Homemade Fresh Ricotta! So EASY!

 

What Beautiful weather we are finally having here in Northern New Jersey!  This morning when I drove my daughter to the bus stop it was a chilly 45 degrees, just beautiful!

Do you like Italian food?  Well I sure do.  I was raised on Italian food, homemade sauce, meatballs, eggplant parm, baked ziti, sausage and peppers, lasagna, you name it.  I love making it all, and usually have all the ingredients in the my frig or pantry.

I've read about Homemade Ricotta, and always wanted to try it.  So yesterday my Hubby and I gave it a try.  It was so easy, here's the recipe.

Homemade Fresh Ricotta

1 whole gallon of Whole Milk
1 tsp salt
1/4 cup Vinegar
2 TBS of Heavy Cream (if you want yours creamy, I didn't add this, but next time I will)

What you will need:

Crock Pot
Large Bowl
Large Strainer
Thin linen towel, or old clean white tee-shirt
Large spoon with wholes

In a crock pot add the whole gallon of milk, and 2 TBS of Heavy Cream you want, put the temp on HIGH, COVER, and forget about it (in my NY accent of course) for about 2 hours or so until the temp reaches 180 degrees. Check it with a thermometer after the 2 hours.

When the temp reaches 180 degrees, slowly pour the Vinegar and salt, very slowly stir for 10 seconds, keep the cover off, and forget about it for 20 minutes.  This is what it will start to look like.

Then after the 20 minutes this is what it will start to look like.  DO NOT STIR be gentle you don't want to break up the curds!

Get a large Strainer put it in a large bowl to collect the liquid known as the WHEY, and line it with a thin kitchen towel, or I used an old white tee-shirt. After the 20 minutes start carefully spooning the CURD into the strainer.

Now let the CURD strain for about 1 hour, if you like your Ricotta DRY, if you like your Ricotta a little creamy, let it strain for only about 1/2 hour.  Now you have Fresh Ricotta Cheese to make whatever you want with it.  This recipe will give you about 2 cups. 

Now you will have a lot of liquid/WHEY in the bowl, DO NOT THROW THAT OUT! Yes you can make MORE RICOTTA using the liquid. 

Take the liquid and put it into the same crock pot, you don't have to wash it, or just use a big pot on the stove, and reheat it to 200 degrees this time.  When it reaches 200 degrees, add another 1/4 cup of vinegar, and 1 tsp salt, stir for 10 seconds, and let it sit for 20 minutes again.  Strain just like before, you will get about another cup of fresh Ricotta.

Now you can throw out the leftover WHEY, or use it to do whatever you want, I have no use for it at this point, I tried to make another batch of Ricotta with it, but it didn't work. 

I will be using my Fresh Homemade Ricotta tonight for Baked Ziti.  Enjoy and So YUMMO!

Twice Baked Potatoes.....

I'm linking this recipe to Walking On Sunshine's Friday Linky Party.  Go take a look-see!

Well, today is my little boy Davey's first day of school.  He was very excited today when he left the house.  He started a new school this year, and I know he is missing all his little buddies.   It poured all night long, and we hardly even got any sleep the thunder was just so loud!  When we went into his school, it was pouring buckets. When I left him, he looked nervous, and I am a little worried right now, but I know all will be well....I hope! 

He requested his favorite meal for tonight, Meatballs with Brown Gravy, over egg noodles, and corn bread! 

I made these great Twice Baked Potatoes over the weekend when we had friends over.  They are from Pioneer Woman, but of course I made them my own.  They are easy to make the day before, and just bake them off the day you want to eat them.  Try them, you will love them!

Twice Baked Potatoes

6 large Idaho Potatoes scrubbed
2 sticks butter cubed
1 cup sour cream
6 sliced bacon cooked until crispy
2 TBS chopped scallions
2 tsp Season Salt or more if you want
2 tsp freshly ground pepper
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese for the filling
1 cup reserved for the topping

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, put the potatoes on a large cookie sheet, and bake them for about 1 hour and 15 minutes, do not wrap in foil, this will make the skin crisp.

When a sharp knife can be inserted easily, the potatoes are done.  Take them out of the oven, and slightly cool.

Very carefully cut the potatoes in half, length-wise, and scoop the potatoes out into a large bowl being careful not to break the skins, and you want to leave a layer of potato left so the skin isn't so "weak", and they are kind of like "cups or shells".

Add the butter, and start mashing the potatoes, add the sour cream, season salt, pepper, cheese, it's OK to have some lumps, stir in the bacon, and scallions.  Taste it, what does it need, more salt, pepper?  Always taste your food!

Fill the potato skin "cups" with the filling, Put them in a large casserole dish or cookie sheet, and cover with the remaining cheese.  Now you can put them in the frig for overnight, or bake them right away, covered for 20 minutes, then uncovered for 10.  Enjoy!