Archive for Main Dishes
Sloppy Cornbread Muffins
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I’ve decided that I love sloppy joes more than any 36 year old mama ought to love sloppy joes. (Sloppy joes aren’t just kid food, right?) I’m a little crazy when it comes to my hamburger meat. I like it a lot. Bring on the beef.
As you may recall, this Sloppy Cornbread is a very fun way to eat Sloppy Joes without buns. Over the weekend I experimented making the Sloppy Cornbread into muffins….and YUM!
To make Sloppy Cornbread Muffins you will need:
1 recipe of Cornbread
1/4 recipe of Sloppy Joes (which is 1/2 pound of meat)
which will make 12 Sloppy Cornbread Muffins
These freeze and reheat very well…which means you may want to use:
a double batch of Cornbread
1/2 recipe of Sloppy Joes (which is one pound of meat)
which will make 24 Sloppy Cornbread Muffins
Is this getting confusing? If you make up the full Sloppy Joe recipe, you could just make some of it into Sloppy Cornbread Muffins, then freeze the remaining Sloppy Joes mixure. Or, you could just bring it over to me and I’ll get a fork and eat it right out of the pan.
First fill your muffin cups half full (or half empty depending on the kind of day you’re having) with cornbread batter.
The muffins do tend to stick a little to paper muffin liners…so you may have better success just buttering each muffin cup very well.
Spoon about a Tablespoon or two of Sloppy Joe meat into each muffin cup.
Bake in a 400° oven for 20 minutes.
So, what kind of day are you having? Would your muffin cups be half empty…or half full?
High Five Recipes: Layered Cheesy Salsa Enchiladas
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This recipe could NOT get any easier, especially if I already have a big batch of homemade tortillas in my fridge ready to go.
These enchiladas can also be made with corn tortillas if you have a gluten intolerance or if you just like corn tortillas better.
Layered Cheesy Salsa Enchiladas
1 pound ground beef
sea salt to taste
2 cups salsa
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided (I use raw white cheddar)
8 whole wheat flour tortillas (or corn tortillas)
Brown meat. Stir in salsa and 1/2 cup of cheese.
Lay 4 tortillas in the bottom of a 9×13 inch baking dish. Spread half of meat mixture over tortillas. Layer again with the 4 remaining tortillas. Spread remaining meat mixture over tortillas. Top with 1 1/2 cups cheese. Bake uncovered at 350° for 20-25 minutes. Makes 6-8 servings.
This dish freezes easily too, making it a great make ahead meal!
Freezing Instructions: Cover dish well and freeze. Thaw and bake as directed above. Or, if the enchiladas are frozen, bake in a 250° oven for one hour, then at 350° for another 30 minutes or until cheese is bubbly.
I have several more High Five Recipes up my sleeve (not literally of course, but wouldn’t that be fun to see?). Oh, and actually if you haven’t already, you should go read the story of my sleeves because, well it’s always fun to read about sleeves.
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This post is linked to Frugal Fridays.
High Five Recipes: Chicken Fried Steak Strips
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I do almost all of the cooking around here…not because Matt can’t or won’t cook. I just really, really love to cook and have more time to be in our kitchen.
However, ever since Matt started working at a restaurant, he’s been quite a bit more interested in learning about food preparation…and guess what? My husband has a really great cooking tip for you today.
Yes indeed, this nugget of Chicken Fried Steak Strip wisdom is brought to you by the Heavenly Homemaker’s Husband! (Maybe you knew this tip already, but I didn’t.)
Here’s what he shared with me the last time I made these Chicken Fried Steak Strips:
If you keep dipping the meat in the flour and then in the milk and then back in the flour and then back in the milk and then back in the flour and then back in the…
It will make an extra yummy, extra crispy coating on the outside of the strip.
My strips were good, but I had just been single dipping. Following Matt’s advice, I am now double and even triple dipping. Now, they are Oh My Goodness Amazing. All thanks to my husband. I love that man. You will too after you try his double/triple dipping advice. But you can’t have him. He’s mine.
Chicken Fried Steak Strips
1 pound beef cube steak
1 1/4 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 t. garlic powder
3/4 cup milk
oil for frying (I usually use palm shortening for this from Tropical Traditions)
Cut cube steak into 1 inch strips. In a bowl, stir together flour and garlic powder. Pour milk into a separate bowl. Heat oil in a skillet (350° for electric skillet or medium heat on the stove top).
Dip beef strip in milk, then in flour mixture. Dip, repeat. Dip, repeat. Dip, repeat. (More or less is fine.) Place strip in oil. Cook for about 7 minutes on each side. (Salt to taste.)
So let’s review: The more you dip, the better the strip. You’ve gotta try it!
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Read a great tip about Preparing Ahead and Flash Freezing your Chicken Fried Steak Strips here!
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This post is linked to Kelly the Kitchen Kop for Katie’s Spring Cleaning Carnival.
High Five Recipes: Super Simple Burritos
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All this time, I thought burritos was spelled “b-u-r-r-i-t-o-e-s”. Duh, I know. Spelling is not my gift. (You’ve probably figured that out by now.) I had “burritoes” typed in this recipe, but it just didn’t look right.
So, I did a swag search for “burritoes” and you know what it asked me?
“Did you mean burritos?”
Well, that answered my question. But sheesh, it’s like the computer is mocking me when it does that, you know?
Super Simple Meat and Cheese Burritos
1 pound ground beef, venison or turkey
sea salt to taste
3/4 cup shredded cheese (I use raw white cheddar)
1 cup salsa
10-12 whole wheat tortillas
Brown meat in a large pan. Salt to taste. Remove from heat and stir in salsa and shredded cheese. Spoon 2-3 tablespoons onto a tortilla and wrap.
To Freeze: Lay burritos barely touching in a 9×13 freezer safe dish. If you are freezing more than one layer of burritos, place wax paper or parchment paper between the layers to prevent them from sticking together.
To Re-Heat: Place burritos on a baking sheet. If burritos are thawed, warm in the oven for about 15 minutes until heated through and through. If burritos are frozen, leave them in the oven for about 30 minutes. They might get a little crispy on the outside, but yum!
Super Simple Bean and Cheese Burritos
3 cups cooked black or pinto beans
1 cup salsa
3/4 cups shredded cheese
sea salt to taste
8-10 whole wheat tortillas
Mix beans, salsa, cheese and salt. Wrap 2-3 tablespoons in each tortilla. Freeze and reheat as above.
Not flavorful enough for ya? Add any one or more of the following (which will mean that this recipe will no longer be a High Five Recipe…but who’s counting?):
- 3 Tablespoons chopped onion
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/2 cup chopped olives
- 1/2 cup cooked sweet corn
Or, make the ingredients go a little farther by stirring in 1 cup cooked brown rice.
Why This is One of My Very Favorite Recipes:
- Everyone in my family loves them. The boys cheer when I make them.
- They are SO easy to make!
- They freeze VERY well. In fact, instead of making them just before serving time, I much prefer to make a triple batch of these, freeze them and have them ready to go for a quick meal.
- When I have them made ahead of time, they are the EASIEST lunch to serve: Heat…eat…done.
- They are very low in cost, especially if you use beans.
- They are good and healthy.
- They are a PERFECT item to take to someone who has just had a baby or a surgery or a whatever. The recipient can warm them up as they need them. I take these to people ALL the time!
- They keep my children full for longer than ten minutes.
- Last but not least, I now know how to spell them correctly. ;)
Now let’s take a vote. Which High Five Recipe would you like to see next? Cream Scalloped Potatoes…or Chicken Fried Steak Strips?
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This posted is linked to Frugal Friday.
Holiday Help: The Easiest Way (in My Opinion) to Cook a Turkey
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Clearly the easiest way to cook a turkey is to let someone else cook the turkey. ;)
But, if you’re the one in charge of preparing the meal this year…let me share the easiest way I’ve found to cook a turkey.
I remember being so intimidated to cook a turkey the first time I hosted a Thanksgiving dinner. I called my mom a million times to ask questions.
Could it really be that cooking a turkey is as simple as taking out the innards, putting it in a pan, covering it, and baking it? Yes, it is that easy.
My holiday turkeys are not fancy. I don’t stuff them. I don’t slather them with anything. I just put them into the oven and cook them. They create their own broth…smart little birds that they are.
Here is an excerpt from Heavenly Homemaker’s Guide to Holiday Homemaking ebook on How to Cook a Turkey:
Pick your turkey: You will need about 1 ½ pounds of turkey per person you are serving. Buy your turkey accordingly. Or, buy a larger one if you want to have lots of turkey leftovers. (Here are all kinds of ideas for what to do with leftover turkey!)
Thaw your turkey: Place the turkey in the refrigerator for 3-4 days until thawed.
Prepare your turkey: Once the turkey is thawed, reach in and grab out the bag of giblets. (This is by far every one’s favorite step, right?!) Empty the giblets into your roasting pan as they help make a good, rich broth. Place the turkey, breast side up, into a large baking pan or roaster.
Cook your turkey: Cover with foil or with your roaster lid. Cook at 325° for 15-20 minutes per pound. (For instance, a 20 pound turkey would need to bake for three to four hours.) You know your turkey is done cooking when the little red thingy pops up…or when the legs start to pull away from the body. Your turkey should be golden brown and slightly crisp looking. (Light brown and slick looking? Mr. Turkey is not done yet.)
To Cook your Turkey ahead of time (I highly, HIGHLY recommend doing this!!):
You can cook your Thanksgiving turkey as many days ahead of time as you want. I know most of you like turkey fresh out of the oven on Thanksgiving Day. But, here’s what I learned from my mom, and it really saves a lot of trouble on the big day when I’d really enjoy visiting instead of messing with a big bird.
Cook and cool your turkey any day before Thursday. De-bone and put meat in baggies. Pour broth into jars (3/4 full). Freeze or refrigerate, depending on how far in advance you cooked the turkey. If frozen, thaw in refrigerator the day before serving.
To reheat turkey, put as much light and dark meat as you think you will need for the Thanksgiving meal in a 9×13 pan. Drizzle a liberal amount of broth over turkey, cover and warm in 300° oven for 30-45 minutes or until meat is hot and steamy.
No one will ever know that you prepared your turkey ahead of time (except for the fact that you won’t be carving the turkey in front of them). It is always juicy and moist. I do it this way every year, and I’m always so thankful that the messy part is over before Thanksgiving day!
Are you in charge of cooking a turkey this year?! Do you stuff your turkey? Have any more helpful turkey cooking tips to share?
Up next in this Holiday Help series…How to Make Turkey Gravy!
Let me know what other questions you might like answered in this Holiday Help series!
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This post is linked to the Happy Housewife and Frugal Fridays .
A Kid Friendly Meal: Sloppy Cornbread
Posted by: | CommentsYou know how some of your kids like some of your meals some of the time…and all of your kids like some of your meals some of the time and none of your kids like some of your meals some of the time?
And the ones some of them like…the others don’t…and the ones the other ones like the first ones don’t?
But you make them ALL eat it anyway because hello, we are not short-order chefs…but really it’s so much nicer when all of the kids like all of the meals all of the time.
I have discovered a meal that all of my kids like all of the time.
We call it Sloppy Cornbread.
I came up with this recipe because you know how when you have hamburger buns for your sloppy joes in the house some of the time…but not all of the time when you need them…and you don’t have time some of the times to make homemade buns…and the ones from the store are still at the store? That’s what happened to me one time.
But I really wanted to make sloppy joes and while some of the time we eat them without buns, we don’t do that all of the time and I really needed to fill my family up before a soccer game this time.
And that’s how we came up with Sloppy Cornbread.
To make Sloppy Cornbread you need:
Spread the sloppy joes out into a 9×13 inch baking pan:
Spread the cornbread mixture over the top then bake for 2o minutes at 400°. (You can sprinkle cheese on top before baking if you want to!)
All of us like this all of the time and some of the time there is some leftover but not all of the time because most of the time we eat the entire pan.
You should try it sometime.
:)
Garlic Chicken Pasta and Three Cheese Garlic Chicken Pasta
Posted by: | CommentsSeveral of you have requested this Garlic Chicken Pasta recipe when you’ve seen it on my menu plans. I put off posting it because I was still tweaking it. I THINK I’ve got it the way I like it now!
I like this Creamy Mac and Cheese recipe so much that I finally tried using the same method of cooking the pasta in the milk for this new recipe too. Aha! Now I like it.
Garlic Chicken Pasta
2 cups cooked chicken, cut into bite sized pieces (great way to use up leftover chicken)
1 clove garlic or 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder (or more if you like lots of garlic)
1-2 Tablespoons olive oil
2 1/2 cups whole wheat pasta
3 cups whole milk
3 Tablespoons butter
1/2 t. sea salt
grated parmesan cheese
In a skillet, saute chicken and garlic in olive oil. Turn to low heat to keep warm. Meanwhile, cook the pasta in a big pot with the milk, butter and salt. Stir almost constantly, especially as the pasta is becoming tender and the milk is beginning to boil. Cook and stir over medium heat until pasta is tender and the starch from the pasta has thickened the milk, creating a creamy sauce. Stir in the chicken and serve immediately…sprinkling parmesan cheese on each serving.
To make this recipe into Three Cheese Garlic Chicken Pasta:
Follow recipe as above, except before adding chicken to cooked pasta…remove from heat and add 1/2 cup shredded white cheddar and 3 oz. cream cheese. Stir until cheese has melted…add chicken and serve with parmesan cheese.
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This post is linked to Frugal Fridays .
Yummy and EASY Sloppy Joes
Posted by: | CommentsCall me weird, but I’ve about decided that Sloppy Joes are one of my favorite things to eat. I know…it’s just this spoonful of messy meat on a bun…but I love it.
They are just so simple to make and easy to eat, and they have such good flavor. I love making them for lunch. They freeze well. They reheat easily. Ah, Sloppy Joes…what’s not to love?
Sloppy Joes
2 lbs ground meat (beef, turkey, venison or lamb)
2 T. minced onion
1 cup ketchup (I’m experimenting with making my own ketchup, but in the meantime I love this brand.)
1 teaspoon mustard
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1 Tablespoon worchestershire sauce
sea salt to taste
Brown meat and onion together. Add remaining ingredients, stirring well. Allow mixture to simmer in the skillet for a few minutes.
We love Sloppy Joes served on these homemade buns. Shucks, I like them without a bun. Sloppy Joe in a bowl! Yum!
Okay, question…
Just about everytime I serve Sloppy Joes, my kids ask me why they are called sloppy joes. Who was this Joe character? Was he a sloppy kind of a guy?
Anybody know the reason behind the name of this dish? Even if you don’t…do you feel like making something up? Anything’s better than what I’ve got (which is “I dunno.”).
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This post is linked to Frugal Fridays.
Zucchini Recipes: Cheeseburger Zucchini Boats
Posted by: | CommentsYou’ve gotta try this fun zucchini recipe! Little boats that you can eat…how cool is that? What a perfect way to get your kids to eat zucchini!
Cheeseburger Zucchini Boats
3 small zucchini
1 pound ground beef
1 small onion, chopped tiny
1/2 t. garlic powder
1/2 t. chili powder
sea salt
1/2 cup cheddar cheese (I use raw white cheddar)
Cut off the ends of the zucchini and boil them for about 10 minutes. In the meantime brown hamburger meat, onion, garlic powder and chili powder. Salt to taste.
Slice cooked zucchini lengthwise.
Use a fork and spoon to scrape out the “zucchini guts” (sorry, I live with boys) and add it to cooked hamburger meat.
Scoop equal amounts of hamburger mixture into each “boat”. Top with shredded cheese.
Put in oven broiler for a couple of minutes until cheese is melted then serve right away.
Now you can eat them while singing, “Great green globs of slicky, slimy zucchini guts…”
Or…you can skip the sing-along and just eat them.
;)
Lasagna Casserole…On the Stovetop
Posted by: | CommentsI mentioned here that I’m trying to avoid the oven during these hot summer days. Later this week, I’ll be making Lasagna Casserole, which is one of our family’s favorite recipes (and one of mine because it’s so EASY).
BUT…I don’t want to bake it in the oven right now. It’s just too hot.
For recipes like this…I “bake” them on the stove top. Just follow the recipe as normal…but then leave it in the pot on the stove. Sprinkle cheese over the top and put the lid on. Let it sit and simmer for a few minutes until the cheese is all melty all over the place…then serve.
This method also works for Cheesy Beef and Rice and Pizza Casserole….and probably a bunch of other casserole recipes you have that are all pre-cooked and then baked for a few minutes.
This summer…skip the oven. Use the stovetop. Unless of course you like sweating profusely and passing out. I’ll use my oven when I absolutely have to. In the meantime, when I can…I’ll stick to my stove-top.
This post is linked to Tammy’s Recipes for Kitchen Tip Tuesdays.
