Pineapple Bacon Burgers

Pineapple Bacon Burgers

Recipe and picture from Our Best Bites

1 lb. ground beef

4 slices bacon

4 slices pineapple

BBQ sauce

4 Hamburger buns

Combine beef and 2-3 Tablespoons BBQ sauce. Form into patties (add some breadcrumbs if it is having a hard time forming into patties). Cook both sides on the stove or grill until cooked through.

Meanwhile, fry the bacon and grill pineapple (although I didn't cause I only had crushed pineapple and wasn't cooking on the grill).

Put the burger on the bun, followed by some more BBQ sauce, pineapple, and bacon.

Samburgers

Samburgers

Recipe and picture from Our Best Bites

1 1/4 Ground beef

3 Tbsp A1 Sauce (I used Worchester sauce)

1 Tbsp Dijon mustard

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

2 Cloves garlic, minced

3/4 tsp oregano

1 Tbsp dehydrated onion

Other burger condiments

Mix all ingredients together and form into patties. Cook both sides on the stove or BBQ until cooked through.

Pumpkin French Toast

Pumpkin French Toast

Recipe from superhealthykids.com

5 Slices whole wheat bread

3 Eggs

1/3 Cup pumpkin puree

1 Tbsp milk

1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice (cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves)

1 tsp vanilla

Mix all ingredients together, except bread. Soak both sides with egg mixture. Heat skillet. Cook bread on hot skillet until no longer show wet eggs. Top with syrup. (We used Tyson's Almond Syrup found here.)

Brownies

Basic Brownie Recipe

Recipe from Mom

1/3 Cup cocoa

1/2 Cup butter, melted

2/3 Cup flour

1 Cup sugar

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

2 Eggs

1 tsp vanilla

Melt butter, add cocoa. Mix in rest of ingredients. Bake in an 8 inch square pan at 350 for 25 minutes. Do not over bake.

Orange Julius

Orange Julius

Recipe from somewhere online

6 oz Frozen orange juice concentrate (1/2 a can or more to your liking)

1 cup milk

1 cup water

1/4 cup sugar

1 tsp vanilla

8 ice cubes (or more to your liking)

Combine all ingredients except ice cubes in blender. Add 2 ice cubes and blend until smooth. Gradually blend in other 6 ice cubes until smooth.

Chicken and Spinach Casserole

Chicken and Spinach Casserole

Recipe from Martha Stewart Magazine

2 Cups torn bread

Olive oil

Salt and Pepper

4 Cups flat-leaf spinach

1 Medium onion, finely chopped

1 Garlic clove, minced

1/4 Cup white wine (I used apple juice)

2 Tbsp flour

1 1/2 Cups half and half (I used evaporated milk)

1/2 tsp fresh lemon juice

1 Cup rotisserie chicken, shredded

Preheat oven to 450. In a medium bowl, combine bread with 1 Tbsp olive oil and salt. Set aside. In a medium pot, heat 1 1/2 tsp oil over medium high. Add spinach and season with salt. cook, stirring, until wilted (2 minutes). Transfer to colander, let cool, then squeeze out water. Coarsely chop.

Wipe pot clean and heat 1 1/2 tsp oil over medium. Add onion, garlic, salt and pepper (to taste). Cook stirring occasionally, until onion is soft, about 8 minutes.

Add white wine to pot and cook until almost evaporated, about 5 minutes. Add flour and cook, stirring, 30 seconds. Gradually whisk in half and half. Add lemon juice and bring mixture to a boil over high.

Remove from heat and stir in spinach and rotisserie chicken; season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a 2 quart baking dish and top with bread pieces. Bakeu ntil braed is golden brown and mixture is bubbling, 8-10 minutes.

Chicken Cacciatore

*Our Best Bites suggestion: White cooking wine is DEFINITELY better than juices but as a note, don't go cheap on cooking wines when you buy them. (I used grape juice.)

*I am going to put they way I cooked it below the real recipe. I didn't want to use the slow cooker and dirty another dish. It worked fine. I dunno, maybe if I had used the cooking wine and the slow cooker this recipe may have been higher rated.

Chicken Cacciatore

Recipe from Our Best Bites

1 lb. chicken breasts or breasts and thighs, cut up

1/4 cup white flour

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. black pepper

1/2 cup olive oil

1 onion, roughly chopped

5-6 cloves or garlic, peeled and crushed or halved

1 6-oz can tomato paste

1 cup white wine, white cooking wine, or apple or white grape juice

1 1/2 cup chicken broth

1/4 tsp thyme

1/4 tsp marjoram

1/2 tsp salt (omit if using wine)

1 bay leaf

1 cup sliced mushrooms (or more)

1 green bell pepper, chopped

Heat olive oil in skillet over medium heat. When oil is hot, add onions and garlic and onions and stir frequently until onions are tender and garlic is fragrant. Remove with a slotted spoon and transfer to blender. Increase heat to medium-high.

In a large Ziplock bag, combine flour, 1 tsp salt and 1 tsp pepper. Add chicekn pieces, seal bag, and shake to coat pieces with flour. Dump the entire back into the hot pan and stir quickly to prevent pieces from sticking together. Saute until chicken is golden. Remove chicken with slotted spoon and drain on a paper towel. Turn off the heat under oil.

While chicken is draining, add wine, chicken broth, tomato paste, thyme, and marjoram to the onions and garlic in the blender. Blend until smooth. Place chicken and bay leaf in your slow cooker and then pour the sauce over the chicken. Place chicken and bay leaf in your slow cooker and then pour the sauce over the chicken. Place lid on slow cooker and cook on high for 3 1/2 to 4 hours. When you have about 1/2 hour to go, add the mushrooms and the chopped green pepper. Cook until mushrooms and pepper are tender. Remove bay leaf and serve over pasta.

*My Cooking Instructions

In a large frying pan or wok add oil and saute onions and garlic pieces. Then transfer to blender. Increase heat to medium high.

Combine flour, salt, and pepper into a Ziploc bag. Add chicken and shake to coat pieces with flour. Dump the entire bag to the hot pan and stir quickly to prevent form sticking together. Saute until chicken is golden, but not entirely cooked through.

Add mushrooms and green pepper and continue sauteing until chicken is cooked through and vegetables are crisp/tender.

To the onions and garlic pieces in the blender add wine, chicken broth, tomato paste, thyme, and marjoram. Blend until smooth. Place sauce and bay leaf into pan with chicken and veggies. Heat until sauce is heated and begins to bubble. Cover, turn down heat to simmer, and let simmer for 20 minutes (or longer). Serve over pasta.

Three Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies

Three Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies

Recipe from Brad Call

1 Cup Peanut butter

1 Cup Sugar

1 Egg

Mix ingredients together. Form into balls on a cookie sheet. Flatten using a fork to make criss cross shapes on top. Bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes. (Definitely better to under-cook than over-cook. Also, if you eat them right out of the oven they will fall apart...wait a little bit until warm or cooled.)

Baked Salmon

Baked Salmon

Recipe from an old cookbook...I can't remember the name off the top of my head

4 Salmon fillets

4 Tbsp butter (I tend to use less)

Lemon pepper

Preheat oven to 450. Take out 4 squares of aluminum foil. Place a salmon fillet on each square. Sprinkle lemon pepper on top and place a Tbsp of butter on each. Gently cover each salmon with aluminum foil and stick in the oven for 10-15 minutes or until flakes easily.

Mom's Muffins

Cinnamon Sugar Muffins

Recipe from my mom

1 Egg

3/4 Cup milk

1/2 Cup vegetable oil

2 Cups flour

1/3 Cup sugar

3 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

Butter, melted

Cinnamon-sugar mix

Heat oven to 400. Grease 12 medium muffin cups. Beat eggs. Stir in milk and oil. Stir in remaining ingredients all at once just until flour is moistened (batter will be lumpy). Fill muffin cups about 3/4 full. Bake about 20 minutes. Immediately remove and dip in melted margarine and then a cinnamon sugar mixture.

Cucumber Dill Sauce

*We ate this with an open-faced salmon burger with sharp cheddar cheese and lettuce.

Cucumber Dill Sauce
Recipe from The Good Housekeeping Illustrated Cookbook

1 8-oz container sour cream
1 medium cucumber, peeled and chopped
1 tsp dill weed
1 tsp sugar
3/34 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
lemon juice (1/2 of a lemon) (our addition ro recipe)

In small bowl with spoon, mix all ingredients together. Serve with fish.

Lasagna

Lasagna
Recipe from Brittany Graham

1/2 lb ground beef
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 onion, diced
1 jar pasta sauce
1 1/3 cup cottage cheese
1 egg
1 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
9 lasagna noodles, uncooked

In a 9x9 baking dish, pour 1 cup of pasta sauce (or just enough to cover the bottom) of the pan. In a frying pan add ground beef, garlic, and onion. Cook until meat is brown. Add the rest of the pasta sauce to the meat mixture. In a small bowl, mix together cottage cheese and egg.

Layer in the baking dish:

3 noodles
1/3 of meat sauce mixture
1/2 of the cottage cheese mix
1/3 of mozzarella cheese
3 more noodles
1/3 of meat sauce
rest of cottage cheese mix
1/3 of mozzarella cheese
3 more noodles
rest of meat sauce
rest of mozzarella
Parmesan cheese

Bake covered at 350 for 1 hour. Take off cover and cook for another 10 minutes. Take out of oven and let sit for 15-30 minutes before serving.

Cheddar Chowder

Cheddar Chowder
Recipe from Liz Cox

2 c diced potatoes

1/2 c sliced carrots

1/2 c sliced celery

1/4 c chopped onion

1 1/2 t salt

1/4 t pepper

Place ingredients in 2 cups of water and simmer 15 minutes.

1/4 c margarine or butter

1/4 c flour

2 c milk

2 c grated cheddar cheese

1 c cubed ham

In a large sauce pan combine butter and flour. Whisk together and slowly add milk. Stir constantly until mixture is thickened. Add cheddar and whisk until smooth. Add ham. Combine veggies (do not drain) and cheese sauce. Do not boil.

Mom's Seven Layer Dip

Mom's Seven Layer Dip
Recipe from Mom

1 can refried beans (add a little water if too thick)
1 carton avocado or guacamole dip (I found an easy recipe online)
1 pint sour cream
1 pkg taco seasoning mix
Sliced green onions
Sliced black olives
Diced tomatoes
Grated cheese

Mix together sour cream and taco seasoning in a bowl. Layer in an 8x8 glass pan: Refried beans, guacamole dip, and then sour cream/taco seasoning mix. Sprinkle with finely grated cheese. Garnish with olives, tomatoes, and sliced green onions. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Tres Leche

Tres Leche
Recipe from Macie Stratton

1 pkg. yellow cake mix
1 pkg. vanilla instant pudding
1 c. milk
1 c. vegetable oil
4 eggs

Milk syrup:

1 can (14 oz.) sweetened condensed milk
1 can (12 oz.) evaporated milk
1 c. half & half
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Top with Cool Whip and strawberries (optional). We don't usually do the cool whip.

Preheat oven to 350. Spray a 9 x 13 pan with cooking spray. Put the cake ingredients into a bowl. Mix with a hand mixer on low speed until well mixed (for about 1 min.). Scrape the batter off the sides with a spatula and then beat an additional 2 min. on medium speed. The batter should be well blended. Pour into the greased pan. Bake at 350 for 30-35 min. When done, allow to cool.

While the cake is cooling, make the milk syrup. Whisk together the ingredients. Poke the cake all over with a fork. Using a large spoon, pour the milk mixture over the cake. Let the syrup soak into the cake. Continue doing this until all of the syrup is used up. When you have finished, not all of the syrup will be completely absorbed.

Cover the cake loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate for about 2 hours (KJ says the longer the better it is).

Before serving, spread with Cool Whip and top with sliced strawberries.

Adobo Peach BBQ Chicken

Adobo Peach BBQ Chicken
Recipe from Picky-Palate.com

18 chicken tenders (I cut up chicken breasts into strips)
1 1/4 Cups Peach preserves
¼ Cup adobo sauce (canned chipotle sauce), add more if you like it spicy
½ Cup BBQ sauce
¾ teaspoon salt
2 cloves fresh garlic, minced

1. Place chicken tenders into a large zip lock bag. Pour in peach preserves, adobo sauce, BBQ sauce, salt and garlic. Marinate for at least 1 hour.

2. Preheat indoor grill pan or outdoor grill to medium high heat. Spray grill with cooking spray. Grill chicken for 3-4 minutes per side or until cooked through.

(I broiled mine in the oven on a baking sheet lined with tin foil...same way, both sides for 3-4 minutes. I also tried to spread as much sauce on as I could before baking each side.)

Fudge Sauce

Fudge Sauce
Recipe from Liz Cox

2 cups sugar
1/4 cup cocoa
3 Tbsp flour
1/4 cup butter
1 can evaporated milk
1 tsp vanilla

Mix together and bring to boil. Stir for 3-4 minutes. Serve over ice cream, brownies, etc.

*Can put in a glass container and refridgerate to save for later...heat up in microwave before serving.

Baked Chimichangas

Baked Chimichangas

Recipe from Taste of Home Cookbook

2 1/2 cups shredded cooked chicken breast

1 cup salsa

1 small onion, chopped

3/4 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp dried oregano

6 flour tortillas, warmed

3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1 cup chicken broth

2 tsp (2 cubes) chicken bouillon granules

1/8 tsp pepper

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup half and half (or evaporated milk)

1 can (4 oz) chopped green chilies

In a large nonstick skillet, simmer the chicken, salsa, onion, cumin, and oregano until heated through and most of the liquid is evaporated. Place 1/2 cup down the center of each tortilla; top with 2 Tablespoons cheese.

Fold sides and ends over filling; roll up. Place seam side down in a 13x9 baking dish coated with cooking spray. Bake, uncovered, at 425 for 15 minutes or until browned.

In a saucepan, heat broth, bouillon and pepper until bouillon is dissolved. Combine flour and half and half until smooth; stir into broth. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Stir in chilies; heat through. Cut chimichangas in half; top with sauce.

Hawaiian Haystacks

*I didn't have chow mein noodles or celery...was still great.

Hawaiian Haystacks
Recipe from Recipezaar.com

1/4 lb butter (optional or use less if you want)
3/4 cup flour
3 cups milk
1 tsp salt
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 1/2 cooked chicken breasts (or canned)
1/2 can sliced mushrooms
Pineapple tidbits
Chopped green onion
Grated cheddar cheese
Coconut
Slivered almonds
Chow Mein noodles
Cooked rice
Celery

Cook chicken and cut into bite sized pieces or shred. Melt butter in a large pan. Add flour, salt, and milk. Stir well. Add cream of mushroom soup, mushrooms, and chicken. Simmer. Cook rice (however much is needed for number of people serving). Layer on plate rice, chow mein noodles, cheese, soup mixture, and other toppings desired. Can also add soy sauce if desired.

Crispy Coconut Chicken Fingers

Crispy Coconut Chicken Fingers
Recipe from Our Best Bites blog

12 chicken tenders (more or less) (I cut up 4 chicken breasts)
1-2 eggs (start with 1 and crack another if you run out)
1/2 c. flour
1 c. sweetened coconut flakes
1 c. panko breadcrumbs
1 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
3/4 tsp salt
3/4 tsp curry powder
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper (or can leave out for non-spicy eaters)

Preheat oven to 450. Give coconut a rough chop so its about the same size as the Panko breadcrumbs. Combine coconut, panko, and spices to a bowl and mix well. Place the flour in another shallow bowl and the egg, beaten, in another bowl. Dip chicken in flour, then egg, then panko mix. Place chicken pieces on a foil lined baking sheet that has been sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. (Optional: you can drizzle with olive oil on top to help crisp nicely).

Bake for about 20 minutes or until juices run clear. If they are smaller chicken tenders, try 15 minutes...if larger try 25 minutes. Watch closely so they don't overcook. The coconut will be nice and golden but will still be light in color. Dip in sweet 'n sour sauce (a recipe I used below).

Sweet 'n Sour Sauce
Recipe found online somewhere

*Alright, I'm putting on two recipes for this because there was a basic one I found but I decided to use a slightly different version. It was really good with the chicken but it may be too potent to use with other things in my opinion.

1st Recipe (the basic one...I didn't use)

3/4 c. white sugar
1/3 c. white vinegar
2/3 c. water
1/4 c. soy sauce
1 Tbsp. ketchup
2 Tbsp. cornstarch

Place sugar, vinegar, water soy sauce, ketchup and cornstarch in a medium saucepan, and bring to a boil. Stir continuously until the mixture has thickened.

2nd Recipe (one I used)

1/4 c. brown sugar
1/2 . white sugar
1/4. c. pineapple juice
1/4 c. soy sauce
1/4 c. ketchup
2 Tbsp. cornstarch

Dissolve cornstarch and pineapple juice until dissolved. Add in all ingredients to saucepan and bring to a boil. Stir continuously until mixture has thickened.

Dressed Up Sloppy Joes

Dressed Up Sloppy Joes
Recipe from Our Best Bites blog

1 lb. lean ground beef
Seasoning salt to taste
1 medium onion, minced
1/2 green pepper, minced
3-4 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
3/4 c. ketchup
1 tsp mustard
3 Tbsp + 1 tsp brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp red wine vinegar
3/4 tsp Worcestershire
3 Tbsp tomato paste
1/3-1/2 c. water to reach desired consistency
Freshly ground pepper to taste
6 hamburger buns

Stovetop instructions:
Brown ground beef, onions, green peppers, and garlic. Season to taste with seasoning salt. Add in mustard, brown sugar, vinegar, and Worcestershire. Combine tomato paste and water and add to hamburger mixture. Add more water if desired. Season with freshly ground pepper to taste. Cover, turn heat to low, and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Serve on hamburger buns.

Crockpot instructions:
Brown ground beef, onions, green peppers, and garlic. Season to taste with seasoning salt. Transfer to a slow cooker. Add in remaining ingredients and combine well. Cook on low for 3-4 hours and serve on hamburger buns.

Herb and Cheese Stuffed Burger

Herb and Cheese Stuffed Burger
Recipe from Taste of Home Magazine

1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
2 Tbsp cream cheese, softened
2 Tbsp minced fresh parsley
3 tsp Dijon mustard, divided
2 green onions, thinly sliced
3 Tbsp dry bread crumbs
2 Tbsp ketchup
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp dried rosemary, crushed
1/4 tsp dried sage leaves
1 lb lean ground beef
4 rolls or buns
Lettuce and tomato slices, optional

In a small bowl, combine cheddar cheese, cream cheese, parsley and 1 tsp mustard, set aside.

In another bowl, combine the onions, bread crumbs, ketchup, salt, rosemary, sage and remaining mustard. Crumble beef over mixture and mix well. Shape into eight thin patties. Spoon cheese mixture onto center of four patties; top with remaining patties and press edges firmly to seal.

Grill burgers, covered, over medium heat or broil 4 in. from heat for 5-7 minutes on each side or until a meat thermometer reads 160 and juices run clear. Serve burgers on rolls with lettuce and tomatoes if desired.

Lemon Bars

Lemon Bars

Recipe from Taste of Home cookbook

1/2 c. butter, softened
1/4 c. sugar
1 c. flour

filling:
3/4 c. sugar
2 eggs
3 Tbsp lemon juice
2 Tbsp flour
1/4 tsp baking powder
Powdered sugar

In a small mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy; gradually beat in flour until blended. Press into an ungreased 8 in. square baking dish. Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes or until edges are lightly browned.

Meanwhile, for filling, in a small mixing bowl, beat the sugar, eggs, lemon juice, flour and baking powder until frothy. Pour over crust. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until set and lightly browned. Cool on a wire rack. Sprinkle with powdered sugar. Cut into squares.

Pennsylvania Pot Roast

*I stole this picture from the Taste of Home website because I didn't take a picture of mine.

Pennsylvania Pot Roast
Recipe from the Taste of Home cookbook

1 Boneless pork shoulder roast (2 1/2 to 3 lbs), halved
1-1/2 cups beef broth
1/2 cup sliced green onions
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried marjoram
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 bay leaf
6 Medium red potatoes, cut into 2-inch chunks
4 Medium carrots, cut into 2-inch chunks
7-8 fresh mushrooms, quartered
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup cold water

Place roast in a 5 quart slow cooker; add the broth, onions and seasonings. Cover and cook on high for 2 hrs. Add the vegetables. Cover and cook on low for 6 hours or until vegetables are tender. Remove the meat and vegetables; keep warm. Discard bay leaf.

In a saucepan, combine flour and cold water until smooth; stir in 1 1/2 cups cooking juices. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Add browning sauce if desired. Serve with roast and vegetables.

Chicken Cordon Bleu

*A side note from me...I LOVE chicken cordon bleu...but I don't like hammering the chicken...it kind of grosses me out and makes me feel like the chicken is more like a real chicken and not just a piece of something to cook and eat.

Chicken Cordon Bleu
Recipe from the Taste of Home cookbook

4 Boneless, skinless, chicken breast halves
2 Tbsp butter, softened
1 tsp dried thyme
4 thin slices fully cooked ham
4 thin slices Swiss cheese
8 bacon strips
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup flour
3/4 cup dry bread crumbs
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp dried oregano
1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

Flatten chicken to 1/8 in thickness; spread butter on the insides. Sprinkle with thyme. Top with a slice of ham and Swiss cheese; roll up tightly. Wrap each with two strips of bacon and secure with toothpicks. In a shallow bowl, beat eggs and milk. Place flour in another bowl. Combine the bread crumbs, garlic powder, oregano, and Parmesan cheese. Dip each chicken roll-up in egg mixture, then coat with flour. Dip each again in egg mixture, then coat with crumbs. Place on a greased baking sheet. Bake, uncovered, at 350 for 40-45 minutes or until chicken juices run clear. emove toothpicks before serving.

Tomato Rice Pilaf

*I changed this up a bit, what I changed I'll put in parenthesis next to it, including cooking instructions.

Tomato Rice Pilaf
Recipe from the Taste of Home Cookbook

2 tsp butter
1/2 cup uncooked long grain rice (1 cup rice)
1 small onion, sliced (1/2 medium onion)
1 1/4 cups chicken broth (1 can broth)
2 Tbsp chopped green onion (1 chopped green onion)
2 Tbsp chopped tomato (cut up until looked good)
2 Tbsp minced fresh parsley

In a 3-cup microwave-safe dish, melt butter. Stir in the rice and onion. (I stuck the butter, rice, onion, and chicken broth in the rice cooker and cooked like normal rice.) Microwave, uncovered, on high for 2-3 minutes or until rice is lightly browned and onion is tender, stirring once. Add broth. Cover and cook on high for 13-15 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. stir in the green onion, tomato and parsley. (Once rice was cooked I just added the green onion, tomato, and parsley.)

Meatballs with Cream Sauce

*This recipe was worth it just to see how much Eden LOVED these. She ate several and kept asking for more.

Meatballs with Cream Sauce
Recipe from the Taste of Home cookbook

1 egg, lightly beatne
1/4 cup milk
2 Tbsp ketchup
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
3/4 cup quick-cooking oats
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
1/4 cup minced fresh parsley
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 1/2 lbs lean ground beef
3 Tbsp flour

Cream sauce:
2 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp flour
1/4 tsp dried thyme
Salt and pepper to taste
1 14-oz can chicken broth
2/3 cup heavy whipping cream
2 Tbsp minced fresh parsley

In a large bowl, combine the first nine ingredients. Crumble beef over mixture and mix well. Shape into 1 1/2 in balls. Roll in flour, shaking off excess. Place 1 in. apart on greased cookie sheet. Bake uncovered at 400 for 10 minutes. Turn meatballs; bake 12-15 minutes longer or until meat is no longer pink.

Meanwhile, for sauce, melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the flour, thyme, salt and pepper until smooth. Gradually add broth and cream. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened.

Drain meatballs on paper towels; transfer to a serving dish. Top with sauce; sprinkle with parsley.

Cranberry Cheesecake Bars

Cranberry Cheesecake Bars
Recipe from Taste of Home cookbook

2 Cups plus 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour, divided
1 Cup quick-cooking oats
3/4 Cup packed brown sugar
1/2 Cup butter, melted
1 8-oz pkg reduced fat cream cheese
1 14-oz can fat-free sweetened condensed milk
4 Egg whites
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 16-oz can whole-berry cranberry sauce
2 Tbsp cornstarch

In a large bowl, combine 2 cups flour, oats, brown sugar, and butter; mix until crumbly. Press 2 1/2 cups of the crumb mixture into a greased 13x9 baking dish. Bake at 350 for 10 minutes.

In a large mixing bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth. Beat in the milk, egg whites, vanilla and remaining flour. Spoon over crust. In a small bowl, combine cranberry sauce and cornstarch. Spoon over cream cheese layer. Sprinkle with remaining crumb mixture.

Bake for 30-35 minutes or until the center is almost set. Cool on a wire rack before cutting.

Spinach-Stuffed Chicken

*I used real spinach, just made sure I had about a half cup per chicken when cooked down.
*I also couldn't find bone-in with skin chicken....so I used regular chicken breasts, cut open, stuffed, and cooked spinach mix side down.

Spinach-Stuffed Chicken
Recipe from the Taste of Home Cookbook
Serves 6

2 pkg (10 oz each) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
1 c. shredded Swiss cheese
3/4 c. ricotta cheese
1/3 c. grated Parmesan cheese
3 Tbsp finely chopped onion
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground nutmet
1/4 tsp pepper
6 bone-in chicken breast halves
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp dried thyme

In a large bowl, combine the spinach, cheeses, onion, garlic, salt, nutmet and pepper. Carefully loosen the skin on one side of each chicken breast half to form a pocket. Stuff 1/2 cup spinach mix into each pocket. Place chicken skin side up in a greased baking pan. Combine the oil, paprika, oregano, and thyme; brush over chicken. Sprinkle with additional paprika if desired. Bake uncovered at 350 for 45 minutes to 1 hour or until meat is cooked through and juices run clear.

Pepper-Chicken Pasta

*Can substitute with any veggies you like.

Pepper-Chicken Pasta
Recipe from Macie Stratton

1 (16 oz.) pkg. fettucini (or any noodle you like)
1/4 c. olive or vegetable oil
3 chicken breasts, cut into strips
2 red bell peppers, cut into strips
2 yellow bell peppers, cut into strips
1 green bell pepper, cut into strips
1 onion, cut into chunks
2 c. fresh mushrooms, sliced
salt-free herb seasoning (to taste)
grated parmesan cheese (not the powdered kind)

Prepare noodles according to package directions; drain. In a large skillet, heat oil; add chicken, peppers, onion, mushrooms and seasoning. cook and stir over medium heat until chicken is cooked through. Add hot cooked noodles and desired amount of parmesan cheese. Toss to coat.