Archive for the ‘Tried & True Tuesday’ Category

Ingredients:

• 1 lb hamburger
• 1 Cup chopped onion
• 1 can kidney beans, undrained
• 1 can tomato soup
• 1/2 to 1 can water
• 2 Tbs chili powder
• 1 Tbs vinegar
• 1/2 tsp salt

Directions:

1. Brown meat with onion
2. Drain meat
3. Add remaining ingredients
4. Cover & simmer for 30 minutes

Yup.. another banana recipe.  I can’t help trying new ones since Save A Lot has banana’s 3 lbs/$1!   This is the recipe I followed, but because I didn’t have yogurt or oil in the house I substituted applesauce for the yogurt and butter for the oil and they still turned out great!

 Ingredients:

• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup plain yogurt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup mashed ripe bananas
• 3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
2. In another bowl, combine the egg, oil, yogurt and vanilla.
3. Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened.
4. Fold in bananas and chocolate chips.
5. Fill greased or paper-lined muffin cups two-thirds full.
6. Bake at 350 degrees  for 22-25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
7. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks.

Meatballs

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs ground beef
• 1 pkg Stove Stop Stuffing
• 1 1/4 Cups of water
• 2 eggs

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees
2. Line 2 (15x10x1.. I used 9×13) pans with foil; spray with cooking spray. Mix ingredients until blended; shape into 32 (1-1/2-inch) balls, using 1/4 cup for each.
3. Place 16 meatballs in each prepared pan. Bake 16 to 18 min. or until done (160ºF).
4. Combine half the meatballs with Tomato-Basil Cream Sauce or Creamy Brown Gravy. (See Tips.) Cool remaining meatballs; freeze for later use. (See Tips.)

Tomato-Basil Cream Sauce Mix

Ingredients:

• 1 jar (14 oz.) spaghetti sauce
•  2 oz. cubed PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese
• 2 Tbsp. chopped fresh basil in large skillet

Directions:

1. Cook on medium-low heat 3 min. or until heated through, stirring occasionally.
2. Add 16 hot meatballs; stir to evenly coat.
3. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup KRAFT Grated Parmesan Cheese before serving.
4. Makes 4 servings, 4 meatballs and 1/3 cup sauce each.

Link to it on Kraft foods

Ingredients:

Crust
1.5 Cups crushed graham crackers
1/2 Cup Melted butter
1/8 Cup water

Pie Filling:
3 to 4 cups of blueberries
7 Tablespoons of Corn Starch
3 Tablespoons of water or grape juice
2 Tablespoons of lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon of Cinnamon
2/3 cup of sugar (or 1/3 cup of sugar & 1/3 cup of splenda)

Directions for crust

1. Crush up the graham crackers. 
2. Melt the butter
3. Add the water & butter to the crushed graham crackers and stir
4. Press the mixture into the pie plate The crumbs should stick pretty well, without being wet.  If they won’t stick where you press them, just add another tablespoon of water to the mix.  Even the crumbs up and make sure there are no gaps or holes.  That’s all there is to it.  Now, you’re ready to add the pie filling!

Directions for Pie Filling:

1. Just rinse them in a colander or sieve in cold water, no soap.  Pick out and remove any bits of stems, leaves and soft or mushy berries. It is easiest to do this in a large bowl of water and gently run your hands through the berries as they float.  With your fingers slightly apart, you will easily feel any soft or mushy berries get caught in your fingers.
2. Mix the dry ingredients  ~  Combine the 2/3 cup sugar (or sugar/Splenda blend), 7 Tablespoons of corn starch in a bowl  and mix well!  Some people like 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon and/or 1/4 teaspoon of allspice, mixed in, also. That’s optional, but it is nice!
3. Mix in the liquids Add the 2 Tablespoons of lemon juice, and 3 Tablespoons of water (or grape juice) and stir it up. If you use Splenda, it will be pretty gloppy, rather than drier crumbs, but it still works the same!
4.  Add the blueberries to the pie crust.  Just pour them in!  There’s lots of air space and it will cook down, so don’t worry if they mound up about an inch (2.5 cm) above the edge of the plate
5. Pour the mixture of sugar, juice, etc. into the pie all over the blueberries. If it is a gloppy liquid, don’t worry, just pour it somewhat evenly over the top. But it doesn’t take perfection; it will smooth itself out in the oven.
6. Make and add your crumb topping ~   1/4 cup sugar, 1/2 cup flour,  1/4 cup butter or margarine.  Mix together and then sprinkle it over the pie.
7. Bake at 375 for 1 hour
8. Remove pie when it’s golden & pie is bubbling
9. ENJOY!

If you want to see pictures along with the directions you can find this recipe here!

Sorry it’s been awhile since I’ve done a Tried & True Tuesday.  Since it’s a warm one here in Michigan (at least warmer than last month) I decided I would do a nice cool dessert.  (I’m sure you wouldn’t mind)

Ingredients:

• Box of Ice Cream Sandwiches
• 1 Large tub of Cool Whip
• Heath Candy Bars (or whatever candy bar or nuts you would like)

Directions:

1. Place Ice Cream Sandwiches in baking dish
2. Layer Cool Whip on top of the Ice Cream Sandwiches
3. Repeat above layers
4. Top with crumbled Heath Bar
5. Freeze until time to serve & enjoy!

I just made these for the 1st time yesterday and needless to say they didn’t stick around the house that long so I thought it would be a good recipe to post for today.  I hope you enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 Cup Flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 3 mashed banana’s
• 3/4 Cup white sugar
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 1/3 Cup butter (melted)
• 1/3 Cup packed brown sugar
• 2 TBSP Flour
• 1/8 tsp cinnamon

• 1 TBSP butter

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Lightly grease 10 muffin cups, or line with muffin papers.
2. In a large bowl, mix together 1 1/2 Cup flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt.
3. In another bowl mix together mashed bananas, sugar, egg and melted butter.
4. Spoon together the flour mixture with the banana mixture until moistened and then spoon batter into muffin cups.
5. In a small bowl, mix together Brown Sugar, 2 TBSP flour and cinnamon.  Cut in 1 TBSP butter until mixture resembles oatmeal.  Sprinkle over top of the muffins.
6. Bake for 18-20 minutes, until a toothpick can be inserted and come out clean

Ingredient’s:

1. Brown hamburger meat.
2. Add cream of mushroom soup and stir together continuously.
3. Let simmer on low heat for 15 minutes.
4. Add corn and mushrooms and then place mixture in the bottom of a casserole dish
5. Sprinkle cheese and then lay tater tots neatly on top of the mixture.
6. Place in oven on 350′ and let the tater tots brown and then enjoy!

My Mom’s birthday was coming up and I found this recipe on Confessions of a Bookworm and thought why not try it as it looked like fun!  I’m glad I did and I just might have to make it again for this weekend as with all the color’s it reminds me of Easter Eggs. 

RAINBOW CAKE!

Ingredients:

• White Cake Mix
• Vegetable oil
• 3 egg whites
• water
• 1 tub (8 oz) of whipped cream
• Food Coloring
• box of Vanilla Instant Pudding

Directions:

* Follow directions on box to make the cake mix

* Once cake batter is ready, separate into 6 different bowls 

* In each bowl add a different color of food coloring (or gel coloring if you have it)

* Spray two 8″ pans and start with one color and pour 1/2 of one of the colors in the pan 

* Pick the next color and pour 1/2 of the bowl on top of the first color… continue until all the colors are done  (DO NOT try and blend the colors, they will do it themselves)

* Start pouring the rest of the colors (one by one) in the other pan, just make sure you do the colors in reverse of what you did in the 1st pan.

*  Bake cakes per the instructions on the box.

*  Once cake is cooled you can make the frosting.  Take your tub of Cool Whip and Vanilla pudding mix and mix them together.. add some food coloring if you want color and then frost!

There is another way of making this cake (it’s the weight watcher’s way!) and you can find it at Omnomican.  If I do make this cake again this week I will be trying it this way instead.  I also think I might skip the vanilla pudding in the whipped topping and see how it is with just cool whip only.

I’m so sorry that I’ve failed and haven’t contributed to Tried & True Tuesday for quit sometime now.  I’ll try to do better from now on. 

We always used to make our Lasagna with meat and since my husband isn’t a spinach eater I thought there was no way he would like it, but to my surprise everyone enjoyed it and I see us making it this way from now on!  (A box of frozen Spinach is a lot cheaper than a pound of hamburger)

Ingredients:

• 1 jar of sauce
• 1 lb Ricotta Cheese
• 2 eggs
• 10 oz frozen chopped spinach, thawed & drained
• 1 box lasagna noodles
• 12 oz shredded Mozzarella cheese

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Grease bottom of 9 x 13 inch lasagna dish
3. Spread a layer of jarred sauce on bottom
4. Mix Ricotta, 2 eggs and spinach (thawed and drained) in bowl.
5. Place one layer of uncooked noodles on sauce to cover bottom of 9 x 13 inch dish.
6. Spread Ricotta mixture over noodles, then sprinkle with cheese and pour more sauce on top and spread
7. Repeat 2 more times  (the last time I like to put the Mozzarella cheese on top)
8. Cover tightly with foil and bake at least 1 hour on 350 degrees.  (noodles should be tender to fork)