Leftover Breakfast Burrito

I have already done a very similar post for bacon, egg and cheese burritos. Breakfast in a tortilla is my all time favorite and it always brings me back to my childhood.  I already plan on making these for Logan before school just like my Mom did for my siblings and I.  Every morning I looked forward to breakfast and loved the fact that I got a fantastic meal on the go.

Ingredients:

Tortillas

4 eggs

1 cup ham, cubed

2 tablespoons milk

1 cup ham, diced

1 large russet potato, peeled and chopped

shredded cheese

salt and pepper

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

Directions:  In a microwavable bowl microwave potatoes for about two minutes to soften.  Add potatoes to a large skillet with 1 tablespoon vegetable oil.  Cook until crisp and tender.  Whisk eggs and milk together and scramble in lightly greased skillet until no longer runny.  Remove eggs from skillet and add ham until heated through.  Warm tortillas in microwave or stove top and add desired amount of ham, eggs, potatoes and cheese.

Crock Pot Ham and Potato Chowder

I needed to use up lots of ham I had leftover from Christmas and this chowder was PERFECT.  I also had about five pounds of potatoes because it was so much cheaper to buy a 10 pound bag.  This is exactly the kind of dinner I needed after spending hours cooking the last couple of days.  I threw everything into the crock and relaxed all day, it was amazing.  My husband and I loved it and I was even able to freeze half of it for another lazy day!

Ingredients:

• 4 cups vegetable broth
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 8 oz cream cheese, cubed
• 1 1/2 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
• 2 cup ham, cubed
• 2 large russet potatoes, cubed
• 3 celery stalks, diced
• 1/2 sweet onion, diced
• 1 14 oz bag frozen mixed vegetables
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon mustard powder
• salt and pepper, to taste
• dash of Tabasco

Directions:  Add everything except milk and cheddar cheese to crock pot and cook on low for 8 hours or high for 4 hours.  Slowly stir in milk and cheddar cheese and cook for another 15 minutes and serve!

Shrimp Fettuccini Alfredo

This is cheesy buttery goodness!!  Definitely, a high fat and calorie dinner.  I love to indulge in thick creamy pasta every now and then.  Fettuccini Alfredo has always been one of my favorite dishes of all time.  Its easy, fast, and fairly inexpensive.  As much as my husbands claims to not like pasta, he sure does ask for it a lot.

Ingredients:

• 1 box fettuccini noodles
• 1 pint heavy cream
• 1 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
• 1 lb shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons flour
• salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:  Boil noodles according to package directions.  In a large skillet melt 1 tablespoon butter and add garlic and shrimp.  Cook until shrimp is pink.  Remove shrimp and set aside. Melt remaining butter in skillet and add flour, stirring constantly.  Once you have a rue slowly whisk in cream and cheese.  Season sauce with salt and pepper and add shrimp. Toss noodles in sauce and serve!

Key Lime Pie

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Growing up my cousin Mona would always make Key Lime Pie and it was my brothers favorite.  I started making it a few years back after listening to Remy talk about how much he loved it for so many years.  I think I surprised him for his birthday and have been making it often ever since.  He loves this recipe, as do I.  It is so simple and tastes fantastic.  Very thick and creamy with the perfect tartness to go with it. 

Ingredients:

• 1 9" prepared graham cracker crust or homemade
• 2 cans sweetened condensed milk
• 1 cup key lime juice
• 4 egg yolks

Directions:  Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  In a large mixing bowl add milk, lime juice, and egg yolks and beat on high for about a minute or until everything is thick and creamy.  Pour into crust and bake for 15 minutes.  Cool completely and refrigerate for at least an hour before serving.  Garnish with lime zest and cool whip if desired before serving.  Store in refrigerator.

Sausage Alfredo Penne

This was a raid the cupboard throw together meal.  Every time I go shopping with my husband he always grabs a jar of the store bought Alfredo sauce.  He loves it, I hate it.  I had a jar of sauce and a pound of Italian sausage so I decided to put them to use.  The sauce is so bland so I added some ingredients for kick and let it simmer for several hours with the sausage to incorporate some flavor.  This is definitely not a skinny girl meal but sometimes you have to indulge.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 pound penne
• 1 jar alfredo sauce (mine was roasted garlic)
• 1 pound Italian sausage
• 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup sherry
• 1 tablespoon milk
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne, optional
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 1 bay leaf
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions:  In a large skillet brown sausage with garlic.  Add sauce (use milk to shake any excess sauce from jar), sherry, cayenne, Italian seasoning, bay leaf, and salt and pepper.  Simmer for at least and hour.   Boil noodles according to package and add to sauce.  Top with cheese and serve.

White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies

I have been seeing a lot of recipes for pudding cookies and as you all already know I love cake mix cookies.  So I decided to mix the two and they are a match made in heaven.  My husband is supposed to take these to his Christmas party but he might not have any to take.  A perfect recipe for the holidays that will for sure be a hit. 

 

Ingredients:

• 1 box yellow cake mix
• 1 small box white chocolate pudding mix
• 1 bag white chocolate chops
• 1 cup macadamia nuts, chopped
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 stick butter, softened
• 2 eggs

 

Directions:  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a large mixing bowl add cake mix, pudding and brown sugar and mix together.  Add eggs and butter and beat together on low.  Fold in chocolate chips and nuts.  Drop by the tablespoon onto cookie sheets and bake for 12 minutes.  Cool and enjoy!

Crockpot Chocolate Candy

I am an avid country music fan.  I am often laughed at by my husband for dancing in the kitchen while he is secretly watching.  Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood are two of my all time favorites and like any fan I am addicted to her show.  This recipe was on over the weekend and it looked so easy and delicious.  So when my husband reminded me that he needed treats for his Christmas party in a couple days I was prepared.   I had to make a few changes because I could not find almond bark at the store.  This is one of the recipes you wish you didn't know how to make because it is so delicious and you can help but eat it up.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb dry roasted peanuts
• 1 bag milk chocolate chips
• 1 box bakers semi sweet chocolate squares (8 pieces)
• 1 10 oz container of vanilla melt able candy dips
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:  In crockpot layer peanuts, chocolate chips, chocolate squares, and melt able candy dips.  Turn on low and heat for about 3 hours without stirring.  After 3 hours stir with wooden spoon until spoon.  By the tablespoon drop into cupcake pan liners and cool completely. 

Chicken Pot Pie

The last time I had pot pie was at KFC.  Everyone always talks about how good they are so I decided I would try and to my surprise they were tasty.  I have never had the urge to make one myself because I remember them taking so long to make.  I think it seems like a long time because it smells so good while baking and you just really want to eat it.  My husband has never been a fan of pot pies because he doesn't like crust but he thought the filling was delicious.

 

Ingredients:

• 1 package refrigerated pie crust
• 2 chicken breasts, cooked and cubed
• 2 small russet potatoes, peeled and cubed
• 1 egg white
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1 cup milk
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 small sweet onion, diced
• 1/2 cup celery, diced
• 3/4 cup carrots, cut in half circles
• 1/2 cup cheddar cheese
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons flour
• pinch of paprika
• salt and pepper, to taste

 

Directions:  In a large skillet melt butter and saute onions, garlic, carrots, and celery until soft.  Sprinkle vegetables with flour and stir until coated evenly.  Slowly add broth and milk while stirring constantly.  Add potatoes to mixture and let simmer for about 10 minutes to slightly cook potatoes.  Stir in cheese and chicken.  In a pie pan lay one piece of crust and fill with filling.  Lay remaining crust over the top and pinch sides together.  Brush crust with egg white and sprinkle with paprika.  Make 4 slits on the top and bake for 1 hour.  Let sit for 10 minutes before serving.

 

 (Preparing the filling)

(Ready to bake)

(Ready to cool)

(Ready to serve)

French Onion Steak

This gravy is extremely delicious.  I even made an extra trip to the store for more potatoes to use up the leftovers. I am going to have to make a cheaper version of this next time and use ground beef patties. 

Ingredients:

• 2 New York Strip steaks, or whatever you prefer
• 1 can french onion soup
• 2/3 cup milk
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon mustard powder
• 1 tablespoon all purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons butter
• pepper, to taste

Directions: In a medium saucepan mix soup, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, flour, and milk over medium heat.  In a large skillet melt butter over medium heat.   Add steak and cook for about 2-3 minutes on each side. Remove steaks from heat and smother with gravy. 

Swedish Hamburger Biscuit Casserole



I pretty much love any kind of hamburger casserole.   I also love that you can top them with mashed potatoes, tots, corn bread, or biscuits. I had a packet of Swedish meatball seasoning and a can of biscuits and voila, this recipe was born.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb hamburger
• 1 small sweet onion, diced
• 1 can diced tomatoes, drained
• 1 can cut green beans, drained
• 1 package refrigerated buttermilk biscuits
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1 packet Swedish meatball seasoning (two part packet, sauce and seasoning)
• 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
• salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Brown hamburger and onion over medium heat.  When hamburger has about two minutes left add seasoning part of packet and mix well.  Add tomatoes, green beans, and pepper flakes.  Sprinkle sauce over the top and stir in milk.  Let simmer for another 5-10 minutes for sauce to thicken.  Spray a 9x13 pan with nonstick spray and pour in meat mixture, top with biscuits and bake for 20 minutes.  Let sit for 5 minutes and serve.

Double Chocolate Cake Cookies

Cake cookies are the best and I always seem to have all of the ingredients at all times!  They taste like a mix between brownies and chocolate cake.  So incredibly easy and they taste fantastic. 

Ingredients:

• 1 box Devils food cake mix
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 2 eggs
• 1 bag milk chocolate chips (minus the handful you eat right out of the bag!!)

Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a mixing bowl add all ingredients and mix until smooth. Drop cookies by the spoon full onto a cookie sheet. Bake for 12 minutes and let cool on cookie sheet.

Glazed Beef and Pork Meatloaf

It has been such a long time since I have had meatloaf.  My family was coming to town for my little guys first birthday!  I wanted to make a quick and hassle free dinner and this was perfect.  I love meatloaf because it takes a couple minutes to throw together and cooks for a hour in the oven while you can get lots of other things done.  My hour was spent loving on my nephew Enzo and my birthday boy!!

Logan Left, Enzo Right

 

Ingredients for Meatloaf:

• 1 lb ground beef
• 1lb ground pork
• 1/2 cup sweet onion, diced
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 1/4 cup panko bread crumbs
• 2 tablespoons A-1
• 2 teaspoons Worcestershire
• 1 1/2 tablespoons Montreal seasoning
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• pepper, to taste

Ingredients for Glaze:

• 1 1/2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon mustard
• 1/3 cup ketchup
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire
• pinch of pepper

Directions:  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a large mixing bowl combine all meatloaf ingredients and blend together with hands.  Place mixture into a lightly greased loaf pan.  In a seperate bowl whisk together all glaze ingredients and spread over the top of meatloaf.  Bake uncovered for an hour.  Let sit for about 10 minutes before serving.

Twice Baked Potatoes

I have only ever had a twice baked potato at The Keg, for some reason I have been to intimidated to make them.  They were so simple and I could have eaten all of them.  I will be making these again for sure.  I am posting the recipe for 4 large potatoes, even though I only made 3 small ones.

Ingredients:

• 4 large russet potatoes
• Olive oil
• 1/2 cup cheddar cheese
• 1/2 cup sour cream (for a lighter version substitute with Greek Yogurt)
• 1/2 cup milk
• 2 Tbsp softened butter
• 1 Tsp paprika
• 1 Tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 cup chopped chives
• 4 strips cooked bacon, crumbled

 Directions:  Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Scrub the potatoes under running water until clean.  Pierce each potato with fork all around for ventilation.  Rub potatoes with olive oil.  Place on the middle rack of oven and bake for an hour.  Allow the potatoes to cool and reduce oven heat to 350 degrees.  Slice each potato across lengthwise about 1/3 from the top. Use a spoon to scoop out the insides leaving about 1/4 inch of potato inside.  In a large mixing bowl add sour cream, milk, cheese, butter, paprika, garlic, chives and bacon.  Beat with hand mixture until desired consistency.  Spoon the potato mixture back into the skins and bake for another 15-20 minutes. 

Superfood Baby Puree

I started giving Logan black beans around 8 months and he loves them.  Every bite he still says "mmmmm."  I decided to add some more food groups to them and he loved it.  I don't think he even noticed, it still tasted just like refried black beans to me.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup cooked black beans, canned or from scratch
• 2 cooked chicken tenderloins
• 1 sweet potato, cooked
• 1/2 cup quinua, cooked
• 2-3 cups vegetable broth depending on consistency you desire ( I used 2)

Directions:  Add all ingredients to blender and puree until desired consistency.

Two Way Sausage Spaghetti

This was so easy and a huge hit with my husband and father in law.  Definitely a new one for my rotation.  If you are looking to cut some calories and fat use spaghetti squash and chicken/turkey Italian sausage.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 package spaghetti noodles  (I always use angel hair)
• 1 jar marinara 
• 1 small onion, diced
• 1 lb ground Italian sausage
• 1 package Italian sausage links
• 1 small can of mushrooms
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon olive oil

Directions: In a large skillet brown ground sausage with onion, add to food processor and mince.  Add marinara, minced meat, mushrooms, and garlic powder and simmer.  Add links to skillet and saute with olive oil until browned on each side.  Add water to skillet and turn heat on low and simmer with lid for about 20 minutes.  Boil noodles according to package.  Before draining noodles keep 1 cup water to add to sauce if needed.  Return noodles to pot and add sauce and pasta water if needed. (I used about 1/2 a cup)  Finally, add sausage links and serve. 

Hamburger Scalloped Potato Skillet

My husband loves Hamburger Helper, so I decided to surprise him.  After getting home from the store realized I forgot to buy a box, so boxed scalloped potatoes to the rescue.  I try my best to make as much stuff without processed food but I didn't feel like cooking and he loved it.

Ingredients:

• 1 box scalloped potatoes
• 1 lb hamburger
• 1 10 oz can diced tomatoes, with juice
• 1 10 oz canned green beans, drained 
• 1/4 cup cheddar cheese
• 2 cups water
• 1 beef bouillon cube
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
• salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:  Brown hamburger in a skillet.  Add tomatoes, green beans, bouillon, garlic, water and scalloped potatoes without the cheese sauce.  Bring to a boil stirring constantly, reduce heat and simmer for about 20 minutes or until potatoes are soft.  Add cheddar cheese and cheese packet and stir until combined. 

Pineapple Banana Oatmeal Baby Puree

My son could eat bananas and Greek yogurt everyday.  No joke, he loves it.  I wanted to make it a little heartier so I decided to add cooked oatmeal and I had pineapple on hand so, in it went!  Logan approved!

 

Ingredients:

• 1 banana
• 1 cup plain Greek Yogurt
• 1/2 cup old fashioned oats
• 1/2 cup pineapple
• handful of spinach, optional (I forgot to add it )

Directions:  Cook oats according to package and cool.  If using spinach saute or steam until soft.  Add all ingredients into a blender and puree.  Pour into storable baby food trays and freeze.

 

Healthy Smoothie

 Along with fresh juice I love healthy smoothies.  I don't juice for lunch because I love bananas, so I smoothie instead.  Yes, that is a new catch phrase.  They are so fast, easy and delicious.  Another drink I am proud to give to my son.  He loves them and I love that he is getting great nutrition.  Anytime he sees me with any type of food or drink in my hand he is running over his mouth wide open ready for some.  It really makes me watch what I eat throughout the day.

Ingredients:

• 1 banana
• 1 satsuma or 1/2 orange
• 1/4 cup old fashioned oats, uncooked
• 1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt
• 8 ice cubes
• 1/4 - 1/3 cup water

Directions:  Add all ingredients into blender and liquefy.  Serve immediately.

Superfood Juice!

I love having fresh juice in the morning for so many reasons.  Mainly, because I know I am starting the day of healthy.  I crave less treats throughout the day and I feel fantastic.  Another bonus is my Son loves it and always has his own little cup.  I started out juicing with 60% fruit and 40% veggies and I am now able to do the opposite.  It is kind of an aquired taste but adding an orange or a lemon really offsets the veggie flavor.

Ingredients:

• 2 chard stalks, I used green chard
• 1 stalk kale
• 1 handful baby carrotts
• 1 small apple
• 1 small orange, peeled

Directions:  In juicer add chard, kale, carrotts, apple, and finally orange. Stir and serve immedietly.

Pineapple and Angel Food Cake Trifle

So I had a pint of heavy whipping cream leftover from Thanksgiving and decided to whip something up.  I was craving a Pina Colada so I decided to add pineapple to the whip cream and I thought Angel Food Cake would be a great pairing.

Ingredients:

• 1 store bought Angel Food Cake
• 1 pint heavy whipping cream
• 4 tablespoons powdered sugar
• 1 20 oz can pineapple, drained and crushed

Directions:  In a mixing bowl add all ingredients, except cake.  Mix on high until firm.  In a trifle or individual mason jars add cake and cream, repeat layers.  Refrigerate for an hour and serve.