Slow Cooker Reuben Dip *

This was just kind "meh" for me.  It was okay, but it was really bland.  It kind of reminded me of ham salad.  Dh wasn't a fan at all.  I served it with rye crackers and rye bread, but it was actually best on Triscuits.  I won't be making it again.

Photo from Food.com

SLOW COOKER REUBEN DIP
(luckymommyto2boys ~ Amy ~ Food.com)

1 (16 ounce) jar sauerkraut, drained
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
2 cups shredded swiss cheese
2 cups shredded cooked corned beef
1/4 cup thousand island dressing

In a slow cooker, combine the sauerkraut, cream cheese, Swiss cheese, corned beef and thousand island dressing. Cover, and cook on high for 45 minutes if you're in a hurry, low for longer if you're not, or just until hot and cheese is melted. Stir occasionally while cooking. Serve with cocktail rye or crackers.

Christina's Killer Spinach Dip ***

Every year for Christmas Eve, our family does appetizers before opening gifts.  Since I rarely have time to try new appetizer recipes throughout the rest of the year, I look forward to this time for months.  This was a really good dip.  I absolutely adore spinach.  It's almost an unhealthy addiction for me.  However, I am really picky about spinach dips.  So many of them contain mayo, and that always just takes away from the taste, in my opinion.  The fact that this one had no mayo was what attracted me to it in the first place.  You have to really like spinach, though, since the flavor of the spinach itself comes through so strongly.  I served mine in a King's Hawaiian bread bowl, with King's Hawaiian rolls torn into pieces for extra dippers.  Yum, yum, yum!

 Photo from Food.com

CHRISTINA'S KILLER SPINACH DIP
(luckymommyto2boys ~ Amy ~ Food.com)

1 (1 ounce) package ranch dressing mix
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, at room temp
1 (8 ounce) container sour cream
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese, split into 2 1/2 cup portions  (I prefer to grate it myself)
1 (8 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach

Defrost the spinach.
Place it in a colander and press it until as much moisture as possible is removed.
Mix all ingredients (1/2 of the cheddar), and blend well.
Put it in a shallow baking dish (stoneware works best) in the oven for 20 minutes at 350°F.
Remove from oven.
While still hot top it with remaining cheese, heat in oven again for 5 minutes.
Remove and cool below lava stage and serve.
Goes well with tortilla chips.

Hard Boiled Eggs in the Oven ****

I am completely useless when it comes to making hard boiled eggs.  I've tried every trick in the book.  That's why this one stood out for me.  This is absolutely amazing.  I've had it in my "to try" file on Pinterest for ages, but I never got around to doing it.  I ended up cooking mine on 335 for 30 minutes.  They had a few teeny tiny little burned spots, but I could easily pinch those off.  The taste was great, and I loved that I didn't have to waste an egg trying to figure out if they're done or not. 

Picture from The Burlap Bag

 

HARD BOILED EGGS IN THE OVEN
(Pinterest ~ originally from The Burlap Bag)

1 dozen eggs
Muffin tin

Preheat oven to 325-350 (depending on the oven.  Place eggs (still in shell) in the muffin tin.  Bake in oven for 30 minutes.  Get a huge bowl of ice water.  Use tongs and put all of the eggs in the water. This stops the eggs from cooking more and getting yucky green. After they are cooled (about 10 minutes), you can peel them.
NOTE: When you bake eggs, the shells will get little brown dots. This is fine.  When you soak them in water the brown spots will all disappear.
*Amy's notes: I cooked mine at 335 for 30 minutes.  I will probably go down to 325 next time.

Steamed Butternut Squash ***

Yum, yum, yum!  We just bought some local honey at a harvest festival last weekend, so I've been looking for new recipes to try it in.  This was a total score for me.  The kids didn't love it as much as I did, sadly.  I made it with a Mexican dish, though.  It's possible that the kids just didn't like how they went together, though.  I couldn't help it.  I had a craving.  :-)  I'll give it another shot soon and see how it goes.

STEAMED BUTTERNUT SQUASH
(luckymommyto2boys ~ Amy ~ Meals for You)

1-1/2 lbs. butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into 1-1/2 inch pieces
1 Tbs. unsalted butter
1 Tbs. honey
1/4 tsp. pepper

Place squash in a steamer basket over boiling water. Cover saucepan and steam 10-12 minutes or until tender. Transfer to a bowl and add remaining ingredients and salt to taste. Mix thoroughly to a chunky texture.

Chicken Noodle Parmesan ***

I'm trying to work through some of my older recipes that we haven't had in a while.  We loved this one again.  Next time, though, I want to add some actual steamed broccoli. The kids each ate two helpings, so I would definitely say they approved.  :)  Sadly, the batteries in my camera are completely dead, so I still wasn't able to get a pic.

CHICKEN NOODLE PARMESAN
(luckymommyto2boys ~ Amy)

4 cups egg noodles (I used whole wheat)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 cups rotisserie chicken, cubed
1 can (10.75-oz.) cream of broccoli soup
¾ cup milk
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

Cook noodles according to package directions; drain and set aside.
Meanwhile, heat a large skillet over medium-high heat; add oil and brown chicken until no pink is showing. Remove from heat. Stir in broccoli soup, milk, Parmesan cheese, pepper and cooked noodles. Heat gently over medium heat. Serve hot.
Makes 6 Servings

Brat 'N' Tot Bake ***

This is definitely one of our favorite meals.  We haven't had it in a while, but the whole family loves it.  I have no clue why I don't make it more often.  I use lowfat versions of everything, and it doesn't seem to change the outcome.  The funny thing is that I don't think I ever realized how well mushroom flavor goes with bratwurst.  They really blend well together.  I'll have to play with that idea some in the future.  This recipe is perfect as-is, though.  :)  I also have a crockpot version that I love: Crockpot Brat 'N' Tot.

BRAT 'N' TOT BAKE
(luckymommyto2boys ~ Amy ~ via Allrecipes.com)

16 ounces uncooked bratwurst, casings removed
1 medium onion, chopped
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
1 (32 ounce) package tater tots
2 cups sour cream
2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese

Crumble bratwurst into a large skillet; add onion. Cook over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Stir in the soup. Transfer to a greased 13-in. x 9-in. x 2-in. baking dish. Top with Tater Tots and sour cream. Sprinkle with cheese.
Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees F for 35-40 minutes or until heated through and cheese is melted. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.
*Amy's notes: See also the Crockpot Brat 'N' Tot.

Spanakoryzo (Spinach and Rice) ***

I've been craving spinach like mad lately.  I didn't want to waste fresh spinach on anything like creamed spinach, since that would totally do the opposite.  I thought of just sauteeing it, but I really wanted something new and different.  And then I remembered this one from last year.  It is so good!  I use brown rice, which adds to the flavor perfectly.  Of course, it doesn't fluff up as well as white, so that's a bummer.  I still stick with the brown, though, just because I like the nutty flavor next to the spinach.  Sauteeing the onion with the rice in the beginning gives them a little bit of a sweet, carmelized flavor.  For the last half of the part where I was sauteeing the rice with the onion, I added a container of sliced mushrooms.  Totally made the meal.  My KIDS even gushed about it!  For the water, I use boiling water and just add chicken bouillion granules.  I really don't think it would be as good with just the water.  Last time, it was a little too oily for me, so I cut the olive oil down to 1-1/2 tbsp.  Perfect.  Overall, this is a winner with us.  I plan on making this many, many times.  :)

Photo courtesy of Recipezaar.com

SPANAKORYZO (SPINACH AND RICE)
(luckymommyto2boys ~ Amy ~ Recipezaar.com)

1 cup uncooked rice
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1/3 cup olive oil
2 cups boiling water or chicken broth
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 lb fresh spinach

Saute rice and onion in olive oil , stirring occasionally for 10 minutes. Add boiling water and salt; simmer covered for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, wash spinach well then cut into 1/2" strips (you can roll a group of leaves together and cut into strips).
After rice has simmered for 10 minutes add spinach and mix well, cover and continue to simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
* Amy's notes: I cut the oil to 1-1/2 tbsp, cut the salt to 1 tsp, and add a carton of sliced mushrooms for the last 5 minutes of the first step.

Deep Dish French Bread Pizza ***

These were actually pretty good.  My rolls were a bit too long and skinny to make it an easy task to hollow them out, though.  But that fact aside, we all enjoyed them.  With the hollowing out of the rolls, it can be a little time-consuming, but as long as you stick to a night when you have a bit of wiggle room, it's still doable.  Even better would be if you could hollow them out the weekend before, but that takes way too much forethought for yours truly.  :)

Photo courtesy of Batter Up and Fry

DEEP DISH FRENCH BREAD PIZZA
(luckymommyto2boys ~ Amy ~ via Batter Up and Fry)

For the sauce:
1 14.5 oz. can crushed tomatoes
1 clove garlic
2 t. dried oregano
½ t. salt
½ t. sugar
¼ t. fresh ground pepper

For the pizzas:
5 club rolls, 5-6” each
1 TB cooking oil
1 onion, chopped
1 lb. ground beef
1 t. salt
½ t. pepper
4-5 button or cremini mushrooms, sliced
20 slices pepperoni
2 c. mozzarella cheese, shredded

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Pour the can of crushed tomatoes into a small bowl. Finely mince the garlic and toss in with the tomatoes. Stir in the oregano, salt, sugar and pepper. Set aside.
Prepare the rolls: Cut off just the very top crust of the roll. Use your fingers to pull out the bread from inside the roll, creating a bowl. Be careful not to pull too much off from close to the sides and bottom as you don’t want the ingredients to leak out. You will want the sides and bottom to be about ½-3/4” thick.
Heat the cooking oil in a sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and sauté for about 2-3 minutes or until tender. Add the ground beef to the pan and season with salt and pepper. Break up the meat as it cooks with a wooden spoon, stirring frequently until the meat is no longer pink. Remove from the heat and drain using a metal colander. Set aside.
Place the “bread bowls” onto a baking sheet. Spread the bottom of each with a good portion of the sauce. Then divide the ground beef mixture among the rolls (you don’t want these to over flow too much, so use less beef if necessary). Layer the mushrooms and the pepperoni on top of the beef. Now top the each bun with the mozzarella cheese. The mixture/cheese should come just barely above the top of the bun as it will sink a little as it cooks.
Cook the deep dish pizzas for about 15-20 minutes, until the cheese is melted and bubbling, the bread is slightly toasted, and the ingredients are warmed through. Let sit for about 5 minutes before serving.
Serves 5

Ze Jamaican Coconut Banana Wheels ***

The 7-year-old saw this one on Disney Junior's "Tasty Time with ZeFronk," and he immediately wanted to make it.  Since he fell on the playground at school this morning and busted his chin open, requiring a trip to the urgent care to be glued back together, I decided to baby him a little.  We picked up the ingredients and made this for dessert tonight.  They were really good!  The cocoa flavor was a little too strong for the kids, so I'm thinking I will either mix a little powdered sugar into the cocoa or mix the coconut and cocoa together before rolling the bananas in there.  That would let the coconut help bring out some sweetness in the cocoa.  Either way, we'll definitely do these again.  They loved that they could make them on their own!

Photo courtesy of Disney Junior

ZE JAMAICAN COCONUT BANANA WHEELS
(luckymommyto2boys ~ Amy ~ Tasty Time with ZeFronk on Disney)

bananas
cocoa powder
shredded coconut

Peel bananas, and slice into 1" rounds.  Sprinkle cocoa powder onto plate.  Roll bananas wheels in cocoa along outer edges, and place on plates.  Sprinkle with coconut.

Wyoming Cowboy Casserole *

This was decent.  It's nothing wrong with the recipe at all.  It just reminded me of when my mom used to make a similar casserole.  After eating it for dinner one night and then being up sick with a stomach virus for the next 24 hours or so, I could never stomach it again.  Long story short, that's why I wasn't too fond of this one.  Hubby and the kids enjoyed it.  It's definitely way easy, which is awesome.  It really is a wonderful recipe, even if it didn't do it for me personally.

WYOMING COWBOY CASSEROLE
(Amy - amylz - The Everything Slow Cooker Cookbook)

1 pound ground beef
1 cup Colby Cheese, cubed
1 (10 3/4 oz) can condensed tomato soup
1 (16 oz) can whole kernel corn (drained)
1 (16 oz) can red kidney beans
1/4 cup milk
1 teaspoon dry onion flakes
1/2 teaspoon chili powder

Brown the beef in a skillet; drain off grease. Cut the cheese into 1/2 inch cubes. Add all ingredients to the slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 4 hours.
Serves:4

Chicken Spinach Casserole ***

We all really enjoyed this one.  It's kind of a like a spinach dip almost.  The original recipe said it just made a "casserole dish," so I doubled it.  WAY too much.  I would say to use a 9x13 and keep the recipe as-is.  I was craving spinach, though, and it definitely hit the spot.  I was pressed for time, so I used canned chicken (I rinsed it to remove some of the salt) and canned spinach and skipped the salt.  I prefer "real" chicken, of course, I'd do that again, if I was in a pinch.  Good stuff.  I asked the 9-year-old what he thought, and he said, "Delish!"  :)  I've made my corrections to the recipe below.

CHICKEN SPINACH CASSEROLE
(Amy ~ mama2AbbyNJohn ~ via COOKS.COM)

1 whole cooked chicken (or 2 large b/s breasts)
1 can diced green chilies, drained
1 clove garlic, minced
1 med. onion, chopped
2 tbsp. olive oil
1/2 tsp. cumin
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 (10 oz.) pkg. frozen spinach(or 2 small cans chopped spinach) , thawed and drained
1/2 tsp. salt
12-16 oz sour cream
8 oz. corn or tortilla chips
2 c. grated cheese (your choice)
Paprika

Saute garlic, onions and chilies (until onions are translucent); add cumin - cook 1 minute. Add soup, then defrosted spinach (squeezed dry). Add salt; simmer. Add chicken and sour cream. Heat thoroughly.
Layer chips, chicken mixture and cheese (2 times) in a 9x13 casserole dish and cook for 30 minutes at 350 degrees.
This can also be cooked in the microwave on HIGH for approximately 15 minutes.

Crockpot Cheesy Ravioli Casserole ***

Yum, yum, yum!  We had a crockpot ravioli last week that was a total bomb, so I was determined to find something that would work better for us.  Score!  We all loved it.  I'll definitely be making it again.  Also, I didn't start it on time, so I ended up cooking it on high for about 4 hours, and then we still weren't hungry, so it sat on warm for another hour.  It was still wonderful.  I forgot to take a picture, but the photo below is from the Six Sisters' website, where I found the recipe.  Clicking the picture will link to their site.

Photo from Six Sisters' Stuff

CROCKPOT CHEESY RAVIOLI CASSEROLE
(luckymommyto2boys ~ Amy ~ Six Sisters' Stuff)

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
2 (26 ounce) jars four cheese pasta sauce
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
2 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded
1/2 cup onion, chopped
1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce
2 (25 ounce) packages frozen beef ravioli

Spray crock pot with Pam. In a large skillet heat oil over medium heat, add onion and garlic and cook for 4 minutes stirring occasionally. Stir in pasta sauce, tomato sauce and Italian seasoning. Place 1 cup of sauce in crock pot. Add 1 package of the ravioli, top with 1 cup of the cheese. Top with remaining package of ravioli and 1 cup cheese. Pour remaining sauce over the top. Cover and cook on low for 5-6 hours.

Chili-Beef Stuffing Bake *

We really didn't care for this one.  The flavor of the stuffing and the salsa were basically just at war with each other.  It would have been much better with a Jiffy topping, or something like that.  I will never, never make it again as-is, though.  Just ick.

CHILI-BEEF STUFFING BAKE
(luckymommyto2boys ~ Amy ~ Kraft.com)

1-1/2 cups hot water
1 pkg. (6 oz.) STOVE TOP Cornbread Stuffing Mix
1-1/2 lb. lean ground beef
1 can (15 oz.) kidney beans, undrained
1 can (8 oz.) tomato sauce
1 cup TACO BELL® HOME ORIGINALS® Thick 'N Chunky Salsa
1 cup KRAFT Shredded Cheddar Cheese

HEAT oven to 400ºF. Add water to stuffing mix; stir just until moistened.
BROWN meat in large skillet; drain. Stir in beans, tomato sauce and salsa. Spoon into 2-qt. casserole; top with cheese and stuffing.
BAKE 30 min. or until heated through.

Easy Sloppy Joe Pot Pie ****

We all loved this!  Big surprise for me, since I'm normally not a very big fan of sloppy joes.  The bread part was good, but the kids really liked scooping up the extra meat mixture with tortilla chips.  I doubled the entire thing, so that I would have plenty of leftovers for our lunch.  Didn't work out as well as I'd hoped, since there were hardly any leftovers!  :) 
ETA: I don't have an ovenproof skillet, so I cooked the meat and onion in my skillet, added the sloppy joe sauce, and heated to warm. I then poured it in a 9x13 glass baking dish, sprinkled cheese on it, and then spread on the batter topping and baked for 30 minutes.  If not doubling the recipe, it would probably be fine in an 8x8 baking dish.

EASY SLOPPY JOE POT PIE
Cyndy (MyPB&Jelly)

1 pound lean ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped (1/2 cup)
1 can (15 1/2 ounces) original sloppy joe sauce
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese (4 ounces)
1 cup Original Bisquick mix
1/2 cup milk
1 egg

Heat oven to 400ºF. Cook beef and onion in ovenproof 10-inch skillet over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until beef is brown; drain. Stir in sloppy joe sauce. Sprinkle with cheese. Stir remaining ingredients until blended. Pour over beef mixture. Bake about 30 minutes or until golden brown.
*Amy's notes: I doubled the recipe and cooked the meat and onion in my skillet, added the sloppy joe sauce, and heated to warm.  I then poured it in a 9x13 glass baking dish, sprinkled cheese on it, and then spread on the batter topping and baked for 30 minutes.

Chili Sauce Chicken ***

Wow.  This sauce was amazing!  It's kind of strange, because it almost has a Chinese five-spice flavor to it.  That's a good thing in my book, since I love me some five spice.  We used boneless skinless thighs with no problem.  Both kids cleaned their plates and asked for seconds.  Definitely a keeper for us!

CHILI SAUCE CHICKEN
(Andrew&Elliott’s Mom ~ Nicci ~ via tasteofhome.com)

1 bottle (12 ounces) chili sauce
1/3 cup white wine or chicken broth
1/4 cup olive oil
10 to 12 garlic cloves, minced
4-1/2 teaspoons dried basil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
8 bone-in chicken thighs (4 ounces each)

In a large resealable plastic bag, combine the first seven ingredients. Remove 1/3 cup for basting; cover and refrigerate. Add chicken to bag; seal and turn to coat. Chill for at least 2 hours. Drain and discard marinade from chicken. Grill, covered, skin side down, over medium heat for 20 minutes. Baste with half the reserved marinade. Turn; grill 10 minutes longer or until a meat thermometer reads 180°, basting frequently with reserved marinade. Yield: 8 servings.

Oven-Fried Okra ***

I love the coating on this.  True, it's drier than true fried okra, but the flavor more than makes up for that, in my opinion.  The 6-year-old ate every bite, and the 8-year-old (who claims to detest okra) ate about half of his and said it wasn't too bad.  Dh and I both liked it.  It's a nice change to our normal veggie sides, so I'll definitely make it again.

OVEN-FRIED OKRA
(luckymommyto2boys ~ Amy ~ via Cookin' Cowgirl)

16 oz bag frozen sliced okra, thawed {about 3 1/2 cups}
1 tsp Cajun or creole seasoning
1/2 tsp garlic salt
1 C yellow corn meal
Canola oil spray
1 gallon zip lock bag

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Turn the zip-lock bag inside out and spray with canola oil spray.
Pour the okra in the bag along with the Cajun seasoning and garlic salt. Seal bag and shake vigorously. Let rest for 10 minutes so the juices extract from the okra.
Add the cornmeal to the bag and shake up again. Let rest 10 more minutes. Give the bag one more good shake. Pour okra over a strainer or colander {either over the sink or over a bowl} so the extra cornmeal will fall off. Spread the okra over a foil covered baking sheet and spread out evenly. Spray okra with canola oil spray.
Bake for 20 minutes, remove from oven, flip okra over, lightly spray again and return to oven for 20 more minutes.

Stuffed Pork Chops with Corn in the Crockpot ***

So, I took my mom's advice and tried this with the green beans.  We.  Loved.  It.  My kids ate the green beans with no complaints or bribery!  I used two cans of drained green beans.  My only complaint is that it had a bit too much liquid with those.  I'm not really sure how to fix that yet, though.  I'm still thinking on it.  At the time, I just ladled the extra out.  I know that it would be fine if I cut it down to just one can of green beans, but I liked having quite a bit in there.  Maybe I'll try draining them in a colander and then patting them dry, to get a little more of the liquid out.  Anyway, I'll be making this with the green beans from now on, because it's just yummers.  :)

STUFFED PORK CHOPS WITH CORN IN THE CROCKPOT
(luckymommyto2boys ~ Amy ~ Fix-It-and-Forget-It)

6-oz pkg stuffing mix for pork
5 to 6 boneless pork chops
14-oz can whole-kernel corn (or green beans)
10¾-oz can cream of mushroom soup

Prepare stuffing mix according to package directions. Place pork chops in slow cooker and spoon prepared stuffing mix over chops.
Spoon corn over stuffing. Pour soup over all without adding water to dilute soup.
Cover and cook on high 3 to 4 hours.
*Amy's notes: I've also subbed two cans of green beans for the corn.

Previous Posts:
1/27/11 ~ This turned out much better than I thought it would. To be honest, when it was done, it still looked kind of soupy, and my first thought was that I was going to have to trash it and quickly find something else to throw together for dinner. I made everyone try it first, and it was absolutely delicious! I've mentioned before that I occasionally get a craving for StoveTop, so that's what made me try it in the first place. As always, I used the cornbread dressing one instead of the stuffing (texture issue for me). I also used 6 boneless pork loin chops. They were a little thicker than the thin chops and not as thick as the thick ones. We ate every bit of this, with only a little left for dh to take for his lunch the next day, and the kids were making their "yummy" noises the entire time we ate. This one is so easy to throw together and so yummy that I'm definitely putting it down for my rushed nights. I was telling my mom about it, and she wants to try it with green beans instead of the corn. That sounds really good, so I'm thinking I may have to try that one soon too. :)

Easy as Can Be Pineapple Dessert **

I picked this one because I really do love pistachio pudding.  I just never get to eat it anymore, since I'm the one one who does.  You can't taste the pistachio at all, which was a plus for everyone but me, lol.  I'm really into the Cool Whip type desserts right now, though, since they always taste so cool and refreshing with the summer heat.  Not to mention how easy they are to throw together while supper is in the oven.  I definitely prefer this one over the last one we tried, but it's honestly nothing special.  Just basic and simple.  I'll make it again and again.

EASY AS CAN BE PINEAPPLE DESSERT
(luckymommyto2boys ~ Amy ~ Food.com)

1 (20 ounce) can crushed pineapple
1 box pistachio pudding mix
1 container Cool Whip
1 cup miniature marshmallows
1/4 cup chopped walnuts

Mix together pineapple and pudding.
Then add cool whip, marshmallows and walnuts.
Put in a large bowl and refrigerate for about 2 hours.

Mexican Pot Pie ****

We absolutely love this one! The first time I made it, I kept putting off making it, because I tend to have ADD when it comes to recipes with long lists of ingredients. The one thing it had going for it in that respect was that it had a short directions list, lol. I do love Jiffy in general, and cumin is one of my top 5 spices. Put the two together, and I was sold. Even the super picky 6-year-old asks for seconds. Dh hates black beans, and the kids hate black olives. I get NO complaints on any of that stuff! It's so awesome! It's actually not too terribly unhealthy, either, which is totally awesome, what with dh and I starting diets again. I just used a colby-jack blend, instead of using two different kinds of cheese. Mine also needed the full 30 minutes for the cornbread to set. This one will most definitely be made again!

MEXICAN POT PIE
(luckymommyto2boys ~ Amy ~ Food.com)

1 lb lean ground turkey (93% lean is best)
11 ounces corn, drained
15 ounces black beans, drained (or chili beans)
4 ounces diced green chilies (or jalepenos)
16 ounces salsa
4 ounces sliced black olives (optional)
4 ounces monterey jack cheese, shredded (1 cup)
4 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded (1 cup)
8 1/2 ounces Jiffy corn muffin mix
1 egg
1/3 cup milk
1/3 cup reduced-fat sour cream
2 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon garlic powder

Brown turkey and drain.
Spray a 2 1/2-3 qt (mine's a 9x13) casserole and combine turkey, corn, beans, chilis, salsa and olives. stir in cheese and pour into casserole.
Mix jiffy mix with egg, milk, sour cream, cumin and garlic.
Spread over turkey mixture
Bake at 400 for 25-30 minutes.

Cake Mix Pumpkin Muffins **

These are definitely not pretty muffins, but they had a decent flavor.  They had a slight doughy taste to them, even though they were completely cooked.  I used a sugar-free yellow cake mix.  It was sweet enough, but in my opinion, the pumpkin flavor was kind of lost in there.  I think I might try it with a little bit of cinnamon next time.  The kids liked them, and they were beyond easy.  Those were my main concerns, so it all worked out.  :)

CAKE MIX PUMPKIN MUFFINS
(luckymommyto2boys ~ Amy ~ via Sweet Verbena)

One Cake mix- OP used yellow
1 -15 ounce can 100% pumpkin- puree, not pumpkin pie filling

Preheat oven to 350. Mix ingredients. Pour into muffin tins and bake for 20-25 minutes.
Add a dusting of powdered sugar, or better yet some homemade cream cheese frosting for added awesomeness.  Makes 12 large muffins.
Note: Batter will be extremely thick.

Peanut Butter Cookies ***

I've made these cookies many times because we love them so much.  We had a Cub Scout bake sale a couple weeks ago, and I made these to sell.  This time, I added the Hershey kiss on top.  The cookies were amazing, as usual, but I thought the kiss took away from the cookie itself.  But hey, with peanut butter and chocolate, it's all good.  :-)  So I'll definitely keep making the cookies (I'd be insane not to, hehehe), but I'll do it without the kisses next time.  I love how moist these are.  I normally take them out just a little bit earlier than called for, to make them even moister.

PEANUT BUTTER COOKIES
(farmin_mama)

1 cup sugar
1 cup peanut butter
1 egg

Mix all and form into 1" balls, use bottom of glass to flatten and use fork to make cross marks like you would for a normal peanut butter cookie. Bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes.

Past reviews:
2/4/11
Well, this recipe has really ticked me off. How can something so easy be so good?!? I normally don't let myself make cookies, because if they're there, I'm going to eat them, lol. These just sounded so interesting that I had to try it. I was convinced that they couldn't work without some kind of flour or something in them, so I was fairly convinced that I would have a gooey mess afterwards. I almost felt like I was performing an experiment. You wouldn't believe my shock when they actually turned out to be cookies, and pretty good ones at that! I am in so much trouble, now that I have an easy cookie recipe where I always have the ingredients on hand!

Fat-Free Pineapple Angel Food Cupcakes ***

These were surprisingly good.  However, there's nothing filling about them.  I made the mistake of letting the kids have them for breakfast, and they were still hungry afterwards.  They would be much better as an after-school or midmorning snack.  They were yummy, though, and goodness knows you can't beat them for how easy they are!

Photo from Pinterest (no actual link)

FAT FREE PINEAPPLE ANGEL FOOD CUPCAKES
(via Pinterest)

1 box of Angel Food Cake Mix
1 large can of crushed pineapple with the juice

Combine ingredients and pour into muffin tins with cupcake liners.  Bake at 350 for 15-20 min or until golden brown. 
Makes about 36 cupcakes.
(May also be made in a bundt pan. Cook time will run 30-40 minutes.)

Fruit Fluff **

The kids loved this, but it was too sweet for me.  I'm thinking it might be better with blueberry, but I don't know if I'll try it again or not.  You could barely even taste the cherries at all. 

FRUIT FLUFF
(luckymommyto2boys ~ Amy ~ Food.com)

1 (21 ounce) can cherry pie filling or 1 (21 ounce) can blueberry pie filling
1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1 (8 ounce) container whipped topping, thawed

Combine all 3 ingredients in medium sized bowl.

Turkey, Pineapple, and Cream Cheese Wraps **

I fixed this one up for a quick lunch, but since I was the only one eating, I spread the cream cheese on the tortilla, sprinkled some crushed pineapple evenly over it, and then laid a couple deli-thin slices of turkey on top and rolled it up.  Pretty good!  I didn't do the celery, since I didn't have any.  I love wraps, but I have the hardest time figuring what to put in them besides the basics.  This was a nice little treat in my day.  :)

TURKEY, PINEAPPLE, AND CREAM CHEESE WRAPS
(luckymommyto2boys ~ Amy ~ via The $120 Food Challenge)

1 tbsp cream cheese (or mayo)
Finely diced turkey (sliced turkey from deli)
Spoonful of crushed pineapple
Small stick of finely diced celery, optional
Tortilla

Mix a tablespoon of cream cheese or mayonnaise with finely diced turkey (sliced turkey from the deli is the cheapest), a spoonful of crushed pineapple or some finely diced fresh pineapple and a small stick of finely grated or diced celery. Good in a tortilla.

Red Potatoes,Green Beans and Ham ***

This is obviously nothing special, but we all really liked it.  Next time, though, I would make the ham pieces a little larger than bite-sized.  I used more than 2 cups of ham and about 20 oz of frozen green beans.  I also used an entire box of the chicken broth.  My kids loved it.  Hubby and I added a little Tony Chachere's Cajun seasoning to ours. 

Photo courtesy of Food.com

RED POTATOES, GREEN BEANS, AND HAM (SLOW COOKER)
(luckymommyto2boys ~ Amy ~ via Food.com)

8 red potatoes, scrubbed and halved
1 (16 ounce) package frozen green beans (or fresh)
1 large onion, cut into about eight wedges
2 cups ham, cut into bite sized pieces
1 -2 can vegetable broth or 1 -2 can chicken broth
salt and pepper

Add all the ingredients and cover, cook on low for 8 to 10 hours.
If cooking on the stove  in a Dutch oven, you may need more broth, but since the crockpot makes broth as it cooks, you shouldn't need any more.  Use your own judgment on the amount of broth.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Crescents ****

The kids absolutely adored these things!  The 8-year-old says they were "to die for yummy."  I didn't bother drizzling with the chocolate syrup, and I just use regular milk chocolate chips, since that's what I had.  So stinking easy to throw together in the morning last minute!  I love it!

PEANUT BUTTER CHOCOLATE CHIP CRESCENTS
Amy (amylz)

1 tube of crescent rolls
peanut butter
mini chocolate chips
chocolate syrup

Begin by unrolling crescent rolls and spreading peanut butter over each. Older kids can use a butter knife to do this. For younger kids, I would offer the backside of a spoon to spread the peanut butter. Sprinkle mini chocolate chips over top of peanut butter. Starting with the fat end of the crescent, roll up each triangle. Place on a baking sheet and bake at 375 degrees for 11-13 minutes. Top with chocolate syrup and enjoy!

Busy Mom Puffins (Pancake Muffins) ***

True to the title, I was an extremely busy mom this morning, so I didn't get to take a picture of this one.  They were actually pretty good, though.  I sprinkled them with the "real bacon pieces" that you get in a bag, because I let the kids eat our blueberries for dessert.  :)  We really enjoyed them, but they really stuck to the muffin tin liners I used.  I had some that were foil and some that were paper.  The foil ones did much better.  I'm thinking you could add a bit more pancake mix to it.  Either that, or maybe cook them 17-20 minutes, to make them less mushy.  My kids really liked them, though.  I'd make them again.

BUSY MOM PUFFINS (PANCAKE MUFFINS)
(via Pinterest)

1 cup pancake mix
2/3 cup water
1/2 cup syrup
Toppings, as desired

Preheat oven to 350, mix pancake mix, water, syrup. Mix together, pour in greased muffin pan. Top with banana, blueberries, chocolate chips, pecans, sausage, bacon….etc. Bake for 12-14 minutes and serve. Easy, fast, delicious, and no syrupy mess!!

Carrot Chips **

These weren't too bad.  I ended up having to cook them quite a bit longer, and they never did crisp up.  I'm going to give it another try, though.  Hubby said he'd like them with a little brown sugar and/or cinnamon on them, so I might try half a batch with that.  Instead of doing the long strips as in the recipe, I went with the presliced bag of carrots, since I already had some on hand.

CARROT CHIPS

(luckymommyto2boys ~ Amy ~ via Pinterest)

4 carrots

salt

olive oil

Peel carrots into thick slices.

Toss slices in olive oil and salt.

Bake at 350 for 12 minutes.

Cool and enjoy!

Berry Cobbler **

This wasn't the best cobbler I've ever had, since I prefer more of a cake-like texture to the cobbler part of it, but it was still pretty good.  Especially when you take into account that it only has three ingredients and is so easy to make.  Gotta love that!  The kids really enjoyed it.  I made the mistake of getting the "berry medley" mix from Walmart, and it had strawberries in it.  Wasn't the best addition, in my opinion, so next time I'll stick to raspberries and blackberries.  It gets a little too much liquid in there for my tastes too, but again, for something so simple, who can complain?  :)

CAKE MIX BERRY COBBLER
(Pinterest ~ Living a Changed Life)

Two 12-oz bags frozen mixed berries
1 box white cake mix (no pudding)
1 can of diet 7-up or sierra mist (clear soda)

Place frozen fruit in a 9x13 baking dish. Add dry cake mix over the top. Pour soda slowly over cake mix. DO NOT stir the cake mix and the pop - this will give you a 'crust'. If you stir the two, you will hsve a cake like topping.
Bake 350 for 45-50 min.
You may be able to use frozen peaches instead of mixed berries.
Serves 16; 4 PointsPlus

Shrimp and Wild Rice Casserole ***

I've been craving wild rice lately, for some reason, so I went on Pinterest in search of something new.  True to form for Paula's recipes, this one is laden with butter.  Honestly, I would probably cut the butter in the rice down by at least half and then saute the onions and green peppers in olive oil.  I used two lbs of shrimp, because I had an extra bag that I wanted to use up.  I started mine from frozen, so I just boiled them for a little while longer.  I really don't think that a pound would have been enough.  We love shrimp, so I didn't want it to be too rice-y.  This is definitely a good dish, but it's so very rich.  I'd like to experiment with it a little more and see how it is without the cream soup.  I'll definitely be cutting back the butter next time, though.

Photo courtesy of Food TV

SHRIMP AND WILD RICE CASSEROLE
(luckymommyto2boys ~ Amy ~ Paula Deen)

1 (8-ounce) package wild rice
1 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1/2 onion, chopped
1 (10 3/4-ounce can) condensed cream of mushroom soup
2 cups grated sharp Cheddar
Salt and pepper

Cook the rice according to package directions minus 1/4 cup water. Drain and cool.
Bring 2 cups water and 1/2 tablespoon salt to a boil in a medium saucepan and cook the shrimp for 1 minute. Drain immediately and set aside.
Heat the butter in saucepan and saute the pepper and onion until soft, about 5 minutes.
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
In a large bowl, combine the rice, soup, 1 1/2 cups of cheese, shrimp and vegetables. Add salt and pepper, to taste. Mix well. Spray a 9-inch square aluminum cake pan or an 11 by 7-inch glass casserole dish with vegetable spray. Place the mixture in the pan and top with remaining 1/2 cup cheese. Bake for 30 minutes, until bubbly.
*Amy's notes: I used 2 lbs of frozen medium shrimp.

Slow Cooker Cheesy Chicken and Rice ***

This was nothing special at all, but it was actually pretty good.  I doubled it, so that we can have leftovers one night, and it made LOTS, lol.  It was perfectly cooked after 7.5 hours in the crockpot.  Oldest boy loved it, hubby loved it, and youngest said it was "just okay."  It's possible his tastes are off with the cold he's got, though.  All in all, I'd say it's a keeper.

SLOW COOKER CHEESY CHICKEN AND RICE
(luckymommyto2boys ~ Amy ~ via Southern Plate)

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 large onion, chopped (I use Vidalia)
1 (8 ounce) box Zatarain's Yellow Rice Mix, cooked according to directions
1 cup cheddar cheese
1 (10.5 ounce) can cream of chicken soup (regular or fat free)
1 (15 ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained

Place chicken in bottom of slow cooker. Scatter chopped onion over top. Spoon cream soup over top of that. Cover and cook on low 7-8 hours or on high 3-4 hours. A few minutes before serving, add in cooked rice, corn, and cheese. Stir to combine. Serve hot.

Apple Pie Breakfast **

I have a bigger crockpot, so I doubled the recipe and used an extra cup of water to make it cook for 7 1/2 hours on low (overnight).  It came out pretty bland, so before serving this morning, I added about 1/2 cup of Splenda brown sugar, another 1/2 tsp or so of cinnamon, and an extra cup of apple juice.  It ended up being pretty good.  The kids actually both liked it, which is practically a miracle in itself.  :)  I'd be lying if I said it tasted anything at all like an apple pie, though.

Photo courtesy of Cooking with Jax

APPLE PIE BREAKFAST
(luckymommyto2boys ~ Amy ~ via Cooking with Jax)

1 cup of steel cut oats*
3 diced apples (I use Gala)
1 cup apple juice (I use Oasis)
3 cups water
1/2 tsp cinnamon (optional)

Directions - Slow CookerFor Best Results: Combine all ingredients in slow cooker and cook for 2-4 hours on high or 4-6 hours on low until it reaches the consistency that you like. Be sure to stir every hour or so.
* You can also cook longer without stirring, but you have to add more water liquid and it does come out a bit mushier. Add an extra cup of liquid for 7-8 hours in the slow cooker.
* It must be steel cut oats when cooked in the slow cooker, as regular oats get very soggy when cooked this way. You can find steel cut oats in your local grocery store (sometimes they are called "irish oats" or "pinhead oats"). If you would really rather use rolled oats, be sure to use the stovetop method below and adjust your liquid/cooking time accordingly.
Directions - Stovetop MethodA few people have asked me about a stovetop method since not everybody has a slow cooker, and let's face it, sometimes we don't know what we want for breakfast until the morning of. Below is a stove top method and it tastes similar, but I still prefer the slow cooker version better (the oats become softer the longer they cook).
Combine all ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Simmer for about 30 minutes, or until it reaches the consistency that you like.

Sassy Water ***

I was pretty skeptical about this one, since I'm definitely not a fan of cucumbers.  I actually really like it, though.  The water tastes so refreshing, and the mint covers up some of the cucumber taste.  I can't say how it works as far as weight loss, but for taste and meeting your daily water requirements, it's definitely a winner.

Photo courtesy of Carolina Charm

SASSY WATER
(luckymommyto2boys ~ Amy ~ via Carolina Charm)

8 ½ cups water
1 teaspoon grated ginger
1 medium cucumber, sliced thin
1 large lemon, sliced thin
12 mint leaves

Mix all ingredients together in a pitcher and refrigerate overnight.
The next morning, strain and drink all 8 ½ cups throughout the day.
Repeat for 4 days in a row...trying your best avoid any other beverages (coffee, soda, alcohol, etc.)

Roasted Squash Chips ***

These don't really come out like "chips," per se, but we enjoyed them anyway.  It would probably be best to make them in a large baking sheet with a cooling rack on top.  That would allow for a crispier texture, but I love them and their squishy goodness.  The slightly thicker rounds were actually my favorite, even though the thinner ones seemed to hold the flavor of the salt and pepper better.  I guess it depends on what you're aiming for, taste-wise.  I could have easily eaten an entire batch of these myself, but I am really crazy about my squash.  :)

ROASTED SQUASH CHIPS
(luckymommyto2boys ~ Amy)

4 medium yellow squash
Olive oil cooking spray
Sea Salt
Papper

Preheat oven to 375. Slice squash into thin circles, about 1/4" thick. Spray baking sheet evenly with cooking spray. Lay out the squash on the sheet, close but not touching. Spray squash with cooking spray, and sprinkle with salt and pepper as desired. Cook for 30 minutes, turning halfway through.

Taco Bake **

This was pretty good.  Nothing special or anything, but it made for a fairly quick and easy meal on a weeknight after a long day at work.  I doubled it and put it in a 9x13, so that I'd have enough for two nights.  My only complaint is that the spice is a little strong, between the taco seasoning and the salsa.  It also upped the salt content a bit too much for my tastes.  I did use low sodium and mild everything, and I also used ground turkey in place of the ground beef.  Next time, I think I will double everything and only use one packet of seasoning.  Other than that, though, we all liked it.

TACO BAKE
(twinners00 from KraftFoods.com)

1 pkg. (14 oz.) KRAFT Deluxe Macaroni and Cheese Dinner
1 lb. ground beef
1 pkg. (1-¼ oz.) TACO BELL® HOME ORIGINALS® Taco Seasoning Mix
¾ cup water
¾ cup BREAKSTONE'S or KNUDSEN Sour Cream
1-½ cups KRAFT Shredded Cheddar Cheese, divided
1 cup TACO BELL® HOME ORIGINALS® Thick 'N Chunky Salsa

PREHEAT oven to 400°F. Prepare Dinner as directed on package. While Macaroni is cooking, brown meat; drain. Add taco seasoning mix and water to meat; simmer 5 min.
STIR sour cream into prepared Dinner. Spoon half of the Dinner mixture into 8-inch square or 9-inch round baking dish; top with layers of the meat mixture, 1 cup of the cheese and remaining Dinner mixture. Cover.
BAKE 15 min. Top with salsa and remaining ½ cup cheese. Bake, uncovered, an additional 5 min. or until cheese is melted.

Diet Coke Brownies **

These were... interesting.  That's the best description I can come up with.  The top gets really crusty, and the inside is really mushy, even after an hour.  My 6-year-old said he thought it was kind of like pudding on the inside, and that's a pretty decent description.  It comes off too sweet too.  I didn't think about it, but the artificial sweeteners in there just add to the sugar that's already in the mix.  It's a cute idea, but I honestly don't see why you wouldn't just sub applesauce.  That would be a much healthier alternative. 

Photo from Eat Yourself Skinny

DIET COKE BROWNIES
(luckymommyto2boys ~ Amy ~ via Eat Yourself Skinny)

1 box Betty Crocker Low-Fat Fudge Brownie mix
1 (12 oz) can Diet Coke

Pour brownie mix into a medium-sized bowl and pour in your 12 oz. can of diet coke. Using a hand held mixer or whisk, combine ingredients until you see no more lumps. Pour mixture into a 9 x 9-inch pan coated with cooking spray and bake according to the package directions, adding an additional 5 to 10 minutes to the baking time. Your brownies should bake for about 40 to 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Allow to cool for about 5 minutes and enjoy!

Quick Spanish Rice ***

Man, we love this stuff!  Dh and I agree that we really like it much better than the Rice-a-Roni and Lipton kind of stuff.  The best part, though, is that it's so low in sodium and doesn't hardly have a kick to it at all.  The kids can eat it with no problems.  It's not their favorite side dish, but they'll eat it.  I again subbed the fire-roasted diced tomatoes, and I just used regular chicken broth this time. 

QUICK SPANISH RICE
(luckymommyto2boys ~ Amy ~ Recipezaar)

1 (15 ounce) can stewed tomatoes
1 ½ cups chicken stock
1 ¼ cups rice
1 tablespoon butter or margarine
2 teaspoons chili powder
¾ teaspoon oregano
½ teaspoon garlic salt
1 teaspoon cumin

In medium saucepan, combine all ingredients (I usually mash tomatoes with potato masher or give them a quick spin in food processor).
Bring to a boil; reduce heat to low.
Cover and simmer 25 minutes or until rice is done. (Unless you like sticky, gooey rice, don't take off the lid and stir at all until it is done).
Garnish with green onions and/or cheddar cheese.
* Amy's notes: I subbed brown rice, fire-roasted tomatoes, and garlic powder with salt.

PREVIOUS REVIEWS:
6/28/10
Normally, when I make Spanish Rice, I use the Lipton packages. I decided I wanted to try a healthier homemade version, so that I could sub brown rice and cut down on some of the sodium. This was so easy and so good! I actually preferred it over the Lipton ones, because those are normally too spicy for the kids. This one only had the chili powder and cumin, so it there was no heat to it. Factor in what a cumin fan I am, and I was one happy chica. The boys loved it too. I did end up smashing the tomatoes a little, but not a whole lot. I subbed fire-roasted diced tomatoes, because that's our preference. I didn't have any garlic salt (no clue where it's hiding in my spice cabinet), so I just used about ¼ tsp salt and ¼ tsp garlic powder. It was still good. I just noticed that it says you can garnish with cheese. I'm sure that would be great, but it really doesn't need it, in my opinion. I served it with White Chicken Enchiladas with Green Chile Sour Cream Sauce.

Chili Dog Crockpot Casserole ***

Yet another Pinterest hit at our house.  Totally took me by surprise, since I don't even like hot dogs, lol.  I really enjoyed it, though.  My 8-year-old said the tortillas were too "doughy" for him, but that was actually my favorite part.  I used white flour tortillas this time, but I think I'll try some kind of multigran next time, to make them hold up a little better.  We all definitely enjoyed it, though.  The only changes I made was to use turkey hot dogs and three cans of Hormel chili with turkey and beans.  The turkey chili was on accident, but it was still good.  I will definitely do the three cans again next time, but I'll use just the chili with beans.

CHILI DOG CROCKPOT CASSEROLE
(luckymommyto2boys ~ Amy ~ via Moms with Crockpots)

2 (15 ounce) cans chili with beans
1 (16 ounce) package beef hot dogs
10 (8 inch) flour tortillas
1 (8 ounce) package Cheddar cheese, shredded

Spread 1 can of chili and beans in the bottom of a large crockpot
Roll up hot dogs inside tortillas and place in crockpot, seam side down, on top of chili and beans.
Top with remaining can of chili and beans, and sprinkle with cheese.
Cover and cook on low for 6 hours or high for 3 hours.
**Gluten Free** Can be made gluten free by substituting gluten free corn tortillas. Please check the labels on the other ingredients to make sure they are also gluten free!

Bacon Cinnamon Rolls ***

I know I've been slacking on posting again, and I'm sorry.  With 4-5 nights of baseball and Cub Scouts every week, it doesn't leave much time for internet fun.  I have been cooking, I just haven't had time to catch up on my reviews.  I'll see what I can do about that in the next few days.  :)This recipe is so very simple, but it's really good.  All of us loved it.  The boys love the canned cinnamon rolls anyway, and this way, at least they get a little protein in there to soak up some of the sugar.  It's a good theory anyway, lol.  I'm normally against adding bacon to all that sweet stuff, like the current rage is.  I understand that it may be good, but I just can't bring myself to add bacon to something like chocolate chip cookies.  I only made an exception with this one because they were both breakfast foods. Hehehe.  I made these Easter morning, but I didn't have time to take a picture of my own.  I'm using the one from the original website, but both the picture and the recipe have links to that post.  I'll definitely be making this one often.

Picture courtesy of RainyDayGal.com

BACON CINNAMON ROLLS

(The-Skipper-Bunch ~ via RainyDayGal.com)

1 package "Grands" cinnamon rolls
10 strips bacon

Fry bacon for a few minutes on each side, until slightly crisp but still flexible.  Drain on paper towels. 
Unroll cinnamon rolls, and place two strips of bacon on each.  Roll back up.  Place in a greased pan, and bake according to package directions.

Asparagus Gratin ****

Can I just say that I love Pinterest?  Yet another winner for us from there.  My 6-year-old loves asparagus, so when I saw this one, I knew I had to make it for him.  It doesn't hurt that I'm pretty crazy about it too.  ;)  It turned out great.  I stuck to the recipe pretty much, except that I had to use regular I Can't Believe It's Not Butter Light, since that's all I had on hand.  I also used a Colby/Jack blend for the same reason.  I used a little more cheese than it called for, so I added a little milk to thin it up a bit.  My asparagus spears were HUGE, and they still came out perfect.  Big winner for us!

ASPARAGUS GRATIN
(luckymommyto2boys ~ Amy ~ via Apron Appeal)

2 pounds thin asparagus
3 cups water
salt and pepper
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons flour
3/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated and divided
1/2 cup Monterey Jack cheese, shredded

Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat broiler. Line broiler safe baking dish with paper towels or a lint free kitchen cloth. Snap the woody ends off the asparagus and set both stalks and ends aside.
Bring water to a boil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add asparagus ends and 1/4 teaspoon salt and cook covered, for 5 minutes. Using slotted spoon, remove asparagus ends and discard. Add asparagus stalks to skillet, cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until nearly tender, 2-4 minutes. Transfer asparagus to paper/cloth-lined baking dish. Pour asparagus water into liquid measuring cup. If liquid does not read 1-cup mark, add water until it does.
Melt butter in now empty skillet over medium heat. Add flour and cook, stirring constantly until golden, about 1 minute. Whisk in reserved asparagus water and bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until thickened, 3-5 minutes. Off heat, whisk in 1/2 cup Parmesan and Monterey jack until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Cover and let stand for 5 minutes.
Remove paper towels from baking dish. Drizzle sauce over center of asparagus and top with remaining Parmesan. Broil until cheese is golden and asparagus is tender, 4-8 minutes. Serve.

Sausage and Corn Casserole ***

This was pretty good.  Nothing spectacular, but the kids and the hubby all liked it.  That makes me happy, lol.  I couldn't find my cream of chicken, so I used cream of mushroom.  I sprinkled shredded cheddar on top for the last 5 minutes of cooking.  She didn't give a size for the bag of hashbrowns, but mine were 26 oz.

SAUSAGE AND CORN CASSEROLE
(luckymommyto2boys ~ Amy ~ Chaotic with a Side of Delicious)

1 bag of frozen shredded hash browns, thawed
1 can creamed corn
1 can whole corn
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 pkg of polish sausage sliced into small round bite size pieces (I use turkey sausage)
8 oz. sour cream
cheddar cheese if desired

Preheat oven to 350 F.
Combine all ingredients in large 13x9 baking dish and bake for 1 hour. Cover if potatoes start to get brown before cooking time is up.

Low Fat Crockpot Apple Cake ****

Another Pinterest recipe, but this was delicious.  We all loved it.  The website lists it as being fat-free, but thanks to the addition of the eggs, it's not actually fat-free.  It's still pretty low fat, though.  We all loved it.  I used all white flour, since I had less whole wheat than I thought, and I think she must have used a smaller crockpot.  Mine only took a little over an hour in my big crock, so I think I'm going to double it next time.  Besides that, when it tastes that good, it tends not to last very long, lol.  I'll definitely be making this one a lot in the future!

LOW FAT CROCKPOT APPLE CAKE
(luckymommyto2boys ~ Amy ~ via FindingJoyInMyKitchen)

1 C flour (1/2 C wheat, 1/2 C white)
3/4 C brown sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. salt
3 large apples, chopped
2 eggs, beaten
2 tsp. vanilla

In a medium bowl, mix together flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon and salt.
Peel and slice your apples (I diced mine fairly small), and then coat with the flour mixture.
Mix the eggs and vanilla in a small bowl.
Pour the egg mixture over the floured apples. Pour/spoon into a greased crockpot (Batter will be thick).
Cover, and cook on high for about 2 hours.
Cake is done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Pumpkin and Cream Bread **

I found this one on Pinterest, and I made it because it was supposed to only be about 45 calories per slice.  Hubby loves pumpkin rolls, and since this was supposed to resemble one, I thought it was a good snack for him while he's dieting.  After making it, I read the reviews, and it's apparently closer to 100 calories per slice.  That's still a pretty decent calorie count for a snack, though. 
We really loved the flavor, but the bread never rose at all.  After reading all of the reviews, I saw that I should have just made it into one loaf instead of two and added some additional flour.  There's great potential here, but at this point, it needs so much work that it would probably be easier to just try a different recipe altogether.

PUMPKIN AND CREAM BREAD
(luckymommyto2boys ~ Amy ~ via SundayBaker)

Batter:
1-1/2 c. pureed pumpkin
1/2 c. unsweetened applesauce
1 whole egg
3 egg whites
1 c. all-purpose flour
2/3 c. whole wheat flour
1/2 c. Stevia Cup For Cup sweetener
1/2 c. granulated sugar
1 t. baking soda
1/2 t. ground cinnamon
1/2 t. ground nutmeg

Cream filling
8 oz. reduced fat cream cheese
1/4 c. granulated sugar
1 T. all-purpose flour
2 egg whites
1 t. vanilla extract

1. For the Batter: With an electric mixer, beat the pumpkin, applesauce, egg, and egg whites on medium speed until smooth. In a separate bowl, combine the flours, Stevia, sugar, baking soda, cinnamon and nutmeg. Slowly mix the flour mixture into the pumpkin mixture.
2. For the cream cheese filling: Beat the cream cheese, sugar, vanilla, egg whites and flour until creamy and smooth.
3. Grease 2 8x4x2" loaf pans. Divide half of the batter between the two pans. Pour half of the filling in one pan and the other half in the second pan and smooth with the back of a spoon. Top with the remaining batter.
4. Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Don't overbake or your bread will be dry on the edges. Cool and remove from pans. Store in the refrigerator in an airtight container.

Yield: 2 loaves (14 slices each)

Skillet Meatball Goulash ***

I've been slacking on posting lately, but we've been so consumed with basketball and Cub Scouts since we came back from Christmas break. Our meals have mostly been quick, off-the-top-of-Amy's-head kind of things. Nothing post-worthy. I hope to be back into the swing of things over the next week, since bball is finally coming to a close. Whew!

Dh actually requested this one, which is pretty strange for him.  Normally, I'm pretty much left to my own devices when it comes to meal planning, so when dh makes a request, I almost always make it that same day, lol.  The chili sauce in this really makes all the difference, in my opinion.  That makes it a little more than the normal stroganoff-type dish.  I use turkey meatballs, fat free sour cream, and whole grain egg noodles, so it's a little bit healthier than the original recipe as written.  However, the whole grain noodles just don't soften as well as the regular.  When I use them, I make sure to add some extra water and let it simmer a bit longer.  I also like to have enough leftovers for lunches the next day, so I use the full 32-oz bag of meatballs, 8-oz of sour cream, and an extra 1/4 cup of water.  This is so unbelievably easy to throw together.  I love that the meatballs are cooked from frozen and that both the meatballs and the noodles are cooked in the same pan.  A girl's gotta love one-dirty-dish-meals!  The kids ate it up, and dh raved about it.  The house smelled wonderful.  So easy and such a comfort dish.  :)

SKILLET MEATBALL GOULASH
(luckymommyto2boys ~ Amy ~ Recipezaar)

½ cup chopped green bell pepper
1 medium onion, chopped
1 (12 ounce) jar beef gravy
1 (14 ounce) can beef broth
¾ cup water
2 tablespoons chili sauce
12-16 ounces frozen cooked Italian meatballs
8 ounces uncooked mini lasagna noodles (I prefer egg noodles)
½ cup light sour cream
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Spray 12-inch nonstick skillet with nonstick cooking spray; Heat over medium-high heat until hot.
Add bell pepper and onion; cook and stir 2-3 minutes or until crisp-tender.
Add gravy, broth, water, chili sauce and meatballs; mix well.
Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally.
Reduce heat to medium.
Cover; cook 5 minutes or until meatballs are thawed.
Add uncooked noodles; mix well.
Cover; cook about 10 minutes or until noodles are tender and meatballs are thoroughly heated, stirring occasionally.
Remove from heat.
Stir in sour cream until well blended.
Sprinkle with parsley.
* Amy’s notes: I use the full bag of turkey meatballs, fat free sour cream (8-oz), and 2 cups of beef broth.

Inside-Out Stuffed Cabbage ***

Big hit for our family!!!  It was actually the first time I've ever cooked with butternut squash, so that was a new experience for us as well.  We all loved it, though.  I made a few changes to make it work for us.  I used ground turkey, white rice (no brown on hand, but would have preferred that), and shredded coleslaw mix with carrots.  Will definitely do that again.  Hubby and I added a little hot sauce to our servings, since it just needed a little extra "something," so I'm thinking of either adding a little chili powder or cayenne pepper while it cooks next time.  It has the spicy hot V8, but you really can't get that flavor coming through at all.  So, so good, though!

INSIDE-OUT STUFFED CABBAGE
(luckymommyto2boys ~ Amy ~ Taste of Home)

2 pounds ground beef
3 cups cubed peeled butternut squash
1-1/2 medium green pepper, chopped
9 cups chopped cabbage
17 1/4 ounces spicy hot V8 juice
1-1/2 cup water
1-1/2 envelope beefy onion soup mix
1-1/2 tablespoon brown sugar
3/4 cup uncooked instant brown rice

In a Dutch oven, cook the beef, squash and green pepper over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Stir in the cabbage, juice, water, soup mix and brown sugar. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 8-10 minutes or until cabbage is tender, stirring occasionally.
Stir in rice. Cover and cook for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat; cover and let stand for 5 minutes or until rice is tender. Yield: 6 servings.

Pepperoni Rolls ****

Let's just say that I've actually made this one twice in the same week. Does that tell you how much we loved it? ;) I only made one can the first time, and I pretty much stuck to the recipe exactly. I didn't have Mrs. Dash, so I melted some butter and added some garlic powder to it before brushing the rolls. I also added a pinch of shredded mozzarella to each roll. SO good! We then dipped them in spaghetti sauce. I made them again yesterday, and I halved the biscuits along a layer in the middle, getting two rolls from each biscuit. I then only needed to cook them for 15 minutes. It's a good thing for me to make them smaller, so that I can eat twice as many, lol. I also made a few with chopped ham. These I put in the fridge and nuked this morning for the kids' breakfast. Perfect! The only change I would make to doing it that way would be to use deli sliced ham, but I didn't have any on hand. I had some ham I needed to use up, so there you go. I'll be making this one lots in the future!

PEPPERONI ROLLS
(Rachel ~ 4*kowboys)

2 cans large flaky biscuits
1 lb. deli sliced pepperoni
Mrs. Dash Garlic Seasoning
Butter; melted

Roll biscuits out on table; add some flour so they don't stick to your rolling pin. Lay 3 slices pepperoni on flat biscuit. Fold in edges and roll up to form log. Baste with butter and add Mrs. Dash Garlic seasoning on top. Bake 350 degrees for 25 minutes.
*Amy's notes: I halved the biscuit layers and added a pinch of shredded mozzarella to each roll (only cooked for 15 minutes when halved). I also brushed with garlic butter instead of Mrs. Dash.