Menu for February 1st - February 7th

What an exciting week its superbowl weekend so i'm off to the beach with the kids for a few days. So I was looking at Food Networks website last week and they have a ton of recipes that look really good. It is all the superbowl and Miami inspired stuff. I saw a picture of this burger that looked so good, so I added to this weeks menu, it's a Bobby Flay recipe. Since we purchased 1/2 a cow with my parents I have a ton of red meat, so I thought hmm whats something new you can do with round steak, spicy swiss steak that will work. Monterey chicken casserole is based on Chili's Monterey Chicken. In my AHO box this week we got some new stuff, brussel sprouts and a broccoflower. My husband says the broccoflower doesn't look edible, but I think it is, it just looks really strange. Also this week I will be posting 2 appetizer recipes for gameday. Also if your thinking hey blueberries are not in season, no they are not i'm using frozen. Everybody enjoy the game, and enjoy everyday!

Monday- Cuban Burger, potato chips, oranges
Tuesday- Spicy Swiss Steak, brown rice, green salad
Wednesday- Monterey Chicken Casserole, mashed potatoes, cauliflower
Thursday- Beef Enchilada Stack, Smothered Brussel Sprouts
Friday- Cheesy Ham Potato Broccoflower Soup, bread
Saturday- Headed to Beach
Sunday- Superbowl! Go Saints!

Dessert of the Week: Crumb Topped Blueberry Pie

Supreme Pizza Pasta

Before I started this blog I had an idea to make pizza pasta. I figured the whole house likes pizza and pasta so why not put the 2 together. It came out delicious. So when planning this weeks menu I thought I would make it again, but based on a supreme pizza this time.

Ingredients:
2 hot italian sausage, casings removed
8 to 10 slices of pepperoni
1 bell pepper, chopped
1/2 red onion, chopped
1 jar pasta sauce, warmed
5 mushrooms, stems removed and sliced
1 13oz. package whole wheat penne noodles, cooked
2 cups grated mozzarella cheese
Feel free to add in any toppings you like on your supreme pizza

Make It:
Preheat oven to 375. Heat a small saute pan over medium heat, add italian sausage. Stir and break up with a spoon, cook until browned. Remove from pan, spray pan with pam and add bell pepper. Cook and stir until just barely softened, about 2 minutes, remove from pan. Spray pan with pam and add onion, cook and stir until barely softened, about 2 minutes, remove from pan. Spray pan again with pam and add mushrooms, cook and stir for a 1 minute, remove from pan. Put pepperoni in pan and cook for about 2 minutes, remove to a paper towel to drain some of the oil. Mix bell pepper, sausage, onion and mushroom together. Lightly spray a tall casserole dish with pam. Add 1/2 the noodles to the dish, ladle on enough sauce to cover pasta, and stir so noodles are coated. Layer on 1/2 the bell pepper combination, 1/2 the pepperoni, another ladle of sauce and smooth to cover. Sprinkle 1 cup of cheese onto sauce. Repeat these 6 steps again and put in the oven for 20 minutes until top layer of cheese is completely melted. Let sit outside the oven for 10 minutes before serving. Enjoy!

Sloppy Joe's

Well my first time making sloppy joe's was a hit. The sauce came out perfect, no need to tweak or try again. The family enjoyed these so much they will be appearing on the menu more. They are very easy to make, and not costly, most  of the ingredients I already had on hand.

Ingredients:
6 plain ole hamburger buns
1 pound ground beef
1 white onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 tablespoon bottled chopped garlic
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1 can tomato paste
1/4 cup ketchup
1 1/2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
1 cup water
salt and pepper to taste

Make It:
Heat a large pot over medium high heat, add meat to pot. Brown breaking with a spoon. When meat is completely browned add onion and bell pepper to pot. Stirring often cook until onion and pepper are tender, about 5 minutes. Drain off extra grease in pot. Add garlic, cook another minute. Add tomato paste, ketchup, chili powder, cumin, brown sugar and water to the pot, stir to combine. Bring to a simmer, reduce heat slightly. Allow to cook 10 to 15 minutes, stirring often. Take each hamburger bun and open, place on a cookie sheet, open side up. Turn broiler on low. Place buns under broiler, cook until barely toasted but not brown, should take a minute maybe two. Remove buns form broiler. PLace on plate and scoop a good amount of sauce onto bottom part of bun, place top on and push down just a little. Repeat with all. Enjoy!

Stir Fry Sauce

This will work for any stir fry.

Ingredients:
6 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
1 tablespoon hoison sauce
2 tablespoons bottled minced garlic
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
2 tablespoons ketchup
1 teaspoon ground ginger
2 teaspoons sesame oil
1 tablespoon cornstarch

Make It:
Whisk all ingredients together, and add to any stir fry. Enjoy!

Hula Stir Fry

When Kili came to me last week and told me she wanted to cook dinner, I was thrilled. I told her to go through her cookbooks and pick a recipe and I would add it to the menu. After going through all her cookbooks she found a recipe in the Better Homes and Garden Junior Cookbook that she wanted to make. A stir fry with noodles and pineapple in it. I thought it looked like something she could make and something everybody would enjoy. I changed it quite a bit, the original recipe called for frozen veggies and bottled stir fry sauce. I have way to many fresh veggies in this house so thats what I used. Then I created a kid friendly stir fry sauce, and we were ready to go. Here it is, maybe a little bitty in your house would like to try making it.

Ingredients:
2 packages ramen noodles, broken up in a bowl, discard seasoning mix
1 cup stir fry sauce
2 cups blanched veggies, use whatever you have, I used broccoli, carrots and snap peas
1 cup canned pineapple chunks with juice
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, sliced thin
1/4 of a yellow onion, sliced
1/2 cup beef broth
pam or 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Make It:
Heat a wok or large skillet over high heat, add pam or vegetable oil. Once hot add chicken and stir fry for 6 minutes. Add vegetables and onion and another spray of pam or vegetable oil and stir fry for 2 minutes. Add noodles, pineapple, stir fry sauce and beef broth. Stir to combine. Cover and let cook for 2 minutes, uncover and stir. Recover and cook another 2 minutes. Uncover and stir, breaking up noodles if needed. Serve and Enjoy!

Texas Chicken Hash

This is one of the recipe ideas on saw on Diners, Drive In's & Dives. A lady in Texas created this fantastic dish and prepared it on the show. Well if you have ever watched the show they don't give measurements and move quite fast. I had to stop and rewind 3 time just to get the amount of info that I did. I then took the basics from hers and did it my way. I can't not believe how good it turned out. Mike stated after dinner that I could put it on the menu every week! The seasoning on the chicken is delicious, I think i'm going to use it as the base for creating a homemade taco seasoning. We had some hash leftover so the next morning I made burritos out of it, that we ate for breakfast. They were super yummy too. This recipe is a little time consuming, so either prep ahead or make it on the weekend.

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon passilla powder
1 tablespoon new mexico chile powder
1 1/2  tablespoons salt
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 tablespoon parsley flakes
1/2 teaspoon chile de arbol
2 teaspoons cumin

This is the seasoning for the chicken, mix together in a bowl and save any extra for next time.

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 bell pepper, 3/4 chopped into big chunks, 1/4 finely diced
1 jalapeno, diced
1/2 yellow onion, chopped
2 cups cheddar cheese
7 tablespoons butter, divided
2 russet potatoes, chopped
8 corn tortillas
vegetable oil, for frying tortillas
1 1/2 cups milk
2 tablespoons flour

Make It:
Preheat oven to 350. Put chicken in a casserole dish and cover with seasoning, really put a lot on both sides, cover with foil and bake for 45 minutes. Remove from oven, allow to cool a little, and chop up.
In a large skillet, melt 2 tablespoons butter, add potatoes to pan. Stir and brown potatoes for 5 minutes, add 1 more tablespoon butter. Stir and brown for about 15 minutes or until potatoes have a good crust on them and are tender. Add 1 tablespoon butter to potatoes, and add onions and peppers to pan, stir. Allow to cook for 5 minutes, until peppers and onions are tender. Add 1 tablespoon butter and add chicken, stir to combine, make sure it is well combined because you want all the seasoning on the chicken to get on everything else. Heat the vegetable oil in a small skillet over high heat. Fry each one of the tortillas, one side at a time, like a tostada, until crispy but still soft. Drain on a paper towel. Heat a saucepan over medium heat, add 2 tablespoons butter, allow to melt. Once melted add diced bell pepper and jalapeno. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add 2 tablespoons flour and stir to combine, cook for a minute. Whisk in milk, allow to come to a simmer, stirring often. Let simmer and thicken for a couple minutes. Remove from heat and stir in cheese, one cup at a time. Stir until cheese is melted and combined. To serve put 2 tortillas on plate spoon a good amount of hash over them and ladle on the cheese sauce. Enjoy!

Menu for January 25th - January 31st

Well we have reached the end of January already, where does the time go! Football is almost over and we will have to find something else to do on sundays. On to the menu, this week my sweet princess announced to me that she would like to cook dinner one night. She has a couple cookbooks, so we sat down and picked a recipe. I'm very excited! I don't know how often a 6 year old wants to cook dinner. I am so proud of her. Since the kids were born they have been in the kitchen with me. I have mastered cooking with a baby on my hip, in my way, and now 2 big ones asking what are you doing, what are we having. Kili reads the menu board every week with excitement, and I love it. I also have 2 new recipes on the menu this week. I'm making sloppy joe's for the first time in my life! The other new recipe is a stuffing and cheese covered pork loin chop, that sounds really good. Pork and stuffing just seem to go together really well. Dessert for the week is a recipe I found in an old Kraft magazine I had. I have been doing a lot of cleaning out and organizing, and finding things I have not looked at in a long time. The only weekend prep I have to do for the week is make homemade cream of mushroom soup for the pork chop recipe. Everybody have a good week and enjoy!

Monday- Kili cooks Hula Stir Fry, potstickers
Tuesday-Sloppy Joe's, tater tots, Vegetable Chopped Salad
Wednesday- Baked Chicken, Bacon & Cheese Skillet Potatoes, butter carrots
Thursday- Pork Chop Stuffing Bake, broccoli
Friday- Take out
Saturday- Supreme Pizza Pasta, orange slices
Sunday- New York Strip Steaks, mashed potatoes, peas

Dessert of the week- Chocolate Turtle Cheesecake

Cheesy Chicken & Rice

This is a family favorite for us, and very easy to make. It can be made with premade store bought or frozen chicken. Also any rice will do, boxed, white, or brown. Use whatever you are in the mood for. I started making this dish when mike and I first got married, and trust me it has come a long way. It started as 2 plain chicken breasts, on top of white rice, with a can of cream of chicken soup and a can of cream of celery soup poured over the top, sprinkled with cheddar cheese and baked. Don't get me wrong it was good, but it is delicious now!

Ingredients:
2 cups cheddar cheese
4 breaded chicken breasts, store bought, frozen, shake and baked or bread crumb, I cut them in half
4 oz. velveeta
1 1/2 cup milk
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
3 cups prepared rice, out of a box, long grain white, or brown
1 cup cooked vegetable, I use whatever is in season so today its broccoli. Other ideas are carrots, cauliflower, celery, peas.
salt and pepper to taste

Make It:
Preheat oven to 375. Prepare chicken breasts. Pour rice into 13 x 9 casserole dish. Heat a saucepan over medium high heat. Add butter to the pan, once melted add flour and whisk together, keep whisking for about a minute. Whisk in milk, allow to come to a simmer, stirring often. Reduce heat and allow to simmer and thicken for a couple minutes. Turn heat to low, stir in velveeta, once combined stir in cheese.  Once both cheese are melted, turn off heat. Stir veggie into cheese sauce(if you have a non veggie eater in the house like I do you can just place the veg on the chicken of the people that like it and not in the sauce). Place chicken on top of rice, pour sauce over the top of everything. Sprinkle rest of cheese on top. Bake for 12 minutes or until cheese is melted. Enjoy!

Steak & Mushroom Spaghetti

This recipe is a cross between beef stroganoff and swedish meatballs, yet over spaghetti noodles. Just try it, you will like it!

Ingredients:
1 pound steak strips, I use top sirloin but you can use whatever you like
1/2 package white mushrooms. sliced
1 shallot sliced thin
6 tablespoons butter
6 tablespoons flour
1 cup heavy cream
2 to 3 cups beef broth, start with 2 and if its to thick add more
1/2 package spaghetti noodles, cooked
1/4 cup chopped fresh dill
salt and pepper

Make It:
In a large pot melt butter over medium heat. Add shallot and mushrooms stir and cook until both are tender. Add steak to the pot, cook and stir for about a minute, just brown the steak. Sprinkle flour over mixture in pot, stir to combine. Cook and stir for about a minute. Slowly pour in beef broth, stirring constantly. Once all broth is combined, allow mixture to come to a simmer. Let it simmer, stirring often, until thickened. Stir in cream and dill. Taste and add salt and pepper. Allow to cook five minutes more. Serve over spaghetti noodles. Enjoy!

Menu for January 18th - January 24th

Last week i made a whole box of spaghetti noodles and saved half in the fridge so I will use the other half this week. Also the shredded chicken recipe always leaves me with extra that I either freeze or use the next week. On saturday when I made rice pilaf I doubled it and saved half for a recipe this week. I try to do little things to save me time, but hate eating the same thing so I try to make the second quite different from the first. This week i'm also trying a Michael Chiarello recipe for a pork stew that has lots of winter veggies in it. I recorded an episode of diners, drive ins, and dives this week and in the first 10 minutes got inspiration for 2 new recipes one Texas Chicken Hash is on this weeks menu.

Monday- Steak & Mushroom Spaghetti, broccoli
Tuesday- Shredded Chicken Burritos, green salad
Wednesday- Just In Time Pork Stew, bread for dipping
Thursday-Cheesy Chicken & Broccoli over Rice
Friday- Pizza, orange slices
Saturday- Texas Chicken Hash, broccoli
Sunday- Jambalaya, green beans

Dessert of the Week- S'More Cookies

Smothered Cabbage

This recipe for smothered cabbage is meat free, and different from every other recipe I have seen for it.

Ingredients:
1 head cabbage, cut up
1 onion cut into slices
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup beef broth
1 tablespoon creole seasoning

Make It:
In a large skillet with high sides melt butter, add onion and cook until softened. Add cabbage and vinegar, stir and cook for 2 minutes. Add beef broth and creole seasoning, stir. Turn heat to low, cover and let simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Enjoy!

Cajun Flank Steak

This a recipe i'm trying for the first time, so i'm interested to see how it comes out.

Ingredients:
1 flank steak, cut into big pieces
2 tablespoons creole seasoning
1/2 cup onion, chopped
1/2 cup bell pepper, chopped
1 can diced tomatoes
1 cup beef broth

Make It:
Spray cock pot with cooking spray. Put meat in crock pot. In a bowl mix together onion, bell pepper, seasoning, tomatoes, and broth. Pour over meat. Cover cook on low heat for 8-9 hours. Enjoy!

Shredded Chicken

Ingredients:

8 to 10 chicken thighs

1 jar green salsa, I use the little herdez cans for both salsas

1 jar red salsa

1 bell pepper, cut into strips

1 onion, cut into strips

2 jalapenos, diced, seeds removed if you like

1 or 2 anaheim chiles, cut into rings

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

juice from 2 limes

1 tblsp. cumin

1 cup chicken broth

salt and pepper

Make It:

Put all ingredients in crock pot and stir. Cook on high for 4 hours or for 6 hours on low. When done pull out meat and veggies and shred up. Add juice from crock pot to moisten meat, make sure you don't add to much. You don't want it to be to wet. Shredded chicken can be used in tacos, burritos, nachos and pasta. Enjoy!

Roasted Cauliflower

Ingredients:
1/2 head cauliflower, cut into individual florets
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon granulated garlic
1/4 teaspoon white pepper

Make It:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Toss all ingredients in a large bowl until combined. Pour all onto a baking sheet and roast for 30 minutes, stirring after 15 minutes. Enjoy!

Asian Slaw

Ingredients:

1/2 head cabbage, shredded

1 mandarin orange, peeled and sectioned

1 carrot, shredded

1 or 2 scallions, chopped

1/4 cup asian dressing, any kind will do, add more if it seems to dry

Make It:

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Toss to combine. Enjoy!

Chicken Kabobs with a Soy Glaze

Ingredients:

3 chicken breasts cut into bite size pieces

1/2 red onion cut into big pieces

1/2 can pineapple chunks

You can put bell pepper, mushroom, tomato, and squash onto these, use whatever you like or have in your fridge.

1/2 cup soy sauce

2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar

2 tablespoons honey

2 teaspoons red pepper flakes

Make It:

On 12 skewers evenly put on chicken, onion, pineapple chunk, and whatever other vegetables. In a bowl whisk together soy sauce, rice wine vinegar and honey. Once combined add red pepper flakes. Taste and adjust to your liking. Turn broiler on high, and move top rack of oven to the second highest spot. Place all kabobs on a baking sheet, brush sauce over the top of kabobs, turn them over and brush other side. Place under broiler for 6 minutes. Pull out and turn kabobs over. Place back under broiler for 6 minutes or until chicken is cooked and veggies are tender. Serve with sauce on the side for dipping. Enjoy!

Menu for January 11th - January 17th

Monday- Chicken Kabobs with a Soy glaze, sticky rice, Asian Slaw

Tuesday- Chili Macaroni, green salad

Wednesday- Navy Bean Soup, bread for dipping

Thursday- Spaghetti & Meatballs, Roasted Cauliflower

Friday- Shredded Chicken Tacos, green salad

Saturday- Cajun Flank Steak, rice pilaf, Smothered Cabbage

Sunday- Pork loin chop with Mustard Thyme Sauce, roasted red potatoes

Dessert of the Week- Vanilla Strawberry Pudding Pie

Pepperoni Pizza Chicken and Macaroni Noodles

The original recipe for this is out of a pillsbury cookbook.

Ingredients:

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite size pieces

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 green bell pepper, diced

1/2 red onion, diced

1/2 package macaroni noodles, cooked

1 cup shredded mozzarella

24 ounces homemade or jar spaghetti sauce

12 slices pepperoni

Make It:

Preheat oven to 375. Heat a large skillet over medium high heat, add oil, add chicken. Cook for about 3 minutes until browned. Remove chicken from pan and set aside. Add 2nd tablespoon olive oil to pan, add bell pepper and onion, cook stirring occasionally until completely softened. Pour spaghetti sauce into pan. Bring to simmer. Reduce heat and allow to simmer for 15 minutes uncovered, stirring often. In a large casserole dish toss the noodles with some of the sauce, enough to coat. Place chicken on top of noodles, place pepperoni on chicken, pour the rest of the sauce over chicken and pepperoni. Sprinkle cheese evenly over the whole dish and place in the oven. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes until cheese is melted. Enjoy!

Peach Shortcakes

Not sure if that is a good name for these but I was trying to be creative. Whatever you want to call them they are delicious!

14 biscuits, homemade or from a can

1 1/2 cups sugar

1/2 cup butter, melted

1 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup butter

4 tablespoons cornstarch

3 bags frozen peaches, partially thawed

1/2 cup good spiced rum, I used Captain Morgan Preferred Stock

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 teaspoon cinnamon

2 tablespoons honey

Whip cream

Make It:

Preheat oven to heat called for on biscuit recipe. Heat a large pot over medium heat. Add butter and stir until melted. Add brown sugar, stir until mostly dissolved. Add rum, cinnamon, honey, and vanilla, stir to combine, allow to cook over low heat stirring occasionally. In another bowl, sprinkle cornstarch over peaches, stir until completely combined. Pour peaches into brown sugar mixture, stir to combine. Bring to a simmer and turn heat down, leave at a low simmer, stirring occasionally until thickened. Pour sugar into a flat dish(pie plate or tupperware)dip each biscuit top and sides into melted butter then press into sugar, place on baking sheet. Repeat with all biscuits. Bake for time specified on biscuit recipe. To serve take a biscuit, slice it in half, place on a plate and spoon a good amount of the peach mixture over biscuit. Top with whip cream. Enjoy!

Chicken and Green Chile Enchilada Casserole

This makes a big one, so cut in half for a small family.

Ingredients:

12 corn tortillas

1 28 oz. can green enchilada sauce

4 chicken breasts, cut into pieces, seasoned with cumin, salt, pepper and granulated garlic, and browned

1 can black beans, rinsed

1 cup chopped cilantro

3 cups pepper jack cheese, shredded

1 onion diced

Make It:

Preheat oven to 375. In a bowl mix together chicken, black beans, 3/4 cup cilantro, 1/4 cup of the enchilada sauce, and onion. In a large casserole dish, pour a 1 cup enchilada sauce and spread to cover the bottom. Place 4 tortillas on sauce. Pour a 1 cup sauce over tortillas, spread to evenly cover. Spread half the chicken mixture on top of sauce and tortillas, sprinkle with one cup cheese. Repeat with next layer. Layer last 4 tortillas on top, rest of sauce, final cup of cheese, and sprinkle on 1/4 cup cilantro. Cover with foil(spray the side that will touch the cheese with pam)bake for 30 minutes, uncover and continue baking until cheese is bubbly. Enjoy!

Menu for January 4th - January 10th

Monday- The game this week is Cincinnati Bengals at New York Jets so i'm making homemade pizza, New York style this time.

Tuesday- Chicken and Green Chile Enchilada Casserole, green salad

Wednesday- New York Steak, mashed sweet and red potatoes, peas

Thursday- Booyah and Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

Friday- Beef Tacos, green beans

Saturday- Pepperoni Pizza Chicken and Macaroni Noodles, butter carrots

Sunday- Eye of Round Roast and Roasted Root Veggies

Dessert of the Week: Peach Shortcakes

Chicken & Biscuits

Ingredients:

2 chicken breast, cut onto pieces, and browned

1/2 onion, diced

2 carrots, diced

1 turnip, diced

3 red or golden potatoes, diced

4 tablespoons flour

5 tablespoons butter

2 cups chicken broth

2 teaspoons thyme

1/2 cup milk

salt and pepper

6 biscuits from a can or homemade

1/2 cup chardonnay

Make It:

Heat a large pot over medium heat, ad butter to pan and allow to melt. Add carrots, onion, and turnip. Cook and stir until carrots are tender, about 10 minutes. Add chicken and thyme. Add flour to the pot, stirring to combine. Slowly stir in chicken broth and wine. Bring to a simmer, add potatoes. Simmer stirring occasionally until potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes. Meanwhile bake biscuits. Stir in milk. Taste, add salt and pepper if needed. Place biscuits on top of chicken mixture, pushing biscuit in so 1/4 of the biscuit is submerged. Enjoy!