A-1 Chili

This one is another one of those rare, great finds from KraftFoods.com. It's a wonderfully different take on the usual winter chili. 

A-1 Chili

Photo from KraftFoods.com

1-1/4 lb. 90% lean ground beef

1 large green pepper, chopped

1 large onion, chopped

1 Tblsp garlic powder

3 Tblsp. chili powder

1 can (14-1/2 oz) tomatoes, undrained

1/2 cup water

1 can (16 oz) kidney beans, drained

1/3 cup A-1 Original Steak Sauce

Cook meat, green pepper, onion & garlic in large heavy saucepan on medium heat 8-10 minutes or until meat is no longer pink, stirring frequently. Add chili powder; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. 

**NOTE: if you do not use the 90% lean ground beef you will need to cook the beef first & then drain & then return to the pan & keep going with other ingredients. Otherwise, the chili gets very greasy.**

Drain tomatoes, reserving liquid; chop tomatoes. Add tomatoes, reserved liquid & the water to meat mixture. Bring to a boil; cover. Reduce heat to low; simmer 15 min, stirring occasionally. 

Add beans & steak sauce; stir until well blended. Cover & simmer an additional 5 min. 

Makes (6) 1 cup servings. 

Each serving= 300 calories

Steak Diane

This is a recipe I often forget I have but it is really tasty. It comes from Taste of Home Magazine, Dec/Jan 1999. I usually serve with a baked potato or potato wedges.

Steak Diane

Photo from TasteofHome.com

4 beef ribeye steaks (1/2 in thick)
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/8 tsp salt
4 Tblsp butter, divided
2 Tblsp finely chopped green onions
1/2 tsp ground mustard
1 Tblsp lemon juice
1-1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 Tblsp minced fresh parsley
1 Tblsp minced fresh chives

Sprinkle steaks with pepper & salt. In a skillet, melt 2 Tblsp of butter. Stir in onions & mustard; cook for 1 minute. Add steaks; cook for 3 minutes on each side or until the meat reaches desired doneness. Remove to a serving platter & keep warm. Add lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce & remaining butter to skillet. Cook for 2 minutes. Add parsley & chives. Pour over steaks.

Makes 4 servings.

Pizza Lasagna

I came across this recipe when I was doing Weight Watchers several years ago. It's a healthier take on lasagna & satisfies even the worst pizza craving. It can also be made with Boca Ground instead of ground beef without changing the taste much. Either way, it's a delicious, healthier meal!!

Pizza Lasagna
Taken from Light & Tasty Magazine, Aug/Sept. 2003

1/2 lb. lean ground beef
2 cans (14-1/2 oz each) diced tomatoes, undrained
1 can (15 oz) ready to serve creamy tomato sauce (I used a can of tomato sauce instead. Light & Tasty test kitchen recommended Healthy Choice Creamy Tomato Soup)
1 can (16 oz) tomato paste
1/2 cup water
1 medium onion, chopped
1 tsp. each of dried oregano & garlic powder
1/2 tsp salt
9 uncooked lasagna noodles (I cooked mine before assembling the dish)
4 oz. sliced turkey pepperoni
1-1/2 cups (6 oz) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese, divided
1/2 lb. fresh mushrooms, sliced
1 medium red pepper, diced
6 green onions, chopped
1 can (2-1/4 oz) sliced ripe olives, drained

In a nonstick skillet, cook beef over medium heat until no longer pink; drain.
For sauce, in a large bowl, combine the tomatoes, soup, tomato paste, water, onion & seasonings.

Spread 1/2 cup sauce in a 13 x 9 x 2 baking dish coated with nonstick cooking spray. Top with 3 noodles & a third of the sauce, then pepperoni. Sprinkle with 1 cup cheese. Top with 2 noodles & a third of the sauce. Top with mushrooms, red pepper, green onions & beef. Top with remaining noodles, sauce & cheese. Sprinkle with olives.

Cover & bake at 350 for 1 hour (if noodles are precooked or 70-80 min. or until noodles are tender if noodles are uncooked). Uncover; bake 10 minutes longer or until cheese is melted. Let stand for 10 minutes.

Spaghetti Skillet

Another delicious recipe from Quick Cooking Magazine before them, Taste of Home, & Light & Tasty Magazines went downhill (in my opinion). This ones comes from back when the magazines were completely ad-free, full of color photos & you couldn't hardly find a recipe in any of the issues that wasn't good....

Anyway, this recipe comes from the Annual Quick Cooking 2000 Book.

Spaghetti Skillet

Photo from TasteofHome.com

1/2 lb. ground beef
1/4 lb. bulk Italian sausage
1 can (15 oz) tomato sauce
1 can (14-1/2 oz) stewed tomatoes
1 cup water
1 can (4 oz) mushroom stems & pieces, drained
2 celery ribs
4 oz uncooked spaghetti, broken in half
1/4 tsp. dried oregano
salt & pepper to taste


In a skillet over medium heat, cook beef and sausage until no longer pink; drain. Add the remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover & simmer for 14-16 minutes or until spaghetti is tender.

Makes 4-6 servings.

Velveeta Chicken and Vegetable Stir-fry

I rarely find a Kraft Foods recipe that I like (sorry, Kraft). I love Kraft brand foods, but I generally find their recipes lacking. This recipe, however, is one of those rare finds. It is advertised as a "healthier" meal & the original recipe uses Velveeta Light. I usually use the Kroger brand version of "Velveeta" & therefore don't use a "light" version.

Velveeta Chicken & Vegetable Stir-Fry

Photo from KraftFoods.com

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (1-1/4 lbs), cut up (You could also use the pre-cooked, frozen chicken breast strips)
2 Tblsp. Kraft Light Done Right House Italian Reduced Fat Dressing
3 cups fresh broccoli florets
1 medium red pepper, cut into strips
1 medium yellow squash, cut into slices
6 oz. of Velveeta cheese product, cut up
1 Tblsp. milk

Cook chicken in dressing in large nonstick skillet on medium-high heat 5-7 minutes or until chicken is cooked through, stirring occasionally.

Add vegetable; stir. Reduce heat to medium; cover. Simmer 5 minutes or until vegetables are crisp-tender. Meanwhile, mix Velveeta & milk in a small microwavable bowl. Microwave on high 2-3 minutes or until Velveeta is melted, stirring after 2 minutes.

Place chicken mixture on serving plate & top with Velveeta sauce.

Makes (6) 1-cup servings.
**If you make this with Light Velveeta, the Light salad dressing & fat free milk, each serving only has 200 calories!!!

Grandma's Chili

As I looked through the recipes on this blog trying to decide what to fix for dinner a couple weeks ago, I realized one of our favorite recipes was missing...Grandma's Chili. Since Oct. is just a few days away & that fall nip is once again in the air, I thought it would be the perfect time to introduce you to my family's favorite chili recipe.

The one thing I've learned about chili is that every family has their own "best" recipe. Some people say that chili isn't chili if you put pasta in it. (In fact, my Grandma also makes something called "Goolash" that always seemed a lot like a variation of chili to me...) Then there's those who say it HAS to have pasta or it has to have a little sweetness to it. And, of course, there are those who aren't happy unless it's so hot your nose is running, eyes running tears like 2 rivers & sweat is popping out on your forehead.

This is our favorite chili recipe. It's simple, inexpensive to make & easily adapts to feeding 4 or 40. For years, if I wanted good chili I always went to my Grandma Patton's (Livi's great-grandma). One day a few years ago, I was with her at the grocery store & she was looking for Campbell's Spaghetti in a can. Knowing she wasn't one for canned pastas like this I couldn't help but ask her what on earth she wanted that for. "I'm making chili," she said. I know I must have looked at her like she'd grown another head. My grandma, the one who makes the best chili in the world, uses canned pasta in it!?!?!? I knew right then, I HAD to know how she made her chili.

Right about now, you're thinking I've lost it. I know, I thought she had too :) Trust me, give it a try. You'll love it (& how easy it is to make).

Grandma's Chili

1 can of Campbell's Spaghetti in a can 

 (NO MEATBALLS...this is very important as it will NOT taste the same...even if you pick the meatballs out (Grandma has tried))

1 can of chili beans
We like the hot because we like a little kick to our chili, you should use whichever "hot" level suits your family
1# of hamburger, browned & drained
1 packet of Chili seasoning mix 
Sorry, Kroger. You dropped the ball here. Your chili mix use to be great, but the past 3 times I've used it my chili was BLAND :( And, yes, I know that Kroger doesn't read my blog, but it's my blog so I can gripe about their chili mix if I want :)
1 jar of home canned tomatoes (or you can use 1-2 cans of diced tomatoes from the store)
Tomato juice (or water) as needed to thin chili to the consistency your family prefers
Shredded cheese & Crackers :) 

Combine the 1st 5 ingredients in a pot on the stove or crock pot (oh, yes, this great recipe is crock pot friendly :-)  Add water or tomato juice or a combination to thin based on what your family prefers. I LOVE tomatoes so I could easily use the whole big can of tomato juice, but my family thinks that makes it too "tomato-y". So I usually use about 1 cup of water & maybe half of the can of juice. Just be warned that if you use too much water, you'll water down the flavors & the chili will be blander.

The above ingredients makes enough chili for about 5-6 adult servings. I usually double this so we have leftovers. I have also frozen it before & it freezes & reheats well too.  One time I multiplied the recipe by 5 or 6  & made HUGE stock pots full for a family gathering. It multiplied well.

We love ours topped with shredded cheese & served with Saltines & pickles on the side. :) ENJOY!

Most Amazing Pork Chops Ever

Ok, I don't know if I'd say "most amazing EVER", but these are pretty darn good chops. (And that's saying something coming from me, because I am not a big fan of pork chops!) This recipe is one that my bestie, Steph, found on Pinterest a while back. Here's a link to the original recipe, including a great picture of the finished product. The best part: this is a CROCK POT recipe!!! (Love my crock pot!!) :)

Most Amazing Pork Chops Ever

4 Bone-in/thick cut pork chops (I used 6-8 smaller boneless pork chops)
1 can of cream of chicken soup
1 envelope onion soup mix
1 envelope dry pork gravy mix
1-1/2 cups chicken broth

Place the pork chops in the bottom of the crock pot. Mix the other 4 ingredients in a bowl & pour over chops. Cover & cook on low for 6-8 hours.

Ranch Pork Chops

Found this recipe on Pinterest (yep, again :). Originally, it came from here. I did make the Parmesan Mashed Potatoes, but my 2 critics like my mashed potatoes best so I've stuck with my old tried & true mashed potatoes ever since. 

Ranch Pork Chops

6-8 boneless pork chops (1/2" to 1" thick)

1 packet of ranch dressing mix

1 can of cream of chicken soup

I put the cream of chicken soup & dressing mix in the crockpot & mixed thoroughly. Then tossed in the pork chops. Cook on high for 4 hours or low for 6 hours. 

Serve with mashed potatoes. 

**Let me just say, I don't normally like pork chops. These, however, are REALLY good! You can easily cut them with a fork & they just melt in your mouth.**

Crock Pot Chicken & Dumplings

Today's recipe is another great find on Pinterest...I just LOVE that site! 


This one comes originally from here and below is her picture of the finished product, because it is much prettier than any I took :)

 She has several other recipes that look worthy of trying (like Zesty Pasta Salad & Lone Star Steak House Cheese Fries - can't wait to try these!!!) so be sure & hop over there & take a looksie for yourself.


I love chicken-n-dumplins' (as we always called them), but I had never made them myself. I just figured they were one of those meals that only a grandma could do the right way :) I made these today & they are delicious, super easy to make & a fairly budget-friendly meal. 

Crock Pot Chicken & Dumplings

1 lb. boneless, skinless, chicken breasts (3-5)

2 Tablespoons of unsalted butter

2 cans (10.5 oz ea.) condensed cream of chicken soup

1 can (14 oz.) chicken broth

1 medium white onion, diced

4 large flaky refrigerator biscuits

(I also tossed in a little pepper & salt, but that's up to you & your family's personal preference.) 

Place chicken in crock pot & top with butter. Add cream of chicken soup, chicken broth & diced onions. (I used frozen diced onions - maybe 1/2 - 3/4 cup & added a little extra chicken broth about halfway through cooking that I will add at the beginning next time - maybe an additional 1/2-1 cup). Cook on high for 4-6 hours. 

Remove chicken from crock pot & use a fork to shred. Return chicken to crock pot. Cut each uncooked biscuit into 9 pieces & stir into the chicken mixture. Continue to cook on high for at least 30 minutes (I let mine cook longer). 

I love using my crock pot & I'm super excited that not only have I found another "keeper" crock pot recipe, but I've found a superb chicken-n-dumplins' recipe as well! 

Crockpot Baked Potatoes

Pinterest is quickly becoming one of my very favorite internet past times. (As if I needed another way to waste time on the internet! HA!).  I have found some really great ideas & recipes on there. Today I tried something I read on there a couple weeks ago....baking potatoes in the crockpot.

You can read about this technique at the original place I found it (if you like) here...

Or I can just briefly tell you how it works :) 

Wash potatoes

Wrap in aluminum foil

Place in crockpot

Cook on high 6-8 hrs

Remove from crockpot, unwrap & load 'em up with all your favorite toppings!

Doesn't get much easier than that, does it?!? No heating up the kitchen with your oven & no waiting your turn to microwave your potato while everyone else is eating (and, I have to add, these are WAY better than microwaved ones anyway!)

*Note: you have to wrap them in foil & you do NOT add any water to the crockpot...this seems to be the 2 main questions asked over at the blog linked above*

Salsa Chicken

Today's recipe comes from my cousin, Sheena, and was pronounced quite possibly the "best chicken you've ever made, mom" by LiviGirl. I have to agree. This will be a family favorite from now on. Not only is it DELICIOUS, but it's super simple to make as well. 


(*I took some pics of the finished dish, but this is one of those dishes that just doesn't look that pretty even though it tastes amazing.  I didn't want to scare anyone off by what it looks like, so I decided against using the pic.)

Sheena's Salsa Chicken

1/2 oz taco seasoning mix (half of the reg. 1 oz. pkg)

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (about 1lb total)

1 cup salsa

1 cup shredded cheddar (I used Kroger Mexican shredded cheese)

1 Tbsp. sour cream, optional

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place taco seasoning mix & chicken in a ziplock bag & shake to coat, then place chicken in baking dish. Pour salsa over the top.

Cover with foil & bake for 20 min or until chicken is tender & cooked through.

Remove foil, sprinkle chicken with cheese & continue baking until cheese is melted, another 3-5 min. Top with sour cream.

Enjoy!

This recipe makes 4 servings & only costs approx. $1.72 to make. I would highly recommend doubling it, because you're gonna want seconds (& leftovers)...it's THAT good! 

Big "Thank You" to Sheena for giving our same ol' same ol' chicken a spicin' up! 

Easy Enchiladas

Even though I haven't been on here in a very long time, I have been trying new recipes. I just haven't found anything that really "wow-ed" me...until this recipe. It's so easy that I nearly skipped it thinking that anything this easy would most certainly be bland & a waste of my time. I'm so glad I didn't! My family has proclaimed this their new favorite enchilada recipe. 


Easy Enchiladas
(taken from Cooks.com)

Flour or wheat tortillas (I used wheat)
1 lb. ground beef or chicken
1 can green or red enchilada sauce (I used red)
1 pkg cream cheese
1 pkg shredded cheese (I used Kroger brand Mexican blend shredded cheese)


Melt cream cheese in microwave until very soft. Add half of can of enchilada sauce to cream cheese. Reserve remainder of enchilada sauce. 


Cook beef or chicken & add to mixture.


(The recipe calls for heating tortillas in microwave before filling. I skipped this step since the ones I had were easily rolled & going into the oven to heat up anyway. You may need to do this if your tortillas are too stiff to roll up without tearing)


Place mixture in tortillas & wrap.  Place enchiladas in baking dish. 


Pour shredded cheese & remaining sauce over top.


Bake 20 min. or until hot at 325 degrees.

Brown Bag Burritos

This recipe originally came from Cris over at Goodness Gracious.  I've changed it a bit (mainly because I rarely hand grate anything :) Feel free to check out the link above for the original though! 

Brown Bag Burritos

2 lbs. ground beef, browned & drained
1/2-1 cup nacho blend shredded cheese
2 cans refried beans
1 can enchilada sauce
1/2 cup water
1/2 tsp onion powder
1 Tbsp chili powder
1 Tbsp garlic powder
1 tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. dried oregano


20-24 flour tortillas (I use multi-grain or whole wheat tortillas)


Combine 1st 8 ingredients.  Simmer on stovetop for 20 min or can be put in microwave for 15-20 min., stirring every 5 min. 


If eating immediately, heat up tortillas & spoon 1/4 cup of mixture onto each tortilla & roll-up.  (If making for later, tortillas don't have to be heated before making each burrito.)

Wrap each burrito in a paper towel & then in aluminum foil.  Freeze.  


When you want to heat one up, remove from aluminum foil & place (leave paper towel on burrito when heating) in microwave for approx. 90 sec.  These can be removed from freezer & thawed & then heated as well.  Heat approx. 45 sec. if burrito is thawed. 

Catching Up

I noticed the other day that it's been a long time since I added to Mom's Kitchen. I've been so busy lately that I haven't tried out many new recipes.  I did go through some family favorites tonight though that I thought you all might enjoy.  As usual, I don't have photos of all of these yet (because I always forget to take them...shame on me!) but I will try to add pics when I make these the next time. 

Au Gratin Sausage Skillet

Picture from www.tasteofhome.com

1# kielbasa or polish sausage, halved & sliced into 1/2" thick slices
2 pkg. (5-1/4 oz. ea.) packged au gratin potatoes
2-1/2 cups of water
1 pkg (12-16oz) of California blend vegetables, frozen
1-3 c. shredded cheddar cheese (the amount on this depends entirely on how well your family likes cheese)


Put potatoes with contents of sauce mix & water in skillet.  Cover & cook over medium heat for 10-15 min., add sausage & recover & cook for 5-20 more min or until potatoes are almost tender. Stirring occasionally.  Add veg; cover & cook for 8-10 more min. or until potatoes & veg. are desired tenderness.  Sprinkle with cheese.  Remove from heat & let stand until cheese is melted. 


Makes 6-8 servings

Cris's Aunt Mary's Pork Mary-nade

One last pork recipe for Cousin Molly...

This one comes from my gal-pal, Cris, but I've made it myself so I can attest to it's greatness. I've made these on the grill & in the oven. Both turned out super yummy!

Click this link to take you to the recipe over at Goodeness Gracious:

Cris's Aunt Mary's Pork Mary-nade

Aloha Pizza

I first had this recipe at a friend's Pampered Chef party.  It is a Pampered Chef recipe, originally, but I'm going to give you the simple cook version ('cause this gal isn't going to stand & hand grate her cheese or mess with chopping up a fresh pineapple :) 

Aloha Chicken


2 green onions with tops (optional - I didn't use these), chopped
2 packages (13.8 oz. ea.) refrigerated pizza crust - I only used 1 package & it fit my large bar pan just fine
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 garlic clove, pressed (we had the pressed garlic at the party, but I just sprinkled garlic powder on my crust & it tasted the same to me)
1/2 cup barbecue sauce, divided
2 cups (8 oz) mozarella cheese, shredded (or grated if you're ambitious)
2 cups diced cooked chicken (I used the frozen, pre-cooked strips, just defrosted them & chopped them up into cubes)
1 medium pineapple (I used 2 cups of canned pineapple tidbits, drained well)
1/2 medium red bell pepper, chopped.


Preheat oven to 400.  
Unroll pizza crust & place in bottom of large bar pan.
Place into oven for approx. 10 min. (This will help the pizza dough finish cooking without over cooking the toppings)


Remove pan from oven & add the following:
Combine the olive oil & garlic (if using fresh) & brush onto pizza crust  OR brush olive oil onto pizza crust & then sprinkle with garlic powder


Spread half of the BBQ sauce over pizza


Sprinkle cheese & chicken onto pizza


Put back into oven for 20-25 minutes, or until crust is golden brown


Remove from oven & add chopped red pepper, pineapple


Put the remaining BBQ sauce in a small baggie & cut tip off the end.  Use this to drizzle BBQ sauce across entire pizza.


If using chopped green onions, add them last. 


Enjoy!
I have to say, I HATE pineapple on pizza and yet, I LOVE this pizza.  I think it must have to do with the fact it has BBQ sauce instead of a tomato based sauce. I'm not sure. All I know is it is awesome! 

Pork Chops in Gravy

This is one of my all-time favorite pork recipes.  I'm not a real big fan of pork chops, but these are DELICIOUS. You can cut them with a fork & they melt in your mouth.


Pork Chops in Gravy


1 egg
2 Tbsp water
8 pork loin chops (1/2" thick)
3/4 c. seasoned bread crumbs (I always use flavored croutons crushed up for this)
2 Tbsp. veg. oil
1 can (10-3/4 oz) condensed cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
1 can (10-1/2 oz.) condensed French Onion Soup, undiluted
1/4 c. grated Parmesan cheese


In a shallow bowl, beat egg & water.  Dip pork chops in egg mixture, then coat with bread crumbs.  In a large skillet, brown chops in oil.  Transfer to a greased 13x9x2 baking dish. Combine soups; pour over chops.  Sprinkle with cheese. Cover & bake @ 325 for 1.5 hours or until meat is tender. 


Serve with mashed potatoes.

Chili Chops

Chili Chops


4 pork loin chops, 1/2" thick
4 onion slices
4 green pepper slices, 1/4" thick
1 bottle of chili sauce


Place the pork chops in a greased 9" square baking dish
top with onions, green peppers & chili sauce.
Cover & bake for 20-30 min @ 350 (or until meat juices run clear)

Sweet & Sour Pork

The next 3 recipes are some of our family's favorite pork recipes for Cousin Molly.  As with the other picture-less posts, I'll try & remember to get pics the next time I fix these. 


Sweet & Sour Pork


4-6 thick pork chops
1/4 c. soy sauce
1/4 c. chili sauce
1/4 c. honey


Preheat oven to 350.


Mix honey, soy & chili sauce.


Place pork chops in greased 3 qt. casserole dish.  Pour sauces over chops.  
Bake for 1 hour. 

5-Can Soup

This super simple soup is on the menu this week.  I'll do my best to try & remember to take a picture when I make it.  This recipe is just a small piece of paper torn from a cookbook so I have no idea where it came from. It is a Weight Watcher's friendly recipe having only 2 pts per 1 cup of soup.  Most shocking to me was how filling it was.

5-Can Soup

1 can diced tomatoes
1 can corn
1 can minestone soup
1 can mixed veggies (you can use frozen if you want)
1 can of black beans (or you can use whatever kind of beans you have on hand)


Mix all together in a pot, heat & serve.


How simple is that!?!?!