Wednesday, November 19, 2008

Pot Roast and Gravy (Rachel Ray)

*Read about the gravy in extra tidbits below BEFORE making it!*

3-4 tablespoons canola oil
1 4-5 pound rump roast
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons flour, plus enough to dredge the roast in
3 carrots, roughly chopped
4 stalks celery, roughly chopped
2 large onions, roughly chopped
6 cloves garlic, chopped
2 fresh bay leaves
3 cups water
**2 beef bouillon (i added this and just put it in the water on the side)

Gravy:
3 tablespoons butter
3-4 cups beef stock
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

A handful of parsley, chopped, for garnish

Directions:
Pre-heat oven to 350°F.
Heat a large, ovensafe Dutch oven over medium-high heat with the canola oil. Season all sides of the roast well with salt and freshly ground black pepper, then dredge it in flour. Brown the roast well, about 3-4 minutes per side.
Once all sides are brown, add the carrots, celery, onion, garlic and fresh bay leaves to the pot, then fill it with water so that the liquid comes a third of the way up the roast. Cover with a tight-fitting lid and place in the oven for about 3 1/2-4 hours. If you don't have a tight-fitting lid for the pot, use tin foil instead and baste the roast every 30-40 minutes.
Once the roast is about 30 minutes from being done, start your gravy: place a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Melt the butter and stir in three tablespoons of flour. Cook the butter-flour mixture about 2-3 minutes, until it is light brown. Then, whisk in the beef stock, brown sugar and Worcestershire sauce; season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Let the gravy cook down, whisking occasionally, until desired consistency.
Once the roast is done, remove it from the oven and place the meat on a cutting board, loosely covered with foil. Let the roast rest for about 15-20 minutes. While the meat is resting, strain the pan juices through a fine strainer, remove any extra fat, then stir the pan juices into the gravy.
Once the meat has rested, slice it across the grain and pour gravy over each portion.

Extra tidbits:
THE GRAVY IS GROSS!! YUCK! And to be honest, I don't think that the pot roast was tasty enough. Like I have mentioned before, we like seasoning and taste. Since I only put s&p on it, we made some other gravy and added bunches of s&p to make it taste good. This fell apart! I cooked it from 1:30p.m until almost 6 and it was VERY tender, just not tasty enough!

Easy Ground Beef Casserole

1 to 1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef, browned
1/2 cup chopped onion
salt and pepper
3 large potatoes, sliced
2 Carrots, shredded
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

Directions:
Brown ground beef in a skillet with chopped onions; cook until onions are tender. Drain off excess fat; transfer ground beef and onion to casserole dish. Add layer of sliced raw potatoes, sprinkle with salt and pepper; shred carrots to cover potatoes. Put soup over carrots. Bake at 350° for 40 to 50 minutes, or until potatoes are tender. Sprinkle shredded cheese over top and bake for about 5 minutes longer, or until cheese is melted.This easy ground beef and potato casserole serves 4 to 6.

Extra tidbit:
This was yummy! Luke loved it and he isn't one for casseroles. When I brown the beef I add extra spices (garlic powder, salt & pepper, onion powder, etc) and I think it adds some YUM factor.

Thursday, November 13, 2008

Hearty Chicken Noodle Soup

3 c. chicken broth
2 bouillon cubes
2 c. celery, chopped
2 c. carrots, chopped
3/4 c. onion, chopped
2 can cream of chicken soup
1/4 c. evaporated milk
2 c. chicken, cooked and shredded
2 1/2 oz (4 c.) cooked noodles (**Make homemade noodles)
Opt: mashed potatoes

Heat broth and bouillon cubes together. Add veggies and simmer until tender.
Add cream of chicken and milk.
Add cooked chicken and noodles.
Add salt and pepper and taste for correct seasoning.

Extra tidbit:
We sometimes eat this OVER mashed potatoes..YUM! This really is a thick and hearty soup...we love to eat it when we are sick or need some warming up!

Homemade noodles:
1 c. flour
1 egg
milk -fill up 1/2 egg shell (+more)
sprinkle of salt
Mix together.  Roll out and cut into noodle shapes.  Put into boiling broth. 

White Bean Chili

1 TB. vegetable oil (olive oil, etc)
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
3 c. chicken broth (I use more because when simmering we lose some of it)
1/2 tsp. ground coriander (I substitute with parsley)
2 TB. fresh lime juice
1 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1/4 tsp. Tabasco (I use the tabasco or substitute red peppers)
1/4 tsp. salt
1 (11oz) can corn (don't drain)
1 (16oz) can butter beans (drain partially)
1 (16oz) can great northern bean (rinse and drain)
2 c. chicken, cooked & shredded

Directions:
Heat oil over medium heat. Add onions and garlic and cook. Stir ocassionally until onions are tender.
Stir in remaining ingredients except chicken. Heat to boiling. Simmer uncovered 20 minutes.
Stir in chicken, simmer until hot.

Extra tidbit:
We eat this with sour cream dolloped in there AND with tortilla chips.

Wednesday, November 12, 2008

Meatloaf (urs style)

1 lb hamburger
1 egg
chopped onions
salt / pepper
1/2 c. bread crumbs or saltines

Sauce:
Ketchup
Brown sugar

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Mix meat, eggs, onions, salt and pepper, bread crumbs together. Make sure it is not too gooey.
Place in a pan.
Bake for 30 minutes until firm.
Mix together equal parts ketchup to brown sugar and pour over meatloaf for last 15 minutes.

Extra tidbits:
as you can tell, when I get a recipe from my mom, they are usually from her memory. Therefore there aren't a lot of measurements, more of a "feeling" So, check the meatloaf at 30 minutes, it may be done, it may not be. I prefer to cook it longer, just to make sure!

Easy Chicken Parmesan

This is easy. Really easy.

2-4 chicken breast (depends on how many are eating)**try with breaded chicken
Small jar of spaghetti sauce
1/2 lb. mozzerella
Salt/pepper
Cooked egg noodles**use dreamfields spaghetti

Directions:
preheat oven to 350. Bake chicken for 1 hour, turning once half-way through. Salt and pepper to taste.
Drain fat.
Put spaghetti sauce over it, but don't drown chicken, cover with mozarella.
Continue cooking until cheese is lightly browned.
Place chicken and sauce over the cooked noodles.

Iris and Terry's Goulash

This is a good, homemade, old fashion, take me back to the good old days meal. It is thick like a stew-esque type casserole and oh so good!

1 lb. hamburger
1/2 c. chopped onion
1 can tomato soup (DO NOT ADD WATER/MILK)
1-2 cans tomato sauce

2-3 c. macaroni noodles
1 TB. sugar
1/2 to 1 tsp chili powder
salt & pepper
1/4 to 1/2 c. Ketchup
dash or two of worcestershire sauce
Shredded cheese

Directions:
Brown gound beef and onion, drain. Add tomato soup and tomato sauce.

Cook macaroni noodles according to package in a separate container. Mix in the beef mixture. Add the sugar, chili powder, s&p, ketchup and dash of worcestershire.
Let simmer for the flavors to blend.
When serving put some shredded cheese on top.

Extra tidbit:
I usually cook the noodles at the same time I am cooking the beef. Otherwise, you have to wait another 10-15 minutes for the water to boil, etc. It cuts down on the time. I sometimes add more seasoning if I am feeling like spice. Start with what is in the directions and go from there!

Taco Soup

This is an all time love. And yes, it is probably pretty generic, except for I have a few things that might add a little umph to it. My secret ingredient: ketchup

1 lb ground beef
1 med. onion chopped
1 pkg mild taco seasoning mix
1 16 oz. can corn
1 16oz. can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 28 oz. can stewed tomatoes
1 28 oz. can tomato sauce
Tortilla chips and cheese

Brown beef and onions
Stir in taco seasoning mix, corn, beans, tomatoes and sauce.
Simmer 20 to 30 minutes.
Serve with shredded cheese on top and tortilla chips

Extra tidbit:
I add about 1/4 to 1/2 c. of ketchup and then a dash or so of worcestershire sauce. Make sure that it simmers or else you can taste the ketchup and worcestershire. This is good. I have also heard of people adding a package of ranch dressing mix. You might wanna try it! Let me know!

Chicken Rollups (easy)


1 crescent roll package
¼ to ½ c. shredded cheese (more to taste)
2-3 Chicken breast; cooked and shredded or cubed *Season*
¼ to ½ package Cream cheese (or light cream cheese)
Bread crumbs and melted butter
*Seasoning for chicken: garlic powder, onion powder, season salt, salt & pepper


Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Cook and shred chicken. Season well!
Put in KitchenAide and add cream cheese and shredded cheese.
Mix well.

Roll out crescent rolls and stuff with mixture. Roll up… (doesn’t matter how ugly they are… the bread crumbs help hide the looks)
Dip in melted butter and then cover with bread crumbs.
Put on cookie sheet and cook in oven for 12 minutes.

Extra tidbit:
These refrigerate well and heat up for leftovers. They are pretty easy and quick to do! Yum!

Chopper Salad

Use a food chopper! Honestly. We tried cutting all the ingredients, but it gets old. Trust me.

Head of cauliflower
Head of brocolli
1/2 red onion (or less)
1/2 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
1 lb. cooked bacon, crumbled

Chop and mix.

Dressing:
1/2 c. mayo
1/4 c. sugar
3 T. red wine vinegar

Mix well.

Extra tidbit:
This tastes so good at a bbq. Grilled chicken, corn on the cob, etc. YUM. Sometimes I feel like there isn't enough of the dressing, so let it chill in the fridge. Also, we buy our bacon pre-cooked and crumbled and it makes things easier!

Roasted Potatoes

6 med. potatoes (about 2lbs)
4 TBS. olive oil
2 tsp. dried rosemary
1 TB salt
1 tsp pepper (less--read below)
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp. onion powder

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Clean potatoes, but don't peel. Cut potatoes in half lengthwise.
Place in a ziploc bag and add ingredients. (I just put them on a pan and drizzled the mixture over it, then when I turned it over I made sure they were covered with seasoning)
Mix well and place on a cookie sheet.
Roast 20 minute. Turn over and roast another 15 to 20 minutes.

Extra tidbit:
These would taste wonderful with the meatloaf. I guess I should try them together. I'll let you know what i figure out! ;) Update 11/14: I made them last night and they were a hit...with the adults. The kids thought they were too spicy, SO cut down on the pepper if you are serving to kids!! Also, after I was done mixing it, I sprinkled more salt, garlic powder, onion powder and even some garlic salt. I told you I do seasoning overboard!

Baked Spaghetti (from scratch)

There are 2 versions of this recipe on this blog. If you are going for easy, this is not the one, but it sure tastes good!

1 c. chopped onions
1 c. chopped green peppers
1 TB. butter or margarine
1 (28oz) can tomatoes with juice, cut up
1 (4oz) can mushrooms w/stems (I usually omit because I hate mushrooms!)
1 (2 1/4 oz. can sliced ripe olives, drained
2 tsp. dried oregano
1 lb. hamburger, browned (ground beef)
12 oz. spaghetti, cooked and drained
2 c. cheddar cheese, shredded
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1/4 c. water
1/4 c. grated parmesan cheese

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Saute onion and green pepper in butter until tender.
Add tomatoes, mushrooms, olives and oregano. Add ground beef. Simmer uncover for 10 minutes.
Place 1/2 spaghetti in a greased 9x13x2 in baking dish. Top with 1/2 vegetable mixture and sprinkle with 1 c. cheese.
Repeat layers.
Mix soup and water until smooth, pour over casserole. Sprinkle with Parmesan Cheese.
Bake uncovered for 30-35 minutes.

Extra tidbit:
This is good the next day for lunch!

Baked Spaghetti (easy style)

This is yum-o! It can be a VERY easy meal if you don't include the ground beef. We enjoy it in our home and the cream of mushroom mixture does in fact "work". When preparing, thinking of this as a lasagna-style dish...layering.

12 oz. spaghetti, cooked and drained (or use as much as your family will eat)
1 lb. hamburger, browned and drained (aka ground beef), this is optional
2 c. shredded cheddar cheesee
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1/4 c. water
1/4 c. grated Parmesan cheese
1 jar seasoned spaghetti sauce

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
After cooking spaghetti, place half on the bottom of a greased 9X13 in dish. Top with part of the spaghetti sauce and cheese.
REPEAT layer.
Mix soup and water until smooth. Pour over casserole. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese
Bake uncovered for 30 to 35 minutes.

Extra tidbit:
Sometimes if I have mozzarella cheese, I'll sprinkle some extra on top just to add a bit more of the CHEESE flavor.

Meatloaf

This is good meatloaf. I am still looking for the "perfect" one, but so far this one is pretty good!

1 lb ground beef
1 egg
1/2 c. breadcrumbs (or LESS oatmeal or ritz crackers)
1/4 c. worcestershire sauce (or less)
1/2 finely chopped onion
1/4 c. ketchup
Salt & Pepper. Season well.

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, combine all ingredients.
Shape mixture into a loaf.
Sprinkle top with additional worcestershire and ketchup.
Bake 1 hour.
Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Extra tidbits:
There is quite a bit of fat that accumulates on the bottom of the pan. I have actually cooked this with bunched up foil on the bottom and then the meatloaf placed on top. It worked fairly well at allowing the fat to seperate. You might want to try it! We served this with potatoes and carrots...cooked seperately, but if you have a big enough pan, they should all fit in there!

7 layer Dip

1 can (16oz) refried beans
1 TB. taco seasoning mix
1 cup sour cream
1 cup salsa
1 cup cheese (mexican style)
4 green onions, sliced
2 TB. sliced black olives
CHIPS

Mix beans and seasoning mix. Spread on the bottom of a pan (pie pans work well).
Top with a layer of all the other ingredients (except chips)
Refrigerate until chilled.

Serve with chips

Extra tidbit:
Who doesn't love a good 7-layer dip? This is so good! Also, get a "good" salsa. It can make this dip even better!

Cheese Balls

I haven't made this EXACT one, but it has similar ingredients. Looks Yummy!

2 pkg. Cream cheese, softened
1 pkg. Shredded sharp cheddar cheese
2 tsp. worcestershire sauce
4 slices bacon, cooked, crumbled
1 cup chopped nuts
Ritz crackers

Mix all ingredients except nuts & crackers; cover. Refrigerate for 1 hour.

Shape into a ball; roll in nuts. Serve with crackers.

Extra tidbits:
When making this at my mil's house we would add cut up green onions and ham. Then we would roll it in slivered almonds.

Slow Cooker Fajitas

These are amazing! Hands down amazing!

1 ½ lbs. Flank steak, (opt. cut into 4-6 pieces, but I left it in one big piece)
1 medium onion, chopped
1 green pepper, sliced (I added red & yellow peppers also) **
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 T. fresh cilantro, chopped
1 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. ground coriander
¾ - 1 tsp. salt
1 (10 oz) can diced tomatoes and green chilies, drained
Flour tortillas
Toppings: shredded cheddar cheese, sour cream, salsa

Place steak in a crocopot; top with onion. Then add green pepper, jalapeno, garlic, cilantro, chili powder, cumin, coriander, salt, and diced tomatoes. Cover and cook on HIGH 4-5 hours or on LOW 7 hours. Remove meat, and shred with 2 forks. Serve on tortillas and desired toppings.
**I might keep the peppers out until about an hour or so of serving. They were fantastic, BUT were a little TOO well done and almost mushy. This could also be because I cooked it overnight! ;)

Extra tidbits:
Good heavens this was good! Honestly, you won't go back to your other fajitas. And I really bought the flank steak, expensive, but worth every single penny!

French Dip in Instant pot

This has been updated to be cooked in the IP.
3.5-4lbs. Boneless/Sirloin Chuck Roast **See below**
1/2 C. Soy Sauce
1 bay leaf
3-4 Peppercorns (which I don't have, so I omitted--oops!)
1 tsp. dried Rosemary
1 tsp. dried thyme
1 tsp. garlic powder
*Added 2 bouillon for 1 cup water in bottom of instant pot
Roll buns or ciabatta  (make a butter spread with 3-4TB butter melted with 1tsp garlic powder and dash of kosher salt)
Onions
Provolone cheese slices

Frozen:  I threw in a frozen chuck roast for about 20 minutes on manual to defrost. I put it on the metal insert and added 1 c. Water. Let cook and then remove meat and drain water.
After, I turned on the saute and added coconut oil.  Season the meat well and sear the sides.  Take out. I julienned some onions and cooked them until translucent.

Cook for an additional 80-90 minutes until it falls apart.  The onions will be mush.  If you decide, you could always saute some more.

I took the buns, broiled them with some butter (1 tsp garlic powder and a dash of kosher salt).  When they come out, put a piece of provolone on.  Add shredded meat.

Put the au jus in small bowls.

Crockpot Soup

This is similar to the White Lightening (which is DIVINE) but it didn't have a lot of flavor.

16 oz. frozen white corn (or I just use the canned yellow)
2 cans of white beans (great northern, butter beans)
1 4oz. can green chilies
1/2 chopped white onion
2 minced cloves of garlic
1 c. veggie broth (or chicken or beef)
juice from one lemon
1 1/2 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning
salt and pepper to taste
Cheese to top, opt.

Cook on low 8-9 hours or on high 4-6.

Extra tidbit:
This was good, but I think it could've been much better if you added the "right" ingredients. I'll have to add the White Lightening Soup recipe. You'll love it!
Also, we usually put sour cream and cheese on top...and eat with tortilla chips! That's the only way the Squish will eat soup!

Chili

1 lb ground beef
1 can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 can white beans (great northern, butter beans, etc) drained and rinsed
1 diced onion
8 cloves of garlic, minced (I used 6)
1 29 oz. tomatoes (I had one can diced and one can stewed..yum!)
1 15oz. tom. sauce
3 TB. Chili powder (I used less and I wish I would've used more!)
2 tsp. cumin
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp salt
1 TB. tabasco (I used 1/2 TB and it actually needed less)

Brown meat and drain. Add everything else and simmer.

Extra tidbits:
This could be done in the crockpot. Also, it didn't have enough spice for me. I ran out of chili powder (who does that?!) and it didn't have the kick I wanted. The tabasco added a bit of spice, but it wasn't the kind that I wanted. I will try again for a better recipe!

Tuesday, November 11, 2008

Pot Roast

This is a VERY different type of pot roast, but it does NOT disappoint...it was fab!

1 packet of ranch salad dressing and seasoning mix
1 packet of Italian salad dressing mix
1 McCormick Grill Mates Peppercorn & Garlic (the original recipe called for a packet of beef gravy or au jus) and I didn't have this either, so I used steak seasoning and it was great!! Season to taste..
3 lb chuck roast
1 to 3 cups of water
Veggies: carrots, potatoes, onions chopped

The Directions.
I usually brown the outside of the pot roast on the stove first. I trimmed off excess fat and put in the crock pot.
-Add veggies.
-Add contents of the three packets mostly over meat.
-Add 1 cup of water

We cooked this overnight and it was done by 10a.m. on Sunday morning. It was divine. Anyway, you can cook it for 8 hours, and about 30 minutes before eating add the extra water because the spices are too concentrated.

Extra tidbit:
I didn't add more water, but I made a gravy out of it and it was pretty fantastic. I didn't need to add extra seasoning because THERE WAS SO MUCH flavor!
Like I said above, this seems "different" and the smell to a pregnant woman wasn't very good, but after I took a bite it was really FANTASTIC and I couldn't stop eating the meat..yum!

Pasta Faglioli (Ollve Garden)

1 pound lean ground beef, browned and drained
1/2 large red onion, chopped
1 cup carrots, chopped
2 celery stalks, sliced
2 cans (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes (and juice)
1 can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 can white beans, drained and rinsed
4 cups beef broth
1 jar (16.5 oz) pasta sauce
2 tsp oregano
1 T Tabasco sauce
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/2 cup dry pasta, to add at end of cooking time (i used whatever I had on hand..spiral pasta)

For the crockpot:
Use a 6 quart or larger crockpot, or cut the recipe in half. This makes a lot.
Brown the meat on the stovetop, and drain well. Let it cool a bit.
Chop up the carrots, onion, and celery.
Add it to the empty crockpot.
Drain and rinse the beans, and add them.
Add the whole cans of tomatoes, and the pasta sauce.
Add the beef broth.
Add the salt, pepper, oregano, and Tobasco sauce.
Stir in your meat.
Cover and cook on low for 8 hours, or high for 4. When the vegetables are tender, stir in the 1/2 cup of dry pasta. Cover and cook for another hour on low, or until the pasta is tender. It will swell quite a bit. Serve with a bit of parmesan cheese if you have it.

Stovetop:
Brown and drain meat. Add the veggies and everything else. I let this get to a boil and then simmered until Luke got home. I added the pasta about 30 minutes before we were ready to eat.

Extra tidbit:
This was FANTASTIC. Very similar to a minestrone-esque soup, but with much, MUCH MORE! Very good and I ate about 4 bowls BEFORE dinner! Yummy!

Monday, September 22, 2008

Mexican Pizza




1 premade pizza crust or one you can bake (pillsbury or boboli)
8 oz to 10 oz. ground beef
2 tbs + (to taste) taco seasoning mix
1/4 c. water
1/3 c. chopped olives
1/3 to 1/2 c. corn
1/2 to 3/4 c. cheese (more or less to liking)
1/4 c. tomotoes, diced
2 tbs. green bell peppers
1/2 c. pizza sauce

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a medium skillet, brown ground beef; drain well. Add taco seasoning mix and water, cook for about 1 minute until most of the water has evaporated. PLACE PIZZA CRUST ON A COOKIE SHEET!! (It is very heavy when all the toppings are on top!) Spread pizza sauce over crust to within 1 inch of the edge. Sprinkle meat with and cheese over top; top with rest of toppings and sprinkle more cheese on top.

Bake 10 minutes or until crust is crisp and cheese is melted.

Extra tidbits:
This is pretty good. You could even do without the pizza sauce and try refried beans. Then after it comes out add lettuce and salsa.
I had bought a can of diced tomatoes WITH green bell peppers in it and put it on the pizza...it was good! You might want to try that. OH, and dip this in sour cream. The kids loved that!

Saturday, September 20, 2008

CORDON BLEU MELTS

1 loaf baguette bread
¾ c. ham, chopped finely
1 green onion w/ green top, thinly sliced
4 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 c. shredded Swiss cheese, divided

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Slice baguette bread into 20-25 slices. Arrange on a cookie sheet. In a bowl, combine the ham, onion, cream cheese, mustard, and ¾ c. Swiss cheese. Scoop one small teaspoon onto each bread slice. Spread to the edge of each slice. Bake for 15-18 minutes. Immediately sprinkle remaining cheese over each melt. Serve hot.

Extra Tidbit:
I totally stole this hook, line and sinker from my friend, but I couldn't help it! She made them for SuperBowl '08 and I think I ate about 15 of the 20 slices. SO GOOD!

FANTASTIC CHICKEN ENCHILADAS

3 c. chicken, cooked, shredded and seasoned (more or less for your family)
Lots of shredded cheese (we use the Mexican blend, but cheddar works great too)
1 can of Cream of Chicken Soup
1 pkg of Cream Cheese (softened and cut into squares)
Sour cream (not a full container, but you do use quite a bit)
1 small can of MILD diced green chilies
red MILD enchilada sauce
Tortillas

Preheat oven to 350 Degrees.
1. CHICKEN MIXTURE: Place cooked (and still warm/hot) chicken into a kitchen aid. Add a little bit of cheese and the pkg of cream cheese (yes, I do add the WHOLE thing!), and the diced green chilies. Mix well.

2. SOUR CREAM MIXTURE: In a separate bowl, mix the cream of chicken soup and the sour cream together. Usually I put in close to equal parts of sour cream to the soup. (About 1 cup)

Take a tortilla and spread it with sour cream mixture. Put some cheese on it and then fill each tortilla with equal portions of chicken mixture. Roll up and place them in a greased 9x13 pan.

Use the rest of the sour cream mixture and slather over enchiladas. Pour enchilada sauce over the whole thing, sprinkle with cheese and place in oven.

Bake for about 20-25 minutes or until the cheese is melted and bubbling.

Extra Tidbit:
To soften the cream cheese so that it is both not TOO soft nor too clumpy, take out of box and put the cheese (still in the foil-like wrapper) on top of the preheating stove. It will warm it up without melting it.
This recipe usually makes quite a few...about 15 or so. Great for leftovers!

Serve with green salad and/or spanish rice

Spanish Rice

Buy a Rice-A-Roni Spanish Rice box and follow directions.

BLACK BEAN CHICKEN BURRITOS

4 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded (Seasoned!! Salt, Pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, seasoned salt, etc)
2 (15 oz) cans black beans, rinsed and drained
4 green onions, chopped
2 T. lemon juice
½ tsp. cumin
1 tsp. salt
½ tsp. chili powder
½ tsp. black pepper
1 lb. Pepper jack cheese, shredded (or any cheese you have in the house...pepper jack IS the best for this recipe)
8-10 tortillas
Sour cream
Salsa
Aluminum Foil

1. In a small bowl combine beans, green onions, lemon juice, cumin, and ½ tsp. salt. Mix well.
2. In another separate bowl place cooked and shredded chicken, chili powder, pepper, and remaining ½ tsp. salt. Mix that well.
3. On tortillas, place grated cheese in a line near one edge of each tortilla. Top cheese with black bean salsa and then with the chicken mixture.
4. Roll up burritos and wrap each one separately in foil and place in a 9x13 pan. Bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes or until cheese melts. Top your tortilla with sour cream and salsa.

Extra Tidbit:
We LOVE these! We have fed many-a-people with these and they have all enjoyed them.
We serve it with a green salad AND Spanish Rice.

HOT TACO RICE

1 lb. Ground beef
1 onion, chopped
1 ½ c. medium salsa
1 chicken bouillon cube (crushed) or 1 tsp. chicken granules
1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce or more to taste
Cooked Rice
Garnishes: Tortilla chips, cheddar cheese, tomatoes, sliced black olives, sour cream.

Brown beef and onion in a skillet. Add salsa, tomato sauce, and bouillon cube. Bring to a full boil; cover, reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Meanwhile prepare rice as directed on package. Serve beef mixture over rice and top with desired garnishes.

Extra Tidbit:
I got this recipe from a friend and haven't changed much other than adding MORE tomato sauce. This has a little kick to it from the salsa and even my kids will eat it when they dip their chips into it. YUM!

Stir-Fry

Stew Meat (I buy the pre-cut packages at the store. Doesn’t matter if it is cubed or in strips))
½ TB. Olive Oil
Carrots (I usually use a small bag of baby carrots)
Celery, opt.
Bell Peppers (I use ½ red, ½ yellow, and ½ green), sliced
2 packets of brown gravy, prepared
Worcestershire sauce
Rice (prepare as much as your family will eat- I usually do the minute rice and do 2 c.)

Cook stew meat in oil. Season well (salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, etc)
Add carrots and celery. Cook through.

Stir in prepared brown gravy and season with Worcestershire (a few tsp. to taste)
Add sliced bell peppers. Simmer on a lower temperature until the brown gravy starts to thicken.
(Do a taste test. We like it when the sauce has a little kick in it. If it doesn’t add a little more Worcestershire sauce. Be careful: a little sauce goes a LONG way!)

Cook rice per package instructions.

Serve over rice.

Extra Tidbit:
This may not be your regular stir-fry, but we :heart: it in our family. Have fun with it and let me know if you like it or not!

Dinnertime Quesadilla

2 c. shredded cooked chicken (after shredding-add salt, pepper, and other seasoning i.e.: onion
powder, garlic powder, seasoned salt to taste)
½ c. drained canned whole kernel corn
½ cup sliced green onions, opt.
½ c. drained canned black beans, rinsed
1 c. salsa
1 c. Mexican style shredded four cheeses
8 flour tortillas
1-2 tsp. RANCH DRESSING (add more to taste)

Layer chicken, corn, onions, beans, salsa, cheese and a squeeze of ranch over half (ONLY HALF) of each tortilla.
Fold tortillas in half to close filling.
Cook one quesadilla at a time in large non-stick skillet on medium-high heat about 3
minutes on each side or until quesadillas are lightly browned on both sides and cheese is melted.

Extra tidbit:
**Don’t throw away leftover chicken, beans or corn!! Use it on a salad—Southwestern style! Eat with a mixture of ranch and salsa for dressing—YUM!!

First Post

I was lying in bed, "just like Brian Wilson did"....ohhh, ooooookk! Anyway, I really was lying in bed and thought I needed to get a food blog started. I realize that EVVVERRRYYYOONNNNEEE and their dog has one and I am even a member of a few, but decided that I wanted a place where I could post recipes that my family likes (or doesn't like) in one place.

Cranberry Salsa Dip