Breakfast Hash

Breakfast Hash 6 servings

1 lb Bacon or sausage 5 red or yellow potatoe, super thinly sliced 1/2 tsp salt 1/4 tsp pepper 8 eggs 2 green onions, thinly sliced 1/2 cup of shredded cheddar cheese

Cut bacon into 1-inch pieces.  

In a large frying pan, fry bacon or brown sausage.  

While meat is cooking slice potatoes super thin.  I use a salad shooter to slice my potatoes.  Use slotted spoon to remove bacon or sausage.  Place bacon or sausage on paper towel lined plate.  Set aside. 

 There should be a thin layer of fat on bottom of pan, if not add olive oil to pan to make a thin layer across pan.  Add potatoes to hot oil.  Try to get most of the potatoes to touch pan surface. 

 Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Cook on medium high heat until golden brown for about 5 minutes. Try not to stir the potatoes or they will not get crisp.  Flip the potatoes over all together,  so golden side is up.  Cook for 3 more minutes.   Drain off extra grease.  Add green onions over the top of potatoes.  

Stir the potatoes and onions together, cook for 2 more minutes. Sprinkle bacon or sausage over the potatoes. 

 Beat eggs in a bowl, add a sprinkle of salt and pepper, set aside. Pour eggs over potatoes. Stir mixture until eggs are cooked.  

Sprinkle cheese over hash and stir until melted. 

Queso Soup

Queso Soup 8 servings

1      1 yellow onion, finely chopped 2      2 teaspoons fresh garlic, minced 3     1/4 cup green pepper, finely chopped 4      1 teaspoon jalapeño, finely chopped      5      2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
6      4 cups chicken stock 7      15 oz. can tomato puree  8      1/2 teaspoon salt 9      1/4 teaspoon pepper 10    1 teaspoon sugar 11    1 teaspoon chili powder 12    1 teaspoon worcestershire sauce  13    1 teaspoon hot sauce 
14    2 Tablespoons flour 15    1/2 cup water
16    1 lb cooked shredded chicken, beef or pork 17    1 14 oz can of corn, drained 18    1 14 oz can of black beans 19    1 bunch of cilantro, finely chopped

20   1 cup cream 21   1/2 cup sour cream 22   8 oz veleveta, 1-inch cubes In a large pot heat oil, sauté onion, green pepper,  jalapeno and garlic until soft.

Add ingredients 6 through 13.  Bring to boil, then reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes. Mix flour and water, then whisk into soup.  Bring to a low boil, then simmer 5 minutes.  Add chicken or beef or pork,  beans, corn and cilantro then simmer 10 minutes.

Cut cheese into 1 inch squares for easier melting. Stir in sour cream, cream, and cheese.  

Soup is ready when cheese is completely melted. 

Serve with tortilla strips or chips in a haystack on top of soup. You can garnish with sprigs of cilantro or a dollop of sour cream or salsa on the tortilla stack. 

Tortilla strips  12 corn tortilla 1/4 teaspoon salt oil for frying   Cut the tortillas in strips with scissors. 

 Heat oil to 375.Be very careful not to splash the oil out of pan it will burn you. I use deep fryer.  If using a fryng pan make sure you have 1 inch of oil in frying pan to fry the strips.  Place strips in oil about 1 minute then try and turn them over to get other side.

 If you using a fryer take basket out of oil and shake it alittle to turn over tortillas.   When golden brown turn them onto a plate lined with paper towels and sprinkle 1/4 teaspoon of salt over them while still hot. 

Be very careful not to splash the oil out of pan it will burn you.  

Reese's Peanut Butter Bars

  Reese's Peanut Butter Bars 36 bars

Cookie Base 1 cup butter, softened 3 TBL milk 1 1/2  cups brown sugar, firmly packed 1 cup sugar 1 cup  creamy peanut butter 1 egg  1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract 2 1/2 cups quick oats 2 cups flour 1 tsp baking soda 1 tsp salt
Preheat oven to 350.  Spray a bar or jelly roll pan with cooking spray.   In a large mixing bowl cream butter and sugars together.  Mix on high for 1 minute.  Add peanut butter, egg, milk,  and vanilla, mix well.   Add baking soda and salt, mix well.  Slowly add quick oats and flour, mix well, making sure to scrape sides and bottom of bowl.   Press the cookie mixture to bottom of pan.  Bake for 13-15 minutes.  

While baking make the peanut butter frosting.  Let bars cool 5 minutes before frosting with peanut butter frosting. The bars will still be warm so frosting will melt a little. Press softly when frosting.

Cool peanut butter frosted bars completely, before frosting with the chocolate frosting.  I even place in refrigerator for 1 hour.  Then gently spread chocolate frosting over the peanut butter frosting.  

Peanut Butter Frosting 1 1/2 cups creamy peanut butter 2 TBL butter, softened 3/4 cup powdered sugar
Cream peanut butter and butter together.  Add powdered suger mix well. 
Chocolate Frosting 6 TBL butter, softened 4 cups powdered sugar 1/2 cup cocoa 1 tsp vanilla 6-8 TBL milk
Cream butter and powdered sugar.  Mix on high for 1 minute.  Add cocoa and vanilla, mix well.  Add 6 TBL milk,  mix together.  If needed add more milk until spreadable consistency is reached.   * Great for gathering with large number of people.   **Also know as lunch lady bars.

Chocolate Swirl Bread

Chocolate Swirl Bread 1 large loaf 

Dough 2 1/2 cups bread flour 1 pack or 2 1/4 teaspoon active dry yeast 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt 1/4 cup sugar  1/4 cup whole milk 1/2 cup butter, melted and cooled 1 tsp vanilla 3 eggs Melt butter in a microwaveable dish.  Add milk plus one teaspoon sugar.  Mix together, should be warm but not hot, or it will kill yeast. Add yeast, set aside for 5 minutes to let yeast activate.  While yeast is activating mix the reamining ingredients in a bread maker.  Add the yeast mixture to bread maker.  Set bread maker to dough setting normal loaf size.   Prepare the loaf pan by placing a piece of parchment paper in the pan with a 3 inch overhang on long side.

While dough is being made make the chocolate filling, crumb topping and egg wash.  Recipes below. 

When dough is finished roll out to 14x18 inch rectangle on a lightly floured surface. 

 Spread chocolate filling evenly over dough, leave a 1/2 inch border along outer edge.  Sprinkle mini choclate chips over filling.  

Roll dough into a tight cylinder starting with longest side.  Pinch seam shut.  

Slice the dough cyclinder in half down the length to form two long pieces. 

With cut-sides facing up, pinch ends togetheron one side.  Braid the lengths together creating a large twist.  Pinch the ends together. 

Carefully tranfer to prepared bread loaf pan.  Tucking the ends underneath itself to fit. (the filling should be facing up and out.)

Brush the top with egg wash.  Sprinkle the crumb topping over the egg washed dough, lightly press the crumbs down.  Let dough sit for 20 minutes.  

Preheat oven to 350. Bake the loaf for 40 to 50 minutes.  Bread is done when golden brown and when skewer inserted in the middle of loaf comes out clean. 

 Let cool for 10 minutes in pan, then tranfer to wire rack to cool completely.

Chocolate filling 4 oz of bittersweet chocolate, chopped 4 Tablespoons  butter 1/4 cup powdered sugar 1 Tablespoon cocoa powder 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
Microwave for 1 minute the chocolate and butter together in a micrwable bowl. Stir if there are still lumps microwave for 30 more seconds then stir.  Repeat if necessary. Add powdered sugar and cocoa powder.  Mix well.  Do not add choclate chips to chocolate filling.

Egg wash 1 tsp water 1 egg, beaten

Beat together the egg and water.  Use patry brush to brush over loaf after it is in loaf pan and before crumb topping.  This will allow the crumbs to stick.  

Crumb topping 1/2 cup flour 1/2 cup brown sugar 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt 4 Tablespoons butter

Slice and enjoy!!

*We enjoy eating this bread with Nutella hazelnut spread.  

French Dip Sandwiches

French Dip Sandwiches 6-8 sandwiches

1 2.5-3 lb. beef roast (you can use a frozen roast if you want)
2 Tbsp. olive oil
salt and pepper
1 1-ounce packages dry onion soup mix
2 c  beef broth
6-8 large rolls
Swiss, provolone, or mozzarella cheese, shredded or sliced.

Heat oil in a large pot over medium-high heat and rub roast with salt and pepper.

When oil is very hot, carefully place roast in pan and sear on all sides. About 3 minutes on each side. You’re not cooking the meat, you’re just browning it quickly on all sides to add flavor and seal in the juices. 

Place in crockpot and sprinkle with onions soup mix.

 Pour beef broth over roast.

Cook 8-10 hours on low or cook 4-5 hours on high. But you know it’s done when you can shred with fork.  When meat is ready, shred with a fork. 

Drain meat over crockpot before serving or rolls will get soggy. Leave juice in crock pot for serving with sandwiches.

Top with cheese and broil open-faced in the oven or toaster oven for a few minutes, until bread is golden and cheese is melty.

 Place meat in crusty rolls.  

Ladle juices into small cups for dipping and enjoy!