Enchilada Casserole

Jennifer S.

1 package of Fritos
3/4 pound of ground beef, crumbled and fried
8 ounces of cheddar cheese, cut up
1 onion, chopped
1 1/2 cans of enchilada sauce

Put layer of crumbled fritos in bottom of dish, put layer of cheddar cheese, layer of onion, layer of beef. Repeat. Cover with enchilada sauce. Bake in 350ºF. oven for about 30 minutes.

Crock Pot Sloppy Joes

Jennifer S.

2 lbs. lean ground beef
1 onion, chopped
1/4 cup water
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
12-oz. bottle chili sauce or ketchup
1/4 brown sugar, packed

Preparation:
Cook ground beef in a skillet until brown and crumbly. Drain thoroughly and place in slow cooker. Add remaining ingredients and mix well. Cover crock pot and cook on low for 3-5 hours until onions are tender. Serve in sandwich buns or on tortilla chips.
Do not do this recipe on HIGH setting, the sugar in the recipe will burn.

Rigatoni with Sausage and Tomato Cream Sauce

Jennifer S.

Use water, or chicken broth or apple juice in the place of the white wine.

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 1/2 pounds mild or hot Italian sausages, casings removed
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/3 cup dry white wine
1 1/2 cups canned crushed tomatoes in thick puree (from a 15-ounce can)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh-ground black pepper
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 cup light cream
1 pound rigatoni
Grated parmesan cheese, for serving

In a large frying pan, heat the oil over moderate heat. Add the sausage and cook, breaking up the meat with a fork, until it is no longer pink, about 5 minutes. With a slotted spoon, remove the sausage from the pan. Discard all but 1 tablespoon fat.
Reduce the heat to moderately low. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the wine and cook until it almost evaporates, about 5 minutes. Stir in the sausage, tomatoes, and salt. Simmer, covered, for 10 minutes. Add the pepper, parsley, and cream.
In a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook the rigatoni until just done, about 14 minutes. Drain the pasta and toss with the sauce. Serve with grated Parmesan.

Chicken and Gnocchi Soup

Jennifer S.

This is very close to the one that Olive Garden serves.

1 cup chicken breasts, cooked and diced (you can use a rotisserie chicken)
4 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons flour
1 quart half and half
1 14 ounces can of chicken broth
1/2 cup celery, finely diced
2 minced garlic cloves
1 cup carrots, finely shredded
1 cup onion, finely diced
1 cup fresh spinach, coarsely chopped
1 tablespoons extra virgin oil
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1/2 teaspoon parsley
Freshly grated Parmesan cheeses optional
1 pound potato gnocchi you can buy this in the gourmet section of many supermarkets, or in the frozen food section.


Saute the onion, celery, and garlic in the butter and olive oil over medium heat until the onion becomes translucent. Add the flour and make a roux. Let the butter and flour mixture cook for about a minute before adding 1 quart of half and half.
Cook gnocchi according to package directions.
Into the roux, add in the carrots and chicken. Once the mixture becomes thick, add the chicken broth. Once the mixture thickens again, add the cooked gnocchi, spinach, and seasoning;, simmer until soup is heated through.

You can add more chicken if you like. While you could use leftover cooked chicken breasts, I really think using the rotisserie chicken that are found in many grocery stores is the best way to get the optimal flavor of this soup. If you want to make the soup lower in calories, you can use milk instead of half and half. Half and Half does taste better though, and it also reheats better than milk does.

No Boil Lasagne

Jennifer S.

No need to boil the noodles for this lasagne, just assemble the night before and put in fridge until baking time. You can use boxed lasagne noodles or use the no-boil lasagne noodles.

Sauce:
1 lb ground beef (Browned with onion and garlic), drained
1 onion, diced
1 clove garlic
2 lg cans of tomatoes
2 cans tomato paste
1 TBS dry parsley
1 tsp dry basil
1 tsp dry oregano
1 tsp salt
1 TBS sugar

Mix all ingredients & simmer for 20-30 mins. Use two of your favorite jars of pasta sauce in place of the tomatoes and tomato paste.

Filling:
2 - 16oz containers of cottage cheese or ricotta cheese
2 eggs, beaten
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
2 tbsp fresh parley or 1 tbsp dry parsley
1/2 c grated Parmesan or Romano cheese
1 lb grated Mozzarella cheese
extra cheese for top of lasagne

Mix all ingredients together well.

To Assemble:
Layer (in this order): Sauce on bottom of pan then, Noodles, Cheese mixture, Noodles, Sauce.
LAYER TWICE.
Top with extra mozzarella cheese.
Spray with cooking spray and cover with foil. Place in fridge over night.
Bake for 45 minutes at 400 F. Can uncover last 15 mins of cooking time.
May need 15-20 extra cook time from being in fridge.
Let rest 15 minutes before serving.

ITALIAN MEAT SAUCE

Kim F.

 

1 cup chopped onion

1 pound ground beef

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 1-pound 14-ounce can tomatoes, cut up

1 1-pound can tomatoes, cut up

1 6-ounce can tomato paste

1/4 cup snipped parsley

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano, crushed

1/4 teaspoon dried thyme, crushed

1 bay leaf

Hot cooked spaghetti

Shredded Parmesan cheese

 

In Dutch oven, combine onion, meat, and garlic; cook till meat is browned and onion is tender.  Skim off excess fat; add next 9 ingredients and 2 cups water.  Simmer, uncovered, 3 hours, or till sauce is thick; stir occasionally.  Remove bay leaf.  Serve over hot spaghetti.  Pass bowl of shredded Parmesan cheese.  Makes 6 servings.

The Udder Potatoes

Kami T.

We would put less salt in. For us the bacon made it salty enough.

Ingredients

½ pound of bacon, chopped
2 30-ounce packages frozen shredded hash browns
4 large green onions, chopped
½ teaspoon Morton Nature’s Seasons Seasoning Blend
2 teaspoons salt
½ teaspoon pepper
3½ cups heavy whipping cream
11 tablespoons butter, cut into slices

Set out package of frozen hash browns for about half an hour before baking. Allow them to thaw slightly. Fry bacon in Dutch oven until crisp. Pour off grease. Add hash browns, green onions, and seasonings. Mix gently until evenly distributed.

Pour cream over potato mixture and place butter slices on top. Bake in a 12-inch Dutch oven at 350 degrees (16 coals on top, 10 coals below) for 45 minutes. Remove pot from bottom heat. Put bottom coals on top of lid and tilt the lid slightly open for 15-20 minutes until browned on top.

I guarantee once your Scouts get a taste of this dish, if you ever ask them if they want scalloped or cheese potatoes again, they will all cry out, “No! We want the udder ones!”

Serves: 15-18

Dutch Oven Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes

Jennifer S.

Ingredients
3 lbs of washed potatoes, more or less, peeled or unpeeled, thinly sliced
2 or 3 medium onions, thinly sliced
6-8 oz. packet of shredded cheese
half gallon of milk
1 or 2 sticks of butter
Salt and pepper
If desired: Chopped parsley for a bit of color (I use dried chives)
If desired: Paprika for color on top

Instructions

Warm Dutch oven on fire, wipe inside with small amount of cooking oil. Layer potatoes in bottom of Dutch oven, 3 or 4 layers deep. Add a thin layer of onions and several pats of butter. Sprinkle on small handful of cheese. Add bits of chopped parsley randomly in layers for color. Repeat layering process - potatoes, onions, butter, cheese. When all potatoes are used, do not add cheese or onions to top layer, only butter. Sprinkle top layer with a little salt and touch of pepper to personal taste. Pour in enough milk to just cover top layer of potatoes. Sprinkle with paprika if desired. Move Dutch oven onto bed of charcoal - 8 to 10 briquets (more in winter) on aluminum foil, shiny side up. Cover oven with lid and put 2 to 3 times as many coals on top. After a few minutes, contents should be gently bubbling, not boiling. Adjust heat as necessary, probably on bottom. Cook about 45 minutes until potatoes are tender and milk mixture is thick. Add milk as needed to keep from boiling dry before potatoes are ready.

CHILE COLORADO

Jessica S.

9 dried new Mexico chiles washed, seeded, and stem removed
3 cups water
5 lb beef chuck roast- fat trimmed off
1/2 cup flour
1 TBS salt
1 TBS black pepper
3 TS olive oil
1 large onion chopped
2 cups beef stock or water

Place chiles in the 3 cups of water in med. pot and bring to boil. Remove form heat and steep for 30 minutes to soften. Strain- reserving liquid. Place chiles and a little liquid in blender and puree (add water as needed a little at a time). Strain and set aside.

Cut roast into 1 inch chuncks. In med. bowl combine flour, salt and pepper. Dredge beef in flour mix. Heat olive oil in large pot over med. heat. Saute onion for 5 minutes. Add beef a few pieces at time being careful not to overcrowd. Remove cooked meat and set aside while cooking remainder of meat. Cook until evenly browned. Return meat to pot. Stir in chile mixture. Add enough beef stock to just cover beef. Bring to boil over med heat. Reduce heat and simmer 3 hours until meat is tender. Add more beef stock if needed during cooking. Serve with chopped onion, green onion, cheese and sour cream.

Serves 12

Chicken Enchiladas

Jessica S.

My Mexican family raves over this recipe that I brought from my time in Salt Lake City

1 dozen flour tortillas (soft taco size)
3 cans cream of chicken soup
1 can enchilada sauce
grated cheddar cheese
4 cooked chicken breasts cut in to small pieces
chopped onion (optional)

Mix chicken and soup. separate. Use half of mix to Spoon across middle of tortillas, sprinkle with cheese. Roll-up and secure with a tooth pick. Mix other half of soup/chicken mix with enchilada sauce. Pour over rolled tortillas. sprinkle with more cheese and onions. Bake @400 for 20 minutes.

Avacado Dipping Sauce

Jennifer S.

1 avocado, peel, seed, chop
juice from 1 lime
1 cup fat-free sour cream
½ cup medium-hot picante sauce
⅓ cup finely chopped cilantro
1 tablespoon grated onion
½ very finely chopped jalapeno chile

Whirl in a blender or food processor.

Alton Brown's Guacamole

Submitted by Summer S.

3 Haas avocados, halved, seeded and peeled
1 lime, juiced
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
1/2 medium onion, diced
2 Roma tomatoes, seeded and diced
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
1 clove garlic, minced

In a large bowl place the scooped avocado pulp and lime juice, toss to coat. Drain, and reserve the lime juice, after all of the avocados have been coated. Using a potato masher add the salt, cumin, and cayenne and mash. Then, fold in the onions, tomatoes, cilantro, and garlic. Add 1 tablespoon of the reserved lime juice. Let sit at room temperature for 1 hour and then serve

Mexican Egg Rolls

Jennifer S.

photo credit simplecomfortfood.com

2 cups grilled boneless skinless chicken breasts (I marinade mine in 1 T oil, 2 cloves garlic, 1 t cumin, and the juice of one lime)
2 cups Monterrey jack cheese or 2 cups Mexican blend cheese, shredded
1 (15 ounce) can drained black beans
2 cups frozen sweet corn (unthawed and drained of liquid)
1/2 chopped sweet red pepper
4 -5 diced green onions
2 minced fresh garlic cloves
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin (can put 1/2 t more if desired)
1 (16 ounce) package egg roll wraps
oil (for frying)

Chop the chicken into small dices.
Mix all ingredients, except egg roll wrappers and oil, together.
Moisten the edges of an egg roll wrap and put approx 2 tablespoons of filling in the middle.
Fold like you would an egg roll (directions and picture are usually on the egg roll wrapper container).
Make sure the flap is sealed to keep the filling inside.
Heat oil to 350°F and cook just until golden browned (approximately 3-5 minutes). Cut diagonally and serve with guacamole, salsa and sour cream.

Cafe Rio Rice

Submitted by Summer S.

1 cup long grain rice
2 cups water
3 cubes chicken bouillon
½ tsp dried onion
¼ bunch cilantro chopped
1 tbsp oil

Put all ingredients into a pan and cover. Bring to a boil. Turn down heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand for 10 minutes. Prior to serving add juice of ½ lime. Mix well.
.

Quick and Easy Black Beans

Summer S.

2 Cans Black Beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 T olive oil
2/3 C diced onion
2-3 garlic cloves, pressed or finely minced
2/3 C chicken broth (or water, I use broth for extra flavor)
1/4 t cumin
1/4 t coriander
1/4 t oregano
1/2 t salt
1/4 t pepper
1 lime

In a saucepan on the stove, heat the olive oil to med-high heat. Saute onions for about 3 minutes or until they just start to become translucent. Add garlic and saute abut 30 seconds more. Add beans, broth, and remaining seasonings and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a low simmer and simmer for about 7 minutes, stirring occasionally. When they are done cooking, remove from heat and add in a few squeezes of fresh lime juice. Then use the back of a spoon or rubber spatula so smoosh (yes, that’s a technical culinary term) some of the beans. You don’t want to pulverize them, but you want to take a bunch of good smooshes so that some of the beans are smashed, which will thicken the sauce. I like mine on the thicker side so I smoosh quite a bit. They will thicken more upon standing.

If you want a more soupy consistency, just add a little more broth.

Serve as a side dish, or on top or rice, in fajitas or tacos, or on top of chicken or steak

Matt’s Chili Verde

Matt S. (Submitted by his wife Summer S.)
8 Servings

3 Pounds boneless pork loin or chicken thighs, medium dice
1/3 Cup corn oil
3 Tablespoons flour
3 Cups hot chicken stock
4 Large cloves garlic, peeled
2-5 Jalapeno chilies (deseeded, deribbed)
1 ½ - 2 Pounds Anaheim and/or Poblano chilies, roasted, peeled, seeded (canned work well too)
1 onion (rough chop)
1 Tablespoon ground cumin
1 Tablespoon chili powder
1 Teaspoon oregano
1 Teaspoon salt
1 Teaspoon pepper
Chopped fresh cilantro, diced onion and diced tomato for garnish (cheese & sour cream*)

Season and then brown chicken cubes in 2 tablespoons of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Depending on skillet size, this may require two or three batches.

Remove cubes with slotted spoon to a bowl large enough to accommodate all of the chicken cubes. Deglaze the pan with ¼ cup water, scraping up browned bits, and then pour the liquid over the reserved chicken cubes. Set chicken aside.

Heat the balance of the oil in same skillet set over medium-low heat and slowly whisk in the flour to make a roux. Simmer four minutes then begin whisking in the hot stock in 3 parts, whisking the sauce smooth each time, until all of the stock has been incorporated.

Meanwhile, in a food processor fitted with the steel blade, drop the garlic then the jalapenos and onion down the feed tube until finely minced. Then add the Anaheim chilies and puree. Add the chili puree mixture to the flour gravy and whisk together. Add the cumin, chili powder, oregano, salt and pepper.

Adjust all seasonings to taste. Add the meat to the mixture along with the deglazing liquid and simmer slowly for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally to see nothing sticks or burns on the bottom.

Serve with hot, fresh flour tortillas and garnish with cilantro, onion and chopped tomatoes (*and I’m a gringo so I like sour cream and cheese with mine).

Baked Creamy Chicken Taquitos

Summer S.

1/3 C (3 oz) cream cheese (I do fat free and you can't tell)
1/4 C green salsa
1T fresh lime juice
1/2 t cumin
1 t chili powder
1/2 t onion powder
1/4 t granulated garlic
3 T chopped cilantro
2 T sliced green onions
2 C shredded cooked chicken
1 C grated pepper-jack cheese* or if you like it less spicy
1 C grated Monterrey jack cheese
12- 14 small corn or flour "soft taco" sized tortillas
kosher salt
cooking spray

Heat oven to 425. Line a baking sheet with foil and lightly coat with cooking spray.

Heat cream cheese in the microwave for about 20-30 seconds so it's soft and easy to stir. Add green salsa, lime juice, cumin, chili powder, onion powder and granulated garlic. Stir to combine and then add cilantro and green onions. Add chicken and cheese and combine well.

You can prepare up to this step ahead of time. Just keep the mixture in the fridge.

Work with a few tortillas at a time and heat in the microwave until they are soft enough to roll without cracking. It helps to place them between damp paper towels. Usually 20-30 seconds will do it. If you find yours are cracking when you roll them or come unrolled right away, just try heating them longer and try the paper towel thing.

Place 2-3 T of chicken mixture on the lower third of a tortilla, keeping it about 1/2 inch from the edges.

Then roll it up as tight as you can.

Place seam side down on the baking sheet. Lay all of the taquitos on the baking sheet and make sure they are not touching each other. Spray the tops lightly with cooking spray or an oil mister and sprinkle some kosher salt on top.

Place pan in oven and bake for 15-20 minutes or until crisp and the ends start to get golden brown.

Dip 'em in salsa, sour cream, guacamole, or cilantro/lime dressing (recipe to follow)

Slow Cooker Chicken Burritos

Jennifer S.

1 clove garlic, minced
1 small red onion, chopped
14 1/2 oz canned diced tomatoes, with chiles
15 oz canned kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp dried oregano, crushed
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 pound skinless chicken, cut into bite-size pieces
3/4 cup canned chicken broth
12 medium tortillas, about 7-inches in diameter each
3/4 cup shredded Mexican-style cheese
salsa
sour cream

Place garlic, onion, tomatoes, beans, chili powder, salt, oregano and pepper in a 3-quart slow cooker; stir well. Add chicken and broth. Cover and cook on low setting for 5 hours; drain off liquid (there should be about 6 cups of burrito mixture).

To serve, spoon about 1/2 cup of burrito mixture down center of each tortilla; top with 1 tablespoon of cheese. Fold bottom 1/3 of tortilla to center. Fold left side to center; fold right side to center, covering filling. Repeat with remaining ingredients.
Serve with salsa and sour cream.

Quick Chicken Quesadillas

Jennifer S.

2 lbs of shredded chicken or 2 12.5-oz can chicken, drained
6-oz shredded cheese (cheddar, Monterrey-Jack, Mexican blend). Your choice. I always use WAY more cheese!
2 TBS Taco seasoning (or from envelope)
4 green onions, thinly sliced with green parts
12 6" flour tortillas
salsa, sour cream, and guacamole (optional)

Mix chicken, cheese, taco seasoning and onions together in a bowl.
On 6 tortillas divide the mixture up and spread to the edges. Cover with remaining tortillas.
Heat a non-stick pan to med-high. Place assembled tortillas in pan (one at at time, turning once) until both sides have been browned lightly, and crispy.
Cut into wedges and serve with salsa, sour cream, and guacamole.

Queso Blanco Mexican White Cheese Dip

Jennifer S.

1 cup Monterrey jack cheese or 1 cup asadero cheese or 1 cup chihuahua cheese, shredded fine. The asadero and chihuahua cheese is also known as Oaxaca cheese
4 ounces green chilies
1/4 cup half-and-half
2 tablespoons onions, chopped fine
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 Serrano pepper, chopped fine (optional)
1 tablespoon fresh cilantro, chopped fine (optional)

1 Put all ingredients in a crock pot heat on medium/low.
2 Heat until melted and well blended, stirring occasionally.
3 Serve with warmed tortillas or tortilla chips.