Cocktail Meatballs

These are sooooooo good! They don't sound good, but I promise they are!

Buy already frozen meatballs, or if you are feeling like making your own go for it.
In a crockpot or pan, put the meatballs in and cook them until heated through.
Then add in:
1 (12 oz.) jar chili sauce
1 (10 oz.) jar grape jelly

Stir until all the jelly has melted and then keep them on warm in a slow cooker or on simmer on the stove so they stay warm

I sometimes eat these with white rice if I have leftovers from a party. They are sooo yummy!

Baked Ziti

Sorry I haven't made a post here in awhile, my body has been fighting off something so I haven't been feeling all that great, on top of which I had to have my first 2 cavities filled at the dentist, and let me recommend two words to you, NITROUS OXIDE.....it's heaven. Anyways back to cooking!!

Baked Ziti
1 box of Ziti or Rigatoni ( I use either)
1 tub of Ritcotta Cheese
1 bag of mozzarella, or if you like fresh use that
 The next ingredients are for the sauce
3/4 lb ground beef (optional)
1 italian sausage casing removed (optional, I say the meat is optional because some people don't like this with meat)
1 Green Pepper
1 Medium White Onion
1 8 oz container of sliced baby bellas
1 can of petite diced tomatoes (I get the kind that has basil and oregano in with them)
1 large can of crushed tomatoes
2 cans of tomato sauce (I say 2, just incase you need more after sauce is made)
Parmesan Cheese (the kind in the green canister, or you can use fresh) 
Garlic Powder
Oregano
Parsley
Basil
S & P

First get a big pan and cook your meat in it with all the veggies cut up, after meat is done, put in colander and drain off all fat for about 3 minutes to make sure you get it all. Then pour it back into pan, pour in the large can of crushed tomatoes, petite diced tomatoes...stir together and see if it's saucy enough for you, if not add in one can at a time the tomato sauce. I like our meat sauce chunky (just like me, ha). Next add in your spices...I honestly do not know how much of each I put in of each. I do put a lot of garlic though...add the spices until your sauce taste just right to you. I then add a pinch of sugar and of course salt & pepper. Let this cook on your stove on low for at least 3 hours or longer (JUST DO NOT BURN IT).....I like to cook enough to have for another meal of spaghetti too.
Next you will boil your noodles until al dente (I guess that's the phrase for it, I like to call it done, not chewy or crunchy.
In a casserole pan (I think I use a square 10 X 10) put about 8 oz of the ricotta and add in a big spoonful of sauce, stir in the ziti or whatever pasta you used. Then stir in more sauce until it's your liking. I don't make mine too saucy because my husband doesn't like a lot of sauce on his but I do, so I add more to mine after I plate mine from the oven.
Anyways stir all that together and level it out. Sprinkle with the Parmesan and then cover the entire dish with all the mozzarella.
Bake in oven at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes or so, just until cheese is hot and bubbly.
Serve with garlic bread and extra sauce :)
Then I usually freeze my extra sauce and we have spaghetti the week after!!

Sweet Broccoli Raisin Salad

This is my ABSOLUTE favorite salad! My husband doesn't like it, but that's fine with me! All of my friends enjoy this very much and so does our family.

Sweet Broccoli Raisin Salad
4-5 cups of fresh broccoli florets (I like to buy the broccoli in a bag, all ready to go, no prep time)
1/2 cup of bacon, cooked, and crumbled
1/2 cup of rasins
1/4 cup of red onion chopped into small pieces
1 cup of mayonnaise
1/4-1/2 cup of sugar (I like mine sweet so I go for the 1/2 cup)
2 Tbsp of vinegar (I use white or red wine whatever I have on hand)

Make your dressing in a small bowl and set in fridge while combining other ingredients.
In a large bowl pour the broccoli in, make sure all pieces are bite size.
Pour in your bacon that you already cooked and crumbled, raisins, and onion.
Next pour your dressing a little at a time over top and mix well until all is combined very well, add more if needed. I like a lot of dressing, you might like less.

Refrigerate for at least 3-4 hours, even overnight is good. This allows all the flavors to incorporate together and the broccoli will get a bit soft. This is soooo good. I like to make this for pot lucks, parties, or even just at home. I can eat all of it within 3 days it's so good.
You can also add in sunflower seeds, chopped celery, and halved grapes. I like the grapes, but I am not big on the the sunflower seeds, and am not a fan of celery.

Pepperoni Supreme Calzone

I LOVE calzones from our local italian place, but I have wanted to make my own for awhile. I like A LOT of ingredients stuffed inside and this way I can do just that!!! Plus I don't like how thick the dough is as I am not a huge bread person, so I am going to make mine a bit thinner.

Pepperoni Supreme Calzone
Pizza Dough (you can make your own, or buy it...I buy ours from our grocery store bakery, Publix..I think Pillsbury makes some in the dairy section as well.)
Pepperoni
1 bag of mozzarella
1/2 cup of ricotta
Italian Seasoning
Salt
Mushrooms
Green Peppers
Onions


I like to make my own sauce for dipping. I don't like to use jarred pasta sauce, and if I do I will use Classico brand, but add ingredients to it until it's just right...so get some pasta sauce or make your own..set to the side, but keep warm.
In a small bowl combine the ricotta, italian seasoning, and salt to taste. I recommend starting with 1/2 teaspoon of italian seasoning and 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Set to the side.
Saute your veggies in a small pan, I do this because I like my veggies cooked and not raw like they usually are in a calzone. This is up to you if you do it or not.
Next take your dough and make it into a flat rectangle, make this as thick or thin as you want, just remember you will be folding it...place on your cookie sheet *do not forget to place on your cookie sheet now or you will have a hard time moving it once ingredients are in it!
Next layer your pepperoni in the middle in a row, then a layer of the ricotta mixture spread evenly, then layer your veggies, top with LOTS of cheese...we are cheese fanatics so I use a lot.
Now (pics will be added tonight) cut your dough into little strips on both sides, even with one another all the way to where the ingredients are, then stretch and fold them over one another kind of like a braid all the way up. This just gives it a little air while cooking and a pretty presentation.
If you don't want to do that last step, then just fold it together!
Put in the oven, 350 degrees for approximately 25 minutes or until golden brown.

Serve along side the pasta sauce for dipping action, and enjoy!!

Easy Italian Breaded Chicken Tenders

I cook these a couple different ways, sometimes in the skillet with some vegetable oil or I put them on a cookie sheet and stick them in the oven, which obviously is the healthier choice.


Easy Italian Breaded Chicken Tenders
1 lb of boneless skinless chicken breast
2 eggs
flour
Vigo Italian Bread Crumbs (there are other brands out there, but I find these taste the best)
Salt and pepper

Cut your chicken into tender size pieces and rinse with water, then salt and pepper them.
Now dip into flour, and then the eggs, and then coat with bread crumbs and place on a cookie sheet. Repeat until all are done. Put them in the oven for approximately 30 minutes.
That's it!! These are one of our favorite foods and is very easy to make. I usually make it with some 4 cheese perogies (boxed of course) and some green beans.

Popcorn Balls

My mom, sister, and I used to make these every year when I was a little kid. I absolutely love them and would sit and eat 2-3 at a time if I was allowed. I made these the other day and the first day I almost ate at least half of the popcorn balls I made.

Popcorn Balls
1/2 cup of butter (1 stick)
1 cup of brown sugar
24 cups of freshly popped pop corn, kernels removed (the best way I found to remove them, put the popcorn in a large bowl and shake the bowl to let kernels drop to the bottom, then remove all kernels from bottom of bowl.)
1 bag of marshmallows (closest to 1lb I think the one I used was 10.5 oz.)

In a saucepan melt the butter, once melted add the brown sugar, stir and cook for approximately 2 minutes and then add in ALL marshmallows. Continuously stir until all are melted into the brown sugar. Pour mixture over the popcorn.
Try to mix this the best you can with a wooden spoon or spatula while it is cooling down. Once it has cooled down some, butter your hands, and then dig in with your hands and start making them into popcorn balls. Place on a wax paper lined cookie sheet. Once finished, go back and wrap each one up with plastic wrap.

Pineapple Upside-Down Cake

I have never made this before tonight, but I remember my Great Grandma making this all the time when I was younger and I always loved this cake. I found a great recipe online and ended up tweaking a few ingredients to call it my own. I also am cheating by using a store bought mix to begin with. This is FANTABULOUS!! (yes I made that up too) My 1 year old daughter shared some with me and she started bawling when it was all gone. She has never done this before!!

Pineapple Upside-Down Cake
1 box of yellow cake mix (make just like the box calls for except use drained pinepple juice for the water called for in mix, add water to pineapple juice if you need to)
1 cup of brown sugar, light or dark
1 can of sliced pineapple in it's own juice (reserve for the cake mix)
1 jar of maraschino cherries
1/2 cup of unsalted butter

Make your cake mix using the pineapple juice in place of the water, which you will probably have to add a little water to. Set to the side.
In a small sauce pan on the stove melt your butter and add 1 cup of brown sugar to it. Melt together and let it cook until just bubbly while stirring the entire time. Remove from heat and immediately pour into your 10 inch round cake pan.
Place your sliced pineapple on top of your brown sugar mixture making a nice pretty layer. Fill holes of pineapple and in between with maraschino cherries. (Make sure pineapple and cherries are dried off so there isn't extra liquid.

Next pour your cake mix on top.
Bake at 350 degree for 40-50 minutes. Check cake with a toothpick to see if cake is done.
Remove from oven, run a knife all the way around the edge, and immediately flip onto your cake platter. Let this sit for 10-15 minutes before removing pan.
Rearrange any pineapple and cherries back into their original spots.

Serve cake warm or at room temperature. Refrigerate any leftovers.

Soft Taco Casserole

Soft Taco Casserole

1 package of flour tortillas, You probably need about 10 shells or more depending on how big you are making this.
1.5 lbs of ground beef
1 can of Rotel Tomatoes w/green chilis
1/2 small onion
1 pkg of Kraft Shredded Mexican Cheese
Salsa
1 pkg of taco seasoning (or just your own seasonings for the taco meat, I use garlic, chili powder, cumin, S & P.)

I use a square pan for this usually (this time I used a round cake pan), but you could definitely make more of this and make it large like a lasagna. I don't think this would be good leftover so I don't make A LOT....plus we have never had any leftover to try! It's that good.

Make your taco meat on the stove like you normally would for tacos. I use the pkg of ground beef, 1/2 small onion...cook that until ground beef is brown, drain off grease and return to pan. Add in the Rotel, make sure it's drained so your taco meat isn't runny. Add in the taco seasoning...Cook this all until it's incorporated together. Now set off to the side, off the heat.

In the bottom of your square pan make one layer of flour tortillas. Cut to make it fit the whole bottom. Take a couple tablespoons of salsa and spread it out evenly with a spoon over top. Then spoon out some ground beef to make a layer. Next top with a couple handfuls of cheese.

Next make another layer of flour tortillas. Repeat steps until all ingredients are gone. Make sure the top layer has LOTS of cheese. Put in the oven at 350 degrees until the cheese is all melted and is bubbling away!
Serve along side shredded lettuce, onion, tomato...Now you can eat a bite of the casserole with the salad and it's like you are eating a soft taco! I often have black olives with it and sour cream and salsa too.

My Signature Tuna Noodle Casserole

1 Package of Egg Noodles (I use broad)
2 Cans of Campbells Cream of Mushroom (you can use the reduced fat here as well, but I am all about the fat, just look at me!)
1 Can of Sweet Peas, drained
1-2 cans of tuna in water, drained (depending on your liking of less or more...I use 1 can usually)
1 can of French's French Fried Onion Rings
1/2 cup of sour cream
1/4-1/2 cup of milk
Salt and Pepper

Put a big pot of water on to boil first off, once boiling throw in the Egg Noodles!!
In a casserole dish you will combine the soup, peas, tuna,sour cream and 3/4 of the onions. Once you have that mixed together and you see how thick it is add some milk to thin it out a bit to your liking. Add in salt and lots of pepper. Stir it up all really well until combined.
Once Egg noodles are done cooking, drain them and immediately pour them in casserole dish.
Mix together with all other ingredients. (You may need to add more milk here)
Once everything is stirred real well even it out through the pan and sprinkle the 1/4 can of french fried onions on top.
Put in the oven at 350 for 15 minutes or until heated through.

Enjoy! (This is my husbands favorite meal, so I may not EVER get a picture of this!)

Easy Peasy Taco Soup

I have been craving Mexican lately and finally found something I am going to make.....this is for taco soup. You could totally make this without the meat too if you want. I think it's pretty healthy too.

Taco Soup
1-2 pounds ground beef or shredded beef
1-2 cup diced onions
1 can pinto beans (You could totally use any mixture of the amount of beans here..say 2 kidney and 1 chili bean instead)
1 can kidney beans
1 can of chili beans
1 bag of frozen corn (or 1 can, I just don't eat canned corn)
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can tomatoes with chiles (I use HOT Rotel, you can use mild, or even just end up getting 2 cans of diced tomatoes)
1 (4 1/2-ounce) cans diced green chiles
1 can Mexican style stewed tomatoes
1 (1 1/4-ounce) package taco seasoning mix
1 (1-ounce) package of dry ranch salad dressing mix (I use Hidden Valley Ranch Mix)
about 1 cup or water or so to add a little broth to it all

Make sure you don't drain anything as you put it in...especially tomatoes and beans...this will make the broth of the soup and also the starch of the beans will keep it not so runny.
Cook the ground beef and onions in a pan as you normally would, drain the grease off and then put into a big pot or crock pot.

Add in the two packets of seasoning first and mix well with meat just to make sure it's all mixed.

Then add in the remaining ingredients.

I would recommend cooking it for a few hours to let everything go together. I think this is one of those recipes that gets better with time!

Top this soup off with a dollop of sour cream, shredded cheddar, maybe some cilantro, salsa, black olives, tortilla chips, etc...any of your favorite Mexican toppings!