Yummy Recipe Wednesday! (Irish Colcannon)

Hello again friends and food lovers. Welcome to another Yummy Recipe Wednesday. So with tomorrow being St Patrick’s Day I figured I should probably go ahead and post another Irish recipe in celebration of the day. The recipe I bring you today is a side dish of potatoes, cabbage, onion, and bacon that’s all mashed together and is typically eaten alongside Corned Beef. You can also combine the leftover Corned Beef with the leftover Colcannon, assuming there is any, the next day for an absolutely delicious treat. Personally I love this dish all year around, especially in the winter months. It goes great with anything that you would normally have mashed potatoes with. Give this a try for yourself tomorrow to go along with your St Patrick’s Day Corned Beef dinner and I promise you won’t be disappointed. As always, feel free to leave comments below and be sure to follow @RecipeBlogger, if you aren’t already, so you don’t miss a single new post.

Irish Colcannon

• 2 1/2 lbs Potatoes, peeled and cubed
• 6 slices Bacon
• 1/2 Small Head Cabbage, chopped
• 1 large Onion, chopped
• 1/2 cup Milk
• Salt and Pepper, to taste
• 1/4 cup Butter, melted

1. Place the potatoes in a saucepan with enough water to cover them; bring to a boil and cook for 15 to 20 minutes or until tender.
2. Place the bacon in a large, deep skillet and cook over medium high heat until evenly brown; drain the bacon, reserving the drippings, crumble the bacon and set it aside.
3. In the reserved drippings, saute the cabbage and the onion until soft and translucent.
4. Drain the cooked potatoes, mash them with milk and season with salt and pepper to taste.
5. Fold the bacon, cabbage, and onions into the potato mash then transfer the mixture to a large serving bowl; make a well in the center of the potatoes, pour in the melted butter, and serve immediately.

Yummy Recipe Wednesday! (Catalina Tortilla Salad)

Hello friends and food lovers. Welcome to another Yummy Recipe Wednesday. Today I bring you a delicious spin on Taco Salad that is actually meatless, but can easily be made with meat if desired. I usually make this salad with no meat if I’m bringing it as a side dish to a potluck and if I’m having it at home I’ll usually add ground beef or chicken, which are both amazing in this salad. Now, if you’re wondering to yourself “what exactly is Catalina dressing?” I can help with that …. sort of. All I can really tell you is that Catalina dressing is very very similar to French dressing but is a darker red color and is slightly sweeter than French dressing. Also, I can only find Catalina dressing in Kraft brand here and I’m starting to believe that it’s something that Kraft came up with but I can’t find anything online confirming or denying that. Anyway, this recipe is pretty straight forward so there's really no advice or clarification needed. Give it a try at your next family gathering or the next time you’re craving a Taco Salad but want something different. I promise you won’t be disappointed. As always, feel free to leave comments below and be sure to follow @RecipeBlogger on Twitter, if you aren’t already, so you don’t miss a single new post.

Catalina Tortilla Salad

• 1 head Lettuce, chopped
• 2 cans Chili Beans, drained
• 1 can Diced Tomatoes, drained
• 1 pkg (2 cups) Shredded Cheddar Cheese
• 1 can Black Olives (optional)
• 1 bag Tortilla Chips (Plain or Doritos), crushed
• About 1/2 bottle Catalina Dressing, to taste

1. In a large bowl, add the lettuce, beans, tomatoes, cheese, black olives (if using), and crushed tortilla chips; toss well to combine.
2. Just before serving pour in approximately 1/2 bottle of Catalina salad dressing, more or less to your taste, and toss well to coat everything in dressing.

Yummy Recipe Wednesday! (Authentic Irish Soda Bread)

Hello again friends and food lovers. Welcome to another Yummy Recipe Wednesday. To kick of the month of March I have a recipe for a delicious Irish Soda Bread as a sort of celebration of St Patrick’s Day this month. I imagine I will have at least 1 or 2 more Irish recipes for you this month. So from what I’ve been told this Irish Soda Bread recipe is about as authentic as they come. I know that a lot of Irish dishes like Soda Bread and Colcannon are made slightly different depending on what county in Ireland it comes from and I don’t know what county this recipe comes from but I’m told it’s authentic. Personally, I’ve tried lots of different Soda Breads and this is probably one of the best ones I’ve ever had. I love this recipe as well because it’s super simple to make. In fact, this would be a great recipe to make with children. On a side note, the dough with be slightly damp and sticky after kneading it but it’s supposed to be that way so you don’t need to throw anymore flour at it. Give this recipe a try and let me know what you think in the comments below and as always, be sure to follow @RecipeBlogger on Twitter if you aren’t already so you don’t miss a single new post.

Authentic Irish Soda Bread

• 1 cup Milk
• 2 Tbsp Distilled White Vinegar
• 2 cups All-Purpose Flour
• 1 Tbsp White Sugar
• 1/2 tsp Baking Soda
• 1/2 tsp Salt

1. In a small bowl, stir together the milk and vinegar and allow to stand until curdled, about 10 minutes.
2. Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C); grease a baking sheet.
3. In a large bowl combine the flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt.
4. Gradually stir the soured milk into the flour mixture just until the dough comes together then turn the dough out onto a well-floured surface.
5. Knead the dough a few times, and shape it into a round loaf, then place it onto the prepared baking sheet; with a sharp knife, cut an X into the top of the dough to release steam and help the bread keep its round shape as it bakes.
6. Bake the bread in the preheated oven for about 30 minutes or until golden brown.

Yummy Recipe Wednesday! (Cornbread Casserole)

Hello again friends and food lovers. Welcome to another Yummy Recipe Wednesday. Today I bring you a recipe for a really delicious, as well as easy to make, twist on traditional cornbread. My mom usually makes this during the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays but I figured cornbread is good any time so why not share this today. There’s not a lot to say about this one besides how amazingly delicious it is. I think if I had to describe this dish in a few words it would be ‘dense, moist, cheesy corn goodness’ but it’s hard to really describe how good this is so you’re just going to have to try it for yourself. I promise you won’t be disappointed and your guests will be begging for the recipe. As always, feel free to leave comments below and be sure to follow @RecipeBlogger on Twitter, if you aren’t already, so you don’t miss a single new post.

Cornbread Casserole

• 1 (15 oz) can Whole Kernel Corn, drained
• 1 (14.75 oz) can Cream-Style Corn
• 2 Eggs
• 1 (8 oz) pkg Dry Cornbread Mix
• 1 cup Sour Cream
• 8 oz Cheddar Cheese, shredded

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C); lightly grease a 9x13 inch baking pan.
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine both cans of corn, eggs, cornbread mix and sour cream; stir until blended then pour the batter into the prepared pan and sprinkle the top with cheese.
3. Bake in the preheated oven for 30-45 minutes, until golden brown and cooked through.

Yummy Recipe Wednesday! (Slow Cooker Chicken Chile Pasta)

Hello again food fanatics and welcome to another Yummy Recipe Wednesday. Today I bring you an amazing pasta dish that’s easy to make and is loaded with flavor. It’s not just the flavor that’s amazing either. The wonderful smell in your home as this slowly cooks is just as amazing. If you want to save a little time at the beginning of this recipe, shredding the chicken off a pre-cooked rotisserie chicken works wonderfully as well. Also, if you’re not a big fan of spicy food I recommend using regular diced tomatoes instead of the ones with the green chiles in them. Give this a try at your next pot luck dinner or family gathering and I’m certain you won’t have any leftovers to worry about later. As always, feel free to leave comments below and be sure to follow @RecipeBlogger on Twitter, if you aren’t already, so you don’t miss a single new post.

Slow Cooker Chicken Chile Pasta

• 3-4 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts
• 2 cans Chicken Broth
• 1 can Cream of Chicken Soup
• 4 stalks Celery, chopped
• 1 clove Garlic, minced
• 1 Onion, chopped
• 1 Green Bell Pepper, chopped
• 2 (10 oz) cans Diced Tomatoes with Green Chiles
• 1 (16oz) pkg Velveeta Cheese, cubed
• 2 (4.5 oz) cans Sliced Mushrooms
• 12 oz Vermicelli Pasta

1. Place the chicken breasts and 2 cans of chicken broth in a slow cooker; add water, if needed, so that all the chicken is covered and cook on high for 2 to 3 hours or until the chicken is cooked through and can be shredded; shred the chicken and set aside.
2. Remove all but 1 cup of the broth from the slow cooker and discard; add the cream of chicken soup and shredded chicken into the slow cooker with the remaining 1 cup of broth.
3. Add the celery, garlic, onion, bell pepper, diced tomatoes with green chiles, Velveeta cheese, and sliced mushrooms to the slow cooker and stir well to combine.
4. Cook on LOW for 3 hours.
5. Boil the vermicelli pasta for 1/2 the recommended cooking time on the package then add the pasta to the slow cooker and stir everything well to combine.
6. Cook on LOW for another 3 hours; serve hot.

Yummy Recipe Wednesday! (Lemon Cream Cheese Bars)

Hello again friends and food lovers. Welcome to another Yummy Recipe Wednesday. Today I bring you a fairly simple but super delicious recipe. I don’t make a lot of desserts, as you may have noticed if you’ve been following the blog long, but on occasion I find something that looks amazing and I just have to give it a try. I really enjoy lemon squares but I don’t think I’ve ever had any with cream cheese in them until now and I was certainly no disappointed. The recipe is fairly straight forward and just right the way it is so there’s not much to say about these in that regard. Give them a try for yourself and I promised you won’t be disappointed either. As always, feel free to leave comments below and be sure to follow @RecipeBlogger on Twitter, if you aren’t already, so you don’t miss a single new post.

Lemon Cream Cheese Bars

• 2 (8 oz) cans Refrigerated Crescent Roll Dough
• 2 Lemons, zested and juiced
• 2 (8 oz) pkgs Cream Cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup + 3 Tbsp White Sugar, divided
• 2 Tbsp Butter, melted

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C); line the bottom of a 9x13-inch baking dish with aluminum foil and spray with non-stick cooking spray.
2. Press 1 can of crescent roll dough into the bottom of the prepared baking dish, stretching to the edges; bake in the pre-heated oven for about 10 minutes and then allow it to cool completely.
3. Mix the zest of 1 1/2 lemons and the juice from 2 lemons together in a bowl.
4. Beat the cream cheese and 1/2 cup of sugar into the lemon zest mixture using an electric mixer until smooth and creamy; spread the cream cheese mixture over the pre-cooked bottom crescent roll layer.
5. Unroll the second can of crescent roll dough and layer it over the cream cheese mixture, gently stretching the dough to the edges; brush the melted butter over the crescent roll dough layer.
6. Mix the remaining lemon zest and 3 tablespoons of sugar together in a bowl; sprinkle over the buttered top crescent roll dough layer.
7. Bake in the preheated oven until the top is golden brown, about 30 minutes; remove from the oven and allow to cool for about 20 minutes.
8. Cut the dessert into squares then refrigerate until chilled, at least 1 hour.

Yummy Recipe Thursday! (Alaskan Cod and Shrimp with Tomatoes)

Hello again friends and food lovers. This week we’re doing a Yummy Recipe Thursday since yesterday was such a crazy day. So I was just noticing the other day that it’s been over a year since I’ve posted any sort of seafood recipe here on the blog so that’s what we’re doing today. I don’t make a lot of seafood dishes at home because my wife isn’t a fan but the recipe I have for you today is perfect for those picky eaters that may not care for fish and/or shrimp. This recipe is super easy to make and really you can use any kind of fish if you don’t happen to have Cod on hand or want to use something a little cheaper. As I mentioned in last week’s recipe, Del Monte makes Diced Tomatoes with Basil, Garlic, and Oregano but if you can’t find that just use regular diced tomatoes and add about a teaspoon or two of dried Italian seasoning to the tomatoes when you add them to the pan. That’s about all there is to say about this recipe. A super simple, super easy, super delicious dish. Give this a try next time you’re entertaining guests and I promise you won’t be disappointed. As always, feel free to leave comments below and be sure to follow @RecipeBlogger on Twitter, if you aren’t already, so you don’t miss a single new post.

Alaskan Cod and Shrimp with Tomatoes

• 2 Tbsp Butter
• 6 cloves Garlic, minced
• 1 (14.5 oz) can Diced Tomatoes with Italian Seasoning
• 1 lb Alaskan Cod
• 1/2 lb Large Shrimp, peeled and deveined
• Salt and Pepper, to taste
• 2 tsp Dried Italian Seasoning, or to taste
• 1/2 cup Grated Parmesan Cheese

1. Heat the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
2. Add the garlic to the pan and cook until the garlic is light golden brown in color; add the diced tomatoes and stir well.
3. Nestle the cod into the tomato mixture and season with salt and pepper; cover the skillet and simmer for about 3 minutes.
4. Flip the cod over then add the shrimp to the pan; season again with salt and pepper and add the dried Italian seasoning; re-cover and cook for about another 3 minutes.
5. Remove the cover and add the Parmesan cheese; continue to cook, UNCOVERED, until the juice evaporates slightly and the fish and shrimp and cooked through, about another 2 to 3 minutes.
6. Serve as-is or over a bed of angel hair pasta.