Who knew??

I'm seriously interested to know if I'm just that out of the loop, or if this is new to anyone else...

I get daily recipe e-mails from Kraft Foods. A few days ago I got one for Weeknight Taco Salad. The recipe was for your basic taco salad, but they had instructions on how to make your own Tostadas for bowls for the salad.

All you do is roll up large pieces of tin foil into about 3-inch balls. Lay a tortilla over the top of each ball, spray with cooking spray, and bake at 425 for 6-8 minutes.

I thought it was the coolest thing ever. This was totally new to me! But, like I said, maybe I'm just THAT out of the loop...What about you?

Sweet 'n' Sour Meatballs

This was one of our very favorites when we first got married. But because it makes so many, we'd freeze some and eat some so frequently I got kind of sick of them! :) But they're really yummy and it makes a HUGE batch.

Meatballs

diced onion to taste

1 lb. ground beef

1 c. oatmeal (modify depending on consistency)

2 eggs

1/2 c. milk

1 tsp. salt

2 tsp. worcestershire sauce

Spray pan with cooking spray. Mix by hand, roll into balls (I use a cookie scoop!), and bake until brown (~20 mins.) at 375.

Sauce

1 c. brown sugar

1/2 c. vinegar (I use white, but apple cider works too)

1/2 c. BBQ sauce

2 tsp. mustard

2 tsp. worcestershire sauce

Heat until rolling boil. Pour over meatballs and cook 10 more minutes. Serve over rice.

*A couple thoughts...

• I double the sauce if I'm making a full batch to be eaten that day (but a full batch definitely needs double the sauce).
• I usually make the full batch of meatballs and separate it into 2 meals (with tons of leftovers for each!). I cook the batch we're going to eat that day as the recipe suggests. I cook the one I'm going to freeze for about 15 minutes, and then freeze it. I don't make the sauce for the frozen meal until we're actually going to eat it, then pour it over the meatballs and cook it for about 15 or until heated through.
• This has always been a big hit when I have to take a meal to someone (plus, I can make a meal for us and a meal for them with the one batch)
• Enjoy!

Easy Peasy Stroganoff

As we speak I'm watching my baby eat her very own miniature Hawaiian Haystack. That's what I made tonight. I'm assuming you all know what Hawaiian Haystacks are and don't need a recipe, but if you don't, let me know. They are one of my favorite dinners. So easy to make.

I'm all about the simple and easy dinners, if you can't tell. Tomorrow night I'm making this stroganoff my mom always made. It's so yummy, and of course, SO EASY!

1 lb. hamburger
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 cup sour cream
Dilute with milk
Elbow noodles

Brown hamburger (with onion to add a bit more flavor if you like). Mix soups, sour cream, and milk together in a large pan and warm through. Cook noodles as directed on package. Add the hamburger and noodles to soup mixture. (Or you can just add the hamburger to the soup mixture and pour it over the noodles.)

This makes a ton!! I would probably only make half of this recipe for us and we'll still have leftovers for a week.

Macaroni and Cheese

I made this the other night because I was craving Macaroni and Cheese. We love it.

Homemade Mac and Cheese

Prep Time: 20 Minutes
Cook Time: 30 Minutes Ready In: 50 Minutes
Servings: 4


"For rich, warm comfort food start with a simple roux of butter and flour. Add milk and sharply flavored Cheddar and Parmesan cheeses to make a velvety sauce, then bake with macaroni. Buttered breadcrumbs and a dash of paprika make an attractive crust."

Ingredients:
8 ounces uncooked elbow macaroni
2 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
3 cups milk
1/4 cup butter 2 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1 pinch paprika

Directions:
1. Cook macaroni according to the package directions. Drain.
2. In a saucepan, melt butter or margarine over medium heat. Stir in enough flour to make a roux. Add milk to roux slowly, stirring constantly. Stir in cheeses, and cook over low heat until cheese is melted and the sauce is a little thick. Put macaroni in large casserole dish, and pour sauce over macaroni. Stir well.
3. Melt butter or margarine in a skillet over medium heat. Add breadcrumbs and brown. Spread over the macaroni and cheese to cover. Sprinkle with a little paprika.
4. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 30 minutes. Serve.

I added a little bit of onion to it and more paprika. It may have needed a little bit more seasoning but it was delicious.

Salsa Crockpot Chicken

Hello?? Is anyone out there?? No one is adding recipes anymore! Sorry I've been MIA for a few weeks. We were on vacation and just got moved in and settled down finally. Hopefully I'll see more recipes from you all soon...I will update the posting schedule.

Here is what I am making for dinner tonight. It's SO easy and really yummy. I probably only did about 1/4 of the recipe for just me and Dan. Or you could do the entire recipe and have lots of leftovers, but I'm the queen of wasting leftovers so I don't like to have extras.

6-8 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 jar of salsa
1 8 oz. package of cream cheese
1 can cream of chicken soup

Combine all ingredients in crockpot. Cook on low for 6-8 hours. Shred chicken and serve over rice.

Delectable Jello Recipe

This is a family favorite recipe. YUMMY!

• 
  
  1 Large Cook and Serve Vanilla Pudding
• 
  
  1 Large box of Jello(any flavor will work, I use strawberry or raspberry)
• 
  
  2 small boxes of Cook and Serve Tapioca Pudding
• 
  
  2 small tubs of Cool Whip

Now that you've read the ingredients, you can see why it's so delectable. :)

 Dump all 4 boxes into a pot with 6 cups of water.

 Bring to a boil and KEEP STIRRING. Boil until you can see all the tapioca beads forming.

Pour into a 9 x 13 pan and chill. (I let it chill overnight) The next day, scrape out the jello into a large mixing bowl and whip both tubs of cool whip into it.

Ahh... what a delicious treat! ENJOY!!!!

French Onion Soup

I promise I don't only make soup! But this one is too good not to share.

5 med. onions

2 tbsp. olive oil

3 tbsp. butter

1/2 tsp. dried thyme

1 bay leaf

1 1/2 tbsp. flour

salt

pepper

1/2 tsp. sugar

1/2 c. dry cooking sherry

6 c. beef stock

1 baguette

swiss or gruyere cheese

Thinly slice onions and saute in olive oil & butter until clear. Add salt, pepper, & sugar - carmelize onions (takes quite a while with how many onions there are). Add thyme & flour and cook for a few minutes. Add a bay leaf & cooking sherry to deglaze the pan. Cook for 7-9 minutes (to make sure you've cooked out the alcohol). Add beef stock and bring to a boil. Simmer until ready to eat.

Cut 12 slices of baguette, 1/2" thick, and butter on one side. Toast in oven under broiler. Cut into chunks (usually quarters). Ladle soup into oven-proof bowls, add toasted bread & swiss cheese and broil until melted and brown.

Shoot...I had a picture of the yumminess, but can't find it anywhere on my computer. As a disclaimer, I sort of made up this recipe. I looked up a bunch of french onion soup recipes (because I love it) and none of them were quite what I was looking for, so I combined different elements of each recipe. This makes enough for us plus a good portion of leftovers.

Easy Peasy Lasagna

(this isn't the picture of the one I make but I figured to make it more interesting I would throw in a picture)

1lb ground beef

orignal spaghetti sauce (1 jar)

1 medium sized cottage cheese

Mozzerella Cheese

Lasagna Noodles (about 8 or 9) (cooked)

1. cook ground beef and add spaghetti sauce to pan

2. layer the lasagnia in a 9x13 pan

>meat sauce (just a little bit so noodles don't stick to pan)

>noodles

>Cottage cheese

>Mozz Cheese

>meat sauce

>noodles

>Cottage Cheese

>Mozz Cheese

>Meat Sauce (this should be the last of it)

>top with Mozz Cheese

3. Put in 350 degrees and bake for about 30-40 minutes, or until bubbling, let cool down and enjoy

I especially love this as left overs!!!