Friday, April 29, 2016

Easy Jello Salad

1 small pkg. jello (lime and orange are my favorites)
1 small container cottage cheese
1 12 oz cool whip
1 cup mini marshmallows

Mix dry jello with cottage cheese. Stir in cool whip and marshmallows. Serve!

Friday, April 22, 2016

Barbeque Hamburgers (sloppy joes)

1 lb. ground beef
minced onion
salt & pepper
1/2 c. ketchup
2 tsp. vinegar
4 tsp. sugar
1-2 Tbl. Worcestershire sauce




Brown hamburger with minced onion, salt & pepper to taste. Drain off any fat. Add remaining ingredients in skillet and stir to coat the ground beef. Cover and simmer for approx. 30 minutes. Serve on hamburger buns. This is our favorite sloppy joe recipe!!




We make this often enough that I don't really measure the ingredients anymore. Just be careful to not over do the vinegar. 1 lb. ground beef doesn't make much though. I usually make 2-3 lbs. when I make it. The mix is also excellent to snack on with Nacho Cheese Doritos.


The leftovers are great as the base to shepherd's pie too... just add mashed potatoes and shredded cheese and heat.



Thursday, April 14, 2016

Chicken and Stuffing Bake

2 boxes Stove top chicken flavor stuffing
10-12 chicken tenders
6-8 slices swiss cheese
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1/2 soup can of milk


Mix stove top according to directions on box reducing the water by 1/2 cup per box. Spread into greased 9x13 pan. Layer chicken tenders evenly over stuffing followed by swiss cheese. Mix soup with milk and pour over cheese layer making sure to cover everything. Cover with foil and bake in 350 degree oven for 45 minutes to 1 hour until chicken is cooked through.

Wednesday, April 13, 2016

Enchilada Sauce

2 Tbl Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/2 medium onion diced
3 Tbl chili powder
2 tsp cumin
2 tsp sugar
3 cloves garlic minced
2  cans tomato sauce (8 oz cans)
1 1/2 cups water
1 chicken bullion cube
Salt and pepper

Sauté onion in olive oil until tender (about 5 min). Stir in chili powder, sugar and cumin. Cook until spices become fragrant. Add in garlic and cook for a minute or 2 more. Stir in tomato sauce, water and bullion cube. Mix well. Simmer about 5 minutes or until sauce is desired consistency. Salt and pepper to taste. You can use as is but I prefer to put it in the blender for a smooth consistency. Enjoy!

I love this enchilada sauce. It is a little thicker than store bought but so much better flavor! I use a zester for the garlic. It's so much easier than mincing. I also dice my onions when I get home from the store and then freeze them in a ziplock freezer bag. Makes recipes easier and the onions don't take as long to cook.

Sunday, April 10, 2016

WHITE CHICKEN CHILI



  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil


  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic, crushed
  • 1 (4 ounce) can diced jalapeno peppers
  • 1 (4 ounce) can chopped green chile peppers
  • 2 teaspoons ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
  • 2 (14.5 ounce) cans chicken broth
  • 3 cups chopped cooked chicken breast
  • 3 (15 ounce) cans white beans
  • 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese


    1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium-low heat. Slowly cook and stir the onion until tender. Mix in the garlic, jalapeno, green chile peppers, cumin, oregano and cayenne. Continue to cook and stir the mixture until tender, about 3 minutes. Mix in the chicken broth, chicken and white beans. Simmer 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
    2. Remove the mixture from heat. Slowly stir in the cheese until melted. Serve warm.

    Chik-Fil-A Nuggets

    2 skinless and boneless chicken breasts
    1 cup milk
    1 egg
    1 1/4 cups flour
    2 TBSP powdered sugar
    2 tsp salt
    1 tsp pepper
    peanut oil (is best) or canola oil for frying

    Whisk the egg and add milk. Cut up chicken into bite-size pieces. Add to milk/egg mixture and marinate in the fridge for about 4 hours. Mix the rest of the ingredients in a gallon size ziploc bag. Add the chicken to the ziploc bag after it's done marinating and shake till all the it's coated evenly. Fry the chicken in 2 inches of hot oil (about 375 degrees) till it's done...about 1 minute on each side.

    Old Fashioned Bread Pudding with Caramel Sauce

    7 cups white bread cut into 1 inch cubes
    1/2 cup melted butter
    4 eggs
    1 cup sugar
    1/2 cup brown sugar
    1/2 tsp nutmeg
    1/2 tsp cinnamon
    2 tsp vanilla
    2 cups half & half
    2 cups whole milk

    Place bread cubes in a buttered 9x13 glass pan. Drizzle the melted butter over the bread. Do not mix into the bread. Set aside. In a large bowl,  beat eggs until broken up and blend in the sugars,  nutmeg, half & half and milk. DO NOT OVERBEAT THIS MIXTURE, JUST COMBINE. Pour the mixture over the bread cubes and let it all soak in, gently patting the bread down into the milk every now and then. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake pudding for 50 minutes, checking it at 40 minutes to make sure that it's not getting too brown. If it is, cover loosely with foil. Pudding is done when it is puffy all over and golden. Let cool.

    CARAMEL SAUCE
    1/2 cup butter
    1 cup brown sugar
    1/4 tsp salt
    1 tsp vanilla
    1/2 cup evaporated milk

    In a saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter with the brown sugar.  Bring to a boil and remove from the heat. Whisk in this salt, vanilla and milk.  The sauce can be made ahead of time then warmed in the microwave.  Cut putting into squares and top with warm sauce. It can  also be served with vanilla ice cream.

     This recipe was delicious!  We've served it with ice cream and without ,  it's great either way!!! I used croissants in place of the white bread.  I'm sure it would work well with any kind of bread you have.