Chicken Tacos

3 cups cooked, shredded chicken*
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup hot water
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon paprika
1 tablespoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder 
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon chicken base
2 cloves garlic, minced
salt and pepper to taste

Coat bottom of pan with oil and place over medium heat. Add chicken and hot water, Stir. Bring to a low boil. add remaining ingredients. Reduce heat and simmer until water is mostly absorbed. 

Serve with toppiing of your choice in taco shells or wraps, or over Simple Spanish Rice.

*leftover rotisserie chicken may be used.

Tex Mex Spaghetti Squash

1 large spaghetti squash
1 cup frozen corn
1 (15 oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 (15 oz) can petite diced tomatoes (or equivalent amount fresh)
½ tsp salt (or more to taste)
2 tsp cumin
1½ tsp paprika
1 tsp chili powder
1 clove garlic, minced
1 jalapeno, deseeded and minced (optional)
½ cup diced bell pepper
½ cup diced chopped onion
2 cups diced cooked chicken (optional)
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
2 tbsp olive oil (divided)

Cut squash in half. With a spoon scrape out seeds and stringy membrane. Lightly drizzle cut sides with 1 tbsp olive oil. Place cut side down on baking pan. (I lined mine with non stick foil.) Bake @ 450 degrees for 30 minutes or until done. Let squash cool until it can be handled. Turn squash over and use a fork to shred it into "spaghetti" strands. (Mine yielded 2 1/4 cups.)

Heat large skillet over medium heat. Saute onion, peppers, and garlic in remaining oil until vegetables are softened. Add squash and all remaining ingredients except cheese. Bring to simmer. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until liquid is reduced to desired consistency. Sprinkle with cheese. Simmer covered until cheese is melted.

Serves 6

Au Gratin Potatoes

3/4 T butter
3/4 T flour
salt and pepper to taste
3/4 cup milk
3/4 cup sharp cheddar, shredded
3 medium russet potatoes (about 6 ounces each), peeled and sliced thick

Preheat oven to 375°.

Cheese sauce: melt butter in medium saucepan over medium heat. Add flour, salt, and pepper; stir constantly with wire wisk for one minute. Add milk stirring constantly until thickened. Add cheese to the milk mixture stirring until cheese is melted and sauce is smooth.

Place half of the potato slices in an 8 x 8 inch baking pan coated with cooking spray. Add half the cheese sauce.  Add remaining potatoes, top with remaining cheese sauce.

Cover pan with foil and bake at 375° for one hour or until potatoes are tender. Remove foil and place pan under broiler for one to two minutes to brown top if desired.

Serves four

Salsa Chicken

1 lb boneless chicken breast or tenders
8 oz jar of salsa
1 cup cheddar, shredded

Preheat oven to 400°. Place chicken in 9x9 glass baking dish; pour salsa over chicken. Cover with foil and bake at 400° for 35 minutes or until chicken is done (165° inner temperature.) Remove from oven, uncover chicken and sprinkle with cheese; return chicken to oven until cheese is melted and bubbly.

Serve over cooked rice.

4 servings

Pepper Steak

1 lb beef, cut into strips (I use beef cubes)
1 small onion, cut into strips
1 medium bell pepper, cut into strips
1/4 cup hot water
1 tsp beef crystals (or 1 beef bullion cube)
1/8 tsp garlic powder (more or less to taste)
3 T soy sauce
1 tsp brown sugar
4 cups hot cooked rice

Place all ingredients except rice in crockpot; stir to blend ingredients. Cook on low 4-6 hours or high 2-3 hours. Serve with rice. 
4 Servings.

Unstuffed Pepper Skillet

1 lb ground beef
1/4 cup onion, chopped
1/4 cup green peppers (I used red), chopped
1 med tomato, seeded and chopped
1 tsp garlic powder
1 Tbsp italian season
salt & pepper to taste
8 oz can tomato sauce
1 1/2 cup instant rice
1 cup water
4 oz cheddar cheese, shredded

In a large skillet brown ground beef; drain excess fat. Add onion, green pepper, tomato, and spices; cook until onion is translucent. Add tomato sauce and water; bring to a boil. Stir in rice; cover with tight fitting lid and remove from heat; let sit 3 minutes. Top with cheddar; replace lid and let sit additional 5 minutes or until cheese is melted and liquid is absorbed.

Serves 4.

I like to serve this with a salad and garlic toast. Yumm!

For a "Taco Skillet" meal, omit garlic powder and italian seasoning; add 1 packet of low sodium taco seasoning.

Ham & Bean Soup

1 ham bone, with meat
1 (16 ounce) package 15 bean soup (season packet discarded), soaked overnight
1 medium onion, chopped
2 stalks celery, sliced
3 carrots, sliced
2 bay leaves
8 cups water

In 5 qt dutch oven combine the beans, onion, celery, carrots, bay leaves, and water. Add ham bone (if there's not much meat on the bone you may want to add some additional diced ham). Cover with tight fitting lid and bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer on low for 6 hours.

Add salt after its finished cooking to taste. I didn't need to add any to mine as the ham was quite salty.

Serve with corn muffins or cheddar biscuits.

Honey Butter

1 stick butter, softened
1 tablespoon honey

In a small bowl, mix butter and honey together until well blended.
If desired, cover and chill until firm. Refrigerate leftovers.

Simple Spanish Rice

1/4 cup chopped green pepper 
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 medium tomato, seeded and diced
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup uncooked long grain rice
2 cups chicken broth
salt and pepper to taste

In a saucepan, saute green pepper, tomato and onion in oil until tender. Add rice; cook and stir for 2 minutes. Stir in broth, salt and pepper; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer 25 minutes or until rice is tender.

Yield: 4 servings.

Super Easy French Dip Sandwiches

1 lb deli roast beef, sliced thin
1 cup water
2 teaspoons beef bullion granules (I use Wylers)
4-8 slices provolone cheese
4 (8") sub rolls

Heat water and bullion in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Roughly chop roast beef (this step is optional, I broke mine apart into approximately 3-4" pieces); add roast beef to the broth and bring to a boil; simmer 3 minutes. 

Divide the meat evenly among the 4 rolls; top each sandwich with 1 or 2 slices of provolone. If desired, bake the sandwiches in 350 degree preheated oven for 5 minutes, or until the cheese just begins to melt. Serve with small bowls of the warm broth for dipping.

Serves 4

NOTE: You can substitute 1 can beef consomme for the water and bullion if preferred. 

Chicken Salad

3 cups cooked chicken breast, cut into small cubes
3/4 cup mayonnaise
3 tablespoons minced celery (I never have celery so I just use a little celery seed-about 1/8tsp)
3 tablespoons minced onion
1 tablespoon brown sugar (measured loosely-don't pack it)
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder (more or less to taste-I used a smidgen)
salt & pepper to taste (I used a smidgen of each)

Place all ingredients in large mixing bowl; stir well. Can be served immediately or, for best flavor, refrigerate for several hours to allow flavors to blend. Serve on bread or sandwich rolls, or on bed of lettuce.

Original recipe from afamilyfeast.com

Beef and Broccoli

1 lb beef cubes
1 (10 1/4 oz.) can beef consomme
1/3 cup low sodium soy sauce
2 Tbsp light brown sugar
1 tsp minced garlic
2 Tbsp cornstarch
1/4 cup water
1 (14 oz.) package broccoli florets (or more if you like extra broccoli)
4 cups hot cooked brown rice

Place beef cubes in large skillet. Add consomme, soy sauce, brown sugar, and garlic powder to beef. Bring liquid to a boil and simmer over low heat for an hour or until meat is tender. Add broccoli florets, raise heat and return to a low boil. Cook until broccoli is desired doneness. Stir cornstarch and 1/4 cup water until combined; add corn starch mixture to skillet and stir until sauce is thickened. Serve over hot cooked rice.

Adapted from this recipe.

Pineapple Upside Down Cake

1 (15 oz) can sliced pineapple, drained
1 jar maraschino
cherries (stems removed)
3/4 cup lightly packed brown sugar (about 6-7 oz by weight)
1 stick salted butter (ONLY use salted sweet cream REAL butter!)
1 yellow cake mix (mix batter according to package directions)

Preheat oven to 350º or temperature indicated on cake mix package. place stick of butter in 13 x 9 pan, heat in oven until butter is melted. Sprinkle brown sugar evenly over butter until the sugar is absorbed. Arrange pineapples in bottom of pan as desired. Add cherries placing one in the center of each pineapple and anywhere there is a gap between the pineapples. Pour cake batter carefully and evenly over pineapple & butter/brown sugar mixture.

Bake as directed on cake mix package. Cool on wire rack for 20 minutes before inverting onto cake plate or tray. May be served warm or chilled. (We like it room temperature)

Meatball Sub Casserole

3/4 lb ground beef
1/3 cup bread crumbs 
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 egg
1 loaf Italian bread, cut into 1-inch thick slices*
1 cup ricotta cheese
1 tsp italian seasoning
1/4 tsp pepper
1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
1 (28 oz) jar pasta sauce

Meatballs:
Combine first five ingredients; mix well. Form meat mixture into 1 1/2 in balls. Saute in skillet until cooked through.

Casserole: Arrange bread slices in a single layer in an ungreased baking pan; set aside. In a bowl, combine ricotta cheese, italian seasoning, and 1/4 tsp pepper; spread over bread slices. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup cheese; set aside. Mix together meatballs and spaghetti sauce; spoon over cheese. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Serves 4.

* You probably won't need the entire loaf. I had a few slices left over but I just used them for garlic bread.

Deep Dish Dinner Pizza

1 can refrigerated biscuits (the larger ones ie. Grands)
1 cup pizza sauce
1/2 lb ground beef, cooked & crumbled
1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
parmesan cheese
pepperoni
onion, green peppers, other pizza toppings of your choice
garlic powder
italian seasoning

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Press biscuit dough into bottom of 9 x 13 baking pan. Spread pizza sauce evenly over biscuits. Add ground beef, pepperoni, and other pizza toppings over sauce spreading each layer evenly. Sprinkle evenly with parmesan, cheddar, and mozzarella cheeses. Sprinkle with garlic powder and italian seasoning to taste.

Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until bottom of crust is golden brown and cheese is melted and bubbly.

Serves 4

Crock Pot Roast Beef with Gravy

2.5 - 3 lb boneless chuck roast
1 lb baby carrots
6 med potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
2 T Wylers Beef Crystals
4 cups water
seasoned meat tenderizer (McCormick makes a good one, as does 5th Season)
salt & pepper to taste
3 T corn starch (or 1 T per cup of broth)
1/4 cup water

Sprinkle meat liberally with seasoned tenderizer on both sides. Place meat in bottom of large 5 - 6 qt crock pot. Place vegetables on top of meat. Add the water, beef crystals, salt, and pepper. Cover and cook on high for 8 - 10 hours or until meat is tender and falling apart.

For gravy (or graby as my grandson calls it ;)), turn crock pot off and ladel broth into small saucepan. Mix cornstarch and 1/4 cup water blending well. Place saucepan over medium heat; add cornstarch mixture stirring until well blended. Stir often until gravy comes to a boil. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Baked Macaroni & Cheese

3 cups whole wheat penne noodles, uncooked
1 egg

1 can evaporated milk
1/2 cup milk
2 T butter, melted
12 ounces colby jack cheese, shredded or cut into thin slices*
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease 2 qt baking dish with butter or cooking spray.

Prepare noodles according to package directions reducing cooking time by 1-2 minutes; drain. Add noodles and cheese to baking dish. Mix together being sure to evenly distribute both ingredients.

In medium bowl, whisk the egg and both milks together. Add butter, salt, and pepper to the egg and milk mixture. Mix well. Pour egg mixture evenly over noodles and cheese.

Bake uncovered, for 30 to 40 minutes, or until top is lightly browned and cheese is bubbly.

*during the holidays sometimes you can find "bake and melt" cheese which is a blend of American and cheddar.  I use this if I can find it. 

Chili

I've made several pots of chili this winter and have been tweaking my other recipes to come up with just the right proportions. This is my latest, and best, revision. Hope you enjoy. :)

2 1/2 lbs lean ground beef
1 green pepper, chopped
1 med onion, chopped
1 large (28 ounce) can petite diced tomatoes
1 1/2 cups tomato sauce
2 (15 ounce) cans red beans
3 T chili powder
1 T ground cumin
1/2 T beef crystals (bullion)
1 quart water
salt & pepper to taste

Brown ground beef in 4-5 quart dutch oven. Drain. Add chopped vegetables and saute with meat until they are softened and onions are translucent. Add remaining ingredients and simmer all day (at least 8 hours).

Baked Potato Soup

Baked Potato Soup

1/4 cup butter or margarine
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 (14 1/2-ounce) can chicken broth
1 (12-ounce) can NESTLÉ® CARNATION® Evaporated Milk
1 cup milk
2 large or 3 medium baking potatoes, baked or microwaved
Salt and ground black pepper to taste
4 strips bacon
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese (divided)
3 tablespoons sliced green onion

Cook bacon in large saucepan. Set cooked bacon aside and discard grease. Melt butter in same saucepan over medium heat. Add onion; cook for 1 to 2 minutes or until tender. Stir in flour. Gradually stir in broth, evaporated milk, and milk.

Meanwhile, scoop potato pulp from one potato; mash. Add pulp to broth mixture. Dice remaining potato and add to soup. (Skins can be cut into small pieces and added to the soup if desired.) Season with salt and pepper to taste. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally until mixture just comes to a boil. Reduce heat to low-simmer. Simmer to desired consistency. Stir in half the shredded cheese.

Top each serving with crumbled bacon, remaining cheese and green onion.

Makes 4 servings

Chicken Stew

This is my "poultry" version of beef stew. Hope you enjoy!

2 1/2 lbs boneless chicken breast
2 cans sliced carrots
2 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 can chicken broth
4 tsp Wyler's Chicken Crystals (bullion)
4 cups water
salt & pepper to taste
1/2 cup cornstarch
1/2 cup water
olive oil

In a dutch oven over medium-high heat, heat olive oil; add chicken and saute until meat is no longer pink; remove chicken from pan and cut into bite-size pieces; return chicken to pan and add the carrots, potatoes, broth, bullion, 4 cups water, and salt and pepper; bring to a boil; reduce heat, cover and simmer for 30 minutes.

Combine cornstarch and 1/2 cup water in small bowl; mix well until cornstarch is dissolved; immediately add cornstarch mixture to stew; stir well until sauce is thickened.

Serve over biscuits or mashed potatoes.

8 Servings