Dinners

Flavor-Blasting Bacon Cheeseburger Bombs

These awesome cheeseburger bombs packed full of flavorful herbs, cheese, meat and bacon are sure to be a crowd pleaser at your next event.  This recipe can easily be modified to fit the ingredients you have at home.

Inredients:

• 1 lb. ground beef, fully cooked
• Cheddar cheese, cut into 16 cubes
• 16 bacon strips
• 1 can Pillsbury Grands!
• 2 tbsp. freshly mined garlic 
• 1 tsp. onion powder and or/ 1/4 sauteed onions
• 2 tsp. parsley
• 2 tsp. oregano

Begin by browning your meat in a skillet and adding your herbs and garlic to it.

Cut the 8 biscuits in half and knead each section of dough with your hands to about 3 in. in diameter.  Place about 1 tbsp of the meat mixture on the dough and a cube of cheese.  After pinching up the dough, wrap the bomb in a slice of bacon and secure with a toothpick loosely.

Meanwhile in a heavy skillet, heat canola oil until it is bubbly and hot.  Place the bombs in the boiling oil and let cook until the sides are golden brown/brown, rotating at intervals when needed.  When the bombs are complete, place on a plate with paper towels and let drain.  Serve warm (or cold; but they are best when warm) with your favorite dipping sauce or just plain.

Makes 16 bombs.

FRESH Mozzarella Basil Pizza

Ever had homemade pizza?  Well if you haven't, you sure need to.  This awesome recipe from AllRecipes.com combines the incredible flavors of mozzarella and basil into one incredible pizza!  Although it might take some time, it is definitely worth the work.  Feel free to add any toppings you wish.  Makes 2 medium pizza pies.
NOTE:  The dough requires to sit overnight, so if you're planning to make this pizza, be aware of that.  Also, if desired, you can use store-bought dough.  

Ingredients:

Dough:

• 1/4 cup warm water
• 1 tsp yeast
• 1 cup cold water
• 1 tsp salt
• 3 cups flour

Pizza:

• 1 package fresh mozzarella cheese
• black pepper
• dried oregano
• 1 can pizza sauce
• olive oil
• fresh basil leaves

Start dough by combining yeast and warm water in a large bowl.  Let sit for 5 minutes.  After that stir one cup cold water, 1 tsp salt, and 1 cup flour to your yeast mixture.  Gradually add the other two cups of flour until dough forms.  Knead for 10 minutes.  Divide into 2 pieces and roll into balls.  Coat with olive oil.  Let stand in refrigerator overnight.  Let stand at room temperature before shaping.

Preheat oven to 550 degrees.  Shape dough into two separate 14 in. pizza pies.  (Be sure to spray pan.)  Top with slices of mozzarella cheese, grind black pepper on top, and sprinkle with dried oregano.  Next take spoonfuls of pizza sauce and randomly top it to different sections of pizza.  You do not need a lot.  Spread it around, being careful to leave some empty spaces.  Drizzle [1/4 cup] olive oil on top of cheese.

Bake for 13 minutes if you desire a softer crust, but if you're like me, and you like crispy crust and golden brown cheese, bake for 15 minutes.  Immediately after removing from oven, sprinkle with freshly chopped basil leaves.  

Cut and serve hot.

Enjoy!

Italian Breakfast Strata

This delicious Italian-style breakfast strata can be served at any time of the day--not just for breakfast!  It is my own recipe and has superb flavor.  Serves 8.

NOTE:  If you desire to make this for dinner, prepare ahead of time in the morning and refrigerate it until you wish to cook it.

Ingredients:

• 1 roll Bob Evan's regular sausage
• 1 4 oz. jar pimentos, drained
• 1 green pepper diced
• 1 loaf Italian bread (14 ounces) cut into 1 in. cubes
• 8 large eggs
• 1 cup milk
• 1/4 cup pesto w/ basil
• 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Begin by crumbling sausage into a large nonstick skillet.  Cook over medium to medium-high heat until cooked.  Add peppers and cook, stirring occasionally, about 4 minutes.  Remove from heat.

Meanwhile in large bowl, place bread cubes.  In a medium bowl, whisk eggs, milk, pesto and drained pimentos.  Stir sausage mixture into the large bowl along with one cup of the cheese.  Pour egg mixture over bread mixture, and stir to moisten all ingredients.

Coat a non-stick 13x9x2 in. baking dish with cooking spray.  Pour bread mixture into prepared dish.  Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight (or if you are making this dish for dinner, make ahead of time in the morning and refrigerate until the evening hour when you wish to serve it).

Heat oven to 350 degrees.  Uncover dish and sprinkle with remaining 1 cup cheese.  Cover dish with foil.  Bake, covered, at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.  Uncover and bake 15 minutes.

Cut into servings and enjoy hot.

Pineapple Teriyaki Chicken

This amazing dish serves 8 comfortably and is my own recipe.  Definitely tastes like it's fresh from a Chinese kitchen!

Ingredients:

• 2 cans pineapple chunks (drained, juice reserved)
• 4 cups white rice
• 2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2 in. pieces
• flour
• olive oil
• 1 cup red bell peppers, chopped
• 1 cup onions, chopped
• 2 cups sugar snap peas
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 1 1/3 cups teriyaki sauce

Measure reserved pineapple juice and add enough water to make 3 1/2 cups liquid.  Prepare rice according to package directions using juice-water mixture.  Coat chicken pieces with flour.

Heat oil in a large skillet medium high heat, and cook chicken until edges are golden brown, about 5-7 minutes.  Add pineapple, bell pepper, onion, and snap peas.  Stir until completely mixed; add teriyaki sauce and soy sauce.  Cook until hot, about 5-7 minutes.  Serve over rice.

 

 

Kielbasa and Tortellini Dinner

This flavorful dish is easy and delicious.  It is very colorful, and, if you're at all like my family, one helping just isn't enough!  (This recipe can also be easily modified to whatever you have in the house.)  Serves 8 comfortably.

Ingredients:

• 2-20 oz. packages cheese filled tortellini
• 2 packages turkey kielbasa
• 1 red bell pepper
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 2-14.5 oz. cans stewed/diced tomatoes or a combination
• 1/4 of a cabbage head, sliced into bite-size pieces  

Begin by slicing your kielbasa.  

  Saute with a little bit of olive oil or until fully cooked.

 Add sliced red bell pepper and garlic cloves; heat through.  Add both cans tomatoes; heat through until hot.

 Meanwhile boil a pot of hot water with cabbage.  Add tortellini and cook according to package directions.

 When tortellini is finished drain.

 When meat mixture begins to boil, you will know that is done.  Serve hot over tortellini and sprinkle with shredded Parmesan cheese if desired.

Our family is big into pasta...maybe because it's cheap...or maybe because it's delicious.  Either way, we cook with it a lot and get lots of ideas from experimenting with simple ingredients.