Family Favorite-Nachos

Tasty and simple to make, nachos you will love to make!

The Good:  These are absolutely delicious and easy to make.  Great for parties and for children who like to help in the kitchen!

The Bad: Its really hard to stop eating these so we always make massive amounts.

The Ugly:  These are terrible for dieters.

Suggestions before starting:

Please do not get frazzled because I do not give amounts to anything with this recipe.  This is another recipe where you do it how you like.

Any tortilla chips work but we like to use scoops because they are so much easier to eat.

I do not typically like olives but I do like green olives on these.

Chili powder is best fresh.  Make sure you get the spice not the mix.

Do not be afraid to add plenty of spice.  It is hard to overdo it. 

Provolone Burgers

"So juicy and flavorful you don't even need condiments!"

The Good:  If you want to be known as the grill chef this is the recipe to do it with.

The Bad: The recipe calls for a large amount of meat.  Great for parties, not so practical for couples.

The Ugly: Ground beef is not the healthiest option.

Suggestions before starting:

We used the griddle instead of a grill set to 375. I absolutely love my griddle.

The original recipe says it makes 8 burgers but we made 11 last time we made this recipe.  Make them the size you prefer but remember to pat them down tight and flat so they will cook evenly.

It says to cover while cooking, you can cover it with a ceramic bowl or any type of dish that can stand high heats.  I usually do not cover it other than when putting the cheese on.  It is supposed to help cook it more evenly and trap the heat in.

If you are unsure if the burgers are done, do not hesitate to cut one down the middle.  I like mine a little pink but I know others do not.

As you can see we added some sauteed portobello mushrooms... they're perfect for all meals!

Healthier option: try all the same spices with turkey instead of ground beef.

Pierogi Casserole

The delicious potato dumplings now in an easy casserole form.

The Good:  Don't worry about counting how many Pierogies you're allowed to have, just 1 can be as much as you'd like! This recipe is delicious, easy to make and freezes well.

The Bad:  Some of the measurements are ambiguous. 5 potatoes could be any amount of potato!  I would suggest using large ones.

The Ugly:  This recipe is not intended for those who are lactose intolerant.

Suggestions before starting:

When we made this dish we had too many noodles.  Because it is a casserole feel free to add or subtract any ingredient that doesn't seem like the proper amount to you.

The first time we made this recipe we split it up into 3 8x8 pans.  We had to add at least 3 potatoes to make it fit properly.

If it seems like you are making mashed potatoes... you are!  Feel free to make them how you like them best.

Italian Cavatini-Family Favorite

Scrumptiously easy and easily scrumptious!

The Good: Delicious, easy to make for groups, low cost and freezes well.
The Bad: Unfortunately the sauce is not homemade.
The Ugly: If you are not good at multi-tasking it may be difficult for you to cook the sausage and the mushrooms at the same time.

Suggestions before starting:
Feel free to add or subtract ingredients to this recipe.  It is also great with onions and peppers.  Just remember if sauteing all the vegetables together be sure to cut them the same size so they saute evenly.
Our family traditionally uses Prego for the sauce.  My favorite is the Mushroom Prego.
It has become increasingly hard to find Tri-Noodles.  Any noodle will work but I still like to mix at least shells and rotini (50/50).
If it is too difficult to cook the sausage at the same time as the mushrooms, precook the mushrooms before even starting the water.
To save time warm the sauce up in the microwave before putting in casserole dish.

Lattice Chicken Potpie

If you love Chicken Potpies but are intimidated by most recipes, this is the recipe for you.  Almost embarrassingly easy, delicious and cheap, this is practically a perfect recipe. 

The Good:  The 3 things I love most in a recipe: delicious, easy and cheap!
The Bad: Unfortunately it doesn't make an ever-lasting amount.
The Ugly:  Although it makes plenty for guests to join, you may quickly become asocial in fear they will eat the rest of your potpie.

Suggestions before preparing:
We simply eye-balled salt and pepper for seasoning.
If you are the type to prepare meals ahead of time, this recipe also works well frozen. Just remember to refrigerate the crescent rolls until ready to cook to make it taste fresh.

Cabbage Rolls

This typical European and Western Asian dish is absolutely delicious when prepared properly.  Typically filled with onions, rice and meat, it can be a simple and delectable meal best for large groups.

This particular recipe used hamburger for the meat and a tomato sauce that turned out almost tangy.

The Good: The recipe is easy to make for large groups.

The Bad: Parts of the recipe can be fairly ambiguous, especially for those new to cooking with cabbage.

The Ugly: This recipe does not save well.  The cabbage tends to get stringy when reheated.