Mozzarella Stuffed Meatballs

My kid will eat just about anything if you put it inside a meatball or meatloaf.  No joke.  Once a week, we have one of the two so I can sneak in some extra vegetables! 

The real star of this meatball is the mozzarella.  When you cut into one and discover it is stuffed with cheese, the world suddenly feels like a better place.  Trust me.

Start by chopping the veggies.  These have spinach, minced carrot, and minced onion.  Oh and garlic.  I'm pretty sure it is sacrilegious to make a meatball without garlic. 

In a large bowl, combine the ground beef, minced vegetables, breadcrumbs, parmesan, parsley, basil, eggs, and S&P.  Mix just enough to combine. 

Grab enough meat to form a 2 inch ball.  With your thumb, make an indent in the center of the ball and add in a piece of mozzarella. 

I used pearl mozzarella, but you can use whatever cheese you want.  Just cut it into 1/2 chunks.  Press the meat upwards around the cheese to cover it then shape into a ball.  Voila!

Continue stuffing and forming meatballs.  Two pounds of meat made roughly 20 meatballs for me. 

 







Into a 400 degree oven for 25 minutes, or until meatballs are cooked through.   

Look at that cheese!  Isn't it beautiful???



I like to sink mine into a pot of sauce and simmer them for a few minutes.  Serve them over spaghetti or in a hoagie roll.  Or just eat them plain!  

Mozzarella Stuffed Meatballs

• 2 pounds ground beef
• 2 eggs
• 2 tsp dried basil
• 2 tsp dried parsley
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup parmesan cheese
• 2/3 cup Italian style breadcrumbs
• 1/2 a medium onion, minced
• 1/4 cup minced carrot
• 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh spinach
• 4 ozs of fresh mozzarella pearls
• S&P to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In a large bowl, combine all ingredients.  Spoon out enough meat to form a 2 inch ball.  With thumb, press an indent into the center of the meatball.  Add in a pearl mozzarella.  Press the meat upwards to cover the cheese and seal.  Roll into a ball. 

Place meatballs on a foil lined baking sheet.  Bake at 400 degrees for 25 minutes, or until cooked through.

Enjoy!!!



Creole Beef Tips

I was stumbling around the kitchen earlier, trying to decide what I could make for dinner.  The little guy decided it was time to party at 5:20 am this morning.  I could hear his little voice through the monitor, chanting "Elmo?  1 2 3.  Elmooooo.  Momma?"  Early start to the day and I was not looking forward to a grocery store run.

Cooking for two is HARD.  Especially when one of us is under 2 and becoming increasingly "pickier" every day. Two serving meals are almost impossible.  I needed a meal that freezes well so I can save myself time (and stress) in the future.

There was a roast in the fridge that either needed to be cooked or frozen.  Then I spotted the celery, onions, and bell pepper.  Holy Trinity!  Creole beef tips!  Inspiration hit and a plan was formulated.

 

 



You could totally buy beef stew meat already cut up and save time.  It'll be cheaper if you buy the roast and cube it yourself though.  Just stick it in the freezer for about 20 mins to firm up before you slice it.  Makes life much easier.

 

Season your beef cubes with S&P.  In a large pan, brown the meat in a little olive oil.  This is 3 lbs of meat, so you will want to work in at least two batches.  Remove and repeat.

 

 

 

When all the beef is browned, return to the pan and add water, beef granules, and garlic.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer with the lid slightly ajar for 1.5 hours, or until your beef is fork tender.  Reserve 1 1/2 cups of the cooking liquid and discard the rest.  Or freeze it for a gravy later.  That's what I did!

 

 

 

Add a touch of olive oil to the pan the beef was cooked in.  Add in the trinity.  Let this cook for a few minutes.  Then add in the minced garlic, thyme, basil, and creole seasoning.  Stir and cook another minute or two. 

 

 

 

Next, add in a can of stewed tomatoes, the reserved cooking liquid, and a packet of brown gravy mix.  Stir to combine.  Add in the cooked beef and stir.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for 30 minutes. 

I served this over cheese grits.  My favorite brand is House Autry.  They have a recipe on their website for Garlic Cheese grits.  Go forth and check it out.  They are the best grits in the universe.  Trust me.

Creole Beef Tips

• 3 pound beef roast, cut into 1 inch cubes (or 3 lbs of beef stew meat)
• 3 tsp of beef granules
• 1 tsp of garlic powder
• 4 cups of water
• 4 stalks of celery, diced
• 1 large onion, diced
• 1 green bell pepper, diced
• 5 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 tsp creole seasoning
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme
• 1/2 tsp dried basil
• 1 tbs dried parsley
• 1 14.5 oz can stewed tomatoes
• 1 envelope brown gravy mix
• S&P
• Olive oil for browning

In a large pan, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium high heat.  Season the cubed beef with s&p.  Add beef in batches, turning to brown each side.  When all is browned, return to the pan and add water, beef granules, and garlic powder.  Bring to a boil and reduce heat to low.  Simmer with the lid ajar for 1.5 hours, or until meat is fork tender. Remove beef and set aside.  Reserve 1 1/2 cups of cooking liquid and discard the rest.  Or freeze for a later use.

In the same pan, add a couple tablespoons of olive oil.  Sauté the onions, bell pepper, and celery for a few minutes.  Add in the minced garlic, creole seasoning, thyme, basil, and parsley.  Stir and let cook for another minute or two.

Add in stewed tomatoes, reserved cooking liquid, and brown gravy mix.  Stir to combine.  Add in the cooked beef.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for 30 minutes. 

Serve over garlic cheese grits, rice, or mashed potatoes.

Enjoy!!!

Quinoa Salad with Asparagus, Peas, and Parmesan

It wasn't very long ago that quinoa was unfamiliar in my kitchen.  I had seen it cooked on television and spotted it on grocery store shelves, but passed it over as a new "food trend" that would quickly fade away.  But then I gave in and tried it...

Holy delicious batman!  And good for you!  It was love at first bite <3  Well, maybe that is a bit of an exaggeration.  It was "tolerable" at first bite.  Then I played around with it a few times and discovered a secret on how to make it absolutely delicious...

 

Substitute stock for water!

 

Give it a try, you won't be disappointed!  I used vegetable stock to make this a vegetarian and gluten free dish, but feel free to substitute chicken or beef stock. 

 



 

 

First things first, cook your quinoa.  Just follow the instructions on the back of the box, but substitute vegetable stock for the water.  Throw your frozen peas in on top for the last 5 minutes.  Don't stir them in, just leave them on top to defrost. 

 

 





At this point, you can add in your fresh grated parmesan, blanched asparagus, a touch of garlic powder, parsley, and S&P to taste and call it a day.  But I like to get fancy and add about 1/4 cup of homemade Lemon Dijon Vinaigrette.  

 

 

In a bowl, whisk together the juice of a lemon, Dijon mustard, olive oil, brown sugar, garlic powder, and S&P to taste.  This makes more than you will need for the salad.  But trust me, it is delicious!  Use it as a dressing on a green salad, as a marinade for fish, or just dip your carrot sticks in it.  That's what I did!

 

 

 

Toss together your quinoa/pea mix, asparagus, parmesan, about 1/4 cup of the dressing, and S&P to taste.  Garnish with a touch of dried parsley and you are in business!  Tastes great at room temperature or served cold.  It'll last 5 or so days in the fridge as well.  Perfect for quick lunches or in a pita with lettuce and tomato :)

 



 

Quinoa Salad with Asparagus, Peas, and Parmesan

 

• 1 cup of quinoa, cooked according to directions on packaging and substituting vegetable stock for water
• Vegetable stock for cooking quinoa (see above)
• 1 cup of frozen peas
• 1 cup blanched asparagus, cut into thirds
• 1/2 cup fresh grated parmesan cheese
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 cup Lemon Dijon Vinaigrette (recipe follows)
• S&P to taste
• Parsley for garnish



 

Cook quinoa according to package direction, substituting vegetable stock for the amount of water required.  During the last 5 minutes of cooking, pour frozen peas in on top of quinoa, but don't stir.  You just want them to defrost on top.

 

While the quinoa is cooking, blanche asparagus in boiling water for 3 minutes.  Drain and transfer to a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking process.  Drain.

 

In a large bowl, combine cooked quinoa/pea mixture, frozen peas, asparagus, parmesan, garlic powder, and prepared vinaigrette.  Season with s&p to taste and garnish with parsley. 

 

Lemon Dijon Vinaigrette

 

• Juice of one lemon, about 1/3 cup
• 4 tbs Dijon mustard
• 1/4 olive oil
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tbs brown sugar
• S&P to taste

In a bowl, whisk together all ingredients.  Store in the refrigerator.  Can be used as a marinade, salad dressing, or just drink it.  Sometimes I just drink it.  It's that good.

 

Enjoy!!!



Two Packet Pot Roast

This pot roast is a variation of the ever-popular Mississippi pot roast that has been popping up everywhere recently.  I do not believe this is a "Mississippi" thing seeing as I am from there and have never heard of it!  The initial recipe called for a packet of ranch seasoning mix, a packet of au jus gravy mix, a stick of butter and a couple pepperoncini peppers.  I tried it but found it to be way too salty as written.  This is my variation with two packets and a few additional ingredients. 


What kind of roast should you use?  With the price of beef these days, I tend to grab whatever is on sale that day.  Of course chuck roast is optimal with its marbling of fat, but if you cook your roast low and slow, even the leaner cuts of meat will come out tender and fall-apart delicious.  London broil was on sale that day so I went with that. 

Your first step is to brown the meat.  I cut the long London broil in half so it would fit in my pan easier.  Season each side with a little S&P and brown in a little olive oil.

Place your browned roast in an oven proof roasting pan.  I like to use this large oval chicken roaster.  It is the perfect size to hold all the veggies we are adding next.

Add a touch more olive oil to the pan you browned the meat in, if necessary.  Throw in your vegetables and let them cook for a couple minutes to get a little color on them. 

Pour your vegetables around your browned roast and nestle them in nicely. 

In a medium bowl, whisk together your brown gravy mix, au jus gravy mix, beef stock, tomato paste, garlic powder, thyme, and parsley.  Pour this over your roast.  Throw in a couple bay leaves and pepperoncini's (the juice will cook out of the peppers and make your sauce slightly spicy, depending on how many you add.)  Cover your pan tightly with foil.  I threw the lid on as well, but this is not necessary as long as you cover it tightly with the foil. 

Bake at 300 degrees for 3-4 hours, depending on the size of your roast.  Mine was right at 3 lbs and I cooked it for 3 hours.  For a 4-5 lb roast, plan on at least 4 hours. 

I like to serve this with crusty garlic bread to dip in the gravy.  If you feel like carb loading, serve it over mashed potatoes!  I have even served it over cheese grits.  Delicious!

Hope you enjoy it as much as we do!

Two Packet Pot Roast

• 1 beef roast of your choice, about 3 pounds
• 1 pound of small red potatoes, cut in half
• 1 pound of baby carrots
• 5 stalks of celery, cut into large chunks
• 1 large onion, cut into quarters
• 1 packet of brown gravy mix
• 1 packet of au jus gravy mix
• 2 heaping tablespoons of tomato paste (about half of a 6 oz can)
• 1 32oz box of beef stock
• 2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme
• 1 tbs dried parsley
• 2 bay leaves
• 3-4 pepperoncini peppers
• Olive oil for browning
• salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

Add 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil to a large pan and heat over medium-high heat.  Salt and pepper both sides of the roast.  Place the roast in the hot pan and sear on each side until brown.  Remove from pan and place in your oven proof roasting pan.

Add a touch more olive oil if needed.  Throw in the onions, carrots, celery, and potatoes.  Toss these around for a few minutes until they get a little color on them.  Add these in with your browned roast.

Whisk together the brown gravy mix, au jus gravy mix, beef stock, tomato paste, garlic powder, thyme, and parsley.  Pour this over the roast.  Top with pepperoncini's and bay leaves.

Cover tightly with aluminum foil and bake for 3 hours for a 3 lb. roast (4 hours for a 4-5 lb. roast.)

Enjoy!