Cheesy Hash Browns

Here's a really easy, cheesy hash brown recipe that I made up as I went along.  Adjust the spices to your taste...ours was on the warm-ish side without being too hot.  The Worcestershire also adds a flavor dimension that is not normally present in regular, ordinary hash browns.  Quite tasty, and I was really happy with the outcome.  Added bonus - since I don't use any flour in this recipe, it is definitely gluten-free.  :)

Enjoy!  :)

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Ingredients:
1 20-oz pkg of shredded hash brown potatoes
2 C shredded cheddar cheese (or whatever blend you prefer)
1 C milk
1 Tbsp garlic powder
1 Tbsp onion powder
¼ tsp white pepper
½ tsp black pepper
1 tsp salt
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

Directions:
Preheat oven to 425° F.  In a bowl, combine spices, milk, and Worcestershire sauce.  Add potatoes and cheese and combine well.  (Potatoes will absorb much of the liquid.)  Spray the bottom and sides of an 8x8 glass baking dish with cooking spray.  Spread potato mix evenly into glass dish. Place on the lowest rack of the pre-heated oven. Bake for 30 minutes at 425°, or until top is golden brown & bubbly.

The potato mix, ready to go into the oven...

...and afterward, all golden bubbly.  :)

Shot of the hashbrowns, taken with my camera phone, after we dove in. ;)

Makes 8-10 servings.

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GBAdams
04/22/2012

Crock Pot Roasted Chicken

This recipe is perfect for the family who spends most of their day out of the house, such as a working couple with kids.  It's perfect because you can prep this dish, place it in the slow cooker, and go about the rest of your day, even if it's a long one.  When you get back, a perfectly roasted chicken will be waiting for you.  Of course, even if you spend the day in your home, you can make this dish...just no guarantees that the aroma as it cooks through the day won't drive you crazy!  ;)

When prepping this dish, be sure to place the roaster breast-side down.  That way the breast becomes immersed in its own juices as it cooks and doesn't dry out.  With such a lengthy cook time for the dish, this little detail is very important. ;)  You can also prep the chicken with the rub the night before and place the whole thing (crock pot and all) in the fridge. Take pot out at least 15 minutes before plugging it in and turning it on.  Because this recipe calls for a low heat, it should gently warm up the stoneware and not risk cracking it.

Hope you enjoy!

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Ingredients:
1 whole chicken
Chicken Rub spice mix
1 Tbsp finely minced garlic

Chicken Rub ingredients:
¼ C brown sugar
1 Tbsp Kosher salt
1 Tbsp garlic powder
½ Tbsp paprika
1 tsp tarragon
½ tsp coarse ground black pepper

Directions:
Rinse & pat-dry a whole chicken.  (Don't forget to remove any giblets or innards from inside the cavity!)  Rub about a third of the spice mix on the inside of the chicken as thoroughly as possible.  Rub another third of the spices on the breast side, making sure to cover all crevices and surfaces, especially between the legs, thighs, wings and the body of the chicken. Place breast-side down in a crock pot.  Sprinkle remainder of spices on the back and over any un-touched surfaces. Spread minced garlic over top and massage it and the spices well into the skin of the chicken.

Cover tightly with crock pot lid.  DO NOT add any water or other liquid (such as chicken broth) to the pot.  Turn crock pot on low and let cook, undisturbed, for at least 10 hours.

Caution: chicken will be fall-off-the-bone tender when you're done!  ;)

See?

Serve with roasted or pan-sauteed vegetables, such as honey-butter baby carrots or Cripsy Smashed Potatoes.

*grin*

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GBAdams
04/04/2012

Not-From-Scratch Homemade Cinnamon Rolls

This recipe just came to me because I had a hankering for cinnamon rolls, but didn't have any pre-made cinnamon roll dough in my fridge, just plain crescent roll sheet dough.  As it turned out, they were very yummy and relatively simple to make, and this is an excellent way to get "homemade" rolls while skipping a few steps along the way (i.e. making the dough from scratch, letting it rise, etc.). Enjoy...  :)

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Ingredients:
Cinnamon Roll Dough - 
1 tube Pre-made crescent roll dough (continuous sheet is best, but can use perforated kind)
2-3 Tbsp margarine or spreadable butter
½ C brown sugar
⅓ C granulated sugar
3 Tbsp cinnamon
pinch nutmeg
½ tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
½ C finely chopped pecans (optional)

The dough I had sitting in the fridge that I started with

Simple Icing -
2 Tbsp milk
¾ C powdered sugar
½ tsp vanilla

This is the brand of spreadable butter I used, but you can use whatever suits you.

Directions:
Blend ingredients for Simple Icing until smooth. Pour into air-tight container and place in refrigerator.

Mix sugars, salt, and spices together, eliminating any lumps that might be present (such as with the brown sugar). Add vanilla; mix until liquid has been fully incorporated and there are no discernable lumps.  Divide and place half into an airtight container to be used later.

The cinnamon sugar mixture, right after I incorporated the vanilla.

Lay out a sheet of plastic wrap, long enough to completely encompass the full length of dough.  Take dough out of tube; carefully unroll onto plastic wrap.  (If using tradtional crescent roll dough, use extra care that the unrolling does not make the perforations larger.) "Fix" any holes in the dough by gently pressing the dough together to seal the holes.  Using a soft/flexible spatula, liberally spread margarine over entire dough surface.  Take cinnamon sugar mixture and spread as evenly as possible over the margarined surface; use your hands if needed to make the spread cover the margarine. Spread the sugar mix as thick as possible.  Do not skimp on this part - the thicker the cinnamon sugar layer, the better.  If adding pecans, sprinkle over sugared surface at this point. Carefully, and as tightly as possible, roll the dough, using the plastic wrap to tuck the dough into itself so that it forms a log. If necessary, add another sheet of plastic wrap over the already-wrapped log so that it is completely sealed.  Place flat in a freezer and freeze for a minimum of 1 hour to firm up.

The dough rolled out a little crooked, but it tasted just fine in the end. ;)

Once dough is frozen, preheat oven to 375°F.  Lightly spray bottom of 7"x11" (or similar size) glass baking dish with cooking spray.  Remove icing out of the refrigerator to let warm up to room temperature.  Take dough out of the freezer and let rest for 5-10 minutes.  Unwrap dough from plastic, place onto a chopping board or plate and slice roll into 3/4- to 1-in thick slices.  Place slices flat onto baking dish and space evenly (about 1") apart.

Sliced-up rolls, ready for the oven

Bake for 17-20 minutes or until rolls are a dark golden brown color and start to look "dry." Cinnamon should be bubbling at this point.  Remove from oven and let rest for 5-10 minutes.

Just out of the oven

Drizzle icing over rolls and serve warm.

Makes 12 small rolls.

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GBAdams
04/01/2012