Savory Spiral Stuffed Rolls

1 recipe roll dough (that yields about 12 rolls), (You could use canned pizza dough or frozen bread dough)
12 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, softened
2 cups chopped ham
1 1/2 cups finely chopped broccoli
2 cups shredded cheese
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup finely chopped green onions

Roll the dough out into a large rectangle about 1/2-inch thick.

In a small bowl, cream together the butter and cream cheese. Spread the rolled out dough with the butter/cream cheese mixture. Top with the ham, broccoli, cheese, Parmesan cheese, and green onions (see the pictures below). Roll the dough up, pinching the seam to seal. Slice the roll into about 1-inch segments. Place the rolls on a lightly greased baking sheet and cover with plastic wrap. Let the rolls rise until nearly doubled and bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes, until lightly browned and bubbly.

Slowcooker Baked Beans

This is a great recipe to use pinto beans sitting in your cupboards. 

From 365 Day Of Slow Cooking

1 cup dry pinto beans, rinsed and drained
4 cups water
1/2 small onion, chopped
1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce
2 T brown sugar
1 T molasses
tsp salt
1/4 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp dried mustard
4 slices of bacon, cooked and crumbled

Combine beans and water in slow cooker and cover. Cook on LOW for 8 hours or until soft. Drain liquid and add in the rest of the ingredients. Stir. Cover and cook on LOW for an additional 3 hours.

Avocado Chicken Parmigiana

Okay, I know this looks completely weird and I completely agree.  It was so delicious.  I love chicken parmigiana.  Who doesn't love pasta sauce smothered over breaded chicken.  This was just a little different from that.  The avocado was surprisingly creamy and blended well with the chicken.  We served it with spaghetti noodles and more sauce.  It was a healthy version because it was baked without any oil.  Don't let the name fool you.  It was great!

Adapted from Angies Recipes

3 Chicken breasts

1 C. All-purpose flour
1 Egg, lightly beaten
1 C. Panko breadcrumbs
Olive oil
1 jar of spaghetti sauce
Avocado, sliced
1/2 C. Parmesan cheese
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place chicken between 2 sheets of plastic (I used Press and Seal) and pound to 1/4-inch thick with a rolling pin or a mallet.

Coat the chicken first in flour, shaking off excess, then dip in the beaten egg and finally coat well with breadcrumbs. Place on a baking tray. Repeat with remaining chicken, flour, egg mixture and breadcrumbs.

Brush pan with olive oil. Bake for 5 minutes. Remove from the oven and top each breast with 1/4 C. spaghetti sauce. Arrange avocado over sauce and sprinkle with cheese. Return to oven. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until golden and chicken is cooked through. Serve with pasta and remaining sauce or it is great just by itself.

Chili Rubbed Tilapia

Okay I have to admit we are not huge fish eaters at our house.  It isn't because we don't like it, but a lot of fish doesn't fit in our budget.  A lot of people have mentioned Tilapia to me because it is budget friendly.  I have tried it before and thought it was a little too fishy for me.  I don't like fish that tastes like fish.  Imagine that!!  I decided I was going to give it another try so I set out on a mission to find a good recipe.  I found a recipe on the Foodnetwork that seemed promising.  I have to say, I was pleasantly surprised.  I still knew I was eating fish, but it also had a great flavor.  Here is the recipe, I adapted from the Foodnetwork.

2 T.  chili powder

1/2 tsp.  garlic powder
1/4 tsp. salt
limes, for squeezing
1 lb. of tilapia filets  (I just bought a bag of individually packaged ones at Winco)

On a plate, mix chili powder, garlic powder, and salt.  Dredge filets in the seasoning.  Place in preheated pan and cook for 3-4 minutes per side.  Be careful when turning because the fish is pretty delicate and will crumble.  I used my George Forman grill and it worked perfectly.   After fish is done serve with lime juice.  Enjoy!

Mini Meatball Sandwiches

These were a great quick meal.  I thought they were fun to eat and all my kids ate them, which doesn't happen all the time.  I made my rolls and sauce, but they would be so easy to just throw together without making the sauce and rolls.

From Pioneer Woman

Ingredients

1 pound Ground Chuck Or Ground Beef
½ cups Panko Or Other Bread Crumbs
1 clove Garlic, Minced
½ teaspoons Salt
Freshly Ground Black Pepper
½ cups Milk
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
½ whole Medium Onion, Diced
1 jar (large) Marinara Sauce
12 whole Dinner Rolls (or Slider Rolls)
4 slices Provolone Cheese, Cut Into Four Wedges Each
Preparation Instructions
Mix meat with bread crumbs, garlic, salt, pepper, and milk. Knead together with hands. Roll into heaping tablespoon-sized rolls.

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onions and cook for one minute. Add meatballs between the onions and brown for one minute. (You might have to do this in two batches, depending on the size of your skillet.)
Pour in jar of marinara; shake pan gently to mix. Put on lid and allow to simmer for 20 minutes.

When ready to serve, cut each dinner roll in half. Place a wedge of Provolone on the top and bottom of each roll. Spoon a meatball with the sauce onto the bottom bun; top with the top bun.

Serve immediately!

Spaghetti Sauce

1 tbsp. unsalted butter
2 tbsp. grated onion
Pinch of dried oregano
¼ tsp. salt
1 clove garlic, minced or pressed
1 (14.5 oz) can crushed tomatoes (I used diced and then blended the sauce after it was cooked)
Pinch of sugar
2 tbsp. fresh basil leaves, coarsely chopped
1½ tsp. extra-virgin olive oil
Ground black pepper

Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion, oregano, and salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the liquid has evaporated and the onion is golden brown, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook just until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the tomatoes and sugar and increase the heat to medium-high. Bring the mixture to a simmer, then lower the heat to medium-low and continue to simmer until reduced to about 1¼ cups, about 25 minutes. Off the heat, stir in the basil and oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Sesame Noodles

I don't know how the rest of the world is, but I sometimes get stuck on what to serve for side items.  I saw this recipe from Jamie Cooks it Up and I thought it was worth a shot.  I am so glad I tried them.  I couldn't stop eating them.  I made them as a main dish and they were definitely main dish worthy.  We had some leftovers and I ate them cold for lunch the next day.  They are good warm or cold!  These could go with chicken or just by themselves.  Enjoy!

Time: 15 minutes
Yield: 6-8 servings

4 T soy sauce
3 T brown sugar
2 T sesame oil
1/2 T peanut butter
1 t hot chili oil
1 T olive oil
1 T white sugar
1 small can mushrooms, chopped
3-4 green onions, chopped
1/2 T sesame seeds
1 16 oz package Capellini Noodles (or thin spaghetti noodles)

1. Cook pasta according to package directions.

2. While your noodles simmer away, add all ingredients but the mushrooms, green onions and sesame seeds, into a large mixing bowl. Stir them all up nicely so they are incorporated well.

3. When the noodles are done cooking, pour them into a strainer to drain all of the hot water. Immediately add the noodles to the sauce. Add the mushrooms and sesame seeds and stir it all up. Sprinkle with the green onions and you are ready to serve.