Baked Ziti

The past week or so I've been doubling my dinner recipes so I can have meals to freeze. After making a recipe that turned out way too big for our family and splitting it into 2 8x8s instead of 1 9x13, I realized how easy it would be to just make 2 of some things. During these summer months it seems like we're much busier during the day. It makes it hard some days to plan dinners, and we've gotten into a bad habit of eating out way more than we should. This baked ziti is one of those recipes that is simple to make and easily doubles. I'm actually going to post the doubled version since I never ever make the regular recipe.

Baked Ziti

2 boxes of ziti, cooked according to the directions

1 large jar of Prego (or I usually do 3 of the heart healthy smaller jars)

1 large onion, chopped

1 lb ground beef

1 lb ground pork sausage

16 ounces of sour cream

8 ounces of ricotta cheese

1 cup shredded mozarella cheese

8 slices of provolone cheese

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

In a large skillet, saute the onion for 5 minutes. Add the ground pork sausage and ground beef and brown. When it is all cooked, pour the meats and the pasta sauces into the cooked ziti, and stir.

In a seperate bowl, stir together the sour cream, ricotta cheese, and mozarella. I usually add a sprinkle of dried parsley, dried basil, dried oregano, and fresh black pepper.

Grease 2 9x13 baking dishes. Spread a layer of the pasta with sauces (1/4 of the total in each dish so you'll use half of the pasta in this layer) in the bottom of each dish. Top with a spreading of the sour cream/ricotta/mozarella mixture, then 4 slices of provolone cheese per dish. Repeat the pasta and sauce layer then the sour cream/ricotta/mozarella layer, then top with a sprinkling of Parmesan cheese.

If you're going to freeze them, wrap them tight with plastic wrap and freeze them now.

To finish (a fully-thawed dish), bake at 350 for 30 minutes or until the sauce is bubbling and the cheeses are melted.

Swiss Chicken

I logged on to post an update to my Swiss Chicken recipe only to find that I had never posted the original recipe in the first place! I can't believe this staple hasn't made the blog yet. It's my favorite go-to for nights when I just need comfort food. It works perfectly in the crock pot, freezes easily, and uses mainly pantry ingredients I always have on-hand. I've taken this to church potlucks, dinner clubs, and to friends who have just had babies. Hope you love it as much as we do. (And sorry I don't have a picture. I'll try to remember to snap one the next time I make this.)

Swiss Chicken

4-6 chicken breasts (frozen are perfectly fine)

4-6 slices ofSwiss cheese (1 per chicken breast)

1 can reduced-sodium cream of chicken soup

1 cup of milk

1 box of stuffing mix, any flavor

1 stick of butter, melted

Grease the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish, and preheat the oven to 350. Lay as many chicken breasts as will fit in the bottom of the dish. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, then cover each breast with a slice of Swiss cheese. Stir together the soup and the milk, and pour over the top. Sprinkle the entire box of stuffing mix (still dry) over the top, then drizzle with the melted butter. Bake for 55-60 minutes.

Crockpot version: Just layer the ingredients in the same way, and set the crockpot for 8 hours on low. It will most likely be done before then, but I've never had the problem of overcooking or burning with this recipe.

Notes: I had a craving for Thanksgiving dinner the other day, so I made this recipe. I had some leftover whole cranberry sauce from my pork tenderloin recipe, so I topped the chicken with a spoonful of that once I served it, and it was delicious. It definitely hit the spot. It made me realize that this dish would taste delicious using turkey instead of chicken too.

Father's Day Casserole

We had a Bible study dinner for my husband's birthday the evening before Father's Day. I made the pork recipe I recently posted in addition to a cheesecake. I had planned on also throwing together a casserole that I could put in the oven the next morning for a Father's Day breakfast in bed, but I completely forgot. We woke up Sunday morning with no plan and very few ingredients. While scouring the refrigerator, I came up with the idea to make a manly casserole with some of the leftovers and ingredients. It was a hit, so I thought I'd share.

Father's Day Casserole

6 eggs, beaten

1/2 cup heavy cream

salt & pepper

4-6 slices of bread

1 cup of leftover shredded pork and about 2 tablespoons of juices

4 ounces of cream cheese, softened

1/4 cup your favorite shredded cheese (I used a Mexican blend)

Tear bread into pieces, and toss in the bottom of a well-greased 9x9 baking dish. Lay the pork over the top, and sprinkle the juices all over the bread.

In a separate bowl, mix the eggs, cream, salt, pepper, and cream cheese. Pour over the top of the bread and pork, and press down with the back of a spoon ensuring that the bread soaks up all of the liquid. Sprinkle the top with the shredded cheese.

Bake at 350 for 45 minutes or until the egg is set and the top is browned slightly.

Buried Treasure

I've shared that we have a sand table and a big tub of uncooked rice that we play in often. Well, the other day my daughter was doing one of those packaged art projects from Hobby Lobby, and she had a handful of sequins left over. I tossed them into the rice tub and let her dig for her buried treasure. She had a blast, and my mind started spinning with all of the things you could bury. You could definitely suit this to skill level burying larger items for smaller kids and smaller items for larger kids. If you're looking for a good 30-minutes of sensory fun, throw a handful of something into a tub of rice. Cheap and easy!

[Ideas: rhinestones, Matchbox cars, marker caps, bouncy balls, marbles, sequins, rocks, paper clips...]

PW's Spicy Pulled Pork, Crockpot-Style

A year or so a great friend of mine had us over for dinner and made PW's Spicy Pulled Pork. It was absolutely delicious, and I've made it a handful of times since. But, the whole having two little kids thing makes it difficult to tend to a hunk of meat once an hour for 6-7 hours. I had to come up with an easier version. Once again, I turned to my trusted crockpot, and it was a success. I'm not sure I'll make this in the oven again. [Note: The oven variety calls for cranking the heat at the end of the cooking time to make a really crispy crust on the meat. I'm not a crispy meat fan. If you are, you can just transfer this to a roasting pan just before serving to crisp it up.]

The Pioneer Woman's Spicy Pulled Pork, Crockpot-Style

(almost fully copied from The Pioneer Woman's recipe found here)

7-lb pork shoulder (I usually use a bone-in pork butt shoulder because they tend to be less expensive)

1 whole onion, chopped

4 garlic cloves, peeled

1 tsp chili powder

1 tsp dried oregano

2 tsp ground cumin

2 tablespoons salt

sprinkle of black pepper

2 tablespoons olive oil

3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar (PW calls for white wine vinegar, but I never seem to have any)

1/4 cup brown sugar

Place the pork shoulder in the crockpot. Throw the rest of the ingredients into a blender, and pulse until smooth and well-combined. Pour over the pork shoulder. Then, using your hands, rub the mixture into all of the nooks and crannies of the pork turning to coat. Add about 1/2 cup of water, and set to cook on low for 10 hours.

Just before serving, remove the pork to a large platter or 9x13 baking dish, and shred with two forks. Pour the juices over the top. Serve on your favorite tortillas with plenty of fresh limes, sour cream, guacamole, pico de gallo, fresh cilantro, beans and rice. Yum!

Apple Pancakes

Growing up in South Bend, Indiana, we frequented Bibler's Pancake House. Owned by the family of our neighbors and a classmate of mine, and part of the Original Pancake House chain, Bibler's served up amazing breakfasts. My grandparents loved taking us there any weekend we could go. The line that always ran right out the door and out onto the sidewalk - even despite the often brutally-cold weather - was a definite indication of the meal to come. The atmosphere was old-fashioned, the coffee was hot, and the food outstanding. No longer owned by the Biblers, the Original Pancake House still stands, and it still boasts the same menu. My favorite? The Apple Pancake. It is absolutely amazing - a food you will dream about months (even years!) after tasting. The pancake takes over an hour to prepare, so the wait can be long...but well worth it.

I have been trying for years to re-create this gem to no avail. Most of the recipes I've found are way too cake-y. Bibler's is egg-y, dense, and rich-as-can-be. Most of the recipes are made in a pie pan. Bibler's was made in an iron skillet on the stovetop and finished up in the oven. Most of the recipes take 15-20 minutes. Bibler's, start-to-finish, takes an hour and a half. I'd long-abandoned my search and had settled on a visit to Bibler's every time we make the trek back to South Bend...until yesterday. My daily recipe from Allrecipes.com was one for a German pancake - another dish Bibler's does well. It set my apple-pancake-craving wheels in motion once again, and I found a recipe that looked promising. I was feeling pretty terrible with a head cold, I had cranky kids, and we were in the middle of a minor home-improvement project. But, as I sat thinking about this pancake, I knew it couldn't wait. So, in the hustle-and-bustle, I made my way into the kitchen and got to work making only a few minor changes out of convenience. This recipe is almost exactly the same as the apple pancake I know and love! I know all of the ingredients are staples in my house. If you have any doubt whatsoever about whether you should jump off the couch and go make this right this very minute, doubt no more. You will not be sorry!

Bibler's Apple Pancakes

(adapted from a recipe found here)

3 Tablespoons unsalted butter

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 Tablespoon cinnamon

pinch of salt

2 medium gala apples, peeled, cored, and sliced

Melt the butter in an oven-safe skillet* over medium heat. Add the sugar, cinnamon, and salt, and stir until the sugar is dissolved. Dump in the apples, and saute stirring frequently for 10 minutes. Turn off the heat, and let the apple mixture sit for 1 hour to cool. (At this point I set a timer for 40 minutes so I could come back, make the batter, and preheat the oven by the time the 1 hour was up.)

Batter:

3 eggs

2/3 cup half-and-half (I used fat free, and it was perfectly fine)

1 Tablespoon of vanilla

2 Tablespoons of sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup of flour, sifted

Beat the eggs with a hand mixer until fluffy. Add the half-and-half, vanilla, sugar, and salt, and mix until well-combined and until the sugar has dissolved. Add the flour, and stir slowly until it is completely mixed in. Let this sit for 10 minutes while preheating the oven to 475 degrees.

When the apple mixture is completely cooled and has been sitting for 1 hour, slowly pour the batter over the apple mixture. Bake, uncovered, for 15 minutes, or until the top begins to brown. (The recipe I followed says to bake for 16-18 minutes, but mine was well done at 15. This largely depends on your oven, I imagine.)

Your finished pancake will look like this:

Let sit for 1 or 2 minutes, then loosen the edges with a rubber spatula. Place a large plate or platter upside-down on top of the skillet, and flip it over. Your pancake should drop easily onto your plate.

I love this pancake as-is, but Bibler's served it with powdered sugar to sprinkle on top. This just may become a new Christmas morning tradition around here. Delicious! If you make this, please make sure to stop back by and let me know how you like it.

*My skillets are oven-safe to 450 degrees. But I learned a trick years ago that I've used up to 500 degrees, and it has worked just fine. There is a small rubber grip on the underside of the handle on my pans, and that is the only part that is not oven-safe. I just wrap the handle with aluminum foil loosely before placing in the oven, and my handles have never been affected.

Kid lunches: A muffin tin alternative

I started doing muffin tin lunches for my 3-year-old daughter (and now my 14-month-old son) for almost 1 1/2 years now. I love the fact that it challenges me to think outside the box with variety, but I've found a flaw. In order to save leftovers, I have to move them to a different container. The 6-cup muffin tins from Dollar Tree don't even fit into gallon-sized Ziplocs, so saving them in the tin isn't an option. Bummer.

Awhile back I was browsing Inchbug ordering some cup labels for the kids, and I saw these containers. There are a ton of different food storage options on that site, but these fit the bill for us perfectly. They have a snap-on lid for the dip portion and the whole thing making it perfect for lunches on-the-go and for storing leftovers. We use the middle portion for yogurt, peanut butter, hummus, ranch dressing, etc. Then I just fill the outside with a handful of other things - celery sticks, baby carrots, PB and honey sandwiches (cut into stars above), apple slices, cheese sticks, and the list goes on and on. My 3-year-old loves the containers (something about giving lunch to her in a compartmentalized tray appeals to her), and I love the convenience of not having to dirty yet another container for leftovers. These are also much easier to clean than the muffin tins which do not hold up well in the dishwasher.

Hope you find these as helpful as I have!

Crockpot Cranberry Pork Tenderloin

I love trying new recipes and combinations that I wouldn't have ever thought to put together. And I even love long, complicated dishes. So when I tried The Pioneer Woman's Pork Loin with Cranberry Sauce, I fell in love. It is a perfect dinner for entertaining. But it is not at all a weeknight dinner possibility for me. This will not be news to mothers of small children, but the dinner-cooking-hour around here often resembles a WW3 battlefield. Neither of my kids enjoy that time of day on a regular basis, nor are they willing to suck it up and sit quietly while I lovingly slave over a dish like this. Instead they stand at the doorway of the kitchen whining and carrying on. (I have a "no whining in the kitchen" rule so at least they're not at my feet.) Anyway, I saw a similar recipe on a message board, and it inspired me to try to recreate PW's loin in a much more weeknight-friendly package. This was a HUGE hit. It is so quick, easy, and relatively inexpensive. I used a tenderloin that I had gotten on clearance at Target for $4. So our entire meal including sides was less than $10 and tasted like a million bucks. Yum!

Crockpot Cranberry Pork Tenderloin

1 pork tenderloin (fresh or frozen - doesn't matter!)

1 onion, sliced

1 packet of dry onion soup mix (like Lipton or, as I used, generic)

1 can of whole cranberry sauce (or 2 cups of homemade)

1 tablespoon butter

1 tablespoon flour

black pepper to taste

Dump the onion into the bottom of the crockpot to act as a liner. Lay the pork tenderloin on top (you do not have to thaw the loin - just add cooking time), and sprinkle the dry soup mix evenly.

Spoon the cranberry sauce as evenly as possible over the loin and onions. You want the flavor to soak into every nook and cranny as it cooks, but it's not easily spreadable.

Put the lid on, and cook on high for 4 hours. Mine was done at 3, although I can't imagine that this would dry out too badly as it is very liquid-y after an hour or so of cooking. I also can't imagine that this would be bad if you cook it on low for 8 hours while you're out.

When the loin is done, remove it from the crockpot, and set aside to rest on a cutting board.

Strain the juices that are leftover in the crockpot, and set aside. In a skillet over medium heat, melt 1 tablespoon of butter. Add the tablespoon of flour, and stir with a whisk to create a roux allowing it to get slightly brown. Slowly pour in the reserved and strained liquid whisking until well-combined. Allow to heat through and thicken to your desired consistency (a gravy consistency), sprinkle with pepper, and remove from the heat.

Slice the tenderloin, and top with the gravy. Yum!