Mystery Meat Monday

It was interesting deciding which recipe I would review for today's post.  I personally love quick meals as much as those meals involving hours of preparation.  Although I intend to do reviews on both types of recipes I decided to start with something I created myself (and because I was sick in bed this week so I didn't get to throw some pots around).  The last recipe I tried was actually an easy 'make it up on the spot as you go' recipe I did for a potluck event at church.  It's so easy that I'll even throw in our favorite treat recipe to round out the meal.  

Now, as procrastinators tend to do, I waited until the last minute to figure out what to cook for this event.  I searched on line and through our shelves of recipe books.  But everything I found either had too long for cooking time, was too involved with prep work for such a late start or we didn't have all the ingredients already on hand.  It was 4 hours before the event (yeah I know, I told you already I procrastinated).  I needed something that could cook and travel in our large crockpot. I didn't really care what, since my dishes always had leftovers (oh, except my cornbread, info on that further down). That is until this dish hit the table, finally I got an empty pot back from a potluck.  'Yeah me!' (hey, it's the simple pleasures in life that get you through).  This was awesome because this pot was twice as big as what I would normally take to such an event. It felt great that everyone enjoyed the dish.  

So what was this super easy yummy dish I made up on the spot.  We'll I dubbed it 'Steph's Canned Soup Mix', of course there's a little extra not from a can.  Like what?  I'm glad you asked, here's the recipe:

'Steph's Canned Soup Mix' 

1 can of each:

    Black beans

    White beans

    Red beans

    Corn

    Creme style corn

    Tomato paste

    Stewed Tomatoes

    Creme of Mushroom soup

    Diced Potatoes

    Canned chicken, shredded, reserve liquid 

    Canned roast beef, shredded, reserve liquid

Other Ingredients:

    1 Smoked Hamhock

    

Pour a nice size lump of each in palm of your hand (the one time I don't use measure cups, zeesh):

    Season Salt, do this twice actually

    Garlic Salt, I also ended up doing this twice

    1/4 stick on butter (not margarine)

    1 teaspoon of Minced Garlic

    Handful of real BACON bits (oooohhhhhhh, yummmmmm, bacon) 

    

And my new favorite secret ingredient for everything new to me in cooking and when I'm not sure of what something will taste like, lol, hold you horses, are you ready?!  Steph's secret ingredient of the year is 'Mexican Vanilla'!  Yep, that's my go to make it taste good secret!  Shhhhhhhh, we don't want the word to get out it would create a shortage of the stuff, lol.  Okay, add about 1 tablespoon of the secret ingredient, Mexican Vanilla (I suppose any will do).

Take this opportunity to mix the reserved liquids (from canned chicken and roast beef) together into one container, mix.

1.  Mix all canned items in the crockpot and mix well.

2.  Add small amount of the reserved liquids, and stir, eh, use your own judgement on this one.

3.  Add the seasonings, butter, and secret ingredient, :-) teehee, then stir.

4.  Lastly, add the smoked Hamhock, stir.  I made sure to leave it right in the middle of our oblong shaped crockpot and sitting on the bottom floor of the pot.  In my mind the flavor would rise and wow, POW! (too over the top?)

5.  Cover with lid and cook normally on low for 8 hours OR if your in procrastinator who waited until the last minute mode on high for 4 hours.

This was yummy and I'm not bias, if something does not taste good to me I can not hide it!  I took homemade buttermilk cornbread with it, which was also a last minute rush.  It was eatable but not my best, I think I forgot something.  Anyway, I can't give you that family recipe.  You'd freak out about the fat content volume, lol, I don't make it often but when I do man oh man, yum yummmm! 

But, I will give you a little quick treat recipe I got from my co-worker Barbara (before I became stay at home mom to homeschool our 15 year old knucklehead, son).  It has now become a family favorite and a tradition in our home.  My son and I make them for almost everyone we know and deliver them for Christmas or any large gathering. Last year he said, "Mom, I'm going to do this with my children and continue the tradition.  Then we'll all talk about how Grandma Steph started it all." Sniff sniff, love that kid.

'Cake Cookies'

    Cake mix (any flavor you like - Devil Foods Cake is best, my favorite is actually Red Velvet cake                          mix)

    8 oz. Creme Cheese, soften

    1 stick of butter

    1 egg

    1 teaspoon Vanilla :-) {no I did not add that to the recipe, lol it came that way}

    Powdered Sugar

1.  Blend together the creme cheese and butter first.  I left them both out on the counter several hours before hand to soften them, makes the process easier.

2.  Then add the cake mix, egg, and vanilla.

3.  Mix we'll and refrigerate mix until it is firm (approximately 2 hours). [or again if you are in procrastinator mode with a really good freezer you can get by with putting in freezer uncovered for 10 minutes, not ideal but it'll most definitely do the job enough!]

4.  Form into balls and roll in powdered sugar (like making meatballs, that's a nice).

5.  Bake on top shelf of oven @ 350 for approximately 10 minutes.

I let then sit a minute on the baking sheet on the counter, then immediately removed them and put them on a cooling rack for a few minutes (usually until the next pan is ready to come out and i'll be needing that rack again).

These are delicious!! Personally I'm done with them in about 2 days, that's if any are left.  That's because I feel they start to dry out after that, no matter how good I wrap them or put them in an airtight container.  The guys however do not seem to mind them several days later.  Eh, to each his own!

So there you go hon, my first Mystery Meat Monday review.  I was a little hesitant on that name because it won't always be meat in the review.  But every time I thought of recipe review I giggled thinking about mystery meat school lunches, so the title stuck with me, I hope you will to!

Love and shimmies,
Next month's review will be an awesome and delicious Pinterest dish involving......, oops, almost told ya, you'll just have to come back again!

P.S. {I apologize for not having pictures, but at the time I had not decided on these reviews.  For future reference I do intend to have pictures with each step of the reviews and finished product!}