Christmas Scalloped Potatoes

This is REALLY GENIUS - not to brag. We have had Costco's Main Street Bistro's scalloped potatoes before - quite a bit. My kids really love them. They are delicious and can be made in 8 minutes in the microwave - how can you go wrong?

A couple of the kids asked to have them for Christmas dinner but since Christmas dinner is a special occasion I wanted to do something to kick them up - and it was SO EASY!! These potatoes are getting a permanent spot on our Christmas dinner plate from now on!

This year we did 4 trays - but we definitely could get away with just doing 2 next year. To make sure they are warmed all the way through, we followed the package directions and microwaved them for 8 minutes. When they were done warming through, we put them in a nice 9 x 13 casserole dish. You have to manipulate them to lay in an even layer. Do as many trays as needed and add them to the dish once warmed. 

The KICK IT UP part? We shredded gruyere cheese and sprinkled it in an even layer over the top. I put it in a 400 degree oven with the carrots for about 30 minutes and they were heated through and had that golden cheese moment on top! Seriously so good!!

 

Egg Breakfast Muffins

We go back to school tomorrow!!! How did that happen? In a rush today with last minute details - but I did manage to try out this idea and it was a BIG HIT!! Super easy and delicious.

Egg Breakfast Muffins

12 large eggs
Salt
1 c ham or sausage cooked and diced
1/2 - 1 c pico or your favorite salsa
1 c whatever shredded cheese you have

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Spray a 12-cup muffin pan with non-stick cooking spray
In a large mixing bowl, beat eggs. Add in remaining ingredients and mix together.
Scoop 1/3 cup of mixture into each muffin spot
Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the center of the muffin is completely cooked.

Six Cans Away!

This is a recipe I threw together as a "tester" for my too soon to be college Freshman. I wanted to make it in the crock pot I'm sending with him and I wanted to have his approval taste-wise before I committed. 

This recipe is perfect for when you are tired, hungry, poor - game night busy - all of the above! You can grab these 6 cans (plus taco seasoning) and have a delicious, filling meal in no time flat - or waiting for you when you come home... so I'm calling it Six Cans Away - bc you are literally 6 cans away from exactly what you need.

Six Cans Away!!!

1 15 oz can black beans (drained and rinsed)
1 15 oz can pinto beans (drained and rinsed)

1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes (drained)
1 15 oz can sweet corn (drained)
1 10.75 oz can cream of chicken soup
1 10 oz can green enchilada sauce
1 packet taco seasoning mix

Throw everything together and heat up on the stove top on Medium Low until warm (20 minutes).

OR

Spray slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray.
Pour all the ingredients into slow cooker and stir together.
Cook on low heat for 2 hours.

Serve as a SOUP by adding 14 oz can of chicken broth.
Serve as MACHO NACHOS with shredded cheddar cheese and tortilla chips.
Serve as a BURRITO in a flour tortilla.

AMP IT UP with an 8 oz block of Velveeta cheese melted in for the ultimate queso.

*Add left over chicken or ground beef to AMP it up

Sheet Pan Sausage and Pepper Hoagie's

I had my soon to be on his own son make this for dinner the other night - HUGE HIT!!! And BONUS - SO incredibly easy!!!

Sheet Pan Sausage and Pepper Hoagie's

6 hoagie or sub rolls
3 bell peppers (red, yellow and/or orange), seeded and cut into large chunks
2 red onions, trimmed and cut into quarters
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon dried sage
1 teaspoon kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
12 Italian sausages (hot and/or sweet)
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/3 cup ketchup
1/4 cup whole-grain mustard

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Toast the rolls on a sheet pan for 5 minutes. Set aside. Lower the oven temperature to 425 degrees F.

Spread the peppers and onions on the sheet pan. Drizzle with the olive oil, sprinkle with the sage, salt and some pepper and toss, breaking up the onions a bit as you do. Nestle the sausages in and around the vegetables. Bake until the sausages are cooked through and the vegetables are tender, about 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, create your sandwich spread. Mix together the mayonnaise, ketchup and mustard in a small bowl until combined. Set aside.

Transfer the sausages to a cutting board and slice into coins. Spread each roll with as much or as little sandwich spread as you want, then load up with sliced sausage and roasted vegetables.

Sweet and Sour Meatballs

Game nights are back - only we're on over drive!! M has practice 3 x a week after school as well as 2 games a week. I and P both practice twice a week with games usually on Saturday. J is in his Senior year with all that entails - as well as swim team and working - so we're lucky to sit down together around 8pm - or eat as we can. 

Eating around our dinner table has always been very important to me but sometimes you just gotta do what you gotta do!

I've tried a few different recipes for 'sweet and sour' dinners without a winner - but this one is a keeper!

Sweet and Sour Meatballs

Frozen meatballs (as many as you need)
1 (20 ounce) can pineapple chunks with juice
¾ cup water
¼ cup rice vinegar
¼ cup ketchup
¼ cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

Seperately:
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons water

Serve over rice (my fave new find is the Uncle Bens or Golden Star Jasmine rice that come in 90 sec. microwave packets.)

Add all components together EXCEPT meatballs and the cornstarch/water slurry.

Heat up the sweet and sour liquid. With an immersion blender - blend until smooth(ish) THEN add the slurry. Stir until combined and then add the meatballs.

Depending on your schedule - cook on low for a couple hours - or high for a couple. With my schedule tonight, I put it on high for a bit (anticipating hungry teenage boy packing his dinner) and then flipped it to low for the rest of the family that would be eating later this evening. 

French Dip Sandwiches

Another "non" recipe - but we've been doing this a lot lately with life getting back to busy.

Go to a really good deli (mine is our neighborhood Harmons) and buy roast beef (they should ask you how you would like it done - go with the most RAW version - trust me).

While you're at the deli - grab some Boar's Head Pub Style Horseradish - SO GOOD!

AND - get the BEST of the best deli rolls. My family loves the "Tuscan Brat Buns" but any good hogie style roll will do.

French Dips:
1 lb Roast Beef (feeds 6 of us)

6 Hogie rolls

Beef stock

Provolone cheese slices

Butter

Garlic powder, salt and pepper

Horseradish

Get a large pan with at least 1" lip on it. Heat up the beef stock - adding garlic powder, salt and pepper.

Slice by slice - put the roast beef into the stock to warm it up.

In the meantime, slice the rolls in half and butter both insides of the rolls. Put into a 400 degree oven until they are a little brown and crispy.

Pull the rolls out and top one side with the provolone cheese - then back in the oven until the cheese is melted.

Pull them out again - and stack with the warmed roast beef. Serve with a side of the "au Jus" and the horseradish. 

*My husband. 15 yo and I just put the horseradish right on the bun - we love that stuff! Our 17 year old puts a bit in his jus and the little girls skip it all together.

Give it a try! Hearty, satisfying and ridiculously easy! Picture to come next time we have these!