Cheese and Beer Bread

The next in my autumn comfort series is Cheese and Beer Bread. I know you're raising your eyebrow right now, thinking I must have lost my mind to want to put alcohol in bread, but trust me on this one. The beer is what makes this quick bread rise, and the alcohol cooks out during baking. What's left is a hint of beer taste in a fluffy bread that's just asking to be dipped in all of your favorite soups and stews.

Cheese and Beer Bread

2 1/2 cups flour
2 tbs sugar
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp basil
12 oz beer (anything works -- but dark or imported beers give the most flavor)
1 c shredded cheese (cheddar is my favorite)


1. Spray bottom of loaf pan with cooking spray. Set aside.

2. In large mixing bowl stir together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, spices, and salt. Add the beer and cheddar. Stir just until combined (batter will be lumpy)

3. Spoon into prepared pan. Bake at 375 Fahrenheit for 35-40 minutes, until golden and knife inserted near center comes out mostly clean.

4. Cool 10 minutes. Remove from pan and serve.

Side Sensations: Buffalo Potato Wedges

I'm going back through my old SparkPeople recipe book and I found this little gem! I came up with this one night when we were having burgers and I forgot to grab French fries...whoooopsie. I did have half a bottle of Frank's Red Hot, half a package of Colby Jack cheese, and green onion on hand -- so I threw them together and an instant hit was born.

Buffalo Potato Wedges

4 baked potatoes
1/4 c light margarine, melted
1/4 c red pepper sauce
1/4 c diced green onion
1/2 c low fat shredded Colby Jack cheese


. Cut each baked potato lengthwise into 4 equal slices. Arrange on baking sheet, skin down.

2. In small bowl mix melted margarine and pepper sauce together. Use basting brush to coat potato slices with half of pepper sauce mixture.

3. Bake at 400 degrees 10 minutes. Brush with remaining pepper sauce and top with cheese and onion. Bake an additional 7-10 minutes, until cheese is bubbly, but not browned.

4. Serve warm as is, or garnished with ranch dressing or sour cream

Meatball Stew

The weather is finally cooling down and it's time to pull out my autumn comfort foods. This one is a family favorite. Meatballs swimming in a tangy tomato soup loaded down with veggies! It does take some time to brown the meatballs, but I always enlist the help of tiny hands. They think it's just awesome that I'm letting them get sticky and gooey.

I usually make this stovetop, but it works just as well as a crockpot meal.

Meatball Stew

1/2 c 1% milk
4 egg whites OR 2 whole eggs
1 cup bread crumbs
1/4 c grated Parmesan cheese
2.5 to 3 lbs 93% lean ground meat (I like turkey)
1/4-1/2 c olive oil
3 medium or 2 large carrots, sliced
3 stalks celery, sliced
1 medium onion, quartered, sliced
4 cloves garlic, minced
4 cups beef broth
12 oz tomato paste
2 30-oz cans tomato sauce
1 tbs dried oregano
2 tsp basil
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 tbs dried rosemary (optional)

1. In large bowl whisk together milk and egg whites. Add bread crumbs and Parmesan. Using hands, knead in ground meat.

2. Heat olive oil in heavy 3 qt sauce pan over medium heat. Shape ground turkey mixture into 1-inch balls and fry 12 at a time in hot oil 3-5 minutes, until browned on all sides. Remove from sauce pan and transfer to plate. Should yield 36 meatballs.

3. Add onions, carrots, and celery to pan. Add garlic clove. Saute 3-5 minutes, until tender.

4. Stir in tomato paste. Simmer 5 minutes.

5. Whisk in beef broth. Add tomato sauce, oregano, basil, and pepper. Return meatballs to pot. Bring to boil; reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, 2.5-3 hours.

CROCKPOT: After browning meatballs, add to crockpot. Stir in veggies. Stir in beef broth, tomato sauce, tomato paste, and spices. Cook on high 4-6 hours or low 6-8 hours.