The BEST $4.00 I ever spent!

Ok, so my new found technique is to parooze the sale ads, see what meat is on sale, and then search for recipes using those meats. This week, whole chickens were on sale. Little did I know how much I was actually going to get out of that one little chicken! I made Beer Butt Chicken for dinner. Then I picked off all of the remaining meat and made Chicken Salad. Then I boiled the carcass with some herbs and veggies I had laying around and made chicken stock! Holy Moly! Like I said...best $4 I ever spent!!

Beer Butt Chicken

1 12 oz can beer
1 whole chicken (about 3 lbs)
1 large onion, sliced
4 sprigs fresh rosemary
Salt, pepper, and poultry seasoning to taste
1 (14.5 oz) can low-sodium chicken broth
4 red potatoes, sliced


Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a baking dish. Pour out half the beer from the can, spray the can with cooking spray, and set it upright in the center of the baking sheet. Loosen the skin over the breast of the chicken, and insert an onion slice, and 1 rosemary sprig under the skin of each side of the breast. Place about half the onion, cracked garlic cloves, and 2 sprigs of rosemary into the cavity of the chicken. Spray the outside of the chicken with cooking oil spray, and sprinkle with salt, pepper and poultry seasoning to taste. Place the chicken onto the beer can in an upright position, with the can inserted into the cavity of the chicken. Pour the chicken broth into the baking dish, and place the rest of the sliced onion and the potatoes into the broth. Roast about 1 1/2 hours. Let the chicken rest for 10 minutes before slicing.


Chicken Salad

Chicken pieces removed from whole chicken
Mayo or Miracle Whip to desired consistency
Sliced celery
Sliced black olives
salt & pepper
Dill (I use dried)

Combine and refrigerate overnight. There is no exact measurements, since this depends on how much chicken you have leftover.




Chicken Stock

1 chicken carcass
1 large onion, quartered
1 carrot, sliced
2 stalks celery, sliced
2 bay leafs
2 sprigs rosemary
salt
pepper
6-8 cups water

Combine everything in a large pot, bring to a boil. Turn down to simmer, cover and let cook for 2 hours. Strain through a fine strainer or line yours with a cheese cloth to get out all small bits. Allow fat to come to the top and skim it off with a spoon. Allow stock to get to room temp before placing it in the fridge. Make some yummy soup for dinner tomorrow!!

Owl Cupcakes!

I saw these on a fellow foodie's blog and gave them a try!! I won't bother reposting the recipe, since she did it so well, but I did take a shortcut; she made her own frosting and I used store-bought. Call me lazy...but they were still a HUGE hit!




Ingredients:

Storebought cake mix
Chocolate frosting
Oreo cookies, divided, only using side with frosting
Brown M&M's or Reeses Pieces
Candy corn

Bake cupcakes as directed, frost and assemble!

Chicken Hashbrown Casserole

This is another one of those times when I needed to scrounge through and see what I could make with what I had on hand. This is when I love using allrecipes.com. If you click on the ingredients link, you can type in a few main things you have on hand and it'll give you recipes including those ingredients. I changed this one around a tad, and it was really good!




Ingredients:

1 2lb pkg frozen hash browns, thawed
2-3 chicken breasts, cooked and sliced into bite size pieces
1/2 cup melted butter
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 8oz container sour cream
1/2 cup chopped onions
1 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 cup french fried onions

Preheat oven to 350
In a large bowl, combine all ingredients except french fried onions and 1/4 cup of the cheese. Bake covered in a 3 qt casserole dish for 30 minutes. In a small bowl, combine french fried onions and cheese. Uncover and top with onion/cheese mix and bake 10 more minutes.

**I made fried eggs to serve on top of this, and it was a really yummy combination, but you can skip that if you'd like.

Sausage Hashbrown Bake

I made this for our friends who came over for a playdate one morning last week. Delicious and easy!




Ingredients:

1 lb ground pork sausage
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 of a 10.75 oz can cream of chicken soup
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup french onion dip
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup chopped green pepper
1/4 cup chopped red pepper
salt & pepper
15 oz shredded hash brown potatoes, thawed

In a skillet, cook sausage until no longer pink. In a large bowl, combine 3/4 of the cheese, and the next 7 ingredients. Fold in potatoes. Spread half of the potatoe mixture into a 2 qt baking dish, top with the sausage and cover with remaining potatoe mix. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Cover and bake at 350 for 30 minutes, uncover and bake 5 minutes more until heated through.

Banana Pancakes

Another great idea for using up those over ripe bananas! I also read online that you can freeze the bananas until you are ready to use them. So now I have a few in there just waiting for the mood to strike to make banana bread again!

Ingredients:

1 cup flour
1 tbs white sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 egg
1 cup milk
2 tbs vegetable oil
1 ripe banana, mashed
1/2 tsp vanilla extract (optional)
1/4 tsp cinnamon (optional)

Combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. In a separate bowl, combine egg, milk, oil, banana, vanilla and cinnamon. Stir flour mixture into banana mixture; batter will be lumpy. Spray a griddle with cooking spray and use aprox 1/4 cup batter for each pancake.

These were amazing. I didn't take a picture, you all know what pancakes look like. I tweaked this recipe from it's original version, using only 1 banana instead of 2 because I thought it would be too mushy. After eating them I know I was right, they were soft, but would've been way too mushy with one more banana. I also added the vanilla and cinnamon - I like those flavors. You could also add nuts!

Chicken Parmesan

One of my very favorites! I had planned on making Sloppy Joes this night, but my husband said he didn't feel like sloppy joes...so I scrounged around for what other ingredients I had on hand and sure enough, I had everything I needed for Chicken Parmesan. And it was AWESOME!

Ingredients:

1 cup seasoned bread crumbs
1 egg, beaten
3 chicken breasts, sliced into about 4 strips
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 cup jarred spaghetti sauce
1 cup shredded italian cheese blend(You can buy the preshredded in the store, or combine what you have. I had shredded mozzarella, fontina and parmesan so that's what I used)
1 tsp dried basil (optional)

Heat oven to 375
Place bread crumbs and egg into shallow dishes. Dredge chicken in egg, then bread crumbs. Heat olive oil in a saute pan over med-high. Cook chicken strips in batches about 3 minutes per side. Remove to a large baking dish. Spoon spaghetti sauce over chicken in dish. Top with cheese blend, and sprinkle with basil. Bake for 10-15 minutes, depending on the size of your strips.

I serves spaghetti along side this. It was excellent. Photo coming soon!

Slow Cooker Lasagne

Two of my favorite things: my slow cooker and Italian food. Enough said.



Ingredients:

1 lb ground beef
1 26 oz jar spaghetti sauce
1 cup water
1 15 oz container ricotta cheese
1 7 oz pkg mozzerarella cheese shredded
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 egg
2 tbs chopped fresh italian parsley
6 lasagne noodles, uncooked

Brown meat in skillet; drain. Stir in spaghetti sauce and water. Combine ricotta, 1 1/2 cups mozzarella, 2 tbs parmesan, egg and parsley in a bowl. Spoon 1 cup meat mixture into slow cooker, top with layer of lasagne noodles, broken to fit. Top noodles with half of the cheese mixture. Repeat with 2 cups meat sauce, then noodles, remaining cheese mixture, then remaining meat mixture. Cover and cook on low 4-6 hours. Sprinkle top with remaining cheeses and cover again for 10 more minutes.

**Two more of my favorite things; a messy child and a clean plate!

White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies

Admittedly, I am not much of a baker; I make a huge mess and use way too many dishes. I prefer cooking. And, though I know it is not normal, I do not have much of a sweet tooth. Ice cream is my guilty pleasure, and I actually don't like chocolate; a fact which causes my mother to often claim I am not her child. I rarely bake, because then I end up giving too much of it to the kids so that it won't go to waste, so I usually don't bake sweet treats. At birthday parties, I always pass on the cake. However, tomorrow there is a bake sale at church to raise money for a ministry that I participate in where we go to Mexico and build houses for needy families. So I made my favorite sweet treat. I love white chocolate.



Ingredients

2 cups flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup butter, melted
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 egg
1 egg yolk
1 tbs vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups chopped macadamia nuts (**after eating these, I feel I would have been okay with just 1 cup of nuts...there were alot in each cookie. Your choice.)
2 cups white chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 325

In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking soda and salt. Beat together melted butter and sugars. Beat in the egg, then the egg yolk, then the vanilla. Gradually add the flour mixture to the sugar mixture until just combined. Stir in the chips and nuts gently. Scoop by large tablespoonfull onto lined baking sheets and bake for 12-15 minutes until edges are golden and centers are not quite set.





**I used my melon baller to drop cookies onto baking sheet, so I don't have to push the dough off the spoon with my fingers and also makes the cookies all the exact same size (which helps with even baking!). I also line the baking sheets with parchment paper. Much easier cleanup and a much softer cookie!

Kitchen Must-Haves

Since Christmas is coming up, I thought I'd review some of my favorite kitchen tools - things I use often and feel are VERY worth every penny. So if you are lacking any of the following and would like to change that...read the reviews, and add them to your list!

Slow-Cooker

I have raved about mine many times here. A slow cooker is a mother's best friend; working or stay-at-home. A slow cooker require minimal effort but provides a maximum result. If you don't have one, I highly suggest you get one!


Food Processor

Before I bought one, I never really thought I needed one, didn't think I'd use it much, but found one on sale and decided to grab it. Now I don't think I could survive without it! It is amazing for making dips, soups, dough, and the grater attachment it comes with has saved me tons of elbow grease and money! I despise shredding cheese for some reason, but I also refuse to pay 25% more to buy it pre-shredded from the store. It's too expensive, doesn't melt the same, and generally is a waste. Using the grater attachment, I am able to buy a big block of cheese for much less, cut it into 4 squares, shove it down the top of the food processor, and it is grated in seconds! I dump it into a food storage bag and don't have to think about it again til I have to buy some more. Awesome!

Imersion Blender

Makes for a much easier time making soups. You won't have to pour in batches into your blender. It's soup season people. This is a perfect stocking-stuffer!

A GOOD knife

Cutting onions/meat/potatoes/pretty much anything with one of your steak knifes you got in a kit for your wedding is just painful. Get one or two sharp, good quality knives. Make your life much easier.

Rice Cooker

I am no good at figuring out rice in a saucepan for whatever reason. It always takes too long to cook. A rice cooker turns off when the rice is done, based on a weight measurement inside. My rice cooker is amazing.

Kitchenaid Mixer

The grand master of all kitchen tools. They are expensive, I know. But they are so worth it! No stainding next to a bowl and mixing, no need to knead dough...need I say more? I always bake as presents for Christmas, only because I have my Kitchenaid Mixer. Otherwise the neighbors would get craft projects from my kids. I am sure they prefer cookies!

This week

Keep your eyes open for: Slow-Cooker Lasagne, Potato-Bacon Torte and White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies!

Happy cooking!

Roasted Tomato Soup

Vine ripe tomatoes were on sale this week for .99 cents a pound. So of course I grabbed a ton and then realized there's no way I'll eat that many before they go bad! This recipe called for a total of 2 1/2 lbs of tomatoes of all kinds, but I used all vine ripe since thats what I have.



Ingredients:

2 1/2 lbs fresh tomatoes (mix of whichever kinds you like)
6 cloves peeled garlic
2 small yellow onions sliced
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
1 quart chicken stock
2 bay leaves
2 tbs butter
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
3/4 cup heavy cream

Preheat oven to 450

Wash, core and cut tomatoes into halves. (*I cored mine with my potato peeler/apple corer). Spread tomatoes, garlic cloves, and onions onto baking tray. Drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper. Roast for 30 minutes. Remove roasted tomato mix and transfer to a large stock pot. And 3/4 of the chicken stock, bay leaves and butter. Bring to a boil and then simmer for 15-20 minutes.

Chop basil leaves and add to pot. Use immersion blender to puree until smooth (*If you don't have one of those nifty tools, you can pour the soup in batches into your blender). Return heat to low and add cream and remaining stock if soup needs to be thinned. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

***Just as I was making this my husband needed me to bring him something to his work that he forgot, so we ate lunch with him. I left to soup to get room temp, poured it into a freezer bag and am going to freeze it for future use. It is fall afterall...I'm sure one day it will cool down and start to feel like soup weather!

Tex-Mex Buttermilk Chicken Tenders

This is another Rachael Ray recipe. I highly reccommend getting her magazine, it has some really fabulous stuff in there. These are excellent. Messy to make, but worth it!



Ingredients:

4 cups vegetable oil
2 tbs chili powder
1 tbs paprika
1 tbs garlic powder
1 tbs onion powder
1 tbs poultry seasoning
2 cups buttermilk
2 1/2 cups flour
2 lbs chicken, cut into tenders*
Salt and pepper

In large skillet, heat oil over med-high. In a large bowl, combine all spices. Pour half of the spice mixture into another large bowl. Pour buttermilk into one bowl, and flour into the other. Stir to mix spices in. Dip chicken tender into buttermilk, then flour, then buttermilk again, then flour again (makes for a crispy crust!). Add the strips to the oil and cook 3-4 min per side. Sprinkle with salt immediately after removing from oil. Serve with ranch for kids, and ranch/louisiana hot sauce mixture (like Franks Red Hot) for the adults.

*Save money and use whole chicken breasts and cut them into strips yourself. Buying pre-cut strips at the store is always more pricey

New look...

What do you think? I like the white I think, looks cleaner. But what do you think? Needs more color or you like it white? Recipes to be posted tomorrow!

On the menu this week...

Some old friends...

Taco Ring

Broccoli Beef

Creamy Pasta ***Made with Orzo pasta this time

And some newbies...

Tex Mex Buttermilk Chicken Tenders, Salisbury Steak, and Delicious Chicken Casserole

See you in the kitchen!

Velveeta tex-mex beef and potatoes

This is awesome. My kids ate 2 servings each. Perfect kid-friendly dinner that has enough flavor for mom and dad to enjoy too. Put down that Hamburger Helper box, this is so much better! I don't have a picture, sorry!! I'll make it again soon and post one, I promise!

Ingredients:

1 lb ground beef
1 red pepper chopped (I used a half)
1 onion chopped
1 pkg taco seasoning
1/2 cup water
4 cups frozen Southern-Style hash browns
1 pkg (10oz) frozen corn
8oz Velveeta cheese, cubed

Heat oven to 350

Brown meat with peppers and onions. Drain. Stir in taco seasoning and water. Add potatoes, corn and velveeta, mix well. Spoon into a 13x9 baking dish; cover. Bake 20 min, stir. Uncover and bake 15 more min.

Fococcia Bread

I was in the mood for some fresh pizza bread yesterday so I put this together. The kids loved it. I had the BEST fococcia bread EVER when I was in Florence. I wish I could replicate it...I've never been able to. Guess I'll just have to go back there...



Ingredients:

1 1/4 cups warm water
2 envelopes dry yeast
1 tbs honey
3 tbs olive oil
4 cups flour
2 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp oregano

**I use my Kitchenaid mixer. Her name is Blanca. She is my best friend. You should definately get yourself a Blanca**

Combine water, yeast, honey and olive oil in the bowl of a mixer fitted with a dough hook. Let yeast disolve for a few minutes. Add 3 cups flour, then the salt and mix on med-low for 10 minutes. While mixing, add 1 more cup flour. When dough is combined and ready, turn it on a floured board and knead by hand about 6 times. Place dough in a bowl well oiled with olive oil, turn dough to cover with oil. Cover bowl with damp kitch towel. Allow to rest and rise at room temp for 30 min.

Preheat oven to 450.

Divide dough into 2 equal parts. Make a pizza and foccocia, 2 pizzas, save some for later...whatever you like. Roll dough to desired thickness and shape. Push dimples into dough and brush with olive oil. Sprinkle with oregano and kisher salt. Bake for 13-15 minutes. Serve warm.

**If making pizza, top with your favorite toppings. Same cook time.

Banana Bread

Got old bananas?? Don't waste them!! Grab a pack of chopped pecans from the store and make this AWESOME bread...you're sure to have everything you need on hand.



Ingredients:

2 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
4 over ripe bananas
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup melted unsalted butter, cooled
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350.

Grease a 9x5 loaf pan. Combine flour, baking soda and salt - set aside. Mash 2 bananas with a fork in a small bowl. Whip remaining bananas with sugar for 3 minutes. Then add butter, eggs and vanilla. Beat well, scrape down sides of bowl. Mix in dry ingredients until just incorporated, do not over mix.

Fold in nuts and mashed bananas. Pour batter into loaf pan, drop pan on counter a few times to remove air bubbles. Bake for 1 hour 15 min. Let rest for 10 min, remove to rack.

**I should name this One Day Banana Bread, because thats how long it lasts around here!

Carrot Pumpkin Cheesecake Muffins

All I can say is wow, you have to make these. If you like pumpkin, you will love these. And they were simple. Not the most diet friendly recipe, but what dessert is, really? Splurge on this one, you won't regret it!


Ingredients:

1 - 8oz pkg cream cheese softened
2 eggs
2 tbs sugar
1 tbs lemon juice
1 - 14oz pkg pumpkin quick bread and muffin mix (I used Pilsbury)
1 cup shredded carrots
3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup raisins (I didn't add raisins, I don't like them)
2 tbs vegetable oil
1/2 cup chopped pecans
3 tbs butter, softened

Heat oven to 350. Spray muffin pan with cooking spray. In a medium bowl, beat cream cheese, 1 egg, sugar and lemon juice. Set aside. In a small bowl, set aside 1/2 cup of the bread mix for topping. Place rest of mix in large bowl. Add remaining egg, carrots, milk raisins and oil. Stir until well blended.
Fill each muffin cup with 1/4 cup of batter. Spoon 1 heaping tablespoon of cream cheese mixture over the top of each muffin.
Add pecans and butter to the reserved muffin mix. Mix with fork until crumbly. Sprinkle evenly over the cream cheese in each muffin cup.
Bake at 350 for 25 minutes. Cool, remove from pan and serve. YUMMY!!

PS - Isn't my picture great? I'm proud of myself on that one!

Pork Quesadillas

I came across this recipe in my Rachael Ray magazine and it sounded yummy! The kids love quesadillas and this seemed like a nice grown-up version. We were not disappointed, and the kids loved them!

**Photo courtesy rachaelraymag.com

Ingredients

2 boneless pork chops (about 1/4 pound)
Salt and pepper
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 onion, chopped
1 cup canned diced tomatoes
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 chipotle chile in adobo sauce, finely chopped
1/2teaspoon ground cumin
1/2cup chopped cilantro,plus leaves for garnish
8 medium flour tortillas
1 cup shredded monterey jack cheese


Preheat the oven to 350°. Season the pork chops with salt and pepper. In a large nonstick skillet, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the pork and cook until browned, 4 minutes on each side. Transfer to a cutting board and let cool; cut into thin strips.
In the same skillet, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 4 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes and their juice, the garlic, chipotle (**I added this after I made the kids) and cumin and cook over medium-high heat, stirring, until the mixture thickens, about 3 minutes; stir in the pork and chopped cilantro.
Heat a grill pan over medium heat. Brush one side of each tortilla with the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil. Working in batches, cook the tortillas oiled side down until grill marks form, 1 to 2 minutes.
Arrange 4 tortillas grilled side down on a baking sheet. Divide the pork mixture among the tortillas and sprinkle with the cheese. Top with the remaining tortillas, grilled side up. Bake until the cheese is melted, about 10 minutes. Cut into wedges and serve.

**We have a quesadilla maker that we got for Christmas, so I didn't have to go through all the grill/bake steps. I just threw it in the quesadilla maker! Nice!

Chicken Cesar Wraps

I was trying to scrounge around the house and come up with something to make that didn't force me to go to the grocery store along with every other person in town this Saturday, and this is what we had! I put everything into a tortilla for my husband so he didn't feel like he was "only having salad for dinner". I ate it as salad. Kids liked them in tortillas. My youngest threw his tomatoes on the floor. Of course he throws the one thing the dog refuses to eat as well. Lucky me!



Ingredients:

Cooked chicken breast, cubed (*see recipe for marinade below)
2 romaine hearts, chopped
1 tomatoe, diced
Cesar salad dressing, as much as you like
Tortillas

Combine chicken, tomatoes and dressing in bowl and toss to coat. Wrap in tortilla, or eat as is!

Marinated Chicken

4 boneless chicken breasts
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 packet Good Seasons Italian Dressing Mix

Combine oil, vinegar and season packet in a large ziploc bag. Add chicken and seal. Marinate in fridge for at least 3 hours, and up to 24 hours. Bake at 425 for 20-25 min or grill.

Monte Cristo

As you'll see, I am not posting the recipe. Because it was gross. My husband has been begging me to make Monte Cristos for a LONG time, and I've never tried them so I wasn't in a big rush to make a french toast meat sandwich that you dip in jelly.

Wasn't sure how that could possibly be good.

I was right, it wasn't.

So if any of you have a recipe that is good, post it and I'll try again. Ours had french toast, black forrest ham, turkey, swiss cheese and cream cheese. Sounds good right?

Not so much. Hope your dinner was better than ours!

Taco Ring

Okay, this recipe sounds more confusing than it is. And I took pictures of the steps. Then I forgot to take a picture of the finale-my kids were going berserk wanting to eat. But you'll get the idea. These were a HUGE hit, I will be making them again for sure.

Ingredients:

2 cups shredded cheddar
4 Tbs water
4-6 tbs taco seasoning
1 lb ground beef
2 tubes refrigerated cresent rolls

Optional Toppings:

Shredded lettuce
diced tomatoe
sliced green onions
sliced olives
jalepeno peppers
sour cream
salsa

In a large bowl combine water, taco seasoning and 1 cup cheese. Crumble beef over mixture and shape into 12-16 balls. Place meatballs on greased rack in a shallow baking pan. Bake uncovered at 400 for 12 minutes.

Reduce oven to 375. Arrange cresent rolls on a greased 15" pizza pan, forming a ring with the pointed ends facing the outer edge and the wide ends overlapping (**see photo). Place a meatball on each roll; fold point over meatball and tuck under wide end of roll, leaving meatball visible. Repeat. Bake for 15-18 min until rolls are golden brown.

The recipe says to transfer ring to a serving platter and fill the center of the ring with all the toppings. I didn't do that. I put each persons rolls on their plate and topped them with the things they liked.

And forgot to take a picture.

Sorry.

Here are the ones I took. Note to self, use parchment paper under the meatball rack next time, less cheesey mess!

Halibut, my favorite fish in the sea

I never used to be very big on fish. Tuna sandwiches maybe, but that was about it. My grandmother brought back some fresh Halibut from Alaska a few years ago and I've been hooked ever since! It's very expensive out my way, so when it goes on sale I buy extra and freeze it. This isn't really a recipe, since I do as little as possible to it so I don't take away from the flavor, but I thought I'd post it anyhow!

Ingredients:

Halibut filet
salt and pepper
flour
olive oil
butter

Combine equal amount olive oil and butter in saute pan and heat on medium high heat. Season fish on both sides with salt and pepper, then dredge lightly through flour. Saute in pan about 6 minutes per side. Serve with steamed veggies.

**Yes, that is boxed Julienne potatoes you see there. Don't hate, we love them!

Back in the kitchen!

Well I have taken a little siesta from working - I will be off for the next month, in between jobs. So I get to cook more creative again! A little less pre-cooking, which is fun for me. I have a yummy week planned! Last night we had Spaghetti Pie, and coming up - Halibut, Open Faced Chicken Burgers, Monte Cristos, Taco Ring, and a night out at Applebees since kid's eat FREE on Tuesdays, and they have the two for $20 deal going on! I'll be posting more often again, since I'm home!

Nacho Casserole

I have made this twice, my husband LOVES it. It seems kind of weird, but it comes out excellent!

Ingredients:

2 tbs olive oil
1/2 lb pre-sliced sweet red peppers (I used jarred)
1 lb ground beef
1/2 tsp garlic salt
2 tubes refrigerated pizza dough
1 16oz jar salsa (you decide heat level, we use mild for kids sake)
3 cups shredded taco cheese blend
1 can sliced black olives, drained (I used these the first time and was told not to
put them in again, hubby hates olives)
3 large scallions sliced

Heat oven to 375, coat 9x13 pan with cooking spray.
In large skillet, heat oil then add peppers, beef and garlic salt. Drain fat. Remove pizza dough. Cut into 1/2" wide strips then cut each strip into quarters. In a large bowl, toss together dough and salsa (I found it easier to coat each piece individually with the salsa and then lay it in the salsa, so they don't stick). Add meat mixture, 2 cups of the cheese and the olives. Pour into baking dish and top with remaining 1 cup cheese. Bake at 375 for 30 minutes. Sprinkle scallions on top and bake 5 more minutes.

Chicken Straws

I watched Robin Miller make these on Food Network and they looked yummy. And I figured the kids would have fun dunking them! I was right - these were excellent. We all loved them.

Ingredients:

Cooking spray
1 1/2 cups cooked thigh meat chopped (*I cooked mine a day ahead in the crockpot)
1/2 cup sour cream
1/3 cup shredded Mexican cheese blend
1 - 4oz can diced green chiles
2 tbs fresh cilantro chopped
1 tsp ground cumin
1 pkg egg roll wrappers
1 cup honey
3 tbs chopped jarred jalepenos (I omitted this for the kids dip)
1 tbs cider vinegar

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Top cookie sheet with parchment paper or cooking spray.

In a large bowl, combine chicken, sour cream, chiles, cilantro and cumin. Mix well.

Arrange egg roll wrappers on a flat surface. place a small amount of filling along lower third of wrapper. Fold over once, then fold in sides and continue rolling. Dip your finger in water to seal edges and place on cookie sheet. Spray straws with cooking spray then cook for 10-12 minutes until golden brown.

Combine honey and vinegar for dip, add jalepenos for adults. Enjoy!

Pizza Casserole

I came across this on Allrecipes and thought it sounded interesting. It totally tastes like pizza! We all really liked it alot.

Ingredients:

2 cups uncooked egg noodles
1 lb ground beef
1 onion diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 cup sliced pepperonis
16 oz pizza sauce
4 tbs milk
1 cup shredded mozzarella

Preheat oven to 350. Cook noodles. In a skillet, brown beef with the onion, garlic and bell pepper. Drain fat. Stir in the noodles, pizza sauce and milk, mix well. Pour intl a 2 quart casserole dish. Baje for 20 minutes, then top with cheese and cook for 5-10 more minutes to melt.

Hashbrown Casserole-in your crockpot!!

I took this to one of our Moms meetups the other day and it was really, really good. The kids and I ate the rest of it for lunch. I had a total of 4 servings in one day. I need to hit the treadmill, I think.

Ingredients:

30 oz pkg of plain, frozen hashbrown potatoes (shredded)
6 cooked sausage links, cut up
1/2 onion, diced
1/2 green bell pepper, diced
1 1/2 cups shredded cheese
12 eggs
1 cup milk
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper

Spray your crock with cooking spray. Place all of the hashbrowns in the bottom and spread evenly. In a bowl, combine eggs, milk, salt, pepper, cheese, sausage, and veggies. Pour whole mixture on top of hashbrowns. Cover and cook low for 6-8 hrs, high for 3-4.

Penne Chicken Pesto

This looked quick and easy - which is what I need on nights when we have TeeBall practice.

Ingredients:

1 head of broccoli cut into florets
1 box penne pasta
2 cloves garlic diced
2 cups cooked chicken (cook your own or buy pre-cooked)
1 - 7oz container Buitoni basil pesto

Bring a large pot of water to a boil Salt and add broccoli and cook for 3 minutes. Sccop out with a slotted spoon and put aside in a bowl. Add pasta to water and cook. Heat 2 tbs olive oil in a large skillet. Add garlic and cook 2 minutes. Stir in broccoli, cook 3 more min. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Drain pasta. Stir chicken, pasta and pesto into skillet. Cook 2 minutes to heat through.

**My husband dumped a bunch of parmesan cheese on top of his - despite me telling him that pesto has a bunch of parmesan. We all really liked this. It was quick, easy and delicious.

More to come...

I'm getting back on it, I promise =)

Broccoli Beef

We order this ALL the time when we eat chinese, so I searched for a recipe and found this one on Allrecipes.com. It is even better that going out!



Ingredients:

1/4 cup flour
1 (10.5) oz can beef broth
2 tbs sugar
2 tbs soy sauce
1 Lb boneless steak cut into strips (I used rib eye)
1/4 tsp fresh ginger chopped
1 clove garlic minced
4 cups chopped fresh broccoli
1 med onion sliced into strips (optional)
2 tbs wok oil (or any kind of cooking oil)

In a bowl, combine flour, broth, sugar and soy sauce. Stir to combine. In a large wok over high heat add oil and beef. Cook for 2-4 min until browned. Stir in broth mixture, ginger, garlic and broccoli. Bring to a boil, then reduce and simmer for 5-10 min until sauce thickens. Serve over rice.

**My kids LOVED this, even the broccoli. The sauce is excellent. And I highly reccomend using the wok oil - it has a slight garlic flavor to it and really makes a difference. Enjoy!