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Tonight's Dinner

Hopefully it is good, but I thought I would blog it while the kids are sleeping!

Hot Meatball Subs

1 package (18 oz) frozen cooked meatballs - I used my homemade that I cook fully and then freeze-about 30
1 jar (26 oz) chunky garden style spaghetti sauce
1/2 t minced garlic - optional
Mozzarella cheese
Buns

Combine meatballs, sauce and garlic in a sprayed slow cooker.  Cook on low for 4-6 hours.  Place meatballs and sauce on bun.  Sprinkle with cheese.

Sesame Wheat Braids

2 packages (1/4 oz each) active dry yeast
2 1/4 C warm water
1/3 C sugar
1 T oil
1 C whole wheat flour
2 eggs
1 T water
1 T salt
5-6 C all-purpose flour
2 t sesame seeds

In a large mixing bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water.  Add sugar and oil, mix well.  Stir in whole wheat flour, let stand until the mixture bubbles, about 5 minutes.  In a small bowl, beat eggs and water.  Remove 2 T to a small bowl, cover and refrigerate.  Add remaining egg mixture and salt to batter, mix until smooth.  Add enough remaining flour to form a soft dough.  Turn onto a floured surface, knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top.  Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.  Punch dough down and divide in half.  Divide each half into thirds.  Shape each into a rope about 15 inches long.  Place three ropes on a greased baking sheet, braid. Pinch each end frimly and tuck under.  Repeat, placing second braid on another sheet.  Let rise until doubled, about 45 minutes.  Brush braids with the reserved egg mixture, sprinkle with sesame seeds.  Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes.  Remove from pan and cool on rack.

I've never made a braided bread. I also don't have any regular flour in the house so it is 100% whole wheat.  Hopefully it turns out edible!

Cornmeal pancakes

This is my go-to pancake recipe.  If I ever make pancakes this is the one I use, but one Saturday morning I decided to get adventurous and try the cornmeal variation.  A tasty change but not going to replace the buttermilk ones.

Orginal Recipe
2 C all purpose flour
2 T sugar
2 t baking powder
1/2 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
1 large egg
3 T melted butter
2 C buttermilk
1-2 t vegetable oil to grease griddle

Whisk flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl.  In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg, melted butter and then the buttermilk. Make a well in the dry ingredients, pour in buttermilk mixture and whisk just until incorporated.  Don't over mix.  Then cook on your griddle.

To feed our family a Saturday morning breakfast I usually double or triple this recipe, but that is because we have 5 breakfast monsters living in this house.

Cornmeal variation
Replace1 C of the all purpose flour with 1 1/2 C fine ground cornmeal and whisk 1/4 t vanilla into the buttermilk mixture.

Whole Wheat Waffles

BEST WAFFLES EVER!  These were so tasty and sweet enough you don't need syrup.  Anytime I can convince the kids to not put syrup on something is a win.  I hate cleaning up sticky tables, chairs, floors, hair, and clothes. 

Whole Wheat Waffles

1/2 egg substitute - I didn't have these so I used 2 eggs
1 3/4 C 1% milk
1/2 C fat free plain yogurt
1 C all-purpose flour
1 C whole wheat flour
1/2 C sugar substitute - I just used sugar
2 T sugar
4 t baking powder
1/4 t salt

In a mixing bowl, beat egg until frothy.  Add the milk, yogurt and vanilla.  Mix well.  Combine the flours, sugar substitute, sugar, baking powder and salt, stir into milk mixture just until combined.  Bake in preheated waffle iron according to directions until golden brown.  The waffles split in half if it wasn't well greased and cooked till a bit crispy.

Polynesian Sausage Supper

 
Polynesian Sausage Supper

1 lb fully cooked smoked sausage, cut into 1/2 in slices
1 medium onion, chopped
1 medium green pepper, cut into 1 inch chunks
1 can diced tomatoes - undrained
1/2 C beef broth
1 T brown sugar
1/4 t garlic powder
1 can pineapple chunks
2 T cornstarch

In a skillet, cook the sausage, onion, and green pepper until the sausage is lightly browned.  Add tomatoes, broth, brown sugar, garlic powder and pepper.  Drain pineapple, reserving juice.  Stir pineapple into sausage mixture.  Bring to a boil, cook, uncovered, for 5 minutes.

Combine cornstarch and reserved pineapple juice until smooth, gradually add to sausage mixture.  Bring to a boil, cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened.  Serve over rice.  Makes 6 servings.

This was good and really easy.  I've never cooked with this kind of sausage.  The kids loved it!

Mexican Fiesta

We had a great Mexican dinner.  We tried Brazilian Lemonade from ourbestbites.com - pretty tasty but I probably won't make it again.  We also enjoyed fruit salsa and cinnamon cups.  For our new recipe we tried

Taco Grande
1 lb ground turkey - but we tried it with shredded cooked chicken
1 package taco seasoning
16 oz salsa
8 flour tortillas
2 C shredded cheddar cheese or colby jack
1 green onion

Preheat oven to 350.  Spray bottom of deep dish pie pan.  Cook turkey or put chicken in pan.  Add taco mix and amount of water directed on package.  Continue cooking according to package directions.  Remove from heat and stir in 1 C of salsa.

Arrange 4 tortillas in bottom and up side of pie pan - tortillas will overlap.  Spoon meat mixture evenly over tortillas.  Sprinkle with 1 C cheese and sprinkle green onion.  Top with remaining 4 tortillas, overlapping tortillas slightly to create a scalloped edge.  Press tortillas down over filling.  Spread remaining salsa and cheese over top.

Bake for 30 minutes.

This was really good and we will make it again.  The kids loved it too!

Pork Chops and Gravy

These was quite good.  It was a good Fast Sunday recipe and so easy to put together.

Pork Chops and Gravy

3 large onions, quartered
3 ribs of celery, sliced
3-4 pork chops
10 3/4 oz can cream of mushroom soup

1. Place onions and celery in slow cooker.  Place pork chops on top.  Pour soup over all.
2. Cover.  Cook on High for 1 hour and then reduce heat to Low and cook 3-4 hours, or until chops are tender.