Category Archives: Recipes

Easy Skillet Lasagna Recipe

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Did your mom make Hamburger Helper meals when you were a kid??  My mom did as they were a quick and easy way to feed our family.  I like to make quick meals during the week and skillet meals fit that bill, but I try make all our meals from fresh ingredients.

Easy Skillet Lasagna
I found the recipe for Easy Skillet Lasagna on Lynne’s Kitchen Adventures Blog and I just had to try it.   It was a hit with our family and will be added to our easy weekday meal list.   Lynne is a Menu Plan Monday Participant so make sure you check out what is on her menu each Monday!

Easy Skillet Lasagna Recipe
Recipe Type: Main Dish – Beef
Cuisine: Italian
Do you remember Lasagna Hamburger Helper?? This recipes reminds me of that, but only it is good! An easy meal to make during the week after work.
Ingredients
  • ◾1 pound ground beef
  • ◾1 onion, finely chopped
  • ◾1 clove garlic minced
  • ◾1- 14 1/2 ounce diced tomatoes, undrained
  • ◾1 1/2 cups water
  • ◾1 – 6 ounce can tomato paste
  • ◾1 tablespoon dried parsley flakes
  • ◾2 teaspoons dried oregano
  • ◾1 teaspoon salt
  • ◾2 1/2 cups broken lasagna noodles or other similar shaped pasta (I various leftover Penne Pasta)
  • ◾3/4 cup ricotta cheese
  • ◾1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • ◾1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
Instructions
  1. ◾In a large skillet cook beef with onion until beef is cooked and onion is tender. Add garlic and cook for 1 more minute.
  2. ◾Add tomatoes, water, tomato paste, parsley, oregano, and salt to skiller. Stir well.
  3. ◾Add in pasta and stir. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat. Cover and simmer 20 minutes, checking part way through. Add more water if needed.
  4. ◾Combine Parmesan cheese and ricotta cheese and drop by spoonfuls on top of pasta mixture. Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese and cook covered 5 more minutes or until cheese has melted.
  5. Serve with Salad and Garlic Bread.

Happy Cooking!

jen

Best Broccoli Soup Recipe

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Taste of Home does it again!   Another great recipe we tried out of Taste Of Home: Best Loved Recipes.  What a great cookbook!

Best Broccoli Soup Recipe is very easy to make.  This is a cream based soup and not cheesy so it pairs very nicely with grilled cheese sandwiches.

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Best Broccoli Soup
Recipe Type: Soup
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 6-8
Great Soup recipe….I even used frozen Broccoli and it was very good!
Ingredients
  • •2 cups water
  • •4 cups chopped fresh broccoli (about 1-1/2 pounds)
  • •1 cup chopped celery
  • •1 cup chopped carrots
  • •1/2 cup chopped onion
  • •6 tablespoons butter, cubed
  • •6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • •3 cups chicken broth
  • •2 cups 2% milk
  • •1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley
  • •1 teaspoon onion salt
  • •1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • •1/2 teaspoon salt
Instructions
  1. •In a Dutch oven, bring water to boil. Add the broccoli, celery and carrots; boil 2-3 minutes or until crisp-tender. Drain; set vegetables aside.
  2. •In the same pot, saute onion in butter until tender. Stir in flour to form a smooth paste. Gradually stir in broth and milk until smooth. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 1 minute or until thickened.
  3. •Stir in reserved vegetables and remaining ingredients. Reduce heat; cook, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes or until vegetables are tender.

Happy Cooking!

jen

Fried Rice with Chicken Recipe

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I decided to make my hubby’s favorite type of food for his birthday, Chinese food.   This year he decided to go to Great Moon Buffet for lunch on his birthday, just my luck.  Since the meal was all planned, he also had Chinese food for supper.   I served Fried Rice with Chicken, Egg Rolls, and Egg Foo Young.

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Fried Rice with Chicken
Cuisine: Ethnic
Serves: 6
Great recipe to serve as a side or main dish. We often serve this with Egg Rolls to complete our meal.
Ingredients
  • 9 bacon strips, diced
  • 1-1/2 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cubed
  • 3 medium carrot, chopped
  • 3 celery rib, chopped
  • 6 eggs, beaten
  • 4-1/2 cups cooked rice
  • 6 Tablespoons soy sauce
Instructions
  1. In a large skillet, cook bacon over medium heat until crisp. Remove to paper towels.
  2. In the drippings, sauté the chicken, carrot and celery until chicken juices run clear; remove and keep warm.
  3. In the same skillet, scramble eggs over medium heat, breaking into small pieces.
  4. Stir in the chicken mixture, rice, soy sauce and bacon.

 

Happy Cooking!

jen

Salmon with Creamy Dill Sauce Recipe

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cookbookFor Christmas last year (2012), my hubby bought me a new cookbook called Taste of Home BEST LOVED Recipes.   We have only made a few recipes from the book, but so far every recipe has been blog worthy!   Since we had some fresh dill in the garden and Salmon in the freezer, I decided to make the Salmon with Creamy Dill Sauce.  The Creamy Dill Sauce adds a wonderful flavor to this Salmon.

I believe my hubby said it will take me 10 years to try every recipe in this cookbook, if I made a recipe a day!   I love a good challenge.

Salmon with Dill Sauce(Source)

Salmon with Creamy Dill Sauce Recipe
Recipe Type: Main Dish – Fish
Serves: 6
This is a great recipe to use the dill from our garden. The dill and horseradish gives the creamy sauce a wonderful taste. Salmon was very tender.
Ingredients
  • •1 salmon fillet (about 2 pounds)
  • •1 to 1-1/2 teaspoons lemon-pepper seasoning
  • •1 teaspoon onion salt
  • •1 small onion, sliced and separated into rings
  • •6 lemon slices
  • •1/4 cup butter, cubed
  • DILL SAUCE:
  • •1/3 cup sour cream
  • •1/3 cup mayonnaise
  • •1 tablespoon finely chopped onion
  • •1 teaspoon lemon juice
  • •1 teaspoon prepared horseradish
  • •3/4 teaspoon dill weed
  • •1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
  • •Pepper to taste
Instructions
  1. •Line a 15-in. x 10-in. x 1-in. baking pan with heavy-duty foil; grease lightly. Place salmon skin side down on foil. Sprinkle with lemon-pepper and onion salt. Top with onion and lemon. Dot with butter. Fold foil around salmon; seal tightly,
  2. •Bake at 350° for 20 minutes. Open foil carefully, allowing steam to escape. Broil 4-6 in. from the heat for 8-12 minutes or until the fish flakes easily with a fork.
  3. •Combine the sauce ingredients until smooth. Serve with salmon.

Happy Cooking!

jen

Menu Plan Monday: July 29th, 2013

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Menu July 29th – August 4th, 2013

29th – Monday –(Off) – Mushroom Stuffed Hamburger Steaks (Emeals Aldi 489)– Watermelon

30th – Tuesday – Salsa Sirloin Salad – Garlic Rolls – (Emeals Aldi 491)–

31st – Wednesday – Unstuffed Cabbage

1st – Thursday -(sorting) – Bacon –Turkey Cobb Sandwiches / Chips (Emeals Aldi 490)

2nd – Friday (Tommy home from camp) – Chicken Quesadillas (Emeals Aldi 489)– Watermelon

3rd – Saturday- Rotisserie Chicken (Crockpot) /Macaroni Cheese/ Broccoli

4th – Sunday – Apricot Country Ribs / Awesome Pasta Salad (All Recipes pg 30)/ Corn

Lunch:  Pizza Pasta Salad – Watermelon (Emeals Lunch 488)
Ham Pinwheels – (Emeals Aldi 489)–

Dessert:  Bread Pudding

For more Menu Planning inspiration stop by and visit Laura at Organizing Junkie and participate in Menu Plan Monday. More menu planning fun can be found at The Organised Housewife.

Wishing you all a wonderful week!!!

Happy Cooking!!

This post is linked to Menu Plan Monday at I’m an Organizing Junkie.

Slowed Cooked Pulled Pork Recipe

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A great pulled pork recipe that works for our family!  You can simply put this in the crock pot,  go about your day and a wonderful meal is waiting for you later in the day.  I love that this recipe isn’t BBQ as it meets the needs of our diabetic family members.  I was looking for new recipes using pork since we had purchased a pig recently and this recipe fit the bill.   This recipe is a keeper and was originally found at Moneywise Moms site!

Slowed Cooked Pulled Pork Recipe
Hubby generally does not like meals cooked in the crockpot, but he loved the flavor of this Pulled Pork!
Ingredients
  • 1 yellow onion, chopped
  • 1/2 cup ketchup
  • 1/4 cup cider vinegar
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
  • 1/4 cup tomato paste
  • 2 Tbsp. sweet paprika
  • 2 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
  • 2 Tbsp. yellow mustard
  • 1 1/4 tsp. coarse salt
  • 1 tsp. black pepper
  • 3-4 lbs. pork roast
Instructions
  1. In a slow-cooker pot, stir onion, ketchup, vinegar, brown sugar, tomato paste, paprika, Worcestershire, mustard, salt, and pepper until combined. Add pork to sauce mixture and turn to coat well with sauce.
  2. Cover slow cooker with lid and cook pork mixture on low setting as manufacturer directs, 8 to 10 hours or until pork is very tender.
  3. With tongs, transfer pork to large bowl. Turn setting on slow cooker to high; cover and heat sauce to boiling to thicken and reduce slightly.
  4. While sauce boils, with 2 forks, pull pork into shreds. Return shredded pork to slow cooker and toss with sauce to combine. Cover slow cooker and heat through on high setting if necessary.

Happy Cooking!

jen

Menu Plan Monday: July 22, 2013

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Menu

July 22 – July 28th, 2013

22nd – Monday -(working late) – Spaghetti with Meat Sauce (Emeals Aldi 489)– Caesar Salad

23rd – Tuesday -(Tuition Bucks) – Easy Baked Penne/ Salad

24th – Wednesday – Holiday Tortellini Soup/ Bread Sticks (Best Loved Recipes –pg 867)

25th – Thursday – (Book Group) – Bruschetta Chicken Bake / Green Beans

26th – Friday – Pizza Bagels / Salad

27th – Saturday – Grilled BBQ Chicken/Baked Potato/ Corn

28th – Sunday – (Camping) – Pizza

Baking: Zucchini Bread – All Recipes pg – 120

For more Menu Planning inspiration stop by and visit Laura at Organizing Junkie and participate in Menu Plan Monday. More menu planning fun can be found at The Organised Housewife.

Wishing you all a wonderful week!!!

Happy Cooking!!

Grilled BBQ Chicken Recipe

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grillingWe love the taste of grilled BBQ chicken, but with bone in chicken it is always a bit more difficult to ensure it is cooked all the way through without over cooking the outside.

Hubby is the official grill master in our home.  He is very good at grilling the chicken to perfection. We love to make our own BBQ sauce, which has become a family favorite!

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Grilled BBQ Chicken
Ingredients
  • 4 Lb chicken parts (we used thighs)
  • BBQ sauce recipe
Instructions
  1. Put a rub like Emril’s Essence on the chicken before baking. Place chicken in container and pour BBQ sauce over your chicken, reserving some of the BBQ sauce for basting. Turn chicken over to coat well. Let marinade at least 30 minutes.
  2. Bake chicken in 375 degree oven for 30 minutes. I struggle with getting chicken fully cooked on the grill so we bake it a bit first.
  3. Preheat outdoor grill for medium-low heat. Spray rack lightly with oil spray to prevent sticking. Place chicken on grill rack and grill about 5 minutes, basting with remaining BBQ sauce as you desire. Turn chicken over and cook on other side about 5 minutes more or until juices run clear.

 

Happy Grilling!

jen

 

 

 

Paul’s Famous Grilled Rib Recipe

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grillingNothing says 4th of July like BBQ ribs!  Each time we make these ribs my hubby seems to tweak the recipe a bit.   This year’s ribs were amazing! Giving credit where credit is due, this website provides excellent information on the fine art of grilling ribs.

We served the ribs with two different sauces this year, Apricot Sauce and Kansas City BBQ.   My favorite personally was the Kansas City BBQ.

We made 20 pounds of ribs and fed 8 people with plenty of leftovers for the next day.   Very nice to not have to cook on the 5th of July!

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Paul’s Famous Grilled Rib Recipe
 
Recipe Type: Grilling,
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 5
Amazing ribs that cook utilizing the Texas Crutch method. (Here’s how: http://www.amazingribs.com/tips_and_technique/texas_crutch.html ) This method involves wrapping the ribs in tin foil to tenderize, moisturize and speed up cooking. We add apple juice to steam in flavor.
Ingredients
  • 5-10 lbs Baby Back Ribs or St. Louis Cut Ribs (here’s how to tell what you’ve got: http://amazingribs.com/recipes/porknography/pork_cuts.html)
  • Seasoning rub of choice (We used Emeril’s Essence Original)
  • Apple Juice
  • 2 Tablespoons Minced Garlic
Instructions
  1. The night before, skin the ribs, (here’s how: http://www.amazingribs.com/tips_and_technique/skin_n_trim.html), and rub them completely with Emeril’s Essence Original seasoning. (Don’t skimp on the rub. 🙂 Cover and refrigerate the ribs to marinate overnight.
  2. Take a broiler pan and fill the bottom section of the broiler pan with 1/4 inch of Apple Juice. Spread around the minced garlic in the apple juice.
  3. On the top section (the part with the slits) lay out your ribs, (taking care not to overlap them.) Cover the pan with foil and fold edges under to seal in the steam as they cook.
  4. Place in a 275 degree oven for 2 ½ to 3 hours.
  5. Remove foil carefully as steam will be hot. Now all the grease is down in the bottom of the pan with the apple juice, the ribs are completely cooked and tender.
  6. Finish ribs on a 275 degree grill for an additional hour.
  7. Sauce ribs and continue to grill for 10 minutes. Add sauce for a second time and continue to grill for another 10 minutes.
 

 

Hope your 4th of July was filled with good food and friends!

Happy Grilling !!

 jen

Simple Alfredo Sauce

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One of our go to meals, when Mom forgot to take out meat, is Alfredo Pasta.  One evening when discovering that we had no jar sauce, I searched the internet for a homemade sauce.   Once I made the homemade sauce, there was no going back.  We may change the overall recipe, but the sauce is always the same!

Simple Alfredo Sauce
 
Recipe Type: Pasta, Sauce
Serves: 8
This is our family go to Alfredo Recipe.
Ingredients
  • 16 ounces uncooked fettuccine
  • 1/2 cup butter, cubed
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 4 cloves of garlic (we like it garlicky)
  • 3 cups heavy whipping cream
  • 1-1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • 2 garlic clove, minced
  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper
  • 2 teaspoon minced fresh parsley
Instructions
  1. •Cook fettuccine according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Sauté onion and garlic until tender. Stir in heavy cream. Bring to a gentle boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 3 minutes, stirring constantly.
  2. • Add cheese, garlic and pepper; cook and stir until heated through. Drain fettuccine; toss with sauce mixture. Sprinkle with parsley.
 

 

Happy Eating!
jen