Rice-A-Roni Beef Porcupines

This is a recipe that my work BFF Christie had been talking about for months.  Her old college roomie used to make it for her.  When I heard the ingredients and the directions, I was a little weirded out by the concept, but I decided to try it out.  One night she came over for dinner and we made these delicious balls of goodness.   I will say now that this recipe is a keeper and one that I had to share with all of you.  Another great thing about this recipe is that all you need to serve with it is a veggie of your choice because the other side dish is baked inside.  Hope you enjoy!

Beef Porcupines

Ingredients:

1 (6.8-ounce) package RICE-A-RONI® Beef Flavor

1 pound ground beef or ground turkey

1 egg, beaten

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

2-1/2 cups water

Directions:

1. Combine rice-vermicelli mix, ground beef and egg. Shape into twenty 1-1/4-inch meatballs.

2. In large skillet, over medium-high heat, brown meatballs in oil; drain.

3. Slowly stir in water and Special Seasonings. Bring to a boil. Cover; reduce heat to low. Simmer 30 minutes or until meatballs are cooked.

 

Crock Pot Roasted Chicken That Wont Cook to Pieces

Crock Pot Roasted Chicken

Ingredients:

1 Whole Chicken

Chopped Celery and Onion

Seasoning of Choice

Olive Oil

6- 8 Aluminum Foil Balls

Directions:

                Roll up balls with the aluminum foil. Put them in the bottom of the crock pot, and add the onions and celery in the bottom.  This will give your chicken lots of extra flavor.  Place the chicken on the foil balls and drizzle with the olive oil and coat with your favorite seasonings.  Cook on high for 1 hour and then change the setting to low for 5-7 hours until the juices run clear.   Serve with mashed potatoes and a veggie and enjoy!

This chicken will be tender and juicy but will not cook to a mush of bones and meat.   I make this about once every other week and use the left overs for chicken salad, or any other recipe that requires shredded or chopped chicken.

Recipe Review: crescent roll chicken casserole

This is another Pinterest find.  I was looking for some sinful comfort food and this recipe hit the spot! You can find it here.  Make a lot, it is just as good the next day as left overs.

Here is the cheesy bubbly goodness that came out of my oven:

 

This recipe will definitly be on my repeat list, and is hubby approved!

Slow Cooker Apple Sauce

        On Friday morning I had court in the North Georgia Mountains.  After court, I took the long way home and drove through the mountains to my little college town of Dahlonega.  Along the way I stopped at Bud's Pink Pig in Cherry Log, Georgia for a delicious BBQ lunch and Hillcrest Apple Farm in Ellijay Georgia to buy my annual fall apples.  I made this applesauce last year it was a hit for me and my husband.  Hope you all enjoy it too!

Slow Cooker Apple Sauce

Ingredients:

10 Apples (I used honey crisp)

½ cup sugar

½ cup water

Cinnamon to taste

Vanilla extract to taste

 

Directions:

Peel and core the apples, then cut them into chunks.  Place apples in the crock pot.  Pour sugar and water over the apples.  Add vanilla and cinnamon.  (I went light on cinnamon, probably ½ tsp and heavy on the vanilla, probably 1 ½ tbs) Cook on high for 4 hours stirring occasionally.  When done mash up any remaining chunks with a potato masher.

You can serve it warm or chilled.

 

We prefer it warm over vanilla ice cream. ENJOY!

 

Pinterest Recipe Review: Peach Cobbler

My grandparents gave me a bunch of peaches when I was at their house on saturday.  I couldn't decide what I wanted to do with them, so I asked my husband what he would prefer: peach pound cake, peach pie, or peach cobbler.  I was hoping for the pound cake, he of course chose the cobbler.  I love peaches, but I am not a big fan of peach cobbler.  But I asked his opinion, so I made him a cobbler.  I am not a nutmeg or cinnamon fan, so I searched far and wide (google, pinterest, and foodgawker) to find a recipe that didn't have a lot of those spices that I don't like.  I found this recipe on pinterest which links to food.com.  Ill be honest (don't tell my grandmother or Paula Deen) this is the BEST peach cobbler I have ever had. Here is the link to the recipe.   Hope you enjoy as much as we did.

3 INGREDIENT CHOCOLATE PIE

My fiance was having a particularly bad day at work, so I wanted to surprise him with a quick and easy dessert to make his day better.  I ran in the grocery store and didn't see anything on the baking isle that inspired me so I picked up a few random things and decided to make a super easy chocolate pie.  It ended up being a hit with the fiance and with my co-workers the next day.   The best part is this pie is only about 220 calories a slice, so you don't feel guilty eating a piece, or two.  Hope you enjoy.

3 Ingredient Chocolate Pie

 

Ingredients:

 

Reduced Fat Chocolate or regular graham cracker crust

Lite Cool Whip

Chocolate Cream Cheese

(This time I used milk, but it comes in dark and white.  Any flavor would be delicious)

 

 

Put the cream cheese in your mixer and beat it for a few seconds to loosen it up a bit

 



 

 Slowly whip in the cool whip.

 

Pour in pie crust and freeze for 1 hour or refrigerate for at least 3 hours. Enjoy!

 

 

Baked Spaghetti

This is a variation on a recipe my law school roomie used to make.  The other day I was craving spaghetti, but I wanted something different than just regular spaghetti and I thought of her recipe. You can find it here.  Like my friend, I wanted to try to lighten up this recipe and use what I had in my pantry.  I hope you enjoy!

Baked Spaghetti

Ingredients:

 

1 16oz package of spaghetti (I used brown rice spaghetti because it is gluten free)

1 pound ground turkey

1 jar/can of spaghetti sauce

2 eggs

5 tbs butter melted

1/3 cup Parmesan cheese

2 cups low fat small curd cottage cheese

4 cups part skim mozzarella cheese shredded

Directions:

 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

 

Boil Past according to package directions.

Brown Turkey in skillet.

(Tip: Add a touch beef bullion and Worcestershire sauce to give it beef flavor and brown color)

 

After meat is brown drain and add sauce and bring to simmer.

 

Mix together: Egg, cottage cheese, 2 cups of shredded cheese, a little salt, butter.

 

Once combined, stir in cooked pasta.

 

Layer sauce and pasta mixture in a 9x13 baking dish.

 

Top with remaining 2 cups of cheese.

 

Cover in foil and bake for 45 mins.

 

Remove foil and bake for 15 mins or until golden brown.

 

Serve and enjoy!

 

Just as good for lunch the next day.