Macaroni Pie

Ingredients:
1 lb. elbow macaroni
2 eggs
2 Tbsp. butter
1 cup onion, minced
1/2 cup green pepper, minced
1 – 1 1/2 tsp cayenne (mild-hot)
1 lb. grated cheddar cheese
1 12 oz. can evaporated milk
1/2 tsp. salt

Directions:

1. Boil elbow macaroni for about 5 minutes, or until al dente. Drain and return to pot.
2. Stir in cheddar, pepper, and onion. The smaller the peppers and onions are sliced, the less crunch the finished dish will have.
3. In a small bowl or measuring cup stir together eggs, cayenne, evaporated milk, and salt. Pour over macaroni and stir to combine. 
4. Pour into a greased lasagna pan, spreading evenly with spatula. Dot with butter. 
5. Bake at 350° F for 30-45 minutes. Let cool about 10 minutes and slice into squares. Serve hot.

Notes: We like homemade mac and cheese at our house. This is one of several recipes we've tried. I would rate it as tasty, but not my favorite. Makes about 8 servings.

Source: Global Table Adventure

Cabbage Rolls

Ingredients:
12 leaves cabbage
1 cup cooked white rice
1 egg, beaten
1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup minced onion
1 pound extra-lean ground beef
1 1/4 tsp salt
1 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce
1 Tbsp brown sugar
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

Directions:
1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Boil cabbage leaves 2 minutes; drain.
2. In large bowl, combine 1 cup cooked rice, egg, milk, onion, ground beef, salt, and pepper. Place about 1/4 cup of meat mixture in center of each cabbage leaf, and roll up, tucking in ends. Place rolls in slow cooker.
3. In a small bowl, mix together tomato sauce, brown sugar, lemon juice, and Worcestershire sauce. Pour over cabbage rolls.
4. Cover; cook on Low 8 to 9 hours.

Notes: Makes 6 servings. On the night we had this recipe, nearly 4 months ago now, I wasn't feeling well. So I didn't enjoy dinner that night. It had nothing to do with the recipe, though. We'll have to try this again in the future so that I'll be able to say whether or not I liked it.

Source: allrecipes.com

Swedish Meatballs

Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 onion, diced
1 pound ground beef
1 pound ground pork
1/2 cup Panko
2 large egg yolks
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

For the Gravy
1/4 cup unsalted butter
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
4 cups beef broth
3/4 cup sour cream
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves (optional)

Directions

1. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion, and cook, stirring frequently, until onions have become translucent, about 2-3 minutes.
2. In a large bowl, combine ground beef, ground pork, Panko, egg yolks, allspice, nutmeg and cooked onion; season with salt and pepper, to taste. Using a wooden spoon or clean hands, stir until well combined. Roll the mixture into 1 1/4-to-1 1/2-inch meatballs, forming about 24 meatballs.
3. Add remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil to the skillet. Add meatballs, in batches, and cook until all sides are browned, about 4-5 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate.
4. To make the gravy, melt butter in the skillet. Whisk in flour until lightly browned, about 1 minute. Gradually whisk in beef broth and cook, whisking constantly, until slightly thickened, about 1-2 minutes. Stir in sour cream; season with salt and pepper, to taste.
5. Stir in meatballs and cook, stirring occasionally, until heated through and thickened, about 8-10 minutes.
6. Serve immediately, garnished with parsley.

Notes: We've made several other meatball recipes that I think I prefer to this one, but this was still tasty.

Source: Damn Delicious via Kimberly.

Trini Stew Chicken

 Ingredients

For the green seasoning:
1 lime, juiced
1 Tbsp ketchup
1 tsp worcestershire sauce
1 tomato
3-4 green onions
1 handful cilantro, stemmed
3 sprigs thyme, stemmed
3 sprigs parsley, stemmed
5 cloves garlic
1 onion, quartered
1 tsp ginger root (grated)
1 Tbsp salt
1 tsp pepper
habañero peppers, to taste

For the chicken:
2-4 lbs whole chicken legs
3 Tbsp vegetable oil
2 Tbsp brown sugar
2 cups water

Directions

For the green seasoning:
Add the ingredients for the Green Seasoning marinade to your blender or food processor in the order written (liquids first). Be sure to cut things small enough for your machine to handle the pieces. Alternatively, just chop the marinade ingredients and do not use the blender. 

For the chicken:

1. Pour the green seasoning over the chicken and marinate at least an hour. Overnight is better.
2. To brown the chicken: heat up the oil and brown sugar in a large pot. Cook until the sugar caramelizes (it will get foamy and may smoke a bit). Quickly add the chicken. Cook until browned on both sides, a few minutes per side.
3. Pour on the marinade. Cover and simmer about an hour, adding water as desired to thin the sauce or make more of it. Serve with orange rice.

Notes: We used about half a habañero without the seeds, as recommended at the source, and it wasn't too spicy for our kids, who are picky about spicy foods. This was tasty and made the house smell really good. We had drumsticks so that is what we used, but I think it would have been better with the thighs as well.

Source: Global Table Adventure

Slow Cooker Hawaiian BBQ Pork Tacos

Ingredients
1 pound - pork roast
4 teaspoon - liquid smoke
2 teaspoon - sea salt
2 cup - broccoli slaw
1/2 red onion, chopped
1/4 cup - cilantro, chopped

Sauce
1/4 cup - ketchup
1/4 cup - soy sauce
1/3 cup - pineapple juice
1 teaspoon - garlic, minced
1 tablespoon - brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon - ginger, minced

Directions

1. Place pork roast in slow cooker. Rub with sea salt, then pour liquid smoke over the pork. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours or on high for 4 hours.
2. 30 minutes before serving, shred pork with 2 forks.
3. Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Lay wontons on a flat surface. Fill a small glass of water. Spoon a tablespoon of shredded pork into the center of each wonton. Top with some broccoli slaw and red onion.
4. Wet your fingertips in the water, pinch 2 opposite corners of the wontons together to seal. Place tacos on baking sheet, spray liberally with cooking spray. Bake for 10-15 minutes.
5. While tacos are baking, combine sauce ingredients in a small saucepan and cook over medium heat until boiling, then reduce to simmer. Wisk as it thickens.
6. Remove wontons from the oven when golden brown. Drizzle tacos with sauce. Chop cilantro to garnish. Enjoy!

Notes: I'm not sure if it was some mistake on our part or meant to be this way, but I found the pork in this recipe to be way too salty. If we make this again we'll be using a lot less salt. Other than that it was a fun recipe. Serves 6.

Source: allthecooks

Zucchini Garden Chowder

Ingredients

2 zucchini chopped

1 onion chopped

2 Tbsp minced parsley

1 tsp dried basil

1/3 c. butter

1/3 c. flour

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

3 c. chicken broth

1 tsp lemon juice

1 14 oz. can diced tomatoes

1 12 oz can evaporated milk

1 10 oz package frozen corn

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Directions

Saute zucchini, onion, parsley, and basil in butter until tender in soup pot. Stir in Flour, salt and pepper. Gradually add chicken broth or water and lemon juice, mix well. Stir for 2 minutes and then add tomatoes, milk, and corn.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for 5 minutes. Stir in cheese until melted.

Notes: I really enjoyed this chowder. For some reason, it reminded me a little bit of the Santa Fe Chicken Soup recipe I posted several years ago, despite several obvious differences.

Source: Brittany got this recipe from her sister, Kimberly, who received it from a neighbor years ago.

Giovanni's Sausages with Potatoes and Rosemary

Ingredients
6 Italian-style sausages
1 lb 12 oz potatoes, scrubbed and sliced (source recommends kipfler/fingerling)
1 1/2 tsp paprika
2 rosemary stalks
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
1/2 loaf ciabatta, crust removed
1 3/4 oz extra virgin olive oil

To Serve
Handful fresh basil leaves
Arugula leaves

Directions
Preheat the oven to 400° F. Slice the sausages thickly and place in a large roasting pan. Add the potatoes, paprika, rosemary, salt and pepper. Tear the ciabatta into bite-sized pieces and add to the pan. Drizzle with the oil  and toss gently.

Roast, stirring occasionally, for 30-40 minutes or until the potatoes are tender and the sausages and bread are golden brown. Sprinkle with the basil and serve with a salad of arugula leaves.

Notes: We had a hard time getting the potatoes to soften and probably had them sliced too thickly.  Despite that, I thought this was quite tasty and a nice change of pace for us.

Source: Simple Honest Food: The Best of Bill Granger cook book

Filipino Braised Pork Adobo

Ingredients
2 1/2 lbs pork, cut in large hunks (pork belly, shoulder, etc)
1 head garlic, peeled
1 1/2 tsp whole peppercorns, or cracked if preferred -OR-
1 tsp ground pepper
1 1/2 cup cider vinegar
3/4 cup water
6 bay leaves
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 Tbsp brown sugar, up to 1/4 cup as desired
salt
pepper
light sesame oil -OR- peanut oil, to taste

Instructions

1. Add all ingredients to dutch oven or other large pot (except oil). Start with 1 Tbsp brown sugar.
2. Bring to a boil and reduce to a gentle simmer. Simmer covered for 1-2 hours or until the meat is fork tender, without stirring.
3. Remove meat and brown in oil or on a grill.
4. Meanwhile, boil the sauce to thicken, adding more brown sugar until as sweet as you'd like. The sauce should reduce until thick and syrupy.
5. When done reducing (about 30 minutes), return meat to the pot and serve over rice.

Notes: Nearly 15 years ago I had a roommate that had been a missionary in the Philippines. He made adobo for me a few times. Lately I've been in the mood to have it again so we've tried a couple of adobo recipes. This one is better than the first we tried (Slow Cooker Chicken Adobo), though still nothing at all like what my roommate made. When I took my first bite of this I was a little surprised at all the different flavors. Some advice for the ignorant, though: whole peppercorns can be pretty strong so you probably don't want a mouthful.

Source: Global Table Adventure

Italian Orzo Spinach Soup

Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small white onion, peeled and diced
1 cup diced carrots
1 cup diced celery
3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
6 cups chicken or vegetable stock
1 (14-ounce) can fire-roasted diced tomatoes
1 1/2 cups (about 8 ounces) whole wheat orzo pasta, or other whole wheat pasta
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary
4 cups loosely-packed spinach
salt and black pepper

Directions

1. Heat oil in a large stockpot over medium-high heat. Add onion and saute for 4 minutes, until soft. Add carrots, celery and garlic and saute for an additional 3 minutes. Add chicken stock, tomatoes, orzo (pasta), thyme, oregano, rosemary and stir to combine. Bring soup to a simmer, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is al dente.
2. Stir in the spinach and cook for 1-2 minutes until it is bright green and wilted. Season with salt and black pepper to taste (if needed). Serve warm.

Notes: Another tasty soup. Brittany added 1/2 pound of Italian sausage.

Source: Gimme Some Oven

Million Dollar Spaghetti

Ingredients
1 lb. Ground Beef
1 can Spaghetti Sauce
8 oz Cream Cheese

1/4 cup Sour Cream
1/2 lb. Cottage Cheese
Whole Stick Butter
8 oz. Spaghetti
Bag of Sharp Cheddar Cheese

Directions

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Cook spaghetti according to package directions. While pasta is cooking, mix the cream cheese, sour cream, and cottage cheese.
3. Cook meat until brown and drain. Mix in spaghetti sauce.
4. Place a few slices of butter in bottom of casserole dish. Layer half of the spaghetti noodles over the butter in the bottom of the dish.
5. Spread cream cheese/sour cream/cottage cheese mixture evenly over top of the pasta.
6. Add remaining spaghetti noodles and a few slices of butter on top. Spread meat/sauce mixture over noodles.
7. Bake for 30 minutes, then sprinkle cheddar cheese on top and bake for another 15 minutes.

Notes: This was quite tasty, but also very rich because of the cream cheese. Brittany made the sauce and used low fat sour cream and cottage cheese, and only 1/2 stick of butter.

Source: Being Grown Up

Creamy Chicken and Mushroom Soup

Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
8 ounces boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch chunks
Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 cloves garlic, minced
8 ounces cremini mushrooms, thinly sliced
1 onion, diced
3 carrots, peeled and diced
2 stalks celery, diced
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
4 cups chicken stock
1 bay leaf
1/2 cup half and half, or more, as needed
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
1 sprig rosemary

Instructions

1. Heat olive oil in a large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Season chicken thighs with salt and pepper, to taste. Add chicken to the stockpot and cook until golden, about 2-3 minutes; set aside.
2. Melt butter in the stockpot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add garlic, mushrooms, onion, carrots and celery. Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 3-4 minutes. Stir in thyme until fragrant, about 1 minute.
3. Whisk in flour until lightly browned, about 1 minute. Whisk in chicken stock, bay leaf and chicken thighs, and cook, whisking constantly, until slightly thickened, about 4-5 minutes.
4. Stir in half and half until heated through, about 1-2 minutes; season with salt and pepper, to taste. If the soup is too thick, add more half and half as needed until desired consistency is reached.
5. Serve immediately, garnished with parsley and rosemary, if desired.

Notes: This was a tasty soup. I am not happy with my photo. From the source: "Half and half is equal parts of whole milk and cream. For 1 cup half and half, you can substitute 3/4 cup whole milk + 1/4 cup heavy cream or 2/3 cup skim or low-fat milk + 1/3 cup heavy cream." 

Source: Damn Delicious

Crock Pot Salsa Verde Chicken

Ingredients
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 (16oz) jar salsa verde
1½ c. Monterey jack cheese, shredded (or to taste)
⅓ - ½ c. chopped cilantro (optional)

Instructions

1. Spray Crock Pot with cooking spray. Place chicken breasts evenly over the bottom of the crock pot and cover evenly with salsa verde.
2. Cook on high for 2-3 hours or on low for 4-5 hours or until cooked through. About 30 to 60 minutes before serving, sprinkle cheese evenly over chicken. Remove individual chicken breasts from Crock Pot, sprinkle with cilantro (optional) and serve!

Notes: We had this a couple of months ago and although I remember liking it, I must admit that this recipe did not make a big impression on me. It is not one that we will likely have regularly.

Source: Favorite Family Recipes

3 Ingredient Crock Pot Creamy Chicken Taco

Ingredients
3 Boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 Can Original Rotel Tomatoes with Green Chilis
4 oz Philadelphia Cream Cheese

Instructions

1. Place the chicken breasts in slow cooker and cover with Rotel Tomatoes.
2. Cook on low 6-8 hours.
3. 30 minutes before the end of the cook time, use tongs or a fork to stir and shred the chicken breast.
4. Place the 4 oz brick of cream cheese on top of the chicken (do not stir).
5. After 30 minutes stir the softened cream cheese into the meat until well combined.
6. Serve as tacos, on a salad, in quesadillas, over rice, in a casserole, as enchilada filling, etc.

Notes: Does it really count as 3 ingredients if one of those ingredients is a can containing multiple other ingredients? These were good, but I think there are several other chicken taco recipes we've tried that I prefer.

Source: The Pinning Mama

Cuban Hot Pressed Pork Sandwich

Ingredients
1 loaf Cuban Bread (substitute: Italian or French)
yellow mustard, to taste
4 slices ham
4 slices roast pork
4 slices swiss cheese
pickles, thinly sliced, to taste

Instructions

1. Slice a loaf of Cuban bread almost completely in half lengthwise, and spread mustard along the bottom.
2. Add the ham, pork, cheese and pickles to the sliced loaf.
3. Place the sandwich in a large frying pan over medium heat.
4. On another burner heat up a large, heavy-bottomed pot.
5. Press the sandwich between the two hot pans until toasty (cheese melts)

Notes: I thought these were pretty tasty. We used French bread because that is what we could find. Based on the photos at the source I think Cuban bread may have resulted in thinner sandwiches. Although it wouldn't be as authentic, it seems like you could also use a George Foreman style grill to press the sandwich.

Source: Global Table Adventure

Sausage Pepper Fettuccini Skillet

Ingredients:
8-12 oz. fettuccine pasta
2 Cups sweet bell pepper (about 2 peppers), stem, seeds & membrane removed, chopped into 1 inch pcs
3/4 Cup onion, peeled, diced (about 1 medium onion)
2 Cups smoked sausage (12-16 oz), sliced to 1/3 inch pieces; about 4 links
1/3 cup chopped parsley
3/4 cup heavy cream
1 cup pasta water + 3-5 bullion cubes or 1 cup broth
1 Tbsp chopped/pressed garlic
1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, split in half
Olive oil

Directions:

1. Cook pasta in salted water according to the package instructions.
2. Heat skillet over high heat with couple tablespoons of oil. Add the pepper & onion and on medium-high heat slightly brown it. If your sausage does not have any cheese in it, you can add it at the same time and brown everything together.
3. Otherwise add the sausate and continue stirring and cooking everything until the sausage is slightly browned.
4. Take 1 cup of pasta water and add about 3 chicken bullion cubes, crush the bullion cubes and stir everything until they’re dissolved. Alternatively just use 1 cup of hot broth.
5. Pour the chicken broth over the peppers and sausage. Add the cream.
6. Now add the drained pasta, parsley and garlic. Stir to combine and simmer on medium heat until the sauce is thickened and coats the pasta nicely. Taste and adjust the seasoning.
7. When the pasta is served in a bowl, sprinkle with a couple of halved cherry tomatoes.

Notes: Very tasty. Sweet bell peppers are one of my favorite foods, so I liked this.

Source: Let the Baking Begin!

Cheeseburger Soup

Ingredients
½ to 1 pound ground beef
¾ cup chopped onion
¾ cup shredded carrots
¾ cup diced celery
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
4 tablespoons butter, divided
3 cups chicken broth
4 cups peeled and diced potatoes
¼ cup all purpose flour
2 cups of Velveeta processed cheese cubed or 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1½ cups milk
¾ teaspoon salt
¼ to ½ teaspoon pepper
¼ cup sour cream

Directions

1. Brown the ground beef in 3 quart saucepan. Drain and set aside.
2. In the same saucepan add 1 T butter and add onion, shredded carrots, parsley flakes, basil and celery. Saute until tender.
3. Add the broth, potatoes and beef and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer 10-12 minutes or until potatoes are tender.
4. In small skillet melt remaining butter (3 T) and add the flour. Cook and stir for 3-5 minutes or until bubbly. Add to the soup and bring to a boil. Cook and stir for 2 minutes. Reduce heat to low.
5. Stir in the cheese, milk, salt and pepper. Cook and stir until cheese melts. Remove from heat and blend in sour cream.

Notes: Not to be confused with Hamburger Soup, this was pretty tasty. Ours came out a bit thicker than the photos at the source.

Source: The Food Critic

Creamy Bell Pepper Chicken

Ingredients
4 Chicken Breasts
2 Bell Peppers
1 Onion
2 Cloves Garlic
1 Cup Cream
1 Cup Sour Cream
1 tsp. Tomato Paste
1⁄2 Cup Vegetable Broth
1 Tbs. Paprika
1⁄2 Cup Grated Cheese
Salt to taste

Directions
1. Wash and dry the chicken breasts (if using frozen, allow to thaw before baking)
2. Season the chicken with salt and some paprika
3. Place chicken breasts in a baking dish
4. Wash, seed, and cut the bell peppers into slices and place over chicken
5. Cut the onion into half-rings and sauté with oil in a pan
6. Add garlic and sauté a little longer
7. Add paprika, tomato paste, and vegetable broth and allow to simmer slightly
8. Add cream and sour cream and completely mix sauce
9. Add salt to taste
10. Pour sauce over chicken
11. Spread cheese over chicken and sauce
12. Bake at 350 °F for 30 minutes

Notes: I'm a fan of this recipe. We got it from Brittany's brother, Brian. It was originally in German and he translated it.

Source: Brian

Black Bean and Sweet Potato Burritos

Ingredients
2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed small (about 3­-4 cups)
1 jalapeno, seeded and finely diced
1 red pepper, diced small
1 small red onion, diced small (about 1/2 cup)
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drain
1/4 ­to 1/2 cup chopped cilantro (depending on your taste)
2 teaspoons fresh lime juice (from about 1 lime)
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
6­-8 burrito-size tortillas (whole wheat, white or other favorite variety)

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. In a large bowl, toss together the sweet potatoes, jalapeno, red pepper and red onion with the olive oil, cumin, chili powder, salt and pepper. Dump the coated veggies onto a large rimmed baking sheet and roast for 18­-20 minutes, tossing halfway through. The vegetables should be tender but not mushy at the end of cooking time.
2. Let the vegetable mixture cool. Scrape the mixture into a large bowl and toss with the black beans, cilantro and lime juice. Taste the mixture and add additional salt and pepper to taste, if needed. Refrigerate the mixture until ready to assemble the burritos or use immediately.
3. Place 3-­4 tortillas on a microwave-­safe plat and cover with a damp paper towel. Microwave for 15-­20 seconds until the tortillas are pliable. Place 1/4 cup or so of the vegetable mixture in the center of the tortilla and top with a sprinkle with shredded cheese, a little of each kind. Fold in the sides of the tortilla and roll up. Place seam-­side down on a baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining tortillas until you have all the burritos you need (the filling can be refrigerated and used for 3-­4 days).
4. Bake in a 375 degree F oven for about 10-­15 minutes, until heated through and the top of the tortilla is golden brown. Adjust the baking time as needed depending on if the filling has been refrigerated or not. For a softer tortilla, wrap each burrito in tin foil and heat through. Serve immediately.

Notes: I really liked these. I think they are much better than the Addictive Sweet Potato Burritos recipe we tried before.

Source: Mel's Kitchen Cafe

Beef Empanadas

Ingredients
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 lbs. ground beef
1 onion, finely diced
2 jalapenos, minced
2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cumin
1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes, drained
1 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped (about 1 cup)
1 batch empanada dough (see below)
1 egg, beaten

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. To make the filling, warm the olive oil in a large skillet set over medium-high heat. Add the beef, onion, jalapenos, salt, and cumin; cook, stirring occasionally, until the beef is cooked through (safe internal temperature of 160 degrees F) and the onions have softened, about 10 to 12 minutes. Turn off heat, add the tomatoes and cilantro, and mix well to combine.
2. To form the empanadas, divide the dough into 12 equal balls. On a well-floured surface, flatten each to a disk and then roll with a rolling pin into 4 1/2-inch circles. Spoon 2 heaping tablespoons of the filling into the circle, and brush the edges of the circle with the egg. Fold the dough around the filling to make a half-moon shape, and press the edges firmly to seal. cut two small slits in the top of each empanada, and arrange on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake until golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes. Refrigerate any leftovers.

----------------------
Empanada Dough
----------------------

Ingredients
2 1/4 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup chilled shortening, cut into cubes
4 Tbsp. chilled butter, cut into cubes
1 egg, 1/3 cup cold water
1 Tbsp white vinegar

Directions

1. In the work bowl of a food processor or a medium-sized bowl, combine the flour, salt, shortening, and butter. Pulse in the food processor, or use a pastry cutter if working by hand, until the mixture looks sandy and there are roughly pea-sized pieces of butter remaining. Transfer to a large mixing bowl.
2. In another mixing bowl, combine the egg, water, and vinegar; whisk to blend well. Drizzle over the flour-butter mixture and stir with a fork until a shaggy dough comes together. Knead on a well-floured surface just enough to bring the dough together. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and chill overnight. Refrigerate any leftovers.

Notes: We fried ours instead of baking, mostly because I wanted to see if this dough recipe was closer to what I remembered eating in Paraguay than the Pumpkin Parmesan Empanadas we tried a few months ago. These empanadas are more traditional and I enjoyed them, but making them is a lot of work so this probably isn't something we will have very often.

Source: Kroger mymagazine sent to us in the mail.

German Pancakes

Ingredients
2 Tbsp. butter
3 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup flour
1/4 tsp. salt

Directions
Place butter in 8" x 8" cake pan and put in oven to melt. (Don't let it burn!) Beat eggs. Stir in milk, flour, and salt. Mix well. Pour batter over melted butter. Bake at 450 for 15 to 20 minutes or until the edges are golden brown.

Notes: Brittany usually doubles this recipe and makes it in a 9x13 pan. With two adults and two kids eating we usually don't have any leftovers.

Source: Cooking for Two

Italian Style Meatballs

Ingredients
1/2 pound ground beef
1/2 pound italian sausage
1/2 cup plain bread crumbs
1 tsp minced garlic
2 eggs
2 tsp finely chopped (fresh) flat leaf parsley
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
1 tsp salt
1 tsp fresh ground pepper

Directions

1. Heat the oven to 350.
2. In a medium sized mixing bowl, add each of the ingredients into the bowl and mix well after each addition.
3. Make slightly larger than golf ball sized meatballs and place them into a muffin tin that has been coated with non stick cooking spray. (Make sure not to overpack meatballs as you want them to cook evenly and all the way through.)
4. Place in the oven and cook for 40 minutes, flipping them halfway through.
5. Serve with noodles and sauce for meatballs and spaghetti, or on a hoagie for a meatball sub. 

Notes: Tasty. We obviously when with the meatball sub suggestion and had these on toasted buns.

Source: Pink When

Stovetop Italian Macaroni

Ingredients
1 pound ground beef
1 can (28 ounces) diced tomatoes, undrained
2 cups water
1 envelope onion soup mix
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, optional
2 cups uncooked elbow macaroni
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

Directions

1. In a Dutch oven, cook beef over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. Add the tomatoes, water, soup mix, Italian seasoning and, if desired, pepper flakes. Bring to a boil. Stir in macaroni. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 8-9 minutes or until macaroni is tender.
2. Remove from the heat; stir in Parmesan cheese. Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese. Cover and let stand for 2 minutes or until cheese is melted. Yield: 5 servings.

Notes: We've had similar macaroni casseroles in the past, but I think I liked the seasonings on this one more than any other we've had in the past.

Source: Taste of Home

Garlic Cheddar Chicken Strips

Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter
4 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 cup dry bread crumbs
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
1/4 teaspoon dried parsley
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon salt
8 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Melt the butter in a saucepan over low heat, and saute the garlic until tender.
3. In a shallow bowl, mix the bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, Cheddar cheese, parsley, oregano, pepper, and salt.
4. Cut Chicken Breast into strips (optional).
5. Dip each chicken strip in the garlic butter to coat, then press into the bread crumb mixture. Arrange the coated chicken breasts in a 9×13 inch baking dish. Drizzle with any remaining butter and top with any remaining bread crumb mixture.
6. Bake 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until chicken is no longer pink.

Source: The Idea Room

Baked Pumpkin French Toast

Ingredients:
1 loaf French Bread
6 large eggs
2 1/2 cups milk
1 cup pumpkin puree (not pie filling)
3/4 cups granulated sugar (we reduced to 1/2 cup)
2 tablespoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Streusel Topping:
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup cold butter, cut into pieces

Directions:

1. Spray a 9 x 13-inch baking pan with cooking spray. Tear French bread into chunks, or cut into cubes, and evenly place in the pan.
2. In a large bowl, mix together eggs, milk, pumpkin puree, sugar, vanilla extract, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Pour evenly over bread. Cover pan with saran wrap and store in the refrigerator for several hours or overnight.
3. In a separate bowl, mix together flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Add butter pieces and cut into the dry mixture using a fork or your hands. Combine until the mixture resembles sand with a few pea sized chunks. Cover and store mixture in the refrigerator.
4. When you’re ready to bake the French toast, preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Remove French toast from refrigerator and sprinkle crumb mixture over the top. Bake for 45-55 minutes, or until the French toast is set and golden brown.
5. Serve warm with syrup, if desired.

Notes: AMAZING. Brittany and I both really enjoyed this when we had it for breakfast, and it may have been even better when we had it cold the next day. In my opinion it was plenty sweet without adding syrup. This is our 5th baked French Toast recipe we've posted (after Baked Apple w/ Caramel, Baked French Toast, Baked Praline, and Cinnamon Toast French Toast), and we've tried a couple that never made it to the blog. I think Pumpkin has become my favorite.

Source: Two Peas and Their Pod (Thanks to Melanie for sharing the link)

Amazing Chicken Rollups

Ingredients
12 oz - cooked and shredded chicken
1 cup - shredded colby jack cheese
1/4 cup - chopped bell peppers
1 cup - corn
2 green onions chopped
1/3 cup - salsa
1 cup - sour cream
1 tablespoon - cumin
1 salt and pepper to taste
4 clove - minced garlic
1/3 cup - vegetable oil

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400.
2. Mix everything together except 2 of the cloves of garlic and the oil.
3. Put the oil and remaining cloves in a pan and heat over medium heat. After heating, remove from heat and allow to cool.
4. Roll chicken mixture in tortillas and place in a 9x13 pan. Brush with the garlic oil and bake until brown.

Notes: I had a hard time getting a good photo, but these were tasty. Obviously I topped mine with salsa, but the source also recommends a dipping sauce. I feel like we've had similar things in the past.

Source: allthecooks.com Android app

Southwestern Egg Rolls

Ingredients

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Olive oil
4 teaspoons taco seasoning, divided
1 cup corn
1/2 cup black beans (from the can, drained and rinsed)
1/2 to 1 can chopped green chiles
2 Tablespoons red pepper chopped
8 oz Monterey Jack cheese
Wonton wrappers (the larger size)
Peanut or vegetable oil

Directions

1. Fill a large pot with about 3 inches of oil. Heat it to about 375 (the oil will drop to 350 once you put the wontons in).
2. Season chicken with 2 teaspoons of taco seasoning.
3. Heat olive oil and a skillet and add the chicken. Cook until no longer pink. Remove and set aside to cool.
4. In the same skillet that you cooked the chicken in, add the corn, black beans and chiles.
5. Season with 2 teaspoons of taco seasoning. Cook on medium low for about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
6. Finely chop the cooled chicken. Stir the chicken into the cooled vegetable mixture. Add the cheese and mix everything together.
7. Take 1 wonton wrapper and place it in front of you so it looks like a diamond. Dip your finger in water and run it around the edges of the wrapper. Place 1 1/2 tablespoons of mixture in the middle of the wonton. Take the bottom tip and fold it over the mixture and tuck it around the mixture. Fold both side in so it resembles an envelope. Then roll flap around and seal with more water. Store seam side down until ready to fry.
8. Carefully drop 3 or 4 wontons at a time into hot oil seam side down. Fry for about 3-4 minutes or until golden brown.

Notes: Makes about 14. I really enjoyed these. Southwestern flavors are among my favorite. I will certainly be requesting them again. There a couple of dipping sauce recipes at the source link.

Source: The Hungry Housewife

Avgolemono (Greek Style Chicken Soup)

Ingredients
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
1/2 cup carrot, shredded
1/2 cup celery, chopped
1/2 cup onion, chopped
2 cups water
2 cans (14 oz. each) fat-free, reduced-sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup fresh-squeezed lemon juice
1 tsp lemon zest
8 egg yolks
2 cups cooked white rice
2 cups cooked chicken breast meat, diced
Salt and pepper, to taste
Lemon slices, for garnish

Directions

1. In large stock pot, heat oil, and saute onion, celery, and carrot, for 2 minutes on medium-high until translucent. Add water, chicken broth, lemon juice, lemon zest, and simmer for 20 minutes.
2. Beat egg yolks until light in color. Gradually add a ladle or two of hot soup to egg yolks to temper. Add egg-soup mixture back in the soup pot slowly, stirring constantly. Add rice and chicken, and heat for additional 5 minutes (ensuring chicken has reached a safe internal temperature of 165 degrees F). Season with salt and pepper to taste.
3. Serve in bowls with lemon slices as garnish. Refrigerate any leftovers.

Notes: Serves 8. I thought this was quite tasty.

Source: Kroger coupon book that we got in the mail last week.

Baked Cavatelli

Ingredients
7 oz dried cavatelli or wagon wheel macaroni (about 2 1/3 cups)
12 oz uncooked Italian sausage links, sliced 1/2 inch thick, or lean ground beef
3/4 cup chopped onion (1 medium)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 26-oz jar pasta sauce
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese (4 oz)
1/4 tsp black pepper

Directions

1. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain; set aside.
2. In a large skillet cook the sausage, onion, and garlic until sausage is brown; remove from skillet. Drain.
3. In a large bowl stir together pasta sauce, 3/4 cup of the mozzarella cheese, and the pepper. Add the cooked pasta and the sausage mixture. Stir gently to combine. Spoon the mixture into a 2-quart casserole.
4. Bake, uncovered, in a 375 degree oven for 25 to 30 minutes or until nearly heated through. Uncover; sprinkle with the remaining 1/4 cup mozzarella cheese. Bake about 5 minutes more or until cheese is melted.

Notes: We couldn't find cavatelli at our grocery store. We used home-made pasta sauce and a combination of ground beef and ground sausage that we needed to use up. This was still really good. It seems that you could have a lot of variety with this recipe by trying different kinds of pasta sauce.

Source: Better Homes and Gardens 12th Edition Cook Book

Farmer's Casserole

Ingredients
Nonstick cooking spray
3 cups frozen shredded hash brown potatoes
3/4 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese with jalapeno peppers or shredded cheddar cheese (3 oz)
1 cup diced cooked ham or Canadian-style bacon
1/4 cup sliced green onions (2)
4 beaten eggs
1 1/2 cups milk or one 12-oz can evaporated milk
1/8 tsp salt
1/8 tsp black pepper

Directions

1. Coat a 2-quart square baking dish non-stick cooking spray. Arrange potatoes evenly in the bottom of the dish. Sprinkle with cheese, ham, and green onions.
2. In a bowl combine eggs, milk, salt, and pepper. Pour egg mixture over potato mixture.
3. Bake, uncovered, in a 350 degree oven 40 to 45 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Let stand 5 minutes before servings.

Notes: Makes 6 servings. This is from several months ago and to be honest I'm not entirely sure if this is the right recipe for the photo. It looks like we used sausage instead of ham and didn't add any green onions.

Source: Better Homes and Gardens 12th Edition Cook Book 

Easy Crockpot Fajitas

Ingredients
3 Peppers (Green, Red & Yellow), sliced
1 Onion, sliced
Toppings - sour cream, cheese, guacamole, etc.

Chicken Fajitas
1 Package of Taco Seasoning
Flour or corn tortillas

Beef Fajitas

1 1/2 - 2 lbs thin sliced beef, cut in strips

1 packet fajita seasoning

Instructions

1. Slice peppers and onions then place them on the bottom of the crock pot
2. Put chicken or beef on top of peppers and onions
3. Sprinkle seasoning packet on the top.
4. Cook on low for 6-8 hrs (or high for 3-4) for chicken. Add 1-2 hours for beef.
5. For chicken: it may look burnt but it's just crispy. Shred chicken up and mix in the juice.
6. Serve with tortillas and all the toppings - sour cream, guacamole, cheese, lettuce, etc.

Notes: One straight month of posts! I cheated a little and combined 2 recipes from the source into one for this post. We had the chicken variety with sliced rather than shredded chicken. Brittany made homemade tortillas! Very tasty. If you prefer crispy veggies then you should probably wait until the last little while to add them (there is a comment on the beef fajita page linked below that says the last 20 minutes - I'm not sure if that would be long enough).

Source: eat at home chicken / beef