All posts by Cheryl Creamer

Main Dishes

Italian Meatball Sandwiches

Ingredients

Meatballs:

  • 1 1/2 pounds ground beef
  • 1/4 pound grated Romano cheese
  • 1/2 cup parsley tops, chopped
  • 1 teaspoon pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 4 eggs
  • 2 cups dry bread crumbs (grated)
  • 1/4 cup olive oil

Sauce:

  • 1 clove minced garlic
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 28 ounces of crushed tomatoes
  • 1 6 ounce can tomato paste
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon oregano
  • Parmesan or Romano cheese for topping
  • green pepper, sliced thin

Directions

Mix meatball ingredients except for oil, gently by hand. Shape into meatballs using 3 tablespoons meatball mixture. (Keep hands wet and roll gently during shaping.) Fry meatballs in 1/4 cup olive oil until brown, drain. For sauce cook garlic in oil until lightly brown. Add crushed tomatoes, paste, salt and oregano and simmer 30 minutes. Add meatballs and simmer 1/2 to 1 hour more.  Cut bread in 8 inch lengths and warm in oven. Top with meatballs and sauce, cheese and green pepper strips.

 

 

Cookies

Cowboy Cookies

Ingredients

  • 1 1/3 cups rolled oats
  • 1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour, (Use Gluten Free baking flour for Gluten Free cookies!)
  • 1/2 cup packed brown sugar (or you can substitute 1/2 cup coconut sugar)
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 cup organic cane sugar
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 cup chopped pecans
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
  • 1/2 cup melted butter
  • 1 egg
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease cookie sheets. in a large bowl mix the oats, flour, brown sugar, baking powder, white sugar, baking soda, pecans, salt and chocolate chips In a medium bowl mix together melted butter, egg and teaspoon of vanilla. Pour butter mixture into the dry ingredients and stir until mixed. You may have to use your hands to finish mixing. Shape into walnut-sized balls. Place 2 inches apart on prepared cookie sheets. Bake for 11 to 13 minutes in the preheated oven. Transfer from cookie sheets to cool on wire racks.

 

Desserts

Mom’s Cheesecake

Ingredients

  • 3/4 cup graham-cracker crumbs, (Use gluten free graham crackers for a yummy gluten free cheesecake)
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 1 tablespoon melted butter
  • 3 packages (8 oz) cream cheese, at room temperature
  • 4 eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup  sugar
  • 2 cups sour cream
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees
Make crust: In medium bowl, combine crumbs, sugar and butter, mixing well. Spread evenly over bottom of a 9-inch spring form pan, pressing lightly with fingertips. Refrigerate while filling is prepared.
Make filling: In a large bowl with electric mixer, at medium speed, beat cheese until light. Add eggs, vanilla, and sugar: continue beating until creamy and light. Pour into crust in pan, Bake 35 minutes.
Make topping: In medium bowl, with wooden spoon, beat together sour cream, sugar, and vanilla. Set aside until cheesecake is done.
Remove cheesecake from oven, spread topping evenly over surface; bake 5 minutes. Cool in pan, or a wire rack. Then refrigerate 5 hours, or overnight. To serve: Remove side of spring form pan and cut cheesecake into wedges. Makes 10-12 servings

For different flavor cheesecakes:

Lemon:   Add the zest of 1 large lemon to batter when you are adding in the vanilla. Top and bake the same as regular cheesecake.

Pumpkin: Add 1 cup canned pumpkin, 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, 1 teaspoon ground ginger and 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves to the batter. Top and bake the same as regular cheesecake.

Desserts

My Favorite Pie Crust

Ingredients

  • 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 4 teaspoons granulated sugar
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon table salt
  • 12 tablespoons butter
  • 1/2 cup shortening
  • 14 tablespoons ice water

Directions

Makes 2 (9-10) inch crusts

In a large bowl, mix together flour, salt and sugar until well combined. Using clean hands, add butter and toss until just coated. Rub butter between thumb and forefingers to incorporate into flour mixture until butter is in lima bean-sized pieces and comes together in quarter-sized clumps when squeezed in palm, about 2 minutes. Add shortening, toss until just coated in flour, then rub into flour mixture until mixture forms pea-size pieces (some big chunks should remain) and comes together in fist-sized clumps when squeezed, about 1 minute. Drizzle in half the ice water and rake through mixture with fingers until just moistened. Drizzle in remaining water 1 tablespoon at a time and comb through mixture with fingers to moistened. It will go from being a mess to coming together.  Dough is moist enough when it is moistened through but is not wet when pressed. (Do not overwork the dough or it will become tough.) While
rotating the bowl with 1 hand, push dough between other palm and side of bowl to gather into a ball. Divide dough in half .Turn one half of dough onto a piece of plastic wrap, press it into a flat disk, then close in wrap. Place remaining half on another piece of plastic wrap, press it into a flat disk, then close it in wrap.  Place both in coldest part of the refrigerator at least 30 minutes before rolling out and forming into a crust.

 

Casseroles

Chicken Pot Pie

Ingredients

  • 2 pie crusts
  • 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cubed
  • 1 cup thin sliced carrots
  • 1 cup frozen peas
  • 1 cup celery, chopped
  • 1/3 cup butter
  • 1/3 cup onion, chopped
  • 1/3 cup flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon celery seed
  • 1 3/4 cups chicken broth
  • 2/3 cup milk

Directions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
In a saucepan combine chicken, carrots, peas, and celery. Add water to cover and boil 15 minutes. Remove from heat and drain water.
In another saucepan with medium heat, melt the butter and add onions and cook until they are soft. Stir in salt, pepper and celery seed. Add the flour and stir to coat the onions. Slowly add chicken broth and milk, cook until thickened. Stir in the chicken mixture and set aside.
Roll out 1 pie crust the size of your 2 1/2 quart casserole dish and place it inside. Top with the chicken mixture. Roll out the second pie crust and place on top. Seal the crusts and make a small slice in the top to let the steam escape. Bake 30-35 minutes.

 

Main Dishes

Chipotle Chicken Wraps

Ingredients

  • 3 Chicken Breasts
  • 1 cup chopped onion
  • 2 chipotle peppers
  • 1 tablespoon adobo sauce
  • 1/2 cup sour cream
  • 1/4 cup cilantro
  • 1/4 cup lime juice
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • tortillas, (substitute corn tortillas, Gluten Free flour tortillas or make my gluten free tortilla recipe!)

Directions

Cube chicken and cook in skillet with a small amount of vegetable oil until chicken is not pink, about 10-15 minutes. Add the chopped onion and continue cooking until the onion is clear, about another 5 minutes.
Place the rest of the ingredients in the blender except for tortillas, and puree. Pour sauce over chicken mixture and mix well. Serve on the tortillas. Use leftover sour cream and cilantro to garnish.

 

Casseroles

3 Cheese Chicken Penne

Ingredients

  • 4 chicken thighs, pre-cooked
  • 16 oz. box of penne
  • 15 oz. jar Alfredo sauce or my homemade Creamy Alfredo Sauce
  • 8 oz. of grated Italian cheeses, mozzarella, parmesan, provolone
  • 14.5 oz can of diced tomatoes, drained
  • 1 tbs. basil
  • 3-4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 6 tbs. Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Directions

If you have uncooked chicken, you may grill, broil or boil it.
When cooked, debone and remove skin.
Chop chicken into 1 inch pieces and set aside.
Chop tomatoes, add EVOO, garlic and basil to make bruschetta, set aside.
Cook penne per directions on the box.
Layer 1/2 the pasta, 1/2 Alfredo sauce, 1/2 bruschetta and 1/2 chicken in a 2 1/2 qt. casserole dish, then repeat for 2nd layer. Mix well and top with the Italian cheeses.
Bake 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until golden brown.

 

 

Sauces

Creamy Alfredo Sauce

Ingredients

1 (8oz.) package of cream cheese, cubed
3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/2 cup butter
1 cup milk

Directions

In a large saucepan, melt butter over low heat, add cubed cream cheese and stir until melted. Slowly add milk, stirring constantly.
Add grated parmesan cheese and mix well. Stir until thickened, it takes about 5 minutes.