Beef Parmigiana

Beef Parmigiana: 

1 ½ lb stew beef

1/3 cup parmesan cheese

1/3 cup Italian bread crumbs (I use leftover GF breadmaker bread that I crumble up and add to some Italian seasoning)

1 large egg, beaten

1/3 cup corn oil

1 medium onion, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 (12oz) can tomato paste

1 tsp salt

½ tsp each granulated sugar & ground marjoram

3 cups hot water

8 oz mozzarella cheese, sliced

Cooked penne pasta

Cut beef in bite-size pieces. Combine parmesan & bread crumbs in a shallow bowl and mix well. Dip beef in egg. Coat with parmesan mixture. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Heat corn oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook beef in hot oil until browned on both sides, about 6 minutes. Transfer beef to a 13x9 baking dish. Sauté onion and garlic in skillet until tender, about 4 minutes. Add tomato paste, salt, sugar, marjoram and black pepper to onion mixture and mix well. Stir in hot water gradually. Bring to a boil. Boil, stirring to deglaze skillet, for 5 minutes. Pour ¾ of sauce over beef. Top with mozzarella and the remaining sauce. Bake for 1 hour. Serve with penne pasta, if desired.

Slow Cooker Spaghetti and Meatballs

My husband grew up on homemade spaghetti sauce. This recipe was a real winner! I stirred the pasta into the crockpot after both were done cooking. I found the recipe here: http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/slow-cooker-spaghetti---meatballs

Slow Cooker Spaghetti and Meatballs 

TOTAL TIME: Prep: 50 min. Cook: 5 hours YIELD:12 servings

Ingredients

1 cup seasoned bread crumbs (I used leftover GF breadmaker bread that I crumbled up with some Italian seasoning)

2 tablespoons grated Parmesan and Romano cheese blend

1 teaspoon pepper

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 eggs, lightly beaten

2 pounds ground beef

SAUCE:

1 large onion, finely chopped

3 cans (15 ounces each) tomato sauce

2 cans (14-1/2 ounces each) diced tomatoes, undrained

1 can (6 ounces) tomato paste

6 garlic cloves, minced

2 bay leaves

1 teaspoon each dried basil, oregano and parsley flakes

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

Hot cooked Gluten Free spaghetti

Directions

1. In a large bowl, mix bread crumbs, cheese, pepper and salt; stir in eggs. Add beef; mix lightly but thoroughly. Shape into 1-1/2-in. balls. In a large skillet, brown meatballs in batches over medium heat; drain.

2. Place the first four sauce ingredients in a 6-qt. slow cooker; stir in garlic and seasonings. Add meatballs, stirring gently to coat. Cook, covered, on low 5-6 hours or until meatballs are cooked through.

3. Remove bay leaves. Serve with spaghetti. Yield: 12 servings (about 3-1/2 quarts sauce).

Oven Baked Chicken Taquitos

These taquitos are super tasty! I paired them with my crockpot refried beans and they were a BIG hit! My kids cheered and ate the whole pan. I will definitely be making them again. 

Oven Baked Chicken Taquitos

INGREDIENTS:

4 cooked chicken breast, shredded

8 oz cream cheese, softened

4-6 green onions, finely chopped

2 TBSP cilantro, finely chopped

3 garlic gloves, minced

1/2 small anaheim pepper, finely chopped

1 tsp chili powder

½ tsp cumin

½ tsp pepper

½ tsp kosher salt

1 tsp oregano

30 corn tortillas

Shredded cheese

olive or vegetable oil, for brushing the taquitos before baking

HOW TO PREPARE:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

In a large mixing bowl, add chicken breast, softened cream cheese, green onions, cilantro, garlic, Anaheim pepper, and all seasonings. Mix everything together until combined well.

Next, line a baking sheet with foil.

Heat up your tortillas for about 30 seconds, or until soft and flexible. (I use a tortilla warmer).

Now add about 2 TBSP of chicken filling and spread it in the middle of a tortilla. Sprinkle with a little shredded cheese. 

Tightly wrap the tortilla and place seam side down. Repeat this process until all the chicken filling has been used.

Once all the tortillas are made, spray the tortillas with vegetable or olive oil. I use a Misto Sprayer for this step. You may also brush on the oil as well.

Cook for 25-30 minutes @ 425 degrees.

Serve oven baked chicken taquitos with a your favorite hot sauce, green sauce, sour cream, and/or avocado salad.

Notes:

If you notice the taquitos cracking or splitting as they cook, spray or brush on more oil as needed.