Adam and I rarely go out for New Years Eve, we rather relax at home and stay away from the crazy people out. This year with a new puppy was no exception. I wanted to make a yummy impressive dinner. This sure did!

This was AMAZING! We didn’t have any brandy so we used rum, but it was a wonderful sweet rich sauce that paired PERFECT with the sauce. We had baked potatoes, green beans, and mushrooms with it.

We only used 2 steaks but kept the sauce recipe the same, we had no leftover sauce.

Steak au Poivre with Brandied Cream Sauce (From: Cooks Illustrated)

• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 medium shallot , minced
• 1 cup low-sodium beef broth
• 3/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 1/4 cup brandy
• 1 tablespoon brandy
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice or 1 teaspoon champagne vinegar
• Table salt
• 4 strip steaks (8 to 10 ounces each), 3/4 to 1 inch thick and no larger than 3 inches at widest points, trimmed of exterior gristle
• 1 tablespoon black peppercorns , crushed

Heat 1 tablespoon butter in 12-inch heavy-bottomed skillet over medium heat; when foaming subsides, add shallot and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 2 minutes. Add beef and chicken broths, increase heat to high, and boil until reduced to about 1/2 cup, about 8 minutes. Set reduced broth mixture aside. Rinse and wipe out skillet.

Meanwhile, sprinkle both sides of steaks with salt; rub one side of each steak with 1 teaspoon crushed peppercorns, and, using fingers, press peppercorns into steaks to make them adhere.

Place now-empty skillet over medium heat until hot, about 4 minutes. Lay steaks unpeppered-side down in hot skillet, increase heat to medium-high, firmly press down on steaks with bottom of cake pan (see illustration below), and cook steaks without moving them until well-browned, about 6 minutes. Using tongs, flip steaks, firmly press down on steaks with bottom of cake pan, and cook on peppered side, about 3 minutes longer for rare, about 4 minutes longer for medium-rare, or about 5 minutes longer for medium. Transfer steaks to large plate and tent loosely with foil to keep warm.

Pour reduced broth, cream, and 1/4 cup brandy into now-empty skillet; increase heat to high and bring to boil, scraping pan bottom with wooden spoon to loosen browned bits. Simmer until deep golden brown and thick enough to heavily coat back of metal tablespoon or soup spoon, about 5 minutes. Off heat, whisk in remaining 3 tablespoons butter, remaining 1 tablespoon brandy, lemon juice or vinegar, and any accumulated meat juices. Adjust seasonings with salt.

Set steaks on individual dinner plates, spoon portion of sauce over steaks, and serve immediately.

Serves 4.   Published September 1, 2001.

When Adam came home and told me they were having a chili cook-off for Halloween I told him I wanted to make some. I was going to make my normal chili recipe until he told me the prize for the winner was a dutch oven, I have been dreaming of a dutch oven so I had to up it a knotch.

I asked the girls on Whats Cooking and the ideas suprised me, but in the end I tried it and they really did make it AMAZING!

Although we didn’t get 1st place in the cook-off, we got second place. Next year I will be first!!!! I will gladly take any ranking though!

• 1 1/2 lb hamburger
• 1/4 onion
• 4 cloves garlic
• 1 lg. can tomato sauce
• 1 lg. can cushed tomatoes
• 2 can chili beans
• 2 cans red kidney beans
• chili powder to flavor
• 5 squared hersheys chocolate

Fry hamburger in pan. Pour into crock pot. Cook onion and garlic in onion grease, drain and add to crock pot.

Combine beans, tomtato sauce, tomatoes, and beans with meat in crock pot.

Add chili powder to taste.

Cook on low for 8 hours.

Add 4 squares of chocolate. Cook on low until ready to serve.

Top with a dollop or sour cream and some cheddar cheese. ENJOY!

• 1 lb ground sirloin
• 2 slices wheat bread toasted and processed
• 1 tsp. oregano
• 1 tsp. basil
• 1 tsp. garlic powder
• 1 tsp. onion powder
• 1/4 C. grated parmesan cheese
• 1 egg

• 2 cans diced tomatoes
• 1 8oz. can tomato sauce
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 2/3 cup fresh basil coarsely chopped
• 3 cups chicken stock
• 1 cup orzo (raw) cooked according to package directions
• 1 cup half and half
• 1 stick unsalted butter
• Salt and Pepper to taste
• Grated Parmesan cheese for garnish

I saw Chelly make this on my google reader and knew I had to try it, I had honestly never heard of such a thing but Adam love steak. I figured tonight would be the perfect occasion as it was our 4 year dating anniversary.

I didn’t know what pate was and asked Chelley and she said she left it out, so I did the same. So you could easily leave this out. This was an AWESOME meal and well like by both Adam and Myself.

Beef Wellington (Inspired from: Brown Eyed Baker, From: Emeril Lagasse)

• 4 (6-ounce) thickly cut filet mignons
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 4 (1-ounce) slices goose or duck liver, or pork country-style pate
• One-half (17 1/4-ounce package) frozen puff pastry (1 sheet), thawed
• Mushroom Duxelles, recipe follows
• 1 large egg beaten with 2 teaspoons water to make an egg wash

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

Season both sides of each filet with ¼ teaspoon of the salt and 1/8 teaspoon of the pepper.

Heat the oil in a large heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add the filets and sear for 1 minute on each side for medium-rare. Transfer to a plate to cool completely.

Roll out the puff pastry on a lightly floured surface to a 14-inch square, and cut into 4 (7-inch) squares.

Spread one-quarter of the mushroom duxelles on top of each filet and top each with 1 slice of the pate, pressing to flatten. Place one filet, mushroom side down, in the center of a puff pastry square. Using a pastry brush or your finger, paint the inside edges of the pastry with egg wash. Fold the pastry over the filet as though wrapping a package and press the edges to seal. Place the packages seam-side down on the prepared baking sheet. Brush the egg wash over the tops and sides of each package and bake until the pastry is golden brown and an instant-read thermometer registers 140 degrees F for medium-rare, about 20 minutes.

Remove from the oven and let rest for 10 minutes before serving.

Mushroom Duxelles:

• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons minced shallots
• ½ teaspoon minced garlic
• 10 ounces button mushrooms, wiped clean, stemmed, and finely chopped
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper
• 2½ tablespoons dry white wine

Heat the butter in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add the shallots and garlic and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds. Add the mushrooms, salt, and white pepper, reduce the heat to medium, and cook, stirring, until all the liquid has evaporated and the mushrooms begin to caramelize, about 12 minutes. Add the wine and cook, stirring to deglaze the pan, until all the liquid has evaporated. Remove from the heat and let cool before using.

Yield: 1/2 cup

Adam and I went to Rainbow a few weeks ago, and were walking by the deli counter and saw blue cheese and bacon burgers. They looked SOOOO good. So we got 3 of them to try. They were the BEST burgers I have ever had, so tonight I decided to make my own blue cheese bacon burgers.

Mine were just as good if not better

Blue Cheese, Bacon Stuffed Burgers (From: Myself)

• 1/2 c. crumbled blue cheese
• 1/2 c. crumbled bacon (cooked and cut into pieces)
• 2 lbs hamburger
• seasoning salt
• garlic powder
• onion powder

Mix everything together in the mixer.

Press into patties, I used my hamburger press and used about a 1/4 c. of meat per burger (I got 6 burgers)

Fry and enjoy