Category Archives: Everybody Ate It

April 18, 2011 · 8:41 am

French Bread Pizza

This is just something I threw together because the boys seem to think that French Bread Pizza day in the school lunchroom is THE best thing ever. I wanted to show them what French Bread Pizza is supposed to look like because the ones they are serving at school look like charred bricks.

Ingredients:
Loaf of French bread
Italian seasoning (optional)
1 jar pizza or spaghetti sauce
Favorite Pizza toppings
Mozzarella cheese

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Cut bread in half so it looks like a hot dog bun. I then cut it into smaller rectangular pieces so that I could make individual pizzas.

I sauteed some Italian sausage and peppers together. While that was cooking I sprinkled Italian seasoning on each piece of bread and spread pizza sauce on top of that. I then topped some of the bread pieces with the Italian sausage/pepper mixture and cheese and then the others I just sprinkled with cheese.

We had this with strawberries and salad.

What did the family think? Well, I made the Italian sausage pizzas for me and hubby and the cheese ones for the boys, but when the boys saw the Italian sausage ones THOSE were the ones they wanted. Luckily, there was enough of those for everyone and everyone was happy.

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Filed under Definitely Making it Again, Easy, Everybody Ate It, Italian, Lent, Super Easy to Make, Vegetarian

April 17, 2011 · 5:10 pm

Yummy Biscuits

Yes, I named these myself. It may not be a very creative name, but it certainly describes them. This recipe is actually just the topping to the pot pie recipe I posted about a week or so ago. I was eating the leftovers that didn’t make it onto the pot pie and realized these would make super yummy biscuits just by themselves.

Ingredients:
2 c. flour
2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
6 Tbsp unsalted butter , cut into 1/2-inch cubes and chilled
3/4 c. Parmesan cheese
1 c. heavy cream

Instructions:
Combine flour, baking powder, salt, pepper, and cayenne in large bowl.

Sprinkle butter pieces over top of flour. Using fingers, rub butter into flour mixture until it resembles coarse cornmeal. Stir in Parmesan.

Add cream and stir until just combined.

Using a tablespoon, drop biscuit mixture onto baking sheet, making sure biscuits are spaced about an inch or two apart so they don’t run together.

Bake at 450-degrees until fragrant and starting to brown (8-10 minutes).

What did the family think? They were ticked that I ate all the leftovers before they got a chance to eat some, too.

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Filed under After School Snacks, Bread, Definitely Making it Again, Everybody Ate It, Vegetarian

April 16, 2011 · 9:21 am

Tacoroni

Another recipe that was a hit in our house this week…I think it might have something to do with the fact that we ate a lot of noodles/pasta this week. Why is it that my kids will eat just about anything that has noodles of some sort with it?

Ingredients:
1 lb extra lean ground beef, chicken or turkey
2 tbsp taco seasoning
3/4 cup water
4 cups dry pasta
1 cup fresh tomatoes, chopped
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp all-purpose flour
2 cups milk
2 cups cheddar, shredded
2 large handfuls of tortilla chips
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Brown the ground beef in a pan. Add the taco seasoning and water, and simmer over medium heat until most of the water evaporated (about 10 minutes). Meanwhile, boil the pasta in a large pot of salted water until al dente.

Drain the pasta when done and combine the pasta, beef mixture, and tomatoes in a large casserole dish and set it aside.

For the cheese sauce, combine the olive oil and flour in a medium sauce pan, stirring over medium heat until it began to bubble. Add the milk and stir with a whisk over medium/high heat until it comes to a boil and has thickened. Remove from heat and stir in cheddar.

Pour the cheese sauce over the pasta.

For the topping, crush tortillas chips and combine them with the parmesan in a small bowl and sprinkle the topping over the tacoroni. Bake in the oven until the topping is golden and gorgeous, about 30-35 minutes.

Did I change anything? The only thing I would change for next time is to add a little more taco seasoning to give it a little more flavor.

What did the family think? Everyone went back for seconds and my oldest even went back for thirds. Let me just say, that our youngest NEVER has seconds of anything unless it’s chocolate, pizza or meatballs, so I am very happy to say he liked it.

from Family Feedbag

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Filed under Definitely Making it Again, Everybody Ate It, Mexican

April 15, 2011 · 9:33 am

Creamy (Chicken) Spaghetti Casserole

This was a super duper huge hit at our house! No complaining whatsoever and even a few folks who went back for seconds. You could easily leave out the chicken in this and add more mushrooms or some zucchini and make it a vegetarian dish.

Ingredients:
1 whole Cut Up Fryer Chicken (or leftover chicken)
1 stick 1/2 Cup Butter
16 ounces, weight White Mushrooms, Sliced (I used zucchini instead)
¼ cups Dry White Wine
Kosher Salt And Pepper
¼ cups Flour
3 cups Chicken Broth (reserved From Chicken Or Canned)
1-½ cup Whole Milk
¼ cups (additional) Dry White Wine
1 cup Freshly Grated Parmesan Cheese
1 cup Whole Black Olives, Chopped-make sure you buy the ones that are already chopped/diced
1 teaspoon Kosher Salt, Or To Taste
Freshly Ground Black Pepper
Extra Cheese, For Sprinkling
1 pound Thin Spaghetti

Instructions:
Place chicken in a pot of water and boil on medium-low heat for 30 to 40 minutes. Remove chicken from pot and allow to cool slightly. Keep broth in pot.

Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet. Throw in mushrooms, add 1/4 cup white wine, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook over medium heat for 8 to 10 minutes, or until liquid has totally evaporated. Remove mushrooms from skillet. Set aside.

Bring broth to a boil. Break spaghetti into thirds (shorter pieces). Add spaghetti pieces to boiling broth and cook. Drain when al dente. Remove meat from bones and shred until you have 2-plus cups of shredded chicken.

Return large skillet to medium-low heat. Add 6 tablespoons butter. Sprinkle flour over butter, whisking to combine. Cook for 1 or 2 minutes. Pour in 2 cups broth and whisk to combine. Pour in milk, additional 1/4 cup wine, salt and pepper to taste, then cook and bubble until thick. Turn off heat, add Parmesan cheese, and stir.

Add mushrooms, chicken, and chopped olives. Stir to combine and check seasonings. Add cooked spaghetti and stir.

Turn into a 9 x 13 casserole pan. Bake at 350 degrees or until golden brown and bubbly.

Did I change anything? My family does not do mushrooms and this recipes calls for A LOT of them, so I used chopped up zucchini instead. I also used about 1/2 the olives it calls for. Also, next time I will probably use macaroni noodles instead just so it will be easier to eat.

What did the family think? Everyone loved it!!! Our oldest even asked it I would pack the leftovers in his lunch for the next day.

from The Pioneer Woman

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Filed under Chicken, Definitely Making it Again, Everybody Ate It, Lent, Vegetarian

April 12, 2011 · 8:44 am

Chocolate Glazed Pound Cake

Very little effort and you get a dessert that everyone loves and it looks like you’ve been in the kitchen all afternoon preparing it. (It only takes about three minutes.)

Ingredients:
6 oz. chopped bittersweet chocolate
1 stick butter, cut up
1 T honey
1 pound cake (we found one already made in our grocer’s bakery)

Instructions:
Microwave chopped bittersweet chocolate with butter and honey on 75 percent power until melted, about 2 minutes. Whisk until smooth. Place a loaf of pound cake on a rack and drizzle with the glaze.

What did the family think? I am not sure which they enjoyed more…the finished product or the pool of chocolatey goodness that collected underneath the cake…lots of little fingers scooping up the extra chocolate.

from Food Network

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Filed under After School Snacks, Bread, Definitely Making it Again, Desserts, Easy, Everybody Ate It, Six Ingredients or Less, Super Easy to Make, Vegetarian

April 11, 2011 · 7:40 am

Sour Cream Noodle Bake

My youngest said this was the best dinner I had made in a long, long, long, long, long, long time. Thank goodness because if you have been following MommaCooks you know that he has been impossible to feed lately. He wasn’t the only one who liked it either….it was a success all the way around.

Ingredients:
1-¼ pound Ground Chuck, Turkey or Chicken
1 can 15-ounces Tomato Sauce
½ teaspoons Salt
Freshly Ground Black Pepper
8 ounces, weight Egg Noodles
½ cups Sour Cream
1-¼ cup Small Curd Cottage Cheese
½ cups Sliced Green Onions (more or less to taste)
1 cup Grated Sharp Cheddar Cheese

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Brown ground chuck in a large skillet. Drain fat, then add tomato sauce. 1/2 teaspoon salt and plenty of freshly ground black pepper. Stir, then simmer while you prepare the other ingredients.

Cook egg noodles until al dente. Drain and set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine sour cream and cottage cheese. Add plenty of freshly ground black pepper. Add to noodles and stir. Add green onions and stir.

To assemble, add half of the noodles to a baking dish. Top with half the meat mixture, then sprinkle on half the grated cheddar. Repeat with noodles, meat, then a final layer of cheese. Bake for 20 minutes, or until all cheese is melted.

We had this with a salad and some super yummy chocolate pound cake for dessert (that recipe will be popping up here on MommaCooks later on this week).

What did the family think? Everyone LOVED it! Hubby and I went back for seconds and our oldest even had thirds!

from The Pioneer Woman

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Filed under Definitely Making it Again, Easy, Everybody Ate It, Super Easy to Make

April 9, 2011 · 3:14 pm

Simple Crockpot Roasted Chicken

This is so simple and will be ready for you at dinnertime without you having to do much of anything…

Ingredients:
1 whole chicken (fryer or roasting)
Salt and pepper

Instructions:
Rinse and dry chicken both inside and out and make sure the gizzards, neck, etc. aren’t in the cavity of the chicken.

Place whole chicken in pot. Season with salt and pepper. Cover with lid.

Cook on High 60 minutes. After 60 minutes, put on Low.

Cook on Low for 6 – 8 more hours.

We had this with pierogies and some pineapple.

Did I change anything? The recipe didn’t give exact amounts for the salt and pepper so I didn’t use a lot of salt (1 tsp maybe) but I was pretty liberal with the pepper (3 tsp maybe). You be the judge and season accordingly. It also depends on if you are using sea salt/table salt and how coarse your pepper is.

What did the family think? Everyone loved the chicken. I have made several variations of this over the years and it is a great one to make because I know everyone will eat it and it is so easy.

from cooks.com

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Filed under Chicken, Definitely Making it Again, Easy, Everybody Ate It, Make Ahead of Time, Six Ingredients or Less, Super Easy to Make

April 6, 2011 · 11:44 am

Sausage Calzones

Over Spring Break, we ate at this great little Italian restaurant in Vista, CA. I had a calzone which quickly became the focus of everyone at the table’s appetites. I did get to eat about half of it, the other half I happily shared with the rest of my family. Since they seemed to like it so much, I thought I’d better make some for dinner at home. I tried a different recipe than the ones I’d made before, too, just to see how they would turn out.

Ingredients:
1 1/3 pounds raw Italian sweet sausage, casing removed
A drizzle olive oil
2 cups ricotta
2 cloves garlic, chopped
A handful grated Parmigiano, plus extra, for knots
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg, freshly grated or a couple pinches of ground
A few grinds black pepper
2 (10-ounce) tubes prepared pizza dough
2 cups shredded mozzarella
Garlic oil (1 or 2 cloves chopped and heated in 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil)
2 cups marinara or pizza sauce for dipping

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 425 F.

Brown sausage in a small skillet in a drizzle of olive oil. Transfer the cooked crumbled sausage to a paper towel lined plate to drain.

Combine sausage with ricotta, garlic, Parmigiano, nutmeg and pepper. Roll out dough and halve cross-wise. Place a dough rectangle on a nonstick cookie sheet. Use 1/2 cup mozzarella on half of each dough rectangle and pile a mound of filling on half of the total area. Fold dough over and pinch edges to seal. The result is a rectangular turnover.

For half-moon shaped calzones, trim excess dough. Roll dough bits into strips, tie in knots and brush with garlic oil and cheese. Garlic knots are fun to dip at the table.

Bake calzones 10-12 minutes or until golden all over. Serve calzones with warm tomato, marinara, or pizza sauce for dipping.

Did I change anything? The original recipe called for pimentos. Yuck. We left those out. I added about 1/4 finely chopped zucchini.

What did the family think? Yummo! I will say that I liked the calzones I made back in November better though.

from Food Network

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Filed under Definitely Making it Again, Everybody Ate It, Italian

March 31, 2011 · 8:45 am

Cowboy Goulash

If you like meat, you will love this dish. It’s seriously meaty.

Ingredients:
1 pkg (1 lb) macaroni noodles
6 slices bacon (chopped)
1 Lb ground beef, turkey or chicken
1 medium onion (chopped)
3 garlic cloves (minced)
salt & pepper (to taste)
2 tsp Tabasco sauce
1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/2 Lb deli pastrami, roughly chopped
1/3 c. pepperoni, chopped
2 Tbsp canned, chopped jalapeno
1/2 c. sliced mushrooms
1 small can diced olives
½ c. beef broth
1 (14 oz) can fired roasted diced tomatoes
1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce
sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
green onions (chopped)

Instructions:

Heat a large deep skillet to medium-high heat. Add bacon and fry until crisp, remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.

In the same skillet add ground beef. When beef is browned stir in onions and garlic. Season with salt, pepper, Tabasco and Worcestershire sauce. Stir in bacon, pastrami, pepperoni, jalapeno, mushrooms and olives. Cook, stirring occasionally for about 5 minutes.

Add beef broth and cook for an additional 5 minutes or so. Stir in tomatoes and tomato sauce. Cover and reduce heat to low.

Prepare noodles according to package directions. Drain noodles well, add to meat sauce, and toss it all together (or you can serve with the sauce over the top). Top with sharp cheddar cheese and green onions.

Did I change anything? The original recipe suggested serving this with spaghetti noodles, but I changed it to macaroni noodles because I knew it would go over better with the family…when they see spaghetti noodles they expect pasta and meatballs with red sauce which this is not. I also left out the salt, pepper, olives, mushrooms and green onions. I put jalepenos in mine and in my hubby’s and left them out of the kids’ dishes.

What did the family think? Everyone loved it! I think there is so much in this dish that there has got to be SOMETHING in there that everyone likes. 🙂

from Favorite Family Recipes

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Filed under Definitely Making it Again, Everybody Ate It, Pork

March 27, 2011 · 8:46 pm

Chips and Salsa Chicken

This was great with the guacamole I made and some Mexican rice and refried black beans on the side.

Ingredients:
3 Tbsp. lime juice
3 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1 Tbsp. honey
4 chicken breasts, halved
1 c. finely crushed tortilla chips
1 bottle of your favorite chunky salsa
1 c. shredded Monterey Jack or Pepper Jack Cheese
Guacamole or avocados
Sour cream
Fresh cilantro

Instructions:
Combine lime juice, honey, and oil. Dip chicken in lime juice mixture then coat with crushed chips.

Place in ungreased 9 x 13 baking dish. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes or until juices run clear.

Spoon a tablespoon or two of salsa over each chicken piece and sprinkle with Cheese, bake for 10 more minutes or until the cheese melts.

Serve with guacamole and sour cream and garnish with fresh cilantro.

Did I change anything? No, but next time I will use the Pepper Jack cheese.

What did the family think? The boys liked the parts of the chicken without the salsa on it. Hubby and I liked the chicken…the hubs even had seconds.

from Favorite Family Recipes

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Filed under Chicken, Everybody Ate It