BBQ Meatballs

My friend, Kerri, made this recipe for us after Mabrie was born and I can't believe I haven't posted it yet. Man, these things were GOOD! She made them with corn casserole and green beans and we all loved that combination of flavors. The meatballs are so juicy and have an awesome flavor. You could also make them and serve hashbrown potato casserole as a side. Or baked beans. Or Au Gratin potatoes. The possibilities are endless. Give them a try sometime! They are really yummy!

Thanks, Kerri, for bringing us such a yummy meal. It's so nice to have friends that are willing to take time out of their busy day to cook a meal when you have a baby. We really enjoyed this and my mouth is watering right now just thinking about them! :)

BBQ Meatballs

1 lg can evaporated milk
3 lbs. ground chuck
2 cups raw oats
1 cup chopped onion
1/2 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
2 tsp chili powder

BBQ Sauce:
2 cups ketchup
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp liquid smoke
1/2 cup chopped onion

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Mix all ingredients for the meatballs together in large bowl and shape them the size of a walnut. Place on cookie sheets that are covered with aluminum foil.

Mix sauce together and pour evenly over meatballs. Bake 1 hour or until cooked through.

Coconut Chicken Strips and Dipping Sauce

Several weeks ago, a blog I read (Kelly's Korner) did a link up for people to list their favorite dinner recipes. There were so many great ones posted and several that I plan to try, but the first one that caught my attention was a recipe for Coconut Chicken Strips. I am a huge fan of the coconut shrimp and dipping sauce at Red Lobster, so I thought that these might be similar in flavor, but easier to make since the recipe calls for chicken. I was not disappointed. The girls and I loved them. Now, I'll have to be honest and tell you that this wasn't Mike's favorite recipe as he isn't a fan of mixing sweet and savory. The chicken wasn't overly sweet by any means, it was just right for me and if you are a fan of things like this, you will love it!

The dipping sauce made a ton, so you could easily half the recipe listed here and not have so much leftover. I did add extra powdered sugar to mine to give it a hint more sweetness - just taste it as you go to get it to your preferred taste.

I served mine with Rice Pilaf (Rice a Roni Brand), green beans and salad. It was a great combo. Enjoy and if you want to see all those recipes on Kelly's Korner, just click HERE.

Coconut Chicken

12 chicken tenders
1-2 eggs (start with one and crack another if it runs out)
1/2 C flour
1 C sweetened coconut flakes
1 C panko bread crumbs
1 tsp garlic powder
3/4 tsp table salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp onion powder

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
Give coconut a rough chop so it's about the same size as the panko pieces.
Combine it with Panko and spices in a shallow dish. Mix well to distribute all of the spices.
Place the flour in another shallow dish, and the egg in another. Give the egg a quick beating.
Working with a few chicken tenders at a time, dredge in flour. Dip in egg, then finally coat in the coconut Panko mixture. Press in with your fingers to make sure the entire thing is well coated.
Place chicken tenders on a foil-lined baking sheet that has been sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. You can drizzle or spray olive oil on top for a crispier tender.
Bake in 450 degree oven for about 20 minutes or until juices run clear. If tenders are on the small side, they could even be done in about 15 minutes. If they're big they can take more like 25. The coconut will be nice and golden and the panko crisp, but light in color still.

Pineapple Dipping Sauce

1 cup yogurt
1 can pineapple tidbits (I used crushed pineapple - small can)
2 Tbsp powdered sugar
1/4 cup sweetened coconut
2 Tbsp coconut milk
Combine all, refrigerate until ready to use.

***Note: I did not use coconut milk - I just added a little extra coconut. She also said that sour cream can be used in place of plain yogurt.

Pasta with Tomato Cream Sauce

(Hey Deb - I finally made this!)

My sister emailed me this recipe over a month ago and I never got around to making it until last week. It was really simple (like ready in 20 minutes, simple) and very flavorful. The recipe calls for frozen cheese Tortellini, but she and I both used the frozen beef Ravioli and it was so good. You could use any of the frozen filled pastas that you prefer - the sauce is what makes is so flavorful. My husband just happens to think that if there's not meat somewhere in the meal, that it doesn't count as a meal. :) So, we went with the beef ravs. Serve it with your favorite pasta sides!

Thanks, Deb, for a great recipe and one that I can whip up quickly on a busy night!

Tortellini with Tomato Cream Sauce

1 pkg. (16 oz.) cheese tortellini-fresh or frozen
1 small onion, chopped
2 TBSP olive oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 can (14.5 oz.) petite diced tomatoes, Undrained
1 1/2 tsp. dried basil
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 1/2 Cups heavy whipping cream
1/2 Cup grated Parmesan cheese

Cook tortellini (or pasta of your choice) according to pkg. directions. In a large skillet, saute onion in oil until tender. Add garlic and saute 1 min. longer. Add tomatoes, basil, salt and pepper and saute over medium heat until liquid is absorbed-about 4-5 minutes. Stir in cream and cheese and bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 8-10 minutes or until thickened. Drain pasta; toss with sauce and sprinkle with additional Parmesan cheese, if desired.

Here's a picture of my meal once it was done and all mixed together!

The Verdict!!

I previously posted a recipe that sounded great, but I had never tried - until tonight! I made up my marinade for the chicken fajitas this morning and it smelled so great! I tossed in my chicken and let it marinate for around 6 hours. (She recommended overnight, but I forgot to do it yesterday and the 6 hours gave it TONS of flavor!) I cooked a green and red pepper and thinly sliced onion and then removed those from the pan, added a little more olive oil and then cooked the chicken. The whole family loved them! So flavorful and so easy to do. I sliced my chicken very thin so that it cooked quickly. If your family likes the peppers and onions, then you could just toss the chicken in once those were soft and cook the chicken with them, but since my girls aren't big fans of peppers, I took them out and just added them to our fajitas. I topped them with cheese, sour cream and guacamole. Somehow I forgot lettuce at the store - but even without the lettuce, they were yummy!

Mike said he would take these over regular tacos any day. And they were just as simple to make. So, that's my review! Give them a try and see what you think!

Oh and here's how I make homemade guacamole. Learned this method from Sarah, which you can find here or here and it's super simple and so good!

2-4 Ripe Avocados (They should be fairly soft when you squeeze them)
Picante Sauce (I use one spoonful per avocado)
Garlic Powder, Onion Powder, Salt to taste
A little bit of lemon or lime juice - just a dash!

Slice Avocados in half and remove the pit. Scoop out the center of each and transfer to a bowl. Pour in picante sauce and seasonings and mash until soft with a fork. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.

Tip!! Keep the pits from the avocados and place them back in your dip, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate to keep it from turning brown!! This should work for several hours! :) Enjoy!!

Chicken Fajitas

This is the first time I'm adding a recipe to my blog prior to making it myself. I found this on another blog yesterday and thought it sounded so good. She recommended marinating the chicken overnight for the best flavor. I'm for sure putting this on my menu next week. I thought these would be great with some homemade guacamole, chips and salsa. I'll come back and let you know how we liked them, but from the list of ingredients, I don't see how they won't be anything less than amazing! Let me know if you try them out!

Chicken Fajitas

Marinade:
1 lime, juiced and zested
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon cumin
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper (or more if desired for heat)
1 teaspoon salt

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 3 large), sliced

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, thinly sliced
1 red pepper, seeded and sliced (or a combination of green, yellow, orange and red peppers)

Combine marinade ingredients. Add chicken. Place in a large Zip-Lock bag or a shallow non-metal bowl covered with plastic wrap. Marinate for 2-3 hours or overnight.

In a large skillet, heat the olive oil. Saute the onions and the peppers for 8-9 minutes over medium heat until browned.

Discard marinade. Add chicken to skillet, and cook for 10-12 minutes, stirring frequently, until cooked through.

Serve with warm tortillas.

Stuffed Shells

This afternoon I was asking the girls what they wanted for dinner and I mentioned tacos. They both kind of whined and said they just weren't in the mood, so then I threw out spaghetti (can you tell I was looking for something quick and easy??). No, not in the mood for that either. And then these came to my mind and I realized that I hadn't made them in a long, long time and they sounded great! And better than that, they are easy - which is just what I was looking for this evening. I couldn't find the jumbo shells at the store, so I used Manicotti noodles and it worked perfectly. All you need is a large noodle that you can stuff with this mixture and you are set! Once again, I have pictures to go along with the recipe - and once again they aren't professional, but you'll get the idea of how it should look and that's all that matters, right?! So, here you go - Stuffed Shells. Enjoy.

14-16 Jumbo Shells (Boiled and Drained) (I used 9 manicotti noodles)
1 Container Small Curd Cottage Cheese (You could also use Ricotta Cheese)
1/2 Cup Parmesan Cheese
1/2 Cup Shredded Italian Cheese Blend
1 1/2 tsp. Italian Seasoning
1 tsp. Dried Parsley Flakes
Spaghetti Sauce (any flavor)
Mozzarella Cheese or Shredded Italian Cheese for topping

Preheat oven to 350. In a bowl, mix together cottage cheese, Parmesan, and Italian cheese blend with Italian seasoning and parsley flakes. Stir until combined. Spoon mixture into cooked jumbo shells or manicotti shells. Pour enough spaghetti sauce in 9x13 pan to cover the bottom. Layer filled shells on top of sauce. Pour additional spaghetti sauce on top and top with shredded mozzarella or Italian cheese. Bake for 30 minutes or until cheeses are hot and bubbly. Serve with salad and garlic bread.

Shells stuffed and layered in pan


Sauce and cheese on top and ready for the oven! YUM!


Ready to eat!!

Leftover Idea

Am I the only one that makes a pot of chili and has a huge bowl leftover that NO ONE wants after the first night?! I'm assuming it happens to you, too. So, here's an idea my mom came up with when I was younger and I now use it on my family. It's a great way to get rid of the chili and the kids love it! Here's the process - pictures included. (P.S. - I never claimed to be a photographer) :)

Chili Tortilla Wraps

Leftover Chili - Reheated
Soft Tortilla Shells
Cheddar Cheese

Take your heated chili and add a scoop to center of your tortilla shell


Next, fold in your edges - don't worry if a little chili comes out - not a big deal.


Place seam side down in a skillet that is preheated with a small amount of oil


Flip over and brown on the other side (should only take a few minutes) - Remove and dab off excess oil


Top with another scoop of chili and shredded cheese - and enjoy!!!


You can make several of these at once in a large skillet. I don't know what it is about kids and tortilla shells, but they seem to eat up anything you put inside them! These are great for those nights that you don't want to spend too much time in the kitchen. Happy leftover eating!!