Test Kitchen

[Albino]

dianagerace - be sure to add a buncha parsley on top for brightness!  Just give it a rough chop and just sprinkle on top and then just put it in the oven.  When it's hot, you can just let it cool for a bit and then just serve it.

[Kohola3]

Because you can.

[Lisin]

  On 10/13/2016 at 5:17 PM, dianagerace said:

Making this today: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ree-drummond/chicken-enchilasagna.html?ref=amp

The only change I plan on making is adding eggs to the ricotta (per the comments). Fingers crossed that my very very picky (haters of all things healthy) actually eat it. 

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Let us know how it turns out!! 

[dianagerace]

It was pretty bland, even though I almost doubled the spices and cut the Monterey Jack back from 3 cups to 2. I wouldn't make it again.

[Lisin]

  On 10/16/2016 at 1:11 AM, dianagerace said:

It was pretty bland, even though I almost doubled the spices and cut the Monterey Jack back from 3 cups to 2. I wouldn't make it again.

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Boo :( But good to know!! Thanks for the follow up!

[Albino]

  On 10/16/2016 at 1:11 AM, dianagerace said:

It was pretty bland, even though I almost doubled the spices and cut the Monterey Jack back from 3 cups to 2. I wouldn't make it again.

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That's how I feel about a lot of PW recipes (except for her delicious salisbury steaks...).  I was dying to try the mini meatball casserole and the meat seasoning was like...salt and pepper?....very bland.  

Oh well...at least you tried it.

[Kohola3]

Just dump a whole buncha sriracha, hot peppers, and chipotles because you can.  And don't forget the sugar.  And butter.

Edited October 16, 2016 by Kohola3

[peacheslatour]

 And my axe!

[Hildegard802]

My sister's story:

 

We had company last night and I was serving steak.  Decided I wanted to do some sort of sauce and since I like peppercorn sauce, settled on that.  Searched for recipes on the web.  Well wouldn't you know it, one of the first ones to pop up was Pdubs.  I thought, well, how bad can it be.  Let's just say it SUCKED!  It was so peppery it was barely tolerable.  Had way too many peppercorns and mustard.  I added about a cup of sour cream in an attempt to salvage it.  That made it edible but far from good.  So it went in the toilet. 

[anneofcleves]

  On 11/13/2016 at 4:53 PM, Hildegard802 said:

My sister's story:

We had company last night and I was serving steak.  Decided I wanted to do some sort of sauce and since I like peppercorn sauce, settled on that.  Searched for recipes on the web.  Well wouldn't you know it, one of the first ones to pop up was Pdubs.  I thought, well, how bad can it be.  Let's just say it SUCKED!  It was so peppery it was barely tolerable.  Had way too many peppercorns and mustard.  I added about a cup of sour cream in an attempt to salvage it.  That made it edible but far from good.  So it went in the toilet. 

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I'm glad you shared this review, because I had major issues with that recipe when she made it on her show.  First off, she's using that awful lemon pepper on the steak (barf).  Then, the proportions of everything in that sauce are out of kilter with a classic steak au poivre.  There seemed to be way too much brandy in it, and putting all those peppercorns in the sauce versus crushing them and cooking them on the steak (mellowing them out a bit) seemed like it would not be good.  

[Lura]

Has anyone made Ree's chicken nachos?  I just happened to land on the page with that recie o it, and they sound mouth-watering to me.  My husband adores nachos, and I've never made them.  Is Ree's recipe a good one to start with, or do you know of a better one?  Muchas gracias.

[anneofcleves]

  On 12/18/2016 at 4:47 PM, Lura said:

Has anyone made Ree's chicken nachos?  I just happened to land on the page with that recie o it, and they sound mouth-watering to me.  My husband adores nachos, and I've never made them.  Is Ree's recipe a good one to start with, or do you know of a better one?  Muchas gracias.

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I haven't made them, but I looked them up and Ree's look good but heavier than I prefer.  It depends on what you're in the mood for, Lura. Heavy on the melty cheese or something else. 

My favorite way to make nachos is an easy riff I make on an old Rick Bayless chicken taco recipe I used to make years ago (which is super fantastic if you have time to make your own tomatillo salsa).   But if you don't, cheat and used jarred salsa.

Poach or roast chicken breasts and shred.  Mix shredded chicken in with a good bottled green/tomatillo salsa and heat (Rick Bayless's is pretty good and available at most grocery stores).  In another pan, thinly slice an onion and a few poblano peppers and saute in a bit of oil until soft.  Season with salt and pepper.  To assemble, spread warm nacho chips on plates and top with shredded chicken.   Add a layer of onions and peppers, sprinkle with crumbled queso fresco,  a bit of shredded lettuce, diced avocado, chopped cilantro, and a drizzle of Mexican crema (or slightly thinned down sour cream).

You know, I may make this on Christmas eve for our super casual dinner.

Edited December 19, 2016 by anneofcleves

[Lura]

AnneofCleves, I didn't see your reply until tonight.  You are a friend in need, not only answering my qyestion but taking the time to type out your recipe. 

[Lura]

AnneofCleves, I made your chicken nachos last night for dinner.  My husband was in 7th Heaven and asked me to thank you.  I loved them, too!  I didn't know that Rick Bayless sold any of his products commercially.  Yummy!  I'll think of you every time I see the recipe in my box.  Thanks again!

[BlossomCulp]

I made one of Ree's soup recipes from her salute to soup episode, the hamburger soup, and I got rave reviews from the family.  Ree may not be Julia Child but she knows what kids will eat!

[Lisin]

There are plenty of places in this forum to snark on Ree. Lets leave this topic to actually discussing the recipes and their success and failures. Thank you! 

[Lura]

Blossom, that hamburger soup you made really surprises me.  Of all the soups that Ree has put together lately, that hamburger soup was the only one that grossed me out.  I didn't care for the looks of it, and I don't recall all of the ingredients, but I never would have made it.  I'll have to give it a try.  Thanks for the heads up.  :)  

Edited February 1, 2017 by Lura

[CherryAmes]

What I love about her recipes is almost always I have the ingredients in the house.  Unlike some other TV cooks where I would need to go out and spend $$$ just to buy stuff I'd likely only use once!  I agree that her recipes are definitely kid friend but my husband has caught this show a time or two and almost always says "why don't we try that one".  

[sigmaforce86]

Made her "escalloped cabbage" tonight.......big Nope.  Made one substitution using all shredded cheese for the sauce instead of jarred cheeze whiz but to many other problems.  Blanching the cabbage for two minutes did nothing to soften it, no matter how we drained and patted you can't dry it enough to so once in the oven the water comes out of the leaves and thins the cheese sauce.  And 20 minutes wasn't nearly enough to cook the cabbage the rest of the way.   It's a three pan side dish (big pot to blanch, little pot for sauce and a baking dish) and very little "yum" reward for a lot of work.  Oh, and one other change from the recipe... I definitely did NOT top mine with jalapeño slices

[HyeChaps]

Last night I tried her tuna noodle casserole in an attempt to get away from the sodium-laden cream of mushroom soup I always use. It certainly wasn't very creamy. Also it asked for a half "cuppa" sherry. Didn't have any so I used cognac. I did not like this underlying flavor. 

[grisgris]

Might you have had better results if you'd used a "buncha?"

[Lura]

  On 3/2/2017 at 9:46 PM, HyeChaps said:

Last night I tried her tuna noodle casserole in an attempt to get away from the sodium-laden cream of mushroom soup I always use. It certainly wasn't very creamy. Also it asked for a half "cuppa" sherry. Didn't have any so I used cognac. I did not like this underlying flavor. 

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Judging from the way Ree uses alcohol on her show, I would be hesitant about using her measurements.  She likes her alcohol.  Sometimes, in an attempt to be funny, she'll even add extra to the pot.  I don't see that any alcohol goes well with tuna and mushrooms, and I'd probably substitute chicken stock.  Ree doesn't measure her ingredients always and tends to add extra of ingredients she happens to love, cheese being an example.  Her seasonings are way off kilter, barely using salt and overusing pepper (which she adores).  I suspect the recipe was faulty, HyeChaps, not you.

[peacheslatour]

  On 3/2/2017 at 11:59 PM, grisgris said:

Might you have had better results if you'd used a "buncha?"

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Just don't use the dreaded "too, too much".

[film noire]

  On 3/2/2017 at 11:59 PM, grisgris said:

Might you have had better results if you'd used a "buncha?"

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Drinking, not cooking with ; )

  On 3/2/2017 at 9:46 PM, HyeChaps said:

Last night I tried her tuna noodle casserole in an attempt to get away from the sodium-laden cream of mushroom soup I always use. It certainly wasn't very creamy. Also it asked for a half "cuppa" sherry. Didn't have any so I used cognac. I did not like this underlying flavor. 

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I love sherry in crab sauces --  but tuna casserole? -- that sounds disgusting. 

The only recipe of hers I tried that I made more than once was this cobbler recipe -- it's a basic recipe but it's easy to adjust (adding extracts,  or swapping out the fruit, lemon zest in the sugar on top, that kind of thing) and although it takes an hour to cook, it's quick to put together.  It's not earthshaking, but I think it could become a killer recipe in the hands of a (more expert than me) baker. I was thinking this summer I'd try fresh basil and summer peaches (sound good? Or like sherry with tuna? ; )

INGREDIENTS

1 stick Butter

1-1/4 cup Sugar

1 cup Self-Rising Flour

1 cup Milk

2 cups Blackberries (frozen Or Fresh)

INSTRUCTIONS

Melt butter in a microwavable dish. Pour 1 cup of sugar and flour into a mixing bowl, whisking in milk. Mix well. Then, pour in melted butter and whisk it all well together. Butter a baking dish. Now rinse and pat dry the blackberries. Pour the batter into the buttered baking dish. Sprinkle blackberries over the top of the batter; distributing evenly. Sprinkle ¼ cup sugar over the top. Bake in the oven at 350 degrees for 1 hour, or until golden and bubbly. If you desire, sprinkle an additional teaspoon of sugar over the cobbler 10 minutes before it’s done.

Edited March 5, 2017 by film noire

[Westiepeach]

  On 3/5/2017 at 12:34 AM, film noire said:

Drinking, not cooking with ; )

I love sherry in crab sauces --  but tuna casserole? -- that sounds disgusting. 

The only recipe of hers I tried that I made more than once was this cobbler recipe -- it's a basic recipe but it's easy to adjust (adding extracts,  or swapping out the fruit, lemon zest in the sugar on top, that kind of thing) and although it takes an hour to cook, it's quick to put together.  It's not earthshaking, but I think it could become a killer recipe in the hands of a (more expert than me) baker. I was thinking this summer I'd try fresh basil and summer peaches (sound good? Or like sherry with tuna? ; )

INGREDIENTS

1 stick Butter

1-1/4 cup Sugar

1 cup Self-Rising Flour

1 cup Milk

2 cups Blackberries (frozen Or Fresh)

INSTRUCTIONS

Melt butter in a microwavable dish. Pour 1 cup of sugar and flour into a mixing bowl, whisking in milk. Mix well. Then, pour in melted butter and whisk it all well together. Butter a baking dish. Now rinse and pat dry the blackberries. Pour the batter into the buttered baking dish. Sprinkle blackberries over the top of the batter; distributing evenly. Sprinkle ¼ cup sugar over the top. Bake in the oven at 350 degrees for 1 hour, or until golden and bubbly. If you desire, sprinkle an additional teaspoon of sugar over the cobbler 10 minutes before it’s done.

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Strawberries and basil play very nicely together. I don't think I've ever paired basil and peaches, but I think it could work!

Edited March 5, 2017 by Westiepeach
I really can spell.

[Automne]

When I make peach cobbler/crisp, I add chopped basil and tarragon, vanilla bean, a little bit of elderflower syrup, and a cheesecloth pouch of lavender and chamomile tea. Or I'll make a simple syrup (1:1 sugar:water) of the basil, tarragon, lavender, vanilla bean, chamomile, and elderflower, strain, and cook the peaches in the syrup. Add a little cornstarch to thicken and lemon juice to brighten it up a little.

As long as you don't go too heavy, it adds a nice herbal and floral note. Good for summertime.

Incidentally, when I make lemon curd, I add lavender, dried elderflower, vanilla bean, basil, and tarragon to steep in the liquid and strain before I temper the yolks.

Edited March 6, 2017 by Automne

[ariel]

I don't think I've ever tasted elderflower.  What does it taste like?

[Automne]

A citrusy flower. Very fragrant. If you can get your hands on some St. Germain (elderflower liqueur), it's worth trying. St. Germain + yuzu juice + simple syrup + sparkling water = yummy summer cocktail.

[grisgris]

  On 3/6/2017 at 10:08 PM, Automne said:

When I make peach cobbler/crisp, I add chopped basil and tarragon, vanilla bean, a little bit of elderflower syrup, and a cheesecloth pouch of lavender and chamomile tea. Or I'll make a simple syrup (1:1 sugar:water) of the basil, tarragon, lavender, vanilla bean, chamomile, and elderflower, strain, and cook the peaches in the syrup. Add a little cornstarch to thicken and lemon juice to brighten it up a little.

As long as you don't go too heavy, it adds a nice herbal and floral note. Good for summertime.

Incidentally, when I make lemon curd, I add lavender, dried elderflower, vanilla bean, basil, and tarragon to steep in the liquid and strain before I temper the yolks.

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Wow! That sounds really delicious -- and creative! Definitely outside the cumin, sriracha, sesame oil, soy sauce, etc., box!!!

[ariel]

  On 3/6/2017 at 11:10 PM, Automne said:

A citrusy flower. Very fragrant. If you can get your hands on some St. Germain (elderflower liqueur), it's worth trying. St. Germain + yuzu juice + simple syrup + sparkling water = yummy summer cocktail.

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That sounds like my kind of cocktail.  I'll be on the lookout for it. :)

[chessiegal]

I bought a Trader Joe's marinated pot roast. My stepdaughter made it for us on our most recent visit, and it was so good. When I got home I asked her how she cooked it. She said I know you are not a fan of PW, but I used her recipe. My last time I used a Martha Stewart recipe and it was delicious. Today I decided to take a look at Ree's recipe and Google took me to her blog. OH.MY.GOD!!! Trying to follow the recipe on the blog - I gave up before she finished browning onions. I tried to ignore her "clever" commentary, but she is just too much - she's so full of herself. I scurried right on back to Martha and it is in the oven smelling delicious. 

[peacheslatour]

  On 5/14/2017 at 10:00 PM, chessiegal said:

I bought a Trader Joe's marinated pot roast. My stepdaughter made it for us on our most recent visit, and it was so good. When I got home I asked her how she cooked it. She said I know you are not a fan of PW, but I used her recipe. My last time I used a Martha Stewart recipe and it was delicious. Today I decided to take a look at Ree's recipe and Google took me to her blog. OH.MY.GOD!!! Trying to follow the recipe on the blog - I gave up before she finished browning onions. I tried to ignore her "clever" commentary, but she is just too much - she's so full of herself. I scurried right on back to Martha and it is in the oven smelling delicious. 

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You really can't go wrong with Martha or Ina. My go to when I'm totally flummoxed is my Gran's old Fannie Farmer.

[CherryAmes]

I'm finding lately that I've been using an old Betty Crocker cookbook that belonged to my mother.  Some of the recipes have become part of the rotation in my menu planning.  I guess I'm just not cool.  I can live with that :).

[peacheslatour]

  On 5/14/2017 at 10:32 PM, CherryAmes said:

I'm finding lately that I've been using an old Betty Crocker cookbook that belonged to my mother.  Some of the recipes have become part of the rotation in my menu planning.  I guess I'm just not cool.  I can live with that :).

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Nothing wrong with Betty Crocker or Better Home and Gardens cookbooks. My mom had a degree in Home Ec from Penn State and she used both.

[Lura]

I want to make Ree's Chicken and Noodles, but I've discovered an obstacle standing in my way.  Ree used frozen egg noodles (Reame's, or something like that), the only kind showed online, but they're not available in California.  Their dry noodles are sold here, I believe, but not the precooked, then frozen ones that Ree used.  Does anyone know how to make your own?  Maybe it isn't possible because those products are usually flash-frozen in the factory.  I'm sorry that Ree used a product that is so hard to find for many of us.  The Reames website even marked the noodles "made by Ree Drummond."  Good publicity for Ree, but bad news for the rest of us.  Thanks, friends.

[ariel]

  On 6/7/2017 at 10:41 PM, Lura said:

I want to make Ree's Chicken and Noodles, but I've discovered an obstacle standing in my way.  Ree used frozen egg noodles (Reame's, or something like that), the only kind showed online, but they're not available in California.  Their dry noodles are sold here, I believe, but not the precooked, then frozen ones that Ree used.  Does anyone know how to make your own?  Maybe it isn't possible because those products are usually flash-frozen in the factory.  I'm sorry that Ree used a product that is so hard to find for many of us.  The Reames website even marked the noodles "made by Ree Drummond."  Good publicity for Ree, but bad news for the rest of us.  Thanks, friends.

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Would dry egg noodles work?

[anneofcleves]

Lura, if you can't find the frozen noodles, my suggestion would be to find another recipe of hers to try. The reason I say that is because homemade noodles are a fair amount of work and mess, but they are amazingly delicious and worthy of your best broth or sauce.  

[Lura]

Anne, I've decided that when I make her Chicken and Noodles, if I make it, I'll make my own noodles.  Maybe I'm sentimental about my grandmother's recipe with the homemade noodles, the same one my mom used, that I've waited so long to have them again, that I want them to taste the way I remember them.  Too bad I don't have THAT recipe!  My grandmother was meticulous about organizing her recipes because she cherished them, and when she died, my mother just tossed them.  That was one of the very few times in my life that I considered murder!  lol

I, too, have my mom's old Betty Crocker and Better Homes and Gardens cookbooks.  When you read them, you really see how times have changed!

Off topic, but I wanted to give a heads up to anyone considering buying Nancy Fuller's Farmhouse Rules cookbook.  IMHO, it's a winner!  I think that Nancy is every bit as good a cook as Ina.  They just have different styles.  Nancy isn't "crazy" anymore like she was in the beginning.  Now, she just has a cute sense of humor.  She is Ree's polar opposite!

[ariel]

  On 6/9/2017 at 3:28 AM, Lura said:

 Nancy isn't "crazy" anymore like she was in the beginning.  Now, she just has a cute sense of humor.  She is Ree's polar opposite!

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I think Nancy has worked on her presentation skills over the years, unlike Ree who thinks she is perfect & just dials it in each show. 

[KnoxForPres]

I love to cook but don't really know how to do some simple things- specifically mashed potatoes. Mainly because I'm not a huge fan so never cared to learn. 

Well my boyfriend is a huge fan so one night I made Emerils meatloaf (another "normal" thing I never made and man it was amazing) and Rees creamy mashed potatoes. 

Yes- they involved cream cheese, half and half, and butter but my word I came off looking like a mashed potato hero based on his feedback.  And I have to admit I thought they were pretty good. 

I do not normally defer to Ree but she did me right on this one.  I also learned how to make fried okra (something else he loves) using a Paula Deen recipe. I was expecting a total shit storm as a first timer and it was so spot on I sent a pic to my mom. 

So all this rambling to say maybe I'm dating more of the "southern cowboy" and these recipes have served me well.  Since I could read recipes for hours I researched both extensively and while I thought a much lower fat smoked Gouda mashed potato sounded great (and I've since made it and it was!)- if a food is kind of outside your wheelhouse people like Ree can be good when you're not trying to be sophisticated and want to please a guest. 

[maggiemae]

That's great! Btw - which Emeril's meatloaf did you choose?

[Lura]

Please friends, will at least one of you admit to trying Ree's pumpkin rolls?  The first time through the show, I was unimpressed.  Yesterday, however, they looked so good to me.  Are they?  They sure look easy!  I LOVE pumpkin, and so does my better half.  He's been asking lately whether we have any breakfast rolls. He's tired of the same old cereal every day, and who can blame him?  If one of you has tasted them and approves, I'll gladly make him some.  I would gladly venture out on my own and just make them, but with my disabilities, cooking and baking are punishing activities that cause a lot of discomfort, so I appreciate the opinions of my friends.  Thanks!  (OTOH, maybe I'll just have to jump in head first and try them.)  My sous chef and occasional head chef deserves a treat.)

[film noire]

@Lura -- I've never made them, but here are some reviews of the recipe:

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ree-drummond/pumpkin-cinnamon-rolls-2644133#reviewsTop

[roughing it]

I made Ree's strawberry lemonade for a baby shower last weekend.  It was really good.  HOWEVER, after you puree the strawberries (using 1 cuppa sugar), you add them plus 2 more cupsa sugar to the lemon juice.  At this point, just to be on the safe side I only added 1 cuppa sugar to check the taste before I dumped in the 2nd cuppa.  My instincts were correct - it was pretty sweet without adding the 2nd cuppa, but still good.  Next time, I will probably decrease the sugar to the strawberries to 3/4 cup and I think it will be perfect.

[Automne]

When I make pumpkin cinnamon rolls, I just adjust the Cook's Country recipe to add pumpkin and my blend of spices.

[KnoxForPres]

  On 6/11/2017 at 8:53 PM, maggiemae said:

That's great! Btw - which Emeril's meatloaf did you choose?

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I'm sorry I never saw til now but better late than never I suppose. I made Emerils Mighty Meatloaf sans the veal. A lot of ingredients but it was excellent. 

[grisgris]

Here's the recipe for spicy yellow lentils hummus. If anybody makes it, please post the results here.

http://plantbasedonabudget.com/recipe/yellow-lentil-hummus/

As the author states, if you follow his recipe, it makes a ton! (I tried half a batch and it still made a huge bowl.) I found that the recipe needed more oil and water than called for but that might have been because I was messing with the measurements.

[anneofcleves]

Thank you, gris gris!

[Lura]

I want to try Emeril's Mighty Meatloaf recipe.  I've tried a number of different meat loaves, but I tend to return to my mother's meatloaf recipe that I grew up eating.  One ingredient that it calls for is her homemade chili sauce.  It's delicious and is a non-hot version.  One day, I discovered that my home-canned chili sauce was gone, so I had to buy a bottle at the supermarket.  For no special reason, I chose Heinz and, by golly, it tasted almost like my mother's version!  Just thought I'd post this in case you're looking for chili sauce sometime.  If you want one close to homemade in taste, flavor and texture, buy Heinz.

Now, it's off to the market for meat for Emeril's recipe.  Can't wait to try it!  Thanks for the heads up, KnoxforPres.

Edited September 9, 2017 by Lura
the usual typos

[mamadani]

Has anybody made Ree's sour cream noodle bake? It looks good and fairly easy but I'm not too sure about cottage cheese with the rest of those ingredients.

Edited October 26, 2017 by mamadani