Cooking Classy

You are looking at a must try comfort food meal. I was never a fan of chicken pot pie until a friend so kindly brought me this dish after I had my baby a few years ago. I'm fully in love with it! Rather then getting a surrounding of heavy pie crust you get a fluffy biscuit topping that will quickly have you loading your plate with a second round. In my opinion the topping is what makes this dish. It sets it apart from it's competitors, being loaded with Parmesan cheese, plenty of heavy cream, some black pepper and cayenne pepper for a slight kick, and I also added a little garlic powder (because how can I resist?). Then to finish, it's browned in the oven to beautifully golden perfection.  And the wonder doesn't just end at the topping. That is just the beginning. It's loaded with fresh, sauteed veggies, fall apart tender chicken which is all tossed in a creamy white sauce. This hearty dish would also be incredible made with leftover turkey from your upcoming Thanks

All the deliciousness of a cannoli without the frying mess!? Yes indeed. These cupcakes are complete and utter bliss! I have a total weakness for cannolis so I was so excited to see they come in cupcake form. I love all things pastry and all things cupcake and these are the best of both worlds combined into one decadent, out of this world dessert. These are deliciously indulgent and perfectly dainty. They are fancy enough that I felt it was an occasion worth getting out my Grandmother's fine china set, sipping milk out of a tea cup and gently using a fork as if I were a Queen. That is until after one bite, I quickly forgot that fancy mannered moment and rather wanted to drop my fork and shove the entire cupcake in mouth and devour all of it in it's entirety without leaving a smidgen of a crumb behind. And then steal everyone else's. Yes just that good. These are one of the best cupcakes I've ever had and they will definitely be going on my list of favorite cupcakes that

Mmmmm doughnuts. Who doesn't love them? I love that this version comes in muffin form and tastes just like cake doughnuts without being fried! Therefore they are easier, healthier, with less frying mess to clean up and they taste just as good as the real thing. I saw this recipe over on Fine Cooking  and knew I had to try it. After reading through the reviews I made a few adaptations of my own to add flavor, increase muffin height, slightly change texture and opted to go for a doughnut glaze rather than a buttered cinnamon sugar coating.  Now the only problem I have is that I want to eat them for breakfast, brunch, lunch, linner and dinner. I'm excited to try other variations of this muffin in the future (like orange cranberry, lemon poppy seed, dulce de leche, blueberry or jam filled, chocolate or pumpkin). Endless and delightfully delicious possibilities. Enjoy! Glazed Doughnut Muffins Yields 1 dozen Ingredients: 3 cups all-purpose flour 2 1/2 tsp baking powder 1/4 tsp baking

Aww, just look at all the gooey, soon to be stretched and strung (upon my no longer empty fork) cheese and dream of what could be yours =)! Italian comfort food at its finest. The saying third times a charm, it's true. Yes this is my third attempt at creating what I'd envisioned, and at last a beautifully delicious success.  The first time I tried Chicken Caprese lasagna roll ups - strange texture and not my favorite flavor, the second time around I omitted the chicken and made them using fresh Mozzarella - far to soupy and (I was expecting some liquid but I'm telling you half the baking dish was filled with the liquid from the fresh Mozza). The texture of the fresh Mozzarella seemed a little gummy when it melted too. So, the third time I went with a more traditional cheese feeling with the average low-moisture part skim Mozzarella cheese and lots of it, a bit of Parmesan for flavor and a little Ricotta for texture and glueage (I know that's not a word, but I say it sho

Who doesn't love a quick and simple meal that wows? This Pasta with Browned Butter and Mizithra cheese can be made in 15 minutes, yes 15 minutes, and its a recipe you are going to want to keep for life.  In my opinion one of the best entrees you can get at the Old Spaghetti Factory is their Spaghetti with Mizithra and Browned Butter. It is simply amazing! But, why go there and spend $11 for one when you can feed a family of 4 the same meal for less than that at home? It's funny to me posting such a simple recipe because it's so simple you don't need a recipe for it, this is more sharing the idea if you haven't yet tried it.  Another great thing about this meal is that it pleases everyone, from the gourmet sleuth to your pickiest eater. No one can deny the delicious flavors of this pasta. And "Mizithra," isn't it just fun to say? You can serve this garnished with chopped fresh parsley like they do at The Old Spaghetti Factory but I really don't thin

If you ask me, made from scratch Mexican food is just about as good as it gets. I've mentioned before that Mexican and Italian food are my two favorite kinds of food. One thing I love about each of them (other than the number one reason - the incredibly delicious flavors) is their use of so many fresh ingredients and how a lot of it is made from scratch. I've been to Mexico just a few times and one of my favorite things there was always the fresh tortillas. I loved stopping by the market to get a bag filled with a large stack of fresh flour tortillas from the bakery (I loved the fresh churros they have too, mmmm). I could probably eat that whole stack in one sitting. These may seem like one of those things that's not worth the time and effort but I'm telling you, it is! I just don't like the flour tortillas from the store that are pre-made and loaded with preservatives, they just taste weird to me. Once you've had fresh tortillas, you know what I mean when I say

I know I know, you're thinking Christmas already!? Well, these aren't just a Christmas treat. Yes they do make a wonderful and festive Christmas treat but to me these are the best upgrade hot cocoa has ever been given, and hot cocoa isn't just for Christmas.  Words nearly cannot express the complete and utter bliss I experienced when dipping one of these chocolate and peppermint candy coated homemade peppermint marshmallows into a cup of hot cocoa. And I used to think dunking Twix candy bars in hot cocoa was good. It's like winter S'mores somehow. As you dunk and swirl the marshmallow the chocolate coating becomes warm and turns to the most incredible melt-y goodness, and the peppermint candy softens a bit while it's flavors prepare you for the dreaminess ahead, then the best part - the marshmallow will melt and puff a little as it becomes creamy and inexplicable delicious. Heaven on a stick. I want the whole batch of chocolate covered homemade marshmallows to m

So I woke up bright and early today to create what I thought was a genius idea, a light broccoli cheese soup. Well, lets just say it failed epicly because broccoli cheese soup is just not meant to be light. It's not the same without some butter, lots of cheese and a little cream. It lacked far too much, so I tossed it down the sink and began again - the right way. With all the goodness it's intended to have. Sometimes it's worth the calories! I went with a larger portion milk to a lesser portion of cream, so it's better for you than a mostly cream or half and half version at least =). I threw in one of my favorite herbs, a bit of thyme (I tossed a bit into my gravy yesterday too it compliments a lot of foods). Then, I couldn't stick with just one type of cheese so I had to add in some Parmesan. I may call it the secret of the soup. You could even up it to 2 oz of Parmesan if you want a slightly more pronounced flavor. It really gives the soup a perfect little kick

So maybe I'm a pumpkin addict. What a strange thing to be addicted to =). I love it! Hate it plain but love it in baked goods. Is there anyone out there that eats it plain by the spoonful? Ugh. Horrifying. That would be like eating canned beets! No no, not that bad. There's nothing worse than canned beets. I tasted a bit of plain pumpkin puree when I was making these and it tasted like a spoonful of mushy, far too healthy to be good for you, baby food. Maybe if you were to jazz it up with some sort of spices and lots of butter than maybe, just maybe. Add a little sugar in there and I'll eat it for sure. Not sure why I'm talking about that... so, onto the cookies! I love love LOVE Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies. I don't know how you could not love the sweet, delicious little pillows of baked pumpkin-y goodness.  I found this recipe over at allrecipes.com. I created my own adaptation, because really how do I stick to a recipe? I love to put my own spin on things. I us

What is one out of the ordinary thing you should add as a new highlight to the Thanksgiving feast this year? Something that probably wouldn't have come to mind, whipped specialty butters to go along with those fresh out of the oven, homemade rolls. These butters are amazing! I was at my mother-in-laws a few days ago and she had fresh bread and some whipped cinnamon honey butter she'd bought at the store. I knew it would be a breeze to recreate after reading the ingredients list on the packaging label, so I came home and made it. In my opinion the homemade version may just be a bit better because it's freshly made, but other than that they taste exactly the same.  I also decided to create a few other versions as well because why stop at just one flavor? There are many more I wanted to make but didn't have the time. Here's a few I had in mind: orange honey butter with orange extract and fresh orange zest, salted caramel butter with caramel sauce (rather than honey) an

Is there anything like a fresh, hot out of the oven, homemade dinner roll? Dinner rolls are a classic that will never fade. These dinner rolls are dangerously good! How could something with so few simple ingredients be so delicious? I will tell you how: lots of butter, whole milk and a little patience. While creating this recipe, I was looking to achieve a tender, pillow-y soft texture, along with a light sweetness that wasn't overpowering (if I wanted a roll that was super sweet I'd just have cake), with just the right amount of moisture and fats - hence the use of whole milk along with the butter. I prefer a larger ratio of milk than water because water has zero flavor so why let it waste good space in the roll?  I love making fresh breads and rolls, because I let my KitchenAid mixer do all the work =). The hardest part is that "little patience" I mentioned before, the rising time. I wish they'd just go POOF! in a number of seconds and be beautifully risen. If o