Super simple: Pimiento Cheese Spread

If you want to bring something to a party, but don't know what to make, try this tasty and simple pimiento cheese spread. It's always a hit. In fact, my husband has named it "the fist fight cheese spread" because it is worthy of fighting for the last bite.

What you'll need:

• Shredded extra sharp cheddar cheese, white and yellow
• Mayonnaise
• Diced pimientos
• Salt and pepper
• Cayenne powder

In a large bowl, add equal parts of shredded extra sharp white and yellow cheddar cheese. Add a small jar of drained diced pimientos. I usually use a 2 oz. jar of pimientos if I'm using two 8 oz. blocks of cheese. Sprinkle in a pinch of salt, pepper, and cayenne. Add about a cup of mayonnaise. Start with less, and as you stir it together, add more if necessary. You want the mayonnaise just to coat the cheese lightly. Transfer to a serving dish and chill it if you have time. This is great to make the day before you want to serve it.

That's it! So easy, so tasty. Spread some on a cracker, and you're good to go! Just be sure to warn everyone that fist fights may break out over this spread. You might want to make extra.

Valentine treat: Red velvet cake mix cookies

Admittedly, baking is not my schtick. I much more enjoy the freedom of cooking where I don't have to be concerned with quantities or the confounding difference between baking powder and baking soda. So when I do feel the need to bake, I gravitate toward recipes that are super easy. Hence, the cake mix cookie.

And just in time for Valentine's Day, these red velvet cookies are enough to capture anyone's heart. 

What you'll need:

• A box of cake mix - any brand or flavor you'd like
• 2 eggs
• 1/3 cup of oil
• 1 cup of chocolate chips (optional)

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. In a large bowl, add the eggs, oil, cake mix, and chocolate chips. Stir to combine. I often find the mix is a little too dry, so I usually add just a very small splash of water. Of course, you can also add nuts or raisins or candies - however you'd like to customize your cookie.

Plop spoonfuls of the batter onto a baking sheet leaving 2-3 inches between each cookie. I use a baking mat on my pans. If you're not using a baking mat, spray a light coating of cooking spray onto the sheet first.

Bake for 10 minutes. In my oven, 10 minutes is the perfect time for these cookies. They will puff up and look like they're a little under done in the middle, but that's how they should be. If you want a firmer, crunchier cookie, leave them in a couple more minutes.

If you can contain yourself, let the cookies cool for a minute or two on the baking sheet before transferring them to a rack to cool completely. I guarantee these will be gobbled up in no time.

And if you have kids that sneak a cookie when they're not supposed to, these cookies leave a tell-tale bright red stain on the tongue much like the exploding ink in money stolen from a bank.

~Without love in the dream, it'll never come true.

Creamy and comforting macaroni and cheese

There's not much that can top the absolute comfort of macaroni and cheese. Here is my basic recipe that you can use as a springboard for an endless amount of creativity.

What you'll need:

• Noodles: macaroni, shells, orechiette - your favorite shape that holds sauce
• Cheese: cheddar, American, Swiss, provolone - as long as it's a combination of cheeses that melt well
• Milk
• Cream cheese
• Onions, finely chopped
• Flour
• Butter
• Bread crumbs
• Ground nutmeg
• Freshly ground pepper and kosher or sea salt

I'm using whole grain medium shells, extra sharp cheddar, and American cheese. Use whatever combination of cheese you have. I also finely chop half an onion. You don't need a lot, and you can certainly leave it out, but I like the sweetness the onion imparts to the cheese sauce.

To start, put a pot of water on to boil. When it comes to a boil, add a generous amount of salt and the pasta. Cook until al dente. In the mean time, heat up a frying pan with a few tablespoons of butter and a splash of extra virgin olive oil. Add the onions, and let them cook on medium heat until soft and translucent. Season with salt and pepper.

When the onions are soft, sprinkle them with a few tablespoons of flour, and allow them to cook for another minute, stirring constantly. This is what they'll look like with the flour cooked in:

Time to add the milk. The amount of milk, of course, depends on how much you're making. However much you're making, start with less milk. It's easier to thin out the sauce than to make it thicker. So add the milk, turn up the heat, and stir constantly. The sauce should thicken up quickly. If it seems too thick, add a little more milk. I like to have a sauce about the consistency of a pancake batter.

Once the sauce is thickened, turn down the heat to low, and season with salt and pepper. If you have ground nutmeg or some fresh nutmeg to grate, add a little to the sauce. If you'd like a little heat in the background, add a pinch of cayenne as well. When you have the sauce tasting the way you like, it's time to add the cheese. Lots of cheese. If you think you're adding too much cheese, believe me, you're not. I also like to add some cream cheese for a little extra creaminess and tang. Stir it all in until it's melted, then add the cooked pasta to the pan.

Mix it all together until the pasta is happily bathed in the cheese sauce. You definitely want to make sure you have an abundant amount of the cheese sauce to coat the pasta, so it's still creamy after baking. Transfer the mixture to a greased baking dish.

For the topping, I like to use buttered bread crumbs. Simply melt a couple tablespoons of butter, and mix in your favorite bread crumbs. Seasoned panko bread crumbs provide a wonderful crunch to contrast the velvety smooth texture of the mac and cheese. Sprinkle evenly across the top, then bake at 400 degrees for about 30 minutes until the top is browned and bubbly.

Before.

After.

You will want to dive right in, but try to let it cool a bit before serving. I like it served on top of some mixed greens dressed with a balsamic vinaigrette.

Now that you know how to make the basic cheese sauce, go crazy! Throw in some chicken and sun-dried tomatoes or steak and crumbled bleu cheese. Or maybe some ham and asparagus or bacon and peas. Add a tin of tuna or salmon. Whatever you've got can make this recipe even more amazing and satisfying.

Make what you like, and like what you make!

Party food: Stuffed bread with sausage and salami

I first saw a version of this recipe many years ago on a Food Network show. It was called an umbulata, and I was intrigued. The concept was simple: bread dough stuffed with meat, cheese, and fresh herbs. It was an old, Italian family recipe. Now, I'm nowhere near Italian, but this recipe spoke to me. It said, "Invest in Google." I should have listened.

Here's my version. 

What you'll need:

• Pizza or bread dough
• Bulk Italian sausage, hot or mild
• Romano or Parmesan cheese, cubed
• Salami, cubed
• Balsamic vinegar
• Shredded mozzarella cheese
• Fresh herbs like oregano, Italian parsley, mint

You'll first want to brown the Italian sausage, and let it cool a bit before stuffing into the bread. I add a splash of balsamic vinegar to the sausage after it has browned to give it a nice glaze. Just let the vinegar cook out completely before taking the sausage off the heat.

I'm using a tube of refrigerated thin crust pizza dough. Roll it out flat on your baking sheet. I have cubed about half a block of Romano cheese. Sprinkle the cubed cheese evenly across the dough, pushing it into the dough.

Next, sprinkle the dough evenly with the sausage and salami. I'm using a salami that is crusted with chile peppers and fennel for a nice little kick. I also sprinkle some fresh oregano leaves over everything. I just pull them off the stems - no need to chop. After the herbs, you want a light coating of shredded mozzarella. It's the glue that holds everything together when you start slicing the finished product.

Here's a close up before the mozzarella is added:

Now you need to roll it up. Carefully start rolling it up, making sure you tuck in the ends, so everything stays sealed while baking. Brush the top with some oil or an egg wash, and lightly sprinkle with a coarse kosher or sea salt.

Bake at 375 degrees for 20-30 minutes or until nicely browned. Let cool for 10 minutes before slicing. Serve with tomato sauce for dipping.

The basic concept of this dish can be transformed into whatever you'd like. Stuff it with chicken, steak, veggies, sliced deli meats - the possibilities are endless. It's quick, easy, and serves a crowd.

Make what you like, and like what you make!

Butter popsicle, y'all!

Melanie Hutsell is spot on in her impersonation of Paula Deen. Too funny!

Cream of potato and leek soup with kielbasi

Ay, leeks is good. Shakespeare always cracks me up and that line from Henry V has stuck with me since I first read it decades ago. Ol' Billy Boy was right. Leeks are good, and they're spectacular in this creamy, satisfying soup.

What you'll need:

• 3-4 leeks, sliced
• Diced onions
• Minced garlic
• Diced celery
• Smoked kielbasi
• Butter
• Olive oil
• Flour
• Sliced potatoes
• Freshly ground pepper and kosher or sea salt
• Milk
• Water

If you don't know how to prep the leeks, do a search on youtube.com for a video. It's an easy process. Just slice off the root end and a bit of the tougher dark green leaves on the other end. Cut them lengthwise in half, then slice across each half. After I slice them up, they go in a bowl of water to clean them because there is often dirt between the layers.

Put a stock pot on medium-high heat with a splash of olive oil and brown the kielbasi. Remove the kielbasi from the pan, add a few tablespoons of butter and a bit more olive oil. Turn the heat down to medium. Add the onions, celery, and leeks, season with salt and pepper, and allow to cook until soft.

Add the sliced potatoes. No need to peel the potatoes. They'll get whizzed up in the end, and you won't even know they were there to begin with. Just be sure to use a waxy potato like red bliss or Yukon gold. Season the potatoes with salt and pepper, and allow them to cook with the other veggies for a few minutes.

Sprinkle with a few tablespoons of flour, mix together, and keep stirring while everything cooks for another couple minutes. Next, add equal parts of water and milk until it comes up over the veggies by about a half inch. Turn the heat up to high, and let it come to a boil. Reduce the heat and let simmer until the potatoes are soft. Taste the soup and add more salt and pepper if necessary. If you have some chicken base or bouillon, you can add a little for some extra flavor.

When the potatoes are soft, get out your hand blender. Whiz everything until pureed. If it's too thick for your liking, add a little more milk. The soup is done. You can throw all the kielbasi back into the soup or use it as a garnish when serving.

It is so creamy and comforting. The sweetness of the leeks and onions combined with the saltiness of the kielbasi make this soup a show-stopper. I'm sure Shakespeare would have loved it.

Shrimp quesadillas with peppers, onions, pineapple

This is another one of my hunting and gathering meals. When I don't have anything planned, quesadillas are my go-to, easy to assemble, last minute meals. Even easier when I always have a pack of tortillas in the fridge. I also found some frozen shrimp, a bag of frozen mixed peppers and onions, shredded cheddar cheese (which I also keep in the freezer), and some of my pineapple salsa (click here for the recipe).

I rinsed the shrimp in some warm water to thaw them out a bit, then peeled off the shells. I added some seasonings to the shrimp: chili powder, garlic powder, cayenne, dried cilantro, salt, and pepper. I also squeezed the juice of half a lime onto the shrimp. Just don't let the shrimp sit too long in the lime juice, or they will cook from the acid.

Put a frying pan on medium-high heat with a splash of olive oil. Cook the shrimp for no more than a minute on each side. They cook very quickly.

Take the shrimp out of the pan, and add the peppers and onions to the pan to cook until soft. Season with salt and pepper. When the peppers and onions are soft, add the pineapple salsa. You just want the salsa to heat through, no need to cook it for very long.

Remove the salsa mixture. I give the pan a quick rinse with water, and put it back on the stove on medium-low heat. Add a tortilla to the pan and layer with cheese, the salsa mixture, and the shrimp. Sprinkle the shrimp with more cheese, and add another tortilla to the top.

I like to add some weight to the top of the quesadilla to press it down, so I use a plate with my tea pot on top of it. Let the quesadilla brown on one side before flipping over. Use a large spatula to help with the flip, otherwise you might lose some of the stuffing. It's done when the cheese is melted and the tortilla is crisp.

Slice the quesadilla into wedges, and serve with sour cream, salsa, guacamole, whatever you like. It also works great with leftover chicken, pork, or steak. Even something as simple as a stuffing of cheese with a sprinkle of chili powder can be a fabulous snack.

Make what you like, and like what you make!

Awesome appetizer: Stuffed mini peppers with chorizo and cream cheese

This is a fabulous addition to your game day menu. If you find these mini sweet peppers in the grocery store or at the farmer's market and don't know what to do with them, you have to give this recipe a try. This stuffed appetizer is a mouthful of spicy, sweet goodness (much like Charo whenever she was on The Love Boat).

What you'll need:

• Bulk chorizo
• Mini sweet peppers
• Block of cream cheese
• Chopped fresh herbs like basil, Italian parsley, oregano 

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Prep the peppers by cutting the tops off and pulling out the seeds and ribs. I use a cupcake pan to roast the peppers, so they stay upright.

Put a frying pan on medium-high heat, and cook the chorizo until browned, about 10 minutes.

In a bowl, add the block of cream cheese, chopped fresh herbs, and cooked chorizo (still hot from the pan). I prefer to use fresh basil for this dish, but I don't have any on hand, so I'm using Italian parsley and oregano. If you plan ahead, you can leave the cream cheese out to soften, but it's not necessary as the heat from the cooked chorizo will soften it up in the bowl.

Mix together until well blended.

Now you're ready to stuff the peppers. Season the peppers with salt and pepper, then add the chorizo mixture. Be sure to push the filling into the peppers, so it's completely filled to the top.

Roast the peppers in the oven for 20-30 minutes at 400 degrees until the tops are browned and the peppers are soft. If you like a firmer pepper, take them out of the oven sooner.

Let them cool a little before handling them. Roasting the peppers brings out their natural sweetness. Combine that with the spiciness of the chorizo and tangy, creaminess of the cream cheese, and you've got an appetizer worthy of the Lombardi trophy.