TNT Tuesday - Crockpot Lasagna

OK, I know it is only Monday. However, since I been posting "TNT Tuesday" on Wednesday's or not at all, figured I'd at least be early this week! :o)

This is a crockpot recipe that my family enjoyed the first time I made it. I do not make this too often because it is not one of those recipes you can throw in the pot at 7 in the morning and cook for the 9-10 hours that I am away at work. This one only cooks for 6 hours......but it is good to fix on a weekend when I am around the house but don't feel like standing over the stove cooking for hours to have dinner on the table. I can throw this in at noon and be ready to eat at 6:00. I believe I found this recipe in a "Mr. Food" Cookbook.

Crockpot Lasagna

1 lb. ground meat

1 tsp. Italian Seasoning

1 jar (28 oz.) Spaghetti Sauce

1/3 cup water

8 lasagna noodles (uncooked)

15 oz. ricotta cheese

2 cup mozarella cheese (or more if you prefer!)

* Brown ground meat with Italian Seasoning, drain.

* Combine Spaghetti Sauce and water in a bowl and stir until mixed.

* Put 4 noodles in bottom of greased crockpot (you may have to break them to make them fit to cover bottom of crock.)

* Layer 1/2 of the meat on top of the noodles, then 1/2 of the sauce.

* Spread ricotta cheese over sauce, and then sprinkle with 1 cup mozarella.

* Then repeat with remaining noodles, then meat, sauce and mozarella cheese.

Cook on high for 1 hour and then switch to low and continue to cook for 5 hours.

Yummy!

Tina

TNT Tuesday - Cheeseburgers

Yes, I know it is Wednesday, but figured "TNT Tuesday on Wednesday" was better than not at all!

This is the recipe that my husband LOVES to use when grilling burgers for the family. The recipe as posted makes four (4) 1/4-pound burger patties (pre-cooked). We obviously double the recipe when making them because we are simply little piggies! :)

Cheeseburgers

1 lb. ground chuck or ground beef
1 tbs. Worcestershire Sauce
1 egg
1/4 c. breadcrumbs
Garlic Clove, crushed
2 oz. shredded cheddar (we use more cheese!)
4 Hamburger Buns
Toppings of your choice

* Mix all ingredients together well.
* Shape into 4 patties
* Grill on the grill to your likeness. - You can also broil these patties or grill them on your George Foreman Grill, which takes about 8-10 minutes for a well done burger.
* Slap that pattie on a bun and decorate to your liking!

Enjoy!
Tina

TNT Tuesday - Sub Ring

Wow! I know I have missed posting the "TNT Tuesday" Recipe for several weeks and I do apologize. I tend to bite off more than I can chew and just can't seem to juggle everything!

Anyhoo - this is a very simple recipe, but one my teenage daughter requests a lot. Everyone is amazed at how great the bread taste and they think I have slaved in the kitchen all day making homemade bread! Ha!! - I actually took this to a birthday party last month and everyone kept saying where did this bread come from. I simply said "I made it!" My philosophy on "homemade" is - if it didn't come in your house looking like it is when you serve it, and you actually had to prepare it in your home - - then it is homemade! :o)

This recipe originally came from The Pampered Chef years ago when I was a consultant.....

Sub Sandwich Ring

Ingredients:

2 Pillsbury French Loaf (canned bread in the dairy section of your local grocery store)
Italian Seasoning Mix (Garlic, Oregano, Basil)
Lunchmeat of your choice (Ham, Turkey, Roast Beef, all the above.....)
Cheese slices of your choice
Veggie toppings of your choice (lettuce, onions, tomato, olives, etc)
Italian Dressing
Condiments of your choice (mayonaise, mustard, etc)

* Preheat oven according to cooking directions on bread label.
* Take the french loaf out of the packaging and place one loaf on your pan in a semi-circle shape. Then place the other french loaf in a semi-circle shape where it makes an "O" shape. Pinch the ends together that meet so it forms one large circle. Make sure and pinch all the way around so it does not separate. (This dough is "stretchy" so feel free to pull on it and make your circle as big as your pan will allow.
* Take a serrated knife and cut about 6 diagnol slits on the top of the bread to allow the bread to expand while cooking. These do not need to be deep at all, just use the tip of the knife.
* Spray the dough with Pam Spray or brush lightly with oil of your choice.
* Sprinkle on the seasonings of your choice.
* Bake in the oven 25-30 minutes.
* While bread is cooking you can cut up your veggie toppings.
* Once bread is done, let cool then cut the bread in half horizontally to remove the "top" of the bread.
* Spread with your condiments of choice (Mayonaise, mustard, etc) layer on your meat, cheese and veggies, sprinkle with Italian Dressing and then replace the top.

* Then you are ready to slice into serving sizes!

(If you do not want to make the "circle", you can easily lay two loaves straight out on your pan and make two sub sandwiches as well... The circle just makes it "fun")

Happy Cooking!
Tina

TNT Tuesday - Chicken & Rice Bake

This is one of my favorite "comfort food" meals. If I remember correctly, I got this recipe years ago directly from Campbell's.

Chicken & Rice Bake

1 can (10 3/4 oz.) Cream of Mushroom Soup

1 can water

3/4 c. Uncooked White Rice

1/4 tsp. Paprika

1/4 tsp. Pepper

4-6 boneless, skinless chicken breast

* In 2 qt. dish (or 9x13 pan if making with 6 pieces) mix soup, water, rice, paprika and pepper.

* Place chicken on top of rice mixture. Sprinkle top of chicken with additional paprika and pepper.

* Cover with foil (or lid to casserole dish) and bake 45 minutes or until done.

Enjoy!

Tina

TNT Tuesday - Meatball and Pasta Skillet

I can not believe it is already Tuesday and time for another TNT Tuesday recipe. These weeks are flying by!

This is actually a fairly new recipe to me, however my family fell in love with it the first night I made it. I also fell in love with it because it was super easy and quick to the table which meant I could get on with the rest of my exciting evening of laundry, cleaning and crafts after dinner! :o)

I actually got this receipe right off the back of a bag of Armor Cocktail Meatballs!

Meatball and Pasta Skillet

8 oz. penne pasta
1T oil
1/2 medium bell pepper, chopped (1/2 cup)
1 small onion, chopped (1/2 cup)
32 small meatballs
1 jar of your favorite spaghetti sauce
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup shredded parmesean cheese

* Prepare pasta as directed.
* As pasta is boiling, heat oil in a large pot and saute onions/peppers for 3 minutes.
* Stir in spaghetti sauce and meatballs and simmer for 10 minutes or until meatballs are hot.
* Add drained pasta to meatballs and sauce.
* Sprinkle top with cheeses, cover with lid and heat an additional 5 minutes for cheese to melt.

That's it! Yummo! (I actually doubled the entire recipe and had plenty to feed my family of four with plenty of leftovers for everyone's lunch)

Hope you enjoy!

Happy Cooking!
Tina

TNT Tuesday - Chicken Mozzarella

For this week's recipe, thought I would share with you "the boy's" second most favorite meal. I must admit I rarely make this as it just is not one of those things that pop in my head, so I guess I need to put this on the list to cook one day soon.

Chicken Mozzarella

4-6 Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breast
1 can condensed tomato soup
1/2 t oregano
1/2 t garlic powder (or one clove crushed garlic)
Shredded Mozzarella

* Place chicken in baking dish
* Mix soup and spices together and pour over chicken
* Bake 20-30 minutes at 400 degrees
* Sprinkle with cheese and bake an additional 2-3 minutes until cheese melts.

Yumm-O!

Happy Cooking,
Tina

TNT Tuesday - Creamy Macaroni & Cheese

For this week's TNT Recipe, I am sharing with you my most requested dish. Anytime I am invited over for a potluck dinner, or any family gathering such as Christmas, Thanksgiving, Easter, or any other holiday that requires a bunch of family cooking, this is what I am required to bring. No ifs, ands, or buts about it. This recipe was given to me by my good friend Evelyn years ago. My immediately family is always mad because I will not make this throughout the year just for regular ole' home dinner because then it ain't special when it comes time to take everywhere else! LOL

2/18/10: Edited to add. Looking for more great potluck recipes? Head on over to Life as Mom where lots of bloggers are sharing wonderful potluck recipes!

Creamy Macaroni and Cheese

8 oz. elbow macaroni and cheese

4 c. shredded mild cheddar

8 oz. sour cream

1 c. mayonaise

2 T chopped onion (optional)

1 c Cheese-It crackers, crushed

* Bowl noodles and drain;

* Mix noodles, cheese, sour cream, mayonaise and onions until well mixed.

* Put mixture in greased 9x9 pan, sprinkle top with crackers.

Cook in 325 degree oven for 35-40 minutes or until edges start toasting.

Yumm-O!

Happy Cooking!

Tina

TNT Tuesday - Elcair Dessert

It's Tuesday, which means another 'TNT Recipe" . Since Publix has graham crackers on sale this week, I thought I would share a dessert with you that uses those crackers, that is easy-peasy to make, and flies off the table even faster!


Eclair Dessert

1 Box Graham Crackers
2 small boxes of Vanilla Pudding (can use Sugar Free and your family will never know!)
3 cups milk
1 12oz. container of Cool Whip (can use Fat Free and your family will never know!
1 container Ready to Frost Frosting (just regular, not whipped or nothing fancy)

In a 13x9 dish, line the bottom of the pan with graham crackers. You may have to break a few crackers in half to fit into corners, etc.

Mix together the pudding mixes and milk. Let sit for 2 minutes to thicken. Once thickened, fold the cool whip into the pudding mixture.

Pour half of the pudding mixture easily onto the crackers and spread, being careful not to totally disrupt the crackers underneath.

Put another layer of crackers on top of the pudding mixture you just poured and then pour the remaining pudding on top. Finish with one last layer of crackers on the top.

Remove the lid and foil liner from the frosting container, and place it in the microwave for 1 minute to melt it. Then immediately pour it onto the crackers and smooth across the top of crackers.

Put in refrigerator to "set".

It might not seem like it, but I promise this will taste just like a chocolate covered cream puff when it is ready!

I am not positive on how long it needs to "set", but I normally fix this around mid day when I want to use it that evening.

YUMM-O!

Happy Cooking!
Tina

TNT Tuesday - Scrumptious Beef

OK, I am going to try and start a new series (if I can remember each week to post it, LOL!) and post a TNT Recipe on Tuesdays. TNT means "Tried n' True" - - which in my house means I have cooked it and my family has actually asked me to cook it over and over again. If the family does not ask me for a particular dish again, that means they don't like it and I am never to cook it again.

So.....for this week's TNT Tuesday, I wanted to share the favorite dish of the youngest member of our family. If I ever ask him what to fix, this is the dish. I don't mind cooking it, because it is yet another Crockpot recipe which means dinner is just about on the table by the time I get home from work.

Scrumptious Beef

2 pounds Stew Meat, cut to bite size pieces
10 1/2 oz. can of Beef Broth
10 3/4 oz. Cream of Mushroom soup
Envelope of Onion Soup Mix (or simply about 3 T of dried onion)

* Combine all of the above items in a crockpot
* Cook on low for 7-8 hours (or even up to 10 hours is usually fine, especially if meat was frozen)
* Serve over cooked rice.

Yummy!

I hope you enjoy this. Do you have a TNT Recipe that you would like to share?

Enjoy!

Tina

Recipe - Shredded Pork in the Crockpot

Good morning ladies. As I told you the other day, Bi Lo has their Boston Butts on sale for 99 cents per pound. This is a pretty good price. Every once in a while they will get as low as 79 cents per pound but 99 cents is still a good deal. Anytime they are on sale for this price, I stock up on at least 2 or 3 as my family LOVES when I cook BBQ and we have it a couple times a month usually.

So, since Boston Butts are on sale this week and some of you don't know what to do with a Boston Butt, thought I would share my recipe with you today. My goal is to share at least one recipe per week that is a "tried and true" recipe that my family loves that incorporates at least one item that is on sale for that week. I hope you enjoy it as much as we do.

BBQ Shredded Pork (Provided to me years ago by my good friend Joette C.)

3 lb or larger Boston Butt
1/2 cup white vinegar
1/2 cup water
BBQ sauce of choice (my family prefers I use a mustard base sauce)

* Place the Boston Butt in your crockpot and pour the vinegar and water over the top of the roast.
* You can salt and pepper the meat, along with any other "spices" your family like at this point. However, my family always prefers it when I cook it "plain".
* Cook on low in your crockpot for 8-10 hours (I have been known to leave them in the crockpot overnight and until the next afternoon when I come home from work and it still cooks up wonderfully and never overcooks).
* When ready, drain the liquid from the crockpot and use two forks to shred the meat.
* Add your favorite bottle of bbq sauce, stir and enjoy. (Sometimes I leave it "plain" in the crockpot and let everyone use the sauce on the side as well, especially if company is coming that may prefer a "red" bbq sauce.) Good served on hamburger buns as well!

That is it!!! I know - you are thinking "That is awfully plain and it ain't going to be good." But I assure you, try it and you will like it. I cooked 30 pounds of boston butt for a party I had a couple months ago and everyone that came raved about it and said it was the best they have had, including any from the "famous BBQ spots" in town!

I hope you enjoy!

Happy Cooking!
Tina