We love a good escargot and, apparently, so do the people of Frankfurt. Perhaps it is because we have come across several French Bistros, but they can be found in traditional German restaurants as well. More correctly, you will find snails on the menus, whether it is French or German. We have been here for almost four weeks now and already have had snails at least four times. There is nothing like dipping bread into the garlic butter that the snails are usually cooked in, decadently delicious.
Escargot at a French BistroCheese Covered Snails
Twice we had snails covered in cheese. One was covered with a mozzarella-like cheese and the cheese was gooey and sumptuous. The second was covered with a Gruyère type cheese, which also extremely good as well, but we are not sure that snails, oil, butter, and herbs really need to be enhanced by cheese. We suppose those that say cheese always make things better would probably disagree. Who knows, we will probably find deep-fried snails covered in cheese at some point, why stop with just cheese 😁.
Classic Escargot in HeidelbergGruyere Covered Snails
It is certainly not the healthiest of choices, but it is hard not to have escargot when we find them on the menu. Some people are turned off by the thought of snails, but we are firm believers in trying new and different foods. We had our children try escargot when they were young without telling them what they were eating and they all really enjoyed it. We even tried a local delicacy, that might roll some eyes, over the weekend, but we will save that for another post.
Manicotti is one of those meals that is perfect for any occasion and, best of all, it is even better the next day. When we’re looking for a meal that can satisfy our tastes as well as offer multiple dinner options, manicotti is an excellent choice. The spaghetti or marinara sauce can pull double duty and be frozen or put over pasta later in the week and the leftovers make a wonderful lunch as well. Baked manicotti can be made for a large party or for just the two of us, which works out perfect with our busy lives.
Ingredients
1 box Manicotti Shells (10 shells) – If you can’t find manicotti shells, you can substitute cannelloni shells.
2 cups Spaghetti or Marinara Sauce – we used our own semi-homemade sauce, but you can use your favorite sauce.
16 oz Ricotta Cheese
8 oz Mozzarella Cheese – shredded
1 tsp Garlic Powder
2 tsp Italian Seasoning
1 egg
Parmesan Cheese – shredded as desired
Salt and Pepper to taste
Baked Manicotti
Instructions
Cook the shells according to the box instructions leaving them slightly al dente since they will be baked afterward. Mix the ricotta cheese, three-quarters of the mozzarella cheese, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, egg, salt, and pepper in a medium-sized bowl. In a casserole dish, spread about a half a cup of the sauce into the bottom of the dish. When the shells are cool, stuff them with the cheese mixture and place into the casserole dish. Cover the shells with remaining sauce. Top with the remaining mozzarella cheese and parmesan cheese, if using. Bake in a pre-heated oven at 350 degrees for thirty minutes or until the cheese is melted and the sauce is bubbly.
Our Semi-Homemade Spaghetti SauceRicotta Cheese MixtureStuffed ShellsReady to BakeDinner is Served
Every now and again, you just get in the mood for having breakfast at dinnertime. Whether its pancakes, waffles, or eggs, it is just very comforting, especially since we rarely sit down to a hot breakfast due our hectic work schedules. This was a family recipe long before restaurants starting creating skillets with a variety of breakfast items tossed into a single dish, so we must have been ahead of the curve on this one. In fact, we don’t have a real name for it, more of a nickname. Depending upon which family member you talk to, it is either egg slop or goop, but clearly those are terms of endearment. We make it with a spicy chili sauce, but you could easily substitute any sauce that suits your taste. We hope that you enjoy it, we certainly did, as we always do when we have this hearty breakfast dinner.
The Finished Product 🙂
Ingredients (Serves 2)
4 Large Eggs
2 tbsp Unsalted Butter
3 cups Hash Brown Potatoes
3 tbsp Vegetable Oil
3 cups Water
1 1/2 tbsp Chili Powder
3/4 tbsp Garlic Powder
1/2 tbsp Cayenne Pepper (optional)
1/2 tbsp Salt
1/4 tbsp Ground Black Pepper
1/2 cup All-Purpose Flour
1/2 to 1 cup Shredded Cheese
Chili SauceEggs in Skillet
Instructions
You can prepare the hash browns according to the package, but we’ve found an alternative solution that reduces the amount of oil necessary and makes them a little healthier. Place the hash browns into a plastic bag with the vegetable oil and shake until they are well coated. Preheat an oven to 450 degrees. Spread the hash browns out onto a cookie sheet, ensuring that they are in a single layer and that they aren’t too crowded, and sprinkle with salt. Place the hash browns into the oven and cook for 30 to 40 minutes, flipping them half way through, until they are golden brown and slightly crispy. While the hash browns are cooking, prepare the chili sauce by whisking the flour with the cold water until all lumps have been removed. Alternately, you could make a roux by combining the flour with 2 tablespoons of melted butter and then adding the water. Whisk in the chili powder, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, salt and pepper. Heat the sauce, while continuously whisking, over medium heat until it just starts to boil and then turn down to low, just to keep it warm. If the sauce thickens too much, add water to keep it at the desired density. When the hash browns have finished, pull them out of the oven and heat the oven on broil at 500 degrees. In a skillet, heat the butter on medium-high heat. Add the eggs and cook them sunny-side up or to your desired style. Place half of the hash browns onto two oven-safe plates. Cover with the desired amount of sauce (the recipe makes more sauce than needed, but is great for leftovers and other recipes). On each plate, put two eggs on top of the hash browns, top with half of the cheese, and put the plates into the oven on a high rack. Broil for 5 to 10 minutes, watching closely so as not to burn the cheese, and remove when the cheese has fully melted. Be sure to put hot pads under the plates when serving the dish as the plates will be extremely hot.
