It's Not As Bad As You Think.

Canned meat. I know, I know. When you hear that phrase, your mind conjures up a nice juicy chunk of spam, right? Well today's canned meats are much improved. I also think they're a convenient addition to your pantry/food storage.

The meat is fully cooked, and usually packed in its own juices, although I prefer to drain and rinse the meat as well as pick it over for "questionables." It works great for recipes that call for meat that is already cooked: it can save you a lot of time.

I know a few of you have used canned chicken (maybe pork and beef too?). Leave a comment below and tell me how you use your canned meat.


Here are some suggestions & links from me-

Recipes from Dinner's On Me:
Chicken Pasta Pesto Salad
Chicken Salad
Asian Chicken Salad with Roasted Peanuts
Magic 6 Chicken Tortilla Soup
Chicken Cordon Bleu Crepes

Links to other recipes:
Chicken Noodle Casserole II
Chicken Apricot Bundles

Other ideas:
*toss on top of Fettucinni Alfredo (Chk)
*heat w/ bbq sauce, shred meat & serve on buns (Chk,Bf,Pk)
*add to quesadillas (Chk,Bf,Pk)
*heat with taco seasoning for yummy tacos(Chk,Bf,Pk)
*Hawaiian Haystacks (Chk,Pk)
*add to stir-fry near the end (Chk,Bf,Pk)

Week 22 Menu

Monday - leftovers!
Tuesday - eat out
Wednesday - Taco Salads (with tostada filling)
Thursday - Mongolian BBQ here we come!
Friday - camping (tin-foil dinners?)
Saturday - Chicken Fajitas
Sunday - lunch with family

National Ice Cream Month

I'm sorry to inform you, but we nearly missed National Ice Cream Month. Here it is, the last few days of July and I just discovered that we should have all been honoring my favorite dairy product for weeks now.

To make amends, I'll share a link to my favorite home-made ice cream recipe: Chocolate-Hazelnut Gelato. I omit the sprinkling of hazelnuts on top, but otherwise follow the recipe exactly.

Don't be scared off by the inclusion of Nutella in this recipe. I REALLY dislike Nutella (the smell and the taste) but once it's been frozen into ice cream form, I can only taste its creamy chocolate goodness. Oh, and if you're not sure where to find Nutella in your store, ours is located on the peanut butter and jelly aisle.

Happy Pioneer Day

Happy 24th of July to you all! We had a festive little block party last night including a pot-luck treat table. This was my contribution. I can't take credit for the firework-esque frosting. Click here for my inspiration (and the instructions).

In the creation of these cupcakes, however, I did stumble across what might possibly be the most delicious store-bought frosting. EVER. It's Betty Crocker Whipped Vanilla Frosting. I'm not usually a big fan of those tubs of frosting that don't seem to quite cover a double layer cake. This stuff is tasty though, and does the job for a batch of need-them-in-an-hour cupcakes. It has this subtle marshmallow cream flavor to it. I wonder how it would be glopped on a graham cracker....

Week 21 Menu

Monday - Swedish Meatballs & corn on the cob
Tuesday - yo-yo dinner
Wednesday - Green Chile Chicken Enchilada Casserole
Thursday - Steak and Potatoes Dutch Oven
Friday - eat out
Saturday - Magic 6 Chicken Tortilla Soup
Sunday - BBQ Chicken & Rice

Week 21 Recipes

Swedish Meatballs
This is a quick recipe that uses items normally found in my pantry/freezer.

1 beef bouillion cube
1/2 cup water
1 can Cream of Mushroom Soup
1/4 cup milk
1 Tablespoon dried, minced onion
3 Tablespoons sour cream
15-20 Make-Ahead Meatballs (frozen)

Dissolve beef bouillion cube in 1/2 cup warm water. In a saucepan over medium-high heat, combine soup, bouillion-water and 1/4 milk. Stir until smooth. If you would like a thinner or thicker consistency, make that adjustment to the milk. Add dried onion and bring to a simmer. Toss in frozen meatballs, cover and simmer on low, stirring often.

Meanwhile, make your rice or egg noodles. After about 10 minutes, check one meatball to see if it is warmed all the way through. When meatballs are warmed, add sour cream and stir to combine. Serve over rice or egg noodles.



Magic 6 Chicken Tortilla SoupAnother recipe using ingredients commonly found in my pantry & fridge. It gets its name because it uses 6 cans of food and 6 corn tortillas.

1 (15-0z) can corn, drained
1 (15-oz) can black beans, drained & rinsed
2 (14.5-oz) can chicken broth
1 (10 or 14.5-oz) can chunk chicken, drained & rinsed
1 (14.5-oz) can diced tomatoes, do not drain
1/2 cup Salsa (your favorite)
1/4 cup chopped onion
6 (6-inch) corn tortillas, diced
Cumin
Chili Powder
Salt & Pepper

Add all canned items to a large pot. Add salsa and onions, then bring to a simmer. Dice corn tortillas and add. Let soup simmer for 15 minutes. The tortilla bits will dissolve and thicken soup. Be sure to stir every few minutes.

When tortillas are dissolved, taste soup. Add Cumin, Chili Powder, Salt and Pepper to taste. (The amounts will vary depending on which salsa you use, and your taste preferences.)

Serving options: tortilla chips, fresh cilantro, sour cream, avocado slices, olives, grated cheddar.

note: When I use canned chicken, I drain and rinse it to reduce the "questionables" that might remain, including any preservatives and sodium.

Chocolate Peanut Butter No-Bake Bars

I needed a quick dessert to bring to book club and these did the trick. My little family loved them so much, I made us our own half-batch in an 8x8 pan.

Next time I make these, I might try spreading some strawberry jam on top instead of chocolate, just for an experiment.


Chocolate Peanut Butter No-Bake Bars
(Andy Knowlton)

1 cup butter or margarine
1 cup peanut butter
2 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
2 cups powdered sugar
2 cups chocolate chips

In a large bowl, melt butter (microwave). Remove from microwave and whisk in peanut butter until smooth. Set aside. In a large ziplock bag, smash graham crackers to make crumbs (I use my rolling pin). If you want a bit of crunch to your bars, don't crush the crackers too finely - leave some chunks. Add powdered sugar to the ziplock and shake to combine. Add contents of ziplock to the peanut butter mixture and stir until combined. Spray a 9x13 pan with Pam and press dough into it.

In a medium bowl, melt chocolate chips in 30 second increments. Stir after each 30 seconds. When fully melted, spread chocolate evenly over bars. Cover and place in refrigerator for at least 1 hour to let it set. Cut into small squares (these bars are rich!) and serve.