For the longest time I refused to eat Mac n cheese. While I was married to my first husband it was a daily staple. In his eyes you could have it for dinner everynite, just change it up. There was the little smokies, a can of chilli, hot dogs, and tuna. There were more but I cant remember (selective memory).
But the other day I was perusing my cupboards and found a box and thought, hmmm, what the heck. One of my favorite concoctions was always the tuna and peas. Great for lunch, get your vitamins, and easy to fix. So I thought today I would share the recipe (not that it's hard to figure out). I think i'm going to fix this for lunch tomorrow.
Ingredients
1 box mac and cheese
1 can tuna
1 can sweet pease (drained)
1. Fix mac and cheese as directed on box. Add drained can of tuna and peas. Let simmer for a few minutes. (I prefer this cold, so i'll fix it and store in fridge for a few hours).
Wednesday, January 31, 2007
Tuesday, January 30, 2007
Taco Burgers
Tonite we had two of my nephews over for dinner, Ian who's 8 and Michael who's 11. I had opted for a cheat nite of hamburger helper stroganoff. (besides having a horrible day at work, I got my first tattoo 3 days ago and my back is still killing me) Vinnie, on the other hand, had a bigger appetite. The rule in our house if you dont want what I have planned then you either have to cook or buy whatever it is that you want. (I got tired of planning a two week menu and having half of the food spoil because it wasnt what he wanted to eat). What a sweetheart I have that he stopped by the store on the way home and bought the ingredients. (I'm being nice because he also bought the ingredients for a fuzzy navel. Ahhh... I can hear the bubble bath calling me now).
So he was in the mood for taco burgers. Now of course this meal isnt complete without the story of when I first cooked them. We had been together about 4 months and he said 'i'm in the mood for taco burgers'. I had never heard of them before but figured heck how difficult could they be? So off I go to the kitchen and start cooking. I'm about done when Vinnie comes in and was like what the heck are you doing? Um... cooking? I guess I had a blonde moment in the planning department, and instead of cooking HAMBURGERS I had ground up the meat, like for a taco. Oh so you meant taco BURGERS, not TACO burgers. Sooooo... needless to say I didnt try to put the meat on a hamburger bun. So now everytime we have this meal Vinnie has to recount this story. I think for him it was an insite as to what to expect from me in the kitchen.
Serves 5 (me and 4 hungry boys/men)
Ingredients
3 lbs hamburger meat
3 packages taco seasoning
3 avacados
2 packages quacamole mix
1 block colby jack cheese
1 onion, chopped
1 tomato, sliced
ketchup, mustard
hamburger buns
corn chips
1. In a bowl mix together the hamburger meat, taco seasoning and onions until well mixed. Form into patties and cook in skillet til done.
2. Mix quacamole mix as according to package directions.
3. Serve burgers with sliced cheese, quac, and tomatoes. Let everyone fix burgers as they choose. (i like yellow mustard, cheese, quac and a tomato on mine, ian had his with ketchup, michael plain, and both Vinnie and Tony had theirs the same as mine minus the mustard)
So he was in the mood for taco burgers. Now of course this meal isnt complete without the story of when I first cooked them. We had been together about 4 months and he said 'i'm in the mood for taco burgers'. I had never heard of them before but figured heck how difficult could they be? So off I go to the kitchen and start cooking. I'm about done when Vinnie comes in and was like what the heck are you doing? Um... cooking? I guess I had a blonde moment in the planning department, and instead of cooking HAMBURGERS I had ground up the meat, like for a taco. Oh so you meant taco BURGERS, not TACO burgers. Sooooo... needless to say I didnt try to put the meat on a hamburger bun. So now everytime we have this meal Vinnie has to recount this story. I think for him it was an insite as to what to expect from me in the kitchen.
Serves 5 (me and 4 hungry boys/men)
Ingredients
3 lbs hamburger meat
3 packages taco seasoning
3 avacados
2 packages quacamole mix
1 block colby jack cheese
1 onion, chopped
1 tomato, sliced
ketchup, mustard
hamburger buns
corn chips
1. In a bowl mix together the hamburger meat, taco seasoning and onions until well mixed. Form into patties and cook in skillet til done.
2. Mix quacamole mix as according to package directions.
3. Serve burgers with sliced cheese, quac, and tomatoes. Let everyone fix burgers as they choose. (i like yellow mustard, cheese, quac and a tomato on mine, ian had his with ketchup, michael plain, and both Vinnie and Tony had theirs the same as mine minus the mustard)
Source of Creamy Chicken and Noodles
I recieved a comment regarding the Creamy Chicken and Noodles. Carol said that if you go to the gooseberrypatch.com, they have a reference section where you can look up recipes. This recipe was in Jolly Holidays Cookbook page 130. I had no idea you could look these up. Super cool. Thanks Carol.
Bar B Q Pork Chops
I got this recipe from my grandmother, and is one of my favorite. I remember eating these as a kid and fighting over the last one. They're very simple and cheap. In fact i've been told they were 'hillbilly' pork chops, mostly becasue i've always referred to them as 'ketchup pork chops'. I guess that just doesnt sound too appetizing to most people. It wasnt until i was dating a japanese guy who tasted them and said 'it's homemade bar-b-q'. Yay! Now when I say i'm making these no one is like 'uh what?'.
They cheap (the best part), sweet and tangy, and go great with mashed potatoes, cream corn, and buttermilk biscuits.
Serves 4
Ingredients
4 pork chops
2 cups ketchup
1 cup brown sugar
1 lemon sliced
Olive oil
1. Preheat oven to 375. Line Baking sheet with tin foil.
2. Gently rub the pork chops with the olive oil. Use just a drop for each one. (The oil makes the meat jucier).
3. In a bowl mix the ketchup and brown sugar. Slice the lemons. Totally coat the pork chops in the ketchup mixture, place on the baking sheet, and top with a slice of lemon.
4. Cook for 45 minutes.
They cheap (the best part), sweet and tangy, and go great with mashed potatoes, cream corn, and buttermilk biscuits.
Serves 4
Ingredients
4 pork chops
2 cups ketchup
1 cup brown sugar
1 lemon sliced
Olive oil
1. Preheat oven to 375. Line Baking sheet with tin foil.
2. Gently rub the pork chops with the olive oil. Use just a drop for each one. (The oil makes the meat jucier).
3. In a bowl mix the ketchup and brown sugar. Slice the lemons. Totally coat the pork chops in the ketchup mixture, place on the baking sheet, and top with a slice of lemon.
4. Cook for 45 minutes.
Sunday, January 28, 2007
Creamy Chicken and Noodles
I think I got this recipe out of a Gooseberry Patch Cookbook, altho I dont remember which one. It's very yummy, great on a cold day, pretty quick and easy to fix. I didnt fix any sides to go with it, just this and some crescent rolls.
Serves 4
Ingredients
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cubed
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 Tbs olive oil
10 3/4 oz can cream of chicken soup
1/2 cup mayo
1/4 cup milk
1/4 tsp dried rosemary (crushed)
1 tsp poultry seasoning
4 oz can mushrooms, drained
salt and pepper
1/8 tsp dried parsely
egg noodles
1. Saute the chicken and garlin in the oil until the juices of the chicken run clear when pierced with a fork.
2. Add the remaining ingredients (except the egg noodles) and stir. Heat until Hot.
3. Cover and let simmer while you cook the egg noodles. Dont forget to stir the chicken. When the noodles are done, add to the chicken,let sit for a few more minutes and done.
Serves 4
Ingredients
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cubed
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 Tbs olive oil
10 3/4 oz can cream of chicken soup
1/2 cup mayo
1/4 cup milk
1/4 tsp dried rosemary (crushed)
1 tsp poultry seasoning
4 oz can mushrooms, drained
salt and pepper
1/8 tsp dried parsely
egg noodles
1. Saute the chicken and garlin in the oil until the juices of the chicken run clear when pierced with a fork.
2. Add the remaining ingredients (except the egg noodles) and stir. Heat until Hot.
3. Cover and let simmer while you cook the egg noodles. Dont forget to stir the chicken. When the noodles are done, add to the chicken,let sit for a few more minutes and done.
Friday, January 26, 2007
Quickie Ham
I love having a ham dinner. With all the fixings of course. But i never have time during the week, so i started doing this just to have a nice dinner that wasnt hamburger helper.
And yes, this is my original recipe.
Serves 2-4
Ingredients
2 large ham steaks (no bone)
2 cans coke
1 cup brown sugar
1 tbs ground cloves
1. Slice ham steaks into smaller pieces. In a bowl mix the other 3 ingredients. Place ham in a baking dish (i use a 8x8 metal pan). Pour coke mixture on top and stick in fridge. This is better the longer you marinade it, (dont forget to occasionally stir to make sure they all get well soaked), but i have done it in as little as 45 minutes and it was still good.
2. When ready to cook, cover dish with tin foil and bake for 45 minutes at 375'.
And yes, this is my original recipe.
Serves 2-4
Ingredients
2 large ham steaks (no bone)
2 cans coke
1 cup brown sugar
1 tbs ground cloves
1. Slice ham steaks into smaller pieces. In a bowl mix the other 3 ingredients. Place ham in a baking dish (i use a 8x8 metal pan). Pour coke mixture on top and stick in fridge. This is better the longer you marinade it, (dont forget to occasionally stir to make sure they all get well soaked), but i have done it in as little as 45 minutes and it was still good.
2. When ready to cook, cover dish with tin foil and bake for 45 minutes at 375'.
Thursday, January 25, 2007
Snicker Brownies
These brownies are super easy to make, cheap, and quick. The big 3. I found this recipe in a cookbook that i got at Borders bookstore, on one of their bargain books racks. It's "Everyone's first cookbook" , no author, by Mud Puddle Books.
Personally, I dont like these, simply because of the snickers. I love snickers, but since these have to go into the oven they melt (duh), and i cant stand cooked peanuts. Nothing grosses me out more. Well, maybe coffee. But i do love that these take like 3 minutes to prepare the batter, 30 minutes in the oven, and everyone else seems to love them. I make a 9x13 inch pan and it's gone in two days, and that's without my help.
Ingredients
2 (18 oz each) box german chocolate cake mix
3 sticks butter, melted
1 cup evaporated milk
2 king size snicker bars, cut into small slices
1. Preheat the oven to 350'. In a large bowl, mix all of the ingredients except the candy bars. Mix well until well blended. It's gonna be kind of gooey. Pour half of the batter into a greased, floured 9x13 inch bakin gpan. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove and place the candy bar slices evely over the brownies. Spread the remaining batter over top, and cook for another 25-30 minutes. (If you stick a toothpick in the middle to check for doneness, dont mistake the melted chocolate candy for brownie batter, like i did the first time).
Personally, I dont like these, simply because of the snickers. I love snickers, but since these have to go into the oven they melt (duh), and i cant stand cooked peanuts. Nothing grosses me out more. Well, maybe coffee. But i do love that these take like 3 minutes to prepare the batter, 30 minutes in the oven, and everyone else seems to love them. I make a 9x13 inch pan and it's gone in two days, and that's without my help.
Ingredients
2 (18 oz each) box german chocolate cake mix
3 sticks butter, melted
1 cup evaporated milk
2 king size snicker bars, cut into small slices
1. Preheat the oven to 350'. In a large bowl, mix all of the ingredients except the candy bars. Mix well until well blended. It's gonna be kind of gooey. Pour half of the batter into a greased, floured 9x13 inch bakin gpan. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove and place the candy bar slices evely over the brownies. Spread the remaining batter over top, and cook for another 25-30 minutes. (If you stick a toothpick in the middle to check for doneness, dont mistake the melted chocolate candy for brownie batter, like i did the first time).
Wednesday, January 24, 2007
Italian Bake Pork Chops
I got this recipe from one of Sandra Lee's Semi Homemade cookbooks. Now, I cant stand to watch this woman on tv, something about her just bugs the crap out of me, but I have found a few good recipes in her cookbooks.
This recipe is great for those nites where you're strapped for time. It takes less than 5 minutes to prepare, and while it's in the oven I fix some instant potatoes, veggies, crescent rolls, and toss a salad from the bag to the bowl. Nice and easy.
Serves 4
Ingredients
1 tbs dijon mustard
1 tbs olive oil
1/2 tsp italian seasoning
4 pork chops
salt and pepper
1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese
1. Preheat the oven to 400'. Line a baking sheet with tin foil.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together the mustard, oil, and italian seasoning. Smear mixture on both sides, season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle a pinch or two of cheese on both sides and press into pork chops. Place on baking sheet and bake for 25 mintues.
This recipe is great for those nites where you're strapped for time. It takes less than 5 minutes to prepare, and while it's in the oven I fix some instant potatoes, veggies, crescent rolls, and toss a salad from the bag to the bowl. Nice and easy.
Serves 4
Ingredients
1 tbs dijon mustard
1 tbs olive oil
1/2 tsp italian seasoning
4 pork chops
salt and pepper
1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese
1. Preheat the oven to 400'. Line a baking sheet with tin foil.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together the mustard, oil, and italian seasoning. Smear mixture on both sides, season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle a pinch or two of cheese on both sides and press into pork chops. Place on baking sheet and bake for 25 mintues.
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