Katie's Meatballs with BBQ Sauce

KATIE’S MEATBALLS WITH BBQ SAUCE

MEATBALLS:

1 egg slightly beaten
1 15 oz can evaporated milk
1 C quick oats
½ Tbs onion powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp chili powder
¼ tsp garlic
¼ tsp pepper
Combine above ingredients and add
1 ½ lbs lean ground beef.

BBQ SAUCE:

1 C ketchup
¾ C brown sugar
1 tsp onion powder
½ tsp liquid smoke
¼ tsp garlic powder
Boil sauce ingredients in a pan, simmer 2 min. Form meat into 1” balls, line up and bake uncovered in a casserole dish at 350° for 18-20 min. Pour sauce over meatballs. Bake 10-12 min longer. Serve with oven fries or tater tots.

Haylee’s Note:

Wow!  This is the best meal I think I’ve made in a LONG time!  Meatballs with homemade BBQ sauce sounded time consuming, but I was amazing at how quickly this meal whipped up!  The kids, the spouse, and I all LOVED this meal!  On a scale of 1-10, it gets an 11!  Katie said this meal was “Yummo!”  I would have to agree!  Major YUMMO!!  Thanks Katie!! 

Jalapeño Poppers

JALAPENO POPPERS

18 Jalapeños
18 slices of bacon, sliced in half
1/2 c. cheddar cheese, shredded
1 8oz package cream cheese, softened
1 Green onion, diced
BBQ sauce
36 toothpics

Slice jalapeños in half lengthwise, and remove seeds.  (BE SURE TO WEAR GLOVES WHILE DOING THIS!!)  Mix cheddar cheese, cream cheese, and green onion until evenly combined.  Put cheese mixture into a pastry bag and pipe into jalapeños.  Wrap jalapeños with bacon and secure with a toothpick, then drizzle with BBQ sauce.  Place on baking sheet, and bake at 250 for 1-2 hours, or until bacon is crisp.

Haylee’s Note:
This recipe is from my sister in law, Heather.  She said that sometimes she’ll turn the temperature up at the end just to speed up the cooking process.  We made these for a work party for Darin, and since then, I've NEVER been able to pick what to make for the work parties because everyone always requests this. Whenever we make them, you better get one fast, because they are gone in a hurry!  Enjoy!    

Creamy Strawberry Bites

CREAMY STRAWBERRY BITES

Ritz crackers
Cream cheese
Strawberries

Spread cream cheese on the cracker then top with slices strawberries.

Haylee's Note:
These are incredibly easy and incredibly addicting.  They are the perfect appetizer in a hurry!

Cheese Puffs

CHEESE PUFFS

15 slices of sandwich bread

1 8oz. package of softened cream cheese

1 c. crated cheddar cheese

1 stick butter

1 egg

1 tsp. dill

Remove the crusts from the bread. Mix remaining ingredients and spread on prop. Stack 3 slices of bread together  and cut into quarters.  Frost the remaining sides.  Bake at 400 for 10 minutes.  Serves 20.

Haylee's Note:
Don't be fooled by the simplicity of this recipe.  It is incredible.  Anytime I'm ever asked to make an appetizer, this is my go to!  It will be yours too if you try it!

Bacon and Water Chestnuts

BACON AND WATER CHESTNUTS

1 can whole water chestnuts
1/4 c. soy sauce
1/4 c. sugar
8 slices bacon, cut in half

Let the water chestnuts marinate in the soy for 2 hours. Then roll the waterchestnuts in sugar. Wrap the chestnuts tight with bacon and secure with a toothpick. Broil at 400 turning occasionally for 20 minutes or until the bacon is cooked. Serve warm.

Haylee’s Note:
I can’t write a review for how yummy these are! My mom makes these ever once in a while for appetizers. They are so simple, yet they taste amazing! Give them a try, you’ll be glad you did!

Hot Spinach and Artichoke Dip

HOT SPINACH AND ARTICHOKE DIP

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup grated Romano cheese
1 clove garlic, peeled and minced
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon garlic salt salt and pepper to taste
1 (14 ounce) can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
1/2 cup frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
1/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a small baking dish.
In a medium bowl, mix together cream cheese, mayonnaise, Parmesan cheese, Romano cheese, garlic, basil, garlic salt, salt and pepper. Gently stir in artichoke hearts and spinach.
Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish. Top with mozzarella cheese. Bake in the preheated oven 25 minutes, until bubbly and lightly browned.

Haylee’s Note:
My sister-in-law, Kristy, made the BEST spinach artichoke dip I have ever had!! I went to the grocery store and got the ingredients that I thought she might have used. When I called to ask her how she made it, she said it was just from Costco!! I laughed really hard, but decided to make one anyway….but I have to admit, I did like the Costco recipe even better than this home-made one. For the original click here.

Tomato and Onion Tart

TOMATO AND ONION TART

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil or vegetable oil
1 tablespoon butter or margarine
1 large sweet onion (such as Maui or Walla Walla), quartered, thinly sliced
1 box Pillsbury® refrigerated pie crusts, softened as directed on box
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 medium plum (Roma) tomatoes, thinly sliced
1/2 small zucchini, thinly sliced
1/4 cup whipping cream
1 egg
3/4 cup shredded Gruyère or Swiss cheese (3 oz)
4 medium green onions, thinly sliced (1/4 cup)

DIRECTIONS
1. In 10-inch skillet, heat oil and butter over medium-high heat. Add onion; cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until onion begins to brown. Reduce heat to medium-low; cook 20 to 25 minutes, stirring frequently, until browned and tender.
2. Meanwhile, heat oven to 450°F. Unroll pie crust on work surface. Roll pie crust with rolling pin to 12 inches in diameter. Gently press crust in bottom and up side of ungreased 10-inch tart pan with removable bottom. Trim off excess crust. Prick bottom and side of crust with fork. Bake 10 minutes. Remove from oven. Reduce oven temperature to 400°F.
3. Sprinkle bottom of partially baked crust with 2 tablespoons of the Parmesan cheese. Using slotted spoon, spoon onions evenly over bottom of crust. Top with tomatoes and zucchini, arranging a circle of tomato slices around outside edge, a circle of zucchini slices next to the tomatoes and a circle of tomato slices in the center.
4. In small bowl, beat whipping cream and egg with wire whisk. Pour over vegetables. Top with Gruyère cheese and remaining 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese.
5. Bake at 400°F 15 minutes. Top with green onions; bake 10 to 15 minutes longer or until filling is set and crust is golden brown. Cool 5 minutes before removing side of pan.

Haylee’s Note:
I got this recipe from the Pilsbury website.

Halloween Food

Witch Hat
So EASY and SOO cute!!!!! I got this idea from my sister-in-law Jadi. Just take Hershey kisses and shortbread cookies and stick them together using melted chocolate. Then finish the edge with a little piped frosting. Yum!


Bean Dip Spider Web
Mix black beans, salsa, and Monterey jack cheese in the food processor. Bake in the oven until warm. Spiral sour cream on the top then pull out to make a spider web effect.


Candy Corn Quesadillas
This idea was my sister Heather’s. She just uses tortillas and uses 3 different colors of cheese and layers them in towards the center, then cuts them into triangles to look like candy corns.


Spider Web Cream of Wheat
Make your cream of wheat, then swirl in a dark jam (I used grape jam) start in the middle and pull outward using a knife


Cyclops Egg Eye
Just make a regular sunny side up egg and make squiggly lines using ketchup! I also served these with toast cut in Halloween shapes (a pumpkin toast with peach jam, and a cat with the grape jelly)


Lady Finger Breadsticks
Also my sister’s idea!! Just use your favorite breadstick recipe, then shape them like fingers, make knuckle marks, and add an almond for the nail!


Celery Mummies
Cut celery and fill with Old English Cheese. Then, make “bandages” across the mummy using string cheese or grated mozzerella. Use dried fruit for the eyes.


Pumpkin Veggie Tray
Use an assortment of veggies and arrange to look like a Jack-o-lantern!

Ikea’s Swedish Meatballs

IKEA’S SWEDISH MEATBALLS

1 small onion, finely chopped
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2/3 lb lean ground beef
1/3 lb ground lean pork
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
1 cup milk
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1 tablespoon vegetable oil (for frying)

1 (10 ounce) can beef gravy
1/2 cup 10% cream

1 Saute onions in first tablespoon of oil until translucent. Set aside and let cool.
2 Combine breadcrumbs and milk, let soak for 10 minutes.
3 In a large bowl, combine onions, breadcrumbs, milk egg, meat and seasonings. Mix thoroughly. Form tablespoon of the meat mixture into balls.
4 Over medium heat, fry meatballs in second tablespoon of oil until brown on all sides.
5 In a small saucepan, combine gravy and cream; heat through but do not boil.
6 Serve meatballs with gravy, boiled potatoes and lingonberry preserves.

Haylee’s Note:
I had been craving these meatballs for like a month, and so I finally just looked up a recipe online and made them. I’ve only had them once at Ikea and it was like 2 years ago, so I can’t remember exactly what they taste like, so I can’t compare how close the two are, but this recipe was EXCELLENT!! I also read the comments that came with the recipe and they said to use half the milk, so I did too and that went well! I also added some nutmeg to mine and that was good too! I also used a packaged Swedish meatball gravy packet, and I liked that too! Also, I couldn't find the lingonberry preserves so we had boysenberry preserves--those were delicious with them!! Mmmmm....I have some leftovers in the freezer, maybe we will have them again tomorrow!! For the original recipe go here.

Bean and Cheese Tostadas

BEAN AND CHEESE TOSTADAS

Corn Tortillas
Refried Beans
Salsa
Shredded Cheese
Sour Cream
Cilantro

Broil one side of tortillas until warm. Remove from oven. Layer beans and salsa. Bake at 400 for 5 min. Remove from oven. Top with cheese and broil until cheese melts. Top with sour cream and cilantro. Serve warm

Haylee’s Note:
These are really fast and really good. I love tostadas because you can make them so many different ways. This is one of the easiest. You can get fancy by adding meat or extra veggies. Enjoy!

Pink Grapefruit Sorbet

PINK GRAPEFRUIT SORBET

2 c. sugar
2 c. water
1 1/2 c. fresh grapefruit juice
3 strips grapefruit zest.

Combine sugar and water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 3-4 minutes. (Make sure sugar completely dissolves). Add grapefruit juice and cool completely. Pour mixture into ice-cream machine for 20-30 min. Put in freezer for another 2 hours for firmer sorbet. Serve cold and garnish with fresh mint leaves.

Haylee’s Note:
I really liked this. I just got this recipe with my ice-cream machine. It is really sweet and really tart, but I liked it. I would be better on a warm day rather than a snowy day in APRIL! (can you believe this weather). I had never made sorbet before and I was surprised how easy it was. I also added 1-2 drops of food coloring to make it a little more pink.

Buffalo Wing Chicken Pizza

BUFFALO WING CHICKEN PIZZA

1 chicken breast
1 tbsp olive oil
Salt and pepper
Tortillas
2 tbsp butter
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
3 tablespoons hot sauce
1/2 c tomato sauce
shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1/4 c blue cheese crumbles
2 pieces of celery diced


Preheat oven to 350. Place chicken on cooking sheet and drizzle extra-virgin olive oil over the chicken then season with salt and pepper. Roast in oven until cooked through.
In a medium skillet over medium heat, melt butter and stir in Worcestershire, hot sauce, and tomato sauce. Shred chicken and add to sauce. Put tortillas in oven until warm. Cover the tortillas with the sauce and chicken, cheeses, and celery. Bake 5 minutes until cheese melts, and edges are crispy.

Haylee’s Note:
I saw Rachel Ray make two versions of this pizza, so I combined her two versions, and made a few changes of my own. I LOVED this pizza!!!! It was so good! I really liked it on the tortilla shell because then it made it like an extra thin crust pizza! You really should try this one out!! One of my favorite recipes yet!! You could serve individual pizzas as a main dish, or cut them up for an appetizer!For the original recipe click here.

Grilled Pineapple

GRILLED PINEAPPLE

1 large pineapple (or one can pineapple)

Optional Glaze:
2 tbs honey
2 tbs orange juice
1 tbs. lime juice

Spray grill with cooking spray. Grill both sides of pineapple. Serve warm.

Haylee's Note:
I didn't make my pineapple with a glaze, but I thought that it would be good. I think I will try it with the glaze next time. Make sure that you only make what you need though, cold grilled pineapple isn't as good as warm grilled pineapple.

Yummy Salsa

YUMMY SALSA

1 can corn (drained)
1/2 bunch cilantro chopped
2 large tomatoes diced
1 can black beans (drained)
1/2 c. white onion
Juice from 2 limes
1/2 tbs. olive oil
1/2 tbs. red wine vinegar
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. sugar

Toss first 5 ingredients together. In a separate bowl mix the last 5 ingredients together. Pour liquid over first five ingredients and blend together.

Haylee’s Note:
I LOVE this salsa!! On a 1-5 star scale, I would give this salsa a 5!! It is so easy, fast and delicious! I also love it because it is made with ingredients I usually have on hand! Enjoy!!

Sweet and Sour Chicken Strips

SWEET AND SOUR CHICKEN STRIPS

Batter:
1 egg mixed with 1 ½ c. cold water
1 c. flour
1/2 c. corn starch
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper


Sauce:
1 c sugar mixed with 2 tbs. corn starch
1/2 c. vinegar
1/2 c. catsup
1 8 oz. crushed pineapple with juice
1 c. pineapple juice

Cook sauce ingredients until thick. Skin and cut chicken in ½” strips. Dip in flour then batter. Deep fry 2-3 min. Serve warm.

Haylee’s Note:
This can be served over rice with the sauce, as a main dish, or it can also be served with the sauce on the side to dip in for an appetizer. We really liked these! I would probably just half the recipe and use 2 chicken breasts next time. Enjoy!

Super Football Nachos

SUPER FOOTBALL NACHOS

1 lb. mild pork sausage
1 can fiesta nacho cheese
2 can cheddar cheese
1 can diced green chilies

Brown sausage. Add remaining ingredients in skillet. Serve warm over chips.

Haylee's Note:
This is a Gunnerson favorite! I remember the first time I had this I was so impressed! Today I made it for my first time and can't believe how easy it was! 15 minutes is all it takes! And everyone loves it!

Nacho Casserole

NACHO CASSEROLE

Brown:
1 lb. hamburger
1 chopped onion

Add:
1 can refried beans
4 oz. can green chilis

Grate and layer over top:
1 1/2 c. Monterey jack cheese
1 1/2 c. cheddar cheese

Pour over top:
1 bottle salsa

Bake at 350 for 20 min.
Top with lettuce, tomatoe, olives, sour cream, chips

Haylee's Note:
This was a staple growing up. My mom often made this for us. She got it from her friend Marily. To be totally honest, this is not my favorite meal, but everyone else seems to love it, so I keep on making it. It is a fun one especially for big games, like BYU vs. UofU!

Cheesy Ghosts

CHEESY GHOSTS

1 pkg. crescent rolls
1 clove minced garlic
melted butter
shredded mozzarella cheese
Olives, green peppers, or other garnish

Unroll crescent rolls and cut in half long ways. Form each roll of dough into a “ghost” shape. Combine minced garlic and butter and spread onto each “ghost.” Bake for approx 8 min. Top with shredded mozzarella cheese and bake for 2 more minutes. Top with olives or green peppers for the eyes, nose and mouth.

Haylee’s Note:
I saw this idea in a Pillsbury magazine 2 years ago. These are really easy and fun to make. I think they turn out cuter if you use olives instead of green bell peppers, but I didn’t want to open a whole can to use 3 olives! You can experiment with any toppers you want!

Celery Mummies

CELERY MUMMIES

Celery
Cream Cheese
Laughing Cow cheese
Raisins
Turkey deli meat

Mix one part cream cheese to one part laughing cow cheese. Put mixture into a baggie and cut off one end. Squeeze mixture into celery sticks. Cut turkey deli meat into strips for the bandages. Cris-cross along the celery and tuck in with a toothpick. Use pieces of cut up Raisins’ for the mummy eyes.

Haylee's Note:
This need to be made right before eating them so they stay fresh. This would be good using only cream cheese or only laughing cow cheese.

Ribbon Sandwiches

RIBBON SANDWICHES

Dyed sandwich bread (sliced long way)
Tomatoes
Thinly sliced ham
Cream cheese
Cheese, Olive, and Pimento Spread

Spread cream cheese on one side of the bread and the cheese, olive, and pimento spread on the other slice of bread. Put the ham and tomatoes on the sandwhich, cut, and enjoy!

Haylee's note:
These are good with the ham, but we have also made them vegitarian without (like we did in this picture green have ham pink are without).