Tasty Tuesday - Sweet & Sour Meatballs

This is one of my all-time favorite recipes. My mom made it all the time when I was growing up. It is based off of a recipe from a Betty Crocker cookbook that she got as a wedding gift almost 30 years ago.

Sweet & Sour Meatballs

Meatballs:

1 lb. lean ground beef
1/2 cup dry bread crumbs (I make my own...it's SO easy!)
1/4 cup milk
2 tbsp. finely chopped onion
1 tsp. salt
1 egg

Combine ingredients in a large bowl.

Mix well with your hands.

Shape into 1-inch balls. (I like meatballs really small...I have a major aversion to raw ground beef, and I like to guarantee that my meatballs will be cooked all the way through!) Heat 1 tbsp. of oil in a large frying pan and cook meatballs until they are brown on all sides, approx. 15 minutes. While they are cooking, prepare the sauce.

Sweet & Sour Sauce:

1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 tbsp. cornstarch
1 large can pineapple chunks
1/3 cup white vinegar
1 tsp. soy sauce

Combine ingredients, stir and add in cooked meatballs.

Now if your house is anything like my house, the hour between 5 & 6 p.m. is when everything seems to fall apart. That is why when I make this recipe, I usually prepare it in the early afternoon and throw it in my slow cooker on high for 4 hours. If that doesn't work for you, you could put it in a casserole dish and bake at 350 degrees for an hour. I usually serve this with warm rice or egg noodles.

Check out more Tasty Tuesday recipes at Balancing Beauty and Bedlam.

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Tasty Tuesday - Individual Meatloaves

So yesterday I said I would share my Sweet & Sour Meatballs recipe with you today. Well, plans changed! I did something very rare yesterday -- I let my daughter choose what we would have for dinner. I let her choose between meatballs and meatloaf, and she chose meatloaf...and I invented a new recipe! Check it out:

Individual Meatloaves

1 egg
1/2 cup milk
3/4 cup old fashioned oats
1/2 pkg. onion soup mix
1 tsp. salt
1 lb. lean ground beef

Sauce:
3/4 cup chili sauce
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp. prepared mustard

Combine egg, milk, oats, onion soup mix and salt in a medium bowl. Add ground beef and mix well with your hands.

Form into 7 (or so) individual loaves and place in a lightly greased 9x13 baking pan. Evenly distribute sauce over top of the loaves.

Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

(They aren't the most appetizing looking things in the world, are they?) Oh well...if my 4 year old will eat them, then they must be good! :)


The great thing about meatloaf is that it is SO easy and forgiving. If you don't have old fashioned oats, you can use quick cooking...no onion soup mix, use regular onions...don't want to use ground beef, use ground turkey...the possibilities are endless! Usually I use ketchup to make the sauce for the top, but I opened my fridge and saw a half used bottle of chili sauce and wondered if that would work...and it did, quite well! I would encourage you to let loose once in awhile when you are cooking...sometimes following a recipe can be so boring. :)

Check out Balancing Beauty & Bedlam for more tasty recipes!

Also be sure to check out a complete list of my Tasty Tuesday recipes here.

Tasty Tuesday - Lime Coconut Squares

A cloudy dreary day like today calls for a yummy spring recipe...to remind us that these 37 degree days are almost over with for awhile!!

I apologize for the lack of pictures...seems I accidentally deleted it! :(

Lime Coconut Squares

Crust:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup confectioners' sugar

3/4 cup cold butter or margarine

Topping:

4 eggs

1 1/2 cups sugar

1/2 cup lime juice (you could also use lemon)

1 tsp. baking powder

3/4 cup flaked coconut

In a bowl, combine flour and confectioner's sugar; cut in the butter until crumbly. Press onto the bottom of a lightly greasted 9x13" baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees F for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, in a mixing bowl, beat the eggs, sugar, lime juice and baking powder until well mixed. Pour over crust; sprinkle coconut evenly over the top. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on a wire rack. Cut into bars. Yields 48 servings.

Check out Balancing Beauty and Bedlam for more Tasty Tuesday recipes!

Tasty Tuesday - Pumpkin Muffins

We absolutely love muffins at our house! They are so nice to have around for quick breakfasts and snacks. They freeze well and are great to have on hand when we have overnight guests. This is by far our favorite muffin recipe:

Pumpkin Muffins

4 eggs

2 cups white sugar

1 1/2 cups vegetable oil

1 15 oz. can pumpkin

3 cups flour

1 tsp. cinnamon

2 tsp. baking soda

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp. salt

2 cups raisins

1. Beat together eggs and sugar in a large bowl. Add oil and pumpkin. Mix well.

2. In a seperate bowl, mix together flour, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Gradually add to pumpkin mixture. Mix until just combined. Stir in raisins

3. Pour batter into greased or paper-lined muffin tins. I usually use regular and mini-sized. I like to use my 1 tbsp. cookie scoop. 1 scoop for mini-muffins, 3 for regular.

4. Bake at 375 degrees. 18-20 minutes for regular sized, and 8-10 minutes for mini-muffins. Cool on wire racks. This recipe made two dozen regular sized and two dozen mini-muffins.

Check out more Tasty Tuesday recipes at Balancing Beauty and Bedlam.

Tasty Tuesday - Cream Puff Dessert

Another recipe out of the family recipes cookbook. I have yet to find someone that doesn't like it!! Tastes like a cream puff but so much less work!!

Cream Puff Dessert

Crust:

1/2 cup margarine

1 cup water

1 cup flour

4 eggs

Topping:

2 1/2 cups milk

6 oz pkg vanilla instant pudding (I used two 3.4 oz packages)

8 oz pkg cream cheese (I use low-fat)

8 oz tub cool whip (Low-fat as well)

Chocolate syrup, if desired

Sliced fresh strawberries, if desired

1.Bring margarine and water to a boil.

2. Add flour and mix well.

3. Remove from heat and cool slightly. Add eggs, one at a time and beat after each.

4. Spread on greased jelly roll pan. (I used a 9x13 pan.)

5.Bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes. (I baked it for a tad longer because I used the 9x13 pan instead of a the jelly roll pan. I would watch it during the last 5-10 minutes to make sure it doesn't get too brown. Don't worry about "hills" or "valleys" that may form while it bakes.) Let the crust cool completely.

6. Mix milk, pudding and cream cheese together.

7. Spread over crust.

8. Spread slightly softened Cool Whip over top, and place sliced strawberries about 2 inches apart. Drizzle with chocolate syrup just before serving. (Not sure why I didn't take a picture of the end result...sorry!)

Check out more Tasty Tuesday tastiness at Balancing Beauty and Bedlam.

Tasty Tuesday - Impossibly Easy Taco Pie

This recipe was first introduced to me in a family cookbook that my dad's side of the family published a few years ago. It is also available at bettycrocker.com, but I have made a few adjustments to suit my family's tastes!

Impossibly Easy Taco Pie

1/2 lb ground beef
1/2 cup onion, chopped
1 can black beans
1 envelope taco seasoning (I usually make my own)
1 1/4 cups milk
3 eggs
3/4 cup Bisquick
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
4oz can chopped green chilies (optional)
2 tomatoes, sliced

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Grease a 10-inch pie plate. Brown beef and onions in a skillet for about 10 minutes. Add beans. Stir in taco seasoning. Spread in pie plate. Beat milk, Bisquick, and eggs until smooth. Pour over meat mixture. Bake 25 minutes and top with chilies, tomatoes and cheese. Bale 8-10 minutes longer or until knife inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 5 minutes. Serve with sour cream, chopped tomatoes, shredded lettuce and shredded additional cheese. Makes 6 to 8 servings.

I have been known to replace the green chilies with green onion or black olives. Really just depends on what I happen to have in my pantry.

Check out Balancing Beauty and Bedlam for more Tasty Tuesday recipes!

Tasty Tuesday - Chunky Cornbread

I got this recipe recently from a Family Circle magazine...it is SO delicious. Definetly my favorite way to eat cornbread!!

Chunky Cornbread

3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup cornmeal
2 tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup milk
4 tablespoons butter, melted (I use margarine)
1 egg
1 can Mexicorn (corn kernels with mild red and green peppers), drained

1. Heat oven to 375 degrees. Spray an 8-inch square baking pan with nonstick cooking spray.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder and salt. In a medium bowl, whisk together milk, butter and egg.

3. Pour the milk mixture into the flour mixture and stir until evenly moistened. Fold in the Mexicorn. Spoon batter into prepared baking pan and spread evenly.

4. Bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes or until top of cornbread is golden. Allow to cool in pan on wire rack 10 minutes.

5. To serve, gently remove from pan; cut into 12 squares.

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Tuna & Pasta Cheddar Melt

As promised, here is my much loved tuna casserole recipe. It is SO easy and fast! Also very affordable.

3 cups uncooked rotini (I've also used penne and macaroni)
3 cups water
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can solid white tuna in water, drained (I've substituted 2 2.5oz pouches)
3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
3 tbsp. Italian seasoned bread crumbs
1 tbsp. melted butter (I usually use margarine)

Boil pasta in water in saucepan until just tender. DO NOT DRAIN! (The pasta will absorb most of the water anyways.) Add soup. Pour into 2 qt casserole. Gently stir in flaked tuna. Sprinkle with cheese. Top with mixture of bread crumbs and melted butter. Bake in preheated 375 degree oven for 20 minutes.

I almost always just prepare the pasta in my Rachael Ray pot, which can also be used in the oven, making this a great one dish meal!!

Lemon Pepper Chicken

I recently received a box of Progresso Lemon Pepper Panko Bread Crumbs from General Mills through MyBlogSpark. I had been wanting to try panko bread crumbs for awhile, because they seem to be fairly popular these days and I had been hearing about them A LOT! I decided to just go with the recipe that was on the back of the box, but substitute chicken for fish. It was AWESOME. Really easy and so tasty!

Here's the recipe:

2 tbsp flour
1 egg, beaten
1 cup Progresso Lemon Pepper Panko
3 chicken breasts


1. Heat oven to 375 degrees. Spray baking dish.

2. Place flour, egg and bread crumbs in separate plates.

3. Coat chicken with flour, dip in egg, coat well with bread crumbs.
4. Bake chicken for 20-30 minutes until thickest park of chicken is 165 degrees.


You could substitute pork or fish for the chicken.

I was also provided with Chef Michael Chiarello's latest cookbook: Michael Chiarello's Bottega.

While many of the recipes in the book do not fit with the style of food I normally cook, it is a beautiful book and did inspire me to branch out a bit and try something new! MyBlogSpark has provided me with a copy to give away to one of my lucky readers! Just leave a comment with your full name and e-mail address and the winner will be chosen and contacted via e-mail on 11/29!

In the meantime, you may want to print a coupon for $1 off any panko flavor or view some tips for cooking with panko.

Happy cooking and good luck!!