Mini Puff Pancakes

Call them what you will: German Pancakes, Dutch Babies, Puffed Oven Pancakes, etc... There are a hundred names for these yummy things. They are traditionally made in a big skillet or glass dish, but in my experience, the crispy, puffy edges are always fought over, while the middle is left for last. Making them in a muffin tin solves that problem beautifully and everyone is able to enjoy the best part of the dish, the edge!

Mini Puff Pancakes
Sources: (Referenced) Real Mom Kitchen, Our Best Bites, Simply Suzannes

Ingredients
(make about 24 puff pancakes)
½ cup flour
¾ cup milk
3 eggs
1/8 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon or 1 teaspoon orange zest {optional}

Toppings
Warm, melted butter
Fresh Berries or Jam

Powdered Sugar
Lemon Juice & Powdered Sugar {my personal favorite}

Maple Syrup

Directions:

Place mini muffin pan (or cast iron skillet) in oven and heat to 400 degrees. While oven is heating, place flour, milk, eggs, and salt in a blender and blend until smooth. Carefully remove the pan from the oven and quickly spray the wells with non-stick spray or brush with melted butter. Fill muffin wells 3/4 full with batter. Place pan in oven and bake for 15-20 minutes, until puffed and slightly golden on top. Remove puffs and serve with desired toppings. 

Stromboli

One of my new favorite meals to make (and eat) is Stromboli. I love that it is super versatile and you can make it with pretty much anything that you have around. I love that it's easy and I love how yummy it is. We've had it 3 or 4 times in the last month, with different fillings every time. It makes me feel like an awesome baker when I pull something out of the oven and it's perfectly golden and crisp. There are so many variations of this, I just know it's going to be a family favorite for a long time to come.

Stromboli
Source: Lauren's Latest

Ingredients:
1/2 lb. pizza dough
Dried parsley & Parmesan cheese
1 tbs milk
Filling ingredients such as
-Pizza sauce, cheese, pepperoni
-Cheddar cheese, deli ham
-Ground beef, onions, red peppers, marinara sauce
-Salami, ham, mozarrella cheese, pizza sauce
-Chicken, bacon, cheese, alfredo sauce

Directions:
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Lightly spray and spread pizza dough out on baking sheet to be approximately 10x16. Spread pizza sauce (if desired) over 2/3's of the dough lengthwise, leaving a 3x16 rectangle of plain dough along one of the edges. Top sauce with remaining filling ingredients. Brush the plain strip of dough with a small amount of milk. Fold in the sides about an inch and brush them with milk. Roll up like a jelly roll lengthwise starting along the long edge of dough topped with all the fillings and ending with the plain strip of dough on the bottom of the roll. Brush the entire stromboli with milk and gently cut slats in the top of the dough every 1-2 inches. Sprinkle parsley and parmesan cheese over top and bake 8-10 minutes or until bubbly and golden. Remove from oven, cool 5 minutes and slice into pieces. Serve hot with a side of pizza sauce.

Stuffed Zucchini

I love zucchini, and this year our plants have actually produced more than one baby zucchini. I've been so excited about it and have been actively searching for yummy recipes that utilize our garden abundance. The tricky part is finding normal recipes that still fit in with our preferred food-tastes. Just because I want to use zucchini doesn't mean that I want to use feta or goat cheese.  David is tolerant of zucchini, but doesn't adore it, so recipes that somehow incorporate the zucchini while remaining fairly consistent with what we normally eat are best. I decided to take a chance on my own version of a stuffed zucchini, even though it's got a bigger presence than I would normally attempt. Again, most of the recipes I found were pretty outside of our normal scope of food taste - but I decided to just go for it. As I was making it, I totally chickened out and just made things up as I went instead of following the recipe in hopes that it would end up being something that we would actually eat and enjoy. It ended up turning out awesome and I would definitely make it again.

Stuffed Zucchini
Source: The Peaden Kitchen

Ingredients:
1/2 lb ground beef
1/2 medium onion, chopped
1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
1-2 cups grated cheddar cheese
1 bottle marinara sauce (we love Prego)
1 medium/large sized zucchini

Directions:
Slice zucchini in half end to end and use a spoon to scoop out the middle, creating a little boat. Place on a baking sheet, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and stick in a 350 oven for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, In a medium sized skillet, brown ground beef. When almost completely cooked through, add onion and bell pepper and cook until tender. Add about 1/2 cup of marinara sauce and stir to combine.  Place meat mixture in hollowed out portion of zucchini and top with additional sauce and remaining cheese. Increase oven temp to 375 and place pan back into the oven. Bake for 20 minutes or until zucchini is completely fork tender and cheese is melted. Slice into sections and serve. Enjoy!

Freezer Meals

I've always wanted to try my hand at freezer meals. Every so often I see a new post about "such and such number of meals in one day" and think to myself "Self, you really need to do that - it would be awesome." However, it's kind of intimidating time-wise as well as intimidating budget wise. But with Baby #2's arrival just around the corner, I decided that I wanted to stock up at least a few meals that I thought our family would actually eat and enjoy for after baby gets here. Instead of making a huge day out of it, I've started building up my freezer meal supply over the course of several weeks. About twice a week I've tried to plan meals that would be good freezer meals, then as I'm making dinner I just make twice as much and freeze half of it. It's worked out pretty well so far! Some recipes I've already used, like our favorite chicken enchiladas, chimichangas, and southwest soup, others I've found online and then made them for dinner while making extra to freeze. Hopefully I'll have a good combination of meals to use over the following months. Usually I would do a separate post for each meal - but I'm falling a little behind on my blogging and I don't want to lose these recipes. I think that I'll try to take a picture of the finished meal on the night that I actually make it and then post the recipe and picture then. Until then, I'll just keep the recipes all together here in one big post to draw from.

Savory Pepper Steak
Source: Mommy's Fabulous Finds

Ingredients
1½ lbs round steak, cut into ½ in strips
¼ cup flour
½ tsp salt
½ tsp pepper
1 small onion, diced
4-5 garlic cloves
1 green pepper, diced
1 red pepper, diced
1 (16 oz) can Italian style tomatoes
1 tbsp beef bouillon
2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp steak seasoning
1 tbsp steak sauce

Instructions
Toss steak in salt, pepper, & flour and add to gallon-sized freezer bag. In a med bowl mix together the rest of the ingredients, add to bag. Zip close and place in freezer. When ready to use thaw in fridge overnight. Empty contents into crock-pot and cook on low 8 hours.

Crock-Pot BBQ Spareribs
Source: Mommy's Fabulous Finds

Ingredients
2lbs of pork ribs
1½ cups ketchup
1½ Tbsp seasoned salt
½ cup brown sugar
½ cup white vinegar

Instructions
Place pork ribs in gallon sized ziplock. Mix remaining ingredients together in a separate bowl and pour over ribs. Seal bag and place in freezer. Thaw over night in fridge. Cook on high for 3-4 hours or low for 6-7 hours.


Chicken Fajitas
Source: What's for Dinner Facebook Group - Larissa Rees

Ingredients
2 peppers (one green and one red)
1 medium onion
1 ½ lbs chicken breast
½ cup chicken broth
Taco seasoning packet
1 tsp chili powder
½ tsp paprika
1 tsp salt


Directions:
Slice peppers and onion into strips. Place peppers, onion, and chicken breast into a gallon sized ziplock. Add the rest of the ingredients to the bag and seal. Lay bag flat and place in freezer. On day of cooking: place frozen in the crock pot and cook on high for 3-4 hours, or low for 5-6 hours. Once cooked, shred the chicken and serve on warm tortillas with your favorite toppings.



Freezer-Friendly Pizza Pockets

Source: Money Saving Mom

Ingredients: 

Pizza Dough

Pizza Fillings 

(ex: 1 pound ground beef
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 1/2 cup pasta sauce
2-3 cups shredded cheese)
Other optional filling ingredients: diced black olives, pepperoni, diced green pepper, and/or diced mushrooms

To make dough: Mix yeast into warm water until dissolved. Add sugar, salt, oil, and flour. Mix well and dump onto a floured surface and knead for 3-5 minutes.

To make filling (I browned this while mixing up the dough): Brown ground beef with onion (and green pepper, if desired). Drain. Add pasta sauce and mix together. Add other optional filling ingredients, if desired.

To make Pizza Pockets: Divide dough into 15-20 pieces. Roll pieces into balls. Flatten balls into circles with rolling pin. Dollop a few tablespoons of filling onto dough circle and sprinkle with cheese. Fold over and seal tightly.

Bake on a greased cookie sheet at 500 degrees for 10-15 minutes until browned.

To freeze: Cool completely and store in an airtight ziptop freezer bag for up to 2-3 months.

To serve: Remove desired number of pizza pockets from the freezer and warm them individually in the microwave for about two minutes or until heated throw. Or, warm on a cookie sheet in a 350-degrees oven for 20 minutes, or until heated through.

Crescent Rolls

My friend Amy (who I've gotten several recipes from in the past) shared this recipe on our online Facebook Dinner group and I immediately knew that I had to try them. These rolls are so incredibly soft and delicious. I made them the first time and swore right then and there that I would never buy crescent rolls in a can again. (Which is probably not true, but it is certainly WAY less likely.) They were so easy and just turned out so amazingly delicious that I would make them a hundred times over. They aren't as... flaky as the store-bought rolls, but they really are just so soft and yummy.

Crescent Rolls
Source: Amy Pugsley- Janet Rose's Roby Rolls

Ingredients:
2 T yeast
1/4 c warm water
2 eggs
1/2 c sugar
1 t salt
1 c warm water
1 cube butter, melted
4 1/2 c flour

Directions:
Combine yeast and 1/4 c warm water and let sit for 5 minutes. Add eggs, sugar, salt, 1 c warm water, and butter. Mix well. One cup at a time, add and mix in flour (might not take entire amount - dough should be soft).

Mix well until all flour is incorporated, but don't knead. Place in a greased bowl and cover. Let rise 1 1/2 hours or until doubled. At this point, either refrigerate overnight or roll out. (If refrigerated overnight, remove from fridge and let sit on the counter until room temp and then follow remaining instructions.)

To roll out, divide dough in half. Flour (or grease) counter space and roll each half into a large circle - dough should be about 1/4 inch thick. Using a pizza cutter, cut the circle in half, then in half again, etc... until there are 16 triangles from one circle. Roll each triangle up crescent style and place on greased baking sheet. Let rolls rise until doubled. Bake at 425 for 10 minutes. (Rotate the pans in the oven halfway through baking time.)

Yield: 32 crescent rolls

Twice Baked Potatoes

We love potatoes, and I really love twice baked potatoes. I know they aren't super healthy - so I try to limit the number of meals I pair them with but they are just so darn good. The first time I ever remember eating twice baked potatoes was on a Homecoming (Winter Ball? Prom? I can't quite remember.) Date. My date and I doubled with another set of friends and we ate dinner at our friend's house. His parents (Brother and Sister Ammons, who were in my ward) had completely decked out their dining room with fancy decorations including white twinkle christmas lights. Brother Ammons dressed up as a waiter and took our orders and a little while later came out with these giant twice baked potatoes that Sister Ammons had baked. You know those giant baking potatoes you can buy at the store? They were huge and seriously so delicious, I think I ate more of the potato than I did of the main dish (which was also delicious I'm sure - just not as memorable.) I've always been half tempted to call her and ask for her recipe, but I realize that might be weird to call up ten years later. I'm also always tempted to buy the large baking potatoes, but I almost always end up just using regular Idaho potatoes from our 10 lb bag. This recipe is from the Pioneer Woman, and it's just about as easy and delicious as they come! 

Twice Baked Potatoes
Source: The Pioneer Woman

Ingredients:
4 Potatoes

4 Tbs Butter 

1/4-1/2 cup Sour Cream 

1/4 cup Milk
2 cups Cheddar Cheese

Bacon Bits

Lawry’s Seasoned Salt 

Black Pepper

Green Onion (optional)

Directions:
Wash, and poke holes with a fork  then place eight baking potatoes directly onto the rack of a preheated oven. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 1 hour until cooked through.

As soon as the potatoes are done baking, slice them in half and scoop out the insides into a large mixing bowl. (The potatoes will be HOT! Use a hot pad or paper towel to hold them while you are scooping.) Make sure to scoop out as much potato as you can while leaving the skin intact. Sometimes this means leaving a bit of potato around the edges to give the skin a little more substance.

Start mixing up potatoes with paddle attachment. Add butter, sour cream, and milk and mix through until creams. Add bacon bits, seasoned salt and a good amount of black pepper. Add cheese and onion just until combined.

Remove bowl from mixer, and start scooping the creamy potato mixture and begin filling the shells. Keep going until the filling is all gone (I find that usually I have more filling that I think I need - but just keep scooping it into the shells until it's all piled in!)


Top each potato with grated cheddar place in a 350-degree oven for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the potato is warmed through. Serve hot!

Note: You can refrigerate them for up to three days until you are ready to serve, or you can freeze them in Ziploc bags. Just heat them through before serving. 

Crunchy Ranch Chicken

You know that we love Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing at our house - and this is a yummy meal that is super easy to throw together. Pair it with some twice-baked potatoes or corn on the cob and it's just perfect.

Crunchy Ranch Chicken

Source: Adapted from Chef in Training

Ingredients:
5-6 chicken tenders
1 cup ranch dressing (Hidden Valley Ranch, of course)
1 1/2 cups bread crumbs (I used panko crumbs)

1 tsp Dry Ranch Dressing Mix

Instructions:
In a bread pan pour ranch dressing. In a separate bread pan, combine bread crumbs and HVR dressing mix. Coat chicken tenders in ranch, then dip into bread crumbs. Evenly cover on all sides.

Place in a greased 9x13 pan and bake at 350 for 35-45 minutes or until chicken is done and tender.

*Chef in Training recommended using a bread pan instead of a bowl and I loved it! I'll never use a bowl again. It was just so much easier to coat the chicken. 

BBQ Ribs

I'd never even considered making ribs for dinner until one day I was talking to my sweet sister, Jenna, about meal planning/meal ideas/grocery budgeting/etc... and she mentioned that they have ribs fairly often and that they were really easy and delicious. I was impressed and a little intimidated, but when I saw some pork back ribs go on sale (2.98/lb) I decided to give it a try. For just under three dollars a pound, that's the same price as having hamburgers for dinner (we use the whole pound of hamburger, and I try to get that on sale for the same 2.98/lb). I bought the ribs and then called Jenna to make sure that I wasn't getting myself into something crazy. I don't know why I was so worried, these were the easiest thing I've made for dinner in the last two weeks and they were SO delicious. I just stuck them in the crockpot all day while we were at church, then came home and tossed a couple of ears of corn in the oven for a half hour and made some instant mashed potatoes. It was the most delicious Sunday dinner! I don't ever remember eating ribs before, so it was a fun experience (albeit a messy one) and I am already trying to figure out how to get them on my meal plan asap.

BBQ Pork Ribs
Source: Adapted from Jenna Haderlie

Ingredients:
1 lb Pork Back Ribs (Jenna said that she uses boneless ribs, but we picked up the ones that were on sale and after being in the crock pot all day the meat just falls off the bone.)
1 Cup Dave's Rich and Sassy BBQ sauce
1 Tbs Onion Flakes
Salt & Pepper

Directions:
Cut ribs into sections (about every 4th rib or so) and season with salt and pepper. Lay in crock pot and sprinkle onion flakes on top. Cover in BBQ Sauce and cook on low for 8-9 hours. About a half-hour before dinner, check the sauce - if it's dried out a little, add a little more sauce. Transfer to a serving plate and serve hot! (With lots of napkins!)


One note: David and I usually buy the Kraft or Bullseye BBQ sauce brand. However, we went to a friends house for dinner and they served brisket with some Famous Dave's Rich and Sassy BBQ sauce and we were in heaven! I honestly didn't know that the sauce would make so much of a difference, but we about died it was so good. Then we had some Sweet Baby Rays BBQ sauce at a different dinner, and again we were blown away by how delicious it was and how big of a difference it made. The point of this is that when we made the recipe we used the good BBQ Sauce and it was incredible! I would definitely recommend splurging just a tiny bit more and getting the good sauce. It makes a difference!

Banana Cinnamon Muffins

We love banana bread at our house, but we don't always have the time (or energy) to make it. However, I was looking for a yummy muffin recipe for breakfast the other morning and came across this beauty. It was perfect and Lydia absolutely loved them. I only had one fairly large banana and it wasn't even super ripe but it worked out perfectly. Also, I think that these would be super yummy if you switched out the banana for some chopped apple. (I'm definitely going to try that.) 

Banana Cinnamon Muffins

Source: Betty Crocker

Ingredients:

2/3 cup sugar

1/2 cup vegetable oil

2 eggs

2/3 cup mashed very ripe bananas (2 small)

1teaspoon vanilla

1 2/3cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Topping

1/4 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 cup butter or margarine, melted

Directions:

Heat oven to 375°F. Grease bottoms only of 12 regular-size muffin cups with shortening or spray, or line with paper baking cups.

In medium bowl, beat 2/3 cup sugar, the oil and eggs with wire whisk. Stir in bananas and vanilla. Stir in remaining muffin ingredients just until moistened. Divide batter evenly among muffin cups.
Bake 17 to 21 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Immediately remove from pan to cooling rack.

In small bowl, mix 1/4 cup sugar and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon. Dip muffin tops into melted butter, then into cinnamon-sugar. Serve warm.

Spaghetti Pepperoni Bake

When David and I were students at Utah State, we discovered that you could buy pepperoni at Sams Club in GIANT bags for super super cheap. Like eight pounds of pepperoni for under $10. (A regular package of pepperoni is like $3-4 for 7 oz.) We totally bought it, separated it into smaller bags, froze them, and had enough pepperoni to last us forever. We ate a lot of pizza during that time of our lives. (I'd leave rhodes rolls on the counter in the morning and then whip up some personal pizzas when we got home at night.) We also started exploring all of the other things that you could do with pepperoni. We found this recipe and it has become a much loved favorite. (I don't even know where to source it back to, because it was so long ago - but it's a simple recipe. I'm sure you can find them all over the web.) This is nice when you want something slightly nicer than spaghetti (read: having guests over but still want a simple meal) or when you have some leftover mozzarella in the fridge.

Spaghetti Pepperoni Bake

Ingredients: 

1 bottle Prego spaghetti sauce
1 (8 oz.) pkg. spaghetti, cooked al dente and drained
1 (4 oz.) pkg. pepperoni, thinly sliced
8 oz. Mozzarella cheese, shredded (about 2 c.)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine sauce and spaghetti. Arrange half of the spaghetti in bottom of 9x13 dish. Top with half the pepperoni and sprinkle with half the cheeses. Repeat layering with remaining spaghetti, pepperoni, and cheese. I also like to add a coating of parmesan cheese to the very top. (Can be prepared ahead to this point and refrigerated.) Bake until heated through, about 25 to 30 minutes. Serve immediately. Serves 6 to 8.

*Note: this is an awesome meal for just making however much you want. I don't usually make a full 9x13 dish I usually make a 5x8 dish with leftover spaghetti, leftover sauce, and whatever extra cheese and pepperoni I have on hand. It's better with more cheese and pepperoni, but the other day I made it with 12 pieces of pepperoni and it was still delicious. So definitely a meal where you can adjust according to whatever you have on hand. 

Chicken Taco Soup

Chicken Taco Soup
Source: Adapted from All Recipes

Ingredients:
1 onion, chopped
1 can black beans
1 can whole kernel corn, drained
1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can green chilies, undrained
2 Tbs taco seasoning (Use Bill Echols Taco Seasoning, recipe below)
1 chicken breasts
shredded Cheddar cheese(optional)
sour cream (optional)
crushed tortilla chips(optional)

Bill Echols Taco Seasoning. It really makes this recipe. 1 tablespoon chili powder 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder 1/4 teaspoon onion powder 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano 1/2 teaspoon paprika 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin 1 teaspoon sea salt 1 teaspoon black pepper

Directions:
Place the onion, black beans, corn, tomato sauce, and diced tomatoes in a slow cooker. Add taco seasoning, and stir to blend. Lay chicken breasts on top of the mixture, pressing down slightly until just covered by the other ingredients. Set slow cooker for low heat, cover, and cook for 5 hours.
Remove chicken breasts from the soup and shred. Stir the shredded chicken back into the soup, and continue cooking for 1 hour. Serve topped with shredded Cheddar cheese, a dollop of sour cream, and crushed tortilla chips, if desired.

Southwest Salad with Cilantro Dressing

I love Costa Vida's Sweet Pork Salads, but I'll be honest and say that my favorite part of the salad is the dressing. When I came across the idea to use the cilantro dressing on top of a regular chopped salad - I knew that I needed to try it. This recipe is so much easier to prepare than the sweet pork salad, and it was a nice refreshing meal. I think adding some grilled chicken would be yummy if you wanted to add a little meat to the dish.

Southwest Salad with Cilantro Dressing

Ingredients:
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 can black beans, rinsed
1 can sweet corn OR 1 cup frozen corn, thawed
1 roma tomatoe, diced
1 green onion, chopped
1 avocado, diced
1 head lettuce, chopped (Romaine is better, all we had was iceburg at the time)

Directions:
Finely chop lettuce, bell pepper, tomatoes, green onions. Dice avocado. Drain and rinse corn and black beans. Place lettuce on a plate, add toppings, cover with creamy cilantro-lime dressing. (I just used leftover dressing, but the recipe is below.)

**When I made this, I was about 9 weeks pregnant and chicken seemed like the yuckiest food on the face of the planet. However, now that I'm 15 weeks and like meat again I think that some grilled chicken would be great on this. I also think that crunching up some tortilla chips would be a yummy addition. Also, David doesn't really like the cilantro dressing - so I got some cubed ham and turkey for his salad and topped everything with ranch dressing.  It's pretty flexible. 

Tomatillo/Cilantro Ranch Dressing
Source: Adapted from A Mommy's Life with a Touch of Yellow

Ingredients:
1 packet of buttermilk ranch dressing
1 Cup mayo/Miracle Whip
1 Cup buttermilk (the smallest carton is perfect)
1 bunch of cilantro (after you wash, make sure you pat dry)
2 tomatillos husked
1 jalapeno (take the rib and seeds out)
Garlic powder (just a few shakes)
juice from 1 lime

Directions:
Put the mayo, dressing mix, buttermilk, and garlic in a blender and mix until blended all together. Squeeze lime juice directly into the blender. Cut up tomatillos, jalapeno, cilantro and pat dry. Add to the blender and blend until everything is mixed together and creamy. Chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes. This can be stored in the fridge for several months - so don't throw your leftovers away. If it starts to separate - just shake it all back together.

Crepes

Crepes are one of those desserts (or breakfasts) that I absolutely love - but we rarely have because I always think that they take so much work. But in all honesty they don't! The pudding comes together in just ten minutes and the batter takes just 5 more. The longest part of the process is the actual making of the crepes, but if you have two pans - even that goes really fast. I'd been really craving crapes lately, and so we finally made them and they were so delicious! Chocolate pudding for me, banana pudding for David - so so good! 

Crepes

Source: All Recipes

Ingredients:
1 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 tsp vanilla

Any filling/toppings desired, such as pudding, strawberries, bananas, whipped cream etc...

Directions:
In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour and the salt.  Gradually add in the milk and water, stirring to combine. Add the egg and butter; beat until smooth.
Heat a lightly oiled griddle or frying pan over medium high heat. Pour or scoop the batter onto the griddle, using approximately 1/4 cup for each crepe. Tilt the pan with a circular motion so that the batter coats the surface evenly.
Cook the crepe for about 2 minutes, until the bottom is light brown. Loosen with a spatula, turn and cook the other side. Serve hot.

Stuffed Pepper Casserole

I really really love bell peppers, and this time of the year when peppers go on sale - I can't help but pick up several every time I go to the store. My friend Amy posted this recipe on a "What's for Dinner?" group page that we are both a part of, and I've been biding my time, waiting for the perfect opportunity to make it! I love stuffed peppers, but David isn't a huge pepper fan. This is the perfect compromise, because he gets more meat and rice and I still get my yummy peppers! 

Stuffed Pepper Casserole

Source: Amy Pugsley 

Ingredients:
1 lb ground beef, browned
1 small onion
tt salt and pepper
1/2 c water
1 can crushed tomatoes
1 can tomato soup
1/2 c uncooked rice
1 t Worcestershire sauce
1-2 sliced bell peppers
1 c shredded cheese

Directions:

Combine first 8 ingredients. Simmer meat and rice mixture for 15 minutes over the stove. Top with bell peppers and shredded cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes.

**Note, to save money - I cut the hamburger back to 1/2 pound, used diced tomatoes (which I had on hand), and increased the rice to almost 2 cups of cooked rice (I have a really bad track record when using uncooked rice). The rice bulked it up, and there was plenty of hamburger for the two of us (I'm pretty skimpy when it comes to meat in our meals.) It was a little less tomato-y than I would have liked with my adjustments (Amy's looks so saucy and good!) - so next time I think I'd add in some more tomato sauce, or maybe some tomato paste or something. Or maybe the crushed tomatoes would make the difference. 

*Also, Amy sent me a picture of her actual recipe, and I just have to include it here, because I love how you can tell it's a family favorite by how used and loved it is. It just makes me happy. 

Handheld Chicken Pot Pies

I really love the idea of homemade chicken pot pies and over the course of our marriage I've tried several recipes. None of them have been very successful (either much more work than I'm able to realistically put into dinner or just not very good). However, I came across this recipe and thought "I could do that." I made it for dinner when my little sister  was visiting, and everyone liked it! Plus it came together really easily and that is exactly what I was looking for!

Handheld Chicken Pot Pies
Source: Yummy Healthy Easy

Ingredients:
1 package Pillsbury Grands biscuits
1/4 cup onion, diced

1/2 T olive oil
2-3 cups cooked, diced chicken
1 can cream of chicken soup
10-oz. bag frozen mixed veggies, steamed
salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350º. Cover cookie sheet with a layer of tinfoil, or spray with cooking spray.
Heat oil in a medium sized skillet and cooked diced onion until soft. Add remaining ingredients and heat through.

Open package of biscuits and flatten each circle out with your fingertips. Place chicken filling on one half of the circle making sure to leave the edges clear, then bring the other half over. Press edges with a fork to seal closed. Carefully place on the cookie sheet.

Finish each pot pie and then bake for about 30-35 minutes or until golden brown. Serve hot! 

7-Layer Tostada

I absolutely love seven layer dip. Like love love love it. When I came across these 7-Layer Tostadas I knew that they needed to be made at my house immediately. David isn't usually a a 7-layer dip kind of guy, but he was a good sport and I think we both enjoyed them. Next time, I think that I will make the layers thicker - I needed just a bit more of the toppings I think. Anyway - It was yummy.  

7-Layer Tostada 
Source: Kalyn's Kitchen

Ingredients:
1 can (16 oz.) refried beans
1 cups guacamole (Avocado, garlic salt, red pepper flakes)
1 cup light sour cream
1/2 tsp. taco seasoning)
1 cup grated cheese

1 cup salsa
1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions
1/2 cup sliced black olives (or use a 4 oz. can sliced olives)

Alfalfa sprouts
6-8 tostadas

Directions:
Put the refried beans in a bowl, stir to break them apart, and microwave 2-3 minutes, or until they're hot. Stir the taco seasoning into the sour cream. Chop the green onions, and slice the olives. Prepare guacamole and grate cheese.

Put crisped tostada on a plate and top with:
--a thin layer of refried beans (1-2 tablespoons)
--a thin layer of guacamole (1-2 tablespoons)
--a thin layer of seasoned sour cream (1-2 tablespoons)
--several generous pinches of cheese
--several alfalfa sprouts
--thinly sliced green onions
--sliced olives

Serve right away, with salsa if desired.

Tomato Basil Parmesan Soup

Once upon a time, my dear friend Ashley messaged me and asked if I had anything planned for dinner and if she could bring over some extra soup that she was making for her family. I immediately burst into tears because there was no way that she could have known I was having an extremely hard day and the thought of making dinner was overwhelming to me. She brought my family the yummiest tomato soup and I was grateful for the delicious, comforting food. When I make this I think of her. I also love how easy this is because you really can just throw it in the crockpot and let it simmer (no keeping a close watch on the stove right before dinner - which always seems to be one of the busiest times of the day.)

Tomato Basil Parmesan Soup
Source: Mel's Kitchen Cafe

Ingredients:
2 (14-oz) cans petite diced tomatoes, with juice
1 cup finely diced celery
1 cup finely diced carrots
1 cup finely diced onions
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon dried basil
4 cups chicken broth
1 bay leaf
1/4 c. (4 tablespoons) butter
1/2 cup flour
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 cups half-and-half, warm
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Directions:
In a crock pot, combine the tomatoes, celery, carrots, onions, oregano, basil, broth, and bay leaf. Cover and cook on low for 5-7 hours until the vegetables are tender. About 45 minutes before serving, melt the butter over low heat in a medium saucepan. Add the flour and cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture is golden, about 3 minutes. The mixture will be crumbly, but that's ok.

Whisking constantly, slowly ladle in 1 cup (or a ladleful) of the hot soup from the slow cooker. Whisk until smooth and bubbly. Add another cup or ladleful and stir again until smooth. Add another cup or two and stir until smooth. Stir the creamy, hot mixture back into the slow cooker. Add the Parmesan cheese, half-and-half, salt and pepper, adding more salt and pepper if needed.

Cover and cook on low for 30 minutes until ready to serve. Serve with homemade croutons, or top with extra parmesan cheese. 

Turkey Avocado Deli Sandwich

Lately all I want to eat is yummy yummy deli sandwiches. I found these bagel things on sale and they were a really yummy addition to this sandwich. In fact, I would dare say that it made the sandwich. David left the sprouts off of his, but they were soooo good. 

Turkey Avocado Deli Sandwich
Source: The Peaden Kitchen

Ingredients:
Bagel Thins
Sliced Turkey
Sliced Cheese
Avocado (garlic salt, red pepper flakes)
Alfalfa Sprouts
Bacon, cooked

Directions:
Peel avocado and mash up. Add a small amount of garlic salt and a couple of shakes of red pepper flakes. Spread guacamole on bagel thins, layer turkey, cheese, sprouts, and bacon. Enjoy!

Loaded Mashed Potatoes

There isn't much that needs to be said about this dish except: YUM! We love potatoes, bacon, cheese, ranch, etc... basically every ingredient that goes into this recipe is in our list of favorite things. This was a perfect side for some simple BBQ chicken, but probably could be a meal on it's own if I was feeling like keeping it simple. It would go well with pretty much anything! (I've also read that you can make these ahead of time and then just keep them in the crock pot on warm to keep them until dinner time.) 

Loaded Mashed Potatoes

Source: The Peaden Kitchen

Ingredients:
6-8 medium russet potatoes
1/4 cup butter
1 cup sour cream
1 teaspoons parsley flakes
1 teaspoon garlic salt

1 tablespoon ranch seasoning 

salt and pepper, to taste (ample amounts)
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
4-5 pieces bacon, cooked and crumbled

Green onion, optional

Directions: 

Peel and cut potatoes into cubes. Place in medium/large pan and cover with water. Bring to a boil them simmer for 20-30 minutes, or until potatoes are soft. Dump potatoes into a large kitchen-aid. Add butter, sour cream, parsley, garlic salt, ranch seasoning, salt and pepper. Mix on medium speed until smooth and creamy. Using a spoon add most of the cheese and bacon, reserving a small amount of each. Scoop onto plates and top with remaining cheese bacon and green onion. Serve immediately. 

Optional continued directions:
Spoon into a greased 9x13-inch pan or casserole dish and sprinkle with cheese and bacon. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes.

Buffalo Chicken Taquitos/Flautas

I saw these and knew that I wanted to try them. I find that I gravitate toward the same flavor of things, and thought that I'd give the "buffalo" flavor a try. In all honesty, I cut the recipe in half for my little family but forgot to cut the hot sauce in half so they were a little spicy for me. But we ate them and enjoyed them. I think that I would like them even more if I had used the right proportion of hot sauce. I also think that these would be yummy with some rice or corn in them to bulk them up a little bit more. Next time I think I will try that. I love the concept and we definitely enjoyed our meal.

Buffalo Chicken Taquitos/FlautasSource: Deal Wise Mommy  via Real Women of Philadelphia

Ingredients:

4 cups of chicken, cooked and shredded
12 flour tortillas
2 cups mozzarella cheese, grated
4 oz cream cheese
1/3 cup of Frank’s hot sauce
1/3 cup of milk
2 tbsp. of butter
1 tsp. of garlic powder
2 tbsp. of vegetable oil

Directions:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a small sauce pot over medium low heat, melt butter. Add garlic powder. Add cream cheese and stir until melted and completely combined with butter and spices.
Wisk in hot sauce and milk and simmer for 5 – 8 minutes. Add salt to taste. Combine chicken and sauce. 

Lay out a tortilla; fill with about ¼ – 1/3 cup chicken and 2 tablespoons of mozzarella cheese. Tightly roll up taquito and place on a greased baking sheet; repeat until chicken is gone. Brush taquitos with vegetable oil on all sides. Bake for 15 – 18 minutes; rotate them every 5 minutes, until golden brown.

Serve with Kraft Blue Cheese Dressing and celery sticks.

**Note: Next time I want to try to add rice or corn into the mixture to bulk them up a little bit. 

Taco Bites

I bought a package of scoop tortilla chips for a party a while back and never ended up using them. We could have just eaten them with chips and salsa, but I was in need of a yummy dinner to feed my little family. I'd seen some things along these lines - so I just decided to go for it and make things up as I went along. Let me say - it was delicious. I would definitely make it again if I was making it for a party/appetizer. However, as a dinner it was a little time consuming and in the future I'll probably just make some loaded nachos (using the same ingredients, but just piling everything on top of some chips) instead as I think it would taste just as yummy. But, as I said - I love this idea for a party or appetizer.

Taco Bites
Source: The Peaden Kitchen

Ingredients:
1 pkg scoop shaped tortilla chips
1 can refried beans
1/2 lb hamburger, browned
1 cup salsa
1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded

Directions:
Layer scoops in bottom of a metal baking pan. Carefully layer each individual scoop with refried beans, meat, salsa, and cheese. Bake at 350 for 10-15 minutes or until cheese is melted and beans are warm. Serve immediately.

Creamy Ranch Pizza

It's no secret, David and I love Hidden Valley Ranch dressing. We are even shooting to be spokespeople for them in 30 years after we've taken hundreds of photos of us with out family enjoying our Ranch dressing (ala Jared & Subway). This is just one more way that HVR brings so much joy and deliciousness into our lives. 

Creamy Ranch Pizza
Source: Hidden Valley Ranch

Ingredients:
1/2 cup Hidden Valley Ranch dressing
3 oz cream cheese, softened
2 Tbs tomato paste
1 cup cooked chicken, chopped
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
Toppings such as roasted red pepper strips, olives, green onions, bacon, etc...
Pizza dough for a 12" pizza crust.

Pizza Dough:
1 1/2 c. warm water
1 Tbsp. sugar
1 Tbsp. yeast
1/2 tsp. salt
3-4 1/2 c. flour

Directions:

In mixing bowl, combine water, sugar, and yeast. Let stand for 10 minutes or until yeast is bubbly.
Add salt and stir. Add about half of the flour and mix well. Gradually add more flour (usually between 3-4 cups) until dough starts to pull away from the sides of the bowl. Cover and allow to rise for 45 minutes or until doubled in bulk.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Roll out pizza crust and poke holes with a fork. Place in oven to pre-cook for 5-10 minutes or until slightly (slightly) golden brown. Combine dressing with cream cheese and tomato paste. Stir in chicken; spread mixture on crust. Arrange toppings on pizza; sprinkle cheese over all. Bake for 15 minutes or until hot and bubbly.

Can you tell which pizza is David's and which is mine?