Menu Board Monday Edition #8-- Raised Meatballs

As you know, I've been busy moving and trying to get settled into the new house for the last couple weeks.  Of course, this meant that I didn't have internet for a few days {I felt so alone} and was unable to make a post for Menu Board Monday last night... I guess technically it's not late, since it is Monday, but I do like having it posted Sunday night so you all have it by Monday.  With moving comes lots of boxes & so much unorganization! Needless to say, we're not having real MEALS around here just yet, so I thought I'd use this opportunity to go back thru some of my favorite recipes and share one with you! This is a post I did well over a year ago, meaning alot of you weren't around to see it! So, here it is! Not only is it affordable, but simple and so YUMMY! I hope you and your families enjoy it:)

Happy Cooking!

Teauna

It is sooo cold outside so it's time for cozy comfort food! I enjoy making a good meal on a low budget. At my house, a good meal consists of meat and potatoes, and of course a veggie too! This meal is easy, tasty and fits perfectly into a tight budget.   This meal complete with mashed potatoes and corn, costs approximately $7.00 for the whole meal.

*Prepare to get your hands dirty!* :-)


Raised Meatballs
From Cupboard to Cupboard
printable recipe

First take 1 lb of thawed hamburger and break it up in a large mixing bowl... Tear apart 3 slices of bread into small pieces and add to hamburger. Then add 2 teaspoons of baking powder, 2 beaten eggs, 1/2 cup milk, 1 teaspoon salt & 1/4 teaspoon pepper. You can also add minced onions if you would like.

Mix all of this well together and form into balls. I like to use a 1/2 cup ice cream scoop so that I have meatballs that are all the same size. I like to know that all of them will cook evenly! Place your meatballs in a greased 9x13 casserole dish.

In a small mixing bowl, mix together 1 can cream of chicken soup, 1 can cream of mushroom soup and 1 cup milk. Mix well and pour over the meatballs.

Bake in a 350 degree oven for 1 1/2 hours.

Remove the meatballs and place in a serving bowl and take the sauce and use it as your gravy for your mashed potatoes.


This should make approximately 6-8 meatballs and should serve 4 people.

Enjoy!

Happy Cooking

*Teauna*

Menu Board Monday Edition #7-- Tea's Chicken Pot Pie

Things have been so crazy around our neck of the woods, so I have done pretty much NO COOKING or Baking at all this week... the only thing I did do was put chicken in the crockpot the other day {like oodles of chicken} and cooked it all day.  Well needless to say, I cooked enough for an army, and an army we are NOT!  Although our chaos may sound like an army, the four of us just don't eat like one :)  So, to make a long story short, I had a huge container of fall-apart, tender, and mouth-watering chicken sitting in the fridge begging to be used! And to top things off, Mike will actually be home before midnight so he can sit down and have dinner with us! Yay!  Oh... and I HAD to bake something for MENU BOARD MONDAY!

I came up with this recipe when Mike and I were first married and it's always been one that's been thoroughly enjoyed in our house!  Of course, when I make it, I've always made two full 9x13 pans of it and froze one for later use! You can make it your own my adding your kind of veggies or even substituting turkey for the chicken. The topping is a biscuit-like topping, soft and yummy!  And of course, cheesy :)

Tea's Chicken Pot Pie
From Cupboard to Cupboard original recipe
printable recipe

MAKES 2 FULL 9X13 PANS

filling:
1 large can cream of chicken soup
2 packets chicken gravy mix
1 large soup can of water
4 cups chopped chicken
2 pkgs frozen veggies of your choice, cooked and drained

topping: (THIS IS PER PAN)
2 cups flour
4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 cup milk
4 eggs
1 cup shredded cheese

Combine filling ingredients in order given.  Divide and pour into two 9x13 pans. 
Mix topping ingredients in order given and pour over filling in other dishes.  The topping will kind of blend in with your filling and is hard to spread.  Just do the best you can to spread it out. Don't fuss over it! Bake at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes.

*Remember to make one in a freezer-safe container. Bake as directed then cool completely.  Freeze.  Pull it out of the freezer and heat 'er up when you're in a pinch!  OR SHARE WITH A FRIEND:)

Enjoy!

Happy Cooking!
Teauna

Menu Board Monday Edition #6- Ramen Noodle Stir Fry

Hi everyone!  Thanks for stopping by for our Menu Board Monday! I am in the middle of moving and making Menu Boards, hence the reason I have been MIA this week.  But I promise not to let you down! I asked my best friend to help me out...she said YES! :)
 I am pleased to introduce you to my best friend, my Mom, Kathy!  She is here to share one of her recipes with you! {Remember, she's the reason I love to cook! She's amazing!}  Please join me in giving her a huge THANK YOU!!!

All together now......

            {Thank You!}

Mom, thanks for me helping me out! I love you bunches!  :)
Love ya more!
Your Favorite Daughter :)

 -------------------------------------------------------

Well, when all is said and done, I hope I am more help than hinderance.  I will probably mess up the button thingy and post a picture in the most inappropriate place, but here it goes!!  Love you too, dear.

When Teauna was just a little thing, I had the most amazing little gadget called a baby food grinder.  She was able to sit at the table with the rest of us and eat what we ate because of this amazing little tool.  Our favorite lunch was ramen noodles (they grind up nicely) and she loved them.  This was something limited to just lunch as my husband was and is not fond of "noodles" of any kind.  He is softening through the years (no pun intended) and so a noodle now and then makes it on the plate at our house.  I don't think, however, ramen noodles would be one that he would enjoy, but I have found a way that he does like them.  Slicks them right up, as a matter of fact.  It's a dish I have been doing for myself for lunch and he came home one day and found me ready to sit down to a nice plate of ramen stir fry and wanted to try it.  I was rather miffed that I had to share it!!  But, all is well and we now enjoy ramen stir fry quite often.  It's so simple and with a little prep is so fast and on the plate in no time.  No special tools required either.  I just use a regular non-stick fry pan.  So, not to be confused with 101 Things to do with Ramen Noodles, here is Ramen Noodle 101, Kathy style.  Hope you enjoy and make it your own.

Ramen Noodle Stir Fry

Select your favorite pkg of ramen noodes (I like oriental flavor for stir fry) and cook the noodles according to the directions and drain.  Set aside the seasoning packet to use later -- do NOT put it in with the noodles.  Meanwhile cut up all those yummy veggies that you like (in this batch I had onion, carrot, grn beans, celery, cabbage, and water chestnuts).  If you are going to add meat, it doesn't take much for stir fry and just cut it in thin strips.  We used one chicken breast seasoned with salt and pepper.  Heat oil in your fry pan or wok or whatever and drop in your veggies starting with those that take the longest to cook.  When they are still crunchy, push them out from the middle and add your meat and cook that til done and then fold everything together, including the drained noodles.  I sprinkle a little olive oil, then the seasoning packet, mix it up, plate it up and add some crunchy noodles and you are done.  Brad likes his with soy sauce and I like mine with a little sprinkle of balsamic vinegar.  Got a large family?  Simply cut more veggies and use two pkgs of noodles, etc.  So easy, so yummy, and so good for you.  (must apologize as I don't have a clue as to how to make this "printable") 

Hope this gets you through your Monday.  Thanks for letting me share with you all.  -kathy- 

{ Don't forget to grab a button to add to your blog...psst...they're to the right:) }

Happy Cooking!

Teauna

Stir Frying

Menu Board Monday- Edition #5- In A Pinch Pancakes

I love BREAKFAST! For breakfast....for lunch....for brunch.... for dinner, pretty much whenever!  I just LOVE breakfast food! I think some reasons I make breakfast for dinner as often as I do (it's on my Menu Board 4 times this month) are because it's fast and it's cheap, and everyone (even the picky one) will eat it! And really, breakfast isn't always the same thing! You can make breakfast casseroles, different breakfast meats like sausage, bacon or ham.. german pancakes, crepes, waffles or these yummy pancakes!  I have made these pancakes my whole married life.  It's such a simple recipe and I always have all the ingredients on hand! And they are so nice and fluffy! Sometimes I'll add chocolate chips for the kids, or add a few blueberries for myself.  You can add whatever you please! Next time I'm adding peaches and cinnamon.  They're good that way too! :) So mix 'em up and make them your own!

In A Pinch Pancakes

From Cupboard to Cupboard

printable recipe

2 eggs

2 cups flour

1 1/2 cups milk

2 Tbsp. sugar

1/4 cup vegetable oil

5 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

In a bowl, mix ingredients just enough to moisten dry ingredients.  Mixture will be thick and lumpy.  You can add a little milk to thin it out if you prefer.  Heat a griddle or frying pan over medium heat and lightly grease.  Cook on a hot greased griddle on med-low heat.  Flip when bubbles break on the surface and the edges begin to dry.  Makes 15-18 pancakes...

Happy Cooking!

Teauna

Lion House Cheesecake

Well, it's the end of our two-week birthday bash at our house!  No better way to celebrate 3 birthdays than a yummy, creamy, smooth cheesecake.  This is a simple recipe.  Of course, as you know by now, we are a slightly boring bunch.  We don't like all the fancy schmancy fruit toppings, etc. Of course, I like cool whip!  Lots & lots of cool whip! But I'll pass on the fruity stuff on my cheesecake! So, the picture is boring, but it's showing the true beauty of this cheesecake.  Oh... it's really good!

Lion House Cheesecake
Lion House Bakery Cookbook
printable recipe

Crust:
1 1/2 cups finely crushed graham cracker crumbs
3 Tablespoons sugar
6 Tablespoons butter, melted

Filling:
3 (8-oz) packages cream cheese, softened
1 cup sugar
2 teaspoons lemon juice
3 eggs
3/4 teaspoon vanilla

Topping:
2 cups sour cream
3 Tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

Prepare Crust: Thoroughly mix graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and melted butter.  Press firmly onto bottom and sides of a 10-inch pie pan or springform pan; set aside while preparing filling.

Filling: In a large mixing bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth; add sugar a little at a time.  Add lemon juice.  Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition.  Mix in vanilla and combine thoroughly.  Pour into crust; fill to within 1/2 inch of top to allow room for topping.  Bake 55 to 60 minutes, until set (or until the center does not move when the pan is gently moved).

When cheesecake is almost finished baking, beat sour cream with a wire shisk; add sugar and vanilla and mix well.  Pour over cake and bake an additional 10 minutes.  Cool completely.  Refrigerate until ready to serve.  Top with desired fruit topping or serve plain.  Makes about 8 servings.


Happy Cooking!

Teauna

Dad Does Dinner Challenge-- DEER STEAKS & APPLE CRISP

Have you been to UCreateFoods Yet?

If not... you really should check it out!

Every month Tyra does a "Dad Does Dinner Challenge", giving us women {at least the ones like me, who's husband simply doesn't cook} a break from cooking dinner for a night!

We totally screwed up and missed the last one, but you'll remember the Breakfast Pizza that Mike and I put together a couple months ago. 

At first, I thought for sure he wasn't interested at all in helping in the kitchen... but he's really started enjoying helping in the kitchen and I enjoy having him there with me!

So, for February's Challenge, Mike was supposed to recreate my favorite meal!

Hands down, my favorite meal is Deer Steaks with any form of potato and creamed corn.  I know, crazy huh?  But not only does it taste good, it brings back so many great memories!

Dinner was sooooo stinkin' good! He made {with my help, of course} deer steaks, hashbrowns, and creamed corn.  Yummy!  And the coolest thing.... my picky picky 12-year old will eat deer meat! He's smart! :) And Mom... sorry, but I ate all the little crunchies left behind in the pan :) I'll save you some next time!  This is a "recipe" that I have grown up on and it's so simple! Deer is such a lean and tender meat and boy oh boy, they just melt in your mouth! Too bad they're gone... I wouldn't mind another piece right this moment!

Deer Steaks
From Cupboard to Cupboard
printable recipe

Lean Deer Steaks
Flour
Garlic Salt
Seasoning Salt
Oil for frying

Take thawed meat and coat with flour.  Heat oil in shallow frying pan on medium heat.  When oil is hot, drop four-coated steaks into oil.  Season with garlic and seasoning salt. Turn steaks, browning both sides.  When meat is browned, turn out onto a paper-towel lined plate to drain.  Try really hard to contain yourself from eating all the steaks while cooking the next batch!  Oh... and all those little crispy flour crumbs on the bottom of the pan... they're my favorite! They can only be shared with those you love most!


But.... this isn't it! Mike didn't stop at the Deer Steaks! He decided that we should use the apples that have been sitting on the counter for a week.  I love apple crisp!  Especially just as it comes out of the oven.  I love the cool whip melting on the warm apple crisp. As a matter of fact, I ate wayyyy to much. 

My sweet hubby making me some Yummy Apple Crisp!

Apple Crisp
From Cupboard to Cupboard
printable recipe

10 cups peeled and sliced apples
1 cup sugar
1 cup plus 1 Tbsp all-purpose flour
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup water
1 cup rolled oats
1 cup brown sugar
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Place the sliced apples in a 9x13-inch pan.  Mix the sugar, 1 Tbsp flour, and the ground cinnamon together, and sprinkle over apples.  Pour water evenly over all; set aside.  In a large bowl, combine the oats, remaining 1 cup flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and melted butter.  Stir to combine them crumble evenly over the apple mixture.  Bake for about 45 minutes, until top is golden brown and apples are tender.

Such a great night for me! I hope you enjoy these recipes like I did!

Happy Cooking!
Teauna