Dinner #7

I knew today was going to be a busy day.  I also knew it was going to be cloudy and rainy.  This was why I picked tonight's dinner.  It was the perfect combo of warmth, nourishment and comfort.  It wasn't very heavy either.  I served it with fresh made rolls, saltine crackers and some Parmesan cheese.  Yummy!

Slow Cooker Vegetable Beef Soup

Ingredients

• 1 pound ground beef
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 small onion, diced
• 1 green bell pepper, diced
• 3 stalks celery, diced
• 1 (29 ounce) can Italian-style stewed tomatoes, drained
• 1 (15 ounce) can mixed vegetables, drained
• 2 quarts beef broth
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 3/4 teaspoon paprika
• salt and pepper to taste
• 6 ounces dry fusilli pasta '

Directions

• 
  1.     Place the beef in a skillet over medium heat. Mix in garlic, onion, and green bell pepper. Cook and stir until beef is evenly brown and vegetables are tender. Drain grease, and transfer to a slow cooker.
  
  2.     Mix celery, Italian-style stewed tomatoes, and mixed vegetables into the slow cooker. Pour in beef broth, soy sauce, and Worcestershire sauce. Season with paprika, salt, and pepper.
  3.     Cover, and cook 7 hours on High. Mix pasta into the slow cooker during the last 15 minutes of cook time. 
  
  
  
  
  I put the pasta in with an hour left because I was worried that it would not be cooked.  It was fine.  I also used ground turkey instead of ground beef for a healthier version.   I also used frozen veggies instead of canned because I think canned veggies are disgusting.  I would also suggest using diced tomatoes instead of stewed because I like smaller chunks.  So do the kids.  It makes a lot so if you want to try some just come on over.  I'll share!  My fridge is full with extras.

Dinner #6

Tonight's dinner didn't go well.  I was in a weird mood, Damon was in a weird mood and dinner was very late.  7pm.  Blah.  So needless to say we were all a little cranky.  This was a challenging recipe because I couldn't find all the ingredients so I made some substitutions.  They didn't work out so hot.  Damon feels like I should have put sausage in the pasta as well, but I really felt like a meatless dish tonight.  I think it has potential.  If anyone can find smoked mozzarella cheese let me know.  It's not at the old von's, stater bros, or henry's.

Penne with tomato and smoked cheese

3 cups uncooked penne pasta (9 oz)
1 can (14.5 oz) Muir Glen® organic diced tomatoes, undrained
2 cups Alfredo pasta sauce
1 cup shredded smoked mozzarella cheese (4 oz) (I used smoked provolone and it didn't work well)

Directions 

• 1 Heat oven to 350ºF. Spray 1 1/2-quart casserole with cooking spray. Cook and drain pasta as directed on package.
• 2 Meanwhile, in 2-quart saucepan, heat tomatoes to boiling. Reduce heat to medium; cook uncovered 6 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until liquid has evaporated.
• 3 In 2-quart saucepan, heat Alfredo sauce over medium-low heat until warm. Stir in cheese until melted. Mix sauce, pasta and tomatoes. Pour into casserole.
• 4 Bake uncovered about 30 minutes or until hot in center. 

You can also add bacon into the dish to give it a really smokey  flavor.  Serve with salad and fresh bread.    Enjoy.

Dinner #5-Super Bowl Sunday!

What goes better on Super Bowl Sunday then chips, salsa, guacamole, quesadillas and enchiladas.  This meal aimed to please and did not disappoint.  Even during the preparation of the meal all the kids were in the kitchen saying how wonderful everything smelled.  Always a good sign.  These actually reminded me of the enchiladas my grandma used to make. 

Beef Enchiladas

1 lb lean (at least 80%) ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped (1/2 cup)
1/2 cup sour cream
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese (4 oz)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/3 cup chopped bell pepper (any color)
2/3 cup water
1 tablespoon chili powder1
1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh or 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1 can (4.5 oz) Old El Paso® chopped green chiles, drained
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 can (15 oz) Muir Glen® organic tomato sauce
8 soft corn tortillas (6 inch)

Additional shredded cheese, sour cream and chopped onion, if desired 

 

 Heat oven to 350°F. In 10-inch skillet, cook beef over medium heat 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thoroughly cooked; drain. Stir in 1/2 cup onion, 1/2 cup sour cream, 1 cup cheese, the cilantro and pepper. Cover; remove from heat

In 2-quart saucepan, heat bell pepper, water, chili powder, oregano, cumin, chiles, garlic and tomato sauce to boiling, stirring occasionally; reduce heat. Simmer uncovered 5 minutes. Pour into ungreased 9-inch glass pie plate.

 Dip each tortilla into sauce in pie plate to coat both sides. Spoon about 1/4 cup beef mixture down center of each tortilla; roll up. Place, seam side down, in ungreased 11x7-inch (2-quart) glass baking dish. Pour remaining sauce over enchiladas. 

 We also sprinkled cheese on top after they came out of the oven.  One thing we would probably do is double the sauce.  We like really saucy enchiladas and there wasn't  a lot of sauce to pour over the top.  We also chopped up some tomatoes to serve with them.  So Yummy.  It was the fastest my kids ever ate dinner.

After dinner Super Bowl treats.  We served these with ice cream and chocolate sauce.  I'm going to miss football til September!

Dinner #4

Tonight's dinner was good.  The side I chose didn't go well with it (Tomato Basil Soup), but the main dish was good.


Parmesan Meatball Sliders

1 lb ground chuck or lean (at least 80%) ground beef

Salt and freshly ground pepper

2 eggs, beaten

1cup Progresso® Italian style panko crispy bread crumbs

1/4cup grated Parmesan cheese

3 cloves garlic, very finely chopped

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley or 1 tablespoon parsley flakes

5 tablespoons olive or vegetable oil

4 cups marinara sauce

12 mini hamburger buns

12 slices mozzarella cheese

12 fresh basil leaves, if desired 

• In medium bowl, place beef; sprinkle well with salt and pepper. Add eggs, bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, garlic and parsley; mix lightly until combined. Shape mixture into 12 (2-inch) balls.
• In 3- to 4-quart saucepan or Dutch oven, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add meatballs; cook 2 minutes on each side or until golden. Pour marinara sauce over meatballs. Heat to boiling; reduce heat to low. Simmer uncovered 30 minutes until meatballs are thoroughly cooked and no longer pink in center.
• On each bun bottom, place 1 meatball, 1 slice mozzarella cheese and 1 basil leaf. Cover with bun tops.

We toasted the buns in the broiler to make sure they were extra warm.  I had a hard time finding slider buns so I just used  mini French Rolls.  It worked.

Leave a message and tell me what you think!

Dinner #3

Today's dinner was easy to prepare, easy to cook and easy to clean up.  My favorite kind of night.  There isn't any left so I guess it was a hit.  You may want to do  more meat if you have growing kids.  It fed us tonight, but Noah wasn't here.  So maybe double the recipe and marinate over night if possible.

Ingredients

INGREDIENTS

1/2	cup vegetable oil
1/2	cup lime juice
2	tablespoons chopped fresh or 2 teaspoons dried basil leaves
2	tablespoons chopped fresh or 2 teaspoons dried oregano leaves
2	tablespoons chopped fresh or 2 teaspoons dried thyme leaves
1	teaspoon onion powder
1/4	teaspoon lemon-pepper seasoning
4	chicken thighs (about 1 lb)
4	chicken drumsticks (about 1 lb)    1.     In shallow glass or plastic dish or heavy-duty resealable food-storage plastic bag, mix all ingredients except chicken. Add chicken thighs and drumsticks; turn to coat with marinade. Cover dish or seal bag; refrigerate, turning chicken occasionally, at least 30 minutes but no longer than 24 hours.  2.     Heat gas or charcoal grill. Remove chicken from marinade; reserve marinade. Place chicken, skin  sides down, on grill over medium heat. Cover grill; cook 15 minutes. Turn chicken; brush with marinade. Cover grill; cook 15 minutes. Brush with marinade; cook 5 to 15 minutes longer or until juice of chicken is clear when thickest part is cut to bone (180°F). Discard any remaining marinade. (I only cooked it for 15 minutes on each side, but it depends on your grill)  Serve with homemade bread or rolls, side salad and some mixed veggies! (yes, that is my homemade bread)

Dinner #2

Tonight's dinner didn't go over to well with the kids.  They have issues with rice and Lily has an issue with ribs, but the flavors were there and it was an easy fix and an easy clean up.

Polynesian Pork Ribs

Ribs

2 lb boneless country-style pork loin ribs

1 clove garlic, finely chopped

1 small onion, sliced

1 can (8 oz) crushed pineapple in juice, undrained 

Sauce

3/4 cup ketchup

3 tablespoons packed brown sugar

3 tablespoons hoisin sauce

1 teaspoon grated ginger root (1/4 tsp of ground ginger if fresh isn't available)

 

Spray 3 1/2- to 4-quart slow cooker with cooking spray. Place pork ribs, garlic and onion in slow cooker. Spoon about half of the pineapple with some of the juice over ribs. Reserve remaining pineapple and juice. 

 Cover; cook on Low heat setting 8 to 10 hours. (I would stay closer to 8, but it depends on the crock pot)

About 35 minutes before serving, drain and discard cooking juices from slow cooker; wipe edge of slow cooker clean. In small bowl, mix ketchup, brown sugar, hoisin sauce, gingerroot and remaining pineapple with juice. Spoon or pour evenly over ribs. Increase heat setting to High. Cover; cook 25 to 30 minutes longer or until ribs are glazed. 

Serve with rice and steamed veggies. 

Dinner #1

Well today is my first day of new meals for dinner.  The whole month of February will have a new meal (well except one night.  Date night I will not be cooking) every night.

This first night was really tough.  It was Blue and Gold dinner for cub scouts.  It was a super busy day and I had to do some extra stuff, but I managed to make a yummy Italian dish as well as helped Adam make and decorate a cake.  I managed to get a picture of what was left.  There wasn't much so I guess that is a good sign.

Baked Italian Sausage Rigatoni

2 tsp minced garlic
1 pkg uncooked ground Italian Sausage (I used turkey sausage)
1 pkg pasta-cooked (any pasta will work, curly, bowtie, wagonwheel, rotini)
1 bottle 4 cheese spaghetti sauce (I used 3, but you can also use 6)
2 tsp red pepper flakes (for kick.  I left this out.  We don't like kick in this house)
2 cups mozzarella cheese (divided into two)

brown sausage and garlic in pan.  In a large bowl toss together the sausage with all the other ingredients except for 1 cup of cheese.
Pour pasta mixture into a 9x13 pan lined with cooking spray.  Bake at 375*F for 25 minutes.  Pull out, top with rest of cheese and bake 5 more minutes.

Serve with fresh bread, salad and some nice veggies.  Enjoy!