Recipe Review: Sweet BBQ Chicken Kabobs

I was blog hopping and came across this recipe for the grill, and with these temps, I love making dinner outside.

Sweet BBQ Chicken Kabobs
found at Hoosier Homemade

Ingredients:

• 1-2 pounds chicken, boneless skinless, cut into chunks
• 1 whole fresh pineapple, cut into chunks
• 1 each red, yellow and green peppers
• 1 cup BBQ sauce
• 6 tablespoons orange juice concentrate, thawed

Directions:

1. Soak wooden skewers in water about 15-20 minutes.
2. Thread chicken, peppers and pineapple onto skewers.
3. Mix barbecue sauce and orange juice concentrate in a small bowl and set aside.
4. Heat the grill to medium-high.
5. Brush half of the sauce onto the skewers.
6. Grill 8-10 minutes or until chicken is done, turning occasionally.
7. Brush on remainder of sauce while skewers are cooking.

Servings:
This recipe makes about 18-20 skewers, with a little sauce left over. You can easily cut the recipe in half.
To grill pineapple, cut a 1/2 inch thick slice of fresh pineapple and place on grill. Turning once until the pineapple is slightly brown and there are grill marks on the pineapple.
Variations:
In place of chicken, you can also use salmon, pork or shrimp. In place of the fresh pineapple, you can use a can of pineapple chunks.

These are delish! They are a bit time consuming to chop, and thread everything but it works nicely when your hubby helps and your sister is in visiting to hold the baby :)

I enjoyed it all, including the pineapple, that we only put a few on in case we didn't like it, hubby, and my sister like it also. The bbq sauce I used was Wegman's brown sugar sauce & I used regular OJ since that is what I had. Next time I'll use some red onions too.

Me- 5/5 rating
Hubby-5/5
Kiddo- he ate it so he must have liked it, but left some peppers behind

Recipe Review: Cheddar Ranch Dip

For my baby shower in March I made a few different dips and served them as part of the meal/snacks. One of them was Cheddar Ranch Dip aka Crack Dip. This was crazy good.. in fact I made it the day before and it almost didn't make it to the party! LOL I wold suggest eating it the next day because after a day or two it starts to get funky.


Cheddar Ranch Dip

1 16 oz Sour Cream ( you can use fat free)
1 Ranch Dip Packet
1 3 oz jar of bacon bits
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Mix the sour cream and dip pack together then add the cheese and bacon bits. Mix well and chill for at least 20 mins.

I served this with wheat crackers and club crackers There were other veggies and chips everyone could mix up whatever they wanted but I liked the crackers best.


5/5 stars for sure!

Recipe Review: Slow cooker chicken and wild rice

I didn't make this exactly the way the recipe calls for. I used cream of chicken instead of cream of mushroom because I am not a big fan of cream of mushroom soup. I think it might have been why we disliked this recipe. The salt content was crazy bad! The chicken was nice and tender, and it taste good if you could get past the saltiness. Next time if I decide to make this I will leave out the flavor packet and/or just use plain wild rice.

1 Star out of 5. Bleck!

Three Bean Chili

Tonight we had Three Bean Chili found here at Jamie Cooks It Up!. Hubby and I cooked this together which is nice since our roles are reversed right now. I have been working and he has been laid off so we have been working on getting him in the kitchen.


 Three Bean Chili

Time: 1 hour

Yield: 8 servings

1 onion

1 red pepper

1/2 green pepper

1 garlic clove

1/2 pound ground beef

1  15 oz can pinto beans

1  15 oz can light red kidney beans

1  15 oz can dark red kidney beans

1  14 oz can Mexican flavored stewed tomatoes (diced or petite diced)

1  6 oz can tomato paste

3/4 t chili powder

1 T brown sugar

2 t beef bullion

salt and pepper 

1. Put your ground beef in a hot skillet and sprinkle with some salt and pepper. Let it get nice and browned. 

2. While your meat is cooking chop up your veggies.

3. Grab a large soup pot. Open up your can of beans, but don't drain them. You want those juices. Add the beans and all of the other ingredients to your soup pot. Stir it all around to incorporate all the goods.

4. Let the chili simmer for 30 minutes. Give it a little taste and add more salt and pepper if you would like. Enjoy! 

I omitted the onion, and only did a half of a red and green pepper. Also we used a whole pound of ground beef. Overall this was a great chili recipe, and after it sets and gets reheated I am sure it will be even better.

After a reheat of this Chili we will definitely be making this one again and again, even my hubby who isn't a fan of chili loved this!
5 starts out of 5! 

Recipe Review- Frozen Fruit Cups

Here is a nice treat for a hot summer day. These Frozen Fruit Cups are a nice change to regular fruit salad.


1 can (12 oz) frozen pineapple juice concentrate, thawed
orange juice (2 juice cans full)
water (1 juice can full)
1/2 cup sugar
3 medium firm bananas, sliced
frozen, sliced, sweetened strawberries
1 can (15 oz) mandarin oranges
1 can (20 oz) crushed pineapple
clear plastic cups
In a large bowl combine all the ingredients. Ladle into the cups and freeze. To serve, set them out of the freezer for 40-50 minutes or defrost them a bit in the microwave. Feel free to substitute ingredients as you like. I place all the cups on a cookie sheet to keep them upright in the freezer.

I made a few changes to this, I accidently got frozen lemonaid, and I used fresh strawberries, blueberries, and a jar of cherries. This was still good, a bit tart though. Hubby's complaint was that he had to wait for them to thaw a bit.

Hubby- 4 stars
Myself- 4 stars
Kiddo- hasn't wanted any yet. He did help make them.

Recipe Review- Taco Pasta

My boys are spaghetti lovers, I however am not. When I found this recipe for Taco Pasta at Lynn's Kitchen Adventures, I knew that it would be a hit, and it was. I served this with garlic toast.

Taco Pasta

• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 package (1-1/4 ounces) taco seasoning
• 1 can (15 ounces) tomato sauce
• 1 package (8 ounce) shell macaroni, cooked and drained ( I used a gf brown rice pasta)
• 1 can (4 ounces) chopped green chilies
• 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

In a skillet, brown ground beef over medium heat. Drain and add taco seasoning, tomato sauce, and green chilies. Stir in cooked macaroni. Place in a 9×13 pan. Top with cheese. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes or until heated through.

I used 3 cups of pasta and that is why my Hubby said 4 1/2 stars, I should have bumped up the sauce too, he said it needed a bit more sauce. There are no leftovers to toss, Hubby ate all the leftovers the next day, that too is a good sign.

Hubby- 4 1/2
Myself- 4
Kiddo- he ate it so it was good.

Recipe Review: Pot Roast

Usually I just toss my pot roast in the crock pot with whatever I have laying around and it comes out just ok.. nothing special but ok. I thought I would get crafty and try out a pot roast recipe for the oven and I am so glad I did! It was delishious. It even made the house smell amazing while it cooked. Here's the recipe:


Pioneer Woman's Pot Roast

Ingredients

• 1 whole (4 To 5 Pounds) Chuck Roast
• 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• 2 whole Onions
• 6 whole Carrots (Up To 8 Carrots)
• Salt To Taste
• Pepper To Taste
• 1 cup Red Wine (optional, You Can Use Beef Broth Instead)
• 2 cups To 3 Cups Beef Stock
• 3 sprigs Fresh Thyme, or more to taste
• 3 sprigs Fresh Rosemary, or more to taste

Preparation Instructions

First and foremost, choose a nicely marbled piece of meat. This will enhance the flavor of your pot roast like nothing else. Generously salt and pepper your chuck roast.
Heat a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Then add 2 to 3 tablespoons of olive oil (or you can do a butter/olive oil split).
Cut two onions in half and cut 6 to 8 carrots into 2-inch slices (you can peel them, but you don’t have to). When the oil in the pot is very hot (but not smoking), add in the halved onions, browning them on one side and then the other. Remove the onions to a plate.
Throw the carrots into the same very hot pan and toss them around a bit until slightly browned, about a minute or so.
If needed, add a bit more olive oil to the very hot pan. Place the meat in the pan and sear it for about a minute on all sides until it is nice and brown all over. Remove the roast to a plate.
With the burner still on high, use either red wine or beef broth (about 1 cup) to deglaze the pan, scraping the bottom with a whisk to get all of that wonderful flavor up.
When the bottom of the pan is sufficiently deglazed, place the roast back into the pan and add enough beef stock to cover the meat halfway (about 2 to 3 cups). Add in the onion and the carrots, as well as 3 or 4 sprigs of fresh rosemary and about 3 sprigs of fresh thyme.
Put the lid on, then roast in a 275F oven for 3 hours (for a 3-pound roast). For a 4 to 5-pound roast, plan on 4 hours.

I used beef broth and dried herbs. I didn't have rosemary but I did have a garlic and black pepper grinder that I used. Everything else I did as the recipe says..yyuuummm! Served along side some corn and mashed potatoes. Perfect comfort food.

Myself -5/5
Hubby- is sleeping but he loved it too.
Little Guy- He ate it so it must have been good to him.

Recipe Review: Sweet and Tangy Meatballs

Sweet and Tangy Meatballs

1 1/2 cups Brown Sugar

3/4 cup Vinegar

3/4 cup BBQ Sauce

3 tsp. Dijon Mustard

3 tsp. Worcestershire Sauce

1 Bag Frozen Meatballs

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350. Combine all ingredients, except meatballs in a saucepan to heat up and dissolve sugar. Meanwhile, place meatballs in a 13x9 inch baking dish. When sugar is dissolved, pour heated sauce over the meatballs and cover the baking dish with foil. Bake for 30-45 minutes or until heated through. Serve right away, or put it in your crock pot on low til the party starts!

I can't even say if we liked this recipe or not since I made a handful of changes. I will say I cut the recipe into 1/3 but used a half bag of meatballs. I also added an extra half cup of bbq sauce making a whole cup. They were way too sweet. Next time I will reduce the brown sugar way down and maybe a bit more mustard for a bit more tang. I also made the sauce in a deep fry pan, then added the meatballs, and put a lid on them. I simmered them till they were done. Only one dirty dish and it was non-stick. :)

Myself 1 outta 5 because the sugar was so awful.
Hubby 3 outta 5
Kiddo he ate a couple.

Recipe Review- Bean-N-Beef Crescent Pie

Bean-N-Beef Crescent Pie

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 pounds ground beef ( I used 1 lb.)
• 1 (1.25 ounce) package taco seasoning
• 1/3 cup salsa (whole cup)
• 1 (8 ounce) package refrigerated crescent rolls (used 2)
• 4 ounces cream cheese, softened (not very much of this)
• 1/2 cup refried beans (whole can)
• 1 cup shredded Mexican blend cheese or Cheddar cheese

Directions

1. In a large skillet, cook the beef over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. Add taco seasoning and salsa; simmer, uncovered, until thickened. Meanwhile, unroll crescent roll dough. Press onto the bottom and up the sides of an ungreased 13-in. x 9-in. x 2-in. baking dish; seal perforations. Spread cream cheese over the dough.

1. Stir the refried beans into beef mixture. Spoon over cream cheese layer. Bake, uncovered, at 375 degrees F for 20-25 minutes or until crust is golden brown. Sprinkle with cheese; bake 5 minutes longer or until the cheese is melted.  

 I baked the crescent rolls first before adding the filling so they wouldn't get soggy. I know we don't care for cooked cream cheese that much so I only added a really fine layers. Otherwise we just followed the adjustments above.

Kid-wouldn't eat it at all, he saw the beans.

Mr.- He said a 4/5. He liked it with some sour cream on top.

Me- I say 4/5 too. I think a bit of fresh tomatoes and lettuce would really top this off.

 Over all, we'll probably have this again. 

Recipe Review: Beef and Broccoli

Beef & Broccoli

3 tablespoons cornstarch, divided
1/2 cup water, plus
2 tablespoons water, divided
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 lb boneless round steak or charcoal chuck steak, cut into thin 3-inch strips (I used sirloin steak)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
4 cups broccoli florets (stir fry veggies)
1 small onion, cut into wedges (left out)
1/3 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground ginger
hot cooked rice

1. In a bowl, combine 2 tablespoons cornstarch, 2 tablespoons water and garlic powder until smooth.
2. Add beef and toss.
3. In a large skillet or wok over medium high heat, stir-fry beef in 1 tablespoon oil until beef reaches desired doneness; remove and keep warm.
4. Stir-fry broccoli and onion in remaining oil for 4-5 minutes.
5. Return beef to pan.
6. Combine soy sauce, brown sugar, ginger and remaining cornstarch and water until smooth; add to the pan.
7. Cook and stir for 2 minutes.
8. Serve over rice.

Review- I hate soy sauce and ginger both. I however loved this recipe. Super fast even though it had a couple steps. This was great with the stir fry mix of veggies. I give this a 5/5 rating and 4/5 from the Mr. I will be adding this to our regular rotation. Mmmm!

Recipe Review: Tortellini with Ham and Peas

Tortellini with Ham and Peas

Ingredients

• 1  pound  fresh or frozen cheese tortellini
• 1  cup  frozen peas
• 3  tablespoons  unsalted butter, cut into pieces
• 1/2  cup  heavy cream
• Salt and pepper
• 1/2  cup  grated Parmesan
• 1/4  pound  ham, chopped

Preparation

Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Cook tortellini until just al dente (do not overcook), as package label directs. Add peas to pot for last 30 seconds of cooking time.
Drain tortellini and peas and return to pot. Stir in butter, cream, salt, pepper, Parmesan and ham. Turn stove on to medium heat and cook, stirring, until ingredients are heated through, 2 to 3 minutes. Serve immediately.

Review: This was a 2/5 for me and a 3/5 for the Mr. He said he would have liked it much better if it had more sauce, so next time I will double the sauce if I make it again.

Recipe Review: Apricot Onion Pork

Apricot Onion Pork

Ingredients

• 1  pound  pork tenderloin, cut into 1-inch slices ( I used boneless sirloin pork chops)
• 1/2  teaspoon  dried thyme
• 1/2  teaspoon  salt
• 2  tablespoons  olive oil
• 1  tablespoon  unsalted butter
• 1  onion, thinly sliced
• 1/2  cup  canned low-sodium chicken broth
• 2  tablespoons  apricot jam
• 1  tablespoon  Dijon mustard (I used regular)

Preparation

Flatten each pork slice to 3/4 inch by placing it between sheets of plastic wrap and pounding it with a meat mallet or rolling pin. Sprinkle both sides of pork with thyme and salt. Warm oil over medium-high heat in a large heavy skillet. Cook medallions, turning once, until well browned on both sides, about 3 minutes total. (Work in batches, if necessary.) Transfer to a plate.
Add butter to pan and melt. Add onion and cook until softened, about 3 minutes. Add broth, jam and mustard and bring to a boil, stirring. Cover, lower heat and simmer until onion is very soft, about 5 minutes.
Return pork to pan, turning to coat with sauce. Cover and simmer until pork is cooked through, about 5 minutes. Transfer pork to a platter, cover with sauce and serve immediately.

Mr. Bear gave this recipe a 5/5, and I did too. This was great. A few steps, but they all come together quickly. Don't be put off if you don't like mustard, Mr. Bear isn't fond either, but still enjoyed this. The sweet and tangy taste went well with the pork.

Recipe Review : Ranch Parmesan Chicken Breast

Ranch Parmesan Chicken Breast

Ingredients:

    * 6 boneless skinless chicken breasts (I diced this up into 1 inch chunks.)
    * 1 cup dry breadcrumbs
    * 1/4-1/3 cup Parmesan cheese
    * 1 teaspoon seasoning salt
    * 1/2-1 teaspoon ground black pepper
    * 1/2-1 teaspoon garlic powder
    * 1 cup prepared ranch salad dressing (I just used enough to coat the chicken, less than half a bottle.)

Directions:

   1. In a resealable plastic bag, marinade chicken breasts in ranch dressing for at least half an hour.
   2. Set oven to 400° degrees (set oven rack to lowest position).
   3. Lightly grease a 13 x 9-inch baking dish.
   4. In a shallow bowl mix together the dry breadcrumbs with Parmesan cheese, seasoned salt, black pepper and garlic powder.
   5. Remove chicken from marinade, allowing any excess to drip off.
   6. Coat in the breadcrumb mixture.
   7. Place in a single layer onto a greased baking sheet or line with non-stick foil (do NOT bake in a smaller baking dish or the bottom of the chicken will be soggy).
   8. If desired you can sprinkle black pepper over the chicken pieces.
   9. Bake uncovered for about 30-35 minutes or until the chicken is cooked).

I didn't let it cook on the bottom rack because I was afraid of it burning.. and it did get a little browned on the bottom really fast, so I moved it up to the middle.

Mr. Bear says- 4/5 stars
Myself- 4/5 and very good dipped in bbq sauce.

Recipe Review: Sweet n' Sour Meatloaf

Sweet n' Sour Meatloaf

Ingredients

• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 5 tablespoons ketchup, divided
• 2 tablespoons prepared mustard
• 1/2 cup dry bread crumbs
• 2 tablespoons onion soup mix (whole pack)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1 pound ground beef
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons cider vinegar
•  
• Directions

• In a large bowl, combine the egg, 2 tablespoons ketchup, mustard, bread crumbs, dry soup mix, salt and pepper. Crumble beef over mixture and mix well. Shape into an oval loaf.
• Place in a shallow 1-qt. microwave-safe dish. Cover and microwave on high for 10-12 minutes or until the meat is no longer pink and a meat thermometer reads 160°; drain.
• Meanwhile in a small bowl, combine the sugars, vinegar and remaining ketchup; drizzle over meat loaf. Cover and microwave on high for 2-3 minutes longer or until heated through. Let stand for 10 minutes before slicing. Yield: 4 servings.

I doubled this recipe since we love meatloaf. I also baked this in the oven for about an hour and 20 minutes on 350.  Mr. Bear gave this meatloaf a 4/5 stars. I gave it a 3/5. I will use this meatloaf recipe from now on, but not always the sauce. Next time I make the sauce I will cut back a table spoon of mustard. This meatloaf sliced very nicely and cooked well. I used 90/10 lean ground beef. I will make this again, with or without the sauce. I think the sauce would go well with chicken breast too.

Ranch House Pork Chops with Parmesan Mashed Potatoes

Ranch House Crock Pot Pork Chops with Parmesan Mashed Potatoes

6 pork chops, 1/2 inch thick
1 packet dry Ranch Dressing Seasoning (I used half)
10 oz can Cream of Chicken Soup (Added a half of a can of water)

4 lbs peeled, cubed potatoes
5 Tablespoons real butter
1 cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese
6 cloves roasted garlic (leaving out and adding a bit of garlic powder)
1- 1 1/2 Cups warm skim milk (any milk will do)
1 Tablespoon salt, or to taste
1 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper, or to taste

Place pork chops, Ranch seasoning and soup into a medium sized crock pot over high heat for 4 hours or low heat for 6 hours.

Place potatoes into a large pot of cold water. Place onto stove top over high heat and bring to a boil. Once water is boiling, cook for 10-12 minutes or until potatoes are fork tender. Drain and transfer to the work bowl of a stand or electric mixer. Mix on low until potatoes are mashed then add butter, Parmesan, garlic, milk, salt and pepper. Season to taste if needed. For thinner mashed potatoes add more milk, slowly until your desired consistency.
Scoop mashed potatoes onto serving plates and top with pork chops and soup gravy from crock pot.

I found this recipe at http://realmomkitchen.blogspot.com/2009/03/ranch-house-crock-pot-pork-chops-with.html

I will be back tonight with the verdict. I just wanted to get this up so I didn't forget.

Verdict: I thought it was great. The pork was very tender. Mr. Bear also really enjoyed it. Excellent flavors complimenting eachother. Definitely adding it to our rotation.

Chicken Cordon Bleu Pasta

So we had this a few weeks ago and I am just getting around to writing a review. My sweetie really enjoyed this, sleepy bear liked it too. I thought it was just ok.. I am not into casserole type dishes all that much though. It went well with steamed broccoli.

Here's the recipe and changes I made.

Chicken Cordon Bleu Pasta

2 cups cooked, diced chicken
6 oz deli ham, diced ( I used leftover ham steaks that I made extra for this recipe)
2 cans cream of chicken soup (one can)
8 oz sour cream
2 cups shredded Monterrey Jack cheese (I mixed cheddar and mozzerella, I bought cheese for this and I am still looking around the house for it. No clue where I put it, kinda gross eh?)
cooked pasta (I used a bag of egg noodles)
milk (I used this to thin out the sauce)

Combine all ingredients in a medium sauce pan until cheese is melted, smooth, and creamy. Serve over whatever pasta you like. I used penne and tossed the pasta and the sauce together. You can just spoon it over the past if you like.

I diced the chicken and browned it in butter, s&p. While that was cooking I cooked the egg noodles. Drained the noodles, mixed the soup, sour cream, and milk together. Added the chicken, and ham diced up to the noodles, poured the sauce over then added the cheese and mixed together.

If you try this let me know how it went :)

Recipe Review: Barb's beef stew

Barb's Beef Stew

Ingredients

* 2 pounds stew beef * I used fresh deer meat
* 1/2 cup flour * dreged the meat
* 1 1/2 teaspoons salt * omitted
* 1 teaspoon pepper
* 4 cups beef broth * water and broilin cubes
* 1 teaspoon worcestershire sauce
* 1 Tbs crushed garlic
* 2 fresh bay leaves *dry
* 1 teaspoon paprika
* 4 chopped carrots
* 4 large diced potatoes
* 2 chopped onions
* 1 stalk chopped celery
* 1 can mushroom pieces and stems * out
* 1 cup frozen peas


Preparation

Place meat in Crockpot, then pour flour, salt, and pepper over the meat and mix. Add remaining ingredients EXCEPT mushrooms and peas. Mix well. Cook on Low 10-12 hours or High 4-6 hours. Add mushrooms and peas about a half hour before eating.

Ok so I did make some changes to the regular recipe. Either way, I won't be making it again. It was good, we did like it but as a stew, that it wasn't. It was just a soup.. not thick at all. So I tossed the recipe. I could make this as a method without the recipe. We'll enjoy the leftovers, they taste better the next day.