Meatball Sandwiches

Meatballs:
1 pound ground chuck
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
milk (enough to mix it all together and be somewhat moist-no more than a half a cup)
 
Mix all together and form into balls, not quite as large as a golf ball.

Additional ingredients:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 onion, chopped
1 can or jar spaghetti sauce
provolone cheese slices
hoagie rolls

 Drizzle some olive oil in a hot skillet.

Add onion.

Cook onion for a couple minutes and then add the meatballs to the skillet making sure they sit on the skillet and don't rest on the onions. This allows them to brown.

Your kitchen is starting to smell delicious right about now.

Cook a couple minutes, then gently turn the meatballs to brown the other side.

When browned, pour a can of spaghetti sauce in the skillet, reduce heat and continue to cook the meatballs in the sauce until done. To completely cook the meatballs, you will probably have to cook and additional 20 minutes. Test a meatball by removing it and cutting it in half. You may need to cover the skillet to prevent splatters.

You could stop right here, boil some pasta and have spaghetti and meatballs for dinner!

When meatballs are cooked, split and toast hoagie rolls under broiler.

Arrange 3-4 meatballs on bottom half of each hoagie, top with a slice of provolone cheese and return to oven under broiler to melt cheese. Remove from oven and top with top half of hoagie roll and serve.

Can you tell I really struggle with side dishes? At least it's healthy this time!

A very filling sandwich and the recipe will serve 5-6 easily. Doug likes it with extra sauce....surprise!

The Pioneer woman made these as sliders using one meatball on a dinner roll with provolone cheese. I made it this way once the guys really liked it. It's all about variety!

You could very well "cheat" and use premade meatballs from the frozen food section. I don't think it will be quite as good, but would definitely work in a pinch.

Cheeseburger Soup

 1/2 pound ground chuck
3/4 cup chopped onion
3/4 cup shredded carrots
3/4 cup diced celery
1 teaspoon dried parsley
4 tablespoons butter, divided
3 cups chicken broth
4 cups diced, peeled potatoes
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1 pound American cheese, cubed (we like white American)
1 1/2 cups milk
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 cup sour cream

In 3 quart saucepan, brown beef; drain and set aside.

In the same saucepan, saute onion, carrots, celery, basil and parsley in 1 tablespoon butter until vegetables are tender about 10 minutes.

Add broth, potatoes and beef; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 10-12 minutes or until potatoes are tender.

Meanwhile, in a small skillet, melt remaining butter. Add flour; cook and stir for 3-5 minutes or until bubbly.

Add to soup; bring to a boil. Cook and stir for 2 minutes; reduce heat to low.

Add cheese, milk, salt and pepper; cook and stir until cheese melts.

Remove from heat; blend in sour cream.

 This is a real crowd pleaser. It is good to make ahead for a potluck and transport it in your crockpot.

It is also very good in a bread bowl.........Mmmmmm!

Jonah makes dessert!

When the boys were little they would "help" me in the kitchen a lot. Now that they are older and busier, those times are fewer and farther in between. So when Jonah saw a cake mix sitting on the counter when he came home from school and asked if he could make it, of coarse I said "yes!"

The great thing is it's a win-win situation for me. He gets more comfortable using basic kitchen tools, which
I love, and we all get to enjoy a piece of cake after dinner.

It was just a little Jiffy cake mix....they are near and dear to my heart. My mom used to make them when I was growing up. She made her last one the day before she passed away. She had most of her grandkids over for a hamburger lunch and served Jiffy cake for dessert. We still talk about it from time to time.

This one was still warm....and perfect.

Thanks for helping me out Jonah!

 He's changed just a little bit, but he'll always be my boy!