Beef Empanadas

I LOVE empanadas. The recipe originally calls to make them as appetizers, however you can make them any size you want. I'm on a Bisquick roll here. I'll post another one in the future that's from a Paula Deen or someone else......

2 C bisquick

1/2 C hot water

1/4 lb ground beef

1/4 C chopped onion

1/2 C salsa

1/2 t ground cumin

1/8 t ground cinnamon

1 egg

1 T water

Heat oven to 350 deg F. Line cookie sheet with parchment paper. In medium bowl, stir bisquick and hot water until stiff dough forms. Let stand 10 minutes.

Brown meat and onion in skillet over med-high heat. Drain fat. Stir in salsa cumin and cinnamon. Set aside. (now, as an add in you could add a T of raisins)

Place dough on surface sprinkled with Bisquick. Gently roll dough in bisquick to coat. Shape into a ball and knead 10 times. Roll dough into 13 inch round. Cut dough into 3 inch round (yeah, I don't know... grab a piece of dough and roll into 1/8" thick. Make rounds out of these - you want them about the shape/size of a small tortilla).

Spoon a few tablespoons of mixture onto center of each round. Fold dough over in half over mixture and press edges firmly with fork to seal. (you're making a half circle here) Place 1 inch apart on cookie sheet.

In a small bowl stir egg and t T water together - lightly beat. Brush mixture over the tops of each empanada. This will help crisp and brown your dough. Bake 14-16 minutes or until golden brown.

Quick Cheeseburger Bake

This one is thanks to Bisquick (again). Bisquick has great, quick meals. This one is also toddler and youn'en friendly - easy to eat.

1 lb ground beef

3/4 C chopped onion

1 can condensed cream/cheddar cheese soup (or chicken)

1 C mixed veggies

1/4 C milk

2 C Bisquick

3/4 C water

1 C shredded cheddar cheese

Heat oven to 400 deg F. Generously grease rectangle baking dish (important). Cook beef and onion in skillet over medium heat, stirring occasionally until meat is brown. Drain fat. Stir in soup, vegetables and milk.

Combine Bisquick and water in baking dish (or bowl then transfer) until moistened. Spread evenly in dish. Spread meat mix over batter. Sprinkle with cheese.

Bake 30 minutes.

Meatballs, Potatoes, and Gravy

Classic dish that the kids and my husband love!

4 baking potatoes, peeled and chopped

1 lb (or up to) ground meat - we typically use beef

1/2 C Parmesan Cheese

1 t dried parsley

1 t minced garlic

1 egg

4 Beef Boullion cubes

1 pkt gravy mix

1 T flour

Heat oven to 350 deg F.

Mix meat, cheese, parsley, garlic, and egg. Form small meat balls and bake for about 20 minutes or until browned and no longer pink in the middle. Place meatballs in a pot - place on High. Add potatoes. Cover with water. Add 1 crumbled boullion cube per cup of water (eyeball it if you want). Cover and boil for 10 minutes. Mix gravy with 1 C water and add flour to thicken. Add to pot, stir and boil for a few minutes to thicken. Take off heat. Water will thicken while it sits.

This is a great meal to make for young children learning to eat. To help cut down on sodium you can omit the boullion cubes. The meat crumbles and the potatoes are soft. And who doesn't like sauce......

Chicken Parmesan

I threw this dinner together last night and it came out so good! I'll try to put down measurements to the best of my ability.....it's all in the head.

1/2 C bread crumbs

1/2 C Parmesan cheese, divided

1/2 t each: (any Italian herbs) oregano, parsley, basil

2 Eggs

4 chicken breast, patted dry

1 jar marinara/spaghetti sauce

1 C Mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 350 deg F. In a rectangle container beat eggs well. In another container mix first three ingredients (using 1/4 C Parmesan cheese). Dip chicken into egg, then into dry mixture. Place in a rectangle baking dish and bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes or until juices run clear and chicken is crusty but not burnt. Pour sauce over chicken and top with Mozzarella cheese and remaining Parmesan cheese. Place back in oven for 10 minutes or until cheese is melted.

You can serve this dish with pasta.

Chicken Tenders

I love Bisquick. I grew up with the box and just love the taste. Last night I couldn't think of what to make for dinner. I've honestly been slacking in that department. But, that's motherhood. So I looked to see what I had and saw the box of Bisquick. I thought, "eh, there might be an easy, fast recipe on the box", so I looked. This is what I found, made and loved! Scott, 3, helped make dinner last night and he had fun doing it too. You could have up to 4 kids help make this (assembly line) or 1 as I did.

2/3 C Bisquick

1/2 C Parmesan Cheese

1/2 t Garlic Salt

1/2 t Paprika

1 Egg

3 Chicken Breast - slice into 1/2" strips

3 T butter, melted

Preheat oven to 450 deg F. Mix first four ingredients in a bowl. In a separate bowl beat egg. Line cookie sheet with aluminum foil and spray with Pam. Dip chicken strip into egg, to coat, then coat in Bisquick mixture. Place on sheet. Repeat steps until all the chicken is on the sheet. Sprinkle butter over chicken. (Careful, the butter may smoke up your oven) Bake for 12-14 minutes.

You can serve with your favorite dip or eat plain. Feel free to add any other spices you may like. This one is kid-flavored but you may add any kind of pepper, chili powder, onion powder, or any other spice you like.

I served this with Harvard Beets and Baked Beans.

A Kid-Dish

This recipe was floating around facebook and is perfect for kids to make!

Spaghetti

Hot Dogs

Slice your hot dogs into thirds. Take your spaghetti and push it through your hot do through the side so that half of the noodle is on each side of the dog. Boil the dogs per instructions on the spaghetti box. You can serve with spaghetti sauce or ketchup or whatever your kid loves.

Great for Halloween!

Omelet in a Bag

Since I just posted a dinner, here's a breakfast for camping! We did this one growing up too. I would suggest chopping as much of the food before your camping trip as possible. I'll just write the ingredients and you can figure out how much of what you'll need when you go to camp.

Camping Stove

Pot - 1/2-3/4 filled with water

Ziploc bag

Eggs

Choose your toppings:

Cheese

Tomatoes

Green peppers

Mushrooms

Meat - crumbled, chopped, or diced

....the list for toppings could go on... so think of what you like in your omelet and bring it!

Beat your egg(s) in a bowl; pour into a Ziploc bag. Add the toppings you want. Seal the bag and squeeze it around to mix everything up. Gently drop the bag into heated/slightly boiling water (you don't need a vigorous boil here, just hot enough). Cook the bags until the eggs are fully cooked. You'll know this because the eggs won't be runny and it will look like an omelet. Use tongs to take them out of the water. You can eat it right out of the bag or dump it onto a plate.