Pioneer Woman's Lasagna

I have never went wrong with Pioneer Woman's recipes.  They are hearty, and man approved.  However, I will agree they are not "waist friendly" most of them anyway, so I make them once in a while.  Tonight I made her Lasagna.  The only think I did differently was using no boil noodles (which are the bomb!) and dried parsley.. 1/8th of a cup.

Browning the ground beef, sausage and garlic. 

Drain, and I always make sure I wipe out the skillet with a paper towel to soak up any extra grease.  

Fresh Basil ... yum!

Fresh parm is so much better then the bagged stuff!

Using cottage cheese makes it more affordable and you can't tell the difference!

The finished product was a hit!

Pioneer Woman's Meatball Soup

I made this for the fam the other night and it was a big hit. Lots of yummy flavor and very satisfying.  Hope you make this for the meat lovers in your family!  

 

Ingredients

• Meatballs:
• 3/4 pounds Ground Beef
• 1/2 cup Freshly Grated Parmesan Cheese
• 3 Tablespoons Fresh Parsley, Minced
• 1 whole Egg
• 2 cloves Garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon Salt
• 1/2 teaspoon Black Pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon Ground Oregano
• 2 teaspoons Lemon Juice
• SOUP
• 3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• 7 cups Low Sodium Beef Stock
• 2 cups Water
• 1/2 teaspoon Salt
• 2 Tablespoons Tomato Paste
• 3/4 cups Onion, Chopped
• 3/4 cups Carrots, Chopped
• 3/4 cups Celery, Chopped
• 1 cup Russet Potato, Chopped (do Not Peel)
• 1/2 pound Cabbage Chopped
• Grated Parmesan Cheese To Serve
• TIED IN A CHEESECLOTH BUNDLE
• 4 Tablespoons Fresh Parsley, Minced
• 2 whole Bay Leaves
• 1 teaspoon Peppercorns

Preparation Instructions

To make meatballs, combine all meatball ingredients and mix well. Shape into small balls and chill for 30 minutes.
Gather 4 tablespoons parsley, bay leaves, and peppercorns in a cheesecloth bundle. Tie to secure.
After chilling, heat olive oil over medium-low heat in a heavy pot. Briefly brown meatballs, then remove to a plate. To pot, add beef stock, water, salt, tomato paste, and herb bag. Bring to a boil, then simmer 30 minutes.
Add onion, carrots, celery, and potatoes. Simmer 15 more minutes. Remove herb bag.
Add cabbage and meatballs. Bring to a boil, then simmer 8 to 10 minutes.
Serve with plenty of freshly grated Parmesan cheese sprinkled over the top.

 

Menu Plan Monday!

Hi everyone!  I am Jennifer and I am so excited to participate in Menu Plan Monday on my new cooking blog!  
Welcome!  I hope you find some yummy inspiration here.

Monday:  Pioneer Woman's Chicken Spaghetti. 
Tuesday: Pork chops, green beans and mashed taters.
Wednesday:  BBQ Chicken Legs, Corn and salad from a bag.
Thursday:  Hamburgers on the grill, and frozen french fries.
Friday:  Sante Fe Summer BBQ Pizza.  Yummy!  This kids loved this!

Blendtec, possibly the world's best blender!!

Or so I have heard, thats why I would love to win one!  Enter here for your chance!

iHeart Organizing's Blendtec giveaway!

Peanut Butter Cookies

Peanut Butter Cookies

1 1/2 cups All-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup granulated sugar, plus more for sprinkling

1/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 large egg
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons creamy or chunky peanut butter

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

2. Sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt into a bowl.  Set aside.

3. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, on high speed, beat together the butter, granulated and brown sugars, and vanilla until light and fluffy, 4 to 5 minutes.  Add the egg and beat until incorporated.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula.  Add the peanut butter and mix until smooth and uniform.

4. Drop by scoopfuls onto parchment paper, criss cross with a fork or use a meat mallet.  Bake for 10-12 minutes or until turning a light brown.  Cool on cookie sheet for a few minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool.

Sloppy Joes

I was hungry for sloppy joes and needed a new recipe, my old one was just.. eh.. so I checked out The Pioneer Woman's site and found this recipe. It does call for butter but you could leave that out and probably never notice the difference.

















Pretty darn good!! Will definitely be making them again.

Slow Cooker Parmesan Honey Pork Roast Recipe

I tried this recipe for dinner tonight. It was ok, in it's defense I didn't have any soy sauce so it was lacking that. Also, I think I cooked it to long and it was dry. Pork is easy to overcook even in a crockpot. The flavor was pretty good tho..

Slow Cooker Parmesan Honey Pork Roast Recipe

Ingredients:

1 (2-3 pound) boneless pork roast
2/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup honey
3 Tbsp soy sauce
2 Tbsp dried basil

2 Tbsp minced garlic
2 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
2 Tbsp cornstarch
1/4 cup cold water

Spray slow cooker with non-stick cooking spray. Place roast in slow cooker.

In a small bowl, combine the cheese, honey, soy sauce, basil, garlic, oil and salt; pour over pork.

Cover and cook on low for 6-7 hours or until a meat thermometer reads 160°.
Remove meat to a serving platter; keep warm. Skim fat from cooking juices; transfer to a small saucepan. Bring liquid to a boil. Combine cornstarch and water until smooth. Gradually stir into pan. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Slice roast; serve with gravy (I also made mashed potatoes and the gravy was delicious on them!).

Recipe adapted from Everyday Tastes

Applesauce Muffins with Cinnamon Streusel Topping

My son made these tonight and they are delicious!!

Applesauce Muffins with Cinnamon Streusel Topping

• YIELD: Makes 1 dozen
• HANDS-ON:15 Minutes
• TOTAL:48 Minutes
• COURSE: Breads, Breakfast/Brunch, Snacks

Ingredients

• 4 cups all-purpose baking mix
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 2/3 cup chunky applesauce
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 2 large eggs
• Cinnamon Streusel Topping

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 400°. Whisk together baking mix, sugar, and cinnamon in a large bowl; make a well in center of mixture.
2. Whisk together applesauce and next 3 ingredients in a small bowl; add to sugar mixture, stirring just until dry ingredients are moistened. Spoon batter into a lightly greased 12-cup muffin pan, filling almost completely full. Sprinkle Cinnamon Streusel Topping over batter.
3. Bake at 400° for 18 to 20 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean and tops are golden brown. Cool in pan on a wire rack 5 minutes. Remove from pan to a wire rack.

Southern Living JANUARY 2012

Pampered Chef's Smores Cups

I made these for a snack tonight.. and they were delicious!

S'more Cups

Layered Taco Salad

Layered Taco Salad

Gourmet | August 2003

Active time: 45 min Start to finish: 45 min
Yield: Makes 6 servings

Ingredients
For dressing
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 cup olive oil

For beef
1 medium onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 to 2 fresh serrano chiles (including seeds), finely chopped
1 tablespoon chili powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 lb ground chuck
1 (8-oz) can tomato sauce
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

For salad
1 (1/2-lb) firm-ripe California avocado
1 head iceberg lettuce, thinly sliced (8 cups)
1 large tomato (1/2 lb), chopped
1/4 lb coarsely grated extra-sharp Cheddar (1 1/2 cups)
1 (15- to 19-oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 (6-oz) can sliced pitted California black olives, drained

Accompaniment: tortilla chips

Preparation
Make dressing:
Whisk together lime juice, cilantro, sugar, chili powder, cumin, salt, and pepper, then add oil in a stream, whisking until emulsified.

Cook beef:
Cook onion, garlic, chiles to taste, chili powder, and cumin in oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until onion is well softened, about 6 minutes. Add beef and cook, stirring occasionally and breaking up lumps, until meat is no longer pink, about 5 minutes, then spoon off any excess fat from skillet.
Add tomato sauce, salt, and pepper to beef and cook, stirring, until slightly thickened, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat.

Assemble salad:
Peel and pit avocado, then cut into 1/2-inch pieces.
Spread lettuce over bottom of a shallow 4-quart dish. Spoon beef mixture evenly over lettuce and continue making layers with tomatoes, cheese, beans, avocado, and olives. Drizzle dressing over salad.

Weight Watcher's Spicy Indian Chicken Kabobs

This is one of my favorite recipes! If you like green peppers, red peppers or orange and yellow peppers you will love this dish!

Weight Watcher's Spicy Indian Chicken Kabobs

3/4 Cup plain FF yogurt
1 1/2 tsp ground coriander
2 garlic cloves, peeled and halved
1/2 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp cayenne
3 Tbl chopped cilantro
1 lb chicken breast, cut into 24 cubes
1 yellow or orange bell pepper, seeded and cut into squares
1 red bell pepper, seeded and cut into squares
1 green pepper, seeded and cut into squares
1/2 tsp salt

Combine the yogurt, coriander, garlic, paprika, cayenne, and 2 Tbl of the cilantro in a zip lock bag, add chicken and squeeze air out and seal bag, refrigerate turning the bag occasionally for 20-30 minutes or up to 1 day. Remove the chicken from bag and discard the marinade. Using metal skewers thread chicken and peppers onto the skewers using 3 cubes of chicken and 9 squares of pepper for each skewer. Sprinkle with salt and broil 5" from heat, turning frequently until chicken is cooked thru, about 12 min.

I serve this with couscous.