Grandma’s Sweet and Sour Meatballs

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Grandma's Sweet and Sour Meatballs are the ultimate comfort food and can be whipped up in a jiffy! Enjoy this fantastic meal with your family tonight! MomOnTimeout.com

Ingredients

Meatballs

·         2 lbs lean ground beef

·         2 cups plain bread crumbs

·         1 cup milk

·         1 egg

·         salt and pepper to taste

Sauce

·         1 cup chopped green pepper

·         1 20 oz can pineapple chunks in juice (including the juice)

·         1 cup chopped onion

·         ⅔ cup brown sugar

·         1 cup ketchup

·         1 cup water

·         4 Tbls vinegar

·         4 Tbls Worcestershire sauce

Cashew Chicken

Cashew Chicken

 

Serves: 4

Prep time: 5 mins

Cook time: 10 mins

Total time: 15 mins

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Quick and easy cashew chicken. Great for a quick weeknight meal.

Ingredients

• 1 to 1½ pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs (or breasts), cut into 1 inch pieces
• 1 Tbls cornstarch
• ½ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp pepper
• 2 Tbls canola oil
• 4 cloves garlic, grated or minced
• ½ cup onion, finely chopped
• 1 (8 oz) can sliced water chestnuts, chopped
• 2 Tbls rice wine vinegar
• 5 Tbls Hoisin sauce
• ⅓ cup water
• ¾ cup roasted cashews
• Green onions, optional garnish

Instructions

1. In a bowl combine chicken, cornstarch, salt and pepper. Toss to coat.
2. In a skillet heat oil over medium high heat. Add chicken and onions. Cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Mix in garlic and water chestnuts. Saute for 3-5 minutes until garlic is fragrant.
3. Mix vinegar into the chicken mixture. Cook for 1 minutes.
4. Add hoisin sauce and water. Cook for a few minutes until the chicken is fully cooked.
5. Remove from heat, stir in cashews and garnish with green onions.
6. Serve over rice.

Notes

Slightly Adapted from Very Culinary

Read more at http://dinnersdishesanddesserts.com/cashew-chicken-12-days-of-giveaways/#02Wpm1ZKukvmV3J3.99

Homemade Pierogi Recipe

(makes 1 to 2 dozen pierogi, depending on size)

Ingredients

Dough:

• 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (recommended: King Arthur brand)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1/4 cup butter, room temperature

Filling:

• 1 cup warm mashed potato
• 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

To Finish:

• 1/4 cup butter
• 2 large shallots, diced; OR one medium onion, thinly sliced

Directions:

1. To make the dough: Mix together the flour and salt. Add the egg to the flour and combine. The dough will be quite clumpy at this stage.

2. Work in the sour cream and soft butter until the dough comes together in a slightly rough, slightly sticky ball.

3. Using just your fingertips, knead and fold the dough without adding additional flour until the dough becomes less sticky but still quite moist.

4. Wrap the dough well in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 to 60 minutes, or up to 48 hours.

5. To make the filling: Combine the warm mashed potato and cheese. Stir and mash until the cheese is melted and the filling is cool to the touch. Taste and adjust the seasonings with salt and pepper.

6. To fill the pierogi: Roll half the dough 1/8" thick. Use a 2" round cutter to cut circles of dough. Repeat with the other half of the dough. Save the scraps; these can be snipped into small pieces and added to simmering soups.

7. Place 2 teaspoons of filling on each round of dough. Gently fold the dough over, forming a pocket around the filling. Pinch the edges of the pierogi to seal, then seal again with the tines of a fork.

8. At this point the pierogi can be frozen for up to 4 weeks, or refrigerated overnight, or cooked in a large stockpot of boiling salted water. Only cook about 10 pierogi at a time, so that they have room to float without sticking. When the pierogi float after about 10 minutes, they're done.

9. Sauté the shallots or onion in the butter i a large skillet until the onion begins to brown. Add the drained pierogi and cook until browned and crisped. Serve hot with additional sour cream, applesauce, or other condiments.

Beer Cheese Soup

Bacon Beer Cheese Soup with Chicken

serves 6-8    6 slices thick cut bacon
1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast
¼ cup butter
¼ cup flour
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons ground chile de arbol (or cayenne pepper; to taste)
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 cup beer, Belgian style wheat beer (Blue Moon)
1 cup chicken broth
2 cups half and half
8 ounces mild cheddar cheese, shredded
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
chives
croutons

Warm an 8 quart pot over high heat.  Using clean scissors; cut bacon into pot.  Cook bacon until lightly crisp, stirring occasionally.

Meanwhile, cut chicken into bite size pieces.

Remove bacon from pan and place on a plate.  Add chicken into bacon grease to cook.  Stir occasionally until chicken is cooked through.  Remove chicken onto plate with bacon.

Cut butter into 1 tablespoon pieces and add to pan drippings.  Whisk in flour and spices.   Add beer, broth and half & half.  Whisk to combine and bring to a bubble.  Add cheese whisk to combine, stir until you have a smooth mixture.  Add Worcestershire sauce, chicken and bacon.  Stir to combine.

Allow to simmer until ready to serve, stirring occasionally.

Garnish with chives and croutons.  

via the Slow Roasted Italian recipe box.

Crock Pot Mac & Cheese

Creamy Crock Pot Mac and Cheese

1 pound of uncooked pasta

2 cans of evaporated milk

2 cans of condensed cheddar cheese soup

2 cups of shredded sharp cheddar cheese

2 cups of shredded jack cheese

1 teaspoon of salt, plus salt and pepper to taste

2 1/2 cups of hot water, plus 1/2 cup of hot water to add before serving

Spray insert with non stick cooking spray.

Add milk, soup, hot water and salt to crock pot insert and stir together. Heat soup mixture in the microwave for about 5 minutes. Slowly add both shredded cheeses to soup mixture and whisk until melted. Add uncooked pasta and mix well.

Cook on low for about 2 1/2 hours. Mac and cheese will be thick, so add 1/2 of a cup of very hot water after cooking and stir together to smooth out the sauce.  

Serve and enjoy! 

The temperature on slow cookers can really vary, so if yours runs hot or cold adjust cooking time accordingly.

Gum Drop Cookie Bars (AKA Yum Yum Bars)

4 eggs
2 cups of sugar
2/4 tsp of salt
2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
2 cups of flour
1 cup of broken nuts
2 cups of diced gum drops (No black ones)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Grease 9 x 13 pan
Cream eggs and sugar, add salt and vanilla.  Add flour.  Add nuts and gum drops, reserving some to sprinkle on the top of batter.

Cook for 30 minutes.  Cut into oblong pieces while warm.  DO NOT OVERBAKE.

Crispy Sesame Beef (Lauren's Latest)

Better Than Take-Out Crispy Sesame Beef

Prepare yourselves for the best homemade Crispy Sesame Beef that tastes BETTER than take-out! Yes, it's possible and not all that hard to do either! Try it out tonight and see for yourself!

yield: 4 SERVINGS

 

prep time: 15 MINUTES

 

cook time: 20 MINUTES

 

total time: 35 MINUTES

INGREDIENTS:

1 1/2 lbs sirloin steak
4-5 tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 gallon canola oil {I know its a lot you guys....just accept it ya'lls}
salt, to taste

for the sauce:
1 1/2 cups sweet chili sauce
4 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons sesame oil
2 tablespoons honey

sesame seeds, for garnish

DIRECTIONS:

Cut sirloin steak across the grain into 1/4 inch-thick pieces and place into a large bowl. Sprinkle with 3 tablespoons cornstarch. Stir to coat each piece in corn starch and set aside.

In a large, deep pot, pour in oil and bring up to 350-375 degrees. {You want about 4-6 inches of oil in your pot.} 

The meat will absorb the cornstarch slightly, so sprinkle in 1-2 more tablespoons to coat everything again. Stir to ensure all the pieces of meat are separated from each other and evenly coated. This means extra crunchy beef! 

Once the oil has come up to temp, drop in about 1/3 of the meat and stir with a spider skimmer/strainer thingy-ma-jig or slotted spoon. Cook the meat until browned and crispy. Drain onto paper towels and sprinkle with salt. Continue cooking the meat in batches until its all cooked.

In a large skillet, heat all ingredients for sauce until warmed. Add in crispy beef and stir to coat and heat thoroughly. Serve over rice with sesame seeds and parsley, if desired.