Taco Pie

This is a very simple dish- very "man" friendly. Brad LOVED it.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Ingredients:
1 lb. ground beef (this would probably also be good with ground turkey)
1 packet taco seasoning
Refried beans
3 tortillas (I used whole wheat)
Salsa
Mexican shredded cheese
Chopped green onions
Additional toppings of choice- lettuce, tomato, sour cream, etc.

Directions:
1. Brown meat and drain, add taco seasoning according to packet directions.
2. Place tortilla in bottom of pie dish. (For easier serving later, you can cut your tortillas into fourths and place in the dish.)
3. Spread with a layer of refried beans, then a layer of meat.
4. Top with another tortilla, a layer of refried beans, and a layer of meat.
5. Top with the third tortilla.
6. Cover with salsa
7. Top the entire thing with cheese.
8. Cook at 350 until cheese is bubbly.

9. After taking out of the oven, top with green onions and other toppings of choice!

Parsley-Garlic Chimichurri

Great way to use leftover parsley!  I used this chimichurri as a marinade for chicken.  It is also a condiment, can be added to a basic salad vinegarette for a dressing, or can be used for cooking fish or roasted vegetables.  It is versatile! 

Ingredients:

1 large bunch of fresh flat leaf parsley (I left on about 1/3 of the stem)
8 cloves of garlic, peeled
3 tablespoons minced onion
5 tablespoons distilled white vinegar
5 tablespoons water
1 teaspoon coarse salt
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 to 1 teaspoon hot pepper flakes to taste
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup extra virgin olive oil  (I only used about 2/3 of a cup)

Instructions:
Chop up the parsley a bit. This will make processing easier.
Add parsley and garlic to food processor and hit the pulse button a few times to mince.
Add remaining DRY ingredients and pulse some more.
Slowly pour oil through the chute, while taping away on the pulse button. Pulse just enough to where everything is mixed properly.
If you like the fresh crisp flavor of parsley, use immediately. Letting it rest overnight will balance out the flavors.

Note: Not all large bunches of parsley are equal so you may have to adjust the liquids a bit. I left out a few tablespoons of oil. You can also add an extra bit of vinegar for more tang!

Chicken Cacciatore

Low-fat!  Easy to prepare the night before and reheat the next day.  This yummy dish made the house smell SO good!

Ingredients:

2 1/2 to 3 pounds of meaty chicken (I used 4 Bare Chicken breasts, our favorite)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms (Scar, you can leave this out, Josh ate around them)
1 medium onion, sliced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 14 1/2-ounce can of diced tomatoes (I used petite diced tomatoes), undrained
1 6-ounce can tomato paste
3/4 dry white wine (I didn't use a "dry" white wine, just a white wine that I had in the house)
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme, crushed
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano, crushed
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon snipped fresh parsley
Hot cooked fettuccine or linguine (optional, we use quinoa pasta, you could also do mashed potatoes)

Instructions:

Skin chicken (if you didn't get skinless).  In a 12-inch skillet, cook chicken in hot oil about 15 minutes or until light brown, turning to brown evenly.  I upped it to 20 minutes and turned it every 5 minutes.  Remove chicken from skillet; letting the chicken drippings stay in the skillet.  Set chicken aside.

Add mushrooms, onion, and garlic to drippings in skillet.  Cook and stir about 5 minutes or until vegetables are just tender.  Return chicken to skillet.

In a medium bowl, combine undrained tomatoes, tomato paste, wine, sugar, salt, rosemary, thyme, oregano and pepper.  I did this while the chicken was cooking.

Pour mixture over the chicken in skillet, bring to a boil; reduce heat.  Simmer, covered, for 30 to 35 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink.  Turn once during cooking.

Sprinkle with parsley and serve over hot cooked pasta.

Beef Brisket w/Sauce in Slow Cooker

This beef brisket is great alone or as a sandwich.  I made the sauce that the recipe describes, but we did not even use it!  The beef was that tasty.  Great for a weekend meal since you make it in a slow cooker.
****The measurements for the ingredients are for a 3 1/2- or 4-quart slow cooker.  For a 5- or 6-quart slow cooker (like mine) double the cooking liquid ingredients, reserving still only 1/2 cup for sauce.  Leave all other ingredient amounts the same.  Makes 6 to 8 servings.****

Ingredients:

3/4 cup water
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon vinegar (I used apple vinegar b/c I had it left over from a dessert recipe)
1/2 cup beef broth (this is my modification; the recipe called for 1 teaspoon instant beef bouillon granules but I didn't have any in the house)
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper (I used red pepper flakes, worked fine for flavor but you can see the flakes)
2 cloves garlic, minced
A 2 1/2-pound fresh beef brisket (try to pick the one with the least fat to save time trimming)
1/2 cup catsup
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons butter or margarine

Instructions:

For cooking liquid, in a bowl combine water, Worcestershire sauce, vinegar, bouillon granules or beef broth, dry mustard, chili powder, red pepper, and garlic. Reserve 1/2 cup liquid for sauce; set aside in refrigerator.

Trim fat from meat.  If necessary, cut brisket to fit into a 3 1/2- or 4-quart crockery cooker.  Place meat in crock pot.  Pour remaining liquid over brisket.

Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 10 to 12 hours or on high-heat setting for 5 to 6 hours.

For sauce, in a small saucepan combine the 1/2 cup reserved liquid, catsup, brown sugar, and butter.  Heat and pass sauce with meat.

Pioneer Woman's Meatball Subs

I made these last night and they are so delicious and so easy! They are one of Brad's favorites.

Ingredients:
1 pound 93% lean ground beef
1/2 cup bread crumbs (Panko or plain will work)
1 clove minced garlic
1/2 tsp. salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup milk
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1/2 medium onion, diced
1 jar marinara sauce of your choice (I use olive oil and garlic)
Hoagie rolls of your choice (I use whole wheat)
Cheese of your choice (I use 2% shredded mozzarella or provolone slices)

Instructions:
Mix meat with bread crumbs, garlic, salt, pepper and milk. Knead together with hands. Roll into heaping tablespoon sized balls.

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onions and cook for about 1 minute. Add meatballs in between the onions and brown for a minute or two.

Pour jar of marinara over the top, shake pan gently to mix.

Put a lid on it and allow to simmer for 20 minutes.

Serve on warm hoagie rolls (you can broil them with butter for a couple minutes if you want) with cheese. YUM!

Reuben Sandwiches

My mom and I threw these together tonight and they were A-M-A-Z-I-N-G! Oh my gosh, the best thing I have eaten all week. If you like pastrami, and actually even if you don't, you should try them! So good. Tasted very similar to Chompie's Reuben!

Measurements don't need to be exact.

Ingredients:

• 8 slices marble rye bread (I used fresh bread from the bakery section)
• Butter for spreading
• 1/4 cup thousand island dressing (can also use spicy mustard if you prefer, as did my picky husband)
• 3/4 pound thinly sliced deli pastrami (Boar's head if available)
• 4 slices swiss cheese ( also used Boar's head)
• 1 cup sauerkraut

Instructions:

Heat pastrami in a non-stick skillet on medium heat for approximately 5 minutes until warmed through and sizzling, remove from heat and place in a bowl, cover to keep warm.

In the same skillet heat sauerkraut until warmed through, remove from heat.

Spread each slice of bread with a thin layer if thousand island dressing. Place a pile of pastrami on 1 slice of bread then top with sauerkraut, swiss cheese, and second slice of bread. Thinly spread butter on the outside of each sandwich.

Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Grill until each side is golden browned and the cheese is melted. Cut in half and enjoy!

My mom made homemade french fries with these. Not the healthiest dinner, but we have to have a little fun sometimes! You would have thought Ben was in heaven =)

Beef Medallions with Garlic Mashed Potatoes

Best meal we have made since getting married!  It was so yummy that I actually cleaned my plate.  I chose to also make green beans and slice up some French bread, but you could add a different veggie and/or leave out the bread...the beef is the star of this meal!

My recommendation is to make the medallion sauce first to allow it to chill (see instructions) while you make the potatoes. You can also make the medallion sauce the night before!  I would also recommend halving the mashed potato recipe, unless you want leftovers.  :)

Garlic Mashed Potatoes with Chives (makes 6 servings) 

Ingredients:

• 1 head of garlic
• 1 tablespoon olive oil

• 2 1/2 pounds red-skinned potatoes, peeled, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1/2 cup whipping cream
• 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
• 2 tablespoons sour cream
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh chives

Instructions: 

Preheat oven to 425°F. 

Cut top 1/4 inch off head of garlic to expose tops of cloves. Place in small baking dish. Spoon oil over; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cover dish tightly with aluminum foil. Bake until garlic cloves are tender, about 45 minutes. Squeeze garlic cloves from skins and mash in small bowl.

Cook potatoes in heavy large pot of boiling salted water until very tender, about 18 minutes. Drain; return to pot. Stir over low heat to allow excess water to evaporate. Add whipping cream, butter, sour cream, and roasted garlic and mash together. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Stir in chives and serve.

Beef Medallions with Cognac Sauce (makes 2 servings)

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) unsalted butter 
• 1/4 cup chopped shallots
• 1 teaspoon (packed) brown sugar
• 1 cup canned low-salt chicken broth
• 1/2 cup canned beef broth
• 1/2 cup Cognac or brandy
• 1/4 cup whipping cream

• 2 4- to 5-ounce beef tenderloin steaks (each about 1 inch thick)

• Fresh chives
• 
  

Instructions:

Melt 1 tablespoon butter in heavy medium saucepan over medium heat. Add shallots and sauté until tender, about 4 minutes. Add brown sugar; stir 1 minute. Add chicken broth, beef broth and Cognac. Simmer until sauce is reduced to 1/2 cup, about 20 minutes. Add cream. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover; chill.)

Sprinkle steaks with salt and pepper. Melt 1 tablespoon butter in heavy medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add steaks; cook to desired doneness, about 4 minutes per side for rare. Transfer steaks to plates. Add sauce to skillet; bring to boil, scraping up any browned bits. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Slice steaks; fan slices on plates. Top with sauce and garnish with chives.

Baked Ziti with Turkey Sausage

This is a yummy and healthier alternative to traditional baked ziti.

Ingredients

• 1 (1-pound) package uncooked ziti or penne
  
• 1 pound hot turkey Italian sausage ( I used Jennie-O)
  
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 tablespoon sugar
  
• 2 (14.5-ounce) cans petite-diced tomatoes, undrained
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh basil
• 8 ounces mozzarella cheese
  

Preparation

Preheat oven to 375°.

Cook pasta until al dente. Drain and set aside.

Remove casings from sausage. Cook sausage, onion, and garlic in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until browned, stirring to crumble. Add the tomato paste, salt, pepper, oregano, sugar, and tomatoes, and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Combine cooked pasta, sausage mixture, and basil. Place half of the pasta mixture in a 4-quart casserole coated with cooking spray. Top with half of mozzarella. Repeat layers. Bake at 375° for 25 minutes or until bubbly.

Serves 8.

If you like your pasta with a lot of sauce, consider decreasing pasta to 3/4 package. This comes together pretty quickly and makes a lot of pasta. I froze half to make again another week, but you may want to consider halving the recipe!

Apple Chips

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons sugar

1/8 teaspoon cinnamon (at least, more to taste)

1/8 teaspoon nutmeg (this was my modification to original recipe, can be left out)

4 apples, sliced crosswise into 1/8-inch-thick rounds

Instructions:

Heat oven to 225 degrees. Mix sugar and cinnamon (and nutmeg if desired) in a bowl. Arrange apple slices on 2 baking sheets lined with parchment paper; sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. Bake 1 hour; peel apples off parchment and return to paper. Continue baking until golden and crisp, 30 - 60 minutes more. Store in an airtight container up to 5 days.

Spinach and Mozzarella Lasagna Rollups

Preheat oven to 350.

Ingredients:
1 bag frozen spinach, thawed
2 cups shredded mozzarella
2 eggs
1 Tbsp. grated parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
6 lasagna noodles
Spaghetti sauce of your choice (I used Bertolini's Olive Oil and Garlic)

Instructions:

1. Boil 6 lasagna noodles until al dente.

2. While your noodles are on the stovetop, mix together spinach, mozzarella, parmesan, salt, pepper, and eggs until well blended.

3. Spread spinach mixture onto one lasagna noodle. Don't overfill, or it won't roll up. About two tablespoons is enough.

4. Roll up noodle and place in baking dish. Repeat with other 5 noodles.

5. Top with spaghetti sauce.

6. Top with parmesan cheese.

7. Cook for 30 - 35 minutes.



Even picky Brad liked these!

Whole Grain Carrot Muffins

Don't let the name fool you...these taste a lot better than they sound! They actually have a nice sweetness to them, and taste a bit like a bran muffin. Delicious if served warm with a little butter! They definitely don't taste like carrots at all, so don't let that stop you.

Ingredients:

-1 Cup Whole Wheat Flour

-1 Cup white flour

-3/4 cup Brown Sugar

-2 tsp baking powder

-1 tsp baking soda

-1/2 tsp salt

-1 tsp cinnamon

-3 eggs

-1/2 cup canola oil

-1 tsp vanilla

-1 cup carrot puree

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Mix all ingredients.

3. Bake for 20 minutes or until cooked through. I found 20 minutes to be a bit long, my muffins were a tad dry on the bottom. 16 -18 minutes would probably be plenty.

4. Optional frosting: Frost with 4 oz light cream cheese, 1/3 cup powdered sugar and 1/2 tsp of vanilla blended.

Baked Chicken...

One Technique, Three Variations

All of these recipes involve dipping chicken in a liquid then breading it and baking in the oven. They all have very similar textures, but different flavors based on which breading option you choose.

Yogurt Chicken

Ingredients:
4 Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts
1 sm. Plain Yogurt
1 Package Ritz Crackers, crushed
2 T Parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp garlic powder
melted butter (optional to pour over before baking)

Mix crackers, parmesan, and garlic powder to create breading. Dip Chicken in yogurt then coat with breading mixture. Place in a baking dish (pour butter on top if desired), and bake at 350 for 35-40 min.

Club Cracker Chicken:

Ingredients:
4 Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts
1 Package Club Crackers, crushed
3/4 c. parmesan cheese (or to your taste preference)
1 Stick butter melted (more if you want to pour over before baking)

Mix crackers and parmesan together to create breading. Dip chicken in butter then place in breading to coat. Place in a baking dish (pour over extra butter if desired) and bake at 350 for 35-40 min.

Cheesy Chicken:

Ingredients:
4 Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts
1 Package Ritz Crackers, crushed
1 C. Grated White Cheddar Cheese (or more to your taste preference)
1 Stick butter melted (more if you want to pour over before baking)

Mix crackers and cheddar cheese together to create breading. Dip chicken in butter then place in breading to coat. Place in a baking dish (pour over extra butter if desired) and bake at 350 for 35-40 min.

All of these recipes are really easy, and you could just eyeball all the ingredients if you don't want to measure things out. It is easy to adjust to make just 2 pieces or 10 pieces of chicken. Enjoy!

Oreo Balls

Ingredients:
1 package regular size Oreo cookies, crushed
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 package white almond bark
1 package chocolate almond bark

Using a blender or hand held mixer, mix Oreos and cream cheese together. Roll into walnut size balls. Chill for an hour.

Melt approximately 3/4 package of white almond bark. Stick a toothpick in an Oreo ball and dip it in the melted white almond bark. Allow to harden on wax paper. While waiting, melt about 1/4 package of chocolate almond bark. When Oreo balls are no longer sticky to the touch, decorate with drizzles of chocolate and white almond bark.

White Pizza

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

Ingredients:
3 mini pizza crusts (store-bought or home-made)
1 container of ricotta cheese, smallest available
fresh spinach, raw or sauteed ahead of time
mushrooms, if desired
additional toppings of choice
1 package of low-fat mozzarella cheese
oregano

Directions:
Evenly coat each mini pizza with ricotta cheese. Top with spinach, mushrooms, and/or other toppings. Sprinkle a small handful of mozzarella cheese onto the pizzas. Sprinkle about one teaspoon of oregano onto the pizzas. Bake directly on the oven rack for 7-10 minutes or until the cheese is golden brown. Enjoy!

Something that might taste good but I have not tried is topping the pizzas with pine nuts if you are also choosing to use spinach!

before the oven



cooked pizza



Whole Wheat Pancakes

Ingredients:
1 1/4 cups whole wheat flour
2 tsps baking powder
1 egg
1 1/4 cups milk
1/2 tsp salt
1 TBSP sugar
Optional add ins: pureed sweet potato, fruit, nuts, chocolate chips, etc.

Directions:
1. Sift together flour and baking powder
2. Beat together egg, milk, salt, and sugar
3. Stir in flour
4. Add any additional ingredients
5. Cook on griddle that has been pre-heated to medium