Buttermilk Fruit Salad

Yes... this IS a salad.  However, if I left the main ingredient out of the title, you wouldn't be as curious - right?  This is the perfect last-minute salad for Labor Day weekend.    I made it twice in the last few weeks - using both fresh and canned fruit.  It was a hit both ways.

My daughter Aryn had this at a recent Youngberg reunion just a month ago.  She was a bit dubious too about the buttermilk.  When I was there a few weeks ago, she made it for dinner using the Costco Tri-Berry Mix that we all know and love.  I was skeptical for sure, but it lived up to it's reputation.  Her kids were arguing over who was the lucky recipient of the last spoonful.

You can halve this recipe, but use a full 8-oz container of the whipped topping and it will go further.  Be sure to check out the variations - they are all uniquely delicious.  You may be surprised to know that this is the pudding base of the infamous "Cookie Salad" taken to so many pot-lucks.

Frito Corn Salad

Breakfast Burritos

My LDS Ward is hosting a Christmas Breakfast in a week.  We've been trying to come up with something warm, filling, and SIMPLE to serve.  Oh... and also delicious.  

My daughter Aryn made these Breakfast Burritos for her family reunion last fall.  She made them ahead of time and froze them.  The day they left for their reunion, they threw them in the cooler and they doubled as ice to keep everything else cool.  Genius, wouldn't you agree?

She didn't really have a recipe, so we talked it through over the phone and I did a trial run a week ago.  With a few adjustments, they will be perfect.  We only have to make 200!

There are 3-4 of us making these this coming Friday.  That's only 50-70/each.  The dozen I made were a cinch.

Breakfast Burritos

Ingredients:

1 dozen Burrito-size flour tortillas
14 large or extra-large eggs, beaten
12-oz breakfast sausage - cooked, crumbled, and drained
1/2 cup sour cream
3 cups grated cheese, any variety (converts to about 12 oz)
Salt & pepper to taste

Directions:

Cook & drain sausage.  Set aside.  Do not reserve drippings.  Beat eggs well.  Melt about 2-3 Tbs butter in skillet, and heat until sizzling.  Pour in eggs and scramble by stirring gently with a non-stick spatula.  

When most of the egg is formed and lumpy, but NOT dry - remove from heat quickly.  The eggs should still be very moist and almost runny.  At this point, add the sour cream and gently combine.  (You may think the eggs will be this way when you serve the burritos, but the baking time in the oven finishes them perfectly.  The sour cream helps the eggs retain their moisture, and also adds flavor.)  Now add the crumbled sausage, and gently mix in.  Season with salt & pepper if desired.

Spread mixture evenly in the bottom of the same skillet and divide with your spatula into fourths, as you would cut a pie into quarters.  Each 1/4 of this egg/sausage mixture should make three burritos.  This will help you portion correctly.  

Place a square of foil on counter, then position a tortilla on top.  Top with egg/sausage mixture right down the middle as shown, leaving room to fold in the sides.  Now sprinkle with 1/4 cup of grated cheese.

Fold in the sides, and begin rolling at one end, as shown.  Tuck the egg mixture in as you go.  When you finish rolling, position the burrito diagonally.  Wrap as shown.  Place each burrito seam-side down, with foil end tucked under.  You should be able to fit about 24 on a baking sheet.

Refrigerate until needed, or freeze.  They can also be baked immediately.  

Bake unrefrigerated burritos at 325° for about 25-35 minutes, checking 10 minutes before finish to make sure they are not burning on the bottom.  Cheese should be completely melted and egg mixture steaming.

Cooking time will vary for frozen burritos.  These may also be microwaved for a quick morning meal on the run.

Serve immediately with salsa, sour cream, even ketchup.  Any condiment you prefer makes a good side - even sautéed onions and green peppers.  

Breakfast Bake

Our LDS Ward was having a Christmas party and asked for volunteers to make a "healthy" Breakfast Casserole.  Now ~ honestly, people... have any of you ever run across such a thing?  But I signed up and decided to try to find and make one.

I ran across a LOT of variations of the typical Breakfast Casserole - most of which use cubed bread, milk, eggs, sausage, cream-of-something soup, and lots of cheese.  But when I saw this one - I thought it had possibilities.  It was great - with one caveat.  It HAS to be eaten hot from the oven.  If it cools much at all, the bread/biscuit base toughens and the consistency changes.  Warming it in the microwave helps, but it's just not the same.  So - have everyone waiting with plates in hand right as it comes from the oven.  

It uses convenience items - canned flaky biscuits, and pre-cubed ham.  The rest is very easy to put together.  It's also much faster to bake than the typical Breakfast Casserole.  Takes about 25-30 minutes.  Mine (link is HERE) - takes an hour or more.  

I found the recipe on rockinglion.wordpress.com - where they claim to have adapted it from a Pillsbury recipe site.  This would be a fun casserole to take camping (baking in a dutch oven) - or to serve after a sleepover, or even on a Sunday night when you don't want to make dinner - but want something hearty.  Try it also with your leftover holiday ham.  

Breakfast Bake (aka - "Comfort Bake")

5 eggs
1/4 cup milk
16-oz can of refrigerated biscuits
4 green onions
1 to 1-1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
Any breakfast meat you prefer (I used an 8-oz pkg of cubed ham)... bacon, sausage, etc...

Combine eggs & milk in bowl.  Cut each biscuit into pieces (I cut them into 1/6ths - with a bench scraper).  Add biscuit pieces to bowl to give them time to absorb the eggs slightly.

Slice green onions thinly.  If using breakfast bacon or sausage, brown and drain.  Set aside.

Now add meat, green onions, and shredded cheese into the biscuit/egg/milk mixture - mixing gently until combined.

Pour into a 9" x 13" greased baking dish.  Bake at 350° for about 25-30 minutes.  Check to make sure mixture is completely set and not runny.  

Serve with fruit, orange juice, and even hot chocolate for a great (easy) breakfast or brunch.

Make-Ahead Breakfast Croissants

This is the ticket for those times you need a hearty breakfast - and you know you’ll be in a hurry.  These can be made the night (or a few days) before you need them.  So convenient to then warm on a baking sheet in your oven 1/2 hour before throwing them to your family as you jump in the car.  Done!

Necessity is the mother of invention - and this is how this “sandwich” came to be in our family.  I have made these for many years now - before the days of the Egg McMuffin & the CroissanWich.  I remember being surprised when I first saw them advertised.  

My husband always packed as much as possible into our family vacations.  We often lifted our sleeping kids out of bed in their pajamas and strapped them into their seatbelts as early as 4AM to get an early start on our trips.  Cold cereal in paper cups on the road was not very successful the first few times we did that.  I decided to try something I could heat up, keep warm wrapped in foil and then newspaper, and give to the kids with a napkin and a carton of fruit juice.  

I was surprised at how long these could stay warm - up to a few hours sometimes.  When placed in a dutch oven that was already hot - it could stay warm for several hours.   

My husband & kids used to ask me to make them to keep in the refrigerator so they could grab them and run to early morning practices, work, church trips - you name it.  They took them out of the foil - microwaved them for about 30 seconds - then put them back in the foil to stay warm.  

So when (this past weekend) we had our family reunion - I made them so we could have a quick (and fairly mess-free) breakfast on our way to have family pictures taken.  Have you ever tried getting 24 people all out of bed and out the door (well-dressed) AND well fed before 9AM?  That is what this breakfast sandwich is for.

I was the cook at LDS Girls’ Camp twice - and I made these ahead and kept them in coolers.  They came in handy on rainy mornings with hot chocolate, as well as taken on early morning hikes.  The heavy dutch ovens on camp stoves were perfect for warming them up.  

Although this doesn’t really qualify as a ‘recipe’ - I’m documenting it here for my kids.  They always ask for the details on amounts, etc...  Here you go guys!

For the recipe & instructions - go to:
www.changeabletable.com

Chicken Alfredo Pot Pie

This recipe, though simple - will really surprise you.  It’s fast, easy, and absolutely great.  Haven’t found anyone who doesn’t like it (broccoli disclaimer... good luck with those who don’t love this vegetable - you could always change it to asparagus, zucchini, mixed veggies, or others).  Enjoy!

I’ve spent the past week helping my daughter Whitney after the birth of their first baby, and it’s been so fun.  Is there anything as beautiful as a brand new baby's feet and toes?

My 11th grandchild's name is "Kate".
I've nicknamed her "CUP-Kate" - she's just delicious!

Cooking in someone else’s kitchen is always a learning curve for me, but about the time I go home - I can empty the dishwasher and know where everything belongs.

I decided to try this recipe because Whitney had two packages of refrigerated crescent rolls that needed to be used.  I picked up a bottle of Alfredo sauce, some broccoli florets, and some rotisserie chicken - and we had an instant meal.

I’m not a fan of refrigerated crescent rolls for many reasons.  Number ONE:  opening the package is like popping a balloon (on purpose!)  Not fun waiting for the explosion (and I always let out a scream - which makes my kids/grandkids laugh)  Number TWO:  They are so hard to pull apart and unroll - I always massacre them.  Number THREE:  They are certainly not on my top ten healthy foods list.

But all that aside, crescent rolls work beautifully in this recipe.  It doesn’t matter if they look like road kill, because they turn into something lovely as they bake.  (What doesn’t look lovely blanketed in parmesan cheese anyway?)  There is no need to seal the edges together - which makes me an instant fan.

And... by the way:  did you know you can FREEZE canned crescent rolls?  Whitney purchased several 6 months ago and uses them thawed after freezing.  No problem so far...

This is a great recipe for when you want to look like you put a lot of effort into dinner (but didn’t want to)  It’s wonderful reheated in the oven (but be careful rewarming in the microwave, as that will make the bread tough)

For the simple recipe, go to:
www.changeabletable.com

Hearty Autumn Soup

This has been a family favorite for several years now, and I just realized I haven’t posted it yet.  This (very easy, simple) soup just tastes like FALL to me.  Since Fall is so packed with all those good things (football games, playing in the leaves, harvesting and cleaning out the garden, etc) - I love that it’s ready in literally minutes.

Twelve years ago, my husband was going through chemo & radiation every single day for six weeks.  That involved picking him up halfway through the work day, traveling half an hour, hanging out in a waiting room forever, and traveling home in rush hour traffic.  Pretty soon, nothing tasted good to him - people are right when they say that cancer treatment makes everything taste like metal.  

During that time our wonderful friends and neighbors, the Desmonds (and SO many others, bless them all!)  brought several meals to us - and this was one of Jay’s favorites.  It was about the only thing that tasted good to him during that time.  I’m not exactly sure why - chemo wreaks havoc with your taste buds.  

Now - all these years later, my kids and I still love this soup because of that kindness shown to us.  Sherrie’s husband, Lynn, also “rewarded” Jay every Friday at the end of another week of treatment with a Marie Calendar pie of his choice.  Fridays were awesome!

When I asked Sherrie for the recipe, I was surprised at how easy it was.  The only thing involving any prep at all was browning the ground beef and onion.  Convenience foods are lifesavers at times like this.

So, as you are heading in so many directions during this busy season - soups like this one can simplify your life.  

For the recipe, go to:
www.changeabletable.com

Poppy Seed Chicken

My mother and I agree that one day a week should be designated as legal for all things ‘comfort-food’.  For me, the one meal that deserves that privilege is Sunday dinner.  The rest of the week I’ll try to be a responsible eater, but I have to fall off the wagon occasionally to enjoy the journey.  This recipe certainly fits into the comfort food category - hands down.

 After seeing lots of variations of this recipe being exchanged over past years - I decided it was time to give it a chance.  At first, I could only see it’s vices - butter, sour cream, buttery crackers... not to mention little black seeds (that my grandkids would detest - that’s how I judge a recipe lately)

Once I had my first bite - I silently scolded myself for not caving sooner.  It’s not a recipe that will go down in history - but it was amazingly good.  I trimmed it in half (for my mother and I) - and had adequate portions left for one more meal.

I used frozen chicken breast portions from Costco, sprinkled them generously with chicken bouillon granules, then braised them until barely done.  Yes - it does call for the evil “cream soup” that is currently scorned by most foodies.  But I won’t be shy about saying that I LOVE creamed soups for cooking - especially when I’m in a hurry.  

The buttery cracker/poppy seed topping is what makes this so delicious.  The poppy seeds added just the tiniest delicate crunch - taking on a whole different flavor than they commonly do in dressings and other foods.

Save this for a day when you don’t want to spend forever coming up with a meal that will make everyone want to linger, close their eyes, and exhale.

For the recipe with step-by-step photos, go to:

www.changeabletable.com

Bubble Up Enchilada Bake

Sometimes I like to jump on the (recipe) bandwagon and find out what all the noise is about.  This recipe has seen a lot of traffic - and it’s hard to find the original source.  It’s quick, easy, filling, and (really!) pretty delicious.  The only criticism I can give is that it uses a lot of processed foods.  But I can compromise when I’m in a hurry.

Friday night we decided to go check out the Salt Lake County Fair Demolition Derby (I know, I know... pretty sketchy!)  I went to my first one in Logan, Utah a year ago - and I hate to admit that I loved it.  Dirt flying, smoke everywhere, and twisted metal - sometimes I just need a different kind of chaos than what I’m used to on a daily basis.

Two of my married kids (& spouses) were meeting here to hurry through a quick meal before we went to save our seats - so we didn’t have time for a sit-down meal (my excuse for poor photos)  I’ve wanted to try this for a while, so this was a good chance to see how quick it really was.  

I thought I gave up on food like this once my kids left home - but it’s fun to indulge in a little convenience food occasionally.  I had this on the table in less than an hour (including prep and baking).  

The biscuits help it live up to the “bubble up” in the title.  They were still flaky - not soggy at all.  I found a few differences in the web versions out there - but next time I’ll temper the taco seasoning a little.  I might even leave it out completely - depending on the age of the kids at the table.  

We dropped on a dollop of sour cream and guacamole - and later I thought it would even be better with a little jarred salsa to spice it up a bit.  This will save you on one of “those nights” when you barely have time to walk in the door before heading out to the next event.

For this (fast) recipe - go to:

www.changeabletable.com