Red Lobster Style Cheddar Biscuits from Budget101

My son absolutely loves Red Lobster biscuits. He likes fried shrimp, but he likes the biscuits more! Sometime last summer when I was out of work, he was literally begging us to eat there because he wanted biscuits. I finally decided that surely I could at least try to make them at home. Even if it took me several tries to get it right, it would still be cheaper than a single trip to Red Lobster. My son loved them, which was the whole point, and to be as super quick as they are, they were pretty darn close. I have a few other recipes to try that are similar, but I thought I would start with the simplest (this one) and work my way up. But for yummy and super quick, these were quite good.

Red Lobster Cheese Biscuits
Source: Budget101.com

Ingredients:

• 2 C buttermilk baking mix
• 2/3 C milk
• 1/2 C shredded cheddar cheese
• 1/4 C butter
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
• Combine mix, milk and cheese with a wooden spoon until soft dough forms. Beat vigorously 30 seconds.
• Drop dough by heaping tablespoonfuls onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 8 - 10 minutes until golden brown.
• Combine butter and garlic powder; brush over warm biscuits before removing from cookie sheet. Serve warm. Makes 10 large biscuits.

Erin's Notes: I used Bisquick and sharp cheddar (always do), and I did add 1/4 tsp garlic powder to the mix in addition to what is called for in the recipe.

Crock Pot Stew Beef with Gravy from RecipeZaar

My mom found this recipe. I've loved it from day one. So yummy! It freezes quite well (without the rice, obviously), at least in single serve portions; I haven't tried to freeze a large portion. The original version does not call for the cream of mushroom soup. I've made it both ways, and I much prefer it with the soup. Recipe is easily doubled if your crock pot can hold it all!

To Die for Crock Pot Roast by yooper
Source: slightly adapted from RecipeZaar.com Recipe #27208 (now Food.com)

Ingredients:

• 1 (approx. 1 1/4 ounce) package brown gravy mix, dry
• 1 (approx. 1 1/4 ounce) package Italian salad dressing mix, dry
• 1 (approx. 1 1/4 ounce) package ranch dressing mix, dry
• 2-3 pounds beef stew meat, trimmed of large pieces of fat
• 1 (10 3/4 oz) can cream of mushroom condensed soup (fat free is fine)
• 1/2 cup water
• 2-3 cups prepared rice (white or brown)

Directions:

• In a small bowl, combine gravy mix, italian salad dressing mix, and ranch dressing mix. Stir to evenly combine. For 2-3 pounds stew beef, only use half of this dry mixture in the crock pot. Reserve the other half for a later date.
• Place stew meat in crock pot. Sprinkle the dry mixture over the meat. Pour the water around the roast. Top with cream of mushroom soup.
• Cook on low for 7-9 hours, or high for 5-6 hours. Serve over rice.

Notes:

• Adjust the amount of dry mix you use based on the amount of meat you use.
• It is difficult for me to find exactly 1.25 ounce packages of the dry mixes. I buy what is available in the closest amounts.
• I layer half the meat, then half of the dry mix, then half the meat, then half the dry mix. The meat seems more evenly flavored that way. I do put the water and the soup just on top. It "melts" and filters down just fine.
• I do take the lid off and stir to even out the sauce 30-60 minutes before serving.

Comments from RecipeZaar:

• You can also use chicken breast with chicken gravy mix or turkey breast with turkey gravy mix along with the ranch and italian dressing packets and water. Equally yummy! (Erin's Note: I have not personally tried this, but it bet it would be good.)

White Wedding Cupcakes

To be fair, I wanted to show that I have tried other cake recipes. This one was billed on Pinterest as "the best cupcake/cake batter recipe ever." (Pin here.) Worth a try, right? I decided to test it out back in the fall before my son's birthday, just in case it really was better than my scratch butter cake recipe. They're supposed to be white (i.e. no egg yolks), but I made the mistake of trying to separate my eggs over the mixing bowl, so one egg yolk did slip in accidentally. I don't think it affected things much, though.



These were pretty good. We certainly ate them all. It's a doctored cake mix recipe, which I don't mind, but my scratch butter cake is better, as are my own "cake mix additives" (I'll post them sometime later). I don't care for the tang of the sour cream. It became less pronounced over the first 2-3 days, then started to reassert itself near the end. (I realize most folks don't have cake hanging around for a week, but it took that long for us to eat them all! It makes a ton.) If you like that kind of tank in your cakes, you might like these. Like I said, not bad, but I have two other recipes I prefer, so I probably won't make these again. That's not a reflection on the recipe, just my personal tastes.

White Wedding Cupcakes
Source: RecipeGirl.com

Ingredients:

• 1 (18.25 ounce) box white cake mix (recommend Duncan Hines)
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup granulated white sugar
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/3 cups water
• 2 Tablespoons vegetable or canola oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup sour cream
• 4 large egg whites

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 325°F. Place cupcake liners in cupcake pans (you'll need approx. 36).
• In a large bowl, whisk together cake mix, flour, sugar and salt. Add remaining ingredients and beat with hand mixer for 2 minutes, or until well blended.
• Use ice cream scoop to fill prepared cupcake tins- fill about 3/4 full. Bake about 18 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely, then frost as desired.

Yellow Butter Cake with Creamy Vanilla Frosting from Betty Crocker - Family Favorite

My son had been asking "are we having cake?" for weeks, so as a Valentine's Day treat, I made cupcakes. My sister-in-law J gave me this recipe. She used it to make our niece's second birthday cake, and I was blown away. It is so very good! Soft, fluffy, great texture, and not too sweet. And it is nearly as easy to make as a box cake mix. Ten years ago, I never would have thought I'd be making cakes from scratch, but this one is both easy and excellent. I've used it for the last 3 years for our son's birthday cake, and everyone raves about it.



I will admit that this cake is better after sitting for a day. If you try one warm out of the oven, you might find them just a touch dry. Letting them sit (covered, but not sealed air tight) and absorb some moisture out of the air will improve them, so bake your cake a day before frosting it if you can. I've never made the citrus variation, but I thought I would list the instructions anyway. And when the cupcake instructions say "fill half full," they mean it! Much more and they will overflow. (Ask me how I know.)

I don't have a photo, but I have also included J's basic buttercream recipe at the bottom. It has the best balance of sugar to butter to vanilla to salt (yes, salt!) that I have found.

Yellow Butter Cake
Source: Betty Crocker

Ingredients:

• 2.5 cups all purpose flour
• 2.5 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2/3 cup butter or margarine
• 1-3/4 cups sugar
• 1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla
• 2 eggs
• 1-1/4 cups milk
• (see below for creamy vanilla frosting)

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 375.
• Grease and lightly flour two 8x1-1/2 inch or 9x1-1/2 inch round baking pans or grease one 13x9x2 inch baking pan; set pan(s) aside. Combine flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside.
• In a large mixing bowl, beat butter or margarine with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add sugar and vanilla; beat till well combined. Add eggs, one at a time, beating 1 minute after each. Add dry mixture and milk alternately to butter mixture, beginning and ending with dry, beating on low speed after each addition just until combined. Pour batter into the prepared pan(s).
• Bake in a 375 oven for 30-35 minutes or till a wooden toothpick comes out clean. Cool layer cakes in pans on wire racks for 10 minutes. Remove layer cakes from pans. Cool thoroughly on racks. Or, place 13x9 inch cake in pan on a wire rack; cool thoroughly. Frost with desired frosting. (See frosting recipe below.) Serves 12.

Notes:

• For Citrus Yellow Cake: Prepare as above, except stir 2 teaspoons finely shredded orange peel or lemon peel into the batter.
• For Yellow Cupcakes: Grease and lightly flour 2-1/2 inch muffin cups or line with paper baking cups. Prepare cake as above. Fill each cup half full. Bake in a 375 oven for 18-20 minutes or till a wooden toothpick inserted in center of a cupcake comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack. Makes 30 cupcakes.

Creamy Vanilla Frosting
Source: Betty Crocker

Ingredients:

• 3 cups powdered sugar
• 1/3 cup butter, softened
• dash of salt (or use salted butter)
• 1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla
• 2 tablespoons milk, divided (plus more as needed)

Directions:

• Mix powdered sugar, butter, and salt. Stir in vanilla and one tablespoon of milk. Beat until smooth. Add more milk as needed, 1 teaspoon at a time. I find 1-2 tablespoons is usually enough, but more may be added to achieve desired consistency.

Salisbury Steak from AllRecipes - Family Favorite

I certainly wouldn't say that this is a classic Salisbury Steak recipe, but whatever it is, it is yummy. I found this recipe many years ago, not long after we bought our first house (that was 2001). Both my husband and I loved it from the start. I've made one minor adaptation, discussed at the end, but otherwise, this is still how I make it all these years later.

Salisbury Steak
Source: adapted from AllRecipes.com, submitted by Kelly Berenger

Ingredients:

• 1-1/2 pounds ground beef
• 1 (10.5 ounce) can condensed French onion soup
• 1/2 cup dry seasoned bread crumbs
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper (optional)
• ketchup - 2 Tablespoons (for meat) plus 1/3 cup (for sauce)
  
• Worcestershire sauce - 1 Tablespoon (for meat) plus 2 Tablespoons (for sauce)
  
• 1 tablespoon all purpose flour
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/2 teaspoon mustard powder

Directions:

• In a large bowl, mix ground beef with 1/3 cup soup, bread crumbs, egg, salt, black pepper, 2 Tablespoons ketchup and 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire. Shape into six patties.
• In a large skillet, brown both sides of patties over medium-high heat. Pour off excess fat.
• In a small bowl, blend flour and remaining soup until smooth. Mix in water, mustard powder, plus remaining ketchup and Worcestershire sauce.
• Pour sauce over meat in skillet. Cover, and cook for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Erin’s Notes:

• For the 1/3 cup of soup that goes in the meat, I usually spoon out most of the onions, then add a little of the liquid. That way most of the onions are in the meat adding flavor, leaving most of the liquid to keep the sauce smooth.
• I usually brown the patties until they are mostly done, then pour on the sauce. I simmer covered until the meat is done, then simmer uncovered until the sauce thickens.
• Works fine with ground turkey, perhaps adding a bit more ketchup and Worcestershire sauce to the meat, though I do still prefer this particular recipe with beef.
• I've begun experimenting with making these in muffin tins instead of browning in a skillet. Will update if/when I perfect the method.
  

Turtle Pretzels from Recipe Zaar

These fall into my favorite recipe category: Easy But Awesome! I already love chocolate covered pretzels. Toss in caramel and pecans, and how could this possibly be bad? Answer: it can't! They really do taste just like a turtle candy, but with the added extra salty crunch of the pretzel. They are simply wonderful. You can make as many or as few as you like, which is why I didn't include amounts/numbers below. The hardest part is unwrapping all the candies. Enjoy!

Turtle Pretzels
Source: slightly adapted from Recipe Zaar Recipe #107408 (now Food.com)

Ingredients:

• grid-style small pretzels
• bag of Rolo chocolate-covered caramel candies, unwrapped
• pecan halves
• (you should have equal numbers of pretzels, candies, and pecans)

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 250°F
• Place pretzels in a single layer on a parchment lined cookie sheet (as few or as many as you like).
• Put one Rolo on each pretzel, as centered as possible.
• Put the Rolo/pretzels in the oven until the Rolos soften and start to melt (about 4 minutes for me). Note: Rolos will retain their shape, even when soft enough for the next step.
• Remove from the oven and push one pecan half down in the middle of each Rolo.
• Let cool. (I had to put them in the refrigerator to get them to set properly.)
• Remove from the parchment and store in an air tight container. (I keep mine in the fridge.)
• Best if removed from refrigerator a few minutes before serving to warm up slightly.

Erin's Notes: original recipe called for mini-twists

Taco Cornbread Bake from Plain Chicken

This was one of the first recipes I tried from Pinterest. (I assume you know about Pinterest, right? If not, read my rhapsodizing about it on my main blog.) It was a good idea, but I didn't love it. To me, the cornbread was way too sweet (I'm a southerner; no sugar in my cornbread, please! Sugar goes in the sweet tea.) The base also tasted like it was missing something, though I can't really put my finger on what. I'll keep hunting for similar recipes, I think.

Taco Cornbread Bake
Source: Plain Chicken, found on Pinterest

Ingredients:

• 1 lb ground round
• 1 packet taco seasoning
• 1/3 cup water
• 1 can Rotel tomatoes and green chiles
• 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 box Jiffy corn bread mix, plus ingredients to make cornbread
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• sour cream
• salsa

Directions:

• In a large skillet, cook beef over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. Stir in the water and taco seasoning. Simmer for 5 minutes. Stir in 1/2 cup of cheese, Rotel tomatoes and black beans. Spoon into a greased 8x8 baking dish.
• Prepare corn bread mix according to package directions for corn bread. Spread over beef mixture. Bake, uncovered, at 400° for 20 minutes.
• Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake 3-5 minutes longer or until cheese is melted. Serve with sour cream and salsa.

Jo Mama's World Famous Spaghetti from RecipeZaar - Family Favorite

There are not words to describe this spaghetti sauce, but I will give it a try. How about Italian Heaven in a Bowl? The author of this recipe, Sharlene W, says her kids will give up a steak dinner to have this spaghetti sauce at home, and I completely believe it. I have stopped getting spaghetti when I go out to restaurants because I know I can make better - THIS sauce - at home. It makes enough to feed an army, and the recipe could be easily halved, but trust me, don't. Make the whole batch and freeze half. You'll be thankful when you're craving it again in a few weeks and all you have to do is thaw some out.

Jo Mama's World Famous Spaghetti by Sharlene~W
Source: Originally from RecipeZaar, now Food.com

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs Italian sausage, casings removed
• 3/4 cup chopped onion
• 3-4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes
• 2 (6 ounce) cans tomato paste
• 2 (15 ounce) cans tomato sauce
• 1-2 cups water (the longer it simmers, the more water you need)
• 3 teaspoons basil
• 2 teaspoons dried parsley flakes
• 1 1/2 teaspoons brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon fresh coarse ground black pepper
• 1/4-1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
• 1/4 cup red wine
• 1 lb thin spaghetti
• good quality parmesan cheese

Directions:

• In large heavy pot, brown Italian sausage, breaking up as you stir. Drain fat.
• Add onions and continue to cook, stirring occasionally until onions are softened.
• Add garlic, tomatoes, tomato paste, tomato sauce and water. Add basil, parsley, brown sugar, salt, crushed red pepper (if using), and black pepper.
• Stir well and barely bring to a boil. Stir in red wine.
• Simmer on low, stirring frequently for at least an hour. A longer simmer makes for a better sauce, just be careful not to let it burn! Add more water, as needed, to achieve and maintain the desired consistency.
• Cook pasta according to package directions. Ladle sauce over drained pasta and sprinkle with parmesan cheese.

Erin's Notes:

• I usually use half mild and half sweet Italian sausage. I prefer petite diced tomatoes. If I can find the tomatoes, sauce, and paste with basil/oregano/garlic already in it, I use that. I definitely leave out the red pepper flakes (you know me).
• I will be perfectly honest, it takes me about 2.5 hours from the moment I walk into the kitchen to start the meal to the moment I serve it into bowls over pasta. It's about 1 hour of active cooking "get it in the pot" time, plus 90 additional minutes of simmering. I just can't seem to get it done any faster, but this recipe is so good, it is definitely worth it!

Turkey Bacon Cheeseburger Meatloaf from Paula Deen - Family Favorite

You know that most any Paula Deen recipe is going to have either butter or bacon in it. No butter here, but she makes up for it with mayonnaise and cheese. Believe me, this isn't healthy, but we do try to improve it some by using 99% lean ground turkey breast instead of ground beef. There is plenty of fat in the rest of the mix-ins to keep it moist!

We've also found that a half batch of this is plenty for four servings. Can easily be prepared ahead (hold the toppings) and refrigerated overnight before baking as directed the following day.

Bacon Cheeseburger Meatloaf
Source: adapted from Paula Deen, FoodNetwork.com

Ingredients:

• 1 pound ground turkey breast (98-99% lean), or ground beef
• 10 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled, or equivalent real bacon bits
• 8 ounces sharp Cheddar, grated
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1/4 cup bread crumbs, toasted, or 1/4 cup crushed croutons
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup ketchup
• 1/4 cup prepared mustard
• 1 (6-ounce) can French fried onions, divided

Instructions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Take half the french fried onions and crush them in a zip top bag.
• In a large bowl, combine ground meat, bacon, cheese, eggs, bread crumbs, mayo, Worchestershire, salt, pepper, and crushed french fried onions, mixing well.
• In a small bowl, combine the ketchup and mustard. Stir half of the ketchup mixture into meat mixture, reserving remaining ketchup mixture.
• Gently pat/press meat mixture into a 9 by 5 by 3-inch loaf pan (don't make it too dense), or shape into a loaf and place on a rack in a broiler pan.* Spread remaining ketchup mixture over loaf. Bake 40 minutes. Top with French fried onions; bake another 10 to 15 minutes, or until onions are golden brown and meat is cooked through. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

* Note: Can be made ahead to this point and refrigerated overnight. Remove from refrigerator when ready to bake and continue with instructions. May require a few extra minutes cooking time.

Ritzy Chicken Casserole - Family Favorite

I tell you what, casseroles just don't photograph very pretty! The top just looks pretty boring, and it looks rather goopy/nonpretty on the plate. I tried several different shots of this one, but never got one I was truly happy with. I did try a bit of an action shot that turned out okay, so these photos will have to do.



Still, don't judge a meal by its appearance. This is one of our family favorite meals, one my mom has been making as long as I can remember. I believe the only change we've made to it in all these years is the addition of the pasta, making it more of a true casserole (meat plus starch in one) than it was before. Hope you enjoy!

Ritzy Chicken Casserole
Source: Unknown

Ingredients:

• 8 oz pasta (we prefer spaghetti broken in half, or elbows)
• 2 large cans of white meat chicken, drained (or 3-4 cups shredded cooked chicken)
• 1 can condensed cream of chicken soup (fat free is fine)
• 8 oz sour cream (reduced fat is fine)
• 1-2 Tbsp milk, if needed
• 1 tube ritz crackers
• 1/4 cup (half a stick) butter or margarine, melted

Instructions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Cook pasta according to package instructions until cooked through but still firm. Drain.
• In large bowl, combine chicken meat, cream of chicken soup, and sour cream. Stir in pasta until well combined, adding milk if necessary to thin out the mixture to coat the pasta better.
• In large ziptop bag, crush crackers. Add melted butter and mix until crumbs are coated and butter is absorbed. Set aside.
• Pour chicken mixture into 2 quart baking dish. Top with buttered cracker crumbs.
• Bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes, or until top is deeply golden and mixture is bubbly. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Notes:
* Can substitute 2 cups cooked rice for pasta, if desired. Definitely add the milk to the mixture if you do, since the rice will absorb more moisture from the mixture than the pasta.

Cheeseburger Pie - Family Favorite

My mom has been making Cheeseburger Pie for as long as I can remember. It is about the only thing that involves cottage cheese that I actually like. I don't think I was much of a fan as a child, but it has become one of my favorites as an adult. (That's risotto in the background, but that's another post....)

Note that any recipes marked as a Family Favorites are ones that we make often (that seems obvious, right?) and/or truly adore. I do try to credit where I obtain each of my recipes, but many of the Family Favorites have been floating around the family for so long that I have no idea as to the original source for them. This is one of those.

Cheeseburger Pie
Source: Unknown

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. ground beef
• small onion, chopped
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 2 Tbsp. Bisquick
• 1 Tbsp. Worcestershire
• 2 eggs
• 1 C. cottage cheese (small curd)
• 1 C. grated cheddar cheese
• 9 in. deep-dish pie crust, unbaked

Instructions:

• Preheat oven to 375.
• Brown ground beef with onion and salt. Drain. Stir in Bisquick and Worcestershire. Cook just until Worchestershire is abosrbed. Remove from heat, set aside.
• In small bowl, beat egg and fold in cottage cheese. Set aside.
• Into unbaked pie shell, layer 1/3 cheddar cheese, 1/2 meat mixture, 1/2 egg mixture, 1/3 cheddar cheese, remaining meat mixture, remaining egg mixture, and remaining cheddar.
• Bake until set, about 30 minutes. (Place pie shell on foil-lined baking sheet if you are concerned about spill over.) Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Cocoa Brownies from Alton Brown

I absolutely love brownies, but I quit making them for years because I just couldn't get them right, not even from a box! They were either completely underdone goo, or they were bricks. Many recipes these days call for melted chocolate/baking squares, which I am not likely to have on hand unless I am planning ahead for a recipe. Unfortunately for me, brownies tend to fall under "spur of the moment" things for me, so that didn't' really work either. But when I saw Alton Brown had a cocoa based brownie recipe, I decided to give it a try. So glad I did!

Cocoa Brownies
Source: Alton Brown, FoodNetwork.com

Ingredients:

• Soft butter, for greasing the pan
• Flour, for dusting the buttered pan
• 4 large eggs
• 1 cup sugar, sifted
• 1 cup brown sugar, sifted
• 8 ounces melted butter
• 11/4 cups cocoa, sifted
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup flour, sifted
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Instructions:

• Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Butter and flour an 8-inch square pan.
• In a mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat the eggs at medium speed until fluffy and light yellow. Add both sugars. Add remaining ingredients, and mix to combine.
• Pour the batter into a greased and floured 8-inch square pan and bake for 45 minutes. Check for doneness with the tried-and-true toothpick method: a toothpick inserted into the center of the pan should come out clean. When it's done, remove to a rack to cool. Resist the temptation to cut into it until it's mostly cool.

My Notes: These are very very yummy, but mine don't look like Alton Brown's did on the show. They have a crunchy top instead of a shiny crackled top. Mine also take more like an hour (or more) to cook instead of 45 minutes. The episode also shows him using a parchment sling instead of buttering and flouring the pan. I've made them both ways, and both work fine. Again, these are not complaints, just observations.

Verdict: Love these brownies! And I love that they use cocoa, which I am much more likely to have on hand, instead of melted chocolate.