Heavenly Homemakers

Encouraging women in homemaking, healthy eating and parenting

Simple Spicy Chicken Burgers

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Gather five basic ingredients, and you can make these delicious and unique Simple Spicy Chicken Burgers!

You might recognize part of this recipe if you’ve ever made our Simple Chicken Cheeseballs with a Kick. This proves, once again, how easy it is to take one recipe and tweak it to make it into something new! This saves brainpower, while still giving us lots of fun recipes to enjoy with our family!

Oh hey, speaking of spicy burgers, remember that one time I ordered a bottle of Cholula online? It went a little something like this:

My family was running low on hot sauce, and I like to keep it on hand because all of our older boys love it. In true Laura style, I ordered it from Amazon because if I can possibly have something sent directly to my porch to save myself from overflowing my grocery cart at the store, I will absolutely have the item sent to my porch.

Also in true Laura style, I wasn’t thorough when reading the description of the bottle of Cholula that I put into my Amazon cart. It looked like a biggish bottle, and that sounded good to me because we have a biggish family full of biggish eaters. I thought nothing more about my Cholula until I pulled it out of the box a few days later.

And wow. Well, we didn’t know they made Cholula bottles that large!

Laura had ordered a 64-ounce bottle of Cholula, which is the same as a half-gallon, thankyouverymuch. Picture a 2-liter of soda and you’ve got our Cholula bottle. We shall not run out of Cholula any time soon, or so it seems. But then again, we REALLY like these Spicy Chicken Burgers so we may go through the bottle faster than we think.

I appreciate that this is a recipe that allows me to mix up the ingredients quickly in the morning, shape the burgers for later, refrigerate, then pull them out at dinnertime to quickly grill and eat. Read this post for more ideas about getting ahead and making dinner early in the day!

It’s also fun to note that ground chicken costs less than ground beef. So this recipe will save you money!

Beyond that, our family finds it fun to have yet another variety of burgers to grill in the summertime. These have a great, unique flavor that isn’t too spicy, but is super tasty!

Simple Spicy Chicken BurgersYum

Simple Spicy Chicken Burgers
 
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Serves: 8
Ingredients
  • 2 pounds ground chicken
  • 1½ teaspoons onion powder
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • ½ teaspoon sea salt
  • 2-4 Tablespoons hot sauce (I use Cholula)
Instructions
  1. Mix all ingredients in a bowl until well combined.
  2. Shape into 8 patties.
  3. Cook patties on a grill or in a skillet on the stovetop until the meat is golden brown and cooked through and through.
  4. Serve on buns with sliced cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, or any of your favorite burger toppings! Ranch dressing is a tasty topping with these burgers!

If you’re grilling these, you’ll find that you need to leave them alone for quite some time before you flip them. They don’t hold together as well as beef burgers. Allow them to cook slowly on the grill until they have solidified somewhat, then they’ll turn easily!

Have you ever tried grilling a chicken burger? Give these a try – hope you love them as much as we do!

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Busy Day Baked Chicken

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Bring on the Busy Day Baked Chicken!

Every day is a busy day! (Though it’s important that we are intentional about taking time to slow down and find restful days too!)

But for those extra-busy days – I am loving this idea for Busy-Day Baked Chicken!

This idea came from Anne, a cherished HeavenlyHomemakers.com reader. She says:

Laura, I have a favorite recipe idea to share! It was a lifesaver for me when I was a working mother (now retired). We call it “Wishbone Chicken.”

Wash and trim the fat on a whole chicken and place it in a pan. Sprinkle it with Lawry’s Seasoned Salt and slather it with Wishbone Italian Dressing. That’s it. Bake about an  hour at 350 degrees. Smells divine! Easy peasy!

As a working mom, I’d buy 3 or 4 whole chickens when on sale. I’d lay each cleaned chicken in foil and cover with the salt and dressing. Then I’d wrap each tightly in the foil and put in the freezer. On a work day, I’d take one out before I left for work, unwrap it, place in a pan, and put it in the oven (frozen). I’d set the oven to come on at 2:00 pm at 325 degrees. The chicken would be partly thawed when the oven came on. The kids and I came home from school around 3:30. We’d walk into a luscious smelling house and a delicious homemade dinner was all ready for us! – Anne

I’ve taken Anne’s great idea and we love it so much! I especially love the idea of buying the chickens on sale and making several ahead of time to freeze, then pull out and bake as needed!

This chicken is delicious and ridiculously easy!!

Busy-Day Baked ChickenYum

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Busy Day Baked Chicken
 
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Serves: 4-6 servings
Ingredients
  • Whole chicken
  • Seasoning Salt
  • 1½ cups Italian Dressing
Instructions
  1. Place a whole chicken on a rack, placed on a baking sheet.
  2. Sprinkle liberally with seasoning salt.
  3. Drizzle Italian Dressing over the chicken.
  4. Cover and bake for 1 hour at 350 degrees.

This is my favorite Seasoning Salt. And here’s our great and easy recipe for Homemade Italian Dressing if you’d like!

Do yourself a favor and make this chicken! Serve it with a salad and steamed veggie and you have the easiest meal in the world that is extremely delicious and nourishing.

Thank you, Anne!

Psssst! Everyone be sure to grab our Simple Real Food Recipes cookbook full of amazingly tasty and simple real food recipes like this one!

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Simple Saucy Parmesan Meatballs

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If it seems too simple, that’s because it is. Today I am sharing what is so obvious, you probably already thought of it yourself. Still, it is worth taking the time to mention the idea to take the Simple Make-Ahead Parmesan Meatballs, add sauce, and make the meatballs into a brand new meal of Simple Saucy Parmesan Meatballs!

Oh how I love food that is versatile like this. When we can make one recipe, but turn it into whatever we need it to be – now THAT is a recipe to keep in our back pockets!

Like literally. Print this out and put it in your back pocket. Later, you’ll reach in and say, “Oh! I have something in my back pocket. Could it be a $5 bill I forgot about? No? It’s a recipe for Simple Make-Ahead Parmesan Meatballs? Well that’s even better than surprise cash!”

Yes, that is exactly the scenario that will happen when you put this recipe in your back pocket.

Now my friends, watch and see how easy it is to make a delightful (and ridiculously obvious) variation to our newly beloved Simple Make-Ahead Parmesan Meatballs. We shall now add sauce, serve them with our favorite pasta, and make everyone in our family very happy. But no one will quite be as happy as we are because we are the ones cooking the food and we are the happiest about the ease of this recipe idea!

Simple Saucy Parmesan Meatballs

Simple Saucy Parmesan Meatballs
 
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Serves: 4-6
Ingredients
  • 1-2 pounds of pre-made Parmesan Meatballs*
  • 16-ounces of our favorite pasta sauce (red or white!)
  • 12-ounces cooked pasta
Instructions
  1. Reheat or bake meatballs* as directed.
  2. Pour sauce over meatballs and simmer until heated through.
  3. Serve over your favorite prepared pasta. OR
  4. Serve with rice or potatoes if you like!

* Here’s our recipe for Simple Make-Ahead Parmesan Meatballs.

Another of our favorite ways to enjoy these Simple Saucy Parmesan Meatballs? With this 10-Minute Instant Pot Mac and Cheese. Along with a salad and veggie, of course.

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Simple Make-Ahead Parmesan Meatballs

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Who gets excited about something silly like Simple Make-Ahead Parmesan Meatballs? This girl. Indeed, I get very, very excited.

I like beef. I like meatballs. I like anything that can be made ahead of time. No. Scratch that. I LOVE anything that can be made ahead of time. And if it’s also made from beef, well, that makes me one happy girl!

You can make this recipe ahead and store the meatballs in the fridge or freezer UNBAKED. Or you can PRE-BAKE up a huge batch and pull out a few as needed to reheat quickly. This recipe is flexible to meet your family’s needs!

Simple Make-Ahead Parmesan Meatballs

Simple Make-Ahead Parmesan Meatballs
 
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Serves: 16-20 meatballs
Ingredients
  • 2 pounds ground beef or turkey
  • 2 eggs
  • 3 Tablespoons dried minced onion
  • ½ cup shredded (or grated) parmesan cheese
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • ¼ teaspoon ground pepper
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
Instructions
  1. Mix all ingredients together until well combined.
  2. Scoop any size balls out onto a cookie sheet (I use a large scoop).
  3. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 30-45 minutes or until the meat is no longer pink.
  4. Serve right away, or refrigerate or freeze baked meatballs to easily reheat for a meal later.
  5. OR, freeze the prepared meatballs UNBAKED, thaw as needed, and bake as directed.

I love serving these Simple Make-Ahead Parmesan Meatballs with:

Meals like this are truly satisfying, extremely delicious, and still very simple to put together!

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Simple Cheeseburger Noodle Crock Pot Dinner

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Ready for a deliciously easy Crock Pot meal? This Simple Cheeseburger Noodle Crock Pot Dinner is a hit for everyone at our table. But mostly it is a hit with me because it’s so very easy to make!

The more I put my mind to learning simple, real food cooking methods, the better my kitchen life has become! I’ve stopped peeling potatoes (Yukon Gold, baby). I’ve quit thawing meat (I’ve stopped trying to remember). And if at all possible, I’ve stopped boiling noodles (life’s too short). What kind of lazy cook have I become, anyway? Ah, no. I prefer to call it being a smart cook!

I think it is delightful to drop dried pasta into my crock pot along with a few other ingredients, then come back a few hours later to a dinner that’s ready to be served. The creaminess of this recipe is what makes it so popular. And if you want to save a few dollars, skip the meat in this recipe. It’s delicious either way!

Simple Cheeseburger Noodle Crock Pot Dinner

Simple Cheeseburger Noodle Crock Pot Dinner
 
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Serves: 4-6
Ingredients
  • 1 pound hamburger meat
  • 1 small chopped onion OR 3 Tablespoons dried minced onion
  • 12-ounces UNCOOKED whole grain egg noodles
  • 2 cups sour cream
  • 30-ounces tomato sauce (2 cans)
  • 1 cup water
  • Sea salt and pepper to taste
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon parsley flakes
  • 2 cups shredded cheese (we like cheddar or Colby jack)
Instructions
  1. In a skillet, cook hamburger and onion together until meat is no longer pink. Drain if necessary.
  2. Stir cooked meat along with all other ingredients into a crock pot.
  3. Cover and cook on low for 3-4 hours.

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Simple Ham and Hashbrown Casserole

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I have a secret to tell you about why I keep sharing varieties of recipes like this Simple Ham and Hashbrown Casserole.

The secret? I found an awesome and healthy option for purchasing frozen hashbrowns at the store, and this discovery has my freezer stocked with a lovely convenience item that is still real food.

I used to always make my own hashbrowns, which truly was wonderful and definitely saved us money. I made them during a season in my life that I was home more and had more time (or at least used more time) for making most of our food from scratch.

As our kids grew older and became involved in more activities, then as God began to show us more about what He meant when He said, “Love me. Love your neighbor,” and as God has introduced more and more people into our lives to love including foster kids – well, I simply choose not to use my time making homemade hashbrowns anymore.

Do I compromise and use frozen hashbrowns from the store that have lots of added ingredients in them? (Seriously, read the labels on frozen hashbrowns. What is that stuff?) Nope. I discovered Mr. Dell’s frozen hashbrowns which contains one ingredient: Potatoes.

I stock my freezer with them, both the shredded and the cubed varieties. Now I can make Hashbrown Casseroles super quickly while still feeding my family real, nourishing food.

So there you go. Laura doesn’t make homemade hashbrowns any more. She has discovered hashbrown freedom. :)

So here’s the latest, and probably our favorite of all hashbrown casseroles. I typically use leftover ham for this, which is also fast and easy. I’ve written out an oven baking option as well as a crock pot option so you can make this in whatever way that works best for you!

Simple Ham and Hashbrown Casserole

Simple Ham and Hashbrown Casserole
 
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Serves: 6-8
Ingredients
  • 3 cups ham cut into bite-sized pieces
  • 3 cups sour cream
  • 3 Tablespoons dried minced onion
  • Sea salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 (28 ounce) bag of frozen shredded hashbrowns
  • 2 cups shredded cheddar or Colby jack cheese
Instructions
  1. In a large bowl, stir together ham, shredded cheese, sour cream, onion, and salt and pepper.
  2. Fold in frozen hashbrowns until all ingredients are well combined.
  3. Spread mixture into a 9x13 inch baking dish or into a large crock pot.
  4. Sprinkle with shredded cheese.
  5. Oven Baking: Bake uncovered in a 350° oven for 45-60 minutes or until casserole is lightly browned and bubbly.
  6. Crock Pot Method: Cook on low for 6 hours or on hi for 3 hours.

 

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Simple Summer Suppers: Sloppy Joes

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Sloppy Joes are one of our favorite Simple Summer Suppers.


I love them because I can make a big batch and freeze to use as needed. This recipe becomes a no-brainer, so you can simply brown meat, add a few key ingredients, and supper is served!

(For the record, our family calls the evening meal “dinner” but somehow in the summer it feels lighter and cooler to call it supper. It’s kind of like how it feels more special to call Sunday’s lunch “dinner” even though we eat at noon. But I digress.)

Sloppy Joes are easy to make and keep warm in the crock pot to serve to a large crowd. They can be eaten in the yard for a summer picnic. They taste great with simple sides like raw veggies, cold watermelon or cantaloupe, cole slaw, or baked beans.

Make Sloppy Joes with any ground meat you have: beef, turkey, chicken, venison, or lamb. Eat them on buns or with tortilla chips. Or skip the carbs and eat the meat in a bed of lettuce!

Simple Summer Suppers: Sloppy Joes

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Simple Summer Suppers: Sloppy Joes
 
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Serves: 4-6
Ingredients
  • 2 lbs ground meat (beef, turkey, venison or lamb)
  • 2 T. minced onion
  • 1 cup ketchup
  • 1 teaspoon mustard
  • ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 Tablespoon worchestershire sauce
  • sea salt to taste
Instructions
  1. Brown meat and onion together.
  2. Add remaining ingredients, stirring well.
  3. Allow mixture to simmer in the skillet for a few minutes.

sloppy_joe_1

Have you seen our other Simple Summer Suppers? Here’s a running list:

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Have you become a Simple Meals member yet? You will LOVE how simple all the recipes are, and better yet, you’ll love that we do all the planning for you!

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Simple Strawberry Cheesecake Cups (Low Sugar, 5 Ingredients)

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If you’ve enjoyed the Healthy Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups recipe I shared several months ago, you’ll want to give these new Simple Strawberry Cheesecake Cups a try too!

Our family loves these Strawberry Cheesecake Cups because they are full of nourishing fats, protein, and fruit. I personally like them because they are pink and pretty. C’mon. That’s a good reason to like something, isn’t it?

I learned the hard way that these must stay in the freezer until you’re ready to eat one. The good news is that the weather is finally becoming warmer so a cold treat is welcome! Feel free to skip the muffin cups and put this mixture into popsicle molds to make Strawberry Cheesecake Pops!

Curious why we like high fat, low sugar treats at our house? Read here.

Simple Strawberry Cheesecake Cups

Simple Strawberry Cheesecake Cups (Low Sugar, 5 Ingredients)
 
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Serves: 12
Ingredients
  • 1 cup fresh or frozen strawberries
  • 8 ounces softened cream cheese
  • ¼ cup softened butter
  • 30 drops liquid stevia or 3 Tablespoons honey
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)
Instructions
  1. Mix all ingredients together in a food processor or high power blender or hand mixer until smooth.
  2. Scoop mixture into silicone muffin molds, candy molds, or popsicle molds.
  3. Freeze for about 2 hours.
  4. Once frozen, remove Cheesecake Cups from molds and place in an air-tight container.
  5. Store in freezer.

Like recipes like this one that are super simple and contain 5 or fewer ingredients? You’ve gotta grab this awesome High Five Recipes eBook! You’ll get 111 recipes that are super simple and only use five or fewer real food ingredients!

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You also might enjoy our 227 Healthy Snacks eBook. So many ideas and recipes, so little time! But hey, at least the recipes will only take a small amount of time to make, so you’re golden!

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Want a Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup that provides great fat and protein like this Strawberry Cheesecake Cups recipe? This one is our favorite!

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Simple Cheeseburger Hashbrown Cups (or Casserole)

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Sometimes I experiment with recipe ideas and they turn out to be big flops. You don’t know about these because they don’t get shared here, for all the obvious, not-so-tasty reasons. This Simple Cheeseburger Hashbrown Cup or Casserole recipe got rave reviews at our house, making it definitely blog worthy. How can cooking real food continue to get easier??!

Have I mentioned that I discovered Mr. Dells Frozen Hashbrowns at the grocery store and declare them to be a fabulous option? They contain one ingredient: Potatoes. Other frozen hashbrowns at the store have a slew of ingredients listed that I can’t pronounce. So either make your own frozen hashbrowns or see if you can find a brand like Mr. Dells that includes plain ol’ potatoes. I try to have big bags of these on hand at all times now as they are super convenient!

To make this recipe, simply brown meat and stir in the remaining ingredients. Spread mixture into a casserole dish (easy!!) or scoop the mixture into muffin tins (still easy but one more step). Bake and serve. Enjoy the deliciousness!

Simple Cheeseburger Hashbrown Cups or Casserole

Simple Cheeseburger Hashbrown Cups or Casserole
 
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Serves: 24 cups or 6-8 servings
Ingredients
  • 1 pound ground beef, lamb, or turkey
  • 15-ounces frozen shredded hashbrowns
  • ½ - 1 cup ketchup (depending on how much your family likes ketchup)
  • 3 eggs
  • 3 Tablespoons dried minced onion
  • 2 cups shredded cheese (we like Colby jack or pepper jack best, but any variety will work!)
  • Sea salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
  1. Brown meat in a skillet until no longer pink.
  2. Mix cooked meat and remaining ingredients together in a bowl until well combined.
  3. For Cups: Scoop mixture into prepared muffin tins (I find that it works best to melt a bit of oil in each tin so that the baked nests pop right out!) Bake in a 400 degree oven for 30 minutes or until golden brown.
  4. For Casserole: Spread mixture into a 9x13 inch baking dish. Bake uncovered in a 350 degree oven for 45 minutes or until golden brown.

Freezer Friendly!

Make this recipe into a casserole, cover, and freeze. When you’re ready to bake it, take it from the freezer, cover it with foil and slide it into a cold oven. Bake at 250 degrees for 2.5 hours or until bubbly.

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The Easiest Way to Make Fruit Leather

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Ever wondered the easiest way to make Fruit Leather? Or did you even know that making Fruit Leather is actually ridiculously easy?!

fruit leather66

Indeed, Fruit Leather is one of the easiest snacks you can make. Many recipes call for added sugar, but in our experience, none is necessary!

Also, making Fruit Leather at home costs only pennies. And it is a great way to use up fruit that is almost ready for the compost pile! Store-bought fruit leather is super convenient, so I definitely take advantage of this option from time to time and buy them for ease when we’re on the road for ball games. But if I can make it at home instead, I do.

Tips for Making Fruit Leather

  • The easiest way to make fruit leather is to spread leftover applesauce on your pan and dehydrate per the instructions below.
  • Peaches, nectarines, strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, and watermelon are also great choices for Homemade Fruit Leather.
  • I avoid pineapple for fruit leather as it tends to be too stringy.
  • We’ve found that bananas by themselves don’t make a great fruit leather. But blending pureed bananas with other pureed fruit is a winner!
  • Speaking of mixing fruit together, we like mixing a variety of fruit to make more exciting fruit leather options.
  • Use a high power blender to turn your fruit into a super smooth and spreadable puree. Otherwise you might end up with chunky fruit leather. :)

fruit leather55

The Easiest Way to Make Fruit Leather

We’ve got more detailed info below. But here are the basic instructions so you can see how simple this is!

  1. Puree fruit.
  2. Spread mixture onto a parchment paper-lined cookie sheet.
  3. Bake for 4-10 hours at 170 degrees.

fruit leather11fruit leather22fruit leather33fruit leather44

The Easiest Way to Make Fruit Leather

The Easiest Way to Make Fruit Leather
 
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Ingredients
  • Approximately 1 cup fruit
Instructions
  1. In a high power blender, puree fruit until smooth.
  2. Spread pureed fruit onto a parchment paper-lined cookie sheet, making sure the fruit is no more than ⅛ inch thick.
  3. Dehydrate in a 170 oven for 4-10 hours or until the entire sheet is no longer wet.
  4. (Mine tends to dehydrate from the outside in. Once the middle is dry, the fruit leather is done!

The Easiest Way to Make 100 Fruit Leather

Have you ever tried to make fruit leather? What are your favorite flavors and fruit combinations?

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