Dijon mustard chicken marinade

1/2 cup Dijon mustard 

1/4 cup packed brown sugar 

1/4 cup red wine vinegar 

1 teaspoon dry mustard powder 

1 teaspoon salt 

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 

1/2 teaspoon ground dried chipotle pepper 

1 pinch cayenne pepper, or to taste 4 cloves garlic, minced 

2 teaspoons vegetable oil, or as needed

Mix together and marinate overnight. Grill. 

My families favorite tater tot casserole

1 lb ground beef, salt and pepper to taste

½ medium onion, chopped

1 tb Worcestershire sauce

½ cup sour cream

1 can condensed cream of chicken soup

32 oz or 4 cups of frozen tater tots

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (both mild and sharp work well)

Cook the beef with salt and pepper and onions and garlic together until browned. Drain. Mix first five ingreds and cheese in bowl. Pour into greased 9x13 pan. Bake at 375 for 45-55 mind or until taters are crisp and filling is bubbly! 

Roast beef spinach sandwiches

Large sub bread

Roast beef

Fresh baby spinach

Cheddar cheese slices cut on the diagonal 

Sauce:

3/4 cup good mayonnaise

1 1/2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon whole-grain mustard

1/2 tablespoon prepared horseradish

2 tablespoons sour cream

Kosher salt

Assemble the sandwiches by cutting open bread and slathering it generously with sauce. Add cheese, beef and finally spinach. Close bread and slice. Serve cold. 

Swedish Meatballs--easy version

2 cup beef stock 

2 cup heavy cream 

6 tablespoons all-purpose flour

 1 teaspoon soy sauce 

1 teaspoon ground black pepper 

Salt, to taste

1/2 teaspoon dried Rosemary and thyme 

2 tbsps raspberry jam(added at the end)

1 package frozen cooked meatballs, thawed or roasted in oven for 35-45 mins at 375. 

Whisk together the beef stock, heavy cream, flour, soy sauce, black pepper, and rosemary in a large saucepan until smooth. Cook and stir over low heat until thickened, about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add in the raspberry jam. Stir in the meatballs, and continue cooking until meatballs are heated through, about 5 more minutes.

Roasted chicken with apples and onions

Roasted chicken with apples and onions

Ingredients:

1 roasting chicken

3 Granny Smith apples, cored and sliced

2 large yellow onion, cut in wedges

1 tablespoon melted butter

2 teaspoons dried oregano

Fresh thyme

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place chicken in shallow roasting pan. Season inside generously with salt, pepper, thyme, and orgegano. Stuff the apples and onion into the cavity of the chicken. Leftover apples/onions can be arranged around the chicken. Brush butter all over the chicken and sprinkle with oregano and thyme. Season cavity all over with salt and pepper. Roast for 70 to 80 minutes, until a meat thermometer inserted deep into the breast reaches 160 degrees. Let chicken stand for 10 minutes. Serve chicken with apples and onions on the side.

I have done this many times most recently doubling the recipe for two Xmas parties. 

Rosemary potatoes

Rosemary Potatoes: 

Preheat oven to 450°. Combine 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme, ½ teaspoon minced fresh rosemary, ¼ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon black pepper, and 12 ounces quartered red potatoes in a bowl. Spread potatoes on a jelly-roll pan. Bake at 450° for 25 minutes or until golden brown and tender. 

Yummy and easy! 

Easy breakfast casserole

We've been making this recipe for many months now. It's super quick and easy. I've modified it from the original I found somewhere. 

1 pkg crescent rolls

1 lb mild sausage, browned and drained

6 eggs, beaten

Pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, to taste

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Preheat your oven to 350. Take a 9×13 pan and spray it with Pam. Roll out crescent rolls in the bottom of the pan. Layer cheese sausage and egg mixture. Bake at 350 for 30 mins.

Fun foods!

Food photos

A few of our recent dinners

Quinoa tacos. 

Maple pretzel pork with smoky cheddar savory waffles and peas

Ham sandwiches with homemade yeast rolls

Stuffed pork chops with vegetarian siracha collard greens (those are Carmelites onions in them!)

Curried Chicken Salad

2-3 cups diced cooked chicken (I use a rotisserie chicken usually)

1-1 1/2 cups good mayonnaise

2 heaping tbsp sour cream 

3 tablespoons curry powder

1 cup medium-diced celery 

1/2 c diced red onion (or what ever onion you have)

1 cup chopped roasted, salted cashews

Mix all ingreds and chill. Or serve in croissants or on toasted whole wheat bread. 

Quiet Dangers!

Yup, it happens to the best of us! 

Pork Chili verde

11/2-3 lbs cubed pork shoulder roast

2 onions chopped

2 tbsp chopped garlic

4 poblano chilis, seeded

4 jalapeños, seeded

11/2 lbs tomatillos

3-4 c chick broth, no sodium or low sodium

2 tsp salt

1 tsp fresh ground pepper

2 tsp ground cumin

2 tbsps canola oil

1 bunch cilantro

Heat oil in stock pot and brown pork in two groups. Remove to plate. Add onions and garlic and cook until soft. Add pork and juices back to pot. Add salt, pepper and cumin. Mean time purée the tomatillos, peppers, cilantro and broth in a blender. Add pepper-broth mixture to pork-onion mixture. Bring to a boil, once it boils lower heat to simmer and cook for 1 hr uncovered. Stirring periodically. After 1 hr cover and continue to simmer on low for another 1-2 hrs, stirring periodically. When the pork is extra tender turn off heat and cool slightly. Serve with oven roasted potatoes and corn tortillas, topped with shredded cheese if you like. 

Brussels sprouts

(Picture is of blackberry crumble on top and Brussels on bottom! Yummy!)

Around 1 lb to 1 1/2 lb Brussels sprouts, cut in half

1/2 lb bacon (preferably thick cut) cut into 1/4 inch strips 

3 tbsp maple syrup

1/2-1 c chicken broth or stock

Salt and fresh ground pepper

In a cast iron pan (or other heavy bottomed skillet with lid) brown bacon. When bacon is crisp remove to drain on paper towels do not pour off baco fat (unless there is more than 2 tbsp in pan). Add sprouts directly to the hot pan. Allow to get fairly browned and bright green. Add salt and pepper to your taste as soon as the sprouts have color. Then add chicken broth and maple syrup. Stir to combine. Turn to low on stove. Cover and cook for 8 mins or until easily pierced with fork. Sprinkler with bacon and Serve immediately. Yum yum! 

Granola Bars

2 c quick cooking oats

1/2 c brown sugar

1/2 c honey 

1/2 c peanut butter

3/4 c raisins, cranberries, chopped dates, apricots, mini mnms, chopped nuts, chocolate chips or butterscotch chips or any combination of ingreds you may want! 

Heat oven to 350. Spray 9x13 pan with cooking spray or line with foil, I grease mine with butter as the flavor is better but in a pinch I do spray. Mix all ingreds in a large bowl. Press into pan as evenly and flat as possible. Bake 18 mins or until light brown. Cool 5 mins and cut into rectangles! Let cool completely before serving! Makes 18 bars!

Christmas Card Time!

As many of you know we don't send out Christmas cards but we still wanted to share a Christmas greeting with you! Hope you have a worship-filled holiday and are awed by His work in your lives!

Blessings for this holiday and the coming year!

With love, 

The Crazy Doug Fam

Some recent yummy eats at our house!

Chicken curry! 

Homemade Mac n cheese

Navajo tacos with the leftover tacos becoming dessert with cinnamon and sugar!

Siracha corn dogs! WOW!

Cabbage and noodles--yummy in one dish!! Super easy!

Guilty Pleasures

Yummy foods we've eaten recently!

Meatless meals

Hummus pitas with homemade lemonade...

Broccoli and cheese soup....

Cauliflower Alfredo and brown rice risotto fake....

Taco salad......

Cauliflower Alfredo part I the original...

Portobello mushroom quesadillas....

Mushu vegetables....

Bean and cheese taquitos...