Spaghetti Goulash

Blog readers it's Tuesday and we're back with more good food to showcase for you. Before I go on writing let's take a moment out to admire the new holiday layout. Spiffy, eh? Done by yours truly. :D. Some may say it's a tad early for Christmas themed blog layouts or just the jolly holiday itself but come on! It's adorable and Christmas is pretty awesome if you ask us.

So on with the show, tonight was Ma's pick and I have been dreading it all week. Look, I love what Ma makes. I have extra poundage to show how much I enjoy her cooking throughout my life but this time she said the worst food word in the history of all culinary speech...GOULASH. I'd run but that would make me look like a wuss. Truth be told, that food and I haven't gotten along since the day my taste buds met that unfortunate dish. What made me such a Go..gou..yeah that word up there hater? Being a social gal that your blog mistress is during my teens I would spend my weekends sleeping over friends houses and the next day their parents would feed me this dish that makes my skin crawl (still does now thinking about it and I'm 26). They called it dun dun DUNNN....GOULASH! (and yes for dramatic effect I shall write that word big and nasty in all it's mushy glory) and it was made up of mushy elbow macaroni, cheddar cheese, creamed corn, tomato's (usually ketchup), and whatever meat was lying around from earlier days dinners. BLEH. Sounds mmmm delish right? Yeah, no. Now you feel my pure hatred for this dish.

When Ma came to me and said we were having the dun dun DUNNNN...GOULASH! I was like "Oh, hells to the no." but she kept swearing to me that this recipe would change my mind and cease my hatred. So, after huffing and puffing about it I decided to give it one more shot before buring it in the "I hate your food guts hall of fame."

What goes into this dish? Here's what you'll need:

Spaghetti Goulash
12-16 Servings
Prep: 25 min. Bake: 35 min.

Ingredients

* 1 package (16 ounces) thin spaghetti, broken in half
* 3/4 pound ground beef
* 3/4 pound bulk pork sausage
* 1 medium green pepper, chopped
* 1 medium onion, chopped
* 2 cans (14-1/2 ounces each) diced tomatoes
* 1 bottle (12 ounces) chili sauce
* 1 can (8 ounces) mushroom stems and pieces, drained
* 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 1/4 teaspoon pepper
* 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese, divided

Directions

* Cook spaghetti according to package directions; drain. In a large skillet, cook the beef, sausage, green pepper and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Add the tomatoes; cover and simmer for 45 minutes.
* Remove from heat; stir in the chili sauce, mushrooms, Worcestershire sauce, salt, pepper and spaghetti.
* Transfer to a greased 4-qt. baking dish or two greased 2-qt. baking dishes. Sprinkle with cheese. Cover and bake at 350° for 35-40 minutes or until heated through.

Oh this is gonna sting but it needs to be said....*SIGH* *mumbles* Ma...you were right. It's delish and it nowhere near resembles that muck that my old friends parents would shove my way. It's light, tangy, and just all around yum. Oh, I know I know you guys don't have to say it. I am now a goulash lover. Geez, I hate being wrong. *shrugs shoulders*




Tid Bits:
*We suggest using thick spaghetti instead of thin. With the thin you'll get a mushy feeling and we covered that in the beginning. Mush & goulash = GROSS.

*We used turkey sausage but you can use any sausage you like.

*We also used diced Italian tomatoes. It gave it a nice flavor.



Ma's Spot: I've had a lot of different goulash's throughout my life. I have to say this one has been my favorite. I loved the chili sauce and the Worcestershire sauce together. What I like about it is it's easy to make, it makes a lot, and it is perfect to take for a Christmas dinner or get together. It's also great to make ahead and set in the fridge waiting to be cooked and served on those busy shopping days ahead. So I suggest you make it up and place in the fridge for a quick meal on the upcoming Black Friday.



BAKING CORNER: Thanksgiving Cookie Pizza

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
Servings: 16 servings


Ingredients

* 1 roll (16.5 oz) Pillsbury® refrigerated chocolate chip cookies
* 2 cups miniature marshmallows
* 2/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips
* 1/3 cup butterscotch chips
* Fall-colored decors or candy sprinkles
* 1/4 cup chocolate creamy ready-to-spread frosting (from 1-lb container), if desired

Directions

1.Heat oven to 350°F. Line 12-inch pizza pan with foil; grease foil with shortening. Cut cookie dough into 1/4-inch slices; arrange evenly in pan. With floured fingers, press slices to form crust.
2. 2Bake 16 to 20 minutes or until deep golden brown. Immediately sprinkle marshmallows evenly over warm base. Bake 1 to 2 minutes longer or until marshmallows just begin to puff.
3. 3Use foil to lift crust from pan. Carefully remove foil from crust; place crust on serving platter or tray. Sprinkle with chocolate chips, butterscotch chips and decors.
4. 4In small microwavable bowl, microwave frosting uncovered on High 10 to 15 seconds or until thin enough to drizzle. Drizzle frosting over cookie pizza. Cut into wedges or squares.





Dinah: Hahaha, I am calling this cookie pizza the hot mess cookie. Seriously, look at ours. Doesn't it look like a cookie you'd make with everything you have hanging out in your pantry? HA! Oh oh and it looks like a cookie pinata that someone busted open. HA! Alright, I kid I kid. It's really delicious. It was super simple to make and if you're a chocolate lover then this is right up your alley.


Ma: When I saw this recipe I knew I would love it. It has two of my favorite things (butterscotch and marshmallows). It was easy and fun to make, doesn't take a lot to make it, and it would be a nice recipe to make with your kids. I like how versatile it can be. Add nuts if you'd like, any chips, or any marshmallows you'd like. We used colorful ones. So gets together in the kitchen with your kids and whip up this recipe and have a great time while doing so!



It's been super fun guys but Dancing with the Stars starts soon and I gotta see who wins (TEAM JR. & KARINA!). You know the drill, be back next Tuesday for more goodies.
Ma and I wanna take a second to wish you all a Happy & Safe Thanksgiving! We're super thankful for a lot of amazing things but one of the things we're super thankful for is you guys. Yep, you guys who read our little blog. Without you, well..we'd be awfully lonely. So thanks!


Spoons & Spatula's
~Dinah & Ma