Category: Recipes

This is a simple macaroni and cheese recipe, which doesn’t involve making a rue. It can be done in one pot. The pasta water will bring the sauce all together. It is extremely important to not drain off that pasta water.

Serves: 3 to 4 people

Ingredients:

For cooking macaroni:
1 cup Macaroni
1 3/4 cup Water
1/4 tsp Salt

For cheese sauce:
4 tbsp Butter
1/4 cup Milk
3 oz Cheddar (cut into small chunks)
4 slices of American Cheese

Other tools:
Pot and Lid
Spoon

Directions:

1. Add water to a pot and bring to boil on the stove.
2. Add salt and macaroni, then stir.
3. Cook until pasta is fully cooked, about 5 to 7 minutes. Do not overcook pasta!
4. When pasta is about 2 minutes from being done, add the butter.
5. When pasta is done add milk, stir and return to light boil.
6. Turn off heat. Add cheddar, and American cheese. Stir then cover with lid.
7. Wait about 7 minutes for everything to melt, then uncover and stir. Your macaroni and cheese is now done.
8. If cheese needs to melt a little more, then you can turn the heat on low and stir for a little bit to finish.

This chip dip is my take on Quality Dairy’s French Onion Dip.  I served this at my family’s Pumpkin Carving get together this year, and it was a huge hit!  This is so easy to make, and there is no cooking involved.  Be warned that it is addictive.  Enjoy!

Serves: 1 to 2 people

Ingredients:
1 tbsp Milk
16 oz of Sour Cream
1/2 tsp Onion Powder
1/2 tsp Salt
1/8 tsp white pepper
1/2 tsp Sugar
1 1/2 tsp Parsley
1/4 tsp Mayonnaise
1 bag of your favorite original or rigged potato chip for dipping

Tools:
Bowl
Spoon

Directions:
1. Transfer sour cream in to mixing bowl and mix well.
2. Add all of your ingredients and mix well.
3. Put in storage container, cover, and set in refrigerator for preferably 4 hours to let the spices marry.
4. Stir before serving.

This is my homemade barbecue sauce recipe. So far it’s really good, but a little too sweet for me. It is still a good starting point!

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cup Ketchup
2 tbsp Honey
1 1/2 tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
1/2 tsp Paprika
1/4 tsp Chili Powder
1 tbsp Brown Sugar
1/4 tsp Liquid Smoke
2 tbsp Molasses
Pot
Spoon

Directions:

1. Put ketchup in a pot and cook on stove at low heat.
2. Add all of the other ingredients.
3. Stir well.
4. Turn off heat and transfer to a bottle or storage container.

Ingredients:

In this recipe I use a food processor, but it isn’t needed. You can just finely chop up the jalapeno, garlic, and cilantro.

28oz can Crushed Tomatoes
28oz can Diced Tomatoes (drained)
1 Jalapeno Pepper (half with seeds and half without seeds)
4 cloves Garlic (or add Garlic Powder to taste)
1 Lime
2 tbsp Salt
1 handful of Cilantro chopped (about 1 tbsp)
1 large Onion (or 1 and 1/2 smaller Onions)
1 and 3/4 cups Water
Food processor (optional)
Knife
Cutting board
Large spoon

Directions:

1. Add 1 can of crushed tomatoes to a food processor.
2. Chop up jalapeno pepper (half with seeds and half without seeds), salt and garlic, then add to food processor.
3. Cut lime in half, and squeeze juice into food processor, then pulse.
4. Add a handful of cilantro to food processor, then pulse.
5. Transfer to large bowl.
6. Add 1 can of diced tomatoes (drained), 1 chopped onion, and 1 3/4 cups water to the bowl and stir.
7. Transfer to storage containers. I prefer glass containers because of the tomato. Put in refrigerator for 2 days, then your salsa will be ready to eat!

Here is my easy, yummy guacamole recipe!

Serves: 2 to 4 people.

Ingredients

4 Avocados
1 Lime
1 tsp of Salt
2 tbsp Salsa (fresh or jar)
1/3 cup Sour Cream
Bag or Tortilla Chips for dipping
Knife
Mixing Bowl
Hand Potato Masher

Directions:

1. Cut avocados in half, remove pit, and scoop out insides. Put insides in mixing bowl. Throw the skin away. Save one pit for later.
2. Cut lime in half and squeeze juice into mixing bowl.
3. Add salt, sour cream, and salsa to mixing bowl.
4. Mash and mix with hand masher.
5. The recipe is done.
6. For storage, transfer to storage container and add one avocado pit to your guacamole to preserve freshness.
7. Serve with chips.
   
   

Cinnamon Rolls are a Robinson Christmas tradition. My wife and I make these together the weekend before Christmas and give them to friends and family so that they can make these on Christmas morning. Everyone loves these soft, sugary rolls. It is based on the Cinnabon recipe. Merry Christmas!

Yields 40 Rolls

Cinnamon Rolls

Rolls Ingredients:

1 cup Instant Mashed Potato Flakes
1 cup Milk
¾ cup Butter
¾ cup Sugar
2 tsp Salt
2 cups hot Water (for melting butter)
½ cup warm Water (110 degrees F)
2 envelopes of Instant Active Dry Yeast
2 Eggs
8 ½ cups Flour, or more if needed

Filling Ingredients:

¾ cup Butter, softened
1 ¼ cups Sugar
2 ¼ tsp Cinnamon

Directions:

1. Combine potatoes, milk, butter, sugar, salt, and 2 cups hot water in a large mixing bowl.
2. Stir until butter melts.
3. Set aside and let cool.
4. Combine yeast and ½ cup warm water in a small bowl.
5. Let rest 5 minutes.
6. Add eggs, 2 cups flour and yeast mixture to potato mixture.
7. Beat until well mixed.
8. Continue adding flour 1 cup at a time until soft dough forms.
9. Knead on a lightly floured surface until smooth and elastic. (about 4 to 6 minutes)
10. Place in a bowl and cover.
11. Let rise about 1 hour until doubled in size, then punch dough down and divide into 4 equal parts.
12. Roll one portion of dough on a lightly floured surface to a 16” x 16” circular square.
13. Spread butter on with a basting brush, spoon, or knife, depending on the consistency of the softened butter.
14. Mix cinnamon and sugar together in a small bowl then sprinkle on liberally.
15. Roll up tightly and seal edges
16. Cut into 10 slices.
17. Place in greased 13” x 9” pan and cover.
18. Let rise 30 to 45 minutes until nearly doubled.
19. Bake in preheated 350 degree F oven for 25 to 30 minutes.  Do not over-cook.
20. Cover with some frosting immediately, then cool for 10 minutes and cover with more cream cheese frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients:

8 oz Cream Cheese, softened
12 tbsp Butter, softened
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
4 tbsp Milk
3 cups Confectioners’ Sugar
1/2 tsp salt

Preparation:

Let the butter soften overnight at room temperature.  A couple hours before cooking put cream cheese at room temperature to soften.

Directions:

1. Beat together cream cheese and butter with an electric mixer in a large bowl until creamy.
2. Mix in the vanilla and milk
3.  Gradually mix in confectioners’ sugar and salt until smooth and fluffy.

Biscuits and gravy is a popular food in Michigan.  My recipe is only for the gravy.  You can buy the biscuits from the store or make your own, but you definitely will need them!  This is a great comfort food for breakfast, lunch, or dinner.  I would eat biscuits and gravy at any time of day.

Serves: about 3 people

Ingredients:
1/2 lb Ground Pork Sausage
6 tbsp Butter
8 tbsp or 1/2 cup Flour
1 tsp Pepper
1 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp Sugar
2 tsp Worcestershire Sauce
1 1/2 cups Beef Broth
3 1/4 cups Milk

Tools:
Large pot
Wooden spoon
Biscuits (from the store or homemade)

Directions:
1. Heat stove to medium/high heat.
2. Add beef broth to pot.
3. Add ground pork sausage.
4. While cooking sausage, add pepper, salt, sugar, and Worcestershire sauce.
5. When meat is fully cooked, add butter.
6. When butter is dissolved, add flour and cook for 1 minute.
7. Add milk and bring to a boil.
8. Once the gravy has come to a boil, it should have thickened and will be ready to eat.
9. Serve gravy on top of a biscuit or two.

My Easy Beer Chili recipe is easy because it requires no dicing of vegetables.  I enjoy this as a soup or with garlic bread.  The left over chili is also good for topping hot dogs with to make chili dogs.  This is a recipe full of flavor, but not of heat.  Your taste buds will still be intact after having this.  I am not a fan of hot spicy chili.  I do not need to feel the burn when it comes to chili.  I’ll save that for the gym.  Enjoy our Robinson family classic Easy Beer Chili!

Serves: about 5 people

Ingredients:
16 oz can of Guinness Draft or other stout or porter beer
3 cups Water
1 lb Ground Beef
1 lb Ground Pork Sausage
1 can Dark Red Kidney Beans
16 oz Fresh Medium Salsa (I use Garden Fresh Jack’s Special Medium)
1 and 1/2 can Tomato Paste (6oz can, so you would need 9 oz)
1 and 1/2 tsp Seasoned Salt
1 tbsp Salt
1/2 tsp Pepper
1/8 tsp Cumin
1/2 tsp Chili Powder
1 tbsp Brown Sugar
8 tbsp Flour

Tools:
Large pot
Wooden spoon

Directions:

1. Mix ground beef, ground pork, salt, and pepper together in a large bowl by hand.
2. Heat large pot to medium/high heat.  Add ground beef and ground pork.
3. While cooking meat add salt, seasoned salt, pepper, cumin, chili powder, and brown sugar.
4. When meat is fully cooked, add flour and cook for about a minute.
5. Add beer a little at a time, then salsa, water, and tomato paste being sure to stir in each ingredient. Don’t add the beans yet.
6. Simmer for about 80 minutes, then add dark red kidney beans.
7. Simmer for about 10 minutes.
8. When the ingredients in the salsa loose their crunch, you should be done and ready to serve.

This is probably my favorite soup recipe that I have. I love a homemade soup recipe. No canned soup can compete with this one, and most restaurants fall short of this broccoli cheese soup recipe. I love to sit on the couch after a long day of being productive and have a warm soup. It is sure to warm your soul. This soup is good served with Saltine crackers. This is my first recipe that I am sharing with the internet, and this one means the most to me. Enjoy!

Serves: about 6 people

Ingredients:
2 broccoli crowns
1 onion
3 cups chicken stock
1/4 tsp Worcestershire sauce
8 tbsp unsalted butter
8 tbsp flour
2 cups milk
8 oz American cheese
6 oz medium cheddar cheese
3/8 tsp black pepper
(optional) Saltine crackers for dunking, breaking, or whatever in the soup

Tools:
Large pot
Wooden spoon
Ladle for serving
Cutting board
Large chopping knife
Stove

Quickest Way Directions:
1.  Using large pot melt butter on low.
2. Chop broccoli and onion and add to pot. Stir with spoon until onions start to look clear and/or broccoli softens a little.
3. Add Worcestershire sauce and black pepper.
4. Add flour. Stir and turn up heat on stove to medium/high. Be sure to stir constantly for about a minute.
5. Add chicken stock and milk. Keep stirring. Once combined, put heat down to low.
6. Cut the cheese. Add it to pot. Put heat to medium/high and keep stirring.
7. Bring to a boil to ensure everything in the pot has married.
8. Turn off heat and you’re done!