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.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

I had this soup at a church meeting at the end of September ... and have since made it three times. It is so yummy!

CHICKEN TORTILLA SOUP

What you need:

2-3 frozen boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 large can diced tomatoes
1 or 2 cans cream of chicken soup (I've always used two)
1 cup favorite salsa
1 pkg. taco seasoning
1 can black beans (you can rinse, but it's not necessary; I also used two cans)
1 can mild green chiles (once I didn't have this, so I put in an extra 1/2 cup of salsa and the soup was much spicier)
1 can corn
sour cream
tortillas, or tortilla chips

Put everything but sour cream and tortillas/tortilla chips in crock pot and cook on low for 8 hours. Remove chicken from soup after 8 hours and shred. Return shredded chiken to soup and serve with sour cream, tortillas/tortilla chips or fresh salsa. To make a thicker soup add more chicken.

I've always added the sour cream to the whole pot before serving. We also recently had this over baked potatoes and that was equally yummy!

Chicken Wild Rice Soup

Just had to include pictures of my little girl enjoying this soup.

This is a soup that we were introduced to when we moved here five years ago. It is so yummy! We actually were served this at a friend's house, then we were brought two different versions after our first son was born. And, all three recipes were so different. After we tried all of them, we decided on one that would make it onto "the list." If you have no idea was wild rice is, it is the rice that is almost black in color, and slightly longer than white rice. After it is cooked, it almost looks like cooked shrimp ... the shell splits and the soft flesh pokes out of one side of the grain. When I first had wild rice I literally thought it looked like there were bugs in my soup. The texture is a little chewy because the hull is still in tact. And, while it is cooking, there is a definite smell that is not similar to regular white rice. But, it has more nutritional value that white rice because of the hull. (Plus, my little 10mo LOVED this soup. She was literally crying and screaming when I couldn't get it to her fast enough.)

CHICKEN WILD RICE SOUP

What you need:
1 cup wild rice
1 cup carrots, chopped
1 cup celery, chopped
1 cup onion, chopped
1 pkg. fresh mushrooms, sliced
chicken, cooked & diced or shredded
(choose how much chicken you want, I use about 4-6 chicken breasts)
1 1/2 cans chicken broth
8 1/2 cups chicken broth
3/4 cup flour
3/4 cup butter
1 1/2 cups half & half
2 cups whipping cream
1 lb. Velveeta, cubed
1/2 - 1 cup sliced almonds

How you do it:
Cook rice in 1 1/2 cans chicken broth. In a large pot, saute veggies in butter. Add flour and cook for 5 minues, stirring constantly. Add half & half, and whipping cream; stir until slightly thickened. Add 8 1/2 cups chicken broth and Velveeta. When Velveeta is melted add rice, chicken, and almonds. Let simmer (without boiling) for 15 minutes or until warmed through.

Rocky Road Brownies

I remember my mom making these brownies for family functions and church activities. They still go fast wherever I take them also. In fact, I took these to the church for refreshments after a baptism and meant to get a picture of one brownie so you would be able to see the different layers, but by the time I got back to the dish they were gone! One lady said that they were so good she took one bite and decided she had to save the rest until she could have milk with it. (I guess she only eats the "good" desserts with milk.) And, that's something I would highly suggest with these babies ... mmmm, milk.

ROCKY ROAD BROWNIES

What you need for the bar layer:

1/2 cup margarine, or butter
2 squares unsweetened baking chocolate
2 eggs
1 cup sugar
1 cup + 2 Tbsp. flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 cup nuts, chopped (optional; I omit)

How you do the bar layer:

Melt margarine and chocolate over low heat. In bowl combine remaining ingredients. Add chocolate mixture and mix well. Spread into a greased 9x13-inch casserole dish. Set aside.

What you need for the filling layer:

1/2 cup sugar
6 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup margaine, or butter
1/2 tsp. vanilla
2 Tbsp. flour
1 egg
1/3 cup chopped nuts (optional; I used almonds)

How you do the filling layer:

Beat cream cheese; add remaning ingredients and beat for 1 minutes. Spread over bar layer. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes; do not under bake. Begin mixing frosting.

What you need for the frosting layer:

2 cups miniature marshmallows
1/4 cup margarine, or butter
1 square unsweetened baking chocolate
1/4 cup milk
3 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla flavoring
2 oz. cream cheese

How you do the frosting layer:

Take brownies out of oven and psrinkle marshmallows on top. Put back into oven for about 2-5 minutes (or until marshmallows begin to be golden brown; see picture above). Melt margaine, chocolate, cream cheese, and milk over low heat. Removed from heat, add powdered sugar and vanilla. Pour immediately over marshmallows and swirl together (be careful not to get into the filling layer when swirling). Cool completely before cutting. Store in fridge.

Cheesy Chicken Enchilada Soup

As with most of my recipes, I can only alter or combine recipes that I know I already like. Such is the case with this one. I was going to make White Chili, but didn't have the green chilies. So, I altered it and it tasted so much like Chicken Enchiladas, that I decided to keep it and share it.

CHEESY CHICKEN ENCHILADA SOUP

What you need:

4 chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 pkg. chicken taco seasoning
1 onion, chopped
2 cans cream of chicken soup
2 cans white beans
1 can petite diced tomatoes, drained really well
1 can chicken broth (I used homemade broth that I made using this method. I love that the veggies are in the broth since that's what my children mostly ate. Yum!)
1 lb. Velveeta, cut into cubes
1 to 1 1/2 cups shredded cheese, mexican blend
Tortilla chips

How you do it:

Combine all ingredients. Let simmer until warm. Serve with tortilla chips.

Honey Wheat Bread

It's taken me years to find a wheat bread recipe that I love. I initially found this one on AllRecipes. It was a bread machine recipe, and since I don't have a bread machine I altered the order of the mixing and added rise time to the recipe. I also added some special ingredients to help the dough to produce a fabulous bread texture. This bread is amazing! Especially if you want some wonderful sweet bread as a side to your dinner. (If you don't want it very sweet, just scale down how much honey you add.)

HONEY WHOLE WHEAT BREAD

What you need:

1 1/8 cups water (120-130°)
3 cups whole wheat flour
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1/3 cup honey
1 Tbsp. dry milk powder
1 1/2 Tbsp. shortening
1 1/2 tsp. active dry yeast
4 tsp. wheat gluten (optional, but definitely recommended)
1 tbsp. dough enhancer (optional, but definitely recommended)

How you do it:

(If using a bread machine, add ingredients in order listed [adding wheat gluten and dough enhancer with the flour], turn on wheat cycle and let the machine do its job!)

In a large bowl mix all dry ingredients. In mixer, pour water, add shortening and honey. Turn mixer to speed 1 and mix together. Mix all dry ingredients together, then add to wet ingredients one cup at a time. Knead for 8 minutes (add additional time if mulitiplying recipe to make more than one loaf). Place in greased bowl, turn to coat; cover and let rise until double (about 1 1/2 to 2 hours). Punch down and shape. Place in greased loaf pan; cover, and let rise until double (about 1 1/2 to 2 hours). Bake at 350° for 25 to 30 minutes.

Step-by-Step Hints:

You're probably wondering what these ingredients are. They are gold for wheat bread. The dough enhancer gives your bread/dough a nice smooth texture. The vital wheat gluten adds nutrition and helps the dough to rise. Gluten holds the gas in the dough which makes it rise. Wheat bread does not rise as well as white bread because white bread flour has a higher amount of protein with a strong gluten so it rises to double in about an hour. Since I typically grind my own wheat, I need to add the wheat gluten to help the bread rise a little bit better than without it. And, finally, the dry milk powder aids in making the bread softer.

Here's a little trick I've learned for my wheat bread: grind the wheat right before making the bread. The wheat flour will be warm after having been ground, which helps the yeast. This is the grinder my mom got for me for a birthday once. Love you, Mom!

Here's what my dough looks like after it's risen and it's ready to shape. Be patient! It takes a long time to rise, make sure to give your dough the time it needs.
Here's another tip: don't add too much flour, just enough to make the dough clean off the sides of the bowl. Then, start the kneading. Once you've started kneading, don't add any more flour.

Yummy, yummy bread! This smells fabulous ... and it's always too hard to wait to cut into this stuff! Enjoy!

Creamy Crock-Pot Potatoes

CREAMY CROCK-POT POTATOES

What you need:

2 lbs. red potatoes (I've used 6-7 russets and liked that too)
2 (8 oz.) pkgs. cream cheese, softened
2 Tbsp. butter
2 Tbsp. flour
1 cup milk, or half & half
1 pkg. ranch salad dressing mix

How you do it:

Cut potatoes (quarter red potatoes, cut into bite-size for russets). Place potatoes in crock-pot. Melt butter in small saucepan. Add flour and make into a roux (cook until bubbly, stirring constantly). Pour in milk (or half & half), and whisk together until sauce is thickened. Add cream cheese, and ranch dressing mix. Pour over potatoes and stir together. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours, or until potatoes are soft.

Creamy Chocolate Chip Drops

These will hit the spot when you are craving chocolate chip cookies on a day when you realize you don't have any eggs, and you don't want to go to the store. I like them rolled in powdered sugar, my husband likes them without the powdered sugar. Either way, they are yummy!

CREAMY CHOCOLATE CHIP DROPS

What you need:

1 1/2 sticks butter, softened
1 (3 oz.) pkg. cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 cups cake flour*
1/4 tsp. salt
3/4 cup finely chopped semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup powdered sugar

*If you don't have cake flour, subsitute all-purpose flour and take out 2 tablespoons of flour from the 2 cups measured.

How you do it:

Preheat oven to 300°. IN a medium bowl, beat butter, cream cheese, and granulated sugar with an electric mixer on medium speed until light nd fluffy. Beat in vanilla. Add cake flour and salt and beat until blended. Stir in chocolate chips. Drop by teaspoonsfuls 2-inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheets (I use parchment paper). Bake 20 to 25 minutes, until set but not browned. Let cookies cool on sheets 2 minutes. Roll in powdered sugar, transfer to a rack, and let cool completely.

Bubble Up Pizza Casserole

I got this recipe from my sister-in-law, and my children LOVE it! So easy, and so perfect for those pizza-craving-nights.

BUBBLE-UP PIZZA CASSEROLE

What you need:

1 lb. ground beef
2 tsp. onion powder, or
1 onion, chopped
16 oz. tomato sauce, or
8 oz. tomato sauce, 12 oz. tomato paste & 12 oz. water
1/2 tsp. dried basil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. Italian seasoning
15 oz. biscuits (I use just 10 oz. and cut them into fourths)
1 1/4 cups mozzarella cheese (I use 1 part mozz, and 2 parts cheddar because the majority of my family is lactose intollerant)

How you do it:

Preheat oven to 350° and lightly grease a 9x13-inch casserole dish. Brown ground beef. Add onion powder, garlic, tomato sauce, basil 7 Italian seasoning. Add biscuits; stir gently until giscuits are covered. Pour into prepared casserole dish. Bake for 25 minutes. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake an additional 10 minutes or until biscuits are done. Allowt o cool for 5 minutes before serving.

Sugar Doughnut Muffins

I found this recipe here a while ago and just made them. These muffins are YUMMY! Next time I'll try rolling them in cinnamon-sugar or glazing them. They would be great with a little jelly in the middle too. Really, the possibilities are endless! My little boy was the first to try them and they were a winner!

SUGAR DOUGHNUT MUFFINS

What you need:

3/4 cup sugar

1 large egg

1 1/2 cups flour

2 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/4 cup vegetable oil

3/4 cup milk

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 Tbsp. butter, melted

1/3 cup sugar

How you do it:

Preheat oven to 350°. Lightly grease muffin tin with cooking spray (I used my mini muffin tin). In a large bowl, beat together 3/4 cup sugar and egg until light in color. In a small bowl blend together flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. In a measuring cup mix together oil, milk, and vanilla. Add flour mixture to sugar mixture and stir together to combine. Make a well in the mixture and pour in milk/oil mixture. Stir until wet and blended thoroughly (may be a little lumpy). Divide batter evenly into 12 muffin cups, filling each about 3/4 full. (Again, I used 24 mini muffin cups and loved this size.) Bake for 15-18 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. While muffins are baking, melt butter. When muffins are finished baking, lightly brush the top of each with some melted butter and remove from pan to roll in 1/3 cup sugar. Cool on a wire rack. (Or eat them right away like we did!)

Chicken Enchilada Casserole

Edited to add: I'm posting this one again because I added pictures. Like I said in the original post ... it's not the most aesthetically pleasing casserole when on the plate, but it sure is delicious!

For this one, I took the ingredients from one recipe and combined them with the method for a different recipe. And, it was a huge hit with my family ... seriously, we ate the whole pan even though we probably shouldn't have done so. That's why there aren't any pictures ... um, I didn't know it would be so good, and then it was gone before I thought to get pictures. Plus, it's not the most aesthetically pleasing casserole ... so, just trust me, it's really yummy!

CHICKEN ENCHILADA CASSEROLE

What you need:
2 cups chicken, cooked and diced
1 pkg. chicken taco seasoning
1/2 to 1 cup water
2 1/2 cups shredded cheese, divided
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1 (16 oz.) carton sour cream
5-6 flour tortillas, cut into strips or rectangles (also try with corn or wheat, yum!)

How you do it:
Cook together chicken, taco seasoning and water in pan on medium heat to cook off liquid. When liquid is almost gone, pour chicken into bowl and mix together with 1/2 cup cheese, cream of chicken soup and sour cream. Spray a 9x13-inch baking dish. Layer 1/2 of tortillas, 1 cup cheese, and 1/2 of chicken mixture. Repeat layers. Bake at 350° for 25-30 minutes, or until bubbly. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

How you freeze it:
Before casserole is combined, line pan with lightly sprayed foil. Be sure to extend foil over the handles or short ends of the pan to help with easy removal. Assemble casserole. Place in freezer until frozen. Remove from pan, cover top with lightly sprayed foil, place in 2 gallon freezer bag. When ready to cook, place casserole in pan and let thaw in refrigerator overnight. Place directly in oven, then turn on oven to 350° and bake for 45 minutes. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Marinated Grilled Steak

This picture really doesn't do this any good ... but, trust me this was fantastic!

MARINATED GRILLED STEAK

What you need:

Steak (I used around 5.5 lbs. top sirloin)
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 pkg. fajita seasoning
1 pkg. McCormick Grill Mates Montreal Steak seasoning
1 pkg. Italian dressing mix
1 can Sprite
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce

How you do it:

Trim steak of any fat you don't want. Slice steak into strips about 1/2-inch thick. Be sure to cut cross-grain ... this tenderizes the meat so your teeth don't have to. In a gallon-size Ziploc bag, mix together garlic, and seasoning packets. Pour in Sprite and Worcestershire sauce. Shake to blend together. Add steak strips. Seal bag removing air as best as you can. Massage the steak for about 30 seconds. Place in fridge for at least six hours. Remove bag and massage steak every hour if possible. Heat grill and place steak on grill at low heat. Grill for about 3-5 minutes each side.