family meals Archives | Mama Harris' Kitchen

Mama Harris’ Kitchen’s Top 10 Recipes for 2016

December 31, 2016 by MamaHarris 5 Comments

Another year in the books, folks. This year seemed endlessly long, am I right? 2016 was definitely quite a year. I know many people who can’t wait for the year to be over, and I do understand. We lost many brilliant stars (I am still mourning Prince), this election season was pretty crazy no matter what side of it you were on, and it just seemed so…long. So join me in saying “Sayonara” to 2016 and let’s look forward to great things in the coming year. But first, let’s take a look at the top 10 recipes for 2016 on Mama Harris’ Kitchen.

One of the things I love to do when the new year rolls around is look at the past year for ways I can grow, things I can change, and what’s been working well in my life. A great part of my life is this blog, and I like to take a look back to see which recipes and creations really resonated with my readers. Which recipes received the most traffic, the most shares, the most love. Doing so really helps me see what my readers like to see from me, and what I can create more of. I like to share these results at the end of each year so you can see what the top recipes were for the year, just in case you missed one or two.

Quick and easy is still a trend, I’m sure it always will be. I’m also seeing that classic recipes are always popular, and chicken will probably never go out of style. This definitely helps me going into the new year and planning my recipe calendar, I enjoy giving you what you want more of. So please, if something is missing let me know you’re looking for it and I’ll see what I can come up with!

My wish for you is a happy and safe NYE and a successful and joyous 2017. Let’s make it happen!

Here’s the Top 10 Recipes on MamaHarrisKitchen.com for 2016!

1. Caramel Apple Cake Mix Waffles

2. Shrimp Tacos with Cilantro Lime Cream

3. Savory Crepes with Turkey, Mushroom and Swiss Cheese

4. Quick Pan-Fried Tilapia

5. Crunchy Broccoli-Apple Salad with Creamy Raspberry Poppy Seed Dressing

6. Cheesy Bean Dip with a Kick

7. Romantic Brunch: Egg, Chicken and Veggie Tartlets with Sexy Sangria’s

8. Quick & Easy Chicken Teriyaki Bowl

9. Herb and Cheddar Buttermilk Biscuits

10. Rice Cooker Sausage Jambalaya

Did you try any of these recipes over the past year? If so, which was your favorite? If not, what would you like to try?

Creative Ideas with Pillsbury Pizza Crust

January 7, 2014 by MamaHarris 7 Comments

Disclosure: I was provided free product from Pillsbury to try and was not compensated for this post. All thoughts are my own.

Do you have a fun weekly dinner tradition?

Since our family pizza night last month we’ve made a habit of getting together as a family every week or two and preparing some fun meals together. The kids have a great time preparing the food together, and I enjoy some company in the kitchen while I’m cooking.

Last I’d shared with you we had made 2 pizzas that were on the more traditional side with the Pillsbury Pizza Crusts. They were both delicious, but we wanted to do something a little different this time and see how the Pillsbury Pizza Crusts could stand up to the challenge.

The results were delicious and we just couldn’t get enough!

For our first recipe we created our own version of Stromboli. I remember in my teens I was introduced to the most amazing pizzeria. They specialized in Stromboli and it was love at first bite for me. Since I’ve moved to the suburbs I can’t find anything like it in my town, and I figured we could attempt our own with these Pillsbury Pizza Crusts.

It was absolutely as wonderful and delicious as I’d hoped, and the crust tasted amazing. No soggy areas where it had been wrapped up and it cooked evenly. I should have made two because it was gone in an instant!

For the second recipe we wanted to switch it up even more. It was just after the holidays and I had some leftover seasonal fruits. I thought combining the seasoned apples with my own recipe for cranberry sauce and topping it with blackberries that were just a smidgen overripe would be a great flavor combination when topped with some white chocolate drizzle. Once again we were pleased by the crust and how it didn’t explode! Yes, this was a real concern for me, but they came out amazing and they were gone just as quickly as they were prepared. The combination of the fruits was a great blend of sweet and tart, and the cinnamon sugar that was sprinkled on top of the crusts before baking was the perfect touch.

We’ve really enjoyed creating a little tradition out of pizza nights, and we’re already thinking of alternate flavors for the dessert calzones. Maybe filled with a few types of apples and topped with caramel instead of white chocolate. Or even strawberry filling and milk chocolate drizzle.

There’s so many fun ways to get creative, I hope you’ll be just as inspired!

Salami & Italian Sausage Stromboli

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1/2 of 16 ounce chub Italian sausage
1/2 cup onions
1/4 cup pizza sauce
1 Pillsbury Classic Pizza Crust
20 slices of salami
1/2 cup pepper jack cheese
1/2 cup mozzarella cheese
2 tablespoons spinach
1 teaspoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon Parmesan

Stromboli Instructions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In a medium skillet, brown the Italian sausage in one tablespoon of olive oil.

Add chopped onions about halfway through and saute until sausage is brown and onions are soft.

Add Pizza sauce and combine until the meat is soaked in sauce.

Here’s RiRi helping me brown the meat. Are we having fun yet?

While browning the meat, spray a large cookie sheet with cooking oil and spread out the pizza crust.

Lay out salami down the middle.

RoRo is helping!

So is D-Man!

Spread the sausage mixture on top of the salami.

Now wait for your kid to finish shredding the cheese…

Top with cheeses and finish it off with the spinach!

Roll it up, then place on greased cookie sheet seam side down.

Drizzle with remaining olive oil, then sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and basil.

Bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes or until golden.

Perfection!

Let cool, then cut into slices.

Serve with pizza sauce to dip.

Enjoy!

Dessert Calzone Ingredients:

1 large Granny Smith apple, peeled and cored
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon white sugar
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1 Pillsbury Classic Pizza Crust
powdered sugar (for rolling dough)
1-1/2 cup cranberry sauce (I just halved my recipe)
1 pint slightly overripe blackberries, quartered
1 teaspoon cinnamon sugar
1 square bakers white chocolate

Dessert Calzone Instructions:

Cut up the apple into small chunks, then sprinkle with lemon juice.

Top with brown sugar, white sugar, cinnamon and ground cloves.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Dust cutting board with powdered sugar, then spread out pizza dough on top.

Cut into four even sized pieces.

Roll each piece into balls, then roll out into oval shapes with a rolling pin.

Continue to add powdered sugar to cutting board, crust and pin whenever they get dry to avoid stickiness.

The powdered sugar will also help sweeten the crust for a great dessert taste!

Using a dinner tablespoon, add 1-2 scoops of cranberry sauce to one side of the oval.

Then add a scoop of the cubed apples

Top with 1/4 of the blackberries.

Fold the empty half over the fruit filled half and pinch the seam closed.

Place seam side up on greased cookie sheet.

Sprinkle the tops with cinnamon sugar and bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes, or until golden.

Just before the calzones are done, melt the square of white chocolate in a microwave safe dish, stirring every 15-20 seconds. Once melted, remove from microwave.

Let the calzones cool, then place on top of parchment or wax paper.

Drizzle with melted white chocolate.

Serve once cooled.

Yum!

Enjoy!

What’s your favorite thing to make with Pillsbury Pizza Crusts?

Fast & Fresh Slow Cooking with emeals.com

May 31, 2013 by MamaHarris 2 Comments

Some of you may remember I posted a few months back about emeals.com. Well, I’m back again, and this time it’s all about slow-cooker recipes! Now, you know I have a serious love affair with my slow cooker and I’ve posted quite a few recipes that utilize it. I’m always open to more recipes, and now emeals.com has started a new slow-cooker plan that makes mealtime even easier!

I loved my subscription to emeals.com, and it was so easy and convenient to follow the recipes. They have a list of where to shop for the ingredients and all of the recipes are tasty and easy to follow. Here’s some more information on their newest slow-cooker plan as well as a discount code to a great deal to try out the newest service:

eMeals.com, the leading online meal planner, has launched a new slow cooker meal plan to make your life even easier when it comes to getting meals on the table! Each slow cooker plan will include 7 crock-pot dinners, with some time-saving “cook once, eat twice” favorites. They have both a Slow Cooker Classic plan full of tasty comfort food as well a groundbreaking Slow Cooker Clean Eating Plan that serves up quick, simple, and healthy meals. Right now, you can use discount code LUNCHFREE for a free lunch meal plan with the purchase of a dinner plan.

Disclosure: This is not a sponsored post. By sharing this information with you, I will receive a 3 months subscription to eMeals slowcooker recipes courtesy of US Family Guide. All thoughts are my own.

Dinner and a Movie with EPIC The Movie, Tyson Chicken Nuggets and Del Monte Green Beans! #MealsTogether

May 27, 2013 by MamaHarris 5 Comments

Happy Memorial Day! Many families honor today in a variety of ways. I’ve had quite a few family members (including my uncles and grandfathers) that have served in the military (my oldest son is still considering it). I understand the significance of today and give so much respect to those who gave the ultimate sacrifice for us.

During this three day weekend, some people barbecue, some travel. My family likes to attend the big movie premiere’s that typically occur during this long weekend!

In my last entry, I shared with you our fabulous and kid-friendly meal we were preparing to enjoy for our movie night when we planned to see EPIC The Movie. The night we went to see the movie, I recreated the same meal that I shared with you. It was such a quick and easy preparation for our family. Everyone had a happy and full stomach when we arrived to see our movie, and the best feeling was knowing that even though our meal was quick, it was also healthy! Many people may see the Tyson Chicken Nuggets in the freezer aisle and think they aren’t part of a nutritious diet, but Tyson Chicken Nuggets include 100% all natural ingredients, and they are also rich in protein. Paired with the Del Monte Green Beans it was a well rounded and nutritious (and filling) meal!

I was lucky and fortunate enough to have received complimentary tickets for our entire family to see EPIC The Movie! This movie is only in theaters, and began showing on Friday, May 24th nationwide.

We were all so excited to go see the movie, we rushed through our quick dinner, gobbled up our food and we were off to our local theater for the movie without even having to worry about unhealthy snacks and long concession lines.

Once we arrived at the theater, we discovered the movie was playing just about every hour and a half. Some screens were showing it in 3D, so we opted to wait until those times so we could catch the full effect.

Once we got out tickets and our 3D glasses, we had fun letting D-Man ride the carousel in the food court which is right next to the movie theater inside of our mall. D-Man had a blast, and then all of the boys went to the arcade while RiRi and I took some photos and found our seats, saving room for everyone else. They made it back into the theater just in time for us to catch all of the previews, and we were delighted to see many of our favorite movies had a sequel (or prequel) coming up soon! Since we were in the 3D showing, the previews were in 3D as well, and the effects were amazing! To be honest, I’ve purposely skipped some 3D movies thinking I would get headaches or that because of my bad eyesight I wouldn’t be able to really see things in 3D. It’s come a long way, however, from how it used to be when I was growing up. I loved all the 3D effects!

The EPIC The Movie was a great story. The kids (from smallest to oldest) all loved it, and of course the adults did too. The characters were very well developed, and the story-line itself was relateable.

Without giving too much of the movie away, EPIC The Movie is a 3D CG movie created by the same people that brought us Ice Age and Rio. It’s a story of a girl (MK) who finds herself in the midst of a secret magical forest filled with miniature people. There’s a group that wants to destroy the forest, and MK, along with her new friends Mub (a snail), Grub (a slug), and Nod (a young leafman warrior) work together and are prepared to battle in order to save their world. This movie has it all, comedy, drama, suspense, action, and even a few sad parts.

One of my favorite lines from the story is, “We are all leaves from the same tree.” Meaning even though we are all individuals and no two of us are alike, we still are connected to one another – sometimes for reasons unknown. Once you continue through your journey, most times the answers will come to you of what brought you there in the first place. I love the message in that, and have found it to be true many times in my own life. Although the story and dialogue does make the movie a bit more suited for those older kids, it still kept my two and four year old’s attention with the beautiful colors, lively characters, and plenty of action.

I would definitely recommend this to families as a great movie to see together, and afterwards discuss the meaning behind the movie and what messages your children received from it. I hope you enjoy it as much as we did, and maybe even prepare a quick and easy meal beforehand that’s healthy and filling, courtesy of Tyson Chicken Nuggets and Del Monte Green Beans!

For more information on Tyson Chicken you can check out their Facebook page and follow them on Twitter. You can also see more trailers for EPIC The Movie here and follow their Instagram page.

Does this look like a movie you’d want to see with your family? What type of family meal do you like to prepare for your family on movie nights?

#MealsTogether with Tyson Chicken Nuggets and Del Monte Green Beans partnered with EPIC The Movie!

May 24, 2013 by MamaHarris 4 Comments

If you have kids of any age, you are probably aware there’s a big family movie opening today! Yes, you guessed it, EPIC The Movie is opening in theaters nationwide today!

We are a big family, with kids of all ages, so we enjoy attending movies that we can all enjoy. We appreciate movies that appeal to our youngest two with the colors and animation, as well as our teens with humor and cool characters, and my husband and I love family movies that contain all of those things and are well written to where we enjoy the story and the message as well.

Well, EPIC The Movie is a 3D CG film, and comes from the same people that brought us ICE AGE and RIO. Both films are in heavy rotation in our home, mainly for the little ones. But they’re such great movies that we enjoy them too, the songs and the characters, and there’s always those little things you catch that you may not have noticed the last few times you watched it. With a family like ours, everything we watch is family oriented so you can imagine our excitement to see EPIC The Movie!

Check out this trailer, and maybe you’ll join in our excitement!

I can already tell by the previews that the characters are well developed. The majority of the story takes place in a fantasy world, and there is a hero group (Mub, Grub, NK and Nod) that is trying to save their world from the bad guys who want to destroy it. It’s that great story of good versus evil, and the whole family will be on the edge of their seats! I can’t wait!

We have plans to see this movie tonight, and with a family our size that can be a hectic thing to prepare for. Last weekend we went on a shopping trip to Sam’s Club to pick up a few things in preparation for this evenings plans. While we were at Sam’s Club, they had quite a few store demo’s since it was the lunch hour on a weekend. The kids had fun trying the various samples, but while we were walking through the frozen food aisle in search of something quick and healthy that would be filling for everyone while we are at the movies, the kids stopped me at the Tyson Chicken Nuggets display. Now you all know I love Tyson Chicken and all of their products. This particular display had Tyson Chicken Nuggets paired with Del Monte Green Beans. The pairing provides a full meal solution that includes protein and veggies. The kids shouted “Chicken Nuggets!”, so of course we had to get a sample!

They gobbled their nuggets down, and even tried the green beans. To my delight, they loved it all, so I chatted with Wendy about the display and she explained what she added to the green beans.

She cooked some bacon, strained the green beans and added them in and just seasoned them with a little lemon pepper. They were great, and I was reminded of my Mom this past Mother’s Day when we were cooking dinner. She kept asking for some green beans, which we did make, but I know she would have loved them this way. I decided this would be the meal we made for our movie night. I love that it’s rich in protein and 100% natural, but still kid (and teen) friendly.

I picked up what I needed from Sam’s Club and we were on our way!
For more photos of my shopping experience at Sam’s Club, check out my Google Plus album!

I decided to buy the Tyson Chicken Nuggets, and I love that at Sam’s Club it’s a huge five pound bag. That size bag stands a chance of lasting more than a few days with my large family. I decided to pair the nuggets with a homemade barbecue sauce that I would make ahead of time in order to save time the night of the movie. I also piggy-backed off Wendy’s idea at Sam’s Club and used back with the green beans seasoned with lemon pepper, but I also decided to add some minced garlic, a few squeezes of lemon juice, and add some diced pimento’s for some color. I served it with a simple smoothie and it was a success. I can’t wait to make this meal again to enjoy before we’re off for our family movie night!

Barbecue Sauce Ingredients: