Swirly Baked Apples

This not an apple dumpling, but it still makes me think of the Apple Dumpling Gang. As a kid, I had no idea what an apple dumpling was, so when we watched the classic Disney movie about a rambunctious group of orphans and an old mine shaft, I think in the back of my mind baked apples were closer to what I imagined the gang was named after. I should see if I can find that movie. I'm sure it would be hilarious to watch it again now that I am an adult.

These baked apples are especially fun because of the swirly peel. I still had some Jonagold apples left over from the orchard we visited, so that is what I used. And since Jonagold apples have a light, multicolored peel, by the time they baked, the pretty swirl disappeared, as you can see in the picture below (or not see, I should say!). The original recipe calls for Rome Beauty apples, which usually have a deep red peel and are good for baking. If you really want the swirl to show through, I would recommend using them or something like them.

And I have to mention that I might prefer these baked apples over apple crisp, and yes, even apple pie. I like less topping and less crust when it comes to apple desserts, and the ratio with these was just perfect for me. Sigh, I wish I had another one right now...

Swirlly Baked Apples
Makes 5

3/4 stick butter, softened
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon salt
5 medium apples, with skin peeled in a spiral
1 cup apple juice or water
cinnamon, for serving
caramel, for serving

1. Preheat the oven to 375°. In a medium bowl, combine the butter, brown sugar, oats, cinnamon, ginger, salt, and butter and stir to combine. Set aside.

2. Using a melon baller or a small knife and a spoon, carefully scoop out the core of the apples from the top and discard the core. Make sure not to scoop through the bottom of the apple. Make the hole inside the apple a little larger, and add any apple pieces you remove to the brown sugar-butter mixture.

3. When you have cored all the apples, stir the filling mixture again, then divide the mixture between the apples.

4. Place the apples in a baking dish and pour in the apple juice or the water. The apples should be sitting in about 1/2 inch of liquid. Cover the dish with foil, then bake in the oven for 40 to 45 minutes. The apples should be soft, but not mushy. Dust with cinnamon or drizzle with caramel and serve warm. Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Martha Stewart

Apple Crisp

There are two Fall foods that I love above all others: and they are apples and pumpkins. I'll save my pumpkin rant for a later post though because today apples have the spot light. Out where I grew up in western Nebraska, we really don't have orchards that people visit to pick their own fruit. On our farm, we always had quite a few different fruit trees, like apple, peach, mulberry, pear, and even an apricot tree once, even though I am too young to remember it actually having fruit on it. All I remember about the apricot tree is spending hours in the leafless branches as a little kid playing pirates or little house on the prairie. Then one day Mom told us we shouldn't play in the dead tree anymore, and some time later Dad pulled it down.

Back to orchards. The whole idea of going to an apple orchard seems a little foreign to me and a bit like something straight from a fairy tale. Well, once upon a time happily ever after came true because I got to visit my first apple orchard just a couple weeks ago! Needless to say, I absolutely loved it, even though we picked the busiest day of the year to go and there were hundreds of other people there. And I'm not exaggerating- hundreds of people. Despite all that, I know it will now be a yearly occurrence for us.

I came home with bunch of Jonagold apples and the first thing I made with them was apple crisp since my in-laws were coming over for supper. The topping is delicious and crunchy but it doesn't overwhelm the apples beneath, which I really wanted to be the focal point of my crisp. I've had overly sweet apple crisps before that were gooey and soggy and you had to really search for a piece of apple. This one was not like that. And once you drizzle some caramel on top or add a scoop of ice cream, you'll have a pretty great thing in front of you.
 

Apple Crisp
Serves 8

3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
1 stick butter, cold and cut into 8 pieces
1 cup old-fashioned oats
5 to 6 apples
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon cinnamon
pinch nutmeg, if desired
cinnamon, for sprinkling
caramel sauce, for serving

1. Preheat oven to 350°. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, brown sugar, salt, baking powder, and the 2 tablespoons sugar. Using a pastry blender, cut the butter pieces into the flour until the mixture looks coarse. Stir in the oats and until large clumps form. You can also use your fingers to helps for the clumps. Place the mixture in the freezer until you are ready to use it.

2. Quarter the apples then peel, core, and dice them into small chunks. Toss the apples with the lemon juice, 1/2 cup sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg.

3. Transfer the apples to a shallow baking dish and place the flour-oat mixture on the top. Sprinkle the top with additional cinnamon. Bake for about 1 hour, or until the apples are tender and the topping is golden. Allow the crisp to cool for 5 to 10 minutes before serving. Drizzle with the caramel sauce. Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Martha Stewart's Apple Crisp

A Day at the Farm

It's not very often that I get to go home by myself these days. My husband and I always visit together, but when the opportunity presented itself for a trip home and he couldn't go because of school and work, well, I decided that a trek across the state would be good for me.

I love the city and sometimes I forget exactly what it is like to be so far from large numbers of people and the chaos and noise of the city. It is great being 20 minutes from a grocery store and an hour from the closest Walmart. I love the quiet during all times of the day and what the stars look like at night.

I travel everywhere with my camera these days, so I decided to share some snap shots from the farm. My older sister spent at a day at the farm too, so she sent me some tomato pictures that she took also.

My Grandparents live on the same farm as my parents, just a couple stone throws down the road. I went on a walk early one morning before everyone else was awake, so the sun was up and shining, and everything was more calm and still than it usually is, if that is even possible.

The rising sun peeped through the corn and created amazing shadows on everything. This year the corn is especially dry because there has been so little rain. Some farmers in the area were already busy with harvest even though it is still early. 

I love how the sign in the window seems to apply to my Dad's old Dodge work pickup. It is starting to fall apart, and I think Dad is concerned that it might not last him much longer, even though it is really only used to drive the 4 miles back and forth to work. The tag is from his work, but it seems like a good place for it, all things considered. However, it's not nearly as old as the antique 1930s International pickup parked across the driveway, pictured below. My great-grandpa bought that pickup in 1938 and used it clear until the 60s. 

Our Saturday was full, and if you look at the two pictures below you'll see why. My parents had a fantastic garden this year, even though it has been so dry. Between the salsa and the spaghetti sauce, we canned a little over 100 tomatoes, and my parents canned some more during the next week. These tomatoes were more beautiful than any I can ever remember.    

We've had a pear tree all my life, and last year was the first time that it actually produced pears! This year looks like they will have quite a few too. They almost look like apples because they are so red, but they definitely have that unique pear shape. 

After this last trip home, I left feeling especially blessed and incredibly thankful for all that God has given me and for the things that he has done in my life. As I was putting this post together a verse kept going through my head, and I have shared it below. I hope you have the opportunity to open your eyes this fall to all that is around you and see the great things that God has done! 

For you make me glad by your deeds, LORD;

    I sing for joy at what your hands have done.

⁵ 

How great are your works, LORD,

    how profound your thoughts!

Psalm 92:4-5 

Thanks to AmandaJean Photos for some of the canning and tomato pictures! 

Posted with Blogsy

Homemade Plain Yogurt

One day when we were living at the red house, my roommate Hanna announced that she was going to make yogurt. I really did not know that homemade yogurt was even possible. I kind of thought she was a little crazy. Turns out, lots of people know about it and it is a pretty normal thing to do. Go figure. About a year after that, I began seeing recipes on other food blogs I like to read, like Annie's Eats. After several trial and error attempts, which included losing a yogurt maker somewhere between UPS and that same red house, my friend has perfected her yogurt making recipe and I have created my own using methods from both Hanna and Annie's Eats.

This yogurt is really tart unsweetened yogurt. If you are the kind of person that likes all those cream pie yogurts or fruit add-ins then you are going to have to doctor it up. It almost reminds me of sour cream and I have started making this yogurt to bake with more than just to eat. I do have a big container in the fridge that I sweetened up with some cinnamon and apples, but it works great as a substitute for sour cream or plain yogurt in lots of recipes.

I have yet to make yogurt with the dry powdered milk. I didn't have any on hand when I made it the first time, and I liked how it turned out so I haven't bothered to go buy some. I hear that the powdered milk makes the yogurt kind of creamier, although I can not say from my own experience.

Homemade Yogurt
Makes 1 to 1 1/2 quarts

For the yogurt:
2 quarts milk
2 teaspoons plain yogurt with live and active cultures, like Greek yogurt
1/4 cup dry powdered milk (optional)

Needed Equipment:
large glass microwave safe bowl
a candy thermometer
plastic wrap, or a lid for the bowl
2 dish towels
a warm oven
mesh strainer
cheese cloth, coffee filters, or paper towels

On the stove:
In a large sauce pan, heat the milk over medium to medium-high heat until it reaches 175° to 185° stirring occasionally. Remove the pan from the heat and allow the milk to cool to 110° to 115°, stirring occasionally. When it has cooled to the desired temperature, transfer the milk to a large bowl.

OR

In the microwave:
In a large microwave safe bowl, heat the milk in 5 minute increments until it reaches 175° to 185°. Remove the bowl from the microwave and allow it to cool to 110° to 115°, stirring occasionally.

2. When the milk has cooled to the specified temperature, add the 2 teaspoons yogurt and the dry powdered milk, if using. Stir gently to combine.

3. Preheat your oven for a minute to any temperature, then turn it off. The yogurt needs a warm place to be, which is why you heat the oven and then turn it off. Make sure you do in fact turn it off!

4. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a tight fitting lid and then wrap the entire bowl with the two clean dish towels. Set the bowl in the warm oven and leave for 10 to 12 hours or overnight.

5. About half way through the waiting time, check your oven to make sure it is still warm. If it feels cool, turn it on again briefly so it is warm. Again, do not forget to turn it off. I usually do this right before I go to bed when I make it overnight.

6. After the 12 hours or in the morning when the yogurt has set, you will need to strain it. Cover the mesh strainer with two layers of cheese cloth, a coffee filter, or a paper towel and strain the yogurt to remove the access liquid. The longer you strain it, the thicker the yogurt will be. I usually strain mine for about 20 to 30 minutes, and I have to do it in stages because my strainer is small. Put the strained yogurt in a container with a lid and store in the fridge. Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from both Hanna White and Annie's Eats

Main Course Monday: Crock Pot Spaghetti Sauce

There is nothing better to soothe your nerves before a big presentation like a calm, elderly gentleman talking about his homemade spaghetti sauce and handing out Werther's coffee caramels. During my last semester of college, we had to give a presentation in front of a board of people about some aspect of student teaching. They recorded it on video, judged you on a very specific rubric, and we had to get a certain score to graduate. Fairly high stress situation.

One of the University supervisors sat at the table behind me, however, and chatted away the whole time before the presentations began. I had never met him before, and I don't think I have seen him since. He was in charge of the other group of students presenting that day, but was completely at ease with talking to whomever was around him. Obviously he was not presenting that day :)

When he began talking about his homemade spaghetti sauce that he makes in a crock pot, it was like a light bulb went off in my head. It was a brilliant idea that I immediately planned to replicate at some point. The perfect time came last week after my parents sent about 30 tomatoes home with me from their garden. This sauce worked great for homemade pizza too.

Crock Pot Spaghetti Sauce
Serves 6 to 8

1/2 to 1 lb. sausage or hamburger
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 to 3 pounds fresh tomatoes, peeled and chopped
6 oz. tomato paste
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 large bay leaf
salt and pepper, to taste

1. Brown the sausage or the hamburger in a frying pan, then add the to the slow cooker along with the rest of the ingredients except for the corn starch and the water.

2. Cover and cook on high for 6 to 8 hours. You could also cook on low for 10 to 12 hours, or do a combination of the high and low settings. If you can, stir the sauce occasionally.

3. About 30 minutes before eating, mix the corn starch and the water in a small bowl and add it to the sauce. Cook for 25 minutes on high to allow the sauce to thicken.

4. Store in the fridge for up to a week, or in the freezer for several weeks. Enjoy!

Sour Cream Pecan Coffee Cake

A while back I told you how my husband tried some my Grandma Lillian's carrot cake, and then basically begged for me to make the same at home. Well, this is another one of those cakes. I can still see the look on his face when Grandma dished him a giant piece one time while having coffee around their small kitchen table. After eating a few bites, he mouthed the words, "Can you make this?!" and I just smiled at him. It is one of my Grandpa Dale's favorites, and really is the perfect addition to a cup of black coffee or a cup of tea.

This recipe comes from an old green Methodist church cookbook that was put together back in the 80s. Mom got her copy as a wedding present and it is full of funny recipes and some outdated lingo. For example, there is a difference between sour cream and commercial sour cream, and I had to ask about the mysterious "1 cube oleo."  And I'm not really sure what a "Sweet Milk Soda Cake" is, but who knows, maybe I should give it a try. Another thing I love about this cookbook is that it is so full of recipes from people who have long passed away, like my great grandma Belle and Grandpa's aunt Mildred. It is so fun having these family recipes around because even though I never had the chance to meet these women, a part of them is still here.

Sour Cream Pecan Coffee Cake

For the batter:
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla

For the topping:
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/4 sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup pecans, chopped

For the butter sauce:
3/4 cup white sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1/2 cup (4-oz.) evaporated milk

1. Preheat oven to 325°. Grease and flour a 9 x 13 cake pan. Set aside.

2. Begin by making the topping. Combine the topping ingredients together in a bowl and stir together until well incorporated. Set aside.

3. Next, make the batter. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and the sugars until lightened in color and texture, about 1 minute. Beat in the eggs. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add the dry ingredients alternately with the sour cream to the butter mixture in the large bowl. Begin and end with the flour. Next, stir in the vanilla. The batter will be thick.

4. Pour half of the batter into the cake pan, making sure to spread the batter to the edges. Sprinkle half of the topping mixture onto the batter. Scoop the remaining batter on top with a spoon. Since the batter is thick, drop dollops of dough but do not worry about covering the layer in the middle or spreading it out. The batter will spread while baking. Finish by sprinkling the remaining topping mixture over the batter.

5. Bake the cake for 35 to 40 minutes. While the cake is baking, in a sauce pan combine the sugar, butter, and evaporated milk for the butter sauce. Heat until the butter is melted and the sugar has dissolved.

6. When the cake is still done and still hot, drizzle the butter sauce over the top. Let the cake cool before serving. Enjoy!

Main Course Monday: Magnificent Large Zucchini

A long time ago, a friend's mom asked for a zucchini recipe from me. I was overwhelmed and super excited to give it to her. This was because I don't think anyone had ever asked me for a recipe before in my life. It's not like I created the original recipe, but it was in a cookbook I owned. Plus, she was an adult asking me, a young teenage girl, for the recipe. Shouldn't she have been asking my mother?! I loved cooking and I loved the small collection of cookbooks that I had, and it was really encouraging for her to take notice of my young cooking interests.

Since that time, probably ten years ago, I have wanted to make that same recipe, from a cookbook I have written about before. I have never had the chance until now, mostly because I rarely have access to giant zucchini. I stopped at a favorite fruit and veggie stand the other day and they had a few. It was time.

The recipe calls for a 3 to 4 1/2 pound zucchini, and I ended up not getting one that large because I wasn't sure if just the two of us would ever eat it all! This meal would be great for feeding a group of people. I did have some leftover pasta filling that wouldn't fit in my zucchini boat, but it is good by itself. Maybe I'll end up stuffing some other vegetables with it, like tomatoes or peppers.

At this point in time, I do not have the means or space to grow my own garden, but someday I will. I think my future garden will have zucchini just so I can fill it with pasta.

Magnificent Large Zucchini
Makes 4 to 6 servings

9 oz. small pasta shapes, like shells or elbows
1/2 pound ground hamburger or sausage
3 to 4 1/2 pound large zucchini
1 medium onion, chopped
1 bell pepper, seeded and chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 to 4 large tomatoes, skinned and chopped*
1/3 cup pine nuts
1 tablespoon fresh chopped basil
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
salt and pepper, to taste
grated cheese, to serve

*Note: to easily remove the skin from the tomatoes, score the tomatoes on the bottom with a knife, then drop into the boiling pasta water for 20 to 30 seconds. Immediately remove the tomatoes to an ice water bath to stop them from cooking. The skins will easily pull off and then you can chop the tomatoes. 

1. Begin by cooking the pasta in plenty of salted boiling water until it is slightly more than "al dente" and soft. Drain well and set aside. Fry the hamburger or sausage, drain, and set aside.

2. Cut the zucchini length-wise in half. Use a spoon to remove and discard the seeds. Then, using the same spoon or a small melon scoop, remove the flesh from the zucchini and set aside, being careful not to tear through the skin. Coarsely chop the zucchini flesh.

3. Using medium to medium-low heat, gently fry the onion, the bell pepper, and garlic in the olive oil for about 5 minutes, or until the onions are beginning to soften. Add the zucchini flesh, tomatoes, and salt and pepper. Cover and cook for 10 to 12 minutes until all the vegetables are cooked through, stirring occasionally.

4. While the vegetables are cooking, place the zucchini halves in a large baking dish. Season with salt and pepper. Pour a little water around the outside of the zucchini halves and cover the dish with foil. Bake for 15 minutes.   

5. Add the pasta, pine nuts, basil, ground ginger, and the hamburger to the cooked vegetables and stir gently to combine. Remove from heat and set aside until ready to fill the zucchini.

6. Remove the zucchini from the oven and drain the water. Fill the zucchini halves with the pasta mixture and top with shredded cheese. Cover again with foil and return to the oven for 20 to 25 minutes. Serve with more cheese, if desired. Enjoy!

Adapted from Pasta: Irresistible Recipes for Perfect Pasta (2001)

Lemonade Freeze

Ever since I made these Mint Mojitos, I have been quite creative in the kitchen with all sorts of summer drinks, including things like lemon-cucumber water, and fizzy mango punch, and fresh squeezed lemonade, to name a few. It's so easy to make a simple syrup and throw in some fresh lemon juice or other fresh fruit that most of the time I don't measure anything, which works out well since my husband typically likes things sweeter than I do. We can doctor up our own glass to taste and both be completely content. 

The other day as I was making some lemonade, he suggested that I blend in a bunch of ice to make it more like a slushy. We are truly kids at heart, and both of us have a strange adoration for slushies, so naturally I thought this was a brilliant idea. Usually when making lemonade, I add water and ice, but to make this lemonade freeze, I only added ice. It started out very tart, how I like it, but mellowed out as the drink melted a little. You might want to have some extra simple syrup ready in case your lemons are naturally more sour, depending on how you like your lemonade. 

I recommend using a blender, if you have one. However, I don't have a blender, so I used a large plastic pitcher and my immersion blender, which did the trick perfectly. 

Lemonade Freeze

Makes 3 to 4 servings

5 to 6 lemons, to make 3/4 cup juice

3/4 cup sugar

3/4 cup water

20 to 30 ice cubes
Lemon slices, to garnish

1. In a small sauce pan, combine the the sugar and the water. Heat for a few minutes just until the sugar dissolves. Remove from the heat and allow to cool. You can put the sugar syrup in the fridge or the freezer to speed up the cooling process.

2. Fill a blender with the ice cubes. Pour the lemon juice and sugar syrup over the ice, and blend until the the mixture is smooth and slushy. Pour into glasses immediately and garnish with lemon slices. Enjoy!  

Twice Baked Potato Skins

Saturday marked the first day of the Husker football season! Around our place, we never miss a Nebraska football game, even when the TV quits working an hour before the game starts. Long story short, we also have some great friends that let us crash their place when these things happen, so the crisis this past weekend was averted. I've been really excited for football to start this year because it signals the upcoming fall season and great things like cooler weather, long sleeve shirts, all things pumpkin. Yum.

Although I do really enjoy watching the Nebraska Huskers play, I think one thing I really look forward to during football season is the food. There are so many possibilities and it is so much fun to get together with a group of friends to eat, watch the game, and have a great time.

In honor of the Huskers and the upcoming season, I made Husker potato skins- twice baked potato skins to be exact, with as many "red" ingredients as I could throw together. They have chili powder, and tomatoes, and bacon, and, of course, red potatoes. If you use smaller potatoes, like red or Yukon gold, then cut them into fourths, which is what I did. If you use large potatoes, like russets, cut it into fourths then you might want to cut each fourth in half to keep the portions more bite sized.

Twice Baked Potato Skins
Makes 6 to 7 servings

5 to 6 medium potatoes

2 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon chili powder
salt and pepper, to taste

1 or 2 small tomatoes, diced
1/4 cup sour cream
2 slices crisp bacon, crumbled
1/4 to 1/2 cup shredded cheese, like cheddar or Monterrey jack

1. Wash the potatoes and wrap in foil. Bake them for about 1 hour or until they are tender in a 350° oven. Allow the potatoes to cool. Increase the oven temperature to 400°.

2. When the potatoes are cool enough to handle, cut them into fourths length wise so that you have four long wedges. Using a spoon, remove most of the inside of the potatoes so that only the skins and a thin layer of potato remains. Put the scooped out potato in a medium bowl and set aside.

3. Melt the butter with the chili pepper. Brush the potato skins with the butter and season with salt and pepper. Place the skins on a cookie sheet and bake in the 400° oven for 15 to 20 minutes, until the skins are crispy.

4. While the skins are baking, add the sour cream, tomatoes, bacon, shredded cheese, salt and pepper, and any of the leftover melted butter to the bowl of the scooped out potatoes. Stir everything together until well combined.

5. Remove the potato skins from the oven and place a scoop of the potato filling on each skin. Sprinkle with some extra shredded cheese. Return the potatoes to the oven and bake until warmed through and the cheese is melted, 5 to 10 minutes. Allow to cool for a few minutes then serve. Enjoy!

Main Course Monday: Red Enchilada Sauce and Pork Enchiladas

As I have mentioned before, I really do hate when I find something to make for supper, and then discover that I am missing one ingredient. So when I decided to make Pulled Pork Enchiladas one night, I was very bummed when I realized that I did not have any enchilada sauce in my pantry. I had everything else, just not the sauce. Being the resourceful person that I am, I started looking up recipes and was thrilled to find out how easy it is to make this token spicy necessity for enchiladas! This is another one of those things that I can't believe I have waited so long to try.

Since then, I have discovered several people I know that make their own sauce, including recipes with a little bit of cocoa powder! I might have to try that sometime. If you are not going to use the sauce tight away, keep it in the fridge for a week or put it in the freezer.

Red Enchilada Sauce
Makes about 3 to 4 cups

For the enchilada sauce:
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoons flour
4 tablespoons chili powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
dash cayenne pepper
2 8-oz. cans tomato sauce
1 1/2 cups chicken broth

1. In a medium sauce pan, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the flour and cook for about one minute while stirring with a whisk. Add in the rest of the seasonings and cook for about 30 seconds. 

2. Next, add in the broth and the tomato sauce. Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce the heat and cook for 10 to 15 minutes until the sauce thickens and is smooth. You can use the sauce right away or store it in the fridge or freezer until needed. 

Pork Enchiladas

Here is what I did to make enchiladas. They are so easy to make and you can experiment with all sorts of different fillings. 


To make pulled pork enchiladas:
flour tortillas
diced onion
pulled pork
shredded Mexican cheese
enchilada sauce

1. Saute the diced onions for 5 to 7 minutes or until tender. Fill tortillas with the pulled pork, onion, some shredded cheese, and 1 to 2 tablespoons of the sauce. 

2. Put 1/2 cup of the sauce in the bottom of a baking dish then place the enchiladas on top. Cover the top with the rest of the sauce and more shredded cheese. Cover the pan with foil.

3. Bake at 350° for 20 to 25 minutes, then remove the foil and cook for 5 to 10 more minutes until the cheese on the top is melted and everything is thoroughly heated. Serve with cheese, sour cream, and fresh tomatoes. Enjoy!