Shepherd’s Pie

Shepherd’s pie is more of a “fall” food but after this rainstorm:

Summer doesn’t seem like summer anymore. So we went ahead and made it anyway. Colin makes the BEST pie crust ever and now I really want to bake a normal pie, like a blueberry pie because they are the best berries! Anyway, this is just a simple pie made with steak and garlic mashed potatoes. I’m going to include the pie crust recipe in this post, but you can use a pre-made crust if you would like.

Ingredients:

1.5 pounds steak
salt and pepper
A splash of lemon juice
Grated Pepperjack cheese
One package of garlic mashed potatoes (or a package-sized amount if you make your own)
pie crust
(For pie crust: I wish I could site where this came from! I’m sorry. It’s the recipe I use.)
 

You can always choose to just use a pre-made crust, or your own favorite crust recipe. I will include the pie crust pictures and recipe in another post.

Recipe:

1. Make sure steak is thawed. Stick in pan over medium heat.

2. Cut into sizeable chunks and sprinkle with salt, pepper, and lemon juice.

3. Brown steaks in a pan.

4. Cut into strips.

5. Tear strips into small, shredded pieces with your hands.

6. Make your instant, (or from scratch), garlic mashed potatoes.

7. Bake your pie crust for about 10 minutes at 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

8. Add your meat, topped with your potatoes and cheese, to the pie crust.

9. Bake until potatoes are slightly golden/crispy.

10. Enjoy!

You can also add so many other things to this, like peas, carrots, corn, gravy, bacon, etc.  Just experiment. 🙂
I never thought that I would like Shepherd’s pie but I LOVED this. I can only imagine how much I’d like it with corn and bacon (or even bacon bits to keep it simple.) I totally recommend this for those cooler summer days. And the pie crust is even better, in my opinion, when filled with fruit! Try a peach pie for something different.

Post by: Melissa Rook
Photos by: Colin Diltz and Melissa Rook

Pork sloppy joes

Hello everyone!

So I went home last weekend and I was talking to my parents about my food blog. They haven’t really been too into it but when I mentioned sloppy joes my dad seemed interested. I, however, didn’t know that sloppy joes are normally made with beef. Thus this recipe is a little different from the traditional recipe, but here goes! I feel like this is a very American food.

Ingredients:

1 lb. ground pork (thawed)
1/4 cup minced onions
1/4-1/3 cup grated Pepperjack cheese
1 teaspoon (or so) BBQ sauce
Sriracha (to taste, maybe 1/2 teaspoon)
Cumin (to taste, 1/2 teaspoon)
Chili powder (to taste, 1/2 teaspoon)
Lemon juice (to taste, 1/3 teaspoon)

Optional: Hamburger buns

Recipe:

1. Grate your Pepperjack cheese.

2. Mince the onion.

3. Add your pork to the pan, breaking it up into small, separate pieces and browning it on both sides.

4. Add the onion and lemon juice.

5. Add chili powder and cumin and stir.

6. Add your Sriracha and mix.

7. Add your BBQ sauce of choice and mix.

8. Plate your sloppy joe on a hamburger bun and enjoy!

Post by: Melissa Rook
Photos by: Colin Diltz

Bacon Pepperjack Macaroni & Cheese

Hello everyone!

Today I’m going to introduce my first recipe, the ultimate comfort food with a twist: bacon Pepperjack mac & cheese.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup Milk
A half cup or so of Pepperjack cheese (grated)
A few sprinkles of Parmesan cheese
A few tablespoons of Flour
1 box of Elbows Chifferi (or other noodles if you prefer, such as macaroni noodles)
4-6 strips of Bacon (depending on personal preference)
1 Pot
1 Pan
1 Baking/casserole dish
1 Cheese grater (or another method of grating cheese)

Recipe:

1.  Boil a few cups of water in a pot.

2.  When the water is boiling, add the noodles. Cook as directed on box and to desired softness. For firmer noodles, cook less, and for softer noodles, cook longer.

3. Drain the noodles and set aside.

4. Grate the Pepperjack cheese and set aside.

5. Using a pan, cook bacon to desired crispness and set aside.

6. Using a pot, on medium-low heat, add the milk.

7. While stirring, add the Pepperjack cheese and a few sprinkles of Parmesan cheese.

8. Depending on the consistency, add flour by the teaspoon until thick like cheese fondue.

9. Continue stirring sauce.

10. Add noodles to casserole dish.

11. Add sauce to casserole dish, over noodles.

12. Slice bacon into bite-size pieces.

13. Add bacon to casserole dish, over noodles.

14. Stir contents of casserole dish together.

15. Bake for 10-20 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

16. Enjoy!

Photos by: Colin Diltz
Post by: Melissa Rook