by Sharon | Jun 28, 2015
This Delicious Taco Casserole is a real crowd pleaser.
These hectic days of summer need to give the chef in your household a break every once in a while. This Taco Casserole is the ticket. It is not only delicious, but also quick and easy to prepare.
Delicious Taco Casserole
Ingredients:
- 1 pound of ground beef
- 1/4 cup of chopped onion
- 1/4 cup of chopped bell pepper
- 1/3 cup of taco seasoning
- 1/2 cup of water
- 2 cups of crushed tortilla chips
- 1 – 16 ounce can of refried beans
- 1-1/2 cup of shredded Mexican cheese blend or a jalapeno cheese or any cheese of your choice
- Top with shredded lettuce, tomatoes, sliced olives, sour cream, avocados and salsa
Directions:
- In a large skillet cook the ground beef, onion and green peppers until the meat is done.
- Drain the grease.
- Add the taco seasoning and water.
- Cook for about 3 minutes until it thickens.
- Remove from heat.
- Preheat the oven to 375°F.
- Place chips in the bottom of a 9 x 13 inch baking dish.
- Evenly drop spoonfuls of beans over the chips and carefully spread the beans over the chips.
- Spoon the ground beef mixture over the beans and top with cheese.
- Bake at 375°F for 15 minutes or until the cheese has melted.
- Top with lettuce, tomatoes, olives, sour cream, avocado and salsa.
If you don’t have avocado, you can skip it. Or any of the ingredients you don’t want in or on your casserole. Make this recipe appeal to the ones who are going to be eating it.
Thanks for stopping by!
by Sharon | Jun 27, 2015
Kids have wild imaginations and during the summer you have to use yours, too. I know this works for Halloween, but it would work for summertime or after watching something about pirates or any mention of bones. I do like the Bat Bowl. And then you’ll need bone molds to make these bread stick bones. They may become you family’s favorite bread sticks.
Bone and Chili Cheese Dip Recipe
Ingredients:
- Refrigerated bread sticks — you’ll want to make lots of these. One bread stick makes 2 bone bread sticks.
- 1 lb. of your favorite cheese cut into cubes
- 1 can chili without beans
- 1 can diced tomatoes with green chiles
Directions:
Bread Sticks
- Get a couple of these bone bread stick pans
- Cut each bread stick in half and push the dough into the opening of the pan
- Bake at 350°F for about 7 minutes or until lightly golden
Chili Cheese Dip
- Combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan on the stove top or in a microwave safe bowl.
- Heat until smooth, stirring occasionally and cheese is melted. May be about 5 minutes.
Put it in a nice serving bowl or little individual cups for each person to dip their bread sticks to their heart’s content.
You can have more chili with less cheese to make it more of a meal than a dip. Well, then that does change the recipe concept considerably.
Here are some links for your shopping pleasure:
Thanks for stopping by!
by Sharon | Jun 26, 2015
The Ultimate Crunchy Burger is a real treat for the whole family. It’s truly a challenge to wrap your mouth around this burger. This is almost a “clean out the refrigerator” burger. I add all kinds of chopped or sliced left-overs from salads. It’s truly fun to put in all kinds of crunchy delights to give the taste buds a bit of a twang.
The Ultimate Crunchy Burger Recipe
This should make 4 servings
Ingredients:
- Cole Slaw you can buy ready made or make it yourself
- sliced bell peppers in your favorite color
- 1-1/2 pounds ground beef chuck (20% fat)
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil
- 8 slices of your favorite cheese
- 4 soft sesame seed buns, split, toasted
- sliced red onions
- sliced pickled jalapenos
- thin potato chips
- 6″ wooden skewers
Assembly of your Ultimate Cheese Burger
- Make the meat into four 4″ diameter, 3/4″ thick patties. Press your thumb in the center of each patty to help keep them flat as they cook. Season with salt and pepper or you could add whatever seasoning you like on your burgers
- Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Put in the oil and heat until smoking.
- Cook the burgers until a deep brown crust has formed outside them — this could take a couple of minutes per side.
- Cover and cook to medium-rare for about a minute.
- Uncover and add 2 slices of cheese on each burger.
- Cover the skilled and allow to cook until the cheese has melted.
- Lightly toast your buns and put ketchup and/or mustard on it.
- Place the burger first then top with potato chips, jalapenos, onion bell peppers and coleslaw — you can put the bell peppers at the bottom — just build your burger however you like — maybe add some bacon if desired and whatever else you may find interesting — maybe corn chips instead of potato chips or maybe both — it’s your burger.
- Place a skewer through each hamburger to hold it all together.
- Sit back and watch your family and guests try to wrap their mouths around this gigantic burger . . . and then watch them smile and close their eyes to show you that they are absolutely in heaven and their taste buds are savoring each and every ingredient.
Have fun!
by Sharon | Jun 24, 2015
Rachael Ray comes through with this great snack that makes a wonderful breakfast, too.
It serves four and has great ingredients:
- 1/2 cup of chunky style peanut butter
- 2 tablespoons of honey
- 1 cup granola with nuts and raisins — I suppose you could substitute trail mix
- 2 large bananas
- you’ll also need sticks which could be popsicle sticks or lollipop sticks or wooden skewers or even chop sticks
They’re quick and easy to make:
- Heat the peanut butter in the microwave on high for about 20 seconds to loosen it
- Stir in the honey
- The granola is lightly crushed up in a food processor to get it all blended together — you may be able to use a blender
- Peel and cut each banana in half. Insert the stick into the cut end of each banana half’
- Since you have four banana halves, spread one side of each banana on a stick with 1/4 of the peanut butter and honey mixture. Coat with the granola, gently pressing it into the peanut butter
- Although you’ll be eating this treat on a stick, serve it on a plate to collect the crumbs
If you’re serving it for breakfast, you may want to add a hard boiled egg to the plate or make an omelette or one of those breakfast sammies in an English Muffin. They’re fine alone, too.
It’s nice to have healthy snacks the whole family will enjoy.
by Sharon | Jun 21, 2015
It’s hot outside and I’m giving you a recipe to make a hot meal in the oven . . . but if you do this recipe right, then you’ll have a feast for several days to come.
Remember, recipes are only a suggestion . . . you can substitute ingredients or add some of your own . . . you can make an excellent lasagna that is made to order for your family!
Green Chili and Chicken Lasagna Recipe
This recipe makes one 8 x 12 inch pan of lasagna that serves 9 to 12. Prep time is about 20 minutes and actual cooking time is approximately 40 minutes, so this is a relatively quick recipe to prepare.
You’re going to need:
- 3 cups cooked, shredded chicken — some have used eggplant or zucchini to make a vegetarian lasagna
- 2 cups shredded jalapeno cheese of your choice
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- 15 ozs of sour cream or plain yogurt maybe even heavy cream
- 10 oz can of fire roasted green chilies
- 1 cup salsa verde
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- salt and pepper to taste
- 12-16 no-boil lasagna noodles or you can use flour and/or corn tortillas dipped in green sauce instead of the noodles or eggplant or zucchini to substitute for the noodles.
I’ve really messed with this recipe . . . I hope you’ve made variations of your own as well.
All right, time to get this lasagna put together:
- Preheat the oven to 375 (F)
- In a bowl you’re going to season the shredded chicken with cumin, chili powder, salt and pepper. Then stir in the fire roasted green chilies, salsa verde and the cup of jalapeno cheese. Combine it all together nicely.
- In the bottom of the baking dish, spread a small amount of the chili chicken mixture.
- Top with a layer of noodles or whatever you decided to use either tortilla or vegetables. Spoon or pour your sour cream or plain yogurt or even a cream of mushroom soup (which I didn’t add in the ingredients). You want to make sure this mixture is spread even into the corner edges of the pan. Then top with the shredded cheeses — mozzarella and jalapeno.
- Continue building the casserole layers, alternating between lays of noodles, green chili chicken mixture and the creamed and shredded cheeses layer.
- Cover with aluminum foil and bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes.
- After 30 minutes, remove the foil and continue baking for another 5 to 10 minutes until the cheese on the top has melted and the entire casserole is bubbling hot.
- Allow the casserole to cool for about 5 minutes before serving.
I know it may have gotten confusing with the substitutions and the layering, but I’m sure you figured it out with your ingredients.
Thanks for stopping by!
by Sharon | Jun 20, 2015
I absolutely love one skillet cooking — makes for easy clean-up. Yes, I am lazy . . . but I prefer to think of it as smart.
Italian Sausage Tortellini Recipe
This recipe makes 4 servings . . . so double the recipe for a larger group . . . or just play it by ear as I do . . .
You’re going to need:
- 1 tablespoon of olive oil
- 2 cups of diced onions
- 1 lb of Italian sausage — I go for the mild, but you know your family’s taste preference
- 2 or 3 minced cloves of garlic
- 3/4 cup of chicken broth
- 1 14.5 ounce can of petite diced tomatoes
- 1/2 cup regular or heavy cream
- 9 ounces of fresh or frozen tortellini
- salt and pepper to taste
- 2 cups fresh baby spinach, loosely packed
Now, let’s put this recipe together in a 12-inch skillet — or larger if you’re making more or just like using a larger skillet.
- Begin by heating the olive oil in your skillet over medium heat. When it gets hot, add the diced onions.
- The problem with Italian sausage is removing the casing . . . so slice it and squeeze it out of the casing. You’re going to squeeze out your sausage right into the pan over the onions.
- Break up the sausage into bite-sized pieces. Increase the heat to medium-high and cook, stirring occasionally until the sausage is browned.
- Reduce the heat to low and add the garlic and stir until the aroma makes you swoon — that’s about half a minute.
- Add the broth, tomatoes, cream and tortellini to the skillet. Stir to combine. Increase the heat and bring it to a boil.
- Cover, then reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes until the tortellini is tender and heated through.
- Taste the sauce and add salt and pepper to taste.
- Add the fresh spinach and stir until softened and wilted.
- Remove from heat and serve.
Now, that wasn’t so difficult. And, now you have a delicious meal your whole family with love and you won’t be spending much time in the kitchen cleaning up.
You can use whatever pasta you like or use hamburger instead of the Italian sausage or whatever meat you want to use or no meat if you prefer . . . maybe add vegetables and you’ll have a great little feast your family will enjoy.
Thanks for stopping by!
These hectic days of summer need to give the chef in your household a break every once in a while. This Taco Casserole is the ticket. It is not only delicious, but also quick and easy to prepare.
