RECIPE SITES I USE OFTEN:
Taste of Home Magazine's excellent bank of online recipes. Type in almost any food-related keywords and get at least a dozen different recipes, many of which have been user tested and rated. Includes pictures of each recipe, nutrition information, and a grocery list function. Grouped by cuisine type, ingredients, course, and budget.
Betty Crocker offers easy, family-friendly recipes using common ingredients and their popular brands. Their "Meal Finder" option allow you to type in 1-3 ingredients and search the sites for recipes based on what in in your cupboard.
The Campbell's Kitchen offers some of our family's comfort-food favorites. These uncomplicated, but delicious recipes will be a mainstay of any budget-conscious household full of children.
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Family Favorites
Family Favorites
BLT Wrap Ups
adapted from Betty Crocker Kids Cook! (page 43-44)
Ingredients:
3 cups shredded lettuce
2 large diced tomatoes
10 slices turkey bacon finely chopped (use microwave to cook to avoid heating up the kitchen)
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup mayonaise
1 tsp powdered ranch dressing mix (this is an approximation, sorry, could be more, depending on you)
10 flour tortillas
Combine the first four ingredients in a large bowl. In a small bowl, add the ranch mix to the mayo, then add the mayo mixture to the large bowl and fold in gently. Put approximately 1/2 cup of the mixture in each tortilla (this varied according to the age and size of the person being served!), then fold up both ends before rolling. Serve cold with chips, sliced apples, and iced sweet tea. Perfect for hot summer evenings. So simple, yet so delicious. This serves all eight of us and no one leaves feeling hungry.
We were thinking we might try adding small pieces of broccoli, shredded carrots, more lettuce, and cold peas sometime and serving it as a salad. What do you think?
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Triple Decker Tortillas
(adapted from p. 120 of the Better Homes and Gardens Kid Favorites Made Healthy Cookbook)
Preheat oven to 450 degrees
Ingredients:
1 can of refried beans, divided
1 tsp taco seasoning1 cup mild salsa
1 cup hot salsa
4 corn tortillas
4 flour tortillas
1 cup frozen whole kernel corn, divided
1 cup mexican blend shredded cheese, divided
1 cup shredded lettuce
sour cream on the side
Apply non-stick spray lightly to the bottom of two baking dishes. Put the refried beans in a microwavable dish, stir in seasoning (more or less, to taste), and heat up until warm. Spoon 1/4 cup salsa on the bottom of each baking dish. I did one with mild for the kids and me, and one with hot for the guys. Place a tortilla on top of the salsa in each dish. I did the mild salsa dish with flour tortillas (which I prefer) and used corn tortillas for the guys (my hubby had some of both and says corn is better).
Cover both pans with foil and bake in a 450 degree oven for 10 minutes.
Serve with shredded lettuce, pico de gallo, and sour cream. Serves eight.
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Campbell's Creamy Chicken Enchilladas from Allrecipes.com
(I double this recipe and serve it with refried beans and Spanish rice)
Ingredients
Directions
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Buttermilk Scones
adapted from Baking With Julia
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees
Ingredients:
3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar
2 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking sodabaking soda
3/4 tsp. salt
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter (I had to use margerine and it worked fine)
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup vanilla yogurt (my change)1 tsp. vanilla (my change)
1/2 tsp. butter flavor (my change...Julia calls for 1 tbs. zest)
Directions:
Sift dry ingredients together. Cut in cold butter pieces using fingers or a pastry blender until it resembles coarse cornmeal. Large pieces of butter are fine as this increases flakiness. Combine buttermilk, yogurt, and flavorings, then add to the mix with a fork just until moistened. The dough should be soft. If it is too dry, add a bit more buttermilk. Make a ball with the dough, then press gently on a lightly floured surface and knead briefly (just a dozen times, no more). Make sure you flour your hands, too, so you don't get too sticky.
Cut the dough in half and pat first half into a flat, 1/2 thick circle. I put the remaining dough in the bowl in the fridge while doing this step. Cut your dough into eighths or tenths and place the triangles on an ungreased baking sheet. Melt a half stick of butter in the microwave and brush the tops of the scones with some of the butter (save half for the next batch). I didn't have a brush, so Lisa suggested dabbing it on with a paper towel and that worked fine. Then take your sugar shaker and sprinkle the tops of the scones with sugar (about 2 tbs). I cooked my scones in two batches because my oven is not that good. The batches took about 10 minutes each. Repeat this process with the second batch. The scones should fluff up nicely, but be somewhat firm to the touch and golden. They are gooooood! Dip them in strawberry butter (made by adding strawberry jam to tub butter) or vanilla butter (made by adding a touch of vanilla creamer to butter) for dipping and they are deeeee-lish!
-------------------------------------------Quick Blackberry Cobbler
(recipe found on Cooks.com)
Ingredients:
1/2 c. milk
2 tsp. oil or melted shortening
1/3 c. sugar
1 c. pancake mix (Bisquick)
2 c. black berries
2/3 c. sugar
1 c. water
Directions:
Mix first 4 ingredients and put into a greased 2 quart casserole. Mix berries, sugar and water. Pour over batter. Bake at 375 degrees about 45 minutes. If using canned or frozen sweetened fruit, omit sugar and use juice in place of water. The batter rises to the top, giving the cobbler its characteristic cobbled appearance.
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Choco-nut-butter Christmas Candy
Ingredients:
One bag of chocolate morsels
One bag of butterscotch morsels
One can of salted red-skinned Spanish peanuts
Heat each bag of chips separately according to package instructions (well, I actually do all of the chips in one bag at once rather than by the cupful, so I have to heat it up for longer, but I do this incrementally and with stirring in between, so I won't burn the chips). I usually do the butterscotch first because they are a little bit tougher to melt.
Combine the chocolate and butterscotch in one bowl and stir in the peanuts.
Drop tablespoonfuls (for larger candies) of the mixture onto a cookie sheet covered with wax paper. For smaller candies, use a teaspoon (this is the best choice for families with smaller children or for parties. These candies are rich.)
Allow to cool and harden in the fridge, then store in an airtight container IN THE FRIDGE.
Makes about three dozen large candies. Five dozen small (I think).
Enjoy! We are thinking this recipe might be delicious if made with peanut butter chips instead of butterscotch.
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Simple Seven-Layer Dip
I say"to taste" a lot in this recipe, because every family is different. This recipe is easy to tweak so that your family will absolutely love it when you make it. Adjust it however you like.
- two cans of refried beans
- container of sour cream
- can of sliced olives
- diced green onions (about a half cup, or more, to taste)
- shredded lettuce (about two cups, or more, to taste)
- diced tomatoes (about a cup, or more, to taste)
- A bag of shredded cheddar or mexican-mix cheese (about a cup, or more to taste)
- taco seasoning (I use about one teaspoon per can, but you can use more or less, as your taste dictates)
- due to taste preferences, we turned a potentially eight-layer dip that included guacamole into a seven layer one. You can add the guacamole back, or serve it on the side.
- another optional layer is salsa, which I have found makes the dip too runny, so I serve it on the side.
- a final optional layer is jalepeno peppers, or some other favorite pepper, which I would serve on the side for the benefit of those folks who like to cry when they eat.
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Zucchini Bread recipe taken from Allrecipes.com
Mom's Zucchini Bread
by: V. Monte
"Really, really good and moist---my kids eat it as quickly as I can make it. Bread will freeze well, and keep in refrigerator for weeks." V. Monte
Original Recipe Yields 2 loaves
Ingredients
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
3 eggs
1 cup vegetable oil
2 1/4 cups white sugar
3 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups grated zucchini
1 cup chopped walnuts
Directions
1.Grease and flour two 8 x 4 inch pans. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
2.Sift flour, salt, baking powder, soda, and cinnamon together in a bowl.
3.Beat eggs, oil, vanilla, and sugar together in a large bowl. Add sifted ingredients to the creamed mixture, and beat well. Stir in zucchini and nuts until well combined. Pour batter into prepared pans.
4.Bake for 40 to 60 minutes, or until tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pan on rack for 20 minutes. Remove bread from pan, and completely cool.
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**And here is the recipe for Zucchini Bars taken from the The Basics and More, an Amish Cookbook I bought in Missouri when we "ran away" from Hurrican Ivan in 2004. I forgot to take a picture and the two pans we made did not last long. One went to an injured friend (the one who gave us Molly) and the other went into eager tummies. The kids definitely loved them, and I suppose they were healthier than brownies!
I still have about eight monster-sized zucchini to go, with more still growing . Any ideas?
This recipe adapted from Zucchini Bars
by Janice Weaver in the Basics and More Cookbook
preheat over to 350 degrees
Ingredients
1 cup oil (I used applesauce instead)
4 eggs
2/3 cup water
2 cups grated zucchini
2 1/2 cup white flour
1 cup wheat flour
2 tsp. baking soda
1 1/2 tsp. salt
2 tsp cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp nutmeg (I was out and didn't use it and they still tasted good)
2 cups sugar (I used 1/2 cup brown sugar and 1 1/2 cups regular...I just can't resist altering things...sorry!)
1 bag mini-chocolate chips
1 cup chopped walnuts
The original recipe also suggests you can use part butterscotch and part chocolate chips. We found the sweetness of the chocolate to be adequate.
Mix everything but the chips and nuts and pour into 2 9X13 pans. Bake 5 minutes and sprinkle with chips and nuts. Continue baking at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until done.
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Bran Muffins (modified from the classic All-Bran recipe)
Preheat oven to 375 degrees
Sift together:
- 1 1/4 cup flour (I used 3/4 cup freshly milled white wheat flour, 1/2 cup white flour)
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 tbs. Baking Powder
- 1/4 tsp. salt (I used sea salt)
- 1/8 tsp. cinnamon
Put 1 1/4 cup milk in a different bowl
Add 2 cups bran cereal...you may use All-Bran, but bran flakes of any brand work (I do soak them a bit longer)
Soak for 10 minutes
Add the following to the soaked cereal mixture:
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 cup chunky applesauce (you may use another type, but this one works very well to make a nicely textured muffin)
- 2 TBS oil
- if available, sometimes I add one diced apple (peeled and cored, of course)
Spray muffin sheet or line with papers, then fill each 2/3rds full. This works well with either 12 regular or 6 jumbo muffins.
Bake for 15-18 minutes. Test with a toothpick. Muffins will be firm, but the toothpick will not be entirely clean. These muffins are very moist and are delectable for breakfast topped with fresh butter. Enjoy!
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Our Easy Chicken Alfredo recipe
One can of Campbell's Creamy Chicken and Mushroom soup
One jar of Alfredo sauce
1 package of chicken breast tenders (or pre-cooked chicken strips will do)
1 tbs or so of olive oil
garlic salt
Cooked spaghetti (or other noodle...as much as is needed for your family)
about a half soup can of milk
parmesan cheese
Heat the oil in a skillet. Take your chicken tenders and sprinkle them with garlic salt (lightly). Cook until cooked through (I like mine starting to get golden), chopping them into smaller bites as they cook (I chop mine about the size of a quarter...it goes farther that way). Set aside. Combine the soup and the alfredo sauce. Split the half can of milk between the can and jar to swish and get the rest of the soup/sauce out. Heat up, being careful not to scald it. Serve on top of spaghetti or linguine noodles, and top with the chicken and parmesan cheese. Serve with garlic bread and salad.
One can of Campbell's Creamy Chicken and Mushroom soup
One jar of Alfredo sauce
1 package of chicken breast tenders (or pre-cooked chicken strips will do)
1 tbs or so of olive oil
garlic salt
Cooked spaghetti (or other noodle...as much as is needed for your family)
about a half soup can of milk
parmesan cheese
Heat the oil in a skillet. Take your chicken tenders and sprinkle them with garlic salt (lightly). Cook until cooked through (I like mine starting to get golden), chopping them into smaller bites as they cook (I chop mine about the size of a quarter...it goes farther that way). Set aside. Combine the soup and the alfredo sauce. Split the half can of milk between the can and jar to swish and get the rest of the soup/sauce out. Heat up, being careful not to scald it. Serve on top of spaghetti or linguine noodles, and top with the chicken and parmesan cheese. Serve with garlic bread and salad.
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Cheesy Chicken and Rice Bake from Campbell's Kitchen
(everyone loved this one...the chicken came out very moist)
1 can (10 3/4 ounces) Campbell's® Condensed Cream of Chicken Soup
1 1/3 cups water
3/4 cup uncooked regular long-grain white rice
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 cups frozen mixed vegetables
1 1/4 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese (about 2 ounces)
- Heat the oven to 375°F. Stir the soup, water, rice, onion powder, black pepper and vegetables in an 11 x 7 x 2-inch baking dish.
- Top the rice mixture with the chicken. Cover the baking dish.
- Bake for 50 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and the rice is tender. Top with the cheese. Let the casserole stand for 10 minutes. Stir the rice before serving.
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Our favorite Waldorf-style Tuna Salad
two to three apples, peeled, cored, and diced
a cup of grapes diced
a cup of shredded cheddar
a cup of hard-boiled egg chopped
a half cup diced celery
a half cup chopped walnuts
Kraft mayo and Miracle Whip to taste...
we prefer our tuna salad fairly moist.
I use the Miracle Whip and Mayo in half and half proportions,
so I get a little bit of seasoning, but it is not too strong.
You can choose to use one or both, however your family prefers.
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Pear Butter
6-7 pounds pears (about 20 medium)
4 cups of sugar
1/2 cup orange juice
1 tsp apple pie spice
a dash of sea salt
Wash the pears. Core the pears and slice them into sections (I have an apple corer/slicer that does this, or you can do it by hand...I leave the skins on to make it less time consuming, but you can peel them if you want to. It is not necessary that they be thinly sliced...even having them cut up in just four sections will do).
Put the pears in a large sauce pot with about a cup of water (you can use less, but I was afraid they would burn if I used less). Simmer them over medium heat until the pears are soft.
Measure 2 quarts of pear pulp when you are done. Put it back into the rinsed pot (at this point, if you didn't use much water, it is basically non-seasoned pear sauce...though when I make my pear sauce, I hand mash the pears for a coarser texture, and I do peel the pears) and add the sugar. Stir until the sugar dissolves completely. Then, add the orange juice, theapple pie spice, and the salt.
Now....wait. For a long time. Simmer the pears over medium to medium-low heat (I put a lid on the pot to prevent splatters, but cracked it to let the steam evaporate) until the pear sauce thickens and darkens. My friend says to "cook it until it is thick enough to round up on a spoon." The volume of your pear butter will have decreased by the time you are done.
This may take quite a long time (several hours), so now would be a good time to clean out your silverware and junk drawers, read a good book, or organize your shelves. I read a whole book, sitting in my rocking chair, alternately reading short books to individual kids who'd sit on my lap for a few minutes (I had a migraine that day). It was nice, in spite of the headache.
It is important to not burn the sauce, so regular stirring is essential, and monitoring the heat so it is bubbly (and losing moisture), but not sticking or bubbling over is vital...so not getting too distracted is a good idea (been there, done that).
Once it is done, it will have a thick, spreadable consistency and be absolutely delicious. You can either ladle the hot butter into hot jars, leaving head space, removing the air bubbles, and adjusting two piece caps before processing the jars in a boiling water canner for ten minutes OR you can put it into freezer jars and store it in your freezer for up to a year, BUT believe me, between the jars you give away and the ones your kids devour, your pear butter won't last that long. Don't forget to label your jars, though, so you can keep track of when it was made, and what it is.
Making pear butter is a great project for a rainy day...and a lot of fun for the whole family. Delicious fun. Enjoy!!
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