Tag: family recipe

Recipes and Cooking

My Mama’s Goulash

Brandi C

My Mama's Goulash

My Mama’s Goulash

My Mama’s Goulash recipe is one that evokes such sweet memories in my whole body. When I looked up how to make goulash, this weird thing popped up. It had noodles and a red sauce. In my mind I was thinking that that is not goulash, that is a pasta dish. I made it, super excited because I thought my memories might have been off and this would be similar to hers.

News flash.

It wasn’t. I mean it was good but it wasn’t what I remembered it to be. What I remembered was ground beef and thinly sliced potatoes. After that, I had no idea. I just remember I loved it and it fed all of us. We weren’t rolling in the money growing up, so my Oak could stretch any and everything to make sure her family was fed.

Calling the Calvary

After much looking, searching, and several attempts later, I finally called my Oak. I told her I had been craving goulash and for the life of me, I couldn’t remember the magic that she concocted. There was a distinct silence followed by laughter. She gently explained that it was ground beef, thin sliced potatoes, and brown gravy. That was it. There was nothing more and nothing less. Again, silence. I tried to explain there was something there that was just magical. Maybe it was cooking with love that made it taste so good. I made it like she told me, my family ate it all up with no leftovers. Of course, it didn’t taste exactly like hers but it was pretty close. I have “adultified” this meal and it is just as good.

Without further ado…

Ingredients

2 pounds ground beef

1 onion

Potatoes, peeled and washed

Fresh mushrooms

Minced Garlic

Seasoning

2 packets gluten free brown gravy mix

1 c. water

Bacon grease (if you have it) or a dash of oil

3 T butter

Spinach, chopped**

Green, red, or yellow peppers, chopped **

Zucchini, chopped**

Directions

Cook your ground beef, seasoning, onion, mushrooms (and other veggies), and minced garlic. Drain and put in a bowl. I use an electric skillet, so I reuse this. In that same skillet, throw in your bacon grease (or oil) and butter. Thinly slice your potatoes and place them, in one layer, in the skillet (I had to do 2 batches). Cook until soft. Remove onto a paper towel lined plate.

Put the ground beef back in the pan and add the gf brown gravy mix and water. Mix well. Add back in potatoes and veggies. Use a spatula to make sure the potatoes are covered in the meat/gravy mixture. The spatula will help your potatoes keep their shape and not break.

Serve while hot.

**These things are optional and what I would like to try at some point.

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Recipes and Cooking

Sav’s Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe

Brandi C

Sav's Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe

Sav’s Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe

Ingredients

  • 1 cup salted butter, softened
  • 1 cup white sugar
  • 1 cup light brown sugar, packed
  • 2 tsps. vanilla
  • 2 eggs
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp. baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp. baking powder
  • 1 tsp. sea salt (can use kosher or regular salt)
  • 2 cups chocolate chips (we use the mini, but any will do)

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or spray with nonstick spray.
  2. Mix the flour, baking soda, salt, and baking powder in a separate bowl. Set aside.
  3. Cream together the butter and sugars until combined. Beat in the eggs and vanilla until fluffy.
  4. Gradually mix in the dry ingredients until fully incorporated. Add the chocolate chips and stir until well combined.

Rolling, Rolling, Rolling
5. Roll 2-3 Tbsp of dough at a time into balls and place them evenly spaced on your prepared cookie sheets. You can also use a small cookie scoop.
6. Bake in the preheated oven for approximately 8-10 minutes.
7. Take them out when they are just barely starting to turn brown. Remember, the bottoms will brown quicker than the tops.

Pro Tip:
You could slather your naked body with the dough—just a thought because the dough is fantastic. If you prefer your cookies crispier, feel free to bake them a little longer. My father-in-law loved his cookies a bit on the burnt side. These cookies always remind me of the Soft Batch Cookies from back in the day!

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Recipes and Cooking

Cinnamon Roll Cake

Brandi C

Cinnamon Roll Cake

Cinnamon Roll Cake

Oh my, is this Cinnamon Roll Cake the best thing ever. I hope you find it as good as my family does. It is so easy to make. This cake is good hot or the next day. It usually doesn’t last too long after that, at my house.

My parents are coming over for dinner and have chosen the menu. I’m unnaturally excited about them coming for no reason. Typically, when they come to my house, it is either a celebration or a crisis. This time is neither.

Technically, Thursdays are reserved for pizza night, but I am gladly rescheduling that for Friday night. I’m thankful that my parents can still get up and go whenever they want. It is a blessing.

I love cinnamon rolls probably more than my waistline does. We do not make this often, but tonight was a special occasion.

Cake

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 cups milk

2 eggs

4 tsps. vanilla

4 tsps. baking powder

1 stick butter, melted

Directions

Place ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Pour into a 13×9 greased dish.

Next Up

1 cup brown sugar

1 T. Cinnamon

3/4 cup melted butter

Directions

Mix in a small bowl and pour over top of the cake.

Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

Icing

3 c. powdered sugar (for those who might not know, the symbol XXX is for powdered sugar as well).

1 1/2 tsp. vanilla

5-8 tsps milk (you want it thin enough to pour quickly)

Directions

Allow sitting for 10 minutes. Pour over hot cake. If you get wild, poke some holes in the cake and let that yumminess seep into it.

THEN EAT!

 

Recipes and Cooking

Easy Brunzi Baseball Casserole

Brandi C

Easy Brunzi Baseball Casserole

Easy Brunzi Baseball Casserole

This Easy Brunzi Baseball Casserole is something you can slip in SO many good things. You can mix regular rice with cauliflower rice. Also, add some spinach or kale to the mix. Chop up some fresh mushrooms. Use your imagination! I have started sprinkling a bit of nutritional yeast on top, along with some cheddar cheese. Also, cashew cheese would be good, although it would totally screw with my brain. I’m not sure I could use cauliflower rice and cashew cheese. That may be too much for my little heart to manage.

  • 1 lb ground beef
  • Sausage (1 lb)
  • Onion
  • Garlic
  • Seasoning
  • Green Pepper (optional)
  • Fresh mushrooms (optional)
  • Fresh spinach, chopped (optional)
  • Cauliflower rice (optional)
  • 2 c. rice
  • Cream of Chicken, 2 cans
  • 2 cans Chicken Noodle Soup
  • Cheddar
Easy Brunzi Baseball Casserole Directions

Fry sausage, beef, onion, garlic, seasoning, chopped-up peppers, and chopped-up mushrooms.  Drain.

In a large bowl, add meat and veggies, thawed out cauliflower, spinach, UNCOOKED rice, soups, and a handful of cheddar.

Pour into a greased 13×9 dish.  Sprinkle with a bit more cheese.

Bake at 350 for about 45 minutes.

 

Recipes and Cooking

Seasoning Recipe Mix

Brandi C

Seasoning Recipe Mix

Seasoning Recipe Mix

This is the Seasoning Recipe Mix recipe I use to season absolutely everything! I tend to use more garlic than anything. Also, I am not a fan of pepper. So, I came up with an excellent mixture of flavors. Occasionally, I have to use minced onion instead of onion powder. It’s such a simple and flexible seasoning blend, perfect for adding flavor to meats, vegetables, soups, or any dish that needs a savory kick. It’s a staple in my kitchen because I use it daily, and it’s great for batch cooking or sprinkling over whatever I’m making.

1 c. kosher salt

1/2 c. Garlic Powder

Onion Powder, 1/2 c.

1/8 c. Pepper

How I use this:

I use an old parmesan container. Therefore, I can double this recipe to make it last longer. I have also used a baggie, Tupperware, or a mason jar. So really, you can use anything. I keep it in my spice cabinet.

Once I get it all mixed up, I shake it up and use it daily. I tend to be an “over garlic” person, so this is a happy medium, and we don’t scare the vampires away.

The other day, I graduated from the parmesan jar to a mason jar. However, I do use the parmesan jar lid. It fits perfectly over my mason jar. This has helped with the mixture not clumping so much.

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Recipes and Cooking

Nuts and Bolts Bobbie Hill Style

Brandi C

Nuts and Bolts Bobbie Hill Style is a holiday favorite. This recipe is as old as the hills. My other mother’s friend, Bobbie, had this recipe. She passed it down, and we make it every year without fail. Now, I like mine with more spice than most people. I love it when the spices get all caught up in the Chex cereal. The smell this emits, by the way, is delightful. Smells like home.

Nuts and Bolts Bobbie Hill Style

Nuts and Bolts Bobby Hill Style

In a LARGE roasting pan (this makes a lot), combine:

1 box rice Chex, wheat, and corn Chex

Cheerios, 1 box

Pretzels

2 lbs. nuts (I use mixed nuts and pecans)

In another large bowl, combine:

2 c. Wesson oil (this is the only BRAND that works with this recipe)

2 Tbsp. Seasoning salt

1 Tbsp. garlic salt (SALT, not powder)

2 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce

Pour over cereal/nut mixture and mix well—Bake at 250 for 2 hrs. Stir every 15 minutes because it will burn. Enjoy this recipe as much as our family has over the years. I remember going to her house and playing Tarzan and Jane with her grandkids. Such fond memories. Eating this transports me back in time to her backyard, the leaves, her wiener dog, and her weird phone/light thing.

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