Cheeseburger Soup

So, I just realized this morning that I only have about 7 weeks of work left before I stay home to get ready for our baby boy to arrive at the end of May. It is exciting but at the same a little sad to be leaving my wonderful job. Oh well, I will be busy enough when he arrives :) Plus maybe I will be more on top of these posts ;)

This recipe is AWESOME! It is from my favorite recipe blog "navywifecook.com".
It did take a little time to prep for this dinner, but it was so totally worth it! (And you could really do all the chopping of the veggies the day before so it will save time.)

The ingredients are:

1 lb hamburger
3/4 C shredded carrot
3/4 C chopped onion
3/4 C diced celery
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried parsley flakes
4 T butter, divided
3 C chicken broth
4 C potatoes, peeled and diced
1/4 C all-purpose flour
16 oz Velveeta cheese, cubed
1 1/2 C milk
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 C sour cream

Directions:

  Brown the hamburger in a large skillet (I used my cast iron dutch oven). Drain and set aside.
  In the same skillet place 1 T butter, the shredded carrot, onion, basil, parsley and celery. Saute until tender.
  Add the potatoes, hamburger and broth. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer 10-12 minutes or until the potatoes are tender.
  In a small skillet melt the remaining 3 T of butter and add the flour. Cook and stir for 3-5 minutes or until bubbly. Add to the soup and bring to a boil. Cook and stir for 2 minutes over low heat.
  Stir in the Velveeta cheese, milk, salt and pepper. Cook, stirring often, until the cheese melts. Remove from heat and add sour cream. Top with shredded cheddar cheese if desired.

Creamy White Chili

This is an absolutely delicious and simple recipe from Taste of Home.
Prep time is about 10 minutes and cook time is about 40.
We usually have leftovers in my house, but this recipe made enough where I have only a tiny little bit for lunch today (luckily I have that!)!

Let's waste no more time and get right to it.

Ingredients:

1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2" cubes
1 medium onion, chopped
1 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1T vegetable oil
2- 15.5oz cans great northern beans, rinsed and drained
1- 14.5 oz can chicken broth
2- 4 oz cans chopped green chilies
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1 C sour cream
1/2 C heavy whipping cream

In a large pan, saute chicken, onion and garlic powder in oil until chicken is no longer pink. Add beans, broth, chilies and seasonings. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes.
Remove from heat; stir in sour cream and cream. Enjoy!

This is the perfect recipe for these last wintery days!

Chinese Chicken Stew

If you like oriental food you will really like this recipe! It is the perfect warm meal for a cold evening.

There are quite a few ingredients, but, despite that, the recipe was super easy to make. :) So, grab your crock pot and go make this for dinner!!

Ingredients:

1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1" pieces.
1 tsp. Chinese 5 spice powder
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
1T vegetable oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 -8oz package sliced, fresh mushrooms
1 can (14 oz) chicken broth, divided
1T cornstarch
1 large red bell pepper, cut into 3/4" pieces
2T soy sauce
2 green onions, cut into 1/2" pieces
1T sesame oil
3 cups hot, cooked rice

Directions:

Toss chicken with 5 spice powder and pepper flakes. Heat vegetable oil in skillet. Add onion and chicken. Cook about 5 minutes (until chicken is browned). Add mushrooms and garlic; cook, stirring occasionally, until chicken is cooked through.
Combine 1/4 cup broth with the cornstarch and set aside. Put chicken mixture, bell pepper, soy sauce, and remaining broth in slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 3 1/2 hours or until peppers are tender.
Stir in green onions, sesame oil and cornstarch mixture. Cook 30 - 45 more minutes, or until thickened.
Place cooked rice into bowls and ladle chicken stew over the top.

 

This makes about 6 servings, so if there are only two of you at home you can enjoy the left overs the next day for lunch :)

Kayla

Crock Pot Ham

So, my brain has not been working well lately and I have forgotten to take pictures of anything I cook.

Yesterday, with no time to bake a ham for dinner after work, I put it in the crock pot on low for 6-7 hours. Just add 1 cup of water to the crock pot with the ham and it will turn out super moist and delicious!
I was very surprised how easy it was :)

This week is crazy, but I will try to post again before it is entirely over!

Kayla

Pumpkin Bread

Yes, I do realize that my last post was a very Fall treat and now I am posting pumpkin. What can I say? I am on a baking kick? Probably....
I promise I will post a meal next...I DO cook dinner still! Promise!!

Okay, this pumpkin bread recipe is super easy and deliciously moist.

3 C sugar
1 C oil
4 eggs
1 can pumpkin (15 oz)
3 1/2 C flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
3/4 tsp cloves
2 tsp pumpkin pie spice\
1/2 C nuts (optional)
1/2 C chocolate chips (optional)

Blend first four ingredients well. Mix remaining ingredients (minus nuts and chocolate chips) in separate bowl and add mixture slowly to creamed sugar mixture. Add nuts and chocolate chips if desired.
Grease 2 loaf pans and fill 3/4 full.
Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 1 hour.

Enjoy!
Kayla

Apple Crisp

Now that Fall is finally upon us we can pull out thick sweaters, boots and scarves, open the windows at home and turn on the oven to make wonderfully Fall dishes such as this apple crisp. Not too sweet and not too bitter this recipe is the perfect light dessert on a cool evening.

All you need is:

4 C tart apples, sliced
2/3 to 3/4 C brown sugar, packed
1/2 C flour
1/2 C rolled oats
3/4 tsp. cinnamon
3/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/3 C butter, softened

Heat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
Arrange apples in greased, square 8x8x2" pan.
Mix remaining ingredients. Sprinkle over apples. Bake until topping is golden brown and apples are tender, about 30 minutes. Serve warm with cream or ice cream. (Or eat it plain which is delicious also :)  )
Serves 6.

I apologize for the awful picture, but I forgot to take it until I was putting the leftovers away in the refrigerator... that's how good it is :)

Kayla

Shrimp Fajitas

Fish is always a difficult dish for me to make. I just never know what to do with it to make it different than the usual fried in a pan style. This shrimp recipe has saved me a few times. It is super quick and easy to make as well as absolutely delicious! Definitely a must try!

The ingredients are as follows:

1 1/2 T vegetable oil
1 green pepper, sliced
1 red pepper, sliced
1 lb. medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 cup chopped onion
1 (1.25 oz) package taco seasoning
3 T water (or more if needed)
6- 10 inch flour tortillas, warmed

Heat 1 T oil in skillet. Add green and red peppers and onion. Cook about 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until peppers are hot, but crisp. Remove from skillet.
Pour remaining 1/2 T oil in skillet. Add shrimp and cook until pink and opaque, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to low and add peppers and onion. Stir in taco seasoning and water. Coat shrimp and vegetables well. Simmer until peppers are heated. Serve in warm tortillas.

I like to put the shrimp/ pepper mix into a tortilla and sprinkle it with cheese. Then fry in pan until the cheese is melted and tortilla is golden brown (about 1-2 minutes per side.)

Enjoy!

Kayla

Simple and Delicious Beef Stew

Hello again!

Man! It has been forever since I have posted! I have a pile of delicious recipes for you all! Today you only get one though :)

This is a super easy stew recipe. All you need is:

A pound of stew meat (I used leftover roast from Sunday supper)
4 large potatoes
4-5 carrots
1 large onion
2-3 beef bouillon cubes
1 package stew seasoning
1 bag frozen peas
salt and pepper to taste

Toss the stew meat chunks in flour until they are well coated. Brown in skillet with a tablespoon of olive oil. Cut carrots, onion and potatoes into chunks of your liking.
Place all vegetables except peas into dutch oven. Add meat and bouillon cubes. Cover with water and simmer over medium-high heat until vegetables are tender (about 30 minutes or so). Add stew seasoning, salt and pepper and peas. Cook for another 15-20 minutes. Serve with warm bread.

Have a great day!
Kayla

Cheesecake and a crazy week.

Goodness! I realized yesterday that this post is long overdue!
The past week has been crazy! A close cousin of mine had a baby boy two weeks ago and then my best friend had a boy a couple days after, so last Thursday I made them both lasagna (and totally forgot to take pictures.)
Then, Saturday I made two cheesecakes (one for a festival at our parish and the other for us), cleaned the house, went to a bridal shower for a darling girl, and finished up some sewing. This week has been a little slower. (Thank goodness!)

Here is a delicious cheesecake recipe for you :) The texture is a little crumbly, which makes it a bit unique from the usually creamy cheesecake.

For the crust you need: 

2 C graham cracker crumbs
1/4 C butter
1/4 C sugar

For the cake you need: 

4- 8 oz packages cream cheese
6 eggs
2 C sugar
2 C sour cream
1 tsp. vanilla

Directions:

Mix crust ingredients together and press into the bottom of a 10" spring form pan.

Having all the cheesecake ingredients at room temperature, blend them together well. (It will look a little lumpy when you are done.) Pour over crust and bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for one hour. Turn oven off and leave cheesecake in it for at least six hours or overnight so it does not crack. (No matter how tempting it is, DO NOT open the door or your cake may fall or crack in the center.)

As I do not have a light on my oven I did barely open the door and you can see what happened. :( Oh well, it was still delicious and I wasn't trying to win any prize I guess :)

 

 

Oh, and if you are in need of a good mixer, I highly advise you to invest in a Bosch! It is the best mixer I have ever owned in my life!

 Have a great rest of the week!
Kayla

        

Chili- Garlic Glazed Salmon

This is another great recipe from my favorite cooking blog www.navywifecook.com.

It is a super easy weeknight dinner and definitely delicious!

The ingredients are just:

3 T chili sauce with garlic
3 T minced green onion
1 1/2 T orange marmalade
3/4 tsp soy sauce
3-4 salmon fillets

Heat broiler.
Combine first four ingredients. Brush half the mixture over fillets. Place fillets, skin side down, on a greased baking sheet. Broil fish for 5 minutes, brush with remaining mixture, and broil for 2 more minutes or until fish flakes easily with a fork.
Enjoy!

Slow Cooker Chicken with Italian Sausage

This meal has been made in my kitchen at least four times in the last few months, and the other day was the first time I have ever eaten any of it. Spicy food is not big with me so I always steered toward something I knew I wouldn't cry over at dinner (obviously only due to the spices). 

This dish was as warm as I thought it would be since I used the spicy sausage. But over all it was pretty good (and Jeph really liked it which is all that matters really :)  )

The ingredients are:

 10 oz bulk mild or hot Italian sausage

 6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs

1 can (15 oz) white beans, rinsed and drained

1 can (15 oz.) red beans, rinsed and drained

1 C chicken broth

1 medium onion, chopped

1 tsp. black pepper

1/2 tsp. salt

Chopped fresh parsley (optional.)

Brown sausage in skillet over medium-high heat. Drain and discard fat. Spoon sausage into slow cooker. 

Trim fat from chicken thighs. Place chicken, beans, broth, onion, salt, and pepper into slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 5-6 hours. Adjust seasonings as desired.

To serve, slice each chicken thigh on the diagonal. Serve with sausage and beans. Garnish with parsley.

Jeph and I are off to a Packers' game tonight! Have a great day!

Kayla

Pork Chops with Onion Sauce

This is going to have to be a quick post. This week is super busy with a million little things!!

This recipe came from a blog I love to read called The Kitchen Life of a Navy Wife. ( http://www.navywifecook.com/)
The pork chops took a little longer than I thought they would to cook, so next time I am buying thinner ones. Otherwise this was a great recipe and very easy to make!

You will need:

2 tsp. olive oil
4 boneless pork chops
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. brown sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 T butter
1/2 C chopped onion
1/2 T Dijon mustard
1 T flour
1 C chicken stock
2 T parsley, chopped

Heat oil in a skillet over medium-high heat.
Combine cumin, brown sugar, salt and pepper and rub both sides of pork chops. (I had to make extra to rub them all.)
Cook pork chops in skillet about 5 minutes per side. Remove to plate when done.
Melt butter in same skillet. Add onion and Dijon mustard, and cook for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add flour, cook and stir for 1 minute. Add the chicken stock, bring to a boil and cook for 2 minutes.
Spoon onion sauce over the pork and sprinkle with parsley before serving.

Kayla

White Chicken Enchiladas

Oh my goodness!!! These enchiladas are totally AMAZING!!! I think I could eat them three times a day they are so good!
Surprisingly the recipe is also super simple which makes it a win win in my book :)

All you need is:

10 soft taco shells
2 C cooked, shredded chicken (I usually cook mine on low in my slow cooker for 4 hours or buy a Rotisserie chicken at the grocery store if I forgot to thaw the chicken...)
2 C shredded Cheddar or Montrey Jack cheese
3 T butter
3 T flour
2 C chicken broth
1 C sour cream
1 can diced green chilies (4 oz)


1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease a 9" x 13" pan.
2. Mix chicken with 1 cup cheese. Roll up in tortillas and place in pan.
3. In a sauce pan, melt butter, stir in flour, and cook 1 minute. Add broth and whisk until smooth. Cook over medium heat until thick and bubbly. Remove from heat.
4. Stir in sour cream and chilies.
5. Pour over enchiladas and top with remaining cheese.
6. Bake for 22 minutes and then high broil for 1-2 minutes to brown the cheese. (Watch closely so tortillas do not burn on edges.

I usually double the chicken to fill up the tortillas a bit more and I also skip the broiling step since it seems to turn the edges of the tortillas crispy and we don't care for that.

Well, happy Friday! So excited for grocery shopping this weekend! (NOT!) Oh well, we have got to eat I guess! :)

Have a great one!
Kayla

Hamburger Casserole

So, I think I am definitely on a pinterest kick. But why not? Pinterest is the most useful site on earth!
Guess where this recipe is from...you got it...pinterest! :)

This was a good dinner. I did add garlic powder to it which added a bit more flavor. Next time I am definitely going to add another can of tomatoes also.

The recipe is very simple. All you need is:

1 lbs of lean ground beef
2 lbs potatoes, peeled and sliced 1/4" thick
1 medium onion, sliced
1/2 tsp salt (optional)
1/4 tsp pepper
1 cup beef broth
1 can (15 oz) diced tomatoes
1 tsp parsley

Brown hamburger. In Dutch oven layer half the meat, potatoes and onion. Sprinkle with half the salt and pepper. Repeat layers. Pour beef broth over all and top with tomatoes. Cover and cook over medium heat for 45-50 minutes, or until potatoes are tender. (You can also put it in the oven for 40 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit). Sprinkle with parsley and serve. Makes 5-6 servings.

Have a great Thursday!!!
Kayla

"Baked Salmon in a Bag"

Hello again!

This is another pinterest recipe. I just realized the other day that I have tons of awesome recipes on there that I haven't tried yet!

This salmon recipe was delicious! The lemon gives it so much flavor and the prep time is very little.

All you need is:
 2-3 lemons, sliced with skin on
2-3 salmon fillets or steaks
1/2 stick of butter
Salt and pepper
3 large sheets of foil


Heat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Place 4 lemon slices on each sheet of foil; lay salmon on lemon.
Place a large pat of butter on each piece of fish and season with salt and pepper to your liking.

Fold foil into a pouch and seal.

Cook for 15 minutes or until salmon flakes easily with a fork.

Enjoy!
Kayla

Mexican Chicken

This was a very quick and easy recipe. I did have my doubts about how it would taste, but surprisingly the chicken was moist and the salsa and cheese go very well with it!

All you need is:
 
4 Boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 clove of garlic, minced (I used a tsp of garlic powder)
1/8 tsp salt
1/8 tsp ground black pepper
1/8 tsp ground cumin
1 C salsa
1 C shredded Cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
In shallow bowl combine garlic, salt, pepper and cumin. Rub chicken pieces with mixture and then place them in hot, greased skillet. Fry the chicken over medium heat for 10-15 minutes, or until both sides are browned and center is no longer pink.
Transfer chicken to baking dish. Top with salsa and cheese and bake in preheated oven until cheese is bubbly and starting to brown (about 20 minutes).
Enjoy with sides of your choice!

Have a great weekend!
Kayla                      

Beefy Layered Burrito Casserole

Planning my weeks is something I always have done. There is never a moment when there is not a planner book in my purse and it has been this way for years. What I realized last weekend was, for all the planning I love to do, I have never planned weekly meals. It just never occurred to me to do that as it was normal to frantically search for a dinner idea at the last minute. (I know, its crazy, but I didn't do loads of grocery shopping until last weekend.)
On the Kindle Jeph gave me last Christmas I found an app for Pepperplate.com (http://www.pepperplate.com/). I am in love!! Not only can you plan your weekly meals, but you can also make a grocery list AND keep the recipes there so you don't have to remember what cookbook or website they are in. It is a life saver for me! I seriously did all the grocery shopping on Monday for meals for the next two weeks.

Anyway, yesterday's dinner was this Beefy Layered Burrito Casserole that I have had pinned on pinterest for a while now. It was super good and super easy!

Here is the recipe:

                                                   Total time: 40 mins
                                                   Prep time: 15 mins
                                                  Cook time: 25 mins

                                                        Servings: 9

Ingredients: 

                                                 2 lbs lean ground beef
                                            1 small white onion, chopped
                                                  2 cups rice, cooked
                            1 can condensed cheddar cheese soup (10 3/4 oz)
                                            12 burrito-size flour tortillas
                                         1 packet taco seasoning (1 1/4 oz)
                                                 1 jar salsa (16 oz)
                                        1 can black beans, drained (15 oz)
                                                   1 can corn (29 oz)
                                         4 cups shredded cheddar cheese
                                           1 can enchilada sauce (10 oz)
                                                        2 T cilantro

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit
2. In large skillet, brown ground beef and onion, drain. Return beef and onions to skillet, turn off heat, and stir in cooked rice, undiluted soup and taco seasoning. Mix well.
3. Lightly spray a 9" x 13" pan with non stick cooking spray.
4. Line bottom of the pan with 4 tortillas.
5. Evenly cover tortillas with half the meat/rice mixture, then 1/2 the salsa, half the corn, half the black beans and 1 cup cheese.
6. Cover with 4 more tortillas and repeat layers.
7. Top with last 4 tortillas. Pour can of enchilada sauce over the top and sprinkle with remaining 2 cups of cheese and cilantro.
8. Bake for 25 minutes.
9. Serve with a dollop of sour cream, if desired.

Make sure to use a deep pan as the layers make the enchilada sauce over flow in a more shallow one....

Sadly, as you can see, I am still making enough food to feed a small army. :( I don't know why I never remember to cut the portions back before I cook!

Have a wonderful Wednesday! The week is halfway over! Woohoo!! :)

Chicken Marsala with Fettuccine

This post is going to have to be a quick one. Saturday's are always super busy around here! You MUST try this recipe!!! It is amazing!

                                            4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
                                              Salt and black pepper, to taste
                                                     1 T vegetable oil
                                                    1 onion, chopped
                                                  1/2 C Marsala wine
                                  2 packages (6 oz each) sliced brown mushrooms
                                                  1/2 C chicken broth
                                             2 T Worcestershire sauce
                                                       1/2 tsp. salt
                                               1/2 tsp. black pepper
                                              1/2 C whipping cream
                                                    2 T cornstarch
                                               8 oz cooked fettuccine
                                              2 T chopped fresh parsley

    Coat slow cooker with a non-stick cooking spray. (I just rub the inside of mine with butter.)Season chicken with salt and pepper and place in slow cooker.
    Heat oil in skillet, add onion; cook until translucent. Add Marsala wine and cook another 2-3 minutes. Add mushrooms, broth, Worcestershire sauce, 1/2 tsp. salt and 1/2 tsp pepper. Pour mixture over chicken. Cover and cook on HIGH 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 hours or until chicken is cooked through.
    Transfer chicken to cutting board and slice. Blend whipping cream and cornstarch until smooth. Stir into mushroom mixture. Cover and cook 15 minutes or until mixture thickens. Add salt and pepper, if desired.
    Cook pasta. Serve topped with chicken and mushroom sauce. Enjoy!!

Have a great weekend!!! 

Kayla

Slow Cooker Beer Chili

Cooking with beer is something I have never done before probably due to the fact that I detest the stuff. Tuesday, however, I came across this recipe in my Crockpot slow cooker book and for some reason it sounded too good to not make. I ran to the liquor store and asked the lady to tell me what beer to use. She was very nice and gave me multiple choices. I ended up buying  Samuel Smith's Oatmeal Stout.

Here is the recipe: 

2 T olive oil

1 large onion, diced

4 cloves of garlic, crushed

1 1/2 to 2 lbs. ground turkey

1 can (28 oz) crushed tomatoes

1 cup dark beer

3 T chili powder

1 tsp. curry powder

3 T hot pepper sauce (any hot sauce you prefer)

1/3 C honey

1 package (10 oz) frozen corn

1 can (15 oz) pink or kidney beans, rinsed and drained

1/3 C diced mild green chiles

3 beef bouillon cubes

1 to 2 T flour, to thicken

Heat oil in skillet over medium high heat. Add onion; cook for 5 minutes. Add garlic; cook for 2 minutes. Add turkey; cook until no longer pink. Drain fat. Add remaining ingredients, stirring until mixed. Transfer to slow cooker. Cover; cook on LOW 8-10 hours or HIGH 4-6 hours.

It did end up being a tad too spicy for me, so I added sour cream and cheddar cheese to my bowl. It was delicious even though I have the dislike for beer! 

Well, Jeph and I are off to the Omaha zoo with my Mom and brother! Have a great weekend!

"High Flyer" Smoothie

This recipe is from the book "Juices and Smoothies" that I purchased from Barnes and Noble a few weeks ago. The ingredients are three: a ripe mango, 3/4 cup cranberry juice, and 2/3 cup peach yogurt. Chop the mango into chunks and blend together with the juice and yogurt. Makes 1 1/2 cups.