Comfort Meatballs

Ingredients

  • Meatballs
    • 1 1/2 pounds ground beef
    • 3/4 cup quick oats
    • 1 cup milk (used whole milk)
    • 3 tablespoons very finely minced onion (used yellow onion)
    • 1 1/2 teaspoons salt (used table salt)
    • Plenty of ground black pepper (used freshly ground black pepper)
  • 4 tablespoons canola oil
  • 1/2 cup flour
  • Sauce
    • 1 cup ketchup
    • 2 tablespoons sugar
    • 3 tablespoons distilled white vinegar
    • 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
    • 4 to 6 tablespoons minced onion (used 6 tablespoons of minced yellow onion)
    • Dash of Tabasco

Directions

  1. Take a large mixing bowl and mix the beef and oats together in it.
  2. Pour in the milk, adding in the onion and salt next.
  3. Toss the black pepper into the bowl and mix everything together just until combined.
  4. Take tablespoon-sized amounts of the meat mixture and roll them into meatballs. Place them in the fridge for 30 to 45 minutes so they can firm up.
  5. Turn your oven on and preheat it to 350 degrees. Pour the canola oil into a large skillet, setting the skillet over medium heat.
  6. Roll the meatballs in the flour until completely covered, shaking off any excess flour.
  7. Once the oil’s hot, add the meatballs to the skillet (in batches), cooking them just long enough to lightly brown them.
  8. Once browned, take them out of the skillet and place them in a rectangular baking dish (I used a 13 x 9 baking dish). Repeat the browning process until all of the meatballs have been browned and are in the baking dish.
  9. Stir all the sauce ingredients* together in a large bowl, drizzling the sauce evenly over all of the meatballs.
  10. Place the baking dish in the oven for 45 minutes or until the sauce is bubbly and hot.
  11. Serve immediately (I served this with PW’s Creamy Mashed Potatoes).

*I added more than just a dash of Tabasco, I added enough to start tasting it in the sauce (without it overwhelming the other flavors though).

Even though the sauce got reduced down more than it should, this still tasted delicious ! Eating these meatballs is like getting to eat meatloaf in a meatball form. If you want, you could skip the mashed potatoes and just put a toothpick into these meatballs, making them a tasty snack !

This recipe came from “The Pioneer Woman Cooks” by Ree Drummond.

I wasn’t paid in any form to promote Tabasco or “The Pioneer Woman Cooks” by Ree Drummond.

Take care everybody !

Vietnamese-Style Noodle Salad

Ingredients

  • 1/3 cup Asian fish sauce
  • 3 Tbsp. rice vinegar
  • 3 Tbsp. lime juice
  • 2 Tbsp. packed brown sugar (I used light brown sugar)
  • 1 large clove garlic, minced
  • 2 Tbsp. finely chopped fresh ginger
  • 1/2 jalapeño pepper, stemmed and seeded if desired, finely chopped
  • 3 Tbsp. finely chopped green onion
  • 1 Tbsp. chopped fresh basil or mint (used mint)
  • 8 oz. dried rice vermicelli noodles, broken in half
  • 1 Tbsp. canola or vegetable oil (used canola oil)
  • 1 Tbsp. chopped fresh ginger
  • 4 cups vegetables, such as sliced sweet pepper, snow pea pods, and/or julienned carrots (used 1 cup each of snow pea pods, julienned carrots, thinly sliced yellow onion, thinly sliced cremini mushrooms, and sliced water chestnuts)
  • 1 cup shredded romaine lettuce
  • 1/4 cup fresh basil and/or mint leaves (used mint leaves)
  • Salted peanuts and lime wedges

Directions

  1. Take a small mixing bowl out and add the following ingredients to it, stirring to combine: fish sauce, rice vinegar, lime juice, brown sugar, garlic, finely chopped ginger, jalapeño, green onion and chopped mint.
  2. Get a pot of water boiling and immediately take it off the heat. Stir the noodles in, letting the stand for 5 minutes or however long the package they came in recommends until the noodles feel softened. Drain the noodles, rinsing them under cold water until they’ve cooled down and drain them one more time.
  3. Take a wok or large heavy skillet and pour the oil into it (I used a large cast-iron skillet), setting the skillet over medium-high heat. Once the oil’s hot, toss the chopped ginger in, stirring constantly for 10 seconds. Mix the vegetables in now, continuing to stir for another 2 minutes or until the vegetables become crisp-tender.
  4. Divide the noodles, vegetables and romaine between 6 bowls, spreading the dressing over them. Top with the basil and/or mint leaves and serve with the peanuts and lime wedges.

There are a lot of things that go into this dish but they all work together to create a tasty dish ! That sauce really brings the major flavors, the vegetables help bulk up the dish and bring a variety of textures, the mint leaves bring a freshness, the peanuts add a crunchy texture and squeezing that lime wedge over the entire dish just helps brighten the whole thing, making it even tastier !

This recipe came from Better Homes & Gardens.

I wasn’t paid in any form to promote Better Homes & Gardens.

Take care everybody !

Pizza Roll-Ups

Ingredients

  • 8 oz. ground chuck
  • 2 tsp. minced fresh garlic
  • 2 tsp. Italian seasoning
  • 1 can tomato sauce (8 oz.)
  • 2 tubes crescent dinner rolls, such as Pillsbury (8 oz. each)
  • 8 mozzarella cheese sticks
  • 2 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
  • 1/2 tsp. garlic salt
  • 1/4 tsp. dried oregano
  • 1 cup purchased marinara sauce, warmed

Directions

  1. Preheat your oven to 425 degrees. Take a baking sheet and line it with parchment paper.
  2. Take a sauté pan out and set it over medium-high heat. Add the chuck to the pan, breaking it up and stirring it around until it’s fully cooked. Drain any grease that may have accumulated in the pan, keeping the meat in the pan. Toss the garlic and Italian seasoning in, stirring constantly for a minute. Pour the tomato sauce in, stirring to combine. Let the sauce simmer for 3 minutes or until it gets bubbly.
  3. Take the crescent roll dough and divide it into 8 rectangles, pinching the seams together. Put 2 tablespoons of the chuck mixture along the long side of each rectangle, topping the chuck with a cheese stick. Roll the dough up so the filling’s enclosed. Pinch the seams closed and put the roll-ups on the lined baking sheet, seam side down.
  4. Take a small bowl and mix the butter, garlic salt and oregano together in it. Brush the butter mixture over the roll-ups. Place the baking sheet in the oven for 10-12 minutes or until the roll-ups look golden brown. Serve with the marinara sauce on the side.

This picture doesn’t properly convey just how ooey, gooey, melty and stretchy the cheese got in this. This is a great snack to enjoy !

PW’s Creamy Mashed Potatoes

Ingredients

  • 5 pounds russet or Yukon Gold potatoes (I used russet potatoes)
  • 12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) butter, softened, additional 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter (optional) (I used the extra 4 tablespoons)
  • One (8-ounce) package cream cheese
  • 1/2 to 3/4 cup half-and-half (I used 3/4 cup)
  • 1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt, such as Lawry’s (I used Lawry’s)
  • Salt to taste (I used table salt)
  • Black pepper to taste (I used freshly ground black pepper)

Directions

  1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Fill a large pot with water and set it over medium-high heat. Let the water come to a boil.
  2. Take a sharp knife or a vegetable peeler (I used a vegetable peeler) and remove the skin from the potatoes, rinsing the potatoes under cold water afterwards. Cut the potatoes in half or fourths so all the potatoes are around the same size (this will help them cook quicker and more evenly).
  3. Place the potatoes in the boiling water, turning the heat up to high so the water is at a complete boil. Let the potatoes cook for 20 to 30 minutes.
  4. You’ll know the potatoes are ready once you stick a fork into a piece and the fork slides out with no resistance. If you feel like you’re meeting resistance when you stick a fork into a piece of potato, just cook the potatoes longer. Undercooked potatoes will result in lumpy mashed potatoes !
  5. Drain the potatoes into a large strainer, shaking the strainer to get rid of any leftover water.
  6. Place the potatoes back in the pot, setting the pot over low heat. Take a potato masher and mash the potatoes for 2 minutes or until all the lumps are gone. Turn the heat off.
  7. Add the 12 tablespoons of butter, the cream cheese and the half-and-half, stirring everything together until combined.
  8. Stir the seasonings in until evenly distributed throughout. Take a taste and add more seasoning in if necessary.
  9. Take a 2-quart baking dish and put the potatoes in it. Using a knife or spatula, spread the potatoes out evenly within the dish.
  10. If you want, slice up the extra 4 tablespoons of butter and spread the slices out across the top of the potatoes. Cover the dish tightly with foil.
  11. Place the baking dish in the oven for 25 to 30 minutes or until heated throughout.
  12. Serve immediately.

This is such a filling, tasty mashed potato recipe ! If you’re going to put the butter on top of the mashed potatoes, trust me when I say that you’re going to want to put a sheet of foil on the rack below ! The butter will melt and drip over the edges of the baking dish, creating a burnt, smoky mess on the bottom of your oven if you don’t have something to catch the butter drippings. The mess was totally worth it though ! You can taste the cream cheese but it’s not overwhelming and the potatoes were fluffy and smooth. This will fill you up sooner than you want it to !

This recipe came from “The Pioneer Woman Cooks” by Ree Drummond.

I wasn’t paid in any form to promote Lawry’s or “The Pioneer Woman Cooks” by Ree Drummond.

Take care everybody !

Baked Buffalo Chicken Nuggets

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup hot sauce (such as Frank’s Red Hot) (I used Frank’s Red Hot original)
  • 3 Tbsp. unsalted butter
  • 1 lb. boneless , skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces (I used chicken tenders)
  • 1 cup panko bread crumbs
  • 1/2 cup grated Parmesan (I grated the cheese on the small holes of the grater)
  • 1 tsp. each black pepper and garlic powder
  • 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
  • Ranch dressing and celery sticks

Directions

  1. Preheat your oven to 450 degrees. Take a baking sheet and spray the inside of it with nonstick spray (I lined the baking sheet with aluminum foil and used nonstick spray on the foil).
  2. Take a saucepan and add the hot and butter to i, setting the saucepan over medium heat. Once the butter’s melted, take the saucepan off the heat and stir in the chicken, making sure all the pieces are coated.
  3. Take a shallow dish and mix the panko, Parmesan, black pepper, garlic powder and cayenne together in it. Take the chicken out of the hot sauce, letting the excess drip off (I may have gotten impatient and tried to shake it off.) Drop the chicken into the panko mixture, pressing the mixture onto the chicken so it stays on. Place the chicken nuggets on the sprayed baking sheet. Once all the chicken nuggets are on the sheet, spray the tops of the chicken nuggets with nonstick spray.
  4. Place the nuggets in the oven to cook for 10 minutes, flipping them over, then cooking them for another 10 mines.

This is supposed to serve 4 but it tastes so da*n good that you’ll want to eat the whole batch yourself ! The nuggets have a little crispy crunch to their coating but the flavor is what makes you never want to stop eating this. You can definitely taste the Parmesan but you still get this nice level of heat as well. The spiciness does build a little the more you eat it never overwhelming . Because I like the level of heat in this, I never bothered using the ranch to temper the spiness.

This recipe came from Cuisine At Home.

I wasn’t paid in any form to promote Frank’s Red Hot original) or Cuisine At Home.

Take care everybody !

Water leak

Supposedly we have a water leak and we’re getting a plumber to finally check it on Monday. We’ve been focusing on trying to get a lot of cleaning done in anticipation of them coming so I’m just too tired to post a recipe. Sorry everybody.

Spicy Fried Chicken Sandwiches

Ingredients

  • 2 cups shredded red cabbage
  • 1/3 cup jarred sliced jalapeños, plus 2 tablespoons brine
  • 1/4 cup mayonnaise
  • Salt and pepper (I used table salt and freshly ground black pepper)
  • 1 tablespoon chipotle chile powder
  • 6 (3-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed (our thighs weighed more than 3 ounces)
  • 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup cornstarch
  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil
  • 4 large sandwich rolls, split and toasted

Directions

  1. Take a mixing bowl and toss the cabbage, jalapeños, 1 tablespoon brine, 2 tablespoons of mayonnaise, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a bowl, setting it off to the side for now*.
  2. In a bowl big enough to fit the chicken in, stir the chile powder, remaining 2 tablespoons of mayonnaise, remaining tablespoon of brine and 1 teaspoon of salt until combined. Add the chicken to the bowl, tossing to coat. Get a large zipper-lock bag and mix the flour and cornstarch together in it. Place the chicken in the bag, seal the bag and shake vigorously until the chicken is fully coated in the flour mixture.
  3. Take a 12-inch nonstick skillet (I used a 12-inch cast-iron skillet) and pour the oil in, setting the skillet over medium-high heat. Once the oil’s hot enough that it’s shimmering, place the chicken in the oil, covering the skillet with a lid and letting the chicken cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until it has a deep golden brown color and reads 175 degrees on a thermometer, flipping once during that time (I cooked the chicken for 8 minutes). Take the chicken out of the skillet and place on a paper towel-lined plate. Cut each piece of chicken in half crosswise and divide the slaw and chicken up evenly among the 4 rolls. Eat right away.

*They say to make the slaw first but once that slaw sits too long,, the dressing turns purple so I waited until the chicken was done cooking before actually mixing the slaw ingredients together.

I miss ordering spicy fried chicken sandwiches so when I came across this recipe, I knew I had to try it out ! What’s spicy to one person may not be spicy to another and for me, this wasn’t all that spicy ! I got more of the smokiness rather than the heat from the chipotle and between the mayonnaise and the buns, if there was heat from the jalapeños, I didn’t notice it. What it might have lacked in spiciness though, it made up for in flavor. From the smokiness of the chipotle to the flavor of the jalapeño brine and the various textures you get from the slaw, fried chicken and toasted buns, I gobbled this up !

Recipe source unknown.

Take care everybody !