Recipe of the Week Archives - Page 23 of 34

Taco Salad

July 5, 2010 12 Comments

One of my favorite meals to eat at home is tacos. I just go the easy route and purchase a taco kit. Sometimes I get Taco Bell brand, and other times I get Old El Paso. But I also buy taco seasoning alone for potential new recipes I may find, and I almost always keep corn chips on hand, which makes taco salad a very convenient meal for us.

The taco salad pictured here today was actually put together by my husband. Hubby doesn’t cook at all. Sometimes when I’m not feeling well, he’ll put together some tuna salad or something like that for us. But I’ve never seen him make an actual recipe. But he did wait tables for several years, some of which was at a real upscale place, and he discovered he had a natural talent for plate presentations. In fact, at one of the resturants where he worked, he put together a lot of the plates for their menu photos.

So the other day when we had taco salad, I decided to take a couple of pics of his handy work. We started with Blue Tortilla Chips. (We usually get white, but we were shopping at Aldi, and they didn’t have white.) Next came the meat mixuture, followed by lettuce, salsa, cheese, and finally sour cream. Yum!

Making a Taco Salad Buffet – By the way, if you’re ever having a lot of of people over for dinner, a taco salad buffet would be perfect choice. It’s fast, convenient, and fairly cheap compared to other meal choices. And I never met anyone who didn’t like Mexican food, so it’s sure to be loved by all! All you’d really have to cook is your meat and some refried beans. And then you’d just have to prepare some toppings for the buffet, such as lettuce, tomatoes, mushrooms, peppers, cheese, and condiments. Very easy!

-Jerri

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I’m posting a link to this post on the following sites:
Tempt My Tummy Tuesday is hosted by Blessed With Grace.
Delicious Dishes is hosted by It’s a Blog Party
Tuesday Tastes is hosted by Crazy Jayz Place
Homemaker Mondays is hosted by 11th Heaven’s Homemade Haven.
Tasty Tuesday is hosted by Balancing Beauty & Bedlam.
Works for Me Wednesday is hosted by We Are THAT Family
Tip Me Tuesday is hosted by Tip Junkie
Tackle it Tuesday is hosted by 5 Minutes for Mom
Sharing Ideas Wednesday is hosted by The Trendy Treehouse
Friday Food is hosted by Mom Trends
Friday Foodie is hosted by Designs by Gollum
Finer Things Friday is hosted by Amy’s Finer Things
I’m Lovin It Fridays is hosted by Tidy Mom
Show off Your Stuff Thursday is hosted by Fireflies and Jellybeans

Filed Under: casseroles and quick meals, party ideas, Recipe of the Week

Mahi Mahi – The Catch of the Day!

June 13, 2010 12 Comments

Believe it or not, I’m not real big on seafood! It just wasn’t something we ate a lot in our home growing up (except for Captain D’s! lol.) But in the past few years, I have grown more open to it. But still my favorites remain shrimp or just a simple white filet. But Mr. Simply Sweet Home grew up in Mobile, right near the gulf, so he’s just the opposite of me! He loves seafood, and he’s probably tried just about everything. In fact he tells me the fried catfish sold in resturants “up here” is not real seafood.

One of his favorite restaurant “down there” is Wintzell’s Oyster House. (If you ever take a trip to Gulf Shores or Mobile, you should definitely check it out. They not only have great food, but they have fun sayings written all over the wall, which you can read while you wait for your food. They also have other locations in Alabama, one in Mississippi, and one coming to Pensacola, Florida soon.)

Anyway, my husband always gets a platter of oysters for an appetizer and Mahi Mahi for his meal. Mahi Mahi is very similar to tilapia. It’s also known as dolphin-fish, but don’t worry! I’m happy to report that it has nothing to do with the dolphins (which are mammals), that we typically think of when we hear dolphin.

Several months ago I was looking at the fish in the store, and I just happened to run across some fresh mahi mahi. Admittedly mine looks nothing like the stuff at Wintzell’s. They put all kinds of stuff on top of it. (I’ve only seen it a couple of times, so I can’t remember what). But hubby likes mine too (as he should, since he’s the one that told me how I should make it when I had no idea). And even I, the “non-seafood lover” like it! So that should be a good endorsement!

This post was featured for the People’s Choice Award at Tuesday Tastes.

Recipe for Mahi Mahi:

Ingredients:

Mahi Mahi filets (I always eat one, but most people would probably want 2.)

Italian Dressing

Lemon Pepper Seasoning

Directions: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Dip filets in Italian Dressing. Top with additional dressing if necessary. (After dipping, I always take any dressing left in the bowl and pour it on top of the filets. Place on baking sheet. (I usually line mine with tin foil for easy cleaning.) Spinkle with lemon peper seasoning. Bake for 20 minutes or until done.

-Jerri
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Filed Under: casseroles and quick meals, Recipe of the Week

Sour Cream Pound Cake

June 7, 2010 18 Comments

As some of you know, my husband only has two or three desserts that he really loves. He’ll try other things that I bake, but for the most part, he only gets excited about his faves. So when I bake something new, I usually have to bake one of his favorites too, or I’ll look for new variations on his favorites to make.

I recently tried this sour cream pound cake for his birthday. This is a “doctored” cake mix recipe, which I always love! And I have to say, it was one of the best pound cakes I’ve had! It’s very moist and has a great taste and consistently! I added chocolate frosting, but any frosting would be good, and this would be wonderful as a plain cake as well.

Don’t forget the Sweet Thursday Pie & Cake event is June 24! Send me an email with a link to your post if you’d like to be featured!

Recipe for Sour Cream Pound Cake:

Ingredients:

1 18 1/4 ounce) package yellow cake mix
1 cup sour cream
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup sugar
4 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions: Preheat oven to 350° and lightly grease and flour a 13×9 pan. Combine all ingredients in large mixing bowl and blend on low speed of mixer for 1 minute. Scrape down sides with spatula. Increase mixer speed to medium and beat an additional 2 minutes. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until golden brown and tests done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack and frost as desired. Serve as is, or frost with your favorite icing.

-Jerri

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I’m posting a link to this post on the following sites:
Tempt My Tummy Tuesday is hosted by Blessed With Grace.
Delicious Dishes is hosted by It’s a Blog Party
Tuesday Tastes is hosted by Crazy Jayz Place
Homemaker Mondays is hosted by 11th Heaven’s Homemade Haven.
Tasty Tuesday is hosted by Balancing Beauty & Bedlam.
Works for Me Wednesday is hosted by We Are THAT Family
Tip Me Tuesday is hosted by Tip Junkie
Tackle it Tuesday is hosted by 5 Minutes for Mom
Sharing Ideas Wednesday is hosted by The Trendy Treehouse
Friday Food is hosted by Mom Trends
Friday Foodie is hosted by Designs by Gollum
Finer Things Friday is hosted by Amy’s Finer Things
I’m Lovin It Fridays is hosted by Tidy Mom
Show off Your Stuff Thursday is hosted by Fireflies and Jellybeans

Filed Under: desserts, Recipe of the Week

Ranch Pasta Skillet

May 30, 2010 15 Comments

I normally like to bake things in the oven, but when it’s nearly a hundred degrees outside, I’d prefer not to heat the oven to 350 for an hour! So for the summer time, skillet meals come in handy!

I’ve taken my ranch chicken recipe and converted it into a rice casserole before, and I had been wondering how it would be to do the same thing using noodles, sort of like chicken helper. So I threw some things together and voila!

It turned out pretty good. My husband’s only complaint was that it was a little salty. So if you decide to make this, you should probably use reduced sodium soup, and you could also adjust the other ingredients to suit your taste (less seasoning, more water or milk, etc.) But all in all, this was a great quick meal!

Recipe for Ranch Pasta Skillet:

Ingredients:

2-3 cups egg noodles (or pasta of choice)

2 cans chicken breast (or about 3 chicken breasts shredded)

2 cups milk

3/4 cups water (use broth from chicken)

1 – 1 oz. packet of ranch salad dressing mix

1 can cream of chicken soup

Directions: Spray skillet with cooking spray. Place canned soup in skillet, along with about half the dressing mix. Mix well. Then add chicken. (If using the chicken broth from the canned chicken, no need to drain. Just add the broth along with the chicken.) Mix well. Add uncooked pasta, milk, remaining dressing mix, and water (if you didn’t use broth). Stir together. Heat to boiling. When it starts to bubble, reduce heat to medium, and cover, stirring occasionally. Cook for about 10 minutes. Let stand for a couple of minutes before serving so the sauce can thicken.

-Jerri

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I’m posting a link to this post on the following sites:
Tempt My Tummy Tuesday is hosted by Blessed With Grace.
Tuesday Tastes is hosted by Crazy Jayz Place
Homemaker Mondays is hosted by 11th Heaven’s Homemade Haven.
Tasty Tuesday is hosted by Balancing Beauty & Bedlam.
Works for Me Wednesday is hosted by We Are THAT Family
Tip Me Tuesday is hosted by Tip Junkie
Tackle it Tuesday is hosted by 5 Minutes for Mom
Sharing Ideas Wednesday is hosted by The Trendy Treehouse
Friday Food is hosted by Mom Trends
Friday Foodie is hosted by Designs by Gollum
Finer Things Friday is hosted by Amy’s Finer Things
I’m Lovin It Fridays is hosted by Tidy Mom
Show off Your Stuff Thursday is hosted by Fireflies and Jellybeans

Filed Under: casseroles and quick meals, Recipe of the Week

Au Gratin Potatoes

May 23, 2010 9 Comments

Since summer is almost here, I thought it would be a good time to share a great side dish for barbecues and summer parties. So I decided to share these Au Gratin potatoes that my mom made. Don’t they look delicious? This another one of those recipes that you just sort of throw together and do what you will with it. Hope you enjoy!

Dessert Party Reminder: I’m hosting a cupcake/muffin round-up this Thursday. So please come back later this week and link up your recipes here. Older posts are welcome! The linky will go up on Wednesday night, and will be open for a week. Hope to see there! =)

Recipe for Au Gratin Potatoes:

Ingredients:

5-7 potatoes (depending on size and how much you need)

1 small onion (sliced into rings, or decided if you prefer)

shredded cheese (I’d use cheddar or a combination of cheddar & monterey jack)

salt & pepper

Directions: Peel your potatoes, boil them until tender. Chop up your onion. You can saute it on the stove top if you prefer your onion to be tender. After draining the water off your potatoes, transfer to bowl. Mix your potatoes, onions, and cheese together. (Amount of cheese is up to you. I like mine very cheesy!) Season with salt and pepper. Pour up into glass baking dish. Top with additional cheese. Bake at 350 for a few minutes (Just long enough to melt cheese.) That’s it!

Tips & Suggestions:

If you’d like to add a little spice to this dish, try adding some chopped peppers.

For creamier potatoes, add a little milk and/or melted butter.

-Jerri

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I’m posting a link to this post on the following sites:
Tempt My Tummy Tuesday is hosted by Blessed With Grace.
Tuesday Tastes is hosted by Crazy Jayz Place
Homemaker Mondays is hosted by 11th Heaven’s Homemade Haven.
Tasty Tuesday is hosted by Balancing Beauty & Bedlam.
Works for Me Wednesday is hosted by We Are THAT Family
Tip Me Tuesday is hosted by Tip Junkie
Tackle it Tuesday is hosted by 5 Minutes for Mom
Sharing Ideas Wednesday is hosted by The Trendy Treehouse
Friday Food is hosted by Mom Trends
Friday Foodie is hosted by Designs by Gollum
Finer Things Friday is hosted by Amy’s Finer Things
I’m Lovin It Fridays is hosted by Tidy Mom
Show off Your Stuff Thursday is hosted by Fireflies and Jellybeans

Filed Under: breads and sides, Recipe of the Week Tagged With: potatoes

Banana Cupcakes with Streusel Topping

May 16, 2010 11 Comments

Next Thursday, May 27, I’ll be hosting my monthly Sweet Thursday event, and this month the theme is Cupcakes/Muffins. If you’d like to have a muffin or cupcake recipe featured in my post, send me an email before next Wednesday, and I’ll add you. You can also participate through Mcklinky on the day of the event.

The other day I was in the mood to to make some banana cupcakes. I’ve never made them before, but for some reason that’s just want I wanted to make! I found a great recipe on Cooks.com, but I decided I wanted to do something a little more unique with it, so I searched around for a streusel recipe. I put the two together, and here is what I came up with.

Let me tell you, these were delicious! And if you like your muffins kind of sweet, this recipe will work for that as well. I’ve actually decided that I’m not going to look for anymore banana cupcake or banana muffin recipes. This is going to be my go-to recipe from now on!

I actually left a few of the cupcakes plain, and they were really good as well! The streusel just really spiced it up and added a lot of flavor. And they also smelled amazing! You should definitely give these a try!

Recipe For Banana Cupcakes with Streusel Topping:

Ingredients:

For Cupcakes:

2 mashed bananas

1/2 c. sugar

2 tbsp. butter

1 egg

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 c. flour

1/2 tsp. baking soda

pinch of salt

For Streusel Topping:

1/3 c. packed brown sugar

2 tbsp. flour

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

2 tbsp. butter (softened)

1/3 c. chopped pecans (I left these out)

Directions: Combine bananas, sugar, butter, egg and vanilla extract in a mixing bowl, mix well. Mix in flour, baking soda and pinch of salt. Pour into greased cupcake pan and bake at 325°F for 25 minutes. To make the streusel, mix brown sugar, flour and cinnamon together. Cut in butter until crumbly. Stir in chopped pecans.

-Jerri

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I’m posting a link to this post on the following sites:
Cupcake Tuesday is hosted by Hoosier Homemade
Tempt My Tummy Tuesday is hosted by Blessed With Grace.
Tuesday Tastes is hosted by Crazy Jayz Place
Homemaker Mondays is hosted by 11th Heaven’s Homemade Haven.
Tasty Tuesday is hosted by Balancing Beauty & Bedlam.
Works for Me Wednesday is hosted by We Are THAT Family
Tip Me Tuesday is hosted by Tip Junkie
Tackle it Tuesday is hosted by 5 Minutes for Mom
Sharing Ideas Wednesday is hosted by The Trendy Treehouse
Friday Food is hosted by Mom Trends
Friday Foodie is hosted by Designs by Gollum
Finer Things Friday is hosted by Amy’s Finer Things
I’m Lovin It Fridays is hosted by Tidy Mom
Show off Your Stuff Thursday is hosted by Fireflies and Jellybeans

Filed Under: breads and sides, cupcakes, Recipe of the Week

Easy Onion Dip

May 10, 2010 7 Comments

Here’s something easy for your summer parties & barbecues or just a quick snack. When I was a kid I used to go over to my best friend Mark’s house, and before any homework could get done, we’d have to have a snack! And we often ate chips and dip made from onion soup mix. Today I still like to use this recipe. And I’ll often divide it up and just make a small amount (1/2 cup or less) for me to have as a snack. It’s very fast and convenient for whatever occasion you like.

Recipe for Easy Onion Dip

Ingredients:

1 envelope Onion Soup Mix (such as Lipton)

1 pint sour cream

Directions: Mix well. Chill and serve with chips, crackers, or veggies. Makes 2 cups.

-Jerri

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I’m posting a link to this post on the following sites:
Tempt My Tummy Tuesday is hosted by Blessed With Grace.
Homemaker Mondays is hosted by 11th Heaven’s Homemade Haven.
Tasty Tuesday is hosted by Balancing Beauty & Bedlam.
Works for Me Wednesday is hosted by We Are THAT Family
Tip Me Tuesday is hosted by Tip Junkie
Tackle it Tuesday is hosted by 5 Minutes for Mom
Sharing Ideas Wednesday is hosted by The Trendy Treehouse
Friday Food is hosted by Mom Trends
Friday Foodie is hosted by Designs by Gollum
Finer Things Friday is hosted by Amy’s Finer Things
I’m Lovin It Fridays is hosted by Tidy Mom
Show off Your Stuff Thursday is hosted by Fireflies and Jellybeans

Filed Under: appetizers and snacks, Recipe of the Week

Poppy Seed Cake

May 2, 2010 9 Comments

If you wish to bake up a special surprise cake for Mom this year on Mother’s Day, here’s a new recipe to try. I got this recipe from my good blog friend Charlene. Charlene writes at Secrets of a Southern Kitchen, where she shares fabulous recipes & tips for Southern Cuisine. Being a Southern girl myself, I always look forward to seeing what she’s whipping up each week! Be sure to go by and give her a shout!

Charlene usually makes this cake with a bundt or tube pan, but as you can tell from the pictures, I used a 9×13 pan (proving once again that I’m not good at following instructions—at least not in the kitchen!) The cake turned out delicious, although I must admit Charlene’s cake looks much better than mine! If you wish to see what the cake is supposed to look like, check it out at her place!

Recipe for Poppy Seed Cake

Ingredients:

1 box of Duncan Hines butter recipe golden cake mix

1 8oz container sour cream

1/2 c sugar

1/2 c cooking oil

4 eggs

3 T poppy seeds

powdered sugar

Directions: Mix all ingredients but the poppy seeds, and beat for 2 minutes on low to medium speed. Mix poppy seeds into the batter. Pour into a greased or cooking-sprayed tube or bundt pan. Bake at 350 for about 50 minutes. If the top seems not quite done, turn off the oven and leave the cake in for about 5 more minutes. Watch for the edges to start pulling away from the pan. Use a butter knife to loosen the cake from the pan, and remove from pan immediately. Dust with powdered sugar.

-Jerri
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Filed Under: desserts, Recipe of the Week

Chicken Mutz

April 26, 2010 13 Comments

Usually cheesy recipes are my thing, but this recipe was a big hit with my husband as well! I’ve seen this recipe on several recipe sites, and I wanted to try it because it not only sounded good, but it looked super easy. And leave it up to me to find a way to make it even easier! Today I’m sharing the original instructions with you, and also throwing in my shortcuts, in case you want to use those instead.

Recipe for Chicken Mutz:

Ingredients:

Chicken Breasts, skinless and boneless

Mozzarealla cheese (recipe called for a block, I used shredded)

Mayonnaise

Garlic salt

Italian Style Bread crumbs

Pepper

Directions: There are two method for prepping your chicken. You can either cut a pocket into each breast, by slicing in half. (Do not slice all the way through).

Or you can fold/roll your chicken over and secure it with toothpicks. (If you use the second method (which I use), you may want to put chicken in a ziplock and flatten it out a little bit with a hammer or meat tenderizer first).

If you’re using a block of mozzerella cheese, slice up your mozzarella into ½ inch thick slices. Place 1 slice of the cheese (or a handful of the shredded cheese) into each chicken pocket and fold over. If you’re using the second method, place the slice of cheese (or shredded cheese) on top of your piece of chicken. Then fold/roll the chicken over and secure it shut with toothpicks. (I use about 4 or 5 toothpicks per piece of chicken).

Next generously spread your mayonnaise over your chicken breasts (on all sides). Then season with garlic salt and black pepper. Finally give it a sprinkling of Italian style bread crumbs.

Bake at 350 for 45 minutes. For a crispy topping, turn on the broiler in the last two minutes of cooking.

Tips & Suggestions:

-I also added some cheddar cheese in here, to go along with mozzarella, and it was delicious!

-Very important – Don’t forget to take out ALL the toothpicks, if you’re using the fold/roll method.

-Jerri

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I’m posting a link to this post on the following sites:
Tempt My Tummy Tuesday is hosted by Blessed With Grace.
Tuesday Tastes is hosted by Crazy Daisy
Delicious Dishes is hosted by It’s A Blog Party
Homemaker Mondays is hosted by 11th Heaven’s Homemade Haven.
Tasty Tuesday is hosted by Balancing Beauty & Bedlam.
Works for Me Wednesday is hosted by We Are THAT Family
Tip Me Tuesday is hosted by Tip Junkie
Tackle it Tuesday is hosted by 5 Minutes for Mom
Sharing Ideas Wednesday is hosted by The Trendy Treehouse
Friday Food is hosted by Mom Trends
Friday Foodie is hosted by Designs by Gollum
Finer Things Friday is hosted by Amy’s Finer Things
I’m Lovin It Fridays is hosted by Tidy Mom
Show off Your Stuff Thursday is hosted by Fireflies and Jellybeans

Filed Under: casseroles and quick meals, Recipe of the Week

Chocolate Shake with a Healthy Twist

April 19, 2010 13 Comments

Last year I saw a few different blogs posting green shakes—all of which were fruit flavored shakes. So I decided to be a little different and make a chocolate flavored one! (The look on hubby’s face while I was making this was priceless!) Although everyone said that you wouldn’t be able to taste the spinach, I was still a little skeptical, but I tried it, and they were right! No spinach taste!

I love these shakes because it gives you a chance to get more vegetables in to your diet without really doing anything extra special. I must confess, we don’t eat nearly enough vegetables at our house, so every little bit helps! I definitely recommend this idea to all the parents of kids who don’t want to eat their greens. This is a great way to sneak veggies and some extra milk into their diet while also giving them a treat they’ll love!

Giveaway Sneakpeak – Over the weekend we made milkshakes with my new Cuisinart Hand Blender! Come by later this week to win one of your own!

Recipe for Green Chocolate Shake:

Ingredients:

2-3 scoops ice cream

8-10 oz. milk

chocolate syrup (I just pour some in.)

spinach leaves (I just threw some in…I’d say 10 leaves)

Directions: Place milk and spinach leaves in blender. Blend well. Add ice cream and blend. Add chocolate syrup, and blend. Makes one shake.

Tips & Suggestions: Add fruit and ice and you’ve got a tasty smoothie. (I recommend bananas or strawberries!)

–Jerri

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I’m posting a link to this post on the following sites:
Tempt My Tummy Tuesday is hosted by Blessed With Grace.
Homemaker Mondays is hosted by 11th Heaven’s Homemade Haven.
Tasty Tuesday is hosted by Balancing Beauty & Bedlam.
Works for Me Wednesday is hosted by We Are THAT Family
Tip Me Tuesday is hosted by Tip Junkie
Tackle it Tuesday is hosted by 5 Minutes for Mom
Sharing Ideas Wednesday is hosted by The Trendy Treehouse
Friday Food is hosted by Mom Trends
Friday Foodie is hosted by Designs by Gollum
Finer Things Friday is hosted by Amy’s Finer Things
I’m Lovin It Fridays is hosted by Tidy Mom
DIY Day at A Soft Place to Land
Show off Your Stuff Thursday is hosted by Fireflies and Jellybeans

Filed Under: desserts, drinks, Recipe of the Week

Taco Salad

Mahi Mahi – The Catch of the Day!

Sour Cream Pound Cake

Ranch Pasta Skillet

Au Gratin Potatoes

Banana Cupcakes with Streusel Topping

Easy Onion Dip

Poppy Seed Cake

Chicken Mutz

Chocolate Shake with a Healthy Twist

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