Zesty Slow Cooker Beef Roast!



My normal way of making a pot roast is in the slow cooker. I cut up a large onion into big pieces and put them in the bottom. Then I put the roast on top and on top of that I sprinkle on a Lipton French Onion soup packet, add about 1/2 cup of water and cook it slow from 9-10 hours. After I take it out, I take out most of the juice and whisk in one can of cream of mushroom soup to make a yummy gravy for the roast and mashed potatoes.

However, this time I changed it up a little bit like my BFF, Susan does. She adds Italian dressing from the bottle on top. It was a nice touch that adds a zest to it.  The drippings were even delicious drizzled over the mashed potatoes. Yum!



Zesty Slow Cooker Beef Roast

Ingredients:
1 beef roast (I usually use a rump roast or a chuck roast)
1 large onion
1 packet of Lipton French onion soup mix
1/3 bottle of Italian dressing (approximate measure)

Directions:
1. Spray slow cooker with non-stick spray.
2. Cut up the onion into large pieces and place on the bottom of the slow cooker.
3. Place roast on top.
4. Sprinkle the packet of French onion soup mix on top of roast.
5. Pour dressing on top of soup mix.
6. Pour 1/2 cup of water in bottom of slow cooker.
7. Cook on slow for 9-10 hours.

Enjoy!

Thank you for stopping by my kitchen!

Marsala Chicken & Mushroom Casserole!

I found this recipe on Rachael Ray's website. My family loved it, so it is definitely a keeper!

To be honest, I haven't really made many of Rachael Ray's recipes. I feel that some of them have too many ingredients or ingredients that I don't want to buy to use only one time.

Fortunately, I had everything on hand for this recipe but in true Cindi fashion, I changed it up a bit. Her recipe includes rice. My daughter is not a rice fan so I substituted cooked linguine. Click here to go to the original recipe which includes the rice.

Okay, I just realized the picture doesn't look that appetizing but trust me, the flavor is delish!

Marsala Chicken and Mushroom Casserole

Ingredients: 
2 tablespoons butter 
15 ounces sliced mushrooms 
1 1/2 tablespoons flour 
1 1/2 cups Marsala wine
1 1/2 cups heavy cream 
2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
Salt and pepper 
3/4 lb. (pre-cooked weight) cooked linguine
2 cups coarsely chopped rotisserie chicken 
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:
~Preheat the oven to 350 degrees . In a large skillet, heat the butter over medium-high heat until just melted. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle the flour on top and stir in for 1 minute. Stir in the Marsala and cream and simmer, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened, about 3 minutes or so. Stir in the parsley, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. 
~In a greased 9-inch-by-13-inch casserole, spread the linguine in an even layer; top with the chicken. Pour the mushroom gravy on top. Cover snugly with foil and bake until bubbly, about 30 minutes. Discard the foil, sprinkle the Parmesan on top and bake for 5 minutes more.

Enjoy!

Thanks for stopping by my kitchen!

Creamy Pesto Chicken & Pasta!

I found this recipe on the back of a can of Campbell's Cream of Chicken soup. The original name is Creamy Pesto Chicken & Bow Ties but I used penne pasta so I changed the name.

This recipe is super easy but definitely has the "wow factor." The recipe below is from the Campbell's website with minor alterations. I thought the sauce was a little too thick so I reserved some of the cooking water from the pasta and thinned the sauce down a little bit. I think I used a little over a 1/4 of a cup. I think next time I'm going to sprinkle in some freshly diced tomatoes when I add the pasta to the sauce. It will not only add color but compliment the creaminess of the sauce. After I plated it, I sprinkled fresh shaved Parmesan and a little fresh parsley on top.


Creamy Pesto Chicken & Pasta

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons butter
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves (about 1 pound), cut into cubes
1 can (10 3/4 ounces) Campbell's® Condensed Cream of Chicken Soup (Regular or 98% Fat Free)
1/2 cup pesto sauce
1/2 cup milk
3 cups penne pasta, cooked and drained (reserve some of the pasta water)

1. Heat the butter in a 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook until well browned, stirring often.

2. Stir the soup, pesto sauce and milk in the skillet and heat to a boil. Reduce the heat to low. Cook for 5 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through. Stir in the pasta and cook until the mixture is hot and bubbling. If the sauce is too thick, use the reserved pasta water to thin it down until you feel it's the right consistency.

3. Garnish with shaved Parmesan cheese and chopped parsley and enjoy!

Thanks for stopping by my kitchen!

Garlic Herb Chicken!

I made this for dinner last night and it was a big hit.

It's a variation of a recipe I saw on Cheryl a.k.a. Tidy Mom's blog and she changed a recipe she saw in a cookbook to get her recipe. I love being inspired by other bloggers!

Anyway. Hers was actually Breaded Pork Medallions but I used Chicken and they weren't medallions so I changed the name to what was comfortable for me.

Here's a link to her recipe. Mine is below.

Garlic Herb Chicken

Ingredients:
4 (4 oz.) boneless, skinless chicken breasts
4 triangles of Laughing Cow Garlic & Herb Spreadable Cheese
1 1/2 cups Italian style bread crumbs (I used Cheryl's measurement because I didn't measure mine. I just dumped it in the bowl.)

Directions:
~Preheat oven to 375°
~Rinse chicken breasts in cold water and pat dry with paper towels.
~Place chicken on a large cutting board and cover with 3 layers of plastic wrap. Pound with a kitchen mallet until about 1/4" to 1/2" inch thick. This will allow for even cooking and also gives you a very tender product because it breaks up the meat a bit.
~Using a butter knife, spread one triangle of cheese on the top of each breast.
~Coat each side in the bread crumbs.
~Place on a sheet pan which has been sprayed with non-stick spray.
~Spray the top of each breast with more non-stick spray.
~Bake for 20-25 minutes or until chicken is done.

I served mine with Parmesan parsley noodles and vegetables. Yummy!

Thanks for stopping by my kitchen!

Allison's Baked White Fish!

Allison is quite the creative cook and this is one of her creations. I should say one of her best creations yet. It was really flavorful and yummy!

She created it because . . . well, SHE sat on a bag of potato chips and didn't want to eat broken chips.

Yes, that's right. I told her she was going to eat the crushed chips because she wasn't paying attention and sat on the bag. I told her didn't care if she had to eat them with a spoon but we weren't throwing them out. I know. . . it was one of my mean moments.

Well if you read my other blog and know anything about my daughter, she is a problem solver. Yes, that she is. I believe that when she grows up, she's going to make an amazing contribution to society. Hey! I'm her Mom. I'm allowed to dream about her future!

Okay, let's get to the recipe. I guess it's not really a recipe but more of a method so I'll just try my best to write it up.

Allison's Baked White Fish

Ingredients:
White fish fillets, Flounder, Haddock, Cod, Halibut, Orange Roughy, etc.
Potato chips, almost a full regular bag
1 egg
milk, just a little to loosen up the egg
pepper
Cajun seasoning
dried chopped parsley

Directions:
1. Place potato chips in a zippered bag and crush to crumbs with a rolling pin.
2. In a bowl, beat egg and add a little milk to loosen the egg. Season with pepper. There is enough salt in the potato chips so you won't need it.
3. Dip fish fillets into egg/milk mixture and then cover with potato chip crumbs.
4. Place on a baking sheet that has been lined with foil and sprayed lightly with non-stick cooking spray.
5. Sprinkle desired amount of Cajun seasoning and a little parsley for color on top of fillets.
6. Bake in a 375 degree oven until done. This will depend on how thick your fillets are. I cooked them until they were almost done and then raised the oven to 400 degrees to crisp the breading.

Thanks for stopping by my kitchen!

Slow Cooker Beef Stroganoff!

Several weeks ago my blogging friend, Darlene of Darlene's Days tried a Slow Cooker Beef Stroganoff recipe. Her family loved it and after reading her rave reviews on her blog, I decided to make it for dinner that night.

I didn't have any stew meat or the right canned soup so I made a few adjustments and incorporated some of Darlene's suggestions and it came out PERFECT!

You can click here for the original recipe and the recipe I am listing below is the one I've adjusted and will continue to use.

Slow Cooker Beef Stroganoff

Ingredients:
1 pound of sirloin steak (2 steaks), fat trimmed off and cut into strips
1/2 cup onion, chopped
1 Tbsp. olive oil or just enough to cover the bottom of the pan
1 can of cream of mushroom soup
1 small can of sliced mushrooms
1 packed of French onion soup mix
1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup water
4 oz. cream cheese
Sour cream for top, optional
egg noodles or white rice

Directions:
1. In a medium saute pan, heat olive oil on an almost high setting. When the oil is hot and rippling, add the steak and onions. Sear the steak on all sides to give it a dark brown color on the outside. Do not cook it through. You just want to seal in the juices.
2. After the meat and onions are seared, place them in a slow cooker and add the soup, mushrooms, package of soup mix, Worcestershire sauce and water. Stir well to combine.
3. Cook on low setting for 8 hours or high setting for 5 hours.
4. Stir in cream cheese just before serving.
5. Serve over cooked egg noodles or white rice.

Thanks for stopping by my kitchen!

Shrimp Kabobs!

My BFF, Susan, and I were chatting on the phone the other day about adding more fish and seafood to our meal plans. I love fish and seafood but don't cook a whole lot of it.

Coincidentally, I just happened to have Shrimp Kabobs on my menu this week to use up some I had in the freezer.

I usually make them the same way but this time I decided to check out some recipes on the web. I took the base of one and then put my own spin on it. I baked these in the oven because it's in the middle of winter and we are having a snow and wind storm but I can't wait to do them on the grill when it warms up outside.

Shrimp Kabobs

Ingredients:
1 lb. of shrimp (I used 31-40 deveined with tails off)
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tsp. minced garlic (I use the minced garlic in a jar)
2 tsp. lemon juice
1 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. dried parsley
1/4 tsp. black pepper.

Directions:
~In a measuring cup mix together olive oil, garlic, lemon juice, paprika, parsley and black pepper.
~Rinse and drain shrimp.
~Place shrimp in a quart size zipper freezer bag and add marinade to the shrimp. Seal bag well and toss around to make sure all shrimp are coated well. Place in refrigerator to marinate for at least 2 hours.
~After two hours, take out of refrigerator and place shrimp on skewer. Discard marinade.
~Grill or bake at 350 degrees until shrimp turns pink. Mine only took 10 minutes. Grilling will probably take shorter. Just be sure not to overcook the shrimp or it will turn rubbery.

Notes:
~This is a marinade so be sure to prep this at least 2 hours before cooking.
~If you are using metal skewers, be sure to oil them before you add the shrimp to them.
~If you are using bamboo skewers like I do, you will need to soak them in water for a couple of hours. This will prevent them splintering and catching on fire in the oven or on the grill.

Before Cooking:

After Cooking:

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Scalloped Potatoes & Ham!

Yum! This is the ultimate comfort food!

I try not to make it too often because it's not that great for the hips or the arteries!

The recipe below is my got to scalloped potatoes & ham recipe. I have another one for the slow cooker but this one is way more delicious!

I do have to admit here that don't always follow the recipe exactly. I like mine saucy so I end up putting in more milk and cheese to the roux. The picture below is when it came out really saucy but it was perfect after I let it sit a while. Also, if your family likes onions, feel free to chop up a medium one and throw it in with the potatoes and ham.

Scalloped Potatoes & Ham

Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup flour
1/2 tsp. pepper
3 cups milk
3 cups cheddar cheese, shredded
5 cups potatoes, washed & sliced
3 cups ham, cooked and diced

Directions:
~Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
~Put sliced potatoes and diced ham in a large bowl and set aside.
~In a large sauce pan, melt butter over low to medium heat. Then whisk the flour in and continue to whisk and cook for about 1-2 minutes. It will be dry but it's important for you to cook off the raw flour taste and allow the butter and starch granules to mix.
~Remove from the heat and slowly mix in the milk.
~Return the pan back to the heat and cook until it's a thick and bubbly white sauce.
~Remove from heat and add in the pepper and cheddar cheese. Stir until the cheese melts.
~Add white/cheese sauce to potatoes and ham and mix well.
~Put into a well greased 9 x 13 baking dish and cover with foil.
~Bake covered for 30 minutes.
~Uncover and bake for 1 hour more.
~After you remove it from the oven, let it sit for 10-15 minutes before serving.

Thanks for stopping by my kitchen!

Steak Salad - Pittsburgh Style!

What is a Steak Salad -Pittsburgh Style, you ask? WELL! Let me tell you that if you have never had one, you are missing out!

It may sound odd to those of you who have never been to Western Pennsylvania or specifically to the Pittsburgh region but please don't judge it until you try it. It is amazing! Actually, it's the number one item that I order from the menu when we go out to restaurants.

So without further ado, let me introduce you to my favorite dinner salad...The Steak Salad - Pittsburgh Style!

Ta Da!!!

Doesn't it look yummy??

I know you all are thinking that I've lost my mind.

French fries on a salad?

YES, french fries on a SALAD!

Jerry's Curb Service ,back in the county I grew up in, is credited with inventing this Steak Salad. You can read about how it came about by clicking here. Even though they invented it, it is now on EVERY menu of every restaurant you frequent in Pittsburgh region. You can also be sure that if a chain restaurant in this area has a steak salad on their menu that doesn't come with fries, the diner will most definitely add a side of fries to their order. It just isn't the same without fries!

Since there are many variations of the Steak Salad, it would be wrong of me to claim that the recipe I am posting is the correct one. In truth, there is no correct one. However, you do need 5 basic components to make up a steak salad in my opinion. They are lettuce, vegetables, cheese, steak and fries. The recipe below is the one I make at home...it's the one in the picture. Below it, is a list of other options for you. They all work, just make sure you don't forget the fries!

Oh! Dressing! I can't forget to talk about dressing! Some people will tell you that Ranch is the way to go. Others will argue that Italian is the best. I, of course, have my own opinion on that! Maybe it's just me being odd but honestly for me it depends on the combination in the salad! Certain restaurants I order it at, I like Ranch...at other places I like Italian or Bleu Cheese or Sweet & Sour or Country French or I've even been known to mix Italian & Bleu Cheese...I know it sounds gross but it's really not! When I was still in high school, I was a waitress. I use to wait on this lady and she would come in and order the steak salad with a cup of beef gravy on the side. She would pour it over the whole salad...lettuce and all! Now THAT is gross!

Cindi's Steak Salad - Pittsburgh Style

Ingredients:
Iceberg lettuce, washed, chopped and chilled
Carrots, shredded
Cucumbers, peeled and sliced
Tomatoes, chopped
Cheddar Cheese, shredded
Olive oil
Steak, cut into bite sized pieces
Steak seasoning
French Fries, frozen or homemade oven fries
Dressing of choice

Directions:
1. Assemble lettuce, carrots, cucumbers, tomatoes and cheddar cheese on a dinner plate.
2. Season steak cubes with steak seasoning and fry in a little bit of olive oil until done.
3. Bake fries.
4. Add cooked steak on top of prepared salad.
5. Add fries on top of steak.
6. Cover in dressing.

Options:
~ Use your favorite greens...romaine, leaf, spring mix, etc.
~ Cook a whole steak on the grill or in the oven and cut into pieces after it's done. I like the stove top method because I can make mine medium rare and the others medium.
~ Other topping choices: sliced black olives, green peppers, onion slices, sliced or diced hard boiled eggs, pepperoncini peppers, hot banana pepper rings...as you can see the possibilities are endless.
~ Try different style of fries...shoestring, homemade oven baked, crinkle cut, steak, etc.
~ Use your favorite cheese...mozzarella, Swiss, Monteray jack...shredded or cubed or a combination of a couple.
~ Add a couple of breaded fried onion rings on the top.
~ Put the cheese over the top of the fries so it melts.
~ Another option is to try different proteins...grilled chicken, breaded baked chicken fingers and breaded baked fish...which is really good with 1000 Island dressing.

I hope you try it and come back and let me know what you think. And for those of you in the Beaver County/Pittsburgh area and already love this salad, let me know what restaurant out there has the best!

Thanks for stopping by my kitchen!

Homemade Pizza!

Homemade Pizza. Is there anything better?

It has become our family tradition that we have pizza on Fridays. I try my best to make it homemade pizza too! It's a memory I want for Allison.

I'll be honest. It's not as hard as you may think. Well, not as long as you have a food processor to do the mixing of the dough...or you can do it by hand if you like. You know me though, I like it easy and the food processor makes it easy!

This recipe will make two 12" pizzas. I usually make one small one for Allison and with the rest of the dough, I make a 14" pizza or a rectangle cookie sheet pizza.

Homemade Pizza

Ingredients:

2 1/2 tsp. active dry yeast or (1 .25 oz.) package

1 teaspoon sugar

1 cup of warm water at 110 degrees

2 1/2 cups flour

2 tablespoons olive oil (plus more for non-stick)

1 teaspoon salt

Pizza sauce

Mozzarella cheese, shredded

Desired toppings (pepperoni, mushrooms, onions, black olives, green peppers, banana pepper rings, ham, sausage, etc.)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 450F.

2. In a cereal sized bowl (make sure you bowl is big enough because it will grow to almost double in size), dissolve yeast and sugar in warm water. Let stand until the yeast has been activated and creamy, usually about 10 minutes.
3. In a food processor using your dough beater/blade, put in flour, salt & oil. Carefully add yeast mixture, beat until well blended and forms a ball. Remove dough and place in a lightly oiled bowl double the size of your dough. Cover with lightly oiled wax paper. Let rest for 10 minutes until it almost doubles in size.
3. Gently press the dough down with your lightly oiled hands. Split in half and place on lightly oiled pizza pans. Spread out dough to the edges with your fingers. Let rise again for about 10 minutes.

4. After dough has risen, spread dough with pizza sauce and place in preheated oven until the crust begins to get a very light brown color.

5. Take pizza out and cover with cheese and desired toppings either under or on top of the cheese. Place pizza back in oven until the cheese is gold and bubbly and crust is a darker brown color.
6. Let sit for a few minutes before cutting.

Tips:

~Your oldest, darkest, well-seasoned pans make the best crust. I bought a new one and hate it! It just doesn't get the pizza crust as crispy on the bottom as we like it. I need to season it a bit before I use it again.

~To lightly oil the bowl for the dough, wax paper and my hands, I use a non-stick spray.

~If the dough is springing back when you are trying to spread it out on the pan, place it in the heated oven for just a minute and try again. This usually works and makes it easier to work with.

~I use Ragu Pizza Sauce in the jar but sometimes I take a can of diced tomatoes and crush them then mix them in with the sauce.

~Sometimes I sprinkle olive oil on the crust under the sauce for added flavor...learned this from Allison's Grandma who makes the best homemade pizza.

~To make your pepperoni less greasy, layer it on a paper towel in the microwave and zap it for just a few seconds. Remove it from the oven and pat dry with more paper towels.

Thanks for stopping by my kitchen!

Beef & Bean Skillet Casserole!

Okay friends! I came up with this because I had a pound of thawed ground beef that I needed to use. It was also right before my grocery shopping trip so I had a limited amount of supplies in my pantry which forced me to get creative. Curtis loved it and had a big second helping. Allison picked the beans out of it and ate the whole thing. It was voted a "repeat" in my home so I thought I would share it with all of you.

I only used one skillet and one pot (to boil the noodles) so clean-up was easy. The skillet I used is a Cooks Essentials from QVC. It is one of their hard coat enamel skillets and is oven safe up to 350 degrees so I put it right in the oven to melt the cheese on top and finish off the casserole.

Beef & Bean Skillet Casserole

Ingredients:
1 lb. of ground beef
1 can of Cream of Mushroom Soup
1 cup milk
1 t. soy sauce (I use low salt)
1/2 t. black pepper
1 can of green beans, rinsed and drained
3 cups of dry egg noodles, cooked and drained
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Directions:
~Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
~Brown ground beef in skillet and drain grease.
~Next add Cream of Mushroom Soup, milk, soy sauce and black pepper. Mix until well blended over medium heat.
~Turn heat off and stir in cooked egg noodles and green beans.
~Fold in Parmesan cheese.
~Top with shredded cheddar cheese and a sprinkle of more Parmesan cheese.
~Place in preheated 350 degree oven for 20 minutes.
~After taking it out of the oven, let it set for 10 minutes before serving.

Thank you for visiting my kitchen!

Smoked Sausage, Potatoes, Peppers & Onions!

Here in this area, it's good luck to have pork and sauerkraut on New Year's Day.

Curtis and Allison don't like sauerkraut. I love it but as I get older it's not my friend if you know what I mean.

So instead of making something that my family won't eat and I can't eat, I decided we could still have the "pork" of the good luck tradition.

I don't really have a name for this dish. It's something my friend, Nancy, used to make when I lived across the street from her. I'm not sure if it's really the recipe she used but it's what I kind of remembered. I loved it when she invited me to dinner. She's a good cook!

Smoked Sausage, Potatoes, Peppers & Onions

Ingredients:
1 lb. smoked sausage (you can use kielbasa but we like the sausage better)
6-8 medium to large potatoes (we like potatoes so I always do more)
1 large red pepper (or green if you like)
1 large onion
3/4 stick of butter
Frank's Hot Sauce

Directions:
~ Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
~ In a large roaster sprayed with non-stick spray, layer the following in order:
~Potatoes, cut into large cubes. We like the skins on but you can peel them if you like.
~Smoked sausage, sliced on the diagonal into 1/2 inch "coins".
~Onions, peeled and sliced into thin slices then cut the slices in half.
~Peppers, cleaned and cut it into large cubes.
~ Shake hot sauce all over the top of the layers. Start with a little as you can add more half way through cooking.
~ Layer the top with sliced pats of butter.
~ Bake covered for 30 minutes.
~After 30 minutes, remove lid and stir well to mix everything together. You can taste a potato at this time to see if you would like more hot sauce. If needed, add more and stir well again.
~Put back into the oven uncovered for 15-20 minutes more.

A couple of notes:
~I wouldn't make this in a Crock Pot. It wouldn't give it the crispness that cooking it with the lid off gives you.
~You can make this ahead of time and then keep it warm in a Crock Pot for a party. This does work well and it's a big hit for the men at a party.
~Great idea for a Superbowl Party!

Thanks for stopping by my kitchen!

Italian Wedding Soup!

I've had Italian Wedding Soup many times but never thought about making it. That is until my best friend, Susan, asked if I had a recipe for it and put the idea into my head. I researched it online, read many recipes from many sites but hadn't decided on one that I wanted to try. I figured that I would end up combining a few of them until I came up with one that my family and I would like. Well as luck would have it, one of the guys brought some into work for all of us girls to try. It was just what I was looking for....almost. He graciously shared his family recipe as long as I promised not to tell his Mother. No problem. My lips are sealed. However, as always, I need to change things up a little bit. It was really good but there wasn't something quite right about his meatballs. When I told a friend at work that I had made it, she immediately said she wasn't fond of the meatballs....so I guess it wasn't just me. So of course, I have modified his family recipe to better fit my tastes and make this recipe my own.

Before I post the recipe, I should tell you that I like a heartier soup. As I've said before, Rachael Ray would call it a "stoup" and that pretty much describes it. So if you like it to be more "brothy," you can add more broth or cut down the amount of the pasta. Also, some people do not like a lot of garlic so I put on the recipe "to taste" so you decide if you want a little or a lot. It's your choice. Make it how you like it and be sure to share with your family, friends and neighbors. This recipe makes a lot and they will love you for it!

Cindi's Italian Wedding Soup

Ingredients for Meatballs:

1 lb. lean ground beef

1/2 cup bread crumbs

1/2 grated Parmesan cheese

2 T. dried parsley

1 large egg

garlic powder, to taste

1/2 t. salt

pepper, to taste

Remaining Ingredients:

5-6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 20 ounces)

8 cans of College Inn chicken broth

3 chicken bouillon cubes

2 beef bouillon cubes

1 box of frozen chopped spinach, thawed

3 large eggs

3 T. grated Parmesan cheese

8 oz. of "Acini Di Pepe" pasta

3 "shakes" of Paprika

Directions:

1. Boil chicken in water in a large pot until thoroughly cooked. Cool and shred into bite sized pieces.

2. In a large bowl, mix together all of the meatball ingredients until well blended. Form into 1/2 inch sized meatballs and set aside.

3. Rinse the chopped spinach in a colander until the water runs clear. Drain as much of the water out of the spinach as possible.

4. To make the soup, bring all 8 cans of chicken broth, chicken bouillon cubes and beef bouillon cubes to a boil. Add the meatballs to the pot and simmer until meatballs are cooked through.

5. Add the prepped chicken, chopped spinach and paprika to the pot.

6. Whisk the 3 eggs until it gets foamy. Add 3T grated Parmesan cheese to the eggs. Stir the soup in a circular motion. While the soup is circling the pot, drizzle the egg/cheese mixture in a steady stream being careful not to add it all at once.

7. Add the Acini Di Pepe pasta to the pot, stir and simmer until the pasta done.

Garnish with more grated Parmesan cheese and serve with Italian bread.

One more thing before I go...Allison asked me why it's called Wedding Soup. I told her I don't know...maybe because they serve it at Italian weddings? She replied and said she thinks "it's because the flavors are united together." Well, I looked it up and she was basically right. How did she get so smart?!?!?!

Thanks for stopping by my kitchen!

***Edited to link up to: Tasty Tuesday at Balancing Beauty and Bedlam, Tempt My Tummy Tuesday at Blessed with Grace and Tuesdays at the Talble with All the Small Stuff.

My Crock Pot Chili Recipe!

Although I love chili, I haven't made it in years. Allison wouldn't eat it and since I don't believe in cooking separate meals for the family, I would only order it out in a restaurant. Last week when we had dinner out, Allison tried it and LOVED it! She ate her whole bowl! I was so excited because that was my sign that I can make chili at home again. So last night I asked her if she would like chili for dinner tonight and she gave me a big smile and said "YES!" and then she said she can almost taste it now. How funny is she?

Cindi’s Crock Pot Chili

Ingredients:
2 pounds ground beef, browned and drained
2 - 15.5 oz. cans of kidney beans, drained and rinsed
2 – 14.5 oz. cans of diced tomatoes in juice
2 – 8 oz. cans of tomato sauce
1 medium onion, chopped fine
1 clove garlic, minced
½ green pepper, chopped fine
4 oz. mushrooms, chopped fine
3-4 Tablespoons chili powder
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper

Directions:
~Mix all ingredients together in a big bowl.
~Put mixture in a Crock Pot sprayed with non-stick cooking spray for easy clean up.
~Cook for 8 hours on low or 4-5 hours on high.

We like ours with soda crackers, shredded cheddar cheese and sour cream.

Thanks for visiting my kitchen!

Chicken Noodle Soup!

I'm sure everyone has a their own recipe for Chicken Noodle Soup and here is mine. This is how my Mother makes it and I saw no need to change it so I make it the same way. This is one of those recipes that there really isn't any measurements for the ingredients. You just sort of throw it in the pot as you go for the size of your family. I must think I'm feeding the Osmond's because I always seem to make a huge batch. That's okay, we always seem to eat it all...even if I have to share it with the neighbors.

Here are the participants: chicken, chicken broth, chicken bouillon, egg noodles, potatoes, carrots, parsley, black pepper and just imagine there is a can of green beans there. I forgot them until all the pictures were taken and the cooking was done.

First, put a big stock pot on the stove of water and get it boiling.
Once it's boiling, put your chicken in the hot bath. I use two boneless, skinless chicken breasts from Market Day. I also throw some other chicken in later but we'll get to that. You can turn down the heat once it starts to boil again.
While the chicken is cooking, I peel and dice the potatoes and slice the carrots. I use baby carrots because that's all I ever have in the refrigerator but you use what you like.
The chicken in the hot bath is probably done by now. Take it out, cool it and shred or dice it into bite sized pieces and set aside. Here's the other chicken I was talking about. I pulled this from my freezer. We love those rotisserie chickens from Sam's Club and the grocery store but there is always chicken left over. I clean the chicken off of the bones and use my "Seal a Meal" a.k.a. my "suck & seal" to save them for later use. I use the chicken for soup, pot pie, casseroles and anything else I need. The seasonings add such a special flavor to soup and pot pie, I like using it for them best.
I strain the chicken water and discard some of it. The chicken breasts don't really add a lot of flavor so that's where the broth comes in. I add it to the pot to get the desired liquid level in my pot. This is where I also add some chicken bouillon cubes. This is sort of a taste and see kind of thing. Be careful you don't add too many. You can always add more at the very end if you feel it needs it. Now you can add the potatoes and carrots to the broth. Cook these until they are a little al dente. They will cook more by the end of the recipe. You don't want them to be mush by the end.
Now it's time to add the chicken back into the pot.

And a hand full of parsley, some black pepper to taste and a can of drained green beans.
Bring the pot back to a boil.
Next it's the egg noodles turn to jump into the pot. I add about 3 cups of big egg noodles to my pot because we like a lot of noodles. After I add the noodles, I turn the pot off and cover it with a lid. Let it sit until the noodles are done.. The noodles will cook perfectly and the soup will not be boiling hot for dinner.
Yum! Doesn't that look good. Just imagine the green beans are in there! I know potatoes aren't usually in chicken noodle soup but we like it....especially Curtis. They break down a little and make the broth a little thicker. Also, as with most soups, it's better the second day!

As I stated earlier, this recipe is hard to write out since it all depends on how much you want to make or what you have on hand. I'm speaking of the chicken since I use both raw and cooked. You can also cook whole pieces and use that. My advice would be to use the above instructions as a guide when making your soup. If you have any questions, please let me know.

Cindi's Chicken Noodle Soup

Ingredients:

Chicken

Chicken Broth

Chicken Bouillon cubes

Potatoes, peeled and diced

Carrots, sliced

Can Green Beans, drained

Dried Parsley

Black Pepper

Egg Noodles

Directions:

~Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add chicken and cook chicken until it's done. Remove from water to drain. When cooled, shred or dice and set aside.

~Strain water and discard part of it. Add chicken broth and bouillon cubes as needed.

~Cook potatoes and carrots until almost done.

~Add chicken back to pot.

~Add parsley, black pepper to taste and green beans.

~Bring pot back to boil and add egg noodles. Turn the heat off and cover until the egg noodles are done.

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Crock Pot Swiss Steak!

I tried a new recipe for Swiss Steak in the Crock Pot or slow cooker. Although Curtis liked the recipe I used previously, I thought the tomato flavor overpowered the dish. This new recipe is just perfect for me. I put it in the Crock Pot on Thursday because I wasn't sure how long I was working that day. I wanted to have dinner ready for them just in case. Good thing I did too because I didn't get home until after 7:00. Part of my new healthier eating is not to eat after 7 pm so I had something little for dinner earlier. However, when I got home the house smelled so good from the Swiss steak cooking all day that I had to have a little. This picture is of my little. I must have said "Mmmm" ten times while I was eating this. Curtis had 2 1/2 helpings and Allison loved it too. Next time I'm going to try fat free gravy in it. I wanted to this time but the store didn't have any. The only change I made in their recipe was to dredge the steaks in seasoned flour before browing in the skillet.

Crock Pot Swiss Steak
(adapted from Betty Crocker)

Serves 6
Ingredients:
1 1/2 pounds beef boneless round steak
1/2 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon peppered seasoned salt
6 to 8 new potatoes, cut into fourths
1 1/2 cups baby-cut carrots
1 medium onion, sliced
2 cups petite diced tomatoes with Italian herbs, undrained
1 jar (12 ounces) beef gravy
Chopped fresh parsley, if desired
Directions:
1. Mix flour and seasoned salt together.
2 Cut beef into 6 serving pieces. Dredge through flour mixture. Spray 12-inch skillet with cooking spray; heat over medium-high heat. Cook in skillet 6 to 8 minutes, turning once, until brown.
3. Layer potatoes, carrots, beef and onion in 4- to 5-quart Crock Pot or slow cooker. Mix tomatoes and gravy; spoon over mixture in slow cooker.
4. Cover and cook on low heat setting 7 to 8 hours or until beef and vegetables are tender. Sprinkle with parsley.
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 8 hours

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Pierogi Skillet Dinner!

This recipe is quick, quick, quick! You can have it on the table in 15 minutes. It also can be served out of the skillet but I put it in a bowl so I could take a pretty picture for all of you.

I found this recipe a few years ago in a Woman's Day magazine. Of course, I had to change it a little to fit my family. It actually called for frozen peas but the other humans in my family don't eat peas by themselves. I know. They are odd. It also called for 1 chopped medium onion. I've never used it because it slows down "the dinner on the table in 15 minutes thing" which is why I like this recipe. I really don't think it needs it. It has lots of flavor without adding the onion. If you try the recipe and put the onion in it, let me know how it turns out!

Make sure you read the directions through before you start. It may look long but is actually really easy. The clean-up is a breeze too. Any questions, please let me know!

Pierogi Skillet Dinner
Ingredients:
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 lb. smoked sausage (I use lite. The WD recipe called for kielbasa)
1 box of mini pierogies (I use the potato and cheese but use what ever your family likes)
2 cups of frozen mixed vegetables.

Directions:
~Cut the smoked sausage diagonally into 1/2 inch thick slices.
~Put a large pot of water on high to start it boiling. Once boiling add the frozen vegetables. Stir to prevent sticking. Make sure you don't over cook the vegetables. You will be adding them to the skillet and they will continue to cook there. You'll want to bring the water back to a boil so you can add the pierogies into the same water with the vegetables.
~Heat oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium high heat.
~Add smoked sausage to oil and cook until browned.
~While the sausage is browning, it should be time to add the pierogies to the vegetables and water. Be careful...these cook quick.
~As soon as the pierogies float, strain the vegetables and pierogies.
~Add the vegetables and pierogies to the skillet and continue to cook until the pierogies brown a little.

This recipe serves 4. I do not add salt or pepper to this recipe. I think it's salty enough with the smoked sausage and I put a pepper shaker on the table for those who want it.

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My Ba Ba's Halupki a.k.a. Stuffed Cabbage

If you are a reader to my first blog, I know you have already seen this recipe. Please bear with me because when I was deciding what recipe to share to post on my new blog first, this immediately came to mind. First, because it's my favorite food and I could eat it for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Second, because with the weather getting warmer and it's definitely comfort food. And lastly, it tops the list of most searched items on my other blog. So it was a no brainer to share this. Now before you look at this recipe, some of the pictures are blurry. I am not a photographer, but I am working on that. So in the meantime, I'm sorry. I also will probably not be sharing step by step pictures of all my recipes. I will do it if I feel it's necessary to help you in the cooking process or if the mood strikes me. Who knows. You'll just have to stay tuned to find out. Now...onto the recipe!

This recipe if from my Ba Ba (my Polish/Slovak Grandmother) and the entire recipe is printed below but I'll start at the beginning here.

The participants: 1 large head of cabbage or 2 small, 2 lbs. of ground beef, 3 cans of tomato soup, ketchup, 2 eggs, minced dried onions, rice (not instant), salt and pepper.

Take a big stock pot out of your cupboard and fill it 2/3 full with water. Place it on a big burner and turn it on high.

While that's boiling, grab your head of cabbage or cabbages. Take off those ugly dirty outside leaves. If you take off some of the dark green ones too, that's okay. They tend to be a little bitter.

Now go and grab a sharp knife. BE CAREFUL...don't cut yourself! I grabbed one of my new Chicago Cutlery that I received for my 15th anniversary at work last year. See, it's all shiny and new looking! Anyway, you'll need to cut out the core. Just keep putting your knife in and out until you make it all the way around.

See this is what it looks like. You want to do this so it makes it easy to peel off the leaves. They won't be attached to anything and will fall right off.

Now place the cabbage in the water. Wait! Do it carefully! That water is getting hot! I turn the head around to get some water in the hole that you cut out.

Now let's go and get started on the insides of the Halupki. Grab your favorite big bowl. I picked my Ba Ba's Pyrex one...it's my favorite. Break both pounds of ground beef up and place it in the bottom of the bowl.

Next let's throw in some minced dried onions. I put 2-3 tablespoons in the written recipe but as you can see, I use the palm of my hand and just throw them in. I'm sure some of you are thinking that fresh onions would be better here and if you want to use those, have at it. I know the juice of the onion is probably the best part but I personally like the hint of onion that dried onions offer. I don't want my Halupki being overpowered by fresh onions. Anyway, this is easier and this is how my Mom did it so that's how I'm doing it!

Don't forget to check on the cabbage! When it comes to a boil, turn it down so it barely keeps boiling. Mine came to a rolling boil because I was too busy trying to be a photographer!

Add your two eggs. Are you wondering how I took this picture? I used my chin to press the button. No really, I can not tell a lie! I used Curtis...he's my sweetie.

I know this is blurry but can you see that I added the salt and the pepper? I know, I'm bad. I don't measure those either. I can tell you this. I add more pepper than salt. I barely use salt in anything I cook.
Now throw in that cup of rice. I did measure this as you can see. I usually mound my cup but this time I threw in a little more than a mounded cup. There was about an 1/8 of a cup left in the container and I figured what was the point of letting them sit in the container all by themselves.
Check your cabbage. Can you peel any of the outer leaves off yet? You might only be able to get a couple but that's okay. Just put them in a colander in the sink to drain and cool.
Ya baby! Come to Ma Ma!
Let's get back to the mix. Add 1 can of tomato soup. I only ever use Campbell's but be brave and go for whatever brand you want. I'm a chicken when it comes to my tomato soups so I'll stick to Campbell's, thank you!

Again, you'll see me using no measuring device here. I know, I know, I'm a naughty girl. Throw caution to the wind and just squirt! But be sure you are using Heinz ketchup! Hey, what did you expect from me? I'm a Pittsburgh girl! There is NO other ketchup!
Now mix everything together really well.
Oh heck! It's my dinner! I'm using the best utensils God gave me...my hands! Don't worry, I washed them before touching the raw meat...and BELIEVE ME...I washed them well afterwards with anti-bacterial soap. You should too!
Here it is. The finished mix. It's going to be a little wet than you probably expected but that's good. If it was a dry mixture, you would have hard little meat/rice balls inside. You need the moisture because the rice will suck it all up.
Hey! Wait! What is this? We are making Halupki...not Stuffed Peppers!
Okay, okay, I confess! I'm making them for Curtis. He's not really as crazy about Halupki as I am. He's crazy over stuffed peppers so I thought I would be nice and make him his favorite.
I'm taking a side road here. When you make stuffed peppers, just take the pepper and cut the top off. Take the insides out and wash the pepper inside and out. Fill it with the mix and voila! You've got stuffed peppers!
Let's get back on track here. It's hard to see in the picture but the leaves have this big thick vein where it was attached to the core. You will need to thin it out or it's very tough. Just grab a sharp knife and BE CAREFUL! Can you tell I'm afraid of people getting cut here?
See how easy this is? Don't cut the vein out altogether or you won't be able to assemble the Halupki. Oh, please ignore the fact that I'm cutting towards myself. You know you are not supposed to do that, right? Also did you know that a dull knife is more dangerous than a sharp knife? Yup, it is. When you use a dull knife, you need force behind the knife to cut through something and a sharp knife will glide through the item you are cutting. There. That's the extent of my culinary knowledge for the day! Are you impressed?
By the way, this would be a good time to preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
My little pile of veins. I don't know why I took a picture of this. I guess I'm just odd.
Now it's time to get assembling, baby! Open a leaf and set it down on the counter/plate/cutting board...whatever your little heart desires...with the vein part towards you. Place a little bit of the mixture on the end over the vein. Next fold the right and left sides in towards the center and....
.....ROLL! ROLL! ROLL!
After you roll them, place them in a roaster with the seam side down. I guess you could use a covered casserole or something else that's big. This recipe will make a good amount and you also want space for the sauce/juice. He he he. Look what I did with the stuffed peppers. I make a little square pan thingy with triple layers of heavy duty aluminum foil. I didn't want that yucky stuffed pepper juice dancing with my yummy Halupki juice.
Next cover the little pretties with 2 cans of tomato soup. Now let's get that ketchup bottle again and squirt some more over the top. Please don't ask me how much...I don't know. I just kind of squirt in a zig-zag fashion. Technical isn't it? Oh, and here is where you want to pour about 3/4 of a can of water over the whole thing. I toss the water back and forth between the three empty cans of soup so I can rinse out all the goodness still left in the can that scraping didn't get.
Now cover the roaster and put it in your preheated 350 degree oven for 1 1/2 hours.
Oh my! Looky what we have here! Yum! I need to make these more often!

Cindi's Family's Halupki (Stuffed Cabbage Rolls) Recipe

1 large head of white cabbage or 2 small (I like two small because the cabbage is more tender)

2 lbs. ground meat

1 c. white rice (not instant)

3 cans tomato soup

2 eggs

salt & pepper (a few shakes of each)

2-3 T. dry minced onion

ketchup

~Cut core out of cabbage head and cover with boiling water in large stock pot. Boil cabbage until leaves begin to fall off the head with a little help from you. I stand at the stove and peel one leaf off at a time. Drain leaves. With a sharp knife thin out veins along the spine of each cabbage leaf. Do not cut the vein out.

~Mix together ground beef, rice, 1 can of tomato soup, eggs, minced onions, salt, pepper and not quite a 1/4 cup ketchup.

~Assemble cabbage rolls. Lay the leaf with the vein part towards you, put a little of the mixture on top of the vein, fold in the sides and then roll. There is no set amount to put in each leaf because the size of the leaves vary. Place in roaster with the seam side down. I place the larger ones around the outside of the roaster. I also cut up the remaining cabbage in approx. 1 inch squares and place on top.

~Pour the remaining tomato soup (2 cans) over the top of the cabbage rolls. There is no measurement to this but squirt ketchup over the rolls in a sporadic fashion. Not too much...don't cover the entire top...kind of like if you were putting chocolate syrup over a sundae. But make sure you put enough on it because it adds the "tang" to the tomato soup. Next pour a little more than 3/4 of a can of water over the entire mixture.

~Cover and cook for 1-1/2 hours at 350 degrees. If you make more than 2 pounds of ground meat, you'll need to cook it longer.

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