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Monday, October 29, 2012

Menu Monday - (w New Recipes!!)

I've missed cooking. So this week's menu includes lots of new recipes and time in the kitchen. You see, I like to cook when I have free time. It's my way of expressing my creativity. It also represents an un-hurried life. When I have time to try new recipes it's like I have time to explore new options, create them and (hopefully) savor them! So I have a few links below that were new recipes to our house! Some of them we may even add to the rotation!

SUNDAY - brunch
Cheesy Scrambled Eggs, Sausage Links, Bacon Cheese Pull Apart Bread & PotatoCakes

MONDAY - Swiss Baked Chicken with Crockpot Mashed Potatoes & Green Bean Casserole (we love, love this meal!)

TUESDAY-Crock Pot Macaroni & Cheese
(it's Paula Dean's recipe y'all, so it's gottobe good!)

WEDNESDAY-leftovers

THURSDAY - Pizza Subs w Perfect French Fries  (seriously, these fries are perfect! and with the prep/fry time involved it is a recipe to make when you have time!)

FRIDAY - Tator Tot Casserole
(my hubby's fav-OH-rite! there are a ga-zillion ways to make this but my recipe is simple and super kid friendly)

SATURDAY
Pumpkin Doughnuts (again work but totally worth the effort!)

AND JUST BECAUSE:
Pioneer Woman Apple Pie (yum-o!) (this pie is a slice of heaven)

S'more Bars (my kids loved this. I adapted (as I do almost every recipe) because I only had about 5 regular size Hershey bars. But c'mon chocolate is chocolate, no?)

Cinnamon Roll Waffles (this recipe comes from a website blogger called "Lady Behind the Curtain" !! isn't that an awesome name! ha! I only have a Belgium waffle maker so we used 2 Grands at a time and spiraled them around each other so we had one HUGE cinnamon roll)



I'm always looking for new recipes! Please add yours or a link to yours in the comment section below! Happy cooking! xo Steph

Crock Pot Mashed Potatoes

You know how you LOVE mashed potatoes but never serve it because it leaves you standing in the kitchen when you want to be doing other things? I found a crockpot recipe! Now I can have mashed potatoes on busy nights or even for company and I'm not all tied up in the kitchen. I know, you can thank me later after you try it out!

5# potatoes
1 c butter chunked
1 T salt
2t garlic powder
1 t pepper

Add all to crockpot and cook 4 hour on high. Do not drain. When ready add 1 1/3 c warm milk and mash. Enjoy.


Tater Tot Casserole


Tater Tot Casserole
(my hubby's fav-OH-rite! there are a ga-zillion ways to make this but my recipe is simple and super kid friendly)

Bake tator tots according to package until super crispy.
Meanwhile fry up hamburger ((add onions if you like. I like))
Drain meat and add 1 can condensed cream of cheese soup and 1/2 can of milk and mix up with meat. When tots are done put in 9x9 greased dish and fill bottom but save some for the top.
Then layer meat/cheese mixture, cover in shredded cheddar cheese and sprinkle remaining tots on the top.
Add extra cheese for extra goodness and heat through in the oven.
Then accept applause from your children.


FYI I love this with Ketchup but my kids love it with Ranch dressing aka STAPLES in our house!

Pizza Subs

Get your favorite sub bun or hoagie roll.
Layer in it:
Ham
Salami
Crumbled, cooked sausage
Pepperoni
(and anything else you like on a pizza)
top it off with Mozzarella &/or Provolone Cheese
and pizza sauce.

Wrap it in foil and warm it in the oven. Enjoy!


Tuesday, October 23, 2012

Menu Monday (on Tuesday)

You don't mind, right? If my menu is on Tuesday rather than Monday? I mean a menu is a menu is a menu? Either way, we have to eat. The Tribe gets restless every night around 5 p.m. and I get asked "What's for dinner?' over and over and over
and ...

Good thing I know ahead of time what we're having!

Monday
Rachel Ray's Baked Potato Soup & Grilled Cheese with Apple Crisp (fall makes me want soup! what can I say? the kids don't love soup though so that's a problem but this reheats well and makes a yummy lunch!) p.s. sometimes I use precooked bacon. 


Tuesday
Cornbread Pizza (Hubby put this meal together for me because I was delayed coming home! He hit it out of the park! He said "it was easy!" Now THAT's a winner recipe!)

Wednesday
Lauren R's Pasta Italian Casserole bake (truth is hubby loves this more that the kids. if you don't love cream cheese I recommend cutting back a little. I doubled the recipe and shared a pan with a friend. I hope her family liked it :) )

Thursday
LEFTOVERS

Friday
Taste of Home's Cheeseburger Soup (seriously, this is worth every minute it takes to make it. this batch I left out the celery and carrots because I didn't have any AND I always double the Velveeta. because cheesier IS better, no?) p.s. I made this with homemade bread. don't be impressed it's the frozen dough you set out all day. it rises on it's own and all you do is pop it in the oven. your friends will be impressed!

Saturday
Pillsbury's Chalupa (That's not what it's REALLY called and FYI my kids don't know this is a biscuit shell! If they did they would have snubbed it. - thus I make up my own name for recipes! Also, I always have taco meat in the fridge as I always make too much for this exact reason!)

Sunday brunch - Buttermilk Pancakes
(These are nothing - NOTHING - like biscuit mix pancakes. They are oh so good! I even keep the dry ingredients mixed up in a baggie so that I can whip them up in 3 minutes on school mornings!)


p.s. I love recipes! Please add your favorite meal below and maybe I can work it into one of my MENUs! Thanks!

Monday, October 15, 2012

Menu Monday - Oct 15

Oh yeah! You asked for it, you got it!
Menu Monday is baaaaacckk!
Holla!

Ok whatever. That's a little over the top. But still, like 4 people asked me to get back to Menu Mondays so in response to my "fans" ... here it is!

Go ahead, give me some lovin!

Sunday Brunch
OverNight Apple French Toast
perfect perfect perfect for fall!

Monday
Pasta Bake with Bread Sticks
My family loves Pizza Hut's Pasta Bake. I figured ... I can do that better! 'Course Pizza Hut delivers and keeps my kitchen clean .....

Tuesday
Walking Tacos Tailgate (in honor of Ebay's bday) I made the taco meat ahead of time, warmed it up in the crockpot the day of and took individual bags of Doritos, tons of lettuce and cheese along with salsa and ranch! The boys could pile up their bags however they wanted and I had zero mess to clean up. Atta-girl!

Wednesday
Campbell's Creamy Chicken and Cheese Enchiladas
Seriously, this has become a staple at our house!

Thursday
Crockpot Chicken n Dumplings
This was my first go at this recipe and I liked it....the kids were eh! but you can't beat the ease and convenience!

Friday
Pizza-Dillas
Please use real butter and real cheese. Please. It is so good,

Saturday
Chili and Hot Dogs with Tortilla Chips and Queso Dip
Truth is ... the hot dogs are for the kids. In fact, they don't even eat chili. But this way we are all happy!


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Better than Pizza Hut Pasta Bake

1 box Rotini or Penne noodles (cooked according to directions & rinsed in cool water)
2 jars of your favorite pasta sauce
1 pound sausage (cooked & grease drained)
2 T Sugar
2 cups of your favorite Italian Cheese (we love mozzarella & provolone)


Spray a 2 quart casserole pan with nonstick spray and put in enough sauce to cover bottom of pan. Then pour in the noodles. Scatter sausage on that. Pour on the more sauce. Sprinkle the cheese. Bake. Bake till bubbly and yummy. 350 for 24 minutes or so! Let set before you dish up to avoid excessive runny-ness!