Swedish Meatballs

Okay, I can't be the only one out there who immediately thinks of IKEA when they hear the words "Swedish Meatballs".  Oh how I love IKEA.  Maybe we'll live near one soon.  Organizing supplies. Containers. Oh! How I love containers.  Don't even get me started on The Container Store.  Sometimes I browse their websites and drool.  And then I wander around the house looking for things to re-sort and organize.  Sometimes I bring my label maker around with me and find things to label.  

*sigh*

I love to organize. I know, weird, right?

Anywho. These are NOT your IKEA meatballs.  These are delicious and homemade and not frozen and tasty, tasty, tasty.  I made these quite a while ago and sort of forgot about them. I don't know why, because as I stare at this photo thinking of a story to tell you guys, I'm quickly remembering exactly how delicious these were.  These meatballs have the perfect texture. They hold together well but are light and fluffy.  They have tons of flavor and the gravy they are served with is perfect.  I ended up adding a bunch of dill to this dish just because it complimented it so well.  

These are perfect as a meal with some veggies, but they would be perfect appetizers for a party to to bring some place.  Because they simmer for about an hour, you could easy prep everything and transfer it all to a crock pot and bring int wherever you need to.

Swedish Meatballs
Printable Recipe
By Thibeault's Table, Adjusted from c.1998, M.S. Milliken & S. Feniger

Meatballs:

• 2 slices white bread, crusts removed
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 pound ground pork
• 1 small onion,
• 2 to 3 eggs
• 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1/2 teaspoon Nutmeg
• 1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Butter and vegetable oil for frying meatballs

Gravy:

• 3 cups beef stock
• 2 to 3 tablespoons flour
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Fresh parsley or Dill, for garnish

1. Pulse onion, bread and milk in processor.
2. Mix beef and pork together. Add spices, salt, pepper and mix well.  Add onion/bread/milk mixture and using hands mix to combined. Add eggs.  Test seasoning by sauteing a small piece.  Taste and adjust seasoning.   
3. Shape meatballs.  Heat skillet, add butter and oil and brown meatballs. 
4. Remove from pan. Make sauce by adding flour to the drippings. Cook for a couple of minutes.  
5. Add enough beef broth to make sauce.  Add 1/2 cup cream.  Bring to a simmer and add the meatballs to the sauce and simmer for at least an hour.
6. Serve over noodles. Sprinkle with minced parsley or dill.

Horseradish Crusted Ribeye

Oh goodness, look at this. I posted something GREEN on this blog.  I've just noticed that all my recent posts have been yellows/oranges/browns. Basically carbs and cheese.  Not that there is anything wrong with that, right? Sure.  I swear, we really do eat colorful meals in this house on a regular basis.  I even just recently promised my in-laws that I do feed their son fruits and vegetables on a regular basis.  It's just...the cheese and carbs are what I like to talk about the most, so it's what gets blogged about the most.  And often I find myself just taking a photo of one part of the meal....not the leafy salad we had with it.  I'll mix it up a little with this picture.

What we have here is a deliciously juicy rib-eye steak (my fav!) with a horseradish panko crust.  Served along side with a mixed green salad with the best balsamic vinegar and some leftover noodles.

Unfortunately for you, I don't have an exact recipe for this but I'll give you my best guesses.

Horseradish Crusted Rib-Eye
Printable Recipe
By Kacey's Kitchen

• 2 Rib-eye steaks (Or whatever steak suits your fancy)
• Prepared grated horseradish
• Panko crumbs
• Butter
• Garlic powder
• Parsley
• Salt and Pepper

1. Preheat an oven safe grill pan over medium high heat.  Preheat oven to 400°F.
2. Season steak with salt and pepper.
3. Prepare horseradish coating.  Melt about 1 tbsp butter and mix in with panko crumbs and horseradish to taste.  Season with garlic, parsley and a little salt and pepper. Combine until it's a consistency you can spread over the steak.
4. When pan is preheated throw the steak on and leave it there (WITHOUT touching it) for about 1 minute or until nicely seared.  Flip over and sear the other side for about 1 minute.  
5. While your cook the second side, coat the top of steaks with the horseradish mixture.
6. Place entire pan in over for approximately 5 minutes depending on how you like your steak and how thick it is.  I like mine medium rare.
7. Remove from oven and let sit a few minutes.  Serve with a nice glass of wine and enjoy!

Caramel Filled Pumpkin Spice Rice Krispie Treats

There's some catching up that needs to be done here at Kacey's Kitchen. I've got a (digital) mound of photos waiting to be written about and posted to the blog.  I could sit here and tell you I've been too busy to blog because I've been traveling a bit the past month and a half, but that's still an excuse. I'll give it to you straight. I've been lazy.  Kacey the Lazy Ass. *Sigh*

I made these back around Halloween, but you could totally find pumpkin spice marshmallows on clearance right now, which is definitely a sign to make these as soon as possible.

Everyone likes Rice Krispie Treats, right? Right.  Well...these are Rice Krispie Treats on crack.  An absurdly delicious, absurdly caloric Crack Krispie Treat.  You'll love it.

I made these for Aaron's class, and word has it, they went over pretty well, even with other sweets brought in from the other guys and gals.  Pilots apparently love sweet overload.

Check out these cute little labels I ordered a while back through one of Vistaprints promotional deals. They are actually return address labels, and I only had to pay shipping for them.

Pumpkin spice rice krispie treats stuffed with caramel and marshmallows.  Go make them.  Unless your diabetic.  And in that case, you probably shouldn't even look at the pictures.

Caramel Filled Pumpkin Spice Rice Krispie Treats

Printable Recipe

By Real Mom Kitchen

• 1/2 Cup butter
• 1 (10oz) bag of pumpkin spice marshmallows (You can use regular mini marshmallows)
• 8 cups of rice krispies cereal
• 50 caramels, unwrapped (like kraft or wether's chewy caramels)
• 2/3 cup sweetened condensed milk
• 1/2 cup butter
• 2 cups mini marshmallows

1. Spray two 9x13 inch baking pans with cooking spray.
2. In a large sauce pan over medium to medium low heat, melt 1/2 cup butter with pumpkin spice marshmallows until completely melted and well blended.
3. Mix in the rice krispies and fold in until the cereal is well coated with the marshmallow mixture.
4. Divide the cereal mixture between to two 9x13 inch prepared pans.  Press the cereal in each pan until it covers the pan evenly.
5. In another sauce pan, place the caramels, condensed milk, and 1/2 cup butter.  Melt over medium heat until melted and well combined.  Remove from heat and let cool of a few minutes.
6. Spread the caramel evenly over one pan of the rice krispies.  Sprinkle the mini marshmallows over the caramel.
7. Invert the other pan of rice krispies on top on the miniature marshmallows.  You are basically creating a rice krispie sandwich with the caramel and the mini marshmallows in the center.
8. Refrigerate for 1 hour and cut while cool.  

Oven Baked Fries

Never again will you ever feel the need to deep fry french fries. (Not that I actually deep fry french fries because I hate the smell and mess).  Look at those.  Amazing, right?  Go ahead, tell  me I'm wrong.  I dare you.

No? I thought so.

Not only do those look like crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside and perfectly seasoned french fries of awesomeness...but they taste like it to.  These are everything you want a french fry to be.  Dip them in ketchup mixed with a little adobo sauce, or curry, or dip them in a creamy garlicky dressing and they'll be everything you want a french fry to be AND MORE.

You'll never buy frozen fries again...trust me on this one.  Oh yeah, and don't limit this recipe to big wedges.  Use it for little diced up homefries or skinnier suckers, or just hunks of potatoes.  And toss them with fun stuff like minced up garlic and jalapenos and things like that.  Make potatoes fun!

I always line my pans with tinfoil for easier clean up.  If your having problems flipping the tots over because they are sticking, don't do it, they aren't ready. Just pop them in the oven for another 5 minutes and try again.    They'll loosen up when they get the perfect amount of crispy.

Oven Baked Fries
Printable Recipe
by Annie's Eats, Adapted from The New Best Recipe by Cook's Illustrated

• 3 Russet Poatoes, peeled and cut lengthwise into even sized wedges
• 5 tbsp canola oil
• 3/4 tsp. kosher salt, more to taste
• 1/3 tsp freshly ground black pepper, more to taste

1. Preheat the oven to 475˚ F. Place the potato wedges in a large mixing bowl. Cover with hot water; soak for 10-30 minutes. Put 4 tablespoons of the oil onto a heavy, rimmed baking sheet. Tilt the sheet side to side to evenly coat the pan with oil (a pastry brush can also help with this). Sprinkle the pan evenly with the salt and pepper. Set aside.
2. Drain the potatoes. Spread the wedges out on layers of paper towels or on clean kitchen towels. Pat dry with additional towels. Wipe out the now empty bowl so it is dry. Return the potatoes to the bowl and toss with the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil. 
3. Arrange the potato wedges on the prepared baking sheet in a single layer. Cover tightly with foil and bake for 5 minutes. Remove the foil and continue to bake until the bottoms of the potatoes are spotty golden brown, 15-20 minutes, rotating the baking sheet after 10 minutes. 
4. Using a metal spatula and tongs, flip each potato wedge keeping them in a single layer. Continue baking until the fries are golden and crisp, 5 -15 minutes. Rotate the pan as needed to ensure even browning.
5. When the fries are finished baking, transfer to a paper-towel lined plate to drain some of the grease. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste. Serve warm.

Butternut Squash Soup

Before I even get to this amazing delicious soup, I want you to check out the bowl it's in.  That amazing ceramic creation was given to me for my birthday by my favorite sister ever, Rachey Face.  Okay, Okay, she might be my only sister, but she's still the best ever.  She ordered this on Etsy from Electra Sylva Vincent Shop, and it's actually a ceramic yarn bowl.  But she knows me well, and she has seen my knitting.  Let's just say....there isn't a yarn bowl in the world that would improve my knitting.  She also knows how much I love me some Cephalopods and soup/cereal bowls.


Believe it or not, I've never made a Butternut Squash Soup before.  I love it, but I just never thought about making it myself before.  Not to mention, I HATE blending hot soups in a blender. I always manage to make it explode all over myself and the entire kitchen.  I also used another birthday gift I got this year to make this soup, my new immersion blender from my parents. It's even more amazing than I hoped and I've used it a ton of times already.

This soup is so thick and hearty, and if needed, you could definitely lighten it up by leaving out the heavy  cream and even the milk.  This is really easy to make, so there is no excuse not to try it.


Curried Butternut Squash Soup
Printable Recipe
By Dalias Delights, adapted from The Pastry Queen

• 2 tbsp unsalted butter 
• 1/2 medium yellow onion, chopped
• 1 large carrot, peeled and sliced
• 1 1/2 lbs (small size) butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cubed
• 1 medium russet potato, peeled and cubed
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 1/2 tbsp curry powder
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• pinch cayenne
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 (14.5 oz) can chicken stock (this ='s 2 cups)
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1 tsp honey (omit if you don’t want that hint of sweetness)
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Sour cream or Greek yogurt, for garnish

1. Melt the butter in a large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. 
2. Add the onion and carrot and sauté over medium heat for about 3 minutes, or until the onions begin to soften. Add the squash potato, ginger, cinnamon, curry powder, nutmeg, cayenne, and salt. Sauté for 2 minutes. 
3. Add the stock, milk, cream, honey, and paprika and bring the soup to a boil. Decrease the heat to the setting in between low and medium-low, cover the pot, and simmer the soup over low heat for about 40 minutes, or until the vegetables are soft. 
4. Working in batches, puree the soup in a blender or food processor until smooth. 
5. Add black pepper to taste (but watch out, it is already spicy from that pinch of cayenne). Serve hot with a dollop of sour cream or Greek yogurt, croutons, and Parmesan cheese.

Spinach and Ricotta Stuffed Tomatoes

For my birthday, Aaron's parents sent me a bunch of really awesome cookbooks.  I haven't cooked too many recipes from them (yet!), but each one has been sooo delicious.  One of my favorite ones, which this recipe is from is called The Silver Palate Cook Book.  Typically I often change recipes around to add something different, some thing more, or because I'm short on ingredients. However, I have yet to come across a recipe in this book that I want to change.  They all sound flavorful and bellyful.

These tomatoes were filling enough on their own, but I served them along side some rice.  And although there is no need to change this recipe, you could stretch it even farther by using more tomatoes and adding the cooked rice inside of them.

I have fallen in love with tomatoes all over again.

I wasn't able to find the recipe online, so I would hate to post it from the book, especially since I didn't change anything about it.  But trust me, the book is totally worth purchasing.  Or you could always ask for it as a gift!

Everything is better stuffed with cheese, isn't it? I dare you to suggest something that isn't.  Go ahead. Leave a comment.  Or better yet, do you have a suggestion for something to stuff with cheese? I'm totally game.

Bring it.

Pumpkin Snickerdoodles

I do believe that one of my favorite cookies would have to be the Snickerdoodle.  A slightly warm sugary, cinnamony, fluffy snickerdoodle.  Adding some pumpkin to the mix just makes me want to inhale the entire batch by myself.  I practically did.

It's a good thing one of us works with other people (hint - it's not me!) that I can send food in with, otherwise I would be Little Miss Plumper McPlumpyson eating pumpking snickerdoodles on the couch until my teeth fall out.  Really. I would. It's not even a slight exaggeration.  I sent in nearly the whole batch to work with Aaron, keeping just a couple at home so we could eat them the following day.  Keep in mind, at this point I've already 'sampled' plenty of dough and taste tested a couple of cookies as they came out of the oven.  By the time Aaron came home from work, there were no cookies to be found. No evidence I saved any to begin with either.  How convenient!

These are perfect holiday cookies, and you probably have all the ingredients on hand! My favorite type of recipe....although I would eat these all year.  I wouldn't mind having some right now either!

So, make these and let me know what you think!  Oh, and just to let you know, I like my snickerdoodles a little bit 'spicier' so I up the cinnamon and nutmeg quantities just a bit for this recipe.  The original recipe is posted below.

Pumpkin Snickerdoodles
Printable Recipe

Found at Annie's Eat's

For the cookies:

• 3¾ cups all-purpose flour
• 1½ tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp ground cinnamon
• ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• ½ cup light brown sugar
• ¾ cup pumpkin puree
• 1 large egg
• 2 tsp vanilla extract

For the coating:

• ½ cup granulated sugar
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• ½ tsp ground ginger
• Dash of allspice

1. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Whisk to blend and set aside. 
2.  In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat together the butter and sugars on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 2-3 minutes. 
3.  Blend in the pumpkin puree. Beat in the egg and vanilla until incorporated. With the mixer on low speed add in the dry ingredients and mix just until incorporated. Cover and chill the dough for at least 1 hour.
4. Preheat the oven to 350˚ F. Line baking sheets with silicone baking mats or parchment paper. Combine the sugar and spices for the coating in a bowl and mix to blend. 
5. Scoop the dough (about 2½ tablespoons) and roll into a ball. Coat the dough ball in the sugar-spice mixture and place on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining dough to fill the sheets, spacing the dough balls 2-3 inches apart. 
6.  Dip the bottom of a flat, heavy-bottomed drinking glass in water, then in the sugar-spice mixture, and use the bottom to flatten the dough balls slightly. Recoat the bottom of the glass in the sugar-spice mixture as needed.
7. Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes, or until just set and baked through. Let cool on the baking sheets about 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Repeat with the remaining dough. Store in an airtight container.

Sweet and Spicy Coleslaw

I love coleslaw, but I am very picky about it.  It can't be too bland, too mushy, too dry, too vinegary, too mayonaisey.  It's just one of those things that is good when it's good.  I don't remember ever having a spicy coleslaw, and when I saw it in one of the recent Food Network Magazines, I knew I needed to try it.

I ended up eyeballing the quantity of ingredients.  I usual do a decent job of figuring out how much to use, but as it's apparent from the photo, I used too much mustard. Whoops.  Nevertheless, it was still delicious and I will be making it again.  I kicked up the quantity of cayenne pepper just a bit, and I might even try this with chipotle at some point.  And just FYI, this is delicious on a hotdog!

So try this version next time.  Adjust pepper and cayenne to your preference.  And if your in a rush, feel free to use bagged coleslaw mix, I promise, it'll be okay.

Sweet and Spicy Coleslaw
Printable Recipe
By The Neelys

• 2 lbs green cabbage
• 4 carrots
• 1 medium yellow onion
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup mustard
• 2 tsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 tsp cayenne
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. Cut cabbage in quarters and remove core.Grate carrots, onions and cabbage (or use a food processor). Toss together.
2. In another medium bowl, prepare the coleslaw dressing by whisking together the mayonnaise, mustard, cider vinegar, sugar, black pepper, and cayenne. 
3. Toss dressing with the cabbage mixture, and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least 2 hours before serving.

Jalapeno Popper Mac and Cheese

Cheesy?

Check.

Creamy?  

Check.

Crunchy?  

Check.

Spicy?  

Check.

This might sound like a no brainer, but if you like macaroni and cheese and jalapeno poppers, then you'll absolutely LOVE this dish.  I could eat this every day, but it's probably a good thing I don't.

During dinner we forced ourselves to finally put the fork down and save some for leftovers.  It was so good we could have devoured it all at once, but we really, REALLY wanted some leftovers.  Don't tell, but I may have taken a fork full (or two or three) for breakfast the next morning.  I may have even washed the fork and put it away quickly to hide the evidence.  And I may have had to take that last bite just to even out the leftovers, so it didn't look like anything happened.

Yup, I'm that type of girl.  I'll also eat off your plate.  So there.

I may have laid in bed at night thinking about the leftovers.  So....you should probably go make this.  Dream about it.  Eat it all.  Repeat.

Jalapeno Popper Mac and Cheese
Printable Recipe
by Life's Ambrosia

• 1lb pasta
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter
• 2 jalapenos, diced
• 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup pepper jack cheese
• 4 oz. cream cheese softened
• 1/4 tsp seasoning salt
• 2/3 cup panko bread crumbs
• 2 tsp olive oil
• kosher salt

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook pasta for 6- 7 minutes or until tender but still has a bite to it. Drain.
3. Melt the butter in the same pot that you cooked the pasta in. Stir in jalapenos and cook just until softened, about 2 minutes. 
4. Whisk in flour. Cook 1 minute. Pour in milk. Stir in pepper jack and cream cheese. Cook until melted. Stir in 1/4 tsp of seasoning salt. Stir in pasta. Adjust with more seasoning salt if needed.
5. Pour macaroni and cheese into a casserole dish. Sprinkle with panko bread crumbs. Drizzle olive oil over the top. 
6. Bake for 15 minutes or until pasta is bubbly. Turn on the broiler and broil for 3 – 4 minutes or until panko bread crumbs have browned. Remove from oven, sprinkle lightly with salt. Serve hot.

Seafood Pot Pie

I'm a few weeks behind, but I celebrated my 28th birthday in October! Woo!  I love my birthday, and getting older doesn't scare me at all.  I don't feel old.  Well, except when I go yard sale-ing every weekend.  Or when I go to bed at 9pm.  Or when I see 'kids' born in the 90's buying booze and cigarettes.  Or when the expiration date on my new passport says 2021 (that's SOOO the future!).  Okay...maybe those times I feel a little old.  Oh wait! There was also the time at the gym the other day when someone thought that VH1's Pop-Up Video was a new thing!  WHHATTT!?  Oh Boy.

Please tell me you know about pop up video.  Like, pop up video from back in the day.  If you don't remember it, then please, stop reading this blog and go finish your homework.  It's past your bedtime anyways.

So....okay. Maybe sometimes I feel old. But I don't really feel old.  You know what I mean?  I don't think I act old.  I even get carded (most of the time).

For my birthdays, I use to want to go out to eat, but for the past few years I've just wanted to stay in and cook for myself.  It usually gives me an excuse to splurge on "special occasion" ingredients such as high quality meats, cheeses, and seafood.  This year I was planning on making myself a cake in addition to dinner, which I delayed until the weekend, and then we ended up going out and having a bunch of fun and I never got around to the cake.  That ended up being quite alright with us, because we ended up splurging on all sorts of other gluttonous things over the weekend.

A few weeks before my birthday, I spotted an Alaskan Cod Pot Pie online and knew that was going to be my birthday dinner.  Cod, creamy goodness, and golden flaky crust...what's not to love?!?  It's safe to say that we both enjoyed this dinner a lot.  I'm not sure what I was thinking by making the ENTIRE recipe, I mean, we love leftovers....but this was insane, and it wasn't one of those things I wanted to freeze.  So, we enjoyed this meal many times throughout the week.

Asides from suggesting to cut the recipe AT LEAST in half, I would also recommend using ramekins/mugs instead of one big dish.  Even though you'll let the pot pie sit to thicken, it will still be too thin to cut and scoop out of a big pan.  Plus, it's much more fun to have your own pot pie, and everyone will have the same amount of puff pastry topping!

Seafood Pot Pie
Printable Recipe
Adapted from Alaska Seafood (Jerry Traunfeld)

• 5 cups milk
• 1 tbsp kosher salt
• 2 lbs Cod, or other similar white fish, cut in 3" pieces
• 10 tbsp unsalted butter
• 1 can (2 ounces) anchovy fillets, drained 
• 2 large leeks (white and light green part only), cleaned and sliced
• 1 lb mushrooms, cleaned and sliced in wedges
• 1/2 cup plus 2 tbsp all purpose flour
• 3/4 tsp celery seed
• 1/2 tsp celery salt
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 2 medium-sized celery stalks, diced
• 1 piece frozen prepared puff pastry (8.5 ounces)
• Egg wash of 1 egg yolk and 1 tbsp water

1. Bring the milk and salt to a simmer in a large heavy-bottomed pot. Add the Cod and cook on medium-low heat, below the simmer, until the fish flakes easily, about 7 minutes. While the fish is poaching, scrape the bottom of the pot from time to time with a rubber spatula to be sure it does not scorch. Drain the fish in a colander, saving the milk.
2. Wash and dry the pot. Put it over medium heat and add the butter. When it melts, add the anchovies and mash them with the back of a spoon until they dissolve. 
3. Stir in the leeks and mushrooms and cook, stirring often, until the leeks are wilted and the mushrooms are cooked through, about 8 minutes.
4. Stir in the flour and continue to stir for a minute or two. Pour in the milk all at once and stir vigorously to dissolve the flour. Bring to a low boil, stirring constantly. 
5. Add the celery seed, celery salt, nutmeg, pepper, and celery , and cook, stirring very often, until the celery root is tender, about 12 minutes. 
6. Break the cod into large pieces and fold it in. Pour the filling into a large baking dish, at least 9" x 13" x 3", or divide between 8 ramekins or oven safe mugs. Leave at least 1" of space below the rim. If you have more filling than will fit, pour the remainder into a small dish/dishes and bake separately. Allow the filling to cool in the refrigerator.
7. Roll the pastry on a floured board into a rectangle about 1" larger than the dimensions of the top of the baking dish. Lay the pastry over the filling and press the 1" overhang into the sides of the dish. Brush with egg wash. Cut several slashes into the top of the pastry. Refrigerate until ready to bake.
8. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Place the pie on a baking sheet to catch any drips and bake for 20 - 25 minutes, or until the pastry is nicely browned all over. Allow the pie to rest for 10 -15 minutes before serving.