Cheddar Beef Enchiladas

Mmmmm...cheesy, beefy, creamy goodness! Very hearty, and super easy to customize.

Cheddar Beef Enchiladas

Bottom line: These are yummy! I did make a change- I added a can of Rotel to the topping, just because I really like the spice and the extra sauce. I like refried beans, but black beans would also be really good in these. Also, a zippier cheese blend would be a nice change, too. As is, they are very good, but it is nice to know you can change them to your liking! Another plus? These are very inexpensive to put together, and make enough to freeze the extras for later! Enjoy.

Ground Beef Spiral Pasta Bake

I am trying to stock up on freezer meals before the baby comes, so I have one less thing to do in my sleep deprived, zombie state. This one sounded simple and yummy: beef, pasta, and spaghetti sauce. Oh, and cheese...lots of cheese.
Ground Beef Spiral Bake Recipe

This makes a double recipe-one to eat and one to freeze. I stocked up on foil 13x9 pans, so expect a lot more of these recipes in the near future!

Bottom line: Just okay. Don't get me wrong, it was by no means awful, it was just kind of bland. It could have definitely used some garlic salt or even a spicy marinara instead of the plain jane spaghetti  sauce. I don't think I would make it again, but the hubby likes it, so it will get eaten!

Bruggies

What, pray tell, is a Bruggie? It is a brownie made for one, in a mug. In the microwave. In about 3 minutes start to finish. Semi-dangerous yumminess!

Bruggies recipe

So...I don't have a picture because I ate the brownie too quickly. On a side note here, let me say I plan on getting back to the blog more often, but this pregnancy has zapped me completely of all energy...and is also the reason I uncontrollably inhaled this brownie. Back to the food at hand: it was gooey and yummy, but it certainly didn't have the same texture as a brownie cooked in a pan in the oven. No chewiness here.

Bottom line: I will make this again when I am in desperate need of a sweet treat and don't have eggs on hand, which is why I made this particular recipe in the first place. It wasn't as sweet as a traditional brownie, but the ice cream I put on top really helped in that respect!

Crock Pot Candy

If you don't like the idea of standing over a pan for 45 minutes with a candy thermometer, this is your kind of candy recipe.

Crock Pot Candy Recipe

This is totally foolproof! I even had a crock pot snafu and mine turned out perfect. When the cooking time was up, I was so excited to try it that I burned off more than a few taste buds. Do yourself a favor, give the mixture like 15 minutes to cool before putting it into the mini cupcake liners; it sticks together much easier, and the bits you drop from the spoon to your counter won't burn your fingers (or mouth, because we both know that is the final destination).

Bottom line: Perfect! I will most definitely make these again. I gave tons to my parents, which was only because I knew I could eat all 56 pounds on my own. Seriously, it does make a lot of candies. This was so easy. I had these bad boys cooking when I was preparing other holiday desserts. I was pleasantly surprised. My Dad is a huge foodie, and quite a critic, and he even liked them! They are creamy, crunchy bits of goodness. Oh, and I am the lone white-chocolate lover in the family. In fact, the others claim to hate it...but everybody loved these! What they don't know can't hurt them.

German Lasagna

Say what? I admit the name of this dish sounds more strange than appealing, but it really is worth trying.

German Lasagna Recipe

I saw this recipe in a magazine a few years ago and Nate asked me to try it out. I am absolutely not a sauerkraut fan, but the sauce and cheese really mellow the flavor. You still get the hint of the flavor, but it isn't overwhelming.

Bottom line: Make this, you won't regret it! It is creamy, cheesy, and has a bit of a kick. I usually switch up regular kielbasa for turkey kielbasa, just because this recipe is incredibly high in fat. I also dont use white pepper in this recipe, for no other reason than i refuse to purchase said pepper for one recipe. Black pepper works just fine. A smallish piece of the lasagna is very filling, which makes leftovers highly likely. It sets up well, and I think it tastes better the second day.

Parmesan Panko Pork Chops

Say that 3 times fast! 

Parm Panko chops recipe

Aside from bacon, pork is by far my least favorite meat. It always seems dry (chops) or extremely salty (ham). But, for some reason, I thought this recipe needed to be tried. 

Besides, even I like pork if it's fried. That being said, I did have to use at least twice as much oil as the recipe called for. These fried up pretty quickly and looked delicious!

Mmmm....golden delicious, right?! It was hard to let these rest after frying, but I controlled myself. 

Bottom line: Boring. Yeah, I wanted them to be good. I was willing them to be moist and tasty, but no such luck. While they certainly weren't bad, they were not flavorful or juicy. We ate them, but I won't be making them again. 

Paula Deen's Green Bean Casserole

I didn't know if the yummy creaminess of the original could be improved upon, or even duplicated...but I wasn't disappointed!

Paula's Green Bean Casserole

Though the recipe called for fresh green beans, I used frozen. The difference between canned and frozen was super noticeable, in a good way.

Bottom line: I liked it! It was wonderful, and not the least bit mushy, which is sometimes how the original can taste. If I took nothing else away from this recipe, it certainly pays to buy frozen vs. canned beans! They had a perfect snap, not slimy or squishy.