We've made lots of new recipes lately and I always want to remember what we liked and didn't like so that I know which ones to add back to our menu, so here's what we thought...
Cheesy Chicken and Rice..... this turned out pretty soupy and though it was tasty, it was missing something for us. A good recipe, definitely comfort food, but we were wishing for something more. It is also really similar to the Creamy Crescent Casserole that we love, so we'll probably scratch this particular recipe from future menus and just go with our old faithful.
Crockpot Beef Gyros.... believe it or not, despite my intense love for Greek food, I never even tasted this recipe! I made it on a day that I had something else going on, and only Ryan ended up eating it (and the leftovers.) He says it was super tasty, but didn't do too well re-heated. Next time, I'll try and be around for the first serving so I can form my own opinion. But, let's face it, I love tzatziki sauce, so anything wrapped in a pita with tzatziki, I'm bound to love!
Burritacos.... YUM! Seriously, this recipe combined EVERY ingredient that I love. It also makes a HUGE amount and thank goodness, it freezes well. We ate the second batch of this recipe last week and I was even more in love the second time around. Don't forget to take your reflux medicine though, it's a hot one!
Spicy Sausage Pasta .... Ryan says this recipe is his new favorite food. Another homerun in the kitchen. In fact I think he used the phrase "favorite meal you've ever made". I loved that this entire meal was made in a single (giant) skillet. One dish to wash = total win. We made it with original Rotel and loved the spicy-ness. You could take it down a notch by using just regular diced tomatoes or mild Rotel.
Crockpot Pork Chops and Apples ... We had pork tenderloin and apples for New Year's this year and when I saw this recipe, I hoped it would be similar. We used a pork tenderloin instead of pork chops. Another meal that was good, but left me wishing for something more. Definitely think we will make it again, just might play around with the spices a little.
Cauliflower Bacon Cheddar Chowder.... Made this recipe tonight. Actually, saw it a while back on Iowa Girl Eats, and then when Leigh re-posted it recently and raved about it, I knew we had to try it. We all know how I love my Easy Potato Soup, and this is a perfect "lightened up" version with cauliflower instead of potatoes. I can't wait to eat the leftovers tomorrow for lunch!
Showing posts with label Recipe Review. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Recipe Review. Show all posts
Thursday, April 4, 2013
Wednesday, February 13, 2013
New Recipes Reviewed
Well, we’re nearly half way into our second month of monthly menu planning, so I thought I should tell you how it’s going, and let you know whether those new recipes were actually worth it! Also, I found out a few weeks ago that my friend Ginny from my pilates class reads this blog and wonders whether or not I actually cook all the stuff I post about. And, that made me suddenly realize….. There are actually some people out there reading this that I do know in real life!
Confession: I stalk lots of people through their blogs. And I’m guilty of not leaving comments. This is something I want to get better about. I hope you’ll leave a comment here (or let me know in real life if you have the opportunity) if you’re reading. I’d also love to read your blog(if I’m not already lurking)!
So the answer is… I do use the menu plans to make a grocery list, and generally follow them pretty closely, but it is often hard from week-to-week to follow an exact schedule. Lots of things get bumped around just to fit in our day-to-day activities, but I’m ok with that. The main point is, to have food in the house for recipes we like so we don’t end up eating out all the time. So, on to the recipe review….
New recipes we’ve made so far this year….
Chicken Pot Pie … excellent recipe (ThanksLindsey!) I will definitely make this again. Also, I will take my indigestion medicine before-hand because it gave me major heartburn, but I LOVED it, and so did my hubby, so that’s a win-win. Probably need to get it back on the calendar before the weather gets warm though, cause this is a definite winter comfort food.
Crockpot Lasagna …. Forgot to put it in the crockpot, so just emailed the ingredients to my husband with modified directions for the oven and he made it (he volunteered). It was FANTASTIC. I love Lasagna. Can’t wait to actually try it in the crockpot though. Also, don’t think I’ll ever get Ryan to volunteer to make it again, apparently he had no idea how much work goes into Lasagna.
Slow Cooker French Dip Sandwiches… oh.my.goodness. I should’ve known by the frequency that these show up on Leigh’s menu plans that I should’ve made them sooner! I absolutely love any type of shredded meat in the crockpot (if you’ve read my menus, you already know this), and this was the easiest recipe yet. We will absolutely eat this again and again.. and again!
Chicken Enchilada Soup… oh, boy did I flub this one up. I cannot tell you if I like it or not because I messed up not only the ingredients, but also the instructions. It was heartbreaking because it was a TON of food, and we ended up wasting it all because it turned out so badly. I often substitute ingredients in recipes when I don’t have exactly what it called for, and it has never turned out quite this bad. The only other recipe I remember being this bad was when I mistakenly put Italian tomatoes and peppers in my shredded beef tacos instead of tomatoes and green chiles (that’s the last time I buy store-brand Rotel… the cans for Italian tomatoes looked EXACTLY the same). If anyone tries this recipe and it turns out good, I’d like to know. But I think I’m too chicken to try this one again anytime soon!
Thursday, March 31, 2011
March Month in Review
So here are the few recipes I've linked to this month.... wow, I really haven't tried that much new stuff at all! We did a lot more eating out and a lot more cooking "old faithful" recipes this month than the last two months, too.
Pioneer Woman's Apple Dumplings - My sister and I have made this recipe a few times for various gatherings. If you love apple pie, you should definitely go ahead and make this sometime. I personally prefer them HOT with a scoop or two of vanilla icecream. I think it'd probably be BEST with homemade icecream. A few people asked me last weekend if I had ever made this recipe with peaches, and I can't say that I have, but I plan to try it soon! I'm also considering changing the soda from mountain dew to something that will go better with peaches... but, maybe I'll try it with Mountain Dew once first because it might be just as good! Side Note: Did you know, South Carolina actually grows more peaches than Georgia, "The Peach State"?
Zingy BBQ Chicken - This was an easy throw-together-and-run-out-of-the-house recipe. BBQ sauce, zesty italian dressing, and chicken. 3 things I pretty much have in my house at all times (which likely means I'll be making this again soon!) In the crockpot all day, and voila! Instant dinner. Ryan said he thought it'd also be good on pork chops, so we'll probably try that version sometime soon, too.
Easy Potato Soup in Crockpot - I've got nothing but good things to say about this soup. Definitely need to have BACON and cheddar cheese around to serve with it. AWESOME. Also, have a container in the freezer leftover, and can't wait to heat it up and see how it does frozen.
Pioneer Woman's Apple Dumplings - My sister and I have made this recipe a few times for various gatherings. If you love apple pie, you should definitely go ahead and make this sometime. I personally prefer them HOT with a scoop or two of vanilla icecream. I think it'd probably be BEST with homemade icecream. A few people asked me last weekend if I had ever made this recipe with peaches, and I can't say that I have, but I plan to try it soon! I'm also considering changing the soda from mountain dew to something that will go better with peaches... but, maybe I'll try it with Mountain Dew once first because it might be just as good! Side Note: Did you know, South Carolina actually grows more peaches than Georgia, "The Peach State"?
Zingy BBQ Chicken - This was an easy throw-together-and-run-out-of-the-house recipe. BBQ sauce, zesty italian dressing, and chicken. 3 things I pretty much have in my house at all times (which likely means I'll be making this again soon!) In the crockpot all day, and voila! Instant dinner. Ryan said he thought it'd also be good on pork chops, so we'll probably try that version sometime soon, too.
Easy Potato Soup in Crockpot - I've got nothing but good things to say about this soup. Definitely need to have BACON and cheddar cheese around to serve with it. AWESOME. Also, have a container in the freezer leftover, and can't wait to heat it up and see how it does frozen.
Sunday, March 6, 2011
February Menu Month-in-Review
Things have been sort of crazy, so I forgot to do the month-in-review of new stuff for February.... We only had a few new things that we tried, but here they are in order of their appearance on our menus:
Honey Mustard Bacon Wrapped Pork Tenderloin - Wow, this turned out to be a little more work than I thought it would be. First of all, I think my tenderloin was a little bit too large because one strip of bacon would not wrap all the way around it. Also, I had to search a lot for the kitchen twine (sold in a huge roll at Bed, Bath & Beyond, by the way) and couldn't figure out how to wrap the tenderloin in bacon and then wrap the twine around it without also using toothpicks. Let's just say, it was WAY complicated for me for some reason. The honey mustard flavor really didn't come through and it took a LONG time to get done. It was a good try, but probably will never make it on the menu again due to its difficulty!
Hot Corn Dip - you can click this link and read more how I modified this old party favorite. What a yummy dip.... I LOVE dips, and everyone at the Superbowl Party loved this one a lot!
Kicked Up Macaroni & Cheese - This is a cool twist on your traditional macaroni. A lot more dry than other recipes I've made, and DEFINITELY spicier! I would probably make it again, but add more milk and skip the chili pepper/bread crumb topping. I don't like my macaroni crunchy!
Smothered Beef & Bean Burrito Casserole - Ryan said he loved this recipe, but I actually didn't end up eating any of it! The night we made it, we were hosting our monthly dinner club and I ate a ton of guacamole & bean/corn dip so I only ate the chicken enchiladas. When cooking for a crowd, I love to prepare dishes ahead of time and have them ready to throw in the oven, and this is definitely one you could make and freeze or refrigerate until you're ready to cook it!
So for new recipes, 3/4 for things I'll definitely make again.... maybe you'll see some of these on our March or April menus!
Honey Mustard Bacon Wrapped Pork Tenderloin - Wow, this turned out to be a little more work than I thought it would be. First of all, I think my tenderloin was a little bit too large because one strip of bacon would not wrap all the way around it. Also, I had to search a lot for the kitchen twine (sold in a huge roll at Bed, Bath & Beyond, by the way) and couldn't figure out how to wrap the tenderloin in bacon and then wrap the twine around it without also using toothpicks. Let's just say, it was WAY complicated for me for some reason. The honey mustard flavor really didn't come through and it took a LONG time to get done. It was a good try, but probably will never make it on the menu again due to its difficulty!
Hot Corn Dip - you can click this link and read more how I modified this old party favorite. What a yummy dip.... I LOVE dips, and everyone at the Superbowl Party loved this one a lot!
Kicked Up Macaroni & Cheese - This is a cool twist on your traditional macaroni. A lot more dry than other recipes I've made, and DEFINITELY spicier! I would probably make it again, but add more milk and skip the chili pepper/bread crumb topping. I don't like my macaroni crunchy!
Smothered Beef & Bean Burrito Casserole - Ryan said he loved this recipe, but I actually didn't end up eating any of it! The night we made it, we were hosting our monthly dinner club and I ate a ton of guacamole & bean/corn dip so I only ate the chicken enchiladas. When cooking for a crowd, I love to prepare dishes ahead of time and have them ready to throw in the oven, and this is definitely one you could make and freeze or refrigerate until you're ready to cook it!
So for new recipes, 3/4 for things I'll definitely make again.... maybe you'll see some of these on our March or April menus!
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Menu Planning - Week 5 & Month in Review
I had a ROUGH week dealing with a horrible cold and some LONG days at work, so a few of our menu plans got shuffled around or totally skipped last week, so you might see some repeats this week & some EASY stuff to just throw together since I'm still recovering and honestly, just feeling lazy! Luckily, a lot of this stuff is already in our house, so that means our grocery bill will be cheap!
1.29.11 - Eating Out
1.30.11 - Jennifer's Meatloaf & Mashed Potatoes (a la Supper Swap)
1.31.11 - Chick-Fil-A Date (FREE sandwiches with your church bulletin!)
2.1.11 - Tacos
2.2.11 - Lorraine's Beef Stroganoff (a la Supper Swap)
2.3.11 - Homemade Calzones
2.4.11 - Baked Ziti with girls from work for me & hubby on his own!
This week's menu doesn't have anything new on it, but I thought this was as good time as any to go ahead and review the few new recipes I did try this month:
Mexican Chicken Casserole - This recipe turned out good, but Ryan and I agreed it is TOO similar to the another casserole we make with Crescent Rolls, so we probably won't do the one with the corn tortillas again.
Zuppa Toscana - LOVE IT! Tastes just like Olive Garden, maybe a little spicier, but still super! The only complaint I had was that Publix only sells Kale in a giant bag, so if anyone knows where I can find it in a smaller quantity, that info would be greatly appreciated! It made enough for us to have lunch for another day, too, and it was great re-heated.
Baked Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas - I've been looking for a recipe like this for a while now and this hit the nail on the head! I'm clearly a mexican-food lover, and these were a dream come true! Great as leftovers, too!
Cream Cheese Chicken in the Crockpot - I LOVED this recipe. Ryan was not a fan, he likes more tomato-based sauces for pasta. I'm thinking perhaps I'll serve it with rice next time instead and he might like it better. Any other suggestions??
Pioneer Woman's Perfect Potatoes Au Gratin - YUM YUM YUM. Probably not the healthiest in the world, but these potatoes are awesome! Definitely something I'll make to take with me to holiday meals and our monthly dinner club if I'm in charge of a side dish!
1.29.11 - Eating Out
1.30.11 - Jennifer's Meatloaf & Mashed Potatoes (a la Supper Swap)
1.31.11 - Chick-Fil-A Date (FREE sandwiches with your church bulletin!)
2.1.11 - Tacos
2.2.11 - Lorraine's Beef Stroganoff (a la Supper Swap)
2.3.11 - Homemade Calzones
2.4.11 - Baked Ziti with girls from work for me & hubby on his own!
This week's menu doesn't have anything new on it, but I thought this was as good time as any to go ahead and review the few new recipes I did try this month:
Mexican Chicken Casserole - This recipe turned out good, but Ryan and I agreed it is TOO similar to the another casserole we make with Crescent Rolls, so we probably won't do the one with the corn tortillas again.
Zuppa Toscana - LOVE IT! Tastes just like Olive Garden, maybe a little spicier, but still super! The only complaint I had was that Publix only sells Kale in a giant bag, so if anyone knows where I can find it in a smaller quantity, that info would be greatly appreciated! It made enough for us to have lunch for another day, too, and it was great re-heated.
Baked Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas - I've been looking for a recipe like this for a while now and this hit the nail on the head! I'm clearly a mexican-food lover, and these were a dream come true! Great as leftovers, too!
Cream Cheese Chicken in the Crockpot - I LOVED this recipe. Ryan was not a fan, he likes more tomato-based sauces for pasta. I'm thinking perhaps I'll serve it with rice next time instead and he might like it better. Any other suggestions??
Pioneer Woman's Perfect Potatoes Au Gratin - YUM YUM YUM. Probably not the healthiest in the world, but these potatoes are awesome! Definitely something I'll make to take with me to holiday meals and our monthly dinner club if I'm in charge of a side dish!
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