Zucchini Casserole

1 lb hamburger, ground turkey or Italian sausage
1 C onion, diced
1 tsp minced garlic
2 tsp oregano
salt & pepper, to taste
8oz cream cheese-softened ½ cup of parmesan cheese. 2 zucchini, sliced or shredded

Shredded mozzarella cheese (or whatever cheese you'd like) 

Preheat oven to 350⁰. Cook beef, onion & garlic until meat is no longer pink. Drain, if needed. Add remaining ingredients (except mozzarella cheese) & stir. Place in a greased 2 quart baking dish.

Sprinkle mozzarella cheese on top. Bake for 30 min. Remove from oven. Sprinkle more oregano on top.

Chicken Pot Pie

From: The Pioneer Woman

3 celery stalks, diced 

3 medium carrots, peeled

1 large yellow onion

4 T butter

2 cups cooked chicken, cubed

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

2 cups chicken broth

1 chicken bouillon cube

1/4 cup white wine, optional

1 cup heavy cream

1 teaspoon ground rosemary

1 teaspoon kosher salt

black pepper to taste

biscuits (or pioneer woman's perfect pie crust

1. Preheat oven to 400⁰

2. Finely dice the celery, carrots & onions

3. Melt the butter in a large pot or dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, celery & peas. Saute until the veggies start to turn translucent.

4. Add the chicken & stir to combine. Sprinkle the flour evenly over the vegetables & chicken & stir to combine. Cook for a couple of minutes, stirring gently.

5. Pour in the chicken broth, stirring constantly. Stir in the bouillon cube & wine, if using. 

7. Pour chicken mixture into a deep pie pan or small casserole dish

8. If you are using Pioneer Woman's perfect pie crust, you will need to put it over the mixture now, press the edges in gently, & bake for 30 minutes. If you are using biscuits, you will go ahead & bake without them for 15 minutes. Take out of the oven, top with biscuits (not frozen ones) & bake 12-15 more minutes, or until biscuits are golden brown.

Grilled Delmonico Steaks

INGREDIENTS:
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
4 tablespoons soy sauce
1/4 cup minced garlic
¼ C. dried onion
½ tablespoon pepper
1 tablespoon crushed dried rosemary
3 tablespoons steak sauce (e.g. A-1)
4 (10 ounce) Delmonico (rib-eye) steaks or Venison steaks

Parsley

Butter

DIRECTIONS:
1. Combine the olive oil, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, garlic, onion, salt, pepper, rosemary, steak seasoning, and steak sauce in the container of a food processor or blender. Process until well blended.
2. Prick steaks on both sides with a fork, and place in a shallow container with a lid. Pour marinade over steaks, cover, and refrigerate at least 3 hours, or overnight.
3. Remove steaks from marinade, and discard the marinade. Lightly oil the grilling surface, and place steaks on the grill. Cover, and grill steaks for about 10 minutes on each side, or to your desired degree of doneness.

Sprinkle with parsley & top with butter.

Creole Style Jambalaya

• 3 Tablespoons olive oil divided
• 1 lb. chicken thighs cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 lb. Andouille sausage sliced into ¼-inch discs
• 2 Tablespoons creole seasoning divided
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 medium yellow onion chopped
• 1 green pepper chopped
• 1 red pepper chopped
• 3 celery stalks diced
• 4 cloves garlic minced
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper optional
• 1 bunch green onions chopped (separate white and green parts)
• 1 15-ounce can crushed tomatoes
• 2 Tablespoons tomato paste
• 3 cups chicken broth
• 1 ½ cups long-grain white rice rinsed well (basmati or jasmine will work)
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 pound uncooked shrimp peeled and deveined and tails removed
• parsley chopped, for sprinkling on top

• Heat 2 tablespoons of oil over medium-high heat. Add the chicken thigh chunks and andouille sausage. Season with 1 tablespoon of the creole or cajun seasoning, and a little salt, and pepper, then cook for 6-8 minutes, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon until browned. Transfer to a clean plate and set aside.
• Add remaining tablespoon of oil and saute the onion, green pepper, red pepper, celery, and white parts of the green onion. Saute for about 5-7 minutes, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan (all the flavor!), until softened.
• Add the garlic, remaining creole or cajun seasoning, remaining salt and pepper, thyme, oregano, and cayenne pepper. Saute for another minute.
• Add crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, chicken broth, rice, and bay leaves. Stir well.
• Bring to a simmer, then cover and cook for 25-30 minutes, stirring every five minutes until nearly done.
• Add the shrimp, cooked chicken, and sausage, back into the pot during the last 5 minutes when the rice is close to being done. The shrimp should finish cooking while the rice finishes off so it's all done at the same time.
• Garnish with chopped fresh parsley and the green parts of the chopped green onions before serving.

Notes

• If you can't find Andouille sausage, sometimes called cajun sausage, kielbasa or Mexican chorizo are decent alternatives that are widely available.
• Will keep in fridge for 4 days.

Chicken Tot Pie

3 tbsp butter

1 onion, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

3 cups chicken broth

1 cup heavy cream

¼ cup cold water

3 tbsp cornstarch

⅓ cup sour cream

2 lb bag frozen mixed veggies

½ T dried parsley flakes

1 t dried rosemary, crushed 

4 cups cubed chicken

2 cups shredded cheese

1½ t salt

½ t pepper

Preheat oven to 350⁰. Spray 11X14 pan with cooking spray. Set aside. Saute the onion in butter until transparent.

Add garlic and saute for 2 more minutes.

Next, add chicken broth and cream. Mix with immersion blender to blend up the onion a bit. Bring to a boil.

In a small bowl, stir the cornstarch into the cold water and pour into the boiling sauce, stirring constantly. Sauce will begin to thicken. Add sour cream. Heat through.

Add veggies, parsley & rosemary & cook for a few minutes. Makes sure sauce is thick enough & thicken further with cornstarch slurry if needed. Add 1 cup cheese & cubed chicken. Pour mixture into a 11X14 baking dish (this recipe makes a lot! If using 9X13 pan you'll also need to pour some into a 8X8 pan). Sprinkle remaining cheese over top & top with tater tots in neat rows. Bake for 50 minutes. Let cool 20 minutes to let the sauce thicken. Serve with a Steamed Veggie & crescent rolls. Yum!

Keto Meatloaf

1lb hamburger
8oz cream cheese
1 egg
spices you want for taste (I always do salt-pepper-onion powder)
Vegetables you want (onions-green peppers-broccoli etc)
Mix all together and put in loaf pan - bake at 350 for 1 hr.

Smothered Baked Chicken Burritos

2 lbs chicken breasts
1 Tbsp oil
1/2 c salsa
3 Tbsp brown sugar
4 oz. can mild diced green chilies
14.5 oz. can diced tomatoes, drained
1 Tablespoon chili powder
1½ teaspoons salt
1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp onion pwdr
½ tsp smoked paprika

½ tsp dry oregano

½ tsp pepper
1 teaspoon liquid smoke
Hot sauce to taste

6 tortillas
1 C shredded cheese

Cheesy Green Chili Sour Cream Sauce:

2 Tbsp oil
1 Tbsp butter
4 Tbsp flour
2 c chicken broth, warmed
1/2 tsp cumin
¼-½ tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper
½ c sour cream
4 oz. can mild chopped green chilies
½ c sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
Hot sauce to taste (opt)

Rub chicken breasts with oil and place in the bottom of your slow cooker. Add all of the remaining ingredients except for the hot sauce. Cook on high for 2-4 hours or on low for 6-7 hours or until chicken is tender enough to shred.

Remove chicken to a cutting board, and let rest 5 minutes before shredding (there will be liquid remaining). Return shredded chicken and let cook on low for an additional 20 minutes to absorb some of the liquid/juices. Drain all excess liquid (see note***). Taste and add hot sauce to taste if desired.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with foil and add a baking rack on top. Prepare burritos by adding a heaping 1/2 cup filling to each tortilla (uncooked if using raw tortillas), top with desired amount of cheese and roll up burrito style. Place burritos on the baking rack and brush both sides lightly with olive oil or spray with nonstick cooking spray. Cook for 18-20 minutes or until golden. Broil to desired crispiness, flip over and broil the other side until golden.

Meanwhile, prepare Sauce by melting butter in olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in flour and cook, stirring constantly for 3 minutes.
Reduce heat to low then gradually whisk in chicken broth. Add spices and bring to a simmer while stirring until thickened, about 2-3 minutes.
Remove from heat and stir in green chilies, cheese until melted then sour cream. Add hot sauce to taste (optional).

To serve, top burritos Cheesy Green Chili Sour Cream Sauce and desired toppings.

Optional Toppings:
Tomatoes
Avocados/guacamole
cilantro
salsa
tortilla strips or chips

Zuppa Toscana Soup (Low Carb)

1 lb Hot or Sweet Italian sausage
1/2 lb fresh spinach, chopped (sometimes I just use a box of frozen chopped spinach)
2 c. cauliflower, cut in florets
2 Qts ckicken broth
1/2 c cream, optional
Salt & Pepper
Serves 6

Cook sausage in soup pot. Drain fat. Add cauliflower & broth & cook until cauliflower is tender. Add spinach & cook until it's wilted. Add salt & pepper to taste. You can add cream to make it more creamy, but I usually don't add it. You can add any additional spices that you want: onion powder, garlic, etc but I find that the sausage I buy has good enough flavor that it doesn't really need anything else.

Zucchini Lasagna

Recipe from: https://ketogasm.com/

 

16 oz ground beef or Italian sausage

1 C. low sugar marinara

1 large zucchini

10 oz ricotta cheese

4 oz mozzarella cheese, shredded

 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Peel zucchini into strips and leave out core. Salt and let sit for 15 minutes.

Brown ground beef in pan and add marinara. Season well with salt and pepper.

Layer into a small casserole dish: meat, zucchini, ricotta, meat, zucchini, ricotta, mozzarella.

Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Broil uncovered for 2-3 minutes to brown the top.

Crustless Quiche (frittata)

6 eggs
1/2 c. cream or sour cream
1/2 c. grated mozzarella cheese
1/2 c. grated cheddar cheese
3/4 c. diced ham or 1/2 c bacon crumbles
2 c. veggies (asparagus, spinach, broccoli, zucchini, onions, mushrooms, peppers etc)
dash of salt

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Beat eggs & add remaining ingredients. Spray pie plate with cooking spray. Pour into pie plate. Bake for 40 min. The middle will be jiggly, but the rest should be firm. Remove from oven & let cool. It will set up as it cools.

Can double it in a 9X13 pan & cook 45-50 min.

Shredded, squeezed dry zucchini or spinach works good.

*You can also add a pie crust or crescent roll crust to this. Just press it in the pan & pour egg mixture in. No need to prebake it.

Perfect Pot Roast

1 beef chuck roast (about 3 lbs)
Lipton onion soup mix
2 c water

3 T cornstarch
1/2 c water

Place roast in crock pot. Sprinkle with onion soup mix & pour 2 C water in bottom. Cook on low for 6-8 hrs or high for 4 hrs.

Remove roast from crockpot & place on a serving platter. Dump liquid from crock pot into a saucepan & bring to a boil. Stir 1/2 c water & cornstarch in small bowl & pour into saucepan. Lower temp & stir until thick.
Serve with mashed potatoes.

*Can also bake at 350 degrees for 3 hrs.

Yummy Mummy Dogs

Rhode frozen dinner Rolls, thawed but still cold

bun length hot dogs

mustard

For each Mummy Dog, cut one dinner roll in half.
Roll each half into a 22-24-inch rope.
Wrap one rope around hot dog from bottom up 4 1/2 inches.
Cut a 1 1/2 inch piece off of the second rope and set aside.
Wrap the second rope around the hot dog from the bottom up 4 1/2 inches going the opposite way. Wrap the 1 1/2 inch piece around the top of the hot dog.
Place Mummy Dogs on a sprayed baking sheet and bake at 350°F 10-15 minutes or until lightly browned.
Remove from oven, cool slightly and add mustard eyes.
Serve warm with ketchup and mustard.

Smothered Cube Steaks

8 cube steaks

Salt, pepper & garlic pwd, to taste

8 ounces fresh mushrooms, sliced

2 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

2 cans cream of mushroom soup

1 soup can of milk + 2 T. Cornstarch

½ teaspoon pepper

Season steaks with salt, pepper & garlic. Pan fry just till browned. Place in a baking dish coated with cooking spray. Cook mushrooms a little bit in same pan. Add remaining ingredients.

Pour mixture over cube steaks. Cover with foil.

Bake at 375 degrees for 45 min. Serve over mashed potatoes.

Or cook in crockpot on low 4-5 hrs.

Monterey Chicken

Recipe from www.kimmccrary.blogspot.com

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/4 c. BBQ sauce
1/4 c. real bacon bits
1 c. Colby/ jack cheese, shredded
1 14 oz. can Rotel tomatoes, drained
sliced green onions
pepper
Marinade: 1/4 c. olive oil, 2 T. soy sauce, 2 tsp. Montreal Steak Seasoning.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Pound out chicken breasts to flatten. Marinate chicken for ½ hr. Grill chicken until no long pink and place on baking sheet covered with foil. Top each chicken breast with one tablespoon BBQ sauce, 1/4 c. cheese, 1/4 c. tomatoes, green onions and one tablespoon of bacon bits. Place in oven and bake until cheese is melted (about 5 minutes).

Hawaiian Haystacks

2 TBS. butter

½ c. onion chopped
1 26 oz can cream of chicken soup
6 c. chicken (cooked and diced or shredded)
2 c. sour cream
8 c. cooked rice
Sauté butter and onions, add chicken soup and sour cream. Stir in chicken and cook until hot.
Now build your haystack. Start with rice. Top with the chicken mixture, then add any of the following.
Chow mein noodles
Celery
Pineapple
Red pepper
Mandarin oranges
Peas
Green onions
Coconut
Almonds
Cheese

Olives

Baked Creamy Chicken Taquitos

1/3 cup (3 oz) cream cheese-softened (low fat is fine, avoid fat free)
1/4 cup green salsa
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon granulated garlic, or garlic powder
3 Tablespoon chopped cilantro
2 Tablespoon sliced green onions
2 C shredded cooked chicken
1 C grated pepper jack or plain jack cheese
small flour or corn tortillas
kosher salt
olive oil

Heat oven to 425⁰.  Line a baking sheet with foil and lightly coat with cooking spray. Place cream cheese, green salsa, lime juice, cumin, chili powder, onion powder and granulated garlic in a large bowl. Stir to combine and then add cilantro and green onions. Add chicken and cheese and combine well.

Place 2-3 T of chicken mixture on the lower third of a flour tortilla, 1 inch from the edges.  Roll up & place seam down on a baking sheet, not touching one another. Brush with olive oil and sprinkle lightly with kosher salt. Place pan in oven and bake for 15-20 minutes or until crisp and the ends start to get golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool slightly before serving.  Dip in Creamy Lime-Cilantro Ranch.

Freezer Instructions: Prepare the taquitos through rolling them out and placing them on the baking sheet. Place the baking sheet in the freezer and freeze until solid, then transfer to a large freezer bag. When ready to cook, preheat oven to 425 and place the taquitos on a lined baking sheet. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown and crispy.

Yields 12-16, when using 6″ tortillas, depending on how full you make them.

Asian Turkey Lettuce Wraps

1 T olive oil
1 1/4 lb lean ground turkey
1 red bell pepper, finely diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1/8 t. ground ginger
4 green onions, thinly sliced
1 (8 oz) can sliced chestnuts, drained & chopped
3 T. hoisin sauce
2 T lower-sodium soy sauce
1 T. rice vinegar
2 t. roasted red chili paste
1/8 t. salt
12 boston lettuce leaves

Heat 1 T oil in large skillet over med-high heat. Add turkey, diced peppers, garlic & ginger. Cook for about 6 min until browned. Stir to crumble.
Combine turkey mixture, onions & chopped water chestnuts in a large bowl. Set aside

In a small bowl, whisk together sauce ingredients & drizzle over the turkey mixture. Toss to coat completely.
Add about 1/4 c. turkey mixture to each lettuce leaf, serve & enjoy!

Parmesan Crusted Chicken

Adapted from Longhorn Steakhouse
www.plainchicken.com

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, pounded to 3/4 inch thickness

Marinade:
1/4 c olive oil
1/2 c ranch dressing
3 T Worcestershire sauce
1 t vinegar
1 t lemon juice
1 T minced garlic
1/2 t pepper

Ranch Spread
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
1/4 cup ranch dressing

Parmesan Crumb Topping:
1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
1 teaspoons garlic salt,
1/3 cup shredded Parmesan
2 tablespoons melted butter

1 cup shredded provolone or 4 slices

Combine ingredients for marinade and pour over chicken.  Let marinate in refrigerator for 2-3 hours or overnight.  Grill 12-15 minutes, until chicken is done.

While the chicken is cooking, prepare the ranch spread and parmesan crumb topping.

For the ranch spread, mix 1/4 cup of grated Parmesan and 1/4 cup ranch dressing. Set aside.

For Parmesan crumb topping, mix bread crumbs, garlic salt, shredded Parmesan and butter.  The crumbs should be evenly moistened.

Position rack in center of oven. Preheat broiler.

Transfer cooked chicken to oven-safe casserole dish. Spread 2 T ranch spread on each breast, then top with provolone and Parmesan crumb topping. Place chicken under broiler and cook until cheese melts and crumb topping begins to turn light brown.  Serve immediately.

Turkey Lettuce Wraps

Adapted from
www.eatyourselfskinny.com
1¼ lb. fat-free lean ground turkey
1 T olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
⅛ t ground ginger
4 green onions, thinly sliced
1 (8 oz) can sliced water chestnuts, drained and coarsely chopped
3 T hoisin sauce
2 T lower-sodium soy sauce (green top)
1 T rice vinegar
2 t roasted red chili paste
⅛ t salt
12 Boston lettuce leaves

Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add turkey, garlic and ginger to the pan and cook for about 6 minutes or until turkey is browned. Stir to crumble.
Combine turkey mixture, onions and chopped water chestnuts in a large bowl, stirring well, and set aside.
Meanwhile in a small bowl, whisk together hoisin, soy sauce, rice vinegar and roasted red chili paste and drizzle over the turkey mixture. Toss to coat completely.
Add about ¼ cup turkey mixture to each lettuce leaf, serve and enjoy!

World's Best Lasagna

Adapted from www.cupcakesandkalechips.com

Serves: 12
1 pound sweet Italian sausage
¾ pound lean ground beef
½ c onion, minced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
2 (6 ounce) cans tomato paste
2 (6.5 ounce) cans canned tomato sauce
½ c water
2 T sugar
1½ t dried basil leaves
1 t Italian seasoning
2 t salt
¼ t ground black pepper
4 T chopped fresh parsley
12 lasagna noodles (regular or no cook)
16 ounces ricotta cheese
1 egg
½ t salt
¾ pound mozzarella cheese, shredded
¾ c grated Parmesan cheese

In a large Dutch oven, cook sausage, ground beef, onion, and garlic over medium heat until cooked through and browned.
Add the crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, tomato sauce, and water, and stir everything together.
Add sugar, basil, fennel seeds, Italian seasoning, 1 T salt, pepper, and 2 T parsley, and stir to combine.
Simmer, covered, for at least 1½ hours, stirring occasionally. I usually try to simmer for as long as possible.
If using regular lasagna noodles, cook according to package instructions and drain.
In a bowl, combine ricotta cheese, egg, remaining parsley, and ½ teaspoon salt.
Preheat oven to 375°F.
To assemble, spread 1½ cups of meat sauce in the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish. Arrange a single layer of noodles over meat sauce. Spread with one half of the ricotta cheese mixture. Top with a third of mozzarella cheese.
Spoon 1½ cups meat sauce over mozzarella, and sprinkle with ¼ cup Parmesan cheese.
Repeat layers, and top with remaining mozzarella and Parmesan cheese. Sprinkle with parsley if desired. 
Cover with foil and bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes.
Remove foil, and bake an additional 25 minutes.
Cool for 15 minutes before serving.