Beer Onions

Beer+Onion=Heaven in your mouth. If this was a math class I would fail but on a taste test I would win. I learned this little trick from my boss John. Shout out!

In some of the pictures you will see you can add other veggies to the mix as well such as mushrooms. This makes the best onions and honestly I cannot eat normal sautéed ones anymore.







What you need~
1 onion (white or yellow) cut loosely up
1 can of beer (I use the stuff I don't really want to drink that is leftover in the fridge)
1 tablespoon of butter
Worchester to taste
Mrs. Dash to taste

Get a pan up to medium heat. Add your loosely chopped up onion to the pan. Let this sweat in the pan for about two minutes then add a little beer to cover the onions. Add your Worchester Sauce and seasoning as you go. Keep repeating this process slowly adding the beer for about 45 minutes. Towards the end you should have used all your beer and you want the beer to cook off completely. Add your butter before serving.

Perfect on a burger or served with a steak. I like to make this at least once every couple weeks. They make something so simple extra special. If you double the recipe you could make leftovers for other meals too.

Until next time~
XoXo Emily

Smashed Potatoes

I have made these a couple of times and they are always so good. Light in fluffy in the inside and crisp on the outside. They pair really well with a steak. I made them on Saturday to cheer Ryan up from his broken toe situation he has going on. Always a fan of tiny little fingerling potatoes you can use those or baby reds work well too.


What you need~
3 cups of potatoes cleaned
Olive oil
Nature's Seasoning
Salt















Start by putting potatoes in a pot and filling with water to just cover them. Season the water with salt. Put on high heat on a burner until fork tender. Drain potatoes and place on a baking sheet that has lightly been coated with olive oil. Using a fork smash the potatoes flat and brush with olive oil. Season the potatoes and place in an oven at 350 degrees for about 15 minutes until crisp.

Smashed and ready for the oven.

These are so delicious and not that difficult to do. Buttery and fluffy in the inside but crisp on the outside.

Until next time~
XoXo Emily

Healthy Hamburger Helper

GASP. It is possible. When I first actually made this I had no intention of making hamburger helper at all honestly. When Ryan ate it though he said that is exactly what it tasted like to him. You know what I am referencing that childhood classic that came in a box. All you had to add was milk and meat?
Anyway this turned out great and was like 1,000 times more healthy.

What you need~
1 spaghetti squash
1 pound of pork sausage
Half a head of purple cabbage (diced)
Natures seasoning
Olive oil
Worchester sauce

I started by cutting the squash in half which was slightly hard to do. I need a bigger knife! Then I removed all the seeds. Put some olive oil on the halves and seasoned it with Natures Seasoning. Place on a baking sheet. I baked it for about 10-15 minutes at 350 degrees. While this was happening I had two pans warming up on the stove. The sausage was browned in one and seasoned with Natures Seasoning and Worchester. The cabbage was cooked in the other with a small amount of water and Worchester. I then removed the squash and removed it from the skin carefully with tongs and a fork. I added the squash and cooked down cabbage to the sausage pan. Mix it all really well and serve. It was tasty and I will be making it again really soon. Next time I think I will make two squash too. The more squash the better.

Until next time~
XoXo Emily

Chicken Chili

Warm and spicy. My favorite things. After the Packer loss on Sunday this was a great way to recover. The complex flavors I was able to bring out in a crockpot chili were impressive. This is a really healthy but flavor packed chili.

What you need~
2 large chicken breasts
4 cups of chicken broth
1 chicken bouillon cube
3 cans of great northern beans (rinsed)
1 can of chilis in adobo sauce
1 head of cilantro
1 yellow onion (diced)
3 cloves of garlic (diced)
2 cans of tomatoes with green chili mixed in
1 package of frozen spinach
1 green pepper (chopped)
Cumin to taste
Taco seasoning to taste
Mrs. Dash to taste

Cheese, crackers and guacamole for toppings.

Blend 1 can of the great northern beans in the food processor with the cilantro and chili's in adobo sauce. Add the paste to the crockpot with all of the above things.

Let this all cook down into happiness for about 6 hours. Before serving shred the chicken and place back in the pot. Top with cheese, crackers, guacamole or even sour cream.

It is rich and warms you right up. If you need to take the spice down try only adding a half a can of the chili's in adobo sauce. I will for sure be making this again. It was a big hit.

Until next time~
XoXo Emily

Marinated Chicken

Let's make something simple and tasty!
I always like making chicken. This recipe can be used for chicken breast, wings, thighs it is good for everything.

What you need~
2 tbsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp Salt
1 1/2 tsp paprika
1 tsp pepper
3 tbsp olive oil

 Combine all items in a freezer bag. I did two chicken breasts so one gallon size
was big enough. You may need more depending on how much marinade and chicken you are making. Add the chicken to the marinade at least an hour before cooking and no longer than 24 hours. If you go past 24 hours the lemon juice will start to break down the chicken and it gets slimy and gross.


Before you bake, grill or fry in a pan remove from bag and throw away leftover marinade. Do NOT baste the chicken with the leftovers you can get sick from that. I used BBQ sauce at the end of baking mine at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. I will start basting them with the BBQ sauce after about 15 minutes of baking. I do a thin layer of the sauce each time to build it up a bit.

This makes for a really delicious chicken that is not at all dried out.



Until next time~
XoXo Emily

Travel Adventures: Chicago

Always a good time. Chicago is an adventure no matter what but you add some awesome friends and it is unforgettable. Ryan, Chad, Katelyn and I ventured down planning on going to the Blackhawks and WILD game. Tickets were crazy expensive $100 for standing room. We passed on that but still managed to have a great time.

Saturday before going to Chicago we had a blast at the roller derby in Appleton. How intense those games are. Add in some drinks and laughs it was the perfect night.

First let me take a selfie. Waiting for the train with Ryan. Thank goodness for Katelyn. She was a great guide around town.
















After checking into our hotel we took the red line out to where the United Center is. Since tickets for the game were outrageous we hung out with the staff of Billy Goats, ate some cheap/good burgers and watched the Packer game finish. We may have converted some of the staff into Packer fans. We are all screaming and panicking at the bar while the staff ate. It was hilarious and strangely perfect. LOOK at how excited we are after the Packer game finished!







 After this we traveled on the train out to see Katelyn's brother Dan. Dan introduced Ryan to Popeye's chicken. I inhaled that crunchy goodness so no pictures.  Pictured is the strong gin and tonic I had at a dive bar we went to.

We stopped into Lou Malnati's Pizzeria for lunch on Monday. Katelyn used to work here so it was fun to get her idea on what to order. Ryan and I shared a classic deep dish. We got a small and still had leftovers. You have to stop here if you go to Chicago.





Last stop was at K1 which is a go kart race track inside.  These are fast electric go karts. You get 14 laps for about $20. It was a bit intense but actually super thrilling and cool. Everyone had a good time before we headed back home.

Sometimes random quick trips like this are the best to refuel your soul. Good laughs with friends and exploring always make a good time.

Until next time~
XoXo Emily

 

Baking Bacon

BACON!
I mean everyone loves it and if you use it in a cooking competition I would have to call you a cheater. I learned this a couple years ago and it is the only way I cook bacon now because I can cook an entire pound at once with little chance of burning myself.

What you need~
1 pound of bacon
Aluminum foil
Sheet pan

Pre-heat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Using the aluminum foil cover the sheet pan completely. Arrange your bacon on the sheet. It is okay if you have to overlap some of the pieces they will shrink down while baking. Bake until done to your likeness. I like mine extra crispy so usually 10-15 minutes or a little longer. I have tried cooking the bacon on a rack in the oven and if it does not cook in it's own fat it gets dried out. Remove from oven and place bacon on a plate covered with paper towel to remove some of the grease. I would let your sheet pan sit for a bit to let the oil cool before throwing out the aluminum foil.

Crispy

Have to have a BLT!

Let this dry up and cool before throwing out. 

 I hope you try this out especially if you are trying to cook for a large family or friends. It makes cooking the bacon and clean up easy.

Until next time~
XoXo Emily