Saturday, January 24, 2009

Italian Sausage Sandwiches

My family loves these sandwiches, they are not the healthiest(you could probably substitute ground turkey sausage), but are great for a quick and easy meal. Oh, as a variation to the recipe, we like to somewhat hollow out the top part of the hoagie roll before adding the filling so it closes when filled up.


Prep Time: 5 minutes Cook Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 1 pound Italian sausage
  • 1/4 cup chopped onion
  • 1 can black olives sliced
  • 1 can tomato sauce
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried leaf oregano, crumbled
  • 4 French or hoagie rolls, split
  • 4 slices Mozzarella cheese

Preparation:

Italian Sausage Sandwich Directions
Crumble the Italian sausage into a skillet (if not bulk sausage, remove casings). Add chopped onion. Cook, stirring occasionally, over medium heat until sausage is thoroughly cooked; pour off excess fat. Stir in tomato sauce and oregano. Simmer for 4 to 5 minutes, until hot and bubbly. Place roll bottoms on a paper towel-lined plates. Spoon some sausage mixture into hollowed out top. Top each with a slice of cheese and the bottom of the roll. Microwave, uncovered, on 100% power for 45 seconds to 1 minute, or until cheese is just melted. Or, place foil-wrapped Italian sausage sandwiches on baking sheet and bake in at 350° for about 15 to 20 minutes. Italian sausage sandwich serves 4.

We prefer these made in the oven, but I left the microwave for those of you who prefer that method of cooking.

Thursday, January 22, 2009

"Absent Cook" Stew (Crock Pot Recipe)

"Absent Cook" Stew (Crock Pot Recipe) - from Fix it and Forget it

  • 2 lbs stewing beef, cubed
  • 2-3 carrots, sliced
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 3 large potatoes, cubed
  • 3 ribs celery, sliced
  • 10 3/4-oz can tomato soup
  • 1 soup can water
  • 1 tsp salt
  • dash of pepper
  • 2 TBSP vinegar
  1. Combine all ingredients in a slow cooker
  2. Cover. Cook on low 10-12 hours

This is our family favorite-- well, one of my two children like it. Of course Jer likes it. I put in extra water and maybe only use one pound of meat. I love crock pot cooking- its so easy and the wonderful smells meet you at the door. Please share your slow cooking recipes.

Sunday, January 18, 2009

Sausage Potato Soup

Sausage Potato Soup - From the kitchen of Christy B.(One of the best cooks I know. The only thing better than making this, is her making it for me. :o)
  • 2 tbls butter
  • 1 whole onion
  • 1/2 c. celery sliced
  • 3 c. potatoes, cubed
  • 3 c. chicken broth
  • 1 lbs. smoked sausage
  • 1/2 c. sour cream
  • 1 can cream of chicken soup
  • 1 c. milk
  1. Melt butter and saute onions and celery until translucent.
  2. Add potatos and chicken broth and bring to a boil.
  3. Cover, reduce heat, add sausage and simmer for 15-20 mins.
  4. In a small bowl combine sour cream and mushroom soup.
  5. Add to soup.
  6. Stir in Milk- heat thru, do not boil

**I use ground turkey italian sausage and cook it with the onion and celery step. I will add an extra cup or two of water to make it go further. I always add some garlic if I have some. YUM!

Thursday, January 15, 2009

Another Freezer Recipe Site

I haven't tried these out yet, but they look interesting. I will add more as I come accross them.

http://www.dinnersinthefreezer.com/

Wednesday, January 14, 2009

Chicken Taco Casserole(Freezer Meal)

Directions

  1. Mix taco seasoning and tomato sauce.
  2. Add shredded chicken and coat it well with tomato mixture.
  3. Place cooked rice in the bottom of a 13 X 9 X 2 or disposable baking pan.
  4. Top with chicken mixture.
  5. (You may want to flash freeze at this point before going on to the next step) Top with 1-2 cans of refried beans so you have a nice even coating.
  6. Freeze in the disposable pan or pop out and put in freezer bag.
  7. Place casserole back in the 9 X 13 X 2 pan.
  8. After thawing top with grated cheese.
  9. Bake uncovered for 30 to 45 minutes at 350F or until hot all the way through and the cheese is nice and bubbly.
  10. Top with your favorite toppings or dip with tortilla chips!
I like to make up 5 or 6 pans of this at one time and freeze them for later meals. We use it as taco filling, or it makes a great dip. I usually put the cheese on top before I freeze it, that way I am sure it will have cheese! We go through cheese quickly around here. Everyone seems to like this dish and it really is quite easy, especially when all you have to do is thaw and heat up!

Tuesday, January 13, 2009

Freezer Meals

Here is a link requested by Megan for meals you can make in advance and freeze. If anyone else has any good recipes for freezer meals, could you post them? I'd love to fill my freezer and help Megan fill hers before the baby comes!

http://www.recipezaar.com/recipes/oamc-freezer-make-ahead

Saturday, January 10, 2009

Ultra Chocolate Muffins - 2nd Recipe added!

Ultra Chocolate Muffins

  • 1 1/2 cups flour
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 cup apple juice
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 1/4 cup butter, melted
  • 1 Tbsp vinegar(any type)
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup chocolate chips

In a large mixing bowl, combine the dry ingredients. Stir until well mixed. In a separate bowl, mix the wet ingredients. Mix well. Add the wet ingredients to the dry, and add the chocolate chips. Mix until blended, but be careful not to over mix.

Pour into greased or paper-lined muffin tins. Bake at 375* for 18 minutes. (To form better peaks, heat over to 400* and bake for 5 minutes, then reduce the heat to 375* for remainder of the baking time.

Servings 12- cost per serving(1 muffin): $.11

  • calories:168
  • Fat: 6 gms
  • Cholesterol: 10 mg
  • Carbs: 27 gms
  • Fiber: 1.5 gms
  • Protein: 2 gms
  • Sodium: 235 mg

I got this from a great cook book: Miserly Meals by Jonni McCoy- she has the nutritional facts as well as the price per serving break out-- give or take a bit I assume.

Nathan adores these muffins- would probably eat them everyday-- what kind of monster have I created???

Healthy Chocolate Chip Muffins (Jury is out on which one is better, but I do like the fact they are healthier so when my son eats 2 in a sitting I don't feel quite so bad....)

  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup wheat flour
  • 1/3 cup sugar
  • 2 t. baking powder
  • 1/2 t. salt
  • 2/3 cup skim milk
  • 1/2 cup applesauce
  • 2 eggs, slightly beaten
  • 1 t. vanilla
  • 1 cup chocolate chips

Preheat over to 400*. Grease 12-18 muffin cups(12 for larger muffins, 18 for regular muffins 2/3rds full. In a large bowl, stir together flour, sugars, baking powder, choc chips and salt. In a second bowl stir together milk, eggs, bugger and vanilla until well blended. Make a well in center of dry ingredients. Add milk mixture and stir just to combine- do not over mix! Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups.

Bake for 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Feel free to add other ingredients in or substitute fruit for the choc chips. Also a little cinnamon in the batter tastes good. These muffins also freeze well.

  • calories:133
  • Fat: 2 gms
    Cholesterol: 36 mg
    Carbs: 26 gms
    Fiber: 1.7 gms
    Protein: 4 gms
    Sodium: 182 mg

Crock Lasagna

Crock Lasagna
  • 1 lb lean meat(We use turkey)
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 2 cloves of garlic, pressed
  • 12 oz cottage cheese or ricotta
  • 1 cup grated cheese(cheddar, mozzarella, or monterey jack
  • 12 oz. tomato paste
  • 1 1/2 cups water
  • 2 T. dried basil
  • 2 T. dried parsley
  • 1 1/2 tsp. salt
  • 1/2 tsp pepper
  • 8 Lasagna noodles(10 oz. package)

In a bowl combine everything except the noodles. Mix well. Spread 1 cup of mixture in the bottom of slow cooker. Break up 3 lasagna noodles to they will fit in the slow cooker, and lay them over the sauce. Cover with 1 cup of sauce. Spread sauce out so the noodles are completely covered. Break up 3 more noodles and lay them over the sauce. Cover these with 1 cup of sauce, making sure to cover each noodle entirely. Repeat procedure one more time, using the last two noodles. Use all of the remaining sauce, making sure that each noodle is covered entirely.

Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 3-4 hours.

Serve with Garlic Bread and Salad. Yum.

Grandma Fredericks Microwave Caramel Corn

My sister posted an entry on her blog a few months back for my Grandma's Carmel Corn- yummy and easy. I am making it tonight for my family.

http://amyloomis.blogspot.com/2008/11/grandma-fredericks-microwave-caramel.html

Thursday, January 8, 2009

Easy Monster Cookies

Sorry Megan, I know you want dinner recipes, and I will get to those, but I am sure your kids wouldn't mind if you made cookies for dinner!! We got so many baking supplies over the holidays, and I didn't make THAT many goodies. Now we are out of groceries, but we have enough cookie makin's to last the rest of the month. Anyone got a good chocolate chip caserole recipe? hehe

This is a really good EASY recipe for monster cookies, you can add more goodies to them if you like(we like white chocolate chips). Again, from the Betty Crocker website.

1pouch (1 lb 1.5 oz) Betty Crocker® chocolate chip cookie mix
1pouch (1 lb 1.5 oz) Betty Crocker® peanut butter cookie mix
1 1/2cups quick-cooking oats
1cup butter or margarine, softened
3eggs
2cups candy-coated milk chocolate candies








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About Concordance™




1.Heat oven to 375°F. In large bowl, stir all ingredients except candies until soft dough forms. Stir in candies.
2.On ungreased cookie sheets, place about 1/4 cupfuls dough about 3 inches apart.
3.Bake 12 to 13 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool 2 minutes; remove from cookie sheets. Cool completely. Store in covered container at room temperature.
High Altitude (3500-6500 ft): Bake 15 to 16 minutes.

Quick-Mix Chocolate Cookies

So I got this from the Betty Crocker website. Have you been there and checked out the huge assortment of recipes they have? Over the holidays we made several, but this was a favorite and you can do variations so easily. Use a white cake mix with cinnamon and sugar and you have fabulous snicker doodles. Use spike cake with sugar or cinnamon/sugar blend and its really yummy too! I was thinking these would be cute in the colored sugars too! Who knew a simple cake mix could be so versatile?!

1box Betty Crocker® SuperMoist® devil's food cake mix
1/2cup vegetable oil
1teaspoon vanilla
2eggs
1/4cup sugar









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About Concordance™




1.Heat oven to 350°F. In large bowl, mix cake mix, oil, vanilla and eggs with spoon until dough forms.
2.Shape dough into 1-inch balls; roll in sugar. On ungreased cookie sheets, place balls about 2 inches apart.
3.Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until set. Cool 1 minute; remove from cookie sheets to cooling racks. Cool completely, about 30 minutes. Store tightly covered.
High Altitude (3500-6500 ft): No change.

Soda Cracker Pie

Soda Cracker Pie

  • 3 egg whites- beaten firmly
  • 1 c. sugar
  • 1 c. chopped walnuts
  • 1 tsp. vanilla
  • 1 tsp. baking soda
  • 12 soda crackers- crushed

Mix all ingredients together- bake at 350* for 25 minutes, or until nice and gold.

Sour Cream Potatoes (Holiday Favorite)

Sour Cream Potatoes (Holiday Favorite)

  • 10 med/large potatoes
  • 1 Can cream of chicken soup
  • 1/2 pint, plus a bit more sour cream
  • 1/3 of 2lb Velveeta Cheese
  • 1 med onion chopped
  • salt & pepper to taste
    Peel and cook potatoes whole. Cool and Dice and add salt and pepper. Heat soup and add cheese and melt. Add sour cream and onion. Toss w/ potatoes. Bake in 9X13 pan. Sprinkle with crushed corn flakes and oupr melted butter over. Cook for 30 min @ 350*

We use baby red potatoes and we do not peel them. I also don't usually add the cornflakes and butter because I am lazy- but it does make them very yummy. Enjoy!

Moms Red Punch

Mom's Red Punch
  • 12 oz. OJ
  • 2 packets of Kool-aid- Cherry and Raspberry or Cherry and Orange
  • 2 cups of Sugar(one for each packet of kool-aid- you could probably use less but I haven't tired it.)

Mix together with a bunch of water(The amount you would use for the kool-aids each)- adjust the amount of water for the intensity of the taste.

Mac & Cheese

Mac & Cheese
  • 2 c. Elbow Macaroni
  • 4 tblspn. butter or margarine
  • 2 1/2 c. Shredded chedder
  • 2 large egs
  • 1/2 c. milk
  • Paprika for on top
  1. Preheate over to 450*, spray 8 inch square pan
  2. Cook macaroni according to directions, drain well, return to pot.
  3. Stir in butter until melted.
  4. Add 2 cups of cheese
  5. Wisk eggs and milk. Add mixture to macaroni.
  6. Stire until well combined
  7. Put in pan
  8. Top with remaining cheese and sprinkle with paprika
  9. Bake for 30 minutes.

I am a mac and cheese fan. When I am pregnant its my ultimate comfort food. My children won't go near it-- did they over do it in the womb? We have tried this recipe with a combination of cheeses--its always so yummy. I would love to see other successful recipes of your family's mac and cheese!

Monday, January 5, 2009

Chicken Jambalaya (WW Recipe)

Chicken Jambalaya

  • 2 1/2 oz raw turkey sausage, chopped(I use ground italian turkey sausage and drain it after I cook it, before I put in the veggies)
  • 1 large onion, chopped
  • 1 med clerey stalk, chopped(I chop these up really small- don't like cooked celery too much)
  • 1 small green or red pepper, chopped(I prefer red)
  • 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper, or to taste
  • 1/2 tsp driend thyme(I haven't used this spice because I don't have it and forget to buy it. Everything else is so flavorful you might not need all of these spices, but its fun to play with them)
  • 1 tsp table salt
  • 2 med garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 med chicken breast, cooked, skinless, cubed- about 2 cups
  • 28 oz canned tomatoes, whole, plum, peeled with juice
  • 2 cup fat free chicken broth
  • 1 cup unchooked white rice, long grain(I will sometimes use basmati rice)

  1. Coat a large, nonstick saucepan with cooking spray. Over high heat, saute sausage until crispy on edges. Add onion, celery and pepper. Saute until tender.
  2. Reduce heat and stir in cayenne, thyme, salt, pepper and garlic. Saute until garlic is fragrent.
  3. Stir in chicken, tomatoes, broth and rice. Bring to simmer, cover and let cook until rice is tender- around 20 minutes.

4 servings just over a cup each.
Around 7 points per serving.
This takes a bit of time, but is fairly easy. Kids aren't a huge fan. Husband is.

Saturday, January 3, 2009

Easy Sweet and Sour Sauce

Easy Sweet and Sour Sauce

1 c. sugar
1 c. white vinegar
1 c. catsup
1 c. water

Mix together ingredients in a saucepan. Cook over low heat until thick and bubbly, about 1 hour. (Mixture will be even thicker when cool.) Makes about 2 cups. Sauce keeps indefinitely in the refrigerator.

I got this from Cooks.com. We usually cook up some chicken or use left-overs, add veggies - usually carrots and onions- and will put all together in one pot so the chicken is good and tasty and juicy when its time to eat. Of course we eat with brown or white rice. You could use this for meatballs, ribs, tofu- whatever needs some sweet and sour yumminess.

Kid Friendly

Friday, January 2, 2009

Chicken Bombay

This is one of our favorite chicken dishes. I prefer to use breasts with it, but thighs and wings are good too. It can be doubled and then half of it frozen for another quick meal. Yummy!

Ingredients
  • 1/4 cup butter
  • 1/4 cup mustard
  • 1/2 cup honey
  • 1 teaspoon seasoning salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon curry powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper
  • 3 lbs chicken pieces

Directions

  1. Combine all ingredients, except chicken, in a small sauce pan. Heat over medium heat until smooth and slightly warmed.
  2. Roll each piece of chicken into the sauce and place in a greased, 9x13 inch baking pan.
  3. Bake uncovered for 30 minutes at 375 degrees. Spread remaining sauce over chicken and bake for an additonal half hour or until chicken is done.
  4. To freeze: after Chicken has cooled, label and freeze for up to 4 months.
  5. To serve: thaw overnight and bake until heated through add an additional 30-45 minutes if baking from frozen.

Family Recipes

I love Recipes-- I figured out this year I could actually check out recipe books, rather than buy them and add to the ton I already have. See a recipie you like- take it! Have one to add- let me know and I can add you in the Family Recipe Team!

Thanks to AMY for giving me this idea. Amy- I want your Chicken Bombay on here pronto!