Archive | August, 2020

Cheesy Scalloped Vegetables

7 Aug

This delicious dish combines a vegetable mix (Potatoes, Onions, Green Peppers, and Carrots) with a delicious, and extra cheesy sauce. My family tends to prefer vegetable dishes while I prefer potatoes. πŸ˜‚ This was a nice medium and was completely gone by the end of the meal. Several people complimented the dish, including my uncles — so it’s a good dish all around!

I’ll make another version later and include a photo — unfortunately, this one was gone before I remembered to grab the picture 🀣

Filling Ingredients

  • 3-4 Large Potatoes or 7-8 Small Potatoes (Peeled or Unpeeled to preference)
    • (Yukon Gold is preferred. but Red Potatoes are acceptable)
  • 4-5 Medium Carrots (Peeled)

Clean the vegetables. Slice thinly so they will cook through.

Put vegetables in a sauce pan and cover with water. Boil on a stovetop on medium heat about 25 – 28 minutes. You should be able to easily stab them through with a fork. Work on the sauce while you wait.

Use a strainer to dump the water and set aside to cool for handling.

Cheesy Sauce

  • 1 Medium Fresh Onion
  • 1 Large Green Pepper
  • 2-3 TBSP of Butter
  • Fresh Garlic or Garlic Power (to taste)
    • My family prefers more garlic so we use 4-5 cloves, but it’s up to you.
  • 1/4 Cup of All-Purpose Flour
  • 1 Cup of Milk
  • 1 Cup of Sour Cream
  • 1 tsp of Salt
  • 1 tsp of Ground Black Pepper
  • 16 oz (1 lb) of American Cheese
    • Other cheese varieties are acceptable. But it must melt well and spread (e.g. not mozzarella).
    • Shredded is fine, but not necessary. Just make thin slices.
  • Spices to taste
    • Add 1/2 tsp of other spices as desired (Paprika, Chili Pepper, Thyme, etc)

Peel the Onion and Garlic (if using fresh). Slice Onion, Green Pepper, and Garlic thinly and in small pieces. Cook in a skillet with Butter on Medium Heat until cooked and browned.

Add Flour and stir until vegetables are covered (about 3-4 minutes).

Add Milk and Sour Cream. Cook until boiling on the edges, stirred frequently. Should be thickening.

Add Salt, Pepper, Spices, and American Cheese. Cook until cheese is thoroughly melted and the sauce is creamy. Stir frequently to spread the cheese and avoid clumps.

Combine and Bake

  • 1/4 Cup of Parmesan (Optional — add as a topping)

Set Oven to 400F.

Oil a 9″x13″ baking dish (or spray with oil / Pam). This keeps the vegetables from sticking.

Include a base layer of potatoes and carrots. Cover with sauce.

Repeat until all vegetables are used — make sure it is completely covered with sauce on top.

If desired, spread the Parmesan on top.

Bake 30 Minutes. If your oven usually requires more time, continue cooking until the top is nicely browned. Just remember to check every 3-4 minutes!

Scrumptious Chocolate Cake

2 Aug

Ingredients & Instructions

The Cake

In a large metal bowl sift together the dry ingredients listed below. A fork should work – just lightly blend together , don’t over-stir.

  • 1 Cup of All-Purpose Flour
  • 1 Cup of Cake Flour
  • 2 Cups of White Sugar
  • 3/4 Cup of Natural Baking Cocoa
  • 2 tsp. of Baking Powder
  • 1/2 tsp of Baking Soda
  • 1 tsp of Espresso

In a separate metal bowl, mix together the wet ingredients listed below. Again a fork should work.

  • 1/2 Cup of Buttermilk
  • 3/4 Cup of Sour Cream
  • 1/2 Cup of Vegetable Oil
  • 2 Large Eggs
  • 2 tsp. of Vanilla
  • 1 tsp of Table Salt

Slowly add the wet ingredients mixture to the dry ingredients using a hand mixer. You may need to shift the mixer to a higher setting as you do so — it becomes a little tough. Just blend until well combined, don’t over-mix.

Slowly (using a fork) add in the following ingredient to give the cake moisture and break down any remaining sugar or cocoa lumps.

  • 1/2 Cup of HOT water (I nuked it in the microwave for 1:30 minutes).

Oil three 8″ round metal pans. Put parchment paper on the bottom. Pour the cake into the pans spread equally throughout each.

Bake on 350F for 15 minutes. Turn the pans. Bake another 10 minutes and then test every 2 minutes with a toothpick. When the toothpick comes out clean, the cakes are finished.

Rest the cakes on cooling racks in the pan for 10 minutes. Run a knife gently around the outside edge to avoid sticking. Put the Cooling Rack over the top of the pan and gently flip. Tap the bottom of the pan lightly to make sure the cake has come out. Remove the parchment paper. Set to cool completely.

The Icing

Start by blending the butter with a hand mixer until creamy (about 3 minutes). Then add the other ingredients until thoroughly mixed (about 2-3 minutes).

  • 2 &1/2 sticks of Unsalted Butter
  • 1 tsp. of Vanilla
  • 4 Cups of Powdered Sugar
  • 5 Tbsp. of Whipping Cream
  • 3/4 Cup of Baking Cocoa

This is enough to ice thinly between each cake layer and substantial icing left for a thick coating for the top and sides.

The Ganache

Heat the whipping cream in the microwave (1 minute) and add in chips when it starts to boil. Leave in the microwave for about 3-4 minutes. Stir until smooth. Drizzle over the sides and top of the cake.

(Borrowed from Lindsey’s “The Best Chocolate Cake Recipe“)

  • 7 ounces of Chocolate Chips (flavored chips are a great addition)
  • 1/2 Cup of Whipping Cream
  • Add nuts or sprinkles to flavor

The cake is best served warm!