Ma What's For Dinner?

Move over CPK!  This one is a keeper.

It’s quick, easy, and sooooo delicious.

Don’t feel like calling out for pizza tonight?

Stay in and make this one yourself.

Keegan told me that this was his best dinner ever.

Give it a try and let me know if your kids think so as well.

Serves: 8  Prep time: 25 minutes Cook Time: 20 minutes

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts

1  T olive oil, divided

S&P

4 slices bacon chopped

1/2 small onion chopped

2 cloves garlic

1 t dried thyme

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

1 cup ketchup

1 8 oz can tomato sauce

1 t dried mustard

1 T molasses

1 T Worcestershire sauce

1 store bought pizza dough

1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and sliced thin

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

1 shallot sliced thin

2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees.  Drizzle your chicken with 1/2 T olive oil and season with salt and pepper.  Cook for 20 minutes at 425.  Meanwhile get started on your BBQ sauce.

In a medium saucepan heat remaining 1/2 T of olive oil over medium heat.  Add chopped bacon and cook until crisp.  Remove bacon with a slotted spoon to a paper towel.  Set aside.

Pour off all but 1 T of bacon fat.  Add in your onions and allow to soften, about 5 minutes.  Add in garlic and cook for an additional minute or two.  Season with salt and pepper and thyme.  Deglaze the pan with the vinegar being sure to scrap up all the good browned bits on the bottom.

Next add in your ketchup, tomato sauce, mustard, molasses, and Worcestershire sauce.  Turn the sauce down and allow to simmer until your chicken is ready.

Once the chicken is done remove it from the oven and slice it thinly.  Lay out your pizza dough and stretch it to fit a baking sheet.  Spread a think layer of sauce leaving a one inch border around the dough.  Arrange your chicken neatly around the pizza dough.  Then arrange jalapeno (I only put this on half so you get a half spicy half wimpy pizza) and shallots evenly around the dough.  Sprinkle with chopped cilantro.  Top with plenty of cheese and bake at 425 for 17-19 minutes.  Top with cooked bacon and more cilantro if desired.  Enjoy!

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Ok, so this was a recipe I found on a great foodie website, The Ungourmet .  Her site is amazing and her photography…oh, well let’s just say I worship at the altar of her awesomeness!

As many of you may know, I am not a lasagna fan.

GASP!

Yes, it’s true…

I don’t do ricotta.

And before you say it, yes I’ve had lasagna without ricotta and still, it doesn’t work for me.

It makes no sense.  I like everything in there, but alas, I can’t do it.

BUT…

I kinda liked this one.

AND my family LOVES lasagna, like most normal human beings in the world.

Not to mention the fact that the boys had  a BLAST helping me construct these little towers of yummyness.

They are a much healthier alternative to the kind your granny made so give these a whirl…

You’ll be glad you did.

Serves: 4   Prep Time: 25 minutes  Cook time: 40 minutes

1 lb ground chicken

2 cloves minced garlic

8 oz canned petite diced tomatoes undrained

8 oz canned tomato sauce

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp dried basil

1/2 tsp cracked pepper

8 lasagna noodles, cooked al dente

1 beaten egg

2 cups ricotta cheese

1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

1 cup frozen spinach, thawed and well drained

2 cups shredded mozzarella

1 tbsp dried parsley

1/4 cup shredded or grated Parmesan

Thoroughly cook the ground chicken in a large skillet. Add the tomatoes, sauce, garlic, spices, salt and pepper. Cover and simmer for 10-15 minutes.

Combine the egg, ricotta, and parmesan.

Using a glass or cookie cutter that is close to the size of the muffin cups, cut 3 circles out of each noodle for a total of 24 circles.

Place 1 noodle circle in each muffin cup. Layer meat sauce, ricotta mixture, and shredded mozzarella. Repeat. Top with a bit of parsley and grated Parmesan.

Cover loosely with a piece of foil that has been sprayed with oil and bake at 400 degrees for 25-30 minutes. Remove foil and bake for another 5 minutes to brown on top.

Let the “cupcakes” sit for at least 10 minutes for easier removal.

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As many of you know, the hubs favorite food on the planet is Hamburger Helper.  Seriously, he loves it.  His favorite of all time is the Cheeseburger Macaroni.  And when I cook up a meal for him and he really loves it he always asks me with love sparkling in those beautiful green eyes of his, if this is in fact, Hamburger Helper.   It’s his equivalent of a 5 star rating.  Isn’t he cute?  Anyway, since all my boys love that creepy oversized white glove so much I thought I’d toss together an italian version of their favorite meal.  Give it a go, it’ll be your favorite too!

Best thing about this dish is you can make it in advance and leave it in the fridge to take out and make when you get home after a long day at the playground and everyone is hungry and tired and you don’t feel like cooking because the dog pulled out the trash can and now you have to clean the kitchen and still give everyone a bath and dinner and all you want to do is pour a big glass of wine and watch who Ali chooses on The Bachelorette and dinner is the last thing on your mind…not that I would know anything about that.  This is totally hypothetical, I’m just saying.

Italian Cheeseburger Macaroni

Serves: 6         Prep Time: 20 minutes  Cook time: 30 minutes

2 T  olive oil

1 lb  ground beef

½ large  onion, chopped

1 can diced tomato

1  clove garlic, chopped

8 oz  mushrooms sliced thin

½ T dried oregano

1 t  dried red pepper flakes

1 lb whole wheat penne pasta

3 T butter unsalted

3 T all purpose flour

3 cups                              whole milk

1/2  t  fresh grated nutmeg

2 cups  shredded sharp cheddar cheese

1 cup shredded swiss cheese

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Set a large pot of water over high heat to boil for your pasta.  In  large skillet heat olive oil over medium high heat.  When oil is hot add in onions and mushroom and sautee until soft.  About 6 minutes or so.  When they are soft add in garlic, season with salt and pepper and cook for anadditional minutes.  Add in your ground beef and cook until brown, about 5 minutes.  Once meat has browned toss in the tomato, oregano, and red pepper flakes.  Season again with S&P and allow to simmer for about 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a large saucepan melt butter over medium high heat.  Whisk in flour and cook for 1 minute.   Slowly whisk in milk, and bring to a gentle boil, stirring constantly.  Once the milk has thickened add in nutmeg and season with S&P.  Reduce to medium low heat and melt in cheddar and swiss cheeses.  Allow to cook on low for a few minutes.

When water is boiling season water with salt and add pasta.  Note package cooking time and reduce by 2 minutes, the macaroni will continue cooking in the oven later.  Once pasta is cooked, drain and return to pot.  Toss the penne with cheese mixture.

Spray a baking dish with cooking spray and pour half of the pasta mixture into the bottom of the dish.  Spoon the Italian burger mixture over the top in an even layer.  Then cover with remaining pasta.  Top with additional cheddar cheese if desired.  Bake at 375 for 30 minutes and enjoy!

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I don’t know what they’re  thinking as it’s blazing hot outside but the boys were dying for some meatballs!!!!  Ma?  Can we have meatballs?  Ma? I want spaghetti and meatballs for dinner.  Maaaaa?????  Are we having meatballs?  MAMA MIA, YES!!!  For the love of all that is holy we will have some meatballs for dinner, and as you’ll see later this week for leftovers since in this heat and humidity if you put your time in slaving in front of the oven you’ve earned yourself a leftover meal!  Mangia, mangia!

1 1/2 lb  ground beef, veal, pork mix (also known as meatloaf mix)

3 T  milk

2 cloves chopped garlic

1 small onion grated

¾ c  bread crumbs

1 egg

¼ c  parmesan cheese

2 T chopped italian parsley

S&P

1/4 cup olive oil

flour for sprinkling

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.  Set a large skillet over medium high heat.  While your olive oil gets hot make your meatballs.  In a large bowl combine the first 9 ingredients.  With clean hands work the ingredients until they are incorporated then form into golf sized balls.  Dust the meatballs with flour.  Working in batches brown each meatball on all sides in your hot olive oil.  Place the browned meatballs in a casserole dish and bake at 375 for 25 minutes until cooked through.

Serve with pasta and marinara sauce.

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A few weeks back I told you all how I took the boys down to our fair little town’s pathetic excuse for a farmers market.  Well after visiting the 3, yes just 3 tiny itty bitty, stands we went across the street to play on the river walk.  But there is a silver lining.  While we were there I picked up a bunch of dandelion leaves.  Now I’ve never eaten dandelion leaves, let alone cooked with them, but grabbed a bunch and decided to give them a shot.  I am so glad I did.  Give these a go, so quick, so easy, so healthy, and soooooooo delicious!

Disclaimer…Dandelion leaves are kind of bitter, a bit like chard.  The hubs and I LOVED this dish, the kids, uh well, not so much.  They tried it, but my suspicion is that the dogs ended up with most of it…I’m just saying.

1 T olive oil

1 T butter

1 small white onion chopped

2 cloves garlic minced

1 zucchini sliced

1 bunch dandelion leaves chopped

1 T sherry vinegar

S&P

In a a large saute pan heat the olive oil and butter over medium high heat.  When the pan is hot toss in your onions and zucchini, and season with S&P.  Once your veggies have softens a bit (about 5-7 minutes) add in your garlic and continue to cook for a minute or two.  Toss in your dandelion leaves and give them a toss with the veggies and oil and garlic.  Cook for a few minutes and season with S&P and toss in your vinegar.  Allow to cook for an additional minute or two and viola.  A yummy healthy veggie dish.

Truth be told, I got distracted cooking this one because Keegan hit Brady with the Wii controller and then Brady tripped over the dog and landed on Cooper and it was a big ol’ disaster.  So it got a little crispy (or overcooked) but you know what????  It was amazing that way, so go ahead and let all hell break loose in your house and you’ll end up with an amazing dish to serve to your family, and the dogs.  :)

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