Broccoli Cheese Soup - Easy, Fast, Kid Approved

This recipe is so quick, easy and delicious!  It is perfect on a cold night with little time to get dinner together!

Ingredients:
2 + 4 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons flour
2 can chicken broth
2 cups whole milk
1/2 onion diced
2 cups chopped broccoli
1/2 tsp. ground mustard
1/2 tsp. paprika
Salt & Pepper to taste.
2 cups shredded cheddar

Directions:
1.  Melt 2 tablespoons butter in small saucepan.  Add onions and saute until clear.  Set aside.
2.  In stock pot on medium heat, melt remaining butter.
3.  Add flour to melted butter and still to combine.
4.  Whisk in 2 cans of chicken broth.
5.  Once combined, whisk in milk.
6.  Add spices and stir to combine.
7.  Cook on medium high until it begins to bubble.
8.  Add cooked onions and broccoli.
9.  Simmer on medium-low heat for 20 minutes.
10.  Stir in shredded cheese.
11.  Serve!  You can also top with extra cheese!

Oven Baked Tacos - Easy, Fast, Kid-Approved

Themed nights make dinner time a snap!  Taco Tuesday is the current phenomenon in our house.  Please do not attempt to make something other than tacos on Tuesday, the natives (or kids) will not be happy.  Instead of plain, boring meat in a shell, I have been making this recipe which is a hit in our house!

Ingredients:
1 lb ground turkey
1 can of refried beans
1 (8oz) can of tomato sauce
1 packet of taco seasoning
12 pack of hard shells
2 cups of shredded Mexican cheese blend
Toppings:  lettuce, sour cream, and salsa

Directions:
Brown the turkey and drain off the fat.  Add the can of refried beans, sauce, and seasoning mix.  Cook on low until combined and hot.  Line taco shells on a 9x13 pan.  Fill each shell 1/2 with meat mixture and top with shredded cheese.  Bake for 10 minutes at 350F.

Meat mixture can also be made ahead of time and then added to shells, you may just have to add on to the baking time.

Add toppings and enjoy!

Cheesy Baked Penne

This recipe is super quick to put together and have on the table in less than an hour.  It would also be a good recipe to take half and freeze for another night!

Ingredients
1 box of Penne noodles (16 oz)
1 jar of Alfredo sauce (10 oz)
1 container of Ricotta cheese (15 oz)
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup freshly cut parsley (you can sub dried parsley)
1 1/2 - 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions
1.  Cook Penne according to package directions and drain.
2.  Combine Penne and Alfredo sauce.
3.  In a separate bowl, combine Ricotta, eggs, Parmesan, and parsley.
4.  Spray a 9x13 dish with non-stick spray.
5.  Put half of the Penne in the dish then top with Ricotta mixture, put remaining Penne on top.
6.  Top with shredded mozzarella cheese.
7.  Bake at 350F for 30 minutes.

Note - if you are going to freeze, before baking cover with foil and freeze.  To cook, thaw completely and then bake at 350F for 30 minutes.

Enjoy!

Macaroni and Cheese Pie - Easy One Dish Dinner

Ingredients:
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup uncooked macaroni (I used small shells)
1/2 cup all purpose baking mix
2 1/4 cups milk
2 eggs
1/4 cup diced onion
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper

Directions:
1.  Heat oven 375F.
2.  Spray 9" glass pie plate with non-stick cooking spray.
3.  Place uncooked noodles in pie plate.
4.  Spread 1 1/2 cups of cheddar cheese over the top.
5.  In a separate bowl, combine remaining ingredients until blended.
6.  Pour mixture into pie plate.
7.  Spray s sheet of foil with non-stick cooking spray and cover. 
8.  Bake for 40 minutes.  Remove cover and bake for an additional 15 minutes.
9.  Spread remaining cheese over top and cook for additional 10 minutes.
10.  Let stand 10 minutes before cutting.


Enjoy!

Next time I am going to try some different add-ins, chopped broccoli or diced ham would probably work well!

BBQ Chicken Pizza

This is a super easy, super quick weeknight meal for us!  The kids and I love it.

Ingredients:
1 refrigerated pizza crust
1 cup of your favorite BBQ sauce (ours is Sweet Baby Rays)
2 chicken breasts
1/2 red onion, sliced thin
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Directions:
1.  Cut chicken into chunks and sauté in pan in olive oil.  Season with salt and pepper.
2.  Spray cooking sheet with non-stick cooking spray.
3.  Roll pizza crust out on pan and then bake according to package directions.
4.  Toss chicken in BBQ sauce and spread on baked crust.
5.  Top the chicken with the sliced onion and cheese.
6.  Bake again according to package directions.

Enjoy!

Chicken Bacon Ring

 

This was one of our dinners that resulted from what to do with leftovers?  We had some leftover chicken that needed to be used up and I came up with this recipe!

 

Ingredients

1 can of crescent rolls

1 cup shredded cooked chicken

1/2 cup shredded cheddar

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1/4 cup diced onions

1 tbsp. Dijon mustard

6 slices of bacon cooked and crumbled

1 tsp. Italian seasoning

 

Directions

Open crescent rolls and separate triangles, arrange on non-stick pan as shown in picture 1.

Mix remaining ingredients and spread around the middle of the crescent rolls.

Fold in the triangles over the chicken mixture.

Bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown at 350.

Enjoy!

 

Try A Different Side - Avocados

So lately, I am loving avocados!  I never was a really big fan of eating them as is (not as guacamole) until I was pregnant with baby #3.  Plus, Aldi has been having amazing sales on them.  I just picked them up a couple of weeks ago, three of them for 99 cents!  Can't beat that deal.

Did you know that most of the fat in avocados is monounsaturated fat, the same heart-healthy kind found in olive oil and macadamia nut oil? Even more important, the fat from an avocado isn't likely to stick to your hips, because the fruit is packed with fiber!  Research shows that high-fiber foods can help keep you healthy in a number of ways, including aiding in digestion and improving heart health.

So why not try a different (refreshing) side for dinner like an avocado!

Slow Cooker BBQ Short Ribs

So last winter we split a half of a cow with my sister and her family. Within a year we have managed to eat our ¼ portion of our cow. The only thing left in my deep freezer is 5 lbs of ground beef and a package of short ribs. I have never cooked short ribs before so that is probably the reason I left them in there a year till the end! Well last night I took the plunge and finally cooked them up and to my surprise they were delicious and my husband and family enjoyed them! Here is my recipe:

2-3 lbs of beef short ribs

1 cup of your favorite BBQ sauce (Ours is Sweet Baby Ray’s)

1 Tbsp. yellow mustard

¼ cup flour

¼ cup brown sugar

¼ cup honey

¼ cup diced onions

Directions:

Put short ribs in slow cooker place onions on top of ribs. Combine remaining ingredients in a separate bowl and then pour over short ribs. Cook on low for 8 – 10 hours. We served ours with some white rice! Enjoy!

Crock Pot Beef Stew

Here is my Crock Pot Beef Stew Recipe.  This is a family favorite in our house and one of our staple winter meals!

Ingredients:
1 - 2# Beef Stew meat
2 cups diced potatoes
1 cup of carrots
1/2 cup diced onion
1/2 cup diced celery
1 can tomato soup
2 cans of water (from the soup can)
1 tsp Beef Boullion granules
1 tsp worcheshire sauce
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp majoram
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
flour
oil

Directions:
1.  Heat oil in large skillet, coat stew meat with flour and then brown in oil.
2.  Combine all ingredients in a Crock Pot including browned meat.
3.  Cook on low for 8-9 hours or high for 4-5 hours.

Baked Chicken Thighs with Dijon & Lime

Ingredients:
6 -8 chicken thighs, skin removed
3 tbsp Dijon mustard
1 tbsp mayonnaise
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 lime, squeezed
3/4 tsp pepper
salt
Dried parsley

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Rinse chicken and remove all skin.  Pat dry, place in a large bowl and season with salt.  In another bowl combine mustard, mayonnaise, lime juice, garlic, and pepper.  Mix well and then pour over chicken.  Coat chicken in sauce.  Line a baking pan with foil and spray with non-stick cooking spray.  Place chicken on the pan in a single layer.  Sprinkle with parsley.  Bake until cooked about 40 minutes.  Enjoy!

Ringing the Dinner Bell for the Week of July 5th

With 2 full-time working parents, it is too easy to fall into the rut of getting take-out or eating out after a long day at work. I have set a realistic goal for our family to eat a meal at home for at least 5 of the 7 days during the week. I am happy to report that we succeeded our goal this week! Check out our dinner menu from the past week:

Sunday:

Santa Fe Sirloin Steaks (I purchase them from Gibb’s Butcher Block, 8 for $15)

Baked Potatoes

Fresh Cauliflower with cheese sauce

Monday:

Tortilla crusted Tilapia

Macaroni & Cheese

Tuesday:

“Help Yourself Night”

Wednesday:

Bleu cheeseburgers

Tater Tots

Fresh steamed broccoli

Thursday - Meatless Money Saver Night:

Penne pasta with marinara sauce (meal cost us a total of $2)

Friday:

BLT sandwiches (yum I have been craving one)

Cucumbers and ranch dip

Saturday:

We treated ourselves to Alfonso’s Italian Restaurant (I had a $25 gift certificate I purchased for $12.50 on http://www.mimivanderhaven.com/ )