Fresh & Healthy
Recipes: Easy Shepherd’s Pie
The other day when I made Shepherd’s Pie for dinner I went ahead and made a big batch so I was able to make one casserole for dinner that night and put two in the freezer for busy nights later in the month. The “Make 1 i& Freeze 1” recipes come in handy for those days when I cannot make a homemade meal from scratch. It is great when I can plan ahead! Shepherd’s Pie is not only easy to make it freezes well too. The recipe below makes one 9×13 dish of Shepherd’s Pie, but I doubled it and split the second one into two 8×8 dishes to freeze for later.
Shepherd’s Pie Recipe:
- 1 pound Ground Beef cooked
- 1 can Green Beans (used french cut, but any will do)
- 1 can Mixed Vegetables
- 1 can Black Beans
- 1 package Brown Gravy
- Mashed Potatoes (homemade or from package, your preference)
Cook the ground beef and drain the excess oil. Add all the brown gravy ingredients to the ground beef mixture. Drain the vegetables and gently mix in the green beans, mixed vegetables, and black beans. Let the beef and vegetable mixture cook for 5 to 10 minutes, stirring periodically. Preheat the oven to 350 degree and grease a 9×13 pan (or two 8×8 pans).
While cooking the ground beef and vegetable mixture start preparing your potatoes whether from scratch or from a box or bag. Once the potatoes and beef mixture is done you can put together your Shepherd’s Pie. The bottom layer will be your beef and vegetable mixture followed by a layer of mash potatoes. You can sprinkle bacon or cheese over the mash potato layer if you prefer as well. Cover and bake the Shepherd’s Pie at 350 degrees for 30 minutes, uncover and bake for an additional 15 minutes.
We ate one Shepherd’s Pie for dinner and these two (pictured above) are going in the freezer to be eaten at a later time!
Free Ebooks: Paleo For Beginners, Green & Lean, Breakfast Casseroles, Low Carb, Smoothie Recipes, and more!
The price to download these books is currently $0.00 (although the price may change at any time, please confirm prior to downloading). The ebooks are specifically for Kindles, however, you can click here and download the free application that allows you to read Kindle ebooks on your PC.
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The price to download these books is currently $0.00 (although the price may change at any time, please confirm prior to downloading). The ebooks are specifically for Kindles, however, you can click here and download the free application that allows you to read Kindle ebooks on your PC.
Download a free copy of 40 Cupcake Recipes by Cheryl King
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What’s for Dinner: Our Weekly Menu Plan
There have been a lot of extra activities going on the past couple weeks as we prepare for the upcoming Christmas Holiday. Last week a couple of the nights had to be re-arranged due to after school activities, work travel, robotics competition, and other items that came up. This week is the kids last full week before Holiday break and they have a lot of items that they are wrapping up with school as well as after school activities. The evenings will be full this week so we are going to try and make the week go smoothly by planning our meals in advance. Here is our menu plan for the upcoming week:
Our Weekly Menu Plan
- Monday (Beef or Pork Entree): Top Sirloin Fajitas, Fresh Salad
- Tuesday (Kid’s Night to Cook): French Bread Pizza, Fruit Salad
- Wednesday (Chicken or Vegetarian Entree): Chicken Enchiladas, Fresh Vegetables
- Thursday (Pasta or Seafood Entree): Seasoned Salmon, Steamed Vegetables
- Friday, Saturday, & Sunday: Leftovers, Family Preference, and Hosting
I have a general pattern I try to follow for my weekly Menu Plan (for example Monday we have a beef or seafood entree and so forth). It is my goal, at least in the beginning, to have at least the main dish and one side planned. I will put together the remaining side dishes (veggies / fruits) based on the food items that need to be used up first and compliment the main entree.
Setting a weekly menu plan helps me utilize my time better, thus freeing up extra time to spend with my family. On the days that I am working longer hours I can prep the meal in advance so it will be easier to pull together once I am home. As I go through the menu planning process I will try to share some of our favorite family recipes. If there is a specific recipe you would like please let me know and I will do my best to accommodate (some recipes are a toss together meal and I do not use any set measurements).
As a family of four our life can get busy. What’s for Dinner is our weekly menu planning series and one of the ways to help keep us organized, on schedule, and within budget. Our family typically eats 6 to 7 dinner meals at home a week. We do try to go out to eat at least once a month as a special treat. Breakfasts are eaten at home before work and school, lunches are eaten at work, school, or home, so dinner is our main meal together as a family. Dinner is our time to reconnect, share, and enjoy being together after a busy day. Our weekly menu plan covers Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday only because the weekend (Friday, Saturday, and Sunday) is our time to spend with family and friends. The weekends tend to be more spontaneous and my husband (who is the better cook) likes pitching in therefore we keep the menu open for variety. We use up the leftovers throughout the week for our lunches and on the nights that we are busy or can’t cook.
Photo by Liz
What’s for Dinner: Our Weekly Menu Plan
I have a lot going on this week so it is important to stick to the menu. There are a lot of extra activities and Holiday projects that need to get done this week. Hopefully, having the menu will help us stay on track and use our time efficiently. Here is our menu plan for the upcoming week:
Our Weekly Menu Plan
- Monday (Beef or Pork Entree): Spaghetti & Meatballs, Garlic Bread
- Tuesday (Kid’s Night to Cook): Hamburgers, Green Beans
- Wednesday (Chicken or Vegetarian Entree): Chicken Quesadillas, Fresh Salad
- Thursday (Pasta or Seafood Entree): Baked Tilapia, Steamed Vegetables
- Friday, Saturday, & Sunday: Leftovers, Family Preference, and Hosting
I have a general pattern I try to follow for my weekly Menu Plan (for example Monday we have a beef or seafood entree and so forth). It is my goal, at least in the beginning, to have at least the main dish and one side planned. I will put together the remaining side dishes (veggies / fruits) based on the food items that need to be used up first and compliment the main entree.
Setting a weekly menu plan helps me utilize my time better, thus freeing up extra time to spend with my family. On the days that I am working longer hours I can prep the meal in advance so it will be easier to pull together once I am home. As I go through the menu planning process I will try to share some of our favorite family recipes. If there is a specific recipe you would like please let me know and I will do my best to accommodate (some recipes are a toss together meal and I do not use any set measurements).
As a family of four our life can get busy. What’s for Dinner is our weekly menu planning series and one of the ways to help keep us organized, on schedule, and within budget. Our family typically eats 6 to 7 dinner meals at home a week. We do try to go out to eat at least once a month as a special treat. Breakfasts are eaten at home before work and school, lunches are eaten at work, school, or home, so dinner is our main meal together as a family. Dinner is our time to reconnect, share, and enjoy being together after a busy day. Our weekly menu plan covers Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday only because the weekend (Friday, Saturday, and Sunday) is our time to spend with family and friends. The weekends tend to be more spontaneous and my husband (who is the better cook) likes pitching in therefore we keep the menu open for variety. We use up the leftovers throughout the week for our lunches and on the nights that we are busy or can’t cook.
Photo by Liz
Recipes: Apple Bacon Bread
One of our family members is a big fan of Breakfast Breads. I tried a new one recently that was a big hit. It contains a couple popular ingredients, apples and bacon. Apples and bacon have been on sale in a couple of the local stores so that’s what was included in the new breakfast bread.
Apple Bacon Breakfast Bread:
- 1 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
- 1/2 cup Brown Sugar
- 1/2 cup Butter (softened)
- 2/3 cup White Sugar
- 2 teaspoons Vanilla
- 2 Eggs
- 1 1/2 cup All-Purpose Flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoon Baking Powder
- 1/2 cup Milk
- 1/2 cup Bacon, small pieces
- 1 large Apple, peeled and cubed
Grease a 9 x 5 inch loaf pan or 5 mini loaf pans. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix the cinnamon and brown sugar in a bowl and set aside. In mixer blend together butter and white sugar until smooth. Add vanilla and eggs; blend until combined. Add flour and baking powder and mix until blended. Mix in milk.
Pour half the batter in the greased loaf pan. Sprinkle half the apples, bacon pieces, and cinnamon sugar mixture over the batter. Pour remaining batter over the apple and bacon layer. Top with remaining apples, bacon, and cinnamon sugar mixture. Bake for 45 minutes or until cooked through.
First layer with the apples and bacon sprinkled over the top.
Sprinkled with a little cinnamon and sugar on top!
Hot and delicious!
Whose ready for some Apple Bacon Bread!
Recipes: Easy Homemade Egg McMuffin
For those of us that eat eggs in my family the Homemade Egg McMuffin is a big hit for breakfast. I have one kid in particular that if given a choice she almost always asks for an Egg McMuffin (and I am pretty sure she has never had one from McDonald’s or anywhere else either). She has recently figured out how to make it completely on her own which means she no longer has to wait for my help! WooHoo!
We’ve been using this recipe for probably almost two years now. My sweet husband came up with the recipe one morning because he wanted to encourage me to eat eggs. As a kid I was NEVER a fan of eggs. However, my husband has slowing been transforming into more of an egg person. Now I actually look forward to and enjoy eating eggs at times. Of course, my version of “eating eggs” usually includes a decent amount of melted cheese and/or bacon on top, but hey that counts too! I am still not of fan of a plain fried egg or anything that dramatic!
Although, there are a lot of great Homemade English Muffin recipes we typically pick up the store bought ones to save time. So while our Egg McMuffin is homemade not all parts are from scratch like the english muffins. After making Egg McMuffins for awhile my kids bought me a handy microwavable Egg McMuffin dish that is much easier to use (you’ll see a picture of it below).
Easy Homemade Egg McMuffin:
- 1 whole English Muffin
- 1 Egg
- 1 slice of Cheese (shredded works too)
- Sprinkle of Real Bacon Bits or 1 slice of Bacon (whatever you have on hand)
Toast the English Muffin, butter it, and set aside (do these steps while cooking the egg so both the English Muffin and Egg are done about the same time).
Spray your Egg McMuffin dish or a small glass bowl (about 3 to 4 inches in diameter). Crack your egg into your bowl and stir to break up the egg yolk. Cover and microwave for 60 seconds on 50% power (the 50% power is important because your egg will cook slow and evenly not explode into a mess). Remove from microwave, uncover and add the cheese and bacon. Cover and microwave for 30 seconds on 50% power.
Flip the cooked egg, cheese, and bacon onto the toasted and buttered english muffin and enjoy!
Egg McMuffin cooking dish. I have really liked having this piece for making Egg McMuffins and it is super easy to use and clean! You can get one for around $3 at your local Walmart or on Amazon.
Crack the egg into the dish
Stir the egg to break up the yolk
Toast and butter your English Muffin
Cook your egg for 60 seconds on 50% power
Cheese and bacon added then cooked for 30 seconds on 50% power
Now your ready to eat Easy Homemade Egg McMuffin!
Recipes: Easy Apricot Pork Chops
Recently, I made up a new recipe with some pork chops that we had in the freezer and some items we already had in the refrigerator. A lot of times I will find pork on marked down on clearance, even more than chicken or beef, so I will pick it up and come up with a recipe to use it. The Easy Apricot Pork Chops turned out well! The only thing that I would change is that we had something come up the evening I was planning on serving it so the pork chops marinated for an extra 24 hours which wasn’t necessary; they still tasted great just a little stronger flavor than I originally intended.
Easy Apricot Pork Chops:
- 1 pound Pork Chops (we had boneless pork chops, but either would work)
- 1/3 cup Apricot Preserves
- 1/3 cup French Dressing
- 1/2 pack Onion Soup (optional)
Grease the bottom of a casserole dish that will fit your pork chops and place them in it. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Mix together the apricot preserves, french dressing, and onion soup. Poke the meat with the fork to allow the fruit mixture to penetrate. Evenly spread the apricot mixture over the pork chops. Cover and bake for 45 minutes or until the pork chops are fully cooked. You could also do this in a crockpot on low for 4 to 6 hours.
In the recipe pictured I added the onion soup pack, but if you want a little sweeter flavoring or to have less of an onion taste try it without the onion soup! Without the onion soup it’s delicious and simple too (the recipe would have only 3 ingredients making it more economical as well)!
Pork chops in the pyrex dish waiting to be covered
Apricot mixture
Putting the apricot mixture on each pork chop
Completely covered the top of each pork chop
My Little Chef: Homemade Apple Crisp
Brina’s Homemade Apple Crisp was delicious!
Brina wanted to make homemade apple crisp for the family. She loves to cook and spend time with us in the kitchen. Thankful for her willingness to learn how to cook. She is becoming a great chef!
Mixing up the crisp, the spoon wasn’t working well so she used her fingers.
Freshly cubed apples sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar.
Homemade Apple Crisp ready to go into the oven.
Freshly baked apple crisp!
Recipes: Taco Pasta Casserole
Taco Pasta Casserole
Jake made this amazing taco pasta casserole for us the other day. It was easy to put together and delicious too. Thankful for a creative husband who comes up with great recipes and is willing to cook for the family. The whole family enjoyed this recipe.
Taco Pasta Casserole with corn chips on top for the extra crunch!
Taco Pasta Casserole Recipe:
- 1 pound Ground Hamburger (cooked)
- 1/2 small Onion
- 1 teaspoon Olive Oil
- 12 oz Pasta (cooked)
- 1 pack Taco Seasoning
- 1 can regular diced Tomatoes
- 1 can diced Tomatoes with Chilies
- 2 cups Corn Chips
- Topping Options (sour cream, shredded cheese, salsa)
Saute the onion in Olive Oil for about 5 minutes. Add the ground hamburger to the onions, cook thoroughly, and drain the fat. Add the pack of taco seasoning according to directions. Cook the pasta according to directions and drain. Add the 2 cans of diced tomatoes to the taco hamburger mixture and heat to a boil and simmer on low for 3 minutes. Add the pasta to the hamburger mixture and mix.
Pour the mixture into a greased casserole dish and cook on 350 degrees for 25 minutes or until heated through. The last five minutes add the 2 cups of corn chips on top. Serve with taco toppings such as sour cream, shredded cheese, and salsa, olives, and fresh diced tomatoes.
Taco Meat and Pasta with a few chips before adding the sour cream, salsa, and cheese toppings.
