Sweet and Savory Meatballs

Homemade meatballs are easy to make and allow for customization of flavor and size. These meatballs were a hit. They make a hearty meal or could easily be used as an appetizer. The recipe uses a variety of flavors to make a tasty sauce to accompany the meatballs.

When I made these meatballs, I made them medium sized. A smaller size meatball would be good for an appetizer, and a larger size meatball would be fun for a big meal. The recipe calls for serving the meatballs with rice, which would be delicious. I had some elbow macaroni on hand, so I used that instead. Whether you use pasta or rice, be sure to add it into the pan to let it soak up the sauce. When I made this dish, I also added some spinach to the sauce to add flavor and vegetable to the dish.

Sweet & Savory Meatballs 

• 1 pound ground beef
• 1/4 cup fine dried bread crumbs
• 1/4 cup finely chopped onion
• 1 egg, slightly beaten
• 1 small clove garlic, minced
• 1 Tbsp. butter or oil
• 1 can golden mushroom soup
• 1/2 cup canned tomatoes
• 2 Tbsp. vinegar
• 2 Tbsp. brown sugar
• 2 tsp. soy sauce
• dash pepper
• cooked rice or pasta

Mix beef, crumbs, onion, egg, and garlic; shape into 16 meatballs. In a skillet, brown the meatballs in the butter or oil; pour off fat. Add remaining ingredients except the rice or pasta. Cover and cook over low heat for 20 minutes or until done. Stir now and then. Serve with rice or pasta. Enjoy!

Pretzels

These soft baked pretzels are so delicious that it can be hard to stop eating them. Pretzels usually have a recognizable brown color that results from dipping the pretzels in boiling baking soda water that gives the pretzel a chewy crust. This recipe does not call for that step. You could certainly dip these pretzels in the boiling baking soda water before putting them in the oven, but the pretzels were delicious even without that step. I especially enjoyed eating the pretzels fresh out of the oven.

The recipe calls for using bread flour, but I did not have any on hand, so I just used all-purpose flour. Bread flour has a higher gluten content and creates a chewier bread. I found these pretzels to be chewy enough, but may try using bread flour next time. As for the size of the pretzels, I made them so that each one was about the size of a hand, but they could easily be made smaller or larger, depending on your preference.

Pretzels 

• 3 quarts bread flour
• 1 quart water
• 1/2 ounce yeast
• 1 1/2 Tbsp. sugar
• 2 Tbsp. salt
• 1 1/2 cup butter.

Dissolve the yeast in part of the water. Dissolve the other ingredients, except the butter, in a mixer with the balance of the water. Add the yeast solution. When partially mixed, add butter and mix to a smooth firm dough. Allow the dough 15 to 20 minutes to recover. Divide the dough into one ounce units and roll out each into sticks about 14 inches long. Form each dough stick into a pretzel, pinching the ends into place. Place the pretzel on a greased pan, wash with some welted butter, then proof until double in size. Bake at 400 degrees for about 25 minutes. Allow to cool. Enjoy!

Florentine Beef Noodle Bake

This recipe is a variation on lasagna. Mom made her famous lasagna often, but variations less so. If you like lasagna-type dishes, this recipe is worth a try. I particularly like the use of nutmeg to flavor the beef; the nutmeg gave the dish unique taste. The Florentine in the recipe is a reference to the spinach included. 

Like lasagna, making this recipe requires a bit more time than many recipes, so it is not really good for a weeknight. But the leftovers are great for a weekday. When I made this recipe, I forgot to put the parmesan cheese on top. I know that the dish would be even better with parmesan, so I will remember for next time. Also, the recipe calls for baking for five minutes after topping with cheese, but I recommend ten minutes or using the broiler function of the oven.

Florentine Beef Noodle Bake 

• 2 pounds ground beef
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. nutmeg
• 1/8 tsp. pepper
• 1 can (8 oz.) tomato sauce
• 2 packages (10 oz. each) spinach, thawed
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1/2 cup flour
• 2 tsp. salt.
• 3 cups milk
• 1 package (8 oz.) wide noodles
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 2 Tbsp. parmesan cheese

In a skillet, lightly brown the beef with the onions. Pour off drippings. Sprinkle 1 1/2 tsp. salt, nutmeg, pepper over the meat.Stir in tomato sauce and simmer for ten minutes. Pat dry the thawed spinach to remove excess water. Cook the noodles follow package directions. In a saucepan, melt butter; blend in flour and 2 tsp. salt. Gradually add milk and cook, stirring constantly until thick. Fold the noodles into the white sauce. Spread half the noodles in the bottom of a 13x9 pan. Spread 2/3 of the meat over the noodles. Reserve two tablespoons of the cheddar cheese and pour the remaining cheese over the meat. Spoon spinach in a layer over the cheese. Top with remaining noodles, distributing evenly. Spoon remaining meat mix. Cover tight and bake at 350 for 25 minutes. Remove cover; sprinkle with cheddar and parmesan. Bake for five minutes, or as needed to melt the cheese. Let stand for ten minutes. Enjoy!

Baked Beef Square

This recipe is a variation on meat loaf. I am sure Mom tried it, but mostly she stuck with the classic family meat loaf. But this is a delicious variation on a hearty meal. Plus, it is easy to make because the ingredients are all mixed together and put into a pan for baking.

This recipe has a number of ingredients that create a good flavor blend. It uses crushed corn chips instead of bread crumbs. There is both ketchup and mustard mixed in. But I think the use of thyme makes it very unique. I recommend giving this recipe a try. Mom's recipe calls for using an 8-inch square pan, but I used a 9x5 loaf pan, so I needed to bake it for slightly longer than the recipe requires.

Baked Beef Squares 

• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 cup cottage cheese
• 1 egg, slightly beaten
• 1 cup crushed corn chips
• 1/4 cup ketchup
• 1 small onion, minced
• 1 Tbsp. prepared mustard
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. pepper
• 1/4 tsp. thyme
• 1 cup grated cheddar cheese

Combine all ingredients except grated cheese. Press into a greased 8 inch square pan. Bake at 350 for 40 minutes. Top with cheese for last 10 minutes of baking time. Cool. Enjoy!

Tuna Broccoli Casserole

Mom made many casseroles when I was a kid, especially casseroles that simply mixed everything together in a pan and baked in the oven. And a casserole using tuna like this one was a common recipe for meatless Fridays of Lent. Unlike many casseroles, this casserole does not use noodles and its use of eggs makes it almost quiche-like.

This recipe uses many ingredients that you might regularly have in your kitchen. The recipe also offers a few options for the vegetable to use, including broccoli, peas, or green beans. I used frozen broccoli but I am sure the other vegetable options would be good. Instead of shredded mozzarella cheese, I used grated parmesan cheese just because it was what I had. This casserole is easy to put together and quite tasty.

Tuna Broccoli Casserole 

• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 (6 1/2 oz.) can tuna, drained
• 1 cup small curd cottage cheese
• 1 package (10 oz.) frozen broccoli
• 1/4 cup chopped onion
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella

Combine the eggs and milk. Add flaked tuna, cottage cheese, broccoli, onion, and salt. Turn into a greased pie pan. Bake at 350 for 35 minutes. Sprinkle cheese on top and bake 10 more minutes. Allow to cool. Enjoy!

Chocolate Cinnamon Brownies

When I was a kid, I was not a big fan of cinnamon. But now I love cinnamon, especially cinnamon with chocolate. What is it about that combination that is so delicious? And why did I not like it as a kid? Maybe I just needed to wait until my tastes matured.

This brownie recipe is more cake-like than fudge-like. When I made it, it was a little crumbly but that was probably because I set the oven temperature higher than called for for the first ten minutes of the baking. Also, I left out the nuts. As much as I like nuts, I usually prefer brownies without nuts. If I were to use nuts, I would use almonds.

Chocolate Cinnamon Brownies 

• 1 cup flour
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 cup butter
• 2 squares bakers chocolate
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• optional 1 cup chopped nuts

Stir together flour, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt; set aside. Melt butter and chocolate in a heavy saucepan over low heat. Meanwhile beat sugar, eggs, and vanilla until thick and lemon colored. Add flour and chocolate. Beat with a spoon until smooth. Stir in nuts. Spoon into a greased 9x9 pan. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes or until done. Cool. Enjoy!

Cream Cheese Pound Cake

Every Spring, MDS and I cut out sweets during Lent. Because I have such a sweet tooth, it can be a challenge. But in the weeks leading up the start of no sweets, I tend to look through Mom's recipe box for sweets to load up on before going cold turkey. I found this recipe and thought it would be a perfect sweet to enjoy before I go without. This pound cake was a delicious way to get my sweets fix.

This pound cake is a fairly classic cake with common ingredients. It is such a delicious cake that it is great on its own or could support any type of frosting that you might want to add. The cake would also be delicious with fresh fruit. However you serve up this cake, you will find it an easy and delicious dessert.

Cream Cheese Pound Cake 

• 3/4 cup butter
• 8 oz. cream cheese
• 1 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
• 4 eggs
• 1 3/4 cup flour
• 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder

Cream together the butter and cream cheese until light. Add the sugar and vanilla beating constantly. Beat in the eggs one at a time. Combine the flour and baking powder; add to the creamed mix; beating well. Pour into greased 9x5 pan. Bake at 350 for 75 minute. Cool in the pan. Enjoy!