1 lb. ground round
1 pkg. taco seasoning
15 oz. can tomatoes with green chilis
8 oz. seashell pasta (I used wheel pasta)
8 oz. pkg. cream cheese
1/2 cup sour cream
8 oz. sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
Brown ground beef; drain. Add taco seasoning and tomatoes with chilis. Bring to a boil and then simmer for 20 minutes. In the meantime, cook pasta according to directions; drain. Mix softened cream cheese and sour cream in separate bowl. Spray bottom of 9x13-inch pan with Pam. Put pasta in bottom of pan. Spread cream cheese mixture over pasta. Spoon ground beef mixture over this. Sprinkle shredded cheese on top. Bake @ 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Cool about 15-20 minutes before serving.
Bah! This was delicious! I made this and the Sloppy Joes at the same time so basically I wouldn't have to cook for the rest of the week. Along with this Vann made some hot Rotel, and we got some crescent rolls to dip in it. By the time I should have eaten dinner I couldn't because I was so full from snacking on everything. However, that's why leftovers are sooooo wonderful, because now I can enjoy each dish the way it should be enjoyed! In fact, I'm going to go heat up some Sloppy Joes and maybe have a little spoonful of Taco Bake on the side...or do I want a full serving of Taco Bake and a Sloppy Joe later? Oy! The choices you have to make when you make too many good dishes all at once, tehehe :) Hope you all enjoy! By the way, next time I make both of these, I think I'm going to use ground turkey instead of ground round. The ground round was good, but I like ground turkey a lot better. But don't tell Vann I said that :)
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Sloppy Joes
2 pounds ground beef
1 large can Bush's baked beans
1 cup ketchup
4 Tbsp. mustard
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
salt and pepper to taste
Brown ground beef in a skillet. Drain fat. Add beans to meat and mix together well. Add the rest of the ingredients, and salt and pepper to taste. Let cook until hot and bubbly. Best served on onion buns.
When I came across this recipe, I was excited (but apprehensive!) because it had baked beans in it, and the picture looked absolutely amazing. The explosion of flavors that hit the back of our tongues when we took a bite of these was absolutely wonderful. Now, once all of this was thrown together, Vann and I decided to add a few extras to it to make it our own. We added some shredded sharp cheddar cheese (which was magnificent!), along with some more ketchup and mustard (and next time I think I'll put in some onions....yum!), and some other ingredients. Now, he wanted to toss in some Worcestershire sauce, however, I was not brave enough to add such an ingredient to an already perfect concoction. Maybe next time, baby, maybe next time...
"Sloppy joe, sloooppy, sloooppy joe!"
Friday, May 23, 2008
Twice-Baked Potatoes
I just want to preface this post by saying that when I made these, I didn't actually measure out anything. Vann and I made these to taste, and you know what? They were scrumptious. We had to give ourselves a couple o' good pats on the back for these, that's how good we did. Not tootin' my own horn or anything like that....just sayin'. Ahem. Anyway, as I was saying...we didn't measure. We just added things here and there until the potatoes tasted exactly the way we wanted them to. However, to give everyone some guidelines, I will include measurements.
8 baking potatoes
1 cup sour cream
1 cup bacon, cooked and crumbled
1/4 tsp. seasoning salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 green onion, diced
2 sticks butter, room temp., cut into pieces
shredded cheese
Bake the potatoes at 400 degrees for 1 hr. and 15 minutes, making sure they are cooked thoroughly. Once they are done, cut the potatoes in half lengthwise. Scoop out the goods, only leaving the shell, and plop in a mixing bowl. Add all of the ingredients to taste. (We just sprinkled, added, sprinkled, added, and sprinkled some more until we liked what we tasted. And when it came to butter, we happened to have the Country Crock tub of butter in the fridge, so I just took a spoon and globbed some in the bowl). Stir everything together with a fork until they become the consistency of mashed potatoes (which won't be hard since they will basically be like that when you scoop out everything). Fill up the potato skins with the potato mixture. Put back into the oven for about 15 minutes, or until the potatoes are warm all the way through.
You know, before I made these, I had never tasted a twice-baked potato? Nonetheless actually made them. But I sure am glad I found a recipe for them! I would definitely suggest just getting a package of Hormel Real Bacon. It tastes just as good, and it makes it much easier. Not saying that cooking bacon in the microwave is a hard task... but not having to go back and forth between the microwave and mixing bowl would have been nice...ah, whatever, you get my gist. We still had bacon in the fridge from the loaded baked potato salad, so I used the rest of that up. But next time, I will definitely be purchasing some Hormel BB's.
8 baking potatoes
1 cup sour cream
1 cup bacon, cooked and crumbled
1/4 tsp. seasoning salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 green onion, diced
2 sticks butter, room temp., cut into pieces
shredded cheese
Bake the potatoes at 400 degrees for 1 hr. and 15 minutes, making sure they are cooked thoroughly. Once they are done, cut the potatoes in half lengthwise. Scoop out the goods, only leaving the shell, and plop in a mixing bowl. Add all of the ingredients to taste. (We just sprinkled, added, sprinkled, added, and sprinkled some more until we liked what we tasted. And when it came to butter, we happened to have the Country Crock tub of butter in the fridge, so I just took a spoon and globbed some in the bowl). Stir everything together with a fork until they become the consistency of mashed potatoes (which won't be hard since they will basically be like that when you scoop out everything). Fill up the potato skins with the potato mixture. Put back into the oven for about 15 minutes, or until the potatoes are warm all the way through.
You know, before I made these, I had never tasted a twice-baked potato? Nonetheless actually made them. But I sure am glad I found a recipe for them! I would definitely suggest just getting a package of Hormel Real Bacon. It tastes just as good, and it makes it much easier. Not saying that cooking bacon in the microwave is a hard task... but not having to go back and forth between the microwave and mixing bowl would have been nice...ah, whatever, you get my gist. We still had bacon in the fridge from the loaded baked potato salad, so I used the rest of that up. But next time, I will definitely be purchasing some Hormel BB's.
Sunday, May 18, 2008
Steak and Gravy
2 lbs round steak cut into serving size pieces
Flour
1 package dried onion soup mix
Oil
Roll steak pieces in flour. Brown in oil, remove. Make gravy with flour and soup mix. Add water to make thin. Pour gravy into crock pot and add steaks. Cook on low for 2-3 hours, or until steak in tender and gravy has thickened to your liking.
So I was going through my recipes, and I wanted to try something of my Grandmother's that I had never made before. This isn't the exact recipe that I was given. I modified it for us so that we would be able to have plenty of leftovers that Vann could take home with him, and that I could have after work. I was so nervous about how this would turn out. Especially since it's my Grandmother's recipe...I mean, nothing ever tastes as good as what Grandma makes! But I've got to give myself major props for this one, if I may say so myself! It was incredible! The meat was tender, the gravy was nice and thick, but not too thick, and the onion soup wasn't overpowering at all. In fact, it was perfect. I made the loaded baked potato salad to go along with this, and we got a great deal on a loaf of sourdough bread at Kroger. Needless to say after we both ate we were stuffed like turkeys.
Now, when Vann ate his, he had a great idea to make a sandwich. He just took the sourdough bread, lightly toasted it, then put some American cheese on the steak, heated it up enough to where to cheese was nice and melted, and threw it on the bread. Either way you choose to eat this, I guaruntee you will love it.
Flour
1 package dried onion soup mix
Oil
Roll steak pieces in flour. Brown in oil, remove. Make gravy with flour and soup mix. Add water to make thin. Pour gravy into crock pot and add steaks. Cook on low for 2-3 hours, or until steak in tender and gravy has thickened to your liking.
So I was going through my recipes, and I wanted to try something of my Grandmother's that I had never made before. This isn't the exact recipe that I was given. I modified it for us so that we would be able to have plenty of leftovers that Vann could take home with him, and that I could have after work. I was so nervous about how this would turn out. Especially since it's my Grandmother's recipe...I mean, nothing ever tastes as good as what Grandma makes! But I've got to give myself major props for this one, if I may say so myself! It was incredible! The meat was tender, the gravy was nice and thick, but not too thick, and the onion soup wasn't overpowering at all. In fact, it was perfect. I made the loaded baked potato salad to go along with this, and we got a great deal on a loaf of sourdough bread at Kroger. Needless to say after we both ate we were stuffed like turkeys.
Now, when Vann ate his, he had a great idea to make a sandwich. He just took the sourdough bread, lightly toasted it, then put some American cheese on the steak, heated it up enough to where to cheese was nice and melted, and threw it on the bread. Either way you choose to eat this, I guaruntee you will love it.
Friday, May 16, 2008
Loaded Baked Potato Salad
8 potatoes, cubed
2 teaspoons salt
6 slices bacon, diced and crisp cooked
6 green onions
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
16 oz. sour cream
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 cup Miracle Whip
Cube and boil potatoes with salt until soft. Drain. Crumble bacon and slice onions. Combine sour cream, pepper, Miracle Whip, bacon, onions, and cheese. Mix with potatoes. Pour into baking dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes.
Vann and I went to Winn Dixie the other day, and luckily went over to the deli section to take a gander. Ah, thank goodness we did, because it was then that I stumbled upon their loaded baked potato salad. We ended up getting half a pound of it, and needless to say it didn't make it to the end of the day. Well, instead of paying a butt load over and over again for that wonderful goodness, Vann suggested that I try to find a recipe. Low and behold, I came across this. I was a little worried about how it would turn out...but in the end I had absolutely nothing to fear. I managed to do this with just one electric eye and a toaster oven, and even then it was simple. However, next time I am going to replace the Miracle Whip with mayo and see if I like that even more (I'm not exactly Miracle Whip's #1 fan...).
Thursday, May 15, 2008
Caro's Chicken Supreme
3 Boneless chicken breasts
7 Tbsp butter
2 tsp. flour
1/2 cup chicken stock
1/4 dry white wine
1/4 cup heavy cream
Mushroom slices (optional)
Onion (optional)
Salt
White pepper
Sprinkle chicken with salt. Heat 5 Tbsp. of butter in skillet. Cook chicken 4 minutes on each side over medium heat until chicken is done. May need to increase time based upon thickness of chicken. Take chicken out of skillet and set aside. If adding mushrooms and/or onions add them to the leftover butter in skillet and sautee' until cooked. Set mushrooms and/or onions.
Sauce: Heat other 2 Tbsp. of butter in skillet over medium heat. Add flour, pinch of salt, white pepper (to taste), and chicken stock. Cook over medium heat until the it thickens. Add dry white wine and simmer for 2 minutes. Add heavy cream. Poor sauce over chicken and it is ready to serve. Goes well on a bed of rice with a side of asparagus. If you want to cook it early you can put it in a casserole dish in a 300 deg. preheated oven. Enjoy!
7 Tbsp butter
2 tsp. flour
1/2 cup chicken stock
1/4 dry white wine
1/4 cup heavy cream
Mushroom slices (optional)
Onion (optional)
Salt
White pepper
Sprinkle chicken with salt. Heat 5 Tbsp. of butter in skillet. Cook chicken 4 minutes on each side over medium heat until chicken is done. May need to increase time based upon thickness of chicken. Take chicken out of skillet and set aside. If adding mushrooms and/or onions add them to the leftover butter in skillet and sautee' until cooked. Set mushrooms and/or onions.
Sauce: Heat other 2 Tbsp. of butter in skillet over medium heat. Add flour, pinch of salt, white pepper (to taste), and chicken stock. Cook over medium heat until the it thickens. Add dry white wine and simmer for 2 minutes. Add heavy cream. Poor sauce over chicken and it is ready to serve. Goes well on a bed of rice with a side of asparagus. If you want to cook it early you can put it in a casserole dish in a 300 deg. preheated oven. Enjoy!
Baked Hashbrown Potatoes
1 lb. frozen hash brown potatoes
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 small onion (chopped)
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 stick oleo
1/2 tsp. pepper
shredded cheese (optional)
Mix all ingredients, put in a baking dish.
TOPPING
1/2 pkg. of Ritz crackers
1/2 stick oleo
Mix together, put on top. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.
This is a recipe that my Grandmother has in the cookbook that she compiled for the family one year. Now, hash browns are another food that I could eat every day for the rest of my life (especially the ones from Waffle House. Scattered, smothered, covered, diced, and capped. Mmmmmmm....but I digress). Once again, this is a recipe where you can just throw everything into the casserole dish, mix it all together, and throw it in the oven. No need to dirty up dishes when it really isn't necessary. In fact, this could just be a meal itself. Fattening, yes. But filling, and oh-so-yummy!
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 small onion (chopped)
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 stick oleo
1/2 tsp. pepper
shredded cheese (optional)
Mix all ingredients, put in a baking dish.
TOPPING
1/2 pkg. of Ritz crackers
1/2 stick oleo
Mix together, put on top. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.
This is a recipe that my Grandmother has in the cookbook that she compiled for the family one year. Now, hash browns are another food that I could eat every day for the rest of my life (especially the ones from Waffle House. Scattered, smothered, covered, diced, and capped. Mmmmmmm....but I digress). Once again, this is a recipe where you can just throw everything into the casserole dish, mix it all together, and throw it in the oven. No need to dirty up dishes when it really isn't necessary. In fact, this could just be a meal itself. Fattening, yes. But filling, and oh-so-yummy!
Raspberry Swirl Cheesecake
1 Ready Crust Chocolate Pie Crust (16 oz.)
1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese, softened
1 (14 oz.) can sweetened condensed milk (NOT evaporated)
1 egg
3 Tbsp. plus 1 tsp. lemon juice, divided
1/2 cup raspberry preserves
Beat cream cheese until fluffy. Gradually beat in sweetened condensed milk until smooth, add egg and 3 Tbsp. lemon juice; mix well. Pour half the batter into the crust. Combine remaining 1 tsp. lemon juice with preserves in a small bowl. Spoon half the preserves over batter. Pour remaining batter on top. Using knife, swirl remaining preserves into a decorative pattern. Bake at 300 degrees for 55 min. Cool. Refrigerate leftovers.
This recipe is even easier than the last one, but it's just as tasty. I didn't get really creative with my design. I just stuck the knife in the batter and swirled it around a little bit. No need to get picky. I mean, it's going to taste the same no matter how pretty you make it look, right?
1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese, softened
1 (14 oz.) can sweetened condensed milk (NOT evaporated)
1 egg
3 Tbsp. plus 1 tsp. lemon juice, divided
1/2 cup raspberry preserves
Beat cream cheese until fluffy. Gradually beat in sweetened condensed milk until smooth, add egg and 3 Tbsp. lemon juice; mix well. Pour half the batter into the crust. Combine remaining 1 tsp. lemon juice with preserves in a small bowl. Spoon half the preserves over batter. Pour remaining batter on top. Using knife, swirl remaining preserves into a decorative pattern. Bake at 300 degrees for 55 min. Cool. Refrigerate leftovers.
This recipe is even easier than the last one, but it's just as tasty. I didn't get really creative with my design. I just stuck the knife in the batter and swirled it around a little bit. No need to get picky. I mean, it's going to taste the same no matter how pretty you make it look, right?
Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake
1 (6 oz) chocolate pie crust
6 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk (NOT evaporated milk)
1 egg
3 Tbsp. lemon juice
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup fresh or frozen raspberries
**Chocolate glaze (recipe follows)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Beat cream cheese until fluffy; gradually beat in condensed milk until smooth. Add egg, lemon juice, and vanilla. Mix well.
Arrange raspberries on bottom of crust. Slowly pour cheese mixture over fruit. Bake 30-35 minutes or until center is almost set. Cool.
Top cheesecake with chocolate glaze; chill. Garnish as desired. Refrigerate leftovers.
HELPFUL HINT: Soften cream cheese in microwave on high 15-20 seconds.
**CHOCOLATE GLAZE**
In a small saucepan, over low heat, melt 2 (1 oz. each) squares semi-sweet baking chocolate with 1/4 cup whipping cream. Cook and stir until thickened and smooth. Remove from heat.
I got this and another cheesecake recipe (which will be posted after this one) at a grocery store that my Grandmother always goes to. It's extremely easy to make, but extremely hard to stop eating :)
6 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk (NOT evaporated milk)
1 egg
3 Tbsp. lemon juice
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup fresh or frozen raspberries
**Chocolate glaze (recipe follows)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Beat cream cheese until fluffy; gradually beat in condensed milk until smooth. Add egg, lemon juice, and vanilla. Mix well.
Arrange raspberries on bottom of crust. Slowly pour cheese mixture over fruit. Bake 30-35 minutes or until center is almost set. Cool.
Top cheesecake with chocolate glaze; chill. Garnish as desired. Refrigerate leftovers.
HELPFUL HINT: Soften cream cheese in microwave on high 15-20 seconds.
**CHOCOLATE GLAZE**
In a small saucepan, over low heat, melt 2 (1 oz. each) squares semi-sweet baking chocolate with 1/4 cup whipping cream. Cook and stir until thickened and smooth. Remove from heat.
I got this and another cheesecake recipe (which will be posted after this one) at a grocery store that my Grandmother always goes to. It's extremely easy to make, but extremely hard to stop eating :)
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Veggie Patches
2 (8 oz) cans refrigerated crescent rolls
1 egg, beaten
16 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 cup mayonnaise
1 envelope ranch salad dressing mix
1/2 cup each finely chopped broccoli, cauliflower, mushrooms, green bell pepper, tomato, and black olives
3/4 cup (3 oz) shredded cheddar cheese
Unroll the dough and press over the bottom of a 10x15-inch baking pan, pressing the perforations to seal. Brush with the egg. Bake at 375 degrees for 11 to 13 minutes. Let stand on a wire rack until completely cool. Beat the cream cheese, mayo, and salad dressing mix in a mixing bowl until smooth. Spread over the cooled crust. Sprinkle evenly with the broccoli, cauliflower, mushrooms, bell pepper, tomato, black olives and cheddar cheese. Cut into small squares to serve. Recipe may be halved. Makes 3 to 4 dozen squares.
Once again, Christy gets the credit for this recipe. Now, as many of you know, anything with ranch dressing is at the top of my list. The flavors all mix together so well. It's a light appetizer that is extremely delicious. Though, after eating a few squares it becomes not-so-light.... But why feel guilty? It DOES have veggies on it :)
1 egg, beaten
16 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 cup mayonnaise
1 envelope ranch salad dressing mix
1/2 cup each finely chopped broccoli, cauliflower, mushrooms, green bell pepper, tomato, and black olives
3/4 cup (3 oz) shredded cheddar cheese
Unroll the dough and press over the bottom of a 10x15-inch baking pan, pressing the perforations to seal. Brush with the egg. Bake at 375 degrees for 11 to 13 minutes. Let stand on a wire rack until completely cool. Beat the cream cheese, mayo, and salad dressing mix in a mixing bowl until smooth. Spread over the cooled crust. Sprinkle evenly with the broccoli, cauliflower, mushrooms, bell pepper, tomato, black olives and cheddar cheese. Cut into small squares to serve. Recipe may be halved. Makes 3 to 4 dozen squares.
Once again, Christy gets the credit for this recipe. Now, as many of you know, anything with ranch dressing is at the top of my list. The flavors all mix together so well. It's a light appetizer that is extremely delicious. Though, after eating a few squares it becomes not-so-light.... But why feel guilty? It DOES have veggies on it :)
Chicken Dip
1 large can, plus one small can chicken breast chunks
2 (8 oz) pkgs. cream cheese, softened
2 envelopes ranch salad dressing mix
1/4 cup sour cream
2 Tbsp. milk
2 Tbsp. chopped jalapenos
Combine all of the ingredients in a bowl. Chill, covered, until serving time. Serve with crackers. Serves 18 to 20.
Sadly, I can't take credit for this recipe at all. No, the credit must be given to my beautiful sister, Christy. She gave me this recipe after I went up to Tennessee to spend the weekend with her and Phil. As you can tell, it's an extremely easy recipe that takes no time at all to throw together. Get you a box of triscuits, and you're golden!
2 (8 oz) pkgs. cream cheese, softened
2 envelopes ranch salad dressing mix
1/4 cup sour cream
2 Tbsp. milk
2 Tbsp. chopped jalapenos
Combine all of the ingredients in a bowl. Chill, covered, until serving time. Serve with crackers. Serves 18 to 20.
Sadly, I can't take credit for this recipe at all. No, the credit must be given to my beautiful sister, Christy. She gave me this recipe after I went up to Tennessee to spend the weekend with her and Phil. As you can tell, it's an extremely easy recipe that takes no time at all to throw together. Get you a box of triscuits, and you're golden!
Marinara Sauce
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 tsp. minced garlic
1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes
1 tsp. oregano, dried
1 tsp. basil, dried
1 whole bay leaf
1/2 tsp. sugar
salt and pepper to taste
Over medium heat, heat oil in a large pot until hot. Add onion and garlic, saute for 3 to 5 minutes until the onions begin to appear translucent. Add the tomatoes, stir to mingle flavors. Add in the herbs and bay leaf. Sprinkle in sugar. Add salt and pepper to taste. Lower the heat and continue to simmer for 30 minutes, uncovered. Stir occasionally.
I'll be honest. I got this recipe from my Family and Parenting class that I took my senior year of high school. We made strombolli that day, and this is the recipe my teacher gave us. But it is delicious. Whether eating this with cheese sticks, strombolli, etc. this definitely beats anything you would ever find in jar.
1 medium onion, chopped
2 tsp. minced garlic
1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes
1 tsp. oregano, dried
1 tsp. basil, dried
1 whole bay leaf
1/2 tsp. sugar
salt and pepper to taste
Over medium heat, heat oil in a large pot until hot. Add onion and garlic, saute for 3 to 5 minutes until the onions begin to appear translucent. Add the tomatoes, stir to mingle flavors. Add in the herbs and bay leaf. Sprinkle in sugar. Add salt and pepper to taste. Lower the heat and continue to simmer for 30 minutes, uncovered. Stir occasionally.
I'll be honest. I got this recipe from my Family and Parenting class that I took my senior year of high school. We made strombolli that day, and this is the recipe my teacher gave us. But it is delicious. Whether eating this with cheese sticks, strombolli, etc. this definitely beats anything you would ever find in jar.
My Favorite Chicken Casserole
2 cups cooked chicken
1 cup chopped celery
1 medium onion, chopped
2/3 cup mayonaisse
1 can cream of chicken soup
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
2 cups crushed potato chips
Cut chicken into pieces. Mix soup and mayo with chicken. Add the rest of the ingredients, but only half of the potato chips. Blend well. Pour into casserole dish. Sprinkle with remaining potato chips. Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes. Best served with chicken flavored rice.
Ok folks. This is a recipe that everyone should always have handy. I'll be honest...this is my favorite dish. Period. If I had to eat one thing for the rest of my life, this would be it. Trust me, it's that good! Fresh out of the oven, refrigerated, leftover, you just can't beat it. I would go ahead and recommend doubling it, because you'll need to! And don't even fiddle with mixing everything in a separate bowl. Just throw everything into the casserole dish, stir it all together, then throw it in the oven. It's a simple dish that screams comfort food. You can't beat that!
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