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Showing posts with label Recipes - Beef. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Recipes - Beef. Show all posts

Wednesday, January 9, 2013

Healthy Fast Food - Soft Tacos

I am on this health kick and am attempting to make stuff I like at fast food places at home.  This saves me calories, fat, and cash.

Soft Tacos

Ingredients:
8 Mission Carb Balance tortillas
1lb lean ground beef
Taco seasoning mix
Water
Shredded lowfat mexican cheese
Shredded lettuce
Taco sauce
Fat free sour cream

Directions:
Cook taco meat (beef, taco seasoning mix, water) as indicated on taco seasoning mix directions.
Put meat on tortillas and top with desired toppings (cheese, lettuce, sauce, sour cream).

Nutrition Information:
2 tortillas with 1/4 taco meat mix, 1/4 cup cheese, lettuce, taco sauce, and 2 Tbsp sour cream:
Calories: 400, Fat: 15, Carbs: 28, Fiber: 16, Protein: 36 = 9 WW PP

By comparison, 2 Taco Bell Supreme Soft Tacos:
Calories: 460, Fat: 22, Carbs: 44, Fiber: 6, Protein: 20 = 12 WW PP



Tuesday, January 8, 2013

Ginger Stir Fry

I love stir fry!  What a great way to get in a bunch of veggies.  Here is a great mix and match recipe:

Ginger Stir Fry

Ingredients:
1lb chicken breasts, shrimp, lean steak (or no meat if you want it to be vegetarian or a veggie side dish), cut into slices/chunks
Zucchini, sliced
Peppers, sliced
Carrots, sliced
Onions, sliced
(Any other veggies you want - if you do spinach cook it at the very end)
Olive oil
Stir fry sauce (with the soy sauce in the grocery store)
Ground ginger (you can use fresh if you want)

Directions:
Prep all your veggies.
Cook them in a pan with olive oil until pretty much done.
Remove them.
Add a little more olive oil if needed.
Add meat.
Cook until done.
Add sauce and ginger to taste and stir.
Add veggies.
Stir and cook until done.

Monday, November 21, 2011

Great Fall Dish

Even though it isn't cold today (YAY!), I decided to make a hearty dinner of Salisbury Steak, rice, and veggies. I am really getting into using my crockpot more so I can prepare dinner in the morning/afternoon and do very little around dinner time (AKA "crazy hour"). So today I made the Salisbury Steak using this recipe:

http://organizedhomemaking.blogspot.com/2010/01/salisbury-steak.html

I decided to just brown the patties on both sides and threw them in the crockpot with a couple jars of the beef gravy on high (probably could have done low) for a few hours. They finished cooking and got very tender so I just diced it all up and it was a great mixture to throw on top of rice. Around dinner time I just cooked some green beans and some rice in a bag. Easy peasy to quote Rachael Ray. ;)

Saturday, August 13, 2011

No Ricotta Crockpot Lasagna

You are probably wondering, why make a lasagna without ricotta? I know what you mean. I love lasagna the regular way. My husband doesn't care for ricotta cheese. So I decided to try to make a lasagna sans ricotta. My dear friend, Juli, gave me a recipe and said to omit the ricotta and see what happened. It turned out beautiful so I decided to share. Enjoy! :)

No Ricotta Crockpot Lasagna


Ingredients:
1lb lean ground beef or turkey
1 small onion, chopped
1 small pepper, chopped (I used a little bit of all colored peppers)
...A few cloves of garlic, minced
Some olive oil
1 bag (2 cups) shredded mozzarella cheese (divided in half)
Parmesan cheese
2 eggs
1 box no-cook lasagna noodles
2 jars pasta sauce (I used the Aldi brand and it is awesome)

Directions:
Saute the ground beef or turkey, onion, peppers, and garlic in olive oil until meat is thoroughly cooked.
Drain really really well.
Add eggs, 1/2 of the mozzarella cheese (1 cup), and some Parmesan cheese and mix well.
In the crockpot, put 1 cup of sauce.
Put a layer of lasagna noodles (break to fit - doesn't have to be perfect).
Put a layer of the meat mixture.
Put a layer of sauce.
Repeat until you run out of supplies (make sure sauce is on top).
Add the rest of the mozzarella cheese.
Add some Parmesan cheese.
Cook on low for 2 1/2 hours (mine was done at this point).

Friday, April 8, 2011

Best Hamburger I’ve Ever Had

Like I said before, today is my husband's 30th birthday and tonight we had a party for him. His favorite food is hamburgers, so I tried to find a great recipe. I scored big. Here's the recipe.

Best Hamburger I've Ever Had

Ingredients:
1lb ground chuck (80/20)
1 egg
1 Tbsp Montreal Steak seasoning
2 Tbsp A1 sauce
Black pepper
Salt
Garlic powder

Just double or triple depending on what you need.

I made 5oz patties (roughly 3 patties per pound of meat).

Mix with your hands pretty good.

Form into equal sized patties (I weighed them to make sure they were the same exact size).

Patty them out pressing them in the middle so they don't plump and cook more evenly.

Cook about 4 minutes per side.

Enjoy!

Wednesday, March 9, 2011

Freezer Cooking & Prepping

Well my 6 months (which turned out to be 9 months due to the wonderful hospitality of church friends and other friends) of freezer meals is gone. I am sad to see it all gone. It was so nice having done so much work for 3-4 days and have it pay off for that long. I decided to do a monthly plan that I shared a while back. I chose 16 of our favorite meals (4 per week plus at least 1 night of leftovers - we go out once a week and eat at church once a week) including pastas, chicken, beef, and pork recipes. Some of the recipes are better made fresh, so I just cut the fat off the meat and cut it in tenders or chunks for simplicity down the way.

I made:
Honey Baked Pork Chops (cut the fat off the pork, made the marinade, and froze)
Chicken Pot Pie (prepped the insides and froze)
Chicken Stuffing Pie (prepped the insides and froze)
Italian Balsamic Chicken (cut the fat off the chicken, made the marinade, and froze)
Baked Ziti (prepped and froze)
Spaghetti (made the sauce)
Meatballs in Sauce (made the meatballs and sauce)
Salisbury Steak (prepped and froze)
Meatloaf (prepped and froze)

Pot Roast (froze the meat)
I also cut the fat off of, cut into pieces, and froze 6 lbs of chicken for later use.
I plan to use those to make Chicken Noodle Dumpling Delight, Chicken Barley, Chicken Stirfry, Chicken Parmesan, Buffalo Chicken Tenders, and Maple Glazed Chicken.

This way I can go to the freezer 4 times a week, pull out something and do a marginal amount of work (some nights a little more), and have a yummy dinner (plus leftovers some nights). It really helps because I don't have to think about what we are going to eat, only have to go to the store for a few things each week (Lee can even go), and don't have to spend an hour every night cooking. Plus I only have to cook 4 times a week. That's pretty nice. (I wanted to take pictures but was hurrying through - SORRY)

Here are the recipes if you would like to try them:

HONEY BAKED PORK CHOPS
Ingredients:
6 boneless pork chops
½ cup honey
¼ cup cider vinegar
¼ tsp ground ginger
1 clove garlic, minced
2 Tbsp soy sauce

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Mix honey, vinegar, ginger, garlic, and soy sauce in a blender.
Pour sauce over pork chops.
(Freeze here if desired).
Place in baking dish.
Bake for 30 minutes or until done.

SPAGHETTI

Ingredients:
1 lb ground beef or turkey
Onion, chopped
Pepper, chopped
1 jar spaghetti sauce
Spaghetti noodles

Directions:
Cook spaghetti noodles.
Cook ground beef, onion, and pepper.
Heat sauce and add beef mixture.
(Freeze here if desired).
If you freeze, make the noodles fresh the day of.

SPAGHETTI WITH MEATBALLS

Ingredients:
1 lb ground turkey/beef
2 egg whites
½ cup breadcrumbs
¼ cup water
½ onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbsp parsley
2 tsp basil
1 tsp black pepper
3 cups pasta sauce
12oz pasta
¼ cup Parmesan cheese

Directions:
Preheat oven broiler.
Combine turkey/beef, egg whites, breadcrumbs, water, onion, garlic, parsley, basil, & pepper.
Mix ingredients thoroughly and shape into 1 ½ inch diameter meatballs.
Arrange meatballs on a baking sheet and place under broiler for 10-12 minutes turning occasionally until browned on all sides.
In a large saucepan, combine pasta sauce and cooked meatballs.
Simmer over low heat until warmed thoroughly, about 20 minutes.
(Freeze meatballs and sauce here if desired)
While pasta sauce is simmering, cook spaghetti.
Serve sauce and meatballs over spaghetti.
If freezing, cook noodles the day of.
Sprinkle Parmesan cheese.

BAKED ZITI

Ingredients:
1 lb pasta
1 jar pasta sauce
1 lb ground beef/turkey
Diced peppers and onions
1 bag mozzarella cheese

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Grease 2 ½ qt baking dish.
Cook and drain pasta.
Cook beef, peppers, and onions until brown in large skillet on medium heat and drain.
Mix pasta, beef, and pasta sauce and put in pan.
Cover with mozzarella cheese (I also like to add some parmesan cheese).
Bake for 30 minutes or until bubbly.

MEATLOAF

Ingredients:
1 lb ground beef or turkey
Diced peppers and onions
1 package onion soup mix
1 egg
½ cup ketchup
¼ cup bread crumbs or rolled oats

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Mix all ingredients and put into loaf pan.
(Freeze here if desired).
Thaw if frozen.
Bake for 1 hour or until done.

SALISBURY STEAK

Ingredients:
1 lb ground beef
½ pkg stuffing mix
½ medium onion, finely chopped
2 egg whites
A few splashes of water
1/2 Tbsp oil
Brown gravy

Directions:
Mix meat, stuffing mix, onion, and water until well blended.
Shape into 4-6 patties.
(Freeze here if desired).
If frozen, thaw first.
Heat oil in large skillet on medium heat.
Add patties.
Cook 6 minutes on each side or until cooked throughout.
Cover with brown gravy and serve.

POT ROAST

Ingredients:
2 ½ lb pot roast, well trimmed
Salt and pepper
1 package onion soup mix
Onions, diced
Potatoes, diced
Baby carrots

Directions:
Spray crockpot with nonstick spray.
Add roast.
Season with salt and pepper.
Add onion soup mix.
Cover with water.
Cook on low for 1 hour.
Add onions, potatoes, and carrots.
Cover with water.
Cook at least 5 more hours on low.
(Freeze here if desired).

MAPLE GLAZED CHICKEN

Ingredients:
1 tsp paprika and salt
½ tsp cinnamon, cumin, and pepper
4 chicken breasts
2 Tbsp maple syrup
1 Tbsp butter and Dijon mustard

Directions:
Preheat oven to 500 degrees.
Combine dry ingredients and rub on chicken. (Freeze spiced chicken if desired)
Bake in upper 3rd of oven for 15 minutes.
Combine other ingredients in saucepan and stir until melts. (Freeze glaze if desired)
Brush glaze on chicken.
Bake 5 more minutes.
Brush glaze on chicken.
Bake 5 more minutes.

ITALIAN BALSAMIC CHICKEN BREAST

Ingredients:
1 ½ tsp dried Italian seasoning
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
¼ tsp black pepper
1 garlic clove, minced
4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts

Directions:
Combine everything but chicken in a large Ziploc bag.
Add chicken to bag and marinate in refrigerator for at least 2 hours (freeze if desired).

CHICKEN PARMIGIANA

Ingredients:
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts (4 pieces)
4 egg whites
2/3 cup breadcrumbs
6 Tbsp Parmesan cheese
1 Tbsp Italian seasoning
1 tsp olive oil
8oz pasta
1 jar pasta sauce
Bag (2 cups) mozzarella cheese, shredded (or desired amount)
2 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:
Stir egg whites in a bowl.
Mix breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese, and Italian seasoning.
Heat olive oil in skillet.
Dip chicken in egg whites and breading.
Cook until crispy on both sides.
Cook pasta while cooking chicken.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Put pasta in baking dish.
Put chicken on top of pasta.
Pour pasta sauce on top of chicken.
Pour cheeses on top of pasta sauce.
Bake 30 minutes.

CHICKEN POT PIE

Ingredients:
1 cup cooked chicken
1 bag (1 lb) frozen veggies
1 can Cream of Chicken soup
½ cup milk
½ cup milk
1 cup Bisquick mix
1 egg

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Mix chicken, veggies, soup, and milk.
Add to baking dish.
(Freeze if desired).
If frozen, thaw first.
Mix Bisquick, milk, and egg.
Pour over chicken mix.
Bake for 30 minutes.

CHICKEN STUFFING PIE

Ingredients:
1 box stuffing mix
2 ½ lbs cooked chicken
2 cans Cream of Chicken soup
2 cups boiling water
1 cup uncooked rice

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Wash and drain rice and line pan.
Mix soup and water and stir into rice.
Lay chicken on top and season.
(Freeze if desired).
If frozen, thaw first.
Spread stuffing over.
Bake for 30 minutes.

BUFFALO CHICKEN TENDERS

Ingredients:
6 Tbsp butter
¾ cup Frank’s Red Hot sauce
1 lb chicken tenders
Bread crumbs

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Melt butter in microwave.
Add hot sauce and mix.
Add sauce mixture.
Coat in bread crumbs.
Bake until chicken is done.

GINGER CHICKEN STIR FRY

Ingredients:
Zucchini, sliced
Carrots, sliced
Onions, sliced
Peppers, sliced
Chicken, chopped
Stir fry sauce
Ground ginger

Directions:
Cook veggies in oil a few minutes and remove from pan.
Add chicken and cook until done.
Mix ginger into sauce and pour over chicken.
Add veggies and cook a few more minutes.
Serve over rice.

CHICKEN NOODLE DUMPLING DELIGHT

Ingredients:
1 can Cream of Chicken soup
1 cup carrots, sliced
¾ cup onions, chopped
½ cup water
Salt & pepper
Parsley & thyme
1 lb chicken, diced
5 oz egg noodles

Directions:
Put soup, carrots, onions, water, salt & pepper, parsley & thyme, and chicken in pot on high.
Bring to a boil.
Reduce heat and cover.
Cook 10-20 minutes until chicken is done (stirring occasionally).
Cook pasta while the chicken mixture is cooking.
Mix pasta into chicken mixture.

CHICKEN BARLEY

Ingredients:
Olive oil
Onion, chopped
Carrots, chopped
6 cups chicken broth
2 large chicken breasts, chopped
2 cups barley
Salt & pepper

Directions:
Saute onions and carrots in olive oil until tender in a big pot.
Add chicken broth and chicken.
Cook until chicken is done (about 10 minutes).
Add the barley and salt & pepper.
Cook for 10 minutes on high.
Reduce to low and cover.
Cook about 45 minutes.

ENJOY! :)

Thursday, September 30, 2010

Chili Recipe

Well I tried to post the pictures I took along the way when I was making the chili today, but Blogger is being pain about posting pics lately for some reason. Either way, here is the recipe:

CHILI

Ingredients:
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
6 cloves garlic, minced
Baby carrots, chopped
Green peppers, chopped
Yellow peppers, chopped
Red peppers, chopped
1 lb ground beef/turkey
Salt and pepper
Chili powder
Cumin
Oregano
Seasoned salt
Paprika
Onion powder
Garlic powder
Cayenne pepper
Thyme
1 large can (or 2 small cans) tomato sauce
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can kidney beans
1 can chili beans

Directions:
Heat olive oil in big pot over medium heat.
Add onion, garlic, carrots, and peppers.
Cook until soft.
Add ground beef/turkey and salt and pepper.
Cook until beef is cooked throughout.
Add seasonings.
Add tomato sauce, tomatoes, kidney beans, and chili beans and stir well.
Bring to a boil.
Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook 1 hour.

*You can freeze this once it cools.

**You can use any peppers you have on hand (today I just used a green pepper).

***You can use any combination of spices you have on hand as well.

Tuesday, June 1, 2010

Recipes for Freezer Cooking

Spaghetti

Ingredients
1 lb ground beef or turkey
1 onion, chopped
1/2 pepper, chopped
1 jar spaghetti sauce
8 oz pasta

Directions
Cook pasta according to package directions.
Cook ground beef, onion, and pepper in a little olive oil until brown.
Heat sauce (add seasonings) and add beef mixture to sauce.
Add sauce to pasta.
(Freeze here if desired - after it cools - in ziploc bags or containers).
(To serve after frozen, thaw and reheat).

Spaghetti with Meatballs

Ingredients
1 1/2 lb ground beef or turkey
2 egg whites
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
1/4 cup water
1/2 onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp parsley
2 tsp basil
1 tsp black pepper
3 cups pasta sauce
12 oz pasta
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

Directions
Preheat oven broiler.
Combine turkey/beef, egg whites, breadcrumbs, water, onion, garlic, parsley, basil, & pepper.
Mix thoroughly and shape into meatballs.
Arrange meatballs on a baking sheet and place under broiler for 10-12 minutes turning occasionally until browned on all sides.
On a large saucepan, combine pasta sauce and cooked meatballs.
Simmer over low until warmed thoroughly, about 20 minutes.
While pasta sauce is simmering, cooking pasta.
Serve sauce and meatballs over pasta.
(Freeze here - after cools - if desired - in ziploc bags or containers).
(You could freeze the meatballs and sauce and cook pasta fresh the day you want it).
(To serve after frozen, thaw and reheat).

Baked Ziti

Ingredients
8 oz pasta
1 jar spaghetti sauce
1 lb ground beef or turkey
1 onion, chopped
1/2 pepper, chopped
1 bag mozzarella cheese

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees (if cooking today - omit if freezing).
Spray pan with cooking spray.
Cook and drain pasta.
Cook beef, onion, and pepper in a little olive oil until brown.
Mix pasta, beef, and pasta sauce and put in pan.
(Freeze here if desired - after it cools).
(To serve, thaw if frozen, cover with cheese, and bake at 350 for 30 minutes).

Meatloaf

Ingredients
1 lb ground beef or turkey
1 package onion soup mix
1 egg
1 /2 onion
1/2 pepper
1/2 cup ketchup
1/4 cup breadcrumbs or rolled oats (I prefer rolled oats)

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees (if cooking today - omit if freezing).
Mix all ingredients and put in loaf pan.
(Freeze here if desired - I mash into loaf shape in a freezer bag to save space).
(To serve, thaw if frozen, and bake at 350 for 1 hour or until done throughout).

Sloppy Joes

Ingredients
1 lb ground beef or turkey
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/2 onion, chopped
8 oz tomato sauce
1/2 cup ketchup
1/4 cup BBQ sauce
1 tsp chili powder
Dash hot pepper sauce (I omit this)
4-6 buns

Directions
In a large pan, combine ground beef/turkey, black pepper, and onion.
Cook over medium heat until meat is no longer pink.
Combine tomato sauce, ketchup, BBQ sauce, chili powder, and hot sauce.
Stir into meat.
Simmer for 10 mnutes until mixture thickens.
(Freeze here if desired - after it cools - in ziploc bags or containers).
(To serve, thaw if frozen, reheat, and serve on buns).

Salisbury Steak

Ingredients
1 lb ground beef or turkey
1/2 pkg stuffing mix
1/2 onion, finely chopped
2 egg whites
1/4 cup water
Beef gravy (I like the thick kind)

Directions
Mix meat, stuffing mix, onion, and water until well blended.
Shape into 4-6 patties.
(Freeze here if desired).
Cook patties in olive oil until cooked throughout flipping once.
Cover with gravy and serve.
I love this with mashed potatoes but it would also be good served over rice.

Garlic Potatoes Beef Bake

Ingredients
1 lb ground turkey or beef
1 can Cream of Mushroom with Roasted Garlic soup
1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 bag (16 oz) frozen veggies
3 cups cooked mashed potatoes

Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees (if cooking today - omit if freezing).
Cook meat.
Combine meat, 1/2 soup, veggies, and Worcestershire sauce.
Put into baking dish.
Mix 1/2 soup and potatoes.
Pour over meat mixture.
(Freeze here if desired after it cools).
(To serve, thaw if frozen, bake for 20 minutes at 400 degrees).

Stufffed Bell Peppers

Ingredients
12 large bell peppers
3 lb ground beef or turkey
3 onions, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp paprika
3 cups cooked rice
48 oz tomato sauce

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Cut off tops of peppers and remove seeds.
Cook beef/turkey, onions, and garlic.
Mix beef mixture, rice, spices, and tomato sauce.
Stuff mixture into peppers.
Place in roasting pan.
Bake covered at 350 degrees for 40 minutes.
Cool.
Wrap individually in foil and freeze in a freezer bag.
(To serve, unwrap peppers, place in roasting pan, pour tomato sauce over peppers, and bake for 25 minutes at 350 degrees).

Chicken Pot Pie

Ingredients
1 cup cooked chicken (2/3 pound of chicken)
1 bag (16 oz) frozen veggies
1 can Cream of Chicken soup
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup milk
1 cup Bisquick mix
1 egg

Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees (if cooking today - omit if freezing).
Mix chicken, veggies, soup, and milk.
Add to baking dish.
Mix Bisquick, milk, and egg.
Pour over chicken mix.
(Freeze here if desired).
(To serve, thaw if frozen, and bake 30 minutes).
(You can also freeze the casserole without the topping and do that after it thaws).

Chicken Stuffing Pie

Ingredients
1 box stuffing mix
1 lb chicken, diced
2 cans Cream of Chicken soup
1 cup boiling water
1 cup uncooked rice

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees (if baking today - if freezing omit).
Boil the chicken.
Wash and drain rice and line the pan.
Mix soup and water and stir into rice.
Lay chicken on top and season.
(Freeze if desired - after it cools).
(To serve, thaw if frozen, top with stuffing mix, and bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees).

Chicken Parmesan

Ingredients
1 lb chicken, cut into tenders
3 egg whites, beaten
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
3 Tbsp parmesan cheese
1 Tbsp Italian seasoning
8 oz pasta
1 jar pasta sauce
1 bag mozzarella cheese (if desired)

Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees (if cooking today - omit if freezing).
Beat egg whites with a fork in a bowl.
Mix breadcrumbs, parmesan cheese, and Italian seasoning in a shallow dish.
Dip chicken in egg whites and then in breadcrumb mixture.
Bake 12 minutes on one side, flip, and bake 12 minutes on the other side.
(You can also cook in olive oil in a pan instead of baking - I prefer that method).
Cook pasta while chicken cooks.
Put pasta in dish, put chicken on top, and cover with pasta sauce.
(Freeze here if desired).
(To serve, thaw if frozen, top with cheese if desired, and bake until cheese melts).

Maple Glazed Chicken

Ingredients
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp pepper
1 lb chicken, cut into tenders
2 Tbsp maple syrup
1 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp Dijon mustard

Directions
Preheat oven to 500 degrees (if cooking today - omit if freezing).
Combine dry ingredients and rub on chicken.
(Freeze here if desired).
Combine maple syrup, butter, and Dijon mustard in saucepan and cook until it melts (freeze in a small container and put with chicken if desired).
(To serve, thaw if frozen, and bake in upper 3rd of oven for 15 minutes, heat glaze again, brush glaze on chicken, bake 5 more minutes, brush glaze on chicken, and bake 5 more minutes).

Chicken Breast with Honey-Balsamic Glaze

Ingredients
1 1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 tsp olive oil
1 lb chicken breasts, cut into tenders
2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 Tbsp honey

Directions
Combine dry ingredients and rub on chicken.
(Freeze here if desired).
Mix vinegar and honey and put in small container with chicken.
(To serve, thaw chicken and sauce, saute chicken until done, add sauce, and simmer 1 minute stirring constantly).

Italian Balsamic Chicken

Ingredients
1 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 garlic clove, minced
1 lb chicken, cut into tenders

Directions
Combine everything in large ziploc bag.
(Freeze here if desired).
(To serve, thaw and cook until done).

Chicken Noodle Soup

Ingredients
1 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 onion, chopped
8oz baby carrots, chopped
Pepper
6 cups chicken broth
2 cups water
1 lb chicken, diced
1/2 lb egg noodles
Parsley and dill

Directions
Saute onions about 4 minutes.
Add carrots, pepper, chicken broth, and water and bring to a boil over high heat.
Add chicken and bring to a boil.
Add noodles and simmer until tender (about 8 minutes).
Reduce heat to low.
Stir in parsley and dill.
(Freeze here if desired - cool first).

Chicken Noodle Dumpling Delight

Ingredients
1 can Cream of Chicken soup
1 cup carrots, sliced
3/4 cup onions, chopped
1/2 cup water
Salt and pepper
Parsley and thyme
1 lb chicken, diced
5 oz egg noodles

Directions
Put soup, carrots, onions, water, salt, pepper, parsley, thyme, and chicken in pot on high.
Bring to a boil.
Reduce heat and cover.
Cook 10-20 minutes until chicken is done (stirring a lot).
Cook pasta while chicken mixture is cooking.
Mix pasta and chicken mixture.
(Freeze here if desired - cool first).
(To serve, thaw and heat).

Chicken Peppers Pasta

Ingredients
2 cups uncooked pasta
1 lb chicken, diced
1 green pepper, cut into thin strips
1 red pepper, cut into thin strips
1 onion, chopped
2 cups spaghetti sauce
1 cup mozzarella cheese
2 Tbsp parmesan cheese

Directions
Cook pasta according to package directions.
Cook chicken in olive oil in pan for 2 minutes.
Add peppers and onions and cook for 7 minutes or until chicken is done and veggies are crisp tender.
Drain pasta and add to chicken-veggie mixture.
Add spaghetti sauce and cook 5 minutes.
Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese, cover, remove from heat, and let cheese melt for 2 minutes.
Top with parmesan cheese.
(Freeze here if desired - cool first).
(To serve, thaw and heat).

Chicken Fajitas

Ingredients
2 lb chicken, diced
1 green pepper, cut into thin strips
1 yellow pepper, cut into thin strips
1 red pepper, cut into thin strips
1 onion, chopped

Directions
Cook chicken in olive oil in pan until almost done.
Add veggies, cover, and simmer until veggies are done.
(Freeze here if desired - cool first).
(To serve, thaw and reheat. Serve in wraps with cheese and salsa).

Pulled Pork Sandwiches

Ingredients
2 lb boneless pork loin
2 onions, chopped
3/4 cup soda
3/4 cup BBQ sauce

Directions
Combine all ingredients in crockpot.
Cook on high 5-6 hours until meat is very tender.
Drain and shred.
(Freeze if desired - cool first).
(To serve, thaw, heat, and serve on buns).

Honey Baked Pork Chops

Ingredients
2 lb pork chops
1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1 clove garlic, minced
2 Tbsp soy sauce

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees (if eating today - omit if freezing).
Mix honey, vinegar, ginger, garlic, and soy sauce in blender.
Pour over pork chops.
(Freeze here if desired).
(To serve, thaw and bake for 30 minutes on 350 degrees).

Sweet and Sour Pork

Ingredients
3/4 cup cornstarch
1/3 cup white vinegar
1/3 cup sugar
2 Tbsp ketchup
1 1/2 Tbsp soy sauce
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
1 egg, beaten
2 lb pork chops, cut into 1-in chunks
1 onion, cut into 1-in chunks
1 pepper, cut into 1-in chunks
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup water

Directions
Cut pork chops, onion, and pepper into 1-in chunks.
Mince garlic.
Combine 1/4 cup cornstarch and vinegar.
Stir in water, sugar, ketchup, soy sauce, and cayenne pepper.
In a small bowl, beat egg.
On a plate, put the rest of the cornstarch.
Dip pork in egg and cornstarch.
Saute pork.
Remove from pan.
Add onion, pepper, garlic, and 2 Tbsp water.
Saute for 1 minute.
Add sweet and sour sauce.
Cook until sauce boils and thickens.
Remove from heat.
(Freeze here if desired - cool first).
(To serve, thaw and heat).

Thursday, February 11, 2010

Pot Roast

This is a two-fold post, 1) to show how to make a simple yummy pot roast and 2) to show how easy it is to bring a meal to another family in the same amount of time and effort it takes to make a meal just for your family.

A lot of people think that pot roast is a difficult, expensive, and time consuming meal to make. I will show you that it is actually very easy (one of the easiest meals I make), takes very little time (again less time than most meals I make), and can be very inexpensive (if you shop for good prices on the main ingredients).

Everything has been doubled to feed 2 families in the pictures, but the recipe is based on one family.

Ingredients:
1 - 1 1/2 lb bottom round roast (I cut the big ones in half when I get home)
A few russet potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
1/2 a bag of baby carrots
1/2 an onion, peeled and cut into thick slices
Salt and pepper
Meat tenderizer
1 pkg onion soup mix
Water

Directions:
Spray crock pot with nonstick cooking spray.

Put roast in (I put them in frozen, but you can put them in fresh).

Cover with salt, pepper, meat tenderizer, and onion soup mix.

Put potatoes around the roast.

Put carrots on top of the potatoes.

Put onions on top of the carrots.

Cover with water.

Put the lid on and set to LOW heat for 6 HOURS.

Leave it alone and in 6 hours you have a perfect roast. It can sit on the stay warm option until you are ready for it. It gets better the longer it sits.


Pull out the meat, carve off the excess fat, and slice into pieces to your liking.


I prepared two sets of roast and veggies, one for us and one for our friends.

Cover with juice so that everything stays moist.

See, wasn't that easy and time efficient?
Now for the cost breakdown for both meals:
Roast - roughly $6.00
Potatoes - roughly $1.00
Carrots - $2.00
Onion - Less than 50 cents
Onion soup mix - 50 cents
I don't count seasonings as it would be impossible and not worth the time.
A [GOOD, FILLING] meal that will feed 2 families for $10.00. You cannot beat that.
PS When I bring a meal to someone, I try to bring it in a throw away container or keepable container. I hate to burden them with having to clean it and return it.

Thursday, February 4, 2010

Meatloaf Muffins

Ingredients:
1 lb ground beef (or turkey)
1 pkg onion soup mix
1/4 cup rolled oats (or bread crumbs)
1 egg
1/2 cup ketchup
Diced onions and/or peppers (you can leave these out if you have picky eaters)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Spray cooking spray on a 12-cup muffin pan.
Put all ingredients in a bowl.

Mix well.

Using an ice cream scoop (or spoon) fill the muffin pan.


Cover with some more ketchup.

Bake at 350 degrees about 30 minutes (or until done).

I like to serve them with mashed potatoes and a green veggie. Enjoy! :)

Saturday, January 30, 2010

Salisbury Steak

Ingredients:
1 lb ground beef
½ pkg stuffing mix
½ medium onion, finely chopped
2 egg whites
Water
Olive oil
Brown gravy


Directions:
Mix meat, stuffing mix, onion, and water until well blended.


Shape into 4-6 patties.

Heat oil in large skillet on medium heat.
Add patties.

Cook 6 minutes on one side and flip.

Cook 6 minutes on the other side.
Add some gravy.

Cook until the sauce thickens and all patties are well sauced.

Here's the finished dish. I serve it with mashed potatoes and a green veggie.


Enjoy :)

Wednesday, January 20, 2010

Baked Ziti

Ingredients:
1 lb ground beef/turkey
1/3 green pepper, diced
1/3 yellow pepper, diced
1/3 red pepper, diced
1/2 onion, diced
8oz pasta (I prefer to use whole-wheat)
1 jar pasta sauce
1 bag mozzarella cheese

Directions:
In a skillet over medium-high heat, cook the ground turkey/beef, peppers, and onions in some olive oil until done.


While you are cooking the ground meat and veggies, cook the pasta per directions on the box.

Add the ground meat and veggies (after draining excess oil).

Add pasta sauce and some Italian seasoning (if desired).

Mix really well.

Spread evenly into a greased baking dish.

Sprinkle with the bag of mozzarella cheese. (My little man likes to help with this part)




Bake at 350 until the cheese is melted.

Enjoy! :)

PS This is a great freezer meal. You can prepare the entire dish and freeze before baking. You can thaw it out and bake it for about 25-30 minutes. This is also a great dish to bring someone.

PSS This meal cost $6.00 and will serve our family of 3 for at least 2 dinners and a lunch for me.