Copycat Zuppa Toscana (Olive Garden Soup)

When I make this, I make a huge quantity. You can cut it down to size according to what your family needs. The quantities are very loose, as I just sort of throw it all together and make as much as I want.

1-2 lb. Italian sausage (I use mild.)
at least 5-6 large baking potatoes, cut in half and sliced into 1/4 in. slices
2 large onions, chopped
1 C. crumbled bacon (or more)
4-5 cloves minced garlic
5-6 C. kale or Swiss chard (I use the entire huge bag of kale from BJ's)
1-2 quarts chicken stock (see recipe here)
1-2 C. heavy whipping cream (I use 1 C. whipping cream, and the rest half and half.)

Cook sausage in cast iron skillet like you would hamburger... press out of casings and cook until crumbly. Drain.

Place onions, potatoes, broth, and garlic in large soup pot, and cook over medium heat until potatoes are done.

Add sausage and bacon. Season with SPG to taste. Simmer for another 5 minutes.

Turn heat to low and add kale and cream. Heat through and serve. (Don't cook the kale... just add it to the hot liquid and then serve, so it stays kinda firm.)

Yum, yum, yum!

Cinnamon Rolls

Elanore's birthday breakfast request, which we shared with some folks who wanted the recipe...

DOUGH:
yeast (1 pkg, or 1 scant Tbsp.)
1 C. warm milk
1/2 C. sugar (I use 1/3 C.)
1/3 C. butter, melted
1 tsp. salt
2 eggs
4 C. flour

If you have a bread machine, process above ingredients in whatever manner your bread machine requires. If not, dissolve yeast in milk. Add other ingredients. Mix well. Knead dough into a large ball. Rise 1 hour.

Process dough in one of two ways, depending on if you want huge Cinnabon-style cinnamon rolls, or smaller-sized ones. For the former, roll the entire ball of dough into one rectangle, 21 in. long by 16 in. wide, 1/4 in. thick. For the latter, divide the dough into two balls, and process them similarly, but the rectangles will be less thick.

Spread softened butter (1/3 C. total) over entire surface of the rectangle(s). Sprinkle with a mixture of 1 C. brown sugar combined with 2-3 Tbsp cinnamon.

Roll rectangle (from the 21" side) to bottom edge. For huge rolls, cut the single roll into 1 3/4 in. slices and place 6 per baking pan. Bake 15-18 minutes. For smaller rolls, cut each of the two rolls in half and then in half again and then in thirds to make 12, and place in rows of four on a baking dish. I use a Pampered Chef stoneware bake pan. The small ones bake in less time... maybe 10 minutes. Bake at 400 degrees.

Once slightly cooled, frost rolls with icing. (See recipe below.)

ICING:
1/2 stick butter, softened
1 box cream cheese, softened (I use Neufchatel.)
1 1/2 C. powdered sugar (I don't use this much.)
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/8 tsp. salt (opt., I omit)

Combine ingredients and beat icing until fluffy. Coat rolls.

It is our family's tradition to make these rolls on Easter morning. We make a "cross" out of frosted cinnamon rolls (on a large rectangular platter), and we make a "tomb" out of unfrosted ones stacked up on each other. (The "stone" rolled away is made of sausage patties.)

Tango Stew

Veal Marengo - original recipe here
Marengo, à la [muh-RENG-goh]
A veal or chicken dish in which the meat is sautéed in olive oil, then braised with tomatoes, onions, olives, garlic, white wine or brandy and seasonings.
Sometimes scrambled eggs accompany the dish. It’s said to have been created by Napoleon’s chef after the 1800 Battle of Marengo.
2¼ lb. cubed stewing meat - veal, lamb, chicken, pork (use some bones)
6 Tbsp. flour
salt and pepper to taste
4 Tbsp. oil
1 C. onion, minced
2 garlic cloves, chopped
2 Tbsp. tomato paste*
1 C. diced tomatoes*
1 C. dry white wine
3 C. beef broth

1 C. white mushrooms, quartered
1 C. pearl onions (opt.)
12 – 15 Kalamata olives (opt.)
1/2 C. chopped fresh parsley, as needed

In a bowl, toss veal in seasoned flour to coat.
In a skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat and brown veal cubes.
Transfer veal to a slow cooker.
In the same skillet, over medium-high heat, cook onion, garlic, tomato paste and tomatoes.*
Add white wine and reduce by half.
Stir mixture into the slow cooker and add beef broth.
Cover and cook on low for about 6 hours.
Add mushrooms, pearl onions and olives.
Cover and cook on high for 15 minutes.
When meat is done, adjust seasoning and check consistency of sauce.
Stir in chopped parsley.
Serve over your favorite pasta noodles.
*We used a whole can of diced tomatoes (14.5 oz), a whole can of tomato paste (6 oz) and a can of Rotel diced tomatoes (10 oz). All these (except the last item) are in lieu of, not in addition to, the items of the recipe. For wine I took the cheapest Chardonnay. It hurts to take a real good wine for cooking, unless, of course, you're sipping while you're cooking.

Nanny's Cheese Grits

6 C. water
2 tsp. salt
3 eggs, beaten
1 1/2 C. quick-cooking grits
1 1/2 sticks butter (I use only 1)
1 tsp. seasoned salt
1 tsp. Tabasco
1 lb. Velveeta, cubed

Cook grits according to package. Add butter and cheese. Stir until melted. Add seasoned salt, Tabasco, and eggs. Bake uncovered 1 hour at 350 degrees.

Aunt Kim's Monkey Bread

My sister's children called these "Monkey Balls" when they were little, and somehow the name has stuck. It is about as junky and unhealthy as they come, but inevitably one of my children asks for it each year for a birthday breakfast. This year is no exception.

3 cans canned biscuits
1 C. sugar/2 tsp. cinnamon - mixture to roll them in
1 stick butter
1 C. brown sugar
1 tsp. vanilla

Break (or cut, for ease) biscuits into fourths. Roll in sugar mixture and stack in well-buttered Bundt pan. Pour extra sugar mix from rolling over top. Meanwhile, melt butter. Add brown sugar and vanilla. Stir until just boiling, then drizzle over mixture in Bundt pan. Bake for 35 mins. at 350 degrees. Turn upside down onto plate and serve warm by "slicing"/pulling apart and spooning onto plates.

Brunch Casserole

Everyone in the world probably already has this recipe, but I'm making it this weekend at the Beach House and I didn't want to have to take my recipe card with me. So, here it is...

6 slices store-bought bread, crusts removed
6 eggs
2 C. milk
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. dry mustard (opt.)
1 lb. sausage, fried & drained
1 1/2 C. shredded cheddar cheese
3/4 C. onion, chopped

Mix eggs, milk, salt, and (opt.) mustard. Set aside. Butter one side of each slice of bread and make a bottom layer in a 9x13 casserole dish. Sprinkle with sausage and cheese. Pour egg mixture on top. Cover and let stand in refrigerator overnight. Bake at 325 degrees for 45 minutes or until center is set.