Delicious Product Alert: My Three Sons Pimento Cheese

Hey ya'll, Julia here with another DELICIOUS PRODUCT ALLERRRRTTTT. (Imagine me saying that 'lets get ready to rumble' style. I don't know why, just do it.)

I got this yummy Pimento Cheese at Whole Foods a while back and I. Am. Hooked. I don't even like pimento cheese, really. Not a fan of mayo and most homemade pimento cheese spreads are mayo-heavy. I can't even taste mayo in this.. it seems to be mostly cream cheese based. Can we say YUM.

What makes this pimento cheese special is that it uses a sharp white cheddar cheese with just the right amount of cayenne for a kick. Not to mention it is made right here in North Carolina! I think that it is only sold locally now, but I can see this stuff reaching the masses soon. It is that good.

If you live here in NC... search out this locally made product. It's amazing.

Lemon Monkey Bread

I made this for my mommy's birthday breakfast this year.. it was so special and we loved it! Let's not discuss that her birthday was in July and hence how late I am posting this recipe. Let us just rejoice that I am posting it now for your viewing (and possibly feasting) pleasure!

These little guys are really, REALLY sweet ya'll so bring your sweet tooth with you. Seriously. Or cut back on the sugar if you don't want your children bouncing off the wall for 12 days. Just a suggestion.

I say you make this for someone special soon! Everyone loves traditional monkey bread, but why not surprise them with this tangy twist?

-Ingredients-

12 Rhodes dinner rolls, thawed but still cold

zest of 1 lemon

1/2 c sugar

3 T butter, melted

Icing:

1/2 c powdered sugar

1 T lemon juice

-Directions-

1. Cut rolls in half and place in a greased 9x13 pan.

2. Drizzle with melted butter.

3. Mix lemon zest in sugar in bowl. Sprinkle HALF of the mixture on the rolls. Let rise until doubled in size.

4. Sprinkle remaining sugar mixture on top. Bake in a 350* oven for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.

5. Combine Glaze ingredients. Drizzle over rolls while still warm.

Thanksgiving Recipe Roundup

Can you believe that Thanksgiving is NEXT WEEK?! I was fortunate enough to have a lovely coworker switch with me so I can spend the holiday with my family this year as our center is going to be open for business. (Thanks Annette!)

 

I'm so excited to get in the kitchen and cook with my mom. We haven't finalized our menu yet but I'm sure many of the recipes I have posted in the past will appear on our table this year! Please take a look through and try some of these recipes for this year's holiday spread!

 

 

Overnight Sticky Buns - An easy holiday morning breakfast!

 

 

Thanksgiving Oreo Turkeys - Keep the kids busy!

 

 

 

Twice Baked Potato Casserole

 

 

 

Classic Green Bean Casserole

 

 

So Easy Drop Biscuits

 

 

 

Chocolate Chess Pie

 

 

 

Quick and Easy Turtle Cheesecake

 

 

 

 

 

 



*Better Than Boxed* One Pot Mac and Cheese

I'm sure you've seen this guy floating around Pinterest and the internet. "Miracle" Mac and Cheese that you make in one pot. No box included.

"How?" You ask. It's easy. You boil the pasta in the milk. Add the cheese and seasonings. And BAM creamy mac and cheese that is not neon and you can feel good serving to your family. I made mine lower fat and it turned out fine!

-Ingredients- 

2.25 cups milk (I used skim)

1 c dried macaroni (I used whole grain shells)

2 c shredded cheddar cheese

1 tsp salt

1 tsp dijon mustard (optional)

fresh cracked pepper

-Directions-

1. Pour 2 cups of the milk and macaroni into a medium pot. Cover and place over medium/medium-high heat until it comes to a boil, stirring occasionally.

2. As soon as it boils, reduce heat to low and let simmer until pasta is tender. (About 10 minutes.) Make sure you're stirring often so the pasta doesn't stick to the bottom of the pot. Promptly replace lid after stirring to retain moisture.

3. Once the pasta is tender and most of the pasta is absorbed, add the mustard, salt and pepper. If the mixture looks dry, add the remaining 1/4 cup of milk. Remove from heat and stir in cheddar cheese.

Recipe Source: Budget Bytes

Crock Pot Carolina Barbecue

I freakin' love some Carolina pulled pork, y'all. The vinegar based sauce pairs so well with the rich meat and is lip smakin' good. Wow, my country is really coming out isn't it?

Of course the best way to have Carolina BBQ is to slow cook it in a smoker or the likes or even better to let someone else do it at a pig pickin. But when you're craving that Carolina BBQ taste but don't have time to slow roast a hog, try this Crock Pot recipe that cooks while you're working. We just had this with some packet lemon broccoli, one pot mac and cheese (recipe to follow) and biscuits. This would be great as a sandwich with some slaw on it though, maybe with some baked beans and hushpuppies on the side.

Bring the summer taste back into your home this winter with this simple crock pot recipe! Adjust the spicy ingredients to taste. I did not find this spicy but if you have little ones they might.

-Ingredients-

1 3-5 lb pork roast- preferably a shoulder (I used a boneless roast 3 lb but go 5 lbs if it's bone in)

1 T salt

ground black pepper

1 1/2 c apple cider vinegar

2 T brown sugar

1 1/2 T hot pepper sauce

2 t red pepper flakes

2 t cayenne pepper

-Directions-

1. Place the pork roast in the crock pot. Season with salt and pepper. Surround with vinegar. Cover, and cook on low for 10 hours or until meat is tender. If you have a boneless roast it will take much less time, around 7-8 hours. 

2. Remove pork from crock pot and shred with two forks when ready. Strain the liquid out of the crock pot and save 2 cups. Discard any extra. Return the reserved liquid to the crock pot. Add the remaining ingredients (again, adjusting heat to taste) and stir. Return pork to crock pot and stir to mix. Put slow cooker on warm and cover until ready to serve.

Wallet Friendly Italian Stromboli Roll

Hello? Readers? Are you still there? I'm here to say I'M SORRY I have dropped the ball on this fun little blog of mine. I know it's not very popular but I also know I had some diligent readers. The hours of my job have been affecting my life in ways you probably won't understand. Waaaah wahhh I know. 

I'm going to try MY HARDEST to pick this ball up and keep running. I love cooking, I just haven't had the time (or the money) to do it as much as I like lately. That's where this recipe comes in.

This is the most budget friendly (and kid friendly) meal I have whipped up in a while! I know it's nothing fancy... but sometimes fancy is too much and you just want something quick that will please everyone. Promise.

Forgive me? Pretty please?

-Ingredients- 

1 can Pillsbury Pizza Dough

1/2 lb thin sliced deli ham

1/2 lb hard salami

pepperoni

2 c shredded mozzarella cheese

1 c marinara sauce

italian seasoning

parmesan cheese

-Directions-

1. Preheat oven to 375*. Spray a foil lined baking sheet with cooking spray. Roll the dough out on the baking sheet and flatten into a rectangle. Layer the ham, salami, and pepperoni (you choose how much to use) down the center of the dough. Top with the shredded mozzarella cheese.

2. Fold the ends of the roll in about 1/2 an inch and seal the dough. Then roll the long side of the dough over and pinch well to seal the roll.

3. Top with some grated parmesan cheese and Italian seasoning. Bake for about 20 minutes or until golden brown.

4. Let cool 5 minutes or so- we cut our long roll into 4 pieces. I ate one, took one to lunch and Mr. Picky ate two. You can cut into small rolls (about 8) for little hands to be able to pick up easily. Dip in marinara sauce.

Cheeseburger Pie

This recipe is super kid friendly and soooo versatile! I used the base recipe and just added to the meat mixture what I usually put in my hand pattied burgers. It tastes like a cheeseburger without having to light the grill. I cut this into 8 pieces and it was more than enough of a serving for me! Way to stretch out that ground beef...so it's also very budget friendly!!!

This is a great meal to make when you aren't able to make it outside to grill.. but you need that summer taste. :)

-Ingredients-

1 lb lean ground beef

1 can crescent rolls

1 tsp onion powder

1 tbsp steak seasoning

1/3 c chopped dill pickles

2 tbsp ketchup

1 tbsp mustard

1 tbsp worcestershire

2 tbsp pickle juice (dill)

2 tbsp flour

2 tbsp milk

2 cups shredded cheddar or american cheese, divided

-Directions-

1. Preheat oven to 375.

2. Press the crescent rolls into the bottom and sides of a greased 8 inch pie dish.

3. Cook beef in skillet, drain well. Return to skillet and season with onion powder and steak seasoning. In a separate bowl mix together ketchup, mustard, worcestershire, and pickle juice. Stir into skillet with beef.

4. Add milk and sprinkle beef mixture with flour. Stir frequently until mixture is thickened.

5. Remove from heat and add 1 c of cheese. Stir until cheese is melted. Pour meat mixture into pie dish.

6. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until edges are golden brown.

7. Remove from oven and top with remaining cheese. Let sit until cheese is melted.

8. Garnish pie with more ketchup, mustard, pickles and onions if desired.