Creamy Taco Mac

Well by popular demand, here is the recipe! I posted on Facebook about making this and 3 or 4 people requested it, so here it is! It was a pretty quick meal to come together!

Creamy Taco Mac-Shared from Jenn's Food Journey

8 oz elbow pasta

1/2 onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 14 oz can diced tomatoes, slightly drained

3 oz cream cheese

1/2 cup sour cream

1 lb ground meat(I used chicken)

Taco Seasoning

Cook macaroni according to package directions.

Brown mean and drain. Add in onion and cook for 3 mins and then add in garlic and cook for another 3 mins. Add in tomatoes and taco seasoning and bring to a boil, simmer for 5 mins. Add in sour cream and cream cheese, stir to melt. Simmer for another 2 mins. Coat pasta with sauce and enjoy!

**I did double this recipe. We both found it VERY spicy, which is odd for K to say! So next time I will only use half of the taco seasoning I made, but if you like spicy go ahead and use it. It was creamy and delicious! I think the addition of some corn would be fantastic in it too!

Apple Braised Chicken Breast

A friend on Facebook wrote she was making this for dinner...and in honor of having a billion apples I decided to try it! The original recipe did call for turkey thighs and I used bone in chicken breast, if I liked dark meat, I would probably go with that next time!

And speaking of facebook...did you know you can now find me there? check it out and become a fan...er like me!

Apple Braised Chicken Breast-shared from Food&Wine
1 tbsp olive oil
2 turkey thighs(I did use 4 chicken breast)
salt and pepper
2 large shallots, thinly sliced OR 1 small onion and 2 tsp minced garlic
4 apples, peeled, quartered, cored
2 cups apple cidek
2 cups of broth
2 tsp cider vinegar(optional)

Preheat oven to 350. In an oven proof pot, heat oil.Season both sides of the meat. Add in chicken/turkey skin side down into pot. Cook for about 8 mins until skin is golden and crisp. Remove meat from pan. Add in shallots or garlic/onion. Cook for about 5 mins or until tender.

Add in apples, meat, broth, and cider. Bring to a boil, cover and place in oven for 1.5 hours. Uncover and cook for 30 more minutes.

Remove meat from pan. Skim fat and add in vinegar. Slice meat and serve with apples and pan sauce.

**You can cook the apples for a bit before adding in the broth. I did not as I didn't want mush apples and they cooked fine. I think by using the breast it did dry out, I would highly recommend using a dark piece of meat. It did smell amazing!! K really enjoyed it and the flavors were great, just the meat seemed a bit dry to me. Although my friend did like it and she used the dark meat. The recipe does say it will taste better the next day, and it did! I used the leftover sauce/apples to make an apple cheddar soup, which will be posted soon! This can easily be finished off in the slow cooker!

The Best Homemade Meatballs

This recipe came from the new Family Fun magazine...it wasn't so much the meatball recipe that caught my attention but the meatball minestrone soup that was under this one. Well if I wanted to make the soup I needed to make the meatballs first. I am not a meatball making person...honestly I sometimes just don't have the patience to sit and roll them all so they aren't made here very often. I used to buy the ones at the store that we really liked, but I'm pretty sure there are things in there that I don't want to know about. This recipe made about 80 meatballs and I used almost 3 lbs of meatloaf/meatball mix that included: beef, pork, and veal.

The Best Homemade Meatballs-shared from Family Fun magazine
3 lbs ground meat(sug. turkey, beef, and pork)
1 10 oz pkg frozen, chopped spinach, thawed and drained well(omitted I had none!)
1/2 cup parmesan cheese(omitted, as I ran out!)
3 large eggs, beaten
2 tbsp italian seasoning
2 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp salt
1tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 cup breadcrumbs or panko

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In a large bowl combine all ingredients throughly but do not over mix. Pinch off a tsp at a time...or I acutally use my small cookie scoop to get the same amount and then I roll them. Place on rimmed cooked sheet. Bake for 20-25 mins until they are browned and cooked through. **Mine only took about 15 mins because they were smaller.

**Usually when I make meatballs they seem dry and unflavorful...hence another reason I don't make them very often. I picked up the meatloaf mix at Bj's(which is a bulk food store) so I decided to make it all into meatballs and freeze them. These were awesome, tasty, and moist! They were even better the next day! My brother in law and sister in law loved them as well. We used them in meatball grinders(sub,s hoagies, or sandwiches!)

Patty Melts

I've never actually HAD a patty melt, but 2 blogs in the same week posted them so I went along with it! They were fairly easy to make, just next time I will have to try a different bread, the homemade bread I made didn't do well with them...it was too thick and the taste was off.

**Sorry for the lack of posts...internet has not been friendly to us lately!

Patty Melts-shared from Newlyweds
1 lb ground meat(I used turkey)
1 onion (1/2 shredded, 1/2 sliced)
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1 egg, slightly beaten
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
2 dashes of Worcestershire
8 slices of bread
8 slices of cheese
butter

Mix together meat, egg, onion, salt, pepper, and Worcestershire sauce. Form into 4-6 thin patties. Cook on griddle until cooked through. Take off and keep warm. Place remaining onion on griddle and dash with Worcestershire sauce. Cook until softened. Remove.

Butter bread. Place on griddle with butter side down, add one slice of cheese, burger, onion, another slice of cheese and another piece of bread butter side up. Cook until cheese is melted, flip and continue cooking until side is browned. Cut in half and enjoy!

**Other than the bread not being that great, we did really like them. I'm sure they would taste even better if they were made with beef than turkey, but its what I had so that's what I did. Next time we will used different bread and try it with beef! It was a pretty quick and simple dinner!

Salisbury Steak

One of my friends on Facebook stated she was making this for her husband for dinner. This is something I've never made and haven't had for a very long time. The last time I had it it was a frozen entree and I'm pretty sure that this was way better than what I remember. I can't exactly remember what the "frozen" entree tasted like or even if this came close, but regardless it was quick, easy, and delicious!

Salisbury Steak-shared from Michelle
1-1 1/2  lb hamburger
1 onion, diced
2 cups(or more) cream of mushroom soup
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
1 egg slightly beaten
1/3 cup water

Mix together meat, onion, one cup mushroom soup, spices, and egg. Form into thin patties, place in 9x13 baking dish. Bake at 350 for 20 mins. Mix together 1 cup soup and water. Pour over patties and cook for another 10 mins(you may decide you want more gravy so feel free to use more soup).

These were very tasty and moist! YUM! Thanks for the recipe Michelle!

Spanish Rice Casserole

This was another meal made on cooking day. I had taken it out on Wednesday night and it was still frozen solid when I went to bake it on Thursday.

So we ended up heading to a Taste Of festival. I decided to be adventurous and tried Indian food, I LOVED the chicken Tika Masala, K thought it was ok. The boys had french fries, and K had a steak fajita. I know they aren't too adventurous. We also had a triple berry shortcake that was better than I expected it to be. I love going to things like this as you only pay $3-4 dollars for a serving and you can try all kinds of food. This way I'm not waisting $12 on a meal I won't like. I also love trying new dishes so I can figure out how to make them at home, I love a challenge!

So back to the rice....it was FINALLY thawed and we were home for dinner so I popped it out of the zip top bag and into the slow cooker. Amy's directions do say to cook it in the oven, but it was a little warm for that. It worked out great in the slow cooker. I cooked it on low for 4 hours, which I'm sure was probably a bit long, but it still tasted great!

Both boys loved it! It is also a great way to use up your surplus of summer veggies! I would definitely add more veggies in next time. A liked the "cucumbers" in it....aka zucchini. I told him it was zucchini and he informed me he didn't like it, so I told him it was a cucumber and he ate it with no problem!

Spanish Rice Casserole courtesy of A Foodie Fairytale

Cantonese Chicken Burgers and Sweet and Sour Sauce

This is another recipe I came across while going through my Taste of Home magazines and these caught my eye for something a little different.

Cantonese Chicken Burgers- from Taste of Home
1 lb ground chicken(I used turkey)
1 tsp soy sauce
1 tsp sesame oil
1 egg
1/3 cup dry breadcrumbs(I used whole wheat)
1/8 tsp garlic powder
2 tbsp grated carrot
1/4 cup chopped peanuts
2 tbsp sliced green onions

In a bowl, whisk together oil, soy sauce, and egg. Add in rest of the ingredients. Mix well until combined. Form into 4 patties. Grill uncovered for 8-10 mins on each side until juices run clear.

**Of course it started raining just as I was going out to grill. So I pulled out the George grill. K really loved them! I thought they were tasty, but the sauce made them. I have a love/hate relationship with sesame oil, but it actually worked well. The recipe called for plum sauce, which I didn't have so I quickly found a recipe for sweet and sour sauce. The peanuts added just a little crunch.


Sweet and Sour Sauce- Allrecipes
2/3 cup pineapple juice(may need 2 tbsp more)
3 tbsp brown sugar(plus more to taste)
2 tbsp ketchup
1/3 cup vinegar
1 tsp corn starch(may need 2 tsp more)
salt to taste

whisk together vinegar and cornstarch in medium size pan over med heat. Add in juice, ketchup, and sugar. Bring to a boil. *This is where I added more constarch/juice, I needed it to be thicker to go on top of the burger. Whisk the juice/cornstarch cold and add to hot mixture, cook until thickened.

**This was excellent! It reminded me of the La Choy Sweet and Sour sauce you buy at the store. It was quick and simple to make! I did add more sugar, as it was more sour than sweet.

Make sure to check out Whatcha' Cooking Wednesday?

Tex-Mex Cheese Steaks

I stumbled on this recipe in the Rachel Ray magazine as I was sorting through them. I love cheesesteak and love to change up recipes. This was very simple and quick!

Tex-Mex Cheese Steaks-Rachel Ray
1 lb shaved steak
olive oil
1 onion, slice
1-2 sweet peppers,sliced(I used 1 yellow, 1 red)
chili powder to taste
salt, to taste
1-2 avocados
2-4 rolls(I used homemade italian bread shaped into sandwich rolls)
shredded cheese

Place some oil in the bottom of the pan. Place onions and peppers into the pan and saute for about 5 mins. Add in steak, sprinkle with salt and chili powder. Cook until steak is cooked through. Sprinkle with cheese and allow to melt.

Slice rolls and toast. Spread half an avocado over bottom of roll. Top with steak mixture. Cover with top bun and serve.

**These were excellent! I was waiting for K to complain about the avocado, but he didn't. It was a nice change from your ordinary cheese steak. K said they were delicious. The boys had eggs and leftover waffles, they are not avocado or steak fans.

Gyro Burgers

I stumbled upon this recipe in two different places and wanted to give them a try. I combined two recipes, one came from The Taste of Home 2009 Recipe Collection and the other one came from my Aunt's quilt guild cookbook.

Gyro Burgers
1 lb ground beef(or ground turkey)
1/2 onion, diced
3/4 tsp oregano
2 cups plain yogurt(I used greek and sour cream)
2 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp onion powder
2 tsp dried chives
2 tsp dried parsley
1/4 tsp ground pepper
1/2 tsp salt
1 cucumber, seeded, peeled,chopped
pita
mozzerella cheese

Mix one cup of yogurt with seasonings(except oregano). Place half the mixture in with meat, oregano, and onions. Mix meat together and form patties, grill until done to your likeness. Take the rest of the yogurt and mix it with the cucumber and 1 cup of plain yogurt to make the sauce. Stir and place in fridge. Once burgers are done, place in pitas and top with sauce.

**There was something in the sauce that gave it quite a kick, I'm not sure if it was the garlic or the pepper(which I did cut down in this recipe). Once it was combined with the burger and bread, it was good. Now I've never had a gyro before, but these were good and different, but I can't compare them to the real taste of a gyro!

Bacon Cheeseburger Roll up

A while ago Terra over at Barefoot Conterra, shared a recipe for a bacon cheeseburger roll up. I thought well that sounds different and interesting. Then after attending the Taste of Home Cooking School the recipe was in their magazine so it got put on our menu for tonight.

Bacon Cheeseburger Roll ups
1 lb ground meat(I used turkey)
1/2 lb bacon, cooked, drained, crumbled
1 8 oz block sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
1 recipe for no rise wheat dough
1 onion, diced(I will add in next time)
ketchup, mustard, pickles, etc

Cook onion and meat until no longer pink. Drain. Roll dough out into a very thin layer. Sprinkle dough with meat mix, bacon, and cheese. Roll up jelly roll style and stuff ends in. Bake at 400 degrees for 20-25 mins.

**We really liked this, but thought it lacked in flavor. So I will add in onions next time and maybe put the mustard/ketchup right inside the dough. It tasted great with the mustard/ketchup on top. Q loved it and A well was being 3! You can add any kind of toppings in it you want that you would put on a cheeseburger.

Sloppy Joe Casserole

This has become one of my all time favorite casseroles. It freezes very well and is hearty. It's so yummy...I made it for my brother's in law for christmas. I altered the veggies because one of them doesn't eat green veggies. I wasn't about to take all this time to make them food and then they don't eat it. I used frozen corn and it made it WAY to sweet...so seriously use the mixed veggies!

Sloppy Joe Casserole

1 Recipe for sloppy joes
1 16 oz pkg frozen mixed vegetables
prepared mashed potatoes

Mix together sloppy joes and veggies. Top with mashed potatoes and bake in 350 degree oven for 20-25 mins until warmed through.

To make mashed potatoes, peel and chop potatoes. Place in a pot of water and bring to a boil. Let boil 10-15 mins until fork tender. Drain. Add in butter, milk, and seasoned salt. This is done by taste...and mash.

Seriously Good Sloppy Joes

I love sloppy joes and they are a quick and easy meal. They are usually also very kid friendly. A while ago Kim at Mac's Kitchen Adventure's shared with me this recipe. Let's just say we will never go back to the canned version again!

Sloppy Joes

1 lb ground meat(turkey, beef, chicken)
1 onion, minced
1 green pepper, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup ketchup
2 tbsp brown sugar
2 tbsp tomato paste
1 tbsp vinegar
1/4 tsp dry mustard
1/4 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp black pepper

Brown meat with onion, garlic, and gr. pepper. Drain. Add in the rest of the ingredients and simmer for 15 mins.

**I have used 2 tbsp more of ketchup instead of tomato paste and has been fine.