Recipes

This is where the magic happens….. Actually….. This is not my kitchen…. At any rate, feeding the masses involves some good grubin made in the comfort of your “lived in” home. This page is dedicated to providing you with the ideas you need when you’ve got a family to feed! Now scroll on my brothers and sisters and just maybe you’ll find something worth cooking when the kids start looking!

Disclaimer: These recipes are meant to feed a lot of people! If you are feeding less or don’t want left overs, cut the recipe accordingly.

The Happy Spoon Collection

Meet Blue!

Blue is a happy spoon
the happiest in the room
he never frowns
and his reviews are sound
he rates the food
based on the families mood
and if you see him pictured with a dish
It was extra delish

Cottage Pie

Ingredients

“Potatoes” 

  • 3 & 3/4 lbs peeled Potatoes (I used about 12 medium reds)
  • 1 tsp Garlic Power
  •  1/2 cup butter
  •  1 cup milk
  • 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
  • 1/2 tsp salt

“Meat Mix”

  • 3 lbs ground beef
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • 3 & 1/2 cups beef broth
  • 2 tbsp Worchester sauce
  • 1/2 cup flour
  • 5 medium carrots (I used about 20 baby carrots)
  • 1 & 1/2 cups frozen peas
  • 1 tbsp thyme
  • 1/2 tbsp garlic powder
  • 1 & 1/2 medium onion – finely chopped
  • 2 tbsp tomato puree
  • 1 tsp salt
“Optional Season” (these are what I used.. I recommend some heavy seasoning of your choice. You will find I am obsessed with the “Kinder” brand)
  • 1 tsp Kinder red jalapeno garlic
  • 1 tsp Kinder the blend (salt pepper garlic)
  • 1 tsp Kinder smoked onion jalapeno 
  • 1 tsp Trader Joe everyday seasoning

Directions

Potatoes

  • Boil potatoes in water until soft
  • Mash potato…. (do the twist)
  • Add butter & milk
  • Stir
  • Add garlic powder, Italian seasoning, & salt

Meat Mix

  • Boil carrots in water until tender
  • Oil up a frying pan
  • Satue that Onion on medium-high
  • Add beef and brown it (season meat….always season meat….use whatever suits your fancy)
  • Stir in flour (maybe for a minute)
  • Dump in ketchup, broth, worchester, & tomato puree
  • boil it for a sec, then simmer for a few (5ish min)
  • Add peas & carrots (like Forest & Jen-ay)
  • Salt Bae the seasons and stir

Now dump that meat mix in a baking dish (I think mine is an 10×14) and spread the taters on the top layer. Bake at 350F for about 20 minutes or until taters are golden brown

Cheesy Chicken & Broccoli Casserole

Ingredients 

  • 4 tbsp olive oil
  • 3 & 1/2 cups chicken
  • 4 cups broccoli
  • 1 & 1/2 lb noodle of choice (I used elbow)
  • 3 cans cream of chicken
  • 3 & 1/2 cups shredded cheese (I used colby & monterey jack
  • 1 & 1/2 cups milk
  • 1 & 1/2 cup sour cream (I use plain greek yogurt
  • 1 tsp garlic salt
  • 1/2 tbsp garlic powder
“Optional Season” (these are what I used.. I recommend some heavy seasoning of your choice)
  •  1/2 tbsp Kinder smoked onion & jalapeno
  • 1 tsp Dash Garlic & Herb
  • 1/2 tsp Kinder red jalapeno garlic
  • 1/2 tsp Trader Joe’s everyday seasoning

Directions

  • Boil noodles in salted water until al dente (drain water when done)
  • Meanwhile, heat the oil in a frying pan on medium-high
  • Toss in that broccoli and get it nice and oily 
  • Season broccoli with garlic powder & saute
  • Add in the chicken and season accordingly (I used pre-cooked rotisserie so it just needs to be heated up with the broccoli, but if you are using raw chicken breast – cut it into small cubes, season it, & pan fry it separately first)
  • Now dump all the other stuff in the chicken/broccoli mix
    • cream o chicken
    • milk 
    • greek yogurt
    • garlic salt
    • optional (but highly encouraged) seasoning
  • Heat on medium stirring frequently until it’s nice and creamy
  • Add in 2 & 1/2 cups of the shredded chez and stir it up

Now dump all that goodness into your go to bakeware (10×14 for me), use the last cup of chez and sprinkle it generously on top. Cover with foil and bake at tree fitty (350F) for about 25 minutes

Now take this steamy noodle wonder out of the oven and lay some flavor on your families taste buds!

Buffalo Chicken Grilled Cheese

Ingredients 

  • 3 cans chicken breast
  • 1 cup plain greek yogurt
  • 1 16.5 oz jar of buffalo sauce (I used one by Primal Kitchen which is a non-dairy sauce)
  • 1/2 cup shredded cheddar
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • seasons as desired (I used 1/2 tsp Kinder red jalapeno garlic & 1/2 tsp Kinder the blend) 
  •  1 package provolone cheese (like Sam’s Club size)
  • More than a loaf of bread
  • Mayo (for spreadin on the bread)

Directions

  • spray a frying pan with some non-stick
  • dump in the chicken (season the meat…always season the meat!)
  • heat it up on medium-high
  • add in the buffalo sauce, greek yogurt, & cheese
  • reduce heat to simmer and stir it all up
  • salt bae them seasonings and stir them in
  • simmer for about 5 minutes then set aside
  • Now get a small frying pan and grease it up
  • take your bread and make a grilled cheese with the buffalo chicken in the middle (you should know how to do this…)
  • I’ll give you the play-by-play anyway….
    • take a slice
    • put a piece of provolone on it
    • slap some buffalo chicken mix on it
    • slap another provolone on the other side
    • spread some mayo on 1 side
  • heat the frying pan on mediumish
  • fry one side to desired golden brown/burntness (make sure you lathered the other side with mayo while frying)
  • Flip & repeat

Serve these bad boys with some tomater soup or eat em plain! One thing is for sure, they will always get the happy spoon approval

Kind of Spaghetti

Ingredients 

  • 2lbs ground beef
  • 1 & 1/2lbs to 2lbs noodle of choice (if you want spaghetti use spaghetti. I used elbow cause I was out of other noodles that day)
  • 5 cans tomato sauce (use a little paste too if you like a thicker sauce)
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 & 1/2 tsp oregano
  • 1/2 tsp marjoram
  • 1/2 tsp parsley 
  • 1/2 tsp thyme
  • 1/2 tsp garlic salt
  • 1 tsp Dash garlic & herb
  • a splash of Himalayan pink salt

Directions

  • Boil noodles in salted water until al dente (drain when done)
  • Meanwhile throw the beef in a frying pan (season the meat… always season the meat!) and brown on medium-high
  • bring down to a simmer and add tomato sauce and seasonings
  • Simmer till it reaches your desired level of burning the roof of your mouth

Spread the meat sauce over noodles and bon appetit, you’re eating your very own restaurant level spaghetti dish!

Shrimp Alfredo Bake

Ingredients 

  • 1 & 1/2 lbs shrimp – raw, peeled
  • 1 & 1/2 lbs noodle of choice (I used organic Casarecce – Garofalo brand)
  • 3/4 cup butter
  • 6 cups milk
  • 3/4 cup flour
  • 3 cups grated parmesan
  • 2 tbsp garlic powder
  • 3/4 tsp dried herbs (oregano, thyme, marjoram, etc)
  • 1 & 1/2 tsp mustard powder
  • 1 cup pepper jack cheese
  • 1 cup mozzarella cheese

“Optional Season” (these are what I used.. I recommend some heavy seasoning of your choice as usual)

  • 1/4 tsp Dash garlic & herb
  • 1/2 tsp garlic salt
  • 1/2 tsp red jalapeno garlic

Directions

  • Boil noodles in salted water until al dente (drain water when done)
  • Meanwhile use a big ol’ frying pan and cook the shrimp on medium high heat in a little bit of olive oil & butter (season it up! I use garlic powder and pepper usually, but you do you)
  • Once the shrimp is cooked (it turns pink people…), turn down that stove top and dump in the noodles
  • Now it’s time to toss basically everything else in and stir up some awesome
    • butter
    • milk
    • flour
    • garlic powder
    • herbs
    • mustard powder
    • pepper jack
    • parmesan
    • optional (but highly encouraged) seasoning

Now mix that concoction until it’s nice and creamy. Dump it all into your favorite bakeware (10×14 in my case). Smooth it out & sprinkle some mozza cheese magic on top (sprinkle some oregano or parsley on top to look fancy….). Cover with foil and bake in the oven at tree-fitty (350F) for about 20 to 30 minutes.

Now pull this masterpiece out of the oven and watch as your family cries tears of joy while they devour this beast of a dish… your teenager may even refer to it as bussin’ cause in this house it met the happy spoon standard!

Cajun Sausage & Rice Bake

Ingredients

  • 2 cups rice of choice
  • 6 andouille sausage (I used a Cajun one from Sam’s Club but it had some kick so you do you)
  • 1 & 1/2 cups chicken broth
  • 1/4 cup flour
  • 2 & 1/2 cups milk 
  • about a cup of shredded cheese of your choice
  • 1/2 tbsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • 1/2 tsp cayenne
  • 1/2 tsp tajin
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • a little pepper

Optional Seasoning:

  • 1 tsp Kinder the blend 
  • 1/2 tbsp Kinder red jalapeno garlic

Directions

  • Cook rice according to package (mine as 1 cup rice to 2 cups water – boil, cover, & simmer till ready)
  • Cut sausage into desired size
  • Fry up sausage in a frying pan on medium-high heat
  • Once sausage is to your liking, reduce heat to simmerish…
  • Dump in rice and stir it together
  • Add in broth, milk, flour and cook until it thickens
  • About halfway through thickening add ALL them spices

Now it’s time to dump it all in the bakeware (10×14 suites the masses I feed well). Top with shredded cheese, cover with foil, and bake in the oven at 350F for about 25 minutes.

Voila! Another dish in the books to feed the fam!

Italian Beefy Noodle Casserole

Ingredients

  • 1 & 1/2lbs noodle of choice (I used Gemelli)
  • 1lb ground beef
  • 1lb ground sausage
  •  48oz of marinara
  • roughly 2 cups shredded mozzarella 
  • 4 tbsp grated parmesan
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp garlic salt
  • 1 tsp Italian seasoning
  • 1 tsp Dash garlic & herb

Optional seasoning:

  • 1 tsp Kinder the blend
  • 1 tsp Kinder smoked onion jalapeno

Directions

  • Family size frying pan time… medium-high heat, fry up the beef and sausage (season the meat!)
  • Reduce the heat to simmer on and dump the marinara in the meat mix along with the seasoning
  • Meanwhile you were boiling water for the noodles right?…. Boil noodles in a pot until al dente
  • Once that sauce mix is warm you are ready for the bakeware (10×14 for me)
  • Now for this one, I layered it like lasagna
  • Little bit of sauce on the bottom, then noodles, then sauce, then about a cup of mozzarella, and sprinkle half the parmesan
  • Repeat the previous step for layering
  • Sprinkle some Italian seasoning on the top
  • Cover with foil and bake in the oven at 350F for 25 to 30

Now if serving this doesn’t make your family happy there is simply something wrong with their tastebuds…

Deviled Eggs

Ingredients

  • 24 eggs (hard boiled….)
  • 1 cup mayo
  • 1/4 cup spicy brown mustard
  • 2 tbsp vinegar
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • pepper to taste

Directions

I’m not gonna tell you how to hard boil eggs… do what works for you. However… If it were me I would cook them about 12 at a time in an air fryer (single layer) on 250F for about 20 minutes. Then put them in a cold water bath till you are ready to work with em….

  • Cut all the eggs in half lengthwise 
  • Put the yolks in a dish you can mash & stir in
  • Place the egg white halves nice and pretty like on plates
  • Now take a fork and Hulk mash those yolks into a fine consistency
  • Dump in mayo, mustard, vinegar, and salt & pepper
  • Stir it up real nice and creamy like
  • Spoon a bit of mixture on each egg white half
  • Sprinkle paprika over the top of it all

If it doesn’t look like the picture (or better) you did something wrong and you should try again…. Otherwise serve this delicacy at family gatherings or just binge eat as many as you can….

Egg Bake

Ingredients

  • 1lb ground pork sausage
  • 1/2lb ham
  • 4 cups hashbrowns (I used the easy Idaho spuds golden grill that come in a box – you soak em and they can cook right in the baking dish)
  • 18 eggs
  • 1 & 1/2 cups milk
  • 1/4 tsp paprika
  • salt & pepper to taste

Optional Seasoning:

  • 1/2 tsp Kinder red jalapeno garlic
  • 1/4 tsp the blend

Directions

  • Get the ol’ frying pan and cook the pork on medium-high
  • If you have picky eaters heat up the ham in a separate frying pan, otherwise add it in to heat up once the pork is done
  • Meanwhile you should be cracking them eggs and mixing it all up
  • Add in the milk and the seasonings
  • Time to get out that bakeware (10×14)
  • layer the hashbrowns on the bottom
  • poor in the meat
  • dump in the egg mix
  • Bake this one at 350F for 45ish minutes 
  • toward the end if you want, take it out, top with shredded cheese and bake for another 5 minutes (I forgot this step on the one in the pic

With that, you now have a pretty easy breakfast that all them mouths can salivate over and then ruin by dumping ketchup all over it…..

Biscuits & Gravy

Ingredients

  • 2 to 3lbs ground pork sausage
  • 6 & 1/2 cups milk
  • 3/4 cup flour
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp pepper
  • 1/4 tsp paprika
  • 4 cans biscuits

Optional Seasoning: 

  • 1 tsp Kinder the blend

Directions

  • Get your go to frying pan and brown that sausage on medium-high (not much seasoning needed here but some pepper, garlic, & Kinder flavor won’t hurt)
  • Pour in the milk and flour
  • Reduce heat down to like a low-medium (I think they call that simmer…) until it starts getting thick
  • Don’t forget to stir occasionally
  • Add in that seasoning and get a little stir crazy
  • Meanwhile you should have been baking those biscuits according to the package (it’s time to get down once their golden brown)

Once your sauce is as thick as you like it and biscuits are ready, it’s time to serve up an unforgettable breakfast (I won’t judge if you make this for any other meal either). Now I don’t know about your house but round here biscuits & gravy is tantalizing enough for the tastebuds to get the happy spoon vote of approval (I’ll be honest though, a lot of the time I make mine a little spicier with some extra seasoning and I empower you to get creative)

 

Jalapeno Meatballs

Ingredients

  • 6lbs frozen meatballs
  • 7 cans cream of mushroom soup
  • 1 & 1/2 cups Jalapenos
  • 3/4 cup jalapeno juice
  • 1/2 tsp paprika
  • 1 tbsp garlic powder

Optional Seasoning (strongly encouraged):

  • 1/2 tsp Kinder smoked onion jalapeno
  • 1/2 tsp red jalapeno garlic
  • 1/2 tsp tajin
  • 1 to 2 tbsp original Cholula hot sauce

Directions

  • Dump the meatballs in a crockpot
  • In a mixing bowl combine everything else and stir it up
  • Pour mixture over meatballs and stir thoroughly
  • cook in the crockpot on high for 1 hour 
  • stir a little more and cook on low for another 3 to 4 hours

Now serve your family or guests a plate of amazing! These are a crowd pleaser for sure and never fail to meet happy spoon standards!