Mexican Thursdays

Looking for something different? This is another ez make a head dish. You can make it tonight and serve it tomorrow! Just remember to take it out of the fridge for at least an hour before baking it! I like to top it with hot sauce, shredded lettuce, olives, peppers, cheese and sour cream!!! MMM!!!! YUM-ME!

Taco pie

1 ¼ pound of ground beef

1 pkg. Taco seasoning

½ c. water

1/3 c. sliced olives

1 –8oz. can crescent rolls

2 c. Fritos or Doritos

1 c. sour cream

1 c. shredded cheddar

Brown Meat and drain. Add taco seasoning mix and add water and olives. Simmer 5 min. Separate crescent rolls and press over bottom of sides of 8” or 10” pie plate to form tight seal on crust. Sprinkle corn chips, crushed on bottom. Spoon meat on top. Cover with sour cream then cheese and then top with remaining chips. Bake at 375* 20- 25 min.

Appetizer Wednesdays

Happy hump day!!!! And Leap year all rolled into one!!! Well this dip recipe came from my sister, and she got it from a friend. Everyone loves this dip. And it is sooo ez!!!

I love to serve this with Garlic Triscuits!

So Yum-me!

Nieman Marcus Party cheese spread

1 ¼ c. Mayo, not salad dressing

3-4 T. Real bacon bits

½ c. green onion, chopped

½ c.-slivered almonds, toasted 6 min.

1 c. shredded cheddar

Mix and Chill.

SOS... Soup or Salad

SOS Soup or Salad Tuesdays!!! Here is a yum-me salad. This is great any time of the year! If you want to impress your hostess at a dinner party, ask if you can bring the salad and make this one!! The crunch of the fruit and the tangy dressing make you crave for this salad! What is the name?? I call it Mary's Vineyard Salad!

Mary's Vineyard Salad

2-3 heads of romaine lettuce

1 granny smith apple, peeled, cubed

¼ c. cran raisins

1 pear, cubed, peeled

1 c. cashews

½ c. sunflower seeds toasted

1 c. shredded Swiss cheese

Dressing: ½ c. sugar, 2 T. lemon juice, ¼ t. salt, 1/3c. Apple cider vinegar, 2T. Onion, chopped, 2/3 c vegetable oil.

Marvelous Monday's!!!!

Happy Marvelous Monday! Here is an easy recipe for Parmesan Chicken. I am not personally a fan of breaded chicken with spaghetti sauce and noodles. So we make this one! Serve it with a baked potato and a salad and you have a classy, but easy meal!

Parmesan Chicken

2 chicken breasts, boneless, skinless

6 T butter, melted

3T. bread crumbs

½ c. grated parmesan cheese

Dash of garlic salt

Dash of paprika

¼ c. parsley

Dip chicken in butter, shake remaining ingredients in a baggie. Add chicken and shake till coated. Butter a baking dish. Add chicken.

Bake @ 350* for 1 ½ hours

Sunday Dinners

Sunday Home cooked dinners! Today was Italian day... Looking for an easy way to make Lasagna? Here it is... You can not beat this .. Slow Cooker Lasagna!~ Put it together the night before and plug it in ....in the AM... Yes, a taste of homes recipe that I tweaked!!! Mangia!~

• Prep: 25 min. Cook: 4 hours
• Yield: 6 Servings

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Ingredients

• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 Jar Prego spaghetti sauce, or your own homemade
• 1 cup water
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 package (8 ounces) no-cook lasagna noodles
• 4 cups (16 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
• 1-1/2 cups (12 ounces) 4% cottage cheese
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

• In a skillet, cook beef and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Drain. Stir in the spaghetti sauce, water, salt and oregano.
• Spread a fourth of the meat sauce in an ungreased 5-qt. slow cooker. Arrange a third of the noodles over sauce (break the noodles if necessary). Combine the cheeses; spoon a third of the mixture over noodles. Repeat layers twice. Top with remaining meat sauce.
• Cover and cook on low for 4-5 hours or until noodles are tender. Yield: 6-8 servings.

Nutritional Facts1 serving (1 slice) equals 482 calories, 20 g fat (11 g saturated fat), 84 mg cholesterol, 1,317 mg sodium, 36 g carbohydrate, 4 g fiber, 38 g protein.

Originally published as Slow Cooker Lasagna in Quick Cooking January/February 2000, p27

Appetizer Wednesdays

The buffalo chicken has gone gang busters! They started with buffalo chicken wings, then came the buffalo chicken dip and now they have buffalo chicken casseroles and wraps! This dip is addictive! Serve it with crackers or tortilla chips!!! I put this recipe in my little crock-pot. I like it better it does not get oily that way! Oh yeah and guess where I found the recipe?? Yep Taste of Homes!!!!!!!! Love that mag!!!!

Buffalo Chicken Dip

• 
  Prep/Total Time: 30 min.
• Yield: 16 Servings

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Ingredients

• 1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
• 1 can (10 ounces) chunk white chicken, drained
• 1/2 cup buffalo wing sauce
• 1/2 cup ranch salad dressing
• 2 cups (8 ounces) shredded Colby-Monterey Jack cheese
• Tortilla chips

Directions

• Spread cream cheese into an ungreased shallow 1-qt. baking dish. Layer with chicken, buffalo wing sauce and ranch dressing. Sprinkle with cheese.
• Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 20-25 minutes or until cheese is melted. Serve warm with tortilla chips. Yield: about 2 cups.

Nutritional Facts1 serving (2 tablespoons) equals 156 calories, 13 g fat (7 g saturated fat), 38 mg cholesterol, 484 mg sodium, 2 g carbohydrate, trace fiber, 7 g protein.

Originally published as Buffalo Chicken Dip in Taste of Home December/January 2007, p17

Happy Soup/Salad Tuesday!

I went to bed early last night and didn't do my Tuesday post. Here is an oldie but goodie and one of my favorite salad recipes.... Please do not knock it until you try it!! This salad is bursting with flavor!

If you do not have a lot of time and need a dish to pass, this is it. It is great because you just dump everything into a bowl and let it marinate!

Bean Salad

1 small can green beans, drained

1 small can yellow beans, drained

1 small can kidney beans, drained

1 can Lima beans, drained

1 small can chick peas, drained

1 small green pepper, chopped

1 c. celery, chopped

Dressing: 1c. Vinegar, ¾ c. sugar, 1/3 c. oil, 1t. Salt, ½ t. pepper

Mix. Marinate overnight.

Happy Sunday everyone!!!! Sorry I have been out of commission with a sinus infection, work and then the 24 hour bug! But I am back. I am sorry it has been 2 long weeks since a recipe from me. I don't think I can catch up that many posts so let us just start from here, ok?

Here is a fabulous dinner to put together for Monday!

Chicken Lasagna

Butter a large 13 x 9 pan. Cook 1 box lasagna noodles

Cheese Layer: 1 pt cottage cheese, 3 eggs 1 pt. sour cream, 1 small onion, chopped, 1 T. parsley, 1T. Oregano and 1 T. basil, 1 8 oz cream cheese. Mix together

Chicken layer: 2 chickens, cooked and picked, 3 cans cream of asparagus or cream of celery soup. Mix together. I tend to find these flavors of soup at your neighborhood grocery store rather then the big box stores!

Layer noodles, cheese and chicken. Repeat. Top with 2 pkgs. Shredded cheddar. Bake @ 350* 1 hour. Let stand 10 min. before cutting.

Home cooked dinner Sunday's!

Looks like I forgot a couple days here, Friday and Saturday both!! Well I am sorry about that! I will make it up to you! Here is your recipe for your home cooked Sunday Dinner! One of my favorites is Baby back ribs in the slow-cooker and Carrot Casserole. Yes, from the TASTE OF HOMES!!!! I am telling ya you have to check this out!!!! YUM-ME!

Baby back ribs

1 pkg. baby back ribs cut into eating portions

Garlic salt, season salt and pepper} Sprinkle on both sides of ribs

Place in a slow cooker. Top with sliced onion. Top with your favorite BBQ Sauce! Cook 6-8 hours

Carrot Casserole!

• Prep: 25 min. Bake: 20 min.
• Yield: 10-12 Servings

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Ingredients

• 8 cups sliced carrots
• 2 medium onions, sliced
• 5 tablespoons butter, divided
• 1 can (10-3/4 ounces) condensed cream of celery soup, undiluted
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 cup seasoned croutons

Directions

• Place carrots in a saucepan and cover with water; bring to a boil. Cook until crisp-tender. Meanwhile, in a skillet, saute onions in 3 tablespoons butter until tender. Stir in the soup, salt, pepper and cheddar cheese.
• Drain carrots; add to the onion mixture. Transfer to a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish. Sprinkle with croutons. Melt remaining butter; drizzle over croutons. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 20-25 minutes. Yield: 10-12 servings.

Nutritional Facts1 serving (3/4 cup) equals 154 calories, 9 g fat (6 g saturated fat), 24 mg cholesterol, 458 mg sodium, 15 g carbohydrate, 3 g fiber, 4 g protein.

Originally published as Carrot Casserole in Country August/September 1996, p51

Mexican Thursday! Here is one of my favorites~ spicy Shepard's pie!!!

This is sooo easy!! This is another make a head recipe.

Spicy Sheppard pie

4 ½ c. hot mashed potatoes

1 pound ground beef

1 med onion chopped

1 can diced tomatoes

1 can 10 oz. Mexicorn

1 envelope taco seasoning

1 can sliced black olives, drained

1 ½ t. chili powder

1/8 t. garlic powder

1 c. shredded cheddar

In a large skillet, cook beef and onion until brown, drain. Add everything else, but cheese. Bring to a boil. Cook 2 min. Transfer to greased 2 ½ quart baking dish. Top with ¾ c. cheese. Spread mashed potatoes over top. Sprinkle with rest of cheese. Bake uncovered @ 350* 12- min or until cheese is melted.

Mangia!~