Recipe Reviews! Week 17

I kind of missed/skipped doing a Recipe Reviews post last week on purpose, but not really on purpose. I ended up taking a break from the blog for the week and am hoping to change a few things and do better with my blogging intentions! So, here we are back to the weekly Recipe Reviews and the recipes this week included...

Steel Cut Oats

Several months ago, I asked my sisters for new oatmeal recipes as I was looking to add variety to our oatmeal breakfast routine. I went back
through my email archives and found this recipe from my sister, Rachel. I've never had steel cut oats before, but I know that Rach really likes them, so I thought it was worth a try. I have to say that since I don't have a rice cooker, I just cooked them in a pot according to the directions on the package. I also didn't have any frozen fruit, but I thought using some of my plum jam would work. So much for following a recipe exactly this time!

(I tried to take a photo of the finished product, but couldn't get an attractive one.)

The Honest Review: I can't say that I was a huge fan of this type of oatmeal. I don't know quite what it was about it, but I wasn't impressed. The texture reminded me a bit of tapioca, and I wonder if using the frozen fruit would have helped. I didn't even bother asking Jason to taste it, as he doesn't like cooked oatmeal or tapioca textured things. I am curious if using a rice cooker produces different results than cooking in a pan? I may try this one more time with frozen fruit, but will definitely make a smaller batch! I ended up throwing part of this away. I don't think this recipe is staying in our collection.

Enchilada Casserole

In trying to make new recipes that Jason likes, I have been using his cookbook from his Mom a lot. This is a recipe that he says he remembers having as a kid, but didn't remember if he liked it or not. I made a half recipe as I have started to do with a lot of the new recipes. I did have to ask his Mom is plain Doritos were different than regular tortilla chips; she said they were the same, so I just used tortilla chips.

The Honest Review: It was kind of "enh." The chips that are in the layers lose their crunch, but don't quite become soggy- they are somewhere in-between which we found un-appealing. The chips on top also lost their crunch. The flavor wasn't bad, but it seemed to be lacking something. Both Jason and I thought we would like the recipe better wrapped in tortillas, burrito-style, with an enchilada sauce on top. Jason said that this probably would not become his favorite recipe. This recipe is tossed from our collection.

Veal Chops with Creamy Vidalia Sauce

This recipe comes from Jason's Better Homes and Gardens On the Grill cookbook. I was looking for a good, new recipe to make with our very last elk steaks. (I've been purposely using up all the leftover meat in our freezer before buying new.) I realize this recipe is for veal, but I thought the onion sauce looked delicious and wanted to try it. I grilled the elk with only the onion salt for seasoning as per the recipe,  and made the sauce. The one thing I didn't make in this recipe was the Parsnip mashed potatoes. I don't remember what we had for a side that day.

The Honest Review: The elk turned out nicely, and the onion sauce also turned out quite nicely. However, they didn't quite go together that well. We all agreed that the onion sauce was very delicious- Little Pumpkin absolutely LOVED it and wanted to just eat the sauce! We definitely enjoyed our last elk steaks even if the sauce didn't quite work with them. We really do want to use this sauce recipe again, and potentially try it with veal, which neither of us have ever had. This recipe is staying in our collection.

Augratin Potatoes

It has been a long time since I made any kind of scalloped potatoes, but I recall that it didn't turn out well. This recipe from Jason's Mom looked pretty easy, and I believe Jason may have requested it.

The Honest Review: It was really tasty! It is not a complex dish with lots of varying flavors, but a nice, simple, delicious dish. We all really enjoyed this recipe, and I wished I had made a full recipe instead of a half. Jason did say that he can't remember if his Mom ever put the onions in this dish, as she doesn't like onions. But, we all agreed that the onions are a nice addition to the recipe. It was a pretty easy recipe to make, and I would recommend it if you're looking for an easy, good, scalloped potato recipe. This recipe is staying in our collection.

Quaker's Tantalizing Baked Chicken

Jason has talked about this baked chicken that his Mom used to make several times, but we have never made it. When asking him for meal ideas the other week, he brought it up again, so I decided to try it. We also had all of the ingredients for it, so that was a nice perk! I did use chicken breasts for this recipe, but I think his Mom may have made it with thighs and drumsticks.

The Honest Review: We actually had differing opinions on this recipe. Jason liked it and said it was close to just like his Mom used to make. The chicken did get a little dry, unfortunately, and I'm not sure how I could've combatted that. For myself, I thought the flavors were a little bland and that the texture of the oatmeal was kind of strange. Especially with the oatmeal that was towards the bottom of the pan and cooked with the juices- it just made a strange texture. For myself, I'm not sure if I would make this recipe again, but Jason disagreed with me. This recipe is staying in our collection.

Alterations: Try increasing the seasoning amounts, use bone-in pieces of chicken.

Green Bean Casserole

Who hasn't had Green Bean Casserole at least once in their life? It's usually a staple food at Thanksgiving and Christmas, as least in my mind. I don't remember having it very much growing up besides at those holidays. I always really liked it, though! For some reason I had it in my head that Jason didn't like Green Bean Casserole, but I wanted to make this dish and try out my Cream of Mushroom Soup Mix that I had made in Week 16! I did just make a half batch in case it didn't work out.

(Finished product is pictured above with the Quaker's Tantalizing Baked Chicken.)

The Honest Review: Besides being a little bit soupy, it turned out well! The Cream of Mushroom soup didn't cook up as thick as I thought it should, which could be why the casserole was a bit soupy. We all really enjoyed the recipe, and I found out that Jason does indeed like Green Bean Casserole! I'm not sure that I have any other recipes for Green Bean Casserole; I will have to check. This recipe is staying in our collection.

Unlike my normal style, I didn't make a dessert this week so I don't have a dessert recipe to share with you. I'm sorry!

Are any of these recipes similar to a recipe that you liked growing up?