Pepperoni Pizza Pasta Salad

I hate pepperoni. I know, it's un-American but I really do hate it! But I love pasta salads and am always scouting new ones. I tried this a few summers ago as an alternative to the traditional oil and vinegar salads and it was a hit. I even liked the pepperoni!

10 plum tomatoes, chopped
3 medium green peppers, chopped
2 c cubed mozzarella
3.5 oz sliced pepperoni
2 oz can sliced black olives
1/2 c onion, chopped
1/3 c tomato juice
1/4 red wine vinegar
1/4 c olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
3 Tbsp fresh basil, shredded
2 c rotini pasta, cooked and cooled

Combine tomatoes, green peppers, cheese, pepperoni, olives and onions. In a small bowl, combine tomato juice, vinegar, olive oil, and garlic. Pour over tomato mixture. Add pasta and basil and toss. Cover and refrigerate for at least a few hours.

Skillet Shrimp and Rice

This is like a jambalaya. But there's no sausage. Or okra. And it's not spicy. OK, so it's not really a jambalaya, but it's yummy! The girls love it and it's super duper easy!

1 pkg bacon bits
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 lg. green pepper, chopped
2 c brown rice
1 14 oz can diced tomatoes
3 1/2 c chicken broth
2 tsp Old Bay
1 lb frozen, cooked shrimp

In a large skillet saute onion, garlic, and green pepper in butter or olive oil until soft. Add rice and cook 1 minute, while stirring constantly. Stir in tomatoes, broth, and Old Bay. Bring to a boil. Cover and simmer until rice is tender~about 15 minutes.

Thaw shrimp under cold water and remove tails. Add to the skillet, cover, and simmer another 5-7 minutes. Top with bacon bits.

Roasted Spring Veggies

This is the perfect side dish with any grilled meat or fish.

1 lb green beans
1 lb baby carrots
3 medium red onions, cut in eighths
2 red peppers
2 yellow peppers
salt and pepper
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/3 c olive oil
1 1/2 tsp italian seasoning

Preheat oven to 400. In a large bowl whisk together olive oil and seasonings. Chop veggies into pieces and toss to coat. Roast for 40-45 minutes, stirring once during cook time.

Marinated Steak Sandwiches

Can't have too many marinade recipes.

3 T white wine
2 T sugar
2 T honey
1 t dry mustard
1 t salt
1 t celery salt
1 t tarragon
1 t onion powder
1/2 t pepper
1.2 c olive oil

Combine all ingredients. Place in bag with your choice of steak. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours. Grill and serve on toasted buns with lettuce and tomato.

Spinach and Sausage Stuffed Mushrooms

My sister-in-law hates my cooking. But she LOVES mushrooms so I made these for Christmas Eve and she loved 'em.

12oz Stouffer's spinach souffle, defrosted
2 1/2-3 lbs mushrooms
1/2 lb Italian sausage
2 Tbsp butter
3 Tbsp onion
3/4 c water
2 1/3 c stuffing
1/4 c parmesan

Brown sausage, drain. Clean and de-stem mushrooms. Saute onions in butter. Add water and heat to boiling. Turn off heat. Add stuffing and stir. Add spinach, sausage, and parmesan. Stir well. Place mushrooms on cookie sheet and fill with spinach mix. Sprinkle with extra parmesan. Bake 10-15 minutes.

Sliders

If you are from the midwest you know exactly what sliders are. White Castle burgers. Yum. When I was very pregnant with Amelia I forced friends to eat some with me in hopes of going into labor. Christine called me the next morning to inform me that I was the only one NOT in labor. These are as good of a recreation as I have found. Be sure to blot the meat before you put the cheese on or you will have a greasy mess!

1 lb ground beef
1 envelope onion soup mix
1 egg
1/3 c bread crumbs
1/2 tsp pepper
2 Tbsp water
3/4 lb Velveeta
12 dinner rolls

Preheat oven to 400. Mix meat, soup mix, egg, bread crumbs, pepper, and water. Press into 13 x 9 pan and bake 10-15 minutes. Drain and blot. Slice Velveeta over the meat and melt. Serve on buns with chopped onion and pickle chips.

Grilled Mac and Cheese with Veggies

Tim is addicted to BBQU. Loves it. This is by far the best recipe we've tried from there and it isn't even meat! The perfect side dish for any grilled meat!

Coarse salt (kosher or sea)
2 cups (about 8 ounces) elbow macaroni
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
2 ears sweet corn, shucked
1 medium red onion, peeled and quartered
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted, plus 2 tablespoons butter
Freshly ground black pepper
6 to 8 New Mexican green chiles or Anaheim or California peppers, or
2 to 4 poblano peppers
1 yellow bell pepper
1 red bell pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 shallot, minced
3 tablespoons flour
2 cups half-and-half, light cream, or milk
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 cups (about 8 ounces) grated smoked cheese, preferably smoked Cheddar
1/4 to 1/2 cup dried bread crumbs (preferably homemade)

Bring 8 quarts of lightly salted water to a rapid boil in a large pot over high heat. Add the macaroni and cook until al dente, about 7 to 8 minutes. Drain the macaroni in a large colander, rinse with cold water until cool, and drain again. Toss the macaroni with the oil to prevent sticking.

Set up the grill for direct grilling and preheat to high.

When ready to cook, lightly brush the corn and onion with half of the melted butter and season with salt and pepper. Place the corn and onion on the hot grate and grill until nicely browned, 2 to 3 minutes per side (8 to 12 minutes in all) for the corn, and 3 to 4 minutes per side (9 to 12 minutes in all) for the onion, turning with tongs as needed. Add the chiles and peppers to the hot grate and grill until the skins are charred, 3 to 5 minutes per side (6 to 10 minutes in all) for the New Mexican chiles, or 3 to 5 minutes per side (12 to 20 minutes in all) for the poblano peppers, and 4 to 6 minutes per side (16 to 24 minutes in all) for the bell peppers. Transfer the corn and onion to a cutting board and let cool.

Transfer the grilled chiles and bell peppers to a baking dish and cover with plastic wrap. Let the peppers cool to room temperature, about 20 minutes (the steam trapped by the plastic wrap helps loosen the skin from the peppers). Scrape the skin off the cooled peppers, then core and seed them.

Cut the corn kernels off the cobs using lengthwise strokes of a chef’s knife. Thinly slice the onion quarters crosswise. Cut the chiles and peppers into 1/4-inch dice. The recipe can be prepared to this stage up to 2 days ahead.

Melt the 2 tablespoons butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic and shallot and cook until soft but not brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the corn kernels and grilled onion, chiles, and bell peppers. Stir in the flour and cook for 1 minute. Stir in the half-and-half and increase the heat to high. Let the mixture boil for 3 minutes, stirring well; it should thicken. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the mustard and cooked macaroni, followed by the cheese. Season with salt and pepper to taste; the mixture should be highly seasoned. Spoon the macaroni and cheese into the cast iron skillet or oiled aluminum foil pan. Sprinkle the top of the macaroni with the bread crumbs and drizzle the remaining 2 tablespoons melted butter over the bread crumbs. The recipe can be prepared to this stage up to 24 hours ahead.

Set up the grill for indirect grilling and preheat to medium-high. If using a gas grill, place all of the wood chips in the smoker box or in a smoker pouch and run the grill on high until you see smoke, then reduce the heat to medium-high. If using a charcoal grill, preheat it to medium-high, then toss all of the wood chips or chunks, if desired, on the coals.

When ready to cook, place the macaroni and cheese in the center of the hot grate, away from the heat, and cover the grill. Cook the macaroni and cheese until the sauce is bubbly and the top is crusty and brown, 40 minutes to 1 hour. Serve at once.