Category Archives: Everybody Ate It

January 3, 2011 · 9:20 pm

Crock Pot Lasagna

Tried out another Jessica Seinfeld recipe tonight. I don’t think this one is in her new cookbook, but this is one that she made on Oprah a month or so ago.

Ingredients:
3 cans (14.4 ounces) crushed tomatoes
3 cloves garlic , finely chopped
2 Tbsp. dried oregano
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
2 containers (15 ounces each) fresh ricotta
2 cups (8 ounces) grated mozzarella
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
12 lasagna noodles (about three-quarters of a 1-pound box)
5 ounces (about 6 cups) baby spinach

Instructions:
In a medium bowl, combine the tomatoes, garlic, oregano, salt, red pepper and black pepper. In a separate bowl, mix the ricotta, 1 cup of the mozzarella and Parmesan.

In the bottom of a 5- to 6-quart slow cooker, spread a thin layer of the sauce. Top with 3 of the noodles (breaking to fit as necessary). Spread about 1 cup of the sauce over the noodles and layer with 2 cups of the spinach and 1 1/2 cups of the cheese mixture. Repeat twice more with the noodles, sauce, spinach and cheese mixture. Top with the remaining 3 noodles, sauce and 1 cup mozzarella.

Cook on low, covered, until the noodles are tender—especially in the center of the lasagna—about 3 to 3 1/2 hours.

Did I change anything? The only thing I changed is that I couldn’t fit all of the ingredients into the Crock Pot, so I didn’t use all of the cheese mixture or all of the spinach. I also added 1/2 lb. of ground Italian sausage to it which I cooked before I put it in the Crock Pot.

What did the family think? The kids loved it! My youngest said it was the best lasagna he’s EVER had. I would say that it was good, but definitely not the best I have ever had, but if my kids will eat it, then I like it.

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Filed under Easy, Everybody Ate It, Italian, Lent, Vegetarian

January 1, 2011 · 1:39 pm

Easy Cinnamon Rolls

I usually steer clear of any recipe that requires yeast and/or a rolling pin, but a gal from our church in Kansas said these were easy, and you know what…she was right! Thanks, LeeAnn!

Ingredients:
3/4 cup milk
1/4 cup butter, softened
3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 (.25 ounce) package instant yeast
1/4 cup white sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup water
1 egg
1 cup brown sugar, packed
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup raisins (optional)

Instructions:
Heat the milk in a small saucepan until it bubbles, then remove from heat. Mix in butter; stir until melted. Let cool until lukewarm.

In a large mixing bowl, combine 2 1/4 cup flour, yeast, sugar and salt; mix well. Add water, egg and the milk mixture; beat well. Add the remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring well after each addition. When the dough has just pulled together, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth, about 5 minutes.

Cover the dough with a damp cloth and let rest for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, mix together brown sugar, cinnamon, softened butter.

Roll out dough into a 12×9 inch rectangle. Spread dough with butter/sugar mixture. Sprinkle with raisins if desired. Roll up dough and pinch seam to seal.

Cut into 12 equal size rolls and place cut side up in 12 lightly greased muffin cups. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes, or until browned. Remove from muffin cups to cool. Serve warm.

Did I change anything? I added some icing to them after they had cooled a little. (recipe below) I think next time I will bake them in a greased glass pie dish instead of the muffin tin. The muffin tin was fine, but it’s going to be a bear to clean.

What did the family think? These were an awesome addition to our New Year’s morning brunch.

Icing
Ingredients:
2 cups powdered sugar
2 tablespoons milk (add more milk if it’s too thick)

Instructions:
Pour both ingredients into a bowl and stir. Add more milk if needed. Drizzle icing over cinnamon rolls with a spoon.

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Filed under Bread, Breakfast, Definitely Making it Again, Desserts, Everybody Ate It, Vegetarian

December 30, 2010 · 9:59 pm

Creamy Chicken

I got Jessica Seinfeld’s new cookbook for Christmas. It says that this recipe is a hit with every child that eats at her house, so I figured this would be a good place to start.

Ingredients:
1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breast
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp garlic powder
2 T soft butter (divided)
1 1/2 T flour
1 cup chicken broth
1 cup milk
1 cup butternut squash puree (I used baby food)
Macaroni noodles or rice (I used macaroni)

Instructions:
Cook macaroni noodles/rice according to package directions.

Dice chicken into 1-inch pieces.

Heat 1 T butter in large skillet. Add the chicken and sprinkle salt and garlic powder on chicken. Cook until lightly browned then remove from skillet with a slotted spoon and set aside.

Add the remaining butter to the skillet, then add the flour. Whisk in the chicken broth and stir for about 2 minutes making sure there are no lumps. When smooth, slowly add milk.

Let mixture cook for two minutes, stirring occasionally as it thickens. Add the chicken back to the pan and cook for about 5 minutes.

Add the puree, stir, take the skillet off the heat, allowing the sauce to thicken.

Serve chicken and sauce over macaroni noodles.

Did I change anything? I didn’t think the sauce was thick enough so I added about 3 T of cream cheese towards the end of the cooking process. I let it melt and stirred it in so that it was all mixed together. I also added some fresh ground pepper to the adult’s servings.

What did the family think? Holy cow! Our oldest not only ate all of his, but he then ate the rest of his brother’s and wanted to know if there was more. I think he could have literally licked his bowl clean if he knew that he could have gotten away with it. The kids LOVED it…I wish it would have had a bit more giddyup. But if the kids are licking their bowls, then I am happy.

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Filed under Chicken, Easy, Everybody Ate It

December 25, 2010 · 10:02 pm

Chocolate Cornflake Cookies

Yep, just like the butterscotch ones only with chocolate. These are super yummy, too!

Ingredients:
1 package chocolate chips (11 oz.)
3/4 cup dry-roasted salted peanuts
3 cups corn flakes cereal

Instructions:
Melt the chocolate chips in a large microwaveable bowl for about 90 seconds or until chips are melted.

Pour in peanuts and cereal and stir until everything is coated with chocolate.

Line countertops with wax or parchment paper. Drop spoonfuls of mixture onto wax/parchment paper and let cool for about 15 minutes.

What did the family think? Yum, yum, super yum and yum again. 😉

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

· 9:55 pm

Butterscotch Cornflake Cookies

These are SUPER easy and taste SO good!

Ingredients:
1 package butterscotch chips (11 oz.)
3/4 cup dry-roasted salted peanuts
3 cups corn flakes cereal

Instructions:
Melt the butterscotch chips in a large microwaveable bowl for about 90 seconds or until chips are melted.

Pour in peanuts and cereal and stir until everything is coated with butterscotch.

Line countertops with wax or parchment paper. Drop spoonfuls of mixture onto wax/parchment paper and let cool for about 15 minutes.

What did the family think? Everyone is our house who likes butterscotch thought these were SUPER yum and the kids had fun helping me make them.

from Pinch My Salt

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

December 22, 2010 · 10:50 pm

Scrambled Egg and Cheddar Cheese Panini

SInce my kids seem to think sandwiches are better when they come out of the panini maker…

Ingredients:
2 slices Italian Sandwich Bread or English Muffin
3 eggs, scrambled
1 slice Cheddar Cheese (or whatever variety you prefer)

Instructions:
Scramble the eggs and put them with the cheese in between the two slices of bread.

If you have a panini maker, use it. If not, heat a skillet over medium low heat and spray with cooking spray. Place sandwich in skillet and put a heavy skillet on top of it for a few minutes. Flip the sandwich over, place the skillet on top of it again and cook for a few minutes on that side.

What does the family think? They think it’s so much better to have a panini than a grilled cheese. Isn’t this essentially a grilled cheese with some eggs thrown in there? Even if I give them a choice between a grilled cheese and a cheese panini, they will always pick the panini! Silly kids. 🙂

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

December 8, 2010 · 10:34 pm

Spaghetti Squash with Sausage

I never buy squash because I think it’s going to be a pain in the tush to cook, but this was actually pretty easy.

Ingredients:
1 small spaghetti squash (about 2 pounds)
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
8 links hot Italian sausage (pork, chicken or turkey; 1 1/2 pounds)
1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 medium onion, halved and thinly sliced
1 clove garlic, chopped
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
Freshly grated parmesan cheese, for topping

Instructions:
Halve the squash lengthwise and scoop out the seeds. Put the squash, cut-side up, in a large microwave-safe bowl and drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1 tablespoon water. Season with salt and pepper. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and microwave until tender, about 20 minutes. BE CAREFUL when you take off the plastic. There will be some HOT steam that comes out. Scoop out the flesh into a colander (use a towel to hold the squash) and shred with 2 forks.

Meanwhile, heat a grill pan over medium heat. Grill the sausages, turning, until cooked through, about 20 minutes.

Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the bell pepper, onion and 1 teaspoon salt and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until the vegetables begin to brown, about 4 more minutes. Toss in the squash and parsley and season with salt and pepper. Serve with the sausages and sprinkle with parmesan.

Did I change anything? I left out the red peppers and I served this with spaghetti sauce, just like I would regular spaghetti.

What did the family think? Everybody ate it! I was a little unsure if our youngest would like it. I knew he would either love it because it’s “spaghetti” or hate it because it’s “squash”. He loved it!

from Food Network

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Filed under Easy, Everybody Ate It, Italian

December 5, 2010 · 9:25 pm

Cat Cora’s Southern Cornbread

I FINALLY got a chance to look through my November issue of Food Network magazine last night. I am always looking for a new cornbread recipe, so I thought I would give this one a try.

Ingredients:
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for the pan
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup yellow cornmeal
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup buttermilk (shake before measuring)
2 large eggs

Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F and position a rack in the middle. Butter an 8-inch-square baking pan.

Melt the butter in the microwave in a microwave-safe dish in three 15-second intervals on high or in a small pan on the stove. Set it aside to cool.

In a bowl, whisk together the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

In a large bowl, whisk together the buttermilk and the eggs. Add the melted butter. Add the flour-cornmeal mixture and stir just until combined. Pour the batter into the pan. Bake until the cornbread just begins to brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 18 to 23 minutes. Cool for about 10 minutes before serving.

We had this with chili and some grapes.

What did the family think? Everyone liked it and decided it was much better than the last time I made homemade cornbread. I grew up eating Jiffy cornbread, which is fine and certainly inexpensive, but cornbread is so easy I really would prefer to make my own. Also, everyone decided this cornbread is really moist, so if you like your cornbread dry and crumbly, this is NOT the cornbread for you.

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Filed under Bread, Definitely Making it Again, Easy, Everybody Ate It, Vegetarian

December 2, 2010 · 11:13 am

Cinnamon Baked French Toast

The only thing tricky about this recipe is that you have to plan ahead a little bit. If you plan on eating it for breakfast, do the prep work at night. If you are going to have breakfast for dinner, do the prep work in the morning.

Ingredients:
Butter or Cooking Spray
1 loaf Crusty Sourdough Or French Bread
8 whole Eggs
2 cups Half and Half
¾ cups Sugar
2 Tablespoons Vanilla Extract

Instructions:
Grease 9 x 13-inch baking pan with butter. Tear bread into chunks (or cut into cubes) and evenly distribute in the pan.

Mix together eggs, milk, cream, sugar, and vanilla. Pour evenly over bread. Cover tightly and store in the fridge several hours or overnight.

When you’re ready to bake the casserole, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake for 45 minutes for a softer, more bread pudding texture. Bake 1 hour or more for a firmer, less liquid texture.

Scoop out individual portions. Top with butter and drizzle with maple syrup.

We had this with scrambled eggs and sausages for dinner.

What did the family think? They thought it was super duper yummy because it is and it makes your house smell fantastic.

from thepioneerwoman.com

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Filed under Bread, Breakfast, Definitely Making it Again, Easy, Everybody Ate It, Lent, Make Ahead of Time, Six Ingredients or Less, Vegetarian

December 1, 2010 · 10:44 am

Crockpot Salsa Verde Chicken

Since MommaCook’s was put on a temporary hiatus, I got this wonderful recipe suggestion from one of my dearest friends, Christie. She made this recipe up all by herself. Easy Crockpot recipes are great when your kitchen is in total disrepair. 🙂

Ingredients:
1 lb. chicken breasts (shred when done cooking)
1 can chicken broth
1 jar salsa verde
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
2 pinches red pepper flakes
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. chili powder
2 cups frozen corn
1 small package frozen spinach
Crushed tortilla chips
Shredded cheddar cheese

Instructions:
Put chicken, chicken broth, salsa verde, black beans, red pepper flakes, cumin and chili powder in CrockPot.

Cook on high for three hours. Add spinach and corn and cook for an additional hour.

Serve in bowls topped with crushed tortilla chips and cheddar cheese.

Did I change anything? I didn’t use the corn…hubby isn’t a big fan of corn in Mexican food. Also, due to time constraints, I added the spinach at the beginning of the cooking which worked out fine, but it definitely looked like overcooked spinach. I also defrosted the spinach before I put it in the Crockpot which might have been part of the problem.

What did the family think? The boys ate it, but were a bit turned off by the color of my overcooked spinach. Hubby and I liked it though.

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Filed under Chicken, Easy, Everybody Ate It, Make Ahead of Time, Mexican, Super Easy to Make