corned beef tots

Cheesy Corned Beef Tater Tots

admin
Share it now!

These Cheesy Corned Beef Tater Tots are my favorite creation so far.

Corned beef is one of those dinners like turkey. We only eat once a year or so, even though we love it.

It seems like there’s always the same staple foods around the holidays- and I know there’s a reason for that, because the staples are good. Turkey at Thanksgiving, Ham or Beef Wellington at Christmas, corned beef for St. Patrick’s Day.

There are hundreds of recipes that you can look up for Christmas dinners or Thanksgiving dinners but there doesn’t seem to be that many variations for St. Patricks day so I wanted to create something unique that we could look forward to.

Corned beef always makes a lot, I think the last piece we bought was 15 pounds. I love it for the leftovers, but after a couple of meals you’re looking for something else to make besides a sandwich. That’s how I came up with these Cheesy Corned Beef Tater Tots. 

I’ve been wanting to try homemade tater tots for a while. It just seems like they’d be so much better than the frozen kind -like most stuff is. So why not add some cheese and shredded corn beef to make them a meal?

I looked for the right type of cheese to use in these tots and I came up with a Kerrygold Irish Swiss. Swiss is often seen paired with corned beef in a reuben so I thought it would work well here too. I threw in some fontina cheese too because it melts so well.

These tater tots were a total success. I loved the way that the cheese blends in with the potatoes but doesn’t ooze out of the tater tot.

These Cheesy Corned Beef Tater Tots would also be great served for an appetizer. And they freeze really well, you can pull out a bag if company is coming over or just a few for a snack.

The possibilities for these tater tots are endless. You could do a cheesy mexican tot, or a ham and cheese tot, or maybe a philly cheesesteak tot?

I might have some more experimenting to do with this recipe…

Grate your potatoes and add your shredded cheese and corned beef.

corned beef mix

Form them into “tot” shapes, or whatever shape you’d like them and line them up on a board while your oil is heating up.

tots

 Give them a 5 minutes fry in some vegetable oil, season with salt and you have Cheesy Corned Beef Tater Tots.

corned beef tots

I served mine with a horseradish ketchup remoulade, but they’re delicious all on their own!

Cheesy Corned Beef Tater Tots
Serves 6
Write a review
Save Recipe
Print
Ingredients
  1. 5 medium potatoes, grated and squeezed of excess water
  2. 1 c. corned beef, shredded or cut into a small dice
  3. 1 c. Kerrygold Swiss, grated
  4. 1 C. fontina, grated
  5. 1 egg, beaten
  6. 2 t. minced onion
  7. 1 t. paprkia
For the Sauce
  1. 1 c. ketchup
  2. 1/4 c. mayonnaisse
  3. 1 T. horseradish
  4. 1/2 t. worcestershire sauce
  5. 1/4 t. salt
  6. a few grind of black pepper
  7. 1 1/2 t. garlic powder
  8. 1 1/2 t. salt
  9. 1/3 t. pepper
Instructions
  1. Heat a large deep pot with vegetable or canola oil.
  2. Place the grated cheese, corned beef and the shredded potatoes in a large bowl. Make sure you squeeze out all the excess water from the potatoes before you add them into the bowl or the tots will be too soggy.
  3. Add in the egg and the seasoning and mix well.
  4. Form the mixture into "tots" about 2-3 inches big. You should have about 30 tater tots when you're done, but you can make them smaller if you'd like.
  5. Once the oil is about 375 degrees, add in the tater tots a few at a time (depending on the size of your pot, just don't crowd them too much)
  6. Fry for about 5-7 minutes, until they get golden brown and crispy.
  7. Drain on paper towels and season right away with coarse salt.
To make the sauce
  1. Add all the ingredients to a small bowl and stir to combine.
Mantitlement http://www.mantitlement.com/
nutty irishman.jpg

Nutty Irishman

admin
Share it now!

So,  I decided  to crack open that bottle of Bailey’s a little early this year for the kick off of  St. Patrick’s Day.

The Nutty Irishman is one of my favorite after dinner drinks to have when we’re out to eat. We’ve been going to this one Italian restaurant for years and have come to know the owner pretty well. Usually after dinner he has the waiter come over and ask us if we’d like an after dinner drink on the house. Not one to turn a free drink down, a Nutty Irishman is usually what I end up ordering. It’s kind of dessert-like, it has a little sweetness from the Bailey’s, so I can get a two for one by ordering this drink and having my dessert in a glass.

I don’t normally make them at home, but after making them today, I’m not sure why I don’t because they’re really easy to make.

I’ve seen a few recipes for Nutty Irishman that are served warm with the addition of coffee. Which would be great except that I’m not a coffee drinker, so I had to come up with a different way to make it. My solution was to add a shot of Kaluha so that you get the coffee flavor without actualy adding the coffee.

nutty irishman.jpg

It also makes it a little more boozy, which is always good too. I hope you try one of these drinks at home tonight!

Nutty Irishman
Serves 1
Write a review
Save Recipe
Print
Ingredients
  1. 1 oz. of Bailey's Irish Cream
  2. 1 oz. of Frangelica
  3. 1 oz. of Kaluha
  4. 1 oz. of heavy cream
Instructions
  1. Shake all the ingredients on a cocktail shaker and serve on the rocks.
  2. Garnish with melon or whipped cream.
Mantitlement http://www.mantitlement.com/
 

pot pies feature

Chicken Pot Pies

admin
Share it now!

 These Chicken Pot Pies are definitely making the comfort food list.

Putting them together kind of seems like a lot of trouble at first, but once you get going it’s not that hard at all.

These pot pies are always welcomed at the dinner table, they’re even a great dinner to make ahead and bring to someone’s house, we just did that recently and it was kind of nice that dinner was done and everyone could enjoy some drinks and relax.

I totally consider these a one pot meal too- it takes only one pot to cook them in and one dish to serve them in! All the vegetables are in them already, so no need to worry about what’s going to be served with them. That’s one thing I’m still not great at, getting all the sides done to a go along with a meal. Main course I’ve got covered, but then all the vegetables, salads…I don’t know, I guess it’s important for the kids to get it all done but I’m usually fine with the main meal and a potato or rice side dish.

OK, and yes I do see that there are pearl onions and also diced onions. Before I ate these pot pies you wouldn’t catch me dead eating a pearl onion. But it’s what the recipe called for so to make it easier on the kids (and me) I cut them in half before I put them in…no one knows the difference that way.


potpie ingredients


All you need to do is saute your onions, celery and carrots, then add some flour, cook it out and pour in some warmed chicken stock.

Did I say one pot? One more small pot, you can do this in the microwave though if you want.

potpie sauce

After the sauce heats back up and thickens up, add in the shredded chicken and the peas.

You can make this pot pie individually in crocks or in a pie plate or a baking dish.

You cover the tops with a Pillsbury pie crust and throw them in the oven.

45 minutes later, you get this…

Try it for dinner tonight- it’s a great (and delicious way) to get the kids to eat their vegetables.

pot pies.jpg

It works on adults too. I speak from experience.

Chicken Pot Pies
Serves 6
Write a review
Save Recipe
Print
Ingredients
  1. 6 chicken breasts
  2. 3 T. olive oil
  3. salt and pepper
  4. 5 cups chicken stock
  5. 2 chicken bouillon cubes
  6. 5 T. butter
  7. 2 c. onions, chopped
  8. 3/4 c. flour
  9. 2 c. carrots, peeled and diced
  10. 1 (10 oz.) package frozen peas
  11. 1 1/2 cups pearl onions
  12. 1/2 c. minced parsley
  13. 1 package Pillsbury pie crust
  14. 1 egg, beaten and mixed with a splash of water
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Place the chicken on a baking sheet and cover the tops generously with salt and pepper.
  3. Roast in the oven for 35 minutes, until no longer pink.
  4. Set aside to cool, then cut or tear into large chunks. You should have 6 cups of chicken.
  5. While the chicken is in the oven, heat up the stock along with the bouillon cubes in a small saucepan.
  6. In a large pot, melt the butter then add the onions, celery and carrots. Cook over medium heat for 15 minutes, stirring often.
  7. Add the flour and cook over low heat, stirring, until the flour is cooked out, about 2 minutes.
  8. Add the chicken stock to the pot, stir well and simmer for 2-3 minutes until thickened.
  9. Then add in 2 t. salt, 1/2 t. fresh pepper. I like a little more pepper, but you can add as much or as little as you like.
  10. After the sauce has thickened, add the chicken, peas and parsley. Mix well and let cool slightly.
  11. There should be 2 discs of pie crust in the package. If you are using a larger dish to make one pot pie, then you can roll the one disc out slightly and cover your dish, sealing around the sides.
  12. If you are using individual crocks like I have here, then you're going to cut each disc into the shape it needs to be to fit the top of your crock. You can piece the dough together, it doesn't have to look perfect. I make 6 individual crocks with this recipe and the 2 discs of dough are enough to cover them.
  13. Brush the top of your dough with egg wash and sprinkle the top of the dough with salt and pepper.
  14. Make 4 slits in the crust (or each crust) with a knife to vent.
  15. Bake in the oven for 45-50 minutes, depending on the size of your pot pie. You'll know it's done when the filling starts to bubble out if the slits in the crust.
Adapted from http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/chicken-pot-pie-recipe.html
Adapted from http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/chicken-pot-pie-recipe.html
Mantitlement http://www.mantitlement.com/
61FdgHgjUFL._SL1500_

Raclette Grill

admin
Share it now!

I was trying to find some sort of a gadget or food product that would go along with the comfort food theme this week. To me, like I have mentioned, comfort food usually would consist of meat- like a big steak or a juicy hamburger, potatoes, cheese…that kind of stuff. So I found what is called a Raclette Party Grill with Granite Stone.

But before I found the Raclette Grill, I kept coming across fondue pots.

I can tell you this for sure, I am not a fondue lover. It doesn’t even seem like a real meal to me. Maybe it’s OK as an appetizer or something but I definitely can not look at fondue as a substantial dinner for me. Or let alone something that I crave.

When I first came across this Raclette Grill, I thought it was just a small hibachi-type thing. But then I found out that it’s not, it’s way better.

61FdgHgjUFL._SL1500_

 

What you do is lay out trays of different types of meat or fish -like slices or prosciutto or salami and maybe some shrimp or scallops. Then you can put out an assortment of vegetables like zucchini, peppers or onions. Slice up a few different types of breads like a loaf of french bread or some pita. You can also place slices of the breads or pitas to warm on the grill with the meat and vegetables.

And then there’s the cheese. The cheeses that you could use with this Raclette grill are  pretty endless, it’s whatever you like, Swiss, Gouda, Cheddar, fontina…

You take the cheese and place it in this warming tray underneath the granite grilling stone. The cheese melts as you grill your vegetables, meats and fish. Then you take out your melted cheese, scrape it out onto whatever bread you like and top it with your choice of meat or fish or veggies. Or all of the above. 

This is way better than fondue to me. Everyone around the table, picking what they want to make and sitting back as it cooks. No one running around in the kitchen while your guests are eating all the appetizers, everyone sitting and having some drinks and relaxing at the same time.

This is pretty much my ideal way to serve food at a party. It also covers all my basic comfort food groups.

Meat, bread and cheese. What else do you need?

swedishmeatloaf

Swedish Meatloaf

admin
Share it now!

It’s still pretty cold here in Jersey, 18 degrees today, but you can start to see Spring closing in on the calendar.

One of the things I do like about the cold weather is all the rich comfort food that there is to indulge in like this Swedish Meatloaf. For some reason it seems acceptable to eat cream-filled dinners and meatloaf and mashed potatoes when it’s 18 degrees outside. Your body is working hard to stay warm, so you’ll burn off the extra calories.

My whole family loves meatloaf. I know meatloaf is one of those things that people either love or hate but we’re on the love side.

We have a few standard meatloaf recipes that we make often but my oldest son and I like meatloaf with brown gravy as opposed to the ketchup glazed kind, but my wife and my younger son tend to like it with the ketchup.

I wanted to make a twist on a meatloaf recipe that I thought would please everyone, so I came up with this Swedish Meatloaf.

Everyone loves a swedish meatball, right? There’s usually a batch of them floating around at everyone’s BBQ or party.

So I thought why not make a huge swedish meatball, in meatloaf form…

This recipe is really easy too- nothing difficult or fancy. Just really good.

The meat is actually flavored like a swedish meatball, with fresh nutmeg and allspice…

ingredients.jpg

 All you do is saute the onion and garlic, mix it in with the meat and the eggs, and the rest of the meatloaf ingredients…

Then form it into a loaf and cover it with the “swedish” glaze…

uncooked meatloaf.jpg

Slice it up and serve the meatloaf with extra glaze on the side.

swedishmeatloaf

 

This Swedish Meatloaf was a winner for us all, I hope it is for you too! 

Swedish Meatloaf
Serves 6
Write a review
Save Recipe
Print
For the Meatloaf
  1. 2 lbs. meatloaf mix
  2. 2 cups of finely diced onion
  3. 3 cloves of garlic, minced
  4. 1 c. bread crumbs
  5. 2 eggs
  6. 2 t. salt
  7. 1/4 t. freshly ground nutmeg
  8. 1/4 t. allspice
  9. 1/4 c. chicken broth
  10. 7-8 grinds of fresh pepper
  11. 1 T. worcestershire sauce
  12. 1 T. sweet chili sauce
  13. 1 T. olive oil
For the Glaze
  1. 1/2 c. sweet chili sauce
  2. 1 c. grape jelly
  3. pinch of cayenne
  4. 1 heaping T. of ketchup
  5. salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
  2. In a medium skillet on medium-high heat, saute the onion in olive oil for 5 minutes. Add in the minced garlic and cook a minute more. Let cool slightly off the heat.
  3. In a large bowl combine the meat, the cooled onion and garlic mixture, bread crumbs, chicken broth, eggs and the seasonings, mixing well to combine.
  4. Form into a loaf on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil and coat with about a cup of the glaze.
  5. Place in the oven for 45 minutes, baste with more glaze and cook another 15-20 minutes, until no longer pink in the center.
  6. Let col for 10 minutes then slice and serve with extra sauce on the side.
Mantitlement http://www.mantitlement.com/