These little cheese crisps are a snap to make. They go great with tomato soup or add a little garlic and eat them with spaghetti! Yum Yum!
Parmesan Cheese Crisps
1 - 2 cups of parmesan cheese
1 tsp. garlic seasoning (I use garlic, garlic from Tastefully Simple) (optional)
1 sheet of parchment paper
Mix parmesan cheese with garlic seasoning (if desired). Place about 1 Tbsp. of the mixture on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake at 375 degrees about 5 to 6 minutes, or until the cheese becomes bubbly and starts to crisp and turn brown on the edges.
Remove to a cooling rack and allow to crisp up and cool slightly. Serve with tomato soup, spaghetti or pizza!
Enjoy!
I love onions! This burger combines my love of gravy and onions to make an oniony topping that will make any burger better!
Onion Smothered Burgers
1 lb. lean ground beef
1 whole red or white onion
1 tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. ground pepper
1 tsp. minced garlic
2 Tbsp. soy sauce
2 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 heaping Tbsp. cornstarch + 1/4 cup water
Form your burgers and cook them in a skillet until they are under cooked to your desired consistency. Remove burgers temporarily. Thinly slice one whole onion (red or white, your choice) into the skillet. Add salt, ground pepper, minced garlic, soy sauce and Worcestershire sauce. Saute' for 5 to 8 minutes, or until onions become translucent and soft. Re-add the burgers to the pan and add 1 cup of water. Cook for another 4 to 5 minutes. During the last few seconds of cooking, beat the cornstarch into the 1/4 cup of water and drizzle into the pan. It will become thick quickly, so stir immediately and remove from heat once it is thickened.
Serve your burgers on a plate and heap them with onions, or put them on a bun. But, beware they will be one messy, delicious burger!
Enjoy!
These little Taco Pockets are really good and so easy to make. Another one that the kiddos will love!
Taco Pockets
1 pkg. Grand's Biscuits
1/2 lb. lean ground beef
10 chunks about 3/4" x 3/4" Velveeta cheese
2 Tbsp. taco seasoning
1 tsp. oregano
4 Tbsp. finely diced green pepper
1 green onion, finely chopped
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper
Brown ground beef in a skillet with taco seasoning, oregano, bell pepper, green onion, salt and pepper. Drain.
Open the biscuits and cut each biscuit in half using a knife across the middle. So, that each biscuit will make 2 biscuits. Using a rolling pin sprayed with cooking spray, roll out each piece of the biscuits until they are a larger very thin circle. Spray a cookie sheet with baking spray or use parchment paper. Place each biscuit bottom half on the cookie sheet. Place a piece of the Velveeta cheese in the very center and top with about 2 heaping Tbsp. of the meat mixture. Place the other biscuit on top and pinch the edges together. Make sure to pinch them tightly so that they don't pop open during cooking.
Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for about 20 minutes or until they are browned on top. Serve immediately.
Enjoy!
Pancakes are so good! My grandbabies, even the picky ones, like pancakes. This last weekend it was just my and the hubby and I added a little twist with these Apricot Pancakes and we both loved them.
Apricot Pancakes
2 cups pancake mix *see below*
2 heaping Tbsp. apricot preserves
1/3 cup evaporated milk (even if it calls for water, use this instead)
Real butter for frying
Softened butter for spreading
Syrup
* Pancake Mix: 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, 3 tsp. baking powder, 1 tsp. salt, 1 Tbsp. brown sugar, 1/2 tsp. nutmeg (optional). You can store this in a jar to use later.
Mix pancake mix with milk until it is a smooth, pourable consistency. Add apricot preserves and mix well. Butter a skillet or flat griddle over medium heat and make sure it is really hot before you pour the pancake mix. I use a small ladle and pour the pancake mix onto the hot pan. Once the pancakes start to bubble, flip over to cook the other side. Takes about 3 minutes or so per side.
Remove, add butter to the hot pancake tops immediately and serve.
Enjoy!
These little chicken bites are fantastic. Kids love them and heck, they are even good cold! Nothing like cold chicken for breakfast...just as my hubby!
Garlic Parmesan Chicken Bites
2 to 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
3 cups all purpose flour
2 cups evaporated milk
1 cups Panko Bread Crumbs
1 cup shredded parmesan cheese
2 Tablespoons. minced garlic
1 Tbsp. ground pepper
1 Tbsp. sea salt
1 tsp. seasoned salt
Oil for frying
Cut chicken breasts into chunky pieces (about 1" x 1"). Salt the chicken pieces with the 1 Tbsp. sea salt. In a bowl, mix flour, Panko bread crumbs, parmesan cheese, minced garlic, pepper and seasoned salt. Place evaporated milk in a separate bowl.
Heat oil to 375 degrees for frying. Dip chicken pieces into the milk and then into the flour mixture, pressing down to make sure they are well coated. Do not overcrowd pieces. Flip once during the frying process to be sure both sides get evenly browned. Remove to a paper towel to drain.
Serve and Enjoy!
Don't you just love when Garden Season rolls around? I sure do....I like Zucchini and I am always trying to think up a different way to cook them, other than Zucchini bread! You will love this dish and it is baked, instead of deep fried.
Baked Zucchini Parmesan
1 small zucchini, peeled and sliced into very thin strips
1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup Panko bread crumbs
1 Tbsp. seasoned salt
1 Tbsp. ground pepper
1/2 cup parmesan (the shake on type)
1 cup whole milk
1/4 stick real butter
Peel and slice Zucchini into very thin slices. In a bowl, mix flour, panko, seasoned salt, ground pepper and parmesan. Melt 1/4 stick of butter and spread onto a large cookie sheet. Dip zucchini slices into milk and then into the flour mixture, coating both sides. Press down to make sure breading sticks well.
Place zucchini slices on cookie sheet at bake at 375 degrees for about 18 to 20 minutes, or until zucchini is done. Turn once at about 12 minutes to ensure both sides get crispy.
Remove, drain on a paper towel and serve. Can be served with ranch dip or your favorite dressing.
Enjoy!
So, you have finished off the bag of tortilla chips and you have all of these crumbles in the bottom! What to do with them? Well, I have a solution.....
Taco Casserole
1 lb. lean ground beef
1/2 pkg. taco seasoning
2 diced green onions
1 small can of green chilies
1 15 oz. can of crushed tomatoes
1 tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. ground pepper
1 dash of hot sauce (optional)
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese (not the canned type)
1 1/2 cups crumbled tortilla chips
Brown ground beef in a skillet with green onions, salt and pepper. Drain off all grease and put back into the skillet. Add the taco seasoning, green onions, hot sauce, green chilies and crushed tomatoes. Stir well to combine and just heat through (about 3 to 5 minutes). Pour into a 9x9 casserole dish and top with 1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese and then the crumbled tortilla chips. Lastly, add the parmesan cheese on top of the tortilla chips. (the parmesan will help to keep the chips crunchy).
Bake at 375 degrees for approximately 20 minutes, or long enough to melt the cheese.
Serve and Enjoy!
Turkey Bacon is a staple in our house. This sandwich is so good, everyone in your family will love it. It is especially yummy with a bowl of tomato soup.
Turkey Bacon Grilled Cheese
8 slices of white or wheat bread
8 slices of American cheese
8 slices of Provolone cheese
8 Tbsp. mayonnaise
8 slices of turkey bacon
Butter
Precook 8 slices of turkey bacon and set aside on a paper towel. Once cooled, tear the pieces in half, so that you have 16 pieces.
Butter the backs of the slices. Spread mayonnaise on the other sides of the bread. Lay the bread on a heated skillet (medium heat) butter side down. Lay 1 piece of American cheese on top of the mayonnaise, add 4 half pieces of turkey bacon on top of the American cheese and add the Provolone cheese on top of the bacon. Allow cheese to melt and remove from heat.
*Watch carefully so that the bread doesn't burn. Flip once and then when it is browned on both sides, remove from heat and slice across the corners.
Enjoy!
This is a twist on my regular cooked salsa and I absolutely love it! I recently had some Apricot Salsa at a restaurant and figured I could make it at home. It turned out great. This makes a much smaller batch, so it can be doubled
Apricot Salsa
1 can petite tomatoes
1 can Rotel tomatoes with diced chilies
1/2 jar apricot preserves
2 green onions, finely diced
1 small can of olives, finely chopped
1 tsp. hot sauce (optional)
1 tsp. chili powder
1 Tbsp. cornstarch for thickening
Pulse the petite tomatoes and Rotel tomatoes once or twice in a food processor, just to get out some of the large chunks. Pour into a large pot and add chopped olives, green onions, hot sauce and apricot preserves. Over medium heat, bring to a boil and allow to simmer for 30 minutes. Stir in chili power. In a small cup with 1/4 cup of water, beat in the cornstarch. Immediately pour it into the pot and stir. Cook for 5 more minutes until it starts to slightly thicken and remove from heat.
Pour into jars or containers and refrigerate. Serve with tortilla chips.
Enjoy!
I bought a waffle iron recently after seeing all of the things you could do with it, besides waffles! The grandbabies were over and we made Sugar Free Waffle Brownies. They loved them!
Sugar Free Waffle Brownies
1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1/8 tsp. salt
2 eggs
1/4 cup evaporated milk
1 cup Truvia sweetener (loose type)
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
* I made these without walnuts because the kids aren't crazy about nuts.
Melt butter in the microwave on defrost. Allow to cool slightly and beat in 2 eggs. (make sure it is cool so the eggs don't cook in the butter). Add evaporated milk and cocoa powder. Beat well with mixer or a fork. Add in Truvia sweetener, flour and salt. Stir well and add nuts if desired.
Heat up your waffle iron and spray with a good cooking spray on both sides. Ladle about 1/4 cup of brownie mixture into each pocket of the waffle iron and close lid. Cook for 3 or 4 minutes, just long enough to cook the brownies through.
I sprinkled the tops with powdered sugar for the kids, but if you are trying to go sugar-free completely, you can leave this off.
Enjoy!
