Stromboli

Recipe from my friend Em, in condensed form but it works :)

I am thinking of trying this and using some different fillings.


Thaw out frozen bread loaf and let it rise. Roll it out in a rectangle. Cover in thin coat of Italian dressing. Lay down a layer of ham, bacon, and mozzarella cheese. Roll it up and pinch sides to seal it. Place on greased cookie sheet. Cut a couple of small slits in the top. Then beat some dry Italian seasoning mix with 1 egg. Use a pastry brush and cover the entire outside in a thick coat. Put it in the oven at 350 for 10-15min, or until the outside is just turning brown. Let cool and freeze.
Or if you don't want to freeze, just cook another 10min or until outside is brown and cheese is melted.

Lucious Lemon Squares

I got this recipe from Dessert First on Food Network.  These are so yummy!!  I have a 9 x 13 pan of them in the oven right now.  If any of you are lemon bar lovers let me know.  I think I could make some magically appear at  your home later.

Ingredients

Crust:

• Nonstick cooking spray
• 2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 2/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt

Filling:

• 6 eggs, at room temperature
• 2 2/3 cups granulated sugar
• 3 tablespoons grated lemon zest
• 3/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• Confectioners' sugar, for dusting
• Raspberries, for garnish, optional

Directions

For the crust: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9 by 13-inch baking sheet (otherwise known as a quarter sheet pan) with some cooking spray.

In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment (or you can use a food processor), cream your butter with the sugar and almond extract until light and fluffy. Whisk the flour and salt in a small bowl, making sure there are no lumps. Turn the mixer speed to low, add the flour into your butter and mix until just incorporated. (Make sure not to over-mix.) Turn the dough onto the baking sheet, flour your hands and press it out evenly on the bottom and up the sides. Pop in the fridge for an hour (or overnight) to chill.

Pop the crust in the oven and bake until a light golden brown, about 20 minutes. Cool completely on a wire rack.

For the filling: While the crust is cooling, make your filling. Crack your eggs into a large bowl and add the sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice and flour. Whisk until combined. Pour into the crust and spread evenly. Put back in the oven and bake until the filling is completely set, about 30 minutes. Let cool to room temperature before serving.

Dust with confectioners' sugar and then cut into 20 to 24 squares to serve. Garnish with raspberries, if desired.

Pineapple Meat Balls

Pineapple Meat Balls

First I just use a basic meatball recipe I am sure if you have one too it would work just as well. I use 1lb. hamburger, bread crumbs, 1 egg, a little milk and 1 TBS Worcestershire sauce. ( I kind of eyeball some of the ingredients so I don't really have a measurement.
So you have your basic meatballs shaped into balls and then make the sauce.

3/4 C BBQ Sauce
3/4 C Orange Juice
1/2 C Brown Sugar
2 TBS corn starch
1 -20oz. can crushed pineapple

Combine above ingredients pour over meatballs (in a greased baking dish). Bake covered for 45 min. on 350.

If you're making it to freeze you just skip the cooking place in a freezer bag. Thaw. Place in greased baking dish and cover. Bake on 350 for 1 hr.

Sutffed Shells

Recipe from a friend, Mandy, who made this for us. So good! (this picture is not of our dinner we ate it too fast to bother with a photo shoot, but it is pretty close to what they looked like.)



16 jumbo pasta shells
1 - 10 oz frozen spinach
1 cup cottage cheese
1 cup grated mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup grated onion
2 cups pasta sauce
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Prepare pasta according to package directions. While pasta is cooking, cook spinach according to package directions. Drain spinach thoroughly in colander by pressing out extra liquid with large spoon. Cool.

In medium bowl, combine spinach with cottage cheese, mozzarella cheese and onion. When pasta is cooked, drain. Rinse with cold water. Preheat oven to 375. Spoon cheese mixture into shells. Place shells in lightly oiled 9x13 baking dish. Pour pasta sauce over shells and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Cover with foil. Bake 30 minutes.

**When I make it I do a couple things differently :) I don't use that much spinach, I just cook and use what I think looks good. I usually use more cottage cheese (1/2 cup more probably) because I like my shells with more stuffing. And instead of fresh onions I just sprinkle in some dried onions. That is how I made the one you had. Enjoy

CHICKEN ALFREDO LASAGNA

Instructions per my friend Danielle who made this as a freezer meal in our freezer meals group it was really good:

It's actually a crock pot recipe, but it works great for freezing. Here's the recipe for the crock pot. To make the freezer ones, it was about 2/3 of the recipe to make that size pan.

lasagna noodles (uncooked)
2 jars Alfredo sauce mixed with 1/3 c water (or a little more)
1.5 c chicken, cooked
1 can sliced olives (2.25 oz-- I actually use more, we like olives)
1/2 c. shredded carrots
1/2 c. shredded zucchini
1 can mushroom pieces (4 oz-- same, I use more)
1 carton ricotta or cottage cheese (16 oz-- I used ricotta)
2 cups grated mozzarella cheese

Either grease the bottom of the pan, or I normally put a very thin layer of sauce on the bottom. Then cover with one layer of noodles. Then add half of the olives, mushrooms, carrots and zucchini and chicken. Then 1/3 of the sauce. Then half the ricotta. Then 1/3 of the mozzarella. Repeat (lasagna noodles, the rest of the veggies and chicken, 1/3 sauce, the rest of the ricotta, 1/3 mozzarella). Then one more layer of noodles, sauce and mozzarella.

If you do crockpot, put on low heat for 4-5 hours, not more than 5.

Slow Cooker Pork Tacos

If you are in my freezer group this is what you are getting this month.  We had this tonight and it was so yummy!  If you are going to make this and freeze it save some of the liquid in the crockpot to put in the freezer bags with  the pork.  This will keep the pork from drying out.

Ingredients:

• 1 poblano pepper
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 chipotles in adobo sauce
• 1/2 medium white onion, roughly chopped
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1 tablespoon cider vinegar
• Kosher salt
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano, preferably Mexican
• 3 3/4 cups chicken broth
• 4 pounds pork tenderloin
• Freshly ground pepper
• 2 bay leaves
• 1/2 cinnamon stick
• Corn tortillas, warmed for serving
• Assorted taco toppings (cilantro, limes, mangos, cheddar cheese, avocado, red cabbage)

Put the poblano, garlic, chipotles, onion, 2 tablespoons olive oil, honey, vinegar, 1 tablespoon salt, and the oregano to the blender; puree until smooth.
Season the pork all over with salt and pepper and transfer to a large slow cooker.  Add the bay leaves and cinnamon stick, then pour in the sauce and the chicken broth.  Cover and cook on high until the meat is tender, about 5 hours.  (Or cook the meat in a large Dutch oven, covered, for 1 hour 45 minutes at 350 degrees F; uncover and cook 30 more minutes.)
Discard the bay leaves and the cinnamon stick.  Shred the pork with 2 forks; season with salt and pepper.  Serve the shredded pork in the tortillas, along with toppings.

Crock Pot London Broil

1 london broil
1 pkg. ranch salad dressing
1 pkg. Italian salad dressing mix
1 pkg. brown gravy mix
1½ cups water

Mix all the dry ingredients with water.
Place beef in crock-pot. Pour mixture
over roast and cook on low overnight.