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Shrimp New Orleans

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Shrimp New Orleans is one of our favourite appetizers to enjoy on the weekends!

We have soft spot for New Orleans since we spent our honeymoon there, (pre-hurricane Katrina). It’s an incredible place to visit…full of history, great blues/jazz and delicious, soulful food.  One of many hi-lights for me was going to dinner at NOLA’s (Emeril’s Restaurant).  It was just fabulous!

While this recipe is adapted from Atco Blue Flame Kitchen, it was also inspired by our visit to New Orleans.  We definitely left our heart there when we left and hope one day we get to go back soon.

Pizza Burgers

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Pizza Burgers combine the best of both worlds, blending the rich, cheesy deliciousness of pizza and juicy satisfaction of a burger in one tasty creation!

Pizza Burger

What’s in a pizza burger?

Our burgers feature pepperoni that’s been chopped up, savoury pizza sauce, plus a few herbs and spices mixed with ground beef providing an undeniably tasty pizza flavoured burger. For umami we add in some grated Parmesan cheese to seal the deal.

Pizza Burger

If a burger and pizza had a baby

Pizza burgers, a mouthwatering fusion of two beloved comfort foods, typically feature a seasoned beef patty topped with sauteed mushrooms, melted mozzarella cheese, and fresh basil, or lettuce, all nestled between two toasted buns.

We make these pizza burgers whenever we are entertaining as they are always a hit. Also fun to make a couple days before you go camping, freeze and bring them along for a delightful camping meal that will make other campers jealous.

Pizza burger sides

We serve these juicy burgers with a side of fried mushrooms, (or on top). French fries or hashbrowns, a green salad, or a delightful tomato salad.

These pizza burgers are featured on Food Network Canada’s website in 2018.

Suddenly craving burgers, check these out!

If you made this recipe tag Wanda Baker on Instagram and hashtag it #bakersbeans or #wandabaker and please leave a comment telling us what you think!

Iced Chai Tea Latte

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Made with fresh ginger, cinnamon sticks and honey, this Iced Chai Tea Latte will leave you feeling refreshed on a hot day.

iced chai tea latte

Iced Chai Tea Latte

Making your own chai tea latte at home has never been easier. You don’t need a concentrate to make this drink taste fabulous.

Infusing cinnamon, ginger and a few additional spices together with milk and honey is all it takes to make this beverage sing.

Turn it into a Dirty Chai Latte

Yes, it’s true I do love an iced Dirty Chai Latte. What is this you ask? Simply a shot or two of espresso added to a chai latte. Brilliant right? So delicious.

iced chai latte

How long does it last

We’ve kept it in the refrigerator for 2-4 days. Wouldn’t go much longer than that due to the dairy.

PRO TIPS

  • With  honey already in the recipe, you don’t need much more sweetener. However if you require added sweetness, add more honey to taste.
  • I use 2% milk but you can use 3%, skim or any plant based milk you enjoy.
  • I’ve always been an iced coffee drinker so the amount of ice you use is up to you.
  • Did You Know Chai actually means tea? #TheMoreYouKnow
  • Serve with a cinnamon stick that’s been lit on fire on one end. It adds a smokey hue when serving the beverage.

iced chai tea latte

Other beverages we recommend trying

iced chai tea latte

If you made this recipe tag Wanda Baker on Instagram and hashtag it #bakersbeans or #wandabaker and please leave a comment!

*Updated June 2018.

This sweet and somewhat spicy iced chai tea latte is a refreshing drink to enjoy any day of the year. We light the cinnamon stick mostly for effect and a subtle hint of smoke.

Toasted Sesame Cream Cheese Spread

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This easy Toasted Sesame Cream Cheese Spread is the perfect light touch to your next tailgating get together, potluck or holiday gathering.

toasted sesame spread

Toasted Sesame Cream Cheese Spread

This recipe has been in the vault for a long time. It’s another gem I learned about while living in Vancouver. My apartment was on South Granville and I got along fairly good with my landlord and his wife. The wife hosted gatherings and during one I attended, she brought out a variation of this appetizer. I may or may not have ate most of it.

A little prep required

I like to marinate the cream cheese the night before I plan on serving it. This allows the flavours to marry and the soy sauce to penetrate the surface of the cream cheese creating a lovely brown hue full of flavour.

Here is the marinated block of cream cheese after being carefully rolled in the cooled, toasted sesame seeds.

toasted sesame seeds and cream cheese

Best times to serve this spread

While I would never judge if you wanted to whip up a batch and enjoy it alone, here are a few suggestions it has proven to work well at.

  • Hosted gatherings. Whenever you are having the ladies over for some sort of party, like a spa party. Or the men. No judging.
  • Dinner parties. This appetizer almost feels healthy and is the perfect light bite to start any meal.
  • Tailgating. It’s savoury and full of flavour making it an excellent choice for a game day gathering.
  • Office or evening potlucks. I’ve taken it to the office to full accolades from the team.

toasted sesame spread

You’ve decided you want to make it, here are few tips and tricks to get you started.

PRO TIPS:

  • Use a skewer, not a toothpick to poke holes in the cream cheese for the soy sauce to penetrate.
  • Use your favourite brand of soy sauce.
  • Save the soy sauce and container. If there is any leftover, it can go back into the container for snacking later on.
  • When toasting sesame seeds watch them. Those little seeds will burn fast if left unattended.

toasted sesame cream cheese spread

Other drool worthy appetizers:

If you made this recipe tag Wanda Baker on Instagram and hashtag it #bakersbeans

Cheesy Basil Flatbread

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Flatbreads are traditionally unleavened bread, which is made without yeast. Flour, water, and salt are the main ingredients and popular flatbreads are naan and pita. We like to use store bought pre-made pizza shells or fresh pizza dough we pick up at the local Italian Store. Or if you have a favourite pizza dough recipe, make it and use that for your flatbread.

Flatbreads can be used as sandwiches, to scoop up stews or curries or add some toppings and serve with dinner.

Use your favourite cheese when making this Cheesy Basil Flatbread or use the old white cheddar as recommended. This cheese or any smoked cheese adds a little bite and flavour boost. It’s perfect for lunch or dinner served with a side salad.

mozzarella-basil-flatbread

Change it up by adding roasted garlic, olives, sun dried tomatoes, salami, artichoke hearts or any of your lighter favourite toppings.

 

Salsa Baked Beans

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When I first stated making this recipe, my young daughter (not quite 1 at the time) had recently really taken a liking to salsa.  She loved to pick the chunks of onion, peppers and tomatoes out and eat them. Knowing how much kids change their eating patterns over the years, I knew the love for salsa might not last. And just as I had assumed, she went through a phase of dipping her quesadillas & other foods in salsa and then no salsa for me mom. Enter the sour cream phase ha ha. Now at 9 years old she is back to liking salsa again…as long as it’s not to spicy.

Back when she was little we made experimented with salsa baked beans and it was an instant hit. It became a summer regular and family favourite (minus the boy – to this day he still does not like beans). You can also change up this recipe to suit your tastes.  Make & use your own baked beans.  Buy different flavours of both baked beans and salsa’s to experiment. Use orange juice instead of lemon.

This is a great dish to take camping. You can open your canned beans, pour them into a plastic container with a lid, add all ingredients & store in cooler/fridge until ready to warm up. Bring a bag of nachos & the rest of the salsa will be gone in no time.

Fusilli with Garlic and Capers

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Fusilli with Garlic & Capers is a quick and easy meal when you are in a rush.  If you are looking for some protein, toss in some shrimp or grill up some pork chops or chicken breasts if time allows or even prosciutto or pancetta would be lovely in this pasta dish.   

If you do not have fusilli, use bows or any other medium sized pasta.  For my photo I used bows.  Equally devine.

Meatballs

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This recipe comes from an old family friend of my moms and makes many, many meatballs. You can cut the recipe in half if you prefer but these meatballs are so delicious and freeze so well, you’ll be surprised how quickly you go through them.

We buy the warehouse pack size of ground beef when it comes on sale and use it to make the meatballs adjusting ingredients appropriately to the amount of beef used. These meatballs can be used in a variety of dishes. Find one that you like and supper is done in no time.

Makes four dozen golf ball sized meat balls. More if you make them smaller.

 

Here are just a couple ideas we use for Meatballs:

Spaghetti & Meatballs.
Buy a bottle of your favourite sweet & sour sauce (or teriyaki), cut up a pepper, open a can of pineapple tidbits, throw all of it plus your meatballs into a crockpot for 4 hours and supper is ready.
Jelly Balls from the Best of Bridge (you can google this recipe), it has chili sauce & grape jelly – is quick, easy and so tasty.
Meatball Sub!
Cook up some pasta, warm up some pasta sauce…mix together with some meatballs…throw it into a casserole dish…top with all kinds of gooey cheese and bake for approx. 30 minutes (350F) for a delish baked meatballs and pasta.

Pina Colada Muffins

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Tropical flavours with a hint of nutmeg and lemon zest make these Pina Colada Muffins irresistible!

Pina Colada Muffins are a delicious way to start your day!

Pina Colada Muffins

While I didn’t grow up eating muffins, I started loving them when I moved to Vancouver in the 90’s. I’d always indulge at the Bread Garden!

Muffins are the perfect breakfast or snack so I set off to create different combinations bringing them into work for my team to taste offering all kinds of feedback!

Pina Colada Muffins combine tropical flavours making them delicious

Tropical Flavours

Our Pina Colada Muffins combine all the tropical flavours you expect in the alcoholic variation of a Pina Colada, with a hint of nutmeg and lemon zest thrown in for some light zip.

Pina Colada Muffins minus a bite

Small vs Large

You can make these in regular sized muffin tins – it will make 24. Or when the kids were little I would make them in mini muffin tins perfect for little hands. You may get close to 48 of the mini’s. We use whole wheat flour in this recipe and canola oil. Super moist, super delicious.

muffins

 

PRO TIPS:

  • Drain the crushed pineapple and you should have enough juice leftover for the recipe.
  • You can toast the coconut if you wish and add to the top of the muffins before baking.
  • Do not over mix your batter.

Looking for more muffin recipes, check out:

If you made this recipe tag Wanda Baker on Instagram and hashtag it #bakersbeans and please comment below!

Slow Cooker Hamburger Soup

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Flavourful and filling, Slow Cooker Hamburger Soup is a slight variation of an original recipe using onion soup mix that is slow cooked in the crockpot making for a lovely smelling meal when it’s time to eat.

slow cooker hamburger soup

Slow Cooker Hamburger Soup

We enjoy this soup and admittedly have it a couple of times a month during the colder Fall and Winter months. Top it with a good helping of freshly grated  Parmigiano-Reggiano or Pecorino Romano (a more salty cheese) & some crouton crumbles.

Cinnamon Heart Cookies

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Cinnamon Heart Cookies are infused with cream cheese and cinnamon, baked, cooled and glazed. These festive heart shaped cookies are easy to make and fun to decorate on Valentine’s Day or any day of the year!

cinnamon heart cookies

Cinnamon Heart Cookies

This classic recipe is made using cream cheese, flour, sugar and a touch of cinnamon offering a pleasant and unique flavour. They are easy to assemble and fun to decorate. We like to make them to give out to teachers and friends in February!

You can use a variety of cookie cutters to make these cookies any time of the year. We are partial to heart shapes and Valentine’s Day!

heart cookies

Perfect need not apply

We are also not about perfection when it comes to decorating these Cinnamon Heart Cookies. As long as the kids are having fun making and decorating cookies, that’s all that matters! Perfectly decorated cookies are lovely if you have the time and patience.

cinnamon heart cookies

Icing or Glaze

How I decorate these cookies really comes down to time. For a long time I preferred the glaze made with cream cheese (above photo). It’s a little harder to control when decorating, but works if you dip the cookie right in the glaze or use a small paint brush. The last couple of years I’ve been using an icing made with corn syrup. It takes a little more time to decorate with icing but it seems to work well and they are shiny and smoother (below photo).

Both methods work, it comes down to time and preference.

cinnamon heart cookies

A few of our most popular must try Valentine’s Day recipes:

If you made this recipe tag Wanda Baker on Instagram and hashtag it #bakersbeans or #wandabaker.  View more of our recipes on Pinterest!

Chicken Linguine

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Tonight’s dinner will be called Chicken Linguine. It probably won’t surprise you when I admit I bought another cookbook to add to the ever growing collection. There are a couple shows on the food network that I truly enjoy watching and so inspiration hits all the time. I love watching the Chef’s demonstrate their recipe and then start thinking to myself how I could change it up.

Yesterday I was at Costco doing a supply run for our company BBQ and got sucked into buying a new cookbook. Not a hard sell at times. It is a complete meal planner (5 days in a row) and I am excited to try and possibly change up several of the recipes to suit the family. You could easily add any green vegetable into this dish to give it some veggie flair. Sometimes I like to add peas or broccoli. Very simple tasting and the kids devoured it!

Here is the first one, Baker style.

Pizza Soup

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If you have pizza lovers in your family you are going to want to add this Pizza Soup in to the weekly menu!

pizza soup

Loaded with tasty ingredients this soup comes together so quickly and effortlessly you’ll wonder why you haven’t made it before.

Tips for making Soup

Season. Season your vegetables when cooking If your broth is low in salt, you may need to season the soup as it cooks. Taste as you go so you can adjust your seasonings to suit your tastes and diet.

Herbs. Herbs will brighten any soup. When using dried, lightly crush them in the palm of your hand to release some of the flavours. If using fresh like rosemary or thyme, knock them a few times on a board with the back of a knife and leave them on the stem. This will make it easier to fish them out when the soup is done. More delicate fresh herbs should be added just before the soup is done or sprinkled on top as a garnish.

Olive Oil. Many seasoned chefs will add butter to finish a soup. I like to drizzle olive oil on top of my soups when serving for a luxurious and flavourful finish.

Simmer. Once the soup has come to a boil, drop down to a simmer and leave it there. Like a good chili or stew, simmering is the key to marrying the flavours and boiling for to long could overcook certain items.

Parmesan Rind. If you buy wedges of parmesan save and freeze the rinds. Add to soups for an added flavour boost. If you don’t have any, check your local Italian store or Mediterranean store as they may have some you can buy.

pizza soup

PRO TIPS:

  • Have all your ingredients chopped and ready to go.
  • Use pepperoni sticks or deli pepperoni cut into pieces.
  • A sprinkle of fresh basil on top goes a long way.
  • Used diced tomatoes to replace whole tomatoes.
  • Try turkey pepperoni or  a spicy pepperoni to change things up.
  • A variety of mushrooms will work as long as they hold up to being in a soup.
  • Fresh chopped spinach is also good in this soup.

pizza soup

Other soups we love:

If you made this recipe tag Wanda Baker on Instagram and hashtag it #bakersbeans

Chicken Pesto Burgers

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Change up your ground chicken game by mixing it with fresh pesto, parmesan cheese and a few other ingredients creating the ultimate and super flavourful Chicken Pesto Burgers!

chicken pesto burger

Chicken Pesto Burgers

This recipe is one we’ve been making forever. When my babies could eat solids, I would mix pesto in with cooked plain chicken, salmon, pretty much any cooked protein (including chick peas) to get them to like pesto. It worked and they love pesto in all shapes and forms!

For this burger we’ve mixed it with a few ingredients and some bread crumbs to help bind the burger. They get a sprinkle of salt and pepper on each side and are grill until fully cooked.

If you don’t have a grill or barbecue, cook these burgers in a heavy bottom frying pan, grill pan or bake them in the oven. Served with a few light ingredients, they are a solid hit in this house!

chicken pesto burger

The Pesto

Sometimes I make my own pesto, when time and an abundance of basil allows and sometimes I buy it freshly made from a local Italian Store. Use whatever pesto you enjoy whether it’s homemade or store bought. You could even try sundried tomato pesto which is equally delicious in these burgers.

chicken pesto burger

The Burgers

Usually these burgers end up on the thinner side. But occasionally they end up thick and chunky like shown in most of the photos. Either way they are delicious!

The Toppings

For these burgers you are going to want to taste the burger, so we keep toppings light.

  • I mix a little pesto in with some mayo and use that as a spread.
  • We top the burgers with a provolone, harvarti, gouda or mozza cheese.
  • Butter lettuce is a perfect choice.
  • Thinly sliced red onion if you like onion adds a little crunch.
  • Thinly sliced cucumbers are also fabulous.
  • No ketchup needed on these burgers!
  • Sauteed mushrooms are divine.

If you are wondering about the salad, full disclosure it’s a bagged salad from the grocery store. Sometimes they are quick, easy and the selection these days is awesome. I also made a quick red cabbage pickle to put on top of the salad.

chicken pesto burger

We’ve made these several times over the years for friends and family and they are loved every time!

Love Pesto as much as our family does? Check out these recipes featuring pesto!

If you made this recipe tag Wanda Baker on Instagram and hashtag it #bakersbeans or #wandabaker

Asian Turkey Slaw

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A fresh, crunchy Asian Turkey Slaw combines leftover roast turkey or chicken, fresh herbs. and a delicious Asian dressing. It’s one of our favourite ways to use roast turkey!

asian turkey slaw

Asian Turkey Slaw

There is something about a roast turkey or chicken I really adore, however I only enjoy it a couple of times before needing to turn leftovers into something new and delicious!

To make this salad quick and easy we a bag of store bought coleslaw mix, although you could easily shred green and purple cabbage and carrots to create your own coleslaw. Another hint, buy a store bought rotisserie chicken.

shredded cabbage

Slaw

Did you know slaw is short term for coleslaw? The more you know right?! Coleslaw is derived from the late 1700s Dutch word koolsla (kool means cabbage and sla is a contraction of salade).

asiant turkey slaw

Ingredients

The ingredients are simple and so is the salad.

  • Turkey: leftover cooked turkey or chicken, shredded and reheated with your favourite spices
  • Coleslaw: fresh store bought works great or whip up your own mixture
  • Spices: use fresh or current spices as old spices lose their flavour if sitting for a long time.
  • Ichiban Noodles: ensure you have toasted the noodles for extra flavour.
  • Herbs: you could use some basil and replace cilantro with parsley if you do not like the taste.
  • Scallions: slice thin for a nice addition to the salad.

asian turkey slaw

PRO TIPS:

  • If you can’t find lemon, use lime and use fresh squeezed.
  • Favourite spices could be any spice blend you love like barbecue or a combination of random spices.
  • Replace cilantro with fresh parsley.
  • We always double the recipe. Everyone loves it and it allows for lunches the next day.

asian turkey slaw

Great recipe ideas for leftover cooked turkey or chicken:

If you made this recipe tag Wanda Baker on Instagram and hashtag it #bakersbeans or #wandabaker

Christmas Fudge

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Christmas Fudge Wreath
Christmas Fudge Wreath

Throughout my life I’ve been watching food shows. It started when I was little, back in the 70’s and the only food shows (gasp) available were Saturday mornings on PBS. That’s really where it all began for me. There would be no sleeping in on Saturdays as the shows were only on a couple of hours and could not be missed.

Fast forward and I will admit I enjoy Rachael Ray recipes from time to time, when she doesn’t use words like stoup and yumo. Let’s just get to cooking without all the catch phrases shall we?! In recent years, when my kids were little and still napped, I was able to watch a few cooking shows during the day here and there. I recall a few times Rachael would feature some of her favourite holiday recipes on one of Oprah’s Holiday Shows when Oprah was still on air. Nowadays I write so much I just don’t have time for daytime TV and I’m thankful for my PVR.

This fudge was one of the recipes she made on that show and I thought what a pretty idea to make as a gift to give. Never having been one to eat a lot of fudge (a crime, I know), I made it and it was delicious. More importantly it’s not very sweet, which is perfect as I do not enjoy overly sweet treats.

It’s become a family tradition now each year to make it early in the month of December. This fudge lasts for quite some time and it’s the perfect hostess gift.

Teriyaki Beef Fondue

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Enjoy this healthy and delicious Teriyaki Beef Fondue with all your favourite dippers including a few you may not have thought about.

beef teriyaki fondue

Teriyaki Beef Fondue

This fondue is one of the first recipes I ever added to my blog back in 2006. Amazing how time flies. Fondue has been around for well over fifty years as it was huge back in the 1970’s and since then it’s popularity continues to come and go. But it’s never gone away.

We prefer broth fondue to oil as the oil leaves a scent in hair, clothes and the house. It’s also not safe to have out with little kids. Plus we always have leftover broth which gets frozen and turned into soups or stews.

Marinating the beef and flavouring the broth ensure this fondue packs a punch.

My life Fondueing

As a youngster I was obsessed with melting cheese in a fry pan and dipping bread in the melted cheese. I got my first fondue when I moved to Vancouver (1989) and my whole world became much happier (cheese and bread, need I say more). I’ve been fondueing ever since.

When I met my husband I learned quickly he loves fondue too. So we kept adding to our hardware collection and trying new recipes. Now we fondue as a family as it’s such a fun way to spend an evening together or even with friends. Always great food, drink and conversation.

What to dip in this Fondue

We prepare a variety of items for dipping. With broth fondue you can dip par-boiled baby potatoes, smoked cooked sausage or pepperoni. The kids like dipping mushrooms and even some vegetable pieces (no judging).

For cheese we run the gauntlet here and prepare cauliflower, lightly steamed broccoli, bread, taco chips, an array of veggies, and more. Plus crossover the sausage, pepperoni and baby potatoes for more fun on your stick.

beef teriyaki fondue dippers

Leftovers

This fondue is flavourful and to enhance it even more we marinate the beef, sometimes overnight, which adds the wow factor to the beef.

Once we are finished fondueing we freeze the leftover broth for later use in a beef stew, soup or casserole of sorts.

This recipe will feed 6 easily although we serve this fondue alongside a cheese fondue so there will be some leftovers at the end. When everyone is done, turn your heat off and toss in the extra beef. Remove immediately to ensure it doesn’t over cook and become chewy. Eat the next day as is, with dippers, or in a crusty bun.

beef teriyaki fondue

Fondue Pot

Right now we are into electric fondue pots for our broth and use the gel oil pot for our cheese or chocolate fondues.

Electric pots allow you to better regulate the temperature for our meat fondues. Keep additional broth on hand as it cooks down and intensifies the flavour as it simmers in your pot. Making it the perfect leftover pot of brothy goodness.

The oil gel fondue pot is perfect for keep the heat steady when you are fondueing chocolate or cheese.

We are full of tips and tricks when it comes to fondueing. You could hold back some of the dippers, make a quick batch of vermicelli or rice noodles and after a few rounds of dipping, turn this broth into a tasty soup!

PRO TIPS:

  • Cook leftover raw meat right in the broth. It’s delicious the next day in wraps or sandwiches.
  • Cool down leftover broth and freeze for later use in soups, stews and any dish requiring beef broth.
  • You can serve this fondue with dips, even barbecue sauce to dip your meat in.
  • Offer each fonduer 2-3 sticks. One for the raw meat, one for the cooked meat and if you are doing a cheese fondue, one for cheese.
  • Have extra broth on hand to top it up as the broth does cook down.

Looking for more fun fondue recipes to try?

If you made this recipe tag Wanda Baker on Instagram and hashtag it #bakersbeans or #wandabaker

Simple Burritos

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This quick and easy recipe will leave you wondering why you haven’t made it before. Over the years I’ve changed up the recipe to suit our family. Sometimes it’s individual servings, others in a baking pan for self serve. I recall back in 2003 a fellow work mate telling me she tried this recipe and it was a hit especially with her husband. She loves being able to individually freeze these burritos for her husband to grab, reheat and go when he’s hungry.

Adding sauteed veggies (onions, peppers, mushrooms) both inside and sprinkled on the top delivers delicious flavour. Extra cheese is also a must, because cheese.

Burritos with toppers

Go ahead an substitute ground turkey, chicken or pork for the beef and add in some canned beans or fresh cilantro. These Burritos are quite filling and pair nicely with a crisp green salad.

Greek Beef Stew with Onions & Feta Cheese

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This Greek Beef Stew with Onions & Feta Cheese is ridiculously good. We make it regularly during the cooler months and usually serve it with noodles of some sort or even a roasted potato. The aromas of cinnamon, allspice & beef will make your mouth water as it cooks away. While cinnamon beef stew may not sound appealing to you…don’t be afraid to give it a go…you’ll be surprised at how delicious it is!