Sunday is for Supper: crescent burgers, shredded beef tacos, slow cooker breakfast casserole, slow cooker spaghettie sauce italiano

I want to challenge you.  I want to challenge you to sit down and have a meal with your family.  There are so many positive outcomes that comes from just reconnecting with your family over a shared meal.  We were blessed to have the chance to sit down together at every meal today:  breakfast, lunch, and dinner.  It was awesome and a rarity.  During the work week we are usually rushing out the door to work and preschool, and breakfast becomes a grab and go type of event.  Lunch, of course, is on or own at our workplaces and preschool, but dinner is a time for us to be together.  I know this may change as the kids get older and we are pulled in different directions, so realistically for most, would be to sit down together at a meal 2-3 times a week.

When we sit down for dinner, we turn music on and talk about our day.  We all share what our favorite part of the day was.  Tessa loves this and will often look at us and say, "So, what was the favorite part of your day?"  Ry and I are taking a parenting class through church and they suggested playing a game over a meal called, "Sad, mad, and glad."  You take turns going around the table sharing one thing from the day that made you sad, mad, and glad.  We have fun with it and makes for a fun dinner conversation and I think Tessa thinks it's interesting to hear about things that actually made her parents sad and mad.

I hope you have a chance to sit down to a meal together this week!  My wish is that maybe one of these suppers will be one you can make for your family. 

Pinterest has become one of my go-to sites for recipes.  I usually spend part of my weekends scouring the internet and cookbooks for recipes to use for dinners for the week, but pinterest has it all in one place and it has been so fun to find new recipes to try.  Have fun trying these recipes:  crescent burgers, slow cooker breakfast casserole, shredded beef tacos, slow cooker spaghetti sauce italiano.

Crescent Burgers: (thanks to www.budgetsavvydiva.com)  Tessa took one bite of these and threw her arms around me and said, "Thank you Mommy!  These are so yummy!"  No lie, this actually happened.

Ingredients:
1/2 pound of ground beef
worcestshire sauce
1 egg
1/3 packet of dry onion soup mix
1/2 tsp black pepper
2/3 cup cheddar cheese
1 roll of crescents

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375.  In a skillet heat a small amount of oil and brown meat.  In a medium size bowl mix – 1/2 cup of cheese, onion soup mix, couple drops of Worcestershire sauce, pepper; meat.  Unroll the crescents. Place a rounded tablespoon of the meat mixture towards the larger end of the crescent dough.  Place crescents onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.Brush the tops of the dough with an egg wash ( simply break and egg in a bowl and whisk egg until well blended and 1 tablespoon of water to the mix).  Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top of the egg wash and bake for 10 – 15 minutes.

Slow Cooker Breakfast Casserole: (thanks to the http://crockingirls.com)  I love my slow cooker and love when dinner is already done for me when I get home.  I think my slow cooker is too big, but it still does its job.  I think I need to go get a 4 quart one, though.

Ingredients:

1 Package of Frozen Hash Browns

1 Pound of Cooked Sausage

2 Cups of Colby Jack Cheese, shredded

1 Cup of Diced Peppers (green, red, yellow and/or orange)

1 Cup of Sliced Mushrooms

1 Can of Diced Chilis (optional)

1 Quart of EggBeaters (can also use 16 eggs)

                      

Directions:

Spray the slow cooker with Pam.

Starting with the frozen hash browns, layer the ingredients, repeating twice.  Shake the EggBeaters well and pour over the top.  cook on LOW for 8 hours on HIGH for 3-4 hours.

 

Shredded Beef Tacos: (thanks to http://userealbutter.com)  These were a true OMG moment.  These are amazing tacos!  Ryan and I totally stuffed our faces and did it again when we had leftover night!

 

Ingredients:

1 1/2 lbs eye of chuck (which is NOT beef chuck roast)
4 tbsp vegetable oil
2 tbsps vinegar
2 tbsps fresh lime juice
1 1/2 tsps ground cumin
1 1/2 tsps chili powder
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup beef stock
salt to taste
~ 24 corn tortillas
lettuce, queso fresco, salsa, guacamole, etc. (for toppings)

 

Directions:

Trim the fat and cut the beef into 1 inch thick slices. In a ziploc bag, combine the oil, vinegar, lime juice, cumin, chili powder, and garlic. Place the meat slices in the bag, seal, mix it around and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight. Bring the meat to room temperature. Place all contents from the bag in a baking dish with the beef stock. Cover the dish and bake for 1 1/4 hours (I baked it for 2 1/2 hours) at 350°F. Let the meat rest for 10 minutes and then shred it with forks or process it quickly in a food processor with the plastic dough blade (I prefer the forks method). Salt the meat to your liking. Fry the tortillas lightly in a little hot oil.  Double the tortillas and stuff them with shredded beef, lettuce, cheese, guacamole, and salsa.

 

 

Slow Cooker Spaghetti Sauce Italiano:  (adapted from my Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook)

 

Ingredients:

1 pound bulk Italian sausage or ground beef

1 cup chopped onion

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 14.5 ounce cans diced tomatoes, undrained

1 6-oz. can tomato paste

2 4-oz. cans mushroom stems and pieces, drained

1 bay leaf

2 tsp dried Italian seasoning, crushed

1 cup chopped green sweet pepper

12 to 16 ounces hot cooked spaghetti

 

Directions:

In a large skillet cook sausage, onion, and garlic over medium heat until meat browns.  Drain fat; discard.  In a 3 1/2 or 4 quart slow cooker combine undrained tomatoes, tomato paste, mushrooms, bay leaf, Italian seasoning, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp black pepper.  Add meat mixture.  Cover and cook on low 8 to 10 hours or on high 4-5 hours.  Stir in sweet pepper.  Discard bay leaf.  Serve meat mixture over hot cooked spaghetti. 

 

553 cal, 23 g fat, 51 mg chol, 1,506 mg sodium, 62 g carb, 6 g fiber, 27 g protein.

 

Happy July! Sweet and Sour Chicken Thighs with Wilted Spinach, Farfalle with Sausage, Tomatoes, and Cream, Perfect Pork Burgers, Chicken Salad

July is one of my favorite months for a few reasons.  My wonderful husband was born in the month of July, we were married during this month, my grandmother also celebrates her birthday, July is the one full month that teachers have off during the year, and the country celebrates its independence!  I love it!  (There have been plenty of unpleasant things that have happened in my lifetime during the month of July, but the good stuff totally outweighs the bad.) 

I still have yet to make the fajitas and sausage burgers from this past week because of schedule changes, etc., but the corn dogs and the lo mein were huge hits at the Fletcher house!  Ryan even made the comment that we probably really don't ever have to eat out since we can make most everything at home.  Yay!  :)

I hope you enjoy this week's recipes!

***Chicken thighs are fun to cook with and a nice change-up to the old standby of chicken breasts.  I like it when my grocery store has the boneless, skinless chicken thighs on sale.  I bought two cases.  I'll use one for this recipe and cook the other case so I will have cooked chicken on hand.  This recipe comes from a blog called The Cookbook Junkie.

Sweet and Sour Chicken Thighs with Wilted Spinach
Marinade:
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
2 tbsp canola oil
2 tbsp granulated sugar
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 to 2 teaspoons hot chili garlic sauce

6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
4 large handfuls baby spinach leaves

1.  In a small bowl, mix the marinade ingredients together.
2.  Place the thighs in a large resealable plastic bag.  Pour in the marinade.  Seal the bag tightly and turn it to distribute the marinade over the chicken.  Place bag in a bowl and refrigerate 1-2 hours, turning the bag occasionally.  (I might even marinate it overnight)
3.  Remove the thighs from the bag, reserving the marinade.  Pour the marinade in a very large skillet and set aside.  Grill the thighs over direct high heat until the meat is firm and juices run clear, 8-10 minutes.  Turn once or twice.
4.  Meanwhile, bring the marinade to a boil over high heat and allow to boil for 1 minute.  Add the spinach leaves and cook until the spinach is just wilted, 2-3 minutes, turning occasionally.  Serve the warm spinach mixture under the chicken.


***This next recipe is an old stand-by.  Again, we love Italian sausage in our house and find multiple uses for it.  This was one of the first recipes I made as a married woman and needless to say, the hubby loved it.  The sauce has a nice kick to it and don't skip out on the cream.  You can substitute milk for it, but the cream really does give the sauce a nice color and texture.

Farfalle with Sausage, Tomatoes, and Cream
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound Italian Sausage, casing removed
1/2 teaspoon dried crushed red peper
1 cup chopped onion
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes with added puree
1/2 cup whipping cream

1 pound farfalle (bow-tie pasta)
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
Freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese (I have used Parmesan and it's just as good)

Heat oil in a heavy large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add sausage and crushed red pepper.  Saute until sausage is no longer pink, breaking up with back of fork, about 5 minutes.  Add onion and garlic; saute until onion is tender and sausage is browned, about 3 minutes longer.  Add tomatoes and cream.  Reduce heat to love and simmer until sausage mixture thickens, about 3 minutes.  Season to taste with salt and pepper. 

Meanwhile, cook pasta in large pot of boiling salted water until tender but still firm to bite.  Drain, reserving 1 cup cooking liquid.  Return pasta to same pot.  Add sausage mixture and toss over medium low heat until sauce coats pasta, adding reserved cooking liquid by 1/4 cupfuls if mixture is dry.  Transfer pasta to serving dish.  Sprinkle with basil.  Serve, passing cheese separately.

***This next recipe is another burger to try.  I'm holding to my word of trying a new burger every week!

Perfect Pork Burgers
5 slices bacon
1 clove garlic, minced
1 pound ground pork
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1/4 teaspoon dried rubbed sage
Freshly ground pepper
4 potato buns, split
Unsalted butter, softened, for spreading
Coleslaw, for topping

1.  Pulse the bacon and garlic in a food processor until coarsely ground.
2.  Combine the ground pork, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper and the sage in a large bowl.  Add the bacon mixture and gently mix with your hands.  Gently form the meat into 4 balls, then lightly press into 4-inch-wide, 1-inch-thick patties.  Make a 2-inch-wide indentation in the center of each with your thumb to prevent the burgers from bluging when grilled.
3.  Preheat a grill to medium high.  Season the patties wtih pepper.  Grill, undisturbed, until marked on the bottom, 5-6minutes.  Turn and grill until the other side is marked and the patties feel firm, 4 to 6 more minutes.  Meanwhile, spread the cut sides of the buns with butter and toast on the grill.
4.  Serve the patties on the buns; top with coleslaw.

***One of my goals this week is to get the whole family to the pool after Ry Guy comes home from work.  If we do this, we usually bring dinner with us since there really is no place to pick up a good meal on the way to the pool.  Chicken salad would be a great meal to have after playing with the kids together!

Chicken Salad
8 ounces chopped cooked chicken
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/4 cup thinly sliced green onion
1/3 to 1/2 cup mayonnaise (could also try plain low-fat yogurt of Greek yogurt)
1 teaspoon snipped fresh basil or 1/4 teaspoon dried basil, crushed
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon finely shredded lemon peel (optional)
Bread slices or salad greens

In a medium bowl, combine chicken, celery, and green onions.  For dressing, in a small bowl stir together mayonnaise, basil, salt, and lemon peel.  Pour dressing over chicken mixture and toss gently to coat.  Cover and chill 1 to 4 hours.  If desired, serve on bread or over salad greens.

We Survived...

Dempsey will be a month old on Tuesday.  When you have a newborn and you make it through the first month, you wonder where the time has gone, but you also feel like it took an eternity to get there.  True, all the phases with children go by so quickly, but sometimes when you are in them, they go by soooo slowly it seems. 

It has been an eventful month.  Tessa broke her collarbone the first weekend we were home with Dempsey.  So we kept her home from preschool in order for her to heal for a week and a half.  She want back to preschool only to come down with a fever that kept her home this past week.  Needless to say, I have had to learn quickly how to be a parent of two while Ryan is at work.  I do love my days with both of the kids.  It's so nice to have Tessa at home because it makes me get up and get outside and it's so nice to have someone to talk to!

Dempsey is a good baby.  I don't handle the newborn phase well, so I've been the one having the meltdowns, not him.  I am learning to let go of some things and stop trying to be such a control freak.  Hopefully we will be on somewhat of a routine in the next few weeks!

I have not had to cook at all these past few weeks thanks to my wonderful family, friends, and coworkers.  We have had some yummy dinners brought to us!  This week I am trying to get back on track with the cooking and trying figure out how to cook with two kids in tow.   I will be attempting to make;  No Peek Chicken with Rice, Sausage Dinner Hoagies, and Southwestern Meatball Chili.

**This recipe comes from the cookbook my Aunt Cathy gave me.  This is a budget friendly and kid friendly meal with few ingredients!
No Peek Chicken With Rice
1 can cream of mushroom soup
2 cups milk
1 cup raw rice
1 cut up frying chicken
1 pkg dry onion soup mix

Put soup, milk, and rice in roaster and stir will.  Place cut up chicken on top of rice.  Cover with dry onion soup mix.  Cover with lid or foil.  Bake 2 hours at 300 without peeking.

**I get the magazine Better Homes and Gardens.  I was happy to see some of the recipes in it this month used stuff I had in the freezer!
Sausage Dinner Hoagies

Ingredients

• 4 6-inch thin-crust sandwich or hoagie rolls
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 2 jalapeno peppers,* seeded and minced (about 2 Tbsp.)
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/8 - 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 lime, halved
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 pound bulk Italian sausage, fresh Italian sausage, or fresh Mexican-style chorizo**
• 1 cup finely shredded green cabbage
• Kosher salt

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Using a serrated knife, slice off top 1/4 inch of rolls. With fingers, remove most of the bread inside, making "boats" to hold sausage and dressing. (Reserve removed bread for another use, such as making bread crumbs.) Brush insides of rolls and undersides of tops with melted butter. Arrange on an ungreased baking sheet, cut sides up; set aside.

2. For flavored mayonnaise, in a small bowl mix together 4 tsp. of the jalapenos, a pinch of salt, and the cayenne pepper. Add juice from haf the lime. Whisk in mayonnaise; set aside.

3. In a 12-inch nonstick skillet heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Loosely pinch off 1 to 1-1/2 inches by 1/2 inch chunks of sausage (about 24 pieces). Cook in hot skillet in a single layer with space between for 10 to 12 minutes, until well-browned and cooked through, turning once to brown evenly.

4. While sausage is cooking, place buttered bread boats in oven for 5 to 8 minutes, until golden brown and crusty.

5. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl combine remaining minced jalapenos and shredded cabbage. Add a pinch of kosher salt and juice from remaining half lime; toss to combine. Spoon a generous tablespoonful of flavored mayonnaise in the bottom of each boat. Divide browned sausage, hot from skillet, among boats. Top with shredded cabbage. Generously spread cut sides of roll tops with remaining mayonnaise. Place on sandwiches. Serve immediately.

From the Test Kitchen

• Note * When working with fresh chiles, wear rubber or disposable plastic gloves or cover your hands with small plastic bags.
• Note ** In some areas, these varieties are sold as links. If so, remove from casing before cooking.

Nutrition Facts

• Servings Per Recipe 4,
• Calories 950,
• Protein (gm) 24,
• Carbohydrate (gm) 54,
• Fat, total (gm) 71

  Southwestern Meatball Chili
1 14 - 16 ounce package fully cooked refrigerated or frozen beef meatballs, thawed

1 16 ounce package Santa Fe medley frozen mixed vegetables (corn, black beans, and red peppers)

2 cups chopped fresh tomatoes and/or cherry tomatoes

1 1/2 cups water

1 tablespoon chili powder

3 tablespoons tomato paste

Sliced jalapeno peppers, chopped cherry tomatoes, and/or fresh cilantro (optional)

Directions

1. In a Dutch oven combine thawed meatballs and vegetables, fresh tomatoes, water, chili powder, and tomato paste. Cook, covered, over medium-low heat for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

2. Ladle chili into bowls. Top with jalapeno peppers, cherry tomatoes, and/or cilantro.

From the Test Kitchen

• Tip Serving Suggestion:corn muffins
• Tip Change Up: Substitute turkey meatballs for the beef meatballs. Substitute a 16-oz. package of frozen carrots, peas, and green beans for the Santa Fe vegetables. Substitute 1 Tbsp. Italian seasoning for the chili powder.

Nutrition Facts (Southwestern Meatball Chili)

• Servings Per Recipe 4,
• Calories 386,
• Protein (gm) 20,
• Carbohydrate (gm) 25,
• Fat, total (gm) 24,

32 Weeks...

I think the Lord shows his sense of humor through a pregnant woman's body.  At 32 weeks, I am actually feeling better than I was at 25-26 weeks, but this belly is definitely a-growin'.  I am at that point where getting from a sitting to a standing  position takes twice as long as it used to and bathroom breaks occur mostly at night.  Tessa likes to look at my belly and say, "Look at your belly, Mama!  It's sooo big!"  She is so innocently honest, and I love it.  She also likes to put her head on my belly to see if Dempsey will kick her.  He usually does.  His pesky little brother side is already manifesting itself.

The heartburn and acid reflux that comes this late in pregnancy has definitely started to settle in, but it has not stopped me from wanting to eat everything in sight.  Moderation is key!  This week, I need to get rid of MORE rockfish (and he's out fishing again today, so who knows how long we will be eating rockfish), and london broil and porkchops are on sale at the store.  And of course, I had to throw in a stew recipe.  This week we are making:  sausage stew, broiled rockfish cakes, dry rubbed london broil, and garlic-parmesan pork chops. 

*This recipe makes A LOT of stew, so feel free to reduce whatever you want and use whatever you have in the fridge.
Sausage Stew

yield: Serves 6

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pounds veal or pork sausages
• 3/4 pounds sweet Italian sausages

• 4 onions, sliced
• 2 bell peppers, chopped
• 6 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 1 pound boiling potatoes, peeled, cubed
• 1 16-ounce can stewed tomatoes
• 1 14 1/2-ounce can chicken broth
• 1/4 cup tomato paste
• 1 10-ounce package frozen green beans
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano, crumbled
• 1 teaspoon dried basil, crumbled
• 1 teaspoon dried marjoram, crumbled
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella
• 1 cup shredded cheddar
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan

Preparation

Heat heavy 4-quart saucepan over medium-high heat. Add sausages and cook until brown, turning occasionally, about 30 minutes. Transfer sausages to plate; cool slightly. Cut into 1-inch pieces.

Remove all but 2 tablespoons fat from saucepan. Add onions to saucepan and sauté over medium heat until tender, about 15 minutes. Add bell peppers and garlic and continue cooking until bell peppers just begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Pour in wine and boil 1 minute. Add potatoes, tomatoes, broth and tomato paste. Simmer until potatoes are tender, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Stir in green beans, sausages and herbs. Cover and cook 15 minutes. Add all cheeses and stir.

*I've made something like this before, but this recipe is much simpler than what I made before.  I can't wait to try them.
Broiled Rockfish Cakes
Ingredients:
1 pound shredded cooked rockfish
1 large egg
1/4 to 1/2 cup of mayonnaise
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

Rockfish Preparation  (Foil Steamed):Remove skin and all dark meat, then place filets in foil packet
Drizzle with fresh lemon juice
Lightly salt and pepper
Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of basil over filets
Seal packet tightly-cook 425 degrees for about 20 minutes.
Cooking time will vary with thickness of filets. Fish should flake easily.
Mix all ingredients together, excluding rockfish, with whisk. Add rockfish to dressing mixture. Put covered mixture in refrigerator for about 1 hour. After 1 hour, form cakes with mixture and return to refrigerator for about 1/2 hour.
Lightly spray cookie sheet with cooking spray. Place cakes on cookie sheet and place under broiler at low temperature until they are beautifully browned. Flip, and do the same for other side. There is no filler in these cakes, it is just pure delicious rockfish.

*I haven't made this recipe in a while, but dry rubbing london broil or marinating it is pretty much the way to go when cooking it.  I'll probably serve this with mashed potatoes and maybe a side of cooked carrots. 
Dry Rubbed London Broil
Adapted from Food Network recipe courtesy of Dave Lieberman

Ingredients:
1 (2 pound) London Broil
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 recipe Dave's rub               (mix all ingredients in a small bowl)
   -2 tablespoons chili powder
  - 1 tablespoon dried oregano
   -1 tablespoon sweet paprika
   -2 teaspoons garlic powder
   -4 pinches salt
   -15 grinds black pepper

Rub London broil with olive oil and then coat generously with dry rub.  Let stand for about 15 minutes at room temperature.  Preheat a grill pan over medium-high heat.  Place meat on grill and grill for about 5 minutes on each side for medium-rare.  Remove from heat and let rest for 5-10 minutes before slicing on the bias.


*Pork chops pair really well with Dijon mustard.  I've found that any recipe that has Dijon mustard included with pork chops is delicious.  I hope you like this recipe as much as we do!  I'll probably serve this with a salad, rolls, and some kind of apple-something.
Garlic Parmesan Pork Chops
adapted from Southern Living

6 boneless pork loin chops
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 cup milk
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 cup Italian-seasoned breadcrumbs
1/4 cup butter or margarine, divided
1 1/2 teaspoons jarred minced garlic
3/4 cup whipping cream
1/3 cup white wine or chicken broth
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

Sprinkle pork chops evenly with salt and pepper.  Stir together milk and mustard.  Dip pork chops in milk mixture; dredge in breadcrumbs.  place pork chops on a rack in a broiler pan.  Back pork chops at 375 degrees for 30 minutes or until done.  Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a saucepan over medium-high heat; add garlic, and saute 2 to 3 minutes.  Stir in cream, wine, and cheese; reduce heat, and simmer 3 to 4 minutes ( do not boil).  Whisk in remaining 3 tablespoons butter until melted.  Serve with chops.