Sheet Pan Nachos

1 large can refried beans (29 oz)
1 lb hamburger browned with onion, salt & pepper
1 pint sour cream
Taco seasoning
2-4 cups Shredded cheddar cheese
Tortilla chips

Spread refried beans in a jelly roll pan. Heat them in the oven at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes. You are just warming them up. Remove from oven and evenly sprinkle with the browned hamburger. Sprinkle the sour cream with taco seasoning to taste. I don't like a lot of the taco seasoning... I probably use 1/4 of the packet. So start out with a little. You can always add more. Drop the seasoned sour cream onto the hamburger and spread as much as you can. You can use more sour cream too. Sprinkle top with cheddar cheese. I like a lot of cheese but you can adjust according to your taste. We like mild but can use whatever you have. Colby/Jack works well too. Return to oven just until cheese melts. Serve with tortilla chips. Nacho cheese Doritos are our favorite! You could also top with diced tomatoes, olives or anything else you would put on nachos. This was one of our favorite meals when our kids were growing up. Enjoy!

Party Delight

1 cup spam diced
2 hard boiled eggs diced
1/2 tsp onion minced
1 Tbl sweet relish
1/2 tsp mustard
3 Tbl mayo
Butter to spread
1 c grated cheese
Hamburger buns

Mix first 6 ingredients. Spread buns with softened butter. Put a spoonful of spam mixture on top of each bun half. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake on a cookie sheet in 350 degree oven just until cheese melts and buns are slightly toasted.

My mom made this for us when we were kids. It was one of my favorite dinners when I was growing up. I love it still!

Taco Soup

1lb. Hamburger browned
1/2 c diced onion
2 (14.5 oz) cans stewed tomatoes
2 (8 oz) tomato sauce
1/2 pkg taco seasoning
Cook for 2 hours in crock pot.
Then add:
1 can kidney beans
1 can corn (or 1 1/2 cups frozen corn)
Let cook for 1 more hour

Serve with tortilla chips, cheese and sour cream.

Chicken Gnocchi Soup (Olive Garden Copycat)

• 2 tbsp. Butter
• ½ c. Celery, washed and thinly sliced
• ¼ c. Grated Onion
• ⅓ c. Grated Carrots
• 2 tbsp. Garlic, minced 
• 2 tbsp. All Purpose Flour
• 6 Chicken Bouillon Cubes
• 8 c. Whole Milk
• ⅛ tsp. Ground Nutmeg
• ½ tsp. Ground Thyme
• 4 c. Fresh Baby Spinach, rinsed and chopped
• 2 c. Cooked Chicken (roasted or grilled), small dice
• 2 c. Heavy Cream
• 16oz. Gnocchi, frozen or fresh.  

1. Melt butter in large pan, add onion, garlic, celery and carrot. Cook for 1-2 minutes or until celery softens.  
2. Whisk in the flour; then add the Milk and chicken bouillon cubes.
3. Next, add the chicken, nutmeg and thyme; stir well. Increase heat and bring to a boil; then reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes.
4. Heat the heavy cream in a small saucepan; then add it to the soup along with the spinach and gnocchi.
5. Simmer for an additional 15-20 minutes or until gnocchi is cooked. 

*I have found Gnocchi at Smiths and World Market. You can also make your own if you want.  :)

Old Fashioned Goulash!

1-2 lbs ground beef
3 tsp minced garlic
1 large yellow onion diced
3 cups chicken broth (or 3-4 chicken bouillon cubes with 3 c. water)
1-2 Tbl olive oil
1-2 Tbl butter
2 (15-ounce) cans tomato sauce
2 (15-ounce) cans diced tomatoes
1 Tbl Italian Seasoning
1 Tbl Adobo Seasoning (recipe below)
3 bay leaves
1 Tbl Seasoning Salt
1/2 tsp pepper
16 oz. elbow macaroni
1 cup shredded Mozzarella cheese
1 cup shredder cheddar cheese


In a large skillet, heat olive oil and butter. Add onion, cook for a few minutes. Add hamburger and season with salt and pepper. When hamburger is almost done, add in garlic and cook until meat is done. Add broth, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, Italian seasoning, bay leaves, seasoning salt, pepper and adobo. Mix well. Lower heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes stirring occasionally. Add in the uncooked macaroni. stir well until everything is combined making sure the macaroni is covered in liquid. Cover again and cook an additional 8-10 minutes or until the macaroni is tender. Remove the bay leaves and stir in only the cheddar cheese. Serve with mozzarella. Enjoy!


This recipe was fantastic! We used to have goulash when I was growing up and trust me, this is nothing like it. We loved it!!! I loved the cheese melted in but Glen did not. He would have preferred to have it when it was served for anyone who wanted cheese. Personally, I cannot imagine anyone not wanting cheese! I also added 4 chicken bouillon. It gives it so much flavor.


I couldn't find any adobo seasoning so I found this recipe on allrecipes. I had all of the ingredients on hand and It worked great!


Traci's Adobo Seasoning from Allrecipes.com
2 Tbl salt
1 Tbl paprika
2 tsp black pepper
1 1/2 tsp onion powder
1 1/2 tsp oregano
1 1/2 tsp cumin
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp chili powder


Mix all ingredients and store in an airtight container.

Broccoli Cheese Soup

1 lg bunch broccoli cut into small pieces
1/4 cup butter (1/2 cube)
2/3 cups diced onion
2 Tbl flour
2 cans chicken broth
2 cups milk (or half & half)
3/4 tsp salt (if needed)
1 cup of shredded cheese

Cook broccoli in 1 1/4 cups water with 1/2 tsp salt until tender. Drain, Reserving liquid. Set aside.
Melt butter in saucepan. Add onion and cook until soft. Blend in flour. Cook for 2 minutes. Stir in chicken broth. Cook stirring constantly until mixture boils. Stir in 2 cups milk (can use half & half) plus one cup of the reserved liquid from the broccoli. Add 1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce and 3/4 tsp salt (I always use 1 chicken bouillon cube to 1 cup water for the chicken broth. If you use the boullion, you probably won't need any additional salt). Add the broccoli. Heat but do not boil. Stir in cheese. Makes 2 quarts.

Beef Stroganoff

From the kitchen of Kris Demik

1 1/2 lbs. Ground beef
8 oz. Mushrooms ( fresh)
1 large onion finely chopped
1-2 garlic clove minced
2 chicken bouillon cubes
1/4 cup butter
 2 cans c of mushroom soup
1 1/2 cups sour cream
1 Large bag egg noodles

Bring water to a boil. Add in the noodles and salt and cook until tender. Sauté mushrooms and onions in butter. Add in garlic and cook until tender, remove from skillet and brown ground beef with salt, pepper and bullion cubes. Add onion mixture to beef. Add soup and Sour cream. Serve on top of egg noodles.

This is the best stroganoff ever! So creamy and delicious!
I like the sauce a little thinner so I added the 2 chicken bouillon cubes with one soup can full of water. Perfect! You can also add bouillon to the noodle water for more flavor.

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.

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.

Creamy Parmesan Italian Soup

1 lb chicken breasts,cut into bite size pieces
2 cups uncooked salad macaroni
3 Tbl olive oil
1/2 cube butter
1small onion chopped
1 cup sliced carrots (I used frozen)
1cup chopped celery
1/2 red bell pepper chopped
4-6 garlic cloves, minced. (A zester makes this go so much faster!)
1/3 cup flour
6 cups chicken broth ( I always use chicken bouillon... It adds so much more flavor plus you can buy it in bulk at Costco or SAMs club, 1 cube to 1 cup water)
2 14.5 oz cans diced tomatoes with the juice... Do not drain!
2 bay leaves
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp cumin
2 chicken bouillon cubes (or 1 Tbl)
1 tsp dried parsley (1 Tbl fresh)
1tsp dried basil (2-3 Tbl fresh)
Dash of red pepper flakes
Salt/pepper to taste
2 cups heavy cream, half and half or milk
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Heat butter and olive oil in large pot over medium heat. Add chicken, season with salt and pepper and cook until almost done. Remove chicken from pot. Add onion, carrots, celery, garlic and bell pepper and cook for several minutes or until onions are translucent. Sprinkle in flour and cook while stirring for a few minutes. Mixture will be thick. Stir in broth starting with a cup or two and stir well to dissolve the flour. Add in the tomatoes, juice and all along with the spices. Cover pot. Bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Add chicken back in after about 15 minutes. You may have to turn heat up a little to resume boiling. While the soup is simmering, heat water with salt in a senate pan for pasta. Cook pasta until almost tender then add to soup. Finish off with Parmesan cheese and cream/half & half/milk. Stir until cheese melts. Enjoy!

Chili's Chicken Crispers and Honey Mustard Sauce

Ingredients:

Honey Mustard Dressing:

 2/3 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup honey
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
pinch paprika
pinch salt

Batter:

1 egg, beaten
1/4 cup whole milk
3/4 cup chicken broth (Swanson)
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 cup self-rising flour
6 to 10 cups shortening or vegetable oil (amount required by fryer)
10 chicken tenderloins
1/2 cup flour

Instructions:

1. Make honey mustard sauce by combining ingredients in a small bowl. Cover and chill until needed.

2. Heat shortening or oil in fryer to 350 degrees F. Or if using a skillet, fill 1/2- 1 inch deep and heat to medium.

3. Combine beaten egg, milk, chicken broth, salt and pepper in a medium bowl. Whisk for about 30 seconds to
dissolve salt. Whisk in 1 cup self-rising flour. Let batter sit for 5 minutes.

4. When you are ready to fry the chicken, coat each piece with dry flour (1/2 cup in a medium bowl), then dunk the chicken into the batter. Let a little batter drip off the chicken and lower it into the hot oil and fry for 7 to 9 minutes or until it's golden brown.

Depending on the size of your fryer, you should be able to fry 3 or 4 tenderloins at a time.Drain fried chicken strips on a rack or paper towels for a minute or so, and serve with the honey mustard dressing on the side for dipping.

Serves 4 as an appetizer or 2 as an entrée.


** For self rising flour mix 1 cup flour, 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder and 1/2 tsp. of salt.
To re-heat leftovers, heat for 30 seconds to 1 minute in microwave then broil on middle rack of oven for 3-4 minutes!

Buttery Baked Chicken

Ingredients

• 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 1 can evaporated milk
• ½ C. flour
• 1½ tsp. salt
• ⅛ tsp. pepper
• ½ C. butter
• 1 can Cream of Chicken soup
• ¼ C. water

Instructions

1. Dip each chicken piece in a bowl filled with about ⅛ of your evaporated milk. Coat well and then roll it in the flour seasoned with salt and pepper.
2. Melt butter in 9x13 pan and cook the chicken in the melted butter for 1 hour at 350.
3. Mix together water, can of soup, and the rest of your evaporated milk.
4. After chicken has been baking for 1 hour, turn chicken and pour soup mixture on top. Bake for 30 more minutes until golden brown. Serve as is. Creamy and Delish!!

I used chicken tenders for this recipe. I also mixed the flour, salt, pepper in a large ziploc bag and dropped all of the chicken in and shook it to coat. It worked perfect!

Olive Garden Alfredo Sauce

INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup ( 1 stick) butter
2 cups heavy cream
1/8 tsp. garlic powder
1/8 tsp.ground black pepper
1 12 oz. box of fettuccine
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
____________________________________
INSTRUCTIONS

Melt butter in a medium sized sauce pan over medium heat.
Add cream, garlic powder and pepper; simmer for 10 minutes
or until thick. At the same time bring water to a boil for pasta.
When the Alfredo sauce has reached desired consistency, stir
parmesan cheese. Serve over hot pasta.

Fresh Pasta Dough

 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1/4 cup semolina

3 eggs

1-2 Tablespoons water

_________________________________________

1.   Place the dry ingredients in a food processor or kitchen aide (dough blade).

2.   Add eggs and 1 tablespoon water, and process until well combined.

3.   Test dough to make sure it will hold together. If it is dry add up to a tablespoon    

      more water as needed to make the dough moist but not not sticky.

4.   Turn dough out and need for 1-2 minutes until dough is smooth.

5.   Wrap the dough tightly in plastic, and allow it to rest 20 in there refrigerator.

6.   Roll out in a pasta maker until smooth, then roll into sheets and cut

      into desired noodles.

7.   To cook and serve, plunge into rapidly boiling water, cook until tender,

      about 2 minutes, and serve at once with your favorite sauce.
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NOTE:  Pasta can be stored in the refrigerator for 1-2 days. Allow to come up to room temp.

before rolling out.  Pasta that has been rolled and shaped can be frozen.         

Lemon Butter Chicken

Lemon Butter Chicken

8 chicken breasts or 16 chicken tenders
Kosher salt and pepper to taste
3 T butter, divided
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 c. chicken broth
1/2 c. heavy cream
1/4 c. grated Parmesan
1/4 c. of lemon juice

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Season chicken with salt and pepper.

Melt 2 T. of butter in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add chicken and sear both sides until golden brown, about 2-3 minutes per side.  Place in 9x13 pan.

Melt remaining butter in the same skillet.  Add garlic and cook, stirring frequently until fragrant, about 1-2 minutes.  Stir in chicken broth, heavy cream, Parmesan, and lemon juice.  Bring to a boil; reduce heat to medium and stir until the sauce has slightly thickened (although mine has never thickened all that much). Pour over chicken in the 9x13 pan.  Place pan in oven and bake until chicken is completely cooked through, about 25-30 minutes.

Serve over rice or noodles.