I am a self proclaimed cheeseburger connoisseur. I love a good cheeseburger and, with so many food allergies, it can be my go to meal.
I’ve experimented with various recipes over the year. When you live with a pepper allergy, boring meat seasonings are no fun. I have recently been using a go-to recipe that I love, my flavor-loving husband likes, and our picky kid enjoys. So let me share it with you!
INGREDIENTS
1 pound ground beef, 80%-85% lean (too lean and it won’t have good flavor)
1 tbsp minced onion
1 tbsp Lawry’s seasoning
1 cup shredded cheese (we love colby, or a blend of colby and mozarella)
(these measurements are to the best of my knowledge since I don’t really measure much)
Mix these together in a mixing bowl well, then make 4 patties.
Heat your preferred cooking device (we love the Blackstone grill) to a medium/medium-high heat so that the patties will sizzle when placed on the grill. A great trick is to put a dent in the center of the patty to help prevent it from shrinking. Also, resist the urge to press it down with your spatula.
Cook to your desired temperature, flip, then remove from heat and allow to rest and trap those juices in.
Another thing I like to do is butter and toast the buns on the griddle for a few minutes, this gives it a warmth and flavor that compliments well.
For my fellow cheeseburger fans, add a slice of your favorite cheese on top and add your toppings!
Happy eating!
Like or comment below, and share with others to support the blog. I post weekly about teaching, traveling and family. Until next time, you can find me on Tiktok @sonya.BOMSquadleader, on Instagram at sonya_barnes_a2t , or our adventures at BarnesOnMove.com, Facebook & TikTok at @BarnesOnMove
If you are like me, you are always looking for ways to make routine tasks simpler, especially on those unexpected days. As a teacher and a busy parent, these happen all too often. And since we RV often, this can be a very helpful tool on travel days to have one less thing to worry about in our new location.
One thing I have found that makes that easier is one day a week to meal plan and prep for our daily meals. A nice bonus is that it helps our budget!
PLANNING The first step is to plan out your meals. We have a dry erase calendar on our fridge and use this to mark events for the month, then work from there to plan meals. Wit hit on the fridge, we can also take a quick inventory of what we have. From there, we plan and fill in the meals and shopping list. Alternatively, you could go shopping and then plan based on what is on sale, but I prefer to shop with meals in mind to save impulse buys, or purchases I don’t have a plan for. We tend to just plan one big meal a day and have options for Breakfast and lunch on hand.
SHOPPING Always shop with a list! If you plan and inventory, be sure to make your list from those. Then you can focus your shopping on those items. If you routinely shop in person at the same store, you can even organize your list by aisle for efficiency. If you use a grocery delivery service, you can just choose from frequent purchases, but don’t forget to check sale or deals for the week, too. When you bring items home, you can put them into sorted baskets by meal to make it quick to grab at prep time.
MEAL PREP I choose one day a week and bulk prep, usually not the same day as shopping since it just takes too much time. I make one dessert, prep bulk heat and eat breakfasts that will keep (quiches, waffles). I brown or cook meat in advance. If you plan by bulk items, it can make it easier to prep all the beef, chicken, pork, etc. all at once, then divide by portions. Whether you do the whole meal or just part of it in advance, every little bit helps. I don’t suggest planning a meal for every day, since you may have leftovers to eat or other plans and won’t be home. You an always grab an emergency meal, which is the next section.
EMERGENCY MEALS These are meals you can prepare and freeze. You never know when things will happen making you late getting home, an unexpected guest or illness, whatever. These are things that just need defrosted or pulled out. We like things like beef stew, chili, lasagne, baked ziti, spaghetti, chicken and rice and veggies, or charcuterie tray items.
With back to school coming up fast, how can you meal prep and make daily life easier?
Like or comment below, and share with others to support the blog. I post twice a week about teaching, traveling and family. Until next time, you can find me on Tiktok @sonya.BOMSquadleader. You can find more about our adventures on our our website at BarnesOnMove.com, Facebook & TikTok at @BarnesOnMove
4 meals prepped and ready for the week! Breakfast casserole, sausage for omelets, taco meat for tacos and nachos.
Laundry day seems to be a day of back and forth distraction, so I have learned to use it as a meal prep day, especially since cooking in the RV makes it hot in here.
Today, amidst 4 loads of laundry, I am prepping sausage for a breakfast casserole tonight and stuffings for omelets, as well as beef for nachos and tacos for later in the week.
It’s a travel week, so the more I can prep in advance, the lower the likelihood we will eat out ( a killer for both budget and allergies!). I didn’t just start this practice as RVers, though, I have been doing this for years and it has been a huge help in getting things done while still leaving me free time.
Here’s a quick how to on my simple recipes using very few dishes and getting it all done faster than I can get laundry done! If have videos on our Patreon, so if you haven’t already, come join us at Barnes On the Move to see those and other behind the scenes moments.
SAUSAGE – BREAKFAST CASSEROLE AND OMELETS
For these dishes you’ll need:
1 lb sausage (we like Jimmy Dean’s Regular)
12 eggs
milk
salt
tater tots
shredded cheese
shallow baking dish (mine is about 4×6)
skillet (we love cast iron!)
mixing bowl
storage container
Start by browning the sausage, drain and set aside to cool. Keep about 1/3 in the container to save for later.
breakfast casserole Spray or grease the bottom of your baking dish (shallow helps the center egg cook without burning the edges or top). Line with tater tots, cover with a layer of sausage (about 2/3 of the pound). Whisk your eggs, milk and salt together to your taste and pour over tots and sausage. Bake at 325 for 45 minutes to an hour, or until the center is firm. Adjust temperature lower if the edges are cooking too fast. Remove from oven and add a layer of shredded cheese. Allow to melt before serving.
omelets using the other 6 eggs, whisk together 1-2 at a time. Get your skillet warm and be sure it is greased. Pour egg onto skillet and allow to slightly firm, then flip. On the cooked side up, add cheese, sausage and any veggies you’d like. When cheese is nearly melted, fold in half and move to plate.
BEEF – NACHOS AND TACOS
For these dishes you’ll need:
1 lb ground beef (the leaner, the better)
taco seasoning (we use premade packets, no shame in premade–work smarter, not harder!)
Tostitos scoops
taco shells
shredded cheese
1 can refried beans (optional)
veggies and sauces to top
baking dish
skillet
measuring cup
Brown the full pound of beef, drain and return to pan. Mix your seasoning in and allow to simmer until meat has absorbed liquid. for additional flavor and to get more servings, mix in your refried beans and allow to simmer, or you can add later.
Place into storage container for when you are ready to serve.
nachos Layer your Scoops on a plate and add meat mixture to each chip (trust me, it’s worth the attention to detail). Add a layer of cheese and bake for a few minutes until hot. Add veggies and toppings and serve.
tacos If you didn’t add refried beans to the meat mixture, now would be a good time, or add as a separate layer to taco shells. We like the stand and stuff. Line them up on your baking sheet, layer your beans, meat and cheese, bake until hot and cheese melts. Add toppings and serve.
This multitasking is a helpful way to get more done, allowing me to just answer work calls as needed for a bit, then get back and focus when I am finished. I also like that it means less heat in the camper every night at dinner and only once or twice a week, making it easier to cool at bedtime. While we do have an outdoor kitchen, it only has a stove or our Blackstone, so I still have to come back in to bake things or put them away. This just seems easier for me, especially on clean up since I can reuse the several dishes and only clean up once.
Thanks for reading and spending some time with me. I’m gonna go grab the last load of laundry and get it put up, then get back to work for a late afternoon/evening shift.
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Like or comment below and share with others to support the blog! I post weekly on a variety of topics about travel, family, cooking and education. Until next time, follow or interact with me on Twitter @AddictedtoTeac1. Support us and follow along on our RV travels around Florida (mostly) at Facebook & Twitter: BarnesOnMoveor join us for more in depth and personal interactions at Patreon: Barnes On The Move
#A2TCroutonRecipeBe sure to click the STAR to like this post and comment below with whether you like croutons as a stand alone snack or if they need to be eaten with something else!
8/3/2021
The hardest part is watching them toast!
My 10 year old loves croutons and eats them like popcorn. Who am I kidding, everyone in our house does. Homemade ones can be lots of fun, and a way to use up bread that may not otherwise get eaten, and it’s a quick and an inexpensive treat! So when we had a part of a French baguette left from the weekend, I asked if he wanted to make some croutons. Spoiler alert–they were so GOOD! Here’s the super simple recipe we used.
Louie’s Garlic Parmesan Croutons
Ingredients:
French baguette chopped up (3/4 to full loaf, or substitute with any other bread that can toast well)
olive oil 2 tbsp
grated parmesan cheese 1/3 cup
garlic powder 1/2 to 1 1/4 teaspoon (depending on your preferences)
Start by cutting baguette into chunks. We found it easiest to cut it in half lengthwise, then cut those in half again, then cut into chunks. Next, place the olive oil into a gallon ziplock bag or large storage container. Then add in your parmesan and garlic and mix well into the olive oil. Add bread cubes and shake until evenly coated. (According to Louie, it’s best to taste test here to see if you need to shake or add more seasoning).
Spread out evenly on a baking sheet. We used a toaster oven today, but have done this in our conventional oven before, too. If you use the toaster oven, first, broil for 3-5 minutes to dry out a bit, then toast light to medium, flip and toast again. If you use a conventional oven, broil for 5-7 minutes or until crispy and golden brown.
Allow to cool completely, then store in an airtight container or a large baggy, keeping as much air out as possible. They will keep for up to 2 weeks this way, although they won’t last that long in our house! They can be eaten as a snack alone, or added to salads or pasta dishes.
Enjoy!
Be sure to click the STAR to like this post and comment below with whether you like croutons as a stand alone snack or if they need to be eaten with something else. Also, be sure to share this blog with other teachers, and subscribe so future blogs come straight to your inbox! I blog about teaching, but also food, family, travel and other inspirations!You can also find me on Twitter (@addictedtoteac1), Facebook (Addicted2Teaching) or even on YouTube to check out some videos before I just focused on blogging (Sonya Barnes – Addicted to Teaching) and join the conversation, get more ideas, share your story or just interact with me.
My oldest son and his girlfriend are coming over tomorrow night for Taco Tuesday dinner, a family favorite. But I wanted to do something a bit more special since we don’t get to have dinner together as often now that he doesn’t live at home. I remembered Tijuana Flats cookie dough flautas and thought it sounded good, but when I searched the internet, I couldn’t find anything.
I did some research on ingredients, and methods and settled on trying the air fryer. We found quick ingredients prepackaged so it only took about 5 minutes to prep and 5 minutes to cook, so these can be prepped and made quickly for any occasion. It was a hit with my boys, although we figured out a few things to do differently. So here’s a breakdown of the how to make them, for calorie info, just check the packages of your ingredients you choose.
*****EASY COOKIE DOUGH FLAUTAS*****
Ingredients:
10-12 Fajita tortillas
1 package of cookie dough of your choice
Follow the package instructions for the cookies. Helpful tip: many recipes call for the butter to be softened but not melted, so check for that so you can set it out in advance.
Spoon a tablespoon amount onto a tortilla and spread as thin as possible. Then roll the tortilla tightly.
This was a first roll and with way too much cookie dough, so spread thinner and roll it tightly.
Preheat the air fryer to 350 degrees. We didn’t use any oil for this recipe.
Set the tortillas into the air fryer basket. Cook for 3-5 minutes. Let cool for a minute or so.
Garnish with powdered sugar, drizzle with chocolate sauce, or, like us, do both!
We have a strong sweet tooth in this family and it was sweet to us, so I recommend cutting in half before serving (use a very sharp knife so you don’t squish them).
