Put This in Your Crock-Pot and Dinner Will Make Itself!

I just bought a new cookbook, but before I got home I decided that before I even make anything I needed to downsize my cookbook collection. I could not believe how many different cookbooks I had crammed onto the shelf above my stove.

Even more surprising was the amount of cookbooks I had picked up or were given over the years that I had never even looked through let alone made any of the recipes. So I ended up boxing up several and donating them to the Goodwill, where hopefully they will be used and loved by someone else.

One of the cookbooks that I couldn’t stop laughing over was the Crock pot cook book from the 70’s. The cover was so memorable and totally took me back to macramé plant hangers and Ditto Jeans. Thankfully Ditto Jeans are no longer in style, but crock pot cooking is still as popular as ever. This recipe made a believer in me!

This is what Sarah from the Magical Slow Cooker has to say about her recipe.

What is not to love about these easy enchiladas I don’t have the huge mess all over my kitchen from frying tortillas, and rolling the enchiladas.

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Quick Tip. You can also make this with a green enchilada sauce.

Image and recipe courtesy of Sarah at The Magical slow cooker

The post No Need TO Fuss Over Making Chicken Enchiladas With This Crown Pleaser appeared first on Urban Retro Recipes.

In 30 Minutes This One Skillet Meal Will Be ready to Serve

Don’t you just love it when something comes together perfect? That is exactly how I feel about this super yummy meal that can be on the table in 30 minutes. Really? All you have to do is add a salad and maybe sliced French bread and your family will be amazed that you can create food that is as healthy as it is tasty.

The big key to making family dinners memorable is in using fresh ingredients and not relying on powdered mixes to bring out the flavors of your food. One thing I noticed was that the tastier the food was the more time we ended up sitting at the table and savoring it.

Being able to add in spinach was a great way to get some extra greens in our diet as well as add color. The last time I made this was for one of my high school friends who was in town. She wondered if I wanted to meet for dinner but I suggested I make her dinner instead. We talked and laughed for about 4 hours! Something that would have never happened in a busy restaurant and she insisted on getting the recipe before she left.

This is what Jen has to say about her yummy recipe.

“This flavor bursting chicken is your answer to “what’s for dinner” when you only have time and/or energy for a quick, easy meal that still tastes scrumpdiddlyumptious!”

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Quick Tip: This is SOO good you might want to make a double batch if having a larger gathering!

Image and recipe courtesy of Jen at Carlsbad Cravings

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And You Thought They Wouldn’t Eat Their Vegetables!

This is  true confession time. I don’t remember ever really eating fresh green beans as a kid. We usually we had several jars of my grandmother’s canned beans in the pantry. I Loved her canned green beans because she always cooked up a big pan of bacon and put  about 1/3 of a strip of crispy bacon in each jar. They were so delicious I could have eaten a whole jar by myself. But then I wouldn’t have room for homemade apricot cobbler with vanilla icecream!

Well, I am not really ready to can beans anytime soon,  but I still love the taste of bacon with the beans since that was how Grandma Miller fixed hers. This recipe hit its out of the park. It is easy, colorful, and tasty. And because each of the little bundles is wrapped in a neat little strip of bacon you have a handle on portion control!

I think my grandma would have approved!

This is what Holly of Spend With Pennies has to say about her fantastic side dish.

“These start with fresh green beans (washed and trimmed) and they’re cooked for just a few of minutes.  A little trick I learned at culinary boot camp is that adding a little pinch of baking soda to the boiling water keeps the beans a nice bright green rather than that drab boiled green color.”

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Quick Tip: You can buy pre-cooked bacon to save time if you are a bit pinched for time. Also feel free to try other flavors of bacon such as peppered or maple bacon.

Image and recipe courtesy of Holly at Spend With Pennies

The post You Had Me At Bacon Wrapped appeared first on Urban Retro Recipes.

Better than anything you can get in a can

The other day I made a big Dutch Oven full of chili beans and a batch of cornbread muffins. I was afraid I had made too much since there are only three of us at home now. I figured whatever we didn’t eat for dinner and take for lunch I could always freeze. But, it was such a hit that we ended up eating it until it was gone. I have to say, I did end up putting in an extra can of pinto beans because I love having the two kinds.

When I picked up my son Jack from football practice I had a small mason jar of chili, a cornbread muffin, and a spoon. All he had to do was unscrew the lid for a hot meal that he could just enjoy after a long day.

I know when my teenager tells me that the meal was really good, I hit on a winner and this recipe really hit the spot. For our next Football night I am already planning to make another batch of this hearty classic.

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Quick Tip: Want to swap out ground chicken or turkey for beef? Go right ahead!

Image and recipe courtesy of Betty Crocker

The post Super Easy and Incredible Tasting appeared first on Urban Retro Recipes.

If You Grew Up Eating Campbell’s Mmm-mm-Good Soup, You Will Love This

I was perusing the soup isle at the grocery store the other day because I needed a can of cream of chicken soup. When my eyes landed on the Bean and Bacon soup I just couldn’t get it out of my mind. I loved eating Bean and Bacon soup when I was a kid, it was so creamy and satisfying. I almost picked up a can but when I saw how much it cost for what was sure to be one meal I hesitated. I knew I could make a whole pot of soup for my family and have enough for leftovers if I made it myself, and even though I grew up on the taste of the Campbell’s version I know that anything made fresh tastes so much better and is better for you.

Boy was I right. This soup is really easy to make and is so delicious that I am already looking forward to making it again. There is something about a bowl of this, cupped in your hands, that just warms you to the core. So while the commercial jingle says “Mmm..Mmm..Good.” I am now singing a new tune that states “Ahh Ahh Amazing!”

I love that this uses canned northern beans, but for you die hard Insta-Pot chefs, go ahead and start with dry beans and cook them up first. Talk about stretching your food budget dollars.

This is what Deborah of Taste and Tell has to say about this childhood favorite.

“Skip the can – Filled with veggies and chunks of bacon, it’s the soup that blows that soup of my childhood out of the water. Seriously – this bean and bacon soup was so good – there will be no more cans of soup in my future!”

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Quick Tip: This is seriously so good you might want to go ahead and make a double batch in your crock pot or Insta-Pot and freeze some for later.

Recipe and image courtesy of Deborah of Taste and Tell.

The post This Soup Was So Good I Ate the Leftovers For Breakfast! appeared first on Urban Retro Recipes.

Bring On The Chili Weather!  Pun Intended

What is a busy mom to do when dinner time rolls around and EVERYONE is hungry? Well, try this dish and watch your family eat it up. I love a hearty meal that you can create in a hurry and with simple, yet hardy ingredients. Really, it comes down to just taking a few moments to sauté the onions and fresh garlic before adding in the carrots, browning the beef and adding the pinto beans. Really, this is the perfect comfort dish that reminds me of my husband’s favorite food. Chili beans and cornbread. Seriously, he could eat it every week if I made it for him. The fact that this cornbread is baked right on top means no more dry cornbread for my family!  I love the fact that this is cooked in one dish, which means the clean-up is fairly minimal.  So, whether you are looking to take something to a cabin or just want a hearty Game Day Dinner, this Cornbread Chili Pie is a perfect dish.

And for more of a Southwest flavor go ahead and add in some diced fire roasted hatch chilis and a can of corn.  That really helps to stretch this dish out and if you are lucky, you might even have some for left overs.

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Quick Tip: Want to make this for a crowd? Go ahead and divide into individual ramekins with a dollop of sour cream and sprig of cilantro on top.

Recipe courtesy of Martha Stewart

Image courtesy of Jonathan Lovekin

The post The Dish That Made Martha Famous appeared first on Urban Retro Recipes.

So Easy, My Great Grandmother Could Make This With Her Eyes Closed

My Great Grandmother was a character. She loved to quilt, play Canasta, and cook.

We would regularly make the four-hour drive to see her.  It was not uncommon to step into the small house and see her table already set. You knew she had been cooking for hours, but having family around was something that brought her so much joy that the drive was always worth the effort.

She made a lot of different dishes, but this is the one I remember her fixing the most. Maybe it is because, even though my Great Grandma lived in the Salinas Valley in California, she grew up in the Ozarks. Homestyle cooking and hospitality were a way of life for her and something she passed along to her children, her grandchildren, great grandchildren, and even her great-great grandchildren. By the time she was ninety she had shrunk in height and weighed barely anything. Her thick glasses only accentuated the twinkle in her eye as she watched everyone eat the meal she prepared and gush over the dessert. She knew the value of simplicity in her life as well as in her cooking.

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Quick Tip: Sometimes making a big casserole can be too overwhelming. Try making this in small loaf pans and freezing. Then take out the small “casserole bricks” and wrap in Saran Wrap. You can take out a nice little serving the night before. So simple and practical, just like my Great Grandma!

Recipe and image courtesy of Tricia Yearwood

The post Not Sure What To Fix For Dinner? This delicious Casserole Will be A Huge Hit appeared first on Urban Retro Recipes.

Want To Make Something For Dinner In Less Than 30 Minutes.. Set Your Timer!

Don’t you love it when you make something that takes a long time and people comment on how amazing it is? Well, what about when people rave about something you served or brought to a potluck and it is so simple you are almost embarrassed to tell people your recipe.

That is exactly what makes this recipe so great. It tastes great and is so simple you won’t believe it. Why? It starts off with things you can pick up at the store and might even already have on hand in your fridge or pantry. I remember when my husband invited someone over for dinner and I didn’t have very much notice. I panicked! What should I fix? I knew I didn’t have a ton of time and I really didn’t want to make a huge mess. I wish I had this recipe back then. It would have been perfect! I guess the only thing I would add to it is to mix in some crumbled bacon, but that is just my opinion!

And being able to start with a rotisserie chicken? Hello! That is just genius. In fact, I am going to go ahead and pick up a rotisserie chicken next time I am at Costco and cut it up, measure 3 cups into a freezer bag and save until I want to make this.

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Quick Tip: This impressive dinner bake is easy and delicious. Serve with a side salad and steamed vegetables.

Recipe and image courtesy of Pillsbury.com

The post These Chicken Roll Ups Are So Good People Will Want Your Recipe appeared first on Urban Retro Recipes.

The Best Pasta Dish Hack I Have Seen and Is So Simple!

Do you ever wonder how restaurants like Olive Garden seem to nail it on all their dishes? I do! I often find myself looking at the plate of food before eating it just to see if I could recreate something similar in my own kitchen. I have been close, but there was always something that I wasn’t getting. Until now.

I had remembered to add all the ingredients but it still wasn’t the same. When I read this recipe I realized what I was missing.  I needed to know how to cook it. Utilizing the pasta water creates a sauce that clings to the ziti noodles like two lovers at the airport terminal saying goodbye.

Gone are the days of dumping plain pasta into a bowl and spooning over the sauce over it which just slides off into the bottom of the bowl. Why does it matter? Because the starch in the pasta cooking water emulsifies with the fat in the sauce causing it to naturally thicken. Brilliant and so easy to do from now on.

I still love going to Olive Garden once in a while, but it is nice to know that I can create something wonderful for those around my dining table any time I want.

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Quick Tip: Serve with asparagus tips, along with a salad and bread sticks.

Recipe and image courtesy of Holly at Spend With Pennies

The post This Is My Favorite Dish To Order At Olive Garden. Now I Can Make It Anytime I Want appeared first on Urban Retro Recipes.

The Taste Of a Classic, Only In A Soup

I love making and eating soups. I think that on a brisk day nothing beats a big bowl with some fresh breadstick to just warm you up from the inside out. We lived in MN for nine years and believe me, there were lots and lots of soup days.

When we moved back to Northern California we lived in the Sierra Mountains. It was a wonderful feeling to have a big pot of soup or stew on the stove when snowflakes started to fall.  The perfect meal after a day of sledding or shoveling the walkway!

Then we made the move to San Diego area. I have to admit I miss the seasons. Not only is it hard to think of fall or winter when you are still wearing flip flops and short sleeves, we don’t eat soup very often. At least not as often as I would like, but thankfully I hear temperatures are going to be dropping soon. We might even have a few mornings where you will be able to see your breath when you walk outside. If there is a dusting of frost, well down in SoCal they refer to that as a weather event.

This is what Jen of Yummy Healthy Easy has to say about her recipe.

“If you’re like me and struggling to find new meals to make during the week, you MUST try this lasagna soup! My boys absolutely loved it and it’s now a new soup on the menu rotation.”

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Quick Tip: You can substitute chicken sausage for ground beef if you prefer. I LOVE a chicken sausage I just tried with basil. Yummo. It would be great in this and good for those watching their calories as well.

Recipe and Image courtesy of Jen and Yummy Healthy Easy

The post Take The Chill Off With A Bowl Of This Hearty Dish appeared first on Urban Retro Recipes.