Recipes

This is a collection of not only recipes but household tips. We hope you will enjoy and remember sharing is always welcome.

Recipes for St. Patty's Day

Shepherd's Pie

Yields 12-16 servings  |  Prep time 20 mintes/Total 2 hours 

INGREDIENTS

  • 2 lb. russet potatoes, peeled, sliced 1/2" thick
  • Kosher salt
  • 2/3 cup half-and-half
  • 4 Tbsp. unsalted butter
  • 2 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley, divided
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 Tbsp. canola oil
  • 2 lb. lean ground beef
  • 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
  • 2 medium carrots, peeled, chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 2 tsp.  chopped fresh rosemary
  • 2 tsp. chopped fresh thyme
  • 3 Tbsp. tomato paste
  • 1/2 cup dry red wine, such as Cabernet Sauvignon
  • 1 cup low-sodium beef broth
  • 3 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
  • Cooking spray
  • 3 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup frozen corn
  • 1 cup frozen peas
  • 3 Tbsp. grated Parmesan

DIRECTIONS

Step 1 Preheat oven to 400°. In a medium saucepan, cover potatoes with water by 1/2"; season with 1 tablespoon salt. Bring to a boil over high heat. Cook until potatoes are fork-tender, 12 to 15 minutes. Drain potatoes; set aside in colander.

Step 2 In same pot over medium-low heat, cook half-and-half and butter, stirring until butter is melted. Return potatoes to pot. Mash potatoes with a potato masher or a fork. Stir in 1 tablespoon parsley; season with salt and pepper. Remove from heat.

Step 3 Meanwhile, in a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat oil. Add beef; season with 2 teaspoons salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Break up beef with a wooden spoon and cook until crumbled and no longer pink, 6 to 8 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer beef to a plate. Pour off all but 2 tablespoons beef drippings.

Step 4 In same skillet over medium heat, cook onion and carrots, stirring, until onions begin to soften, 5 to 6 minutes. Add garlic, rosemary, and thyme and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 2 minutes more. Return beef and accumulated juices to skillet; stir in tomato paste. Cook, stirring, until tomato paste turns dark red, 3 to 4 minutes. Add wine and cook, stirring, until almost completely evaporated, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in broth and Worcestershire and bring to a simmer. Sprinkle with flour and cook, stirring occasionally, until sauce is thickened, about 5 minutes. Stir in corn and peas.

Step 5 Pour beef mixture into a 13" x 9" pan and dollop mashed potatoes on top. Lightly spray a rubber spatula with cooking spray and spread potatoes over beef mixture. Sprinkle with Parmesan; season with a pinch of pepper.

Step 6 Bake shepherd’s pie until beef mixture is bubbling, about 25 minutes. Remove from oven. Place a rack in upper third of oven and turn broiler to high. Broil until top begins to brown, 1 to 2 minutes.

Step 7 Sprinkle with remaining 1 tablespoon parsley. Let cool 10 minutes before serving.

 

By Brooke Caison/Submitted by Carol Anton (Elephant Butte, New Mexico)

Corn Beef and Cabbage Sliders

Yields: 12 servings | Prep Time 20/Total 30 mins | Cal/Serv. 195

Ingredients

  • 2 tsp. vegetable oil
  • 1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
  • 1 1/2 cups sauerkraut (about 8 oz.), drained
  • 1 (12-ct.) pkg. Hawaiian rolls 
  • 2 Tbsp. mayonnaise
  • 2 Tbsp. whole grain or Dijon mustard
  • 1 lb. sliced corned beef
  • 1/2 lb. sliced Swiss cheese

Directions

Step 1 Preheat oven to 375°. In a medium skillet over medium-low heat, heat oil. Cook onions, stirring occasionally, until softened and translucent, about 10 minutes. Stir in sauerkraut; set aside.

Step 2 Slice rolls still attached to each other parallel to work surface. In a small bowl, combine mayonnaise and mustard. On bottom half of rolls, spread mayonnaise mixture. Top with corned beef, Swiss cheese, and onion mixture. Close with still-attached top rolls. Arrange on a foil-lined baking sheet.

Step 3 Bake sandwiches until warmed through and cheese is melted, about 10 minutes. Slice into individual sliders and serve warm.

By Gabby Romero/Submitted by Carol Anton (Elephant Butte, New Mexico)

Irish Mules

Yield 1| Prep and total time 5 min | Calories 187

INGREDIENTS

  • oz. ginger beer
  • 1 ½ oz. Irish whiskey
  • ½ oz. freshly squeezed lime juice freshly squeezed
  • Ice for serving
  • Fresh mint for garnish
  • Lime rounds for garnish

EQUIPMENT

  • Copper mugs
  • Mini angled measuring cups
  • Cocktain mixing spoon

INSTRUCTIONS

  • In a copper mug (or your favorite cocktail glass), measure out the ginger beer, vodka and lime juice.
  • Add ice, and stir with a cocktail spoon.
  • Garnish with a lime round and a sprig of mint before enjoying immediately!

By Erin Parker/Contributed by Carol Anton (Elephant Butte, New Mexico)

Leprechaun Bark MICROWAVE

INGREDIENTS   Tips and Substitutions

  • You can use milk chocolate, semi sweet, or dark chocolate in place of the white chocolate (though it will change the overall look). I use chips because they’re easy to melt, but any type of melting chocolate is fine (wafers, chopped up bars, etc)
  • If you don’t want to do the colored candy melt swirl on top, add some green food coloring to the white chocolate before pouring it out to set (or do both!)
  • The sprinkles and candies are all swappable and adjustable to taste. Use whatever you like or your local store happens to have (or you can order from online retailers too!). Other fun options include: Lucky Charm marshmallows (from the cereal), rainbow strips sour candy, Skittles, Andes mint candies (chopped), crushed regular or mint Oreo, pot of gold candies, or any other gold, green, or rainbow candies you like
  • I choose not to add flavoring to mine, but if you want, add ½ tsp extract to the melted chocolate before pouring. Peppermint extract is a popular choice for a mint chocolate variation, especially when paired with coordinating candies, like mint M&M (but you can use your favorite)!

DIRECTIONS

  1. Line a baking sheet (or similar) with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat
  2. Add white chocolate chips to a microwave safe bowl, and the green candy melts to a second microwave safe bowl
  3. Cook white chocolate on high for 1 minute and stir. Add additional time in 15 second increments if needed, stirring in between, until fully melted and smooth (mine took about 1 minute 30 seconds total in a 1000W microwave)
  4. Pour the white chocolate onto the prepared baking sheet and smooth it out with a rubber spatula (or simlar) so that it’s even (I try for about ¼” thick, but it doesn’t need to be precise)
  5. Working quickly (so the white chocolate doesn’t set up), melt the candy melts per package directions (mine recommended 1 minute on the defrost setting or 50% power, but it took 2 minutes in total for me) and stir until smooth. Pour on top of the still-wet white chocolate
  6. Use a butter knife, toothpick, or skewer to create a marbled design with the two chocolates
  7. Add the candies and sprinkles, distributing them relatively evenly, and give them a gentle press to help them adhere into the chocolate
  8. Refrigerate until completely set (generally about 1-2 hours), or place in the freezer for about 30 minutes to speed things up!
  9. Break into pieces using a rolling pin, mallet, a sharp knife, or even just your hands, and enjoy!

3 Ingredient Cake Mix Cookies

Ingredients

Cake Mix.

Eggs. Use large eggs 

Vegetable Oil. 

Add ons: M's, nuts, Skittles, chocolate chips, and raisins are always an extra bonus.

Recipe

Cake Mix. A vanilla cake mix is best in most cookies.  I usually go with! You can use what ever you like.

Eggs. Use large eggs for this recipe.

Oil. I use vegetable oil, however, any light colored oil will work, such as canola oil or corn oil.

Add ons: and M's, nuts, Skittles, chocolate chips, raisins are always an extra bonus.

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set it aside.

Mix the ingredients together. In a large bowl, stir together the cake mix, eggs, and oil until smooth. You can also complete this step in the bowl of your stand mixer with the paddle attachment, mixing the ingredients on low until combined.

Pour in the add-ins. Mix in your desired add-ins until they are evenly incorporated.

Bake the cookies. Using a cookie scoop, portion the dough onto the prepared cookie sheet, spacing the cookies 2 inches apart. Bake them for 9-10 minutes, or until they are lightly golden at the edges. Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 3-4 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack.

Tips for Success

Even though making cookies from cake mix is very simple, there are still a few tips that are helpful to know as you begin!

If you can only find 15-ounce cake mix. I have found that they seem to be phasing out the old 18-ounce cake mixes and only sell 15-ounce mixes now. To work around this, I add 1/4 cup extra of all purpose flour to the mix. I will be honest and say that you can absolutely just use the 15-ounce in place of the 18 without any variation, and the cookies will be only slightly thinner. Cake mix is very forgiving!

Don’t over-bake the cookies. If you can see that the cookies are still soft in the middle at the end of the baking time even though the edges are golden brown, still take them out. They’ll finish firming up as they cool on the baking sheet.

Different mixes can lead to slightly different textures. Keep in mind that differently flavored mixes (vanilla vs chocolate, etc.) can lead to thicker cookies, or cookies that spread a little more, depending on what kind you choose.                                                                                          2/4/25

 Never Throw Out Stale Bread Again

Tips and comparison of storing bread

1. The freezer

Yes, the freezer is most often used for long-term food storage, but if you want to keep your freshly-baked bread in its most perfect state, even just for a few days, the freezer is the way to go. Freezing bread greatly slows down the staling, or retrogradation, process and eliminates the risk of mold growth. And when you take bread out of the freezer you can put it right into the oven or toaster—which actually re-gelatinizes the starches and makes the bread springy and chewy again.

To freeze fresh bread, just put it in a freezer bag and push out as much air as possible before you seal it (this will help prevent freezer burn). Then pop the bag in the freezer. When you're ready to eat, take it out and put it in the oven to revive it. It is recommendsed defrosting a whole loaf of bread at 325°F until it's soft and fully thawed in the middle, which usually takes about 20 to 30 minutes.

2. A bread box

We put a fresh but fully-cooled sourdough bread loaf and half of a fresh baguette into a bread box in the open-ended paper bakery bags they came in, with the cut side of the baguette facing the sealed end of the bag. We used the paper bags mostly to avoid filling the bread box with bread crumbs, but left them open for airflow. Toward the end of the first week, both breads were still pretty soft and the crust was still crusty. After seven days it started to grow mold.

Verdict: It's no freezer, but a good breadbox will create an environment that balances humidity, which you want for a soft interior. And though it’s a fairly airtight container, there is air circulation, which you need to maintain a crusty crust. A large box is better too, because it will allow for maximum air circulation. The more bread you put in a bread box, the higher the humidity level, so don't overfill it.

3. A plastic bag

We put a sourdough loaf and half of a baguette from the same fresh batch in their own freezer bags, removed as much air as possible, and tightly sealed the bags. Then we left them on the counter for weeks. Both breads stayed soft and mold-free for an entire week but the crust of the sourdough had lost some of its crustiness. We also noticed mold growth on the sourdough in exactly one week, and the baguette started to mold shortly thereafter. By the end of two weeks, they were both still soft. Both loaves were also super moldy.

Verdict: A freezer bag is a decent short-term, room-temperature bread storage solution. Storing your bread on the countertop in a plastic bag (or well-sealed plastic wrap) will help keep it from going stale, but be warned: the crust will suffer and grow mold due to trapped moisture. Toasting the bread (if it’s too soft but not yet moldy, of course) will bring some of the crust's crunchy texture back.

4. A fancy bread bag

Food52 love the Uashmama Bread Bag, a coated paper bag that comes with a terracotta bread warmer. But after testing the fancy bread bag with the same sourdough loaf and half of a baguette, the bag seems better suited for very short-term bread storage.

The bread in the Uashmama bread bag never molded—not in the two-week testing period, and not the third week we left it there just to see what would happen. But by day six of the first week, the bread stored inside was hard as a rock, which is pretty much what we'd expect from a paper bag, even a coated one. Stale bread is preferable to moldy bread though, since it is possible to revive a stale loaf of bread.

Verdict: A fancy coated-paper bread bag can slow the bread-staling process a little but it’s not a great option for storing bread beyond a day or two.

5. A boule bread bag

In addition to the fancy coated paper bag, we put a sourdough loaf and a full baguette into boule bread bags. We loved that one of the bags was the exact size and shape of the baguette, but we might as well have left the bread out on the counter. It never got moldy but it sure did get really hard, really fast.

Verdict: Bread stales very quickly in a boule bread bag, even in warm, humid weather.

6. The counter

A crusty loaf of bread on a weathered wood cutting board may look great on Instagram, —especially if there’s a linen tea towel artfully draped nearby—but it’s a terrible way to store fresh bread, or any bread. Unlike a fully-frosted cake, bread needs to be covered, even at room temperature. So if you really don’t want to put your bread in the freezer, try the bread box or plastic bag recommended above.

Verdict: Leaving your bread on the counter makes for a nice Instagram photo of super-stale bread.

7. The fridge

The refrigerator, that miraculous 20th-century food preserver that keeps our celery crisp and our milk chilled, is actually the last place your bread belongs. According to Harold McGee, author of On Food & Cooking, refrigerating fresh bread can cause it to stale up to six times faster than bread left out on the counter. That said, the fridge is a decent place to store your store-bought bread because it will prevent mold and dryness.

Verdict: Whatever you do, don’t put your fresh bread in the fridge!

Not all breads stale the same

Because there are so many different types and styles of fresh bread, it may take a little trial and error to find the best room-temperature bread storage solution for your favorite fresh bread. Breads with added fat, like challah and brioche, will take longer to go stale, whereas a baguette—because of its narrow shape and lack of fat—is an extreme case and will go stale very rapidly. It should really be eaten the day it's baked.

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