Meatball Sub casserole Recipe

Growing up it was always a special treat when my Mom would cook up a batch of Meatballs.  It didn't matter if they were for Spaghetti and Meatballs or Meatball Subs..I just loved them.  I would always serve myself a meatball or two extra because they were so delicious.  Now that I'm an adult I still serve myself an extra Meatball or two just for principle.  Or because they are amazing and delicious.  I saw a recipe for a Meatball sub casserole and knew I had to give it a whirl.  I used about 4 day old bread to try and avoid super soggy bread.  My family really liked this dish and I would recommend it.  However the bread (even extra stale bread) does get a bit soggy so if you aren't into that this may not be your cup of tea.  But I say try it and you may like it.

You will need Stale Bread, Shredded Cheese, Mayo, Low Fat Cream Cheese, Garlic, Diced Onion, Parmesan Cheese, Italian Seasoning, Salt & Pepper, Breadcrumbs, 1 Lb Ground Beef, and Spaghetti Sauce.

In a medium bowl add the Breadcrumbs (I used Panko), a bit of Salt & Pepper, and about a tsp of Italian Seasoning.

Add the Chopped Onion and Parmesan Cheese.

Add the Ground Beef and mix by hand until everything is nicely incorporated.

Put a cooling rack over a rimmed baking sheet and Roll your Meat mixture into 1 inch balls and bake.

The original recipe said to not spray the pan but I just couldn't help myself.  Visions of the mess scared me into spraying.  After all was said and done this step probably could be skipped.

Chop up your stale bread into little chunks.  I used a stale loaf of Roasted Garlic bread and it was very tasty.

Arrange the bread in a single layer in the baking dish.

In a medium bowl combine the Cream Cheese, Mayo, 1 tsp Italian Seasoning, and 1/4 tsp Pepper.

Mix together to combine well.

Place dollops of the mayo mixture on top of the bread.

Spread it out to cover the bread.

Sprinkle a the cheese over the top.

I ended up with exactly 20 meatballs which was the perfect amount for the dish.  I arranged them in happy little rows.

We are talking some seriously happy little Meatball rows.  Yum!

Cover with Spaghetti Sauce.

I struggled with this step.  The reviews I read of the recipe made me scared to add water.  But I didn't want it to be too dry either.  So I added about 1/4 cup of water into the Spaghetti Sauce jar and swooshed it around and then poured it over the top. 

At this point I added the minced garlic..but I would suggest adding it to the spaghetti sauce prior to pouring it into the pan.  But this worked just fine. 

Sprinkle a bit more Cheese on top.

Bake 350 Degrees for 30 minutes.

Enjoy!

Meatball Sub Casserole Recipe
Source:  Taste of Home

1/4 C Bread crumbs
1 tsp Italian Seasoning
Salt & Pepper to taste
3 TBSP Parmesan Cheese
1 Lb Ground Beef
1 loaf Italian Bread, cut into 1 inch slices
1 8 oz package low fat Cream Cheese
1/2 C Mayonnaise
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1/4 tsp Pepper
2 C Shredded Cheese
1 jar Spaghetti Sauce
1/4 C Water
2 Garlic Cloves, minced

In a medium bowl combine the Bread Crumbs, 1 tsp Italian Seasoning, a bit of Salt & Pepper, Onions, and Parmesan Cheese.  Add the Ground Beef and mix by hand to fully incorporate everything.  Shape the meat mixture into 1 inch balls and place on a cooling rack on top of a rimmed baking sheet.  Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, arrange the cubed bread in a single layer in a 9x13 in baking dish.

Combine the Cream Cheese, Mayonnaise, 1 tsp Italian Seasoning, and Pepper.  Spread the mixture over the bread and sprinkle with 1/2 C of the Shredded Cheese.

Arrange the Meatballs over the top of the cheese in rows of 4.  In a bowl combine the Spaghetti Sauce, Garlic, and Water (you can swish the water around in the spaghetti jar if you want to get all the saucey goodness out).  Then pour the sauce over the meatballs.  Sprinkle with the remaining Shredded Cheese and bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Approximately 8 Servings

507 Calories
44 Carbs
25 Fat
27 Protein

Crock Pot Chicken and Dumplings Recipe

My Mom makes the most amazing Chicken and Dumplings in the world.  This dish was so delicious that my Mom once offered to make it for our neighbor who had just had surgery.  Her Mother was staying with her to help her recuperate and griped about how much she hated Chicken and Dumplings.  After trying my Mom's amazing food she was whistling a new tune about Dumplings!  But, as with most amazing things my Mom made, they took more time than I have on a weeknight.  Who has the time to make stock and noodle soup from scratch?  I found this recipe and it was so easy that I had to give it a try.  It was tasty and the chicken was very tender.  But it certainly wasn't my Mom's Chicken and Dumplings.  But for a weeknight it will do just fine.  If I make it again I think I'll add some carrots and celery because in my opinion those belong in a good chicken noodle dish.

You will need a Crock Pot, Chicken Broth, dried Parsley, Cream of Chicken Soup, Onion, Refrigerated Biscuit dough, and Chicken.

Add the Cream of Chicken Soup and Broth to the Crock Pot.

Sprinkle in some dried Parsley and a bit of Salt & Pepper

Dice up 1/2 a Large Onion and mix everything together well.

Place the Chicken (I used thawed chicken) into the pool and try and submerge as much as you can.

Cover and cook on High 4-6 Hours

Take 4 of the Refrigerated Biscuits..

and cut them up into little chunks

Stick it in the crock pot on top of the chicken mixture.  Cover and cook another 30-60 minutes once the chicken is fully cooked and no longer pink.

I ended up cooking the biscuits for an hour.

I left my chicken pieces big but you can shred it up if you want to.  Enjoy!

Crockpot chicken and Dumplings Recipe
Soucre:  Bubble Crumb

4 Boneless skinless Chicken Breasts
2 Cans 98% Fat Free Cream of Chicken Soup
1 Can 33% Less Sodium Chicken Broth
1/2 Large Onion Diced
1 TBSP Dried Parsley
4 Large Refrigerator Biscuits

To your Crockpot add the Cream of Chicken Soups, Broth, Diced Onion, Parsley and mix it together well.  Add in the Chicken and try to submerge it as much as possible.  Set Crockpot to high and cook 4-6 hours or until the chicken is fully cooked (mine went about 4 hours).

Cut your biscuits up into little chunks and place on top of the chicken mixture.  Place lid on Crockpot and cook another 30-60 minutes until the biscuits are cooked through (I cooked mine for 60 min).

Enjoy!

Approximately 6 servings

314 Calories
30 Carbs
9 Fat
29 protein

Shrimp & Mango Skewers Recipe

BBQ grills intimidate me.  I have never started a grill before.  The charcoal makes me nervous..and don't even get me started on how scary it is to light a gas burner!  Terrifying!  Also, I don't really know how to cook on them so I pretty much avoid recipes that require grilling.  I came across the following recipe in my August 2011 Good Housekeeping magazine and it sounded amazing.  I had a couple of Mangoes from my Bountiful Basket and decided to give it a whirl.  It was so amazing!  The mango and shrimp with the sauce...oh yeah!  Yummy!

You will need Wooden Skewers, Mangoes, Lime, Plain Yogurt, Curry Powder, Cumin, Fresh Mint, Spinach, and Raw Shrimp.

Place the skewers in water and let them soak at least 30 minutes.  Be careful not to puncture the bag..or else you'll have a small swamp on your counter top.  I found this out by experience.

In a small bowl squeeze the Lime juice and zest the lime peel.

Chop up the mint and add it in.

Add in the Yogurt, Salt, and Pepper and mix everything together really well.  Set aside.

Cook the Couscous according to package instructions.

Now they are ready for the next step.

Add two big handfuls of spinach to the same pot as the Couscous.

Put the lid on and let it steam a bit.

Mangoes have an oval shaped pit so when you cut it you want to cut the two sides off.  Then score it like I did in the picture.

Then just pop it inside out and it is super easy to cut. 

Chop up your mango.

Take your skewers out of the water and alternate shrimp and mango. 

Look at how great they look!

Split your yogurt mixture into two bowls.  One of them will be used for serving.  With the other grab your trusty pastry brush and get a big glob of the creamy yogurt mix.

Brush it all over the shrimps and mangoes.

Place the skewers on a hot grill and cook about 5-7 minutes.

Turn once during the cooking time.

Take the Couscous and stick it in a bowl.

Get all the skewers off the grill.

Serve with the reserved yogurt dip and Enjoy!

Shrimp & Mango Skewers Recipe
Source:  Good Housekeeping Magazine

1 lime
1 C plain low fat yogurt
3 TBSP Fresh Mint, finely chopped
1/2 tsp Curry Powder
1 C Couscous
5oz Baby spinach (2 handfuls)
1 Lb shelled and deveined shrimp 26-30
2 ripe mangoes, peeled, and cut into chunks

Soak skewers in cold water at least 30 minutes to prevent burning.  Prepare outdoor grill for direct grilling on medium-high.

From Lime, grate 1 tsp zest and squeeze 2 tsp juice into a medium bowl.  Stir in the yogurt, Mint, Curry Powder, Salt and Pepper.  Mix together well and set aside.

Prepare the couscous according to package directions.  When the water is absorbed, fluff the couscous with a fork add the spinach on top of the couscous and let it steam.

Meanwhile thread the shrimp and mango chunks alternately onto the skewers.  Place half of the yogurt mix into a small bowl and set aside for serving.  Brush remaining mixture all over the shrimp and mango.  Grill 5-7 minutes, turning over once, until shrimp are cooked through.

Toss spinach and Couscous until combined.  Top with shrimp skewer and drizzle with reserved yogurt mixture.

Enjoy!

Approximately 4 servings

410 Calories
28 Protein
73 Carbs
3 Fat