Crock Pot Meatballs

Lets just say we eat a lot of chicken around here and Justin is always begging me to make things with ground beef or steak. I actually do love steak and beef over chicken any day, but having it a lot just isn't logical. It is more expensive than chicken. Plus you are suppose to eat red meat sparingly. Justin loves meatballs, and we have tried a variety of different meatballs from southwestern meatballs, BBQ meatballs, Asian meatballs, Italian meatballs, Swedish meatballs, etc. You get the point ha ha! Well we tried our this meatball recipe the other night with our spaghetti and it was delicious. I adapted this recipe from Can You Stay for Dinner. 

For the Meatballs

1 lb lean ground beef or turkey
½ cup fresh bread crumbs (1 slice of your favorite bread ground in a food processor)
1 tablespoon dried oregano

2 teaspoons fresh minced basil
¼ cup finely grated parmesan cheese
¼ tsp salt
½ tsp pepper
¼ cup milk

Remaining Ingredients:

½ large onion, chopped

16 oz (2 cups) of your favorite homemade or store-bought marinara sauce

Directions:

Combine all meatball ingredients in a large bowl using your hands. Do not overmix. Roll the mixture into balls roughly 1 1/2″ in diameter.

Scatter the onion over the base of your slow cooker, followed by the meatballs. Pour the sauce evenly over the top, making sure to coat everything.

Cook on low for 6-8 hours

Thai Chicken and Pineapple Stir Fry

Towards the beginning of the New Year I was looking for healthy recipes that still tasted good. I came across Gina's Skinny Recipes and I couldn't wait to try so many of the great recipes that she had posted. Justin loves stir fry and so I thought this would be a hit! It definitely was good, and I felt so much better eating it knowing the nutritional information. This recipe is adapted from here.

Ingredients:

1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 tbsp Thai Kitchen fish sauce
2 tbsp cornstarch
1 tbsp oil, divided
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp minced ginger
2 cups cubed assorted colors bell peppers 
1 red chili pepper, chopped 
1 cup fresh pineapple chunks
1/2 cup Thai Kitchen Pineapple & Chili dipping sauce
cilantro leaves (for garnish)

Directions:

Mix chicken and fish sauce in medium bowl. Add cornstarch; toss to evenly coat. Set aside.

Heat 1/2 tablespoon of the oil in large nonstick skillet on medium-high heat. Add garlic and

ginger; stir fry 30 seconds. Add bell peppers, chili pepper if using and pineapple; stir fry 3 to 5 minutes or until peppers are tender-crisp. Add sauce; cook and stir until heated through. Remove from skillet.

Heat remaining oil in the skillet. Add chicken; stir fry 5 minutes or until cooked through. Return bell pepper mixture to skillet; stir fry until well blended. Garnish with cilantro.

Buffalo Chicken Rolls

After I had made the Crock Pot Buffalo Chicken we had plenty of leftovers, so I searched for recipes that called for buffalo chicken. I was so excited to find this recipe from Can You Stay for Dinner. We loved her petite lasagnas and so I am sure this would be another winner. It definitely was! 

Ingredients:

12 egg roll wrappers

1 cup of cooked and shredded chicken

1/2-2/3 cup of Franks Red Hot sauce

1 cup of crumbled bleu cheese

1 cup broccoli slaw or cole slaw (dry)

Small bowl of water

Nonstick cooking spray

Bleu Cheese dressing for serving

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Lay egg roll wrappers on a clean work surface. In a small bowl, stir chicken and hot sauce until well coated, using more or less sauce depending on your spice preference. The meat should be moist with sauce.

Begin by placing one tablespoon of the broccoli slaw on the diagonal of the bottom right corner of one of the wrappers. Next, place 2 tablespoons of shredded spicy chicken evenly on top of the slaw. Spoon 1 tablespoon of the blue cheese crumbles over the chicken. Do not overfill.

To fold: Fold the bottom right corner over the stuffing mixture so that it covers it completely, with the tip of the corner now pointing to the center of the egg roll wrapper. Fold in the bottom left corner, followed by the right, so that you now have formed an envelope. Roll the wrap upward one time, leaving the top left corner open. Wet your index finger in the small bowl of water and press to moisten the top left corner. Now fold that down on top of the filled roll, sealing it like you would an envelope. Repeat with remaining rolls.

Place the rolls on a wire rack set on top of a cookie sheet (or just on a greased cookie sheet) coated with nonstick cooking spray. Spritz each roll evenly with nonstick cooking spray. Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until the rolls crisp and turn a light golden brown.

Crock Pot Buffalo Chicken

I came across this recipe on Pinterest and knew that I had to make it. My husband absolutely loves buffalo sauce so I was pretty sure it would be a winner. Both of us love hot and spicy food! Not only did it look delicious but it only had four ingredients. I adapted this recipe and picture from My Kitchen Apron.

Ingredients:

3 lb bag of frozen chicken breasts

1 bottle of Franks Buffalo Hot sauce (Any of the Franks Hot sauce will work)

1 packet of Ranch Dip mix

2 Tbsp of butter

Directions:

1. Combine the chicken, hot sauce, and ranch dip into the Crock Pot. 

2. Cook on low for 5-6 hours

3. After it has cooked for 5-6 hours remove chicken from Crock Pot and shred. After you have shredded the chicken return it to the Crock Pot, and add the butter.

4. Cook on low for additional hour

Serve on a roll/bun with lettuce and ranch dressing or bleu cheese dressing. You could also make a grilled cheese sandwich instead. There will be some left overs so you could also use this for quesadilla or nachos. 

Peppermint Bark Rice Krispie Treats

I have kind of been neglecting this blog. I have tried a bunch of new recipes and treats. So I will slowly start posting them :) 

I absolutely love the website Our Best Bites! I really want their cookbook as well. This recipe I got from Our Best Bites. I love peppermint so much! I am always so excited for the Christmas season because of all the peppermint treats and of course the peppermint ice cream! Yummy! 

(Picture from Our Best Bites) 

Ingredients

1 10.5 ounce bag peppermint mini marshmallows
4 tablespoons real butter, plus extra to butter pan
5-6 cups rice krispie style cereal 
3 tablespoons semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips
3 tablespoons white chocolate chips
1/2 teaspoon vegetable oil, divided
a few drops (about 1/8 teaspoon) peppermint extract
2-3 medium sized candycanes, crushed

Directions

Line a 9×13 pan with foil and lightly butter bottom and about 1 inch up sides.

Melt butter in a very large bowl in the microwave.  Add marshmallows and stir to coat.  Heat in 30 second intervals, stirring in between, until melted and smooth.  (You can do that whole process on the stovetop as well.)   Add rice krispie cereal and stir to evenly combine.  With buttered hands, press mixture into prepared pan.

Place white chocolate chips and 1/4 teaspoon oil in a small bowl.  Heat in microwave in 30 second intervals, stirring in between, until melted and smooth.  Repeat same process with semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips and add a few drops of peppermint extract.  Drizzle both chocolates on top of rice krispie treats and sprinkle candy canes on top.  Let sit until chocolate is set, place pan in fridge to speed process along. Cut into squares and eat up.

Roasted Tomato Basil Soup

I absolutely love the fall! Soup is the perfect thing to eat on a cold night. I got this recipe from Two Peas and Their Pods. I have always loved the Fire Roasted Tomato soup at Paradise Bakery and wanted to find a similar recipe. I have this a try and it was delicious! Serve with bread sticks.

Ingredients

2 1/2 pounds Roma tomatoes, cut in half lengthwise

4 tablespoons olive oil, divided

Salt and pepper, to taste, for seasoning tomatoes

1 medium onion, chopped

4 cloves of garlic, minced

Dash of red pepper flakes

1 cup freshly chopped basil

1 (15 ounce) can diced tomatoes

4 cups vegetable broth (you can use chicken broth)

directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Spread the tomatoes on a baking sheet and drizzle with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Season with salt and pepper and roast for about 45 minutes.

2. In a large stockpot, heat the other 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until tender, about 2-3 minutes. Stir in the garlic and red pepper flakes. Cook for another 2-3 minutes. Add the canned tomatoes, fresh basil, and vegetable broth. Stir in the oven roasted tomatoes. Cook for about 30 minutes over medium-low heat.

3. Use an immersion blender to puree the soup in the stockpot, or transfer soup to a food processor or blender to blend. The soup should be smooth, with a few tomato chunks. Season with salt and pepper, to taste, and serve warm.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread

I just realized that it has been forever since I have posted something. I found this recipe at Two Peas and Their Pod and thought I would try it out. This recipe made three loaves which was perfect! I gave one to each of the girls I visit teach and we kept one for our selves. It was so good! My husband pretty much ate the whole loaf by himself in one day. You should definitely try this! Enjoy

Picture from Two Peas and Their Pods

Ingredients:

3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon ground nutmeg
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
3 cups granulated sugar
1 (15 ounce) can 100% pure pumpkin
1 cup canola oil
2/3 cup water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 large eggs
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray three 9x5 inch loaf pans with cooking spray and set aside.

2. In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

3. In a large bowl, combine sugar, pumpkin, canola oil, water, vanilla, and eggs. Mix until smooth.

4. Slowly blend in flour mixture. Fold in chocolate chips. Evenly divide batter between the three loaf pans.

5. Bake for 60 minutes, or until browned and a toothpick comes out clean. Remove loaves from oven and cool in pans on a wire rack for 15 minutes. With a knife, go around the bread and loosen the loaves. Remove from pan and cool completely before slicing.