SPEEDY HAMBURGER MEALS

Refer to packet in cookbook cupboard for more, but these are two of our favorites that we have tried.

SLOPPY JOES

Cook in 2 T of butter to soften:
1/2 cup onion
1/2 cup celery
ADD:
1# cooked hamburger
1 cup ketchup
1/2 c water
season with salt and pepper
can also add pureed carrots or squash

Cook until bubble and slightly thickened. Serve as a sandwich or on top of bread or potatoes

STROGANOFF
Cooked cabbage (about 2 cups) is a good addition.

 STIR TOGETHER AND HEAT THOROUGHLY:
1# cooked hamburger
2 T flour
1 can each of mushroom and chicken
1/4 tsp seasoned salt
1/8 tsp garlic powder
1 T Worcestershire sauce 
ADD RIGHT BEFORE SERVING:
1+ cup sour cream (good without this too)

Serve over hot cooked egg noodles or rice.

MEXICAN PASTA SKILLET

HEALTHIFIED MEXICAN PASTA SKILLET
Yum! Easy! Quick!

1# cooked ground beef
1 jar (16 oz) salsa
1 cup tomato sauce
1 1/2 cup water
2 cup uncooked macaroni
1 cup frozen corn
1/2 cup cheddar cheese

Cook beef then stir in salsa, tomato sauce and water.  Heat to boiling.  Stir in macaroni and corn.  Reduce heat; cover and simmer 12-15 min, stirring occasionally, until macaroni is tender.  Then sprinkle with cheese. Cover; let stand 1-2 minutes or until cheese is melted.

CHICKEN AND BROCCOLI STIR FRY

CHICKEN-AND- BROCCOLI STIR-FRY
http://www.marthastewart.com/924838/chicken-and-broccoli-stir-fry

This was very good and easy to make.  Family loved it! Would be good with egg rolls from 2nd McCleve cookbook.

UPDATE: I added a frozen snap pea stir fry bag.  It really added to it...was very good.  Used about 1.5 # of thighs.  Didn't made additional sauce.  My family really likes this meal.  Need to make it more.

• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 2 tablespoons oyster sauce
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1/2-inch strips
• 3 tablespoons minced peeled fresh ginger
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 scallions, thinly sliced
• 1 bunch broccoli, cut into small florets, stalks peeled and thinly sliced 1
• Cooked white rice, for serving

Directions

1. Whisk together soy sauce, vinegar, oyster sauce, cornstarch, and sesame oil.
2. In a wok or large skillet, heat vegetable oil over high. Add chicken and cook until browned, 10 minutes. Add ginger, garlic, scallions, and broccoli and cook, stirring frequently, until broccoli is bright green, 3 minutes. Add 1/4 cup water, scraping up browned bits with a wooden spoon. Stir in soy sauce mixture and cook, stirring, until thickened, 1 minute. Serve warm with rice.

NO-BAKE CHOCOLATE CHIP GRANOLA BARS OR BITES (BALLS)

NO-BAKE CHOCOLATE CHIP GRANOLA BARS
http://www.laurenslatest.com/no-bake-chocolate-chip-granola-bars-easy-healthy/
These are seriously so easy to make.  Everyone really liked them.  I read the measurement wrong the first time and put way too many chocolate chips.  Put right amount next time - liked with more - 1/4 c just about right.

No-Bake Chocolate Chip Granola Bars

Healthier and cheaper than the store bought kind!

yield: 10 BARS

prep time: 2 HOURS INCLUDING COOLING TIME

cook time: 5 MINUTES

total time: 2 HOURS 5 MINUTES

INGREDIENTS:

1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup honey
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
2 cups quick cooking oats {not rolled oats!}
1 cup crispy rice cereal
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons mini chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS:

In a large bowl, stir oats and rice cereal together. Set aside. In a small pot, melt butter, honey and brown sugar together over medium high heat until it comes to a bubble. Reduce the heat and cook 2 minutes. Pour in vanilla and stir. Pour over dry ingredients and mix well to moisten all ingredients. Pour into lightly greased small jelly roll pan {about 12x8x1} and press out to be about 3/4 inch in thickness. {If your pan isn't small enough, pack the mixture into one side. You really want to press them down so they stick together.} Sprinkle with mini chocolate chips and press down lightly. Cool on a countertop to room temperature for two hours or until the chocolate chips are set before cutting into bars. Wrap in parchment or plastic wrap and store at room temperature.

Recipe Notes: If your granola bars don't seem to be staying together when you cut them, you may have not boiled the mixture long enough...you want it to make it just past the softball stage. OR you made them too thin or you didn't pack them in tight enough. Stick them in the fridge for 20 minutes and that should help keep them together. {Be sure not to keep them in there too long or else they'll become super hard!} The next time you make them, try boiling for an extra 15 seconds or so.

No-Bake Granola Bites

http://www.melskitchencafe.com/2013/08/no-bake-healthy-granola-bites.html

YIELD: MAKES ABOUT 30 BITES

Kira who sent me the recipe also includes 2 tablespoons ground chia seeds with the dry ingredients (I haven't used them when I've made them...yet!). Also, feel free to play around with the amounts, increasing or decreasing ingredients, adding dried fruit, coconut, etc. Just keep an eye on the consistency so that it still forms a mixture that sticks together when formed into balls. The coconut oil isn't absolutely necessary but I loved the smooth silkiness it gave to the granola bites plus if you use extra-virgin instead of expeller-pressed, you'll get a sweet hint of coconut.

INGREDIENTS

• 2 cups quick oats
• 1 cup crispy rice cereal (like Rice Krispies)
• 1 cup creamy peanut butter
• 1 cup ground flaxseed
• 1 cup mini chocolate chips
• 2/3 cup honey or agave nectar
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons coconut oil

DIRECTIONS

1. Combine all the ingredients together in a large bowl, mixing gently so the crispy rice cereal doesn't get crushed. Mix until well-combined.
2. Using a cookie scoop (or roll small amounts in your hands), drop rounded tablespoonful-sized portions onto a parchment or wax paper lined cooking sheeet. I used my cookie scoop and then rolled the scooped portion out between my palms.
3. Refrigerate for 1-2 hours. At this point you can serve them or combine the chilled granola bites in a large tupperware-type container or ziploc bags to freeze or refrigerate. They will stay fresh in the refrigerator for up to a week or for a few months in the freezer.

7 LAYER ICE CREAM CAKE

7 LAYER ICE CREAM CAKE
We all really enjoyed this.  Fun to make.  Would be good with any kind of ice cream/sorbet.
http://www.marthastewart.com/900626/7-layer-ice-cream-cake

Ingredients

• 1 frozen pound cake (10 3/4 ounces) in aluminum loaf pan, unthawed, or 1 homemade 4 1/2-by-8 1/2-inch pound cake, room temperature
• 2 cups raspberry sorbet, softened
• 1 cup vanilla ice cream, softened
• 1/2 cup coarsely chopped chocolate wafer cookies
• 2 large egg whites
• Cream of tartar
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions

1. Remove cake from pan and cut horizontally into 4 slices. Line pan with plastic wrap, leaving 6-inch overhang on two sides. Build cake layers in pan in this order: bottom cake slice, 1 cup sorbet, cake slice, 1/2 cup ice cream, cookie crumbs, 1/2 cup ice cream, cake slice, 1 cup sorbet, top cake slice. (If necessary, return ice cream to freezer as you work.) Wrap in plastic and freeze at least 1 hour (or up to 3 days).
2. In a heatproof bowl, lightly whisk together egg whites and pinch of cream of tartar. Set bowl over (not in) a pan of simmering water and whisk until whites are foamy. Slowly whisk in sugar and cook, whisking, until sugar is dissolved (to test, rub some between your fingertips).
3. Remove bowl from heat and, with an electric mixer, beat on medium-high until stiff, glossy peaks form, about 6 minutes. Add vanilla and beat 1 minute. Remove cake from pan, trim sides if desired, and dollop meringue on top.

ZUCCHINI BREAD PANCAKES

Zucchini Bread Pancakes

http://smittenkitchen.com/blog/2012/07/zucchini-bread-pancakes/

These are so good especially with buttermilk syrup.  Like her comments - read below:

The awesomest topping you could make for these pancakes is the lightly sweetened one in the Carrot Cake Pancakes. They’re also good with syrup, maple or golden, or honey. However, I used this muddled thing I do when I feel like I should be putting something healthy on top of my pancakes but really just want maple syrup, which is a mixture of 1 tablespoon maple syrup to 3 tablespoons plain Greek yogurt. Everyone wins, right?

A couple pancake overarching theories: Thin pancake batters make large puddles of flatter pancakes that are harder to manage, but cook quickly and always cook through. Thicker pancake batters make taller pancakes that take on crisp edges and tender insides. They’re my favorite. But, they also don’t always cook through 100% on the stove. To ensure they’re all cooked through when you serve them, it’s good to keep them in a warm oven for about 10 minutes before serving. The advantage of this, of course, is that all pancakes are warm when you’re ready to put them on the table. You can also keep pancakes warm in the same oven until everyone is ready to eat.

I keep the sugar level really low in pancakes because we love a sweet topping on ours, and I love the contrast between unsweetened and sweet in any baked good. If you’re someone who doesn’t like maple syrup or anything sticky or sweet on top of your pancakes (gasp!), you might want another spoonful of sugar inside your pancakes.

Makes 10 to 12 pancakes

2 large eggs
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons light brown, dark brown or granulated sugar
1/4 cup buttermilk or 2 tablespoons each of milk and plain yogurt, whisked until smooth
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups shredded zucchini (from about 9 ounces whole, or 1 1/2 medium zucchini), heaping cups are fine
1 cup all-purpose flour (half can seamlessly be swapped with a whole wheat flour)
1/4 teaspoon table salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground or freshly grated nutmeg
Butter or oil, for coating skillet

In a large bowl, combine eggs, olive oil, sugar, buttermilk and vanilla until smooth. Stir in zucchini shreds. In a smaller bowl, whisk together flour, salt, baking soda, cinnamon and nutmeg. Stir dry ingredients into zucchini batter, mixing until just combined.

Preheat oven to 200°F and place a tray — foil-lined if you’re into doing fewer dishes later — on a middle rack.

Heat a large, heavy skillet (my favorite for pancakes is a cast-iron) over medium heat. Once hot, melt a pat of butter in pan and swirl it around until it sizzles. Scoop scant 1/4-cup dollops of batter (mine were about 3 tablespoons each) in pan so the puddles do not touch. Cook until bubbles appear on the surface, about 2 to 3 minutes. Flip pancakes and cook another minute or two, until golden underneath. Transfer pancakes to prepared pan to keep warm as well as ensure that they’re all cooked through when they’re served. Repeat with remaining batter. Serve warm. Repeat next weekend.

BUTTERNUT SQUASH CASSEROLE

BUTTERNUT SQUASH CASSEROLE
Was really good!  Came from Country magazine, but also found in Taste of Home online.

• Prep: 30 min. Bake: 30 min.
• Yield: 6 Servings

303060

Ingredients

• 2 medium butternut squash, peeled and cut into chunks
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1/4 cup milk
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Directions

• Place squash in a large saucepan and cover with water; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 12-16 minutes or until tender. Drain.
• In a small bowl, beat squash until smooth. Add the remaining ingredients; beat well. Spoon into a 1-1/2-qt. baking dish coated with cooking spray. Cover and bake at 350° for 30-35 minutes or until a thermometer inserted near the center reads 160°. Yield: 6 servings.

Nutritional Facts3/4 cup equals 246 calories, 6 g fat (3 g saturated fat), 82 mg cholesterol, 75 mg sodium, 47 g carbohydrate, 9 g fiber, 5 g protein.