German Goulasch

1 lb. beef stew meat, cut into inch-sized pieces
1 lb. onion, chopped
3 tsp. cumin
4 tblsp. paprika
2 tsp. marjoram
2.5 oz. tomato paste
salt and pepper to taste

Brown beef stew meat in a pan with some canola oil. Place the browned beef stew meat and the pound of onions in a crock pot and add as much water to the crock pot until the meat and onions are barely covered. Then add the seasonings and the tomato paste and cook it on high for 3-4 hours, depending on how tender you want your meat to be.

This dish goes well with: any kind of potatoes, green beans, cooked red cabbage and salad

Sweet Beef

For those of you who like Asian meals, this is an easy, great one!

1 lb. ground beef
4 tblsp. soy sauce
3 tblsp. sake (rice wine)
2 tblsp. sugar
Rice

Brown 1 lb. ground beef and drain grease. Keep stove top on medium low heat and add the soy sauce, sake and sugar to the ground beef. Stir occasionally. Done.
Serve over rice.

Other sides that go well with it: salad with ranch dressing, any vegetable stir-fry, corn, and soups

Frito Pie

I had this at my mother in-law's and it was so easy and yummy!

1 can Ranch Style Beans
1 can Rotel
1 can Campbell Tomato Soup
1 lb. ground beef
1 bag of Fritos
optional sides: sour cream, shredded cheddar cheese, black beans

Brown 1 lb. of ground beef and drain the grease. Add all three cans to the pan, stir and bring to a boil. Leave on stove simmering for 5-10 minutes. Done.
Arrange your plate with a layer of Fritos, then the ground beef mixture and add whichever of the optional sides you like on top (ie. sour cream, shredded cheddar cheese and/or black beans)

Tomato Basil Soup

4 C. canned whole tomatoes, crushed
4 C. tomato juice and part vegetable stock or chicken stock
12 to 14 washed fresh basil leaves
1 C. heavy cream
1/4 pound sweet, unsalted butter
salt to taste
1/4 tsp. cracked black pepper

Combine tomatoes, juice/and or stock in saucepan. Simmer 30 minutes. Puree, along with the basil leaves, in small batches, in blender, food processor (or better yet, one of those handy hand-held food blenders, right in the cooking pan).

Return to saucepan and add cream, butter, salt and pepper, while stirring over low heat.

Corn & Bacon Chowder

We just tried this one tonight. It was great! Just in time for cold weather!

2 slices bacon, chopped

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1 small onion, finely chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

1 14-ounce can reduced-sodium chicken broth 

1/2 cup low-fat milk

1 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels

1 cup frozen diced hash brown potatoes

2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives

1 teaspoon lemon juice or rice vinegar

1. Heat a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add bacon, and cook, stirring often, until crisp, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer the bacon with a slotted spoon to a paper towel-lined plate to drain.

2. Add oil, onion, garlic, thyme, salt and pepper to the pot and stir to combine. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion begins to brown and soften, about 3 minutes. Sprinkle flour over the onion mixture and stir to coat. Add broth and milk and bring to a simmer, whisking constantly. Add corn and potatoes, increase heat to medium-high and return to a simmer. Reduce heat to maintain a simmer and cook, stirring often, until the potatoes are tender, 4 to 5 minutes.

3. Transfer 1 cup of the soup to a blender and puree until smooth. Return the pureed soup to the saucepan along with chives, lemon juice (or vinegar) and the cooked bacon.

Southwestern Stuffed Acorn Squash

This one does take a while, mainly because you have to wait for the squash to cook first. It also makes enough for 6 people, but you can half the stuffing recipe and just buy 1 slightly larger acorn squash and it easily becomes a meal for 2.

3 acorn squash (3/4-1 pound each)

5 ounces bulk turkey sausage 

1 small onion, chopped

1/2 medium red bell pepper, chopped 

1 clove garlic, minced

1 tablespoon chili powder

1 teaspoon ground cumin

2 cups chopped cherry tomatoes

1 15-ounce can black beans, rinsed 

1/2 teaspoon salt

Several dashes hot red pepper sauce, to taste

1 cup shredded Swiss cheese

1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Lightly coat a large baking sheet with cooking spray.

2. Cut squash in half horizontally. Scoop out and discard seeds. Place the squash cut-side down on the prepared baking sheet. Bake until tender, about 45 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, lightly coat a large skillet with cooking spray; heat over medium heat. Add turkey sausage and cook, stirring and breaking up with a wooden spoon, until lightly browned, 3 to 5 minutes. Add onion and bell pepper; cook, stirring often, until softened, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in garlic, chili powder and cumin; cook for 30 seconds. Stir in tomatoes, beans, salt and hot sauce, scraping up any browned bits. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer until the tomatoes are broken down, 10 to 12 minutes.
4. When the squash are tender, reduce oven temperature to 325°. Fill the squash halves with the turkey mixture. Top with cheese. Place on the baking sheet and bake until the filling is heated through and the cheese is melted, 8 to 10 minutes.

Sherry's Famous Pumpkin Crunch

Layer 1

1 24oz. can pumpkin pie filling (comes in 30oz – take our 4-5 ozs.)

1 13oz. can condensed milk (evaporated)

1 cup sugar

3 eggs, beaten

1 tsp. cinnamon

Layer 2

1 yellow cake mix

1 cup chopped pecans

2 cup (2 sticks) melted butter

Mix pumpkin, condensed milk, sugar, eggs and cinnamon and pour into 9X13” pan that has been lined with wax paper (I just usually spray with Pam or Bakers Choice baking spray). Sprinkle one box yellow cake mix over the mixture. Sprinkle 1 cup chopped pecans over the cake mix. Drizzle on 2 sticks of melted butter. Bake 350 degrees for one hour. Cool and cut into squares. Or, enjoy right out of the oven – with whipped cream, of course.

Chicken Nuggets (Taste of Home)

Shea Amaro made this recipe for us one time, and I loved it immediately.

1 cup dry bread crumbs
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 tsp. dried basil
2 tsp. dried thyme
2 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper
3/4 cup butter, melted
2 1/2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch cubes

In a shallow bowl, combine the bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese and seasonings. Place butter in another shallow bowl. Dip chicken in butter, then roll in bread crumb mixture. Place in a greased 15 inch x 10 inch baking pan. Bake, uncovered at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until juices run clear.

Yield: 8 servings

Apple Coffee Cake (All Recipes)

2 apples- peeled, cored and chopped
2 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
3/4 cup butter, softened
1 cup walnuts, chopped and toasted
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt
1 egg
3/4 cup sour cream
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Butter a 9 inch round cake pan or 9 1/2 inch springform pan. Using fork, work flour with brown sugar and butter in a large bowl until crumbly. Stir in nuts. Divide mixture in half. Evenly press half into pan bottom to form a crust.
Stir baking soda, cinnamon, and salt into remaining crumb mixture until blended, then make a well in the center. In a small bowl, lightly beat egg with sour cream and vanilla until smooth.
Add to flour mixture, stirring just until combined. Fold in apples.
Evenly spread butter over crumb mixture. Bake until a cake tester inserted into center comes out fairly clean, about 1 hour and 20 minutes. If top gets too brown before cake is baked, lightly lay a piece of foil over top for last 10-20 minutes of baking. Cool in pan on a rack.

Golden Baked Pork Cutlets

1 pound pork tenderloin, trimmed

1/2 cup dry bread crumbs

1 teaspoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon paprika

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

4 teaspoons canola oil

1 large egg white, lightly beaten

4 teaspoons cornstarch

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Coat a rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray.

2. Holding a chef’s knife at a 45° angle and perpendicular to the tenderloin, slice the pork into long, thin “fillets”
3. Mix breadcrumbs, sugar, paprika, onion powder and salt in a shallow dish. Drizzle with oil and mash with a fork until the oil is thoroughly incorporated. Lightly beat egg white with a fork in another shallow dish. Sprinkle cornstarch over the pork slices and pat to coat evenly on both sides. Dip the pork into the egg, then press into the breading mixture until evenly coated on both sides. (Discard leftover mixture.)

4. Place the pork on the prepared baking sheet. Bake until just barely pink in the center and an instant-read thermometer registers 145°F, 14 to 16 minutes.

Roasted Rosemary-Onion Potatoes

This is my contribution to my families Thanksgiving Meal this year. I thought it would be a nice alternative to the traditional Mashed Potatoes. It's definitely more figure friendly.

4 medium potatoes (I'm using however many red potatoes equal that - for color)
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil or vegetable oil
2 tablespoons fresh or 2 teaspoons dried rosemary leaves
1 tablespoons fresh or 1/4 teaspoons dried thyme leaves
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper

Heat oven to 450 degrees. Grease bottom and sides of jelly roll pan, 15 1/2 x 10 1/2 x 1 inch, with shortening.

Cut potatoes into 1 inch chunks. Mix remaining ingredients in large bowl. Add potatoes, toss to coat. Spread potatoes in single layer in pan.

Bake uncovered 20 to 25 minutes, turning occasionally, until potatoes are light brown and tender when pierced with fork.

I used my Pampered Chef Large Bar Pan so I didn't have to grease the pan or turn the potatoes. The potatoes came out perfectly!

Don's Favorite Cranberry Salad

One year I spent Thanksgiving with my dear friend, Jenn's, family. They served this wonderful Cranberry Salad. It's been a part of my holidays ever since.

1 lb frozen cranberries
2 cups sugar
2 small boxes black cherry Jello*
2 cups boiling water
1 can undrained crushed pineapple
1 cup chopped pecans
8 oz cream cheese
8 oz cool whip

Grate frozen cranberries & add sugar. Dissolve Jello in boiling water. Add pineapple and pecans. Stir well and add to cranberry mixture. Pour half of cranberry mixture into bowl and put in fridge to set up. Mix well cream cheese & cool whip. Smooth cream cheese & cool whip on top of cranberry mixture. Add the remaining half to cranberry mixture on top of cream cheese mixture. Chill till firm.

*Sometimes it's hard to find Black Cherry Jello. I've substituted regular Cherry and Raspberry and Cranberry before. The last time I made this I found the Black Cherry in sugar-free only so I did one box of sugar-free and one regular Cherry.

Call for recipes!

Okay, we are on a tight budget with Christmas coming soon, so I was wondering ... What is the most cost effective meal you have ever whipped up? Something with a protein, starch, dairy, and veggie that costs very little per serving? I have several that my frugal step-mom has made over the years, and they are good and hot and filling, but am always looking for more great recipes.

So, if anyone wants to help me feed my family for next to nothing this month, post your favorite frugal recipe ... or if you already have, just link back to it in the comments section!

Thank you ladies! This blog has really helped me expand my recipes. I hope I have returned the favor.

Snappy Smothered Chicken (from Southern Living)

I saw this recipe in a recent Southern Living magazine so I cut it out. One day after work, I was running a little late getting home, but still wanted to cook so I picked up a rotisserie chicken at HEB and made this. Both Kevin and I loved it, it was pretty easy, and it made enough for both of us to have leftovers for lunch the next day. Of course, you can cook your own chicken too.

1 (8 oz.) pkg. wide egg noodles
1 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. dried thyme leaves, crumbled
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp pepper
3 tbsp. butter
1 large onion, chopped
1 package mushrooms, sliced
2 tsp. jarred minced garlic
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 cup milk
1/3 dry white wine (can substitute with 1/3 additional milk)
1 rotisserie chicken, cut into serving pieces
2 tbsp. chopped parsley

1. Prepare noodles and keep warm.
2. Meanwhile, stir together paprika, thyme, salt, and pepper in small bowl.
3. Melt butter in large skillet over med-high heat; add onion and mushrooms, and saute 8-10 minutes or until onion is tender. Stir in garlic and paprika mixture; saute 2 minutes. Add soup, milk, and if desired, wine, and bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Add chicken pieces. Reduce heat to low and cook, covered, until chicken in thoroughly heated. Stir in parsley. Serve over hot noodles.

Gorgonzola Steaks

I copied this recipe from one of Kellie's cookbooks at Bunco. It was the most flavorful beef dish I've made in ages. We ate it with roasted sweet potatoes and steamed broccoli. Delish!

Ingredients:
8 4-oz cuts of lean beef (tried it with bottom round, too tough - I'll use sirloin next time)
4 oz gorgonzola crumbles (find in cheese section, near feta, goat cheese, etc.)
1/4 cup panko breadcrumbs
2 tbsp minced garlic
2 tbsp minced shallots
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp course salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
8 green onions, chopped

Directions:
1. Preheat grill and broiler.
2. Mix garlic, shallots, olive oil, salt & pepper. Spread about 2/3 mixture over tops of steaks. Grill for about 8 minutes or until cooked as desired.
3. Place steaks on broiler pan. Sprinkle each with 1/2 oz gorgonzola and 1/2 tbsp breadcrumbs. Spread remaining oil mixture over green onions and place around steaks. Broil 5-6" from heat for 3-5 minutes or until cheese and breadcrumbs are browned.

* Note - I don't have a grill, so I just cooked everything all at once under the broiler and it worked just fine. I used thin cuts of meat, so it cooked through before cheese and breadcrumbs started to burn.

Number of Servings: 8
Nutrition per serving: 330 cal, 16 g fat, 1 g fiber, 38 g protein

Chicken Fried Steaks w/ Creamed Pan Gray & Biscuits

from Rachel Ray Top 30 30-Minute Meals

1 package bake off biscuits (such as Pillsbury) prepared to packaged directions
2 round steaks, ½ inch thick (1 ½ lbs total)
Wax paper
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons flour
1/3 cup cornmeal
1 teaspoon sweet paprika
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon freshly grated black pepper
2 eggs, beaten
2 tablespoons water
4 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons flour
1 ¼ cups beef broth or stock
¼ cup half & half or cream
Preheat a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat.

Set steaks on wax-paper-lined work surface and cover with another piece of wax paper. Pound steaks to a ¼ inch thickness. Set steaks aside. Line work surface with more wax paper. Pour ½ cup flour into each of town piles on opposite ends of this work space. Add cornmeal, paprika, salt and pepper to one pile of flour. Beat eggs and water in a pie plate or shallow dish.

Cut steaks in half and coat first in plain flour, then in egg, and then in the seasoned flour and cornmeal mixture.

Add 2 tablespoons oil to hot skillet and brown 2 steaks at a time. as they brown, remove from the pan, and add more oil as needed. When the last 2 portions are browned, add the first two back to the pan. Cover pan, lower heat to medium-low and cook covered, 15 minutes.

Remove steaks to serving platter and pour off all but 2 to3 tablespoons of drippings. Add 2 tablespoons flour to the drippings, and cook, 2 minutes. Whisk in broth and season with salt and pepper. Add half-and-half or cream and whisk into gravy. When gravy bubbles, remove from heat. Top steaks and warm biscuits with gravy and serve with steamed green beans.

Pizza Sloppy Joes

This is a super-tasty alternative to your regular sloppy joes.

1lb ground beef
1(15oz) can pizza sauce
2c Italian style cheese(whichever is your favorite, I use a blend)

-Brown ground beef in skillet, drain excess grease if necessary.

-Add in pizza sauce, mix well, and let simmer for four minutes.

-stir in half the cheese, continue to heat until melty, then serve on buns or open face on French bread that's been lightly toasted.

-Makes 4-6 typical size sandwiches

**The original Kraft recipe had it as 8oz sauce to 1lb browned ground beef, this wasn't saucy enough for our family, so we increased it to a 15oz can and now it's finger lickin' messy!

Did I die? Is this heaven?

Not only did I find this great new recipe, but a whole 'nother recipe blog that peeps from our circles post to. :)

Foil Packet Fish Tacos

adapted from a HunrgyGirl recipe ...

1lb raw tilapia (fresh or thawed from frozen)
1/2 med onion thinly sliced
1 small green bell thinly sliced
4tsp lime juice
2tsp taco seasoning
4 large or 8 small corn tortillas
**Black Beans, jack cheese, salsa, avocado**

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

Place fish and veggies in a bowl. Spray lightly with nonstick spray. Sprinkle on taco seasoning and lime juice and toss to coat.

Set out a large piece of tin foil. Set fish and veggies in middle and wrap in up in a "packet". Just make sure it's completely sealed.

Place packet on baking pan, and into oven. Bake for about 15 minutes, or until fish is cooked through and flakes easily with a fork. Drain any excess liquid and allow to cool for a few moments.

Warm tortillas, pile fish and veggies in the middle, and top with beans, cheese, salsa, or whatever tickles your fancy. We had ours with black beans and jack cheese. They were awesome.

Taco Seasoning

adapted from Allrecipes.com ...

1tbsp chili powder
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4tsp onion powder
1/4tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1/4tsp dried oregano
1/2tsp paprika
1&1/2tsp ground cumin
1tsp sea salt(or course kosher salt)
1tsp fresh ground black pepper

Just mix them all together! Works just like one packet of the store bought stuff, will season one pound ground beef or go in your favorite recipes. So much tastier, though. Hubby and I will never go back.

Parchment Chicken

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 zucchini, sliced in very fine slices- as thin as possible
1 jar of sundried tomato pesto
4 oz. feta cheese (any kind is great)

Cut yourself a 1 by 1 foot square of parchment paper and lay one individual chicken breast right int he middle. Use 5-6 slices of zucchini and place them on top of the chicken. Then add approximately 2-3 tablespoons of the sundried tomato pesto on top. (you can determine how much sundried tomato pesto you would like on your chicken; the amount is not that important, but it's important that it is in this dish!) Sprinkle at least 2 tsp. of feta cheese on top of that. Wrap the chicken up in the parchment paper so that it is sealed tight and bake it in the oven on 350 degrees for 45 minutes (or until the chicken is fully cooked)! Repeat this process with the rest of the three chicken breasts. This is very yummy. The parchment does not allow moisture to evaporate from the chicken, so this dish is very moist!

FYI- this is a meal you can order at the Studio Kitchen; Kim had assembled it herself in the past, which is why we know rough estimates on the amounts of the ingredients. You can't go wrong though. Just add of each ingredient whatever you prefer and you will find that it's yummy!

Southwestern White Chicken Chili

I lost the recipe about 5 or 6 times back, so I have been making it by memory lately. :) Here is the way I made it tonite:

1.5 lbs boneless/skinless chicken breast
4c chicken broth
1 medium onion, diced
8oz chilis, diced
3(15oz) cans of white northern beans(yes, I see the irony too)
1tbsp oregano, crushed(between your palms, and you smell good all day!)
1tbsp cumin
salt and pepper to taste
2c monterrey jack cheese, shredded

*brown chicken in a little evoo, then using two forks, shred it. I have tried dicing it, and it's just the wrong texture for this dish.

*drain and rinse the beans, you don't have to rinse, but I have found that it's a little heavy on the salt if you don't.

*combine all ingredients except cheese in Crockpot and cook on low for 7-8 hours. I have found that this is one CP recipe that does not taste as good when shortened in time and cooked on high, so I wouldn't suggest it.

*The original recipe called for you to stir the cheese in at the last minute and serve that way, but I have found most people like to regulate the amount of cheese that's in it, so I serve it on the side. If you want it "mixed in" just put it in the bottom of the bowl before ladling in the chili.

*Enjoy with tortilla chips, sour cream, or even some more chilis to garnish.

*Either everyone loves this stuff, or I have a lot of friends with some sins to confess!

Kim's Fav Five

Ok, I have alot of the same favorites as Myra, but here's my fav five that aren't already taken =)

1. Pampered Chef (PC) batter and mini-prep bowls- This is really 3 items, but they all are the same design just different sizes. I love that they're heavy glass, dishwasher safe on the bottom shelf, and they all have lids!

2. PC Measure-All cup- It makes measuring peanut butter and mayo so easy!

3. Kitchenaid Chef and Santuko knives- I asked for nice knives one Christmas, and my mother-in-law got me these. I use them every day. And I LOVE storing them on my nifty black knife rack from Ikea =)

4. Stoneware, stoneware, stoneware (PC of course)- I never burn cookies, casseroles, bread anymore, and it's easy to clean...what else is there that needs to be said?

5. PC Corer- I love how easy it is to remove the core or hull from my strawberries, and it fits in the dishwasher too.

Barbecue Peppers and Onions

2 Bell Peppers (I prefer anythng but green)
1/2 medium onion (whatever kind that is in season)
1/2 bottle Sweet Baby Rays Honey BBQ sauce

Cut peppers and onions into pieces slightly bigger than bite sized (they shrink while cooking). Throw them into a skillet, pour BBQ sauce over mixture, cook on medium for 20 to 30 minutes. Stir frequently. This can also be done on the grill if you put all ingredients into a foil packet. It seems to tke a little longer on the grill.

Fav Five

I was fixing dinner tonight and pulled out my can strainer. I love that thing and it got me thinking "What tools do I use in my kitchen all the time?" "What can't I live without". Here are my top five.

5. Can strainer - so much easier than using the lid, nothing gets through it.

4. Pyrex Measuring cups - I'm constantly using them, so much that I should probably move them from the top shelf ;)

3. Pampered Chef Bamboo spoons - Love, love, love them!

2. Pampered Chef Scrapers - Love that they won't burn and I can keep them in the pan.

1. PC Quick Stir pitcher - It can go in the dishwasher but I use it so much I hand wash it most of the time so I don't have to wait on the dishwasher!

What's your Fav Five?

Creamy Tortellini

1 6 oz. pkg. of cooked ham, cut into small pieces
1 16 oz. heavy whipping cream container
1 small can sliced mushrooms (or fresh ones if you prefer that)
2 tsp. pepper
a dash of salt
2 tablespoons butter
1 small onion, chopped
1 pkg. of frozen tortellini or packaged dried tortellini (either works great)

Melt the butter in saucepan(medium heat), add onions and saute until the onions are silvery. Add the pepper and and cooked chopped ham. Stir a couple of times. Add the heavy whipping cream and turn to medium-high heat until the sauce starts to boil. Stir and remove from stove.

Boil water in pot (note: if you try to boil water, it goes quicker if you add the salt right before it starts boiling instead of at the beginning; it takes much longer to boil if you add the salt earlier than later!) and add the tortellini to the water once water is boiling. Cook for roughly 10 minutes.

Serve tortellini sauce over tortellini! Tastes great with bread and salad as side dishes!

Note: This dish can be cooked very quickly!

Spinach Chicken Parmesan

1/2c Parmesan Cheese
1/2c bread crumbs(italian seasoned, or add seasoning)
1 large egg
4 bnlss/sknlss chicken breasts
1/4c diced onions
4tsp flour
4tsp butter
2/3c milk
2(10oz)pkg frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
6 slices mozzarella cheese
pasta and sauce of choice

*Preheat oven to 350F
*Rinse and pat dry the chicken breasts, place them between plastic wrap on a cutting board or counter and pound them to about 1/4 inch. They will look like they doubled in size, it was cool.
*Dip breasts in beaten egg, then in a mixture of the breadcrumbs and Parmesan cheese, and place in large casserole dish. I used my round baker from PC. Whitney's right, the bottom gets just as crisp as the tops in those things, no soggy chicken.
*In skillet, melt butter, add onions and brown, then stir in flour. Add milk all at once and continue to simmer and stir until bubbly. Stir in spinach and then spoon mixture onto each chicken breast. Place slices of mozzarella over chicken to cover(doesn't have to completely cover) the spinach mixture.
*Bake at 350F for 30-35 minutes until chicken is cooked through. I found I only needed the 30mins.
*Cook your pasta and warm sauce while chicken is in oven. Place a small mound of pasta on one side and slightly overlap with chicken breast, then spoon sauce across both. Pretty and pretty tasty!

This was a combo of several different Chicken Parm recipes from Allrecipes.com. I couldn't find one I really loved, so I mixed ingredients and techniques from about four of them. I served this with a mixed green salad and even Bubba was loving this chicken.

FYI: The Italian seasoning is to taste. I used the seasoned breadcrumbs and I thought it was perfect, but Matthew said he would like a little more kick. :)

Sopapilla Cheesecake

I made this recipe once for Bunco. My mother-in-law gave it to me, and I think it's easy and tasty!

2 cans crescent rolls
2 packages 8 oz cream cheese, softened
1 stick butter
1 1/2 c. sugar
2 tbsp. cinnamon

In 9x13 baking dish, lay flat one can of crescent rolls. Mix cream cheese and 1 cup sugar. Spread over crescent rolls. Lay next can of crescent rolls over cream cheese mixture. Melt butter and mix together 1/2 c. sugar and cinnamon. Pour butter/sugar mixture over top.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes.

Easy Yummy Chocolate Cookies

1 pkg. Devils food cake mix
2 eggs
1/2 c. vegetable oil
1ish c. oatmeal (I use a little more than 1 cup)
chocolate chips (however many you like, probably around 1 cup)

Mix. Bake for 8-9 minutes at 350 degrees.

Black Bean Salsa

Here is a recipe stolen from an Abilene coffee shop. Enjoy!

1 can corn (i like the gold & white)
1 can black beans (drained and rinsed)
1/2 red bell pepper
1/2 bunch green onions
Juice of a small lime or 1/2 a biggin'
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon garlic salt

Put it all together and serve with chips and sour cream. You can add cilantro, too, as the original recipe called for. It's my fall-back party food.

Elegant Artichoke Cups

This is a Pampered Chef Recipe

1 Tbsp vegetable oil
24 square wonton wrappers
1 can (14 ounces) artichoke hearts in water, drained and coarsely chopped
1/2 medium red bell pepper, diced
1/4 cup (1 ounce) grated fresh Parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp lemon zest
2 Tbsp finely chopped fresh parsley
1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 clove garlic pressed
Additional grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly brush wonton wrappers with vegetable oil and press them into mini-muffin pan (oil side down). Bake 6 minutes or just until edges of wrappers are light brown. Remove from oven and let cool.
Meanwhile combine remaining ingredients in a medium bowl. Fill each wonton cup with 1 tbsp artichoke mixture, sprinkle with additional Parmesan cheese. Bake 8 minutes or until edges of wontons are golden brown and cheese begins to melt.

Mexican Cornbread Casserole

I tried this recipe I found from my friend, Rachel's, recipe blog. It was really easy and really yummy. Click on the title to see the recipe.

The only thing I changed was I used 2 packets of the yellow cornbread mix instead of the sweet cornbread mix.

Cranberry Pork Roast

I made this last week and it was really good even though it sounds kinda weird.

1 to 1 1/2 lb pork roast (you can also do a pork loin but you'll have a lot of sauce left)
1 can Cranberry sauce (whole or jellied - I used whole)
Catalina Dressing
1 packet Lipton Onion Soup Mix

Place meat in Crock Pot. Cover with Catalina Dressing (use enough to cover the meat), Cranberry Sauce and Onion Soup Mix. Cook on low for 6-8 hours.

Rice Krispie Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

These are the cookies that I made for game night.. a few of you had asked for the recipe, so here it is! Enjoy :)

1 cup butter (2 sticks).. yes it's a lot, which is why they're good, right?
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 tbsp. milk
2 tsp. vanilla
3 1/2 cups flour
3 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups Rice Krispies (cereal)
1 1/2 cups Quick Oats
12 oz. chocolate chips

Beat butter, sugars, egg, milk, and vanilla. Gradually add the flour, baking soda, and salt. Add oil and blend well. Stir in cereal, oats, and chocolate chips. Bake on ungreased cookie sheet for 8-10 minutes on 350 degrees.

Bacon Potato Soup

2/3 cup lean bacon, diced
1 medium onion, diced
2 Tbsp flour
6 cups beef bouillon
4 medium potatoes, chopped
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup milk
2 egg yolks (optional, I think they thicken the soup)
Parsley, salt, pepper to taste
Shredded cheese as topping if desired.

In heavy saucepan or dutch oven, brown bacon. If you don't use lean bacon, you may want to drain off some of the drippings, but be sure to leave enough to brown the onion and flavor the soup. Add chopped onion and cook over low heat until onion is tender, not brown. Add some beef bouillon and blend in flour to thicken, then gradually add the rest of the bouillon. Add potatoes, cover and simmer about 45 minutes or until potatoes are done. In a small bowl, blend together until smooth: sour cream, milk, and egg yolks (I leave these out). Spoon a little of the hot broth into the cream mixture and then slowly stir warmed mixture into hot soup. Do not allow to boil. Add parsley, salt, and pepper to taste and cheese if desired.

Servings: 4-5

Layered Toffee Cake

2 cups (1 pint) whipping cream
1/2 cup caramel or butterscotch ice cream topping
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 prepared angel food cake (I make mine sometimes from a box mix or just buy already baked in the store)
Heath crushed toffee bits (in the baking isle by the chocolate chips)

In a mixing bowl, beat cream just until it begins to thicken. Gradually add the ice cream topping and vanilla, beating until soft peaks form. The orginal recipe says to cut the the cake in 3 layers and frost between adding the toffee bits, but I keep things easy and just keep the cake whole and frost the outside and then sprinkle the toffee bits on the top and sides. Store in the refrigerator.

You can also use cool whip instead of the whipping cream and add the caramel topping to it, but cool whip already has sugar so make sure to reduce the amount of caramel topping so it doesn't come out too sweet.

Dr. Pepper Brisket

1 full size brisket
4 c. water
12 oz. Dr. Pepper
3 bottles of barbecue sauce (the cheap stuff)

Place brisket fatty side up in a large roaster pan. Pour water into the pan. Stab the brisket with a knife about ten times. Pour Dr. Pepper over brisket. Pour 1 bottle of barbecue sauce over brisket. Cover. Cook at 300 for about 12-15 hours. I use an electric roaster, but the oven should work just as well. At 8 hours, pour another bottle of barbecue sauce on the brisket. Repeat at 11 hours. Chill the meat before slicing. Reheat and serve.

Labels

I thought it would be a good idea to get organized by using the Labels feature when we post recipes. I've gone through the past posts and labeled them. From now on when you post use the label feature at the bottom of the text box (click "Show All") and select the appropriate labels or add a new one. This will help when searching for a recipe.

Thanks!

Easy Florentine Rolls

4 green onions, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tblsp. olive oil
1 6 oz. pkg. fresh baby spinach leaves
1/4 cup snipped fresh basil (I just used dried basil)
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1 13 oz. pkg. refrigerated pizza dough
1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
2 tblsp. toasted pine nuts
1 tblsp. butter, melted
1/4 cup finely shredded Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease twelve 2 1/2 inch muffin cups; set aside. In a large skillet, cook green onions and garlic in 1 tablespoon of olive oil until tender. Add spinach and basil; cook and stir over medium heat just until wilted. Drain off excess liquid. Stir in salt and pepper. Set aside.
On a well-floured surface, unroll pizza dough and shape into a 12x8 inch rectangle. Brush surface of dough with the remaining olive oil. Spread spinach mixture to within 1 inch of the edges of dough. Sprinkle with feta cheese and pine nuts. Starting with one of the long sides, roll dough into a spiral.
Slice roll into 12 pieces. Place cut side up in prepared muffin cups. Brush with butter and sprinkle Parmesan cheese on top. Bake for 18-20 minutes. Carefully remove from cups and serve warm. Makes 12 rolls.

Tip: I made these for the Pampered Chef party last weekend, and I would use more baby spinach leaves and cheese, because you could taste more of the pizza dough then the rest of the ingredients! Other than that, they were pretty good!

FYI- this was an award-winning recipe in the Better Homes and Gardens Magazine!

Creamy Chicken (Crockpot Recipe)

6 chicken thighs, skin and bone still in
1/2 pkg. of Hidden Valley Dressing Mix
4 oz. sour cream
1 can cream of mushroom soup
2 tsp. basil
2 tsp. marjoram
4 tblsp. white cooking wine
Salt and pepper to taste

Place the chicken thighs in the crockpot. Mix the rest of the ingredients together and pour on top of chicken. Turn crockpot on high for 4 hours or low for 6-8 hours. Voila.

* Since there is so much sauce, we ate this recipe with potatoes, but Wilson thinks that rice might even be better.

Whatcha Got Cookin'

Hey Friends!

My friend Rachel from my OC days has put together a recipe sharing blog called "Whatcha Got Cookin' ". It's much like Kitchen Karma. I added a link to this blog so you can check it out for even more recipe ideas. Enjoy!

Cream Cheese Crescent Rolls

This is the easy version of what I made for Bunco...

canned refrigerated crescent roll dough
cream cheese
powdered sugar
milk

Unroll and separate cresent rolls. Put about 1 tsp. of cream cheese in the middle of the wide end of the crescent roll. Roll up crescent roll as usual. Bake as directed on crescent roll can. Combine powdered sugar and milk to make icing. Start with about 3/4 cup powdered sugar and add enough milk to make the icing thin enough to drizzle. If you add too much milk, just add more powdered sugar. Drizzle icing over baked crescent rolls.

Tip: Whipped cream cheese is easier to spread and has less fat per tsp. than regular cream cheese.

Mom's Homemade Barbecue Sauce

1 C ketchup
1 C brown sugar
1/2 C red wine vinegar
2 T lemon juice
2 Large plum baby food
1 Medium chopped onion
1 T mustard

Combine and simmer.

Mom's Fantasy Fudge

3 C sugar
3/4 C margarine
5 1/3 fl. oz. can evap. milk (-2/3C)
1 12oz. pkg. semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 7 oz. jar Kraft Marshmallow Cream
1 C chopped nuts
1 tsp. vanilla

Combine sugar, margarine and milk in heavy 3 qt. saucepan. Bring to a full rolling boil, stirring contstantly. Continue boiling for 5 minutes while stirring (set a timer).

Remove from heat. Stir in chocolate chips until melted. Add marshmallow cream, nuts and vanilla. Beat until well blended. Pour into greased 9x13 pan. Cool at room temp.

Cut into squares; makes 3 lbs.

Mom's Easy Sausage Balls

8 oz. extra sharp cheese (cracker barrel brand)
1 lb. sausage (breakfast sausage works best)
2 C Bisquick

Combine well. Drop and shape on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 400 til brown (approx. 12 min.). Can be frozen and then baked.

Mom's Yeast Rolls

2 C flour
1 C warm water
1 pkg yeast
1 tsp salt
2T oil
3T sugar

Dissolve yeast in warm water. Mix in all ingredients. Roll out on floured board. Knead. Cut with cookie/biscuit cutter and place on cookie sheet. Rise 1-2 hours (I let them rise while we're at church on Sunday mornings).

Bake at 425 for 10 minutes.

Rising Hints: put sheet of biscuits into cool oven (or cover with a towel) so that they rise better.

Fiesta Soup

I'm sure this is similar to alot of people's taco soup recipes, but since Briana's making me post, here it is:

1 pound cooked ground beef
1/2 cup chopped onion
15 ounce can diced tomatoes
12 ounce can Rotel tomotoes
1 envelope taco seasoning
1 envelope Ranch dressing
1 cup water
15 ounce can pinto beans
15 ounce can kidney beans
15 ounce can corn
Tortilla chips & cheese, avocado & sour cream if desired for toppings

-Rinse benas and corn. Combine with other ingredients. Simmer until onions are cooked. Pour soup into bowls and top with tortilla chips and cheese. You can also put avocado or sour cream on top if you like that!

Shout out for Taco Soup!

Hey Kim, where's the recipe? Plus, anyone else who has good ones. I am looking for more soup recipes. :) Thanks ladies!

Beef Enchiladas

This is Grant's Favorite!

1 lb. ground beef
1 16 oz package shredded cheddar cheese
Taco seasoning
12 corn tortillas
1-2 cans Mild Old El Paso Enchilada sauce


Brown ground beef. Season beef according to the directions on the taco seasoning. Warm tortillas in a covered dish in the microwave for about 90 seconds. Pour and spread half of the enchilada sauce in the bottom of a 16" x 9" pan. For each enchilada: lay both sides of tortilla in sauce, put about 2 Tbsp. on tortilla, sprinkle lightly with cheese, roll up. Repeat this process until all tortillas are used. Pour remaining sauce over enchiladas and sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake at 350 until cheese melts (about 5-10 minutes).

Tip: White corn tortillas are easier to roll that yellow corn tortillas.

Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies

This afternoon I mentioned that I wished we had something sweet to eat. I woke up from a nap to the sounds and smells of baking in the kitchen. My sweet husband was making me cookies!

Here's what he made me. They are Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies. They are really rich and so good.

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
6 tablespoons butter, softened
1 cup white sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar

1. Combine four, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
2. Melt 1 cup of chocolate chips over low heat. Cream butter and sugar. Add melted chocolate chips and vanilla; beat in eggs; add flour mixture and remaining chocolate chips.
3. Wrap in plasti can freeze until firm (about 20 minutes)
4. Make small balls (1 inch); roll in confectionares' sugar. Place on ungreased cookie sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes at 350 degrees F . Cool on wire wrack.

I think the best part about these cookies is that I didn't have to clean up!

Blackstrap Pork Chops

This is one of Jason's favorites and the only pork chop recipe I make. Quick and easy.

2-4 Pork Chops (depending on how many you're serving)
Olive oil (or oil of choice)
Salt and pepper

Sauce
1/3 cup molasses
3 tblspns A-1 sauce (or similar)
1/4 tspn allspice
1/4 tspn crushed red pepper flakes

Combine the sauce ingredients together. Heat 1 tbspn of oil in skillet. Sprinkle pork with salt and pepper on both sides and add to skillet. Brown on each side 4 minutes. Add sauce and cook another 2 minutes on each side or until pork chops are done.

Mama Grasham's Meatloaf

1 lb. ground beef
2 slices bread, soaked in water, crumbled
5 tblsp. Heinz ketchup
1 egg
1 tsp. garlic salt
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1 tblsp. marjoram
2 tsp. worcestershire sauce
1 onion, chopped
1/2 tsp. mustard
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper

Mix all ingredients listed together and form mixture into a loaf. Place loaf in baking dish and cover top with additional Heinz Ketchup and 1 tsp. oregano. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.

Cucumber Salad with Sour Cream

1 large cucumber
1/2 cup sour cream
1 1/2 tblsp. vinegar
1 tblsp. chives, chopped
3/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. white pepper

Peel and slice cucumber and put into a bowl. Mix together sour cream, vinegar, chives, salt, and white pepper and pour over cucumber slices. Toss lightly to coat evenly. Chill in refrigerator.
Makes 4-6 servings.

* I add chopped yellow onions or green onions (just depends on what I have in my fridge) instead of the chives!

Moist Butterscotch Cake

1 box yellow cake mix
1 small box instant vanilla pudding
1/2 cup oil
4 eggs
1 8-oz. carton sour cream
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup (1/2 package) butterscotch morsels

Mix all together with mixer, except the morsels. After mixing, spoon morsels in. Flour bundt pan and bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour. Cool 10-15 minutes before taking out of the pan.

**This is very easy to make, it's moist, and good with ice cream!

Festive Cranberry Pineapple Salad

1 can crushed pineapple, drained
1 box raspberry jello
1 can whole cranberry sauce
1 medium apple, chopped (any kind of apple works)
2/3 cup walnuts, chopped

Add all ingredients (except raspberry jello) into the bowl you want to serve this dish in, and then cook the jello according to box directions. Pour the jello in the bowl and mix it. Refrigerate according to box directions. Done!

* I usually don't like jello salads, but this one was great!

Nanny's Bread Pudding

3 cups crumbled bread (about 3-4 slices or biscuits)
1 tsp. vanilla
2 eggs
1 cup sugar
1 stick margarine
2 cups milk

Put crumble bread into an 8 x 10 baking dish. Mix all othe ingredients and pour over bread. Bake at 350 for 35 minutes. Serve hot or cold.


This recipe is really easy and great for dry or stale bread.

Goldfish Yummies

3 pgg. (6 oz. each) of goldfish crackers
1 envelope Ranch dressing mix
3 tsp. dill weed
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. lemon-pepper seasoning
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
2/3 cup vegetable oil

Put goldfish in a large bowl. Whisk together rest of ingredients in a second bowl and drizzle over crackers, tossing to coat. Transfer to 2 ungreased large baking pans (15x10x1) Bake at 250 for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Yield: 2 1/2 quarts.

Pesto Pasta Salad

This is a light Italian style pasta salad, which, in my opinion, is better at room temperature than chilled, but it is tasty either way!

8 oz. uncooked rotelle or spiral pasta
4 cups broccoli florets (I used frozen)
1 pkg. Knorr pesto pasta sauce mix
1/3 cup olive oil
3 tbsp. red wine vinegar
1 cup cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
1 cup grated mozzarella cheese (4 oz)

Cook pasta w/ package directions; add broccoli in the last 5 minutes. (I gradually added the frozen broccoli so that the water still boiled.) Drain and rinse with cold water until cool.

In bowl, combine sauce mix, oil and vinegar. Add pasta with broccoli, tomoatoes, cheese, salt and pepper to taste. Toss.

Suggestions: add 1-1/2 c diced cooked chicken or 6 oz. cooked shrimp or 1 cup diced cooked ham.

**The hardest part of this recipe was finding th Knorr package. It is probably next to the pasta and pasta sauces.

Creamy Potatoes

Ok, Ladies, I made this recipe, but I didn't quite follow the directions like it said, and it came out scrumptiously, so I will write the recipe the way I found it, but along the way give my recommendations.

2 cups diced potatoes (I used more like 4 cups of the golden potatoes.)
2 cups shredded cheese (I think I used a liberal amount of Monteray Jack)
2 cups sour cream
2 small 14 oz cans cream of mushroom/chicken (I used 2 of Campbell's cream of potato)
1 small onion, chopped
1 cup crushed cornflakes
2 sticks of butter, melted (To me this was way too much, so in the future I think I will half it.)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease large 13x9 inch baking pan. Mix all ingredients except cornflakes and butter. Place in pan. Cover dish with crushed cornflakes. DDrizzle butter on top. Bake uncovered for 60-90 minutes until tender.

Squash Casserole

2 large squash(the green ones)
1c parmesan
1c mayo or miracle whip
1sm onion diced or sliced(depending on if you want big pieces or little)
1 green bell pepper(diced or sliced)
2 eggs, whipped
S&P to taste




1. Slice squash(my hubby actually prefers big chunks, but original recipe is for thin slices), place in pan, cover with water, cook till squishy
2. drain cooked squash in colander place in bowl
3. add all the rest of the ingredients and mix well
4. Spray casserole dish and pour mixture in
5. Cook at 350 degrees for 45minutes or until golden brown on top and mixture is set throughout

This recipe is originally from Mamma Mills and has actually won honorable mention in the Kraft summer recipe contest a few years back. :)

Feta Chicken (All Recipes)

Caren had told me that she makes a Feta Chicken recipe, so I went to All Recipes.com and found one just like it. This was a very easy and great recipe!

6 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
6 oz. of feta cheese, crumbled
1/4 cup italian seasoned breadcrumbs

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 9x13 inch baking dish. Place chicken between to pieces of wax paper. Gently pound chicken with flat side of meat mallet or rolling pin until about 1/4 inch thick; remove wax paper. Place 1 ounce of feta cheese in the center of each chicken breast, and fold in half.
Spread two tablespoons of the breadcrumbs in the bottom of a prepared baking dish. Arrange chicken in the dish, and top with remaining breadcrumbs.
Bake 25-30 minutes in the preheated oven or until chicken is no longer pink and juices run clear.

Strawberry Peach Crisp

If you get the Kraft magazine, this recipe came from Spring 07 issue. If not, here's the recipe. It was very easy and my out-of-town guests loved it so much, I was sorry that I had made a 1/2 batch.

1/2 cup flour, divided
2 cans peach slices, drained
2 cups halved strawberries
3/4 cup, plus 2 Tbsp. firmly packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) cold butter
3 cups Honey Bunches of Oats with Almonds cereal, lightly crushed
1/2 cup thawed Cool Whip

Preheat oven to 350. Remove 2 Tbsp. of flour; set aside. Toss peach slices with strawberries, 3/4 cup sugar and remaining flour in large bowl. Place in ungreased 8-inch square baking dish.

Mix reserved 2 Tbsp. flour and 2 Tbsp. sugar in separate large bowl. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add cereal; stir until well blended. Sprinkle over fruit mixture.

Bake 25 min. or until topping is lightly browned. Serve with whipped topping.*



*We served ours with strawberry gelato instead of cool whip & it was great!

Pesto Chango 2

A while back Caren posted some ideas for using Pesto. I had a Rachel Ray moment this week and thought I'd share because it turned out "Yum-mo"!

Sun dried Tomato Pesto Chicken & Pasta w/ Feta

Store bought Sun dried Tomato Pesto (I bought mine in the refridgerated pasta case but you can get it in the canned tomato aisle too.
4 Boneless, Skinless Chicken Tenders
1/2 Box Mini - Penne Pasta
Feta Cheese, crumbled

Cover the chicken with a few tablespoons (eye-balled) of the pesto and marinate for an hour or two. Then bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.
Cook the pasta according to package then toss with a few more tablespoons (eye-balled) of pesto.
Place pasta in baking dish and put chicken on top. Sprinkle chicken with feta cheese and bake for 10 minutes to warm the cheese.

I made this for just Patrick and I so if you're cooking for more than adjust the quantities to your liking. Also you can use chicken breasts or a different kind of pasta, too.

Chicken and Spinach Quiche

2 unbaked deep dish pie crusts
4 cup chopped, cooked chicken
1 cup shredded swiss cheese
1 10 oz. package frozen chopped spinach cooked & drained
1/4 cup chopped onion
2 eggs slightly beaten
3/4 cup Miracle Whip Light
3/4 cup milk
1/2 tsp dried basil
black pepper
sprinkle top w/ parmesan cheese

Prick crusts with fork, bake at 375 degrees for 10 minutes. Remove from oven.
In a large bowl toss chicken, cheese, spinach and onion. Spoon into crusts.
Stir remaining ingredients together and pour over chicken mixture.
Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes or until golden brown*. Remove from oven and let set up for 15-20 minutes.
*Lay a piece of foil lightly over each quiche until the last 15-20 minutes so they don't get too dark. Sometimes they need more than 40 minutes.

This is my Mother-in-Law's recipe. It's really yummy and I usually freeze one of the quiches for later because it makes a lot for 2 people. And although quiche is usually considered a "girly" food, my husband really likes this one. It's more chicken and spinach than egg.

Mexican Steak & Beans (Crockpot Recipe)

1 1/2 lbs. beef flank steak
2 tbs. worcestershire sauce
1 10 oz. can chopped tomatoes with green chilie peppers (Rotel)
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbs. snipped fresh oregano or 1 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. chili powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
2 small green, red, and/or yellow sweet peppers, cut into strips
1 15 oz. can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
3 cups hot cooked rice
crumbled queso fresco (optional)

Trim fat from meat. Place meat in a slow cooker. Condition meat with salt and pepper (Not
recipe measurements) and worcestershire sauce. In a bowl, stir together undrained tomatoes, onion, garlic, dried oregano (if using), chili powder, cumin, salt and pepper (recipe measurements). Pour over meat.
Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 6-8 hours or on high-heat setting for 2-4 hours.
If using low-heat setting, turn to high-heat setting. Add sweet pepper strips and pinto beans. Cover and cook for 30 minutes more. Remove meat; cool slightly. Shred or thinly slice meat across the grain. If using, stir in fresh oregano into bean mixture.
To serve, spoon rice into soup bowls or into flour tortillas for soft tacos. Arrange meat on rice. Spoon bean mixture over meat. Sprinkle with cheese and additional snipped oregano, if desired.
Additional condiments include, but are not limited to sour cream, guacamole, cilantro, salsa, etc.

Fabulous Chocolate Chip Cookies

In large bowl cream together:
2/3 cup shortening
2/3 cup margarine (10 and 1/3 TBSP)
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 tsp. vanilla

Beat in:
2 eggs

Stir in:
3 cups flour (more may be added if humidity is very high)
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt

Add:
3 cups chocolate chips

Spoon out onto cookie sheets, keeping balls of dough about 1 inch apart. (You can put up to 20 cookies on a standard sheet) This recipe makes approximately 60 cookies. Bake at 350 degrees for 11 - 12 minutes.

Sunday Brunch Casserole

INGREDIENTS

• 1/2 pound sliced bacon
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1/2 cup chopped green pepper
• 12 eggs
• 1 cup milk
• 1 (16 ounce) package frozen hash brown potatoes, thawed
• 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon dill weed

DIRECTIONS

1. In a large skillet, cook bacon over medium heat until crisp. Remove to paper towels; drain, reserving 2 tablespoons drippings. Crumble bacon and set aside. In same skillet, saute onion and green pepper in drippings until tender; remove with a slotted spoon.
2. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs and milk. Stir in hash browns, cheese, salt, pepper, dill, onion mixture and reserved bacon.
3. Transfer to a greased 13-in. x 9-in. x 2-in. baking dish. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees F for 35-45 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean.

Some Like It Hot Potato Salad

5 lbs red potatoes
4 hard-boiled eggs, chopped
1 medium purple onion, chopped
1-2 stalks of celery, chopped (optional)
1/2 cup salad olives, sliced
1 small can black olives, sliced
1 small bottle of bacon bits
1 Tbsp minced garlic
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
2 cups mayonnaise
salt and pepper

Peel and cube the potatoes. Salt. Boil potatoes until just tender. Drain and place into a very large bowl. Pour boiled eggs over the potatoes. In a separate bowl, mix all other ingredients. Fold mixture in with potatoes and eggs. Add more mayonnaise if necessary. Best when serverd warm.

Crisp Asparagus

1 bunch of fresh asparagus
2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. pepper
2 tblsp. olive oil

Place fresh asparagus in a shallow glass dish. Sprinkle the olive oil evenly on the asparagus. Do the same for the salt and pepper. Bake for 20 minutes on 350 degrees on the broil setting (place the glass dish on the top rack). Stir once or twice during the baking process.

Tip: You can add any of your favorite vegetables to the asparagus and add a bit more salt, olive oil and pepper to give yourself more variety.

Chicken Roll-Ups

1 can crescent rolls
4 chicken breasts, cooked and diced
1 bunch green onions, chopped
1 8 oz. pkg. cream cheese
1 cup butter or margarine, melted
italian bread crumbs

Mix onions, chicken and cream cheese together. Spread crescent rolls flat and try to make them as a square. Put 1 tblsp. of the mixture into each roll. Fold and close so that the mixture will not leak out when baked. Place stuffed rolls on a cookie sheet with tucked sides down. Dip each roll-up in melted butter and roll in bread crumbs. Bake 25-30 minutes at 350 degrees.

Pesto Chango

At the last Bunco night, a few of us were singing the praises of pesto, our favorite blend of basil, olive oil and pine nuts. It's a pricey item for us ($4 or $5 at the deli), so I try to use every last bit and not let any go bad. Here's how I use it.

Pesto Chicken Pasta
Just grill boneless, skinless chicken breasts in an oil-based Italian dressing in a pan and toss with penne pasta and pesto sauce to liking. Top with fresh parmesan and pepper to taste.

Pesto Turkey Quesadillas
Wheat Tortillas
Pesto
Thin-scliced turkey breast
Mozzarella cheese
Butter

Spoon pesto over the entire wheat tortilla and then layer turkey and cheese on one half. Fold over the tortilla and grill (I use a gridle and Smart Balance) until cheese is melted.

Grilled Cheese and Tomato Soup
No recipe needed. I just add pesto to the grilled cheese and the soup to add some flavor.

Bachelorette Pesto Pasta
Jason's not a tomato eater, but when he's out of the house, I love to make a simple pasta with a bit of pesto, fresh basil, parmesan and tomatoes.

Do any of you have pesto-using recipes to share so I could change it up?

Not your traditional pasta salad ...

This is my first reference to this woman's cooking, but she is quite possibly a genius(check out her own recipe for an all natural THIN MINT!) This pasta salad is light, delicious, and utterly non-scary as I have always found pasta salads to be. :)

Ravioli Pasta Salad

I used a ricotta-stuffed buckwheat pasta, but any standard cheese-stuffed ravioli will also work if that is what your store offers. Many of you might be able to locate a spinach pasta ravioli - this would be a good alternative as well. I came across some bright red spinach at the market this weekend (red orach German Mt. spinach), so I used 1/2 red and 1/2 standard baby spinach. Use whatever is available to you. I love the color the red spinach adds to the bowl, but the downside is it tends to stain the ravioli a bit (in the way rainbow chard or beets can).

1/2 pound ricotta-stuffed ravioli
1 bunch thin asparagus, cut on deep bias (angle)
10 ounce bag organic peas, thawed overnight in refrigerator
3 - 4 big handfuls baby spinach, washed (any stems removed - optional)
a couple splashes of extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup pine nuts, toasted
fine grain sea salt
Parmesan cheese, for garnish

Prep all of your ingredients ahead of time - cut asparaus, wash spinach, etc.
Into an extra-large pot of well-salted boiling water add the raviolis. After a few minutes, when a couple of the raviolis begin to float, add the asparagus and peas. Because the asparagus is thin and the peas aren't frozen, you'll need to cook them only for about a minute - really quick, just enough to brighten up the peas and give the asparagus a touch of tenderness.

Drain everything into a large colander. Immediately transfer to a large bowl, add the spinach and pine nuts, and gently toss with a couple big splashes of olive oil and a pinch or two of salt. Serve in a big bowl or on a simple platter with a bit shaved Parmesan crumbled on top.

Serves 4 to 6.

Thank you Heidi!

30 Minute Almond Chicken

- 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, thawed
- ¼ cup Italian dressing
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1 can green beans (drained)
- 1 cup Minute Rice (uncooked)
- ¼ cup chopped almonds

Toss chicken in dressing; pour into electric skillet/pan on medium high.
Cook chicken on each side 4 minutes or until browned.
Stir in broth, bring to a boil; simmer 10 minutes.
Add green beans; cook 5 minutes or until chicken is done.
Remove chicken from skillet.
Add rice & almonds & mix; remove from heat and let set 5 minutes.

Serve chicken over rice mixture.

From the Kraft Foods Magazine
This has become one of our favorite weekday dinners. You can make it your own by switching out the dressing (we like Roasted Red Pepper Italian) or the nuts or the beans.

Mexican Salad

- lettuce of your choice
- fritos, crushed
- cherry tomatoes
- cubed cheese
- 1/2 lb. ground beef, browned
- 1 can ranch style beans, drained & rinsed
- 1 can pineapple tidbits, drained
- Kraft Free Catalina dressing

I know that everyone has their own favorite version of this recipe; this is mine! I'd love to see what ideas you put into your favorite salads for the summer! :-)

Country Apple Coffee Cake

Coffee Cake:
2 Tablespoons margarine or butter, softened, divided
1 ½ cups chopped peeled apples
1 (12 oz) can refrigerated flaky biscuits
1/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/3 cup light corn syrup
1 ½ teaspoons whiskey, if desired (I leave this out)
1 egg
1/2 cup pecan halves or pieces

Glaze:
1/3 cup powdered sugar
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
1 to 2 teaspoons milk

Heat oven to 350 F. Using 1 tablespoon margarine, generously grease 9-inch round cake pan or 8-inch square pan. Spread 1 cup of the apples in greased pan. Separate dough into 10 biscuits; cut each into quarters. Arrange biscuit pieces, points up, over apples. Top with remaining 1/2 cup apples.

In small bowl, combine 1 Tablespoon margarine, brown sugar, cinnamon, corn syrup, whiskey and egg; beat 2 to 3 minutes or until sugar is partially dissolved. Stir in pecans, spoon over biscuit pieces and apples.Bake at 350 for 35 to 45 minutes or until deep golden brown. Cool 5 minutes.

In a small bowl, blend all glaze ingredients, adding enough milk for desired drizzling consistency. Drizzle over warm cake. Serve warm or cool. Store in refrigerator. Yield: 8 servings.

Comments: I have to give credit to Briana for finding this one in the Pillsbury bake-off cookbook and sharing it with me! Thanks Briana...it's so yummy =)

Black Eyed Pea Soup -- Perfect for Fall!

6 slices bacon, crisply cooked and crumbled, drippings reserved
1 onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 tsp pepper4 oz. can chopped green chiles (I used 1-2 fresh serranos, instead)
4 15-1/2 oz cans black eyed peas2
14-1/2oz. cans beef broth
10-oz. can Ro-tel
*I like to add 1-2 packages of whole mushrooms, quartered, to make the soup more hearty

In large sauce pan, mix together onion, garlic, salt, pepper, chiles/serranos, and mushrooms (if you choose to add them), and add to bacon drippings. Saute until onion is golden brown. Add bacon and remaining ingredients. Increase heat to medium-high and bring to a boil. Remove from heat- makes 8-10 servings.

Make it healthier: cut out the bacon and/or use low sodium broth
Make it Vegetarian/Vegan: Remove the bacon, use veggie broth instead of beef, make sure the black eyed pea cans don't have any bacon bits in them
Make it hotter!: Use HOT Rotel, instead of regular

Eggplant Parmigiana

2 cups spaghettie sauce
2 small unpeeled eggplants (about 1 pound each)
1 large egg
2 tablespoons water
2/3 cup dry bread crumbs
1/3 cup grated Parmesane cheese
1/4 cup olive or vetetable oil
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (8 ounces)

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

Cut eggplant into 1/4-inch slices. Mix egg and water. Mix bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese. Dip eggplant into egg mixture, then coat with bread crumb mixture.

Heat oil in 12-inch skillet over medium heat. Cook half of the eggplant at a time in oil about 5 minutes, turning once, until light brown; drain. Repeat with remaining eggplant, adding 1 or 2 tablespoons oil if necessary.

Place half of the eggplant in ungreased rectangular baking dish, 11 x 7 x 1 1/2 inches, overlapping slices slightly. Spoon half of the sauce over eggplant. Sprinkle with 1 cup of the mozzarella cheese. Repeat with reamining eggplant, sauce and cheese.

Bake uncovered about 25 minutes or until sauce is bubbly and cheese is light brown.

This recipe is from the Betty Crocker's Big Red Cookbook - page 376

Eggplant

My mom used to make a good eggplant lasagna when I was little, but she says she can't remember it. =P

If anyone has a good recipe, please share. I want to try it. :)

Spicy Corn

2 cans shopeg corn, drained
4 oz. cream cheese
3-4 tblsp. chopped jalapenos (from can or jar- not fresh)

Mix all together in pot on stove and heat on medium-low. Done!

Sour Cream Chicken Enchiladas

3 chicken breasts cooked and shredded
2 cans cream of chicken soup
8 oz sour cream
2 small cans green chilies
1 soup can water
2 cups grated cheddar cheese
1 cup chopped onion
12 tortillas

Boil chicken in seasoned water, save stock. Make sauce out of the next 4 ingredients. Add sheddred chicken. Dip tortillas in chicken stock and stuff with sauce and 1 tablespoon cheese and onion. Roll in casserole dish and cover with remaining sauce and cheese.

Bake at 325 degrees for 30 minutes.

These make 2 9x13 pans and reheat very well.

Other variations: If you have already cooked chicken you can use canned stock to dip the tortillas in. You can also use one can each of cream of chicken and cream of mushroom soup. You can also use Monterrey Jack cheese or a blend of Mexican cheeses.

Rattle Snake Pasta

1 1/2 lbs. spaghetti pasta
8 oz. Velveeta cheese (melted)
1 onion, sauteed
1 can Rotel tomatoes with extra chilies
2 cans cream of mushroom soup
1 1/2 lbs. cooked chicken breast, shredded

Mix all ingredients together and add melted cheese on top. Mix well. Put in 9x13 inch pan and preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cover baking dish with aluminum foil. Add pepper to taste. Bake for 30 minutes.

Tip: This tastes very good as left-overs!

Oatmeal Carmelita's

2 cups flour
2 cups quick-cooking rolled oats
1 1/2 cups brown sugar, packed firmly
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/4 cups butter or margarine

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 9x13 inch pan. Lightly spoon flour into measuring cup. Level off. In large bowl, blend remaining ingredients until crumbly. Press about 3 cups (1/2 of mixture) into prepared pan. Reserve remaining crumbs for topping. Bake for 10 minutes.

Filling:
1 pkg. (6 oz.) semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped nuts
12 oz. caramel ice-cream topping
3 tblsp. flour

Sprinkle crust with chocolate chips and nuts. Blend caramel topping and flour. Drizzle over chocolate and nuts. Sprinkle with reserved crumbs. Return to oven and bake for 18-22 minutes or until golden brown. Cool completely. Cut into bars. Chill for easier cutting. Yield: 36 bars

Tip: You can use peanut butter chips instead of semi-sweet chocolate ones!

Tortilla Roll-ups

1 8 oz. pkg. cream cheese
1 tsp. taco seasoning
1/3 cup picante sauce
12 flour tortillas

Beat cream cheese until smooth. Add taco seasoning and picante sauce. Mix well. Spread on each tortilla. Roll tortilla tightly. Place seam side down and chill for 2 hours. Cut into slices.

Baked Ziti

Servings: 4

INGREDIENTS

• 1/2 pound dry ziti pasta
• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 1/2 pound lean ground beef
• 1 (26 ounce) jar spaghetti sauce
• 3 ounces provolone cheese, sliced
• 3/4 cup sour cream
• 3 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded
• 1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese

DIRECTIONS

1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add ziti pasta, and cook until al dente, about 8 minutes; drain.
2. In a large skillet, brown onion and ground beef over medium heat. Add spaghetti sauce, and simmer 15 minutes.
3. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Butter a 9x9 inch baking dish. Layer as follows: 1/2 of the ziti, Provolone cheese, sour cream, 1/2 sauce mixture, remaining ziti, mozzarella cheese and remaining sauce mixture. Top with grated Parmesan cheese.
4. Bake for 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until cheeses are melted.

Tips: For 8 servings, double recipe and bake in a 9x13 pan. You can also do steps 1-3 ahead of time and refrigerate until you're ready to bake it. Another thing I've done is double the recipe but put it in two 9x9 pans so I can take one to someone else and share. So far I haven't had any complaints!

Blueberry Buckle

3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup shortening
1 egg
1/2 cup milk
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups fresh blueberries

1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 cup butter softened

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease one 8x8 inch pan. Cream together 3/4 cup sugar, shortening and egg. In a seperate bowl mix together flour, baking powder and salt. Stir into sugar misture, alternanting with milk. Stirn in blueberries. Pour into greased pan.

To make topping combine 1/2 cup sugar, 1/3 cup flour, cinnamon and butter. Stpring over cake batter. Bake for 25-30 minutes.

Overnight Coffee Cake

2 cups unbleached unsifted flour
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup buttermilk
2/3 cup shortening
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt
2 eggs

Topping:
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup chopped nuts
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg

Grease (not oil) and lightly flour bottom of a 13x9 inch pan. Blend all cake ingredients on low speed until moistened. Beat 3 minutes at medium speed. Pour into pan. In small bowl blend topping. Sprinkle over batter. Cover and refrigerate overnight. In the morning, preheat oven to 350 degrees and bake 30-40 minutes.

Almond Breeze

So I don't have a lot of awesome recipes, but I do have a knack for finding wonderful products at the grocery store. I'll try to post about those periodically.

One of my new favorite things is Unsweetened Almond Breeze. It's kind of like soy milk, but almond based instead of soy-based, which means there's plenty of vitamins, and even some fiber (yay fiber!). And if you aren't a fan of soy milk or rice milk because they're kind of chalky tasting, this stuff isn't at all. And the best news - this is by far the lowest calorie dairy-substitute out there. Only 40 calories in a cup!! Most soymilk has about 120 or more, and even skim milk has 85ish. I know not everyone is nuts about calorie counting, but even if you're just concerned about good health, Almond Breeze is low in sugar and high in Vitamins A, D, E, & Calcium! I know what you're thinking - "Great, but what do you use this stuff for?" I'm glad you asked! Here are my ideas:

• I use it most often in smoothies. If I make a fruit smoothie, I use unsweetened vanilla instead of milk. I use about 6-8 ounces of the Breeze, plus about a cup or so of fruit (strawberries, blueberries, peaches, whatever), some low-sugar fruit juice to add a kick and some splenda to sweeten it up.
• If you make a coffee smoothie (YUM!), you can use the unsweetened chocolate flavor to make it much richer. Just throw 6ish cubes of ice in the blender with a cup of the Breeze, some splenda, and instant coffee crystals to taste (I use about a tablespoon). Sometimes I throw in a tablespoon of sugar-free pudding mix to thicken it some, which works wonderfully.
• You can also use the Breeze as coffee creamer or on your cereal. You can use the original flavor in cooking too, but I haven't tried much of that. (Here's more Breeze recipes.)

You can find Almond Breeze in most grocery stores - I've seen it at HEB, Randalls and Whole Foods. It's usually located by the other non-refrigerated soymilk and ricemilk, which is in different places depending on the store. At my HEB, that stuff is next to the pharmacy by the diet supplements and Powerbars. At Randalls, it's on an end-cap near cereal, and at Whole Foods, it was near the cereal too. You can ask an employee, and even if they don't know what it is, they will probably know where non-refrigerated rice milk and soy milk are located. So... happy shopping!

Mexican Lasagna

1 lb. ground beef or ground turkey
1 packet of taco seasoning
1 can corn
1 can black beans
1 can stew tomatoes
1 pkg. flour tortillas
1 bag Mexican mix cheese

Cook the ground beef or turkey and add the taco seasoning, as if you were making tacos. Follow the directions on the back of the taco seasoning mix. When meat is cooked, pour in corn, black beans, and tomatoes (all drained). Cook for 2-3 minutes until it gets warm. Spray a baking dish with nonstick spray. Put a layer of tortillas, a layer of mixture, a layer of tortillas, and a layer of mixture. Top with cheese. Bake in the oven at 350 degrees for 5-10 minutes until the cheese melts.

Eclaires (very yummy!)

Spread graham crackers in bottom of a 9x13 inch pan.

Mix:
1. 2 small boxes of instant French Vanilla Pudding
2. 1 cup confectioner sugar
3. 3 cups milk
4. 1 8 oz. cool whip container
5. 1 container of fudge chocolate frosting

Mix 1, 2, and 3 together with beater. Then fold in the cool whip. Pour 1/2 of mixture over graham crackers. Make another layer of graham crackers and use the rest of the mixture and spread out on top. Melt 1 container of fudge chocolate frosting in pan on low heat, until liquid. Then spread it over the graham cracker/mixture and refrigerate for 1/2 hour.

Brown Sugar Dip

1/3 cup brown sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 8 oz. pkg. cream cheese
1 8 oz. sour cream

You can use this dip for crackers, sweet pastries, and fruit!

El Paso Potatoes

1 1/4 lbs. peeled leftover baked potatotes (or just bake them yourself in the microwave)
1/2 cup bell peppers (coarsely chopped)
3/4 cup grated cheddar cheese
1/4 cup sour cream
1/8 cup diced jalapenos
3/4 tblsp. seasoned salt

Peel skins off of baked potatoes. Slice potatoes lengthwise into quarters and coarsely chop. Coarsely chop bell peppers. Place potatoes, bell peppers, diced jalapenos, seasoned salt, cheddar cheese and sour cream in mixing bowl, and mix thoroughly with rubber spatula. Lightly coat bottom and sides of a baking pan with grease. Place mixture into the pan. Cover pan with aluminum foil and bake at 350 degrees F for 35 minutes.

Tip: Add more jalapenos for an extra kick.

The Best Banana Pudding

1 (5 oz.) pkg. instant french vanilla pudding mix
2 cups milk
1 (14 oz.) can sweetened condensed milk
1 tblsp. vanilla extract
1 (12 oz.) container frozen whipped topping, thawed
1 (16 oz.) pkg. vanilla wafers
6 bananas

In a large mixing bowl, beat pudding mix and milk for 2 minutes. Blend in condensed milk until smooth. Stir in vanilla and fold in whipped topping. Layer wafers, bananas and pudding mixture in a glass serving bowl. Chill until serving.

I get compliments on this recipe every time I make it!

The Robertson Yummy Chicken A La Carbonara

3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch sized pieces
1 pint heavy whipping cream
1 onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
5 slices of bacon
1 egg
1/2 lb. bag of bowtie pasta
2 tblsp. italian seasoning
1 tsp. garlic salt
1/4 cup butter
1 tsp. basil
2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. pepper

Melt butter in saucepan, and add onion and garlic, italian seasoning and chicken. Stir often on medium heat, until chicken is almost cooked. Add garlic salt and basil. Stir. In another pan, place the bacon and cook it until somewhat crisp. Remove from pan, and lay aside to cool. Once bacon has cooled off, cut in 1 inch sized pieces. Use another pot for the pasta.
Once chicken is cooked, add heavy whipping cream and remaining ingredients while stirring. Whisk the egg in and do so quickly, so that the egg can be mixed in evenly without creating any egg chunks. Stir often, add bacon pieces to cream mixture and let it boil for 5 minutes.
Makes 5 servings

Tip: You can add various fresh vegetables to change it up a bit! Spinach, mushrooms, broccoli, and peas have all been great additions.

Breakfast Casserole (Myra's mom's recipe)

8 eggs, beaten
1 small bag of frozen tater tots (I prefer to use the tater rounds)
1 lb. sausage, cooked and crumbled
2 cups milk
1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, grated
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. dry mustard (I use regular mustard)

Cook sausage and mix in bowl with milk, eggs, salt and mustard. Place in 9x13 casserole dish that has been sprayed with Pam. Put taters and cheese on top and bake for 35 minutes at 350 degrees F.

Tip: You can go ahead and cook the sausage and put it in the egg, milk, salt, and mustard mixture hours before you plan on baking it (refrigerate though!). Just make sure to add the cheese and taters only right before you bake it. That way it won't get soggy!

Hot Pizza Dip

I had forgotten that someone asked me to post this back at bunco time. Here it is!

8oz cream cheese
1tsp italian seasoning(I use Pizza&Pasta Magic)
1c shredded mozzerella
3/4c parmesan
8oz pizza sauce
1/4c diced bell pepper
sliced green onion(optional)

Preheat oven to 350degrees. Combine cream cheese and seasoning into bottom of mini baker(small baking dish if you don't have the stoneware)

combine Parmesan and mozzarella in small bowl, sprinkle half on top of cream cheese mixture

spread pizza sauce over cheese and cover with remaining cheese

bake for 15-20min until bubbly and hot and top with bell peppers and onions

I have usually had this served with sliced baguette pieces, but the original PC recipe says you can use many types of bread both soft or toasted. I loved it on that spinach bread Chez brought. :)

Extra Buns

If you ever have left-over hamburger buns here's another use for them.

Butter and toast the buns at 325 degrees for about 20 minutes. They are great served with your favorite pasta.

My mom used to do this all the time when we were growing up. I'm not sure how well it would work for seeded buns but the plain jane white ones are great. You can also use garlic butter.

Odyssey's Mustard Crusted Side of Salmon

Baked Salmon:

1 lb. butter
1/4 cup minced garlic
1 cup whole grain mustard
1/4 cup chopped fresh thyme ( you can use dried thyme)
2 lemons, juiced
2 tblsp. Old Bay Seasoning
2 tblsp. Salt
2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
3 cups panko bread crumbs (japanese bread crumbs) Do not substitute regular
bread crumbs!
1 (3-4 lb.) side of salmon, skin on, pin bones removed

Directions:
Whip butter with an electric mixer until fluffy. Add the garlic, mustard, thyme, lemon juice, Old
Bay Seasoning, salt, pepper, and panko, and mix well. Line a small sheet pan with parchment paper or waxed paper and lay salmon, skin side down, on pan. Blot salmon with paper towels to remove any moisture. Crust the salmon while the butter is still soft, allowing a 1/4 inch crust. At this point, the salmon may be refrigerated (cover with plastic wrap after butter has hardened).
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
Bake for approximately 10 minutes for a still slightly pink fish. Use 2 longf flat spatulas, coming in from either end, to lift the salmon off the paper and transfer to a serving platter.

My sister in-law just made this recipe this last weekend, and it was great!

Bacon

Okay, this is not a recipe, but rather a new way to cook my hubby's favorite breakfast treat.

Take the strips of bacon, put them on a pan, and cook them in a 350 degree oven for 20-30min.

Your house won't stink of bacon all day, and they cook well without burning up, or being gross and floppy. Whatever you are serving your bacon next to, start it after throwing the strips in the oven.

~Briana

Mocha Chocolate Chip Bundt Cake

2 Tbsp instant coffee granules (or substitute strong brewed coffee for the coffee granules & water)
1/2 cup hot water
1 pkg. (18-1/4 oz) chocolate cake mix
1 pkg. (3.9 oz) instant chocolate pudding mix
3/4 cup sour cream
1/2 cup vegetable oil
3 eggs
1-1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
GLAZE:
3/4 cup whipping cream
1-1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
In a mixing bowl, dissove coffe granules in hot water. Beat in the cake mix, pudding mix, sour cream, oil and eggs. Stir in the chocolate chips. Pour into a greased and floured 10-in. fluted tube pan. Bake at 350 for 1 hour or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before inverting onto a wire rack to cool completely. In a saucepan, heat cream to simmering. Remove from the heat; whisk in chocolate chips until smooth. Drizzle over cake.

This cake looks sooo good once it has the glaze on it. Great for entertaining or taking to a luncheon where you want something easy that looks pretty & yummy. (Taste of Home recipe)

Sara's Crock Pot Chicken and Rice

2 large chicken breasts, thawed and cubed
1 cup chopped mushrooms (opt)
1 1/2 cups of white or brown slow-cooking rice
1 can cream of chicken soup (or, cream of mushroom will work too, if you don't have fresh mushrooms to add)
3 cans of water (from the cream of chicken can)
1 pkg Lipton onion soup mix
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper

Combine all ingredients together in the crock pot and stir. Heat on low for about 6 hours. Great for the on-the-go types, or Sunday dinner. Tasty too!

Sticky Crescent Rolls

1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
16 large marshmallows
3 tblsp. butter, melted
2 (8 oz.) cans refrigerated crescent rolls
1 cup powdered sugar
2 tblsp. milk
1/4 cup pecans, toasted and chopped (optional)

Combine sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. Dip marshmallows in melted butter and
roll in cinnamon mixture. Separate crescent rolls into 16 triangles. Wrap 1 marshmallow with 1 triangle, pinching edges to seal. Repeat with remaining marshmallows and triangles. Place each roll in a lightly greased muffin pan cup. Bake at 375 degrees for 10-15 minutes or until golden. Stir together powdered sugar and milk to form a smooth glaze. Drizzle over warm rolls; sprinkle with pecans, if desired.

Fruit Trifle Dessert

- Yellow cake, baked and cooled
- 1 large vanilla pudding
- 8 oz. Cool Whip
- Fresh strawberries, blueberries, and bananas

Cut up yellow cake into small squares and place in the bottom of trifle bowl. Mix pudding (follow box directions) and pour half of pudding mixture over the cake. Spread cool whip on top. Slice strawberries, blueberries, and bananas and place on top of cool whip. Repeat another layer of cake, pudding mixture, cool whip, and fruit to decorate the top.

Wendi's Tip: Make sure the cake is all the way cooled. I have even made the cake the day before so I can guarantee that is isn't warm. It will fall apart if it's still warm and then the dessert turns into mush. Also, this is a pretty healthy and light dessert - using fat free milk and fat free or lite cool whip really helps... and you can't even taste the difference! And it is cute to use for the 4th of July..because of the colors of the fruit! Enjoy!

Easy Spicy Chili

**UPDATE: Apparently I had originally posted this with a 14oz can of tomatoes, it's supposed to be a 28oz can. So sorry! That makes a big difference!**

4 slices bacon, cut into 1inch pieces
2tbsp vegetable or olive oil
1tbsp montreal steak seasoning(or favorite grill seasoning)
2lbs lean ground beef
1 med yellow onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1tbsp chipotle chili powder(next to reg. chili powder on spice aisle)
6oz beer
28oz can of fire roasted tomatoes, crushed(muir glen makes a good one)

In a large, heavy bottom, pot: add oil and cook bacon on med. heat until tasty. Remove bacon pieces to paper towel, leave drippings in pot. Add ground beef, break up, and sprinkle grill seasoning on top. Mix it up and let cook for 3-5min.

Add onion, pepper, garlic, chili powder. Mix well and let cook until onions and peppers are tender. Aprox 10min. Deglaze pan with beer, scraping all the brown tasty pieces off the bottom of the pan and up into the mixture.

Add tomatoes, simmer for 10-1000 min, stirring occasionally. This can be eaten immediately or let it simmer for a few hours. Either way it's good!(Rachel Ray Recipe)

Slop

- wide egg noodles, boiled and drained (I use ½ a package with ½ lb. meat)
- ½ lb. ground beef or ground pork, browned with onion powder (onion powder optional)
- 1 can cheddar cheese soup
- 1 can diced tomatoes, drained (or 1 can tomato sauce)
- 1 can corn, drained
- 1 can Ranch style beans (or pinto beans), drained
- ½ can water
- Cover top with grated cheese

Combine in large casserole dish, sprinkle grated cheese over top, bake for 18-20 minutes at 425 or until cheese is melted and middle is bubbly. Gets even better when leftover for a day!

Lori's suggestion:
Don't tell your husband what the real name is (Pork & Noodle Casserole) or he will refuse to eat it. I had to give it a different name (Slop) so he would try it. :-)

Italian Pork Tenderloin

1 pork tenderloin
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp. garlic
1 cup Italian dressing

Put meat in bag with spices and shake. Add 1 cup Italian dressing and marinate for at least 3 hours. Preheat oven to 500. Put pork loin in a pan and cover with foil. Bake for 10 minutes, then turn oven off. It's ready 4 hours later.

Kim's tips: This recipe makes a very moist tenderloin which is why I like it. The above is the original recipe from my mother-in-law. When I've followed the recipe in my own oven the tenderloin didn't get cooked completely (when checked with a meat thermometer). So I've increased the bake time to 15 minutes and that seems to help. Each oven may be different so yours may work fine with the original recipe, but I'd double check with a meat thermometer. If you check it and it's not done, just turn the oven back on to about 400 and bake again until it's done.

Kim's anecdote: If for some reason you turn the timer off after 10-15 minutes but accidentally leave the oven on and go work out for 30 minutes, you may come back to a half burnt pork loin. Don't worry....you can scrape off the burnt part on the outside and people will still eat it (or pretend anyway). Of course I've never done anything like that...I'm a perfect cook! Ha ha!

Ranch Chicken

1 package Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing Mix (dry)
1 TBL. Red Wine Vinegar
2 TBL. Oil
1 lb Chicken Breasts (boneless, skinless of course)

Mil all ingredients except chicken in a large Ziplock bag. Add chicken, zip closed and shake to coat chicken. Place bag into refridgerator and let chicken marinate for at least 15 minunes or longer if possible. Remove chicken from bag and grill, broil, or fry until done. About 20 minutes total cooking time.

Myra's tip: Use the leftovers to make a great chicken salad!