National Clean Out the Refrigerator Day is Nov. 15. It was established in 1999 and encourages us to clean out and clean up the refrigerator to prepare for the upcoming holidays.
One of my Saturday morning rituals is to clean out the fridge. I usually cook a good bit to prepare for the next week. We don’t generally have a lot of leftovers, but if I run across something and I don’t remember when I cooked it, I toss it! Frequently check the “Sell By” and “Use By” dates on items that have a limited shelf life.
Here are a few tips for refrigerator helps:
• Clean it up. In addition to cleaning shelves, pull the fridge away from the wall and get dirt and grime from the coils.
• Keep the refrigerator a few inches from the wall so that air can circulate behind it. This helps disperse some of the heat your fridge creates.
• Fill it up. The fuller your fridge, the more efficiently it will run.
• Keep it closed. You don’t open the oven door to warm things up, so don’t open the fridge to cool things off.
• Organize things before it gets hot. This will keep you from having to search for things.
• Always cool things off before putting it in the fridge. Don’t ask your fridge to work extra hard to cool things down.
• Use containers and built-in drawers. Free-standing items give off moisture and make your refrigerator work extra hard to regulate air.
• Give in to air conditioning. Keep your home cool so the fridge doesn’t have to make up for it in the warm weather.
When giving your refrigerator a good, thorough cleaning, grab soap and a hot water filled bucket. You also need disinfectant, a sponge and a garbage bag. With these items, you are all set. Pay careful attention to meat and vegetable drawers. They are often the dirtiest part of the refrigerator.
I hope you will give this week’s recipes a try. Thanks for reading.
TWICE-BAKED POTATOES
3 large baking potatoes
½ cup half and half
½ cup sour cream
2 tablespoons ranch dressing mix
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/3 cup chopped cooked bacon
¼ cup butter, melted
Dried parsley for garnish
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Wash and dry potatoes, do not grease them. Pierce each potato one time. Bake for 1 hour or until tender. When cool enough to handle, cut potatoes in half lengthwise. Scoop out the pulp, leaving a thin shell and set aside. In a large bowl, mash the potato pulp; stir in half-and-half, sour cream, ranch dressing mix, cheddar cheese, and bacon. Mix together and stuff into potato skins. Place potatoes on a baking sheet and drizzle melted butter over potatoes and top with dried parsley. Bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes, or until heated through.
(This can be made in advance and refrigerated until baking.)
ITALIAN HERB SKILLET BREAD
7 Rhodes frozen dinner rolls
¼ teaspoon basil
¼ teaspoon pepper
¼ teaspoon oregano
¼ teaspoon rosemary
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
3 tablespoons melted butter
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
Spray an 8-inch cast iron skillet with cooking spray. Place seven rolls in the skillet leaving plenty of room for rising. Cover loosely with waxed or parchment paper and allow time for them to rise (about 4 hours). Preheat oven to 350 degrees; uncover rolls. Combine herbs, and mix with melted butter. Brush rolls with half the butter mixture, and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Bake for 15 minutes or until rolls are a deep golden brown on top; brush with remaining butter and serve from skillet.
SPINACH AND PROSCUITTO
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 (10-ounce) packages frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
4 ounces thinly sliced Prosciutto, chopped
1 (4-ounce) jar roasted red peppers, drained and chopped
1 (6.5-ounce) jar artichoke hearts, drained and sliced
1 tablespoon garlic powder
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add the spinach, prosciutto, red peppers, and artichoke hearts. Season with garlic powder; cook and stir for 15 minutes until heated through.
(This makes a great side dish.)
