Uber Meaty Spaghetti Sauce and Cheesy Garlic Biscuits

Serves 10 hungry people.

Preheat Oven to 450.

Ingredients for Uber Meaty Spaghetti Sauce:

1 lb Ground Beef

1 lb Italian Sausage

2 1/2 TBSP Worchestershire Sauce

1 Large Diced Onion

2 tsp Salt

1 TBSP Minced Garlic

1 TBSP Basil

1 28 oz Can Peeled Crushed Tomatoes

1 28 oz Can of Water (not pictured)

1 6 oz can Tomato Paste

1 14.5 oz can Diced Tomatoes

1 8 oz can Tomato Sauce

1 TBSP Extra Virgin Olive Oil (not pictured...it was being shy)

2 TBSP Basil

1 TBSP Garlic Powder

1 TBSP Oregano

1 TBSP Italian Seasoning

2 1/2 tsp Salt

1/2 cup Grape Jelly

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Ingredients for Cheesy Garlic Biscuits:

2 cups All Purpose Baking Mix

2/3 cup Milk (not pictured)

1 1/2 cups Shredded Cheese

1/2 cup Melted Butter

1 TBSP Garlic Powder

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Ok so let's start making our Uber Meaty Spaghetti Sauce. Using your hands squish up the Ground Beef with the Italian Sausage, kinda like you used to do with your Play-Dough when you were a kid. Feel the meat. Love the meat. If you're squeemish about touching meat (ah-hem...Alicia) then you can skip this step and just throw the Ground Beef and the Italian Sausage into a pot. Then toss in the:

2 1/2 TBSP Worchestershire Sauce

1 Large Diced Onion

2 tsp Salt

1 TBSP Minced Garlic

1 TBSP Basil

Stir it all up until its nice and brown.

Now throw in the:

1 28 oz Can Peeled Crushed Tomatoes

1 28 oz Can of Water

1 6 oz can Tomato Paste

1 14.5 oz can Diced Tomatoes

1 8 oz can Tomato Sauce

Look at all that Tomatoy Goodness.

Now shake in all those amazing seasonings...

1 TBSP Extra Virgin Olive Oil

2 TBSP Basil

1 TBSP Garlic Powder

1 TBSP Oregano

1 TBSP Italian Seasoning

2 1/2 tsp Salt

Look at the whirlpool of spices in there!

Now we cannot forget this!

It's the secret ingredient...and for all of you doubting Thomases out there....STOP IT! Don't even think about not putting it in....just do it...you'll like it I promise!

1/2 cup of Grape Jelly goes into the pot!

Ahhhh...behold the Isle of Grape.

Now stick a lid on it and simmer at medium for at least an hour (the longer it simmers the yummier it will be!). Stir every 15 minutes or so.

Note: You can also stick this recipe in a Crockpot and just leave it all day. Just add another 1/2 28 oz can of water and set the Crockpot to High for 1 hour and then Low for the rest of the time. (I stick it in before church and its perfectly tasty when we eat it about 5 hrs later.)

Time for the Cheesy Garlic Biscuits!

Now I cannot claim this recipe. I fell in love with it at a dinner with the Jen Hawes clan and knew I had to have it. They taste just like those amazing Red Lobster biscuits and they're SO EASY! Just throw in:

2 cups All Purpose Baking Mix

2/3 cup milk

1 1/2 cups Shredded Cheese

Stir!

Plop on a cookie sheet!

And bake at 450 for 8-10 minutes!

Now when they're good and baked mix together your melted butter and garlic powder and brush the buttery goodness over the tops of the biscuits.

That's it!

Now let's check out our spaghetti! I just throw in some pasta (choose your favorite) and cook it for 15-20 minutes. We like ours a little al dente (which literally means "with teeth" in Latin and just means a bit chewy). And then scoop a WHOLE bunch of sauce on top.

The biscuits make the meal SO MUCH better!

Try them together for dinner TONIGHT!! DO IT!!

Twice Baked Potatoes

Serves 6-8 portions

Preheat Oven to 425

Ingredients:

7 good sized Idaho Potatoes

2/3 cup of Milk

2/3 cup of Sour Cream

1/3 cup Miracle Whip Salad Dressing (the secret ingredient)

2 TBSP Garlic Powder

2 tsp Lemon Pepper

1TBSP Ground Black Pepper

1 1/2 TBSP Season Salt

1 TBSP Basil

1TBSP Oregano

1/2 cup Butter (the good stuff)

1 1/2 cup Shredded Cheddar Cheese

1 lb Cooked Bacon (not shown)

1/2 cup Shredded Cheddar Cheese for topping

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Ok so this is also my recipe for mashed potatoes EXCEPT with Twice Baked Potatoes you stuff them back in their potato shell and bake them again instead of just mashing them up and adding the spices. So first to TWICE bake them you need to ONCE bake them.

Pop 7 potatoes into the oven and bake at 425 for 45 minutes.

Then check in with the chubby-cheeks and see how she's doin....

Oh she's excited...I can tell....Anybody else think she looks a little Aunt Jamimaish with that headband on like that?

Ok once the potatoes are cooked. Slice them in half.



And scoop out the guts....I like to leave a little bit on the sides because it helps the shell hold its shape better.

See the empty potato carcass.

Now repeat. You might want to wait about 15 minutes before scooping...just so you don't burn your fingerprints off ;). Look at all the little potato carcasses....those are about to be filled amazing potato goodness.

All the scooped potato guts go in a big bowl. And it looks like this when its all done.

So plain....but not for long! Now dump in your:

2/3 cup of milk

2/3 cup of sour cream

1/3 c. of Miracle Whip Salad Dressing

2 TBSP garlic powder

2 tsp Lemon Pepper

1 1/2 TBSP Season Salt

1 TBSP Ground Black Pepper

1 TBSP Basil

1 TBSP Oregano

1/2 cup Softened Butter

1 1/2 c Shredded Cheddar Cheese
1 lb. Cooked Bacon

It's all in there....Now stir until it looks like this.

And plop that goodness back into its potato shell. You'll find that since we've added a bunch of stuff to the potato guts you now have plenty of goodness to overfill the potato shells....DO IT!

See how much I overfill mine...

Thats good stuff right there. Now top with some more cheese.

And bake for an additional 30 minutes at 425. Serve as a main dish or as a side. We had ours as an entree with some salad....DELICIOUS!

Now it's time for the close-up!

Spicy Chicken Red Beans and Rice Tacos

Serves 4-6 Hefty Portions

Ingredients:

2 Chicken Breasts (boneless/skinless)

3/4 cup Apple Juice

2 TBSP Minced Garlic

2 tsp Season Salt

2 tsp Taco Seasoning

2 tsp Tumeric (WHAT?! You've never used this before?...well get it out!)

1 TBSP Chili Powder

1 Medium Onion

2 tsp Black Ground Pepper

2 tsp Crushed Red Pepper Flakes

1 Red Beans and Rice mix (use your favorite)

3 3/4 cup Water

2 TBSP Margarine

Seasoning Packet for Rice (comes in the box)

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First of all this recipe calls for Tumeric....never heard of it? Never used it before? Well chances are you've tasted it before and just never realized what that wonderful flavor was. Tumeric looks like this...

And it tastes like orange clouds...just kidding. I don't really know how to describe it; its very distinctive and unique. It's often used in curries and I use it in jambalayas and New Orleans cuisine. So if you've never used it before and its just been sitting there in your spice rack..well give yourself a pat on the back because you're about use a new spice! But before we start the chicken...we need to start the red beans and rice.

Red Beans and Rice Mix

Your favorite Red Beans and Rice mix (Don't have one, never tried it?....Look in the rice and pasta section at the grocery store. Mine is next to the Rice-O-Roni mixes)

3 3/4 cup Water

2 TBSP margarine

Spice packet

This will cook or 30-35 minutes or until rice and beans are tender....and yummy.

Now onto the chicken...

Chop chicken into bite size pieces. I find using a good sharp pair of kitchen scissors makes the task go by quite speedily. To the chicken add:

3/4 cup Apple Juice

2 TBSP Minced Garlic

2 tsp Season Salt

2 tsp Taco Seasoning

2 tsp Tumeric

1 TBSP Chili Powder

1 Medium Onion

2 tsp Black Ground Pepper

2 tsp Crushed Red Pepper Flakes

Forgot to put the Chili Powder in the big group shot of ingredients....didn't want him to feel left out so there he is. Now let that simmer for 20 minutes or until the red beans and rice is done. With that time I went and fed this cry-face...she was upset she wasn't going to get to taste the Tumeric.


Now when your dinger dings...hopefully your little cry-face has been assuaged....add your tender red beans and rice mixture to the chicken...


Yep...I know it looks yummy....(well kinda...ok not really...it kinda looks like...well nevermind...thats not an appetizing thought) But believe me it TASTES yummy. Now plop that mixture into some tortillas. We used corn because we were out of flour and it was fantastic but use whatever you've got.



Sprinkle with cheese and scoop a little sour cream on top.

And since we used corn tortillas and they're smaller...I filled 3 of them and we had what looked like a feast.

So good....try it....you'll thank me AND the tumeric.

Not Yo Momma's Shepard's Pie

Serves 4 Man sized portions

Preheat oven to 450.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 lbs Ground Beef
1/2 cup cheddar cheese
1/2 cup frozen carrots
1/2 cup frozen peas
1/3 cup sour cream
2 cans of tomato sauce (or 1 can tomato sauce and 1 can tomato paste)
Garlic (minced and powdered)
Savory Herb and Garlic Lipton soup mix
Oregano
Basil
Season Salt
1 box of Au Gratin Potatoes (any flavor...you choose!)

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Ground Beef Mixture:

1 1/2 lbs ground beef

2 tsp garlic powder

2 tsp Basil

2 tsp Oregano

2 tsp Season Salt

Throw it all together in a pan, brown, and drain.

Now while that's browning throw together your potatoes, carrots, peas, and sauce mixture.

Potato Mixture:

1 Box Au Gratin Potatoes

1/2 c. Frozen Carrots

1/2 c. Frozen Peas

2 1/2 c. Water

1/3 c. milk

Au Gratin Seasoning Packet

Savory Herb and Garlic Soup Mix Packet

Dump it all into a 9 inch glass baking dish. And stir to get any clumps out. (Note: the water and milk posted are not in addition to the amounts listed on the back of the Au Gratin potato box...use these amounts instead).

Tomato Sauce Mixture:

2 cans of tomato sauce (or 1 can of tomato sauce and 1 can of tomato paste--just depends on how thick you like your sauce)

3 TBSP oregano

2 TBSP basil

1 TBSP minced garlic

Combine all ingredients in a small glass bowl and stir.

Now while you were doing this your meat should be just about browned. After draining, layer the ground beef on top of the potato mixture.

I know it looks gross...but it tastes SO good.

Now spread tomato sauce mixture plus 1/3 cup of sour cream on top of browned beef.

Top with as much cheese as you desire! I probably used a 1/2 cup here. Now pop it in the oven. And stare at this adorable face while it cooks for 35-40 minutes.

At least that's what I did with my time.

After the dinger on your timer dings, take out your lovely Shepard's pie and bask in your own chefly grandness. Scoop into bowls and serve with a dollop of sour cream on top.

Ta DA!