Popcorn Shrimp Tacos

I am always keeping my eyes open for a new idea to add to the lenten recipe file. This one was easy and tasty and took care of our lenten obligation to avoid meat on Friday.  

Here's what you need, but please change it up to match your family's tastes!

Frozen Popcorn Shrimp ( I used SeaPack brand)

Small flour tortillas

Shredded lettuce

Shredded cheddar cheese

Homemade Pico de Gallo, or diced tomatoes

Ranch dressing, or sour cream

Optional

taco sauce or salsa

sour cream

shredded cabbage or creamy cole slaw instead of lettuce 

Warm popcorn shrimp in oven according to package directions.

While shrimp is warming, shred lettuce and cheese and prepare pico de gallo or diced tomatoes. 

Pop the tortillas in the microwave to warm, I usually wrap them in paper towels and warm for 30 seconds, then keep in a tortilla warmer (is that what that dish is called?) until serving.

Once everything is warmed, shredded and diced it's time to assemble! 

I started with the shrimp in the middle of the tortilla and then let everyone build to suit their tastes. Mine ended up being shrimp, lettuce, pico de gallo, Shredded cheddar and ranch. And it was yummy! 

Next time I think I will mix ranch dressing with taco sauce to create a different flavor combo. I have done the same thing for taco salad and really enjoy the combo. 

Cheez-It Chicken Tenders

I actually saw this recipe on the Today program one morning and have been making them ever since. It's easy to make as many or as few as you need, depending on how many hungry humans you are feeding. I would love to take credit for the fun photo, but it is from the aforementioned, tv program! 

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups cheddar crackers, such as Cheez-Its (I use the reduced fat Aldi's brand)
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1 1/4 pounds uncooked chicken tenders (I usually just estimate how many I need)
3 eggs
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard (this is optional, I have made it with and without, both delicious)
1 cup all-purpose flour


Preheat the oven to 475°F with the rack in the lower third of the oven.

Line a baking sheet with foil and brush it with the olive oil.

Pulse the cheddar crackers in a food processor until finely ground, or alternately (which is what I do), place the crackers in a plastic bag, remove excess air, seal it and use a rolling pin to crush the crackers. Transfer the crackers to a wide, shallow bowl and sprinkle in the paprika.


In a separate wide, shallow bowl, whisk together the eggs with the Dijon mustard. 

Place flour in a third wide, shallow bowl.


Prepare each tender by coating it in the flour, shaking off any excess, and then dipping it in the eggs. Transfer the tender from the eggs to the crackers, pressing the crumbs into the chicken to ensure an even coating, and then placing the tender on the prepared baking sheet.  Finish the breading process with the remaining tenders, arranging them about 2 inches apart.

Lastly, bake the tenders, turning them over once, until they're golden brown, about 15 minutes total.

Serve with honey mustard, or ranch for perfect weeknight dinner.

These are a quick easy way to enjoy crispy chicken tenders without frying. Everyone likes these little gems! 

Source: The Today Show

http://www.today.com/food/make-dinner-25-minutes-cheesy-chicken-tenders-zucchini-fritters-t40186 

Tomato Basil Soup

This is one crazy easy, super tasty, awesome fall lunch or light dinner. Make it today!

1 can Tomato soup, I like Campbell's  Healthy Request
3/4 of a soup can of water
1 heaping tablespoon pesto
Parmesan cheese, if desired

In a medium saucepan, empty soup and add water, stir until smooth.

Add Pesto and stir to combine.

Heat according to directions on the soup can.

When serving, sprinkle with a little Parmesan cheese, if desired.

This is wonderful served with a grilled cheese sandwich or grilled ham and cheese...YUM!

Pesto Ravioli

 The pesto really takes this dish to the next level!

This recipe was originally for the crock pot, but it was late in the day and I really wanted to try it. I simply cooked it at a lower temperature, and for a longer time, than I do for most casseroles, and it worked great. It's a really easy dish and it looks, smells and tastes wonderful! This will definitely make an appearance during lent.

1 cup ricotta cheese
1/2 cup pesto, I buy mine by the marinara sauce in the grocery store...feel free to use homemade
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup grated mozzarella cheese
1 pkg frozen ravioli, 25 oz (your choice of cheese or meat filled)
1 jar or can of marinara sauce, 24 oz (I use Hunt's Traditional in the can)

In a mixing bowl,  add ricotta cheese, pesto and grated Parmesan, stir to mix well.

Start by adding one cup of marinara sauce to the bottom of your 9 X 13 baking dish. Spread it around to cover the bottom.

Add a layer of frozen ravioli over the sauce, side by side.

Top ravioli with a layer of half of the ricotta/pesto/Parmesan mixture.  Spread it over the ravioli the best you can, it doesn't have to be perfect.

Sprinkle a little mozzarella over the top.

Layer it all again, marinara/ravioli/ ricotta mixture/mozzarella.  Use the remaining marinara to dot the top with after the last layer.

Cover with foil to bake. 

I baked mine at 300* for 45-50 minutes. I watched and waited for it to be bubbly all around the edges.

I made only 1/2 of the recipe for Doug and I and it was enough for dinner and leftovers for lunch the next day for the two of us. It warmed up great in the microwave the next day.

If you want to use the crock pot, layer everything just as above and cook on low for 3-4 hours.

Adapted from: Real Mom's Kitchen

Fruit and Yogurt Parfait

This is an easy, quick way to have a healthy breakfast or late afternoon snack with minimal effort.

Here's what you need:

1 vanilla yogurt, individual serving size
1-2 tablespoons granola, I like Special K
2 tablespoons frozen strawberries w/ sugar, thawed
blueberries

Layer thawed strawberries, yogurt, granola and top with blueberries.

You can change up the fruit and/or yogurt flavors to make your people happy...

Easy, Peasy! 

Chicken, Bacon, Cheddar, Ranch Breakfast Tacos

This recipe came about out of desperation! Caleb was home for the weekend and I wanted to send some breakfast items back to school with him. Unfortunately, or fortunately in this case, I didn't have any breakfast type meat. But I did have some leftover Chicken Bacon Ranch from the night before. So, I did what I usually do...I made something up! And it was darn good!

6 eggs, beaten
1 cup, or whatever you have leftover, chicken bacon ranch meat mixture
1/2 cup cheddar cheese
4 flour tortillas, soft taco size

Spray a skillet with non-stick spray, or melt a tablespoon of butter.

Add eggs and let cook a minute or two until they begin to set up a little.

Scramble them around to continue cooking and when close to being done or when they aren't runny anymore, throw in the chiken, bacon ranch mixture and stir it around to heat.

When the eggs are cooked, the meat mixture should be heated through. Remove from the heat and toss in the cheddar cheese, stirring to incorporate it throughout the eggs and meat. It'll melt as you stir.

Warm flour tortillas in the microwave for 10 seconds or until they are easy to handle/fold.

Fill each tortilla with a generous helping of the eggs and meat mixture.

Fold over and enjoy!

French Puffs

Basically a muffin, rolled in butter, cinnamon and sugar! 

Easy to make and even easier to eat!

 Lets make a batch...

Muffins:

3/4 cup milk

1/2 cup canola oil

1 egg

2 cups flour

1/3 cup sugar

3 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

Topping

1/2 cup butter or margarine

1/2 cup sugar 

1 teaspoon cinnamon

Heat oven to 400*

Grease bottoms of muffin pan or line with paper liners.

Beat milk, oil and egg.

Stir in flour, sugar, baking powder and salt and mix just until flour is moistened, batter will be a little lumpy.

Divide batter in muffin cups.

Bake 18-20 minutes or until golden brown.

While muffins are baking, melt 1/2 cup butter or margarine, and in a separate bowl mix cinnamon and sugar. Set aside.

Remove muffins from oven, and as soon as you are able to handle them, roll in butter then cinnamon and sugar mixture. 

Serve 'em up to hungry people!

Source: my trusty Betty Crocker cookbook!

Ham and Cheese Omelete

We had a very large ham given to us at Christmas time. Too big even for a family with 4 guys! I cut it up in different size pieces and slid it in the freezer to use later. I had plans to make Crockpot Ham and Potatoes , but didn't get going earlier enough in the day for it to have time to cook. So I changed last nights dinner plans to "plan b"....Ham and Cheese Omelets. Really easy to put together and we like to change things up once in a while and have breakfast for dinner.

Here's how I make them...

To make one omelet:

2 eggs, beaten

1/4 cup ham, diced

1/4 cup cheddar cheese, grated

1 tablespoon red onion, diced very small

In a skillet over medium high heat, rub a stick of butter over the bottom to prevent eggs from sticking. You can totally use a non-stick spray if you prefer.

Pour the eggs in the center of the skillet and if needed swirl the pan around or use the back of a spoon to spread the eggs out in a thin circle. Don't worry if it isn't a perfect circle...it will taste great no matter what the shape is!

Turn heat down to medium and let eggs cook until beginning to set on top. If you have never done this before, don't fret...it's easy and you won't mess it up. 

When eggs are almost set, sprinkle ham, cheese and onions down the center of the omelet. 

Using a spatula, flip one side over the middle, then flip the opposite side over the top of all, creating almost a burrito effect with the ends open. Make sense? 

Let cook for 30 seconds or so until the cheese begins to melt and the ham has had a chance to warm through.

Transfer to a plate and top with a little salsa for a little kick, or a little ketchup if you like.

I served this with some Hash Brown Potatoes and Pumpkin Bread. My Fruit Bowl fruit salad would be a delicious  addition, too.

You could make this a Lenten recipe by using only cheese and onion. Maybe use different cheeses to make a unique flavor...hmmm, I may have to try that this Friday!

Ham and Swiss Sliders

Serve 'em up with some yummy sweet potato fries!

These little sandwiches have been all over the internet for quite a while. I have eaten them on different occasions, but have never made them until tonight. They are easy to put together, cook quickly and taste scrumptious! Here's what you need to make them for your crew...

1 package of King Hawaiian Rolls
1/2 pound shaved ham
6-8 slices of Swiss Cheese
Mayo or Miracle whip

Poppyseed Dressing:
1/4 cup butter
1 tablespoon poppyseeds
3/4 teaspoons yellow mustard
1 tablespoon finely diced onions
2 quick dashes of Worcestershire sauce

To make the sandwiches, slice the rolls in half. I did this with them still at attached to each other, so I had two large slices of bread to work with, a top and a bottom. You could certainly separate them if you wanted.

Spread miracle whip/mayo on bottom layer of rolls.

Evenly distribute ham over bottom of bread layer.

Top with slices of Swiss Cheese.

Spread mayo/miracle whip on cut side of top layer.

Place top layer of rolls on top of cheese, and place in baking dish.

Make poppyseed dressing by melting butter, then whisking in remaining ingredients.

Pour dressing over top of rolls.

Let sit 5-10 minutes.

Cover with foil and bake 15 minutes at 350* or until cheese is melted and sandwiches are heated through. Uncover last couple minutes to brown the tops.

Serve 'em up!

This is actually 1/2 of the recipe I used. I think it is plenty for most families, but if you have big eaters in your house, just double it up!

Baked Penne Pasta

This is a recipe I saw over at Real Mom Kitchen. Hers is called Baked Ziti, but I had penne pasta on hand. She has lots of easy recipes that are family friendly.
I altered a couple things, but over all the recipe is her's. It satisfied Doug, Jonah and I  at the dinner table and me during the preparations!

1lb ground beef
1 cup onion (chopped)
2 garlic cloves (minced), I buy it in the jar already minced, so easy
1 (26 ounce) can meatless spaghetti sauce
1 cup chicken broth
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
 3/4 of a (16 oz) package penne pasta (cooked and drained)
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, shred your own, you'll love yourself for it
1 cup grated parmesan cheese, I didn't measure, just sprinkled what I thought it needed, probably not a full cup

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

In a large skillet add ground beef, onions and garlic. Cook over medium high heat stirring frequently until the beef is browned.

Stir in spaghetti sauce, chicken broth and Italian seasoning. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.

Stir in 1 cup of sauce into the cooked penne noodles.

Spoon ½ of the penne mixture into a 13×9” baking dish.

Sprinkle 1 ½ cups mozzarella cheese and 1/2 cup  parmesan cheese over the top of the penne mixture.

Top with 2 cups of the sauce, then add remaining penne mixture and top that with the remaining sauce.

Cover with aluminum foil and bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.

After 20 minutes remove from oven, uncover and sprinkle the top with the remaining mozzarella and parmesan cheese.

Return to oven and bake for 10 minutes or until the cheese has melted.

Source: Real Mom Kitchen

White Chicken Chili

1 can chicken broth
4 cans great northern beans, slightly drain
3-4 boneless chicken breasts, cooked and shredded OR 1 precooked 
rotisserie chicken, shredded
1 pkg chili seasoning mix, only use half if you want chili to be more mild
1 onion, chopped
olive oil

Saute onions in olive oil, till lightly browned.

Put all ingredients into crockpot. 

Cook on low heat for 5 hours.

I made this with 1/2 a package of seasoning as that is what the original recipe called for. In the future, I'll use the whole package to spice it up. Super easy, tasty and you can dress it up however you like to serve it. I offered Fritos, fresh grated cheddar and light sour cream. You could also serve it with cornbread or crackers. I think a few green onions would be good too.

BBQ Country Style Pork Ribs

Talk about an easy recipe...my sister-in-law Janice let me in on her little secret and boy am I glad, so is my family!

Our local super market is locally owned and they have a great meat department. One thing they have on sale from time to time are these Country Style Pork Ribs. They are thick and meaty and when I used to see them I would dream of grilling them to perfection, but really they are too thick to grill and there is quite a lot of fat on them. It would take forever to get them cooked through and then they would be dried out and tough and the fat would just be gross. Then Janice shared with me how she prepares them...

Each package usually has 4 large ribs.

Country Style Ribs, one or two packages depending on how big your family is, I use 2 and have leftovers

bbq sauce of your choice, I like honey bbq for these

Place ribs in a large pot and fill with water.

Bring to a boil and cook until ribs are falling off the bone, 1 1/2 to 2 hours.

Remove from water and trim of all fat and bones...you end up with chunks of meat, not like ribs bones with a small amount of meat on them.

Place in a 9 X 13 dish and cover with bbq sauce.

Cover tightly with foil to lock in moisture.

Warm in a 325* oven to let the sauce marry with the ribs. Just 20-30 minutes or till sauce and meat is hot.

That's it!

Drew isn't a fan of bbq, so I just leave some ribs dry, season with a little season salt and reheat, he loves 'em.

I often get these ready early in the day, then pop them in the oven in time for dinner. 

Here is the reason you need to trim the fat and bones away...

I only buy these when they are on sale because there is a quite a bit of waste.

Banana Pudding

1 box vanilla pudding
milk
vanilla wafers
bananas

Slice bananas and arrange in bottom of dish.

Add a layer of vanilla wafers.

Make pudding according to package directions.

Pour pudding over cookies and bananas.

Place a few vanilla wafers in a zip lock bag and crush them with a meat mallet, or rolling pin.

Sprinkle crushed cookies on top of pudding.

Chill until ready to serve.

Super easy & super tasty!

BBQ Chicken Quesadillas

Here's what ya need to make a quick and easy dinner on a busy weeknight!

Flour tortillas
Shredded chicken, I usually use leftovers
Shredded cheese, shred your own, it melts so much better!
Onion, sliced thin, you can leave it out for the kiddos...
BBQ sauce, as little or as much as you like.

On one side of a flour tortilla, spread desired amount of bbq sauce.

Top with desired amount of onion, cheese and chicken.

Place in a skillet heated over medium heat.

Cover with second tortilla and cook till bottom is golden and cheese begins to melt inside.

Carefully, so you don't loose the filling, flip the whole thing over and brown on the other side.

Once both sides are golden brown and the filling is heated through, remove from skillet and cut into wedges. Pizza cutter works great for cutting.

Serve as is or with extra bbq and a dollop of sour cream.

Quick, easy and yummy!
Change it up to suit your tastes, or what you have in the fridge.
The possibilities are endless...the results are delicious.

BBQ Grilled Chicken Tenders

Chicken tenders
Grill seasoning
Honey bbq sauce

Sprinkle grill seasoning on chicken tenders, use your favorite.

Place tenders on hot grill for 4 to 5 minutes.

Remove from grill and place cooked side down on a plate covered in bbq sauce. Wiggle it around to cover the cooked side with the sauce.

Place chicken back on grill with the uncooked/un-sauced side down toward the heat.

After three or four minutes, remove again and dredge tenders through some fresh bbq sauce, being sure to cover all sides.

Place back on the grill for a couple minutes to caramelize the sauce a little.

Serve with extra sauce.

Zippy Garlic Bites

Here's what you"ll need for some super-easy, super-flavorful little bites of bread that are a snap to put together and easy to adjust the seasonings for your family.

1 tube of refrigerated bisuits
3 tablespoons of butter, melted
Grated Parmesan Cheese
onion powder
garlic powder
parsley flakes

In the bowl you melted your butter, add the other ingredients, except the biscuits. Amounts depend on your families preferences. I don't even measure,  I give one shake of onion powder, 2 or 3 shakes of garlic powder, a good pinch of parsley flakes and a couple generous shakes from the Parmesan cheese. Change it up to meet your needs.

Stir it all together...

On a cutting board, cut your biscuits into quarters...

Drop the biscuits in the bowl and roll them around to coat them thoroughly.

 Then place them on a lightly sprayed baking sheet or break the rules and use a cast iron skillet.

Bake at 350* for 15 minutes or until lightly browned.

Serve them up with your favorite Italian dish....and watch 'em disappear.

I found this recipe years ago in a Quick Cooking or Taste of Home magazine. It has evolved over the years and I'm not even sure how close it is to the original recipe!

Ravioli Casserole

Warning!

For those of you who don't like cheese, this recipe is NOT for you! 

If you do like cheese you've come to the right place....go get your shoes on NOW because as soon as you see this recipe you will want to run to the store to buy some cheese ravioli to eat during the Fridays of Lent...and maybe even a Saturday!

3 simple ingredients!

1 package frozen cheese ravioli

1 can/jar your favorite marinara sauce

8 ounce block mozzarella cheese, shredded

*Parmesan cheese, optional

Cook ravioli according to package directions, drain.

Place ravioli in a 9 X 13 inch casserole dish.

Pour marinara sauce over cooked ravioli.

Sprinkle shredded mozzarella cheese over all.

Bake in a 350* oven for 20 - 30 minutes until hot and bubbly and cheese is all melted. 

*Serve with Parmesan cheese for those real cheese lovers*

"this is a real sacrifice" ---- Caleb as we sit down to dinner!

All you need is some bread and a veggie to have a good filling meal that fits the bill for a meatless Friday during Lent.

 

I started making this a few years ago during Lent and it is always one I know I can make and everyone will like it. As you can see it is super simple, doesn't take many ingredients and comes together pretty quickly.

Taco Soup

This is SO good on a cold day...heck who am I kidding, we like it any ole time!

1 pound ground chuck (I like to use diced cooked chicken)
1 package taco seasoning
1 package dry ranch dressing mix
1 can pinto beans ( I use white-great northern beans with chicken)
1 can corn
1 can ro-tel tomatoes, mild
1 can diced tomatoes

Brown ground chuck, drain. Or if you are using chicken, boil and dice a couple chicken breasts.

Add all ingredients in large sauce pot.

Add 3 cups of water, more or less for desired consistancy.

 Cook and simmer for 1 hour.

To serve, top with fritos, shredded cheddar, and a dollop of sour cream.

I found this recipe in a book given to me by my sister-in-law, Margie. It's one of those recipe books made up of recipes from a school. I think those are some of the best books, along with ones from churches. I love getting a new recipe book to browse through. Thank you, Margie!
This is so super easy and quick. And you don't have to have the toppings, but I think it helps to cover-up some of the veggies for the kids (and Doug, LOL).

Slushie

1 cup water
1 cup sugar
1 envelope unsweetened kool-aid
ice

In small saucepan bring water, sugar and kool-aid to a boil.

Meanwhile, fill blender with ice.

When kool-aid mixture comes to a boil, pour it over the ice in the blender.

Fill the blender full of ice, the boiling kool-aid will reduce it.

Blend until all ice is crushed.

Cool, huh?

Pour into glasses and serve. One recipe makes 4 large or 5 medium glasses.

Santa left these mugs for my boys one year...what a great gift!

This is really good. It does taste like a slush from a slush machine, only lots cheaper! 

We like it in many flavors, some favorites are orange, blue-lemonade, and featured here...cherry!

Fun in the summer with a grilled hamburger out by the pool. 

Try it .....you'll like it!

Crockpot Ham and Potatoes

This is a really easy crockpot meal that is hearty and comforting, and the flavors melt together while the crockpot does it's magic.  

6 potatoes, peeled and sliced thin
2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded
1-10 oz can cream of chicken soup*
2 tablespoons milk
1 onion, chopped
1/2 to 1 pound of ham, thinly sliced or cut into small chunks

Layer potatoes, then some cheese, chopped onion and ham. 

Continue layering until all ingredients are used then mix together soup and milk and pour over the top.

Let cook for several hours on low until potatoes are cooked through.  Serves 4-6.

*Original recipe calls for cream of mushroom soup.....I'm not a big fan, so I use cream of chicken, reduced fat and sodium.

For those with little ones who have a aversion to onions, by the time it has cooked all day in the crockpot, they are pretty much non existant.