Ham & Cheese Roll-ups

This is a new favorite!  I found it in an old Taste of Home Magazine from my mother-in-law.  Everyone gobbled these up greedily, and then the next day, my son asked me if I could make them for lunch.  And I did --- that's how much we liked them!  They are so easy, it's almost embarrassing to share them as a recipe.  But they are good, and I'd hate to hold out on you. 

olive oil

4 flour tortillas

grated Parmesan cheese

deli-style ham

provolone cheese

hard salami

shredded mozzarella

Brush olive oil on one side of tortillas.  Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.  Layer with ham, cheese, salami and mozzarella.  Roll up and place seam side down on baking sheet.  Brush with oil and sprinkle with Parmesan.  Bake at 425 for 9 - 12 minutes or until gold brown.  Serve with marinara sauce if desired. 

Sausage and Spinach Calzones

My hubby's philosophy is if you put sausage in something, it's got to be good.  If that philosophy sounds right to you, you'll like these.  They received two thumbs up from all my guys, and The Princess gobbled hers up too. 

1/2 - 1 lb bulk sausage

1 tube refrigerated pizza crust

3/4 c shredded cheese

2 2/3 c fresh spinach

1/2 c ricotta cheese (I use cottage cheese)

1/4 t salt

1/4 t pepper

In a skillet, cook sausage until done.  Meanwhile, roll pizza crust out to a 15x11" rectangle.  Cut into four rectangles.  Sprinkle cheese over half of each, to within 1 inch of the edges.

Drain sausage.  Add spinach and cook until wilted.  Remove from the heat; stir in ricotta (or cottage) cheese, salt and pepper.  Spread over dough.  Fold dough over and press with a fork to seal. 

Bake at 400 degrees for 10 - 15 minutes or until lightly browned.  Eat up! 

Impromptu Pork Tenderloins

Yesterday I was all set to fix one of our favorite chicken recipes and share it here, but I discovered a problem when I went to get the chicken out of the freezer to thaw.  It wasn't there. 

Don't you hate it when that happens? 

I noticed that I had some pork tenderloins, so I thought I'd try My Butter Chicken coating on the pork chops because I needed a meal I could fix fast.  It was a hit!  It's great to discover a flexible recipe!

But I forgot to take pictures.  It was just that kind of day.

Do you have a favorite impromptu recipe?  Send it to me.  If I like it, I'll feature it here, giving you all the credit.  Happy eating!  

Forgotten Jambalaya

I'm always, always on the lookout for crockpot recipes.  We enjoyed this dish -- even my kids who aren't too crazy about spicy stuff. 

1 can diced tomatoes, undrained

1 can chicken broth

1 6-oz can tomato paste

1 medium green pepper, chopped

3 celery ribs, chopped

5 garlic cloves, minced

3 t dried parsley

2 t dried basil

1 1/2 t dried oregano

1 1/4 t salt

1/2 t cayenne pepper

1/2 t hot pepper sauce

1 lb chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized cubes

1 lb smoked sausage, sliced

1/2 lb uncooked medium shrimp, peeled and deveined

Hot cooked rice

In a slow cooker, combine the tomatoes, broth and tomato paste.  Stir in veggies and seasonings.  Stir in chicken and sausage.  Cover and cook on low for 4-5 hours or until chicken is tender.  Stir in shrimp.  Cover and cook 15 - 30 minutes longer or until shrimp turn pink.  Serve with rice.

Bacon and Egg Salad Sandwiches

I found this recipe in the August 2008 issue of Better Homes and Gardens, and it's delish -- bacon makes everything better, right? It's extremely easy, and I just made a couple of minor changes to suit my family. Plus, it was a successful way to get my boys to eat lettuce.

6 eggs
8 (or more) slices of bacon
1/2 c mayonnaise
1 t yellow mustard
1/2 of a cucumber, chopped
lettuce leaves of your choice
8 slices bread (I use cheese bread from the bakery)

Place eggs in medium saucepan; cover with water. Bring to a boil over high heat; cover and turn off heat. Keep in water for 10 minutes. Once done, peel and coarsely chop four eggs. Meanwhile, in 12" skillet cook bacon until crisp; drain. Also lightly toast the bread at the same time. In small bowl combine mayo and mustard.

Top 4 off the bread slices with lettuce leaves, chopped egg and cucumber. Halve the remaining two eggs and place on half on each sandwich. Top with mayo mixture, bacon and remaining bread slices. Enjoy!

New England Pork Tenderloin

Don't let how disgusting this meat looks uncooked scare you away. The end result is appealing and appetizing. This recipe is a favorite from my mom, and if Mom makes it, it's good!

1 lb pork tenderloin, trimmed
1/4 c apple jelly
2 T lemon juice
1/2 t pumpkin pie spice
2 tart red cooking apples, unpeeled, cored and thinly sliced

Heat oven to 375. In a small bowl, combine apple jelly, lemon juice and pumpkin pie spice; blend well. Place roast in a greased pan. Brush with half of jelly mixture. Roast for 20 - 30 minutes. Let stand 5 - 10 minutes. Meanwhile, place apple slices on a broiling pan; brush with remaining mixture. Broil 5 - 6" from the heat for about 5 minutes.

I usually double the recipe (which doubles the cooking time).

Pork Chops and Rice

This is one of my favorite ways to eat pork chops, and I love how easy it is to throw together. If you have more than 4 - 6 pork chops, you may need more than 1 (15-oz) can of whole tomatoes. Thanks to my mom for this one!

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Season pork chops with salt and pepper, if desired. Brown lightly on both sides in hot oil. Cover each pork chop with sliced onion, 1 Tbsp. rice, and 1 canned whole tomato. Drizzle remaining juice/tomatoes over the pork chops. Cover tightly with foil and bake for 1 1/2 hours.

Bacon-Wrapped Jalapeno Thingies

My friend, Amber, introduced my to these from The Pioneer Woman, and I was hooked. I seriously wished no one else wanted them because I wanted them ALL. Super, super good!

20 whole fresh jalapenos, 2-3 inches in size
2 cubes cream cheese, softened
1 pound bacon, sliced into thirds

If you have them, slip on some latex gloves for the pepper prep. Cut jalapenos in half, length-wise. With a spoon, remove the seeds and white membrane (the source of the heat; leave a little if you like things hot). Smear softened cream cheese into each jalapeno half. Wrap jalapeno with bacon pieces (1/3 slice). Secure by sticking toothpick through the middle. (At this point, you can freeze them, uncooked, in a Ziploc bag for later use).

Bake on a pan with a rack in a 375-degree oven for 20-25 minutes. You don’t want the bacon to shrink so much it starts to the squeeze the jalapeno. If, after 20 minutes, the bacon doesn’t look brown enough, just turn on the broiler for a couple of minutes to finish it off.

Serve immediately.

Sweet & Sour Cocktail Sausages

Mix the following in a saucepan over low heat and simmer 15 minutes:

2 c brown sugar

1 1/2 c ketchup

1/4 c mustard

1 t salt

2 T Worcestershire sauce

2 t vinegar

1/2 c chopped onions

Add either cocktail sausages or sliced smoked sausage and simmer until meat is heated through. Transfer to a slow cooker to keep warm.