Mom's Menu Planning

Super Easy Dinner Roll Recipe

2012-01-30T10:26:00.001-05:00

Is there anything on earth as comforting as a warm and delicious dinner roll fresh from the oven? Really? I can't think of a thing. And honestly, even if you can, you need to try this dinner roll recipe. It's simple, delicious and oh, so comforting!

For me, dinner rolls are symbolic of a feast at my Gram's house. Whether it be for Valentine's Day, Easter, Thanksgiving, Christmas or even a Fourth of July party, my Gram has always had dinner rolls available for any meal. The problem with Gram's rolls are, they take too long to make! I love them and I dream about them, but I dread making them because of the time consumption. It's pretty much a whole day process.

Hmmm...which is better? An hour here and there or six hours at once? I'll have to think about that.

But in the meantime, here is a quick, easy dinner roll recipe that takes less than an hour from start to finish and tastes ~~(almost)~~ as good as my Gram's.

Super Easy Dinner Rolls

Recipe from – Mom's Menu Planning
Adapted from - How to Bake White Bread

Ingredients

1 cup warm water (about 110 degrees Fahrenheit)
2 1/2 teaspoons dry yeast
2 tablespoons white sugar
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 to 3 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons salt
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter, melted

Cooking Instructions

In a large bowl, combine the warm water, yeast, sugar and oil.

Sift the flour and salt into the liquid mixture. Stir until the mixture begins to resemble dough (or you just can't mix anymore).

Turn the dough onto a floured work surface. Knead the dough until smooth, about 5 minutes.

Pat the dough into a large rectangle, about 1/2 inch thick. Use a 3-inch biscuit cutter or a round drinking glass to cut 12 dinner rolls out of the dough.

Position the dinner rolls 1 to 2 inches apart on a greased baking sheet. Cover with a kitchen towel and place the pan in a warm place. Allow the dough to double in size, about 20 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Bake for 20 minutes.

Remove the rolls from the oven. Drizzle with melted butter. Return the dinner rolls to the oven and bake for an additional 5 to 10 minutes or until golden brown.

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Sweet and Spicy Valentine’s Day Menu

2012-01-30T09:19:00.001-05:00

Gourmet Chocolate
Covered Strawberries

Valentine’s Day is right around the corner. Why not go the old-fashioned route and show your love with a delicious meal made for two? Preparing a dinner for you and your love on Valentine’s Day is not difficult. It isn’t necessary to make a ten course meal or spend a lot of money on expensive ingredients. Don't bother with a babysitter either, prepare a quick meal for the kids earlier in the evening. Then, use the recipe ideas in this article to create your own sweet and spicy Valentine’s Day menu for less than half the cost of a night out.

Appetizers

Strawberry Bruschetta - from Annie’s Eats
Bacon Roses - from Instructables
Stuffed Baguette - from Baking Obsession

Main Meal

Crock Pot Chicken Parmesan - from Chef in Training
Creamy Ziti - from Mom's Menu Planning
Heart Carrots - from Super Healthy Kids

Dessert

Miniature Cheesecakes - from Mom’s Menu Planning
Chocolate Raspberry Tart - from Heather Christo Cooks
Cheesecake Stuffed Strawberries - from Nutmeg Nanny

Drinks

Alcoholic

The Reef - from Sweet Southern Prep
Peppermint Patty - from Mom’s Menu Planning
French Kiss - from Marie Claire

Non-Alcoholic

Red Velvet Cheesecake Milkshake - from The Novice Chef Blog
Pomegranate - Strawberry Smoothie - from Women’s Health Magazine
Old Fashioned Pink Lemonade - from Simply Recipes

Aren’t those Cheesecake Stuffed Strawberries just to die for? I think I could eat those every day for the rest of my life and still want more!

What are you making for your love day meal? Will you use any of these recipes? Go out to dinner? Or do you have a special menu of your own for Valentine’s Day?

Slow Cooker Pulled Pork

2012-01-27T11:54:00.001-05:00

Slow cooker pulled pork is super simple to make and is so delicious your whole family will beg for more. It tastes best served on a hearty Kaiser roll with a side of French fries, but can just as easily be served over pasta or rice for an all in one meal. You can even add your own personal touches to slow cooker pulled pork by using different flavors and seasonings during preparation.

Slow Cooker Pulled Pork

Recipe from - Mom's Menu Planning
Serves - 4 to 6

Ingredients

1 teaspoon meat tenderizer
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
3 pound pork roast
1 bottle barbecue sauce, any flavor
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

Cooking Instructions

Mix together the meat tenderizer, paprika, black pepper, garlic powder and the onion powder in a small dish.

Remove the wrappings from the pork roast and then rinse the roast with warm water.

Sprinkle the dry spice mixture over the top of the pork roast and rub it around the roast until it is completely covered with spices. Allow it to sit for a few minutes to absorb the dry rub mixture.

Place the barbecue sauce, brown sugar, maple syrup and apple cider vinegar into a clean dish and mix it together until it is smooth.

Place the pork roast into the slow cooker and pour the barbecue sauce mixture over the roast. Place the lid over the roast and turn the slow cooker on low and allow the roast to cook for 6 to 8 hours. If you are in a rush, you can turn it on high for 3 to 4 hours, but the pulled pork will not be as tender if it is cooked quickly.

Remove the lid from the slow cooker and use two forks to shred the pork. Start at the top of the roast and gently pull each fork in the opposite direction. Continue to do this until all of the roast has been pulled.

Mix the pulled pork into the remaining sauce in the slow cooker until it is
thoroughly covered.

Serve on Kaiser Buns with a side of Old Fashioned Cabbage Salad.

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Make Menu Planning a Priority in Your Life

2012-01-26T12:07:00.000-05:00

Click here to print!

Wouldn’t it be great to get home from work at night and have dinner already planned, prepared or even cooking? The every night question for so many is “What’s for Dinner?” but there is often no answer. Cooking dinner for your family becomes an unnecessary stress, especially when you are the only one planning, preparing and cooking the meal…everyday.

It doesn’t have to be that way.

Whether you work full-time or stay home and take of your family, dinner doesn’t have to be a hassle. With just a little bit of planning and preparation, you can answer the question “What’s for Dinner” without thought.

Create a Menu Planner

Creating a menu planner does not have to be difficult. It can be as simple as you want it to be; even writing on a sheet of scrap paper is fine, if that works for you. However, the best menu planner is one that you can reuse each week. Your menu planner should be easy to change according to your schedule. I suggest using a dry erase board or a chalkboard for those just getting started.

List Your Favorite Meals

There are a couple of ways to do this and here is where the family comes in to menu planning.

1. Make a list of your favorite foods upfront. Ask the family for their favorite food ideas or list them yourself if you know them all. Include new recipe ideas or suggestions from the family on this list.

2. Wing It. I’m not kidding. Go ahead and continue figuring it out every night. The only difference is, after you have cooked each night, you need to make a list of the foods you prepared. Do this for one month, adding each meal to the list. At the end of the month, you should have a list of (roughly) thirty dinners that you cooked and hopefully, your family loved.

Don’t Forget the Recipes

This is SUPER important! Most people start a menu plan by writing down a bunch of meal ideas, some they have never prepared, and they never include the recipes. Therefore, when it comes time to make the meal, they have no idea how to prepare the ingredients. You need to include the recipes for those meals you have never cooked.

Start Menu Planning

Now that you have a menu planner and suggestions on how to begin writing it, it is time to start menu planning. Go through your list of meal ideas and write them on a corresponding day of the week or month on your menu planner. Choose your meals based on your schedule. For example, you would not want to prepare Yankee Pot Roast on a night when you have a meeting at 5:00 pm. Frozen pizza or tacos might be a better choice for that day. Save the Yankee Pot Roast for a Saturday or Sunday.

Click the photo at the top to print the Strawberry Margarita menu planner FREE, just to help you get started!

Jalapeno Popper...Grilled Cheese Sandwich?

2012-01-26T09:16:00.001-05:00

© All rights reserved
by Smells Like Home

Oh yes, that's right! A jalapeno popper grilled cheese sandwich. Can you imagine?! Who woulda thunk it? Not me, that's for sure. I found this delectable treat at Smells Like Home (which by the way is an AWESOME recipe site, well worth a visit!!) and last night, I had to try making these delicious looking sandwiches. The results = Poppin' Amazing! Don't wait to try them, you will regret it!

Here's the link for the recipe - > Jalapeno Popper Grilled Cheese

Roasted Chicken in Cranberry Wine Sauce

2012-01-25T12:30:00.000-05:00

Okay, folks. Here's the deal. I've used lots of recipes for chicken with creamy wine sauce, but this is the first that I've ever made one on my own...without a recipe. I was totally winging it and wow, was it worth it! This roasted chicken is to die for! The chicken breast is tender and juicy and the cranberry flavor in the wine is the perfect accompaniment for chicken. You have to try it, I promise, it will be worth the bottle of wine (which is a whopping $8 a bottle ;-)

I'm not a wine drinker. I can't stand the stuff. However, not long ago I was joking with my husband that I wish I could drink wine. I laughed and said how nice it would be to "sit down and relax with a glass of wine." I was joking, of course, but he took me literally and has since provided me with a wide variety of wines that I try to pawn off on unsuspecting visitors. Needless to say, I have wine and have no idea what to do with it all.

So, I've decided to put his wine flavors to use in my cooking, which is where this recipe started. I had taken a few chicken breasts out of the freezer the other day to make Chicken Stew. As I perused the refrigerator for the ingredients I needed, I came across the cranberry wine my dear husband brought home last week. My first thought was cranberry and turkey is delicious, so why not try it with the chicken. I considered just pouring some wine over the chicken while it roasted, but I felt like getting a little fancy, so I went with a cream sauce instead. Believe me when I say, you'll be glad I did!

Here's the recipe -

Roasted Chicken in Cranberry Wine Sauce

Recipe from – Mom's Menu Planning

Serves – 4 to 5

Ingredients

4 chicken breasts, boneless and skinless
1/4 cup water
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons black pepper
2 teaspoons red pepper flakes
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon flour
1 cup half and half
1/4 cup chicken juices, reserved
1/2 cup cranberry flavored wine

Cooking Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

Place chicken breasts in a 13” x 9” casserole dish. Pour water in the bottom of the dish.

Drizzle olive oil over the chicken. In a small bowl, combine the black pepper, red pepper flakes, garlic powder and salt. Sprinkle spice mixture over the chicken. Bake, uncovered, for 20 to 25 minutes or until a meat thermometer (inserted into the thickest part of the breast) reads 165 degrees Fahrenheit. Reserve juices from cooked chicken.

In a medium frying pan, melt butter on medium-high temperature until bubbling. Whisk in flour until a soft dough forms. Pour the half and half in the pan and stir until combined.

Whisk reserved chicken juices and wine into the cream mixture. Continue cooking until the mixture is nice and thick. Spoon over roasted chicken breasts before serving.

Serve hot with Italian Roasted Potatoes.

Print this recipe!

Cheesy Cheeseburgers and Twice - Baked French Fries

2012-01-24T09:35:00.000-05:00

You get a "twofer" today! These delicious Cheeseburgers and Fries are classic diner food, just like you'd find in the good old days. But with the expense and food safety practices in many restaurants today...who wants to go out and pay for an over-cooked (maybe under-cooked?!) burger and fries, when you can make your own at home? Homemade cheeseburgers taste so much better and you have the benefit of adding any toppings you like, to both your burger and your fries. Plus, you might just be lucky enough to know your burger IS actually made of beef...

Cheesy Cheeseburgers

Recipe from – Mom's Menu Planning
Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 1 lb. Ground beef
• ¼ cup bread crumbs
• 1 tablespoon steak sauce
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• 4 ounces cheddar cheese
• 4 slices American cheese
• 4 Kaiser rolls

Cooking Instructions

Preheat an indoor/outdoor grill to medium-high temperature or about 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

In a large bowl, combine the ground beef, bread crumbs, steak sauce, apple cider vinegar, egg, salt and pepper.

Roll the meat mixture into 8 equal sized balls. Flatten the meat into 8 discs.

Position 1 ounce of cheddar cheese in the center of 4 burgers. Top the cheese with the remaining 4 burgers. Press the sides down lightly to seal the cheddar inside.

Grill the burgers for 4 to 5 minutes on each side. Top each burger with a slice of American cheese and continue heating until the cheese melts.

Serve on Kaiser rolls with your favorite cheeseburger toppings.

Print this recipe!

Twice-Baked French Fries

Recipe from – Mom's Menu Planning
Serves: 4 to 5

Ingredients

• 1 package frozen french fries
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 tablespoon flour
• 1 tablespoon heavy cream
• 1 cup cheddar cheese + 1/4 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
• 2 tablespoons sour cream
• 1/2 cup broccoli, steamed and chopped
• Salt and pepper, as desired

Cooking Instructions

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.

Spread the french fries on a large baking sheet. Drizzle olive oil over the french fries.

Bake for 10 minutes, flip the french fries over. Continue baking for an additional 10 to 15 minutes or until golden brown and crispy.

Melt butter in a small saucepan on medium-high heat. Sprinkle flour into the butter and whisk until a soft dough forms. Pour heavy cream into the pan and continue whisking until smooth and bubbling.

Remove saucepan from the heat. Add 1 cup cheddar cheese and sour cream, stirring until the cheese melts. Sprinkle in salt and pepper, as desired.

Remove the french fries from the oven. Sprinkle with chopped broccoli and 1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese. Return the fries to the oven and bake for an additional 5 minutes.

Drizzle cheese sauce over the french fries right before serving.

Serve with Cheesy Cheeseburgers.

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Herb - Crusted Roast Beef

2012-01-23T14:22:00.002-05:00

Meat and Potatoes...traditional American fare. Roast beef is a favorite in Mom's household (except for Mom, who would much prefer some pasta), even my 8 year old asks for it on occasion. This rustic, but delicious Herb- Crusted Roast Beef recipe requires only 3 ingredients and one of them, is the beef.

This particular roast was supposed to be stuffed with horseradish, but when I opened the fridge to grab it, the horseradish sauce popped out at me instead and said "let me in, forget the plain stuff, I add so much more flavor" ;-) So, I agreed and let the sauce jump into the dry mix I planned to rub on the outside. Believe me, when I say that sauce sure knew its stuff. The flavor of horseradish in this delicious herb-crusted roast beef explodes in your mouth, just as soon as you take a bite.

Herb – Crusted Roast Beef

Recipe from – Mom's Menu Planning

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons horseradish sauce
• 1 package Lipton Savory Herb & Garlic dry mix
• 4 to 5 lb. Eye round roast

Cooking Instructions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.

Combine the horseradish sauce and Savory Herb & Garlic dry mix in a small bowl.

Place the eye round roast in a small roasting pan with a little bit of water at the
bottom.

Rub the horseradish and herb mixture all over the meat. Make sure to cover the top and the bottom of the roast.

Cover the roasting pan with a lid. Place in the oven and bake for 35 minutes.

Take the pan out of the oven. Remove the lid and place the roast back into the oven.

Continue cooking for an additional 10 minutes or until a meat thermometer reads 125 degrees Fahrenheit.

Serve with Garlic Mashed Potatoes.

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Cinnamon Strawberry Shortcake Recipe

2012-01-23T08:09:00.005-05:00

Strawberry Shortcake. What can I say? It's the best. I don't think there is a "better" dessert. There are so many different ways to make it, the long way...with cookie dough...with biscuits...fruits other than or added to the strawberries. I could go on and on about the ways to prepare this decadent dessert, but this time, I tried something new. I added cinnamon and boy, was it worth it! This Cinnamon Strawberry Shortcake recipe will blow your socks off and my favorite part is...it only takes about 20 minutes to prepare, from start to finish!

Cinnamon Strawberry Shortcake

Recipe from – Mom's Menu Planning

Ingredients

1 roll refrigerated crescent roll dough (I used the Pillsbury Crescent Rounds)
1/2 cup confectioners sugar
2 tablespoons cinnamon
2 tablespoons white sugar
1 cup strawberry ice cream topping or homemade strawberry syrup
Whipped cream

Cooking Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Combine the confectioners sugar, cinnamon and white sugar in a small bowl.

Unroll the crescent dough. Sprinkle the sugar and cinnamon mixture on the inside of the dough. Re-roll the dough and separate the crescent rolls.

Place the rolls on a greased baking sheet and position on the center rack in the oven. Bake for 15 minutes.

Remove the rolls from the oven and allow them to cool for about 10 minutes.

Place rolls on individual plates. Drizzle strawberry topping over the rolls. Top with whipped cream.

Print this recipe!

Garlicky Chicken Bruschetta Pizza

2012-01-19T11:32:00.012-05:00

Bruschetta and Pizza...together? What could be better? It might just be the greatest creation of all time. Garlicky, crispy crust topped with cheesy, sweet and spicy Italian chicken and tomatoes. Ok, I'll stop now, but you have to try this Garlicky Chicken and Bruschetta Pizza! You won't regret it...

Garlicky Chicken Bruschetta Pizza

Recipe from – Mom's Menu Planning

Ingredients

• 1 pizza crust dough
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons garlic, chopped
• 2 teaspoons black pepper
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 2 cups cooked chicken breast, diced
• 2 cups tomatoes, diced
• 1 cup Italian dressing
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Cooking Instructions

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Spread the pizza dough onto a greased 16 inch pizza pan or 11” x 17” baking sheet. I also sprinkle corn meal on the pan, but it isn't necessary.

Drizzle the pizza dough with olive oil. Spread chopped garlic over the olive oil. Sprinkle black pepper, salt and garlic powder over the chopped garlic. Bake for 10 minutes.

In a large bowl, combine the chicken breast, tomatoes and Italian dressing.

Remove the pizza dough from the oven.

Spread the chicken and tomatoes evenly over the crust. Sprinkle with cheddar and mozzarella cheeses.

Return pizza to the oven and bake for an additional 5 to 7 minutes or until the cheese melts.

Serve with a garden salad.

PRINT THIS RECIPE

Creamy Ziti Recipe

2012-01-18T10:16:00.048-05:00

Ooohh, are you going to love this! Creamy Ziti might not be the right name for this dish, but what else would you call it? Melt in your mouth goodness? So delicious I can't wait until lunchtime so I can eat more of it? (Actually, I want it for breakfast ;-) Well, it doesn't matter what you call it because it's that good. So good in fact, it doesn't need a fancy name.

Creamy Ziti

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 lb. Ground beef
Salt
Pepper
1 tablespoon Italian seasonings
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes with basil
1 lb. Ziti
½ cup heavy cream
¼ cup ranch salad dressing
2 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded

Heat olive oil in a large pot on medium temperature. Add ground beef. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, as desired. Add Italian seasonings and garlic powder. Continue cooking for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Pour diced tomatoes and crushed tomatoes into the pot with the browned ground beef. Stir to combine. Cook the sauce until boiling. Turn the temperature down to medium low and allow the sauce to simmer for 20 to 30 minutes.

Prepare the ziti pasta as directed on the packaging. Drain.

In a separate dish, combine the heavy cream and ranch salad dressing. Slowly pour the cream mixture into the sauce, stirring constantly. Turn the temperature on the sauce back up to medium and stir occasionally until boiling.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Pour the ziti into a 9” x 13” casserole dish. Add 1 -1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese. Pour the sauce over the ziti and cheese. Stir to combine. Sprinkle the remaining ½ cup shredded mozzarella over the top.

Bake, uncovered, for 20 minutes.

Serve hot with warm, crusty Italian bread.

Beef and Cabbage Stew

2012-01-17T10:22:00.002-05:00

Here's another comfort food for you! Beef and Cabbage Stew. I took my already delicious beef stew recipe, added a few new ingredients and turned it into something 100 times more fabulous. This might just be the best stew I've ever had...

Beef and Cabbage Stew

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons garlic, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
2 lbs. stew meat
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon pepper
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons red pepper flakes
2 large potatoes
32 ounces beef broth
12 oz. beer
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup carrots, sliced
1/2 cup green beans
1/4 cup corn
1/4 cup peas
2 cups cabbage, sliced

Heat the oil, on medium temperature, in a large pot.

Add the chopped garlic and onions to the oil. Stir continuously until the vegetables begin to soften, about 5 minutes.

Place the stew meat into the pot. Sprinkle the salt, pepper, garlic and red pepper flakes over the meat. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes or until browned. Remove the meat and set aside.

Place the potatoes into the hot oil. Stir continuously until the potatoes soften, about 5 minutes.

Return the stew meat to the pot. Pour the beef broth, beer and apple cider vinegar over the meat and potatoes.

Add the carrots, green beans, corn and peas. Place the lid on the pot. Turn the temperature down to medium low and continue cooking for 20 to 30 minutes.

Stir the cabbage into the stew. Cook for an additional 10 to 15 minutes or until the cabbage is soft.

Serve hot with warm, crusty bread.

Chicken -n- Biscuit Pot Pie

2012-01-16T08:14:00.002-05:00

Rrrrriiiiiiipppp......Rrrrriiippp...
Do you hear that everyone? That is the sound of my pants ripping at the seams. Thanks to Mother Nature and the late arrival of winter, I've been making lots of comfort food. I do look forward to cooking luscious, filling meals, such as this Chicken -n- Biscuit Pot Pie, but my hips are screaming "please, Mother Nature, please give me just one nice, warm day, so we can have a salad"! Can you believe, she actually responds with more cold weather?

Anyway, here's the recipe for some heartwarming and delicious -

Chicken -n- Biscuit Pot Pie

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons garlic, chopped
1/4 cup onion, diced (optional)
4 chicken breasts, boneless and skinless
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoons garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon red pepper
4 large potatoes
30 ounces chicken broth
1/2 green beans
1/2 cup carrots
1/4 cup corn
1/4 cup peas
1 1/2 cup baking mix (ex. Bisquick)
2/3 cup milk
2 ounces chicken broth
Salt and Pepper, as desired

Pour the olive oil into a large (oven-safe) skillet. Heat the oil on medium temperature, until bubbling. Add garlic and onion to the oil.

Cut chicken breasts into small chunks, about 1 inch in size. Add the chicken to the hot oil. Sprinkle salt, pepper, garlic powder and red pepper over the chicken. Cook for 3 to 5 minutes or until brown. Remove chicken from the pan.

Dice the potatoes into small cubes. Place in the pan with the hot oil. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring constantly.

Return chicken to the pan with the potatoes.

Pour the chicken broth over the chicken and potatoes. Turn the heat up to medium high and cook until boiling.

Add green beans, carrots, corn and peas to the pan. Continue cooking for 3 to 5 minutes. Turn the heat down to low and allow the stew to simmer for 15 to 20 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.

Combine the Bisquick, milk and remaining chicken broth in a large mixing bowl. Add salt and pepper, as desired.

Using an ice cream scoop or large serving spoon, scoop the biscuit dough onto the top of the chicken stew, still in the pan.

Position the pan on the middle shelf in the oven. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until the biscuits are golden brown.

Chicken -n- Biscuit Pot Pie

Mom's Menu Planning - 10 Most Popular Recipes of 2011

2012-01-13T11:35:00.003-05:00

Lasagna Cupcakes

The results are in!

Aaaaannnnd your favorite recipes from 2011 are...

Thanks for all your views and your support.

I hope you to provide you with hundreds more recipes to enjoy in the coming year.

Meatloaf Chili Recipe

2012-01-13T09:21:00.000-05:00

Chili for a chilly day. Winter has finally come to our neck of the woods. It is so weird to look outside and finally see snow in the middle of January. The silver lining to the cold and nasty weather is that it gives me an excuse to cook some of our favorite comfort foods. Foods like this deliciously simple Meatloaf Chili.

Meatloaf Chili is the perfect recipe to make when you have leftover meatloaf (such as I did, yesterday). I actually created the recipe to use up leftover meatloaf in the past. If you don't have any, well, it can take some time to prepare, as you'll have to make a meatloaf first. I guess you could use plain ground beef, but it just doesn't add the same flavor. There's a saying on a movie or an old song (I can't remember which!) that says "Yesterday's meatloaf, is today's sloppy joe", well, in this case yesterday's meatloaf is today's chili and the recipe is SUPER easy!

Here you go -

Meatloaf Chili

2 cups leftover meatloaf
2 cans crushed tomatoes
1 can dark kidney beans
1 can light kidney beans
1 cup water
4 tablespoons chili powder
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
Salt and pepper, as desired

Combine all of the ingredients in a large pot.

Cook on medium temperature until boiling.

Turn the heat down to medium low and continue cooking for 1 hour.

Serve Meatloaf Chili hot with shredded cheddar cheese and cornbread.

Chessy Waffle Fries

2012-01-12T12:04:00.001-05:00

Cheesy Waffle Fries

This Cheesy Waffle Fries recipe began when I went to a local Friendly's. On their menu is an absolutely decadent appetizer feast that allows you to choose three of your favorite appetizers. My choices were the old standbys of mozzarella sticks and mini cheeseburgers, but I though I'd go for something new with the waffle fries and boy, am I glad I did...they were awesome! My Cheesy Waffle Fries are not quite the same, but they come close and they are great alternative when you can't get to Friendly's!

Cheesy Waffle Fries

1 bag seasoned waffle cut french fries
2 cups cheese sauce (I used Ragu Double Cheddar Sauce)
1 8 oz package shredded cheddar cheese
4 to 6 slices cooked bacon, chopped into bits
Sour cream

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

Grease an 11" x 17" baking sheet with cooking spray.

Spread the french fries onto the baking sheet. Bake for 20 to 22 minutes or until the french fries are crispy. Remove from oven.

Sprinkle the shredded cheddar cheese and crumbled bacon over the waffle fries. Return to oven and bake for an additional 2 to 3 minutes or until cheese has melted.

Heat the cheddar cheese sauce in a small saucepan on medium low temperature until bubbling, about 5 minutes.

Drizzle cheese over the waffle fries. Serve warm with cold sour cream.

Cheesy Waffle Fries make a great side dish for Garlicky Bacon Meatloaf!

Garlicky Bacon Meatloaf Recipe

2012-01-12T11:48:00.002-05:00

Ummm...Yum, is all I have to say. This meatloaf is sooo good and the best part? It only takes about 5 minutes to prepare! That's right...5 minutes. Of course, you'll have to stand by the stove drooling for another 40 minutes while this Garlicky Bacon Meatloaf cooks, but hey, everything good in life is worth waiting for, right?

Garlicky Bacon Meatloaf came as a surprise to me. It wasn't what I was intending to make when I took the ground beef out of the freezer. My plan WAS meatloaf, but I thought I'd just throw together a plain old meatloaf with ketchup. The ingredients, however, had other plans.

I went to the pantry to grab my bread crumbs and stuck in front of the container was a box of Lipton Recipe Secrets - Savory Herb & Garlic (not where they belong - surprise, surprise). Since it was right there, I thought maybe that would add a nice flavor to the meatloaf, so I grabbed a package along with the breadcrumbs and threw it in with the meat.

The bacon came along when I was making Cheesy Waffle Fries to go along with the meatloaf. I had a few extra slices that wouldn't fit in the frying pan, so I threw them on top the meatloaf, just before I stuck it in the oven.

Isn't it amazing how these things come together? The flavor of the Savory Herb & Garlic packet was just the right touch, flavoring the meat deliciously without being overpowering. While, the bacon added moisture, flavor and a smooth texture to the meat that I didn't expect. It wasn't even greasy.

Here's the recipe - I hope you enjoy it too :)

Garlicky Bacon Meatloaf

2 lbs. ground beef
2 eggs
2 tablespoons cold water
1 1/2 cups bread crumbs
1 package Lipton Recipe Secrets - Savory Herb & Garlic
5 to 7 slices bacon

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.

Mix all of the ingredients, except the bacon, in a large bowl.

Press the meatloaf mixture into an 8" x 8" casserole dish.

Lay bacon slices over the meatloaf in any arrangement you like.

Bake, uncovered, for 40 to 50 minutes.

Serve with Spicy French Fries or Cheesy Waffle Fries.

Homemade Healthy Sweet Tea

2012-01-12T10:02:00.005-05:00

Photo credit:
wax115 from morguefile.com

Do you love the taste of Sweet Tea, but hate the fact that it's full of sugar and other unhealthy sweeteners? Follow these step by step instructions to making the perfect "Sweet" Tea without the unnecessary sugars!

Homemade Healthy Sweet Tea

1 gallon water
4 tablespoons honey
6 green tea bags

Pour the water and honey into a large cooking pot and place on stove to boil.

Once the water is boiling, remove the pot from burner and set aside. Allow it to cool for about 10 minutes.

Pour into individual glasses or a gallon pitcher and serve with ice.

**Use any flavor green tea you'd like. There are many to choose from at your local grocery store. Make sure the tea is fully cooled before serving!!

Can I Have S'mores Brownies, Please?

2012-01-11T16:54:00.003-05:00

Today, I decided to surprise the girls with a special after-school snack of S'mores Brownies. The recipe that I've created is super simple to make and the kids love them! I guarantee as soon as you make them, they'll be asking "Can I Have S'mores Brownies, Please?"

S'mores Brownies

1/2 stick (4 tablespoons) butter, melted
1 1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs
1 package brownie mix
3 eggs
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup oil
2 cups marshmallows

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

In a 9"x 13" baking dish, combine the melted butter and graham cracker crumbs.

Press the crumb mixture to the bottom of the baking dish to create a crust. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove the crust from the oven.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the brownie mix, eggs, water and oil.

Pour the brownie mixture over the graham cracker crust. Return to oven and bake for 25 to 30 minutes. Remove brownies from the oven.

Sprinkle marshmallows over the brownies. Return to oven and bake for an additional 3 minutes.

Remove S'mores Brownies from the oven and allow them to cool for 10 to 15 minutes before slicing.

** By the way, I should probably mention, there is nothing wrong with the marshmallows in my picture. They look yellow and they are ~~slightly~~, but they aren't bad ;-) They were french vanilla flavored marshmallows...yum!

Venison Parmesan Recipe

2012-01-11T08:57:00.001-05:00

Venison Parmesan

Yum, yum, yummy! My family loves hunting season. It brings us the opportunity to eat venison, which is not only delicious, it's good for you and FREE (if you don't count the cost of the hunting license and hunting paraphernalia, of course). This year, my husband was lucky enough to get one deer, which I have had little time to cook (with the exception of the failed Venison Pie I tried to make last week - a sad and depressing story). Yesterday, I decided enough was enough! It's time to do something good with that venison. So, I threw together a family favorite - Venison Parmesan.

I know some people don't like to eat venison and that's fine, you don't have to eat it...feel free to use ANY kind of meat you like in this recipe, it will still taste great! You could even use zucchini, eggplant or thick sliced green tomatoes instead of meat if you prefer.

Venison Parmesan

2 cans (28 oz) crushed tomatoes
1 can (15 oz) diced tomatoes
2 tablespoons white sugar
1 package dry Italian salad dressing mix
2 lbs. venison loin (beef, chicken or pork is fine too!)
2 eggs
2 tablespoons ranch salad dressing
2 cups Italian style bread crumbs
4 to 6 tablespoons olive oil (for frying)
8 ounce package of shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

In a large sauce pot, combine the crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, sugar and dry Italian salad dressing mix. Heat on medium temperature for 30 to 40 minutes, stirring regularly.

Slice the venison loin into steaks, about 1" thick. Cover the steaks with wax paper. Beat the venison with a meat hammer until each steak is about 1/4" thick.

Stir the sauce.

In a small bowl, whip the eggs and ranch salad dressing.
Pour the bread crumbs into a second bowl.

Dip the venison into the egg mixture, then the bread crumbs. Place the steaks on a platter and allow them to absorb the flavors from the egg mixture and the bread crumbs.

It's time to stir the sauce again.

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet on medium-high temperature. Arrange the venison steaks in the skillet. Fry for 2 minutes.

Stir the sauce one more time!

Flip steaks over and fry for an additional 2 minutes. Drain on a paper towel.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.

In a small dish, combine the mozzarella cheese and the Parmesan cheese.

Arrange the breaded venison in a 9" x 13" baking dish.

Cover steaks with tomato sauce.

Sprinkle the cheese mixture over the venison steaks.

Cover with aluminum foil.

Bake for 25 minutes.

Serve with any style pasta and additional tomato sauce.

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And the results are in -

Dirty Dishes

Get Friendly with the Potato

2012-01-09T12:48:00.002-05:00

How do YOU say potato? Potato? Pot(AH)toes? Maybe just taters? No matter how you say it, the potato is an all round good for you food that is affordable, versatile and delicious! In this post, you'll find a variety of ways to cook potatoes along with a few easy potato recipes.

I love the potato. I truly do. If I had to choose, it would be my favorite side dish. The best way to prepare potatoes (in my opinion, of course) are fried. I know...that's bad, but they are just so good. I love french fries, home fries, country fried potatoes, etc. Enough said. Even though, fried is my favorite preparation, there are many other ways to cook potatoes.

Such as -

Boiled

Boil potatoes whole. Slice them in half. Boil them in quarters. Leave the skin on or take it off, which ever you prefer. Boil the potatoes in water. Boil them in broth. You can even boil potatoes in beer, if you like. When they are done boiling, there is a whole new world of opportunities. You can serve the potatoes whole, mash them, make potato salad, add your favorite spices and drizzle them with butter. Top your mashed potatoes with onions, cheese, gravy, shredded chicken, cabbage or cranberry sauce.

Baked

Of course, the stand-by baked potato. Wrap it in foil and throw it in the oven until it is soft. However, there are so very many ways of baking potatoes. Especially, the old stand-by. Unwrap the foil and make baked potato nachos, potatoes smothered in butter, potatoes topped with broccoli and cheese or chili and cheese. Maybe you want to add bacon, onions, sour cream, shredded cheese, salsa or olives. There is no end to what you can do with a standard baked potato. Leave the menu up to your taste buds.

Fried Potatoes

Ahh, my favorite category. I can feel my hips growing ;-) French fries, where shall we begin. Any size, shape or type of potato can be cut into a french fry and some funky fries at that. There are waffle fries, crinkle cut, steak fries, tater tots, home fries, country fried potatoes, I could go on for quite some time. We could dice the potatoes, create matchsticks or even slice them thin to make potato chips. Fried potatoes can be topped with anything your heart desires, including butter and garlic, gravy, spaghetti sauce, cheese, chili, chili powder, onions and peppers, need I go on?

As you can see, there are so many different things you can do with a potato and the best part is...potatoes are cheap! Even on the high end, which in my area tends to be around $4.99 for a 5 lb. bag of white potatoes. A couple of times a year, they will go on sale as cheap as $1.99 for a 5 lb. bag, but that seems to be as low as they go.

Time for some math.

If the higher priced potatoes are $4.99 for a 5 lb. bag, that makes the potatoes about $1.00 per pound or roughly $0.25 per potato (assuming there are 20 potatoes in a 5 lb. bag). Now, let's look at the sale price for a 5 lb. bag - $1.99/5 lbs. = $0.398 or $0.40 per pound, this brings it down to about $0.02 per potato. You simply cannot beat the cost!

Now, go out, buy a bag of potatoes and get creative, there is no end to what you can do with a potato.

Dried Apple Slices and A Free Gift for You!

2012-01-06T10:33:00.002-05:00

Cinnamon Sugar
Dried Apple Slices

I know, I know...apples are for fall, not January, but I had a lot of them. (In case you haven't noticed, there is a recurring theme to my last few posts. I had a lot of leftovers. I bought just a few too many ingredients for certain recipes...like apples.) So, I'm using them up instead of being wasteful.

Yesterday, I made dried apple slices. My girls love them, but they are so expensive, I don't often buy them from the grocery store.

Step One

Core the apples.

Step Two

Peel the apples, if you want... Otherwise, leave the skin on, it's good for you anyway! I like to leave the skin on.

Step Three

Slice the apples using a food processor or do it by hand, if necessary. My handy, dandy new food processor went back to work slicing apples. (This thing is really getting a workout at my house!) It has a really great slicing blade, that saved mountains of time in preparing the apples.

Photo credit:
imelenchon from morguefile.com

Step Four

Dip the apple slices into a dish of lemon juice to prevent browning.

Step Five

Mix 1/2 cup white sugar and 2 tablespoons cinnamon in a small dish.

Step Six

Dip the apple slices into the cinnamon sugar mixture.

Step Seven

Arrange the apple slices on dehydrator trays.

Step Eight

Close the lid on your dehydrator. Turn on and walk away for 20 to 24 hours.

Dried Apple Slices
(without cinnamon sugar...or at least they were supposed to be.
Some might have dripped down, just a little bit, during during time.)

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Okay, now that the apples are done, I have a free gift for you! A printable menu planner featuring an adorable little froggy.

Here you go - Just click and print :-)

Spaghetti and Cheesy Meatballs

2012-01-05T09:23:00.000-05:00

I don't know about you, but I love Italian food...especially those covered in rich, flavorful tomato sauces. Spaghetti just happens to be one of my favorites, but, it's important to switch up the recipes now and then. Otherwise, we'd eat plain old Spaghetti and Meatballs at least once a week. Spaghetti and Cheesy Meatballs is a simple recipe that reflects your basic spaghetti and red sauce, but adds an additional touch of flavor you might not expect.

NOTE - This recipe only takes 40 minutes to prepare - from start to finish!! The cheesy meatballs might taste like they simmered all day in a steaming pot of sauce, but they are super easy. Plus, I promise there is no need to prepare spaghetti from scratch....just open the box, it makes life so much easier!

The Meatballs

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 lb. ground beef
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup sherry wine (the good stuff or the cooking version, either one works fine)

Pour the olive oil into a large pot. Heat on medium temperature.

In a separate bowl, combine the ground beef and Parmesan cheese. Form 6 large meatballs.

Place the meatballs into the hot oil. Cover the pot with a lid. Cook for 4 to 6 minutes, turning the meatballs over halfway through.

Move pot away form heat. Pour sherry cooking wine over the meatballs. Place pot back on the burner, cover. Continue cooking for 5 to 8 minutes.

Remove meatballs from the pot and place on a paper towel to drain. Leave remaining juices in the pot.

The Sauce

Remaining juices from the meatballs
1 can (approx. 28 oz.) crushed tomatoes with Italian herbs
1 package dry Italian salad dressing mix
1 cup water

Combine crushed tomatoes, Italian salad dressing mix and water with remaining juices from the meatballs. Cook on high temperature until boiling. Turn the heat down to medium low. Continue cooking for 20 to 25 minutes.

** From here, you could also put the sauce in a Crock Pot and keep on warm for 4 to 6 hours.

Serve with thin spaghetti and garlic bread.

Root Beer Barbecue Chicken in the Crock Pot

2012-01-04T07:57:00.000-05:00

Good Morning! The kids went back to school yesterday and Mom's back to work. As usual, I've got a million things to do and not enough time to do them all, but oh well. Such is life ;-)

Tuesday nights are busy nights around here and it makes it incredibly difficult to prepare a decent dinner. So, I stick to my standby...the Crock Pot. It does a wonderful job when I can't stand by the stove and cook.

I have a bunch of leftover soda from Christmas and New Years. (We don't drink soda, we only buy it for guests through the holidays.) So, yesterday, I made a batch of Root Beer Barbecue Sauce. Which we used on some delicious BBQ Shredded Chicken Sandwiches for dinner last night!

Here's the recipe -

Shredded Chicken

4 pieces boneless, skinless chicken breast
2 cups chicken broth
2 cups water
1 chicken bullion cube
Salt and pepper, as desired

Place all of the ingredients in a large pot. Heat on high temperature. Once the broth begins to boil, turn the temperature down to medium. Continue cooking the chicken for about 20 minutes or until the chicken is no longer pink inside. Remove chicken from the broth and allow it to cool. Shred chicken using two forks. Place shredded meat in the Crock Pot.

Root Beer Barbecue Sauce

1 cup root beer soda
1 cup ketchup
1/4 cup lemon juice
3 tablespoons steak sauce
1 1/2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon cloves
1/2 teaspoon dried garlic and red pepper flakes

Combine all of the above ingredients into a large pot. Heat on high temperature until boiling. Turn the temperature down to medium low and simmer for 30 to 45 minutes. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, as desired.

Okay, now here's the fun part (or the easy part). Pour the barbecue sauce over the shredded chicken. Turn the Crock Pot on low and cook for 4 to 6 hours.

That's it! Serve the barbecue chicken over kaiser buns or hard rolls with a side of Spicy French Fries.

5 Ways to Use Up Leftover Christmas Cookies

2011-12-31T11:45:00.004-05:00

Happy New Year!

I hope you all had a wonderfully delicious Christmas!

I was lucky enough to receive my dream gift for Christmas this year...a Kitchen Aid Food Processor. As you can see from the picture, my new food processor has made a home on the counter, where it is sure to stay and work for a long time. And it will work hard...

In fact, my new food processor already has it's first job! It must create something delicious out of all these leftover cookies.

I don't know about you, but I have a TON of Christmas cookies leftover.

For starters, I always make too many. I just don't like the way a cookie platter looks without variety. The plate looks empty and the poor cookies look just a little bit lonely. No Fun!

However, instead of wasting the cookies this year, I'm making crumbs...lots of them!

What are you going to do with all those crumbs, you ask?

Well, I'm going to eat them...all of them. Not today of course, but throughout the next year, I'm going to make a lot of things with cookie crumbs.

Here's just a few ideas I have -

Ice Cream Sundaes

Imagine some smooth, creamy vanilla ice cream topped with crushed White Chocolate Peppermint Chip Cookies or Snickerdoodle crumbs.

Pie Crust

Yes! You can use cookie crumbs to create delicious pie crusts for pudding pies, fruit pies or even tarts. Mix 1-1/2 cups of cookie crumbs with 6 tablespoons of melted butter. Press into a pie plate. Think about it....Chocolate Cream Pie with a Chocolate Chip Cookie crust. YUM!!

Parfait

Layer your favorite cookie crumbs in a glass with your favorite vanilla or chocolate flavored yogurt for a healthy and sweet treat. Any flavor cookie crumbs will work with vanilla yogurt, but think Peanut Butter cookie crumbs over chocolate yogurt...delicious!!

Fruit Topping

Top a bowl of fresh, frozen or canned fruit with a sprinkle of your favorite cookie crumbs for an extra special (and super quick!) dessert. I'm thinking Cranberry Oatmeal Raisin cookie crumbs over a bowl of peaches ;-)

Crumb Cake Topping

Prepare a boxed cake batter. Pour into recommended cake pan. Combine 1/2 cup flour, 1/2 cup cookie crumbs and 6 tablespoons of melted butter in a separate bowl. Sprinkle crumbs over the prepared cake. Bake as directed on the cake packaging. Allow cake to cool. Dust with powdered sugar before serving.

Of course, these are just a few ideas. I'm sure with the massive amount of cookie crumbs I have, I'll come up with many more ideas in the coming year.

Hopefully, these ideas will help you use up your leftover Christmas cookies too!