Sloppy Joe Bites

Original Recipe HERE

This is a rare recipe that got rave reviews from *J*.  He ate two of them and asked for a third, and the following night he was even excited about leftovers.  The others liked them, too, but I barely paid attention to their reactions because I was busy picking my jaw up off the floor.

I made the from-scratch sloppy joe mixture since cracking open a can of the stuff would resurrect childhood memories better left in the past.  I used Pillsbury Grands buttermilk biscuits, and the ratio of biscuit to joe wasn't balanced.  Next time I'll use smaller biscuits or maybe the flaky kind.

Ingredients

3 Tablespoons brown sugar

1 Tablespoon minced onion

1 Tablespoon paprika [I did 1/2 smoked and 1/2 regular]

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon pepper

1 pound ground beef

1 can (15 oz) tomato sauce

6 to 8 ounces water

1 Tablespoon mustard

2 Tablespoons cider vinegar

2 canisters (8 or 10 count each) canned biscuits

1 to 2 cups shredded cheese [I used cheddar]

Directions

(1) Mix together brown sugar, minced onion, cumin, paprika, garlic powder, salt, and pepper.

(2) In a large skillet, brown the beef.

(3) Add tomato sauce, 6-8 ounces of water, mustard, cider vinegar, and spice mixture.  Stir to combine; simmer 5-10 minutes. 

(4) Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Grease muffin tins.

(5) Flatten or roll out biscuits.  Press each into a muffin well.

(6) Fill biscuits with sloppy joe mixture; sprinkle with cheese.

(7) Bake 10-12 minutes.

Kid Participation: 

* Flatten biscuits

* Put biscuits into muffin wells

* Scoop in sloppy joe mixture

* Sprinkle cheese

Buttermilk Cheddar Dill Biscuits

Original Recipe HERE

 

I was interested in these biscuits because of their use of cake flour.  I thought they'd be lighter and fluffier than the average cheese-incorporating biscuit.  I don't know how much of a difference it truly made, but they weren't dense or dry, so I'd use it again.  This recipe made 8.5 biscuits.

 

I eyeballed the amount of grated cheese and dried dill.  Next time I might add a little garlic powder, or at least some more salt.  But they were fine as-is, and everyone in the family had two.

 

A note of caution: I know that parchment paper isn't supposed to go in a 500 degree oven, but I thought that for such a short cooking time, it might be OK.  It wasn't...I started to smell a burning odor within two minutes, and the edges of the paper were already pretty browned.  I took the biscuits off and transferred them to another baking sheet (not lined or greased), and all was fine after that.  The biscuits were easy to lift off the pan when done.

 

Ingredients

1 & 1/4 cups cake flour
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 & 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cups butter (1/2 stick), grated
2/3 cup grated cheddar cheese
3/4 cup buttermilk
2 tablespoons dried dill

 

Directions

(1) If possible, put butter in the freezer ahead of time to make grating easier.

(2) Preheat oven to 500 degrees F.

(3) In a large bowl or using a stand mixer, combine flours, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

(4) Add butter; work with fingers or paddle attachment until it resembles coarse crumbs (mine never looked quite right).

(5) Add cheese; mix.

(6) Add buttermilk and dill; mix until dough forms a ball.

(7) Use paddle attachment to knead dough, or knead several times on a floured surface.

(8) Pat dough until about 3/4" thickness.

(9) Cut biscuts with a cookie cutter (mine was about 2" diameter).  Place on baking sheet.

(10) Bake until golden brown, 8-10 minutes.

Kid Participation:

* Measure dry ingredients

* Grate cheese (to the point where bigger hands need to take over lest blood be drawn)

* Work mixer

* Pat dough

* Cut biscuits

Mini Chicken Pot Pies

Original Recipe HERE

 

I love food that comes in its own complete little "package."  These are perfectly sized for kids, and the presentation means they might be more apt to try it, too.  I normally stay away from any of those condensed/"cream of" soups, but I needed something easy that night.  I'm sure some substitution involving broth, corn starch, sour cream, etc. is available online.

 

I thought these were great.  *N* and *J* both said they liked them, but they didn't ask for more than the two I originally gave them.  But since it would be easy to tweak the flavors to suit different tastes, I'll definitely make these again.  Bonuses: I made the filling ahead of time and quickly assembled them when it was time to bake, they didn't make a mess at mealtime, and they were easy to reheat.

 

I doubled parts of the recipe since 10 pies wasn't going to be nearly enough to feed us; new amounts reflected below.  Time for some math: I used 3 cans of biscuits (7.5 oz each can, 10 biscuits to a can) and got 18 pies by using 1.5 biscuits per pie.

 

Ingredients

2 medium boneless, skinless chicken breasts - cooked and shredded

1 can (14.5 oz) condensed cream of ____ soup [your choice; I used mushroom with roasted garlic]

1.5 to 2 cups finely chopped vegetables, frozen or fresh [I used carrots, peas, celery, and onion]

1.5 cups shredded cheese of choice

1 teaspoon onion powder

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

2 to 3 cans (10 oz) *OR* 3 to 4 cans (7.5 oz) Pillsbury biscuits [I used buttermilk

 

Directions

(1) Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  Spray or grease approximately 18 cups of muffin tins.

(2) In a medium bowl, combine soup, onion powder, garlic powder, and pepper.

(3) Add chicken, vegetables, and cheese.  Mix thoroughly.

(4) Press biscuits into muffin cups, covering bottoms and up the sides.  Check to make sure no air pockets remain.

(5) Scoop chicken mixture into biscuits, filling to top.  Sprinkle with additional shredded cheese if desired.

(6) Bake 12 minutes.  Check pies; bake additional 2 to 3 minutes if biscuit edges are not golden brown yet.

(7) Cool in muffin tins for 3 minutes.  Remove; serve.

 

Kid Participation:

* Mix mixture

* Scoop mixture

Cream Biscuits & Sausage Gravy

Original Recipe HERE

This is definitely not a recipe for anyone trying to lose weight (or avoid a heart attack), but it was great "comfort"-style food.  I was a little confused on the sausage to buy, but I found a 12-ounce pack of Bob Evans links (a 12 count).  It was a bit hard to crumble it well enough, and I ended up chopping it further on a cutting board.  Next time I'll try one of those large packages that seems to be ready to burst and makes me wonder if that sudden tingling I'm feeling in my left arm is imaginary or cause for concern.  Or I'll spring for chicken sausage if I can find it.

It wasn't until I had started making this for dinner that I realized in the original post that it's a breakfast food.  Oops.  That has never stopped me before...and it just meant that I didn't have to wait another 24 hours to justify eating the leftovers.  *J* didn't eat much, but he has entered a picky phase.  *N* ate it and asked for a second bowl (which she didn't finish).  However, both kids enjoyed having the biscuits the next morning spread with honey and jelly.

Ingredients

* Cream Biscuits

2 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting the work surface

2 teaspoons sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 1/2 cups heavy cream [I only had 1 cup and used half-and-half for the rest]
* Sausage Gravy
12 oz bulk pork sausage
1/2 cup chopped onion [optional]
2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups milk [I used 1 cup 2%  and 1 cup skim]
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Directions
* Cream Biscuits
(1) Preheat oven to 425º. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
(2) In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.
(3) Stir in 1 1/4 cups of cream with a wooden spoon until a dough forms (about 30 seconds). Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface.
(4) Use the remaining 1/4 cup of cream to moisten any flour left in the bowl; add to the dough. Gather into a ball and knead for about 30 seconds or until smooth.
(5) Shape the dough into a 3/4" thick circle. Using a 2 1/2" floured cutter (approximately), cut the biscuits into rounds and place on prepared baking sheet. Reshape the dough once to cut additional biscuits.
(6) Bake biscuits until golden brown (about 15 minutes), rotating the pan halfway through baking.
* Sausage Gravy (prepare while biscuits are in the oven)
(1) Heat a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add sausage and cook until well-browned (about 7 minutes), breaking it up as much as possible.
(2) Transfer to a plate and set aside, keeping the rendered fat in the pan.
(3) Add onion to skillet; sautee until just tender.
(4) Sprinkle flour into skillet and whisk for about 1 minute.
(5) Continue whisking while slowly adding the milk. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer about 2 minutes. (6) Add a generous pinch of salt and pepper to taste. Stir in sausage.  Serve over split biscuits.

Kid Participation:
* Whisk dry biscuit ingredients
* Knead dough
* Roll dough
* Cut out biscuit shapes (or free-form their own)

Sweet Potato Biscuits

Original Recipe HERE

I made these because I had a rogue sweet potato that I wasn't inspired by.  Then I stumbled upon this recipe.  The results were good, all-purpose, standard biscuits.  The sweet potato flavor wasn't as strong as I'd expected, but that was perfectly fine.  Both kids loved these, and they held up pretty well in a sealed container for two days (got a little "humid" before they dried out, but it wasn't a big deal).

I made this with a food processor per the directions, but I think they could be made with a regular bowl, whisk, pastry cutter, and serious elbowgrease.  I also used a silpat and a star-shaped cookie cutter to make it interesting for the kids.  The puffed-up biscuits held their shape well, so next time I'll be more adventurous.

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup butter, chilled and cubed

1 cup cooked & mashed sweet potatoes, cooked & mashed

1/3 cup milk

2 Tablespoons honey

Cooking Spray

Directions

(1) Preheat oven to 400 F.

(2) Place flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in food processor.  Pulse to combine.

(3) Add butter.  Pulse until it resembles coarse meal.

(4) Add sweet potatoes, milk and honey.  Pulse until dough comes together.

(5) Place dough onto parchment paper and knead 5 times.

(6) Place another parchment paper on top.  Roll out to 1/2" to 3/4" thick.  Cut into biscuits.

(7) Place biscuits on silpat or parchment-lined baking sheet coated with cooking spray.

(8) Bake 12-15 minutes (depending on size of biscuits) or until lightly golden.  Cool and serve.

Notes: I would serve them with salted butter or honey. Pumpkin or apple butter could be tasty but might overwhelm the slight sweet potato flavor.

Kid Participation:

* Add dry ingredients to food processor bowl

* Pulse food processor

* Knead dough

* Roll dough

* Cut out biscuit shapes

Cream Biscuits with Blueberry Topping

Original Recipe HERE

My mom brought several pounds of freshly picked blueberries on her most recent visit, and my first instinct was to made them into a dessert.  Without much time to spend on making them, and not wanting to go to the store to buy ingredients, I tried this recipe.  Without any butter in it, I was concerned that they'd be too light - fine for some occasions, but I prefer a denser biscuit for shortcake.  These were a great solution.  It yielded 7 biscuits that were 3" each and one mini-biscuit for *N*.  To serve, I split it in half, scooped mascerated blueberries on top, and added an unhealthy amount of Redi-Whip (yes, taking the lazy route).

Ingredients for Cream Biscuits

2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting the surface

1 Tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 Tablespoon sugar

1 1/2 cups heavy cream

Ingredients for Blueberries

2 cups fresh blueberries

1/4 cup sugar

3 Tablespoons lemon juice

Directions

1) Add blueberries, sugar, and lemon juice to small sauce pan.  Allow to simmer until some blueberries begin to burst and reach a thick syrup-like consistency (leave some blueberries whole).  Taste-test and add more sugar or lemon juice if desired.  Remove from heat and allow to cool.

2) Preheat oven to 425°F.  Line baking sheet with parchment paper.

3) Sift two cups flour, baking powder, salt and sugar into large bowl.

4) Fold in 1 1/4 cups cream. If dough is not soft or easily handled, fold in remaining 1/4 cup cream, little by little.

5) Turn dough onto floured surface, mound into a ball and, using your hands, press it to a thickness of about 3/4 inch.

6) Cut into rounds approximately 2.5" diameter and arrange on baking sheet at least 1" apart.  Gather dough scraps and continue to make rounds.

7) Bake until golden, 12 to 15 minutes.

Notes: None!

Kid Participation:

* Add dry ingredients

* Whisk dry ingredients

* Measure and add blueberries (watch for kidnapped berries)

* Press out dough

* Cut biscuit rounds

Biscuits with Strawberries and Ricotta Cream

Original Recipe for Biscuits HERE

Original Recipe for Ricotta Cream HERE

During a recent visit, my mom thought that the strawberries from the grocery store weren't good enough.  So she drove to a new farm stand nearby and bought a ton of just-picked ones.  She insisted that we eat them fresh - no freezing allowed (that would be reserved for the sub-par ones I bought).  There's only so many times I could put them in yogurt or make a smoothie or just eat them plain.  So I made them into a dessert that was universally complimented: a biscuit sliced in half, a generous scoop of strawberries on both, and each finished with a big dollop of the ricotta mixture.  I had some Redi-Whip getting geriatric in the fridge, so I may or may not have squirted some of that on top...

I made the biscuits, but that's not necessary.  Storebought ones can be used, or pound cake could be substituted.  Or the strawberries and ricotta could just be layered together in a glass (maybe add some slivered almonds? granola?). 

STRAWBERRIES & RICOTTA CREAM

Ingredients

1 cup part-skim ricotta cheese

2 tablespoons honey

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 (16 oz) container strawberries, hulled and sliced

Sugar (approximately 1 tablespoon)

Directions

1) Put ricotta, honey and vanilla extract into small bowl of a food processor and process until smooth, about 1 minute. Transfer to small bowl and refrigerate at least 2 hours.

2) Put strawberries into non-plastic bowl and sprinkle with sugar. Allow to mascerate in refrigerator, gently stirring several times.

BUTTERMILK BISCUITS

* Be sure to read the tips in the original recipe for how to maximize your results.

Ingredients

1 cup (5 oz) all-purpose flour

1 cup (4 oz) cake flour [can substitute with 1 cup all-purpose flour and increase buttermilk by 2 tablespoons]

2 teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon sugar

½ teaspoon salt

8 tablespoons (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into ¼-inch cubes

¾ cup cold buttermilk

Directions

1) Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat oven to 450 degrees.

2) Place flours, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, and salt in large bowl [hand]or workbowl of a food processor [processor] fitted with the metal blade. Whisk together or process with 6 1-second pulses.

3) Hand: use two knives, a pastry blender, or fingertips to quickly cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse meal with a few slightly larger butter lumps. Processor: remove cover and distribute butter evenly over dry ingredients. Cover and process with 12 1-second pulses.

4) Hand: stir in buttermilk with a rubber spatula or fork until the mixture forms a soft, slightly sticky ball.  Processor: remove the cover and pour the buttermilk evenly over the dough. Process until the dough gathers into moist clumps, about eight 1-second pulses.

5) Transfer dough to lightly floured surface and quickly form into rough ball (careful not to overmix). Pat the dough into ¾-inch-thick circle.

6) Cut out dough rounds with a biscuit cutter [I used a small drinking glass with the rim dredged in flour]. Push together the remaining pieces and repeat until no dough is left.  Place the biscuits on an ungreased cookie sheet (sheet can be wrapped in plastic and refrigerated for up to 2 hours).

7) Bake until biscuit tops are light brown, 10 to 12 minutes.

Notes: None, other than maybe making the full "strawberries and balsamic" recipe in the original one linked to above.

Kid Participation:

* Add ingredients for cream mixture

* Push buttons on food processor

* Add dry ingredients for biscuits

* Pat dough

* Cut out biscuit rounds

Cheddar Biscuit Cups

Original Recipe HERE

I'm always on the lookout for recipes for biscuits, breads, cornbreads, and the like...but only if they're easy and quick.  I don't always remember to plan ahead so dough can rise, and I often have something else in the oven that prevents a long baking process.  These "cheddar muffins" (so dubbed by *N*) fit the bill: a good combination of a crusty outside with a chewy inside.  The measurements listed here are doubled from the original since I wanted leftovers for the following night (and they reheated nicely in the toaster oven).

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour

3 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 to 1 teaspoon salt

1-2 cups shredded cheese [I used a Mexican blend and some sharp cheddar]

1 cup milk [I used a combination of 2% and skim]

4 tablespoon mayonnaise

 

Directions

1) Preheat oven to 425 and grease a 12-cup muffin tin.

2) Whisk flour, baking powder, & salt together.

3) Add cheese to the flour mixture.

4) Stir milk and mayonnaise into the mixture, just until moistened.

5) Fill muffin cups 2/3 full.

6) Bake at 425 degrees for 15-20 minutes, until biscuit tops are golden brown.

Notes: A success; they turned out exactly as I expected.  Next time I'll use more sharp cheese to have a more pronounced flavor.  Probably throw in some Italian seasoning, garlic powder, or dill as well.

Update: I made these again, adding a few generous shakes of both garlic powder and dill.  Even tastier than before.

Kid Participation:

* Measure and whisk dry ingredients.

* Add (child-size) handfuls of cheese (because kids like to use their hands more than measuring cups).

* Stir all ingredients together.