My Version of Taco Soup

1 lb ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped
1 (16oz) bottle taco sauce
1 (15oz ) can black beans, drained & rinsed
1 (15oz) can dark kidney beans, drained & rinsed
1 (15oz) can whole kernel corn, drained
1 can mild rotel tomatoes and green chilies
1 (8oz) can tomato sauce + 1 can water
2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin

Brown ground beef and onion together; drain.  Return meat to pot and stir in all other ingredients.  Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally.  Reduce heat and simmer for at least 5 to 7 minutes [allowing it to simmer longer will just allow the ingredients to mix together more].

Friday Nite Bites #4

We made to week 4!!! Still going strong this week with a western flavored meal - Hungry Jack Casserole.


I had found the recipe online but made many changes to it to make it all my own...the recipe I ended up following is below....

Hungry Jack Casserole

Ingredients
2 lbs ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped
1 large can baked beans
1 cup bbq sauce
2 Tbsp brown sugar
1 can flaky biscuits
1 cup cheddar cheese, grated
Black Pepper, to taste

Directions
Preheat oven to 375° . Brown ground beef and onions seasoning with black pepper; drain. Stir in beans, bbq sauce and brown sugar. Pour into a 9x13 dish that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Cut biscuits into quarters and place on top of mixture. Bake for 25 minutes or until biscuits are golden brown. Sprinkle with cheddar cheese and bake 5 minutes more until cheese is melted.

Friday Night Bites #3

Week 3 of the new year and I am able to cook!!! This week the recipe was Fiesta Chicken which I found at http://www.plainchicken.com/2011/09/fiesta-chicken-casserole.html. Here is a pic of it:

The recipe as found on the website is

Fiesta Chicken Casserole
(Printable Recipe)

3 cup cooked chopped chicken
1 cup instant rice (uncooked)
1 can cream of chicken soup (I used 98% fat free)
1 can Rotel diced tomatoes and chiles, undrained
1 Tbsp Southwestern or Taco seasoning
2 Tbsp milk
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided
1/2 cup crushed tortilla chips or Doritos

Preheat oven to 350.

Combine chicken, rice, soup, Rotel, seasoning, milk and 1 1/2 cups of cheese. Pour into a lightly greased 9x9 pan. Cover and bake for 30 minutes. Top casserole with crushed chips and remaining cheese, bake uncovered for 5-10 minutes, until cheese is melted.

I tweeked the recipe a little and the recipe I actually used is...

Fiesta Chicken Casserole
(Printable Recipe)

3 cup cooked chopped chicken
1 cup instant rice (uncooked)
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can Rotel diced tomatoes and chiles, undrained
1 cup chicken broth (I just used the broth where I had boiled the chicken)

3 Tbsp cumin
2 Tbsp chili powder
2 Tbsp milk
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided
1 small bag crushed Doritos

Preheat oven to 350.

Combine chicken, rice, soup, Rotel, seasoning, milk and 1 1/2 cups of cheese. Pour into a lightly greased 9x13 pan. Cover and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake for 10 minutes longer. Top casserole with crushed chips and remaining cheese, bake uncovered for 5-10 minutes, until cheese is melted.

Friday Night Bites #2

I had planned it and had the list ready to go to the store when I went to the dr's with my foot and was told to stay off my feet all weekend - - - -so no week 2.

Friday Night Bites #1

We have decided to do a new thing this year where we will try a new recipe every week. This past Friday, Jan 6th was week 1. I made a Mexican Casserole that I had found online!!! It was a hit!!! I did some small modifications to the recipe and will probably do some if I make it again....

Here's the recipe that I got off the blog Sing for your Supper [you can find it at http://www.singforyoursupperblog.com/]:

My Mom’s Mexican Casserole

1 pound lean ground beef
1 can Ranch Style beans
1 10-12 ounce bag tortilla chips, crushed
1 can Ro-tel tomatoes
1 small onion, chopped
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided
1 package taco seasoning
1 can cream of chicken soup
1/2 cup water
sour cream and salsa for serving

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In a large skillet, brown meat and drain off fat. Stir in beans, tomatoes, onion, taco seasoning, soup and water. Simmer over medium-low heat until everything is well combined and heated through.

Grease a 9×13 casserole dish. Put down a layer of crushed tortilla chips, followed by a layer of the meat/bean mixture, then half of the cheddar cheese. Repeat layers. Cover with foil and bake for 20-30 minutes, or until bubbly.
Let sit for 5-10 minutes before serving. Top with sour cream and salsa. Enjoy!

The only change I made was the beans. Our Wal-Mart didn't have the ranch beans so I substituted chili beans instead since they are similar. Next time I will double the cheese and probably add corn.

Poppy Seed Chicken Casserole

Several years ago I had my 1st apartment in Milton...I decided to have a little dinner party and invited over about 4 friends from church...I had so much fun getting ready for my dinner even painted and stenciled my coffee table and got each of my guests a pass-it-on card that I framed...I made a punch from white grape juice with poppy seed chicken and sex in a pan for dessert....the only downside to the evening was the recipe mom gave me had the wrong measurement on the poppy seeds 1 tablespoon instead of a teaspoon BIG MISTAKE!!!!

This is similar and sounds yummy!!!!

Poppy Seed Chicken Casserole

1 whole chicken, cooked and shredded

2 cans cream of chicken soup

1 cup sour cream

1 sleeve buttery crackers, crushed

1/4 cup margarine or butter, melted

1 tsp. poppy seeds

Place the chicken in a bowl. Add the soup and sour cream, blend well. Spread into a greased 9"x13" baking dish. In a separate bowl, stir together the crushed crackers, melted margarine, and poppy seeds. Sprinkle over the chicken mixture. Bake at 350 degrees until bubbly, about 35-40 minutes.

Mexican Casserole

MEXICAN CASSEROLE

1 1/2 lbs ground beef
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 bag shredded Mexican cheese
1 package taco seasoning mix
1/2 bag corn tortilla chips
1 can Rotel
1 can corn, drain
1/2 onion (or, to taste)
garlic and pepper to taste

Brown all the hamburger meat and onion, season to taste with garlic and pepper, in skillet. Meanwhile in a large bowl, combine canned soups, Rotel, taco seasoning mix and the can of corn.
In a large casserole dish sprayed with non-stick spray, spread half of a bag of corn tortilla chips around the bottom. When meat is cooked and drained, stir into the soup mixture, then pour over the corn tortilla chips. Top casserole with the bag of shredded Mexican cheese.

Bake for 30-45 minutes at 350°F.

This is very good served with guacamole and sour cream and use rest of the bag of chips for dipping.

Super easy!.

Serves 6-8 people

Buffalo Chicken Dip

FRANK'S® REDHOT® BUFFALO CHICKEN DIP
Servings: 4 cups dip | Prep Time: 5 min. | Cook Time: 20 min.

Owner/Copyright: RBI 2008

INGREDIENTS:
8 oz. pkg. cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup blue cheese or ranch salad dressing

1/2 cup any flavor FRANK'S® REDHOT® Sauce

1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese or shredded mozzarella cheese

2 cans (12.5 oz. each) SWANSON® White Premium Chunk Chicken Breast in Water, drained

DIRECTIONS:
HEAT oven to 350°F. Place cream cheese into deep baking dish. Stir until smooth.

MIX in salad dressing, Frank's RedHot Sauce and cheese. Stir in chicken.

BAKE 20 min. or until mixture is heated through; stir. Garnish as desired. Serve with crackers or vegetables.

TIPS:
Microwave Directions: Prepare as above. Place in microwave-safe dish. Microwave, uncovered, on HIGH 5 min. until hot, stirring halfway through cooking.

Tips: You may substitute 2 cups shredded cooked chicken.

Slow Cooker Method: Combine ingredients as directed above. Place mixture into small slow cooker. Cover pot. Heat on HIGH setting for 1 1/2 hours until hot and bubbly or on LOW setting for 2 1/2 to 3 hours. Stir.

Tailgating Tip: Prepare dip ahead and place in heavy disposable foil pan. Place pan on grill and heat dip until hot and bubbly.

Cheddar Ham Cups

Ingredients
2 cups (8 ounces) finely shredded cheddar cheese
2 packages (2-1/2 ounces each) thinly sliced deli ham, chopped
3/4 cup mayonnaise
1/3 cup real bacon bits
2 to 3 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 tube (10.2 ounces) large refrigerated flaky biscuits

Directions
In a large bowl, combine the cheese, ham, mayonnaise, bacon and mustard. Split biscuits into thirds. Press onto the bottom and up the sides of ungreased miniature muffin cups. Fill each with about 1 tablespoon of cheese mixture.
Bake at 450° for 9-11 minutes or until golden brown and the cheese is melted. Let stand for 2 minutes before removing from the pans. Serve warm. Yield: 2-1/2 dozen.

Fudgy Frosted Brownie Cookies

Cookies
1 cup Original Bisquick® mix
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2/3 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup unsweetened baking cocoa
1/2 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 egg

Frosting
2 oz unsweetened baking chocolate
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
2 cups powdered sugar
3 to 4 tablespoons hot water

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Spray cookie sheets with cooking spray. In medium bowl, mix cookie ingredients until well blended.
2. Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls about 2 inches apart on cookie sheets.
3. Bake 9 to 11 minutes or until set. Cool 2 minutes; remove from cookie sheets to cooling rack. Cool completely, about 30 minutes.
4. In 2-quart saucepan, melt chocolate and butter over low heat, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat. Stir in powdered sugar and 3 tablespoons of the hot water until smooth. (If frosting is too thick, add additional water, 1 teaspoon at a time.) Spread frosting over cookies

Note: This recipe only makes 18 cookies, which do rise and are kinda big. So make sure if you need more than that to double or triple it. Super Easy!!!

Easy Beef Stroganoff

Ingredients
1 box farfalle [bowtie] pasta
1 pound lean ground beef
1 (.75 ounce) packet dry brown gravy mix
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese
1 (6 ounce) can chopped mushrooms, with liquid
1/2 cup milk
1 (8 ounce) container sour cream
2 (10.75 ounce) cans condensed cream of mushroom soup
2 cups Monterey Jack Cheese, shredded or in cubes

Directions
1.Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.
2.In a skillet over medium heat, brown the ground beef until no pink shows; drain.
3.Mix brown gravy, cream cheese and mushrooms with hamburger until cream cheese has given the mixture a whitish look. Add milk, sour cream, jack cheese and mushroom soup to cooked pasta. Blend hamburger mixture with pasta.


I love Stroganoff Hamburger Helper. So tonight when I was deciding to make supper I looked in the cabinet and the first things I saw were mushrooms and cream of shroom soup. I found this recipe online and made it for dinner!! Yummy!! The original recipe called for egg noodles but I changed it to the bowtie pasta because I'm not a fan of egg noodles. I also added the Monterey Jack cheese to the recipe because I always add it to my HH. I also seasoned my meat with some paprika, black pepper and garlic when I browned it.

Beekeeper's Jezebel Sauce

1 (15.25 oz) jar apricot preserves
1/4 cup fat free chicken broth
1/4 cup honey
3 Tablespoons Horseradish
1 Tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
2 Tablespoons Dijon Mustard
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
1/2 tespoon dried crushed red pepper

Whisk togeth all ingredients in a small saucepan. cook over medium heat, whisking frequently, 3 to 4 minutes or until heated thoroughly and sauce is a pourable consistency. Use immediately or store in an airtight container int he refrigerator for up to 1 week.

Great with chicken or seafood!!!

I had Jezebel Sauce at the Cotillion Southern Cafe and was excited to then find a recipe in a magazine!!

Quick and Easy Chicken Pot Pie

Ingredients
2 (10.75 ounce) cans cream of chicken soup 3 cups chopped cooked chicken
1 cup sour cream 1 ½ cups Bisquick baking mix
½ cup milk 1 cup grated sharp Cheddar cheese
½ teaspoon dried parsley flakes ½ cup milk
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon salt
1 (1 pound) package frozen mixed vegetables, thawed

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 13x9x2 inch baking dish.
In a large bowl, combine soup and next 6 ingredients. Stir in vegetables and chicken. Spoon mixture into prepared baking dish; set aside.
In a small bowl, combine baking mix and cheese. Add milk, stirring just until dry ingredients are moistened. Drop batter by heaping tablespoonfuls evenly over chicken mixture. Bake 35 to 40 minutes, or until biscuits are browned and pot pie is hot and bubbly.

Chewy Bars

Ingredients
2 cups self-rising flour 1 box brown sugar
1 stick oleo 3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla 1 cup chopped nuts

Directions
In a mixing bowl, combine all ingredients. Pour into a greased 9x13 inch pan. Bake 30-35 minutes at 350 degrees.

Strawberry Pie

Ingredients
1 pint fresh strawberries, sliced 1 small sugar free cool whip
1 small sugar free Strawberry Jell-o ¾ cup boiling water
¾ cup or less ice cubes 1 Shortbread Pie Crust

Directions
Mix jell-o with boiling water. Stir until dissolved. Add ice cubes and set aside to partially set up.
When set up, fold cool whip into jell-o.
Pour half of jell-o mixture into pie crust. Top with sliced strawberries and cover with remaining jell-o mixture.
Refrigerate until ready to serve. Keep any leftovers in the fridge.

I made this for a guy I was interested in one summer but didn't know the berries had to be fresh so I used frozen slice berries. Big Mistake the pie turned to water and when I would cut it the only way you need I had cut it was crust was missing.

Three Layered Salad

Ingredients
1 head lettuce, cut up and crips Salt and Pepper to taste
1 package frozen petite green peas 1 pint mayonnaise
1 tablespoon sugar ¼ cup sour cream
1 ½ cups celery, chopped Parmesan Cheese
1 large onion, cut in rings Bacon bits

Directions
Add sugar to frozen peas. In a glass dish or cake pan layer salad in this order lettuce, celery, onion and peas. Mix mayonnaise and sour cream. Spread on top as you would ice a cake. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese and bacon bits. Make night before serving and refrigerate overnight.

Tip: Before serving toss salad together to insure everyone gets some of all the flavors!!

Poppy Seed Chicken

Ingredients
6 chicken breasts, boiled and cut into small pieces
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1 pint sour cream
1 tablespoon poppy seeds
1 stack Ritz crackers, crushed
½ c butter, melted

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray baking dish. Place chicken in dish, set aside. Combine soup and sour cream, pour over chicken. Mix together crackers and poppy seeds and sprinkle over soup mixture. Pour melted butter over crakers. Bake for 30 minutes or until bubbly.

Gooey - Gooey Bars

Ingredients
1 package cake mix, any flavor 1 8 oz package cream cheese
½ c soft margarine 2 eggs
1 egg ¾ box powdered sugar

Directions
Mix cake mix, margarine and 1 egg. Pat into the bottom of a greased 9x13 pan.
Mix other ingredients and pour over cake mixture.
Bake at 325 degrees for 35 to 40 minutes.

Gina's Spicy Potato Wedges

Ingredients
3 large russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 8 wedges
1/4 cup butter, melted
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tablespoons seasoned salt
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon freshly chopped parsley leaves
3 tablespoons grated Parmesan, plus more for garnish
Salt
Directions
Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.

In a large bowl, toss the potatoes with the melted butter, olive oil, seasoned salt, cayenne, parsley, and 3 tablespoons of the Parmesan.

Arrange in a single layer on 2 sheet trays. Bake until golden brown and crisp, about 45 minutes. Turn the potatoes halfway through the cooking with flat spatula.

Remove from oven and taste for seasoning. Add some kosher salt to taste and transfer to a serving platter. Garnish with more Parmesan and serve.

Yummy recipe from The Neely's.

Grits Toast with Creamy Mushrooms

Ingredients
3 (14-ounce) cans chicken broth
1 1/3 cups quick-cooking grits
1/2 cup grated Parmesan, plus 1 cup
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons butter, melted
2 cups mayonnaise
2 (4-ounce) can mushroom pieces and stems, drained
2 (2.8- ounce) can French-fried onion rings

Directions
Bring broth to a boil in a large saucepan. Stir in grits, and return to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 5 minutes, or until grits are thickened, stirring occasionally. Stir in 1/2 cup cheese and salt. Remove from heat. Spoon grits into a greased 9 by 13-inch baking pan. Cover, and chill at least 2 hours, or until firm. Un-mold grits onto a large cutting board.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Cut out 48 (1 1/2-inch) circles using a round or fluted cookie cutter. Brush a large jellyroll pan with melted butter. Place grits rounds on pan. Bake for 15 minutes. Turn grits, and bake 15 minutes more. Set aside. (Up to this point, the recipe can be prepared ahead. If preparing early, cover and refrigerate grit rounds until you are ready to top with mushroom mixture.)

In a bowl, stir together the mayonnaise, 1 cup Parmesan, mushrooms, and onion rings. Top each grits round evenly with mushroom mixture. Broil 5 minutes, or until lightly browned and heated through.

You can also serve the topping on slices of baguette bread.

I got this recipe from Paula Deen who served it at her daughter-in-law, Brooke's baby shower. I made it for my cousin Kim's baby shower and it was a hit.