Crock Pot Ham and Potatoes

Do anyone else have leftover Easter ham? This is so easy and good.

6-8 slices of ham cut into cubes
8-10 potatoes thinly sliced (I don't even peel them but you can)
2 onions thinly sliced
1 c. grated cheese
1 can cream of mushroom soup

Put half of potatoes, ham and onion in crockpot. Add half of cheese and soup. Add remaining ham, potatoes and onions. Top with remaining cheese and soup. Cover and cook on low 8-10 hours. (High 4-5 hours).

Spiced Lentil Tacos

Don't be scared by this recipe. This is a great, cheap alternative to traditional tacos and lentils are definitely healthier than hamburger meat. A 1lb. bag of lentils is about $1.50 and will make 2 recipes. It's quite delish; even my Dad enjoyed these!

1 T olive oil
1 cup finely chopped onion
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 t salt
1 cup dried lentils, rinsed
1 pkg taco seasoning
2 1/2 cups vegetable broth or water
1-2 chipotle chilies in adobo sauce finely chopped (can be omitted if you don't want it too spicy)
tortillas, warmed
shredded cheese
shredded lettuce or cabbage
diced tomatoes
sliced avocado or guacamole
salsa


Heat oil in large skillet or sauce pan. Add onion and garlic and cook until onion begins to soften, 3 to 4 minutes. Add lentils and taco seasoning. Cook until spices are frgrant and lentils are dry, about 1 minute. Add broth and chipotle chilies; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer until lentils are tneder, 25 to 30 minutes.

Serve with cheese, lettuce (I prefer cabbage on these), tomatoes, avocado--whatever fixings you like on your tacos.

When I make these, I 1.5 the lentil portion. It's great as leftovers and makes a fabulous lunch at work the next day. You can also make a yummy taco salad.

enchilada bake

Here's another blog-stalked recipe. It's going on my regular meals list!

8 small flour tortillas, torn into quarters
1 Tbsp. olive oil
6 large leaves of kale, finely chopped
1 cup frozen corn
1/2 onion, chopped
2 cups cooked brown rice
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can cream of chicken soup
1/2 soup can of milk
2 cups salsa, divided
1/4 tsp. cumin
1/2 cup shredded cheddar

Saute onion and kale together with olive oil. Add corn and cook until no longer frozen. In large bowl, combine rice, beans, soup, milk, cumin and 1 cup salsa. Add kale/onion/corn mixture to bowl and mix well. Spray 9x13 pan with Pam and line with half of tortilla quarters. Spoon filling into pan and then top with remaining tortillas. Spread remaining 1 cup salsa on top {cover the entire thing - this keeps the tortillas from getting crispy while cooking} and sprinkle with shredded cheddar. Cook for 25 minutes at 375*.

Black Bean Fajitas

I've started blog-stalking the recipe blog of a girl in my ward. She has some great, healthy meals. This one was really tasty.

2 green bell peppers, cut into strips
1 onion, cut into strips
4 oz sliced mushrooms
1 cup frozen corn
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 fajita seasoning packet + 1/4 cup water
2 cups cooked brown rice
guacamole
salsa, sour cream, and cheese if desired

Cook brown rice as directed. In a large skillet heat 1-2 Tbsp. olive oil and saute vegetables until tender crisp. Add black beans. Combine fajita seasoning mix with 1/4 cup of water. Add to cooked vegetables. Stir and cook until most of the liquid is absorbed.

Assemble however you like on the tortillas and enjoy! I think the next time I make these I might even just opt to eat them as a burrito bowl with a bit of extra rice!

Italian Sausage Rotini

I got this recipe from the Kraft website, but ended up changing a few things. It actually tastes a lot like Michelle's cavatini recipe, but wasn't as time-intensive. This is how I made it, and we both loved it. I'm definitely making it again.

3 1/2 cups uncooked wheat rotini {any pasta will really work}
1 lb. bulk sweet italian sausage
2 green peppers, cut into chunks
2 cups spaghetti sauce {plain old traditional Ragu works great}
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese

Cook the pasta as directed. While that's cooking, brown sausage with green peppers on medium-high heat. Drain excess fat and then add spaghetti sauce. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook until heated through. Drain pasta and then add to the skillet. Add the cheese and stir to combine. Serve with steamed veggies and garlic pull-aparts.

**Next time, I'm going to throw in a bunch of sliced mushrooms to cook with the sausage & peppers. Yum!***

Shredded Chicken Pitas

I've been struggling to come up with meal plans the past few weeks and decided to update my recipe list. There are a few recipes I haven't posted here that are going into our regular rotation, so I thought I'd share the wealth!

First up? A great, light, summery meal from here.

2 T balsamic vinegar
1 1/2 T sun-dried tomato oil
1 T chopped sun-dried tomatoes
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 garlic clove, minced
4 cups shredded cooked chicken
1 cup chopped tomato
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup thinly sliced fresh basil
6 (6-inch) pitas, cut in half
3 cups mixed baby greens

Combine first 5 ingredients in a large bowl. Stir in chicken, tomato, cheese, and basil. Line each pita half with 1/4 cup greens. Divide chicken mixture evenly among pita halves.

strawberry cheesecake bowl

I made this for Amy's celebratory dessert on Saturday night. It was fantastic and so pretty!

3 cups sliced fresh strawberries

3 T. sugar

2 pkg. Neufchatel Cream Cheese, softened

1-1/2 cups cold milk

1 pkg {3.4 oz} vanilla instant pudding

2 cups thawed Cool Whip Lite, divided

2 cups frozen pound cake, cut into 1-inch cubes

1 square Baker's Semi-Sweet Chocolate {I just used a handful of chocolate chips}

Combine berries and sugar and refrigerate until needed. Beat cream cheese with mixer until creamy. Add milk and vanilla pudding; blend until smooth. Stir in 1 1/2 cups Cool Whip until well blended. Spoon half into 2 1/2 quart bowl or trifle dish. Top with cake cubes, then strawberries, then remaining cream cheese mixture. Refrigerate 4 hours. Top with remaining Cool Whip. Melt chocolate in bowl and drizzle over the top. If you want to get fancy, you can even chocolate-coat a strawberry for the top. Enjoy!

Orzo Stuffed Peppers

a Giada recipe, ya really can't go wrong with her!

1 lb. italian sausage {I added this}
1 (28-ounce) can Italian tomatoes
2 zucchini, grated
1/2 cup chopped fresh mint leaves
1/2 cup grated Pecorino Romano, plus more for sprinkling
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 cups chicken broth
1/2 cups orzo (rice-shaped pasta)
6 sweet bell peppers (red or yellow)

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

{Cook sausage.} Pour the tomatoes into a large bowl and break apart using a pair of kitchen shears or your finger tips. Add the zucchini, mint, cheese, olive oil, garlic, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine.

Meanwhile, bring the chicken broth to a boil in a medium saucepan over high heat. Add the orzo and cook for 4 minutes. The orzo should be only partially cooked. Use a fine mesh sieve to transfer the orzo to the large bowl with the other vegetables. Stir the orzo into the vegetable mix to combine. Transfer the warm chicken broth to a 3-quart baking dish.

Slice the tops off the peppers and remove all ribs and seeds. Cut a very thin slice from the base to help the peppers stand up. Place the peppers in the baking dish with the warm chicken broth. Spoon the orzo mixture into the peppers. Cover the dish with foil and bake for 45 minutes. Remove the foil, sprinkle the top of each pepper with cheese and continue baking until the cheese is golden, about 15 minutes. Remove from the oven, carefully transfer the orzo stuffed pepper to a serving plate.

Crockpot Babyback Ribs

I've been using this method (scroll down), which a friend introduced to me, for a few years. It's good, but I always felt like there was something missing, and I wanted to get the ribs even more tender. I came up with this tonight, and it turned out wonderfully. It's already my husband's favorite way to have ribs!

1 rack of baby back ribs
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons honey
Kansas City-style smokey barbecue sauce (I used a jar of Trader Joe's brand)

Rinse ribs under cold running water, and then pat dry on both sides with paper towels. Cut rack in half. Season liberally with salt and pepper all over. In a large skillet, heat approximately 2 tablespoons vegetable oil until very hot -- oil should shimmer and just begin to smoke. Brown ribs on both sides for 1-2 minutes; when done, meat will release easily from the pan. (If it sticks, your pan isn't hot enough; increase the heat and wait until the ribs release without tearing meat.)

Place browned ribs in the bottom of crock pot, meaty side down. Add enough water to achieve about a 1/2 inch depth. Whisk vinegar and honey together; add to crock pot. Cover and cook on high for approx. 3 hours or on low for 6 hours. (I actually did mine for two hours on high and then two hours on low.)

Preheat oven to broil. Place ribs meaty side down on a wire rack inside a shallow baking dish (for easier cleanup, line dish with foil.) Slather top with barbecue sauce and broil about 4-5 inches from heat for 3-4 minutes. Flip ribs and repeat on meaty side.

Sweet Potato and Black Bean Burritos

This recipe is from a family friend...who is the healthiest eater that I know. Sounds like a crazy combination, but they're awesome together and amazingly healthy... which makes them even better to me. I added some cheese on top before I baked them. And then topped with some guacamole.

3 cup peeled, cubed sweet potatoes
½ teaspoon salt
2 teaspoon vegetable oil
3 ½ cup diced onions
4 large garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon minced fresh green chile
4 teaspoon ground cumin
4 teaspoon ground coriander

4 ½ cup cooked black beans (3 - 15oz cans)
2/3 cup lightly packed cilantro leaves
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon salt
8 tortillas
Fresh Salsa
{I topped with 1/4 c. pepper jack cheese before I baked them}
Guacamole/Avocado {I did this instead of the salsa}

Heat the oven to 350 degrees.

Sweet potatoes in medium saucepan with the salt and water to cover. Cover & bring to boil, simmer till tender, roughly 10 minutes. Drain, set aside.

While these cook, warm the oil in a skillet and add onions, garlic, and chile. Cover, cook on med-low, stirring a bit, for about 5-8 minutes. Add cumin, coriander and cook for 3 minutes more, stirring frequently. Remove from heat and set aside.

In food processor add black beans, cilantro, lemon juice, salt, and cooked sweet potatoes; puree until smooth. Transfer mixture to a large bowl, and mix in cooked onions and spices.

Put your burritos together, and then put them seam side down in a lightly oiled baking dish or tray, and cover with foil, bake for 30 minutes. Serve with Salsa.

{Pictured with Rachael Ray's Tex-Mex Fried Rice... yummy!}

Cinnamon Rolls

I got this recipe from my mother, and we love it. Everyone I know who's ever tried it loves it.


Dough:
4 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (more or less as needed)
1 package (2 1/4 teaspoons) quick-acting active dry yeast
1 1/4 cup milk
1 teaspoon clear vanilla extract*
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup unsalted butter
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 eggs

Filling:
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup brown sugar
4 teaspoons cinnamon

Glaze:
1 cup sifted powdered sugar
1 teaspoon clear vanilla extract*
4 teaspoons milk (more as needed)

In a large mixing bowl, combine 1 1/2 cups flour and yeast. Heat milk , vanilla, sugar, butter, salt, and cinnamon until just warm and butter is just beginning to melt (approx 110*-115*F), stirring constantly. Add milk mixture to flour and stir. Add eggs and beat on low speed for 30 seconds, scraping sides of bowl constantly. Beat on high speed for 3 minutes.

Stir in as much of the remaining flour as you can (dough will be soft). Knead in enough flour to make a moderately soft dough (approx.3-5 minutes). Shape into a ball and place in a lightly greased bowl, turning once to coat. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Punch dough down. On a lightly floured surface, divide dough in half. Shape each half into a smooth ball and then cover and let rest for 10 minutes.

Roll each half into a 12x8" rectangle. Spread each with 3 tablespoons of the softened butter. Combine brown sugar and cinnamon; sprinkle half over each rectangle. Roll up from the short side. Seal edges; using a sharp, serrated knife, slice each roll into 8 pieces. Arrange slices evenly in a greased 13x9" baking pan. Cover and let rise until nearly doubled, about 30 minutes. Bake at 350*F for 25-30 minutes until browned. Invert at once onto a wire rack and then invert again. Cool slightly.

Whisk together the powdered sugar, vanilla, and milk, adding more milk as necessary to reach desired consistency. Drizzle over rolls.

*The point of the clear vanilla is, obviously, color. If you don't have clear, I'm sure regular vanilla extract would work just as well.

Sweet and Sour Pork (or Chicken)

Dip chunks of pork (or chicken) in egg, then in a mixture of 1c. flour and 1 tsp. baking powder. Cook in oil.

Add:
2 c Ketchup
1/4 c vinegar
3/4 c sugar
chopped onion
2 chopped green peppers
1 can pineapple tidbits w/ juice

Steam until vegetables are tender. In needed thicken with cornstarch (I never do). Serve over rice.

*I never do the egg, flour step. I just brown the meat in oil. It saves a little time, and still is REALLY good!

Melt-in-your-mouth Caramels

3/4 cup butter

1 cup light corn syrup

2 1/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar

1/2 cup water

1 cup whipping cream

1 tablespoon lemon juice

dash of salt

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Butter the inside of an 8x8 disposable aluminum pan (they come in sets of 3).

In a large pot over medium-low heat, combine all ingredients except the vanilla. Stir until the sugar is dissolved.

Increase heat to medium and simmer. Stir occasionally. Cook until it is between 135 degrees and 140 degrees on a candy thermometer. (I like them soft but not gooey).

Remove from heat and pour in vanilla. It will bubble up, so make sure you have it in a large enough pot.

Carefully pour into the prepared pan. Chill for a few hours.

Remove from pan and cut into bite sized pieces. Wrap in wax paper or candy cellophane.

These stay good in the fridge for several weeks- but put them in an airtight container.

Amy's Favorites...

I'm a bit late in my post about my favorites, but here goes...


Aimee's Sour Cream Coffee Cake
Melissa's updated version of our Spinach and Artichoke Dip
Mel's Bakes Ziti. I loved it when I was laid up.
Jackie's Holiday Pretzel Treat
My Banana Bars from the Lion House Cookbook
January's Texas Sheet Cake
Mel's Molaskas

Breakfast Tacos

These breakfast tacos are great on the go. I make a huge batch in advance and then wrap them individually in plastic wrap or a baggie and pop them in the freezer. Then, when I want a quick breakfast, I take it out, microwave it for 1 minute (if still frozen, 30 seconds if thawed) and eat! I also will grab one on my way out the door and just pop it in the microwave when I get to work. You can really pump these up with more vegetables or more meat if you prefer...or you could also add potatoes....just throw in there whatever you like.

Ingredients:
1/2 onion chopped
1 bell pepper chopped (I prefer yellow/orange/or red)
1 cup shredded cheese (whatever you prefer, I used cheddar)
1 hand full of fresh spinach
salt and pepper to taste
9 eggs
16 tortillas
2 teaspoons of Mrs. Dash
1 tablespoon Oil or butter (I used olive oil)
1/2 to 1 cup of chopped up ham, bacon, or some other breakfast meat, I really like the ham, so I put about a cup in there but for bacon bits I would probably use less.

Place oil in large skillet and melt, then add onions and peppers (and any other veggies you might want to throw in there). Once they have started to get translucent and toasty, add the spinach and stir it around until it is fully wilted, then add the seasonings and continue to stir as needed.

While that is cooking, I will lay out about 5 tortillas and put a little shredded cheddar on each.

Back to the skillet....Crack your eggs into a container and mix them with a fork to break them up, then add them to the skillet. You can also add a little milk here if you prefer...or cream if you want to live high on the hog. Continue stirring to make scrambled eggs until they are done to the firmness that you desire. My husband wants them WAY done...no question on whether they are cooked...so that is how I do it. That is what you get when you have a Poultry Scientist for a hubby.

Once the eggs are done, taste them to make sure the seasoning is right, then just take a large spoon and place the egg mixture down the middle of every tortilla, fold the tortilla in half and then wrap up in plastic wrap or place in a baggie. You can really make these tacos or burritos...its your choice. Then, I usually hold a few out for tomorrow's breakfast and just put those in the fridge, and the rest I place in the freezer individually wrapped.

I love them! I made 16 last time I made them but if you want to bulk them up a bit, you would make less and use more filling. This is a great grab and go breakfast on those busy mornings....and its easy for older kids to fix themselves since it just involved a microwave.

Pizza Loaf

This is fun for FHE!

1 loaf frozen bread dough, thawed
2 eggs, separated
1 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
1 Tbsp EVOO
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp garlic pwd
1/4 tsp pepper
8 oz pepperoni slices
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1 can sliced ripe olives
1 medium green pepper
1 can pizza sauce (I used spaghetti sauce)

Roll out dough on baking sheet (or counter). In a bowl combine egg yolks, Parmesan cheese, oil, oregano, garlic powder and pepper. Brush over dough. Sprinkle with pepperoni, mozzarella, peppers & olives. Roll up jelly roll style, pinch ends together.

Brush with egg whites. DO NOT LET RISE. Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes or until golden brown. Slice and dip in pizza sauce!

Chicken Pot Pie

A little bit of work, but well worth the effort! I double this recipe and it makes 4 potpies in an 8" square foil pan that freeze very well!

Pie Crust
2 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
2 sticks butter (unsalted)
4-10 Tbsp ice water -- add water by the Tbsp until it is pie crust consistency (The amount fluctuates depending on the temp and consistency of your butter.)

Filling
2 1/2 cups cooked cubed chicken (or turkey)
2 cups fresh/frozen peas
1/4 cup chopped onion
3 large carrots sliced
2 med/large potatoes peeled, cubed and parboiled

White Sauce
6 Tbsp butter
6 Tbsp flour
2 cup half-half
1 cup chicken broth
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper

Instructions:
Roll out 2/3 of pie dough and place in the bottom of two 8" square foil pans. (Save 1/3 for the tops of the pies.) Make white sauce in sauce pan by melting butter and stirring in flour with a whisk until smooth and bubbly. Whisk in half-half, chicken broth, salt & pepper. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally until sauce thickens. Stir hot sauce into a large bowl with the remaining filling ingredients. Pour filling ingredients into pie crust. Roll out remaining pie crust and place on top of filling. Flute edges to seal. Make three small slits in the top of the crust and lightly brush with milk. Bake for 50-60 minutes at 375 degrees.

These freeze REALLY well. However, they must be THAWED before baking. I will usually pull mine out a day ahead of time and put in the fridge. . . . Enjoy!

Carnitas with Grilled Salsa Verde

Amazing, and sooo much flavor! I got this recipe from my Bon Appetit magazine. It's from a restaurant in Chicago, Table Fifty-Two (that appears to be pretty fancy). I only made the meat and used my favorite tomatillo sauce for my carnitas. But I put the grilled salsa verde recipe at the bottom. I'll try it someday... but I wanted to stick with what I knew to be good, real good. The meat is my new favorite, and will replace my recipe for the tomatillo burritos.

3 1/2 oz. achiote paste (about 1/2 package) {the pkg I found was exactly 3 1/2 oz.}
8 garlic cloves, peeled
2 jalapeno chiles, chopped with seeds
1/2 cup distilled white vinegar
3/4 cup orange juice
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro with stems
1/3 cup fresh lime juice
2 1/2 teaspoons coarse kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
5 pounds boneless pork shoulder (Boston butt), cut into 2 inch cubes
20 corn or flour tortillas
Grilled Salsa Verde (recipe below)
Sour cream
chopped red onions

Preheat oven to 300 F. Puree first 10 ingredients in blender until smooth.

Arrange pork in large roasting pan. Add achiote puree; mix to coat pork. Cover pan tightly with foil. Roast pork until very tender, stirring occasionally, about 3 1/2 hours. Cool slightly. Coarsely shred pork. Mound pork in large bowl; add enough juices from roasting pan by 1/4 cupfuls to moisten as desired.

Wrap tortillas in paper towels or clean kitchen towel. Microwave on high until headed through, about 1 minute. Fill warm tortillas with carnitas. Top with Grilled Salsa Verde, sour cream and red onions.

{I just put the meat and puree in the crock pot all day}

Grilled Salsa Verde
{makes about 3 1/2 cups}

nonstick vegetable oil spray
2 pounds tomatillos, husked, rinsed
1 cup coarselty chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 cup warm water
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 jalapeno chile, halved, seeded

Spray grill racks with nonstick spray. Prepare barbecue (medium-high heat). Grill tomatillos until slightly softened and charred in spots, about 15 minutes. Transfer to processor. Add cilantro, 1/4 cup warm water, lime juice and jalapeno; process until almost smooth. Transfer salsa to medium bowl. Season to taste with salt.

Easy Italian Pasta Bake

This is another recipe from the Kraft Food & Family website. I've decided I'm only going to cook 'fancy' meals once or twice per week and will do easy/cheap meals the other nights. This falls into the latter category.

1 lb. lean ground beef {or turkey or sausage}
3 cups whole wheat penne, cooked & drained {I only boiled mine for 6 mins. b/c it's going to be baked and I didn't want it to get soggy}
1 jar spaghetti sauce
1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 1/2 cups grated mozzarella
1 tsp italian seasoning
3 cloves garlic, minced

Heat oven to 375*. Brown meat in large skillet with italian seasoning and garlic. Drain. Add pasta, sauce and 1/2 the parmesan and mix well. Spoon into 9x13 pan and top with remaining cheeses. Bake for 20 mins. I served mine with Rhodes rolls and steamed broccoli. Yummy!

Chicken Enchilada Soup

This is one of those recipes that I can't wait for the next day so I can eat the leftovers!

3-4 chicken breasts, boiled and cubed
1/2 c. diced onions
1 T. garlic, minced
4 c. chicken broth
1 c. tomato sauce
1 c. fresh, diced tomatoes
16 oz Velveeta cheese
1 tsp. chili powder
1 small can diced green chilies (optional)
salt and pepper to taste (I never add any)
1 1/2-2 Tbsp Taco seasoning
1/2 tsp. cumin (optional)

Mix together before adding to pot:
1/2 c. corn starch
2 c. cold water

Add all ingredients together. Cook over medium heat until heated through, stirring occasionally. Serve with corn chips, sour cream, grated cheese and salsa.