Recipe Swap Roundup - One Pot Meals

The theme for this recipe swap was One Pot Meals. Sometimes I love nothing more then spending the day in the kitchen making complicated meals for my family. And sometimes, especially after a busy day at work, all I want is to get a delicious (and hopefully healthy) meal on the table. My hope is that the One Pot Meals below will help you out on one of those days where you don't really feel like cooking but don't want take-out either.

Mary Ellen loved the idea of her Beer Braised Sausages with Warm Potato Salad as a perfect cold-weather meal:


Jenna used to hate stuffed peppers, but her tastes recently changed and she was excited to find a great go-to recipe for them. Her Stuffed Peppers recipe for the swap was perfect, especially since it doesn't call for tomato sauce:


Melissa loves anything buffalo-flavored so she was excited for her Buffalo Chicken Chili:


Ashley felt her recipe for Dutch Oven Beef and Noodle Casserole needed a little something to make the flavors pop:


Rachel had my recipe for Pot Roast, although she had a brain lapse and bought cut-up chuck instead of a roast. She still enjoyed the dish, which ended up being closer to stew:


Melissa was happy for an excuse to eat a meal that contains beans, which her husband doesn't like. Her recipe for Turkey & Black Bean Chili was a big hit with her:


Christen was happy her Crockpot Chicken White Bean Pumpkin Chili was a "skinny" recipe:


Katie loved the smell of the sauce simmering all day for her Crockpot Spaghetti and Meatballs, a meal that her whole family loved:


Nicole's recipe for Crockpot Pork and Butternut Squash Stew was a real winner, not only delicious was a real bang for your buck calorie and money-wise:


My recipe for Scalloped Potatoes and Ham was comfort food at its best:


One Pot meals are not something the Cookaholic Wife often makes, but her recipe for
Pierogi and Kielbasa Bake was easy and delicious:


Elisha had a few hiccups while making her Half-Hour Chicken Gumbo, but the result was still yummy:


Christine had been planning to make Cheesy Chili Mac sometime soon, so she was thrilled when it was her recipe for the swap:


Jaida's recipe for Latin-Style Chicken and Rice combined two of her favorites - chicken and rice - for a quick weeknight meal:


Ellie had to invite family over to finish her Lentil, Kielbasa and Garlic Stew, but it was a hit with everyone who tried it:


Maryanna had been in a cooking rut before falling in love with her recipe for Creamy Baked Fettuccine with Asiago and Thyme:


Jey loved only having to wash one bowl and a saucepan for her Couscous Stuffed Peppers, which were absolutely delicious:

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Recipe Swap: Scalloped Potatoes and Ham

Want to see what other One Pot Meal recipes were made during the swap? Here is the link to the One Pot Meal Recipe Swap Roundup

The theme for this recipe swap is One Pot meals. Most people love having meals in their arsenal that involve mixing a few ingredients together and letting the oven or crock pot do most of the work. I've always wanted to make Scalloped Potatoes and Ham so I was excited to get Ashley's recipe.


In the interest of full disclosure, SP was not a fan of this one. At all. He was put off immediately by the red potatoes, claiming scalloped potatoes should only be made with Yukon gold or russets. After baking this I have to agree. Even after an hour and a half of baking the red potatoes were still a bit crunchy. Yukon gold or russet seem to break down better when cooking, which is why they are preferable for a recipe like this. Even so, I absolutely loved this recipe and his dislike meant I got all the leftovers. I actually ate this three days in a row, which is pretty impressive. I'm usually a dinner and lunch the next day-only leftovers eater.

Based on my experience making this I made quite a few changes in the recipe below, swapping the red potatoes for Yukon gold or russets, pre-cooking the potatoes in the milk and cream mixture like I do for my potato gratin, and modifying the seasonings to suit our tastes. I think the changes will elevate this to excellent and hopefully I can convince SP to let me try again.

This is true comfort food and perfect for this time of year. Thanks for a delicious one pot meal, Ashley!

Scalloped Potatoes and Ham
Modified from Cheesecurd in Paradise

2 large cloves garlic, 1 halved and 1 minced
3 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon fresh thyme
1 1/2 cups milk
1 cup heavy cream
2 1/2 pounds Yukon gold or russet potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
4 ounces shredded cheddar cheese
12-16 ounces cooked ham steaks

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Rub an 2 1/2-quart baking dish with the cut sides of the garlic halves and discard the halves. Coat the inside of the dish with 1 tablespoon of the butter.

In a large pot, combine the milk, cream, minced garlic, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, fresh thyme and the remaining 2 tablespoons butter. Add the potato slices to the milk mixture. Repeat with remaining potatoes. Bring the milk mixture to a simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Cover and cook for 3 minutes. Add shredded cheese and stir to melt.

Meanwhile, heat a large, dry skillet over medium heat. Add the ham steaks and cook on both sides until it begins to brown in spots and some of the liquid is released. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly before cutting into cubes.

Transfer half of the potatoes to the prepared dish. Add half the ham. Top with the remaining potatoes and ham. Pour all of the milk mixture over the potatoes. Cover the dish with buttered aluminum foil, buttered side down.

Bake for 40 minutes, then uncover and bake until the potatoes are tender, the liquid bubbles thickly and the top is brown and crusty, about 20 minutes longer. Remove from the oven, let stand for 10 minutes, then serve.

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Recipe Swap Roundup - Thanksgiving Side Dishes

November is here and you know what that means - Thanksgiving is right around the corner. This is the first year we are cooking the whole meal at our house and I can't wait. When I was a kid we ate the same side dishes every year, but now that I'm older I can't wait to experiment with some new recipes. A Thanksgiving side dish swap sounded like a great way for the ladies on the cooking board to find some new recipes.

I hope anyone reading this is able to find some new side dishes for their Thanksgiving table. Happy Cooking!

Kate incorporated some of her favorite elements from past sweet potato casseroles to make Sweet Potato Casserole:


Caitlin's recipe for Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Mushrooms and Cream combined a bunch of her favorites into one dish:


Ashley loved the versatility of her Sweet Potato Coins with Blue Cheese and Bacon:


Heather had never made Stovetop Mac and Cheese before, preferring the baked variety, but found her recipe to be fast and delicious:


Brianna revamped her recipe for Green Bean Casserole:


Nicole went out of her comfort zone with her recipe for Baked Garlic Cheddar Grits and discovered she really liked grits:


Jaida had never had butternut squash before, but she loved her recipe for Butternut Squash Risotto:


Melissa enjoyed the pecans the most in her recipe for Brussels Sprouts with Maple Buttered Pecans:


The Cookaholic Wife had never been a big fan of Thanksgiving but now she enjoys finding new dishes to try, like her recipe for Stuffed Sweet Potatoes with Pecan and Marshmallow Streusel:


Melissa's recipe for Burgundy Mushrooms took quite a long time to make:


Christen's recipe for Twice Baked Potato Casserole is certainly not diet food, but she loved it:


Lishie enjoyed her recipe for Green Beans with Bacon & Caramelized Shallots and can't wait to make it again with pancetta:


Dawn had never made stuffed mushrooms before so she was excited to try her recipe for Clam Stuffed Mushrooms:


Jenna had another recipe involving French onion, this time for French Onion Stuffed Baked Potatoes:


Jey had my recipe for Whiskey Glazed Carrots, which were a huge hit with her whiskey-loving husband:


I had another Brussels sprouts recipe, Pan Roasted Brussels Sprouts:


Coleen went all out, cooking a mini-Thanksgiving dinner for herself and her husband to go along with her recipe for Cranberry-Apple Chutney:


Christine thought her recipe for Strip House Potatoes Romanoff was DeLish, just like the name of the blog that submitted the recipe:


Lindsay's recipe for a homemade version of the traditional green bean casserole was right up her alley. She put her own spin, ommiting the mushrooms, to make Cheddar Green Bean Casserole:


Mary Ellen thought the bacon flavor was a little overwhelming in her Sauteed Spinach with Bacon, but she loved the crispy bits of bacon mixed with the spinach:


The blogger who received Melissa's recipe for Red Skin Potato Mash had a family emergency that prevented her from completing the assignment, but I didn't want you to miss out on the deliciousness:

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Recipe Swap: Pan Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Want to see what other Thanksgiving Side Dish recipes were made during the swap? Here is the link to the Soup/Stew Recipe Swap Roundup

The theme for this week's recipe swap was Thanksgiving Side Dishes. I know some people like to try new dishes each year and I foresee the roundup as a good starting point for people looking for new recipes to try.

I have to admit, I wasn't excited when I saw that my recipe would be Pan Roasted Brussels Sprouts, even if it was submitted by my friend Jaida. Like most people, I'm not a fan of the little cabbages, but I will admit I've never tried pan roasting them before so I was willing to give it a shot.


I halved the recipe since my store sells brussels sprouts loose, but kept the amount of shallots and garlic the same to add flavor. I also skipped the browned butter part because I was too busy making the rest of the dinner. These weren't bad and they are definitely better with plenty of salt and pepper so don't skimp. Even so, I don't think we'll be making these again; not because the recipe isn't good but because we just aren't fans. But if you are a brussels sprouts fan this is a great, simple recipe.

Pan Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Browned Butter
Slightly Adapted from Sweet Beginnings

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound raw brussels sprouts, stems cut off then cut in half
2 shallots, sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons unsalted butter

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add olive oil. Add shallots and garlic and sauté for 1-2 minutes, until fragrant. Add in brussels spouts cut side down, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and cook for 8-10 minutes, tossing every so often, until browned.

Meanwhile, heat a small saucepan over medium heat and add butter. Whisk fairly continuously until butter begins to get golden in color and brown flecks appear. Remove from heat immediately. (I didn't do this step. I combined the oil and butter initially and just cooked everything together to save time)

Remove brussels sprouts from heat and drizzle browned butter over top, then serve.

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Recipe Swap Roundup - Soups and Stews

Now that fall weather is here (or for some of us Eastcoasters, wintery snow) a theme of Soups/Stews seemed perfect for the recipe swap. You all know I'm not a huge fan of soup but man, just putting this roundup together made me drool all over my keyboard. I can't wait to make some of the recipes below as the weather keeps getting colder.

If you're a fan of soups/stews definitely check out the links below. Every single one looks incredibly delicious. Enjoy!

Mary Ellen had fun putting her own spin on Sausage and Tortellini Soup:


Part of the fun of the swaps is trying something new, which Ammie did with her Beef Bourguignon:


Christen's husband rated her Mushroom and Brie Bisque with Puff Pastry Toppers one of the Top 5 things she's ever made:


Heather isn't a fan of Guinness but her husband loved her Beef and Guinness Stew:


As a working mom, Lishie was happy she was able to prep her delicious Basil Dumplings & Chicken Soup the night before:


Melissa really enjoyed her Slow Cooker French Onion Soup, even if the onion smell was a little overwhelming as it cooked:


Jaida had another Olive Garden copy cat soup, Zuppa Toscana, that got her to try kale:


Maryanna made my recipe for Loaded Baked Potato Soup a bit healthier:


Nicole thinks a few modifications to her Creamy Cabbage Soup with Gruyere would make it perfect:


Christine had made Chunky Italian Vegetable Soup:


Katie forgot to buy broccoli at the store so her Broccoli Cheddar Soup ended up being Cheddar and Potato Soup:


Ashley liked being able to add her choice of seafood to Ina's Seafood Stew:


Melissa loves soup and was thrilled to get another delicious slow cooker soup recipe to add to her arsenal with Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup:


Caitlin was thrilled for an excuse to make one of her favorite soups, French Onion Soup:


The Cookaholic Wife loves that cool weather means more chances to eat soup. She really enjoyed her recipe for Cheesy Jalapeno Corn Chowder and it made enough for her to freeze half for another time:


Jey was thrilled with the theme for this swap. Her soups always come out thick like stews, which was exactly the case with her Pasta E Fagioli:


Jenna had another variation of French Onion Soup, and was happy to find that she actually liked it:


Coleen had never made Chicken Pot Pie at home before so she was excited to get it for the swap:


The Cooking Nurse switched up the ingredients for her soup to make Taco Soup:


I absolutely loved the flavors in my recipe for Chicken Gnocchi Soup:


Melissa was a little hesitant about her Pumpkin Soup recipe but it ended up blowing her away with the flavors of fall in a bowl:


Jill turned her recipe for chili into a thinner White Bean Chicken Soup, perfect for a comforting weeknight meal:


Kate's Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup was perfect on a cold, rainy day:


Nicole had to modify her recipe for Chinese Chicken Corn Soup because she didn't have all the necessary ingredients:


Joelen made a quick and easy Chicken Enchilada Soup:


Lindsay thought the perfect way to usher in fall was her recipe for Italian Beef Stew with Gnocchi:

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