Grilled Steak & Lobster

When you have a pan like The Pampered Chef's Double Burner Grill Pan, you can produce restaurant-style meals with ease. 

For this meal...steak, lobster, asparagus, and mushrooms..., because of the size of the pan and the similar cook times of the food, I cooked everything all at once, not only lessening the meal prep time, but also the cleanup. 

To start, melt a stick of real butter on the stove and add a clove of garlic to it (pressed using The Pampered Chef's garlic press). Then, cut your mushrooms and asparagus (at an angle to make it look pretty), generously season your steak with salt & pepper, and cut your lobster tails in half. 

Next, place everything in the grill pan, veggies first, steak second, and lobster last. Set the timer for 5 minutes. Baste veggies and lobster with melted butter.

After 5 minutes, flip food (veggies and lobster may require more flipping/stirring and basting - your steak does not).  Set your timer for 5 minutes again.

After your second 5 minutes is done, remove your steak. Let the steak set without cutting while you're plating your food. Pour melted butter into a ramekin for dipping. 

The steak above has a blue cheese crust (I added the blue cheese after flipping the steak).  For this recipe, I cut the steak in half to feed two people.

This steak is an inch thick and is cooked medium-rare. 

For more steak cook times, click here.

www.pamperedchef.biz/ajfbailey

Mini Banana Bread using The Pampered Chef's Brownie Pan

Mini Banana Bread using the Pampered Chef Brownie Pan

Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit and move the rack to one above the center. 

For dry ingredients, on a piece of parchment paper or in a medium sized bowl, mix together 2 cups flour, 3 tsp. baking powder, and 1/2 tsp. salt.

In a seperate bowl, cream 1/2 cup room temperature butter with 1 cup sugar.  Add 2 eggs (room temperature for best results) and beat until light and fluffy (this makes the bread extra moist and airy).  Add 2 ripe bananas, 1 tsp. lemon juice, and 1 tsp. lemon zest to the egg mixture; stir until incorporated.  Stir in dry ingredients and 1 cup chopped nuts (pecans or walnuts).

Grease Pampered Chef Brownie Pan with room temperature butter and fill cups 2/3 full (two scoops of batter using the Medium Scoop).  Bake for approximately 12-15 minutes.

Makes 18 squares.

Please visit my website www.pamperedchef.biz/ajfbailey to order any Pampered Chef products.



Microwave Pineapple Upside-Down Cake

This recipe is so easy, so quick, and oh so delicious! You must use the Pampered Chef's Deep Covered Baker (referred to hereout as DCB).

Drain a can of sliced pineapple, reserving the juice.

Melt two sticks of butter in the DCB in the microwave.

Prep a box of yellow cake mix using the instructions on the box. Use the reserved pineapple juice (plus water if needed to meet the measurements) in place of water. And, in place of oil, use melted butter from the two sticks melted before.

Add two cups of brown sugar to the melted butter in the DCB; cover and microwave for 5 minutes.

After brown sugar and butter have caramelized, place pineapple slices on top and top with cake mix.

With the lid on the DCB, microwave for ~15 minutes or until the cake is completely done. If your microwave does not have a turn table, rotate halfway through cooking.

Let the cake rest for 5 minutes with the lid on. Loosen the edges of the cake and turn out onto a plate.

Can sub peaches or apples for pineapple.

To order the Deep Covered Baker, go to www.pamperedchef.biz/ajfbailey

Oven Fried Zucchini

So easy and so delicious!

Peel and slice zucchini into 1/8" rounds. Dip into egg wash (1 egg, 1 tbsp water, & 1/2 tsp salt) & then into Panko bread crumbs (1 cup Panko, 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese, & 1/2 tsp pepper).

Place on oiled cookie sheet or baking stone and bake for 10 mins at 450 degrees Fahrenheit. Turn the last two minutes of cooking.

Microwave Chicken Tortilla Soup - Pampered Chef Style

This is a great soup; it's fast and easy and cheap and healthy!  I use the Pampered Chef Deep Covered Baker in the microwave and it comes together in less than 30 minutes.

The key is to add the cilantro and lime.  If you don't like cilantro, add parsley.  The lime is a must!

To order a Deep Covered Baker, visit my website at www.pamperedchef.biz/ajfbailey

4 (6 in) Flour Tortillas

1 Small Onion
3 Boneless, Skinless Chicken Tenders (or 1 Large Breast)
1 Garlic Clove, pressed
1 tsp Pampered Chef Southwestern Seasoning Mix
1 can Great Northern Beans, drained and rinsed
1 box of Chicken Broth
1 can of Rotel
4 tsp Fresh Cilantro, snipped
Shredded cheddar cheese                             
1 Lime, wedged

1.       Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Cut tortillas in half and cut halves into ½ inch strips using Pizza Cutter.  Place on Bar Pan.  Bake 7-8 minutes or until crisp.

2.       Slice onion using the Ultimate Mandoline.  Place on the bottom of the baker.  Cover with chicken and seasoning.  Microwave on High for about 9 – 11 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink.  Once cooked, cut onion and chicken using the Salad Choppers.  Stir in beans, garlic, broth, and Rotel.  Microwave on High for 10 minutes.  Let set, covered, for 10 minutes. 

3.       Ladle soup into bowls.  Snip cilantro over bowls using Professional Shears.  Top with cheese, tortilla strips and lime. 

Yield: 4 – 6 servings

Parmesan Pork Chops

This is a great way to dress up pork chops, giving them a creamy, cheesy crust.  With only three ingredients and 15 minutes, you’ve got a great main dish.  Boneless, skinless chicken breasts can be substituted for pork chops.  Cooking times, however, may vary depending on how thick the breast is. 

 This recipe is designed for two pork chops about ¾ of an inch thick.  For thicker pork chops, leave them in the warm oven longer to ensure they are properly cooked. 

 Mix ¼ cup mayonnaise and ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese.  Dry the pork chops with a paper towel.  Season one side (the non-cheese side) with salt and pepper or your favorite seasoning mix.  Top the non-seasoned side of the chops with the cheese mixture.  Place chops, cheese side up, in a pre-heated, oven-proof skillet.  Cook over medium heat for 5 minutes.  Move skillet to the oven and broil on the top rack of the oven for another 5 minutes.  Turn off the broiler and leave the chops in the oven for 5 minutes to finish cooking. 

*For the moistest pork chops, start with room temperature chops and let them set for a few minutes after cooking.

*When broiling, leave the oven door cracked so the heating element stays hot and browns the cheese.  After broiling, shut the door and allow the chops to continue to cook in the warm oven.

Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole

This is a good, easy meal that can feed a crowd for not a lot of money.

1 Can Cream of Chicken Soup
½ Can (Cream of Chicken Can) Half & Half
2 Cups Cooked Chicken, Cubed
1 Cup Cooked Ham, Cubed
1 Garlic Clove, Minced
1 Cup White Shredded Cheese (Mozzarella, Swiss, or Italian Blend)
Pinch of Nutmeg
Salt & Pepper to Taste

Optional Add Ins:  2 Cups Cooked Rice or 2 Cups Frozen, Shredded (Hash Brown) Potatoes

Mix the above ingredients, with or without the optional add ins. 

Pour into a casserole dish and top mixture with prepared stuffing & 3 tablespoons melted butter.

Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 20 minutes or until heated through.

Potato Skins

It’s football time!!  Time for tailgating, home football parties, fantasy football, beer, and appetizers.  Oh yes, appetizers…those wonderful little bites of heaven. 

Every weekend in the fall, my family survives on appetizers.  And so we’re not blowing our budget at the bar, we make the bar come to us.  We often think about where we’d like to go to watch the game (based on what we want to eat) and then create the winner’s menu at home.   

Potato skins are a classic appetizer and can be found at most any bar.  When you make them at home, however, you can choose to stay classic or switch it up and play with the toppings.  You can also choose to stay classic and fry them or make them a bit healthier and bake them. 

To make potato skins, wash and bake potatoes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit until tender; about an hour, depending on size.  You don’t need to prick the skins with a fork or knife; they won’t explode as long as you don’t bake them too long or on a high heat.  To test doneness, prick the potato (on the side) with a fork or knife and the potato will slide off when cooked thoroughly.

Allow potatoes to cool.  Once cool enough to touch, cut potatoes in half.  The key is to allow the potatoes to lie naturally and to turn them sideways when cutting them so the cut halves lay on their natural “back.”

After cutting potatoes in half, scoop out their innards, leaving enough potato attached to the skin so they stand up; about ¼ inch.  Save the innards to use for another dish; see my recipe for Twice Baked Scalloped Potatoes.

Now, you have two options.  You can deep fry the skins for about 7 minutes or until lightly brown or brush the skin side with oil and bake at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for about 10 minutes or until starting to brown.  Either way, make sure you season the skins (both sides) with salt and pepper after cooking them.

Turn them potato side up and fill with your favorite toppings.  I like to stay classic and fill with bacon and cheddar, but you can mix it up and fill with taco meat and cheese or bar-b-q’d pulled pork and cheese or anything else your heart desires.  Return filled skins to the oven to melt the cheese and serve warm with your favorite cold toppings like salsa, ranch, or sour cream.

*To make at a tailgate, prepare the skins to the point of topping them, but do not top.  Pack toppings separately and top on site, grilling the skins to warm through and melt the cheese (best to do over indirect heat).

Homemade Croutons

A salad is a great, easy, healthy meal or side dish.  You can dress it up by adding all sorts of toppings or keep it simple by serving lettuce with a vinaigrette dressing.  The toppings you choose can make the salad healthy or not-so-healthy. 

Bacon, cheese, dressing, and croutons can increase the taste factor as well as the fat and calories.  You can opt for turkey bacon, low-fat cheese and dressing, and homemade croutons to curb the fat and calories, but not the flavor.

In my opinion, a salad is all about croutons; croutons can make or break a salad.  When ordering at a restaurant, I will only order a salad if I know their croutons are homemade.  Why only homemade croutons?

I don’t walk around with my nose in the air, but I do stick my nose up at store bought croutons because they taste old and stale and are loaded with tons of fat and calories.  If you haven’t made your own croutons before, you may disagree.  However, once you make your own croutons, you will realize the error of your ways.

For starters, I always cruise the store (or bakery) for the day-old bread bin.  You don’t need old bread, but it’s usually marked down, and I love saving money.  Choose whatever bread is available, but realize the denser the bread, the denser the crouton.  If the bread is too dense, your crouton may be too hard. 

May favorite bread to use for croutons is Italian; although, I also like whole wheat, French, and hot dog and hamburger buns.  

Cut the bread into small squares (easily done with a serrated knife).  Oil a large baking sheet with your favorite oil (olive oil, vegetable oil, canola oil, etc.), but remember, the healthier the oil, the healthier the crouton. 

Place the bread cubes on the oiled sheet, making sure there is room for them to spread out.  They can be touching, but you want them spread out as much as possible so they dry out quickly.

Sprinkle the croutons with oil until they are slightly moist.  I usually use 1/4 to 1/3 cup of oil for a full loaf of bread (or package of buns).  Sprinkle cubes with your favorite seasoning.  My favorite mix is garlic salt, pepper, and parmesan cheese. 

 Toss cubes to distribute oil and seasonings and bake at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for 10 – 20 minutes or until the bottoms of the cubes are browned.  Turn off the oven and let them set in the oven until all the bread cubes are dry and toasted.  The residual heat of the oven will continue to cook the bread without burning it.  Cool and store in an air tight container.

Homemade Pizza Crust

Pizza crust:  easy to buy, easier to make. 

Start by mixing one package of active dry yeast with ¾ cup warm water.  In a separate bowl, mix 2 cups all purpose flour, 1 teaspoon sugar, and ¾ teaspoon salt.  Add yeast water to the dry mixture and mix with your hands or a fork until combined, forming a ball.  Cover all sides of the dough ball with 3 tablespoons olive oil.  Then, cover the bowl and place in a warm area; let rise until doubled.

After the dough has doubled, punch down and roll out into a pizza or refrigerate in an airtight container until ready to use.

My family divides the dough into three individual pizzas.  This recipe comfortably serves two adults.

My Keys to the Best Pizza Dough

1. Place your baking sheet or pizza stone in a 425 degree Fahrenheit preheated oven.
2. Roll out on a lightly floured surface, turning the dough over once.
3. Before topping your pizza, place it on a flat surface, such as a cutting board or flat plate, which has been sprinkled with cornmeal.
4. Top pizza to your liking.
5. Move pizza from the flat surface to the hot baking sheet or hot pizza stone (the cornmeal will help the pizza roll onto its cooking surface).
6. Bake until edges are browned and cheese is melted through, about 10 – 15 minutes.

If you don’t have cornmeal, you can roll out your dough and place it on the hot baking surface before toping.  Quickly top the pizza while on the hot baking surface being very careful not to burn yourself. 

The purpose of having the baking surface hot is to create a crispy crust outside and a soft, chewy crust inside.

WARNING:  Kids love creating their own pizza, but should not top their pizza if it is on a hot baking surface.

Easy Baked Ribs

Ribs are super fun to eat and make a great show-piece when serving to company.  Most people don’t like to make them, however, because they think they are too involved and take too long to make.  Many people think you have to have a smoker in order to make ribs as well or at least simulate a smoker. 

Follow my recipe and let me take the mystery out of ribs.  In less than three hours, with a hands-on time of about 20 minutes, you can have mouth-watering, fall-off-the-bone ribs.  My number one tip when making ribs is to use baby back ribs, they are a lot meatier and more tender than short ribs.  

Start by placing a rack of baby back ribs, meat side up, on a foil-lined baking sheet (easy clean-up).  Sprinkle ribs with a couple tablespoons of liquid smoke and season with your favorite seasoning.  You can use a seasoning blend, salt and pepper, or a spice rub. 

Bake ribs (uncovered) at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for two hours.  By leaving the ribs uncovered, you allow the edges to caramelize which adds great flavor to the meat. 

After baking, allow the ribs to cool for about 10 - 20 minutes; then, cut the ribs.  I like to cut them into one rib portions.  Feel free to cut them into two or three rib portions or not at all.  To cut, hold the ribs on their side and, using a sharp knife, slice ribs in between the bones. 

To finish the ribs, you have three options.  One, you can cut and serve alongside your favorite sauce.  Two, you can cut and baste with your favorite sauce and bake in the oven (425 degrees Fahrenheit) for 7 – 15 minutes to allow the sauce to adhere to the ribs and the meat to caramelize more.  Or, three, you can cut the ribs and grill for 7 – 15 minutes basting with your favorite sauce. 

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Frosting

WARNING:  YOU WILL LOOSE YOUR SELF CONTROL AFTER JUST ONE BITE!

As if brownies aren’t good enough by themselves…

To make frosting, start by creaming ½ cup room temperature butter with ½ cup brown sugar and ¼ cup sugar.  Mix in 3 tablespoons milk and 1 teaspoon vanilla.  Add 1 cup flour and ½ teaspoon salt to the mixture.  Stir in 1 cup mini chocolate chips.

Spread frosting on a 9 x 9-inch pan of cooled brownies.

Boxed Brownie Tip # 1:  Substitute cooled coffee for water.

Boxed Brownie Tip # 2:  Substitute applesauce or pureed sweet potatoes or pureed carrots for oil for a low-fat version.  Or you can mix half oil with half pureed fruit.

Cream Pie Cups

Coconut Cream Pie Cup - This is a 1-cup portion, filled 3/4 with custard.

Banana Cream Pie Cup

Coconut Cream Pie has to be one of my favorite desserts.  I would probably make it weekly except for the fact that my husband doesn’t like it.  Therefore, I would be eating an entire pie by myself.  Unfortunately, eating a whole pie by myself is not a problem for me. 

The problem comes when I have to make a Banana Cream Pie every time I make a Coconut Cream Pie so my husband has something to eat.  The problem also lies in the calories consumed when eating pie.  

So I came up with a plan to please everyone.  This way I can have my pie and eat it too!  I simply make a pie, minus the crust, in small ramekins so everyone has their own individual pie. 

By eliminating the crust, I eliminate some of the calories.  By making individual portions, I am able to make everyone’s favorite pie.  I start with a basic Vanilla Cream Pie recipe and customize it. 

In a saucepan, combine ¾ cup sugar, 3 tablespoons cornstarch, ¼ teaspoon salt, and 2 cups milk.  Cook and stir over medium heat until bubbly.  Continue cooking and stirring for 5 minutes or until mixture coats the back of a spoon; remove from heat.

Temper 3 slightly beaten egg yolks by adding some of the hot cream mixture to the eggs and pouring the eggs back into the pan containing the cream mixture.  Cook for two minutes longer, stirring constantly; remove from heat.

Add 2 tablespoons butter and 1 teaspoon vanilla to the cream mixture.  Pour cream mixture into ramekins.  I use 4 1-cup ramekins to make 4 ‘big boy’ portions.  You can use 8 ramekins to make regular-sized portions, if you choose.  Top with meringue and bake for 10 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit. 

To make the meringue, beat 3 egg whites with ½ teaspoon vanilla and ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar until soft peaks form.  Gradually add 6 tablespoons sugar while beating egg whites.  The meringue is ready when stiff glossy peaks form and all sugar is dissolved. 

Vanilla Cream Pie Cups – Do nothing to the above recipe.

Chocolate Cream Pie Cups – Increase sugar to 1 cup.  Chop 2 1-ounce squares of unsweetened chocolate; add with milk.

Banana Cream Pie Cups – Slice 2 green bananas into cups before filling ramekins.

Butterscotch Pie Cups – Substitute brown sugar for granulated sugar and increase butter to 3 tablespoons.

Coconut Cream Pie Cups – Add 1 cup flaked coconut to mixture.  Sprinkle meringue with 1/3 cup coconut.

*If you plan to make more than one kind of pie, like me, make sure to divide the mixture accordingly.  For example, I make Banana Cream Pie Cups and Coconut Cream Pie Cups so I only add 1 banana to two ramekins and pour half the mixture over the bananas.  With the remaining custard mixture, I add 1/2 cup flaked coconut and pour into two seperate ramekins.



French Toast Bread Pudding

Making French toast is not hard, just a little time consuming.  Making French toast bread pudding is neither hard nor time consuming.  It’s a great make-ahead dish and is an impressive breakfast to serve for company.

Start by cubing 1 baguette.  The baguette should be about the length of your arm, if your baguette comes two to a bag, you will need to cube both of them.  Place cubes in a greased 9 X 13-inch baking dish.  The cubes will fill the dish. 

In a large bowl, mix together 1½ cups milk (I use skim), 1½ cups half and half, 3 large eggs, 1 tablespoon vanilla, 1/8 teaspoon salt, 3 tablespoons sugar, and 1 tablespoon cinnamon. 

Pour milk mixture over the bread and push the bread down to soak up milk mixture.  The bread will look really flat, but will puff up when it bakes.  Cover and refrigerate overnight. 

When ready to bake, remove the pan from the refrigerator and take off the cover.  Allow to set at room temperature for 30 minutes.  Sprinkle a mixture of 1 teaspoon cinnamon and 3 tablespoons sugar over the top of the bread.  Bake at 425 degrees Fahrenheit for 30 minutes.

Serve with syrup, powdered sugar, or maple butter.

*Some optional stir in ideas – raisins, nuts, chocolate chips.

**Can top with 3 tablespoons brown sugar instead of 3 tablespoons sugar.