cheater chocolate chip muffin balls.

I promised to post these last week when I made them.

I lied and I'm very sorry about that.

My mom got me a cool little gadget for my birthday that will make quick treats even quicker!

I looooove that!

I cheated very much when I made these muffin balls; I didn't even use my own recipe for muffins.  Harris Teeter had these Martha White ones on sale for $0.99, so I grabbed a few.

Cheater Chocolate Chip Muffin Balls

1 package Muffin Mix (or your own recipe)

Whatever else the package calls for

Awesome Cake Pop Maker

I literally just greased up my Pop Maker with a little vegetable oil and waited about 5 minutes for each batch to complete cooking.

That's all I did!

This hardly counts as a real recipe, but I am way out of the blogging loop (thanks to school!), so it's a great start.



spicy shrimp pasta.

Spicy Shrimp Pasta

2 lbs Uncooked Frozen Shrimp

1 cup Water

1 cup Vinegar

4 tbsp Old Bay Seasoning

1/2 box Whole Wheat Rotini

1 jar Alfredo Sauce

1 cup Spaghetti Sauce

2 cups Frozen Broccoli

Begin by bringing the Vinegar and Water to a boil in a large pot.  When boiling, add Old Bay Seasoning and stir in Shrimp.  Cover and let steam for about 3 minutes (or until pink).  This super easy recipe can be found on the back of your can of Old Bay Seasoning.

Meanwhile, bring another pot of water to boil and cook Rotini until al dente.

Drain and return to pot with Alfredo Sauce and Spaghetti Sauce.

Stir in Frozen Broccoli.

I peeled all the Shrimp for our dinner, but didn't add it to the pasta until after I set aside a few servings for Little Steve; it was a tad bit spicy for his tiny pallet.

The Verdict:

Must've been good because Stevie ate every last bite.

In other news - I should be back to blogging regularly starting next week!

I can't believe we're more than half way through 2012.

More than that, I can't believe how well I've done with my New Year's Resolutions.

To be continued...





pepperoni pizza mini pull-aparts!

Big Steven and I decided it would be fun to have my sister-in-law, Kelly (who you will be soon be getting an ode to), over every Wednesday with her kiddos and hubs for a family dinner and to show her that cooking can be super easy.

Kid friendly all around!

This is a more fun take on my Pizza Cups.

Pinterest has had all kinds of pull-apart ideas flowing around and the possibilities are really endless!

Pepperoni Pizza Mini Pull-Aparts

1 package Hormel Pepperoni - cut into small pieces (or you could get small pepperonis)

1 10 ct Refrigerated Biscuits

1 jar Pizza Sauce (or homemade)

1 cup Shredded Mozarella

2 tbsp Butter - melted

Garlic Salt

Preheat oven to 375.

Smoosh your biscuits and cut them into quarters.  Put a few small slices of Pepperoni in each quarter and roll into a ball.  Place 4 balls into one muffin tin side by side.  Repeat until you use up all your biscuits.

Next - and this is a job you can assign to the kiddos - put Mozarella on top of and in between each ball in each muffin tin to create a cheesy goodness inside when it bakes.

Combine Melted Butter with Garlic Salt (to your taste) and brush Garlic Butter over each muffin (also a great job to get kids involved in cooking).

Bake for 8-10 minutes and serve with warm Pizza Sauce on the side or on top!

Easy Peasy Chocolate Chip Oreo Cookies!

Chocolate Chip Oreo Cookies

1 pkg Chocolate Chip Mix

1 Egg

1/2 cup Butter

1/2 pkg Oreos

2 tbsp Milk

Literally mix all this stuff up in a mixer and bake for 10-12 minutes (depending on the size cookie you make).

Easy peasy and lb packing delicious!

Tator Tot Casserole.

...Or you can call it Obesity on a Plate.  Either/or suits this recipe just fine.  It's quite delicious, but I don't recommend daily consumption.


{I promise that's not a hair in the food, but a scratch in my 100 year old bowl.}

Tator Tot Casserole

1/2 bag Frozen Tator Tots

1lb Ground Beef
1 can Cream of Chicken Soup

2 cans Cream of Cheddar Soup

2 tbsp BBQ Seasoning

Preheat oven according to Tator Tot directions.  In a large skillet, brown your Ground Beef; drain and season with BBQ.  Combine the cooked Ground Beef, Cream of Chicken Soup, Cream of Cheddar Soup, and Frozen Tator Tots in a baking dish.  Bake about 20-25 minutes.

I heard if you eat a salad in between bites of the Tator Tot Casserole, the calories cancel out.

Then I heard that's a lie and you'll have to do some cardio for about an hour to burn off the calories.

Chocolate Banana Muffins.

I don't have any Fall themed cupcake liners yet, but these are cute, no?

The only change I will make the next time around is adding some Chocolate Chips.  I knew something was missing!

Chocolate Banana Muffins

1 cup Mashed Ripe Bananas

1 cup Sugar

2 Eggs

1/2 cup Butter

1 tsp Vanilla Extract

1/4 cup Milk

2 cups Flour

1/4 cup Cocoa

1 tsp Baking Soda

1 tsp Salt

Mix together your Butter and Sugar until totally blended.  Add Eggs, Bananas, Milk, and Vanilla.  My friend, Sarah, gave me the hint that Bananas are easier to mush when they're frozen first, so you might try that.  In another bowl, combine your dry ingredients - Flour, Cocoa, Baking Soda, and Salt.  Mix the Banana mixture with your dry ingredients well.  Fill each cupcake liner about half way and bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes (until toothpick comes out clean).

Chicken Shepherd's Pie w/ Homemade Mash + Harris Teeter Trip.

Shredding chicken in the crock pot is the easiest, yummiest way to make virtually any type of chicken dish.   I really wanted Homemade Mashed Potatoes, so I decided on a pseudo Shepherd's Pie.

You Will Need:

1-1.5 lbs Frozen Chicken

1 cup Chicken Stock

2 cups Frozen Corn

2 tbsp Garlic Powder (if you love it like I do)

2 tbsp Parsley

S&P to taste

8 Small Potatoes

3 tbsp Butter

1.5 cups Milk

1/2 cup Parmesan Shredded Cheese

2 cups Shredded Cheddar

S&P to taste

For the Chicken Part:

Add your Frozen Chicken, Chicken Stock, Garlic Powder, Parsley, and S&P to the crock pot and cook on high for 4-5 hours.  Stir in Frozen Corn in the last 30 minutes or so.

For the Mashed Potatoes:

Peel and dice Potatoes and add to a big pot of water; allow to boil until soft.  After draining your soft Potatoes, add them to a large bowl with your Milk and Butter.  I use a cheap-o hand mixer to get the job done faster and then add the Parmesan and S&P at the end.

Preheat your oven to 350.  Using a large spoon with holes to transfer 1/3 of my Chicken to a baking dish - you don't want it runny, but a little moisture is delish.  Layer 1/3 of the Mashed Potatoes on top of the Chicken and top with 1/3 of the Shredded Cheddar.  Continue until done and pop that baby in the oven for 15-20 minutes.

And then, you nom.

And then you go shopping at Harris Teeter for Triples and get some solid items that'll last a whiiiile.  Like so:

{click on the picture to make it larger - I mean, if you wanna see all the goods better.}

 What You May/May Not See:
3 Cambell's Chicken Chicken Noodle Soup
2 Whole Wheat Penne Noodles
2 Whole Wheat Spaghettie Noodles
2 Rigatoni Noodles
2 Domino Powdered Sugar
4 Campbells Chunky Soup
3 Spaghettio's w/ Franks
3 Cambells 'Great for Cooking' Soups
2 HT Brand Orzo
4 Smart Ones Meals
3 Totinos Pizzas
1 Gallon Vitamin D Milk
1/2 Gallon Almond Breeze Almond Milk
3 Chicken Helper
2 20pk Frozen Burgers (for the games!)
3 Green Giant Frozen Veggies
3 Yoplait Frozen Smoothie
1 4pk Yoplait YoCrunch
6 Yoplait Greek Yogurt
2 6pk Yoplait Kids
2 Pillsbury Grands Biscuits
2 Pillsbury Pizza Crust
2 Pillsbury Crescent Rounds
1 Pillsbury Orange Cinnamon Rolls
1.5 lb Round Steak
4 1-1.5 b Ground Beef
1.5 lb Pork Chops - Country Ribs
1.5 lb Pork Butterfly Chops
2.74 lb Bananas
2.79lb Grapes

Total OOP: $112.26
Total Saved: $92.30 + $58.40 VIC Savings
Over 50% Savings!  WAHOO!

Holy Sleep Deprivation.

Hey friends!  It's Tuesday and I haven't even thought about what I'll be cooking this week.  Actually, that's not true, I did think about it and decided to stop thinking about it immediately.

This means that Little Steven had Macaroni and Cheese for dinner and Big Steven walked to Subway.  I was too tired to eat dinner last night, so I opted for a banana protein smoothie instead.  We had a great time this weekend with our friends (pics to come!), and I can't wait to do it again.  Even if it means getting very little sleep...

As for feeding my family, of course I'm gonna.  It's going to be a week full of easy, but delicious.  The Closet Cook has inspired me with some fantastic sammies, which is one of my fav foods btw.  The possibilities are endless!

I will add Ham to this Caramlized Apple and Grilled Cheese Sammie inspired by this yumminess:

{source}

And perhaps a Fried Tuna Ball Po Boy?  I die for the Remoulade Sauce.

{source}

At least I have some inspiration for this week; I was seriously lacking until I wandered upon Closet Cooking.  I also want to try a Shredded Chicken Shepherd's Pie, so we'll so how it turns out :).

Happy week and stay tuned for recipes from last week and a Shred update.

Yummy PIzza Cups.

I take these pictures on Friday mornings when I'm busy putting off work:

{I believe this showcases my most attractive qualities}

But for realz, these Pizza Cups were bomb.

Last week, I was going to make Pizza Biscuits, but decided to do a combo of those and Easy Peasy Cheesy Beefy Biscuit Cups, thus the Pizza Cup was born.

{I have many friends who are fantastic photographers.  Maybe one day they'll teach me the ways.}

You Will Need:

10 ct Refrigerated Biscuits
6 Large Pepperonis (or 12 small) - cut up into small pieces
6 slices Bacon - cooked and cut up into small pieces
Pizza Sauce ( I used Boboli - or you could make your own)
1 cup Mozarella Cheese

This is super easy, folks.  Grease a muffin pan and smooosh a Biscuit into each cup, covering all sides of the cup.  Pile Sauce, Pepperoni, and Bacon in each cup and top with some Mozarella!

Bake those bad boys according to your Biscuit package and be done with it.

Easy Peasy Spaghetti & Homemade Meatballs.

Since making plain old Spaghetti is a little too easy, I decided to use the Ground Beef to make some Meatballs.  Just a bit of fake fancy for ya.

Spaghetti & Homemade Meatballs

1 lb Ground Beef
1/2 cup Bread Crumbs
1 Egg
S & P to taste
1 box Pasta
2 jars Spaghetti Sauce

Boil your Pasta according to package.  Preheat Oven to 375.

Combine your Ground Beef, Bread Crumbs, & Egg in a large bowl and mix with your hands.  Add S&P for flavor.  Form your Meatballs and place on a shallow pan (covered w/ foil for super easy clean up) and bake for 20 - 25 minutes.  Personally, I like a little crisp on the outside of the Meatball, so I cooked it a bit longer.

When the Meatballs are done, add them in a large skillet with your Pasta and stir in the Spaghetti Sauce.

Super easy, cheap, and yummy.

Easy Peasy Inside Out Chicken Pot Pie

My 'Cheater Chicken Pot Pie' on my menu turned into the 'Easy Peasy Inside Out Chicken Pot Pie.'  Why?  Because it's easy and I used biscuits instead of a pie crust :)

I lost err misplaced my charger for my camera; hopefully I just left it at the lake somewhere.  Just when I was starting to get the hang of taking pictures of food, too!  So, my non-smart phone gives me pictures like the one above.  Lo siento, friends.

You Will Need:

4 cans Chicken Breast (like Swanson brand in the tuna isle)
1 can Cream of Chicken
1 can Cream of Celery
1 bag Frozen Mixed Veggies
1 can 10 ct Refrigerated Biscuits
S & P to taste

Preheat your oven to 400.

I drained my canned Chicken Breast and added Pepper to that first because I love the Pepper.  Then combine Soups and Veggies and mix all up.  Transfer mixture to a baking dish (I used 9x13) and top with uncooked Biscuits.

Add 5 minutes to the cook time on the can for the Biscuits; my can said 11-13 minutes, so I baked it for 18 minutes.  This will ensure that the Biscuits are cooked all the way through.

EASY PEASY!

Easy Peasy BBQ Chicken w/ Cheese Tortellini

Generally, I get really disappointed when I have to change a planned meal at the last minute because I realize an important ingredient is missing, but this turned out to be really delicious.  Bonus: Little Steven did not attempt to throw any of it because he liked it too much to stop eating. 

You Will Need:

1 - 1.5 lbs Chicken, cubed
1 package Cheese Tortellini (I heart Buittoni)
1 can Cream of Chicken soup
5 tbsp BBQ Sauce (I probably used more!)
I added Red Pepper to mine plate, but Little Steven can't have it, but it's up to you!

Boil Cheese Tortellini according to package.

Cook Chicken on Medium Heat until cooked all the way through and browned.  I always drain all the greasy stuff off afterwards then return it to the pain.  Add your BBQ Sauce and allow to simmer on Low heat for 15 minutes or so.

When Tortellini are done, add the Cream of Chicken soup and combine with BBQ Chicken in pan.  Allow all the flavors to blend and be done with it!

So easy and so yummy!

Easy Peasy Tuna Casserole

You will need:
3 cans Tuna
1 box Pasta (I used Penne this time, but I like Shells better)
1 bag Frozen Mixed Veggies
2/3 cup Milk
2 cans Cream of Chicken Soup
5-6 crushed Saltine Crackers
S & P to taste

Preheat the oven to 350.  Boil and cook the Pasta until al dente.

Mix the drained Tuna and Cream of Chicken Soup together in a medium bowl.  Add Salt & Pepper to taste - I am obsessed with Pepper, so it gets a lot of that!  Add Milk and Veggies and mix it all together.

Drain Pasta and pour into a baking pan.  Pour Tuna mixture over top and stir it all up again!  Add crushed Saltines to the top and bake for about 20 minutes (or until slightly brown on top).

Easy Peasy Beefy Burritos

I couldn't find the 'open' burrito view!  DANG!

Inspiration and 'How to fold a burrito' came from Pie Birds, Buttons, and Muddy Puddles.

You will need:

1lb Ground Beef (or turkey or boca for my sis)
1 can Black Beans
3 tbsp Chili Powder
1 can Rotel Tomatoes and Green Peppers
2 cups Shredded Cheese
1 tsp Cumin
12 Flour Tortillas

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Brown Beef.  Drain

Return Beef to pan and add Cumin and Chili Powder.  Add Rotel and Black Beans.

Add about a spoonful to each burrito and top with cheese!

Visit Andrea to learn how to roll the perfect burrito!

Don't forget to grease the pan!

Easy Peasy Cheesy-Beefy Biscuit Cups

Don't judge a book by it's cover!

Now, these didn't turn out as cute as I wanted them to because I didn't 'smoosh' the biscuits around the muffin tin enough, but they still turned out delicious!  Even my niece loved them (she had 2!) and she is quite a picky gal.  These are super easy, super kid friendly, and super yummy.  Helloooooo crowd pleaser!



nevermind the spill over!

 You will need:

1 lb ground beef
16 refrigerated biscuits
2 cups cheese
1 jar spaghetti sauce

Preheat the oven to 375.

Brown the beef, drain.  Stir in Spaghetti Sauce.

Generously spray muffin tins - get the sides good so these come out as cups like intended.  'Smooooosh' the biscuits into the tins.  Fill 2 tbsp of meat mixture in cups and bake for 15-17 minutes.  When they come out, sprinkle cheese all over and let it melt!

I served these with macaroni because mac n cheese is a no-fail with most kids.  I gave the option to have salad or peaches.  Here is Mrs. Picky herself:

Yes, that was way too much mac n cheese, so she traded half of it in for another Cheesy-Beefy Biscuit Cups.

Mama Kelly - these are soooo easy and both babies loved them!

I found a basic recipe for this on Allrecipes.com (one of my all time fav sites) and you can switch it up so much - add veggies, swap meat, go meatless - easy peasy!

Easy Peasy Quesagna!

Tonight, we tried a little something I like to call 'Quesagna' for obvious reasons - isn't it obvious?  Maybe just to me.  It's a mix between Quesadillas and Lasagna.  YUM!  It was also ridiculously easy, so it's quite the Easy Peasy addition!

You will need:

1 lb Ground Beef

1 can Hormel Chilli w/ Beans

1 can Kidney or Pinto Beans

9 Tortillas

1.5 cups Shredded Cheese (whatever you have!)

Preheat the oven to 350.

Brown the beef in a pan w/ EVOO.  Drain.  Return to pain and mix with Hormel Chilli and Beans.  DONE WITH THE FILLING!

Put 1/2 of the mixture in a lightly greased baking pan.  Pile 3 tortillas on top and add 1/2 of what is left of the mixture on top as well as 1/2 of the cheese.  Layer 3 more tortillas and finish off with the remainder of the mixture and cheese.  Bake in the oven for about 15 minutes or until cheese melts!

DELISH!

Scrapin' the Pantry: Easy Peasy Ham & Cheddar Shells



Easy Peasy Ham & Cheddar Shells

You will need:

1 pkg of your favorite pasta (I use shells for this because the cheese tends to get 'stuck' in them)

8 slices of your favorite cheese (I used white american)

8 slices of ham

2 Tbsp EVOO

Boil pasta noodles, drain, and keep warm.  Heat EVOO in skillet on medium-high heat.  Cut up ham while it's getting hot; add ham and let brown.  Meanwhile, cut up 8 slices of cheese and toss slices with noodles.  Add cooked ham and toss, toss, toss!

Serve with a green salad and maybe some garlic bread!



Easy Peasy Sausage & Pasta Saute

Easy Peasy Sausage & Pasta Saute

You will need:
1 pkg. Smoked Sausage (your fav. kind - a.k.a what ever is on sale!)
1 pkg. uncooked noodles (I used Penne)
1 can Sweet Peas or 1-2 cups frozen (lightly buttered if desired)
1/8 tsp Red Pepper Flakes (optional)
1/2 cup Shredded Cheese (I used Three Cheese)
1/3 cup Condensed Milk (or heavy whipping cream OR 1/4 cup regular milk)
1 tbsp EVOO

Directions:
Boil water for noodles.  While water is boiling, cut sausage into approx. 1/2 inch slices.  Heat sausage in a large skillet; coat skillet with EVOO first.  Saute sausage until browned (approx. 4-5 minutes).  Add peas and continue to saute until tender.  Add red pepper flakes and stir for about a minute.  In a large serving bowl (or whatever bowl you have - I used a big Redskins bowl, haha) toss the pasta and sausage together.  Add Condensed milk (or subsitute) and cheese and toss until cheese is melted.

Soooo good, soooo good.

Easy Peasy Crock-Pot Chicken & Dumplings

I haven't figured out how to make delicious food aesthetically appealing yet...

 Props to Mommy's Cooking Adventures for the recipe.

You will need:
Chicken Breast (or your favorite part of the chicken)
2 Tbsp Butter
1 Sweet Onion (of course, I opted out)
2 Cans of Cream of Chicken
1/2 Cup of Water
1 Large Can of Biscuits (8 or 10)
Salt & Pepper to taste

First, add the Butter, Cream of Chicken, and Onion to the Crock Pot and stir until mixed.  Add Chicken (cut up into equal sized peices to ensure proper cooking) and add the water to cover the chicken.  Set Crock Pot on HIGH and cook for 6 hours.  30-45 minutes before serving, cut unprepared biscuits in half, roll them and add them to the Crock Pot.

This was so delicious and so simple!  I will definitely make this again.

Easy Peasy BBQ Franks.

Sorry I missed the Thursday Push, but the good news is that we all made it to Friday!

I didn't take a picture last night because I am a nut, but I made the world's easiest spruced up hot dogs.

BBQ Franks

1 C Kethchup
2 Tbsp Brown Sugar
1/2 C Water
3 Tbsp A1 sauce or Worcester Sauce (I used Bold & Spicy A1)
1/2 Tsp Ground Mustard
1/2 Tsp BBQ Spice (any BBQ flavored spice will work!)
S&P to taste
1 package Hot Dogs

Simply combine all ingredients except the hot dogs and simmer for 15 minutes.  Add hot dogs and simmer for another 15-20 minutes.

Serve in hot dog buns or, if you're like me and realize at the last minute you don't have any hot dog buns, serve over toast, or eat it plain!  Pick some sides  - a starch and a veggie - and you're done!