Burritos Grande

Remember back in the day when you’d buy those frozen burritos and either pop them in the microwave or oven and have a quick and easy dinner in no time?  That’s pretty much what these homemade burritos reminded me of last night for our annual Cinco de Mayo backyard dinner. 

Last year I did taco burgers, but this year, I wanted something more traditional.  Burritos.  Now you know me – I’m big into ground turkey – but last night I went for the ground beef… more “authentic” I suppose.  With some refried beans down the center, topped with the beef mixture and a sprinkle of cheese, these little guys were wrapped up, baked, topped with cheese, and baked a little more before being topped with sour cream and salsa. 

They were awesome… especially on our patriotic paper plates in the backyard.

Burritos Grande

 

Burritos Grande

What You Need:

• 1 lb ground beef
• 1 packet taco seasoning
• ½ c sour cream
• 1 can refried beans
• 12 tortillas
• 2 c shredded Mexican blend cheese
• Salsa and sour cream for topping

How You Do It:

1. Brown ground beef until no longer pink.  Stir in taco seasoning and ¾ c water.  Mix to combine.
2. Remove from heat and stir in ½ c sour cream.
3. Spread spoonful of beans down each tortilla and top with about ¼ c meat mixture.  Sprinkle with a tiny bit of cheese and fold like a burrito (sides in, then roll).
4. Place in a 9x13 baking dish (I had to use two), cover, and bake at 350* for 25 minutes.
5. Uncover, top with remaining cheese, and bake an additional 5 minutes or until the cheese has melted.

 Burritos Grande recipe adapted from Kraft Recipes.

Garlic Teriyaki Edamame

Last night’s salmon left much to be desired, but I’d be doing you all a disfavor not talking about the edamame we had alongside.

First off, edamame are fun – you can eat them with your fingers without being frowned upon, they fun to suck out of the pods, and let’s not forget the amazing nutritional value behind them.

Usually pan seared and sprinkled with sea salt, you’ll find these little gems in most Asian restaurants.  We, however, had them at home last night and they were amazing.

The sauce really deserves all the credit.  A little garlic, teriyaki, and brown sugar goes a long way.  Once the pods are all tossed and covered in the goodness, sprinkle the bowl with some sesame seeds for the added flare and sense of “fancy”.  When you combine it all together, you are left with the perfect combination of sweet and salty.

Garlic Teriyaki Edamame

Garlic Teriyaki Edamame

What You Need:

• 1⁄4 c water
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 16 oz package frozen edamame, in the pod
• 1⁄4 c teriyaki sauce
• 2 tbsp brown sugar
• 2 tbsp rice vinegar
• Sesame seeds

How You Do It:

1. Bring the water and garlic to a boil in a medium saucepan over high heat.
2. Stir in the edamame, and cook until the edamame are hot, and the liquid has nearly evaporated, about 5 minutes.
3. Reduce the heat to medium and stir in the teriyaki sauce, brown sugar, and vinegar.
4. Stir constantly until the sauce has thickened and coats the edamame, about 4 minutes.
5. Sprinkle with sesame seeds to serve.

Garlic Teriyaki Edamame recipe adapted from Kitchme.com. 

Mexican Stuffed Shells

I always love it when my husband comes home from work and asks if I had blogged about dinner the previous night.  Usually it means he brought leftovers for lunch and all the lady teachers around the table want to either try what he brought or make it themselves!

Such was the case last night when he came home.  I had made these Mexican stuffed shells the night before and sent them for lunch the next day.  They take a little prep, which is why I put them together Sunday afternoon, so that when I got home from work on Monday, all I had to do was add the taco sauce on top and pop them in the oven.

These are a great combination of those infamous Italian stuffed shells and tacos.  The salsa on the bottom combined with the taco sauce on top make the perfect sauce and you control the heat – we use mild everything in our house, but go for the hot stuff it that’s what you like!  And who doesn't like melted cheese.  I topped mine with sour cream and the hubs ate his as-is.

Give these a try and to the ladies at FIS – enjoy!

Mexican Stuffed Shells

Mexican Stuffed Shells

What You Need:

• 1 lb. ground turkey
• 1 package taco seasoning
• 4 oz. cream cheese (I used 5 wedges of this)
• 18-20 jumbo pasta shells
• 1 ½ c salsa
• 1 c taco sauce
• 1 package shredded Mexican blend cheese

How You Do It:

1. Cook shells according to package.  Drain and let cool.
2. While the shells cook, cook ground turkey in large skillet until no longer pink.
3. Add taco seasoning and required water, and stir to combine.
4. Add cream cheese and incorporate until blended.  Let meat mixture cool.
5. Once shells and meat are cooled, pour salsa in the bottom on a baking dish (I used a 9” square dish)
6. Fill shells with meat mixture and place seam-side-up in dish.
7. Top with taco sauce, cover with foil, and bake for 30 minutes at 350*.
8. Remove foil and top with cheese. Bake an additional 10 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Mexican Stuffed Shells recipe adapted from The Way to His Heart.

Stove-Top, Broccoli, Cheddar, and Chicken Casserole

Once upon a time, my college roommate / best friend and I lived in this super run-down red house in Minneapolis.  It was pretty bad… the floors were slanted, there was a hole, yes a hole, in our shower, and once, the ceiling leaked from the toilet in the upper unit right down into our kitchen – disgusting.

I was almost always done with class before her and would almost always be sitting on the couch watching Food Network when she got home.  She would walk in, say hello, and shake her head at me thinking “you really need to watch that every night?!”

Well, if you ask her now, she knew why.  I would cook up a storm, and now, so does she.  So much so, that back before we were both East Coast transplants and both still living in Minneapolis, she had me over and whipped up this little doozie.

Super easy, super fast, and super tasty – what could be wrong with chicken, broccoli, cheese, and a little stuffing.  This quick casserole (or hot dish, as they call it in Minnesota) comes together in no time – dice some chicken, cut some broccoli, dump in some soup, cheese, and milk, top it with stuffing… and into the oven it goes.

So last night’s dinner gives a shout-out to The Adventures of Liz and Molly – four years (and then a couple post-college) never to be replicated…

Stove-Top, Broccoli, Cheddar, and Chicken Casserole

Stove-Top, Broccoli, Cheddar,
and Chicken Casserole

What You Need:

• 3 boneless, skinless, chicken breasts, cut into small cubes
• 2 crowns, fresh broccoli, broken apart
• ½ c milk
• 1 can condensed cream of chicken soup
• 1 ½ c shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 6oz package stove top stuffing

How You Do It:

1. Combine chicken and broccoli in a baking dish.
2. In a medium bowl, combine soup, milk and cheese; pour over chicken and broccoli mixture.
3. In another bowl, add 1 ¼ c hot water to stuffing mix and stir to combine; top casserole with stuffing.
4. Bake at 400*  30 min. or until chicken is done and casserole is heated through.

Stove-Top, Broccoli, Cheddar, and Chicken Casserole recipe adapted from Kraft.

Mushroom Ramen

Last night’s main dish didn’t even make it out of the pan… I don’t know if it was a sour jar of lemon curd or a faulty recipe, but it just wasn’t happening.  In fact, the sour smell was so awful, the dish went from pan to garbage to dumpster within minutes, and dishes promptly washed to rid the kitchen of the awful smell.  Too graphic?  Sorry… it was just that bad.

However, I will say the side dish was the saving grace and turned into my husband’s complete dinner.  Talk about easy, inexpensive, and flavorful.  Find yourself a package of sliced mushrooms, a package of ramen noodles, and a little butter, and you’ve got yourself a side dish (or in this case, main dish swap out) in minutes.

This really comes together in no time at all – the mushrooms sauté up as quickly as the noodles take to soak, toss it together, and you’re in business.

So while the chicken was less-than-appetizing, I’ll certainly give the side dish three thumbs-up for quick, easy, and delicious, and a gold star for salvaging what was a horrifying attempt at dinner.

Mushroom Ramen

Mushroom Ramen

What You Need:

• 1 package chicken-flavored ramen noodles
• 1 package sliced mushrooms
• 1 tbsp butter

How You Do It:

1. Sauté mushrooms in a saucepan with ramen seasoning packet.
2. While the mushrooms cook, soak noodles in hot water until soft.
3. Once mushrooms are cooked and noodles are soft, drain noodles and add to mushrooms.  Add butter and toss to combine.

Mushroom Ramen recipe adapted from Food Network

Cheeseburger Meatballs with "Special Sauce"

It’s been quite some time since I've been this jazzed about a recipe, but let me tell you about this new- turned-favorite meatball recipe. 

By now you've probably noticed I’m a sucker for meatballs.  So when we had a very lazy weekend at home, I took the opportunity to try yet another rendition.  This time, combining my love for meatballs with my love for hamburgers. 

Seriously – it’s like all the flavors of a Big Mac were combined into the perfectly moist little ball of burger and dipped into that infamous “secret sauce”.  You won’t even miss the bun.  And you know me, always using lean ground turkey in place of beef.  Not this time: beef was what’s for dinner.  I used lean ground beef – a 95/5 split – and they were moist enough that the hubs requested the leftovers for lunch today (he usually steers clear of anything that might dry out when reheated).  And don’t shy away from chopping up that dill pickle for the mixture – it adds just the right balance of pickle-to-burger.

I’m telling you – these are not to miss.   In fact, I’m already dreaming up the variations on a theme – mushroom and swiss, [turkey] bacon and cheddar, pizza ([turkey] pepperoni, mozzarella, pizza sauce), and my personal favorite: cowboy (bbq fried onion)... the possibilities are endless.

Cheeseburger Meatballs with “Special Sauce”

Cheeseburger Meatballs with "Special Sauce"

What You Need for the Meatballs:

• 1 lb lean ground beef
• 1 package onion soup mix
• 1 dill pickle spear, chopped
• 1 tbsp ketchup
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1 egg
• 3/4 c panko bread crumbs
• 3/4 c shredded cheddar cheese

What You Need for the “Special Sauce”:

• 1/3 c mayonnaise
• 3 tbsp ketchup
• 2 tbsp sweet pickle relish
• 2 tsp sugar
• 1 tsp white vinegar
• 3/4 tsp onion powder

How You Do It:

1. In a large bowl, combine the beef, onion soup mix, chopped pickles, ketchup, garlic powder, and egg. Add the breadcrumbs and cheese and mix well. 
2. Roll into 1-inch balls and place on baking sheet.
3. Bake at 375*F, 15-20 minutes, until cooked through.
4. While the meatballs bake, mix the ingredients for the sauce and refrigerate until ready to eat.

Cheeseburger Meatballs with "Special Sauce" recipe adapted from BakeYourDay.net

Apple Cinnamon Breakfast Quinoa

Since today is pretty much a stay-at-home-Sunday, I took the opportunity to get in the kitchen and whip up a little something for breakfast this week.  And since quinoa is the latest craze out there in the foodie world, I took a stab at this one.

Quinoa can be a little tricky to cook, so I took to the best method I've found:  my rice cooker.  Just follow the 2-1 ratio (2 parts liquid, 1 part quinoa) and let your rice cooker do the work.   If you don't have a rice cooker, I'm sure there's a good stovetop version, but this seems to do the trick for me.

The flavors cannot be beat: apples, cinnamon, brown sugar ... what could be wrong?!  And quinoa - a superfood seed, not grain - is jam-packed with protein to keep you going all morning long.

I had to give 'er a little taste before portioning it out and packing it up for breakfasts this week and I must say, a pretty awesome alternative to that prepackaged brown-sugar cinnamon oatmeal.


Oh, and I also whipped up a little slow cooker dinner for tomorrow, so check back for the outcome!


Apple Cinnamon Breakfast Quinoa 

Apple Cinnamon Breakfast Quinoa

What You Need:

• 1 cup quinoa, uncooked
• 2 cups water
• 2 apples, diced
• 1 tbsp butter
• 3 tbsp brown sugar
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 c milk (I used unsweetened almond milk, but use your milk of choice)

How You Do It:

1. Place quinoa and water in rice cooker and cook according to appliance instructions.
2. While the quinoa cooks, melt 1/2 tbsp butter in skillet.  Add diced apples and cook until apples are soft and start to caramelize. 
3. Once quinoa is cooked, fluff with fork or rice paddle in large bowl.  Add remaining 1/2 tbsp butter, cinnamon, brown sugar, and milk.
4. Fold in apples.

Apple Cinnamon Breakfast Quinoa recipe adapted from Weight Watchers.