Swedish Meatballs

These have been a staple at my house for as long as I have been married.  In fact, I even grew up eating this for dinner probably a couple times a month.  Super easy, super yummy.  My kids eat it like candy.  Tastes even better as leftovers!!

 

Combine the following ingredients all together and shape into meatballs.   Place them in a medium heat skillet.  Pick a skillet that you have a lid for.  I like to let the bottom of the meatball brown a little and then turn them once.

1 pound ground beef

1 cup minute rice

1 egg slightly beaten

2 tablespoons minced onion (I use dehydrated onions)

1 tablespoon chopped parsley

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1/8 teaspoon nutmeg

Dash of pepper

1/2 cup milk

After all you meatballs are in the skillet combine the following ingredients together and pour over the meatballs.

1 can cream of mushroom soup

2/3 cup milk (the original recipe calls for water but I think it is much better if you use milk)

1 teaspoon lemon juice.

Make sure all the meatballs have a little bit of soup on or around them.  Lower the heat to a simmer and cover for about 15 minutes.

Serve over rice or noodles!

*****Side note, I always double this recipe for my family, 7 people.  If you double it, still only use one slightly beaten egg.  Doubling makes just the right amount for dinner plus a little leftover for lunch the next day.

Hope you like it as much as my family!!

Christina (UTmomof5)

Chewy Chocolate Cookies

So in my attempt to find a substitute for the ever evil smart cookie co chocolate cookie with white chocolate chips, I decided this would recipe would have to do. As I didn't want to drive that far and I wanted to make something I had all the ingredients on hand, I found this little beauty on the back of the reeses peanut butter chip package - thats how I made it and it was delicious, but I've decided it would be just as tasty with white chocolate chips instead, so feel free to try either or both if you really need a chocolate fix.

2 c. flour
3/4 c. hersheys cocoa
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1-1/4 c(2-1/2 sticks) butter softened
2 c. sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
1-2/3 c(10oz pkg) Peanut butter or white chocolate chips

Heat oven to 350 degrees

Stir together flour, cocoa, baking soda, salt. Beat butter and sugar in large bowl with mixer until fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla; beat well. Gradually add flour mixture, beating well. Stir in peanut butter or white chocolate chips.

Drop by rounded teaspoons onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 8-9 minutes. Do not overbake; cookie will be soft. They will puff while baking and flatten while cooling. Cool slighty; remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool completely. About 4-1/2 dozen cookies.

Karley

Greek Chicken and Kudos for Karley!

Last night we tried this recipe for blackened chicken and fettucine alfredo that Karley posted a while back. YUM-O! It was really great. I think this will be my new go-to meal for anytime we have company over. Ya gotta try it.

This is a recipe that was originally from Allrecipes.com. Kari found it and told me how great it was, now it's a standard at my house--even the kids eat it! I've made a few minor adjustments over time, just to make it easier.

GREEK CHICKEN
3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, pounded flat (I put mine on a cutting board and put peice of plastic wrap over them while I pound them, just to cut down on messiness)
1/4 c flour
1/2 t salt
1/2 t pepper
1/4 c (or so) feta cheese, crumbled
1 T lemon juice---and a 1/4 c or so for later
1 t dried oregano (unless your feta is already seasoned when you buy it)
2 T olive oil
2 c water
2 t chicken bouillon (or 2 cubes)
1 can diced tomatoes
2 c torn spinach leaves

Put olive oil in skillet and heat up. Pound chicken breast flat. Combine feta, oregano, and 1 T lemon juice to form a thick paste-like consistency. Spread over half of each chicken breast, fold each breast in half around cheese mixture. Combine flour, salt, and pepper. Dredge chicken in flour mixture, place in skillet to brown each side (2-3 min for each side). Tilt skillet to allow oil to run into a pool at the edge. Add some (about a T) of your left-over flour mixture to the oil and mix together (this will help to thicken up the sauce). Pour in the can of tomatoes, water, chicken bouillon and lemon juice (more or less of the juice, depending on your tastes). Cover and cook until chicken is cooked through. Add spinach leaves about 5 min before done.

We love to have this with cous-cous or those Rice-a-Roni whole grain blends. The sauce is tasty over the rice, too.

Tamara

Breakfast Casserole

So lately I have really been into breakfast, sometimes it just sounds better than dinner, and in my quest for things that can be made ahead or frozen due to my extra baby helping hands, I like to work while she's asleep and this recipe works perfectlyfor that, and it can.... and should be made a day ahead.

Breakfast Casserole
1 pkg (12 oz) Breakfast Sausage Links 1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
6 english muffins, cut into 1 in cubes 12 eggs
1/4 c. butter, melted 2 c. milk
2 c. mixed cheese - like mexican or colby jack 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 c. chopped onion 1/2 tsp pepper
5-8 strips of bacon - cooked

Cook sausage according to package directions. Cool slightly; cut into 1/4in slices. Place english muffin cubes in a greased 9x13 baking dish; drizle with butter. Layer with sausage, cheese, onion, and green pepper. In a large bowl, combine the eggs, milk, salt and pepper. Pour over cheese. Sprinkle with bacon. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Remove from the refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Uncover and bake at 350 for 45-50 minutes or until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean. Let stand 5 minutes.

So I found this recipe in my coupon clipping, its a johnsonville recipe and if you get the paper you have $1 off 2 pkg, this is the recipe with what I changed in it, but theres said you could use red pepper and bacon bits - not a true fan of either but just giving you some breakfast options......it sure is yummy and super easy to make, enjoy it. Another tip for things like this recipe is I like to buy the heat and eat pre-cooked bacon, that way I don't have a whole pound of bacon on my hands...well lets face it I would eat the whole thing, if you haven't tried the heat and eat, its great for when you just need a few slices, like BLT's or this :)

Karley

Gobble Up Granola Snacks

Here's another one I found on Allrecipes.com that I have been making alot lately. I love them!

2 1/2 c crispy rice cereal (I made half of this puffed brown rice to add more fiber--I got it at Walmart)
2 c quick cooking oats (I made half of this rolled oats, for the same reason)
1/2 c packed brown sugar
1/2 c light corn syrup
1/2 c peanut butter
1 tsp vanilla extract

raisins, chocolate chips, etc.

Combine the brown sugar and corn syrup in a pot and heat until boiling. Remove from heat and stir in peanut butter and vanilla until smooth. Combine with cereal and oats and stir until well coated. Turn out onto a cookie sheet. When it has cooled a bit, you can form it into a "sheet", adding in chocolate chips or raisins, etc. When completely cooled, cut into bars.

Tamara

Kettle Corn

I found this one on Allrecipes. It is inexpensive, easy, and delicious! I made some tonight and we ate it while we played Clue together as a family.

1/4 c oil
1/4 c sugar
1/2 c popcorn kernels

Put oil in pot (I used the same pot I make soup in). Put three kernels of corn in the pot, cover it with a lid (we learned the hard way that this was important--when the first kernel popped it flew out and hit me and it was HOT). When all three kernels of corn have popped, stir in the sugar and add the rest of the corn. Cover and shake the pot back and forth until the popping slows down (or until you run out of room!). Add some salt, and voila! Enjoy!

Tamara

Pork Chops and Rice (or Chicken and Rice)

My family is really into dutch oven cooking, but you don't have to get out the charcoal for this one. We use a 10" dutch oven with lid in the oven for this (I got it for my husband for our anniversary at WalMart for about $20), but I'm sure that you could use an ovenproof pan and lid, or even just a regular baking dish.

6 pork chops (or chicken pieces/breasts)
2 cups rice
2 tsp. salf
1 onion, chopped
4 cups water
2 cans of cream of mushroom soup (or cream of chicken if using chicken)
1 tbsp. oil

Brown pork chops (or chicken) in dutch oven with oil and onions. Pour rice over the pork chops (or chicken) and stir well. Add soup, water and salt; and mix well. Cover and bake at 350 F for 30 - 45 minutes. All the liquid will be absorbed when it is done. Enjoy!