Easy Enchilada Casserole

Ingredients:

1 can green enchilada sauce
1 small (2.25 oz) can sliced olives
Mexican cheese
regular sized tortillas (4)
1 package chicken breast tenders or equivalent

Directions:

Cook chicken in small skillet with garlic, onion, and black pepper to taste. Once mostly cooked, cut into small pieces.
Lower heat to Low and add in sauce, olives, and afew handfuls of cheese.
Cook for another 3-5 minutes
In 9 inch casserole dish layer: tortilla, chicken mixture, cheese. Repeat for three layers. Top with a tortilla. A little bit of melted butter or residue sauce on top will help it not burn.
Cook uncovered at 350 for 18 minutes. Allow to rest. Cut and enjoy!

Pot Roast!

I made my first pot roast yesterday.
I was nervous... and I totally adapted a recipe.... but it was a hit and I will totally do it again!

Ingredients:

8 red potatoes
1 small bag baby carrots
1 can cream of mushroom soup

1 can cream of celery soup
1 packet dry onion soup mix
2 Chuck Roasts... both around 1.5 pounds.
Garlic power, minced onions, salt, pepper.

Directions:
Cut potatoes into fourths.
Line bottom of crock pot with potatoes.
Add meat layer.

Mix cream of mushroom soup and dry onion soup mix with spices, layer mixture over meat.

Add layer of carrots.
Spoon cream of celery soup on top.

Cook
On High for one hour
On Low for 7 hours
On High for last hour.

Enjoy!

Notes: Next time I will add onions and celery.
I will also make some egg noodles to serve under it as a way of mopping up the gravy. I might even pull out the meat and slice it before serving... it was a little hard for my guests to pull out the "right" ammount of meat per serving.

All in al though, a valiant first attempt!

Tuna Pasta Salad

It’s a hit… Baby E’s favorite thing right now.

Ingredients:

16oz (1 box) spiral noodles

2 (6 oz) cans of tuna

1 (6oz) can of peas

1 package dry ranch dressing mix

1 cup mayonnaise

½ cup milk

Can of black olives

Pepper to taste

Directions

Cook pasta, drain, rinse in cold water

Mix tuna and peas into the pasta

Mix dressing, milk, and mayo together and then add to pasta. Toss with olives.

Chill before serving.

Banana Bread

My banana bread recipe... which Matthew claims is the best banana bread he has ever had.

He might be biased, but I'll take the praise!



Ingredients:

1/3 cup applesauce (unsweetened)
1/4 cup spread margarine
1 and 1/2 cup all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup white sugar
3 small ripe bananas. Mine had been dropped on the floor by a seven month old, so they were not just ripe, but a tad bruised as well.
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/3 cup chopped pecans

Directions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Lightly grease a regular bread loaf pan.

In a large bowl, cream the applesauce, margarine  and sugar. Add vanilla. Sift in the flour, baking soda and salt. Blend in the mashed bananas. Stir in the pecan pieces. Pour batter into prepared pan. (I used a medium spatuala to do the mixing and smooshing etc)

Bake in preheated oven for 60 minutes, or until it tests done with a toothpick. It was almost exactly 60 mins for me

Cool in pan for 10 mins, then transfer to wire rack and cool upside down.

It is dense and sweet and oh so yummy!

Things to try.....

Since Pinterest is evil and hates me and won't let me log in, reset my password, or contact customer support... (AGH!!!!)

I am going to list a few links here of things I want to try to make/cook.

Blarg.

Home Made Pretzels 

Chicken Pot Pie Cupcakes

Dressed Up Chicken (crock pot style)

Bacon Chicken Alfredo 

Turkey stuffed bell peppers

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

A favorite! 

Ingredients

1 and ½  cups packed brown sugar

1 cup butter or margarine, softened

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 egg

2 cups quick-cooking oats

1 and ½ cups Gold Medal® all-purpose or unbleached flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

¼ teaspoon salt

1 package semisweet chocolate chips (12 oz)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350.

Mix brown sugar and butter until smooth. I like to nuke my butter sticks in the microwave for thirty seconds and then add the big ol’ block of packed brown sugar.

Once it is smooth, add in the vanilla and the egg and mix again.

Next comes the salt and baking soda.

And now the oats!

And now the flour!

And now the chocolate chips!

Roll dough into little balls and place on ungreased cooking sheet.

Bake for 10 minutes

Allow to cool on sheet for 5 minutes before moving to wire rack.

Notes:

·        

I use a fork to do all the mixing until the end, then a spatula works perfectly.

Again, 30 seconds for the two sticks of butter to soften it up… I usually have it out during the brown sugar packing part of the process too… and when I pack the brown sugar, I mean I pack it full and tight.

This recipe makes 58 cookies, although this number varies due to cookie size.

Best Hot Cocoa EVER

Made in the crock pot, served at a recent holiday party... devoured and applauded by all....

Ingredients
2 cups heavy whipping cream
1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk
2 cups chocolate chips (I used milk chocolate)
a packet of instant hot cocoa mix
6 cups milk (I used 2%)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions:
Pour all ingredients into crock pot.
Turn on crock pot
Wait.

Enjoy!

(I ran mine on high for an hour then turned it to low... the pot was empty soon thereafter.)

Oh, and a great addition to this bit of heaven? A Marshmallow Accompaniment! (pictured)