Taco Casserole

1 pound hamburger
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup chopped green pepper
1 envelope taco seasoning
1/2 cup water
1 cup crushed tortilla chips
1 can refried beans (16 oz)
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Toppings you might like:
lettuce
tomatoes
olives
sour cream
salsa

Cook hamburger, onion, & green pepper over medium heat until meat is no longer pink, drain. Stir in taco seasoning & water. Cook & stir for 3 minutes or until thickened; set aside.

Place chips in a greased 8 inch square baking dish. In a small bowl, stir refried beans; spread over chips. Top with hamburger mixture and cheese.

Bake, uncovered, at 375 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until heated. Top with your favorite taco toppings. Enjoy!!!!

Sausage Macaroni Bake

This is a family favorite. Enjoy!

Jodi

1 cup uncooked elbow macaroni
1 pound bulk pork sausage (I like to use Jimmy Dean Sage sausage)
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 can tomato sauce (15 oz)
1 cup water
8 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese, divided

Cook macaroni according to package directions; drain & set aside. In a large skillet, cook sausage over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. Add the oregano & pepper. Stir in tomato sauce & water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 5 mins. Stir in macaroni and 4 tablespoons Parmesan cheese. Transfer to an ungreased 1 quart baking dish. Sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until bubbly.

Options:

For some added flavor add in:
1/2 cup chopped green pepper
4 tablespoons chopped onion.

Add the above ingredients in the sausage mixture with the pepper and oregano.

Nacho Beef Skillet

1 lb Ground Beef or Ground Turkey
1 onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 clove of garlic, pressed or 1 tsp garlic powder (I just shake a bunch on when I do it!!)

Brown together with salt and pepper to taste. Drain and add the following:

1 can diced tomatoes w/green chilies
1 can whole kernal sweet corn
1 can black beans (rinsed)
1 envelope Spanish rice mix (Rice-a-Roni or something like it)
1 1/2 cups water

Cover and simmer for 10-15 minutes or until rice is tender.
Top with cheese and serve with steamed veggies or a salad.

Variations:

~ Put it in a tortilla and wrap it up for burritos! Or add fresh veggies and sour cream for a twist on tacos.

~ Top a pile of tortilla chips with mixture and cheese, bake at 350* for 10 minutes or until cheese is melted, then add sour cream, olives and jalepenos for Loaded Nachos for a snack or appetizer!!

Bacardi Rum Cake

1 Yellow Cake Mix
1 smal pkg instant vanilla pudding
4 eggs
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup oil
1/4 c. dark Rum

Bake at 350* for 1 hour.

GLAZE:

1 cup Sugar
1 cube Butter
1/4 cup water
Boil for 5 minutes. Add 1/2 cup light Rum

Poke holes in cool cake and apply glaze with a baster.

We were given this cake as a treat from our neighbor shortly after we were married. We loved it and couldn't figure out why it made us a little loopy!! I asked Marie and she said it was the rum in the glaze because it isn't cooked out!! So if you don't want to get a buzz when you eat this cake, boil the glaze for a few minutes before you baste the cake with it!!

Enjoy!!!!
Tamra

Hamburger Soup

1 lb Hamburger
2 - 14 oz cans diced tomatoes (or 1 large 28 oz)
1/2 cup diced carrots ( or a couple handfuls of baby carrots)
1 onion chopped
2-4 stalks of celery chopped
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup rice or barley
8 cups Water or Broth

Brown the hamburger with the onion and then add the other ingredients! Simmer until veggies are tender and the rice or barley is cooked.

I also throw in whatever veggies I have in my fridge ( broccoli, asparagus, bell pepper, spinach..... etc.) when I make this soup!! Frozen peas and corn can be thrown in at the end also!!
Serve this with homemade bread or rolls on a chilly night to warm your body and soul!!!

Variations:
To do this in the crock pot, brown the meat and transfer to the crocpot and add the remainder of the ingredients. Cook on low for 5-6 hours or until the rice and veggies are cooked.

School Lunch Pizza

I got this recipe from my husband's Grandma, who was a lunch lady in Fillmore, Ut back when my dad was in school!!! It's not your traditional pizza, but it's worth stepping out of your pizza box to try!!! My family prefers this to regular pizza and to be honest, so do I!!
Hope you like it as much as we do!!
Tamra

TOPPING:
1 cup Ketchup
1 can tomato sauce
2 onions, chopped
1 T. Chili Powder
2 lbs Hamburger or ground Turkey
1/4 cup Water

Brown the meat and onions, drain the fat and add the other ingredients. Simmer while you make the crust.

CRUST:
2 cups Flour
2 tsp Chili powder
2 T Sugar
2 T Butter
1 cup Tomato soup, warmed
1 T yeast
1/4 cup Water
1 Egg, whipped

Dissolve the yeast in the water with a pinch of the sugar. When it's bubbly add it to the rest of the ingredients and mix well. Press out into a well greased cookie sheet, I use a rectangular one, it seems to work best.

Bake the crust for minutes then add the topping and bake for another 10-15 minutes. Add 1-2 cups Cheese and bake for 15-20 minutes longer, or until the crust is brown on the bottom. Let it cool for 10 minutes then cut and enjoy with a salad for a rounded meal!!

VARIATIONS:
1 pkg sliced mushroom
1 can of sliced olives
1 bell pepper chopped

I cook the mushrooms and pepper in with the meat and onions and put olives on top under the cheese.

Hamburger Stroganoff

This is one of my favorite go to dinners!! My kids LOVE it and usually ask for more!!

1 lb Hamburger
1 Onion, diced
1 clove Garlic, minced or 1 Tbsp garlic powder
Salt and Pepper, to taste
1 pkg Egg Noodles (I also use whatever shape pasta I have on hand if I'm out of egg noodles, shells and rotini work really well!!)
1 can Cream of Chicken Soup
3/4 cup (or a big scoop if you're like me!!) Sour Cream

Brown hamburger with onion, garlic and S&P. Drain

Cook the noodles and drain. Mix the soup and sour cream with the meat and combine with the noodles when they are done. Heat for a few minutes until warm all the way through.

VARIATIONS:
Use 1 can Beef Gravy instead of soup.

STIR IN IDEAS:

1 cup frozen green peas ( add to the noodles for the last 3-4 minutes of cooking)
1 cup mushrooms, sliced (I cook these in with the meat)

CHILI

I threw this together last night for dinner when an hour before we usually eat, I realized that I hadn't planned dinner!! I made it with stuff from my pantry that I always have on hand!! Fast, easy and it was so good even my kids ate all of it!! Made some corn muffins to go with it and had dinner ready in just over and hour!!!

Hope you like!!

Tamra

Last Minute Chili !!!

2 lbs ground beef or turkey
1 onion coursely chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
3 Tbsp Taco seasoning
1 - 14 oz can Mexican style stewed tomatoes
1 - 28oz. can diced tomatoes
1 - 14 oz can chili beans (in a spicy tomato sauce)
1 - 14 oz can Kidney beans
1 - 14 oz can Black beans
1 - 6 oz can diced green chili (can use jalapenos if you want more heat)
2 Tbsp Chili powder
1 Tbsp Cumin
Salt
Pepper
1/2 tsp thyme and oregano
1/8 tsp red pepper (Cayenne)

Brown the meat with onion garlic and taco seasoning. Drain.

Put tomatoes in blender and puree. My family won't eat chunks of tomato so this step is neccessary at my house!! If you don't mind the chunks, just add them to the meat.

Add the rest of the ingredients and simmer for an hour or so, stirring once in a while. Tweek the quantity of seasoning to get the spice just right for your taste!! We don't like super hot things so this version is pretty mild.

You can also do this in the crockpot and let it simmer on low all day!! Just brown the meat and drain then transfer to the crockpot, dump the rest of the stuff in and walk away!!!

THIS FREEZES REALLY WELL SO MAKE LOTS AND FREEZE IT FOR A FAST DINNER DOWN THE ROAD!!!

Teriyaki Chicken Stir Fry

Super easy, fast and yummy!! I love to do this early in the week and make alot because it is awesome for leftovers!!

Enjoy,
Tamra


2 lbs Boneless, skinless Chicken Breast (or thighs), Chunked
1 bottle Teriyaki marinade ( I use Lawry's)

Marinate the Chicken in half the bottle of teriyaki sauce for at least 30 minutes and up to 24 hours.

Any veggies you have in the fridge!! I usually use the following:

Broccolli
Carrots
Onion
Clove of Garlic
Asparagus
Cauliflower
Bell Pepper
Mushrooms
Bean Sprouts
Baby corn

Cut up whatever veggies you have into equal sized chunks. About 6 cups total.... Sometimes more depending on how many people you are feeding!!

Cook the Chicken until no longer pink on the outside. Add the onions and garlic and saute until onions are transparent. Add the rest of the veggies and Teriyaki sauce and stir to coat. Cook for approx 20 minutes, stirring often. Veggies should be tender but still crispy! Serve over rice!! You can also add pineapple if you like it!!

Maple Glazed Meatballs

These are always a crowd pleaser at our house when we have a party. ENJOY!!!!

1 1/2 C. ketchup
1 C. maple syrup
1/3 C. reduced sodium soy sauce
1 tbs. quick cooking tapioca
1 1/2 tsp. ground allspice
1 tsp. dry mustard
2 pkgs. frozen meatballs
1 can pineapple chunks - drained

Combine ketchup, maple syrup, soy sauce, tapioca, allspice, & mustard in crock-pot.

Partially thaw & separate meatballs. Carefully stir in meatballs & pineapple chunks into ketchup mixture.

Cover, cook on low for 5 - 6 hours.

One BIG Cookie

2 C. flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking powder
1 C. butter - room temperature
1 C. packed brown sugar
3/4 C. sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 1/2 C. chocolate chips

Sift together flour, salt, baking powder and set aside. Mix butter, brown sugar, and sugar until creamy. Slowly add in eggs and vanilla. Then stir in your flour mixture slowly until all in incorporated. Add in the chocolate chips.

Grease the inside of crock-pot & pour in batter.

Cover & cook on low for 3 hours.

Enjoy!!!!

Tater Tot Casserole

32-oz bag frozen tater tots
1 lb. ground beef, browned
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
10 3/4-oz can cream of chicken soup
1 Tbsp. dried onions
1/4 cup milk

Line crockpot with frozen tater tots. Combine remaining ingredients. Pour over potatoes. Cover & cook on high for 3 hours.

Options:

Add in 2 14 1/2 oz. cans green beans, drained
Sprinkle individual servings with your choice of grated cheese.

Mel's Amazing Salsa

1 large can whole peeled tomatoes
2 bunches of cilantro leaves
1-2 tsp. garlic salt
2 Serrano peppers (stems removed)
4 jalapeno peppers (stems removed)
3 cloves peeled garlic

Pan sear peppers and garlic until slightly charred.
In blender or food processor, add 1/2 can of tomatoes & cilantro (pulse until chopped).
Pour blended ingredients into a bowl.
In blender or food processor, add in remaining tomatoes, peppers, & garlic (pulse until chopped)
Pour blended ingredients into bowl.
Add garlic salt to taste.

Options:
1/2 cup chopped green onion
1 chopped avocado
1 can whole rinsed pinto beans
1 can corn

Note: You can make this for some fresh salsa on Taco night or make a big batch and can it!

Onion Baked Chicken

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes

1 tbsp. onion powder
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. paprika
1/2 tsp. thyme leaves (lightly crushed)
3 to 3 1/2 lb. chicken parts
1 tbsp. oil

Mix onion powder, salt, garlic powder, paprika & thyme in small bowl. Place chicken in shallow baking pan. Brush with oil. Coat chicken evenly with seasoning mixture.

Bake in oven at 375 degrees for 40 to 45 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.

Note: I didn't have any thyme leaves so I used Italian seasoning and it tasted pretty good.

Cheesy Potatoes

These are affectionately referred to as "Funeral Potatoes" back home!!

7-8 large potatoes
1-2 cups cheese, shredded, any kind you like!! I use cheddar and monterey jack mostly
1 small container sour cream
1/2 pkg cream cheese, softened
1 onion, finely minced
2-3 cloves of garlic, minced
Salt and Pepper

Boil the potatoes until they just start to get softened, peel and shred them. You can cube them too, it really doesn't matter! Chill for about an hour or you may end up with mashed cheesy potatoes. (They still taste great, I've done it on accident more than once!) While the tatoes are in the fridge mix the other igredients together. Stir everything together (At this point I divide them and freeze half for another day!!)
Bake at 350* until the cheese is melted and bubbly!!

Every once in a while I will stir in Crispy bacon or leftover ham to make a full meal out of this dish!!

Enjoy!!
Tamra

BBQ Baked Beans

This is one of my favorite side dishes for Ribs or Burgers!! It's hearty enough to stand alone as well!! I don't measure much of anything so I will do my best to guesstimate how much of what I put in these!!! We have done them in the dutch oven, on the stove top and they are also great for the crock pot!! Hope you enjoy them!!

Tamra


1 lb hamburger or turkey burger
1 pkg bacon
1 onion, chopped

Cooked the bacon and hamburger until is browned and the bacon is crisp. Drain the fat off. (I cut the bacon up with kitchen shears before I cook it!) Then add the onion and cook until it's transparent.

If you want to do these in the Crock Pot, transfer the meat now. Add the following and let simmer on the stove or cook on low in the Crock Pot until you are ready to eat!!

1 can of each of the following:
Pork and Beans (I use the big can of bushes baked beans)
Dark Kindey Beans
Light Kidney Beans
Black Beans
Pinto Beans
Butter beans
(any other beans that you like and want to add can be used!! I use black eyes peas sometimes and throw garbanzo beans in too!!)

1/2 c. Ketchup
2/3 c. Brown sugar
2-3 T. prepared mustard
1/2 - 1 c. barbecue sauce
1/4 c. Molasses
1/4 tsp chili powder
Few shakes of liquid smoke
a drop or 2 of tobassco sauce
1 tsp horseradish
1 T A1 sauce
........ I tend to put a little bit of everything in the fridge door in these and they always turn out great!! Experiment a little and try putting something different in each time you make them!!!

Tortellini Salad

1 pkg cheese tortellini
1 jar marinated artichoke hearts
green onion, chopped (as much as you like!!)
1/8 - 1/4 cup each of the following.... bell pepper, red onion, pepperoncini, shredded carrots, shredded zuccini, chopped cucumber, celery and olive
1 cup feta or parmesean cheese
1 bottle creamy Italian dressing
1/2 cu[ pesto sauce

Cook Tortellini as directed and drain. Combine remaining ingredients and toss with chilled tortellini. Chill for up to 24 hours. Serve with whole pepperoncini garnish.

Shayla's Artichoke Dip

2 cans artichoke bottoms, quarters or hearts
1 cup mayo
1 wedge parmesean cheese or 3/4 cup grated parm
4-6 cloves garlic, pressed or finely minced

Mix all ingredients together and chill for 1 to 12 hours. Serve with sourdough bread or tortilla chips!!

FAST EASY AND SUPER YUMMY!!!!!