Gluten Free Meatballs

1 lb. ground beef
1egg
1/4 cup quinoa, cooked
1 small onion, chopped
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. oregano
1/2 tsp. parsley
1/2 tsp. basil
(Can use 1 /2 tsp. Italian seasoning instead of oregano, parsley, basil)
fresh ground pepper


Cook quinoa in 1/2 cup of water.  Mix beef, onion, egg, quinoa, and spices.  Shape into small balls about 1 1/2 inches in diameter.  Brown in pan over medium high heat.  Add 1/4 cup water and cover.  Turn heat to low and simmer 15 minutes or until no longer pink inside.  Add additional water if necessary.  Can skip this step if simmered in sauce instead.


Use in your favorite sauce.  Can be flash frozen, then placed in a ziploc freezer bag. I made gluten free spaghetti & meatballs.

Chili Rellenos Casserole

1 1/2 cups milk
6 eggs
12 oz can green chilies, sliced
1/4 cup chopped onion or 6 green onions
3 cups grated cheese
1 lb. ground beef (omit for meatless)
3/4 tsp. garlic salt
1/2 tsp. chili powder

Brown ground beef, add salt & onions. (Drain off any fat.) Mix eggs and milk together. In a greased casserole dish, layer meat, chilies and cheese. Pour egg mixture over all. Top with remaining cheese and a bit of green onion.

Bake at 350 degreees until knife inserted comes out clean (45 to 60 minutes.)
Serve with fresh salsa.

Can also be mixed altogether in a ziploc bag and frozen. To cook, thaw overnight. Pour into casserole dish and bake.

(The basics for this recipe came from my friend, Prairie Lady.)

Cheese Boats

2 lbs grated longhorn cheese
1 6oz. can tomato sauce
1 small can chopped black olives
1 small chopped onion
2 TBS vinegar
6 chopped hard boiled eggs (optional)
1 small can chopped green chilies
3 TBS oil
salt and pepper to taste

2-3 dozen small rolls, depending upon the size.
Foil, torn in squares for individually wrapping

Grate cheese in a large bowl. If you don't have longhorn cheese, mild cheddar, colby, or colbyjack cheese is fine. Add onion, green chilies and mix. Pour tomato sauce in a pool atop the cheese. Add vinegar & oil to the tomato sauce and mix well. Add chopped egg. Sprinkle salt and pepper over the egg before mixing together. Now you are ready to assemble the boats.

Pinch out some of the bread inside of french rolls or any other hard rolls.

Generously spoon filling into the rolls, but be sure roll comes together at the sides.

Aren't they pretty?

Wrap in foil.

Bake in oven at 500 degrees until hot and inside is melted, about 15 minutes. These freeze wonderfully and can be baked frozen. Add about 10 minutes to the bake time if frozen. It's wonderful to have these in the freezer to pull out individually or for the whole family. Can also be kept in the refrigerator for several days before baking.

This recipe came from my mom when we were living in Globe, Arizona. They were a popular item and everyone seemed to know what they were. Since moving, nobody I've met had ever heard of them. Must have been a local thing.

(Those pictured here were made by Sarabeth. She isn't a fan of olives, which is why you don't see any inside these cheese boats.)

Teriyaki Chicken

Chicken Marinade:
3/4 cup soy sauce*
1/4 cup sugar
1 & 1/2 TBS red wine vinegar
2 tsp vegetable oil
1 minced garlic clove
3/4 tsp ground ginger, or 1 Tbs grated fresh ginger
1-2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breast or thighs

Mix all ingredients together and marinate chicken. (Can be frozen in ziploc bag ahead so it is easy without preparation the day you cook.)

Grill chicken about 4 minutes per side. Chicken can also be baked or stir fried, but grilling definately tastes the best. If serving over rice, I will mix another batch of sauce and heat in a pan until dissolved. Great with stir-fried vegetable, using the sauce for all.

*See Information On Ingredients & Methods in sidebar.