BBQ Meatballs

These are super good-sweet and savory and very easy to make. I love making meatballs for dinner-I prefer them over meatloaf and there are so many ways to make them, depending on the kind of flavor you want. These were a crowd pleaser! You could even keep these warm in a crock-pot and serve them as appetizers without the rice.

BBQ Meatballs

redhead recipes

3 pieces white bread, crusts removed

milk

1 1/2 lbs ground beef ( I used ground turkey)

1 small onion, finely diced

1 tsp fresh garlic, grated

1 tbsp salt

1 1/2 tsp pepper

1 tbsp dried parsley

1 egg

1 (12 oz) jar chili sauce (Homemade brand-it's the kind that comes in a roundish bottle)

1 (12oz) jar grape jelly

Tear bread into a few pieces and cover with milk. Combine meat and egg. Break bread into small pieces and combine with meat. Add other ingredients. Mix with hands until just combined. Don't over-mix! Roll into desired size balls. Bake on greased cookie sheet at 400* until almost done, 12-15 minutes. Combine chili sauce and jelly in saucepan to marry flavors. Add meatballs and warm. Serve over rice.

*Meatballs can be cooked and frozen (without the sauce)

*Meatballs can be used with spaghetti-just omit the sauce (obviously)

I'm Back!

Okay-I am back! I don't know why I have had such a hard time keeping up with posts lately. Last week we were sick, so not a whole lot of cooking was going on. The kids lived on sandwiches and mac and cheese while the hubby and I were recovering.
Last night I jumped back in the game and made one of our favorites-Charred Chili Relleno's with Green Rice. It was so nice to eat real food again!!

Charred Chili Relleno's and Green Rice

4 cups chicken stock, divided

1 bay leaf

2 cups white rice

4 large poblano peppers

3 tbsp vegetable oil, divided

3 cups frozen corn

1 red onion, chopped

1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped

4 garlic cloves, chopped

1 (28oz) can fire roasted tomatoes

1 1/2 tsp cumin

1 tsp oregano

salt and pepper

1/2 cup cilantro leaves

1 sack baby spinach (10oz)

4 scallions, coarsely chopped

1 lime

1 cup shredded monterey jack cheese

Preheat the broiler or grill pan to high heat. Heat about 3-3 1/2 cups stock in a saucepan with a bay leaf to boil. Add the rice, cover the pot and reduce the heat to low and simmer 18 minutes or until tender. Place poblanos under broiler and char evenly all over 15 minutes.

Defrost corn and dry on a kitchen towel. Heat 2 tbsp of veg oil in skillet over high heat. When oil smokes, add corn, onion and jalapeno and toss until veggies are charred around edges and onions are tender, about 7 minutes. Reduce heat to med-high and add in garlic, tomatoes, cumin, oregano, salt and pepper. Cook another minute or two and turn off pan.

Place cilantro, spinach, scallions, lime zest and 1/2 cup stock and 1 tbsp oil in food processor and process until coarse green paste. Stir the green paste into your rice just before serving. Squeeze lime juice over corn mixture. Split the peppers open, but not in half, with a sharp knife. Then scoop out the seeds with a spoon. Place peppers in a shallow baking dish and stuff each split pepper with lots of corn mixture, mounding it out of peppers. Top with 1/4 cup cheese and place peppers back under broiler to melt and char the cheese. Serve the peppers alongside the green rice.

Serves 4

Valentine's Week

I have some great recipes to share from the last 2 weeks, but we've all been sick around here, so posting has been on the bottom of my "to do" list. I wanted to show a few things I accomplished last week-I needed some new pictures to look at.

My hubby knows me! He's the best and I am so lucky to be married to him!

Eric's Valentine's bucket-we filled it with things he loves and lots of love notes.

Lemon almond sugar cookies-delicious!!

Homemade Oreo's or Becky-O's.

Red velvet cake pops and sweet tarts

I had fun making new decorations for our house this year. I made this wreath out of felt and made the pillows as well. I think they turned out pretty cute.

I had to postpone our Valentine's dinner due to meetings on Sunday night and then we have been sick-so who knows when I will make it. I am excited about it though so I will be sure to post pictures and recipes as soon as I get to make it.

Hope you had a nice Valentine's day!

Sausage and Chicken Jambalaya

Sausage and Chicken Jambalaya

1/2 cup olive oil

1/2 cup celery, chopped

1/2 onion, chopped

1 cup fresh mushrooms, sliced

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

1/2 cup chopped green onions

1 lb smoked sausage, cut into pieces

1/2 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite size pieces

2 cups rice, cooked with chicken broth instead of water

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet. Saute the celery, onion, mushrooms, salt and cayenne pepper for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in garlic, green onion, chicken, and sausage. Cook for 15 minutes or until chicken is done.

Add cooked rice and mix well.

Sweet Tarts

How cute are these? I am having so much fun with Valentine's Day this year. I don't why because it isn't a "holiday" that I have ever really done much with. Maybe it's my kids, maybe it's my wonderful husband who has been so supportive (especially the last 2 weeks), or maybe it's because we have made it an entire year without moving. For us, that is something to celebrate! These are easy and yummy! More Valentine's Day food and crafts to come soon.

Sweet Tarts

your favorite pie crust

raspberry jam

water

powdered sugar

Roll out your dough until it is fairly thin, but not too thin. Using a cookie cutter, cut out as many hearts as you can get out of your pie dough. Be sure to re-roll your scraps!

Put a small spoonful of jam in the center of one heart. Wet the edges of that same heart and then place another heart on top, creasing the two hearts together with a fork.

Place on a greased baking sheet and cook in a 425* oven for 12 minutes or until golden. Cool completely and once cooled, sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Spinach Artichoke Mac and Cheese

So this is not a great picture, but this is one of my most favorite meals ever!! I only make it like twice a year because I could seriously eat the entire dish by myself. Maybe I'll make it 3 times this year:)

Spinach Artichoke Mac and Cheese

1 lb regular or whole wheat penne pasta

2 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp butter

1 lg onion, finely chopped

3 cloves garlic, finely chopped or grated

2 tbsp flour

1/2 cup chicken stock

2 cups milk

a few grates of nutmeg

1 box (10 oz) frozen chopped spinach, defrosted and wrung dry in a kitchen towel

1 can artichoke hearts, chopped

1/2 cup fonita cheese, grated

1 cup mozzarella cheese, grated, plus more for top

1 cup parmesan cheese, grated, plus more for top.

Preheat oven to 350*. Place a large pot of water over high heat to boil. When water is boiling, salt it well and drop in the pasta. Cook to al dente according to package directions. Drain pasta and reserve.

While pasta is cooking, place a med pot or skillet over med-low heat. Heat olive oil and 2 tbsp butter in pot to heat and melt. Add the onion and garlic to pan and cook veggies until very soft, about 10 minutes.

Turn the heat up to med-high and sprinkle the flour into the pan. Cook for about 1 minute then whisk stock into the pan. Whisk in the milk and bring to a bubble. Add the nutmeg, spinach, artichokes, some salt and pepper to the sauce and simmer until thickened, 2-3 minutes. Add cheeses to the sauce and stir with a wooden spoon until melted.

Toss the prepared sauce with the cooked pasta and transfer to a casserole dish. Sprinkle with additional cheese and bake until cheese has melted and the top is golden brown, about 30 minutes.

Serves 4-6

*You can play around with some different cheeses with this dish. Try all mozzarella or some provolone instead of fontina. Get creative!

Onion Cider Soup

If you don't like onions, stop reading this. If you do like onions-try this recipe! It is a great twist on French Onion Soup. We loved it!

Onion Cider Soup

3 tbsp butter

6 medium onions, thinly sliced

1 bay leaf

1 tsp thyme

salt and pepper

2 small gala or golden delicious apples, peeled and chopped

2 cups cloudy apple cider

1 qt beef stock

1/4 cup olive oil

1 tsp hot sauce

1 clove garlic, peeled and crushed or grated

1 baguette, cut into 12 slices about 1 1/2 inches thick

1 1/2 cups shredded extra sharp white cheddar cheese

2 tbsp thyme

Preheat oven to 325*. Heat a soup pot over med/med-high heat. Melt butter and add onions, bay leaf, thyme, salt and pepper. Cook onions until very soft and light caramel in color, about 20 minutes.

Add apples, stir to combine and cook 10 minutes more. Stir in cider and stock. Bring to a boil and let reduce, about 10 minutes.

For the croutons, in a small saucepan, heat olive oil with hot sauce and grated garlic. Let oil infuse a couple of minutes, then brush the bread slices with oil mixture. Arrange slices on a cooling rack set over a baking sheet and bake until crisp, 5-6 minutes. Top toast with a mound of cheese and a sprinkle of thyme. Bake 2 minutes more to melt the cheese.

Serve soup in bowls with 3 croutons each.

Serves 4