Archive for the ‘#1 Go-To Recipes’ Category
Slow Cooker Taco Pasta
This recipe comes from a social media friend and it is delicious! The pasta is cooked and added at the end so there is no chance it can get soggy.
Equipment
- Slow Cooker (4+ quart)
Ingredients
- 750-1000 grams ground beef, or pork, (1½-2 lb)
- 1 can corn, drained, (15 oz / 425 g, or 2 cups frozen)
- 1 can diced tomatoes, (20 oz / 565 g)
- 1 green bell pepper, diced
- 1 onion, diced
- 1 can diced green chilies, (7 oz / 198 g)
- ⅓ cup taco seasoning, (1 packet), Shortcut
- 3 cups sour cream, Shortcut
- 340 grams dry rotini pasta, (12 oz)
- 2 cups Cheddar cheese, shredded
Instructions
- In a non stick pan, cook the beef until no more pink remains. Drain.
- Butter, or use non stick spray of your choice, the inside of the slow cooker. Add the browned beef, corn, tomatoes, onion, green chilies, and taco seasoning.
- Mix together, cover, and set to Low setting for 4-6 hours.
- About 30 minutes before serving, cook the pasta in a pot of salted water until just tender, drain.
- To the slow cooker, add the sour cream and drained pasta, mix everything together.
- Sprinkle the Cheddar cheese over the top.
- Cover and let cheese melt.
- When the cheese has melted, serve and enjoy.
Notes
Fair cost per serving if using beef.
Shortcuts: Taco Seasoning, Sour Cream.
Updated on 1 September 2022.
Hot Crab Dip
This is an excellent hot crab dip, easy to put together and common ingredients. I made this on 20 Jul 2022 and it is very well liked by the family. Link to the Shortcut is listed in the Notes section.
Equipment
- Casserole (2 quart)
- Oven
Ingredients
- 500 grams lump crab meat, four 6 oz cans drained is 4 oz each, perfect, (1 lb)
- 250 grams cream cheese, softened, (8 oz)
- ½ cup mayo
- ¼ cup Parmesan cheese, grated
- 3 tablespoons spring onion, sliced, green and white parts
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice, or lime juice
- 1 teaspoon hot sauce
- ½ teaspoon Old Bay seasoning, Shortcut
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 160° C (325° F), get out a 2 quart casserole.
- To a mixing bowl, add all the ingredients except the crab.
- Mix together well.
- Gently fold in the drained crab meat.
- Add mixture to the casserole and spread out evenly.
- Bake for 35-40 minutes or until the top is lightly browned.
- Serve hot as an appetizer with crackers or even as a side dish. Enjoy.
Notes
Shortcut: Old Bay Seasoning.
Crockpot Goulash
This is an American Goulash and is from a social media friend. I made this on 16 Jul 2022 and modified it slightly to what I have available to me. Wonderful goulash, excellent flavor!
Equipment
- Slow Cooker (3½+ quart) (6 quart if doubling the recipe)
Ingredients
- 500-600 grams ground beef, (1-1¼ lb)
- 1 onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2½ cups water
- 2 cubes beef stock
- 2 cans diced tomatoes, undrained, (565 g / 20 oz each)
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning, Shortcut
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 cups dry elbow macaroni
- 1½ cup Cheddar cheese, shredded, or more as desired
Instructions
- Heat a non stick pan and cook the beef, breaking it up with your spatula. Cook until no pink is visible, drain and add to the slow cooker.
- To the slow cooker, add the rest of the ingredients except the dry macaroni and cheese, those will be used later.
- Stir together then cover and set to High for 2 hours or Low for 4-5 hours.
- About 30 minutes before you plan to serve, add the dry macaroni and stir together. Cover and continue cooking on Low, check the macaroni at 15 minutes, and cook until just tender. Remove the bay leaves and discard those, then add the cheese and stir together.
- When the cheese is melted, serve and enjoy.
Notes
Fair cost per serving based on beef used and the amount of cheese you use. The cost of the beef will depend on if you can source locally and grind yourself, or store bought ground beef.
Shortcut: Italian Seasoning.
Variants: 1. Use ground pork or chicken in place of beef. 2. Use bulk Italian sausage in place of beef. 3. Stir in a packet of taco seasoning. 4. Use small shell pasta in place of elbow macaroni.
Slow Cooker Honey Garlic Cocktail Sausages
I prepared this on 26 Nov 2022 exactly as written, and wow is this good! Excellent flavor, great combination of ingredients. This is now my go to cocktail sausage recipe to use.
Equipment
- Slow Cooker (3½+ quart)
Ingredients
- ¼ cup brown sugar, packed
- ⅓ cup honey
- ½ cup ketchup
- 2 tablespoons light soy sauce
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 kilo cocktail sausages, (2 lb)
Instructions
- To your slow cooker, add the first 5 ingredients, stir to mix together.
- Add the cocktail sausages and stir to coat.
- Set your slow cooker to Low setting for 3 hours, quickly stirring once an hour.
- Serve with sides of your choice, enjoy.
Notes
Low cost per serving.
Variant: 1. Use chili sauce in place of ketchup.
Broccoli, Chicken & Rice Casserole
I love a good casserole and this one not only sounds really good, it is delicious! I made this on 11 Jul 2022 and it was well liked by the family. I used my pressure cooker to cook the chicken, and that also provided me with 2 quarts of broth for other recipes. I also made the homemade Stove Stop stuffing using my shortcut. Links to the Shortcuts are listed in the Notes section.
Equipment
- Baking Pan (9x13 inch)
- Oven
Ingredients
- 1 head broccoli, cut into bite size pieces, steam or boil until tender, drain well
- 4 chicken breasts, boneless, skinless, cooked and cubed, Shortcut
- 2 cups cooked rice
- 2 cans condensed cream of chicken soup, (10½ oz / 298 g each), Shortcut
- ½ cup mayo
- ⅓ cup milk
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- 1 cup butter, melted
- 1 box stuffing mix, just the contents of the box, not the additional ingredients it calls for, (6 oz / 170 g), Shortcut
Instructions
- In a saucepan, add the soup, mayo, milk, and lemon juice.
- Whisk together and place on low heat and heat until warmed through, set aside.
- Preheat your oven to 180° C (350° F). Get out a 9x13 inch baking dish and lightly grease with butter or non stick spray.
- In the baking dish, add the cooked and drained broccoli and spread out in an even layer. Then add the rice over the broccoli in an even layer.
- Then add the cooked cubed chicken over the rice.
- Add the soup mixture over the chicken, spreading it evenly over the top.
- In a mixing bowl, add the contents of the stuffing mix and the melted butter and mix together. Spread the buttered stuffing over the top of the casserole.
- Place in the oven and bake for 25 minutes.
- Serve and enjoy.
Notes
Low cost per serving.
Shortcuts: Quick Chicken Broth (Pressure Cooker), Condensed Cream of Chicken Soup, Homemade Stove Top Stuffing.
Chicken Nugget Spaghetti Bake
This is an excellent way to serve chicken nuggets. I made this on 21 Nov 2022, and adjusted the ingredients based on the family comments, and the updated ingredients are are updated.
Equipment
- Baking Pan (9x13 inch)
- Oven
Ingredients
- 500 grams dry spaghetti, (1 lb)
- 4-5 cups pasta sauce, Shortcut
- 500 grams frozen chicken nuggets, thawed, (1 lb)
- ½ cup Parmesan cheese, grated
- 2 cups Mozzarella cheese, or as desired
Instructions
- Heat a pot of salted water to boiling. Add the spaghetti and cook until just tender, drain well.
- Just before the spaghetti is done, preheat your oven to 180° (350° F), get out a 9x13 baking pan.
- After the spaghetti is drained, add to the baking dish.
- Add 2-3 cups of pasta sauce and mix together. Spread out evenly.
- Top the spaghetti with the chicken nuggets in an even layer.
- Drizzle another 1-2 cups of sauce over the nuggets, then sprinkle with the Parmesan cheese.
- Top with Mozzarella cheese, be generous.
- Bake for 20-30 minutes or until bubbly and the cheese is starting to brown.
- Serve and enjoy.
Notes
Ham & Cheese Macaroni Salad
A basic macaroni salad that can be a light lunch or dinner, or a nice side dish. On my to make and taste list. This is a versatile macaroni salad that can be tailored to your taste or made a different way each time it is prepared.
Ingredients
- 340 grams dry macaroni, (12 oz)
- ½ cup creamy Caesar salad dressing, and as needed
- 750 grams cooked ham, cubed, (1-1½ lb)
- 250 grams Cheddar cheese, cubed, (8 oz)
- 1 onion, diced, red or yellow
- ½ cup gherkins, chopped
- salt and pepper, as desired
Instructions
- Heat a pot of salted water to a boil, add the pasta. Cook, stirring occasionally until tender.
- Drain well and place in a mixing bowl to cool.
- Cube the ham and cheese, dice the onion, chop the gherkins, and prep any additional items you want to add. (I added some chopped spring onion.)
- When the macaroni has cooled, add that to a larger mixing bowl or large pot, then add the dressing and mix together.
- Now add cubed and the diced/chopped items, fold into the pasta to coat everything with dressing, adding more dressing as needed for your desired consistency.
- Transfer to a more manageable container, cover and place in the fridge to chill and blend the flavors for 2-3 hours.
- Serve as a lunch, light dinner, or a nice side dish with any main dish. Enjoy.
Notes
Low cost per serving.
Variants: 1. Use Ranch or Bleu Cheese dressings. 2. Add veggies you like, such as sliced spring onion, green olives, or diced bell pepper. 3. Add some chopped hard boiled eggs or whole hard boiled quail eggs.
Chicken Nugget Casserole I
As a way to use chicken nuggets in a creative way, I thought why not a casserole. I made this on 8 Jul 2022, and it is delicious! This was loved by the whole family! I state using pasta sauce for this, but I am also going to experiment with adding diced tomatoes when I prepare this again. Links to the Shortcuts are listed in the Notes section.
Equipment
- Baking Pan (9x13 inch)
- Oven
Ingredients
- 750 grams frozen chicken nuggets, (1½ lb)
- 500 grams bowtie pasta, (1 lb)
- 2 cups pasta sauce, Shortcut
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning, Shortcut
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 3 cups Mozzarella cheese, shredded, divided
- 1 cup Parmesan cheese, grated, divided
Instructions
- Heat a large pot of salted water to boiling. Add pasta and cook until almost tender, as it will get cooked more while baking. Drain well. Return drained pasta to the pot.
- While the pasta is cooking, preheat your oven to 180° (350° F). Get out a 9x13 baking pan and grease with butter.
- To a mixing bowl, add the tomato sauce, garlic, Italian seasoning, and black pepper. Whisk together. Add the sauce to the drained pasta and mix with a large spoon.
- Add 1½ cups Mozzarella cheese, and ½ cup Parmesan cheese. Mix together.
- Add the frozen chicken nuggets and mix together.
- Dump the mixture into the prepared baking pan and spread out evenly.
- Sprinkle with the remaining cheeses.
- Bake for 45 minutes or until the sauce is bubbly and cheese is browned.
- I simply used a spatula and cut the casserole into 6 portions. Serve and enjoy.
Notes
Fair cost per serving based on the cheeses used, the nuggets are actually low cost.
Shortcuts: Pasta Sauce, Italian Seasoning.
Wacky Cake
This is a mix right in the pan recipe, and uses no eggs, butter, or milk. I made this on 25 Jun 2022 and it is absolutely excellent chocolate cake, no frosting or whipped cream needed!
Equipment
- Pyrex Baking Pan (8x8 inch)
- Oven
Ingredients
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup sugar
- ¼ cup cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon white vinegar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 6 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 cup water
- frosting, of your choice, if desired
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 180° C (350° F), get out an 8x8 inch Pyrex or ceramic baking pan, do not use a metal pan for this.
- To the baking pan, add the first 5 ingredients.
- Mix together with a fork. The reason of using a fork is it acts like a whisk.
- Make 3 indentions in the flour mixture. To each one, add the vinegar, vanilla, and oil.
- Pour the 1 cup of water over that.
- Then mix everything together with fork until mixed and no dry ingredients are visible.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Place on a wire rack to cool completely.
- Once cooled, frost if desired with your choice of frosting, or enjoy without.
- Cut into 9 squares, serve and enjoy. Excellent cake even without the frosting.
Super Easy Orange Chicken
This recipe comes from a good friend on the Just a Pinch Recipe Club website. I made this on 23 June 20222, and it is excellent chicken, great flavor. My family really enjoyed this dish.
Equipment
- 1 Gallon Zip Lock Bag
Ingredients
For the Orange Sauce
- ¾ cup orange marmalade
- 3 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 3 tablespoons light soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons fresh ginger, grated
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
For the Chicken
- 750-1000 grams chicken breasts, boneless, skinless, (1½-2 lb), I used 4 breasts
- ¼ cup corn starch
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- cooking oil, for frying
Instructions
- Add all the Orange Sauce ingredients to medium bowl and mix together. You can prepare this two different ways. Prepare the sauce right before cooking the chicken, or make the sauce a few hours before, or even in the morning before cooking the chicken, to let the flavors blend together.
- Prep the chicken by cutting into large bite size pieces.
- When ready to cook the chicken, add the corn starch, garlic powder, salt, and pepper to the gallon size zip lock bag. Seal the bag and shake to mix together. Add the chicken to the bag.
- Seal, and shake and mix the the chicken with the corn starch mixture to coat the chicken.
- To a large skillet, heat 3-4 tablespoons of cooking, when hot, remove chicken from the zip lock bag and add to the pan. (I use a wok pan which is a flat bottomed wok - works perfect for this.)
- Cook until golden brown, turning the chicken often, about 10-15 minutes. Do not overcook or you will have tough chicken.
- While the chicken is cooking, if you made the sauce earlier and let the flavors blend in the fridge, take that out and microwave to just warm it up.
- With the chicken still in the pan, pour in the sauce, stir with the chicken pieces and cook until hot and slightly thickened, it thickens more as it cools, about 3-5 minutes.
- When the sauce is hot and thickened, remove from heat, sprinkle with white poppy seeds if desired.
- Serve with rice of your choice and a vegetable for a delicious meal. Enjoy.
