We had Grampie come over for supper tonight since Steve is still gone and the kids LOVE him. He's my dad's dad, and he thinks we're special, yes (if you know him you can probably hear him saying that). He brought his "lady friend" with him as well. We had a nice evening really. This recipe is from the BH & G 365 meals one.
Oven-Fried Pork Chops
3 tbsp butter
1 egg
2 tbsp milk
1 cup packaged corn bread stuffing mix
4 pork chops
Preheat oven to 425. Place butter in 13x9 baking dish; place in the preheated oven about 3 minutes or until butter is melted. Meanwhile, in a shallow dish beat egg with a fork; stir in milk. Place dry stuffing mix in another shallow dish. Dip pork chops into egg mixture. Coat both sides with stuffing mix. Place chops in baking pan with the butter. Bake, uncovered, for 10 minutes. Turn chops over. Bake for 10 - 15 more minutes or until 160 and juices run clear.
Okay so this was SO good. I thought it didn't really get enough stuffing on it so once it was in the pan I sprinkled a bit more on. The kids weren't crazy about this but that's because they're crazy anyway. It was very very tasty and definitely a keeper. We had it with mashed potatoes and baked beans, because I didn't realize until 4:30 that we had no vegetables to cook, and they were coming at 5:00. But that's okay because potatoes are a vegetable, as are baked beans, so...Also we had the other half of the sliced french bread from when my parents and sister were here on Saturday. Overall a very good meal.
Monday, June 22, 2009
Sunday, June 21, 2009
Peanut Butter & Fudge Swirl Pie
This is what we had for dessert after the soup. It's from the latest Kraft Food & Family, summer 2009.
Peanut Butter & Fudge Swirl Pie
1 pkg (8 oz) cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
2 cups thawed cool whip
1 oreo pie crust (couldn't find this at Wal-mart or Hannaford either...I used graham cracker)
1/4 cup hot fudge ice cream topping (I didn't want to pay $4 for a jar of hot fudge that I only needed 1/4 cup of, when I always have chocolate syrup on hand for chocolate milk, so...I used chocolate syrup)
Beat cream cheese, sugar, and peanut butter in large bowl with mixer until blended. Gently stir in cool whip until blended. Spoon into crust; drizzle with fudge topping. Swirl gently with knife. Refrigerate 4 hours or until firm.
This ended up being just the right size for 4 adults and 4 kids. We all liked ours. Nathan and Jordan each had a couple of bites then left the table. Sam ate their leftovers plus his. Emma ate hers. So I think this was a good one. Have to make it again when Steve gets home since he likes all things peanut butter.
Peanut Butter & Fudge Swirl Pie
1 pkg (8 oz) cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
2 cups thawed cool whip
1 oreo pie crust (couldn't find this at Wal-mart or Hannaford either...I used graham cracker)
1/4 cup hot fudge ice cream topping (I didn't want to pay $4 for a jar of hot fudge that I only needed 1/4 cup of, when I always have chocolate syrup on hand for chocolate milk, so...I used chocolate syrup)
Beat cream cheese, sugar, and peanut butter in large bowl with mixer until blended. Gently stir in cool whip until blended. Spoon into crust; drizzle with fudge topping. Swirl gently with knife. Refrigerate 4 hours or until firm.
This ended up being just the right size for 4 adults and 4 kids. We all liked ours. Nathan and Jordan each had a couple of bites then left the table. Sam ate their leftovers plus his. Emma ate hers. So I think this was a good one. Have to make it again when Steve gets home since he likes all things peanut butter.
Chicken and Shells Soup
So Steve is off in Haiti again but I didn't want to miss more weeks of New Recipe Night since I already missed some by going to New Hampshire last week...anyway I have often said that cooking for my children is like painting for a blind man, because they just do not appreciate it! So last night my sister and my parents came over and we had this and it was a great chance to try the recipe. My mom loves soup, my dad could take it or leave it, but hey I can't please everyone here! It's from my sister's cookbook Better Homes & Gardens 365 Last-Minute Meals.
Chicken and Shells Soup
2 14 oz cans reduced sodium chicken broth (I used full sodium)
1 tsp dried Italian seasoning, crushed (my sister crushed it by putting it the palms of her hands and smooshing them together)
1/2 tsp bottled minced garlic
12 oz skinless boneless chicken breast halves, cut into bite-size pieces (I precooked the chicken and cubed it, but you could cut it up raw and add it that way, that's how the recipe says to)
3/4 cup dried small shell macaroni (couldn't find small shell in Wal-mart or Hannaford. I ended up using mini bowties)
3/4 cup frozen peas
1/4 cup thinly sliced green onion (2)(I left this out because a package of green onions has like 20 in it and it seemed wasteful to buy them for only (2))
In a medium saucepan combine chicken broth, italian seasoning, and garlic; bring to a boil. Add chicken and pasta. Return to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered, for 8 to 9 minutes or until pasta is tender and chicken is no longer pink, stirring occasionally. Add frozen peas and green onion; cook about 2 minutes more or until peas are crisp-tender. 4 servings.
I doubled the recipe to feed 4 adults and 4 children, still have about 1 1/2 servings' worth leftover. My mom said a few times that it was good soup. My dad didn't say anything. But at least he didn't say "Let's not have this again real soon" which is what he tells my mom when he doesn't really like something new. Can't remember exactly what Jessica said, she can add her own comments on facebook anyway once it's posted, but I do know she ate it. The kids did about as well as I would expect, and that's all I can say about that. I will keep this one though because it was quite easy and very tasty.
We had this with french bread that Hannaford had nicely presliced for us. Jess laid the bread out on a cookie sheet, spread the tops with butter, sprinkled with garlic powder and shredded cheese. Mmmmmm. So good. Dad had 3 pieces of the bread so we know he liked that at least!
Chicken and Shells Soup
2 14 oz cans reduced sodium chicken broth (I used full sodium)
1 tsp dried Italian seasoning, crushed (my sister crushed it by putting it the palms of her hands and smooshing them together)
1/2 tsp bottled minced garlic
12 oz skinless boneless chicken breast halves, cut into bite-size pieces (I precooked the chicken and cubed it, but you could cut it up raw and add it that way, that's how the recipe says to)
3/4 cup dried small shell macaroni (couldn't find small shell in Wal-mart or Hannaford. I ended up using mini bowties)
3/4 cup frozen peas
1/4 cup thinly sliced green onion (2)(I left this out because a package of green onions has like 20 in it and it seemed wasteful to buy them for only (2))
In a medium saucepan combine chicken broth, italian seasoning, and garlic; bring to a boil. Add chicken and pasta. Return to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered, for 8 to 9 minutes or until pasta is tender and chicken is no longer pink, stirring occasionally. Add frozen peas and green onion; cook about 2 minutes more or until peas are crisp-tender. 4 servings.
I doubled the recipe to feed 4 adults and 4 children, still have about 1 1/2 servings' worth leftover. My mom said a few times that it was good soup. My dad didn't say anything. But at least he didn't say "Let's not have this again real soon" which is what he tells my mom when he doesn't really like something new. Can't remember exactly what Jessica said, she can add her own comments on facebook anyway once it's posted, but I do know she ate it. The kids did about as well as I would expect, and that's all I can say about that. I will keep this one though because it was quite easy and very tasty.
We had this with french bread that Hannaford had nicely presliced for us. Jess laid the bread out on a cookie sheet, spread the tops with butter, sprinkled with garlic powder and shredded cheese. Mmmmmm. So good. Dad had 3 pieces of the bread so we know he liked that at least!
Monday, June 15, 2009
Sweet and Sour Meatball Skewers
I made this last week before we went to New Hampshire but then got too busy to post it. I doubled the recipe and made some for us and some for friends of ours that had just had a baby. Because one of their girls really likes meatballs and sausages and stuff like that. The recipe is from Kraft Food & Family Summer 2009. It says to make it on the grill, which I'm sure you could, but I just made it in the oven using a broiler pan and the broiler. Steve wasn't home and I never grill alone (mostly because I don't know how to even turn it on).
Sweet and Sour Meatball Skewers
32 frozen fully cooked 1-inch meatballs (1 pound), thawed
1 red pepper, cut into 1 inch squares
1 green pepper, cut into 1 inch squares
1/4 cup apricot jam
1/4 cup barbecue sauce (of course I used Sweet Baby Ray's)
Heat grill to medium high heat. Thread meatballs and peppers alternately onto 8 skewers (if you are using wooden skewers you should soak them in water for a few minutes first so they don't ignite when you put them on the grill or in the oven). Microwave jam in small microwaveable bowl on high 15 seconds. Stir in barbecue sauce. Brush half on kabobs. Grill 8 to 10 minutes or until meatballs are heated through, turning occasionally and brushing with remaining jam mixture the last 2 minutes. I put them under the broiler for like 4 minutes, turned them, then put more jam mixture on them. Some of the meatballs got pretty charred and the second batch (which was our family's) the sticks got pretty toasted. But there's only one setting for the broiler, so...anyway B Rad said it was a hit with his family but I never got to ask B Autumn directly. Hopefully she will post a comment once this is on facebook. She can be brutally honest...you guys want the truth, right? Anyway if I made these again I think I might add pineapple in or something. These were pretty good though. Even though no one at my house ate the peppers...we just ate the meatballs. But still good.
Sweet and Sour Meatball Skewers
32 frozen fully cooked 1-inch meatballs (1 pound), thawed
1 red pepper, cut into 1 inch squares
1 green pepper, cut into 1 inch squares
1/4 cup apricot jam
1/4 cup barbecue sauce (of course I used Sweet Baby Ray's)
Heat grill to medium high heat. Thread meatballs and peppers alternately onto 8 skewers (if you are using wooden skewers you should soak them in water for a few minutes first so they don't ignite when you put them on the grill or in the oven). Microwave jam in small microwaveable bowl on high 15 seconds. Stir in barbecue sauce. Brush half on kabobs. Grill 8 to 10 minutes or until meatballs are heated through, turning occasionally and brushing with remaining jam mixture the last 2 minutes. I put them under the broiler for like 4 minutes, turned them, then put more jam mixture on them. Some of the meatballs got pretty charred and the second batch (which was our family's) the sticks got pretty toasted. But there's only one setting for the broiler, so...anyway B Rad said it was a hit with his family but I never got to ask B Autumn directly. Hopefully she will post a comment once this is on facebook. She can be brutally honest...you guys want the truth, right? Anyway if I made these again I think I might add pineapple in or something. These were pretty good though. Even though no one at my house ate the peppers...we just ate the meatballs. But still good.
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Texas Chili Made Easy
And they were not kidding. This was so so easy and fast. And it tasted really good, as good as if you tried all day. It's from my sister's cookbook BH & G 365 Last Minute Meals. I am starting at the front of the book and making my way through, like I always do. This book has 4 sections for the 4 seasons, the first one they have is "Fall." So these might not always be good recipes for summer but I am stubborn and don't like to skip around in a book. Plus with the summer we've been having so far....you see my point. But yesterday was a nice rainy chilly (ha ha) day so it worked out well.
Texas Chili Made Easy
12 oz ground beef (I used a whole pound because that's how I freeze them, in one pound pkgs)
1 15 oz can pinto beans, undrained
1 cup bottled salsa
1/2 cup beef broth
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp ground cumin
sour cream, optional
In a large skillet cook the ground beef over medium heat until brown. Drain off fat. Stir undrained beans, salsa, beef broth, chili powder, and cumin into meat in skillet. Bring to a boil; reduce heat. Simmer, covered, for 10 minutes. Spoon into bowls. If desired, top with sour cream (we did not. I topped ours with shredded mexican cheese that I had in the fridge already).
This was not at all spicy, although I used mild salsa. So if you like it spicy you could buy spicier salsa. Steve, Sam, and I lapped this up. Emma had to be forced to eat it. Nathan had Froot Loops. Definitely a keeper. We had this with cornbread which I made from the recipe on the corn meal box.
Texas Chili Made Easy
12 oz ground beef (I used a whole pound because that's how I freeze them, in one pound pkgs)
1 15 oz can pinto beans, undrained
1 cup bottled salsa
1/2 cup beef broth
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp ground cumin
sour cream, optional
In a large skillet cook the ground beef over medium heat until brown. Drain off fat. Stir undrained beans, salsa, beef broth, chili powder, and cumin into meat in skillet. Bring to a boil; reduce heat. Simmer, covered, for 10 minutes. Spoon into bowls. If desired, top with sour cream (we did not. I topped ours with shredded mexican cheese that I had in the fridge already).
This was not at all spicy, although I used mild salsa. So if you like it spicy you could buy spicier salsa. Steve, Sam, and I lapped this up. Emma had to be forced to eat it. Nathan had Froot Loops. Definitely a keeper. We had this with cornbread which I made from the recipe on the corn meal box.
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Barbecued Beef Sandwiches
Starting a new cookbook!! Hooray! This one is the cookbook my mom gave my sister for Christmas last year. It has some good recipes in it so Jess is letting me use it. It is another Better Homes and Gardens one, 365 Last Minute Meals. We had this for lunch yesterday along with the potato recipe posted previously.
Barbecued Beef Sandwiches
1 tbsp cooking oil
1 medium onion, sliced and separated into rings
12 oz beef stir fry strips (these are not precooked)
2/3 cup barbecue sauce (I love Sweet Baby Ray's)(that is not a paid endorsement, I just really really like that barbecue sauce)(if Sweet Baby Ray's would like to pay me to endorse them, I would not be averse to that. Ha ha)
1 tsp lemon juice or vinegar
4 hoagie buns, split and toasted
3 slices pepper jack cheese or monterey jack cheese, quartered (I just used plain old sandwich cheese because I don't like spicy stuff, and I daresay pepper jack would be spicy)
In a large skillet heat oil over medium-high heat. Add onion; cook onion about 3 minutes or until tender. Add beef strips. Cook and stir for 2 to 3 minutes or until meat is slightly pink in center. Stir in barbecue sauce and lemon juice. Cook over medium heat until heated through, stirring occasionally. Spoon beef mixture onto hoagie bun bottoms. Top with cheese and bun tops.
Again, Steve and I thought these were fabulous and the kids didn't. For the little ones, I didn't put them on the bread, just cut up some of the meat. For the rest of us, we had them on buns. The only thing I would suggest is cutting the beef strips in half before you cook them, because you would take a bite of the sandwich and a whole beef strip would fall out. Amusing, yes, but also messy. Also this would never have made enough for four adults to eat. I was fairly skimpy with the amount I put in each sandwich so that I would have enough to put some on the kids plates. And, there was a lot of sauce, the sandwiches were very drippy. So I think you could have at least a whole pound of beef stir-fry strips and not increase the amount of barbecue sauce and still be fine. I'm not sure if they sell them in 1 pound packages or not, but I am going to find out. This whole meal was one Steve and I thought was delicious and the kids just didn't care for. So save it for company and give the kids PB&J and tots.
Barbecued Beef Sandwiches
1 tbsp cooking oil
1 medium onion, sliced and separated into rings
12 oz beef stir fry strips (these are not precooked)
2/3 cup barbecue sauce (I love Sweet Baby Ray's)(that is not a paid endorsement, I just really really like that barbecue sauce)(if Sweet Baby Ray's would like to pay me to endorse them, I would not be averse to that. Ha ha)
1 tsp lemon juice or vinegar
4 hoagie buns, split and toasted
3 slices pepper jack cheese or monterey jack cheese, quartered (I just used plain old sandwich cheese because I don't like spicy stuff, and I daresay pepper jack would be spicy)
In a large skillet heat oil over medium-high heat. Add onion; cook onion about 3 minutes or until tender. Add beef strips. Cook and stir for 2 to 3 minutes or until meat is slightly pink in center. Stir in barbecue sauce and lemon juice. Cook over medium heat until heated through, stirring occasionally. Spoon beef mixture onto hoagie bun bottoms. Top with cheese and bun tops.
Again, Steve and I thought these were fabulous and the kids didn't. For the little ones, I didn't put them on the bread, just cut up some of the meat. For the rest of us, we had them on buns. The only thing I would suggest is cutting the beef strips in half before you cook them, because you would take a bite of the sandwich and a whole beef strip would fall out. Amusing, yes, but also messy. Also this would never have made enough for four adults to eat. I was fairly skimpy with the amount I put in each sandwich so that I would have enough to put some on the kids plates. And, there was a lot of sauce, the sandwiches were very drippy. So I think you could have at least a whole pound of beef stir-fry strips and not increase the amount of barbecue sauce and still be fine. I'm not sure if they sell them in 1 pound packages or not, but I am going to find out. This whole meal was one Steve and I thought was delicious and the kids just didn't care for. So save it for company and give the kids PB&J and tots.
Cheesy Garlic Potato Gratin
We had this for lunch yesterday. Steve had the day off since it was Memorial Day (a big shout out to my dad, a veteran). I had to work 3-11 though, so we had lunch be the big meal for yesterday since I was home. This is the last recipe from the cookbook my mom gave me for Christmas, the Better Homes & Gardens 5 Ingredient Favorites. There are 2 soup recipes in there that I want to try but I am waiting for fall because it is not good soup weather right now. Anyway I think a few times growing up we had these kind of potatoes from scratch, but my usual experience with them is from a box by Betty Crocker. Not that I'm knocking Betty. I just wanted to try making them from scratch.
Cheesy Garlic Potato Gratin
1 1/2 pounds Yukon gold or other yellow potatoes, thinly sliced (about 5 cups)(I didn't peel them, because Betty doesn't either...I remember dehydrated potato skins being on the dehydrated potatoes...but I did scrub the potatoes before I sliced them)
1/3 cup sliced green onion
1 1/2 cups shredded Swiss cheese (6 oz)
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 cup whipping cream
In a greased 2 qt baking dish layer half of the potatoes and half of the green onion. Sprinkle with half each of the cheese, garlic, salt, and pepper. Repeat layers. Pour whipping cream over layers in dish. Bake, covered, @ 350 for 1 hour. Bake, uncovered, for 15 to 20 minutes more or until potatoes are tender and top is golden brown.
So, Steve and I LOVED these!! Alas, none of the kids liked them at all. So I guess this would be a grown-up side dish. I think the next time I make these will be when we have dinner guests or something, so the grown-ups can have this and I'll make like tater tots for the kids. Of course if Karen comes over she will eat the tots instead because she loves tots. But mostly the adults would like these, I think. Definitely a keeper. We had these with Barbecue Beef Sandwiches, which I will post separately.
Cheesy Garlic Potato Gratin
1 1/2 pounds Yukon gold or other yellow potatoes, thinly sliced (about 5 cups)(I didn't peel them, because Betty doesn't either...I remember dehydrated potato skins being on the dehydrated potatoes...but I did scrub the potatoes before I sliced them)
1/3 cup sliced green onion
1 1/2 cups shredded Swiss cheese (6 oz)
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 cup whipping cream
In a greased 2 qt baking dish layer half of the potatoes and half of the green onion. Sprinkle with half each of the cheese, garlic, salt, and pepper. Repeat layers. Pour whipping cream over layers in dish. Bake, covered, @ 350 for 1 hour. Bake, uncovered, for 15 to 20 minutes more or until potatoes are tender and top is golden brown.
So, Steve and I LOVED these!! Alas, none of the kids liked them at all. So I guess this would be a grown-up side dish. I think the next time I make these will be when we have dinner guests or something, so the grown-ups can have this and I'll make like tater tots for the kids. Of course if Karen comes over she will eat the tots instead because she loves tots. But mostly the adults would like these, I think. Definitely a keeper. We had these with Barbecue Beef Sandwiches, which I will post separately.
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