 Our friends, and former neighbors, loved to cook as much as we do in @carondeletkitchen. One of their inspirations was something they called Cowboy Chicken. The simplicity of the meal has always stayed with me.
We recently purchased a jar of smoked jalapeno jelly from @smokehousejellies and I knew what was for dinner. I stopped by @legrandsmarket for chicken, bacon, and hot pepper cheese along with sides of beans and corn. Big Guy pounded the chicken breast to flatten it. After baking the chicken and bacon, he then layered the cooked bacon, cheese, and the smoked jalapeno jelly on top of the chicken. It was another quick bake to meld the entire meal together. He served it with a side of baked beans and corn in our @lodgecastiron to give it a rustic look to go with the chicken. It was such a fun meal and a great memory of meals past with our friends.  I bought dates with the intention of using them in a recipe. It seems our calendar gets filled up quickly during the season, so I decided to try a festive idea with them.
The dates now star in the recipe. I split the dates and filled them with cheese, then wrapped the date with half-baked bacon. I really wanted to use blue cheese, but thanks to the ice outside and my expired cheese inside, I used Swiss cheese for me and cream cheese for the Big Guy. Nothing like having to be creative when you are being creative, eh? I added brown sugar over the top and baked them until the cheese started to ooze and the bacon became crisp. It was the perfect appetizer for the evening along with a lovely bottle of wine.  There is nothing like a good potato pancake, but Big Guy and I tend to be lazy about making them. The opportunity arose the other day by way of leftover potatoes from @samssteak. Big Guy was able to make the perfect cake which we enjoyed with our leftover steak.
I hope everyone has discovered the gem of a restaurant, @samssteak. The food and service are outstanding, and we walked away so happy to have enjoyed a special meal. It is the perfect time to go since the entire restaurant is festively decorated for the holidays. As @prueleith says, “it was worth the calories!”  I know Christmas is around the corner when it comes time to make and decorate cookies with @abrandt1026. The beneficiary is her beautiful daughter who watched Frozen while we worked in the kitchen. Thanks to @kingarthurbaking I was able to bake the cookies quickly due to their prepared mix. I opted to try my hand at Royal Icing, which my hat is off to bakers, was a learning curve since it was my first time. Big Guy mixed and mixed and it seemed like we were not getting anywhere until we finally had icing. In the end, after making the first batch of cookies look like snow had fallen on them, we got enough practice to ice the cookies with a more balanced hand. The best part is not the beauty of the cookies but making memories. I think we may go for icing next year and jazz the cookies up with sprinkles. Thoughts?  My parents loved egg casseroles, especially during the holiday season. I found a “manly quiche” recipe by @emeril which quickly became a staple in our house with, of course, the @carondeletkitchen influence. The layers, yet simplicity, of the recipe is a winner. The bottom layer is hash browns and onions with a healthy amount of butter to allow it to crisp up well. Once the bottom layer is cooked, you add the eggs, cheese, and cooked sausage into the pan. Big Guy loves to add red pepper rings to give it a festive presentation. Once it is all cooked, serve it right away. I promise no one will walk away from the table hungry!
 "Sometimes me think, "What is Friend?" Then me say, "Friend is someone to share the last cookie with."
- The Cookie Monster |
AuthorJust a super cool old couple who love to cook and eat and drink in their Carondelet Kitchen in South Saint Louis, Missouri! Archives
December 2025
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