Night 51

Recipe 267
Pretzel-Crusted Chicken Breasts with a Cheddar-Mustard Sauce
Matt rating ****1/2

Ingredients used:

Plastic food storage bags
Chicken breasts
Salted pretzels
Thyme
Freshly ground black pepper
Eggs
Vegetable oil
Unsalted butter
Flour
Milk
Extra-sharp Cheddar cheese
Spicy brown mustard
Coarse salt
Flat-leaf parsley
Sour dill pickle
Lemon

Not only did Matt and I like this yummy chicken, but Judah did too! I started out giving her a couple of tiny bites off my plate and after she started grabbing at the plate quickly decided to cut some up and let her feed herself. She and I also enjoyed it as leftovers for lunch the day after with some good old Mac 'n Cheese. The sauce was really good and surprisingly the pickles added a great texture and complimentary flavor. Yum-O!

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Mandy

Night 50

Recipe 174
Chili Dog Bacon Cheeseburgers and Fiery Fries
Matt rating *****

Ingredients used:

Bacon
Crispy-style frozen French fries
Ground beef
Hot dogs
Chili powder
Grill seasoning
Worcestershire sauce
Hot sauce
Ketchup
Vegetable oil
Cheddar cheese
Unsalted butter
Garlic cloves
Chives
Coarse salt
Hamburger buns

Well, this didn't exactly turn out to be burgers...more like Sloppy Joe's but without the sloppy sauce. The patties literally fell apart when I tried to flip them. I think there was a little bit too much liquid in the mix. There was so much flavor in the meat, but the Fiery French fries were YUMMY! Once again, this was a very simple meal to make, but packed full of deliciousness. I think I will definitely use the butter/garlic/hot sauce/chive mixture to cover my fries in in the future!

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Mandy

Night 49

Recipe 329
Ham and Spinach Hash with Fried Eggs
Matt rating *****

Ingredients used:

EVOO
Unsalted butter
Red potatoes
S&P
Thyme
Red pepper flakes
Red onion
Ham steak
Eggs
Spinach leaves
Basil
Parmigiano-Reggiano

On Matt's request, I added pancakes to this meal, because what is breakfast for dinner without pancakes? I made him rate the meal just on the hash and eggs, and he obviously loved it! The potatoes turned out crispy - just the way I like them! I will probably have to go running tomorrow morning to work some of the calories off from dinner tonight, but it was well worth it!

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Mandy

Night 48

Recipe 242
Tomato-Basil Pasta Nests
Matt rating ****1/2

Ingredients used:

Coarse salt
Angel hair pasta
EVOO
Garlic cloves
Yellow onion
Crushed tomatoes
Coarse black pepper
Basil leaves
Pesto sauce
Parmigiano-Reggiano
Crusty bread

This was definitely one of the easier meals to prepare - it took all of about 15 minutes! I must admit that I was not a fan of pesto awhile back, but it has become an acquired taste and now I love it! I think that I actually would have used more than the recipe called for just to be able to taste it a little better. I added a simple salad of red leaf lettuce drizzled with olive oil and balsamic vinegar, and a dash of salt and pepper. The baguette I picked up at the store yesterday was great for mopping up the sauce from the pasta. Good stuff Maynard!

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Mandy