Meatballs

This week, I made Biscuits with Easter Ham for a potluck and we had chicken pot pie again, leftovers and spaghetti with meatballs. Again, it was a light week of cooking...sort of.

I decided that since we have pasta with sauce once a week, I should probably make enough of this sauce for at least 2 meals for us. So, the recipe makes PLENTY

Here is the breakdown for these meatballs and sauce:

As you may have already read in this blog, I try to load up store-bought sauce with more veggies and this time was the same. Carrots and onions were added along with some Italian Seasoning. Cook until the carrots are soft and then use an immersion blender to puree it all together. To the sauce, I added raw meatballs *it is important to note that I use REALLY lean beef so I don't have a lot of grease floating on top of my sauce after the meatballs cook in the sauce. If you would rather drain the fat, you can cook the meatballs in a pan but that makes them lose their shape so I prefer this way.

1lb of ground beef.
2 T Garlic Bread Seasoning* you can use fresh garlic or garlic seasoning
1/2 C breadcrumbs - you can use seasoned breadcrumbs if you want.

Combine together and form into balls - I like making lots of small ones so mine are no larger than quarters. Drop each ball into the pot of sauce and allow to cook for about 20 minutes.
I actually did this process around 3pm and let it cook for about 2 hours on medium-low heat. At 5 o'clock, I took it off the heat completely and let it sit - without stirring. When the grease did pool on the top, I skimmed it off and then stirred it all up when we were ready to serve.

Another tip is: if you boil your noodles and need to reheat them and get them unstuck from each other, you can place your metal colander in a pot with about 2 inches of water. Bring the water to a boil and steam the noodles back to life.



I found a really great mixed lettuce item at BJs Wholesale and have enjoyed using these Artisan Lettuces throughout the last couple of weeks.


My kids aren't into salads yet so I made them veggies with dip as a side to this already veggie-rich meal.


*This is a Tastefully Simple Item and can be purchased from a friend of mine - a link to her web page is on in the Resources section of this blog. I don't receive compensation from Tastefully Simple or Kira Reeves for purchases made as a result of this blog.

Shepherd's Pie

I am making ahead today and spending the same amount of time on two dishes as I would one.

I made Shepherd's Pie using ground turkey and ground beef. Sadly, I realized half way into it that I didn't have any Worcestershire Sauce so I used Sticky Fingers Sweet Southern BBQ Sauce. Mrs. Beeton is probably rolling over in her grave!

I also put in some carrots and peas - not present in a truly traditional Shepherd's Pie recipe...at least not in Mrs. Beeton's.

Here is the gist of this dish (mind you, I made two and that is what these measurements will give you too - or you can make ONE BIG ONE!)

You will need 2 Pie Pans or 1 large shallow baking dish (it will all probably fit into a casserole dish too). Spray them with non-stick spray and set them aside.

2 T Olive Oil
2 Medium Onions, Chopped
3/4 C to 1 C Chopped Carrot (about 10-12 baby carrots)
3 T All Purpose Flour
1 C Chicken Stock - or any stock you have on hand
2 Lb Ground Meat (I used ground turkey and 93/7 Ground Beef)
2 T Tangy BBQ Sauce but you SHOULD use Worcestershire Sauce if you have it
1 C Frozen Peas
3 C Chopped Peeled Potatoes (about 5 medium potatoes)
1/4 C Milk (Soy Milk) or you can use stock
dash of nutmeg
Salt and Pepper

Boil the potatoes for 30 minutes or until tender. Meanwhile, heat the Olive Oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add Onions Carrots and cook until the onions are translucent but not browned.


Sprinkle in the Flour and cook, stirring constantly for 2 minutes.
Gradually add the Stock and cook until the sauce thickens. Add the Ground Meat and stir, breaking the meat up in the mixture. Add the BBQ Sauce, Salt and Pepper to taste, and Peas. Stir to combine. Simmer over medium heat for 30 minutes.

Drain the potatoes and mash together until smooth with the Milk or Stock or combination of the two, Nutmeg, and salt and pepper to taste.

If you find the sauce in the meat mixture to be too thin, add more flour and stir until it thickens up.

Divide the meat mixture between the pie dishes or the casserole dish.
Spread the mashed potato mixture over the top of the meat and veggies. Use a fork to make peaks in the potato.
If you are cooking ahead, go ahead and cover the dish and let it cool before putting it into the freezer.

When you are ready to finish it off, cook it in a 425 degree oven for 10 to 15 minutes, until the top browns.

Enjoy!