On the day of the big game I can honestly tell you that I am more a fan of the food than the sport. When I think of tailgating or having a “Super Bowl Party” I really don’t care much about the game itself but boy do I love the food.
You are guaranteed to have a winning day even if your team doesn’t when you serve up these delicious Meatball Parmesan Sliders for the Big Game.

I took my meatballs recipe and modified it a little to come up with a super flavorful and moist meatball that everyone will love. I cook them in my homemade marinara sauce and WOW!! are they great. You can make the meatballs ahead of time and then just make the sliders as you serve them.

Enjoy!

Mamma’s Meatball Parmesan Sliders

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Start to Finish: 50 minutes
12 servings

Ingredients:

• 1 pound ground chuck
• Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup Progresso® Italian style panko crispy bread crumbs
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 3 cloves garlic, very finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley or 1 tablespoon dried
• 5 tablespoons olive or vegetable oil, for frying
• 4 cups marinara sauce (I use homemade but you can use store bought if you have to)
• 12 slices of mozzarella cheese
• 12 mini slider buns
• Fresh basil as garnish (optional)

 Directions:

Add the ground chuck to a medium sized bowl and sprinkle well with salt and pepper. Add the eggs, breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese, chopped garlic, and parsley. Mix lightly to combine.

Roll meat into 12 balls about 2 inches wide.

On stove top heat oil in a 3.5 quart sauté pan or Dutch oven, over medium-high heat. When oil is hot, brown the meatballs on both sides for about 2 minutes or until golden.

Add marinara sauce to the pan and bring to a low simmer for about 30 minutes. Turn off heat and cover until ready to serve.

When ready to serve add one meatball to a slider bun and top with mozzarella cheese and a basil leaf (if using) and serve.

Cooking Tips:

Ground pork can be used in place of the chuck or for a lighter version you can use ground turkey or chicken.

If you double the recipe you can brown the meatballs in batches and then add them back to the pan with only 6 or 7 cups of marinara sauce.

If you make traditional Potato Pancakes, Latkes for Hanukah give these a try for a twist everyone will love.  These Sweet Potato Latkes or Sweet Potato Pancakes (whatever you prefer to call them) are so good you will want to eat all of them. Don’t just take it from me. Yummly thought so too!

I made them tonight and the kids wouldn’t even let me send any to my mom’s house for her to taste.  My son told me not to even publish the recipe because they are just too good to share.    My husband asked if I could make them every night!   Well, of course not.  Something this good can only come around once a year.

Get out the boxing gloves.   This is a fried Holiday treat that you’ll fight over.  (Makes about 12-14 medium sized pancakes)

Ingredients:

• 2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and grated (equals about 4 cups)
• 1 green apple, peeled cored and grated
• 2 green onions, finely chopped
• ½ small onion, grated
• 1 cup Complete pancake mix
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• Sprinkle of black pepper
• Vegetable oil for frying
• Sour cream as “garnish”

Directions:

In a bowl, stir together potatoes, green onion, onion, apple, egg, salt, and pepper. Gradually add the pancake mix and stir to combine.

Heat oil in a deep skillet over moderate high heat until hot but not smoking. Working in batches of 4 or 5, spoon a large spoonful of the mixture into the oil and lightly flatten.

Reduce heat slightly and cook for about 2 minutes on each side or until golden brown. Transfer latkes with spatula to a plate layered with paper towels.

Once they sit for a moment or two and drain, I transfer them to a cookie sheet. If I’m not serving them immediately, I warm them for a few minutes in the oven before I serve them.

Quinoa Tomato Salad is an easy vegetarian dish perfect for any time of day or any meal. This dish can be served alone or as a side dish. And you don’t need to be a vegetarian or a vegan to appreciate this nutritious, high-protein grain.

If you have never tried quinoa before, you really ought to try it. You’ll be hooked on the crunchy, delicious taste before you even realize how good it is for you. It’s so easy to make, too. If you can make rice or pasta you can make Quinoa. The only thing you need to do is rinse it before you boil it but other than that it’s pretty simple.

Quinoa (pronounced keen-wah) may be one of the most perfect non-animal sources of protein on the planet. It is the only plant-based source of complete protein, meaning that it contains all 9 of the essential amino acids crucial to human function and health. It is gluten free and a favorite of vegans, who often struggle to find good sources of non-animal protein.

I like my desserts like all of us do but during the week I try to eat healthy and work out so that on the weekends I can indulge in my treats. Quinoa is something I make most weeks and keep on hand for a simple quick healthy meal.

Here is how you make this dish.

Quinoa Summer Tomato Salad

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Start to Finish: 30 minutes

Servings: 8 servings

Ingredients:

• 2 cups cooked quinoa
• 2 large tomatoes, quartered and sliced into cubes
• 1/4 medium red onion, chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic, chopped fine
• 3 tablespoons of fresh basil leaves, chopped
• 3 tablespoons fresh flat-leaf Italian parsley, chopped
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• A pinch of sugar
• Garnish with a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese

Directions:

In a small bowl, toss together all the ingredients except the quinoa and season with salt and pepper and a pinch of sugar. Spread cooked, cooled quinoa in a larger bowl or on a small platter and place tomato salad on top. Cover and place in refrigerator until ready to use.

Cook’s Notes:

Salad will keep for a day or two so it can be made hours before you need to serve it.

Replacing the water with chicken stock when cooking the quinoa gives it lots of flavor.

Feel free to get creative and add some feta cheese, olives, oregano or other cheeses and spices.

I originally developed this recipe and had it displayed on BettyCrocker.com.  If you like this recipe, please share it recipe with a friend.  Just click on the cute little icons below this sentence to share these on your Facebook page, twitter page, etc. with just one click!

Pasta salad is the perfect dish to bring to a potluck dinner or an outdoor BBQ. My mother in law’s recipe is always a hit.

My mother-in-law Judie was a great cook. She was famous for making simple and delicious home-cooked meals like pot roast, chicken and dumplings and meatloaf, but one of her “Almost Famous” dishes that she would make for most potluck dinners, pool parties and luncheons was her Tortellini Pasta Salad. It’s a simple dish that uses store-bought Caesar salad dressing so it can be made in no time at all.

Judie’s Tortellini Salad

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Start to Finish: 20 minutes

Servings: 10

Ingredients:

• 1 pound of frozen tortellini, cooked
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1/2 cup red onion, diced
• 1/2 cup green bell pepper, diced
• 1/2 cup red bell pepper, diced
• 1/4 cup fresh chopped parsley
• 1/4 cup parmesan cheese
• 1/2 cup bottled Caesar salad dressing of your choice
• 1 can (6oz) of whole small black pitted olives, drained
• Salt and fresh ground black pepper

Directions:

Add cooked, tortellini to a large bowl and toss with olive oil.

Add all the vegetables, parsley, cheese, and Caesar salad dressing, toss again. Add olives salt and pepper and toss lightly once more.

Cover and refrigerate for at least one hour or overnight.

Toss well before serving.

Cooking Tips:

Be sure to not over cook the pasta. It is best when cooked al dente.

Pasta salad can be made a day or two in advance and stored in the refrigerator.

If salad seems too dry when ready to serve simply add more salad dressing and toss before serving.

The recipe above originally appeared on BettyCrocker.com.  If you like this recipe, please share it recipe with a friend.  Just click on the cute little icons below this sentence to share these on your Facebook page, twitter page, etc. with just one click!

Not your typical BBQ – Grilled Italian Pizza!

Grilled Pizza is so easy to make. You don’t need a fancy oven or even stones to make a delicious grilled Italian pizza. Pillsbury® refrigerated classic pizza crust, some simple ingredients and a BBQ is all it takes. And, believe me, I don’t always make it myself. Don’t be afraid of good pizza in your own neighborhood. Many of them make similar recipes to this if you just ask! Find local restaurants in your area that make similar pizza and get ideas from them! The options are endless!

Anyway, here’s how I make this one . . .

Crispy Italian Grilled Pizza

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Start to Finish:  25 minutes

Servings: 4

Ingredients:

• 1 (13.8-oz.) can Pillsbury® refrigerated classic pizza crust
• Cooking Spray
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• Canola oil or grill spray
• 1/4 teaspoon of garlic powder
• 2 cups marinara sauce (This limks to my homemade recipe but you can use jarred too)
• 1/2 cup fresh chopped basil
• 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions:

Cut an 18×12 inch sheet of heavy-duty foil; spray with nonstick cooking spray. Unroll dough; place on sprayed foil. Starting at center, press out dough with hands to form 13×9-inch rectangle. Brush dough with 1 teaspoon of the oil.

When ready to grill, invert dough onto grill rack and peel off foil. Cook on grill over medium-low heat for 3 to 5 minutes or until bottom of dough is golden brown.

Turn dough; grill 1 to 2 minutes or until bottom is set but not brown.

Carefully remove from grill. Top crust with remaining olive oil, pizza sauce, basil, and cheeses.

Place pizza back on grill away from direct flame (or turn grill off) and close grill. Cook for 3-5 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Cooking Tips:

Cooking time may vary due to grill temperatures so be sure to carefully watch the dough as it cooks to make sure it isn’t burning.

Don’t cook the second side for more than a minute or two because it will cook completely after you top it with the cheese and the sauce and put it back on the grill.

Allow cooked pizza to cool for a few minutes before slicing so that cheese will set and not run off of dough when eaten.

The recipe above originally appeared on Pillsbury.com.  If you like this recipe, please share it recipe with a friend.  Just click on the cute little icons below this sentence to share these on your Facebook page, twitter page, etc. with just one click!

Beet Salad is one of those things that people are usually afraid to make because they think it’s too hard to cook beets or because they have never made them and just don’t know how. I want you to know that if you can bake a potato you can bake beets.  It’s the same principle.  The beets take on a very rich sweet flavor when they are baked.

I start by trimming the greens and the tips off of the beet and then wrapping them in foil and baking them.

Once they are done baking I let them cool about 15 minutes then I unwrap them and remove the skin using a paper towel so my hands don’t get too red. You can wear rubber gloves to do this too and that will prevent your skin from being stained pink. I also find that washing your hands quickly after this will remove it as well.

Once the skin is removed, you can cube the beets and add the remainder of the ingredients, minus the gorgonzola and the arugula. The beet salad can stay in the refrigerator for a day or two. When you are ready to serve, you can serve it over the arugula and sprinkle with the gorgonzola cheese and some extra olive oil and salt and pepper.

Roasted Beet Salad with Arugula and Gorgonzola Cheese – Recipe

Makes about 10 servings as an appetizer.

——————

Ingredients:

• 6 fresh beets, roasted peeled and cubed
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
• 2 green onions, sliced
• Juice of 1 lemon
• Salt and pepper to taste
• A dash of sugar to taste
• 1/2 cup of gorgonzola cheese, crumbled
• 1 (10oz) bag of arugula

——————

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 425° F.

Wash beets and trim off stems. Wrap in foil and bake like baked potatoes on a cookie sheet for about 50-60 minutes or until a fork pierces through the beet easily.

Remove from oven and let cool for about 15 minutes. Remove foil, then using a paper towel, rub the beets to remove the skin.  Cut into cubes and add to a bowl with the next 7 ingredients, minus the gorgonzola and arugula. Toss well.

Cover and refrigerate until ready to use. Serve over arugula and sprinkle with gorgonzola cheese and an extra drizzle of olive oil and salt and pepper.

This White Pizza Recipe is the perfect way to get your kids cooking in the kitchen with you and loving it.  PHILADEPHIA makes a great new product called Philly Cooking Crème and it is the perfect ingredient to add to a simple pasta or chicken dish to make something ordinary taste great.   In this case, we used it to make a yummy pizza.

Nicole

My daughter is a typical teenager-on-the-go all the time, but she shares my love for food and cooking. When she is in the kitchen, she is always looking for simple ways to make breakfast and lunches.

I suggested she try making White Pizza with Philadelphia’s new Philly cooking crème. We have tried it in pasta and chicken dishes and it works great, but kids love pizza and I thought this would be the perfect recipe for her to make.  I was right.

She started with PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese Cooking Crème in the Italian Herb Flavor, and a “thin crust” store-bought ready-made pizza crust.

She brushed the dough with a little olive oil, and then spread the crème onto the dough.

Then, she topped the dough with some shredded Parmesan cheese, a sliced tomato and some chopped fresh basil. She topped the whole thing with some grated Parmesan cheese and popped it into the oven until it was golden brown.

The end result was a dreamy thin crust white pizza that we all devoured.

This was such a simple recipe and it made a great light lunch with a salad.

Next time, she plans on using some chicken or mushrooms or just letting her imagination run wild. If you have never tried PHILADELPHIA Cooking Crème, we both recommend it!  It’s simple and so versatile. It’s the perfect way to get the kids cooking in the kitchen like a gourmet chef.

Nothing says springtime like lamb. Grilled lamb chops are so easy and flavorful that you will wonder why you don’t make them more often. A simple marinade gives the meat a burst of flavor and the mint yogurt dipping sauce is the perfect fresh accompaniment.

Start with fresh ingredients and this dish will have wonderful flavor and color.

I like to marinate the lamb over night but if you don’t have that much time, try doing it for a few hours.

Once you are ready to grill make sure your chops aren’t ice cold. Let them sit out in room temperature for about 30 minutes before grilling. They will only need 2-3 minutes on each side on a nice hot grill.

I like to serve this dish with a yogurt sauce. You can find that recipe below.

Marinated Grilled Lamb Chops with Mint Yogurt Sauce Recipe

Ingredients:

• 3 large garlic cloves, chopped
• 3 tablespoosn fresh rosemary leaves, chopped
• 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves, chopped
• 3 tablespoons of grainy mustard
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• Salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
• 6 lamb chops, about 3/4-inch thick

Directions:

Add everything to a bowl except the lamb chops and the salt and pepper.  Mix well. Place the chops and the marinade in a large plastic bag and give it a good massage to make sure all the meat is coated. Refrigerate for at least one hour or overnight.

Remove from refrigerator. Place chops on a plate; discard the excess marinade and season with salt and pepper. Allow the chops to come to room temperature. It will take about 15-20 minutes. Grill or broil about 2-3 minutes on each side. Allow meat to rest 5-10 minutes before serving with Mint Yogurt Dipping Sauce.

Mint Yogurt Sauce:

Ingredients:

• 1 cup plain yogurt
• 1 lime, juiced
• Zest of 1 lemon
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1/3 cup fresh mint leaves, chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• Salt and fresh ground black pepper

Directions:
Place all the ingredients in a small bowl and mix well. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Serve along side of the grilled Lamb chops.