Crustless Cheeseburger Casserole

Cheeseburgers are awesome and casseroles are amazeballs as well.  Both together make for a worthy dinner course.  Space has been on a modified Atkins lifestyle for almost a year with stunning success.  There are plenty of cheeseburger casserole recipes out there.  Most of them call for a crust of some sort.  Crust means carbs and that means that Space would have to pick or not eat it.  Not cool in my book.  So I was thinking what I could do.  So I came up with this basic recipe for a crustless cheeseburger casserole.

Origin:  Duff''s messed up but beautiful head

Ingredients:

• 1-2 lbs of ground meat (Turkey or 90/10 beef)
• 1 egg
• 1 1/2 cup pancake mix (sugar-free from Maple Farms works real well but Bisquick is okay)
• parsley
• minced garlic
• dried celery
• salt
• 2 cups shredded cheese of choice

Directions:

1. In a frying pan cook meat.  Add spices.
2. Once fried collect grease in middle or side of pan and add pancake mix.
3. Add egg and mix into a roux.
4. Mix roux and meat together and fry for 1-2 minutes.
5. Turn off heat and add cheese to top and cover.
6. After 5-10 minutes the casserole is complete.

This worked out real well.  You could make pie slices of the casserole and it held together.  For my first roux it was a definite success.  This recipe is basic but it could have additions like onions, peppers, bacon etc.  Play with it to get your favorite cheeseburger.  This is so book worthy.  Space loved it and it will more than likely become a regular fixture on the weekly menu.

Chicken Cordon Bleu Caserole

So I wanted to make chicken cordon bleu but I didn't really want to go to all of the trouble of preparing it.  The pounding of the chicken and rolling it and breading and the baking.  It was just too much so I went the best way I knew how.  I made it into a casserole but not just a casserole but a skillet casserole.  This was perfect.  One pan one whole dish.  I knew there were some recipes out there but I winged this one.

Origin:  Duff's twisted mind

Ingredients:

• 4 lbs of boneless skinless chicken breasts cubed
• Butter.
• More butter
• 1/4-1/2 lb of sliced honey ham diced
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1/4 cup of pancake mix
• 1 lb shredded swiss cheese
• bread crumbs

Directions

1. Cook chicken in butter.
2. add the rest of the butter because you did not put enough in in the first place
3. add the ham and mix together
4. add heavy cream and pancake mix and stir together
5. Increase heat to reduce and thicken
6. Top with swiss cheese
7. Top with bread crumbs
8. Turn off heat and cover and wait for about 5 minutes

This stuff is awesome and gooey.  The swiss is not over powering and the butter makes everything better.  This is definitely making the book.

2 Step Skillet Chicken Vegetable Divan

I had pulled out some chicken to make something for dinner.  I really had no idea what I would make with it but I had to feed the Psycho.  So I opened up the All Recipes App on my phone and started looking.  A few things came by but I did not have ingredients I needed then I saw this one.  Still a fail.  I did not have the frozen broccoli so a vegetable medley was substituted.  So here it goes with my modifications.

Origin:  All Recipes App and my improvisations

Ingredients:

• Butter
• 1 pound of skinless, boneless chicken breast, cubed
• 1.5 cups of frozen vegetable medley
• 1 can of cream of mushroom soup
• 1 cup of heavy cream
• Shredded Cheddar cheese

Directions:

1. Take copious amounts of butter (1.5 tbsp) and melt in skillet.
2. Add chicken and cook until browned, stirring often
3. Add vegetables, soup and cream.
4. Cover and simmer for 5-10 minutes
5. Cover with shredded cheese and allow to melt.

This was delicious.   2 step is a deceiving but honestly it was easy and took no time what so ever to make.  Of course you can improvise with changing the cream of mushroom soup to another like chicken which is what the recipe on the app originally called for.  Either way, it was an easy one dish dinner that got meat and veggies in the Psycho.  It definitely makes the book.

Blue Tinted Orange Flavored Atkins and Diabetic Friendly Cheese Cake with Umbrella Toothpicks

I was out grocery shopping and Space stopped at the cake section.  The Psycho's birthday was coming up real quick and we should get her at least a cake.  Her party was going to be later and that would have an appropriate desert.  Well I have been getting tired of prepackaged prepared food.  I know the cakes are relatively fresh.  I remember the Psycho's first birthday.  She tore into that cake.  In any case, Space and I saw a cheese cake there and the idea was spawned.  Space had a Cream Cheese Clouds recipe and I figured I could convert it to a cheese cake.  So we went at it.  When the Psycho got back from camp we got to making it.

Origin: The Ether, Duff's awesome mind and The Psycho's creativity

Ingredients:

• 16 oz neufchatel cheese or low fat cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup of unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup granulated splenda
• 1 teaspoon (dash) vanilla
• lots of neon blue food coloring (not optional)
• 3 teaspoons orange extract (other flavors can be used)
• 1 graham cracker pie crust or other pie crust or on crust
• At least 6 umbrella  toothpicks

Direction:

1. Cut butter into patties and add to mixing bowl with splenda, cheese, vanilla, food coloring and extract.
2. Mix all ingredients till everything is blended and smooth.
3. Add mixture to pie crust.
4. Place umbrella toothpicks in pie
5. Place whole pie in refrigerator or freezer
6. Lick bowl and mixers while you wait for it to set.

This turned out to be pretty good.  The Psycho really enjoyed making it and had an amazing birthday.  This will definitely make the book.

Curried Chicken Salad Wrap with Cranberries

So a while ago I was looking for something healthy and decided to look to runners world for a dinner recipe.  I saw this recipe as a sandwich recipe and thought great.  I made and it was fantastic.  Then just yesterday, I decided to make it again.  Well, the recipe calls for pine nuts and multigrain pita pockets.  Both of which are not usually found at Aldi.  So I improvised and here it is.

Origin:  Runners World and Duff's improv

Ingredients:

1. 3 cups skinneless chicken breast or two cans of pre-cooked drained.
2. 3 table spoons dried cranberries
3. 1 granny smith apple chopped into itty bitty chunks
4. 1/4 cup light mayonaise or miracle whip (you must pronounce the h)
5. 1/4 cup fat-free sour cream
6. 1 tablespoon honey mustard
7. 1 teaspoon ground curry
8. 2 cups spinach leaves
9. Tortillas

Direction:

• Add chicken, cranberries and apple to a large mixing bowl and toss.
• In another bowl mix miracle whip, sour cream, honey mustard and curry till blended
• Mix it all together in big bowl.
• On a tortilla add spinach leaves and top with chicken curry mixture.
• Roll in to a wrap or fold it quesadilla style.

This an awesomely easy recipe.  Especially when you use pre-cooked chicken.  It is light and usually yields extra stuff for the next day.  This also works as a great salad where I just put the chicken curry on top of a bed of spinach.  Either way, it made the book.

10 Minute Chili

Okay so this is not the award winning stuff of UUFN legend but it is tasty and easy and most of all quick.  This one came to me real quick when I had some beef already thawed and nothing planned. 

Origin:  Duffs ugly head

Ingredients:

• 1-2 lbs of ground beef
• 1 can corn (drained)
• 1 can tomatoes
• 1 can chili beans
• chili powder
• hot sauce (preferably Rathkeltair Hot Sauce)
• dried minced onions
• Italian Seasoning
• Sesame Seed Oil
• Honey
• Shredded Cheddar Cheese

Directions:

1. In a big pot brown beef with chili powder, dried minced onions, Italian seasoning, hot sauce and sesame oil.
2. Add corn, tomatoes and chili beans.
3. Bring to boil.  
4. Add Honey.
5. Turn off burner.  
6. Bowl it up and sprinkles some cheese on.

Like I said, it may not be award winning but it is yummy.  If in a pinch and need something real quick it will work. 

Falafel Pizzas

So I was sitting with the girls last Sunday planning out the menu for the week.  We had some falafel that we got for sandwiches a week or so ago and I said how about falafel pizza.  At that point I was thinking of just taking some dough or a bagel or something like that and using falafel as a topping or something like that.  It would be like an open-face falafel sandwich which as I think about it might be a great idea for the future.  Duff take note.  Either way, Friday came and I was trying to think about how to do it then I thought why not make the falafel the crust.  It would not really hold up like a real pizza but it could serve as a base.  That was the start of what became falafel pizzas.

Origin:  Duff's twisted mind

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup of salted butter, melted
• 2 green onions, chopped
• 1/2-1 cup broccolli, chopped
• 1 tbs butter
• Falafel
• hummus, garlic infused
• Feta
• parmesean cheese
• spinach, raw

Directions:  Preheat oven to 400

1. In a small frying pan, cook the onions, broccolli and tbs butter till the vegetables are tender crisp.  ~5min.
2. Coat small ramekins with brushed butter.
3. Smush falafel in the bottom to make crust.
4. Add layer by layer in order broccolli and onion mix, feta, hummus.
5. Sprinkle with parmesean.
6. Top with spinach leaves.
7. Cook in oven at 400F for 7 min.
8. Grab a fork and enjoy.

As you can see this worked real well with Cheap Red Wine.  It was a fine vegetarian meal and only took about 30 min to prepare.  If there were any thing to change maybe some diced tomatoes and olives to add to the flavor.  I was originally thinking of topping with tabouleh but Food Lion had not heard of this ancient delight.  Either way, Rae loves it so the recipe definitely makes the book.

Award Winning: White Creamy Chicken Chili

That's right, it is award winning.  Taking not only the Ultra Division but also took best in show.  This is a modification of a stroganoff recipe that I ran into a few years ago.  The stuff is just good and really not what most people think of as chili but it works real well and requires very little work.  It is a crockpot recipe that needs very little attention and very little prep.

Origin:  Duffs Mind

Ingredients:

• 6 bonless chicken breasts, frozen.
• 1/2 stick of salted butter cut in to 4 pieces.  Get that margarine out of here.
• 2 (.7 oz) packaged dry Italian style salad dressing mix
• 1 (8oz) package of neufchatel cheese (cream cheese will work too)
• 1 big 26 oz can condensed cream of chicken soup or 2 smaller cans.
• 1 can pinto beans drained and rinsed
• 1 can white beans drained and rinsed
• ground (white) pepper
• garlic powder

Directions:

1. In the crock pot stack the chicken breasts and add the Italian dressing mix on top.  Put the butter on top of it all.  Then put the lid on and put it on Medium Low for 5-6 hours.  
2. Go for a walk or shopping or something and let the stuff cook.  If you trust your crock pot then let it be.  I may not look that great at the end of 6 hours but it is still just good.  Your kitchen will smell amazing.
3. Take two forks and shred the chicken in the crock pot.
4. Add the soup, neufchatel cheese and beans and mix.
5. Cook for another 30 minutes and add pepper and garlic powder to taste.  

This is a real mild chili but it has its kick.  This can stand alone or go with some rice or pasta.  How ever you like.  I know chili is usually easy but this one is just overly easy when you don't have to thaw the chicken.  If by chance you have unthawed chicken I would reduce the time to 3 hours or go to low power.  Either way, keep a better eye on it or freeze you chicken.

Spaghetti Tacos

Okay so I watch some TV and I watch a lot of the same TV that Rae does.  This is an easy recipe that twists many great ideas into one.  It is customizable where people can make any way they want.  It can be as healthy or unhealthy as you want it and make sore great left overs.  Actually, it may be better made from left overs. 

Orgin:  I-Carly

Ingredients:

• 1 lb spagettii
• Garlic Salt
• Shredded Cheddar Cheese
• Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
• Parmesan Cheese
• Spaghetti Sauce
• Flour Tortillas 
• Taco Shells
• Tostada Shell
• Salad in a bag
• Optional: Meatballs

Directions:

1. Cook spaghetti for 8-10 minutes in boil water with garlic salt.
2. Drain and heat up sauce in the same pot that the spaghetti was made in.
3. Add cooked spaghetti and mix till there is a good coating on each little wiggler.
4. Lay out the Tortillas, shells, cheese, etc. buffet style. 
5. Call the clan over to make their own spaghetti tacos the way they want it.  
6. Make them clean up the mess afterward.

Okay, so the last step usually doesn't happen but it is always worth the try.  The salad in a bag can be used as part of the taco or as a separate salad.  Without it there is no green.  Of course there are variations like if you want and alfredo or pesto sauce instead, go for it.  You can also not mix in the sauce till the point of making the taco.  That keeps the options open.  And if you want to totally mash up the foods convert it to Lo-Mein and then you have an Mexican-Chinese Fusion. 

Skillet Chicken and Vegetable Parmesean

Oh my god, what an amazing recipe.  I was looking for something that would get all the major stuff in a single dish and I found it.  It has veggies and chicken and GARLIC.  And what is up with Kraft pushing is Light Zesty Italian Dressing.  It is like aliens are using it to slowly take over our minds and make us sterile for the take over.  Any who, still a great recipe and way to quick.

Origin:  www.kraft.com

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup Kraft Light Zesty Italian Dressing
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 4 small boneless skinless chicken breast halves
• 1tsp. dried basil leaves
• 1/4tsp. black pepper
• 1pkg. (10oz) frozen mixed vegetables, thawed
• 2 Tbsp Kraft Grated Parmesean Cheese

Directions:

1. Mixed dressin and garlic in large Skillet
2. Cood on medium heat for 1min.
3. Add chicken and season with 3/4tsp of basil and pepper
4. Cook 4 to 5 min on each side or until chicken is cooked through.
5. Add vegetables to skillet, sprinle with remaining basil.
6. Cook 2 to 3 min or until vegetables are heated.
7. Sprinkle with cheese.

Once again no Kraft products were harmed (or used) in the making of this recipe.  Old standbys from Aldi and Food Lion made their way in and made it fantastic.  A couple of other deviations.  I used a 16oz bag of frozen California Medley Vegetables and much more than 2 tablespoons of Parmesan Cheese was used.  Rae had a fit and said that this makes the book and the blog so here it is.  From the burner being turned on to serving it up took about 20 minutes which is faster than some mac'n cheese.  This may make a more regular appearance on the weekly menu.

Homemade Pizza Experiment: Frankenstein Pizza

So there we were, Rae and I working on a Pizza.  I could have gone real easy like dough, sauce and some mozzarella.  I had the ingredients and it could have been done quick.  Besides, AOTS was coming on and that is Awesome.  No, the menu for the day said Pizza Experiment.  Sure I am a chemist and experiment every day but there is no reason for ending the research when I leave work.  So I opened the refrigerator and we were off.

Origin:  From the minds of Duff and Rae

Ingredients: 

•  2 beef hot dogs, sliced
• 5 slices of turkey bacon, sliced
• 4 slices of american cheese chopped into 1/4" squares
• feta cheese
• 1/4 block Cream cheese, chopped into small cubes
• shredded mozzarella cheese
• shredded Italian blend cheese
• pizza dough
• pizza or tomato sauce

Directions:

1. Prepare dough per instructions.
2. In a frying pan with a little bit of oil fry the hot dogs and turkey bacon.
3. In a mixing bowl add cheese together.
4. Spread sauce, meat and cheese and bake for appropriate time.

Wow, what an amazing combination.  Of course there was more shredded cheese on the counter than in the mixing bowl but that is what make the charm to this Frankenstein like pizza.  Rae had a lot of fun with it and it was delicious.  This definitely makes the book.

Oatmeal Bar Wars: Oatmeal Peanut Butter Bars

So this is the the third recipe in the the quest for more oatmeal bars.  This may be the most complicated but that is because of the shear number of ingredients.  The best part is as far everything needed for running and nutrition this may the best yet. 

Origin:  www.foodnetwork.com

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup baking mix (Bisquick)
• 2 cups quick oates
• 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
• 1/2 cup cinnamon applesauce
• 1/2 cup raisins
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips
• 1 egg
• 1/3 cup honey

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350F
2. Spray 11x7 or 9x9 inch baking pan with cooking spray.
3. In a mixing bowl, stir together baking mix and oates.
4. Add remaining ingredients and stir until combined
5. Press dough into baking pan.
6. Bake for 20-25 minutes.
7. Cool completely before cutting into bars.

I am not sure the war is won but this may be in a dead heat for the best.  Unfortunately, it is a three way tie out of three.  Of course there is no creamy peanut butter in my house so extra crunchy works great.  Space and the Psycho love it and all of the oatmeal bars.  These are real heavy bars almost like fudge and I like. 
Time for new oatmeal bar recipes.  I can't wait.

Avacado Tostadas

So this is a kind of special recipe considering it has two recipes in it.  I started making my own guacamole about a year ago.  It is usually better than that pureed junk that passes for guac that you by in a container.  To top if off I have found the best cookbook ever.  I found it a while back at a garage sale and it is amazing.

Origin:  Best Recipes :From the backs of Boxes, bottles, Cans and Jars

Ingredients:

• 8 Old El Paso tostadas shells
• 1 can Old El Paso refried beans
• 4 cups browned ground beef
• 2 1/2 cups guacamole
• 1/2 cup sliced black olives
• 4 cups shredded lettuce
• 1 cup grated cheese
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• Old El Paso Taco Sauce

Directions:

1. In separate skillets heat beans and brown beef with some taco seasoning
2. Assemble tostadas by spreading equal portions of beans on each shell.
3. Next layer equal portions of meat and guac.
4. Add olives, lettuce, and cheese.
5. Top with guac and sour cream
6. Add taco sauce if desired.

Just so we are clear no Old El Paso was harmed in the making of this tostada.  This a great way to get everything a kid needs to eat for a nutritious dinner.  The lettuce of the mention has been replaced by a salad in a bag.  This make the book and now for the easiest guacamole recipe ever.

Ingredients:

• Avocado
• Lemon Juice
• Salsa

Directions:

1. Pit and scoop out Avocado
2. Add a dash of lemon Juice
3. Add a spoon of salsa
4. Mush up till it makes Guacamole!

There are variations with garlic powder, onions or tomatoes or what ever but this is the basic.

Chicken and Bow Tie Pasta

Hey there everybody I have a recipe that does not come from Kraft.  I was looking around for some one dish dinners and came across this.

Origin: www.myrecipes.com

Ingredients:

•      1  quart water
•      4  skinned and boned chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces
•      8  ounces  uncooked bow tie pasta
•      1  cup  chicken broth
•      1  celery rib, chopped (about 1/2 cup)
•      1  small onion, chopped (about 1/2 cup)
•      1  (10 3/4-ounce) can cream of mushroom soup
•      1  (8-ounce) package pasteurized prepared cheese product, cubed (it does not actually say velveta)
•      Garnish: chopped fresh parsley

Directions:

1. In a Dutch Oven (big pot) bring 1 quart salted water to boil and add chicken.  Cook for 12 minutes remove from water.
2. Cook bow Ties for 10 minutes and drain.
3. Add 1/4 cup of chicken broth to big pot and add celery and onion.  Cook for 5 minutes till it is tender/crisp.
4. Add broth, soup, chicken and cheese product and cook till cheese is melted.
5. Add bow tie pasta and stir together.

So this stuff was good but a couple of things.  There is no need for skinning a boning a chicken (sounds dirty anyway).  I by boneless and skinless. Also, two was enough.  These recipes seem to make way too much sometimes.  In case you are looking for Bow Tie Pasta and cannot find it by name try Farfelle.  I have no idea what that is supposed to mean but I always thought Farfelle was the dog from the old Nestles commercials.  The other thing is the celery really added nothing to this dish except as a small amount of green.  It could be left out entirely. 
Overall, a real good recipe and Rae seems to like it.  I am waiting on Spaces call.  It reheats real nice as well.

Oatmeal Bar War: Strawberry Oatmeal Bars

Battle number 2.  Another attempt at gaining a foothold in the oatmeal bar business.  Not that I am going to sell them.  Just that I want to make them and eat them.  Either way, this is not something an obsesive compulsive like me should really go into.  Baking can be such a torture.  Sometimes.
Origin:  http://www.allrecipes.com/
Ingredients:

• 1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 1/4 cup quick cookign oats
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 3/4 cup melter butter
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup stawberry preserves
• 1/2 cup coconut flake

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350F
2. Combine flour, oats, sugar, baking powder and salt in a mixing bowl.
3. Add in butter and vanilla and stir until crumbly.
4. Set aside 1 cup.
5. Press remaining crumb mixture into a 13x9" baking pan. 
6. Spread preserves over crust.
7. Combine coconut flake with reserved crumb mixture and sprinkle over preserves.
8. Bake for 30min.

Okay, so the bastards that posted this on http://www.allrecipes.com/ had instrustions that read, "In a bowl, combine all dry ingrediats."  I took this to include the coconut flake as well.  I was wrong because as I was following the directions I got the part listed as number 6.  Sure I should have read the directions first but where is the fun and adventure in that.  Either way, I like it my way.  So get rid fo number 6 and add the coconut to number 2 and all will be fantastic.  Also, Strawberry jam work just as well as preserves.
Overall, another hit on the recipe front.  This absolutly makes the book.

Oatmeal Bars War: Cranberry Oatmeal Bars

Okay, so I was at this 5k race which I was neither running or volunteering for which is weird.  Actually, it was Rae's second 5k and I was there as an Athletic Supporter.  And they had these oatmeal bars there for post race refreshments.  They were deliscious and I promptl stole a bunch for later runs/work outs.  The thing is oatmeal bars can be a real good source of energy for both recovery and refueling during a long work out.  With that being said I decided to go out and try and make some oatmeal bars for future use. 

 

Source:  http://www.allrecipes.com/

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup melted butter
• 1 egg
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup flour
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp pumpkin spice
• 3/4 cup dried cranberries
• 3/4 cup pecans
• 3/4 cup old-fasioned rolled oats

Directions

1. Preheat oven toe 350F and lightly grease 11"x7" baking pan
2. Pour melted btter into mixing bowl with egg, brown sugar and vanilla extract and beat.
3. Stir in baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, pumpkin spice and flour until throughtly blended. 
4. Mix in cranberries, pecans and oates till blended evenly.
5. Bake in over for 15 minutes.
6. Cool before cutting into squares.

This recipe is written a little over complicated but is really very easy.  The actual instructions talk about sifting powders together but I say just add the small quantity stuff in to make sure it gets toroughly mixed and then add the flour.  It works the same.  The other thing is I own no pumpkin spice so that was left out and more cinimon was added.  I am not sure what old-fashioned rolled oats are but I used quick cut oats and the bars were fantastic. 
One last thing to note.  Wait till they are cool to cut.  If not it like eating warm oatmeal goo.  Sure it tastes great but nothing that will resemble a bar will come out of it and it will most likely fall on the floor. 
Overall, a great recipe and will definately make the book.

Banana Nut Bread

So, what do you do with bananas when you forget to eat them.  At one point I thought about giving them to the dog but Booger just throws them back up.  It is funny seeing a whole banana come back up.  Either way, that is not the best option.  Cookies?  Maybe.  Bread?  Yes.  Banana Nut Bread!!!!!

Origin:  southernfood.about.com

Ingrediants:

• 1 1/3 cup mashed bananas
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup milk
• 3 tsp veg oil
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 3 eggs
• 2 2/3 cups bisquick
• 1/2 cup chopped nuts.

Directions:
Pre-heat oven to 350F, grease bottom of loaf pan.
In mixing bowl, combine all except Bisquick and nuts.  Stir until blended.  Stir in Bisquick and nuts.  Pour into loaf pan.  Bake for 50-60 minutes.

This is amazingly simple and makes a great banana nut bread.  Really, this works if you dump the entire stuff into the loaf pan and mix it there.  I love this recipe and so does Rae.  It is already in the book.

Swiss Loaf

"The I Hate to Cook Book" is an amazing book with interesting easy recipes and great humor.  The real interesting part is the tastes of  1950's and 1960's.  Food has really changed.  Either way, here is meat loaf with a twist.

Origin:  "The I Hate to Cook Book"

Ingrediants:

• 2 pounds hamburger
• 1 1/2 cups dices Swiss Cheese
• 2 beaten eggs
• 1/2 cup chopped onions
• 12 cup chopped green peppers
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1 tsp celery salt
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• 2 1/2 cups milk
• 1 cp dry bread crumbs

Directions:
"Just mix thest things together in the approximate order they're given, then press it all into one big greased loaf pan, or used two.  Bake, uncoverd at 350F for abotu an hour and a half, then yodel for the family."


Honestly, not much to this.  A couple of changes.  I have never owned celery salt so there was none added.  Green bell peppers are the most foul of all living things so I substituted red ones instead.  I also cut the recipe in half.  2 pounds of meat seemed excessive.  The other thing is I used 80/20 ground beef so meat loaf does not really work that well.  I think I may have to brown and drain prior if I decide to try this again. 

For the moment this is not making it into the book.

Double Cheese and Veggie Macaroni

Once again Kraft has helped me out with finding a good side dish that can act as most of the meal.  This one has the veggies, the tanginess, and the Mac n Cheese.  It is too bad that I don't think I used a single Kraft product in this recipe but that is what happens when you shop at Aldi.  It is amazing how easy this is and the only draw back is need for two pots. 

 

Origin:  http://www.kraft.com/

 

Ingredients:

• 1 pkg of Kraft Deluxe Macaroni and Cheese
• 1/4 cup Kraft Zesty Light Italian Dressing
• 2 small Zucchini, Chopped
• 1 large tomato, chopped
• 1/2 cup Kraft shredded Sharp cheddar cheese.

Directions:

1. Prepare Macaroni and Cheese per instructions
2. In a sauce pan heat dressing over medium heat and add zucchini and cook for 5 minutes or till crisp.
3. Add to Macaroni and Cheese along with chopped Tomatoes.
4. Top with shredded cheese.

 

A few things to note.  Shells work real nice as well.  regular Italian Dressing works since Aldi does not have Zesty.  The cheese on top is not nessecary and we have pretty much eliminated in the past couple of times making it.  This is a great recipe and Rae loves it.  It complements a good meal and can stand alone as well.  Most definately makes the book.  Another thing is the picture is from Kraft.com so thanks to them again for assist.

Easy Mini Quiches

I love Quiche and I love to cook Quiche except the fact that when I cook them I cook a lot of them. It is like Pot Pie from scratch. If you are going to put that much effort into cooking something then you might as well make it worth it. The last time I cooked Quiche I made about a dozen. Okay so I have some OCD issues and that is why it has been 6 years since I have cooked Quiche. I got the idea somewhere that there had to be a recipe for mini quiches and I searched and found a bunch. This one works real well.

 

Origin: http://www.allrecipes.com/

Ingredients

• 6 slices of bacon, chopped
• 1 onion, chopped
• 3 eggs
• 3/4 cup buttermilk baking mix (Bisquick)
• 1 1/2 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
• 2 cups shredded American Cheese

1. Preheat oven to 350F.  Grease muffin pans with spray oil or whatever you have.  In a large skillet over medium heat, fry the bacon and onion together for about 5 minutes or until bacon is crisp.  Drain and Set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, beat eggs.  Stir in baking mix, parsley, shredded cheese, bacon and onion.  Spoon into greased muffin cups. 
3. Bake of 10 to 15 minutes in a preheate oven, or until tops are lightly browned.

So a few notes.  I don't eat pork so turkey bacon it is.  Turkey bacon does not really get crisp so play it by ear.  If you ever make the mistake of buying generic Bisquick this is a great place for it.

This good stuff.  Not the real thing but nice and quick and full of quichey goodness.  Rae loves it and has asked for it to be added to the weekly menu.  This makes it worthy of the Recipe Book.