The 2 Spoons

easy cheesy scalloped potatoes

March 8, 2020 by Becky Spoon

These cheesy scalloped potatoes were the perfect side dish for my Harissa Chicken. I wanted a side dish that could soak up with the juices from the chicken and wow, the potatoes were the perfect side dish. They are so tender and have amazing flavors from garlic, thyme and of course the cheese!

easy cheesy scalloped potatoes

I love scalloped potatoes. My mother would make them growing up and all she did was layer potatoes with onions, added lots of butter and salt and pepper, then poured whole milk over them to cover. She would bake them until they were golden on top and the potatoes were fork tender.

I used Yukon gold for this recipe. I love the Yukon gold potato. They have such a creamy texture and so buttery making them perfect for sopping up the chicken juices.

I used just a regular Parmesan cheese in this recipe. I like to use parmigiana-reggiano most times, but for this recipe it is not necessary. I purchased shredded or grated Parmesan that comes in a container. Here’s a link for what I used: https://amzn.to/2TAnNK5. You can find the grated or shredded in your local store.

Here’s the link for the Harissa Chicken: https://the2spoons.com/so-good-simple-harissa-chicken/

Here’s the recipe for these delicious potatoes! Enjoy!!

Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes

Print Recipe

Courseeasy side dish, Side Dish, Vegetable

CuisineAmerican

Keywordcheese, easy side dish, potatoes, scalloped potatoes, side dish

Servings servings

Ingredients

3 tbsp butter
1 small onion, thinly sliced
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1 cup chicken stock
1 cup milk, half and half or heavy cream
1 1/1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp pepper
2 tsp fresh thyme leaves, divided
4 lbs Yukon gold potatoes, sliced into 1/8 inch rounds
1 cup grated parmesan cheese

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400°F. Butter a 9 x 13 baking dish.
Melt butter in a large sauce pan over medium-high heat. Add onion, and sauté for 4-5 minutes until soft and translucent. Add garlic and sauté for an additional 1-2 minutes until fragrant. Stir in the flour until it is evenly combined, and cook for 1 more minute. Gradually pour in the stock, and whisk until combined. Add in the milk, salt, pepper, and 1 teaspoon thyme, and whisk until combined. Continue cooking for an additional 1-2 minutes until the sauce just barely begins to simmer around the edges of the pan and thickens. Then remove from heat and set aside.
Spread half of the sliced potatoes in an even layer on the bottom of the pan. Top evenly with half of the cream sauce. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup of the shredded Parmesan cheese. Top evenly with the remaining sliced potatoes, the other half of the cream sauce, and the remaining 1/c cup of cheddar cheese.
Cover the pan with a lid or foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and bake uncovered for 25-30 minutes, or until the potatoes are cooked through.
When the potatoes are tender and if you want the dish a little more brown on top, turn the broiler on, watching at all times and brown just a little. Sprinkle with fresh thyme. Enjoy!

Easy – Sausage and Mushroom Breakfast Casserole for 2

March 5, 2020 by Becky Spoon

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This Sausage and Mushroom Breakfast Casserole is for 2! It is easy and did I mention, it is delicious? So good! You can double, triple or increase the ingredients in this recipe to suit your particular number you are cooking for. Loaded with sauteed mushrooms, red peppers, onions, breakfast sausage, just to name a few of the ingredients, this casserole is loaded with flavor.

Sausage and Mushroom Breakfast Casserole

I love a breakfast casserole. I didn’t make this 24 hours in advance and store in the refrigerator overnight, but I could have. This is a perfect weekend dish or the perfect dish for a week day. This casserole is layered with cheese that makes this creamy and delicious. This dish can be reheated after cooking if you wanted to make ahead and just reheat in the microwave for your hectic weekday breakfast. Regardless of the size, this casserole takes about 45 minutes to bake in the oven.

I used provolone because I think it goes so well with mushrooms. You know, kind of like a pizza! Or a delicious lasagna with Italian sausage and provolone cheese with lots of mushrooms. So good!

I always buy the large packs of provolone from Sams Club. Here’s a link for provolone cheese at another store https://goto.walmart.com/c/2049504/568835/9383?veh=aff&sourceid=imp_000011112222333344&prodsku=651354299&u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.walmart.com%2Fip%2FCastlewood-Sliced-Provolone-Cheese-8oz%2F651354299.

I can’t find it at my rural grocery store, but the larger stores will have it. It’s a creamy and delicious cheese.

Before you go to the recipe for this delicious breakfast casserole, here’s another casserole I have on the blog! https://the2spoons.com/italian-sausage-and-peppers-breakfast-casserole/.

Italian Sausage and Peppers Breakfast Casserole

Sausage and Mushroom Breakfast Casserole

Easy – Sausage and Mushroom Breakfast Casserole for 2

Print Recipe

CourseBreakfast, brunch, Main Course

CuisineAmerican

Keywordbreakfast, breakfast casserole, brunch, casserole, sausage

Delicious Chicken Paprikash, Fast or Slow Cooking

March 3, 2020 by Becky Spoon

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This Chicken Paprikash can be made in your Instant Pot pressure cooking or you can set it on the slow cooking mode or use another slow cooker. I used the pressure cooking method and the entire dish was complete in less than 30 minutes of which 10 of that was allowing the chicken to rest after 10 minutes of cooking.

Even my husband loved this. He loves the Hamburger Stroganoff that’s loaded with sour cream over egg noodles, so I thought he’d love this because the sauce also has sour cream and lots of dill. Love both of those flavors. The tartness of sour cream mixed with fresh dill is delicious.

I saw this recipe in the January-February 2020 issue of the Milk Street publication. By the way if you are’t familiar with the milk Street publicaton, check it out!

Fast or Slow Cooking – Chicken Paprikash

This recipe calls for a sweet paprika. I had a sweet smoke paprika on hand so that is what I used. If you can’t find sweet paprika in your local grocery store here is a link of some that I’ve purchased before. https://amzn.to/39h8vyZ

This is a Hungarian dish, so the sweet Hungarian paprika is a good choice. Make sure you use fresh paprika, because a stale paprika that’s been in your pantry for years will taste flavorless and dull.

You also want to use regular sour cream. The low fat will make your dish lack richness and will result in a watery dish.

Here’s the Hamburger Stroganoff for you to try also. My husband loves the stroganoff and it is such an easy dish for a weeknight and the kids love it too. Add a green vegetable and you have a perfect meal for your family.

Fast or Slow Cooking – Chicken Paprikash

Here’s the recipe for the Paprikash! Hope you try it soon and enjoy!

Chicken Paprikash

Print Recipe

Coursedinner, Lunch, Main Course

CuisineHungarian

Keywordchicken, chicken paprika, egg noodles, hungarian, paprika, sour cream

Servings servings

Ingredients

2 tbsps salted butter
1 large onion, finely chopped
kosher salt and ground black pepper
2 tbsp sweet paprika
1 tbsp tomato paste
3 lbs bone in, skin on chicken thighs, skin removed and discarded after cooking
1 cup sour cream
1 tbsp cornstarch
4 tbsp chopped fresh dill, divided

Instructions

START: On a 6-quart Instant Pot, select More/High Sauté. Add the butter and let melt. Add the onion, ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper, then cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is golden brown, about 6 minutes. Add the paprika and tomato paste and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in ½ cup water, scraping up the browned bits. Nestle in the chicken in an even layer, slightly overlapping the pieces if needed.
Cancel, lock the lid in place and move the pressure valve to Sealing. Select Pressure Cook or Manual; make sure the pressure level is set to High. Set the cooking time for 10 minutes. When pressure cooking is complete, allow the pressure to reduce naturally for 10 minutes, then release the remaining steam by moving the pressure valve to Venting. Press Cancel, then carefully open the pot.
SLOW: Press Cancel, lock the lid in place and move the pressure valve to Venting. Select Slow Cook and set the temperature to More/Low. Set the cooking time for 3 to 4 hours; the chicken is done when a skewer inserted into the largest thigh meets no resistance. Press Cancel, then carefully open the pot.
FINISH: Using tongs, transfer the chicken to a dish and tent with foil. In a small bowl, whisk together the sour cream and cornstarch. Stir the mixture into the pot, then select More/High Sauté and cook, whisking constantly, until the sauce begins to simmer and is lightly thickened. Press Cancel to turn off the pot, then taste and season with salt and pepper. Stir in 2 tablespoons of dill. Using potholders, carefully remove the insert from the housing and pour the sauce over the chicken. Sprinkle with the remaining 2 tablespoons dill.

easy breakfast all in 1 – ham and cheese grits bowl.

March 1, 2020 by Becky Spoon

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I love a ham and cheese grits bowl! I actually love all things that you can put in a bowl! I mean why not have a bowl of cheesy grits that you top with ham, some spinach, more cheese and a fried egg? So good and all in one yumminess!

I used quick grits in this recipe which are simple and take minutes to make. If you have stone ground grits, they are perfect, I just didn’t have any. Stone ground grits do take longer to cook but they are well worth the effort.

Here’s a link for the grits I used: https://goto.walmart.com/c/2049504/568835/9383?veh=aff&sourceid=imp_000011112222333344&prodsku=170834708&u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.walmart.com%2Fip%2FQuaker-Quick-5-Minute-Grits-40-Oz%2F170834708.

Here’s a link for some stone ground grits that I have used that I love: https://amzn.to/2IjcXBP

Whichever grits you decide to use will work in this bowl. Just follow the directions on the package!

For the ham I used some black forest deli ham that i heated in a pan in a little butter, reserving the skillet to fry my egg. For the Spinach, i just sauteed in a separate skillet and set aside to add to the bowl.

easy breakfast all in 1 – ham and cheese grits bowl.

Want more ideas for breakfast? Try some of these from the blog. https://the2spoons.com/best-10-minute-breakfast-fried-egg-quesadilla/

These are amazing and one of my 10 minute breakfast!

Ok, here’s the simple recipe for this so very easy grits bowl! Enjoy!!

easy breakfast all in 1 – ham and cheese grits bowl.

Print Recipe

CourseBreakfast, dinner, Lunch, Main Course

CuisineAmerican

Keywordbreakfast, cheese, grits, grits bowl, ham, ham and cheese, ham and cheese grits bowl

Servings servings

Ingredients

For the Grits

1 cup quick grits (you can use stone ground grits and follow the recipe on the packaging)
4 cups water ( or 2 cups water and 2 cups milk)
1/4 tsp salt or to taste
2 tbsp butter
1/2 cup cheddar cheese or cheese of your choice

To finish the dish

2-4 eggs cooked to your liking ( I fried eggs over medium)
2-4 oz deli ham or ham of your choice
2 tsp olive oil (divided)
1 lb fresh spinach (will cook down to 1 cup)
fresh parsley
your favorite hot sauce like Louisiana Hot Sauce or Cholua (optional)

Instructions

For the Grits

Bring the water or the milk/water combination to a boil. Add the grits whisking at the same time to prevent lumps.
When the water comes back up to a boil, reduce the heat to simmer, place a lid on and cook until the grits have thickened.
Remove the lid when the grits have thickened, add the butter and cheese and combine. Turn off the heat, replace the lid and keep warm while you are completing the dish.
In a small skillet add the teaspoon of olive oil. When heated add the ham and cook just until heated through. Remove to a plate and add your eggs to the skillet, one or two at a time and fry to your liking. If you decide to scramble, use a different skillet, add a little butter scramble as you normally would.
In a separate skillet, add a little oil. When heated add the spinach tossing until the spinach has wilted down. Season with a little salt and pepper
To serve, divide the grits among two bowls. Top with the ham, the spinach and your eggs. Garnish with a little fresh parsley and add your favorite hot sauce if desired. Enjoy!

easy instant pot meat sauce with pasta…

February 26, 2020 by Becky Spoon

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This spaghetti and meat sauce is another easy recipe with ingredients you probably have in your pantry and freezer. I was craving Italian so I made this in my instant pot! I didn’t have spaghetti so I used linguine! Just as good.

I guess you would say this is an Italian-American Sauce. Many Italian sauces like a Sunday sauce will start with 3 or 4 different cuts of meat and they aren’t ground meats expect for some Italian sausage. This recipe has ground pork and ground beef, typical in an American style meat sauce. You know, the meat sauce we grew up with.

I started the recipe with sauteing onions and garlic in olive oil and then I added the ground beef and pork allowing it to brown. I then added wine scraping up the bits to get all the flavors. Even though I made this in the Instant Pot all of the steps to build flavors still apply. The use of the instant pot is just to cut down on the 2 to 3 hour simmer on the stove-top, not to cut out the steps to build the flavors necessary for a good meat sauce.

instant pot meat sauce with pasta…

You always want to use a good tomato in sauces. I used Mutti puree because I love their products and I didn’t have to squish a bunch of canned tomatoes. Here’s what I used: https://amzn.to/2w76AhM. You don’t have to buy this many, but if you can’t get them at your local grocery store, this is a good choice.

Honestly, how can something be so beautiful and not be good.

I added fennel seeds to this meat sauce because it adds a sweetness which I love in a meat sauce. I also added some red pepper flakes because I like a little kick. You don’t have to add either, but just some suggestions to add extra flavor.

I have made a bolognese many times, but you know we just need a simple meat sauce like this recipe. If you decide to make a bolognese here’s a great recipe: https://the2spoons.com/hearty-satisfying-bolognese-sauce/.

Here’s the recipe for this easy instant pot meat sauce with pasta…Bon Appetite!

instant pot meat sauce with pasta

Print Recipe

Coursedinner, Lunch, Main Course

CuisineAmerican, Italian

KeywordInstant Pot, Italian, italian-american, meat sauce, meat sauce with pasta

Ingredients

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 medium yellow onions, diced
6 garlic cloves peeled and chopped
1 lb ground beef
1 lb ground pork
salt
4 bay leaves
1 1/2 tsp dried oregano
1 tbsp fennel seeds (optional)
3/4 cup dry white wine
24 oz tomato puree plus
3 cups water
1 6 oz can tomato paste

Instructions

Heat the olive oil in the instant pot in the saute mode on normal. Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally until golden. Add the garlic and cook stirring until it starts to brown. Add the ground beef and the ground pork. Season lightly with salt. Cook, stirring to break up the meat until the meat changes color and the water it gives of is boiled away about 10 minutes.
Continue cooking until the meat is browned about 5 minutes. Add the bay leaves, fennel and oregano, then pour in the wine. Bring to a boil and cook, scraping up the brown bits that cling to the pot until the wine is almost completely evaporated.
Pour in the tomato puree, then stir in the tomato paste until it is dissolved. Season lightly with salt.
Place the lid on and set for 35 minutes. When finished, do a quick release. Skim off the fat and check the seasoning. Add salt if needed. Serve over your favorite pasta.

Simple – Favorite Red Chile Marinated Carne Asada Tacos!

February 25, 2020 by Becky Spoon

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These Red Chile Marinated Carne Asada Tacos are so good! If you follow me you know the hubs favorite thing to eat ever is tacos! I can ask him every single day, “what do you want to eat?” and he says “tacos”. Obviously, that doesn’t happen but we do have a lot of Mexican food.

I used a thin rib eye steak that you can get at your supermarket. I see that much more than before, so it must be in demand. It’s just a ribeye steak that is sliced thin. If you can’t find it already prepared that way ask the meat market to slice some for you.

I purchased mine from HEB. Here’s a link so you can see what would be offered in a supermarket: https://www.heb.com/product-detail/h-e-b-beef-ribeye-steak-thin-value-pack-usda-select-3-4-steaks/371752.

Simple Favorite Red Chile Marinated Carne Asada Tacos!

These Carne Asada Tacos are kind of the best of two worlds. We love authentic Mexican food and we love Hatch Red Chile. In Mexico they simply season their steak and grill it which is delicious but I added our love of New Mexico sauces like the Hatch Red Chile. My Red Chile is on the blog and here’s the link: https://the2spoons.com/favorite-new-mexico-hatch-red-chile-sauce/. This red chile is well worth the effort and there are so many additional uses like enchiladas, our favorite!

Look at these enchiladas that I made with the Red Chile Sauce! They are to die for! Here’s the link for them! https://the2spoons.com/new-mexico-hatch-red-chile-beef-enchiladas/.

Simple Favorite Red Chile Marinated Carne Asada Tacos!

Here’s the recipe!! Enjoy!!

Red Chile Marinated Carne Asada

Print Recipe

Coursedinner, Lunch, Main Course

CuisineMexican, new mexico

Keywordcarne asada, carne asada tacos, hatch, Hatch red chile sauce, mexican food, New Mexico, new mexico hatch red chile sauce

Servings servings

Ingredients

8 oz (about 20 to 25) dried whole red New Mexican chile pods, mild, medium or hot, or a combination
2-4 cups water
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 medium onion, minced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1-2 tsp crushed Mexican oregano
1 tsp salt, or more to taste

For the Red Chile Marinated Carne Asada

1 lb very thin sliced ribeye steak
1/2 cup Red Chile sauce
4 flour tortillas
1/2 cup Monterrey jack cheese
2 avocados, sliced and divided
1 tomato diced
1/4 white onion diced

Instructions

Remove the stems and seeds from the dried chile pods. Toast the chile pods in a heavy skillet over medium heat until they are warm and release their fragrance, 1 to 2 minutes per side.
Remove the chile pieces and place into a sauce pan and cover with water. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer for about 10 minutes until the chile is soft.
Remove the chile from the liquid and place into a blender or food processor. Blend until a smooth paste. Strain the paste, pushing through with the back of a spoon. This takes a few minutes. You just want to keep straining, pushing the puree through leaving behind any skin or seeds, adding a lilttle water if you need to.
Warm the oil in a skillet, add the onion and garlic and cook until the onion is limp. Add the chile mixture to the onion mixture, along with the oregano and salt , adding more water. You want a pourable sauce, not a thick sauce. Cook for about 15 minutes, taste and adjust the seasonings. When ready the sauce will coat the back of a spoon but still be pourable. At this point I always strain again, pushing through the sauce, leaving behind any solids. This is not mandatory, but if I'm making enchiladas I want a very smooth sauce. Enjoy!

For the Tacos

Place the thin sliced ribeye steak in a zip lock bag. Pour the red chile sauce over and massage the bag to make sure all the meat is covered. Zip the bag and place in the refrigerator for 24 hours.
Remove the beef from the refrigerator and place in a bowl or plate and allow to come to room temperature. Heat your grill or get your charcoal ready. When you're ready to cook, drizzle a little olive oil over the steak. Place on the grill and cook about 2-3 minutes on the first side, flip and continue to cook for an additional 2 to 3 minutes. This is very thin and you don't want to overcook.
Remove from the grill, place on a plate and allow to rest for a few minutes. Heat your flour tortillas on the grill flipping continuously to prevent from burning.
After the steak has rested, dice or slice the meat. Place a little cheese on each flour tortilla, add the meat, add a couple of avocado slices, some diced onions and tomatoes. Serve with your favorite salsa and enjoy!