eatatallies.com» Dinner

Baked Spaghetti

Allie — Thu, 08 Nov 2012 05:20:56 +0000

It does not work for me to prepare dinner in the afternoon. In the afternoon, my kids need me, my undivided attention. When I am trying to make dinner while Caleb is asking for help with his homework, Bella is begging for a snack and Drew is coloring on the table, it just doesn’t work. My most enjoyable afternoons with my kids are when I know that dinner has already been taken care of so I can focus on taking care of them. This Baked Spaghetti is the perfect make ahead meal. Make it in the morning and enjoy the afternoon with your family, it’s a win win for everyone :)

Baked Spaghetti with Creamy Marinara Sauce
12 ounces uncooked spaghetti
1 pound ground beef
1 jar marinara sauce (26 ounces)
1 tablespoon butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
⅓ cup chopped onion
2 teaspoons fresh chopped basil
1 teaspoon fresh oregano
3 ounces cream cheese
Grated Parmesan cheese
1 can Fried Onions

Cook spaghetti according to package directions.

Drain and toss with 2 teaspoons olive oil. Set aside.

Melt the butter in a small skillet over low heat. Add the garlic and onions and cook until soft.

In a separate skillet, brown the ground beef over medium heat.
Once cooked through, drain the excess grease.

Add the garlic, onions, basil, oregano, and jar of marinara sauce to the cooked ground beef.
Stir in the cream cheese until melted and combined.

Put a thin layer of the marinara sauce on the bottom of your casserole dish.

Layer the spaghetti over the sauce.

Top with the remaining marinara sauce.

Sprinkle generously with Parmesan cheese.
(If making this ahead of time, now is the time to cover and refrigerate or freeze)
Otherwise, bake at 350 for 25 minutes.

Remove from oven and top with Fried Onions.
Then continue baking for an additional 5 minutes.

Enjoy!

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Pineapple Green Chile Pork Tacos

Allie — Wed, 25 May 2011 04:42:00 +0000

Two weeks before my first son entered this world, I waddled out of the office to go on my maternity leave. That was six years ago and I still have not returned. Two years after Caleb was born, Bella made her way into this world, and a little over a year after that came our surprise baby Drew. That is three babies in three years. In such a short time, I went from a working woman to full time mommy nearly drowning in my daily responsibilities of caring for three little ones ages three and under. I could see no end in sight to the nursing, changing, feeding, dressing, napping life of my children until recently.

This past fall when Caleb entered kindergarten and Bella began her first year of preschool, I was finally able to catch my breath. I even began to get a little itch to do something with myself outside the home. I have never liked “direct sales” companies and I have never liked attending people’s home parties. I like to shop, I just don’t like the products that are being offered at most home parties. However when I was doing my job searching this past Fall, I discovered Vault Denim. It was a brand new company that was selling designer jeans at in home parties. Being a sucker for jeans, I signed up to be a consultant with the company. It really was a great decision. I still get to be home with my kids but I get to have justified (honey, I’m getting paid…) Girls Night Out quite often. I never thought I would be a direct sales girl but I’ve also never been able to resist a cute pair of jeans :)

I thought I should share my little endeavor with you all since it is part of the reason I have been a bit blog neglectful these days. My quiet evenings that I used to spend blogging are now spent at Jean Parties :) Soon I will find balance again but for now I am enjoying my full-time mom and wife status while being a part-time blogger and Vault Denim Consultant.

Here is a quick and easy meal for your busy life.

Pineapple Green Chile Pork Tacos

1 (3 pound) pork roast

1 (16 oz.) jar salsa verde

2 (8 oz.) cans crushed pineapple, undrained

1 (4 oz.) can diced green chiles

1/4 cup brown sugar

1-2 teaspoons chopped jalepeno

Salt and pepper, to taste

Corn tortillas

Favorite taco toppings

Place the pork roast into the slow cooker.

In a medium bowl, combine salsa verde, crushed pineapple, green chiles, brown sugar, jalepeno, salt, and pepper.

Pour over pork roast.

Cook on low for 6-8 hours.

Remove roast from crock pot.

Drain the juices in the slow cooker through a colander, reserving the pineapple salsa mixture.

Shred the roast with a fork and combine it with the drained pineapple/salsa mixture.

Serve in warm tortillas with your favorite taco toppings.

Enjoy!

source: adapted from Let’s Dish

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Green Chile Chicken Enchilada Casserole

Allie — Thu, 03 Mar 2011 09:34:00 +0000

I am a stay at home mom and I do most days “alone”. I am the one feeding the kids, getting them dressed, taking them to school, mediating arguments, tending to owies, wiping away tears. I do it every day. I am the one caring for a two year old, three year old and five year old all by myself every day… until 6pm. There is something to be said for the relief that the six o’clock hour brings. No matter how crazy my days are, how overwhelmed I am feeling, I know that at 6pm my husband will be home and we will be doing life together again.

Recently my husband went out of town for 12 days. 12 days!!! I was alone for twelve days with our three small children with no relief in sight. It rained most days, the kids were sick, we were stuck inside, the kids missed school, they were waking up at night, I couldn’t sleep, the cat threw up… I was on the verge of losing my mind. I texted my husband two days before he was scheduled to return to let him know that I was seriously considering running away from home. I really don’t know how I got through those last days but somehow I managed to survive.

When my husband returned home, I made him his first home cooked meal in two weeks, an Enchilada Casserole. Then I put on some lipstick and headed out for a much needed night off with some girlfriends.

Relief had arrived.

Green Chile Chicken Enchilada Casserole

4 cooked chicken breasts, shredded

8 ounces sour cream

garlic salt to taste

14 corn tortillas

1 (28 ounce) can green chile enchilada sauce

16 ounces Monterey Jack cheese, shredded

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine the cooked shredded chicken breasts
with sour cream and garlic salt.

Set aside.

Pour about 1/2 inch enchilada sauce
in the bottom of a 9 by 13 inch baking dish.

Place 4-5 tortillas on top of the sauce in a single layer.

Top with half of the chicken mixture.

Sprinkle with one third of the cheese.

Pour one third of the remaining enchilada sauce over the cheese.

Repeat the layers (tortillas, chicken mixture, cheese and sauce).

Coat remaining tortillas thoroughly with enchilada sauce and arrange on top of the layers.

Sprinkle with remaining cheese and top with any remaining enchilada sauce.

Cover with foil and bake 45 minutes.

Remove foil the last 5 minutes.

Cool slightly before serving.

Enjoy!

source: adapted from allrecipes

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Slow Baked 6 hour Barbecue Ribs

Allie — Wed, 13 Oct 2010 10:59:00 +0000

Okay, I know that it has been awhile since I last posted. I just can’t seem to get it together these days. Balancing the preschool and kindergarten schedules, trying to make it to the gym on a regular basis, attending soccer practice and games, remembering snacks and show and tell, keeping a somewhat clean house and having dinner on the table. And that’s just the “have-to” list. It does not include all the surprise non-agenda items that occur on a daily basis from the the dirty diaper flinging two year old, the injury prone three year old, and the never know what your gonna get five year old. Yeah, life just doesn’t seem to be going all that smoothly over here.

However despite the crazy chaos in my house, I thought I should send something yummy your way. These ribs are actually quite perfect for crazy houses like mine. They take minimal time and effort as they slow cook all day. And just think, when your neighbor pops over at noon and your house already smells like dinner, she just might think that you actually have it all together ;)

Slow Baked 6 hour Barbecue Ribs

1 Rack Baby Back Ribs

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 onion, sliced

salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

On the underside of the rib, remove the thin membrane and discard.

Cover the bottom of a baking dish with foil, allowing excess to hang over the sides.

Place half of the onions on the bottom of the baking dish.

Place ribs on top of the onions.

Rub one clove of garlic on each side of the ribs.

Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Place the other half of the sliced onion on top of the ribs.

Wrap the foil tightly around the ribs, covering the completely.

Reduce the oven to 300 degrees before placing the ribs inside to bake for 5 1/2 hours.

After the ribs have baked for 5 1/2 hours, unwrap the foil and remove the onions.

Increase the oven temperature to 400 degrees.

Place the ribs on a foil lined baking sheet.

Brush generously with barbecue sauce.

Return to the 400 degree oven uncovered and bake for 20-30 minutes.

Serve immediately.

Enjoy!

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Buffalo Chicken Tenders

Allie — Mon, 31 May 2010 11:06:00 +0000

Not very often does my husband compliment me on my cooking. I think it’s because he is spoiled and doesn’t realize how good he has it. If I am needing the extra boost, I will occasionally fish for compliments. Do you like this? Would you want it again? Is this the best thing you have ever eaten? He usually gives me the answers I am hoping for but rarely does he freely offer them. However, this dinner was a different story. This dinner produced several compliments without any fishing on my part. He loved this. He told me so more than once. He had a second helping. He took the leftovers to work for lunch. Just a few of the signs that this dinner was really good!

Buffalo Chicken Tenders

Serves 4
~printer friendly version~

1 cup crumbled blue cheese

1 cup low-fat buttermilk

Coarse salt and ground pepper

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 1/2 pounds chicken tenders

1/2 cup vegetable oil, such as safflower

1/3 cup Frank’s (my personal favorite) Buffalo Wing Sauce

2 tablespoons melted butter

Preheat oven to 250 degrees.

Place a wire rack on a rimmed baking sheet and transfer to oven.

In a medium bowl, stir together blue cheese and 1/2 cup buttermilk. Season dip with salt and pepper, and set aside.

Place flour seasoned with salt and pepper and remaining 1/2 cup buttermilk in separate medium bowls. Set out another rimmed baking dish alongside.

Dip chicken in buttermilk (allowing excess to drip off),

then in flour

coating both sides (shaking off excess);

place in baking dish.

In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high.

Working in batches if needed, fry chicken 5 minutes per side

until golden brown and cooked through.

Transfer to rack in oven to keep warm.

In a large bowl, stir together hot sauce and melted butter.

Add chicken,

and toss to coat.

Serve tenders with blue-cheese dip.

Enjoy!

source: adapted from Martha Stewart Everyday Food

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Chicken Burritos

Allie — Wed, 12 May 2010 23:51:00 +0000

Let me describe a little scenario that happens all too often in my house. The morning is busy with preschool, playdates, appointments, the gym and before I know it lunch time rolls around. I feed the kids lunch and put them down for naps. Ahhhh…. As they sleep, I take my phone off the hook, enjoy the quiet and attempt to recover from the busyness of the morning myself. Naptime is awesome while it lasts. Then all of a sudden the peace and quiet is over. Everyone is awake. Everyone has needs. Some are a bit cranky. Reality has hit again. I am flooded with requests: hold me, feed me, rock me, change me, play with me… And in the midst of tending to all these wants and needs, I realize its 4:00 and I still have no idea what I’m making for dinner! And so begins the scouring and searching of the pantry, fridge and freezer in an attempt to have something on the table and ready to eat by 5:30. It’s times like this when I really wish that I was a plan ahead, prepared, organized kind of mom.
Occasionally I am that mom. The other day I was that mom. I had the chicken in the crock pot by 9:30 am for the burritos we would be having for dinner. By starting dinner in the morning, the 4:00 stress was taken away. The kids, the demands, the messy house to be cleaned were all still there but dinner was taken care of and that was a relief. I could focus on my kids, I could enjoy them, I could straighten up the house and do a load of laundry because dinner was done. I really need to be that mom more often…

Chicken Burritos
~printer friendly version~

3-4 chicken breasts (frozen is fine)

3/4 cup fresh salsa

1/2 to 1 pkg. taco seasoning (depending on taste)

1/2 teaspoon cumin

1/2 teaspoon chili powder

2 cloves garlic

Place chicken breasts in Crock Pot.

Sprinkle taco seasoning over the chicken.

Top with salsa.

Sprinkle with cumin and garlic powder.

Add the garlic cloves (remember I always cheat and use the Trader Joes frozen cubes).

Cover and cook on low for 5 hours.

Using 2 forks shred the chicken.

Continue to cook for 2 more hours.

Place the shredded chicken on a tortilla

and top with all your favorite ingredients.

Enjoy!

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Santa Fe Chicken Casserole

Allie — Tue, 27 Apr 2010 21:55:00 +0000

Touching raw meat first thing in the morning is not my favorite thing to do! But around six o’ clock at night, I am so glad I did! On crazy busy days, the Crock Pot is my early morning friend. Load it up, turn it on, and leave. I just love that thing! This is an easy throw together in the morning slow cooker recipe, a staple in our home.

Santa Fe Chicken Casserole

~printer friendly version~

1 can black beans, drained

1 can corn, drained

1 jar all natural chunky salsa

3 large chicken breasts

8 oz. package cream cheese

In a crockpot layer black beans, corn, and ½ jar of salsa.

Top with chicken breasts and the remaining ½ jar of salsa.

Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours.

Remove the chicken from the Crock Pot and shred into big chunks.

While you are shredding the chicken, add the cream cheese to the Crock Pot.

Mix until melted.

Place the shredded chicken back into the Crock Pot and stir to combine.

Serve over rice or tortilla chips or even inside a burrito!

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Sesame Chicken

Allie — Sat, 10 Apr 2010 00:58:00 +0000

My kids love playing outside. I love when my kids play outside. I especially love when my kids play outside while I cook dinner ALONE in the kitchen. For some reason, it is just so much more peaceful to cook in a kitchen without all the talking, tattling, crying, laughing, screaming, wrestling, yelling, and everything else that goes along with three little ones. Last night I got to cook dinner in peace while my kids enjoyed the sunshine and played in the backyard. Pure bliss for all. I think the food even tasted better.

Sesame Chicken

~printer friendly version~

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 tsp sesame oil

1 heaping Tbsp chili garlic sauce

1 c. Panko bread crumbs

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp ground pepper

1 Tbsp black sesame seeds

1 tsp olive oil

In medium bowl, combine chicken, sesame oil and chili garlic sauce.

Toss to combine and place in fridge to marinate for at least 20 minutes and up to 2 hours.

Remove from fridge when ready to cook and preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Place olive oil into pan (preferably nonstick) and heat until almost smoking,

while you combine bread crumbs, garlic powder, salt, pepper, sesame seeds in a shallow dish.

Place chicken breast into bread crumb mixture.

Flip to coat both sides well.

Place into hot pan and repeat with remaining chicken breasts.

Cook until golden in color on one side, about 3 minutes and flip.

Cook an additional 3 minutes to brown the other side.

Transfer chicken to a baking dish and bake for 40 minutes.

Allow chicken to rest for at least 10 minutes

before serving.

Enjoy!

source: adapted from good things catered

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Beef Tips and Caramelized Onion Casserole

Allie — Thu, 01 Apr 2010 23:56:00 +0000

It is spring break. It is supposed to be sunny! It is supposed to be warm! Instead it is cold and dreary out. I should be serving up spring faire not winter comfort food. However, the winter comfort food may bring me some comfort on this cold spring day. So I will cook up some comfort food today and cross my fingers that I will be pulling out the barbeque tomorrow.

Beef Tips and Caramelized Onion Casserole

~printer friendly version~

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 pounds sirloin tip roast, trimmed and cut into 1-inch cubes

1⁄4 teaspoon salt

1⁄4 teaspoon ground black pepper

2 tablespoons butter

2 large sweet onions, thinly sliced

2 cloves garlic, minced

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 (10.5-ounce) cans beef consommé

1/2 of (14-ounce) can beef broth

1 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

1 bay leaf

1 sprig fresh thyme plus more for garnish

1⁄4 cup heavy whipping cream

5 oz. French bread

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

In a large pot, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Sprinkle roast with salt and pepper.

Brown roast for 3 to 4 minutes per side.

Remove the roast from pan, and set aside.

In the same pot, melt butter over medium heat.

Add onions, and cook, stirring frequently, for 15 to 20 minutes, or until onions are tender.

Increase heat to medium-high, and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring frequently, or until onions are caramel colored.

Stir in garlic and flour,

and cook, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes.

Add roast, consommé, broth, Worcestershire, bay leaf, and thyme.

Simmer, stirring occasionally, uncovered, for 1 hour.

Stir in cream, and simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes.

Discard bay leaf.

Slice the bread

and place under preheated broiler until toasted.

Remove from oven and set aside.

Spoon roast mixture into a lightly greased baking dish.

Place toasted French bread slices evenly over roast.

Sprinkle with cheese.

Broil, 5 inches from heat, for 3 to 4 minutes, or until cheese is melted.

Garnish with fresh thyme and serve immediately.

Source: adapted from Cooking with Paula Deen

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Spicy Sweet and Sour Chicken

Allie — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 00:58:00 +0000

I started going to MOPS (mothers of preschoolers) when my oldest son was about 4 weeks old. It was that desperate need to get out of the house and have some adult interaction that drove me there and it was just the refuge I needed. MOPS has been an amazing part of my mothering journey. It has been a place to connect with other moms, be understood, encouraged and inspired and well as an added bonus, a place where I get to eat really good food in the absence of my three little mooches.

Recently, my MOPS group compiled a cookbook full of our very own tried and true recipes. The best recipes often come from friends and to have a cookbook full of my MOPS friends recipes has been such a treat. I recently tried this recipe for Spicy Sweet and Sour Chicken that was submitted by my friend Christine. I followed her recipe almost exactly and it turned out delicious.

Spicy Sweet and Sour Chicken

~printer friendly version~

4 teaspoons cornstarch, divided

2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce, divided

1 teaspoon peeled minced ginger

1 teaspoon dry sherry

1/8 teaspoon black pepper

3 cloves garlic, minced

3-4 chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces

1/2 cup chicken broth

1 tablespoon brown sugar

3 tablespoons ketchup

2 1/2 tablespoons rice vinegar

2 teaspoons chili garlic sauce (or more if you want to up the spiciness)

1 teaspoon dark sesame oil

1 tablespoon canola oil, divided

1 large yellow onion, diced

1 large red bell pepper, diced

2 cups fresh or 20oz canned pineapple

salt to taste

Combine 2 teaspoons cornstarch, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, ginger, sherry, black pepper, and minced garlic in a medium bowl.

Add chicken and stir to coat. Set aside.

Combine remaining 2 teaspoons cornstarch and 1 tablespoon soy sauce with chicken broth, brown sugar, ketchup, rice vinegar, chili garlic sauce and sesame oil. Set aside.

Heat 1/2 teaspoon canola oil over medium-high heat. Sauté onions and red bell pepper until tender crisp.

Remove from heat and set aside.

Heat the remaining 2 1/2 teaspoons canola oil.

Add chicken mixture and spread in an even layer in pan.

Cook without stirring 1 minute then continue to sauté until the chicken is cooked through

Return the onions and bell pepper to the pan with the chicken.

Sprinkle with salt to taste.

Add the soy sauce mixture and pineapple, stirring well to combine.

Bring to a boil, cook 1 minute or until thickened, stirring constantly.

Serve over rice.

source: adapted from Christine

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