Pepperoni Stromboli

I couldn't find bread dough anywhere so I used pizza dough I found in rounds in the freezer section.  And I used some tiny pepperonis I had leftover.  That seemed to work nicely.

2 loaves (1 pound each) frozen bread dough, thawed
1/2 C. spaghetti or pizza sauce
1/2 tsp. oregano
4 oz. sliced pepperoni
2 C. shredded mozzarella cheese
1/3 C. grated parmesan cheese

On a lightly floured surface, roll each loaf into a 20"x8" rectangle.  Place one rectangle on a greased baking sheet.  Spread sauce in an 18"x4" strip down the center.  Sprinkle with oregano, pepperoni, and mozzarella.  Fold long sides of dough up toward filling and set aside.  Cut the remaining dough rectangle into three strips.  Loosely braid the strips and pinch ends to seal.  Place braid on top of cheese and pinch to seal.  Sprinkle with parmesan cheese.  Bake at 350 for 30 minutes or until golden brown.

Vegetable Beef Casserole

3 medium unpeeled potatoes, sliced
4 carrots, sliced
4 celery ribs, sliced
2 C. fresh or frozen green beans
1 medium onion, chopped
1 lb. ground beef (cooked or raw)
1 tsp. dried thyme
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper
3 medium tomatoes, chopped
1 C. shredded cheddar cheese

In a 3 quart casserole, layer half of the potatoes, carrots, celery, green beans, and onion.  Crumble half of the beef over vegetables.  Sprinkle with 1/2 tsp. each thyme, salt, and pepper.  Repeat both layers.  Top with tomatoes.  Cover and bake at 400 for 15 minutes.  Reduce heat to 350 and bake about 1 hour longer or until vegetables are done.  Sprinkle with cheese.  Cover and let stand until cheese is melted.

Beef Stuffed French Bread

Oh, this was so super delicious.

1 loaf french bread
1 lb. ground beef
1 can (10 oz.) cheddar cheese soup
1 green pepper, chopped
1 celery rib, chopped
1 T. worcestershire sauce
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
4 slices cheese, halved

Slice bread so you have long top and bottom halves.  Carefully cut out a small portion of the inside of the bottom half to make room for all the filling.  Cut removed bread into small chunks and set aside.  In a skillet, brown hamburger.  Add soup, green pepper, celery, worchestershire sauce, salt, and pepper.  Cook and stir for 3-4 minutes.  Stir in the reserved bread crumbs.  Spread into bread shell.  Top with cheese.  Replace top half of bread.  Place on an ungreased baking sheet and bake at 350 for 6-8 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Hash Brown Beef Pie

1 lb. ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
14 1/2 oz. can diced tomatoes, drained
1 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. oregano
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 1/2 cups frozen mixed vegetables

Topping:
3 C. frozen hash browns, thawed and drained
1 C. shredded cheddar cheese
1 egg
1/8 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper

In a large skillet, cook beef, onion, and garlic.  Stir in tomatoes, chili powder, oregano, salt, and pepper.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes.  Stir in the vegetables.  Pour into greased 9-inch pie plate.  (I used my 8x8 glass dish.)  Combine topping ingredients and spoon evenly over the meat mixture.  Bake, uncovered, at 400 degrees for 30 minutes.

Tips & Tricks:
- Whenever a recipe calls for a can of tomatoes I use fresh chopped tomatoes instead.  It's healthier and tastier.  And if you grew them yourself, it's cheaper!!  One whole tomato or 2-3 roma tomatoes generally equals about a 14 ounce can.  Don't worry about the fact that the can has a bunch of juice in it.  It came from the tomatoes inside in the canning process.  So once your chopped tomato cooks a little you'll be fine.  But if it seems a little too dry, add a tiny bit of water.

Pizza Mac Casserole

1 lb. ground beef
2 C. elbow macaroni, cooked and drained (really any type of noodle you want)
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped green pepper
28 oz. pizza sauce
2 C. shredded mozzarella cheese

In a skillet, brown beef.  Add macaroni, onion, green pepper, and sauce.  Pour into greased 2 1/2 quart baking dish.  Cover and bake at 350 for 20 minutes.  Uncover and sprinkle with cheese.  Bake 10-15 minutes longer or until cheese is melted.

Gingered Pork & Asparagus

Mmmmmmm.... asparagus.  I skipped the rice/noodles and served it with homemade biscuits.

6 T. apple juice
6 T. soy sauce
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 T. ground ginger
1 lb. pork, thinly sliced
2 T. oil
1 lb. fresh asparagus, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 1/2 tsp. cornstarch

In a large resealable plastic bag or shallow glass container, combine juice, soy sauce, garlic, and ginger.  Remove 1/2 cup to set aside.  Add pork to the bag.  Seal, cover chicken with marinade, and refrigerate for 1 hour.  In a large skillet over medium-high heat, stir-fry the pork in oil until done.  Remove pork from skillet and set aside.  In the same skillet, stir-fry the asparagus for 2-3 minutes or until crisp-tender.  Stir cornstarch into reserved marinade.  Add to skillet.  Bring to a boil and cook for 2 minutes or until thickened.  Return pork to the skillet and heat through.  Serve over rice or noodles.

Slow Cooked Oriental Chicken

3-4 pounds broiler-fryer chicken, cup up
2 T. oil
1/3 cup soy sauce
2 T. brown sugar
2 T. water
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tsp. ground ginger
1/4 cup slivered almonds

In a large skillet over medium heat, brown the chicken in oil on both sides.  Transfer to a slow cooker.  Combine the soy sauce, brown sugar, water, garlic, and ginger.  Pour over chicken.  Cover and cook on high for 1 hour.  Reduce heat to low and cook 4-5 hours longer.  Remove chicken to serving platter and sprinkle with almonds.  Spoon juices over chicken or thicken if desired.

Now I adapted this a bit.  I cut a whole boneless skinless chicken breast into several pieces and just tossed them in the crock pot without browning.  I added the almonds with the rest of the ingredients and cooked on high and it was done in less than 2 hours.  Although I'm beginning to think my crock pot runs too hot.....

Bacon Cheeseburger Soup

My friend Melissa gave me this recipe and it is AWESOME!!!  I did change a couple amounts when I doubled it though.  We ate a little about half and I have the other half in the freezer for easy supper another night!

1 lb. hamburger
8 slices bacon, chopped (I used turkey bacon.  I like it better & I don't have to cook it first.)
1/2 onion, chopped
4 potatoes, cut into bite sized pieces
2 cans chicken or beef broth (I used a little over 2 cups water plus bouillon granules.)
2 lb. Velveeta, cubed
2 cans cream soup of your choice

Brown hamburger with onion.  Add everything together into a soup pot except the Velveeta.  Simmer until the potatoes are done to your liking.  Add the Velveeta.  Heat until melted and heated through and serve.

Laure's Yummy Lunch

A friend of mine sent this one to me and we all thought it was delicious.  Well..... except my oldest who has randomly decided he hates beans, rice, and tomatoes.  So many substitution possibilities with this!  I used some garbanzo beans I had in the freezer instead of the others, leftover sweet corn cut from the cob, and fresh tomatoes instead of canned, and added some shredded cheddar cheese.  My husband and I ate the leftovers with tortilla chips!

1/2 lb. Ground meat
1 can Pinto beans (rinsed and drained)
1 can Black beans (rinsed and drained)
1 can (14.5oz) Mexican style stewed tomatoes
2 Zucchini cut into chunks
1 cup Corn - fresh or frozen
1 cup Salsa
2 tsp Chili powder (i make my own with cumin, paprika and garlic powders)
3 cups Cooked rice

Brown meat and add into crockpot with all other ingredients.  Cook on low for at least 4 hours.  Serve on beds of lettuce or wrapped up in a soft taco shell with cheese and sourcream or by itself in a bowl with some salsa and ranch dressing.

Ham & Cheese Quesadillas

You could use any kind of meat and cheese you want in this!

I spread a very thin layer of ranch dressing on one tortilla shell, topped with layers of thinly sliced ham (like Carl Buddig style), and then covered it with shredded cheddar cheese.  Top with another tortilla and heat in a skillet over medium heat until slightly browned.  Flip and cook until second side is crisp.  Remove to a cutting board and slice with a pizza cutter.  Repeat until you have enough quesadillas to feed your family!

Enchanting Butterflies & Flowers

I'll admit I didn't take the time to make the carrots look like flowers.  But this was pretty good.

8 oz. (2 cups) small bow pasta
3 carrots, trimmed and peeled (I sliced up baby carrots)
1 T. oil or butter
4 oz. lean ham, slivered
1 can (14 1/2 oz.) chicken broth (I just make mine from bouillon)
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

Cook pasta according to package directions. Cut each carrot into 2 or 3 inch lengths (I think I'm just going to use baby carrots). With a small sharp knife, carefully carve out narrow, shallow "v" shapes, about 1/4 inch apart around the outside of each piece of carrot. Thinly slice each carrot. The "v" shape cutouts give the slices a petal-like appearance. Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the carrots and cook until almost tender, about 2 minutes. Add the ham and cook 2 minutes longer. Add the chicken broth. Simmer for 10 minutes. Stir in the cheese and simmer 5 minutes longer, stirring occasionally. Stir in the pasta and serve. If desired, sprinkle in a little fresh parsley for leaves.

Stuffed Shells

This was a HUGE hit.  I even used low fat cottage cheese and there was more than enough flavor.

20 large shell noodles
1 lb. small curd cottage cheese
1 cup grated parmesan cheese
2 cups spaghetti sauce
2 cups mozzarella cheese

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Cook noodles as directed on package. Drain noodles and let them cool for 20 minutes until they are cool to the touch. In a bowl, combine the cottage cheese and parmesan. Spray a 13x9 inch baking dish. Pour a thin layer of sauce on the bottom of the dish and spread it out with a rubber spatula. With a teaspoon, place a heaping spoonful of the cheese mixture into each shell. Place the shells side by side on the sauce in the dish. Cover with the rest of the sauce, spreading it with a spatula. Sprinkle the mozzarella evenly on top of the sauce. Bake for about 25 minutes, until the mozzarella is bubbly and brown. Cool for a few minutes before serving.

Chinese Meatballs with Sesame Rice

1 lb. ground pork or turkey

6 water chestnuts, minced (I got a can of them and minced about half)
2 scallions, trimmed and minced
2 T. soy sauce
1 tsp. sesame oil
1 T. oil
3 cups hot cooked rice
2 T. toasted sesame seeds
1 scallion, thinly sliced
In a large bowl, combine the ground meat, water chestnuts, scallions, soy sauce, and sesame oil until well mixed. Shape into tiny meatballs, about 1 inch in diameter. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the meatballs and cook, stirring often, until browned on all sides, about 1 minute. Cover and cook until meatballs are no longer raw in the center, about 2 minutes longer. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine the rice, sesame seeds, and scallions. Toss well to combine. Serve the meatballs beside or over rice.
* To toast sesame seeds: Place a small skillet over medium-low heat. Add the sesame seeds and toast, stirring occasionally, until the seeds start to turn golden brown, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove seeds from skillet right away to prevent further browning.

Chicken in Lime Sauce

This is also really good over rice or noodles.

2 whole boneless skinless chicken breasts
1-2 T. butter
1 T. corn starch
1 C. chicken broth
2 T. lime juice
2 T. brown sugar
1 T. dijon mustard
1 clove garlic (or equivalent garlic powder)

Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add chicken and brown 2-4 minutes on each side.  Remove to a plate and cover to keep warm.  Combine corn starch, chicken broth, lime juice, brown sugar, mustard, and garlic in a small bowl.  Pour into skillet.  Bring to a boil, stirring constantly, and boil for 1 minute.  Return chicken to skillet.  Simmer 5 minutes or until chicken is cooked through, turning occasionally to coat chicken with sauce.

Tips & Tricks:
-I find a whisk easiest when mixing the sauce and stirring in the skillet.
-In the middle of cooking this tonight I found we were out of dijon so I used regular yellow mustard and a big pinch of extra brown sugar.  It turned out just the same as I remember making it before.
-Remember chicken brother is really easy to make with granules and water heated in the microwave.

Fruit Cookie Pizza

My star is crooked and I didn't have enough raspberries, but it's still cute and was delicious!  You can use any kind of fruit or design you want!

1 roll (16.5 oz) sugar cookie dough

1 package (8 oz) cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup powdered sugar
2 cups fresh raspberries
1 1/2 cups fresh blueberries

Heat oven to 350°F. Spray 12-inch pizza pan with cooking spray. Press cookie dough onto pan to form crust.  Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until deep golden brown.  Cool completely.  Beat cream cheese and powdered sugar together.  Spread over baked crust.  Arrange fruit into a star shape in center.  Arrange fruit around the star.  Refrigerate until set, about 30 minutes.  Store in refrigerator.  Serve it shortly after set.  Otherwise the crust will start getting soggy.