Favorites from Pinterest

I've been loving the recipes I find on Pinterest and decided to share a few with you that I made this weekend. They were THAT good.

Coconut Chicken Salad with Homemade Honey Mustard Dressing - To. Die. For. I didn't have dijon mustard because I don't love it, so I added regular mustard and plain Greek yogurt instead. It was heavenly! Also, I used two medium-size chicken breasts and cut them into long strips before dredging them in the egg mixture.

Homemade Taco Seasoning - This would make a GREAT gift if you double or triple the recipe and put it in a cute little mason jar! I didn't add the red pepper flakes because I don't enjoy spicy foods all that much. The mild sauce at Taco Bell is "spicy" enough for me!

Taco Bake - Scrumptious! I had to improvise on this one, too, because I didn't have the queso salsa that she lists, so I used regular salsa and some nacho cheese sauce to make my own salsa queso. Also, I didn't like how chunky my ground beef turned out, so I put it through my mini food processor for a quick few seconds with the salsa and cheese to make the meat a bit finer. Turns out, doing so makes the meat mixture stretch! I love a good bang for my buck! (Used the taco seasoning I made from scratch!)

Cinnamon Roll Cake - Heaven on a plate! True to form, I chose to switch this up a tad, too. LOL. I made a cream cheese frosting instead of the glaze she recommends. Yum!

Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies - My new favorite recipe for the basic chocolate chip cookie!

Homemade FREEZER Spaghetti Sauce - I have the nicest neighbors and friends who gave me GOBS of tomatoes, so I decided to give this homemade spaghetti sauce recipe a whirl. It did not disappoint! It calls for 5 onions, but I just had 3 and it turned out really well! Also, I didn't peel my tomatoes, and you can't even tell. So, don't waste your time doing so. I just used my food processor to "chop" my onions and tomatoes instead of chopping them by hand. And, after it was in the crockpot simmering away for a few hours, I took my immersion blender to it to make it a little bit smoother. But, if you like chunky sauce, you don't need to do this step that I added.

30-Minute Dinner Rolls - My friend, Jessica, actually gave me this EXACT recipe that her grandma uses, but I found it on Pinterest, too, and decided to post the link instead of typing out ALL of the instructions. They aren't that hard, but I took the easy road. lol. Anyway, these rolls take 30 minutes to PREPARE and then another 15 or so to bake, so really they should be called 45-minute rolls.

What recipes on Pinterest would you recommend?

Sloppy Joes with Hidden Zucchini

Here's an easy recipe for ya that will use up your zucchini and get your kids eating their veggies, and they won't even know it!

Here is what you need:

• 1 medium zucchini
• sloppy joe mix, or made-from-scratch
• 1 lb. ground beef
• grated cheese, to taste
• 8 slices of bread
• mustard, to taste

Here is what you do:

• Brown the ground beef.
• While beef is cooking, grate the zucchini.
• Add sloppy joe mix to cooked beef.
• Reduce heat to low simmer and add grated zucchini. Simmer for 3 or 4 more minutes.
• Toast the bread.
• Top toast with cheese, sloppy joe mix, and mustard.

Toasting the bread helps it stand up to the sauce a bit more. And, if you put the cheese on the hot toast and then cover it with the hot sloppy joe sauce, it will melt the cheese perfectly!

I'm not sure where the cheese and mustard thing came from, but I love it! If you don't, then feel free to leave it off.

This also holds up well in the freezer if you want to make it ahead and save it for later.

Teriyaki Ground Beef and Rice

Last night I needed to make two quick dishes for my lunches and dinners for the rest of the week, so I opened my freezer and pantry to see what I could whip up in a jiffy. For one meal, I saw rice and hamburger as my main ingredients and then browsed my fridge and pantry to see what else I could add. I didn’t want to do my usual cream of whatever soup with veggies, rice, and beef, so I looked deeper into my stash and found teriyaki sauce! I have made teriyaki chicken before, but I’ve never used it with ground beef, so I wasn’t too sure what the result would be.

You may have already tried something like this, but here’s what I came up with and how I did it. It was super simple!

Here is what you need:

• 3 cups rice, brown or white
• 1 lb ground beef
• 1/2 onion
• 1 tsp minced garlic
• 3/4 cup teriyaki sauce (I just guessed at this; you want it to be more liquid than beef and onion)

Here is what you do:

• Cook rice
• Chop onion into small pieces
• As rice is cooking, sauté the onion with the garlic
• Add ground beef and cook until beef is completely done
• Add teriyaki sauce and reduce heat to a simmer
• Simmer for 8 minutes (or so—this is a guess)
• Serve beef and sauce over rice
• If you want to make a bunch, freeze whatever you don't use and then you'll have an instant meal later!

It. Was. So. Delicious!

Here it is with all the sauce and beef mixed with the rice.

The pic makes it look dry, but it certainly WAS NOT!

Seriously! I loved every—single—bite!

Mexi Steak and Potato

I've always loved steak and potatoes, but I haven't ever had steak and potatoes with a Mexican flair. But, when I saw the idea in my low-cal cookbook, it made my mouth water. I just had to try it!

Below is the cookbook that gave me the inspiration. I showed it to you in the Fajita Lettuce Wraps post I did last week.



This is the cookbook.

This is what I made. Yum!
The recipe called for ground beef, but I used steak instead because that's what I had on hand.

Here is what you need:

• medium red potato (I cooked three for the week)
• 1/4 refried beans
• 4 oz lean steak (or hamburger flavored with taco seasoning)
• shredded lettuce, as desired
• chopped tomatoes, as desired
• diced green peppers, as desired
• sprinkle of grated cheese
• dollop of mexi-sour cream
• taco seasoning, as desired

Here is what you do:

• Heat oven to 375 degrees. Clean and poke holes in potato and wrap in foil. Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes.
• At the end of the cooking time for the potato, cut steak into strips and lightly coat in a little taco seasoning. Cook in a little bit of butter spray.
• While steak cooks, chop tomatoes, green peppers, and lettuce.
• When potato is done, allow it to cool for 5 minutes and then open it and pile on the toppings.
• Sprinkle a little bit more taco seasoning on top of everything. It makes it pretty. :-)

Did you notice that I didn't use any butter on my potato? And, I didn't even miss it since I had so many other flavors going on. Delish and incredibly filling!

Hamburger Tomato Curry

My mom used to make this delicious curry dinner for me when I was growing up, and I still make it to this day...often. This is nothing like the curry you would get from an Indian or Thai restaurant. It simply has the flavoring of curry, but it is very much a mellow, hearty dish that is perfect for a cold, rainy night. I tell you that in case you are scared of the word "curry." LOL.

Here is what you need:

• 1 lb hamburger
• 3 cans stewed tomatoes (14.5 oz cans)
• 1 can water
• 2 tbs Worcestershire sauce
• 2 tbs A-1 sauce
• 1 tb curry powder
• 1 onion, chopped
• Pinch of salt
• Rice, as needed (brown or white or a mix of the two)
• Celery is optional, to taste

Here is what you do:

1. Brown hamburger in a deep, large skillet pan. Season with a tish of salt. (If you are using your precooked hamburger from shopping day (see hint below), you can skip this step. Just place it in the skillet and cover with lid so it defrosts.)
2. Add chopped onions (and celery if you choose to do so.) Season with a dash of salt and cook until tender.
3. Add all other ingredients, mix well, and bring to a boil.
4. Turn heat down and let mixture simmer for 15 minutes.
5. Cook rice while curry simmers. I use a combination of brown and white instant rice. (If you are using your precooked rice from shopping day (see hint below), you can skip this step. Just pop it in the microwave to reheat.) 
6. Let curry rest for a few minutes and then serve over rice.

Here are some hints for making your cook time less than 30 minutes:

1. On shopping day, precook rice and ground beef (separately), portion it and place in freezer bags for later. 
2. Also on shopping day, chop onion and store in tightly sealed container in the fridge. You can then use the onion as needed during the week.

PS ~ If you end up cooking the rice and ground beef the night you want to make this dinner, it will take about 45 minutes instead of 30.

Meatballs with Country Gravy

This just might be the easiest, most filling meal on the planet. Seriously. All kinds of taste buds will love it because it has common ingredients, meaning there aren’t any off-the-wall ingredients required. And still, the flavors and textures all combine together to make a perfect, affordable dinner. (I don't really cook with off-the-wall ingredients, but ya know...this is one of those meals that even the most picky person will love.)

One thing to note: In order to make the gravy, you will need to make some Magic Mix ahead of time. Haven’t heard of Magic Mix? Well, it’s a make-ahead white sauce in powder form that only needs water and heat in order to complete. Crystal from Everyday Food Storage will tell you all about it; she even has videos to show you how to make it and what it should look like when you’re done. (She learned about the must-have from the USU Extension Service.) It is a wonderful staple to keep in your fridge.

Here is what you need for the actual meatballs:

• 1 lb ground beef (or ground turkey)
• 1/4 cup breadcrumbs
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp garlic salt
• 1 tsp lemon pepper

Here are the other things you need:

• 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp garlic salt
• 1 tsp lemon pepper
• 4 cups rice, prepared (I use a combo of white and brown rice)
• 2 batches Magic Mix, for gravy (1 batch is 2/3 cup mix and 1 cup water)

Here is what you do:

1. Mix all ingredients needed to make meatballs.
2. Combine 1/2 cup breadcrumbs and remaining spices.
3. Form meatballs so they are slightly smaller than a golf ball then roll in seasoned breadcrumbs.
4. Place half of meatballs in skillet and cook until meat is well done.
5. Finish cooking remaining meatballs. As those cook, make your gravy from Magic Mix, as directed, and season with salt and pepper.
6. Serve meatballs and gravy over rice.

You’re going to love the leftovers!

Meatloaf Patties and Potatoes

Have you ever heard of potato pearls? If you haven’t, allow me to introduce you. Potato pearls are tiny beads of dehydrated potatoes, made from real potatoes, which are flavored with butter. They are similar to potato flakes, only ten times better. All you do is boil some water, add the pearls, immediately remove from heat, and then 5 minutes later you fluff the potatoes with a fork. Potato pearls can also be added to ground beef and used as a binding agent for meatloaf patties. Plus, they add great flavor and keep the patties perfectly moist!

They are so good—you’re family will never know you didn’t spend 30 minutes peeling and boiling real potatoes, mashing them, and adding the perfect amounts of milk, butter, and seasonings.

Here is what you need:

• 1/2 cup potato pearls (for patties)
• More potato pearls to serve patties on, cook according to package instructions for the amount you need
• 1/8 cup dehydrated onions
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 lb ground beef
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp minced garlic
• 2 tsp favorite seasoning (whatever you choose)
• Panko bread crumbs
• Gravy, as desired (Just make your favorite gravy: brown, country, etc)

Here is what you do:

1. Put 1/2 cup potato pearls, onions, and water in a large bowl. Set aside for 5 minutes or until they are thick, like a paste. It should not be light and fluffy.
2. In separate bowl, add ground beef, egg, garlic, and seasoning. Mix well.
3. Add potato mixture to hamburger mixture and combine.
4. Place in refrigerator for 30 minutes so mixture can chill.
5. While that chills, put panko bread crumbs in shallow container and season with whatever seasoning you chose for the hamburger.
6. Start to cook remaining potato pearls according to package instructions.
7. Heat a little oil and butter in skillet, remove hamburger mixture from fridge, and form small patties.
8. Coat each patty in panko and cook in skillet on medium heat.
9. Serve over mashed potatoes with gravy.
10. This makes about 8 to 12 patties, depending on how big you make them.
11. (Note: If patties fall apart while cooking, mixture wasn't in fridge long enough. Just go with it because it will still be delicious!)

This meal is perfect for the freezer because it makes a BUNCH and it thaws and reheats nicely.

PS ~ I suggest serving this meatloaf patty dinner with a light fruit cocktail or salad because the dinner itself is incredibly filling. You'll need something light and refreshing to balance it out.