Meatloaves with White BBQ sauce

1/2 cup sour cream
4 Tbs mayo
1 Tbs dijon mustard
2 Tbs white wine vinegar
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 tsp thyme

1 pound ground beef
1 cup panko bread crumbs
1/2 chopped onion
1 Tbs smoked paprika
1 Tbs chili powder
1 Tbs garlic powder
1/2 tsp black pepper
3 Tbs worcestershire sauce

In a small bowl, stir together sour cream, mayo, mustard, vinegar, and spices.

In a medium bowl, mix together beef, bread crumbs, onion, worcestershire sauce, and seasoning.  Form into 4 loaves and bake at 400 degrees until cooked through (about 25 minutes)

Drizzle BBQ sauce over meatloaves, great served with roasted potatoes, green beans, slaw, corn, etc.

Crowd Pleasing Broccoli Casserole

http://www.food.com/recipe/good-eats-broccoli-noodle-casserole-138672

1 cup plain yogurt
1/4 cup mayo
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese (divided)
1 Tbs spicy mustard
1/2 tsp garlic salt
pepper to taste
2 eggs

4 slices bacon, cooked and diced/crumbled
2 large heads broccoli, diced and blanched
1 package egg noodles, cooked al dente

In a large bowl, mix together yogurt through eggs (reserving 1/2 cup cheddar cheese)
Stir in bacon, broccoli, and egg noodles
Pour into a greased 8x8 (medium sized) casserole dish
Top with remaining cheese
Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes

Churro Waffles

From a Fred Meyer Flyer

1 cup water
8 Tbs butter
1 cup flour
1/2 tsp grated nutmeg
1/2 tsp lemon zest
4 eggs

Topping:
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
2 Tbs melted butter

Preheat waffle iron

To make batter, combine water & butter in a medium saucepan.  Bring to a boil on high heat, stir until butter is melted.
Reduce heat to medium and add flour, then nutmeg, then lemon zest, beating vigorously for 1 minute with spoon or heat proof whisk.
Remove pan from heat and cool for 5 minutes
Thoroughly beat in eggs, one at a time.  Dough should be pasty & tacky

Grease hot waffle iron with cooking spray.  Add about 2 Tbs of batter to hot iron to each section of the iron (this dough expands a lot as it cooks!)  Close & cook until churros are golden brown on the outside (about 5 minutes)

While waffles are cooking, mix together cinnamon & sugar.
As soon as waffles are done, remove from iron, brush with melted butter, and top with cinnamon & sugar

Easy Blueberry Muffins

The trick is to not mix them too much once the wet ingredients are added to the dry.  It keeps the muffins tender

1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder

zest from 1 lemon (optional)
1/3 cup oil (coconut, vegetable, applesauce)
1 egg
milk to fill measure to 1 cup (about 1/2 cup)
1 tsp vanilla

1 cup blueberries

Mix together dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl
Mix zest, oil, and 1 egg in a glass measuring cup.  Add milk to measuring cup to fill liquids to 1 cup line, then add vanilla and mix together

Gently mix wet ingredients in with dry ingredients.  Fold in blueberries

Line muffin pan with 12 liners (or spray well with non stick spray).  Divide batter between cups.  Sprinkle tops with sugar.

Bake at 400 x 18-20 minutes.

Easy Popcorn Balls

1 stick of  butter
1 bag (16 oz) marshmallows
1 envelope of Kool-Aid or 1 tsp of vanilla (optional)

1 1/2 cups popcorn kernels
mix-ins of choice (M&Ms, peanuts, Skittles, sprinkles, chocolate chips, cinnamon and sugar, etc)

Melt butter in large saucepan on stove top (or in a large bowl in microwave)  Add marshmallows and Kool-Aid or vanilla if using and stir until marshmallows are melted

Meanwhile, pop popcorn (I use our airpopper, but microwave or Whirly-Pop works too)  Pour into a large baking pan coated with nonstick spray.

Pour marshmallow mixture over popcorn, add mix-ins of choice.  Stir with a spray coated spatula.

Form into popcorn balls with spray coated hands and place onto waxed paper.

Favorite Pumpkin Pancakes

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

1/2 cup flour

1/2 tsp salt

2 Tbs baking powder

1 Tbs brown sugar

1 tsp pumpkin pie spice

1 cup canned pumpkin

1 egg

1 cup milk

***for Kenny, sprinkle each pancake with a few chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, or dinosaur sprinkles before flipping

***for Keith, drizzle each pancake with a glaze of 1 cup powdered sugar, 1 Tbs milk, 1 tsp maple extract

***for Sarah, sprinkle each pancake with chopped pecans before flipping

*** for Gracie, just let her eat the chocolate chips and sprinkles ;)

Ham & Cheese Spaetzle Bake

http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/spaetzle-baked-with-ham-gruyre-10000000604745/

The link above is the original recipe, but it needed some extra flavor

Spaetzle:
2 Tbs milk
3 eggs
1 tsp salt
2 cups (and a bit) of sifted flour
1 cup frozen peas

I just use my Kitchenaid mixer but I'm sure you could do this by hand if you wanted to be authentic:
Beat together milk and eggs
Once well mixed, add salt and sift in flour.  Start with 2 cups and mix together.  Add flour as needed to make a soft but not sticky dough (I usually use another 1/4 cup or so to get the right consistency)

If you're making true spaetzle**, plop dough into a colander with wide holes and use the back of a big spoon to push dough through holes into a pot of boiling water.  Boil for about 5 minutes, add frozen peas for last minute of cooking then drain. **(Instead of the colander, I find it's easier to just roll out the dough on a well floured counter and use a pizza cutter to make short, thin "worm noodles", as Kenny calls them)

Other ingredients:
1 chopped onion
2 cloves garlic
1 cup chopped ham
2 cups chopped mushrooms
a splash of white wine (or chicken broth) to deglaze pan
2 eggs
1 Tbs dijon mustard
salt and pepper to taste
1 1/2 cups milk
2 Tbs flour
I cup shredded cheese (swiss or cheddar are good)

Saute onions, mushrooms, ham, and garlic until softened and beginning to brown.  Deglaze pan with a little wine/broth to get the browned bits loosened.  
Combine spaetzle mixture with onion mixture and pour into a 13x9 pan coated with spray.
Whisk together eggs, mustard, milk, and flour and pour into pan.
Top with shredded cheese
Bake uncovered at 375 degrees for 35 minutes or until set and browned on top.

Crockpot Pasta bake

http://littlefellows.blogspot.com/2011/11/best-crockpot-meal-ive-tried-yet.html

1 bag of frozen/refrigerated tortellini/ravioli (we really like the mushroom ravioli from safeway)
4 cups fresh spinach
2 cans diced tomatoes, not drained 
1 clove garlic, minced
 1 Tbs Italian seasoning
2 cups or chicken broth
8 oz neufchatel cream cheese
1 lb. chicken sausage

Brown the sausage and put all ingredients in crockpot,
chunking up the cream cheese.
Cook on low for 5-6 hrs.

Cheesy Roasted Cauliflower

Yup, the kids like this one!

http://richestoragsbydori.blogspot.com/2012/07/skinny-garlic-cheesy-cauliflower.html

1 fresh whole Cauliflower

1 oz white cheddar cheese, shredded

Sliced green onions or dried onions (desired amount)
1-2 teaspoons of minced garlic

2 Tablespoons of butter, cut into small pieces

1/4 cup of Parmesan cheese or desired amount

Salt and Pepper

Dried parsley flakes

Directions

    .Cut Cauliflower into chunks.  

 sprinkle butter into bottom of baking dish.  Add cauliflower.  Sprinkle minced garlic, onion and parsley flakes, and cheeses on top.  Season with salt and pepper. Bake at 350 for 25 minutes and keep checking until desired brown on top. You want it to be perfectly tender and not crunchy. If it is still crunchy put it back in. 

Valentine's Hand Pies

http://tastykitchen.com/recipes/desserts/raspberry-heart-shaped-hand-pies/

This isn't so much a recipe as an idea I really loved.  I think it would be easiest to use premade pie crusts and cut them and fill them with the kids' choice (PB&J or banana, nutella, cinnamon & sugar, jam, etc)  But if I were ever feeling really motivated, here's the whole recipe:

• 2 sticks Unsalted Butter, Chilled And Cut Into 1" Pieces
• 2-¼ cups All-purpose Flour
• 1 Tablespoon Baking Powder
• ½ cups Sugar
• 1 teaspoon Salt
• ½ cups Ice Water
• ¾ cups Seedless Raspberry Jam (approximate)
• Powdered Sugar, For Dusting

Combine the butter, flour, baking powder, salt and sugar in a food processor with a steel blade and pulse just until it resembles coarse crumbs. Slowly pour in the ice water through the feed tube and pulse just until combined and a dough ball forms. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least one hour.

Preheat the oven to 350 F.

Roll out the dough on a well floured surface and cut out an equal number of heart shapes. Re-roll the scraps to create more cut outs. If you’re using a large, 4″ cutter, add about an ounce of jam to the center of half the hearts. Use less jam for smaller heart shapes. Wet the edges of the heart with a bit of water water and place a second heart shape on top. Press down on the edges with the tines of a fork to seal.

Place the filled heart shapes on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake in the preheated 350 F oven for 30 minutes or until the pastry is a light golden brown. Allow them to cool to room temperature and dust with powdered sugar. The number of hand pies you get will depend on the size cutter you use. My 4″ cutter yielded about a dozen finished pies

Favorite Chicken Soup with Homemade Noodles

• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken (we like thighs)~either cut into chunks or boiled whole and then shredded; your choice
• bay leaf
• 1 cup diced carrots
• 1 diced onion
• 1/2 cup diced celery
• 3 cloves garlic, diced
• bay leaf
• 1 Tbs poultry seasoning
• salt and pepper to taste (we also like a sprinkling of crushed red pepper)
• 1 cup chopped mushrooms, sauted if desired
• 1 cup peas (frozen is fine)
• juice from 1 lemon or chopped parsley as garnish if desired
• homemade egg noodles  (click for recipe)

Saute carrots, onions, celery in a large stock pot for 5 minutes.  Add garlic and seasoning and saute for 1 minute.  Add chicken, bay leaf, and enough water to make a large pot of soup.

Simmer for until chicken is done (at least 20 minutes) but a few hours is even better.

Remove bay leaf and shred chicken at this point if it isn't cut into bite sized pieces.  Return chicken to pot.

30 minutes before serving, prep noodles.  Add noodles, mushrooms, and peas for last 10 minutes of cooking time.

Serve with a squeeze of lemon juice or some chopped parsley if desired.

Spaetzle/Egg Noodles

These are SO good in chicken noodle soup

2 Tbs milk
3 eggs
1 tsp salt
2 cups (and a bit) of sifted flour

I just use my Kitchenaid mixer but I'm sure you could do this by hand if you wanted to be authentic:
Beat together milk and eggs
Once well mixed, add salt and sift in flour.  Start with 2 cups and mix together.  Add flour as needed to make a soft but not sticky dough (I usually use another 1/4 cup or so to get the right consistency)

If you're making true spaetzle, plop dough into a colander with wide holes and use the back of a big spoon to push dough through holes into a pot of boiling water.  Boil for about 10 minutes then drain and serve with desired toppings.

I use this dough for soup/as wide egg noodles mostly.  Roll dough out on a well floured surface to desired thickness.  Use a pizza cutter to cut into wide noodles (or whatever shape floats your boat)  Let sit for 20 minutes then plop them into your chicken soup.  They take about 10 minutes to cook in the soup but are even better as left overs the next day.

Fancy Mac&Cheese

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2013/02/fancy-mac-and-cheese/

We're making these in individual ramekins so each of us can doctor them up with our favorite add ins

(I'd like to do a hot wings variation with shredded chicken soaked in hot sauce instead of bacon and chopped green onions and celery for mushrooms and maybe extra blue cheese instead of goat cheese)

• 16 ounces, weight White Button Or Cremini Mushrooms, Quartered
• Olive Oil, For Drizzling
• Kosher Salt And Black Pepper To Taste
• 8 slices Thick Cut Bacon
• 2 whole Yellow Onions, Peeled, Halved, And Thinly Sliced
• 5 Tablespoons Butter
• 1/2 cup Grated Parmesan Cheese
• 1/2 cup Grated Gruyere Cheese
• 1/2 cup Grated Fontina Cheese
• 4 ounces, weight Goat Cheese (chevre)
• 1-1/2 pound Macaroni
• 1/4 cup All-purpose Flour
• 2 cups  Milk
• 2 whole Eggs, Beaten
• 4 ounces, weight Crumbled Gorgonzola Or Other Blue Cheese

Preparation Instructions

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Drizzle the mushrooms with olive oil, then sprinkle them with salt and pepper. Roast them in the oven until deep golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes. Set aside.

Next, fry the bacon until chewy but not yet crisp. Chop the bacon into bite-size bits and set aside.

In a large skillet over medium-low heat, saute the onions in 1 tablespoon butter, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, about 15 minutes. Set aside.

Grate the Parmesan, Gruyere, and fontina cheeses. Unwrap the goat cheese.

Cook the macaroni until just undercooked. Drain and set aside.

To make the sauce, melt the remaining 4 tablespoons butter in a large pot over medium heat. Sprinkle in the flour, whisking to combine. Let the roux cook for a minute or so, whisking constantly. Pour in the milk, whisking constantly, then cook the white sauce for 3 to 5 minutes, or until thick and bubbly.

Next, add 1 teaspoon of salt, plenty of black pepper, and stir to combine.

Spoon about 1/4 cup of the hot white sauce into a small bowl containing the beaten egg, stirring the egg with a fork as you drizzle it in. Once combined, pour the mixture into the pot with the white sauce, stirring constantly. Add all the cheese in and stir them around to melt.

Add the cooked macaroni and stir to coat. Splash in a little milk or hot water as needed for thinning.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9 x 13 inch baking pan generously.

Lay half the cooked onions in the bottom of the pan, followed by half the macaroni, half the roasted mushrooms, half the Gorgonzola, and half the bacon. Repeat the layers, ending with the bacon. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until bubbly and hot. Delicious!

Easy Candy Squares

From the back of the butterscotch chips bag~quick, easy, and kid friendly
Would probably be good with any combo of chips or even heath bar chunks

1 12 oz bag (2 cups) of chocolate chips
1 11 oz bag (1 2/3 cups) butterscotch chips
1/2 cup peanut butter
9 cups mini marshmallows
1 cup dry roasted salted peanuts

Line a 13x9 inch baking pan with foil
Microwave chocolate and butterscotch chips and peanut butter in a large bowl at 70% power for 2 minutes
Stir (chips won't be completely melted but should blend together)
Cool for 1 minute then stir in marshmallows and peanuts
Spread into prepared pan and refrigerate until firm
Cut into small squares (makes 4 dozen)

Asian Chicken Salad

http://tastykitchen.com/recipes/salads/asian-chicken-salad-with-sesame-chili-vinaigrette/


I have about 10 varieties of this salad recipe, but (minus the wasabi) I thought this one might be sweet enough that the kids would really enjoy it.

• FOR THE SALAD:
• 2 cups Frozen Peas Or Edamame
• 1 whole Rotisserie Chicken, Meat Pulled Off The Bones And Shredded
• 2 whole Small Heads Chinese Green Cabbage, Shredded
• 2 whole Large Carrots, Peeled And Shredded
• 2 whole Cucumbers, Peeled And Diced
• ½ cups Chopped Green Onion
• FOR THE DRESSING:
• ½ cups Sweet Chili Garlic Sauce
• 6 Tablespoons Honey
• 5 Tablespoons Sesame Oil
• 3 Tablespoons Vinegar
• 4 Tablespoons Fresh Lime Juice
• 2 teaspoons Wasabi Paste
• ½ cups Crushed Peanuts For Topping

Cook the peas according to package directions. Then drain and let them cool slightly.

In a large bowl combine chicken, cabbage, peas, carrots, cucumbers, and green onions. Toss to combine. Cover and chill for an hour.

Whisk the chili sauce, honey, oil, vinegar, lime juice, and wasabi paste until well mixed. Chill for an hour.

When ready to serve, pour dressing over salad and toss well. Dish it out! Sprinkle each serving with crushed peanuts.

Notes: I like to chill this salad so it’s nice and cold, but you wouldn’t have to chill it for an hour if you were really hungry.

Also, the dressing is really adaptable. Omit the wasabi if you don’t like it spicy, bump up the vinegar or lime juice if you want it to be more acidic, etc.

Indulgent Macaroni and Cheese

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2009/04/macaroni-cheese/

• 4 cups Dried Macaroni
• 1 whole Egg Beaten
• 1/4 cup (1/2 Stick Or 4 Tablespoons) Butter
• 1/4 cup All-purpose Flour
• 2-1/2 cups Whole Milk
• 2 teaspoons (heaping) Dry Mustard, More If Desired
• 1 pound Cheese, Grated
• 1/2 teaspoon Salt, More To Taste
• 1/2 teaspoon Seasoned Salt, More To Taste
• 1/2 teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
• Optional Spices: Cayenne Pepper, Paprika, Thyme

Preparation Instructions

Cook macaroni until very firm. Macaroni should be too firm to eat right out of the pot. Drain.

In a small bowl, beat egg.

In a large pot, melt butter and sprinkle in flour. Whisk together over medium-low heat. Cook mixture for five minutes, whisking constantly. Don’t let it burn.

Pour in milk, add mustard, and whisk until smooth. Cook for five minutes until very thick. Reduce heat to low.

Take 1/4 cup of the sauce and slowly pour it into beaten egg, whisking constantly to avoid cooking eggs. Whisk together till smooth.

Pour egg mixture into sauce, whisking constantly. Stir until smooth.

Add in cheese and stir to melt.

Add salt and pepper. Taste sauce and add more salt and seasoned salt as needed! DO NOT UNDERSALT.

Pour in drained, cooked macaroni and stir to combine.
Serve immediately (very creamy) or pour into a buttered baking dish, top with extra cheese, and bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until bubbly and golden on top.

Aunt Sue's Macaroni Casserole

An Aunt Sue Classic xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

1 box elbow macaroni

1.5 pounds hamburger

onion powder, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper

2 eggs

2/3 cup milk

slices American cheese

1 can each cream of corn and peas

Boil the macaroni until al dente then drain

Brown the hamburger with some seasoning (onion powder, black pepper, salt, garlic powder)

Spray the bottom of a casserole dish

Put a thin layer of noodles in the dish.

Then the hamburger.

Then slices of cheese to cover.

Then the veggies

Then the rest of the noodles

Then the slices of cheese

Beat together the eggs and add the milk

Pour egg mixture over the casserole and bake uncovered at 350 degrees until bubbly and cheese is melty and browned a bit.

Let it cool for 10-15 minutes

Fight over who gets to peel the browned cheese off the top of the casserole :)

Candy Corn Popcorn Balls

http://www.americanfamily.com/recipes/corny-candy-popcorn-balls/39909?tcode=AF-DRE-9000009363&fid=102818224677

I'm sure you could swap out candies for different holidays (red & green M&Ms, conversation hearts, etc)

• 50large marshmallows
• 1/3cup butter or margarine
• 20cups freshly popped popcorn
• 2cups teddy bear-shaped chocolate graham cracker cookies
• 2 1/2cups candy corn
• Vegetable cooking spray
  
  1. Combine marshmallows and butter in a Dutch oven. Cook over medium-low heat until melted and smooth, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat.
  2. Combine popcorn and graham cracker cookies in a big bowl. Pour marshmallow mixture over popcorn mixture, tossing to coat. Stir in candy corn. Spray hands with cooking spray, and shape popcorn mixture into 3-inch balls, pressing together firmly. Cool on wax paper. Wrap balls in plastic wrap. Store in an airtight container up to 3 days.

Trail Mix Rice Krispies

http://www.rachaelraymag.com/recipe/coffee-marshmallow-crispies-with-chocolate-cherries-almonds/

Ingredients

• 1 stick  (4 oz.) plus 2 tbsp. unsalted butter
• 2 bags  (10.5 oz. each) mini marshmallows (about 12 cups)
• 5 cups crisped rice cereal
• 2 cups salted roasted almonds, coarsely chopped
• 1 1/2 cups dried cherries, chopped
• 2 teaspoons ground coffee (not instant)
• 1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
• 6 ounces dark chocolate chips (1 cup)

Directions

1. Line an 8- or 9-inch square baking dish with foil; grease lightly. In a 10- to 12-qt. pot, melt the butter over medium-low heat. Add 10 cups mini marshmallows and cook, stirring occasionally, until melted and smooth, about 5 minutes; remove the pot from the heat. Using a wet spoon or spatula, fold in the rice cereal. Sprinkle in the almonds, cherries, ground coffee and salt; fold quickly to distribute. Sprinkle in the chocolate chips and remaining mini marshmallows; fold gently to distribute.
2. Spoon the mixture into the prepared baking dish. Using slightly damp hands or a wet spatula, press into an even layer. Let cool completely. Cut into squares to serve.

Funfetti Cookies

For Kenny, my sprinkles obsessed child

http://tastykitchen.com/blog/2012/05/funfetti-cookies/

• 1 cup Butter, Room Temperature
• 1-¼ cup Sugar
• 2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract
• 1 teaspoon Almond Extract
• 1 whole Egg
• 2-½ cups Flour
• ¼ cups Cornstarch
• ¾ teaspoons Baking Soda
• ½ teaspoons Salt
• ½ cups Rainbow Jimmie Sprinkles
• 2 Tablespoons Nonpareil Sprinkles

Preheat oven to 375 F

Cream the butter and sugar in your stand mixer (or hand mixer) for about 2 minutes, until fluffy. Add the vanilla, almond, and egg. Beat until well combined.

In a separate bowl, sift in the flour, cornstarch, soda, and salt. Slowly add the flour mixture to the butter mixture, and continue on low speed until it’s all added and combined. Mix in the sprinkles (don’t overmix or the sprinkles will start to bleed into the dough).

Using an ice cream scoop, scoop cookie dough onto cookie sheets, about 1 1/2 inches apart (fits 8 cookies per sheet). Bake for about 15 minutes. (Note: Only bake until they very slightly start to turn light golden brown just on the edges. You don’t want them to totally turn golden or they’ll be crisp cookies. Check them around 10 minutes, then 12, and so on.)

Cool on a wire rack. Store in an airtight container up to 4 days.