Jamie C. Recipe Reviews (Pg. 1) - Allrecipes.com (18627256)

Mary's Meatloaf

Reviewed: Feb. 9, 2012

This is delicious! I accidentally went overboard with the amount of meat (about 1.5 of beef and 1 of pork) so I had to make 2 meatloaves. After adding the 1 large onion I realized this, so I added 2 eggs and a bit more garlic powder/pepper/salt. Though, I did not have to add more than about 1/2C of milk, or more than 5 slices of wheat bread. I put the result in two evenly divided 9x5 pans and made the amount of glaze called for, for each, only I used 1 heaping TBS of brown sugar per loaf and it was still sooo tasty. (I do use the all natural Heinz ketchup.) Ultimately, I think adding a little more bread would have been fine but not necessary either. The loaves produced a copious amount of grease (as you would expect) so maybe a bit more bread would have been good, but it held together nicely so I was able to lift it out of the pans and put it on a plate, thereby avoiding the extra grease. DELICIOUS without having to cook the onion extra so long as you like a slightly-crunchy onion, which we do, onion freaks that we are. :)

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Super-Delicious Zuppa Toscana

Reviewed: Jan. 14, 2012

I can't lie, I haven't had whatever 'chain restaurant' soup this is imitating. However, it's still really good. I must confess I left out the bacon because, to me, adding bacon to anything overpowers all the other flavors. So, I tend to try things with & without bacon. I also used kale instead of spinach (per reviews), and milk + cornstarch instead of cream. The "hot Italian sausage" I bought wasn't hot enough for us, so I added 1.5 tsp of crushed red pepper flakes. Also, I think 6 potatoes is a really large number... maybe really small potatoes?! I added 4 and it seemed like so many, I added extra chicken broth + upped the amount of milk I used. Ultimately I left it cooking for 40 minutes after adding the potatoes, and they were super soft - maybe more potatoes wouldn't have been bad? In any case, I really liked this soup. I let the kale sit in the soup (covered, but off, still on the hot burner) for about 15 minutes and it was really good. Next time... will try with bacon!

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Slow Cooker Chicken Marrakesh

Reviewed: Dec. 29, 2011

I made this in a large oval slow cooker, with about 7 or 8 chicken thighs, 2 cans of no-salt garbanzos, 2 cans of tomatoes, 3 carrots, 1 big onion and 2 big sweet potatoes... then I ran out of room! I quadrupled the spices because I hate mild flavors, and it was still not that intense, though it is very delicious. I did not need to add any chicken broth, though at first it seemed very dry - the chicken thighs I put in whole, because they were on the bone (thanks, home grocery delivery for getting my order wrong!) and they would barely squeeze in with the vegetables. I actually had to pack it with my hands. However, after a few hours it was drowning in juices. I took the thighs out and pulled the meat off/shredded with forks, and after putting the meat back in I gave it another 45 minutes or so, waiting for the rice cooker. It was thick but not dry, and very flavorful. I only used so much chicken because it all came in a large package, but the result is a great meaty stew - though as leftovers I find the sauce to be mostly absorbed. I've never had the original so I wasn't sure how to further adjust spices, but I did add about 1/4t of hot cayenne pepper (the 900k SHU kind) and it could've used some more of that too for our preferences. So yummy!

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Chicken In Basil Cream

Reviewed: Dec. 19, 2011

I confess I used 2% instead of heavy cream. The freshest basil I can get here is in those little refrigerated packages in the grocery store, and I'm sure that had a great impact on the final result. I also always use bouillon instead of broth because 1 jar of those cubes has so many and I don't have a lot of space for extra cans. This turned out good, but I felt like it was more work than value, and I am not shy about putting in work in the kitchen, I love cooking! The pan-fried chicken was a nice treat for us because I hardly ever do that. But ultimately I felt like it just needed tons more sauce, and maybe something else in the sauce other than just pimentos and basil and parm. I will probably make this again with some more customization. It was very good with egg noodles and as leftovers, too, I just threw the chicken & sauce in a tupperware together, it didn't seem to act up when microwaving the next day.

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Vegetable Chowder

Reviewed: Dec. 19, 2011

This soup was so good! I feel like celery does not add much, and I would have had too much left over if I'd bought the bunches my store had, so instead I just put in 2 red peppers. Confession: I definitely used WAY more than 1 C of each vegetable, I wanted a big pot of soup. I have this problem with buying vegetables in equal quantities and then realizing at home that they are like 3x what the recipe calls for. I used 3 of what my store labeled 'broccoli crowns' and only 1 cauliflower head which was kind of smallish, could've added two IMO. A medium/large onion, 2 cans of corn because I LOVE corn in soup, and 3 or 4 carrots. My fiancee requested THICK soup so I added a little more flour/milk on top of the around-3x ingredients I used and it thickened amazingly, especially the next day. HOWEVER: I did not add ANY cheese to this. I see no point. The red peppers, butter, and onions you cook at first gives this incredible, sweet aftertaste that would be totally lost with cheese IMHO. I did not triple the bouillon though and I used dried parsley instead of fresh. Never would've put broccoli and cauliflower in chowder otherwise. Thanks very much for the recipe.

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Cocoa Banana Bars

Reviewed: Apr. 24, 2011

Really really good. I made it as described and it wasn't enough batter to get much of a uniformly marbleized look but it did puff up and really fill the 9x13 pan. I used 4 very ripe bananas, needing to use them up, and I may have used a little extra cocoa. The flavors are definitely strong. I wasn't sure about the amount of sugar because my bananas were so ripe, but the unsweetened cocoa really balances it out. However, I think the recipe is only going to hit 5 stars (for me) with the addition of some nuts or chocolate chips, to change up the texture in each bite.

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Baked Honey Mustard Chicken

Reviewed: Jan. 8, 2011

I made this by making foil packages for each chicken breast and pouring sauce onto the chicken. It was really fast this way which is why I went that route. The sauce was very good but I used good honey and spicy brown mustard which is what my family likes, so I'm not surprised we liked it. The basil and parsley were nice but I did halve the paprika after reading some reviews and overall I found a good tasty balance. Lots of sauce for 4 small chicken servings, next time I'll use bigger chicken breasts and marinate them.

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Shepherd's Pie VI

Reviewed: Dec. 17, 2010

I made this tonight, only altering the mashed potatoes to be instant (time constraints). I had some carrots that desperately needed to be used so I went ahead and mashed them in as suggested. Instead of beef broth, I only had bouillon, I ended up using 1.5 C water and 2 cubes to get the flavor I wanted (I had 2 lbs of meat). Also, I added 2 C of frozen corn to the beef mixture. It's really amazing. I had too much so I baked it in two casserole dishes. Adding some sour cream to mashed potatoes is always a great idea too.

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Pumpkin Bread Puddin'

Reviewed: Oct. 17, 2010

I am rating this based on ingredients, not preparation directions, because a great recipe can utilize many serving options. I made this in a 2.5 qt casserole dish, with approximately 2x the ingredients. The only reason I adjusted anything was because I had a 12oz can of pumpkin, which is 2 cups, and wanted to use it all. Therefore, I used "about" 2x everything, making it a little more pumpkiny, and with slightly less sugar and milk, and 1 less egg yolk. Finally, I tried raisins instead of chocolate chips, and mixed them into the batter. It was truly fantastic. I look forward to further adjusting this to suit my family's taste in the future, and I plan on making it for the holidays this year. Note: I'm at a high altitude, and I didn't have any problems with this at 350 degrees for 40 minutes.

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Autumn Squash Casserole

Reviewed: Oct. 9, 2010

This is so easy and delicious! I adjusted the amount of topping to fit the pan I used for baking. Also, I accidentally used the wrong type of squash (butternut). But wow it was tasty. Will definitely make for a holiday dish or possibly to use up squash in the future. Also, if I had more squash I would have layered it - some apples, squash, topping, apples, squash, topping. Mmm good.

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Salmon with Tomatoes

Reviewed: Aug. 15, 2010

When I made this, I doubled the recipe, and I thought the seasonings were tasty, but somewhat mild - maybe I need a different hot pepper sauce, because that amount for how much fish was not particularly effective. I also replaced one tomato with a zucchini, and it was very good. I served with pasta mixed in rather than on top of (I'm lazy). Very good, excellent even as leftovers, though my fish broke up substantially from mixing it up.

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South of the Border Wraps

Reviewed: Jul. 17, 2010

Easy and delicious, with room for personal taste adjustment. What more do you need? Don't add too much filling or it will be impossible to roll, but if the wrap starts to open on the pan, don't panic; nudge it back as best you can (it will be hot!), press it down with a spatula, and when the tortilla cools it will be quite stiff. I brushed a small amount of butter over the up-side of the wrap, rather than add it awkwardly to the pan, and they came out crisp and delicious. Also, I only had dried cilantro, so don't let that stop you from trying this.

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Banana Banana Bread

Reviewed: Jun. 6, 2010

I used a whole bunch of overripe bananas (about 7 I think). I live near Boulder, CO and so I increased baking soda to 1 1/4 teaspoons, and I think the extra bananas helped due to adding more moisture. Additionally, I raised the temperature to about 370 degrees; these additions can be ignored if you are under 5000 feet in altitude. It was altogether perfect. It rose quite high, the outside is somewhat dark but not burned - it is crusty. Mine looked nothing like the picture, but in my opinion, raising the temperature was probably the cause of that. As I remake it, I will play around with oven rack positions and so on, but overall the bread itself is awesome. It is moist, banana-flavored, and not too sweet. Some high-altitude directions encourage decreasing sugar, but in this recipe I don't recommend it, as it was by no means overly sweet. It's excellent warm with buttery spread. I will remake every time I have a bunch of forgotten bananas! Thank you Shelley!

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Beef and Parmesan Pasta

Reviewed: Apr. 10, 2010

A good, easy meal that is cheap and uses ingredients you may already have. Zucchini really is great in this dish (it turned my bf into a zuke lover immediately). As far as I can tell you may need more sauce to make it to your personal liking. I also had to add a little more liquid to cook the pasta but I am at a high altitude (over a mile).

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Beans and Franks Applesauce Bake

Reviewed: Apr. 10, 2010

Really good without any modifications needed. It can be adjusted to personal taste as well without any major changes in preparation or cooking time. I served it with cornbread casserole and they were amazing together.

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Beef Tips and Noodles

Reviewed: Mar. 2, 2010

I made this for dinner using a sirloin from a regular grocery store and everything as it suggests except 2 cans of mushrooms, milk instead of water, and 3 TBS sour cream just because I wanted to use it up. I think the proportion of meat is somewhat low and the extra mushrooms were good for adding more substance. I think 16 oz of egg noodles goes a long way so if you are eating it with other dishes, you may not need so many. I'm sure this would be better with fresh mushrooms. Also, cooking in the oven as suggested did not make very tender meat, but I don't know if I just bought the wrong cut, or what. Next time I'll cover it. It was very tasty.

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Three Cheese Baked Ziti

Reviewed: Jan. 4, 2010

Followed the recipe exactly with a slightly different sauce. Overall, if you want a lot of sauce, definitely serve it on the side/on top because it barely fit into the pan as is (with only 1 jar of sauce). It was extremely delicious though if I had a homemade sauce on hand or in the freezer that was heftier I would have removed some of the ziti or maybe used a casserole dish.

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Lime Chicken Soft Tacos

Reviewed: Aug. 25, 2009

So easy, fast, delicious, and surprisingly healthy for how good it tastes. Definitely will be making again!

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Dave's Mocha Chicken

Reviewed: Apr. 10, 2009

I used boneless skinless breasts for this recipe. It was good, but not amazing. I followed the directions exactly and my sauce was somewhat oily and somewhat greasy, and certainly never reached the point of being a "dipping sauce," though I would've liked it to be. However, the chicken was still very good, so with some minor changes this would be a 5 star in my book.

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Apricot Chops

Reviewed: Apr. 9, 2009

Delicious, easy recipe. I followed it exactly so I could give an honest review, and if I make it again I may add/change some seasonings and proportions for my own tastes, as is normal - but if you are looking for a way to make pork chops more interesting, this is great. It's a sweet, tangy taste that you can alter depending on how much apricot vs. how much dressing you put in. My only advice is be aware that this recipe makes a lot of sauce, so you might want to alter the measurements depending on how many chops you are making. I made 6 medium-sized chops and there was plenty.

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