Week of Jan 15, 2017

Swedish Meatballs

Sun - Ham Pie
Mon - Sausage and Biscuits
Tue - Ground Beef Sopes
Wed - Swedish Meatballs 
Thur - BBQ Ribs (Slow Cooker)
Fri - Pasta Fagioli

Ham Pie

Ham Pie

Crust:
2 cups flour
1 tsp salt
8 tbsp butter
8 tbsp Crisco shortening
1 tsp white vinegar
2 tbsp - 1/4 cup water
Filling
2 cup diced ham
1 can condensed cream mushroom soup
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
4 pats of butter
1 cup canned whole corn kernels
To make crust: using a fork or a pastry blender, mix butter, shortening, salt, and flour together until it looks like small beads. Add vinegar and 2 tbsp water and mix until dough forms. If it is too dry to mix add water, a tbsp at a time until it comes together. Roll into a ball, cover with plastic wrap, and let rest 20 minutes (can be refrigerated for up to 3 days). After resting, roll out into 2 circles for your pie.
To make pie: Put 1 circle of crust in the bottom of the pan. Add 1/2 the ham to the bottom, then 1/2 the cheese and 1/2 of the corn. Spread 1/2 the soup on top. Repeat 1 more time. Put the butter on, then the top crust on. Make sure to slit a few hole on top for venting. Brush with egg wash. Bake at 350 for 1 hour or until crust is golden brown.

Biscuits and Gravy

Biscuits:

2  cups Bisquick mix (OR all purpose flour, add another 1/4-1/2 milk)

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

4 tbsp softened butter

4 tbsp shortening

1/2 cup butter milk (to make butter milk - add 1 tsp of white vinegar to 1/2 cup milk, let sit 2 minutes)

Cooking Buscuits: Mix dry ingredients, butter and shortening in a large mixing bowl with a fork or pastry bender. Until it resembles peas. Add butter milk, mix until it forms a dough. For drop biscuits, use a scoop or a spoon and spoon out onto greased cookie sheet. For rolled biscuits, knead dough into ball. Roll out to 3/4 inch thick. Cut with biscuit cutter and place on greased cookie sheet. Bake at 350F for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.

Making Gravy: Scrap the pan and remove the big chucks. Leave 3 tbsp of drippings in pan, add melted butter to the pan if you do not have 3 tbsp of drippings. Mix the flour and seasonings (except salt and pepper). On high heat, using a whisk, add the flour mix to the pan. Stir until incorporated, then turn down the heat to low and stir for 1-2 minutes or until it smells nutty. Turn the heat back up to high and slowly add the milk, constantly whisking. Boil until the gravy comes to the thickness you like (remember it will continue to thicken off the heat for a bit). Mix in sausage. Taste, add salt and pepper as necessary.

Ground Beef Sopes

2 cans biscuits (8 each)

1 (30 oz) can refried beans

1 lb Ground Beef (80/20 is best)

1 package taco seasoning

1 cup lettuce or cabbage

3 plum tomatoes, seeded and chopped

Handful cilantro leaves, chopped

2 cups each shredded Monterey Jack and sharp Cheddar cheese

Optional toppings: Salsa, Pico de Gallo, sour cream, sliced pitted black olives, chopped yellow onion, lime juice

Sprinkle meat with taco seasoning. Brown meat, crumble and drian off fat. Warm beans as package directs.

Cover bottom of skillet with vegatable oil. Heat on meduim. Roll out biscuits so they thin out. Fry each in oil until golden brown on each side, turning once. Allow to drain on a cooling rack for a few minutes before topping.

Top with beans, then meat, cheese, lettuce, tomato, cilantro and any additional toppings as desired.

Sweedish Meatballs
1 batch of meatballs, browned
1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup
1 package powdered onion soup mix
1 can full of milk
1/2 cup sour cream
in a large skillet, mix soups and milk. Add meatballs and heat on med-high heat until meatballs are cooked all the way through. Mix in sour cream. Serve over white rice or egg noodles prepared according to package.
BASIC MEATBALL RECIPE -
2 lb ground turkey or pork bulk sausage (can also use ground beef, well seasoned)
1 1/4 cup bread crumbs
1 large egg
1/2 tsp salt1 tbsp olive oil, for turkey only, mix until completely combined. Using small scoop, spoon out scoop-fulls of mix. Drop into DCB. If desired, you can roll with your hand to make rounder. (This recipe can also be done stove top or oven, see below) Make sure balls do not touch. You will need to do this in 2 batches. Cover and microwave 5 minutes on high. Stir, and heat UNCOVERED 3 more minutes or until temp reaches 180F for turkey or 170F for pork/beef. Drain. Drop in next batch and repeat. Keep first batch warm.
While the 2nd batch is cooking, heat water and sauce. Cook pasta according to package directions. 
Drain meatballs when done. Mix with sauce, reserving half of the meatballs for tomorrow. Serve over pasta. Serve with cheese for topping, garlic bread and/or salad if desired.
STOVETOP: drop meatballs in large nonstick skillet - all should fit. Cook on medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until done. OVEN: drop one ball at a time in a cup of the mini-muffin pan. Bake 375F until done.

Pasta e Fagioli
1 lb Italian Sausage (hot or mild)
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 small carrot, finely chopped
1 rib celery, finely chopped

1 tsp dry Italain Seasoning Mix
4 large cloves garlic, chopped
Salt and pepper, as needed

Crushed Red Pepper Flakes, as desired for extra heat (optional)
1 (15 oz) can cannellini beans, drained
1 (16 oz) can red kidney beans, drained
1 large (18 oz) crushed tomatoes with liquid
1 (15 oz) can diced tomatoes with basil, garlic and oregeno
1 can (1 1/2 cups) of stock
1 1/2 cups dry ditalini pasta
Grated Parmigiano or Romano, for topping
DIRECTIONS
Heat a deep pot over medium-high heat cook and chop up sausage. Then add the chopped vegetables, and garlic. Season vegetables with salt and pepper. Add beans, tomatoes with liquid, seasoning, and stock to pot and raise heat to high. Bring soup to a rapid boil and add pasta. Reduce heat to medium and cook soup, stirring occasionally, 6 to 8 minutes or until pasta is cooked al dente. Serve with grated cheese and parsley, if desired.