Herb & Cheese Stuffed Burgers

We love to grill out and Nathan especially likes a good burger. I usually make a simple homemade burger, but he also loves it when I make these burgers for something different. I got the recipe from Taste of Home and adapted it a little bit. The girls will eat this too!

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese, softened
• 2 Tbsp. cream cheese, softened
• 2 Tbsp. minced fresh parsley 
• 3 tsp. Dijon mustard, divided
• 2 green onions, thinly sliced
• 3 Tbsp. dry bread crumbs
• 2 Tbsp. ketchup
• 1/2 salt
• 1/2 tsp. dried rosemary, crushed
• 1/4 tsp. dried sage leaves
• 1 lb ground beef 
• 4 hamburger buns, lettuce leaves and tomato slices are optional

Preparation:

1. In a small bowl, combine cheddar cheese, cream cheese, parsley and 1 tsp. mustard; set aside.
2. In another bowl, combine the onions, bread crumbs, ketchup, salt, rosemary, sage and remaining mustard. 
3. Crumble beef over mixture and mix well. Shape into eight thin patties.
4. Spoon cheese mixture onto center of four patties; top with remaining patties and press edges firmly to seal.
5. Grill burgers, covered, over medium heat or broil 4 in. from heat for 5-7 minutes on each side or until a meat thermometer reads 160 degrees and juices run clear. Serve burgers on rolls with lettuce and tomato if desired. Yield: 4 servings.

Strawberry-Bacon Spinach Salad

My mom made this salad one time when our family got together and it was a big hit. She got it from a Taste of Home magazine. I had to get the recipe! The homemade dressing is what makes it so good!

Ingredients:

• 1 package (6 oz.) fresh baby spinach
• 1 pint fresh strawberries, sliced
• 8 bacon strips, crumbled
• 1/4 cup chopped red onion
• 1/4 cup chopped walnuts
• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup raspberry vinegar

Preparation:

In a salad bowl, combine the spinach, strawberries, bacon, onion and walnuts. In a small bowl or pitcher, combine the mayonnaise, sugar and vinegar. Serve with salad. Yield: 6-8 servings

Tuna Stroganoff

This is a simple, low-budget, kid-pleasing dish. It is not the healthiest meal in the world but we like to fix it every once in awhile mainly because all the girls like it and it is good too! The girls don't really eat tuna fish by itself or on a sandwich but they don't mind it in this recipe. Two of the girls will eat the mushrooms in it and two won't, along with Nathan. I think it's better with the mushrooms so I still put them in there. I usually double this recipe. You can also substitute the tuna for ground beef. They love it whenever I make it!

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup butter
• 1/4 cup chopped onion
• 1 can cream of mushroom soup
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• dash of pepper
• 1 tsp. garlic powder
• 1 can (7 oz ) tuna, drained and flaked
• 1 can  ( 4 oz. ) mushrooms, drained
• hot cooked noodles or rice
• fresh parsley (optional)

Preparation:

Melt butter in skillet; saute onion until tender. Combine soup, sour cream, garlic powder and pepper; add to onion. Add tuna and mushrooms; heat through. Serve tuna stroganoff over hot cooked noodles or rice. Add fresh snipped parsley if you want. Our favorite way to eat this is to mix egg noodles in with the tuna stroganoff....so yummy! I got this recipe form the book,  "Beyond Mac and Cheese."

Baked Ziti with Sausage

This baked ziti is a great recipe for parties, potlucks and holidays, because it feeds a crowd. If you are looking for something that is kid-friendly, then this is a great recipe for that too. When I make this, I don't have to worry about any wining girls and most of the time, Natalee and Lydia are asking for seconds!  Although, this recipe  calls for mild Italian sausage, feel free to use hot sausage if you like spicy food. This recipe was taken from kidscooking.com.

Ingredients:

• 16 oz. ziti pasta
• 8 oz. mild Italian sausage, casing removed, choppped
• 4 cups spaghetti sauce, divided
• 1-1/2 cups cottage cheese
• 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1 tsp. Italian seasoning
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Cook pasta according to package directions for "al dente." Drain.
3. Brown sausage. Drain. Mix with 3 cups of the spaghetti sauce, the cottage cheese, mozzarella cheese and italian seasoning.
4. Spread the remaining 1 cup f the spaghetti sauce in a 9 x 13 pan. Top with half of the ziti. Top with half of the sausage mixture. Top with remaining ziti and remaining sausage mixture. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese over top.
5. Cover and bake 20 minutes. Remove cover, and bake another 20-35 minutes until golden brown and bubbly.
6. Let baked ziti rest 10 minutes before serving. 

**Make ahead directions: Follow recipe through step 4. Cover tightly with foil, and freeze. A day before you're ready to serve, thaw completely in the fridge overnight. Bake according to recipe directions.