Meaty Biscuit Cups

(Serves 10 - 2 biscuits cups each)

INGREDIENTS

1 pound 90 % lean hamburger- cooked

1/3 C finely chopped onion

1/3 C barbecue sauce

½ C corn

1 (10 count) can flaky biscuits

Muffin Tin

½ C shredded cheddar cheese

INSTRUCTIONS:

Brown hamburger and onions - drain

Divide each biscuit in half by pulling apart the layers.

Press each half into non-stick muffin tins coated with non-stick spray

Combine Hamburger, Corn and BBQ sauce

Divide the meat mixture evenly into the muffin tins

 Double wrap and attach serving label (If freezing)

SERVING INSTRUCTIONS:

THAW Completely!

Bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes

Remove from oven and sprinkle each cup with cheese. Return to oven and bake an additional few minutes until cheese is melted.

Rigatoni Bolognese

This is SO GOOD. If you make it, you will look like a culinary master! :)

This recipe is adapted from the Wei.ght Watch.ers Pure Com.fort cookbook. It's a favorite of ours - a must-make at least once a month. It's a really flexible recipe - you can leave out the veggies if you don't like them (we never add the carrots), or add in others for a new taste.

Ingredients:
2 tsp olive oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 celery stalk, finely chopped
1 carrot, finely chopped
1/2 lb ground lean beef (5% fat or less) or ground turkey
1 (28 oz) can diced tomatoes
2 T dried parsley
1/4 C beef broth or dry red wine
1/4 tsp salt
ground black pepper
2 C rigatoni
1/4 C Parmesan cheese

optional ingredients (we usually add these in, but the points value given below doesn't include them so you'll have to adjust the points value accordingly)
1/2 lb bulk Italian sausage
small can mushrooms, drained
small can sliced or chopped olives, drained
dried basil

1) Heat the oil in a large nonstick pan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring frequently, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the celery, carrot, and garlic; cook, stirring frequently, until the vegetables are softened, about 5 minutes. Add the beef (and sausage if you choose to have it) and cook until brown, about 5 minutes, breaking it apart as it cooks. Stir in the tomatoes, parsley, wine/broth, salt, and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until bubbly, about 5 minutes. Reduce the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until thickened, about 45 minutes.

2) Meanwhile, cook the rigatoni according to package directions. Drain and add pasta to sauce mixture. Continue cooking for about 5 minutes until sauce cooks into the pasta a bit. Sprinkle with the cheese and serve.

Point info (does not include optional ingredients):
6 points per serving
serving = 1 1/2 C with 1 T cheese

You can also make the sauce portion ahead of time and freeze it and it's ready to go when you reheat and add the cooked pasta.

Mac & Cheese Soup

Who doesn't love Mac & Cheese and this was so freaking easy! Recipe from Food Network with a few changes.

Ingredients

• Kosher salt
• 4 ounces elbow macaroni (1 cup)
• Cooking spray
• Freshly ground pepper
• 3 shallots (I used green onions)
• 1 carrot, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 stalk celery, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 3 3/4 cups fat-free low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 1/4 cups 2% milk
• 6 ounces shredded cheddar cheese (about 1 1/2 cups)
• 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

Directions

Cook macaroni as directed. Drain and set aside. (I had this cooking at the same time as the broth)

Mince the shallots, carrot and celery in a food processor. Mist a saucepan with cooking spray.

Add the vegetables and cook over medium-high heat until softened, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the flour and cook, stirring, 2 minutes.

Gradually stir in the broth and bring to a boil; cook, stirring, until thickened, 6 to 7 minutes.

Remove from the heat.

Add the milk, cheeses and macaroni and stir until the cheeses melt. Season with pepper.

Per serving: Calories 476; Fat 20 g (Saturated 12 g); Cholesterol 84 mg; Sodium 636 mg; Carbohydrate 46 g; Fiber 2 g; Protein 27 g

*This was REALLY yummy - it could use more of a "kick" though - some kind of spice, even just crushed red pepper, could really liven it up!
I served it with home-made chicken fingers and fruit.

lasagna

This is a family favorite recipe, it's so good and completely easy to make. I so don't know exact measurements on most of this stuff, but it's fool-proof I promise.

*Note: I use 1 lb of ground beef for my little fam, but if we're making it for company, I'll use 2 lbs. It's easy to add a bit more of the additional ingredients to stretch it.

What you need:
1 lb. uncooked ground beef
1/4 C chopped onion
1 normal size jar spaghetti sauce
uncooked lasagna noodles - 6 is usually fine for the smaller version, I'll use 9 noodles for a 9x13 pan
1 (ish) C Cottage Cheese (I suppose you could use Ricotta, I never have)
2 (ish) C shredded mozzarella, divided

Optional (chopped):
mushrooms
green peppers
black olives

What you'll do:
Brown the ground beef and onion in a skillet. Meanwhile, cook lasagna according to package directions. You can take it out a couple minutes early if you want, the noodles will finish cooking in the oven. In a small bowl, combine the cottage cheese with about 1 cup of the mozzarella. Obviously, increase or decrease the cheeses to your own liking, but it should be mixed well and not too wet/not too dry. When the meat is browned, drain the grease and add in your spaghetti sauce and any of your optional veggie mix-ins.

Spray an 8x8" pan with non-stick cooking spray. Spread a spoonful of the meat mixture in the pan. Place one layer of noodles in the pan (you will need to cut 4ish inches off the noodles so they fit an 8x8). Spread 1/2 the cheese mixture on top of the noodles. Spread 1/2 the meat mixture on the cheese. Repeat the noodle, cheese, meat process once more. You will have the meat mixture as your top layer. Sprinkle the remaining mozzarella on top of the meat mixture.

Bake at 375 degrees for 20-30 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the edges are bubbly.

taco pizza

We have a regional chain here, Godfather's Pizza, who makes our favorite pizza, which just happens to be taco pizza. The best part about this taco pizza is that there's no refried beans to be found - something that my picky husband refuses to eat. Sparked by a craving, I concocted my own taco pizza and think it rivals the original!

What you'll need:
dough:

• 10 fluid ounces warm water
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons active dry yeast

topping:

• 1 small can tomato paste
• 1 Cup taco sauce, approx. (spiciness depending on your taste, we used mild)
• 1+ T chili powder
• 2+ tsp ground cumin
• 1 lb ground beef
• 1 small onion, diced
• 1 small can chopped green chilies, optional
• 2+ C monterey jack or Mexican combo cheese, divided
• 1+ C cheddar cheese, optional
• shredded lettuce, optional
• chopped tomatoes, optional
• sliced black olives, optional
• sour cream, optional
• additional taco sauce, optional

What you'll do:

Making the dough in a bread machine is easiest, but you could do it by hand also. Into the bread machine, dump in this order: water, salt, oil, flour, and yeast. Meanwhile, combine the tomato paste, 1 C taco sauce, chili powder, and ground cumin. You can add more sauce if you want the sauce thinner or spicier; you can add additional chili powder for more spiciness, and more cumin for a more robust flavor.

Add the ground beef, onion, and green chilies to a skillet, season with salt and pepper, and cook until beef is brown. Drain the beef mixture.

When the dough finishes, pat it out on your greased pan(s) (if it's sticky, use some flour on your fingers). I used a rimmed 15x10 cookie sheet for a deeper dish crust, but you could spread it out more thinly and do two pizza rounds. Spread with the taco sauce mixture to your liking (you may have extra sauce). Sprinkle sauce with 1/4 C monterey jack cheese. Top with beef mixture. Add remaining monterey jack cheese. Bake at 400 degrees for 20-25min for a thicker crust, 15-20 min for two thin crusts. Pizza will be done when the edges are golden brown.

Serve with sour cream and sprinkled with cheddar cheese, tomatoes, lettuce, olives, and additional taco sauce, if desired.

Poppy Seed Chicken

Who doesn't love a casserole covered in buttery Ritz crackers?

Ingredients:
5 cups chopped cooked chicken
(1) 10.5 oz can condensed cream of chicken soup
1 cup sour cream
1.5 cups crushed Ritz (I use 1.5 sleeves)
1 tsp poppy seeds (rumor is it's just as good without them, and they're kind of pricey)
1/2 cup butter, melted

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
2. Place the chicken into a 9x13" baking dish. In a medium bowl, stir together, the condensed soup and sour cream. Pour over the chicken. In a separate bowl, stir together the crushed crackers, poppy seeds and melted butter. Sprinkle over the chicken and sauce.
3. Bake for 30 minutes , or until the top of the casserole is browned and the sauce is bubbly.

We like it served with rice!

Cottage Pie

This is what we're eating for dinner tonight. It's in my Don't Panic - Dinner's in the Freezer book, so it's meant for making in large batches and freezing. It's a bit more labor intensive than the other meals I make to freeze, because of the mashed potatoes, but it's worth it!

Cottage Pie
Ingredients (for a single batch)
1 1/4 lb lean ground beef
1 cup onion, chopped
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
(1) 15-oz can green beans or corn, drained (I use corn)
(1) 10.5 oz can tomato soup, undiluted
1/2 cup mild or medium picante sauce
4 cups mashed potatoes
1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese, grated

brown ground beef with onion. Add seasonings. Drain off excess grease from ground beef, and spread evenly in a casserole dish. Layer vegetables on top of beef, followed by tomato soup and picante sauce. Top with mashed potatoes. Sprinkle with cheese. Freeze, using plastic wrap and foil. OR bake at 350 degrees for 30-45 minutes, or until heated through.

Note: I first tried these in foil "cake pans" but they were not deep enough to hold all of the layers. I switched to round 3-quart foil pans this time, and they were perfect.

sloppy joes - ish

I like regular (tomatoey) sloppy joes and all, but sometimes they're just too... saucy? for me. I love love the zip and flavor of this version! I wanted to lick the pan when they were gone. This recipe is easily double-able, have the rest for leftovers or freeze it!

You'll need:

1 pound ground beef
small onion, chopped
1 (10.75 oz) can chicken gumbo soup
2 T ketchup
1 T mustard
1 1/4 C water
salt and pepper to taste

What you'll do:
Brown the ground beef with onion in a large skillet. Drain any fat off beef. Add soup, ketchup, mustard, water, and salt and pepper, stir. Simmer over medium heat for an hour or until liquid is absorbed. Serve on buns as a sandwich or open faced.

pulled pork sandwiches

I'm a fan of easy, are you? A meal doesn't get any easier than this!

Our local grocer had pork roasts (it could have been a shoulder roast? I'm not sure, I never pay attention) on sale the other day, so I picked one up, and was craving some pulled pork sandwiches! These are by far the best I've ever had, just in terms of juicy, tender meat. I was nervous to try this because I thought the soda would flavor the meat, and it didn't whatsoever.

What you'll need:
Pork roast (you can go big or small, whatever fits your occasion)
Root beer (1-2 cans depending on how big your roast is)
Your favorite BBQ sauce (mine is DEFINITELY Swe.et Ba.by Rays, j likes Cook.ies)

What you'll do:
Put the roast in a crockpot. Pour enough root beer over the roast that the soda comes several inches up the sides of the roast - the roast doesn't need to be completely covered with soda. Cook on low for 6-8 hours. Remove the roast from the crockpot and drain the liquid. Shread the meat (it will fall apart). Put the meat back in the crockpot on the "Keep Warm" setting, and add a bottle of your favorite BBQ sauce. It's ready to eat as soon as the sauce is heated. Serve on buns.

YUM!

Crockpot Chicken

Suzy requested this recipe for the blog, and I'm happy to add it, it's SOOOO good. Seriously. So good.

Original recipe

You'll Need:

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 (.7 ounce) package dry Italian-style salad dressing mix
• 1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed golden mushroom soup (or I used cream of mushroom soup)
• 1 (8 ounce) container chive and onion cream cheese
• 1/2 cup dry white wine (or chicken broth, I used broth)
• 4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

Directions

1.Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat, and stir in the salad dressing mix, mushroom soup, cream cheese, and wine until the sauce mixture is hot, smooth and well combined. Place the chicken breasts into the bottom of a slow cooker, and pour the sauce mixture over the chicken. Cover and cook on Low setting until chicken is tender, about 4 hours.

My notes:

• If you want to save on calories, skip the cream cheese entirely and just use 8oz fat free sour cream
• If you add more than 4 chicken breasts, just add a little milk to the sauce to thin it a bit
• We had this over egg noodles, YUM!

Colorado White Chili

This recipe is from "Don't Panic: Dinner's in the Freezer." It's meant for cooking large batches of recipes and freezing them. I usually make at least a triple batch of this recipe for freezing, but I'll list the original recipe here.

Ingredients:
1 Tbs cooking oil
1 medium onion (1/2 cup, chopped)
4 large cloves garlic, chopped
(1) 4.5 oz diced green chilies (mild or hot)
1 Tbs. cumin (powder or seed)
2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp ground red pepper
1/4 tsp ground cloves
(1) 15.5 oz can great northern beans (do not drain)
(1) 15.5 oz can sweet corn (or frozen)
2 cups cooked chicken, chopped
5 cups chicken broth

Toppings:
Shredded cheese
sour cream
tortilla chips

Cooking instructions:
In a large pan, combine oil, onion, garlic, and green chilies. Saute until tender, but do not brown. Stir in spices, beans, corn, chopped chicken and chicken broth. Cook and stir until heated through. Adjust seasonings to taste.

Serve in bowls with desired toppings (we crush the chips and then sprinkle with cheese, and dollop of sour cream!)

Notes:
When tripling this batch, I do not triple either the chilies or the red pepper, and it is just about the perfect amount of spice for us. This is a great recipe to use crock-pot chicken in. I cooked 6 chicken breasts in a crock-pot on high for 6 hours, let cool, and then it shredded really easily to add to the soup.

Spaghetti & Meatballs

I use jarred spaghetti sauce because I love this brand and flavor more than any homemade I've EVER had. You can substitute any sauce you like. This recipe focuses on the meatballs.

Servings: 6

Ingredients

* 1 pound(s) uncooked lean ground beef (with 7% fat
* 3 clove(s) garlic clove(s), minced
* 1/4 cup(s) Better'N Eggs (or 1 egg)
* 1/3 cup(s) Italian Breadcrumbs
* 3 Tbsp Grated Parmesan & Romano cheese blend
* 1/4 tsp table salt
* 24 oz Classico Traditional Sweet Basil Spaghetti Sauce
* 6 oz Barilla Plus Thin spaghetti

Instructions

Mix all ingredients except sauce and pasta. Form into 30 meatballs (about 1" each) and cook until browned. Add sauce and simmer until meatballs are cooked through, about 20 minutes.

Cook spaghetti according to package directions.

Mix and serve! I love this with a good salad and maybe some crusty bread.

(and if you're interested, each serving is 6 points)

Turkey Meatloaf

I'm not a huge meatloaf fan, but after another blogger posted something on Twitter about a great meatloaf she made I thought I would try on. She sent me the recipe, but it had way more ingredients than I have around my house so I did a search on-line for one. The one I ended up with was phenomenal and I have been craving it everyday since making it. I didn't follow the recipe exactly as the onion I had in my house had gone bad (I just sprinkled a boatload of dried onion flakes). I also sprinkled a little Italian seasoning and some dried cilantro.Next time I will probably add some finely chopped veggies just to get some more into my son since he has become so picky. I think I'm adding this too a weekly rotation until I'm sick of it!

Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large onion, chopped (1 1/2 cups)
2 garlic cloves, minced
3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon pepper, divided
1 1/2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1/3 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
3 tablespoons ketchup, divided
1 3/4 pounds ground turkey, 97% lean
3/4 cup dry breadcrumbs
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 large egg white, lightly beaten

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 375°. Heat oil in medium skillet over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring frequently, until soft, about 5 minutes. Add garlic, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper; cook, stirring, 1 minute. Stir in Worcestershire sauce, broth, and 1 tablespoon ketchup; transfer mixture to a large bowl, and cool.

2. Add turkey, breadcrumbs, egg, egg white, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper to mixture in bowl, and mix well. (Mixture will be very moist.)

3. Cover a baking sheet with aluminum foil, and coat lightly with cooking spray. Form the turkey mixture into a loaf, and place on the pan. Brush meatloaf evenly with remaining 2 tablespoons ketchup. Bake 1 hour or until thermometer inserted into center registers 170°. Let meatloaf stand 5 minutes before serving.

Two Day Pulled Pork BBQ

This is my favorite BBQ recipe of. all. time!  I get rave review from everyone that tries it and it's the only pulled pork BBQ my husband wants anymore.

Ingredients:

• Bone-in Boston Butt (size of the cut depends on the amount of BBQ you want) - make sure it can fit in your slow cooker.
• Your favorite pork BBQ sauce (I use Maurices Original BBQ Sauce)
• Rosemary, Thyme, Sage, & Salt to taste

Day 1: Preheat your oven to 325 degrees.  Place the roast fat side down in a shallow roasting pan.  Rub the seasonings onto the meat*.  Roast for 45 minutes per pound or until a thermometer reads 185 degrees.  Allow to cool on the counter, then cover and refrigerate overnight.

Day 2: Peel off all visible fat and place the roast into your slow cooker. Add 1 cup of water. Cover and set to low. Cook 4-6 hours or until the meat can be shredded easily with a fork.  I usually pull the bone out after a few hours and stir it up some. When mine is done I can literally stir it with a large spoon to shred it.

In my house we eat this on rolls with sauce and slaw.  Yum!!!

*Use your best judgment and your sniffer when adding the spices. You can always add more, but taking them off can be a huge pain.

Slow Cooker Lasagna

I just tried this recipe today and it was yummy!  Tim especially liked it.

Servings: 6
Preparation Time: 20 min
Cooking Time: 4-6 hours
Level of Difficulty: Easy

No need to cook the noodles first or stay home while it bakes. Just let it sit a few minutes before serving so it can firm up a bit.

Ingredients
1 pound uncooked lean ground beef
1 small onion, chopped
1 medium garlic clove, minced
28 oz canned crushed tomatoes
15 oz canned tomato sauce
1 tsp table salt
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried basil
1 cup part-skim ricotta cheese1 1/2 cups part-skim mozzarella cheese, shredded, divided
6 lasagna noodles,uncooked
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese, strong-flavored like Romano or Parmigiano Reggiano

Instructions
Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add beef, onion and garlic; cook, stirring frequently, breaking up meat with a wooden spoon as it cooks, about 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, salt, oregano, and basil; simmer 5 minutes to allow flavors to blend.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, stir together ricotta cheese and 1 cup of mozzarella
cheese.

Spoon 1/3 of beef mixture into a 5-quart slow cooker. Break 3 lasagna sheets in half and arrange over beef mixture; top with half of ricotta mixture. Repeat with another layer and finish with remaining 1/3 of beef mixture.

Cover slow cooker and cook on low setting for 4 to 6 hours. Remove cover; turn off heat and season to taste, if desired.

In a small bowl, combine remaining 1/2 cup of mozzarella cheese and Parmesan cheese; sprinkle over beef mixture. Cover and set aside until cheese melts and lasagna firms up, about 10 minutes. Yields 1/6th of dish per serving.

Spanish Shrimp

j and I are on a quest to eat healthier, yet we won't sacrifice flavor in the process (or I just end up completely unsatisfied and wanting a vat of ice cream). I recently subscribed to Cooking Light magazine and I'm loving all the deliciousness so far! We tried this one last night, and it's a keeper - sooooo good and so easy!

Recipe here

We ate it over rice with corn on the side - enjoy!

good ol' chili

I learned how to make this from my mom. There's really not an exact recipe, but it comes out delicious every time! I usually dump in whatever I have on hand and leave out what I don't.

You'll need:
ground beef - 1-2 lbs (ground turkey works too)
1 big (28oz?) can diced tomatoes
1 (14oz?) can tomato sauce
3-8 tablespoons chili powder, in the bottle
2-4 teaspoons ground cumin
beans -  I usually do at least one can of chili beans and one can of kidney beans, but I've been known to add great northern or even a can of pork 'n beans from time to time.

Optional - add one item or add it all:
1 (10.5oz) can Rotel
1 small can diced green chilies
1 cup salsa

To make it:
1) Brown the ground beef
2) Dump everything except the spices in a pot or crock pot, mix together.
3) Start with the smallest amount of spices and mix those in.
4) Allow the chili to cook for a bit - once it's hot, taste test and add more chili powder if you want more heat. Add more cumin to taste.
5) Simmer on the stove for up to an hour or in crock pot on low all afternoon. The longer it cooks, the better it tastes!

** you may add more tomato sauce or water if you like a thinner consistency

Serve with shredded cheese and cinnamon rolls! :)

Paint's Chicken

This rich and creamy chicken dishes is one of my favorites! You can easily make as much or as little as you need.

Ingredients:

• 1lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, pounded 1/2" thick
• Garlic salt to taste
• 4 slices bacon, uncooked
• 1/2 onion, sliced
• 1 can cream of mushroom soup
• 8 oz sour cream
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 1 tbs dried parsley
• 4 slices provolone cheese (or white cheese of your choice)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375
2. Spray baking dish with non-stick spray
3. Lay chicken breasts in dish. Cover with bacon then onion slices.
4. Bake at 375 for 45 minutes
5. While chicken is baking, mix soup, sour cream, lemon juice, and parsley
6. Drain grease from the chicken
7. Lay cheese slices on top of onions then pour soup mixture on top
8. Bake at 350 until bubbly, approximately 25 minutes
9. Serve over pasta

I serve these over wide egg noodles. Enjoy!

Taco Pockets

1 1/3 pounds ground sirloin or ground turkey breast
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tablespoon (a palmful) ground cumin
1 tablespoon, (a palmful) dark chili powder
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper sauce
1 teaspoon (1/3 palmful) coarse salt,
1 tablespoon (1 turn around the pan) vegetable oil,
4(12-inch diameter) soft flour tortillas
1 cup mild taco sauce
1 heart of romaine lettuce, shredded
2 small plum tomatoes, seeded and chopped
2 cups shredded monterey jack

Directions

Combine ground meat with onion, garlic, spices, and salt and form 4 patties. Pan fry patties in 1 tablespoon oil over medium high heat for 7 minutes on each side.

To make a taco pocket, blister a flour tortilla on a hot griddle pan for 30 seconds on each side. Place tortilla on dinner plate and spread surface with 1 /4 cup mild taco sauce. Pile shredded lettuce, tomatoes and a handful of cheese in center of tortilla. Top veggies and cheese with cooked taco burger patty and wrap tortilla up and over patty on all four sides. Turn square pouch over and cut from corner to corner, making 2 taco pockets that will not crumble and drip like traditional tacos.

I found this recipe on the Food Network. It's one of Rachel Ray's 30 minute meal recipes.

Grilled Pork Chops with Italian Dressing Marinade

I don't know if this quite constitutes a recipe, it's only 2 ingredients, but it's SO good. We have these often! And if we buy an economy pack of pork chops we'll put them with the dressing and then Food Saver them for next time!

You need:
pork chops
Italian dressing

Place the pork chops in a bowl and pour the marinade over them. Cover and refrigerate for several hours or over night, turning/stirring the pork chops every few hours. Grill the chops and enjoy!