Family recipes are more than just recipes that are common in families. Family recipes are experiences passed down in generations. I absolutely LOVE to cook, and it’s also how I show love. My daughter told me that once, and it resonated with me because it’s so true!
One of my favorite things to do is to entertain. I love my home and I’m proud of it. I love using my various kitchen gadgets (my toys) when I’m cooking. I want to share it with others, so when people are over, of course, there is food! Sometimes the recipe depends on the company, the time of day, and the ease of serving a few to a crowd. I definitely have my go-tos, and I’m so happy to share! These are recipes that are also paired with experiences, memories, and lots of practice! Come on down memory lane with me!
Italian Gravy
I pulled up a stool to the kitchen counter and watched my mom make this. We had Italian food every Christmas and this was the sauce we used. Gradually, I helped in different ways until I could make this myself. I’ve tweaked it over the years, but it’s still a staple in my house for small to big crowds. It reheats nicely after being frozen and thawed. If you have fresh ingredients, use them. Otherwise, loosely follow the recipe and season to your taste. This pasta sauce can go with any pasta you like. I use it for anything from spaghetti to lasagna.
Ingredients:
- 1 pound ground Italian sausage, cooked with onion, garlic, and carrot
- 1 onion chopped, 1 carrot shredded
- A whole bulb of garlic crushed (can there ever be too much?)
- A pinch of red pepper flakes, 1 tsp. basil, 1 tsp. oregano, (fresh, if available) 1 tsp. sea salt, 1/2 tsp. ground black pepper, 1 Tbsp. sugar
- Red Wine (for the recipe and to sip while making)
- 2 24 oz. cans of crushed tomatoes
- 1 12 oz. can Italian diced tomatoes
- 1 can tomato paste
In a big pot over medium heat, start browning the sausage and add the onions, garlic, and carrots. This cooks the vegetables nicely in the fat from the sausage. Add the seasonings, and cook until the meat is browned and the vegetables are cooked. Drain and keep in the pot. Add a 1/4 cup of wine (this could be old red wine or whatever you’re drinking at the time) and cook until the heat evaporates the wine.
Add the crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, and tomato paste. Sprinkle the sugar into the sauce, stir to cut the acidity of the tomatoes, and salt and pepper to taste. Now you can gently simmer while you sip your wine. Enjoy the wonderful smells coming out of your kitchen.
You can simmer on low until ready to serve, or warm in a crockpot until you are. I make the pasta separately, mix some olive oil in it to keep it from sticking, and let folks help themselves. Add some salad and garlic bread, and you’ve got yourself a great Italian gravy to share.
The Dip
This is an easy recipe that Husband insists on for dinner at times. It doesn’t disappoint and is so versatile. Add toppings you like and enjoy for game days when you have appetizer duty, or anytime you want an easy crowd-pleaser.
Ingredients:
- Brick of cream cheese put on a glass pie plate and softened
- Can of Hormel chili with beans (hot or not)
- Shredded Colby-jack cheese (I take a brick and shred my own, but you can buy a bag too)
- Jar of jalapenos, sliced black olives, green onions or any other topping you’d like
- Corn chip “Scoops” (this is a must because this is a hearty dip that will break other chips)
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Using a rubber spatula, spread the cream cheese on the glass pie plate for the bottom of the dip. Open a can of the Hormel chili and pour on top. Spread evenly. Spread the shredded cheese on top of the chili evenly and add whichever topping you like. We use the jalapenos from the jar and just put them all over the top. Bake for about 30 minutes or until the top is nice and bubbly. PSA: Let cool a bit before digging in with those corn chip scoops, no matter how anxious you are to dig in! Enjoy hot, when it cools, or the next day after microwaving it.
Breakfast Pizza
My mom started making this as a weekend brunch meal. I started making it as a young bride or mom who was hosting brunches, and it NEVER disappointed. My son and his friends would devour this after sleepovers. I continue to make it when hosting guests in our home. It’s great as leftovers cold or heated up. It’s easy and the house smells so good. I always have these ingredients on hand. You can experiment and add different varieties of this, using leftover ham, crumbled bacon, sliced peppers, or whatever! I’ve been known to make this for dinner when a “breakfast dinner” is in order! (Bacon on the side is always welcome!)
Ingredients:
- 1 pound of ground breakfast sausage, browned and drained
- Optional: 1 onion diced and added to the browning of the sausage (this is Husband’s addition for the onion lovers)
- Refrigerated croissant roll dough, spread out and pressed to the bottom of a 9X13 greased casserole dish
- One large potato shredded with access moisture squeezed out (or half a bag of frozen hash browned potatoes)
- At least 8 eggs preferably 10, depending on kind or size, whisked together with a splash of whole milk (I prefer fresh eggs like these).
- Shredded Colby-jack cheese (I get a brick and shred it myself for more even melting)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Once the sausage is browned and drained, spread it evenly upon the prepared casserole dish with the croissant dough. Add the shredded potatoes over the dough and meat and add salt and pepper over all of it.
Pour the whisked eggs with milk over the entire thing and top with the shredded cheese. Bake uncovered in the preheated oven for about 45 minutes to an hour, until it’s nice and bubbly and golden on top and the croissant dough is also golden. Let it sit for a few minutes before cutting up nice big rectangles. We love to serve this with some hot sauce to dip in, more salt and pepper, if needed, and some fresh fruit. Enjoy it right away and more later for leftovers.
Banana Bread
I’ve caught Husband red-handed, buying too many bananas on purpose. This is so they “happen to go bad” and I have to make banana bread. The riper the bananas, the better, so if you cannot get to it, freeze the very ripe and brown bananas until ready for use. I’ve got a few as we speak in my freezer for when I have time. It’s a treat when I have the time to put one or two loaves of this together, one for us, one for someone I want to share with. Also, it makes the house smell heavenly.
Ingredients:
Dry Ingredients (mix together in large mixing bowl):
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
- 1/4 tsp. baking soda
- 1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
- 2-3 very ripe, brown-skinned bananas
Other Ingredients (mix together first before adding to dry ingredients):
- 3-4 very ripe bananas, skins brown, smashed in a bowl
- 1 egg, beat well (fresh eggs are best)
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup melted butter (1/2 stick of butter)
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
- Juice and zest from 1/2 a lemon
- OPTIONAL: chopped walnuts or pecans
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease the bottom and sides of a loaf pan (I use these glass ones), with some butter or some non-stick spray. Sprinkle sugar and cinnamon inside the pan, trying to coat the whole pan. This gives the bread a nice sugary-cinnamony “crust” if you will. Set the prepared pan aside until ready.
Once you have the dry ingredients mixed in the mixing bowl, create a “well” in the center and add the remaining ingredients to the dry ingredients. Stir just until moistened, and the batter should be a bit lumpy. Fold in the nuts, if you are using, and scrape the batter into the prepared baking pan. It should bake for about 50-55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the bread comes out clean. The bread should be a golden brown, with the sugar/cinnamon crust on the outside.
Let the bread cool on a wire rack for about 10 minutes before taking the bread out of the pan. At this point, you can take it out and cool it further on the wire rack. Enjoy with butter or by itself.
Recipes Are for Sharing
These are just a few of my family recipes that have come to me from my loved ones, and that I have taught my own children. We associate memories with food, and this remains the case as I host various gatherings. We all love good, home-cooked meals and with them come lasting memories. I love to experiment with cooking, trying different tastes, getting feedback from my family, and tweaking more until it becomes a staple in my rotation. Family recipes are meant to be shared, so don’t be afraid to try different ones until you find that ONE that you can be proud of. And then SHARE!
I love to pair wines with great dishes since I LOVE wine. Add some chocolate, and you’ve got a healthy treat! As you experiment with your recipes, pair them with wine you love and see how much better they can be! Find out more about wine pairing here, or check out some fine wines to have on hand when you entertain. These exclusive wines are shipped directly to your door, so enjoy sipping and cooking!
As always, I’m happy to share what I know with you, so don’t hesitate to contact me with questions or anything I can help you find.
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