Monthly Archives: April 2011

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 14, 2011 · 4:04 pm

Crockpot Country (Hamburger) Lentil Soup

Hubby found this recipe and thought it would be good on baseball nights since when the boys have a game we don’t get home until pretty late. He was right…it was perfect after we got home from sitting through a pretty chilly baseball game…it was warm and it was ready to eat. This could also easily be made without the hamburger too if you are looking for a vegetarian option.

Ingredients:
1 cup dried lentils
1 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes
8 ounces lean ground beef, turkey or chicken (browned)
3 ounces celery, thinly sliced (3 stalks)
3 ounces baby carrots, thinly slieced (good-sized handful)
1/2 small onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 cups broth (I used chicken broth.)
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 -2 bay leaves

Instructions:
Brown ground beef.

Combine all ingredients in 4-5qt crock pot.

Cook on low at least 10 hours or high for 6 hours.

Remove bay leaves before serving.

What did the family think? The boys didn’t eat this since I fed them early because of the baseball game (and because I knew they wouldn’t like this…the only soup they like is miso soup and an occasional chicken noodle). Hubby and I liked it though and it was nice after sitting in the cold for two hours.

from food.com

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Filed under Easy, Lent, Make Ahead of Time, Stew/Soup, Super Easy to Make, Vegetarian

April 13, 2011 · 12:32 pm

Lemon Garlic Salmon

This is probably one of the best salmon dishes I have ever made…the salmon was moist and very flavorful.

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 teaspoon lemon pepper
2 (4 ounce) fillets salmon
1 lemon

Instructions:
Season salmon fillets on both sides with lemon pepper.

In a large skillet, melt butter over medium high heat. Stir in garlic. Place salmon in pan.

Cook for 10 minutes per inch of thickness, or until fish flakes when tested with a fork. Flip fillets halfway through cooking to brown on both sides.

Sprinkle with lemon juice before serving.

Did I change anything? I completely forgot the lemon juice. I had the lemon…just forgot to use it.

What did the family think? There was high drama at dinner that night, but not over the salmon. The salmon was lovely, the 6-year old was not…apparently he felt that his fish sticks were “squished” and that his brother should trade with him because his brother’s fish sticks were not “squished”. I assure you that his fish sticks were totally fine and that he just needed to go to bed and sleep it off.

from allrecipes.com

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Filed under Definitely Making it Again, Easy, Fish, Lent, Six Ingredients or Less

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 7, 2011 · 9:03 am

Chicken Pot Pie Crumble

The crust/crumble on the top of this dish makes it, as my hubby said, the best pot pie he’s ever tasted. Really. SO good.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 Lbs chicken
3 cups chicken broth
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 onion , chopped fine (about 1 cup)
3-4 carrots, peeled and sliced (about 1 cup)
1/2 c. celery, chopped fine
salt and pepper (to taste)
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
1/2 c. flour
1 c. milk
3/4 c. frozen peas

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

Instructions:
FOR THE CHICKEN: Bring chicken and broth to simmer in covered Dutch oven over medium heat (If you don’t have a dutch oven, just use a stock pot). Cook until chicken is just done (8 to 12 minutes). Transfer cooked chicken to large bowl. Pour broth into a bowl and reserve. Do not wash Dutch oven.

FOR THE TOPPING: 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. Crumble mixture into irregularly shaped pieces onto a baking sheet. Bake at 450-degrees until fragrant and starting to brown (10-13 minutes). Set aside.

FOR THE FILLING: Heat 1 tablespoon oil in now-empty Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion, carrots, celery, salt and pepper. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until just tender (about 5 minutes). While vegetables are cooking, shred chicken into small bite-size pieces. Transfer cooked vegetables to bowl with chicken; set aside.

Heat butter in empty Dutch oven over medium heat. When foaming subsides, stir in flour and cook 1 minute. Slowly whisk in reserved chicken broth and milk. Bring to simmer and stir until sauce thickens, about 1 minute. Add salt and pepper to taste. Remove from heat and stir chicken-vegetable mixture and peas into sauce.

Pour mixture into 9×13 pan (or if you have small individual-sized oven-safe dishes, you can use those). Scatter crumble topping evenly over filling. Bake on rimmed baking at 400-degrees sheet until filling is bubbling and topping is well browned (about 12-15 minutes).

We had this with a fruit salad.

Did I change anything? I left out the peas. 3/4 of my family don’t do peas.

What did the family think? This is really SO good and your house will smell amazing. Everyone really, really liked it except for our youngest, but he has chosen the kitchen table as his newest battle ground so his opinion is invalid at this point because just about everything is poison to him.

from Family Favorite Recipes

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Filed under Chicken, Definitely Making it Again, Not so Easy