Spicy Bacon Wrapped Chicken Skewers

This is a great quick meal on the grill.  The rub caramelizes on the chicken and bacon keeping it moist and adds just the right amount of heat.  I recommend cooking your bacon partially so you don't end up with raw bacon in-between the pieces of chicken.  If you have a microwave cooker, just put it in for a couple of minutes so the bacon is still pliable.  

Spicy Bacon Wrapped Chicken Skewers

1# chicken tenders, or breast meat that you cut down into 1" squares

4 pieces bacon, partially cooked

3 tbsp brown sugar

1/2 tsp chili powder

Place one end of the bacon on the skewer, place a piece of chicken and then weave the bacon on top of it, continue doing this until the piece of bacon is used up.  Once you have all the chicken and bacon used up make the rub in a small bowl of the brown sugar and chili powder.  Rub over all sides of the skewers.  Place on a hot grill and cook, turning once.  Cook until the chicken reaches 165°.  

Bacon & Cheddar Meatloaf

I was trying to think of something new to make with a pound of extra lean ground beef that I had.  I had already made a bbq meatloaf but I wanted to change it up a little.  Bacon was the answer, and there's very few times that it isn't.  

Bacon & Cheddar Meatloaf

1 # extra lean ground beef

2 slices bacon, cooked, drained and crumbled
1 large egg
1 cup Mild Cheddar, shredded
1/4 cup onions, diced
2 tbsp parsley
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper
1/2 Panko bread crumbs
1/4 cup barbeque sauce

In a medium bowl, add in all of the ingredients.  My method for combining is getting both hands in and mixing until it's all combined evenly.  Shape and place in a greased loaf pan.  Bake at 350° for 40 minutes.  Remove from oven and pan.  Cover and let sit 10 minutes before serving.

Calico Chili

The fall leaves come in a variety of colors and your nice, warming bowl of chili should also.  I used three types of beans in this easy to make chili.  I made it in my dutch oven but you and also put it in the crock pot for a game day meal.  

Calico Chili

1 - 15 oz can Light Red Kidney Beans, rinsed and drained
1- 15 oz can Black Beans, rinsed and drained
1 - 15 oz can Cannellini White Kidney Beans, rinsed and drained
1 - 8 oz can tomato sauce
1 - 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes
1 pound extra lean ground beef, cooked
1/2 small onion, minced 
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup ketchup
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
chili powder to taste
1 tsp oregano

In your dutch oven or a large skillet, brown ground beef with onions and garlic. Add all the remaining ingredients to the dutch oven or  crock pot.  Cover and cook on low for 30 minutes or longer in the crock pot. 

Cheeseburger Pie

If you've ever bought frozen pie crusts, you know that the odds are not in your favor of keeping the 2nd one from breaking on you.  That is why I baked both of the my deep dish crusts together.  One was for the caramel apple pie and the second was for this treat.  I was going to add tomato slices on top when I added the cheese but my tomato had a suspicious spot on it and I opted for a plain cheeseburger pie.  Pickles are not an option when I'm cooking but you can feel free to add some to the hamburger mix.

Cheeseburger Pie

1 deep dish pie shell, baked per manufacturer's instructions
1 pound extra lean ground beef
1/4 cup onion, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 cup bread crumbs
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp oregano
1/4 tsp mustard powder
1 large egg
3 tbsp ketchup
2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

Cook beef with onions and garlic.  When completely cooked, remove from heat and stir in bread crumbs and spices.  Allow to cool for 5 minutes.  In the meantime, stir together egg, ketchup and Worcestershire sauce.  Stir into cooled ground beef mixture and place in pie shell.  Bake for 30 minutes at 350°.  Remove from oven and top with 1 1/4 cups shredded cheese ~ I used CoJack.  Turn heat off in oven and put pie back inside for about 5 minutes until the cheese melts.  

BBQ Cheesy Meatloaf

It's Monday and I needed something to put together fast since it's beautiful outside and the yard is calling my name.  I wanted to try something new so here it is ~

BBQ Cheesy Meatloaf

1 # extra lean ground beef
1 large egg
1/4 cup ricotta cheese
1 cup Smoked Cheddar, shredded
1/4 cup onions, diced
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp parsley
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper
1/2 bread crumbs
1/4 cup barbeque sauce
In a small pan, heat the olive oil.  Add in onions and cook until translucent.  Let cool slightly.  In a medium bowl, add in all of the ingredients.  My method for combining is getting both hands in and mixing until it's all combined evenly.  Shape and place in a greased loaf pan.  Spread 1/4 cup of your favorite barbeque sauce on top.  Bake at 325° until the internal temperature of the meatloaf is 155°.  Remove from oven and pan.  Cover and let sit 10 minutes before serving.

Mexican Meatloaf

It's brutally cold in the valley so what better way to warm up than with some Mexican flavors.  I decided on trying a meatloaf this time and it worked out fantastic.  Or would that be "fantástico"?  Either way it was tasty.

Mexican Meatloaf

1 # extra lean ground beef
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1 large egg
1/4 cup onions, diced
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper
1 tsp oregano
1 tbsp taco seasoning (Recipe below)
2 tbsp salsa
1/4 cup Queso Quesadilla cheese, shredded

In a medium bowl, add in all of the ingredients.  My method for combining is getting both hands in and mixing until it's all combined evenly.  Bake at 325° until the internal temperature of the meatloaf is 155°.  Add shredded cheese on top and return to oven for 2 minutes.  Remove from oven and pan.  Cover and let sit 10 minutes before serving.

Taco Seasoning

1 tbsp chili powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp onion powder
1 1/4 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp parsley
1/4 tsp  oregano
1 tsp pepper, freshly ground
1/2 tsp salt

Place in a sealable plastic bag or container that's airtight and mix well.

Breakfast Sausage

I've always been fascinated with sausage making.  I buy it often and create recipes around it but starting from scratch has always been on my bucket list.  I can now scratch that off the list.  But this is just a beginning...I will be making more in the future.  Plus I got to use one of my favorites that is hard to sneak into recipes ~ fennel seed.

Breakfast Sausage

1# ground turkey
1/2# ground pork
1 tsp fennel seed
1 tsp salt
1 tsp rubbed sage
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp thyme
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/8 tsp red pepper flakes
1/8 tsp cayenne

Mix together everything in a large bowl.  Make sure the spices are completely blended.  I recommend frying a small piece in a pan to make sure your spice level is to your liking.  Cook all the pieces taking care not to overcrowd your pan.  Drain on paper towels before serving.

Apple Sausage Hotdish

I can't believe I did this...well, to be honest I can.  Two grocery store shopping trips and yes, I did get everything needed for Thanksgiving dinner but I failed to consider what to do for food for the days leading up to it.  A true Minnesota girl at heart knows what that means - hotdish time.  The only protein I found in my freezer was some apple sausages so here we are ~

Apple Sausage Hotdish

4 apple sausages - sliced into 1/4" disks
3 tbsp butter
3 tbsp flour
1 cup milk
1 cup chicken broth
4 oz Monterey Jack cheese
1/2 cup peas
1 tbsp parsley 
1/8 tsp red pepper flakes
8 oz Cavatappi pasta, cooked and drained
Salt & freshly ground pepper to taste
2 tbsp Parmesan cheese, grated

In a saucepan, melt the butter and stir in the flour.  Gradually stir in the milk and chicken broth and stir occasionally until it thickens.  Stir in red pepper flakes, parsley and cheese.  Stir until cheese melts.   Pour into a greased baking dish over pasta, sausage and peas.  Mix together.   Bake for 30 minutes at 325°. Remove from oven and sprinkle Parmesan on top before serving.

Italian Meatloaf

There's a lot of flavor packed in this meatloaf and it's all good.  It's also moist thanks to the addition of ricotta cheese.  I used to drown my meatloaf in ketchup but not this one.  The herbs give this the lift it needs to be a meal that I want to make more often.

Italian Meatloaf

1 # extra lean ground beef
1/2 # ground pork
1 large egg
1/4 cup ricotta cheese
1/4 cup onions, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp parsley
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper
1 tsp Italian Seasonings
1 tsp oregano
3/4 bread crumbs

In a small pan, heat the olive oil.  Add in onions and cook until translucent.  Add in garlic and cook for another minute.  Let cool slightly.  In a medium bowl, add in all of the ingredients.  My method for combining is getting both hands in and mixing until it's all combined evenly.  Bake at 325° until the internal temperature of the meatloaf is 155°.  Remove from oven and pan.  Cover and let sit 10 minutes before serving.

Bacon & Cheese Stuffed Meatballs

A bacon cheeseburger and hold the bun...that's what these little gems are.  Moist meat with the surprise of melted cheese and bacon on the inside.  They are so tasty that no sauce is needed.  

Bacon & Cheese Stuffed Meatballs


1 lb ground beef
1/2 cup ricotta cheese
1 large egg slightly beaten
1/4 cup Panko bread crumbs
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 tsp oregano
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/2 cup Cheddar Jack shredded cheese
2 slices bacon, cut into 1/2" pieces, cooked and drained
Mix all of the ingredients together until completely blended.  I chose to bake them.  I used a large scoop that was overflowing (3 tbsp), flattened the meat, added a large pinch of cheese and bacon pieces and then rolled the outer edges around the cheese and bacon. 
Makes 14 meatballs.  Bake for 30 minutes at 350°F.

Casserole Steak

I know it goes by many names but in my family this round steak dish has always been known as casserole steak.  It's perfect for the crock pot so it can slowly cook all day in it's gravy and tenderize.  I always associate it with fall and served with squash and tomatoes.

Casserole Steak

1 pound round steak, cut into small pieces
1/3 cup flour
1 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp paprika
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 cups water
1/2 cup ketchup


In a small bowl, combine flour and spices.  Dredge steak pieces and place in a heated frying pan with the olive oil.  Brown on both sides and place meat in the crock pot.  In the same frying pan with the leftover oil, whisk together water, leftover flour mixture and ketchup on the burner and season to taste.  Pour over steak and cover the crock pot and cook for 8 hours.

Sloppy Joe Bake

This recipe has been in my family for as long as I can remember.  It's so easy to make and perfect for after a long work day.  I've got my recipe below for my sloppy joe mix but substitute in your families favorite if you'd prefer,

Sloppy Joe Bake

2 cans buttermilk biscuits (not the jumbo size)

1# ground beef

1/4 cup onions, diced

1 small pepper, diced

1 tbsp mustard

1 tbsp Heinz 57 sauce

1/4 cup ketchup

1/4 cup barbecue sauce

salt & freshly ground pepper to taste

5 slices Cheddar Jack cheese (or you can use American cheese)

Press out buttermilk biscuits onto a greased pizza pan or baking sheet.  Top with sloppy joe mixture leaving a 1/2" space around the edges.  Bake at 350° for 20 minutes - the outside biscuits should be turning a golden brown.  Top with cheese slices and return to oven for a couple minutes until they are melted.  Allow to cool a few minutes before cutting into.

Parmesan Chicken Breasts

I think it's finally feeling like summer and the rain has passed.  I had some chicken breasts in the refrigerator so I decided to tweak my recipe for Parmesan pork chops a little bit for them.

Parmesan Chicken Breasts

3 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
10 butter crackers, crushed
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1/4 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp garlic powder
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese


Pound the chicken breasts with the flat side of your tenderizer until 1/4" think.  Use the spiked side to embed the seasonings and crackers, flip and do the same to the 2nd side.  Place in a hot skillet with extra virgin olive oil and cook until almost 165°.  Divide out grated Parmesan cheese on each of the chicken breasts and place in a 350° oven until melted and golden brown - about 5 minutes.  Be sure to test the temperature again to make sure it's at least 165°.

Dr Pepper BBQ Sauce

Dr Pepper goes so well with meat.  I have to make my Dr Pepper and chicken in the crock pot again really soon.  I marinated ribs in Dr Pepper for 6 hours and then cooked them in the pop (yes, I'm one of those people that call it pop, not soda) in the crock pot for another 4 hours before mixing together a Dr Pepper bbq sauce and finishing them off on the grill.  Be sure to have a small bowl of the bbq sauce for dipping!

Dr Pepper BBQ Sauce

2 tbsp butter

1/4 cup onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

3 tbsp tomato paste

1 can (12 oz) Dr Pepper

1 tbsp raspberry vinegar

1/3 cup dark brown sugar

1 tsp salt

In a medium saucepan, melt the butter and cook the onions until translucent. Add in minced garlic and cook for another minute.  Pour in Dr Pepper.  Add in the rest of the ingredients, stir and cook over medium heat until it begins to thicken.  Brush two coats on top of your ribs or chicken (I'm going to make chicken breasts to use the leftovers on).  Cover and refrigerate the leftover sauce for up to two weeks.  

Hamburger Stroganoff

It always seems that Monday is a rough day and it needs an easy meal to make. Here's what I made with a pound of hamburger.

Hamburger Stroganoff

1 # extra lean ground beef

1 clove garlic, minced

1 cup beef stock

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup heavy or whipping cream

3/4 cup sour cream

1 tsp parsley

1/4 tsp dill weed

salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Brown ground beef. When almost done, add in the minced garlic. Stir in beef broth, milk and cream and let reduce. Add in spices. A few minutes before serving, add in the sour cream. Serve over your favorite noodles.

Chicken with Paprika Cream Sauce

I'm always looking for new ways to make chicken and somehow I had 2 pints of whipping cream in my refrigerator.  I know I was intending to make a pie using one but I can't remember what recipe I was planning on creating using then 2nd one.  It's in my sauce now.

Chicken with Paprika Cream Sauce

3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tbsp paprika (mine was a generous measurement)
1 tbsp butter
1 cup whipping or heavy cream
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Brown the chicken breasts in a large frying pan with the olive oil.  When cooked, remove from pan and add in butter.  When melted stir in paprika and then the cream.  Season with salt and pepper and cook until thick.  Serve with the chicken over pasta or rice.

Cheddar Cracker Chicken Breasts

I discovered that Goldfish crackers work pretty well as a coating base for chicken. I was a little over zealous when it came to cleaning out my cupboards and the leftover flavored potato chips that I saved to chicken were tossed so the only thing left in my house was cheddar Goldfish. I crunched some really fine and left some chunky for a variation.

Cheddar Cracker Chicken Breasts

2 chicken breasts

1 cup crushed cheddar Goldfish crackers

1 large egg

1 tbsp milk

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper

Whisk together egg and milk in one soup bowl for the initial chicken dip. In a second bowl, place cracker crumbs and spices. Have a foil lined 9 x 13 pan next to the second bowl. In an assembly line, dip chicken in egg mixture, then in crumbs (both sides) and place in the pan. Bake at 350° for 40 minutes.

Italian Meatballs

Ever throw together some ingredients and have them turn out to be so delicious that you start nibbling before the rest of the meal is ready?  These meatballs fit that description.  So tender and tasty that they do not need a sauce.

Italian Meatballs

1 # extra lean ground beef
1 large egg
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 cup milk
1/4 tsp oregano
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients.  Roll into medium sized meatballs and place on a jelly roll pan.  Bake for 30 minutes at 350°.  

Calico Beans

My dreams of Spring were short lived.  Oh well, I should be used to it and the furnace running.  I have no doubts that I'll be running the furnace and air conditioning on the same day and it will hopefully happen soon.  Luckily these beans are able to be frozen and thawed back out on another grilling weather day.  I made them in the crock pot but they could easily be made in the oven too.

Calico Beans

1/2 # ground beef
1/4 cup onion, diced
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
1 cup ketchup
1 tbsp mustard
1 - 16 oz can light red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 - 16 oz can Great Northern beans, drained and rinsed
1 - 16 oz can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
4 slices apple smoked bacon, cooked and crumbled

Brown ground beef with the onions.  In your crock pot or baking dish, combine beans, dark brown sugar, ketchup, mustard.  Add in ground beef, onions and bacon.  Cook until heated all the way through.

Hot Dog Chili

It finally warmed up somewhat in the valley and that means it's grilling time. Especially when it's just a one day window of warmth so I decided to grill hot dogs and make my own chili for them.  This is waaaaaay better than any canned chili without beans.

Hot Dog Chili

1/2# extra lean ground beef
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 cup onions, diced
1/2 cup ketchup
3 tbsp tomato paste
1 tbsp yellow mustard
1/2 cup water
2 tbsp chili powder
1/4 tsp cumin
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Brown ground beef with onions and garlic.  Add in ketchup, tomato paste, mustard and spices.  Pour in water and allow to simmer for 5 minutes before serving.