Sweet and Sour Meatballs

I found the recipe for this sauce on Our Best Bites. Apparently most people know about this combination, but I'd never heard of it before so I tested it out at a New Year's Eve party. They were a huge hit! The meatball part is my own way to make plain meatballs. Super, super easy.

Ingredients:

2 pounds ground beef
2 slices of bread
2 eggs
Heinz Chili Sauce (12 oz)
grape jam (18 oz)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

[1] Take 2 pounds of thawed ground beef and mix in 2 eggs and 2 pieces of shredded bread. You can pop the bread in a food processor if you like, but I just shred it by hand. 2 pounds of ground beef makes about 30 meatballs the size of a ping pong ball. Put the meatballs in 2 casserole dishes or cookie sheets with a high lip. Bake for 20 minutes at 350.

[2] While the meatballs are baking, mix the chili sauce and grape jam in the crock pot and set it to low.

[3] Once meatballs are ready, add them to the sauce in the crock pot and cook on low setting for 2-4 hours.



Great on hoagie rolls with some thinly sliced provolone cheese. Yum!

Chicken and Stuffing

Probably my favorite meal my Dad made while I was growing up and my favorite meal to make for my family today. So easy and delicious!

Ingredients:

1 can cream of chicken
1 can cream of celery or mushroom (I alternate, though I think I prefer the cream of mushroom.)
8 oz sour cream
6 chicken breasts
1 package of stuffing (the package I get is 6 oz)
1/2 stick of butter

Directions: Preheat oven to 350.

[1] Boil chicken until cooked through. Save pot of chicken stock (you'll need a cup of stock in a minute.) Cut chicken into desired size - I do bite-sized just for the ease of feeding children. Arrange chicken in a 13x9 casserole dish.

[2] In a bowl, mix sour cream, can of cream of chicken and can of cream of celery. Pour mixture over chicken in casserole dish.

[3] Evenly pour package of stuffing over chicken and sauce. (Traditionally my family used the cubed stuffing and this is what Cristin still likes, but recently I've decided I like the chicken-flavored crumb stuffing by Stove Top. Again, it seems easier for the kids to eat and the chicken flavoring is delicious on it. But this part is up to you - find one you like and stick with it!)

[4] Melt butter and drizzle over top of stuffing. Get one cup of chicken stock from pot you boiled the chicken in and also pour over top of stuffing.

[5] Bake at 350 degrees for about 35-40 minutes.


You'll have left-overs with 2 adults and 2 kids, but when Cristin and I make this to share between our families there is just barely enough for 4 adults and 3 kids.



Super quick and easy, and I've never seen anyone not like this dish. Hope you enjoy it, too!

Garlic-Parm-Cracker Chicken

Sorry for the huge hiatus, everyone.
Let's jump right back in!





I did some combining of recipes and made Ritz Cracker chicken but added the Garlic Bread Seasoning from Our Best Bites to the crackers that I crushed up. It was so moist and delicious and super easy.

Garlic Bread Seasoning ingredients:

1/2 c. powdered Parmesan cheese

2 tsp. Kosher salt

2 Tbsp. garlic powder

2 tsp. oregano

2 tsp. basil

2 tsp. marjoram

2 tsp. parsley

[1] Combine ingredients in a jar (preferably one with a sprinkle top) and shake.

Ingredients needed for chicken:

2 eggs (beaten)
1 1/2 cups crushed Ritz Crackers
1/2 stick of butter
6 chicken breasts

[1] Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees, place eggs in one bowl, combine cup of crushed Ritz and Garlic Bread Seasoning in a separate bowl.

[2] Dip each chicken breast in egg and then dredge in cracker/seasoning mix. Place in casserole dish.

[3] Cut in butter into pieces and arrange around chicken breasts.

Bake 35-40 minutes.

I added enough of the Garlic Bread Seasoning to look evenly mixed with the crackers. You should have some extra - use the left overs to make some garlic bread!
I served the chicken with rice and green beans. My 3-year-old loved it - he had seconds of the chicken. Enjoy!