Meatball Stroganoff in a crockpot

The other day I realized that I had all the ingredients for Beef Stroganoff, including the beef cubes.  Except that particular day I was feeling a little lazy and I didn't want to thaw the beef, and then take my chances with the beef being more cooked and chewy than I like.  So, I decided to make it with frozen meatballs instead.  There are quite a few recipes online and this is a grouping of a couple different ones plus a couple things of my own.  It was a great meal to have with company on a Sunday evening (cause once the crockpot was on, I could take my Sunday afternoon nap).  My boys asked for seconds, they thought it was quite good. 

Click here for printable recipe.

Posted by: Jen


 Ingredients:
1 bag frozen meatballs
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can beef broth (or use a beef bouillon cube and enough water as called for to make about 2 cups if you didn't have beef broth like me)
1/2 (or whole depending on your taste) onion, finely diced
1 can mushrooms (or 1/2 cup chopped fresh ones)
1-2 tsp garlic powder (depends on your taste_
2 Tbsp A1 sauce
dash(es) of paprika, salt, and pepper to taste
1 c sour cream
1 pkg egg noodles (or boiled potatoes, or cooked rice)

(Like how I crossed out chicken and wrote beef on the can of broth?  I don't want to confuse any readers!)

 Directions:
IF your meatballs are NOT precooked, (like mine) then cook them in the oven according to directions.  (I suppose you could place uncooked ones in the crockpot, but I don't know how long that would take to cook because you can't really brown beef in a crockpot).


IF your meatballs are already precooked, then just add them frozen to your crockpot.


Meanwhile, add the soup, broth, mushrooms (if canned), A1 sauce, and spices to your crockpot.  Mix well.  Turn heat on low.

 Add cooked meatballs. (unless they're already in there because they're precooked)

 Mix it all together well.


IF your meatballs are frozen and precooked, then cook everything on LOW for 8-10 hours (or high for 4-6) until meatballs are all heated through. 

IF your meatballs were cooked in the oven and are therefore already warm, then cook everything on LOW for 3 hours to get all the flavorings well blended.

 3 hours later (after your nap) or 8 or so hours later after you get home from work, then add 1 c sour cream.  Mix in well and your sauce will lighten in color.  Replace the lid and let it continue to cook on low for about 20 minutes. (or until noodles are done)

 Meanwhile boil your water and cook your noodles.

 When the noodles are done, then add to your sauce and mix well so the noodles are covered.  You can skip this step and just let people spoon the sauce over their noodles (potatoes or rice) as they wish.

 Serve with a good green salad and sit back knowing how little work you had to do, but bask in the glory of all the compliments of a job well done.

*Note:  yes, I doubled everything in this recipe to serve with company of 4 extra adults.  If you double it and you use precooked frozen meatballs, then use a bigger (6 qt) crockpot, or even microwave your meatballs for about 5 minutes before putting them in the slow cooker. I'm not sure how much longer it would need to cook with twice the meatballs.  

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Meatball Sandwiches

During the week I'm often looking for a quick go to meal for my family. With only four ingredients, I make this quite often and it's a favorite amongst my boys. I love a good sub sandwich and it's even better with melted cheese. Why go out when you can make this in less than 1/2 hour! (Plus, if you're like me you can sneak in pureed carrots into the spaghetti sauce to help the kids increase their veggie consumption!. Shhh. Don't tell them!)

Click here for printable recipe.

Posted by Jen.

Ingredients:
Bag meatballs (precooked or raw. If raw, you'll need to cook them first)
1/2 jar spaghetti sauce
Hoagie buns
Mozzarella cheese, sliced

Directions:
Preheat your oven to 375.

Plan out how many meatballs you'll need and either heat them in the microwave or cook them according to the package. I've found that a basic Hogie bun will fit about 4 meatballs. So when I make 4 sandwiches, I need to count out 16 meatballs. (do this with your kids to practice math skills!)

When the meatballs are heated through (or cooked) then mix with about 1/2 jar spaghetti sauce. I only use enough sauce to just coat the meatballs. Too much sauce means soggy buns!
To help prevent the potential soggy bun, I slice some cheese and line the bottom of the hoagie buns so as to provide a barrier for the sauce. Place the buns with cheese in the oven at 375 for a couple minutes just until the cheese is melted. Then remove from oven and fill the buns with your meatballs. You can put on a little extra sauce if you'd like.
Place sliced cheese on top and place under your broiler for a couple minutes to toast the cheese. OR just turn the temperature up to 450 and place the subs in until the cheese is melted. Serve immediately so everything is nice and warm.

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Stuffed Pizza Burgers

A picture may be worth a thousand words, but since my pictures didn't turn out so well with these man/woman/child friendly burgers,  I'll just let this simple math problem illustrate the 1000 words for you instead. 

Burgers + Pizza + Garlic Bread = DELICIOUS SUMMER BBQ FOOD!


Source:  Taste of Home

Click here for printable recipe. 

The ingredients:

6 pieces frozen garlic Texas toast
1-3/4 lbs. ground beef
1 cup pizza sauce, divided
18 slices pepperoni
12 slices part-skim mozzarella cheese, divided
1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms (optional)
2 tsp. butter (only needed if using mushrooms)
6 tsp. freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Sliced green pepper and ripe black olives (optional)

Directions:  Prepare Texas toast according to package directions.  Set aside.  Meanwhile, shape beef into 12 thin patties.  Top six of the patties with 1 tablespoon pizza sauce, three slices of pepperoni, and one slice of mozzarella cheese (I had to trim our slices in order to fit onto the burger). 


Top with the remaining six patties and press the  edges firmly to seal.  Grill, covered, over medium heat for 6-8 minutes on each side or until a meat thermometer reads 160 degrees.  Meanwhile,  in a small skillet, saute mushrooms in butter for about 5 minutes (or until soft).  Top burgers with remaining pizza sauce and mozzarella cheese. 

Cover and cook 3 minutes longer or until cheese is melted.  Serve burgers on Texas toast with mushrooms, olives, Parmesan cheese, peppers, and olives.  Makes 6 burgers.  Enjoy!

This is a view of how the kids ate theirs....lots of pepperoni and cheese and definitely no mushrooms!

ENJOY! 


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Taco Tarts

Today I was thinking of what to make for dinner, and I was standing in front of the refrigerator looking at what I had on hand (because I'm not taking 3 kids to the grocery store for last minute quick dinner ingredients). All of a sudden I saw a Tupperware dish of leftover taco meat and I remembered a recipe I once saw in Halloween pamphlet. Taco tarts were the answer to my dinner dilemma. This is a great way to get your kids involved making dinner. Let them choose the shapes of the taco tarts and cut them out. I would have done that, but while I was making dinner my kids were suspiciously quiet* so I left them alone. When the kids finally emerged from their activity, they were so excited for dinner. My 8 year old ate about 4 or 5 Taco tarts. And in case you were wondering, yes that is the Millennium Falcon**.

Click here for printable recipe. 

The Ingredients:
1/2 lb leftover taco meat (or 1/2 lb cooked hamburger, 1/2 chopped onion, 1 pkg taco seasoning)
2 packages pie crust (or Lara's best pie crust recipe here.)
8 oz shredded cheddar cheese
1 egg white
1 egg yolk
cookie cutters at least 3 inches

Directions:
Roll out pie dough and cut out shapes with cookie cutters. Make sure you do 2 of every shape as you will need a top and a bottom. Brush the edges of the pie dough with egg white.
Place 1 tablespoon (or bigger depending on the size of your cookie cutters) of cooked taco meat in the middle and top with a pinch of cheddar cheese.
Place the tops of the matching shapes onto the taco meat and seal around the edges. Brush with egg yolk. Bake in oven at 375 degrees. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until crust is a golden brown.

*My kids were quiet because apparently they were in their room, with the door closed, throwing Legos at each other.

**In case you wanted to know where I got a Millennium Falcon cookie cutter, click here to go to Williams and Sonoma. They're even on sale with a vintage Star Wars lunch box to store them in.

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Sour Cream Noodle Bake

So, this definitely isn't the most glamorous looking meal you've ever seen, but it has a wonderful taste, and best of all, it's about as easy as they come to throw together.  It was a quick 15-minute prep-time and 20 minutes of baking....perfect for a quick week-night meal that the whole family will enjoy!  Usually at least one of my kids has a complaint about what I'm cooking each night, not that they get to say anything insulting or get anything else to eat, but still they let it be known that whatever I've made isn't  their favorite.  Not this though....this won 100% approval down the ranks and I especially enjoyed the fact that my husband made it completely by himself (hence fewer pictures than usual)!  Serve it up with some French Peasant Bread and enjoy! 

Sources:  See Jane in the Kitchen and Pioneer Woman
 

Click here for printable recipe.

The ingredients:
1 lb.  ground beef (I used ground turkey)
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 small cans (8-ounces each) tomato sauce
1 can (15-ounces) whole-kernel corn, drained

1/2 tsp. salt

fresh ground pepper
1 pkg. (12-ounces) egg noodles
1-1/4 cups cottage cheese

1/2 cup sour cream

1/2 cup green onions, sliced

1 cup shredded cheese ( I used cheddar)

Directions:  Brown ground beef in skillet with garlic cloves. Drain fat and add tomato sauce, corn, salt and pepper and allow to simmer while you prepare the rest. Cook egg noodles al dente. Drain pasta and toss with the cottage cheese, sour cream, fresh ground pepper and green onions.

Add half the noodle mixture to a small baking dish (8x11-inch), top with half the ground beef, top with half the cheese. Finish with the remainder of the noodles, ground beef and top with remaining cheese.

Bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes until cheese is melted. Serve with crusty bread (like French Peasant Bread).  Enjoy!

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Popover Upside Down Pizza

Oh me, oh my! 
Now please don't cry.
Although I have no gift for rhythm and timing
I have the urge to go on  rhyming. 

This dish is easy peasy
and oh-so-nice-and-cheesy. 
My kids were gaga with delight
when they saw the top take flight
and pop up into something so puffy
that they could not wait themselves to stuffy. 

After that they excitedly and  without reserve,
said that this dish was something to preserve!
So here it is upon the blog
for you to print and try and hog!
 

Now dear blog readers, don't you fret,
I know I am the worst poet you've (n)ever met,
So in the future, I'll stick to cooking and pans
and leave the rhyming to people who actually can(s).

Click here for printable recipe. 

The ingredients:

1 lb. ground beef (or ground turkey)
1 large onion, chopped
2 cups spaghetti sauce (can substitute with 1 can (15-ounce) tomato sauce plus one envelope spaghetti sauce mix)
1 cup chopped pepperoni
1 pkg. (8-ounces) sliced mozzarella cheese ( I used 2 cups of shredded mozzarella instead)
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1 Tbs. oil
1 cup flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:  In a large skillet, brown ground beef or turkey with onion.  Pour off excess fat.  Add spaghetti sauce (or tomato sauce and spaghetti sauce mix) and pepperoni and simmer 10 minutes.  Spoon into greased 9x13-inch baking pan. Top with cheese.  Place in 400 degree oven to keep hot. 

To prepare popover batter, beat together eggs, milk, and oil.  Add flour and salt; beat until smooth.  Pour over hot pizza filling, being careful to cover filling completely.  Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes, until puffed and deep golden brown.  Cut into squares and serve immediately.  Makes 6 servings.

Enjoy! 


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French Dip Sandwiches in the Slow Cooker

Hello, chefs. 

Look at your sandwich....

now look at mine.

Sadly, your sandwich isn’t like mine. But if you stopped using pasty colored nut butters and switched to tender juicy chunks of beef oozing with melty Swiss cheese, it could smell and taste like my sandwich.
Look down, back up, where are you?

You’re in your kitchen with the French Dip sandwich your family will drool over.....

I’m on a horse. 

Yee haw!

Click here for printable recipe.

The ingredients: (crusty rolls, water, salt and pepper not pictured)

2 Tbs. oil
2-1/2 to 3 lbs. beef roast
Salt, pepper
2 packages (1-ounce each) dry onion soup mix
2 cups water
2 cans (14-1/2 ounces each) beef broth
1 package (16-ounces) sliced Swiss cheese
Crusty buns or rolls


Directions:  Over medium-high heat, heat olive oil in a large pot or skillet.  While oil is heating, sprinkle all sides of the roast with salt and pepper.  When the oil is very hot, carefully place the roast in the pan and sear it on all sides.  (NOTE:  This process shouldn't take more than a few minutes. You're only browning the outside of the roast, not trying to cook it through). 



Transfer the browned roast to your slow cooker.  Sprinkle the onion soup mixes over the roast and add water and beef broth. 

Cook on HIGH for 4-6 hours or on LOW for 8-10 hours.  When the meat shreds easily with a fork, shred the entire roast.
 
Serve on sliced crusty rolls with a slice of Swiss cheese.  If desired, you can toast them before serving by broiling them in the oven for a minute or two.   


Serve with the juices from the slow cooker as the au jus sauce for dipping. 

Enjoy!


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3 more quick things:  

1.  If you decide to broil yours, be sure to move the oven rack down a notch or two and don't leave the room to go watch Old Spice commercials.  My first batch was in the oven for all of 2 minutes before they caught fire.  Thank goodness I was right there to put it out quickly. 

2.   A special thanks to my daughter, Cami, for being a good sport while I subjected her to a goofy photo shoot and also to the people behind  Our Best Bites cookbook for yet another great recipe. 

3.  Don't miss a single recipe.  Sign up on the right to become an email subscriber. 


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