Category Archives: Everybody Ate It

July 16, 2010 · 11:06 pm

Meatball Sandwich

Our oldest child made a request for this for dinner this week. Thankfully, it was a hit with everyone!

Ingredients:
1 lb. ground turkey, beef or chicken
3/4 c. Italian seasoned breadcrumbs
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 T parmesan, grated
1 egg, beaten
4 sub sandwich-type buns or a baguette
1 T olive oil
1/2 tspn. garlic powder
14 oz. jar spaghetti sauce
4 slices provolone

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a medium bowl, mix ground meat, bread crumbs, garlic, parmesan, and egg by hand. Form into about 12 meatballs and place in a baking dish. (I used a couple of glass pie dishes.)

Bake for 15-20 minutes or until cooked through.

While the meatballs are cooking, cut the bread in half length-wise, brush with olive oil and season with garlic powder. (You may want to remove some of the bread from the inside to make a well for the meatballs before you oil and season the bread.) Put the bread on a baking sheet and toast for the last five minutes of the meatball’s cooking time.

Warm the spaghetti sauce in a medium sauce pan. When the meatballs are done put them in the spaghetti sauce and gently coat them with spaghetti sauce. Place the meatballs on the bread, top with provolone and place back in the oven for about 2 minutes so the cheese can melt. Yum!

Did I change anything? I used twice as much spaghetti sauce as this recipe calls for. I couldn’t get enough sauce on all of the meatballs when I just used one jar. Luckily, I happened to have another jar in the pantry.

What did the family think? They all loved it!

from allrecipes.com

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

July 14, 2010 · 9:36 pm

Ice Cream

I found out about this recipe from a gal from church and this stuff is so good it will make you weep. It was our first attempt at making ice cream in our new ice cream maker, so we kept it simple and just made vanilla.

Ingredients:
2 eggs
1 cup sugar
1/4 tspn. salt
2 1/2 cups whipping cream
2 cups half and half
2 1/4 tspn. vanilla extract

Instructions:
In a heavy saucepan combine all of the ingredients except the vanilla. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until it reaches 160 degrees Fahrenheit. Remove from the heat and cool quickly by placing the pan in a bowl filled with ice. Continue to stir the mixture. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

When ready to make the mixture into ice cream, pour it into your ice cream maker along with the vanilla and continue from there following the directions on your ice cream maker.

What did the family think? Heavens to Betsy this stuff is good!!! It is not for those watching their weight either…did you check out all the cream that goes into this? Yowsers! We had some after lunch today with just a few mini chocolate chips sprinkled in it and then tonight we went gangbusters and made ice cream sandwiches. We had some oatmeal chocolate chunk cookies that we used and then we rolled the sandwiches in mini-chocolate chips so they stuck to the ice cream. Too sweet for me, but the boys loved them.

from allrecipes.com via LeeAnn

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Filed under After School Snacks, Definitely Making it Again, Desserts, Everybody Ate It, Make Ahead of Time, Six Ingredients or Less

July 13, 2010 · 7:37 pm

Curry-spiced Lamb Burgers

Spicy little numbers…

Ingredients:
1 lb. ground lamb
1/2 onion, peeled and cut into chunks
1 jalapeno, seeded and minced
1 tspn. ground coriander
1 tspn. ground cumin
1/2 tspn. turmeric
Salt and pepper to taste
Hamburger buns or pita bread
Garnishes: mango, red bell pepper, mayo, lettuce

Instructions:
Preheat grill to medium-high.

Put onion in a food processor and pulse until coarsely ground. Put lamb, onion, jalapeno, coriander, cumin, turmeric, salt and pepper in a bowl and mix well. (I used my hands.) Shape into four burgers.

Put burgers on grill and cook for about 5-6 minutes on each side.

Serve hamburgers on hamburger buns or in pita bread with garnish. We had ours on hamburger buns because the pitas I bought turned out to me moldy. I HATE it when that happens. We had the burgers with sliced mango, thinly sliced red bell peppers and mayo.

What did the family think? Everybody are it which totally surprised me because these are a bit spicy with the jalapeno. I think what made these super yummy was the crispiness of the red bell peppers coupled with the sweetness of the mango which kind of balances out the spiciness of the burger.
We were going to have these with corn on the cob and some fruit, but I totally forgot about the corn on the cob. I guess we’ll save it for another dinner.

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Filed under Everybody Ate It, Sandwich, Spicy

July 7, 2010 · 10:21 pm

Grilled BBQ Sandwich with Spicy Avocado Spread

When I told my husband we were having BBQ chicken sandwiches for dinner he asked me what the twist was…he knows me too well. You will enjoy the avocado “twist” that goes along with this.

Sandwich
Ingredients:
4 boneless skinless chicken breast cutlets
1/4 cup of your favorite BBQ sauce (we used more for dipping)
Cooking spray
4 slices of cheddar cheese
Lettuce and tomato slices for garnish
4 Whole wheat hamburger buns

Instructions:
Spray grill rack with cooking spray.

Preheat the grill.

Brush both sides of chicken with BBQ sauce. Grill for 4-5 minutes on each side or until chicken is done. Place one cheese slice on each chicken breast during the last minute of cooking.

Assemble sandwiches on buns with chicken, lettuce, tomato and spicy avocado spread. You might want to add a little more BBQ sauce to the chicken or even dip the sandwich in the BBQ sauce as you eat it. We did.

Spicy Avocado Spread
Ingredients:
1 ripe peeled avocado, coarsely mashed
1 T jalapeno pepper
1 T minced red onion
1 1/2 T lime juice
1 garlic clove, minced
2 T minced fresh cilantro

Instructions:
Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and mix well.

What did the family think? Everyone REALLY liked this. It was so good and it made me miss all of that Kansas City BBQ I am used to eating. The avocado spread made this sandwich extra special. Yummo! P.S. The kids didn’t eat the avocado spread, but they did eat the chicken sandwich with BBQ sauce. Our youngest even decided he REALLY likes BBQ sauce and used it for dipping his sandwich into. Who knew????

from Cooking Light

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

July 3, 2010 · 10:35 pm

Spaghetti Pie

This was a hit with the whole family!

Ingredients:
6 oz. spaghetti, cooked
2 T olive oil
2 eggs, well beaten
3/4 c. parmesan cheese
1 c. ricotta cheese
1 c. pasta sauce
1/2 c. mozzarella

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Toss spaghetti with olive oil in a large bowl. Stir in eggs and 1/2 c. parmesan cheese. Pour spaghetti mixture into greased 9-in. pie plate; form into crust.

Spoon ricotta cheese over spaghetti and top with pasta sauce. Bake for 25 minutes.

Top with mozzarella and bake for 5 more minutes or until cheese is melted. Sprinkle with remaining parmesan. Let cool for 10 minutes before cutting and serving.

What did the family think? This was a HUGE hit with everyone.

from Sargento

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

June 29, 2010 · 11:30 pm

Chicken and Lentil Balsamic Salad

My new favorite salad!

Ingredients:
1 cup dry lentils
3 T balsamic vinegar, divided
2 chicken breasts
1 small garlic clove
2 T olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
1 can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 tomato, chopped
1/4 red onion, chopped
Fresh baby spinach
Feta

Instructions:
Combine 4 cups of water with 1 cup dried lentils. Boil for 5 minutes, then reduce to a simmer for 15 to 20 minutes. Do NOT add salt to the water. Drain lentils when done cooking.

Combine cooked lentils with 2 T balsamic vinegar. Stir and chill in frig for at least an hour.

Boil chicken breasts until cooked through. When they are done, shred with a fork so it resembles pulled pork. Place in frig so it begins to cool.

To make vinaigrette: 1 T balsamic vinegar, garlic clove, olive oil, salt and pepper.

Assemble salads: place spinach in the bottom of each salad bowl, add lentils, tomatoes, chicken, tomatoes, onions, chickpeas and feta. (I had A LOT of lentils left over.) Add dressing to each salad.

Did I change anything? I ended up making twice as much dressing. It was quick and easy so it wasn’t a big deal.

What did the family think? Everyone ate it! The boys’ salads did not have lentils, tomatoes or red onions and I let them eat it with a different salad dressing, but they ate it an no one complained. They have discovered the yumminess of feta, so that helped. 🙂

from Cookie Magazine

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Filed under Chicken, Definitely Making it Again, Everybody Ate It, Salad

June 28, 2010 · 10:34 pm

Cupcake-Tin Pork Pies

These were a hit with the whole family…

Ingredients:
3/4 lb. ground pork
1/2 onion, finely chopped
1 tspn. salt
1/2 tspn. black pepper
1 T chopped fresh sage
1/2 c. breadcrumbs
2 (9-inch) discs prerolled, refrigerated pie dough, such as Pillsbury
2 eggs, beaten

Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 375°F.
2. Grease two 6-cup muffin tins with butter or spray with something like Pam.
3. In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients but the dough and 1 tablespoon of the eggs.
4. Unroll the dough and cut out twelve 4-inch circles with a biscuit cutter or the rim of a drinking glass.
5. Reroll the scraps, then cut out 12 more 2-inch circles.
6. Line the bottoms and sides of the tins with the 4-inch rounds.
7. Divide the filling evenly among the cups. Press the 2-inch rounds on top, pinching the edges together to seal.
8. Poke a hole in the center of each pie.
9. Brush with the reserved egg and bake until the tops are browned and puffed slightly, 30 to 35 minutes.
10. Let cool for 15 minutes before removing the pies. Serve warm.

What did the family think? I had mine plain and they were super yummy. Hubby had his with some really good mustard. Oldest child had his plain and youngest child ate his with ketchup. Any way you eat them they are going to be good. At one point during our meal they were described as “a meatball in a crust”. Oldest child also said, “these are SO good”. I think they were a hit!

from Epicurious

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

June 23, 2010 · 11:51 pm

Creamy Summer Squash Lasagna

Hubby found this recipe on-line and suggested I try it. The only problem is that he got the recipe from a British website so all of the measurements had to be converted (or just estimated guessed.)

Ingredients:
6-9 lasagna noodles
2 T olive oil
1/2 onion, chopped
5 summer squash, sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 c. ricotta
1 c. cheddar cheese
Jar of your favorite pasta sauce

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Cook noodles for about 5 minutes. Drain and rinse in cold water. Drizzle with a little olive oil to keep noodles from sticking to each other.

Heat oil in a large skillet. Add the onion and cook for three minutes. Add the garlic and squash and cook until the squash begins to soften. Remove from heat and add 2/3 c. ricotta and 1/2 c. cheddar cheese to the zucchini mixture.

In a large casserole dish, spoon half of the zucchini mixture into the bottom of the dish. Add a layer of pasta and then 1/2 the pasta sauce. Top that layer with the rest of the zucchini mixture, add pasta on top of that and then the rest of the pasta sauce. Top off the dish by placing blobs of ricotta cheese on top and then sprinkling the rest of the cheddar cheese on top of that.

Place in the oven on one of the higher racks for about ten minutes.

What did the family think? Everyone loved it. It was super yummy and pretty easy, too.

from BBC Good Food

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

June 13, 2010 · 8:43 pm

Strawberry Freezer Jam

Strawberries are in abundance right now…you should give this a try and you don’t have to know how to can either. That’s why it’s called freezer jam, you stick it in the freezer instead of canning. I made two batches last year. I kept some for myself and gave the rest to neighbors. Your neighbors will thank you. 🙂 This recipes makes about eight 10-ounce jars.

Ingredients:
3 lbs. strawberries
1 cup apple juice
1/2 c. water
1 package No Sugar Needed Pectin
1 T lemon juice
1 c. honey

Directions:
Clean and stem berries. Mash berries in a bowl. You can use the back of a large spoon or a potato masher.

In a small saucepan, whisk together apple juice, water and pectin. Bring to a hard boil and boil for one minute.

Add lemon juice and honey to berries and stir well. Add in hot pectin mixture and stir well to make sure everything is combined.

Ladle into clean jars and screw on lids. Put them in the refrigerator for a few hours to set up and then transfer to freezer to store.

After opening one, make sure to eat it within a week.

from cuizoo.com

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Filed under Everybody Ate It, Six Ingredients or Less, Vegetarian

June 12, 2010 · 11:46 pm

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip and Bean Cookies

Do you see a trend here? Low fat/high fiber cookies that taste good…there’s nothing wrong with that!

Ingredients:
Cooking spray
1 1/2 c. old-fashioned oats
2 c. all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
3/4 c. Great Northern or cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
2 T water
3 T butter, softened
1 c firmly packed light brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 c. chocolate chips

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Lightly coat two cookie sheets with cooking spray.

In blender, process oats until finely ground, but not powdery. In a bowl, combine with flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

Pour beans into a separate bowl. Add water and use the back of a spoon the mash the beans until they are blended with the water into a paste. Add butter, sugar, eggs and vanilla. Beat well.

Beat in oat and flour mixture on low.

Stir in chocolate chips by hand.

Drop batter (1 T at a time) onto prepared baking sheets.

Bake 15-17 minutes

Transfer to wire racks to cool.

from Epicurious.com

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Filed under After School Snacks, Desserts, Everybody Ate It, Vegetarian