Monday Menus
How to make last minute food for a picky family
Unlike most people's families, my family and I are super spontaneous and love to surprise each other, whether that be with visits or gifts. I suppose you could imagine my semi-surprise when my family decided to spring a family meeting for tonight.
At first, I was like- wait, what? What am I going to throw together? Fortunately, my mom had made meatloaf earlier and all I had to do was make some sides and dessert. Still, when you're a full-time college student and business owner, not having any warning in advance can be a little stressful. The recipes I'm about to share with you are going to keep you from high-key stress and allow you to truly enjoy your loved ones and get out of the kitchen.
Naturally, mashed potatoes and something green are the best two sides to accompany meatloaf. All I can say is thank God for Food Network and Kroger.
I love doing re-takes and being unique when it comes to recipes, so I started thinking about what I could do to revamp plain, ole mashed potatoes. Finally, I decided on roasted rosemary mashed potatoes. I found a recipe for roasted potatoes that on Food Network that sounded so amazing that I just had to try.
Then, I started focusing on something sweet. What could I make that was sweet, cheap, and serve several people? When I was shopping, I spotted a sale on fresh pineapple and decided I just had to have something superfresh on my table. That turned into one of my famous concoctions that won't be listed in any magazine. Stay tuned to get my recipe!
How to make my version of ROASTED ROSEMARY MASHED POTATOES:
Feeds four people (with leftovers)
3 pounds of potatoes (any kind)
1 cup of milk
Half a brick of cream cheese
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup of olive oil
Garlic powder or minced garlic
6 large twigs of rosemary
First, be sure to scrub your potatoes and rinse your rosemary. After you've washed them, dry them well and place them on a towel. Then, grab your favorite cutting board and chopping knife and start to quarter them.
*If you cut them all the same size, it'll make it easier in the end to mash them and they'll all cook evenly. Place all of the cut potatoes on a sheet pan and drizzle them with olive oil, salt and pepper, and garlic powder (or minced garlic).
Sprinkle rosemary leaves and twigs evenly over the potatoes. Then, take some tongs and toss them to mix them evenly.
After that, put them in a 400 degree oven for about an hour. When you take them out, let them cool for 5-10 minutes before transferring them to a deep pot
.
Be sure to mash them before adding milk (my shirt, kitchen, and I learned this the hard way tonight). This can be with a masher or with just a whisk! When they come out they should be super soft and smash easily. Then, add milk as needed and cream cheese.
These are awesome because you don't have to add any more seasoning to them because you did it earlier, so you're eating faster! I love that aspect of these. When I served them, I added a rosemary twig for garnish after washing it.
How to make a quick and easy dessert for $5 or less:
Feeds four people
1 large pineapple
1 cup brown sugar (as needed)
1/2 bag of sweetened coconut flakes (as needed)
1/2 cup of milk
1 carton of vanilla bean ice cream
This dessert doesn't actually have a name, but we could totally call it Island Time dessert. It has pineapple, coconut, and lots of brown sugar, served with ice cream. You can also splash in some rum to turn it into a pina coloda type dish!
First, start by cutting the top off a pineapple. Then, cut the skin off the sides. Be sure to save these because that's what you'll be cooking and serving them on!
When I was prepping the pineapple, I took the skins and put them on a sheet pan to be ready to hold the pineapple and just be out of the way. When you're finished, cut the pineapple down the middle and then halve the two pieces, totaling with four large chunks. Then, place them on the pineapple skins.
Grab your coconut and brown sugar and mix equal parts in a bowl. You can always make more later if you don't have enough, but I had too much tonight and I used it for a sauce. Sprinkle as much as you like of the sugar and coconut mixture over the pineapple pieces and save your excess. It'll be a nice treat later!
Then, take your sheet pan and put it in the oven on 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes or until the coconut is toasted and the brown sugar is melted. While this magic is happening in the oven, pour the rest of the mixture into a sauce pan and after it begins to sizzle, add 1/2 cup of milk.
Stir frequently and keep warm until serving time. After your pineapple pieces are finished broiling, serve them in bowls or curved plates with firm ice cream, pouring the sauce over the entire dessert or ice cream.
To watch these recipes come to life, be sure to check out the highlights in my bio on Instagram!
Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoy these delicious recipes with your fam bam and make life-long memories around the table.
XOXO, MCK
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