Father's Day Favorites
This week we are preparing some tasty options for your Father’s Day Celebrations!
To all the fathers, dads, grandpas, and father figures - Happy Father’s Day!
Breakfast Lasagna
Prep Time: 15 min
Total Time: 1hour
Servings: 12
9-12 no-boil lasagna noodles
24 oz. breakfast sausage
1 med. onion finely chopped
1 lg. red bell pepper finely chopped
2 C. hash browns (frozen) diced or shredded works, not patties - thawed
8 lg. eggs
2 -1/2 C. whole milk
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper
8 oz. cheddar cheese grated
8 oz. mozzarella cheese grated
Preheat your oven to 375°. Lightly grease a 9x13 inch baking dish.
Sausage and vegetable mixture: In a pan over medium heat, brown the breakfast sausage. Remove the sausage with a slotted spoon, leaving the juices in the pan.
Using the same pan, sauté the onions and bell peppers until soft, then add thawed hash browns and cook until lightly browned. Add the sausage back into the skillet and remove from heat.
Egg Mixture: In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, milk, salt, and pepper until well combined.
Assemble - layering the lasagna: Spread a small amount of the egg mixture into the casserole dish.
Add a layer of lasagna noodles, sprinkle with the sausage mix, a third of each cheese, and fill with a third of the egg mix.
Repeat and make three layers.
Bake: Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes.
Remove the foil and bake for an additional 15-20 minutes until the lasagna is golden and set.
Let it rest for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.
Maple Bacon Double Cheeseburgers
Level: Easy
Total: 1 hr
Active: 1 hr
Servings: 6
3 lbs. ground beef chuck
Vegetable oil, for the grill
12 slices bacon, halved
3 T. pure maple syrup
Coarsely ground pepper
6 sesame hamburger buns, split
1/4 C. mayonnaise
2 T. ketchup
2 tsp. spicy brown mustard
1 tsp. Louisiana-style hot sauce (optional)
Kosher salt
12 slices Colby jack cheese
Pickle chips, for topping
Form the ground beef into 12 thin patties, about 4-1/2 inches wide. Place on a baking sheet and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to firm up. Preheat a grill to high and lightly oil the grates.
Meanwhile, put the bacon in a large nonstick skillet (it’s OK if the slices overlap -- they’ll shrink). Turn the heat to medium and cook, turning occasionally, until browned and crisp, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove the bacon to a plate. Pour the drippings into a bowl and reserve.
Return the bacon to the skillet in a single layer. Drizzle with the maple syrup and sprinkle with 1 tsp. pepper. Cook over medium heat, turning the bacon to coat in the syrup, until glazed, about 1 minute; remove to a plate to cool. Brush the cut sides of the buns with some of the bacon drippings. Mix the mayonnaise, ketchup, mustard, and hot sauce in a small bowl.
Season the patties with salt and pepper on both sides. Working in batches, grill the patties until marked on the bottom, 2 minutes, then flip and top each with a slice of cheese. Cover and cook 30 more seconds for medium doneness. Toast the buns on the grill.
Assemble the burgers: Spread the mayonnaise sauce on the buns. Fill with the pickles, patties (2 per burger) and bacon. Enjoy!
Spinach Salad with Warm Bacon-Mustard Dressing
Prep Time: 15 min
Cook Time: 5 min
Total Time: 20 min
Servings: 4
1 (10 oz.) bag baby spinach leaves
10 oz. Swiss cheese, shredded
4 hard-cooked eggs, peeled and sliced
1 C. sliced mushrooms
4 strips crisply cooked bacon, crumbled
1/2 C. toasted sliced almonds
1 T. olive oil
1 lg. shallot, minced
1 tsp. garlic, minced
1/3 C. white wine vinegar
1/3 C. Dijon mustard
1/3 C. honey
2 strips crisply cooked bacon, crumbled
salt and pepper to taste
Place spinach into a large serving bowl; top with Swiss cheese, hard-cooked eggs, mushrooms, 4 crumbled strips of bacon, and almonds.
Heat olive oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Stir in shallots and garlic; cook and stir until shallots are softened, about 2 minutes. Whisk in vinegar, Dijon mustard, honey, and 2 crumbled strips of bacon until heated through; season to taste with salt and pepper.
Pour hot dressing over spinach and toss to coat.
This salad can easily be converted to a main dish salad by adding strips of grilled chicken breast.
BLT Pasta Salad
Prep Time: 25 min
Total Time: 25 min
Servings: 8-10
1 12-oz. package bacon
1 16-oz. box fusilli or curly pasta
1 C. mayonnaise
3/4 C. whole milk
1 1-oz. packet ranch seasoning mix
Juice of one lemon
1/4 C. grated parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
1-pint grape tomatoes, halved
2 C. thinly sliced romaine lettuce
1/2 C. chopped red onion
1/4 C. chopped fresh herbs, such as dill and/or parsley
Cook the bacon in a large skillet over medium heat, turning as needed, until the fat has rendered, and the bacon is golden and crispy, 8 to 10 minutes total. Let the bacon cool to room temperature, then crumble up into bite-sized pieces.
Cook the pasta according to package directions. Drain, rinse with cold water, and let cool.
Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, milk, ranch seasoning, lemon juice, parmesan cheese and black pepper. Add the pasta, tomatoes, lettuce, onion, herbs and half of the crumbled bacon to the bowl with the dressing. Gently fold together to coat. Top with remaining bacon and serve.
Sweet & Sour Chicken Stir-Fry
Prep & Cook Time: 30 min
Servings: 4
Submitted by Jenny White, Drummer Test Kitchen
4 C. hot cooked rice
1/3 C. ketchup
3 T. reduced-sodium soy sauce
2 T. packed brown sugar
1 T. white vinegar
4 tsp. cornstarch
1 can (20 oz.) pineapple chunks in juice, undrained
8 oz. fresh snow pea pods, trimmed, cut diagonally in half, (2 C.)
2 plum tomatoes, cut into wedges
1 T. + 2 tsp. vegetable oil
2 garlic gloves, pressed
12 oz. boneless chicken breasts or tenders, cut into 1-inch cubes
Place 1 T. of oil in skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add chicken. Stir-fry 5 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink, turning often. Set aside.
Prepare rice in 2-qt. saucepan according to package directions. Meanwhile, in small bowl, combine ketchup, soy sauce, brown sugar, vinegar, and cornstarch; whisk until blended.
Drain pineapple in small colander, reserving juice in small bowl. Measure ½ cup reserved pineapple juice; add to ketchup mixture in small bowl and set aside. (Discard any remaining juice.)
Trim pea pods and cut diagonally in half. Cut tomatoes into wedges.
Heat oil in skillet or wok over medium-high heat until hot. Add pea pods and pressed garlic to skillet. Using spatulas, stir-fry 1 minute. Reduce heat to medium. Stir ketchup mixture and add to skillet. Bring to a boil. Cook and stir 1 minute until thickened. Add pineapple and chicken to skillet; toss to heat thoroughly. Remove from heat. Gently stir in tomatoes. Serve over rice.
Cheesecake Brownies
Prep time: 15 min
Cooking time: 20 min
Servings: 24
1 (19.8-oz) package brownie mix
1 (8-oz) package cream cheese
1 egg
1/3 C. white sugar
Preheat the oven to the temperature specified on the brownie mix package instructions and grease a 9×13-inch pan with oil.
Prepare the brownie mix according to package instructions. Pour the mixture into the greased pan and spread it evenly. Set aside.
In a bowl, combine cream cheese, egg, and sugar. Using an electric mixer, beat the ingredients on medium speed until the mixture is smooth.
Pour the cream cheese mixture into the brownie batter. Swirl the mixtures together with a toothpick, skewer, or knife.
Bake the mixture according to brownies’ package instructions. To check for doneness, insert a toothpick into the center of the brownies. If it comes out with a few crumbs sticking to it, it’s done baking.
Let the brownies cool in the pan completely.
Slice the cheesecake brownies into squares and serve.
Coconut-Pecan German Chocolate Pie
Prep: 50 min + chilling
Bake: 35 min + chilling
Servings: 8
1-1/4 C. all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp. salt
6 T. cold lard
3 to 4 T. ice water
Filling:
4 oz. German sweet chocolate, chopped
2 oz. unsweetened chocolate, chopped
1 can (14 oz. sweetened condensed milk
4 lg. egg yolks
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 C. chopped pecans
Topping:
1/2 C. packed brown sugar
1/2 C. heavy whipping cream
1/4 cup butter, cubed
2 lg. egg yolks
1 C. sweetened shredded coconut
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 C. chopped pecans
In a small bowl, mix flour and salt; cut in lard until crumbly. Gradually add ice water, tossing with a fork until dough holds together when pressed. Shape into a disk; wrap in plastic. Refrigerate 30 minutes or overnight.
Preheat oven to 400°. On a lightly floured surface, roll dough to a 1/8-in.-thick circle; transfer to a 9-in. pie plate. Trim pastry to 1/2 in. beyond rim of plate; flute edge. Line unpricked pastry with a double thickness of foil. Fill with pie weights, dried beans or uncooked rice.
Bake 11-13 minutes or until bottom is lightly browned. Remove foil and weights; bake 6-8 minutes longer or until light brown. Cool on a wire rack. Reduce oven setting to 350°.
In a microwave, melt chocolates in a large bowl; stir until smooth. Cool slightly. Whisk in milk, egg yolks and vanilla; stir in pecans. Pour into crust. Bake 16-19 minutes or until set. Cool 1 hour on a wire rack.
Meanwhile, in a small heavy saucepan, combine brown sugar, cream and butter. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring to dissolve sugar. Remove from heat.
In a small bowl, whisk a small amount of hot mixture into egg yolks; return all to pan, whisking constantly. Cook 2-3 minutes or until mixture thickens and a thermometer reads 160°, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Stir in coconut and vanilla; cool 10 minutes.
Pour over filling; sprinkle with pecans. Refrigerate 4 hours or until cold.
Quote of the Week:
“A good father is one of the most unsung, unpraised, unnoticed, and yet one of the most valuable assets in our society.”
~ Billy Graham
