Parmesan Potato Wedges

This is a very tasty recipe that I've made twice in the last two weeks.  I've been looking for a recipe like this!  I found it on Lynn's Kitchen Adventures.  It goes with a lot of different main dishes.  The second time I made this I inadvertently left the Parmesan cheese out and I think it was even better without it.


Parmesan Potato Wedges

4 potatoes
2 teaspoons canola oil
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese (this is the stuff in the green can, not the real stuff)
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon seasoned salt
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon pepper


Cut each potato lengthwise in half. Cut each half into  wedges. In a large bowl, sprinkle potatoes with oil; toss to coat. Combine the remaining ingredients. Add to potatoes; toss to coat.

Arrange potatoes in a single layer on a 15-in. x 10-in. x 1-in. baking pain. Sprinkle with any remaining coating. Bake at 350° for 45-55 minutes or until golden brown and tender.

Roasted Vegetables

These veggies are so tasty and definitely a keeper!  However, they are tedious to make with having to chop all the veggies.  And squash is not easy to cut!  It all paid off in the end when I tasted these delicious veggies.  I could see making these in the summer to go with brats and burgers from the grill.  The original recipe came from allrecipes.com.  I altered it a little though and used suggestions from people who had reviewed this recipe.

Roasted Vegetables

1 small butternut squash, cubed
2 red bell peppers, seeded and diced
1 sweet potato, peeled and cubed
3 Yukon Gold potatoes ( I used russet potatoes)
1 red onion, quartered
1 tsp chopped thyme or 1TBSP fresh chopped thyme
2 tsp chopped Rosemary or 2 TBSP chopped fresh rosemary
1/4 cup olive oil
2 TBSP lemon juice OR balsamic vinegar.  (I used lemon juice because I had it on hand.)
salt and pepper


In a large bowl, combine the squash, red bell peppers, sweet potato, and Yukon Gold potatoes. Separate the red onion quarters into pieces, and add them to the mixture.               

In a small bowl, stir together thyme, rosemary, olive oil, vinegar, salt, and pepper. Toss with vegetables until they are coated. Spread evenly on a large roasting pan.               

Roast for 35 to 40 minutes at 475 degrees, stirring every 10 minutes, or until vegetables are cooked through and browned.               

Roasted Seasoned Cauliflower

I got this recipe out of a new cookbook I got called "Pillsbury Annual Recipes 2012."  This is the first thing I've made out of it so far, but it does seem to have a lot of good recipes.  The recipe is also on the Pillsbury website.  I'm going to try this recipe with broccoli or do a broccoli/cauliflower blend.


1 head cauliflower (1.5 lbs) divided into large florets (about 6 cups.)
4 tsp olive or canola oil
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1/8 tsp salt


Heat oven to 400 degrees.  Line a 15x10x1 inch pain with foil and spray with cooking spray.  Cut cauliflower florets into 1/2 inch slices.  Place in a 3 quart bowl.

In a small bowl, mix remaining ingredients.  Pour over cauliflower, tossing to coat cauliflower.  Spread in pan.

Roast uncovered 20-25 minutes, turning after 10 minutes, until cauliflower is tender and slightly brown around the edges.

Cheddar Bay Biscuits

This recipe is from allrecipes.com.  These biscuits taste a lot like the ones you get at Red Lobster.  This will definitely be my go-to biscuit recipe.


4 cups baking mix (bisquick)
3 ounces Cheddar cheese, shredded
1 1/3 cups water
1/2 cup melted butter
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon onion powder
1/8 teaspoon dried parsley

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a mixing bowl, combine the baking mix, cheese, and water. Mix until dough is firm. Using a small scoop, place dough on the prepared pan. Bake at 375 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes, or until golden brown. Combine the melted butter, garlic powder, salt, onion powder and parsley. Brush over baked biscuits immediately upon removing from oven.

Honey-Mustard Glazed Carrots

This was a hit in our house, even with the kids!  I got this recipe is from a Pillsbury booklet or you can go on their website.

1 bag (1 pound) ready-to-eat baby carrots
2 TBSP honey
1 TBSP olive or canola oil
2 tsp Dijon mustard
1 TBSP chopped fresh parsley.  (I used dried)
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper


In a 2 pt saucepan, heat 1/2 cup water to boiling.  Add carrots.  Cover and simmer 10-15 minutes or until tender.  Drain.

In medium bowl, mix remaining ingredients.  Add carrots; toss lightly to coat.

Beer Dip

I've tried a few new recipes in the past couple of weeks but nothing worth sharing so I thought I would share my beer dip recipe since it's been a couple weeks since I posted.  Well it's not actually my beer dip recipe.  I originally got it a couple years ago from someone I work with.  I've also been told it's the same beer dip recipe that's on the Taste of Home website.  Nonetheless, it's an awesome beer dip and I've gotten a lot of compliments on it since I usually make it for family get-togethers.  It's usually one of the first things to go!    My kids even love it when I make beer dip!  After eating some, my four year old usually says "I love beer!"

Beer Dip

2  8oz blocks of cream cheese.  I have used low-fat and it still tastes good!
1 packet of Hidden Valley Ranch dry seasoning
shredded cheddar cheese (the amount depends on your preference)
1/2-3/4 can of beer  (In my opinion a heavy beer tastes better in the beer dip then a light one but that is totally up to your preference.)
Pretzels for dipping.  Or you could use crackers or vegetables.

Mix together all ingredients.  Put it in a bowl or serving dish and put some cheddar cheese on top if desired.  I also mix in a little bit of shredded cheddar cheese into the dip.  I pour the beer in a little bit at a time to get  the dip to the consistency and taste that I want.

Oriental Salad

This is an awesome salad that my sister recently brought to a family get together. I've had Oriental salad before and always like them, but this is the best one I've tasted! Thanks for the recipe Whitney!

Oriental Salad

Dressing:
1 cup of oil
1/2 cup sugar
2 pkgs beef ramen noodle seasoning

Make dressing a day in advance and refrigerate over night.


Salad:
1 lb packaged coleslaw salad mix
2 pkgs beef ramen noodles (crushed)
1 cup salted sunflower seeds
1 cup slivered almonds

Break up noodles and mix dry ingredients together. Mix the dressing in with the dry ingredients and chill.

Glazed Dijon Carrots

This is a good carrot recipe I came across last year on allrecipes. I typically make frozen veggies since they are so easy, but this recipe is worth the "extra" work. This recipe calls for baby carrots but I have made this using regular carrots as well.



Glazed Dijon Carrots



1 (16 oz) package of baby carrots.
1/2 cup water
3 TBSP butter or margarine
2 TBSP brown sugar
1 TBSP Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp salt

In a saucepan, bring carrots and water to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and cook 10-12 minutes or until carrots are tender. Drain. Place carrots in a serving dish and keep warm. In the same pan, melt butter. Add brown sugar, mustard, ginger and salt. Cook and stir over medium heat until sugar is dissolved. Pour over carrots and toss to coat.

All those Cucumbers!

My cucumber plants have done great this year! So great that I have more cucumbers then I know what to do with. In an effort not to let any go to waste, I canned bread and butter pickles twice and have made refrigerator pickles several times already. This is currently my favorite refrigerator pickle recipe. So good and so easy!

Refrigerator Pickles:

1 medium onion, sliced thin
1 large or 2 smaller cucumbers, wash and slice thin
1/2 cup vinegar
5 TBSP water
5 TBSP sugar
1/2 tsp salt
ground pepper to taste

Mix onion and cucumber. In a separate bowl, mix vinegar, water, sugar, salt, and pepper. Pour over onions and cucumbers. Cover and refrigerate 24 hours before serving.