Cheesy Hamburger Casserole

Do you ever have those nights that you don't feel like cooking but your family is starving to death and they are sick of frozen pizza because that's what you've made lately?  That was me today.  I haven't been in the mood to cook much lately.  by the time dinnertime rolls around I am drained and the heat doesn't help.  So I threw this together one night and it turned out to be a big hit!

I didn't get a better picture because by the time I remembered to take it, it was already mostly eaten.....but it was super good!!!

1 lb. hamburger
1 can (14 oz) tomatoes
1 sm. can tomato paste
1 c. cheddar cheese, separated to 1/2 c portions
1/2 c. mozzarella or Monterrey cheese
8 oz noodles
seasonings to taste (Italian seasonings, onion powder, garlic salt/powder, etc)

Brown you hamburger and drain the grease.  Meanwhile, cook the noodles according to the package directions.  Take your can of tomatoes and puree in a blender or a food processor.  Add to the hamburger.  Add the can of tomato paste and mix well.  Add whatever seasonings you like, to taste.  I added about (measurements not exact because I didn't measure =)  ) 2 tbsp of Italian seasonings, 1 tsp garlic powder, a pinch of salt, 1 tsp of onion powder. Let this simmer for a few minutes.  Once the noodles are done, strain them and then add to the tomato hamburger mix.  mix well, and add 1/2 c. cheddar cheese.  Pour into a baking dish.  I used a 7x11 dish, but you could separate it it into 2 9x9 dishes or a 9x13 dish (if you want to use those I would cook a little bit more noodles so it has a bit more to it)
Sprinkle the top with the remaining cheddar and mozzarella cheese.  Bake at 400 degrees for about 15 minutes, or until cheese is all melted and it is warmed through.  Broil for 2 minutes to get the cheese a bit brown and crispy.  Once it's finished, let it sit for a few then dish up and enjoy!!

I love breakfast food.  I could eat it any time of the day.  But after awhile you get tired of the same old flavors so you need to spruce it up.  I wanted to make some pancakes for my little tykes this morning but wasn't in the mood for the same old pancakes.  Then I spied the brown bananas sitting on my counter that I have been meaning to make some banana bread or cookies with.  Then I thought about the banana foster ebelskivers I made a while back and figured banana pancakes would be good.  So I mashed up some bananas and added them to my pancake mix and cooked them.  They were delicious! Usually I have to get after my little boy a million times to quit playing and eat his food but by the time I had the second batch of pancakes cooking he had devoured his two pancakes without a peep uttered between bites. That's how I judge how big of  a hit it is by how much sound I hear.  Both kids practically licked their plates clean in 2 minutes.  And the hubby wolfed his down pretty fast too.

Banana Pancakes

1 1/4 c flour
2 tbsp white sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 egg, beaten
1 c milk
2 tbsp vegetable oil
2 ripe bananas, mashed
2 shakes of cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS:

 Combine flour,  sugar, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. In a separate bowl, mix together egg, milk, vegetable oil, vanilla and bananas. Stir flour mixture into banana mixture; batter will be slightly lumpy. Pour or scoop the batter onto the griddle, using approximately 1/4- 1/3 cup for each pancake.

 Cook until pancakes are golden brown on both sides; serve hot.

French Dip Crescent Sandwiches

I had been craving french dip sandwiches for forever! (and no it was a pregnancy craving, I had been wanting them since before I got knocked up, just never got around to making them)  I was cruising though the world of Pinterest and found this recipe.  It looked yummy!  I posted a link on my Facebook page saying I wanted to make it and my hubby piped in that he wanted me to make it and then a couple guys from his work would pay me to make some.  Score!  I made $15 off them =)  Anywho....it was a big hit with them all and they were asking when I would make them all dinner again.  My kids wolfed down 5 each and they usually only eat 1 or 2 roll-ups of any flavor.  So, moral of my story....go make some!

The original recipe is from
Mama Loves Food

French Dip Crescent Ingredients:

• 2 packages crescent rolls, 8 count
• 1 pound deli roast beef, thinly sliced ( I used both from the deli and some good quality int he lunch meat section....they both tasted great!)
• 4 ounces Swiss or provolone cheese, cut in 16 equal sized pieces (or you could shred it)
• optional: Horseradish Sauce (I didn't use it)
• optional: Au Jus for dipping (click on the link fo rher homemade recipe that is yummy!)

French Dip Crescent Directions:

1. Unroll crescents onto a large cookie sheet.
2. Spread a small dab of horseradish on each crescent, then place a slice of roast beef and a piece of cheese on each crescent.
3. Roll crescents starting from the wide end and ending at the narrow end.
4. Bake at 375 degrees for 11 to 13 minutes, until crescents are a golden color.
5. Serve with Au Jus and enjoy!

Although my hubby loved them, he said that they would have been better with my homemade rolls.  Mine are nice and flaky and the butter flavor doesn't overpower the dish. If you want to make your own crescent rolls, here's my awesome homemade recipe for Crescent Rolls.  Just scroll to the bottom of the page.

These also freeze great so you can make extras, cook them, and then freeze the leftovers in a ziploc freezer bag and then take them out when you want a quick meal.  To freeze the Au Jus, you can pour the juice in an ice cube tray and when frozen, pop them out and put them in a baggie and store with the leftover roll-ups.

Boston Cream Pie Cake

This has become one of my hubby's favorite desserts.  I love it because it is soooo easy to do!  i know my picture isn't all pretty.....but I promise, it is super tasty!

1 pgk. yellow cake mix

the ingredients to make the cake as instructed on box

1 1/2 c. cold milk

1 pkg. vanilla instant pudding

2 squares unsweetened chocolate

2 tbsp. butter

1 c. powdered sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

2-3 tbs. hot water

Prepare the cake as instructed on the box using 2 greased and floured 9-in pans (don't skip the flouring part!)  Cool for 10-min. before removing from the pans to a wire cooling rack (be patient and wait....I would recommend waiting longer so your cake doesn't fall apart)

In a small bowl, whisk milk and pudding mix for 2 minutes.  Let stand for 2 minutes or until soft set.  Cover and refrigerate.

In a microwave, melt chocolate and butter.  Stir until smooth.  Stir in powdered sugar, vanilla, and a little water until it is the consistency of a thick glaze.  Set aside.

Place one cake layer on a serving plate, spread with pudding.  Top with the second layer of cake.  Spread chocolate glaze over the top, letting it drip down the sides of the cake.  Refrigerate until ready to serve, and ENJOY!!

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.

Pancake Mini-muffins

Mini Maple Chocolate Chip Pancake Muffins.
(Someone please come up with a shorter name for these.)

1 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons sugar
2/3 cup buttermilk
1 egg
2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
2 tablespoons melted butter
1/2 cup milk chocolate chips

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and sugar in a medium bowl. Sift together with a wire whisk.
• In another bowl, stir buttermilk, egg, maple syrup and melted butter until just combined.
• Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and stir with a spoon until combined.
• Stir in chocolate chips. Reserve a few chips to sprinkle on the tops.
• Bake for 8-9 minutes.

Makes 24 mini pancake muffins.

Let cool slightly and remove from the pan. You may need to use a toothpick around the edges to separate the pancake muffins from the pan.
Serve immediately with warmed butter if you like or even just with maple syrup.

Post slacking.....

Sorry for being a slacker on the posts lately.  Life has been really crazy and busy this past month.  I started back to school, just doing some online classes and they ahve been taking a lot of time.  I pend so much time on the computer with them that by the time I am done, I don't feel like posting anything or spending any more time on it.  Also, I am expecting baby #3 so that has put a damper on the cooking lately.  It's kinda hard to cook things when the smell of it makes you sick and you don't want to eat anything except saltines.  I think I am almost over the morning sickness (or in my case it is afternoon/night sickness) so hopefully I will get back in the swing of things and start baking some new yummy things to share.  So bear with me for a little bit and I'm sure those pregnancy cravings with kick in and I will be having some interesting new things =)  At least i'm hoping...I didn't get any cravings with the first two.  My husband got the cravings, not me. I want to be able to send my husband to the store at midnight for some random thing =)