Mini Meat Loaves

Mini Meat Loaves
-Heather W.

Ingredients
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 cup purchased pasta sauce
1/2 cup fine dry bread crumbs
1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, coarsely chopped if large
1 lb. lean ground beef
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese (4 oz.)
1 12-oz. pkg. fresh green beans, trimmed
1 Tbsp. olive oil
Crushed red pepper (optional)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Bring a medium saucepan of salted water to boiling. In large bowl combine egg, 1/2 cup of the pasta sauce, bread crumbs, 2 tablespoons of the basil, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Add beef and 1/2 cup of the cheese; mix well. Divide beef mixture in four equal portions. Shape each portion in a 5-1/2x2-inch oval. Place on 15x10x1-inch baking pan. Spoon on remaining pasta sauce and sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake 15 minutes or until internal temperature registers 160 degrees F.

2. Meanwhile, cook green beans in boiling salted water for 10 minutes. Drain; toss with 1 tablespoon olive oil and red pepper. Serve with meat loaves. Sprinkle all with remaining basil leaves. Serves 4.

Change for green beans:

Season pot of water with celery salt, pepper, garlic powder. Bring to boil. Turn off heat (but leave pot) and add green beans. Let sit until almost ready to eat. Drain and re-season with celery salt, pepper and garlic powder. Add 2 squirts of honey. Stir and serve!

I also made double the meat loaves and froze 5. (Mine must have been mini-er)

Roasted Vegetables with Linguine

Roasted Vegetable Linguine
-Heidi P.

I made this last night, a take off from another recipe, and loved it.  So good!

2 cups peppers, sliced into strips (I used yellow and red.)
1/2 lb. fresh or frozen asparagus, cut into 11/2-inch pieces
2 small zucchini, sliced into strips
1 small onion, sliced into strips
1 cup carrot, sliced into strips
3 Tbs. olive oil
Garlic powder, to taste
1/2 13.25-oz. pkg. whole-wheat linguine
Rosemary, Basil, and Oregano, to taste
1 cup Mozzarella

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 450°F. Place oil in a large roasting pan and add vegetables. Add garlic powder to the top. Roast 20 minutes, or until  onions begin to brown, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.

2. Meanwhile, prepare pasta according to package directions. Drain pasta.

3. In bowls, place the noodles and add vegetables on top.  Season with rosemary, basil, and oregano, adding a 1 - 2 tsp of oil as well.  Add cheese to the top.  Microwave for 30 seconds.  Serve.

Taco Soup

Ingredients:

2lbs ground turkey
2 (15.5oz) cans pinto beans, drained/washed
1 (15.5oz) can pink kidney beans drained/washed
1 (15.5oz) can whole kernel corn, drained
1 (14.5oz) can stewed tomatoes
1 (28oz) -or- 2 (14.5oz) diced tomatoes
2 (4.5oz) cans diced green chilies
1 TBSP chili powder
1 tsp cayenne pepper


Directions:

Brown the ground turkey in lg. skillet; drain excess fat. Put into a stockpot. Add beans, corn, tomatoes, green chilies, cayenne pepper, and chili pepper. Cook on low for 45 minutes (or until desired).

Can serve with sour cream, cheese, and corn chips.

Meatballs & Rice - Two Ways

I have two recipes for this dish - one I found online and one that my grandmother makes.  Both are delicious and simple - just different ways to prepare the dish. So I thought I'd pass both along!

Meatballs & Rice
-June B. (Heidi's grandma)

1 pound ground beef
1/2 cup dried bread crumbs
1/3 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup milk
1 egg
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 cup shortening
12 fluid ounces tomato-based chili sauce
1 1/4 cups grape jelly
1-2 cups rice

In a large bowl, combine ground beef, bread crumbs, onion, milk, egg, salt, Worcestershire sauce, and ground black pepper. Mix together, and shape into meatballs.

Cook rice according to package directions.
In a large skillet, heat shortening over medium heat. Add meatballs, and cook until browned, about 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from skillet, and drain on paper towels.

Add chili sauce and jelly to skillet; heat, stirring, until jelly is melted. Return meatballs to skillet, and stir until coated. Reduce heat to low. Simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes.
 
Waikiki Meatballs
-Heidi P.
 
Meatballs (or use premade frozen meatballs)

1½ pounds ground beef
⅔ cup crushed saltine cracker crumbs
⅓ cup minced onion
1 egg
¼ cup milk
1½ teaspoons ground ginger
½ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon olive oil

Sauce
2 tablespoons cornstarch
½ cup packed brown sugar
1 (15 ounce) can pineapple chunks or pieces - drained, with juice reserved
⅓ cup white vinegar
1 tablespoon soy sauce
⅓ cup chopped green bell pepper
Pinch of ginger
1-2 cups rice

In a large bowl, combine ground beef, cracker crumbs, onion, egg, milk, ginger and salt. Shape mixture by rounded tablespoonfuls into meatballs. (Skip this step if using premade.)

Cook rice according to package directions.

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Place meatballs in skillet and cook until evenly brown, and meat is no longer pink. Drain excess fat.

In a small bowl, combine the cornstarch, brown sugar, reserved pineapple juice, vinegar, ginger, and soy sauce. Mix until smooth, then pour into the skillet with meatballs. Cook, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens and boils, about 5 minutes. Stir in the green pepper and pineapple chunks. Heat through. Serve with rice.

Easy Chinese Stirfry

-Heidi P.

Tried this one a few days ago and really enjoyed it.  The flavors are good, it's easy to put together, and I actually had most of the ingredients on hand.  The recipe calls for pork, but I only had chicken, so that's what I used.  I also added some yellow bell pepper for a little more color.

Ingredients:
1 tsp. oil
1 lb. pork tenderloin, cut into thin slices
3 carrots, sliced
1/3 cup KRAFT Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing
2 Tbsp. hoisin sauce
2 green onions, thinly sliced
1 cup brown rice

Directions:
Heat oil in large skillet on medium-high heat. Add meat and carrots; cook and stir 5 min.

Meanwhile, begin cooking the rice according to package directions.

Stir in dressing and hoisin sauce; stir-fry 7 min. or until carrots are crisp-tender, stirring frequently.

Add onions; cook 1 min.

Calzones

Calzones
-Heidi P.

This recipe is a favorite in our house because it's versatile and easy.  You can mix it up and use whatever ingredients you have on hand and whatever flavor combination you want  Plus, if John is in the mood for ham and cheese and I'm in the mood for feta and spinach, we can each have what we want!

1 can (13.8 oz.) refrigerated pizza crust
16 slices  Deli Honey Ham
1 cup Shredded Colby & Monterey Jack Cheese
1/4 cup Ranch Dressing
1 tomato, cut into 8 thin slices

Other great combinations taste-tested include:
Pepperoni and Cheese
Spinach and Feta
Bacon and Onion

Heat oven to 400°F. Unroll pizza dough on lightly floured surface. Pat out dough to form 16x12-inch rectangle. Cut into quarters.

Top dough with ham to within 1/2 inch of sides. Mix cheese and dressing; spread on ham. Top with tomatoes. Fold each rectangle in half; seal edges with fork. Put on baking sheet sprayed with cooking spray.

Bake 16 to 18 min. or until golden brown.

Serve with a side salad and some pasta/pizza sauce for dipping.  Delicious!

Linguine with Peppery Beef Strips

-Christine B.

I like to make this dish from leftover sirloin steak I'd grilled earlier in the week.

Tip: this recipe calls for 1 c. beef broth. If you use canned broth, and need to store your leftover broth for the long term, place remaining broth in a Ziploc sandwich bag and store in your freezer. This also works well for when a recipe calls for only the whites or yolks of the egg, simply freeze the unused portion.

Ingredients:
1 pound lean beef steak
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 tsp. dried basil
2 tsp. coarsely ground pepper (or if you only have regular pepper on hand, use 1 1/2 tsp)
3 tbs. olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 c. thinly sliced green onion
1 tbs. cornstarch
1 c. beef broth
8 oz linguine
1 c. julienned carrots (to save time, buy the "matchstick" carrots in your grocer's produce case)
optional: 1 c. green pepper, seeded and sliced thin; 8 oz sliced mushrooms

Directions:
Slice steak into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Mix oregano, basil, pepper, olive oil, garlic and green onions in a shallow dish. Add steak; toss to coat. Heat water for pasta.

Dissolve cornstarch in broth. Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add steak; stir fry for about 3 minutes.

Remove steak. Stir broth mixture into skillet. Boil, stirring continually, for about 1 minute. Return steak to skillet. Add carrots and optional items, if desired; cook for 5 minutes.

Drain pasta and add to skillet; toss with steak and vegetables. Serve immediately.

Chad liked this dish with some red pepper flakes. I personally think the black pepper added enough heat on its own. Joe (my 7-year-old) likes to add Parmesan cheese to his.

Zucchini Grinders/Subs

Zucchini Grinders/Subs - Or a Twist on Zucchini Parmesan

1 tablespoon butter or a spoonful of olive oil
3 medium zucchini, cubed
1 small onion, chopped
1 pinch red pepper flakes - or just throw a ton in there like I do.
1 cup marinara/pasta sauce
1½ cups shredded mozzarella cheese
4 (6 inch) sub rolls, split

The sub rolls are optional.  If you want a quicker meal without all the bread, just skip placing the mixture in the sub rolls and simply put into bowls and enjoy.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

Melt butter or olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onion to the skillet and cook until translucent and tender. Fry the zucchini in butter/oil until browned and slightly tender. Season with red pepper flakes, salt and pepper, and stir in the marinara/pasta sauce. Cook and stir until sauce is heated.

Spoon a generous amount of the zucchini/onion mixture into each sandwich roll. Top with a handful of shredded mozzarella.  Wrap each roll individually in aluminum foil.  I usually tape them shut mostly because I'm not good at eyeballing the amount of foil necessary even after years of making these.

Bake for 15 minutes in the preheated oven, until bread is heated through, and cheese is melted.

English Muffin Pizzas

English Muffin Pizzas
-Heidi P.

Yes, it may sound ridiculous or juvenile, but nothing is quicker and easier, and has more ability to personalize the meal than individual pizzas. 

Whole Grain English Muffins
Pizza or Pasta Sauce
Cheese (any kind, really)
Seasonings - Garlic, Basil, Oregano, Crushed Red Pepper, etc.
Toppings - Spinach, Mushrooms, Pepperoni, Ham, Pineapple, Red Pepper, Green Pepper, Sausage, Onion, Feta, Cheddar - the sky is the limit!

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Layer sauce, seasonings, toppings, & cheese onto english muffin.
3. Bake for about 10 minutes or until cheese has melted (longer if you want the muffin to be crunchy).

Herbed Corn on the Cob

Chicken fajitas, steak and grilled chicken are just a few main dishes this side compliments so well. Remove the corn from the leftover cooked cobs. Freeze; keep on hand to make muffins, pancakes or corn bread.

I found baking the corn in the foil made the corn very juicy and tender, much more so than simply boiling it and will bake my corn from now on--herbs or no herbs.


Ingredients:

1/2 c. butter, softened
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4. tsp. pepper
1 tbs. chopped fresh parsley (dried: 1 tsp.)
1 tbs. chopped fresh rosemary (dried: 1 tsp.)
6 ears frozen or fresh, shucked corn on the cob

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees (I used 400 degrees for frozen cobs). Combine butter, salt, pepper, parsley and rosemary in a small bowl; mix well.

Cut six 12-inch pieces of heavy duty foil. Spread about 1 tbs. butter mixture onto each ear of corn, reserving remaining butter mixture.

Place 1 ear of corn diagonally on each piece of foil. Roll up tightly; twist ends to seal. Place on a baking sheet.

Bake corn for 30 minutes. Carefully untwist the ends of the foil; unroll. If desired, fold the edges of foil up around each ear of corn to form a "boat." Top corn with a small dollop of remaining butter mixture.

Variation: The butter mixture will be zestier if 1 tbs each Dijon mustard and horseradish are used instead for the herbs.

Bacon-Tomato Fusilli Pasta

I found this dish on the back of a pasta package and gave it a try. It was good, however, for our tastes it was a tad bit bland--but good enough to keep and tweak to our liking.

I'm going to list the ingredients as is for those that prefer a more subtle flavor to their meals. I found adding more back pepper and sprinkling some red pepper flakes gave it a kick it was lacking.

Ingredients:

16 oz package fusilli pasta
1/4 c. butter
1/4 c. all-purpose flour
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
2-1/2 c. milk
1/2 c. grated Parmesan cheese
2 tsp. dried parsley flakes
8 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
2 medium tomatoes, seeded and chopped

Directions:

Cook pasta according to package directions. In large saucepan, melt butter. Stir in flour, salt and pepper. Blend in milk. Cook, stirring constantly, until thickened and bubbly. Stir in cheese, parsley, bacon, tomato and pasta, toss to coat. Heat through. Serve immediately.

Vegetable Enchiladas

Vegetable Enchiladas
-Heidi P.

This recipe is great because you can change it up to suit whatever you have on hand, like garlic, corn, diced tomatoes, even mushrooms.  And if you like hot sauce (I can't live without it), throw some of that in the mix as well!

1 large zucchini
1 medium - large red pepper
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 onion, chopped
4 large tortillas
1 can enchilada sauce (I use store bought but you could make your own as well.)
2 - 3 cups shredded Mexican cheese

Preheat the oven to 400.

Chop all of the vegetables and mix together in a bowl. Add in about 1 cup of cheese and stir, making sure that everything is mixed together well.

Lay tortilla on a flat surface and spoon the vegetables into the tortilla. Add additional cheese if you prefer your enchiladas incredibly cheesy. Roll and place in a baking dish. I typically use a 9x13 dish and coat it in cooking spray first. It manages to fit the 4 large enchiladas with a little creativity.

Repeat the above steps with each additional tortilla.

Pour enchilada sauce on the tortillas and sprinkle cheese on the top. (I add cumin and a few dashes of hot sauce on top as well. Yum!)

Bake for 20 - 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and top with any remaining cheese. Bake for another 5 minutes.

It's delicious and filling.  John and I usually fight over who gets to take the leftovers for lunch the next day.

Avocado Tacos

Avocado Tacos
-Heidi P.

4 avocados - peeled, pitted, and cut into pieces
1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
12 (6 inch) corn tortillas or 5-6 hard taco shells.

This couldn't be easier or more delicious if you like avocados.  Simply cut up the avocados, sprinkle with a little garlic salt, and fill the tortillas with the mixture.

I prefer to use hard tacos shells.  Gives it a bit of a crunch.

Makes about 5 or 6 tacos.  Perfect with a side of warm black beans simmered with onion, garlic, and a little jalapeno.

Black Bean Soup

Black Bean Soup
-Rebecca E.

Quick and delicious!

1 can (15 oz) black beans, rinsed and drained
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
3/4 cup chunky salsa
1/2 cup canned whole kernel corn, drained
dash hot pepper sauce
2 tsp lime juice
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
2 Tbsp chopped green onions
Combine the first 5 ingredients and heat through. Dish out into 4 bowls. Drizzle with lime juice. Sprinkle with cheese and onions. This can be done in the microwave or on the stove. I added chopped chicken and added tortilla chips as a topping, too.

Sweet Potato Soup

Sweet Potato Soup
-Tish M.

2 cups of chicken stock or vegetable stock

1/2 cup finely chopped onion

2 cups mashed sweet potato

1/4 cup sour cream

Over low heat, cook onion in a non-stick pan until golden, Add stock and mash and bring to the boil, stirring until nice and smooth. Reduce hear and simmer for 10 minutes, add sour cream with a few minutes remaining.

From 4 Ingredients 2 cookbook

Side Dish: Vegetable Medley

Vegetable Medley
-Christine B.


4 zucchini squash, rinsed, cubed
1 red onion, halved and sliced
8 oz sliced mushrooms
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1 tbs. olive oil
1 tsp. minced garlic
1/4 to 1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes (depending on taste)
salt and pepper to taste
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat, add zucchini. Cook for five minutes. Add onion and cook another 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in mushrooms, tomatoes, and garlic. Add salt and pepper throughout cooking. Simmer until vegetables are tender crisp, 10 to 15 minutes.

I Want A Recipe: Shepherd's Pie

I Want a Recipe: Shepherd's Pie

My MIL is coming to town this Thursday and she is what I will kindly refer to as PICKY when it comes to food. She doesn't like a lot of seasoning, is pretty traditional about foods, and after endless tours of restaurants, we've managed to find 2 places that she likes.  Wait.  3.  One of which is Arby's!  So I'm pretty sure that shouldn't count.

Anyway, I'm hoping to make a Shepherd's Pie Thursday night.  My plan is to use instant mashed potatoes so that John will actually eat it and that will cut a lot of the prep time down.

If you have a great recipe, could you post it?

Banavo

Banavo
-Tish M.

From 4 ingredients 2 cookbook - Just for the baby!

1/4 avocado

1/4 banana

1/2 tsp. honey

Mash well together and serve.

Beef Rissoles

Beef Rissoles
-Tish M.
 This is one of my Australian recipe and it's a great way to get kids to eat their veggies without knowing.

1 lb ground beef

1 medium onion finely chopped or grated

1 medium carrot grated

1 medium zucchini grated

1 egg

1 tablespoon ketchup

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

Option: add 1/4 cup of cheese to the mix

Mix in a bowl beef with all ingredients until well combined.(hands are a good tool for combining the ingredients) Divide meat mix up into patties (ball first then press into shape) about the size of your palm. Place patties into a fry pan with a little oil. Cook to your liking. You can also cook these on a BBQ.

Sometimes I like to roll the patties in bread crumbs before cooking.

Serve with mashed potatoes/veggies or on a burger.

Macaroni Bake

Macaroni Bake
-Tish M.

Serves 4

2 cups cooked macaroni

1 can tomato soup

9 oz diced ham or bacon

1 cup grated cheese

Place macaroni, soup, and ham in a bowl and mix well before pouring into a casserole dish. Top with grated cheese and bake in a 350 degree oven for 20 minutes.

From 4 ingredients 2 cookbook