Meatball Casserole

This is one of those recipes that you can vary in so many different ways.

It is quick and easy . . . and could even be used as a meal to use up leftovers!

Yield: 8 servings
Serving Size: 1/8 of 9X11 baking pan
Calories per serving: 368
Fat per serving: 8 grams

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup chopped onions
• 1/4 cup seasoned bread crumbs
• 5 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 egg
• 1 pound lean ground beef
• 1 loaf Italian bread, cut into 1-inch slices
• 1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
• 1/3 cup mayonnaise
• 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• salt & pepper to taste
• 2 cups (8 ounces) shredded Italian Blend cheese
• 1 (24 or 32 oz) spaghetti sauce
• 2 garlic cloves, minced

Instructions

1. In a large bowl, combine the onions, bread crumbs and 3 tbsp Parmesan cheese and egg.
2. Crumble beef over mixture and mix well.
3. Shape into 1-in. balls; place on a greased rack in a shallow baking pan.
4. Bake at 375° for 15-20 minutes or until no longer pink.
5. Meanwhile, arrange bread in a single layer in an ungreased 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish (all of the bread might not be used).
6. Combine the cream cheese, mayonnaise, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper and 2 tbsp Parmesan
7. Spread over the bread.
8. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup mozzarella.
9. Scatter meatballs over the cheese, pour sauce over the meatballs and top with remaining cheese
10. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 30 minutes or until heated through.

Variations:

Use ricotta cheese instead of mayo and cream cheese.

Use italian sausage instead of meatballs.

Add strips of green pepper if italian sausage is used.

Use leftover spaghetti sauce

Cheddar Chicken Stuff Poblanos

Peppers are more like a passion in our kitchen and poblanos are one of my favorites!


Life has been much different lately with The Captain home from the hospital recovering from surgery. Grocery store rotisserie chicken has become my best friend!  This recipe is perfect for what I pick off of the chicken for a leftover meal.


Can't wait to try this recipe :)

4 large poblano chiles 
2 medium tomatoes, chopped 
1/2 medium white onion, chopped 
1 large clove garlic, chopped 
1 tsp. dried oregano, crumbled 
1 tsp. ground cumin 
Generous pinch ground cinnamon 
Kosher salt 
1 Tbs. olive oil 
2 cups shredded cooked chicken, preferably dark meat 
1-1/2 cups cooked brown or white rice 
2 cups grated sharp or extra-sharp white Cheddar (about 7 oz.) 
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro (including some tender stems) 
1 Tbs. lime juice 

---

Position an oven rack about 4 inches from the broiler and heat the broiler on high.

Line a large rimmed baking sheet with foil.

Slit the chiles from stem to tip and set on the baking sheet. Broil, turning every few minutes, until blackened all over, 5 to 8 minutes. Let cool slightly, peel off the skins, and cut out the seed cores, leaving the stems on. Turn the chiles inside out, flick out any remaining seeds, and turn right side out. Return the poblanos to the baking sheet.

Purée the tomatoes, onion, garlic, oregano, cumin, cinnamon, and 1/2 tsp. salt in a food processor.

Heat the oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium heat. Add the purée and cook, stirring frequently, until the liquid has evaporated and the mixture looks thick and pulpy, 8 to 11 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat.

Stir in the chicken and rice, and then 1 cup of the cheese, the cilantro, and the lime juice. Season to taste with salt.

Divide the filling among the peppers, wrapping the sides of the peppers up and around the filling, some of which will still be exposed.

Broil the peppers until the cheese is melting and the top is beginning to brown, about 4 minutes. Top with the remaining 1 cup cheese and broil until the cheese is completely melted, about 2 minutes.

nutrition information (per serving):
Calories (kcal): 510; Fat (g): 28; Fat Calories (kcal): 250; Saturated Fat (g): 14; Protein (g): 37; Monounsaturated Fat (g): 9; Carbohydrates (g): 28; Polyunsaturated Fat (g): 2.5; Sodium (mg): 570; Cholesterol (mg): 125; Fiber (g): 5;

Source and credits:

photo: Scott Phillips

From Fine Cooking 97, pp. 21

December 31, 2008

A collection of brownie recipes

Top 5 Brownie Recipes from Mr. Food

I love brownies and Mr. Food always has the best recipes! These are his top 5 brownie recipes :)

Layered Brownies Raisin Brownie Bars Shortcut Brownies Peanutty Candy Bar Brownies No Bake Brownies

Chicken Casseroles

Actually . . . 17 chicken recipes!

Mr. Food's website ranks at the top of my favorite food sites.

Since we have been trying to stick to chicken and seafood, 

it is not possible for us to have too many chicken recipes.  

17 Easy Chicken Casseroles 1.  Classic Scalloped Chicken — Scalloped dishes are hearty and soul-soothing ...more 2.  Apricot Yam Chicken Bake — Yams are as Deep South as you can get and when ...more 3.  Poppy Seed Chicken Casserole — Here's one of our all-time favorite casseroles! It's ...more 4.  Deluxe Chicken Casserole — Casseroles are always a favorite, 'cause we can pack ...more 5.  Creamy Chicken Bake — With all the poultry farms down South, chicken is ...more 6.  Chicken Pasta Bake — This cheesy all-in-one chicken casserole dish literally shouts ...more 7.  Chicken and Rice — Chicken and Rice is a tasty duo in our kitchen that we can ...more 8.  Green Chilie Chicken Lasagna — Talk about quick, one-dish dinners like this ...more 9.  South-of-the-Border Chicken Chili — Two all-time favorites, chicken and chili ...more 10.  Creamy Chicken Manicotti — This is a heartier version of traditional ...more 11.  Easy Chicken Enchiladas — These everybody will love 'em Easy Chicken ...more 12.  Casserole Chicken Pot Pie — Know what's better than a pot pie we can pick up at the ...more 13.  Unforgettable Chicken Casserole — Simple and satisfying, our Unforgettable ...more 14.  Chipotle Chicken Enchilada Casserole — Cocoa in a Chipotle Chicken Enchilada ...more 15.  Southwest Chicken Casserole — Hearty throw together casseroles like our ...more 16.  Waffle Fry Chicken Bake — Our scrumptious Waffle Fry Chicken Bake ...more 17.  Cheesy Chicken Bake — This twist on traditional baked macaroni and cheese ...more

Cheesy Chicken Bundles

These look delicious!  We will be trying them soon :))

Ingredients

• 2 (5-ounce) cans chunk chicken, drained and flaked
• 1 (3-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 2 scallions, thinly sliced
• 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 (8-ounce) package refrigerated crescent rolls

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a medium-sized bowl, combine chicken, cream cheese, scallions, and pepper; mix well.
    
2. Separate crescent roll dough into 4 rectangles, pressing together two triangles for each rectangle. Place a quarter of chicken mixture onto each rectangle. Pull 4 corners of each together, forming bundles, and seal all edges.
    
3. Place on a baking sheet that has been coated with cooking spray and bake 20 to 25 minutes, or until golden.

Source:  Mr. Food

Cutie Pies

What a cute idea!

This post does not include a recipe, just inspiration.

With a little imagination, muffin tins, pie crust and 

filling, you can come up with all types of cutie pies.

The inspiration and photo source of this post is here.

Valentine Sundae

Quick, easy and delicious!

Here is a no-bake dessert treat for your sweetie

from SusieQTPies Scraps of Life . . .

What I like about this recipe is the combination

of pound cake and hot fudge . . . YUM!!

Click here for the recipe and more :)

Check out the rest of Susie's blog while you are

there . . . it is an awesome food blog and one of

my new favorites!

Visit Susie's Cafe on Mondays!

Shrimp Pasta with Broccoli

This is one of my favorite meals . . . a variation of Shrimp Pasta.

Sorry, I don't measure anything!

Shrimp Pasta is one of those meals that just evolves from whatever is in the refrigerator at the time.  We had lots of veggies that needed to be used, so they all went in the pot!

First of all, the feature of the meal is shrimp.  

We use 1 pound for a regular batch of sauce.

We prefer large, but whatever your preference.

While the shrimp are thawing out . . .

Gather up, wash and cut all the veggies . . . in this batch I used:

2 bunches of green onion, cut up . . . I use all but the roots

1 large basket of button mushrooms cut in half, smaller ones left whole

3 poblano peppers (deseeded and white veins trimmed)

4 plum tomatoes, quartered

1 whole broccoli head, tips only

I use all fresh veggies, but you can use frozen if that is your preference.

In my large heated skillet, I heat up olive oil with a large heaping spoonful of minced garlic and immediately throw in the green onion and peppers . . . season with a dash of cayenne pepper and a handful of dill weed.  Saute around 15 minutes.

Add the tomatoes, mushrooms and broccoli.

Cook at least 45 minutes with the lid on . . . it will produce a nice flavorful juice.  

The aroma is fabulous . . .

Add two jars of white pasta sauce (I love the roasted red pepper flavor).  We add one jar of no fat half and half, but you can use any type of milk or cream that you prefer.  

In my opinion, the no fat tastes just as good with a fraction of the fat.  You can also add some cream cheese to give it a richer taste, no fat cream cheese also adds richness without the fat.  I make it different ways, depending on what I have on hand.

This is how I doctor up basic white pasta sauce that comes in a jar.  It is often buy one, get one free . . . so I stock up and always keep it on hand.  This sauce will not taste like it came out of a jar!

Simmer on medium-low heat covered with lid at least one hour!

Looking good!

Peel and devein shrimp sometime while the sauce is simmering.

When the sauce is ready, cook pasta of your choice.  In the last four minutes of pasta cooking time, stir the shrimp into the sauce . . . put lid back on the pot.

Drain pasta, top with shrimp, veggies and sauce with lots of parmesan cheese.

Delish!

Carrot Cake

Valentine's Day will be here soon and it is once again time to feature sweet treats to make for your sweetie.

Mr. Food, one of my favorite chefs, claims that this is the best ever carrot cake with the most amazing cream cheese frosting.  It is one of my favorite cakes, although I have not made it in years and I'm having a craving for it . . . we will be making this cake soon!

Ingredients

• CAKE:
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
• 4 eggs
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup flaked coconut
• 3 cups grated (about 1 pound) carrots
• 1 cup chopped walnuts
• 
  
• CREAM CHEESE FROSTING:
• 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 4 cups confectioners' sugar

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Coat two 8-inch round cake pans with cooking spray; lightly flour the pans.
    
2. In a large bowl, with an electric beater, combine granulated sugar, oil, eggs, baking soda, flour, cinnamon, salt, coconut, carrots, and walnuts, blending for 30 seconds to 1 minute, until a smooth, thick batter forms. DO NOT OVER-MIX! Pour batter evenly into prepared cake pans. Bake 45 to 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean and the tops are golden. Let cool completely.
    
3. In a large bowl, with an electric beater, make frosting by combining cream cheese and butter; mix well. Add vanilla; mix well. Gradually add confectioners' sugar, continuing to mix until well combined.
    
4. Place one cake layer on a serving platter and frost top of cake. Place other layer on top of frosted layer. Frost top and sides of entire cake. Serve immediately, or cover and chill until ready to serve.

Source:  Mr. Food