Celebrations!

Friday - Maxwell's Birthday (take-out of his choice), maple bars
Saturday - Our Anniversary! (something easy for the kids, out for John and me)
Sunday - chicken taquitos, salsa, chips, guacamole, sour cream, fruit
Monday - fettuccine with tomato cream sauce, corn on the cob, fruit
Tuesday - homemade pizza, broccoli, fruit
Wednesday - corn chip casserole (make before scouts), yellow squash, fruit
Thursday - rice, beans, and cheese skillet, fruit

CORN CHIP CASSEROLE 
This can be made ahead and kept in the refrigerator to heat the next day. Serves about 8 people.

1 lb. of lean ground beef. Fry this with small onion, diced, and 2 cloves of garlic. Season with salt and pepper. Add 15 oz. can of tomato sauce, and a cup of corn.
Heat through in the frying pan. Set aside.

Mix together 1 cup of cottage cheese, 1 cup of sour cream, 1~ 4 oz. can of diced green chiles, and a cup of sliced black olives. Set this aside.

Crush about 8 oz. of corn tortillas in the bottom of a 9x13" pan. Spread evenly. Top with the meat sauce, then the cheese mixture. Grate 1/2 lb. of Monterey Jack cheese evenly over the top. Sprinkle a few olives over this for color...

Bake about 30 minutes until hot and bubbling. Or if it's cold from the refrigerator, bake for about 45 minutes, or until it's hot.

Shepherd's Pie

I tried this recipe with a few changes. The recipe below is with my changes.

Ingredients

For the potatoes:

• 1 1/2 pounds russet potatoes
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 2 ounces unsalted butter
• 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 egg yolk

For the meat filling:

• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 2 carrots, peeled and diced small
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 pounds ground beef
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1 1/2 cups chicken broth
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed rosemary leaves
• 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
• 1/2 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels

Directions

Peel the potatoes and cut into 1/2-inch dice. Place in a medium saucepan and cover with cold water. Set over high heat, cover and bring to a boil. Once boiling, uncover, decrease the heat to maintain a simmer and cook until tender and easily crushed with tongs, approximately 10 to 15 minutes. Drain the potatoes in a colander. Place the half-and-half and butter into the pan and heat until butter is melted. Add the potatoes back into the pot, and mash them. Add the salt and pepper and continue to mash until smooth. Stir in the yolk until well combined.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

While the potatoes are cooking, prepare the filling. Place the canola oil into a 12-inch saute pan and set over medium high heat. Once the oil shimmers, add the onion and carrots and saute just until they begin to take on color, approximately 3 to 4 minutes. Add the garlic and stir to combine. Add the ground beef, salt and pepper and cook until browned and cooked through, approximately 3 minutes. Sprinkle the meat with the flour and toss to coat, continuing to cook for another minute. Add the tomato paste, chicken broth, Worcestershire, rosemary, thyme, and stir to combine. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer slowly 10 to 12 minutes or until the sauce is thickened slightly.

Add the corn to the beef mixture and spread evenly into an 11 by 7-inch glass baking dish. Top with the mashed potatoes, starting around the edges to create a seal to prevent the mixture from bubbling up and smooth with a rubber spatula. Place on a parchment lined half sheet pan on the middle rack of the oven and bake for 25 minutes or just until the potatoes begin to brown. Remove to a cooling rack for at least 15 minutes before serving.

Chicken Broccoli Casserole

I like Chicken Broccoli Casserole, but I don't like using canned "cream of" soups. Today I found a couple of recipes online, and tweaked them a little for our dinner. Most of the kids liked this. Bentley said it was "better than he thought it would be." Milo ate 2 helpings.

Ingredients:

2 cooked and shredded boneless skinless chicken breasts

1 16 oz package frozen broccoli

3 TBSP butter

3 TBSP flour

3/4 tsp salt

2 1/2 cups milk

1/4 - 1/2 tsp lemon pepper seasoning

1/4 cup sour cream

1/4 cup mayo

2 cups grated cheddar cheese

1/4 cup butter

1 cup crushed Townhouse Crackers

Method:

Melt the 3 TBSP butter in a medium saucepan. Add the flour, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine and cook for another minute or two. Wisc in the milk and continue to stir until mixture thickens and boils. Add sour cream and mayo. Stir in the shredded cheese until melted. Add broccoli and shredded chicken. Pour into greased casserole dish (I used a 9 or 10 inch round glass dish). Melt 1/4 cup butter and stir in crackers. Sprinkle over casserole. Bake 30 minutes at 350 degrees.

Serve over cooked rice or egg noodles.

Husbands Delight

When I asked John what he wanted to eat for Father's Day,

he said "something no one else will like."

I had a feeling what he really wanted was fish, but I

don't like fish (unless it's battered, fried, drizzled with lemon juice,

and smothered in tartar sauce), so I pulled out this old recipe

that I found on Recipezaar years ago.

John and I liked it, but most of the kids hated it.
That's what John asked for, right?

Ingredients:
10 oz egg noodles
1 lb ground beef
onion powder
1 (14 1/2 oz) can diced tomatoes (with juice)
1 tsp salt
1 TBSP white sugar
1 1/2 cups sour cream
3 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain.
Meanwhile, brown hamburger with some onion powder (or you can use diced onions - fresh or dried). Add can of tomatoes, salt, and sugar. Bring to boil and simmer for 15 minutes. In a medium sized bowl, combine cream cheese and sour cream.

Put a little over half of the cooked noodles in the bottom of a 9x13 pan. Cover the noodles with the meat mixture, and then the cream cheese and sour cream mixture. Top with the remaining noodles, and sprinkle with cheddar cheese.

Bake for 25 minutes, or until it is hot and bubbly. (I usually cover with tinfoil for part of the time to keep the cheese from getting too brown.)

Cheese Enchiladas

Sauce:

1 can (8 oz) tomato sauce
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 1/2 tsp onion flakes
1/2 tsp baking powder
6 1/2 tsp flour
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp chili powder
1 1/2 cups water
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 tsp salt
1 TBSP Parmesan Cheese

Combine spices, tomato sauce, and water in saucepan. Bring to boil, then simmer 40 minutes. Blend in the Parmesan cheese.

Filling:

1 can (15 oz) pinto beans
1 TBSP shortening or butter
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 lb. grated cheddar cheese
1/2 cup water
1 TBSP chopped onions
1 tsp salt
3 TBSP green chilies

Mash some of the beans. Add shortening and water. Simmer for 5 minutes. Add spices and cook for another 5 minutes. Add green chilies and cheese. Mix well.

Assembly:

10 corn tortillas
1 cup grated cheddar cheese

Poor a little sauce into baking dish (I use a 7 x 11 pan, but any casserole or 9 x 13 pan will do) to cover bottom of pan. Warm corn tortillas; either by frying them in oil, or heating in a pan or microwave. Fill tortillas with cheese filling (it will be runny), and place in greased baking pan. Cover with remaining enchilada sauce, and grated cheddar cheese.

Bake for 20 minutes at 350 degrees.

From a package of Lynn Wilson corn tortillas.

Notes:

When I'm in a hurry, I skip warming the tortillas and make enchilada casserole. I just break the tortillas up and layer them with the cheese mixture and the sauce, ending with the sauce and topping with grated cheese.

I also like to mix in different kind of cheese when I have them. Queso Fresco, cottage cheese, Monterrey jack, whatever I have on hand.

You can skip the sauce and use your favorite canned enchilada sauce. Usually those are too spicey for my family, to it's easier to make our own (and to keep it very mild).

Mom's Macaroni and Cheese

Ingredients:
2 cups elbow macaroni (7 oz)
2 tablespoons butter
1 clove minced garlic (optional)
3 tablespoons flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
2 1/2 cups milk
2 1/2 cups shredded sharp cheese

Method:
Cook macaroni according to package directions. Set aside.
Melt butter in medium saucepan, add minced garlic and sauté. Stir in flour, salt, and dry mustard. Cook 1 minute. Gradually whisk in milk. Bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Remove from heat and stir in 2 cups shredded cheese and drained cooked macaroni.
Place in a 9-inch baking dish and sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup cheese. Bake uncovered at 4000 F for ten to twenty minutes or until hot and bubbly.

To reduce fat, use low-fat or fat-free milk and reduced fat cheese.
Made from scratch it beats, by far, the boxed versions. Recipe serves 6
from KSL's cooking show

Lazy Lasagna

1 jar spaghetti sauce
1 cup cottage cheese
1 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
3 cups cooked wide noodles (any variety)
4 TBSP grated parmesan cheese

Warm spaghetti sauce in a large pan on the stove.
Stir in the cottage and mozzarella cheeses.
Fold in the cooked noodles.
Pour all into a casserole dish and sprinkle with parmesan cheese.
Bake uncovered in 375 degree oven for 20 minutes or until bubbly.

From a Fox 13 cooking show on 26 January 2005
Christine Robinson - cooking expert