recipe

Oreo Balls

recipe
December 21, 2015

This post is from last year. I just finished making some of these delicious Oreo Balls today, and thought I would share the recipe again.

While I was rolling the mixture into balls our doorbell rang…twice! Two different neighbors stopped by with some edible gifts for us. How sweet of them to share their labor of yummy love with their neighbors. I though perhaps I should take them all some of these delectable Oreo Balls but when I thought of all the work involved in crushing the Oreos, mixing with cream cheese and rolling them into balls, I decided against it. Besides, due to some recent events in my life, I’m just trying to get through the holidays the best way I can.

Here’s last year’s post.

I have a new obsession this year, it’s Oreo® Balls. I tasted one last year and knew I had to have the recipe. I have it! And I have already made two batches. The first batch was a bit of a learning curve for me. I usually have a trial run while I figure out just how it’s supposed to be done.

One of the best things about these cookies is they only require 3 ingredients. The taste reminds me of cake pops but a bit more gooey on the inside.

My first batch looked a little something like this:

I added the red sprinkles for a festive appeal and to hide the chocolate bits that were mixing in with the white dipping bark.

The next batch came out just how I wanted them to. I am giving them to my customers for a Christmas gift along with a few other treats.

For now I will share the Oreo Cookie Ball recipe with you!

OREO® COOKIE BALLS

1 8 ounce package of cream cheese

36 Oreo cookies, finely chopped

16 ounces of semi-sweet baking chocolate, melted

1. Mix cream cheese and cookie crumbs until well blended.

2. Shape into 48 (1 inch) balls. Freeze 10 minutes. (Hint: I kept them in the freezer longer. Keeps the crumbs out of the melted dipping chocolate.)Dip balls in melted chocolate, place in single layer on waxed paper.

3. Refrigerate for 1 hour or until firm.

That’s it! Enjoy and don’t forget to share!

Sunny Vegetable Salad

Food
April 24, 2015

When I was a kid I hated vegetables. There, I said it out loud. I did. I was probably not that much out of the ordinary, but I existed on meat, bread and potatoes. Oh yeah, and sugar. Did I mention sugar? It’s a wonder I’m still alive.

But today, as an adult women who has lived the better part of half of her life, I am here to tell you…I like veggies. All kinds of veggies. Raw veggies, cooked veggies, common veggies, and some that are not so common. So there is hope for that picky little eater who sits at the dining room table with you. Hold that thought close.

Today, for my 365 easy recipes, is a vegetable salad. It’s one of my favorites because of the sweet and salty taste, and it is easy to make. I have taken this sunny vegetable salad to many occasions. I am often asked if I will share the recipe. I am sharing the recipe today with you.

Sunny Vegetable Salad

5 cups broccoli florets

5 cups cauliflowerets (is that even a word?)

2 cups (8 oz) shredded cheddar cheese

2/3 cup chopped onion

1/2 cup raisins

1 cup mayonaise

1/2 cup sugar

2 tablespoons cider or red wine vinegar

6 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled

1/4 cup sunflower seeds

In a large salad bowl, toss broccoli, cauliflower, cheese, onion and reaisins. In a small bowl, combine mayonnaise, sugar and vinegar. Pour over salad; toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour. Sprinkle with the bacon and sunflower seeds before serving.

And there you have it, easy peasy. This vegetable salad really is easy to assemble and a tasty side dish to any meal.

As always, I have altered the recipe to fit the tastes of well…me!

I omitted the chopped onion and the raisins. I’m not a fan of raisins. I like the crunchyness of the veggies and the chewyness of the bacon. No raisins needed. But hey, don’t let me stop you. Put the raisins in if you want.

Happy eating!

Slow-Cooker Enchiladas

Food
April 22, 2015

I’m back with another recipe for my 365 easy recipes. Today I am sharing Slow-Cooker Enchiladas. Here’s the deal, I’m not really reaching my 365 easy recipe goal, unless, of course, I just post 356 easy recipes but not every day. That just made sense, right?

Whatever it is I am doing, I have recipes to share. And this is another favorite that I have made on several occasions. I must admit, however, I’m not sure the recipe was aptly named. It seems more like a burrito to me, but I’ll let you be the judge.

On with the recipe!

SLOW-COOKER ENCHILADAS

1 pound ground beef

1 cup chopped onion

1/2 cup chopped green pepper

1 can (16 oz) pinto or kidney beans, rinsed and drained

1 can (15 oz) black beans, rinsed and drained

1 can (10 oz) diced tomatoes and green chilies, undrained

1/3 cup water

1 teaspoon chili powder

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1 cup (4 oz) shredded cheddar cheese

1 cup (4 oz) shredded Monterey Jack cheese

6 flour tortillas (6 or 7 inches)

In a skillet, cook beef, onion and pepper until beef is browned and vegetables are tender; drain. Add the next 8 ingredients; bringing to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Combine cheeses. In a 5-qt. slow-cooker, layer about 3/4 cup beef mixture, one tortilla and about 1/3 cup cheese. Repeat layers. cover and cook on low for 5-7 hours or until heated through.

As usual, I made a few adjustments to the recipe. As funny as this may sound, I didn’t have time for the crock pot. I know, I know, crock pots are time-savers, right? Well, I didn’t get the dish assembled early enough to let it cook in the slow-cooker. Kind of defeats the purpose, I know. But, I decided to adapt it to a skillet-type dish, and BAM, it worked just fine!

There were a few leftovers, but not because it didn’t taste yummy! I added a salad and the meal was complete.

The adjustments I made:

I NEVER use onions in anything I make, just onion powder. I do, however, use green onions when the recipe calls for them. Don’t ask me why. I’m just funny like that.

I did not have diced tomatoes or green chilies. I instead used tomato sauce and a little bit of taco sauce. I didn’t have any cumin. No harm, no foul. And lastly, I always have a variety of shredded cheeses on hand. I use whatever I have.

It really is an easy and tasty meal, no matter how you decide to cook it!

No-Bake Cereal Bars

Food
March 11, 2015

I have a confession to make…I love chocolate. I wish I didn’t oftentimes, but I do. So whenever I make dessert it usually includes some type of chocolate. I also love to bake, however, when I’m running short on time, a no-bake kind of dessert is a great go-to choice.

I am doing a 365 easy recipes challenge and this recipe for No-Bake Cereal Bars fits the bill to a tee. Plus, it’s made with cereal, so it’s health food, right? One of the great things about this recipe is that I usually have most of the ingredients in the pantry.

No-Bake Cereal Bars

6 cups Special K

1-1/2 cups peanut butter

1 cup corn syrup

1 cup sugar

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

1 cup butterscotch chips

Place cereal in a large heatproof bowl; set aside. In a saucepan, combine the peanut butter, corn syrup and sugar. Cook over medium heat until sugar is dissolved, stirring occasionally. Pour over cereal and stir until well coated.

Spread into a greased 13-in. x 2-in. pan. In a microwave or heavy saucepan, melt chocolate and butterscotch chips; stir until smooth. Spread over bars. Cool completely before cutting.

This recipe is so simple one would think I didn’t have enough things to mess with, right? WRONG! I did. Not much but I definitely did.

I didn’t have any Special K cereal but I did have corn flakes left over from Hash Brown Pork Casserole so that’s what I used! And…AND I didn’t have one cup of corn syrup on hand either so I cut the recipe in half and botta bing, botta boom we have a dessert that fits in nicely with my 365 easy recipes challenge.

Chili Spaghetti

Food
March 10, 2015

I tried a recipe; Chili Spaghetti, that I’ve been intending to make for years. This recipe is a part of my 365 easy recipes event. This recipe came from Taste of Home’s 2000 Annual Recipe Cookbook. I have always loved their magazine and often purchase the cookbooks for the year. I’ve made many a dish form their publications.

My family liked this dish and it was big enough that we will have leftovers, which means, at my house anyway, the boys (ages 18 and 22) will eat it for lunch, snack or any ole time!

Chili Spaghetti

1 pound ground beef

1/2 cup chopped onion 2 garlic cloves, minced

3 cups tomato juice

1 can (16 ounces) kidney beans, rinsed and drained

6 ounces spaghetti, broken into 3-inch pieces

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

2 to 3 teaspoons chili powder

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

In a skillet over medium heat, cook beef, onion and garlic until meat is no longer pink; drain. Transfer to a greased 1-1/2-qt baking dish; stir in the remaining ingredients. Cover an bake at 350º for 65-70 minutes or until spaghetti is just tender. Let stand, covered, for 10 minutes.

Here are my alterations: I don’t use onions, EVER! Actually, I do cook with onions occasionally. I put slices on top of my meatloaf along with green peppers, and in my spaghetti sauce, which is an old recipe that my mom used when I was growing up.

I didn’t have any kidney beans so I used black beans instead. I also didn’t really have time to bake the dish for an hour or longer so I cooked the spaghetti in boiling water until it was done to an el dente state, and I baked for about an hour. Other than that, I think I left the recipe in tact. I have mentioned before that I never follow a recipe verbatim, right? That’s just the way I roll!

Appetizer Meatballs

Food
March 9, 2015

I am cooking again! Well, actually I’ve been cooking all along, but I’m posting the recipes again. I wanted to share these meatballs as a part of my 365 easy recipes. They really are easy and better than the frozen ones you buy at the store!

These delicious Appetizer Meatballs are quite tasty and I’ve been making them for years. Contrary to the name of this dish; Appetizer Meatballs, I use them as an entrée. They are always a hit, however you choose to serve them!

Appetizer Meatballs

1 pound ground beef

1 egg, lightly beaten

1/2 cup soft bread crumbs

1/4 cup milk

1/3 cup finely chopped onion

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

365 easy recipes, Louisville Food Blogger, foodie, dinner, meatballs

Sauce:

1/2 cup ketchup

1/2 cup chopped onion

1/3 cup sugar

1/3 cup vinegar

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1/8 pepper

Combine the first seven ingredients; mix well. Shape into 1-inch balls. In a skillet over medium heat, brown meatballs; drain Place in a 1-1/2 quart baking dish. Combine sauce ingredients. Pour over meatballs. Bake, uncovered, at 350º for 50-60 minutes or until meatballs are done.

Of course, I made a few changes. There are always changes! I don’t particularly like the texture of onions but I do like the taste, so I omit the actual onion and use onion powder instead. I never add salt or pepper to any recipe. This time, instead of browning the meatballs in a skillet, I put them in the over at 400º for approximately 20 minutes. As far as the sauce goes, I found that more is needed. I don’t double the recipe, but instead add another half recipe to the one listed above. I hope that makes sense

I always serve these Appetizer Meatballs with mashed potatoes and either corn or green beans.

Upside-Down Meat Pie

Food
March 1, 2015

Today I am posting Upside-Down Meat Pie for my 365 easy recipes. It is Sunday as I write this, and I shan’t be cooking (yes, I just said “Shan’t”, it must be all the Downton Abby we are watching!) I will be on a quest to feed my burger junkie self today!

If it seems I am a little heavy on the meat recipes, then I apologize. I’m not actually posting the recipes as I cook them, I’m just grabbing the first photo I see, or catching sight of the first recipe on hand that I have cooked. So here goes!

Upside-Down Meat Pie

1 pound ground beef

1/2 cup chopped celery

1/2 cup chopped onion

1/4 cup chopped green pepper

1 can (10-3/4 ounces) condensed tomato soup, undiluted

1 teaspoon prepared mustard

1-1/2 cups biscuit/baking mix

1/3 cup water

3 slices process American cheese, halved diagonally

Green pepper rings, optional

In a skillet over medium hear,, cook beef, celery, onion and green pepper until the meat is no longer pink and vegetables are tender drain. Stir in soup and mustard; mix well. transfer to a greased 9-inch pie plate. in a bowl, combine the baking mix and water until a soft dough forms. Turn onto a lightly floured surface; roll into a a 9-inch circle. place over meat mixture. Bake at 425º for 20 minutes or until golden brown. Cool for 5 minutes. Rum a knife around edge to loosen biscuit; invert onto a serving platter. Arrange cheese slices in a pinwheel pattern on top. Garnish with green pepper rings if desired.

If you think I made alterations then you would be correct!

No celery, onions or peppers (except for garnish). Everything else remains the same!

Hash Brown Pork Bake

Food
March 1, 2015

I am running so late on getting this recipe posted! I have been busy today, but I cooked! I cooked hash brown pork bake minus the pork, but we’ll get to that later!

I had chicken and turkey on hand, so no pork; poultry worked in it’s stead.

Hash Brown Pork Bake

2 cups (16 ounces) sour cream

1 can (10 3/4) condensed cream of chicken soup, undiluted

1 package (32 ounces) frozen cubed hash brown potatoes, thawed

2 cups cubed cooked pork

1 pound process cheese (Velveeta), cubed

1/4 cup chopped onion

2 cups crushed cornflakes

1/2 cup margarine, melted

1 cup (4 ounces) shredded mozzarella cheese

3 green pepper rings

In a bowl, combine sour cream and soup. Stir in hash browns, pork, process cheese and onion. Transfer to a greased 3-qt. baking dish. Toss cornflake crumbs and margarine; sprinkle over top. Bake, uncovered, at 350º for 50 minutes. Sprinkle with mozzarella. Bake 10 minutes longer or until bubbly. Garnish with green pepper

Hash Brown Pork was a great addition to my 365 easy recipes collection. There was a lot left over, albeit there were no kids home to partake tonight. Not to worry, however. It will get eaten!

I didn’t add an onion but instead used onion powder, and I used Italian Cheese instead of mozzarella. We forewent the green pepper as I didn’t have one on hand

Spinach-Parm Casserole

Food
February 27, 2015

I like spinach. I usually eat it in salads. I hear it’s actually better for you to eat it slightly cooked. Well this recipe, Spinach-Parm Casserole, fits the bill, and it is my 365 easy recipe for the day!

Spinach-Parm Casserole

2 lbs. fresh baby spinach

5 Tbsp. butter

3 Tbsp. olive oil

3 garlic gloves, minced

1 Tbsp. Italian seasoning

3/4 tsp. salt

1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1. Preheat oven to 400º. In a stockpot, bring 5 cups water to a boil. Add spinach’ cook, covered, 1 minute or just until wilted. Drain well.

2. In a small skillet, heat butter and oil over medium-low heat. Add garlic, Italian seasoning and salt; cook and stir 1-2 minutes or until garlic is tender.

3. Spread spinach in a greased 8-inch square baking dish. Drizzle with butter mixture; sprinkle with cheese. Bake 10-15 minutes or until cheese is lightly browned.

The casserole was quite tasty, albeit a little…slimy? But I got past that and enjoyed the yummy, nutritious dish.

Braised Brussels Sprouts

Food
February 26, 2015

I have never been much of a fan of Brussels sprouts, until I tried Braised Brussels Sprouts. Honestly, when I was growing up I didn’t eat vegetables. None, except for potatoes. Does that count? I didn’t like the texture of most vegetables.

It really wasn’t until I had kids of my own that I decided to venture out and try new things in the food world. By that time I had expanded to the basics; salads, green beans and corn, but that was about it. And now, I am proud to announce I’ll try about anything once!

Braised Brussels Sprouts

2 pounds fresh Brussels sprouts

2 bacon strips, diced

1 medium onion, chopped

1 cup chicken broth

1 teaspoon caraway seeds

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon pepper

Trim Brussels sprouts; cut an “X” in the core of each. Place in a saucepan and cover with water’ bring to a boil. Cook for 8-10 minutes or until crisp-tender. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook bacon until crisp’ remove with a slotted spoon to paper towels.

Sauté onion in the drippings until tender. Stir in the broth, caraway seeds, salt and pepper,. Simmer, uncovered, until liquid has almost evaporated. Drain sprouts. Add sprouts and bacon to onion mixture; toss to combine.

OREO® COOKIE BALLS

Sunny Vegetable Salad

SLOW-COOKER ENCHILADAS

No-Bake Cereal Bars

Chili Spaghetti

I am cooking again! Well, actually I’ve been cooking all along, but I’m posting the recipes again. I wanted to share these meatballs as a part of my 365 easy recipes. They really are easy and better than the frozen ones you buy at the store!

These delicious Appetizer Meatballs are quite tasty and I’ve been making them for years. Contrary to the name of this dish; Appetizer Meatballs, I use them as an entrée. They are always a hit, however you choose to serve them!

Appetizer Meatballs

Sauce:

Upside-Down Meat Pie

Hash Brown Pork Bake

Spinach-Parm Casserole

Braised Brussels Sprouts

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