Meatballs

My kids love meatballs. These are my favorite. (I have to chop the spinach up to hide it from my kid who doesn't eat cooked veggies).

1 lb lean ground beef
1 pkg frozen spinach, thawed, well drained (or finely chopped fresh spinach)
1/2 cup seasoned dry bread crumbs
2 gloves minced garlic
1 egg
3/4 cup shredded italian three cheese blend
2 tbsp parmesan cheese


Mix together, then shape into 18 meatballs, using about 2 tbsp for each. Place in pan sprayed with cooking spray. Cook at 375 for 15mins. or until at 160 degrees.

Yummy Chili

We had our annual Ward Barn Dance and Chili cookoff. This was my favorite. I hope you enjoy it.

1lb ground beef
1lb ground pork sausage
1 packet chili seasonings
1/2 diced onion
1 diced green bell pepper
1 diced red bell pepper
3 cloves diced garlic
1 can petite diced tomatoes w/jalapeno
1 can petite diced tomatoes w/chilies and onion
1 can tomato sauce
1 can pinto beans
1 can kidney beans
1 can northern beans

saute onion and peppers and garlic in a little olive oil until tender brown meats then add chili seasoning. add rest of ingredients and let simmer for 30 min stirring occasionally.

White Chicken Chili

Chad is such a lover of white chicken chili. I have been trying different recipes and this is my favorite so far. It's also very easy. It's not to spicy for the younger crowd but you can definetely tweek the recipe so it could be.

1 tbsp canola oil
1 large onion chopped
1 lb boneless skinless chcken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces
3 cans chicken broth
2 cans cannellini beans, drained (couldn't find them so I used white beans and G. Northern beans)
1 can chopped green chilies (you can add 1 more can for a little more spice)
1 tsp dried oregano leaves
1/2 tsp ground cumin
(can add a dash of cayenne if you like)
1 1/2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
Chopped Cilantro (did you know you can buy dried cilantro? I love it)

In 4 qrt sauce pan or dutch oven heat oil over med-high. Add onion, garlic and chicken. Cook and stir until chicken isn't pink. Add remaining ingredients except Cheese. (I used dried cilantro so I added it with rest.) If using fresh wait till you add the cheese. Heat to boiling and then reduce heat and simmer 10 -15 mins, stirring occasionally. Add cheese and cilantro, stir until cheese is melted and enjoy with some tortilla chips or a flour tortilla.

Fettucine Alfredo w/ Chicken

Fettucine

1 pound fettucine noodles

2 tbsp butter

1 pint heavy whipping cream

1 tsp salt

1 pinch black pepper

8 oz (I just did a few chicken breasts) cooked and diced

1/2 cup parmesan cheese

1/2 cups fresh or frozen sweet peas

Cook pasta according to directions, don't add salt or oil.

In large saucepan slice off 2 tbsp butter. Melt over medium heat. Add the full pint of cream and simmer. Once starts to simmer sprinkle the salt and simmer again for 2 minutes. Then add the black pepper and chicken. Stir and simmer for 3 minutes. Sprinkle the parmesan cheese in and stir. Turn off heat and add in peas. Drain fettucine (reserve 1/2 cup of water). Then combine with sauce. Stirring and coating good. If it looks to thick add a little of reserved water.

Grilled Herb Chicken

As you can tell it is bbq time. When it is above 100 outside who wants to make their house feel like it also? We tried this last night and it turned out yummy. I have found some of these on betty crocker website.

This calls for thighs and drumsticks but I used boneless skinless tenderloins

1/2 cup veg. oil
1/2 cup lime juice
2 tsp dried basil leaves
2 tsp dried oregano leaves
2 tsp dried thyme leave (if you have fresh of the above herbs you can use those, but use TBSP instead)
1 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp lemon-pepper seasoning
8 pieces of chicken

Mix ingredients together and marinate chicken in either shallow pan or in plastic bag. Turn Chicken occasionally. Don't marinate more than 24 hours.

Heat grill and cook on med. heat. Coat with marinade once while cooking. Then discard rest and enjoy. We ate it with yummy corn on the cob.

Lettuce Wraps

These are Yummy Lettuce Wraps from my friend Dawn.

2-3 chicken breast cooked and chopped
1/2-3/4 bag mini carrots, chopped fine
2-3 green onions slices
mushrooms (opt.) finely chopped
1 pkg ramen noodles
Garlic powder
Seaseme Seed oil
Soy Sauce
Peanut Sauce- (House of Tsang Bangkok Padang) (available at target or smiths)

Saute veggies in extra virgin olive oil. Boil broken ramen noodles for 1 min. Then drain. Add to saute a few shakes of garlic, seaseme seed oil and soy sauce. Then add chicken. Mix well and serve on lettuce leaves. Top with peanut sauce. (warning peanut sauce is yummy but has a kick to it)

Rice and Bean Casserole

I found this on back of a cheese bag. We had it and it was a nice, easy meatless dinner.

Rice and Bean Casserole
1 small onion, chopped
1 tbsp oil (I used olive oil)
1 tsp chopped garlic
1 tsp oregano
3/4 tsp cumin
1 can (15oz.) diced tomatoes (I pureed them in my processer so my kids wouldn't complain)
1 can balck beans, rinsed and drained.
1 cup rice, uncooked
2 cups shredded colby jack cheese

In large skillet sauted onion in oil. Add garlic, oregano, cumin, tomatoes, and beans to onion. Cover and cook on med. heat. Cook rice according to package. Add rice and mix well. Then add cheese and mix well until cheese has melted. Serve with tortilla chips. (we just dipped our chips in and enjoyed)

Herbed Lime Chicken

I made this the other night and it was sooo good. Chad only wants me to make this kind

1 bottle fat-free Italian Salad dressing (i just used what I had on hand)
1/2 Cup Lime juice
1 lime halved and sliced, (didn't use)
3 garlic cloves minced
1 tsp dried thyme
1 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts

In bowl add 1st five ingredients. Remove 1/2 cup for basting; cover and refridgerate for later. Pour remaining marinade into a container and add chicken for marinating. Refridgerate for 8 hours.

Drain and throw out marinade. Grill chicken then a few minutes before done bast chicken with reserve marinade occasionally until done. Enjoy!

(this came from Taste of Homes Everyday Light meals)

White Chili Chicken

We had this for dinner last night and Chad and I loved it!

2 cans Northern Beans, rinsed and drained
3 cups shredded chicken
7 cups chicken broth
1 can Rotel (mild)
1 chopped onion
4 piecs of garlic clove- chopped
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp parsley

For my picky eaters I pureed the rotel, onion and garlic. Combine everything in crockpot and cook on low for 8 hours. (I spray my crockpot with pam, which makes for an easy cleanup). About 10 mins. before ready to serve add a few large handfuls of colbyjack cheese and about 2 tablespoons of sour cream. Turn on high and stir a few times until melted. Then serve.

Yummy Beef Stew

2 lbs stew meat
2 large potatoes peeled and cubed
baby carrots diced
3 celery stakes sliced/diced
1 can Tomato Soup
1 can beef broth (or make your own)
1 can french onion soup ( I didn't use this but i added minced onion and extra water)
3 cups water divided
2 whole bay leaves
1/4 granulated garlic
1 tsp black pepper
2 tbs worcestershire sauce
4 tbs flour, divided
2 tbs canola oil
2 tsp garlic salt

season the beef with garlic salt and coat with 2 tbs flour. Heat oil in pan and saute meat over medium high, just browning it. Spray pam in slow cooker, add all soups, garlic pepper, bay leaves and worcestershire to cooker. Add the meat. pour 2 1/2 cups water over meat. Add veggies and cook on low. 45 mins before ready combine 2 tablespoons flour and 1/4 cup water in small bowl and whisk with fork until smooth. Add to slow cooker, stir well and cook for another 45 mins.
I usually cook on low for about 6-8hours or high for about 4.

Pesto Pizza

My twins are anti red sauce right now. Pizza and spaghetti they cringe at. So my friend Wynette gave me this yummy recipe.

Pesto Pizza
1 Homemade pizza crust
Pesto Sauce
chopped zucchini, red onion, spinach leaves, mushrooms (you can add or sub from this list of course)
Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
Feta Cheese

Prepare your pizza crust, roll onto pan. add about 4 Tbsp of pesto sauce. smooth over pizza crust until covered. Spread a small layer of mozzarella cheese over it. Then top with veggies. Now you can load up on your mozzarella cheese (this way it hides some of the veggies from the kids). Bake according to your pizza crust recipe. After you pull it out of the oven sprinkle Feta Cheese over it.

I wish I had taken a picture of it. It was to die for, both looks and taste. Best thing was my girls loved it.

Chicken Azteca

Chicken Azteca

2 15 oz. cans blank beans drained
4 cups frozend corn kernels (I just use canned corn)
2 garlic cloves, minced
3/4 tsp. ground cumin
2 cups salsa divided
2 8 oz. pkgs. cream cheese cubed
10 skinless, boneless chicken breasts halved
cooked rice
shreddaded cheddar cheese

1. Combine beans, corn, garlic, cumin, and hlaf of salsa in a slow cooker.
2. Arrange chicken breats over top. Pour remaining salsa over top.
3. Cover. Cook on high 2-3 hours or on low 4-6
4. Remove chicken and cut into bite- sized pieces . Return to cooker
5. stir in cream cheese. Cook on high until cream cheese melts.
6. Spoon chicken and sauce over cooked rice. top with shredded cheese.

For a healthier version you could try neufenchatel cheese in place of cream cheese, 1/3 less fat.

From the Fix-It and Forget-it recipes for Entertaining