Munchin' Monday

The decision for what to make for dinner last night was pretty simple. I had a taste for Sloppy Joe's all weekend, but Chris likes to cook on Sunday's - so I got my Sloppy Joe fix as soon as I could.

I'm sorry that I don't have any real measurements for you. I just throw a little in, taste, and then improve where I can. There truly is not a better way to cook than to just taste, taste, taste. If you're like me then you really just use a recipe as more of a 'guide' anyway, tossing in more of the stuff you like, and less of the stuff you don't. (Plus, you really can't screw up Sloppy Joe's.)

Ingredients You'll Need:

Ground Beef

Onions (diced)

Peppers (diced)

Ketchup

Brown Sugar

Garlic

Worchestire Sauce

Salt & Pepper to taste
Yellow Mustard

(to offset if you make it too sweet like I did)

Bread

Step 1: COOK your meat, onions, and peppers then drain.

Step 2: ADD lots of ketchup, garlic, (a little) brown sugar, worchestire sauce, (a little) Mustard, and salt & pepper. Mix to taste, slap on some bread and enjoy.

If you find that your mixture is tooo sweet for you, add a little more mustard. (Don't go crazy, but I don't suggest going hog-wild with the brown sugar. Just add a little, mix, taste and repeat if desired.)

And there you have a super simple, but very delicious meal.

Munchin' Monday

Apple Pork-N-Pie

***This is a Crock Pot Meal. It is so delicious, easy, and cheap to make****

What you'll need:

Pork Chops

Peeled & Sliced Apples

 Sugar

Flour

Cinnamon

AllSpice

Water

You'll notice I don't have any measurements. That is on purpose, and it is because I just just eyeball things with more of the stuff I like, less of the things I don't. For those who want to know approximately how much I used, here it is...

2 Thick, Boneless Pork Chops

4 Peeled and Sliced Tart Apples

3/4 Cup Sugar

2 Tablespoons Flour

1.5 Tablespoons Cinnamon

1/2 Teaspoon Allspice

3/4 Cup Water

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Steps to Take:

1) Wash, Peel, and Slice your apples.

 2) Put your Pork Chop in the crock pot and top with everything else.

3) Cook on high for 4 hours or till internal temperature reaches 160 degrees.

4) Plate, Serve, and let your taste buds enjoy!



Munchin' Monday (is baaaack!)

The EASIEST Mock Tuna Casserole EVER!

This is a favorite in our house with not only my husband and I, but also with both of the exchange students we have hosted in the past. It is so quick and easy to make – I like to keep all the ingredients on hand for those nights when I just don’t feel like cooking anything because there is no cutting and viryually no mess!

Utensils:

Casserole Dish

Can Opener

Colander (optional)

Ingredients:

Chicken Noodle Soup

Tuna

Peas

Egg

Milk

Shredded Colby/Jack Cheese

Original Chips

Salt & Pepper to taste

Directions:

1)      Preheat oven to 425 degrees

2)      Drain Soup, Peas, and Tuna

3)      Mix with the Egg, a touch of Milk, and a little Salt & Pepper <<This should be moist, but not have standing liquid>>

4)      Spread desired amount of Cheese on top of dish

5)      Cover with crumbled Potato Chips

6)      Bake in oven uncovered for 30-35 Minutes <<Cheese should be well melted>>  

And Waa-Laa! Dinner is ready to eat in a snap. 

Muchin' Monday

Chicken and Broccoli Rolls:

Mmm… a real treat coming late today. This is a great dinner that turns leftovers into a quick and simple snack! It takes minutes to prepare and even less time to cook. I am posting this as though the Chicken is already cooked and shredded (Following Post has Chicken preparation directions).

Utensils:

Knife

Cutting Board

Measuring Cups/Spoons

Medium Sized Bowl

Mixing Spoon

Cookie Sheet

Baggie (for leftovers)

Ingredients:

1 Cup Shredded Chicken

½ Cup Broccoli (finely chopped)

½ Cup Carrots (finely chopped)

½ Cup Mayonnaise

1 tsp Garlic

½ tsp Dill Weed

1 pkg Crescent Rolls   

Directions:

This is your already prepared Chicken.

1>      Preheat Oven to 375*.

2>     Cut Broccoli and Carrots. (I use organic shredded carrots and then just chop into pieces.)

3>     Mix Chicken, Broccoli, Carrots, Mayo, Garlic, and Dill Weed in bowl.

4> Unroll Crescent Rolls onto cookie sheet.

5> Put Large spoonful of mixture on each piece and roll.

6> Bake for 12-14 Minutes or till golden brown.

  Notes:

                Put leftovers in baggie and warm in the microwave (if desired) for an awesome snack over the next couple days. I’m usually big on freezer meals and snacks – but you really shouldn’t freeze anything containing Mayonnaise.

If you have leftover mixture like I always do the mixture tastes great on those mini-sandwich thins as a nice lunch item.

 

I like to serve with a healthy salad and diced potatoes.

Munchin' Monday

Another new weekly segment here at Learning the Mommy Name is going to be "Munchin' Monday". As the name suggests I will be posting a recipe that we enjoy in this house every Monday. There may be more than one or recipes on other days of the week, but you'll always find a new one every Monday! 

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BAKED CHICKEN and PASTA

This week - I made a classic Freezer Meal Staple in this house. If you are not familiar with Freezer Meals I will be making a post explaining the process and the benefits to you sometime this week, but for now - I am just going to go through the recipe with you. 

Utensils:

Pot for Pasta
Sauté Pan
Spoon for Stirring
Spatula
Colander
Large Mixing Bowl
Baking Dish – 8X8X2 or larger **(1)**
Aluminum Foil (If Freezing part)  

Ingredients: **(2)**

• 1 box Penne Pasta
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 or 2 large boneless/skinless Chicken Breast (cubed)
• 1/2 cup diced onion
• 1 small sweet pepper (diced)
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes with juice
• 1 ½ cups shredded mozzarella
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh Flat Leaf Parsley
• Salt to Taste
• Black Pepper to Taste
• Bread Crumbs (as desired)
• Parmesan (as desired)
• 1 tablespoon butter (Plus a little to butter baking dish)

Directions:

• Preheat Oven to 400 degrees F.

·         Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until just tender, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Drain pasta and put into a large mixing bowl. **(3)**

·         Heat Oil over Medium Heat in Sauté Pan.

·         Cook Chicken about 4 minutes or till mostly done.

·         Add Onions and Garlic, cooking till chicken and Onions are fully done.

·         Combine Chicken with Pasta in large bowl.

·         Add Tomatoes, Sweet Peppers, Cheese, Parsley, Salt, and Black Pepper and combine.

·         Distribute mixture into buttered dish and foil pans if freezing.

·         Sprinkle or Cover top with Bread Crumbs and Parmesan as you like.

·         Dot top with butter

·         Bake for about 30 minutes, or till top is golden brown.

****NOTES****

(1)   – I always make a large batch of this to freeze part of it. With the amounts of Ingredients given, I usually bake the 8X8X2 dish and then have 3 Mini-Loaf Aluminum Foil pans that I wrap with foil, date, and Freeze for lunch and quick single dinners. If you do not want to freeze any, simply bake in 2 dishes or a larger baking dish.

(2)   All the ingredients should be measured according to what you like. This is a variation of the original recipe that I was given – modified to fit what my family enjoys, feel free to modify it to fit yours. This is designed to have extras for freezing, so scale back accordingly if you would like a smaller batch.

(3)   You want to just slightly undercook the pasta. It will finish cooking in the oven.