All posts by Sharon

Homemade Mixes, Mexican

Taco Seasoning Mix

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1 1/4 Teaspoon Chili powder
1 Teaspoon Paprika
1 Teaspoon Salt
3/4 Teaspoon minced onion
1/2 Teaspoon Cumin
1/4 Teaspoon Cayenne pepper
1/4 Teaspoon Garlic powder
1/4 Teaspoon Sugar
1/8 Teaspoon Ground oregano
1 Tablespoon Flour

Combine all of these dry ingredients in a small bowl. Store in an air tight container.

To prepare the meat filling for tacos, preheat a large skillet.
Brown 1 pound ground beef; drain the fat. Add your Taco Seasoning
that you prepared previously and 2/3 cup water to the beef; mix
thoroughly. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and cook,
uncovered, about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Serve taco filling with warmed taco shells or tortillas. Top with
shredded lettuce, grated cheddar cheese and chopped tomato or fresh
salsa.

This recipe makes enough meat filling for 12 tacos.

Cajun, Ground Beef

Sweet and Spicy Meatballs

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1 pound lean ground beef
2 eggs, well beaten
3/4 cup dry breadcrumbs
1 tablespoon Cajun Seasoning
2 tablespoons butter
1 1/2 cups barbecue sauce
1 can (8 ounces) pineapple chunks in its own juice

Combine first 4 ingredients; mix well. Shape into 1-inch balls. Melt butter in large nonstick skillet. Brown meatballs; drain and set aside.
Combine remaining ingredients in a large saucepan. Add meatballs; stir to coat with sauce. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer 15 minutes. Serve warm.

Beef, Mushrooms, Noodles

Sweedish Meatballs

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1 package meatballs
1 12 oz. jar mushrooms, gravy
1/3 cup sour cream
1/4 teaspoon allspice
8 ounces egg noodles, cooked and drained – toss with butter.

Heat mini meatballs – refrigerated or frozen – in mushroom gravy. Remove from heat. Stir in sour cream and allspice.
Serve over egg noodles.

4 Servings

Chicken Breasts, Italian

Stuffed Chicken Marsala – Olive Garden Official Recipe

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Cheese Stuffing:

1/2 cup smoked shredded cheese (provolone or gouda)
8-oz package mozzarella cheese, shredded
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
1 tsp fresh garlic, minced
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes, crushed
2 Tbsp sun-dried tomato flakes (drain first if in oil)
1/3 cup green onions, thinly sliced
3/4 cup sour cream (6 oz)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper

Sauce:

1 small onion, cut in half and thinly sliced lengthwise
24 fl oz Marsala wine
8 fl oz heavy cream
2 small containers button mushrooms, thinly sliced (6 cups)
Salt and pepper to taste
2 lbs skinless, boneless chicken breasts
4 fl oz olive oil
2 cups all-purpose flour

Pre-heat oven to 350°F.

Combine all cheese stuffing ingredients in a mixing bowl.
Butterfly thickest section of chicken breasts to create 2 lobes. Pound each breast between 2 sheets of plastic wrap until ¼” – ½” thick. Place flattened chicken breasts on a plate and place desired amount of stuffing on one lobe of each chicken breast. Gently press stuffing down so it resembles a hockey puck. Fold over other lobe of chicken breast; does not have to seal.

Heat large sauté pan over medium heat. Add olive oil and heat until shimmering. Place flour in a shallow pan and season to taste with salt and pepper. Dredge stuffed chicken breasts in flour, shaking off excess. Saute chicken breasts with preheated oil, cooking until each side is golden brown. Remove chicken from pan and place in a baking dish. Bake for 10-20 minutes, or until juices run clean and center of chicken reaches 165°F.

Add onions to sauté pan, and stir to loosen chicken drippings. After 2 minutes, add mushrooms and sauté until onions are translucent. Deglaze pan with Marsala wine – make sure to incorporate drippings from bottom of pan. Heat wine to a simmer and add heavy cream. Simmer on low heat until reduced by half.

Place cooked chicken breasts on a plate and top each with onions, mushrooms and sauce.
Serve with your favorite garlic mashed potato recipe.

4 Servings

Hash Brown Potatoes, Quiche, Spinach, Vegetarian

Spinach, Caramelized Onion and Feta Quiche

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2 tsp. olive oil
3 cups chopped onion
1 tsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
2 cups frozen Southern-style hash brown potatoes, thawed
1 (11-oz.) can refrigerated soft breadstick dough
Cooking spray
1 (10-oz.) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed, drained, and squeezed dry
1 cup fat-free milk
3 large egg whites
2 large eggs
1-1/4 cups (5-oz.) crumbled feta cheese

To decrease fat, we’ve used 2 egg yolks and 5 egg whites. Some egg yolks are necessary to produce a creamy filling. You can refrigerate the leftover yolks for up to 3 days in an airtight container (add a tablespoon of water so the yolks don’t develop a film).
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Heat olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add onion, sugar, and salt; cook for 30 minutes or until golden brown, stirring occasionally. Stir in potatoes and cook for 5 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from heat.
Unroll dough, separating into strips. Working on a flat surface, coil one strip of dough around itself in a spiral pattern. Add second strip of dough to the end of the first strip, pinching ends together to seal; continue coiling the dough. Repeat procedure with the remaining dough strips. Cover and let dough rest for 10 minutes. Roll dough into a 12″ circle, and fit into a 10-inch deep-dish pie plate coated with cooking spray.
Spread potato mixture in bottom of prepared crust, and top with spinach. Combine milk, egg whites, eggs, and cheese; pour the milk mixture over the spinach. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour or until set, shielding crust with foil after 50 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Makes 8 servings.