Today's Spaghetti and Meatballs

I called it that cause I rarely make it the same way twice lol.

Today's is something like this.

I just started it at 11 am and it will simmer till about 6 or 6:30.

I saute'd some onions and bell peppers in a little pam. I seasoned them up with some salt and pepper. When they were nice and tender I added in alot of garlic, hey we are cajun you know lol. Stirred that for a minute or two, added in some italian seasoning, a dash of cayenne pepper, a dash of black pepper, a dash of white pepper, and yes I use all three and no it is not peppered. I am only putting in a small dash of each. Try it sometimes, you will be surprised at the flavor differences. I chopped up a roma tomato left over from last nights tacos and added that in for a couple of minutes. Then I added in a small can of tomato paste. Stirred well, let simmer a minute, added in a can of tomato sauce, 16 oz size, and then a can of petite diced tomatoes, a can of sliced mushrooms (large can) cause I didn't have fresh and don't feel like going to the store, and a can of beef broth, and a 1/4 cup of sugar. Oh and 2 bay leaves. This will simmer till about 4 when i will make and add the meatballs. I will do my easiest recipe I think today which is ground meat, onion and garlic powder, salt and pepper, mix well, roll and drop in simmering sauce. Cook for another hour or so on simmer. I make the meatballs sorta small so they cook faster. Will serve over boiled pasta, probably spaghetti lol. Will have steamed broccoli and boiled whole baby okra or brussel sprouts depending on what is in the freezer. Also have some dinner rolls to use up so will brown those to sop up the extra sauce.

Our Favorite Chili Recipe

1 1/2 lbs stew meat
1 med onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
2 cups spicy tomato juice
1 cup beef broth
1 tsp worcestershire sauce
2 tbs chili powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper



Brown meat and onions, drain if necessary. Add all ingredients and simmer over low heat at least 2 hours or till meat is very tender. can add more tomato juice if needed. I have never had to add more but I do cook it on very low. Garnish with your favorite chili toppings.


Servings: 4

Creamy Burrito Casserole

Creamy Burrito Casserole


1 lb ground meat
1 package taco seasoning mix
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp chili powder
1 can refried beans
1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can fiesta nacho soup
8 ounces light sour cream
1/4 cup milk



Brown ground meat. Add taco seasoning along with cumin, chili powder and salt and pepper to taste. Cook according to taco seasoning instructions. Remove from heat. Stir in refried beans. Mix well. In bowl, mix cream of mushroom soup, nacho cheese soup, sour cream and enough milk to make it just pourable. Put some soup mixture on the bottom of pan. Spoon meat mixture into tortilla, and roll as burrito. Place on top of soup mixture. Continue till pan is full. Spoon any leftover meat over burritos. Pour soup mixture over burritos. Top with shredded cheese. Bake at 350 for about 30 minutes, or till bubbly.


Servings: 6
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 30 minutes

I am trying something new this morning.

I used 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (you could use thighs)
about 6 teaspoons of minced garlic
salt and pepper to taste
1 zuchini cut in half moons
2 yellow squash cut in half moons
1 bell pepper chopped
1 onion chopped
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
3 teaspoons of worcestershire sauce

I seasoned the chicken and placed in a crockpot bag that I had sprayed with pam. Oh the chicken was frozen cause I forgot to take it out last night lol. Then I washed and cut up the veggies. Mix the balsamic and worcestershire with the garlic and salt and pepper. Toss the veggies in the mixture. Pour over chicken. Cover cook on low 6-8 hours. I used the auto function on my pot. It cooks up to high for about 2 hours and then reduces to low heat.

I will serve with rice and crescent rolls.

Taco soup

Taco Soup

1 lb ground beef or turkey
1 pkg taco seasoning
salt and pepper to taste
chili powder to taste
cumin to taste
2 cans diced tomatoes
1 can tomato sauce
1 can chili beans, undrained
1 can kidney beans, undrained
1 can whole kernel corn, undrained
up to a cup or two of water, depending how soupy you want it

Brown the meat and drain. Add all ingredients to the crockpot and stir well. Cook on low for about 6-8 hours.

Serve with your choice of toppings:

sour cream
cheese
tortilla chips

Texas Campfire Chili

1 1/2 lb stew meat cut into small chunks
2 cans spicy v-8
1 can beef broth
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoons pepper
1/4 teaspoons cayenne
1 cup water
2 cloves minced garlic
1 onion, chopped

Brown meat and onions. Add all other ingredients and simmer till meat is tender.
Serve with your choice of toppings.

suggested toppings:
corn cakes
sour cream
fritos
crackers
bread and butter
cheese

Raspberry Chicken

This is a rather strange sounding recipe I found right after hubby found out he was diabetic. It has become a family favorite that my very picky eater son requests often.

Here is the recipe. Sorry I forgot to take a picture yesterday.

Raspberry Chicken

chicken tenders or boneless, skinless breasts
jar of raspberry jam or preserves ( i use the sugar free due to diabetes in family)
can of mountain dew, 7-up or sprite (again i use diet )
about 2 tablespoons of butter
Your favorite seasonings to taste

The original recipe called for just a little jam and mountain dew but we like the "gravy" over roasted garlic mashed potatoes, and I found it was way to dry with less.

Melt the butter in a large skillet. Season the chicken and lightly brown the chicken, you aren't really looking for alot of color on it just to seal in the juices. Mix the mountain dew and raspberry jam in a bowl and add a little seasoning. Once it is mixed well pour over chicken, stir gently and cover. Simmer on medium high heat for about 45 minutes, turning chicken about every 15 minutes. After about 30 minutes I uncover and turn heat to high to reduce sauce by 1/2. We serve with roasted garlic mashed potatoes and whole kernel corn.

Crockpot Spaghetti and Meatballs

Ingredients:

Meatballs:
1 pound ground turkey
1 cup bread crumbs
1 tablespoon dried parsley
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
1 egg, beaten

Sauce:
4 cloves garlic, minced
3 cans crushed tomatoes
1 can tomato paste
1 cup beef broth
2 teaspoons dried italian seasoning
2 teaspoons white sugar
3 teaspoons salt

In a large bowl, combine ground beef, bread crumbs, parsley, parmesan, garlic powder, and beaten egg. Mix well and form into 12 balls. Heat a small amount of oil in large skillet. Brown the meatballs. Add all sauce ingredients and stir, start in crockpot while you mix and brown the meatballs. Add meatballs to crock. Simmer on low for 6-8 hours.


Side dishes:

steamed broccoli, boiled okra, garlic bread

Chicken and Dumplings

Last night we had bacon sandwiches and since i figure everyone knows how to make those I didn't blog it lol.

Tonight we are having chicken and dumplings, rice (hubby is cajun after all), and cream corn.

Here is the chicken and dumplings recipe.

Brown your chicken pieces in a little oil. Season the chicken first, and pieces with bone in will give the gravy a better flavor. Add onions, bell pepper, and a little more seasoning. Saute a little till onions are translucent. Add chicken stock or water to cover chicken by about 1/2 inch. Simmer on medium low for about 45 minutes. Taste gravy and adjust seasonings if necessary.

Fluffy Dumplings

1 1/2 cups flour
1 tablespoon minced parsely
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg, if desired
2/3 cup milk
2 tablespoons oil
1 egg, slightly beaten

In medium bowl, combine first 5 ingredients. Stir in remaining ingredients just until dry ingredients are moistened. Drop dough by tablespoonfuls onto hot chicken that is slightly boiling. Cook covered, 12 to 15 minutes or until dumplings are fluffy and no longer doughy.

Out to eat!

Tonight my wonderful husband is taking me out to eat chinese. So no recipe today!

3 Decker

Sorry no pictures today. I forgot to take one lol.

But here is the recipe. It can be 2 decker, 3 decker, 4 decker etc.

Basically take any kind of beef steak you want, season with your favorite seasonings, put a couple tablespoons of worcestershire sauce on it, add bacon under the steak if you want, put in a 13 x 9 pan. Place potatoes, carrots, mushrooms, green beans, the list is endless on top. Season the veggies. Wrap well with foil and bake at 350 about an hour and a half or till the veggies are done and the steak is tender.

Tex Mex Salsa Chili and Green Onion Corn Cakes

I found a recipe a few years back for a tex mex chili. I have tweaked it till it is what we like.

Here is the easy recipe.

1 can tomato soup
1 can red kidney beans, chili flavored gravy (if you can't find this regular kidney beans is fine)
2 cups water
2 cups frozen whole kernel corn
1/2 cup salsa (any kind you like, i use a medium heat chunky one)
a little salt (optional but i find it is sorta bland if you don't add a little)
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes

Dump everything in the pot, stir well and simmer about 45 minutes.

I will serve this with green onion corn cakes.

Here is that recipe.
1 (8 1/2-ounce) packages, corn muffin mix
1/2 cup milk
1 egg, beaten
1 tablespoons vegetable or corn oil
2 scallions, thinly sliced
Butter, for greasing griddle pan

Mix together 1 package of corn muffin mix with 1/2 cup milk, 1 beaten egg, 1 tablespoons vegetable oil and sliced scallions. Batter should be thick. Heat a nonstick skillet or griddle pan over moderate heat. Nest a pat of butter into folded paper towel and wipe hot pan surface with it to lightly grease. Pour corn cake batter into the hot griddle pan or skillet in 3 or 4-inch rounds. Cook 2 or 3 minutes on each side, until golden. Transfer to a plate and repeat with remaining batter.

We put one or two of these on top of bowl of chili and dig down through to get a bite of each. yummy.

Crockpot French Dips

Very easy, tasty recipe.

Put a beef roast in crockpot. I love using the crockpot bags. Makes cleanup so easy.
I use 2 packages of Au Jus Gravy Mix and 2 packages of zesty Italian Dressing Mix for about a 5 pound roast. Also 2 cans (about 3 1/2 cups) of beef broth. I also add a little cajun spices. Mix well. Pour over roast. Cook about 4 hours on high. I have an auto setting on my crockpot and I use that. It cooks for an hour or two on high then goes down to low. After 4 hours I flip the roast over and let go another 3 hours. Remove roast, slice and put back in gravy. Let cook about 1 more hour. Enjoy on french bread or your favorite bread. Serve the gravy on the side for dipping.

We usually have fries or chips with them. Yum! Also freezes well.
If you try it let me know how you like it.