For Mother's Day I wanted to make a simple yet exciting side dish to accompany my Herbed Rolled Roast. Ordinary mashed potatoes seemed boring and regular baked potatoes seemed too formal. I decided I would try a loaded baked potato casserole and it was a huge success. 

I have seen several recipes around the internet and Pinterest but didn't really need to follow one to come up with this delicious side dish since everyone has a certain way they like to prepare their own loaded baked potato and this is my take on this popular recipe. 

Ingredients: 

3 1/2 - 4 lbs russet potatoes, peeled and cut into quarters
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup milk
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided
8 slices bacon, cooked, chopped, divided
1/2 bunch green onions, sliced

Preparation:

Place potatoes in saucepan, and cover with salted water. Bring to a boil over med-high heat. Cook until tender, then drain well. 

Preheat oven to 375° degrees F. 

Transfer potatoes back to the saucepan. Mash with a potato masher until almost smooth or put potatoes through a potato ricer which is our preferred method. Add sour cream, butter, milk, salt and pepper. Continue mashing until smooth. Stir in 1 cup of the cheese and half the bacon. Spoon mixture evenly into a lightly oiled 3-quart casserole dish. 

Top with remaining cheese, bacon and green onions. Bake for 5 more minutes to melt cheese. Serve immediately.


Serves 6-8

Stuffed mushrooms have long been a tradition in my family. I found the recipe in an International Cookbook my Mom had in the mid 1980's. It has been a long time since I've read the actual recipe to cite the source and we no longer own this cookbook but over the years I have tweaked the recipe to make it my own. 

So after 25 years, this has became my "dish" to prepare. I am known in my family for this recipe and it is my job, it seems, to bring this dish to every family function. This is exactly the same stuffing I make when I make stuffed mushrooms, only I omitted the caps and made it into a side dish to be eaten with my Herbed Rolled Roast. 

We all agreed this made a good stuffing to serve along side a roast beef and would also be excellent stuffed inside a pork loin or a beef wellington or even chick breast. It is a pretty tasty and versatile dish either with our without being stuffed into caps. 

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp Extra virgin olive oil
1 small onion, minced
3 Tbsp garlic, minced
2- 16 oz packages of mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
1 stick butter
1/2 cup parsley chopped
1/2 bread crumbs, Italian or plain
salt and pepper to taste
2 cups Italian Cheese blend

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°F oven. 

In a food processor or by hand, mice one small onion. Heat a large skillet coated with the olive oil over medium high heat. Add the onions and cook until opaque  about 3 to 5 minutes. Then add the minced garlic and cook for 2 more minutes. 

Again in the food processor or by hand, coarsely grind the mushrooms. Add the mushrooms and the stick of butter to the pan with the onions and garlic. Saute the mushrooms for about 5 to 7 minutes and then add the chopped parsley. Salt and pepper to taste. Removed from heat. Transfer to a 2-quart casserole dish which has been prepared with non-stick spray. Then add the cheese over the top. 

Bake for 10 to 15 minutes until the cheese is melted and bubbly. Serve hot. 

Serves 6-8 

When my family and I go to our favorite Mexican restaurant we always save room for the Sopapilla’s. A sopapilla is a dessert made from dough very much like a doughnut and deep fried until it puffs.  Some restaurants serve them with honey in between the layers while others sprinkle them with brown sugar and cinnamon.
 
My personal favorite is the brown sugar and cinnamon variation and I like them served warm. 
 
While searching the internet for new recipe ideas I found this recipe for a Sopapilla Cheesecake.  What could be better than my favorite Mexican dessert and my other favorite dessert cheesecake?  I was a little skeptical with the use of the store bought crescent rolls but after tasting this I became an instant believer.  I made this for my family as a surprise dessert to go with our Quesadilla Pie and they all loved the flavors. 
 
Ingredients:

-2 cans butter crescent rolls
-2 (8oz) packages cream cheese (softened)
-1 cup sugar
-1 teaspoon vanilla
-1/8 tsp ground cinnamon
 
Topping:
-1/4 cup butter (melted)
-Cinnamon and sugar (I used about 1/4 cup sugar and 1 tbsp cinnamon)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. If you are using a glass pan, adjust the temperature to 325 degrees. Unroll and spread one can of crescent rolls on bottom of ungreased 9x13 inch pan.  Be sure to smooth out the seams before adding the filling. Combine softened cream cheese, sugar, vanilla and 1/8 tsp. cinnamon in a bowl. Spread mixture over crescent rolls. Unroll and spread remaining crescent rolls over mixture, being sure to press together any seams. Spread melted butter over the top and sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar. Bake for 35 minutes.

My boys wanted to cook me something special for Mother’s Day.  They had already planned on making dinner so they wanted to make me something that I would love for breakfast.  My breakfast normally consist of a large cup of coffee and maybe a slice of toast, so having an actual meal at breakfast, cooked by someone else is extra special to me.
 
My boys are handy in the kitchen and can whip up eggs and bacon without any problems but they wanted something different so they asked my friend, Julie, how to make a breakfast casserole that they heard me talk about from office pot luck breakfast events.  They loved the idea of the casserole being made the night before so all they had to do was wake up on Mother’s Day and put it in the oven.
 
I love my boys and this breakfast was delicious and filling and from what they said was very simple to make.  They changed up the meat in the casserole to what we had in the house so remember, the recipe is a guide and you can change or add what you like.
 
Ingredients:
 
6 slices of bread, crust removed
1 pound cooked meat
12 eggs
1 cup milk or half and half
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
2 cups shredded cheese divided (reserve ½ cup for topping)
4 green onions chopped
 
Directions: 
 
In a large bowl scramble eggs with milk, salt & pepper, set aside
 
Spray a 13x9 baking dish with non-stick cooking spray
Place the bread into baking dish, top bread with 1 ½ cups cheese, meat and onions.  Slowly pour eggs over bread making sure all bread is moistened/soaked.
Refrigerate overnight.
The next day pre-heat oven to 350º F,
Bake casserole for 45 minutes, remove pan, add ½ cup shredded cheese, return to oven for 5 minutes or until eggs are set and cheese is melted.

I'm always on the lookout for the perfect, tender Rib Roast recipe. 
This recipe from "Cooks Country" Magazine was really very simple yet elegant and my guests were very impressed with it when it arrived on the table. It literally only took a few minutes to get it into the oven and after a no fuss 2 hours it was done.  

We pulled the roast out of the oven when the thermometer read 125 °F and let it rest tented in foil on the counter for 20 minutes. After the 20 minutes were over, the thermometer has risen another 10 degrees and it was a perfect medium rare. This was by far, my best attempt yet at perfecting my Prime Rib skills. My husband and I were pleasantly surprised with this recipe and even my Dad enjoyed two helpings. 

Ingredients:

4 lb rolled roast, standing rib roast or prime rib of beef
1/3 cup parsley
2 Tbsp thyme (optional)*
1 minced shallot or small white onion
1 Tbsp Dijon mustard 
1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

*Note: I am not a fan of Thyme so I omitted it from my recipe. 

Directions: 

Preheat the oven to 275 °F. 

Brown the roast in a skillet with 1 T. olive oil. Browning is essential to giving the roast a good color before the slow roast and adds a depth of flavor by caramelizing the meat. 

Remove the meat from the skillet and into a roasting rack inside a large roasting pan. The oven is set to 275°F to ensure a slow, even roasting temperature. Cook the roast for about 1 1/2  to 2 hours for a medium rare roast. Remove the roast from the oven and check the internal temperature which should be about 125°F. **

** Note: When I checked the roast right out of the oven it was about 117°F so I put it back in for an additional 12 minutes until it reached 128°F and I removed it from the oven. 

Spread the butter/herb mixture onto the roast and tent with foil for 20 minutes.  This allows the juices in the roast to redistribute throughout, creating a super juicy, tender roast. 

After the 20 minutes resting period, the thermometer read about 135°F and was cooked to perfection! 

Slice and enjoy. 

Serves: 6 - 8

You know the weather is getting warm when you drive thru your neighborhood and you can smell the smoky scent of something cooking on a BBQ.

During the summer, we spend a lot of time with family and friends in our backyard having cookouts. This weekend we were planting our herb garden and decided that the weather was perfect for some good old fashioned barbecued chicken. Only problem was I didn't have any sauce to keep the chicken moist. So we searched for a viable substitute. What we found was a dry rub recipe from "Country Cooks" Magazine that every reviewer said kept the chicken extremely moist, tender and delicious.

I prepared the rub and followed the simple instructions, I have to say this was the juiciest chicken I have had on the BBQ in a very long time. The rub was packed with flavor and had enough kick to satisfy my husband. The only suggestion I have is to lightly oil your grill prior to putting the chicken skin side down so the skin won’t stick to the grates. Pair this meal with a side of baked beans, corn on the cob and a slice of ice cold watermelon and you will fall in love with BBQ grilled chicken all over again.  Enjoy!  ~Dina

Ingredients:

3 Tbs dark brown sugar 
2 tsp chili powder 
2 tsp paprika 
1 1/2 tsp pepper 
1 tsp dry mustard 
1 tsp onion powder 
1 tsp salt 
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper **optional
3 lbs bone-in, skin on chicken pieces

Directions:

Rub chicken – Combine brown sugar, chili powder, paprika, pepper, dry mustard, onion powder, salt and cayenne in small bowl. Transfer half of dry rub to shallow dish; reserve. Pat chicken dry with paper towels and coat over and under skin with remaining rub. Transfer to plate and place in refrigerator, covered, for one hour.

Grill chicken – Grill chicken (skin side down) until skin is well browned and crisp (15-20 min)
Dredge chicken – Lightly coat skin side of chicken with reserved rub and return to grill, skin side up. Continue to grill, covered, for 15-20 min (until rub has melted into a glaze)

Rest – Transfer chicken to a plate, lightly tent with foil and let it rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Are you looking for a simple, delicious and affordable meal that will help you stretch your family food dollar…This recipe was very simple to make and if you don’t want to use store bought rotisserie chicken you can substitute leftover shredded baked chicken or shredded roasted pork or beef.  Let your imagination be your guide.
 
Our family was unable to celebrate Cinco de Mayo, which commemorates the Mexican army's 1862 victory over France at the Battle of Puebla during the Franco-Mexican War (1861-1867). While this is a relatively minor holiday in Mexico, in the United States Cinco de Mayo has evolved into a celebration of Mexican culture and heritage.
 
After pondering over what to make, we found a recipe for Quesadilla Pie in “Cook’s Country” Magazine. It certainly sounded interesting enough but we were still a little skeptical on how we would get all the flavors we love into a “pie”.  This recipe exceeded our expectations and the only thing we changed was we added chopped green onions to our recipe. 
 
If you are looking for something that will have you celebrating and not spending too much time in the kitchen, then this is a great recipe.  

Ingredients:

May 12 -1 8 is food Allergy Awareness Week. Since we talk about food here on Kitchen Dreaming, we felt it was important to also talk about food allergies. 

My husband recently became allergic to all sweet and hot peppers from paprika and bell peppers all the way up to hot Serrano peppers. After extensive allergy testing, we found that he is indeed allergic to them all. His reaction came on suddenly and severely and without warning. In fact, I rushed him to the clinic for an epinephrine shot. They took him to the exam room before we even finished checking in. We are a bit shaken by this new revelation which is quite an obstacle when you start reading food labels. Quick shopping trips now take well over an hour as we read and re-read every label. It's a good thing I like to cook from scratch because we've found the only way to achieve complete avoidance is to cook it ourselves.  

My husband was an avid lover of hot sauce and peppers and has been for years when suddenly, his body has become intolerant of it. You never know when or how severe a food allergy will strike. You also cannot predict future reaction severity by past reactions. They only way to control food allergy reaction is by strict avoidance of known allergens. Our challenge right now is getting big flavors into his food without the use of many of our most beloved ingredients and spices. We are working on it but it has been a real blow to his ego not to mention his palette. 

This is what we now know...One in every 13 kids or about 2 kids in every School classroom has an allergy to food. Of children under 5 about 5% have food allergies while about 4% of people over the age of 5 have food allergies. Together they make up the nearly 15 million Americans with allergic reactions to food proteins. 

 A food allergy is an abnormal response by the immune system to a food protein. When the food is eaten, the immune system thinks the food is harmful and releases histamine and other chemicals to “attack” the enemy. There is no cure for food allergy. Complete and strict avoidance is the only way to prevent a reaction. Eight foods cause 90% of all allergic reactions in the United States and include milk, wheat, eggs, soy, peanuts, tree nuts (walnuts, hazelnuts, pecans etc), fish and shellfish. 

Shortly after eating, one or more symptoms may occur. These include, but are not limited to, the following: 
swelling, hives, eczema or itchy rash, trouble swallowing, shortness of breath, repetitive coughing, voice change, 
nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal cramping. Anaphylaxis is the most serious allergic reaction; it is rapid in onset and may even cause death. Each year in the U.S. anaphylaxis to food causes over 50,000 emergency room visits, and 150 deaths!  My husband had anaphylaxis accompanied by numbness and tingling in his face and lips, as well as, his arms. His hive began on his belly in large palm sized patches and spread over his entire body. He was head to toe hives at full outbreak.  


The easiest and most basic principal to follow for a food allergy is to totally avoid food allergens. Make wise food choices through vigilant label reading and asking questions. Read every label every time as product specifications and formulations can change at any time without warning. Call or contact the product vendor through their help line if necessary. When in doubt, leave (or throw) it out. Also, be careful in food preparation and cleaning and be mindful of cross contamination. Prompt administration of epinephrine is key to surviving anaphylaxis. Fatalities result from a delay or failure to administer epinephrine shots during an allergic reaction. 


Be prepared in the case of a food reaction. Accidents are never planned so medications must be immediately 
available at all times. Know how to recognize symptoms and administer medications quickly and have a written Food Allergy Action Plan (FAAP). If a reaction occurs, administer your FAAP immediately! 

Food allergies affect about 2 million school aged children. Most reactions in schools occur from food in the classroom used for projects or celebrations. Up to 25% of peanut/tree nut reactions in schools are first-time reactions. Once a reaction begins, there is no way to know how severe it will become so take all food allergy-induced allergic reactions seriously. That's why every school should have a plan for managing food allergies. Does your school have a plan?

Schools has a responsibility to create an environment where children, including those with food allergies, will 
be safe. They should employ prevention and avoidance strategies and be prepared to handle an allergic 
reaction. Meanwhile, as parents we should provide written medical documentation to the school and the child's teacher(s). We should work with the school to develop a plan of action and provide properly labeled medications, 
as well as, keep emergency contact information up-to-date. Lastly, teach our kids age-appropriate self management skills and strategies to minimize risks by accidental exposure. 

But how can we minimize risk? We can do this simply by cleaning our hands before and after eating or 
handling food. Advance planning in order to provide safe parties or celebrations. Avoid using foods in classroom art/craft projects or as incentives and lastly, prohibit food trading and sharing.

A food allergy can be challenging and a source of ongoing concern. Having a good source of information and the opportunity to discuss the condition with others who share your concerns can be very helpful. There are a number of Internet sites and forums for discussing food allergies. Some are specifically for parents of children with food allergies. The Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis website can direct you to support groups and events in your area. Many people find it helpful to talk to others who are dealing with the same challenges.

Mother's day has always been a special tradition in my house. I would always prepare my mom a very elegant meal. It was, after all, her very special day. After my Mom passed, I still carry on this tradition and I invite my Mother-in-law, my dad and any other family willing to make the trek over to my house to honor them for Mother's Day. Yes, this takes away a little of my own pampering for Mother's Day but the tradition of family coupled with reflecting back on my Mom is easier for me with a crowded house full of family. Besides, my Mother would have wanted it this way. 


So for this Mother's Day,  I was looking for a way to turn an ordinary side dish into an extraordinary side dish for our dinner this year. Since we are growing green beans in our garden and are able to harvest fresh beans every two days with enough to feed 4 people a very generous portion it seemed only natural to start with green beans. In keeping with tradition, I remembered that my grandmother always loved pearl onions. So I decided I would pair the two into an interesting and tasty dish. What a wonderful idea this turned out to be! 


This recipe, turned out absolutely awesome. Even if you don't normally enjoy onions you might consider this recipe. The slow caramelization of the onions really brings our their sweetness. I paired this with my Herbed Rolled Roast to round out the flavors and complement the sweetness of the onions.  

Ingredients:

1 T. extra-virgin olive oil
2 lb. fresh pearl onions, peeled
1 lb. fresh green beans, ends trimmed
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper

Directions:

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the pealed onions; sauté until tender and brown, stirring often. After about 10 minutes, add the green beans. Heat, stirring often, until the beans are slightly softened. Remove the skillet from heat and season with the salt and pepper; toss until evenly coated. Serve.

Serves 4

Note: When using fresh pearl onions, the easiest way to peel them is by blanching them in boiling water for 2 minutes, then quickly draining them. After they've cooled, cut off the root end and squeeze the onion out from the opposite end. My daughter loves to help with this task and her tiny hands make quick work of it with very little waste. 

Traditional Vietnamese spring rolls are a quick and easy meal. I sometimes make them ahead and take them for lunch. They keep well and are portable not to mention delicious.  Today we decided to make our version of the original up on a whim but found we didn't have any whole rice wrappers handy. A certain 3 year old I know had secretly crushed the ones we had in the pantry... thus was born the Vietnamese lettuce wrap that we created today. The best recipes are born from simple mistakes or creating meals on the fly. We don't follow a strict recipe for these spring rolls but use what we have on hand. 

I enjoyed these so much I really didn't miss the wrappers at all. In fact, I ate them again the next day for lunch as well. Enjoy! ~Ronda

Ingredients:

• 12 whole romaine lettuce leaves
• 2 cup rice thread noodles, pre-cooked 
• 1/4 cup fresh thai basil or cilantro
• 1/2 cup carrots, grated or julienned
• 1/2 cup cucumbers, julienned
  
• 36 medium shrimp, cooked, peeled and deveined
• 12 whole chive leaves
  

Peanut Sauce:

• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 1/2 cup water
• 4 Tbsp. creamy peanut butter 
• 4 Tbsp. Hosin Sauce
• chopped, toasted peanuts for garnish

Directions:

For the Lettuce boats:

Layer the ingredients into each lettuce leaf "boat". First, add noodles to the base, then add the basil (or cilantro), 
then the carrot shreds, the cucumber strips and finally, top with 3 pieces of shrimp. Garnish this with one whole chive. Repeat with the 11 remaining lettuce boats. Serve with peanut dipping sauce and sriracha sauce (optional). 


For the sauce:

Put all in a blender and puree until smooth. Store any leftover in the refrigerator.
use chopped toasted peanuts for garnish 

Makes 12 wraps; Serves 3-4