Garlic Butter Venison Chops with Roasted Butternut Squash

Though butter is usually seen as unhealthy, butter is great at bringing flavor, and oil is important for a healthy diet. I roasted my squash plain and served them as they came out with just a spoon to remove the cooked flesh inside. The chops and pasta were easy to make and were ready with less than 20 minutes of active cooking. In the recipe below, you’ll see I used pre-minced garlic stored in oil. It is important to note that with the quantity given. Garlic stored in oil still has a garlic flavor but it is much weaker than fresh garlic. If you use fresh garlic, 1/2 a clove will be more than enough to get the garlic flavor without scaring off anyone who may have to be around you! I cooked 4 venison chops with this recipe, so there were 4 servings. If you would want to cook 6-8 servings, adjust the recipe accordingly.

Garlic Butter Venison Chops with Roasted Butternut Squash Recipe Card Download

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What You’ll Need

1 Butternut squash, Quartered and Cleaned
12 oz Egg Noodles
4 Venison Chops
4 Tbsp Butter
2 Tbsp Minced Garlic in Oil, or 1/2 garlic clove, minced
Baking Sheet
Large Frying Pan
Medium Sauce Pan
Colander

Directions

Heat oven to 400 F. Score the underside of the squash and place skin side down on a baking sheet. Add salt, honey, or brown sugar as desired. Baked for 60 minutes total.

2. With about 20 minutes left of cooking, fill saucepan 3/4 full with water and place over medium heat. Place the frying pan over medium heat and let heat.

3. With 10 minutes left, add the egg noodles. Stir and cook according to package, about 6-8 minutes. Add about 2 Tbsp oil to the frying pan, then add the chops. Cook 4 minutes on the first side, then flip. After you flip, add the butter until it is mostly melted, then add the garlic. Stir often and continue to cook until the garlic turns golden, or another 4 minutes has passed. Serve Chops and butter over the noodles.

February 22, 2021 0

Baked Pork Chops with Sauerkraut and Smashed Acorn Squash

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Pork chops and sauerkraut is a very popular dish in my region, so most people grow up with it and are able to make it. The smashed squash is something I just came up with by taking inspiration from mashed potatoes while also having many winter squash that are getting very close to over ripe. This meal is easy to make and just needs a little work to make a filling dish! This recipe makes 3 adult sized servings.

Baked Pork Chops with Sauerkraut and Smashed Acorn Squash Recipe Card Download

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What You Will Need

2 Bone-in Pork Chops, about 1 inch thick
Sauerkraut
1 Acorn Squash, Halved and Cored
2 Potatoes, Peeled and Cubed
Aluminum Foil
2 Casserole Dishes

Directions

1. Heat oven to 400 F. Line both casserole dishes with aluminum foil. Spray one pan with non-stick spray, and place squash and potatoes in that dish. Add to oven. Place Pork Chops on second pan, and add to oven 10 minutes after squash. Bake pork chops for 25 minutes.

2. Heat oven to 400 F. Line both casserole dishes with aluminum foil. Spray one pan with non-stick spray, and place squash and potatoes in that dish. Add to oven. Place Pork Chops on second pan, and add to oven 10 minutes after squash. Bake pork chops for 25 minutes.

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February 4, 2021 0

Smash Burgers with Quick Fondant Potatoes and Acorn Squash

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Smash burgers are a classic form of burger that doesn’t need any altering. You simply form balls, place them onto a hot skillet or flat top, smash them thin with your spatula, then season with salt and pepper and cook one minute per side. These burgers are always delicious and are super easy to make. You can also make a lot with only a little bit of meat, which is another huge plus! Beyond that, I also made fondant potatoes and squash to go with these burgers. Fondant potatoes usually take a while to make since you cut your potatoes into large patties then cook them covered for almost an hour. This recipe makes it all so much easier, and adds a different flavor and texture with added squash. The savory broth adds amazing flavor to these potatoes and makes fondant potatoes one of my very favorite forms of potatoes. We also served this meal with a side of sliced dill pickles, and they were delicious! This recipe makes 8 burgers, which is 8 adult servings, and 5 servings of the fondant potato and squash side.

Smash Burgers with Quick Fondant Potatoes and Acorn Squash Recipe Card Download

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What You Will Need

4 Potatoes, Peeled and Roughly Cubed
1/2 Acorn Squash, Cored, Peeled, and Cubed
2 Tbsp Oil
1 1/2 Cup Chicken Broth
1 1/2 Lb Burger
2 Tbsp A1
Medium Mixing Bowl
Salt and Pepper
Sliced Onion, Ketchup, Mustard, and A1 to Serve
8 Burger Buns
2 Large Frying Pans

Directions

1. Place potatoes and squash in one frying pan. Add oil and place over medium heat. Cook for 10 minutes stirring regularly. Begin heating second frying pan over medium heat.

2. Mix together Burger and A1 in a medium bowl. Form into 8 equal sized patties. Add broth to potatoes and squash, and boil until most/all liquid is gone.

3. Begin by adding 2 balls of meat into second pan, and smash into a very thin patty. Add salt and pepper and cook for 1 minute, then flip. Salt and pepper the second side, cook for another minute, then remove patties from heat and place on serving plate. Repeat for remaining burgers.

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February 2, 2021 0

Ratatouille with Ravioli

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This is a simple dish that is very taste. Ratatouille is a classic French poverty dish, that though it is made without meat, is very filling. The mix this recipe up, you can easily add ravioli or tortellini to add additional protein and to stretch the meal even a little bit further. There are a few things to note with this recipe and preparing it. First, you can easily use frozen veggies in place of fresh. I sliced and froze several squash and zucchini this fall and they warmed up fantastically. Since the veggies need to be soft anyway, it’s even a better way to save time! I also didn’t blanche them before freezing and there was no freezer taste. Finally, and most importantly, you will want to make sure you buy a good ravioli or tortellini that you like. This may be a given, but if you don’t usually buy these, make sure you try half the large bag with a different dish first to see that it’s a good quality and flavor. That’s all, and good luck cooking! This recipe makes 6 adult sized servings.

Ratatouille with Ravioli Recipe Card Download

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What You Will Need

1 Cup Sliced Yellow Squash
1 1/2 Cup Sliced Zucchini
1 Quart Diced Tomatoes, or 28 Oz
1/2 Diced Onion
1 Garlic Clove, Minced
1 Tbsp Basil
1 Tbsp Rosemary
1 Tbsp Thyme
8 Oz Bag of Frozen Ravioli
Dutch Oven

Directions

1. Heat dutch oven over medium heat. Add everything except the ravioli. Heat until tomatoes start to fall apart and everything is tender.

2. Add ravioli, and cook covered for time directed on package. Remove from heat, plate and serve.

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January 26, 2021 0

Christmas Dinner 2020

Christmas is one of my favorite holidays. I really enjoy getting gifts for others, and I enjoy Christmas dinner. Ham is one of my favorite foods and so I always make a ham for Christmas and Easter. My Easter dinner also looks identical to my Christmas dinner. Since it’s been a weird year, I will be celebrating Christmas with my husband’s nuclear family, and won’t be able to make my standard dinner on Christmas afternoon. So, I decided to make my Christmas dinner last night!

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I always make the same things for holidays. For Christmas I always make a cooked ham, mashed potatoes and gravy, sweet potato casserole, a canned veggie, crescent rolls, and the star of the meal is always deviled eggs. Many of these foods are standard. I enjoy my ham with a brown sugar glaze and some pineapple on top (even if it does nothing for the flavor). Mashed potatoes are standard, and my gravy I made from this year’s turkey stock, and just added 3 Tbsp corn starch to thicken. Sweet potato casserole is just opening a can and a bag of marshmallows at this point. And finally, the original part of the meal is deviled eggs. I find eggs to go so good with ham, and deviled eggs are a tasty treat anyway! Mayo, mustard, and egg make a tasty appetizer and side! To cook this dinner, it only took 1.5 hours. My ham was cooked, so I just had to reheat. I then peeled and diced the potatoes, and started them boiling 40 minutes before the ham was done. I heated the gravy on the stove and once thick, would pull it off the heat when it’d boil, and I also started boiling a can of sliced carrots about 20 minutes from serving. I placed my crescents on a baking sheet and started them 14 minutes from completion, and I baked the sweet potato casserole with 7 minutes left. With about 5 minutes left I strained the potatoes and finished them with just enough time for everything else to finish.

I hope this give you some ideas and instruction for your Christmas dinner! Merry Christmas!

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