Feasting, Feasting

So our family gathered last Sunday and really celebrated being together.  Love those kids of mine! Well, we gathered together recipes from various sources.  The menu was a hit by all and included Famous Butter Chicken (posted previously--you can find the original post here), Parmesan Rolls (also posted previously--you can find the original post here), Roasted Broccoli, Pesto Potatoes, Orzo Salad with Chickpeas, Dill and Lemon, and Whoopie Pie Cake.

Back in the dark ages, when I went to school we had a class called Home Ec.  We learned the basics of sewing, cooking and nutrition.  I remember the teacher telling us the importance of having different colors on plates; and while I got good grades in the class, that's an area I always fail in.  I must be drawn to orange/yellow foods, so it was good to throw the broccoli on there.  In fact, I was going to go with the old corn standby until I realized that the plate would be nearly monochromatic.  Check out the pictures and tell me what you think.  Do you have an easy time playing the color mix-up game?

Famous Butter Chicken

Ingredients:

2 eggs, beaten
1 cup crushed buttery round cracker crumbs
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
Ground black pepper, to taste
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1/2 cup butter, cut into pieces

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Place eggs and cracker crumbs in two separate shallow bowls. Mix cracker crumbs with garlic salt and pepper. Dip chicken in the eggs, then dredge in the crumb mixture to coat.

Arrange coated chicken in a 9x13 inch baking dish. Place pieces of butter around the chicken.

Bake in a preheated oven for 40 minutes, or until chicken is no longer pink and juices run clear.

Source: Allrecipes.com submitted by HAULBUR. Currently at 4 1/2 stars and almost 1,800 reviews. You can find it here.

Notes: This is super tasty and easy chicken. Not low calorie though!

Roasted Broccoli 

Ingredients:

1 head broccoli
2-3 cloves of garlic, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

Preheat over to 375 Degrees.  Chop a head of broccoli (do not rinse immediately prior to preparing!) Mince 2-3 cloves of garlic.  Put broccoli, garlic, 2 T olive oil and a few shakes of salt and pepper in a zip top plastic bag. Shake it up!! Spread out on baking sheet.  Place on top rack and bake for about 30 minutes. Broccoli will be crunchy and delicious.

Source:  Facebook recipe

Parmesan Rolls

Ingredients:

36 Rhodes rolls
1/2 c. butter, softened
1/2 c. mayonnaise
1/3 - 1/2 c. grated Parmesan (not fresh, bottled kind such as Kraft)
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning

Directions:

Place rolls on jelly rolls sheet sprayed with cooking spray.  Mix remaining ingredients and spread evenly over frozen rolls.  Allow dough to thaw and rise until doubled.  This takes 3-4 hours.  Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes or so until rolls are done.

Cook's notes:  I really dislike when recipes are vague, but I've made this one so many times through the years that I don't really notice the details.  I eyeball everything so adjust the seasonings, etc. to taste.  These are rolls worth the experimentation as they always get rave reviews.  The butter melts down while cooking (Hence, using a flat cookie sheet is not a good idea.  Thus the jelly roll pan.) and gives the rolls a buttery, cheesy flavor.  These are a good go to recipe and work with almost every main course.  But they are yellow/orange.  Sigh.

Source:  Who knows?  It was so long ago.  Maybe I've blocked it.  Some ward dinner back in the early 80's.

Pesto Potatoes

Ingredients:

5 - 6 medium russet potatoes (I used red potatoes)
Pesto Sauce (we used some of our homemade from an earlier post, found here)
Parmesan Cheese (fresh, grated)

Directions:

Scrub, but don't peel, potatoes and cut into large cubes (about 3/4") and place all the pieces in a large plastic bag.  Add about 3/4 cup of Pesto sauce to the bag(I probably only used about 1/3 - 1/2 cup). Shake until the pesto is coating all the potato pieces.  Add more pesto as necessary.

Pour the contents of the bag onto a greased cookie sheet.  (I lined mine with Reynolds Wrap Non-Stick foil...which is well worth the price for certain things...because I have had potatoes stick to pans and it's not a pretty picture.  I may have even still sprayed a light spray of cooking spray.  Yes, I have a fear of having to scrape off starchy potatoes that stick like glue from metal pans).  Arrange the potatoes in a single layer and sprinkle with the Parmesan.

Bake at 450 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes or until they are cooked through and look lightly toasted.

Source:  Sarah's brother-in-law, Jabe, brought this to a family dinner.  A man who cooks!  Cool! He found it on a blog called Favorite Family Recipes. You can find it here.

Notes: We used homemade pesto because our recipe is nut free and we have tree nut allergies in our family. However, Classico also has a nut-free option as well. Just be sure to read the ingredients label!

Orzo Salad with Chickpeas, Dill, and Lemon

Ingredients:

1 cup uncooked orzo (rice-shaped pasta)
1/2 c. thinly sliced green onions
1/2 c. (2 oz) crumbled feta cheese
1/4 c. chopped fresh dill
1 (19 oz) can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon cold water
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon bottled minced garlic

Directions:

Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat.  Drain and rinse with cold water, drain.

Combine pasta, onions, cheese, dill and chickpeas in a large bowl, tossing gently to combine.

Combine juice and remaining ingredients in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk.  Drissle over pasta mixture; toss gently to coat.

Source:  Cooking Light, August 2002. You can find it here.

Cook's Notes:  I left out the green onions.  While Emily was out of town, Sean and Robin were still here, and they don't like onions. I think they would have added a little kick.  The mix of beans and pasta was a little different for me. Sarah liked this recipe a lot better than I did, but the flavors mixed well and really good the next day. Chopped chicken could be added to give the salad more of a main dish feel.

10/14/2013 notes: Here are Sarah's suggestions: use the most flavorful feta you can find. I would suggest adding the lemon juice, salt, and feta to your taste. I took home a bunch of the leftovers and added a little more feta (that I had in my fridge) as well as some additional lemon juice. The lemon juice and dill are the star flavors of this dish and you want them to shine through. You could barely taste the lemon juice with the amount in the recipe as originally written. With the extra lemon juice the flavors all popped and complemented each other.

Whoopie Pie Cake

Ingredients:

Cake:

  1 box chocolate cake mix + 1 egg (prepared per package directions, so oil, etc. will be necessary)
  cocoa powder for dusting the pan

Filling:

  1 cup butter, room temperature
  2 cups Marshmallow fluff
  3 cups powdered sugar

Ganache:

  1/2 cup heavy cream
  1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips

Directions:

Cake:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease 2 9x13 sized pans with butter and dust with cocoa powder and set aside.  Prepare cake according to package directions, but add an extra egg to the mix.  Split the batter evenly between the 2 pans and bake for 15 - 20 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean.  Allow cake to cool completely.

Filling:

Beat butter and marshmallow fluff together until smooth. Turn mixture to low and slowly add in powdered sugar.  Beat at higher speed for 30-60 minutes until smooth.  Spread filling on top of one of the cakes.  Top the filling with the other cake.

Ganache:

In small saucepan bring the heavy cream to almost a boil.  Remove from heat and stir in the chocolate chips. Allow to cool for 10 minutes and then pour over the cake.

Can also be baked in two 9" round pans.

Source:  Originally cookiesandcups.com  via Jensfavoritecookies.com. You can find it here.

Cook's notes:  I almost threw these away.  I used dark cocoa to dust the pan and it looked like they were burned.  Niel talked me out of it because he couldn't bear the thought of chocolate cake going straight from the oven into the garbage.  The dark cocoa powder didn't end up tasting burnt at all, but Niel had to rip up part of one cake to prove it to me.

I really didn't measure the Marshmallow fluff and I may have had less than some people would want. The original recipe called for a stand mixture and I don't have one.  I didn't have an issue using my hand mixture. A happy accident for me was that I mixed up the ingredients in the wrong order.  I mixed up the butter and powdered sugar before I added the fluff.  Turns out that fluff has eggs and Johnny isn't supposed to have them.  So allergy note there.

This recipe was by far the star of the show.  Niel's kids were oohing and aahing the minute they saw it on the counter when they walked through the door.  It was, in a word, yummy.

From My Childhood--Updated

We used to have something called "Pizza Roll-Ups" all the time when I was younger. They were such an easy meal to throw together. They basically consisted of Rhodes Dough, thawed and risen, that had shredded mozzarella cheese and pepperoni rolled up into it. You then baked it and dipped it in pizza sauce.

Here is my slightly updated version.

Updated Pizza Roll-Ups

Ingredients:

12 Rhodes Dough rolls, thawed and risen
Pizza sauce or marinara sauce, plus additional for dipping
Shredded mozzarella cheese
Favorite pizza topping(s)

Optional Parmesan Topping:
1/4 c. butter, softened
1/4 c. mayonnaise
1/4 c. grated Parmesan (not fresh, bottled kind such as Kraft)
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. Italian seasoning

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Divide dough into six equal portions. On a floured surface, roll or flatten out dough into a circle. Spread 1-2 tablespoons of pizza or marinara sauce on the dough. Top with about 1 tablespoon of shredded cheese and desired pizza toppings.

Roll up dough. Lay seam side down on an ungreased jelly roll pan. Repeat with the other five rolls.

If using the Parmesan topping, mix all Parmesan topping ingredients together. Brush mixture evenly over each pizza roll-up (it is okay if you have some extra--in fact, you probably will).

Bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes, or until pizza roll-ups are nicely browned.

Serve with additional pizza or marinara sauce for dipping.

Makes 6 pizza roll-ups (to make smaller, kid-sized pizza roll-ups, divide the dough into 10-12 equal pieces in the first step--this will make 10-12 kid-sized servings).

Source: I'm not sure where my mom found the original recipe from. I always liked them, but always felt that it should have sauce on the inside as well as for dipping. These are great with or without the Parmesan topping. The Parmesan topping was inspired by our favorite Parmesan Rolls recipe. Also, we only ever made cheese pizza roll-ups or pepperoni and cheese pizza roll-ups. However, I love to make Hawaiian ones (with Canadian bacon and pineapple tidbits) as well as roll-ups with black olives, sliced mushrooms, etc. Make them however you like!

Pantry Side Dishes

This is the last post regarding the pantry (well, at least for awhile). The thing about cooking meals from your pantry is that you can't just serve your family a piece of chicken for dinner. You need to serve something alongside the main dish. And what's the point of making a main dish from your pantry if you still have to go to the grocery store for the side dish?

That's where pastas, grains, baking mix, canned or frozen veggies, etc. come in handy. Potatoes, onions, and carrots are examples of fresh vegetables that keep for quite a long time. Plus, potatoes are really versatile so they can go with a lot of different main courses.

My last post about pantry meals included two side dish options (pasta with herbs and rice pilaf) that come straight from the pantry. But I thought I would include some more side dish options this time around. I hope they come in handy for you.

Honey Roasted Red Potatoes

Ingredients:

1 pound red potatoes, quartered
2 tablespoons diced onion
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1 pinch salt
1 pinch ground black pepper

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly coat an 11x7 inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.

Place potatoes in a single layer in prepared dish, and top with onion. In a small bowl, combine melted butter, honey, mustard, salt, and pepper; drizzle over potatoes and onion.

Bake in the preheated 375 degree oven for 35 minutes or until tender, stirring halfway through the cooking time.

Source: Allrecipes.com, submitted by STEPHNDON

Notes: I ALWAYS check the potatoes before pulling them out of the oven. They always take longer for me to get to my desired degree of doneness/tenderness. I doubled the recipe and that might have had something to do with it, but I kept these potatoes in the oven for nearly an hour before they were soft enough for my tastes. But it was a good, basic recipe to have on hand.

Parmesan Garlic Rolls

Ingredients:

Frozen bread/roll dough, 1-2 rolls for each person (such as Rhodes Dough)
Grated or shredded Parmesan cheese, to taste
Garlic salt or powder, to taste
Melted butter (amount depends on how many rolls you are making. I would recommend 2 tbsp butter for 12 rolls)
Herbs/spices, if desired (fresh or dried may be used. Some favorites are: Italian seasoning, rosemary, oregano, basil, parsley, etc.)

Directions:

Let dough thaw and rise in desired baking dish/pan according to package directions.

Melt butter and brush over rolls. Sprinkle rolls with Parmesan cheese, garlic salt, and desired herbs/spices.

Bake according to package directions.

Source: We got this from a Rhodes Dough package or cookbook years ago. I couldn't find the exact recipe, so this is just the basic guideline that we usually follow.

Notes: Have fun with the size and shape of these rolls. You can make these into breadsticks, elongated rolls, regular rolls, foccacia bread, etc.
Mashed Parsley Potatoes

Ingredients:

1 pound unpeeled red potatoes (small-medium size)
2 tablespoons water
1/4 cup fat-free milk
1 1/2 tablespoons reduced-calorie stick margarine (or butter can be used)
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley (or 1 teaspoon dried parsley)
1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper

Directions:

Cut potatoes into quarters; place potato and water in a medium-sized microwave-safe bowl. Cover tightly with heavy-duty plastic wrap; fold back a small edge of wrap to allow steam to escape. Microwave on high for 9 minutes or until tender, stirring after 4 minutes. Drain potato; return to bowl. Add milk and remaining ingredients. Mash with a potato masher or fork until potato is mashed and mixture is combined.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1/2 cup)

Source: Myrecipes.com

New Potatoes in Seasoned Butter

Ingredients:

1 pound unpeeled small red potatoes, quartered
1 tablespoon light butter
1 1/2 teaspoons lemon or lime juice
3/4 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley (or 3 teaspoons dried parsley)

Directions:

Steam potatoes, covered, 6 minutes or until tender. Transfer to a large serving bowl, and keep warm. Combine butter and next 3 ingredients in a small bowl; stir well. Add to potatoes, and toss gently. Sprinkle potatoes with parsley, and toss again. Serve immediately.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: about 2/3 cup).

Nutrition information: 105 calories, 1.7 g fat, 2.8 g protein, 21.0 g carbohydrate, 2.0 g fiber, 5 mg cholesterol, 1.1 mg iron, 319 mg sodium, 13 mg calcium.

Source: Myrecipes.com

Garlic Smashed Potatoes

Ingredients:

4 cups cubed peeled Yukon gold potatoes
1/4 cup chicken broth
1/8 cup milk
2 1/2 tablespoons butter
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 minced garlic cloves

Directions:

Place 4 cups cubed peeled Yukon gold potatoes in a saucepan; cover with water. Bring to a boil; cook 6 minutes or until tender. Drain. Return potatoes to pan. Add 1/ cup chicken broth, 1/8 cup milk, 2 1/2 tablespoons butter, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 3 minced garlic cloves, mash with a potato masher to desired consistency.

Source: Myrecipes.com

Herbed Basmati Rice

Ingredients:

2 teaspoons butter
1 cup uncooked Basmati or other long-grain rice
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons thinly sliced green onion tops (optional)
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
Fresh thyme sprigs, optional

Directions:

Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the rice; stir well. Add 2 cups water and 1/2 teaspoon salt; bring to a boil. Cover. Reduce heat; simmer for 15 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Stir in remaining ingredients; garnish with thyme, if desired.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1/2 cup)

Nutrition information: 115 calories, 2.8 g fat, 2.8 g protein, 19.2 g carb, 0.3 g fiber, 2 mg chol, 1.5 mg iron, 217 mg sodium, 52 mg calc

Source: Myrecipes.com

Broccoli with Garlic and Lemon-Pepper Sauce

Ingredients:

1 pound broccoli
3 tablespoons light butter
2-3 garlic cloves, minced
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1/3 cup water
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper

Directions:

Steam broccoli, covered, 7 minutes or until crisp-tender. Transfer to a serving bowl, and keep warm.

Melt butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat; add garlic. Saute garlic 1 minute or until golden. Add lemon juice and remaining 4 ingredients; bring to a boil. Pour over broccoli; toss gently. Serve immediately.

Yield: 4 servings

Nutrition information: 86 calories, 5.2 g fat, 4.7 g protein, 8.9 g carbohydrate, 3.1 g fiber, 15 mg cholesterol, 1.3 mg iron, 372 mg sodium, 61 mg calcium.

Source: Myrecipes.com

Drop Biscuits

The dough for these biscuits is dropped into muffin tins instead of onto a baking sheet, but their final shape is still free-form like that of traditional drop biscuits.

Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup chilled butter or stick margarine, cut into small pieces
1 cup fat-free milk
Cooking spray

Directions:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife.

Combine flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt in a bowl; cut in butter with a pastry blender or 2 knives until mixture resembles coarse meal.

Add milk; stir just until moist.

Spoon the batter into 12 muffin cups coated with cooking spray. Bake at 450 degrees for 12 minutes or until golden. Remove biscuits from ban immediately, and place on a wire rack.

Yield: 1 dozen biscuits (serving size: 1 biscuit)

Nutrition information: 119 calories, 4.1 g fat, 2.9 g protein, 11 mg cholesterol, 97 mg calcium, 270 mg sodium, 0.6 g fiber, 1.1 mg iron, 17.6 g carbohydrate

Source: Myrecipes.com

Roasted Apples

Ingredients:

2 cups sliced Granny Smith apples
1 1/2 tablespoons maple syrup
1 teaspoon melted butter
Cooking spray

Directions:

Combine 2 cups sliced Granny Smith apples, 1 1/2 tablespoons maple syrup, and 1 teaspoon melted butter in an 8-inch square baking dish coated with cooking spray. Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes or until tender.

Source: Myrecipes.com

Salsa Corn with Cheese

Ingredients:

2 (11 ounce) cans corn (if possible, ones with red and green bell peppers such as Mexicorn)
1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded reduced-fat extra-sharp cheddar cheese
1/4 cup chunky salsa

Directions:

Heat corn in a medium saucepan; remove from heat. Stir in cheese and salsa; toss gently until cheese melts.

Yield: 5 servings (serving size: 1/2 cup)

Nutrition information: 108 calories, 1.5 g fat, 5.6 g protein, 21.6 g carb, 2.5 g fiber, 2 mg chol, 1.1 mg iron, 519 mg sodium, 57 mg calc

Source: Myrecipes.com

Parmesan Cheese Toasts

Ingredients:

4 slices Italian bread
Cooking spray (preferably olive oil flavored)
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 teaspoons grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

Coat 4 slices Italian bread with cooking spray; sprinkle evenly with 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper. Top each slice with 1 teaspoon grated Parmesan cheese, and broil 3 1/2 inches from heat until lightly browned.

Yield: 4 servings.

Nutrition information: 93 calories, 1.0 g fat, 3. g protein, 17.1 g carbohydrate, 0.8 g fiber, 2 mg cholesterol, 207 mg sodium.

Source: Myrecipes.com

That's a Spicy Meatball!

Do you know what comes in handy? Frozen meatballs. I keep them on hand because my 11 month old likes to eat them from time to time (I cut them into tiny pieces and he gobbles them up). They also come in handy for dinner. The great thing about frozen meatballs is that you obviously keep them in your freezer, so you can use them whenever it's convenient for you. You don't have to use them up before they go bad or before they expire (that is, unless you keep them in your freezer for years because they eventually will go bad and expire). They just wait patiently for you in the freezer until you are ready for them.

I started keeping frozen meatballs on hand before I had any children because I discovered a yummy recipe called Stuffed Meatball Pizza. This is a great pantry-style dinner because besides the fresh basil, you can pretty much keep all of the other ingredients on hand all the time. So, I'm sharing that recipe with you tonight.

The next recipe I'm sharing is one I actually created all by myself just today. I had seen a ton of recipes for slow cooker lasagna and I was so curious to see how well it would actually work. Among other things, I wondered if the noodles would become soggy (they actually don't), and if it would come out looking as nice and layered as traditional lasagna (sorry, it doesn't).

I used the following as my inspiration: my mother's lasagna from my childhood (her lasagna used cottage cheese and eggs), my freezer and pantry (using what I had on hand because I couldn't make the dinner I originally had planned for tonight) and finally, a recipe by Betty Crocker, which you can find here.

I'm actually pretty proud of how my lasagna turned out. It was pretty tasty! It's a lot faster and easier than traditional lasagna.

However, as soon as I started breaking the lasagna noodles to fit my slow cooker, I was absolutely sure that it wouldn't come out looking as pretty as the Betty Crocker lasagna picture. I would definitely like to know how they accomplished the impossible feat of making their lasagna look that beautiful. However, pretty or not, it was yummy and it hit the spot.

As a bonus, I'm including a "recipe" for meatball subs (which is basically a sandwich that requires no recipe at all).

Buon appetito!

Stuffed Meatball Pizza

Ingredients:

18 Rhodes Dinner Rolls or 12 Rhodes Texas Rolls, thawed to room temperature

1 egg, beaten

2 cups grated Italian blend cheese, divided

16 ounce package pre-cooked frozen bite-sized Italian meatballs, thawed

1 cup marinara sauce

1 teaspoon dried basil leaves or 1 tbsp fresh

1 teaspoon crushed red pepper

Parmesan cheese

Extra marinara sauce, for dipping

Directions:

Spray counter lightly with non-stick cooking spray. Combine 9 dinner rolls or 6 Texas rolls together and roll into a 13-inch circle for bottom crust. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest. Repeat above steps with remaining rolls to make the top crust.

Remove wrap from first dough circle and place the dough in a sprayed 12-inch deep dish pizza pan to cover the bottom and 1/2 inch up the sides. Brush with beaten egg. Sprinkle with 1 cup grated Italian blend cheese. Top with meatballs. Drizzle marinara sauce over meatballs and sprinkle with remaining grated cheese. Sprinkle with basil and crushed red pepper. Remove wrap from remaining dough circle and place dough over all ingredients. Press edges of bottom and top crusts together to seal.

Brush top crust with beaten egg. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Using a sharp knife, cut 2 vent holes in top crust. Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes. Serve with extra marinara sauce for dipping.

Source: This is a Rhodes Bread recipe which can originally be found here.

Notes: The only problem I have had with this recipe is that the bread crust gets done a lot sooner than the inside mixture does. The first time I made this, I pulled out my beautifully browned pizza pie only to discover a cool inside. We ended up microwaving it so that it was hot inside and out. So, here's my suggestion to combat this: heat the marinara and meatballs together either on the stove top or in the microwave while you are making the crusts. So, rather than adding cold fillings, you will be adding warmed fillings. So, your crusts will become lovely and browned and your fillings will be just the right temperature.

The only other change I made was to add fresh basil. The recipe doesn't specify whether fresh or dried basil is being called for. Because only 1 teaspoon is being used, I assumed that it is asking for dried basil. However, the first time I made this, I had a basil plant with a ton of fresh basil leaves, so I used that instead. It tasted so good that I don't think I'll ever make this with dried basil.

This is also one of those great recipes that is even better the next day. The flavors have time to meld and it tastes awesome.

Sarah's Slow Cooker Lasagna

Ingredients:

2 eggs

1 (16 oz) container cottage cheese

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese (shredded or grated)

2 jars pasta sauce

1/2 lb. lasagna noodles, uncooked

1 lb. frozen Italian-style meatballs, thawed and cut in half (or you can use 1 lb. ground beef browned with one diced onion, 1-2 cloves of minced garlic, and 1 teaspoon of Italian seasoning)

1 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese

Directions:

In a blender, add two eggs, cottage cheese, salt, pepper, and Parmesan cheese. Blend until smooth.

Spray a slow cooker with cooking spray or use a slow cooker liner.

Spread about 1 cup of pasta sauce on the bottom of your slow cooker. Top with enough lasagna noodles to cover the sauce and make a layer that covers the sauce (you will need to break the noodles to fit--the noodles can overlap).

Spread half of the cottage cheese mixture evenly over the first layer of lasagna noodles.

Top cottage cheese layer evenly with 1/2 cup of mozzarella cheese and place half of the meatballs on top of that.

Evenly pour one cup of pasta sauce over your meatballs. Add more lasagna noodles on top of the meatball/pasta sauce layer, breaking to fit.

Repeat each layer one more time: a layer using the rest of your cottage cheese mixture, followed by a layer using 1/2 cup mozzarella, then a layer using the last of the meatballs, and finally a layer of one cup of pasta sauce.

To finish, top with a layer of lasagna noodles topped with the last cup of your pasta sauce and a final 1/2 cup layer of mozzarella cheese.

Cook on low heat setting for 4-6 hours.

Source: This is my own creation as mentioned above and inspired by my Mom's traditional lasagna recipe and a recipe found on the Betty Crocker website.

Above: Again, it wasn't the prettiest lasagna ever, but it was easy and tasty!

Notes: You can use as many noodles as you would like. I used about half of a one pound box, but if you use a little more than that, it will still work out fine. Also, I only had one jar of pasta sauce, so I improvised for the rest of the pasta sauce. I used two (14.5 oz) cans of Italian stewed tomatoes. I drained them and diced them finely using my kitchen shears (it's really easy--you just cut your scissors right in the can until the tomatoes are cut up). So, I used the Italian stewed tomatoes on the very bottom of the slow cooker and on the very top. The middle layers were Barilla's mushroom pasta sauce. It was really yummy!

I cooked my lasagna for about 5 hours and it was just right. The noodles weren't mushy and the flavors were nicely blended.

Italian Meatball Subs

Ingredients:

Italian-style frozen meatballs

Pasta sauce

Mozzarella cheese slices

Hoagie rolls

Directions:

Place meatballs and pasta sauce in a slow cooker and cook on low for 4-6 hours. Or, you can heat your meatballs and pasta sauce together in a saucepan over medium-high heat until the meatballs are warmed and the sauce is bubbly. If that's not fast enough for you, you can heat your meatballs and pasta sauce together in the microwave until the meatballs are heated through.

Split and toast hoagie rolls.

Place 1-2 slices of mozzarella cheese on the bottom half of each hoagie roll and top with meatballs and pasta sauce. Place the top of the hoagie roll over the meatballs and enjoy!

Source: There's no specific recipe for this. It's just one of those things that I put together myself after enjoying a meatball sub at a deli.

Notes: I didn't include ingredient amounts because it just depends on how many sandwiches you want to make. I would say that per sandwich you would need one hoagie roll, between 4-6 meatballs, just enough sauce to coat the meatballs, and 1-2 slices of cheese. It's as easy as that. It's a great and easy dinner idea to throw together on short notice.

Lasagna Overload! Dinner Edition

 

A couple of weeks back, my mom informed me that we were having lasagna for our family dinner...but not just one kind of lasagna. Oh no, that is not how my mom does it. She told me we would be having three kinds of lasagna for dinner and three kinds of sweet lasagna for dessert. I told her it would probably be a good idea to skip the rolls.

In addition to the two lasagna recipes I am including here, my mom made one of our old favorites, which you can find here.

So, loosen your belts, dig in, and get ready to work off the pounds the next day!

American Lasagna

Ingredients:

1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 (29 ounce) can diced tomatoes
2 (6 ounce) cans tomato paste
12 dry lasagna noodles
2 eggs, beaten
1 pint part-skim ricotta cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons dried parsley
1 teaspoon salt
1 pound mozzarella cheese, shredded
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

In a skillet over medium heat, brown ground beef, onion, and garlic; drain fat. Mix in basil, oregano, brown sugar, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, diced tomatoes, and tomato paste. Simmer for 30-45 minutes, stirring occassionally.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add lasagna noodles, and cook for 5-8 minutes, or until al dente; drain. Lay noodles flat on towels, and blot dry.

In a medium bowl, mix together eggs, ricotta, Parmesan cheese, parsley, and 1 teaspoon salt.

Layer 1/3 of the lasagna noodles in the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish. Cover noodles with 1/2 ricotta mixture, 1/2 of the mozzarella cheese, and 1/3 of the sauce. Repeat. Top with remaining noodles and sauce. Sprinkle additional Parmesan cheese over the top.

Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Source: Allrecipes.com, submitted by ETHELMERTZ. You can find it here.

Notes: This was good. Just your classic lasagna. Tasty stuff.

Creamy White Chicken and Artichoke Lasagna

Ingredients:

2 cups shredded cooked chicken breasts
1 can (14 oz) artichoke hearts, drained, chopped
1 pkg. (8 oz) shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup chopped drained oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes
2 pkg. (8 oz each) cream cheese, softened
1 cup milk
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 cup tightly packed fresh basil, chopped, divided
12 lasagna noodles, cooked

Directions:

Heat oven to 350 degrees F.

Combine chicken, artichokes, 1 cup mozzarella, Parmesan, and tomatoes. Beat cream cheese, milk, and garlic powder with mixer until blended; stir in 2 tbsp. basil. Reserve half; mix remaining half with the chicken mixture.

Spread half of the remaining cream cheese mixture onto bottom of 13x9-inch baking dish; cover with 3 noodles and 1/3 of the chicken mixture. Repeat layers of noodles and chicken mixture twice. Top with remaining noodles, cream cheese mixture, and mozzarella; cover.

Bake 25 minutes or until heated through. Sprinkle with remaining basil. Let stand 5 minutes before cutting to serve.

Source: Kraft recipes. You can find it here.

More Breakfast For Dinner!

 

We have to do breakfast for dinner as a family every few months or so. It just doesn't get old! Here is the newest edition:

Candied Bacon

Ingredients:

1/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons maple syrup
Ground black pepper, to taste
1 pound thick-cut bacon

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Mix brown sugar, rice vinegar, maple syrup, and black pepper in a small bowl.

Place bacon slices on cooling rack set over a baking sheet.

Bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes, turn slices, and bake another 5 minutes.

Remove bacon and brush both sides with brown sugar mixture. Return bacon to the oven and bake another 5 minutes. Repeat basting every 5 minutes until bacon is browned and crisp, about 35 minutes.

Source: Allrecipes.com, submitted by Chef John. You can find it here.

Notes: Ooooh, this was good.

Cheesy Ham and Hash Brown Casserole

Ingredients:

1 (32 ounce) package frozen hash brown potatoes
8 ounces cooked, diced ham
2 (10.75 ounce) cans condensed cream of potato soup (do not substitute cream of chicken or cream of mushroom soup)
1 (16 ounce) container sour cream
2 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
1 1/2 cups grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9x13 inch baking dish.

In a large bowl, mix hash browns, ham, cream of potato soup, sour cream, and Cheddar cheese. Spread evenly into prepared dish. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Bake 1 hour in the preheated oven, or until bubbly and lightly brown. serve immediately.

Source: Allrecipes.com, submitted by POOBOO. You can find it here. It is currently rated 4 1/2 stars with over 1,400 reviews.

Notes: This was really good. You can used shredded hash browns or southern style diced hash browns for this recipe. We used diced. The cream of potato soup is what really makes this work as a breakfast casserole. If you were to substitute cream of chicken or cream of mushroom, it would taste more like a dinner side dish.

Brunch Enchiladas

Ingredients:

2 cups finely chopped cooked ham (we substituted cooked crumbled sausage)
1 cup finely chopped red bell pepper
1/2 cup sliced green onions (8 medium)
2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese (8 oz)
10 Old El Paso flour tortillas for burritos (8-inch, from two 11-oz. packages)
6 eggs
2 cups half-and-half
1 tablespoon Gold Medal all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
Red pepper sauce

Directions:

Lightly spray 13x9-inch (3-quart) glass baking dish with cooking spray.

In large bowl, stir together ham, bell pepper, green onions, and 1 cup of the cheese. Place 1/3 cup ham mixture down center of each tortilla; roll up and place seam side down in baking dish.

In another large bowl, beat eggs, half-and-half, flour and salt. Pour over tortillas. cover; refrigerate 8 hours or overnight.

To serve, heat oven to 350 degrees F. Uncover dish; sprinkle remaining 1 cup cheese over top. Cover baking dish; bake 25 minutes. Uncover; bake 10 minutes longer or until set and cheese is melted. Serve with red pepper sauce on the side.

Makes 5 servings (2 enchiladas each)

Recipe notes: The fillings for these enchiladas could be adapted to your taste. Try replacing the ham with cooked sausage or bacon and the bell pepper with mushrooms or other vegetables.

Source: Betty Crocker website. You can find it here.

Notes: These were tasty. You really could get very creative with these.

Ham and Cheese Croissant Strata

Ingredients:

6 croissants, split
6 slices (3/4 to 1 oz each) Swiss cheese
2 cups chopped cooked ham (from deli)
8 eggs
1 1/2 cups milk
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
4 oz Gruyere cheese, shredded (1 cup)
Chopped fresh chives, if desired

Directions:

Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray 13x9-inch (3 quart) glass baking dish with cooking spray.

In baking dish, arrange croissant bottoms, cut sides up, in single layer. Top each with 1 slice Swiss cheese. Sprinkle with ham. Cover with croissant tops, cut sides down.

In large bowl, beat eggs, milk, mustard, salt and pepper with whisk. Pour over croissants. Sprinkle with Gruyere cheese.

Bake 35 minutes or until browned and set. Garnish with chives. Serve immediately.

Makes 10 servings.

Nutrition information: 1 serving equals 380 calories, 22 g fat, 640 mg sodium, 21 g carbohydrate, 1 g dietary fiber, 21 g protein.

Source: Betty Crocker website. You can find it here.

Notes: I really liked this, but our group was divided on this one. Some people liked it, others didn't necessarily love it. However, I enjoyed it and I also enjoyed the leftovers.

Above: Some things are so good, you have to repeat them! Here is the fruit salad we first made a couple of months ago. You can find that recipe here.

 

Above: We had a serendipitous accident with these rolls. We meant to make this recipe which calls for Grands Biscuits. However, we accidentally got two refrigerated tubes of cinnamon rolls instead. So, we omitted the cinnamon from the recipe and simply added the cream and brown sugar called for in the recipe. It totally worked. These were scrumptious. So, whether you decide to make our Easy Cinnamon Rolls using cinnamon rolls or biscuits, it is up to you. It works both ways!

Easy Peasy! Nice and Easy!

Well, after all of the crazy cooking that is associated with Thanksgiving (did you see how incredibly long my Thanksgiving blogs were? And it was in three parts!), I definitely want to take it easy cooking-wise for awhile afterward.

I blame the crazy title of this blog on a Starburst commercial. It was an insanely quirky commercial that made me laugh every time. I don't think many people liked the commercial though, because they didn't air it for very long. But it must have had a cult following, because you can still find it online...plus, there is an extended version that includes dance instruction and the phrase "Easy peasy...nice and easy." Ever since I saw that commercial, that phrase has been stuck in the back of my mind. I had to get it out here! In case you want to check out the commercial, click here. If you want to see the dance instruction and the phrase that lead to the title of this blog, click here.

Besides being easy dinners, these recipes have absolutely nothing in common. But they're all yummy. The first one is an easy sauce that is served over linguine. The second one is an easy sauce that is served over rice. The final recipe uses shredded chicken and puff pastry...yummy puff pastry.

I hope you like them and I hope it makes your dinner preparations easier!


Creamy Italian Chicken Linguine

Ingredients:

3-6 chicken breasts
1 can cream of chicken soup
8 oz cream cheese, softened
1 pkg. Good Seasons Italian dressing mix

Directions:

Combine soup, cream cheese, and dressing packet. Pour over chicken in slow cooker and cook all day on low heat. Serve over linguine.

Source: I got this from my mom. I don't know where she got it from though.

Notes: You can serve the chicken whole over the linguine, or you can shred it. I prefer to shred the chicken. It makes the sauce heartier and it goes farther to serve more people. I also usually double this recipe. I've also found no reason to combine the soup, cream cheese, and dressing. I usually sprinkle the dressing mix directly over the chicken, pour the soup over the chicken and just place the cream cheese (un-softened) on top. When you shred the chicken, it mixes the sauce completely. Also, if you keep frozen chicken breasts in your freezer, this is a great pantry recipe that you can keep on hand and throw together any time.

Easy Peasy Foccacia Bread

Ingredients:

12 Rhodes Dough rolls
2 tbsp olive oil
Garlic salt, to taste
Rosemary, to taste
Parmesan, to taste

Directions:

I made this easy foccacia by thawing 12 Rhodes Dough rolls in a ziploc bag. Once the dough has risen and doubled in size, flatten it out in a rectangular shape like you would if you were rolling out a pizza. You can either do this with a rolling pin or with your hands. I stretched and flattened the dough with my hands. Place the dough on a jelly roll pan that is covered in foil and lightly dusted with flour. Brush the dough with a little olive oil and then sprinkle it with garlic salt, rosemary, and Parmesan cheese, to taste. Bake at 425 degrees for about 15 minutes, or until nicely browned.

Source: This just came from my mind when I realized that I hadn't planned any side dishes to go along with this dinner. I had Rhodes Dough rolls in the freezer, so voila! Lovely foccacia!


Mexican Pork

Ingredients:

1 pound pork boneless loin roast, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 jar (20 ounces) salsa
1 can (4 ounces) chopped green chilies, drained
1 can (15 ounces) black beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese (4 ounces), if desired

Directions:

Mix pork, salsa, and chilies in slow cooker.

Cover and cook on low heat setting 6-8 hours or until pork is tender. Stir in beans. Cover and cook about 5 minutes or until hot. Sprinkle with cheese.

4 servings.

Nutrition information: 345 calories, 10 g fat, 75 mg cholesterol, 900 mg sodium, 37 g carbohydrate, 10 g fiber, 37 g protein.

Source: Betty Crocker website.

Notes: I usually double this and I serve it over rice. Also, it is great with fresh chopped cilantro on top as well. You can also top it with a dollop of guacamole or sour cream. The recipe suggests that you can serve it over tortilla chips, instead of the rice, if you prefer. Other substitutions suggested by the recipe are to vary the taste by using pinto beans instead of black beans and Cheddar cheese instead of Monterey Jack. It is soooo easy and very flavorful. I used Ortega medium salsa. Also, I think it is basically impossible to find a jar of salsa with exactly 20 ounces. I think most jars come in a 16 ounce size. This amount is totally fine. This dish creates a lot of liquid, so I think it actually works better to use only 16 ounces of salsa instead of 20 ounces. Finally, this dish would be very freezer friendly. You could freeze individual portions served over rice. Just defrost and microwave! Or you could freeze the pork mixture in a freezer friendly container or zip top bag. Don't forget to label and date it! When you are ready to use it, defrost it and reheat it in the microwave. Serve over fresh cooked rice. This is another great pantry recipe.


Buffalo Chicken Stromboli

Ingredients:

2 cups cubed or shredded cooked chicken
1/4 cup crumbled blue cheese
3 tablespoons Frank's® RedHot® Sauce
1/2 of a 17.3-ounce package Pepperidge Farm® Puff Pastry Sheets (1 sheet), thawed

Directions:

Heat the oven to 400°F. Stir the chicken, cheese and hot sauce in a medium bowl.

Unfold the pastry sheet on a lightly floured surface. Roll the pastry sheet into a 10x14-inch rectangle.

With the short side facing you, spoon the chicken mixture down the center of the pastry. Fold 2 opposite sides of the pastry to the center over the filling and press to seal. Place the pastry, seam-side down, onto a baking sheet. Tuck the ends under to seal.

Bake for 30 minutes or until the pastry is golden brown. Cut the pastry in quarters to serve.

Source: Pepperidge Farm Puff Pastry website (puffpastry.com).

Notes: The recipe suggests serving this with carrot and celery sticks, additional hot sauce, and blue cheese dressing. The blue cheese dressing is really yummy as a dipping sauce for the stromboli or drizzled on top of the stromboli. You can either poach and then chop or shred the chicken or you can cook the chicken in a slow cooker and chop or shred it. Also, I scored the top of the puff pastry (four small cuts) prior to cooking to allow the steam to escape.

Side Dishes--Bread Edition

I'm sure there will be many more bread editions to come because I think it is so much fun to make homemade bread to serve with dinner (and eat the next day as a snack, breakfast, or with lunch!).

All of the following bread recipes are very easy to make.  I'm still a novice bread maker, so I'm starting out with the basics.  But someday I hope to master the art of breadmaking to such a degree that I can churn out artisan breads such as ciabatta, sourdough, and other such yummy crusty loaves.

But for now, the following is what I have the time and skill to make!

Albers Corn Bread

Ingredients:

1 cup Albers Yellow Corn Meal
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tbsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1 cup milk
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 large egg, lightly beaten

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  Grease 8-inch square baking pan.

Combine corn meal, flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in medium bowl.  Combine milk, oil, and egg in small bowl; mix well.  Add milk mixture to flour mixture; stir just until blended.  Pour into prepared pan.

Bake for 20-25 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.  Serve warm.

Recipe notes:

Recipe may be doubled.  Use greased 13x9-inch baking pan; bake as above.

For muffins: Spoon batter into 10-12 greased or paper-lined muffin cups filling each 2/3 full. Bake in preheated 400 degree oven for 15 minutes.

High altitude (3500-6000 feet): Cornbread--bake for 22-24 minutes.  Corn muffins--bake for 15-17 minutes.

Source: I found this on the back of my box of corn meal.  As you can tell above, it is Albers brand yellow corn meal.

Notes: This was fantastic.  You can serve it with a little butter and drizzled with honey.  Or, you can make your own honey butter by softening 1 cup (2 sticks) of butter and mixing in 1/3 cup of honey (or to your taste).  Either use the softened honey butter, or put the butter into molds and refrigerate until set.

Bannoch

Ingredients:

3 cups flour
1 tbsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
1/2 cup sour cream or plain yogurt

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Into a large bowl, sift flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, and salt.  Sift the mixture two more times.  Add buttermilk and sour cream; mix well.  Form dough into a ball and transfer to a lightly floured surface (dough will be sticky). Roll dough into a 12x7x1-inch oval; score the top carefully and transfer to an ungreased baking sheet.  Bake about 30 minutes or until loaf is brown.  Serve warm.

Makes 1 loaf.

Source: Worldwide Ward Cookbook: Secret Recipes! by Deanna Buxton.  Recipe submitted by Clark Manning of the Chevy Chase Ward in the Washington DC Stake.

Notes: I didn't roll the dough out, I simply shaped it into an oval with my fingers.  This was super yummy and made for a very pretty bread.  It looks like it would be a crusty bread like French bread, but it isn't.  It's chewy...more like a savory quick bread.

Zesty Cheddar Bread

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cups fat-free buttermilk
1/4 cup canola oil
1 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons finely chopped chipotle chiles in adobo sauce (from 7-oz can)
1/2 cup egg substitute or 2 eggs
2 cups Gold Medal all-purpose flour
3/4 cup shredded reduced-fat sharp Cheddar cheese (3 oz)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions:

Heat oven to 400 degrees F.  Grease bottom only of 8x4- or 9x5-inch loaf pan with cooking spray.

In large bowl, stir buttermilk, oil, sugar, chipotle chiles, and eggs until well mixed.  Stir in remaining ingredients just until moistened.  Spread in pan.

Bake 8-inch pan 45-55 minutes, 9-inch pan 40-50 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean (do not underbake).  Cool 15 minutes in pan on cooling rack.  Loosen sides of loaf from pan; remove from pan to cooling rack.  Serve warm, if desired.

Makes 12 servings.

Nutrition information: 1 slice is 150 calories, 6 g fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 410 mg sodium, 19 g carbohydrates, 0 g fiber, 2 g sugar, 5 g protein.

Source: Eat Better America recipe found here.  They are a division of General Mills and feature many of the same recipes as the Betty Crocker website.

Notes: I loved this.  It is a wonderfully easy savory quick bread and it has a fun chewy texture.  I would suggest using it to soak up extra sauce/juices from your favorite Mexican foods. Or lightly butter it.

I haven't been able to try this yet, but I think a fantastic variation would be to use Pepper-Jack Cheese in place of the Cheddar and canned diced green chiles in place of the chipotle peppers.  Hmmm.  Maybe I'll have to try that this week and report back!  Yum!

Mango Salsa Bake

Ingredients:

20 Rhodes™ Dinner Rolls, thawed but still cold
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 cup mango salsa (or favorite chunky salsa)
1 cup grated mozzarella cheese
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

Brush a 9x13-inch pan with butter. Cut each roll into 4 pieces. Line bottom of pan with rolls. Brush tops of rolls with butter. Top with salsa. Mix mozzarella and cheddar cheeses together and sprinkle over rolls. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise until double. Remove wrap and bake at 350°F 20-25 minutes.

Source: Rhodes Bread website found here. 

Notes: I went to a Rhodes Bread demonstration for a Relief Society meeting and they showed us how to make these and served us the finished product.  They are soooo easy and soooo good.  They used the mango salsa from Costco at the demonstration, so when I made it myself, I did the same.  It is super yummy.  If you can't find the mango salsa or don't have a membership, I would suggest that you use your favorite jarred salsa.  If you absolutely have to try the mango (and I wouldn't blame you), here's what I suggest: buy a jar (in the refrigerated section of the produce section) of mangoes.  Chop them up and mix them into your salsa.  You could even add some chopped canned peaches in addition to or instead of the mangoes.  Trust me, this bread is awesome.  It makes a great side served with a Mexican soup or your favorite Mexican dish.

Above: The pictures don't do it justice.  I guess I'll just have to make it again so that I can take more pictures.  Shucks (as I snap my fingers and pull a "poor me" face).  :)

Another Oscars, Another Appetizer Night!

We have created a more recent family tradition where we have an "Appetizers for Dinner" night on the same night as The Academy Awards. It's always fun to try out all of these fun appetizer recipes and be able to eat as much as we want to without "saving room for dinner" because, well, it IS dinner!

Some of these are appetizers from another night that I am grouping here just for the sake of convenience.

Fabulous Spinach and Artichoke Dip

Ingredients:

1 (14 ounce) can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
1 (10 ounce) container Alfredo sauce
1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
1 cup grated Parmesan-Romano cheese
1 (4 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 teaspoon minced garlic
ground black pepper, to taste
Tortilla chips, for serving

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Thoroughly mix artichoke hearts, Alfredo sauce, spinach, Parmesan-Romano cheese, cream cheese, mozzarella cheese, garlic, and black pepper in a bowl; spread into an 8-inch square baking dish.

Bake in preheated oven until cheeses are bubbling and melted, 25 to 30 minutes.

Source: Allrecipes.com, submitted by canderson09. You can find it here.

Notes: This is a copycat recipe of Applebee's spinach and artichoke dip. It is spot on and very delicious. It is fantastic paired with some of your favorite tortilla chips.

Antipasto Squares

Ingredients:

2 (10 ounce) cans refrigerated crescent dinner rolls
1/4 pound thinly sliced boiled ham
1/4 pound thinly sliced provolone cheese
1/4 pound thinly sliced Swiss cheese
1/4 pound thinly sliced Genoa salami
1/4 pound thinly sliced pepperoni sausage
1 (12 ounce) jar roasted red peppers, drained, cut into thin strips
3 eggs
3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Unroll one package of crescent roll dough, and cover the bottom of a 9x13-inch pan. Layer the ham, provolone cheese, Swiss cheese, salami, pepperoni, and red peppers on top of the dough.

In a bowl, beat the eggs lightly, and stir in the Parmesan cheese and black pepper. Pour 3/4 of this mixture over the peppers. Unroll the second package of dough, and place over the top of the peppers. Brush with the remaining egg mixture. Cover with aluminum foil.

Bake for 25 minutes in the preheated oven. Remove foil, and bake another 10 to 20 minutes, or until dough is fluffy and golden brown. Cut into squares. Serve warm, or at room temperature.

Source: Allrecipes.com, submitted by Lori G. You can find it here.

Notes: These are not easy to dish out and serve, but they were very tasty.

 

Marinated Cheese

Ingredients:

1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup white wine vinegar
1 (2 ounce) bottle diced pimento, drained
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
3 tablespoons minced green onions
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon sugar
3/4 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 (8 ounce) package Cheddar cheese
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, cold

Directions:

In a jar with a tight fitting lid, combine the olive oil, white wine vinegar, pimento, parsley, green onion, garlic, sugar, basil, salt, and pepper. Shake vigorously to blend. Set aside.

Cut the block of Cheddar cheese in half lengthwise. Cut crosswise into 1/4-inch slices to form squares. Repeat with cream cheese. Arrange cheese squares alternately in a shallow baking dish with slices standing on edge. You can arrange in a single long row, or 2 parallel rows depending on the size of your dish. Pour the marinade from the jar over the cheese slices. Cover and refrigerate for at least 6 hours, or overnight.

To serve, remove slices to a serving platter so they are still arranged in an alternating pattern. Spoon some of the extra marinade over the cheese, and serve with crackers.

Source: Allrecipes.com, submitted by trish555. You can find it here.

Notes: This was such a pretty appetizer. So delicious too! You could alternate between Cheddar and Mozzarella slices (instead of cream cheese) if you are worried about the cream cheese being too messy. This was delicious though. The only drawback is that it is messy and drippy and I got some oil from the marinade on my shirt and it took quite a few washes to get that mess out!

 

Pigs in a Blanket

Ingredients:

2 pkgs. (8 ounces each) refrigerated crescent roll dough.
1 pkg. Lit'l Smokies
Ketchup and mustard, for serving

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Separate each package of crescent roll dough into 8 triangles. Cut each triangle into 3 smaller triangles.

Place 1 sausage on the wide end of the triangle and roll towards the point. Place wrapped sausage point side down on baking sheet. Repeat with remaining sausages. Bake 9-10 minutes, or until golden brown. Serve with ketchup and mustard, if desired.

Source: Hillshire Farm. You can find it here.

Notes: Well, folks, it doesn't get any easier or more kid friendly than this!

 

Bavarian Style Meatballs

Ingredients:

12 fluid ounces tomato-based chili sauce
1 (16 ounce) can whole cranberry sauce
27 ounces Bavarian-style sauerkraut, undrained
1 cup water
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 (16 ounce) package frozen meatballs

Directions:

In a medium size mixing bowl, combine chili sauce, cranberry sauce, sauerkraut, water, and brown sugar. mix well. Pour sauce and meatballs in a slow cooker; stir.

Cook, covered, at a medium temperature for 4 hours. Stir occasionally to coat meatballs.

Source: Allrecipes.com, submitted by teri denlinger. You can find it here.

Notes: The sauerkraut was kind of what caught our eye. It was an interesting ingredient, but it totally worked! These were great meatballs. Also, Teri Denlinger must have a more awesome slow cooker than I do because mine only has a low and a high heat setting. We just cooked ours on low.

Outrageous Warm Chicken Nacho Dip

Ingredients:

1 (14 ounce) can diced tomatoes with green chile peppers (such as Ro*Tel), drained
1 (1 pound) loaf processed cheese food (such as Velveeta, cubed
2 large cooked skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, shredded
1/3 cup sour cream
1/4 cup diced green onion
1 1/2 tablespoon taco seasoning mix
2 tablespoons minced jalapeno pepper, or to taste (optional)
1 cup black beans, rinsed and drained

Directions:

Place the diced tomatoes, processed cheese, chicken meat, sour cream, green onion, taco seasoning, and jalapeno pepper into a slow cooker. Cook on high, stirring occasionally until the cheese has melted and the dip is hot, 1 to 2 hours. Stir in the black beans, and cook 15 more minutes to reheat.

Source: Allrecipes.com, submitted by brightlightz. You can find it here.

Notes: This isn't the prettiest, but it was very tasty. Serve it with tortilla chips and you're set!

Guacamole My Way

Ingredients:

5 avocados from Mexico, peeled, pitted, and diced
5 Roma tomatoes, seeded and diced
1/2 cup and 2 tablespoons finely diced onion
1 1/2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/4 lime, juiced
1 1/4 teaspoons salt, or to taste

Directions:

Combine avocados, tomatoes, onion, garlic, and lime juice. Stir well, mashing avocado, but leaving a chunky texture. Season with salt; stir to combine.

Serve immediately or chill for 30 minutes.

Source: Allrecipes.com, submitted by Paula. You can find it here.

Notes: Tasty stuff!

 

Pico de Gallo

Ingredients:

3 medium tomatoes, diced
3 onions, finely chopped
1 1/2 fresh jalapeno peppers, seeded and chopped
6 sprigs fresh cilantro, finely chopped
3 green onions, finely chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

Directions:

In a medium bowl, combine tomato, onion, jalepeno pepper (to taste), cilantro, and green onion. Season with garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Stir until evenly distributed. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Source: Allrecipes.com, submitted by grneyedmustang. You can find it here.

 

Cheesy Bacon Corn Dip

Ingredients:

4 slices bacon
3 cups corn
4 oz. cream cheese
2 cups shredded Cheddar
1/4 cup sour cream
1/4 cup chopped chives
Kosher salt

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large skillet, over medium heat, cook bacon until crispy. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to let drain, then chop.

In a large bowl, combine corn, cream cheese, Cheddar, sour cream, chives, and chopped bacon and season with salt. Stir until combined, then transfer to a baking dish.

Bake until warmed through and cheese is bubbly, 25 to 30 minutes.

Source: Delish.com. You can find it here.