Toasted Slivered Almonds

When I made the Pesto with Toasted Almonds recently, I didn't have any whole almonds. So, instead, I toasted up some slivered almonds. It's really easy to burn these, so be careful and check on them often! Mine came out pretty well, though!

Ingredients:

Raw slivered almonds
Parchment paper

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Spread the almonds in a single layer on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.
3. Bake for five minutes.
4. Remove the cookie sheet and shake to mix the almonds. Return to the oven.
5. Check every couple of minutes to avoid overcooking. Remove almonds when they are barely darker than they were raw. Overall, the almonds should roast for 7-12 minutes.

These instructions are based on those found at http://vinegarlic.com/2011/06/27/how-to-toast-slivered-almonds-in-the-oven-temperature-how-long-time/. However, their instructions call for a cooking time that was far too long for my oven. Mine would have burned if I left them in for 10-15 minutes.

Mini Cheesecakes (Cheesecake Cupcakes)

These cheesecake cupcakes were awesome. Very dense, just the way I think cheesecake is best. I brought these to a friend's house, and she already had some homemade strawberry sauce from earlier in the week, so we just put that on top. Next time, I will definitely do some sort of fruit sauce again, because these were so perfect! There's a recipe for strawberry sauce in the link to the original recipe, but I can't speak to how good it is. Might try it sometime, but I'd also be curious to try these with a raspberry sauce!

Ingredients:

1 cup finely crushed graham crackers (from ~8-9 sheets)
1 1/2 Tbsp granulated sugar
4 Tbsp salted butter, melted
2 (8 oz) pkg cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup sour cream
1/4 cup heavy cream (or evaporated milk)
Strawberry Sauce

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a mixing bowl, mix crushed graham crackers with 1 1/2 Tbsp granulated sugar. Pour in melted butter and stir mixture until evenly mixed.
3. Divide this amongst 12 paper lined muffin cups. Press mixture with spoon to form an even layer.
4. Bake for 5 minutes. Remove from oven and cool while making the filling.
5. In a small mixing bowl, mix 3/4 cup granulated sugar and 1 1/2 Tbsp flour.
6. Put softened cream cheese in a separate mixing bowl and pour sugar/flour mixture over top. Blend mixture using an electric mixer on the lowest speed until smooth. You may need to knock down the beaters on your mixer a couple times.
7. Mix in eggs one at a time on low speed. Scrape sides down and mix until just combined after each addition.
8. Add vanilla, sour cream and heavy cream and mix just until just combined. Tap bowl against counter approximately 30 times; this will release some air bubbles.
9. Divide mixture into muffin cups, filling each until it is full. Bake in preheated oven 20 - 23 minutes. When they are done baking, their centers should still jiggle a little bit, but don't over-bake (they will crack if they’re almost over-baked).
10. Remove from oven and cool for 1 hour.  Store in an airtight container in refrigerator or freezer.
11. Just before serving, add the strawberry sauce to the top of the cheesecake. You can put the sauce on in advance, but it’s better if you wait until serving.

This recipe was adapted from "Cheesecake Cupcakes" at Cooking Classy (http://www.cookingclassy.com/2013/04/cheesecake-cupcakes/).

Bacon, Pesto, Tomato, and Mozzarella Grilled Cheese

This a truly amazing sandwich. Not too surprising though, since it's just bacon, mozzarella, pesto, and tomato grilled into one sandwich. Will definitely make this again when we have pesto on hand.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup pesto
4 slices sourdough bread
1 medium tomato, sliced thin
4 ounces mozzarella, sliced thin 8 slices (I used shredded, just because it was all I had on hand)
8 slices fried or baked bacon
2 Tbsp. butter

Directions:

1. Heat a large skillet over medium or medium-low heat (depending on how hot your stove is).
2. Spread pesto and butter over opposite sides of all 4 bread slices.
3. Top each sandwich with a portion of bacon, tomatoes, and cheese.
4. Carefully cap each sandwich and place on warm skillet.
5. Cook until bread is crisp and golden and cheese melts, about 5 minutes per side. Halve and serve.

This recipe was adapted from a similar recipe using ciabatta bread at Three Many Cooks (http://threemanycooks.com/recipes/meaty-mains/sisters-sandwich/).

Pesto with Toasted Almonds

We had a ton of basil from our garden recently, and I really wanted to make pesto. Unfortunately, we didn't have any pine nuts, but we did have slivered almonds. So, I toasted the almonds up and made this. Definitely different than pesto with pine nuts, but really awesome in its own way. I would definitely make this again!

Ingredients:

1/4 cup toasted almonds
3-4 cloves garlic
1 1/2 cups fresh basil leaves
1/2 cup olive oil
1/3 cup parmesan cheese
1 pinch ground nutmeg
salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. Add toasted almonds, garlic, basil, olive oil, parmesan cheese, nutmeg, salt and pepper to food processor and process until a desired consistency is achieved. You may want to scrape down the sides a few times.

This recipe was adapted from the recipe at Allrecipes (http://allrecipes.com/recipe/easy-pesto/detail.aspx).

Hot Spinach Artichoke Dip

Spinach dip is one of my favorites! I could eat this for a whole meal (and have on a few occasions). It's not particularly good for me, but it is so delicious. This recipe is particularly amazing, with a little bit of heat from hot canned jalapeños, and lots of creaminess to balance that.

Ingredients:

8oz cream cheese
16 oz light sour cream
1 stick unsalted butter
1½ – 2 cups shredded Parmesan cheese
14 oz quartered artichoke hearts, drained
4 oz can diced jalapeños, drained
10 oz frozen spinach (thawed and drained)
2-3 garlic cloves, minced

Directions:

1. In a pan over medium-low heat, melt to combine cream cheese, sour cream, butter and parmesan cheese. 
2. Stir frequently until all ingredients are melted and consistently mixed.
3. Stir in quartered artichoke hearts, drained can of jalapeños, drained spinach, and minced garlic cloves.
4. Serve warm with chips or toasted bread.

Recipe adapted from "Spinach and Artichoke Dip" from Natasha's Kitchen (http://natashaskitchen.com/2012/09/30/spinach-and-artichoke-dip-recipe/). 

Roasted Garlic

There are probably tons of instructions for making roasted garlic out there on the internet. However, for anyone who is curious, this is how I made the roasted garlic I used in Roasted Garlic Mac & Cheese.

Ingredients:

1 head of garlic
1 tablespoon olive oil
salt
1 stick unsalted butter (room temperature)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Slice about a third off the top end of the garlic head. Remove any loose paper from the head of garlic without breaking apart the cloves.
3. Place garlic on a large piece of aluminum foil and drizzle with the olive oil.
4. Bring the foil over the sides of the garlic and twist to seal it, but not too tight.
5. Place it in a oven-safe dish and roast in the oven for about 45 minutes, until garlic is very soft.
6. Wait until the garlic cools a bit, then squeeze the cloves out or use a fork.

Instructions for roasting garlic are based on There's always thyme to cook... (http://theresalwaysthyme.blogspot.com/2010/10/roasted-garlic.html). I raised the cooking temperature from 350 to 400 degrees F, though.
 

Sautéed Green Beans & Garlic

I'm always looking for creative ways to prepare vegetables that make them as delicious as possible. This recipe is great to use with fresh green beans, if you have them around. I don't know how well it would work with frozen or canned. 

Ingredients:

3 Tablespoons olive oil
1 lb. fresh green beans
4-5 cloves garlic, minced
salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. Chop off ends of green beans.
2. In a medium to large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat.
3. Add beans to skillet with a sprinkle of salt.
4. Cook beans until they start to have some color. 
5. When the color starts to substantially change, add garlic.
6. Cook 1-2 minutes longer, until garlic is aromatic.
7. Remove from heat and season with pepper and salt.

This recipe was adapted from instructions at Broke and Healthy (http://www.brokeandhealthy.com/sauteed-green-beans-garlic-62). This recipe didn't have exact ratios in it, so I tried to list close to what I used. 

Romaine, Blue Cheese, Avocado, and Almond Salad

We keep lettuce around the house a lot because it makes great food for our bunnies. However, it's also awesome to have around for the occasional salad. This salad was pretty awesome; though, next time I might have to make the dressing with fresh basil. It would probably be even better!

Ingredients:

½ head of romaine
2-4 ounces of blue cheese, crumbled
1 avocado
1/4 cup of slivered almonds
1 Tablespoon dried basil (or more, to taste)
6 T olive oil
3 T lemon juice
1 T champagne vinegar or apple cider vinegar
zest of a lemon
1/2 tsp salt
freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

1. Tear romaine into small pieces.
2. Place in a large bowl. Sprinkle blue cheese over the salad. 
3. Sprinkle almonds over salad.
4. Cut the avocado into small pieces and add to the salad. 
5. Wash the lemon, zest it and then juice it. 
6. Combine the dried basil, olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, vinegar, salt and pepper in a food processor and blend until smooth.
7. Add the dressing from the food processor to the salad and toss.

Recipe modified from "Romaine, Blue Cheese, Avocado and Almond Salad 
with Lemon Basil Vinaigrette" from Salt on the Table (http://www.saltonthetable.com/2012/02/romaine-blue-cheese-avocado-and-almond.html). This recipe uses fresh basil, so if you are thinking of doing that, you should check here for amounts.

Blue Cheese Guacamole

Awhile back, I bought blue cheese on whim. I like blue cheese a lot, and I felt like I was always seeing recipes with blue cheese on Pinterest. So, I figured I would have no problem using it up. Of course, I forgot about for awhile and didn't remember it until I was trying to decide on an appetizer to bring to a friend's house. I had a bunch of avocados at the time too, and settled on blue cheese guacamole!

I was a little skeptical, but it turned out pretty damn awesome and was a huge hit with everyone else. Will definitely make again!

Ingredients:

3 small avocados, sliced
juice of 1 lime
1/4 cup blue cheese, crumbled
1 jalapeno pepper, finely diced
1 roma tomato, diced
1/4 cup red onion, diced
1 tablespoon cilantro, chopped
1/2 teaspoon cumin
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients and mash with fork to desired consistency.


This recipe was based on "Blue Cheese Guacamole" from Closet Cooking (http://www.closetcooking.com/2011/08/blue-cheese-guacamole.html).

Roasted Garlic Macaroni & Cheese

I don't normally love baked mac & cheese; I find it often tastes a little dry. This stuff was perfect, though! With the roasted garlic, this was extra special.

Ingredients:

For topping:
1/2 stick unsalted butter
2 cups Panko bread crumbs
3 Tablespoons chopped fresh chives

For pasta and sauce:
1 head garlic, roasted (see instructions here).
1 pound uncooked pasta
1 stick unsalted butter
6 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
5 1/2 cups milk (2% or whole milk works best)
5 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon ground mustard powder
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Squeeze the roasted garlic cloves into a bowl. Using a fork, mash the cloves into a paste.
3. Cook the pasta until al dente and drain.
4. Butter a 13x9-inch glass baking dish.
5. In a large pot, melt 1 stick butter over medium-low heat. Stir in the flour and roasted garlic paste. Cook, stirring constantly, for 3 minutes until golden.
6. Add the milk in ½ cup batches, whisking constantly.
7. Bring the sauce to a boil, whisking often, then reduce it to a simmer and let it cook for 3 minutes.
8. Stir in the shredded cheddar cheese, Parmesan cheese, mustard powder, salt and pepper in small batches until well mixed.
9. Add the pasta to the pot with cheese sauce, and stir to combine.
10. Transfer the mixture to the buttered baking dish.
11. For topping, melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the breadcrumbs and chives and stir. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes until lightly toasted.
12. Sprinkle the reserved crumb topping onto the macaroni mixture.
13. Place baking dish on a sheet tray just in case it bubbles over while baking.
14. Bake the macaroni and cheese for 20 to 25 minutes until it's golden brown.

This recipe is based on the recipe from Just A Taste (http://www.justataste.com/2013/02/roasted-garlic-macaroni-and-cheese-recipe/). I made minimal changes to this recipe; it was just that good.

Mini Pizzas from Biscuit Dough

These mini pizzas are a great combination of fast, easy, and delicious! I usually make these with a quick homemade pizza sauce but jarred would work great too. Perfect meal for a night when there is no time for anything else.

Ingredients: 

8 Pillsbury Biscuits
2 cups pizza sauce
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
Desired pizza toppings

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line cookie sheet with parchment paper. 
2. Flatten biscuits onto cookie sheet.
3. Put pizza sauce onto the flattened biscuits and layer toppings on top of the sauce. 
4. Sprinkle shredded mozzarella over toppings.
5. Bake in preheated oven for 13 to 17 minutes.

This recipe was modified from "Mummy Mini Pizzas" from The Recipe Critic (http://therecipecritic.com/2013/10/mummy-mini-pizzas/). At first, I had a problem with the pizzas getting burnt on the bottom, so I reduced the cooking temperature and increased the cooking time.

Cinnamon Sugar Donut Mini Muffins

Donuts and donut holes are some of my favorite sweets, but I don't really want to deal with the whole frying process at home. These were great because they were baked, which made them quite easy to make. On top of that, they were absolutely delicious. 

Ingredients:

Muffins:

1/2 cup white sugar

1/4 cup butter, melted

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 cup milk

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 cup all-purpose flour

Cinnamon Sugar Coating:

1/4 cup butter, melted

1/2 cup white sugar

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Grease 24 mini-muffin cups.

2. Mix 1/2 cup sugar, 1/4 cup melted butter, and nutmeg in a large bowl. 

3. Add milk, stir to combine, and then mix in flour and baking powder until just combined. Do not over-mix.

4. Fill the mini muffin cups about half full.

5. Bake approximately 15-20 minutes, until the tops are lightly golden.

6. Melt 1/4 cup of melted butter in a bowl. 

7. In a separate bowl, mix 1/2 cup of sugar with 1 teaspoon of cinnamon. 

8. When muffins are done baking, dip each muffin in the melted butter, and roll in the cinnamon sugar. 

9. Allow to cool before serving.

This recipe was based on "Donut Muffins" from Allrecipes (http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Donut-Muffins/Detail.aspx?evt19=1). I thought this original recipe called for a bit too much nutmeg, so I changed it above to reflect what I think is a more reasonable amount.

Pizzeria-Style Pizza Sauce

I've tried several different recipes for homemade pizza sauce now, and none of them were truly amazing. Some were pretty awesome for how easy they were, but I wanted to find a recipe that was awesome when time was not a factor. This recipe definitely lived up to my expectations! It requires quite a lot of time to simmer, but it was definitely worth it.

Ingredients:

2 Tablespoons olive oil
2 Tablespoons butter
6-8 cloves of garlic, minced
1 Tablespoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 ½ teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 15 oz. can. of tomato sauce
1 15 oz. can petite diced tomatoes
1 6 oz. can tomato paste
½ cup fresh parmesan cheese, grated
4 teaspoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon lemon pepper seasoning
2/3 cup warm water
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Over medium heat, add the olive oil and butter to large pot and heat until butter is fully melted. 
2. Add the garlic, cook for 1 minute, constantly stirring. Add the onion powder, red pepper flakes, basil and oregano. 
3. Add tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, tomato paste, parmesan cheese, brown sugar, lemon pepper seasoning, and water. 
4. Stir to combine, blend with an immersion blender, and bring to a light boil. 
5. Turn down to low, season to taste and simmer for 1-2 hours for best flavor.

This recipe was modified from Oh, Sweet Basil (http://www.ohsweetbasil.com/2013/04/pizza-sauce.html). 

French Bread Pizza

My mom used to make French bread pizza for us a lot when my sister and I were kids. It was always one of my favorite meals! Even now, I love these so much, especially with homemade pizza sauce and French bread. These also make great leftovers for lunches!

Ingredients:

2 loaves of French Bread 
3-4 cups pizza sauce 
Preferred Pizza Toppings: Pepperoni, Sausage, Bacon, green peppers, onion, pineapple, mushrooms, olives, tomatoes, etc
4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions:

1. Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees. 
2. Cut the French bread in half length-wise, then in half once more.
3. Put the bread quarters on a cookie sheet open faced, spread pizza sauce on each side.  
4. Put on your favorite toppings, and top each half with cheese.  
5. Bake for 10-15 minutes till the cheese is melted and slightly browned.

French Bread

I love French bread for so many uses, from garlic bread to French bread pizzas. It's so cheap to make at home, that I figured I would try my hand at it. It came out so well! I would definitely make this again.

Ingredients:

6 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/2 (.25 ounce) packages active dry yeast
1 teaspoon sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 cups warm water (110 degrees F)
1 tablespoon cornmeal

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, combine 2 cups warm water, yeast, and sugar.
2. Add salt and 2 cups flour. Mix until well combined.
3. Add 3 cups of flour, 1 cup at a time. Mix using a wooden spoon. Stir in as much of the remaining flour as you can.
4. Sprinkle remaining ½-1 cup flour onto smooth surface. Transfer dough to surface and knead in enough flour to make a stiff dough that is smooth and elastic. Knead for about 8 to 10 minutes total. 
5. Shape into a ball. Place dough in a greased bowl, and turn over once. Cover, and let rise in a warm place until doubled.
6. Punch dough down, and divide in half. Transfer to a lightly floured surface. Cover, and let rest for 10 minutes. 
7. Roll each half into large rectangle. Roll up, starting from a long side. Moisten edge with water and seal. Taper ends.
8. Grease a large baking sheet. Sprinkle with cornmeal. Place loaves, seam side down, on the prepared baking sheet. Alternatively, you can place your loaves on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
9. Cover with a damp cloth. Let rise until nearly doubled, 35 to 40 minutes.
10. With a very sharp knife, make 4 or 5 diagonal cuts about 1/4 inch deep across top of each loaf. 
11. Bake in a preheated 425 degrees F oven for 25-35 minutes with baking dish of water on extra rack to keep oven humid. Cooking time may vary, so check bread often.
12. If necessary, cover loosely with foil to prevent over browning. Remove from baking sheet, and cool on a wire rack.

Modified from recipe at Allrecipes.com (http://allrecipes.com/recipe/french-bread/detail.aspx).

Asian Meatballs with Hoisin Garlic Sauce

I wasn't always much of a fan of Asian cuisine, but I am trying to branch out! This was a great recipe, extremely delicious, and relatively easy. We've made this a couple times now and it's good every time. I've always made this with ground beef, but it would be great with pork too!

Ingredients: 

Meatball Ingredients:
1 lbs. ground pork or ground beef
1 tsp. sesame oil
1/2 cup Panko or breadcrumbs
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1 egg
1 tsp. dried minced garlic
1/4 cup thinly-sliced green onions
optional garnish: toasted sesame seeds, sliced scallions

Sauce Ingredients:
1/3 cup hoisin garlic sauce
2 Tbsp. rice vinegar
1 tsp. dried minced garlic
2 Tbsp. soy sauce
1 tsp. sesame oil
1 tsp. ground ginger

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400.
2. In a medium-sized bowl, mix together meatball ingredients. 
3. Shape into 1-1.5” balls, and place on a greased baking sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until meatballs are golden on the outside and no longer pink on the inside.
4. To make sauce, whisk together all of the sauce ingredients until blended. 
5. Serve warm, and sprinkle with additional garnish if desired. Sauce can be used to dip meatballs individually or can be poured over meatballs. I usually serve my meatballs over a bed of lettuce and pour the sauce over the lettuce and meatballs. This is also good served with a side of rice.

This recipe was modified from "Saucy Asian Meatballs" from The Recipe Critic (http://therecipecritic.com/2012/10/saucy-asian-meatballs/).

Slow Cooker Pork Chili

Pork roasts are super cheap at the grocery store, so I always love to find delicious slow cooker recipes to use them. As with most other things I will post, this recipe is something I found online and modified based on what I had in my kitchen. This one definitely did not disappoint! 

Ingredients:

1 ½ to 2 pounds pork roast
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
2 cans (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes, undrained
2 cans (16 oz) chili beans, undrained
1 can (8 oz) tomato sauce
1/2 cup salsa
1 medium onion, chopped
1 small bell pepper, chopped
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 chipotle pepper in adobo, minced (optional)
2 teaspoons dried minced garlic
1 Tablespoon Taco Seasoning
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste

Directions:

1. In a large skillet, brown pork over medium heat. 
2. Place pork in slow cooker and add remaining ingredients. 
3. Cover and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours.
4. Serve with any of the following: cheese, avocado, sour cream, cornbread, rice.

Based on recipe "Crockpot Pork Chili" from about.com (http://southernfood.about.com/od/crockpotporkandham/r/bl105c17.htm).

Welcome to We Ate the Whole Enchilada

Welcome to my blog! I have always loved food. With this blog, I hope to be able to share some of my experiences with you as I try new recipes and improve on old ones.

As much as I've always loved good food, I have not always been great at cooking it. A few years ago, I decided that it was time to learn how to make so many of the foods I loved at home. I could scarcely have imagined how many things I would try in the following years, many with ingredients I never liked before.

One of the things I love most, though, is cooking for other people. As I have expanded my recipe book, many friends would ask where I came up ideas or where they could find recipes. From the beginning, I had a board on Pinterest called "Accomplished" and later "Accomplished- Food & Drinks" where I pinned all the recipes I had tried to any degree of success. This worked great for awhile; it kept me reasonably organized. But eventually this platform failed in terms of describing changes to recipes, any tips I had, etc. So, after some gentle encouragement, I decided to start this blog!

I really struggled with choosing a name; it felt so final. I finally settled on "We Ate the Whole Enchilada", though, for a few reasons. First, I love enchiladas, plain and simple. They are delicious. Second, I love cooking for friends, and there is no greater compliment to something I cook than to see people eat all the food or "the whole enchilada". 

I will be slowly adding many of the recipes I have already tried, as well as new ones I am trying on a weekly basis! Let me know if anyone has any questions, requests, etc. Thanks for stopping by!