Sorry I don’t have a photo to share. I took one but it was too dark and it was late and we were starving so I didn’t take any more. You can click the link below to check out some great photos

Doritos Chicken Casserole

1 bag (10 oz) Doritos Cool Ranch flavored tortilla chips, coarsely crushed (about 6 cups)

1/4 cup butter, melted

2 cups shredded Colby-Monterey Jack cheese (8 oz)

1 jar (15 oz) four cheese Alfredo pasta sauce

1 tablespoon Old El Paso original taco seasoning mix (from 1-oz package)

3 cups shredded cooked chicken

1 can (14.5 oz) Muir Glen organic fire roasted diced tomatoes, undrained

Heat oven to 350°F
Spray 13×9-inch (3-quart) baking dish with cooking spray
In large bowl, toss Doritos and melted butter until well coated
Sprinkle 4 cups of the Doritos evenly in bottom of casserole
Top with 1/2 cup of the cheese
In large bowl, stir pasta sauce and taco seasoning mix until well blended
Add chicken, tomatoes and 1/2 cup of the cheese; stir until well mixed
Spoon evenly over Doritos in baking dish.
Bake uncovered 30 minutes
Sprinkle with remaining Doritos and remaining 1 cup cheese
Bake about 5 minutes longer or until hot and cheese is melted

I used frozen pulled chicken and couldn’t find that brand of fire roasted tomatoes so I bought a different brand. Other than that I followed the recipe.

This was really quick and easy to make and we loved it! My son even got seconds, so that told me he really liked it. I’ll definitely make this again but I think I’ll make it with ground beef,  more taco seasoning,  and nacho cheese Doritos and see how we like it that way. Either way, I’m adding this recipe to my dinner rotation.

Weekend Cooking is hosted @ Beth Fish Reads

Pizza has always been my favorite food, for as far back as I can remember. Then about 2 years ago I started not liking the taste of the sauce and/or crust, depending on where the pizza was from. Now the only pizza I really like is CiCi’s  which is 45 min. away.

The other day when I was at Publix I saw some  Mama Mary’s Pizza crusts hanging on an end cap and decided to try them. There were 3 in each pack, 7″ original crusts. I didn’t see any thin crusts which is what I prefer but next time I’ll try to find them. I bought some Boar’s Head Turkey Pepperoni & Ragu Pizza Sauce to top it with. I had some Provolone cheese that I’d bought a few days before in the deli and decided to use it. I had planned on making it one night when my son Anthony wanted pizza, but last night I was on my own for supper so I decided to make one of them.

Brush with olive oil

Spread on pizza sauce

add pepperoni (I like a lot)

and cheese (don’t care if it’s not pretty)

Preheat oven to 450°

Turn oven down to 425°

Bake for 8-10 minutes on pizza pan or oven rack

I baked my pizza on the rack in a toaster oven for 8 min. So did I like it? That would be a big yes. The crust was crispy and golden brown just the way I like it. The sauce had a good flavor, not too spicy or acidic, and of course the provolone added a very nice taste and brought back good memories (I grew up in Ohio where they use Provolone on pizza). Next time I’ll try the thin crust though, less carbs 🙂

YUM!

Weekend Cooking is hosted @ Beth Fish Reads

When my kids were little I used to make Johnny Marzetti and they loved it. I haven’t made it in years . The other day my son Anthony said he’d like me to make it again, so I did. I used a different recipe, one that calls for baking it. My old recipe didn’t have you bake it.

Johnny Marzzetti
1 lb. elbow macaroni
1 tablespon olive oil
1 yellow onion, chopped
1 green pepper
8 ounces mushrooms, chopped
2 lb. ground beef
salt and pepper to taste
2- 14 oz. cans tomato sauce
1- 14 oz. can dived tomatoes, drained
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. oregano
1 tsp. Italian herbs
Pinch of sugar
2 cups Cheddar cheese
2 cups Italian Blend cheese

Preheat oven to 350°
Bring a large pot of water to boil
Add maccaroni and boil for 7 min. or until almost al dente
Drain pasta and return to the pot, set aside
Heat olive oil in a large skittle over medium heat
Add the onion, bell pepper and saute until soft, about 5 min.
Add the meat and cook unil no longer pink
Drain off fat & season with spices
Simmer for five min., stirring occasionally
Pour the meat in with the noodles, mix well
Add 1 cup of each of the cheese & mix well
Pour mixture into a 13×9 in. casserole dish
Top with remaining cheese
Bake for 30 min. or until cheese is golden brown & melted

Adaptions:
Didn’t use the olive oil, green pepper, mushrooms.
Used ground chuck instead of ground beef
Used 1 can of tomato sauce
Used 1 can of diced & 1 can of stewed tomatoes-didn’t drain
Used 1/4 tsp. garlic poweder instead of 2 cloves

I didn’t follow the directions either. I browned the ground chuck with the onions, drained it and added the spices, then added it to the macaroni, added the cheeses, poured it into the dish and topped with remaining cheese.

I thought this was really really good, but my son said he liked my original recipe more. I plan on eating some more tonight and since there’s just me and my son I’ll be freezing the rest for later. Next time I make Johnny Marzetti I’ll cut the recipe in half.

Weekend Cooking is hosted @ Beth Fish Reads

The Cooking Gene: A Journey Through African American Culinary History in the Old South by Michael W. Twitty

Hardcover: 464 pages
Publisher: Amistad (August 1, 2017)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0062379291
ISBN-13: 978-0062379290

A renowned culinary historian offers a fresh perspective on our most divisive cultural issue, race, in this illuminating memoir of Southern cuisine and food culture that traces his ancestry—both black and white—through food, from Africa to America and slavery to freedom.

Southern food is integral to the American culinary tradition, yet the question of who “owns” it is one of the most provocative touch points in our ongoing struggles over race. In this unique memoir, culinary historian Michael W. Twitty takes readers to the white-hot center of this fight, tracing the roots of his own family and the charged politics surrounding the origins of soul food, barbecue, and all Southern cuisine.

From the tobacco and rice farms of colonial times to plantation kitchens and backbreaking cotton fields, Twitty tells his family story through the foods that enabled his ancestors’ survival across three centuries. He sifts through stories, recipes, genetic tests, and historical documents, and travels from Civil War battlefields in Virginia to synagogues in Alabama to Black-owned organic farms in Georgia.

As he takes us through his ancestral culinary history, Twitty suggests that healing may come from embracing the discomfort of the Southern past. Along the way, he reveals a truth that is more than skin deep—the power that food has to bring the kin of the enslaved and their former slaveholders to the table, where they can discover the real America together.

Thoughts
This is not a true cookbook, it’s also a mix of historical non-fiction, the African Slave experience, how and what the slaves cooked and what they used to cook it. It’s about how the author became so obsessed with food and his need to to learn about his ancesters who were slaves.

The book is funny, sad, thought provoking and at times a tough read. I learned a lot from this book. But the library wanted it back sooner than I wanted to let it go, and so I rushed through it. Because of that I feel the need to re-read it, slowly next time. I want to take my time and enjoy it completely.

I love the photos that were in the book.

Here are the first two things I plan on making from the book:
Kitchen Pepper: Goes in everything in place of just pepper
1 tsp coarsely ground black pepper
1 tsp ground white pepper
1 tsp red pepper flakes
1 tsp ground mace
1 tsp ground Ceylon cinnamon
1 tsp ground nutmeg
1 tsp ground allspice
1 tsp ground ginger

Mix together and store in a cool place

Mr. Wesley Jones’s Barbecue Mop
1/2 stick unsalted butter
1 large yellow or white onion, well chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup water
1 tbsp kosher salt
1 tsp coarse black pepper
1 pod long red cayenne pepper or 1 tsp red pepper flakes
1 tsp dried rubbed sage
1 tsp dried basil leaves or 1 tbsp minced fresh basil
1/2 tsp crushed coriander seed
1/4 cup dark brown sugar or 4 tbsp molasses (not blackstrap)

Melt the butter in a large saucepan
Add onion and garlic and saute on medium heat until translucent
Turn heat down slightly and add vinegar, water, and the salt and spices
Allow to cook gently for about thirty minutes to an hour
To be used as a light mop sauce or glaze during the last 15-30 minutes of barbecuing and as a dip for cooked meat.

I highly recommended this book, and I also recommend his blog, Afroculinaria 

Weekend Cooking

I’ve been craving the Cheese Ravioli w/ Broccoli & Alfredo Sauce that I’ve made before. This time I wanted to try it with cheese tortellini and switch the broccoli with peas and corn.

Cheese Tortellini With Peas, Corn & Alfredo Sauce
2- 16 oz. Cheese Tortellini
16 oz. frozen peas
16 oz. frozen corn
2- 16 oz. jars Alfredo Sauce

Weekend Cooking is hosted @ Beth Fish Reads

Italian Sausage Baby Broccoli Pasta with Oregano Gremolata and Pramesan

9 oz  Sweet Italian Sausage
6 oz  Gemelli Pasta
6 oz Baby Broccoli
1/4 Cup Parmesan Cheese
2 Cloves Garlic
1 oz Almonds
1/4 oz Oregano
1 Lemon
1 T Olive Oil

Wash and dry all produce. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Line up the baby broccoli
on your cutting board, and cut into 1-inch pieces. Discard the ends.
Roughly chop the garlic. Pick the oregano leaves off the stems.
Discard the stems.

Place the sausage onto a baking sheet. Cook in
the oven for about 15 minutes.

Add the pasta to the boiling water. Cook 9-11
minutes, until al dente. While the pasta cooks, add the baby broccoli
to the same water. Cook 3-4 minutes, until tender. Remove the baby
broccoli with a slotted spoon and set aside.

Meanwhile, place the almonds, oregano
leaves, and chopped garlic in a pile on your cutting board. Run your
knife over the mixture until finely chopped (some larger pieces of
nuts can remain). Check on the pasta, drain when ready, then return
to the pot.

Heat a large drizzle of olive oil in a large pan
over medium-low heat. Add the gremolata mixture. Cook, tossing, for
3-4 minutes, until beginning to turn golden brown. Season generously
with salt and pepper. Remove pan from heat. Zest about 1 teaspoon
lemon directly in the pan, and stir thoroughly to release the lemon oils.

Thinly slice the sausage. Halve the lemon. Toss the
sausage, baby broccoli, gremolata, half the Parmesan cheese, and
a drizzle of olive oil into the pot with the pasta. Reheat over medium
heat if necessary. Season generously with salt and pepper. Stir in
a squeeze of lemon, to taste. Divide between bowls, serve with the
remaining Parmesan cheese.

Thoughts
I really liked this and thought it had a nice flavor. My son Anthony liked it but didn’t think it had enough flavor. After sprinkling with garlic salt he was satisfied with the taste.

The recipe was easy to do and didn’t take that much time, about 30 min.

Weekend Cooking is hosted @ Beth Fish Reads

Ham, Turkey, & Sharp Cheddar Panini
2 slices bread
2-4 slices each of ham and turkey
1-2 slices deli sharp cheddar cheese
butter

Butter one side of each of the bread slices
Place one piece of bread butter side down on a panini press
Layer the ham, turkey and cheese on top of the bread
Top with the other bread, butter side up
Close the Panini press and let grill until bread is golden brown

I enjoy a good Panini once in a while, and this is a good one for when you don’t have a tomato or avocado on hand. I definitely would have added them if I’d had some, but this was still a yummy Panini. Sometimes it’s good to go simple.