Pineapple Meatballs

Pineapple Meatballs

INGREDIENTS:
Meatballs:
2 lbs ground beef
2 large eggs
½ cup dry breadcrumbs
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
1 ½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
¼ teaspoon garlic powder

Sauce:
1 cup brown sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1 ¾ cups pineapple juice (reserved from pineapple tidbits)
¼ cup white vinegar
1 ½ tablespoon soy sauce
1 ½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 (14 oz) can pineapple tidbits

DIRECTIONS:

1. Pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees. Make the meatballs by combining all meatball ingredients in a large bowl. Mix well and shape into about 1” meatballs.

2. Brown Meatballs in a non-stick frying pan and drain on paper towels (or if you want to save time brown in the oven on a cookie sheet while you’re making the sauce).

3. Make the sauce by combining cornstarch and brown sugar in a sauce pan. Then add 1 ¾ cup pineapple juice and blend until the mixture is smooth. Add vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce and stir. Simmer uncovered on medium low until thickened (about 8 minutes - mine only took about 4 minutes to thicken).

4. In a casserole dish pour sauce over meatballs and add pineapple tidbits. Lightly mix meatballs until they are coated with the sauce. Bake in the oven for 30-40 minutes or until fully cooked.

S.S.S. (Super bowl Sloppy Joes)

S.S.S. (Super bowl Sloppy Joes)

¼ c Canola Oil

1 med onion diced

1 large green pepper diced

1 red pepper diced

1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and diced

1 lb. ground pork

1 lb. ground beef

1 jar Guy Fiera Bourbon Brown BBQ Sauce (I just use KC Masterpiece)

24 buns (I like rolls)

2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded (forgot this last time)

Add canola oil to heavy skillet add the onion and peppers. Cook until onions are translucent. Add pork and beef. Sauté until meat is just cooked. Drain excess fat. Add BBQ sauce and simmer for 15 minutes. Put the mixture on bun, top with cheese.

Sometimes I add brown sugar and Worcestershire sauce to the BBQ if it’s one I’m not fond of.

Asian Steak Kabobs

Asian Steak Kabobs

Onceamonthmom.com; adapted from Steamy Kitchen

Ingredients:

•                3 pounds sirloin steak

•                7.5 cups quartered yellow bell peppers

•                2 cups wedged red onion

•                1 cup wedged sweet Vidalia onion

•                1 pint cherry tomatoes

•                3 cups sliced zucchini

•                2 cups pineapple chunks

•                8 teaspoon freshly grated ginger

•                6 teaspoon sesame oil

•                12 tablespoon soy sauce

•                16 bamboo skewers

•                Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Place bamboo skewers in water and allow to soak.  Make marinade by combining ginger, garlic, sesame oil and soy sauce.  Set aside and cut sirloin into 1.5-inch cubes.  Mix meat, half of marinade, salt and pepper in a large bowl, cover and refrigerate for a few hours or overnight. Chop vegetables and combine in a bowl with the remainder of the marinade, cover and refrigerate until ready to cook.  Once ready to cook, place meat and vegetables on skewers.  Grill over high heat covered for 5 minutes on each side, then over low heat covered to desired level of doneness.  Serve over rice if desired.

Freezing Directions:

Follow directions above for prepping skewers and marinade. Chop meat and vegetables and place on skewers.  Place skewers in freezer bags and pour marinade into bags over skewers. Label and freeze. To serve: Thaw in fridge. Grill over high heat covered for 5 minutes on each side and then over low heat covered to desired level of doneness. Serve over rice if desired.

Tator Tot Casserole

1 lb. ground beef
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 can (10-3/4 oz.) condensed cream of chicken soup
½ cup milk
1 cup KRAFT Shredded Cheddar Cheese
1 lb. (1/2 of 32-oz. pkg.) frozen tator tots

Preheat oven to 375.  Spray PAM in a 9x13 pan. Line the bottom of the pan with tots and pur milk on top.  Brown the ground beef and saute onion together. When brown drain grease and add soup. Mix well. Pour meat mixture on top of tots. Bake for 45 minutes and top with cheese last 10 minutes of baking. Baking time may vary slightly... make sure the potatoes are pretty much golden brown before topping with cheese. Cheese only needs a couple minutes to melt. 

FREEZER INSTRUCTIONS:
For freezing make meal (but don't top with cheese). Include a small baggie of cheese with each meal for adding while baking.
Thaw the meal in the fridge overnight and then bake at 350 covered for the first 30 minutes. Top with cheese and bake another 10 minutes UNCOVERED. or from frozen bake in oven for 1.5 hours.

Homemade Sloppy Joes

Once you've tried this, you will never buy a can of Manwich again!

1 pound hamburger meat

1/4 - 1/2 cup finely chopped white onion

1 can tomato soup

brown sugar

ketchup

mustard

salt & pepper

Cook hamburger and onion in a large skillet until meat is browned and onions are tender, adding salt and pepper. Add in tomato soup and stir until well blended. Now comes the fun part! Stir in brown sugar, ketchup, and mustard - a little at a time- until it reaches your desired taste. Serve on buns.

Note: For my family of six, I always double the recipe because one batch is not nearly enough and everybody wants seconds and thirds!

Heidi Dixon

Shredded Beef Chimichangas

Ingredients:

Shredded Beef (cooked and seasoned)

Homemade Flour Tortillas (or whatever you have on hand)

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Red onion (diced)

Guacamole

Sour Cream (optional)

Olives (optional)

Homemade Red Enchilada Sauce, or your favorite store bought kind (try Old El Paso's, they are my favorite when I do not have time for homemade)

Cheddar Cheese, shredded

Directions:

Heat oil in frying pan over medium-high heat. Place a tortilla on the counter and put a little bit of meat in the middle. Add some cheese and fold up. [I like to fold mine by folding in the sides and taking the bottom (closest to me) and rolling it to the top.] Gently place in the hot oil and wait until the bottom is browned, but not burnt. Carefully flip it over and fry till browned on the bottom. Take the chimichanga out of the oil and place on some napkins or paper towel to drain any excess oil. To assemble the toppings, pour some enchilada sauce over the tortilla, sprinkle some cheese, add some red onions and olives, and give a dollop of guacamole, and sour cream.

Recipe courtesy of The Cooking Chicks

St. Patrick's Day Corned Beef

Throw caution to the wind and try this recipe.  Even if you don't like corned beef.  IT IS SOOOOO GOOD, not to mention easy!!!!!  You're kids will love it.  You'll wish you had bought more because it goes so fast.  You'll want to have this even when it's not St. Patrick's Day.  Trust me. :) 

Ingredients:
1 Corned beef brisket, flat cut (about 3 lbs.)
1/2 cup brown sugar
2-3 Tablespoons mustard
1 head of cabbage
9-10 small red potatoes
1/4 cup butter
parsley

Dipping Sauce:
1 cup sour cream
2 tsp. horse radish
squirt of mustard

Directions:
1.  Cover the brisket with water in a kettle. Pour the spice packet in the water. (The corned beef comes with a spice packet.) Boil the brisket for about 4 hours. You can also use a crock pot instead of the kettle if you desire.  Follow the directions above and cook on high for 4 hours.

2.  After the meat is boiled, preheat the oven to 350.  Prepare a glaze by mixing about 1/2 cup of brown sugar with enough mustard to make a paste. Spread this glaze over the corned beef and bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes. The glaze will be bubbly.

3.  While the meat is cooking, wash, quarter and core the cabbage.  Cut the cabbage into smaller pieces.  Put the cabbage in a pot of water to boil.  I like to cook the cabbage in the excess water from the cooked meat because it has all the spices and flavors in it.  You can also boil it in fresh water if desired.  The water should come up at least halfway on the cabbage.  Cook for about 15 minutes or until it reaches your desired texture.  Some people like it crispier, some softer. 

4.  After putting the cabbage on to boil, peel off a little bit of skin from around the center of the baby red potatoes with a potato peeler.  (You don't have to do this.  It just makes it look pretty.)  : )  Boil the baby red potatoes for about 10-15 minutes or until tender when poked with a fork. 

5.  When everything is finished, arrange cabbage, potatoes and meat on a platter. Melt the butter in a small bowl and mix with some parsley.  Drizzle this mixture over the vegetables and potatoes (not the meat).  You can use as much or as little as you want.  Feel free to add more butter and even other spices.  *Leave out the butter to make it dairy free. 

6.  Dipping sauce:  Mix together the sour cream, horse radish sauce, and mustard in a small bowl for dipping.  (My husband liked the sauce for variety.  I preferred it the meat plain.  Yes, it was that good!)

7.  Enjoy, devour, make more!

Recipe Courtesy of  Kimmy's Kitchen