tips Archives - Eat at Home

5 Graduation Party Menu Ideas

April 23, 2013 by Tiffany

It’s that time of year! Graduation season is right around the corner. I’ve got a son graduating from high school this year. I’ve been working to come up with a menu for his party. In the process, I’ve got 5 different menus to share with you. I hope these ideas will help you plan your celebrations.

Read to the bottom for all the dessert ideas! I wanted to add them separately, instead of one for each menu.

Easy and Casual BBQ Feast

BBQ Pulled Pork in the Slow Cooker

Potato Salad

Homemade Baked Beans in the Slow Cooker

Asian Broccoli Salad

This is the menu I am most likely going to use for my son’s party. It’s easy. The pork can be made ahead of time and frozen, then heated in the crockpot. The baked beans cook in the crockpot and are easy to put together. The only thing that will have to be done the day of the party is toss the dressing on the Asian Broccoli Salad.

To this, I’ll add desserts and probably potato chips. I may also add cut fruit.

Nice Family Dinner [Read more...]

Filed under: cooking tips, tips Tagged with graduation, party3 Comments

Easy Meals for After Church

April 10, 2013 by Tiffany

What do you do for dinner after church?

We usually come home to eat, but everyone is always starving. If I don’t get some food on the table quick, their bellies aren’t the only things grumbling.

There are lots of options for quick meals after church. Here are a few tips on choosing your menu items. [Read more...]

Filed under: cooking tips, Crockpot, tips Tagged with church5 Comments

Copycat Chick-fil-a Chicken

April 2, 2013 by KimM

If you have never had Chick-fil-A Chicken, then I have to say, you are missing out! It is definitely my favorite fast food chicken. Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on how you look at it) where we live now is 30 minutes from the closest Chick-fil-A. We are about 30 minutes from everything, but that’s a different story! I started seeing copycat recipes floating all around Pinterest, and it peaked my curiosity. Could it possible to make this awesome chicken at home?! I had to give it a shot, especially since my last restaurant copycat recipe turned out so well! I adapted this recipe from Food.com.

Copycat Chick-fil-a Chicken

Ingredients

2 lbs chicken tenders
1 cup dill pickle juice
2 eggs
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons powdered sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon basil
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
Oil for frying (Chick-fil-a uses peanut oil, I used canola)

Instructions

Place chicken in a plastic bag or covered dish with pickle juice.
Marinate for at least an hour (but preferably overnight)
Beat eggs in a bowl large enough to dip the chicken into.
Mix flour, sugar, and all of the spices in another shallow bowl or plate
Remove chicken from the pickle juice and drain well. (dispose of pickle juice)
Dip the chicken into the egg wash and then into the flour mixture, completely covering chicken.
Fry the chicken using your preferred method. (I used a Fry Daddy, and cooked my chicken in batches.)

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Verdict? This was really good! Of course, I’m a Southern gal that grew up eating fried chicken, and I still love it. I rarely eat it anymore, but it’s good stuff. But how did it compare to CFA? Well, it was close…but not exact. However, I also did not use peanut oil, and I’ve been told that yields the best flavor for chicken. Even though it wasn’t an exact match, my family loved this recipe so that makes it a keeper in my book! I want to make this again, but a baked version. I know that won’t taste like Chick-fil-a!
What about you? Do you have any restaurant copycat recipes that have turned out well?
Here are some others you can check out if interested: Goat Cheese Biscuits (these look amazing! Copycat from Table Fifty Two), Bowtie Festival (a copycat version of Johnny Carino’s Bowtie Festival), and Olive Garden Copycat Zuppa Toscana (a lighter version). Who needs restaurants?! (Okay, I do…who wants to cook ALL the time!)
KimM is a contributing writer for Eat at Home. See more from her at her blog Makin’ it Mo’Betta, and follow along on Pinterest, Facebook and Twitter!

Filed under: Chicken, Main Dish, money saving tips Tagged with chick-fil-a, Chicken, copycat5 Comments

10 Ways to Cook Ground Beef – No Recipe Required

March 13, 2013 by Tiffany

It’s been a while since I’ve added a post to this series. In the past, we’ve covered:

Sometimes, you just don’t feel like dragging out a cookbook or even looking something up on the computer. For those days, try one of these easy ideas.

I love to have ground beef browned out and stored in the freezer. It makes it really easy to pull together a meal. If you’d like to cook it in bulk, try using your crockpot to cook ground beef.

1. Hamburgers

There are a million ways to top a burger. And you can choose to cook them on the outdoor grill, a George Foreman type grill or in a skillet. Easy and classic.

2. Tacos

Season the cooked ground beef with your favorite homemade or store-bought seasoning. Stuff in your favorite shells. Top with your favorite toppings. Chances are, this meal is a staple in your house.

3. Add to Spaghetti Sauce

This is a quick way to beef up your favorite spaghetti sauce.

4. Meatloaf

Another classic with a million ways to fix it. Try this method:

1 egg per pound of meat
1/2 cup tomato product (ketchup, BBQ sauce, chili sauce etc) per pound
1/2 cup bread crumbs per pound
onions (and peppers and/or celery if you want), diced
salt and pepper

5. BBQ Sandwiches

Stir your favorite barbecue sauce into a pound of cooked ground beef. Serve it on buns.

6. Quesadillas

Add cheese, tomatoes, salsa etc. Fill soft tortillas and toast in a skillet.

7. Gravy Topped Potatoes

Add a jar of beef gravy to one pound of browned hamburger. Top baked potatoes for a hearty meal.

8. Cheeseburger Baked Potatoes

Add your favorite grated cheese or Velveeta to a pound of cooked hamburger. Top baked potatoes. Add diced tomatoes and bacon bits too.

9. Top a Pizza

I usually think of pepperoni or sausage for topping pizza, but ground beef is tasty too.

10. Poor Man’s Steak

Add 1/2 cup bread or cracker crumbs, salt and pepper to a pound of raw hamburger. Pat into patties and fry in skillet. Pour 1 can cream of mushroom soup mixed with 1/3 can of water over the patties. Heat and serve.

What’s your favorite way to use ground beef?

Filed under: cooking tips, Main Dish, tips Tagged with ground beef, hamburger, no recipe required4 Comments

Freezer Cooking – Ground Beef in the Crock Pot

February 12, 2013 by KimM

One thing I like to do to help cut down on meal prep time is have pre-cooked meats in the freezer. I will usually buy chicken, ground turkey, and ground beef in bulk. I often use my crock pot to cook my chicken, that I will shred and freeze for use in recipes/casseroles/soup. However, I have always cooked my ground beef and turkey on the stove top, usually only a pound or two at a time. It never occurred to me that I could use my slow cooker, until I saw it on Pinterest! (Pin source) One of the many reasons I am addicted to pinning

This is not a recipe per se, just a shortcut for cooking in bulk. The above picture is 3 lbs of 90/10 lean ground beef, with seasonings (salt, pepper, McCormick Grill Mates Hamburger Seasoning, and dried onion) and about half of a large chopped onion. You could easily add taco seasoning, Italian seasonings, or leave it plain. My crock pot could have held much more ground beef too, but this is what I had on hand. I cooked this on high for 4 hours (this may vary depending on your cooker and the amount of beef used, and if it was fresh or frozen), giving it a stir once an hour. You may not need to stir it that often, but it will need to be stirred on occasion and the clumps broken up. After the meat was cooked, I drained the meat (which was pretty lean and didn’t produce a lot of grease) and allowed it too cool. Then I divided it into 3 equal amounts (since I used 3 lbs.) and placed it in freezer bags. SO much simpler than standing over a stove top!

I hope you find this little tip as helpful as I did. {Looking for ideas to use all that ground beef? Check out Eat at Home Ingredient Spotlight: Ground Beef!}

KimM is a contributing writer for Eat at Home. See more from her at her blog Makin’ it Mo’Betta, and follow along on Pinterest, Facebook and Twitter!

Filed under: cooking tips, Crockpot, freezer cooking menu, frozen food, tips Tagged with bulk cooking, freezer cooking, ground beef, slow cooker10 Comments

Super Bowl Food

January 31, 2013 by Tiffany

You don’t have to know me very well to know that I’m not a big time football fan. But that doesn’t mean I don’t like the food! My plan for Sunday is to make a few of these recipes, have a fire in the fireplace and conk out on the couch with a good book. If someone turns on football, that’s fine but I’ll enjoy the day whether there’s a game or not.

If you’re having a Super Bowl party, you’re going to want to check out how to make the Easy Snackadium. It will feed a small crowd and it’s lots of fun!

Our recent Bacon-fest party has a ton of Super Bowl worthy recipes linked up. It’s definitely worth looking over.

Thai Chili Chicken Egg Rolls are a crowd pleaser.

If you’re looking for a hearty soup or chili try:

Cheesy Hamburger Soup

Mel’s Diner Chili

Velma’s Chili from the Mitford Cookbook

What are your plans for Super Bowl Sunday?

Filed under: holiday planning tips, tips Tagged with super bowlLeave a Comment

How to Freeze Wine the Easy Way

January 15, 2013 by Tiffany

I love to cook with wine, but I don’t love drinking it. I’ve tried to like it. Pairing wine and with food (especially chocolate!) sounds like foodie fun. But I just can’t seem to acquire a taste for it.

That means when I buy wine to cook with, I have a lot left. I’ve been in the habit of freezing wine for several years, but I’ve never found the perfect container for freezing. Ice cube trays are too tedious. Zip top bags sometimes leak.

I’m not sure why I never thought to just pour it into a plastic container before. The wine doesn’t freeze solid. You can scoop it out with a spoon and pop the container back in the freezer. Perfect!

Do you like cooking with wine?

Filed under: cooking tips, frozen food, tips Tagged with freezer tip, wine7 Comments

The Secret of an Organized Kitchen and Meal Planning

January 5, 2013 by Tiffany

Give me 5 minutes and I’ll tell you the secret to having a perfectly organized kitchen and functioning meal plan.

Actually, I don’t even need 5 minutes to tell you this secret.

The secret is that….

There is no secret.

There’s no one fix that will solve your messy container cabinet problem or disorganized pantry.

There’s not a magic solution to getting dinner on the table every night.

There’s not a new technique that will cause things to be permanently organized, once and for all. Oh, how I wish there was!

BUT…

There are a few tips and resources that will help you wrestle chaos into some semblance of organization.

First, you have to come to terms with the fact that this is an ongoing process. You organize it now, but it isn’t going to stay that way forever. Things change. Routines change. The needs of your family will change.

All of that has an impact on how your kitchen and meal plans function.

That said, I do have some helpful ideas for you. Just remember to take what will work, and leave the rest. Choose a solution that will work for your family right now.

Menu Planning

If you like to do your own menu planning, but you’d like some tips on the process I have a fantastic ebook to recommend.

Crystal from Crystal & Co. has a sale on her popular How to Meal Plan ebook right now. Use the code mealplan2013 to get it for the sale price.

If you’d rather not do your own meal planning (or you’d like a break from it occasionally), check out my new Weekly Menu Plan Service.

At just $4 per month, it’s affordable and a huge time saver when it comes to deciding dinner. You’ll get 2 menu plans by email each week – a Traditional Menu and an All Slow Cooker Menu.

Kitchen Organizing

Kitchens can get very cluttered with unused appliances and utensils or worn out plastic storage containers. My friend, Dana from A Slob Comes Clean has a new ebook out about decluttering (not just for kitchens).

If you’re feeling overwhelmed with the amount of clutter in your house, her book is for you. You can get Dana’s ebook for just $4 right now. Dana also has another ebook called 28 Days to Hope for Your Home (Not for the Mildly Disorganized). You can get the 2 book set for just $6 through January.

And because we can always use a few tips to spur us on, here are a couple of posts I’ve written on the subject of cleaning and organizing in the kitchen:

10 Kitchen Cleaning Tips

A Quick Fix for Wire Pantry Shelves

How I organize my spices

This post contains affiliate links.

Filed under: kitchen organizing, tips Tagged with meal planning, menu plan, organizeLeave a Comment

5 Tips for Holiday Entertaining

December 12, 2012 by Tiffany

The holidays mean getting together with friends and family. And that often means that you’re the host of the gathering. Here are my top 5 tips for Holiday Hosting:

1. Keep it simple.

I’m not a perfectionist. I’m not fancy. But I don’t let my lack of themed decorations and perfect place settings get in the way of having friends and family over. I just keep it simple and relaxed. And I’ve found that most people really enjoy a time to kick back and laugh together, without worrying about anything more.

2. Set up a buffet.

Whether you’re doing desserts or a full meal, buffet style is easier to pull of than a sit down dinner. Guests can serve themselves, go back for seconds and generally find what they need when a party is set up as a buffet.

3. Ask about special diet restrictions.

It’s always nice to know and plan for guests who may avoid sugar or who eat gluten free. They’ll appreciate your extra effort for them.

4. If you have kids coming, make it kid friendly.

Kids love munching bite-sized fruits and cheese cubes. Parents will appreciate if you keep the cookie and chocolate trays up high so toddlers and preschoolers can’t help themselves.

5. Think through the cooking time of your recipes.

If you’ve got two ovens, you’re in luck. You’ve got plenty of flexibility. If you only have one, you’ll have to plan well. Try using slow cookers for some of the dishes. I recently found this Breville Smart Oven and it’s now on my wish list. It can do anything from make toast to bake bread to make crispy pizza. It will even roast a chicken.

Breville has released new, time saving products such as the Smart Oven, just in time for the holidays! Take the guess work our of holiday cooking with the Smart Oven, the oven that does the thinking for you. Check out their website for more information on this product and other great gift ideas.

And don’t forget to reply below for two chances to win your choice of amazing Breville products either for yourself or as a gift to a loved one: YouBrew, Tea Maker and Smart Oven products ($250 ARV)

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Breville. The opinions and text are all mine. Official Sweepstakes Rules

Filed under: holiday planning tips, tips, Uncategorized Tagged with Breville, cooking tips, holidays6 Comments

Homemade Gifts from the Kitchen

December 8, 2012 by Tiffany

I’m having trouble wrapping my head around the fact that Christmas is getting close. I see the lights and decorations. I hear the music. I’ve even started shopping. But I just can’t convince myself that it’s really December. A whole week into December.

I’m going to be caught by surprise again. Even though I know it’s coming and I try to prepare. Anyone else feel like this?

I do have a few quick and easy gift ideas you can make in your own kitchen. These posts are from last year, but I wanted to pull them back up to the top so they aren’t forgotten.

First up, the snack mixes you see in the photo above. Fun to make and to give. They’re super quick too, so if you need to do a lot at once (teacher gifts, maybe?) this is an idea for you. There’s even a free printable for the black and white Hollywood Mix.

Two more quick mixes – Homemade Seasoned Salt and Homemade Italian Herb Salt. These are both great for anyone who likes to cook. You can mix up a big batch and make several jars at once.

Finally, Apple Butter in the Slow Cooker would make a great gift. This one does need to be kept refrigerated, so keep that in mind when thinking of who to give it to. It’s really easy to make though, because it starts with store-bought applesauce.