Megan Recipe Reviews (Pg. 1) - Allrecipes.com (16992)

Oven-Roasted Asparagus

Reviewed: Apr. 1, 2012

Loved this recipe. We always tried to grill asparagus and seemed to overcook it each time. Scratched the grill for the oven and this was awesome with the garlic, cheese and salt (we used kosher salt). Asparagus was cooked but still had the right amount of crispness rather than being mushy. Recipe is a keeper!

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Country Apple Dumplings

Reviewed: Oct. 9, 2009

Wow--rare is the recipe that is truly easy and awesome at the same time. These dumplings pull it off. I made them exactly as the recipe says with two exceptions: added some vanilla and used 1/2 brown and 1/2 white sugar. I used my favorite apples that I can only find at farmer's markets and apple farms: Mutsu (they're perfectly tangy but not tart like a Granny Smith--using Honeycrisp would be good too). These dumplings are really juicy when you first pull them from the oven but the sauce thickens up and ends up perfecto! They even reheat really well after time in the frig so don't be afraid to make the whole batch. Definitely company-worthy or perfect for just the family.

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Chicken Pot Pie IX

Reviewed: Feb. 23, 2009

This was outstanding! I made this according to the recipe with one exception: I subbed potatoes for peas since I had the one and not the other. Used Pillsbury refrigerated pie crusts, which are the best. I used the only pie dish I own, which is just your run-of-the-mill size (not deep dish) and while I wouldn't call it too dry, I can see where it would also be good a little "saucier." Next time, I might just reduce the amount of chicken and veggies a little to get the same result as would doubling the sauce since a standard pie dish couldn't accommodate double sauce. Absolutely a keeper recipe.

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Rempel Family Meatloaf

Reviewed: Feb. 11, 2009

I'd give this meatloaf 10 stars if I could, it was THAT good. I've made several kinds of meatloaf looking for a down-home, southern cooking style meatloaf. THIS is it (ironic since the poster is in Canada!). I found Connie Rempel's review that said not to use the entire packet of Lipton Onion Soup Mix, but to sift out the powder and only use the onion bits. And I did do that and then ended up using a smidge of the powder (a tsp or so) because I really like Lipton Onion. It was perfect. Served with a glaze on top (1/2 c ketchup, 1/3 c brown sugar & 1 T lemon juice), plus mashed potatoes and green beans--it's already a huge favorite of this southern family. Thank you, Rempels!

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Strawberry Cake and Frosting I

Reviewed: Feb. 10, 2009

This was really good--I found the poster's daughter's review making a correction to the recipe and I followed that: putting half the strawberries but ALL the juice into the cake. That leaves just half the strawberries for the frosting. I was lazy and this wasn't for any special occasion so I made it in a 9x13 pan. I had to cook it longer to get the center cooked through and that made the ends of the cake not really moist. So I was initially disappointed. But getting beyond the first row of cake, it was outstanding. On the frosting, I started with the butter and strawberries and just two cups of sugar in, it looked like a frosting consistency. I worried that adding more sugar would present an issue with then needing some type of liquid to make a spreading consistency so I stopped at two cups sugar. It was super and there was plenty of it for a 9x13. Definitely will be making this again!

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Zesty Slow Cooker Chicken Barbecue

Reviewed: Feb. 10, 2009

My family and I thought this was really good. I went 4 stars instead of 5 b/c we weren't BOWLED OVER but it's definitely quite good. The first time I made it, we had it on buns. Second time, on Boboli with mozzarella as BBQ chicken pizza. We liked the pizza best. I made it according to the recipe (with Sweet Baby Rays Honey Sauce). I read reviews mentioning dry chicken and a sauce that was thin. I found that once you shred the chicken and return to the pot, the sauce is perfect. And the recipe calls for frozen chicken so if you opt to thaw yours first, take that into consideration on cook time to avoid drying out. Shredding into the sauce helps that as well.

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Pineapple Upside-Down Cake VII

Reviewed: Feb. 10, 2009

I loved this cake and so has everyone I've made it for. I substituted all the pineapple juice I had for the water (had to add some water to get the full amount of liquid the cake called for). The first time I made it, there was way too much batter for my size skillet. After the called-for cook time, my cake was still way too jiggly in the center. I turned the oven to 300 and continued cooking until the center cooked through. That worked! Next time I made it, I poured some of the batter into a 8" cake pan (with brown sugar and pineapples) and made a mini cake for my 11 year old and his friends. Very moist and delicious!

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Banana Chocolate Chip Cake

Reviewed: Jan. 11, 2009

This is really, really GOOD. I did tweak by adding 1 tsp vanilla, switching to baking soda instead of powder, upped the sugar to 1 cup and used milk chocolate chips since I don't care for semi-sweet. And since I don't have an 8x8 pan I used a 9x13 and it's definitely thin but that certainly doesn't detract from the incredible taste and moist consistency. I had two bananas and rather than measuring, I just used those and you can taste the banana. I'll get an 8x8 and use it next time but this cake would taste great no matter what the shape!

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Best Toffee Ever - Super Easy

Reviewed: Jan. 11, 2009

Good heavens--this recipe seems like it'd be simple but I found it to be finicky. From the reviews, you can probably guess that. Stir constantly or occasionally? Cook to 285 degrees or test with water? What color should the end result be, and so on. I couldn't believe the ups and downs folks had but plowed ahead anyway in my quest to find the perfect toffee. I followed recipe to the letter and though the toffee was still butter yellow at 285 degrees, I poured anyway. Disgusting mess of separated butter and sugar. Tried again and cooked until it was an amber color (regardless of temp) and poured. Better but still really bad separation. I then went back read e-v-e-r-y single review and found one very critical one: DO NOT MAKE THIS ON RAINY DAYS. What do you know--it was pouring. So, I tried a third time on a sunny day and though the toffee was a nice amber color at 285 degrees this time and I poured into the pan at that point, the amount of liquid butter still on top of the hardening toffee was extreme and had to be sopped up w/a paper towel. I give it a 3 b/c the end taste was pretty good but I won't make it again--it's too finicky a recipe for me.

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Pork Chile Rojo (Pulled Pork with Red Chile Sauce)

Reviewed: Jan. 11, 2009

I made a real classic bonehead move with this recipe but happy to now report that it's a recipe that is foolproof! I jumped the gun and put the pork, rotel, salsa, chili powder, onions and water into the crock pot and THEN read the directions a little closer and saw the whole bag set up. OOPS. Since it was too late to undo, I just hoped for the best. I cooked on low for six hours, shredded the pork and put back into the sauce for a little longer. It was dynamite in soft tacos and on nachos. Using all that water made it a little watery and we had to drain quite a bit. But it was delicious once we did that. So the next time I made this, I did the same thing (skipped the bag). It's simple this way and I used just 3/4 c water. After doing this, I think you could probably skip the water altogether and use only the salsa and rotel. Like I said: foolproof recipe and excellent taste! My 10 year old son and his friend called them "the best tacos they'd EVER eaten."

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Creme Brulee French Toast

Reviewed: Jan. 11, 2009

We made this for a special Christmas morning breakfast. It's dynamite as far as being able to prepare ahead. All I did was take it out and set it on the counter before the gift-opening began and then popped it in the oven after. I followed other reviewers' suggestions to use maple syrup and I flipped over the toast mid-way, as well as broiling for a bit at the end. Also, I simply sliced French bread and squeezed in as much as I could in a 9x13 (without OVER-packing). It was more than just six slices, which was helpful since my crew all loved it and six slices would never have been enough. This is certainly a keeper and easy enough to make more often than just special occasions!

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Chex® Muddy Buddies®

Reviewed: Jan. 11, 2009

Super easy and really, really good. I made this and set it out at a party and also gave it out in tins for gifts. Very highly received by all who tasted!

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Slow Cooker Beef Stroganoff I

Reviewed: Dec. 14, 2008

One word: INCREDIBLE. This was a really, really awesome meal and so easy. I followed all the recommended substitutions since they seemed to be a hit for everyone else: I used two cans golden mushroom soup and 1/2 cup beef broth (instead of water & bouillion cubes) so I'd have double the sauce. And I added 1/2 packet of Lipton onion soup mix, fresh sauteed mushrooms, garlic, salt and pepper and served over egg noodles. I thought the cream cheese was super in it and only added it to the main pot. My husband opted to add a dollop of sour cream on top of his bowl. Either way, INCREDIBLE! Will make again and again.

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Scrumptious Salisbury Steak in Mushroom Gravy

Reviewed: Dec. 13, 2008

This was absolutely incredible. The steaks were very tender and moist and the gravy was really, really good. I was tempted to shortcut with cream of mushroom soup but I decided to go ahead and make the gravy from the recipe. I am so glad--if you're tempted to skip the gravy, DON'T. I did end up using only 2 cups of milk because it seemed plenty thick and I used fresh mushrooms and sweet onion that I sauteed seperately and then added to the gravy when I put the steaks back in to simmer. Very, very good--easily as good as, if not better than, the salisbury steak we get in southern restaurants. Note: the boullion adds a salty flavor so be sure to taste test before adding more salt to your plate. And this amount of gravy was only enough for the steaks so if you want more for mashed potatoes, double up.

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Original Irish Cream

Reviewed: Dec. 13, 2008

This is AWESOME. I'm a big fan of Bailey's and thought it'd be great to bottle an original blend for Christmas gifts. I found glass bottles with a stopper you can reuse over and over (not a cork) at The Container Store for $5 and then made up batches for friends. When made with all heavy cream, it's good but it's so thick I found myself adding milk to my glass when I poured some to drink. So I altered the cream in the recipe to using part heavy cream and part milk. Also, I think instant coffee is a crime against nature and couldn't see buying a whole container for such a small amount needed here so instead I used 2 Tbsps Kahlua. Since that's liqeur, I dropped the whiskey down to 1 cup and it tastes great, not to mention still being pretty strong. Definitely worth making and tweaking to your own tastes!

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Baked Corn Casserole

Reviewed: Dec. 13, 2008

I love this recipe--very creamy, great taste, excellent twist on plain old corn.

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Homesteader Cornbread

Reviewed: Sep. 14, 2008

I had high expectations for this cornbread after reading the reviews. And I went into it ready to fall in love since I'm a big fan of cornbread and tend to like any food a little on the sweeter side. But this just didn't blow me away. Mine seemed to have an odd aftertaste that I didn't care for. Maybe that's attributed to the brand of corn meal I used but alas, I won't make it again. I'll stick to the Jiffy mix!

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BLT Dip

Reviewed: Sep. 14, 2008

This is the simplest recipe but don't let the simplicity fool you. We love it and every time I serve it at a party or barbecue, it's one of the first things to disappear. I typically serve it with Triscuits.

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Tomato Soup I

Reviewed: Apr. 5, 2008

This is an excellent tomato soup recipe. Since finding it (I choose to make this one after the reviews comparing it to the 4B's restaurant version, which is highly regarded), I have made it dozens of times, including it now being a standard on our annual ski trip. I always double the recipe and use the Italian herb diced tomatoes for some added flavor, blending up about 1.5 cans and leaving .5 can unblended for a little bit of chunk. I have tried it using half and half since I was thinking to lower the fat content but it's just not as good or as thick/creamy as I like so I stick to the whipping cream now. I've never bothered heating the cream beforehand tho--I just add it straight to the soup and have never had a problem. This is a keeper, no doubt about it!

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Easy Sugar Cookies

Reviewed: Oct. 11, 2007

I had high expectations for these cookies after reading the positively glowing reviews. And I love sugar cookies. But these were really lacking. Just very plain and they spread way out when cooking so they're ultra thin. First batch I made on un-greased cookie sheets as called for and even after waiting the suggested two minutes, they stuck so badly that several were demolished while trying to get them from the sheet to the cooling rack. I switched to my well-seasoned baking stone for subsequent batches and then at least they didn't stick as much. But the resulting cookie either way was just...blah.

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