Scrambled Egg and Brown Sugar Glazed Ham Sandwich

This was breakfast this morning....simple and delicious! 

Scrambled Egg and Brown Sugar Glazed Ham Sandwich

4 eggs
1/4 cup evaporated milk (or half and half)
2 tablespoons butter
Salt and pepper, to taste

Crack the eggs into a glass mixing bowl and whisk them until they are blended well. Add milk and whisk until blended and light yellow. The more you whisk, the lighter and fluffier your eggs will be. Melt butter in a non-stick pan over medium heat. Pour in your eggs and let them begin to set for a few seconds. Then push the edge of the egg into the center of the pan, while tilting the pan to allow the still liquid egg to flow in underneath. Repeat with the other edges, until there's no liquid left. Turn off your heat and continue moving egg around in pan until it is cooked...do not allow them to brown or overcook or break them up too finely. Keep most of the egg in large pieces. Transfer to warm plate.

Brown Sugar and Apple Glazed Ham slices

1 fully cooked thick ham slice
1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon apple juice
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
dash of cinnamon

Combine all ingredients in saucepan and bring to a boil and boil for about 2 minutes Place ham on rack in a foil-lined roasting pan. Brush with hot glaze. Bake at 325° for about 10 minutes. With tongs, flip ham slices over and brush glaze on other side. Bake for an additional 10 minutes. Serve any leftover glaze on the side.

Assemble sandwich by toasting and buttering bread first. Then add some ham and eggs and you have a great sandwich good for any time of day or night!

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Homemade Tomato Soup with Bacon

Does everyone remember tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches when we were little? It was always a cafeteria favorite at my school. So the other day I got a craving for a bowl...but I wanted a more than just plain tomato soup. So I set out to make a grown up tomato soup....I think you'll love this one! Rich and thick and creamy with specs of  bacon and absolutely delicious

 

 Homemade Tomato Soup with Bacon

3 (14.5 ounce) cans of diced tomatoes
8 cloves of garlic, peeled
1 medium onion, sliced
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 ounces bacon, diced small
1 quart chicken stock, divided
1 bay leaf
2 tablespoons butter
About 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, chopped
1/3 cup heavy cream

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Drain the diced tomatoes, reserve the juices. Spread the tomatoes, garlic, onion on a baking sheet. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Drizzle with olive oil – about 1/4 cup. Roast for about 20 minutes until caramelized.

Next, heat the oil in a large Dutch oven or soup pot. Add the bacon and saute until golden brown and crispy. Reserve about 3 tablespoons of fat but drain the rest.

Add the roasted tomatoes, garlic and onion. Add in the reserved tomato juice and 2/3 of the chicken stock and stir. Then add the bay leaf and butter to the pot. Bring the soup to a boil and then lower the heat to simmer and cook for 20 minutes.

Next add the fresh basil leaves. Next pour soup into blender or use an immersion blender and puree the soup until smooth. If you want the soup to be thinner, add more chicken stock. Taste and adjust seasoning. Last, stir in cream and make a grilled cheese sandwich and enjoy! 

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Barbecue Cheeseburger Sliders

I adore these little sliders.  I mean there's nothing to them, but I just love them. I love the sweetness of the roll and the beefy flavor of the burger. I love everything about them. It all happened one day when I decided to grill some burgers and I spotted some potato dinner rolls in the pantry. I ended up making sliders instead.  Then I saw the Sweet Baby Rays in the fridge and some shredded cheddar cheese and I knew I had a hit.  Now I can't live without them! 

Barbecue Cheeseburger Sliders

1 pound ground Chuck 

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

2 tablespoons of heavy cream or evaporated milk
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
salt and pepper to taste
8 small dinner rolls or potato rolls
1 cup Sweet Baby Rays Brown Sugar and Hickory Sauce

In a medium bowl, mix ground chuck with Worcestershire sauce, cream, salt and pepper and form mixture into sliders. Make a depression in each burger with your thumb so they continue to lay flat while cooking.  Oil the grill racks. Preheat your grill using all burners set on high and with the lid closed for 10 to 12 minutes.

Split your potato dinner rolls in half and put them, cut side down, on the grill. Toast for a minute or two.  Spread the inside of each roll with a little butter and set place on a platter. Cover lightly with foil to keep them warm.

Place the burgers on the grill and grill for about 3 minutes. Sprinkle cheddar cheese on top of each burger and continue to grill for an additional 2 to 3 minutes depending on how you like them cooked. Remove to a platter. Add one burger to each roll and top with Sweet Baby Ray's.

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Soft Shell Crab Sandwich

For all my true seafood lovers out there...I bring you Soft shell Crabs today! Oh My goodness! If you have never tried them you have no idea what you're missing!

Soft-shells are actually just blue crabs that have shed their shells in a massive warm-weather growth spurt. If they stay in the water, they grow new, larger shells, but when they’re harvested, that process comes to a halt and the crabs stay soft and edible. 

Soft-shell crabs are sold live when in season and we just love them here in Maryland. What people don’t know is that it’s actually really easy to make at home. It’s incredible in summer food—a classic.  I am convinced that Maryland restaurants cook the best soft-shell crabs in the world - after all, we invented the recipe. Crispy, crunchy and beautifully browned, with sweet succulent crab meat inside.

Soft Shell Crabs

4 soft shell crabs

1 cup buttermilk

½ cup four

½ cup panko bread crumbs

1 teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning

½ teaspoon pepper

After the crabs have been cleaned soak them in the buttermilk for about 2 hours.

Meanwhile, mix together the flour, panko, Old Bay, and pepper in a platter for dredging.  Heat the butter for frying.

Remove the crabs from the buttermilk and allow the excess to drain off then dredge in the flour mixture.  Make sure they’re coated very well.  Add each crab to the butter and cook until the shell looks pink, and the coating is nicely browned.  If cooking more than 1 at a time, don’t overcrowd the pan. When nice and golden brown, transfer to a paper towel lined plate.

Serve on a sandwich with Lettuce, tomato and mayonnaise!  YUM! 

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Cinnamon Roll Wreath

I love making cinnamon rolls and then packing them up and freezing them individually so whenever I want one, I simply pull one out and warm it up. There is nothing like a good cinnamon roll and a cup of hot coffee.  I use a lot of Rhodes frozen dough to make different recipes. This past Sunday I discovered that Rhodes made their own cinnamon rolls and I knew they had to be good. So I bought a bag and decided to get creative and make a cinnamon roll wreath. Turned out so pretty and it was absolutely delicious! 

Cinnamon Roll Wreath

1 bag of Rhodes Cinnamon Rolls (12 pack)
4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar, sifted
Pinch of salt
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
3 tablespoons milk, plus more if needed

First line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Then line all 12 cinnamon frozen rolls on the lined baking sheet. Lay a piece of plastic wrap on your counter or on another baking sheet and spray it lightly with non stick spray. Then flip the plastic wrap over to cover the rolls and leave them alone to thaw for about an hour. 

Once the rolls have thawed, remove the plastic wrap (nothing should stick because you spray it first with non-stick spray) and arrange the cinnamon rolls in a 9 inch ring overlapping each other. Once again, cover with sprayed plastic wrap and allow the rolls to rise until they double in size. 

Remove plastic wrap and bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes or until golden brown. 

Cream Cheese Drizzle

With an Electric mixer, beat cream cheese on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 4 to 5 minutes, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Add sugar and beat until combined, about 1 minute. Add salt, lemon juice, and milk; mix on low speed until smooth. If glaze is too thick to drizzle, add more milk, 1 tablespoon at a time.

NOTE: Rolls come with their own cream cheese frosting but I prefer to make my own. You can use them to serve extra glaze on the side if you'd like.



  








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Cheese Danish

Who out there likes Cheese Danish with a cup of hot coffee or tea? Oh there are many kinds of danish...cherry, apple, cinnamon...all kinds to choose from. But there's just something about a cheese danish that makes me a happy girl. I made these this morning and they were so good still warm out of the oven. I make them with Pillsbury Crescent rolls!
 

Cheese Danish

8 oz cream cheese at room temperature
1/3 cup sugar
2 extra large egg yolks, at room temperature
2 tablespoons ricotta cheese
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 tablespoon grated lemon zest (2 lemons)
1 can (8 oz) Pillsbury recipe creations seamless dough
1/4 cup flour, for dusting the counter
1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water, for egg wash
powdered sugar for sprinkling if desired

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper. Place the cream cheese & sugar in bowl of an electric mixer and cream together on low speed until smooth. With the mixer still on low, add the egg yolks, ricotta, vanilla, salt, and lemon zest and mix until just combined. 

























Roll canned dough onto floured surface. Stretch dough to 16 inches by 8 inches. Cut into 8 squares. Put a tablespoon of cheese mixture in the center of each square. Fold the corners toward the center and lightly press together. Transfer to a nonstick baking sheet and brush the tops with egg wash. Bake 10-15 minutes, or until tops are golden. Sprinkle with powdered sugar if desired.

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Cucumber Caprese Salad

If you love growing your own vegetable garden, this is a wonderful little salad you can make with a few cherry tomatoes and a couple of cucumbers!  But even if you don't garden you'll love it. It is so unbelievably simple, and so delicious and healthy and just perfect for a summer picnic or cookout. You can serve it as a main dish or side. Or, you could even spread it on toast or Brushetta or a Crostini for a wonderful appetizer! And don't forget my favorite olive oil and balsamic vinegar from Star Fine Foods for all your summer salads! 

Cucumber Caprese Salad

2 cups grape or cherry tomatoes 

2 English cucumbers, cut into chunks
8 oz. fresh mozzarella, cut into chunks or sliced and quartered

2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

1 tablespoon Star Fine Foods Extra Virgin Olive oil

2 tablespoons Star Fine Foods Balsamic Vinegar

1 teaspoon sugar 
1 garlic clove, minced 

Pinch of salt, 

pepper and more sugar, to taste

Wash, dry, and cut up the cucumbers and rinse the tomatoes. Place both in a large bowl. Add the basil and mozzarella. Next, whisk together the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, garlic, salt, pepper and sugar. Pour over the tomato-mozzarella mixture and toss. Serve immediately.

Photography is the property of and copyrighted to ©Welcome Home.

Look for STAR Extra Virgin Olive Oil in the olive oil section of our local grocery store or online at: 

http://shop.starfinefoods.com/Extra-Virgin-Olive-Oil/p/STAR-00011&c=Star@OliveOils.


Star Fine Foods now has a promo code for all Welcome Home fans that will give you a 10% discount on anything you order online. Just enter WELCOMEHOME10 at checkout! 

Disclaimer: I have an ongoing relationship with STAR Fine Foods for my recipes and photography using their wonderful products. This post is sponsored by STAR. I am compensated for my time and work and I am sent products as I request them. However, all opinions of the product stated in this post are 100% my own. I truly love their products!

Baked Rigatoni With Meatballs and Sausage

I love quick pasta meals, don't you?  Cheesy and rich is flavor even when they are thrown together at the last minute.  Pasta bakes are so easy to make and yet so elegant when served with a fresh tossed salad and some wonderful garlic bread.  I love the way the house smells when preparing any Italian meal.  I'd like to say I always make my own homemade pasta sauce, but I don't. Why bother when I can get the same delicious taste using Ragu Chunky Tomato, Onion and I can cut my cooking time in half?  I have included a quick recipe for homemade sauce but if you want to save time and get that wonderful flavor, use Ragu Chunky Sauces. And don't forget Star Fine Foods Olive Oils....I use them for all my cooking.

Baked Rigatoni With Meatballs and Sausage 

Meatballs and Sausage 2 tablespoon Star Fine Foods Extra Virgin Olive Oil 

1 pound ground beef 
1 egg, beaten 
1/3 cup onion, finely chopped 
1/4- 1/2 cup dry breadcrumbs

1/4 cup evaporated milk 
2 garlic cloves; minced 
3 tablespoons Parmesan cheese 
1 teaspoon oregano; dried 
salt and pepper to taste 
1 pound mild or hot Italian Sausage, casings removed and sliced 

In a large mixing bowl, beat egg lightly and then add in the onion, bread crumbs, evaporated milk, garlic, Parmesan, oregano, salt and pepper. Add ground beef and mix lightly. Add more bread crumbs if needed but do not pack meat down. Keep it loose and shape into small meatballs and set aside. Slice sausages to desired thickness.  Set aside.

In large heavy skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat; cook meatballs in batches until brown on all sides. Then transfer back to plate on paper towels.  Next, do the same thing with the sliced sausage and brown until just caramelized.  Again, set aside on paper towel lined plate. 

Pasta Sauce  (or skip this step and use your favorite sauce in a jar)

1 small onion, chopped fine 
2 garlic cloves; minced 
1 1/2 teaspoon basil; dried 
1 1/2 teaspoon sugar 
1 teaspoon dried oregano 
1 teaspoon salt 
3/4 teaspoon pepper 
28 ounce tomatoes; chopped 
2 tablespoon tomato paste 

In same skillet, add a little more oil if needed and saute onion and garlic until just tender.  Stir in tomatoes and tomato paste and bring to light boil. Stir in basil, oregano, sugar, basil, salt and pepper.  Add in cooked meatballs and sausage slices and reduce heat to a low simmer for about 40 minutes. Sauce will thicken as it cooks. 

Casserole 

3 cups rigatoni 
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese 
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. 

Boil pasta as directed on package. You want your pasta tender yet firm. Drain well and return to pot. Pour in your homemade or store bought pasta sauce with meatballs and sausage. Mix well to coat pasta. 

Transfer to 9 x 13 baking dish and sprinkle mozzarella all over the top. Then sprinkle on the Parmesan cheese evenly over top.  Bake for about 20 minutes or until cheese is melted and casserole is heated through. 

Photography is the property of and copyrighted to ©Welcome Home.

Look for STAR Extra Virgin Olive Oil in the olive oil section of our local grocery store or online at: 

http://shop.starfinefoods.com/Extra-Virgin-Olive-Oil/p/STAR-00011&c=Star@OliveOils.


Star Fine Foods now has a promo code for all Welcome Home fans that will give you a 10% discount on anything you order online. Just enter WELCOMEHOME10 at checkout! 

Disclaimer: I have an ongoing relationship with STAR Fine Foods for my recipes and photography using their wonderful products. This post is sponsored by STAR. I am compensated for my time and work and I am sent products as I request them. However, all opinions of the product stated in this post are 100% my own. I truly love their products!