Easy 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

How to make it :

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.

Best Way to Cook Corn on the Cob

Ingredients

6-8 ears of corn, husks and silks removed and cut in half (if desired)

1 cup milk

1 stick Challenge butter

Instructions

Fill a large pot about halfway with water. Bring water to a boil.

Add milk and butter. Add corn and reduce heat. Simmer corn for 6 to 8 minutes Remove corn from cooking liquid and its ready to serve.

CHEESY SOUR CREAM CHICKEN ENCHILADAS

Ingredients:

8 corn tortillas

2 cups chicken, cooked and shredded

3 cups shredded Montery Jack and Mexican Cheese mixture (1/2 of each kind)

3 Tablespoons butter

3 Tablespoons Flour

2 cups water

2 chicken bullion cubes

3/4 cup sour cream

1 (4 oz) can died green chilis

How to make it:

Preheat over to 350 degrees. Grab a 9x13 pan and lightly grease it. Mix chicken and 2 cups of cheese in a bowl. Take the corn tortillas and grab a small handful of chicken and cheese mixture and place of tortilla and roll up. Roll up all 8 tortillas and place in a line in baking disk. In a medium sauce pan melt butter on low. Then turn up to medium heat and add flour while continuing to wisk until all mixed together. Add water and bullion. Bring to a boil. Sauce should be thickening up. Add green chilis and remove off heat. Add sour cream. (DO NOT place back on burner or the sour cream will curdle.) Mix together and then pour over enchiladas. Add the remaining cup of cheese evenly over all enchiladas. Place in oven for 25 minutes. Then turn onto 500 degrees broil and let the cheese begin to bubble for about 4 minutes or once the cheese is lightly browning.

MEATBALL BOMBS RECIPE

INGREDIENTS:

1 can (12 oz) Pillsbury Homestyle Butter Tastin' refrigerated biscuits

8 cooked Italian-style meatballs (if using frozen, let thaw completely)

1 cup marinara/pasta sauce

1 cup shredded cheese (mozzarella or Italian blend)

4 tablespoons butter, melted

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning

pinch of salt

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DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Set aside.

Using your hands or a rolling pin, flatten each biscuit into a 4 inch round.

Place 1 meatball and 2 tablespoons marinara in center of each dough round. Top with 2 tablespoons of cheese.

Wrap dough around meatball and cheese, pressing edges to seal. Place seam side down, leaving room for spreading on prepared baking sheet. Continue until all biscuits have been completed.

In a small bowl, whisk together melted butter, garlic, Italian seasoning and salt. Evenly spoon on top of each biscuit.

Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, or until golden brown. Serve warm!

Recipe Note: for my sauce I used my favorite jarred pasta sauce - Barilla Roasted Garlic. It's not sweet and has great tomato and garlic flavor. 

Chili Dog Casserole

Ingredients:

2 (15 oz) cans chili with beans (I like Hormel Hot & Spicy)

1 (16 oz) package beef frankfurters (I prefer Ball Park)

10 (8 inch) flour tortillas (the fajita sized ones)

1 (8 oz) package Cheddar cheese, shredded

How to make it:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees

Spread 1 can of chili and beans in the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish. Roll up franks inside tortillas and place in baking dish, seam side down, on top of chili and beans. Top with remaining can of chili and beans, and sprinkle with cheese.

Cover baking dish with aluminum foil, and bake at 425 degrees for 30 minutes.

Chile Colorado Burritos

Ingredients:

1 1/2 to 2 pounds stew meat or other beef cubed (top sirloin is great)

1 large can mild (red) enchilada sauce* (at least 19 oz.)

2 beef bouillon cubes (or just one--or none--if you want it less salty AND you do NOT add water, just the bouillon)

1/2 can refried beans (optional)

5-7 burrito size flour tortillas

1 cup or so of shredded cheddar cheese

Instructions:

Put beef, whole bouillon cubes (do NOT add water), and enchilada sauce*** into a crock pot and cook on low for 7-8 hours**, or until meat is very tender. (Can also cook on high for maybe 3-4 hours.)  I've also cooked it in a dutch oven for about 4 hours at 325 degrees.  More meat, more time.  A third option is to cook it in a large heavy saucepan--bring it to a boil on high heat, reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, or until the meat is tender.  If you go with a method other than the crock pot, make sure the pot is covered and pretty well sealed to minimize evaporation of the liquid.

When beef is done (very tender and flakes off when stirred), taste and add more salt, if desired. Heat up refried beans in the microwave (covered and in a microwave-proof dish, of course)and put your oven on broil. On an oven-proof plate, or cookie sheet even, lay out a tortilla.  Place on tortilla about 1/2 cup of the meat, drained by using a slotted spoon, and a spoonful or two of beans. Roll into a burrito (hopefully you know how to roll these). Pour some of the remaining enchilada sauce from the crock pot over the burrito to cover it. Sprinkle with some cheddar cheese. Broil until cheese is bubbly, about 2-4 minutes.

Hamburger Potato Casserole

1 lb. lean ground beef

3 cups thinly sliced potatoes (either peeled or with thin skins)

1/2 cup chopped onions

1 can Cream of Mushroom soup

3/4 cup milk

1 1/2 cups shredded cheese

salt and pepper to taste

How to make it:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and lightly grease an 11 x 7 (2 quart) glass baking dish. In medium skillet, cook the onions and ground beef until done. Drain the grease. In a medium bowl, mix together the milk, soup, salt and pepper. Layer half of the potatoes, soup, cheese and then the hamburger meat. Repeat with the rest of the potatoes, soup, hamburger meat and then the cheese. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 1 to 1 1/2 hours or until the potatoes are tender.

Grandmas Carrot Orange Cookies

Ingredients

1 cup butter

1 cup grated (cooked) carrots

2 cups flour

1 teaspoon vanilla

¾ cup sugar

1 egg

2 teaspoons baking soda

¼ teaspoon salt

Frosting:

½ cup juice from orange

1 tablespoon orange zest

2 cups powdered sugar

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350*

Spray cookie sheet with cooking spray.

Cream sugar and butter together.

Add everything else and mix together.

Drop by spoonfuls on cookie sheet.

Bake for 12 to 15 minutes.

While cookies are baking mix together ingredients for frosting.

Remove cookies from over and place on wire rack to cool.

Frost while cookies are warm.

Enjoy!

CROCK POT MONKEY BREAD RECIPE

Ingredients

1 tube Biscuits, I used Pillsbury Biscuits

1 Tsp Cinnamon

1/4 cup Margarine/butter, Melted

1 cup brown sugar

Instructions

Cut biscuits into quarters with kitchen shears

Dip biscuit pieces into melted butter

Put buttered biscuit pieces into the bowl of cinnamon and brown sugar and fully coat the pieces

Toss pieces into your Crock-Pot until you have all of the pieces layered in the crock pot. I poured the extra brown sugar and cinnamon mixture over the top of my pieces. Because really you can’t have enough brown sugar and cinnamon.

Cook on low for 2 hours, check to see if pieces are done. I rotated a few of the top pieces to the bottom to make sure everything was cooked all the way through. The pieces on the edges cooked faster than the pieces on the top.

Pizza Tot Casserole

1lb. ground beef

1 jar pizza sauce

10-15 slices pepperoni, chopped

1 cup mozzarella cheese

1 bag frozen tator tots

*additional toppings optional

How to make it:

Preheat oven 425 degrees. Crumble and brown the ground meat until done, add sauce, pepperoni and heat through. Pour into 13x9 casserole dish. Cover with Mozzarella cheese *(add any other additional toppings you would like such as mushrooms, green peppers, tomatoes, onions, ham, whatever you like on your pizza!). Top with tator tots covering top. Bake in oven uncovered for 30 minutes or until tots are crispy brown.

Banana Breakfast Coffee Cake

Ingredients:

Topping:

1/2 Cup all-purpose flour

1/2 Cup firmly packed brown sugar

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

6 tablespoons cold, unsalted butter

1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts

Cake:

2 Cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened

1/2 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup mashed very ripe bananas

1/2 cup 2% low-fat milk

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Coat a 9 inch baking pan with cooking spray.

For the topping, combine flour, brown sugar, cinnamon and butter in a food processor and process until mixture resembles fine crumbs. Stir in walnuts. (I didn’t break out the food processor for this, I just worked the butter in with my fingers to the same crumb-like texture).

Set aside.

For the cake, combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, nutmeg and salt in a medium bowl.

Beat butter with a mixer at medium speed about 30 seconds or until smooth. Gradually add sugar and beat 3 to 4 minutes or until fluffy. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each. Add vanilla and bananas and beat until well blended. Add flour mixture alternately with milk, mixing after each addition only until smooth. Pour batter into prepared pan; sprinkle with topping.

Bake about 35 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature. Serves 10 – 16, depending on how you decide to slice it.

Brown Sugar Pound Cake

Ingredients

1-1/2 cups butter, softened

2 cups light brown sugar, packed

1 cup granulated sugar

5 large eggs

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup whole milk

1 – 8 ounce bag of toffee bits

1 cup pecans, chopped

1 recipe CARAMEL DRIZZLE (link)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Spray a 12 CUP Bundt pan with nonstick baking spray with flour. Set aside.

Beat the butter until creamy. Add sugars, beating until fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Gradually add flour mixture to butter mixture in thirds, alternately with milk, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Beat until just combined. Stir in toffee bits and pecans.

Spoon batter into prepared pan.

Bake until a wood pick inserted near the center of cake comes out clean, 75 to 85 minutes.

Cover top of cake with foil to prevent excess browning if necessary.

Let cake cool in pan for 30 minutes.

Remove from pan, and let cool completely on a wire rack. NOTE: Don’t freak out if some of the cake sticks. Mine did too. It’s because this cake is so moist. GOOD NEWS! We get to cover all the imperfections with yummy caramel!

Spoon Caramel Drizzle over cooled cake. 

Notes

This recipe is from Lady Behind The Curtain

Coconut Orange Cake

Cake:

1 orange cake mix (I used Pillsbury Moist Supreme Creamsicle cake mix)

1 cup flaked, sweetened coconut

Tools: Cake Leveler for beautiful even cake layers

Frosting:

1 (15 oz.) can mandarin oranges, do not drain, crushed

Note: If you are using mandarin oranges for garnish, be sure to set a few aside

1 (5 oz.) large instant vanilla pudding mix (not prepared)

1 cup flaked, sweetened coconut

1 (8 oz.) frozen whipped topping, thawed

How to make it:

1. Preheat oven to 350-f degrees. Line two 9" cake pans with parchment paper and then spray with nonstick baking spray.

2. Prepare the cake mix according to the package directions. After the cake has been mixed well, stir in 1 cup of coconut. Bake according to cake mix instructions for two 9" cake pans. After cooked through, remove from oven and let cool.

3. Prepare frosting: In a large mixing bowl, crush the mandarin oranges with their juices with an electric mixer. Mix in the instant pudding mix and coconut and mix well. Fold in the whipped topping until combined.

4. When the cakes are cool enough to handle, remove them from the pans and set on a flat surface. Using a cake leveler, cut the tops off both of the cakes to get a flat surface. Take one of the cakes and place the cut side down on the cake plate. Add a layer of frosting. Place the 2nd layer cut side down on top of the frosting layer. (This will give you a perfectly flat surface on the top of the cake for great looking frosting). Frost the top and sides of the cake. Garnish with a few mandarin oranges if desired.

5. Let chill in the fridge for several hours before serving.

Lemon Cake with Lemon Filling and Lemon Butter Frosting

Ingredient

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup butter

1 1/4 cups white sugar

3 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup milk

1 tablespoon grated lemon zest

1/2 cup fresh lemon juice

1 tablespoon cornstarch

6 tablespoons butter

3/4 cup white sugar

4 egg yolks, beaten

4 cups confectioners' sugar

1/2 cup butter, softened

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon grated lemon zest

2 tablespoons milk

    Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour two 8 inch round pans. Mix together the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the vanilla. Beat in the flour mixture alternately with the milk, mixing just until incorporated.

Pour batter into prepared pans. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Allow to cool in pans on wire racks for 10 minutes. Then invert onto wire racks to cool completely.

To make filling: In medium saucepan, mix together 1 tablespoon lemon zest, 1/2 cup lemon juice and 1 tablespoon cornstarch until smooth. Mix in 6 tablespoons butter and 3/4 cup sugar, and bring mixture to boil over medium heat. Boil for one minute, stirring constantly. In small bowl, with a wire whisk, beat egg yolks until smooth. Whisk in a small amount of the hot lemon mixture. Pour the egg mixture into the sauce pan, beating the hot lemon mixture rapidly. Reduce heat to low; cook, stirring constantly, 5 minutes, or until thick (not to boil).

Pour mixture into medium bowl. Press plastic wrap onto surface to keep skin from forming as it cools. Cool to room temperature. Refrigerate 3 hours.

To make frosting: In large bowl, beat confectioners' sugar, 1/2 cup butter, 2 tablespoons lemon juice and 1 teaspoon lemon zest until smooth. Beat in milk, and increase speed and continue to beat until light and fluffy.

To assemble: With long serrated knife, split each cake layer in half horizontally, making 4 layers. Place 1 layer, cut side up, on a serving plate. Spread with half of the lemon filling. Top with another layer, and spread with 1/2 cup frosting. Add third layer, and spread with remaining half of the lemon filling. Press on final cake layer, and frost top and sides of cake with remaining frosting. Refrigerate cake until serving time.

*Best Loved* Hot Ham & Cheese Sliders

18 slices (approx) Your favorite deli ham, shaved

8 slices (approx) your favorite cheese,sliced,  Swiss, cheddar, Colby jack, or pepper jack

5 Tbsp. Butter

1/2 tsp. onion or garlic powder

1 Tbsp. Mustard (I used hot and sweet mustard)

3 packed tsp. brown sugar

1/2 tsp. Worchestershire sauce

1/4 tsp. salt

Poppy seeds

How to make it:

Keep in mind, as you assemble to treat it as one big sandwich.  Once you slice the whole pkg. of rolls in half lengthwise (without breaking them apart), lay the bottom half in a preferably 8x11 in. pan, (9x13 works too) and evenly pile ham and cheese all over.  Top with the other half of the rolls.

Prepare sauce by heating in a small pan, the butter, sugar, Worchestershire, mustard, onion or garlic powder, and salt.  Whisk just until it's all smooth and melted.

Evenly drizzle the butter glaze all over the sandwich. Use a knife to spread evenly, if need be.  Sprinkle generously with poppy seeds.

Cover the pan with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes and remove foil and bake 5 minutes longer.  I like the cheese to be gooey and the tops slightly toasted.  Pull each little slider apart to serve.

Serve warm and enjoy with fresh veggies and chips!

One of THE VERY BEST SALISBURY STEAK

1 (10 1/2 ounce) cans Campbell's French onion soup

1 1/2 lbs ground beef

1/2 cup dry breadcrumbs

1 egg

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper, to taste

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

1/4 cup ketchup

1 -3 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce, to taste

1/2 teaspoon mustard powder

1/4 cup water

How to make it :

In a large bowl, mix together 1/3 cup condensed French onion soup with ground beef, bread crumbs, egg, salt and black pepper.

Shape into 6 oval patties.

In a large skillet over medium-high heat, brown both sides of patties.

Pour off excess fat.

In a small bowl, blend flour and remaining soup until smooth.

Mix in ketchup, water, Worcestershire sauce and mustard powder.

Pour over meat in skillet.

Cover, and cook for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

HOT FUDGE PIE

1 stick butter, softened

1 c sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

3 Tbsp cocoa powder

1 tsp salt

1/2 c all purpose flour

How to make it ;

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cream together butter and sugar with electric mixer until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add eggs and vanilla and mix well. Add cocoa powder, salt and flour and stir until well combined. Grease 8 inch pie pan with butter or cooking spray, pour mixture into pie pan. Bake 30 to 35 minutes until center is set.

Hand mix to make it gooey, because if you use a mixer, it will have more of a brownie or cake texture, rather than "gooey".