Meatballs

Ingredients:

• 1 pound ground beef (I used a mixture of beef & turkey)
• 1 small onion, diced or grated
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1/2 cup Panko breadcrumbs
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• dash salt
• 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon parsley (I used dried) (optional)
• 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese (optional) 

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
2. Mix all ingredients in a bowl.
3. Form the meatballs - any size will do, just note it will change cooking time.
4. Lay meatballs onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment, silicon mating or foil and cook. You should cook until the internal temperature is 165°F.
5. Place meatballs onto a paper towel to soak up any excess grease. You can freeze the meatballs for later use.
6. Enjoy!

~Recipe from Mikaila

Bean and Cheese Tamales

Total time: 1hr 55 min
Prep: 45 min
Cook: 1 hr 10 min

Yields: 8 tamales

Ingredients:

• 1 Tablespoon canola oil
• 1/2 medium onion, chopped
• 1 Tablespoon chopped garlic
• 2 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 Tablespoon hot sauce
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• Salt & pepper
• 2 cups cornmeal
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 stick cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1/2 cup grated cheese (I used cheddar)

Directions:

1. Put the oil into a small skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another 30 seconds. Remove half and reserve it for the tamale dough.
2. To the pan with the remaining onions add the beans, hot sauce, chili powder and season with salt & pepper, to taste. Stir to combine and cook until heated through, about 5 minutes. Set aside to cool slightly.
3. In a large bowl combine the cornmeal, 1 teaspoon of salt and the baking powder. Cut the butter into the cornmeal using a form or a pastry blender. Add the broth, a little at a time, until the dough comes together. Mix in the reserved cooked onion and garlic.
4. Cut parchment paper into 8 (8 by 8-inch) squares. Spread 1/3 cup of the tamale dough onto the center of the paper and lightly press it into a circle. Put a heaping tablespoon of the beans on top with a tablespoon of cheese. Bring the 2 corners of the paper at the end of the rectangle up to encase the beans and cheese with the tamale dough. Fold the corners together a couple of times. Fold the other sides over to cover the seam and turn right side up. Continue this process with the remaining dough and filling.
5. Put a steamer basket into a large pot and add enough water to come just below the basket. Cover the pot and put it over medium-low heat to bring the water to a simmer. Put the tamales in the steamer basket. Cover and steam the tamales until dough is cooked through, about 1 hour, check after 30 minutes, you may need to add more water to the pot. Remove the tamales from paper wrapping and serve warm.

*I recommend trying to get tamale dough as thin as possible and add more then 1 tablespoon filling if possible. You may want to make a sauce for the top, melt cheese, or add hot sauce.

~Recipe from Sandra Lee's Sandra's Money Saving Meals on foodnetwork.com

Sweet Potato and Black Bean Enchilada

Prep. Time: 20 minutes

Cook time: 30 minutes sweet potatoes, 25 minutes enchiladas

Ingredients:

• 2 medium sweet potatoes
• 1 can black beans or 2 cups cooked black beans
• 1/2 cup salsa
• 12 corn tortillas
• 1 can red enchilada sauce
• 2 cups shredded cheese

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Peel the sweet potatoes and cut into bite sized chunks. Cook in boiling water until cooked through. Drain and put in large mixing bowl.
3. Add to the sweet potatoes the drained& rinsed can of black beans, and salsa. Gently combine.
4. Spoon the sweet potato mixture into the corn tortillas, roll and place seam side down in the baking dish. Repeat for all the tortillas.
5. Pour the red enchilada sauce over the top and then add the shredded cheese over the sauce.
6. Bake at 350°F for 25 minutes, or until cheese has melted and sauce is bubbly.
7. Let cool slightly before serving
8. Enjoy!

~Original recipe from 5dollardinners.com

Sloppy Joes

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 pounds of ground beef
• 1 small yellow onion, diced
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 Tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon dry mustard powder
• 2 teaspoons paprika
• 2 teaspoons granulated garlic powder
• 2 teaspoons granulated onion powder
• 2 Tablespoons brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons Worchesteshire sauce
• 2 teaspoons ketchup
• 1 1/2 cups tomato sauce
• 1/4 cup water
• salt & pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. In a large skillet with high sides, add the oil and preheat it over medium high heat until the oil is nice and hot.
2. Add the beef and break it up as much as you can with a wooden spoon. Cook the beef until it's mostly cooked through, remove most of the drippings and add the onion, peppers and garlic, season everything with a touch of salt and pepper and cook it all together until the veggies develop some color and cook down a bit, about 5 to 7 minutes.
3. Add the ketchup along with the brown sugar, granulated onion, granulated garlic, paprika and mustard powder, cook it all together for about a minute giving it a good stir.
4. Add the tomato sauce, touch of water and Worchesetshire, lower the heat to low, partially cover with a lid and cook everything together for about 10 minutes.
5. Adjust the seasoning according to taste and spoon mixture over toasted buttered buns.
6. Enjoy

~Recipe by Laura Vitale from LauraInTheKitchen.com

Zuppa Toscana Soup (Copycat)

 

Yields: 6-8 servings

Ingredients:

• 2 tsp olive oil
• 1 lb Italian Sausage (casing removed if necessary)
• 4 oz bacon (about 5 slices), diced into 1/2 to 1-inch pieces
• 1 cup chopped yellow onion (about 1 small onion)
• 3 (14.5 oz) cans low-sodium chicken broth
• 2 cups water
• 1 1/2 lbs Russet potatoes, scrubbed and rinsed then sliced into halves, halves diced into 1/8 to 1/6-inch slices
• 1 1/2 tsp granulated sugar
• 1/2 tsp fennel seeds
• 1/2 salt, then to taste
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1 cup lightly packed kale, chopped into bite size pieces
• finely shredded Romano cheese for serving, optional

Directions:

1. Heat olive oil in a large non-stick saucepan over medium-high heat. Crumble sausage into 1-inch pieces and add to saucepan.Cook sausage, stirring occasionally until cooked through. Drain sausage onto a plate or baking dish lined with paper towels leaving 1 tsp fat in pan, set sausage aside.
2. Add diced bacon (being sure to separate pieces from each other if you stacked them when slicing) to fat in saucepan, return to heat and saute 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Add diced onions to bacon in saucepan and saute mixture until bacon is cooked through (not crisp) and onions are tender, about 5 minutes longer.
4. Add chicken broth, water, sliced potatoes, sugar, fennel seeds, salt and pepper. 
5. Bring soup just to a boil then reduce heat to medium-low and stir in half and half, kale and cooked sausage. Cover saucepan and simmer 25-30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until potatoes are very tender. Use a spoon or ladle to remove excess fat from top of soup if desired.
6. Serve warm topped with Romano cheese.

Recipe from Cooking Classy

Baked Cavatelli

Ingredients:

• 1 lb pasta (short variety)
• 12 oz uncooked sausage, sliced 1/2" thick
• 3/4 chopped onion
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 26 oz jar pasta sauce
• 1 cup mozzarella, grated
• salt & pepper

Directions:

1. Cook pasta to box directions.
2. Saute sausage, onion and garlic.
3. In a large bowl stir sauce, 3/4 cup cheese, pepper.
4. Combine pasta, sausage and sauce mixture in oven safe pan or casserole dish.
5. Bake, covered, in 375°F oven for 25-30 minutes.
6. Sprinkle remaining cheese, bake 5 minutes more.

Easy Waffles

Ingredients:

• 2 eggs
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 3/4 cups milk
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1 tablespoon white sugar
• 4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Preheat waffle iron. Beat eggs in large bowl with hand beater until fluffy. Beat in flour, milk, vegetable oil, sugar, baking powder, salt and vanilla, just until smooth.
2. Spray preheated waffle iron with non-stick cooking spray. Pour mix onto hot waffle iron. Cook until golden brown. Serve hot.

~Recipe from allrecipes.com

Southwestern Quinoa and Black Bean Casserole

 

Ingredients:

• 3 large cloves garlic, minced
• 1 onion, minced
• 2 jalapenos, seeds and ribs removed, minced
• 1 tablespoon oil
• 4 1/2 cups cooked black beans, rinsed
• 1 1/4 cup vegetable broth
• 2 cups cooked quinoa
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 4 bell peppers, diced
• 1 1/4 cup shredded Mexican cheese
• diced green onions

Directions:

1. Black beans: Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the garlic, onion, and jalapeno, sauteing for 4 minutes and stirring occasionally. Stir in broth and black beans. Bring mixture to a boil and cook for 5 minutes. Mash beans to desired consistency. I like to make them a little more like re-fried beans while still leaving some of the beans whole. The mixture should be thick, not watery. If you still have a lot of moisture, let it cook out by keeping it on the heat for another few minutes. Taste and season with salt.
2. Quinoa: In a dry nonstick skillet over medium high heat, toss and toast the cooked quinoa with the cayenne, chili powder, cumin, and salt for 1-2 minutes. Taste and season with salt. Set aside.
3. Peppers: In the same dry nonstick skillet over medium high heat, place the diced peppers and do NOT stir. This allows the peppers to get a brown roasted look on the outside. Wait for 2-3 minutes before stirring, then let them "roast" for another few minutes before removing from the heat.
4. Assemble: Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spoon black bean mixture into a glass baking dish coated with cooking spray. Top with quinoa, bell peppers, and cheese. Cover with foil coated with cooking spray. Remove foil and bake for another 10 minutes, or until the top layer of cheese was golden and bubbly. Sprinkle with green onions and let cool for at least 10 minutes (otherwise it will be too runny). Serve with sour cream, tortilla chips, on tacos, on a salad, or just eat it plain!

*I separated the dish in half, served one the night I made it and froze the other half for another night. That's why it's in a smaller aluminum container in the picture.

~Recipe via pinchofyum.com

Minestra with Beef & Pork Polpette

Soup Ingredients:

• 2 Tablespoons Olive oil
• 4 ounces thickly sliced pancetta (I used bacon, chopped)
• 2 medium onions, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic: 3 thinly slices, 1 smashed but whole
• 1 starchy potato (such as russet), peeled and diced
• 1 bay leaf
• salt and pepper
• 2 heads escarole, chopped
• Freshly graded nutmeg
• 1 (15- to 19-ounce) can cannellini beans, drained
• 6 cups chicken stock

Meatball Ingredients:

• 3 slices white bread or peasant bread, crusts trimmed
• Milk, for soaking the bread
• 8 ounces ground beef
• 8 ounces ground pork
• 1 teaspoon fennel seeds, fennel pollen, or ground fennel
• 1 teaspoon sweet paprika (smoked or regular)
• 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
• Salt and pepper
• A generous handful of grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
• A handful of fresh flat-leaf parsley tops, finely chopped
• 1 egg yolk
• Olive oil, for drizzle

Directions:

1. Make the soup: In a soup pot or Dutch oven, heat the Olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the pancetta and render a couple minutes. Add the onions, sliced garlic, potato, bay leaf, and salt, pepper, and a few grates of nutmeg. Cover to wilt. Stir in the beans, stock, and 2 cups water. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a rolling simmer while you make the meatballs.
2. Make meatballs: Douse the bread with milk to soften. Place the ground meats in a bowl. Season the meat with fennel, paprika, red pepper flakes (if using), and salt and pepper. Add the cheese, parsley, and egg yolk. Squeeze the milk out of the bread and pull it into little crumbs as you add it to the meat. Drizzle with olive oil and roll the meat into walnut-size balls.
3. Remove the bay leaf from the soup. Add the meatballs and poach until cooked through.
4. Serve the soup in shallow bowls with shredded Parm on top and an extra drizzle of olive oil.

~Recipe from Week in a Day with Rachael Ray

Spinach, Onion & Cheese Enchiladas

*These pictures show a half portion of the recipe below.

**This recipe is documented based on memory from what I do in my kitchen.  All amounts listed are approximate so feel free to adjust according to taste!

Serves about 4

Ingredients:

• ·         16 oz (or more if you like it saucy!) jar of enchilada sauce (I use Nanitas, but anything will do!)
• ·         12-15 oz of fresh spinach
• ·         Whole yellow onion diced
• ·         12 oz (or more if you like it cheesy!) of shredded Monterey or cheddar cheese
• ·         12 corn tortillas
• ·         3 tablespoons of olive or other vegetable oil for frying
• ·         9x13 baking dish

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 350°
2. Sauté diced onion in oil in frying pan (you can add more oil if you need to) over medium/high heat until onions are translucent.  Add spinach and stir.  When spinach is wilted, add about half of the jar or more of enchilada sauce and completely cover spinach and onions.  Turn heat down to medium/low and let simmer.
3. Place stacked tortillas all together in foil and wrap and put in the oven to soften them up.  You can also put each one individually on an oiled frying pan; while this option is better and makes the tortillas more workable, that takes a long time. 
4. Spread sauce over the bottom of the baking dish. 
5. When tortillas are warm and soft, it’s time to fill them.  Turn heat off of the spinach mixture.  Scoop a couple of spoonfuls (you really don’t need much) of the spinach mixture into each tortilla and then sprinkle with a little cheese.  Roll the tortilla up and place in the baking dish ‘open’ side down.  Place all wraps side by side in the pan.
6. Spoon remaining sauce over the tortilla wraps, spreading sauce to cover every square inch.  Sprinkle remaining cheese over the top.  Put in oven uncovered and cook for 25+ minutes (cheese should be completely melted; if you want the cheese a little bit browned, it will take more like 30-35 minutes).
7. Serve with sour cream, avocado/guac, lettuce, rice and any other condiments/sides that you like.

~Recipe from Stephanie M.

Creamy Chicken & Mushroom One-Pot with Potpie Toppers

Ingredients:

• 3 large boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
• 3 onions: 1 quartered (root end intact) and 2 chopped
• 2 fresh bay leaves
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 8 ounces button mushrooms, sliced or quartered
• 4 baby potatoes, diced
• 2 parsnips, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch cubes
• 2 small ribs celery, chopped
• Leaves from 2 or 3 sprigs fresh sage, very thinly sliced (I used dried sage)
• salt & pepper
• 3 Tablespoons butter
• 3 Tablespoons flour, plus more for unfolding the puff pastry
• 1/4 to 1/2 cup white wine
• 1 round Tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 2 cups chicken stock
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed but chilled well
• 1 egg, beaten with a splash of water

Directions:

1. In a Dutch oven or deep skillet, combine the chicken, onion quarters, and 1 bay leaf. Add water to come to the top of the chick. bring to a low boil, reduce the heat to a simmer, and poach the chicken for 12 to 15 minutes. Remove the chicken and when cool enough to handle, dice or shred with forks. Strain the poaching liquid and reserve. Dry the pan.
2. In the same pan, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and brown lightly. Add the chopped onions, potatoes, parsnips, celery, sage, the remaining bay leaf, and salt and pepper. Cover the pot and sweat the vegetables for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove the bay leaf. Melt in the butter, sprinkle in the 3 tablespoons flour, and stir to make a light roux. Deglaze the pan with the wine. Add 2 cups of the reserved poaching liquid. Whisk in the mustard and 2 cups chicken stock. Stir in the cream and simmer to thicken to a light gravy consistency. Adjust the salt and pepper and add the chicken.
3. Preheat the oven to 425°F.
4. Unfold the puff pastry onto a lightly floured work surface. Choose 3-cup bowls to serve the potpies in. Invert them onto the dough and trace around them with a knife to cut pieces to fit the tops. Arrange the pastry on a nonstick baking sheet or parchment paper-lined baking sheet and brush with the egg wash. Bake until golden, 10 to 12 minutes.
5. Ladle the chicken and mushroom filling into the bowls and top with the potpie toppers.

*This freezes extremely well! Just ladle into aluminum freezer bowls cover with foil and freeze. To prepare after freezing, remove lid and place in a 325°F oven until heated through. Cook off pastry the night you are eating the dish.

~Recipe from Week in a Day with Rachael Ray

Butternut Squash Lasagna

Serves 6-8

Time: about 2.5 hours

Ingredients: 

• 1 large butternut squash (about 4lbs) cut into ½” pieces
• 2 TBSP extra virgin olive oil
• Kosher Salt & fresh ground pepper
• 5 ¾ cups milk, divided
• 2 tsp dried thyme
• 7 TBSP unsalted butter
• 7 TBSP flour
• 12 no-boil lasagna noodles
• ¾ lb fresh mozzarella, sliced ¼” thick

Directions:

1   Preheat oven to 425, toss butternut squash with olive oil & season generously with salt & pepper

** we usually just cut the squash in ½ and wipe it with olive oil, sprinkle with salt & pepper & then once its cooked & soft, cut it into cubes**

Divide between 2 parchment-lined baking sheets. Roast, rotating trays halfway through, until tender & golden, about 40 minutes

2  Transfer to a food processor (or blender) along with ¾ cup milk, thyme, and ¼ cup water.  Puree

3 Make white sauce:

melt butter over medium heat in a medium saucepan, then whisk in flour & cook, whisking constantly til tan, about 5 minutes. Slowly whisk in remaining 5 cups milk & cook, until thickened, about 10 minutes. Season with 2 tsp salt & ¼ tsp pepper.

4 Spread about ½ cup white sauce evenly across bottom of a 9x13” baking dish. Top with 3 noodles. Dollop 1 cup squash over noodles, using back of spoon to spread evenly. Repeat the noodle, squash, sauce layers 3 more times.

5   Arrange mozzarella slices on top and season with pepper.  Cover with foil; bake for 50 minutes. Then increase heat to 475, remove foil, and bake until mozzarella is golden in spots, about 5-10 more minutes. Let stand at least 15 minutes before serving.

~Recipe from Carolyn A.

Hamburger Pie

 

Ingredients:
24 oz mashed potatoes
1 1/4 lbs lean ground beef
1/2 cup chopped onion (1 medium)
1/4 tsp salt
Dash of black pepper
2 1/2 cups frozen cut green beans, thawed (or mixed vegetables)
1 10.75 oz can condensed tomato soup
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Directions:

1. Prepare mashed potatoes; set aside. In a large skillet cook meat and onion until meat is brown and onion is tender. Drain off fat. Add salt & pepper. Stir in thawed beans and soup. pour into a greased 2-quart baking dish.
2. Spoon mashed potatoes in mounds on beef mixture. Sprinkle cheese over potatoes. Bake, uncovered, in a 350°F oven for 30 to 35 minutes or until mixture is bubbly and cheese begins to brown.

Buffalo Chicken Chili

Ingredients:

• 2 Tbs Olive oil
• 2lbs Ground chicken
• 2 large carrots, peeled & finely chopped
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 4 ribs celery, finely chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 Tbs smoked paprika
• 1 Bay leaf, fresh or dried
• Salt & Pepper
• 2 cups chicken stock
• 1/2 cup hot sauce (I use about 1/4 cup because I like it mild)
• 1 can tomato sauce (15oz)
• 1 can stewed, fire roasted or crushed tomatoes
• 1 bag tortilla chips

Directions:

1. Large pot oven medium-high heat with olive oil, add ground chicken and break up, lightly brown it for 5 minutes.
2. Add carrots, onion, celery, garlic, paprika and bay leaf, salt & pepper. Stirr frequently, about 7-8 minutes. Add chicken stock and scrape up any brown bits on bottom.
3. Add hot sauce, tomato sauce and stewed tomatoes, bring up to a bubble. Simmer for 8-10 minutes.
4. Serve with chips.

~Recipe via Rachael Ray

Three Bean & Beef Chili

Prep time: 15 minutes
cook time: 1 hour 10 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 Tbs olive oil
• 1 onion, diced (1 cup)
• 1 red bell pepper, diced (1 cup)
• 2 carrots, diced (1/2 cup)
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 1 lb ground beef or turkey
• 1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes
• 2 cups water
• 1 chipotle chile in adobo sauce, minced
• 2 tsp adobo sauce
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• salt & pepper
• 1 (15.5 oz) can black beans
• 1 (15.5 oz) can kidney beans
• 1 (15.5 oz) can pinto beans

Directions:

1. Heat oil in large pot or Dutch oven over moderate heat.
2. Add onion, bell pepper & carrots, cover and cook, stirring occasionally until vegetables are soft, about 10 minutes.
3. Add cumin and cook, stirring 1 minute.
4. Add ground beef; raise the heat to high and cook, breaking up meat with spoon, until meat is no longer pink.
5. Stir in tomatoes, water, chipotle and adobo sauce, oregano, salt and pepper.
6. Cook, partially covered, stirring from time to time, for 30 minutes.
7. Stir in beans and continue cooking, partially covered, 20 minutes longer. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

*I enjoy a mild chili, so I use a few tablespoons of hot sauce rather then chipotle and adobo.

~Recipe via Ellie Krieger on foodnetwork.com

Grandma Iona's Meatloaf

Prep. time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 1 1/2 hours
Makes 2 loafs

Ingredients:
Loaf:
2 1/4 lb ground beef
2 cups dried bread crumbs
2 1/4 cup milk
2 eggs
1/4 Cups minced onion (I use dried)
1/4 tsp dry mustard
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1 1/2 Tbs Worcestershire

Sauce:
1/2 cup Ketchup
1 Tbs Brown sugar
1 tsp yellow mustard
1 tsp liquid smoke

Directions:
1- Mix loaf ingredients in bowl
2- Bake at 350°F for 1 1/2 hours
3- After 1/2 hour drain fat and apply some the the sauce to the top.
4- serve with remaining sauce

**I often cut recipe in half to make only one loaf for dinner.