Heise Meatballs

Kathy Heise

2 lb ground beef
1 8oz carton sour cream
1 envelope onion soup mix
1 1/2 C bread crumbs
1 egg, slightly beaten
1/3 C flour
1 tsp paprika
1/4 C butter
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1 1/2 C milk
hot cooked rice or noodles

Mix ground beef, sour cream, onion soup mix, bread crumbs and egg together in large bowl.  Form mixture into balls and roll in flour mixed with paprika.  Heat butter in large skillet, and brown meatballs.  Blend soup and milk together and pour over browned meatballs.  Cover and simmer for 20 mins.  Serve over hot rice or noodles.

In the Crockpot:
Brown meatballs.  Cover with soup mixture.  Put on low for 2 1/2- 8 hours.

Serves 6-8

Uncle Jean-Luc used to ask for the "meatballs with cheese in them".  This is what he meant.  I never could get him to remember that there isn't any cheese in these.  :)  It has been a long time since we have had these.  I used to make them frequently.  I think it's time to make them again.  It works well to take to church too.  
Love Always,
Mommy

Pinto Beans and Rice aka Pot Licker

Mommy modified from Hillbilly Housewife

3 C dried pinto beans, sorted and washed

2 quarts water

2 tsp salt

6 slices bacon, cut into small pieces (optional but yummy)

Overnight Method

This is the best method.  Soak beans overnight.  Bring to a boil, add bacon, cover and simmer for 30 minutes.  Add the salt and cook for 15 minutes longer or until beans are soft.  Serve with rice and cornbread.

You can also soak the beans overnight, bring them to a boil, add bacon and cook for 30 minutes then transfer them to a crock pot on low for a couple hours.  Serve with cornbread.  This is a good way to bring these to church.

Last Minute Planning Method

Bring 2 quarts of water to a boil.  Add the beans, turn off the heat and cover for 1 hour.  Bring back to a boil and simmer for 30 minutes.  Add salt and bacon and cook for 45 minutes or until beans are soft.  Serve with rice and cornbread.

Pot Licker is a family favorite and so cheap to make!  Serve it with rice and you have a complete protein that fills up tummies.  Hillbilly Housewife says that she would serve cornbread mushed up with pot licker juice to her babies when they got to be a year old.  Yum!  This is a very good and frugal meal.  Mommy is so glad that her children like this so much.

Love Always,

Mommy

Crock Pot Meat & Potatoes

MOMYS recipe

1 pkg. stew meat
2-4 large potatoes, cut
2-4 carrots, washed and ends cut off
2 cans cream of chicken soup
3 C. water
2 envelopes onion soup mix
minced dried onion, rejuvenated
salt & pepper to taste

Place meat in the crock pot.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Combine soup, water, onion soup mix, and minced onion.  Pour over the meat.  Place lid on and turn to high for 2 hours.  Stir and add potatoes and carrots.  Cook on high for 4-5 hours.  Turn to low if necessary.

This is a super easy and yummy meal.  Serve with homemade bread and you have full tummies.  This is a wonderful meal for Daddy.  Meat and potatoes!  His favorite!  :)  

Love Always,
Mommy

Shredded Beef Tacos (Street Tacos)

Heavenly Homemakers

2-3 lb. frozen roast
1/4 C. Italian Dressing Mix
tortillas
fresh limes, quartered
fresh lemons, quartered
fresh cilantro, chopped

Place the FROZEN roast into the crock pot.  Sprinkle on Italian Dressing Mix.  Cook on low for 5 hours.  Shred the beef and stir into juices.  Spoon meat onto warmed tortillas.  Serve with lemon, lime, and cilantro.  Delicious!

These are the most amazing street tacos!  Daddy got hooked on street tacos and now the whole family loves them.  No lettuce, cheese, or tomatoes like traditional "American" tacos- oh no!  These are street tacos!  Mommy has to admit, they are awesome!  I love that this incredible dinner is so fast and easy to make.  

Love Always,
Mommy

Chicken with Wahoo Sauce

Best of Country Slow Cooker Recipes

6 chicken breasts, cut in half
2 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp Lawry's seasoned salt
1/2 tsp pepper
2 TB butter
1 C. water
3/4 C. lemon juice
8 cloves garlic, minced
4 tsp. chicken bouillon
4 tsp. dried parsley

Combine the oregano, Lawry's, and pepper.  Sprinkle on the chicken.  Brown the chicken in butter in a skillet over medium heat.  Transfer to the crock pot.

Saute the garlic in the skillet.  Add the water, lemon juice, and bouillon to the skillet.  Bring to a boil, stirring to loosen the browned bits.  Pour over chicken.

Cover and cook on low for 1-2 hours or until chicken in no longer pink.  This cooks up fairly quickly.  Baste the chicken and add the parsley.

Serve the "wahoo sauce" over the chicken and some rice.

Mommy has often doubled the wahoo sauce recipe as it is well liked in our household.  This is an easy recipe to overcook and make the chicken too dry so don't let it cook too long.
Love Always,
Mommy

Sloppy Joes

Mommy Modified Recipe

2 lb. hamburger

¾ C. ketchup

¾ C. water

2 TB minced dried onion, rejuvenated

1 ¼ tsp chili powder

1 ¼ tsp. garlic salt

1 ¼ tsp. ground mustard

12 oz. tomato paste

1 TB plus 1 tsp. sugar

1 ½ tsp. apple cider vinegar

Hamburger buns

Brown the hamburger in a skillet.  Place all the ingredients in the crock pot and stir to combine.  Turn on low for 1 hour or until heated through.  Can be kept on low or warm during serving.  Place mixture on buns and serve. 

Yields: 12-16 sandwiches

We made these for the movers when we moved from Virginia to Texas and they were so very thankful to not be eating pizza!  We figured it pays to treat the folks well who are packing up your things.  :)  This is a good recipe to take to church.  It works well on rolls and goes pretty far. 

Love Always,

Mommy 

Onion Turkey Breast

Mary Ann Wasick

Fix-It and Forget-It Cookbook

4 lb. turkey breast, boneless and skinless

2 envelopes onion soup mix

2 tsp. garlic powder

4 C. water

Place turkey in the crockpot.  Sprinkle onion soup mix and garlic over the turkey.  Add the water and cook on high 8-12 hours.

Serves: 6-8

Such an easy recipe and it is so yummy!  Homemade Onion Soup Mix doesn't have MSG in it so that is a much better option than the stuff you buy at the store.  I think we even had this turkey for Thanksgiving one year.  :)  This is really yummy.

Love Always,

Mommy

Lasagna

Mommy modified recipe

1 pound ground beef

1 medium onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

29 ounces tomato sauce

1 cup water

6 ounces tomato paste

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon dried basil

1/4 teaspoon pepper

8 ounces lasagna noodles, uncooked

4 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded

15 ounces ricotta cheese

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Cook beef, onion, and garlic together in saucepan until browned.  Drain.

Stir in tomato sauce, water, tomato paste, salt, oregano, garlic powder, basil, and pepper.  Mix well.

Combine the cheeses.

Spread one fourth of the meat sauce in either the crockpot or an 13x9 inch pan.  Arrange one third of the noodles over the sauce.

Spoon one third of the cheese mixture over the noodles.  Repeat layers twice.  Top with remaining sauce.

To cook in the crockpot:

Cover and cook on low 4-5 hours.  Sprinkle with additional mozzarella cheese and serve.

To cook in oven:

Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.  Uncover and bake additional 15 minutes.  Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese and let stand 15 minutes before cutting.

Serves: 8-10

This is the only lasagna that Mommy makes. It is so very yummy!  It makes a bunch!  Our family can currently only eat about 1/2 a pan of this for dinner.  Hannah has helped Mommy make this for several years now.  Lasagna is a great filling meal and it heats up well for leftovers.

Love Always,

Mommy

Apple Butter

http://moneysavingmom.com/2011/10/homemade-apple-butter-recipe-plus-free-printable-labels.html

• 6 pounds medium apples 
• 2 Tablespoons vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups raw or brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cloves
• 3-4 teaspoons cinnamon

Peel, core, and slice apples in fourths. Put them in the crockpot with the vanilla and cook on low for 6-8 hours. Stir every few hours. Once apples are very, very tender, mash with a potato masher and stir in sugar and spices. Cook on low for another 5-6 hours, stirring occasionally.

Cool and pour into jars or an airtight container. Store in the refrigerator for several weeks or freezer for a long time.

We made this in the Fall of 2011.  It was yummy.  We like to stir it into yogurt or put it on bagels with cream cheese.  The house smells so yummy while this is cooking!

Love Always,

Mommy 

That New Meal

Mommy modified from a recipe in Best of Country Slow Cooker Recipes
Originally called Beefy Au Gratin Potatoes


1 pkg. Au Gratin potatoes
Double of Cream of Whatever Soup (or two cans of cream of chicken soup)
2/3 C. milk
1 C. water
1 lb. ground beef
2 TB. dried, minced onion- rejuvenated
1 C. shredded cheddar cheese

Open package of Au Gratin potatoes, setting sauce mix aside.  Place potatoes in bottom of the crock pot.

In a large mixing bowl, combine soup, milk, water, and powdered sauce mix; stir well to combine.  Pour a third of the mixture over the potatoes.

In a skillet, cook the beef and onion over medium heat until the meat is no longer pink.  Drain beef.  Transfer beef and onion to the crock pot.

Top with remaining sauce mixture.  Do not stir.  Cover and cook on low for 4 hours or until potatoes are tender.  Stir well and sprinkle with cheese.  Cook a few minutes longer until cheese is melted.

Mommy first tried this recipe a long time ago when we lived in Utah.  Daddy really liked it.  He asked if we could call it "That New Meal".  I said sure and asked why.  He said, "So when you ask if we can have that new meal for dinner I can say 'yes' and not have to try something different!"  :)  Mr. Adventure when it comes to food is not a title Daddy wears.  :)  I usually double this recipe but still only used 1 lb. of beef to take to church lunches.  It is a big hit. We all really enjoy this one.  All of you children really like this one as well.
Love Always,
Mommy 

Crock Pot Mac N Cheese

Mac- N- Cheese
Bernice Glascoe, North Carolina
Best of Country Slow Cooker Recipes

3 C. (16 oz.) elbow macaroni
½ C. butter, melted
2 eggs, beaten
1 can (12 oz.) evaporated milk
1 can (10 ¾ oz.) condensed cheddar cheese soup
1 C. milk
4 C. shredded cheddar cheese, divided
1/8 tsp. paprika

Cook macaroni according to package directions; drain well. Place in a 5 qt. slow cooker; add melted butter. In a bowl, combine eggs, evaporated milk, soup, milk, and 3 C. of cheese. Pour over macaroni mixture; stir to combine. Cover and cook on low 4 hours. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese. Cook 15 minutes or until cheese is melted. Sprinkle with paprika. Yield: 10-12 serving

This is Daddy's all time favorite mac-n-cheese and it is always a hit when we take it to gatherings.  Daddy often says we need to make it at home more frequently because he never gets any when we take it somewhere.  It is quick to assemble and is oh so yummy!  Our whole family loves this one!  :)

Love Always,
Mommy