pioneer food.

My sister and I were talking about the recipes published by the Pioneer Woman. She said she hadn't had much luck with those recipes, where I've tried a bunch of them and had been mostly pleased. So I compiled a list of the PW recipes I've made and what I thought of them. Then I realized what an easy cooking-related blog post this would make. I'm all about reuse.

Not My Favorite
Crispy Yoghurt Chicken - I think it was the quality of chicken legs we used, but this was gross. Josh liked it okay.
Chicken and Rice Soup - This was so salty I couldn't eat it. Josh trudged through it valiantly because I made it for him because of his bike wreck. I blame the bouillion.

Okay, I Suppose. Shrug.
Black Bean Chowder with Yogurt-Cilantro Relish - Kind of sludgy, but I think I messed it up.
BBQ Meatballs - I liked the homemade BBQ sauce, but the meatballs themselves were only so-so. Tasted like meatloaf, which I've never been a huge fan of. Also, using oatmeal as the binding agent gave it a "fakey" texture. While I knew that the meatballs didn't have anything artificial in them, they tasted like they did.
French Onion Soup - I'm still looking for the perfect french onion soup recipe. This one is fine, but it's not any better than ones I've tried that were much less effort.
Cheese Muffins - Good, but end up being greasy. Likely an issue with the non-stick spray.
Good Morning Muffins - I thought they were pretty good, but Josh said, "Do not ever make these again." He was creeped out by the marmalade bits.

Rather Good
Blueberry Yogurt Smoothie - homemade smoothies...yum. Works great with other fruits.
Fluffy New Potatoes - I like that you can freeze them and reheat them quickly later. I'd like to try this again with a different recipe for the insides. So I guess that means I don't like these all that much, but instead the idea of freezing, which she did not invent.
Stuffed Onions - Josh liked it better with stuffed green peppers, which was also very good. Both are surprisingly filling.
Pots de Creme - Easy, yummy, and fancy-looking, though not to die for.
Macaroni and Cheese - The creaminess factor was spot on, which I haven't found before. I did not care for the mustardy tang. Josh ate it like it was going out of style. And then he ate some more.

Excellent
Cauliflower Soup - Subtle, but rich and buttery. Good with bread.
Oven-Roasted Asparagus - I grew up eating asparagus that had been microwaved on a plate under a piece of plastic wrap. I thought it was good, but I realized when I made it this way that I had not known true asparagus before (sorry, Mama).
Decadent Chocolate Milk - We mixed this into coffee for rich homemade mochas.
Homemade Pumpkin Puree - Very easy and I've made some good stuff from it, including her recipe for pumpkin butter and pumpkin chocolate chip cookies. Will probably do this again in the fall.
Creamed Spinach - She has posted two recipes for this. I like this one better, though I also add nutmeg.
Bacon-Wrapped Jalapenos - We ate an obscene amount of these in one sitting and got tummyaches. It was totally worth it.

Really Super Awesome
Enchiladas - Oh man, these are sooooooo good. We make our own sauce and skip the part about the sauce - it's just barely enough for the recipe. I've made this several times. It has ruined most Mexican restaurants for me, at least the kind with a Speedy Gonzales lunch special.
Oatmeal Crispies - FANtastic. Easy and different, crowd-pleasers.

Now go out and make food. Eat it. Be happy.