From the dregs of the pantry...

Comes Hamburger-Ramen-Vegetable-Thing! So I'm sitting in my kitchen today having come home very late from what could have been (but wasn't) an awesome seminar. My kids are hungry; my husband is already home; I'm tired; and the last thing I wanted to do was cook. I didn't really want to order-in either because we've been eating a LOT of pizza lately due to Birthdays, Anniversaries, and Vacation. So I'm staring at this pound of beef I thawed out and I'm trying to decide what to do with it, when I get the idea to just sort of go at it with the basics. That's how I came up with this surprising tasty bit of one skillet supper. It's not fancy, but the kids ate seconds and so did my husband. It was perfect for a quick meal and will definitely go on my list of regular, and inexpensive dinners.

Hamburger-Ramen-Vegetable-Thing

1 lb. ground beef
2 cups water
1 can cream of mushroom
2 1/2 cups frozen veggies (I used 1 1/2 cups frozen carrots, 1/2 cup frozen peas, 1/2 cup frozen corn)
1 can of mushroom stems and pieces (with juice)
3 pkg of chicken flavored ramen with seasoning.

Okay, ready for the super easy part? Brown beef. Drain. Wipe down skillet with a paper towel to get the excess grease. Add remaining ingredients. Cover and simmer for 5-7 minutes until ramen and veggies are soft and warm. Absolutely no talent needed. I also tried it with a little sour cream. It gave it a stroganoff-y sort of taste. If you're after that flavor, then I would add about 3/4 cup right at the end. Simple. I didn't even add any additional spices since the ramen seasoning did that for me. The sodium content was probably outrageous, but I'm pretending like I didn't notice. Enjoy!

4 Ingredients, Quick and Easy

My Italian is hanging out again. And so is my laziness. And my desire to get dinner on the table quickly. And my it's two days before payday and my fridge is empty, what am I going to feed the kids? This recipe is perfect because it's easy, quick, filling, and inexpensive.

4 Ingredient Pasta Cassarole

A box of Pasta (1 lb) - I tend to use rotini, but use what ya got.
A can or jar of spaghetti sauce (onion and garlic tends to work best, but again, use what you have on hand.)
A packet of Italian dressing mix
Enough mozzarella cheese to cover a 13x9 dish to the thickness you like. (Generally 1 to 1 1/2 cups, but you can use less.)

1. Cook the pasta. Drain.
2. Mix sauce and dressing mix together. Add pasta.
3. Place in a 13x9 baking dish and cover with cheese. Bake at 350 degrees F for 20-30 minutes until cheese is melted and pasta is heated.

Unstuffed Peppers

Okay, the honesty is going to pop out of this post today, but sometimes that's what ya gotta do. I don't really like green peppers. I don't really like red peppers. I don't like yellow or orange peppers for that matter, either. And I really HATE stuffed peppers. Don't know why. It's just one of those things I guess. Now I'm not going to try to fool you into thinking that I love this next dish. That would be a lie. HOWEVER, I'm not going to tell you that I hate it either. It taste like an everyday dinner to me, because I figured out a fantastic way to keep those darn peppers away from me. I did it out of necessity, because my ex-husband was a pepper fanatic! He ate peppers constantly. Ewww. So I created a dish I like to call Unstuffed Peppers. This way, I don't have to eat them and the stuffing is good (because it's my recipe). If you like peppers, then you'll probably love this and if you don't like peppers, but someone else does, then give this a shot.

Unstuffed Peppers

1 lb ground turkey or beef
1/2 medium onion
2 cans tomato sauce
1 1/2 bell peppers, diced or chopped (as fine as you can stand them)
1 1/2 bell peppers, sliced lengthwise
3 c. large macaroni noodles (there's the Italian in me again.)
1 T Worcestershire Sauce
2 T olive oil
1/4 t garlic powder
1 t oregano
1 t parsley
salt & pepper
Parmesan cheese, optional

1. Brown meat. Drain.
2. Add onion, chopped pepper, tomato sauce, Worcestershire sauce, and noodles to meat. Cook until noodles and peppers are soft. Add garlic, oregano, parsley, salt and pepper.
3. Saute sliced pepper in olive oil (this is optional. Cook them the way the pepper lover likes. My ex used to want them not cooked at all.)
4. Arrange sliced peppers on a plate. Top with meat mixture. Sprinkle Parmesan on top if desired.
5. Enjoy.

Couldn't find it.

So it's probably apparent that I couldn't find the recipe I was looking for, hence my not posting it or really anything for the last few days. Sorry, guys. I'll try harder to stay on top of stuff.

Today's recipe should totally make up for missing those few days. I call it Pasta Salad Stuffed Tomatoes and it's perfect for a hot day. I've been dreaming about it all day because I live in Kansas and it's been over 100 degrees F for the last few days (literally deadly). This can be served warm or cold and both ways it's a treat. I use orzo (which looks like rice) or really any small pasta (stars, acini de pepe, or pastina, work well) so my kids never think that they're eating another pasta dish. What can I say? I'm Italian at heart and so is most of my cooking.

Pasta Salad Stuffed Tomatoes

1 cup uncooked orzo or other small pasta
1 pkg. diced, cooked chicken breast
1 cup crumbled feta or Monterrey jack cheese
1/4 c chopped fresh basil
1/4 c sun-dried tomato pesto (if you can't find this then mix even parts drained-sun dried tomatoes and pesto. It won't be the same, but it will still taste yum.)
1/4 t salt
2 T lemon juice
4 medium tomatoes

1. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain. Rinse with water to cool; drain well.
2. Meanwhile, combine chicken, cheese, basil, pesto & salt. Stir gently to mix and refrigerate until pasta is cooled and ready.
3. Add orzo to chicken mixture. Toss gently. Sprinkle with lemon juice.
4. To make tomato cups, cut off stem end and scoop out pulp; discard. Spoon salad mixture into tomato cups.
5. Enjoy!

A borrowed lasagne

Today's hidden veggie recipe comes from a website called The Sneaky Chef. Apparently this chick makes a living hiding veggies. I've never posted an address and suggested people go there for today's recipe, but I'm going to do it today because I'm going with a theme and I can't find the last recipe that I was planning on posting. Hopefully, it will surface for tomorrows post or else I'm just going to have to move on. If hiding veggies is something that seriously interests you, I strongly suggest you poke around on this lady's website. She has plenty of everything for your picky eaters. And she does a great job showing how a little creativity will go a long way in the kitchen. The only advice I'll give is beware of brownies. I've tried adding spinach to mine and the kids can always tell that there is something not quite right with them. So check out this site, it has a recipe for a fairly quick (considering the item) lasagne on it.

http://www.thesneakychef.com/free_recipe_speedy_lasagna.php

Burgers, Anyone?

Yes! Burgers! Even something so wild and wholesome as a hamburger can be loaded with hidden veggies! That's right, I said hidden! Don't tell the hubby; don't tell the kids! Just make and enjoy. It's a new twist on an old favorite and since the veggies are mostly hidden, no one will whine about it. See what you think:

Hidden Veggie Burgers

1 lb ground beef or turkey
1/2 lb fresh mushrooms (white is generally best)
1 cup breadcrumbs
1/4 cup chopped or grated zucchini
1 T Worcestershire sauce
2 T ketchup
1/2 t salt
1/8 t pepper
1 T olive oil
Hamburger buns, for serving plus optional toppings (cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, ketchup, mustard, etc)

1. Preheat oven or grill to 400 degrees F. In a large bowl, mix meat, mushrooms, crumbs, zucchini, Worcestershire sauce, ketchup, salt, and pepper. It's going to be a little runny. Don't worry about it too much. If you decide to grill them, put a piece of aluminum foil down first so they don't slime or break through. Form into 16 patties and place them on a piece of waxed paper or aluminum foil.

2. Place patties in a single layer on a cookie sheet (with sides) or a baking dish. Bake for 10 minutes, flipping after 5. You can also pan sear them first for a few minutes in the oil and then bake them for 5 or so minutes until desired doneness. If you use ground turkey make sure the burgers are cooked all the way through.

Enjoy!!!

Super Sneaky Macaroni

I love using vegetable puree`s in food because they're sneaky. If you don't have a blender or food processor or you don't have the time to make them, then you can always use baby food. Just make sure to read the ingredients so you're only getting the vegetable and not added sugar.

This recipe uses two puree`s which will probably never get noticed because most kids will eat this without even questioning the ingredients. I've only met one kid who wouldn't eat macaroni and cheese and that's because he was sensitive to gluten. That makes it easy to sneak the veggies in and kids and husbands will never even guess. **Please note that I double this recipe for my family of five.

Super Sneaky Macaroni

1 1/3 c. uncooked elbow macaroni
1 c. small curd, low-fat cottage cheese
1 c. mozzarella cheese, shredded
1/2 c shredded cheddar cheese
1 t cornstarch
1 c milk
1 small onion, grated (you can chop it, but chop it small. It's a secret.)
1/4 c finely chopped green pepper
1/4 c carrot puree
1/4 c cauliflower puree
1 t Dijon mustard
1/2 t salt
1/4-1/2 t crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 c crushed cornflakes or butter crackers
1 T butter, melted

1. Cook macaroni according to package directions. Drain. Add the three cheeses and set aside.
2. In a saucepan, combine cornstarch and milk until smooth. Stir in the onion, green pepper, mustard, salt, red pepper flakes, and both puree`s. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes until thickened. Pour over macaroni mixture; stir to coat. Transfer to a greased 2-qt baking dish.
3. Combine cornflakes and butter. Sprinkle over macaroni. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees F for 25-30 minutes until bubbly and golden brown.