Sesame Garlic Beef Tacos

Ingredients

8 white or yellow corn tortilla

1 lb. ground beef

2 tbsp. toasted sesame oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 C. reduced-sodium soy sauce

3 tbsp. packed brown sugar

3 tbsp. rice vinegar 

1 tbsp. water

1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper

Directions

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Stack tortillas; wrap in foil. Heat 10 minutes. 

2) Meanwhile, in a large skillet brown ground beef over medium-high heat. Drain fat; set aside. 

3) Add sesame oil to skillet. Add garlic, cook 30 seconds. over medium heat or until lightly browned. Stir in soy sauce, brown sugar, rice vinegar, water and crushed red pepper. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered, 5 minutes. stirring occasionally. Return beef to skillet; heat through. 

4) To serve, spoon beef onto tortillas. 

Start to finish: 

30 minutes

Makes: 

4 servings 

Spicy BBQ Chicken

Ingredients 

1 tbsp. canola oil 

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 c. Chili sauce

3 tbsp. brown sugar

2 tsp. salt-free seasoning blend, divided

3/4tsp. cayenne pepper, divided

2 tsp. ground mustard 

2 tsp. chili powder

8 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (4oz ea)

Directions

1) In a small saucepan, heat oil over medium heat. Add garlic; cook and stir  1 minute. Add chili sauce, brown sugar, 1 tsp. seasoning blend and 1/4 tsp. cayenne. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 1 minute. Remove from heat. 

2) in a bowl, mix mustard, chili powder, remaining seasoning blend and cayenne; rub over chicken. Moisten a paper towel with cooking oil; with long-handled tongs, lightly coat grill rack. 

3) Grill chicken, covered, over medium heat for 4 minutes. Turn; grill 4-6 minutes longer or until a thermometer reads 165 degrees, brushing tops occasionally with chili sauce mixture. 

Start to finish:

30 minutes

Makes: 

8 servings 

Baked Buffalo Chicken

Ingredients

3/4 C. Buffalo wing sauce, divided

4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (6oz ea.)

3/4 C. all-purpose flour

3/4 tsp. dried tarragon

1/2 tsp. pepper

1 1/4 C. panko bread crumbs

Directions

1) Pour 1/3 C. wing sauce into a shallow dish. Add chicken breasts and turn to coat. Let stand for 15 minutes or refrigerate, covered, up to 24 hours.

2) Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Drain chicken, discarding marinade. In a shallow bowl, mix flour, tarragon & pepper. Place bread crumbs and remaining wing sauce in separate shallow bowls. Dip chicken in flour mixture to coat all sides; shake off excess. Dip in wing sauce, then in the bread crumbs, patting to help coating adhere.

3) Place the coated chicken on a rack in a 15 x 10 x 1 in. baking pan. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until a thermometer reads 165 degrees.

Prep: 20 minutes

Bake: 25 minutes

Makes: 4 servings

Simple Italian Grilled Chicken

Ingredients

Non-stick Cooking Spray

3 tbsp. Pure Olive oil

1 tbsp. lemon juice

1 tbsp. Italian seasoning

1 tsp. garlic salt

1/4 tsp. ground black pepper

4 (5 to 6oz) boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Directions

1) Coat grill pan with non-stick cooking spray. Heat over medium heat. Combine olive oil, lemon juice, Italian seasoning, garlic salt & pepper in medium microwavable bowl. Microwave on high 1 minute. Stir. Dip chicken in olive oil mixture to coat evenly. Place n hot grill pan. Cook 6 to 8 minutes per side until juices run clear & thermometer reads 165 degrees. Allow to rest 5 minutes before serving.

Makes:

4 servings

Prep:

5 minutes

Cook:

15 minutes

Farmhouse BBQ Muffins

Ingredients

1 tube (10oz) refrigerated buttermilk biscuits

1 lb. ground beef

1/2 C. ketchup

3 tbsp. brown sugar

1 tbsp. cider vinegar

1/2 tsp. chili powder

1 C. (4oz) shredded cheddar cheese

Directions

1) Separate dough into 10 biscuits; flatten in 5 in. circles. Press each. onto the bottom & up the sides of a greased muffins cup; set aside.

2) In a skillet, cook beef over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. In a small bowl, combine the ketchup, brown sugar, vinegar & chili powder; add to beef & mix well.

3) Divide the meat mixture among biscuit lined muffin cups, using about 1/4 C. for each. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake at 375 degrees for 18-20 minutes or until golden brown. Cool for 5 minutes before serving.

Prep: 20 minutes

Bake: 20 minutes

Makes: 10 servings

1-2-3 BBQ Sausage

Ingredients

6 lbs. Smoked Sausage , cut into 2 in. pieces

2 bottles (18oz ea.) BBQ sauce

2 C. packed brown sugar

Directions

1) Divide sausage between two ungreased 13inx9in. baking dishes. Combine bbq sauce & brown sugar; pour over sausages & toss to coat.

2) Bake, uncovered @350 degrees for 35-40 minutes or until sauce is thickened, stirring once.

Prep: 10 minutes

Bake: 35 minutes

Makes: 24 servings

This makes a great app for a party or get together. You can also use this as a main dish for dinner just cut down the amount of sausage you use and decrease to one bottle and 1 cup. (or however much you want).

Sweet Hot Coriander Chicken

Ingredients

1 tbsp. xtra-virgin olive oil

2 tsp. packed dark brown sugar

2 tsp. Sriracha sauce

1 tsp. ground coriander

1 tsp. chili powder

4 (6oz) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, flattened to 1/2 in. thickness

1/3 C. Orange Juice

Directions

1) For marinade, in a small bowl stir together oil, sugar, Sriracha sauce, coriander & chili powder. Place chicken in a shallow dish. Spoon marinade over chicken; turn to coat. Let stand 15 minutes.

2) Heat a very large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken; cook 10 minutes or until done, turning once halfway through. Transfer to a plate. Cover to keep warm.

3) Add Orange Juice to pan; cook 2 minutes or until reduced to about 2 tbsp. stirring to scrape up browned bits. Spoon sauce over chicken. Season to taste with salt & pepper. Top with cilantro.

makes: 4 servings

You can toss roasted baby red potatoes in the remaining sauce for an easy side.

Slow Cooker Pizza

Ingredients

1 pkg. (!6oz) wide egg noodles

1 1/2 lbs. ground beef or turkey

1/4 C. chopped onion

1 jar (26oz) spaghetti sauce

1 1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning

1 pkg. (3 1/2oz) sliced pepperoni, halved

3 C. (12oz) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

3 C. (12oz) shredded cheddar cheese

Directions

1) Cook noodles according to pkg. directions. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook beef & onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Stir in the spaghetti sauce & Italian seasoning. Drain noodles.

2) In a 5 qt. slow cooker coated with cooking spray, spread a third of the meat sauce. Cover with a third of the noodles and pepperoni. Sprinkle with a third of the cheese. Repeat layers twice.

3) Cover and cook on low for 3-4 hours or until heated through and cheese is melted.

Makes: 6-8 servings

Sausage Carbonara

Ingredients

1 pkg. Italian sausage (cut into slices)

1 lb. Rigatoni or Penne

5 eggs, beaten

2 tbsp. heavy cream

1 tbsp. lemon zest

1/4C. Parmesan grated cheese, divided in half

1 tbsp. chopped parsley

salt & pepper

Directions

1) In a large pot, bring salted water to boil. Add rigatoni & cook until al dente, according to instructions on pkg.

2) While the pasta is cooking, brown sausage  in a large pan; set aside.

3) In a large bowl, combine eggs, cream, lemon zest & half of the cheese.

4) Once pasta is cooked, drain & reserve about 1/2 C of the pasta water. Place pasta back into the large pot it was cooked in; add in sausage & some of the juices from the pan. Mix well.

5) While stirring constantly, pour egg & cheese mixture over the pasta in the pot. The heat from the pasta & sausage will cook the sauce enough for it to thicken. If it gets too thick, add some of the reserved pasta liquid to the mixture. Add salt & pepper to taste. Serve immediately topped with remaining parmesan cheese.

Time: 15 minutes

Gutter Meatballs

Ingredients

1 (15oz) can tomato sauce

2 tbsp. packed brown sugar

1 tbsp. yellow mustard

1 tsp. chili powder

1/4 tsp. garlic salt

Dash ground pepper black pepper

1 (16oz) pkg. frozen cooked meatballs

1 long , thin French Bread Baguette

Directions

1) In a large saucepan, stir together the tomato sauce, brown sugar, mustard, chili powder, garlic salt, & pepper. Stir in meatballs; bring to boiling. Reduce heat & simmer, covered, for 15 minutes or until meatballs are heated through.

2) Meanwhile, cut a narrow wedge shape out of the top of the baguette (reserve cutout for another use, if desired)

3) Spoon some of the meatball mixture into baguette. Serve meatballs with decorative picks. Replenish baguette with additional meatballs as necessary.

Prep: 15 minutes

Cook: 15 minutes

Makes: 8 to 10 servings

This can be used as either an appetizer or a main dish. If using as a main item them just make it into a sandwich only instead of cutting the bread as you would normally cut it as described above and serve it that way with whatever sides you choose.

Chicken Parmesan

Ingredients

1 C. seasoned bread crumbs

1 egg, lightly beaten

12 chicken tender fillets, about 1 1/2 lbs.

4 tbsp. vegetable oil

1 C. bottled marinara sauce

12 fresh basil leaves

1 C. shredded four cheese blend

Cooked ziti

Marinara sauce (optional)

Directions

1) Heat oven to 375 degrees.

2) Place bread crumbs in a shallow dish & egg in a shallow bowl. Dip chicken pieces in egg, shaking off excess. Coat with bread crumbs, place on a plate.

3) Heat 2 tbsp. of the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add half the chicken and cook for 3 minutes per side. Remove to a 13x9x2 in. baking dish. Repeat with remaining 2 tbsp. oil  and remaining chicken.

4) Spoon marinara sauce over chicken in dish. Top each tender with a basil leaf, then sprinkle cheese over chicken.

5) Bake at 375 degrees for 10 minutes, until bubbly and cheese melts. Serve with cooked ziti and marinara sauce, if desired.

Prep: 20 minutes

Cook: 12 minutes

Bake: 375 degrees for 10 minutes

Makes: 6 servings

There are many different ways to make Chicken Parm this is just another one of them.

Shredded Beef Sandwiches

Ingredients

1 Boneless beef chuck roast (about 4 lbs)

1 large onion, thinly sliced

1 C. ketchup

1/4 C. lemon juice

3 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce

2 tbsp. brown sugar

2 tbsp. cider vinegar

1 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

1/2 tsp. liquid smoke, optional

24 Kaiser Rolls or Hamburger Buns, split

Directions

1) Cut roast in half; place in a 5-qt. slow cooker. Top with onion. Combine the next eight ingredients; pour over roast. Cover & cook on low for 8-9 hrs or until the meat is tender.

2) Remove roast & cool slightly; shred meat with two forks. Skim fat from cooking liquid. Return meat to slow cooker; heat through. Using a slotted spoon, place 1/3 cup meat mixture on each roll.

Serves: 12-24

Cook: 8 hours

Prep: 15 minutes

Easy Garlic Chicken

Ingredients

4 boneless chicken breasts

4 garlic cloves, minced

4 tbsp. brown sugar

1 tbsp. olive oil

additional herbs & spices, as desired

Directions

1) Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Line a baking dish or cookie sheet with aluminum foil & lightly coat with cooking spray or lightly brush with oil.

2) In a small saute pan, saute garlic with oil until tender.

3) Remove from heat and stir in brown sugar, add additional herbs and spices (as desired).

4) Place chicken breasts in a prepared baking dish and cover with the garlic & brown sugar mixture.

5) Add salt and pepper to taste.

6) Bake uncovered for 15-30 minutes or until juices run clear. Cooking time will depend on the size and thickness of the chicken.

Serves: 2

Cook: 30 minutes

Slow-Cooked Bourbon Beef

Ingredients

2 1/2 lbs. boneless beef chuck roast

3/4 C. Chicago-style Steakhouse Marinade

4 tsp. sugar

1/2 C. bourbon or beef broth

1 1/2 tsp. garlic powder

1/4 tsp. liquid smoke flavoring

8 Kaiser rolls

Bread & Butter pickles (optional)

Directions

1) Coat a large nonstick skillet with nonstick cooking spray; place over medium-high heat. Add beef; cook 8 to 10 minutes. or until browned on all sides. Transfer to a 3 1/2 to 4qt slow cooker.

2) In a small bowl combine marinade, bourbon, sugar, garlic powder & liquid smoke; pour over beef. Cover & cook on low 7 to 9 hours or until beef shreds easily with a fork.

3) Transfer beef to a cutting board, & shred with two forks. Spoon onto rolls, top with pickles (if desired), and serve.

Serves: 8

Prep: 10 minutes

Cook: 7 hours 10 minutes

Pizza Mountain Pies

Ingredients

1 tbsp. butter, softened

2 slices white bread

1 tbsp. pizza sauce

4 tbsp. shredded part skim mozzarella cheese (divided)

4 slices pepperoni

1 tbsp. chopped green pepper, optional

Directions

1) Spread butter over bread slices; place one slice of bread in a greased sandwich iron, buttered side down. Spread with pizza sauce; layer with 2 tbsp. cheese, pepperoni & if desired green pepper. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Top with remaining bread slice, buttered side up. Close iron.

2) Cook mountain pie over a hot campfire 5-7 min or until golden brown & cheese is melted, turning iron occasionally.

Start to finish:

15 minutes

Makes:

1 serving

Now obviously you will need to double or triple depending on how many sandwiches you will be making. Also don't worry if you can't make a campfire to make these. I actually did this in my sandwich maker in the house ( depending on the size you have you can make two at one time also) and they came out great. So no campfire is actually needed if you can't have one.

Applesauce-Glazed Pork Chops

Ingredients

4 bone-in pork loin chops (1/2 in. thick + 7oz ea.)

1 C. unsweetened applesauce

1/4 C. packed brown sugar

1 tbsp. bbq sauce

1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce

1 garlic clove, minced

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. pepper

Directions

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place pork chops in a 13x9 in. baking dish coated with cooking spray. Mix remaining ingredients; spoon over chops.

2) Bake, uncovered, 20-25 minutes or until a thermometer reads 145 degrees. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Start to finish :

30 minutes

Makes:

4 servings

You can also use boneless pork chops as well. It comes out just as good.

Spaghetti Meatball Supper

Ingredients

2 cans (28oz ea.) diced tomatoes, undrained

2 tsp. ea. sugar & dried basil

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp pepper

Meatballs:

3 C. soft bread crumbs

1/2 c. water

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

1/2 c. grated Parmesan cheese

2 tbsp. minced fresh parsley

1 garlic clove, minced

1 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

1 lb. ground beef

1 lb. ground pork

Hot cooked spaghetti

Directions

1) In a 6qt. stockpot, combine the first six ingredients; broil. Reduce heat; simmer, covered, 1 1/2 hrs.

2) Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Mix bread crumbs and water; let stand 5 minutes. Stir in next six ingredients. Add beef & pork; mix lightly but thoroughly. Shape into 1 in. balls.

3) Place meatballs on a greased rack in a 15x10x1in. baking pan. Bake 15-20 minutes or until cooked through. Add to sauce. Serve with spaghetti.

Prep: 30 minutes

Cook: 1 1/2 hours

Makes: 10 servings

Slow Cooked Spaghetti Sauce

Ingredients

1 lb. ground beef

4 cans (14.5oz ea.) diced tomatoes, undrained

6 cans (6oz ea.) tomato paste

1 C. beef broth

1/4 C packed brown sugar

3 tbsp. minced fresh marjoram or 1 tbsp. dried marjoram

2 tbsp. garlic powder

2 tbsp. minced fresh basil or 2 tsp. dried basil

2 tbsp. minced fresh oregano or 2 tsp dried oregano

2 tbsp. minced fresh parsley

1 tsp salt

1 bay leaf

hot cooked spaghetti

Directions

1) In a large skillet, cook beef over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. Transfer to a 5 qt. slow cooker. Stir in the tomatoes, tomato paste, broth, brown sugar & seasonings.

2) Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hrs or until bubbly. Discard bay leaf. Serve with spaghetti.

Makes: 12-14 servings

Slow Cooker BBQ Ham Sandwiches

Ingredients

3 C. ketchup

3/4 C. chopped onion

3/4 C. Chopped green onion

3/4C. packed brown sugar

1/2 C. lemon juice

1/3 C. Worcestershire sauce

1 tbsp. prepared mustard

1 1/4 tsp. ground allspice

1 1/2 tsp. liquid smoke, optional

3 lbs. thinly sliced deli ham

16 Kaiser or ciabatta rolls, split

Directions

1) In a large saucepan, combine the first eight ingredients ; if desired, stir in liquid smoke. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, 5 minutes. Stirring occasionally.

2) Place ham in a 5 or 6 qt. slow cooker. Add sauce; stir gently to combine. Cook, covered, on low 2-3 hrs or until heated through. Serve on rolls.

Prep: 20 minutes

Cook: 2 hours

Makes: 16 servings

Sausage Pasta Bake

Ingredients

1/2lb. rigatoni

1 lb. pork sausage

1 tbsp.olive oil

1 onion, chopped

1 clove garlic, crushed

1 tsp. chili powder

1 can (14oz) chopped tomatoes

1/2 C. chicken broth

1/2 tsp. sugar

1 tbsp. chopped fresh basil

1/8 tsp. salt

1/8 tsp. black pepper

5 1/2 oz. mozzarella cheese, cubed

Directions

1) Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Bring a saucepan of lightly salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook according to the package directions. Drain & set aside. Spray a large oven proof dish with nonstick cooking spray. Cut the sausage into slices.

2) Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan & saute the onion and garlic until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the sausage slices to the pot. Cook until browned, about 10 minutes. Stir in the chili powder. Cook for 1 minute longer. Stir in the tomatoes, broth & sugar. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Add the pasta, basil, salt & pepper & stir to combine.

3) Transfer the pasta mixture to the prepared dish. Sprinkle the mozzarella on top. Bake pasta until golden and bubbly, 20-25 minutes. Serve immediately.

Prep: 30 minutes

Bake: 20-25 minutes

Serves: 4

A great idea would be to replace the sausage with 1 lb. meatballs. Fry until cooked through and add into step 2.

Easy Asian Glazed Meatballs

Ingredients

1/2 C. hoisin sauce

2 tbsp. rice vinegar

4 tsp. brown sugar

1 tsp. garlic powder

1 tsp. Sriracha Asian hot chili sauce

1/2 tsp. ground ginger

1 pkg. (12oz) frozen fully cooked homestyle or Italian meatballs

thinly sliced green onions & toasted sesame seeds, optional

Hot cooked rice

Directions

1) In a saucepan, mix the first six ingredients. Add meatballs, stirring to coat; cook, covered, over medium-low heat 12-15 minutes or until heated through, stirring occasionally. If desired, sprinkle with green onions  & sesame seeds. Serve with rice.

Start to finish: 20 minutes

Makes: 4 servings

With this recipe you actually can use it as an appetizer as well. But you definitely will want to either double or triple the recipe because these are really good.

Crock-Pot Ham

Ingredients

1 ham, pre-cooked, bone-in, spiral cut

3 C. brown sugar

1 can pineapple tidbits, undrained

Directions

1) Cover the bottom of the crockpot with brown sugar.

2) Place ham on top of the brown sugar and add the pineapple tidbits with the juice. Sprinkle ham with more brown sugar.

3) Cover & cook on low for 7-8 hours.

For this recipe a 6 qt slow cooker was used.

Cowboy Burger

Ingredients

8 ground beef patties (2lbs)

2 tbsp. olive oil

3 sweet onions (2lb) thinly sliced, separated into rings

3 tbsp. A.1. Steak sauce

8 hamburger buns

2 tomatoes, sliced

8 kraft singles

Directions

1) Heat grill to medium heat.

2) Grill patties 5 minutes on each side. or until done (160 degrees)

3) Meanwhile, heat oil in large nonstick skillet on medium-high heat. Add onions, cook & stir 10 minutes or until golden brown, stirring frequently. Stir in steak sauce.

4) Fill buns with tomatoes, burgers, cheese and onion mixture.

Prep: 10 minutes

Total: 20 minutes

Makes: 8 servings

Not everyone is a fan of onions so you can omit them if you like and just add the steak sauce directly to the hamburger (in place of the ketchup).