Time for another Tuesday with good food and good commentary brought to you by yours truly. This week's agenda comes from this chick right here. Now, while I am always on the food trail for something new, funky, and fun I kinda went down the path of comfort foods. Well, comfort foods in the sense they are knock off's of certain items on restaurant menu's. Yep, you read right. I know, I was kinda shocked too but don't even think about leaving just yet. Stick around, I promise this one is for the books.
So I picked up the book known as "Top Secret Restaurant Recipes" by a Mr. Todd Wilbur. I was going through it and BAM there it was in all of it's potato glory. Cracker Barrel's Hash Brown Casserole. I am beyond in love with this creamy but also crispy delight. It's even an on going inside joke between my Auntie Dee and myself. I knew this is the recipe for me to rock this week. Oh, and to balance this out (There are 4 people eating and they don't believe in having only hash browns for dinner. What planet are they from? Geez!) I also picked Marie Callender's Famous Golden Cornbread. Time to see what goes into all this:
Cracker Barrel Hash Brown Casserole
Serves 4 to 6 as a side dish
1 26-ounce bag frozen country-style hash browns
2 cups shredded Colby cheese
1/4 cup minced onion
1 cup of milk
1/2 cup beef stock or canned broth
2 tablespoons butter, melted
Dash of garlic powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions:
*Preheat the oven to 425 degrees
*Combine the frozen hash browns, cheese, and onions in a large bowl.
*Combine the milk, beef stock, half the melted butter, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper in a bowl. Mix until well blended then pour the mixture over the hash browns and mix well.
*Heat the remaining butter in a large oven proof skillet over high heat.
*When the skillet is hot spoon in the hash brown mixture. Cook the hash browns; stirring occasionally until hot and all of the cheese is melted (about 7 minutes).
*Put the skillet into the oven and bake for 40 to 60 mins. or until the surface of the hash brown is dark brown.
(Side Note)
**If your skillet isn't oven proof (because it has a plastic handle for example) you can spoon the potatoes into a glass 9X9 inch baking dish and microwave the potatoes until they are hot and the cheese has melted. Then put the baking dish into the 425 degree oven until the surface of the hash browns have browned.
Marie Callenders Famous Golden Cornbread
Makes 9 pieces
1 1/4 cups of all purpose flour
3/4 cup cornmeal
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/3 cup sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups whole milk
1/4 cup shortening
1 egg
Honey butter
1/2 cup of butter (one stick softened)
1/3 cup honey
Instructions
*Preheat the oven to 400 degrees
*Combine the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, sugar, and salt in a medium bowl.
*Add the milk, shortening, and egg. Mix only until the ingredients are well combined.
*Pour the batter into a greased 8X8 inch pan. Bake for 25 to 30 mins. or until the top is golden brown.
*Let the cornbread cool slightly before slicing it with a sharp knife into 9 pieces.
*For the honey butter use a mixer on high speed to whip the butter and honey together until smooth and fluffy.
So kiddies how did it turn out? It was a major home run. The cornbread was ridiculously good (that honey butter makes it) and the hash brown casserole is pretty epic. All in all a pretty damn good pick this week. THANK YOU, THANK YOU. Please send compliments this way. ;D.
Tid Bits:
*To go with the side dishes we made tonight I had chicken, Aunt Jane and Geoff had pork steak, and Ma had meatloaf but you can make whatever you like with these dishes.
*If you can't find Colby cheese then cheddar is a good substitute but Colby is preferred.
Ma's Spot: I first got to known Cracker Barrel's Hash Brown Casserole when we went on vacation when Dinah Jane was young. Everytime we stopped to eat we would go to Cracker Barrel and all she would eat is their hash brown casserole. I can't believe how much this version we made actually tasted like it. I like it alot even though it has cheese in it. I like it best because the cheese isn't overpowering. It's a great side dish to any meat or poultry you'd wanna fix. It's easy to make, so give it a try. Now the cornbread, it was delicious! It came out golden brown and fluffy. The honey butter was delicious on it. I have to say it's my 2nd favorite cornbread recipe. My favorite cornbread recipe goes to Dinah's recipe. It's unbelievably good.
*SNACK CORNER:*
It's time for snack corner! Where we take new snacks in the grocery store and break it down for you. We tell you which are hot and which are not. Let's get to this week's picks:
Dinah: Tonight we are showcasing another do-it-yourself baked good (hey, your gal is talented in this area lol). We decided on Pilsbury's New Funfetti Whoopie Pie Kit. I gotta say that these were really fun to make. I'm thinking next time my adorable 3 year old nephew is over I'm thinking he can help me make a batch of these. He'd get a kick out of the frosting and sprinkles. So the taste was good. I enjoyed them except for the icing. As you guys know this gal right here is not a fan of the taste of pure sugar and canned frosting seems like a canister of sugar cane. I loved the idea of the whoopie pie and the "cookie" part was really yummy. So next time I think I'll get it and swap out the icing for whipped cream or marshmallow fluff.
Ma: This product was delicious and easy to make. I think it would be great to make up this recipe with your children. I am a big advocate on teaching kids to cook early. Even when you're kids are grown it's fun to do. Look at Dinah and I. So grab your child (young or old) and make this recipe with them.
Alrighty guys, that's it for this week. We'll see you here next Tuesday for more recipes we have to send your way. Have a great week!
Spoons & Spatula's
~Dinah & Ma
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