball Week: Mini Meatball Pizza

So.
I made mini meatballs and then had to do something with them.  Luckily, Martha came through and gave options!  Here is option number 1:  Pizza.
I've eaten an awful lot of pizza over the years.  One of my original purchases from Pampered Chef was a pizza stone.  With my bread machine, crispy, thick-crusted pizza is only an hour and a bit away.  I've played with ingredients over the years including cheeses, sauces and toppings.  Unfortunately, I'd never mastered thin crust pizza.
There's a restaurant here in town with wood-fired ovens that is wickedly reminiscent of Europe.  The food is delicious.  The tablecloths are plastic.  The flowers are silk and crazy.  But the pizza....ohhhhhhhh.  This reminds me a little of that.
Great.  Now I want wine and fresh pasta.  Perhaps later.
Now, I present to you from Everyday Food March 2005 Meatball Pizzas:

Go to Meal: Bake Thing

You know how there are things you make all the time that are time honoured recipes in your house?  Things that when you don't know what to make, you could always make that?  That's what Kraft Mexican Bake Thing is around here.
Once, back a long time ago, I was flipping through a Kraft What's Cooking magazine and came across this simple recipe that used Kraft Dinner, ground beef, cheese and salsa.  So easy, I made it one weekend.  So easy, I've kept making it.  I've subbed milk for the sour cream, but sour cream is better (it makes the whole thing thicker), I've crushed Tostitos and sprinkled them over the top (I love that).  Any taco seasoning and salsa will do, but I recommend Penzey's Bold taco seasoning and Pace Medium Picante Sauce.  It's pretty spicy like that, though.
The Kraft website give this dish the rather unexciting name, Taco Bake.  Our name comes from J's asking one time what we were having for dinner and my telling him, "You know, that Mexican Bake Thing from the Kraft magazine."  The legend was born.

Shepherdopolous Pie

So.
In the theme of all things healthy, I've been trolling for recipes.  In the theme of cleaning out my freezer, there have been some rather stringent requirements around what we eat.
According to the inscription in the front, I got my copy of Looneyspoons for my 24th birthday.  Their broccoli-cheddar soup is my go to recipe, but I've never made many other things from the book.  With J's new health requirements, that is about to change. 
For those familiar with Looneyspoons, and its successors Crazyplates and Eat, Shrink and Be Merry, it's a cookbook of lowfat recipes with huge taste and a huge helping of puns.  The book is old enough that some recipes are a little outdated for current nutrition trends, but as a basic book it's got some good ideas.
This is one of them.  I present to you now Shepherdopolous Pie:

Go To Meal: Crockpot Lasagna

So.
We've established that I'm a control freak, and that I have issues getting dinner on the table, even in summer apparently.  As a result, it's nice to have things that are simple, last a few days, and are delicious.  Bonus points if my husband can start them and have dinner ready when I get home.
Here is a case in point.  If the crockpot is ready, he can plug it in and make sure dinner's ready for us.  I'm always on the search for new recipes for the crockpot that are good, easy. and look appetizing.  Sometimes, I find the chicken rubbery, the roasts all taste the same, and everything's brown.  This is not one of those recipes.  It comes out perfectly every time.  And like a real lasagna, the first slice or two always looks, in the inimitable words of my mother, predigested.  There's an image you want to think about while reading about food.  Yeah.  Moving on.
This originally came from What's Cooking, the Kraft magazine.  I've made it with beef, but the pictures here are the one I made while cleaning out my freezer, so it's made with 1 lb bulk sausage.  It was good too.
I present to you now Kraft's Crockpot Lasagna:

Weeknight Meal: Easiest Spaghetti and Meatballs

So.
I hate cooking on weeknights.  Scratch that...I hate cooking when I've been working all day and I get home exhausted and don't feel like doing anything.  It doesn't matter if I've planned.  Heck, it doesn't matter if I like what we're having.  Work and cooking don't mix.  Especially this time of year when my work is wild and I don't really have time to think.
Last night, I was supposed to make this recipe.  But enter a fight with a dryer vent and a long day getting me home about 7, and I didn't get around to making this.  I would like to say, however, that making this tonight wasn't a huge deal; and the results were delicious.
I present to you now Everyday Food's Easiest Spaghetti and Meatballs.

Pinteractive: Stuffed Mexican Shells

This is my Pinteractive post for the week.  Click on the badge over there ------> to go to Nanette's blog and see all the Pinteractive posts!
 
So.
I've said before that J and I are lovers of all food things Mexican.  When I saw this floating around on Pinterest, I knew that I wanted to try it.  Pasta, ground beef, cheese, and spices.  What's not to love?
This doesn't take a huge amount of time to make, but stuffing shells is a labour intensive thing.  Especially if you're like me, and you think you might be able to do it faster with a larger spoon.  That is not the correct answer.  Ever.  A tablespoon is much more successful.  Learn from my pain.
However.  I present to you now Mexican Stuffed Shells:

Retro Dinner: Shepherd's Pie

J loves this recipe too, and it's dead simple.  I'm thinking that I probably had a recipe for this at one time, but I don't remember the last time I actually did anything other than go into the kitchen and whip this up.  I love forgiving recipes that let you use what you've got.
My mother's recipe for Shepherd's Pie has a pastry crust and uses a can of alphabet soup instead of gravy.  It's okay, but I like the brown sauce better, and there's melted cheese, so how can you go wrong?
I present to you now Shepherd's Pie, my way: