Chocolate Bread Pudding

by alphagalcooking

What do you do with a day old baguette that’s just a little too hard to eat? Why, you make Chocolate Bread Pudding of course!

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3  1/2  cups milk (2% works fine)

4  ounces semisweet chocolate

2  ounces unsweetened chocolate

1/2  cup sugar

2  teaspoons vanilla extract

1/2  teaspoon salt

3  large eggs

8  ounces (about 10 slices) stale firm white bread cut into 1/4 inch dice or 1 bakery size baguette

 

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease an 8×8 inch glass baking dish. In a small saucepan, heat milk to simmering over medium-high heat. (If you are short on time, chop the chocolate now. It will melt quicker!)

Meanwhile, in a 3 quart saucepan, melt chocolates over low heat. Remove from heat; with a fork or wire whisk, stir in sugar, vanilla, and salt, then eggs until combined. Slowly whisk simmering milk into melted chocolate mixture until blended. Gently stir in bread. Let stand 20 minutes to allow bread to absorb milk mixture, stirring once.

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Pour bread mixture into baking dish. Cover with foil and bake pudding 40 minutes. Uncover and bake 15 minutes longer or until knife inserted in center of pudding come out almost clean. Cool on a wire rack. Serve warm or cold and with or without vanilla ice cream. Enjoy every delicious bite!

Easy Beans and Rice with Cilantro

by alphagalcooking

I almost always have the ingredients for this recipe on hand for those nights when time is really short. It takes about 10 minutes to get everything ready and then I just wait for the rice to sit down to dinner. It serves 3 on it’s own or 4, if served as pictured. It can easily be doubled if you need more or would just like to have leftovers. Feel free to use the cilantro as desired. Not everyone in my house loves it, so instead of adding it to the beans, I just chop up a bunch and let everyone use what they want. This super quick meal is what dinner looks like at our house at least once a month year round!

Cilantro Beans and Rice

1  5-ounce package saffron rice
1  15-ounce can of black beans
3  tablespoons lime juice
1  teaspoon chili powder
1/2  teaspoon ground cumin
2  tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
Garnishes as desired: sour cream, sliced green onions

Cook rice according to package directions. While the rice is cooking, drain beans reserving 2 tablespoons of the liquid. Combine beans, reserved liquid, lime juice, chili powder, and cumin in a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat until thoroughly heated; stir in 1 tablespoon cilantro. Serve warm beans over yellow rice and sprinkle with remaining tablespoon cilantro. Garnish as desired. Serves 3 or 4 with tortilla chips and pineapple sprinkled with cilantro.

From Southern Living’s Our Best Easy Weeknight Favorites, 1998

All-American Turkey Meatloaf

by alphagalcooking

This is my family’s favorite meatloaf. It’s tangy and sweet and makes a great meatloaf sandwich! Of course I first made it with beef, but now I use ground turkey and everyone loves it just the same. If you do not tolerate diary, just omit the milk or use water instead. I find turkey to be wetter than beef, so I don’t think you’ll miss it all. Put some potatoes in to bake with the meatloaf and steam some veggies and dinner is ready. Enjoy!

All-American Turkey Meatloaf

2 pounds ground turkey

3/4  cup uncooked quick-cooking oats

1 medium onion, finely chopped

1/2  cup ketchup

1/4  cup milk

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

1 teaspoon salt

1/2  teaspoon pepper

1/2 cup ketchup

3 tablespoons brown sugar

2 teaspoons prepared mustard

 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine the first 8 ingredients in a large bowl and mix well. Shape into 2 loaves measuring about 7 1/2 x 4 inches. Place on a lightly greased rack in broiler pan. Bake for 40 minutes.

Combine 1/2 cup ketchup, brown sugar, and mustard; spoon over the meatloaf and bake an additional 15 minutes or until meat thermometer registers 160 degrees. Makes 2 loaves or 8 servings.

 

Adapted from “The Ultimate Southern Living Cookbook”, 1999