Tasty Tuesday Tuna Noodle Casserole!

Donna sent me this recipe a while back, and though I've always liked this dish, I have an idea it would be quite tasty if made with leftover turkey too!

The good old stand by made from scratch. In this time of unemployment and tight purse strings, we might need to have a few more meals with tuna. Just don't forget the NOODLES!

TUNA NOODLE CASSEROLE (serves 6)

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup butter, divided
• 1 (8 ounce) package uncooked medium egg noodles
• 1/2 medium onion, finely chopped
• 1 stalk celery, finely chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 8 ounces button mushrooms, sliced
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 cups milk
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2 (6 ounce) cans tuna, drained and flaked
• 1 cup frozen peas, thawed
• 3 tablespoons bread crumbs
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Butter a medium baking dish with 1 tablespoon butter.
2. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add egg noodles, cook for 8 to 10 minutes, until al dente, and drain.
3. Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a skillet over medium-low heat. Stir in the onion, celery, and garlic, and cook 5 minutes, until tender. Increase heat to medium-high, and mix in mushrooms. Continue to cook and stir 5 minutes, or until most of the liquid has evaporated.
4. Melt 4 tablespoons butter in a medium saucepan, and whisk in flour until smooth. Gradually whisk in milk, and continue cooking 5 minutes, until sauce is smooth and slightly thickened. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in tuna, peas, mushroom mixture, and cooked noodles. Transfer to the baking dish. Melt remaining 2 tablespoons butter in a small bowl, mix with bread crumbs, and sprinkle over the casserole. Top with cheese.
5. Bake 25 minutes in the preheated oven, or until bubbly and lightly browned.

Tasty Tuesday Cheeseburger Meatloaf!

Here's another great recipe from our own Diva Donna!

One of my hubs favorite dishes is meatloaf. So I'm always trying or looking for new ways to prepare it. So Here's another one I found that he really liked. And need to share it.

CHEESEBURGER MEATLOAF

Ingredients

• 2 pounds ground beef
• 3/4 cup fresh bread crumbs
• 1/2 cup minced onion
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground black pepper
• 3 cups shredded Cheddar cheese or any of your favorites.

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. In a large bowl, combine the beef, bread crumbs, onion, eggs, salt and pepper, and mix well. Pat out meat mixture into a 14x18 inch rectangle on a piece of wax paper. Spread cheese over the meat, leaving a 3/4 inch border around the edges. Roll up jelly roll fashion to enclose the filling and form a pinwheel loaf. Press beef in on both ends to enclose the cheese. Place in a 10x15 inch baking dish.
3. Bake in the preheated oven 1 hour, or until internal temperature reaches 160 degrees F (70 degrees C).

Tasty Tuesday Sausage Cheese Balls!

You know, it's getting to the point where I might as well rename Tasty Tuesday as Donna's Guestblog Day! It's all hers, including that last pic!

So, without further adieu, here's another of her terrific recipes!

Now that we have snow on the ground, I start thinking of Holiday entertaining.
So yesterday, while stuck inside during the snowstorm. I made up a couple batches of these Cheesy Balls and had a few with breakfast eggs today and then froze the rest. They'll be a good appetizer ready for the holidays. I've even added these to the Turkey as the stuffing one year. Pretty tasty. I've served them with spaghetti or even as Beef Stroganoff or Swedish meatballs. They're very fun and versatile Balls. ENJOY THESE BALLS THEY'RE A MOUTH FULL OF YUMMYNESS.

JIMMY DEAN SAUSAGE CHEESE BALLS

Ingredients

• 2 (16 ounce) packages Regular Flavor Jimmy Dean Pork Sausage
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose baking mix
• 4 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
• 1/2 cup finely chopped onion
• 1/2 cup finely chopped celery
• 2 teaspoons black pepper
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic (optional)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 F. Combine all ingredients in a large mixing bowl; stir well. Form into 1inch balls. Place on ungreased baking sheet; bake 18-20 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven; cool 5 minutes before removing from pan. Serve with cocktail forks or toothpicks.

Tasty Tuesday Margarita Braised Chicken!

Donna has done it again! Sent me a recipe, complete with pics, just in time for Tasty Tuesday!

MARGARITA BRAISED CHICKEN THIGHS

serves 4

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup flour (about 2 1/4 ounces)
• 1 tablespoon paprika
• 2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 8 skinless, boneless chicken thighs (about 1 1/2 pounds)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• Cooking spray
• 1 cup thinly sliced onion (about 1 medium)
• 5 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 cup dried tropical fruit
• 1/2 cup orange juice
• 1/4 cup tequila
• 1 lime, thinly sliced

Preparation

Preheat oven to 400°.
Combine first 3 ingredients in a small baking dish. Sprinkle chicken with salt; dredge chicken in flour mixture.
Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken to pan; cook 4 minutes on each side or until lightly browned. Transfer chicken to an 11 x 7-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Add onion to skillet; cook 3 minutes. Add garlic to pan, and sauté 1 minute.
Combine fruit, juice, and tequila in a microwave-safe dish, and microwave at high 2 minutes. Pour fruit mixture into pan; bring to a boil, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Cook 1 minute. Pour onion mixture over chicken; top with lime slices. Bake at 400° for 20 minutes or until chicken is done.

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Tasty Tuesday Russian Green Bean Soup!

Donna sent me this recipe a few days ago. Not being one to keep sauerkraut on hand, I haven't tried it yet, but it looks interesting!

Russian Green Bean Soup

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 large onion, halved and thinly sliced
• 4 red potatoes, cubed
• 1/2 pound green beans, cut into 1 inch pieces
• 5 cups vegetable, chicken, or beef broth
• 2 tablespoons whole-wheat flour
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 3/4 cup sauerkraut with juice
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Heat vegetable oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the onion, and gently cook until softened and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the potatoes and green beans; cook until the green beans have slightly softened, about 5 more minutes.
2. Pour in the vegetable stock. Bring to a boil over high heat, then lower heat to medium-low, cover, and cook until the potatoes have softened, about 15 minutes. Stir the flour into the sour cream, and add it a spoonful at a time to the simmering soup. Stir in the sauerkraut and dill, season to taste with salt and pepper. Simmer for 5 minutes more before serving.