Utah State Marv 'n Joes

Did you go to Utah State University, and now that you are no longer on campus, you find yourself craving those delicious open-faced, heaven sent, Marv 'n Joe sandwiches? OK, maybe you did, and maybe you didn't, but either way, you gotta make this sandwich!

Now is the season where you have tomatoes bursting out of your ears and don't know what to do with them right? This is the perfect solution!

This recipe is slightly adapted from Housewife Eclectic. She apparently got a personal lesson from Marv, himself, on how to make these. I found it a highly entertaining read- go check it out.

Marv 'n Joe

(makes 1 sandwich)

1 slice sourdough bread

approx. 1/2 tablespoon spreadable butter (or softened butter)
sprinkle of garlic salt
fresh cracked pepper
4 slices of tomato
Provolone cheese slice
Parmesan cheese (either grated or sliced works)
olive oil
Vinegar

Spread your butter on top of the sourdough bread. Sprinkle with the garlic salt and pepper. Place 4 tomato slices on your bread. Pour a small amount of olive oil and vinegar, just enough to give the sandwich a kick. Top with a piece of provolone cheese and then the parmesan.

Toss in your toaster oven or you broiler on low until the cheese is bubbly and starts to brown. The browning is very important. The edges should be brown and have a little crisp to it.

My husband absolutely LOVED these. He said they were even better than the original! I'm putting it on my Perfect Dinner Project page for a light dinner. 2 each of these were plenty filling.

Chicken Pot Pie Cupcakes (#25)

Occasionally I come across a recipe that is super fast AND super delicious. Usually, the two do not co-exist but it does happen. This recipe is proof! These Chicken Pot Pie Cupcakes were a breeze to assemble and gobbled down by the family. My toddler was excited to eat his "cupcake"(he's usually not very excited about dinner). I was excited to have these as leftovers the next day and happy to have found such a fun/delicious recipe.

Chicken Pot Pie Cupcakes

(Adapted from this recipe at Tablespoon)

INGREDIENTS:
1 chicken breast, poached and diced (can sub. canned chicken)
1 (14.5 oz) can cream of chicken soup
1 cup frozen mixed veggies
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp garlic salt
2 (10 oz) cans large and flaky biscuits

Directions:
1 Preheat your oven to 400.
2 In a large bowl, combine the cooked chicken, cream of chicken soup, frozen veggies, cheese, herbs and spices.
3 Lightly grease a 12-cup muffin tin and place the Pillsbury biscuits into each cup, pressing into the bottom and up the sides.
4 Evenly spoon the pot pie mixture into each biscuit cup. Slide into the oven and bake for about 15 minutes. Check at the 12 minute mark.
5 Let rest for about 3 minutes and dig in!

Easy Korean Beef (#24)

Wow! I can actually make Korean food?! Well, who knows how "authentic" this recipe is, but it sure was delicious. Ground beef is transformed into this simple and spicy, yet tasty main dish. This is the first recipe I have made from Six Sister's Stuff, and I loved it !

Korean Beef
(adapted from Six Sisters' Stuff)

INGREDIENTS:
1 lb lean ground beef
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 Tbls. sesame oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 tsp. ground ginger
1/8 tsp. crushed red peppers
salt and pepper
1 bunch diced green onions
Rice, cooked

DIRECTIONS:
Heat a large skillet over medium heat and brown hamburger with garlic in the sesame oil. Drain most of the fat and add brown sugar, soy sauce, ginger, salt and pepper and red peppers. Simmer for a few minutes to blend the flavors. Serve over rice and top with green onions.

Baked Lemon Pasta (#23)

If you haven't heard of The Pioneer Woman, shame on you! Not only does she write an entertaining blog, she has some pretty good recipes on there. I'm always on a quest for a good pasta salad, so when I came across her Baked Lemon Pasta recipe, I knew I had to try it.

Instead of baking it, I took her suggestion for a cold pasta salad and refrigerated it. I actually think loses most of it's flavor when it's cold. I would also recommend using a different pasta if you know you are serving it cold because spaghetti just gets messy cold.

Served cold, I probably wouldn't make it again, but the next day I microwaved it and it was way YUMMY! I imagine that's how it would taste if I baked it like the original recipe said. I'm sure it's not low in fat, but it was good and I'll save the recipe for sure.

Make-Ahead Sausage and Egg Breakfast Bake (#22)

I could NOT stop eating this. In fact, I wasn't feeling that well after dinner because I ate so much. It was that good! A few extra steps in this recipe for a breakfast bake but it was so worth it. My husband and sister also thought it was excellent. You could easily make this for this conference weekend or Christmas morning as a special treat. The bread is firm and not soggy, and everything is just the perfect mix. Seriously, try this recipe!

Make-Ahead Sausage and Egg Breakfast Bake
(via Mel's Kitchen Cafe)


INGREDIENTS:
1 (14-inch) loaf Italian bread, ends trimmed (I used French because I didn't want to splurge on Italian.)
1 1/2 pounds bulk pork sausage ( I used 2 lbs because of the packaging)
1 small onion, chopped fine
3 cups shredded extra-sharp cheddar cheese
12 large eggs, lightly beaten
4 cups 1% milk
1 ½ teaspoons table salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon hot sauce

DIRECTIONS:
Adjust oven racks to upper-middle and lower-middle positions and heat the oven to 400 degrees F. Slice bread in half lengthwise then slice each half into ½ inch-thick slices. Spread the bread in single layers on two rimmed baking sheets and bake until golden, 10-15 minutes, flipping bread and switching and rotating sheets halfway through (or bake one sheet pan at a time). Take care not to let the bread burn – it should be golden brown and toasted. Let the bread cool for 15 minutes.

In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the sausage and onion until the pork is no longer pink, breaking the meat into bite-sized pieces as it cooks.

Lightly coat a 9X13-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Shingle half of the bread in the prepared pan so that the edges overlap slightly (a couple of times when I’ve made this, my slices weren’t long enough to shingle so I just placed the bread in a single layer and it worked fine). Top with half of the sausage mixture and 1 cup cheese. Repeat with remaining bread, remaining sausage mixture, and remaining cheese.
In a large bowl, whisk eggs, milk, salt, pepper, and hot sauce together. Pour evenly over the assembled casserole. Place the casserole on a rimmed baking sheet and wrap the casserole with plastic wrap, pressing the plastic wrap lightly on the top of the casserole. Fill another 9X13-inch dish with cans of food (beans, fruit, whatever) and nest the weighted dish on top of the assembled casserole. You’ll be glad you placed the assembled casserole on a rimmed baking sheet at this point as there may be a bit of spillage over the sides as the casserole compacts. This will help the bread soak up the egg mixture. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to 24 hours.

When ready to bake, adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees F. Let casserole stand at room temperature while the oven is heating. Remove weights, unwrap casserole, and bake until the edges and center have puffed and the top is golden brown, about 1 hour. Let it cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Hearty Beef Stew (#21)

When the weather starts turning cold, I start craving soup. Nothing warms my soul and makes me fall in love with Autumn more than a good, hearty soup. I already have a recipe for beef stew that I love, but I wanted to give this recipe a go since it had a tomato base to it. My husband said it was hands down the best stew he has ever had and couldn't stop eating it! So here's the recipe:

Hearty Beef Stew {Slow Cooker} via Mel's Kitchen Cafe (go to her site for her tips on this recipe)

INGREDIENTS:
5 pounds boneless chuck roast, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons canola oil
2 medium yellow onions, finely chopped
1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth or beef broth
3 tablespoons soy sauce
2 bay leaves
1 pound carrots, peeled, and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 pound red potatoes, washed and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 teaspoon dried thyme
2 tablespoons Minute tapioca
2 cups frozen peas

DIRECTIONS:
After the meat has been cut into chunks, pat it dry with a paper towel and season all the pieces with salt and pepper. In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over medium heat until the oil is rippling and hot. Cook half of the beef until it is well browned on each side, about 4 minutes. No need to cook it all the way through – just get some great brown color all around. Toss the meat in the slow cooker and follow the same process with the second half of the meat (you may need to add another tablespoon of oil to the pan if it looks a little dry). Remove the meat to the slow cooker, trying to keep as much oil in the pan as possible.

Return the skillet to medium heat and add the onions and 1/4 teaspoon salt and cook until the onions are translucent and golden, about 6 minutes. Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring, for about 2 minutes. Slowly whisk in the broth, soy sauce, 1/2 teaspoon thyme and bay leaves. Bring the mixture to a boil and transfer it to the slow cooker, pouring it over the meat.

In a large bowl, toss the carrots, potatoes, 1 tablespoon oil, 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. On the counter, lay out a large piece of heavy-duty aluminum foil (use two sheets of regular foil on top of each other if you don’t have heavy-duty). Place the tossed vegetables on one side of the foil. Fold the foil over the vegetables and crimp the edges really well to form a little foil packet that will fit in the top of your slow cooker. Stir the tapioca into the slow cooker. Place the foil packet of vegetables on top of the stew, cover the slow cooker, and cook on high for 6-7 hours or low for 10-11 hours.

When the stew is finished cooking, carefully remove the foil packet from the top of the stew. Discard the bay leaves from the stew. Carefully open the foil packet (be careful of steam that may escape as you open it!). Return the vegetables and any juices to the slow cooker and gently mix them into the stew. Stir in the frozen peas and let them rest in the stew for 5-10 minutes, until they are heated through. Serve.

Chicken and Broccoli Noodle Casserole (#20)

Have you ever been cooking something and then sample your creation before it's done? I think most cooks do. But, have you ever kept sampling and then had to make yourself stop because if you didn't, there wouldn't be any dinner? That's what happened with me while I was making this dish. I couldn't stop licking the bowl after I poured out the sauce. Maybe it was pregnancy hormones, or maybe it was just that good. Seriously, you need to make this!

Chicken and Broccoli Noodle Casserole
Skinnytaste.com
Servings: 6 • Serving Size: 1/6th • Old Points: 6 pts • Points+: 8 pts
Calories: 313 • Fat: 9.9 g • Protein: 27.2 g • Carb: 31.2 g • Fiber: 4.4 g • Sugar: 2.6 g
Sodium: 256.7 mg (without salt)

Ingredients:

6 oz Ronzoni Smart taste noodles (or no-yolk)
2 tsp oil
4 cloves garlic, sliced thin (I always used chopped garlic)
12 oz fresh broccoli florets, chopped (I used frozen broccoli, cooked)
1 tbsp butter
1 medium shallot, minced
3 tbsp all purpose flour
1-3/4 cups fat free chicken broth
1 cup 1% milk
12 oz cooked shredded chicken breast (I used canned chicken)
4 oz shredded reduced fat sharp cheddar
cooking spray
3 tbsp shredded parmesan cheese
2 tbsp seasoned breadcrumbs (I used panko bread crumbs cuz that's what I had)

Directions:

Cook noodles in salted water until al dente, or slightly undercooked by 2 minutes. Set aside.

Heat oil in a large skillet. Add garlic and cook on medium heat until golden, about 1 minute. Add the broccoli and a little salt, sauté and cover the broccoli for about 3 minutes on medium heat until the broccoli begins to soften. Set aside.

Preheat the oven to 375°. Lightly spray a 9 x 12 casserole dish with cooking spray.

In a large pot, heat butter over medium-low heat, when melted add the shallot andcook until soft, 2-3 minutes. Add the flour and a pinch of salt and stir well, cooking an additional 2-3 minutes on medium-low heat.

Slowly whisk in the chicken broth until well combined over medium heat; whisk well for 30 seconds, then add the milk and bring to a boil. Simmer on medium heat, mixing occasionally until it thickens (about 6-7 minutes). Remove from heat and add reduced fat sharp cheddar and 1 tablespoon of the parmesan cheese; mix well until the cheese melts.

Add the shredded chicken, noodles and broccoli to the sauce and mix well until evenly coated.

Pour into a casserole dish and top with parmesan cheese and breadcrumbs. Spray a little more cooking spray on top and bake for about 20 - 25 minutes. Place the casserole under the broiler a few minutes to get the crumbs crisp and golden (careful not to burn).