Recipes

Vegetable Soup

2010-01-21T06:10:00.000-08:00

This is great 'comfort food' or anytime food! I serve it with grilled cheese sammiches!! :)

1 lb ground beef
1/2 yellow onion (diced)
1 16oz bag frozen mixed vegetables
1 6oz can tomato paste
2 cups hot water
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
salt and pepper to taste

Cook beef with onion until meat is no longer pink; drain. Add tomato paste and water. Blend well. Stir in vegetables, garlic powder, onion powder, and salt & pepper to taste.

Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer on low for 30 - 45 minutes, or until all the vegetables are soft.

Turkey Stroganoff

2010-01-21T06:04:00.000-08:00

Very easy turkey stroganoff!! Good for a quick last-minute meal!! :)

3 cups water (divided)
1 chicken bouillon cube
1 pkg turkey gravy mix
3 cups uncooked egg noodles
1 cup sour cream
16oz bag frozen peas and carrots
1 10oz can turkey
dash of nutmeg
dash of pepper

In 10-in skillet, mix 1 cup of the water and the gravy mix until well blended. Add 2 cups of water and bouillon cube. Bring to a boil, stirring until cube is dissolved.

Stir in noodles, peas and carrots, sour cream, nutmeg, and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cover. Simmer for 10 minutes.

Drain turkey and smash up into pieces on cutting board. Add to skillet and cook additional 5 - 10 minutes.

Taco Mac

2010-01-21T05:59:00.000-08:00

For these easy recipes I use all Great Value stuff. I've tried different brands and the cheap stuff tastes just as good. :)

1 lb ground beef
1/2 yellow onion (diced)
1 pkg taco seasoning
1/2 cup water
1 24oz box (or 2 small boxes) shells and cheese

Cook beef with onion until beef is no longer pink and onions are cooked; drain. Add taco seasoning and water. Stir well. Simmer on low-medium heat until ready to use.

Prepare shells and cheese as directed. Add to meat mixture and mix well.

*For less, just cut the recipe in half.

Goulash

2010-01-21T05:47:00.000-08:00

My friend Jessica got me thinking about Goulash the other day and so I found a recipe. Of course I made a few changes. Sometimes the recipes can be a little more complicated than they need to be. I made mine in a crock pot to keep warm until the family was ready to eat. But a large skillet will be more than sufficient for this one.

16 oz elbow macaroni or small shells (uncooked)
1 lb ground beef
1 small onion (diced)
1 green bell hepper (diced)
1 cup frozen corn*
1 cup frozen peas*
1 26oz jar spaghetti sauce
1/4 cup red wine (optional)
1 tbs dried parsley
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper

Prepare noodles as directed; drain. Cook beef with onion and bell pepper until meat is no longer pink and the vegetables are tender; drain. Stir in spaghetti sauce. I use the red wine to rinse the jar to get all the sauce. Instead of wine you can use water. Pour the wine (or water) into the pan. Stir in corn, peas, parsley, salt, and pepper. Stir well and cook on medium heat 20 - 25 minutes, or (if using frozen) until vegetables are thawed and tender.

I put mine in the crock pot because I made it ahead of time. For this you'll need to add about 1/2 cup of water so the noodles won't get dried out. Set it on low (or warm) for a couple of hours until ready to serve.

*I prefer frozen vegetables, but canned corn and peas can be used.

Chili Mac

2010-01-21T05:41:00.000-08:00

This chili mac is the easiest!! This is the amount I make for 4 - 6 people with a side vegetable.

1 24oz family size (or two small boxes) shells and cheese
1 15oz can Wolf* chili (no beans)

Prepare shells and cheese as directed. Stir in chili. Mix well.

*You can use whatever chili brand you prefer, my favorite is Wolf. As long as it has no beans.
**For half the recipe just make one box of shells and cheese and use half the can of chili. :)

No-Bake Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies

2009-11-30T18:14:00.000-08:00

Before today I hadn't had these cookies in like 15 years!! They are SO GOOD!!! Try them. They are chocolaty fudgy melty goodness in your mouth!!!

1 stick unsalted butter
2 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup milk
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
3 cups uncooked oats (regular or old-fashioned)

In a large saucepan, combine all ingredients except the oats. Bring to a boil and boil for 5 minutes, stirring constantly.

Remove from heat and stir in oats. Quickly spoon out onto wax paper. The cookies will harden as they set.

Shrimp & Crawfish Etouffee

2009-10-20T08:05:00.000-07:00

1/4 cup veg oil
1/4 cup flour
1 green bell pepper (diced)
1 onion (diced)
2 celery stalks (diced)
1 tbs minced garlic
1 - 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes
2 tbs Tony's (Tony Chachere)
1 cup chicken broth
1 lb crawfish meat
1 lb medium shrimp (peeled and deveined)
salt & pepper to taste

Heat oil in skillet over medium heat. Gradually stir in flour, stirring constantly, until medium brown in color.

Stir in green bell pepper, onion, celery, and garlic. Saute for 5 minutes (this is very important). Stir in tomatoes, chicken broth, & Tony's. Reduce heat to low and simmer 20 minutes.

Stir in crawfish, shrimp, and salt and pepper to taste. Simmer on low, at least until all the shrimp are opaque. (I simmered for about 45 minutes the last time I made this and it was SO GOOD!! No leftovers!!!)

The Tony's makes this spicy enough for me, but I'm kind of a wimp. A little Louisiana Hot Sauce will perk it up a little more, if you like it hotter.

Turkey Lasagna

2009-10-14T05:49:00.000-07:00

I tried this recipe last night, and it was SO GOOD!!!!

6 lasagna noodles (prepared as directed)
1 - lb ground turkey
1/2 cup onion (diced)
1/2 cup green bell pepper (diced)
1 - 10.75 oz can cream of mushroom soup
1 - 10.75 oz can cream of chicken soup
3/4 cup evaporated milk (or half & half)
16 oz bag mozzarella cheese
1 cup cottage cheese (8 oz)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9 x 13 baking dish.

In a large skillet combine the ground turkey, onions, and bell pepper and cook over medium heat until the turkey is golden brown. Drain. Mix in cream of mushroom and cream of chicken soup, and evaporated milk (or half & half). Bring to a low boil.

Layer as follows: 1/2 cup of sauce (spread to cover the bottom of the pan), 3 lasagna noodles (length wise, they will not overlap), 1/2 cup sauce, cottage cheese, 8 oz mozzarella cheese, 3 noodles, then pour the remaining sauce over the layers and top with the remaining mozzarella cheese. Or you can use cheddar, whatever your preference! YUM YUM!!

Bake in preheated oven for 30 - 45 minutes, or until bubbly. Let stand 10 - 15 minutes before serving. BE CAREFUL!! This dish has a lot of cheese and was VERY hot!! But it is delicious!!

Dirty Rice

2009-10-09T13:55:00.000-07:00

I remember my dad making this when I was growing up. It was one of my most favorite meals111

1 - lb ground beef
1 - lb mild breakfast sausage (like Jimmy Dean or Owens)
1 - medium yellow onion (diced)
1 - green bell pepper (diced)
3 - stalks celery (diced)
2 - cups of water
1 - pkg green onions (chopped)
1 - 14 1/2 oz can chicken broth (I use 2 cups of home made broth with chicken bouillon)
3 - cups minute rice
Salt and pepper to taste (And Tony's if you prefer. That's what I use)

In a large skillet, brown the beef and sausage together until the beef is no longer pink. Drain.

In a large stockpot, add the beef mixture and all the diced vegetables (with the exception of the green onions). Pour the water in the stock pot and mix well. Simmer on medium heat until all the vegetables are clear and tender.

In a separate saucepan prepare the chicken broth if necessary. (If you are using canned broth you can skip this step) For chicken broth I use 1 chicken bouillon cube and 2 cups of water.

Once the broth is ready stir in the 3 cups of rice and allow to set for 5 minutes. Its okay that the rice is not proportional to the broth. Remember we added water in the stock pot previously. After 5 minutes, pour the rice into the stock pot, and mix well. Cover, and cook for about another 20 - 30 minutes. You may season again to taste. Before serving add the green onions and mix well.

Beef Tips & Rice

2009-10-09T13:38:00.000-07:00

Another one of my 'crock pot classics'. It's easy to make, and a great meal to start in the morning, to be ready for dinner at night.

3 - 4 lbs stew meat
1 - yellow onion (diced)
salt and pepper to taste
1 - pkg brown gravy mix
3 cups minute rice

Place stew meat and diced onion in crock pot. Put enough water to cover the meat. Salt and pepper to your preference. If you are going all day, place the setting on Low, and cook for 6 - 9 hours. I start mine no later than 11:00 in the morning for that (we like to eat at or before 6:00 pm). If you need less cook time, place the setting on High, and cook for 4 - 6 hours.

About 30 minutes before serving, mix the gravy mix with a 1/2 cup of cold water. Mix until lump-free. Pour the gravy into the crock pot and mix well.

The rice can be prepared according to the package OR, the way me and my family likes it, I pour the uncooked rice directly into the crock pot. This cooks the rice with the gravy and juices, so it absorbs all that yummy flavor!!

Crock Pot Clam Chowder (New England Clam Chowder)

2009-10-04T10:37:00.000-07:00

I've looked up several recipes for New England clam chowder, and after many attempts to make it my own, I've finally got it just right. Yummy yummy!! =)

4 - 5 slices of bacon
1 medium onion (diced)
2 stalks celery (diced)
5 medium potatoes (peeled and diced)
1 tbs all-purpose flour
1 - 10 1/2 oz can Cream of Mushroom soup
3 - 6 1/2 oz cans minced clams (the place I went to only had chopped clams, so I got those and diced them up)
1/2 cup water
3 cups half-and-half
3 tbs butter
salt and pepper to taste

Depending on how long you want to cook, set the crock pot to low or high setting. (Low: 9 - 10 hours; High: 4 - 5 hours)

In a large skillet fry bacon until crisp. Remove and allow to drain on a paper towel, then crumble the bacon. Reserve half the bacon grease for the potatoes. Add the onions and celery to the skillet and saute them until clear in the remaining bacon grease. Stir in the crumbled bacon. Salt and pepper to taste. Pour into the crock pot. Drain clam juice into the crock pot. Add water and cream of mushroom soup. Stir well.

Pour reserved bacon grease back into the skillet. Add the potatoes, salt and pepper to taste. Add flour and toss to coat. Cook potatoes until they are slightly browned. Pour into crock pot and stir.

Dice clams if necessary. Add clams to crock pot and mix well. Pour in half-and-half, salt and pepper to taste. Mix well. Slice butter into 4 pats, and place them on top of the crock pot mixture. Cover and let cook for the time specific to your crock setting, stirring occasionally if cooking on high, so it doesn't stick to the sides. If you prefer thicker chowder, you can use flour or corn starch as a thickening agent to your desired consistency. Just make sure you mix it with cold water before adding it to the chowder.

Salisbury Steak

2009-10-03T10:44:00.000-07:00

I was so stoked at how easy this was to prepare. I made this last night when I got home from picking up the boys. Considering I usually start dinner at 4:00 to eat by 6:00, I got this started about 7:00 and we ate by 8:00. Not good I know, but trust me....this was worth it!! SO GOOD!!!

This is a recipe to make about 12 servings. For smaller families you can cut this recipe in half. =)

2 - 10 1/2 oz cans condensed French onion soup
2 - 3 lbs ground beef
1 cup dry bread crumbs (I used the Italian style bread crumbs)
2 - eggs
1/2 - tsp salt
1/4 - tsp black pepper
2 - tbs all-purpose flour
1/2 - cup ketchup
1/2 - cup water
2 - tbs Worcestershire sauce
1 - tbs yellow mustard

In a large bowl mix together 2/3 cup French onion soup, ground beef, bread crumbs, egg, salt, and black pepper. Make sure its all blended well. Shape into 10 - 12 oval patties. *Remember if you half this recipe you will only make about 6 patties.

In 2 large skillets over medium-high heat, brown both sides of the patties. Pour off the fat.

In a mixing bowl, blend flour and soup until smooth. Mix in ketchup, water, Worcestershire sauce, and mustard. Pour evenly over the patties in each skillet. Cover, and cook for 20 minutes, lifting the patties occasionally to prevent sticking.

I served this with mixed veggies and rice and black eyed peas. =)

Country Apple Dumplin's (Apple Cobbler)

2009-10-03T10:26:00.000-07:00

My sister told me how to make this recipe and Josh fell in love with it!! So today I tried my hand at it and it was AWESOME!!!! The kids all love it too!! I have hints for a sugar-free recipe at the bottom. It was a nice warm treat for this crisp fall day!! =)

2 - large Granny Smith apples (peeled and cored)
2 - 10 oz cans refrigerated crescent rolls [I used Reduced Fat]
1 - cup (2 sticks) butter (not margarine)
1 1/2 - cups white sugar
1 - tsp ground cinnamon
1 - 12 oz can Mountain Dew (or any lemon lime or citrus soda: Sprite, Sierra Mist, or any variation) [I used Diet Mt. Dew]

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9 x 13 baking dish.

Cut each apple into 8 wedges. Separate the crescent rolls into triangles. Roll each apple wedge into the crescent roll, starting with the small end. Pinch to seal the ends. Place in the baking dish. (I lined them up long way across the dish 4 x 4. It's a tight fight so get them as close to each other without touching.)

Melt butter in a small saucepan. Stir in sugar and cinnamon. Pour over dumplin's ensuring each one gets sauce on it. Pour the Mountain Dew over the dumplin's.

Bake for 35 - 45 minutes, or until golden brown.

* I haven't tried it with Splenda, but I did use Diet Mountain Dew and Reduced Fat crescent rolls for a lower fat recipe. To make it sugar free, simply replace the white sugar with Splenda and use a diet version of soda. =)

Too Easy "Great Value" Spaghetti Dinner

2009-09-24T14:57:00.000-07:00

This meal can feed your family of 4 for under $10 (Or 5-8 people for under $15)

1 - 8 oz thin spaghetti ($0.96) (I buy in bulk, so I get the 48 ox pkg for $2.62)
1 - lb ground beef (I buy the 5 lb tube for $8.00 a divide it so 1 lb = $1.60)
1 - 26 oz jar spaghetti sauce ($1.12) (2 jars for 5-8 people
1 - small yellow onion (diced)
1/2 tbs minced garlic
Salt & Pepper to taste
1 - bay leaf OR 1 tsp dried basil (optional)

* I don't factor in the cost of the onion, garlic, and seasonings, as I assume that most people have these things as everyday items.

** When I double my recipe for all 6 of my family I only double the sauce, not the meat. It saves on cost and tastes just as good. =)

Cook beef, onion, and garlic in large deep skillet until no longer pink. Drain. Stir in sauce (I like to put about 1/2 water in the jars to rinse them and pour that into the mix as well, it loosens up the sauce, as I don't really like very thick sauce). Salt and pepper to taste and add optional seasonings if you like. Mix well and simmer on low heat as long as you like. If you plan to simmer for a while, check from time to time to ensure the sauce isn't sticking or getting too thick.

Prepare noodles according to packaging. Serve sauce over noodles. Quick, cheap, and EASY!!!

I serve this with broccoli and cheese (which I will post this recipe later too) and the Great Value Garlic Cheese Toast. Even with these items the cost should not be more than $10 - $15.

ENJOY!!

Inside-Out Chicken Pot Pie

2009-09-24T13:25:00.000-07:00

A little variation of chicken pot pie that my family loves!!!

1 - 10 3/4 oz can cream of chicken soup
1 1/3 cup milk
1 - tsp Italian seasoning
1 - 14 1/2 oz can whole new potatoes (drained and quartered)
2 - 12.5 oz cans chunk chicken
1 - 16 oz bag frozen vegetables
1 - 12 oz can Texas style buttermilk biscuits
Salt & Pepper to taste
1 - cup shredded cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Spray 13 x 9 glass dish with cooking spray (or whatever you prefer to prevent sticking)

In a large mixing bowl combine soup, milk, and Italian seasoning. Stir in potatoes, mixed vegetables, and chicken. Canned chicken is chunky, so it needs to be mushed a little so it will distribute evenly. You can do this in a separate bowl before you stir it into the soup mixture.

Separate biscuits and cut into quarters. Stir into soup mixture, and mix well, ensuring the bisuits are coated with the soup mixture. Pour into the prepared baking dish.

Bake uncovered 35-40 minutes. Sprinkle cheese over top and bake for an additional 4 - 6 minutes.

Cabbage Stew

2009-09-24T13:01:00.000-07:00

I know cabbage isn't at the top of the "favorites" list for most people, but if you do like it (or want to try it) I recommend this recipe. My dad used to make this when I was growing up, and I've perfected it my own way and it's GREAT!! I've made it for people who have told me they HATE cabbage, but loved this dish!!

1 - 1 lb ground beef
1 - head of cabbage, chopped
1 - medium yellow onion
1 - 14 1/2 oz can diced tomatoes (if you're not a tomato fan, use petite diced tomatoes)
1 - 8 oz can tomato sauce
3 - bay leaves
2 - 3 tbs salt
Pepper to taste
3 - cups uncooked rice (regular or minute rice...I prefer minute rice)

Cook the ground beef with the onions until the beef is no longer pink. Drain.

In a large stock pot mix beef, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, bay leaves, pepper, and 1 tbs of the salt. Mix well.

>>NOTE: This cabbage dish is tricky, and if you use too little salt, it comes out tasting VERY bland. I've found that if you wait until the end to add the salt, it still tastes bland because the cabbage didn't absorb the salt (this is important for flavor of the cabbage). 2 - 3 tbs is only an estimation, as I normally don't measure, because I just know how much salt to dump in. Try adding one tablespoon at a time, every 30 minutes, while cooking, and testing flavor BEFORE adding more salt. You may like less salt, or more. It really just depends on your taste. =)

Add cabbage to the mixture and add enough water to the pot to cover the cabbage. Cover and cook on medium heat stirring occasionally. After about 30 minutes taste the cabbage for flavor. You probably will need to add more salt, depending on your taste. If so, add another tablespoon of the salt, stir, and continue to cook another 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Taste again, and if you need to add more salt do so, like I said, it's all about your taste.

Continue to cook over medium heat until the cabbage is soft and looks pink because of the tomatoes, but especially soft!! I recommend allowing to simmer on medium for at least an hour.

Finally, pour the rice ON TOP of the mixture, do not stir. This will prevent the rice from sticking to the bottom of the pot. The boiling will naturally settle the rice into the mixture and cook it. Cook for about 10 minutes (unless you are using regular rice, then you will need to let it cook longer (about 30 minutes). Remove from heat and stir one last time.

This is good with some shredded cheese, Parmesan cheese, and Josh likes it with Louisiana Hot Sauce. ENJOY!!!!

*****CAUTION*****
This dish is VERY VERY HOT when served right off the burner. PLEASE BE CAREFUL!! I have scalded my mouth (and my family's) at least once because they dug right in after I fixed their bowls. Let it cool a bit.

Personal Pizzas

2009-09-18T09:58:00.000-07:00

This is a fun ***cheap***project that I like to do when I have lots of kids here! I've done it with all 4 of my kids, and we also had a sleepover recently and it was a big hit!! If you get all name brand stuff if is not so cheap, but if you "generic" it, it's actually quite inexpensive! It was great to pass some time because I let them all prepare their own personal pizza just how they wanted it!! Lots of fun!!

1 can Jumbo/Grands homestyle buttermilk biscuits
1 small jar/can pizza sauce
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (or cheddar cheese...my kids like both)
1 small package sliced pepperoni
(Veggie toppings are optional of course, but I liked onions and bell peppers on mine...)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. I gave each kid one of the biscuits and a plate and told them to make the dough the size of the plate (not big plates...the dough should be about 6 inches wide. Then I transferred their dough to a lightly greased cookie sheet. I was able to fit all 4 on the sheet.

I let them pass around the jar of pizza sauce and a spoon to put however much sauce they wanted on their pizzas. Then they cheese'd them up and put on pepperonis.

Bake the pizzas for 10 - 15 minutes.

They were all so excited about how their pizzas came out and they all liked "cooking". LOL! It was really a lot of fun!! :)

Rollitinis

2009-09-18T09:47:00.000-07:00

I had these at a restaurant once and I loved them so much I just had to figure out how they were made. So I tried a few methods and this one is the best so far!! I served these at a wine party and everyone loved it!! I like to use the blends of cheeses because, well...I LOVE cheese!! The Italian blend has 4 or 5 different cheeses in it, and the Monterrey blend has different cheddar cheeses so all together these have about 6 or 7 different cheeses. Of course if you aren't as big of a cheese fan as I am you can just use regular mozzarella and a plain cheddar. :) Also...if you're on a tight budget like I am these can be made very inexpensively by simply using off brand products (Great Value if you shop at Wal-Mart). I've done it both ways and, honestly, it's just as good if not BETTER using the Wal-Mart brands, and you save a LOT of money!!)

Preheat oven to 325

1 - 8 oz lasagna noodles (NOT ready-to-bake)
1 - 16 oz ricotta cheese
1 - 8 oz bag mozzarella cheese (or Italian blend)
1 - 8 oz bag Monterrey & cheddar cheese blend
1 - 26oz jars spaghetti sauce
1 - 1 lb ground beef (cooked and drained)
Garlic
Salt
Parsley
Parmesan cheese
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Add spaghetti sauce to ground beef and season to taste. I like to add a bay leaf to mine, but it's however you like it. Simmer on low until ready to use.

Prep noodles as directed. This recipe does not require the entire package of noodles. I usually make 8 - 10 because that is all that will fit in a 9 x 13 pan.. Lay noodles flat on aluminum foil or wax paper. Allow to cool and dry a few minutes before working with them. On dry flat noodle, spread ricotta cheese along entire length. Next, cover the noodles with sprinkles of each cheese blend (once again...it is your preference of how much of each you want). Sprinkle Parmesan cheese over the tops, then season with garlic, salt, & parsley. Roll each noodle up onto itself tightly.

In a 9 x 13 baking dish spread a small amount of sauce along the bottom of the pan (this will keep the rollitinis from sticking to the bottom of the pan). Arrange rollitinis onto the sauce closely, but do not let them touch. Make sure you put the ending of the roll towards the bottom of the pan so they won't unroll while cooking.

Pour additional sauce over the rolls and cover them completely. This will ensure that the noodles will not get hard while they bake.

Bake at 325 for 45 minutes.

* The rolls are very filling, and I have a little one who can't eat as much as my bigger kids. For his portion, I cut a noodle in half and made a couple of smaller rolls for him. It was perfect!!

** If you have any questions please ask!