Sweet & Sour Meatballs

I should be embarrassed to post this, it's way too simple... but I can't resist sharing something so perfect for those times when you have, say, soccer practice, Cub Scouts, Brownies, drum lessons and a screaming one-year-old and it all seems to be converging at once. Not that I know what any of that is like...

Sweet & Sour Meatballs

1 can (16 oz.) whole cranberry sauce

2 cups chunky garden pasta sauce

24 oz. (or so) refrigerated or frozen fully-cooked turkey meatballs

1. Put cranberry sauce in large skillet; break into chunks. Add pasta sauce. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally until cranberry sauce melts.

2. Add meatballs; stir to coat with sauce. Reduce heat to medium, cover and cook 15 minutes until heated through.

3. Serve over rice.

Recipe credited to Woman's Day 1-2-3 Suppers

Cavatini

Various types of noodles
1 Jar of spaghetti sauce
1/2 lb pork sausage

Fry the sausage and set aside. Boil some water and cook the noodles until they are just about done. When noodles are ready drain the water and rinse under cold water. Put noodles in large bowl and add 1/2 lb of fried pork sausage, spaghetti sauce and mix. Then you can be creative and add any ingredients you like. I usually add:

green peppers
mushrooms
onions
pepperoni (quarter cut)
mozzarella cheese

Mix all ingredients together and then put in 9X9 pan or 9X13 pan depending on how many noodles you cook. You may need to add more spaghetti sauce depending on the amount of noodles. I also like to save a bit of sauce to put on top to make sure that the noodles don't get dried out. Top it with mozzarella cheese and add some pepperoni on top for looks.

Cook at 400 for 30 min.

Mom's Pork Chops

My mom's been making these pork chops for as long as I can remember. She doesn't even remember where the recipe came from!

This is a super easy way to take advantage of the bone-in pork chops that go on sale all the time. You can use any cut except "thin cut". (I suppose you CAN use that cut, I just don't know how long they'd need to cook - obviously a shorter time than I've written below.)

I just buy the standard package - center or loin chops (or both mixed together) - doesn't matter.

You can prep these in 2-3 minutes & just let them bake until dinner time. The sides I like are herb & butter rice pilaf or baked potatoes.

Mom's Pork Chops

bone-in pork chops (as many as you need for your family)

For each pork chop:
1 slice lemon
1 slice onion
1 T (or a squiggly drizzle) ketchup
1 T (or a regular spoonful) brown sugar


Preheat oven to 350*.


Line a 9x13" pan with foil. Sprinkle salt lightly in bottom of foil-lined pan.


Lay pork chops in pan(s), about 2 inches apart.


Top each pork chop with lemon & onion slices, ketchup & brown sugar.


Cover & seal each pan with sheet of foil.


Bake for 1 - 1 1/2 hours (until pork registers 160*). Remove & throw away lemon slices. You can leave the onion or remove it (depends upon taste).


Serve & enjoy!!


NOTE: You can use lemon juice if you don't have lemons on hand. Just pour about 1-2 Tablespoons per chop into the bottom of the pan.

6 Layer Casserole

Okay, I made this last night. It's a great thing to give to people that you're making dinner for! I actually gave two away and ate some where else:) I make it all the time for us though. You can even make it vegan. We had my brother (who is vegan) over for dinner and all I used was a frozen mock veggie vegan imitation meat (or you can leave this layer out) and veggie broth. It tasted great that way too!

2 med. Potatoes, sliced
2 med. Onions, sliced
1 ½ lbs. ground beef or turkey (raw)
½ cup uncooked rice
2 stalks celery, sliced
3 med. Carrots, sliced
3 cups chicken broth

Cover the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish with potatoes, then onions, meat, rice, celery, and carrots. Sprinkle each layer with salt and pepper as you go. Pour the broth over the entire dish and cover with foil. Bake at 400* for 1 hour or until the carrots and potatoes are hot.

Lasagna w/ garlic cheese bread

Lasagna is Lasagna... but the cheese bread is amazing!!! Here is the recipe for both

Lasagna

Prepare noodles according to package, cool

Brown: 1/2 pound ground beef and 1/2 pound italian sausage

Drain grease and add:

1 large jar of favorite spaghetti sauce

1 tsp italian seasoning

salt and pepper to taste

Begin layering lasagna:

sauce

noodles

ricotta cheese

mozzarella/parmesan cheese

sauce.... etc. until completely layered. Ending with cheese on the top.

Bake covered @350 degrees for 30 minutes, remove and bake an additional 15 - 20 minutes.

Cheese garlic bread

Split loaf and butter.

Spread with cheese sauce below:

1/2 cup mozzarella cheese shredded

1/2 cup parmesan cheese shredded

1/2 cup mayonaise

1-2 cloves garlic crushed

1 green onion chopped

salt and pepper

Broil on low until brown and bubbly... about 8-10 minutes.

YUMM-O!

Skillet Chicken & Dumplings

I got this recipe from a Betty Crocker email last week. Glad I tried it! :) I changed a couple of things - like cutting up the chicken, using regular cream of chicken soup instead of lowfat, and I changed the herbs in the dumplings. All to match our family's preferences.

Since I'm cooking for 6 & our youngest is 10, we doubled the recipe & had just enough for my husband to take to work for lunch the next day. I also made a couple extra dumplings so everybody could have 2.

No sides for this one - it's really a one dish meal.

SKILLET CHICKEN & DUMPLINGS

Chicken & Vegetables:

1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 1 1/4 lb), cut into bite-size chunks
2 cans (10 3/4 oz each) condensed cream of chicken soup
1 bag (1 lb) frozen stir-fry vegetables (or your favorite frozen vegs - like mixed vegs or a brocolli/cauliflower/carrot mix)

Dumplings:
1 cup Bisquick mix
1/3 cup milk
1/4 teaspoon dried parsley or rosemary or poultry seasonings

In 10-inch skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Cook chicken in oil about 5 minutes, turning once, until chicken begins to brown.

Stir in soup and frozen vegetables. Heat to boiling, stirring frequently.

In small bowl, stir all dumpling ingredients until soft dough forms. Drop by 4 spoonfuls onto boiling chicken mixture. Reduce heat. Cook uncovered 10 minutes. Cover and cook 10 minutes.

TIP: To prevent dumplings from falling apart, drop dough onto chicken or vegetables rather than directly into liquid or gravy. If dough is dropped into liquid, the simmering action may force the dough apart.

Hope you like it!

Yummy Potato Salad & Pretzel Jello Salad

We just had a family BBQ, and the staple side dish that is always there is Potato Salad. Usually people either love potato salad or hate it. This potato salad is totally different from the normal and I am always getting asked for the the recipe. It is always requested by the teachers at Savannah's school when I do the teacher BBQ and it was eaten up at our church Fathers Day brunch.

Thanks Mom for creating this awesome potato salad. I remember it from when I was younger and in young womens so it is has been in the family at least 27 years.

Potato Salad
3-4 medium sized russet potatoes (I like to use the red potatoes though, I think they have a better texture)
18 eggs
*1 packet Hidden Valley Ranch dressing mix BUTTERMILK RECIPE (I buy the double packet and use 1 packet and save the 2nd for another date or to make homemade dressing)
1 1/2 -2 cups mayonaise? I usually just add it until it is all covered and looks good

*This must be the buttermilk recipe packets. If it is not, your salad will taste bitter. The regular packets have buttermilk solids in them because they are made with milk. The BUTTERMILK recipe packets do not have buttermilk solids in them because they are made using actual buttermilk.*

Cook your potatoes in boiling water until cooked through. Remove to a plate and add your eggs to the boiling water. Cook until eggs are done. (You could do this in 2 seperate pans) When the potatoes have cooled, peel the skin from the potatoes and cube. Remove the shell from the eggs and cube those as well. Put all this in a large bowl. Sprinkle with Ranch packet seasoning and toss to make sure the potatoes and eggs are well coated. Add mayonaise and stir again. Serve.

**Here is the as requested jello salad recipe also**
This is a staple at our Christmas Eve dinner on my side of the family.

Strawberry Cream Cheese Pretzel Salad
6 oz strawberry or raspberry jello
1 ½ cups frozen strawberries or raspberries
2 cups boiling water
Dissolve jello in boiling water, add fruit. Put in fridge until it cools down. Pour over cream cheese mixture.

3 cups crushed pretzels (I crush until the pieces are pretty small)
1/3 cup sugar
1 cup butter
Mix together and press into a 9x13 pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 8 minutes. Cool.

8oz cream cheese
1 cup sugar
12 oz cool whip
While the pretzels are cooling, beat the cream cheese and sugar. Fold in cool whip. Spread over pretzels when they have completely cooled.

When all the layers have been put together, put in fridge and chill until jello is completely set.

Taco flavored Shepherds Pie

Shepherds Pie
1 lb ground beef
1 taco seasoning packet
1 can golden sweet corn-drained
instant mashed potatoes (I used the recipe on the box to serve 6-7)
1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese-divided

Start boiling the needed ingredients for the mashed potatoes. In a round skillet (mine is a 10") cook the ground beef and add taco seasoning packet according to packet directions. Immediately layer the corn over the top of the meat. Sprinkle 1/4 cup cheese over corn. Finish up the mashed potatoes and spread over the meat, corn, and cheese mixture. Sprinkle 1/4 cup cheese over mashed potatoes. Serve.

MADE HEALTHIER
I just made this for dinner tonight for my family, but I revamped my corner of the meal.  I did not add any of the corn or vegetables and made a "Cauliflower mashed potato" for the top.

1lb ground beef
2TB Mc Cormick 30% less sodium Taco Seasoning
1/2 cup water
Prepared "Cauliflower mashed potatoes" (see recipe below)
1 can corn, or peas, or green beans DRAINED.....whichever you prefer.
grated cheese (optional)

Cook the ground beef.  Drain all the fat.  Add the taco seasoning and 1/2 cup water.  Cook until it has thickened up.  At this point, if you are doing vegetables, you would pour your can of drained vegetables over the top of the meat.  Now take your "cauliflower potatoes" and spread them evenly over top.  Optional: You can sprinkle some grated cheese over top.

Cauliflower Potatoes - 1 serving.  If you are going to make this for over the entire shepherds pie, you would probably do this recipe x 4.
1 1/2 cups cooked cauliflower
2 light laughing cow cheese wedges (I used one garlic and herb and one swiss)
dash of salt and pepper

Combine all ingredients in a food processor or magic bullet or blender.  Mix until creamy.

Parmesan-Garlic Crusted Baked Chicken

Here's one our family favorites that I made last night. I got the recipe from Cook's Country Magazine about 3 years ago. I make it at least once a month, year-round. It takes only 10-15 minutes to prepare the chicken & you can make the sides while the chicken bakes.
The chicken's paired with zucchini & yellow squash (I wanted to try the frozen kind - it was totally gross! Buy fresh everytime & steam it!), broccoli, and Rice-A-Roni Nature's Way Parmesan & Romano flavor and pink lemonade. Super yum.

Parmesan-Garlic Crusted Baked Chicken
Preheat oven to 425*.

6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (I like the hand-trimmed ones from Albertsons. Don't use cheaper ones cuz they come out tough.)

Line 2 glass 9x13" pans with foil & lay 3 chicken breasts in each, about 2 inches apart. No need to grease pans. Pat chicken dry with paper towels.

In 1 cereal-size bowl, mix:
1/2 cup Italian flavor or Garlic-Herb bread crumbs
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
3 garlic cloves, minced (or a cereal-spoon size scoop from pre-minced garlic in a jar)
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
Stir together until well-mixed & SLIGHTLY damp. Add more olive oil, if needed.

In a 2nd cereal-size bowl, mix:
1/2 cup + a soup-spoonful Mayonnaise (NOT Miracle Whip!!)
3-4 Tablespoons dried Italian seasonings

Spread a spoonful of the mayonnaise mixture evenly over top of each chicken breast. Sprinkle bread crumb mixture over top of mayonnaise mixture & press lightly to stick it to the mayo mixture.

Bake uncovered 25-30 minutes (until bread crumbs are golden brown & thickest part of chicken registers 160* on a thermometer).

YUMMY!! :)

Posted by Kathryn at 1:23 PM