OAMC Ham and Pineapple Melts

Ham and Pineapple Melts

I have had this recipe for ham and pineapple melts bookmarked ever since I found it on A Year From Oak Cottage about a year ago and I have just been waiting for the opportunity to make them. Armed with my ham leftovers I finally got the chance and it was certainly worth the wait! Ham and pineapple is a classic flavour combination and one that I particularly enjoy. How could you possibly go wrong with smothering it with some melted sharp cheddar cheese? Lets not stop there though, when we can add some sweet and spicy honey dijon mustard and top it all off with a splash of Worcestershire sauce! These are so good! With the sweet, spicy, tangy, salty, warm, melted and gooey they have a magical combination of flavours and textures. I have already made them several times and they are quickly depleting my supply of leftover ham. I made them with whole wheat english muffins and they go great for any of breakfast, lunch or dinner or even as a snack.

Ham and Pineapple Melts

(makes 2 servings)Printable Recipe

Ingredients:
2 whole wheat english muffins (cut in half and lightly toasted)
4 teaspoons honey dijon mustard
4 slices ham
4 slices pineapple
4 slices cheddar cheese
4 small splashes Worcestershire sauce

Directions:
1. Spread the mustard on the english muffin and top with the ham, pineapple, cheese and top with a small splash of Worcestershire sauce.
2. Broil until the cheese is melted and golden brown, about 2-4 minutes.

OAMC A French Toast Morning

A French Toast Morning

2011

Most days breakfast is pretty low key around here, with oatmeal or cereal on the menu. But sometimes variety is called for, and the kids often request french toast. While I love french toast as much as the next person, I’m lazy efficient and often make it in a casserole form. Think french toast marries bread pudding and has a baby.
It’s EASY and fast to put together and cooks up while we get dressed and do our morning routine, which I love. I think I’m just in the stage of life where staying close to the stove to flip soggy bread is not practical and I imagine leaving the kitchen to discover my Oddles have pulled an entire package of baby wipes out of the container, one lovely wipe at a time–or that a marker masterpiece has been drawn on the cursed WHITE carpet.
Not that it would ever happen or anything. {Ahem.}
Shall we get to that recipe?
Ingredients: bread, eggs, milk, cinnamon, vanilla

1. 8 pieces of bread. Stale is good. Half a loaf of last night’s leftover french bread is good too. Tear it up into bite size pieces. (Better yet, give the kids this job!)
2. Beat up 6 eggs, a cup of milk, 1 tsp. cinnamon, and 2 tsp. vanilla.
3. Place bread chunks in a greased baking dish. Pour egg mixture over  bread and let soak in.
4. Bake at 375F for 30-45 minutes or until golden brown and set.
5. Serve with syrup, jam, or fresh fruit and whipped cream, if desired.

OAMC Pizza Pasta Bake

Pizza Pasta Bake

• 1 lb. penne rigate or mostacolli, fully cooked and drained
• 1 c. ricotta cheese
• 3 c. marinara sauce (homemade or from a jar)
• 30 slices pepperoni
• 1/2 c. sliced mushrooms (I used canned, but only because that’s what I had on hand)
• 1/2 c. sliced black olives
• 1 1/2 c. shredded mozzarella cheese

1. Combine hot pasta with ricotta cheese and stir until cheese is melted and smooth. Pour into a 13×9 casserole dish.
2. Pour marinara sauce over pasta. Top with pepperoni, mushrooms and olives. Add shredded mozzarella cheese on top.3. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes, until warmed through and cheese is melted.

OAMC CrockPot Cranberry Pork Roast

CrockPot Cranberry Pork Roast

I was lucky enough to receive a few different cranberry pork recipes and decided to make Mamame's the other night. She wrote it in the comments on the original pork post. I did change a few things around because I used fresh cranberries instead of canned, but otherwise tried my hardest to not stray too far.

I packed this up for some friends, and heard back today that they liked it. The kids found the cranberries to be a bit tart, so I added some additional sugar to the recipe ingredients.

The Ingredients.
serves 4-6

1 (2.5-3 lb) pork loin roast or rib roast
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon dried mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 (16-ounce) can whole berry cranberry sauce
or: 1 cup fresh cranberries, 1/2 cup white sugar, 1/2 cup brown (I did add 1/4 cup
brown sugar half-way through cooking after tasting the sauce, but 1/2 cup would be
better. I learned from making my own cranberry sauce that you really do need a lot
of sugar to balance out the cranberries.
1/3 cup golden raisins (I only had regular)
1 clove garlic, chopped
1/3 cup cranberry juice
1/2 small lemon, thinly sliced (I put in a whole one, but Mamame is right, 1/2 is better. A whole one is too bitter.)

The Directions.
Use a 4 quart crockpot. In a plastic zipper bag, put dry spices and cornstarch and add meat. Shake to coat. Put contents into your slow cooker. Add cranberry sauce, or your fresh cranberries and sugar. Put in raisins and garlic. Pour in cranberry juice, and top with lemon slices. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours, or high for about 4. The longer you cook the meat, the more tender it will be.

Serve with rice or pasta.

The Verdict.

Mamame writes, "this is hands down our family's favorite crockpot recipe." My friend who tried it liked it a lot, and her husband said the meat was perfectly cooked and juicy. Her 9-year-old, Austin, reported "I didn't really like the cranberries so much, but I thought they really brought out the flavor of the pork."

OAMC Italian Sausage Risotto Recipe

Italian Sausage Risotto Recipe

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I was recently looking for ways to use some sausage I had frozen in the freezer. I went searching the web for recipe inspiration and realized I had never in my life made a risotto recipe. Hmm. So I explored some different recipes, combined a few and came up with recipe.
This creamy risotto is a perfect chilly fall dinner. The blend of cheeses, sausage and rice make it a meal that won’t wane in several hours. On first look I wasn’t too excited about it. However, it ended up being very tasty and my husband especially loved it.

Author/Source:

Tricia @ Onceamonthmom.com

Ingredients:

• 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
• 16 ounces Italian Sausage links (like Johnsohnville), sliced
• 1 cup apple juice
• 1 cup onion, diced
• 1 Tablespoon garlic, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1.25 cups rice
• 1 cup Chardonnay or dry white wine (can also sub apple juice)
• 3.5 cups chicken broth
• 1 cup peas, frozen
• 1/2 cup Parmesan Cheese, grated
• 1/2 cup Romano Cheese, grated

Directions:

In a large saucepan, cook the sausage in apple juice. When finished cooking, remove from pan and slice. Heat oil in a large stockpot,  add sliced sausage and onion, cooking until browned and softened, about 3-5 minutes. Add garlic and thyme, cook for one minute longer. Add wine and rice and stir until the liquid is absorbed. Stir in 3 cups of the chicken broth. Lower the heat to low and simmer, uncovered, until broth is absorbed. Add the rest of the chicken broth slowly, stirring until rice is cooked and creamy. Stir in peas and cheeses; cook until heated through. Serve.

Freezing Directions:

Follow all directions above. Allow to cool. Package in freezer containers. To serve: Thaw. Slowly warm on stove top, in slow cooker or in microwave. You may need to add a little chicken broth to bring it back to it’s creamy texture.

Servings: 4