Friday Recipes

It's finally Friday. Yay! Here are six yummy recipes to help you through the weekend, including Goulash and Twice Baked Potatoes. Enjoy!

HAWAIIAN MACARONI SALAD

This yummy macaroni salad is from Christin Mahrlig on her very cool site, Spicy Southern Kitchen. If you’ve never heard of her site (or you have, but never checked it out), I suggest you check it out ASAP. Go ahead, I’ll wait…(Tap, tap, tap…).

Anyway, the recipe begins, “Hawaiian Macaroni Salad is so fabulously creamy and simple. This mayonnaise-based pasta salad makes a wonderful side for summer bbqs and picnics.”

Prep Time: 10 mins; Cook Time: 10 mins; Total Time: 20 mins; Servings: 10

To view this online, go to https://spicysouthernkitchen.com/hawaiian-macaroni-salad/.

Ingredients

16 ounces elbow pasta

1/4 cup grated onion

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

2 cups mayonnaise

1/2 cup whole milk

1 tablespoon sugar

2 shredded carrots

salt and pepper

Instructions

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add 1 tablespoons kosher salt. Cook pasta according to package directions.

Place onion in a large bowl. When pasta is done, drain it well and add it to the bowl. Add garlic powder and apple cider vinegar and stir. Let sit 10 minutes.

In a medium bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, milk, and sugar.

Set aside about 1/2 a cup and add the rest to the macaroni along with carrots. Stir to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Cover and refrigerate both the bowl of macaroni salad and the reserved 1/2 a cup of mayonnaise mixture. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving. Stir in the reserved mayonnaise mixture just before serving.

Recipe Notes

Be sure not to overcook your pasta or it will have a mushy texture.

If you to dress it up some, add diced ham or chopped pineapple.

GOULASH

This is from Lidey Heuck in The New York Times cooking enewsletter. For this yummy recipe, Lidey wrote, "Hungarian goulash, a stew of paprika-spiced braised meat and vegetables, likely arrived in the United States with a wave of immigrants in the late 1800s. The dish began a game of telephone, slowly evolving into something new entirely. While American-style goulash may not bear much resemblance to its Hungarian namesake, the hearty one-pot dish has endured as an easy and comforting family weeknight dinner. Made with ground beef, bell peppers, diced tomatoes and macaroni, it falls somewhere between a beef chili and a meaty pasta. A sprinkle of Cheddar, stirred in just before serving, thickens the sauce and adds richness. Serve the goulash on its own or with a green vegetable and cornbread on the side."

Time: 50 minutes; Yield: 4 to 6 servings

To view this online, go to .

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 green or red bell pepper, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

1 large yellow onion, chopped

2 tablespoons minced garlic (about 5 cloves)

2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves, or 1 teaspoon dried thyme

1-1/2 teaspoons sweet paprika

1-1/2 teaspoons dried oregano

1 teaspoon kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal)

Black pepper

1 pound ground beef (at least 85-percent lean)

1 tablespoon tomato paste

3 cups low-sodium beef broth, plus more as needed

1 (14-ounce) can crushed tomatoes

1 (14-ounce) can diced tomatoes

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

1-1/4 cups uncooked macaroni

1 cup (4 ounces) shredded sharp Cheddar

Chopped fresh parsley, for serving

Preparation

In a large pot or Dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the bell pepper and onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is translucent, 4 to 6 minutes. Add the garlic, thyme, paprika, oregano, salt and pepper and cook for 30 seconds, until the garlic is fragrant.

Add the ground beef and cook, stirring often and breaking up the meat with a spoon, until no longer pink, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the tomato paste and cook for 1 minute.

Pour in the broth, crushed and diced tomatoes and Worcestershire sauce; bring to a boil. Stir in the macaroni, reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, stirring occasionally and scraping the bottom of the pot, until the pasta is cooked and the liquid in the pan has thickened considerably, 18 to 20 minutes.

Remove from the heat and stir in the Cheddar. Taste for seasonings and add salt and pepper, if needed. Serve in bowls, topped with fresh parsley. (The goulash will continue to thicken as it sits. If desired, add a splash of beef broth when reheating.)

ALMOST WHITE CASTLE HAMBURGERS

This comes from Chef Doozer on the Genius Kitchen site. Time: 20 minutes; Serves: 12

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

1-1/2 lbs ground chuck

1 (4 tablespoon) envelope onion soup mix

1 egg

1/2 teaspoon pepper

2 tablespoons water

1/3 cup breadcrumbs

24 small square dinner rolls

American cheese (optional)

pickle (optional)

Sauce

1/2 cup mustard

1/2 cup ketchup

Directions

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Hamburgers: Mix first 6 ingredients and press into an ungreased 10 by 15 inch jelly roll pan.

Prick with a fork.

Bake for 10 minutes.

Drain off juices (if there's a lot of excess).

Cool.

Cut into 24 squares.

Place squares on dinner rolls.

Combine mustard and ketchup and spread on rolls.

Top with pickles and cheese, if desired.

This makes 12 servings of 2 hamburgers each.

BEEF NOODLE SKILLET

This is from Ree Drummond on the Food Network.

Active Time: 25 minutes; Total Time: 30 minutes; Yield: 4 to 6 servings; Level: Easy

To view this online, go to https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ree-drummond/beef-noodle-skillet-8053162.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons salted butter

1 yellow onion, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 pound ground chuck

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon tomato paste

12 ounces egg noodles

2-1/2 cups beef broth

1 tablespoon grainy mustard

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

A few dashes Worcestershire sauce

1/3 cup sour cream

2 tablespoons heavy cream

2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives

Directions

Heat the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the ground chuck and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook the meat, crumbling as you go, until cooked through, about 5 minutes. Add the tomato paste and cook for about 30 seconds.

Add the noodles, broth, 1 cup hot water, the mustard, paprika and Worcestershire sauce. Give a big stir and bring to a simmer. Cover and allow everything to simmer, stirring occasionally and adding up to 1/2 cup more water if necessary, until the pasta is al dente and the sauce has thickened, about 12 minutes. Stir in the sour cream and heavy cream and cook for 1 additional minute or until the pasta is tender.

Remove from the heat. Sprinkle over the chives and serve directly from the pan.

TWICE-BAKED POTATOES

This yummy recipes is from Ree Drummond on the Food Network.

Prep Time: 30 minutes; Cook Time: 1 hour 20 minutes; Total Time: 1 hour 50 minutes; Yield: 12 to 16 servings; Level: Easy

To view this online, go to https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ree-drummond/twice-baked-potatoes-recipe-1925596.

Ingredients

8 baking potatoes, washed

3 tablespoons canola oil

2 sticks salted butter

1 cup bacon bits (fry your own!)

1 cup sour cream

1 cup Cheddar or Jack cheese (or a mix of both), plus more for topping

1 cup whole milk

2 teaspoons seasoned salt

3 green onions, sliced

Freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Place the potatoes on a baking sheet. Rub them with the canola oil and bake for 1 hour, making sure they're sufficiently cooked through.

Slice the butter into pats. Place in a large mixing bowl and add the bacon bits and sour cream. Remove the potatoes from the oven. Lower the heat to 350 degrees F.

With a sharp knife, cut each potato in half lengthwise. Scrape out the insides into the mixing bowl, being careful not to tear the shell. Leave a small rim of potato intact for support. Lay the hollowed out potato shells on a baking sheet.

Smash the potatoes into the butter, bacon and sour cream. Add the cheese, milk, seasoned salt, green onions and black pepper to taste and mix together well. (IMPORTANT: If you plan to freeze the twice-baked potatoes, do NOT add the green onions.)

Fill the potato shells with the filling. I like to fill the shells so they look abundant and heaping. Top each potato with a little more grated cheese and pop 'em in the oven until the potato is warmed through, 15 to 20 minutes.

ULTIMATE STUFFED ACORN SQUASH

This comes from Vegetarian Times (November 2013, page 53), and begins, "The Native American “three sisters”—corn, beans, and squash—come together in these individual holiday entrées stuffed with corn pudding and black beans." Makes 8 servings. Great for holiday meals

To view this online, go to https://www.vegetariantimes.com/recipes/ultimate-stuffed-acorn-squash/.

Ingredients

3 Tbs. olive oil

4 cloves garlic, minced (4 tsp.), divided

4 acorn squash, halved and seeded

1/2 tsp. ancho chile powder, plus more for sprinkling squash

1/2 tsp. ground coriander, plus more for sprinkling squash

3 cups fresh or frozen organic corn kernels, divided

2/3 cup yellow cornmeal

1 tsp. sugar

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper, optional

1 cup low-fat buttermilk

2 large eggs

4 Tbs. melted butter or olive oil

3 oz. soft goat cheese or low-fat cream cheese (1/3 cup)

3 oz. grated extra-sharp Cheddar cheese (3/4 cup), plus more for sprinkling tops, optional

1 1/2 cups cooked black beans or 1 15-oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained

1 large poblano chile or 1 small red bell pepper, diced (1 cup)

8 green onions, white and green parts thinly sliced (1 cup), plus more for sprinkling tops

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350°F. Combine oil and 2 tsp. minced garlic in small bowl. Brush squash halves with garlic oil, and sprinkle lightly with ancho chile powder and coriander. Season with salt and pepper, if desired, and place on large baking sheet.

Pulse 2 cups corn kernels in food processor until finely chopped and milky. Set aside.

Whisk 1/2 tsp. each coriander and ancho chile powder into cornmeal, along with sugar, baking soda, salt, and cayenne (if using) in medium bowl. Set aside.

Whisk together buttermilk and eggs in separate bowl. Whisk in butter, then puréed corn, remaining 1 cup corn kernels, goat cheese, Cheddar, and remaining 2 tsp. garlic. Fold in cornmeal mixture with spatula, then fold in black beans, poblano chile, and green onions.

Divide filling among squash halves. Sprinkle each squash with extra Cheddar (if using).

Bake squash halves 30 to 45 minutes, or until squash are tender and filling is set. Sprinkle with green onions. Squash can be prepared 24 hours ahead, then reheated 20 minutes at 325°F.