Foodie Friday: Skillet Seared Honey Mustard Pork Chops

This yummy sounding recipe is courtesy of Jennifer at colangelopr.com. Thanks Jennifer for sharing this recipe with us!

After a long day at the office, the last thing you want to do is slave over the stove! Instead of spending your entire night cooking, why not whip up a quick hearty meal?  Golden Blossom Honey (goldenblossomhoney.com), the iconic fourth generation 100% American honey, has a flavorful and easy recipe for any night! This Skillet Seared Honey Mustard Pork Chops recipe is sure to warm up any winter night.  These deliciously tangy pork chops are the perfect robust meal for the family. 

Skillet Seared Honey Mustard Pork Chops

3 tablespoons GOLDEN BLOSSOM HONEY
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon dry mustard
4 (1-inch thick) boneless pork chops
1 tablespoon olive oil

Directions

Preheat oven to 450°.

Combine honey, vinegar and mustard in a small bowl. Dip pork chops into marinade to coat. Place on a plate and let sit at room temperature for 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Heat oil in an ovenproof skillet over a high heat. Once hot (not smoking), add chops and sear for 2 minutes or until chops are well browned on the bottom. Turn meat over and place skillet in oven for about 10 minutes, until chops are no longer pink inside.  Serves: 4.

Foodie Friday: Creamy Ham and White Cheddar Soup

With the cold weather comes the desire for soups!  At least for me that's how it goes.  Whenever it is a snowy day I want to bake homemade bread and have some nice thick soup.  I have a hubby who isn't a fan of soups.  They don't fill him up, so he claims.  And he doesn't believe in drinking your dinner.  So I always have to make sure my soup is thick and has lots of stuff in it.  I found this recipe on one of the scrapbook blogs I stalk visit.  Crazy, huh? Go visit Designs by Megan Turnidge for lots of free scrapbook templates and goodies!  She also does some crafty stuff once in awhile, like this yummy soup!

Creamy White Cheddar, Ham, & Potato Soup

2 tbs. vegetable oil
1 sweet onion, diced
3 ribs celery, sliced
4-5 carrots, peeled and sliced
5 cups *less sodium* chicken broth
4 cups potatoes, peeled and cut into bite size cubes
2 cups diced, cooked ham
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Salt, to taste (1/2 tsp. is about how much I use)
5 tbs. butter
5 tbs. flour
2 cups whole milk
3 cups shredded sharp white cheddar cheese

In a stockpot, heat the vegetable oil over medium heat and add the onion, celery, and carrots. Sauté until veggies start to soften. Stir in the chicken broth, potatoes, ham, and salt & pepper. Simmer over medium heat until potatoes are tender (about 10-15 minutes).

In a separate saucepan, melt butter over medium-low heat. Whisk in the flour and whisk constantly until thick, about 1 minute. Slowly stir in the milk (don’t add it all at once to avoid clumps). Continue stirring over medium-low heat until it thickens, about 5 minutes. Add the cheese and stir until melted and smooth.

Stir the cheese mixture into the stockpot.

Serve and garnish with cheese, green onion, etc. as desired.

Sweet and Sour Chicken

I have been looking for a good sweet and sour recipe. I posted one earlier that was pretty good, but it didn't have the breading.  My hubby wanted to have the breaded kind.  Then I found this and I have made it several times.  It's a hit!  This is definitely a regular now.  I have also been looking for a good friend rice recipe and lucky for me, the blog Life in a Lofthouse, had both the fried rice and sweet and sour chicken.  Score!!

Baked Sweet and Sour Chicken

Courtesy of Life in the Lofthouse

The chicken coating:

3-4 boneless chicken breasts

salt + pepper

1 cup cornstarch

3 eggs, beaten

1/4 cup  oil

The sweet and sour sauce: (I actually doubled mine so I could have extra sauce for my rice)

3/4 cup sugar

4 tbs ketchup

1/2 cup white vinegar

1 tbs soy sauce

1 tsp garlic salt

       Start by preheating your oven to 325 degrees. Cube your chicken Season with salt and pepper to taste. Dip chicken into the cornstarch to coat then dip into the eggs.  Heat your  oil in a large skillet and cook your chicken until browned but not cooked through. Place the chicken in a 9×13 greased baking dish. Mix all of your sweet and sour sauce ingredients in a bowl with a whisk and then pour evenly over the chicken. Bake for one hour and during the baking process you will need to turn the chicken every 15 minutes.

Fried Rice

3 cups cooked white rice (day old or leftover rice works best!)

3 Tablespoons sesame oil (or vegetable oil)

1 cup frozen peas and carrots (thawed)

1 small onion, chopped

2 teaspoons minced garlic

2 eggs, slightly beaten

3-4 Tablespoons soy sauce

      On medium high heat, heat the oil in a large skillet or wok.  Add the peas/carrots mix, onion and garlic. Stir fry until tender. Lower the heat to medium low and push the mixture off to one side, then pour your eggs on the other side of skillet and stir fry until scrambled. Now add the rice and soy sauce and blend all together well. Stir fry until thoroughly heated!

Try adding some diced ham, or green onion. Yum!

Foodie Friday: Lizard Stew

One of the things I love most about winter is being able to cook soups. I am always trying new recipes and this was a new recipe we tried out of the worlwide ward cookbook earlier this week that my family loved. Let me clarify that this soup does not have lizards in it! I have no idea why it is called that but oh man is it good! I told my 5 year old we were having lizard stew and she flipped out, but after I explained there is no lizards in it she was ok with it and actually ended up eating her whole bowl full. The great thing about this soup is that it is very easy to make! Easy is great right? I'm sure your whole family will like this just as mine does and will become a family favorite. That's the kind of meals you want anyways right-yummy and easy:)

Lizard Stew

1 pound ground beef, browned

1 10oz can green chiles and diced tomatoes (I only put in half the amount of green chiles. I didn't want it too spicy)

1 15oz can chili beans

1 26oz can minestrone soup

1 pound velveeta cheese

Combine all ingredients but the cheese in a large pot. Once soup starts bubbling add cheese and heat through. Serve with corn chips if you desire. This can be cooked in a crock pot as well on the low setting.  You would just add the cheese about a half hour before serving. Serves 6

Foodie Friday: Beef Stuffed peppers

I never had stuffed peppers until after I got married and decided to try some one night for dinner. I was skimming through an Eating Better cookbook I had bought in high school and decided to try this recipe out. I was surprised at how delicious they were. My husband especially likes these! These are really yummy, and a healthier dinner choice!

Beef Stuffed Peppers:

4 green, red, or yellow peppers
1 lb ground beef (the more lean the better)
3/4 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup uncooked white rice
4 Tbsp catsup, divided
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp dried oregano, divided
1/4 tsp pepper
1 can Italian style stewed tomatoes (I used some home canned stewed tomatoes)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut tops off bell peppers,  remove seeds. Combine ground beef, onion, rice, 3 Tbsp catsup, salt, 1/2 tsp oregano,  and pepper in a large bowl mixing lightly. Spoon into peppers. Stand in a 8X8 dish. Combine remaining catsup, oregano, and stewed tomatoes. Pour over peppers. Cover dish with aluminum foil. Bake for 1 1/2 hours, until beef is no longer pink and juices run clear.

Foodie Friday: Brocolli Cheese Soup

Once the cold weather sets in, my favorite thing to do is make soups!  Which bugs my hubby because he isn't a soup person (he is a meat and potatoes type person)  But oh well, every once in awhile I have to cook a meal that is for ME and not everyone else and they just have to deal with it.  You get what you get and you don't throw a fit! =)  I love broccoli and cheese soup but the canned stuff has way too much salt for me.  So when I found a recipe that didn't have any canned stuff I had to try.  I think this is a keeper!

3 tbsp. oil

1/3 of a yellow onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, chopped or minced

salt and pepper to taste

3 tbsp. flour

2 1/2 c. chicken stock or broth

3/4 c. milk

1 1/2 c. broccoli florets

2 c. white cheddar cheese, shredded, plus extra for garnish (you can sub yellow cheddar if you want)

1 c. mozzarella cheese, shredded

seasonings to taste (I used some roasted garlic and herb seasonings)

In a large saucepan, heat oil.  Add onions and saute.  Add garlic and salt and pepper.  Cook until onions are translucent, about 3 minutes.  Add flour to pan and stir until the moisture is soaked up, and cook for 1 minute.

Add stock a little at a time, mixing to incorporate all ingredients and work out any lumps.  Add milk.  Bring mixture to a simmer and add broccoli.  Simmer over medium heat until soup has thickened slightly, about 10-15 minutes.  Remove from heat and break up chunks by putting some in a blender or food processor.  Do as much or as little as you want, depending on how chunky you like it.  Return soup to heat and simmer for another 5 minutes.  The stir in cheese.  Stir until all the cheese is melted and thickened.  Ladle into bread bowls and garnish with extra cheese if desired.

Foodie Friday: Hawaiian sammies

This meal was super easy and quick to do.  It could easily be something you can throw together for a luncheon, party, family get together or picnic because the rolls taste good cold after they are cooked. (I may have snacked on one in the middle of the night....)

1 package of 12 count Hawaiian Sweet rolls

1 onion, minced

1 stick of butter or 1/2 c. margarine

3 tbsp. dijon mustard (I used spicey brown mustard)

2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

3 tsp. poppy seeds

1/2 pound shaved ham

8 slices swiss cheese

Melt the butter in a small skillet and onions.  Combine mustard, Worcestershire sauce, and poppy seeds into butter/onion mix.  Let it simmer for several minutes to thicken a bit.  

Slice your rolls as a group length wise and place the bottom in am aluminum lined 9x13 pan.

Spread 3/4 of the onion mix on the rolls.  layer the ham and then the cheese and top with the top layer of rolls.  Then spread the remaining mixture over top.  Bake covered with foil for 20 minutes at 350 degrees.

Foodie Friday: Chili Dog Casserole

I have to admit...I was a bit skeptical about this but my husband insisted we try it.  He loves chili dogs!!  But it was a hit with everyone! The best part, it is so easy!!!! Even your kids could make this!  

 2 (15 oz) cans chili with beans  (we actually did it with no beans)

1 (16 oz) package hot dogs

10 (8 inch) flour tortillas 

1 cup  Cheddar cheese, shredded

First, pour 1 can of chili in a baking dish.  I used the a 7x11, but you can use a 9x13.  Then, roll your hot dogs in the tortillas and place over chili.  Then pour the other can of chili over top and sprinkle with cheese.  Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes at 425.  Let them stand and cool for a bit before you eat. 

I think this dish qualifies as "man food" and could be something to serve for game nights or whatever else men do.....

 

Pumpkin week: Dinner in a Pumpkin

Want a fun and unique seasonal meal? This is the one you wan to try then. Because it is an easy recipe and super fun for all. 

                              Dinner in a Pumpkin

1 pumpkin about 8 inches high          2 C. Rice, Cooked

2 Tbsp Margarine                            2 Cans cream of chicken soup

1 lb ground beef                               1 can sliced mushrooms, drained (I ignored) 

1/2 C. celery, chopped                     2 Tbsp soy sauce

1/2 C. onion, chopped                      2 Tbsp brown sugar

1/4 C. green pepper diced 

Cut the stem off the pumpkin and remove all the seeds and guts. Then brush the inside of the pumpkin with margarine. Brush outside with oil; place in the center of a greased baking sheet. Bake at 375 for 30 mins. Saute ground beef, celery, onion and green pepper. Add rice, soup, mushrooms, soy sauce and brown sugar. Spoon mixture into pumpkin and replace pumpkin stem. Bake at 375 for about 50-60 min or until the pumpkin is tender. 

 Okay now I am going to add my 2 cents :) I made this 2 years ago (haven't made this years yet) and if I remember right we reduced some of the bake time so just check it. It really depends on the thickness of your pumpkin.

My husband thought he hated pumpkins, but he loved this and we even cut off chunks of the pumpkin to eat separate from the main dish.

Foodie Friday: Chicken Enchilada Pasta

I found this amazingly delicious recipe on pinterest and figured that I had to post it on here because it was too good to not share. My whole family, but especially my husband absolutely loved it! This dish does require quite a bit of ingredients, but it is well worth it! The recipe can be found on this site.

Chicken Enchilada Pasta

• 1 rotissere chicken shredded
• 2 TBS olive oil ( I just used some canola oil cause that's what I had on hand)
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 red pepper, diced
• 1 can diced green chiles (4oz)
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp cumin
• 2 cans green chili enchilada sauce
• 2/3 cup red enchilada sauce
• 2 cups shredded cheese (any kind)
• 1 cup sour cream
• Penne pasta

Toppings:

• sour cream
• green onions
• tomatoes
• olives

Directions:
Shred chicken. Chop veggies. Boil pasta according to package directions. Heat oil in large skillet

 and cook onion for 3-5 minutes. Add garlic and red pepper and cook for another 3-5 minutes.Add cooked chicken, green chiles, cumin, chili powder, salt, and enchilada sauces. Let it simmer for 8-10 minutes. Add cheese and stir until is is melted and heated through. Slowly add sour cream and make sure to NOT LET IT BOIL! Stirl just until heated through. Add cooked and drained pasta to the skillet. Mix well. Serve and garnish with desired toppings. Enjoy!

Foodie Friday:Olive Garden Chicken Gnocchi Soup

Hey friends sorry I have been hiding out in the scrapbooking world! :) I told the other girls to just schedule my days and then I would do it, but when I have to self motivate, well you already see what happens with that. Yep my post ideas and pictures back up and I never post. 

Trinity posted this exact recipe back in Feb 2012 but she deleted her pictures so I am going to post it again with a few variations and options. 

oh ya the reason you are getting this post in the middle of the summer is because there were a few rainy days and this sounded SO AMAZING and I made it and now I am craving it again.

Chicken Gnocchi Soup

1 C chicken breast, cooked and chopped

4 Tbsp butter

4 Tbsp flour

1 quart half and half or instead use 2 C heavy whipping cream and 2 C milk

1 14 oz can of chicken broth

1/2 C celery, finely diced (Thrive Food has celery freeze dried incase you don't have fresh on hand)

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 C carrots, finely shredded or chopped

1 C onion, finely diced

1 C fresh spinach, coarsely chopped (3/4 C-Thrive food freeze dried spinach that works amazing)

1 Tbsp extra virgin oil

1/2 tsp thyme

1/2 tsp parsley

1 lb potato gnocchi (find in the gourmet section of supermarkets, walmart has mini Gnocchi that rocks!!)

Freshly grated Parmesan cheese-optional

Saute the onion, celery and garlic in the butter and olive oil. If you chopped the carrots saute them now if you shredded then you will add them later. Saute over medium heat until the onion becomes translucent then add the flour. Make the flour all pasted to the veggies and cook for another minute or two. Then add the 1 quart of half and half or cream/milk. Cook gnocchi in a separate pan as instructed on the package. Now into the cream base and veggies add the chicken, if you shredded carrots add them now. Let the mixture thicken and then add the chicken broth (I didn't use it all I kept my soup thick because that is how I like it). Now add the cooked gnocchi, spinach, and seasoning, simmer until soup is heated through.

Foodie Friday: Mexican Salad

 The perfect filling summer salad. For those days when it is just to dang hot to cook. My Grandma found this recipe in the 70's and we have been consuming it ever since. Its light enough that you feel good about yourself for eating a salad and filling enough that you can serve it by itself for dinner and your husband won't complain about being hungry two hours later.

The only ingredient that will give you the slightest pause is called Ranch Style Beans. Its is a specific brand of beans that can be found in most stores. I found these at Smiths for $.69. Just find them, use them, love them.

Combine 1 basket of cherry tomatoes, 1 1/2 cup sharp grated chedder cheese, 5 sliced scallions,1 can drained and rinsed Ranch Style Beans, and one head of lettuce.

 Add one small bottle of Catalina dressing.

 Then crush one bag of corn or tortilla chips (We love Fritos) and add the the salad.

Mix it all up and dig in. This is quite a big salad. It will fill 4-6 people if you serve it by itself and more if you serve it as a side. I know that it sounds a little odd all together but just trust the 70's it is an amazing, easy, delicious salad. Enjoy!

Mexican Salad

1 head lettuce

1 basket cherry tomatoes, whole

5 scallions, sliced

12 oz. or 1 1/2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, grated

1 can Ranch Style Beans, drained and rinsed

1 sm. bottle Catalina dressing

1 bag corn or tortilla chips, crushed

Toss all ingredients together except chips. Add chips then toss again.

Foodie Friday: Philly Cheesesteak Sloppy Joe

I needed a quick meal one night and needed something with hamburger meat since it was thawed from the day before. I didn't want tacos....I wanted something different. Then I found this recipe.  I can't remember the site so I could link back to them...sorry =(

Ingredients:

1 Lb ground beef

1 large sweet onion, chopped

1 red or green bell pepper, chopped

 1 can mushrooms, or you can use fresh, roughly chopped *optional

1/4 cup steak sauce 

1 cup beef broth

salt and pepper, to taste

Hamburger buns

1 Tbs butter

1 Tbs flour

1 cup milk

1 Cup provolone cheese, Swiss, or Italian cheese blend, (grated)

Directions:

In a large skillet over med/high heat, add the sirloin and brown for about 5 minutes; just until it starts to separate and render some of it's fat. Add the the onion, bell pepper, and mushroom.

Cook another 5 minutes or so, until the vegetables are nice and tender. You can drain off some of the liquid if you like. Stir in the steak sauce and beef broth, season with pepper. *I would hold off on the salt until  you are just ready to serve. (The steak sauce and broth are both plenty salty) I did not need any additional salt. I did season with pepper, though. Let simmer for a few minutes.

While meat is cooking, melt the butter in a small sauce pan over medium heat.

 Stir in the flour and cook for 1 minute. Whisk in the milk. Bring to a boil and let thicken, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in cheese.

Cut dinner rolls in half, toast, and fill with meat mixture. Top with a few spoonfuls of the cheese sauce.

Enjoy!!!

Foodie Friday: Baked Sweet and Sour Chicken

I love sweet and sour chicken but it seems like whenever I get it nowadays at the restaurant it has a funny taste.  So I have tried making it from scratch and then it tastes too much like ketchup since most the recipes I have found use that.  Well, I went on vacation to visit my mom for a few weeks.  I didn't want to eat out a whole lot because I am cheap and I didn't want to gain 10 pounds while I was here =)  One of our traditions when we come here is there is a Chinese restaurant that we always go to.  It was actually the restaurant that we had our wedding luncheon at because my hubby's parents were friends with the owners.  One of the highlights was coming each year and seeing the owner, Kathy.  She loved seeing the kiddos grow.  Well, last time we went we found out that Kathy had retired so she wasn't there anymore.  My kids were sad because they loved seeing her.  So this time we won't be making our usual trip but I still wanted Chinese food.  So I visited one of my favorite blogs, The Country Cook, for a recipe I had been wanting to try.

3-4 boneless chicken breasts
1-16 oz. bottle Catalina
1 packet onion soup mix
1 cup apricot preserves (or peach)
1-15.75 oz. can pineapple chunks, drained
2 peppers, chopped, I used 1 green and 1 orange
rice for serving

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut chicken into 1-inch pieces.  In a bowl, combine the dressing, preserves, and onion soup.  Add in chicken.  Spray a 9x13 dish and pur the chicken mixture in.  Cook for 45 minutes.  Add in pineapple and peppers and then cook for another 15 minutes.  Remove from oven and serve over cooked rice.  Enjoy!!! 

Foodie Friday: Porcupine Meatballs

Sorry, the picture isn't the best...I wasn't sure how these would turnout so I didn't take many pictures...but they turned out great!

My family does not like meatloaf.  It stems from when my husband was little and had some not so great meatloaf and it scarred him for life.  It must have been bad enough that it became encompassed in his DNA and he passed it on to my kids....That's why I was a bit hesitant about doing these because they are bit similar.  But they all cleared their plates and loved it!  It was pretty easy to do and one of my favorite things is that you can freeze these for later!!!  

Porcupine Meatballs

1 pound ground beef, thawed

1/4 c. chopped onion

1/4 c. water

1/3 c. rice, uncooked

Sauce

1 can tomato soup

1/2 tsp chili powder

1 tsp. salt

1/2 c. water

Combine ground beef, onion, 1/4 c. water and rice.  Shape into balls.  Arrange in a greased baking dish.  Combine soup, chili powder, salt, and 1/2 c. water.  Pour over meatballs.  Cover with foil and bake for 45 minutes at 350 degrees.  Remove from oven and allow to cool.  

If you want to freeze before baking, place frozen balls in freezer bag.  When ready to serve, thaw and Bake covered for 1 hour at 350 degrees.

I added some flavors to mine.  I added some Italian Seasonings and garlic to my sauce,  I think I used around 1/2 c. of rice because for some reason my hamburger was really moist.

Foodie Friday: Chicken Roll-ups

These are some of my favorite things!  They are pretty easy to make and everyone in my family loves them! (always a plus when everyone will eat what you make, right?)  I originally got this recipe years ago, from who knows where and have been making it ever since.  I don't always do it the same each time, depends on my mood but here's my basic recipe:

Ingredients:

2-3 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded (if they are small, use 3, if they are big, use 2)

8 oz. cream cheese

2-3 pgks. crescent rolls (I make my homemade ones but if you are short on time, Pillsbury will help you out)

2-3 cans of chicken gravy (once again, I make my own, but if you want to use canned stuff, it works)

1 can mushrooms, optional

2 tbs. melted butter

garlic powder, onion powder, pepper, other seasonings you prefer, just use to taste.

1/2 c. butter, melted (may need more)

1 c. bread crumbs, plain or Italian (may need more)

Here's a quick tip before you cook your chicken:  add a cube of boullion while you are cooking it and it adds lots of extra flavor.

In a bowl, combine your chicken, cream cheese, mushrooms, 2 tbsp. melted butter and seasonings.  Mix until there are no cream cheese lumps.

Spread out your crescent rolls (or roll out and cut into triangles if making your own). Place a heaping tablespoon onto the crescent rolls.

Roll up to form a bundle, starting from big end.

Roll the bundle in the melted butter, then roll in the bread crumbs.

Place on a cookie sheet.  Bake for about 14 minutes at 375, or until golden brown.

While those are cooking, either heat or make your gravy.  If you are using the canned stuff, add some onion and pepper to it to give it a bit more flavor.

Once the bundles are finished, pour some gravy over before serving.  Have a yummy dinner!!

These freeze great too so don't worry about making extras =)

Gravy Recipe

• 1 1/2 cups water
• 3 cubes chicken bouillon (let it dissolve in teh water before you add it to the pan)
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1/4 cup butter
• seasonings to taste: pepper, garlic, poultry seasoning, etc

Melt half the butter in a sauce pan, saute onions.  Add the flour to make a roux (kind of like a paste). Add the other half of the butter, water, and bouillon.  Add other seasonings to taste Bring to a boil over medium heat and cook until thickened.

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