Come to Dinner!

I’ve wanted to do this unexciting post for a while now. I have some recipes I absolutely love. I’ve collected them from friends, family, the internet and TV over the past 4 years, and they are the regulars at our dinner table. What I love about these recipes is they are relatively easy to make and taste great! Since we can’t have anyone over for dinner here, I thought I’d share some of them with you guys here. I would LOVE to receive some of your favorites in return. I’ll be sure to post the recipes once I’ve tried them! So, enjoy dinner at our house!!!

Tilapia with Homemade Pesto
*Recipe created by Curtis Stone, I got it from the Oprah Show.

1/3 to ½ cup dried basil
4 oz toasted pine nuts
½ cup Parmesan Cheese
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
4 pieces tilapia (about 6 oz each)
1 Tbsp olive oil.

Preheat broiler. Grind the basil, pine nuts and grated Parmesan cheese with a mortar and pestle until smooth paste forms (I use a blender, or you can use a food processor). Slowly add ¼ cup of olive oil, grinding until a smooth sauce forms.

Season the pesto to taste with salt and pepper. Season the tilapia with salt and pepper on both sides. Heat a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the oil and cook the fish for 1 to 2 minutes on the flesh side or until it turns light golden brown. Flip the fish over and spoon the pesto generously over the fish.

Transfer pan to the broiler and broil for 2 to 3 minutes of until the fish is cooked through. Remove fish from broiler and allow to rest on a plate. Serve fish hot.

***My notes: The pesto takes about 15 minutes to make. I don’t use as much as they recommend, so it lasts for about 4 meals! With the pesto made, this recipe takes about 15 minutes to make at the most. This is Mr. N’s favorite!

Not So Sloppy Jo’s
*I got this recipe from Kristen H.

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 small yellow onion, finely chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

1 red bell pepper, finely chopped

1 pound ground beef

1 6-ounce can tomato paste

1 ½ teaspoons chili powder

1 teaspoon cumin

⅛ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

⅛ teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon kosher salt

4 hamburger buns, toasted

½ cup grated Cheddar

½ cup sour cream

Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, and red pepper. Sauté until fragrant, about 3 minutes. Add the ground beef and brown, about 5 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste, chili powder, cumin, black pepper, cinnamon, and salt. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sauce has thickened slightly, about 12 minutes. Spoon onto the buns, sprinkle with the Cheddar, and top each sandwich with a dollop of the sour cream.

Tip: If you have any leftover filling, use it for tacos the next day. Scoop the meat into a shell and add salsa.

***My Notes: Makes 4 servings, so I always double this recipe. This is a favorite of me and the girls, and is delicious to eat! I’ve tried the taco tip above, but prefer to just eat the meat as a leftover.

Chicken Cordon Blue (Makes a Great Freezer Meal)
*I got this recipe my cousin Hila

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed
4 slices deli ham
8 slices deli Swiss cheese
Salt, Pepper & Garlic powder to taste
¼ to ½ cup bread crumbs, seasoned or unseasoned

Preheat oven to 350°. Pound each chicken breast to about ¼ inch thickness. Sprinkle both sides of each breast with salt, pepper and garlic powder to taste. Place one slice of ham on each breast, and then one slice of cheese on each slice of ham. Roll chicken breast up and secure with a toothpick. Transfer to greased backing pan. Sprinkle with bread crumbs. Cover with foil (or put on a cookie sheet and freeze, then store properly for the freezer). Bake for 40 minutes or until juices fun clear. Remove from oven and place another slice of cheese atop each breast. Return to oven and bake 5 more minutes or until cheese is melted. Serves 4.

***My Notes: I always double this recipe and freeze half of them for later use. I hate pounding the chicken out, but after doing that annoying task (which is a good task if you have pent up frustration) it is an extremely easy recipe.

Curry Chicken
*I got this recipe from my sister Diane

2-3 chicken breasts, cooked and cubed (or shredded)
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 apple
Baby carrots
Celery
Garlic
Raisins
Curry powder to taste

Sauté baby carrots, celery, and garlic. Mix chicken and raisins into vegetables. Add curry powder to taste. Add can of cream of chicken soup plus ½ can of water. When almost done, peel and cube apple. Add to chicken mixture. Serve over white rice.

***We LOVE this recipe! The mixture of the curry, sweet, and salty is so yummy!!!

Tostadas
*I got this from my dad’s ex-“wife”

⅛ cup oil
1 heaping teaspoon chili powder
½ teaspoon cumin

6 flour tortillas
1 can refried beans, heated
Cheddar cheese, shredded

2 sliced avocados
Shredded lettuce
Chopped tomatoes
Picante Sauce
Sour Cream

Preheat oven to 350°. Mix first 3 ingredients and brush on both sides of the tortillas. Bake on cookie sheet for 4 minutes on each side or until tortillas are crisp, not floppy. Turn oven off.

Spread heated beans on hot tortillas. Top with cheese. Return to oven until cheese is slightly melted (1 minute). Remove from oven and let everyone top their own tortilla.

***My Notes: These are SOOOO good. This is my mom’s favorite and a favorite all around at our house.

Meatloaf (Makes a Great Freezer Meal)
*I got this from Lorie Jo

1-1½ lbs ground beef
½ cup oatmeal
1 small onion
¾ teaspoon salt
Dash pepper
1 teaspoon mustard
½ cup milk
1 egg

Topping:
¾ cup ketchup
2 Tablespoons brown sugar

Mix ingredients together and flatten out in a 9X13 baking pan (this meatloaf should be large and flat – about 1 inch thick. It will shrink a lot when baked). Spread topping over entire top of the meatloaf and bake at 350º for 1 to 1 ½ hours covered with foil.

***My Notes: I usually double or triple this recipe as well and freeze the other 1 or two meatloaves. Lorie Jo uses less of the topping than what is recommended, but I use all of it. I like it with a little less onion. SOOO good.

African Chow Mein
*I got this from our Family Reunion Cookbook

1 to 1 ½ lbs ground beef
1 cup chopped onion
¾ cups uncooked quick rice (I use regular cooked rice)
2 cups celery, chopped
1 can chicken noodle soup
1 can cream of mushroom soup
¼ cup soy sauce
1 cup water
Chow Mein noodles

Brown hamburger meat with onion. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well. Pour into a 2-quart casserole dish and bake 45-50 minutes at 350º. Top with Chow Mein noodles

***My Notes: This is a really good, easy recipe. It’s not a head-over-heals-love-it meal, but it’s very tasty

and easy to make. I added it here to bring the recipes up to 7.

And what is dinner without dessert...

Southern Peach Cobbler
*I got this recipe online when I was craving Peach Cobbler.

8 fresh peaches - peeled, pitted and sliced into thin wedges (I use 2 quarts of bottled peaches)
¼ cup white sugar
¼ cup brown sugar
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon lemon juice
2 teaspoons cornstarch

1 cup all-purpose flour
¼ cup white sugar
¼ cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled and cut into small pieces
¼ cup boiling water

MIX TOGETHER:
3 Tablespoons white sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). In a large bowl, combine peaches, ¼ cup white sugar, ¼ cup brown sugar, ¼ teaspoon cinnamon, nutmeg, lemon juice, and cornstarch. Toss to coat evenly, and pour into a 2 quart baking dish. Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine flour, ¼ cup white sugar, ¼ cup brown sugar, baking powder, and salt. Blend in butter with your fingertips, or a pastry blender, until mixture resembles coarse meal. Stir in water until just combined.

Remove peaches from oven, and drop spoonfuls of topping over them. Sprinkle entire cobbler with the sugar and cinnamon mixture. Bake until topping is golden, about 30 minutes.

***My Notes: Every time I’ve made this for someone, they’ve always requested the recipe. It’s SOOOO good. Don’t forget the ice cream!

*Tag to anyone who wants to share their favorites around the dinner table!