Deconstructed Stuffed Peppers

Source: food.com via Ashley on Pinterest

{Inspired By}

I tried a new recipe last night that I was really impressed with! Not only was it easy and fast to make, but it was delicious. This is also a kid-friendly recipe. I modified some from the above recipe. 

Deconstructed Stuffed Peppers

2 c chicken broth

2 c quick cooking brown rice

1 lb ground turkey (could use chicken or beef)

1 medium onion, chopped

2 medium bell peppers, seeded and chopped

1 can tomato sauce

1 c shredded cheddar cheese

Bring chicken broth to a boil and cook rice in it according to directions on package. Once cooked, spread on the bottom of a 9x14 pan. Brown turkey meat with onion, bell pepper, garlic, salt, pepper, and chili powder. Drain and add tomato sauce. Mix well and pour over rice. Top with cheese and bake for 45 minutes at 350. Enjoy!

Baked Tacos

Source: blogchef.net via Ashley on Pinterest

{via}

Y'all can probably tell that this pregnancy has thrown me for a loop eating and cooking-wise if from nothing else but the lack of recipe posts here. I simply haven't felt like cooking lately. We've had a lot of spaghetti, a lot of baked chicken and veggies, and a lot of me making dinner for the boys and eating a bowl of cereal or something else. But, going forward, I'm trying to be better! I made these baked tacos last week, and not only were they super easy, they were super delicious!

Baked Tacos

1 lb ground beef (or turkey)

1/2 packet Trader Joe's taco seasoning (or brand of your choice)

8 oz can tomato sauce

16 oz can refried beans

1 c shredded cheese

1 pkg of Trader Joe's taco shells (or brand of your choice)

Toppings:

shredded lettuce

guacamole

chopped tomatoes

sour cream
salsa

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Sprinkle beef with taco seasoning and brown. Drain. Add tomato sauce and refried beans. Mix well and allow to cook until mixture thickens. Spoon mixture into taco shells and place in a 9x13 inch baking dish, standing up. Sprinkle cheese over meat mixture in each shell. Bake for 10-12 minutes. Garnish with toppings of your choice. Enjoy!

Cindy's Chili

Here it is, my famous chili recipe!!!

{Pic Via}

3 lbs ground beef (or turkey or chicken)
2 lg onions, chopped
2 lg green bell peppers, chopped
2 sm cans tomato sauce
2 cans kidney beans
1 28 oz can diced tomatoes
1 qt tomato juice
3 T chili powder
1- 1 1/2 T salt
1/4 c brown sugar
3 T white sugar
1 t black pepper

Brown meat, onions, and peppers together. Add other ingredients and simmer for 1-1 1/2 hours on low heat. Serve with sour cream, shredded cheddar, and jalapenos!

CrockPot Chicken Noodle Soup

Due to the craziness that has been our October, I haven't had much time to post here. Once things die down next week, I'll be back! If you read my blog last Fall, you know I like to do "Souper Sundays," and once we're back in town after the big wedding this weekend, I plan to get back to that! I'm making this tomorrow night, and I can't wait!

Source: creativelydomestic.com via Ashley on Pinterest

CrockPot Chicken Noodle Soup

5 c chicken broth
1 can cream of chicken soup
1/2 c onion, finely chopped
1/2 c celery, finely chopped
1/2 c carrots, finely chopped
1/2 c green onions, finely chopped
1 can whole kernel corn, drained
salt and pepper to taste
1 1/2 c egg noodles
2 c cooked chicken, chopped

Add everything but chicken and noodles to your CrockPot. Cook on low for 5-6 hours. The last hour, turn on high, and add chicken and noodles. Enjoy!

Baked Spaghetti

When I got married, my mom's friends, the Keeno Girls, started an amazing tradition. They started making all of the Keeno brides monogrammed recipe binders filled with personalized recipe cards of their favorite and most special recipes. It is one of my most cherished possessions, and also a go-to for yummy, staple recipes at our house. So, when I signed up to take a sweet friend dinner since she just had a precious little boy, I knew I'd be using a Keeno recipe. This is one of my favorites!!!

Baked Spaghetti

12 oz cooked spaghetti

1/2 c butter

2 c sour cream

1 c grated parmesan cheese

3 eggs—well beaten

1 1/2 lbs ground beef (I use turkey)

1 c chopped onion

1 c chopped green pepper

8 oz mozzarella cheese

2 15 oz cans of tomato sauce

2 6 oz cans of tomato paste

2 T sugar

1/3 c water

Minced garlic, basil, parsley, and oregano to taste.

To make sauce: Cook beef, onion, and pepper. Drain well. Stir in tomato paste and sauce, sugar, and water along with seasonings. Heat well.

Stir butter, parmesan cheese, and eggs into chopped cooked spaghetti. Knive to chop. Form into a crust and cover the bottom of a greased 9x13 pan. Spread sour cream on top of spaghetti crust. Top with sauce. Cover with mozzarella cheese. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes. Can be frozen!

Spicy Beef (or Turkey) and Vegetable Soup

{via}

This is a Fall/Winter staple at our house! It's reposted from my old recipe blog. I highly recommend trying it!

1 lb ground beef (I am using ground turkey this time)

4 stalks celery, sliced

2 cloves crushed garlic

1 medium onion, chopped

1 26 oz jar spaghetti sauce

1 can beef broth, undiluted

2 c water

1 t sugar

1 t salt

1/2 t ground black pepper

16 oz frozen mixed vegetables

1 10 oz can diced tomatoes and green chilies (like Rotel)

Cook ground beef, celery, garlic and onion in a Dutch oven over medium heat until meat is crumbled and no longer pink. Drain. Stir in spaghetti sauce, beef broth, water, sugar, salt and pepper into the beef mixture; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add mixed vegetables and diced tomatoes and chilies; return to a boil. Cover, reduce heat and simmer for another 15 minutes or until the vegetables are tender. Stir occasionally. Great served with sharp cheddar and garlic bread!

Forgotten Chicken

Source: darlingdoodles.blogspot.com via Ashley on Pinterest

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Barry's traveling this week, so I'm off the hook for a couple of nights making dinner. When he's not here, I simply don't cook. I eat something simple, like soup. It's not worth cooking a big meal just for me because we all know Branner barely eats! So, before he heads out of town, I'm trying this new recipe. I'm excited about it!

Forgotten Chicken

Boneless, skinless chicken breasts (pic on website shows 6)

2 c uncooked Minute rice (I'm using brown rice)

1 can cream of chicken soup 

1 can cream of celery soup

1 pkg dry onion soup mix

Mix together cream of chicken, cream of celery, 1 can of water, and the 2 cups of rice. Pour into a greased casserole dish. Lay chicken on top of rice and sprinkle dry onion soup mix on top. Cover with tin foil. Bake at 350-375 for 1-1/12 hours. 

This sounds so easy! I'll let y'all know how it turns out!

Beer CrockPot Chicken

Source: mydailydish.com via Ashley on Pinterest

{via}

I have this in the CrockPot right now! Can't wait to try it tonight; it has rave reviews on the blog it's from.

Beer CrockPot Chicken

4-6 chicken breasts or 1 whole cut-up chicken

1 can of any beer

1/2 t garlic powder

1/2 t black pepper

1/2 t paprika

1/2 t salt

Put all ingredients into CrockPot. For fresh chicken, cook on high for 3-4 hours or low for 7-8 hours. For frozen chicken, cook on high for 4-5 hours or low for 8-10 hours. Review to follow in comment section :)

Crock Pot Chicken and Mushrooms

Source: chef-in-training.com via Ashley on Pinterest

{via}

Here's a recipe I cant wait to try! Sounds easy and delicious; right up my alley!

Crock Pot Chicken and Mushrooms

1 onion, minced

6 cloves garlic, minced

1 T olive oil

1 T tomato paste

1 t dried thyme

1.5 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts

salt and pepper

1 lb musrooms, thinly sliced

2 c chicken broth

2 T white wine vinegar

2 T quick cooking tapioca

1/4 c evaporated milk

1/2 c grated parmesan cheese

1 T dried parsley flakes

Combine onion, garlic, oil, tomato paste and thyme in a microwave safe bowl. Cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring every minute, until onions are tender. Pour into slow cooker. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. Stir chicken, mushrooms, broth, vinegar, and tapioca into the slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 4-6 hours. Remove fat from the surface of the sauce with a large spoon. Add the evaporated milk, cheese and parsley. Add salt and pepper to taste and serve over rice or pasta. Enjoy!

Sweet & Spicy Meatloaf

It's no secret that Barry loves meatloaf. It's also no secret that all of my recipe inspiration comes from Pinterest these days. So, once I pinned this, I knew it was only a matter of time before I was going to try it! We loved it!

Sweet & Spicy Meatloaf

Source: mrfood.com via Ashley on Pinterest

1.5-2 lbs ground beef (y'all know we don't really eat red meat, so I used turkey)

1 onion, finely chopped

1 c dry bread crumbs (I like panko)

1 c shredded cheddar

1/2 c sweet & spicy French dressing

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1 4 oz can mushrooms, drained

1/2 t salt

1/2 t pepper

1/2 c ketchup

Preheat oven to 375. Coat a 9X5" loaf pan with cooking spray. In a large bowl, combine all ingredients except ketchup. Mix well. Distribute mixture in pan. Spread ketchup evenly over top. Bake for 60-75 minutes, or until juices run clear. Allow to sit for 5 minutes before serving. Enjoy!

{source}

Meatball Bubble Biscuits

I'm on a mission to find more dishes that Branner enjoys. For some reason, my used-to-be amazing eater turned super picky right around the time his first molars came in. I've been doing some research, and I am determined to find some new, fun things for him to munch on! So, tonight, I'm trying these!

Meatball Bubble Biscuits

Source: kathiecooks.blogspot.com via Ashley on Pinterest

1 can Pillsbury Golden Layers Biscuits—pulled into 2 layers

10 meatballs, cut in half (I like Trader Joe's or Harris Teeter's turkey meatballs)

2 sticks string cheese, each cut into 10 pieces

1 T parmesan cheese

1/2 t Italian seasoning

1/4 t garlic powder

1 c marinara sauce

Preheat oven to 375. Separate biscuits into 2 layers. Place 1 meatball half and one piece of cheese inside each biscuit, wrap dough around, and seal edges. Place seam side down in a 9" round cake pan. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese, Italian seasoning, and garlic powder. Bake 18-20 minutes until golden brown. Serve with marinara.

{source} 

Hawaiian Chicken and Pinapple Skewers

Source: grocerybudget101.com via Ashley on Pinterest

{via}

Branner and I are off tomorrow morning for a trip to Beech with Kiki and Coco (my sister-in-law and niece). We are all looking forward to beating the heat and getting out of Charlotte for a little while...again. These skewers are on the menu tonight as Barry requested chicken and something healthy. I'm going to serve them with jasmine rice and maybe a simple salad.

3 T soy sauce

3 T brown sugar

2 T rice wine vinegar

1 T sesame oil

1/4 t ground ginger

1/4 t garlic powder

1 1/2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into 2" pieces

fresh pineapple, cut into chunks

skewers

In a small bowl, mix soy sauce, brown sugar, rice wine vinegar, sesame oil, ginger, and garlic powder.  Place chicken pieces in a dish and pour marinade over them. Cover, and marinate in refrigerator for 2 hours. Alternate a piece of chicken with a pineapple chunk onto skewers. Grill 8-10 minutes, turning occasionally. Enjoy!

Dinner with Big Papa

Last night, we had dinner with Big Papa. I caught them both mid-cheese. Hilarious! Shout out to BP for keeping B entertained while Barry and I ran to Macy's to speed shop for buy a new mattress for our new master. It's becoming more real by the day...WE'RE MOVING!

The World's Best Chicken

With a name like that, y'all know I've got to try it! Another Pinterest find that will be on my table tonight!

Source: rachelschultz.com via Ashley on Pinterest

1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1/2 c dijon mustard

1/4 c maple syrup

1 T red wine vinegar

salt & pepper

rosemary

Preheat oven to 450. Mix mustard, syrup, and vinegar together in a small bowl. Place chicken breasts in a 9x13 baking dish. Season with salt and pepper. Pour mustard mixture over chicken. Bake for 45 minutes. Season with rosemary. Enjoy!

July 4th Dessert: Berried Treasure

Source: mrandmrspear.blogspot.com via Ashley on Pinterest

{Original Post}

Found this gem of a recipe on Pinterest (shocker, I know), and am now planning to make it for our July 4th celebration dessert!

Berried Treasure

Crust:

1.5 cups of crushed graham cracker crumbs (equals 1.5 sleeves of graham crackers crushed)

1/2 c sugar

1/3 c butter, melted

**Or you could take the lazy way out, like I am, and buy a pre-made graham cracker pie crust**

Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl and mix well. Press firmly in a 9x13 baking dish. Bake for 8 minutes at 350. Cool.

Filling: 

8 oz cream cheese, softened

1/4 c sugar

2.5  c + 2 T cold milk

16 oz Cool Whip, thawed

1 pint strawberries, halved

1 pint blueberries

6.8 oz instant vanilla pudding

Beat cream cheese with sugar and 2 T of milk until smooth. Fold in half of the Cool Whip. Spread this over the cooled crust. Arrange berries on top. Mix pudding and remaining 2 c milk, beat until smooth. Pour pudding mixture over arranged berries and chill for several hours or overnight. Spread with remaining Cool Whip before serving. Enjoy!

**Note: I will buy 2 pie crusts and divide berries and the pudding mixture between them**

Chicken Pie

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I know, I know! I've posted this recipe before over on my old food blog, but I promise—it's that good! This is my signature go-to, super-easy recipe. If I'm bringing you a meal, there's a 95% chance, this is what you'll be getting! I highly recommend you try it for your family. If you do, let me know what you think!

Chicken Pie

3-4 cups cooked chicken breasts--chopped
1 can cream of chicken soup (I'm using low-fat)
1 can chicken broth
1 stick melted butter (I'm using 8 T of Smart Balance margarine instead)
1 1/2 c milk
1 1/2 c Bisquick

Spray a 9x13 in casserole dish with Pam, and place the chicken in it. Mix together cream of chicken soup, chicken broth and melted butter. Pour over the chicken. Mix milk and Bisquick. Pour over chicken mixutre. Bake at 375 for 45 mins or until golden brown on top.

Quinoa Summer Veggie Stirfry

Fresh Veggies!

My current food obsession: quinoa. It really is the perfect food (if you aren't a low-carber)! You can do so much with it, and it is just so darn good for you! Last night, I modified this recipe to make a delicious stir-fry.

Quinoa Summer Veggie Stir-fry

1 c quinoa, cooked according to package directions

1/2 yellow squash

1/2 yellow onion, chopped

1 handful of fresh green beans (or asparagus) trimmed and broken into small pieces

1 c baby bella mushrooms, chopped

1 1/2 cloves garlic, chopped

sea salt, black pepper and red pepper flakes

dash of hot sauce (I used )

1/2 T soy sauce

1 T balsamic vinegar

Heat a small amount of olive oil in a wok or large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, cook until translucent. Add garlic, cook for about a minute. Add remaining vegetables. Season with sea salt, black pepper and red pepper flakes to taste. Add soy sauce. Stir-fry until tender. Spoon in quinoa and add balsamic vinegar. Stir to combine. Again, season with sea salt, black pepper and red pepper flakes to taste. I served with a simple salad. Enjoy!

Teriyaki Turkey Burgers

Source: l2cook.com via Ashley on Pinterest

We are cutting back on red meat at our house in a major way. So, I am pinning and experimenting turkey burger recipes left and right! Y'all know Barry and I love to grill!

Teriyaki Turkey Burgers

1 lb ground turkey meat
1/4 c chopped green onions
1/2 c teriyaki sauce
2 slices bread
1/4 c milk
1 egg

Peel off bread crusts and soak in milk. Mix together until bread is mushy in texture. Add turkey, egg, onion, and teriyaki sauce. Mix well until combined. Form into four patties. Grill and enjoy!

Spicy Chicken Rigatoni

Another huge success inspired by Pinterest! Highly recommend this recipe! I modified; my recipe is the one described.

Source: mrsintraining.com via Ashley on Pinterest

Spicy Chicken Rigatoni

1/4 c olive oil 

1 T crushed red pepper

Salt and pepper to taste

1 T garlic

2 chicken breasts, cut into 1" pieces
5-6 baby portabella mushrooms

1 26 oz jar Marinara sauce 

1 c Light Alfredo sauce

1 lb whole wheat Rigatoni

Heat olive oil, crushed red pepper, salt, pepper and garlic for about 5 minutes so that the flavors infuse into the oil. Add the chicken. Cook on medium high heat to an internal temp of 165. Add mushrooms and allow to cook for a few minutes. Drain and add marinara and alfredo sauces. Heat through. Serve over rigatoni. Enjoy!

Note: I will probably add broccoli and a few other veggies next time!

Thai Turkey Burgers

Source: brannyboilsover.com via Ashley on Pinterest

Another fabulous Pinterest find! I made these last night, and they were positively scrumptious! The original recipe is from Branny Boils Over; I modified some. 

Thai Turkey Burgers

1 lb ground turkey (I used 93% lean)

1 medium carrot, shredded

4 T minced or grated red onion

1 t sesame oil

2 t chili garlic sauce (I used Sriracha)

2 T peanut butter

1 t ground ginger

salt & pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients. Form into 4 burger patties. Grill until cooked through (about 5 minutes each side). ENJOY!