Foodie Friday: Easy breakfast

Are your mornings ever crazy and hectic?  Do you ever feel bad just giving the kids cereal everyday?  I sure do!  Mornings are always busy with school now because I like to sleep as long as I can.  So here's my solution:  freezer meals!!  What I do is one day, usually a Saturday or Sunday, when I actually have time to make breakfast, I make a double or triple batch of whatever I have planned.  It really isn't much extra work to make extra pancakes or waffles.  Then whatever doesn't get eaten, I throw in a freezer bag and freeze.  Then the kids can just grab them and throw them in the microwave, add butter and syrup.  I also do breakfast burritos and pancake muffins.  It makes it nice that they can have a variety and I don't have to cook every day!!

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.

You can find this awesome post linked up to the following Fantastic Parties:

Foodie Friday: Goulash

Have you ever had those days where you don't want to cook anything fancy and you don't seem to have much in your cupboards?  Well, I have those all the time it seems like.  Then, a blog I follow, One Crazy Cookie posted a recipe that reminded me of one my mom made growing up.  There's nothing better than a meal that brings back good childhood memories.  My mom didn't cook too many things from scratch since she worked full time and had a long commute to and from work.  But this was one of my favorites.  Want to know the best part?  It's super easy!!!!!!  You can add different things to your family's tastes.

(sorry for the oh-so-fantastic pictures, my digital camera's battery is dead so I have to use my cell phone and I am by far not a pro picture taker, and then this was taken when we did the leftovers)

1 lb hamburger

2 cans tomato sauce

1 can diced tomatoes (with green chilies to add some flavor)

1 1/2 cup elbow macaroni

1 can corn

1 sm. can mushrooms

1 packet ranch seasonings

minced onions. 

Cook macaroni.  Combine ranch packet, onions, and hamburger, brown it. Drain hamburger and add tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, and corn.

Add drained macaroni and stir. Heat until it warmed through.

You can omit the corn and mushrooms, and even the ranch and onions but they add awesome flavor.  If you don't want the tomato taste to be too sharp, add some sugar (about 3-4 Tbsp) to neutralize the acidity of the tomato sauce.  Also, if you want to spice it up, try some rotel tomatoes, or you can used Italian diced tomatoes and add other seasonings.  Play around with the recipe until you find what you like.  I love that it can be so simple and versatile.  Pretty much anything goes.  Also, some shredded cheese on top would be scrumptious.  Adding some zucchini or other veggies would be wonderful so when your garden is overflowing with zucchini plants, add them in (and send a few of those zucchinis my way because I love them, but have no gardening talent whatsoever) My kids wolfed this down and willingly ate it for leftovers the next two days.  I had planned on freezing the rest but they loved it so much I didn't have any left to freeze.

You can find this awesome post linked up to the following Fantastic Parties:

Foodie Friday: Cornbread Waffles and Chili

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I found this idea on Pinterest one day, courtesy of Paula Deen. It sounded so good, and pretty easy.  So I had to give it a whirl.  It was a huge success with the whole family.  It was super easy to make too.

I found this idea on Pinterest one day, courtesy of Paula Deen. It sounded so good, and pretty easy.  So I had to give it a whirl.  It was a huge success with the whole family.  It was super easy to make too.

Waffles- use the jiffy cornbread mix and follow directions to make waffles =)

(One box will make about 3 waffles the size in my picture so you will probably need 2 boxes)

Chili: use your favorite recipe or use mine =)

1 pound lean ground chuck, browned

1 onion, chopped

1 green bell pepper, chopped

2-3 cloves garlic, minced

1-2 tablespoons chili powder (depending on how spicy you like it)

1 1/4 tsp ground cumin

1 teaspoon salt

1 tsp basil

1 tsp ground black pepper

2 (15-ounce) cans beans (chilli and kidney)

1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce

1 (15-ounce) can niblet corn, drained (optional)

1 (10-ounce) can diced tomatoes and green chilies 

Combine all the ingredients in a pot and let simmer for 1 hour.

Top the waffles with chili, then garnish with cheese and sour cream and enjoy!  Easy, huh?!  If you don't like to make chili, use the canned stuff and it will still be great.  So pretty much, If you can mix a box of waffles and cook them, you can make this. =)  Plus, both waffles and chili freeze great so freeze the extras and you will have a meal later.

Top the waffles with chili, then garnish with cheese and sour cream and enjoy!  Easy, huh?!  If you don't like to make chili, use the canned stuff and it will still be great.  So pretty much, If you can mix a box of waffles and cook them, you can make this. =)  Plus, both waffles and chili freeze great so freeze the extras and you will have a meal later.

You can find this awesome post linked up to the following Fantastic Parties:

Foodie Friday: Bacon Cheeseburger Roll-ups

For the April monthly challenge It was using homemade crescent rolls.  I was excited that I won the challenge, since it was my turn to pick the challenge item =)  I'm glad I chose to do this one when I saw that everyone else made something sweet.  Everyone in my family loved it.  I can't take all the credit for the recipe though....I got the idea from the wonderful lady of at One Crazy Cookie.  She does a great job at making family friendly meals.  I have to have one of her recipes not be a hit.  You should go check her out.  Anyway....back to the yumminess....I loved that these were small enough for my kids' hands.  Plus, they also freeze great so now I have something to pullout of the freezer for lunch.  There are so many things you can do with these too.  You can add onions, bbq sauce, peppers, different cheese, or sauces.  Pretty much think of your favorite hamburger, and do it!

Bacon Cheeseburger Bundles

1 lb hamburger

1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

1 cup French Fried Onions

6 pieces of bacon, cooked and crumbled

3 can crescent rolls or homemade crescent rolls (see below)

1 packet dry ranch seasoning

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Season, brown and drain the hamburger.  Mix cheese, onion, ranch seasoning, and bacon into the beef mixture.

Place about 1 heaping Tablespoon of the mixture onto each crescent roll.

Fold dough over mixture. Place on a lightly greased cookie sheet.

Bake for 10-12 minutes or until light brown.

My kids dipped theirs in ranch, but you could dip yours in whatever sauce you heart desires.

To use for this recipe just make the dough, let rise and then divide in half.  Roll each half out into a rectangle and cut into triangles like the canned stuff.  This makes about 4 cans worth of rolls so the extra you can make into actual rolls and freeze for dinner sometime.

Homemade Crescent Rolls

Ingredients

4 1/2 tsp active dry yeast

3/4 cup warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
1/2 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1/2 cup shortening
4 cups bread flour
1/4 cup butter, softened

Directions
with a bread maker:
Put liquid ingredients in bread maker, then add dry ingredients. Make a well in the dry ingredients and add yeast, make sure it doesn't come in contact with liquids. Then put your bread maker on dough cycle. When that is finished, remove dough from machine.
Punch down dough. Divide in half. Roll each half into a 12-inch circle. Spread with butter. Cut into 10 to 15 wedge. Roll up the wedges starting with the wide end. Place rolls with point under on a greased baking sheet. Cover and let rise until double (about 1 hour).
Bake at 400 degrees F (205 degrees C) for 12-15 minute or until golden brown. Brush tops with butter when they come out.

or without a bread maker:
Dissolve yeast in warm water.
Stir in sugar, salt, eggs, shortening, and 2 cups of flour. Beat until smooth. Mix in remaining flour until smooth. Scrape dough from side of bowl. Knead dough, then cover it and let rise in a warm place until double (about 1-1/2 hours).
Punch down dough. Divide in half. Roll each half into a 12-inch circle. Spread with butter. Cut into 10 to 15 wedge. Roll up the wedges starting with the wide end. Place rolls with point under on a greased baking sheet. Cover and let rise until double (about 1 hour).
Bake at 400 degrees F (205 degrees C) for 12-15 minute or until golden brown. Brush tops with butter when they come out.

You can find this awesome post linked up to the following Fantastic Parties: