Jolene's Recipe Journal

The weather is changing here in New England and I've started the shift from outdoor cooking to indoor cooking. I've attempted burgers indoors in a variety of ways, and my guys reactions were always the same, lukewarm.  Some of our favorite burger places use a flat top, so I went searching for recipes using that method and found James Schends' Smash Burgers on the Taste of Home site.  I made a few small changes, instead of 4 balls of ground beef I made 8, I wanted them super thin and to use 2 patties per roll.   Once the patties were cooked, I shredded some cheddar cheese over one, topped it with another patty and placed it on the roll.  I added crispy bacon and ketchup.  Absolute heaven!    The guys wolfed them down and asked when they could go on the menu again.  I am really excited about feeding my burger craving this winter without standing in two feet of snow to grill them!  Smash Burgers Print With Image Without Image Author: Jolen...

One of my favorite things to do is take a drive to the nearby farms and see what local products they have. One of these trips led to an absolutely delicious dinner! I started with Valicenti Pasta Farm Brown Butter & Sage Roasted Sweet Potato Ravioli. I used Taste of Home's Sage & Brown Butter sauce to toss the ravioli in.  I wish I'd had some fresh sage on hand, but I only had dried.  I topped it all off with a sprinkle of shredded parm and crispy Daniele, Inc. pancetta. I highly encourage you to get out and visit your local farms and businesses, you never know what amazing things you might find!  Sweet Potato Ravioli with Sage & Browned Butter Print With Image Without Image Author: Jolene's Recipe Journal Ingredients 1 package (12 ounces) refrigerated sweet potato ravioli 1/2 cup butter, cubed 1/2 cup coarsely chopped fresh sage 1/2 teaspoon salt 2 tablespoons lemon juice 1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese Instructions Cook ravioli according to package dir...

I'm finishing up #FallFlavors week with what I feel is one of the most underrated items of the season, pears.  I know that I'm guilty of going all gaga for apples as soon as the calendar flips to September, but there are so many awesome pear varieties available too!  This post is sponsored in conjunction with Fall Flavors Week. I recieved product samples from sponsor companies to aid in the creation of my recipes. All opinions are my own. Now, I realize calling these scones may cause some contention with people. Some would call them biscuits or shortcakes.  I'm not really one to feel obligated to stick to tradition when it comes to food, I just want it to taste delicious! Whatever you call them, these little treats are chock full of bits of pear, beautiful vanilla flavor, and then taken totally over the top with a drizzle of caramel sauce.  Once again, my thanks to Ellen, Christie, and Heather for hosting, as well as to all of the amazing sponsors who made #FallF...

I hope you're enjoying #FallFlavors Week as much as I am, there are so many great recipes being shared!    This post is sponsored in conjunction with Fall Flavors Week. I recieved product samples from sponsor companies to aid in the creation of my recipes. All opinions are my own.   I'm a little bit late jumping on the hasselback potato train, but when I opened the box of beautiful items Melissa's Produce sent, they were the first thing that came to mind.  I love brown sugar with sweet potatoes, so I combined it with some melted butter and to gild the lily, I added some Taylor & Colledge Vanilla Bean Paste. I brushed that between the slices and over the top. I popped it into the oven to roast for 25 mins.  Next I separated the slices and sprinkled Nairn's Oatcakes Oatgraham crumbs between each one. I popped them back in the oven for another 22 mins or so, until the outside was crispy and the inside was cooked through. So delicious!  Be sure to go ...

Welcome to Fall Flavors week! I'm kicking things off with a spin on one of my husband's favorite desserts, tiramisu.  Since I used Republic of Tea's Caramel Apple instead of coffee, I've dubbed it Tea-ramisu! This post is sponsored in conjunction with Fall Flavors Week. I recieved product samples from sponsor companies to aid in the creation of my recipes. All opinions are my own.   I used store bought ladyfingers, but you absolutely can make your own, or you can even use angel food cake. I laid them out and then used a pastry brush to soak them with the tea.  Then I added a drizzle of Torani Puremade Caramel Syrup. Next comes the cream cheese layer.  After that, the lovely caramel apples. You can cheat and use the canned Caramel Apple Pie filling and chop it up, but I make these a lot in fall and use them for a ton of things. Finish it off with some sweetened whipped cream, and another drizzle of caramel if you like. My guys were nagging m...