Italian Meatballs

Making these meatballs was a great Sunday afternoon activity for my husband and I. I had actually never had homemade meatballs; and, in fact, thought that I didn't like meatballs before when we decided to make these. Well, it turns out that I do like meatballs. These were great.

1 1/2 lb. ground beef
1/2 lb. ground pork sausage
2 c. Italian bread crumbs (or homemade bread crumbs with Italian seasoning)
1 c. grated Parmesan or Romano cheese
1 large egg, slightly beaten
2 tsp minced garlic
1 1/2 Tbsp Parsley
Salt and Pepper to taste

We made the bread crumbs with 100% whole wheat bread that we had in the house by putting it in the oven at about 300° for 10 minutes (give or take a few). Then we put the bread in the blender to grind it up. After this was done, we combined the meats, bread crumbs, 1-2 tsp Italian seasoning, and all of the other ingredients. Then we formed meatballs and baked them in the oven on 350° for 22 minutes.

The below pictures are before and after baking pictures:

Montreal Roast Sandwich

These sandwiches are a slight twist on the traditional Crock Pot roast sandwich that we often ate for Sunday dinner growing up.

Beef roast
1 c water or beef broth
2 Tbsp Montreal Steak Seasoning
Hoagie Buns
Sauteed mushrooms and onions

Place beef roast in a Crock Pot with 1 cup of water or beef broth and the Montreal Steak Seasoning. Cook for 6-8 hours on low or 4-5 hours on high. When the meat is ready, sautee mushrooms and onions. Serve meat and vegetables over bun. This is also good with Swiss or other cheese, if desired.

Chicken Farfalle with Feta Cheese

 

A few weeks ago I got another cookbook at the thrift store. It is called PASTA. This recipe is based on a recipe from that book, with a few alterations. This is definitely one I will make again often.

1 lb chicken pieces, cooked with garlic, salt and pepper

6 oz farfalle pasta

1 tsp minced garlic

2 Tbsp Olive Oil

10 Grape tomatoes, halved
4 oz feta cheese
1 Tbsp chopped fresh basil
Salt and Pepper  to taste
Black olives

Cook pasta according to directions on the package. In the same pan, heat the garlic in olive oil for about 1 minute, then add tomatoes. Toss olive oil in spaghetti and season with salt, pepper, and basil. Top with feta cheese and black olives.

Barbecue Ribs

These were THE BEST RIBS ever made. They aren't very complicated, but they are delicious. My husband is actually the author of this recipe.

Baby back ribs
Jack Daniels Barbecue Sauce
Franks Red Hot Sauce
Brown Sugar
Garlic

Marinate the ribs overnight in Jack Daniels Barbecue Sauce. The next day, put the ribs in the oven on 200° for about six hours. Right before pulling them out of the oven, preheat the barbecue and prepare a glaze using Jack Daniels Barbecue Sauce, Franks Red Hot Sauce, Brown Sugar, and Garlic. Brush this glaze over the ribs while they are grilling.

Stuffed Chicken Bacon Pizza

In all honesty, this has been an amazing month for cooking. Somehow nearly everything I make for dinner has been "the best                we've ever had;" so this was the best pizza we have ever made. I used the same pizza crust that I usually do except I let it rise for about 45 minutes, then rolled it out and let it rise for about another 15 minutes before baking it. I don't usually let it rise at all so I think that is why it turned out so fluffy and delicious. This was also a pizza that we kind of copied; Papa Murphy's has great stuffed pizzas. Although we didn't use the same ingredients, they were our inspiration.

First layer toppings:
Homemade Alfredo Sauce
Chicken cooked with garlic, salt, pepper, and basil

Red and Yellow Peppers
Bacon
Artichoke Hearts
Tomatoes
Red Onions
Green Onions
Mushrooms
Mozzarella Cheese

Second layer toppings
Black Olives
Red Peppers
Mozzarella cheese

I rolled out the dough a little more thin than usual. I folded over the bottom dough and pinched it together with the top dough before baking it at 425 for about 20 minutes.

Chewy Snacks

These were my very favorite dessert growing up. I made them last month and they are still amazing. One interesting thing to note is that they are actually much better if you make them an entire day before eating them. That way the graham cracker crust has time to soften.

Whole graham crackers
1 c. butter or margarine
1 c. sugar
1/2 c. milk
1 egg, slightly beaten
1 c. sweetened coconut
1 c. chopped walnuts (or other nuts if desired)
1 1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs

Layer whole graham crackers on bottom of 9x13" pan. Melt butter or margarine and add sugar, milk, and slightly beaten egg. Cook until mixture comes to a full boil. Remove from heat and add remaining ingredients. Spread on graham crackers and put a layer of whole graham crackers on top.

World's Best Burgers

These are probably the best hamburgers I have ever had. We have actually made them a second time since inventing them early last month; the first time they didn't have cheese, but the second time we melted Colby Jack cheese over top when they were still on the grill. Both times they were just incredible.

2 lb. ground beef
1/2 can crushed pineapple
2 Tbsp cilantro, chopped
1/2 red pepper, finely chopped
1/4 c. Yoshida's Teriyaki sauce
1 clove garlic, minced
1 medium onion, chopped in very small pieces
2 Tbsp cornstarch
Salt and Pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and form patties. Grill meat until preferred doneness. This is great with sauteed mushrooms and onions over top.