This is the Way to Do It

 

I always worry about overcooking steak. Overcooked steak is just the worst stuff ever. This is one of those recipes that is hard to screw up. It's the perfect way to cook steak. You are going to love these fajitas. They are easy and delicious.

 

Easy Sheet-Pan Beef Fajitas

Ingredients:

2 cups sliced onion (1/4-inch slices)
1 medium red or yellow bell pepper, cut into 1/4-inch strips
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 package (1 oz) Old El Paso original taco seasoning mix
1 lb. boneless sirloin steak
8 (6-inch) Old El Paso flour tortillas
Sour cream, salsa, shredded cheese, chopped fresh cilantro, and lime wedges for topping, if desired

Directions:

Heat oven to 400 degrees F. Spray 18x13-inch rimmed sheet pan with cooking spray. Add onion and bell pepper to sheet pan. Add 1 tablespoon of the oil and 2 tablespoons of the taco seasoning mix; stir to coat, spreading mixture evenly in pan. Bake 15 minutes; stir.

Meanwhile, cut steak into 1/4-inch strips; place in small bowl. Stir in remaining 1 tablespoon oil and remaining seasoning mix until combined and coated. Place on pan with vegetables. Bake 7 to 9 minutes longer or until beef is no longer pink and vegetables are tender.

Heat tortillas as directed on package. Using tongs, transfer steak mixture to serving platter or, if serving on sheet pan, carefully drain excess liquid from pan before serving.

Spoon steak and veggies onto each tortilla. Serve with remaining ingredients.

Source: Betty Crocker. You can find it here.

Notes: I used a 1 lb. flank steak instead of sirloin steak. I also used a fajita seasoning mix instead of a taco seasoning mix. In addition to that, I increased the bell peppers because I wanted more veggies. I used three: a red, an orange, and a yellow bell pepper.

Pasta Repeat!

This is an old favorite, originally posted here. We made this recently and I thought, "Why haven't I made this in awhile? This is so, so good!" It's easy, it's on the lighter side, and it is absolutely delicious.

 

Bacon-Tomato Linguine

Ingredients:

8 oz. uncooked linguine
2 tsps. olive oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 (2.5 oz) pkg. cooked bacon pieces (such as Hormel)
1 1/3 cup grape tomatoes, halved
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/4 cup (1 oz) pre-shredded fresh Parmesan cheese

Instructions:

Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup pasta water.

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Add onion; saute 2 minutes. Add bacon; saute 2 minutes. Add tomato, garlic and oregano; saute 30 seconds. Remove from heat.

Add pasta, reserved pasta water, salt and pepper. Stir well and cook 1 minute or until thoroughly heated and liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat; cover and let stand 3 minutes. Sprinkle with cheese.

4 servings (1 1/4 cup). 301 calories, 11 g fat, 14.4 g protein, 37.1 g carbohydrate, 2.8 g fiber, 21 mg cholesterol, 745 mg sodium.


Source: Cooking Light, from the Superfast cookbook. You can find it on the MyRecipes website here.

Notes: Trust me, you're going to love this! The only thing I change is that I double the recipe.

 



Above: This is the kind of bacon I used. This is a 4.3 oz. package, which worked perfectly for my doubled pasta recipe. I just used this one package. You can usually find this by the salad dressings and toppings. If it isn't there, look for it by the tuna fish and other canned meats like Spam and dried beef slices.

Quick and Easy Chicken

We have chicken a lot, but that's because it is so versatile. You can serve it with all sorts of sides and it is often quick and easy to prepare. This is one of those main dish recipes. This particular recipe is also an easy one to alter to your own tastes.

Grilled Honey-Lime Chicken Recipe

Ingredients:

3/4 cup oil and vinegar salad dressing
1/2 cup honey
3 tablespoons lime juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
8 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (6 ounces each)

Directions:

In a small bowl, combine the first five ingredients. Pour 1 cup marinade into a large resealable plastic bag; add the chicken. Seal bag and turn to coat. Refrigerate for 2 hours. Cover and refrigerate remaining marinade.

Drain and discard marinade. Lightly oil the grill rack. Grill chicken, covered, over medium heat or broil 4 inches from the heat for 4-5 minutes on each side, or until a thermometer reads 170 degrees F, basting occasionally with reserved marinade.

Yield: 8 servings.

Nutrition information:

1 chicken breast half: 286 calories, 9 g fat (1 g saturated fat), 94 mg cholesterol, 476 mg sodium, 15 g carbohydrate (15 g sugars, 0 fiber), 34 g protein.

Source: Taste of Home. You can find it here.

Notes: I almost tried this with a lime vinaigrette that I had on hand, but decided to keep closer to the recipe and use a balsamic oil and vinegar salad dressing. However, you could really use any kind of salad dressing you wanted to mix up the flavor of this chicken. I'm actually going to make this again with the lime vinaigrette as well! My kids like dipping sauce for their chicken, so I doubled the marinade. I used half for marinating the chicken and rather than basting the chicken, I heated the other half of the marinade for a dipping sauce. I would have basted my chicken if I grilled it, but I opted to broil it and as a result, basting wasn't necessary. We served ours with some corn on the cob, grapes, and a side salad. Tasty stuff!

More Pasta, Please!

Here's another recipe I found because I was influenced by those Hillshire Farm commercials I saw. Ha ha! It's a good one!

 

Hillshire Farm Naturals Sausage and Tomato Skillet

Ingredients:

1 package Hillshire Farm Naturals Smoked Sausage

8 ounces dry whole grain pasta

1 cup whole cherry tomatoes

1 cup sliced mushrooms

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1/4 cup freshly chopped basil

1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

Directions:

Cook pasta according to package instructions.

Sliced sausage into coins and heat in a large skillet over high heat for 2 minutes or until browning starts.

Add the tomatoes and mushrooms and cook for an additional 5 minutes over medium heat.

Toss in the pasta and olive oil and heat for an additional 3 minutes, stirring often. Top with basil and Parmesan cheese.

Source: Hillshire Farm website. You can find it here. 

Notes: This was delicious and super easy. As you can see, it also makes for a really pretty pasta as well. My only suggestion would be to save some of the pasta water to add to your pasta if it is a little dry (or you could increase the olive oil slightly). Also, add salt and pepper, to taste.

Easy, Satisfying, and Very Few Ingredients

  

It's been a long time and I am really behind in my food blog posts. I have a lot of catching up to do! Here is an easy, delicious weeknight meal that will definitely hit the spot.

Hillshire Farm Sausage Alfredo

Ingredients:

1 package Hillshire Farm Smoked Sausage

8 ounces pasta, cooked, drained

1 cup heavy cream

2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

Prepare pasta according to package directions; drain and set aside.

Saute sausage in a large skillet over medium-high heat for 5 minutes, turning occasionally.

Add cream and Cajun seasoning; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer gently for 3-4 minutes or until mixture begins to thicken. Remove from heat, stir in Parmesan cheese. Add pasta to sauce and toss.

Source: Hillshire Farm website. You can find it here.  Also found on the Allrecipes website here.

Notes: So, I've been playing a game on my phone and I was definitely affected by the ads I had to watch to earn diamonds for my game. :) I had to watch a bunch of Hillshire Farm recipe videos and it just sounded so good, I had to try it! This actually isn't a recipe from one of the ads, but one I found on my own. The Allrecipes website (though it is posted by Hillshire Farms on that site too) changes the recipe slightly and suggests using 2 cups cream instead of 1 cup. I think this is a great suggestion to help make your pasta creamier (though more heavy calorie-wise).

I doubled the pasta and used a whole pound (16 oz). Because of that, I doubled the sauce, but I only used on 14 oz. package of smoked sausage. If you want things meatier, you could use two packages, but I don't think that is necessary. As noted, you could increase the cream even further, if you want things more creamy. I thought it was super flavorful as is, but increasing the cream would have made the sauce much more creamy. It just depends on your tastes. It would be a really easy thing to adjust in this recipe. So, just experiment and do what you like best!

Easter Leftovers Part 2

 

This was a really good and easy recipe. It was a nice and different way to use up some of my leftover Easter ham.

 

Slow Cooker Ham and Eggs

Ingredients:

6 large eggs
1 cup biscuit/baking mix
2/3 cup 2% milk
1/3 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 cup cubed fully cooked ham
1 cup shredded Swiss cheese
1 small onion, finely chopped
1/3 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

Directions:

In a large bowl, whisk the first eight ingredients until blended; stir in remaining ingredients. Pour into a greased 3- or 4-qt. slow cooker.

Cook, covered, on low 3-4 hours or until eggs are set. Cut into wedges.

Yield: 6 servings.

Source: Taste of Home, submitted by Andrea Schaak of Jordan, Minnesota. You can find it here.

Notes: I really liked this. It was really easy to throw together too. My son helped me mix it up and thought it was a lot of fun. Of course, he wouldn't eat it, but that's life, right?

Why Didn't I Make This Sooner?

 

Every now and then I finally try a recipe that has been in my pile of recipes to try for years, and then I think, "Why in the world did I wait so long to try this recipe? It is awesome!" This is one of those recipes. It has been sitting in a pile of recipes, just waiting to be made. Not only is this recipe easy, but it is also absolutely delicious, and it is a great pantry recipe. I'll bet you already have all (or most) of the ingredients already on hand.

Be sure to read my notes because I made a few small changes (the biggest change being that I added lemon juice).

Chicken Breasts with Herb Basting Sauce

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon minced onion
1 clove crushed garlic
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed
1/4 teaspoon ground sage
1/4 teaspoon dried marjoram
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
4 bone-in chicken breast halves, with skin
1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

In a bowl, prepare the basting sauce by combining olive oil, onion, garlic, thyme, rosemary, sage, marjoram, salt, pepper, and hot pepper sauce.

Turn chicken breasts in sauce to coat thoroughly. Place skin side up in a shallow baking dish. Cover.

Roast at 425 degrees F, basting occasionally with pan drippings, for about 35 to 56 minutes. Remove to warm platter, spoon pan juices over, and sprinkle with fresh parsley.

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

Notes: I doubled the sauce ingredients (because my family likes a lot of sauce) and added lemon juice as well. So, since I doubled the olive oil from 3 tablespoons to 6 tablespoons, I also used 6 tablespoons of lemon juice (to have equal parts olive oil and lemon juice). I thought the lemon juice added a lot to this recipe. You can skip it and stick with the recipe as originally written, but I really liked the addition of the lemon juice. I also used boneless skinless chicken breasts rather than skin-on, bone-in chicken breasts. This was fantastic. Heads up though, this will stick with you and give you some dragon breath, but it's totally worth it!

 

Above: Some of us put the sauce in little bowls to dip the chicken in and some of us drizzled extra sauce on top of the chicken. So delicious!

Pantry Dinner

 

This is an easy, flavorful dinner that comes straight from the pantry. It's perfect for a snowy day when you just don't want to make a trip to the store.

 

Creamy Mushroom Pasta

Ingredients:

Kosher salt
8 ounces bow tie pasta
One 12-ounce can evaporated milk
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 1/2 teaspoons granulated garlic
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon sweet paprika, plus more for sprinkling
Two 4.5-ounce jars sliced mushrooms, strained and rinsed
2 teaspoons sherry vinegar or white wine vinegar
Freshly ground black pepper
Dried dill, dried chives, or dried parsley, for sprinkling

Directions:

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta, and cook according to package directions. Strain and set aside.

Meanwhile, bring the evaporated milk, chicken broth, oil, flour, mustard, garlic, 3/4 teaspoon salt, Worcestershire, and paprika to a boil in a large skillet. Reduce the heat and simmer, whisking constantly, until the sauce is just thicker than heavy cream, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the mushrooms, vinegar, and several grinds of pepper, and simmer for 1 minute. Stir in the pasta. Divide among 4 shallow bowls, and sprinkle each with a little paprika, dill, and pepper.

Source: Food Network. You can find it here.

Notes: This was really satisfying. It was so quick and easy to throw together. Comfort food straight from the pantry!

It's a Good Night for Soup!

Half-Hour Chicken Gumbo

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
2 red bell peppers (ribs and seeds removed), chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, chopped
1 teaspoon dried oregano
Coarse sald and ground pepper
1 package (10 ounces) frozen, cut okra
8 ounces smoked (precooked) andouille sausage, halved lengthwise and sliced 1 inch thick
1 rotisserie chicken (about 2 1/2 pounds), skin and bones removed, meat shredded (about 4 cups)
Store-bought or homemade cornbread, for serving (optional)
Rice, for serving (optional)

Directions:

In a 5-quart Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot, heat oil over medium. Add flour, and cook, whisking constantly, until pale golden, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in bell peppers, onion, garlic, and oregano; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are crisp-tender, 10 to 12 minutes.

Add 4 cups water; stir in okra and sausage. Bring to a boil. Stir in shredded chicken, and warm through, 1 to 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. If desired, serve with cornbread and/or poured on top of rice.

Recipe Note: Rotisserie chicken shaves many minutes from the total cooking time, and its slow-roasted goodness bring just as much to the mix as if you'd cooked your own.

Source: Martha Stewart. You can find it here.

Notes: We couldn't find the frozen okra, so we just skipped it. We also opted to serve it over rice (kind of like a soup mix-in). This was really good and it definitely hits the spot during this cold weather!

Don't Knock It 'Til You've Tried It

 

I asked my husband what he wanted me to make for dinner. He said that when he was a kid, he and his brother used to make Spam burgers. It turns out that we used to have Spam burgers in my family when I was younger too. So, that got us both in the mood and we decided it was high time we had Spam burgers for dinner.

My oldest son refused to touch them, but his brother took quite a liking to them. They really are so easy to make. You just slice the Spam right in the container and then brown it on both sides. Then you serve it on a bun with your favorite hamburger toppings. My husband used to eat them on a bun simply with mayo. I like it with all the fixings: lettuce, tomato, ketchup, mustard, you name it.

You can get three thick Spam burgers per container, or four thinner Spam burgers per container. The thinner slices are great for kids. My husband and I preferred the thicker slices. You may have mixed feelings about Spam. Maybe it makes you think of Hawaii. Maybe you wouldn't touch it with a ten foot pole. Either way, these really are super tasty and beyond easy to make. I suggest you give them a try...and that you don't knock it 'til you've tried it!

Spam Burgers

Ingredients:

Hamburger buns
Spam
Lettuce
Tomato
Dill pickle slices
Sliced cheddar cheese
Ketchup
Mayonnaise

Directions:

Slice Spam into three or four slices while still in the container. Slide Spam out of the container and brown in a large skillet on both sides until nicely browned and heated through.

Serve on a hamburger bun with toppings of choice.

Source: My bet is that my mom found this on a Spam container or in a mailer sometime in the nineties.

Notes: Again, if you like to keep things simple, all you need is Spam, a bun, and some mayo. Otherwise, the sky is the limit!

 

Above: Just slice the Spam lengthwise right in the can. It's easiest to get uniform slices that way.

Easy Recipes are a Must Right Now

 

I have a baby (who is almost a year old--crazy--but he still takes up a ton of my time and energy), we just moved into a new house, everyone is about to start a new school year...so, life is kind of crazy right now and I don't have much time to cook. That's why a recipe like this is so appreciated. It took hardly any time at all and that is a must for me right now.

Root Beer Slow-Cooker Chicken

Ingredients:

2 1/2 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts
Salt and pepper
1 1/2 cups barbecue sauce
1 cup root beer

Directions:

Spray slow cooker with cooking spray. (Or use slow cooker liners like I do)

Season chicken breasts on both sides with salt and pepper, and place inside slow cooker. Pour in barbecue sauce and root beer; spread around. Cover and cook on high heat setting 2 hours.

Remove chicken from slow cooker, and use two forks to shred. Place chicken back in slow cooker on warm heat setting; simmer 30 minutes. Serve on burger buns, as desired.

Source: Pillsbury. You can find it here.

Notes: The root beer added some nice depth to this rather than just cooking the chicken in barbecue sauce alone. I used frozen chicken breasts and it took about four hours before they could be shredded. Then I left it on "warm" until we were ready to eat dinner. Very easy and tasty.

Time for Something a Little Sloppy

Here are two new Sloppy Joe recipes for you. We have two old favorites (Sloppy Joe's and Sloppy Giuseppe's), which you can find here. Oh, and here's a debate for you...do you call them Sloppy Joe's, or Sloppy Joes? Darned apostrophe. I have found it both ways online (even on Food Network), so I think both ways are considered accurate, but it drives me a little crazy just the same. Are they Joe's sandwiches? Or is the sandwich itself named "Joe" and used in the plural form? There's a little grammar conundrum for you.

Sloppy Joe's with Ground Beef and Sausage

Ingredients:

1 1/2 pounds ground chuck or round
1/2 pound ground bulk pork sausage
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
1 1/2 cups ketchup
1/2 cup barbecue sauce, homemade or purchased
1/2 cup water
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon prepared mustard
1 1/2 teaspoons grill seasoning for beef, such as Weber's Gourmet Burger Seasoning or a Steak Seasoning Blend
Salt and pepper, to taste

Direction:

In a large skillet over medium heat, saute the ground beef and pork sausage with the onion, celery, and bell pepper until the ground meats are no longer pink.

Add ketchup, barbecue sauce, water, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, and seasonings to the browned meat. Bring to a simmer and turn to low.

Cover and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes.

Toast the buns, if desired, and spoon the meat mixture over the buns.

Source: I don't know where this one came from. I will have to find out where my mom got the recipe from!

Notes: This was really good. Just your nice, classic Sloppy Joe.

 

My Favorite Sloppy Joe's

Ingredients:

1 pound lean ground beef
1 cup ketchup
1/4 cup dried minced onion
3 tablespoons brown sugar, or to taste
2 tablespoons spicy brown mustard
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce, or more to taste
1 tablespoon liquid smoke flavoring
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 cup beef broth
Salt and ground black pepper, to taste

Directions:

Cook and stir ground beef in a skillet over medium heat until meat is browned and crumbly, about 10 minutes; drain excess grease. Mix ketchup, dried onion, brown sugar, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, smoke flavoring, and garlic into beef, stirring until brown sugar has dissolved.

Stir beef broth into beef mixture and bring to a boil; reduce heat to low and simmer until thick, about 30 minutes. Season with salt and black pepper.

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

Good Enough for Guests, but Quick and Easy Too

 

Here is a main dish that is a great weeknight meal because it is so fast and easy to throw together, but it is fancy and delicious enough that you could also serve it for guests. I've posted this one before here, but it's so good, it deserves a post of its own.

Apricot-Glazed Pork Tenderloin

Serves 4

Ingredients:

2 pork tenderloins (about 12 ounces each), trimmed of excess fat
1 tbsp olive oil
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 jar (10-12 ounces) apricot jam, (about 1 cup)
1/4 cup spicy brown mustard

Directions:

Heat broiler; set rack 4 inches from heat. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil. Rub pork with oil; season with salt and pepper. broil 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, whisk together jam and mustard. Cook over medium heat until jam melts, 3-4 minutes; remove from heat. Transfer half to a small bowl for brushing. Cover pan to keep remaining sauce warm.

Remove pork from broiler; brush with reserved sauce. Continue broiling until pork is blackened in spots and registers 150 degrees on an instant-read thermometer, 5-10 minutes more.

Cover pork loosely with foil; let rest 5 minutes before slicing. Serve drizzled with warm sauce.

Source: Martha Stewart Everyday Food recipe. You can find it here.

Notes: This took more than 10 minutes per side for me to broil. I would just broil it until it starts to brown, turn it over, and then broil that side until it starts to brown. Check it with a thermometer, or cut into it to see if it is cooked throughout and no longer pink on the inside. After I sliced the pork, I brushed each piece with the apricot mustard glaze. Seriously, this is such a good and easy main dish. We served it with green beans on the side, but have served it with asparagus in the past too.

A Different Kind of Slow Cooker Sandwiches

 

These sandwiches aren't shredded. It's a new way to use deli meat and a different way to make sandwiches with your slow cooker.

 

Slow-Cooker Ham Sandwiches

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups water
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons ketchup
1 teaspoon hot sauce
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
2 lb. shaved deli ham

Sandwiches:

8 deli rolls, pretzel rolls, or kaiser rolls, toasted
8 slices pepper Jack cheese
1 cup arugula
1/2 cup honey mustard or mayonnaise

Directions:

In a 2-quart saucepan, mix all the ham ingredients except the shaved deli ham. Heat to boiling; boil 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Place shaved deli ham in 3 1/2 to 4-quart slow cooker. Pour boiled liquid on top of ham; cover and cook on high heat setting 2 hours.

Use fork or slotted spoon to transfer ham to rolls. Top ham immediately with a slice of cheese and arugula. Spread mayonnaise or honey mustard on tops of rolls and place on top of arugula. Serve immediately.

Source: Betty Crocker. You can find it here.

Notes: These were really tasty. I loved the combination of flavors. Plus, I loved that they were really easy to make. This recipe is a keeper!

Only As Good As Your Star Ingredient

 

Here's a recipe that is simple, tasty, and which completely relies on one main ingredient for its success. Don't skimp on this very important ingredient. What is the ingredient that is so vital in this recipe, you ask? Ranch dressing. My suggestion here is to skip the bottled ranch dressing (unless it comes from the refrigerated section/produce section) and make a homemade ranch dressing with milk/buttermilk, mayo, and a Hidden Valley Ranch dressing packet. There. You've been warned. If you follow this advice...ambrosia. If not, mediocrity.

Make-Ahead Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta

Ingredients:

1 lb. uncooked rotini pasta
3 cups shredded or pulled deli rotisserie chicken
1 bottle (16 oz) ranch dressing (go big or go home! Make it from scratch or use something bottled that is really good!)
1 cup crisply cooked and crumbled bacon (9 to 11 slices)
2 cups shredded Italian cheese blend (8 oz)

Directions:

Cook and drain pasta as directed on package.

In large bowl, mix pasta and remaining ingredients.

To freeze: Spray 2 (8-inch) disposable foil cake pans with cooking spray. Cook and drain pasta as directed on package. In large bowl, mix pasta, chicken, dressing, and bacon. Divide mixture between pans. Top with cheese. Spray pieces of foil large enough to cover pans with cooking spray. Cover pans with foil, sprayed side down. Place foil-covered pans in gallon-size resealable freezer plastic bags, or wrap in double layer of plastic wrap. Label and freeze. To bake: Thaw pan(s) overnight in refrigerator. Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Remove from plastic, and place foil-covered pan(s) on cookie sheet. Bake 40-50 minutes or until instant-read thermometer inserted in center of mixture reads 165 degrees F. If baking from frozen, bake 60-75 minutes.

Source: Pillsbury website. You can find it here.

Notes: This is good and kid-friendly. Just be sure not to skimp on the quality of ranch dressing you use!

From My Sister-in-Law's Blog

 

My lovely sister-in-law has a blog of her own where she shares recipes and DYI projects. This is a yummy and easy recipe that I found on her blog that I wanted to share here (and give a shout out to go check out her blog, Spoonful of Fun!).

Crockpot Chicken and Gravy

Ingredients:

2 (0.87 oz) packets dry chicken gravy
1 (10.75 oz) can cream of chicken soup
2 cups water
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Garlic powder, to taste
Pepper, to taste
1/8 cup sour cream, optional
Rice or mashed potatoes

Directions:

Season chicken breasts with garlic powder and pepper.

In slow cooker, whisk together the gravy packets, cream of chicken, and water.

Add chicken and cover with gravy.

Cover and cook on low 6-8 hours.

Shred chicken.

Stir in sour cream, if desired.

Serve over rice or mashed potatoes.

Source: Again, this came from my wonderful sister-in-law, Robin. You can check out her blog here.

Notes: I served this over mashed potatoes and rice. I personally preferred the rice. The sauce over the rice really popped. Perhaps it was because I went the easy route and made instant mashed potatoes though (I was busy!) rather than making mashed potatoes from scratch. It was delicious either way though. This was so easy and it was such a welcome dinner on a crazy weeknight.

Easy Soup

In the mood for Chinese food, but not in the mood to go out to eat, get take-out, or spend a ton of time in the kitchen? If that's the case, this recipe might be your best bet.

Restaurant Style Egg Drop Soup

Ingredients:

4 cups chicken broth, divided
1/8 teaspoon ground ginger (or to taste)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives, optional
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 whole eggs
1 egg yolk

Directions:

Reserve 3/4 cup of chicken broth, and pour the rest into a large saucepan. Stir the salt, ginger, and chives into the saucepan, and bring to a rolling boil. In a cup or small bowl, stir together the remaining broth and cornstarch until smooth. Set aside.

In a small bowl, whisk the eggs and egg yolk together using a fork. Drizzle egg a little at a time from the fork into the boiling broth mixture. Egg should cook immediately. Once the eggs have been dropped, stir in the cornstarch mixture gradually until the soup is the desired consistency.

Source: Allrecipes.com, submitted by W.J. Cory. You can find it here.

Notes: I added a little more ginger to suit my tastes and I skipped the chives since I didn't have any on hand. This is such an easy soup. It is so similar to the egg drop soup you can get in a restaurant.

This Really Is the Easiest

 

If you want a super easy dinner to throw together in your slow cooker, this is it. I love dinners I can throw in my slow cooker in the morning and forget about...until that wonderful smell reminds me that dinner is already ready.

 

Easy Chili Verde

Ingredients:

1 boneless pork shoulder roast (4-5 pounds), cut into 1-inch pieces (or cubed pork stew meat can be used)
3 cans (10 ounces each) green enchilada sauce
1 cup salsa verde
1 can (4 ounces) chopped green chilies
1/2 teaspoon salt
hot cooked rice
Sour cream, optional
Chopped cilantro, optional

Directions:

In a 5-qt. slow cooker, combine pork, enchilada sauce, salsa verde, green chilies, and salt. Cook, coverd, on low-5-6 hours or until pork is tender. Serve with rice. If desired, top with sour cream.

Yield: 12 servings (3 quarts)

Nutrition information: (calculated without rice and sour cream): 287 calories, 17 g fat, 90 mg cholesterol, 729 mg sodium, 5 g carbohydrate, 27 g protein.

Source: Taste of Home submitted by Julie Rowland. You can find it here.

 

They Won't Turn This Down

 

My boys can be picky eaters, but (so far) this is one of those dinners that they eat every time I make it. In fact, the first time I made it, I didn't think they would even try it...and the whole thing got gobbled up and they asked for more...so I made it again about a week later. I always double this recipe now! I am going to share the recipe with my changes and a link to the original recipe. I increase the bacon and double most of the rest of the ingredients.

Baked Tortellini with Bacon

Ingredients:

1 pkg. sliced bacon (12 or 16 oz pkg., depending on how much bacon you want)
1 medium yellow or white onion, diced medium or 2 tbsp. dried minced onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
Coarse salt and ground pepper, to taste
3 tbsp. all-purpose flour
4 cups whole milk
2 (19 oz) packages frozen cheese tortellini
1 cup grated Parmesan

Directions:

Cook tortellini according to package directions. Drain and set aside.

Cook bacon. (I like to cook my bacon in the oven at about 400 degrees F for 15-20 minutes, or until crispy. Or you can slice the bacon beforehand and cook over medium heat in a pan on the stove top until brown and crisp, about 10 minutes, stirring frequently.) Drain bacon on paper towels, reserving bacon fat.

Saute onion and garlic in 2-3 tablespoons of the reserved bacon fat in a pan over medium heat and season generously with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is soft, about 8 minutes. Add flour and cook, stirring, 30 seconds.

Slowly add milk, whisking constantly. Bring to a boil over medium-high, stirring occasionally. Reduce to a simmer; cook, stirring often, until liquid has thickened, about 4 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in tortellini, half the bacon, and 1/2 cup Parmesan. Transfer to a broiler-proof baking dish and top with remaining bacon followed by 1/2 cup Parmesan. Broil until cheese is melted and top is lightly browned, 1-3 minutes.

Source: Martha Stewart. You can find it here.

Notes: As mentioned before, I made some changes. I increased the bacon because my boys love it. Four strips of bacon in the original recipe was not nearly enough. The first time I made this, I used dried minced onion because I had just used my last fresh onion the day before. The dried minced onion gives it such a punch of flavor. I wouldn't use more than 2 tbsp. though because that stuff is really potent! A little goes a long way. I have made this with fresh diced onion too...and I almost preferred the dried minced onion. The dried minced onion makes this dish so flavorful. It works great both ways, but the dried minced onion is just so easy. However, what I like best is a combination of one fresh diced onion and a sprinkle, to taste, of the dried minced onion. I simply doubled everything else.

 

Above: Here's the first batch I made. Delicious, but not enough! 

 

Above: Here's a nice doubled big batch of tortellini. Enough for my boys to have all they want and still have leftovers the next day.

The Other White Meat

 

Pork tenderloin is hard to screw up...but pork chops? They are pretty easy to mess up. They can get tough and overcooked so easily...but not if you cook them in a slow cooker!

Slow Cooker Pizza Pork Chops

Ingredients:

6 pork loin chops, 1 inch thick (about 2 1/4 pounds)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 medium onion, chopped (1/2 cup)
2 cups tomato pasta sauce
4 cups cooked orzo pasta
1 cup (4 oz) shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions:

Remove excess fat from pork. Sprinkle pork with salt and pepper. In 12-inch skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add pork, cook about 5 minutes, turning once until brown.

Place pork in 3 1/2 to 4 quart slow cooker. Sprinkle onion over pork. Add pasta sauce.

Cover. Cook on low heat setting for 4-6 hours. Place orzo on platter. Top with pork and sauce. Sprinkle with cheese.

Nutrition information: 510 calories per serving.

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

Notes: This is just such a nice, easy dinner. It makes a great weeknight meal.