OBB Cheesesteak Sandwich

One of our favorite quick and easy meals is Cheesesteak Sandwiches from Our Best Bites!  I usually use yellow or orange bell peppers just as a personal preference over the green.

http://www.ourbestbites.com/2008/07/cheesesteak-sandwiches/


Angie

Freezer Meals for the Crock Pot

Before I had Warren, I spent an evening preparing freezer meals to use post-baby and I have LOVED having them! I use them on the days that he just won't let me put him down or the days I felt more sore and tired from recovery or because he didn't sleep very good that night or just because I'm feeling lazy. I haven't used them all and I hope to prep some more once I run out!   They've been so handy!  I know there are recipes for freezer meals that you can bake (like the Honey-Lime Enchiladas that Marilee gave us...DELISH!!) but all of these are meant to just throw in the crock pot for a few hours.


These are from the Six Sisters' Stuff blog.  They have other recipes for freezer meals but these are the ones I chose because I had just bought a case of chicken from Zaycon Foods.

Chicken Broccoli Alfredo

Ingredients:

1 ½ pounds chicken breasts

1 (16 oz) bag frozen broccoli florets

2 (16 oz) jars Alfredo sauce (I use light)

1 large green pepper, chopped

1 (4 oz) can sliced mushrooms, drained

Directions:

Place all ingredients in a resealable gallon-sized freezer bag and mix together.

When ready to eat, remove from freezer and thaw in fridge for 24 hours. Cook on LOW for 4-6 hours. 

Serve with cooked fettuccine noodles, green salad, and breadsticks. 

Cilantro Lime Chicken w/ Corn and Black Beans

Ingredients:

1 1/2 pounds chicken breasts
Juice from 2 limes
1 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped
1 (16 oz) bag frozen corn
2 minced garlic cloves
1/2 red onion, chopped
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 tsp cumin 

salt and pepper to taste

Directions: 

Place all ingredients in a resealable gallon-sized freezer bag. Mix together and zip bag closed.

When ready to eat, remove from freezer and thaw in fridge for 24 hours. Cook on LOW for 8 hours (or HIGH for 4 hours). 

Serve with tortillas and toppings such as with sour cream, guacamole, salsa, and cheese.

Recipe adapted from Over the Big Moon. 

**I have this in the freezer but I haven't made it yet. I'm excited to try it though so I'll let you know what we think.

**I don't think you need to thaw  these before hand, it just cook it for a couple more hours til the chicken is done.

 

These recipes are from Saving You Dinero

Crock Pot Hawaiian Chicken
(4-5 servings)

• 2-3 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• ½  cup white sugar
• ½  cup vinegar
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 Tablespoons soy sauce
• ½   cup of pineapple juice (use what’s in the can)
• ½  can of large pineapple chunks

Add all the ingredients to the bag. Cook 4-5 hours on high or 6-7 hours on low. Serve it over rice and enjoy. While I am cooking the rice I  like to shred the chicken and put it back in the juice before I serve it.
**This was a little sweet for my taste but still yummy.  I just added soy sauce on top when we ate it at it was better (according to my taste buds).

Garlic Honey Chicken
(4-5 servings)

• 1 ½  to 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• ⅓ cup  soy sauce
• ⅔  cup ketchup
• ¼  cup honey

(Feel free to double the sauce if you like extra sauce)
Add all the ingredients to a freezer bag. Cook 3-4 hours on high or 5-6 hours on low.  We like to eat this with mashed potatoes and a veggie.
 **THIS WAS DELICIOUS!!  It could easily be done without freezing if you wanted. I made loaded mashed potatoes (with sour cream, bacon, cheese, and green onions) and salad with the chicken and we both loved it!

Chicken Fajitas
( 5-6 servings)

• 2 peppers (your favorite)
• 1 onion
• 1 1/2 pound chicken breast
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• taco seasoning packet
• 1 tsp. chili powder
• 1/2 tsp. paprika
• 1 tsp. salt

You will also need tortillas, cheese, cream, etc.
**I cooked the chicken and then made chimichangas with the meat after I shredded it. I used the meat and peppers, black beans, cheese, and salsa. Rolled them up with the ends tucked in and lightly fried them in a pan with a little bit of oil in them.  So yummy!

Directions

1. Put all the ingredients in a large freezer bag. (Make sure you label the bag with instructions.)
2. When it’s time to cook it, dump it all in your slow cooker and cook on high for 3-4 hours or low for 5-6 hours.
3. When it’s cooked, shred the meat and add it back to the pepper mixture and serve on warm tortillas and your favorite toppings.

 Let me know if you have any great freezer meal recipes or if you have any questions about these!  Happy Cooking everyone! :)

Love ya!
Ang 

Pumpkin Cinnamon Struesel Pancakes

Every week on either Friday or Saturday night, we like to have breakfast for dinner.  It seems like that is the only time I have to actually cook breakfast!  Last week I made these pancakes from twopeasandtheirpod.com:

http://www.twopeasandtheirpod.com/pumpkin-cinnamon-streusel-pancakes/

They were sooooo good! I followed the recipe exact, except I only used half the amount of struesel and I thought they were just right.  I think that if you used the full amount, they would be way too sweet.  Also, we liked them with just butter, no syrup on top.

Tebow’s Pizza Pie

My mom shared this recipe with me from GMA and since it's football season I thought it was a good one to share. Even Allie likes it, so that's huge for us! She said she'd like to eat this all the time, and she never eats meat or green things and this has both and she liked it!


Tebow's Pizza Pie  Servings: 4-6
Difficulty: Easy
Cook Time: 30-60 min

This pizza pie is one of star quarterback Tim Tebow's favorite dishes that his mother made growing up. Although Tebow has never made it himself, he says the pizza pie is great for serving to friends and that it represents the kind of "normal food" he prefers.

Ingredients
1 lb. ground beef
c. chopped green pepper
1 pkg. Italian style spaghetti sauce mix
1 6 oz. can tomato paste
c. water
1 large can baking powder biscuits 1/3 c. grated Parmesan cheese
6-8 oz. shredded Mozzarella cheese

Directions
Brown the meat, drain. Add green pepper, cook until tender.
Stir in sauce mix, tomato paste, and water.
Simmer 10 minutes.

Line greased 9 in. pie pan with biscuits, press together to seal.
Sprinkle c. Parmesan cheese over the crust.
Fill with meat mixture. Sprinkle top with Mozzarella cheese and
remaining Parmesan cheese. Bake at 400 degrees for 15 to 20
minutes.

(The sauce can be made ahead and reheated to facilitate last
minute preparations.)

I've just used a regular tube of biscuits and tried the jumbo and both worked, but I need to remember to bake it longer if I do the jumbos! Also, I don’t know why but I’ve still never had a pie pan so I always just make it in a 8x8 pan.

ZUCCHINI MADNESS!

Since zucchini season is in full swing, I thought I would post some of my favorite zucchini recipes. 

First, I will start with soups.  This one is my favorite soup containing zuchinni and lots of other goodies from the garden.  It is soooo good and I always crave it this time of year! 

CREAMY MUSHROOM & CHICKEN SOUP

6 T. butter
1 med. onion, chopped
3 T. flour
2 t. salt
1 t. pepper
6 c. chicken broth
1 lb. mushrooms, sliced
3/4 c. sliced celery
3/4 c. chopped carrots
2 c. quartered baby red potatoes
1 c. chopped zucchini or yellow squash (or a combo of both)
1 1/2 c. frozen corn kernals, thawed
2 t. thyme
2 c. lt. cream (I use half & half)
3/4 c. grated parm. cheese, plus more for garnish
2 c. chopped cooked chicken

In a large pot, melt the butter over medium heat.  Add the onion and saute until tender, about 6 minutes.  Stir in the flour, sale and pepper and mix until smooth.  Gradually add the broth, then turn the heat up to medium-high and bring the soup to a boil. Add the mushrooms, celery, carrots, potatoes, squash, corn and thyme.  Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, until the vegetables are tender, about 30 min.

Add the cream, parm. cheese and chicken.  Heat the soup for an additional 10 minutes, but do not let it boil.  To serve, ladle the coup into a bowl and sprinkle with more parm. cheese, if desired.  Makes about 15 cups.


TORTELLINI SAUSAGE SOUP
Next is another zucchini soup that we love!  It is from OBB. http://www.ourbestbites.com/2009/10/tortellini-sausage-soup/

Now onto some awesome zucchini side dishes:

CHEESY ZUCCHINI RICE from Mel's Kitchen Cafe
http://www.melskitchencafe.com/2012/08/cheesy-zucchini-rice.html

CRISPY ZUCCHINI FRIES from Jamie Cooks it Up (we like to dip ours in ranch.)
http://jamiecooksitup.net/category/appetizer/

Moving along to zucchini main dishes.

BREADED CHICKEN WITH ZUCCHINI AND TOMATOES (so so so good!)
http://jamiecooksitup.net/2010/09/got-tomatoes-got-zuchinni-make-this-chicken-dinner/

GRILLED STUFFED ZUCCHINI
http://www.ourbestbites.com/2009/08/grilled-stuffed-zucchini/

LEMON HERB ZUCCHINI FETTUCCINE
http://www.ourbestbites.com/2008/09/lemon-herb-zucchini-fettuccine/

The best zucchini bread I have found is from OBB (and I have tried a lot!)  I don't usually make it with the orange zest, and I prefer it without.

ZUCCHINI BREAD
http://www.ourbestbites.com/2009/09/zucchini-bread/

Now for desseret time.

CHOCOLATE ZUCCHINI CAKE

1/2 c. butter (softened)
1/2 c. oil (I always use applesauce)
1 3/4 c. sugar
2 eggs
2 c. grated zucchini
2 1/2 c. flour
1 t. vanilla
1/2 c. buttermilk
5 T. cocoa
1 t. soda
1/2 t. salt
1/2 t. cinnamon
1/2 c. chopped nuts (walnuts or pecans)
1/2 c. chocolate chips

Mix everything (except nuts and chips) together and place in a 9x13 greased pan.  Top with nuts and chocolate chips.  Bake at 325 for 40-45 minutes.  This cake is also really good without choc. chips & nuts, and top with the frosting from this cake:
http://www.ourbestbites.com/2008/09/texas-sheet-cake/ 
I like to add chopped pecans to the frosting before pouring it on the cake.

I hope you will all have more recipes to use up the plethera of zucchini you have invading your garden!  If you don't have any zucchini and need some, please come on by and I will hook you up with a pound or 10!

Sugar Cookie Bars

(photo courtesy of The Girl Who Ate Everything)

These are WAY better than sugar cookies!!  I'm actually not a huge fan of regular sugar cookies but these are addicting! 

Here's the link to the recipe:
http://www.the-girl-who-ate-everything.com/2010/06/sugar-cookie-bars.html

Cilantro Lime Slaw

Can I just say.....I love this stuff!!!  I got this recipe off of makeit-loveit.com and it is supposed to be served on top of sweet pork tacos.  Pork tacos will never be the same without it! But I've also taken it to a few BBQ's and potlucks just as a coleslaw and it's been a hit every time!  I'm only posting the slaw recipe but if you want the pork recipe just let me know...it's delish too!

1 package Cole Slaw or whole shredded cabbage (red cabbage is good!)
1 c. Mayonnaise
1 c. cilantro, chopped
1 tsp. minced garlic
1/4 tsp Cayenne Pepper or a dash of your favorite hot sauce
1/2 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. Lime juice
1/2 tsp. Cumin

Combine all but slaw in a mini food processor-or chop and combine by hand (I just chop the cilantro and garlic, whisk the other ingredients together, then add the cilantro and garlic).  Mix desired amount of dressing with slaw mix no more than 30 minutes before serving.  **If you use a head of cabbage, I would recommend using half of it then see if you need more if needed. 

-If you try it, let me know what you think!