Believe in the Magic Traci Diary

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  • Bacon Cheddar Ranch Smashed Potatoes

    Say that 5 times fast.  Such a tongue-twister of a name for a recipe.

    I got a chicken from my favorite meat places and cooked it up in the crockpot.  Then it was time for the task of trying to figure out what to serve with the chicken.  The other day I had bacon cheddar smashed potatoes at O’Charley’s restaurant.  They were so delicious!  I decided to make my own version of that side dish.

    It was so yummy!!!  In fact, hubby had two helpings of mashed potatoes.  He couldn’t stop raving about how good the potatoes were.  Score!!!

    Bacon Cheddar Ranch Smashed Potatoes

    Bacon Cheddar Ranch Smashed Potatoes

    Stars of the recipe:

    • 4 red potatoes, washed and cut into smaller pieces
    • 3 Tbsp. butter
    • between 3 Tbsp. to 1/4 c. bacon bits (either cook up bacon and then cut into pieces or get already cooked bacon pieces)
    • 1/4 c. shredded cheese
    • 2 Tbsp. milk
    • 2 Tbsp. ranch dressing

    Steps:

    1. Cut potatoes into smaller pieces and then cover them with cold water (about an inch above the cut-up potatoes).
    2. Cook on high heat for about 10 to 15 minutes until the potatoes are fork-tender.
    3. Drain the potatoes but don’t rinse them.  Put potatoes back in the pot.
    4. Add the butter and milk.  Smash the potatoes.
    5. Add the ranch dressing, bacon, and cheddar cheese.  Fold into the potatoes.
    6. Serve and enjoy!

    Printable Recipe

  • Menu planning week of April 22

    Sunday – dinner at in-laws

    Monday – pepperoni penne pasta, garlic bread, green beans, salad

    Tuesday – BBQ chicken sandwich, oven fries, veggie

    Wednesday – lasagna, garlic bread or rolls, salad

    Thursday – fish, veggies, baked potato

    Friday – Chick Fil A

    Saturday – honey Dijon pork chops, broccoli slaw, veggies

  • Menu Planning – Week of April 15

    Sunday – Dinner at in-laws

    Monday – hamburgers (frozen), fried potatoes, veggies

    Tuesday – roast (freezer), butter noodles, veggies

    Wednesday – pizza meatloaf (freezer), mashed potatoes, veggies

    Thursday – pineapple and ham fried rice

    Friday – homemade hamburger helper, veggies, Easy rolls

    Saturday – beenie weenies (freezer), cornbread muffins, veggie or salad

  • Green beans, potatoes, and ham

    I lived with my grandparents, mom, and sister as a teenager. On most nights, we would sit down as a family for dinner. One of the meals my grandma would prepare is green beans, potatoes, and ham in the crockpot.

    I can still see the kitchen and her round crockpot full of green beans, potatoes, and ham. We would either have it with bread and butter or a simple salad.

    Whenever I cook something from childhood, I try to tell my boys about it. The Imaginative One was five when my grandma died. During the last year of her life, they became so close. This is a way for him to have memories of her.

    The potatoes were at the bottom of the crock when I made this. So when Hubby looked into the crock, he saw green beans and 1 piece of ham. He was nervous about what we were having. Once he saw the potatoes, he was relieved. He enjoyed the meal.

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    Green beans, potatoes, and ham

    Stars of the recipe:

    • 1 lb. fresh green beans, ends snipped off and snapped in half, or 2 cans of green beans drained
    • 1 lb. baby red potatoes, quartered or halved, depending on size
    • 1 sm. onion, chopped
    • 1 lb. chopped ham
    • 2 chicken bouillon cubes, unwrapped
    • Water
    • Seasoned salt, to taste

    Steps:

    1. Place potatoes, onions, green beans, onions, ham, seasoned salt, and bouillon cubes in the crockpot. (I use a 4-quart crockpot.)
    2. Place enough water in the crockpot to cover the food.
    3. Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours or high for 3 to 4 hours.

    Printable Recipe

  • Resurrection rolls

    I found this recipe last week and tried it out on my family. They all have their seal of approval. In fact, I’ve been asked to teach a lesson on it on Easter Sunday.

    The crescent rolls represent the robes Jesus was wrapped in & the tomb he was put into after he died on the cross.

    The melted butter represents the oils put on Jesus before he was put in the tomb.

    The marshmallow represents Jesus.

    The sugar represents the sweetness of God in your life.

    The cinnamon represents the bitterness in life. You need both sweetness and bitterness.

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    Resurrection Rolls

    Stars of the recipe:

    • 1 package of crescent rolls (I used butter flavor.)
    • 2 Tbsp. of melted butter
    • 8 large marshmallows
    • 1/4 c. Sugar
    • 2 Tbsp. ground cinnamon

    Steps:

    1. Unroll the crescent rolls.
    2. Mix the sugar and cinnamon together in a bowl.
    3. Dip the marshmallow in the melted butter, coating all sides.
    4. Dip the butter-coated marshmallow in the cinnamon sugar mixture.
    5. Wrap the marshmallow in a crescent roll. Seal the ends.
    6. Repeat with the rest of the crescent rolls.
    7. Place in a muffin tin sprayed with cooking spray.
    8. Bake at 375 for 14 minutes.

    Printable Recipe

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    While they bake, the marshmallow melts, leaving the inside hollow like when Jesus rose from the dead. The tomb was empty.

    Have a blessed Easter.

  • Kool Aid colored eggs

    I found this “recipe” for egg dye that I thought was a great idea. The Wee One has been pestering me to allow him to dye eggs. He doesn’t eat any, though.

    It’s easy and smells great.

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    All you need is Kool-aid packets and 2/3rds cup of hot water. That’s it. Make sure you have the surface you are using covered up with paper, though. It can stain otherwise. We put the paper towel down on a tray, so there was less mess. The Wee One can make a big one.

    The grape flavor comes out dark, so add a bit of berry blue to it. And the pink lemonade comes out too light, so use a little bit of cherry.

    Use a white crayon to create designs on the egg before dunking it in the dye.

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  • Cheddar bay biscuits

    I made these for our family dinner this week. We had lasagna, and I wanted to serve something garlicky that was not garlic bread. I immediately thought of these biscuits. I had made them before and remember loving them.

    The final verdict from the adults was they loved them. Score!

    They are my kind of recipe because it’s quick and simple. It requires very few ingredients. Finally, the taste is remarkable.

    Cheddar Bay Biscuits

    Stars of the recipe:

    • 2 c. of Bisquick or baking mix
    • 2/3 c. milk
    • 1/4 c. shredded cheddar cheese
    • 1/4 c. butter (1/2 stick)
    • 2 Tbsp. garlic powder (or to taste)
    • 1 Tbsp. Dried parsley (or to taste)

    Steps:

    1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
    2. Mix Bisquick and milk until moist. Add a little bit of milk at a time if needed.
    3. Fold in cheddar cheese.
    4. Drop heaping tablespoons of mix onto a cookie sheet sprayed with cooking spray.
    5. Bake for 8-10 minutes.
    6. While biscuits are baking, melt butter in the microwave. (I do a minute at a time until melted.). Stir in garlic and parsley.
    7. Once the biscuits are out of the oven, brush on the butter mixture.
    8. Let the biscuits cool.
    9. Enjoy!

    Printable Recipe

  • Menu planning week of March 26

    Last week I didn’t post a menu. I did menu planning, though.

    This week is crazy. I’m staying late one day, have a doctor’s appointment another day, and am doing something another evening. Needless to say, I’ve got to ensure everything is ready for Hubby so he can get the boys and himself fed.

    Monday – spaghetti, applesauce, salad, cheddar bay biscuits

    Tuesday – pork roast, stuffing, veggies

    Wednesday – Panko-crusted chicken, rice, and veggies

    Thursday – crockpot creamy bratwurst soup, cornbread, salad

    Friday – tacos

    Saturday – shortcut beef stroganoff, egg noodles

  • Homemade Spaghetti Sauce

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    I found this recipe in Erin Chase’s $5 Dinner Cookbook and have been using it for the past year or so. Today I was making lasagna for dinner and decided to make the sauce for it.

    Homemade Spaghetti Sauce
    $5 Dinners

    Stars of the recipe:

    • 1 – 28 oz can of crushed tomatoes or 2 – 14.5 oz can of crushed tomatoes
    • 2 tsp. or to taste Italian seasoning
    • 2 Tbsp. of olive oil
    • 1 Tbsp. beef granules
    • 1 Tbsp. minced garlic

    Steps:

    1. Place all the ingredients in a saucepan.
    2. Bring up to a rolling boil. (You don’t want a full boil because you don’t want spaghetti sauce everywhere.)
    3. Simmer for about 15 minutes.
    4. Serve over your favorite pasta.

    Note: You may add 1 Tbsp. of white sugar or a shredded carrot to cut back on the acidity of the tomatoes or to add sweetness to the sauce.

    Printable Recipe

  • Bacon cheeseburger soup

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    Yum! This soup is so good. Last weekend I was checking out meals matter. I hadn’t been on that site in forever. Anyway, I found this recipe in my personal cookbook on that site. I decided it would be a good dinner. So I put it on our meal plan.

    Both the Imaginative One and hubby loved it! It was also easy to make, especially if you have already browned hamburger in the freezer.

    The flavors will remind you of a cheeseburger with ketchup, mustard, and pickle.

    Bacon cheeseburger soup
    Cooking During Stolen Moments

    Stars of the recipe:

    •  5 potatoes, peeled and chopped into small pieces
    • 2 carrots, peeled and cut into bite-sized pieces
    • one small onion, cut into small pieces
    • 1 pound of ground beef
    • 6 cups chicken broth
    • 2 cups of milk
    • 2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese
    • 1 slice of bacon, cooked and chopped into small pieces
    • 1-2 Tbsp. Ketchup
    • 1-2 Tbsp. mustard
    • 1-2 Tbsp. pickle relish

    Steps:

    1. Brown ground beef and then drain. (Or use frozen browned ground beef from the freezer).
    2. Add veggies and ground beef into the big stockpot. Pour chicken stock over veggies and ground beef.
    3. Bring chicken stock to a boil. Reduce heat and let simmer until carrots and potatoes are cooked and soft. About 15 minutes.
    4. Take off the heat. Add milk and cheese. Stir until the cheese is melted.
    5. Add mustard, relish, ketchup, and bacon. Stir.
    6. Serve.

    Printable Recipe