Creamy Swedish Spinach Spaghetti & Meatballs

HAY,  :) Remember that lovely, but kinda heartbreaking movie "Patch Adams," starring the one and only, late great Robin Williams? (Rest his beautiful soul). If you said no, go watch it people, it's a true classic. For real, I am that lil ol' lady whose dying wish is a swimming pool full of noodles! Not even joking. How fun would that be swimming in a pool full of spaghetti noodles?! Makes me smile just thinking about it, I'm a total dork, but I own awkwardness like a boss lol. I truly, do love noodles so much tho.... I even had a tiny dog back in the day named noodles that I adored for a brief moment (yeah, foodie love from a young age). He was this sad little soul of a dog that had been abandoned in an apartment complex that my Mum had managed at the time. He was never quite right from that horrible event, obviously (many curse/dirty words to those who did that to him, ugh), but he did touch my heart and I loved him enough to name him after one of my ALL TIME favorite foods. He found a furever home elsewhere (to my young dismay lol) w/ a sweet elderly woman who could give him the love, attention, and time he really deserved. Moving on, before I go into a much larger rant about my adoration of noodles the food/dog, the way wrongness of abandoning animals like Noodles, or anything else semi-irrelevant to this recipe, let's talk heritage.

From the movie Patch Adams found via web ~

The world could use more Docs like this <3

I'm a proud ethnic mutt of sorts! :) No shame about it either. I have roots that branch out in many different ethnic directions, and they all influence the being that I am in a gazillion different ways. German, Hispanic, Indian, Scandinavian, Swiss, Irish, YUP I'm a proud lil' mixed up mutt lol. This recipe is influenced by my recently deceased Grandfather, Nels, who was a big strong German/Swede who always had a fresh crew cut, loved canned fish and crackers (that gene I didn't get, eeks lol), was a great engineer and a free mason. He was also a collector of fine time pieces from wall to wrist. (His father was a clock maker (clock smith?), so it's fairly fitting that as his Alzheimer's progressed he would wear multiple wrist watches though he could longer read the time on them, nor had much concept of time itself. Just goes to show are roots will always influence us and we will always be tied to them no matter what ways we branch out in life). Honestly, I wish I would have paid more attention to all his seemingly silly stories when he was able to tell them in his full glory and not dismissed them like most jerky kids. We live and we learn though right, at least that's the plan....

Moving on to the way popular classic Swedish Meatballs; It is one of my Mother's favorite comfort food dishes, as well as my deceased Grandfather. I'm not a personal fan of mushrooms (which is in the traditional Swedish dish), blue cheese, or pretty much any food that seems like its gone sour. I've seen mushrooms grow on some pretty icky stuff in the wild and I've accidentally grown blue cheese on a stray dairy product in the back of my fridge lol, so yeah, I'm good without either of those prized culinary staples.(crazy right, a Swede who doesn't like mushrooms, blue cheese or canned fish, maybe I was really adopted like my brothers claimed ;) This AHHmazing dish is a fun and scrumptious twist on two traditional cuisines very dear to my stomach and heart, spaghetti and meat sauce meets mushroom less Swedish Meatballs and creamed spinach. It's a whole lot of creamy dairy goodness, lots of meat, onion and spinach yumminess all atop of a bed of beautiful noodles! Frankly, it's DA BOMB folks! Two dudes that claim to not even like spinach couldn't get enough of this delish dish ;)

Whatcha' Need:

• 1~box spaghetti noodles (prepared according to package)
• 1 14 oz bag of frozen, thawed meatballs
• 4 Bratwurst sausages
• 1 block Low Fat Cream Cheese 
• 1 packet dry onion soup mix (like Lipton's)
• 2 cups milk (I use 1%)
• 2 cups tap water (plus sufficient amount for boiling the noodles)
• 2/3 cup low fat sour cream
• 1.5 cups frozen Chopped Spinach
• 3 TBS Parmesan cheese
• 1+/- tsp paprika, 1.5 tsp dried Italian Blend Seasoning, 1+/- tsp lemon pepper, salt, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp dry minced onion flakes (always season to your own personal preferences) 

 Start by removing the meat from the sausage casings. Simply cut the very tip off and squish out the innards and discard the casings. (You could also use a pound of ground pork if you'd like, but sausages have various seasonings and such already in them and it will effect the flavor profile, plus it is way simple to remove the skins even though it's a tad bit gross lol)

 

 Place the sausage meat in a large sauce pan w/ about half of the above dry seasonings and heat on medium heat for about 15-20 minutes, stirring and breaking apart the large chucks of meat frequently.

Next toss in the thawed meatballs and cook another 20 minutes allowing the meatballs to mingle and brown up with the brat meat. Carefully~ Drain off excess grease~

Now, we turn down the heat just a tad, and add in the milk, 2 cups water, remaining dry spices, onion soup mix, sour cream, and frozen spinach. Heat about 20-30 minutes, stirring regularly.

Start preparing the water for the noodles while all that awesome sauce comes together. Cook noodles according to package instructions.

Turn off the heat for the sauce and stir in the low fat cream cheese and Parmesan while the mixture is still nice and hot. OHh YEAH, cheesy meaty gooey goodness :)

Dish it up just like you would a normal ole spaghetti ;) but brace yourself for extraordinary awesome sauce. I sprinkled mine with even more cheesy dairy goodness, (because to a Swede there is no such thing as too much cheese) shredded mozzarella, and I served it with homemade garlic toast! If you like cheese, dairy, noodles and meat than you'll flip over this twisted devine spaghetti dish.

Hope you dig it, thanks for stopping by, and big HUGS!

Zesty Bacon Broccoli Bowtie Alfredo

 Bacon~ How do I love thee? Let me count thy ways! No, but, FOR REAL, I could seriously list a 100 reasons (or more) why and how I adore bacon. It may not be the healthiest meat on the planet, but it is definitely one of thee tastiest. You want to elevate a dish, just add bacon. It goes with just about anything and everything and is 99% likely to improve any dish it is in, on, or wrapped around! Just stating the facts here people. Cheeseburgers are good, but BACON cheeseburgers are great. Asparagus is good, but BACON wrapped asparagus is great. Eggs are good, but EGGS and BACON, you guessed it, GREATness! Bacon is the deliciously crisp wavy line between good and GREATNESS. No joke, one of my all time favorite comfort foods is the classic BLT. However, take away the bacon and you have just a lettuce, mayo and tomato sandwich. How lame is that??! Without the bacon... that sandwich would pretty much suck, the bacon makes it. Now that we've cleared that up, let's dish about the awesomeness of this easy bacon broccoli Alfredo dish! I should just call this dish BOMB DIGGITY BOW TIES PEEPS, cuz it is just that.

(I always save the napkins when I get fast food since they give you a bazillion every time, this comes in handy if you run  out of paper towels)  

I use this cheese in place of cream cheese ALL the time and it never lacks in flavor/no one ever knows it's a tad healthier ;)

• Whatcha' need: 
• 1 Box Bow Tie Pasta Noodles (uncooked)
• 1 lb Bacon cooked crisp (you could use turkey bacon if you prefer) 
• 2 cups frozen Broccoli
• 1 medium sized Onion (chopped)
• 2 cups Milk (I use 1%)
• 1/3 cup Parmesan Cheese
• 1 8oz pack of Neufchatel or Low fat Cream Cheese (1/3 less fat than cream cheese, but they'll never know it)
• 1 &1/2 teaspoons Italian Blend Seasoning
• 1& 1/4 tsp each Red Pepper Flakes and Lemon Pepper (1/4 each for the bacon)
• 1 TBSP lemon Juice
• 2 &1/2 cups water
• 1 teaspoon each minced garlic, salt, and paprika 

Opt 2 teaspoons bacon grease/pan drippings

Start by cooking up your bacon either on the stove top or in the oven, however you prefer. I seasoned my bacon with a dash of paprika and a dash of lemon pepper and red pepper flakes. This will add a nice zing to the dish without it being super spicy. Also, the crispier the bacon, the better for this recipe, because when you add it to the gooey pasta it will maintain it's crunchy texture better (and because floppy bacon is just not too swell) I also find it much easier to save the bacon grease and drippings via stove top cooking method, and bacon grease is like cooking gold folks. A little bit of bacon grease packs a whole Lotta awesome flavor and can be used for gravies and all sorts of yummy dishes!

Thrifty Tip~ Always save excess napkins when you get fast food, they come in handy when you run out of paper towels  and they always give you much more than you need $

 Once the bacon is done, carefully remove it from the pan onto a paper towel lined plate, allow it to cool and set it aside. OF COURSE, taste test a piece or two, perks of being the cook a' ;) Carefully, poor all that lovely liquid bacon gold into a sturdy container with a lid (like an old, clean coffee container or glass Tupperware container of sorts, don't pour it into a flimsy plastic container because it will eat through it) to save for later uses. When the grease has cooled a few minutes, place 2 teaspoons plus the pan drippings into a large pot with the chopped onion. Heat on Medium for about 5-7 minutes or until onions are tender.

Bacon Gold my friends ^

Next, add the milk, Parmesan, lemon juice, water, broccoli and seasonings. Bring the mixture to a slight boil over medium low heat stirring occasionally.

Once the mixture starts to slightly bubble, add the noodles and cook about 10-15 minutes or until the noodles are tender and most of the liquid is absorbed. Stir frequently. 

While this is going down, coarsely chop or crumble the bacon.

When the noodles are done, quickly stir in the Neufchatel or low fat cream cheese until well-blended and then, fold in the crumbled bacon. Cook for about 5 more minutes stirring frequently.

Turn off the heat and allow that loveliness to cool slightly before sprinkling it with a little more Parmesan Cheese and devouring it! Serve up this Beaut with a small side salad, garlic bread or even solo, either way it is sure to be an easy, delicious dinner winner! Hugs and Chow for Now...

~BOMB DIGGITY BACON BROCCOLI BOW TIES~

Creamy Kickin' Chicken Goulash

It's chilly here in the Midwest. I'm not complaining at all tho, because at the moment, NOT A BIT OF SNOW is covering the ground! For December.... that's pretty freakin' rare 'round here. Nonetheless, it's def not sandals weather (though occasionally, with weather in the 40's range, you will spot Midwest peeps attempting to rock them lol). Back to the subject, when it's cold out I reach for warm, hardy comfort foods. Soups, stews, casseroles, CHILLY, cookies, pastas, and GOULASH are just a few of my CHILLY time favorites! I especially, love spicy food in the winter. I'm a firm believer that spicy foods are healing foods (for serious). Next time you feel a cold coming on and have a stuffy nose, eat something spicy (not your Grandma's version of spicy tho) and BAM, no more nasal congestion, I promise! Just stating the facts here peoples.  :)

You know you want some :)

 Growing up, to me, goulash was like the fancy, legit version of the boxed family favorite Hamburger Helper. Not that I haven't eaten my fair share of ALL the varieties of Hamburger Helper, but nothing really compares to a homemade goulash, not even Hamburger Helper. Even better, goulash is quick, super easy and might be considered a kitchen sink type of dish (at least in my mind, hardcore Hungarians might disagree). A decent goulash really just depends on what you have in your cooking arsenal or cupboards, pantry, and fridge! Meat, noodles, veggies, spices, and a sauce of some sort all cooked in one big pot and you have what I call the fixin's of a nice goulash. For this concoction, I decided to combine 2 of my all time favorite foodie things into one delicious and harmonious dish, hence spicy, Creamy Kickin' Chicken Goulash was born!

Whatcha Need :

~1.5-2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts or tenders cut into bite sized chunks
~ 2 decent sized jalapeno peppers diced (seeds and all if you want it Kickin') or 15-20 jarred jalapeno slices, diced (if your not into super spicy you could use a green bell pepper as well)
~ 14 oz can of beans, not drained (I used white kidney or Cannellini beans, but red kidney beans would be yummy too)
~ 15 oz can of diced tomatoes, not drained
~ 1 can of water
~ 2 TBSP Butter or Margarine
~ 1 Medium Sized Yellow or White Onion, chopped
~ 1-1.5 cup small or med. pasta noodles uncooked (like rotini, elbow macaroni (which I used), or bowtie noodles)
~ Additional Spices~ 2-3 tsp Chili Powder, 1 tsp Lemon Pepper, 2 tsp Red Pepper Flakes, And 1 tsp Garlic Powder (for less spicy use more garlic and less peppers and chili powder)

In a large sauce pan combine diced peppers, chopped onion, bite sized chicken chunks, butter, and spices. Cook on medium-low heat for about 20 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink. Stirring occasionally to prevent possible burnt bird.

Once the chicken is done, pour directly into the same pot the UNDRAINED canned tomatoes, beans, and one can of water and stir to combine. Allow the mixture to come to a low slow boil on medium heat, which takes about 15-20 minutes. (If you wanted to speed up the process you could turn up the heat, but then you will need to stir the mixture more frequently and keep a much closer eye on it.) I like to do it a little slower to let the flavors really develop and mingle together, but if your crunched for time or your starving by all means crank it up.

Once the mixture starts to bubble and boil dump in the uncooked noodles and stir. Continue boiling and frequently stirring for about 10-15 minutes depending on the pasta you use or until noodles are tender and most of the liquid is absorbed.

Turn off the heat and fold in the sour cream. The sour cream helps mute some of the heat and adds a nice creamy layer of goodness to this goulash. If you don't do sour cream, you could use a plain yogurt or some low fat cream cheese too. 

 

Garnish with green onions, chopped cilantro, and or crushed tortilla chips and ENJOY! Either way it is delicious, easy, ingredient flexible, warm and hardy, and it all happens in one large pot so you won't have a sink full of dishes to worry about afterwards! Winner, Winner, Chicken Dinner. Hope you enjoy!

Quicker than Take Out Thai Peanut Butter Turkey Ramen

 
My fella loves Thanksgiving. As do I (of course guilt free fatty food, comfy gear, and football are REALLY my bag); Plus we really do have SO much to be thankful for, even though sometimes we neglect to recognize that on a daily basis! Anyways, he especially loves the heavy amount of high carbs in over-abundance on that glorious day/following week lol! The puddles of gravy atop mounds of buttery potatoes alongside globs of stuffing and of course the prized TURKEY. He is TRULY a meat and potatoes guy with a cup of gravy to wash it all down sort of dude! He barely touches the other veggies unless I sneak them onto his plate (no mercy lol)!

Enough meat for the furry family members too, HINT* dog/cat friendly recipe soon to come

Well, this year he decided to buy a 13+lb turkey for JUST US 2!!?! THAT'S A MIGHTY BIG BIRD for just two people, bless his mixed up heart, but that is like 7lbs of meat for each of us! I've never made a bird that big, just rinsing that beast off was a challenge lol. NO JOKE, it was about the size of my freaking puggle! Needless to say.... we have had leftovers for DAYS.  It's OFFICIALLY, time to revive, revamp, and morph this turkey into something way nontraditional. Time to take back my fridge and move on :)  Best part of it all was him seeing me cleaning off the rest of the turkey carcass and saying on day 5 of eating turkey leftovers.....

 "NO MORE TURKEY." (LOL) Hey buddy, FYI: I didn't get the 14 pound beast of a bird!?! Waste not, want not right ;)

(AND MORE MEAT 5 DAYS LATER lol)

 Honestly, I was WAY over the turkey too, so I decided to make something that tasted like anything BUT traditional turkey with the last night of dinner concoctions for this glorious bird (at least for now). I STILL have 2 sandwich bags (one for my critters) worth of meat leftover after eating turkey for 5 DAYS!! It's gonna chill in the freezer for later consumption because I'm burnt out on this bird lol! Anyhow, I always try to keep certain items in my pantry and fridge that can be used in a variety of ways. Noodles, peanut butter, & soy sauce are just a few of those staples I try always remain stocked up on because A. they are delicious, B. they are cheap and easy to work with, & C. they are versatile. That being said, I decided to go Chinese for our last day with this turkey and smother it in soy sauce and peanut butter :) You could smother a rat in peanut butter and it'd probably be delicious in my book, not that the turkey tasted like rat, but I didn't want it to taste like Thanksgiving Turkey anymore. This concoction definitely did the trick. It was easy, delicious, and cheap aka a THRIFTY TRIPLE THREAT type of dinner!

 Whatcha' Need:

1.5 -2 cups leftover (precooked) semi-shredded turkey (leftover chicken or pork would work well too)
1/4 cup Soy Sauce (a little soy sauce packs a strong flavor punch so it is MUCH better to add less to start with and add more later; adding too much will over power all the other flavors and can ruin the dish)
1 TBSP Brown Sugar
1 TBSP Butter or Margarine
4 TBSP Peanut Butter (smooth or chunky)
1 cup frozen Peas and Carrots (broccoli would be good too)
1 package chicken flavored Ramen Noodles
2.5 cups water
A Splash of Lime Juice (opt)


Other seasonings:
Chili powder, lemon pepper, red pepper flakes, and garlic powder (about a teaspoon of each depending on your taste preferences.)
(I like things a little spicy so I add a bit more chili powder and red pepper flakes, but these things could be omitted if you don't do the heat thing well)
1/4 cup chopped peanuts (if you use chunky pb you could omit the peanuts, but they add nice texture/tang)
Chopped Green Onions for garnish (opt)

In a medium sized mixing bowl combine meat, soy sauce, 1/4 cup water, seasonings, and a splash of lime juice. Mix to combine, cover, and put in fridge for 1/2 hour to marinate.

Doesn't look like Thanksgiving turkey anymo' :)

 Next, pour all contents of the bowl into a medium sized sauce pan, along with the peanut butter, brown sugar, and butter. Heat on low, stirring frequently.

 Meanwhile, in another small sauce pan place 2 1/4 cups water and 1 cup frozen veggies on medium heat and bring to a boil. Boil for about three minutes or until veggies are tender and rise to the surface of the water.

you can even see the steam in the picture ( I love my new camera)

 Add Ramen noodles and seasoning packet and continue to boil 2-3 more minutes or until noodles are done, but NOT MUSHY.

 Then carefully combine the contents of the small sauce pan ie noodles, veggies, and broth into the larger sauce pan with the peanut butter meat sauce and stir to combine all ingredients.
 

Its not the prettiest pic I've ever taken, but I'm still getting use to this camera and I promise it tastes YUMMY lol!

Turn off burners... and fold in green onions (opt) and chopped peanuts. 

BAM! You now have a delicious little dish to consume that tastes like take out and is done in about the same amount of time it would take you to order and get Chinese food. If you live in a small town like me... the nearest Chinese food place is like 30 minutes away (bummer) so this is def a recipe to keep in your easy, cheap and yummy meal archives. Hope you enjoy it as much as we did! Chow for now :)