Italian Crescent Casserole

This is super-excellently-tasty. Oh, and easy. Went fast at my house. The crescent roll website has some nice recipes, btw...

http://www.pillsbury.com/products/crescents

Ingredients

1 lb ground beef
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup basil & garlic pasta sauce
A couple pinches chopped basil
8oz (1 can) crescent rolls
Cheese (mozzarella, Italian blend, etc.)


Directions

Preheat oven to 375.

In medium-large skillet, brown ground beef with garlic. Drain and return to skillet. Stir in pasta sauce.

Meanwhile, arrange crescent rolls around a pie pan, so the shortest side is just touching the bottom of the pan, and the long tip is hanging out over the edge. Fill pie pan with beef/sauce mix. Cover with cheese if desired, and then take the long tip ends and meet them all in the middle (see pic).

Bake ~20 minutes until golden brown.

Mexican Lasagna Rolls

So good...

Ingredients

9 uncooked lasagna noodles
1 20 oz jar salsa
1 lb ground beef
1 packet taco seasoning mix
1 16oz package cottage cheese
1 jar queso (15oz or less)

Directions

Preheat oven to 375.

Boil lasagna noodles.

Line a casserole dish with a layer of salsa to prevent sticking.

In large skillet, brown ground beef. Drain and return to skillet. Stir taco seasoning well into the beef. Once seasoning is mixed into the beef, stir cottage cheese into the beef well.

When lasagna noodles are done, carefully remove and lay flat - helps to lay them on parchment or wax paper while you're filling them. Spoon a layer of the beef/cottage cheese mix along each noodle, and roll into a spiral...well, roll.

Fill the pan with the rolls and top with salsa and queso, if desired. Cover loosly with foil and bake about 10-15 minutes or so, until queso is melted.

Justin's with melty queso

Mine...yeah, we got new plates...thanks Mom! :)

BBQ Stuffed Potatoes

Man, it's been awhile since I posted something...the pic didn't turn out as good as it tasted...

Ingredients

4 large potatoes
1 lb ground beef
1/4 medium onion, chopped
1 cup bbq sauce
Cheese of choice


Directions

Bake potatoes - about an hour on 350.

About 20 minutes before the potatoes are done, begin browning the ground beef with onion in medium-large skillet. Drain and return to skillet. Stir in bbq sauce and let simmer on low 5-10 minutes, or until potatoes are finished.

Cut open potatoes and stuff with beef. Top with cheese if desired.

Chili Casserole

For someone who claims she doesn't "like chili," I really liked this...

Ingredients

8oz elbow noodles (~1/2 box)
1/2 lb ground beef
~1/4 medium onion, chopped
15.5oz can vegetarian chili
15oz canned corn, drained
2 Tablespoons tabasco sauce
1 Tablespoon chili seasoning
Cheddar cheese


Directions

Preheat oven to 300.

Boil noodles and begin browning ground beef with onion in medium skillet.

Meanwhile in large bowl, mix together chili, corn, tabasco, and chili seasoning. When noodles and beef are finished, drain and add to bowl of chili. Mix well.

Transfer to casserole dish and top with cheese if desired. Bake 20 minutes. Serve with some tasty garlic bread!

Thai Pork w/Satay Sauce

So, I have a few more recipe faves to post, but I'll be going on hiatus here shortly...gettin serious about my diet and exercise program :) Oh, and sorry about the lack of pic for this one...

Ingredients

6-8oz. noodles of choice, or rice (I just went with spaghetti)

Satay sauce/marinade:

1/4 cup peanut butter
~1/4 onion
1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 lemon, juiced
1 1/2 Tablespoons brown sugar
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon coriander
Crushed red pepper, to taste
Salt & pepper, to taste
1 lb. pork tenderloin, cubed

1-2 bell peppers, green and/or red, chunked


Directions

Stir together the 9 marinade ingredients and add pork. Cover in fridge for about 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, begin to cook noodles or rice.

Cook pork with sauce and peppers in large skillet, covered, on medium heat for about 10-15 minutes. Stir frequently. Serve over noodles or rice when pork is cooked and sauce has thickened.

Stovetop Pizza

Take what you like on your pizza and throw it in a pan with some cooked noodles and pizza sauce! Why the heck not. Here's my version...

Ingredients

8oz tri-color spiral noodles
4 slices bacon, cut into 1" pieces
~15 slices pepperoni, halved
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 green pepper, chopped
2 cups broccoli
~7oz (half of a can) diced tomatoes, drained
Italian seasoning
Salt & pepper
Crushed red pepper
1/2 cup pizza sauce
Cheese

Directions

Cook pasta according to package directions.

Meanwhile, in large skillet on medium heat, cook bacon. When it's almost done, add pepperoni and garlic. When bacon is finished, drain all on some papertowels and return to pan.

Reduce heat to medium-low and stir in green pepper, broccoli, diced tomatoes, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper. Cover and stir occasionally for about 5 minutes or so, until veggies begin to tender.

Stir in pasta and pizza sauce and heat thru. Top with cheese if desired and serve!

Makes about 4 servings.

Mine

and Justin's

Ring of Taco

I love Mexican-inspired dishes - who doesn't?

If you're familiar with Pampered Chef items and recipes, then you've probably heard of 'ring' bakes. If you haven't...google it so I don't have to explain it :) This taco ring is one of my faves! Use a baking pan or a large casserole dish if you don't have a ring...that's what I do!

Ingredients

1 cup cooked rice
1/2 lb. ground beef
1 envelope taco seasoning
1/2 cup black beans
1/2 cup salsa
1/2 cup corn
8oz package crescent rolls

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 (or according to your crescent roll package directions), and begin cooking your rice.

Brown ground beef in large skillet. Drain and return to pan. Stir in taco seasoning until evenly distributed. Stir in black beans, salsa, corn, and rice - heat thru.

Unroll the crescent rolls and form a ring with the short ends connected slightly. Fill the body of the rolls with the beef mix and extend the pointed end of the rolls over the body. Press to connect - these are going to be very full, so gently stretch the rolls out a bit to lengthen.

Bake according to package directions until golden brown. Serve taco wedges with sour cream, lots o salsa, lettuce, cheese, or whatever your taco itch desires.

yeah, I line my bakeware

Pomodoro Tuna Pasta

Easy. Cheap. Delish.

Ingredients

6-8oz spaghetti
Olive oil
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
Crushed red pepper (~1 teaspoon)
1 (14.5oz) can diced tomatoes, drained
1 teaspoon basil
Salt & pepper
1 can tuna, drained
Parmesan

Directions

Cook noodles according to package directions.

While pasta is cooking, heat olive oil in medium-sized pan on medium heat. Mince your fresh garlic and to olive oil with crushed red pepper for about a minute or so, until garlic is lightly browned, stirring frequently to avoid burning.

Once browned, reduce heat to low and add tomatoes, basil, salt, and pepper (to taste). Simmer for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Then, stir in tuna while breaking it up and stirring occasionally until the pasta is finished.

When pasta is done, drain. Either return to pot and toss with the tuna sauce, or serve topped with sauce - I prefer to toss. Serve topped with parmesan cheese if desired, and garlic bread and a veggie on the side!

Makes about 3-4 servings.

Lobster Pot Pie

So easy and yummy...

Ingredients
Frozen puff pastry, thawed (4 shells or 1 sheet)
2 Tablespoons butter
16oz frozen mixed veggies (corn, peas, carrots, beans)
1 cup milk
1/2 cup flour
1 cup chicken broth
~8oz lobster (fresh, canned, imitation...)


Directions

Preheat oven to 400 (or according to puff pastry package directions).

Melt butter on medium-low in large pan and stir in mixed veggies. Cook about 5 minutes, until no longer frozen. Meanwhile, whisk flour into milk and set aside.

After veggies are ready, reduce heat to low and stir chicken broth into veggies, followed by the milk-flour mix. Stir frequently for about 5 minutes, until sauce thickens.

Once thickened, stir lobster chunks into veggies - my grocery store didn't have fresh or canned, so I went for the imitation, which was pretty tasty. Salt & pepper to taste.

Transfer to baking dish (small casserole, individual baking bowls, pie pan, etc.). Top with puff pastry - so the grocer was out of sheets of puff pastry; only had individual shells left. The shells turned out pretty nicely, though - made for separating servings easily. Bake according to package directions (about 25 minutes) until golden brown.

Makes ~4 servings (that is, if your dog doesn't get on the counter and eat 2 of said servings).

Italian Wedding Pasta

Pretty simple and tasty...

Ingredients

~20 frozen meatballs
Olive oil
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
16oz bow-tie pasta
14oz chicken broth
1-1/2 cups milk
1 Tablespoon flour
15oz canned peas
Salt & pepper

Directions

Preheat oven to 400.

On low heat, cook meatballs (I prefer Rosina's Italian-style frozen meatballs) in covered large skillet with a little olive oil to prevent burning for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in garlic for last minute or two.

Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package directions, subtracting about 2 minutes from cook time. Drain, return to pot.

In small bowl, whisk together milk and flour until the clumps are gone. Stir chicken broth into pasta pot, followed by milk-flour mix, peas, salt, and pepper. Let simmer on medium-high heat to thicken for a couple minutes, stirring frequently so the milk does not burn. Remove from heat.

With slotted spoon, transfer meatballs & garlic to pasta pot and stir. Then, transfer all contents to a baking dish - a small casserole dish or 8x8" square dish should work fine. Bake 20 minutes or until golden brown. Top with parmesan if desired.

Makes 6 or so servings.

Super Easy Beefy Guac Wraps

I love guacamole, and its citrus compliments the beef nicely in this wrap! It's super easy, too, which is good for a weeknight. Unless you're cooking for a family, you might want to halve this recipe, although I still liked it as leftovers.

Ingredients

1lb ground beef
1 clove garlic, minced
1 can refried beans
Salt & pepper
1-2 avocados
1 lemon
8 or so flour tortillas (try multigrain!)

Directions

Brown ground beef with garlic. Drain and return to pan. Reduce heat and stir in refried beans. Salt & pepper to taste and heat thru while you're preparing the guacamole.

Guacamole: Since guac is best fresh, I would recommend starting with 1 avocado and saving the other in case you just don't need 2, or if you need it for leftovers another day. Mash the avocado with a fork in a small-medium bowl. Squeeze in the juice from half of the lemon. Give it a light sprinkle of salt and mix it all together - taste it. Add more lemon and/or salt if desired. Sometimes I like to add a tablespoon or two of salsa and/or cream cheese for some variation. Oh, and if you don't know what you're doing with an avocado, just google it. I hate spelling out those kinds of basic instructions in recipes :)

Spread desired amount of beef & guacamole on your tortilla, wrap, and serve!

(yeah, there's a little bit too much beef in this wrap)

Bacony Cod Bake

Ingredients
6 slices bacon, cut into ~1" pieces
1/2 onion, sliced or chopped
2 yukon gold potatoes, cubed
Salt & pepper
1 cup canned corn, drained
1/3 cup water
1 cup milk
2 cod fillets, cut into ~1-2" pieces
Mozzarella cheese
Oyster crackers (~1/2 9oz bag)


Directions

Preheat oven to 400.

Cook bacon in large pan over medium heat. You can drain and return to pan when done - I compromised with my man's taste buds and threw the onion and potatoes into the bacon grease with some salt and pepper and got that cooking a little bit. Once the potatoes started to get tender, I drained on paper towels and returned to pan. Add corn, water, and milk and let simmer for about 5-10 minutes while you're cutting up the cod - reduce heat and stir occasionally to ensure the milk and other ingredients do not burn.

Transfer bacon mix into casserole dish. Place cod pieces evenly into bacon mix. Cover loosely with foil and bake about 15 minutes. Remove foil and top with mozzarella cheese. Bake an additional 5 minutes or until cheese reaches desired melty state. Serve with oyster crackers & hot sauce!

Makes about 4 large servings.

Beefy Sweet Potato Bake

*I forgot to add 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon to the ingredient list yesterday when I posted this! That's what I get for making up dinner as I go along and not writing it down...

Man, I feel like I haven't cooked in days...

Ingredients

1lb ground beef
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
Crushed red pepper, to taste
Salt & pepper, to taste
1/2 teaspoon CINNAMON
1 large sweet potato, peeled & cubed
1/2 cup water
Cheese
1 tube Grands biscuits (4 or 8-pk)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350.

On medium heat, brown ground beef with minced garlic, crushed red pepper, salt, and pepper. Drain and return to skillet. Add water and stir in sweet potato and cinnamon. Reduce heat, cover, and let simmer about 5-10 minutes to soften sweet potatoes a little, and until water is absorbed, stirring occasionally (drain if there's any water left).

Transfer beef and sweet potato mix to casserole dish. Top with desired cheese (I used pepper jack for Justin, and cheddar-flavored rice cheese for myself). Place in oven for 5 minutes or so.

Remove from oven and top with biscuits. Bake according to package directions.

Makes about 4-6 servings.


Notes: As much as I love Grands biscuits, I would recommend using a 4-pk (if they even make that), as opposed to an 8-pk. It just makes for better portions. I like to use the reduced fat variety, too.

Chop Suey

So, chop suey is basically a stir-fry variation with a thickened sauce. I think the key is in a good marinade. Here is my recipe with a pork marinade and my veggies of preference. Add what you like! :)

Ingredients

1 lb pork tenderloin, quartered lengthwise and cut into 1" or so pieces
1 cup uncooked rice, or 8 oz noodles
1/2 medium onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, sliced
10 (or so) button mushrooms
Snow peas, about a handful
1 teaspoon sesame oil
Marinade:
2 Tablespoons sesame oil
2 teaspoons soy sauce
Ground ginger (a few dashes)
Crushed red pepper (a few dashes)
1 teaspoon sugar
1 clove garlic, minced
Optional sauce:
2 Tablespoons cornstarch
Ground ginger (a few dashes)
1/3 cup chicken broth
Additional crushed red pepper or desired spices


Directions

Marinade prep: Chop pork tenderloin as stated above. Place pieces in ziploc baggie (a quart size will do). Add marinade ingredients and massage to coat evenly. Let pork marinade in the fridge about 3 hours (or more).

After pork has marinaded and you are ready to prepare the meal, begin to cook rice or noodles according to package directions.

In a large pan, cook pork and marinade drippings on medium heat until just about completely cooked, stirring frequently and adding a little oil to pan if needed. (about 5-10 min depending on thickness of meat).

Reduce heat and add veggies & 1 teaspoon sesame oil. Cover and saute, stirring ocassionally until your veggie medley is cooked to your liking (about 5-10 min).

If a thickened sauce is desired: when veggies are cooked, mix cornstartch, ground ginger, and chicken broth (plus more crushed red pepper or whichever spices you may want) in a seperate bowl. Stir cornstarch mix into meat and veggies until thickened (about 1 min). My photo below does not have a thickened sauce - I thought my veggies sauted in the sesame oil and with the marinade was enough. These ingredients are simply what I think would work well.

Serve over rice or noodles. Makes about 4 servings.

Caribbean Shrimp Stir-fry

This is a good summery dish - and a nice culinary end to the summer! Have had the recipe for awhile, not sure where it's from. Makes about 6 servings, so halve the pineapple and tomatoes if you want a smaller meal.

Ingredients

1 cup uncooked rice (or noodles if preferred)
vegetable oil (1-2 Tablespoons)
~1/4 medium onion, chopped
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
1 can (20oz) pineapple chunks, drained
1 lb. frozen shrimp (raw, peeled, deveined)
~1 teaspoon crushed red pepper (to taste)
1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes, drained
1/2 can (half of 7 oz) diced green chiles
1 teaspoon soy sauce


Directions

Begin cooking rice or noodles according to package directions.

In large skillet (or wok) on medium-high, saute onion and garlic in a little vegetable oil until lightly browned. Add pineapple and lightly brown. Transfer to bowl and set aside.

Add shrimp and crushed red pepper to pan with a little more vegetable oil, if needed. Stir continually until cooked - you should only need a minute or two if thawed, 5-6 minutes if still frozen (if frozen, you'll probably need to drain when finished cooking).

Add pineapples back to pan with the shrimp, along with tomatoes, green chiles, and soy sauce. Heat thru for a few minutes.

Serve over rice or noodles. Yummy!

Easy Enchilada Casserole

I've made this a few times and it always hits the spot. Yummy, filling, and easy.

Ingredients

1 lb ground beef (or turkey)
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
~1/2 medium onion, chopped
1 jalapeno pepper, chopped (or your hot pepper of choice)
Salt & pepper to taste
1 (15 oz) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 of a 7oz can diced green chile peppers (7oz is the smallest I can ever find)
1 (10 oz) can enchilada sauce (or more if preferred)
9 (4-6") corn tortillas
~8 oz shredded Cheddar cheese (or Mexican blend, colby jack, etc.)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350.

In large skillet, brown ground beef with garlic, onion, jalapeno, and salt & pepper. Drain and return to skillet. Reduce heat to low and stir in black beans and green chile peppers. Heat thru.

Pour can of enchilada sauce in bowl. Dip one side of 3 tortillas in sauce and line the bottom of casserole dish with tortillas (or line the bottom with tortillas first and spread sauce atop the tortillas). Cover tortillas with half of the beef/bean mix. Repeat with another layer of sauce-coated tortillas, a layer of beef, and then a final layer of torillas on top. Pour the remaining sauce over the top layer of tortillas. Sprinkle with cheese.

Cover and bake about 20 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 10 minutes, until cheese is melty - I don't eat cheese, which is why the pics below only show half with cheese. Serve with sour cream if desired. Enjoy!

Pre-oven.

Post-oven.

Served!

Spaghetti al Forno

Ingredients

15 or so frozen meatballs - Rosina's Italian-style are great
1/2 medium onion, chopped
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tablespoon olive oil
Crushed red pepper, to taste
1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes
1 cup chopped or grated carrots (I just use 1/2 bag of pre-grated)
8 oz. spaghetti noodles
1/2 cup bread crumbs, Italian-style

Directions

Preheat oven to 450.

Cook frozen meatballs in large skillet on low with onion, garlic, a little olive oil to prevent sticking, and crushed red pepper. Cover and stir occasionally. After about 15 minutes, stir in the tomatoes and carrot. Let simmer about 5 more minutes.

Meanwhile, cook spaghetti in large pot according to package directions, except reduce cooking time by about 2 minutes. Drain and return to pot.

Add meatball mixture to pot of cooked pasta and toss to combine. Transfer to casserole dish. Sprinkle top with bread crumbs.

Bake 10-15 minutes, until it begins to brown. Serve drizzled with olive oil if desired.

Note: Don't use an 8x8 dish like I did in the photo below, use something bigger. You'll need more room, and the bread crumbs will spread more evenly.

Stovetop Beef Chow Mein

This is simple and fast for a tasty weeknight meal - the chow mein noodles give it a nice crunch! :) Not sure where I got the og recipe for this.

Ingredients
1 lb ground beef
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 medium onion, chopped
Crushed red pepper, to taste
Salt & pepper, to taste
1 stalk celery, chopped
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup slivered almonds (those little packets in the baking isle are the right size)
1 cup cooked rice
3 Tablespoons soy sauce
1 cup chow mein noodles, or more if preferred

Directions
Brown ground beef in large skillet with garlic, onion, crushed red pepper, and salt & pepper. Drain and return to skillet. Add celery and saute for a few additional minutes.

In a separate medium bowl, combine the chicken broth, milk, almonds, rice, and soy sauce and mix well. Stir in to beef mixture. Simmer about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Serve in bowls - layer the bottom of bowls lightly with chow mein noodles, add beef mixture to bowl, and top with another layer of chow mein noodles.

Before the noodles (sorry, that's a bad pic!)

Champagne Crab & Pasta

Yum. Have fun with this, adding more or less of what spices you think sound good, then pour a couple glasses of champagne and enjoy!

Ingredients

~1/2 cup butter, or preferred substitute
1-2 cloves minced garlic
1/2 cup champagne
a couple dashes or so (to taste) of the following:
-paprika
-fresh ground pepper
-crushed red pepper
-ground ginger
12oz (2 cans) fancy lump crabmeat, drained
8oz (half regular box) angel hair pasta
extra virgin olive oil

Directions

Melt butter in large skillet on medium-low heat. While this is melting, bring water to boil for angel hair pasta, cook according to package directions, and drain - it cooks quick, so manage this with the next step.

Add garlic, paprika, pepper, crushed red pepper, ginger, and champagne to butter. Cook about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until garlic is golden.

Stir crabmeat into champagne sauce and heat through for a few minutes - add a little olive oil (maybe a teaspoon or so) if needed to keep from sticking or becoming dry -I use a non-dairy substitute, you might not have this issue if using butter-?

Serve champagne crab sauce over pasta, and drizzle with a little olive oil. Makes about 4 servings.

Buffalo Garlic Shrimp over Pasta

I got a version of this from allrecipes. It's got a nice hot kick. I use a bag of raw frozen tail-off, peeled, deveined shrimp, and the buffalo wing mix can be found in the aisle with packets of gravy mixes, etc.

Ingredients

1 lb large raw shrimp
1.6 oz envelope buffalo wing seasoning mix
2 Tablespoons butter
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1-2 cloves minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
6-8 oz angel hair pasta (about half a box or less)

Directions

Boil water for angel hair pasta and cook according to package directions.

If frozen, thaw the shrimp by running under water (not hot water). It should only takes a couple minutes to thaw all the shrimp - they'll start to cook under the water if you thaw them too long. Drain and place shrimp in a sealable plastic bag (or the original bag if possible). Add the buffalo wing mix to the bag, seal, and shake to coat the shrimp.

Heat the olive oil, butter, garlic, and crushed red pepper in a large skillet over medium heat until butter melts. Raise the heat to medium-high and add shrimp. Stir until fully cooked, about 4-5 minutes.

Serve shrimp over pasta, or toss to combine. Makes about 4 servings.

German Beef Turnovers

These turnovers are called bierocks (apparently pronounced "brocks"). I think the original version I found was from allrecipes. I rolled out Grands biscuits, filled, and folded in half to make mine. I suppose though that you could purchase turnover dough in the same refridgerated biscuit section at the store - might be less hassle.

Ingredients

8ct Grands biscuits
1lb ground beef
~1/2 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/2 teasoon lemon pepper
Salt to taste
1/2 head cabbage, chopped
1 Tablespoon worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon caraway seeds
Butter, optional

Directions

In large skillet, brown beef with onion, garlic, crushed red pepper, lemon pepper, and salt. Drain and return to skillet.

Preheat oven to 350.

Add cabbage, worcestershire sauce, and caraway seeds. Cook until cabbage is done.

Roll out Grands biscuits to about 6" circles. Fill with about 1/3 cup of beef mixture and fold one side to the other, pressing along the edge to seal.

Place sealed bierocks on lightly greased baking sheet. Spread a thing layer of butter on the tops before baking if desired.

Bake 30 minutes until golden brown.

Homemade Hamburger Help'r

This is super tasty & easy, and a better option than a box I suppose. Makes a big meal - was about 5 larger servings. Cut back to 1/2 lb ground beef if you're cooking for 2 and don't want leftovers.

Ingredients

8oz. elbow noodles
1lb ground beef
~1/4 medium onion
salt & pepper to taste
1 green pepper, chopped
8oz. can corn, drained
1 Tablespoon chili powder
1 Tablespoon oregano
8oz. tomato paste
3/4 cup bbq sauce


Directions

Boil noodles according to package directions.

Brown ground beef with onion in large skillet. Salt & pepper to taste.

Stir in green pepper, corn, chili powder, oregano, tomato paste, and bbq sauce. Simmer about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

If you have room in your skillet, remove from heat and stir noodles into beef mixture. Otherwise, transfer both noodles and beef mixture to a large serving bowl and stir to combine evenly. Serve & yum.

Mid-Atlantic Crabcakes

These crabcakes are pretty hastle-free. I was out of Old Bay so I used a hot salt instead - gave it a pretty similar flavor...

Ingredients

2 cans fancy chunk crabmeat, well drained
2 Tablespoons mayo
2 Tablespoons dry bread crumbs
2 teaspoons parsley
1/2 teaspoon Old Bay or a hot salt, more if desired
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
Dash hot sauce
Pepper to taste


Directions

Preheat oven broiler.

Mix together all ingredients well and form into patties. Place patties on lightly greased baking sheet and stick this in the fridge for 10-15 minutes to let them harden a bit if they're falling apart.

Broil for 10-15 minutes until lightly browned.

Makes 4 crabcakes.

crabcakes with pesto & garlic red skin potatoes

Notes

-I used Italian seasoned bread crumbs because I was out of regular - this worked fine, tasted good.
-I also use low fat Helmann's mayo, which is pretty tasty.

Beef Tamale Pie

Use a pie pan or an 8x8" casserole for this dish.

Ingredients

1 lb. ground beef
1 envelope taco seasoning mix (try a jalepeno & onion mix)
1 (15oz) can black beans
1 (11oz) southwestern-style corn (corn, onion, bell peppers)
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup or so Mexican cheese blend
Sour cream, if desired
Crust ingredients:
1 (8.5oz) box Jiffy corn muffin mix
3/4 cup sour cream


Directions

Preheat oven to 400.

Brown ground beef, drain, and return to skillet. Stir in taco seasoning mix, black beans, corn, and water. Simmer about 5 minutes, stirring ocassionally.

While the above is simmering, mix the crust ingredients until moistened. Spread about half the mix lightly across the bottom of the baking dish and up the sides - it's fine that it doesn't completely coat the dish.

Pour the meat mixture into the baking dish, and spread the rest of the corn muffin batter around the outer edge of the dish. Top with cheese now, or when it's done baking.

Bake 20-25 minutes until golden brown. Serve with sour cream if desired.

Turkey Cornbread Skillet

This is a light and tasty recipe that is best prepared & baked in an 8x8” cast iron skillet. If you don’t have one, you can prepare the meal in a non-stick pan and transfer to an 8x8” casserole dish for the final step.

Ingredients

1 pound ground turkey
1/4 onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped in chunks
1 (15 ounce) can baked beans (I like the beans seasoned with brown sugar and bacon)

Fajita seasoning – make your own with a variation of the following:
~1/2 teaspoon of each:
Cumin
Crushed red pepper
Garlic salt
Onion powder
Oregano
Pepper, fresh ground

1 (8.5 ounce) package Jiffy corn muffin mix
1 egg
1/3 cup milk


Directions

Preheat the oven to 350.

On stovetop, brown ground turkey in cast iron skillet with onion and a little oil to prevent sticking. Drain if desired - using lean turkey doesn't leave much to drain. Add red pepper, baked beans, and seasoning mix; cook and stir until heated through, about 5 minutes or so. Pat into an even layer on the skillet (transfer to casserole dish here if not using a cast iron skillet) and turn off heat.

Mix the package of corn muffin mix according to the directions using the egg and milk. Spoon over the ground beef mixture and spread evenly across the top.

Place the skillet in the oven and bake 20-25 min (or until toothpick inserted in the cornbread comes out clean). Serve!

Easy Beef Empanadas

While, yes, I love to cook, I will generally cut corners whenever possible. I should probably call these 'lazy empanadas' because I didn't feel like making my own dough or cutting the puff pastry into circles to make this delish pocket of meat.

Ingredients

1 lb. lean ground beef
1/2 medium onion, chopped
1 medium russet potato, diced
1 teaspoon cumin
2 large pinches crushed red pepper
1 teaspoon paprika
1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar
Salt & pepper to taste
1 (17.5 ounce) package frozen puff pastry sheets, thawed


Directions

Preheat oven to 350.

In large skillet, cook the potato with a little oil and the onion. When potatoes are close to cooked, add the ground beef and brown. Drain and return to skillet.

Stir in cumin, crushed red pepper, paprika, white vinegar, salt, and pepper until evenly seasoned.

Now, the puff pastry sheets that I purchase come in 2 rectangular sheets that are tri-folded. When you unfold them, they may seperate. This design of pastry sheet doesn't make it easy to create the traditional half-moon empanada shape. Instead, I break the sheets apart into a total of 3 smaller sheets consisting each of 2 tri-folded sections - you will have to press together the long ends of 2 sections to create the third one. If you're patient and don't mind a little mess, you could break these all apart into 6 sections - they will just be a little narrow, making it harder to contain the meat well.

After separating into 3 smaller sheets, fill each halfway full with the meat mixture, keeping in mind that you will be folding one end to the other. Fold one edge over to the other, and press to seal the edges well.

Bake ~20 minutes until golden brown.

Makes 3 large empanadas, which is about 6 servings.

Pesto & Meatball-Filled Crescent Rolls

This is an easy, silverware-optional meal. One can of crescent rolls should make enough for 2 or 3, but is easily doubled.

Ingredients

1 (8oz) can Pillsbury crescent rolls
1/2 of an 8oz jar of Classico basil pesto
20 or so frozen meatballs, halved - I use Rosina Italian-style, yummm
Parmesan and/or mozzerella cheeses


Directions

Preheat oven to 375.

Cook meatballs for about 20 minutes in covered skillet on stovetop - add a little olive oil at the beginning so they don't stick. Stir occasionally. Once cooked thoroughly, cut meatballs in half.

Unroll the crescent rolls and lay them flat on a baking sheet. Spread a layer of pesto on each crescent roll. Top with meatball halves - you'll eventually need to roll the smallest/pointy end to the bottom of the roll, so place about 4 halves in the body of each roll. Top with parmesan and/or mozzarella cheese(s).

Roll the small end to the bottom of the roll and press to fuse (see photo below).

Bake about 11-13 minutes, until crescent rolls are golden brown.

Mexican Manicotti

Yummmm!! This recipe makes 14 manicotti shells. Cooking for 2, I personally only fill 7 shells and use the rest of the ingredients to make a hot 5 layer dip. Good size for a family, though!

Ingredients

1 lb ground beef
1 clove minced garlic
salt and pepper to taste
1-1/2 (24oz) medium picante sauce
1 (16oz) can refried beans
1 teaspoon oregano
1/4 teaspoon cumin
1 (8oz) package manicotti shells (uncooked)
1/2 cup Mexican cheese blend
Sour cream for topping


Directions

Preheat oven to 400.

Brown ground beef in large skillet with garlic, salt, and pepper. Drain and return to skillet.

Coat the bottom of the casserole dish with a thin layer of picante sauce.

Stir refried beans, oregano, and cumin into the ground beef until mixed evenly.

Once mixed, spoon the mixture into the uncooked manicotti shells and place in casserole dish. Cover with remaining picante sauce.

Bake about 40 minutes until shells are cooked.

Top with cheese and sour cream and serve.

Sloppy Casserole

This is a homemade sloppy joe casserole topped with biscuits - yum! 2lbs ground beef make this a good size meal for a family :)

Ingredients

2 lbs ground beef
2 cloves (or more) minced garlic
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
1 large pinch crushed red pepper
2 cans (10.75 oz) condensed tomato soup
1/2 cup water
2 teaspoons worcestershire sauce
1 package of 8 Grands biscuits


Directions

Preheat oven to 400.

Brown the ground beef in a large skillet with garlic, black pepper, and crushed red pepper. Drain and return to skillet.

Stir in soup, water, and worcestershire sauce. Simmer about 10 minutes.

Pour beef mixture into a large casserole dish/pan. Top with biscuits near the outer edges of the casserole.

Bake 10-15 minutes until biscuits are golden brown.

Tasty Tuna Melts

I'd never had a tuna melt in my life before I tried this recently by combining ideas from several tuna melt recipes. Baking the melts on crescent rolls gives them a warm, flaky base - hope you enjoy!

Ingredients

8 pack crescent rolls
2 6-ounce cans of your favorite tuna, drained
3 tablespoons mayo (more if desired)
1 celery stalk, diced
1 tablespoon parsley
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic, or to taste
Dash of hot sauce, or to taste
Freshly ground pepper, to taste
Tomato slices
Sliced muenster cheese


Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375.

2. Combine tuna, mayo, celery, parsley, lemon juice, salt, garlic, hot sauce, and pepper in a medium bowl.

3. Important: spread crescent rolls into rectangles (2 triangles, un-separated for each melt) and place on baking sheet. If they get seperated, just pinch the seam back together.

4. Spread 1/4 of the mixture mixture on each roll. Top with tomato slices if desired and bake approximately 7 minutes.

6. Remove from oven, top each melt with a slice of cheese, and bake another 7 minutes until cheese is melty and bubbly. Makes 4 melts.

Notes:

-I use reduced fat Pillsbury crescent rolls and low fat Hellman’s mayo to make this lighter.

Layered Burrito Casserole

You'll need an 8" square baking dish for this recipe - a bigger casserole dish can work though, especially if you're doubling the recipe for your family or preparing for leftovers (you'd just spread additional tortillas to cover the size of the dish).

Ingredients

1 lb ground beef
1/4 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic (or ~1tsp minced garlic)
1 (16 oz) jar medium taco sauce
1 (16 oz) cans refried beans
1 (10 oz) can diced tomatoes with green chile peppers
1 (4 oz) can diced green chili peppers
1 pinch of crushed red peppers, if desired
5 (8") flour tortillas
Mexican blend of cheese (about a cup)
Sour cream, if desired

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350.

2. In a large skillet over medium heat, brown the ground beef with the onion, garlic, and crushed red peppers. Salt & pepper to taste. Drain. Stir in the green chile peppers, tomatoes, taco sauce, and refried beans. Simmer for 10-15 minutes.

3. Spread a thin layer of the meat mixture in the bottom of the 8" square baking dish. Place one tortilla over the meat, and cover with more meat. Repeat until all tortillas are used - meat on the top.

4. Bake uncovered for approximately 20 minutes. Top with cheese & sour cream and serve. Makes 4 servings.

Notes:

-The cheese does melt nicely over the hot dish, but you can bake the casserole with cheese on top if you'd like.

I love to cook!

I usually make dinner about five nites a week and am really into experimenting with different recipes. It's pretty fun, and I love hearing my sweetie tell me that dinner was delicious.

I'm not a master cook or anything, but I know sometimes it can be hard coming up with fresh ideas for meals. I’m always looking for different ideas in magazines, cookbooks, online, or just a bit of brainstorming. I try them out regularly and will share the great ones here.

If you have a yummy recipe you’d like to share, please send it to me! I can give it a shot and post for others to enjoy.