I had a dream the other night of Spaghetti Meatballs. Not sure why that happened but it did. The next day I roamed pinterest looking for some assuming that's where I must have seen them. I didn't find any there but searching for "spaghetti meatballs" does bring up a ton of spaghetti dishes! I did find some on Google so I knew that it could be done. Here is my attempt (and a darn good one if I do say so myself) of my version of Spaghetti Meatballs. I do not use a recipe for my meatballs but you can go ahead and use anyone that works for you. Here are the ingredients I have always used for mine.
I added to 1 lb ground beef approximately:
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs
1 T milk
Salt
Pepper
Garlic
2 spoonfuls of my spaghetti sauce.
1/2 cup cooked spaghetti
Roll into balls and place onto greased dish (I topped mine with a little of the sauce to help keep them moist while cooking). Bake for 25 minute (less if your balls are smaller) at 350 degrees. After they set a couple minutes I plated them and add a spoonful of sauce and a little Parmesan cheese on each one. Stick in with a skewer and your good to go!
Update: We made Spaghetti Meatballs Subs for dinner and they were AMAZING!
I grew up eating and loving Meat Pie. Still to this day it is one of my favorite comfort foods of all time. My mother found this recipe on the back of the Minute Rice box back in the 70's. Its original name from the box was Country Pie. Now, don't say you don't like Minute Rice, because personally I don't like it at all, but in this recipe it is super good! This is one of those recipes that I just get a craving for every few months. Since I only cook for myself this freezes very well too. I just cut into dinner size slices, wrap each slice into plastic wrap then place them all in a large Ziplock bag. I just add a bit of water to the bowl when I reheat it in the microwave to keep it moist. I hope you give it a try, I have made it for a few friends over the years and they now make it for their families as well. Here is the recipe:
Note: I prefer using a ground beef with at least 15% fat content as I think the meat is much moister. If you do use a higher fat content meat you will need to drain some of the fat before adding the cheese topping. You can do this either by carefully pouring into a container or like I do, set the pie dish on the counter on a angle (set your oven mitt under one side). Use a spoon, pull the meat from the side of the dish (as shown in the picture) and using your turkey baster, pull the fat from the dish.
Burrito Pie is one of those recipes that is incredibly forgiving and can be changed every time you make it depending on what you're in the mood for and what you have on hand. The original recipe can be found here. I like to season my meat with taco seasoning which I really think helps with the flavor of the dish. I have also used whole beans, added layers of mexican rice, corn tortillas instead of flour, and added layers of sour cream. I also use enchilada sauce in place of the taco sauce. Basically you can add or delete anything you want! I also like to make it in a springform pan. Just make sure to let it sit for 10 minutes before taking off the outer cuff so that it hold its form.
Last night I catered a wedding reception for one of the sweetest couples! The venue was this lovely outdoor setting in a backyard that a family rents out. It was absolutely beautiful. Over weeks of ideas these are the appy's that made the final cut. We started with a cocktail hour while the bridal party were getting their pictures take. The guests were treated to cheese and cracker platters as well as a strawberry balsamic bruschetta. After the new couple was introduced the party went to full swing and the additional appetizers were brought out. Here we have tri-tip sliders with Gorgonzola cheese, caramelized onions, a splash of balsamic reduction and some fancy lettuce on a dinner roll.
There was skewered appetizers that consisted of a black olive, cheese tortellini, salami, square of mozzarella cheese and a cherry tomato drizzled in a Greek dressing. Then there was chicken Caesar Salad wraps. Lettuce, Caesar dressing, grilled chicken, parm cheese and crumbled bacon. I wrapped them in sandwich paper and cut them in half.
Finally we made up some fruit skewers. Grapes, strawberries, watermelon, cantaloupe and pineapple. You can't really tell by the angle of this picture but the watermelon was cut into cute heart shapes. There was also adorable little bags the bride had stamped with a sweet saying that we filled with chips.
This was a cute pic I took of the bride and her dad right before they started their walk down the aisle. It was a great wedding and I wish many many years of happiness to the new couple!
Had a lovely dinner last night with our friends Marilee and Joe. Such good people! It was wonderful getting to spend quality time with them in our home!
I decided on making lasagna rolls, a green salad and garlic bread.
And..... they brought
CHOCOLATE!
Here is how I make my rolls. First off, I make my own sauce and I would give the recipe but I know no measurements! I've tried measuring the ingredients while I make it and it just doesn't taste as good. It does contain ground beef, onion, garlic, tomato sauce, paste, water, parm cheese, oregano, salt, pepper, sugar, and Italian seasoning. My meat balls are ground beef, seasoned bread crumbs, parm cheese, garlic and some of the spaghetti sauce.
Start by boiling the noodles until almost softened. Spoon on a layer of ricotta cheese (mixed with an egg, parm cheese and Italian seasoning). Add a whole meatball (2 halves) and cheeses (jack and mozzarella). Roll carefully and place in a pan that has a layer of sauce on the bottom.
After placing the rolls in the pan, top them with additional red sauce. I like to add a spoonful of white sauce to the top of my rolls too. It really gives them an amazing rich flavor. (Cook 1 T butter and 1 T flour for a couple minutes, add I T chicken bouillon, 1 cup half and half and 1 T fresh parsley). Stir constantly until smooth and thickened. Spoon over the rolls (8 total) and top with additional cheese and parsley. 
Bake in a 375 degree oven for 45 minutes and enjoy!
We served with garlic bread and a salad!
Dinner was amazing just like our company!
"Friends are like stars, they come and go, but the ones that stay are the ones that glow"
My good friends Lynn and Shannon came to dinner last night (I even got flowers :-)
Great food, great wine, great company! What more can a girl ask for!
We love this Beef Bulgogi recipe from Allrecipes. I highly recommend marinading it overnight. We used skirt steak since apparently it is really hard to find a flank steak where I live. Grill for about 2 minutes on each side on a very hot grill (we are medium rare kinda girls) So flavorful!
White Rice - I usually cook my rice in the rice cooker, but since I saw someone do it this way I can't seem to go back. This works for any amount but I did 2 cups rice, 4 cups chicken broth, 2 T butter and some white pepper. Bring to a boil on the stove, turn down and simmer until the liquid has evaporated enough that the rice on top is dry and steam holes have formed (I stir it a few times in the beginning) Cover, turn down as low as you can and let sit for 10 minutes. It makes a really fluffy flavorful rice.
Lawnmower Salad. I will definitely be making this again. The only change I made was adding half a bag of broccoli slaw with half a bag of TriSlaw which had cabbage, carrots, and broccoli slaw in it. I also only added one bag of ramen instead of the two it called for. Highly recommend this!
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Beef-Bulgogi/?prop31=3
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Lawn-Mower-Salad/?prop31=3
