January 2013 Dinner Menu

Okay, I haven't posted our dinner menu in a long time.  Probably haven't posted in at least a year.  But I've had a few people ask me to do so again, so here it is.  Now, you'll notice a few things:
1.  My family likes pizza, spaghetti, and breakfast for dinner.  So at least one is on our menu each week.  I obviously don't cook new recipes each night!
2.  Our January calendar is currently still pretty empty so as it starts to fill up, dinner ideas will start to get moved around and bumped to February.  But as of now, this is our plan.
3.  I don't have many side dishes listed.  I usually end up making things that are easy and that we have on hand. 

 

15 of the planned dinners below are new recipes for us to try.  It's going to be a busy blog month with the new recipes as well as new veggie side dishes and lunch ideas.
17 of the dinners will be prepped ahead of time and put into the freezer.

#758: Crock Pot Lentil Veggie Stew

 

This is a super, super easy lunch recipe to make.  You throw it all into the crockpot and let it go all day.  I was a little afraid I wasn't going to like the kale in it, but it gave it a really good flavor (added healthy bonus too!).  I would totally make this again for lunches to take for the week.  I really, really enjoyed this!

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 large onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, chopped

2 leeks, chopped

2 large carrots, chopped

3 celery stalks, chopped

2 bay leaves

1 tablespoon fresh or 1 tsp dried thyme

2 teaspoons kosher salt

8 cups vegetable stock

1 32 oz can chopped tomatoes with juice

16 ounces dried lentils

2 cups kale or swiss chard, chopped

Feta cheese (to top)

Heat the oil in a sauté pan over medium heat and cook the onions for 4 minutes.  Add the garlic and cook an additional minute.  Place the onion mixture with the remaining ingredients in a crock pot and stir.  Cover and cook the lentils on high heat for 4 hours or low heat for 8 hours or until lentils are tender.  Top with feta and serve.

#757: Muffin Frittatas

I came across this recipe for a Muffin Frittata, and was eager to make it to take for breakfast last week. I ate it cold, but it was definitely better hot, right out of the oven. I'm too busy/lazy to warm it up when I'm at school. I need to eat and work at the same time (which was why it was cold). I enjoyed it though and would definitely make these again. These are a great low-carb, healthy, quick breakfast and you could adapt it by adding in any veggie you like!

6 eggs
1/2 c milk
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
1 c shredded cheddar cheese
3/4 c chopped zucchini
1/4 c chopped bell pepper
2 tbsp chopped red onion
I also added: cooked, chopped turkey breakfast sausage and turkey bacon.

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Beat eggs, milk, salt and pepper in a medium bowl until blended. Add cheese, zucchini, bell pepper, onion, turkey bacon and turkey sausage. Mix well. Spoon evenly into 12 greasted muffin cups. Bake in oven just until set (20-22 min). Cool on rack 5 minutes. Remove from muffin cups and serve warm.

#756: Quick Pinto Beans

These quick pinto beans really are a snap to put together and would be so easy to add to any weeknight dinner when you don't have a lot of time in the kitchen.  However, I made mine over the weekend and ate it cold (I like cold beans).  I personally enjoyed it just as much cold as I did warm...although hot/warm beans probably are the best way to eat it. 

I would make this again, but the mustard is a little over-powering.  I might omit it next time. 

1 Tbsp. oil

1 pkg. (6 oz.) OSCAR MAYER Smoked Ham, chopped (I used turkey bacon)
1 cup chopped onions
2 serrano chiles, sliced (I used a tiny amount of a jalapenos)

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
1/4 c Dijon Mustard
4 cans (15 oz each) pinto beans, undrained

Heat oil in large saucepan on medium-high heat. Add next 4 ingredients; cook 3 min., stirring occasionally. Stir in cilantro and mustard; cook 2 min., stirring frequently.

2 cans of beans; add to ham mixture. Stir in remaining 2 undrained cans. Bring to boil; cover. Simmer on medium-low heat 10 min., stirring occasionally.

#755: Greek Eggplant Dip

I made this dip to eat with my lunches a few weeks ago and I LOVED it.  I had to restrain myself from making it again the next week....it was THAT good.  Or at least I thought so.  I would definitely make this again.  It would be much healthier served with veggies but I ate mine with pieces of cut up pitas.

2 eggplants (about 3 lb. total)
3 cloves garlic, crushed
2 tomatoes, cored and roughly chopped (about 2 cups)
2 Tbsp. finely chopped fresh parsley
2 Tbsp. finely chopped fresh basil leaves
1/2 cup olive oil
1 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
Salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 375°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil. Cut a slit on 2 sides of each eggplant and place on baking sheet. Bake until eggplant is tender when pierced with a knife and skin is wrinkled.

When eggplants are cool enough to handle, cut in half lengthwise and scoop out pulp; discard skin. Place pulp in a blender with garlic, tomatoes, parsley, basil, olive oil and vinegar and blend at low speed until mostly smooth and thick. Season with salt and pepper.

Cover and refrigerate dip until ready to use. Taste and adjust seasoning. Serve with pita wedges and sliced bell peppers, if desired.

#754: Quinoa, Green Beans, Walnuts and Feta

 
Quinoa, Green Beans, Walnuts and Feta....these are a few of my favorite things!  (I'm quoting Sound of Music here obviously). 

I could not wait to try this recipe for dinner.  I love quinoa, walnuts and feta. The worst part of this recipe is that you have to make the quinoa ahead of time.  That's ok for me though.  This was fantastic.  I ate it for 3 days.  It is so good.  It's good hot, warm or cold.  Loved it!
 

1 cup dry Quinoa(prepare to package directions)

1 pound fresh Green Beans, washed and trim ends
a few pinches of fine Sea Salt
1/4 cup toasted Walnuts
drizzle of Walnut Oil
a few ounces crumbled Blue Cheese (I used Feta)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F with the rack in the middle. Toast nuts for about 10 minutes or until slightly browned and fragrant.

Prepare your quinoa and fluff with a fork.

Green Beans (I used the pre-washed steamer bags you can buy in the produce section.  So much easier!)

Fill a large pot 3/4 full with water. Add a few pinches of salt and bring to a rolling boil. Prepare an ice bath full of water to dunk beans in when they have finished cooking. This will set the color and keep them crisp.  Add the beans to the water and make sure they are fully submerged, add some more warm water if needed. Boil beans over medium high heat for about 2 minutes. They should be bright green and tender enough to be speared with a fork.  Drain beans in a colander and immediately put them into the ice bath. Swish them around in the bath until cool. Remove, and blot with a clean dish towel to remove dampness.

Chop beans into little bite sized pieces. Toss with oil and nuts and some blue cheese. Serve over a bed of quinoa. Top with each serving with extra nuts and cheese.  Serve at any temperature.

#753: Healthified Fiesta Taco Casserole

 
This recipe is already intended to be a lighter-version of it's original recipe, but I made it even healthier by making it with corn tortillas instead of crushed baked tortilla chips.  This is good!  I took it for lunch all week and enjoyed it reheated each day.  I will definitely make this again. 

1 lb extra-lean (at least 90%) ground beef
1 can (15 to 16 oz) reduced-sodium spicy chili beans in sauce, undrained (I used kidney beans)
1/2 cup chunky-style salsa
1/2 cup water
1 cup coarsely broken baked tortilla chips (I used 4 corn tortillas instead)
4 medium green onions, sliced (1/4 cup) (I omitted because I didn't have any on hand) 
2 medium tomatoes, chopped (1 1/2 cups)
1/2 cup shredded reduced-fat sharp Cheddar or Monterrey Jack cheese (2 oz)                                            
Tortilla chips, if desired
Shredded lettuce, if desired                                           
Additional chunky-style salsa, if desired                                           

Heat oven to 350°F. In 10-inch skillet, cook beef over medium heat 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until brown; drain. Stir in beans, 1/2 cup salsa and water. Heat to boiling, stirring occasionally.
In ungreased 2-quart casserole, place broken tortilla chips. Top with beef mixture. Sprinkle with onions, tomato and cheese.
Bake uncovered 20 to 30 minutes or until hot and bubbly. Arrange tortilla chips around edge of casserole. Serve with lettuce and additional salsa.

#752: Slow Cooker – Italian Meatball Stew

Soups are a huge part of my school lunches because you can make a big batch ahead of time...and it's usually really easy.  Unfortunately sometimes soups aren't filling enough for me, but this one had little meatballs in it so I liked that added protein bonus.  And since I have a growing boy in my house, it has a lot of healthy finger foods he can eat. 

Matthew and I loved this.  The meatballs we so moist and this was really easy to thew together.  The only thing I didn't have on hand were the tomatoes so I omitted them, and next time I would definitely add them in.  Delicious!

1 dozen Italian Meatballs, click here for Italian Meatball recipe

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 carrots, peeled, chopped

2 stalks celery, coarsely chopped

1 red bell pepper, cored and seeded, diced

1 zucchini, coarsely chopped

1 (14.5 ounce) can fire roasted tomatoes with liquid (I omitted)

1 (15 ounce) can cannellini beans, drained

2 cloves garlic, diced

1 teaspoon dried oregano

2 tablespoons freshly chopped basil

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Kosher or sea salt to taste

2 cups chicken broth, fat free, low sodium

1/2 cup whole wheat orzo (I omitted)

Add oil to a large skillet, turn to medium heat and cook meatballs until brown on both sides, about 16 minutes. While meatballs are cooking add remaining ingredients, except orzo, to the slow cooker and stir to combine. Add browned meatballs to slow cooker, cover and cook on low 7-8 hours. The last 15 minutes of cooking time, add orzo, turn slow cooker to high and cook 10-15 minutes or until pasta is al dente. Serve in bowls and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese if desired.

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Here's the meatball recipe I used...I just halved it and made about 20 small meatballs.  I browned on both sides but didn't worry about them cooking all the way through because I knew they would finish cooking in the crock pot.

2 pounds lean ground turkey or chicken

2 teaspoons dried oregano

2 tablespoons freshly chopped Italian parsley

1 teaspoon black pepper

Kosher or sea salt to taste

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

4 cloves garlic, finely minced

2 cups whole wheat panko, or whole wheat bread crumbs, click here for recipe

1 cup Parmesan cheese, reduced fat

2 eggs

 

Combine all ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Shape mixture into (24) 1" meatballs.

When cooking meatballs, add 1 tablespoon olive oil to a large skillet, turn to medium heat and cook until brown on both sides.

#751: Rosemary Butternut Squash Lasagna

A few weeks ago my friend/co-worker brought some squash lasagna for me to eat for lunch.  I loved it and have been thinking about it ever since!  So when I recently found this recipe in my Taste of Home magazine, I was so excited to try it. 

I absolutely loved this recipe.  You have to like the sweetness of rosemary though because you can definitely taste it. 

9 uncooked whole grain lasagna noodles

1 medium butternut squash (about 3 pounds), peeled and cut crosswise into 1/4-inch slices

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon salt, divided

6 tablespoons all-purpose flour

4 cups fat-free milk

6 garlic cloves, minced

1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary

1-1/3 cups shredded Parmesan cheese

 

Cook noodles according to package directions; drain.  In a large bowl, combine the squash, oil and 1/2 teaspoon salt; toss to coat. Transfer to a 15-in. x 10-in. x 1-in. baking pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 425° for 10-15 minutes or until tender; remove from the oven. Reduce heat to 375°.

Place flour and remaining salt in a large saucepan; gradually whisk in milk. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Cook and stir for 1-2 minutes or until thickened. Stir in garlic and rosemary.

Spread 1 cup sauce into a 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish coated with cooking spray. Layer with three noodles, 1/3 cup cheese, a third of the squash and 1 cup sauce. Repeat layers twice. Sprinkle with remaining cheese.

Bake at 375°, covered, for 40 minutes. Bake, uncovered, for 10 minutes longer or until bubbly and top is lightly browned. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

#750: Chicken and Rice Slow-Cooked Pork Chops

Ok so I was a little nervous about making this recipe for my family because I was afraid they wouldn't eat it in the liquid/soup it was cooking in.  But I decided to try it anyways. 

Unfortunately I need recipes that can cook all day long in the crockpot and this recipe wouldn't be long enough for us and I knew it would be totally dried out.  So I browned the pork chops as directed then froze them.  Then when we were ready to make this I threw the frozen (partially cooked) pork chops in the crockpot along with the rest of the needed ingredients and let them cook all day on low (with fingers crossed they would turn out!)

I absolutely loved this!  Like I've said before, I'm not a big pork fan....I loved this so much, I ate it cold for breakfast the next day.  Yes, it was that good.  We are definitely, definitely making this again. 

6 lean pork chops

1/2 cup of flour

1 tbsp. salt

1 (10 oz.) can chicken and rice soup

1 1/2 tsp. dry mustard

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

2 tbsp. oil

Coat pork chops in mixture of flour, salt, dry mustard, and garlic powder and brown in oil in skillet. (You do not need to cook all the way through as it will finish cooking in the crockpot.  Just cook enough to brown on both sides).  Place on wax paper and freeze.  When frozen bag, label and date. 

When ready to cook, place FROZEN browned pork chops in crock-pot. Add can of soup + ½ c water. Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours (mine cooked for 9 ½ hours).

Product Review: Make Your Own Candy Kits

As the Holidays approach are you looking for a last minute, unique gift idea for kids?  How about something to do with your child(children) over winter break?  I've got some ideas for you!

I was privileged to try and review a product from GleeGum.com.  They sent me one of their DIY Candy Kits.  I was able to choose between Chewing Gum, Chocolates of Candies.  Each kit includes natural ingredients, simple instructions, and info about the history and origins of familiar treats. 

Now anyone who knows me, assumes I would have chosen the Chocolates.  You would have been right...except this wasn't for me so I went with what the girls wanted...GUM.  No surprise since Mimi (their grandma) gives them gum every time she sees them and the are always asking for it. 

I waited for a cold, rainy Sunday afternoon to pull this out and have them help me make gum.  They were thrilled!  The kit is intended for kids 8+, but my 3 and 5 year old did just fine with it.  Of course I had to help them with it, but they didn't mind.  Our kit included information about where the chicle comes from to make the gum, how it's collected, and other basic information about the Sapodilla tree it comes from.  The kids enjoyed listening to the story of Eduardo from Guatemala who collects the sap from the trees to make the gum.  It was also interesting to introduce the girls to the concept of Fair Trade and products we can purchase that help people in other areas of the world. 

The kit comes with everything you need to make the gum.  (All I needed was a spoon, cutting board and a rolling pin). They even send you a tray to melt the chicle in because it's so sticky.  Word of warning....DON'T use your good spoons to stir this product.  I had to throw one of my spoons away because I couldn't get the chicle off it.  I might have been able to if I really tried (they suggest using melted butter) but it just wasn't worth the effort! 

Here is a picture of the girls kneading the mixture and getting the flavor into the gum.  They send you two packs of flavoring in the kit and thankfully both girl wanted a different one so they each make their own flavors of gum.  You can even experiment with it and change it to your preferences.  You can add food coloring or different powdered flavoring such as Kool-Aid or Jell-O. 

My girls loved making this.  We used a pizza cutter to cut these into thin strips and the girls wrapped their gum in aluminum foil so they could save it for later.  Most nights after dinner they choose to eat another piece of their gum instead of typical candy or dessert-type foods.

These kits are sold at gift stores nationwide and online at GleeGum.com.  There is a store locator on their website and I was happy to see there are 2 stores in our town where we could purchase some of their products (natural food stores).  However their DIY Kits are primarily sold online and were not available in our town. The kits retail online for $13.95 each and thankfully for us, you can purchase a gum refill kit $6.95.  :)  Right now Glee Gum is running a Holiday Special and you can get all 3 kits for 30% off (currently at time this post was published the holiday price is $29.30 for all 3 kits!)

We definitely enjoyed making this DIY Gum kit and my kids are still talking about it.  I'm excited to try the Gummies or Chocolates next...or maybe they'll choose gum again! 

You can also check out other Glee Gum products by heading over to their Facebook Page (Glee Gum) and on  Twitter (@gleeguy).

#749: Carrot Salad

I made this recipe to eat with my lunches last week.  It is SO easy to put together and the mint gives it a really nice refreshing flavor.  You have to like mint though if you're going to enjoy this.  You can definitely taste it in there.  This recipe came from a new magazine I was introduced to (Chop Chop) which is intended for kids.  I can tell you my kids wouldn't even try this and they like carrots.  :( The recipe also says this would be good in a taco...I have to disagree.  I don't want mint flavored carrots in my taco!

3 large carrots (scrubbed well or peeled)
1⁄2 lime (zested and juiced)
1 teaspoon honey
1⁄2 cup fresh mint leaves, chopped
1⁄3 cup roasted peanuts, coarsely chopped)

Grate the carrots on the large holes of the box grater.

Stir in the lime juice and zest, honey, salt, mint, and peanuts. Taste the salad and add more of whatever you think it needs.  Serve right away or store, covered in the refrigerator, up to 3 days.

#748: Spinach Salad with Figs and Warm Bacon Vinaigrette

I was so, so excited to try this recipe.  It sounded so good and had a lot of my favorite ingredients. Unfortunately it was good, but it wasn't great.  I would eat this again but I certainly wouldn't go out of my way to make this.  (So note to my future self re-reading this...don't make it again).  I've had a lot of other GREAT salads and this one just doesn't cut it.   

6 slices bacon (I used turkey bacon)
1 15-oz. can chickpeas, rinsed, drained and patted dry

8 ounces spinach, stems removed

2 tablespoons cider vinegar

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon olive oil

8 dried figs, stemmed and sliced

1/4 cup crumbled blue cheese (I used feta)

 

Cook bacon in a large skillet over medium-high heat until crisp, about 5 minutes. Remove bacon to a paper towel-lined plate; pour off 1 Tbsp. fat; reserve (about 1 Tbsp. will remain). When bacon has cooled, crumble.

Add chickpeas to same skillet and cook, stirring, until lightly browned and slightly crisped, 7 to 10 minutes. Place spinach in a large bowl; scatter chickpeas over spinach.

Remove skillet from heat and whisk in vinegar (watch out, as mixture may spatter). Add mustard and, while skillet is still warm, whisk in reserved bacon fat and olive oil. Quickly scrape dressing into bowl with spinach and chickpeas. Add figs and crumbled bacon. Toss together well, sprinkle with blue cheese, if desired, and serve.

#747: Cowboy Calzones

I almost didn't make these because they require the use of yeast and I avoid yeast recipes.  But I made a yeast-included recipe last week and it turned out well so I figured I would give these a try.  I should have gone with my instinct because after 3 tries with the yeast it still wouldn't "bloom."  So I gave up.  But I had already made the filling so I ended up making these in crescent rolls instead.  But I didn't have enough crescent rolls for all of us so Brian got an open faced sandwich. 

Even with all of the changes we needed to make (with the exception of Chloe) we all really enjoyed these.  Allison ate all of Chloe's off her plate and asked to take the last one for lunch one day this week in her lunchbox.  I'd say that was a success. 

However, I'm pretty sure something in this recipe made Matthew's face break out...I think it was the tomatoes and chilies....

1/2 lb ground sausage
1 lb ground beef (I used 3/4 lb)
1/2 onion, diced
1-10 oz can tomatoes and chilies (I pureed this so my family wouldn't notice...they didn't)
8 oz whole milk ricotta cheese
1/2 c. grated mozzarella cheese
1/2 c. grated Monterrey jack cheese
1 egg, beaten
salt and pepper
1 recipe of pizza dough (I used crescent rolls instead)
olive oil for brushing (I omitted)

 

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. In a large skillet, combine sausage, hamburger, and onion. Cook until brown. Drain excess grease. Pour in tomatoes and chilies. Stir to combine and cook for about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and let it cool a little. In a bowl, combine all the cheeses and egg. Add a dash of salt and pepper. Add the cooled meat mix to the cheese mix and stir gently to combine. Divide the pizza dough into 8 equal size balls. Roll out on a floured surface to make a 6 inch circle. Place 1/8th of the meat and cheese mix in the middle of each circle. Fold the circle in half and gently press to flatten and spread the filling inside. Press with a fork along the edge to seal your calzone closed. Transfer to a greased baking sheet. Repeat with remaining dough and filling. Brush calzones with olive oil. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown.

#746: Roasted Sweet Potatoes & Pineapple

I love sweet potatoes and could not wait to try this recipe for dinner one night.  It was so easy to make and I loved it...and so did Matthew!  It's sweet, but not too sweet and the pineapple has a great caramelized flavor to it.  I would definitely make this again.

2 lb sweet potatoes, peeled, cut into 3/4 inch chunks

3 c fresh pineapple chunks
1/4 c Zesty Italian dressing
1/4 c packed brown sugar
1 tbsp butter, melted

 

Heat oven to 400 degrees.  Combine potatoes and pineapple in a large bowl.  Mix remaining ingredients and add to potato mixture.  Toss to coat.  Spread onto rimmed baking sheet sprayed with cooking spray.  Bake 45-50 minutes or until potatoes and pineapple are tender and golden brown, turning after 30 minutes.

#745: Rise and Shine Pizza

I think this recipe is an oxi-moron for our family since I made it for dinner instead of breakfast.  Don't be fooled though, no one else ate this besides me.  And I was perfectly happy NOT to share this.  This recipe can definitely be adapted to whatever veggies you have/like on your pizza. 

I would definitely make this again.  It was great eaten cold the next day for breakfast as well. 

1 lb. refrigerated pizza dough

1 Tbsp. olive oil (I omitted)
1-1/2 cups Shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese, divided

1/3 cup sliced green onions, divided
1 plum tomato, sliced
6 slices cooked bacon, crumbled
4 eggs
*I also added some diced green peppers and turkey sausage on mine*

Heat oven to 375 degrees.  Pat and stretch dough into a 14x6 inch rustic rectangle on baking sheet sprayed with cooking spray.  Brush with oil. 

Top with 1 cup of cheese. Crack eggs, 1 at a time, into small bowl, and beat well.  Pour on top of cheese.  Top dough with tomatoes, bacon, remaining cheese and onions. Bake 23 to 25 min. or until crust is golden brown and eggs are done.

#744: Italian Chicken Nuggets

This was an easy chicken recipe that I made for dinner one night that the girls really enjoyed.  Brian and I enjoyed it too, although it isn't my favorite way to make chicken so I probably won't make this version again.  The taste was good but I didn't love the Italian seasoning (it was a little over-powering).

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite sized chunks
1 cup of Italian style panko crumbs
1 egg, mixed well
Sea salt and fresh cracked pepper, to taste
Olive oil cooking spray

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Place a cooling rack inside a baking sheet and coat rack with cooking spray. Cut chicken into large chunks and remove any fat. Mix the egg well in a bowl. Place the panko crumbs in a separate bowl. Dip the chicken into the egg then into the panko, making sure to coat evenly. Place chicken nuggets on top of the rack and spray with olive oil cooking spray. Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes or until chicken is cooked thoroughly and is golden brown. Serve with warm marinara sauce. Enjoy.

#743: Slow Cooker Pizza Bake

Okay I have to confess a secret...I didn't actually cook this in my crockpot.  I intended too but I forgot to turn it on and I wanted to eat dinner before 8 pm!  So I made this as directed but then just baked in the oven for 35 minutes or so to heat it up. 

We enjoyed this meal (made in a crockpot or not).  Easy.  Good.  Filling.  Yep, we'll make this again.

1 1/2 lbs. ground beef

1 medium onion (optional), diced

1 green bell pepper, diced

8 oz sliced pepperoni

4 oz (1 cup) shredded mozzarella cheese

8 oz (2 cups) shredded cheddar cheese

12 oz Rigatoni noodles, cooked

15 oz pizza sauce

26 oz Spaghetti sauce

Brown meat, onion and pepper in frying pan. Drain grease and add pizza sauce and spaghetti sauce.

 

Combine all ingredients in a large crock pot (spray with non-stick spray first).  Cook on HIGH for 30 minutes and then LOW for 2 or 3 hours until the cheese melts.

#742: Italian Panko and Parmesan Crusted Pork Chops

I really, really, really wanted to like this recipe.  We've been having such good luck with pork chops lately that I was sure I was going to like it.  I was wrong.  I either totally over cooked this (it's a huge possibility) or I had a bad cut of pork, or I just didn't like it.  Either way this was tough (in my opinion), however Allison and Brian both enjoyed it immensely.  (FYI Brian did not like this reheated).

This was easy to make and I double dipped the pork in the egg/panko mixture to make it crispier, which I think made a big difference.  Always double dip whatever you are making!  This isn't a bad recipe, I just wouldn't make this again for our family.

3 bone in pork chops
1 egg, beaten
1 cup of Italian seasoned panko crumbs
2 tbsp Parmesan cheese, finely grated
Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Line a baking sheet with tin foil then coat with cooking spray.

Combine the Italian seasoned panko crumbs with the Parmesan cheese and mix well. Dip the pork chops in the beaten egg before coating both sides of each chop evenly with the panko mixture. Place on the baking sheet then season with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste.

Place the baking tray in the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes or until a meat thermometer reaches 145 degrees. Turn the oven to broil and cook for a minute or two (watching very carefully) so the top crust gets golden brown. Remove from the oven and let the meat rest for 5 minutes before serving.

#741: Deep Dish Pizza

This is not an approved diet food.  :)  But it is a family approved pizza/dinner! I usually don't have very good luck making bread dough with yeast, but this one worked out perfectly for me.  I let it rise most of the day and then attempted to make this is a large circular dish so it would look more like a traditional deep dish pizza but the dough kept sliding down the sides of the bowl.  So I decided to make this in a 9x13 pan instead and it worked for us. 

This is really good.  We all enjoyed this one and would definitely make it again. 

1 cup warm water
1 pkg yeast
1 tbsp sugar
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 tsp cream of tartar
3-4 cups flour


1 jar of favorite spaghetti sauce
8-12 oz mozzarella cheese, shredded
pepperoni
2 Italian sausage links, uncooked
green peppers (I omitted)
sliced olives (I omitted)
sliced mushrooms (I omitted)

In a small bowl, mix together sugar and warm water. Sprinkle yeast on top and gently stir with finger. Cover with a towel and let proof for about 5-7 minutes. Mixture should be bubbly at that time. In a medium bowl mix together oil, cream of tartar and yeast mixture. Add in 3 cups of flour and add more from there if needed. Dough should be firm, but slightly sticky. Knead it for about 10 minutes, adding a bit more flour is needed. Roll into a ball. Pour about 2 tsp of oil in a large bowl and roll dough around until coated. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and then a towel. Place in a warm place and let rise for about 2-3 hours. You can also let it sit out overnight on the kitchen counter. Roll out large enough to fit into a 10 or 12 inch cake pan or stone that has sides. Coat the pan with lots of melted butter, the bottom and sides. Place dough in pan and pinch the dough up the sides.

Now go with me on this one...it seemed totally backwards to me, but makes for the best pizza! Place half of your shredded cheese on the bottom of the crust. Place your pepperoni around and then pinch small little pieces of uncooked sausage around. Add other desired toppings, but I am telling you, I think it's the uncooked sausage that makes this the best. Pour about half of the sauce (about 3/4 cup) over the toppings. Add more if you like it saucy. Bake in the oven at 350 for about 35 minutes. Take out of oven and sprinkle remaining cheese over the top. Place back in oven and cook until cheese is melted and crust and cheese is slightly golden brown. About 45-50 minutes total cooking time. 

#740: Special Spinach Salad

Photo courtesy of Taste of Home
Okay so I didn't actually take a picture of this one.  I think people think I'm crazy when I whip out my camera at dinner to take a picture of something I made.  It makes me look bad.  So when I brought this to thanksgiving at my in laws I decided not to take a picture of this last minute. 

Regardless of my photo or not, I absolutely loved this salad (with the addition of bacon of course!).  I was a little leery of the dressing, but I thought it was fabulous.  I would definitely, definitely make this again!

1/3 cup olive oil

3 tablespoons sugar

2 tablespoons white wine vinegar

2 tablespoons sour cream

1/2 teaspoon ground mustard

1 package (6 ounces) fresh baby spinach

1/2 cup chopped walnuts, toasted

1/2 cup dried cranberries

 

In a small bowl, whisk the oil, sugar, vinegar, sour cream and mustard. Divide spinach among four salad plates; drizzle with dressing. Sprinkle with walnuts and cranberries. Yield: 4 servings.

Product Review: Perdue Oven Ready Roasted Chicken

If you are a frequent visitor to my blog you will see that I am a picky chicken eater.  Yes, we eat chicken often, it is hard for me to find chicken that I like and will eat again and again.  When I was invited to join a recent BzzCampaign for Purdue Oven Ready Chickens, I was excited to try it.  As soon as I got my coupon to try it for free, I ran to Kroger to get one fully intending to get a boneless chicken breast.  Unfortunately to my dismay, our Kroger only had bone-in Breasts.  I almost didn't purchase it in hopes of eventually finding it a boneless one, but decided to get it any way. 

Here's the downfall to this FRESH product...it doesn't last indefinitely!  :)  We almost missed our window of making this because I couldn't find the expiration date anywhere on the bag...until FINALLY I found it and realized it was about to expire.  So we immediately made it that night for dinner.  I was skeptical about this product.  I was sure I was not going to enjoy it. 

This was SUPER, SUPER easy to make.  You literally cut open the outer package of the bag, stick the sealed inside bag in a pan, cut a small slit in the bag and then roast it.  There is NO prep work.  None.  Unless you consider cutting open a bag prep.  Leave it alone and walk away...come back about 1 1/2 hours later and your dinner is done.  It's a perfectly seasoned chicken and since it's in a bag, there's no clean up.  Let me repeat that in case you missed it: there's no clean up!  This busy mom appreciates that.

Okay, so like I said earlier I'm a picky chicken eater.  Well my family didn't even get to eat any of the skin (I know, it's not the healthy part of the chicken!) because it was so crispy I couldn't stop picking it off the bird.  It was that good. 

The chicken was super moist and besides the awful task of getting the chicken off the bone (I hate doing that!) this was easy and so good, I would definitely purchase this again.  And now that I've learned how to make my homemade chicken stock, I'm actually excited to make this again to have the left over bones to make chicken stock too.  2 for 1 deal!  Excellent product, excellent meal.