Sour Cream Sugar Cookies

 Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups sugar

2 sticks butter, or 1 cup shortening

2 eggs

2 tsp. vanilla (or 1 tsp. vanilla, 1/2 tsp. almond, and 1/2 tsp. butter flavoring)

1 cup sour cream

4 1/2 cups flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. cream of tarter

How you do it:

Cream together sugar and butter. Add egg, vanilla, and sour cream. Add dry ingredients. Mix well. (Add more flour if the dough is too sticky.) Refrigerate for 1 hour. Roll out on lightly floured surface and cut out. Place on lightly greased baking sheet. Bake at 375° for 6 minutes. Let cool completely before frosting.

Grandma Werner's Fill-a-bits

 Fill-a-bits

4 bags bugles

1 box corn Chex

1 box Crispix

1 cup shelled walnuts

1 cups shelled pecans

4 cups Cheerios

6 cups pretzel sticks

1 bag Fritos

1 1/2 lb. butter, melted

2 tsp. Garlic salt/powder

2 Tbsp. seasoned salt

10 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce

Mix all dry ingredients together and put in pans. Stir together butter, garlic salt/powder, seasoned salt, and Worcestershire sauce. Pour over cereal mixture and stir until coated evenly. Place in oven at 225° for 2–3 hours, stirring about every 30 minutes. (Can leave low and leave overnight.)

This makes two large pans. 

(I cut this in half and had 3 cookie sheets ... so I’m not sure what size pan grandma used or if she used cookie sheets. That’s just want I do.)

Beef Stew

 This is THE BEST beef stew ever! (Photo to come.) After Gideon was born, a friend brought us this stew, and it has been my go-to recipe for stew and for roast. I make the roast the same way, only browning the roast instead of stew meat and then pour the sauce on top, then cook it in the crockpot.

WHAT YOU NEED:

2 lb. beef stew meat
1 pkg. onion soup mix
1 medium bag baby carrots
1 large white onion
1 quart beef stock
2 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 pkg. sliced baby Bella mushrooms
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/2 cup milk
5 lbs. red potatoes, cut up
1 pint sour cream
1 stick butter
dash of milk
chives, to taste

WHAT YOU DO:

In soup pot brown beef with oil (salt and pepper are optional), then set aside. In she pot sauce onions and mushrooms until onions are clear and mushrooms are cooked (3–5 minutes). Add Worcestershire sauce and balsamic vinegar; sauce for an additional 2 minutes then add beef stock, beef, onion soup mix, and carrots. Bring to boil, add lid, reduce heart and simmer for 1 1/2–2 hours (to tenderize beef). Meanwhile, cut potatoes and bring another pot of water to boil to make mashed potatoes. Add potatoes to pot of water  and boil until tender and able to be mashed. Remove potatoes from water and place in large bowl with sour cream, butter, milk, and chives. Mash. When stew is finished, remove lid, turn off heat and mix cornstarch and milk together, then add to stew and stir well to thicken sauce. Serve over mashed potatoes

NOTES:

• I use whole carrots and peel and cut them on the diagonal.
• The beef stock that I prefer is the brand Kitchen Basics; it has a really good flavor.
• I use my Bosch with the whisk attachments to mash the potatoes. I dump in the potatoes, sour cream, butter, milk, and chives and mix it for just about 45 seconds to 1 minute. Any longer than that and the starch releases and the potatoes get sticky.

Grandma Campbell’s Devils Food Cake

One year when we were visiting family in Utah, we happened to visit Jon’s aunt and uncle when they were celebrating his uncle’s birthday. His aunt Marla had made the most delicious chocolate cake I’ve ever eaten. Jon even ate it and raves about it, which surprised me because he HATES chocolate cake. But, this chocolate cake is moist with just the right amount of richness. (I think he’s also biased because this is his great-grandmother’s recipe.)

I’ve made this cake into cupcakes and they are actually the best cupcakes I’ve ever made. The picture below is not the best representation.

GRANDMA CAMPBELL’S DEVILS FOOD CAKE

1/2 cup oil, or melted shortening
2 cups sugar
4 heaping Tbsp cocoa (serving spoon size)
4 eggs
1 cup sour milk (add 1 Tbsp vinegar to 1 cup milk)
3 cups flour
1 cup boiling water
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla

Cream together oil, sugar and cocoa. Mix in eggs. Add milk, flour, water with baking soda, salt, and vanilla in that order. (Mix after each addition; stir baking soda into water before pouring into the batter.) Bake at 300° for 1 hour or until toothpick comes out clean. (Bake cupcakes for about 18 minutes.) Frost with Cooked Chocolate Frosting (below).

COOKED CHOCOLATE FROSTING

2 1/2 Tbsp milk
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 tsp salt
4 Tbsp cocoa
1 cup powdered sugar

Shake together (or whisk together) milk and flour until no lumps remain. Cook in small saucepan until very thick, but do not scorch. Put in bowl and cover with plastic wrap (push plastic wrap down onto the surface of the paste so air does not get in). Cool. Cream together butter, sugar, salt, and cocoa. Add to cool paste. Beat well then add powdered sugar and beat well until smooth.

My Favorite Texas Sheet Cake

Texas Sheet Cake is pretty much a staple in every home, right?  And, there aren't very many variations to the recipe, that I found at least.  But, the one ingredient that I love paired with any kind of chocolate baked good is in this recipe ... and I love it (hence the title of this post ... "my favorite").  That one ingredient is: Cinnamon!  I just love the little spice it give to normal chocolate.  This recipe is actually a few recipes that I combined to make it just right.

TEXAS SHEET CAKE

What you need:

2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
2 sticks butter
6 Tbsp. unsweetened baking cocoa
1 cup water
1 tsp. baking soda
2 eggs
1/2 cup buttermilk (I didn't have buttermilk, so I added 1 tsp. lemon juice to 1/2 cup milk and let it sit for a while ... turned into buttermilk in no time!)
1 tsp. vanilla
Chocolate Glaze

How you do it:

Sift together flour, sugar, salt and cinnamon.  Set aside.  Bring to a boil butter, cocoa and water.  Add to dry mixture and beat well.  Mix together baking soda, eggs, buttermilk and vanilla; add to chocolate-flour mixture.  Pour into a greased 10x15 jelly roll pan (cookie sheet).  Bake for 20 minutes at 375 degrees.  While it is baking, make the glaze.

Chocolate Glaze

What you need:

1 1/2 sticks butter
4 Tbsp. unsweetened baking cocoa
6 Tbsp. milk
2 tsp. vanilla
3 1/2 - 4 cups powdered sugar

Blend together butter, cocoa, milk, and vanilla in saucepan.  Beat in powdered sugar until smooth.  (If there are clumps of powdered sugar, you can add a few pecan pieces to break them up.)

Sour Cream Waffles

These are THE BEST waffles I've ever made.  I will never go back to using Bisquick or Krusteaz pancake mix for waffles.


SOUR CREAM WAFFLES


What you need:


1 3/4 cup flour
1 Tbsp sugar
1 Tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
8 Tbsp butter, melted
1 cup milk
1/2 cup sour cream
3 eggs
waffle iron


How you do it:


Whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt; make a well in the center and set aside.  Whisk together butter, milk, sour cream, and eggs; pour into well.  (Don't worry if the butter sets again ... and don't mix it too much.  The butter and sour cream should look like little clumps in the mixture.)  Whisk just until wet; do not over mix.  Pour a scant 1/4 cup of batter onto bottom of waffle iron and close.  Cook until no steam escapes, about 3 minutes.


(The waffles in the photo have peanut butter syrup on them.  Just heat in the microwave 1/2 cup peanut butter and 1 cup maple syrup.  Yummy, but I still prefer buttermilk syrup.)

Zimmy Salsa

I got this recipe from my sister-in-law.  This is, by far, the best salsa ever!  My little two-year-old sat in front of a cereal bowl filled with this salsa and shovelled it into her mouth.  Literally.  She ate the entire bowl!  That's how good it is.  And, that's not to say that it's is bland or not ver spicy.  On the contrary, it is spicy and so full of flavor.  Love it!

ZIMMY SALSA

What you need:


1 large white onion chopped into ½ inch pieces
6-8 green onions chopped
1 cup of green chilies chopped
1 bunch chopped cilantro
2 tbsp lime juice
1 tbsp salt
2 tsp pepper
1-2 tsp red pepper flakes
2 tbsp cumin
#10 can of whole tomatoes, plus liquid.

How you do it:

Combine and pulse these ingredients (except tomatoes, only liquid in this step) in blender until to your desired consistency (thick & chunky = less blending, smooth = more blending).

Pour mixture into a gallon sized container.  Blend whole tomatoes to desired consistency and add to container. Mix and refrigerate.

Super easy, and super yummy!

Enchilada Casserole

My sister-in-law gave me this recipe ... and we love it here!

ENCHILADA CASSEROLE

What you need:
1 lb. ground beef, browned
1 (8 oz.) can tomato sauce
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 (20 oz.) can enchilada sauce***
tortillas
cheddar cheese, shredded

How you do it:
Mix together ground beef, tomato sauce, cream of mushroom soup, and enchilada sauce.  Set aside.  Cut tortillas into strips or squares.  Pour 1/2 of meat mixture into a 9x13 casserole dish.  Place tortillas atop sauce, covering the sauce.  Sprinkle with cheese until covered.  Repeat the process ending with cheese on top.  Bake at 350° for 30 minutes.

***Notes from Marisa:
I have made this with several different brands of enchilada sauce.  My favorite is Rosarita because it has a very subtle spice.  If using Old El Paso, use corn tortillas.  I favor corn tortillas anyway, but if you use flour tortillas, you will get a very musky flavor when using that specific brand of enchilada sauce.  Old El Paso is also spicier than Rosarita.  Just my two bits.

How you freeze it:
Assemble casserole in a disposable casserole dish, or line your casserole dish with foil to lift out of the dish after it is frozen.  Cover and place in the freezer.  (If using your glass casserole dish, remove the casserole from the dish once it is frozen.  Cover the casserole and place in a large ziploc freezer bag.)  When ready to serve, let thaw overnight in the fridge.  Place directly in the oven and then turn the oven to 350°.  Bake for 45 minutes.

Banana Bread

My favorite banana bread recipe, with a tweak from my sister.

BANANA BREAD

What you need:
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup butter, softened
2 eggs
1 1/3 cup bananas, smashed
1/3 tsp. salt
1 2/3 cup flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1/3 cup water
cinnamon-sugar

How you do it:
Mix together sugar and butter.  Stir in eggs until blended.  Add banans and water and beat for 30 seconds.  Mix in rest of ingredients until moistened.  Grease loaf pan with shortening, sprinkle pan with cinnamon-sugar mixture and coat sides and bottom of pan.  Pour batter into pan, sprinkle top with cinnamon-sugar and lightly press.  Bake at 350° for 1 1/4 hours, or until toothpick comes out clean.  Cool for 5 minutes, loosen sides, remove from pan and serve.

Chicken Rolls

One of my family's favorites!  I usually serve these with rice and a gravy, the gravy I change just about every time.  Use crescent rolls found in the cans at the store, or my favorite is my dinner roll recipe.

CHICKEN ROLLS

What you need:
2-3 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
1 pkg. cream cheese, chive and onion variety, softened
1/4 cup butter, softened
crescent roll dough
2-3 Tbsp. butter, melted
bread crumbs

How you do it:
Combine shredded chicken, cream cheese, and 1/4 cup softened butter in a bowl.  Roll out crescent roll dough.  Place a small amount of chicken-cream cheese mixture at the large end of the roll and roll up.  Dip rolls in 2-3 tablespoons melted butter, then coat in bread crumbs.  Place on a lightly greased cookie sheet (or use parchment paper, even better!), bake at 350° for 15-20 minutes.

How I do:
I use my dinner roll recipe, let it rise first in a bowl for 1 hour, and then roll out my dough.  Then, I use the mouth of a wide-mouthed glass and cut out circles.  I place a about 2 tablespoons of the chicken mixture in the center of the circle and cover it with another dough circle.  Then, I take a fork and press the fork tines into the edges of the circles, dip the "pillow" in the butter, and then coat it in the bread crumbs.  I stick them in the oven and bake them for about 16 minutes.  Again, I serve mine with rice and gravy.  Usually my gravy is just one can of cream of chicken soup, one can of cream of mushroom soup, and 1 cup chicken broth.  But, I have used one can cream of chicken soup and 1 cup sour cream, or 1 can cream of chicken soup, 1 cup chicken broth and 1/2 cup cheddar cheese.

How you freeze them:
Par bake the rolls (bake them for about 10 minutes).  Place cooked rolls on a cookie sheet and flash freeze for about 20 minutes.  Place rolls in a Ziploc bag and freeze.  When ready to eat, take rolls directly out of freezer and place on a cookie sheet.  Bake for about 10-15 minutes.

Cheater's Tomato-Basil Soup

I LOVE tomato-basil soup!  I think one of the first time I had tomato-basil soup was right after my youngest daughter was born.  My friend brought over a huge pot of the soup so neither my hubby nor I would have to make dinner.  So, sweet ... thanks, Erin!

I've since made my friend's recipe a few times.  But, recently, I've had the craving for tomato-basil soup and haven't been able to make it for one simple reason: my friend uses a blender to puree her soup, and my blender is packed away in storage.  We don't own a food processor, so that doesn't help either.  And, I'm not too keen on chunky tomato-basil soup ... it just needs to be smooth in texture for me.  One day, I decided to just "doctor" good old Campbell's tomato soup.  And, it wasn't too bad.

CHEATER'S TOMATO-BASIL SOUP

What you need:
2 cans tomato soup (Campbell's is the best, IMO)
1 tsp. olive oil
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1-2 Tbsp. onion, minced
1 1/2 tsp. basil, dried
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
2 cans water

How you do it:
Heat oil in saucepan, add garlic and onion; stir until tender, 1-2 minutes.  Add soup and water; when blended, add cream.  When soup is warm, add basil and simmer for 8-15 minutes.  (We like to ours with floating Texas toast croutons.)

Chocolate Chip Cookies

These are the chocolate chip cookies my roommate in college made to attract all the young men to our apartment.  They are so divine ... even if they are simple.

CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

What you need:
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup shortening
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 tsp. vanilla
2 eggs
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
3 cups flour
1 pkg. milk chocolate chips

How you do it:
Cream together sugars, butter, and shortening.  Add vanilla (I sometimes add extra vanilla, depending on my mood) and eggs.  Blend well.  In medium-sized bowl, stir together rest of ingredients.  Mix the flour mixure into the sugar mixture.  Fold in chocolate chips.  Roll into 2-inch balls and place on greased cookie sheet.  Bake at 350° for 9-13 minutes.

Creamy Crock-Pot Italian Chicken

My sister-in-law first introduced this to me served over baked potatoes.  Over the years I've tweaked it (of course), but we still love it best over baked potatoes!

CREAMY CROCK-POT ITALIAN CHICKEN

What you need:
4-6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1-2 pkgs. Italian dressing mix
2-3 cans cream of chicken soup
1/2-1 cup sour cream
1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese
1/2-1 cup whipping cream
1/2-1 cup chicken broth

How you do it:
Place chicken in crock-pot, or slow cooker.  (I always either par boil my chicken or cook it completely before placing it in the crock-pot.  I don't like the fat floating around in my gravy.  I know, laugh if you want, I'm okay with being weird.)  Mix remaining ingredients together, adjusting measurements according to desired taste, consistency, and yield.  Pour gravy over chicken.  Cook on low for 8-10 hours, or on high for 4-6 hours.  Can also be baked in a 9x13 casserole dish for 1 hour at 350°.  One hour before serving, take chicken out and shred; return to crock-pot/slow cooker for remaining cook time.  Serve over rice, pasta, mashed potatoes, baked potatoes, etc.

How you freeze it:
Place chicken in a ziploc bag instead of the crock-pot.  Combine remaining ingredients and pour into bag.  Lay bag flat in freezer until frozen, then stand up to conserve space.  When ready to use: take out of freezer, allow to thaw in fridge overnight.  Place in crock-pot and follow above cooking directions.

Swedish Meatballs

My mom made these meatballs while I was growing up.  Over time, I've played with the basic recipe and made alterations to it to make it something that we really enjoy.  This last time I made it, my husband thanked me no less than twice for the meal, and said that it was really, really good.  Just hit the spot, I guess.

So, since my goal is to print all these recipes for my daughters when they go to college, or get married, I am going to include my mom's original recipe (because my eldest daughter loves the meatballs made her way), and my altered recipe.

MOM'S SWEDISH MEATBALLS

What you need:
1 lb. ground beef
1/4 cup minute rice, or cooked long-grain rice
1/4 cup milk
1 slice bread, torn into little pieces;
        or 1/3 cup oats
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 egg
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can milk (not evaporated, just fill one of the empty soup cans with milk)

How you do it:
Combine ground beef, rice, milk, bread, salt, baking powder, and egg in a bowl; use your hands to mix well.  Form meat into balls and brown in skillet on all sides.  Pour in soups and can of milk.  Mix well.  Let simmer for 15-20 minutes.  Serve over rice, egg noodles, or mashed potatoes.

MARISA'S SWEDISH MEATBALLS

What you need:
1-1 1/2 lbs. ground beef
2/3 cups bread crumbs
1 egg
1/2 small onion, chopped finely
3 medium cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 small can evaporated milk
1/2 tsp. olive oil
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 large can evaporated milk, or one cup heavy whipping cream
salt and pepper to taste
small splash Worcestershire sauce

How to do it:
Combine ground beef, bread crumbs, egg, onion, garlic, Worcestershire sauce, salt, pepper, and small can of evaporated milk; mix with hands.  Roll into balls.  Warm olive oil in large skillet.  Place meatballs in oil and brown on all sides.  (These can also be baked in the oven at 350° for 20 minutes, then turn and continue baking for 10-15 minutes.)  Remove from skillet and drain on paper towels.  Wipe remaining oil out of skillet.  Pour soups and large can of evaporated milk into skillet.  Add salt and pepper (I usually add at least 1/4 tsp. pepper), and splash of Worcestershire sauce.  Whisk together until combined.  Place meatballs in sauce and simmer for 20-30 minutes.  Serve over rice, egg noodles, or mashed potatoes.

How to freeze it:
Cook meatballs as described above.  Combine soups, milk, salt, pepper, and Worcestershire sauce in a bowl.  Pour sauce into Ziploc bag; add meatballs.  Lay flat and freeze.  Or, double meatballs and lay on a cookie sheet to flash freeze.  Place in freezer for 25 minutes or until hard to the touch.  Divide them up and place in two to three freezer-safe bags.  Return to freezer until ready for use.  (Use the meatballs in spaghetti, barbecue, or Swedish cream sauces.)  Place sauce in a separate bag, lay flat and freeze until use.

When ready to cook, let thaw and pour meatballs and sauce into crock-pot, or skillet.  Cover and cook in crock-pot for four hours, or in skillet for 40-60 minutes (better, and more tender if longer).  Serve as described above.

Luscious Layered Dessert

I love this stuff ... and could seriously eat the entire pan myself if given the time.

LUSCIOUS LAYERED DESSERT

What you need:
1 1/4 cups flour
3/4 cup butter, melted
3/4 cup nuts, chopped
1 cup powdered sugar
1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese, softened
1 cup whipped topping
1 small pkg. instant vanilla pudding
1 1/2 cups milk
1 small pkg. instant chocolate pudding
1 1/2 cup milk
whipped topping

How you do it:
Mix together flour, butter, and nuts.  Press into 9x13 dish; bake at 350° for 10-15 minutes, until slightly browned.  Let cool.  Blend together sugar, cream cheese, and 1 cup whipped topping until smooth.  Pour atop crust.  Mix together vanilla pudding and 1 1/2 cups milk until slightly thickened.  Pour atop cream cheese layer.  Let rest 3-5 minutes.  Meanwhile, mix together chocolate pudding and 1 1/2 cup milk until slightly thickened.  Pour atop vanilla layer; let rest 3-5 minutes.  Top with whipped topping.  Refrigerate.  Garnish with chopped nuts, cherries, or shaved chocolate.

Variations:
Use lemon pudding in place of chocolate and vanilla.

Taco Soup

TACO SOUP

What you need:
2 lbs. ground beef
1 onion, chopped
2-3 cans dark red kidney beans
1 can corn
2-3 cans diced tomatoes (I use petite diced)
1 pkg. taco seasoning
1-2 beef bouillon cubes
1 Tbsp. chili powder
1 cup ketchup
water, to consistency
cheddar cheese, shredded
tortilla chips (we prefer Fritos)

How you do it:
Brown ground beef with onion.  Add taco seasoning and water according to package diretions.  Add beans, tomatoes, corn, bouillon cubes, chili powder, ketchup, and water (if needed for desired consistency).  Let simmer for at least 30 minutes.  Serve with cheese and chips.

How you freeze it:
Combine ingredients as in above directions.  Do not let simmer; instead, pour it all into a freezer ziploc bag (or more than one), lay flat in freezer and let freeze before standing on side for storage in freezer.  When ready to cook, let thaw in refrigerator overnight, pour into pot or crock-pot and let heat until warmed through.

Monster Pancakes

When I was younger, a lady in my neighborhood held a summer cooking class for some of the neighborhood children.  I didn't attend it, but my older brother did and this was one of the recipes he brought home.  These are really "German" pancakes, but because of the way the batter "grows," we always called them Monster Pancakes.

MONSTER PANCAKES

What you need:
6 eggs
1 cup flour
1 cup milk
1 Tbsp. sugar
dash of salt
4 Tbsp butter

Beat all ingredients together, except butter, in a blender.  Melt butter in dripper pan (I place mine in my 9x13 dish and then put it in the over while it is preheating).  Pour in egg mixture.  Bake at 400° for 25 minutes.  DO NOT OPEN OVEN DOOR WHILE BAKING.  When finished baking, let cool and sprinkle with powdered sugar.

My family used to eat this with powdered sugar on top and maple syrup.  And, recently we tried it with fresh raspberries and whipped cream, which was also really yummy.

Slow Cooker Lemon-Lime Chicken

I got this recipe from a friend before we moved from our home in Minnesota to Arizona.  So yummy, and I love how easy it is!

SLOW COOKER LEMON-LIME CHICKEN WITH RICE

What you need:
1 1/4 lbs. chicken breasts
1/6 cup lime juice
1/6 cup lemon juice
1 can chicken broth
1 clove garlic
1/2 tsp. dried thyme leaves
1/4 tsp. pepper
2 Tbsp. butter
2 cups instant rice

How you do it:
Place chicken in crock-pot.  (I always cook my chicken before placing it in the crock-pot.)  Pour in lime and lemon juice (I fill up a 1/3 cup halfway with lime juice and the rest of the way with lemon juice.), and chicken broth.  Add garlic, thyme, pepper and butter.  Cover and cook on low until chicken is very tender, 8-10 hours.  (Because I cook my chicken ahead of time, I've made this on high for as little as 4 hours and it still turns out tender.)  Stir in rice during last 15 minutes of cooking time (if using regular long grain white rice, add it during the last 30 minutes of cooking time.).  The rice will soak up a lot of the juice and contain a lot of the flavor, so if you'd rather limit the flavor, cook the rice separately and then drizzle it with the left over juice from the pot.  Yum!

How you freeze it:
Cook chicken.  Place chicken and remaining ingredients in a ziploc baggie.  Seal and freeze, laying it flat.  When ready to cook, let thaw completely in fridge overnight.  Pour contents of bag in crock pot and follow cooking directions, adding the rice during the last 15 minutes.

Salsa chicken

My sister told me about this recipe.  It's super easy to make and tastes so good!

SALSA CHICKEN

What you need:

3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 jar salsa
Shredded cheddar cheese
12-14 tortillas
Butter, melted

How you do it:

Place chicken in crock pot. (I prefer to cook it first.) Pour jar of salsa over chicken. Cover and cook for 4-6 hours on high, or 8-10 hours on low. When one hour remains of cook time, remove chicken and shred, then return to crock pot. When chicken is finished cooking, place a small amount of chicken and cheese in a tortilla and roll up the tortilla, place it in a greased 9x13 baking dish. Repeat until all chicken is used. Brush tops of tortillas with melted butter and bake for 20 minutes at 350°.

Hamburger Skillet Casserole

HAMBURGER SKILLET CASSEROLE

What you need:
1 lb. hamburger
1 medium onion, chopped
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. oregano
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/4 tsp. curry
1/4 tsp. cumin
3 large stalks celery, sliced
3 medium potatoes, sliced think
4 medium carrots, sliced thick
1 can string beans
2 cans cream of mushroom soup

How you do it:
Brown hamburger and onion and drain off grease. Add salt, oregano, pepper, curry, and cumin to cooked meat. Add celery, potatoes, and carrots on top of meat in layers. Add juice of string beans, and cook about 15 minutes covered. Cook slowly (I cook mine for another 15 minutes). Add can of string beans and cans of cream of mushroom soup over top. Cook 5 minutes more. May need to add a little water. Freezes well. Serves 8.

Notes from me:
I have never had to add water. I also omit the celery; not because we don't like it but because I usually don't have it on hand. And, finally, I stir it all together before serving.