BBQ Comfort Meatballs with Mashed Potatoes

This has become a weeknight favorite.  In a rush?  Pull out some ready-to-cook meatballs, whip up a quick sauce, add some instant mashed potatoes and a frozen veggie to the equation and you’ve got a meal fit for a busy and somewhat picky family.

Ingredients

• 20-30 packaged, frozen Italian style meatballs

FOR SAUCE

• 1 cup Ketchup
• 2 Tablespoons Sugar
• 3 Tablespoons Vinegar
• 2 Tablespoons Worcestershire
• 4 Tablespoons (to 6 Tablespoons) Onion
• 1 dash Tabasco

 

Preparation

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Place frozen Italian style meatballs in a single layer on a cookie sheet.

Combine all sauce ingredients. Pour over meatballs and bake at 425 degrees for 22-23 minutes. Serve with egg noodles, mashed potatoes, or crusty French bread.

 

Recipe inspired by Pioneer Woman

Photo by me, mylittlefoodspot

Asian Pasta Salad

One of the best cookbooks I have ever invested in is my Southern Living: Easy Weeknight Favorites.  I purchased it around the time we were married and, after eight years, I have probably made about every recipe in it, loving all but a handful.  I have made this salad a few times and definitely enjoy the texture and favors.  My only complaint is that it is very difficult to get a good bite-full on a fork.  It may work better with a shorter noodle, but I would miss the texture of the linguine.  I will try it sometime and update with my thoughts, or, better yet, someone else try it and let me know.

Ingredients

• 8 ounces dry linguine
• 3 cups broccoli florets
• 12 cherry tomatoes (halved)
• 4 green onions (sliced)
• 2 large carrots (sliced diagonally)
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons sesame seeds (toasted)
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons dark sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1/4 teaspoon hot sauce
• 2 garlic cloves (minced)

In large pot with boiling water, cook pasta. Drain, rinse pasta with cold water and let drain again. Place pasta in a large salad bowl, add broccoli, next 3 ingredients and toss well. In a small bowl or jar with lid, combine soy sauce and remaining 6 ingredients. Whisk together or cover tightly and shake vigorously. Pour mixture over pasta and toss gently.

Picture by me, My Little Food Spot

Hot Bean and Cheese Dip

Ingredients

• 1  (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained and divided
• 1/2  teaspoon  hot pepper sauce
• 1/4  teaspoon  salt
• 1/4  teaspoon  ground cumin
• 1/4  teaspoon  dried oregano
• 1  (16-ounce) can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
• 1  (16-ounce) can fat-free refried beans
• 1  (4.5-ounce) can chopped green chiles, drained
• Cooking spray
• 3/4  cup  (3 ounces) shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 350°.

Combine 1 cup tomatoes and the next 7 ingredients (1 cup tomatoes through chiles). Spoon tomato mixture into a 1 1/2-quart casserole dish coated with cooking spray. Top with cheese. Bake at 350° for 20 minutes or until cheese is melted. Top with remaining tomatoes.

Yields 4 1/2 cups (serving size: 1/4 cup)

Recipe adapted from SouthernLiving.com

Thai Red Curry Paste (a la Jennifer)

I was making a dish that called for red curry paste.  I couldn’t find it in the grocery store so I thought I’d google it to see what the ingredients were, and then make it myself.  To my dismay it was a somewhat complicated recipe requiring a food processor (which Derek dropped and broke) and including ingredients I don’t typically stock (i.e. lemongrass).  So I took a number of the ingredients I had stocked in my cupboards and came up with a product with which I was quite pleased.

Whisk together the following:

• a good, long squirt of hot sauce (I use Huy Fong brand of Sriracha hot chili sauce or, as I like to call it, “rooster” sauce)
• three cloves garlic, minced
• a few dashes of ground ginger
• a dash of fresh ground pepper
• a dash of cumin
• about 2 T. soy sauce
• a small squirt of anchovy paste (or oyster or fish sauce)
• a couple dashes of sugar
• a dash of chili powder

Comments

1-2-3 Jambalaya

Ingredients

• 1  large onion, diced
• 1  large green bell pepper, diced
• 1  pound  smoked sausage, cut into 1/4-inch slices
• 1  tablespoon  olive oil
• 4  cups  chopped cooked chicken
• 3  cups  uncooked long-grain rice
• 2  (10 1/2-ounce) cans French onion soup, undiluted
• 1  (14 1/2-ounce) can chicken broth
• 1  (14 1/2-ounce) can beef broth
• 2  to 3 teaspoons Creole or Cajun seasoning
• 2  to 3 teaspoons hot sauce
• Garnish: fresh cilantro sprigs

Preparation

Sauté first 3 ingredients in hot oil in a Dutch oven 4 to 5 minutes or until sausage is browned. Stir in chicken and next 6 ingredients.

Bake, covered, at 350° for 40 minutes, stirring after 30 minutes. Garnish, if desired.

Chicken Corn Chili

Ingredients:

• 1 T extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 1/2 lb cooked chicken, diced
• 2 T chili powder
• 2 T ground cumin
• 2 tsp cayenne pepper sauce
• 2 cup frozen corn kernels
• 32 oz can chunky style crushed tomatoes
• 2 cup prepared chicken stock or broth

 

1.  Heat oil in a deep pot over medium high heat.
2.  Add vegetables and bay leaf and cook 5 minutes, stirring frequently, reducing heat if veggies start to stick.
3.  Stir in diced chicken and season with chili powder, cumin, and cayenne sauce. Season with a little salt, to taste.
4.  Add corn, tomatoes, and broth. Reduce heat to medium low, and simmer for 7 to 10 minutes.
5.  Garnish chili with chopped scallions.

Braunschweiger Cheese Ball

Ingredients:

• 8 oz Braunschweiger
• 8 oz Cream Cheese
• 1 tsp Lemon Juice
• 1 T Onion, diced
• 1 cup Shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese
• 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• dash Garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp Tabasco sauce

 

Soften braunschweiger & cream cheese.  Reserve 4 oz of cream cheese, 1/4 C Shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese and Tabasco sauce for topping.  Mix rest of ingredients by hands; work well.  Shape into ball and chill.  Frost with a little softened cream cheese mixed with a few drops of milk and Tabasco Sauce.  Roll in shredded cheddar cheese, chill.  Serve with crackers or celery sticks.

From the kitchen of Cathy Knorr

Buffalo Chicken Dip

Ingredients:

• 1 can Shredded Chicken
• 8 oz Cream Cheese
• 8 oz Spicy Ranch Dressing
• 3 cup Shredded Cheddar Cheese
• 8 oz Hot Sauce (Frank’s Red Hot recommended)

 

Stir all ingredients together.  Bake in oven for 30-35 minutes at 350 degrees.

From the Kitchen of Erin Paukert