NATIONAL PIG IN A BLANKET DAY RECIPE

I've been so negligent in posting this month! April is so busy in the garden and the yard. We had a ton of rain- which is great but with that, we now have a ton of weeds, some now as high as my head. They got the jump on me and now I'm playing catch up. I have spent the entire week bush-hogging the back 40 and I have not had time to cook one single thing. When my mom didn't want to cook, which was not often, she would sometimes make breakfast for supper: eggs or pancakes or maybe waffles on special occasions. Sometimes, she would make pigs in a blanket. They were fast. easy, and even my youngest brother liked hot dogs.

Mom would cut the hot dogs down the middle, put a little cheddar cheese inside and wrap them in a piece of white bread spread with spicy mustard and some ketchup, held together with a toothpick. She'd toast them in the oven until the cheese melted and the bread toasted. Boy those were so good! Sometimes, she'd crumble some bacon on top or add some grilled onions for my dad. I haven't had one since I was a kid but when I saw that today was National Pig In a Blanket Day, I felt like I just had to post something to celebrate this simple comfort food from childhood that really sounds pretty good right about now!

This is how most of us make pigs in a blanket these days... simply wrap the pig of choice in some ready made dough and bake.

I made these little guilty pleasures with spicy smoked sausages and crescent roll dough. They are hard to resist! Simply bake according to the package directions for the rolls. The sausages are pre-cooked. Serve with some spicy brown mustard or grainy Dijon mixed with a little honey.  Oh, and Happy National Pig in a Blanket Day from my little friend.

Happy National Pig in a Blanket Day!

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RECIPES: EASY, CHEESY MASHED POTATO TOPPED SHEPHERD'S PIE

Shepherd's Pie is a great, inexpensive recipe when you need something comforting to feed a big crowd and it is absolutely perfect for St. Patrick's Day celebrations! Ground meat, potatoes, onions.... the ingredients are simple, the prep time is minimal and you can bake it off right before guests arrive. With the ground beef and potatoes, your picky eaters will never notice the carrots or peas hiding in the filling. I normally use ground beef for this recipe but made it once with ground lamb and it was fantastic... just not my favorite.

TRADITONAL SHEPHERD'S PIE with PARMESAN MASHED POTATO TOPPING

Makes 4-6 small ramekins or 1 medium casserole

INGREDIENTS

1/2 tablespoon olive oil

1 1/2 pounds ground beef (or ground lamb if you prefer- or a combination of both)

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1 small yellow onion, diced small (about 1 cup)

2 carrots, diced very small

2 cloves garlic, finely grated

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

3 tablespoons tomato paste

1/2 cup red wine

1 cup chicken stock

1/2 cup frozen English peas

1 teaspoon fresh Thyme leaves, minced fine

1 teaspoon fresh rosemary leaves, minced fine

For the mashed potato topping:

2-3 large potatoes, peeled and diced small

1 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided n half

1 egg yolk

1/3 cup whole milk

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Dice the potatoes. Rinse in cool water. Fill a pot with water. Add the potatoes. Bring to a boil and cook until the potatoes are just fork tender. Drain well. Mash the potatoes while they are hot and allow to cool slightly. Add the milk, salt, and pepper. Using a hand mixer or any method you prefer, whip the potatoes until they are fluffy. Add the egg yolk and 1/2 cup of the Parmesan. Mix together. Set aside.

In a large skillet or pan, heat the olive oil. Add the ground beef and brown it. Add the onion and carrots. Brown until they are softened, about 3-4 minutes. Drain off excess fat if there is any. Add the tomato paste and cook for about 2 minutes. Add the Worcestershire sauce and cook that for about 1 minute. Add the red wine to deglaze the pan, scraping up any bits of flavor on the bottom of your pan. Add the thyme and the parsley. Cook until the wine is mostly reduced. Stir in the chicken stock. Cook 3-4 minutes more. The mixture should be quite thick and paste like. If it is not, cook and stir until most of the liquid is cooked off. Check the seasoning- you may need a bit more salt and pepper. At this point. I often put a quick dash of Tabasco or a pinch of cayenne pepper for some faint heat.

Spray your ramekin or casserole dish with non-stick spray or do what I do and brush the ramekin with a little olive oil and then dust it with some of the grated Parmesan cheese. Fill the ramekin 2/3 full with the meat mixture. Top with the potatoes. Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top.  Use a fork to pierce the top so the juice will bubble up through the potatoes. Bake for 18-20 minutes or until golden brown and bubbly hot.

FOUR TO TRY: ALL ABOUT THAT BEEF WITH RECIPES FROM JAMIE, REE, MICHAEL, AND MING

I'm always running across interesting recipes from my favorite cooks, chefs, and blogs I want to try. Here are my recipe picks of the week from all around the web.

IT'S ALL ABOUT THAT BEEF. 'BOUT THAT BEEF...

Note: If you are unsure about what cut to buy at the store, (regions may label cuts differently)my friends at Certified Angus Beef have a helpful guide for buying beef on their website.

Ree Drummond's Braised Beef Short Ribs over Creamy Polenta PHOTO: Ree Drummond/ThePioneerWoman.com

BRAISED BEEF SHORT RIBS/REE DRUMMOND: Since she lives on a cattle farm and her husband is a cattle farmer, I figure Ree Drummond, The Pioneer Woman, knows a lot about cooking beef. I make my beef short ribs in a similar way but don't always use red wine- I use beef stock because that's how my mom did it. And I rarely have a shallot so I use onion. And of course, I serve mine over creamy grits. Try her recipe-the photos are stunning; you can see the process step-by-step. Purchase bone-in short ribs if you can find them. The bone does really add so much to the flavor. Get the recipe... from ThePioneerWoman.com

Jamie Oliver's Perfect Roast Beef from JamieOliver.com PHOTO: JamieOliver.com

PERFECT ROAST BEEF/JAMIE OLIVER: The British are particularly good at Roast Beef. When I go over to England, my friend Gillie makes me her classic "roast dinner" with Yorkshire Pudding and all the trimmings! Roast was always one of my Mom's best dishes, too. Jamie's recipe is rustic with very few ingredients. He calls for "topside of beef" which I interpret to mean a rump roast or round cut which is off the backside of the cow. Homey, comfort food but special enough for Sunday dinner. Get the recipe... from JamieOliver.com

Chef Michael Symon's slow cooker recipe for his spin on a classic beef stew with root vegetables from an episode of ABC's The Chew.

SLOW COOKER BEEF STEW WITH ROOT VEGETABLES/CHEF MICHAEL SYMON/THE CHEW:  While we're thawing out, most of the country is still frozen in. Nothing is cozier or more comforting than a good Beef Stew. Here's one for your slow cooker. Watch the video, Michael gives some great slow cooker tips on browning the meat first for the best flavor and reducing the amount of water if you're converting a recipe not created for a slow cooker. The root veggies are an interesting twist on the classic; Chef Symon uses parsnips, celery root, butternut squash, and carrots. Get the recipe... from ABC's The Chew. NOTE: I notice the recipe says you need to BAKE a bundle of thyme and rosemary. That should be MAKE.

Chef Ming Tsai's Beef and Broccoli beats take out any day. PHOTO: Ming.com

BEEF AND BROCCOLI / CHEF MING TSAI: I don't live anywhere near a good Chinese restaurant and sometimes long for my days living in New York or Chicago where great Chinese was only a phone call away. I've made this recipe from Ming Tsai a couple of times and it is fast, easy, and delicious. In case you're not familiar with oyster sauce, you can buy it at the grocery, usually in the International aisle. Get the recipe... from Ming.com

My most popular beef recipe is my STEAKHOUSE STEAKS IN A CAST IRON SKILLET. If you haven't tried it, you're going to love it. Once you've tried steaks cooked this way, you'll only fire up the grill for a crowd.