Mostly casseroles

TACO CASSEROLE

Ingredients

3 cups leftover taco-seasoned ground beef
1 can (16 ounces) kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup milk
1-1/2 cups biscuit/baking mix
1 cup (8 ounces) sour cream
2 cups shredded lettuce
1 medium tomato, diced

Directions

In a large bowl, combine the taco meat and beans; spoon into a greased 8-in. square baking dish. Sprinkle with cheese. In another bowl, combine the eggs, milk and biscuit mix until moistened. Pour over cheese. Bake, uncovered, at 400° for 20-25 minutes or until lightly browned and a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Spread with sour cream. Top with lettuce and tomato. Yield: 6 servings.

COCA COLA CHICKEN

Ingredients

1 lb Chicken thighs
12oz. Coca-cola (DO NOT SUBSTITUTE - NO Pepsi or cheap brands)
10 oz. Ketchup

Bring coke & ketchup to boil, add chicken, reduce to simmer for 1 hour & 15 mins.
Serve on bed of white rice.


SAUSAGE AND CRESCENT ROLL CASSEROLE

2 cans crescent rolls
2 lbs. sausage
2 8-oz pks. cream cheese

Brown, rinse and drain sausage. Add cream cheese and heat until melted. Line a 13x9x2 inch casserole dish with 1 pkg of crescent rolls. Pour in sausage mixture. Top with remaining crescent rolls. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until brown. Can be made the day before, recipe can also be halved, using an 8x8 pan.


TATOR TOT CASSEROLE

1 lb ground beef
1 can cream of mushroom soup
tator tots
green pepper
onion (to taste)
shredded cheese

Brown beef in pan and add cream of mushroom soup, diced peppers and onions. Place in a 9x13 pan. Add tator tots to top and sprinkle with shredded cheese. Bake at 350 until tator tots are brown, about 35 minutes.

Very Cheap Meals

CHICKEN ALFREDO BAKE

Ingredients
1 Jar Alfredo Sauce
8 oz Noodles
1/2 package Chicken Breast
1 cup Mozzarella Cheese
1/2 cup tablespoons Milk/Chicken Broth (optional)
1/4 bag Veggie~ Snap Peas
Bread~ Garlic Bread (frozen)

What to do:
1. Boil your noodles until soft or al dente. Drain them and set aside.
2. Cut up your chicken (We used 3 breasts) into cubes. Add your chicken, with a little salt and pepper, into a bit of olive oil and cook in a frying pan until beautifully brown.
(Some people boil their chicken. That works too!)
3. Mix your chicken, noodles, two jars of Alfredo together with a bit of milk/broth. I like to add the milk/broth to help keep this from getting dry.
4. Put into a baking dish. Sprinkle your mozzarella cheese on top.
5. Bake at 350 degrees for about 20-25 minutes, when sauce is bubbling and the cheese is slightly brown it is ready! Serve with bread.


YUMMY CHICKEN LEGS
1/2-1 onion
3 tablespoons butter or margarine
1 tablespoon olive oil
6 chicken legs
salt and pepper to taste
rice

Caramelize onions in the butter and oil in a skillet. Add the chicken legs and cover with salt and pepper. Cover skillet with lid and let simmer until chicken is cooked through.
Serve over rice.


EASY MEATBALLS
1 bag of frozen meatballs
2 jars of Heinz beef gravy
1 can cream of mushroom soup
Egg noodles

Cook in a slow cooker on high for 1 hour.
Cook egg noodles on stove per directions.
Then mix together after it's all done.


CHICKEN AND RICE

1 packet french onion soup mix
1 can cream of celery
2 cans of water (use cream of celery can)
1 cup brown rice
4 pieces of chicken

Lay rice at the bottom of a pan. Put chicken on top of rice. Mix top 3 ingredients and pour over the chicken. Cover pan with foil and bake at 300 for 3 hours.


SHEPHERD'S PIE

1/2 package of chicken (boil in a pan for 20 minutes to cook through)
1 cup colby jack cheese
1 can corn, drained
2 cups mashed potatoes (I used instant, cook first)

Place cooked chicken at the bottom of a baking dish.
Sprinkle with 1/2 of the shredded cheese
Pour drained corn on next.
Mashed potatoes on top.
Sprinkle with rest of shredded cheese.
Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes, until heated through.
Serve with biscuits and white gravy.


BACON SPAGHETTI
1/2-1 package bacon
spaghetti noodles (I use enough for 4 servings)
1 large can Italian diced tomatoes

Fry bacon in a skillet. Add tomatoes and juice and simmer together for about 10 minutes.
Cook noodles in a pan until finished. Drain.
Add tomatoes and bacon to the pasta and mix well. Serve.


MEXI CHICKEN SOUP

Delicious, cheap and EASY zesty soup recipe that uses only 6 canned ingredients! Serve over tortilla chips, and top with shredded Cheddar cheese. Throw away the cans and no one will know that it is not from scratch!

Ingredients:
1 (15 ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained
1 (14.5 ounce) can chicken broth
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 (10 ounce) can chunk chicken
1 (15 ounce) can black beans (rinsed)
1 (10 ounce) can diced tomatoes with green chile peppers, drained

Directions:
Open the cans of corn, chicken broth, soup, chunk chicken, black beans, and diced tomatoes with green chilies. Pour everything into a large saucepan or stock pot. Simmer over medium heat until chicken is heated through

Easy Italian Pasta

This was a little bland to me, but still delicious! I would definitely recommend spicing it up however you like. Next time I plan on onions, garlic and oregano.

Ingredients
2.5 cups cavatappi pasta (8 oz)
1/2 pound sausage
6-7 medium plum roma tomatoes, seeded and diced
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup shredded fresh parmesan or mozzarella cheese
seasonings/spices to taste

Directions
1. Cook and drain pasta as directed on package.
2. Meanwhile, in large skillet, cook sausage over medium heat until browned. Drain and return to skillet.
3. Add tomatoes, cream, and drained pasta to sausage. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until thoroughly heated (do not boil!). Sprinkle with cheese and serve.

My new favorite!

CHICKEN GARLIC PIZZA

Ingredients
1 skinless, boneless chicken breast half
2 tablespoons butter or margarine, softened
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons chopped green onion
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1 (10 ounce) can refrigerated pizza crust dough
2 roma (plum) tomatoes, diced
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 cup ricotta cheese
1/4 cup grated Parmesan or Mozzarella cheese

Directions
1. Place the chicken breast in a saucepan with enough water to cover. Bring to a boil, and cook until no longer pink, about 20 minutes. Drain and cool slightly, then cut into strips.
2. Meanwhile, in a small skillet over medium heat, melt the butter with garlic, onion and basil. Pour into a chilled dish to cool, and refrigerate until set.
3. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F
4. Roll out the pizza dough, place onto a pizza pan or other baking sheet, and spread the herb butter over the surface using the back of a spoon. Arrange chicken on top, then dot with ricotta cheese. Top with tomato slices, cilantro and Parmesan cheese.
5. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes in the preheated oven, until crust is browned and center is cooked through.

New recipes!

I haven't been on in a long time, so here are a couple new recipes for you to try out!

CREAMY CHICKEN AND ROTINI PRIMAVERA
Hands-On Time: 10 minutes
Ready In: 30 minutes
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients
1/2 pound dry rotini
2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast - cubed
1 pound frozen vegetable mix - thawed
4 ounces Neufchatel cheese (reduced fat cream cheese)
1/2 cup Italian dressing
1/2 cup milk

Directions
Cook rotini per package directions to desired doneness. Drain well and keep warm. Heat oil in a heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken cubes and cook until no longer pink. Combine cream cheese, dressing and milk and whisk until smooth. Add thawed frozen vegetables to chicken along with sauce mixture. Stir well and heat through - about 5 minutes. Serve.


TURKEY SLIDERS

Hands-On Time: 10 minutes
Ready In: 20 minutes
Yield: 16 servings
Ingredients
Sliders:
20 ounces lean ground turkey
2 Tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon each dried basil and oregano
1 teaspoon salt pepper to taste
16 dinner rolls or slider rolls

Honey Dijon Mayo:
1/3 cup mayonnaise
1 Tablespoon honey dijon mustard

Directions
Combine ground turkey, cheese and all seasonings. Mix together well. Shape turkey into 16 small patties. Place patties on a greased baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees F for 8 - 10 minutes or until cooked through. Be careful not to cook too long or they will become dried out. Combine mayonnaise with honey Dijon mustard and stir until well blended. Place on rolls and top with Honey Dijon Mayo.


FRITO BAKE

2 boxes Kraft Velveeta macaroni (shell noodles and cheese)
1 lb ground beef
pack of taco seasoning
1 can corn
sour cream- to taste
fritos
shredded cheese

- Brown the ground beef and add the taco seasoning. Add the corn.
- Make noodles as box says and then add 2 table spoon of sour cream to make it creamy.
- Take casserole dish and put 1 layer of the mac and cheese down and then 1 layer of beef mixture and then another layer of mac and cheese on top of that.
- Top with shredded cheese and melt in oven at 350.
- Add fritos on top and put back in the oven for few minutes just to heat the fritos.
- You can top the casserole with sour cream if you'd like!
courtesy of Karra


TACO-RONI

Ingredients
1 lb. ground beef
1/2 onion, diced
1 T. chili powder
1 T. cumin
2 t. garlic powder
1 t. salt
1/2 lb. elbow macaroni Use rice pasta for a gluten-free meal!
1 1/2 c. beef stock or broth
1 8 oz. can tomato sauce
1 14.5 oz. can crushed tomatoes
2 c. frozen corn
1 c. shredded cheese
2 cups frozen greens beans

Directions
1. Brown ground beef and onion. Drain. Stir in seasonings.
2. Add noodles, stock, tomato sauce and crushed tomatoes to the skillet. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low. Cover skillet and simmer, stirring occasionally, until noodles are tender, about 15 – 20 minutes.
3. Stir in corn until heated through. Top with cheese and serve.
4. Cook green beans as indicated by package instructions.
5. Serve Taco-roni with Green Beans.

courtesy of Kat

ENJOY =]

New chicken recipes

FIVE SPICE CHICKEN KABOBS

metal skewers are easier to use than wooden skewers, which will burn if not soaked for approximately 20 minutes first.
1/4 cup frozen OJ concentrate, thawed
2 Tablespoons honey
1 Tablespoon soy sauce
1/4 teaspoon five-spice powder
dash ground ginger
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast halves (cut into 1 inch pieces)
1 8 oz can pineapple chunks, drained
1 medium green pepper, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 medium red pepper, cut into 1 inch pieces
2 cups hot cooked rice

1. For glaze, in a small bowl combine OJ concentrate, honey, soy sauce, five spice powder and ginger. Set aside.
2. On 6 inch long metal skewers, alternately thread chicken, pineapple, green pepper and red pepper, leaving a 1/4 inch space between pieces.
3. For charcoal grill, grill kabobs on the rack of an uncovered grill directly over medium coils for 12 to 14 minutes or until no longer pink, turning and brushing once with glaze up to the last 5 minutes of grilling.

If its cold out, turn your oven to 350, put kabobs on a cookie sheet (spray with PAM first), pour glaze over kabobs and put in over for 20 minutes, turning them halfway through.


BREADED CHICKEN OVER RICE WITH JALAPENO PEACH SAUCE

canned peaches (puree them)
1/2 cup seed-less jalapenos (pureed)
2 Tablespoons honey
1 Tablespoon lemon juice

put ingredients in small pan and cook over low heat until bubbly

You will need three small containers.
1- 2 whisked eggs
1- flour
1- crushed croutons or crackers

Take chicken breast halves and dip in eggs, flour, eggs and then crackers.

Put in a skillet that the bottom of which has been coated with olive oil and crushed garlic. Cook until the middle is no longer pink.

The many uses of cucumbers

This information was in The New York Times several weeks ago as part of their "Spotlight on the Home" series that highlighted creative and fanciful ways to solve common problems.

1. Cucumbers contain most of the vitamins you need every day, just one cucumber contains Vitamin B1, Vitamin B2, Vitamin B3, Vitamin B5, Vitamin B6, Folic Acid, Vitamin C, Calcium, Iron, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Potassium and Zinc.


2. Feeling tired in the afternoon, put down the caffeinated soda and pick up a cucumber. Cucumbers are a good source of B Vitamins and Carbohydrates that can provide that quick pick-me-up that can last for hours.

3. Tired of your bathroom mirror fogging up after a shower? Try rubbing a cucumber slice along the mirror, it will eliminate the fog and provide a soothing, spa-like fragrance.

4. Are grubs and slugs ruining your planting beds? Place a few slices in a small pie tin and your garden will be free of pests all season long. The chemicals in the cucumber react with the aluminum to give off a scent undetectable to humans but drive garden pests crazy and make them flee the area. (WOW)

5. Looking for a fast and easy way to remove cellulite before going out or to the pool? Try rubbing a slice or two of cucumbers along your problem area for a few minutes, the phytochemicals in the cucumber cause the collagen in your skin to tighten, firming up the outer layer and reducing the visibility of cellulite. Works great on wrinkles too!!! (DOUBLE WOW)

6. Want to avoid a hangover or terrible headache? Eat a few cucumber slices before going to bed and wake up refreshed and headache free. Cucumbers contain enough sugar, B vitamins and electrolytes to replenish essential nutrients the body lost, keeping everything in equilibrium, avoiding both a hangover and headache!!

7. Looking to fight off that afternoon or evening snacking binge? Cucumbers have been used for centuries and often used by European trappers, traders and explores for quick meals to thwart off starvation.

8. Have an important meeting or job interview and you realize that you don't have enough time to polish your shoes? Rub a freshly cut cucumber over the shoe, its chemicals will provide a quick and durable shine that not only looks great but also repels water.

9. Out of WD 40 and need to fix a squeaky hinge? Take a cucumber sliced rub it along the problematic hinge, and voila, the squeak is gone!

10. Stressed out and don't have time for massage, facial or visit to the spa? Cut up an entire cucumber and place it in a boiling pot of water, the chemicals and nutrients from the cucumber with react with the boiling water and be released in the steam, creating a soothing, relaxing aroma that has been shown the reduce stress in new mothers and college students during final exams.

11. Just finish a business lunch and realize you don't have gum or mints? Take a slice of cucumber and press it to the roof of your mouth with your tongue for 30 seconds to eliminate bad breath, the phytochemcials will kill the bacteria in your mouth responsible for causing bad breath.

12. Looking for a 'green' way to clean your faucets, sinks or stainless steel? Take a slice of cucumber and rub it on the surface you want to clean, not only will it remove years of tarnish and bring back the shine, but is won't leave streaks and won't harm you fingers or fingernails while you clean.

13. Using a pen and made a mistake? Take the outside of the cucumber and slowly use it to erase the pen writing, also works great on crayons and markers that the kids have used to decorate the walls!!