Beef Pasties by Brenda

2 c. cubed cooked roast beef (1/4” pieces)

1 (14-1/2 oz.) can diced potatoes

1 (14-1/2 oz.) can sliced carrots

½ c. diced onion

1 (14-1/2 oz.) can beef gravy

1 T. parsley

¼ tsp. dried thyme

Salt/pepper to taste

Refrigerated Pie Crusts (2-3 shells, making 4-6 pasties)

In a bowl, combine all ingredients lightly.  Cut each pie crust in half.  Mound one cup of filling on half of the pastry, fold over, forming a wedge.  Moisten edges with water, fold dough over filling and press the edges with a fork to seal.

Place on baking sheet.  Cut slits in top of each to vent.  Bake @ 450�š for 20-25 min. or until golden brown.  Yield: 4-6 servings.

Note:  This recipe easily fills 3 shells or you can overstuff 2 shells.  You can modify this recipe to your favorites by adding mushrooms or different vegetables, cooked chicken and chicken gravy instead of beef will work nicely also.

** Thank you Brenda for submitting the delicious recipe above. Since Michigan is famous for these Pasties and we've yet to even eat one, I will be making these and posting a picture, in due time. 

This has got to be a staple in everyone's home during a cold wintery day and evening. I can never make enough of this soup to satisfy the most hungry young adult or husband.

7 Cups Water

4 Chicken Bouillon Cubes

1 Bay Leaf

Kosher Salt and Pepper to taste

1 lb. Velvetta Cheese

1 16 oz. frozen package of mixed cauliflower and broccoli florets

2 Carrots chopped in bite sized pieces

2 large Russet Potatoes

1 Medium Vidalia Onion, chopped fine

1 Can or Bottle of Miller Lite or whatever beer or ale you prefer

 Place the water and bouillon cubes in a large stock pot. Chop the carrot and pototes into bite sized pieces . Add in all the vegetables and bay leaf except the frozen cauliflower/broccoli. Bring to a rolling boil then simmer until the veggies are tender. Add the frozen veggies and the bottle of beer making sure you first take a very large sip. Add the cheese and let it melt, SLOWLY. Simmer and serve with chopped chives.

WISCONSIN'S SOUP! :)

**I serve this with a crusty Italian Bread or rolls. 

A great holiday treat in the Ryan household are the following. You may want to quadruple this recipe if you are having a large gathering. They go quickly.

1 lb. Ground Round or Sirloin or 80/20 hamburger

1 Egg

1/4 C Bread Crumbs (I use a day old Baguette. Grind in food processor)

2 Tbs. Heavy Cream or milk

1 tsp Kosher Salt

1/8 tsp. Nutmeg (You may leave this out but I wouldn't advise it. My Aunt Jenny said, "leave in the "meg" to give them that wow holiday taste. She really knew what she was talking about).

Sauce

1 C Heinz Ketchup. (I use Heinze, no sugar added)

1/4 C. Water

1/2 C. Brown Sugar (Splenda brown sugar subs nicely)

2 tsp. Worchestershire Sauce

Mix meat ingredients together well. Shape into bite sized meatballs. Here's where I get out of control and make them larger. :)  Bake in oven at 350 for approximately 30 minutes. Drain well.

Mix Sauce ingredients in a sauce pan. Cook while the meatballs are cooking. Place sauce in a crock pot and add meatballs. Toss and enjoy. 

**I normally make these a day ahead. The flavors meld much better.

4 C Oatmeal

1 C Brown Sugar

1 C Shortening ( 1/2 c. Crisco, 1/2 c butter)

1/2 C Light Corn Syrup

Frosting

6 oz. Ghiradeli Chocolate Chips

3/4 C Peanut Butter ( I prefer Parker Peanut Butter, no additives or sugar)

Mix oatmeal, brown sugar, shortening and corn syrup. Spread in a 9 x 13 inch pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes. Cool.

Melt chocolate chips and peanut butter together. Spread this mixture over the top and refrigerate until the pan of bars is firm. At least for 2 hours. Cut into bars and eat 3 or more per day. 

6 C Sliced apples (I prefer granny smith)

1/2 C White Sugar

1/4 C Brown Sugar

2 TBSP. Flour

1/2 tsp. Nutmeg

1/2 tsp. Cinnamon

2 TBSP. Lemon Juice

1 Unbaked Pie crust

 Topping

1/2 C White sugar

1/2 C Flour

1/2 Stick Butter

Mix pie ingredients together andspoon into pie crust. Over the top, sprinkle the topping mixture which you should blend together with a fork until crumbly. Place pie in a brown grocery paper bag. Staple shut! Place pie and bag on cookie sheet and bake at 425 degrees for 1 hour. Note: This is a safe method as I've made this pie for years. The bag will not burn. 

 I've changed this recipe in places from the original but thank you to my sister in law for the gist of the tastiest dessert, ever!  Janet is one of the best cooks/bakers I know. This is a must try!

Pastry

 1 C. Flour

1 Stick butter

1 C. Water

4 Eggs

 Place water and stick of butter in a 2 qt. sauce pan and melt on medium heat to a boil.  Add flour and continue cooking over medium heat for one minute and until it forms a ball. Remove from heat and add one egg at a time and use mixer to mix well. A huge ball will form. On a large, greased, round pizza pan, drop the dough so it forms a ring around the edges of the pan. Bake in a 400 degree oven for 40-45 minutes. DO NOT open the door at any point while baking. Take out of oven and let cool.

 Filling

4 Cups Heavy whipping cream

3 TBS. Sugar

1 1/2 tsp. Vanilla

2 Cups cold milk

2 3.4 oz. Instant French Vanilla Pudding

 Pour heavy whipping cream into a large cold bowl. Whip, on high with mixer while gradually adding 3 TBS. sugar. Mix until hard peaks are formed. Set aside.

Take instant pudding and place in a bowl. Add milk, and vanilla. Mix until thickened and not runny. Fold in heavy whipping cream mixture  in to pudding mixture. Set in the refrigerator to keep cold.

 Topping

6  oz's.  Ghiradeli chocolate chips

1 tsp. Vanilla

2- 3TBS. Heavy Whipping Cream (give or take)

2 TBS. Butter

1 C Powdered Sugar

Pour chips into a microwave safe bowl. Add butter and melt, stirring occasionally. When chips are melted, add vanilla, heavy cream and powdered sugar. Mix well and if needed, add more heavy cream to get a smooth and silky, pourable chocolate frosting. Drizzle all over the top of the torte. Refrigerate for an hour and eat!

Assembly

Slice the cooked pastry dough with a serrated knife,  making two round pieces. Set aside the top piece. If it breaks, no problem, you may piece it together after the filling is in and the top is on. Place the bottom half on a large tray. Fill with the filling. Top with the top half of the puff pastry and drizzle on your frosting. Cool in the fridge at least an hour before serving.

 My family NEVER lets this one cool. It's gone in one day. A very tasty treat.

Mood:  on fire

4 chicken breasts
3 Eggs
Garlic Olive Oil
Kosher Salt
Monterey Jack Cheese
Parmesan Cheese (The green can)
Crispy bacon
Tomato Slices
Spinach leaves, Basil or Romain Lettuce (optional)
Chipotle Sauce or Mayo
**At times, I add into the parm cheese Italian Seasoning.

Pound chicken breasts until very thin. Whip eggs in a bowl. Place parmesan cheese into another bowl and add a teaspoon of kosher salt. Dip chicken breast in egg wash then in parmesan cheese. Fry in a medium heated pan with a garlic olive oil. Fry until brown and crispy. Place on cookie sheet and place in a 400 degree oven to finish off cooking.

Once the chicken is done, take a cooked breast, spread on the chipotle sauce, layer on the cheese, bacon, tomato and place another breast on top of that forming a sammich. Cut in half. These are very messy but worth every drip down your wrist and all over your hands. Enjoy!

Note: This is a low carb dish due to substituting bread crumbs and using the parm cheese.

Hello everyone,

I've decided to try and put all my recipes in one spot. As easy as that sounds it's going to be a task, yet fun, for me. 

I'm trying to set them up in categories but will make mistakes along the way so please bear with me as I learn this "blogging" process. Funny thing is, my webpage for A Touch of Home was originally set up by a 14 year old boy from Florida, and he left me to figure the rest out for myself. HTML this, HTML that, parenthases, comma, quotations and all the other lingo HTML requires. I sat and learned this, on my own in a not so timely fashion. However, the moral of the story is, teach yourself or lose the website. I chose to learn it and now can move things around pretty smoothly. Blogging is another creature all in itself and since I put a few recipes up on my website and they didn't look so hot (page wise) I decided to blog them and keep them all nice and tidy.

If anyone would care to forward a recipe and photo of it to me, please do so. I'll post it for you and give you full credit. A lot of these recipes are going to be recipes I've actually made several times, for my family and friends. I will post a picture with them. I still think seeing a picture of anything surpasses just reading about it. Pretty pictures are more apt to make someone want to try the recipe don't you think? 

Ok, enough talking and let's commence to recipe posting 101! If anyone has suggestions or questions or want to share, please email me at

atouchofhome@charter.net

Enjoy the recipes and know that ALL of my recipes are calorie free!