December Meals

Brown Sugar Meatloaf & Roasted Potatoes - Angie

Pumpkin Waffles & Buttermilk Syrup  - Cheryl

Tangy Black Bean Soup - Debbie

Cranberry Chicken & Rice - Julie

Black Eyed Peas & Golden Sweet Cornbread - Kim Rogers

Marvelous Shells 'n' Cheese & Ghiradelli Chocolate Crackle Cookies - Michele

Criminally Delicious Beef - Michelle Williams

 Crispy French Onion Chicken - Sheri

Crock-Pot Chicken Taco Chili  - Stacey


 

Brown Sugar Meatloaf

1/2 c packed brown sugar
1/2 cu ketchup
1 1/2 lbs lean ground beef
3/4 c milk
2 eggs
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 small onion, chopped
1/4 tsp ground ginger
3/4 c finely crushed saltine cracker crumbs

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a 5x9 inch loaf pan. Press the brown sugar in the bottom of the prepared loaf pan and spread the ketchup over the sugar. In a mixing bowl, mix thoroughly all remaining ingredients and shape into a loaf. Place on top of the ketchup. Bake in preheated oven for 1 hour or until juices are clear.

Roasted Potatoes

1 envelope onion soup mix
2 Tbs. Red Potatoes - cut into cubes
1/3 c oil (vegetable or olive)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a 9x13 pan, combine all the ingredients. Bake, Stirring occasionally, 35 minutes or until potatoes are tender golden brown.

Tangy Black Bean Soup

1 pound black beans, soaked overnight and drained

1 (15-ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon allspice

1 tablespoon cumin

1 teaspoon chipotle chile powder

1 orange, juiced

1 lime, juiced

4 cups chicken broth (or vegetable!!)

Cranberry Chicken

1 ¼ pounds boneless skinless chicken breast, cubed into bite-size pieces

1 Cup diced onion

½ Cup Ketchup

1 Tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce

¾ Cup Brown Sugar

1 teaspoon grated orange peel

1 Can jellied cranberry sauce or whole cranberry sauce (whichever you prefer)

Cook chicken and onion together until the chicken is cooked all the way through.  Add in the next five ingredients and simmer for 5 minutes over medium heat.  Serve over rice or noodles.

Marvelous Shells 'N' Cheese

1 package (16 oz) medium pasta shells

1 package (8 oz) process cheese (Velveeta), cubed

1/3 cup milk

2 cups (16 oz) cottage cheese

1 can (10 ¾ oz) condensed cream of onion soup, undiluted

3 cups shredded Mexican cheese blend

2/3 cup dry bread crumbs

¼ cup butter, melted

Cook pasta according to package directions.  Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, combine process cheese and milk; cook and stir over low heat until melted.  Remove from the heat.  Stir in cottage cheese and soup.

Drain pasta and add to cheese sauce; stir until coated.  Transfer to a greased 13-in. X 9-in. baking dish.  Sprinkle with Mexican cheese blend.  Toss breadcrumbs with butter; sprinkle over the top.

Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes or until heated through. 

Serves 6-10

Ghiradellli Choclate Crackle Cookies

1 package Ghirardelli Double Chocolate Brownie Mix

1 cup all-purpose flour

3 eggs

1/3 cup vegetable oil

¾ cup powdered sugar (reserve for coating dough)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Place brownie mix, flour, eggs and oil in medium bowl.  Stir until blended. Place powdered sugar in separate bowl.  For each cookie, scoop 1 rounded tablespoon dough and place in powdered sugar.  Roll dough gently into balls, coating thoroughly with powdered sugar.  Place 2 inches apart onto greased cookie sheet.  Bake 11-13 minutes.

Makes 2 1/2 dozen

Criminally Delicious Beef

1 beef chuck or cross-rib pot roast between 2 and 2 1/2 lbs.

1 cup ketchup

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1/8 teaspoon allspice

1/8 teaspoon cloves

Brown roast.  Place all ingredients in crockpot and cook on low for 8 hours. 

Crispy French Onion Chicken with Rice Pilaf Salad

2 Tbs of butter
1 tsp garlic
2 Tbs Worcestershire sauce
2 cups onion crisps
6 pieces of chicken breast (I used MASSIVE chicken breasts and cut them to the size of a normal size chicken breast)

Preheat oven to 350
Melt butter, then mix in garlic and Worcestershire sauce
Crush onion crisps
Dip chicken in butter sauce, then gently press chicken in plate of crushed onion crisps (Just dip one side.  If you have leftover onions at the end, sprinkle them over the top of the chicken in the pan.)
Place in LIGHTLY greased 9x13 casserole dish (or larger if it doesn't all fit!)
Bake @ 350 for 20-25 mins
Broil on High for 5 mins 

Crockpot Chicken Taco Chili

1 can black beans (drained and rinced)

1 can kidney beans (drained and rinced)

1 can corn kernels (corn only, no juice)

16 oz tomato sauce

28 oz diced tomatoes

packet taco seasoning (3 table spoons)

1/2 tbsp chili powder

3-4 boneless chicken breasts.

 

Put everything in crockpot and cook 6 hours high or 10 hours low in the crock pot.