Cooking in Kansas

While working in Kentucky, I had little time to do anything other than work and sleep. I ate a lot of quick meals or ate something on the way to work.

Then on the drive to Kansas, it was a nice break to stop for a home-cooked meal when I filled up with gas. I use Yelp, Travelocity, and Google to find local restaurants instead of chains.

Now that I am in a house for a few months, I have been doing lots of cooking and trying out new recipes. I especially enjoy cooking in the winter. Soups and casseroles are two of my favorites. They are easy reheat and usually taste better the next day.

I am going to share some of the things I’ve made in the past weeks. You can click on the recipe name for the ingredients and instructions.

Creamy Tomato Soup

Hands down, I pick creamy tomato soap when given a choice. I get a lot of recipes in my inbox and save the ones that I want to try. I had all of the ingredients for this recipe from Food & Wine on hand. It was easy and deserves the 5 star reviews.

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Indoor Pulled Chicken

This recipe comes from Cook’s Illustrated and satisfied my craving for good BBQ. It is worth making the barbecue sauce from scratch. I don’t use liquid smoke and didn’t know what to expect, but it was the perfect amount of smokiness.

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Old Fashioned Easy Apple Crisp

My favorite apples are Granny Smith and Pink Lady. I love a crisp, tart apple and I used Granny Smith for this crisp. I prefer crisps over cobblers because I am a fan of the cinnamon crumb topping.

I used Quaker gluten-free oats and you cannot tell the difference from the original. I also peeled my apples because I don’t like the texture of cooked apple peel. Serve this with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and it is the perfect dessert on a cold winter night.

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Pesto Pizza

This is a recipe without an actual “recipe.” I don’t eat pizza often at restaurants because I find them to be way too salty. When I want pizza at home, this is my go-to pizza. You only need three ingredients from Trader Joe’s and you can customize your pizza to your liking.

Directions:

Leave the dough on the counter at room temperature for 15-20 minutes before you shape the dough. Flour your work surface and your hands because this dough is tacky. Place dough onto a lightly oiled pizza pan. Top the dough with the sauce, cheese and toppings of your choice. Bake at 425 for 6-8 minutes and dinner is ready.

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Sausage Balls

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Mexican Cornbread Casserole

This is a new recipe that I will be making again. It has all the makings of a great taco: seasoned ground beef, onions, peppers, salsa and cheese. The cornbread topping is moist and it has more cheese.

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Wacky Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

If you are snowed in and find yourself out of eggs and milk, you can still bake a cake. Baking soda and apple cider vinegar make this cake light and moist. Cream cheese frosting is one of my favorites and this one is divine. Be warned though, it is rich.

*I baked this in a 9×13 pan instead of an 8×8.

Hope you try and enjoy some of the good things I have here. If you have a recipe to share, please do so below. I am looking forward to hearing about what you’ve been cooking.