Italian Meatball Soup

Another great meal on a cold winter night. It is a great tomato based soup with lean beef meatballs - which were very tasty. Only one thing I want to change for next time - Instead of using frozen green beans, I would like to try making it with some fresh green beans; other that it is a delicious and healthy soup that I'm sure your family will enjoy.

Meatballs:

1 cup Italian-seasoned breadcrumbs
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
¼ cup dried parsley
2 tablespoons water
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 pound lean ground beef
1 large egg
Cooking spray

Soup:

1½ teaspoons vegetable oil
1 cup onion, chopped
1 cup carrot, chopped
½ cup celery, chopped
2 cups low-sodium tomato juice
½ cup green bell pepper, chopped
½ cup frozen green beans
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
⅛ teaspoon black pepper
2 (14.5 ounce) cans low-sodium beef broth

1) Preheat oven to 375°F.
2) To prepare meatballs, combine breadcrumbs, grated cheese, parsley, water, basil, black pepper, ground beef and egg in a medium bowl. Shape beef mixture into 30 (1-inch) meatballs, and place on a broiler pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 375°F for 20 minutes or until done. Drain on paper towel.
3) To prepare soup, heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion, carrot, and celery; and saute for 10 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally.
4) Add meatballs, tomato juice, green bell pepper, green beans, basil, oregano, black pepper, and beef broth to the Dutch oven. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 10 minutes or until vegetables are done.

Prep Time: 20 minutes | Cook Time: 40 minutes | Total Time: 1 hour | Yields: 6 servings

Hearty Garlic and Snap Pea Soup

I LOVE this soup. Another must have for the garlic lovers out there. This recipe is great as is but my husband thought it could be a little chunkier so the next time I make this I am going to add another potato or two and put them off to the side when pureeing the soup;  then add them back in the pot with the pureed mixture. If we like it I will update the recipe below. Hope you Enjoy!

Recipe:

4 cloves garlic, chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
¼ cup chopped onion
1 pound Yukon gold potatoes, quartered
1 (32 ounce) can reduced-sodium chicken broth
1¾ cups water
1 medium fennel bulb, thinly slivered (fronds reserved)
1½ cups sugar snap peas, trimmed
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon reserved snipped fresh fennel fronds

1) In a large saucepan cook garlic in 2 tablespoons hot oil over medium heat for 1 minute. Add onion and cook until tender. Add potatoes, chicken broth, and water. Bring to a boil; reduce heat. Cook, covered for 15 to 18 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Cool soup slightly.
2) Using a food processor or blender, puree soup in batches until smooth. Return to saucepan. Add fennel and peas. Bring to a boil; reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered, for 3 minutes.
3) Stir in salt and pepper. Top with fennel fronds.

Prep Time: 20 minutes | Cook Time: 25 minutes | Total Time: 45 minutes | Yields: 4 servings

Source: BHG

New England-Style Banana Foster

This dessert is super easy to make and ready to eat in minutes. This really isn't a good dessert the following day so make sure have enough people to polish it off all at once.

Recipe:

⅓ cup maple syrup
⅓ cup dark rum
3½ cups diagonally sliced firm ripe bananas
⅓ cup chopped walnuts, toasted
Vanilla fat-free frozen yogurt

1) Combine syrup and rum in a large skillet; bring to a simmer over medium-low heat.
2) Add bananas; cook for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add walnuts; cook 1 minute.
3) Serve immediately over frozen yogurt.

Prep Time: 5 minutes | Cook Time: 5 minutes | Total Time: 10 minutes | Yields: 6 servings

Hawaiian Bread

This bread is made using a bread machine, hopefully you have a bread machine to try out this semi-sweet tasting recipe. I have noticed after making this several times that you need to use very ripe bananas, if they are green or yellow with no brown spots the bread doesn't turn out as good. Trust me you really only want to make this with overly ripe bananas.

Recipe:

½ cup mashed banana
½ cup crushed pineapple, with juice
1 egg
¼ cup milk
¼ cup margarine, softened
1 teaspoon coconut extract
½ teaspoon salt
⅓ cup white sugar
½ cup instant potato flakes
3 cups bread flour
1½ teaspoons active dry yeast

1) Place all wet ingredients into the pan first, then add all of the dry ingredients. Make a well in the center of the flour and add the yeast.
2) Select 1½ pound loaf, light setting; press Start.

Notes: Best if over ripe bananas are used. Place ingredients in the pan of the bread machine in order recommended by the manufacturer.

Prep Time: 10 minutes | Total Time: 3 hr 10 minutes | Yields: 15 Servings

Garlic Chicken

For all of you garlic lovers out there, this recipe is a must have. You can taste the yummy garlic in every bite. Enjoy!!

Recipe:

4 skinless boneless chicken breast, halves
1 tablespoon crushed garlic
¼ cup olive oil
⅓ cup dry bread crumbs
⅓ cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons Montreal chicken seasoning

1) Preheat oven to 425°F.
2) Add garlic and olive oil to a small dish and warm in the microwave to blend the flavors. In a separate dish, combine the bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese and Montreal chicken seasoning. Dip the chicken breasts in the olive oil and garlic mixture, then into the bread crumb mixture until completely covered. Place the chicken in a 9x13-inch baking dish.
3) Bake in the preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes, until no longer pink and juices run clear.

Notes: If you have some leftover bread crumbs you can pat more onto each chicken breast.

Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cook Time: 35 minutes | Total Time: 45 minutes | Yields: 4 servings

No Bake Peanut Butter Pie

If you love peanut butter this is a must have in your personal recipe collection. This recipe makes 2 pies so just be aware of that before you get started. I also found a recipe for homemade graham cracker crust instead of using the store bought kind and trust me you will never go back to store bought crust again.  It really is not hard to make and you will thank me for it, trust me.

No Bake Peanut Butter Pie Recipe:

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1½ cups confectioners’ sugar
1 cup creamy peanut butter
1 cup milk
1 (16 ounce) package frozen whipped topping, thawed
2 (9 inch) recipe for graham cracker crusts
Hershey’s chocolate syrup
10 Hershey’s Peanut butter cup miniatures, quartered

1) Blend cream cheese and confectioners’ sugar together until smooth. Beat in peanut butter and milk until smooth. Fold in whipped topping.
2) Spoon mixture into two 9 inch graham cracker pie shells; drizzle with Hershey’s chocolate syrup and top with peanut butter cups.
3) Cover and freeze overnight or until firm.

Notes: If you like chunky peanut butter, replace the 1 cup creamy peanut butter with 3/4 cup creamy and 1/4 cup chunky peanut butter.

Prep Time: 20 minutes | Total Time: 3 hours 30 minutes or Overnight | Other Time: Pie Shell: 1 hour, 10 minutes | Yields: 8 servings per pie

Slow Cooker Beef Stew

This meal is another one of our favorites in the cold winter months. I also really enjoy this recipe because you can prep everything the night before and add it all to the slow cooker right before you go to work in the morning and it will be done by the time you get home. So easy to make and oh so yummy!

Recipe:

2 pounds beef stew meat, cut into 1-inch cubes
¼ cup all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon rosemary
1 teaspoon dried parsley
1 packet McCormick Beef Stew Seasoning
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 medium onion, chopped
1 cup beef broth
½ cup red wine
3 potatoes, cubed
4 carrots, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped

1) Place meat in slow cooker. In a small bowl mix together the flour, salt, and pepper; pour over meat, and stir to coat meat with the flour mixture. Stir in garlic, bay leaf, paprika, rosemary, parsley, beef stew seasoning, Worcestershire sauce, onion, beef broth, red wine, potatoes, carrots, and celery.
2) Cover, and cook on Low setting for 10 to 12 hours, or on High setting for 4 to 6 hours.

Notes: Remove the bay leaf before serving.

Prep time: 20 minutes | Cook time: 12 hours | Total time: 12 hours 20 minutes | Yield: 4 servings

Granny Smith Apple Pie

A couple of months before my wedding I was on a hunt for an apple pie recipe that used Granny Smith apples. The reason for this was because the centerpieces at our wedding were vases filled with Granny Smith apples. I wasn't sure how our guests would take to winning a centerpiece of apples instead of the traditional flowers so I thought it would be nice to give the winner a recipe for apple pie to go along with it. After having the first bite of this pie I knew I found a keeper and a few months after our wedding I had several people tell me that they made the pie and really enjoyed it as well. It was such a great feeling knowing that people actually made our pie and LOVED it.

Oh, and one other thing that I wanted to mention - if you are like me and have never really been a big fan of crust, please don't let that stop you from trying this. The sugar concoction you pour over the crust makes it so yummy. It is definitely worth making at least once.

Granny Smith Apple Pie Recipe:

1 pastry recipe for a 9 or 10-inch double crust pie
½ cup unsalted butter
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
¼ cup water
½ cup white sugar
½ cup packed brown sugar
6-8 Granny Smith apples - peeled, cored and sliced

1) Preheat oven to 425°F. Melt the butter in a saucepan. Stir in flour to form a paste. Add water, white sugar and brown sugar, and bring to a boil. Reduce temperature and let simmer.
2) Place the bottom crust in your pan. Fill with apples, mounded slightly. Cover with a lattice work of crust. Gently pour the sugar and butter liquid over the crust. Pour slowly so that it does not run off.
3) Bake 15 minutes in the preheated oven. Reduce the temperature to 350°F and continue baking for 35-45 minutes, until apples are soft.

Tip: Place a sheet of foil on the lower rack in oven to catch the drippings.

Prep time: 30 minutes | Cook time: 1 hour | Other time: 30 minutes for Pie Crust | Total time: 2 hours | Yield: 8 servings

Double Crust Pie Recipe:

2 cups all-purpose flour
¾ teaspoon salt
⅔ cup shortening, butter flavored
6-8 tablespoons cold water

1) In a bowl, combine flour and salt; cut in shortening until crumbly. Gradually add water, tossing with a fork until dough forms a ball. Divide dough in half so one ball is slightly larger than the other.
2) Roll out the larger ball to fit a 9-inch or 10-inch pie plate. Transfer pastry to pie plate. Trim pastry evenly with edge of plate. Pour desired filling into crust.
3) Roll out second ball; cut slits in pastry or cut into strips if making a lattice pie. Position over filling. Trim pastry to 1 inch beyond edge of pie plate. Fold top crust over bottom crust. Flute edges.
4) Bake according to recipe directions.

Tip: Make sure the water is ice cold. For a sweet pie crust add 1 tablespoon of white sugar.

Pumpkin-Bean Soup

This was my first failure. I choose this meal because the picture looked good and it was something different than what we normally eat. I really thought it was going to be a great meal, but it ended up being one of the worst meals my husband and I ever ate. At first I told my husband that we had to eat it, that we couldn't waste it; but after several minutes of playing with our food like we were children stuck at the dinner table we both decided enough is enough and threw it outside for the birds.

It was a funny sight since we had about 2 feet of snow outside and now one area of the backyard had a large orange mess with scattered beans everywhere. It took several weeks until the snow finally melted and we were no longer witnesses to that awful meal we had that night, but once the beans were on solid ground the birds had a field day and it made me feel somewhat better knowing at least someone got to enjoy the meal we hated.

Obviously this meal wasn't for us, but maybe it is something you would enjoy and who am I to stop you from trying it. You can view the recipe here on the Better Homes and Gardens website.

Lasagna

Almost everyone has their own personal favorite lasagna recipe, but this was just so yummy that I couldn't NOT add it to my personal cookbook. My husband and I love making this because we usually end up freezing half of it and pull it out on days when we just don't feel like cooking up something.

I personally love the meat sauce and can eat it by the spoonful. Thinking about this is making me so hungry right now. Oh and this lasagna is even better the next day. If you decide to make this you won't be disappointed.

Recipe:

2 pounds lean ground beef
1 cup minced onion
4 cloves garlic, crushed
1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
2 (6 ounce) cans tomato paste
1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce
½ cup water
2 tablespoons white sugar
1½ teaspoon dried basil leaves
½ teaspoon fennel seeds
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
6 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
12 lasagna noodles
32 ounces Ricotta cheese
2 eggs
1 teaspoon salt
Nutmeg
3½ cups mozzarella cheese, grated
¾ cup grated Parmesan cheese

1) In a Dutch oven, cook ground beef, onion, and garlic over medium heat until well browned. Drain fat. Stir in crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, tomato sauce, and water. Season with sugar, basil, fennel seeds, Italian seasoning, ½ teaspoon salt, pepper, and 2 tablespoons parsley. Simmer, covered, for about 1½ hours, stirring occasionally.
2) Cook noodles according to package directions; drain. Rinse with cold water; drain again. Or, Place your lasagna noodles in a 9×13 baking dish and pour hot tap water over them and let sit for 30 minutes or until noodles are slightly softened. Pour the water off when ready to use.
3) In a large mixing bowl, combine ricotta cheese, eggs, remaining parsley, and 1 teaspoon salt. Sprinkle a couple shakes of nutmeg.
4) Preheat oven to 375°F.
5) To assemble, spread 1½ cups of meat sauce in the bottom of a 9x13-inch baking dish. Arrange noodles lengthwise over meat sauce. Spread with one half of the ricotta cheese mixture. Top with a third of mozzarella cheese. Spoon 1½ cups meat sauce over mozzarella, and sprinkle with ¼ cup Parmesan cheese. Repeat layers, and top with remaining mozzarella and Parmesan cheese.
6) Cover with foil. To prevent sticking, spray foil with cooking spray.
7) Bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes. Remove foil, and bake an additional 25 minutes. Cool for 15 minutes before serving.

Tip: Save yourself the pre-boil noodle step and the hassle of dealing with very fragile cooked noodles by soaking them instead. Note: My lasagna pan only allows me to make 2-layers, adjust the layering for your pan.

Prep Time: 30 minutes | Cook Time: 2 hours 30 minutes | Total Time: 3 hours | Yields: 12 servings

Seven Layer Taco Dip

Every time I make this I always hear the same thing, "It looks too pretty to dig into". Trust me you will want to dig into this because it is addicting. It does not need to be made in a trifle bowl but I like the presentation of it, so that's how I make it.

Technically there are 10 layers but you can't really see all of them, so maybe this recipe's name should be changed but I'll let you decide that. :)

Recipe:

1 (16 ounce) container sour cream
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 (1 ounce) package taco seasoning mix
1 (16 ounce) can re-fried beans
1 (16 ounce) jar salsa, drained
1 small head iceberg lettuce, shredded
1 large tomato, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 bunch green onions, chopped
2 jalapenos, chopped
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 (6 ounce) can sliced black olives, drained

1) In a medium bowl, blend sour cream, cream cheese and taco seasoning mix.
2) Place re-fried beans as the bottom layer into a trifle bowl. Spread cream cheese mixture over the re-fried beans.
3) Top the layers with salsa. Place a layer of lettuce, then a layer of vegetables (tomato, pepper, onion, & jalapenos) and then top with cheddar cheese. Garnish with black olives.

Note: Serve with tortilla chips.

Prep Time: 30 minutes | Total Time: 30 minutes | Yield: 56 servings

Chocolate Chip Cheese Ball

I was introduced to this wonderful yummy recipe about 5+ years ago. It is so rich, sweet, and delicious that you won't be able to stop eating it until it is gone. I love to serve this with cinnamon or honey graham cracker sticks, but I'm sure it would taste great with pretzel rods, vanilla or chocolate wafers, or even cookies.

In the recipe you can roll this in nuts which really does make it look pretty, but as you can see in the photo I did not. I love it with the nuts, but when making this for a group of people that may or may not have nut allergies I tend to stay away from it and honestly it still tastes great without them.

Recipe:

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
½ cup butter, softened
¾ cup confectioners’ sugar
2 tablespoons brown sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
¾ cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips
¾ cup finely chopped pecans, optional

1) In a medium bowl, beat together cream cheese and butter until smooth. Mix in confectioners’ sugar, brown sugar and vanilla. Stir in chocolate chips. Cover, and chill in the refrigerator overnight.
2) Shape chilled cream cheese mixture into a ball. Serve with Graham cracker sticks, pretzels, or cookies.
3) If you want to add the nuts, wrap the cheese ball with plastic wrap and place in the freezer until it is firm. Roll the cheese ball in the finely chopped nuts.

Notes: Could also be rolled with toffee bits or walnuts. If you are in a rush and can't wait overnight - place the mixture in the freezer for 1 hour and then shape the ball and roll it in the nuts.

Prep Time: 20 minutes | Total Time: Overnight | Yield: 32 servings

Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup

I made this meal for the first time for my boyfriend on our 1 year anniversary. It was one of the best weekends of my life since little did I know that he planned on proposing to me to following day.

This soup originally did not have black beans in it, so if you are not a black bean fan I'm sure it will still taste great without them.  I on the other-hand felt like it needed them as well as some other spices.  So for our family this recipe has been perfected to our liking but can always be changed around to suit yours.

Recipe:

4 chicken breasts
1 (15 ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes, mashed
1 (10 ounce) can mild enchilada sauce
1 medium onion, chopped
1 (4 ounce) can chopped green chile peppers
2 gloves garlic, minced
2 (14.5 ounce) cans chicken broth
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
1 bay leaf
1 (10 ounce) package frozen corn
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
1 (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed

1) Place all ingredients into a slow cooker. Cover, and cook on the Low setting for 6 to 8 hours or on the High setting for 3 to 4 hours.
2) One hour before it is done, remove all the chicken breasts and shred them. Place shredded chicken back into the slow cooker for the remaining hour.
3) To serve, sprinkle tortilla strips over soup.

Notes: Remove the bay leaf before serving. Add more chicken broth if needed.

Prep Time: 30 minutes | Cook Time: 8 hours | Total Time: 8 hours 30 minutes |
Yield: 8 servings

Slow Cooker Chicken and Dumplings

I have made this recipe several times and believe that I have finally perfected it. It is great comfort food and would warm anyone up on a cold winter night. It is very filling and definitely hits the spot. I hope you enjoy it as much as we do.

Recipe:

4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts (cut into small pieces)
2 tablespoons butter
1 onion, chopped
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of chicken soup
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of celery soup
1 (14.5 ounce) can reduced sodium chicken broth
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
1 cup frozen peas
3 carrots, peeled and chopped
4 stalks of celery, chopped
1 (10 ounce) package refrigerated biscuit dough, torn into small pieces
Salt to taste

1) Place the chicken, butter, and onion into a 5-quart slow cooker.
2) In a medium bowl stir together the soups, broth, and black pepper. Pour the soup mixture over the chicken and stir together.
3) Cover, and cook for 5 to 6 hours on High.
4) About 2 hours before serving, add the peas, carrots, and celery. Drop the torn biscuit dough pieces into the slow cooker and gently push them down into the liquid.
5) Cover, and cook for the remaining 2 hours or until the dough is no longer raw in the center.

Notes: Occasionally push the dumplings into the liquid to help them cook through. If it looks too thick for your liking, add some water or more chicken broth to thin it out.

Prep Time: 30 minutes | Cook Time: 6 hours | Total Time: 6 hours 30 minutes |
Yields: 8 servings