Swedish Meatballs

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Wow-wee-wow-wow!  This recipe really knocked our socks off.  The flavor in the meatballs and the sauce were just divine.  Party in the mouth!!

This is not an original recipe but rather a recipe that is a conglomeration of some of mine and others I found on the web.  Also, I’ll warn you … it’s a semi-homemade recipe.  I know that some folks are completely turned off by using cream of soups and whatnot so if you want to make you own sauce … knock yourself out! For me, I wanted something that I could pull together quickly where my oven would do most of the work.  This recipe delivered there.  The sauce was so good I wanted to drink it with a straw!  =p

The meatballs are actually a variation of one of my many meatloaf recipes.  I actually think that I’ll make this next with ground turkey or chicken to help improve the nutritional value.  I decided to serve this over the Barilla Plus penne since my blood sugar seems to be very tolerant of that particular brand.  This would be great over the traditional egg noodles, mashed potatoes, or whatever pasta you have on hand.  Oh – and a note about the sauce – if my kids weren’t so picky, I would have included sautéed mushrooms and onions as part of the sauce.  How divine would that be?!

There is one thing I did this time around that I have never done before.  I will do this again in the future though because I was so pleased with how it turned out!  Instead of using bread crumbs or oatmeal in my meatballs, I used a Shake’n Bake Parmesan Crusted  envelope.  Who knew they still made this, right?  Who knew how delicious it would be in meatballs?!  I just happened to have it in the pantry but I was out of both Progresso bread crumbs and oatmeal.  Sure, I could have put grits in it but I thought the Shake’n Bake would work better.  Boy – am I ever happy I used it!  I may use this in my meatloaf recipes in the future!  Anywho … without further adieu, here’s how I made our wonderful Swedish Meatballs.

Swedish Meatballs

• 16 oz Penne (or egg noodles, rice, mashed potatoes, or other pasta), cooked to package directions
• Meatballs
• 2 pounds hamburger (I used 4% fat)
• 1 envelope Kraft Shake’N Bake Parmesan Crusted
• 3 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 2 eggs
• 2 Tbsp dried minced onion
• 1 Tbsp garlic powder
• 1 Tbsp onion powder
• 1 tsp dry mustard
• 1 C Kraft grated parmesan cheese
• Sauce
• 1 26-oz can Cream of Chicken
• 1 14-oz can Cream of Mushroom with Roasted Garlic
• 1 envelope Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing Mix
• 2 Tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
• 1 can evaporated milk
• 12 oz sour cream
• 1 Tbsp minced garlic from a jar
• Salt and Pepper to taste
• 2 Tbsp parsley
• 1/2 C Kraft grated parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 425.  Spray a 9×13 pan with non-stick cooking spray and set aside.

Combine meatball ingredients in a large mixing bowl and get it mixed well.  Shape into meatballs and place in prepared 9×13 pan.  Roast at 425 for 20 minutes.  Prepared the sauce at this point. 

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together all the sauce ingredients.  Taste for seasonings and adjust to your liking.  After meatballs have roasted for 20 minutes, remove them from the oven and drain off grease.  Pour the prepared sauce evenly over the meatballs.  Reduce oven temperature to 375.  Put the Swedish meatballs back into the oven.

Bake the Swedish meatballs for 25 to 30 minutes.  (I let this go for 45 minutes, just stirring after 25 to 30 minutes.)  Serve over pasta, noodles, or mashed potatoes.

Pair this with a simple green salad and rolls of some sort and you have yourself a nice meal!

Chili-Cheeseburger & Fries Casserole

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This recipe is basically a cross between cheeseburger soup and the infamous tater tot casseroles.  In fact, I had intended on topping this casserole with tater tots but unfortunately I only had about 1/3 of the bag in the freezer.  My kids love tater tots and it’s hard to keep them in the house.  I had a whole bag of Trader Joe’s garlic fries, though, so I used those as the topping.  There are times when I just use this recipe as a Chili-Cheeseburger Soup.  One thing I love about that is I can have supper on the table in 20 to 25 minutes.  When we eat it that way, the family likes to scoop it out with Fritos or Tortilla Chips.  Another way to serve this is as a ‘gravy’ over cooked, crispy French Fries.  It’s just so, so good any way you want to serve this!  Oh – this also works great using Chorizo.  Sometimes I use 1/2 Chorizo and 1/2 Hamburger.  It really boosts the flavor!

Last night, though, I had extra time before the family made it home so I whipped it up in a casserole form.  I wish I had gotten a photo of the casserole as soon as it came out of the oven.  Unfortunately, the family dug right into it so there wasn’t time.  In the bowl, this casserole ain’t pretty.  I admit that.  It’s very tasty though.  I love to top mine with French’s mustard and Heinz Catsup.  Toss on some diced onions and chopped tomatoes and you really have a chili-cheeseburger in your bowl!

Now – this is not a ‘healthy’ recipe by any stretch of the imagination.  It is comfort food.  Given the very cold temperatures and SNOW (can you believe we have snow on the ground in Seattle?  Geez Louise!!), I really, really wanted comfort food last night.  This totally fit the bill.

Chili-Cheeseburger and Fries Casserole

• 2 pounds hamburger
• 2 Tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
• 1 Tbsp onion powder
• 1 Tbsp garlic powder
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 envelope Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing mix
• 1 can of Ro-Tel
• 1 can of Bush’s Chili Beans
• 1 can of Pinto beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 brick Velveeta Cheese
• 1 bag French Fries or Tater Tots

In a large Dutch oven, brown the hamburger with the onion seasoning the meat with Worcestershire, garlic and onion powders.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Once the meat is browned, drain off the grease and return to the pan.

Preheat the oven to 375.  (If you plan on using this as a gravy over French fries, preheat the oven before you start browning the meat.  Cook your French fries to package directions.  We actually cook ours until they are well done and crispy.)

To the browned meat, stir in the Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing mix.  Pour in the chili beans, drained & rinsed pinto beans, and the Ro-Tel.  Cut the Velveeta into chunks and add it to the meat and bean mixture stirring it to melt it.  (If you plan on using this as a soup, you may want to thin this out with some chicken or beef broth.)  Taste for seasonings and adjust.  (Typically, I add Worcestershire and a little bit of chili powder and cumin unless I’m using Chorizo.)

Lightly spray a 9×13 casserole dish with non-stick cooking spray.  Once the cheese is completely melted, pour the mixture into the 9×13 pan.  Don’t worry if this seems a little loose as you pour it in the casserole.  It thickens up in the oven.

Top with French Fries or Tater tots in a single row.  You want them to brown so don’t stack them up on there.

Bake at 375 for 70 to 80 minutes.  Let sit for 10 minutes before serving.  Top each serving with mustard, catsup, diced onion, chopped tomatoes, and shredded lettuce.  Yum!!

Sweet and Sour Cabbage with Corned Beef

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So we have a little less than a month to plan the St. Patrick’s Day meal.  Do you do anything special for it?  I typically do the standard Corned Beef and Cabbage.  I’m actually thinking I want to change it up a little.  Do something that has some pizzazz or that little something that makes your mouth sing!

Here’s the recipe I’m leaning towards.  What are you planning to make?

Sweet and Sour Cabbage with Corned Beef

• 1 Tbsp butter
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 pound deli sliced corned beef, cut into thin strips
• 1 small onion, diced
• 3/4 C chicken broth or water
• 1/4 C red wine vinegar
• 2 Tbsp Gulden’s or Grey Poupon
• 1 Tbsp brown sugar
• 4 bags angel hair cabbage
• 2 C shredded carrots
• Salt and pepper to taste

In a Dutch oven over medium heat, melt the butter into the olive oil and get the fat hot.  Add the corned beef and onion sautéing until caramelized.  Add the chicken broth, vinegar, mustard, and brown sugar.  Stir to combine.

Add the cabbage and carrots, stirring to coat the veggies and mix with the meat.  Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook for 20 to 30 minutes or until the veggies are tender.  Stir occasionally.  Check at the 10 to 15 minute mark to see if you need to add more broth or water.  Taste for seasonings and adjust to your liking.

I’ll be making my cheddar cheese biscuits to go with this.

Cheesy Pasta-Chorizo Skillet

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It’s not terribly cold in the the great Pacific Northwest and we certainly aren’t seeing that horrible winter all the weather folks were predicting this past fall – thankfully!! (I’m definitely not looking that gift horse in the mouth!)  There was just something about tonight that begged comfort food.  What brings more comfort than a cheesy pasta dish?  I made it with a Mexican flair since we typically reserve Tuesdays for Tacos.  Ole!

This recipe is a creation that I just whipped together tonight.  I wanted dinner on the table in 20 to 30 minutes so I decided to take a Rachael Ray approach with just a dash of Sandra Lee.  I also decided to add some black beans to it to help boost the nutritional stats on it.  Intrigued?  This dish really was tasty.  We are looking forward to the leftovers!

Cheesy Pasta-Chorizo Skillet

• 1 pound Chorizo, browned
• 1 small onion, diced (or 2 Tbsp dried, minced onion)
• 2 Tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
• 1 pound pasta (We used Barilla Pasta-Plus, Rotini), cooked to package directions
• 1 can Rotel
• 1 can cream of chicken soup
• 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 2 C shredded cheddar cheese

Cook the pasta to package directions, drain.  In a large skillet, brown the chorizo with the diced onion.  Add the Worcestershire sauce, Rotel, Cream of Chicken soup, and black beans mixing well.  Once it is very, very hot, add the 2 C shredded cheese, stirring to mix.  Stir in the pasta mixing well to coat it with the sauce.  Let it simmer for 5 minutes.  Serve.

Next time I’ll be better prepared.  This would have been dynamite topped with your normal taco fixings.

Taco Casserole Ole – Say hello to my little friend!

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Last night I had some taco meat that I wanted to finish off yet I didn’t feel like making the standard left-over recipes I typically do:  gonzo pie, chili, burritos, or taco salad.  So, I decided to go off the reservation and make something I have thought about making for a while. 

Say hello to my little friend!  Meet my  Mexican version of the Shepherd’s Pie but with a few twists.  Unfortunately, we inhaled this last night before I could get a pretty picture of it in the pan or on a plate.  This is actually a lunch today – leftovers.   So – apologies for the quality of the shot and the fact that it leaves a little something to be desired!

That said, not every idea I have for a recipe works as well on the plate or palate as I think it will in my head.  This recipe, though, will become a standard in our house.  It was delicious! 

I liked it just as much for lunch as I did for supper last night.  I may have enjoyed it a little more since the flavors were a little more pronounced in the lunch serving!  The Rotel makes this a little on the spicy side but if you like things hot, feel free to add some Cholula, which is our all-time, hands-down favorite hot sauce.  All that said, I know a recipe is a keeper when we finish the meal in a day or two.  This is definitely one of those in our family.

All you need is taco meat and some  pantry staples to have this meal on the table in 30 to 40 minutes max.

Taco Casserole Ole

• 2 to 4 C leftover Taco meat (or fresh)
• 1 can Pinto beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 can green beans, drained
• 1 can Rotel, original flavor (or whatever you have on hand)
• 1 small can green chilies, diced
• 2 C cheddar cheese, shredded
• 1 pouch Idahoan Roasted Garlic mashed potatoes, prepared (or 2 to 4 cups of leftover/fresh mashed potatoes)

Preheat oven to 375.  Spray a 9×9 baking dish with non-stick cooking spray along the sides.  Set aside.

Make the instant mashed potatoes to package directions and set aside.

In a large bowl combine the taco meat, beans, Rotel, and chilies until well mixed.  Pour into prepared 9×9 pan.  Top with cheddar cheese.  Spread mashed potatoes across the top evenly.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes (or more, e.g., 40 to 45, if you want the potatoes to brown up a bit).  Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.

Fajita Roast

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It’s been a while since I’ve made the Fajita Roast.  I’m not sure why it fell out of my rotation.  But it’s been over 10 years, I think, since I last made it!  What I love about it is that It’s a very simple, delicious recipe.  You can cook it in the oven or in the crockpot.  It comes out great either way.  I often top it the way I would tacos or gonzo pie.  It’s great even if it’s simply topped with cheddar cheese and sour cream.

I like my serving over cheesy-garlic grits.  The rest of the family likes to have theirs over rice, egg noodles, or mashed potatoes.  Tonight the family is eating it almost like a dip using tortilla chips to scoop it out of the bowls.  My only regret is that I didn’t have any avocado so that I could give them guacamole too!  We’ve also been known to wrap this up in tortillas dipping it in the au jus that braises the meat.  I can’t think of a way that you could serve this that wouldn’t taste great.

Tonight I’m eating mine over some leftover Funeral Potatoes.  Wow – very, very tasty!!

Fajita Roast

• 4 pound roast beef
• 1 can Ro-Tel orginial
• 1 envelope McCormick Fajita seasoning mix
• 1 Tbsp garlic powder
• 3 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce

Preheat oven to 350 or set crockpot to low.

Put the roast in the bottom of a Dutch oven or in the crockpot crock.  Sprinkle the Worcestershire sauce over it.  Pour the Rotel over it.  Sprinkle the garlic powder and fajita seasoning over it. 

Cover and cook 3 to 4 hours in the oven or 6 to 8 hours in the crockpot.  Thinly slice or shred the meat when it’s finished cooking and put it back into the au jus.

Serve over grits, rice, noodles, mashed potatoes topped with shredded cheddar, sour cream, and/or guacamole.

Mexican Cornbread Casserole

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There are nights when I just want to slap dinner together and have it be terrific.  Tonight is one of those nights!  For most of the day we had sunshine and blue skies with a temperature of about 60 degrees.  Fabulous!

Well, by the time I was driving home from work, the rain was moving in and in full swing by the time I finished my 15 minute commute home.  I thought about just serving leftovers but I wasn’t really in the mood for those.  So, I put on my thinking cap as I browsed the pantry and the frig.  Dangerous, right?!

Here’s the basic premise:  cornbread mix, leftover taco meat, salsa, and other stuff mixed together and dumped into a greased 9×13 pan.  It smelled divine while cooking and tasted great too!  Garnish like you would a taco – yum! 

Easy-Peasy-Mexi-Dinner.  Yeah – not as good as Guy Fieri’s ‘winner, winner chicken dinner’!  =D  But it sure is an easy, delicious meal!!!

Mexican Cornbread Casserole

• 1 pouch Marie Callendar’s Cornbread Mix
• 1 small can of mild diced green chilies
• 1 small can of minced black olives
• 2 C shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 C water
• 1 C Pace mild picante sauce
• 3 C leftover taco meat or chopped cooked chicken
• Garnishes
• Chopped tomatoes
• Chopped onions
• Shredded Cheddar
• Sour Cream, Guacamole, Salsa, etc.

Preheat oven to 375.  Spray a 9×13 pan with non-stick cooking spray and set aside.

In a large mixing bowl combine the cornbread mix, water, and picante sauce until well mixed.  Add the chilies, black olives, and cheese mixing well.  If the mixture is too thick, use salsa or water to make it less dense.  Taste for seasonings and adjust.  (I added some garlic powder – can’t help it—I love that garlic flavor!)

Bake at 375 for 35 to 45 minutes.  Garnish like you would Tacos or my Gonzo Pie!

Beer Braised Crockpot Brisket

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I love brisket when it’s flavorful and moist.  One of the things I love about this recipe is that it gives me everything I love in a brisket!  I don’t always do this in the crock pot.  When we get to Fall and Winter, I actually like to do this in a large Dutch oven in the oven.  Low and slow baby – that’s the key!!

I tend to pick a large brisket so that I can stretch it into a few different meals.  Versatility … love it!!  The first night we pretty much eat it as a roast with either Dolly’s potatoes, funeral potatoes or mashed potatoes and green beans as the sides.  Sometimes I will put 2 pounds of baby red potatoes on the bottom.

If I’m not using baby red potatoes, after the brisket has cooked, I remove it from the crockpot and set aside to rest before I slice it against the grain.  I use my immersion blender to grind up the veggies with with sauce and add a slurry to thicken if needed.  I let this go on high for 15 to 20 minutes while I’m getting the rest of the meal together and slice the meat.

Here are some ways I use up the brisket include putting it in tortillas with lettuce, tomato, onion with a horseradish mayo or on sandwiches.  I love to use it in a variation on the Tony Soprano Sub.  Delicious!  So simple!!

Beer Braised Crockpot Brisket

• 4 to 5 pound beef brisket
• 2 large onions, peeled and quartered
• 4 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
• 1 8 oz package baby carrots
• 4 pieces of celery, cut half
• Braising Sauce
• 1 pkg Lipton Onion Beefy Soup mix
• 2 pkg Hidden Valley Ranch Dip mix
• 4 Tbsp brown sugar
• 1 Tbsp garlic powder
• 2 Tsp onion powder
• 1 15-oz can chicken broth
• 1 Tbsp beef Better than Bouillon
• 3 Tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
• 1/2 C Heinz Chili Sauce
• 1 can Guinness – or whatever beer you have on hand

In the bottom of the crockpot or Dutch oven, put the carrots (and potatoes, if using) down and then add the celery.  Put the brisket on top of that.  Put the onion quarters on top of the brisket.

In a large mixing bowl, drop in Soup mix, garlic powder, onion powder, brown sugar, and Ranch Dip mix.  Stir these together to combine well.  Slowly whisk in Chicken Broth so that the dry ingredients don’t clump.  Next whisk in the better than bouillon base.  Next whisk in the Heinz Chili sauce.  Taste for seasonings and adjust to your liking – e.g., more garlic, hot sauce, black pepper,  salt, etc.  Whisk in the beer. 

Pour the braising sauce over the brisket and veggies.  Put the lid on the pan:

• If cooking in the crockpot, turn it to low for 8 to 10 hours depending on the size of your brisket and if you are using potatoes in the pot.
• If cooking this in a Dutch Oven, preheat the oven to 325 while you are getting everything into the pot.  Put this into the oven and roast for 3 to 4 hours.

Goulash

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There are so many recipes for goulash.  Some recipes get called goulash but they aren’t really goulash.  I don’t know that Hungarians or goulash traditionalist would feel that this qualifies.  What I do know is that my family enjoys this recipe!

In the hotter months, I cook this on the stovetop or in crockpot.  in the cooler months, I’ll cook it in the oven.  Sometimes we eat this like a soup while other times I ladle it over noodles or mashed potatoes.  Again – versatility … it’s like my mantra.  I just love that versatility!

Of course, we typically douse this with Cholula Hot Sauce while we eat it – totally optional if hot sauce isn’t your bag!

Goulash

• 2 lbs stew meat
• Coating
• 1 packet Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing mix
• 1 1/2 C flour
• 1 Tbsp salt
• 1/2 Tbsp pepper
• 2 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 2 Tbsp butter
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 small onion, minced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• water, chicken broth, or combination  to just cover the meat
• 1 Tbsp Beef Better than Bouillon base
• 16 oz can tomato sauce
• 2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 C half-and-half

Heat a Dutch oven over medium heat.  Once hot, add the butter and olive oil and get it hot.  Add the chopped onions and cook for 5 to 7 minutes or until starting to caramelize.  Stir in the garlic and cook for 30 seconds to 1 minute.  While the onions are cooking, prepare the meat.

In a Ziploc bag, combine flour, salt, pepper, smoked paprika, onion powder, and Ranch dressing mix.  Add the stew meat and toss to coat it well.  You may want to do this in batches. 

Once the onions and garlic are ready, add the meat and brown it well.  You may want to do this in batches so as to not overcrowd the pan.  Once the meat has been browned, put all meat in the pan and cover with water/broth mixture until it’s submerged about 1/2" to 3/4”.  Stir in the bouillon base or a bouillon cube.  Cook this for 70 to 90 minutes.  You want the meat to be very tender.

Stir in the tomato sauce, Worcestershire sauce, and the cream.  Heat until very hot.  Taste for seasonings and adjust to your family’s liking.

Serve it as a soup/stew or over noodles/mashed potatoes.

Grecian Skillet Rib Eyes

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I first saw this recipe in the October 1996 Southern Living magazine.  You can actually find the original recipe here if you want to try it the way it was originally written.

The first few times I made this recipe I didn’t take the time marinate the meat overnight.  There are days when I crave this and just slap it together still.  However, my favorite way to enjoy this is to give the time for flavors to meld.  Either way – I really think you’ll enjoy this meal.

I like to serve this alongside my Couscous Pilaf and a simple salad.  It’s also awesome with one of my potato recipes:  Dolly’s Potatoes, Roasted Dijon Baby Red Potatoes, or just plain old mashed or baked potatoes.  Or, one of my rice recipes:  Creamy Garlic Rice (if I’m making this on a weekend, for example) or my Almond Green Onion Pilaf. 

You could even go all Atkins with this meal and serve it alongside my Tangy Broccoli or my Kicking Oven Roasted Broccoli and a simple salad.  As you can see, we actually put a great deal of thought into what we will have with our main dishes.  Sometimes it’s a simple as what is the family jonesing for or what does the cook feel like making.

I won’t lie.  There are nights where this is all there is for supper.  That ain’t bad either, if you ask me.

Grecian Skillet Rib Eyes

adapted from a Southern Living Recipe that can be found here

• Marinade
• Juice and Zest of 2 to 3 lemons
• 1/4 C olive oil
• 1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 2 tsp garlic powder
• 2 tsp dried, crushed basil
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme
• 2 tsp Cavendar’s Greek Seasoning
• 1 tsp Kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 2 lbs 1” thick rib-eye steaks
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 2 Tbsp butter
• Garnish
• Juice and Zest of 2 to 3 lemons
• 1/3 C to 1/2 C feta cheese, crumbled
• 1/4 C kalamata olives, chopped
• 3 Tbsp fresh thyme, chopped

Put the steaks in a gallon Ziploc bag and add all the marinade ingredients.  Massage the marinade ingredients into the meat.  Place in the refrigerator and let marinate 4 hours or overnight, optimally.

Heat the butter and olive oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet.  Once the fat is hot, remove the steaks from marinade (discarding the marinade) and put in the skillet.  Cook 8 to 9 minutes per side for medium rare or longer/less depending on how done you like your meat.

Try to turn this meat only once so that each side browns well.  After the steak reaches your desired doneness.  Reduce the heat to medium, add the garnishes, cover the skillet and let the feta cheese melt slightly (1 to 2 minutes).

Remove from skillet and serve.  I typically slice the meat after letting it rest for 7 to 8 minutes and serve it over the couscous, potatoes, or rice per person.