Bacon and Wild Rice Soup

Winter isn't over for us yet here in Iowa. It snowed another 8 inches yesterday. It was a pretty, soft snow. It was the kind of snow that makes you feel like you're looking out your window into a snow globe. Thankfully the sun is shining today and warmer temps this week will make it feel like spring is coming. I think that we deserve the warmer temps after this nasty cold spell we just had.

The farmer has to go move all that snow today. (He didn't think the snow was as pretty as I did. All this snow and melting just means more mud for calving season.) I know when he gets home this Bacon and Wild Rice soup will hit the spot and be just what he needs after working all day.

This soup has been a favorite in my husband's family for many years.  I took the recipe and tweaked it a little bit to add some more flavor and shed a few calories. The big and little farmers in my family both gave this version a two thumbs up.

I think you'll love this soup as much as we do! Enjoy!

Bacon and Wild Rice Soup

Author: The Marigold Kitchen

A boxed rice mix with the seasoning makes this soup quick and easy to prepare.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1/4 cup chopped onion
• 2 potatoes, peeled and diced
• 4 cups water
• 2 chicken bullion cubes
• 1, 6 ounce box of long grain and wild rice with the seasoning packet
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 8 ounces velveeta cheese, cubed
• 10 slices bacon, cooked and chopped

Instructions

1. In a large pot or dutch oven, saute onion in butter over medium heat.
2. Add potatoes, water, chicken bullion cubes, rice, and seasoning packet from the box of rice. Cook until potatoes and rice are done, about 20 - 25 minutes.
3. Add milk and velveeta cheese. Stir until cheese and melted and soup is warmed through.
4. Add cooked and chopped up bacon.

Created using The Recipes Generator

Ham Balls

 Can you believe that I had never heard of this classic Iowa dish until I met my husband? I have lived in Iowa my entire life, and I had never had a ham ball. I can only assume that everyone else had already heard of these tender beauties based on my husbands reaction when I asked him what they were. 

Fast forward 21 years, and I now make these delicious ham balls and my kids LOVE them. I'm sure it has everything to do with the sweet sauce that is poured over the top and baked. I usually have to make extra sauce so that my kids can pour it over mashed potatoes (although about half the time I make cheesy hash browns instead because well, that's the norm around here).

 This recipe calls for ham loaf, which I can purchase at my local grocer's meat counter. If your grocery store does not have ham loaf, a mixture of half ground ham and half ground pork can be used. 

Expecting company? This recipe is easy to double, and the ham balls stay nice and warm in a crock pot. 

You can also freeze these to cook later. I freeze mine without the sauce and add the sauce right before baking. If you do add the sauce, be sure to thaw completely before you bake.

 

 

 

Ham Balls

Author: The Marigold Kitchen

Tender meatballs with a sweet sauce over the top makes these an Iowa classic.

Ingredients

• 1 lb ham loaf
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 cup graham cracker crumbs
• 1 can tomato soup
• 1/8 cup vinegar
• 1 tsp mustard
• 1 cup brown sugar
• salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

1. Mix together the ham loaf, egg, milk, and graham cracker crumbs.
2. Farm into 2 inch balls, about 1/3 cup.
3. Place in a greased casserole dish.
4. Mix together tomato soup, vinegar, mustard, brown sugar, and salt and pepper. Pour over ham balls.
5. Bake at 350 for an hour.

Notes:

You can reduce the amount of brown sugar if you prefer the sauce to not be so sweet.

Porky Jalapeno Popper Meatballs

 I'm always looking for new ways to use the home-grown produce in my garden. I can and freeze quite a bit of our veggies, but I also like to find ways to use it when it is fresh. I have a couple ways to use jalapeno peppers up my sleeve, and these meatballs are one way. While I don't have fresh jalapenos this time of year (since I am in Iowa and writing this in December during a snow storm), I do keep bags of chopped jalapeno in my freezer year round to use in recipes such as this one.

I first made these meatballs to take to a friend's gathering. They are full of jalapeno popper flavor, and have a surprise cream cheese center. I don't think anybody that night could eat just one. I just loved everyone's reaction when they realized these meatballs are filled with cream cheese.

If you want a crowd pleasing appetizer, look no further. These Porky Jalapeno Popper meatballs are what you are looking for.

Porky Jalapeno Popper Meatballs

Yield: makes 24 meatballs

Author: The Marigold Kitchen

Everyone loves a good jalapeno popper, and these meatballs are a real crowd pleaser.

Ingredients

• 1 pound ground pork
• 1/2 cup bread crumbs
• 1 egg
• 3 jalapenos, seeded and finely diced
• 4 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
• 1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 4 ounces cream cheese, cut into 24 small cubes

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. In a large bowl, mix together all ingredients except for the cream cheese.
3. Divide meat mixture into 24 meatballs.
4. Flatten each meatball, place a cream cheese cube in the center and work the meatball mixture around the cream cheese, making sure the cream cheese is in the center and fully covered with the meat mixture.
5. Place on a baking rack that is on a baking sheet lined with foil. Bake at 400 degrees for about 25 to 30 minutes.

Bacon Wrapped Shrimp Sheet Pan Supper

During this pandemic, I've been missing some of my favorite dishes while everything was shut down. I realize that you could still order for take out, but that was another trip to town that I didn't NEED to make. (Well, I thought it was worth it, but it's a long story) So I started to create my own versions of my favorite foods. Not surprisingly, almost everything that I have recreated is from a local Mexican restaurant that I love. These bacon wrapped shrimp are one of my favorite dishes from my favorite place. I order it almost every time that I go. This version that I made last night tastes exactly like it does at the restaurant, and even my kids loved it. Plus, it was easy to make! If you love bacon and shrimp, give these a try!

Print

Bacon Wrapped Shrimp Sheet Pan Supper

Author: The Marigold Kitchen

Inspired by a favorite dish at a local restaurant.

Ingredients:

• 12 ounce package of shrimp (I used 41-50 count per pound size)
• 9-10 slices bacon, cut into fourths (I only needed 9 slices since I had 36 shrimp)
• 1/2 onion, sliced
• 1 green pepper, sliced with seeds removed
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1 cup Monterrey jack cheese

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 425. Line a sheet pan with foil.
2. Slice the onion and green pepper. Spread out on the sheet pan.
3. Season shrimp with the garlic powder and pepper. Wrap each one with a fourth piece of bacon. Place on top of the vegetables.
4. Bake for 30-35 minutes at 425 degrees, or until the shrimp is done and the bacon is crisp.
5. Top with cheese, bake 5 minutes longer.

Created using The Recipes Generator

Ground Pork Enchiladas

I've got some serious amounts of ground pork in my freezer. I suppose that is what happens when the Farmer is a pork producer. My kids love ground pork, the Farmer loves ground pork, so I am always trying to come up with fun and flavorful recipes that use ground pork. These enchiladas definitely fit the fun and flavorful bill, and are also probably my favorite way to use ground pork.

Try my Pico de Gallo along with these enchiladas! They are fantastic paired together!

Green Chili Pork Enchiladas

Author: The Marigold Kitchen

A unique twist on a favorite dish!

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 tablespoon flour
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 28 ounce can of green enchilada sauce
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 pound ground pork
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 8-10 flour tortillas
• 3 cups shredded colby jack cheese

Instructions:

1. In a sauce pan, melt the butter. Add the flour and whisk. Cook for 3 minutes.
2. Add the chicken broth and whisk. Cook until slightly thickened, about 3-5 minutes.
3. Whisk in the green chili enchilada sauce and cilantro. Simmer for 30 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, cook the ground pork and onion in a skillet until pork is fully cooked. Drain any grease. Add the garlic and cook 2 minutes longer.
5. Add the chili powder, cumin, salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper. Stir to combine.

To assemble and bake the enchiladas:

1. Grease a 9x13 pan and preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. For each enchilada, scoop about 1/4 cup meat mixture onto a tortilla. Add 1 tablespoon each sauce and shredded cheese. Roll up and place in greased pan.
3. Once all the meat is used, Pour remaining sauce over the enchiladas in the pan. Sprinkle remaining cheese on top.
4. Bake uncovered for 45 minutes to an hour, until sauce is bubbling and cheese starts to brown on top. 
5. Let sit and rest for 20 to 25 minutes before serving. Serve with your favorite toppings such as sour cream, lettuce, tomato, onion, or salsa.

Created using The Recipes Generator

Basic Meatloaf

If you need a basic meatloaf recipe, look no further. This is the one that you need. My family likes to have a simple meatloaf once in a while, and after years of adjusting amounts and spices here or there, this is the one that they love the most. I love that since my family is small and my kids are young, I can actually get by with baking only half of this meatloaf and putting half in the freezer for later. That certainly helps on a busy weeknight!

I also like this recipe because I can use both ground pork and ground beef. I'm always looking for ideas to use ground pork because I don't always like it as a substitute for ground beef. Ground pork doesn't always work well in place of ground beef in some recipes. But the mix of both of the meats in this meatloaf is perfect. I also think that this bakes up less greasy than other meatloaf recipes because of the use of oatmeal instead of breadcrumbs.

We usually eat this with baked potatoes and corn. It's the way I ate it while growing up, so it's how I serve it now. Plus the potatoes can bake while the meatloaf bakes, making supper that much easier!

Basic Meatloaf

Author: The Marigold Kitchen

This is the basic meatloaf recipe that you need.

Ingredients:

• 1 pound lean ground beef
• 1 pound ground pork
• 1 1/2 cups oatmeal
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 8 ounce can tomato sauce, divided
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a standard sized loaf pan.
2. In a bowl, mix the ground beef, ground pork, oatmeal, egg, onion, salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, and half of the tomato sauce.
3. Put mixture into the prepared loaf pan and pat down lightly.
4. In a small bowl, mix the remaining tomato sauce with the brown sugar.  Add salt and pepper to taste and mix in.
5. Pour sauce over the meatloaf.
6. Cover and bake for 60-65 minutes. Uncover for the last 10 minutes of baking.
7. If you are freezing half, prepare two pans and divide the meat mixture and sauce between the two pans. Cover and freeze for up to two months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before baking.

Created using The Recipes Generator

Meatballs

I've been making this meatball recipe most of my life. When I was growing up, this is the recipe that my parents used whenever we had spaghetti and meatballs. My parents didn't really measure the seasonings, and that is how I learned to add a little of this and a little of that.
As an adult, I've written down the measurements and made a couple changes. My parents always used ground beef for these meatballs. I still do sometimes, but I have found that my family prefers ground pork. I've determined set amounts for the seasonings, and I make sure to crush the saltines fine with my food processor. As a child, we used our hands and frustrations to crush the crackers.

I start by putting all of my ingredients into a bowl. You can mix the seasoning with the crushed crumbs first to make sure that the seasonings get evenly distributed. I like to use saltines instead of breadcrumbs because I think that it makes a sturdier meatball that can hold up to heavier sauces.

I mix everything up with my hands. I just don't see any better way to do it!

I preheat the oil in my cast iron skillet. The oil will take about 5-10 minutes to heat up on a medium high heat setting. I usually look for the oil to start to have a ripple look to it. It will have a consistency more like water.

Next up is making the meatballs. Most of the time, I use my hands to pick off sections of the meat mixture and roll into a ball. You can use a cookie scoop to make sure you get meatballs that are the same size.

Fry them up. See that golden brown color? That is perfect. You want to fry the meatballs for 15-20 minutes and use tongs to roll the meatballs around every few minutes to make sure that they cook on all sides.

See all these little bits and leftover oil? Don't toss it! This is perfect to start your sauce!

These meatballs are perfect for spaghetti and meatballs, meatball subs, casseroles, and Swedish meatballs. You can try them in your favorite recipes for meatballs.

If you are going to freeze the meatballs, cool them completely and store them in a freezer ziploc baggie. They are super convenient to have in the freezer on busy nights!

Meatballs

Author: The Marigold Kitchen

These are a perfect meatball for any dish!

Ingredients:

• 1 pound ground pork
• 1 sleeve saltine crackers (about 39 crackers)
• 1 egg
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

Instructions:

1. Crush the saltine crackers to make fine crumbs.
2. Add all ingredients to a bowl and mix with your hands to combine.
3. Preheat a skillet with 2-3 tablespoons oil.
4. While the skillet heats, roll your meat mixture into meatballs. You can use a cookie scoop to get uniform meatballs.
5. Fry meatballs for 15-20 minutes, rolling over every three minutes or so to allow for all sizes to cook and brown.
6. Use the drippings and bits of meatball left in the pan to start your sauce, if needed.
7. These also freeze very well. Store in a freezer gallon bag.

Created using The Recipes Generator

Skillet Rodeo Dip

I love this dip. It's easy to make. And I can use up leftovers. Yup. I created this dip based on leftovers I had in the fridge. I can't tell you how many times that I have made roast, only to have my kids barely eat it, therefore creating leftovers. So put that leftover pork roast (you could use beef!) to work for you in this hearty dip.
I also freeze leftover roast to use in meals later. This is one of those recipes that I would use frozen leftover roast in.

Skillet Rodeo Dip

Author: The Marigold Kitchen

This dip is perfect as an appetizer or a meal!

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 cup cooked shredded pork
• 1 cup salsa
• 1 16 ounce can of refried beans
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 3/4 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• 1/2 cup shredded Monterrey jack cheese
• Toppings of your choice: black beans, black olives, chopped tomato, chopped onion, shredded lettuce, sour cream, etc.
• Tortilla chips

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In an oven proof skillet over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the pork and stir around until heated through and the pork starts to brown, about 5 minutes.
3. Add the salsa, refried beans, and the salt and pepper to the skillet with the pork. Mix together until it starts to bubble. Remove from heat.
4. Top with the shredded cheeses. Bake in the oven until cheese has melted and the dip is bubbling, about 10-15 minutes.
5. Remove from the oven. Top with toppings of your choice such as black beans, black olives, chopped tomato, chopped onion, shredded lettuce, sour cream, etc.
6. Serve with tortilla chips.

Created using The Recipes Generator