Easy Slow Cooker Orange Chicken

This is exactly the kind of thing I've been wanting to cook lately:

Easy  -  (Check!!  You just throw all the ingredients together!)

No heating up the kitchen  -  (Check!!  All it takes is 3 1/2 hours in the slow cooker, no oven or stove!)

Yummy  -    (Check!!  Definitely yummy!)



Easy Slow Cooker Orange Chicken


Ingredients:

4-6 chicken breasts (amount depending on family size!)
1 18oz jar of Sweet Orange Marmalade
1 bottle of barbecue sauce (I like Sweet Baby Ray's but to each your own)
1/4 cup of Aloha Shoyu low sodium soy sauce (this is the best soy sauce everrrrrrrrrr)


Directions:

Place the chicken breasts in the slow cooker and cook on high for 3 hours.  Remove from slow cooker and dispose of liquid.  You can shred, chop or keep the chicken as is.  Place the chicken back into the slow cooker.  In a bowl mix together the marmalade, barbecue sauce and soy sauce and pour over the chicken.  Cook on high for a half hour (make sure you remember to put the lid back on!)  Serve over calrose rice cooked in a rice steamer, yay for sticky rice!!!

Sweet and Sour Chicken

Caleb, my teenage food snob, declared this chicken to be 'on point' and a 'flavor explosion in my mouth.'  Either he has watched way too many Guy Fieri cooking shows or this chicken is just that good!!  (Or possibly both could be true, let's go with that!!)


Sweet and Sour Chicken


Ingredients:

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1 in. pieces
1 1/2 cup cornstarch
3 eggs, beaten
Salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup canola oil
1 cup granulated sugar
4 tbsp. ketchup
1/4 cup white vinegar
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp. low sodium soy sauce (Ahola brand is the best!)
1 tsp. granulated or minced garlic

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Place cornstarch and beaten eggs in separate bowls.  Dip chicken into cornstarch and then dip in beaten eggs.  Meanwhile, make sure the canola oil is heating up in a large pan over medium high heat.  After all the chicken has been covered with the cornstarch and egg fry it in the oil until browned.  Remove chicken from the pan when browned and place in a 9X13 greased pan.  In a bowl whisk together sugar, ketchup, white vinegar, apple cider vinegar, soy sauce and garlic.  Pour over the chicken and bake for one hour.  Yum!!

Pasta Pomodoro

Yesterday I wanted to make something that embodied these three things:

FAST
EASY
DELICIOUS

Oh yeah, I also wanted it to be something kind of light and summery, nothing too heavy.  Well, this Pasta Pomodoro was just what the Kathee ordered!!  By the time the pasta is boiled the rest of it is done and then you are READY TO EAT!  This meal will be going into heavy summer rotation for sure.

Pasta Pomodoro
recipe found here

Ingredients:

16 ounces angel hair pasta
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 medium onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups Roma tomatoes, diced and seeded
2 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
10 3/4 ounces low sodium chicken broth
freshly ground pepper, to taste
2 tbsp. chopped fresh basil
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

Directions:

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. (Be sure to add some salt to the water.) Add pasta and cook for 8 minutes or until al dente; drain.  While the pasta is cooking, pour olive oil in a large deep skillet over high heat. Sauté onions and garlic until lightly browned. Reduce heat to medium-high and add tomatoes, vinegar and chicken broth; simmer for about 8 minutes.  Stir in black pepper, basil and cooked pasta, tossing thoroughly with sauce. Simmer for about 5 more minutes and serve topped with grated cheese.

Smoky Tex Mex Sloppy Joses

Something happened last night.  For the first time in MY ENTIRE LIFE, I liked sloppy joes.  It's true.  I can't believe it either.  Not only did I like it, but the kids like it too.  Now, 'somebody' (okay, it was Thom)(smile) had a few critiques, but no meal is perfect.  Especially a meal I make.  I got it out of April's Rachael Ray magazine.  I also don't think it's a coincidence that this recipe includes bacon in it, because it's a well known fact that bacon makes EVERYTHING better.

Smoky Tex Mex Sloppy Joses
Rachael Ray

Ingredients:

Extra Virgin Olive Oil or vegetable oil, for drizzling

4 slices bacon, chopped

1 lb. ground sirloin

Salt and black pepper
1 onion, chopped (duh, I omitted this)
2 serrano or jalapeño chile peppers, finely chopped
3 to 4 cloves, garlic, chopped
1 tbsp. chili powder 
1 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1 1/2 tsp. ground coriander
1 cup lager beer, at room temperature (I used a cup of beef broth)
1 cup tomato sauce
1 tbsp. light brown sugar
2 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp. cider vinegar
1 tbsp. hot sauce, such as Franks® RedHot®
4 burger rolls, toasted

Toppings: crushed Fritos corn chips, pickled jalapeño rings and sweet red pepper relish

Directions:

In a large skillet, heat a drizzle of oil over medium heat. Add the bacon and cook until crisp, about 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a paper towel to drain. Add the ground beef to the pan and cook until browned, stirring with a spoon to crumble it; season with a little salt and black pepper. Return the cooked bacon to the pan and add the onion, chiles, garlic, chili powder, cumin and coriander. Cook, stirring, until the onion is softened, about 5 minutes.

In a medium bowl, stir together the beer, tomato sauce, brown sugar, Worcestershire, vinegar and hot sauce. Pour the mixture over the meat, lower the heat and simmer for 5 minutes or until ready to serve.

Using a large ice cream scoop, spoon the Sloppy José mixture onto the roll bottoms. Layer with the crushed corn chips, pickled jalapeños, red pepper relish and roll tops.



Thom's critiques were that he wished it had onion in it(oops, did I forget to add that?  My bad....) and chopped red bell pepper.  I GUESS I can do that next time, and there WILL be a next time.  I really liked this.  I'm still in shock because of my lifelong aversion to sloppy joes, but leave it to Rach to make sloppy joes YUMMO. 

Macaroni and Cheese

I'm pretty sure the picture above explains how my children feel about this dish.  It was completely gone in 3 point 2 seconds.  It is perfect, I love it!!
Down Home Macaroni and Cheese

4 tbsp. butter, divided
1/4 cup flour
1 tsp. salt
2 cups milk
1/4 pound Velveeta
8 oz. cheddar cheese, shredded (sharp please, if you're boring mild will do.....)
2 cups elbow macaroni, cooked and drained (or any other small pasta)
2 tbsp. seasoned dry breadcrumbs


Directions:

Melt 4 tbsp. of the butter in a large saucepan on low heat. Blend in flour and salt; cook and stir 1 minute. Gradually add milk; cook, stirring contantly, until thickened. Add Velveeta, (cut into cubes) and 1 and 1/2 cups of the cheddar cheese. Stir in macaroni. Pour into lightly greased 1 1/2 quart casserole dish. Melt remaining tbsp. of butter and mix with the bread crumbs. Sprinkle casserole with remaining 1/2 cup of cheese and bread crumbs. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes.

Nacho Pie

I should have made two of these because it was inhaled in 2 point 3 seconds. It has already been requested as a birthday dinner, high praise in our home!!





Nacho Pie

Recipe from Mommy's Kitchen

Ingredients:

1 lb. ground beef, browned
1/2 cup chopped onion (of course I skipped this!)
1 8 oz. can tomato cauce
¾ cup water
1 packet taco seasoning mix
1 tube crescent roll dough
1 1/2 cup crushed tortillas chips
1/2 cup sour cream (I didn't add this)
1 cup cheddar jack or plain cheddar cheese
additional sour cream for garnish, diced tomatoes and sliced black olives.

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350. In large skillet brown beef and onion over medium heat until done. Drain off any grease. Stir in tomato sauce, water and taco seasoning. Bring to a boil and simmer for 5 - 10 minutes. Separate crescent rolls into 8 triangles. Place in greased 9 inch pie plate points facing towards the middle. You might have to maneuver the triangles a bit at the end and turn some of them side ways, that's OK as long as the pie plate is covered completely. Press onto bottom and up sides of plate to form crust. Seal perforations. Sprinkle 1 cup crushed chips over crust. Top with meat mixture. Using a spatula spread sour cream over meat. (I skipped this step because I don't like sour cream). Sprinkle the cheese and then remaining 1/2 cup crushed chips. Bake 30 - 40 minutes or until cheese melts, pie is bubbly and crust is golden brown. Cool 10 minutes before cutting. Add a dollop of sour cream, diced tomatoes and black olives for garnish. If the crust starts to brown to quickly cover the pie plate with foil from the bottom and up around the sides to cover crust.

Spagetti Carbonara

I decided to try another recipe for Spaghetti Carbonara and I'm glad I did. I like this one a lot better than the one I previously posted. I forgot to buy pancetta, but you can substitute bacon and I luckily had some bacon I could use, because you KNOW I didn't want to make a last minute run up to the grocery store.




Spaghetti Carbonara
Recipe from Mommy's Kitchen


Ingredients:

1 16 oz box spaghetti
2 tablespoon olive oil, separated
8 slices bacon or Italian bacon, diced
1/2 small onion, chopped (I omitted this of course)
1 clove garlic, minced
1/8 - 1/4 cup dry white wine (optional)(I didn't use this)
2 eggs, beaten
2 tbsp heavy cream or milk (I used half and half)
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 pinch salt and black pepper to taste
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
Extra grated Parmesan cheese for garnish

Directions:

In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook spaghetti pasta until al dente. Drain well and reserve a bit of the pasta water, about 1/2 cup. Toss with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, and set aside. While the pasta cooks start on the bacon. In a large skillet, cook chopped bacon until slightly crisp; remove and drain onto paper towels. Reserve 2 tablespoons of bacon fat; add remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil, and heat in reused large skillet. Add chopped onion, and cook over medium heat until onion is translucent. Add minced garlic, and cook 1 minute more. Add wine if desired; cook one more minute.

Return cooked bacon to pan; add cooked and drained spaghetti. Toss to coat and heat through, adding more olive oil if it seems dry or is sticking together. To ensure a creamy, silky sauce, mix the cheese, cream and beaten eggs together then stir into the pasta, off of the heat. Tossing constantly with tongs or large fork until eggs are barely set. If the mixture is too thick add a bit of reserved pasta water. Add salt and pepper to taste (remember that bacon and Parmesan are very salty). Serve immediately with chopped parsley sprinkled on top, and extra Parmesan cheese at table.

Bolognese Sauce

I found this recipe on a site where there are a lot of healthy recipes because I'm making those baby steps towards eating better. This is so good it's hard for me to believe that is good for you, but there you go.


Mental note: things that are good for you can also be tasty Kathee!!!

Good to know!



Bolognese Sauce
Recipe from Skinny Taste


Ingredients:

4 oz pancetta, chopped
1 tbsp butter
1 small onion, chopped
1/2 cup celery, minced
1/2 cup carrots, minced
1 lb 95% lean ground beef
1/4 cup white wine (I didn't add this)
2 - 28 oz cans crushed tomatoes
1 bay leaf
salt and fresh pepper
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/2 cup half & half


Directions:

In a deep heavy saute pan, saute pancetta until fat melts. Add butter, onions, celery and carrots and cook until soft. Add meat, season with salt and pepper and saute until browned. Add wine, cook until it reduces down, about 3-4 minutes. Add tomatoes and bay leaf. Simmer covered on low, at least 1-1/2 to 2 hours, stirring occasionally. Add half & half and parsley, cook 2 minutes longer. Makes about 8 cups.

Cheeseburger Rolls

I am all about making easy, fast meals - as if you couldn't tell. If I wasn't in a hurry, there is a really good chance I would have made homemade dough for this recipe (really!), but I was having a busy day, so I left out some Rhodes rolls to thaw and they worked out perfectly. These were great, I will definitely make them again.



Cheeseburger Rolls
Recipe made up by me after seeing similar things here and there.


Ingredients:

1 lb. ground beef
Salt, pepper, and garlic to taste
2 tsp. Worcester sauce
12 Rhodes rolls, thawed out
1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Directions:

(I'm sorry about these directions, for some reason I had a hard time putting in writing what I did!!)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Brown ground beef in a pan. Add salt, pepper and minced garlic to your taste. Add 2 tsp. Worcester sauce. Stir everything together and set aside.

Take a roll and press it out. Put a few tablespoons of the ground beef mixture onto the roll, then put a little bit of cheddar cheese on top. Close the roll by bringing the sides up and pressing them tightly together. Repeat with all the rolls.

Bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes.

Sour Cream Noodle Bake

I saw this recipe on Pioneer Woman's blog a while back and put it on my 'To Try' list.  I am SO glad I did, I loved this.  I made one little change, because of my issues with cottage cheese, and I've also seen modifications where people have added corn and other things.  This is a keeper

Sour Cream Noodle Bake
Recipe from The Pioneer Woman Cooks

Ingredients:

1 ¼ pound ground beef
1 can 15 oz. tomato sauce
½ teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper
8 oz., weight egg noodles
½ cup sour cream
1 ¼ cup small curd cottage cheese (I used a 15 oz. container of ricotta cheese)
½ cups sliced green onions (less To Taste)(I didn't add these because I forgot to buy them)
1 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Brown ground beef in a large skillet. Drain fat, then add tomato sauce. 1/2 teaspoon salt and plenty of freshly ground black pepper. Stir, then simmer while you prepare the other ingredients.

Cook egg noodles until al dente. Drain and set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine sour cream and cottage cheese (ricotta cheese for me). Add plenty of freshly ground black pepper. Add to noodles and stir. Add green onions and stir.

To assemble, add half of the noodles to a baking dish. Top with half the meat mixture, then sprinkle on half the grated cheddar. Repeat with noodles, meat, then a final layer of cheese. Bake for 20 minutes, or until all cheese is melted.

Three Cheese Beef and Ziti

I can't believe I haven't posted this recipe yet, I make it ALL THE TIME. I found the recipe in a random cookbook my Grandpa gave me right after I got married, so, that was pretty much just a few years ago. No? Almost 20 years ago? What the? Anyway, I started calling it Fake Lasagna after awhile, because that usually got a more favorable response than the actual recipe name. Please feel free to call it ANY NAME YOU WANT!!! I was super nice to my kids with no taste (you know who you are!), and only put ricotta cheese on half of it. You two are spoiled.

There is a reason why this is on my regular recipe rotation, this is fast and yummy!!



Three Cheese Beef and Ziti
Recipe from some old Reader's Digest Cookbook from five, twenty years ago.


Ingredients:

8 oz. ziti, macaroni, or other small pasta
1 lb. lean ground beef
1 medium yellow onion, chopped (of course I don't add this, are you kidding?)
1 jar spaghetti sauce
10 oz. frozen french style green beans, or whatever kind you like, partially thawed
1 cup part skim ricotta cheese
1 cup shredded low fat mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese


Directions:

Boil the pasta according to package directions.

Meanwhile, saute the beef and onion(bleh) in a large skillet over moderate heat, stirring frequently to break up any clumps, until the beef is browned - about 5 minutes. Drain off the excess fat. Stir in the tomato sauce and bring to a simmer. Add the green beans, reduce the heat to low, and simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes.

*** Let me just take a second to confess that I don't ALWAYS add the green beans. I would love for them to be in it, but I get a lot of complaints when I do, and sometimes, I just don't want to deal with that.

Stir in the cooked ziti, then place large spoonfuls of the ricotta on top but not touching. Sprinkle the mozzarella in between. Cover and cook just until the mozzarella melts and the ziti and beans are heated through - about 10 minutes. Sprinkle with the Parmesan cheese.

Spinach and Bacon Frittata

This recipe is from the latest Everyday Food and it is FANTASTIC!!! I was going to make it without the bacon to have a meatless meal, but who am I kidding? This is bacon we're talking about here. I can't read the word bacon as an ingredient and not add it, it just wouldn't be right. The kids LOVED this and wanted me to make more, like NOW, but I didn't have any more ricotta.


Ingredients:

6 large eggs
1 cup ricotta cheese
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
coarse salt and ground pepper
5 strips bacon, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
5 boiled potatoes
spinach leaves

Preheat oven to 350. In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, ricotta, Parmesan, 1 tsp. salt and pepper. Set aside.
In a medium nonstick ovenproof skillet, cook bacon over medium high head until crisp. Drain all but 1 tsp. of fat from pan. Add potatoes and cook until warmed through, 2 to 3 minutes. Add spinach and toss until barely wilted, about 30 seconds.
Add egg mixture and stir until slightly thickened, about 1 minute. Transfer skillet to oven and bake until center is set, about 15 minutes (20 for me.)

Here's what I did different to make it faster; I used the realbacon bits things instead of frying bacon, just a tablespoon or so and I used about a cup of frozen hash browns instead of the potatoes. I was thinking convenience and time savings. This takes about 5 minutes to put together and 20 in the oven, so it's a really quick meal. AND DELICIOUS!!!

Recipe from Everyday Food Magazine.

World's Best Lasagna

This is WAY good!! Way? Way! Way?? Way!!

Ingredients:
1 pound sweet Italian sausage
3/4 pound lean ground beef
1/2 cup minced onion
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
2 (6 ounce) cans tomato paste
2 (6.5 ounce) cans canned tomato sauce
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons white sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons dried basil leaves
1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1 tablespoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
4 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
12 lasagna noodles
16 ounces ricotta cheese
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 pound mozzarella cheese, sliced
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

In a Dutch oven, cook sausage, ground beef, onion, and garlic over medium heat until well browned. Stir in crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, tomato sauce, and water. Season with sugar, basil, fennel seeds, Italian seasoning, 1 tablespoon salt, pepper, and 2 tablespoons parsley. Simmer, covered, for about 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally.
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook lasagna noodles in boiling water for 8 to 10 minutes. Drain noodles, and rinse with cold water. In a mixing bowl, combine ricotta cheese with egg, remaining parsley, and 1/2 teaspoon salt.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
To assemble, spread 1 1/2 cups of meat sauce in the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish. Arrange 6 noodles lengthwise over meat sauce. Spread with one half of the ricotta cheese mixture. Top with a third of mozzarella cheese slices. Spoon 1 1/2 cups meat sauce over mozzarella, and sprinkle with 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese. Repeat layers, and top with remaining mozzarella and Parmesan cheese. Cover with foil: to prevent sticking, either spray foil with cooking spray, or make sure the foil does not touch the cheese.
Bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes. Remove foil, and bake an additional 25 minutes. Cool for 15 minutes before serving.

Recipe from Allrecipes.

Fettucine Alfredo

This is my trusty alfredo sauce recipe, from my Fannie Farmer cookbook my sister Kris gave me when I got married. This is the best basics cookbook ever, everyone should have a copy of it.

Ingredients:

1/2 pound noodles (this is where Thom and I disagree, he loves fettuccine and I love cappellini)
1/4 pound unsalted butter, melted
1 cup heavy cream, warmed
3/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
salt to taste
1/4 tsp. freshly ground pepper

Have a large bowl warmed and ready before you cook the noodles. Drain the cooked noodles and put them in the bowl. Quickly add the remaining ingredients, tossing briskly to coat all the noodles, and serve at once. I usually put all the sauce ingredients in a saucepan, and double it for that matter!! Then each person can use as much or as little sauce as they want.

Recipe from The Fannie Farmer Cookbook

Chicken Spagetti

Ingredients:

2 cups cooked, cubed chicken
2 cans cream of mushroom or chicken soup
1 1/2 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese
3 cups dry spagetti, broken into small pieces
2 cups chicken broth
2 tsp. seasoned salt
salt and pepper to taste
1 additional cup of grated sharp cheddar cheese

Cook spagetti. When done, combine with remaining ingredients (except last cup of cheese). Place mixture in 9X13 pan and top with remaining cheese. Bake at 350 for 40 minutes.

Amazing Italian Lemon Butter Chicken

I feel obligated to point out that this has 921 calories and 68 grams of fat per serving. I'm not kidding. I'm making it anyway. I'm not starting my Biggest Loser contest for a week and 1/2!!

Lemon Butter Sauce:
1/4 cup white wine (I'm going to use chicken broth)
5 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
5 tablespoons heavy cream
1 cup butter, chilled
salt and pepper to taste

Chicken and Pasta:
1/2 pound dry farfalle (bow tie) pasta
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - pounded to 1/4 inch thickness
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
salt and pepper to taste
4 ounces bacon
6 ounces mushrooms, sliced
6 ounces artichoke hearts, drained and halved
2 teaspoons capers, drained
chopped fresh parsley for garnish

To make the sauce, pour the wine(chicken broth!) and lemon juice into a saucepan over medium heat. Cook at a low boil until the liquid is reduced by 1/3. Stir in cream, and simmer until it thickens. Gradually add the butter 1 tablespoon at a time to the sauce, stirring until completely incorporated. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from heat, and keep warm.
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to boil. Add pasta, and cook until al dente, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain, and set aside.
To make the chicken, heat oil and 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium heat. In a bowl, stir together flour, salt, and pepper. Lightly coat chicken with flour mixture. Without crowding, carefully place chicken in hot oil. (If necessary, cook in batches.) Fry until cooked through and golden brown on both sides. Remove the chicken to paper towels. Stir the bacon, mushrooms, artichokes, and capers into the oil; cook until the mushrooms are soft.
Cut the chicken breasts into bite-size strips, and return them to the skillet. Stir half of the lemon butter sauce into the chicken mixture.
To serve, place pasta in a large bowl. Stir the chicken mixture into the pasta. Taste, and adjust seasonings. Stir in additional lemon butter sauce as desired. Toss well, and garnish with parsley.


Recipe from Allrecipes.

Slow Cooker Turkey Breast

This is a new recipe from Allrecipes this week. It got a lot of good reviews, so how bad can it be? Again, I am a sucker for crockpot recipes, I can't resist trying them!! ****UPDATE*****Made this yesterday for dinner, and I'm sorry to say, I did not love this. I think the kids liked it but it was too salty for me. So much for all the 5 star ratings!!!

Ingredients:

1 (6 lb.) bone in turkey breast
1 envelope dry onion soup mix

Rinse the turkey breast and pat dry. Cut off any excess skin, but leave the skin covering the breast. Rub onion soup all over the outside of the turkey and under the skin. Place in the slow cooker. Cover and cook on high for 1 hour, then set to low and cook for 7 hours.

Recipe from Allrecipes

Mom's Famous Tacos

These tacos have always been a staple - in my home growing up and I carry on the tradition in my own home now. For whatever reason, mine never taste as good as Mom's though!!! Thanks Mom for the yummy memories!!

Ingredients:

pack of 24 corn tortillas
1 pound of ground beef
salt and pepper
Garlic powder
Vegetable oil

Heat oil in pan for frying. Lay the tortillas out on the counter. Press a small amount of ground beef on one side of each tortilla, making sure to get it pretty thin so the meat will get cooked through. (not too thin though!!) Sprinkle with salt, pepper and garlic. When oil is hot enough, fold each tortilla and fry each side until browned. Remove to paper towels to absorb excess oil. Serve with your favorite taco fixin's, I like to put a few slices of avocado, shredded cabbage, way too much cheese and some homemade salsa on mine. I also like to eat about 12 of them. That's just me.

Crescent Chicken Bundles

This is a classic back from my first year of being married. Still holding strong after all these years. Still yummy. Still gooey. Still sort of bad for you. But still so good. Here's to you, Crescent Chicken Bundles, for adding on all these extra pounds on Thom and I over the years!! Way to go!

Ingredients:

8 oz. pkg. cream cheese (I use 1/3 less fat kind now. Sigh)
3 tbsp. butter
2 cups cooked, cubed chicken
1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. minced garlic
2 cans crescent rolls (I use reduced fat kind now. Sigh)
2 tsp. butter, melted
1 cup crushed seasoned croutons

Blend cream cheese, butter, salt, pepper, and garlic. Add chicken. Mix well. Seperate dough into 4 triangles, per can, spooning meat mixture into center. Bring corners of dough together and press with a fork. Brush tops with melted butter and top with croutons. Bake on ungreased cookie sheets according to crescent roll directions.

Mini Pizza Meatloves

I'm sorry, Mom, but I used to break out in a cold sweat at the mention of the word "meatloaf". The fact is, I'm not a big onion fan, unlike Mom, and she would have these gigantic crunchy onions in her meatloaf that frankly gave me the heebie jeebies. I've created for my family my own version, Kathee friendly with minced (minced is a technical term for almost non existant in Kathee land) onion, that is a hit everytime I make it. At least I think so. I'd better keep my eyes open for any perspiring foreheads when I serve this....

Ingredients:

1 jar of pasta sauce
1 cup shredded mozzerella cheese
1/2 cup Italian style bread crumbs
Parsley
2 tbsp. parmesan cheese
1 tsp. oregano
1 tsp. basil
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. minced garlic
1/16 tsp. minced onion (this is to my taste, add what you prefer)
1 large egg, lightly beaten
2 pounds ground beef

Preheat oven to 375 degress. Spray 2 muffin pans with cooking spray. Combine 1/2 of the jar of pasta sauce, 3/4 cup of the mozzerella, bread crumbs, parsley, parmesan, oregano, basil, pepper, salt, garlic, onion and egg in a large bowl. Crumble meat over it, combine until well blended. Divide into 24 balls, press each into a muffin cup. Top each with a little pizza sauce. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and top with a the remaining mozzerella cheese. Put back in oven for 5 minutes for cheese to melt. Heat up remaining pasta sauce to serve with meatloaves. Enjoy. Serve with towels for mopping foreheads, if necessary.