Fat Tuesday Shrimp & Grits

Mardi Gras is French for "Fat Tuesday," and it refers to the last night of indulging in rich, fattening food before the Lenten season begins on Ash Wednesday.  I can't think of a richer dish to indulge in either, and nothing says the South like Shrimp and Grits.  This recipe has a variation of my Grits Souffle and uses instant grits.  Although when I use instant grits, my husband likes to quote the guy in My Cousin Vinny and say, "No self-respectin' Southerner would use instant grits." Instant or not, this recipe is definitely Mardi Gras worthy, so as they say in New Orleans, "Laissez les bons temps rouler," or "Let the good times roll!"

Go ahead!  Indulge!
It's Fat Tuesday!

The Grits Casserole ready to bake.

The rich, thick shrimp mixture ready to top the grits.

Laissez les bons temps rouler!
Let the good times roll!

Fat Tuesday Shrimp & Grits

3 cups water
3 1/2 cups half and half
2 cups instant grits
1 (8 ounce) carton Mascarpone cheese OR 1 (5 ounce) package grated Parmesan cheese
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (more or less if you like spicy or mild)
8 slices bacon, roughly chopped
1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 cup sliced green onions
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup chicken broth
2 cups heavy whipping cream
2 pounds medium fresh shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 teaspoons Creole seasoning (I like Slap Ya Mama or Tony Chachere's)
additional green onion, chopped for garnish (green parts only)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Spray a 9x13-inch casserole dish with cooking spray and set aside.   In a large saucepan, bring 3 cups water and 3.5 cups half and half to a boil over medium heat.  (Keep an eye on this so the half and half does not burn.)  Add the grits, and reduce the heat to a simmer.  Cook until thickened, about 5-7 minutes.  Stir in Mascarpone, egg, salt and cayenne pepper.  Spoon into prepared casserole dish and bake until set, approximately 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a Dutch oven over medium heat, cook bacon until crisp.  Remove and place on a platter lined with paper towels.  Crumble when cooled, if necessary.  Leave the bacon fat in the Dutch oven.  Add bell pepper and green onion.  Cook and stir until soft, about 3 minutes.  Sprinkle with flour and cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly.  Add chicken broth and heavy cream; stir well until combined.  Continue cooking this mixture until thickened, approximately 5 minutes.  Add shrimp and cook until shrimp are pink and firm, approximately 3-4 minutes.  Season with Creole seasoning.  To serve, spoon a serving of prepared grits onto plate.  Top with shrimp mixture.  Garnish with crumbled bacon and chopped green onion.

Prep Time:  Approximately 25 minutes     Cook Time:  Approximately 1 hour total

Lasagna Rolls

This recipe has been a mainstay in our family for years.  It's fancy enough for a crowd, but so simple to prepare.  Whether you enjoy meatless Monday or you just want a lighter meal, it is always a hit.  You can certainly add cooked ground beef or Italian sausage, but we love it with the spinach filling.  Bonus points if you have some homemade sauce leftover, but a jar of your favorite store-bought marinara will do just fine.  This was one of Little Devil's favorite meals when she still lived at home, and now she prepares it at her own home.   I have the sweetest co-worker who is a starving college student.  Sometimes I bring her leftovers.  I call her "Child" and she calls me "Second Mother." She just confirmed how good these were.  Round out the meal with a salad and some crusty garlic bread, and you'll have a meal everyone will love.

A quick and easy meal everyone will love!

The ingredients

Combine the ricotta, parmesan,
mozzarella, egg and drained spinach.

Spread this mixture carefully onto
cooked lasagna noodles.

Roll up.

Place seam side down in to a baking dish
and top with your favorite marinara sauce.

Bake until hot an bubbly.

Enjoy with a green salad and some crusty bread.

LASAGNA ROLLS

1 (16 ounce) box lasagna noodles
1 (15 ounce) carton Ricotta cheese
1 cup shredded Mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 egg
1 (10 ounce) package frozen spinach, thawed
1 large jar marinara sauce of your choice

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  Grease an oven-safe casserole dish and set aside.  Get a large pot of water boiling and cook the lasagna noodles until they are al dente (about 2 minutes under the recommended package cooking time.)  While the noodles are boiling, prepare the filling.  Squeeze as much liquid from the spinach as you can.  Combine the spinach with the ricotta, mozzarella, Parmesan and egg.  Season well with salt and pepper.  When the noodles have finished cooking, rinse with cold water.  I like to pat each one dry with a paper towel as I go.  On a clean surface, lay a noodle out flour and place a couple of tablespoons of filling onto the noodle.  Spread to cover from end to end.  (Do not get too thick because you want the noodle to roll up.)  Begin at one end and roll the noodle up.  Place in the prepared casserole dish seam side down.  Continue until you have used up remaining noodles and filling.  (You may have a few noodles left over.  I usually cook entire box to allow for extras because some noodles may tear or break.)  Pour the marinara sauce over the rolled noodles, making sure all of them are well-covered.  (This will help keep them soft while baking.)  Cover the dish with foil and bake for 30 minutes. 

Prep Time:  Approximately 25 minutes     Cook Time:  Approximately 30 minutes

NOTE- This recipe was originally published on 3/3/14 and revised on 2/27/26

Dad's Favorite Peanut Butter Cookies

It's National Peanut Butter Lover's Day today, which for me is every day. Given a choice I'll pick Reese's Cups over just about any candy bar out there.  Honestly they could leave the chocolate off and I would be totally fine with that.  My dad's favorite cookie is Peanut Butter.  I'm definitely my father's daughter, because that's my favorite too.  I was pretty excited when I met my husband and found out that was also his favorite.  I grew up in a house where a peanut butter sandwich was always an option.  Didn't like what mom made for dinner?  Peanut Butter.  Need a midnight snack?  Peanut Butter.  One time we were visiting my in-laws, when we lived out of state.  It was pretty late and everyone was in bed.  I was starving and I thought I'd sneak down stairs and make a peanut butter sandwich.  Imagine the horror when I searched every cupboard and found his family did not have a jar of peanut butter.  The next morning I asked him if they were really Russian spies that had infiltrated the United States posing an a normal American family.  He replied, "What in the world would make you think that?"  I said, "They have to be Communists.  Every family in America has peanut butter in their house."  We always have peanut butter on hand, mainly so I can make these cookies any time the craving strikes.  This is the way a Peanut Butter Cookie should be made.  Soft, chewy and not one bit gritty.  Go on an make yourself a batch.  Do it for your country.  It's American!

The All-American Peanut Butter Cookie
My dad's favorite.  My husband's favorite.
My favorite.

The Line-Up.
Be sure to use real butter and shortening.
Don't try to substitute or your cookies
will not have the perfect soft, chewy texture.

Cream together butter, shortening and sugars.
Add eggs.
Add vanilla.
Add peanut butter.

Combine dry ingredients and add to peanut butter mixture.

Roll into tablespoonful-sized balls.

Flatten cookies using fork to make a criss-cross pattern.

Happy National Peanut Butter Lover's Day!

Green Chile-Ancho Vinaigrette

We recently returned from a trip to Santa Fe, which happens to be my favorite place on earth.  It was 4 magical days of eating some of the best cuisine America has to offer.  If you haven't tried adding green chile to your diet, then you have been missing out.  Last summer I was lucky enough to to stumble across a bottle of green chile-infused olive oil from Chile.  We use it on just about everything.  My only regret is not buying an entire case.  My brother-in-law is a chef in Denver, and when he heard we were going to be in Santa Fe he asked us to find some "chile salt" for him.  On our last day in Santa Fe, we wandered into the neatest store called Oleaceae because the Himalayan salt blocks in the window caught our eye, and we knew we could find the aforementioned chile salt.  Not only did the store have dozens of salts on hand, they had urn upon urn of infused oils and vinegars to sample as well.  My favorite was the Ancho Chile Vinegar.  It's light, almost sweet, and full of peppery flavor.  I couldn't wait to get back home to the kitchen and experiment with it.  With the green chile olive oil on hand, a vinaigrette seemed like the obvious choice.  We often make our own sauces and dressings here, and I have to say this is my new favorite.  It's slightly tangy, with just a hint of kick from the green chile and ancho pepper.  All the flavors of the Southwest, right on your salad!

The flavors of the Southwest, captured on a salad!

Olave Extra Virgin Olive Oil Green Chili:  http://www.olave.cl/
Oleaceae Ancho Fruit Vinegar-Artisan Crafted:  http://www.oleaceaeoliveoil.com/
If you have the opportunity, I highly recommend a visit to the Oleaceae Shop in Santa Fe.
If you are planning a trip, send me an email.  I'd love to share our favorite places with you!

Nacho Bake Casserole

Yesterday Mr. Devilish Dish sent me a text message that read, "What's for dinner?" so I replied, "I'm making a casserole."  His response was, "Yum.  I'm looking forward to it."  So I said, "How can you be looking forward to it?  You don't even know what kind of casserole it is.  It could be a turd casserole.  Are you still looking forward to it?"  I guess he knows me pretty well because he responded with, "Odds are it's some kind of Mexican casserole so I know I'll like it."  So I told him it was called, "Nacho Bake."  Everybody's a comedian so he replied with, "If it's not my bake then whose bake is it?"  Hardy Har Har.  And that's how you stay married for 20 years.  Never a dull moment.  And never a dull meal.  Give this one a try.  Even if no one cracks any "Nacho" jokes around the table, you are sure to crack some smiles at least!

Nacho Bake
It's Nacho Bake, It's my Bake!

Nacho Bake Casserole

Nacho Bake

1 cup chopped poblano pepper
1 cup chopped white onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 pound ground beef
1 can Ranch Style Beans
1 can Ro*Tel Diced Tomatoes & Green Chiles, drained
1 cup sour cream
1 cup frozen whole kernel corn
1 teaspoon chili powder
4 cups tortilla chips, crushed
1 package shredded Mexican cheese blend
salsa, optional for garnish
sour cream, optional for garnish

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Spray an 8x8-inch baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.  In a large skillet over medium heat, saute poblano peppers, onions, garlic and ground beef until meat is brown and crumbly and no pink remains.  Add beans, drained tomatoes, sour cream, corn and chili powder.  Stir until well combined.  Place half of meat mixture into prepared dish.  Sprinkle with half of the tortilla chips.  Cover with remaining meat mixture.  Cover with foil and bake for 25 minutes.  Remove foil, top with remaining tortilla chips and package of cheese.  Return to oven and bake, uncovered for 5 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly.  Serve garnished with salsa and sour cream if desired.

Prep Time:  Approximately 20 minutes     Cook Time:  Approximately 30 minutes

National Cherry Pie Day: Cherry Pocket Pies

A while back, my dear friend Michaela over at An Affair From The Heart sent me the cutest little pocket pie maker.  I've been dying to use it.  This morning she sent me a message wishing me a Happy National Cherry Pie Day with a YouTube link to Warrant's, "Cherry Pie." A little later I was running around the grocery store like a mad woman, because we just got back from vacation and I haven't been to the store in a while.  Literally out of paper towels, shampoo, laundry detergent and most importantly Diet Coke.  I happened to see Michaela's post today, Cherry Heart Shaped Hand Pies , and I remembered my little pocket pie maker she gave me.  I decided on the fly that we would be having little cherry pies for dessert and grabbed a package of refrigerated pie dough, and a can of pie filling.  As you can see, they turned out quite cute.  Thanks again to Michaela for the pocket pie maker AND the inspiration.  She's my cherry pie!

Happy National Cherry Pie Day!
(That sweet little cherry pin belonged to my Nana!)

Cherry Pocket Pies

1 package refrigerated pie dough (enough for two-crusts)
1 can cherry pie filling
1 egg, beaten
granulated sugar for sprinkling

I followed the directions on the pocket pie maker:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.  Use the pocket press to cut out heart-shapes in the dough.  If you are careful you can cut 6 hearts out of each circle of dough, enough for 3 pies total.  Place a heart-shaped piece of dough onto each half of the pie press.  Press the dough down slightly in the center.  Fill with approximately 2 tablespoons of pie filling.  Brush the edges of the dough with the beaten egg and press pocket pie maker together to close and create a little heart-shaped pocket.  Place on parchment-lined baking sheet.  Brush pie with egg wash and sprinkle with sugar.  Bake for 15-20 minutes until golden brown.  Serve to someone you love!

Prep Time:  Approximately 20 minutes     Cook Time:  Approximately 20 minutes

Blueberry Banana Bread

A while back I made Butter Chicken and Homemade Naan Bread for dinner.  Both recipes call for plain yogurt.  Unless we are having it for breakfast with granola, plain yogurt isn't something I normally keep on hand.  I bought a bunch of bananas thinking I would use the remaining yogurt to make Homemade Frosty Paws for the dog.  And I had the best intentions, but of course I never got around to it, much to Baby Ruth's chagrin.  Which is why I never buy bananas.  Because one gets eaten and the others turn brown.  And go in the freezer with the best intentions of making banana bread.  Last week, my friend Michaela, from An Affair from the Heart was on a banana bread baking frenzy.  She made a Cinnamon-Streusel Banana Bread, and a S'Mores Banana Bread that looked amazing.  Hopefully she will blog those recipes soon an share them with all of us.  I can only imagine how good her kitchen must have smelled that day.  Inspired by all of her banana bread baking, I decided to pull those too-ripe bananas out of my freezer and try some Blueberry Banana Bread. The results were amazing.  The tartness from the blueberries, really compliments this sweet bread.  And there's just a short list of ingredients so your kitchen will be smelling amazing in no time!

Blueberry Banana Bread...
Looks and smells yummy!
And TASTES great too!

Here's the golden brown bread, fresh from the oven...