Atebites

Old-Fashioned Meatloaf Taking a few basic ingredients and making them taste great is the hallmark of Americana cooking. So to mess too much with an old-fashioned meatloaf recipe would make it no old-fashioned, but new and fancy. Therefore, without taking too many liberties this is my favorite old-fashioned recipe with some minor upgrades. Basic ketchup [...]

Banana Bread This is a tried-and-true classic recipe for banana bread, but with a modern twist. By adding a little sour cream we moisten and lighten the bread up. Total time: 90 minutes Ingredients 2 cups all-purpose flour 1 cup sugar 8 tablespoons butter, room temperature 2 eggs 3 bananas 1 teaspoon cinnamon, ground 1 [...]

Bittersweet Chocolate Ganache Pie Ganache is a fancy way of saying the easiest chocolate pie ever. You know that rich, creamy chocolate frosting on top of cakes? That’s a type of ganache made from just chocolate + cream. It also makes a great pie filling. Other ingredients can be combined depending on the flavor you’re [...]

Homemade Graham Crackers Graham crackers are generally thought of as supermarket snack food, and they are just that. To home cooks these bold, rich crackers are more than just snacks, they’re an important ingredient in cream pies and cheesecakes, where they form the crust. Of course homemade is going to be better than store bought; [...]

Mac and Cheese Creamy homemade macaroni & cheese is classic comfort food. This recipe is so simple, with just basic ingredients, there’s no reason to make mac & cheese from a supermarket box kit. Total time: 45 minutes Ingredients 16 ounces elbow macaroni 1 quart milk 8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter, divided 1/2 cup all-purpose [...]

Double Chocolate-Chip Muffins A classic American muffin in double-chocolate; using both cocoa and chocolate chunks from your favorite dark or bittersweet chocolate bar. For best quality don’t skimp on the chocolate, use a bar that you’d enjoy eating all on its own. Total time: 30 minutes Ingredients 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour 2 teaspoons baking [...]

All-Purpose Gravy Gravy is usually made from drippings of the main course; a roasted chicken, pot roast, fried bacon, and so on. This gravy can be made without any special ingredients, just some broth and a few vegetables. A meaty flavor is built up from a mirepoix, a combination of carrots, celery and onions which [...]

Country Breakfast Gravy This is the gravy like mom used to make, using just simple ingredients. Tastes great over biscuits and sausage. Cook the roux for only a couple minutes before adding milk to get white gravy or a bit longer for a darker color. Total time: 10 minutes Ingredients 4 cups milk 1/2 cup [...]

Cajun Style Chicken Meatballs Before anyone gets into a food fight over whether this recipe is authentic Cajun or not let’s just establish that it’s Cajun inspired. Enough of that, now let’s get on to a great tasting dish. Cajun is about making the basics taste great. So start with a free-range chicken (or turkey) [...]

Bittersweet Chocolate ‘n Pear Pie Pears are a sweet fruit which combine nicely with bittersweet chocolate, as this recipe proves. When topped with whipped cream you create a delectable layer of flavors; first the cream, then sweet pears, and finally bittersweet chocolate. Total time: 4 hours 30 minutes Makes: one 10-inch (26 cm) pie. Serves [...]

Red Pepper Jelly It’s spicy hot and sweet, and it’s amazing. This bright red jelly is made from chili peppers. It goes well with meats, especially Mexican dishes like tacos and enchiladas. We keep a jar around at all times to use as a substitute in recipes calling for hot sauces. It’s an all natural [...]