Meatballs

Meatballs are just yummy fun. Round and tasty and easily placed on a stick. This is a great basic recipe without frying! There is very little seasoning so add your own based on what you want~oregano and basil for spaghetti meatballs, thyme and rosemary for swedish meatballs, ect. Or leave out the seasoning completely and let the sauce season them!

4 lbs ground meat with at least 1 lb beef~other can be chicken, pork, turkey, venison, more beef, lamb, ect
1-2 onions, chopped
2 c bread crumbs
1 c egg substitute
2 1/2 c milk
salt and pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients and form into one inch balls. Bake 350 for 25 minutes. These freeze beautifully.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

It was freezing rain/snowing when I got home from school with the kids today. This soup was simmering in the crock pot and it was perfect! Adjust the level of spice to your family's taste. We had plain cheese quesadillas to go with this thick-ish soup.

1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbsp butter
2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp italian seasoning
1-2 tsp cumin
28 ounce can crushed tomatoes
2 c chicken broth
1 cup water
1 can corn
4 ounce can chopped green chile peppers
15 ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained
rotisserie chicken, shredded

In a medium stock pot, heat oil over medium heat. Saute onion and garlic in butter until soft. Stir in chili powder, italian seasoning, cumin, tomatoes, broth, and water. Bring to a boil, and simmer for 5 to 10 minutes. Stir in corn, chiles, and beans. Simmer for 10 minutes or place in crock pot for 2-5 hours on low. Top with crushes tortilla chips, avaocado slices, cheese and green onion.

Pumpkin Apple Streusel Cake

Another cake from the non-baker. This is really a fall dessert but it equally yummy for the holidays.

5-6 cups of slices, peeled, cored Granny Smith apples
1/4 c sugar
cinnamon

CAKE
3 c flour
2 c packed brown sugar
2 sticks butter, room temp, cut into pieces
3/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 c canned pure pumpkin
2/3 c sour cream
1/4 c sugar
3 tsp pumpkin pie spice
2 tsp baking soda
4 large eggs

Mix apples with sugar and cinnamon to taste. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 350. Spray 13x9 cake pan. Combine flour, brown sugar, butter, and salt in a large bowl. Mix until mixture is crumbly. Set aside 1 1/3 c for topping. Add pumpkin, sour cream, sugar, spice, and baking soda into remaining flour mixture until smooth. Add eggs.

Transfer batter to pan. Scatter apples evenly over the top and sprinkle with reserved topping. Bake 65-75 minutes until knife comes out clean. Serve warm or room temp with vanilla ice cream and caramel sauce.

Pasta e Fagioli

Olive Garden is famous for their soup, salad, and breadsticks lunches. My favorite is the pasta e fagioli and this recipe is almost exactly the same!

1 lb lean ground beef
1 c EACH diced carrot, onion, celery
2 Tbsp minced garlic
1 can kidney beans, undrained
1 can great northern beans, undrained
2 15oz cans tomato sauce
1 can beef broth
1 Tbsp vinegar
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp Italian seasoning
8 oz small pasta

In large soup pot, brown beef with carrots, onion, and celery. Drain. Add remaining ingredients except pasta. Simmer 30 minutes. Cook pasta al dente. Add to soup and simmer another 7-9 minutes.

Flank Steak with Confetti Salsa

You can never have too many grill recipes unless it's a cold wet summer like it's been here this year. I figure it'll be 85 in late October.

1 red bell pepper, chopped
1/2 red onion, chopped
1 glove garlic, minced
1 avocado, chopped
1 c diced fresh mango
2 Tbsp lime juice
1/2 c cilantro
salt and pepper
2.5 lb flank steak

Combine red pepper, onion, garlic, avocado, mango and lime juice in a small bowl. Add cilantro.

Rub steak with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill to desired doneness. Remove from grill and tent with foil for 10 minutes before slicing thin across the grain. Serve with salsa, rice, and chips.

Chicken Tetrazzini

Another chicken casserole. . .yippee. I know they are not exciting but they are cheap and the fam likes 'em.

1 1b. chicken
12 oz spaghetti, cooked
1 can cream of mushroom
1/2 shredded parmesan cheese
1 1/4 c sour cream
10 oz frozen peas
3 Tbsp sherry

Cook and dice chicken. Combine chicken, spaghetti, soup, parmesan, and sour cream. Stir in frozen peas. Spread into 13x9 and drizzle with sherry. Top with more parmesan. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

Sausage and Red Pepper Pasta

Lots of color and veggies and each girl CLEANED HER PLATE. They loved this. Packed with fiber and vitamins, this dish is good hot for dinner and as a cold pasta salad for lunch the next day.

1 lb pasta (penne, rotini, shells)
1 1/2 c broccoli
olive oil
1 pkg. turkey smoked sausage
1 c coarsely chopped roasted red peppers
dash salt

Cook pasta is salted water, adding broccoli in the last few minutes of cook time. Drain and return to the pot. In a skillet, heat olive oil to steaming. Slice sausage on diagonal in 1 inch pieces and add to the skillet. Cook til well browned and heated through. Add sausage to the pasta mix, scraping the pan to get all the oil. Add red peppers. Toss well to combine and heat thru. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese.