These are awesome! They're like tiny little meat loaves. I used to make it just like the recipe says, but I eventually got lazy and stopped browning them in the skillet before baking. I just completely skip that step and put them straight into the oven, adding a little time to compensate for the fact that they didn't get the heat on the stovetop. I honestly can't tell a difference.
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ree-drummond/comfort-meatballs-recipe/index.html
They're great with mashed potatoes and asparagus. If you're interested, here's how I cook my asparagus: Snip off the tough ends and wash it. Put them on a baking sheet with an edge. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with garlic salt and pepper, roll them around a little to make sure they're coated, and bake at 350 until slightly tender (I like them to be a little crunchy). Easy and tasty!
Wednesday, November 6, 2013
Crock Pot Nachos
This is something I kind of made up, I think. I'm sure I got the inspiration somewhere, but I can't remember where! Just put 2-3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts into the crock pot, add a can of black beans (I like to rinse them first), can of corn (drained), and can of Rotel. You can use a jar of salsa instead of the Rotel if you prefer. I use whatever I already have. I usually add a little Mexican seasoning like a packet of taco seasoning or just some chili powder, cumin, and garlic salt. Let it cook for 3-4 hours on high, then turn off the crock pot (or set it to "warm"), shred the chicken with two forks, and then let it sit for a few minutes before serving. I like to serve this in a shallow bowl with some tortilla chips and use them to dip. I usually put a little shredded cheddar cheese and sour cream on top of mine; Derek likes jalapenos on his; and the boys just get it straight out 'da pot. Lots of times I'll double this and we will have leftovers the next day. It's really good reheated.
Slow Cooker Sesame Chicken
Here's the link:
http://www.justapinch.com/recipes/main-course/chicken/slow-cooker-sesame-chicken.html
This is delicious! I used chicken thighs instead of breasts so I think you could use pretty much any cut of chicken you want. I served it over brown rice with a side of steamed broccoli and we all loved it. Also, we have a rice cooker so that really adds to the ease of this meal for me. I'm really surprised at how much I use that thing. You can steam veggies in it as well.
http://www.justapinch.com/recipes/main-course/chicken/slow-cooker-sesame-chicken.html
This is delicious! I used chicken thighs instead of breasts so I think you could use pretty much any cut of chicken you want. I served it over brown rice with a side of steamed broccoli and we all loved it. Also, we have a rice cooker so that really adds to the ease of this meal for me. I'm really surprised at how much I use that thing. You can steam veggies in it as well.
Meatless Meals
I try to do a meatless meal at least once a week. Not only is it super cheap, but I feel like we eat too much meat anyway, and I really don't miss it when we eat one of these meals...
Sweet Potato + Salad: Sometimes I'll just put a couple sweet potatoes in the toaster oven (no need to peel; just wash and place on a baking sheet) and serve a baked sweet potato with a salad. I dress them up with a little butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon and that's it. They usually take 40-60 minutes to bake, depending on the size, but it doesn't get any easier than that. You can make the salad ahead of time and just take it out of the fridge when you're ready to eat.
Loaded Baked Potatoes or Mashed Potatoes + Salad: If I have russet or baking potatoes, I'll bake them. If I have small red potatoes, I'll just boil them, skin on, and mash them (I use a potato masher like this so I don't have to get my mixer dirty) with some butter, milk, garlic salt, and pepper. Sometimes I boil a few cloves of fresh garlic with the potatoes and just mash it right up along with the taters, in which case I'd leave off the garlic salt and just do regular salt. Mixing a little cream cheese in while you're mashing really adds to the creaminess factor and tastes awesome as well. I'd serve the mashed potatoes or the baked potatoes with a little sprinkle of cheese and whatever else people like (green onions, crumbled cooked bacon, sour cream, jalapenos, etc.).
Beans in the Crock Pot: This is so cheap and easy! I take a bag of dry beans (the other day I did this with pinto beans), rinse them, and throw them in the slow cooker with plenty of water (I cooked on high for around 4 hours and they were perfect; no soaking required) and some seasoning. I put in some country ham I had and added some seasoned salt, but you could replace about half of the water with chicken broth and I bet that would be good, too. This is a great cold-weather meal and is really good with a side of corn bread or biscuits (I used a box of Jiffy corn muffin mix and stuck a sliced jalapeno on top of each muffin before baking...yum). Oh, and when I made this most recently, I stirred in a handful of chopped kale about 15 minutes before serving. I felt like it really added some nutritional benefit and it tasted great, too.
Sweet Potato + Salad: Sometimes I'll just put a couple sweet potatoes in the toaster oven (no need to peel; just wash and place on a baking sheet) and serve a baked sweet potato with a salad. I dress them up with a little butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon and that's it. They usually take 40-60 minutes to bake, depending on the size, but it doesn't get any easier than that. You can make the salad ahead of time and just take it out of the fridge when you're ready to eat.
Loaded Baked Potatoes or Mashed Potatoes + Salad: If I have russet or baking potatoes, I'll bake them. If I have small red potatoes, I'll just boil them, skin on, and mash them (I use a potato masher like this so I don't have to get my mixer dirty) with some butter, milk, garlic salt, and pepper. Sometimes I boil a few cloves of fresh garlic with the potatoes and just mash it right up along with the taters, in which case I'd leave off the garlic salt and just do regular salt. Mixing a little cream cheese in while you're mashing really adds to the creaminess factor and tastes awesome as well. I'd serve the mashed potatoes or the baked potatoes with a little sprinkle of cheese and whatever else people like (green onions, crumbled cooked bacon, sour cream, jalapenos, etc.).
Beans in the Crock Pot: This is so cheap and easy! I take a bag of dry beans (the other day I did this with pinto beans), rinse them, and throw them in the slow cooker with plenty of water (I cooked on high for around 4 hours and they were perfect; no soaking required) and some seasoning. I put in some country ham I had and added some seasoned salt, but you could replace about half of the water with chicken broth and I bet that would be good, too. This is a great cold-weather meal and is really good with a side of corn bread or biscuits (I used a box of Jiffy corn muffin mix and stuck a sliced jalapeno on top of each muffin before baking...yum). Oh, and when I made this most recently, I stirred in a handful of chopped kale about 15 minutes before serving. I felt like it really added some nutritional benefit and it tasted great, too.
Slow Cooker Whole Chicken
This is so easy and one of those great meals that you can stretch out for several days. Just toss a whole chicken into the crock pot, season as desired, and let it go. For a 3.5-4.5 pound chicken, it should cook on low for somewhere between 4 and 8 hours. I would think you could just start it in the morning and let it do its thang. You could throw some celery, onions, and carrots into the crock pot and then set the chicken on top of them so that you'll have veggies and they'll be really flavorful, or you can leave those out and serve it with pretty much anything you have on hand. Some ideas for seasoning: seasoned salt (such as Lawry's) and pepper; lemon pepper seasoning; go for more of a Cajun/spicy vibe with some Tony's; or just plain old salt and pepper...you really can't go wrong. If you want it to have a crispy skin, then place the chicken in an oven-safe dish and put it under the broiler for a few minutes before serving. I personally don't do that because the whole point is that it's really easy and that just adds an extra step!
And...here's my favorite thing about using a whole chicken: After you've eaten it for a meal, pick all the rest of the meat off of the bones and use it for sandwiches, chicken salad (I use just white meat when I make mine), tacos, quesadillas, or soup the next day. Leave the bones, skin, whatever's left in the crock pot. Add some carrots, onions, and celery (if they aren't already in there), a couple bay leaves, some thyme and oregano, and fill it up with water. Let it simmer on low all night (like 8-12 hours) and you'll have the best chicken broth ever. Strain it and pour into jars or freezer bags (once it's cool) and you'll have it for recipes in the future.
And...here's my favorite thing about using a whole chicken: After you've eaten it for a meal, pick all the rest of the meat off of the bones and use it for sandwiches, chicken salad (I use just white meat when I make mine), tacos, quesadillas, or soup the next day. Leave the bones, skin, whatever's left in the crock pot. Add some carrots, onions, and celery (if they aren't already in there), a couple bay leaves, some thyme and oregano, and fill it up with water. Let it simmer on low all night (like 8-12 hours) and you'll have the best chicken broth ever. Strain it and pour into jars or freezer bags (once it's cool) and you'll have it for recipes in the future.
Chicken Zucchini Casserole
Here's the link for this one:
http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/chicken-zucchini-casserole
This dish could really stand alone since it has all of the food groups covered, but if I feel like adding a side I might serve it with a small salad or some French or Italian bread. My boys both love this and there's no extra preparation involved for them since it's nice and bite-sized!
http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/chicken-zucchini-casserole
This dish could really stand alone since it has all of the food groups covered, but if I feel like adding a side I might serve it with a small salad or some French or Italian bread. My boys both love this and there's no extra preparation involved for them since it's nice and bite-sized!
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