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Mama’s Home Cooking

One thing that is important to me as a mom is the recipes I feed my family and that we eat together.  I want my kids to have home-cooked meals at our table.  I want them to want to come back for my cooking once they move out.  My Momo and my mom cooked every day while we were growing up, and this is something I really appreciated about them. I want to carry on the tradition. I definitely go home for my mom’s cooking!

Once I started trying to fulfill my dream, it didn’t take long (2 minutes) for me to realize that things could turn pretty chaotic when a mom goes to the kitchen to prepare supper.  Every day it seemed someone was hanging on my leg crying, “Mammma!” or I was holding a kid or two and cooking. I struggled with this for a couple of years.  It was the most stressful part of our day, but I was determined this family was going to eat home-cooked meals.

Of course, I was reading all the tips on how to keep a peaceful atmosphere while dinner is being prepared.  After a while, I found our sweet spot.  I noticed that things start to go downhill with the kids after about thirty minutes of me being in the kitchen.  Therefore, I try to prepare meals that only take around 30 minutes to prepare.  Then I put them in the oven and go tend to my children while they cook. Some days I use a crockpot recipe.

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5 Family Favorite Recipes

I wanted to share 5 of my family’s favorite recipes that take 30 minutes or less to prepare. Before you go any farther, I just want to warn that I am a Casserole Queen! 

I have a tendency to tweak recipes until they are fast to prepare and taste like we like it.  I am including my tweaks. When I say 1/2 a bag of Pict Sweet Blend Seasoning Mix, it is really however much onion we like.  More or less won’t make or break a recipe if your family prefers differently.  **Click images for recipes that are not my own.

#1 My Crock O’ Ribs

I use a whole bottle Sweet Baby Ray’s Honey and Brown Sugar BBQ sauce.

#2 Husband’s Delight:

Prepare yourself.  This is one yummy recipe!  I have been making this one for a while and it is definitely a “best way to a man’s heart is through his stomach” recipe. I use whatever ground meat I have beef or turkey. No Yolk noodles or any Amish or homemade type noodles work. Petite diced tomatoes taste the best.  I have added spinach and mushrooms to the meat mixture.  1/2 a bar of cream cheese.

For the onion, I add 1/2 a bag of the frozen Pict Sweet Blend Seasoning Mix into the meat mixture until it is tender because I don’t have time for dicing the onion. Once I have it all in the casserole dish, I put the cheese on top and then push it into the mixture.  Otherwise, it forms a cheese layer across the top that is separate from the other ingredients. Makes me hungry just typing it!

#3 Shelly’s Italian Casserole:

This is basically a clean out the cabinets and frig recipe.  You can throw any veggie or meat into the mix and it’s good. Ultimately, this recipe goes well with your favorite garlic bread.

Ingredients:

10-12 oz. of your favorite noodles- We prefer the NO Yolk brand.
1lb. of preferred ground meat- I’ve used Italian sausage, beef, turkey, Jimmy Dean etc.
a bag of frozen spinach (optional)
sliced mushrooms – jar or fresh (optional)
a can of petite sliced tomatoes- Don’t drain.
1/2 a bag of Pict Sweet Blend Seasoning Mix   
a 24 oz. jar of your favorite pasta sauce – We like a vegetable primavera the best.
2 cups of your favorite shredded cheese
black olives (optional)
2 cloves crushed garlic or 2 tsp. of Spice World Minced Garlic (optional)

If you want this recipe to have an Italian flavor, use a heaping Tablespoon of McCormick Perfect Pinch Italian Seasoning to the meat and veggie mixture. I highly recommend keeping this seasoning on hand for anything Italian.  It just adds that extra Yum!

I’ve also added squash or zucchini to this recipe and it’s great as well.

Directions:

1.  Preheat oven to 350.  Boil noodles until tender and brown meat in your largest skillet at the same time.
2. When meat is brown, add as much spinach as your family prefers, garlic, mushrooms, tomatoes, and Pict Sweet Blend to the meat mixture.  Put a lid on if your skillet has one. Cook until veggies are tender.  Watch so you don’t cook the liquid out.
3. Next, add Pasta Sauce and simmer a little bubbly for 5 minutes.
4. Drain noodles and add them to the meat mixture.  Stir until noodles are covered.
5. Put into a 13 x 9 casserole dish and put the cheese on top.  Put the olives on top of the cheese.
6. Finally, bake until cheese is completely melted.
   Serve and enjoy!

#4 Coke Roast from The Crockin Girls: 

It should be noted, I’ve been making this a long time, so I’ve tweaked quite a bit.  Definitely, get this started in the a.m.  The meat and veggies can be prepared the night before, so all you have to do in the morn is the liquids. I add 3 sliced up red potatoes, a can of peas rinsed, and 3 or 4 peeled, chopped up carrots to this recipe to add veggies.  Put them in, with and around the roast. I only use a 2lbish roast.  I don’t have time to pan sear the roast and all that in the beginning, so I don’t.  When it says to use the Lipton onion mix, I mix that with a cup of water, then add it to the cream of mushroom.  I cook on high for 6 hours never stopping, and we don’t do the sour cream. 

Over here.  I serve it over cauliflower rice.  Rhodes Dinner Rolls  (found in freezer section) taste delicious with the juice.   Don’t forget to take them out in the morning to thaw.  SCRUMPTIOUS! This one is finger-licking good!  I promise. A hit with dinner guest or when you bring a meal to someone who just had a baby or a get well soon meal.

#5 John Wayne Casserole: 

This is another husband/boy favorite. I follow the recipe except for the onion and bell pepper.  I use 1/2 a bag of the infamous Pict Sweet Blend Seasoning Mix.  I’m not an affiliate but should be!

For a list of which ingredients are best to buy organic and which you can buy regular, go here.

Which ingredients are best to buy organic?

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Lastly, I do want to mention that all of the recipes are just as good made the way the directions say.  The tweaks I share are the “made according to order” of my family!  I’d love to hear which one of these recipes was your family’s favorite!

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