Old-Fashioned Meat Loaf

Recipe courtesy of Paula Deen

Prep Time: 10 Minutes
Cook Time: 1 Hour
Serving Size: 4

Ingredients
1 Pound Ground Beef
1-1/4 tsp Salt
1/4 tsp Ground Black Pepper
1/2 Cup Chopped Onion
1/2 Cup Chopped Bell Pepper
1 Egg, Lightly Beaten
8 ounces canned diced tomatoes with juice
1/4 cup quick-cooking oats

Topping
1/3 Cup Ketchup
2 Tbsp Brown Sugar
1 Tbsp Prepared Muster

Directions
Preheat the oven to 375F. Mix all of the meatloaf ingredients well and place in a baking dish. Shape it into a loaf.

Topping: Mix the ingredients for the topping and spread it on the loaf. Bake for 1 Hour. 

Serves 4, Calories 364; Total Fat 19 grams, Saturated Fat  grams, Protein 26 grams; Total Carbs 22 grams, Sugar 12 grams, Fiber 2 grams, Cholesterol: 130 Mg, Sodium:1,220 Milligrams.

Mock Garlic Mashed Potatoes

Recipe courtesy of George Stella

Prep Time: 15 Minutes
Cook Time: 6 Minutes
Serving Size: 4

Ingredients
1 Medium Head Cauliflower
1 Tbsp Cream Cheese Softened
1/4 Cup Grated Parmesan
1/2 tsp Minced Garlic
1/8 tsp straight chicken base or bullion (may substitute 1/2 tsp salt)
1/8 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/2 tsp chopped fresh or dry chives, for garnish
3 Tbsp unsalted butter

Directions
Clean and cut cauliflower into small pieces. Cook in boiling water for about 6 minutes or until well done. Drain well, do not let it cool. Pat cooked cauliflower very dry between several layers of paper towels.

In a bowl with an immersion blender or food processor, puree the hot cauliflower with the cream cheese, Parmesan  garlic, chicken base and pepper until almost smooth.

Garnish with chives and serve hot with pats of butter.

Hing: try roasting the garlic and adding a little fresh rosemary for a whole new taste.


Serving Size: Calories: 149, Total Fat 11.5 grams, Saturated Fat: 7 grams; Protein 5 grams; Total Carbohydrates: 8 grams; Sugar; 4 grams; Fiber 4 grams; Cholesterol: 31 milligrams; Sodium: 170 Grams

Chicken Parmesan Alfredo

Prep Time 10 Minutes
Cook Time 10 Minutes
Serving Size 4

Ingredients
4 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts Halves (About 1-1/4 Lbs)
1 Egg Beaten
3/4 Cup Italian Seasoned Dry Bread Crumbs
1/4 tsp Paprika (Optional)
1 Jar (1lb) Alfredo Sauce (Ragu Cheese Creations Alfredo Sauce)
1/2 Cup Shredded Mozzarella Cheese (2oz)
1 Medium Tomato Chopped
Parmesan Cheese (Optional)

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 400 Degrees
2. Dip the Chicken in the egg, then in the bread crumbs combined with the paprika, coat the chicken well.
3. Place the chicken in a 9x13 Baking dish and bake it uncovered for 20 minutes.
4. Pour 1 cup of the alfredo sauce over the chicken and top it with cheese and then the tomato. 
5. Bake an additional 10 minutes or until the chicken is thoroughly cooked. 
6. Heat the remaining sauce. 
7. Serve with the remaining sauce and sprinkle with the grated Parmesan if you like. 

Southern Chicken & Dumplings

This recipe comes from my favorite cook book...

'Super-Fast Slow Cooking' by Gooseberry Patch

I recommend buying the cook book. Everything is yummy and easy.

Ingredients

3 - 10-3/4oz Cans Cream of Chicken Soup

1/4 Cup Onion Diced

6 Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts (See my note below)

3-3/4 Cup Water

3-12 oz tubes of refrigerated biscuits quartered (They need to be the small biscuits like you would use for monkey bread)

Pour soup into the slow cooker; add onion and chicken. Pour in enough water to cover the chicken. Cover and cook on the low setting for 6-8 hours, or on the high setting for 4-6 hours. About 35-40 minutes before serving, turn the slow cooker to the high setting. Drop in the biscuit quarters into the slow cooker; stir well. Replace the lid and cook for 35 minutes more, or until the dumpling are don. Stir and Serve. Serves 6. 

Kristi Note:

I put whole frozen chicken breasts into the crock pot. Before I add the biscuits I take out the chicken, shred it and put it back in the crock pot. After that I turn up the crock pot and add the biscuits. This saves a lot of prep time. I hate touching raw meat. 

Low Fat Peanut Butter Pie

Ingredients
3 oz Fat-Free Cream Cheese
1/3 Cup Reduced Fat Peanut Butter
1/2 Cup Confectioners Sugar (Powdered Sugar)
1/4 Cup Fat Free Milk
1 Carton (8oz) Fat Free Whip Cream Thawed
1 Chocolate Crumb Crust

Instructions

• Beat the cream cheese until fluffy
• Mix in the peanut butter and sugar
• Add in the milk
• Fold in the whip topping
• Put the mixture in the pie crust. 
• Refrigerate Overnight

Peanut Butter Pie

Ingredients

1 Package (3oz) Cream Cheese Softened

1/3 Cup Peanut Butter

1 Cup Confectioners Sugar (Powdered Sugar)

1/4 Cup Milk

1 Carton Whip Cream Topping Thawed (8oz)

1 Chocolate Crumb Crust (9 Inches)

1/4 Cup Chopped Nuts

Instructions

• Beat the Cream Cheese and add in the Peanut Butter and Sugar.
• Add Milk and Mix
• Fold in the Whip Cream.
• Put the Mix in the pie crust in the refrigerator over night. 
• Garnish with the nuts, sprinkle on top.

Unbelievable Peanut Butter Cookies

If I am going to make peanut butter cookies, this is the only recipe I will make. They are very peanut buttery and are simple to make. The hardest part is actually forming the cookies, but if you have a cookie scoop it's no big deal.

A vegan option would be to use flax seed instead of the egg. I have not tried it personally.

Ingredients
1/2 Cup Sugar
1 Cup Peanut Butter
1 Egg
1 tsp Vanilla
Optional: Chocolate Chips
Optional: Top each cookie with a Hersey Kiss as soon as the cookies come out of the oven.

Instructions
Mix all of the above ingredients. Drop off a spoon onto a greased cookie sheet.
Bake 375 Degrees for 10-12 Minutes.

9 Carbs per cookie, if you make 17 cookies with this recipe.

1 Cup Peanut Butter = 50 Carbs
1/2 Cup Sugar = 96 Carbs
Total Carbs = 146
Total Carbs/# Cookies = Each Cookie Total

146 Carbs/17 Cookies = 8.6 Carbs Per Cookie

Chocolate Cherry Bars

Base
1 Package of Devils Food Cake Mix
21 oz Can of Cherry Fruit Filling
1 tsp Almond Extract
2 Eggs Beaten

Frosting
1 Cup Sugar
5 Tbsp Margarine
1/3 Cup Milk
1 Cup (6oz) Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips

Base

• Preheat Oven 350 Degrees
• Grease and Flour 15 x 10 Jelly Roll or 9 x 13 Pan.
• Combine the first 4 ingredients and stir by hand until mixed well.
• Pour into the pan and bake it until the tooth pick comes out clean. (The cherry may make it hard to tell)
• Jelly Pan 20-30 Min
• 9 x 13 25-30 Min

Frosting

• Combine in a pan Sugar, Margarine and Milk
• Bring them to a boil while stirring
• Once it is boiling stir it constantly for 1 minute
• Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the chocolate chips until it is smooth.
• Pour the frosting over the warm bars

Serving Size: 3 Dozen

Better Than Sex Cake

I don't normally like cake, I know I'm not normal. But this cake is AMAZING!!! Plus it is easy to make for a non baker. Enjoy!

Ingredients
1 Package of German Chocolate Cake Mix
1 Can Sweetened Condensed Milk
1 Jar Caramel, Butterscotch or Fudge Ice Cream Topping
1 (8-12oz) Cool Whip
3 Heath Bars Crushed (Bag of Heath Bar Pieces)

Bake cake as directed on the package (9 x 13 pan). When the cake is still hot, poke holes in it with the handle of a wooden spoon (make the holes about an inch apart). Pour the sweetened condensed milk over the cake. Let it cool (you can add the sweetened condensed milk after it cools too). Pour ice cream topping over the cake. Top it with cool whip and cover it with the heath bar pieces.

Optional: This makes the cake very rich. After baking for 10 minutes, sprinkle it with 1 cup of semi sweet chocolate chips.

Easy Baklava

We have brought this treat to family events and it is a huge hit. Enjoy!

I don't typically bake, since it requires actual measurements. :) My husband has made this recipe on many occasions. He says it is easy to make, so I am tagging it as easy. :) 

50 Minutes to Make

20 Minutes to Prep and 30 Minutes to Cook

Makes 40 Pieces

Ingredients

1 Box Phyllo Dough, thawed

1 Cup Butter, Melted

Syrup

1 Cup Sugar

1/2 Cup Water

1 tsp Lemon Juice

Filling

1 Cup Finely Chopped Walnuts

1/2 Cup Sugar

1 tsp Cinnamon

Instructions

1. Place the syrup ingredients in a pan and bring it to a boil. (sugar, water, lemon)
2. Simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. 
3. Cool the syrup.
4. Lay out the phyllo dough, cut in half and trim it to fit in a 9 x 13 pan.
5. Place half of the dough in the pan.
6. Combine the filling ingredients and spread over the phyllo dough.
7. Cover with the 2nd half of the phyllo dough.
8. Use a serrated knife to cut the phyllo dough into triangles.
9. Drizzel evenly with melted butter.
10. Bake at 350 Degrees for approximately 30 minutes, until golden brown.
11. Remove from the oven & pour the cooled syrup over the hot baklava.

Chicken Noodle Soup in a Crock Pot (Kristi Original)

Ingredients

2-3 Frozen Chicken Breasts

1 Large Box of Chicken Broth (48 oz) or Homemade Chicken Broth (See How to make your own Chicken/Turkey Broth or Chicken/Turkey Stock Recipe)

1 Carrot Chopped or 1 Can of Sliced Carrots (My kids LOVE the carrots so I do 2 cans)

1/2 Chopped Onion

2-3 Potatoes Chopped

1 Stalk of Celery Chopped

1 Cup of Egg Noodles or Noodles of your choice

Seasoning to Taste - Shake on Some of Each

Garlic (Helps the immune system and fights infection)

Pepper

Tastefully Simple - Fiesta Party Mix or Cayenne Pepper (Cayenne helps with congestion and boosts the immune system)
Sea Salt if Needed

Instructions

Put all of the ingredient in the crock pot except the noodles. Cook on low until the chicken and vegetables are cooked. I normally put the food in the crock pot and leave it all day while I am at work. 

Once the chicken is done, remove it from the crock pot, shred it, and put it back in the crock pot. Cook the noodles and add them to the crock pot. The soup is now ready to eat. Yum!

Chicken Wild Rice Soup (Made by my sister for my son's birth)

My sister made this for my family right after I had my son.

Ingredients

3/4 cup Uncooked Wild Rice (or 2 Cans Wild Rice)

3 (15oz) cans Chicken Broth

1 cup Carrots, grated

2 lg Potatoes, grated

1/2 cup sliced Mushrooms

2 cups cooked Chicken, cubed

8 slices Bacon, cooked and crumbled

3 (10-3/4 oz) cans Cream of Potato Soup

1 Qt Half and Half

Cook the Wild Rice according to the package directions; drain and rinse the Wild Rice.

Combine in a large pot; Chicken Broth, Carrots, Potatoes, Mushrooms, and Cooked Chicken. Cook until the vegetables are tender. Add the bacon, soups and half & half. 

Chicken Alfredo Pizzas (Made by my sister for my son's birth)

Another delicious meal from my sister!

Ingredients
2-4 Chopped Chicken Breasts
Garlic Salt
1-2 Dozen Hamburger Buns
Alfredo Sauce
Grated Cheese (Mozzarella)

Optional
Sliced Black Olives
Mushrooms

Cook the Chicken Breasts in a little garlic salt until they are fully cooked.
Place the split open hamburger buns on a cookie sheet. Spoon alfredo sauce on each and then sprinkle it with chicken, black olives and/or mushrooms if desired. Follow with the grated cheese and sprinkle the pizza with garlic salt.

Bake it at 350 degrees for 10 minutes or until the cheese is melted.

Texas-style Lasagna (Made by my sister for my son's birth)

My sister made this dish for me right after I had my son. It has turned into a family favorite.

Ingredients
1-1/2 Lbs Ground Beef
1 tsp. Seasoning Salt
1 pkg of Taco Seasoning
1 (14-1/2 oz) can Diced Tomatoes, undrained
1 (15 oz) can Tomato Sauce
1 (4 oz) can Chopped Green Chilies
2 Cups Small Curd Cottage Cheese
2 Eggs, beaten
12 (6-inch) corn tortillas, torn
3-1/2 to 4 cups Shredded Jack Cheese

Meat Mixture
Brown the Ground Beef and drain. Add the Seasoning Salt, Taco Seasoning, Tomatoes, Tomato Sauce and Chilies mix well. Simmer, uncovered, for 15-20 minutes.

Cottage Cheese Mixture
Combine the Cottage Cheese and Eggs.

Putting It Together
In a greased 9 x 13 greased baking dish, layer half of the meat mixture, half of the tortillas, half of the cottage cheese mixture and half of the jack cheese. Repeat the layer.

Baking
Bake it Uncovered at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until it is bubbly. Let it stand for 10 minutes before serving. Makes 10-12.

Optional
Serve with Salsa, Guacamole, Corn Chips, Olives and Fresh Fruit.

YUM!! - Fried Peanut Butter and Jelly from Diner's, Drive In's and Dives

Best Recipe Ever!

We were watching Diner's, Drive In's, and Dives the other night and they had on a fried peanut butter and jelly sandwich. It looked so good we decided to try to make it. This is the most yummy recipe ever. It was soooo amazing! My husband, brother, sister in law, and my 2 year old all loved this. Wow!

You will make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, dip it in french toast batter, frosted flakes, and fry it in butter.

Here's our recipe.

White Bread
Peanut Butter
Jelly (We used strawberry)
Crushed Frosted Flakes
Butter (1/4 stick per sandwich)
(French Toast Batter)
Eggs
Milk
Vanilla
Sugar
Cinnamon

Mix up a french toast batter, make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, coat the sandwich with french toast batter, put the sandwich in the frosted flakes to coat it, heat up the butter and cook the sandwich until it is golden brown on each side. (On the tv show they said to cook it for 2 minutes on one side. We just looked at the sandwich and monitored it.)

*Note: Our butter was burning in the pan and created a lot of smoke. You may have to adjust the heat to avoid this. We were caramelizing the corn flakes.

Kat's Spicy Vegan Hash

I have not had a chance to try this recipe yet, but it sounded good and I can't wait to give it a try. I love my friend Kat's cooking and she made it up. 

4 Red Potatoes

1 Green Pepper

1 Red Pepper 

1 Onion

Olive Oil

2 Garlic Cloves

Green Salsa - 6 Oz

1 Can Black Beans

1/2 Can Black Olives

1Jalapeño 

1/2 tsp Cumin

1/2 tsp Coriander

1 Avocado

Corn Tortillas

Chop up the Red Potatoes, Green Pepper, Red Pepper, and Onion. Fry it up in the olive oil.

In a separate dish saute the Garlic Cloves for a few minutes and then add in the Green Salsa, Black Beans, Black Olives, Jalapeno, Cumin, and Coriander. Let it simmer for a a little bit. 

Put a scope of the potato/pepper/onion mixture on a plate and top with that beans mixture. Serve with the avocado and corn tortillas. 

Kat's Guacamole

Original Recipe
4-5 Ripe Avocados
4-5 Green Onions Chopped
3 Crushed Cloves of Garlic
1 Medium Lime - Squeeze the juice into the guacamole
1 Chopped Jalapeno
Sea Salt (Sprinkle to Taste)

Mix all the ingredients together. Us a fork to mash the avocado if you want it more chunky. Use a potato masher if you want the guacamole smooth.

My adjustments
4-5 Ripe Avocados
4-5 Green Onions Chopped
1-2 Crushed Cloves of Garlic
1/2 Lime - Squeeze the juice into the guacamole
1/4 Chopped Jalapeno (Change the amount based on how spicy the pepper is)
Sea Salt (Sprinkle to Taste)

Mix all the ingredients together. Us a fork to mash the avocado if you want it more chunky. Use a potato masher if you want the guacamole smooth.

Chili - Wheat and Corn Free (Kristi Original)

The thing I love about Chili is that you don't really need a recipe. You just dump a bunch of food in a pot, add chili seasoning, and poof it's chili. Here's the chili I put together for a friend that is vegan and has a wheat allergy. For those of us that wanted meat, we added our meat to our individual bowls. I found out by reading labels that chili beans have wheat in them! I was really surprised.

Put all of the ingredients in a large pot. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and let it simmer until the vegetables are done (15-20 minutes).

2 Cans of Low Sodium Dark Red Kidney Beans
2 Cans of Low Sodium Light Kidney Beans
1 Can of Low Sodium Pinto Beans
2 Cans of Black Beans
3/4 of a Medium Sized Onion Chopped
5 Diced Mini Snacking Peppers (1 Red, Yellow or Orange Pepper Chopped would be similar)
4 Chopped Baby Carrots
1 Small Can of Mild Chopped Green Chilies
1 Can of Diced Tomatoes and Green Chilies
1 Can of Tomato Sauce
3/4 of a 24 oz Jar of Medium Pace Picante Salsa
10 Chocolate Chips
2 Squirts of Worshester Shire Sauce (Estimate is 2 Tbsp)

Seasonings: A dump of this and that...
Sea Salt
Pepper
Chili Powder (Target Brand) - A Lot
Garlic Garlic from Tastefully Simple (Fresh Garlic would work too)
Fiesta Party Mix from Tastefully Simple

Adding Meat
1 Lb of Ground Beef
1/4 of a Large Onion Chopped
3 Hot Dogs Cut Up
Seasoning from the Chili

Cook the beef, Onion and Seasoning until the beef is cooked. Drain the meat. Add the hotdogs and cook until the hotdogs are warm. Add them to the main pot of chili or each individual person can add it to their own bowls.