Broccoli, Cheese, & Ham Turnovers

I found this recipe on allrecipes.com, because I was looking for something to make with broccoli and cheese and whipping cream (which I randomly had). I thought maybe I would find a recipe for soup, but no, I found these, which have quickly become a family favorite! (You can find a picture of these if you search for them at allrecipes.com)

Enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 2 cups broccoli florets
• 1 1/2 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
• 1/2 cup cubed fully cooked ham
• 1/2 cup sliced green onions (I just use a little less amount of yellow onion)
  
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley ( I use dried)
  
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 pastry for double-crust pie ( I make my own-recipe follows)
  
• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon whipping cream (Use if you have it or otherwise omit it)
  

Directions:

1. Place broccoli in a steamer basket over 1 in. of boiling water in a saucepan. Cover and steam for 5-8 minutes or until crisp-tender. Rinse in cold water; drain well. In a bowl, combine the broccoli, cheese, ham, onions, parsley, nutmeg, salt and pepper.
2. On a floured surface, roll out the pastry; cut each in half. Place 1-1/2 cups of the filling on one side of each half; flatten filling with a spoon. Combine the egg and cream; brush some over pastry edges. Fold pastry over filling. Seal edges and prick tops with a fork. Place on a baking sheet; brush with remaining egg mixture.
3. Bake at 400 degrees for 18-22 minutes or until golden brown. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

BYU cooking lab's Double Pie Crust
2 C. flour 2/3 C shorting
1/2 tsp. salt 6-7 T. cold water

1. Combine flour and salt in a mixing bowl
2. Cut in shorting with a pastry blender or two butter knives until rice-like
3. Sprinkle water 1 T. at a time over flour. Toss with a fork, and press to the side of the bowl. Repeat until all is moistened.
4. Divide dough in half, and form 2 balls, and for the turnovers, divide in half again so you have 4 balls.

Smothered Chicken

This is one of my all-time favorite standbys. It's so easy and quick and you can substitute whatever vegetables you have on-hand. The other day I made this with fresh squash and zucchini from our garden and cauliflower, with marinara sauce on the side. Deelish!

Smothered Chicken
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1 T butter or stick margarine
1 medium green bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

1. Spray nonstick skillet with cooking spray and heat over medium heat. Sprinkle both sides of chicken with oregano, salt, garlic powder, black and cayenne pepper. Cook in skillet 8-10 minutes, turning once until chicken is cooked through. Remove chicken from skillet and keep warm.

2. Melt butter in same skillet over medium heat. Cook bell pepper and onion in butter about 5 minutes, until crisp tender. Stir in mushrooms and cook another 3-5 minutes, until all vegetables are tender.

3. Place chicken back in skillet; spoon vegetables over chicken. Sprinkle cheese over chicken and vegetables; remove from heat. Cover and let stand until cheese is melted.

Recipe from The Big Red Cookbook from Betty Crocker

Spaghetti with Mozzarella Stuffed Meatballs

● 1/4 cup plain bread crumbs
● 1/2 cup milk or water
● 1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
● 3 garlic cloves, 2 smashed, 1 chopped
● 2 28 oz crushed tomatoes
● 1 lb. lean ground sirloin
● 2 tbsp. flat-leaf parsley, chopped
● 1/2 cup parmesan cheese, grated
● 1 egg
● 4 oz. mozzarella cheese, cut into 20 cubes
● 1 lb. spaghetti

Directions:

In medium bowl, soak the bread crumbs in the milk.

In a large, wide saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the smashed garlic and cook until golden, about 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes, season to taste with salt and let the sauce simmer over low heat, stirring occasionally.

Add the beef, chopped garlic, parsley, parmesan cheese, egg, and 1 tsp of salt to the soaked bread crumbs and stir with a fork, until combined. Place about 2 tbsp of the mixture in your hand and press a mozzarella cube into the center. Shape the meat around the cheese, forming a ball. Repeat with remaining meat and mozzarella.

Stir the sauce and raise the heat to medium-low. Carefully place the meatballs in the sauce, submerging them completly. Bring the sauce to a simmer, and cook without stirring for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add spaghetti, cook until al dente, about 8 minutes, and drain. Toss the spaghetti with the tomato sauce and meatballs, sprinkle with parmesan cheese and serve.

Recipe from Everyday with Rachael Ray magazine

Fish Tacos with Lime-Cilantro Creme.

While nothing compares to a Rubio's fish taco, these are the best homemade {non deep fried} fish tacos that I've had.

Creme:

1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

3 tablespoons fat-free mayonnaise

3 tablespoons reduced-fat sour cream

1 teaspoon grated lime rind

1 1/2 teaspoons fresh lime juice

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 garlic clove, minced

Tacos:

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika

1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

1 1/2 pounds red snapper fillets {or other white fish}

Cooking spray 8 {6-inch} corn tortillas

2 cups shredded cabbage

Preheat oven to 425°.

To prepare creme, combine all ingredients in a small bowl; set aside.

To prepare tacos, combine cumin, coriander, paprika, red pepper, salt, and garlic powder in a small bowl; sprinkle spice mixture evenly over both sides of fish. Place fish on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray.

Bake at 425° for 9 minutes or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork or until desired degree of doneness. Place fish in a bowl; break into pieces with a fork.

Heat tortillas according to package directions.

Divide fish evenly among tortillas; top each with 1/4 cup cabbage and 1 tablespoon creme.

Serve with lime wedges and salsa.

Yield 4 servings {serving size: 2 tacos}.

[via Cooking Light]

Welcome to IHOP!

24-Hour Breakfast
Serves 12

12 slices bread, cubed
1/2 pound (2 cups) cheese, grated, divided
2 to 3 cups ham or sausage, cooked, cubed
8 eggs
2 cups milk
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup butter melted

Grease a 9x13" baking dish. Place half of bread cubes on bottom. Cover with half of the cheese and ham or sausage. Repeat layers. In a medium mixing bowl, combine eggs, milk, and salt. Pour over casserole and drizzle with melted butter; refrigerate overnight. Bake at 350 degrees, uncovered, for 1 hour 15 minutes.

~~~~

This is such a great recipe to use up almost-stale bread and older eggs! I always half this recipe, though, except for the cheese :) !!! It is so good! When I half it, I use a 8x8" pan and bake it for 30-40 minutes. Also, when I make this, it's always for dinner, so don't let the title limit your meal options. Because of this dinner meal, I have never refrigerated it overnight. It makes enough for me and my husband for dinner and a meal for the next day, whether it's breakfast, lunch or dinner. Welcome to IHOP!

Pizza Dough and Pizza Sauce

This is a great recipe for Pizza Dough and sauce. It is easy and it comes out great!

PIZZA DOUGH
2 cups warm water
5 tsp yeast
2 tsp sugar
1 Tbl oil
Mix together and let it sit for 5 min
Then add:
3 tsp salt
9 tsp sugar
4-5 cups flour
Mix and cover for 1/2 hour. Roll out and Bake at 400 degrees for 10-15 min. It makes 2 round pizza pans. Cook until little brown ontop. You don't want to cook it too long because you will be cooking it again after the toppings are on it.

After the dough has been cooked, you put toppings on it then cook for 5-8 minutes. Until the cheese is melted.

PIZZA SAUCE
3 15-oz tomatoe sauce
1 tsp basil
1/8 onion (minced) or 2 Tbl dried onion
1 tsp parsley
1/4 tsp pepper
1 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp salt
1 clove of garlic or 1 tsp minced garlic
Add and simmer together for 20 min. It will thicken as you simmer.
(I usually don't have basil, oregano or parsley, so I add Italian Seasoning instead)

Tip: If you microwave the pepperoni on a paper towel before putting it on your pizza it will get rid of a lot of the grease. I usually put the pepperoni in for about 30 sec. and dab with a paper towel to get the grease off, then put on the pizza.

Crispy Chickpea Pitas

3 Tbsp. olive oil
1 can of chickpeas
3 Tbsp lemon juice
1/4 cup fresh chopped parsley
3/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
pittas or flat bread
hummus
1 small red onion
hot sauce

Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add drained and rinsed chickpeas and cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly browned, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Add the lemon juice, chopped parsley, 1/2 teaspoon of the salt, and 1/4 teaspoon of the pepper and toss. Divide toasted pitas or flat bread among individual plates and spread with the hummus. Top with the chickpeas, onion, and hot sauce.

And just because I like chicken, I also put some grilled chicken--lightly seasoned with salt and pepper--on these.

Recipe compliments of Real Simple Magazine.

Pie Crust

My husband is a very picky pie crust eater, but he loves this recipe. This can be used for pies or chicken pot pie. This is also the recipe used in the BYU food labs.

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup shortening
ice water to make soft dough--Ice water and not just cold tap water is used so the shortening doesn't get too soft and mix in too much with the dough

Combine flour and salt. Cut in shortening to the size of peas. Gradually add ice water to form a soft dough. Divide into two disks, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 10 minutes. (If you look closely, you should see marbling of the shortening throughout the dough. This is a good thing.) Shape as desired.

If crusts need to be pre-baked, follow the directions below, if not, follow the directions of the recipe you are using:
Bake single crust at 400 degrees F.
Bake double pie crust according to filling instructions.

Chicken Pot Pie

10 ounces frozen vegetables
1/3 cup butter
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup chopped onion
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 3/4 cup chicken broth
2/3 cup milk
2 1/2 to 3 cups cut-up cooked chicken or turkey
Pastry for two-crust pie (see link)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

In 2-quart saucepan, melt butter oven medium heat. Stir in flour, onion, salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until mixture is bubbly; remove from heat. Stir in milk and broth. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly. Boil and stir for one minute. Stir in meat and vegetables; remove from heat.

Pour chicken mixture into pastry-lined round pan.

Cut out shapes on the second pastry crust before placing on top, or just make slits once it is on (or if you forgot, like me).

Turn edges of pastry under and flute.

Bake about 35 minutes or until golden brown.

Simplifications:

• For a fast weeknight meal, just use cream of chicken soup.
• I don't like touching raw meat, so I just used one or two cans of chicken chunks.
• Frozen pie crusts or a puff pastry work well, too.
  

NOTE: This is a great recipe to include as many vegetables as possible that picky eaters (husband and children included) may not like to eat as a side.

Easy Shepherd's Pie

from Kraftfoods.com

NOTE: If you haven't signed up for Kraft's FREE magazine, Food and Family, you should! It's full of simple recipes with great shortcuts. Not to mention it's FREE!

Prep Time:10 min

Total Time: 30 min

Makes: 6 servings

1 lb. ground beef

2 cups hot mashed potatoes

4 oz. (1/2 of 8-oz. pkg.) cream cheese, cubed

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese, divided

2 cloves garlic, minced

4 cups frozen mixed vegetables, thawed

1 cup beef gravy (see below)

PREHEAT oven to 375ºF. Brown meat in large skillet. Meanwhile, mix potatoes, cream cheese, 1/2 cup of the shredded cheese and the garlic until well blended.

DRAIN meat. Return to skillet; stir in vegetables and gravy. Spoon into 9-inch square baking dish; cover with potato mixture and remaining 1/2 cup shredded cheese.

BAKE 20 min. or until heated through.

NOTE: I doubled everything in the recipe except for the hamburger and there was plenty of the meat to go around, so only using 1/2 pound wouldn't be too detrimental.

Beef Gravy:

1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup flour
2 cups beef broth, * see note
1/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1/4 teaspoon pepper, or to taste

Melt butter in a saucepan then add flour. Blend together until no lumps are visible. Add salt and pepper. Cook and stir over medium heat for 5-10 minutes or until mixture starts to brown. Turn heat to low and slowly add broth, stirring constantly. Turn heat back up to medium and continue cooking and stirring until gravy boils and thickens. Adjust seasonings to taste.

Lasagna

My friend Shanna & I are going to start doing cooking sessions where we do everything from scratch. Here was the result of our first ever cooking session. We made homemade Lasagna that was to die for! Here is the recipe.

*Warning- it is a little time consuming. From start to finish it took about three hours. We were not constantly doing stuff the whole three hours though so that is a perk*

1 pound ground beef

1 chopped onion

2 (6oz) cans tomato paste

1 egg

1 (14.5oz) can crushed tomatoes

2 cups water

1 tablespoon oregano
2 teaspoons garlic powder

2 teaspoons salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1 tablespoon sugar

12 oz cottage cheese

1/2 cup parmesan cheese

9-12 lasagna noodles

1 pound mozzarella cheese, shredded

Steps

1. Brown onion and ground beef. Drain. Mix with tomato past and crushed tomatoes, water, oregano, basil, garlic powder, salt, pepper and sugar. Cook on medium until boiling. Simmer 1 hour.

2. Blend cottage cheese, parmesan cheese and egg until smooth.

3. Boil pasta in lightly salted water for 8-10 minutes. Drain.

4. Preheat oven to 350*

5. Spread 1 cup sauce in the bottom of a 9x13 inch pan. Cover sauce with a layer of noodles and 1/3 of remaining sauce. Top with 1/2 mozzarella. Place another layer of noodles and sauce over the mozzarella. Top with cottage cheese mixture. Top with remaining noodles and sauce.

6. Bake for 30 minutes. Sprinkle remaining remaining mozzarella on top and bake 15 more minutes until golden brown and bubbly. Let stand for 10 minutes.

Wisconsin Cauliflower Soup

Seriously better than Zuppa's Wisconsin Cauliflower Soup!

2 Tbs. butter/Marg
1 Med Onion chopped (I use 1/2 an onion)
¼ c flour
½ tsp salt
2 cups crème or 1 cup crème 1 cup milk
1 can chicken broth (13-14 oz)
1 head of cauliflower, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 tsp mustard
2-3 cups of sharp cheddar cheese, grated
1/3 cup pepper jack cheese, grated (Not too heavy on the pepper jack...)

In 4 qt. saucepan melt butter over medium heat. Add onion ad cook until golden, about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in flour and salt. Cook 2 minutes stirring frequently. Gradually stir in crème, chicken broth, and 1 ½ cups water. Add cauliflower and heat to boiling over high heat. Reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer until cauliflower is tender, about 10 minutes. In a blender, blend cauliflower mixture at low speed at small batches until very smooth. Return cauliflower mixture to saucepan. Heat over medium heat until hot, stirring occasionally. Remove saucepan from heat. Stir in mustard and chesses until melted and smooth. If you reheat this soup later, do not let it boil or the cheese may get stringy.

Chili

Everyone here seems to love soups. I like my soups nice and chunky that's why I love chili. Here's a family recipe that is delicious for a cold winter day.

In a large pot, brown:

• 1 lb. lean ground beef
• 1/2 a chopped onion
• 1 clove of garlic (minced)
• 2 Tbsp. oil

Add:

• 1 28 oz. can of pureed tomatoes
• 1 10 oz. can of Rotel diced tomatoes and green chilies
• 1 16 oz. can of pinto beans
• 1 16 oz. can of ranch style or chili beans
• 1/2 can water (8 oz.)
• 1 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. cumin
• 1/2 tsp. oregano
• 2 Tbsp. chili powder
• 1/2 tsp. black pepper
• 1/4 tsp. garlic powder
• 2 tsp. paprika

Let simmer for at least 4 hours. Yummy to serve with corn bread.

Penne Chicken

Here is what you will need. Amounts depend on your family size just make it so that it looks right.

Penne pasta

1 jar Alfredo sauce

Roma tomatoes

Broccoli

Peas and carrots

Sliced cooked chicken

Cook pasta. In another pan sauté broccoli and peas and carrots, add the sauce, add diced tomatoes and mix with pasta. Add chicken. Enjoy.

My sister-in-law came up with this dish-it's a spin off of a meal she serves at Johnny Carino's. Of course you can make your own sauce if you prefer but this is an easy, quick dish.

Sorry-no pictures!

I took pictures of both these recipes, but they looked funny. And since I only want pictures of tasty-looking food, you'll just have to use your imagination and trust me that they're good.

Caesar Salad Pizza

-1 container of Pillsbury pizza crust (or homemade if you're really krafty)

-1 1/2 C of mozzarella cheese

-mixed lettuce greens

-1 C grilled, cubed chicken

-1/2 C of parmesan cheese

-croutons

-Caesar salad dressing

-Place pizza dough in pan, or on stone, cover with mozzarella cheese and bake at 400 for 7-8 minutes. While it cooks, combine caesar salad ingredients. When the dough is finished, top with salad and enjoy!

Chocolate Layered Pudding Pie

-32 Oreos

-1/4 C Butter, melted

-2 4 serving-size boxes of jell-o chocolate pudding

-2 C milk

-1 8oz. container Cool-Whip

-Crush 24 oreos and combine with butter. Press into 9 inch pie pan; set aside. Mix pudding and milk, mixture will be relatively thick. Take about 3/4 of pudding and pour into pie pan. Gently fold in 1/2 of Cool Whip into rest of pudding and spread over first layer. Combine remaining 12 oreos, crushed, into remainder of Cool Whip and spread over second layer. Refrigerate 4 hours or until set.

Enjoy! I'll try and get pictures next time:)

Tuscan Sausage and Bean Soup

Ingredients

1-1/4 cups dry Great Northern beans
1-3/4 cups beef broth
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning, crushed
12 ounces fresh Italian sausage links, cut into 1/2-inch slices
1 medium yellow summer squash or zucchini, sliced (2 cups)
1 14-1/2-ounce can Italian-style tomatoes, cut up
1/3 cup dry red wine or water
1/2 of a 10-ounce package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and well drained
Grated Parmesan cheese (optional)

Directions
1. Rinse beans. In a large saucepan or Dutch oven combine beans and 4 cups cold water. Boil, uncovered, for 10 minutes; drain.

2. Meanwhile, in a medium skillet cook Italian sausage until brown. Drain well on paper towels. In a 3-1/2- or 4-quart crockery cooker combine the drained beans, 4 cups fresh water, beef broth, onion, garlic, Italian seasoning, cooked and drained Italian sausage, squash or zucchini, undrained tomatoes, and red wine or water. Cook, covered, on low heat setting for 11 to 12 hours or until beans are tender.

3. Just before serving, stir spinach into soup. If desired, sprinkle each serving with Parmesan cheese. Makes 4 or 5 servings.

The recipe says to use a Dutch oven, but I just use my crock pot, and cook this soup overnight sometimes longer than the 11-12 hours (I just turn down the heat from Hi to Low when it has reached the 11-12 hours).

I love to make fresh bread with this soup, but a loaf a French bread would be great with it.

Recipe from MSN lifestyle

Two Cheese & Tomato Pizza

I LOVE pizza! Lately, I've been trying to mix it up and make different kinds but this is my all time favorite homemade pizza recipe. By the way, I've just discovered Trader Joe's pizza dough--DELISH! It is sold in a bag in the refrigerated section and is only 99 cents! Simply take it out of the fridge 20 minutes before you want to use it, roll it out, and add your toppings. It's the best pizza dough I've tasted. Okay, back to the pizza...

What you need:

1. pizza dough
2. olive oil
3. ground red pepper
4. mozzarella cheese
5. Gouda cheese
6. tomatoes (2 or 3)
7. red onion
8. cilantro or basil

Directions:

Mix olive oil with a little bit of ground red pepper and brush a light coat on your pizza dough. Sprinkle mozzarella cheese.* Place tomatoes and sliced red onions on top. Sprinkle with Gouda cheese.* Top with chopped cilantro or basil. Bake according to your pizza dough directions or until cheese is fully melted and golden.

*WARNING: Be careful not to overload with cheese--I always do this and it totally ruins the pizza. I may have overdone it in the picture above.

Tortellini Soup

This soup is really easy, delicious and healthy!

Ingredients:
● 2 tbsp. dried crushed basil
● 2 tsp. cooking oil
● 2 garlic cloves, minced
● 4 cups chicken or beef broth
● 1 cup beef, chicken or cheese tortellini
● 1/8 tsp. pepper
● 1/2 tsp. salt
● 1 cup chopped, peeled tomatoes (can use canned)
● 1 can french cut green beans
● 1 cup carrots, sliced


Directions:
In a medium saucepan, cook basil and garlic in hot oil about 1 minute. Add broth, tortellini, carrots, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil; reduce heat. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Add tomatoes and green beans. Return to boil; reduce heat. Cover and simmer 10 to 15 more minutes or until tortellini are done and vegetables are tender.

Chicken Parmigiana

This is one of my favorite meals that I just made the other night. It's quick and easy but still oh so yummy and looks a lot more impressive than it really is.

What you need:

1. frozen, breaded chicken breasts
2. spaghetti sauce
3. mozzarella cheese (grated or deli squares)
4. basil or parsley (optional)

Directions:

Cook the chicken breasts according to the directions on bag/box. Once they are cooked, take them out of the oven but leave them on the pan. Spoon spaghetti sauce on top of each breast then top with mozzarella cheese. Put back in the oven and cook until cheese is melted. Garnish with chopped basil or parsley.

Good with:

I usually add a salad and garlic bread to the mix. Voila! Dinner in about 20 minutes.