Stuffed Pepper Soup

If you love stuffed peppers, you'll enjoy this hearty soup. It has all the flavors you'd expect, but with the added benefit of getting to slowly savor each one in the form of a soup without needing to take the time to actually stuff a pepper. 

 This recipe makes about 10 servings and doesn't take much time at all. The meat and rice is cooked before throwing it all together. A very simple recipe you'll be happy to serve and enjoy.

YOU WILL NEED:


2 lbs. ground beef
1 (28 oz.) can tomato sauce

1 (28 oz.) can diced tomatoes, undrained

2 cups COOKED white rice

2 cups chopped green pepper
2 beef bouillon cubes
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper

Brown the ground beef and drain. Add all ingredients together in a large pot; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cover simmering for about 30 minutes.

 Enjoy~Everything in Moderation

Crock Pot Ham

Need a simple but DELICIOUS ham recipe for Christmas or Easter but think it will involve too much of your time watching the oven and testing for doneness?

Try this CROCK POT recipe that I found at this wonderful crock pot recipe site.

If you find yourself hosting a large family dinner in your home, this is a perfect recipe that will need no tending to- once it has started the slow cooking.

And it extremely moist. NO MORE DRY HAM!

Only a few ingredients:

7-8 pound bone-in spiral-cut ham

1 cup dark brown sugar

1/2 cup all natural maple syrup

2 cups pineapple juice



The Directions.


Use a 6-7 quart slow cooker. Unwrap the ham, and discard flavor packet. Place it into your stoneware, flat-side down. Rub brown sugar on all sides. Pour on maple syrup and pineapple juice. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours. If possible, baste ham with collected juice from the bottom of the crock an hour or so before serving. When cooking is done, remove carefully and let it rest on a cutting board for 15-20 minutes before carving.

Now, how easy is that?

And your house will smell DIVINE!

THE best lasagna recipe

Take it from an Italian girl....you must try this recipe!

I love Italian food, but I would be the first to say that although I love pasta dishes (I serve them often at my house), lasagna has never been at the top of my list...until now!

I actually had two servings--two LARGE servings, and so did everyone else when I had a dinner party in my home. (So much for moderation....)




I served it again at an Italian buffet for nearly 30 people at my house on Christmas Eve and again...a big hit!





Another pic when I made it recently. I added more mozzarella on top because well...CHEESE!

Although the recipe calls for a very long time to cook the sauce on low, you don't have to cook it that long (30-45 minutes would do), however, the longer it cooks, the more time for that delicious blend of spices to "get to know each other better"....

This makes a filling meal served with garlic bread and a salad.

YOU WILL NEED:

1 pound sweet Italian sausage
3/4 pound lean ground beef
1/2 cup minced onion
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
2 (6 ounce) cans tomato paste
2 (6.5 ounce) cans canned tomato sauce
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons white sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons dried basil leaves
1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1 tablespoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
4 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
12 lasagna noodles
16 ounces ricotta cheese
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 pound mozzarella cheese, sliced
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions
In a Dutch oven, cook sausage, ground beef, onion, and garlic over medium heat until well browned. Stir in crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, tomato sauce, and water. Season with sugar, basil, fennel seeds, Italian seasoning, 1 tablespoon salt, pepper, and 2 tablespoons parsley. Simmer, covered, for about 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally.
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook lasagna noodles in boiling water for 8 to 10 minutes. Drain noodles, and rinse with cold water. In a mixing bowl, combine ricotta cheese with egg, remaining parsley, and 1/2 teaspoon salt.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
To assemble, spread 1 1/2 cups of meat sauce in the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish. Arrange 6 noodles lengthwise over meat sauce. Spread with one half of the ricotta cheese mixture. Top with a third of mozzarella cheese slices. Spoon 1 1/2 cups meat sauce over mozzarella, and sprinkle with 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese. Repeat layers, and top with remaining mozzarella and Parmesan cheese. Cover with foil: to prevent sticking, either spray foil with cooking spray, or make sure the foil does not touch the cheese.
Bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes. Remove foil, and bake an additional 25 minutes. Cool for 15 minutes before serving.

Nutritional Information
Amount Per Serving Calories: 448 | Total Fat: 21.3g | Cholesterol: 84mg

Mom's Secret Recipe Meatloaf

I have told you in the past, ANYTIME I post a recipe from my Momma, you all should immediately stop what you are doing and print or write it out!

They are ALWAYS wonderful, mouth-watering recipes that are not too fussy.

The surprising secret in this recipe is SALSA- but it only adds to the moistness and offers some added flavor. It does NOT make it spicy or Mexican-flavored.

The topping is DELICIOUS! You'll want seconds. Possibly thirds. Your Momma will not have to tell you to clean your plate!


For this recipe, you will need:


2 eggs, beaten
1/2 of small jar of mild salsa
1 cup finely crushed saltine crackers
2 lbs. ground beef
1/3 cup chopped onion
1/3 cup chopped green pepper

Mix all together- put into a loaf pan and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes (uncovered). Bring out of the oven and put on topping and bake 15 min. more.

Topping
1/4 cup ketchup
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tsp. dried mustard


Best served with mashed potatoes.

Enjoy!

"In the childhood memories of every good cook, there’s a large kitchen, a warm stove, a simmering pot and a mom." – Barbara Costikyan