Slow Cooker Spaghetti

I know that spaghetti is one of the easiest thing to make, but believe it or not, doing it in a crockpot is even easier and SOOOOO good! I got the idea from Picky Palate and I've adapted my recipe from that one.I found this 32 oz. jar of spaghetti sauce at Costco, but you could just measure 3 1/2 cups of any spaghetti sauce.Slow Cooker Spaghetti

1 lb. lean ground beef, chicken, or turkey

2 t. onion powder

2 t. garlic powder

1 t. italian seasoning

salt to taste

8 oz. dry spaghetti (I used whole wheat)

32 oz. (3 1/2 c.) spaghetti sauce

4 oz. cream cheese (I used 1/3 less fat)

2 c. water

Brown meat in a large skillet and add onion and garlic powder and italian seasoning. Add salt to taste.In crockpot, pour half of the spaghetti sauce and top with half of the dry spaghetti (broken to fit).Add cooked meat to crockpot and top with cubed cream cheese.Add remaining spaghetti sauce and pasta. Add 2 cups of water.Cover and cook on low for about 4 hours. Stir well before serving. Top with parmesan cheese.This spaghetti is so good! My whole family really loved it. Enjoy!

Irish Dinner

One of my main purposes of this blog is to document recipes that my family likes and to remember what I made in past years for special occasions. This year for St. Patrick's Day we had a traditional Irish meal.

Our meal consisted of:

Corned Beef: cooked in the crockpot for several hours with the season packet that came with it

Potatoes: cooked with the corned beef

Boiled Cabbage: 1/2 head of green cabbage boiled and salted

and Irish Soda Bread

So I'm hoping that I can keep this St. Patrick's Day tradition going in years to come.

Baked Corn Dogs

We don't often buy frozen corn dogs. Mostly because I don't like them and I do all of our grocery shopping! :) But today I decided to try some homemade. They were actually really fun to make with the kids and turned out delicious.

Baked Corn Dogs

1 c. flour

1 c. cornmeal

3 t. baking powder

1/4 t. salt

4 T. melted butter

1/2 c. buttermilk

1 egg

1/2 c. whole kernel corn

7 all beef hot dogs

Combine dry ingredients well. Then add wet ingredients (except hot dogs) until it forms a somewhat stiff dough.

Form dough around each hot dog.

Place corn dogs on a well greased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 F for 17-20 minutes.

While corn dogs are baking, mix together the dipping sauce:

Dipping Sauce

1/2 c. mayonnaise

1-2 T. bbq sauce

1 T. mustard

Mix well. (You really don't have to measure these ingredients. Just eyeball it and adjust the measurements according to your taste.)

Corn dogs will be puffy and firm when done. Serve with sauce.

We had green beans with our corn dogs. It made a fun meal. Enjoy!

Harvest Chili

Football season is the perfect time to break out a nice bowl of chili! This recipe is a little different than most chili recipes because it has a lot more yummy fall veggies and TONS of flavor! This will be a new favorite around our house!

The original recipe from H.E.A.B. uses almond butter, but I opted to use this sunflower seed butter. I also changed a few other things and it was amazing. Thanks to Heather and CD for this wonderful recipe!Harvest Chili

2 T. butter

3 celery stalks, chopped

2 carrots, chopped

2 c. zucchini, chopped

1 T. dried minced onion

1 t. garlic powder, heaping

1/2 lb. lean ground beef

1 (15 oz.) can diced tomatoes

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

2 T. sunflower seed butter, heaping

1/8 t. cumin

1/8 t. cayenne pepper

salt to taste

In a large pot, melt butter.

Add veggies, onion and garlic powder and saute until zucchini is tender. Then add beef.
Brown meat with veggies, stirring frequently.
Add tomatoes, beans, sunflower seed butter, cumin, cayenne pepper and salt to taste. Mix well and simmer for about 10 minutes.

Serve with grated cheese.

If you don't have sunflower seed butter, I'm sure you could use any nut butter that you want. After all, the original calls for almond butter. Anyway, this was the perfect meal and I will certainly be making it again! Thanks again, Heather! Enjoy!

Tex Mex Ground Beef

I am so fortunate to get fresh, quality beef from my family. The cows grow up right near our house, they're fed good food, and they go to a local butcher then straight back to us to eat. It tastes so good and we always have a freezer-full of it. Not to mention the ground beef is SUPER lean! I'd say we are very blessed.This recipe is a basic recipe that I like to use for several dishes: tacos, nachos, salads, etc. It's similar to Shredded Beef Taco meat but it uses ground beef instead.

Tex Mex Ground Beef

1 lb. lean ground beef

2 T. dried minced onion (or more to taste)

2 t. dry cilantro

1 t. ground coriander

1 t. garlic powder

1/2 t. cumin

salt to taste

1-2 T cornstarch

water

Brown beef in a large skillet, breaking with a spatula constantly so there are no large chunks.

Drain cooked beef and rinse with hot water. Return to skillet. Add onion, cilantro, coriander, garlic powder, cumin, and salt. Mix cornstarch with 1/2 c. water and add to beef. Heat and stir to thicken (add more water as needed.)
I used this meat for nachos last week:

Nachos:

corn chips, cheese, tex mex ground beef, white kidney beans, chopped avocado, chopped tomato, sliced olives.

And then today I made this salad for lunch:

Tex Mex Salad:

spinach, sliced green onion, chopped tomato, chopped avocado, chopped red pepper, white kidney beans, tex mex ground beef, low fat cottage cheese.

However you use it, this meat is a basic recipe that I use often. Enjoy!

Potato Boats

If you never had potato boats as a kid, you've been deprived! This recipe makes a fun meal that even adults will enjoy. There are several variations of this recipe and many different ingredients you could add, but I kept it pretty basic this time.

Potato Boats
6-8 all beef hot dogs
5-6 medium potatoes (baked)
2 T. butter
scant 3/4 c. milk
1-2 c. grated cheese
salt & pepper

If you don't have baked potatoes already, here is a quick way to "bake" them: scrub them and place them in a plastic grocery bag. Fold over the top and microwave for 5-10 minutes. Check for doneness with a fork and cook more as needed.

Cut cooked potatoes in large chunks and put in bowl. Add butter and milk and mash until sufficiently smashed (at this point you could add minced garlic, rosemary, green onions, crumbled bacon...whatever you want to make them original!) Season with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.

Warm hot dogs in a skillet just until heated through.

Place warm hot dogs on a cookie sheet and split lengthwise.

Scoop some mashed potatoes on each hot dog.

Then top with grated cheese.Heat under a low broiler until cheese is melty.
These are the hot dogs that I've been buying lately. They are SO good. Oscar Mayer makes an incredible beef hot dog. If you're not a fan of this brand, shop around til you find one you like.
Anyway, I hope this recipe takes you back to when you were a kid. Enjoy!

Shredded Beef Tacos

My mom will laugh when she sees this post because I always complained when she made tacos when I was young. Sorry for giving you a hard time, mom! :) These tacos are made from my leftover shredded roast beef and they are quick, easy and pretty tasty.

Shredded Beef Tacos
2-3 c. leftover shredded roast beef
1-2 t. cornstarch
1/2 t. ground coriander
1/2 t. dried minced onion
1/2 t. garlic powder
1/2 t. dry cilantro
1/4 t. cumin
6 taco shells
shredded cheese
sliced avocado
chopped tomatoes


Heat roast beef in a skillet over medium heat. Add cornstarch and stir until thickened. Add coriander, onion, garlic, cilantro and cumin. Mix and heat thoroughly. Meanwhile heat taco shells according to package. To serve, place some meat in taco shell and top with cheese, avocado and tomatoes.

You could top your tacos with anything you want. Sour cream, guacamole, salsa, whatever sounds good to you. Enjoy!

Juicy Shredded Beef

Roast beef is one of my favorite comfort foods. It reminds me of coming home from church on Sundays to the smell of yummy food. This recipe is so simple and so good. I enjoyed this shredded roast beef on a nice crusty roll with butter and horseradish.

Juicy Shredded Beef
1 beef roast (about 4 lbs.)
1 can beef broth (condensed)
1 can french onion soup (condensed)

Place the roast in the crockpot and cover with both cans of soup. No need to add any water. Cover, and cook on low for about 6-8 hours. This is the soup I used: When roast is done, remove from juices and shred with two forks: Then return shredded meat to crockpot and mix with the hot juices: I served mine as sandwiches and used the juice as au jus. You could also serve the meat as the main course with mashed potatoes and veggies. I highly recommend this super easy roast beef recipe. In fact, I think we'll have it for dinner tonight. Enjoy!

Build a Better Pasta

I think I could eat pasta everyday! It's easy, delicious, and it can be very healthy. Yesterday we had corkscrew pasta topped with meat sauce, cottage cheese, and shaved parmesan. I added the cottage cheese for a nice calcium boost and it was divine. Yum!

There are a few very simple things you can do to make a healthier pasta dish:

1- Choose a whole grain pasta for more fiber and protein. Try a few different brands because they can vary in flavor and texture.

2-Rinse your cooked ground beef in hot water to get rid of some fat (namely saturated fat...not good stuff.) This is a trick my mom taught me when I was young and it's awesome. Try it, you won't even notice a difference.

3- Pick a pasta sauce that has yummy veggies, or add your own! Also, several pasta sauces have high fructose corn syrup or lots of sugar. Try to avoid those, when possible.

Simple Pasta
4 c. dry whole wheat corkscrew pasta
1 lb. lean ground beef
salt
onion powder (or 1/4 c. chopped onion)
1 jar pasta sauce (I like veggie flavor)
cottage cheese
parmesan cheese

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain. In a large skillet, brown ground beef and then rinse under hot water. Return to skillet and add salt and onion powder to taste. Stir in pasta sauce. Serve meat sauce over pasta and top with cheese. Enjoy!

Build a Better Hot Dog

Okay, so a hot dog might not be the healthiest thing to eat, but come on! Who can resist a juicy hot dog in the summertime?? Not me, I love 'em. I totally believe that moderation in all things will make me happy! So here is my all time favorite way to eat a hot dog:

My Favorite Hot Dog

1 all beef hot dog

1 whole wheat bun

mayo

deli mustard

tomatoes

onions

Pile up the hot dog, then devour. Yum, yum, yum!

3 Tips for a better hot dog:

1- Choose all beef hot dogs. It may sound silly, but all beef dogs taste WAY better! They do cost quite a bit more money, but it is definitely worth it! All beef, just trust me. :)

2-Use a whole wheat bun that has some fiber. I love whole wheat and it doesn't really taste that much different. Give them a try, you just might love them.

3-Pack some veggies on your dog! Instead of just plain old sugary ketchup, try tomatoes. Or instead of relish, try fresh chopped cucmbers with salt and pepper. Onions are also a delicious addition! It may surprise you, but veggies are very yummy on hot dogs.

Have fun experimenting with your hot dog! Enjoy.

Philly Cheesesteak

I always love an easy dinner. Sometimes I'm so burnt out by 6:00 that I just need a quick and easy meal that takes little to no effort. This recipe was given to me by my friend (because we're always asking each other what we're making for dinner!) I would've thought that a Philly Cheesesteak would take a lot of time, but this couldn't be simpler. Plus it's delicious!

Philly Cheesesteaks

1-2 T. olive oil (vegetable oil works too)

1/2 onion, sliced

1 bell pepper, sliced

1 lb. deli sliced roast beef, roughly chopped

8 slices provolone cheese

4 whole wheat buns, split

In large skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion and pepper and cook until tender. Add roast beef and heat until warm and juicy. Keep warm. Meanwhile, arrange 2 slices cheese in each bun. Top with meat mixture so cheese can melt. Serve warm. Enjoy!

I had leftover meat and it kept very well in the fridge. In fact, it tasted pretty darn yummy the next day!

Meatloaf Pasta

The other night I made meatloaf and I always have tons left over. And I don't know about you but I get really sick of having the same dinner for three nights in a row. So here's an idea to use that leftover meatloaf in a different way.

Meatloaf Pasta

6-8 oz. dry pasta (your favorite shape)

about 1 lb. meatloaf, cut in cubes

about 1 lb. mozzarella, cut in cubes

1-2 c. spaghetti sauce

1 c. cottage cheese

parmesan cheese for garnish (optional)

In a large pot, cook pasta according to package directions and drain. Return pasta to pot and add remaining ingredients except parmesan. Heat over medium until cheese melts. Serve with parmesan sprinkled on top. Serves 4-6.

If you don't have meatloaf, you could use anything like meatballs, pepperoni, or even chicken. Or omit the meat altogether for a meatless dish. Experiment and enjoy!