My daughter is a spaghetti fanatic. She'd probably eat it every day if I'd let her. Unfortunately, the rest of us don't feel the same way! So, to accommodate her desire, I've started making big batches and freezing them in thermos-size portions for her school lunches. The easiest and quickest way for me to do this is with the Instant Pot. I've tried a couple of recipes but none came out with thick enough sauce for her, and after some experimenting I've finally come up with a winner!
1 T. olive oil
1/2 to 1 pound ground beef
1 small onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. Italian seasoning
1/2 tsp. pepper
16 ounce package spaghetti noodles
1 24-ounce jar spaghetti sauce
1 24.5-ounce container crushed tomatoes
3 c. water
With the Instant Pot on the saute setting, brown the ground beef, onion, and garlic in the olive oil. Once cooked, turn off the pot. Carefully drain grease if necessary. Add seasonings and stir with the meat mixture.
Break the noodles into desired length and sprinkle into the pot (don't put them in in solid handfuls or they'll clump together when they cook). Pour the spaghetti sauce and crushed tomatoes over, then pour the water over all of that. Make sure the noodles are submerged in the liquid.
Seal the Instant Pot and cook on manual for 9 minutes. After cooking, use the manual pressure release. Remove the lid and stir thoroughly to make sure that everything is incorporated evenly. Serve immediately, or freeze in single-serve portions to eat later.
Enjoy!
Showing posts with label make ahead. Show all posts
Showing posts with label make ahead. Show all posts
Thursday, November 29, 2018
Sunday, March 30, 2014
Feeding the Freezer
Not too long ago we had an unexpected major expense. Not like "oh we need a new car", but more "oh we're now camping for vacation this summer". Fortunately we've managed to sock away a decent emergency fund, but in looking more closely at our overall financial picture, I realized how much we've nickeled and dimed away our savings lately. We knew something had to change. So, I've started once again tracking every penny we spend (which sounds arduous but really only takes about three minutes a day if I actually keep up with it). By far our biggest expense that we can actually do something about is food.
I actually have a very generous grocery budget for three people. Not USDA Thrifty Plan generous, but close. Very close. And that doesn't include eating out. Also a very generous amount. I tend to buy natural and organic meat and dairy, locally when I can. About 2/3 of our produce is organic. So it adds up fast. And when I come home in the evening and don't feel like cooking, I'm not shy about running right back out to pick up fast food.
I love the idea of freezer cooking, where you spend a day whipping up a bunch of fabulous, ready to pop in the oven meals, and then you don't have to think about cooking again for a few weeks. But realistically, that doesn't work for me. We just don't eat like that. But if I'm going to get out of the habit of running out for burgers just because I had an exhausting day, the best thing for me to do is to keep my freezer well fed. So over the last couple of weekends I've been doing some prep work that won't give me ready to serve meals, but will make my meals much, much quicker to throw together.
Yesterday I poached a whole chicken. I took the meat off the bones and shredded it, giving me enough for three future casseroles. When I cooked it, I added carrots, celery, garlic, onion and herb to the water. Once I took the chicken out, I strained the broth and put it in the fridge. Tonight I'll pull most of the fat off and then freeze it in one or two cup portions, to be used in future meals.
Today I pulled four pounds of ground beef out of the freezer (I bought 20 pounds on March 7 and I'm very interested to see how long it lasts us). Two pounds were browned with onions and garlic, which gives me four meals' worth of pre-cooked meat for tacos, chili, casseroles, etc. I made Italian meatballs with the other two pounds. I use my cookie scoop and got 50 meatballs, so I froze them in packages of 10. If we're having spaghetti, I'll pull out one package. If we're having meatball subs, I'll pull out two. Quick and easy.
I also made a batch of pizza dough. This is my favorite recipe. I don't have pizza on the menu this week, so I put both balls in the freezer so they'll be ready in case the mood hits.
I'm planning to make broccoli cheese soup this week (I finally got my family to agree to try homemade - it was a bit of a disaster last time but I know where I went wrong). My daughter asked for bread bowls. I've been wanting to try this Italian Roll recipe, so I mixed up the dough. It's in the fridge now and tomorrow night I'll bake it into four bread bowls for soup on Tuesday.
Hubby asked for no-bake chocolate oatmeal cookies, so I made a batch of those, too. I was going to try this recipe for Blueberry Banana Oat Bread but ran out of steam. So I pulled a loaf of banana bread out of the freezer for this week's breakfasts and I'll freeze the bananas that need to be turned into baked goods (we have some every week lately, which probably means I need to buy less!).
After all that I didn't really feel like cooking dinner, so we had a simple meal of broiled pepper steak (got some on the clearance meat rack yesterday), baked potatoes and roasted asparagus. Tasty.
What's cooking in your kitchen this week?
Monday, January 20, 2014
Pizza Pockets
Today I got to be home alone from 7:30 to 3:30. That happens, oh, I don't know, once a year? On MLK Day, which my husband doesn't have as a holiday and I do. Normally I'd keep my daughter home from daycare to save the money and spend some time together, but I haven't had a day to myself in a long time so I decided I'd just stick with her regular Monday schedule.
I had a great day! Watched whatever I wanted on TV, caught up on the laundry folding, and had time to make something special for dinner (Mondays are swimming lessons so we're usually eating hot dogs or frozen lasagna or something else that literally takes less than 15 minutes to put together. I was thinking about making pasta from scratch, but my kitchen's a bit of a disaster at the moment. Then I thought about making a chili and cornbread casserole, but wasn't really in the mood for chili. I went out to the freezer to see what inspired me, and I noticed the bag of frozen roll dough that I bought a long, long time ago. I wonder what I was going to do with that, anyway???
I grabbed the bread dough and a package of chicken Italian sausage and knew exactly what I was going to make. And it was GOOD!!!! The best part? It made enough for dinner tonight and to freeze for another meal. Yay!
The filling for these is as variable as pizza itself. I just used what I had on hand, and normally I would use fresh mushrooms and garlic. Remember you don't want the filling to be too juicy or they will leak everywhere.
Pizza Pockets
makes 24
24 frozen bread roll balls
1 pound Italian sausage
1/4 medium onion, diced small
1 2.25-ounce can sliced olives, drained and roughly chopped
1 4-ounce can sliced mushrooms, drained and roughly chopped
1 8-ounce can tomato sauce
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
6 slices provolone cheese, quartered
Place frozen roll dough on two greased or parchment-lined rimmed baking sheets. Cut two sheets of plastic wrap long enough to cover the pans. Spray plastic wrap with cooking spray and cover the dough balls. Let thaw two hours or until pliable, but not fully risen.
In a large skillet, brown Italian sausage and onion (if you're using chicken or other lowfat sausage, you may need to add a bit of oil). Break up the sausage into small pieces (a potato masher works well for this!). Add remaining ingredients except cheese. Cook, stirring often, for 10 minutes.
When dough is thawed, press each out into a 4-inch circle (I prefer to do this one at a time). Place a piece of cheese and approx. two tablespoons of the meat filling into the center of each circle. Bring up all the edges, pressing to seal, forming a ball. Place on the baking sheet, seam side down. When finished, cover again with plastic wrap. Let rise 30 minutes, or put in the fridge for several hours.
If you choose to put them in the fridge, remove them about 45 minutes before baking so they come back to room temperature.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Remove plastic wrap and bake, uncovered, 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown.
Enjoy!
I had a great day! Watched whatever I wanted on TV, caught up on the laundry folding, and had time to make something special for dinner (Mondays are swimming lessons so we're usually eating hot dogs or frozen lasagna or something else that literally takes less than 15 minutes to put together. I was thinking about making pasta from scratch, but my kitchen's a bit of a disaster at the moment. Then I thought about making a chili and cornbread casserole, but wasn't really in the mood for chili. I went out to the freezer to see what inspired me, and I noticed the bag of frozen roll dough that I bought a long, long time ago. I wonder what I was going to do with that, anyway???
I grabbed the bread dough and a package of chicken Italian sausage and knew exactly what I was going to make. And it was GOOD!!!! The best part? It made enough for dinner tonight and to freeze for another meal. Yay!
The filling for these is as variable as pizza itself. I just used what I had on hand, and normally I would use fresh mushrooms and garlic. Remember you don't want the filling to be too juicy or they will leak everywhere.
Pizza Pockets
makes 24
24 frozen bread roll balls
1 pound Italian sausage
1/4 medium onion, diced small
1 2.25-ounce can sliced olives, drained and roughly chopped
1 4-ounce can sliced mushrooms, drained and roughly chopped
1 8-ounce can tomato sauce
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
6 slices provolone cheese, quartered
Place frozen roll dough on two greased or parchment-lined rimmed baking sheets. Cut two sheets of plastic wrap long enough to cover the pans. Spray plastic wrap with cooking spray and cover the dough balls. Let thaw two hours or until pliable, but not fully risen.
In a large skillet, brown Italian sausage and onion (if you're using chicken or other lowfat sausage, you may need to add a bit of oil). Break up the sausage into small pieces (a potato masher works well for this!). Add remaining ingredients except cheese. Cook, stirring often, for 10 minutes.
When dough is thawed, press each out into a 4-inch circle (I prefer to do this one at a time). Place a piece of cheese and approx. two tablespoons of the meat filling into the center of each circle. Bring up all the edges, pressing to seal, forming a ball. Place on the baking sheet, seam side down. When finished, cover again with plastic wrap. Let rise 30 minutes, or put in the fridge for several hours.
If you choose to put them in the fridge, remove them about 45 minutes before baking so they come back to room temperature.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Remove plastic wrap and bake, uncovered, 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown.
Enjoy!
Sunday, August 11, 2013
Baking Day
Ok, so I've pretty much spent the entire weekend in the kitchen. Well, I did get out for a bike ride with my family this afternoon, and planted some flowers with my girl after dinner, but other than that it's been kitchen, kitchen, kitchen. Probably not exactly what my hubby had in mind when he said he wanted to clean house, but at least I've run the dishwasher four times and all the knives are clean at the moment!
I started my day by mixing up a pan of whipped banana oatmeal. I put a spoonful of peanut butter on top - DELICIOUS!!!
After breakfast, I made a batch of pizza dough to put in the freezer. Half will be for BBQ chicken pizza later this week, half will be for the future (I'm thinking of trying it out with hot dogs to make pigs in a blanket).
While that was rising, I made some of our favorite banana bread. Since we're just about out of cereal bars and I'm not planning a trip to Trader Joe's this week (hubby eats two every morning for breakfast), this should get us through at least a couple of days' worth of breakfast.
Then, on a whim, I cleaned out the freezer compartment of the fridge. And found stuff from 2011 in there - yuck! So I made several trips to the compost and gave the garbage disposal a good workout. Then we ate lunch and went for a bike ride.
Afterward, my girl and I made blueberry muffins. She LOVES sprinkles, so I let her put some Swedish pearl sugar on top.
Dinner needed to be easy and quick, so I made some delicious chicken taquitoes (recipe coming).
And, we're topping of the evening with some Ovaltine chocolate chip popsicles. Yummy!
I started my day by mixing up a pan of whipped banana oatmeal. I put a spoonful of peanut butter on top - DELICIOUS!!!
After breakfast, I made a batch of pizza dough to put in the freezer. Half will be for BBQ chicken pizza later this week, half will be for the future (I'm thinking of trying it out with hot dogs to make pigs in a blanket).
While that was rising, I made some of our favorite banana bread. Since we're just about out of cereal bars and I'm not planning a trip to Trader Joe's this week (hubby eats two every morning for breakfast), this should get us through at least a couple of days' worth of breakfast.
Then, on a whim, I cleaned out the freezer compartment of the fridge. And found stuff from 2011 in there - yuck! So I made several trips to the compost and gave the garbage disposal a good workout. Then we ate lunch and went for a bike ride.
Afterward, my girl and I made blueberry muffins. She LOVES sprinkles, so I let her put some Swedish pearl sugar on top.
Dinner needed to be easy and quick, so I made some delicious chicken taquitoes (recipe coming).
And, we're topping of the evening with some Ovaltine chocolate chip popsicles. Yummy!
Saturday, August 10, 2013
Menu Plan and a Kitchen Day
It's been a while since I've had a bona fide day in the kitchen. I usually know it's time when we eat out more in a week than we eat at home - that's a sure sign that I'm both tired and disorganized. Too tired to think about putting a meal together, and too disorganized to have a menu plan. As tempting as it is to head out for fast food a few times a week, it's neither healthy nor budget friendly.
So, yesterday I went to Costco and stocked up on ground beef and chicken breasts. Then, last night I looked at what I have on hand, in the freezer, the produce bin, and the cheese bin, and came up with a plan mostly using what I already have in the house. With that, I put together a list of dinners that will keep us going for a while.
Here's what we'll be having, in no particular order:
(remember to visit Menu Plan Monday at OrgJunkie.com for more menu ideas than you can imagine!
First, I made chicken potstickers. One recipe made enough for one meal for the three of us, plus some leftovers for a lunch, and enough meat leftover after I ran out of gyoza wrappers to make five meatballs for another lunch.
I also browned some ground beef with onions and garlic (this was a 21-ounce package, which I divided into three baggies in the freezer). This can be used for Hamburger Helper, tacos, spaghetti, hamburger casserole, etc.
Then, I browned some diced chicken breasts (well, ok, I totally crowded the pan so I basically steamed some chicken, LOL). This was four chicken breasts and will be the base of several of the meals on the above list.
Then, I made some Italian-style meatballs. A 21-ounce package of ground beef made 32 meatballs, which is enough for about three meals. We'll either have these in spaghetti or as meatball subs.
It wasn't everything I hoped to accomplish today, but it's a good start.
What do you do to prep for future meals?
So, yesterday I went to Costco and stocked up on ground beef and chicken breasts. Then, last night I looked at what I have on hand, in the freezer, the produce bin, and the cheese bin, and came up with a plan mostly using what I already have in the house. With that, I put together a list of dinners that will keep us going for a while.
Here's what we'll be having, in no particular order:
- Pork stir fry (using some leftover pork from last week, cabbage, broccoli, carrots, and onions).
- Pad Thai
- Thai Noodle Bowl (using cabbage instead of edamame)
- Irish Sundaes (recipe coming)
- BBQ chicken pizza
- Creamy chicken taquitoes (recipe coming for this too)
- Chicken with farro salad (I have to find this recipe -I saw it online and thought I'd pinned it but apparently not)
- Spinach and Artichoke Pasta (obviously I have some recipes to post this week)...
(remember to visit Menu Plan Monday at OrgJunkie.com for more menu ideas than you can imagine!
First, I made chicken potstickers. One recipe made enough for one meal for the three of us, plus some leftovers for a lunch, and enough meat leftover after I ran out of gyoza wrappers to make five meatballs for another lunch.
I also browned some ground beef with onions and garlic (this was a 21-ounce package, which I divided into three baggies in the freezer). This can be used for Hamburger Helper, tacos, spaghetti, hamburger casserole, etc.
Then, I browned some diced chicken breasts (well, ok, I totally crowded the pan so I basically steamed some chicken, LOL). This was four chicken breasts and will be the base of several of the meals on the above list.
Then, I made some Italian-style meatballs. A 21-ounce package of ground beef made 32 meatballs, which is enough for about three meals. We'll either have these in spaghetti or as meatball subs.
It wasn't everything I hoped to accomplish today, but it's a good start.
What do you do to prep for future meals?
Chicken potstickers
I have been asked to include pictures with my recipes to make them pinnable, so I'll do that, as long as you'll forgive me for my elementary photography skills!
We are big potsticker fans in this house. That's all my daughter wants when we go to our favorite teriyaki restaurant (though I do make her eat a side order of veggies while she's at it), and I love them for quick dinners at home since they cook in less than 15 minutes. We like the Ling Ling brand, but they're almost $8 a bag at our regular grocery store now! I used to make them from scratch frequently (once in a while even making my own wontons), but have gotten out of the habit. We're focusing more on our budget once again, so I dusted off my old recipe and got to work.
My food processor makes quick work of mixing everything together, but if you don't have one, just start with ground chicken and finely chop the veggies.
Chicken Potstickers
Makes approximately 60
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts (I'm sure thighs would work just fine as well)
2 green onions
1 T fresh ginger, sliced
4 cloves garlic
1 T. soy or tamari sauce
1 T. rice cooking wine, dry sherry, chicken broth, or water
1 egg
1 heaping T. cornstarch
1/2 t. salt
1/4 t. pepper
60 gyoza wrappers (ours come in packs of 48 so that's how many I make - see note at end)
vegetable oil to saute
water or chicken broth to simmer
Place chicken, onions, ginger and garlic in the bowl of a food processor. Process until nearly smooth. Add soy/tamari sauce, wine or broth, egg, cornstarch, salt and pepper and process again until blended.
Lay gyoza wrappers on a parchment lined baking sheet. Place a scant tablespoon of the meat mixture onto the wrapper, just off center. Wet a finger and run it around the edge of the wrapper. Fold in half, pressing out as much air as possible.
Crimp the edges by folding over slightly and pressing together.
If you won't be eating them right away, lay them in a single layer on the baking sheet and freeze overnight or until solid. Place in a freezer bag until you're ready to cook and serve.
To cook, heat a few tablespoons of oil in a large skillet. Lay the potstickers in a single layer, until the bottoms are golden. Add water or chicken broth just to cover them. Cover and simmer 10 - 12 minutes. Serve immediately.
If you run out of wrappers (or just want that great filling flavor without all the work of making the potstickers), you can shape the filling into patties and fry them until cooked through.
We are big potsticker fans in this house. That's all my daughter wants when we go to our favorite teriyaki restaurant (though I do make her eat a side order of veggies while she's at it), and I love them for quick dinners at home since they cook in less than 15 minutes. We like the Ling Ling brand, but they're almost $8 a bag at our regular grocery store now! I used to make them from scratch frequently (once in a while even making my own wontons), but have gotten out of the habit. We're focusing more on our budget once again, so I dusted off my old recipe and got to work.
My food processor makes quick work of mixing everything together, but if you don't have one, just start with ground chicken and finely chop the veggies.
Chicken Potstickers
Makes approximately 60
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts (I'm sure thighs would work just fine as well)
2 green onions
1 T fresh ginger, sliced
4 cloves garlic
1 T. soy or tamari sauce
1 T. rice cooking wine, dry sherry, chicken broth, or water
1 egg
1 heaping T. cornstarch
1/2 t. salt
1/4 t. pepper
60 gyoza wrappers (ours come in packs of 48 so that's how many I make - see note at end)
vegetable oil to saute
water or chicken broth to simmer
Place chicken, onions, ginger and garlic in the bowl of a food processor. Process until nearly smooth. Add soy/tamari sauce, wine or broth, egg, cornstarch, salt and pepper and process again until blended.
Lay gyoza wrappers on a parchment lined baking sheet. Place a scant tablespoon of the meat mixture onto the wrapper, just off center. Wet a finger and run it around the edge of the wrapper. Fold in half, pressing out as much air as possible.
Crimp the edges by folding over slightly and pressing together.
If you won't be eating them right away, lay them in a single layer on the baking sheet and freeze overnight or until solid. Place in a freezer bag until you're ready to cook and serve.
To cook, heat a few tablespoons of oil in a large skillet. Lay the potstickers in a single layer, until the bottoms are golden. Add water or chicken broth just to cover them. Cover and simmer 10 - 12 minutes. Serve immediately.
If you run out of wrappers (or just want that great filling flavor without all the work of making the potstickers), you can shape the filling into patties and fry them until cooked through.
Tuesday, April 30, 2013
Apple-Filled Crescents
The other day, I ran across this recipe for Apple Walnut Butterhorns. "Looks great!" I thought. But, I don't care for walnuts, so I decided to modify it a bit. I thought about using pecans but wasn't sure how that would go over with my girl, so I left the nuts out. Left the glaze off since I'm watching my diet right now. Tweaked it a little more, and here's what I ended up with. Delicious!
Apple-Filled Crescents
1 small green apple, peeled and diced
3 T. brown sugar
1/4 t. pumpkin pie spice
12 raw crescent roll triangles (I used the recipe from the link above, but used butter instead of shortening, but you could also use 1 can of dough)
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
In a small bowl, combine apple, brown sugar, and spice. Lay the individual triangles out on a parchment-lined baking sheet (you don't have to use parchment, but I found that the filling oozed a little, and I hate scrubbing pans). Top the wide end of each with a small spoonful of the apple mixture.
Roll each crescent from the wide end, stretching and tucking the dough to make sure the mixture is covered.
Bake at 375 for 12 - 14 minutes or until the rolls are brown.
My daughter and I think these are great just the way they are, but if you want a glaze you can follow the recipe in the link up top.
Enjoy!
Apple-Filled Crescents
1 small green apple, peeled and diced
3 T. brown sugar
1/4 t. pumpkin pie spice
12 raw crescent roll triangles (I used the recipe from the link above, but used butter instead of shortening, but you could also use 1 can of dough)
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
In a small bowl, combine apple, brown sugar, and spice. Lay the individual triangles out on a parchment-lined baking sheet (you don't have to use parchment, but I found that the filling oozed a little, and I hate scrubbing pans). Top the wide end of each with a small spoonful of the apple mixture.
Roll each crescent from the wide end, stretching and tucking the dough to make sure the mixture is covered.
Bake at 375 for 12 - 14 minutes or until the rolls are brown.
My daughter and I think these are great just the way they are, but if you want a glaze you can follow the recipe in the link up top.
Enjoy!
Tuesday, January 22, 2013
Porcupine Meatballs in Mushroom Gravy
For years, I've been fascinated by the idea of porcupine meatballs. A mixture of ground meat and rice, when it cooks supposedly the rice sticks out all over, making the meatball look like it has quills. Yesterday, I finally got off my tail and made some.
I started with this recipe but, as you've probably noticed by now, I'm not capable of leaving a recipe as is. Besides, we just had spaghetti and meatballs late last week, so I knew I didn't want the tomato-based sauce. I was really just looking for a meatball recipe. I made a few tweaks, and here's where we landed. I served it over brown rice. Hubby said it tastes just like salisbury steak. Daughter tried to convince me she doesn't like gravy, but one bite and she was asking for more. It was good.
Porcupine Meatballs in Mushroom Gravy
Serves 8 (6 meatballs per serving)
2 pounds lean ground beef (I used 93/7)
2/3 cups raw white rice
1 medium onion, minced (divided)
1/2 cup milk
2 eggs
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. Italian seasoning
2 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1 envelope brown gravy mix (I like McCormicks, no MSG)
1 cup water
1 can cream of mushroom soup (I like the Pacific Natural brand in the little boxes)
1 can sliced mushrooms (or you could use 1 cup fresh, I only had canned on hand)
Hot cooked brown rice
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a large bowl, thoroughly combine beef, rice, half of the onion, milk, eggs, garlic, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper. Form into 48 meatballs, about 1 1/2 inches in diameter (I use my cookie scoop for this). Place them on a parchment-lined (or well greased) baking sheet. Bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes, until well browned.
At this point, you can divide the batch in half and freeze some for later, which is what I do (the rice won't be fully cooked yet, so I put a note on the bag that it requires simmering).
Put the meatballs in a large deep-sided skillet or a slow cooker.
To make the gravy, combine the gravy mix, water, soup, the remaining onion, and mushrooms. Pour over the meatballs. In the slow cooker, cook on low for 6 - 8 hours. In a pan, bring to a boil, then turn the heat down and simmer for 30 minutes, or until the rice in the meatballs is cooked through.
Serve over hot cooked brown rice.
I started with this recipe but, as you've probably noticed by now, I'm not capable of leaving a recipe as is. Besides, we just had spaghetti and meatballs late last week, so I knew I didn't want the tomato-based sauce. I was really just looking for a meatball recipe. I made a few tweaks, and here's where we landed. I served it over brown rice. Hubby said it tastes just like salisbury steak. Daughter tried to convince me she doesn't like gravy, but one bite and she was asking for more. It was good.
Porcupine Meatballs in Mushroom Gravy
Serves 8 (6 meatballs per serving)
2 pounds lean ground beef (I used 93/7)
2/3 cups raw white rice
1 medium onion, minced (divided)
1/2 cup milk
2 eggs
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. Italian seasoning
2 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1 envelope brown gravy mix (I like McCormicks, no MSG)
1 cup water
1 can cream of mushroom soup (I like the Pacific Natural brand in the little boxes)
1 can sliced mushrooms (or you could use 1 cup fresh, I only had canned on hand)
Hot cooked brown rice
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a large bowl, thoroughly combine beef, rice, half of the onion, milk, eggs, garlic, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper. Form into 48 meatballs, about 1 1/2 inches in diameter (I use my cookie scoop for this). Place them on a parchment-lined (or well greased) baking sheet. Bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes, until well browned.
At this point, you can divide the batch in half and freeze some for later, which is what I do (the rice won't be fully cooked yet, so I put a note on the bag that it requires simmering).
Put the meatballs in a large deep-sided skillet or a slow cooker.
To make the gravy, combine the gravy mix, water, soup, the remaining onion, and mushrooms. Pour over the meatballs. In the slow cooker, cook on low for 6 - 8 hours. In a pan, bring to a boil, then turn the heat down and simmer for 30 minutes, or until the rice in the meatballs is cooked through.
Serve over hot cooked brown rice.
Sunday, January 22, 2012
Cooking and freezing dried beans
There are lots of ways to save a little here and there on grocery money. One of the best, in my opinion, is cooking dried beans instead of buying canned. Canned beans tend to have a lot of salt and also typically have BPA in the lining of the cans, which is something I'm starting to avoid when I can. I keep a few cans of beans on hand for nights when I need something REALLY quick (and canned chili beans to feed my child's addiction - she loves them straight out of the can), but I also try to keep a good selection on hand in the freezer.
At the moment, I have a batch of black beans simmering on the stove. The house smells great because I add a few extra ingredients to the pot to give the beans a little extra kick of flavor (more about that in a minute).
Beans are so easy to prepare. They take quite a bit of time, but it's almost entirely cooking and soaking time, with very little hands-on needed. You can cook any amount, as long as you have a pot big enough to handle it. I usually buy in bulk, so I tend to cook two cups of dried beans at a time.
First, put your beans in a dish (I use a pie plate) and pick through to remove any small rocks or bad beans. I remember watching a Food Network show where the host was picking through a dish of beans and found three rocks in it. I found it odd, because I have NEVER found a rock in my beans. But I always check, just in case. Rinse the beans in a sieve and put them in a pot (I use a two-quart stock pot). Now, you have two options:
Option one: Add cold water to cover with at least two inches of water over the top of the beans. Set aside and soak overnight.
Option two: Add water to cover with at least two inches of water over the top of the beans. Put on your stove and bring just to a boil. Turn off (do not drain) and let the beans sit for two hours.
At the end of the soaking time, drain and rinse your beans. Put back in the pot, add water again to cover by two inches. Bring to a boil, then turn down and simmer. I find that if I cook the beans too hard, the skins fall off, so keep it at as low a simmer as possible.
If you want to add a little flavor oomph to your beans, add a bay leaf, a few cloves of sliced garlic, and a couple of onion slices to the cooking water. If you have a specific recipe in mind, you can also add the same seasonings called for in your recipe to help bring an extra layer of flavor to your dish. Be careful, however, not to add any salt or seasoning including salt, or your beans may not soften. Always salt at the end, when your beans are fully cooked.
After 90 minutes, start checking your beans to see if they're done. I usually taste one or two, and then add five or 10 minutes to the cooking time before I check again. Keep going until your beans are fully cooked. Be careful not to overcook them, though, or they'll just get mushy. Drain, saving the liquid if you're going to freeze them, remove any large pieces of seasoning (such as the bay leaf and onion slices - I usually leave the garlic), and let cool.
If you aren't using the beans right away, they freeze beautifully. I usually freeze them in two-cup portions, which works for me for most recipes. Just put the cooled beans in a freezer-safe container, add cooking liquid just to cover (this will help keep the beans from drying out in the freezer), and pop them in your freezer.
Enjoy your beans!
At the moment, I have a batch of black beans simmering on the stove. The house smells great because I add a few extra ingredients to the pot to give the beans a little extra kick of flavor (more about that in a minute).
Beans are so easy to prepare. They take quite a bit of time, but it's almost entirely cooking and soaking time, with very little hands-on needed. You can cook any amount, as long as you have a pot big enough to handle it. I usually buy in bulk, so I tend to cook two cups of dried beans at a time.
First, put your beans in a dish (I use a pie plate) and pick through to remove any small rocks or bad beans. I remember watching a Food Network show where the host was picking through a dish of beans and found three rocks in it. I found it odd, because I have NEVER found a rock in my beans. But I always check, just in case. Rinse the beans in a sieve and put them in a pot (I use a two-quart stock pot). Now, you have two options:
Option one: Add cold water to cover with at least two inches of water over the top of the beans. Set aside and soak overnight.
Option two: Add water to cover with at least two inches of water over the top of the beans. Put on your stove and bring just to a boil. Turn off (do not drain) and let the beans sit for two hours.
At the end of the soaking time, drain and rinse your beans. Put back in the pot, add water again to cover by two inches. Bring to a boil, then turn down and simmer. I find that if I cook the beans too hard, the skins fall off, so keep it at as low a simmer as possible.
If you want to add a little flavor oomph to your beans, add a bay leaf, a few cloves of sliced garlic, and a couple of onion slices to the cooking water. If you have a specific recipe in mind, you can also add the same seasonings called for in your recipe to help bring an extra layer of flavor to your dish. Be careful, however, not to add any salt or seasoning including salt, or your beans may not soften. Always salt at the end, when your beans are fully cooked.
After 90 minutes, start checking your beans to see if they're done. I usually taste one or two, and then add five or 10 minutes to the cooking time before I check again. Keep going until your beans are fully cooked. Be careful not to overcook them, though, or they'll just get mushy. Drain, saving the liquid if you're going to freeze them, remove any large pieces of seasoning (such as the bay leaf and onion slices - I usually leave the garlic), and let cool.
If you aren't using the beans right away, they freeze beautifully. I usually freeze them in two-cup portions, which works for me for most recipes. Just put the cooled beans in a freezer-safe container, add cooking liquid just to cover (this will help keep the beans from drying out in the freezer), and pop them in your freezer.
Enjoy your beans!
Wednesday, November 02, 2011
Pork and Potato Casserole with Mushrooms and Caraway
I made this up on the fly today because I had some ground pork that needed to be used up (it was the sole victim of the freezer not being closed all the way - we got lucky!). This is the "convenience food" version because I was a little short on time. I'm sure in the future I'll work on a full-blown "from scratch" version with white sauce and sauteed mushrooms.
Pork and Potato Casserole with Mushrooms and Caraway
Serves 4 - 6
4 medium potatoes, diced (and peeled if you prefer).
1/2 - 1 pound ground pork
1/2 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. poultry seasoning
1 can sliced mushrooms
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 tsp. caraway seeds
1/4 cup french fried onions (such as Durkee)
Place the potatoes in a medium saucepan. Cover with water and cook until just tender. Drain and place in a large mixing bowl.
Meanwhile, in a skillet, brown the pork with the chopped onion. When the meat is just browned, add the garlic, salt and poultry seasoning. Continue to cook until you can just smell the garlic.
Add meat mixture to the mixing bowl. Then add the mushrooms, soups, and caraway seed. Stir to combine and pour into a 9x13 baking dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Sprinkle the french fried onions over the top and bake an addition five minutes.
 |
| Didn't think to take a picture until we'd already dished it up! |
Serves 4 - 6
4 medium potatoes, diced (and peeled if you prefer).
1/2 - 1 pound ground pork
1/2 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. poultry seasoning
1 can sliced mushrooms
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 tsp. caraway seeds
1/4 cup french fried onions (such as Durkee)
Place the potatoes in a medium saucepan. Cover with water and cook until just tender. Drain and place in a large mixing bowl.
Meanwhile, in a skillet, brown the pork with the chopped onion. When the meat is just browned, add the garlic, salt and poultry seasoning. Continue to cook until you can just smell the garlic.
Add meat mixture to the mixing bowl. Then add the mushrooms, soups, and caraway seed. Stir to combine and pour into a 9x13 baking dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Sprinkle the french fried onions over the top and bake an addition five minutes.
Saturday, October 22, 2011
Homemade Chicken Bake
Whenever I have the opportunity to eat a meal at Costco (which isn't often, since I'm a horribly compulsive grocery shopper and therefore forbidden to have my own card), I always go for the "Chicken Bake". Basically a calzone, it's chickeny, bacony, cheesy good. A month or two ago my mom took me shopping there, and I discovered Chicken Bake in the freezer section. I immediately snatched up a box for eating at home.
Last week we ate the last of our Chicken Bakes, but, when asked what my daughter wanted to eat for dinners this week, that was her request. "CHICKEN BAKE!!!" Strange, because she didn't seem all that enamored of it when we had them for lunch, but of course I was happy to oblige and figure out a way to make them myself.
There are no measurements in the assembly because, in my typical pizza fashion, I just sprinkled things on till it looked right.
Homemade Chicken Bake
makes 4 large calzones
2 tubes pizza crust in a can (could also substitute homemade pizza dough - I was in a hurry so I used the prebought).
Caeser dressing, ranch dressing, or alfredo sauce
1 cup cooked, shredded chicken
1/2 pound bacon, diced and fried
2 green onions, chopped
shredded parmesan cheese
shredded mozzarella or Italian blend cheese
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease a cookie sheet or line it with parchment paper or a Silpat.
Divide each pizza crust in half. Roll out into a rectangle, about 6 inches by 8 inches. You want to be looking at it the long way, not the tall way (i.e. "landscape", not "portrait", if we were talking about printing).
Spread dressing or sauce over crust, stopping about 1/2 inch from the edges.
Spread toppings in a 4-inch-wide strip down the middle of the crust, stopping about 1 inch from the top and bottom. Keep a little extra parmesan cheese for the top.
Fold left and right edges over; pinch the ends together and tuck under. Place seam side down on your baking sheet. Repeat with remaining three pieces of crust.
Bake at 375 degrees for 25 minutes. Spread a little bit of additional dressing or sauce on top, and sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Bake an additional 5 - 8 minutes until cheese is melted and brown.
Excellent served with salad on the side.
If you want to make this in the morning, just assemble it and put it in the fridge until time to make dinner. Add an additional 5 minutes to your initial baking time.
Last week we ate the last of our Chicken Bakes, but, when asked what my daughter wanted to eat for dinners this week, that was her request. "CHICKEN BAKE!!!" Strange, because she didn't seem all that enamored of it when we had them for lunch, but of course I was happy to oblige and figure out a way to make them myself.
There are no measurements in the assembly because, in my typical pizza fashion, I just sprinkled things on till it looked right.
Homemade Chicken Bake
makes 4 large calzones
2 tubes pizza crust in a can (could also substitute homemade pizza dough - I was in a hurry so I used the prebought).
Caeser dressing, ranch dressing, or alfredo sauce
1 cup cooked, shredded chicken
1/2 pound bacon, diced and fried
2 green onions, chopped
shredded parmesan cheese
shredded mozzarella or Italian blend cheese
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease a cookie sheet or line it with parchment paper or a Silpat.
Divide each pizza crust in half. Roll out into a rectangle, about 6 inches by 8 inches. You want to be looking at it the long way, not the tall way (i.e. "landscape", not "portrait", if we were talking about printing).
Spread dressing or sauce over crust, stopping about 1/2 inch from the edges.
Spread toppings in a 4-inch-wide strip down the middle of the crust, stopping about 1 inch from the top and bottom. Keep a little extra parmesan cheese for the top.
Fold left and right edges over; pinch the ends together and tuck under. Place seam side down on your baking sheet. Repeat with remaining three pieces of crust.
Bake at 375 degrees for 25 minutes. Spread a little bit of additional dressing or sauce on top, and sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Bake an additional 5 - 8 minutes until cheese is melted and brown.
Excellent served with salad on the side.
If you want to make this in the morning, just assemble it and put it in the fridge until time to make dinner. Add an additional 5 minutes to your initial baking time.
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
Cranberry Pork Chops
It appears that I have somehow missed posting this, one of my favorite pork recipes of all time, on either of my blogs. Time to remedy that situation!
This recipe can be made ahead or done at the last minute. If you don't want to deal with cooking the cranberry sauce, feel free to substitute a can of whole berry cranberry sauce for the cranberries, juice, and sugar.
Cranberry Pork Chops
serves 4
4 thick-cut pork chops, either bone in or boneless
1 T olive oil
1/2 medium onion, chopped
1 12-ounce bag fresh cranberries, picked over for bad berries and rinsed
1/2 cup orange or apple juice
3/4 cup sugar
Salt and pepper
Place the pork chops in a 9x13 baking dish (or an 8x8 if they'll fit). Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Heat the oil in a large skillet, over medium-high heat. Add the onions and saute until soft, about five minutes. Add berries, juice, and sugar, stirring until combined. Lower the heat to medium and, stirring frequently, simmer until the berries have burst and sauce is thickened, about 10 - 15 minutes.
Pour sauce over the pork chops. At this point, if you're making it in the morning, you can stick it in the fridge until it's time to bake it. Start it out in a cold oven and add five or so minutes to your cooking time.
Bake at 350 degrees until cooked through - 30-35 minutes for boneless chops, 40 - 45 for bone in. Enjoy!
This recipe can be made ahead or done at the last minute. If you don't want to deal with cooking the cranberry sauce, feel free to substitute a can of whole berry cranberry sauce for the cranberries, juice, and sugar.
Cranberry Pork Chops
serves 4
4 thick-cut pork chops, either bone in or boneless
1 T olive oil
1/2 medium onion, chopped
1 12-ounce bag fresh cranberries, picked over for bad berries and rinsed
1/2 cup orange or apple juice
3/4 cup sugar
Salt and pepper
Place the pork chops in a 9x13 baking dish (or an 8x8 if they'll fit). Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Heat the oil in a large skillet, over medium-high heat. Add the onions and saute until soft, about five minutes. Add berries, juice, and sugar, stirring until combined. Lower the heat to medium and, stirring frequently, simmer until the berries have burst and sauce is thickened, about 10 - 15 minutes.
Pour sauce over the pork chops. At this point, if you're making it in the morning, you can stick it in the fridge until it's time to bake it. Start it out in a cold oven and add five or so minutes to your cooking time.
Bake at 350 degrees until cooked through - 30-35 minutes for boneless chops, 40 - 45 for bone in. Enjoy!
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