RECIPE #2: CHICKEN 'N' BISCUITS

PREP TIME 25 Min
COOK TIME 30 Min
READY IN 55 Min

INGREDIENTS
1 medium onion, chopped
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 1/2 cups fat-free milk
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 (16 ounce) package frozen mixed vegetables
2 cups cubed, cooked chicken
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
BISCUITS:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley

1/2 cup milk

DIRECTIONS
In a saucepan, saute onion in oil until tender. Stir in flour, basil, thyme and pepper until blended. Gradually stir in milk and Worcestershire sauce until smooth. Bring to a boil; boil and stir for 2 minutes. Stir in vegetables, chicken and Parmesan cheese; reduce heat to low.
Meanwhile, combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a bowl. Combine milk, oil and parsley; stir into dry ingredients just until combined. Transfer hot chicken mixture to a greased 2-1/2-qt. baking dish. Drop biscuit batter by rounded tablespoonfuls onto chicken mixture. Bake, uncovered, at 375 degrees F for 30-40 minutes or until biscuits are lightly browned.
FOOTNOTE
Nutrition Facts: One serving equals 246 calories, 8 g fat (0 saturated fat), 24 mg cholesterol, 284 mg sodium, 31 g carbohydrate, 0 fiber, 13 g protein. Diabetic Exchanges: 2 starch, 1 meat, 1/2 fat.

Hearty Meatball Sandwich

So I definitely recommend adding jalapenos into the ground beef. It added that little something extra that made it different from a normal meatball sandwich. I paired this with a side salad that included goat cheese, grandmas apples and a olive oil and lemon dressing. I would make this again.

RECIPE #1: HEARTY MEATBALL SANDWICH

PREP TIME 15 Min
COOK TIME 1 Hr 5 Min
READY IN 1 Hr 40 Min

INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef
1/3 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs
1/2 small onion, chopped
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
1 tablespoon cracked black pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 cup marinara sauce
3 hoagie rolls, split lengthwise

DIRECTIONS
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
In a medium bowl, mix together the ground beef, bread crumbs, onion, salt and pepper, garlic powder, and half of the mozzarella cheese. Form the mixture into a log, and place it into an 8x8 inch baking dish.

Bake for 50 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the center is no longer pink. Let stand for 5 minutes, then slice into 1/2 inch slices. Place a few slices onto each hoagie roll, cover with marinara sauce, and sprinkle remaining mozzarella cheese over.
Wrap each sandwich with aluminum foil, and return to the oven for 15 minutes, until bread is lightly toasted and cheese is melted. Let stand 15 minutes before eating.
Each sandwich serves 2.

Nutritional Information
Hearty Meatball Sandwich
Servings Per Recipe: 6
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 491
Total Fat: 21.5g
Cholesterol: 75mg
Sodium: 1069mg
Total Carbs: 43.1g
Dietary Fiber: 3g
Protein: 29.3g

"Learn to cook--try new recipes, learn from your mistakes, be fearless, and above all have fun!" — Julia Child (My Life in France)

(312 DIFFERENT DINNERS FOR A YEAR)

Does anyone else have the same problem as me where you rotate between the same couple of dinners that are easy to make, never really cooking anything different because it is just easy to stick with what you know? Our staples are...

-enchiladas
-tacos
-cajin pork chops
-cajin chicken
-some type of stir fry
-some type of casserolle

I do try different things every once in a while...but always go back to these dinners if I can't, or don't want to think about what to cook...SOOOOOO-

I am excited to say that I am planning dinners ahead of time from now on. 6 days a week (Tuesday-Sunday) I will cook something different for dinner that I haven't tried before. I am going to put the recipes that I am trying out on here, and post what I thought about everything I cook, as far as what I would change, or liked/didn't like. It is going to be interesting to see how long I can keep this up. So keep an eye out for the first recipe on Tuesday night :)

I would love to hear your guys responses if you do try the recipes I post :)