Spinach-stuffed, Bacon-wrapped Pork Chops

I don't like cooked spinach - never have, never will. But my hubby does, and it's good for you, and it was a required ingredient in a Chopped Challenge cooking competition this month. So, after a bit of research, I came up with this idea - make a cheesy spinach stuffing, put it inside pork chops, and wrap bacon around the outside. Now if that doesn't make you start drooling a little, I don't know what will!

Ideally these would be made in an oven, but since I am on the road at the moment, I made them in the skillet. They tasted great, though the bacon outside didn't get as crispy/cooked as I'd like. I used the thickest pork chops that I could find so that the pocket wouldn't cut all the way through them.

While they were cooking, I chopped up baby golden potatoes and sautéed them with butter and diced fresh garlic, letting them cook at the same time as the pork chops. After the pork and potatoes were done, I served them onto a plate, put butter, parmesan, garlic powder, and Italian seasoning on hoagie rolls and placed them face down in the hot skillet to toast. The result? Amazingness.

Ingredients:
2 Tbsp butter
1 clove fresh garlic, diced
1-1 1/2 cups fresh spinach
1/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
4 oz cream cheese
2 thick boneless pork chops
4 slices bacon
Wooden toothpicks
Italian seasoning

Start by melting the butter in a skillet and sautéing the garlic for about a minute. Take the stems off the spinach and add to the skillet, sautéing until wilted. Combine the mozzarella and cream cheese in a small bowl and stir in the spinach. Set aside.

Using a sharp knife, very carefully cut a pocket into each pork chop, leaving 3 sides intact. Divide the spinach mixture in half and stuff it down inside the pockets. Wrap each chop in 2 slices of bacon, making sure the widest part of the bacon is over the pocket of stuffing, and using toothpicks to secure the overlapping areas. Sprinkle both sides of the chops with Italian seasoning. Cook in a skillet or oven for about 40 minutes, flipping occasionally, until juices run clear and the center of a chop is only slightly tinted pink. Serve and enjoy!

Crockpot Lasagna

One of my favorite sounds to hear is the tone of my hubby's voice when he tries a meal that I've made for the first time and likes it...actually LIKES it - not just okay, but good! I got one of those moments yesterday when I made lasagna in the crockpot, and though it was a little bit of work, it was definitely worth it for a meal that we both really enjoyed!

I used Barilla oven-ready lasagna noodles, which don't require cooking first - they absorb moisture and expand as the meal cooks. However, since they are flat instead of ridged like most lasagna noodles, I used a jar of Prego spaghetti sauce with mini meatballs for the inside layers to give it a more interesting texture. You could always cook a pound of ground beef and mix it with regular spaghetti sauce for the inside layers, but this way was a lot simpler.

Ingredients:
1 15oz container ricotta cheese
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
2 Tbsp Italian seasoning
Dash garlic powder
1 jar meat-based spaghetti sauce
1 jar spaghetti sauce with mini meatballs
1 box Barilla oven-ready lasagne noodles
Mozzarella cheese

In a medium bowl, mix the ricotta cheese, parmesan cheese, and seasonings thoroughly. Set aside.

Pour enough of the meat sauce into the slow cooker to cover the bottom of the pot, about 1/3 of the jar. Lay noodles on top, breaking to fit the shape of the pot. Divide the ricotta mixture in half and smooth half of it evenly over the noodles. Place more noodles on top. Pour half of the jar of mini meatball sauce on top, making sure the meatballs are evenly distributed, and top with a layer of mozzarella cheese. Place more noodles on top, and repeat the ricotta and meatball layers. Place more noodles on top and pour the remaining meat sauce over them, ensuring that all the noodles are covered. Top with another layer of mozzarella.

My Farberware 7-in-1 cooked it in 2 hours on slow cooker setting, so a regular slow cooker could probably cook it in 3 hours on low setting. When noodles are soft, cheese is melted, and sauce is hot and firm, serve warm and enjoy!

Easy Homemade Ice Cream

Warm blueberry cobbler and homemade ice cream!

I was looking for something simple and easy to serve with my Blueberry Cobbler, and this recipe was perfect. It requires no churning and minimal preparation. It was serveable after 8 hours of freezing, though it was certainly firmer the next day, so I would advise freezing overnight if possible. I poured the mixture into a round pie tin, which made a layer about half an inch thick that was easily cut into pieces or slices. If you prefer to scoop ice cream, try a loaf pan. Also, use the regular versions of the ingredients, not the lowfat or fat free ones, or you will lose the creaminess of the ice cream. I added a little lemon extract to the mixture to help cut the sweetness of the blueberry cobbler, but that's up to you.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups sour cream
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
Optional: 1/2 tsp lemon extract

Mix all ingredients thoroughly, checking for lumps. When it is well mixed, pour into a metal dish or pan and freeze for at least 8 hours. Serve and enjoy!

Breakfast Quesadillas

 The idea started when my honey made eggs, bacon, and sausage for breakfast one morning. We feasted like kings, then put the leftovers in the fridge. What to do with leftover breakfast? Make more breakfast, of course! And so, the breakfast quesadilla came into existence.

Of course, the best foundation to any quesadilla is cheese. Lots and lots of warm, gooey cheese. Several different kinds of cheese, preferably. I like to use American and Cheddar as my base, and add mozzarella and provolone or whatever I have handy.

I find it easiest to alternate ingredient types when making quesadillas: e.g., American cheese, scrambled eggs, provolone cheese, torn sausage and bacon bits, and a lot of Cheddar cheese. This keeps the quesadilla together by sealing in the ingredients between the melty cheese.

So, to recap:

Ingredients per individual quesadilla:
2 tortillas, burrito size
1/4 cup Cheddar cheese
1 slice American cheese
1/2 slice provolone, mozzarella, etc.
1/4 cup scrambled eggs
1 sausage patty, torn
2 bacon strips, torn

Cook on low heat till cheese is melted and both sides are crispy and lightly browned. Yum!