Pork Chops & Cheesy Ranch Potatoes

I haven't cooked since Thursday. Today is Tuesday. It was my boyfriend's birthday weekend. Friday my boyfriend & I went out for Mexican & Margarita's w/ another couple. Saturday we ordered Firehouse Subs. Sunday we went to dinner at his parents house. I did make my Stovetop Mac & Cheese (previous post) for lunch on Saturday while babysitting my boyfriend's god-daughter. I wanted to make pork chops last night. I had a bag of pork chops w/ the bones. The boyfriend tells me to also make the package of boneless pork chops b/c the ones w/ bones will not be enough. He was right. After I cut off the bones & fat from the 4 chops, they looked identical to the boneless pork chops. I layed the chops in a clear baking dish & sprinkled a very generous dose of Cayenne pepper on top. I got this idea from the bottle of Moore's seasoning that I used to marinate the chops in. Moore's is very similar to Dale's that we are very fond of. So, I poured Moore's into the baking dish, almost covering pork chops. Let that sit until ready to eat. My boyfriend grilled the pork chops. I thought I had previously discussed my Cheesy Ranch Potatoes, but I could not find a blog about it. So, forgive me if I already have. I got this recipe from my would-be mother-in-law. I've tweeked it to my liking, using the same ingredients, only differing in the process of how it gets done. Cheesy Ranch Potatoes

• Fry potatoes like you normally would
• A few minutes before dinner is served, top potatoes w/ shredded cheese (I used Colby)
• Drizzle Ranch dressing over cheese
• Place cover back on pan & let warm for a few minutes to melt cheese

Delicious!!! I also served "Sweet Green Beans"... a can of green beans marinated w/ a generous helping of brown sugar.

Beef Stew in Crock Pot

This is a favorite meal in my house. House consisting of my boyfriend & I. I got it offline, cannot remember where... probably a website dedicated to crock pot recipes. I put this in the crock pot this morning for dinner tonight. Beef Stew in Crock Pot

• 2 1lbs roast meat
• 2 cans cream of mushroom soup
• 1 big can of mushrooms
• 1 cup milk

Cut meat into pieces, place in crock pot. Pour all ingredients on top. Cook on low in crock pot 8 hrs. Serve over rice. The original recipe calls for 1 can of soup, 1 small can of mushrooms, and 1/2 cup of milk. I doubled it to make more gravy/sauce. I probably should have gotten more meat b/c every time I make this my boyfriend says it's not enough!

Guests for Dinner

I wanted to make chicken last night, but I did not know what I wanted to do. I decided to try to make the Italian Chicken (previous post) in the oven, instead of in the crock pot like the original recipe. I also used Sherry instead of White Wine. I like the white wine better, it gives a more distinct flavor. Or maybe it was b/c it was baked in the oven for an hour and not in a crock pot for 8 hours. It was still very tasty though! I also added a small can of mushrooms, I was thinking about it last time but did not. The meal consisted of: Salad Italian Chicken Corn Instant Mashed Potatoes I was going to make homemade potatoes, but then got lazy. I knew I had a bunch of packs of instant ones, so I decided to make 2 of those. 2 girl friends came over, and my boyfriend ate as well. I'm not used to cooking for more than 2. Everything turned out well though, and I think everyone enjoyed the food. A friend came late, and I had a plate saved for him. I was disappointed in myself b/c once I made my plate I realized everything was yellow/white in color, and that's a big no-no in the cooking world! Oh well...

Mama's Spaghetti & Meatballs

Now, I didn't get this recipe from my Mama, I got it from my Easy Italian Cookbook. Boy, was it easy. My boyfriend is not the biggest fan of what I consider to be traditional spaghetti - ground beef meat & sauce. He is the biggest fan of meatballs, however. I figured this would be a perfect alternative. I served it w/ a salad & my version of cheesy garlic bread. New Recipe Alert Spaghetti & Meatballs

• 1 lb ground beef
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup Italian bread crumbs

Mix these together & form into balls - around 12

Bring 1 can of Ragu - Old World Style Spaghetti Sauce to boil

Add meat balls to sauce & simmer 20-30 minutes until cooked through.

Serve over spaghetti noodles & top w/ Parmesan cheese.

-----

I never actually let the sauce boil, b/c it started to pop & get all over my kitchen. I cooked it longer than 30 minutes on 3, waiting for my boyfriend to get home from work & shower, etc. We both agreed it was good, but needed a little flavor. Next time, I'll season the meatballs w/ a little something.

Cheesy Garlic Bread

I came up w/ this idea one night when I wanted garlic bread but did not have any. I use 4-6 slices regular bread (b/c that's what fits into my toaster oven). Spread butter. Sprinkle w/ garlic salt. Sprinkle w/ cheese. Lightly top w/ a type of herb. Toast for just a few minutes until the cheese is melted. My boyfriend enjoys this garlic toast so much, he prefers it over any store bought kind. Last night I had to use garlic powder b/c my wonderful boyfriend ran off w/ my garlic salt one night & it never returned.

Salsa Dip

I haven't done much cooking, well - none at all this past weekend. One of my many cousin's came to visit my family & I spent a great deal of time at my parents house eating my Mom's food. Saturday, I did bring over a super quick & easy dip I got from a friend. Salsa Dip

• 1 jar salsa
• 1 pkg cream cheese - softened
• shredded cheese to sprinkle on top

Blend salsa & cream cheese together, spread on platter & top w/ cheese. Always a hit.

Sausage Dip

Tomorrow is "Dip Day" at work... a few of us are bringing in a dip & a couple others are supplying the chips. This will be our lunch. I got this recipe from a friend of mine. He's made it a few times & it's very good. I just made it for tomorrow. Of course I had to sample it, and I must admit it turned out quite nicely. *New Recipe Alert*

• 1 lb sausage
• 4 pkg cream cheese
• 1 can rotel tomatoes (I used Kroger brand)

Ground meat (used the masher!) & add cream cheese & tomatoes. Serve warm.

Sloppy Joe's

I finally found an easy way to ground hamburger meat!! I swear, I always have the hardest time & dread browning hamburger meat. Use a potato masher! Works wonders. After it's cooked & drained add the following & simmer on low 30 minutes or until ready to serve. I served it on those buns w/ the seeds & chips on the side. New Recipe Alert 1 cup ketchup 1/2 cup water 2 tbsp brown sugar 2 tbsp Worcestershire 2 tsp mustard 1/2 tsp garlic powder 1/2 tsp onion powder