Day 43: Guest Post with Laura Barone: Broccoli Cobbler (NON veg)

Original Source: Half Baked Harvest

Let me introduce my friend, Laura Barone. She's been my writing partner since 2005? ish? Wow, that long, and is co-writer of our Sable Grace novels. I asked her to guest post here because she loves food as much as I do, but not so much the act of making it! She graciously agreed, so please, welcome Laura!

*********

First off, thank you Heather for letting me join you in cooking your way through Pinterest and giving me a chance to experiment with something I hate—cooking J

When I first saw this recipe, I was a little apprehensive about trying it, ‘cause, I don’t really like broccoli. However, it stayed in the back on my mind and when I was in what my daughter calls Betty-Crocker-Mode, I knew I had to try it.

Let me say, it’s really simple to make. Yes, the biscuits are scratch, but not hard at all. Everything else comes from a bag or a can. How much more simple can that be? I did use Lipton Special Recipe soups to cut down on the salt, but other than that, I followed the recipe completely and it tastes divine! (Even though I somehow managed to brown the cheese topping a bit too much. Didn’t matter, still tastes good!)

My only complaints are the broccoli was too firm and there wasn’t enough ‘soup’ for my tastes. Meaning, nothing to soak up with that awesome biscuit. To fix this, I recommend cooking the broccoli for a few minutes prior to pulling this dish together. And when you mix up the soup, add about ¼ cup milk or broth to the mixture. I will definitely be making this again even if I’m the only one in the house who was brave enough to try it because it heats well in the microwave (just remember to pull the biscuits off, heat the soup for 2 minutes, then put everything back in for a minute more).

Happy cooking and enjoy your dinner!

Laura

Get the RECIPE HERE

Day 11 : Cheesy Chicken Tater Tot Casserole

Original Source: The Country Cook

FIND RECIPE HERE

Let me say, this was a pain in my $##. Not the recipe itself, but because of the number of days I tried to make it and kept forgetting to start the crock pot! 2 or 3:00 would roll around and I'd remember and.. yeah, new plans for dinner. I'm not used to using a crockpot outside of weekends, unless it's for beans.

Ok, onward and upward!

My thoughts:
Tasty. My guy agreed, as did my Teen Boy. Teen Daugher (As usual) wasn't around.

However, we all agreed that this dish would be far better served as a breakfast dish. Take out the chicken, use sausage instead, and this would get 4 stars instead of the 3 we gave it. Also, I don't use fake bacon for anything. So I used real bacon, slightly cooked, and cut into pieces. Next time, I'll cook the bacon more, because it never developed a nice, crunchy texture.

1 problem with the recipe. Granted, I could be blind and I'm known for not being able to see what's right in front of me, but the recipe layers everything out yet forgets the first layer of cheese. By the time you get to the second layer, it's tell you it's the third. Not so. So my bottom layer had no cheese :( It wasn't missed, however, so carry on.  The tater tots throughout take on a rice-y texture and is quite lovely, while the top layer keeps its tater tot shape. Seriously, as a breakfast, this would be far better. The chicken was an unneeded distraction that I ended up pushing aside.

Day 7: Paula Deen's Jambalaya

Original Source: Food Network/ Paula Deen

FIND RECIPE HERE

I make this jambalaya/gumbo mixed thing that I created a year or two ago that my family loves. So trying a different recipe (even though this is straight jambalaya) is a bit scary. Why do all this when the final product isn't certain to be fantastic since we already love my own recipe? But... It was on my Pinterest board, so I had to give it a go!

Speaking of, you can find me on Pinterest HERE. I collect recipes there, and also post ones I already love to cook.

Everything's a Stewin'

Okay, so this is how mine turned out. (It looks a lot redder than it was.) It was good, but my recipe wins! This was extremely tomato-y and soupy. Good flavor but not a lot going on. I'll hang onto the recipe because it's simple and can quench a creole craving (sort of) in a pinch. But overall, I'd look for a different recipe!