Crunchy Baked Tacos

Ingredients

1 pound ground beef or turkey
1 (14.5 oz) can petite diced tomatoes, drained
1 packet taco seasoning
1 C cheese, divided
1/4 C salsa verde
15 crunchy taco shells
Shredded lettuce, tomatoes, cilantro, sour cream, guacamole, lime juice to top

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Brown and drain meat.
Stir tomatoes, seasoning, 1/2 C cheese, and salsa into meat.
Arrange taco shells standing up in a 9x13" pan. Fill each shell with the meat mixture, dividing equally until all the meat is used.
Sprinkle remaining 1/2 C of cheese over the tops of the filled tacos and bake for 15-20 minutes. Cheese will be melted and the meat hot.
Top with shredded lettuce, tomatoes, cilantro, sour cream, guacamole and lime juice

Quick & Cheesy Sausage Rotini

Ingredients:

3 cups rotini pasta, uncooked
1 lb. Italian sausage links, cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices
1 can (14.5 oz.) diced tomatoes, undrained
1 onion, chopped
1/4 cup KRAFT Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing
3/4 cup KRAFT Shredded Mozzarella Cheese, divided

Directions:

Cook pasta as directed on package, omitting salt.
Meanwhile, cook sausage in large nonstick skillet on medium-high heat 10 min. or until done, stirring occasionally; drain. Return sausage to skillet. Add tomatoes, onions and dressing; stir. Cook 5 min. or until onions are heated through, stirring occasionally.
Drain pasta; place in large bowl. Add sausage mixture and 1/2 cup cheese; mix lightly. Sprinkle with remaining cheese.

Sweet & Tangy Chicken

Ingredients:

8 chicken breast tenders
1 bottle Catalina dressing (I used fat free)
1 can crushed pineapples
1 packet onion soup mix
1 bell pepper

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350.
Line bottom of baking dish with chicken. Slice/dice bell pepper on top of chicken.
Mix Catalina, pineapples and onion soup mix together in a bowl. Pour mixture on top of chicken.

Bake for 45 minutes or until chicken is done.

Serve over rice (I used brown rice).

** if you use the chicken breast tenders and fat free Catalina this recipe has 234 calories per serving (not including the rice) **

Smothered Chicken

Ingredients:

4 boneless chicken breasts
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large onion
1 large green bell pepper
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1 clove garlic
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
Salt & pepper to taste
1 tablespoon dijon mustard
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions:

Grill chicken until cook thoroughly.
Heat oven to 350 degrees.

Warm olive oil in pan, cook onion, bell peppers, and mushrooms until soft. Add in garlic and Italian seasoning and mix together and set aside.

Slice up chicken breasts and place in bottom of 8x8 baking dish. Spread dijon mustard across the chicken. Top with cooked vegetables and then add on mozzarella cheese.

Bake for 10 minutes until cheese is bubbly and melted.

Easy Southern Banana Pudding

Ingredients:

3 cups cold milk
2 pkg. (3.4 oz. each) JELL-O Vanilla Flavor Instant Pudding
30 vanilla wafers
3 bananas, sliced
1 tub (8 oz.) COOL WHIP Whipped Topping, thawed

Directions:

Beat pudding mixes and milk with whisk 2 min. Let stand 5 min. 

Arrange half the wafers on bottom and up side of 2-qt. serving bowl; top with layers of half each of the banana slices and pudding. Repeat all layers. Cover with COOL WHIP.

Refrigerate 3 hours. 

Smoked Chicken Rub

Ingredients

2 tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon thyme
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon onion powder
2 tablespoons cayenne
1 tablespoon salt
2 tablespoon black pepper

Directions

This recipe should be seen as a base and can be tweaked depending on your liking. For instance, if you like a little more kick to your chicken, feel free to add a little more chili powder and cayenne to give it some heat. It can be simply made by combining all of the ingredients in a large mixing bowl. It can also easily be combined with a ¼ to a ½ cup of olive oil if you want to turn it into a paste so it will stick to your chicken. Rub it on any cut of chicken from wings, breasts, thighs or legs. 

Baked Jalapeño Poppers

Ingredients:

30 jalapeños
2 packages bacon
1 block Colby jack cheese
1 (2 cup) bag shredded Colby jack cheese

Directions:

Slice top and ends off jalapeños. Slice jalapeños, long ways, and remove all the seeds. Place jalapeños in a bowl of water ranging from 1 hour to overnight.

Line baking sheet with foil. Preheat over to 400.

Cut block of cheese into 15 slices and then cut each slice into 4 small chunks.

Drain jalapeños and place 2 chunks of block cheese inside jalapeño and wrap in slice of bacon.

Sprinkle shredded cheese on top of all jalapeños and bake for 20 minutes.

One Pot Mexican Skillet Pasta

INGREDIENTS

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pound hamburger
1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce
2 cups salsa, homemade or store-bought
2 cups cooked elbows pasta
1 Roma tomato, diced
1 cup corn kernels
1 cup canned black beans, rinsed
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 avocado, halved, seeded, peeled and diced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves

INSTRUCTIONS

Heat olive oil in a saucepan over medium high heat. Add ground turkey and cook until browned, about 3-5 minutes, making sure to crumble the beef as it cooks; drain excess fat.
Stir in tomato sauce and salsa until well combined. Add pasta, tomato, corn and black beans, and gently toss to combine.
Stir in cheese until melted through, about 1-2 minutes.
Serve immediately, topped with

Loaded Potato & Buffalo Chicken Casserole

Ingredients:

2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
8-10 medium potatoes, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1/3 cup olive oil
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 TBS. freshly ground pepper
1 TBS. paprika
2 TBS. garlic powder
6 TBS. hot sauce

Topping:

2 c. Fiesta Blend Cheese or a mix of Cheddar & Monterey Jack
1 c. crumbled bacon
1 c diced green onion

Directions:

Preheat oven to 500F (This is NOT a typo, 500F is correct!)  In a large bowl mix together theolive oil, salt, pepper, paprika, garlic powder &hot sauce.  Add the cubed potatoes and stir to coat.  Carefully scoop the potatoes into acooking spray coated 9 x 13 inch baking dish, leaving behind as much of the olive oil/hot sauce mix as possible.  Bake the potatoes for 45-50 minutes, stirring every 10-15 minutes, until cooked through and crispy & browned on the outside.  While the potatoes are cooking, add the cubed chicken to the bowl with the leftover olive oil/hot sauce mix and stir to coat.  Once the potatoes are fully cooked, remove from the oven and lower the oven temperature to 400F.  Top the cooked potatoes with the raw marinated chicken.  In a bowl mix together the cheese, bacon & green onion and top the raw chicken with the cheese mix.  Return the casserole to the oven and bake for 15 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and the topping is bubbly delicious.  Serve with extra hot sauce and/or ranch dressing.

Oven Fried Okra

Ingredients:

16 oz bag frozen sliced okra, thawed {about 3 1/2 cups}
1 tsp Cajun or creole seasoning
1/2 tsp garlic salt
1 C yellow corn meal
Canola oil spray
1 gallon zip lock bag

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Turn the zip-lock bag inside out and spray with canola oil spray.

Pour the okra in the bag along with the Cajun seasoning and garlic salt. Seal bag and shake vigorously. Let rest for 10 minutes so the juices extract  from the okra.

Add the cornmeal to the bag and shake up again. Let rest 10 more minutes. Give the bag one more good shake. Pour okra over a strainer or colander {either over the sink or over a bowl} so the extra cornmeal will fall off. Spread the okra over a foil covered baking sheet and spread out evenly. Spray okra with canola oil spray.

Bake for 20 minutes, remove from oven, flip okra over, lightly spray again and return to oven for 20 more minutes. And that's it!

Ranch Cubed Potatoes

Ingredients

2 to 3lbs cubed potatoes
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 packet ranch seasoning mix

Directions

Preheat oven to 450.

Cube potatoes and put in large bowl. Pour oil over top and toss to coat. Pour ranch packet on top of that and toss to coat.

Spread onto shallow baking pan and bake 30 to 35 minutes.

Taco Grilled Cheese

Ingredients

1 lb ground beef
1 (1.25 ounce) package taco seasoning mix
Frozen potato crowns (about 24)
8 slices American cheese
2 cups shredded Mexican cheese blend
butter (for spreading)
8 slices white bread

Directions
                   
Step 1: In a medium skillet over medium high heat, brown ground beef. Drain off any excess liquid and stir in the package of taco seasoning and ¾ cup of water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes (or until the ground beef is fully cooked), stirring occasionally. Meanwhile, cook the potato browns by either baking them in the oven or deep frying them according to package directions. Drain on paper towels (if deep frying).

Step 2: Pre-heat a skillet to medium high heat. Spread butter over one side of a slice of bread. Place butter side down into the skillet. Top with 2 slices American cheese, taco meat, potato crowns, and shredded Mexican cheese blend. Butter an additional slice of bread on one side and place it butter side up on top of the sandwich.

Step 3: Cook in the skillet until lightly browned on the bottom and flip over. Continue cooking until the other side has browned and the cheese has melted. Repeat with remaining sandwiches.

Healthy Mexican Casserole

INGREDIENTS

2 red bell peppers
2 green bell peppers
1 jalapeno or 2 chipotle peppers (optional - just for more kick)
½ red onion
2 cups frozen corn
2 teaspoons chili powder
2 teaspoon cumin
salt to taste (about 1 teaspoon is a good ballpark measure)
2 cups Mexican cheese (mine was a Sargento blend)
18-20 corn tortillas
1 can refried beans
2 cups red enchilada sauce
cilantro, guacamole, or sour cream for garnishments.

INSTRUCTIONS

Roast the veggies: Dice the peppers and mince the onions. Heat a large nonstick skillet with NO oil over high heat. Add the onion and peppers, sprinkle with chili and cumin, and do not stir. This allows the peppers to roast and brown on the outside. After a few minutes, give the pan a shake or stir and let the peppers sit again for a few more minutes without stirring. Remove and set aside. Repeat the roasting process with the corn, sprinkling with chili and cumin, removing from the heat when browned and roasted on the outside. Sprinkle the roasted veggies with a little bit of salt and toss to coat.

Prep the ingredients: Grease a 9x13 inch baking pan and preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Cut the tortillas into thin strips. Put the refried beans in a bowl and mix with a little bit of water to make them easier to spread.

Assemble: Spread a little bit of sauce on the bottom of the pan. Layer in order: half of the tortilla strips, ALL the beans, half of the veggies, half of the sauce, half of the cheese. Cover with the other half of the tortilla strips, veggies, sauce, and cheese.
Bake: Cover with foil (I usually spray mine with cooking spray) and bake for 15-20 minutes, until the sauce is bubbling and the cheese is melted. Serve with guacamole, fresh cilantro, sour cream, or anything in the world that you want.

One Pot Chili Mac & Cheese

INGREDIENTS

1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cloves garlic
1 onion, diced
8 ounces ground beef
4 cups chicken broth
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes
3/4 cup canned white kidney beans, drained and rinsed
3/4 cup canned kidney beans, drained and rinsed
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 1/2 teaspoon cumin
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
10 ounces elbows pasta
3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves

INSTRUCTIONS

Heat olive oil in a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium high heat. Add garlic, onion and ground beef, and cook until browned, about 3-5 minutes, making sure to crumble the beef as it cooks; drain excess fat.

Stir in chicken broth, tomatoes, beans, chili powder and cumin; season with salt and pepper, to taste. Bring to a simmer and stir in pasta. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat and simmer until pasta is cooked through, about 13-15 minutes.
Remove from heat. Top with cheese and cover until melted, about 2 minutes.
Serve immediately, garnished with parsley, if desired.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Muffins

Ingredients

2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 cup milk
2 large eggs
2/3 cup sugar
1 cup peanut butter
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 cup chocolate chips

Instructions

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Spray muffin pan with non stick spray.
Stir together flour, salt, baking powder and chocolate chips in a large bowl. Combine milk, eggs, sugar, peanut butter and oil in a separate bowl; combine ingredients until just moistened. Do not over beat.

Fill 18 muffin tins. Top with a few chocolate chips. Bake for 14 minutes.

Tin Foil Hobo Dinner

Ingredients:

1 pound ground beef
4 potatoes, peeled and cubed
2 cups carrots, thinly sliced
1 onion, diced
Salt and pepper, to taste
Worcestershire sauce
BBQ sauce
Shredded cheddar cheese

Directions:

Use a large square piece of aluminum foil for each tin foil dinner.  Spray foil with nonstick cooking spray.  Separate ground beef into 4 equal patties and place in the center of each piece of foil.  Divide potatoes, carrots, and onion evenly between all 4 dinners and place on top of meat.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper, to taste.  Pour a few dashes of Worcestershire sauce on top of each dinner and fold foil up tightly around the entire meal.  Cook on a grill on medium-high heat or an open fire for 25-30 minutes, or until vegetables and meat are cooked through.  Open foil carefully and top with BBQ sauce and shredded cheese.

Firecracker Chicken

INGREDIENTS

¼ cup canola oil
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
Salt
pepper
1 cup cornstarch
2 large eggs, beaten
Sauce:
⅓ cup buffalo sauce (if you like more heat use hot sauce, like Frank’s brand)
1¼ cup packed light brown sugar
1 tablespoon water
2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Cut chicken breasts into bite-sized pieces and season with salt and pepper.

In separate bowls, place cornstarch and slightly beaten eggs. Dip chicken into cornstarch then coat in egg mixture. I have also found that you can put the cornstarch in a gallon sized bag and shake the chicken to coat.

Heat canola oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and cook chicken until browned. Place the chicken in a 9 x 13 greased baking dish.

In a medium sized mixing bowl, buffalo sauce, brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, water, salt and red pepper flakes. Pour over chicken and bake for 1 hour.
I stirred the chicken every 15 minutes so that it coated them in the sauce.

Grilled Veggie Burritos

Ingredients

1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
2 cups Long Grain Rice
4 cups Low Sodium Chicken Broth
2 whole Limes, Juiced And Zested
1/4 cup Chopped Cilantro
2 whole Zucchini, Cut Into Slices Lengthwise
1 whole Yellow Squash, Cut Into Slices Lengthwise
2 ears Corn, Leaves And Silk Removed
Olive Oil For Brushing
Salt For Sprinkling
1 can Seasoned Black Beans (15 Ounce Can)
6 whole Burrito-sized Flour Tortillas
1 whole Small Onion, Finely Chopped
2 whole Roma Tomatoes, Diced
1 cup Grated Monterey Jack Cheese
Optional Toppings: Salsa, Sour Cream, Guacamole, Extra Cilantro, Hot Sauce

Instructions

Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add rice and stir around for 2 minutes. Pour in chicken broth and the juice and zest of 1 lime. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook for 20-25 minutes until all the liquid is absorbed. Stir in the juice and zest from the remaining lime, then stir in the cilantro. Set aside.

Brush zucchini and squash slices, along with the ears of corn, with olive oil.

Sprinkle with salt. Grill them on a grill pan, a charcoal grill, or saute them in a heavy skillet over medium-high heat, turning them halfway through. Remove when the veggies have great color on the outside.

Set aside to cool, then dice them.

Heat the beans in a small saucepan until hot.

Warm the tortillas in the microwave for 30 seconds.

To assemble the burritos, lay out each tortilla on your work surface. Spoon on rice, then beans, then sprinkle on plenty of grilled veggies. Top with chopped onion, tomato, cheese, and any other toppings you'd like. Spoon salsa all across the top. Tuck in the sides, then roll the burrito up as tightly as you can. Cut in half and chow down!

Enchiladas

INGREDIENTS

2 1/2 cups enchilada sauce, divided
1 tablespoon olive oil
8 ounces ground beef
1 (4.5-ounce) can diced green chiles
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1/2 cup canned corn kernels, drained
1/2 cup canned black beans, drained and rinsed
1 1/4 cups Monterey Jack cheese, divided
1 1/4 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided
12 (6-inch) flour tortillas, warmed
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves
1 avocado, halved, seeded, peeled and diced
1 Roma tomato, diced

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Pour 1 cup enchilada sauce in the bottom of a 9×13 baking dish; set aside.

Heat olive oil in a saucepan over medium high heat. Add ground beef, green chiles, salt and pepper, to taste. Cook until browned, about 3-5 minutes, making sure to crumble the beef as it cooks; drain excess fat.

In a large bowl, combine beef, corn, beans, 1/2 cup Monterey Jack cheese and 1/2 cup cheddar cheese.

To assemble the enchiladas, lay tortilla on a flat surface and spoon 1/4 cup of the beef mixture in the center. Roll the tortilla and place seam side down onto prepared baking dish. Repeat with remaining tortillas and beef mixture. Top with remaining enchilada sauce and cheeses.
Place into oven and bake until bubbly, about 20 minutes.

Serve immediately, garnished with cilantro, avocado and tomato, if desired.

Homemade Chocolate Cream Pie

Ingredients:

½ c. cocoa
¼ cup cornstarch/or arrowroot powder (or ½ c. all purpose flour)
3 egg yolks
1 ½ c. sugar
¼ tsp. salt
2 c. milk

Directions:

Mix cocoa, cornstarch, beaten egg yolks; sugar and salt, then add milk gradually, while stirring in a pot over med-high heat. Cook until thick, beating it smooth. Cream pies take some time to thicken, so stir... and stir (10-15 min). Using a heavy bottom pan really helps. Just keep it up until it thickens. Pour into a pre-baked pie shell. Put in the fridge to chill, add whipped cream if you like, Or use the left over egg whites for a meringue topping!

Easy Pie Crust

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups All-Purpose Flour
1 1/3 cups Shortening
1 1/2 teaspoons Salt
1/2 cup Water
6 Tablespoons All-Purpose Flour

Directions:

Combine the 2 1/2 cups flour, shortening, and salt, in a bowl and blend with a fork until it forms pea sized crumbs. In a small container with a lid combine 6 Tablespoons flour and 1/2 cup water and shake until combined.

Pour onto the shortening mixture and gently combine. Be GENTLE. The more you work the dough the tougher it gets. Form into a ball and lay on a floured surface. 

Cut into 4 pieces. You will have enough dough for the top and bottom of 2 pies. Take one of the quarters and roll it into a ball and then flatten it with your palm. Flour the top and start rolling from the middle, turning a quarter turn with each roll. 

Don’t hesitate to sprinkle your surface or the top of your dough with more flour so it doesn’t stick. When it is about 12 inches in diameter place the dough over the rolling pin and lay onto your pie dish.
For one pie crust cut and crimp the edges and and poke holes in the bottom with a fork. Bake at 400 degrees for 12-15 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown. 

For a double crust, put in the filling before cutting the edge of the bottom crust. Water you fingers and wet the edge of the bottom crust slightly. Place on the top crust, cut the extra and crimp the dough all the way around. Make steam holes in the top, sprinkle with sugar, and bake at 375 degrees on a metal cookie sheet(it helps to cook the bottom crust), for 50-60 minutes. The crust should be slightly browned and the filling should be bubbling through the steam holes.

Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad

Ingredients

6 oz penne pasta
2 cups cooked, chopped chicken
4 cups Romaine lettuce, chopped
1/2 (medium size) cucumber, chopped
1 carrot, shredded
1/4 cup green onions, thinly sliced
2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
1/3 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup croutons (optional)
Caesar salad dressing, to taste

Instructions

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain water and set aside to cool.

Chop the grilled chicken breasts into small chunks. In a large bowl toss together chicken, cooked penne pasta, lettuce, cucumber, carrot, green onion, cherry tomatoes, Parmesan cheese and croutons.

Drizzle with desired amount of Caesar salad dressing and toss to coat.

Muffin Pan Meatloaf

Ingredients

1 egg
3/4 cup milk
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
1/2 cup quick cooking oats
1 teaspoon salt
1 pound ground beef
2/3 cup ketchup
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons prepared mustard

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).In a large bowl, combine the egg, milk, cheese, oats and salt. Add the ground beef, mixing well, and form this mixture into eight miniature meatloaves. Place these in a lightly greased 9x13 inch baking dish.In a separate small bowl, combine the ketchup, brown sugar and mustard. Stir thoroughly and spread over each meatloaf.Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 45 minutes.

Cheeseburger Flatbread Melts

Ingredients:

1/2 lb lean ground beef, browned and drained
1/4 cup water
1/2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 pkg dry onion soup mix
1/4 cup ketchup
1 tbsp mustard
1 garlic clove, minced
2 tablespoons canola or vegetable oil
11 oz thin crust pizza dough
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Directions:

Brown and drain ground beef. Add water, vinegar, onion soup mix, ketchup, mustard and garlic. Stir to combine and simmer over low heat. Meanwhile, heat 2 tbsp canola oil over medium heat in a large, heavy bottomed skillet. Divide the pizza dough into six equal portions and roll into a round, tortilla-like shape. Fry the dough for one minute on each side or until golden brown and bubbly. Remove to a paper towel to drain. Top with beef mixture and shredded cheese.

Homemade Honey White Bread

INGREDIENTS

1 cup warm water (sometimes I need more or less)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 egg
3½ cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons yeast
½ cup honey or sugar

INSTRUCTIONS

Mix all ingredients together in mixer with dough blade until dough forms. It should be dry enough to not be sticky but wet enough to not crumble.

Lift dough out of bowl, spray with olive oil (I spray the bowl) and place dough back in bowl covered with towel, allow to rise for 30-60 minutes.

Knead with dough blade (will deflate).
Remove from bowl, place dough on flowered surface and knead by hand a few times.

Divide in half.

Roll into 2 loaf shapes and place in loaf pans (mist pan with olive oil first).
Cover and allow to rise (depends upon temp in room, but usually around 60 minutes – it should be slightly over the top edge of the pan, do not allow to over-rise).

Bake at 350 for around 20-30 minutes or until golden brown on top. At around the 15 minute mark, I mist the top of the loaf with olive oil and continue cooking until done.

One Pot Red Beans & Rice

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 pound cajun smoked sausage or other smoked sausage, sliced into 1/2-inch pieces
1 onion, chopped
1 green pepper, seeded and chopped
1 rib celery, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 1/2 cups chicken broth
2 (15.5-ounce) cans red kidney beans,  drained & rinsed
2 cups of instant rice
creole seasoning

Instructions:

Add the vegetable oil to a large dutch oven over medium heat. Add the sliced sausage and cook for 4 to 5 minutes. Add the onion, green pepper, and celery. Cook 7 to 8 minutes, or until the onions are translucent. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the broth and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Stir in the beans and rice. Reduce the heat to a simmer and add creole seasoning to taste. Cover and cook for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the rice is tender.

Tuna Croquettes

Ingredients:

2 cans tuna, well drained
1/2 small onion, minced
2 stalks celery, minced
1 c. bread crumbs, divided
2 eggs
1 t. paprika
1 t. salt
1/2 t. pepper
1/4 t. garlic powder
Oil

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, combine the tuna, onion, celery, 1/3 c. bread crumbs, eggs and seasonings. Stir until fully combined.
2. Pour remaining 2/3 c. bread crumbs into a shallow dish. Pat about a tablespoon worth of tuna mixture into a round patty. Cover both sides with bread crumbs.
3. Pour enough oil into a skillet to cover the bottom. Heat over medium heat. Add the breaded patties and cook until browned, about 3 to 4 minutes per side.

Our favorite dip to serve with these Tuna Croquettes is a simple sauce of mayonnaise and mustard. Use about 1 tablespoon of mustard for each 1/4 cup of mayonnaise. So simple but so good, and it is perfect with the tuna!

Also, this mixture tastes great formed into larger patties, fried as described above  and served on a bun as a tuna burger.

Roasted Sausage & Vegetables

Ingredients:

4 or 5 potatoes, peeled & cut into chunks
1 large green pepper, cut into rings
1 large onion, cut into rings
3 or 4 carrots, cut into pieces
1 (1 pound) package Hillshire Farm Smoked Sausage, cut on the diagonal
3 tablespoons oil
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon dried basil

Directions:

Use a 9 x 13 baking dish lined with foil and sprayed with cooking spray.  Toss vegetables with oil, sprinkle on salt, pepper, garlic powder and basil.  Cook in preheated 450 degree oven for 30 minutes.  Remove from oven add sausage. Cook for 15 more minutes.  Makes about six servings.

Oven Roasted Asparagus

Ingredients

1 bunch thin asparagus spears, trimmed
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese (optional)
1 clove garlic, minced (optional)
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon lemon juice (optional)

Directions

Preheat an oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).Place the asparagus into a mixing bowl, and drizzle with the olive oil. Toss to coat the spears, then sprinkle with Parmesan cheese, garlic, salt, and pepper. Arrange the asparagus onto a baking sheet in a single layer.Bake in the preheated oven until just tender, 12 to 15 minutes depending on thickness. Sprinkle with lemon juice just before serving.

Philly Cheesesteak Sandwiches

SANDWICH INGREDIENTS

1 small onion, thinly sliced
1/2 of a green pepper, thinly sliced
4-6 ounces button mushrooms, sliced
salt, pepper for seasoning
1 and 1/4 pounds top sirloin steak
1-2 tablespoons canola oil or vegetable oil
4 soft hoagie rolls
8 White american cheese slices or 8 pepper-jack cheese slices
Mayo or chipotle mayo

CHIPOTLE MAYO INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup mayo
1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce
1/2 tablespoon sauce from the adobo pepper can
1 tablespoon lime juice
Dash of salt
Dash of pepper

DIRECTIONS

1 hour before cooking, place steak in the freezer. When you’re ready to start cooking, pre-heat your oven to 400 degrees.

Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook veggies until tender. While the veggies are cooking, remove the steak from the freezer and use a very sharp knife to slice the meat as thinly as possible against the grain.

When the veggies are done cooking, heat 1 tablespoon canola oil over medium high heat. Place 4 hoagie rolls in the oven for 5-7 minutes or until nice and warm, but not crunchy. Add half the meat to the pan and season with a bit of salt and pepper. Cook for a few minutes until it is cooked through. Set aside. Heat a bit more oil if needed and cook the other half of the meat, seasoning with salt and pepper.

Return the first batch of meat to the pan, stir in veggies if yo wish, and top with cheese. Use 8 pepper jack cheese slices for a spicy version, or 8 white American cheese slices for a classic version. Place the cheese over the meat and when it starts to melt, stir the cheese into the meat and veggie mixture.

Divide the meat among the 4 hoagie rolls. If using chipotle mayo, combine all ingredients in a blender (mayo, chipotle pepper, chipotle sauce, lime juice, salt and pepper) and slather desired amount on each roll. Otherwise spread a thin layer of regular mayo on the roll. Cut in half and serve immediately.

Served 6

Cheeseburger Sliders

Ingredients:

2 pounds, 93% lean ground sirloin
1/4 cup seasoned bread crumbs
3/4 cup chopped onions
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 package (12-count) Kings Hawaiian sweet dinner rolls (or slider buns)
6 slices cheddar or American cheese

Directions:

Heat oven to 400 degrees.   In a bowl, combine beef, bread crumbs, onion, and salt.  Gently press mixture into a 9-by-13-inch pan so that it makes one large patty of even thickness.  Use the tines of a fork to poke holes throughout the meat.  Bake for 30 minutes.  As it bakes, the meat will shrink away from the sides and liquid will accumulate around the edges of pan.  When fully cooked, remove the pan from oven (keep oven turned on) and carefully drain off the liquid.

Top the meat with an even layer of sliced cheese; return pan to oven for about 2 minutes or until the cheese melts.  Remove from the oven and allow to rest for a few minutes.  Cut into 2-inch squares (or the size of the buns used), making 12 mini- hamburgers.  Serve with dill pickle slices and ketchup.  Serves 6 at 2 sliders each.

Taco Spaghetti

Ingredients:

* 1 pound ground beef
* 1 packet taco seasoning
* 1 can black beans
* 1 to 2 cups frozen corn
* 1 can crushed or pureed tomatoes
* 1/2 pound whole wheat spaghetti

Directions:

Start by cooking ground beef in a large skillet.

Add a packet of taco seasoning.

Drain and rinse one can of black beans and add it to the skillet.

Add frozen corn.  You don’t need to thaw or pre-cook it in anyway.  It will heat up in the skillet with the other ingredients.

Add one can of crushed or pureed tomatoes.

And mix!

While this is happening, boil a pot of water and cook some whole wheat spaghetti.   You could also use regular spaghetti or even spaghetti squash.  And if you have some other kind of pasta at home,  use it!  Any noodle will work.

Quick Gourmet Chicken Salad

Ingredients:

2 ( 12.5 oz) cans of chicken (or 3 cups diced cooked chicken)
3/4 cup light mayonnaise
1 cup red grapes, halved
1 green onion, diced
1 stalk celery, diced
1/2 cup diced apple
salt and pepper to taste
pecans or cashews, optional

Directions:

In a bowl, combine the chicken, mayo, grapes, green onion, celery, apple, salt, and pepper.  Combine until well blended.
Serve on rolls, bread, or croissants sprinkle with some cashews or pecans.  This can also be served on a lettuce leaf.

Chocolate Cherry Cake

Ingredients:

1 box any chocolate cake mix
1 can cherry pie filling
2 eggs
½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 tub cherry flavored frosting

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F and coat and 9 x 13 cake pan with Crisco and dust with flour.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk together the cake mix, cherry pie filling, chocolate chips and eggs on low until combined.

Spread cake mix evenly in pan and bake for 25 – 30 minutes.

Cool before frosting.

Notes:

Do NOT prepare the cake mix as described on the box. You only use the powder from the package and the ingredients listed. The cherry pie filling replaces the oil, butter and water.

Homemade Coleslaw (KFC)

Ingredients:

1package cole slaw mix OR
8cups finely diced cabbage (about 1 head) and ¼ cup diced carrot
2tablespoons minced onions
⅓cup granulated sugar
½teaspoon salt
⅛teaspoon pepper
¼cup milk
½cup mayonnaise
¼cup buttermilk
1½tablespoons white vinegar
2½tablespoons lemon juice

Directions
           
1. Buy preshredded cole slaw mix( I use 1pkg) Mix with minced onions.

2.You can shred your own cabbage and carrots if you prefer, enough to toal 8 cups cabbage and 1/4 cup carrots.

3 Using regular blade on food processor process remaining ingredients until smooth.

4 Pour over vegetable mixture and mix thoroughly.

5 Cover bowl and refrigerate several hours or overnight before serving.

Baker Cream Cheese Wontons

INGREDIENTS:

8 oz cream cheese softened
1/8 tsp. minced garlic
1/8 tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. chopped green onion
1 egg
24 wonton wrappers

INSTRUCTIONS:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

In a medium bowl, beat cream cheese, garlic, salt and green onion until well mixed.

Whisk egg until well beaten in a small bowl.

Place one teaspoon of cream cheese mixture into the center of one wonton wrapper.

Dip your finger into the beaten egg and lightly coat the outer edges of the wonton wrapper..

Bring all the corners of the wonton together up to the center and pinch. Pinch all the sides together to to form an "X" or star appearance. Place on greased cookie sheet.

Repeat for remaining wontons.
Lightly spray the tops of the wontons with cooking spray.

Bake at 400 degrees F for 7-12 minutes or until tops are golden brown in color.

Cracker Barrell's Homemade Chicken & Dumplings

Ingredient:

2cups Flour
½teaspoons Baking Powder
1pinch Salt
2Tablespoons Butter
1cup Milk, A Bit Less Than A Full Cup
2quarts Chicken Broth
3cups Cooked Chicken

Directions:
                   
In a bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt.  Cut the butter into the dry ingredients with a fork or pastry blender.  Stir in the milk, mixing with a fork  until the dough forms a ball.

To cook them, bring the broth to a boil.  Drop the dumplings in one at a time, stirring while you add them.  The extra flour on them will help thicken the broth.  Cook them for about 15-20 minutes or until they not doughy tasting.  Add the cooked chicken to the pot and you’re done!

Cheesy Mexican Rice

Ingredients:

1 onion, diced
1 cup long grain rice
1 can Rotelle tomatoes, undrained
2 cups vegetable or chicken broth
2 tbsp olive oil
salt
shredded cheese - cheddar or Monterrey jack

Directions:

Heat oil on skillet or sauce pan over medium high heat.  Stir in onion and cook until translucent.  Add rice and stir frequently for 2-4 minute so grains don't burn.  Add tomatoes and mix to combine with rice.  Slowly add in broth and bring to a boil.  Cover and simmer on low for 20 minutes, mixing occasionally to prevent rice from sticking on the bottom of the pan.  Remove from heat, add salt for taste and fluff with a fork.  Let rice cool down for at least 5 minutes before serving.   Serve warm in individual bowls and drizzle with cheese on top so it melts.