Rigatoni and Meatballs

Thank you Pioneer Woman for another WONDERFUL meal! It makes plenty so it could easily be halfed for a smaller amount or just have leftovers and have it the next night again! Or make meatball sliders like the Pioneer Woman suggested! This will be a family favorite! IT IS SO GOOD!

Ingredients:

Meatballs

• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 pound ground pork
• 1 1/2 cup bead crumbs
• 1 cup of crushed crackers
• 3 teaspoons of minced garlic
• 2 eggs
• 1/4 cup parsley, more for serving
• 3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, more for serving
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• Ground pepper to taste
• 1/2 cup olive oil

Rigatoni and sauce

• 1 yellow onion, diced
• 3 teaspoons minced garlic
• 1 28 ounce can crushed tomatoes
• 1 28 ounce can whole tomatoes
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• Ground pepper to taste
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 1/4 cup parsley
• 1 tablespoon basil
• 2 pounds rigatoni, cooked al dente

Directions:

• Combine meat, garlic, bread crumbs, eggs, parsley, Parmesan, milk, salt, and pepper into a large mixing bowl

• Use clean hands to mix together until well combined

 

• Use a scoop to retrieve a small amount of the mixture and roll in your hands to make the meatballs

• Place in freezer for 10 to 15 minutes to allow them to firm up a little
• In a large pot (Big enough for the sauce and meatballs to fit into) heat olive oil over medium high heat
• 7 to 9 meatballs at a time, cook them until brown all around, but not completely cooked through ( a couple minutes each side)

• Place browned meatballs on a plate while you make the rigatoni and sauce
• Add onion and garlic to the pot
• Stir and cook for a minute or two until onion begins to soften
• Add the crushed tomatoes and whole tomatoes to the pot
• Then the salt sugar, parsley, and basil
• Stir and reduce heat to low, simmer for 20 to 30 minutes, stirring occasionally
• Then add the meatballs!

• Stir and and cover and cook for 20 to 30 minutes, stirring once or twice, until meatballs are cooked through

• While meatballs are cooking in the sauce, make the rigatoni an if you'd like garlic bread

• Then ENJOY!

Peanut Butter Brownie Triffle

If you are on a diet do not eat this!! It is so sweet, rich, and amazing! The recipe was on the cover of Taste of Home most REQUESTED Recipes 2014 and it definitely deserves to be! It's a cool dessert that is perfect for a party or get together, and if your friends and family like chocolate or peanut butter they will LOVE this!!

Ingredients:

• 1 fudge brownie mix (13 in by 9 in pan size)
• 1 package (10 oz) peanut butter chips
• 2 packages (13 oz each) mini peanut butter cups
• 4 cups cold milk (2%)
• 2 packages (5.1 oz each) instant vanilla pudding mix, I used the sugar free kind because that makes this dessert so much healthier, NOT
• About 1 cup of creamy peanut butter
• 4 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 to 3 cartons (8 oz each) frozen whipped topping , THAWED

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees
• Grease 13 by 9 inch baking pan
• Prepare brownie batter according to package directions
• Stir in peanut butter chips

• Bake in greased pan for 20- 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out with moist crumbs 

• Cool on a wire rack then cut into 3/4 inch pieces (I don't have a wire rack so I waited as long as I could before cutting them and putting them on my cutting board to continue cooling)

I some how lost a piece in the process of cutting them.

• Now cut the peanut butter cups in half and set aside 1/3 cup for garnish ( If you can find any, get ones without wrappers)

• In a large bowl, whisk the milk and pudding mixes for 2 minutes
• Add peanut butter and vanilla, mix well

• Fold in 1 1/2 cartoons of whipped topping

• Place a third of the brownies in a 5 quart glass bowl

• Top with a third of the remaining peanut butter cups

• Spoon a third of the pudding mixture over the top

• Repeat layers twice

• Cover with remaining whipped topping
• Garnish with reserved peanut butter cups

• Refrigerate until chilled
• ENJOY!!

Zucchini Pizzas

I have been meaning to try these for the past month or so because I've seen them all over Pinterest. They looked like a healthy and yummy snack or meal, and that's what they are! And they are pretty versatile to in the recipe because you make logs, slices, sticks, etc with the zucchini. My mom and me loved them and I hope you enjoy them too!

Ingredients:

• 1 zucchini (or more depending on how many plan on eating)
• About 1/2 cup of your favorite pizza sauce
• Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
• Shredded Parmesan Cheese
• And Parmesan cheese for topping

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees
• Cut zucchini in chunks, making sure there is a flat surface the sauce and cheese can lay on ( I had to cut off some pieces to form a flat surface)
• In a large skillet on medium high heat, brown both sides of zucchini
• Place browned zucchini on cooking pan lined with foil
• Spoon pizza sauce on each slice and carefully smooth over

• Sprinkle cheeses on top of the sauce
• Bake in the oven for about 10 minutes

• If the cheese is not yet melted crank up the heat to 400 until melted, making sure it does not burn
• Let cool for at least 5 minutes (or it will get messy!) and enjoy with some Parmesan cheese on top!

Seasoned Chuck Roast

Another recipe from the lovely Ms. Manning! This is a pretty simple recipe, and the hardest part of the recipe is waiting to eat the roast while it smells the house up with all of its goodness!

Ingredients:

• 3 pound Chuck Roast
• 1 whole onion chopped
• 1 package of Brown Gravy Mix (dry)
• 1 1/2 package of Italian Dressing Mix (dry) 
• 1 package of Ranch Dressing Mix (dry)
• 1 cup of water
• 1 tablespoon of olive oil

Directions:

• Heat a large skillet with olive oil

• Place roast in pan and brown both sides ( 2 minutes both sides)
• Place in the roast in the crock pot
• Chop the onion and throw in pot
• Evenly pour out all seasoning mixes in the pot
• Then pour in the water

• Heat on low for 3 hours then crank the heat to high for 2 hours

• Check to make sure the meat looks done to your liking and ENJOY!!!

Please notice and appreciate the Barney dinner plate.

Best Mashed Potatoes Ever

I got this recipe from Charlotte Manning who was one of my favorite teachers, and is a wonderful person and a FABULOUS cook! My dad works with her , and he is always bringing home recipes from her for me to try. And I must say these are the best mashed potatoes I have had!

Ingredients:

• 2 to 3 pounds of Yukon Gold potatoes (1/2 bag)
• 1 stick of real butter
• About half of a 12 ounce can of evaporated milk
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

• Wash potatoes real good
• Cut in half or fourths
• Place in a large pot and cover with water

• Cover with lid and bring to a boil

• Keep at a boil  for 20 minutes or until potatoes are fork tender (fork is inserted without much pressure) The longer you leave them boiling the creamery the mashed potatoes, I like some small chunks in mine, so if you like yous like that as well this amount of time will work!
• Drain and place back in pot
• With a potato masher, mash the potatoes
• Add butter (sliced) and continue mashing
• Slowly add in evaporated milk while mashing until right consistency

• Add salt and pepper for tasting and stir in
• ENJOY!

Breakfast Potatoes

I got this recipe from the Pioneer Woman, and they looked so GOOD! And they are!! Although when I fixed them for my family we had them for dinner, as my mom said, "I'll never make potatoes without peppers and onions again!" My dad did pick around the "green stuff" he still loved them!

Ingredients:

• About half a bag of red potatoes
• 4 teaspoons of minced garlic
• 1 whole onion
• 1 green bell pepper
• 1 red bell pepper( I didn't use on in my pictures)
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/2 stick of melted butter
• 1 teaspoon of seasoned salt
• 1/4 teaspoon of paprika 
• 1/4 teaspoon of black pepper
• salt and pepper

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees
• Wash potatoes and cut into small chunks
• Put in a large bowl
• Roughly chop peppers into small chunks and pour into bowl
• Roughly chop onion and toss into bowl

• Toss in the garlic, olive oil, butter, seasoned salt, paprika, black pepper, and any additional seasonings and mix together
• Pour on to 2 foil lined pans, sprinkle with pepper and salt and bake for 40 to 45 minutes

• Let cool and eat up and enjoy!

Chicken Casserole

This is sooo good! I got the recipe from my mom's school cook book. Doris Philips is the wonderful lady behind this scrumptious and simple recipe. It's creamy and mom, sister, and me couldn't get enough of it!

Ingredients:

• 3 or 4 chicken breasts or 6 to 8 chicken tenderloins
• 1 1/4 cups chicken broth
• 1 can cream of celery soup
• 1 can cream of chicken soup
• 1 package Pepperidge Farm
• 1 stick of margarine of butter

Directions:

• Wash chicken breasts and place in a large pot
• Fill the pot with water until chicken is covered
• Bring to a boil
• Remove from heat and reduce heat to low
• Return to heat for 20 to 25 minutes or until chicken is cooked through
• Drain

• Preheat oven to 350
• Place in a bowl and shred in to bite sized pieces with fingers or 2 forks
• In a medium bowl combine soups and broth and mix together

• In a 9 by 13 inch baking dish pour half of stuffing mix into the bottom

• Put shredded chicken on top of stuffing

• Pour soup mixture on top of chicken

• Pour remaining stuffing on top and press lightly

• Melt butter and drizzle over the casserole

• Bake for 30 minutes and enjoy!!

Asparagus with Dill Hollandaise

I thank the Pioneer woman for this wonderful recipe. I've never been a big fan of asparagus. but this recipe with the sauce if delightful! It brightens up you meal, and adds some healthy benefits as well as deliciousness! Another option for making the recipe could be steaming or roasting the asparagus that would be just as yummy!

Ingredients:

• 2 asparagus bundles
• 1 stick of butter
• 2 egg yolks
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 1/2 tablespoon of dill
• 1 teaspoon salt

Directions:

• Rinse asparagus and trim the ends off
• Bring a large pot of water to boil
• Add in the asparagus
• Stir and remain at a boil for 3 to 4 minutes
• Drain and set aside on large plate
• Melt a stick of butter in the microwave for 40 seconds
• Add the egg yolks to a blender
• Add the lemon, melted butter, dill and salt and blend until combined
• Drizzle on top of asparagus or set aside in separate bowl and garnish with more dill!
• Enjoy!