Peach Pie Crescents

I got this quick and delicious dessert recipe from my friend Kari. It is fabulous. We had it for FHE the other night and everyone gobbled them up and asked for seconds. The pie crescents taste like little peach pies and with a scoop of vanilla ice cream... heavenly. You can also make these with apple pie filling or any other favorite pie filling. I might try raspberry next time.

Peach Pie Crescents

1-2 tubes crescent rolls (depending on how many you need)
1 can peach pie filling (or other flavor), 1 can is enough for 2 tubes crescent rolls
cinnamon sugar (I have a McCormick brand cinnamon sugar in a shaker, but you could just combine sugar and cinnamon to taste)

Take a triangle of crescent roll dough and place a dollop of pie filling in the middle. (I cut up the peaches in the can with a pair of scissors to make it easier to scoop out in smaller portions). Roll pointy end over the pie filling and place it with the pointy end underneath on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper (the filling leaks out so this makes for easier clean up). Sprinkle a good amount of cinnamon sugar over each roll. Bake at 350 for 15-18 minutes or until just beginning to brown. Serve alone or with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.

Pineapple Sweet and Sour Meatballs

I am not quite sure how this recipe has not made it onto the blog yet. We love these meatballs. I guess I just never took a picture of the finished product before. I got this recipe years ago from a recipe swap. This meal comes together very quickly, especially if you use frozen meatballs like I always do. IKEA's frozen meatballs are my favorite (that's what I used this time), but if you don't have an IKEA near you, Armor meatballs are also good.

Pineapple Sweet and Sour Meatballs

meatballs, precooked (I use about 1 1/2 lbs for my family)

Sauce:
1 cup brown sugar
4 tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 cup white vinegar
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1, 15 oz can pineapple tidbits (drain off about 1/2 the juices)
1 1/2 cups water

Combine brown sugar and cornstarch in a large saucepan. Whisk in vinegar, soy sauce, and water. Stir over medium heat until it comes to a low boil. Add can of pineapple with some of the juices and stir until sauced is thickened and bubbly. Add cooked meatballs, tossing to coat. Heat through. Serve over rice.

Smashed Red Potatoes

I love smashed potatoes or loaded mashed potatoes as they are sometimes called at restaurants. Here's my at-home version (which is yummy if I don't say so myself). Really though, how can you go wrong with mashed potatoes and cheese and bacon. What a delicious and naughty combination. 

Smashed Red Potatoes

3 lb red potatoes
6 tablespoons butter, melted
1/2 cup half and half
1/4 - 1/2 cup sour cream
4 oz medium or sharp cheddar, shredded
1/4 cup chopped green onions
1/4 cup cooked and crumbled bacon
salt
pepper

Cut up potatoes and cook in boiling water until cooked through (over cooking the potatoes just a little makes for fluffier potatoes). Drain. Place cooked potatoes in the bowl of an electric mixer. Add melted butter, half and half, and sour cream and mix with paddle attachment until potatoes are broken up. Turn up speed and mix until potatoes are smoother, but still a little lumpy. Mix in by hand: cheddar, green onions, bacon, and salt and pepper to taste.

Broiled Flank Steak

My husband loves steak and I hardly ever cook it, partly because we don't have a grill at the moment and also because I find steak to be a little intimidating. This steak is really easy to cook though and because it's cooked under the broiler it was also fast. I got the recipe from the show Kelsey's Essentials and modified it just slightly. My kids do not like rare or even medium rare steak so I did cook it longer than the recipe called for, but feel free to cut down the cooking time for rarer steak. This served over some greens with a balsamic vinaigrette would be a lovely steak salad dinner. I served it with salad and smashed potatoes to make everyone happy, and it did work. My family all loved it and my husband was happy to have steak.:)

Broiled Flank Steak

1, 2 lb flank steak

Marinade:
1/4 cup worchestershire sauce
2 tablespoon brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon dry mustard
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 cup canola oil

In a small bowl mix together: worchestershire, brown sugar, mustard, 2 teaspoons kosher salt, 1 teaspoon pepper, garlic, onion powder and oil. Whisk well. Place steak in a ziplock bag and add marinade. Let sit at room temp. for 1 hour or refrigerate for 2 hours. Allow to come to room temp. before cooking.

Place marinaded steak on a rack fitted over a cookie sheet covered in foil or on a broiler pan. Cook for 10-15 minutes on each side. Remove from oven and allow to rest for 10 minutes. Slice into thin strips against the grain.

Spaghetti Pasta Salad

This salad tastes something like a simplified version of my Manly Pasta Salad. It can be made in one day so it's perfect for a weeknight side dish. It's a cheap and cheerful pasta salad that is sure to please almost everyone.


Spaghetti Pasta Salad

16 oz spaghetti, snapped into 2-3 inch pieces, cooked and drained
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
2 oz jar pimentoes
1 cup diced celery
1/2 cup diced green bell pepper
3 green onions, sliced
1/2 cup sliced or chopped black olives
4 oz medium cheddar, cubed
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1 cup mayonnaise

Cook and drain the pasta according to package directions. Rinse with cold water until pasta is cooled. Allow to sit out to dry for a bit while you prepare the other ingredients.

Toss pasta and all ingredients in a large bowl. Chill for at least 2 hours before serving.

Food Nanny Sloppy Joes

This sloppy joes recipe is great! The sloppy joe meat ends up tasting a little like bbq beef, which I think is fantastic. We had the meat on homemade wheat rolls with Spaghetti Pasta Salad and corn on the cob. It was a hit with everyone and a great summer meal. You can serve this open face with a slice of cheddar cheese over each half of sandwich, then place under the broiler until cheese is melted. Yum.

Food Nanny Sloppy Joes

1 tablespoon butter
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 lb ground beef
1 cup ketchup
1/2 cup water (add more if needed)
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper

Melt butter in a skillet. Add onion and stir until soft. Add meat and cook until thoroughly cooked. Drain off fat. Add ketchup, water, brown sugar, worchestershire, vinegar, chili powder, salt, and pepper. Simmer for 20 minutes, adding more water as needed for the desired consistency. Serve on rolls or hamburger buns.

Pineapple Teriyaki Chicken

This is a very yummy and easy crockpot recipe from Carrie's Cooking Corner. Everyone in my family really liked it. Chicken thighs have the most flavor, but I bet you could use chicken breasts with great success as well. Thanks Carrie!

Pineapple Teriyaki Chicken

5 boneless skinless chicken thighs
1/4 cup Mr. Yosida's Marinade and Sauce
3/4 cup water
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 can pineapple chunks or crushed (you can use either 8 oz or 15 oz depending on how pineappley you want it - I used 8 oz can with juices)
1 teaspoon minced garlic
2 green onions, sliced

Combine all ingredients in a crockpot and cook for about 6 hours. Watch after about 5 hours to make sure chicken doesn't get dry. Break up chicken with a spatula. Either serve now over rice or you can thicken the sauce with the directions below.

*To thicken: combine 1/4 cup cornstarch with 1/2 cup water and mix until dissolved. Pour chicken and sauce into a saucepan, stir in the cornstarch/water mixture and bring to a boil. Serve over rice.