Cowboy Beans

We made these cowboy beans for my mom's birthday and I have to admit... we were pretty impressed with ourselves :) They definitely have a kick to them. We searched around and  combined a few different recipes to put together the following:

Ingredients

4 thick slices bacon, cooked and cut in small pieces

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 large onion, chopped

15 oz. can diced tomatoes, in juice

1 cup BBQ sauce

1 tbsp Worc. sauce

2 15 oz. cans pinto beans (don't drain)

2 jalepenos, seeded and chopped

1 tbps chili powder

1 tsp gr. cumin

1 tsp salt

In a large saucepan (really - large. this is a lot more beans than I anticipated.), cook bacon over medium heat until crisp. Add garlic, onions, and jalepenos for 1 minute. Add tomatoes, cook 3-4 minutes. Add BBQ sauce and Worc. sauce, cook 1 minute. Add beans and simmer over medium-low for 15 minutes. Add seasonings. Serve and enjoy - Happy birthday, Mom!

Slow Cooker Chicken BBQ

Ingredients

6 frozen chicken breast halves

12 oz. BBQ sauce

1/2 cup Italian dressing

1/4 cup brown sugar

2 tbsp Worc. sauce

1/2 cup diced onions

garlic powder, salt, and pepper

Directions

Place chicken in slow cooker.

Mix BBQ sauce, Italian dressing, brown sugar, and Worc.

Pour mixture over chicken.

Cover, cook 3-4 hours on high or 6-8 hours on low.

I cooked on high while at work, then took out and shredded the chicken. I returned the chicken, along with the onions, and some additional BBQ sauce to the slow cooker and kept on the "warm" setting until we were ready to eat, about an hour or so later. Worked out great!

Parmesan Roasted Potatoes

From Real Simple Online
This makes a great side as well as a yummy snack!
It is also suggested to serve these with pesto for dipping.


2 pounds medium red potatoes, cut into one-inch pieces
8 sprigs fresh thyme
1 cup grated parmesan cheese (4 oz.)
1/4 cup olive oil
salt and pepper


Heat oven to 400 degrees.
In a large roasting pan, toss all ingredients.
Roast 45ish minutes, stirring once, until golden brown and crisp.

Meatballs

Chris usually makes the spaghetti for us, so I decided to "take advantage" of the fact that he is away by making homemade meatballs for spaghetti. We'll see if there's any left for him when he gets home... :)

Ingredients

(makes approx. 25 meatballs)

1 pound ground beef

1/2 cup dry bread crumbs

1/4 cup milk

3/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce

1/4 tsp pepper

1 small onion, chopped (about 1/4 cup)

1 egg

Directions

Mix all ingredients.

Shape into approx. 1-inch meatballs.

Place in ungreased rectangular pan.

Bake uncovered at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes, until light brown.

Served with spaghetti noodles and homemade sauce. Yum!