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Archive for the ‘Main Dish’ Category

If you are looking for a filling, fast and tasty meal, whip up a skillet full of beef stir fry. It comes together quickly and could even be called a healthy meal (which most of my blog posts aren’t. Sorry I grew up on a farm where butter was liberally applied and included in everything. What can I say?)

Give this a whirl and see if it doesn’t make for a fast and easy meal.

Ingredients for Beef Stir Fry - you can use whatever veggies you like, this just happened to be what I had available when I decided to make this for dinner.

I use stew meat and slice it thinly for stir-fry. Because the meat is still a little frozen, it is super easy to slice.

Wash and slice up vegetables. We used celery, zuchinni and yellow squash. You could also use broccoli, cauliflower, peppers, onion, corn, etc.

Brown your meat in a hot skillet. I got out my Big Bertha cast iron skillet so it could hold all the ingredients easily.

Add veggies once the meat is browned.

Add beef broth and simmer until veggies are tender. Thanks Captain Cavedweller for pouring in the broth so I could take photos!

Steaming hot and ready to eat. Serve over rice and you've got a complete meal, ready in minutes!

Beef Stir Fry

1-2 pounds of stew meat, thinly sliced

4 stalks of celery, thinly sliced

1 zucchini, thinly sliced

1 yellow squash, thinly sliced

1 can water sliced chestnust

parsley flakes

onion flakes

beef broth

salt

all-purpose seasoning

Brown meat in a skillet on medium-high heat.  When browned, add in veggies and enough beef broth to cover the mixture. Cover and reduce heat to medium. Simmer until veggies are tender. Serve over rice. We like to sprinkle chow mein noodles on top. You can use any combination of vegetables. Onions and peppers and I are not on speaking terms, so we make do with onion flakes.

Enjoy!

She Who Likes Easy to Throw Together Meals

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Hawaiian Hoagie

On evenings when I’m tired, work late or just feel like a lazy slug (which oddly enough, happens quite a bit) I like to make something fast and easy for dinner. Even better, I like Captain Cavedweller to make something fast for dinner.

Those hoagie sandwiches are filling and tasty and because they are toasted, nice and warm on a cool evening.

And simple enough that anyone can make them. Really!

You can literally be eating your dinner in less than 10 minutes. Serve with a side of cottage cheese and fruit if you are inclined for a healthy choice or a plate full of crunchy chips if you are inclined to go the more flavorful salt-packed route.

Ingredients for Hawaiian Hoagies

Put a light layer of mayo on your hoagie. Or not. You could also put on pizza sauce if you so desired.

Layer on some Canadian Bacon.

Sprinkle on some shredded mozzarella cheese.

Toast until the cheese is lightly browned and extra flavorful then add on your pineapple.

Top with some sliced black olives.

Enjoy!

Hawaiian Hoagie

Mayo

Shredded Mozzarella

Hoagie Rolls

Canadian Bacon

Olives

Pineapple

How much of each ingredient is really dependent on how many sandwiches you are making and how much stuff you want on each one. For me, I use three slices of Canadian bacon and one pineapple ring with a sprinkling of cheese. Hubby’s sandwich on the other hand features eight slices of bacon, three pineapple rings and we won’t discuss the cheese. At all.

Make it however you like and enjoy!

She Who Likes Easy Dinners

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Hubby and I are not huge turkey fans.

To be quite honest, we’d prefer just about any other meat to turkey.

But then…

We discovered these really tasty Turkey Breasts from Butterball.

They come precooked, smoked and flavored and are piping hot and ready to eat in just 30 minutes. The meat is moist and tender and wonderful. It is so fast and easy to make – just like the package says… everyday. As in you can make it for an everyday dinner not as in I’m eating this every day. Eww! I like it, but it isn’t chocolate, after all!

 

To prepare, I put the breast in a foil lined pan and bake according to package directions.

When it is piping hot, just slice and serve. How easy is that?

 

And delicious! Especially if you drain off the juice and make something wicked like potatoes and gravy to go along with the turkey!

Happy Entertaining!

She who now likes turkey

 

 

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“When the moon hits you eye like a big pizza pie
That’s amore
When the world seems to shine like you’ve had too much wine
That’s amore”

There is just something about Italian food that speaks the language of love. Dean Martin crooned about it in this well-known tune. Even Tramp knew to take Lady to an Italian restaurant when he was trying to impress her.

Although a lot of dishes seem involved and sometimes complicated, Manicotti is one that is simple and so good. If you want to your food to speak of your love, give this main dish a whirl. It will set your Valentine’s heart a-flutter. (Or at least make them drool and beg you to share your dinner!)

Cast of characters for Manicotti

Cook pasta shells for seven minutes.

Drain pasta, rinse in cold water, set aside.

While meat is browning, mix together ricotta and parmesan cheeses, parsley flakes and salt.

Add browned meat to filling mix then start filling the shells.

Pour 3/4 cup alfredo sauce in bottom of baking dish and spread evenly. Top with filled Manicotti shells then pour rest of jar of sauce over shells, top with Parmesan cheese and bake!

Manicotti - hot out of the oven and ready to eat. (Please note to not overcook yours like I did mine because my dad called about three seconds before I needed to take this out of the oven!)

Garnish with marinara sauce and more cheese then savor ever delicious bite!

Manicotti
1 box Manicotti shells
1 pound ground pork sausage
1 pound ground beef
1 tsp. all-purpose seasoning
1 tsp. onion flakes
2 eggs
1 15-ounce container ricotta cheese
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. parsley flakes
3/4 cup parmesan cheese
1 jar alfredo sauce
1/2 cup marinara sauce

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cook Manicotti shells 7 minutes in boiling water. Drain and rinse in cool water. Set aside.

In a large skillet, cook beef and sausage with seasoning and onion flakes until brown. Drain any grease and set aside.

Beat eggs lightly in a medium bowl. Stir in ricotta, 1/2 cup parmesan cheese, parsley flakes and salt. Mix in meat.

Grease a 13x9x2 inch baking dish and spread 3/4 cup alfredo sauce in the bottom of the pan. Fill Manicotti shells with cheese and meat mixture. I use a teaspoon to stuff the filling in. You can also load a ziploc bag and cut a sizeable whole in one corner and squeeze it in, but I think the teaspoon method is faster. Place filled Manicotti in pan. Pour remaining sauce evenly over filled shells, sprinkle with remaining cheese and cover with foil. Bake for 30 minutes. Uncover and continue baking 5-10 minutes until cheese is melted.

Put a large spoonful of marinara sauce on a plate, top with two Manicotti shells, drizzle with marinara sauce and top with another sprinkling of cheese, if desired. Serve alongside a fresh, green salad and Cupid’s Bread.

Prepare to be overwhelmed with the undying devotion of your sweetheart for making them such a marvelous meal!

That’s Amore!

Happy Valentine’s Entertaining!


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