Pad Patter: 2/20: Your Cooking Speciality?

[Angie4b1g]

Do you have one? Do you have that one dish that you can nail every time? One thing that your family requests over and over? The one thing you are REQUIRED to bring to every potluck?

Tell us what it is, and share the recipe if you can.

I'm most famous around town for my cupcakes. Carrot with Cream Cheese Icing and Chocolate Chip with Cookie Dough Icing are the 2 most popular. I can't spill the secrets for those.

My husband's favorite meal that I make I can share, though. Every time I make this he moans and oohs and ahhs.

Bowties with Sausage Cream Sauce

1 pkg bowtie pasta
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 lb sweet or hot (your choice) Italian sausage, casings removed and crumbled
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup diced onion
1 (28 oz) can Italian-style plum tomatoes, drained and coarsely chopped
1 1/2 cups heavy cream (I've also used half & half)
1/2 tsp salt
3 Tbsp minced fresh basil
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook pasta in boiling water for 8 to
10 minutes, or until al dente; drain and set aside. Heat oil in a large, skillet over medium heat.
Cook sausage and pepper flakes until sausage is evenly brown. Stir in onion and garlic, cook until onion is tender. Add tomatoes, half & half, and salt. Simmer until sauce thickens, about 10 minutes. Stir cooked pasta into sauce, and heat through. Sprinkle with basil and serve.

 

[mrs2a50]

I have an awesome cookie recipe that gets requested at work all the time, along with my banana bread. I also have a great Whiskey Crab soup that was always required at my husband's summer work picnic (required, not requested! LOL!). Other than that, I have a few staple chicken recipes John asks for all the time.

 

[karen perry]

i think i make a mean roast dinner,even if i do say myself,and when i have 4 empty plates at the end says it all for me

 

[mrsski07]

I'm required to bring buffalo chicken dip to every get together. Usually a double batch, and it doesn't last much beyond the first hour.

 

[staciahall]

I make a pineapple casserole at the holidays that everyone loves. Maybe because it's kind of unusual.

My normal weekly cooking is determine by the picky 18 yr old son that is my only dinner companion. He could eat pizza every night of the week...

 

[Lor]

I make a tasty Duncan Hines Confetti Cake!
You can find the recipe on the box or here: http://duncanhines.com/products/cakes/moist-deluxe-confetti-cake-mix

The only secret to my box cake is I replace the water with milk... apparently it adds something magical to the flavor of the cake!

 

[KarenC]

My specialties are all things can't eat any more...breads and cookies. I'm having to learn to cook all over again.

 

[Leah]

Apparently my lasagne is a must-have, along with my meatloaf.

 

[4noisyboys]

I need the recipes to these girls!!!!! LOL

One that all (but one) of my boys devour, all their friends come over for, and the one that I have to bring to every potluck is Chinese Chicken Slaw. I double the recipe and use rotisserie chicken from Costco. My oldest lives in Texas and he finally had to learn to make it because he couldn't wait between visits to have it. He now brings it to all his parties at work and with friends.

Chinese Chicken Slaw

1 boneless chicken breast cooked and shredded
1 pound shredded cabbage (about 1/2 of a large packed head)
4 green onions
2 oz slivered almonds
2 T sesame seeds
1 package chicken ramen noodles (save the flavored packet for dressing)

Toast almonds and sesame seeds under broiler. Cool.
Chop onions and mix with cabbage and chicken. Add noodles, almonds and sesame seeds. Add dressing 1/2 hour before serving.

Dressing:
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 T sugar
1/2 tsp salt ( I don’t use this)
3 T red wine vinegar
1/2 tsp pepper
1 pkg chicken flavor from noodles

and this recipe is from Tali. She's an amazing cook and makes things that my boys just love. This is their favorite and now it's requested at their birthdays and even for Christmas Eve dinner this year. I know...not what I had planned either, but I let them choose!

Buffalo Chicken Sandwiches


1/2 c. hot wing sauce (we use Frank's)
1/2 c. chicken broth
2 tbps. butter
1 rotisserie chicken (2-3 lbs)
1/2 c. celery, minced (I don't use this)
1/2 c. blue cheese, crumbled
1/2 c. mayo
Juice of 1/2 a lemon
4 French rolls, split (I butter and toast the rolls before serving)

Bring hot sauce, broth and butter to a boil. Reduce heat to low and keep warm for serving.

Remove meat from chicken and set aside.

Combine celery, blue cheese, mayo and lemon juice in a small bowl.

Spread each half of the rolls with some of the blue cheese mixture. Place lettuce on bottom half of roll (optional, I don't use it), top with some chicken and season with pepper. Cover each with a top portion of the roll and serve with warmed wing sauce for dipping.

 

[rmcabana]

I'm mostly known as a baker! I get requests for my cheesecake and cupcakes. My friends call them Cabana Cakes LOL! I also get complaints if I don't make my apricot almond oatmeal cookies at Christmas.

I don't really have a signature dish. When it comes to family gatherings, I'm known for trying new recipes that will appease our multitudes of picky eaters. My biggest hit was an enchilada casserole.

 

[crystalbella77]

oh hmmm....well my FIL likes my enchiladas and my cheese ball. Honestly no idea what my specialty is hahaha

 

[LeeAndra]

First of all, I don't allow DH or the kids to request anything. You get what you get, and you don't throw a fit! I will take what they like into consideration when I meal plan and go shopping, but otherwise, I'm Queen of the Kitchen, thankyouverymuch.

Secondly, all the family get togethers on my family's side are 2.5 hours away, so the $60+ I spend in gas is my contribution to the meal. All the G2G on DH's side are close by, but MIL would prefer to make the meal herself, so I usually bring a GF dessert.

 

[MelissaL88]

My kids tell all their friends about my "world famous" waffles. I have to make them almost every weekend, whether there are friends spending the night or not! :LOL

Mel's famous waffles (or pancakes)
Dry ingredients:
2 cups whole wheat flour (you could use AP flour, but we like the whole wheat better)
4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp cinnamon
5 pkgs Splenda (you could substitute real sugar...about 1 tbsp)

Wet ingredients:
3 eggs
2 cups milk (I use whole milk)
1/2 stick butter, melted (use butter, not margarine)
1-ish tsp vanilla (I just eyeball it)

In mixing bowl, combine dry ingredients. Gently stir together to combine (I just use the whisk attachment of my mixer).

Melt butter in microwave. I start with 30 seconds, then do it in 10 second intervals until it's melted.
While butter is melting in microwave, combine eggs, 1 1/2 cups of milk and vanilla in bowl. After butter has melted and slightly cooled, stir in 1/2 cup milk to temper the butter (so you don't end up with scrambled eggs). Pour butter/milk into eggs and whisk to combine.

Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients. Mix together (I start on stil on my Kitchen Aid, then gradually take it up to 4) until combined. Let it rest for about 5 minutes before cooking (this is to allow the baking powder to activate).

I've added all sorts of things to the mix to make it interesting. Family favorites are mini chocolate chips (works great in both waffle iron and as pancakes) and blueberries (works better as a pancake).

 

[Angie4b1g]

First of all, I don't allow DH or the kids to request anything. You get what you get, and you don't throw a fit! I will take what they like into consideration when I meal plan and go shopping, but otherwise, I'm Queen of the Kitchen, thankyouverymuch.

Secondly, all the family get togethers on my family's side are 2.5 hours away, so the $60+ I spend in gas is my contribution to the meal. All the G2G on DH's side are close by, but MIL would prefer to make the meal herself, so I usually bring a GF dessert.

Well aren't you just full of sunshine and light?

 

[Kat]

I can barely make toast.

 

[LeeAndra]

I know, right, Angie?!

Just today, I was out with DD on errands until 1:30 pm, and he called me on the way home to ask what my 'plan' was for lunch. I was like, 'Uh, my plan was that you would be able to tell time and feed yourself and your son some food from the cabinets or fridge when you got hungry since I was not at home.' He didn't really like that answer.

 

[melrio]

Okay....we soooo need a TLP CookBook! Think of all the yumminess!

My specialty is Mexican Tacos! It's really my MILs recipe but wherever we go, everyone wants me to make them. It'd take me forever to write up the recipe but Dang! They're good! I also cook Stuffed Jalepenos and Green Chili Burritos so everyone who eats is stuffed when they walk away!

 

[Angie4b1g]

Okay....we soooo need a TLP CookBook! Think of all the yumminess!

Back in the day, my "Pregnant Due November 1996" group put together a cookbook, and then another. They are my most loved and used cookbooks (and I collect cookbooks, so that's saying a lot).

 

[Karah]

Mmmm. Foooood....

I'm actually a pretty darn good cook/baker if I do say so myself. Sometimes I'll ask dh what he wants for dinner and he'll say "something good" to which I always respond "everything I make is good." HAHAHA.

My family's favorite meal is my tacos (really simple/average, but they just love them. yawn.). Both sides of the family always request my home-made rolls for every holiday get-together.

My favorite things to make, though, are appetizers and desserts. Mmmm.

 

[Angie4b1g]

Me, too, Karah. And bread. If I could just make those 3 things forever, I wouldn't complain about cooking.